I want to wish all of you who wander in here a very Happy New Year! Be careful if you get out there on the roads. Me, I'll be staying close to the house. See you all next year!
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Winter Blues
In the classic movie "A Christmas Story" Ralphie's little brother Randy is bundled up in sweaters and snow gear so deeply he can barely move much less walk. That's ME. I have spent the last few weeks or so learning the finer art of layering. I get cold easy. Oh and did I mention.... I NEED SUNSHINE!! ( which means fewer layers) I finished up the scarf that I had been working on and have been wearing it every day! And here I thought I wouldn't have it finished before spring! Right now I'm working on another hat and I have plans for making another scarf too. I'm pretty sure it won't be finished in time to wear it this winter but....
I was reminded that when we move to Arkansas the weather will be just about like it is here. It gives me an idea of what to expect. I think I'm going to be needing some long johns. I am already dreaming of springtime and Sunshine and its not quite January yet! I would rather think of it like this... Only a few more weeks of winter. Spring will be here before too long now!
Before the dreaded winter season I was talking with a friend about some different ways to make a little extra money. One of the ideas we came up with is to grow "starter" plants for those folks who don't want to start their veggies from seed. Tomato and pepper plants for sure. Maybe a few others, but we haven't really decided on what those might be yet. Does anyone have any thoughts on what you think might be good for "starter" veggies?
I was thinking that we could sell them at some of the little Flea Markets they have around here. I would like to try and sell some homemade soap as well. And then there are the birdhouses Mars has been messing around with. He has 6-7of them ready to be "decorated" right now and materials on hand for at least twice that many more. They are made from pallets we picked up for free. Here is the Backwoods article he got the idea from. Isn't that just too cute?? Oh and if anyone has any ideas for little "signs"or other decorating ideas for the birdhouses, please feel free to leave them in the comments. It looks like most of the "decorating" is being left up to me and I could use all the help I can get.
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Hey... I'm Just Sayin'
Well, Christmas is over. We had a nice day with great company and good food. MrsM made a wonderful prime rib roast that was literally good enough to drool over, as was the homemade bread. I baked deserts this year which was a first for me. I made Snickerdoodles and Oatmeal cookies, tried my hand at a Lemon Meringue Pie, and baked my very first New York Style Cheesecake. I had a near disaster with the Lemon Pie and although a crisis was diverted it didn't really turn out the way that I had hoped. It's all good though.... it's edible and mostly you can't tell that anything was wrong. Mrs M says that is how you become a good cook! She should know, she IS one. The cheese cake was absolutely wonderful. I'll post the recipe for it soon. I found it hard to get into the Christmas spirit this year. One of the reasons is the craziness of the government and the destruction of what was once a great nation. Oh, I've seen it coming, many of us have. We have expressed our anger in our emails and phone calls to our elected representatives, who in turn vote to do exactly the opposite of what we want. We have blogged about it, made YouTube videos, posted to hundreds of forums, marched and protested, all of which have had no apparent effects.
The lame duck session is finally over and now we are left with what they have done. The insane disregard of what WE THE PEOPLE have loudly expressed our wishes cuts me to the quick. The passing of the Food Safety Act is much more evil than it appears. Those who say that this Act is not intended for the small farmer and the backyard growers have obviously not been paying much attention to what has happened to our freedoms over the past few years. How the passing of seemingly harmless laws have changed the very fabric of what this country once was seems to have escaped the notice of those who will say it will not affect us. Monsanto will soon be in complete control of the crops and the food. There are those who say that 75% of the foods we eat are already genetically altered. Processed foods seem to be the rule rather than the exception these days.
It only makes me want to try harder than ever to raise our own vegetables. I want to thank one of my dear readers for his generous donation. I will be able to purchase of some of those seeds I have been drooling over now! Thanks again FK!
I won't even go into the passing of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law. I personally feel that all this publicity was just another way for them to take the attention off of the other evil things they have passed. A false flag with which to distract us while they pushed through more things to take our freedom from us.
A New Year is upon us and it is yet to be seen just what will come of it all. I am still waiting to hear word on my Disability judgment. If I do get it I have to wonder just how long it will last. The powers that be are talking about making some serious changes to the Social Security system and none of us know exactly what that will mean. I just hope I will still be able to realize my dream of getting out in the country, as far away as I can from the craziness that surrounds us. To raise a good size garden, some chickens and rabbits and maybe even a couple of milk goats is still a dream I hope to realize.
