All food in the USA under the DHS and the DOD!

The Senate version of the bill must now be reconciled with the House version that was passed last year. This reconciliation committee must hammer out the differences between the two bills

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030576_Food_Safety_S_510.html#ixzz16okWpzJG

 

I can’t say for sure what provisions or ammendments will be in the final bill. What I have seen so far does not give a warm and fuzzy feeling.This is a good time to get your seeds anyway. Food costs were going up and extra regulations always adds to the cost. 

Think spring!! Start working out a garden of pots and planter beds. I know my chives and few other plants have found a happy place and keep on growing. My fruit and nut trees don’t pay attention to government mandates or laws. My grape vines grow no matter what I do.

 

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Sales!!

The local Fred Myers is having a sale of hamburger $1.59 per pound in a 3 lb value pack. Great price, get some if you need some meat. A great price on Soups as well at FM Tomato soup 3 for a $1.00. 20 cans equals 17.5 lbs. towards vegies storage. Since you are storing Tomato soup you need the fixings for grilled cheese sandwiches and geuss what FM has a sale on cheddar cheese at $2.00 per pound. Awesome you have several basics on sale for some great easy meals and the start on tacos. If you make bread, you can make tortillas. Gosh they also have big 28 oz. cans of different tomoatoes from puree to diced for a $1.00 each. All kinds of meals and snacks can be made, chili, tacos, burritos enchilladas, meatloaf, SOS, grilled cheese and tomato soup. Think about a bit I’m sure you could come up with some ideas with a basics you have on hand.
Now it is recommended that you have 150# per person per year for vegies and fruit. I shop for 1 person and then give myself a buffer. If I get 20 can of tomato soup and 10 big cans on canned tomatoes for around $17.00 I’ll have 35 pounds of veggies that will be good for 2 years at least.Could I make tomato soup of course. Can I make and can it for $0.33  for about a pint I think not.

That’s not right! Failure is how you learn, and you will fail!

Embrace failure! I know most folks won’t tell you that is the thing to do but it is the only way you get better.
You will have something that you try end in failure. You will lose time, energy and money almost every time you try something new. Well at least I usually do, I also tend to make every mistake in the book and then some while I’m learning.
You don’t get good at baking bread by just following a recipe. You get good by practice and making several loaves of bread. A recipe is just a start then it’s practice.I still don’t make good biscuits. My biscuits are a lot better than they used to be but, I know gals that make biscuits that are little clouds of heaven. So I keep trying, I know it can be done. It’s just practice & patience to allow and embrace failure.
This is why I love composting and critter in the yard. If you screw up you can toss it to the critters or in the compost. It’s not wasted, even if you can’t eat it.
So keep on trying don’t give up. Usually at the 2nd or 3rd try you will have an good product. Pretty soon if you make any mistakes, they tend to be apparent and you get better. Experiment small with cheap food and you will be ready.

Thermos as a survival tool. It’s not just for coffee anymore.

I love the good ole’ thermos as a survival tool. A really good thermos can be had for $20.00 to $30.00 new and it is a fabulous multi-tasker.
Warm water for washing your face and or hair in the morning. Just boil some water the night before put in a thermos and you have warm water for your morning clean up and no need to heat water for it. It’s ready when you wake up.
A slow cooker, boil some water and you can do grains for breakfast or rice and beans in the evening. I suggest having 2 at a minimum. 3 if you are cooking dinner as well as breakfast. Or 1 per family member.
What’s great is the thermos requires no power. It can save hot or cold items just depends on how you prime it for what you want to accomplish. Great for holding chicken soup or teas for someone who is sick or transporting gravy to a local potluck.
Go for a steel type. Glass ones do tend to be fragile and not great in a survival situation. Though the glass ones would be great keeping your sauces/gravies warm without thickening. Always prime your thermos 10 minutes prior to use. If going for cold,  water and Ice cubes never ice cubes alone. Boiling water for hot items or slow cooking.

What’s stopping you?

I hear a lot of folks say I can’t do what you do. Most often it’s followed by variations on the theme that since I’m disabled and can’t work I have a lot of time on my hands. Of course the reason I can’t work is I don’t have a lot of strength, stamina and in some pain. I’m not getting days off from those things. I don’t want or need sympathy, I just don’t understand the logic. Or it’s “I don’t have the money to prepare.” Well just about everyone who makes less than me get’s Government assistance of some sort. Or you make more than me! and you should be able to do a little to be safe and prepare for the future.
I think what stops many folks is they don’t want to admit “hard times” can happen. A fear that if you admit it, it will cause it to happen. Or denial, always a fun bit of self-delusion. Then that problem usually morphs into a catastrophe and you are caught unprepared. Katrina is a good example of folks not taking responsibility for their own lives but expecting someone else to save them. They had a week of warnings of a Cat  4 or 5, the dikes in N.O. were only built to withstand a Cat 3 hurricane. You are living 10 feet below sea-level.
We have an “Economic Storm” headed our way. You need to get yourself and your family ready for it.

