End of May 2011 ALREADY!!!

It's the end of the month already...June is here - we have officially ripped through half of the year. I hope for all our sakes everyone is doing what they should be doing to keep their houses in order. Truth be told it is your social responsibility to keep your house straight. It is part of your self respect, dignity and patriotism to be self reliant - in what way? Well the manner in which you are self reliant is up to you - but since when did this country become a bunch of spineless wannabees who assume that someone will always be there to bail you out?

I don't get it.

On top of all that - it's been a year since we had a loss, my grandmother (89 years old) appears to have had a mild stroke and my Auntie in Law was hospitalized for some health complications and has been suffering in silence. None of that really makes me want to do much - coz I just need to sit still or else I'm really going to lose my temper at how unfair it is that two very kind people who i love are getting the short end of the stick right now.

That said - I ran the 2 moms on a few errands since they will depart by end of week and while out I was able to pick up a few things.



1 case instant coffee (3.5oz) 2 cases red sockeye salmon (expires 2014) - $36 bucks












$13: organic salad, 2 minced onions, 4 -4pack fly tapes, 4 instant mixes for the canned stuff, and a pkg of veggie soup mix.











Our friend dropped another case of Fuze green tea drinks on us - I hope that Strawberries go on sale soon so I can gift them more strawberry preserves that their 2 year old likes on her pancakes!

Life keeps moving even if I'm looking at it with a grinchy look on my face.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake


Ingredients

14oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup oatmeal (ground and toasted)
1/2 c (1 stick) butter + 3 Tbsp butter
8 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp instant espresso or coffee
1/2 tsp pure vanilla

1 1/2 c pecans or walnuts chopped (optional)
1 cup toffee bits (optional)

Heat oven to 350 F

Spray 9 inch springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper (also spray paper.)

melt half of the chocolate with 1/2 cup of butter on high stirring every half minute or so until smooth. Using a mixer beat eggs and sugar until pale yellow in color (3-5 minutes)...stir in ground oatmeal, half the pecans and melted chocolate into the egg mix. Do not overmix this - just go until it's all incorporated.

Pour into pan and smooth evenly.
Bake until set and slightly puffed (30-45 minutes).
Let the cake cool completely and invert on a plate.

In a separate bowl dissolve the espresso in 1 tbsp hot water.
In a microwave safe bowl melt the remaining chocolate and 3 tbsp butter stirring until smooth.
Spread this glaze evenly over the top and sides of the cake.
Press the chopped nuts onto the side and refrigerate.

Once glaze is set this is ready to eat.

---

Some people separate the eggs. In this recipe I do not because more than likely people will be using freeze dried eggs or dehydrated eggs for this sort of thing. As long as you have chocolate and butter in your preps pretty much anyone can make this.

We top ours with homemade whipped cream and strawberries. But that's our house! Just depends on how much of a junkie you are. I saw a lady on youtube from the Depression era made chocolate glaze with cocoa powder and a can of condensed milk heated over the stove.

Use what you got. As long as you got it.

Happy Memorial Day...

Think about those you've lost...and remember to love the ones you haven't lost.

Tin Foil Hat Day - 2011

Tin Foil Hat Day is tomorrow...Wear it Loud, Wear it Proud!

Ninja Style...













Really...you can't see us!













Bonnie & Clyde Style!













Whatcha Think?













Get Outta Here!

Even in these crazy times - you can have fun!

Keep an eye out - Mr. Man will be having a little something on youtube in a bit!

Ghetto Garden Update: end of May 2011

Ghetto Garden Update...end of May..so We've been farting around with germinating seeds for almost 6 months now. And it's slow going due to the learning curve and a dog that just seems to love eating seedlings...

We had a plastic barrier for a couple days but the winds have been strong lately and for this time of year the strongest they have been in the 10 years I've lived here. Regardless - the U of Az planting guide says we still have plenty of time for beans, cucumber, and melon. So we're just letting them grow. Mr. Man put in this wire fencing type stuff -it's not chicken wire but it's called something else. If it keeps the dog so be it - if it doesn't then it doesn't.