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
More This and That
The weather we are having all over the country is truly amazing. There are folks all over the country that are having record breaking snow and cold. Nothing like that here now. We are blessed with sunshine and temps in the 40's. But it's times like this that make you realize that being prepared is a whole lot more than just preparing for a huge disaster. I wouldn't want to have to be worried about being snowed in and have to brave the weather just because I didn't have groceries enough to last for a few days. Having your kitchen well stocked will help you avoid having to "run to the store" in all this nasty weather. You will be warm and dry while your clueless neighbor will have to weather the storm. You don't want to keep up with the Jones' . You want to be ahead of the game. Yet another reason to prepare. I've been listening to a pretty cool internet radio station for awhile now. It is a Patriot station called The Watchmen . Some of you might be familiar with a couple of the hosts there. But one of MY favorite shows is hosted by Canadian Patriot. Her show format is Prepping. She covers all sorts of interesting prepper topics and there is Chat as well. I love that because it really makes the show interactive. She is a truly down to earth person and you can tell it. You can hear the passion in her voice. Anyway, she has a Monday- Friday show from 3PM-4PM Central Time so if you get a chance pop in and give her a listen. I don't think you will be disappointed!
I've been checking out some seed catalogs. This is the time of year that I love to sit and drool over all the things that I would like to try and grow. MrsM got one in the mail a few days ago that is nothing but tomato's and peppers. I had NO idea there were that many kinds of tomato's! I've been oohhing and awwwing over all the choices. To bad I can't afford to try all the ones that look interesting. Hey, if you would like to help me out there is a Donate button up on the right!! You know when I think about it.... If you can afford to do it, wouldn't it be a great idea to order every one of the seeds you think "Oh, That's neat... I should try it". They just might come in handy one day and really how can you ever have too many seeds? And now that the Food Safety Act has passed, it might just get a lot harder to find good non-Monsanto seeds than ever.
I found some green bell peppers on sale the other day and so I picked them up and am drying them right now. Drying bell peppers is easy to do. Just cut them in even pieces and lay them on your trays. Don't let them touch if you can help it. Dry them at 125 degrees until they are dry and hard. Let them sit somewhere for a day or so to make sure they are quite dry and then store them in a vacuum sealed jar.If they aren't quite done, just pop them back in the dryer for a couple of more hours. They are great in all sorts of cooking. Most anywhere you would use green peppers will work.
MrsM has an old boat that she has converted into a raised bed. The soil in it really needs to be "worked" and new soil added. She has a whole bunch of leeks in there that Mars is moving to another spot in the yard. They are perennials and so they really need a new home. That way we can plant other things in there this spring. We are hoping to have lots of places ready to grow stuff by spring.
I was finally able to download my pictures from the camera. This sharing the computer really has some downfalls. Mars is very "picky" about what goes on it. So I have to do without some things that I am accustomed to having, like my Yahoo Messenger. Oh well, some computer is wayyyy better than none right!
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
Sunday, December 19, 2010
I AM FURIOUS
- 12/19/10 07:55 PM ET
The Senate unexpectedly approved food safety legislation by unanimous consent Sunday evening, rescuing a bill that floated in limbo for weeks because of a clerical error.
The Senate passed the Food Safety and Modernization Act on Nov. 30 by a vote of 73-25. But the bill was later invalidated by a technical objection because it was a revenue-raising measure that did not originate in the House — Senate staff had failed to substitute the food safety language into a House-originated bill.
A coalition of groups supporting the bill sent a letter Sunday to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) calling for action on food safety.
“Our organizations are writing to support attaching S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, to the Senate's proposed short-term continuing resolution,” the groups wrote. “Strong food-safety legislation will reduce the risk of contamination and provide FDA with the resources and authorities the agency needs to help make prevention the focus of our food safety strategies.”
The American Public Health Association, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union and other groups signed the letter.
Democrats first attempted to attach the food safety bill to the two-and-a-half-month spending measure but Republicans balked because they wanted to keep that measure clean, according to Senate aides.
Republicans, however, later agreed to pass it by unanimous consent.
Reid announced he would send the legislation — this time properly attached to a House-originated measure — back to the lower chamber for final approval.
“Our food safety system has not been updated in almost a century. Families in Nevada and across America should never have to worry about whether the food they put on their table is safe," Reid said in a statement. "This is a common-sense issue with broad bipartisan support.
"Tonight we unanimously passed a measure to improve on our current food safety system by giving the FDA the resources it needs to keep up with advances in food production and marketing, without unduly burdening farmers and food producers,” he said.
The legislation is a high priority for Reid and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).
Reid’s staff earlier in the day had told a coalition of groups supporting the legislation that it had a chance of passing but the prospects appeared to dim as Sunday wore on. The swift approval by unanimous consent caught some aides and lobbyists working on it by surprise.
Sen. Tom Coburn, the outspoken conservative Republican from Oklahoma, had been blocking the legislation. He lifted his objection at the final moment.
The Senate passed the Food Safety and Modernization Act on Nov. 30 by a vote of 73-25. But the bill was later invalidated by a technical objection because it was a revenue-raising measure that did not originate in the House — Senate staff had failed to substitute the food safety language into a House-originated bill.
A coalition of groups supporting the bill sent a letter Sunday to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) calling for action on food safety.
“Our organizations are writing to support attaching S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, to the Senate's proposed short-term continuing resolution,” the groups wrote. “Strong food-safety legislation will reduce the risk of contamination and provide FDA with the resources and authorities the agency needs to help make prevention the focus of our food safety strategies.”
The American Public Health Association, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union and other groups signed the letter.
