Keep in mind that for most women crying demonstrates anger or frustration more than true sorrow. It's the male equivalent of a good left hook.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
From Dear Lissy
Keep in mind that for most women crying demonstrates anger or frustration more than true sorrow. It's the male equivalent of a good left hook.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Ten little known ways to save money when building your survival food storage stockpile
Great article at The Survivalist Blog - click on title to read the entire article.
1) Coupons. At Walgreens and CVS you can get stuff for free practically every week… vitamins, body wash, hair clips, razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash. You pay out-of-pocket, then they give you rewards dollars to use next time, and you keep rolling them.
Walgreens also has store coupons in their circulars for cheap food pretty much all the time. If there is a BOGO sale and you have a BOGO coupon, you get both items free. Search the internet. I use SouthernSavers.com and they list all the deals and coupons for you.
If nothing else, think of these as potential barter items, but the vitamins are definitely a good item to keep on hand when you’re not getting the nutrition you should and your stress level is through the roof. To me, Wags and CVS trips are fun. I go in and get over $200 retail value, pay maybe $20, and get $15 back to spend next time… that’s pretty typical and it doesn’t include rebates that some manufacturers offer.
2) Clearance Aisles – My grocery store has a clearance section where (for example) I’ve been finding cans of pinto beans for 20-cents, and they aren’t close to their expiration date nor are they damaged, they just aren’t selling or maybe the brand shut that line down. Even outside the clearance aisle they have bags of beans for 99-cents every day. Throw a bag in your cart each time you shop. (and find some recipes to make them taste good or you’ll hate yourself after the first week… did you know they have pinto bean pie??? It actually sounds good.)
3) Amazon Subscribe & Save - I ran across this when I was looking for healthy, portable, food that doesn’t require refrigeration for my husband who is currently in Afghanistan, plus I also realized that I could keep some on hand for hurricane season.
You subscribe to their shipment service and get a 15% discount, shipping is free, plus they ship your order automatically in 1, 2, 3 or 6 months increments that you choose. They notify you prior to shipment and you can cancel one shipment or all shipments.
This is not a Guthy-Renker kind of cancellation, you do it on their website, it’s automatic, no one hassles you – it’s GREAT!!! I buy pouches of applesauce (baby food, but hey… it’s good), dried fruit, shelf stable sandwiches, etc. On occasion they even offer additional coupons to entice you in; if it’s something you would have bought anyway, that’s a great deal!
4) eFoods Global - They will send you three free entrees of your choice. You have to watch a video that tries very hard to get you to become a distributor… do as you wish, I ignored it. During the video they have a few poll-type questions, answer however you choose.
After that you select your entrees and pay $10 for S+H, and they deliver it to your house. I got one followup email asking if I’d tried it yet and what I thought, but after that no contact, no hassle. I didn’t give them my real phone number, so I can’t say if they tried to call or not, but I doubt it.
I was hesitant to pay the S+H, but my husband thought it was reasonable, and after the box arrived it did seem to be… the bags were larger than I expected and the weight of them probably did justify the cost. They look delicious (I am not a distributor).
5) Thrive Foods – This site has pouches available so you aren’t investing in #10 cans unless you want to / need to (but they do have #10 cans). They also have interesting items like freeze-dried shortening, powdered eggs and freeze-dried butter. Hell, I want it just because every time I buy shortening it goes bad before I use it, and since I married a Cajun… I need to learn to cook gumbo. They also have a “Q” where you set a monthly budget, add the items you’re interested in, and they will automatically group and ship the items to you. (also not a distributor)
6) Coleman Camping Meals – If you don’t want to order anything online, these are available at Target in the camping section and are probably also available at other places where they sell camping equipment. My husband said the cheesy pasta was really good.
7) The fish aisle (for if it REALLY gets bad) – I never knew this, but fish use antibiotics, and you don’t need a prescription to get them. Farm supply stores carry them as well. I hope never to need them, but if I do, I have them. Amazon.com has several suppliers of amoxicillin, tetracycline, doxycycline, erythromycin, penicillin, etc. I saw some at PetSmart, but it was in powder form (not a capsule) so I passed on that.
