tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28936325241058893932024-02-19T18:02:41.379-08:00Food Storage In VernoniaWelcome to my food-storage blog. I hope you find something useful or interesting here.
I'm new to long-term food storage (I've had a 72-hour disaster kit for several years, though), and I've been learning a lot.
This blog is the diary of my food-storage education. I'll include what I'm doing with my food storage: items I've purchased, recipes I've tried or invented, home food dehydrating, and gardening (flower, fruit, and vegetable).Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-62847108685170212692011-05-10T21:29:00.000-07:002011-05-10T21:29:22.035-07:00Liberty Apple TreeSince I mentioned my Liberty apple tree in my last post, I thought I'd find a picture of a productive Liberty apple tree so you can see what mine will look like when it grows up.<br />
<br />
I shamelessly stole this picture from the <a href="http://www.ediblelandscaping.com/">Edible Landscaping</a> website. They're a nursery that serves backyard fruit growers in Virginia--sorta like <a href="http://www.raintreenursery.com/">Raintree</a> and <a href="http://www.onegreenworld.com/">One Green World</a> do here.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Anyway, here's the tree. Can an apple LOOK flavorfull?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSkKI_0_7zmhBUAvpo6BkVADfxsBvDwhaFsPOW0pvqV6fUvQKMhsm_DMlHM71kMdsDPGA_BmVnIMG44nyAenVLF8MCthV9ezSnOfGEBnnZCnqabkG-IHfEeUkIzanxHq27svih3jdxeJ3/s1600/Apple%252520liberty%252520fruitsDSC_0596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSkKI_0_7zmhBUAvpo6BkVADfxsBvDwhaFsPOW0pvqV6fUvQKMhsm_DMlHM71kMdsDPGA_BmVnIMG44nyAenVLF8MCthV9ezSnOfGEBnnZCnqabkG-IHfEeUkIzanxHq27svih3jdxeJ3/s320/Apple%252520liberty%252520fruitsDSC_0596.jpg" width="212px" /></a></div>Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-42449860110340728882011-05-08T17:51:00.000-07:002011-05-10T20:39:21.486-07:00Guilding My GravensteinMy Gravenstein apple tree is going to bloom this year, for the fist time. I'm very excited. I'd be a lot more excited if the tree I got to pollinate it, my Liberty apple tree, were going to bloom also! There's a chance that my Resi, which is also going to bloom for the first time, will bloom early enough to pollinate the Gravenstein. But it'll be dicey. Gravensteins are triploid, and so do not pollinate other trees. So I won't get any Resi apples. But it would be nice to at least get some Gravensteins.<br />
<br />
Up until now I've just been mulching around my apple trees. But I've decided it's time to get serious about making an apple guild. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOmY-6rvaxR0o5WkadplHvSMLRITy3DOmlamc3y1CFCSwoazr3U_dfyooeEGZAQKxYRIpnZJ8421Q3oOxu0W5rM8S0LYPFDthrw77210tkVWXgs5GuuQ74tRamzIC6CY4yRwqSM8iuDvH/s1600/Blog+Photos+140+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOmY-6rvaxR0o5WkadplHvSMLRITy3DOmlamc3y1CFCSwoazr3U_dfyooeEGZAQKxYRIpnZJ8421Q3oOxu0W5rM8S0LYPFDthrw77210tkVWXgs5GuuQ74tRamzIC6CY4yRwqSM8iuDvH/s1600/Blog+Photos+140+small.jpg" /></a></div><br />
"Guild" is a permaculture term that means a group of plants, usually with a food-bearing tree in the middle, that support each other, providing for each other's needs. They typically consist of some combination of nitrogen fixers (so you don't have to fertilize so much), deep-rooted nutrient accumulators (for bringing nutrients from deep in the soil up to where other plants, including the tree, can use them), insect attractors (for attracting pollinizing and pest-eating insects), mulch makers (than you can slash periodically for on-the-spot mulch, or that drop a lot of litter to act as mulch), and ground covers (to protect the soil from splashing rains and too much sun, and to suppress weeds). Typically, some of the plants will be shrubs and some will be perennials. There may even be a vine or two. Annuals are usually avoided in a guild, unless they self-sow.<br />
<br />
I'm just starting this guild, so it doesn't have everything it will eventually have. For example, I'll want to put 4 or 5 berry bushes around the edges--maybe goosberries, currents, honey berries, or goumis (which are nitrogen fixers). And I don't have any nitrogen fixers, but I bought a packet of sweet peas, which I'll plant to grow up the <a href="http://foodstorageinvernonia.blogspot.com/2010/04/protecting-fruit-trees-from-deer.html">cheap-and-cheesy deer fence</a>. <br />
<br />
So here's what I got, and why I got it.<br />
<br />
<ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 artichoke plants. I really like artichokes, so that's a good reason to grow them--although 2 plants isn't very many. But artichoke plants are nice in a fruit-tree guild or a food forest because they have leafy growth that you can slash for mulching in place. I'm not sure whether you can do this during the summer, or whether you need to wait until they die down at the end of the year. That's the deer fencing in front of the plant.</li>
</ul><div align="center"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyADExkEmpVOJaAxwBDkAF0pZUbK8HpF8TfpJ3xjUZPgD7N-UUbrRZ9kInDTKFZ4UkAf5oE8w9KIqiPJitFo7X_RNljZZB9XD4bdKDv2fo3gRdgEpyel6kDDvLiqZyN71vDBUjy-H7Z7Dc/s1600/Blog+Photos+137+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyADExkEmpVOJaAxwBDkAF0pZUbK8HpF8TfpJ3xjUZPgD7N-UUbrRZ9kInDTKFZ4UkAf5oE8w9KIqiPJitFo7X_RNljZZB9XD4bdKDv2fo3gRdgEpyel6kDDvLiqZyN71vDBUjy-H7Z7Dc/s1600/Blog+Photos+137+small.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I transplanted a couple sprouts from the black-eyed susan in my front yard. I see all kinds of little bugs flitting around the ones in the front yard, so I'm sure they'll attract some that are beneficial. And I've seen Red Admiral butterflies on them too, so that's another benefit. And...I just like them (not everything has to be utilitarian!). They will spread into a nice-sized clump. </div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAOrtp6uQUyEvHO-tzvpeV-JsKoY92b-ZTby3IdDifBGH3v0K2VOMFkSbXdFfUw7F9SqO5FRbVGTI2oBfyca6h5u15FI04hkkgrBT5eBoEvk5LfhyphenhyphenQKecZ7LTTdT4aT6QIYeBc0S33Qmx/s1600/Blog+Photos+138+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAOrtp6uQUyEvHO-tzvpeV-JsKoY92b-ZTby3IdDifBGH3v0K2VOMFkSbXdFfUw7F9SqO5FRbVGTI2oBfyca6h5u15FI04hkkgrBT5eBoEvk5LfhyphenhyphenQKecZ7LTTdT4aT6QIYeBc0S33Qmx/s1600/Blog+Photos+138+small.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I planted a lemon thyme plant. Just one, but it will spread--I think. I know English thyme can spread quite a bit, but I expect this to be a little tamer. Thyme is good because it's a ground cover, and it's a nice culinary herb. But it's also aromatic, so it's possible it'll help repell some pests. If not, that's OK. It's a pretty little thing.</div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_yS4jJC3GH2tqyd1y-nte5OR3KlL3By2_7w9me0OcU_nKgX13_Gpr6yCzknRNJP0gPHDqCTrwQJSuzGtKSYjuMlwk1rarY2OtjtCoQgXoRcUpXjborcVJPRNk_wGvfjhda3Hk0bGoMnz/s1600/Blog+Photos+139+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_yS4jJC3GH2tqyd1y-nte5OR3KlL3By2_7w9me0OcU_nKgX13_Gpr6yCzknRNJP0gPHDqCTrwQJSuzGtKSYjuMlwk1rarY2OtjtCoQgXoRcUpXjborcVJPRNk_wGvfjhda3Hk0bGoMnz/s1600/Blog+Photos+139+small.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I planted 4 strawberry plants. I don't know that they do much besides cover the ground. But they do do that, and they are mighty tasty berries. Again, 4 strawberry plants isn't a lot. But there will be more in other apple-tree guilds. It's good to mix up the plants rather than having all of one kind grouped together.</div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnPKZUgoeZBm6PoCmLS7IGrC1kg3j_66PhcsH0UPXEOAt8tyVNr1JTE1RrEbdxnpAYRDwO4UY_jKrleyPiv3IlwTQedW0xsyVWGWZvD3a7dUd_pIXKbR52Os07Tm115dELMOiTflG6kGI/s1600/Blog+Photos+136+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnPKZUgoeZBm6PoCmLS7IGrC1kg3j_66PhcsH0UPXEOAt8tyVNr1JTE1RrEbdxnpAYRDwO4UY_jKrleyPiv3IlwTQedW0xsyVWGWZvD3a7dUd_pIXKbR52Os07Tm115dELMOiTflG6kGI/s320/Blog+Photos+136+small.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">In the strawberry picture, you can see a parsley plant. They're supposed to be good for attracting beneficial insects.</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">And finally, I planted 1 small lavendar plant. I must be really strange because I really don't like the scent of lavendars. But they are beautiful small bushes, and they probably attract beneficial insects. </div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTwuaaGqz-Df66Z1aM3xa-JY7mt_FJK3XxA3DQB8sv4w8TIXCR6K5OKbLt1ZSsMdUxJORB3S8jPup0HdCBAMd3zZzJA-UPH2FwaNU0hammGdqoTvxOIUCAYDmLNDhLoocARpOVActAc91/s1600/Blog+Photos+141+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTwuaaGqz-Df66Z1aM3xa-JY7mt_FJK3XxA3DQB8sv4w8TIXCR6K5OKbLt1ZSsMdUxJORB3S8jPup0HdCBAMd3zZzJA-UPH2FwaNU0hammGdqoTvxOIUCAYDmLNDhLoocARpOVActAc91/s1600/Blog+Photos+141+small.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh, and I sprinkled some seeds from a wildflower mix. </div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm toying with the idea of planting some nasturtiums around the outside of this--haven't decided yet. But "nasties" are a pretty ground cover, and nice mulching plant, have edible leaves and flowers, and are really pretty. So I'll probably add some.</div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">That's it so far. One of the goals of creating fruit-tree guilds and food forests (which is basically an expanded version of a guild), is to increase bio-diversity. I've got a fairly good start here. I'll add more next year (or maybe later this year, if I get impatient!).</div>Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-79278438530172493702011-05-08T16:19:00.000-07:002011-05-08T16:42:24.178-07:00Making a Homemade Berkey Water FilterAre you like me? You want a Big Berkey water filter, but you just can't justify spending so much on one? Well! Did you know that you can purchase the filter elements and make one yourself, from a couple food-grade buckets? It won't be as fancy as a real Big Berkey. It probably won't be as rugged as the real deal. But it will work.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELsT0NdQQv7veYtv2F1KjruZR-4tiurBJD7lFgiMLRkn3dDA3IvFkbreCR_-fJmnGV2_Jt2ptsqgGixXZDvplLUqoaBmEzNYDDlo4tT1kZPy3hwVu0HwzPOSSY-6VH1e7xzRxnZG7X6CQ/s1600/big_berkey_pitcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELsT0NdQQv7veYtv2F1KjruZR-4tiurBJD7lFgiMLRkn3dDA3IvFkbreCR_-fJmnGV2_Jt2ptsqgGixXZDvplLUqoaBmEzNYDDlo4tT1kZPy3hwVu0HwzPOSSY-6VH1e7xzRxnZG7X6CQ/s1600/big_berkey_pitcher.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center"></div>A note: I can't claim credit for figuring this out. I learned of it from <em>How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It</em>, by James Wesley, Rawles.<br />
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I made one. And I took some pictures. So I thought I'd show you how easy it is.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWe6oVvN5RMyG9NDQpgwKq76hv8QHfaR4O5Ak0lofvHqz11ivN9VO_yV19PhJ2zkXOTgVYmyIxEJzzidlDbaU6dl8kd2P8WR6a-UwAWKOPBUGH0xJ3UwdYfT8zZPc_rqTVmFJ4z1NFutEg/s1600/Blog+Photos+123+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWe6oVvN5RMyG9NDQpgwKq76hv8QHfaR4O5Ak0lofvHqz11ivN9VO_yV19PhJ2zkXOTgVYmyIxEJzzidlDbaU6dl8kd2P8WR6a-UwAWKOPBUGH0xJ3UwdYfT8zZPc_rqTVmFJ4z1NFutEg/s1600/Blog+Photos+123+small.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>What you need:<br />
<br />
2 six-gallon, food-grade water buckets (You can use smaller buckets, but they aren't recommended.)<br />
2 black Berkey purification elements, with priming button<br />
1 spigot, if you want to use one<br />
1 1/2" drill bit<br />
<br />
I didn't have a 1/2" drill bit. So I went to my go-to guy for hardware. He said that most home drills aren't big enough to accommodate a standard 1/2" drill bit. But they make a 1/2" drill bit that narrows down at the end so you can fit it in your drill. I got one, and it worked perfectly. So that's probably what you'll need, too.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj243r9vB1kBMozlGc9aJumJijgk9o5z3mIOXP5Fq6t29r4jZyr1lZqKNblhS6oWOTIjgjiS3m4GqAXB5Y9-zX3QBzI2IoGii2g6y1JB3NAlUJW1U72EcpC5K1yXM2549BdaTSzU2vV29DG/s1600/Blog+Photos+132+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="75px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj243r9vB1kBMozlGc9aJumJijgk9o5z3mIOXP5Fq6t29r4jZyr1lZqKNblhS6oWOTIjgjiS3m4GqAXB5Y9-zX3QBzI2IoGii2g6y1JB3NAlUJW1U72EcpC5K1yXM2549BdaTSzU2vV29DG/s320/Blog+Photos+132+small.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
