Cowgirl

Got a shipment of bread flour in and stored away. I am using quite a bit of it due to my sourdough obsession, so I decided to increase our storage of it, as we clearly didn’t have a one year supply at the rate I go through it! Also got the propane tank topped off - I always feel a *little* better prepared for whatever is coming when the tank is full. I wish we had a backup tank, or a bigger tank. Our present tank, when full, is not a one year supply. If TEOTWAWKI hits, we will have to alter our usage to make it stretch (one reason why I am working on alternate means of cooking and baking). Fuel is really one area where I still feel somewhat poorly prepped. We definitely need to work on this.

Winter storm warning today - it is already slick out, the sky is leaden, and it feels like more is coming. We are stocked up, of course, and are watching old movies. I don’t know if we’ll get much precipitation, but if we do I think we’re pretty well set.

I suppose the amount of commercial bonemeal is going to vary a bit depending on brand. Here’s a site I just found that looks pretty decent. It discusses how to balance calcium and phosphorus. Homemade Dog Food Nutrition

For calcium, you can also use eggshells. Bake them until dried and then grind them. Feed at a ratio of 1 teaspoon per pound of meat. That is not the same as bonemeal. Bonemeal is better as it is more than just calcium. But in a pinch eggshells are better than nothing.

That looks like a good stew for dogs. What do you do for calcium? Raw bones? Add bone meal?

Yesterday was clean out the fridge day. I go through and remove anything that is too old for human food, but try to catch it before it reaches that science experiment stage. I chop it all up and put it into a stock pot with a little water to simmer. Then I put it in quart containers and have chicken food. It is mostly veggies and fruits. To this, daily, I add stale bread, scrapings from plates, bits from cooking, etc. The birds also get some commercial feed. But the homemade food from scraps really cuts down on feed costs, and it assures that we have no food waste. Any leftover chicken goes into the dog food. I strip the carcass of meat and make a bone broth for them that goes over kibbles. I used to make their food completely but got away from that. 4 German Shepherds eat a lot! I need to get back to making dog food as it is healthier for them.

Harvest is in overdrive due to an imminent hard freeze, and I am trying to finish it all up. We got the apples put up last week. Today I got a 5 gallon bucket full of Maypop fruits. The vines are just 2 years old and are producing like crazy. I will probably dole those out to the chickens over time. Having a short break, then I will bring in the balance of the raspberries. I am thinking a raspberry clafoutis tonight. Mmmmm. The fridge is packed full of tomatoes. The vines have been cranking out tomatoes for months. I need to move my potted herbs. My Cuban oregano is already inside as it doesn’t like it when nights get into the 40’s. But the others are going to need to come in now.

We went from needing the air conditioning to needing the furnace within 2 days. Bizarre weather. I hate climate change. But fall is finally in the air. Yippee! Our orchard is still very young. This is the first year we got enough apples to call a harvest. It was modest, but something to celebrate. Our little trees were bowing from the weight of the fruit. We have been eating apples and I turned about 6 pounds of the apples into 14 half pints of apple butter. That will take us through about 1 year of eating plus a couple for gifts. It turned out sooo good. I saved the apple scraps from that project for chicken food. I froze it in small batches to be doled out to the birds over time. They love it.

I love my French press too, @The WE2's - I got mine many years ago. Love it! It works during a power outage too, so I counted it as a prep when I got it. All I need is a fire to heat up water in my kettle and we are good to go. The flavor is amazing. The only thing is, I cannot grind my beans too fine or they end up in the brew. My press likes a coarser grind. But the flavor is amazing. *Best*coffee*ever!

Sad, how stupid people are.

Oh Momo. You are both in my prayers.

What I did at our last residence, where no cell company got decent reception was to first find out which company had the nearest tower. Though I could not get but 1 bar of signal with that company, 1 bar is better than none. Then I got a cell signal booster with outside antenna. This arrangement helped to bring what little reception we had outside to the inside of our home. This allowed communication via text message without going outside.

Our youngest came for a brief visit, flying out to get her puppy. It is too hot to ship by air. We had a lovely respite from the heat and humidity for about a week, including during DD's visit. It was so nice. We had the A/C off and the windows open for a whole week! Now the heat and humidity are back. Today I wanted to hike down to the river along the bluff. We decided to do it this morning, before it got too hot. But it was still pretty warm. We had to stop for a breather on the way back up. Whew! Older DD is coming for a visit with the grandkids next week. They will be here about a week and will be taking home a puppy also. Hmm. I seem to think there's a connection here between puppies and kids visiting? Busy summer. Good times.

