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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Make Oatmeal Milk

I love oatmeal! It is so cheap and filling. I always buy tons of it and do a lot of baking with it and eating it. My whole family loves it. So when I got my new issue of Country side magazine the other day in the mail , I just freaked when I seen a thing written about how to make milk out of oatmeal. So I decided to try it out. I love soy milk , since I am allergic to milk, so this seemed great for me. I made some oatmeal milk!! Put a cup of oatmeal in a blender, add water to within an inch of top and blend for a minute, then put through a sieve. Great -- taste like soy milk. you can add flavor to it too, like vanilla. Great for baking and since milk can be expensive and I always have oatmeal on hand. This is perfect.
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Monday, October 12, 2009

Get In Shape + Back Up Energy Source?


I went to a few yard sales this past weekend. I did not really find anything , except an exercise bike. It is a pretty good one. I want to get into shape! But, my son was riding it last night during the football game and he all of a sudden stopped and said , " Hey this is so cool, if you needed to , you could use this make power!" I do not know why I never even thought of that. So , not only will we all be in great shape , but we might have a power source if we need it. I am going to study this and see how it would work and how it would need to be done. I know on The Colony reality show they made a washing machine out of a bike.

Here is some info on Google

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How To Survive The End Of The World

I am currently waiting on this book to arrive. I am always on the lookout for books to add to my collection and How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Timesseemed like it would be a great read. Especially since we are living in the most uncertain times ever. Everything just seems to be going down hill fast. It seems like we are never going to get back up. I am trying to get my home and family prepared for anything. It is hard work and a lot of work. But, with God's help , we can manage.


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Monday, September 28, 2009

A Second Car!

We are slowly getting our second car up and running. We bought a 2001 Chevy Lumina for just $600.00 - we knew for that price that it would need some work. So far we thought that it needed a new alternator , but after putting in a new one and the car still not holding a charge we tried a new battery , but that still was not. Guess what we found out -- It is just a switch in the lights that has a short so when you turn the lights off and think they are off , they are really on and running the battery down!! OMG. We are going to fix that this upcoming weekend and then we will have a great "new" car for backup. Plus for our 16 year old son to drive. His driver's test is in October.
It is always a good idea to have 2 vehicles. Download our free toolbar

Preparedness Fatigue??


I think that my husband has preparedness fatigue! Yesterday he was making a cup of coffee and our Mr. Coffee machine has been getting slower and not making coffee as good. It is a few years old. So he was telling me that I need to get a new coffee maker this week, but then under his breathe he said " Na she can't buy a new coffee maker, she will have to go buy one that is solar powered!" I started laughing until I realized that he was being totally serious. What to do???Download our free toolbar

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Colony Reality Show

Anyone else been watching this? I have learned a few things from it, one of the major things that I learned is that I need new friends. LOL. I need friends that are rocket scientist, engineers, nurses, and others. I also need a warehouse full of tools. But, no really I did learn a few things about security, water, and such. It was an interesting show. I think the one thing that I really noticed about this show is that if you do nto have the skills and tools than you can never be prepared enough. Now I am worried.

What are your thoughts on the show? The finale was last night. I watched the marathon of it yesterday.
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Monday, September 21, 2009

Being Sanitary In An Emergency

My hubby told me about this idea. He always is bringing buckets home from work and we now have a huge collection. I use them for catching rain and storing items in. Well, he thought up the idea of putting a toilet seat on one and making it a toilet for when we have no other way of getting to a toilet. Easy to make , use, and clean. Plus you still feel like you are using something normal. Maybe. Since being sanitary is a must in any emergency - make sure that you stockpile bleach and other cleaning supplies. Lysol and such. You do not want to take a chance and get nasty germs while there is an emergency.


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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

I will be back with more soon! I promise!