I got my black Berkey purification elements from the <a href="http://www.directive21.com/accessories-black-berkey-purification-element.html">Berkey Guy</a>. I bought from him because he was the last supplier I found on the Internet who was still selling them for $99 and including a free Sport Berkey Water Bottle Portable Water Purifier. Everyone was selling them for this price last year. Now, no one is. Even the Berkey Guy has raised his prices since I got mine. (2 black Berkey purification elements are now $107, and the Sport Berkey is $24.99).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtUb5f5DAVPxVBeOIQOJ6KvrXCJ-VjAtIth_oVt6XfJ4poFnCUo4_DrVe5Ir4GuQvkKlBW8mrkg-RfYQ4a7lwooMcQPiBbYsoOGvuBp_36JxnkADeLy1D8pTragg_OW9dbEJt2CLu82bp/s1600/Blog+Photos+124+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtUb5f5DAVPxVBeOIQOJ6KvrXCJ-VjAtIth_oVt6XfJ4poFnCUo4_DrVe5Ir4GuQvkKlBW8mrkg-RfYQ4a7lwooMcQPiBbYsoOGvuBp_36JxnkADeLy1D8pTragg_OW9dbEJt2CLu82bp/s1600/Blog+Photos+124+small.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The process is simple:<br />
<ol><li>Prime the purification elements.</li>
<li>Drill holes for the purification elements in the bottom of one bucket and in the lid of the other bucket.</li>
<li>Put the purification elements through the holes in the bottom of the bucket, with the elements inside the bucket, and tighten the wing nuts.</li>
<li>Install the spigot in the bottom bucket, if you want one (I did not).</li>
<li>Assemble the Water Filter.</li>
<ol><li>Set the lid with the holes on the bucket without the holes. </li>
<li>Put the bucket with the purification elements on the other bucket with the lid, with the stems going into the holes in the lid (the clean water drips through the stems). </li>
<li>Put the lid without holes on the bucket with the purification elements in it.</li>
</ol></ol>Then just pour your dirty water into the top bucket and wait for your clean water to drip into the lower bucket. If the water has a lot of particulate matter, you'll get better results if you pour it through a couple layers of cheese cloth before pouring into your new filter--you can go longer without cleaning the elements.<br />
<br />
So. Let's get started.<br />
<br />
First, you need some clean water to prime the purification elements. I had some bottled water on hand, so I used that. It took a 20-oz bottle of water to prime each element. If you have nice water from your faucet, you can use that. The instructions for priming the purification elements are in the box.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-U_ky_68IuLmK99nWKyCJ3uKVuB-aGBXBdHo1mK80Z3x3zIJoXhr4FuWEywnZJDd81cymf7VIna9yTVqDMR0Akh-tM-toAOCkMOQyo5y_skv60TXUb_MGR0p49gQILhpOK_8XyKWnNx1a/s1600/Blog+Photos+125+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-U_ky_68IuLmK99nWKyCJ3uKVuB-aGBXBdHo1mK80Z3x3zIJoXhr4FuWEywnZJDd81cymf7VIna9yTVqDMR0Akh-tM-toAOCkMOQyo5y_skv60TXUb_MGR0p49gQILhpOK_8XyKWnNx1a/s1600/Blog+Photos+125+small.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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The priming button looks like a tan rubber gasket. It goes over the stem and rests against the bottom of the element. The priming process forces water backwards through each purification element, wetting it and flushing out any residue. The priming button serves to prevent (mostly) water from squirting out while you're forcing the water backwards through the stem and into and through the element.<br />
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You hold the element firmly against the faucet (you'd probably have to take the little screen off) or against your water bottle, and force water through it until it beads up on on the surface of the element and runs down.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32SvXHPNdPCPf0xRsvw7j8JmyMw8jwXYZ9l4cy94dFo9UMM8Uc00-4ScLFPiwymVwyWfbCEsJaKm778QyNiWSUz2akHXfdOmZHa9JIg6K_SjyshVxUy_AawadVmI_BTM1OAii92t-lqnx/s1600/Blog+Photos+127+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32SvXHPNdPCPf0xRsvw7j8JmyMw8jwXYZ9l4cy94dFo9UMM8Uc00-4ScLFPiwymVwyWfbCEsJaKm778QyNiWSUz2akHXfdOmZHa9JIg6K_SjyshVxUy_AawadVmI_BTM1OAii92t-lqnx/s1600/Blog+Photos+127+small.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once the elements are primed, you can set them aside. It's time to drill some holes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found it easiest to put the bottom bucket on the floor, with its lid on top, and put the filtering bucket on top of the lid. That way I could make sure the holes in the bucket lined up with the holes in the lid. I drilled my holes about 3 inches from the side of the bucket, which left plenty of room for the elements. The downside to this method is that you have to clean little bits of plastic out of both buckets.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmCSqV6xMtJsGopKjKyBb8Az3gFeRpB9755tJMCn0unLUTrPTIw7njAmFq53gHV6kyHazYQp45U9ZtN2PvB5ucHaRbITG0fwY_KS0uTkW7Jfz_gaVqg0-30SEqe5KKtfN832hl6pnUUTt/s1600/Blog+Photos+129+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmCSqV6xMtJsGopKjKyBb8Az3gFeRpB9755tJMCn0unLUTrPTIw7njAmFq53gHV6kyHazYQp45U9ZtN2PvB5ucHaRbITG0fwY_KS0uTkW7Jfz_gaVqg0-30SEqe5KKtfN832hl6pnUUTt/s1600/Blog+Photos+129+small.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Then I installed the elements.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjov7FDARJbSHP8Pk7p5MNs_yArjoIXYQw6QJ_o4ALtbg46mKSLDymUwtH1Feearoc-2Z-cryzMjyD0PSNj2P0kW2NefcKnxFzpSZYHR1Aey4Q1cj0UL6t8NwteFHPCEZ5vUbWVIPdAmNLg/s1600/Blog+Photos+130+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjov7FDARJbSHP8Pk7p5MNs_yArjoIXYQw6QJ_o4ALtbg46mKSLDymUwtH1Feearoc-2Z-cryzMjyD0PSNj2P0kW2NefcKnxFzpSZYHR1Aey4Q1cj0UL6t8NwteFHPCEZ5vUbWVIPdAmNLg/s1600/Blog+Photos+130+small.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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And finally, I stacked up the buckes to make my filter.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmazgPhAKO7bPOX-TwkASfZVBsQ47722OkPQ19P_YN7oa-SglBuQkS1mODAuJj8D2skGKMEwZrrkQXpBGFQuo73hucGfVpuJKIAokLnLKn6PTCspazWLN9-7nzpqrX3GOU2-NxgUR5OuQ/s1600/Blog+Photos+131+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmazgPhAKO7bPOX-TwkASfZVBsQ47722OkPQ19P_YN7oa-SglBuQkS1mODAuJj8D2skGKMEwZrrkQXpBGFQuo73hucGfVpuJKIAokLnLKn6PTCspazWLN9-7nzpqrX3GOU2-NxgUR5OuQ/s1600/Blog+Photos+131+small.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Oops! Despite my care I got the holes in the lid in the wrong place, and the filter bucket doesn't quite sit on the lid of the lower bucket properly. Ah well. It still works.<br />
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So. How do I like it and what have I learned?<br />
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It's easy to use. I just take a third bucket (labeled "Dirty Water") out to my rain barrel and fetch some water. Pour it into the filter bucket, and a few hours later I have clean water in the lower bucket.<br />
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Yeah. That's right. A few hours. It is not a fast filter. But there are a few things you can do to speed things up.<br />
<ol><li>Keep the water level in the filter bucket topped off. The higher the water level in the filter bucket, the greater the water pressure against the filters, so the faster they filter. Just make sure you don't overflow your bottom bucket!</li>
<li>Use 6-gallon buckets. I used 4 1/2-gallon buckets, because when I wanted to order them Emergency Essentials was out of the bigger buckets and I was impatient. But by using 6-gallon buckets, I would have started with the water level higher, and would have gotten clean water faster.</li>
<li>Get 4 purification elements instead of 2. You can cut your filter time in half. This also lets you filter a lot more water before you have to replace your purification elements. Of course, it costs twice as much up front.</li>
</ol>Each element will purify pu to 3000 gallons. So if you have 2 elements in your filter, you can purify 6000 gallons before you have to purchase more elements. And if you have 4 elements, you can purify 12000 gallons before replacing them. Of course, when you do replace them, it costs that much more!<br />
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Another thing to remember is that you can clean the black Berkey purification elements several times. They recommend using a ScotchBright(r) pad.<br />
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You can put a spigot in the bottom bucket, to use it as a dispenser. I decided not to do this for 2 reasons. I forgot to purchase a spigot! But also, I already have a couple water dispensers. So I just collect water in the bucket and pour it into the dispensers I already have.<br />
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I got my first dispenser from <a href="http://www.watercrockshop.com/">The Water Crock Shop</a>. They have a very nice selection of water crocks. You can either get a lid, like I did, or put a water bottle on top. The crock, by itself, holds 2 1/2 gallons of water.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauNBE63p-OhrEK58JRwJ45FW3rmuJnFDPotpUq33AAIY1Be89rdVnannD-Rh5rH9t4OZsdD6eXjnfi-yP649rcxMr69o-gi0LGN4O4scXq6K6eEZ3dy9Sh_17kTICmI4KRNXjEmr6xXCe/s1600/Blog+Photos+134+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauNBE63p-OhrEK58JRwJ45FW3rmuJnFDPotpUq33AAIY1Be89rdVnannD-Rh5rH9t4OZsdD6eXjnfi-yP649rcxMr69o-gi0LGN4O4scXq6K6eEZ3dy9Sh_17kTICmI4KRNXjEmr6xXCe/s1600/Blog+Photos+134+small.jpg" /></a></div><br />
But the water crock was too big for my tiny bathroom counter. So I picked up a glass dispenser on sale at my local Fred Meyer store. I think it's supposed to be for serving Limoncello. But I'm using it for nice, clean, water.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZpRtHJSWIHYM4ycW7rteSDU53ky-tBocLivrClr37tQhyHDkXhe6XrpSTNvnfPpLiyE9XpxvBHan1oA7nNUWQQrk69KdbntgJ69-MdEbLiQX2cEK-x3RAuiflH7VIOTJDkEjPrUCrGfG/s1600/Blog+Photos+133+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZpRtHJSWIHYM4ycW7rteSDU53ky-tBocLivrClr37tQhyHDkXhe6XrpSTNvnfPpLiyE9XpxvBHan1oA7nNUWQQrk69KdbntgJ69-MdEbLiQX2cEK-x3RAuiflH7VIOTJDkEjPrUCrGfG/s1600/Blog+Photos+133+small.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now, next time the power goes out for a week or so after a winter storm, I'll have all the clean, fresh, water I can drink! And you can, too!</div><div align="center"></div>Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-8268425390885111442011-03-26T17:57:00.000-07:002011-03-26T17:57:48.281-07:00Availability of Freeze Dried FoodsAs you may know, it's difficult to purchase freeze-dried food in #10 cans these days. The websites I've been to all have some or most of their #10 cans on backorder, both Mountain House and Provident Pantry. I assume the same is true of other brands. Apparently, the demand for freeze-dried and dehydrated foods is increasing faster then the supply can respond. <a href="http://www.mountainhouse.com/">Here's what Mountain House says about it.</a><br />
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On the one had, it's good that--apparently--so many people are preparing. On the other hand, this makes getting your food preps in store harder.<br />
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However, all is not lost. I've noticed that both <a href="http://beprepared.com/">Emergency Essentials</a> and <a href="http://www.disasternecessities.com/">Disaster Necessities</a> will backorder these items for you. You'll just have to wait for them. (I should note that I have no experience with Disaster Necessities. I recently placed an order with them--for backordered items--but I haven't received it yet. No, I'm not abandoning Emergency Essentials, I just wanted to try another supplier.)<br />
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While you're waiting for backordered freeze-dried food, you can stock up on canned goods and other products that store well, from Costco, Walmart, or whatever store is in your area. And don't forget non-food items, such as soap, toilet paper, etc.<br />
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I also noticed that Emergency Essentials is out of, and back ordering, their 55-cal water barrels. So it looks like people are storing water, too. Storing water is very important, especially for people living in dry areas. We need water even more than we need food, although water is usually easier to find. But it must be CLEAN water. Dirty water can kill you. So it's a good idea to store some way to clean dirty water.<br />
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I recently joined Costco again after being away for several years. I was happy to see that they have 12-packs of many canned goods at reasonable prices. And big bags of rice and other staples. Personally, I'd want to repackage rice or other staples that are in burlap bags, so they have a longer shelf life.<br />
