How Things Used to Be...In my pre Prepper days.

I got home from my 7am class this morning and spied a white bag on my desk. I guess one of my favorite Aunties had sent me a birthday gift. Actually she's just glamorous like that and sends you gifts anyways...A lot of my favorites are not my purchases but her gifts. It was a great surprise but I looked at it almost wistfully.

Before I started getting into prepping - I loved nice things. And since I have no children and no real responsibilities I could always get what ever caught my fancy somehow or someway. Until this morning I didn't even think of these things or get caught up in the acquisition of non purposeful things. It is simply a reminder of my old life.




After class I stopped at the local store and picked up 20 lbs of rice, 5 lbs of lentils and 18 lbs of pinto beans - for a whopping 19 bucks. LOL. I could have gone for more beans but my cute shoes were not feeling cute. I was more excited than anything to bag and tag my haul.




This shit really changes you by having clear definition of "need."

How you used to "want" for things is a thing of the past.

I got that Ass-paragus. LOL

I was up pretty Early this morning...and took my Mom to her doctors appointment and then went home to study up for a bit. Well mom has been talking about asparagus for like 3 days - when I went to pick her up around 10-ish they said she would still be an hour. So I went 2 blocks over to see my produce guy on the off chance that he would have some good asparagus.

I walked in and saw some 2.25 lb bundles and it had a sign that said 99cents today only. I started putting some in my cart and the produce guy walked up to me and said Hello...I said,"HI what a great deal!" He smiled and said,"Wanna case so your asparagus isn't damaged?" I said heckkkk Yeah! So it was exactly 27lbs of Asparagus for 12 bucks. LOOOOOL.



These 2 older ladies walked by me and said,"Goodness young lady what are you doing with all that?" I said eating it, canning it, dehydrating it. They are like Oh you can - my kids never wanted to learn to do that! I said well it saves a ton of money and it's nice to have a favorite food around even in the off season! They smiled and said - where did you find that asparagus again? I just pointed them in the right direction.

I will post a blog on the canning of asparagus later! But I am so jazzed! .44 cents a pound is UNREAL. I picked up my Mom and popped the back of the truck and said LOOK what I got you - she said,"oh that's so much, why so much, how much?" Then I told her and she was like WOW.

I also picked up 21 lbs of Italian Sea Salt at the end of an aisle and I was out of there.
What a great haul today. I mentioned my haul in this preppers chat-room I frequent and someone (Hi Trunz) asked,"do you only prep what happens to be on sale??" This is what I said...I met my goal in my supplies basics (rice, beans, wheat, meat, canned, dehydrated), so I started dehydrating whatever veggies are on supersale every week and stock canned as well. But now I am learning how to CAN using the pressure canner and mason jars so that takes this game to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL.



We pick up things such as sugar, quality sea salt, beans, baking soda, baking powder, yeast assorted sugars, and honey almost weekly if the prices are great. Because we are just starting we do not mix our preps with our every day eats. Let's say that long grain rice is 4lbs for .96 cents this week. I will buy 24lbs - store 20 lbs and then leave 4 lbs in our everyday eats. If cabbage is 6lbs for 1 dollar - i buy 12 lbs - hold back 1 cabbage for our eats and dehydrate/pickle the rest.

The food preps are really my area of 'management' but in the beginning I would ask Mr. Man what he thought of this or that and he finally laughed and said,"Look when SHTF I'm going to eat anything you make - and I just ran with it." On top of the basics - we included some convenience foods like instant tortilla mix - just add water (2 kilos / $1.49), cornbread mixes, pancake mixes, biscuit mixes, canned soups and tomato sauce, oatmeal, honey, peanut butter, hot chocolate packets, pure cocoa powder, marshmallows etc - and we fortified all of our herbs, tea and coffees. I also started making zests from lemon and orange and dehydrating those.

Ok so we got all that out of the way and knocked down our initial goal anything from that point is for variety or potential trade. I've always done all of our cooking and all of our shopping. So I know the rotation of sale prices and I know who has the best of what. I can confidently say that our prepping budget has been about 500 bucks a month. Some months even less but because I have my eye on special sales - we have "fresh" food in our preps.

This prepping thing is not easy. But this prepping thing is a bit addicting and a bit fun.