I have been sooooooo tired. I have not felt like doing anything. I have my 3 year old that I have been having to chase around and he is just getting into more and more things. I told my husband a few minutes ago that I feel like I have just put in a 12 hour shift at a factory. I am so tired. I will get back to writing soon. I have a few ideas and I am hoping that the newness of my little one having turned 3 will wear off and he will get back to being the calm, cute, little boy he used to be. Maybe. Maybe that is just wishful thinking.Download our free toolbar

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Candles For Lighting


Yard sales have not been too good this summer, but I have found a few things. One of the best was what I got at a yard sale this past weekend. A huge shoe box, a size 13 pair of KSwiss used to be in them, full of safety candles!! Guess what I paid for it. A whole $3.00!! I could not believe it. I even told the woman that I thought that she might want to keep them in case she needs them later and she just said oh I need them out of my house. Too cluttered. So, Cool, I got them. There are over a hundred in there. I burned one that night just to see how good of quality they are and I had to put it out when I went to be a couple hours later and it was only about half burned down. So they are good quality candles. Probably about 5 hour candles.

Below are some candle safety tips: Got the list from National Candle Association Website

The National Candle Association urges consumers to be careful when burning candles, and to following these rules for burning candles safely.

Always keep a burning candle within sight. Extinguish all candles when leaving a room or before going to sleep.

Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire. Keep burning candles away from furniture, drapes, bedding, carpets, books, paper, flammable decorations, etc.

Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets. Do not place lighted candles where they can be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.

Trim candlewicks to ¼ inch each time before burning. Long or crooked wicks cause uneven burning and dripping.

Always use a candleholder specifically designed for candle use. The holder should be heat resistant, sturdy and large enough to contain any drips or melted wax.

Be sure the candleholder is placed on a stable, heat-resistant surface. This will also help prevent possible heat damage to counters and table surfaces and prevent glass containers from cracking or breaking.

Keep the wax pool free of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times.

Always read and follow the manufacturer's use and safety instructions carefully. Don't burn a candle longer than the manufacturer recommends.

Keep burning candles away from drafts, vents, ceiling fans and air currents. This will help prevent rapid, uneven burning, and avoid flame flare-ups and sooting. Drafts can also blow lightweight curtains or papers into the flame where they could catch fire.

Always burn candles in a well-ventilated room. Don't burn too many candles in a small room or in a "tight" home where air exchange is limited.

Don't burn a candle all the way down. Extinguish the flame if it comes too close to the holder or container. For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a candle when 2 inches of wax remains or ½ inch if in a container.

Never touch a burning candle or move a votive or container candle when the wax is liquid.

Never use a knife or sharp object to remove wax drippings from a glass holder. It might scratch, weaken, or cause the glass to break upon subsequent use.

Place burning candles at least three inches apart from one another. This is to make sure they don't melt one another, or create their own drafts that will cause the candles to burn improperly.

Use a candle snuffer to extinguish a candle. It's the safest way to prevent hot wax from splattering.

Never extinguish candles with water. The water can cause the hot wax to splatter and might cause a glass container to break.

Be very careful if using candles during a power outage. Flashlights and other battery-powered lights are safer sources of light during a power failure. Never use a candle during a power outage to look for things in a closet, or when fueling equipment - such as a lantern or kerosene heater.

Make sure a candle is completely extinguished and the wick ember is no longer glowing before leaving the room.

Extinguish a candle if it smokes, flickers repeatedly, or the flame becomes too high. The candle isn't burning properly and the flame isn't controlled. Let the candle cool, trim the wick, then check for drafts before re-lighting.

Never use a candle as a night light.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Looking for other supplies

I have been getting some solar powered items and then got it in my head that I had to have a solar powered fan. I looked on ebay and seen some that look like desk fans , about 5 inches across. I went to Google and did some looking around and the reviews on them were not too good. Not a lot of power and no real fan movement to where you can feel them. So now I still want a solar powered fan , but do not know what to get. There are some out there that are like attic fans or vent fans , but they are way out of my budget. WHAT TO DO??
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Friday, August 14, 2009

Solar Power is AWESOME!