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Many food-storage types talk about storing food (rice, beans, wheat, etc.) for up to 20 years. But that isn't really necessary. Ideally, you want to be storing foods that you and your family like to eat, and be regularly eating those foods from your storage. When you buy more, you put it in the back of your current stock and use the oldest things first. So you don't need to store something for 20 years. If you have a year's worth of food stored, you might have things no older than a couple years, because you're constantly cycling through it.<br />
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Besides, who wants to store food for 20 years? If there's no disaster, you've wasted your money. But if you're buying and storing food you eat all the time anyway, and you're cycling through your stored food, your money is never wasted.<br />
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I would argue, though, that convenience foods stored in cardboard should be re-packaged in some way to make them both more airtight and less available to pests. You DON'T want mice eating all your stored food.<br />
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Good luck, and happy food storing!Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-44654602361528180002011-03-26T17:02:00.000-07:002011-03-26T17:02:57.384-07:00Creamy Soup Base ReviewI've been ogling the <a href="http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_FS%20C140_A_name_E_Creamy%20Soup%20Base">Creamy Soup Base</a> over at <a href="http://www.beprepared.com/">Emergency Essentials</a> for a while now, so I finally decided to give it a try. I am sure glad I did! It makes wonderful cream-of-broccoli soup. I've also used it for making creamed peas and scalloped potatoes. I haven't tried this yet, but I'll bet you could make good mac-and-cheese by melting some cheddar cheese in it and pouring it over macaroni.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6uRqJfJAjTt9rLjkEdMpDc_3r8iPj1iWaLs10Gkl_i1-IUtpxS3-jpFhi6dHGBYksXDzQh2ckiMUZV4SMJE4l8mwYVolbhJvUXgy8FuLqotIyBQS62ZlTqyC5bwpOX29sBi75LzVijRX/s1600/Blog+photos+103+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6uRqJfJAjTt9rLjkEdMpDc_3r8iPj1iWaLs10Gkl_i1-IUtpxS3-jpFhi6dHGBYksXDzQh2ckiMUZV4SMJE4l8mwYVolbhJvUXgy8FuLqotIyBQS62ZlTqyC5bwpOX29sBi75LzVijRX/s200/Blog+photos+103+small.jpg" width="152" /></a></div><br />
The only real down side is that the ingredients aren't the most healthful: 1060mg of sodium and 11g of saturated fat per serving. And a serving is only 1 cup, so I usually eat 2 servings at a time (a big bowl of cream-of-broccoli soup and a chunk of homemade bread is an awesome lunch!). This is probably not something you'd want to eat every day. On the other hand, fats are one of the most difficult food categories to store for more than just a few months, so this could be valuable in a well-rounded food-storage plan.<br />
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I make my soup a little healthier by adding a little <a href="http://www.bobsredmill.com/white-bean-flour.html">white bean flour</a> (from <a href="http://www.bobsredmill.com/">Bob's Red Mill</a>) to the soup mix before adding it to the boiling water. You can, of course, make a cream soup with just the white bean flour (the recipe is on the package), but it's lumpy--the recipe on the package tells you to put it in the blender before serving it. And the bean-flour soup doesn't have any seasonings in it (the chicken bouillon in this soup mix has some seasonings). So I just add some bean flour to the creamy soup mix. You have to be careful, though. If you add too much it makes the soup lumpy. <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But soup from this mix tastes good, is versatile, and is quick and easy to prepare. I makeit when I'm too tired to cook a "real meal".</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Here's how I make my cream-of-broccoli soup:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj6yI0gNU7xYU_RyHREWg53CN707qdgTmKZeJHom6ez0gSlrFAfHCMFstsoqRxLXkTYdwlQUquF7Ef4zsUl_LaQT-oTkv2TJ78htR8d5ES7FIPFDCLxuc6fdxeJQQH7pKJezGmMsj85yF/s1600/Blog+photos+104+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj6yI0gNU7xYU_RyHREWg53CN707qdgTmKZeJHom6ez0gSlrFAfHCMFstsoqRxLXkTYdwlQUquF7Ef4zsUl_LaQT-oTkv2TJ78htR8d5ES7FIPFDCLxuc6fdxeJQQH7pKJezGmMsj85yF/s1600/Blog+photos+104+small.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">First, I measure out 1/2 cup soup mix, and put it into a 1-cup measuring cup. Then I add a spoonful of white bean flour. I start 2 cups of water to boil (do not add salt--there's plenty in the soup mix). While the water is coming to a boil, I cut up some broccoli--about 3/4 cup.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcaGPKW1wLN_ZBRi3AtCyAndZHLKsuF9e6SALCVn699zETTgyg8TTpTmSqIdVS4lOpxP6FSNGKjpMyPmg7nj5lhfdvkrpGD_t027x9aMO1kKfp8Pw-0Isnn59FVawVPcKSZkhA8YZlcqja/s1600/Blog+photos+105+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcaGPKW1wLN_ZBRi3AtCyAndZHLKsuF9e6SALCVn699zETTgyg8TTpTmSqIdVS4lOpxP6FSNGKjpMyPmg7nj5lhfdvkrpGD_t027x9aMO1kKfp8Pw-0Isnn59FVawVPcKSZkhA8YZlcqja/s1600/Blog+photos+105+small.jpg" /></a></div>When the water comes to a boil, I whisk in the soup mix, then turn down the heat, because this likes to boil and you want it to only simmer.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzPHfPqJmfcRaKVo1YUlwTFdC2yj0U3M68QEFXFc_VeNfnhBTBc-7CxcSIaKegvA-B5wFNDIV0qIJaCss-RPp_0xmJdxRprZxPenXhvPHX6NogDm12NTimvV4AKVuYBzHuS7L1JfEK5Yj/s1600/Blog+photos+107+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzPHfPqJmfcRaKVo1YUlwTFdC2yj0U3M68QEFXFc_VeNfnhBTBc-7CxcSIaKegvA-B5wFNDIV0qIJaCss-RPp_0xmJdxRprZxPenXhvPHX6NogDm12NTimvV4AKVuYBzHuS7L1JfEK5Yj/s1600/Blog+photos+107+small.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The soup is supposed to simmer for 10 minutes. About half way through that time, I add the broccoli. I've learned that you shouldn't wait too long to add the broccoli, or it will taste raw. Of course, you don't want to put it in too early or it might get too mushy. I use thawed-out frozen broccoli, so it's been blanched (before it was frozen), so it's partially cooked. If you're using fresh broccoli from the garden, it might need to cook longer.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7F7OxqB2462QnTuyhcWKlD7F-FfinsMtXm2n8SYC1yGOnZjYwwlK6kiRYsm89Mrd11H2UAPMHa2BOoUc_7TeyEJxH5YLtvoyD548CLMr0tYJtYOpfaTqgUYz1vaD3WkiaotFi75sXo59S/s1600/Blog+photos+108+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7F7OxqB2462QnTuyhcWKlD7F-FfinsMtXm2n8SYC1yGOnZjYwwlK6kiRYsm89Mrd11H2UAPMHa2BOoUc_7TeyEJxH5YLtvoyD548CLMr0tYJtYOpfaTqgUYz1vaD3WkiaotFi75sXo59S/s1600/Blog+photos+108+small.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And that's it. After simmering for 10 minutes it's done. Easy, peasy, Cream of Broccoli soup.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Oh, there is one thing. The recipe on the can says to "Whisk 1/4 cup Creamy Soup Base into..." so I was picturing the kind of whisk that you'd use for whisking eggs while baking. But a gravy whisk works better.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZA95pa0ve_kZk4KVtf4fBaVVC9mPbLW5m_md99WabLDaDgldYq_TYzeERxacB7U9nSTS7s3u4c9gm_7ahdzqLpvLQ_RwluRqApAf5Lgrg6aIav7P-lc99uMt8sNdEiSRznITvaDXFJOLQ/s1600/Blog+photos+106+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZA95pa0ve_kZk4KVtf4fBaVVC9mPbLW5m_md99WabLDaDgldYq_TYzeERxacB7U9nSTS7s3u4c9gm_7ahdzqLpvLQ_RwluRqApAf5Lgrg6aIav7P-lc99uMt8sNdEiSRznITvaDXFJOLQ/s1600/Blog+photos+106+small.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-28827547368352985312011-02-25T18:46:00.000-08:002011-02-25T18:47:22.421-08:00Onion RelishMy younger brother has been giving me a bad time for not posting anything to my blog for the last few months. I haven't really been doing anything lately, food-storage wise. But looking back, I see I never posted about a couple projects from a few months ago. So here we go.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_rmh1rJ7p_PPzVisTcrhTaKgB0ShPoONtLln3xK37nvU4feY23zZ4Wj8F2oiALbWoY3oiI-NH_h4_KYtT-nZYP6AQpD5-b4GFTQd_AFTb-oapvnI-2LifWCS8s5yz974YEWX7PcQ3tLI/s1600/Blog+Photos+070+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_rmh1rJ7p_PPzVisTcrhTaKgB0ShPoONtLln3xK37nvU4feY23zZ4Wj8F2oiALbWoY3oiI-NH_h4_KYtT-nZYP6AQpD5-b4GFTQd_AFTb-oapvnI-2LifWCS8s5yz974YEWX7PcQ3tLI/s320/Blog+Photos+070+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Sure, you can store onions in your root cellar (assuming you have one--I don't). But some onions don't store well. And besides...wouldn't you like to do something new with your onions? How about Onion Relish? Sounds weird, doesn't it? But it's actually quite tasty.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I got the recipe from<em> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Ribbon-Preserves-Award-Winning-Marmalades/dp/1557883610/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1298685836&sr=1-1">Blue Ribbon Preserves</a></em>, by Linda J. Amendt. I used Walla Walla Sweet onions in my relish (so yeah, this was from last summer). But I'm sure normal onions would be good, too. I'll bet red onions would be beautiful. The recipe calls for white wine vinegar, rather than ordinary white vinegar. I had to look around my grocery store a little bit before I found it. It was with the specialty vinegars in fancy bottles, not with the gallon jugs of white or cider vinegar.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzGMSr-_-cCWdbD4tadYuUpKLqTeVCo1QNOcvU38C_swB7B9-P0ExABYZ7205orCH_5YmC7NTSee6S12Natmtvde9nCUrUluOeKEXo_2ufOfL9vXkjUklOdCqRJ_-aKOZVV5RoBHo4lIT/s1600/Blog+Photos+072+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzGMSr-_-cCWdbD4tadYuUpKLqTeVCo1QNOcvU38C_swB7B9-P0ExABYZ7205orCH_5YmC7NTSee6S12Natmtvde9nCUrUluOeKEXo_2ufOfL9vXkjUklOdCqRJ_-aKOZVV5RoBHo4lIT/s320/Blog+Photos+072+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Here's the recipe (of course, all the normal safety precautions should be followed):</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Makes about 4 pint jars</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">8 cups finely chopped sweet onions</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">1 tablespoon pickling salt or kosher salt</span></div><span style="color: #0b5394;">1 ¾ cups white wine vinegar</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">1 cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon or ¾ teaspoon crushed dried tarragon</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced</span><br />
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<div><span style="color: #0b5394;"></span></div><ol><li><span style="color: #0b5394;">In a large bowl, layer the onions and salt. Gently stir until well combined. Let sit 4 hours.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394;">Prepare canner, jars and lids.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394;">Drain the onions thoroughly. Press out the excess liquid.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394;">Make the relish:</span></li>
<ol><li><span style="color: #0b5394;">In a 6- to 8-quart stainless steel pan, combine the vinegar, sugar, tarragon, and garlic.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394;">Over medium-low heat, gradually heat the mixture, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394;">Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the syrup to a boil.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394;">Add the drained onions to the syrup.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394;">Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394;">Remove the pan from the heat</span></li>
</ol><li><span style="color: #0b5394;">Ladle hot relish into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot relish. Wipe jar rims and threads with a clean, damp cloth. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #0b5394;">Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool, and store.</span></li>
</ol><em><span style="color: #0b5394;">Wait at least a month before opening jars of relish, to allow the flavors to fully develop.</span></em><br />