About a month ago I started stocking up our toiletries. the Mr. posted it on his youtube channel about Food Storage on a Budget. It included some of our Toiletries and Medicine cabinet. Well some clown on his page mentioned that we should make our own toothpaste and blah blah our sunscreen is full of chemicals and THEN went on about the diet soda in our cabinet. First of all - others live here too and it's not our soda - if they want to drink aspartame they are grown ass people and can do such. Second of all, don't talk shit and criticize if you don't have any suggestions (besides a damn website) - and FINALLY, in these times - it is a luxury for us to learn to make our own toiletries on TOP of doing food preps, medical preps, gear preps and learning survival skills. I find that to even be an ARROGANT suggestion that we be "green" about our toiletry preps. Look Clown: we've been using toothpaste and shampoo this long - 1 more year in is not going to hurt us and there are more pressing matters than you distracting people from the ROOT message of what the Mr. is saying.

Having said that - I started with the isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, cotton balls, cotton buds and assorted bandages for the medicine toolbox. I then moved onto toothbrushes, dental floss, toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, soap and lotion. I also figured out that Walgreens has really got these deals where you buy 2 bottles of soap and get a 5 buck store credit and just keep rotating it by buying sale things with coupon things and you are walking out with heaps of merchandise for under 2 bucks at most. The key is just to have them ring up stuff separately. After I got all that sorted out - I started working on vitamins and winter clothes.

We're in a pretty comfortable place, at least where we don't have to worry anymore.

It is great not to worry - because my 2 Moms (Country Momma and GodMomma) are in town and it's nice to spend time with them and not be hyper focused on the preps. I did get kind of butthurt by my Mom (see below) when she asked about my preps (I know the sibs snitched) and she CHUCKLED and said "child, if the world will end then we can't fight that - if it is our time it is our time..." I laughed and said,"if it is my time to go naturally i will go happily, but if I will not count on strangers in these days of disaster."

Meanwhile time keeps on tickin' and Mom keeps on chopping! Haha.

Knucklehead...

Knucklehead...

Just kidding. Well there are knuckleheads out there. But the knuckles i'm talking about is Gnocchi - it's basically an Italian dumpling made of mashed potatoes, flour and an egg. I've always liked gnocchi for the chewy give it has but in looking at the recipe I realized that most people have preps that include potatoes, flour and egg (you may also substitute flaxseed for egg - email me if you don't know how to do the substitute).





Gnocchi comes from the word knuckle. It is supposed to resemble knuckles. In more recent years people have started running it off the back of the spoon prior to blanching them - i do NOT. The key is to use a light sauce and to blanch them in hot water in SMALL batches (15 or so pieces) until they float.

The easiest way to remember the recipe is 2-1-1

2 large potatoes
1 cup of flour (loose)
1 egg (beaten)
pinch of salt

----

Cook Potatoes, Peel and Mash - set aside to cool
You may use a fork or a masher or a potato ricer - it doesn't really make a difference to me
Just try to get them reasonably fluffy - without big chunks

Boil water (6-8 quarts) with a touch of sea salt.

Pile the potatoes into a mound and drizzle the egg and flour onto the potato.

I cut mine together with a pastry cutter and get under it with a spatula

Just add flour if the dough is too sticky. add a bit at a time and work it through.

I find that red potatoes are stickier than idaho or yukons...the reds require a bit more flour and the whites require a lot less. But just work it until the dough is moist and firm like a good pillow.

Divide that into 8 pieces and roll into logs - Dust with flour

Cut into 3/4 inch pieces - dust again -

To shape them I bring them around my pinky finger and pinch the ends so there is an indent like a fat letter "C" - Just do it with confidence and keep at it. I like it so the groove is about the same depth as between my knuckles. Some people pinch it against the back of a fork to get that ridged appearance. it's up to you- Try both ways and do what is easiest to you.

Drop a batch at a time (15-20) into the boiling water. When they float up they are ready - just drizzle with sauce, fresh oregano or basil and a bit of grated cheese and it's ready to eat. Don't drown it. Don't overcook it. Just enjoy it.

So let's review.

2-1-1
Boil, Peel, Cool.
Boil Water
Pile
Mix
Work Dough
Cut into 8
Cut into 3/4 inch
Shape
Drop and Float
Serve

If you have any questions - just email me, I will be around.

Can It...Why Don'tcha!

So IT all started with my Psych professor giving me a box and a half of oranges...and I didn't want to waste it...and I had really wanted to start learning ---



How to Can meat and make preserves...I went to the store and picked up a canner and some bottles - and the Ball Book of Preserving (only about 6 bucks)...and decided to start with the Marmalade...Marmalade is pretty much love or hate - there is no middle. But I like it and figured it wouldn't hurt to have it in our stores, because it's good on scones and cornbread.




