The WE2's

Tuesday...waiting for hair to dry, then going out to deep freeze to take fresh onion rings out so I can bag them into smaller bags for storage. I'll appreciate having fresh onions when I want them and not having to peel them etc.! LOL As empty nesters, a bag of onions (like potatoes, tomatoes, oranges etc.) always seem to head south on us before we get them used, and buying just two or three is so much more expensive.

Yep, looks like we're getting in the hibernating mode. It won't be long but hopefully at least another 4-6 weeks before winter hits hard.

 

Funny how our bodies get the feeling for the season!

From Philbe...we used to call it "the nesting impulse"! LOL

Don't know if you have seen these in your local grocery store but they are wonderful.

 

one cube is one clove of garlic

 

I have seen garlic, onion and cilantro.

From Philbe...got several jars of them! LOL I also store up the jars of chicken & beef "sprinkles". When they're empty (I make alot of soups) I save the jars and put these cubes in them to keep them moist and to keep bugs out...and they will draw those little black bugs! Lost several boxes of the tomato ones to those critters! So, I keep them vacume sealed (with my food saver attachment) in jars. They even have some in tomato and fish. Another (but more expensive) are the "flavor boost" packets. Love them all!

We're snow shoe people so looking forward to that part of winter...but would prefer to drive to it rather than live in it! LOL

If has been pretty cold here for the last couple of days but is suppose to warm up tomorrow. DH was off yesterday so went ahead and cleaned the furnace, changed out the filters and lit it. He also cleaned the gas fireplace and made sure it was working properly. Our laundry room is on the north side of the house and every year the pipes to my washing machine freeze. Trying to figure out how to keep that from happening this year. I'm hoping we won't have a bad winter. We are trying to get this house ready to put on the market after the first of the year and it's hard to get everything done when the weather isn't cooperating.

From Philbe...years ago I used to have a bathroom that the pipes always wanted to freeze up. I had two methods...one was banking bales of straw around the foundation of the room, covering the bales with rolled insulation and then covering that with heavy black milar. A cheaper way (but not nearly as efficient) was just saving all my old leaves when I raked the yard, into heavy contractor trash bags and then piling them tightly around the foundation of the room. No guarantees, but we didn't have any more frozen pipes.

Penching pennies ALL day long! Posted elsewhere here. Why are there so many dirty dishes when you only boil up potatoes, freeze onions, freeze tomatoes, turbo cook chicken breasts, bag up white queso and make a chocolate/pecan pie?

I found some more peaches today and will be canning them tomorrow. I also saw some pickling cucumbers that I might go back and get tommorow. I figured both peaches and pickling cukes would be finished by now. The pears are good this year.

Can't hardly ever pass up the opportunity to save money, time and have good stuff to eat!

Spent the afternoon doing some winter preps. Cleaned a bag of onions, sliced them, separated them, laid them out on my large bake pan, sprayed them with veggie spray, covered them with clear wrap and they're in the freezer waiting for me to bag them up into smaller bags for future use. With only 2 of us it keeps us with fresh onions (not just dehydrated ones). Sliced some oranges also and they're bagged in the freezer for citrus water or "zest" or ??? Last week found 4 huge chicken breasts on sale in a package for $5.25 so I put them all into my turbo cooker and we had one for supper w/pasta and the other 3 are vacume sealed and in the freezer for another day. Already picked all the tomatoes from the SQF garden and they're bagged and in deep freeze. Received a gallon of white queso as a gift, so divided it up. Mixed a small amount with some garlic powder, onion powder and my house fajita seasoning and had it over our pasta with our chicken. Figure supper costs us about $3 a plate...max. Been a busy, busy day...like the rest of my friends here!

So, someone wanna tell me how to do Philbes potatoes? I just got 20 pounds over the weekend.

*** I use my stock pot and put as many whole potatoes as I can in, then bring to a boil. Put the lid on, reduce heat and cook until "done"...not mushy. When done, I lay them out on a clean towel to cool & dry. Then I just bag them in manageable bags and put them either in my deep freeze, my freezer or my frig. Since we eat hashbrowns nearly every morning, I keep some thawed. They brown so nicely! I just add dehydrated onions, peppers, a bit of garlic and some chives or parsley, and we're walking in tall cotton! ***

Monday...spent most of the day setting up a few things for a few weeks. Found 4 huge chicken breasts last week for $5.25 (for all 4) so I put them in my turbo cooker. We had one for supper and I vacume sealed the other 3 and they're in the freezer for another meal or two. Sliced a bag of oranges and put them in baggies in the freezer for citrus water etc. Sliced onions and they're laid out in bake pan, in the deep freeze until frozen, then I'll vacume seal them into smaller bags for future use. Mixed up a trial batch (1 gallon) of laundry detergent in a mix I saw on this forum. Will give it a try even though I already have 5 gallons mixed up of my regular liquid w/the Fels Naptha. Washed up Abby's bedding. Washed up all dark laundry. Watched Dancing With The Stars (I'm sorry...I love this show!) and am now trying to wind down for the night and let Mountain Man have the pc to read his favorite prepper blogs! Good evening friends!