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<div>I didn't get 4 pint jars from this recipe. The onions reduce by almost half while sitting in the salt for 4 hours. I had purchased enough onions for 2 batches, and I got 5 pint jars out of the 2 batches. I made two separate batches. I did not combine into one batch.</div><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipj2jC-cFve273tmPGwbTQaoOS37dWfcCZ30st4HWTtQCVMkJLuPw7HbVeZlRkfOZVsgKe_JEG0sBb1r2XP59772lY03iXRwejFIGmU2kZqjIwnV8QaL96ymxiEnirxpOOOAZHKuacu7tK/s1600/Blog+Photos+074+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipj2jC-cFve273tmPGwbTQaoOS37dWfcCZ30st4HWTtQCVMkJLuPw7HbVeZlRkfOZVsgKe_JEG0sBb1r2XP59772lY03iXRwejFIGmU2kZqjIwnV8QaL96ymxiEnirxpOOOAZHKuacu7tK/s1600/Blog+Photos+074+small.jpg" /></a></div><div></div><div>This is a very mild, slightly sweet, relish. I've used it on both hamburgers and hotdogs, and I really like it. But I don't like really hot food. This might not have enough zing for something who likes spicier food. I also found that if I put mustard on the hotdog or onions on the hamburger, I can't really taste this relish. </div><div></div><div>I don't remember whether I used my 6-quart or 4.5-quart stainless-steel pan, but there was plenty of room for this recipe--you don't need to worry if you don't have an 8-quart pan.</div>Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-87131581913026121462010-09-03T19:55:00.000-07:002010-09-03T19:55:41.559-07:00Mountain House sale at Emergency Essentials through 9/16The <a href="http://beprepared.com/category.asp?c=62&sid=ppblog&bhcd2=1283568418">Mountain House freeze dried food</a> in #10 cans is on sale, 25% - 30% off, at Emergency Essentials from Friday, Sept. 3 through Thursday, Sept. 16.<br />
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So if you've been thinking of stocking up, this may be a good time to do it.Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-58919823517687180862010-08-29T17:28:00.000-07:002010-08-29T17:28:58.479-07:00Home Made Mylar Packets for SeasoningsThis post describes how I made the packets to hold the seasonings in the <a href="http://foodstorageinvernonia.blogspot.com/2010/08/homemade-rice-mix.html">rice-mix post</a>.<br />
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Some time ago I purchased a <a href="http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_ZA%20B105_A_name_E_Metallized%20Liner%20for%20Buckets">mylar bag from Emergency Essentials</a>. These bags are intended to be used inside plastic buckets for storing grains and things. But I'd heard that you can seal them with a regular iron--like for ironing clothes. So I decided to give it a try.<br />
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The bag is (well, it was) 20" X 30". I wanted by packets to be 4" X 6", so I cut a 6" strip off the top of the bag.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9fRfiPQqTarGlwxutwrFZFdzIaxL9Uonkj_CzLRzG6irjU3YhsVAs4VL_xKoZAnXrjAUWZQau4-DOwv67CxnFudGdS9cDOdwNYypk6z7-AnfzOIS843ICAIcBec35uJH9jroEmRQzLvy/s1600/Blog+Photos+095+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9fRfiPQqTarGlwxutwrFZFdzIaxL9Uonkj_CzLRzG6irjU3YhsVAs4VL_xKoZAnXrjAUWZQau4-DOwv67CxnFudGdS9cDOdwNYypk6z7-AnfzOIS843ICAIcBec35uJH9jroEmRQzLvy/s320/Blog+Photos+095+small.jpg" /></a></div>Then I measured 5 4-inch sections across the strip, but I didn't cut yet. I wanted to seal along the long edge before I cut the 4" sections, so the pieces wouldn't come apart. I tried to make my seams about the same width as the factory seams.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoikKmJS4ZtXw3Cia4j-YIKJgEjTMk3s3Frannm_U3qnCCn51y-f7_aL4PudfZkRsxwPR2CNK_bnwmnJE4UkWV5lfLAirUL4_IIfzSi0H4I5IQDMxJ0i9Ts4h1Q9Oefm_JCA7vqWflqTe/s1600/Blog+Photos+098+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoikKmJS4ZtXw3Cia4j-YIKJgEjTMk3s3Frannm_U3qnCCn51y-f7_aL4PudfZkRsxwPR2CNK_bnwmnJE4UkWV5lfLAirUL4_IIfzSi0H4I5IQDMxJ0i9Ts4h1Q9Oefm_JCA7vqWflqTe/s320/Blog+Photos+098+small.jpg" /></a></div>Once I sealed along the bottom and cut the sections, I just sealed the both sides of each packet.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZI0Y79-DEicKlxMQbCnNK-7n0e8k6VaNUySor3fJ6WMCgEdMoWL-7JjLDK_TOve2Z0AmPNMiJ2uQ6MlXmxpOBdiZ005BFDUgK4NfXALxe-aIM9pMC8V_cfj3epqUum2qXN7PtugSq2vur/s1600/Blog+Photos+099+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZI0Y79-DEicKlxMQbCnNK-7n0e8k6VaNUySor3fJ6WMCgEdMoWL-7JjLDK_TOve2Z0AmPNMiJ2uQ6MlXmxpOBdiZ005BFDUgK4NfXALxe-aIM9pMC8V_cfj3epqUum2qXN7PtugSq2vur/s320/Blog+Photos+099+small.jpg" /></a></div>I put the labels on while the packets were still flat--before I filled the them. Then I filled them and sealed the top. I also snipped a small notch part-way through the side seam near the top, so I can just rip them open when I use them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OT4AuUuvOo9Z0gaj4hC0tjnrZcvFYrpCRpir577PVR8K_j0ZMH29njGr_w6eDWgT0PrRXYKV3iNODKYoUWA_QllVEAf1jVmEXsD2z_HK2VOiqgcImBF6BAkGAub7N0ifh2vXuOJds-MW/s1600/Blog+Photos+101+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OT4AuUuvOo9Z0gaj4hC0tjnrZcvFYrpCRpir577PVR8K_j0ZMH29njGr_w6eDWgT0PrRXYKV3iNODKYoUWA_QllVEAf1jVmEXsD2z_HK2VOiqgcImBF6BAkGAub7N0ifh2vXuOJds-MW/s320/Blog+Photos+101+small.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>It took me a while to get the seams sealed, because I was trying to use the lowest possible setting. I was worried the mylar would melt on my iron. But finally I turned it up to the "synthetic" setting, and that worked well.<br />
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I'm actually quite pleased with the way they turned out.Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-50697708912919249242010-08-29T17:05:00.000-07:002010-08-29T17:05:37.775-07:00Homemade Rice MixI am all about convenience foods. I don't have a lot of time for cooking during the week, so I appreciate being able to fix something quickly. And the people who blend the seasonings for convenience foods are much better at it than I am.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5R57hXmOMp1zcAk5QEbBAA2I90tlytBE1j7eorHaDr0k5KenUBie3qpVrn7xrUp4FQDpQlhYPnq7_MuWM_r9xTwWCOf0LZYxOxzB_dKcbrIwQSv2ad8uPZ7zYbGWEeRMOmRXstEszaAH/s1600/Blog+Photos+092+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5R57hXmOMp1zcAk5QEbBAA2I90tlytBE1j7eorHaDr0k5KenUBie3qpVrn7xrUp4FQDpQlhYPnq7_MuWM_r9xTwWCOf0LZYxOxzB_dKcbrIwQSv2ad8uPZ7zYbGWEeRMOmRXstEszaAH/s200/Blog+Photos+092+small.jpg" width="138" /></a></div><br />
Some of my favorite convenience foods are the Farmhouse Rice mixes. I eat a lot of grilled chicken, and these go well with that. Before I start grilling the chicken, I dump the box of rice, 1 1/2 cups water, the seasoning packet, and a pat of butter into a 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish and microwave it for 18 minutes. Then I just need to steam some veggies while the chicken is grilling, and dinner is served! When I don't have fresh food on hand, I make a casserole out of a box of Farmhouse Rice, a can of chicken, and a can of green beans. Or I go Hawaiian and add a can of pineapple. <br />
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But like all convenience foods, these can be pricey. And they take up a lot of room in the pantry. And I'd refer it if it made just a little more rice. So I've been keeping an eye out for an alternative. I've been looking for something that would be just as easy to fix, and be cheaper and easier to store. I believed I've found what I was looking for.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1fbh6DRTu4DYuC5w-EJYihDrmwswd075KyB17FjWHWJ6tk3b5CCtuoMA-yLsLa5VBWH1rH81S4zHSbtj3onXgPxyyD8gv3rAFjKdU6a7t-GZFjPciY1E0yKO7peYGt_F-Rqj1XJXriy3/s1600/Blog+Photos+066+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1fbh6DRTu4DYuC5w-EJYihDrmwswd075KyB17FjWHWJ6tk3b5CCtuoMA-yLsLa5VBWH1rH81S4zHSbtj3onXgPxyyD8gv3rAFjKdU6a7t-GZFjPciY1E0yKO7peYGt_F-Rqj1XJXriy3/s320/Blog+Photos+066+small.jpg" /></a></div><br />
While browsing through the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Make---Mix-Karine-Eliason/dp/0762426020/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1283110913&sr=1-1">Make-A-Mix</a> book again, I came across a recipe for Chicken Continental Rice Seasoning Mix. This book has a lot of great recipes in it, and this one does not disappoint.<br />
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Chicken Continental Rice Seasoning Mix<br />
2 Tbsp instant chicken bouillon granules<br />
1 Tbsp dried parsley leaves, crushed<br />
2 tsp minced dried onions<br />
1/4 tsp dried basil leaves<br />
1/4 tsp thyme<br />
1/8 tsp white pepper<br />
1/8 tsp garlic powder<br />
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As you can see, this recipe is for making individual packets rather than a spice jar full of seasoning that you would measure out (each packet about 1/4 cup). At first, I wanted to make up a full jar of this mix so I didn't have to make up the mix 10 times for 10 packets. However, after making it the first time I realized that this really is the best approach. This mix has fine powders and chunky herb leaves, and it would be difficult to keep the ingredients properly mixed in a spice jar. The powders would want to fall to the bottom, while the leaves would migrate to the top. So, individual packets it is!<br />
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Making the rice was just as easy as making the Farmhouse rice. Put 1 cup of long-grain rice, 2 cups of water, 1 packet of the seasoning mix, and a pat of butter (if desired) into a 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish and microwave for 16-18 minutes. I was worried it might boil over in the 1 1/2 qt. dish, since it's more rice than in the Farmhouse box, but it didn't. So I was happy about that.<br />
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Obviously, the rice didn't taste just like the Farmhouse rice, as it's a different recipe. But I really like it. It has a lot of chicken flavor, with the flavor of the herbs in the background. The night I made it I hadn't thawed out any chicken, so I made a casserole with this rice, a can of chicken, and a can of green beans. It was very good. I took the leftovers to work the next day for lunch and one of my coworkers said it smelled like chicken soap.<br />
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It's nice that I can make up several packets and use them with rice from my food storage. This raises the question, though...what is the best way to make the packets. I could use the snack-sized zip-lock bags. Or I could experiment with making packets from larger mylar food-storage bags. You can also buy small heat-seal mylar bags. But I decided to make my own--I'll make a separate post about that.<br />
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So I'm good to go. I can purchase my rice in bulk and store it in #10 cans (for 3-month storage), keep a few packets of the seasoning mix on hand, and make a quick dinner whenever I want. All for less money than I was paying for the Farmhouse rice. Now, I just need to find more seasoning mixes for variety...Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-7389338535550397832010-08-29T12:15:00.000-07:002010-08-29T12:15:25.760-07:00Two Versions of a Cookie MixI invented a cookie mix for one of my favorite cookies--and I just have to share it with you. I like to have a mix like this on hand just to make cookie making quicker. But it's also nice to know that if you're snowed in for a week you have quick, easy-to-make cookies from your food storage. As long as you can boil water, you can make these cookies.<br />
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<div></div>This is a cookie recipe that I got from a friend when I was in the fifth grade. Boy, THAT was a long time ago! The name of the cookie on the recipe was "Penny Cookies". I have no idea where the name came from, but I changed it to "Summer Cookies" because I make them in the summer. I've seen versions of this recipe on various cooking websites, usually called something like "Chocolate No-Bake Cookies". Yes, "no-bake" is the reason I make them in the summer, when it's too hot to have the oven on.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikPAvoupXP1xVveGgvTNvfhjARz_xe6ZhlAgUo9u2-uxU8JxQD6BECBVg_BtWbcHteBq9BcAx4lr8l3QktEqAZ0qAUoWJvmof4BF-8ALVYvFUVnLyAMOb_sQTpAS5cbcdnkyHx7CEHSjfD/s1600/Blog+Photos+091+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikPAvoupXP1xVveGgvTNvfhjARz_xe6ZhlAgUo9u2-uxU8JxQD6BECBVg_BtWbcHteBq9BcAx4lr8l3QktEqAZ0qAUoWJvmof4BF-8ALVYvFUVnLyAMOb_sQTpAS5cbcdnkyHx7CEHSjfD/s320/Blog+Photos+091+small.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Here's the original recipe:<br />
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Boil for 1 minute: <br />
2 cups sugar <br />
3 Tblsp cocoa <br />
1/2 cup milk <br />
1/2 cup butter or stick margarine <br />
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Add: <br />
1/2 cup peanut butter (I like to use crunchy) <br />
1 tsp vanilla <br />
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Pour over: <br />