I went a few months ago and bought a bunch of rechargeable batteries. We go through a ton of batteries. Last week we had a really bad storm go through and our power went out for most of the day. Well, that made me realize that having rechargeable batteries would be useless without power. I went online and did some looking around and found on ebay some solar powered battery chargers!! I went a head and bought one that has a light on it even. Cool. It is real bright, too. So we will also have a light AND charged batteries!

The photo below shows my radios and my new battery charger in the only south facing window I have in my house. The yellow radio below also has a cell phone charger and a flashlight.


Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Earthquake Preparedness


All of the bad earthquakes in Japan the last couple of days have got me to thinking about being prepared for an earthquake. I live in a earthquake area.(Not California) I have been researching what to do and I have found some interesting things online.

Earthquake Preparedness

One major thing that I am reading is that your water and power might be disrupted so you need to be prepared for that. Also if you have natural gas you should probably shut it off. This web page has some great info on getting your preparedness kit ready.

The US Geological Survey website has tons of maps, info, and more to help. I also love my little add-on that I have on my Firefox browser that is called equake. It shakes your browser every time an earthquake happens any where in the world.



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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A Mini Stove Necklace??

This is just so cool!! It is a Working Stove Necklace - great for hikers, survivalist, and more. It is also great looking. I wish that I had thought of something like this.


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Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Prepared For Survival Tip Of The Day

I have not been baking a lot this summer, But I know that soon it will be cold again and I will be baking every day. So, if you bake a lot of bread , like I do , than this tip is great. Place a small oven proof dish in the oven filled with water while baking your bread and it will help to keep the crust of the bread from getting to hard.


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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Make Your Own Disinfectant Room Spray

Making your own household items is a great way to save money and keep your home clean and fresh!

Here is an easy way to make your own disinfectant room spray:

Ingredients:

* 15 drops lavender oil
* 8 drops orange or lemon oil
* 2 drops eucalyptus oil
* 1/4 cup water

Combine all in a spray bottle; shake well before each use. Mixture can be sprayed into the air. This is just such a great way to refresh the air in your home.

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Am I the only one who does this???


I do it all summer - I get things ready and stockpile for winter! I go to yard sales and look for blankets, sweaters, puzzles, books, and other stuff to get us through the winter. I also stockpile food items that I use a lot of in the winter. Like all of my baking needs, etc.

Am I the only one who does this?? I just hate getting out in the winter and having to worry about stuff like that. I try to make it to where I have to get out as little as possible. Really helped a lot last winter, because we had a bad winter. The winter before last was bad also and we were without a vehicle for most of January and February. I bought my mini van in that March. So to be stocked up on items made it a lot easier. Stockpile paper products while they are on sale and other items like that. I always make sure that we have plenty of bath items, medicines, coffee, flour, beans, soup making items, and more. We also keep a few gallons of kerosene on hand for our kerosene heater in case our power goes out. That can be a life saver!!

I just use common sense and think about anything that I use daily and use more of in winter and then stock up on it.

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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Dutch Oven Cooking!

Dutch oven cooking is a great way to cook. I am pretty new to using one and I found a ton of great information on the internet. I also found this great site that has tons of Dutch Oven Recipes. Dutch ovens come in many different sizes and styles. I like the one that I found at a yard sale that is cast iron and has a handle for hanging. I now need a tripod thingie for hanging it above a campfire.






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Monday, July 27, 2009

Convert A Truck Or Van Into A Camper!


I really like this idea for converting a mini van, truck, bus, etc into a camper so that there is a well stocked way to scram if you have to! This really is a great idea and is a much bigger way to have a 72 hour survival kit , but on wheels. All ready to go!!

We have a Chevy Astro van that we have been wanting to do something with. The poor thing is over 20 years old, but she has a new engine and has been going strong for the last 2 years that we have had her. I would love to make her into a camper so that we can go camping and for being prepared. I found this website that has tons of information on how to convert vans and trucks. I really like the ideas and tips. It should be pretty simple , even for me and my husband who both are not very handy. We can get by , but if it gets too detailed or elaborate - forget it! Our van is already set up with things in the back to give us electricity. I think that who had it first did a lot of camping , just not in the van. I have a fan hooked up in there now for the riders in the back because we do not have A/C!!

