Store or Starve A beginner’s guide to food storage

For anyone who knows me, you know how I feel about food. Heck, I was just accused last week of only talking about food on Facebook! Food is life. You need money to purchase or grow food but ultimately, it’s food (and water) that will get you through any life altering situation. Can’t pay your mortgage? While you are waiting for the sheriffs to come knocking on your door to kick you out (which can take as much as 2 years or more) at least you’ll be able to eat. Don’t have electricity? If you have a bbq grill of any kind, you can cook. Store what you eat, eat what you store. Don’t go by what “the experts” say. You don’t need fancy, prepackaged (and expensive) ready made 1 year food storage! If you have that now (or can afford the initial outlay of money and don’t mind eating it eventually) then go for it. But start now! When you go shopping, buy two or three of an item instead of one. Do this each time you go grocery shopping, in no time you will have a few months of food storage with even one bead of sweat on your brow.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/shirtz/shirtz20.1.html?ref=nf

New Kitchen Gadgets

I rarely shop at Orchard Supply Hardware but since they recently closed the closest Ace Hardware (and there are no other hardwares in my area of town) I decided to go across town.  Boy, am I happy I did!  Not only do they have organic potting soil but a few herbs I have not seen at any other local store (I bought rue, Stevia, and Clary Sage plants).  But what I am excited about is kitchen gadgets!

 

This is similar to the nut chopper I have been using.

 

 

It was my granmother's but after its last use, I had to pick teeth out of the walnuts.  So, I'm walking through Orchard Supply and look at what I find:

 

http://progressiveintl.com/index.php/details/nut_chopper

 

 

Then I started actually paying attention to what was on the shelves.  I was impressed with the manual kitchen aids they were selling.  This is going to be my next purchase, since I haven't had one of these since I lived with my grandma:

 

http://progressiveintl.com/index.php/details/egg_beater

 

 

Here's the company's website.  http://progressiveintl.com/  Check out what they make and where you can purchase, though I just noticed that Orchard Supply Hardware isn't listed (but Sears is).  I'm excited, though my husband may not be when he sees the list I'm making up!

 

Brenda

Beginning Gold Panning - Sorta

Last year, I decided it was time for me to get into gold panning. The last time I had done it was when my grandfather took me when I was about 8 years old. That was too many moons ago, so I thought I had remembered a lot more than I had!

I ordered my supplies from Digg It Prospecting Supply, LLC and William McNall was so helpful! He walked me through what I might need and how to use it. As helpful as he was, it took me (and a STRONG magnifying glass) for me to FINALLY figure out what real gold looked like!

But first, I placed my order. I ordered 2 12-inch Keene Super pans, a snuffer bottle, 2 1/2-ounce glass vials, and a 1/2-inch JOBE Stainless Steel Classifier. I had plenty of buckets, shovels, picks (yes, I even had a small hand pick, though I forgot to take this with me on my first foray to "the wilds") so I thought I was set. I never knew this was only the beginning!

Well, my husband, son, dog and I headed for the hills! We found a secluded spot next to a creek, I grabbed all my tools (well, the ones I remembered to bring) and slid ... I mean walked down to the creek. I found the spot that I thought was calling to me and I started digging. I put the dirt in the classifier that I had put on top of my bucket. Well, if I had found huge nuggets of gold, this would have been a fantastic idea but that's not what happened. It was messy and I couldn't be sure everything not going through didn't have gold stuck to it, so I removed the classifier and just filled up the bucket. Once my bucket was full, that's when the fun began.

I sat down and slowly tossed the rocks and debris back into the water. When I finished with that, I was left with small pebbles and sand. Can you guess this wasn't the bucket I would find a huge nugget? By this time, I had whittled my haul down to about half the bucket. I was tired, the dog was driving me crazy (turns out our "hunting dog" doesn't like water nor firearms so he was whining WAY too much) so I packed it up and brought it home with me.

This is when the fun truly began. In my back yard, my setup was grand! I had a large Tupperware tub filled with water on our patio table. I put one or two garden trowels worth of pebbles into the pan and started truly "gold panning". That's when I realized I really didn't know what the heck I was doing! That's when I found this video:

Gold Panning made easy. 40 + years experience

Thanks to this video, I started actually doing it right. Then I saw it. I just knew it was gold. I searched the web, trying to find a definitive way to tell if what I found was gold or not. Between all the different links I found, this one helped the most:

Gold vs. Iron Pyrite

Basically, iron pyrite (fool's gold) actually "reflects" the sun or light source. Once you move it into the shade, it just looks like a rock or dirt. The other thing is you can "break" iron pyrite when you press on it. And the last thing? When you look at it really closely, iron pyrite is really jagged around the edges. So, did I find gold? Eventually. Out of the entire 5-gallon bucket, I got this much gold flake (what is gold flake? That's what you find in sand. No nuggets for me this time!). Was it worth it? YES! It was frustrating and exciting and just so much fun (of course, I think my husband would only agree with my assessment if I HAD found a huge 5 pound chunk-o-gold):

Super-Simple, Super-Spicy Mongolian Beef

The next recipe in the rotation is Super-Simple, Super-Spicy Mongolian Beef.  I can't wait to try this recipe, since we just LOVE it so much that's usually what we order at our favorite restaurant!