3 cups quick oats (I use regular rolled oats) <br />
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Drop by teaspoon over waxed paper. Refrigerate (I usually just leave them on the wax paper on the counter)<br />
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The first version of the mix (we'll call it Version A) is not a food-storage version. It just combines the dry ingredients from the "boil" part of the recipe, and uses powdered milk instead of fresh milk.<br />
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Mix together and put in quart zip-lock bag:<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
3 Tblsp cocoa<br />
1/2 cup instant non-fat dried milk (this adds more milk solids for richer cookies)<br />
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Boil 1 minute:<br />
1 package Version A cookie mix<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
1/2 cup or stick margarine<br />
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Continue with the recipe above, starting with Add:<br />
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But I decided to try creating a mix from all food storage items--keeping in mind that vanilla, peanut butter, and rolled oats are part of my food storage. This version (Version B) uses powdered margarine in addition to powdered milk.<br />
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Mix together and put in quart zip-lock bag:<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
3 Tblsp cocoa<br />
1/2 cup instant non-fat dried milk<br />
1 cup margarine powder<br />
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Boil 1 minute:<br />
1 package Version B cookie mix<br />
3/4 cups water<br />
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Continue with recipe above, starting with Add:<br />
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The cookies made from Version A mix taste no different than cookies made from scratch. The only real difference is using instant non-fat dried milk, and that is not noticable.<br />
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<div></div>The cookies made from Version B mix took a little longer to harden, but they did harden up just fine. They tasted slightly different when I first tried them, but by the third cookie I could no longer taste a difference. I don't know whether it's because the flavors blended or whether I just got used to the different taste. <br />
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It's easy to make up a couple batches of one of these mixes to keep on hand. Then you can whip up a batch of cookies in no time. It is quicker to user the Version B mix, but Version A works well when you don't have powdered margarine.Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-78223459118303523132010-07-24T01:03:00.000-07:002010-07-24T01:03:16.416-07:00I Can't Believe I Didn't Think Of This Before!I use freezer bags a lot. Sometimes I use gallon-size, but mostly I use quart-size bags. I often use them to freeze smaller portions of food I buy in bulk, such was walnuts or those family-packs of meat. Or I'll buy a big bag of frozen berries and break it up into smaller bags for freezing (so I have to open each bag less often and it gets fewer ice crystals). <br />
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But filling the freezer bags can be awkward: they don't stand up by themselves, and they don't stay open. This is particularly troublesome when I'm puting chicken or other meat into the bags. I don't want to touch the outside of the bags and possibly contaminate them with any salmonella I may have on my fingers (from the meat--I don't walk around with salmonella on my fingers--not often any way).<br />
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But a couple days ago I thought of a simple solution to both problems, and tonight I got a chance to test my idea.<br />
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First, I washed out an empty #2 can, and used a can opener to remove the bottom.<br />
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Then I simply stood the bottomless can up in the freezer bag I wanted to fill, and put the contents into the can.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The can is shorter than the bag, so as I filled up the can I shook the contents down into the bottom of the bag, and slid the can up to finish filling up the bag.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEKHralr3BUDex2X_nZyFmAycKjVYjncWJYWYlrZpBVv0iEGin6uupvahcSa4l1DGmKLHUESoGzozkOCsEaXNAKe6iwMYdoBALbzl1SOOcwNeYck8EKi-ZLOTb7868nF9xGYc7bWnX98N/s1600/Blog+Photos+064+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEKHralr3BUDex2X_nZyFmAycKjVYjncWJYWYlrZpBVv0iEGin6uupvahcSa4l1DGmKLHUESoGzozkOCsEaXNAKe6iwMYdoBALbzl1SOOcwNeYck8EKi-ZLOTb7868nF9xGYc7bWnX98N/s320/Blog+Photos+064+small.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It worked great. I filled the bag with no problems. Now I'm ready for the next time I buy a big package of chicken!</div>Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-21595659875649719482010-07-20T11:58:00.000-07:002010-07-20T12:03:32.457-07:00Couponing WebinarA couple weeks ago I took a couponing Webinar (don't you just LOVE these made-up words?) from Kellene Bishop at <a href="http://www.preparednesspro.com/blog">Preparedness Pro</a>. Wow! Did I learn a lot!<br />
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I had no idea you could save so much money with coupons. Of course, I was ignorant of the strategies involved. You can stack manufacturer's coupons on top of store coupons on top of a store sale. Who knew? Well, Ms. Bishop did. And, as you might imagine, organization is the key to successful couponing.<br />
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I'm getting all my stuff together (store cards, coupon binder, etc.) and I'll start saving money very soon. I have $350 in my monthly budget for groceries. If I can use Ms. Bishop's strategy well, I should be able to save $200 a month on groceries. Or maybe more.<br />
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I'll report back in how I'm doing.<br />
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Kellene Bishop has several blogs, including <a href="http://womenofcaliber.wordpress.com/">Women of Caliber</a> -- one of my favorites.<br />
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Oh, I almost forgot. There's another blog that uses the same strategy as Ms. Bishop: <a href="http://thekrazycouponlady.com/">The Krazy Coupon Lady</a>. It's run by two women who've been couponing for ages, and they update daily with sales and hot coupons. Their blog, by the way, is included in the list of links provided by Ms. Bishop in her webinar.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8gbdKqlZKoaSkJKTYyjsVsoqqf2mT-fuay1r3DuZ97y66J2HVX6-ZM7NfeTvTG8jyylPfIi_yAzo3XzYn1CmMw5wXCpr4iDGaNLNSDtRc_kLhGdZ87tEEd4BnC1pI1AsHHNtPxypRwdQ/s1600/Sweet+Peas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8gbdKqlZKoaSkJKTYyjsVsoqqf2mT-fuay1r3DuZ97y66J2HVX6-ZM7NfeTvTG8jyylPfIi_yAzo3XzYn1CmMw5wXCpr4iDGaNLNSDtRc_kLhGdZ87tEEd4BnC1pI1AsHHNtPxypRwdQ/s320/Sweet+Peas.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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You are probably wondering what sweet peas have to do with couponing. Well...absolutely nothing. But I couldn't have a post with no pictures, now could I?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdkpxh-MFMuyVa1x6gAjywi8MtXxI5OQVeOqNbuv-LTQT-E3ha14L48aPyKBvzxncvIObj3CIZ41HfB93b_Q3K-qE2oP_WgAmnokdOEF6mZ7xg57z0I-ORrJHp3NkbxnwDRNn5LwJU78u/s1600/Sweet+Peas+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdkpxh-MFMuyVa1x6gAjywi8MtXxI5OQVeOqNbuv-LTQT-E3ha14L48aPyKBvzxncvIObj3CIZ41HfB93b_Q3K-qE2oP_WgAmnokdOEF6mZ7xg57z0I-ORrJHp3NkbxnwDRNn5LwJU78u/s320/Sweet+Peas+4.jpg" /></a></div>Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-33909904535128033462010-07-20T11:46:00.000-07:002010-07-20T16:56:03.255-07:00I Got My Can OrganizersI received my <a href="http://www.thecanorganizer.com/">Can Organizers</a>, and boy are they nice. My shelves are spaced so I could stack my vegetable cans 2 high, and that turned out to be just the right height for the Can Organizers. You can see them at <a href="http://www.thecanorganizer.com/">http://www.thecanorganizer.com/</a>.<br />
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I should admit that with the Can Organizers ("C.O." from now on), I can't squeeze as many cans on the shelf as when I was stacking them. However, the C.O.s solved two problems I was having: the cans didn't stack very well because they don't have rounded bottoms, so they were always falling down; it was really hard to put my newest purchases behind my previous purchases, because I had them crammed so tightly on the shelf.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCj7V8S9gioRef6jf0aMX0mIfVjyXQxtOCFSV5iSCN7IOmms_NiWLGFagDv9H5SGWjSJHHnciQN2IQZovgeeTpUeOx752kDULsbnwFFIK7vkBJuw9SVLyAeU8GwdC1CJCIJT5nE29JQHL0/s1600/Can+Organizer+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCj7V8S9gioRef6jf0aMX0mIfVjyXQxtOCFSV5iSCN7IOmms_NiWLGFagDv9H5SGWjSJHHnciQN2IQZovgeeTpUeOx752kDULsbnwFFIK7vkBJuw9SVLyAeU8GwdC1CJCIJT5nE29JQHL0/s320/Can+Organizer+small.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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So, with the C.O.s, I need more shelf space, but it's incredibly easy to put the new cans behind the old cans: simply put the new ones in the top of the box, and they'll roll down to the bottom.<br />
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I got the shorter "cupboard" version, which is 10"-11" long. They fit perfectly on my 12" shelves. Each C.O. holds 7 cans of vegetables. So far vegetables, chili, and refried beans are all I have in mine. I will be getting some more for the rest of my stuff.Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-37517872705472824152010-07-20T11:30:00.000-07:002010-07-20T11:32:03.726-07:00Cheap and Cheezy Deer Cage UpdateI've had my deer cages around my fruit trees for some time now and I'm happy to report that, with one minor exception early on, they have kept the deer out of my trees. Whew!<br />
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Here's one of the cages around my gravenstein apple tree:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UFGUuNWYgW02Suql4lANLouxee-JXg-Ef1evKpi3mhfRie5WYzhP9N2b0iTwQN8JrWyfs992HEsDjMrhKsAOhGNHGZpdBC7BTx1fkpnmsZmb1jikZCAC-L-p8mbXy0gt2k72JcHXevZ4/s1600/Cheap+and+Cheezy+Deer+Cage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UFGUuNWYgW02Suql4lANLouxee-JXg-Ef1evKpi3mhfRie5WYzhP9N2b0iTwQN8JrWyfs992HEsDjMrhKsAOhGNHGZpdBC7BTx1fkpnmsZmb1jikZCAC-L-p8mbXy0gt2k72JcHXevZ4/s320/Cheap+and+Cheezy+Deer+Cage.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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The gravenstein is on a full-size root stock, so it will be a few years before it comes into production. But when it does, it should produce a lot of apples. <br />
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OK. I have to make a confession. This was the last of the deer cages I made, and it's by far the best looking. On most of them, the piece of fencing I cut off the roll was way too small and doesn't reach around the tree very well. It takes a lot more fencing that you might think it would. Hmmm.... Maybe I should have measured first...Naw!<br />