I will tell everyone right off - it is not cheap to start this process. But after the initial cost - you can reuse the bottles, just replace lids and the pressure canners will last you years - except maybe an occasional ring replacement. The All American brand doesn't use a rubber ring on it - but it's way out of my budget right now - so I will save up for the All American one and then donate this one to some preppers later who might need it.



Of course you have to wash and dry stuff - and later soak it in boiled water. etc. Don't quote me I'm tured.tired turd. yeah you know what i mean. Get the book - follow the directions - and watch some youtube videos (i like the preppers wife and michigan pony)




I started with the marmalade because it's a series of boils with 1 rest in between. It's a bit daunting at first..but once you get rolling it's kind of addictive....



After the marmalade is done - i decided to peel back the oranges for candied orange peel




I peeled so much of them that I actually got a blister on my hand (i didn't pop it) I saved the longer parts for candied peel and the shorter bits to candy also but put in a separate jar to add to muffins and teas. My hands were really exhausted so Mr. Man had to help.




I actually had them sorted out according to thickness and chop - and started triple boiling them in the simple syrup. The simple syrup turned a nice orange color and scent - I soaked them in the original simple syrup because that could later be used for iced teas.



While the marmalade chilled I made a small batch of grape jelly - What - yeah like that - don't give me a recipe book and not think somethings gonna happen in here




the Mr. helped with the rest of it - and it was on the thick side so I made these quadruple boiled for candies for a friend.




All I have to say is I'm a chopping beast. LOL. But i got so ambitious i thought i'd do the rib part of my cabbage and OVERSTUFFED it and it leeched out the water. So I will have to repack these as pickled. So see I'm not good at everything I do - I'm just glad I make cheap mistakes instead of expensive ones.



So it's looking pretty good - to have a Wall of Yummy!!!




My strawberry jam needs help but i will repack it thicker...but it's a learning curve and not a total loss...at this point it would at least be good as ice cream topping! So I guess that's not a complete waste

And the candied orange is looking pretty tempting...but I will save it for a rainy day and the rest I will give to friends. I'm not greedy - one is enough for me.




I like learning stuff - learning new stuff. Canning is just a natural progression I can't wait to chronicle my bacon, butter and beef canning. Yummy - I always worry that we don't have enough meat. I primarily canned sweets first because they are easier and just to learn to read the dials and times and work out my own learning kinks. If you can afford it please get a pressure canner. If you cannot please learn to use a boiling canner because you will have good healthy food storage for your house.

Please believe that mental well being is also tied into eating well.

And if anyone has any questions please email me...by going to my blog profile.

Oh how Sweet!

Happy Birthday to Me...

So I thought I'd post something sweet - a sweet recipe...

Caramel Candy

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick (1/4 c) butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla

--- use a wood spoon or the french plastic ones---

Line pan with parchment - and oil
Boil sugar, cream, butter and salt to 248 degrees (firm softball stage)
Remove from heat, add vanilla
Pour into pan, cool
Invert on cutting board (not plastic)
Cut into squares

Ta Da...I press an almond or piece of pecan onto the tops of mine - but do whatever makes you happy - for most people that means a drizzle of chocolate!

---
Here is one more for you

Caramel Popcorn

2 tbsp oil
1/3 c popcorn kernels
----
1 stick butter
1 1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 cup karo syrup (or substitution* see below)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c salted nuts

*karo syrup is basically a simple syrup with a bit of lemon to prevent crystallization - just heat up 1 cup of water with 3 cups of sugar and 2 tbsp of lemon and slow cook it so it stays clear but gets thick. Once it is thick you can use this in any recipe that calls for it

Pop popcorn - set aside in oven on warm
Line pan with foil and lightly oil
Use a tall pan - at least 12 quarts
Melt butter, add sugar and Karo syrup, boil to 300 (dark amber)
Remove from heat
Stir in Salt and Baking Soda (careful it's going to bubble high)
Quickly stir in popcorn and nuts
Flip into pan and break into pieces or shape into balls

--- You can make these anytime and make them from your preps provided that you stock real popcorn kernels in your stores! I always have popcorn in the house and I still pop mine on the stove top - it just doesn't taste the same in the microwave. Plus I heard that stuff is kind of bad for you! Supposedly something about that butter having something of an inhalant in it.

Yucky.

Burnt the *bleep* Out...

