Practical Prepping

,Practical Prepping: Be Ready For Disaster Without Driving Yourself Crazy Was a free book when this was written. ok Description Publication Date: June 5, 2013 People say that “you can never be too prepared” for a disaster – and while that is true, I do believe there is such a thing as over-preparation. If preparing for a possible disaster in the future significantly impairs your family’s quality of life today, you might need to reassess your priorities. Living in a constant state of terror and paranoia is not something I am particularly fond of. I’m not one of those people who has built such an incredible fortress for myself that I’m almost giddy about the idea of getting a chance to use it. If you find that lifestyle appealing, this guide is not for you. But you probably guessed that already from the title. I believe in practical preparation. Being smart and ready, but also being rational about the risks and rewards involved. In this mini-book I will seek to address some simple steps that everyone should take to stay prepared. ==================================== SOME TOPICS INCLUDE... + Building a "Ready Bag" (a.k.a. "Go" or "Bug Out" Bag) + Creating a Sensible Stockpile + Having a Basic Disaster Preparedness Plan + What if you have Children or Pets? + Prepping on a Tight Budget + BONUS: Canning and Preserving Food

Food Drying - How To Dry Vegetables

Food Drying vol. 2: How to Dry Vegetables was a free Kindle book when this post waswritten.

Book Description Publication Date: October 17, 2013 Are you looking to learn how to safely preserve vegetables by drying them? Food Drying vol. 2: How to Dry Vegetables covers exactly that, giving detailed information on how to prepare and dry more than 30 different vegetables. From artichoke hearts to zucchini, this handy guide has you covered. The following topics are covered in this vegetable drying guide: Why learning to dry vegetables is important, even in this day and age. The vegetable drying process: What happens to vegetables as they dry. How to pretreat vegetables by blanching them to prevent enzymatic browning. Drying trays. How to dry vegetables using the sun, your oven or an electric dehydrator. Conditioning and pasteurizing dried vegetables after drying is complete. How to safely store dried vegetables. The following vegetables are covered in-depth: Artichokes. Arugula. Asparagus. Beets. Bell peppers. Bok choy. Broccoli. Brussels sprouts. Cabbage. Carrots. Cauliflower. Celery. Chili peppers. Collard greens. Corn. Cucumbers. Eggplant. Garlic. Green beans. Lettuce. Kale. Mushrooms. Okra. Onions. Peas. Potatoes. Tomatoes. Zucchini. and more . . . Detailed drying information is provided for each vegetable type, including the following information: A brief description of the vegetable and its health benefits. How to select the best vegetables of that type for drying. How to prepare the vegetable for drying. How to blanch the vegetable, if necessary. The drying temperature range that works best. Approximate drying times for the oven, the dehydrator and sun-drying. How to tell when the vegetable is dry. Conditioning, pasteurizing and storing the dried vegetable. How to rehydrate the dried vegetable before use, if applicable. In addition to detailed instructions on preparing and drying vegetables, there are 20+ bonus recipes included. The following recipes are included in this helpful guide: Beet chips. Bell pepper paprika. Bok choy crisps. Dehydrated Sauerkraut Crisps. Dried carrot chips. Cauliflower crunch. Celery salt. Collard green crisps. Popcorn on the cob. Dried cucumber chips. Cucumber powder. Eggplant jerky. Cajun spiced green beans. Spicy kale chips. Kale powder. Dried pumpkin powder. Spinach chips. Spinach powder. Chard chips. Sun-dried tomatoes. Zucchini chips. Buy this book today and learn to preserve your harvest by drying vegetables.

Garden all year round

Month by Month Gardening Guide / Free Resource Guide Included was a free book when this post was written. A useful book to have in your Kindle survival library for becoming self-sufficient.

 Garden all year round. Month by month guide to large and small vegetable gardening to enjoy your garden year-round. Includes a valuable free Resource guide. 

Black Friday Sales Were Down

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/black_friday_2013_first_spending_decline_since_2009.html

I have never went shopping on black Friday. I usually am the one on Christmas Eve flying around looking for some kind of gift. I really am not surprised that sales on black Friday were down. Everyone I know and others that I have talked to just out have said they just don't have money this year to even get any Christmas, let alone go out and fight over tvs and games on black Friday. I know we are not going to be spending this year. We are having family at our house for Christmas - that is what is important!

Anyone who did fight over a tv or something else on black Friday, I'm not judging you, but is that really what is important in your life?

Increase The Heat Radiation Of Your Wood Stove

Increasing Heat Radiation...
You can improve the heating performance of your wood  stove by doing these simple things :
1. Keep the oven damper closed.  The stove's surface will heat up and radiate the heat out into the room.
2.  Place a large screen of crinkled up aluminum foil behind the stove to reflect the heat out in all directions.
3.  Place a long shallow metal container that is filled with sand under the stove. This will absorb heat and add extra warmth into the room.
4.  A small fan installed behind the stove will cause awesome circulation of heat. I have also seen fans that sit on top of a wood stove.
5.  Leave the stove door open to send out more heat.
These easy tips should help you keep warm!!