I used a whole roll of bubble wrap for my last move. I agree the small book boxes are wonderful. If it would fit in a small box, I used one. It's just easier on older adults. Like the clothing idea. I stuffed every suitcase full. Everything gets wrinkled that way.

Amazing what people will call the cops for. Someone mowing their lawn. A kid with a lemonade stand. Good for you for standing your ground.

Nice job @dogmom4! I like to container garden -- many of my herbs are in pots.

Thank goodness everyone was Ok, @Mt_Rider

If you aren't eating any of your DH's stew but just eating veggies, your suspicion that you need protein is probably right. Are you trying to eat vegetarian? If so, try eggs and dairy to boost your complete proteins. If you are going for vegan you are probably going to need to look into protein supplements for balanced amino acids.

@Annarchy bet you will be glad to back home - but it is nice you have been helping your MIL. The pleasant temperatures along with pleasant rain (not part of severe storms) continues. It is usual to have 2 days in a row in July when we can leave the A/C off and the windows open, with just the ceiling fans. It has been a lovely break. Enjoying ripe tomatoes lately. OMG YUM. The zucchinis just keep cranking them out this year. I am going to try dehydrating some since the freezer is overflowing. Our everbearing strawberry patch never produces a huge crop at once, unlike our June bearer patch. But they keep cranking out breakfasts and desserts all summer. I like having some longer harvesting fruits like that. Tonight's dessert will be strawberries and cream. That never gets old. I made sourdough cinnamon rolls yesterday. BIG HIT. So I have another sourdough thing to make. I had suspected the sweet and sour combo would be delicious. It is. Looking forward to youngest daughter's visit - haven't seen her in too long!

So sorry. Hugs to you as you go through this.

Ok here. So far they have missed us this year. *knock on wood*

@Mt_Rider losing Internet is no fun! Glad you were able to access via the library. As to "must" having a tropical tree... No. When I gush over a plant that I grow here in the Midwest, I don't mean that EVERYONE on the planet must have them. Preppers need to look at what grows around them. What is useful right here, where I live? What is adapted to my climate? Learn about that and grow it first, is my advice. Growing something that you will need to keep warm, maybe provide artificial light to, etc. may be fun, but isn't really a survival prep for your location, imho. @Jeepers the only reason to prep a house for sale is to get it to sell faster. Plus, cheap cosmetic fixes can *potentially* boost the sale price by more than the cost of the fix. Talk to your realtor first. Your location will drive most of those economics. Mammograms. UGH! Had the A/C go out 2 days ago. Ugh. Fortunately the repair guy was able to get out here the same day. Even more fortunately, it was only the old thermostat that had died. Also, if it had to die, this week has been less hot and humid, so the timing wasn't too bad. The really bad Midwestern storms this week all missed us. Glad not to have twisters, but wanted some rain, which also missed us. Today we are getting some much needed rain, and it is pleasantly cool. We have the windows open. It is lovely! We are listening to the songbirds and enjoying our coffee. Had cold clafoutis for breakfast - one of my favorite summer breakfasts. Youngest daughter is coming for a visit next week - to pick out her puppy. ?

Oh, I remember boys doing the playing card in bicycle spokes thing too, when we were kids. Kids (esp. boys) love noise. Wishing you quieter days in the future as the boys get bored with that noise. Otherwise, you may start feeling like this:

You are absolutely right, balance and moderation are key, @Jeepers. That’s been my goal for the past year or so. Eating healthier, little processed food, and trying to be balanced in my choices. Lots of veggies and fruits. Plenty of eggs. Meat in moderation and more of that as fish and chicken. More fermented foods. Occasional wine. Less sweets, but haven’t cut them out - moderation is key -if I crave ice cream, I have a small bowl that I put berries and ice cream in —still have an amazing and satisfying treat, but a moderate portion of ice cream. Just trying to make more healthy choices without feeling deprived. I haven’t starved myself. And I feel healthier and I am definitely slimmer. I am guessing I lost 20 to 30 pounds — not certain how much — 2 jeans sizes, anyway. You can definitely do it by focusing on moderation and balance. The biggest benefit is that I feel better and have more energy. I bet it would help your health issues also.

Wow. That makes them seem far less wonderful. I had pictured maybe 24 hour runs. Not DAYS. I had been eyeing the small version. Now I feel much more ambivalent about whether I want one. Thanks, @Ambergris for a real world perspective.