Do you have yeast?

I had an entire post written up, but it was too. aarghhh. I am so sick of hearing about the virus, I am tired of hearing people argue if it is or isn't as bad as influenza. Nobody can seem to talk about anything else.

So my question was. Do you have yeast? Um.. what do you mean? I mean, if you can't get bread at the grocery, you have to make it; and you need yeast to make bread. So do you have yeast? What kind?  There's a couple to choose from: commercial yeast (Red Star, Fleichman's, SAF) and sour dough starter.

Commercial Yeast

 Each one gives you the same general result.  A loaf of bread. Usually the commercial yeasts will almost always give you a great rise, fine crumb, and a way to make a sandwich. BUT if it is too old, or has not been stored correctly then it's not so good. Nobody likes ending up with a brick after using 3 to 15 cups of flour, plus sugar, fat, and the precious yeast to find out that it didn't work.

Commercial yeast is finicky. Store it too hot and it dies. Store it in the freezer and it lives. Make your bread with too hot of water or milk, kill your yeast. Use warm to cool water, yeast is happy. Too much salt will retard (prevent yeast from growing), too little and the yeast will over proof (rise) and your bread will be loose and crumbly.

Sour Dough

Sour Dough is what some of us bakers call perpetual yeast. It is easy to make, and you don't have to buy it. Yes you can find sour dough starters on ebay and etsy, craiglist and most likely facebook too. You can also make it yourself.
It can be finicky like commercial yeast, but once you have it going, it is a powerhouse. Again, you have to treat it right.

About day 7

I started this sour dough starter in February. I all of a sudden decided I needed a new challenge. I guess dealing with my second kid getting married and kiddos #4 & #5 saying they are getting married this year too! Dealing with health issues (don't go down the three steps in the garage incorrectly!) and trying to make sure everyone is getting the love and attention they need and want. Plus working on a quilt, and just feeling overwhelmed. So yes, let's start a new challenge!

No pressure. So I follow The Prairie Homesteader, and so I learned from her. I have made starter before, but that was before .. That was before our new normal.  So I needed a refresher course.  I followed her directions and made my starter. As you can see, it came out great.

 

I forgot to take pictures of each day, but if you look closely at the picture you can see tiny bubbles. It took about 7 days, and I made some yummy sour dough pancakes. I waited until day 14 until I attempted my first sour dough loaf. It .. worked.. but it was pale, and bland, and heavy and tight crumb. Nothing like I was expecting. I wanted big holes, I wanted it to be crispy on the outside and fluffy yummy on the inside. It was not. So I kept feeding my starter and using the discard for muffins and pancakes.

About day 14

I patiently kept feeding it and using the discard, giving discard away to a good friend. And now look at it. Look at those amazing bubbles. I found a recipe for sourdough bread. It is more labor intensive, it is worth it though. I also was educated by
amyinthekitchen.com about why my first attempt didn't work. I didn't do a float test. You can find this information on the website, and it isalso where I found the recipes I am working with right now to make sour dough bread. I already have a sour dough pancake recipe I like.

 And finding the recipe I liked a lot was on her other page, Little Spoon Farm. 
I tried making her recipe for "Beginner's Sour Dough Bread", and let me tell you.. It is yummy. It was more work than I was expecting, but it is worth it.

This picture of that recipe; it makes two LARGE loaves, and I think if I make that one again I will cut the dough into fourths, not just in half. Because the loaves were so big that it is too wide to cut easily. Yes I can remedy this by cutting across the loaf, and then putting the cut edge down and make half slices, but I didn't want to do that.
These loaves are BEAUTIFUL! And I made them!

 Isn't it pretty? Look how wide it is!  It is 8 inches, or a little more wide! This one I did the classic triple slash with the razor blade.

I will warn you, you need a brand new razor blade, the kind you put in a box knife, to make the slashes in the dough. I tried with a sharp kitchen knife and it just didn't slice through as good as a thin razor blade. I may even try using one of those double edge razors you get for old Gillette razors.

 This one with the weird face, I tried to get fancy with the razor blade, and when it was done baking, it looked a lot different! But wow did scoring the loaves with the razor blade help it rise better. I know it doesn't make sense, but it works. MY little one said the wavy slash was a snake, what you can't see is on the one end of that slash is looks like a little forked tongue coming out.

 Now look at how tall they are! 4 inches!  Holy cow!  And they are a little different in height because I used different size bowls to proof them in. They weighed exactly the same.


This bread is delicious. It does not have a strong sour dough flavor, which is good because two of my kids do not like the taste, but they are getting better with it. I am educating their palates.

I am so thankful for these two ladies who helped me to grow. I love learning, I love cooking, I love baking. I just hate cleaning up (just being honest). I am currently working on another recipe from Little Spoon Farm, her Sourdough Country Loaf Bread. This recipe only makes one loaf, but it was so easy now that I understand what I am doing, and so quick for me. The beginner's loaf seemed hard at first because it was the first time I was making the recipe. But next time I make the beginner's bread recipe I will cut it into four, and give it away along with some starter and the website so they can start this amazing journey.   

November and December Challenge: Dec 24 - 31

 #LightTheWorld

Tomorrow is the celebration of the birth of our Savior and Lord. Having had several children, maybe as many as Mother Mary. I marvel at what women went through in those days. For some childbirth is easy, for others is it not. Medical interventions and such today, do not guarantee a good pregnancy outcome. People do not realize that the risk of losing mother and or baby is still great in this day and age. Can you imagine giving birth in a stable or barn? With vermin in the animal's bedding? No running water? Having to shove rags between your legs to deal with the lovely bleeding that happens for a minimum of a week after birth? Although I have given birth in multiple places: hospital, midwife's office and at home.  I will tell you our best experiences were at the midwife's office and at home, it was so relaxing, calm, and I could focus on what I was doing instead of wondering who the next stranger was going to be to come and look between my legs.

