August 2011 Preps, Halfway Through!

I know some of you have seen this and some of you haven't. This is the quick pic of our canning. There was 1 full case to the side that I coudn't include in the photo because I didn't want the table to bow lol.

We've been canning since March 20th and have given away about 20 jars. But we still have 22.5 cases of canned food. It is the best addiction ever and it puts your mind at ease to look at the "food room"

Lemon Juice and Acetone...keep it on the shelves, keep notebooks too folks.












I really try to buy domestically made stuff.













Last week this chicken was only 1.89 a lb. But this last WEEKEND boneless skinless breast was only $1.49, the drumsticks and thighs were only .68 cents a lb. UNBELIEVABLE.









Tonight we also went to purchase more ground chuck (our local store here does 90%lean for chuck) and it was holding at $1.88/lb. All I know is that I have this feeling that prices are going to hike astronomically because our prices here are UNBELIEVABLY cheap.







Canning Chicken is one of my favorite things out there. I like how it looks, how it makes the house smell and how it tastes.










I already reviewed this. Just click on the receipt below so you can feel the amazement.












There's my jardiniere and peaches in the background. I just have to keep it up.












Proof is in the Pudding.

Click on it twice to enlarge the pic.













Walgreen's is getting harder and harder to hustle.

Contact Solution: 8 bucks with instant $8 rebate
BPA free baby spoons: $1.09 clearance
Lindt Choco Truffles: $1.50 each
Aquafresh Whitening: $1.29 clearance
Johnson 500pc Q tips: $1.99





I recently started watching youtube videos on how to make your own laundry soap. Last week while I was out shopping I was just keeping an eye out for Fels Naptha/Octagon soap. I didn't find any here in the West Valley so I stocked the Lirio laundry bars (white for whites and yellow for coloured clothes)

The fels is only $1.39 at Food City in the East Valley and the 400g lirio is only .89 cents


The borax was about 2.60 a box and the washing soda is close to $3 a box. Even just having this much would make at least 110 gallons of laundry soap following the most basic recipe.









We stopped by Wally World to pick up my briquets for my brother. Well Mr.Man and I habitually cruise their clearance. Well I saw this coconut oil but I said it's still pricey. Well as we walked away from it this little Asian lady made eyes at him and said What do you Want Hunny I will mark it down for you! He said I will take these for $2...she said Ohhh only $2.50 is my Max Hunny. He said, "I'll TAKE em"




I was helping my brother organize his pantry, house and garage and I found this 25 compartment organizer thrown in the corner of his 3 car garage. I noticed the corner just needed a bit of duct tape and said Hey Can I take this and he said take it.

I'm going to use it to divvy out my first aid kit a bit. The other week Mr.Man got a pretty deep thumb cut and I had to dig inconveniently.


I had that $8 coupon for walgreens. So I went in there to use it before it expired. I found these baby wipes 3 - 100 packs for only $2.50. I also found Keri Lotion for 5.99 with a $5 rebate. Next to Cetaphil and Jergens, Keri is my next choice. I ended up paying $4.78 and they gave me a $5 instant rebate. LOL.

The white choco nestle chips were only 95 cents each at the local dollar store.



Hydrogen Peroxide was only 99 cents a quart at the 99 cent only store. That is one of the best prices I've seen for 32 ounces. We still have a few cases of hydrogen peroxide so I figured 5 quarts would suffice.








We went to the East Valley to drop off some canned stuff and things I got for the Father In Law while I was in Asia. I was really pushing my luck asking Mr.Man to stop at the Asian store when he barely got off a flight from a 4 day bachelor party. But he's a good sport and he went.

The sake was only $6.47 a bottle but they only had 2 left. I also picked up shredded seaweed, wasabi powder, toasted black sesame and salt, green tea incense and good rice flour.

While contemplating what to can I decided to throw a batch of creamcheese brownies for the boys and girls at Arizona Shootersworld - since they are SO nice to us.









While that baked I went outside to push the cucumbers aka WEEDS around - and don't you know I found a cucumber. A nice big 8 inch one that was happy to see me...