I'm always astounded when I hear of frosty mornings and turning on heaters so early in the season. Tee shirts and shorts are still happening here. We don't usually get frosts until January or February. We are so spoiled....

Does that mean we can hug you and keep warm!?

Already did "some"...when I boiled 2 bags of whole potatoes and they're either in my deep freeze, my frig freezer, or my frig (for quicky hashbrowns!) I've got my small deep freezer packed to it's limit as well as frig freezer. Wish I had a big deep freeze, but no room for one right now. Maybe we'll get some things moved off the back porch/pantry that don't need to be there and I'll get a bigger one before too long! :wink (2):

Hi all, I've had a brain storm and I need some knowledgeable feedback.

 

I keep a few different mixes on hand that last me about 12 weeks. I've been hunting for a cheap way to store the individual recipe amounts so I don't have to keep the entire mix buckets in my pantry. My eyes alighted on my stash of empty beer bottles - they look like they'd be just the right size and easy to store. Could I seal them with reusable silicone caps and oxygen absorbers? Would this be safe?

 

They're all your basic ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, dry milk and shortening.

 

Link to the silicone caps in case: http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B00467QN54

Very interesting...would wonder if the caps would seal tightly enough for the oxygen absorbers to really do their work. I'd probably be one of those that would "try one" and see what happens in a month or two. I'll bet others here have more experience than I.

Yippeee...more new "babies" being born into Mrs. Survival!

Another funny for Mountain Man and I to laugh about! Abby has her "greeny ball" that we can insert a milk bone into. It keeps her busy for quite some time...or did! She's figured out that she can "crunch" the greeny ball, then roll it across the floor, and then very smartly go behind and pick up the pieces! Animals absolutely NEVER cease to amaze me with their antics!

Sunday...took a nice motorcycle ride, even though it was chilly! Had our gear on so wasn't too bad, but wished we had went ahead and put our jacket liners in! Thought I'd share two of my favorite web sites...maybe some of you visit them regularly as I do?

SeasonedCitizenPrepper.com

survivalblog.com

Got the travel trailer winterized, but we'll probably still do our anual Thanksgiving campout. We just don't use our fresh water tank etc. We just fill up plenty of milk gallon jugs to flush & sailor-wash with and our Berkey for drinking water etc. Everybody have a great day!

Hmmmm....wonder if one can "barter" things then?

So have you turned your furnace on yet?

DH is getting our furnace ready to turn on today. So far we have just been using the kerosene heater to take the chill off in the evenings.

 

Yes, we finally pushed the lever on our furnace, although only setting the thermostat at 68. Got down into low 40's last night and we "sleep light" on clothing (smile). Not ready yet to pull out the pj's or insulated drawers!

 

We got a new carbon monoxide and smoke alarm to put up. I like to replace them every few years.

Menard's had fire extinguisher on sale so we replaced those too and while he's in the basement I'll have him replace the battery in the smoke alarm there.

 

 

Today is my Sunday to make coffee at church and tonight the African Children's Choir is performing. I'm going to put some white chicken chilli in the crock pot.

For some reason I seem to have lots of laundry to finish:but as DH keeps telling me it's not like I have to drag it down to the river and beat it on a a rock.

It's going to be a busy day.

 

 

What are you doing today?

Gonna winterize our travel trailer, zip the drain in the bathtub drain in the apt. our son's living in, THEN...take a motorcycle ride. A bit chilly, but we have the gear. It's such a wonderful, peaceful thing for us...just touring God's country. I love my prayer time riding behind Mountain Man...and he hears me or hears me singing, and reaches around and pats my knee! LOL Oh well...we all have a way to worship a great God!