Democrats first attempted to attach the food safety bill to the two-and-a-half-month spending measure but Republicans balked because they wanted to keep that measure clean, according to Senate aides.
Republicans, however, later agreed to pass it by unanimous consent.
Reid announced he would send the legislation — this time properly attached to a House-originated measure — back to the lower chamber for final approval.
“Our food safety system has not been updated in almost a century. Families in Nevada and across America should never have to worry about whether the food they put on their table is safe," Reid said in a statement. "This is a common-sense issue with broad bipartisan support.
"Tonight we unanimously passed a measure to improve on our current food safety system by giving the FDA the resources it needs to keep up with advances in food production and marketing, without unduly burdening farmers and food producers,” he said.
The legislation is a high priority for Reid and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).
Reid’s staff earlier in the day had told a coalition of groups supporting the legislation that it had a chance of passing but the prospects appeared to dim as Sunday wore on. The swift approval by unanimous consent caught some aides and lobbyists working on it by surprise.
Sen. Tom Coburn, the outspoken conservative Republican from Oklahoma, had been blocking the legislation. He lifted his objection at the final moment.
Lighten Up
This is one of my favorite Christmas songs... It's especially nice after a hard day of fighting the Christmas crowds. Give it a listen and see if it doesn't bring a smile to your face!!
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!!
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!!
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Daylight Nightmare
Man, I hate days like today. Warning!!! This could be seriously boring and detrimental to your sense of peace, so if you are not prepared and/or would rather pass then now is the time to do it. See that big X on the upper left hand side of your screen? Going once... going twice...
First of all I had to make the drive into The Big City for a Doctor's appointment. You would think that would have been enough. But... no... that was just the beginning of a daylong nightmare. I got a call last week that my CT scan had finally been scheduled and to be there today at 12:30pm. No problem. Except that at that time of day apparently they are taking their lunch break. So I wait until they get back at 1. That's when they tell me that my scheduled appointment isn't until 2:30. They can't do it sooner because the guy that does the test won't be back till after two. Then she smiles (all evil like) and hands me a bottled of flavored (badly) chalky substance and tells me I have 15 minutes to "Drink Up and enjoy the best you can!" ( yeah, she actually said that) I've never had a CT scan before so I didn't really know what to expect. Now I know it involves nasty tasting barium solutions and I.V.s (oh and bruises too) They try to cover the flavor of thatshi "stuff" with some sort of Berry Flavored label. Yeah, right. That concoction is downright nasty! I'm also thinking that I have all sorts of poisons floating around in me now.
I was supposed to have had another appointment with another doctor today, but having received the call about the scan, I called to reschedule. The receptionist told me that since I lived so far out of town to just come by after the scan and she would work me in. Yeah, that worked out well. NOT! I showed up around 4:00 and waited and waited and finally got in a little after 5:00.
I know I've mentioned that I have had to "re-do" alot of the things that have been done already at the other doctors office but I didn't tell ya about the new doctor not wanting any of the "old" doctor's lab tests and such. Well, today he wanted to do MORE tests that I have just recently had done. I had a total melt-down and threw a full fledged tantrum. I don't know how else to say it. (except maybe that I showed my a$zz) I didn't see any point in having to go through all that over again and made my feelings quite clear. Not only is it the $$ involved but it also has to do with the 50+ one way drive(s) for "do-overs". All the sudden he seemed more than willing to take a look at my "old" records. Go figure! So I finally get out of the office a little after 6:00 thinking I will just stop and get the new prescriptions filled. Oh no, of course it wasn't going to be that easy!
I get to the pharmacy and I'll be danged if they weren't out of the dosage of the new drug. So then of course the phone calls started. Eventually it was straightened out and I was on my way home. I made pretty good time though and was pulling into the drive at close to 8PM. Nothing like a full day of fun in the sun, right?
If you are still reading this then I applaud your tenacity. (Or boredom as the case may be) I promise that next time I will try to bring something to the table just a bit more "fun". Now I just need to come up with something.... Any ideas?
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
First of all I had to make the drive into The Big City for a Doctor's appointment. You would think that would have been enough. But... no... that was just the beginning of a daylong nightmare. I got a call last week that my CT scan had finally been scheduled and to be there today at 12:30pm. No problem. Except that at that time of day apparently they are taking their lunch break. So I wait until they get back at 1. That's when they tell me that my scheduled appointment isn't until 2:30. They can't do it sooner because the guy that does the test won't be back till after two. Then she smiles (all evil like) and hands me a bottled of flavored (badly) chalky substance and tells me I have 15 minutes to "Drink Up and enjoy the best you can!" ( yeah, she actually said that) I've never had a CT scan before so I didn't really know what to expect. Now I know it involves nasty tasting barium solutions and I.V.s (oh and bruises too) They try to cover the flavor of that
I was supposed to have had another appointment with another doctor today, but having received the call about the scan, I called to reschedule. The receptionist told me that since I lived so far out of town to just come by after the scan and she would work me in. Yeah, that worked out well. NOT! I showed up around 4:00 and waited and waited and finally got in a little after 5:00.
