Education fun!

Our middle child E(10) is having trouble with place values in math.  We just found this to make it fun to learn. This blog has some great ideas and links to printables to help.

http://eisforexplore.blogspot.com/2013/07/place-value-battleship.html

Moving your Preps.

Unexpectedly Mr. J got an awesome job offer for a job where he could be at home more often.  This by the way would be awesome, because for the last 9 years we have been parted for the majority of the year.  Well, there was one downside to the job.  We have to move to a big city.  There are 3 things that bother me about this.  We have to rent for the first year because of timing issues and the second living in a big city, and the third worry for me, I have to move my preps, stockpiles, and container garden.  OH MY!  Well, we will make it work, we always do.  So in case you find our self in a similar situation, here are a few tips to keep your business to your self, what others call OP SEC.

1. Label your boxes so you know what is in them and which room they go in with out giving away exactly what is in there.  I labeled all my boxes either kitchen or food.  Bathroom or towels for first aid and TP.

2. Find lots sturdy boxes. A local grocery store has been so nice and gives me boxes everyday.  These are great boxes, they are giving me boxes that the 1 gallon milk and water jugs go into.

3. Pack smart, while you want to get as much in a box as you can, it doesn't do you any good if you can't carry it out to the truck. And you really don't want to hurt your back.

4. Pack the truck sensibly.  The things you need first like Kitchen and Bathroom go in the truck last to you can get them off the truck for lunch and potty needs.   If you still have things in your deep freezer and refrigerator then they are the last things on the truck.

5. If you are moving your deep freezer and Refrigerator with food in them, Fill several 2 liter bottles of water and put them in the freezer.  They make huge chunks of ice to help keep things cold in the freezer and Fridge.  If the grid goes down later you can keep things cold for a little while with this trick and then you can drink the water. (By the way, 20 oz bottles filled with water and frozen are great for bug out bags too.  And you can use them in lunch boxes and coolers)

6. Remember not to stress to much.  And try to help the kids transition easier too.

Unusual supplies for first aid.

Whether you are a prepper or just a parent the need for a well stocked first aid kit is critical.  Case in point.  My daughter just fell off a barstool and jammed her index finger and bruised her cheek up.  So first things first I pulled a frozen sponge out of the freezer, and grabbed the first aid kit.  In my first aid kit I have unusual items.  Like craft sticks the wide tongue depressor type and the Popsicle type.  I buy them at the craft store because they are cheap there. I can use them for a wide variety of uses, like splinting fingers and toes, as well as a tongue depressor.  I have duct tape and white first aid I also have steri strips but that doesn't really apply here.  For my daughter's jammed finger I broke the wide craft stick in half and cover it in white first aid tape to prevent splinters and it pads it too. Then I taped her finger to it.  

Back to the sponge.  I take a cheap kitchen sponge, soak it in water and a little rubbing alcohol and put it in a freezer bag then into the freezer. It stays pliable and it doesn't leak.  It is a cleaner than a bag of peas or ice.  The alcohol makes it stay cold and pliable.  It works great for all kinds of ouchies.

Hot days and a portable AC

How many of you live in a hot area.  Here it was 90 degrees before 10am.  I also have a daughter that when she gets too hot her Blood Glucose skyrockets.  I worry about her if the power is out and it is summer.  This may be an option for her.   I don't usually like posting others work but this is worth it because this is genius!
How to Make your own cheap portable AC unit.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-Cheap-Air-Conditioner/

First Aid kit

What is in your first aid kit.  Whether or not you are prepping or not, you should have a first aid kit at your home for emergencies.  And if you have kids, you will need it.  I was recently (this morning asked what my master list is.  Well here it is.