1. Food, Energy and clothing will go up in price next year. Forecasts are at least 10%-30% for all of these items.
2. Your taxes will go up next year. The health care law will tax your health insurance/benefits as income.
3. Look for ways to sustain your self now. A freezer, canner, jars, lids and knowledge. Even if you can’t grow a garden you can buy food and freeze or can it so you have it on hand later when prices really go up.
4. You are going to pay more for the basics and have less money in your paycheck to do it with. 

My motivation was desperation. I wanted to eat well on a limited budget.
I wasn’t a person for all that canning and preserving stuff. Though I always liked cooking, baking and doing my own BBQ. When you look at the costs of buying it in the store as opposed to making it yourself there is no comparison. Every time I bake a loaf of bread, or preserve some food for a later date is my own little “Declaration of Independence”. 

Inflation and deflation coming at the same time !!

Here is what I see coming for the next year. It is my idea of cause and effect and by no means what must or will happen. It’s simply based on what I have read in history and educating myself in a crash course in Economics.
More and more “strategic” defaults on Mortgages will happen. I think the little boost we have seen in spending and saving are a lot of homeowners have just given up on keeping their homes and are trying to get ready to walk away from the loans and have a good holiday before they are foreclosed on. I don’t blame them the Big banks have committed fraud aided by the Feds at level as never before seen. If you are facing foreclosure ask to see the note from the bank. A friend of mine was looking at a short sale he asked to see the note and the bank finally worked out a new payment and loan for him.
Food, clothing and taxes will go up next year. As you have already can tell on food and it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better. I think energy cost will also rise for most folks. So you will have less take home pay and everyday items will get more expensive. So what does this mean to you?

1. Get extra food and clothing. NOW! 
2. Get seeds and gardening tools 
3. At least a hot pack canner, if you can afford it a pressure canner, jars and bands.
4. Learn cooking from scratch; Bake your bread Get a few cook books and try new things to eat.
5. Laundry soap, toothpaste/brushes,soap, paper towels and cleaning supplies. Any thing you use in a month try and get at least 3 months worth. 
6. 1st aid, medicines, Toilet paper, Feminine needs, razors and deodorant. I like dollar stores for these Items.
7. Don’t forget your pets they need food and supplies too. Don’t think the can get by on table scraps, it will make them sick.

Now the good news for you I hope. You are some what prepared, or have done my $150.00 food shopping list and you are looking at making yourself more prepared for the future. Equipment is going to get a lot cheaper. Many folks have a lot of “Stuff” and they will sell/trade it to get the basics and or a little cash to pay the bills. I want you to check out pawn shops, classified ads, yard sales if they are having them where you are at and bazaars. Have a list of your most critical needs and see if you can get them or see what they are going for and you can have an idea what to pay.
Some ideas:

1. Cast iron Skillet and or Dutch oven. 
2. Hand tools
3. Camping gear
4. coffee percolator/French press
5. Pasta machine
6. Blankets and sheets.
7. Gas grills or kerosene stoves and lamps.
8. Guns and reloading equipment. (Pawn shops)

I think one of the most wonderful feelings is when you run out of something and then walk to the “Pantry” to get it instead of running to the store. I hope we have a little time left for cheap food and clothing. But I think 3-6 months at best. Just getting the basics will cost a lot more. Hopefully you will have those basics and will be able to get the equipment cheap so you will break even.
If I am wrong and everything works out. There is no crash, well you will be prepared for any storms, minor emergencies and have a great camping/tailgating set up. You can give some that food to a local food bank or not go shopping for awhile and take a vacation. Pay down a few bills or get a Wii.
This is a win/win situation. You survive “Hard times” and you thrive and can do more fun stuff in good times.

What did you do to prepare this week?

I got 50 # (pounds) of black beans. Cost $20.47 , 2 Bakery/food-safe buckets $2.00 and food safe DE 1/4 of a cup by volume. Not sure the break down cost of DE except cheap.
Waxed 10 # of cheddar cheese I got at less than $2.00 per pound. Wax needs to be restocked but I did over 25# of cheese for less than 1 # of wax that cost $6.50 at RebelBrewers.com. 1# of cheese wax at $7.00 or under is pretty standard that I have seen shopping so far on the internet. I recommend drying the cheese in the fridge before waxing to develop a rind. Mozzarella took over a week to develop a rind. Med. Cheddar about 2 days. Also save your wax as you go it’s recyclable.
50# of beans around 600 4 oz. servings. 50# of rice 500 servings. No it’s not perfect and you must add to your food storage. But it’s nice to know if you had to you could eat into Sept. or Oct. 2011 for $40.00 (for 1 person). How much is that peace of mind worth? We add a few oils, spices, flour,sugar, some dehydration and canning. Some knowledge and techniques of sprouting, growing a winter garden. Learning to smoke, salt and pickle. Prepping ain’t about suffering, it’s about buying low and eating high. It’s about making the best of a bad situation and planning ahead.
Some folks love dehydrated food, I know a gal that stores frozen veggies and fruits and dehydrates them all. I know canning goddesses and coupon queens. It’s all about making it work for you. I don’t coupon, I stalk the Internet for sales. I learned about meat when I get 80/20 hamburger for less than $1.60 per pound. Heck I got that for 73/27 that I dried and then Kellene said wash the meat before vacuum packing. She was right as she has been so often. I ‘d be really mad at her if she wasn’t teaching me so much, and is a generally nice person.
Go to Kellene’s website it’s to in my blog roll to the right. She has tons to teach, has a webinar and a ton of info.
heck, who taught me about waxing cheese, bottling butter and canning meat? Kellene is your girl.