 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/super-simple-super-spicy-mongolian-beef/Detail.aspx

Panko Asparagus Fries

Leave out the breadcrumbs and this dish is perfect!

Panko Asparagus Fries
http://blog.cascadianfarm.com/

Go California!

Red tape in California
Beware of the yogurt
The authorities save Californians from a phantom menace

http://www.economist.com/node/18712862?story_id=18712862

Multi-Flour Bread

I'm experimenting with lower carbohydrate foods to replace the foods I love. I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes earlier this year and though my blood sugars are now normal (and I'm off all meds), I'm still working on my way of eating. I first went hard core Atkins. Between that and the medicines I was on, my blood sugars went too low. So, away went the medicines and my blood sugars have been steadily within normal ranges for 2 months now. I love how I feel not eating many of the foods I was relying on before but I miss many of them. Like bread. I LOVE bread! Especially home made bread! So, I'm experimenting with different flours and here's what I came up with. The result is a bread that tastes like bread (not cardboard)!

The nutritional breakdown of a slice of whole wheat bread is:

Calories: 128
Carbohydrates: 24 g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Protein: 4g

The nutritional breakdown of a slice of my Multi-Flour Bread is:

Calories: 177
Carbohydrates: 18.7g
Dietary Fiber: 5.7g
Protein: 7.1g

Try it and let me know what you think!

http://caloriecount.about.com/multi-flour-bread-recipe-r660615

Multi-Flour Bread Recipe

Makes 16 servings

This is a lower carb, higher protein bread that actually tastes like bread!

Ingredients

1	cup flax meal
1	cup Coconut Flour
1	cup almond meal
1 1/2	cups all purpose flour
1	scoop protein powder
2 1/2	tablespoons sugar
2	teaspoons salt
2	tablespoons butter
1	tablespoon yeast
1	cup warm water

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix 1/4 cup warm water with the yeast. Let sit until dissolved.
   
   
2. Add the rest of the water (3/4 cup warm water), sugar, salt, and melted butter to the yeast mixture. Stir.
   
   
3. Now add the flax meal, coconut flour, almond meal, protein powder, and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour to the wet mixture. Mix thoroughly and slowly add more all-purpose flour as needed.
   
   
4. Place the dough on a floured counter and knead until smooth. Form into a loaf shape and place in a loaf bread pan. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   
   
5. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing.
   
   
6. Makes one loaf.
   

Fw: SAF, CalGuns Sue Over California 'Assault Weapons' Law Arrest

SAF, CALGUNS SUE OVER CALIFORNIA 'ASSAULT WEAPONS' LAW ARREST BELLEVUE, WA - The Second Amendment Foundation and Calguns Foundation have filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in California, seeking to have the state's definition of so-called "assault weapons" declared unconstitutionally vague. Joining SAF and Calguns in the lawsuit is Brendan John Richards, an Iraq combat veteran who served as a U.S. Marine, and whose arrest and six-day incarceration in the Sonoma County jail - and subsequent dismissal of all charges - was the catalyst for this legal action. Named as defendants are California Attorney General Kamala Harris, the California Department of Justice, the City of Rohnert Park and police officer Dean Becker. Richards was jailed in May 2010 after Officer Becker, investigating a disturbance at a motel where Richards was staying, learned that Richards had two pistols and a rifle, all unloaded, in the trunk of his car. Becker, arrested Richards for unlawful possession of an assault weapon. However, in September of last year, the charges were dismissed by the Sonoma County District Attorney's office, based on a report from the state Department of Justice that showed none of the guns met the state's definition of an assault weapon. "California's law allows possession of a variety of firearms that do not meet the state's assault weapons definition, which we believe is unconstitutionally vague," noted SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb. "Mr. Richards was jailed for almost a week, when he had broken no law because a police officer had a conflicting view and the District Attorney's office believed him." "California attempts to make a distinction among firearms where no natural one exists," noted Calguns Executive Director Gene Hoffman. "The generic definition of so-called assault weapons' was simply an attempt to prohibit possession of guns that look scary." Plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Don Kilmer of San Jose and Jason A. Davis of Mission Viejo. Kilmer said the case is indicative of the way things have become in California. "Now that the right to keep arms has correctly been recognized as fundamental and applicable to California," Kilmer said, "gun owners can't be faced with the practice of arrest them first and let the courts sort it out' for exercising constitutional rights. That is just how things are done in our country." The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, CT; and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers and an amicus brief and fund for the Emerson case holding the Second Amendment as an individual right.