Can you imagine walking as far as Mary walked? It wasn't just to the mail box. It was very far, and she was 40 weeks along!  I can feel and hear those pelvic bones moving, grinding, popping with every step. I know the pressure of that baby on my back, my bladder, kicking my diaphragm so I can't breath.  Can you imagine what she went through just before she was to give birth?! It is amazing.

This is what our ancestors went through as well. Whether they were traveling on purpose or because they were running for their lives. Many women have given birth along the trail, and many of those women and babies were also buried along that trail.

I am thankful that Mary and Joseph listened to the angels, I am thankful that Jesus is the Christ and that he has given us the ultimate gift. I am thankful for this gift so we can again see our sweet family members that have passed and especially see my sweet Saralyn again. I hope you remember what Christmas is about, and are able to feel the sweet spirit it brings.

This is it folks. The last week of this challenge. Were you able to do it? Can you believes it's already the last week of the year?! It has been another trying year, full of love, pain, life and unfortunately death.
New things this year: we got more of the yard done; went fishing on several rivers and cooked water's edge; we had our family reunion; went camping; figured out a major food sensitivity; welcomed home our missionary; preparing for the marriage of another of our children; and welcomed more pets into the home.

This is the week of cans to meet our goal of filling our pantry/larder.
#54: Can of pears
#55: Spaghetti Sauce
#56: Baked Beans
#57: Evaporated milk or Coconut milk
#58: Re-fried Beans
#59: Spaghetti Sauce
#60: Applesauce
#61: Soup of choice

 We welcome the new year in soon and with that we will have many new adventures.

November and December Challenge: Dec 1 - 7

OH MY HECK IT'S DECEMBER!!!!

I can not believe how fast this year has gone by! It has flown, and there are parts of it I wish we could spend more time in. We had a fabulous family reunion that was just amazing. We went camping, lots of fishing, learned how to cook fish very well. Learned how to heat smoke foods. New opportunities for adventure.. It has been fun, hard, exciting, and worth it.

What did you do with your turkey bones? As my hubby was carving the turkey, he put the bones into a crock-pot (WITHOUT being asked) then put in the baggie of veggies scraps from the freezer. Then he added a tablespoon of salt, covered the bones with water and set the crock pot on low. Again, I didn't ask him, I didn't let him know I was going to do this at any time. He just did it. I love my husband.

We ended up cooking this bone broth for 48 hours! It came out so yummy. So next we strained it and put it into jars to cool.
We are starting our December challenge with some different items. Now please remember, if you or your family do not eat something, do not buy it! Get something your family will eat. I use evaporated milk for making pumpkin pies, caramel and bread. We use peanut butter, tahini, and almond butter in our home. Chicken viennas my kids will eat out of the can after they are rinsed. I have also used a fork and mashed them on a plate (like a banana) then put them in our spaghetti sauce. For the ready to eat soups, grab the flavors you know your family will enjoy, my flavors are only suggestions.

#31: Evaporated Milk
#32: Nut Butter (peanut or almond or sesame whatever kind you can have)
#33: Can of Pineapple
#34: Can of Navy Beans
#35: Chicken Vienna Sausages
#36: Potato Soup (ready to eat)
#37: Can of sirloin burger with country vegetables soup

What is something you can think of to add to the list?

It's that time of year again...

So this is the time of year when baking items go on sale. Mostly nuts, sugar and flour, and sometimes if we get lucky spices.

I am not sure why there is such a baking boom in November and December, I mean we eat year around. But there is, and so we must stock up on what is on sale, when it is on sale.

What do you stock up on for baking during this time of year?
Flour
Sugar
Brown sugar
Chocolate Chips
nuts
cinnamon
nutmeg
cloves
allspice

Plus, I just picked up 100 pounds of gourds to can. Why? We use gourds (pumpkin, banana squash, sweet meats) to make a lot of things like pie, cake, muffins, cookies, pancakes, waffles, quick bread and yeast bread. We love pumpkin! I hope we have enough. We are down to our last few jars of pumpkin from last year so we are glad we found some.

October Challenge Week 4: Oct 27-31

Yup it's a short week challenge. Why? Because I feel the November and December challenges are very important and need to be done. SO with that said, here is what I was thinking about.

It is getting down right cold outside! I woke up to 14 degrees at 6 am, and it only warmed to 26 degrees. This is not my favorite time of year. I loathe being cold, I despise the cold.

Hmm.. so what do you think this week's challenge is? Well it kind of goes with preparedness. Do you have a gas tank outside? Natural gas or propane? Is it full?  Don't have gas? Do you have a fireplace or wood stove? Do you have enough wood?

Do you have blankets in storage? Do you have blankets strewn about your living room making a fort? Do you have enough blankets when the power is out and you don't have an alternate heat source?

The challenge this week is to get your gas tanks filled if you have them AND to make sure you have enough warm blankets. This includes the tanks for your barbeque! Because when the power is out, you can still cook on your BBQ. And blankets, not baby blankets, I mean good sized ones that more than one person can be under, because combined heat is much warmer. I even throw my dogs into my blankets with humans so that everyone stays warm.

This current house does not have a real fireplace :(  It makes me sad, I love wood heat. But we do have a propane gas fireplace in the basement, so I am calling to get that big tank filled, along with my BBQ tanks, the tanks on my camper too.

As for blankets, I am picking up a few more. Honestly, you can't have too many, because winter is also cold and flu season, that means vomit, and if a blanket has that on it, you can bet it is in the washer and a replacement must be found immediately. So Yes, I am getting more blankets too.