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And here's one of the wiley beasts--still eating from Bonnie's Buffet--but just eating clover in the grass this time. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJ8kpF8De9_VvkR8F_-UlPP6yXyNtWe3QGg0m2f2fFrAMMfGvK-PY4KTY-HmqcLpm2RTaCoCwZfjDttcgjTlfVYnLa4orIY8ulmr63HPe145jSXe-5Gatgsa7qmVpLQn_sxkVyK7SPm-Q/s1600/Deer+in+my+Field+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJ8kpF8De9_VvkR8F_-UlPP6yXyNtWe3QGg0m2f2fFrAMMfGvK-PY4KTY-HmqcLpm2RTaCoCwZfjDttcgjTlfVYnLa4orIY8ulmr63HPe145jSXe-5Gatgsa7qmVpLQn_sxkVyK7SPm-Q/s320/Deer+in+my+Field+2.jpg" /></a>Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-64800225355886181302010-06-16T21:23:00.000-07:002010-06-16T21:23:49.314-07:00How Cool Is This?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I was just reading the most recent post from the Totally Ready Blog (the link is on the right), and saw an ad for cardboard can organizers. They look like they work similarly to the Shelf Reliance Cansolidators, but they're made from cardboard, so they're much cheaper.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Paraphrasing Captain Steve Hiller from <em>Independence Day</em>, 'I have GOT to get me some of these!'</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Here's the link, in case you're interested: <a href="http://www.thecanorganizer.com/">http://www.thecanorganizer.com/</a> .</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>I shamelessly stole an image from their website so you can see what they look like:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">You put your recent purchases in the top, and it rolls around to the bottom. When you want to use a can, you take it from the bottom. So you're always using the oldest can, thus rotating your storage easily. Of course, you'd have to get one for each type of food you're storing. But at $12.00 (US) or $16.00 (US) for a 4-pack (depending on which size you get), that's not too bad. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">It looks like they don't have them for #10 cans yet. But they'd be great for storing store-bought canned foods.</div>Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-15891107647749040732010-06-02T11:38:00.000-07:002010-06-02T12:17:13.417-07:00I Made Jam!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I wanted to use my new canner, but there's really nothing in season yet. Strawberries will be ready soon, but not yet. So I tried an exotic jam recipe form <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Ribbon-Preserves-Award-Winning-Marmalades/dp/1557883610/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275503153&sr=8-1">Blue Ribbon Preserves</a></em>, by Linda J. Amendt: Coconut-Pineapple Conserve.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This isn't a frugal recipe, as it uses canned pineapple and purchased shredded coconut (from <a href="http://www.bobsredmill.com/shredded-coconut.html">Bob's Red Mill</a>, of course!). But not everything has to be frugal, right? Everyone deserves a little luxury now and then, right? So what if I could buy blackberry jam at the grocery store cheaper than I can make this? I can't buy Coconut-Pineapple Conserve at the grocery store for any price. So what the heck, this <em>IS</em> a frugal recipe--for a luxury item!</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For those who may not know what a conserve is, it's a jam that uses fresh and dried fruit and nuts. Or in this case, canned and dried fruit and nuts. The recipe called for macadamia nuts, but I didn't have any. So I substituted pecans.</div><br />
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<div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYj_bmqcqfH9IgUQLkQ3IoWjyDH-VEglbKFwKetIdJmaAcu1uT2DVbvSxOIvZRrhelVQurd9bAhJpQXWhhkYk1keC2b9lNoBB2i5sw8EqsZFrToQU4iJcWpkKrUvM3Gviszdxesl47AfE/s1600/Blog+Photos+060+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYj_bmqcqfH9IgUQLkQ3IoWjyDH-VEglbKFwKetIdJmaAcu1uT2DVbvSxOIvZRrhelVQurd9bAhJpQXWhhkYk1keC2b9lNoBB2i5sw8EqsZFrToQU4iJcWpkKrUvM3Gviszdxesl47AfE/s320/Blog+Photos+060+small.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's the recipe:</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Coconut-Pineapple Conserve</span></em></strong></div><em>A refreshing tropical spread, it will remind you of warm, sunny days in the islands.</em><br />
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<div></div>Makes about seven 8-ounce (half-pint) jars<br />
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<div></div>2 (20-ounce) cans crushed pineapple, lightly drained<br />
¼ cup bottled lemon juice (not fresh)<br />
5 cups sugar<br />
2 (3-ounce) pouches liquid pectin<br />
1 ¼ cups shredded or flaked coconut<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 cup chopped roasted macadamia nuts (or pecans)</div><br />
<div></div><ol><li>Prepare canner, jars and lids.</li>
<li>Make the jam:</li>
<ol><li>In an 8-quart stainless steel pan, combine the pineapple and lemon juice. Gradually stir in the sugar. Over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, heat the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the entire contents of both pectin pouches. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the coconut and macadamia nuts.</li>
<li>To prevent floating fruit, allow the conserve to cool for 5 minutes before filling the jars. Gently stir the conserve to distribute the fruit. </li>
</ol>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot jam. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.</li>
<li>Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool, and store.</li>
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This jam is so good, I actually like eating it right out of the jar. I think it would be really good in little tarts, maybe on top of a layer of mango curd (the recipe is also in the book), for a real tropical treat.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Of course, it's good on homemade biscuits, too.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I also made Banana Butter, from the same book, and Tropical Breeze Freezer Jam from the <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Complete-Book-Home-Preserving/dp/0778801314/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275504882&sr=8-1">Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving</a>,</em> which is edited by Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine. I thought the Banana Butter was a little too sweet. But the Tropical Breeze Freezer Jam was as good as the Coconut-Pineapple Conserve. Yum!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Oh by the way, the package of shredded coconut from Bob's Red Mill has a recipe for chocolate macaroons that is really, really good! I've had macaroons from a bakery that where this sticky, too-sweet gob of coconut. Not these macaroons. They're light and fluffy, and full of chocolatey coconut flavor.</div>Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-75049037352134687772010-05-16T23:49:00.000-07:002010-05-16T23:49:31.428-07:00Those Pesky DeerWhile walking the dog this morning, I discoverd that some deer did get at one of the trees I'd put the cheap-and-cheesy fencing around. But they just got a few leaves; they weren't able to get the whole thing. I'm toying with the idea of securing the fencing to the fence posts better, but then it will be harder to get inside for weeding, fertilizing, etc. Of course, there's no point in weeding and fertilizing if the da*n deer eat the trees down to nubbins!Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-43595013522776931462010-04-30T00:16:00.000-07:002010-04-30T00:20:25.311-07:00Dehydrated Canned Mandarin Orange SectionsI know it sounds strange. Why would you dehydrate something like canned mandarin orange slices? They're are already preserved.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9EHWt5bK6QnsbMVVbO_vdq2jjesdm5PD4mtSPsoH89nc1yYYY6mx_-wrl5c6K_zsYrGvyZAsyAnDx1Bl8715NqML6JkFIBWUzbF0HAt5htapE0yIXN73SXcNLGK0KQqv3-angLTMEjRLz/s1600/Blog+Photos+056+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9EHWt5bK6QnsbMVVbO_vdq2jjesdm5PD4mtSPsoH89nc1yYYY6mx_-wrl5c6K_zsYrGvyZAsyAnDx1Bl8715NqML6JkFIBWUzbF0HAt5htapE0yIXN73SXcNLGK0KQqv3-angLTMEjRLz/s320/Blog+Photos+056+small.jpg" tt="true" /></a>There are a couple reasons. Dehydrating them concentrates their flavors, so when you chew one you get a blast of tangy sweetness. But also, it makes them easier to take along as a snack. And although I haven't tried this yet, I think they'd be good chopped up and added to all kinds of foods: carrot muffins, orange and cranberry muffins, a bowl of oatmeal, or chicken salad.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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Dehydrating canned orange sections is very easy. The only thing easier is dehydrating frozen corn. And that's only because you don't have to drain or rinse the corn.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcbKi3FJ7L1dvGbijKPHlBOsQnVOLB7C4WDL62OZri03pLsKNobHq7iMfLt14QjuO71wixurctBA-82QGkcHQ5E2B_BQvjOBDYAKHPVQe_tGakabuwk4_xtesxJCoMn2fRWxtsbj0zVhH/s1600/Blog+Photos+057+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcbKi3FJ7L1dvGbijKPHlBOsQnVOLB7C4WDL62OZri03pLsKNobHq7iMfLt14QjuO71wixurctBA-82QGkcHQ5E2B_BQvjOBDYAKHPVQe_tGakabuwk4_xtesxJCoMn2fRWxtsbj0zVhH/s320/Blog+Photos+057+small.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div>I have four dehydrator trays, so I used six 15-oz cans of oranges (load up on them when they're on sale!). Each tray took about 1 1/2 cans (with a couple left bites over for the cook!). I used those flexible mesh tray liners you can get, which make it really easy to peel off the dried oranges.<br />
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Just open the cans, drain the orange sections, and rinse them lightly. Then put them on the dehydrator trays. It's best if you arrange the slices so they aren't touching, as they will stick together.<br />
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I turned my dehydrator on for 6 hours, and that wasn't quite enough. I needed a couple more hours. The time, of course, will vary depending on the humidity, and the drying power of the dehydrator. They should be chewy, without any juicy spots<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WfqKcWCr4RiDKmtaxEndlPDmOHKnbwkt2yr0shaFkgvmb3p7nJrcr2wIofPkSFfLCQ4lLe9coOjxPxSPOjiQ2MsjPHvZPZuX4eA3EudMrqevlHwgKzlauAZNaZQd3lfa2wYSiR6aQTk5/s1600/Blog+Photos+058+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WfqKcWCr4RiDKmtaxEndlPDmOHKnbwkt2yr0shaFkgvmb3p7nJrcr2wIofPkSFfLCQ4lLe9coOjxPxSPOjiQ2MsjPHvZPZuX4eA3EudMrqevlHwgKzlauAZNaZQd3lfa2wYSiR6aQTk5/s320/Blog+Photos+058+small.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div>At the end of the 8 hours, you have a tasty snack. They're still a little sticky, but not bad. Just put them in a zip-loc-type bag or a plastic container. <br />
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I can't advise you on long-term storage, because mine never last long enough to worry about. But if you really want to store them long-term you should probably vacuum seal them (if you have a vacuum sealer) or at least put them in a bag and squeeze out the extra air. And then freeze them.<br />
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I wouldn't really consider these part of my long-term, I'm-going-to-live-off-these-in-case-of-a-disaster kind of food. But they'd be great for hiking or kayaking trips. Or just nibbling on at work.Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-9647531718722226412010-04-25T15:42:00.000-07:002010-04-25T15:45:11.138-07:00Protecting Fruit Trees From DeerI've tried the garlic clips. I've tried the rotten-egg/garlic spray. I've tried hanging a bar of soap from the branches. None of it has kept the deer off my fruit trees. My poor little Honeycrisp apple tree is no bigger than it was when I planted it 4 (or was it 5?) years ago. To be honest, I'm amazed it's still alive, what with the way the deer "prune" it every year.<br />
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So today I'm making deer cages to go around my trees. The ones I'm doing today are kind of cheap and cheesy--not intended to be permanent. I'm just driving in a t-bar (I have several old ones in the shop) and attaching a circle of old fencing (which I had in the shop) to it. It ought to keep the deer out for now.<br />
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But I've been thinking about how I want to deal with this problem permanently, and I think I have a solution. I don't want to just put a fence around my whole property. The deer (and sometimes elk) come down the hillside, cross the road, and go through my property to the woods and creek on the other side. I don't want to impede that. I just want to keep their snacking down to a level that will let my trees grow.<br />
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So I was thinking I could build a fence around each tree. Four fence posts to make a square eight feet on a side, opening to the south, with a gate on that side. Then I could use the sides of the square as a trellis to grow raspberries and blackberries. And I could grow grapes, or maybe kiwis, up the posts and onto a horizontal trellis attached to the outside of the square.<br />
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Eventually, I think the trees would get big enough that the deer could still get at some of the branches. But I don't mind sharing some of the trees and fruit with the deer. I just want to let the trees grow so there's something to share with the deer.<br />