< Please e-mail, distribute, and circulate to friends and family > Copyright © 2011 Second Amendment Foundation, All Rights Reserved. Second Amendment Foundation James Madison Building 12500 N.E. Tenth Place Bellevue, WA 98005 Voice: 425-454-7012 Toll Free: 800-426-4302 FAX: 425-451-3959 email: InformationRequest@saf.org To stop receiving these alerts, send an email to subscriptions@liberty.seanet.com with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. This email was sent to sustainablehome@survivalistssite.com. To ensure your alerts are delivered to your inbox (and not inadvertently diverted to a bulk or junk email folder by spam filters), be sure to add saf_alerts@liberty.seanet.com to your email address book or contact list.

Cauliflower "Rice"

I read about this but today decided to try it.

 

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbsidedishes/r/caulirice.htm

 

See, one of my favorite ways to eat cooked rice is to saute in butter, add salt and pepper, then put on a bowl.  Fry two eggs, place on top of rice, and scarf.

 

Well, I decided to try this cauliflower rice in place of white rice.  Well, it was o.k. 

 

If you like cauliflower, this is great stuff!  It makes cooking cauliflower much faster, and the sauteed cauliflower was just yummy!

 

Mystery Crop Damage Answered?

Remember this story?

 

http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-mystery-crop-damage,0,187535.story

 

Well, I apologize for not keeping up with this but here's the answer they came up with:

 

http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/play/1544008/fedex_plane_possibly_behind_mystery_crop_damage?wpid=7914

Navajo Fry Bread Sticks

From the Phoenix Sun newspaper when I was living there in 1991:

 

Navajo Fry Bread Sticks

 

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Milk or water

 

Mix all ingredients, adding enough milk or water to moisten.  Form into a dough, then pinch off pieces and roll into lengths.  Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees.  These are light and soft, good with stew.  Recipe also works for Navajo tortillas or fry bread.  Fry bread may be topped with honey or confectioners' sugar.  Or layer with pintos, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and green chilies for a Navajo taco.

Navajo Corn and Cheese Pudding

From the Phoenix Sun newspaper when I was living there in 1991:

 

Navajo Corn and Cheese Pudding

 

2 cups corn kernels, scraped from the cob

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

1/3 cup melted lard or shortening

2 eggs, beaten well

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 roasted green chilies, peeled, seeded and chopped

3/4 cup diced Cheddar cheese

 

In a large bowl, mix corn and milk.  Add cornmeal and lard; stir.  Add eggs and baking powder and stir.  Add eggs and baking powder and stir.  Add sugar and salt.  Mix in chilies and cheese. Pour into ungreased baking pan and bake in 400-degree oven for 45 minutes.  Serve hot.

Mutton or Lamb Stew

From the Phoenix Sun newspaper when I was living there in 1991:

 

Mutton or Lamb Stew

 

2 pounds mutton or lamb neck bones (or any cut)

6 cups water

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces

1 onion, cut into small pieces

1 stalk celery, without leaves, cut into small pieces

3 roasted green chilies, peeled, seeded and chopped

Optional: carrots, peas, squash, tomatoes, corn

Salt to taste

 

Put ingredients in a heavy pot and bring to a boil.  Simmer 1 1/2 hours or until done.  Salt to taste.

Navajo-Irish Stew

From the Phoenix Sun newspaper when I was living there in 1991:

 

Navajo-Irish Stew

 

2 pounds stew beef in 1-inch cubes

Vegetable Oil

1 quart water

1 package dry onion-soup mix

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Dash of garlic powder

3 zucchini, cut into large chunks

1 onion, cut into chunks

2 fresh unpeeled tomatoes, cut into chunks

4 pattypan squash, cut into chunks

3 potatoes, cut into chunks

1 cup string beans

4 or 5 ears of fresh corn, cut into sections

 

Brown beef in vegetable oil.  Add a small amount of flour to the pan, then water.  Add soup mix, dried herbs, garlic powder and vegetables.  Bring to a boil and simmer 3 to 4 hours.

 

Makes 8 servings.