I know I've mentioned that I have had to "re-do" alot of the things that have been done already at the other doctors office but I didn't tell ya about the new doctor not wanting any of the "old" doctor's lab tests and such. Well, today he wanted to do MORE tests that I have just recently had done. I had a total melt-down and threw a full fledged tantrum. I don't know how else to say it. (except maybe that I showed my a$zz) I didn't see any point in having to go through all that over again and made my feelings quite clear. Not only is it the $$ involved but it also has to do with the 50+ one way drive(s) for "do-overs". All the sudden he seemed more than willing to take a look at my "old" records. Go figure! So I finally get out of the office a little after 6:00 thinking I will just stop and get the new prescriptions filled. Oh no, of course it wasn't going to be that easy!
I get to the pharmacy and I'll be danged if they weren't out of the dosage of the new drug. So then of course the phone calls started. Eventually it was straightened out and I was on my way home. I made pretty good time though and was pulling into the drive at close to 8PM. Nothing like a full day of fun in the sun, right?
If you are still reading this then I applaud your tenacity. (Or boredom as the case may be) I promise that next time I will try to bring something to the table just a bit more "fun". Now I just need to come up with something.... Any ideas?
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Dehydrated Carrots (How To)
MrsM got her catalog from Emergency Essentials. They had a couple of really good sales on this month. I am not affiliated with them at all but they are a good place for your long term storage foods. The best deal (in my humble opinion) they are offering this month are their Freeze-Dried Tomato's. The # 10 cans are on sale for $15.00. They usually run $39.95. I didn't do the math but the ad says that's 62% off the regular price. You will have to buy 6 cans to get the deal but it is worth it for sure. They also have Freeze-Dried Cooked Shrimp in # 10 cans for $28.99. This is the same shrimp that MrsM bought last year for $59.95 a can so the savings on this one is 50%. She said the shrimp is really good too. Oh, in case you might be wondering ( I was ) this is not Gulf Shrimp.
I got a great deal on 10 pounds of carrots the other day at the grocery store. So of course I just HAD to pick some up to dehydrate. I know that many people have gardens and are able to grow their own vegetables. For those that don't, there is still NO excuse for not being able to can, dehydrate and freeze your own veggies. Even if you don't have a garden you can find good deals on fresh vegetables to put up. I know some people think that putting up food is hard to do but I can honestly say it really isn't. And it really isn't a lot of hard work either. Folks who put up their own foods will tell you that the toughest part is getting the foods prepped and ready to put up. The actual canning or drying is a pretty simple process.
You will need a few "tools" of course. For dehydrating you really don't need to much in the way of tools. all you need is a dehydrator. You can buy them new or find a good used one. Check out the thrift stores, freecycle, and your local Craigslist. I know quite a few people who have found dehydrators for free or really cheap with just a bit of looking. Heck, with just a bit of imagination you can even make your own solar dehydrator. Just do a search on the internet and you will come up with lots and lots of designs. You might even be able to drop a hint to Santa and if you have been good this year.....well who know!
Ok, now back to the carrots... I get to rambling sometimes! Here's how I dry my carrots.
DEHYDRATING CARROTS
Peel your carrots. (don't forget to put the peels in your compost pile)
Cut up the carrots in even pieces. I cut mine into round circles. You want to cut them all approximately the same size so they will dry evenly.
Blanche your carrots for 3-5 minutes and rinse in cold water to stop the "cooking".
Place your carrots on your dehydrator trays in single layers. It's ok if they touch each other but you want to make sure they are not laying on top of each other.
Set your thermostat at 125- 130 degrees and dry for 10-12 hours, or until they are hard and have no moisture in them.
Store them in and air tight jar. I like to vacuum seal my jars for longer shelf life.
To rehydrate, pour enough hot water to cover the carrots well and let them set until they are back to "normal". This usually takes about 20-30 minutes (sometimes a bit longer)
When you are dehydrating most vegetables you can follow these same directions. Some of the blanching times will vary though. That is why it is good to have a decent book on dehydrating. Most dryers come with an instruction booklet that will walk you through all the steps. I don't have any one particular book to recommend but there is a great website called Dehydrate2Store on dehydrating foods here. If you have never checked it out before you ought to give it a look. I highly recommend it.
~~~ ... Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
I got a great deal on 10 pounds of carrots the other day at the grocery store. So of course I just HAD to pick some up to dehydrate. I know that many people have gardens and are able to grow their own vegetables. For those that don't, there is still NO excuse for not being able to can, dehydrate and freeze your own veggies. Even if you don't have a garden you can find good deals on fresh vegetables to put up. I know some people think that putting up food is hard to do but I can honestly say it really isn't. And it really isn't a lot of hard work either. Folks who put up their own foods will tell you that the toughest part is getting the foods prepped and ready to put up. The actual canning or drying is a pretty simple process.