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It sounds like I'll be growing fruit trees, cane fruits, and vine fruits awfully close together. But by including plenty of mulching plants, nitrogen fixers, and other nutrient accumulators, it might work. At least until the trees get big enough to shade out the canes and vines--but that will take years.<br />
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What do you think? Does that sound feasible?<br />
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Well, I have four more deer cages to make, so...break's over!Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-61954682459543771302010-04-21T12:15:00.000-07:002010-04-21T12:15:57.335-07:00I Haven't Canned Anything in 30 YearsI've decided I'm going to can some produce from my garden this year. It seems a great way to store food without spending a lot of money. The only problems I can see are growing enough food to store, and storing it so the jars won't break if we have an earthquake.<br />
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I bought some cucumber seed so I can make pickles--something I haven't done since high school. I'm looking forward to making both dill and sweet pickles. And of course dilly beans. Yum!<br />
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My younger brother (he doesn't like it when I call him my "little brother"--but I refuse to call myself his "older sister") sent me a link where they collect info on you-pick farms. They have links for all kinds of fruit and vegetable farmers. And they have lots of articles on canning and otherwise preserving foods. Here's the link:<br />
<a href="http://www.pickyourown.org/">http://www.pickyourown.org/</a> I think this is good for people who don't have a lot of space to grow food, or maybe just don't have the time or desire to garden, but want to preserve food. I'll look for fruit produces because my fruit trees aren't bearing yet. But maybe I'll get some good veggies, too, for freezing or dehydrating. Oh, and they have some links for farmer's markets, too.<br />
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Since it's been so long since I've canned anything, I'm going to start with only water-bath canning this year. I picked up a copy of the <em>Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving</em>, and it has a ton of yummy recipes that I'm eager to try. "Mom's Apple Pie in a Jar" is an apple jam that sounds wonderful. And who can resist "Carrot Cake Jam"? Not me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDW3k-kPl4rXeqtv_9bCvXck2wyzArnkBvyvqpqe9zLTyp-gTGgC4L4k7ZvUzh3Ijp9EyO3J8Jln1Jh8VnsFsgFsDkodNL0etrTqxctH6CXqjB31W4G_Qn_3SXguM55uYuNQPC8iD9ayN/s1600/Blog+Photos+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDW3k-kPl4rXeqtv_9bCvXck2wyzArnkBvyvqpqe9zLTyp-gTGgC4L4k7ZvUzh3Ijp9EyO3J8Jln1Jh8VnsFsgFsDkodNL0etrTqxctH6CXqjB31W4G_Qn_3SXguM55uYuNQPC8iD9ayN/s320/Blog+Photos+054.jpg" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXIrehXESjjlsLQfcFfAbmm6TeiC_AgZYZ4zr8qUwSOzvt5-woYTieHpRcpxJb0WQs_Txuv8gXAIrTsx0PpKLTwSdrCEP7eVUwtwaXqz6SETsf5GMvADYScvnnv3B2EJsLZZlmTFySpdmM/s1600/Blog+Photos+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXIrehXESjjlsLQfcFfAbmm6TeiC_AgZYZ4zr8qUwSOzvt5-woYTieHpRcpxJb0WQs_Txuv8gXAIrTsx0PpKLTwSdrCEP7eVUwtwaXqz6SETsf5GMvADYScvnnv3B2EJsLZZlmTFySpdmM/s320/Blog+Photos+055.jpg" wt="true" /></a></div>Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-58713399126515605612010-04-11T13:59:00.000-07:002010-04-11T14:02:55.992-07:00More Hamburger JerkyI really liked the hamburger jerky I made a few weeks ago, and I wanted to make some more. But I'm too cheap to want to keep buying the packaged spices for making jerky. So I Googled "hamburger jerkey recipe" and found several recipes on the Internet.<br />
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One website I found had easy instructions. Basically, they said to add 1 tsp. curing salt and 1/4 cup teriyaki or BBQ sauce to every pound of hamburger. How can it get any easier?<br />
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So I ran to the store and picked up a package of Morton's <em>Tender Quick Home Meat Cure</em> and a bottle of Teriyaki sauce. Then I grabbed a thawed-out pound of hamburger, mixed it with the <em>Meat Cure</em> and teriyake sauce, and pressed out strips of hamburger on my dehydrator trays. I dehydrated it for several hours, then cooked in the oven at about 200° for an hour.<br />
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The jerky wasn't very flavorful. I'm not entirely sure the Morton's was what they meant when they said "curing salt." Maybe I shouldn't have gotten the cheap teriyaki sauce. Next time, I'm going to try 2 tsp of the Morton's with 1/4 BBQ sauce and see how that goes.<br />
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Also, the hamburger I had in the freezer was 80% fat free--which means it was 20% fat. That's fine for making spaghetti sauce, but was too much for jerky. My hands were covered with grease by the time I finished mixing in the salt and sauce. Next time I'll use the lowest percentage of fat I can find, like I did the first time.<br />
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Maybe I'll try 1 1/2 tsps Morton's before I go all the way to 2 tsp.<br />
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While poking around on the Internet I discovered that you don't need to get a jerky gun to make hamburger jerky. After mixing in the curing salt and seasonings, you can put the hamburger between two layers of Seran Wrap (or equivalent) and roll it out with a rolling pin. Then cut strips with a kitchen knife. I'll bet that would get you more even strips that what I've been doing with the jerky gun.Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-14807199481576602602010-04-11T13:30:00.000-07:002010-04-11T14:02:12.112-07:00How to Store Soaps and Lotions EconomicallyAlong with food, water, and toilet paper (Dude! Do you want to go 6 months without toilet paper?), you need to think about storing enough soap and lotion to last the length of time you're storing food for. So...why not think about making your own soap and lotion? <br />
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It's true that you can buy cheaper soap at the grocery store. But if you want the good stuff, that doesn't dry your skin out, it costs more--so why not make your own?<br />
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When you think of making your own soaps and lotions, you have several options. You can make your soap from scratch, using raw materials, and the cold process or hot process method. You can make your own lotion from scratch, using raw materials. You can purchase melt-and-pour soap bases and add colors, fragrances, and/or other additives. And you can purchase lotion bases and add fragrances and/or colors.<br />
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Personally, I gave up making lotion from scratch a few years ago. I just wasn't getting the results I wanted. After experimenting with sample lotion bases from my suppliers (listed in the Soapmaking Resources at the right), I found a couple bases--one for lotion and one for cream--that I really like. I usually purchase a gallon of each base at a time, then make up enough to fill 3-4 bottles or jars (also available from the resources at the right) each time. Sometimes I leave them unfragranced, sometimes I add fragrance.<br />
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What do I, personally, use for lotion and cream bases? For lotion, I like the "Lotion Base- Gallon" from Bramble Berry. Its first ingredient is aloe vera, so I know it's good to use after I go out in the sun. If you don't use too much, it soaks in quickly and doesn't feel greasy. And it gets rid of the middle-age crinklies on the backs of my hands (something my from-scratch lotion never did). For cream, I like "Body Cream Base" from MMS. I don't use it on my hands during the day because it does leave a little bit of a greasy feeling. But I put it on my feet before going to bed, and it is wonderful for keeping the skin on my feet moist and supple. It's also great for rubbing into dry knees or elbows. All the suppliers I've listed have a variety of bases.<br />
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Now, for soap. I make my own soap from scratch. Really, it isn't hard to do. There are lots of resources available: books, tutorials on the Internet, and mailing groups. I'd suggest Googling "soap making" and reading the sites that come up. If you're interested, I'd recommend getting a couple books (or more!). <em>The Soapmaker's Companion</em>, by Susan Miller Cavitch, has been the the bible for soapmakers for a long time. While I don't agree with everything she says, this is an excellent resource. <em>Smart Soapmaking</em>, by Anne L. Watson, is a great resource, but it shouldn't be your only book on soapmaking. She has a radical method for telling when the soap is ready to pour into the mold. I haven't tested her theory myself, so I don't know how good it is. I still rely on the method of pouring at "trace". <em>The Everything Soapmaking Book</em>, by Alicia Grosso, is also a good resource for the beginning soapmaker. With any soap recipe from a book or the Internet, it's a good idea to double-check the amount of lye to use (every author makes mistakes, and some books are known for printing lye-heavy recipes). Bramble Berry and MMS both have good lye calculators, and <a href="http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/soapcalcWP.asp">http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/soapcalcWP.asp</a> is another good one.<br />
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If you make your own soap from scratch, you need to deal with lye. You can't make soap without lye. If you use melt-and-pour to craft soap bars, you don't have to deal with lye. But the manufacturer used lye when they made the melt-and pour. So don't believe soap crafters who tell you their soap is better than cold process because it doesn't contain lye. Whether you make soap from scratch or use melt-and-pour soap base, there isn't any lye left in the soap. It has all reacted with the oils and fats you added to make soap.<br />
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There are soap artists who make absolutely stunning soaps with melt-and-pour bases. I rarely use melt-and-pour myself, though, because I prefer cold-process soap. But you can make beautiful soaps that are better than what you buy in the store.<br />
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Back to the subject of lye. You have to take precautions, which I'm not going into here. But the books listed above do discuss how to safely handle lye, and most on-line tutorials also discuss it. <br />
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Because dissolving NaOH in water to make your lye is an exothermic reaction (it generates heat--quite a lot of it), and you want your lye no warmer than 100° when you make the soap, many people mix their lye the night before and let it cool overnight. If you do this, be sure no one can accidently spill it or drink it. Years ago I was on a mailing list with an experienced soapmaker you did this. Her husband got up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water. Because he was half asleep, he forgot that the pitcher on the counter was filled with lye. And he poured himself a glass of lye instead of a glass of water. He survived the experience, but his mouth, throat, and esophogus were horribly burned, and permanently damaged. The moral of this story: Be Very Careful with Lye!<br />
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Now that I've scared you about lye, let me say that it can be handled safely. You just need to be careful. You can't go on autopilot with lye. You have to think about what you are doing.<br />
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So, why would you want to make cold process soap? Because you can make a rich, creamy, soap that doesn't dry your skin out, and that smells better than anything you can buy in the store. If you want to go the natural route, you can use essential oils to fragrance your soap. Or you can use one of the many [non-natural] fragrance oils available for soapmaking. Personally, I almost always use a fragrance oil. <br />