So there you go, This week is short! Only 4 days.. but that should be enough time to get it done.

September Challenge Week 3 : Sept 15 - 21

Well, I barely made it! But I did it!

I was able to can pears, and dehydrate pears, plus I got raw honey!

Aren't they pretty? I got 38 pints of pears, plus 4 quarts of dried pears. And I got 4 quarts and half a pint of raw honey! The pear chips are perfect and I am half tempted to go get some more pears and dry another 5 trays.

This week I am working on chicken bone broth. When I picked up my honey, I also picked up 32 pounds of chicken backs. First I bake them with seasoning, then I will pull off any meat and freeze it for a casserole. Next the chicken backs, and some onion, carrots, garlic, celery, ACV and a little salt will go into either my crock pot or my pressure cooker (cp for 24 hours on low, pc 3 hours on pressure of 2). Then I will strain the broth, and pressure can it. Seems like it is harder than it really is.

What will you be canning, or dehydrating to add to your food storage this week?

September Challenge: Week 2 Sept 8 - 14

I did it, even with surprise travel, kids starting school, and doing weird things like shopping.
Week 1

36 jars of different beans AND chicken bone broth! Whew!

Now for this next week. I am hoping to can some butternut squash and pears or peaches.

How about you? What are you canning or drying this week?

SEPTEMBER CHALLENGE: Can 2 different things each week

So I am sitting in the passenger seat,  on our way to my kiddos wisdom teeth appointment. I was thinking..which is hard at 6am, and I decided a challenge must be met.

September's challenge? To can a minimum of 2 different items per week.  This won't be difficult as there is plenty to can:

apples: sauce,  pie filling, butter
pears
peaches
jams: peach jam,  pear butter, mixed fruit
chicken
beans: black,  white,  cannellini, garbanzo,  etc
broth
hamburger (yup, I like it,  so easy on a rushed night to grab a can of hamburger)
pumpkin: chunks only
beef
pork
fish (you may,  I won't be)
chili

I love canning,  all my jars filled with yummy stuff.  I have been bad with canning,  I was working,  plus grief,  depression and a nagging infection.  I have been dragging since the little guy and I were sick in December and January, now I know why. That darned nagging infection is now being dealt with,  as I didn't know I had it. No worries,  I am NOT contagious.

Do you accept the challenge? Get stuff in your jars!  What counts? Freezer jams, water bath canning and pressure canning, dehydrated fruit or veggies in a jar.

What does not count? Dry pasta in a jar,  rice in a jar,  dry beans in a jar,  store bought dried fruit in a jar.

If possible dehydrate some pears,  peaches,  apples,  bananas and fruit leather.  These are great in lunches,  just a couple pieces. And,  are pretty in a jar,  but keep them protected from light!

So there it is, the September challenge.  Who will join me? PLEASE leave a comment if you are joining in.

Cheap Heat

The following message from my friend Susan. I thought it might be good info for when the power goes out.

 Cheap Heat

"When Lark set me this simple demonstration of how to heat  a small room for about 15 cents per day, I was hooked. My engineer husband, Fred, was able to explain the rationale to me and we know that the Brits used a similar technique in their homes and apartments during WWII, but they did not have access to tea light candles, all of the same size. I realize that many tea lights are full of lead but in a desperate situation, thy could be used to my benefit. The British government told citizens to never leave their candles unattended.  Years ago the size of the candles were uneven in both height and width and were extremely precious commodities during the war. Enjoy this 3 minute demonstration of how to heat a small room for 15 cents a day:"

http://myscienceacademy.org/2013/11/16/how-to-heat-your-room-for-15-cents-a-day/

 

I am going to try it. this might take the edge off when the power is out. Any tea light will work, but you can get them in bulk at Ikea. Please remember to put it on a non heat sensitive or flammable surface,

Last year and the year before, the kids had big stones the put by the fireplace to heat up before going to bed. Those stones stayed warm until morning.. totally worth it.

STRIKES

I am not an alarmist. I am not even sure anyone has heard about any of this. BUT, there are a few possible strikes in the works.

One is grocery stores, the other is trucking.

Now one or the other isn't such a bad thing if you have food storage, and if you have full tanks of gas plus extra... BUT if you don't..

I am not sure the entire story at the moment. All I know is that several trucking companies are planning on striking or not coming to work for several days. I also know that on the news they were talking about grocery stores going on strike.

IF both happen at the same time... oh crap! Do you have gas? Do you have food? What about toilet paper? Diapers or formula for your baby (if you use those)? laundry soap?

I am not one to cross a picket line. I will not.

If trucks aren't delivering.. grocery stores only have 3 days of food, if they are not rushed. If rushed they have about 20 minutes of food. No trucks, no gas. How will you get to work?

Just some stuff to think about. I'm not sure any of it will happen. But I know the trucks are planning on not running sometime in October, and since we are now at the end of September, and I am hearing about possible strikes at some stores... looks like things could happen at the same time.

Um, we live in Western Washington...what's with the heat?

Yup it's hot here. The heat wouldn't be so bad, except that it is also very muggy. YUCK

This isn't so bad if you can handle it. But the number one killer of infants and the elderly in summer is the heat. You have to have a way to cool off, you have to stay hydrated. That said, some people don't realize they are dehydrated, and that can be dangerous. Dehydration does not happen only when it is hot outside. It can also happen in times of stress, illness, and when it's cold outside.

For babies, signs of dehydration include:
Decrease in wet diapers
Very tired baby, sleepiness
Irritability
Thirst
Sunken fontanel or soft spot
Poor latch
Not wanting to play or smile
Tongue and mouth appear dry
Sunken eyes
No tears when he cries
Vomiting

These signs can also be used for children.