I looked again and saw this 5 inch one...













And sleeping under the other side was one more.

It's not much but at least our ghetto garden finally yielded something. I just wanted to can SOMETHING from our first gardening attempt. Looks like I'm gonna get my chance. Thank you Bees for working and thank you Mr.Man for not giving up!

3 day Haul, may1-3, Stayin on top of it.

Well I'm still at it...every time i want to take a break from things something new happens. It has been raining a LOT in the heartland area. Last Saturday (the 30th) floods wiped out a lot of peoples crops and over 500 chicken farms. The projected damage on the farmland could't be measured until it subsided and the damage of the chicken farms getting knocked out is up to 300% for consumers.

So my plan went out the window to relax on Sunday. The 3 moms went to church, then out to Korean/Chinese buffet with my brother and I asked them to stop at the Vietnamese grocers and pick up 20 lbs of chicken








They picked up a bit of extra - so 22 lbs. Minus the 1lb that mom put into stir fry.











21 lbs of large sliced chicken breasts makes 7 quarts plus 7 pints of canned chicken. Instead of just having plain boiled water I dissolved 2 chicken bouillon in 4 cups of water and put a tsp of red chili flakes in each jar









I just followed the instructions in the Blue Ball Canning Book or whatchamacallits. 1 hour and 15 minutes at 10lbs of pressure.










When I put the 7 pints in there was room for 1 more jar so i put in 15 pcs of beef sausage and canned that as well. I figure even if it doesn't have the perfect texture it will still be passable for biscuits and gravy.











You know it feels good to put this stuff up, it's nice to reach in your cupboard for something and your preps wave back at you. It's kind of like if I didn't go to the store for a long time I wouldn't even have to worry about it









I was out buying beans (super price this week) - and walked by the "clearance cart" they park in front of the store and noticed the little cocktail onions and dried beef. The onions will always have a purpose even if its just thrown onto something and the beef I never tried but since it is in the shape of salami It would never hurt.





This beef expires 2014. The normal store price on this is like 3-4.29 a bottle. Apparently most people use it for chipped beef on toast or with cheese and crackers. It's no big deal to me - I'll eat whatever.

Some people even save the glass container and use it as a childs cup or something....





These do not expire until 2013. The cocktail onions were 45cents, down from over 2 bucks - like I said I don't really have a purpose for them - at the very least we can make filthy martinis with them because Star is a good brand and it's just an unbelievable price.







Someone was showing me their hauls and I noticed that this lady (ckillingsworth - she's on my blogs I follow) had pest control type things and I was thinking holy crap we don't have any of that except boric acid and fly paper.

I picked up a few things just to get us started. Those black ones are like reusable rat traps that snap shut like an evil chip clip haha.



Summer sausage was 50% off doesn't expire for 2 years they just aren't stocking it anymore at my store. I noticed that a lot of places have stopped stocking stuff that doesn't sell too much so they mark it down to super clearance just to get it out of the store.







The aunties just wanted to pick up postcards down the street at walgreens and while they perused the cards I checked out the clearance aisle and found an off mosquito powerpad for only $2.50. Nice little buy there. We sometimes get mosquitos here towards the end of the summer as some of the irrigation canals dry down. But that is quite a buy - now i just have to find backup pads on clearance and we are set. It comes with one pad and candle free included lol.








2nd Best deal of the day was the triple cleaned pinto beans - 4 lbs for 96 cents. So we have 24lbs of beans for $6. You coudln't beat that price with a stick. Now I just have to bag it, o2 pack it and tag it.








Humanitarian effort 1: 12 pkgs of punch mix and a box of electrolyte packets 2 bucks to add to our friends stash.












We were also able to add 5lbs of cornmeal mix, 4 cans of sweet corn, 5 lbs of beans, 2 bottles of soy sauce, Betty crocker potatoes Au gratin and 2 bottles of iodized salt - about $9.28 for about 15 lbs of food.