You will need a few "tools" of course. For dehydrating you really don't need to much in the way of tools. all you need is a dehydrator. You can buy them new or find a good used one. Check out the thrift stores, freecycle, and your local Craigslist. I know quite a few people who have found dehydrators for free or really cheap with just a bit of looking. Heck, with just a bit of imagination you can even make your own solar dehydrator. Just do a search on the internet and you will come up with lots and lots of designs. You might even be able to drop a hint to Santa and if you have been good this year.....well who know!
Ok, now back to the carrots... I get to rambling sometimes! Here's how I dry my carrots.
DEHYDRATING CARROTS
Peel your carrots. (don't forget to put the peels in your compost pile)
Cut up the carrots in even pieces. I cut mine into round circles. You want to cut them all approximately the same size so they will dry evenly.
Blanche your carrots for 3-5 minutes and rinse in cold water to stop the "cooking".
Place your carrots on your dehydrator trays in single layers. It's ok if they touch each other but you want to make sure they are not laying on top of each other.
Set your thermostat at 125- 130 degrees and dry for 10-12 hours, or until they are hard and have no moisture in them.
Store them in and air tight jar. I like to vacuum seal my jars for longer shelf life.
To rehydrate, pour enough hot water to cover the carrots well and let them set until they are back to "normal". This usually takes about 20-30 minutes (sometimes a bit longer)
When you are dehydrating most vegetables you can follow these same directions. Some of the blanching times will vary though. That is why it is good to have a decent book on dehydrating. Most dryers come with an instruction booklet that will walk you through all the steps. I don't have any one particular book to recommend but there is a great website called Dehydrate2Store on dehydrating foods here. If you have never checked it out before you ought to give it a look. I highly recommend it.
~~~ ... Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
Friday, December 10, 2010
Learning Valuable Skills
There are all sorts of folks who prepare in all sorts of ways and for all sorts of reasons. It seems everyone who does has their own reasons for doing so. What ever the reasons, I am just happy that they do. When I first started prepping I was just trying to stay ahead of the price of groceries. I'm still trying. The problem is that now it is getting harder and harder to stay ahead. That is where having and using skills comes in handy.
I think one of the most important things we can do is to learn everything we can. The more we can do for ourselves the less we will have to depend on others to do them for us. There might even come a time that the things you have learned may well help keep you alive. Besides, learning new things can be alot of fun as well as being useful.
Is there something that you have always been interested in but don't know how to do? Why not try your hand at it? Make a list of things that you would like to learn. Things that you want to be able to do. Then just pick one and go for it. Some might require that you take some classes but I guarantee that there are plenty that don't. These days with the internet right at your fingertips there really isn't much of a reason not to try your hand at learning something new. There are great places to find out how to do a million things. Heck, there are even places like YouTube that can show you step by step how to do tons of things. There are forums on just about anything as well. Most of the forums would be happy to answer any questions you might have. I am living proof that even an old dog can learn many new tricks. I look back now and am amazed at how just setting your mind to doing something can make a "want to" into a "can do".
I'll give you a couple of examples. Since I first knew Mars, every year he's grown at least a couple of tomato and pepper plants. Of course these days that has expanded but... back then we would eat all the fresh stuff we could and the rest ended up being given away or it would just go to waste. Now it just broke my heart seeing it go to waste and so I decided I wanted to learn how to put them up. So I asked a few questions and did some research. I even found a free online canning class. I started with the easier methods and gathered up the "tools" I needed to begin. That year I taught myself how to do Water Bath Canning. I learned how to put up pickled peppers and tomato's that year. I was so excited that I had learned a new skill! Then I decided I wanted to learn to put up other things. So I did some more research and I started saving my money and the next year I bought a pressure canner. I learned how to put up lots of different kinds of vegetables.
Since then I have learned lots of things that have helped me tremendously in my prepping. I consider all these skills valuable. I also truly enjoy doing them. I still have a list and am still learning new things. I guess what I am trying to say is why not take some time and learn a new skill? It may really come in handy some day. And heck, even if it doesn't, you will be all the wiser for having learned something new.
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
I think one of the most important things we can do is to learn everything we can. The more we can do for ourselves the less we will have to depend on others to do them for us. There might even come a time that the things you have learned may well help keep you alive. Besides, learning new things can be alot of fun as well as being useful.
Is there something that you have always been interested in but don't know how to do? Why not try your hand at it? Make a list of things that you would like to learn. Things that you want to be able to do. Then just pick one and go for it. Some might require that you take some classes but I guarantee that there are plenty that don't. These days with the internet right at your fingertips there really isn't much of a reason not to try your hand at learning something new. There are great places to find out how to do a million things. Heck, there are even places like YouTube that can show you step by step how to do tons of things. There are forums on just about anything as well. Most of the forums would be happy to answer any questions you might have. I am living proof that even an old dog can learn many new tricks. I look back now and am amazed at how just setting your mind to doing something can make a "want to" into a "can do".