Dehydration Chart

Degree of dehydration	Pretty Parched
Mood	Restless, irritable
Eyes or soft spot on head	No tears, sunken
Mouth and tongue	Dry
Thirst	Thirsty, drinks eagerly
Urination	Less frequent than normal
What to do	If your child has two or more of these signs, call your pediatrician, give liquids or an electrolyte solution.

Degree of dehydration	Dangerously Dehydrated
Mood	Lethargic or not conscious
Eyes or soft spot on head	Very sunken and dry, no tears
Mouth and Tongue	Very dry
Thirst	Drinks infrequently or unable to drink
Urination	Minimal or none
What to do	If your child has any of these signs, call 911.

Breastfed infants should continue to breast feed. Do not give carbonated, high sugar beverages or dairy products when dehydrated or the child has diarrhea, as this can make it worse.

Treatment Based on Degree of Dehydration Chart

Degree of dehydration	Minimal or no dehydration
Rehydration Therapy	Just replacement of losses
Replacement of losses	Children under 22 lbs (10 kg): 2 to 4 ounces (60 to 120 mL) oral rehydration solution (ORS) for each diarrheal or stool or vomiting episode Children more than 22 lbs (10 kg): 4 to 8 ounces (120 to 240 mL) ORS for each diarrheal stool or vomiting episode
Nutrition	Continue breastfeeding, or resume age-appropriate normal diet after initial hydration, including adequate caloric intake*

Degree of dehydration	Mild to moderate dehydration
Rehydration Therapy	ORS, 1.6 to 3.3 oz for each 2 lbs of body weight (50 to100 mL per kg body weight) over 3 to 4 hours
Replacement of losses	Children under 22 lbs (10 kg): 2 to 4 ounces (60 to 120 mL) oral rehydration solution for each diarrheal or stool or vomiting episode Children more than 22 lbs (10 kg): 4 to 8 oz. (120 to 240 mL). ORS for each diarrheal stool or vomiting episode
Nutrition	Continue breastfeeding, or resume age-appropriate normal diet after initial hydration, including adequate caloric intake*

* Overly restricted diets should be avoided during bouts of diarrhea. Breastfed infants should continue to nurse even during acute rehydration. Infants too weak to eat can be given breast milk or formula by medical personnel through a tube. Lactose-containing formulas are usually good. If the baby can’t absorb lactose-based formula, lactose-free formulas can be used. Complex carbohydrates, fresh fruits, lean meats, yogurt, and vegetables are all recommended. Carbonated drinks or commercial juices with a high concentration of simple carbohydrates should be avoided.

Water Sources

Oh my goodness. Most of the preparedness sites talk about stock piling large amounts of bottled water. Or using 55 gallon drums etc... um, if you have to bug out, how are you supposed to lift that 55 gallon drum up a hill? Empty, it would be tedious, full it would be impossible.

Now I have been thinking about getting some 55 gallon food safe drums (the BPA FREE plastic ones) to use to catch rain water off the roof. For what???? Watering the animals, the garden, flushing the toilets.. BUT there is a down side to these. Freezing temperatures. Will they freeze through? Will they crack and break? You have to have a pump or spigot on it to get the water out the bottom, and you'll want a filter at the top so you don't have a lot of biomass, bird droppings, insects, and etc.. entering the water and ruining it. IN an emergency this water could be boiled for cleaning wounds, drinking, sanitation. But I would not use it strait for any of those.

Now if the power is out and you are on a well, without a hand pump.. what will your water source be? Rain water.... only if it is raining.. Snow? Only if it is snowing..  Bottled water... how much have you stored?

There are other ways to obtain water. You will need plastic, a rock, a container, a shovel, some twine. You dig a hole, preferably by NON poisonous plants, and you put your container in the middle. Spread your tarp over the top, tight enough to keep it off the dirt, but not so tight that when you put rock on the middle of the top it doesn't sink some. Yes, you are collecting clean water by condensation. And yes it works.. during certain times of year. This will not work in freezing temperatures.

River, creek, puddle.... Any and all water sources can be contaminated by anything. You need to have ways to clean the water (filters), boil the water, and  hold the CLEAN water. Do not combine dirty and clean water containers. Why bother boiling the water if you are just going to put it back into the bottle you carried it to the pot for boiling in. The dirty containers need to stay dirty, and clean ones clean. Cross contamination in water is NOT a good thing. Giardia, cholera, amoebic dysentery... gross way to die.

Solutions?
Water filters
Ways to boil water
Water tablets
Bleach

Hmmm.... which to use? Well, when our power was out last year. I sent the kids to the river with the Katadyn water filter to get me some water. Then I poured it into a pot and boiled it. Let it cool, then we had safe water for drinking. How did I boil it? Kelly Kettle, AND on my gas stove. BUT, what if I didn't have the gas stove?  I would have used my Stove Tec Rocket Stove to boil in the pot. The Kelly Kettle is a stove in itself. Only takes 3 to 5 minutes to boil water after you have the fire going. It is truly a great tool to have, no matter what. You can get them from KellyKettleusa.com or amazon. I ordered my direct from Kelly Kettle. I LOVE my KK.

Ok, I have also collected rain water and used that, during the power outages around Thanksgiving. Because it was raining, I had water. And I still put it through filters, and I still boiled it.

Now mind you if we have a nuclear attack, nothing will make your water safe. EVEN if it is bottled. As soon as you open the bottle the water is contaminated with radiation. Radiation permeates everything. And it scares me to pieces! It is in the air, the water, the soil... everything.

So what do you have to help you for water? Do you have a GOOD water filter? Do you have a way to boil water? Do you know how to use the equipment you have bought? No reason to have it if you don't know how to use it.

