making greek yogurt or yogurt cheese with powdered milk

------------------------------------------
Join the APN Forum at www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net
Visit the Wisconsin Forum at www.WisconsinPreppersNetwork.net

Using powdered milk to make yogurt

Wondering what to do with that powdered milk in your food storage? How about making some yogurt.


------------------------------------------ Join the APN Forum at http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/ Visit the Wisconsin Forum at http://www.wisconsinpreppersnetwork.net/

Creative ways to finance your prepping

photo credit - Civil Defense Museum

Many people delay getting started on their food storage and emergency preparedness purchases because they feel that they don’t have the money to do it. It doesn’t have to be purchased in one sweep, folks, and even the tightest budget will often give up a few pennies if you squeeze it hard enough.

1. Barter excess fruit from your trees or vegetables from your garden for foods you don’t grow yourself.

2. Barter labor for food.
a. Talk to a farmer to see if you can work in exchange for meat, eggs, milk, etc.
b. Most CSAs offer reduced prices in exchange for working on the farm.

3. Barter skills and services you have for food items. Some ideas – sewing skills, haircuts, woodworking, accounting/bookkeeping, computer programming, web design, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, painting, etc.

4. Ask neighbors and friends if you can harvest the fruit from their trees. Offer to give them a portion of the fruit that you then can or dehydrate.

5. Cook with fewer processed foods. Learn how to cook from scratch instead. Use the money saved toward long term food storage. (you’ll end up eating healthier in the long run, too!)

6. Eliminate a high cost low nutrition food from your budget (common items are soda pop, cookies, other snack foods) and use that money toward long term food storage.

7. Eliminate a restaurant trip and use that money toward long term food storage.

8. Reduce your entertainment budget (turn off the satellite or cable tv, eliminate a movie night, etc) and use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

9. Reduce your reliance on costly cleaning solutions and make cleaning solutions yourself with inexpensive ingredients such as castile soap, borax, vinegar, and essential oils. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

10. Watch the grocery store sales and be prepared to buy in bulk when prices are low.

11. Consider a bulk purchase with friends or family members to buy food at a lower cost. Repackage the foods to store in convenient sizes for your family.

12. Learn how to preserve food yourself – canning, curing & smoking, dehydrating, etc. Foods grown and preserved yourself are usually much less expensive than commercially prepared foods.

13. Eliminate out-of-season foods from your menus and use the savings toward long term food storage. Food is always cheaper when it’s in season because less of the price involves fuel costs.

14. Consider using cloth napkins, cloth kitchen wipes (substitute for paper towels), cloth diapers, etc. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

15. Turn down your thermostat or turn up your air conditioner by a degree or two. Use a programmable thermostat to lower it while you sleep and raise it when you awaken and most people hardly notice the difference. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

16. Switch from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

17. Hang your laundry outside on a clothesline instead of using your electric dryer. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

18. Buy used items instead of new. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

19. Eliminate that second (or third) car. Instead use public transportation, bikes, or walk. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

20. Instead of buying expensive baby foods consider making your own. A simple food processor or blender can create pureed foods for your baby. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

21. Shop around and see if you can lower the cost of your auto insurance. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

22. If your checking and savings accounts have associated fees, switch to no-fee accounts. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

23. Consider buying your meat in bulk by purchasing a side of beef or a whole hog. The price per pound is much lower than buying in small servings at a grocery store. Not only do you save money, but you also have a head start on your food storage! You can contact farmers directly or consider buying at auction at your county fair.

24. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. The cheapest foods are often the least processed foods. Buy from the produce, meat, and dairy departments more and less from the inner aisles. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

25. Have a vegetarian meal once a week and save money by not buying as much meat. Use the savings toward purchasing preparedness items.

26. Plant a garden. You will not only save money on your grocery budget that you can use toward long term food storage but it will yield food as well.

27. Plant berry bushes and fruit trees. Even the smallest city lot usually can fit in a few raspberry canes. Dwarf varieties of fruit trees don’t take much space and larger lots can handle full sized trees. You can also sell the excess fruit!


What are some of the ways you've been able to alter your budget to permit you to make preparedness purchases?

------------------------------------------
Join the APN Forum at http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/
Visit the Wisconsin Forum at http://www.wisconsinpreppersnetwork.net/

food preps

Sure have been wanting to stock up on more food lately, but with being in a rental and knowing whatever I buy I will have to move is a conundrum.
But if I was in my permanent place of residence I would be getting as much food put by as possible, so my suggestion to you readers is to get whatever you can manage set back. Buy what you eat and eat what you store, rotate, rotate, rotate. It's the new location, location, location!
I liked the idea I read on some blog, sorry I can't give credit as I can't remember, but they mentioned buying frozen fruit on sale and then bringing it home and dehydrating it. Great idea! I really like dried fruits and veggies too. Easy to store as they are lightweight and drying really helps to keep a lot more enzymes available over canning as the high heat destroys them. Dried foods are much easier to move as they are light weight and can be keep in baggies, also a lightweight item. I have also stored the baggies in an old tin and I don't have to worry about critters getting into them.
Dried fruit is also so yummy without having to re-hydrate! Nuff said!
Have a great day,
HUP

Ramblings

Hello all. I have been quite preoccupied for a while and not feeling very energetic and I apologize for not posting regularly. If anyone would like to contribute articles for this site, please email me.