Went to one of our states largest swap meets today. Abby had her first encounter with a billy goat. OHHHHH what a hoot! She walked up to it...bigger than he was by far. Began to sniff it's nose. Down went it's head and I knew what was coming! Sent her rolling! She jumped up, looked at it as if to say "why'd ya do that?" Mountain Man and I nearly laughed til we cried...along with the goats owner. The swap meet is held 3x a year and they have hundreds of vendors with about every animal you can imagine (except no horses, cattle or pigs etc.) along with tons of everything else. Abby seems to have this unique ability to entertain us with her curiosity and it's results!

Saturday...went to one of our state's largest swap meets and found some really dandy bargains. Found another round (even smaller) graniteware pot w/lid that fit perfectly in my solar oven. Also found some nice citronella soap for $1 a bar ... what a bargain! Wrapped them in plastic wrap and then vacume sealed for storage. I don't get along well at all with mosquitos (they make huge bumps and stay for weeks) so I use the soap alot during summer time. Hubby thought I was kidding/exagerating when I told him I was allergic to mosquito bites...until he saw for himself. I also take some anti-histimine tabs during summer time along with the soap. Helps greatly. Also was able to buy a nice big dog house for Abby (her's is now too small) for only $15! Abby had her first "run in" (literally!) with a billy goat! It was so funny. this swap meet has just about every farm animal and then some, they want to sale. She had never seen a goat so went up, began to sniff it's nose...and BAM! Sent that 65+ pound dog on a roll. She got up, looked at the billy goat as if to say "why'd you do that?" SOOOOO funny!

As a kid, I remember my elders hammering copper nails into tree stumps to kill them off. ???

Friday...just watched a video of a man in Washington that gardens on wood chips! Absolutely fascinating! Told Mountain Man that I'd like to try a patch this spring somewhere near our Square Foot Gardening system. We have a city owned tree limb drop off where they shred everything up and I'm thinking we can buy some cheap or perhaps even free! Rained most of the day, now getting very chilly but not really cold. Just such a quick change from what's been going on in the midwest. Here's the link to the guy in Washington. The buffering isn't the best but...

http://www.backtoedenfilm.com/#movie

Wonder how one would make some Doctor Pepper? Mountain Man is an addict to DR

Last night, Abby "heard something" and come up off her kong mattress headed for the kitchen. All of a sudden, we heard her come to a skidding halt (on the linoleum) and couldn't get out of the kitchen fast enough. Stood in the livingroom, growling. Went to her kong bed and sat there growling. Mountain Man went to the kitchen, and began pointing to things saying "is this it?" When he got to a sack of potatoes I had sitting on the counter, she bristled up and began to growl. Guess she must have stuck her nose against the sack, felt & saw it shift, and scared the wits out of her. Some watch dog! LOL Now we're calling her our "spud" dog!

Anybody got a nice recipe for making liquid dish soap, for handwashing dishes? I've tried several and just can't find one that I like enough to continue making it when I can buy regular stuff for a buck at our $Tree store. Suggestions?

 

 

Update...I think perhaps I've found one that will work for me. Here's what I've got mixed up for in the morning...

 

PHILBE'S HOMEMADE LIQUID DISH SOAP

 

(for hand washing dishes)

 

 

 

What you'll need:

 

Wire whisk

 

1 bar of Yardley's soap (whatever fragrance you like) or Ivory

 

Medium sized stock pot w/lid

 

Empty gallon bleach jug

 

3 Tablespoons of Super Washing Soda

 

 

 

1) Shred the soap (use food processor or grater) as fine as possible.

I prefer almost to a powder.

 

2) Fill bleach jug a little less than half full of water and then pour that amount into your stock pot.

 

3) Bring water to a near boil (DO NOT BOIL!) and reduce heat.

 

4) Add soap shreds and whisk vigorously, and frequently until soap shreds are totally dissolved.

 

5) Add Super Washing Soda, turn off heat, and continue to whisk.

 

6) Fill the bleach jug again, a little less than half full of water and pour into stock pot of soap mixture.

 

7) Wisk vigorously and put lid on. Let sit overnight.

 

8) When morning arrives, pour finished mixture into bleach jug, but leave room at top of jug to shake before each use. I like to write "Dish Soap" on the jug with my magic marker.

 

Here's a pic of my stock pot that sitting in my breezeway...waiting for it's final results!

FOUND THAT BY ADDING A FEW TABLESPOONS OF MY FAVORITE "BLUE" DISHWASHING LIQUID TO MY MIXTURE, I GET MY SUDSY! WILL MAKE MY "BLUE STUFF" GO A LONG, LONG WAY! LOL