Why we need to do all we can to be prepared!

This right here is why we need to do all we can, every day, to be as prepared as possible!

https://twitter.com/thesurvivalmom/status/219090465734144002

Great Depression Cooking

96 years old and she has her own youtube channel... WOW!  I'm totally craving homemade spaghetti now!  LOL!  I think I would get along with her great!  :-)  Just the right amount of spunk in that ol gal!  Gotta love it!

Season 3, Week 8: Spider Mites Suck

Wow!  Sorry guys!  :-(

Shelf Reliance: Ernst & Young Finalist 2012

Way to go guys!  :-)

Food Storage Made Easy turns 4 years old!

Food Storage Made Easy turns 4 years old!  

When I saw this post from my friends at Food Storage Made Easy . net , I just had to post here on my own blog about it!  :-)  Jodie & Julie are awesome and seem to have an answer for practicality anything even remotely connected to preparedness & food storage.  They're some of the first people I turn to for information and ideas for this blog and for ways to get prepared for pretty much anything.  :-)

Check them out at: foodstoragemadeeasy.net!

Survival Survey: Things you can never have enough of…

Another great one from Lisa Bedford at thesurvivalmom.com.  I know it probably seems like all I do is get stuff from her blog, but hey, the lady's that good and I love how simply she puts things.  Common sense when there really isn't much of that left in the world today.  :-)

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I’ve been looking over our emergency supplies and realized that we need more batteries. A lot more. The thought occurred to me, is it possible to have too many batteries? What else should I stock up on, regardless of how much or how many I already have?

Here is a short list I compiled off the top of my head:

• Black Sharpies
• Scissors
• Pocket knives
• Flashlights
• Bars of soap
• Matches
• Toilet paper

I’m sure there’s a lot more that falls in the category of, you-can-never-have-too-much. What would you add?

Sailing with Thrive!

Just got this in an email from my company & I thought I'd share it... :-)

Matt Rutherford just became the first person to ever solo circumnavigate the Americas without ever stopping at a port, and he did it eating almost nothing but THRIVE. We donated a year’s supply of THRIVE to him for his voyage, which required foods with an extended shelf life that would keep him healthy over almost a year at sea. He loved how easy it was to make hearty soups and stews with our meats and vegetables, especially the Chopped Chicken, Broccoli, Sweet Corn, and Ground Beef. “Having the food freeze dried and ready to go, with the meats already cooked and the fruits and veggies all chopped up, cut my meal prep time at least in half,” he told us. He also loved to snack on THRIVE foods like Sausage Crumbles, Apple Chips, and Mangoes right out of the can. Learn all about Matt Rutherford’s amazing journey on our blog, and shop his favorite foods below to make THRIVE part of your success story!

Shelf reliance official blog:

http://www.shelfreliance.com/blog/index.php/2012/05/24/americas-thrive-interview-matt-rutherford/

A useful tweet!

Pays to check the twitter feed every so often I guess! Lol! https://twitter.com/thesurvivalmom/status/216649513149018112

Fantastico!

Check this out!  :-)

Shelf Reliance is now in español! :-)

Now in español!  :-)

4 Creative Things To Do With Freeze-Dried Food

Another great installment from Lisa Bedford!  Thanks Lisa!  :-)

4 Creative Things To Do With Freeze-Dried Food

(That you may not have thought of.)

Have you been stocking up on freeze-dried and/or dehydrated food?  They're great products for food storage, and I have plenty myself.  If you're planning on hoarding them for the zombie apocalypse, though, you may want to reconsider.  These foods are excellent to use right now because they are picked at just the right moment before they are dried and retain that fresh flavor and nearly all their original nutrients.

1.  Use them in canning recipes! 

Why not?  Whenever a canning recipe calls for fruit, refer to the label on the dried food to figure the equivalent to fresh.  Get ready for super-fresh flavors in your recipes and without having to clean, peel, cut, and slice fresh fruit.