I don't like western medicine. But I was consuled by someone I respect that surgery was really my only option so I thought I should get it out of the way while there was still money and insurance to pay for it. Problem was, I went to a “teaching hospital” and even though I specifically requested the surgeon I chose be the one the do the surgery, (three times I made myself clear to her I did not drive 2 hours from home to be cut by anyone but her) I was sliced and diced by the learner…of course I have no proof except for the fact that the op report states “Dr. X was scrubbed and present for the entire procedure.” I suffered extreme pain from “nerve entrapment” followed by numbness which she has now tried to correct with another surgery, along with redoing some of the other stitching that was messed up. And the first surgery is already coming “undone” so to speak. If I had to do it over, I would never go to a hospital connected to a university. I would find a surgeon near by and just make certain they had quite some good experience with the procedure I needed. My freedom to choose who I wanted to do the surgery was taken from me just because they could - and they thought it was no big deal; they knew better than I did. NOT! Kinda like the government sobs thinking they know how to run my life and spend my money better than I do. My choice is taken away and that makes me dang mad. I know there are consequences to my choices, but let it be my choice! Don’t make me suffer for you imposing your will over mine!

On the political scene, in talking to people, I am finding that the sheeple are waking up and smelling the coffee. At least they are up here in the north. The problem is they pretty well feel there is nothing they can do about any of it. And those of us who have been in the know for a bit, well I find that the question now is “Where will I draw the line?” Where and when will we say I am mad and I am not going to take it any more? Will you stop paying your taxes? Will you hand over your guns when they knock on your door? Will you let them haul you away in the name of protection? Will you take that immunization because there is an “outbreak”? Will you obey any more of the state’s stupid laws?
I cannot believe that the lies that our new commander in chief has been telling and the campaign promises he had broken are not being covered by the press. They could have such a time with it and get their viewing numbers up, but they are mostly kept in check. And the preachers are silent because most are more brainwashed than their congregants. About the only place you can get informed is the internet. And some foreign news sources. The good news is the more people begin to hurt the more they are waking up to the truth, the real truth. We are an enslaved people. But we need to remember that there are more enslavees than enslavers. And more and more of the “us” are taking steps to be prepared to take care of ourselves and our families. We are preparing to live in liberty. We will not willingly continue down the primrose path with blinders on. The truth is slapping us in the face: the fedgov is not our friend. The founders were right where government was concerned: Less is more.

The constitution has been trashed and we need to get our rights back. I applaud the states that are telling the federal gov to back off and passing bills reasserting their rights to sovereignty. It’s about time.

On the material side, I am taking a more planned approach to my food storage. I figure that I will plan to have two meals a day and menus that repeat every week or two. I will store some food (meals) in grab and go buckets as well as having a stocked long-term pantry. It’s all about organization. Ugh… Not my strongest suite but I will endure.

I am also trying to make friends with more like-minded people. It takes time and energy of which I am low at the moment. But any step forward is progress and sometimes that is the best that we can do. One step forward. Progress. Two steps forward and one step back…still progress.

Don’t quit, keep looking for ways to prepare; I think you will be glad you did in a few short months.
HUP

How long will stored food last?

If you are reading this blog, you are probably taking steps to buy food to have in storage, but if you’re like me when I started, you may not know just how long food can keep so I want to share a resource I found very helpful and an article.

http://www.ivanhoe.com/science/story/2007/02/248a.html

http://ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconference/archive/2005/sharing_stations/pdf/52a.pdf

Of course it is best to rotate all your food, but it is not an easy task if your storage area is not too close to your cooking area, so finding out many foods can keep years is a great boon to me. I especially appreciate the long life of pastas. It is also may be helpful to mark your supplies with the date you bought them. Sharpie pens work well.

I also like to store some recipes (hard copy) for using all the canned or dried food because I like to eat as much fresh and raw foods as I can now that we are able to do that. I occasionally try a recipe out and then deem it acceptable or not. And when you are cooking think about the spices that you are using and make sure you have those stored as well. You can always add spices to taste and don’t need to depend upon a recipe or a teaspoon measure, but you need to have the spices available.

I also recommend a way to transport your stored foods easily, i.e. store in boxes on the shelf instead of directly on the shelf, so that you don’t have to take the extra step to pack all the supplies if you move or decide to leave your home for a while in an emergency for example and want to take your supplies with you.

It is also very important to store fats for cooking and calories. And if you have to eat food you may not like much, if you fry it up and salt it, well, what isn’t better tasting fried? The best oils/fats are packaged so that they are protected from light and are cold pressed. My most favorite oil is non-hydrogenated coconut oil. Do some research on the web. It has been touted to protect from dementia and to help the body heal itself from many diseases. It has a very long shelf life and is stable at high temperatures so it, and palm oil, are good to use to fry foods. I know people from other countries that take at least a tsp or two a day of coconut oil to help with digestion.

I would also not be without honey. I think I may have blogged on it before, but it has many uses. Herbal teas are also good to have and remember you can get more than one cup of tea from a tea bag. Both honey and tea will keep for nigh onto forever if stored properly.

Another thing you may not think of storing is vinegar. There are all kinds and if you do some research on this as well you will want to store more than one kind. I have apple cider with the mother, not only because I like it, but it has medicinal uses and a white vinegar-soaked rag placed over your mouth and nose can protect you from sprays. (Again, use a search engine if you want more information.)

I always watch for sales and clearances to score a good deal and I buy a little extra each shopping trip.

HUP