Have you thought about it?

Ok, so I was thinking today.. which is odd with this pregnancy brain thing... not the thinking part, but me remembering what I was thinking about. So I figured it must be something I need to ask, or start a discussion about.

How ready are you medically if..... power outage, tornado, tsunami (yes we get them here!!), earthquake, eruption (most likely Rainier or St. Helens), hell freezes over (oh wait, Hell, Michigan DID freeze this year!!, not sure about Hell, Belize), car accident, tree falls on a bedroom during the night, windstorm, civil war, severe heat...

What kinds of injuries??? drowning, puncture wounds, broken bones, dislocated joints, severe breathing difficulties, severe cold, severe heat, dehydration, diarrhea, vomiting, births, deaths...

Granted I am not sure what the future brings, or in what order things will happen. But I do know there is the possibility that we will be needed to help OR that we may need the help that is offered.

In our family we have had:

a near drowning
broken elbow
broken ankle
broken wrist
broken arms
broken legs (2 at once on same kid!!)
broken nose (severe, had to put it back in place!!)
stitches on the face (he fell in sunday school and face vs. metal chair.. not fun)
stitches on an arm (glass lamp fell and a piece cut her arm)
stitches on face (sibling tossed a toy over couch, hit sister in face, required 5 stitches!)
SEVERE asthmatic attacks (3 of us here)
births
deaths
appendicitis (2 kids in 6 weeks!!)
kidney stones
medication reactions
anaphylaxis
migraines
animal emergencies (animals hit by cars, no we did not take the chicken to vet!)
BURNS (fresh aloe and raw honey are a blessing!!)

Will you fight or flight? Will you freak or be calm? Will you be a help or a hinderance?

Are you able to help yourself and or those around you medically? Do you know how to clean and treat a burn? Do you know how to determine the difference between a sprain and a break? Do you know for sure how to set a break? Do you have what is needed to clean wounds? Set a fracture? Treat allergic reactions? Do you know how to do a compression bandage? Do you know what a concussion looks like? How about dehydration? A stroke? A heart attack? Labored breathing? Internal bleeding?

Do you have:

ace bandages (regular AND latex free)
tegaderm
cotton bandages
cotton gauze
medical tapes
bacitracin
triple antibiotic ointment
fresh aloe
raw honey
cotton wraps
splints for fingers, wrists, arms, legs, ankles
benedryl (liquid and pill form)
tylonal
ibuprofen (not to be used on people taking coumadin or warfarin)
aspirin (not to be used on people taking coumadin or warfarin)
isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)
hydrogen peroxide
bentonite clay (aka Redmond Clay)
ipecac
GSE
tweezers
scissors
tournequet
thermometer (non-electric or non-battery powered, an oral and rectal)
EXTRA prescription medications and mode of taking them (inhaler, nebulizer, syringe)

In our emergency bug out bags we have an epi-pen, nebulizer with 3 new neb cups and masks, albuterol, tylonal, ibuprofen, benedryl liquid and pills, bacitracin, gauze, paper tape, tegaderm, coban (non-latex), gauze rolls, ace bandages (2 and 3-inch), bandaids (for those who can use them), alcohold swabs, tweezers, scissors, and a couple of other things. Yes we have bugged out during a flood. No we didn't have to use anything in our BOBs. YES, I replace medications whenever I get a refill of a medication so as to always have fresh meds in my kits.

Being prepared is not just your larder, it is so very much more! So here is something to think about, possibly open a discussion about. But it has been on my mind and I had to share it.

I have a new FRIEND!!

OH I am excited!! I have a new preparedness LDS blogger friend and she has a FABULOUS idea for us to do until January first. I will tell you about it here, BUT I will also include a link to her blog.

So here is it.. Now granted we only have 42 days until January 1st, but that is still 42 days!!!  So the challenge? Buy atleast one can of canned food to add to your food storage a day. Now I know we live a little further from stores than some. So when you go to the grocery, it's ok to pick up 7 different items so you don't have to drive to town everyday. Now you all know I can weekly. So this week so far I canned chicken broth. And today am working on applesauce, which will be another posting.

She started 11 days ago, so here is a quick update for the first few days, and she calls them "BY".. she explains it in her post. I will send you to the first on in the series in her blog so you can read them. They are fun. She is preblogging right now, due to the holiday weekend and such. But she is excited about this and you can tell!  It's a great idea! And a great way for us all to be able to help our food storage to be more flavorful! here is the blog: Food Storage...A Necessary Adventure

BY #1: Chicken Noodle Soup (ready to eat)
BY #2: Evaporated Milk
BY #3: Canned Pasta
BY #4: Sliced Peaches
BY #5: Canned Ham
BY #6: Chili
BY #7: Evaporated Milk (we use milk more than we think!)
BY #8: Canned Potatoes
BY #9: Beef Tamales (we won't do this, but will do canned hamburger instead)
BY #10: Bean Soup
BY #11: Mandarin Oranges
BY #12: Vienna Sausages
BY #13: Salisbury Steak Soup (do not add water)
BY #14: Green Beans

Now, if any of this is in your regular pantry rotation, fabulous, add another can or two. DON'T buy stuff if you will never eat it. These are only suggestions. You can look through your pantry and see something your family might prefer.
I added quite a few comments to the above posts over at the Necessary Adventure, so be sure to check out the posts, great suggestions over there.

NeverSeconds

No that is not misspelled. That is the name of what I discovered today. It's amazing how some children can care so very much. Do you all remember that little girl that died in the accident on I-90 a year or so ago? Her dream was to bring water to those in need. Her tragedy opened the doors of people hearts and tons of money was donated to her cause. And many wells were dug in Africa because of her.
Well on the site I was directed to today by my Mom, is the work of a 9 year old Scottish girl, who believes food needs to be healthy at schools and at home, and is working to bring food to children in Africa at school. Infact she has built a kitchen at one or more schools, and donated the food for them to have a meal everyday! It is amazing.
Here is her blog site that is amazing, here she has people guest blog about the lunches in their school for a week, and they rate them. She also talks about her work in Malawi: NeverSeconds

ALSO, if you would like to donate to her organization, here is the link for that site as well: Martha Payne Fundraising

Now I understand that many suffer world wide, and right now we are even having a problem in the states with Hurricane Sandy hitting the east coast. If you can donate to the churches humanitarian fund, all the monies donated actually go towards the items for helping those in need, NOT into someone's pocket. And these funds help people WORLD WIDE. I never knew what the "Humanitarian" part was on a tithing slip until the tsunami of Dec 26 (sorry I don't remember the year, but it was in the last 7 years). We donated a lot once I discovered what it was.

It's amazing where our world is going. I hope more people can be more like Martha Payne, she is truly a humbled, meek spirit.

Review: KELLY KETTLE

This is my newest PREPAREDNESS purchase!!  I used my Christmas money from this last Christmas. Yes I waited almost 10 months to buy it, but I wanted to decided between this and a StoveTec stove, but I got this one first. So today we did a test run and we are VERY VERY VERY impressed and happy with this kettle! And I am very happy with the shipping, I ordered this on a Monday and received it on Wednesday!

FIRST, this is originally from Ireland!  They have been using these for over a hundred years! With this you can boil water anywhere! I got the Base Camp Kettle KIT in Stainless Steel. We got the kit, which comes with a cookpot, pot support, grill, and pot/gripper handle. The kit also comes in Aluminum. But I wanted SS so that is what I now have :)  So here is what it says on one of the sides of the box:

"Boils 1.5 liters in minutes!  
For over 100 years the unique Irish Kelly Kettle has made boiling water in the outdoors quick and easy even in extreme weather conditions.
Using abundant natural fuels such as sticks, pine cones, tree bark, dry grass, even dry animal dung, etc. This Kettle will boil 1.5 litres of water in 3-5 minutes.
The Kelly Kettle advantages are:
*No Gas
*No batteries
*No running costs
*Never carry fuel again!
*Never worry about running out of fuel
*Safe to use: The fire is contained within the kettle
*And you can add our Pot-Support and Cook Set to reheat or hydrate food as your kettle boils."

So I tested it.. And we like it! So first you get your wood and such in the bottom pan, I forgot to take a picture of that, but here is one after we were done:

Ok, so it took us awhile to get the fire going... By the way it helps if your kids don't bring you green sticks. If you look closely,  you will see the small pile of green sticks to the right of the pan. It was rather comical as this was smoking like crazy, and I looked at them and said, "Where did you get the sticks", and they said, "off the tree".. HA HA, ok, I explained to them that green wood doesn't burn it smolders, so we poured them out and got some nice dry cherry sticks from the orchard, and they went and found some dry pine sticks. We also grabbed a single piece of newspaper, put that on the bottom then stacked the sticks like a pyramid. Then we lit it, we turned the vent hole towards the wind, which helped a ton!

As you can see, the smoldering wood from before made some soot marks on the outside of the vent hole.  But this is the new fire, with dry wood, and it was hot. The bowl base discolored from the heat, we weren't surprised. I love it, as something well practiced with will work better. And you need to practice using your prep stuff or you won't know how to use it when you NEED it. As you can see here, well barely, the Kettle is on top of the base. It was not boiling yet, but it was getting hot. To feed the fire, you drop small sticks down the chimney.

BE CAREFUL when dropping sticks down the chimney, it is SUPER HOT!!! Now I know in the picture above you can't see the heat coming from the chimney, but it is there, and you can see in the water hole, the sweat from the steam forming.  Yes it says you will have boiling water in 3-5 minutes, this is after you get the fire going. Obviously you can't boil water without the fire.
Yes we boiled water, and it boiled fast, although we forgot to time it, it did boil fast as soon as we had the fire going.
Here is a picture of the Kelly Kettle while boiling.

It is sooo cool! Now just a reminder: FIRE SAFETY, do not have this sitting on a combustable surface. DO not have anything flammable near the vent hole, as we found out, the sticks can shift while burning, and some ash or embers may come out of the hole. Sorry I did not get a picture of the water boiling but it was neat! 
WARNING: NEVER USE THE KETTLE WITHOUT WATER IN IT!

This is a great preparedness item because you can sterilize your water for drinking, cooking, bathing, brushing teeth.. DO not store water in it. The stopper provided (orange, and I didn't get it in any pictures darn it) is for when you are carrying the kettle from your water source. Do NOT boil with the stopper in the hole! And the stopper is for the water hole, not the chimney.

By the way, the base, grill, pot support, handle.. it all stores in the bottom of the Kelly Kettle, and all that stores in the bag that comes with it.

We are very excited to have this in our home. We have a way to make boiling water for when the power is out, when camping or hiking or both.

Another survivalist just did a review on her Kelly Kettle. I am posting the link here so you can see her video she made. She's lucky she has a working video camera. So head over to Food Storage and Survival and see her video. And yes, she LOVES hers too!!

National Preparedness Month!!

Did you know September is National Preparedness Month?  Well in our house that is every month... ya I know, I am like a broken record.  I wonder how many of you know what a vinyl is.  oops off track. OK, so because this is the official Prep month, I wonder, what are you doing to prepare?
Are you still buying atleast one extra food item when you buy something needed? Is that helping your larder build?

