Carrots, Eggs, or Coffee; "Which are you?"

A young woman went to her grandmother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Her grandmother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her granddaughter, she asked, "Tell me what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they got soft.She then asked her to take an egg and break it.

After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The granddaughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The granddaughter then asked. "What's the point,grandmother?"

Her grandmother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity--boiling water--but each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her granddaughter.

"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff?

Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster

Food Storage Recipe - Bean And Bacon Soup

This is so good. I am such a soup person. I can have soup everyday. This is a favorite in our house.

Bean and Bacon Soup

8 slices of bacon, cut into pieces

1 cup chopped celery

half cup chopped carrots

a fourth of a cup of chopped green onion

2 cans of Navy beans , drained and rinsed

2 cups of chicken broth

1 cup water

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan until crisp. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Keep about 2 tablespoon of the bacon drippings in that saucepan. Add the celery, carrots, and onions. Cook until they are tender. Stirring frequently. Stir in the remaining items and let simmer until heated through. Add the bacon to the soup right before you serve it. Cornbread is good with this.

The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster

Food Storage Recipe - Chicken Soup & Dumplings

This is such a quick and easy meal. My daughter gave me this recipe. She is in college and has very little money so she has come up with some great recipes. I am really proud of her thriftyness. I do think she got this from a cookbook of some kind though. Not sure. It is good and low cost though so I am sharing it on here.

Chicken Soup & Dumplings

3 cans of Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup

1 can chicken broth ,14.5 ounce

1 beaten egg

1 can of Grands biscuits

IN a 4 quart dutch oven, combine the soups and broth.

Seperate the biscuits and cut them in half. Dip those into the beaten egg, coating all sides. Drop them into the boiling soup and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes. Cover it and cook another 10 minutes or until the biscuits are light and fluffy. Carefully move the biscuits or remove them and ladel the soup into your bowls and top with dumplings. Yummy lunch on a cold winters day with a sandwich.

The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster

soup pot

Food Storage Recipe - Easy Beef Stroganoff Soup

 This takes the best of beef Stroganoff and makes it a delicious soup.

NEED 

2 cups water 

1 1/4 cup uncooked medium egg noodles

1 pound ground beef

1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper blend

1 jar beef gravy

1 2.5 ounce jar of sliced mushrooms , drained

1/2 cup sour cream

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan.

Add the noodles and cook until tender.

DO NOT DRAIN

In another skillet cook the ground beef and garlic pepper blend until the beef is browned, thoroughly cooked, and broken up. 

Drain the ground beef very well.

Add the beef mixture, gravy, sliced mushrooms , and sour cream.

Cook until heated through.

Serve with some bread.

Food Storage Recipe - Slow Cooker Broccoli Soup

This is so yummy! Great with a sandwich or bread sticks.

Slow Cooker Broccoli Soup

1 10 ounce package of frozen chopped broccoli or use freeze dried broccoli.

3 cups of milk

2 cans of condensed cheddar cheese soup

1 cup of loosely packed frozen shredded hashed brown potatoes or freeze dried

1 small onion or equivalent of dehydrated or freeze dried onions

Break up the broccoli and combine with the milk , soup, potatoes, and onion in your slow cooker. Stir it up too mix it together good. Cover this and cook on low for a few hours. SERVE!!

The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster

Food Storage Recipe - Pinto Bean Fudge

I just now heard of doing this and think that it sounds very interesting and good for you. I have 25 pounds of Pinto beans in my food storage. This would be a great new way to use them.

Pinto Bean Fudge

1 cup of cooked pinto beans, mashed

1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk

3/4 cup of melted butter

1 Tbsp vanilla

3/4 cup of baking cocoa

2 pounds of powdered sugar

Put your soft pinto beans in a food processor and mash them until they are real smooth. Add the mashed beans with the melted butter, vanilla, and cocoa. After that’s all combined, add the powdered sugar. You can also add about a 1/2 cup of chopped nuts or so. Combine everything together really good until it is all blended. Spread the fudge mixture into a well buttered 9x13 pan. Then put it in your refrigerator. That’s where you’ll have to store this fudge or it will get too soft. Cut it into pieces and eat.

The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster

Food Storage Recipe - Baked Chicken & Rice

This is a great recipe that you could even use your left-over turkey from Thanksgiving in. Yummy way to use all of it up. It also uses the canned soups and mix that you should have plenty of in your food storage.

Baked Chicken & Rice

1 Box of long grain and wild rice mix

1 14 pound of chicken or left-over turkey - can also use canned chicken , like Keystone. etc.

1 can of Progresso vegetable classics creamy mushroom soup

1/3 cup of water

Heat your oven to 350. Lightly oil a casserole pan or use cooking spray. Evenly spread the rice in the bottom of the pan and sprinkle about half of the seasoning mix onto that. Arrange the chicken , turkey, or whatever over the rice and then sprinkle the rest of the seasoning over that. Pour the can of soup over this and the water . Cover tightly with foil and put in oven . Cook until rice is tender.

The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster

Food Storage Recipe - Chicken Pasta Chowder

 

Yummy chowder for a quick meal. 

