Guide to Trapping

Guide to Trapping was a free book when this post was written. Great survival book to have in your survival library.

From the description:

Trapping has become somewhat of a lost art, but interest in the sport is as strong as ever thanks to a stable fur market and a growing need to control mammal populations or remove nuisance animals. In Guide to Trapping, Jim Spencer covers strategies for successfully harvesting popular species such as raccoon, muskrat, mink, otter, beaver, coyote, gray fox, red fox, bobcat, skunk, and opossum. His entertaining and informative writing will appeal to trappers of all levels. Spencer discusses trap styles and the basics of establishing and working a trapline, including techniques for fastening and adjusting traps and a species-by-species review of trapping tactics for the country s most pursued furbearers. The field-tested techniques, carefully explained and illustrated, will help trappers make sets that deliver maximum results.

Homeschool Minute - Homemade Water & Landform Tiles

I had seen these water and landform tiles in a catalog and online, but just couldn't bring myself to pay as much as $$40.00 for the set. Like these Sandpaper Land and Water Form Cards. I thought about it for a week, thinking of ways to make some. First, I thought of going to hardware store and getting actual tiles and painting them etc. But, even that would cost too much for us. Thought some more. Was at Dollar Tree and it came to me...get some foam poster board, sandpaper, and poster paint.  Total cost was $5.00!!!!!

Frugal homeschooling!


I first cut the foam board into 10x10 squares getting 6 squares out of each foam board. I had printed some water and landform cards from pinterest, either Montessori Now or another one, and used that as idea of how to cut the sandpaper. Sandpaper being the land. Glued it on the tile, then painted the water with the blue paint. I left room at the bottom for writing what it is, like gulf, island, etc.


Great learning tool that didn't cost an arm and a leg. Little Man loves them. Has been looking, learning, and playing with them all day. Even got his small boats out to push them around in the "water".

Food Storage Recipe - Hamburger Rice Hot Dish

A simple recipe for a quick meal. Serve with a salad? Or some bread?

Need:

1 pound ground beef

1 can condensed cream of chicken or mushroom soup

1 cup water

1 cup uncooked instant rice

Brown the beef and drain it. Put back in skillet and add remaining ingredients. Stir to mix well in a casserole dish. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for about an hour. Serve.

Cooking with a Lamp

 

This is something that surprisingly works great. 

Make a tripod to hang your small cooking pots from that is measured to where the pot is within about a half inch of the top of the lamp. This will ensure that the heat from the lit lamp will go right to the pot. You can easily make one out of wood - making 3 legs and a wooden center to put the hook on for hanging the pot. 

You can quickly boil water, make coffee, warm up canned food, etc. Great way to have warm food when you have no power. You can find these lamps at thrift stores and yard sales all of the time. Great investment. I think , right now, that I have 12 of them! I buy them when ever I see them. LOL I am a kerosene lamp hoarder and I am not embarrassed by it. You can never have enough.  

Food Storage Recipe - Depression Meat Loaf

Great depression era recipe.  Awesome to make a meat loaf with so few ingredients. We probably should dig out all of those depression era recipes these days.  My grandma used hers daily. She lived thru the depression. She could make gravy out of anything. 

Need:

Half cup evaporated milk

2 slices bread

1/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 pound lean ground beef

In a large bowl pour the milk over the bread and let it sit until all of the milk is absorbed.  Add the onion, salt, and pepper. Stir it together with a fork until the bread is nice and fluffy.  Mix in the ground beef.  In a baking dish, shape it into a loaf - about 7 inches by 3 inches,  and about 2 inches thick. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until the middle is no longer pink.