Food Storage Recipe ~ Homemade Jam

Making homemade jam is really not too hard. Here is my favorite recipe for making it.

YUMMY and everyone in the family loves it. It does not last very long in our house.

NEED :

3 pounds of fruit - I use 1 pound each of berries to make a mixed berry jam. Raspberries, Blackberries, and Strawberries.

3 1/3 cup of sugar

1/4 teaspoon of coarse salt

2 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

Stir the ingredients together in a large heavy bottomed pot.

 Bring to a boil. Stir it until the sugar is dissolved and mash the fruit with a potato masher.

Add the lemon juice and continue to boil.

Stir it frequently until the bubbles slow, chunks of fruit show at the top , and the mixture clings to a spoon , but falls off in clumps. About 10 to 12 minutes.

Skim any foam from the top.

Ladle the jam into clean, glass jars . Leave a 3/4 inch of headroom from the top of the jam to the top of the jar.

Let them cool completely.

Cover with tight lid, label, and refrigerate for up to a month. You can also freeze for up to a year.

Food Storage Recipe ~ Chicken Fajitas

Got out the old crock pot !

Chicken Fajitas

NEED:

Boneless chicken strips - I was lucky enough the other day to get about 5 pounds on meat markdown and for this I used about 1 pound. Just enough for sons.

About half a bag of 3 pepper stir fry mix - get in frozen section of Savalot

1 package of fajita seasoning mix.

1/4 cup of water.

Pour everything in the crock pot and turn on. I put mine on high for about 30 minutes to get it started and then turned it to low. It is slow cook all afternoon and be done just in time for supper. Serving with tortillas, spanish rice, and refried beans.

Refreshing Freedom: Showering Off the Grid

 

 

Refreshing Freedom: Showering Off the Grid - Off-Grid Rebel

 

Being able to keep clean in an off-grid situation would be the best!! To be able to shower will make you feel so much better. Find ways to keep yourself, your clothing, and your home clean in off-grid ways to be able to just continue on as you do now.

 

 

10 Must Have Items For Your Bug Out Bag

Depending on your location and the time of year will determine what exactly you will have in your bug out bag. Despite this there is some items  that are essential and should be in everyone's kit.

Here are 10 items every bug out bag should include.

1. First aid kit ~ Adventure Medical Kits Adventure First Aid 2.0

2. Flashlight ~ Secur Waterproof Hand crank or built in Solar powered 3 LED Flashlight, High power 3 functions LED, Dynamo powered no batteries needed, waterproof up to 45 feet

3. Radio ~ Safe-T-Proof Solar, Hand-Crank Emergency Radio, Flashlight, Beacon, Cell Phone Charger

4. Multi-tool knife ~ Gerber 22-41545 Black Diesel Multi-Plier with Sheath

5. Firestarter ~ Gerber 31-000699 Bear Grylls Survival Series Fire Starter

6. Water Purification ~ LifeStraw Personal Water Filter

7. Rope ~ Koch 5170625 Diamond Braid Polypropylene Rope, 3/16 by 100 Feet, Assorted Colors

8. Shelter ~ Ultimate Survival Technologies Base All Weather Tent Tarp

9. Compass ~ Military Prismatic Sighting Compass w/ Pouch

10. Food ~ S.O.S. Rations Emergency 3600 Calorie Food Bar - 3 Day / 72 Hour Package with 5 Year Shelf Life

DIY Solar Oven

A solar oven is a great to cook off the grid and are easy to make on your own. Not difficult to make and your family will enjoy the fresh and hot meal. It takes about 30 minutes for a solar oven to preheat.

TO MAKE YOU NEED:

 · two cardboard boxes (one large and one smaller)

· black construction paper

· scissors

· aluminum foil

· glue and tape

· staplers

· old newspapers

· a pencil (or a marker)

·  plastic wrap.



- First, line the bottom of the large box with well crumbled newspaper. Then, insert the smaller box into the larger one, and fill in the empty side spaces between the boxes with newspaper crumbles.

- Make sure to cover the inside walls of the small box with aluminum foil. You can use invisible tape to glue the edges of the aluminum foil to the edges of the cardboard box.

- Glue the black construction paper onto the bottom of the small box. This will help absorb the heat much better, and your homemade solar oven will be more efficient.

- Next, on top of the large box, you need to lay a large piece of cardboard. Now trace the shape of the box on the board nicely, using a marker. Allow around 2-3 inches on each side around the trace line, and cut the cardboard.

- Now use aluminum foil in order to cover the cardboard. The aluminum foil that is placed over the cardboard must be extremely smooth and without any wrinkles so that it will reflect the light properly. Use invisible tape or glue in order to secure the aluminum foil onto the cardboard. The reflector that you obtained this way should be stapled or glued to the back of the large box.

Now your homemade solar oven is ready, and you need to make sure to place it so that the reflective part is facing the sun directly, for maximum efficiency. You can place just about any type of pot with a glass top that fits into your oven, and start making food using solar energy. You need to be patient however, because it might take even up to 3 or 4 hours until your meal is ready, so make sure to start cooking earlier than usual. If you want to make your cooker even more efficient, place a plastic wrap on top of your oven. Keeps the heat in a lot better with the plastic wrap over it.