2.  Use them to make fruit leather!

This is even easier than canning because it only requires that you rehydrate the dried fruit with water or fruit juice to make a thick paste that can be spread onto fruit leather trays or parchment paper.  Try mixing flavors together for new taste bud treats: mango/strawberry, apple/raspberry.  Yummm!  Fruit leather can be rolled up and stored in canning jars with an oxygen absorber for longer shelf life.

3.  Make homemade, customized snack mixes!

Are you as tired of "gorp" as I am?  The old peanut, raisin, and M&M mixture has seen better days!  Instead, take 2 or 3 or 4 varieties of freeze dried produce, combine them with dry cereals, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, and nuts for something new.  We get a completely new mixture every time we try this because we just use whatever is in the pantry.  Our snack mixes get rave reviews whenever we take them to parties, and they're even better for road trips, camping, and other away-from-home activities.

4.  Create your own dehydrated, Mountain House-style meals!

Store-bought dehydrated/freeze-dried meals can be very expensive. They also contain ingredients you may not want to consume, such as high levels of sodium. It's quite easy to create your own meals using familiar recipes and then packaging them in either Food Saver vacuum-packed bags, canning jars with oxygen absorbers, or just zip-loc bags, if you'll be using them within a few weeks.  Check out this download and articles here and here.

Til next time,

Lisa Bedford,

The Survival Mom

Survival Mom, How to Prepare Your Family for Everyday Disasters & Worst Case Scenarios -- available online and in bookstores! 

The Armchair Survivalist Radio Show!

The Armchair Survivalist Radio Show!

Check it out everybody!  An awesome show with a lot of common sense information.  :-)  I listen to it with my husband every Sunday afternoon!

June 22, Utah "Dump Fire" Due to Careless Shooting

You know it's sad that anyone has to put a warning with this.  You'd think that this kind of result would discourage other people from being stupid and causing another one, but sadly I hear that this is like the 20th one of these this year.  Sad.  Some people never learn and so the rest of humanity pays the price.

You know you're a prepper in training when...

I thought I'd share a few of the seemingly random preparedness oriented ideas running around in my little brain.... Heck, we can all use a laugh right, especially on the weekend right? Here we go!

You know you're a prepper (sp?) in training when....

1. You're putting away the groceries and you actually keep the cardboard inserts because you could probably find a good use for them later.

2. Your favorite section of the local wal-mart (after the clothing section for your particular gender of course) is now the camping/sporting goods section because of all the preparedness goodies there for cheap!

3. You roam clearance isles to see if they have anything good for your 72 hour kits (I've soooo done that!).

More to come as I think of them! ;-)

Bucket Packing with Wendy Mae - Part 2

I have so got to get a foodsaver!  :-)  Seems so simple!

Bucket Packing with Wendy Mae - Part 1

A pretty simple way to store food.  :-)  I'm all about keeping it simple because, let's face it, who is really going to follow a plan with like 50 steps to it when you can accomplish the same goal in 10 or less steps?  The way I figure it, life is complicated enough without purposely making it harder on yourself.  LOL!  :-)

Survival Mom Book Review: The Doom and Bloom Survival Medic

Some really great information here.  Like my husband is always saying, you've got to do your research ahead of time.  :-)  See honey, I do listen to you.  LOL!  ;-)

Shelf Reliance: THRIVE LIVE June 20, 2012

All sorts of yummy summer treats!  You might have to turn up the volume though.  I guess they forgot the mics.  :-)

Hyperinflation is a Worst Case Scenario

Check out Lisa's youtube channel too!  Loads of back episodes and great information!  :-)

The 80/20 Rule & Your Survival

Thanks Lisa!  Awesome info!  :-)  I bet we'd all be surprised how many things in our lives the 80/20 rule applies to.  :-)  I thought I'd also dig up some helpful links for you in case anyone wanted to do a bit of digging today.  :-)

Kurt Wilson's site -  http://www.armchairsurvivalist.com/  --- Kurt's weekend show is always full of great information.  Kurt is on live each Sunday afternoon.