Thinking ahead and what if?

Prepping/survival is a mindset an attitude and it is never over. There is always more to do and learn. Sometimes learning is what our grandparents did as a matter everyday living is daunting. Anyone who has canned knows this feeling. Having 3 cases of canning jars preped for bushels of fruit and veggies and know they all have to be cleaned, processed and then canned. Plus your not sure if you have enough lids, bands or jars. That’s not counting all the work on the garden, critters or shopping. Getting somewhat prepared ain’t for sissies, It’s work!
I think It’s worth the effort. No I’m not like Glenn Beck, I don’t go down in the basement or pantry and cry over what I have accomplished (though I understand that) I look at what’s next. I know I’ll been feeding “family” that looks at me like a loon. So my 1 year of food for me is looking mighty sparse if it has to stretch and feed 10.
Yes I have tried to warn them, But I’m just a loon, I’m the fearful one since I’m prepared and know where my next meal is coming from, do they? I know it doesn’t make sense. But I won’t let kids starve in my family because thier parents are idiots. So since I’m bieng so dumb I might as well plan for it. Thank God for my Mom because she is being dumb with me. LOL
I have great neighbors that are really working hard to be prepared. So I guess it all balances out.
Now remember you are prepping for the most likely 1st and then prioritise. There is a lot of overlap on food, water,safety, sanitation and security. Power outage, earthquake, snow/ice storm, Economic collapse, chemical spill, terrorists threat, National threat. What of the previous scenarios do not require the basics of food, water, sanitation, safety, and security? They may require more but the basics are the same. Get basics first then plan.

Well I covered the BOV by room.

I know the topic is all over the blog. My free association got the best of me or some idea would hit me and I just had to post with no rhyme or reason. Plus still learning how to blog and hope to dedicate some pages for some subjects that I think are critical and can stand all by themselves.
I do hope this will give you some basics for your own BOV no matter what you have from a 38′ Holiday Rambler, a sailboat, an older RV, 5th wheel, trailer of all sorts or a tent.
You know the biscuits don’t care if they are cooked in a fire, with charcoal in a Dutch Oven, in a propane/ solar oven on a sheet pan. All we want to hear is it’s “Time to eat”!

The BOV bedroom

No this isn’t about get your “freak” on it’s about getting a good nights rest. What you do before that is between you, your partner and the fence post. But a good nights rest is critical. A few must first…

1. You must be dry
2. You must be warm
3. you must be clean

If you have been in the Military you found that getting sleep or rest was always a priority for soldiers. Yes I sat in class with my eyes wide open during and took notes(not legibly) I stayed up for 5 days straight with 4 hours of sleep about midpoint. Trust me you will get nasty and short-tempered, your mind will play tricks on you. But in a wierd way you will have clarity of thought. Trust me you can last longer than you think you can.  It just may get a bit weird perception wise. You won’t go off and attack peaceful folks though you may see trees marching by. So let’s not go there and hit some minimums. You need 4-8 hours a day of good sleep everyday. Yes you can catch up on sleep if you feel safe and secure. Don’t over look the power of a nap, even if it’s just 10-20 minutes.
Let’s look at the bunk.I really believe in air mattresses I like the insulation that air provides and they are generally comfy and cheap.Closed -cell mats tend to sweat. Extra blankets and throws are needed, Just like clothing you need layers. The whole point is of layers is to trap air and warm it. That’s why those big, poofy down comforters and quilts are so warm. Also since the military has gone to the it’s new Gore-tex sleepsystem you can find some great prices on the old down filled sleeping bags.
The old rule of 3’s appllies here on sheets and pillow cases. 1. clean, 1 dirty and 1 in use as a min. Have a good insecticide, some food grade DE (bedbugs, critters) and bleach on hand for washing/sanitising your sheets and pillow cases. The sun is also good for “Bleaching” sheets as they dry.
If some one is sick you will need some fluid absorbing pads like they have in the hospital. Now you could spend a lot of money at the local drug store or just get some doggie training pads cheap. They are the same thing!
Assume someone will get sick. A wash basin, bedpan, even adult diapers may be good to have on hand. If you have a handicapped person or some one who is a little weak you may want a toilet seat-riser. I’ve been there and done that. Getting stuck on the potty is not fun, and porta-potties for camping/RV’s  tend to to be very low sitting.
Get good pillows and have extra on hand. No price is to high, if you find a pillow you really like, buy 3 and switch them out. Buy some cheapo pillows for $2-$6 dollars and you can use them for a sick person or for propping some one up in bed. Same for sheets and pillow cases. I like cotton, linen and flannel for my sheets. Get them now before the price goes up!