I'm sure everyone has some advice feel free to give it - I know some of them are fried and I know some of them are planted haphazardly. I know that square foot gardening is also an option and we have thousands of yards of cotton twine to do it. I know that the tomatoes probably won't make it since it's warming up but I just didn't have the heart to kill the only seedlings that made it. I know that I don't even give a shit - so give your advice and I'll give it back. Truth be told I'm fed up with the garden and I have moments I want to put bbq fluid on it and burn that mofo down...but I won't - coz the Mr. is determined and I won't pee on his parade.

So here's the overall view - He put the metal re-bar or whatever down about 8 inches and then linked the wire crap to each thing. I believe it was around 30 ft worth of wire.









Small Bed...butternut squash, cantaloupe, green beans (contender) and the determined tomato plants and red sweet pepper.











It's on the hot side of the bed it's fried but somehow continues to grow - it is what it is. But 3 of the backups are already peeping through.











This cantaloupe is freakishly strong - we put a wire divider between it so it has something to climb.











There is another stubborn tomato plant alongside the 3 squash. Since they were seedlings one of those squash plants has always been on the yellow side - I'm thinking of just yanking it.










These are what's left of the dog eating the bigger cucumber seedlings. 13 new seedlings. 4 armenian, 5 carolina, and 4 of some other kind of cucumber I put in there. the 7 bigger ones in the white pots were from weeks ago - zuchinni I think. I have no idea where to put them since I'm told putting them near armenians will cause them to become weirdos.






This is all chili and green beans of different varieties...*shrugs* we'll see.



























This is some black squash that I sectioned off with rocks away from the other stuff. There used to be like 5 in there until the dog got to it.











Okra...It doesn't look like it but there's actually 3 seedlings...the dog got those too.












Tobacco and something else.

*shrugs again*











Another stubborn little tomato and his 2 brothers,












Some green beans and chili that finally decided to join the party.


Maybe I should get out of town for a bit then this can all be fun again. LOL.

I hope all of your gardens are doing better than mine.

You Get on my Last Nerve. haha.

This is R rated and full of F bombs and don't continue reading if you don't like that stuff.

So this morning I get up and make a cup of coffee and start to walk outside to check on my plants. I noticed the little barrier is lifted and inspect it - and what do you know - the lab Pitt has got into the big bed and ate 2 of the cucumber seedlings. So I guess that this will be my FIFTH planting. Ridiculous. Well right off the bat Mom2 was like oh no she's in trouble and Mom1 was like well we didn't let them out. I said someone did, she said Mr. Man did and I said Mr. Man would not leave them out there unsupervised because like me he's also pissed off the dog keeps eating plants. I told her I bet you anything my sister did it...she was all vehement from the beginning and said no she did not. I was like oh yeah we'll see - so I text both my sister and Mr.Man and asked did you leave the dog outside unsupervised.

Mr. Man : "i took her outside but she only laid by the pool, i kept an eye on her"
Sister: "only for a minute, i had to pee - ohhh did she eat something in the garden?"

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME.

Unbelievable. You'd think her fuckin ass would want me to grow some FOOD as BIG as her Damn ass is - whatever. So i told Mom1 to stop defending her lame ass because she's been doing lame things since birth and we should just accept her lameness and not assume any non-lame behavior. I also advised them that each time the dog causes damage that was avoidable I will cause equivalent damage in exchange. I have tried reason - now I will have to be unreasonable.

Well I went to vent in the Preppers chat and was speaking in the most general of terms and this one dude who I thought was "ok" said some smart ass SHIT like "word of the day - dysfunctional..." LMFAO - yeah really? so I asked - oh I'm dysfunctional? He said,"your whole family is dysfunctional.." Well one of the few cool guys in there was like we are just talking...yeah exactly - we are just talking - meaning blowing off steam.