And last, but not least, there's my consultant website for Shelf Reliance (had to plug it in here somewhere didn't I? LOL!)  --http://lizcorbett.shelfreliance.com/LizCorbett

Container Gardening Season 3 - Week 7: Dill Disaster & Cucumber Catastrophe

Don't think I'll tell them how well my seedlings are doing after seeing this... LOL!  Looks like at least a few of their seedlings did ok... the cilantro & basil anyway.  My cucumbers are doing very well on the other hand and I even managed to get some strawberries and watermelon too!  Sooo looking forward to the watermelon!   :-)

Great link! :-)

Check this out!

http://www.backdoorsurvival.com/index.php/2012/06/19/healing-herbs-you-can-grow/

Thanks to Lisa @ thesurvivalmom.com for posting this link in a recent tweet!  :-)

I'd have to forgo the lavender though because it gives me terrible migraines and I mean terrible ones!  Definitely do not want to go there ever again.  :-)

There is even directions on how to make herbal tea.... pretty useful information!  :-)  Here's how you do it (according to this cool site)  ....

To make an herbal tea, first bring some cool water to a boil.  While waiting for the water to boil, fetch a non-mental container that will be used to brew the tea.  A quart mason jar works nicely or this purpose.  You do not want to use a metal container since the metal may interfere with the purity and taste of the tea.

Add 2 tablespoons of fresh (or 1 tablespoon of dried herb or crushed seed) to the empty pot or jar for each cup of water.  Then, and this is the important part, add an extra 2 tablespoons of fresh (or 1 tablespoon of dried) herbs “for the pot.”  So, for example, if you are making 2 cups of hot tea, you would use 6 tablespoons of fresh herbs or 3 tablespoons of dried herbs.

Pour the boiling water over the herbs and let them steep, covered, for about 5 minutes give or take.  There is no  exact time since everyone’s strength preference is difference.  When ready, strain the herbs and pour the tea into a cup.  At this point you may want to garnish your heavenly – and healing – cup of tea with honey, citrus fruits or addition herb springs.

For iced tea, increase the quantity of herbs in the basic recipe by 1 1/2 to allow for dilution from the melting ice.

http://www.backdoorsurvival.com/

More really great information! :-)

I've been looking around at some of my favorite sites and blogs and I found some really great information for you.  :-)

Here's some from Lisa at thesurvivalmom.com.....

http://thesurvivalmom.com/2012/06/18/instant-survival-tip-know-your-ip-addresses/

And here's a post from Lisa that I thought was so cool that I thought I'd post it here too.... Hope that's ok Lisa.... I am so going to check out the IPhone ones!

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Canning and gardening have become so popular that the phone app business has taken notice.  If you have a smart phone, some great apps are just a click away.  These apps can give you canning tips, your altitude (important to know when you’re canning), planning and maintaining a productive garden, and there’s even an app for beekeepers!

Here are just a few apps that I came across that I thought looked like winners.

Android apps

Get Altitude

Altitude Free

How to Can (Mother Earth News)

Garden Guide (Mother Earth News)

Landscape & Garden Calculators

Harvest Landscape Calculator

Beekeeper Hub (I know it’s not about canning but I thought it was pretty cool info!)

iPhone apps

The Gardening Guide (Mother Earth News)

Gardening Tool Kit

Garden Plan Pro

Landscaper’s Companion

Harvest Landscape Calculator

How to Can (Mother’s Earth News)

My Altitude

…and here’s a list of 10 other gardening apps for the iPhone, and here’s 10 more!

Increase the productivity of  your garden

Better Homes & Garden Plan-a-Garden

Plangarden

21 Things to Look For Every Time You Go 

To a Yard Sale or Thrift Store

By Lisa at thesurvivalmom.com

1. Sterling silver flatware — Even if you can only afford to buy a spoon or a fork at a time, sterling silver is known to haveantimicrobial properties. Some people believe that simply using silver flatware as everyday eating utensils can ward off harmful microbes.  Typically, a single piece of silver, such as a spoon, will run about $50.  Buy from reputable sellers, such as established estate sale agents and thrift stores.
2. Survival related reference books — Peruse Amazon lists such as this oneand become familiar with titles, authors, and subject areas.  Books abouthomesteading, gardening skills, primitive camping, wilderness survival, and so much more are very often found for just a couple of dollars, or less.  Other books to look for: Boy Scout manuals, Foxfire books, and issues ofBackwoods Home magazines and anthologies.
3. Grain mill — A good mill can run upwards of $300 and more, but it’s not uncommon to find them in yard sales and thrift stores.  Familiarize yourself with good brand names, ask to test the mill with actual wheat (if possible), but otherwise, I’ve found mills in very good condition for less than $50.
4. Camping equipment — Good quality tents, sleeping bags, camp stoves, lanterns, cots, etc. are often sold at very low prices by people who thought camping was a great idea, tried it once or twice, and decided to stick with hotels!  Their loss is your gain!
5. Good quality knives — Look for brand names such as K-Bar,  Cold Steel, and Gerber and know how to spot quality.  A Swiss Army Knife is also a good find.
6. Homeschooling supplies — In a crisis, you may end up being your children’s teacher.  Workbooks, classic literature, flash cards, math manipulatives, textbooks, and even school supplies are very often for sale by homeschoolers who are moving up a grade or have decided to liquidate their stockpile of school supplies.
7. Winter wear — I once picked up a super heavy duty men’s winter coat for ten dollars.  I was thrilled because it looks like it’s never been worn and came in a dry cleaner’s bag.  Look for snow boots, winter gloves, and other pieces of winter wear, and if you have kids, buy this clothing in a size or two larger for future winters.
8. Boots — Work boots, riding boots, gardening boots, mucking boots, military boots, motorcycle boots, cowboy boots, hiking boots, desert boots — who knew there were so many different kinds of boots?  Check for quality construction and material as well as wear and tear.  When it comes to taking care of your feet, always go for quality.
9. Tools — There’s just something about old tools from the 40′s and 50′s that beats the heck out of today’s “Made in China” label.  Some sellers are savvy to the higher quality of their tools and may ask a bit more, but in the long run, it will be worth it.
10. Battery-operated appliances — I get a lot of questions about survival following an EMP or long-term power outage.  If you find battery powered fans, important appliances, and other tools, buy them, just to be ready for a power-down scenario.  Be sure to stock up on the appropriate batteries as well.
11. Food dehydrator — No need to be a snob about this.  I still use the inexpensive American Harvest dehydrator I bought a few years ago on Craigslist.  I spent $30 and got extra trays, fruit leather trays, and even a couple of screen trays.
12. Fishing equipment — I’ve seen top-quality fishing poles, nets, enormous collections of flies, rods, reels, you name it.  If part of your survival plan is to go fishing for food, estate and yard sales are prime sources for supplies.
13. Emergency supplies — I’ve picked up emergency radios, lanterns, backpacks, water purification tablets, and paracord.  Most of what I have in my Vehicle Emergency Kit was found at these sales.  By the way, here’s a tip: often the best survival related supplies will be found out in the garage, if you’re attending an estate sale.
14. Tough kids clothing — Believe it or not, when my son was quite young, I discovered that Gymboree made the toughest jeans on the market.  I don’t believe he ever wore a hole through the knees of his Gymboree jeans.  Kids are notoriously tough on clothes, so when you’re looking at second hand clothing, go for brands and fabrics that will stand up to serious wear and tear.  Buy them in larger sizes, so you’ll be ready for growth spurts.
15. Canning jars and supplies — Look for Ball brand jars in all sizes.  You can always buy the lids and rims at a grocery store or on Amazon.  Also look for things like a magnetic lid lifter, funnel, jar tongs, and large pots.  It would be a good idea to know prices of new canning supplies.  Once I was at an estate sale, found a nice large water bath canning pot, but when I checked the price on Amazon, the yard sale price was higher!
16. Manual kitchen and household tools — Do you have a manual egg beater?  A flour sifter?  Enough manual can openers?  A manual meat grinder?  I’ve seen all of these and more at estate and yard sales.  During a long-term power outage, you’ll be glad to have them!
17. Cast iron cookware — Guess where I picked up my two best cast iron skillets?  Yep, at garage sales!
18. Cookbooks — Specifically look for cookbooks that provide recipes for outdoor cooking, canning, Dutch oven cooking, and cooking with basic ingredients.
19. Good quality gardening tools and supplies — Often, in urban and suburban settings, gardening is a fad that comes and goes.  You will likely find everything you need for your garden just by shopping yard sales and Goodwill.
20. First aid and medical supplies — Boxes of surgical gloves, bandages, butterfly strips, surgical scissors, sterile gauze and entire well-equipped first aid kits are sold at bargain prices.  Once I even saw an old Army first aid kit with a snake-bite kit and ammonia inhalants, circa 1955!  I prefer estate sales, and very often, the owner of the home was taken care of by a visiting nurse service.  I’ve found massive amounts of medical supplies in just these types of sales.  Don’t worry, I didn’t buy everything!  I left some for you!
21. Hunting supplies and firearms — In some yard/garage sales, you just might get lucky and spot hunting rifles and even handguns for sale.  If you see lots of hunting related items, quietly ask the homeowner if he/she also has firearms for sale.  There are plenty of other hunting supplies out there, though, including gun cleaning kits and decoys.  If you hit the right yard sale, you might feel like you’re in Cabela’s!                                                                                                     -- Lisa