You shouldn’t use antibiotics if you don’t have to, and until it gets to the point that there is no doctor to prescribe them to me I have no intentions of ever using them, but it makes me feel better to know they’re there. That said, you need to know how to use them, so you will also need some sort of PDR or nursing book, I found an AARP guide to pills at my local used bookseller for $10. Raw garlic also has antibiotic properties if you want to go that route instead. Google it and the info is out there.
8) Clove oil – Good for toothaches. Lavender oil – a topical disinfectant, also repels fleas. Cedar oil – magic against bugs and safe for humans and pets, young and old.
9) Church of Latter Day Saints – I don’t care if you’re Mormon or not, and neither do they. They offer #10 cans of several pantry staples at less than a lot of the emergency food type websites. They also have a starter kit that I ordered once. There is no followup contact, they slip a pamphlet in the box and they’re done:
10) Bath & Body Works – Believe it or not… They regularly have 5 for $15 or 7 for $20 antibacterial soap sales, especially around Christmas time. It’s an inexpensive way to stock up on soap, and not just soap, but soap that smells like heaven. I’m not just saying that because I’m a woman, I think that when things get bad you need a little normalcy in your life and things that make you feel good… treats if you will.
That said, I once had a nightmare that the SHTF and someone warned me that I shouldn’t go out there smelling all good when everyone around me stank or I’d stick out like a sore thumb; everyone would know I wasn’t suffering. Sometimes dreams can be very insightful… but blending in is another topic altogether… 
What you stock up on and in what quantities is up to you. The trick is not to concentrate on just one aspect of prepping, or to get bogged down by the enormity of the task.
Start with what is most immediately possible where you live… on the west coast that’s earthquakes, on the gulf coast it’s hurricanes, in the north it is snowstorms. Branch out from there and tailor it to your needs. Little by little you’ll start to build up a stash that will give you piece of mind.
Please share your ideas in the comments below…
Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net -Copyright © 2011 · M.D. Creekmore · All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Quick Bathroom Redo
Quick Bathroom Redo: I can't believe I forgot to post pictures of the
bathroom after I painted the cabinets.
I did forget to take before pictures though...errr.
I hate when I do that. : )
Well...just picture yucky oak builders grade
cabinets with no handles.
Now, let me make it known that
not all oak cabinets are created equal.
My parents actually have some pretty oak cabinets.
Mine were not so lovely.
After the kitchen redo,
I was kind of hankering to redo the bathrooms.
Enter tons of snow and plenty of free time.
We had a little break in the snow and ran to
Wal-Mart before the next snow came in.
I grabbed these supplies and got started that night.
I wanted to do them a little differently than the
kitchen cabinets, and try to avoid all of the sanding,
so I thought I would give some new products a try:
Then I just painted them.
It's important to take your time with this.
Yea! So much better! I also painted the little book holder
that you can see in the above picture. It used have a little
palm tree on it that I had painted to match our other bathroom.
I used a little white paint and then distressed it with some black paint.
bathroom after I painted the cabinets.
I did forget to take before pictures though...errr.
I hate when I do that. : )
Well...just picture yucky oak builders grade
cabinets with no handles.
Now, let me make it known that
not all oak cabinets are created equal.
My parents actually have some pretty oak cabinets.
Mine were not so lovely.
After the kitchen redo,
I was kind of hankering to redo the bathrooms.
Enter tons of snow and plenty of free time.
We had a little break in the snow and ran to
Wal-Mart before the next snow came in.
I grabbed these supplies and got started that night.
I wanted to do them a little differently than the
kitchen cabinets, and try to avoid all of the sanding,
so I thought I would give some new products a try:
-TSP alternative
-stripping pads
VERDICT: I love this method!
It was the easiest pre-paint prep ever!
-stripping pads
VERDICT: I love this method!
It was the easiest pre-paint prep ever!
It totally stripped the surface!
Step one: wash with the TSP alternative
Step one: wash with the TSP alternative
Step two: scrub like crazy with the stripping pads
Step three: wash them off and dry them....Prep done!
No shiny...just matte and ready to paint. : )
Step three: wash them off and dry them....Prep done!
No shiny...just matte and ready to paint. : )
Then I just painted them.
It's important to take your time with this.
1. The first night, I did two coats on the back sides of the
cabinets, the faux drawers and the main bathroom cabinet.
2. The next day, after plenty of drying time,
I turned the cabinets over & painted that side
--again two coats. Let dry.
3. Later that night I distressed the edges of the cabinets
using my handy dandy nail file method and
asked my sweet husband to drill holes and attach
the knobs for me and rehang them.
4. We left the cabinets open to allow them more drying
time over night...just to be sure. : )
cabinets, the faux drawers and the main bathroom cabinet.
2. The next day, after plenty of drying time,
I turned the cabinets over & painted that side
--again two coats. Let dry.
3. Later that night I distressed the edges of the cabinets
using my handy dandy nail file method and
asked my sweet husband to drill holes and attach
the knobs for me and rehang them.
4. We left the cabinets open to allow them more drying
time over night...just to be sure. : )
Yea! So much better! I also painted the little book holder
that you can see in the above picture. It used have a little
palm tree on it that I had painted to match our other bathroom.
I used a little white paint and then distressed it with some black paint.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Three Dogs At Home: Picture That!
Three Dogs At Home: Picture That!:
'via Blog this'
'via Blog this'
You can aparently spray paint mats from old frames. Hmmm
Three Dogs At Home: Design is in the Details
Three Dogs At Home: Design is in the Details:
'via Blog this'
Use this idea for painting our brass fixtures.
'via Blog this'
Use this idea for painting our brass fixtures.
Eye Exercises
Very interesting information for anyone whose eyesight is not perfectthese exercises strengthen the muscles around the eye.
- Rotation: Imagine a huge clock right in front of you, and slowly move your eyes from 12 to 1 to 2 and all the way around 5 times. Focus at each stop. Then do it 5 times in the opposite direction. Repeat 3 times a day.
- Alternating focus: Focus your eyes on something quite close, and then on something about 6 m (20 ft) away. Continue alternating your focus from close to far for about 5 minutes, and do this 3 or 4 times a day.
- Pencil pushups: Hold your finger or a pencil up at arm’s length and focus on it while slowly moving it to your nose. When the image doubles, move your finger back a bit and focus on it for a few seconds. You should do 10 repetitions 3 times a day until you can bring your finger to the tip of your nose without it appearing double.
- Relaxation: Rest your eyes regularly if you’re reading, working at the computer, or doing other close work. This means that every thirty minutes, you should take at least 30 seconds to focus on something distant. (A friend’s son was ordered to take a five-minute break every 20 minutes to save his eyesight. Same principle, I suppose.)
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Easy Grilled Vegetables
Yummy:
I could eat these easy grilled vegetables every day. And in the summer, we almost do. Sometimes it's just one type (green beans rise to new height done this way!) or a couple (zucchini and onion), but most of the time we grill a variety.
And you know that if I love something, you will be hearing about it sooner or later- so today I'mhappy ecstatic to share how we grill vegetables, so you can eat them everyday, too.
We used to just grill slices of single vegetables - you know, slice the zucchini (or tomato, or onion...), carefully place them on the grill, and turn them with tongs until they were ready to eat. It usually took up a lot of room and was more work.
Then one day last summer we found a grill basket in the back of a cupboard that Brian's folks had given us and decided to grill up a few vegetables with it.
Oh. My. It was love - deep love - at the first bite. Why had this been sitting in our cupboard for so long? Who knows, and who cares, because this basket is in almost daily use during the grilling season.
With a grilling basket (a wok-like "pan" with holes), you can chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces without worry - as long as they are bigger than the holes they won't fall through the grill'
After the vegetables are chopped (it's best to make them about the same size as you're able), just toss them with some olive oil, salt, pepper, LOTS of garlic, and some red pepper flakes for a bit of spiciness.
This is perfect for using up handfuls of veggies- either as they're ripening from the garden, or what you need to use up from the fridge. This time my bowl contained both- just a few mushrooms and a red pepper from the fridge plus onion, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans, carrots and potato from the garden.