I'll give you a couple of examples. Since I first knew Mars, every year he's grown at least a couple of tomato and pepper plants. Of course these days that has expanded but... back then we would eat all the fresh stuff we could and the rest ended up being given away or it would just go to waste. Now it just broke my heart seeing it go to waste and so I decided I wanted to learn how to put them up. So I asked a few questions and did some research. I even found a free online canning class. I started with the easier methods and gathered up the "tools" I needed to begin. That year I taught myself how to do Water Bath Canning. I learned how to put up pickled peppers and tomato's that year. I was so excited that I had learned a new skill! Then I decided I wanted to learn to put up other things. So I did some more research and I started saving my money and the next year I bought a pressure canner. I learned how to put up lots of different kinds of vegetables.
Since then I have learned lots of things that have helped me tremendously in my prepping. I consider all these skills valuable. I also truly enjoy doing them. I still have a list and am still learning new things. I guess what I am trying to say is why not take some time and learn a new skill? It may really come in handy some day. And heck, even if it doesn't, you will be all the wiser for having learned something new.
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Hamburger Rocks ( How To)
How would you like to be able to store hamburger without having to freeze it? How about being able to take advantage of a good sale without having to worry about how much freezer space it is going to take up? What if you could keep it for a couple of years or more just sitting on your shelf? What if you could have it already cooked and ready to use in no time at all and with no thawing involved? If this sounds like something you would be interested in, then boy do I have some good news for you! They are called Hamburger Rocks and they do! (Rock, that is!) And the best part? Simple, easy to use and you can do it right in your own kitchen.
There are countless recipes you can use with hamburger rocks. Now with that being said, there are a few things that this stuff won't work for. You can't really "form" it so you won't be able to make things like meatballs or hamburger patties. Other than that your imagination is your only limitation. Use it for things like taco meat, spaghetti sauce, soups, chipped beef, meat pies, and pizza toppings. Even Hamburger Helper just got even easier!! Anything you usually use "crumbled" hamburger for, you can use hamburger rocks for.
Here's how you do it.
1. Brown your hamburger a skillet. While you are cooking it be sure to break it up well. You don't want large chunks in your pan.
2. Once your hamburger is browned, drain all the grease from it. An easy way to do that is to use a colander.
3. After you drain as much grease out as you can, rinse the meat with boiling hot water until the grease is gone and let it drain again. You want as little as possible in your meat. Grease will make your meat go rancid pretty quickly. You want to avoid this at all costs.
4. After you have the grease out and the meat is well drained, put it in a clean skillet. Season your meat with whatever you choose to use. I use salt, pepper onion powder and garlic powder. Season it to your own taste. (You could make up different batches like "taco meat" or any other flavor) Continue cooking until all the moisture is gone. You want to get it as dry as you can without burning the meat.
5.If you are using a dehydrator, place your meat on the trays. I would use screens or fruit roll up trays so the meat doesn't fall through. If you are going to be using your oven, put the meat in a baking pan about 1/2 inch or so deep. A cookie sheet or something similar works well.
6. Dry at 165 degrees for approximately 15 hours in your dehydrator. For your oven (if you can't set it at 165 degrees) you may need to it at its lowest temperature. Put a spoon or something like it in the door to prop it open slightly. This will allow the moisture to escape as well a lower the temperature slightly.
Stir every few hours to make sure it is evenly drying. When it is done, the meat will be dark brown and hard (like little rocks) with no moisture in it.
7. Store in air tight jars. You can use your vacuum sealer or o2 absorbers to draw out the air.
To re-hydrate, place the meat in a bowl and cover with boiling water. As with most dehydrated foods the rule of thumb is 2 parts water to 1 part meat.
And there you have it. A really simple way to store hamburger meat with minimal effort.
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
There are countless recipes you can use with hamburger rocks. Now with that being said, there are a few things that this stuff won't work for. You can't really "form" it so you won't be able to make things like meatballs or hamburger patties. Other than that your imagination is your only limitation. Use it for things like taco meat, spaghetti sauce, soups, chipped beef, meat pies, and pizza toppings. Even Hamburger Helper just got even easier!! Anything you usually use "crumbled" hamburger for, you can use hamburger rocks for.
Here's how you do it.
1. Brown your hamburger a skillet. While you are cooking it be sure to break it up well. You don't want large chunks in your pan.
2. Once your hamburger is browned, drain all the grease from it. An easy way to do that is to use a colander.
3. After you drain as much grease out as you can, rinse the meat with boiling hot water until the grease is gone and let it drain again. You want as little as possible in your meat. Grease will make your meat go rancid pretty quickly. You want to avoid this at all costs.
4. After you have the grease out and the meat is well drained, put it in a clean skillet. Season your meat with whatever you choose to use. I use salt, pepper onion powder and garlic powder. Season it to your own taste. (You could make up different batches like "taco meat" or any other flavor) Continue cooking until all the moisture is gone. You want to get it as dry as you can without burning the meat.
5.If you are using a dehydrator, place your meat on the trays. I would use screens or fruit roll up trays so the meat doesn't fall through. If you are going to be using your oven, put the meat in a baking pan about 1/2 inch or so deep. A cookie sheet or something similar works well.