How to Grow Carrots in Containers

I so want to plant some carrots after watching this one!  :-)

Build your disaster supply kit! :-)

Got some great info from my good friend and unofficial mentor, Becky Powell (Awesome lady & SR super consultant)  that I thought I should share.  :-)  I'm sure the list can be tailored to fit your particular area pretty easily.  :-)

Disaster supply kit by KHOU

Here's what you need to have on hand if a hurricane comes our way (Becky's from the Houston, Texas area). Some items will be in short supply in the days before landfall, so it's best to stock up in advance. 

Water - at least 1 gallon daily per person for 3 to 7 days; Also fill bathtub and other containers; Gator Aid is also good to fend off dehydration

Food - at least enough for 3 to 7 days
—non-perishable packaged or canned food / juices
—foods for infants or the elderly
—snack foods
—non-electric can opener
—cooking tools / fuel
—paper plates / plastic utensils

Bedding - Blankets / Pillows, etc.

Clothing - seasonal / rain gear/ sturdy shoes

First Aid Kit / Medicines / Prescription Drugs

Special Items - for babies and the elderly

Toiletries / Hygiene items / Moisture wipes 

Flashlight / Batteries / Lantern

Radio - Battery operated and NOAA weather radio

Telephones - Fully charged cell phone with extra battery and a traditional (not cordless) telephone set

Cash (with some small bills) and Credit Cards - Banks and ATMs may not be available for extended periods

Important documents - in a waterproof container or watertight resealable plastic bag
—insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc.

Tools - keep a set with you during the storm

Gas - Vehicle fuel tanks filled several days before landfall is expected

Pet care items—proper identification / immunization records / medications
—ample supply of food and water
—a carrier or cage
—muzzle and leash

Bleach (without lemon or any other additives)
Fire extinguisher
Mosquito repellent
Keys
Toys, Books and Games
Duct tape

Read more: http://www.thetexastrainer.com/#ixzz1xVsp8DOX

Survival Gardening in Containers

Man!  I wish I'd seen this one BEFORE I started planting!  LOL!  :-)

Off-Grid Self-Watering Container Garden Change & Recommendations

That reminds me that I need a tomato cage, though mine aren't overachievers like his are.  LOL!  :-)

How To Make a 72 Hour Kit

Wow!  You can make a 72 hour kit out of just about anything!  Pretty creative!  Thanks to Jodi & Julie at foodstoragemadeeasy.net!  :-)

Shelf Reliance: Streusel-Style Peach Cobbler

Looks so yummy!  :-)  Would totally ruin my diet (if I was on one), but I so don't care!  ;-)

How to start seeds in pots

Just in time!  got some seeds to plant myself.  :-)