Ways To Cook With Your Fireplace

The open fire of your fireplace is a very versatile way to cook. There are many ways to cook with your fireplace and can be a great way to have a heated home and a hot meal when power is out. That one fire can not only give you heat, but you can bake, boil, roast, simmer a stew, and more. Pretty much like a campfire, but this is in your home.

One way to cook is by using a Cast-Iron Trivet. Remove some of the coals from the fire and place over to one side in your fireplace, place the trivet on top of that, and place your pot on top of that. Let it cook! You can boil water and make soups and stews this way. It is also a easy way to use your Cast-Iron Dutch Oven .


An easy way to roast some meat over the fire is by using a spit. Just impale the meat with the spit and place the meat over the fire to seal in the juices. Then move it further away from the fire and let it slow cook . Make sure that you have a big roasting pan under the meat to catch the dripping juices. Makes it safer and plus you can baste the meat with its juices while it is cooking.

A Reflector Oven is an awesome way to be able to bake and cook with a fireplace. Pretty simple way to cook. Place in front of fire and the heat reflects to the food. Kind of like the solar oven.

Some other tools to have for fireplace cooking are a hanging griddle, Pie Iron Sandwich Cooker, and a Heavy Duty Grill.

With all or any of these tools for cooking, you will be able to make great family meals for your family. No worries if a winter storm comes through and wipes out your power. 

15 Low-Tech Drafty Window and Door Fixes for a Cozy Home

 

 

15 Low-Tech Drafty Window and Door Fixes for a Cozy Home

 

If you are living in a drafty house, the good news is that there are lots of low-tech and low-cost options. There are some great DIY ways to keep in the heat and keep the cold out. Keep some wool blankets thrown over the sofa to use for keeping warm.

The Right Way to Make a Bucket Toilet

 

 

The Right Way to Make a Bucket Toilet - Primal Survivor

 This is something that everyone is going to need! Grab a bucket and some trash bags! Easy to create and will help so much with hygiene.  Having a way to take of business will be a lot safer and healthier. Don't want to take any chances.

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Learn Some Skills

What will happen to you and your family when SHTF? Will you be able to take care of your family? You most likely have a stockpile of food and other items, but do you have any skills that you will need to know to be able to just live or to continue having items on hand.

SKILLS TO BUILD:

1. Learn the art of bartering.

2. Learn how to hunt, fish, and trap.

3. You learned how to do the list of above, now learn how to butcher and clean your food.

4 Learn how to raise livestock. Even if all that you have room for are some chickens and rabbits, it will help your family.

5. You have got to learn how to garden. This will be a life-saver.

6. Learn some carpentry skills. There won't be any calling a handy man after SHTF.

7. Learn some basics of engineering.

8. Get yourself into a class for learning CPR and learn some first aid. Knowing emergency medicine can save your life or someone's in your family.

9. Teach yourself some basics of food production. Making your own cheese, butter, and bread can really be helpful and keep your days enjoyable.

10. Get some marksmanship skills.

11. Learn how to make your own ammo. Learn how to make some alternate weapons in case you run out of gun ammo.

12. Some skills in pottery making, sewing, knitting, and wood carving can be a great skill to have. Be able to repair items and make new items that are needed can really help your household go on.

13. Learn all that you can about herbal remedies and how to administer them.Your are not going to be able to run to the corner pharmecy. You can grow the herbs and use them.

14. Everyone in your family has got to learn how to purify water. You have to have clean and drinkable water.

15. Firemaking skills are a MUST! Learning how to build a fire can keep you warm, fed, and clean.

16. It might be a good idea for someone in your family to learn how to make wine or beer.

17. Learn the many ways to be able to cook! Solar cooking, fire, grill, rocket stove, etc. There are many ways to cook without power - LEARN THEM ALL!!!!!!!

18. Being able to make candles will give you light!!

Be Self Sufficient...

There are certain items that you have got to have on hand to help you to be more self sufficient. You already know about needing a stockpile of food, but you also need these items to be able to live comfortably during an emergency situation, disaster, or after SHTF. With the new year coming up it is a perfect time to get started with getting these things. If you are new to being a prepper than now is the best time to start.

1. A Solar Generator is one of the things that I really think is a number one must have item. Will greatly improve any situation that is a bad one.

 2. Having a Camp Shower would be a great way to make sure that your whole family is comfortable and can have a sense of normalcy.

3.You can never have too many Oil Lamps!! Great way to have some light and even cook with them in a time of need with the right set up. https://dlsoucy.wordpress.com/tag/oil-lamp-cooking/

4. Having a good set of Cast-Iron Cookware Set is a thing that is needed for being able to cook a great meal. You can cook on fires and more with a good set of cast-iron cookware.

5. Get yourself a lot of hand operated appliances, like can openers, hand mixers,grain mill, coffee grinder, and more.

6. Do your laundry easily off the grid with a laundry tub, clothes wringer, clothesline, and a Portable Compact Mini Washing Machine is another thing that is a huge help.

7. You need a grill, camping cook stove, and other ways to cook.

8. Keep a lot of warm clothing, coats, socks, good boots, rain gear, long underware, gloves, for all of your family members.

9. Keep a fire extinguisher in every room.

10. Having bicycles is a good thing to have for each family member.

11. Get all of the camping gear that you can find and as much as you can. It is very useful in lots of situations.

12. Gas Siphon Pump

13. A hand pump for a water well.