Hi Everyone,
NOTES:
What about laundry if there is no power?
I envision myself hanging over the side of the bathtub scrubbing clothes by hand. In the dark. Ugh. Still….. that would work.
We have one of these:
I’m not sure if we got it at a garage sale, or bought it. They are not too much: $69 on Amazon. I just read a review by a woman who had one in their camper.
“We heated river water, added very little laundry detergent, put in our clothes (jeans, shirts, sweats, shorts, and underwear – spread out over 3 loads). We tightened the lid to create pressure inside the tub and turned the handle for 2 minutes.
I skipped using the drainage tube and simply dumped the water out of the top. We quickly wrung the clothes by hand, returned them to the tub, filled the tub with warm, clean water, and gave it a second spin. The entire process took 45 minutes. The clothes came out remarkably clean. It even got out the goo from s’mores! We line-dried and wore them the next day.”
You can also get a washboard and a hand-wringer from Lehmans.com This is a company that serves the Amish community.
You can make your own “washing machine” with three 5- gallon buckets and a plunger. (1573) Make your own DIY Washing Machine with Buckets!
GARDEN HAPPENINGS:
Here in So. Cal, we’ve passed our last frost date, so all my tomatoes are planted. I’ve also planted another bag of potatoes, beans and celery. My green peppers are only about 3 inches tall, so they are still indoors. Even the cucumbers are in.
The broccoli has small heads forming. The potatoes, onions, and garlic are all up and growing. The carrots finally sprouted. I found compost at Walmart, and I really like it. If I could just find a good mulch. What I’d like to do is get some straw from the tractor supply place, spread it out on the lawn, and have my husband run over it a few times with the lawn mower.
I’ll be hardening off plants this week, and I’m going to try to get everything planted by April 1. That’s the goal.
No bug problems yet. Give it time.
LONG TERM STORAGE: Rice. You can purchase rice from the Home Storage Center nearest you for $9.33 per #10 can. This is about 5 1/2 pounds of rice. At the grocery store, rice is considerable cheaper, but you can’t store rice long term in the plastic bags it comes in. You’ll get pantry moths for sure! You can use: food grade 5-gallon buckets with lids. If you want to store this long term, you’ll need oxygen absorbers. Check online for how many you’ll need and where to get them.
You can also use empty, clean 2 liter soda bottles. Again, if you want to store them long-term, it’s best to stick in an oxygen absorber before you put the lid on. The same applies to quart jars.
I prefer to vacuum seal my rice. I’ve never had a pest problem and it will last for years.
SHORT TERM STORAGE: Canned meat, fish, or chicken
Here is some great information from Survival Mom by Lisa Bedford.
In recipes that include meat, chicken, or fish, you have seven options:
1. Used the canned versions. You can buy canned chicken, tuna, even roast beef at the grocery store.
2. Can you own meat and chicken. This is what I do. And, although this is listed under Short Term Storage, I have and continue to use canned meats that are 10+ years old.
3. You can use freeze-dried meat. Freeze dried beef on Amazon is $69 for a #10 can. Chicken is $64. But, if you WANT meat, and you’re not willing to can your own, this might be the option you’d choose.
4. You can go vegetarian. Leave out the meat altogether. You can boost protein with a handful of beans.
5. Use TVP or textured vegetable protein. It’s a soy product that can be purchased in a variety of flavors, including sausage and bacon. It’s a pretty close substitute, but make sure no one is allergic to soy.
6. You can make “wheat meat”. I used a previous version of this book to make wheat gluten. The New Gluten Book: Complete Recipes and Instructions for Meats, Sweets, and Other Treats Made from Wheat Gluten: Le Arta Moulton: 9780935596120: Amazon.com: Books
It’s under $8
This is the one I have. It’s $12. It has instructions for making meat substitute, and using it to make taco meat, meatballs, gluten steaks, chicken fried steaks, gluten stew and many other recipes.
I made wheat substitute back in the 70’s and used it to make enchiladas. NO ONE knew! I pronounced my experiment a success and never made it again. LOL But I COULD if I ever needed to.
My preferred method now is canning my own meat. It’s the least expensive way.
7. Go hunting or raise your own meat.
72 HOUR KIT: Check your first aid kit and stock up on any over-the-counter medicines that are used or outdated. You may want to include: Tylenol, Pepto-Bismol, anti-diarrhea medicine, Tums, sore throat lozenges, Benadryl, etc. Just stock up on whatever YOUR family uses and might need.
FOOD STORAGE RECIPES
Open Sesame Stir Fried Rice
from Survival Mom by Lisa Bedford.
4 c. cooked rice
1/4 c. oil, separated
1 TB sesame seeds
1 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 TB dehydrated onion, rehydrated
1/4 c. soy sauce
black pepper to taste
2 TB dehydrated or freeze-dried green onion, rehydrated
1/2 c. freeze-dried, chopped, and rehydrated mushrooms or 1 4.5 oz can mushroom pieces
1/4 c. freeze-dried, rehydrated celery or 2 TB dehydrated celery rehydrated
2 TB dehydrated carrots, rehydrated
2 TB freeze-dried peas, rehydrated
pinch red chili flakes, optional
1-2 c. chopped chicken, beef, or pork
4 eggs, whisked, cooked, and broken into small pieces
Rehydrate the freeze-dried and dehydrated ingredients in separate bowls Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 TB oil, plus the sesame oil. Add the sesame seeds and cook until they are slightly golden brown. Add the garlic and onion, continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the vegetables, pepper, and chili flakes and cook for 3-4 minutes until they are heated. Remove sesame seeds and vegetables from the pan.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the cooked rice. As the rice cooks, drizzle soy sauce over the rice, stirring continually until the sauce is evenly distributed. Cook for 5 minutes then add the vegetable mix back in.
Chicken & Rice Soup
from Survival Mom by Lisa Bedford.
1/4 c. dehydrated onion chopped
1/3 c. freeze-dried celery
1/3 c dehydrated carrots, rehydrated
1/3 c. freeze-dried mushrooms
1 or 2 12.5 oz. cans chicken
2 garlic cloves, pressed, or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp black pepper or to taste
12 c. water
2 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp salt or to taste
Combine all ingredients in a large pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Marti Shelley