6. Dry at 165 degrees for approximately 15 hours in your dehydrator. For your oven (if you can't set it at 165 degrees) you may need to it at its lowest temperature. Put a spoon or something like it in the door to prop it open slightly. This will allow the moisture to escape as well a lower the temperature slightly.
Stir every few hours to make sure it is evenly drying. When it is done, the meat will be dark brown and hard (like little rocks) with no moisture in it.
7. Store in air tight jars. You can use your vacuum sealer or o2 absorbers to draw out the air.
To re-hydrate, place the meat in a bowl and cover with boiling water. As with most dehydrated foods the rule of thumb is 2 parts water to 1 part meat.
And there you have it. A really simple way to store hamburger meat with minimal effort.
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Meandering or Babbling? You Decide
I love days like today for a change of pace in the wintertime. The temperature was just about perfect at 53degrees. A little bit of layering and not having to wear a coat makes my day. I finally realized that the weather here is just about the same as it will be in the area of Arkansas we have been looking at. Yeah, yeah, I'm a bit slow sometimes. But I can see first hand what we will be dealing with if/when we make it there.
We had some pretty good sales this week at the local grocery store. Knowing how cheap....errr... uhm... frugal I am, of course I had to take advantage of a couple of them. They have pork loin halves for $1.99 lb with free cutting and wrapping so I picked up two of them. I stuck one in the freezer to either put on the pit. You just can't beat smoked pork loin! I had them cut the other one into thick slices about 3/4" for some nice chops later on.. That ended up being 3 meals for the 4 of us for a little less than $3.00 a meal. Now THAT is a great deal!!
Chuck hamburger is also on sale this week for $1.89 lb. That is one of those deals that I really couldn't pass up since even hamburger has sky-rocketed up around 3 bucks a pound here. I ended up picking up around 25 pounds of it. I know you are probably thinking WOW that's a big bunch of hamburger meat. Of course I have a plan for it all though.We put up a few pounds for regular meals and have some set aside so MrsM can teach me how to make hamburger rocks. I've been wanting to try my hand at it for awhile now.
The rest we are making doggie treats with. MrsM has been making dog treats for her lil guy for quite some time now. Instead of giving the lil guy those store bought doggie treats, which are chock full of fillers and chemicals, she makes them herself. I can't share MY nickname for "the little guy" here... LOL Anyway, in the long run home made dog treats are cheaper than the store-bought ones and he LOVES them. She takes cuts of meat and slices them very thin and then dehydrates them. Lately, she has been using hamburger meat for his treats. He actually seems to like the hamburger even more than the other meats. I call that a plus since hamburger, even as high as it is getting, is cheaper than the other.
Mars has been kicking around an idea for a new project he saw over at Backwoods Magazine. Of course the first thing that needed to be done was to locate some pallets. There is a lumber yard a few blocks from here that has had a pile of them sitting outside the gate for quite some time. Yesterday on my way to an appointment I stopped and spoke with a gentleman about them. I sure wouldn't want to get busted loading them up without permission. Anyway, he gave me the ok to take them. So we took the truck over this morning and picked them up. I'll be sure to share with you all about how it turns out.
While he was messing around with pallets in the back yard I was picking up pecans in the front yard. There are still a whole bunch of them yet. We have picked up a huge bucket of them so far. When I say bucket what I mean is one the size of a big horse watering bucket. Several gallons worth. It won't be long before we all start sitting around and shelling them. I found a recipe that I want to try for Sugared Pecans. If it turns out I will be sure to post it here and take some pictures. I have a couple of other projects I'm getting ready to get done in the next day or so as well. Thank goodness! It gives me something to write about....
I saw this little video and it made me giggle like a 6 year old. And no comments about that being about the right age either...lol.
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
We had some pretty good sales this week at the local grocery store. Knowing how cheap....errr... uhm... frugal I am, of course I had to take advantage of a couple of them. They have pork loin halves for $1.99 lb with free cutting and wrapping so I picked up two of them. I stuck one in the freezer to either put on the pit. You just can't beat smoked pork loin! I had them cut the other one into thick slices about 3/4" for some nice chops later on.. That ended up being 3 meals for the 4 of us for a little less than $3.00 a meal. Now THAT is a great deal!!
Chuck hamburger is also on sale this week for $1.89 lb. That is one of those deals that I really couldn't pass up since even hamburger has sky-rocketed up around 3 bucks a pound here. I ended up picking up around 25 pounds of it. I know you are probably thinking WOW that's a big bunch of hamburger meat. Of course I have a plan for it all though.We put up a few pounds for regular meals and have some set aside so MrsM can teach me how to make hamburger rocks. I've been wanting to try my hand at it for awhile now.
The rest we are making doggie treats with. MrsM has been making dog treats for her lil guy for quite some time now. Instead of giving the lil guy those store bought doggie treats, which are chock full of fillers and chemicals, she makes them herself. I can't share MY nickname for "the little guy" here... LOL Anyway, in the long run home made dog treats are cheaper than the store-bought ones and he LOVES them. She takes cuts of meat and slices them very thin and then dehydrates them. Lately, she has been using hamburger meat for his treats. He actually seems to like the hamburger even more than the other meats. I call that a plus since hamburger, even as high as it is getting, is cheaper than the other.