We're doing all we can despite this political and financial mess the country is in. Some days it is just too much bullshit and you have to unplug or listening to them lie on the news makes you irate! And I'm angry but not that kind of angry and truth be told; the more people irritate me the harder I prep, the more people threaten me I double my preps, the more stupid people act the heavier my shopping cart gets, the more dangerous people become the fatter my first aid kit becomes. Keep on doing all that stupid shit - because pretty soon stupidity will become inexcusable.

Open Your Effin Eyes! and my April Preps - week 1

I'm dusted and disgusted.

I spent the better part of yesterday, studying,canning and dehydrating. Mom had to have a procedure done for her dialysis because the fistula in her arm is failing and I had to monitor her because she might have to run the ER. I still have a 4.0 but Math is starting to worry me because the scores on my last tests were 90,95,90. I need to really kick it up and get a couple of hundreds to really lock my A down. Having 2 moms around is a bit of a distraction but I'm pushing myself.

First things first...last night I made beef tacos (did i mention he requests these 3x a week) and he was sitting there eating them. I almost left to take a shower until I saw the word MOBBED flash on the tv. So Mr. Man and I look at each other and agree we should watch this train wreck. So the premise of the show is that they get a MOB (200-1000) people to learn a dance routine in a matter of a few hours so some JACKASS can propose to his GF, and pretend like some girl is seeing him and throws water in his face - Dumb Dumber Dumbest. Mind you they are all dancing to some corny Pop song that I don't even remember and Howie says he wants 600 people practicing on the 6th floor to get ready for a 6 o'clock proposal. Really Howie - you little devil. Anyway, what is tripping me out is that originally 600 people came out and then later 400 more came out dancing to "everlasting love" Then Howie insisted that it not just be a proposal but also an impromptu wedding and the knucklehead agreed. So let me get this straight...The Ivory Coast is jacked up, Syria is Jacked up, Our economy just took a great big SHIT on everyone, We're messing with Libya but won't admit it, gas is going to be 5 bucks a gallon soon and our school system is Effed up - BUT 1000 people can dance in the street. Are you kidding me! Disgusting.

2nd - We were plotting our preps and had the tv on some news channel and the Walmart CEO came out and said '...serious inflation coming in the next few months..." HELLO PEOPLE. Listen, if the Wally World CEO comes out and says they are going to inflate their prices and they are known for their bottom line pricing and "rollbacks" you better listen. Life is not the same as you know it any longer and to continue on is like playing the violin while the Titanic sinks. Pay Attention! or not. I mean if you've got it "LIKE THAT" then feel free to pay an exorbitant amount for whatever - me personally I rarely pay full price for anything. Even if you just buy staples it will supplement your food costs and allow you to buy better stuff later. But that's on you. Mr. Man has been really aggravated with people lately not "listening" or not "believing" and I told him you know you've been trying with them for months, just leave them behind like dead carcasses - coz basically these are people who have been warned by multiple sources, barely make it on what they've got now, and also have small children. They will not knock on our door because they know they should have listened. If they do knock on the door - I will feed their kid and tell them to come back in 15 minutes.

Life goes on - and it is APRIL already folks.

Here's a few things I picked up at a local tool shop and the 99cent only.

I picked up these 2.5 gallon buckets with handle for a little over a dollar to transfer my plants into since living in the Phoenix Metro area is more conducive to bucket planting than anything else.




I picked up this stuff at the 99cent only 4 planter for a buck and 4 bottoms for a buck and the long stick cotton buds to add to my fist aid kit. You can see our first aid toolbox sitting right under the buckets and activated charcoal



They also had these tarps. Mind you we have good quality tarps already but I figured a few more 4x6 with grommets would never hurt - at the very least we could duct tape them together and pitch a kifaru or cover stuff up north if it ices over.



Last but not least - I got home from Math class and the kid across the street was having a garage sale - he had these shelves for 12 bucks and mom2 wanted the metal lock box - I had exactly 11 bucks in my pocket - and the shelving is metal - so it was an OK price in my opinion and I was looking for shelving for the canned stuff anyway - and now I have it. Mom 1 said I paid too much - but you know what - it makes it all right for neighbor relations.