I don't usually add potatoes, but I had just harvested some that I wanted to use up, and in order for these, the cauliflower, and the carrots to be done in the same amount of time as the other vegetables, I microwaved them with water to steam for a few minutes - just until they were crisp-tender. I sliced the potatoes pretty thin, but I should've pre-cooked them a bit more, because they still took longer than I wanted.
the best way to cook them is to start them over high heat for a few minutes without stirring. This seems to get some of the juices cooked out and starts the nice charring effect.
Then he stirs them around a bit, closes the lid and lets them cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until they are nicely browned and cooked through (though still crisp), with spots of wonderful, grilled-marked goodness.
I could eat these easy grilled vegetables every day. And in the summer, we almost do. Sometimes it's just one type (green beans rise to new height done this way!) or a couple (zucchini and onion), but most of the time we grill a variety.
And you know that if I love something, you will be hearing about it sooner or later- so today I'm
We used to just grill slices of single vegetables - you know, slice the zucchini (or tomato, or onion...), carefully place them on the grill, and turn them with tongs until they were ready to eat. It usually took up a lot of room and was more work.
Then one day last summer we found a grill basket in the back of a cupboard that Brian's folks had given us and decided to grill up a few vegetables with it.
Oh. My. It was love - deep love - at the first bite. Why had this been sitting in our cupboard for so long? Who knows, and who cares, because this basket is in almost daily use during the grilling season.
After the vegetables are chopped (it's best to make them about the same size as you're able), just toss them with some olive oil, salt, pepper, LOTS of garlic, and some red pepper flakes for a bit of spiciness.
This is perfect for using up handfuls of veggies- either as they're ripening from the garden, or what you need to use up from the fridge. This time my bowl contained both- just a few mushrooms and a red pepper from the fridge plus onion, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans, carrots and potato from the garden.
I don't usually add potatoes, but I had just harvested some that I wanted to use up, and in order for these, the cauliflower, and the carrots to be done in the same amount of time as the other vegetables, I microwaved them with water to steam for a few minutes - just until they were crisp-tender. I sliced the potatoes pretty thin, but I should've pre-cooked them a bit more, because they still took longer than I wanted.
the best way to cook them is to start them over high heat for a few minutes without stirring. This seems to get some of the juices cooked out and starts the nice charring effect.
Then he stirs them around a bit, closes the lid and lets them cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until they are nicely browned and cooked through (though still crisp), with spots of wonderful, grilled-marked goodness.
- For an Asian flavor add some sesame oil and soy sauce instead of the olive and salt. And for spiciness, our favorite Sriracha sauce adds a nice bite.
- For a Middle-Eastern or Thai flavor try adding a teaspoon or so of curry powder and tossing them with a can of coconut milk after they're grilled and serve over rice.
- Purposely make extra to have enough to add to a pasta salad the next day.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Cutting the Grid Apron Strings, One Appliance at a Time...
Very interesting article on practical ways to look at being less of an energy user from the homestead revival, suggest you visit Amy's site to see the entire entry plus the comments, link is my title.
I've been thinking a lot about reducing our electric and natural gas bills as of late. Who hasn't? It's a crazy world out there and prices keep rising, not to mention the fact that as a culture in general, we're very vulnerable in the area of electricity and fossil fuel dependency.
Our goal or focus as a family has been to 1) reduce our utility bills and 2) to become less dependent on utility companies in general. Living "off grid" meant either going with solar or wind power and producing our own energy. There really wasn't any other alternative in our minds.
But after reading a few blogs, conversing with Brenda of Freedom Acres Farm, and then reading Michael Bunker's book, Surviving Off Off-Grid, I've learned a lot over the last month and it's changed my mind a bit about our choices.
Going on solar power or wind power should only be seen as an intermediate step because you're only trading one dependency for another. This isn't to say you shouldn't use solar power, wind power, or some other alternative power source, but it isn't the grand solution to end all issues. Seeing solar as a way to ease into a life of less dependency is a more realistic option. And before one can even consider an alternative power source, you've got to cut back on your current dependency. Brenda really helped me see the need for this (thanks, Brenda!).