Mars has been kicking around an idea for a new project he saw over at Backwoods Magazine. Of course the first thing that needed to be done was to locate some pallets. There is a lumber yard a few blocks from here that has had a pile of them sitting outside the gate for quite some time. Yesterday on my way to an appointment I stopped and spoke with a gentleman about them. I sure wouldn't want to get busted loading them up without permission. Anyway, he gave me the ok to take them. So we took the truck over this morning and picked them up. I'll be sure to share with you all about how it turns out.
While he was messing around with pallets in the back yard I was picking up pecans in the front yard. There are still a whole bunch of them yet. We have picked up a huge bucket of them so far. When I say bucket what I mean is one the size of a big horse watering bucket. Several gallons worth. It won't be long before we all start sitting around and shelling them. I found a recipe that I want to try for Sugared Pecans. If it turns out I will be sure to post it here and take some pictures. I have a couple of other projects I'm getting ready to get done in the next day or so as well. Thank goodness! It gives me something to write about....
I saw this little video and it made me giggle like a 6 year old. And no comments about that being about the right age either...lol.
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
Friday, December 3, 2010
Checking In
Just when I thought it was fixed. My computer is toast. It needs a new hard drive. That's not going to happen anytime soon as there is no money to do it. So Mars and I will be sharing his computer for awhile. That will take awhile to get used to but we will be just fine. I'm just glad we have one to share!
Mars has been working out in the garden again. He decided to extend it some more. Bigger is better as far as gardens are concerned right? He is turning the dirt by hand and trying to remove as much of the Bermuda grass as he can. Bigger is better as far as gardens are concerned! We got the soil sample back from the extension agency. Looks like it will need a bit of phosphorus and nitrogen. That shouldn't be to hard to do. MrsM has a friend who has cattle so we will go and get a load of manure to work into the soil. More on that later.
Mars has been working on the compost pile too. He's been raking the yard and adding the leaves to the pile. It sure helps picking up pecans alot easier since we can see them better now. I can' believe
We had a good cold snap and the last of the leaves from the pecan trees fell,along with a whole lot more pecans. We have all been picking up pecans like crazy. Next we will have to start shelling them. That's the part where I have to try and shell more and eat less! LOL
I had to make another trip to "the big city" yesterday. I've been referred to another clinic. Now they want to do all sorts of tests, most of which have been recently done by the last doctors I was seeing. What I don't understand is why they can't just use the information from the last tests. Unless, of course, somehow they make their own $$ from it. Which is probably the case. The doctor I saw yesterday gave me a hard time about quitting smoking. I told him I had no interest in quitting. It's not like it will be what kills me! It took me a little bit to understand why he did though. He is trying to get me on a transplant list and if I am smoking then that is just another reason they could deny me. So it looks like I am going to have to think about quitting. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
It looks like there's a new cat in the neighborhood. It showed up yesterday and has been doing nothing but eat. And eat. And eat. Pretty little tom cat. Let's just hope he doesn't leave us any surprises in the next few months! The last thing we need around here are more kittens that grow up and turn out to be cats!
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
Mars has been working out in the garden again. He decided to extend it some more. Bigger is better as far as gardens are concerned right? He is turning the dirt by hand and trying to remove as much of the Bermuda grass as he can. Bigger is better as far as gardens are concerned! We got the soil sample back from the extension agency. Looks like it will need a bit of phosphorus and nitrogen. That shouldn't be to hard to do. MrsM has a friend who has cattle so we will go and get a load of manure to work into the soil. More on that later.
Mars has been working on the compost pile too. He's been raking the yard and adding the leaves to the pile. It sure helps picking up pecans alot easier since we can see them better now. I can' believe
We had a good cold snap and the last of the leaves from the pecan trees fell,along with a whole lot more pecans. We have all been picking up pecans like crazy. Next we will have to start shelling them. That's the part where I have to try and shell more and eat less! LOL
I had to make another trip to "the big city" yesterday. I've been referred to another clinic. Now they want to do all sorts of tests, most of which have been recently done by the last doctors I was seeing. What I don't understand is why they can't just use the information from the last tests. Unless, of course, somehow they make their own $$ from it. Which is probably the case. The doctor I saw yesterday gave me a hard time about quitting smoking. I told him I had no interest in quitting. It's not like it will be what kills me! It took me a little bit to understand why he did though. He is trying to get me on a transplant list and if I am smoking then that is just another reason they could deny me. So it looks like I am going to have to think about quitting. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
It looks like there's a new cat in the neighborhood. It showed up yesterday and has been doing nothing but eat. And eat. And eat. Pretty little tom cat. Let's just hope he doesn't leave us any surprises in the next few months! The last thing we need around here are more kittens that grow up and turn out to be cats!
~~~ Hey ... I'm Just Sayin' ... ~~~
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