First of all - don't sit on your fucking high horse like you love church and people and all this shit - I ain't buying that. Second of all - keep my family out of your fuckin mouth coz you don't even TALK about any extended family so your sad lonely busted broke ass can shut your piehole. Man I don't like that shit - GROWN ASS MAN says some sideways shit and then ghosts out - unravel your fallopian tubes you little bitch.

This is the thing: I've been seeing snide sideways comments not just directed towards me but directed towards others...and it's bullshit --- don't act like you are all Mr. damn Helpful to the community and then say some negative backhanded comments like you are the GURU of this Godforsaken planet. Kiss my Croissant colored ass. I was trying to think about some bullshit he said to me a couple weeks ago when I was talking about keeping a tight eye on my budget and needing more preps and he said something to the effect of,"I doubt with your family's paycheck that you will be suffering much..." Say what you mean BITCH. Or just fuckin boo hoo in your little space and be Mr. tough guy on your computer. Look - I buy my own shit, earn my own shit, and have consistently earned my own shit. i COULD sit on my ass if i wanted to, but I'm not gonna roll over like some Amsterdam Hooker and take it from anyone. It's not your place to say who IS or IS NOT going to suffer. Spare me your contemptuous paternalistic bullshit.

Whatever *rolls eyes*

Oh what's wrong - I'm not broke enough to be a prepper? I'm not unhealthy enough to be a prepper? I haven't been screwed over enough to be a prepper? Oh no one has ever shot at me or tried to kill me so I just ain't prepper enough? I paid off my shit so I can't possibly be a prepper? I pick up things very easily and run with it and God Forbid I've done MORE in 6 months than most people can't do in a year. Unlike most people who are so concerned about being NICE - I am concerned about being TRUTHFUL even if it can be moderately uncomfortable and at times the cause of extreme discomfort. Funny Shit.

Pathetic people. I'm venting...but I also know my senses aren't wrong when I feel that they are trying to say some backhanded shit to me. I'm also not a fake ass crybaby bitch who has to clown on people to feel better about myself. I know what I have going on materially and intangibly and frankly clowns ain't shit. I've seen 90% of the country I was born in and traipsed all around Europe and Asia at a level which most people will never do.

Times may be shitty now - but I know it is a world worth living in and I'd like to see how things go after the world changes - which is why I am a person who keeps going. I don't prep coz I'm scared to go hungry or because some freak-boy says the world is going to end. I prep so that I am not reliant on others in case of an emergency, so I'm not 'stunned' by this ongoing inflation, and to ensure that we will continue to THRIVE, to contribute and to share our blessings.

After my little outburst this morning Mom2 said - you should go looking for preps - that always makes you feel better. So I popped in the shower and got out of the house for a bit.

Um..I really wanted some rice - but there weren't any good prices anywhere and we still have 50 active pounds in the kitchen for everyday eats so no worries. I don't cook food when I'm annoyed so buying 20 lbs of any kind of protein was out. The only thing I could think of was jars -

I checked out the coupons on my desk and found 2 - 1 for 10 bucks off of 50 and an additional 5 of of 50 and 10% off 1 item.




Three cases of pint wide mouths was $33.12. Three boxes of the elite pint wide mouths was about $14.52 (kind of pricey I know but I don't come across them very often and I think it's a nicer shape for jams and jellies). I also picked up a few packs of chicken breasts at 97 cents a lb The total was 53.70. The coupons gave me $16.10 off. That made a case of jars $7.89 a piece - that is $1.24 cheaper than Walmart...





I really like these jars - the elite shape - I also have a case of them put up in the half pint size - the best thing about the elite shape is they also come in wide mouth! WooHoo.










We stopped at the 99cent only just to check for that red sockeye salmon (avg retail is 6.50 a can) but they didn't have any. But I did score 2 large bags of whole oregano, asparagus, pectin, 2 black food coloring and 4 tiny artichokes - $13.76









We stopped at the El Super grocer next door for jalapenos and cilantro and noticed they had ENAMELED tortilla presses. I've really been wanting one of these in wood from my fave lunch spot La Tolteca in downtown Phoenix but El Super had these for like 12.50. After you factor in gas for the other place they both come in at the same price.