Now if I were to suddenly go through my house and trash every electrical appliance or gadget, I'd certainly have a mutiny on my hands, quick as a wink! And I won't attempt to list all our energy dependent appliances, but what I'm trying to do is cut the apron strings to the grid one appliance at a time. Let me give you an example...
This has been our coffee pot for the last several years. It's usually used on a daily basis, heating the coffee for about 2 hours before the hot plate shuts off unless we think about it and turn it off manually (not often). We like it a lot except that it stopped working the other day despite my regular cleanings and maintenance. Normally, we would have immediately gone out and purchased something similar, but this time, I talked with my husband about considering alternatives.
One option that we already had in the back of a cabinet is a French Press. I purchased this a couple of years ago when we were traveling, attending a retreat, and I needed my own low-acid coffee. It's a straightforward alternative in which you place the grounds inside the bottom, pour boiling water over them, stir, let steep for a minute, and then gently press the plunger down over the grounds. You can then pour your coffee. The French Press is easy to clean and simple to operate.
The drawback to the French Press is that it can't go directly onto a heat source (at least mine can't), the glass could easily break, and it doesn't keep the coffee hot. Think of this as an immediate coffee maker in which the coffee should be consumed as soon as it's brewed. Mine will make about 3-4 regular cups, so it's fine if you have a small group. However, if you want another cup, you'd need to start over.
A second alternative was an old fashion percolator; my husband's preference. We purchased this stainless steel model at an army surplus store before our camping trip to the coast. Another uncomplicated device, which holds coffee grounds in a basket containing small holes, while pumping heated water up a tube into the basket, allowing the water to wash over the grounds and then drain through the holes back into the pot. The cycle repeats itself until it's brewed to your preference. Since the holes in the basket are small, large grounds don't come through, but smaller grounds do. Some opt to use a paper filter inside the basket to prevent this.
Now you might be thinking that this little change isn't much and so why bother? What's the difference in a little ol' coffee pot? It's a small change indeed. But little things add up over time. Imagine changing 12 of your appliances over the course of a year? One per month? That would start to make an impact, now wouldn't it. Maybe not in terms of the world, but in your own immediate world, it certainly would! And if you're considering solar power, you're more than likely going to need to reduce your electrical usage if you want to go off grid anyway.
If we were to install solar realistically (and believe me, we've looked into it with 3 different companies), we could only generate 60% of what we are currently using. We'd still need to purchase the additional 40% of electricity - ON A GOOD DAY! That means, to be totally off-grid, we'd need to reduce our energy consumption by 40-50% before the solar was ever installed. Puts things into perspective a bit more, doesn't it?
A power meter will help give you an idea of how much each appliance is using in terms of kilowatt hours and how much that's costing you as well. We purchased ours, but I understand some local libraries will allow you to check these out if they have them. A quick google search showed me several right off the top. Once again, you may feel that your appliance isn't using that much electricity, so why bother. But a drop on the bucket adds up!
Obviously, each person will have that one appliance they just don't want to give up and they'd rather pay to use it. This is exactly why we should be allowed to govern our own lives and not have the government tell us what we can and cannot use. What's important to me, may not be important to you and visa versa. But it's good to know there are alternatives, what they are, how to use them, and if possible, obtain them as a back up. Just in case.
Our goal or focus as a family has been to 1) reduce our utility bills and 2) to become less dependent on utility companies in general. Living "off grid" meant either going with solar or wind power and producing our own energy. There really wasn't any other alternative in our minds.
Going on solar power or wind power should only be seen as an intermediate step because you're only trading one dependency for another. This isn't to say you shouldn't use solar power, wind power, or some other alternative power source, but it isn't the grand solution to end all issues. Seeing solar as a way to ease into a life of less dependency is a more realistic option. And before one can even consider an alternative power source, you've got to cut back on your current dependency. Brenda really helped me see the need for this (thanks, Brenda!).
Now if I were to suddenly go through my house and trash every electrical appliance or gadget, I'd certainly have a mutiny on my hands, quick as a wink! And I won't attempt to list all our energy dependent appliances, but what I'm trying to do is cut the apron strings to the grid one appliance at a time. Let me give you an example...