Last week was just OUT of control at school. It was the last week of my 8 week psychology class and full throttle for my 5 wk english class, with a midterm in math and a test in Bioethics and Philosophy. Plus it was the week before Spring Break so every instructor was slamming you so they didn't have much to grade over the week or they were off to Europe.

The good news is - after all that aggravation and loss of sleep I have all A's. Can you believe it? Including MATH - all A's. I did put in the work but it was nice to finally see it. So the good news is at least all I have to do is maintain my grades. Oh and this transvestite looking girl was trying to HIGH SIDE and SHOWOFF that they got a 93 in philosophy, I laughed and said yeah so did we and we don't have a 3rd in our group. Then the Math instructor handed back the Math tests and he told me,"looks like you have the highest grade in the class - 95% for the test and the class" I turned around and looked at transvestite girl and said what'd you get? And she didn't say anything.

Now normally , I don't judge people on their looks -- but...she's annoying. She spends the entire class talking in this whiny crying little voice about her makeup, her hump buddies, or whatever and then she' GIGANTIC - i mean like a viking chick not like fat - and I am waiting for her to throw me like a discus in the Olympics yet she insists on talking in this little girl voice. See that's what you get. Keep talking about that stuff while I pay attention.


<-- so this was my weekly take last week. 20 bucks. the pasta was 6 for $1 (expiration 2014), the tortilla mix was $1.49. Onions and Yams 5 lbs for $1, eggs were $1.79, vinegar $2.79. Amazing Haul. Because the eggs are for our everyday use not storage and part of the onions are for our everyday cooking. Amazing that I can still find deals. But this weeks deals are crappy.






We went to the Asian store and picked up some Japanese food items in case they reduce exports because they will redirect efforts to restoring their country from disaster. We made sure to pick up specialty green teas, sake, soy sauce, green tipped rice, wasabi and dried kelp and seaweed. The hot sauce, chili sauce, and mung bean are just for extra storage. It is absolutely unbelievable - the regular food items at this Asian Store (leelee's supermarket - bastids) have gone up 150% yes - from 1.09 to 2.99 a bottle on most things. Those beans used to be 70 cents a bag, they are now 2.00. Simply unbelievable. It made me a bit irate. But I will also go next weekend to a bigger store on the East Valley where they have more competition and better prices. And I need to hit up my favorite Korean Market.

















Well my psych professor and now friend Sarah gave me a box and a half of oranges. hahahaha what am I supposed to do with that many oranges. I bounced it off the preppers chat room and one of the ladies said marmalade, and someone said candied orange peel. Which led me to...


< -- Saucy's adventures in canning. I asked some experienced people how to's and picked up a book and my little sister picked me up 2 canning books at the Border's going out of business sale - picked up a small (16 qt canner) and ordered a large canner - and just started doing it. That will be my next blog. It costs a bit to start but later it will just cost you lids. It doesn't hurt and I like learning new things and changing it up a bit.
You know you are tired of loading cans and such in your cart when you just break down and start buying things in 6 lb cans. Truth be told these are cheaper at 3.23 a can as opposed to the $1 average on a small can.


I also decided to just buy sugar in 25lb bags. At the walmart they are only 11.70 a bag here which is considerably cheaper than buying the smaller ones. Also they have started selling hard wheat there - both red and white ($13 and $11) respectively. Strange days to see whole wheat at a grocery store like walmart.






While I'm studying, and cooking, and canning - my sister is about to leave for Hawaii to meet my Mom and Godmother and my Cousin - so of course I have to make a batch of cookies because my family never wants anything more than that. And i also have to make brownies with cream cheese frosting - imagine that - if you stock this stuff in your preps you can have cookies and brownies - haha.




So for the last 3 days I have been so exhausted I don't even want to get out of bed. Because I've got so much going on and I'm still advanced studying and we were behind on the household chores, it was a weekend of "catch up" Then right as I think i've caught up - I remember I ordered 30 buckets from our dude - haha and I had to get up early this morning and clean them. But at least we are there. Of course we could get them for free at the grocers but we couldn't get 30 at once that are relatively clean and only have a faint pickle smell. But now they are here and I have washed them then the Mr. will rinse them and we will let them air dry for a couple days and they will be ready. Time to bag and tag our purchases so to speak.

So while I was out in the backyard - I looked at my plants. I had previously murdered the plants I tried to sprout from seed, i "lodged" them according to the prepping Guru - Madame Mushroom. This means I over-watered them and they weren't getting enough sun and they got tall and spindly and fell over. She suggested I treat the soil with hydrogen peroxide and try again. So about a week ago I did.