Thank goodness I can stop rolling mine by hand.




On the way home Mom1 said don't you have Walgreen's coupons still? I said yeah - 8 bucks - Haha. I went and looked at the ad and there really wasn't anything that we needed and they only had 1 leave in conditioner left. So i grabbed the buy 1 get 1 Shea Butter petroleum, 2 Jergens with 2 bucks off and one for half price. I walked out with 27 bucks worth of stuff for $1.82.

How you like them apples?

Last Week of the Month...Hoppin' to it...

Hi everyone. I had to run Mom1 to her Gen Practice Physician to reveiw some lab results - she's been a bad girl sneaking food she shouldn't have and her potassium and phosphate readings are on the bad side. But as soon as he said atrial fib and heart attack that really squinched her hard headed ass. At least I can stop nagging her about putting down those kettle chips.

If the current conditions of things don't make you want to put up a get lost bag and first aid kit I dunno what's wrong with you: floods through the heartland, chicken farms lost, cattle ranches lost, hundreds of thousands of acres of crops lost, catfish and southern shrimping lost, lives lost, more lives lost, Minneapolis, Kansas and Oklahoma busted with tornadoes, even more lives lost on top of lives unaccounted for, Iceland volcano blowing again and possibly 10-100x more than 2 years ago, floods and landslides in Malaysia, super typhoons and persistent groupings of earthquakes in the Asian ring of fire...do you want me to go on? I can. It doesn't make me scared or sad - what it does make me is more motivated to insulate myself.

Please people - do something, do anything, don't just lay there and take it.

Last night I finished JD's quick and easy first aid kit and gave it to him with specific instructions of 4 more things he needed to buy and it would be complete.










Yesterday was the first day of the Walgreen's ad. If you didn't know their ads start on Sundays. What you see here is Cantu hair products. This stuff is exceptionally good for Mr. Man's hair, it has also almost doubled in price - it ranges from 3.99 to 5.99 around town if they even have it at all. Well I noticed the ad said 4.99 with a $4 in store rebate. So at first the girl was acting crazy and said 1 purchase per person per day - yeah right. I told her to call her manager coz he knew me and she said oh that's fine.

The girl stuff was only 99cents on sale.

The Altoids were only $1 a tin with coupon and I know sometimes they are cheaper but we want to make a bunch of mini EDC things for us and our friends so we need those tins - we might even make a couple baby rocket stoves.

The plastic cutlery is on clearance at 25 cents a packet from the regular 99 cents.






The straws were also 25 cents down from a buck...


















I also picked up some spoons at the same price of 25 cents each.












Right before we headed home I decided to stop at Dollar General for some Excedrin and at 99 cent only to pick up some spinach and whatnot. Turns out they had some super good deals: DG had 100% apple cider vinegar for $1 and Louisiana hot sauce for 67 cents, droppers for $1 and temp tooth filling (for 8 teeth) @ $2. The 99C only had salmon, organic beans and turkey all at 99 cents.

Yeah you heard me.




Another lady said OMG 1 lb turkey for less than a dollar - i said it expires next month - she said Freeze it honey - and handed me 5 lol. Fortunately for me everyone here loves Turkey breast and I have to admit Oscar Meyer does make good sandwich slices - not great but definitely good.







This was my best buy of the day 14.75oz sockeye red salmon. 99 cents each. yeah you heard me. The expiration is 12/2014. I was just going to get 5 or so and Mom1 said take them all - that's alaskan sockeye red. She tried one as soon as we got home and she gave it a thumbs up - tastes much better than the chicken of the sea one and less salty.

20 cans today - and tomorrow we will look for 20 more. I think I created a closet prepper.