This has been our coffee pot for the last several years. It's usually used on a daily basis, heating the coffee for about 2 hours before the hot plate shuts off unless we think about it and turn it off manually (not often). We like it a lot except that it stopped working the other day despite my regular cleanings and maintenance. Normally, we would have immediately gone out and purchased something similar, but this time, I talked with my husband about considering alternatives.
One option that we already had in the back of a cabinet is a French Press. I purchased this a couple of years ago when we were traveling, attending a retreat, and I needed my own low-acid coffee. It's a straightforward alternative in which you place the grounds inside the bottom, pour boiling water over them, stir, let steep for a minute, and then gently press the plunger down over the grounds. You can then pour your coffee. The French Press is easy to clean and simple to operate.
The drawback to the French Press is that it can't go directly onto a heat source (at least mine can't), the glass could easily break, and it doesn't keep the coffee hot. Think of this as an immediate coffee maker in which the coffee should be consumed as soon as it's brewed. Mine will make about 3-4 regular cups, so it's fine if you have a small group. However, if you want another cup, you'd need to start over.
A second alternative was an old fashion percolator; my husband's preference. We purchased this stainless steel model at an army surplus store before our camping trip to the coast. Another uncomplicated device, which holds coffee grounds in a basket containing small holes, while pumping heated water up a tube into the basket, allowing the water to wash over the grounds and then drain through the holes back into the pot. The cycle repeats itself until it's brewed to your preference. Since the holes in the basket are small, large grounds don't come through, but smaller grounds do. Some opt to use a paper filter inside the basket to prevent this.
The percolator can go directly on the heat source, keeps the coffee hotter, and can serve more people. Plus, you don't need to start over for that second cup.
Now both of these alternatives require an initial purchase, both of which probably required some kind of fossil fuels to fabricate and deliver. But neither require an on going fuel source other than the simple heating of water, either in the pot itself or another receptacle. An open flame from a campfire would do the job. Neither of these options would I leave on for 2 HOURS to brew. I'm actually hoping to try the percolator on my wood stove this winter to see if it will get hot enough to actually work. If so, that's a heat source I'm already using, but I would be using it for more than one purpose.
Both options brew coffee differently than a drip coffee maker and thus both cause the coffee to taste a bit different. I don't know how to suggest testing this to see which is to your liking other than asking around to see if a friend has one of these to borrow. There will always be those who insist one is preferable over another. Let me just say, we're foodies to a certain degree, and a good cup of coffee is to be relished, but the truth be told, in time, you'll adjust to whatever you have - a probably like it.
One thing to consider if you are opting for the French Press... get a thermos. The kind that they use in coffee shops. Fortunately, I already had one and this did not require a new purchase (see mine in the photo). I can't tell you the number of times I've used this thing! Well worth the purchase price, I can assure you! In the winter, I use it for my hot beverage bar if I'm not using my electric tea kettle (which I'm reconsidering now!). Just heat one large batch of water each morning, pour it in the thermos, and you have hot water all day long. Instead of using electricity several times a day, you're only using it once a day, unless of course, you decide to heat your water on the wood stove!
Now you might be thinking that this little change isn't much and so why bother? What's the difference in a little ol' coffee pot? It's a small change indeed. But little things add up over time. Imagine changing 12 of your appliances over the course of a year? One per month? That would start to make an impact, now wouldn't it. Maybe not in terms of the world, but in your own immediate world, it certainly would! And if you're considering solar power, you're more than likely going to need to reduce your electrical usage if you want to go off grid anyway.
If we were to install solar realistically (and believe me, we've looked into it with 3 different companies), we could only generate 60% of what we are currently using. We'd still need to purchase the additional 40% of electricity - ON A GOOD DAY! That means, to be totally off-grid, we'd need to reduce our energy consumption by 40-50% before the solar was ever installed. Puts things into perspective a bit more, doesn't it?
 |
| Ryobi Power Usage Meter |
Obviously, each person will have that one appliance they just don't want to give up and they'd rather pay to use it. This is exactly why we should be allowed to govern our own lives and not have the government tell us what we can and cannot use. What's important to me, may not be important to you and visa versa. But it's good to know there are alternatives, what they are, how to use them, and if possible, obtain them as a back up. Just in case.
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