We were just talking about this and my husband said that this would be a great idea and that we should try and find a cheap second car so that we can outfit the mini van and have it always ready as a bug-out vehicle!!

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Perfect For Summer!!


I have not tried this yet, but I am planning on doing it in the next couple of days. I want to try it out and see if I can do it and we are getting low on bread. So Perfect time to try and Bake bread on the grill!!!

I know it will work , but I just hope that I can do it. That is one of the reasons that I am going to try it out now. Get to practice. Practice makes perfect. Do it now and learn how to do it now and then when the time comes and it might be the only way to make bread , I can do it easily!!

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Monday, July 13, 2009

Frugal & Easy Supper !!

None of us really felt like doing anything this weekend, not even really cook. So, I was trying to come up with something that would be easy and that I could throw on the grill to cook. I remembered Hobo Packets ( this recipe is for the oven , but if you read in the comments you can see how to do it on campfire , which is what I do on my grill ) and fixed them up real quick , put them in the grill on the back porch and about an hour and 15 minutes later we ate!! Yummy!!

Do you know any other type of cheap and easy recipes??????


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Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Homemade upside-down tomato planters


This is a great thing to do with any extra cloth bags that you have laying around. I have quite a few of them that I have gotten free in the mail.

This is so easy to do. Take the bag, cut a small hole in the bottom, insert the root ball (I wrapped the root ball in the fabric first to make it easier to get it through the hole), spread the fabric out across the hole to keep the soil in, add the soil, and water thoroughly. Hang up somewhere strong because these are HEAVY. Also , remember to hang them where they will get full sunshine for a few hours a day.

Use the smaller sized reuseable bags. This can get too heavy in one of those bigger sized bags.

You can also do this with a hanging planter. Just use the same idea with cutting a hole into the bottom of the pot.

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Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Dehydrate Food In Your Car??

When I first saw this , Car Dehydrator , I was thinking "No Way". But I tired just a small piece of apple in mine and it worked. Great idea and FREE!! It just really works on the same idea as a solar dehydrator

. I could do a ton of food in my mini van!! This weekend it is supposed to get HOT here and I am going to do some more apples. My toddler loves apple chips. WOW! My mind is going a mile a minute with this one. I LOVE anything that is free and uses no power!!

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Thursday, July 2, 2009

Make An Olive Oil Lamp

How cool is this. I just seen this on Mother Earth News on how to make your own Olive Oil Lamp. I really like this idea and the ease of it. Plus , It gives me something to use all of my jars that I have been saving.


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Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Staying Cool With No Power?


How do we stay cool when we have no power?? I have ordered a small solar powered fan that I hope to get soon, but what do we do if we do not have one of those??

I have thick curtains on my south facing windows to keep the hot sun out. But when there is no breeze and it is 95 degrees out , what else can we do to keep cool??

Please post in comments any ideas.......



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Sunday, June 21, 2009

A Solar Shower

When times get bad you are still going to want to keep clean and comfortable. I am trying to get my husband up and about to making a solar shower. I have seen a bunch of information on Google and it does not seem to hard or expensive. I would love to be able to get a shower even while power and more are out of commission. I also want to build a solar water heater , which I have plans for out of one of my magazines or books. That way I can have warm water on hand to wash clothes , my hair, or hands with!!
I have even thought of buying one of those camping solar showers. That might work if my husband cannot build one.

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Friday, June 12, 2009

72 Hour Survival Kit - What's in Your Bag?


You have already heard about survival kits, and you see the importance of protecting yourself and your family by having one for each member of the family. These kits are also known as 72 hour survival kits, disaster kits, emegency kits or emergency disaster kits. Whatever you call them, the question now is, what should you put in your survival kit.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Dept for Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness experts your survival kit should contain at least the following.