So after I got Mom to the lab and back and dropped a few bags of stuff to the donation place (woo hoo tax deduction)...

I picked up more Cantu stuff and for some reason 1 of my $4 buck rebate coupons didn't come out - well the girl called the manager and she did some goofy thing and was supposed to give me back a coupon and she rang it and I owed her $1.28 and then she handed me the receipt and the rebate - then as i was grabbing my bag she put another receipt in the bag. When I got home it was another $4 rebate.

Just in case anyone thinks I'm bullshitting here's the receipts and rebates before I go spend them. Those hair products ended up being 33 cents each instead of the 99 cent sale price or the 4.99 regular price. How you like that?

The raisins were 1.99 a lb and the girl stuff was again 99 cents.






Here is a closer shot of the Dentek and droppers, I've also started picking up L'oreal HIP products for $1 when I can in neutral colors as I may have to trade them later - mind you the value on these is like 8 bucks a piece. Afro came home from the dentist yesterday with a freebie toothpaste and dental floss to throw in the it - and We needed some dice($1) to play Yahtzee in case SHTF. My hack optometrist told me i might need bifocals with my contacts since my eyes are strained from school. I picked up some just in case the hack might be right.

At the suggestion of my chat room guru I picked up a pair of moisture meters for the raised beds so I can stop guessing. They ended up only being 3.99 a piece at this store called Tuesday Morning next to Jo-Ann's.



While at Tuesday Morning I saw this toy on clearance for $1.19 actually - just a little something for Mr. mans Desk - now I just have to find Abe Lincoln figurine and it's a deal. It's the little things and the big things that are the sum of all things - so get your asses out there and do something you will feel better I promise.

Ghetto Garden Update, week 3 May

Thpthhh I don't even know what to say - it's becoming this love hate thing with the ghetto garden. I keep an eye on it and things progress and it feels like everytime I go in the yard I just can't sit there and enjoy it I have to poke or prod or mix something...But it's necessary and we have to learn because this is a vital skill that people should learn.

I think I just finally got turned off because our lab-pitt ate a BUNCH of plants - all of the armenian cucumber, almost all the carolina cucumber plants, half the green bean plants, wrestled the remaining green bean plants, ate 3 of 4 black squash plants and chewed up like 8 butternut squash leaves. That's the 4th time our seedlings died/got killed.

6 of 12 seedlings made it but they are super slow. I don't know why...but also under one of the plants in the black pots there are 5 new seedlings lol - go figure










Here are some closeups at high noon.

That's butternut squash - the middle one made it, she's a little slow but she's coming to the party










Here's some tomato plant - i dunno what kind...It was hiding under the squash plant. Everyone keeps sayin oh don't put that close to the squash it will get crowded...lol at the time i moved the plants it was just sitting there and i didn't want to risk killing it Ohhh Kaaaay.








This is the canteloupe plant that survived getting chewed on by our dog. I transplanted them last week and they seem to really like it in there.


Those are green beans to the left - they started turning yellow in the last 2 days. I dunno why maybe i'm a bit of a spazz with the watering.






I'm told this is some kind of tomato plant - I thought it was in a pot that said peppers. This was an accident too I wasn't trying to raise these jokers lol. I was trying to raise those red sweet peppers towards the front of the picture though.









This is a side view of the mystery tomato plant.













This is the long view of the larger of the 2 raised beds. It is completely naked - missing almost all of it's plants











These are the 2 NUBS left from the Armenian Cucumber. Seriously it makes me feel violent when I think about that dog chewing up my plants. I was in the shower exactly 22 minutes and she caused damage that quick. Then 1 morning someone let her out for 10 minutes and she got the rest of them.







But I guess they look all right so far. And if they die oh well I can plant a few more things - and if not just wait until August to start all over again.











Nice and Green...and yellow kind of LOL.













There's Mr. Man looking at where to put the stakes, he's building a pullshade fence type thing to keep the dogs out. It's nice to be with someone who not only loves me but is not afraid to work.

Lucky me.