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As a teaser, here are some pictures of soap I've made.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IJADdZqe95C6I8-bl6INntAV_0Wd2IKarW9fyCo2wJmW_mZbi61vwLEKu24Lc16nJpQwEt0_Ur4RMK-1Not9cZv64nQrSA4AyMrWZBseSX7P4VBfDpQG00hqZKguy18nnUDy2B5F3yxr/s1600/Blog+Photos+039+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IJADdZqe95C6I8-bl6INntAV_0Wd2IKarW9fyCo2wJmW_mZbi61vwLEKu24Lc16nJpQwEt0_Ur4RMK-1Not9cZv64nQrSA4AyMrWZBseSX7P4VBfDpQG00hqZKguy18nnUDy2B5F3yxr/s320/Blog+Photos+039+small.jpg" wt="true" /></a>I just made this green soap today. I wanted it green because I used <em>Woodland Elves</em> fragrance oil, which smells like Christmas trees with some Christmas spices. For the color, I used Yellow #10 die in the entire batch of soap, plus Seafoam Green pigment in a couple cups of soap that I then swirled into the yellow soap.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOk0LYxiOYn8Urbqc74p82pP-GkIZZqgZlXso3hDJC-GFMBCWoQiuIMwvINnJ2wBtVMxKyV1xNlTMNWryWaV99Wwsj4jPaW8YcU_EEob9YK6MgvHR9OssDtKf3O7Ds9wxNv2e4ZRX9v3vk/s1600/Manly+Man+Soap+002+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOk0LYxiOYn8Urbqc74p82pP-GkIZZqgZlXso3hDJC-GFMBCWoQiuIMwvINnJ2wBtVMxKyV1xNlTMNWryWaV99Wwsj4jPaW8YcU_EEob9YK6MgvHR9OssDtKf3O7Ds9wxNv2e4ZRX9v3vk/s320/Manly+Man+Soap+002+small.jpg" wt="true" /></a>I made this blue-swirled soap last year. I used the <em>Woodlands</em> fragrance oil from Sweetcakes. It's a knockoff of a Bath & Bodyworks mens' fragrance. It doesn't smell like trees, as the <em>Woodland Elves</em> above. But it's a wonderfully sexy men's fragrance. I used blue ultramarine (cosmetic grade, of course) to color this. You may notice the the blue swirls have little blue speckles. That's because I made this soap before I discovered that you really need to blend the colors in with an immersion blender--stirring isn't good enough. Also, I experimented with using the silicone baking molds you can get in the kitchen department of grocery stores. The ones I got worked well, except that the sides of the loaf mold bowed out somewhat. But the soap un-molded very easily. I've heard reports of soap picking up some red dye from some of the red silicone molds, but that didn't happen to me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMn2gWp7yzuaTuKy4dLRXDsSHJIdRc2_mSLYd6RYHU4ysmb9eN2RaLn-jmlfYlf4SmVX-KBF4I4OD5TDcdoAtp2Mn7B3h3kZ4k93KS2mVVhcEiEDzjAwaWssW0oWt3h2YwmVS8CXzIs4VR/s1600/Soap+002+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMn2gWp7yzuaTuKy4dLRXDsSHJIdRc2_mSLYd6RYHU4ysmb9eN2RaLn-jmlfYlf4SmVX-KBF4I4OD5TDcdoAtp2Mn7B3h3kZ4k93KS2mVVhcEiEDzjAwaWssW0oWt3h2YwmVS8CXzIs4VR/s320/Soap+002+small.jpg" wt="true" /></a>This is a batch of soap that is still in the mold (or was when this pic was taken). I used <em>Vanilla Hazelnut</em> fragrance oil from MMS. This is one of my all-time favorite fragrance oils. But like most vanilla fragrances, it turns soap brown (the vanilla part oxidizes). In this batch, I left some of the soap un-fragranced so it would stay cream-colored. And I swirled that into the fragranced part, and fluffed up the top. </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqT9YvNkuu00FLInYyebTtaut3v_YuKwy8VPm7Y2Rl2q_8YimJ6Tl_27HMWDpotyUFdd412ZHS2q0jPvdIWPMH9SIQNKbV3ZKoKGz0Oiiiv-LIoIXWhg5VmSiYwgxPgUHyuoBqeUaGZnWj/s1600/IM000151+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqT9YvNkuu00FLInYyebTtaut3v_YuKwy8VPm7Y2Rl2q_8YimJ6Tl_27HMWDpotyUFdd412ZHS2q0jPvdIWPMH9SIQNKbV3ZKoKGz0Oiiiv-LIoIXWhg5VmSiYwgxPgUHyuoBqeUaGZnWj/s320/IM000151+small.jpg" wt="true" /></a>This soap is my most beautiful attempt to make a nice, scrubby gardener's soap. I made the lye with chamomile tea instead of water, and put ground-up and whole calendula petals in it. Chamomile and calendula are both supposed to be good for your skin, and I figured that gardener's hands need a little extra help after they've been out digging in the dirt. I added a little bit of Yellow #10 for color, and cornmeal for scrubbiness. But the cornmeal was too scrubby--it hurt my hands. I'm still experimenting with gardener's soap. I haven't gotten one I like that's as pretty as this soap.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VM53Cngt1GYDfxTXQvR1tyAck2XTR3uIAYZZBWSno6h1k5qNCt0GPjZR2QEwdkfhhWEGbrrUmfLqmF-67P2WMn5tBnjHSv7iEwlkZdTIs7e-We46WFvbTXbLpaFIUn0NloTo1WfLKpeQ/s1600/IM000165+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VM53Cngt1GYDfxTXQvR1tyAck2XTR3uIAYZZBWSno6h1k5qNCt0GPjZR2QEwdkfhhWEGbrrUmfLqmF-67P2WMn5tBnjHSv7iEwlkZdTIs7e-We46WFvbTXbLpaFIUn0NloTo1WfLKpeQ/s320/IM000165+small.jpg" wt="true" /></a>This is a picture of a couple bars of soap I made some time ago. I don't remember what they are, but I suspect they're my two favorite ones. I believe the one on the bottom is a bar of <em>Vanilla Hazelnut</em>, and the one leaning against it is a bar of <em>Honey Almond</em>. I usually put ground hazelnuts in the vanilla hazelnut soap, for extra cleansing.</div><br />
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So, what about storing your soap and lotion? They should be stored in a cool, dry, location just like your stored food. <br />
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I have soap that has still been good 5 years after I made it. The fragrance was mostly gone, but the soap was still good. So you can make several batches of soap and store them wherever it's convenient. If you cycle through your stored soap as you do your stored food, you shouldn't have any problems. You probably shouldn't store it too closely with your food. Your food should be sealed so I shouldn't pick up any fragrance from the soap, but it's better to be safe than sorry.<br />
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You have to be more careful with stored lotion. Most of the manufacturers say their lotion should be used within a year of the date purchased. Kept cool and dry, lotion can probably last longer than that, but you never know. Remember that lotion is a wonderful environment for growing bacteria, molds, and funguses--that's why they require a preservative. I don't store as much lotion as I do soap. I'd recommend keeping at least a few month's worth in storage, and cycling through it as you do your soap and food. I keep mine in the gallon jugs, and only make up (add fragrance and put into bottles) a few bottles or jars at a time.Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-64584602042301799552010-03-15T00:49:00.000-07:002010-03-15T00:49:55.942-07:00Man Does Not Live By Food AloneIt's great to store food for when times get tough. Having food in the pantry is like having money in the bank.<br />
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But if you ever need your food storage to live on, you'll need a lot more than food: medicines, soap, and toilet paper, for starters. <br />
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But the most important thing to store is water. We need at least a gallon of water per person per day. That's roughly 1/2 gallon for drinking, and 1/2 gallong for cooking and sanitation. And that is a bare minimum.<br />
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There are lots of resources on the Internet for how to store water, so I'm not going to go into it too deeply. But I found one thing recently that I wanted to mention because I've only seen it mentioned one other place: the WaterBOB(R). <br />
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Many of use who live in rural areas know that if a storm is predicted, we'd best fill our bathtub with water because we'll need it if the power goes out. But although that water is great for flushing the toilet, it isn't very good for drinking. It'll pick up any bits of skin flakes, soap scum, cat hair, and dust that may be in the tub. And you don't want to drink those.<br />
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Enter, the WaterBOB. It's a plastic bladder that fits inside the tub. You fill it with water, and use the manual pump on top to get water out of it. It seems to be designed for the scenario I mentioned above, fairly short-term preparedness where you have some warning. The website says it'll keep the water clean for up to 4 weeks.<br />
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I don't know whether it's recommended for longer storage. Obviously, you wouldn't want to leave it in your bathtub all the time. And you have to fill it before the power goes out. But I'd think a reasonably handy person could build a bathtub-sized box to contain and support it, and fill it with purified water.<br />
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Anyway, it seems worth looking into--for short-term, predicted, situations like storms. I'll put the link on the right side of the screen.Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-58506536458212194202010-03-15T00:21:00.000-07:002010-03-15T00:21:13.565-07:00You Can Grow Hundreds of Pounds of Food in Your YardDid you know that you can grow--potentially--hundreds of pounds of food in your yard every year, without as much work as you might think.<br />
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By carefully selecting fruit trees, bushes, and vines, you can grow hundreds of pounds of fruit a year without much more work than growing strictly ornamental varieties. You can have a gorgeous landscape. And you get lots of fruit that is often much tastier than what you get at the grocery store--because you can select your favorite variety and pick it at just the right time for best flavor.<br />
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Need a beautiful tree in your yard? Sure, you could plant a flowering pear tree--they are gorgeous. But why not plant a self-pollinating fruiting pear tree that's almost as beautiful but that also produces awesome pears. Or how about a persimmon tree? Many varieties have gorgeous fall foliage and yummy fruit.<br />
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Need some shrubbery with fall color? How about a few blueberry bushes? Want an evergreen bush? How about an evergreen huckleberry? They taste better than blueberries and they stay green all winter (at least, here in the Pacific Northwest).<br />
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Got a patio or deck that is too sunny? Why not build an arbor or pergola over part or all of it, and grow kiwi or grapes over it.<br />
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With any of these options you can have a beautiful yard and grow armloads of fruit that you can eat fresh, preserve (can, freeze, or dehydrate), trade with neighbors, or whatever you want. That fruit can be wonderful now. But if you ever need to rely on your food storage, it could be life saving.<br />
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We're lucky here in the Pacific Northwest, because we have two awesome nurseries that specialize in fruiting plants (trees, bushes, and vines) for home growers: Raintree Nursery, and One Green World. Not only are they great suppliers, but both their catalogs contain a ton of information on growing the fruits. If you're interested in growing fruit, I highly recommend you check out these two nurseries, or any similar nurseries in your area. The links to both of these nurseries can be found on the right side of the screen.Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2893632524105889393.post-75880584095937529012010-03-14T23:49:00.000-07:002010-03-14T23:49:18.535-07:00A Couple Pictures of My YardOK, I admit that this isn't food-storage related. But I took a few pictures while walking around my yard the other day, and I can't resist posting them. It was a nice, sunny winter day, so there were no leaves on the trees and bushes. So it was easier to see mossy stumps than it normally is. For some odd reason, I really like mossy stumps.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcB8MlsTibEKrcyxZlElbSIOMiu_ljZK8SLeCBZd1nYwPRZDeXtsi59qM2N9mtVrGIvaFp_7YnqvBiUNHu_1ww9bJA-1JCXUvSUKBrI0tpOjArok2Md4zFqk4N0-imNbNECuZPVVjoV8B/s1600-h/Blog+Photos+014+small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcB8MlsTibEKrcyxZlElbSIOMiu_ljZK8SLeCBZd1nYwPRZDeXtsi59qM2N9mtVrGIvaFp_7YnqvBiUNHu_1ww9bJA-1JCXUvSUKBrI0tpOjArok2Md4zFqk4N0-imNbNECuZPVVjoV8B/s320/Blog+Photos+014+small.JPG" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This first one looks like it was probably a douglas fir tree. The trees around it now are fairly young big-leaf maples. And there's red elderberry, some salmon berry, a red huckleberry, and some sword fern.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpz4T5vFnFDIXP21biV6cbe_iqsw5K-ofcF9hNBbduuN3XIQGPTer9_3_5eMVz8g76b29KB14wE8Zs4tBExhVMOfe8qyRK7cQ5OWJmOCsDTTujmHtBA6EwADLLv-jQV7zww7Xjc4Sa7tUB/s1600-h/Blog+Photos+015+small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpz4T5vFnFDIXP21biV6cbe_iqsw5K-ofcF9hNBbduuN3XIQGPTer9_3_5eMVz8g76b29KB14wE8Zs4tBExhVMOfe8qyRK7cQ5OWJmOCsDTTujmHtBA6EwADLLv-jQV7zww7Xjc4Sa7tUB/s320/Blog+Photos+015+small.JPG" /></a></div>Bonstergirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14747118674833064891noreply@blogger.com1