* Water -
* Food -
* Flashlight
* Waterproof blanket / sleeping bag
* Emergency Radio
* First Aid Kit


Those are just the bare essentials, you may want to include several other items to help you make it through an emergency, and perhaps even allowing you help others. Other items you could consider are:

Light and Communication:

Hand cranked cellphone charger

Rechargeable Squeeze Flashlight

36 Hour Emergency Candles - These can also be used for a emergency stove

Green Emergency Glow Sticks - These typically last 12 hours each

Survival Whistle

Compass

Signal mirror

Flint starter - for starting fires

Waterproof containers or bags

Box of 50 Waterproof Matches

Bic Style Lighter

Shelter and Warmth:

Emergency Survival Sleeping Bag

6-20 Hour Body Warmer - these can heat up in minutes with an average temperature of 130 degrees.

2-Person Tent

Emergency Poncho with Hood

Tools:

Mulit-Function Knife

Leather Palm Working Gloves

Respirator Dust Masks

At least 45 Feet of Nylon Rope

Hygiene and Sanitation:

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Wetnaps and soap

Dental floss pick

Hand and body lotion

Feminine Hygiene items

After putting toghether these essential, you can also add items that may be of particular interest to you, or add prescription medications that you would need to keep taking. Perhaps an extra set of eyeglasses.

The best way to pack these items is in a backpack or other easily portable container that you can easily grab and go when an emergency strikes.

A 72 hour survival kits are worth their weight in gold during a disaster, I have over 20 years Military experience and have provided emergency relief several times, and I know that having a survival kit is indispensible. I would never go into a disaster relief situation without the proper survival supplies. I strongly advise everyone to have a emergency disaster survival kit for every member of the family

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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Thrift Stores Always Have Great Books!!


Last night I went to the thrift store because I was bored and I actually got something that is great!!! I got this book, MAKING THE BEST OF BASICS Family Preparedness Handbook
, I could not believe it when I seen it on the shelf! It is an awesome book. Full of tons of information. I read it through last night and I found some great stuff in it. I know that I will read and reread this book a ton.


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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Keep Important Papers Safe

I know that we all want to have a stockpile of food, batteries, baby items, meds, and more, but we also have to keep important paperwork on hand and safe.
Grab a waterproof plastic tote and fill it with all of your important paperwork. Family documents will be safe and all in one place this way. Keep all of your Identification papers, policies, bank and credit card info, medical info, and anything else that is important for the running of your house.
I also have a tote that is full of other types of info. Survival books, maps, first aid books, phone books, and more.
I have them "hidden" out in the open. They are "end tables" with pretty fabric covering them. We do not have a ton of room in our house , so I had to come up with something. They look ok on either side of our thrift store couch with lamps on them and no one knows what they are!!!


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Friday, May 15, 2009

I Wonder About This??

I went to our Goodwill store yesterday and seen one of these hand crank light, radio, television things. Well, I already have a few radios and lights that are hand powered, but I was wondering about this with the TV. I got home and was wondering if I should of bought it, but then I was also wondering if , after June 12th, if the TV would be of any use anyway. It would not be digital. So, it would not even work would it???



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Saturday, May 9, 2009

Great Foods For Backpack & Camping

Backpacking Simple Food Ideas

Here are some very simple ideas for dehydrated and light-weight
foods.

1) Any packaged dinner mix from the grocery and packed in ziploc
baggies ie, Macaroni & Cheese, Rice-a-Roni, Broccoli and Cheese, etc
There are tons of these things available today. If they call for milk,
then the boys can carry powdered milk in baggies. Margarine will
travel well, and since they will be working hard, the extra fat might be
desirable.

2) Instant oatmeal and instant grits and bagels are great for breakfast.
Again, powdered milk can be used with these. Get some of the new
Fantastic Foods hot cereal mixes--they are warm and filling.
3) Dehydrated vegetables and full meals can be found in camping
stores. Add dried peas to a box of mac & cheese, for instance

4) Try Ramen noodle soups, or any of those "soup in a cup"s (that can
be packaged in baggies so they take up less room).

5) Dehydrated bean flakes that mix up almost instantly with water are
available in HFS. Mix these with some cooked minute rice and put in a
tortilla. Yum! Flavor them with onion, garlic, cumin powders.

6) Cheese backpacks well. Again, the fat may not be so bad if they are
hiking all day. And if it's cold, then the fat is almost necessary to
help them stay warm. (You need a lot more calories when it's cold.)
Add a hunk to any soup, pasta, rice, or dehydrated veggies you're
cooking.

7) Pasta, pasta, pasta. Top it with sauces made from the dry package
mixes. A lot of these are tasty. High in sodium and preservatives
sometimes, but for a couple of meals they won't hurt you.

8) Instant mashed potatoes that can be mixed with the powdered milk
or water only. Make up an instant gravy to go top.

9) Dried fruit can be cooked in some water and put on top of a piece of
angel food cake for dessert. (Hey, the cake might get crushed a little,
but it is lightweight!) Add some cinnamon and Tang (in lieu of orange
juice)and you approximate a Cooking Light recipe.

10) The dry veggie burger mixes would make a great meal. Most of
them make up with water only and many are quite tasty.

11) Bulgar and couscous cook up in only a few minutes with boiling
water.

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Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Wordless Wednesday


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Food Storage Planning

I think that this website has a great plan. All though I agree with what they say about it taking maybe $10.00 instead of $5.00 to do this now. I printed the page out and have it on my fridge now and plan on using the ideas on it. I also have been saving change and selling stuff on ebay with the intent of using ANY money from that will go into purchasing more for our stockpile.

Planning makes getting prepared much easier.


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Friday, May 1, 2009

Stock Up On Stuff That You Do Not Even Use Yourself!

This can come in handy in case times get REALLY bad and you can use the stockpile of stuff that you do not even use to trade or barter with. Like , for example, I got a case of 12 packages of pipe tobacco for free and I have it in the freezer to keep it fresh and then if the time comes I have it to use. I also have been stocking up on other things , like diapers (cloth & disposable), powdered formula, and more.
You never know when someone might have something that YOU need and since you have something that they need , you can trade!!!!

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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Get A Rain Barrel

This is such a great idea, that i think that every single home should be required to have one. I love having a rain barrel. It saves me a ton on watering my garden, flowers, etc. Also it is just good to have one hand.
This whole next week it is going to be raining here. So I am going to set up another rain barrel up at another corner of my house.

Why should I use a rain barrel?
Lawn and garden water makes up approximately 40% of total household water use in the summer. A rain barrel can save you money in the summer by lowering your water bill by reducing irrigation water usage.
Collected rainwater is better for plants because it isn't chlorinated like your tap water is.
Reduce water pollution by reducing stormwater runoff which can contain pollutants.
Storing rainwater for lawn and garden use helps recharge the groundwater which feeds local rivers.

There are some great videos on YouTube about making rain barrels and tons of info on Google.




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Tip For The day!

Save all of your empty milk jugs !!
One great use for them is to get HOT WATER: In the summer, fill a few and let them heat up outside in the sun. You can use the water to hand-wash dishes and wash your hands.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Dry Milk Continued

Since I made that post yesterday, I have been really interested in if there are any recipes out there that are made just for using dry milk. So I went to Google and did some searching. Here are some great links that I found for using dry milk:

Using Powdered Milk In Cooking

Recipes

Storing Dry Milk

Using Dry Milk

Saving Money Using Powdered Milk

Very Best Baking Recipes From Carnation

Potato bread recipe using instant potatoes and dry milk!

Make Dry Milk Taste Like Fresh Milk

Dry Milk

Recipes Using Dry Milk

The Fab Four
How to survive on wheat,
dry milk, honey and salt


I am so sorry for all of the links. There is just a ton of info online about using dry milk. I could list even more. I just wanted to share all of them.


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Affiliate Disclosure: I am grateful to be of service and bring you content free of charge. In order to do this, please note that when you click links and purchase items, in most (not all) cases I will receive a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links enables me to share more information and get closer to getting my family totally off-grid and on our own piece of land. This will let me share more and more information to allow , hopefully, for you to become more self-sufficient and able to become more prepared by reading my blog and purchasing items that I share with you that will help you. Thank you! :)