NEED:

1 package of pasta accents frozen vegetables

1 can of ready to serve chicken broth (16 oz)

1/2 cup of water

1 can of evaporated milk (12 oz)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 canned chicken (12.5 oz)

In a large pot combine the frozen vegetables with pasta, broth , and water.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to low. 

Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. 

Stir occasionally.

In a small bowl mix the milk and cornstarch very well. 

Add the milk and chicken to the soup.

Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly and thickened.

Fun Recipes For The Little Ones

I am getting prepared for this summer and for when it is too hot to safely play outside.
I am already thinking about this winter and being closed up in the house and how boring it can get. I have found a bunch of recipes to make things for little ones. Get stuck in the house and boredom starts to set in. Stuff that they can use and have fun with and parents not worry about them being toxic or unsafe. YAY!! My grandson will love all of these.

Simple Play Dough

1 cup Flour

2 cups oatmeal

1 cup water

Gradually add water to flour and oatmeal in bowl. Kneed until mixed (this dough is sticky, but unique in texture.) Model as with clay.

Salt Dough

Equal amounts salt and flour; then add enough water to make it doughy. Dries hard in a couple of days and then you can paint it. I love salt dough. You can make some really nice Christmas ornaments out of it. Painting them makes them really nice. The kids could make some for gifts, maybe?

Earth Friendly Goo

1 cup water

1 cup cornstarch

4-5 drops fruit juice like blueberry or raspberry (combine a 1/4 cup of the food with 2 cups water, simmer for an hour. Cool, strain, and use as coloring).

Work the ingredients together and let your kids have fun with this gooey concoction.

Natural and Safe Finger Paint

1/3 cup soap flakes melted with 1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup cold water

A few drops juice dyes (combine a 1/4 cup of the colored food like beets, blueberries, or raspberries with 2 cups water, simmer for an hour. Cool, strain, and use as coloring).

Silly Putty

2 cups white school glue

1 cup liquid starch

Mix together and set aside until dry. Store in an airtight container.

Peanut Butter Play Dough

18 oz. peanut butter

6 tbsps. honey

Non-fat dry milk

cocoa powder for flavor

Mix all ingredients, adding enough dry milk to give make dough pliable. Shape, decorate with edible treats, and eat!

These are some really fun things for kids to do. When they get bored let them try these things out. Before they know it the day has passed and they forgot that they were bored.

The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster

What Will You Miss Most After SHTF??

I always try to have in the back of my mind "what will we miss after anything happens?". That way I will try to plan for that and then when something does happen we will be more comfortable. I seriously think that the one thing that I will miss the most will be ready heat and air conditioning. I have fibromyalgia , so I can't take drastic temperatures very well. The running water will be missed. So try to plan for a way now that you will have plenty of clean water. Make a solar shower so everyone can stay clean and feel "normal". I will miss being able to run to the store to grab something little that I need. So , I am trying to stockpile the little stuff that is needed. Stuff that you run out of quickly because it is used a lot. You know what I mean, like razors, batteries, toilet paper(I have been making a huge stockpile of cloth for this!), etc. Another thing that a lot of people will go crazy over not having will be no cell phones, TV, or internet! A lot of people will go so crazy that we will actually think that a zombie apocalypse is happening! LOL

Actually, we will all probably become more healthy after SHTF, if we make it through the worst part. We will have to walk every where and that will make us in better shape. We will have to garden so our food will be better. No more trips to a fast food place to grab something that most likely isn't even food. We will be doing more by hand. Cooking will all be done by scratch! No more nasty preservatives and Lord knows what else is put into the food on the grocery store shelves. We stopped eating out a few years ago so we won't miss that part, but sometimes when we are all busy , I do order a pizza! :( My Little Man will miss that a lot. He loves when we have pizza night!

We will read more books and play more games after SHTF! We will forage and think more about what can be done and how to do it. Using our brains more. Thinking for ourselves instead of running to the internet to find the answer. Eating healthier and homemade food. Gardening , fishing, hunting, walking, etc. There are a few things that will be missed, but other than those few things , it won't be too bad. We will be closer to our family and friends, sharing more. Learning how to do stuff for ourselves. I think that it might not be too bad. I am so jealous of others who have already decided to go totally off-the-grid! I want to live like that now. Not dependent on anyone or anything. That is the perfect life. Depend on God and nothing else. Most people have lost sight of God today , I think, and most likely because of all of the technology that we "depend" on. It does everything for us. Even thinks for us, tells us where to go and when, how to do anything, etc. We need to get back to living with no computers etc. Living for something. Living for ourselves. Sorry for the rambling. I get to thinking about stuff like this and it kind of makes me mad that we have let technology take over our lives and don't focus on the most important thing- GOD! So, yeah , I might miss a few things after SHTF , but not for long! We will all be better after a while. Our brains will kick in and remember what it felt like to not have a damn computer or GPS telling it what to think, do, or where to go and we will all be smarter for it!!!

HEY EVERYONE - TELL US WHAT YOU WILL MISS MOST AFTER SHTF IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!!!

The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster