Thursday, May 16, 2013

Antibacteral everything? Really!?

Watching the news recently, you may have noticed all the talk about super bugs and resistant strains of bacteria.  I don't know about you but that scares me.  There is a general agreement to the cause.  Over use of antibiotics is the cause of bacterial resistance.  Well Duh!  But in my humble opinion, over use of antibiotics are not the only cause.  Look around your house, how many products are "antibacterial"? Everything from hand sanitizer to dish soap and floor cleaner to laundry soap.   Really if you clean on a regular basis you don't need these products.  Also think about how many times one of your kids  gets a little cut or scrap and you run to the antibiotic ointment like Neosporin.  I am not saying never use Neosporin, but for a paper cut or a skinned knee soap and water are fine.  Seriously, think about what I  am saying.

I went looking at the store today for liquid hand soap.  I didn't like what I found.  Everything is antibacterial.  I don't want that, just washing hands is enough.  So I am embarking on a venture of making my own liquid hand soap.

Update:

I worked. and with 2 ingredients, and a nice low cost of about $0.50 a bottle.

Home made liquid hand soap

  • 6 bars of soap of your choice
  • 1 gallon of water
You will also need pump bottles and a gallon jug.

Shred the two bars of soap while the water is coming to a boil.  Then add the soap shreds to the  water.  Stir frequently and make sure it doesn't bottle over.  When all the soap has melted turn the heat down and let simmer for about 5 minutes.  Then let cool about 10 minutes before pouring in the gallon jug.  Then refill you hand soap bottles as needed.

If you make your own bars of soap they will work too as long as they aren't chunky.


Tuesday, May 14, 2013

4 Quick fix MRCs

I have 4 new recipes for long term storage for you.  Some quicker fix MRCs (meals ready to cook) from 3 pounds of Hamburger meat( the cheap 73%) and 2 lbs frozen vegetables with a few seasonings and noodles or rice thrown in.  These are great for the budget minded prepper/homesteader.  Meals for 6 at around $1.25 each.

I got my frozen vegetables on sale at a 10 for $10 sale at the local grocery store.  I get at least 10 when they have these sales.  Then I dehydrate the frozen vegetables for soups and meal mixes.  It is easy if you have a dehydrator, you just spread them out while still frozen in a single layer.  And run it until all vegetables are dry enough to pop when you crush them in your fingers or with a spoon.

To make hamburger rocks (dehydrate hamburger meat)
http://www.endtimesreport.com/hamburger_rocks.html

To make Cream of anything soup mix:

The first one will remind you of an everyday staple of broke parents everyday.  SOS, ____ on a Shingle.  Well I made it have veggies and pasta and rice for the shingle.  I also added a bit of ranch flavor to it to help the taste.

Ranch SOS

  • 1 cup Hamburger rocks (dehydrated hamburger meat)
  • 3/4 c dehydrated mixed vegetables
  • 1/4 c cream of anything soup mix
  • 1 tbsp dried minced onion
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley
  • 1/3 c mini alphabet noodles (any small pasta will work)
  • 1/2 c rice
  • 1 tsp salt (can be omitted for diet)
  • 1 tsp pepper (or to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic
  • 1 tbsp ranch dressing mix
  • 1 tsp beef boullion
Layer ingredients in a bottle, mason jar, or mylar bag. Don't forget an oxygen absorber.
To make:
Bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil and dump ingredients in stir until done.

Vegetable Beef stoup

  • 3/4 c hamburger rocks
  • 1 cup dehydrated mixed vegetables
  • 1/4 c minced onion
  • 3/4 c mini alphabet noodles
  • 1 tbsp parsley
  • 1 tsp tomato boullion
  • 1 tbsp beef boullion
  • salt and pepper to taste (about a tsp each)


Layer ingredients in a bottle, mason jar, or mylar bag. Don't forget an oxygen absorber.
To make:
Bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil and dump ingredients in stir until done.

Creamy vegetable beef stoup


  • 3/4 c hamburger rocks
  • 1 cup dehydrated mixed vegetables
  • 1/4 c minced onion
  • 3/4 c mini alphabet noodles
  • 1 tbsp parsley
  • 1/4 c cream of anything soup
  • 1 tbsp beef boullion
  • salt and pepper to taste (about a tsp each)


Layer ingredients in a bottle, mason jar, or mylar bag. Don't forget an oxygen absorber.
To make:
Bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil and dump ingredients in stir until done.



Chicken Vegetable soup


  • 1 1/4 cup dehydrated mixed vegetables
  • 1/4 c minced onion
  • 3/4 c mini alphabet noodles
  • 1/4 c  parsley
  • 1 tbsp Chicken boullion
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp sage
  • salt and pepper to taste (about a tsp each)


Layer ingredients in a bottle, mason jar, or mylar bag. Don't forget an oxygen absorber.
To make:
Bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil and dump ingredients in stir until done.

These are easy, hearty, lower carb when divided up in to 5 or more servings, and good for you.



Monday, May 13, 2013

3 MRCs (meals ready to cook) with Potato flakes

When I find real potato flakes (pearls or buds) on sale I stock up.  I know I can repackage them for Long term storage.   Potatoes are a great hearty filling meal or side dish.  My family with the exception of Miss S loves them in all shapes and forms.  Miss S who can't really do with a bunch of potatoes to begin with hates them in all form.  She doesn't even like french fries.  Yep a little odd for a 4 yr old.  She would rather have fresh carrots and ranch dressing.  I am not complaining, at least she takes a healthy substitute right?  I thought I would share 3 of my recipes for long term storage MRCs.  

First:
Hearty Ranch Potatoes 


1 1/2 cup dried mashed potatoes
2 tablespoon Ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup Dry evaporated milk
2 tbsp dried chives
In a 20 oz bottle or a mason jarl, layer above ingredients.

to make

Hearty Ranch Potato Mix
1 cup  water
2 tablespoon butter or margarine
cheese 
bacon bits

In small saucepan over medium heat, place water and butter. Bring to a low simmer and pour over ingredients in mug. Mix well, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff lightly with fork.

Second:
Fiesta Ranch Potatoes

1 1/2 cup dried mashed potatoes
1 package of Fiesta Ranch mix 
1/2 cup Dry evaporated milk

In a 20 oz bottle or a mason jarl, layer above ingredients.

to make

Fiesta Potato Mix
1 cup  water
2 tablespoon butter or margarine
Cheddar cheese 


In small saucepan over medium heat, place water and butter. Bring to a low simmer and pour over ingredients in mug. Mix well, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff lightly with fork.

Third:
Hearty Potato Soup

1-3/4 cups instant potato flakes
1-1/2 cups dry milk powder
2 tablespoons chicken broth powder
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1-1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt (like Lawry’s)
Combine all ingredients, mixing well to make sure everything is combined.  A quart canning jar with a screw top lid makes a good storage container.
To use:  Put a 1/2 cup of the mix in a soup bowl.  Add 1 cup boiling water and stir to mix.




All 3 are simple and all 3 are yummy.


Thursday, May 9, 2013

Sick days-MRCs

I went to Kroger Grocery store yesterday (not my normal store).  I found little bags of mini pastas for $0.39 and they weren't on sale.  Hey that is a great price no matter how you do the math. I got 3 bags of Mini alphabet noodles and 3 bags of mini wheels. So this morning while I was packing them up for longer storage, I had a stroke of genius. Soup for the kids when they are sick.  These noodles would be perfect for that.  And when Miss S is sick her restrictions on diet are pretty much gone.  So this would be a really fun treat for her to have. I kept it simple for her though.


Chicken noodle soup MRC
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp minced onion
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 1 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp garlic
  • 2 tbsp parsley
  • 1/2 cup dehydrated or Freeze Dried carrots
  • 1 1/2 c noodles ( I used alphabets)
  • 2 cubes of chicken boullion 
Layer in a bottle in the order from above and seal with an oxygen absorber.

To make 8 cups of water to a boil and add MRC, Makes 8-10 servings at 8 servings the carbs are 21g.

Beef noodle soup
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp minced onion
  • 1 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp garlic
  • 2 tbsp parsley
  • 1 tsp tomato boullion
  • 1/2 cup dehydrated or Freeze Dried carrots
  • 1 1/2 c noodles ( I used wheels)
  • 2 cubes of beef boullion 
Layer in a bottle in the order from above and seal with an oxygen absorber.

To make 8 cups of water to a boil and add MRC, Makes 8-10 servings at 8 servings the carbs are 32g.



Enjoy!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

MRCs Meals ready to cook.

I have been today.  1/2 pound of cheddar and 1/2 of mozerella cheeses waxed for storage. Then I put up 6 breakfast MRCs (meals ready to cook).  In this case they were more Oatmeals.  I figure oatmeal is a healthy and very hearty breakfast.  Today I did 3 sugar free cinnamon raisin oatmeal MRCs and 3 sugar free spiced oatmeal MRCs.  Add water and cook.  Awesome for camping trips and SHTF situations.  When without power you can easily start a fire and use a cast iron dutch oven to cook.  Awesome right?! I think so.  I bottle mine up in serving sizes for 5 people which is the size of my family.  You can adjust to your family size.

Many people ask why I use plastic PET bottles (soda bottles).  Well they are cheap, reusable, and they store really easily.
This is from a couple of months ago.  Now it is all 16 and 20 oz bottles all my 2 liters are in another cabinet.

sugar free Spiced Oatmeal MRC 
1 1/2 c oatmeal
1/4 c evaporated milk
3 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3 packets of stevia
oxygen absorber

Layer and seal.

5 servings
17 carbs per serving


Sunday morning breakfast

As I have shared before, we typically have a special breakfast for Sunday.  This morning it was homemade oatmeal raisin muffins.  They were yummy, although to me they tasted a little too much of baking powder so I will post the fixed recipe below. The kids loved them and so did J.  I double the recipe because 12 muffins isn't quite enough for a little girl, a preteen boy going through a growth spurt, and a manlet going through puberty   I swear at about 10 years old you can't keep boys fed.  They will eat you out of house and home, not to mention the garden. But all is good.  I am also posting how to make the mix up for storage.