How well are you prepared if the power goes out?
Flooding?
Evacuation and forced Evacuation?
Fire?  We have had too many here in Washington lately.
Freezing?
Heat?

Do you have water stored? Do you have a water filter? A way to boil water if you don't have power?
Does you have gas or briquettes stored for you BBQ and or Butane stove?
Do you have fuel for a generator if you have a generator?
Do you have a pressure cooker (different from a canner)? OR a Saratoga Jack Thermal Cooker (bottom of the post it talks about them, and yes I still sell these)?
Do you have food in your pantry?

Another major thing people don't think about is the toilet. You realize that if the power is out, you won't be getting water to your toilet after you flush. Make sure you have water nearby so you can flush.  Oh, and do you have enough toilet paper?

In August I saw major evacuations in Eastern Washington due to fires. And again on the news last night they are having high wind warnings (so the fire will spread very fast) all over Eastern Washington.  What does that mean? It means lentils and wheat prices will most likely sky rocket. If those fields go up two major staples prices go up.... food for thought.. or is it Thought for Food?  The latter I think.

I have food, a heat source, several cooking sources, water source, BOB's packed, and fuels.
What are you missing? I suggest you get it. If you don't know where or how, email me. I can help you.

Deals to Meals

Are you having a hard time figuring out where to start your food storage? Or are you unsure of how to use all the food storage you have? Deals to Meals to the rescue!  These ladies have been working hard to show people how to use the food storage we are supposed to have. You do NOT want to stock pile food and then not rotate it and use it. You have to know how prepare it or you will starve when you finally need it.

Check out their blog, from where to start on getting food storage, to recipes and meal planners, not to mention couponing. Head on over and check out Deals to Meals, and start learning step by step...

January 2012 FLOODING

Dear River,

I know that when I last wrote you I said, "I miss you." BUT I did not say I missed only you. I am appalled that you have come running across my yard to my door to see me. When I said I missed you, it wasn't you alone. I said, "I miss you and the warm and hot sun." I also said, "I also miss seeing salmon and trout in your waters." Now I know there are not any large salmon or trout in your waters, I know I won't find their precious eggs on my beach when you get the cold shoulder from me and realize I am happily married! I promise to visit you as a friend with my husband, children and dogs during summer. Now please leave..

Your not so distant friend,

Lisa

Yes a little humor to deal with the stress of our first flood of winter. Honestly I was expecting this last year, but I guess things have changed and we now flood in January instead of November. So far the river has slightly jumped the bank, my sump pump has been on all stupid night, so I haven't slept in two nights.

So here is our/my next natural disaster.. are you prepared for flooding? We are supposed to have a lot of flooding this year. I am almost afraid to go to work today, why???? Well, first off the Issaquah river is trying to find me, and second of all the Snoqualmie river isn't far from my clinic, infact we have not flooded at our clinic, nor will we as when they rebuilt they put us up on stilts, BUT, that isn't to say that the river wasn't lapping at the building! I remember doing helping hands in Snoqualmie a couple of years ago, and I am sure we will be doing that again this February. I'll try to get over to the Snoqualmie and take a picture and send it out for you all to see, but yes, I am sure it will be high. Right now as of 5:15 am the Issaquah creek is at phase 3 flooding in town, and at my house at phase 1. I know more is coming... Snoqualmie river is at phase 1 but was at phase 2 a little bit ago... So yes, flooding could be imminent.

How shall we prepare?? BOB.. what? BOB.. WHAT?! Bug Out Bags ... yes I even have one for the dogs and cats and chickens. Although I now have more poultry so I will have to use a couple more boxes to move them. Where would I go?? Normally I would say high ground, but my mom's house is empty so we could go there, although it would be really hard on Amber. We would take over her basement ;) literally.. So what is in my BOB? Ya know a lot of preppers call them BOB, but that is the name my brother goes by and it just sounds wierd.. ha HA... ok,

BOB:
water bottle
water filter
rocket stove (scout ones)
mess kit
2 pairs underwear
2 pairs socks
flash light
hat
sweat suit
small first aid kit
sleeping bag (grab pillow off bed along with snuggly)
100 hour candle (in select bags)
matches
flint
lighter
pocket knife
zip loc of food: instant oats, peanut butter or nuts, gum, homemade hard candy (when I have it), ramen (gross), hot chocolate, lots of raspberry zinger tea and peppermint tea, granola bars

No it isn't as much as the emergency ones we made a couple of years ago. Remember you need to rotate clothing so it fits, and rotate food so it isn't .. icky. Rotate your matches as they can get moist (hello this is western WA).

Dogs BOB:
dishes
food
water
blanket
Cats BOB:
dishes
food
water
blanket

Chickens BOB:
feed
water

The other things I grab:
laptop
genealogy
camp gear (totes with all my camping stuff in them, including tent and stovetec rocket stove)
thermal pads for sleeping on
saratoga jack thermal cooker
hand grain mill

And if time permits: MORE FOOD including wheat, beans, salt and sometimes some spices or herbs, dried fruit, candy (sugar can be a comfort in times of distress), redmond clay (for when diarrhea hits), muck boots or extra shoes, more blankets, two larger first aid kits

Now this is our FLOOD season BOB, if we are evacuating for other reasons, depending on what it is, I would pack my trailer with as much food as I could, along with my second stovetec rocket stove and fuel for the gas stoves and stovetec stoves.

I am not sure how high the water will get... one of those two edged swords as we paid an arm and a leg for flood insurance (kind of want it to have not been in vain as it was required by mortgage company!!) and at the same time, I don't want the stress of a flooded house! We saw how hard it was on my BIL and SIL, and right now I don't know how well I would handle it.