Loook, I have growth! The cucumber, swiss chard and something else is growing! - the tape fell off. haha.




And a funny thing happened.





















I had put all the soil from the peat pots in one bucket - put the solution on it and mixed it with more organic soil - I just figured the seeds were dead. So I looked down in the bucket - and there is spinach and lettuce growing - haha FUNNY. Welcome to my Ghetto Garden.

Beans Beans the Magical Fruit...

Let me start off with "I LOVE GARDENBURGERS" lol. Maybe coz I was made in California with Philippine Parts but...I dig them and they are good with sprouts. Ironically, you can have both with your 'preps.' And if you haven't tried them don't knock them.

Almost everyone into preparedness has beans and hard wheat in their stores. Gardenburgers for the most part of made of beans and hard wheat that will sprout. It's up to you to learn to make your own bread - even if it's quickbread or instant bread bagged and oxygen packed I advise you to learn to make it. The recipe on bread is pretty straightforward just read carefully and go slowly and if you have doubts just watch a few videos on youtube.com.

I really like watching some preppers pages on youtube and was inspired by YankeePrepper to try to make some of my own gardenburgers. He calls his Martial law burgers but I call mine Bankster burgers. I must mention that this does call for a food processor - but if you do not have one then you can use a pastry cutter (see below) and 2 stainless steel bowls- you should have a pastry cutter anyways for making biscuits - but that's a whole different blog

You can feel free to use my recipes or search for a few and test them out (http://www.theveggietable.com/recipes/gardenburger.html) . The whole point is to test them out now and find what ratios and combinations you like. My burgers have a bit of ground beef or fish in them to make the transition easier to basic food that is stored long term. People say you should store food that you like - and that is true to an EXTENT...moreover, you should learn to cook what you store into ways that you like - that is more realistic in this time of high prices. Unfortunately we cannot hang onto that comfortable arrogance to only eat what we like. If the Japanese disaster doesn't paint a picture for you - then I can't help you kids.














Bankster Burgers

"burger"

4c cooked beans (I use half black half kidney)
1 lb ground beef/chicken/turkey (gently cooked or re-hydrated)
2 pcs stale bread - or 1 c breadcrumbs
1 small onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 chopped (grated) carrots
1/2 c cilantro
1/2 c tomato sauce or salsa
herbs/seasonings to taste
1/4 tsp liquid smoke

in food processor pulse bread and veggies into beans and meat. Pulse LOOSE not fine - scrape sides and pulse gently - remove from processor. hand mix until it resembles ground beef

form into 8 patties
fry on med high on both sides - maybe 2 TBSP oil
serve normally as burgers

"FEMA FISH CAKE" haha

3 cups cooked garbanzos - or rehydrated
1/2 c sunflower seeds or pecans
2 cans tuna or 1 can salmon - drained
1 small onion
1 green onion
1 c bread crumbs or cracker meal
lemon pepper, basil, garlic powder and paprika make this one taste really good
wasabi powder optional.
but just season to your liking

follow same directions as bankster burger - but add fish last by hand.

form into 6 patties

frying these is tricky - i use a cast iron - heat it very hot then i spray Pam on the fish patties.
Same technique as making blackened fish. serve on bread with a little tartar and some romaine

---

I suppose you could make these in the solar oven but I haven't tried the solar oven out yet. Just cook them long enough to heat them through the center and/or to toast the outside. You know when a "burger is done" just follow those rules and if you have doubt cut into the center and feel it, if it is hot inside it's ready. In a worse case scenario you could eat this as is. The other thing I use the bankster burgers for is:

• soft corn tortilla tacos topped with melty cheese and chopped cabbage,
• meatballs - form into meatballs and pan fry then serve on top of pasta and sauce
• meatloaf - mix in a cup of oatmeal and more herbs
• gyros - "roll them out into strips, cut and fry" then serve on flatbread with veggies
• fishsticks - roll logs in breadcrumbs or panko and pan fry
  

Just use your imagination a bit and you can figure out some substitutions. And while you are at it - work on some pork and beans recipes and some chili recipes...it won't kill you.

I will explain how to make a beancake in a later blog - but those call for azuki beans or mung beans which only some people stock.

Happy Cooking!

---

ps: if you need guides to cooking beans just go to whatscookingamerica.net

here's equivalencies:

1/3 cup dry - 1 cup cooked
1/2 cup dry - 1 1/2 cup cooked
2/3 cup dry - 2 cups cooked
1 cup dry - 3 cups cooked
2 cups (1lb) dry - 6 cups cooked