Quick and Homey Oatmeal Raisin Muffins
Makes 24 muffins
2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup olive oil
2 egg, beaten
2 cup milk
Cinnamon Topping
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon olive oil
Heat the oven to 425°F. Grease a muffin pan, or line the wells with paper muffin cups.
Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Stir in the oats and raisins.
In a large measuring cup, whisk the olive oil with the egg and milk. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients just until combined. Fill the prepared muffin cups 2/3 full with the batter.
Mix all the ingredients for the cinnamon topping together in a small bowl until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the muffin batter.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a rack until they are cool enough to be handled. Remove from the pan and eat while warm, or let cool completely and then store in an airtight container.

To make for storage:
Quick and Homey Oatmeal Raisin Muffins
Makes 24 muffins
2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cup raisins
Store in an Airtight bottle or jar with an oxygen absorber
To make:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 egg, beaten
2 cup milk
Heat the oven to 425°F. Grease a muffin pan, or line the wells with paper muffin cups.
Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Stir in the oats and raisins.
In a large measuring cup, whisk the olive oil with the egg and milk. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients just until combined. Fill the prepared muffin cups 2/3 full with the batter.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a rack until they are cool enough to be handled. Remove from the pan and eat while warm, or let cool completely and then store in an airtight container
Happy, Happy, Happy




Friday, May 3, 2013

Recycle, reuse, and Pea soup.

I read an article yesterday about the Amish.  It is not uncommon to find an Amish millionaire.  Well, I am impressed.  In the article it talks about they buy things with multiple purposes, and they reuse things that most of us throw away.

I got to thinking about it.  I do this quite a bit, I use soda and food bottles for food storage.  I have read some articles and blogs that say things like, "soda bottles are okay if you are on a budget, but.."  I don't see it that way.  They are made to be water tight, air tight, and to hold food and drink.  Gee in my book that makes them more than okay for food storage.  And the big plus for me, they are free.  I mean I am reusing what I would have thrown away.  So I get my soda, I get a place to store food, and I am saving it out of the landfill.  I think that is a win, win, win situation.

This morning I got to work bottling up some meals in a bottle.  These are cheap and easy.  I made french onion pea soup.  When you get ready to prepare it, boil water and dump.  That is easy in a stressful situation, like a storm and no power, or worse.  Anyways, here is the recipe to feed 5:


French onion pea soup:
1 1/4 c split peas (you can use whole peas if you want)
1 package of onion soup (not brand specific)
1 packet of ham flavoring
1 oxygen absorber

Combine in a bottle (I used a 12 oz bottle)

To make bring 5 c water to a boil and dump the bottle and cook until peas are the desired softness (personal taste)

There are 24g carbs per serving in this.  So it is fairly low carb.  If you have a diabetic this is a great meal.

Enjoy!

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Great advice for every parent to read.

J posted this on his Facebook page and I read it.  I think every parent should read this so I am posting it here.  It is awesome!
http://www.stevewiens.com/2013/03/12/to-parents-of-small-children-let-me-be-the-one-who-says-it-out-loud/

Busy bee, and then it got cold.

I have been a busy little bee for a few weeks, then today in May in Texas, it is cold.  Like turn the heater on cold.  Seriously there are parts of Texas getting Freeze warnings tonight.  Luckily I am not in those areas but seriously, we are a little over a month away from the official start of Summer.  And I do remember the summer I had M, from April 15- October 1 that year there were only 5 days that weren't 100 degrees or more.

Now mind you, I don't believe in Climate change ( at least not due to global warming).  Seriously I believe that like an Inconvienant Truth is the same kind of truth as Al Gore  invented the Internet. And remember his wife forced the music industry to start putting stickers on music to prevent perverted or violent music out of peoples hands.  Anybody remember the outcome of that?

What do I believe in, well, I believe weather comes in cycles.  If you look back at recorded weather and read the farmers alamenacs.  It all goes in cycles, just like earthquakes, hurricanes, ice ages, and eclipses.  It all goes in cycles, that is the way God created it.

So for dinner tonight I am making speghetti with meat sauce, and homemade garlic bread.  Doesn't that sound yummy.  Yes it does, well until after dinner when the acid reflux kicks in.  But it is worth it.  Pain is good.  Pain is just fear leaving the body.    And as my typical behavior I will be canning my leftovers.  Well just the sauce.  Noodle don't can well.  They become some nasty starchy brick in the bottom of the jar.

Special Speghetti sauce

  • 6 pints of tomato sauce
  • 1 pint of diced stewed tomatos
  • 1 pound of browned hamburger meat
  • 1 cup of lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 red wine (make sure you would drink it otherwise it will taint your sauce)(if you don't want to use wine use sparkling red cider it works too)
  • seasonings to taste: minced onion, garlic powder, orgeno, italian seasonings, parsley, pepper, 
  • 6 packets of stevia (you could use sugar but I have to cut carbs somewhere)
Cook for about 20 medium heat, jar up hot and can, I am using 10# pressure for 20 minutes with quart jars and 1 in head space.