Guess I will deal with it when if it happens.  Stay safe, stay dry, and pack your BOB..

Power Outage January 2012

My goodness it has been a crazy couple of weeks. So much going on. Let's list them:

Cold outside
Freezing outside
Raining
Freezing outside
Snowing
Freezing outside
Power Outage
Communications lines down too!!!
Freezing rain
Snowing
Freezing
Raining
Raining
Freezing
Raining
Freezing

How long was your power out? How about your communications lines (phone, email, cell phone)? Did you have a source of heat? A way to cook? A way to boil water? A water source? A generator and plenty of food?

During all this wonderful fun (and I don't mean that sarcastically, I love it when the power goes out.. honestly, ask my kids), I got to help hubby deliver oxygen tanks to powerless patients. Lots of them. It was crazy, having rehab and nursing facilites calling saying, we just lost power (on Friday!! days after we lost it). Generators that blew up.. it was nuts. Many people had to be moved to places with heat. I have not heard of any deaths from this storm we had, but of course, I had no communications so no tv, so I heard nothing.

Something else I got to do during the power outage was help move my clinic back to it's original site!! yeah, I love our new building.. Our first official day open we had so many patients we didn't have time to talk with the patients. Today I finally had a chance to ask patients how they did during the outage. It was heart breaking. A lot of people didn't have a heat or cooking source, so they ate crackers, and if they had it, cold campbell's soup (undiluted because they didn't have water). A few had pipes that burst in their houses from the cold. The farms were hit hard with orchards being devastated by the freezing rain and so main branches or even the whole tree fell.

How prepared were you? I know many say they are prepared or were fine. But honestly what could you have had or done that would have made things better? A generator is what I hear alot.. a wood stove or stove insert? More wood? Water? candles? certain tools (chain saw, hatchet, ax, tarps, ropes)...

BUT remember you have to store the fuel for a generator, and yes fuel does go bad. And you don't want to store a generator with fuel in it. Is the wood you have green (fresh) or is it seasoned? And just because you split it a year ago, did you keep it dry?

I actually went out on my back deck and filled my soap making pots with snow, and melted them by the fire, then heated them on the stove to wash dishes. I also melted snow by the fire so we could flush the toilet.

Light??? My goodness you don't really realize how early it gets dark until you don't have power and at 4:15pm you are in the dark! I have an aladdin lamp, but the smell of the lamp oil burning gives me a headache. I like the candles alot, but try finding candles here like you can in Utah.. for a decent price, get real.. not going to happen. Candles are pricey.. Have you heard of an oil lamp? Like the ones used in the bible? yes, they are easy to make and use, you just need some pomace oil (a type of olive oil) and some cotton string or fabric.

Entertainment: Well, with the freezing rain I was not about to let my kids go out, slip on the ice and need a hospital visit, so after I did the chickens, and the dogs were done, we played board games, hide and go seek, colored, figured out meals, and how we would cook them.

Food: Did you try to find something to make at home, or try to find a restaurant with power? We had fun cooking with the fire and with my Saratoga Jack Thermal cooker. We used the cold outside to keep fridge food cold. We ate what needed to be eaten first, and didn't make enough for leftovers because I didn't want to fuss with storing it.

If I didn't have a camp cookstove, a BBQ, a canning stove, or my gas range.. I would have had to only rely on my fireplace to cook food for my family. Well, I have decided I want to have a back up plan. What if the next thing to hit knocks out the gas lines? How will I cook? fire... well, yes, but it's a real pain to cook outside in the freezing temps with your dutch oven. It's even harder to keep it at the right temp. So what to do?? I have decided I am buying some Stove Tec rocket stoves. Actually, I am getting two. This way I have one for camping, and one for emergencies. And also this way I can boil water on one and cook something else on the other at the same time. Yes they are a little expensive, but you know what. It is small, light weight and easy to use.

By the way, my BBQ was out of propane, and I am not even sure where my coleman stove is. My canning stove take propane.. Glad I had my gas range, but using it meant I had to have windows open for ventilation.. I actually have a patient who never ever turns on his exhaust fan when using his gas stove, and never has! (Actually it kind of explains a lot about him..) but for safety sake, please ventilate when using your natural gas stove! One thing we found ironic is my sister gave us each an MRE with heat pak from the Army (courtesy of her hubby) as gag gifts (except Peaches, she got a game instead.. LUCKY!!). We decided to use them just before we found out about this storm. Yes you could survive on them, and you won't have to worry about a bathroom, because they plug you up for weeks!! bonus right?! HA HA, kids thought they were fun, but I remember them from my dad's navy days, yuck.. and I think it was even the same packaging from the navy camp out I remember from the 1970's !!!

Ok, I ask you again. If you couldn't use a generator.. What would you do with your freezer food? Obviously you'd have to figure out how to preserve the food another way, and quickly. What would you do? I would can the meat, dehydrate what I could, and an whatever else I could. I would also make meals around what thaws out first. Usually fish thaws first, then chicken and ground meats, then roasts.

What would you do with your freezer jam? fruit? veggies? beans? meats? breads? So much to think about.. ugh... information constipation.. but you can't let that happen! Just want you to think about it, and start making up a plan.

Ok, this was all just things running through my head this week. Seeing the less fortunate through work and hearing what they endured because they didn't have a plan.. it just killed me, and it could have been prevented!

So there it is, I am doing an order for some Stove Tec Rocket Stoves. If you'd like to order with me, write me back and let me know. I am ordering the Deluxe Metal 1 Door Stove (it has a metal liner so it lasts longer.) We can save on shipping if I order a large order and have it sent to one address.

Also, the thermal cooker will work great with the stove tec. I am excited to use them together.