My stash is heavy on spices, sauces, gravies, dehydrated, peppers of various types, onions. We have gotten use to a highly varied diet and food fatigue should be a real concern. Face for many of us you could tell the day of the week by what Mom was cooking (Meatloaf Monday, northern beans and corn bread Tuesday, Wednesday chicken or maybe beef and noodles, Thursday pinto beans and fried potatoes, Friday fish usually the cheap bulk fish sticks, Saturday hamburgers, Sunday fried chick) and we were fine with that, but now days it isn't only the kids that can look into a full 'frig' or pantry and see nothing to eat. Do yourself a favor and pack away things that when added to you basics will keep the everyday interesting and palatable.
PING!
yep!! Variety is the spice of life, and spice can definitely enhance life...great point to make, and yet another layer for folks to consider as they continue to build that stash and wonder what would be good to put up next.
I just finished smoking and dehydrating the first batch of this year’s garden Ancho peppers. They are just outstanding to rehydrate and flavor any pot full of beans...
Know your area. It’s not ideal but it can keep you alive. All zones have their unique survival fauna. Chit hits the fan there is no telling how low or long it’s going to go.
Its clear as a bell that at the very least a Double Dip is coming up and I aint talkn roller coaster or Baskin Robbins!
I think that we are in for something like the collapse of Argentina ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yerKMQc7-w&feature=grec_index)but from the look of things it may even be on a global scale. Additionally I think we will see a much more violent version. As recent events show (Flash Mobs, UK riots, etc)we have a larger entitlement minded population and a the US has a much more violent and armed population than Argentina. I see many many small business wiped out by flash mob looting, and see rape, robbery and murder for murder sake. Many of these yutes will think no more about killing you than most people think about stepping on a roach. That will be the test of many. Most preppers I know are Christian people and they will hesitate to do what they might have to do to stop the yutes. On the other hand the yutes wont think twice nor lose a minute of sleep, in fact they will smile and laugh about it.
Think of this quote which is one of my favorites:
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Siege of AR-558 (#7.8) (1998)
Quark: Let me tell you something about Hew-mons, Nephew. Theyre a wonderful, friendly people, as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working. But take away their creature comforts, deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers, put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time and those same friendly, intelligent, wonderful people... will become as nasty and as violent as the most bloodthirsty Klingon. You dont believe me? Look at those faces. Look in their eyes.
Now go look at some of the videos of the riots in the UK and of some of the flash mobs here in the US and look into there eyes.
For those who are just starting or are old hands at prepping you may find my Preparedness Manual helpfull. You can download it at:
http://www.tomeaker.com/kart/preparedness1i.pdf
For those of you who havent started already its time to prepare almost past time maybe. You needed to be stocking up on food guns, ammo, basic household supplies like soap, papergoods, cleaning supplies, good sturdy clothes including extra socks, underwear and extra shoes and boots, a extra couple changes of oil and filters for your car, tools, things you buy everyday start buying two and put one up.
As the LDS say When the emergency is upon us the time for preparedness has past.
Or as the bible says: A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
NIV Proverbs 22:3
Lastly this for the doubters and the scoffers.
There is no greater disaster than to underestimate danger.
Underestimation can be fatal.
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Lots of peanut butter. It keeps a long time, is nutritious and tastes good on crackers - which also are good keepers.
Should also start buying things you don’t usually think of like powdered milk, canned milk, vitamin supplements, silica gel, powdered eggs, clorox, aspirin, dried fruit and beans. There are so many imaginative things you can think of. A little at a time adds up. If you have a water supply like a stream or river, the clorox will kill just about anything. Chewing tobacco is great for things like ringworm, poison ivy/oak, almost any kind of rash. Baking soda and vinegar. Epsom salts. I could probably list a million things and you would be surprised at how many uses there are for each one. Raw lemon juice will repel ants. Okay. I’m done.
We plan to grow alot of ours as well. Here’s our five basic types of storage:
1. Dry storage - Beans, oilseeds, and grains primarily.
2. Processed - canned, dried.
3. Root cellar or ice box. Freezer if there’s electricity.
4. Overwintered - covered by straw or plastic if they can’t naturally survive subzero.
5. Perennials - come up every year. This includes wild foraging.
I read once, that the pioneers never died in the winter in the raging snowstorms like you see on TV. They died in the spring when the grass was green and the flowers blooming, March or April, because they were out of stores and nothing much was growing yet.
Plan for that.
And remember that small dogs and cats will work as livestock for those who might be stranded in a suburban house during the spreading of the riots after blackouts.
northern beans and corn bread? Beans with sausage and corn bread, onions and ketchup on top? Good stuff.
Sounds like you’re from the north like me.
Please add me to your ping list.
Not really knowing any better, I was calling everybody I could think of to come and get things to cook so that they wouldn't go to waste. Had I been better schooled, I would have started canning and dehydrating immediately and saved close to $1000.
I've since discovered than canned meats are actually very good. I've played around with different spices. You can whip up all kinds of soups, casseroles and sandwich fillings with canned meat.
b4l
Apple cider vinegar. Bragg’s is good. works for everything.
These are our basics we have layed by and stored in abundance. Same for medical supplies, to include six months minimum for prescription drugs.
Firearms and thousands of rounds for same. As we reload, primers, powder, dozens of bullet molds, several 5 gallon buckets of wheel weights and trot line fishing gear.
And the above does not include all we have.
bttt
Looks very interesting and right up my alley! Had almost no FR time today - will check it out tomorrow.
Outlaw Woman - it’s been crazy in my house lately. I have not forgotten my plans - my blog is up but still pathetic. Thank you for your reminder and I must get my a** in gear. That means my act of course.
This is a little off-topic, but can anyone give me tips on how to keep a well going if the &h*! hits the fan? We have a good deep well but the pump is electric. I’m clueless how to keep it going if we don’t have electricity. Is a generator involved somewhere in this equation? Thanks for info, or pointers to a good web page that gives verrrrry specific how-to information!