Band-Aids Eye Drops Eye pads Eye patch

Potassium iodine

Gloves

Alcohol Wipes

baby wipes

Pads

Tampons

Alcohol

Hydrogen peroxide

Witch hazel

Epson salt

bengay

blue emu

bar soap

anti bacterial soap

super glue

lemon drops

anise candy

Horehound

Mask

preparation H wipes

preparation H ointment

Hand warmers

Heat pad

hot water bottle

cold compresses

mentolatum (Vicks vapor rub)

Camphor oil

Lice shampoo

hand sanitizer

duct tape

First aid tape

Butterflies

Skin stapler

stapler remover

Staples

Raw honey

Solocaine

Whiskey

Vodka

Candles

Ace bandages

Othro boot

knee brace

ankle brace

wrist brace

popsicle sticks

tongue depressors

Gauze

Tefla pads

gauze pads

Qtips

Calamine lotion

Neosporin

Bractrim

Iodine

meat tenderizer

Tylenol

Aspirin Ibporphin

Scissors Lotramin Monistat Hydrocortisone Anti fungal Bandana Bottled water Sharpie Clean wash rags Some pennies Crutches Glucose meter Strips Glucose tablets Peppermint candy Ginger root tablets Motion sickness bracelets Peppermint tea Yarrow tea Chamomile tea Lavender Smelling salts Benedryl Allergy meds Epipen Scalpel Sutures Tweezers Hemostats Candle Oil lamp Flashlights Batteries Cotton Balls Baster Basting syringe Prescriptions for family Snake bite kit Tobacco Baking soda Olive oil I have been asked about the  meat tenderizer. Spider bites, bug bites ect.

Dilly beans (pickled green beans)

Last weekend at the farmers market, I picked up a bushel or so of green beans.  Miss S and I sat down and snapped them.  She loves snapping and shelling beans. She is such a little country girl.  Then it comes down to what are you going to make.  Well I have put up, 13 pints and a quart of green beans the regular way by cold packing and pressure canning, had a meal of green beans and potatoes from my garden, then I turned to dilly beans.  A friend turn me on to these a few years ago.  They are delish and easy for even a beginner as they are done by water bath canning.   You can water bath these because they are done in vinegar which the acid will prevent bacterial growth.  I looked through my canning books and recipes online out of curiosity.  There are tons of recipes listed but they are all the same and none of them are the same recipe I have so I thought I would share. They are a delicious little treat to eat just like pickles.

There are 2 recipes I have 1 for regular dilly beans and one for spicy.  I am posting both.  I hope you enjoy as much as we do.

 Dilly beans

• enough fresh green beans to fill a pint jar (snapped and washed) 
• 1 1/2 c vinegar 
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp dill weed
• 1/4 tsp dill seed
• 1/4 tsp tumerac
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Put your vinegar in a large sauce pan to boil.  Boil your jar/s to sterilize them.  Then pack raw fresh snapped green beans in the jar.  And in the clove of garlic and all the seasonings.  Then carefully poor the vinegar in the jars leaving 1 inch of head space.  Lid and boil for 15 minutes in a water bath canner.
Leave sitting for at least a week to let the flavor develop properly.

Spicy Dilly beans

• enough fresh green beans to fill a pint jar (snapped and washed) 
• Half of a fresh japeleno pepper ( no seeds for a milder burn seeds for good burn)
• 1 1/2 c vinegar 
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp dill weed
• 1/4 tsp dill seed
• 1/4 tsp tumerac
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes

Put your vinegar in a large sauce pan to boil.  Boil your jar/s to sterilize them.  Then pack raw fresh snapped green beans in the jar.  And in the clove of garlic and all the seasonings.  Then carefully poor the vinegar in the jars leaving 1 inch of head space.  Lid and boil for 15 minutes in a water bath canner.
Leave sitting for at least a week to let the flavor develop properly.  

I hope you like these dilly beans.  They are so Yummy! 

Oh Betty is looking good today!

So after the post yesterday, I made some strawberry pie filling.  Then this morning I made some strawberry betty.  Oh betty is so good.

Isn't she lovely?  And you know what, She is YUMMY!  Wanna know how to make it?  Well I guess I will share my recipe. If you twist my arm.

Strawberry Pie filling http://www.pickyourown.org/strawberrypiefilling.htm

To make it to Betty.

1/2 c sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

tsp salt

1/2 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 tbsp cinnimon

Mix and put over the top of your favorite pie filling.  bake 350 for 25 minutes

NOM NOM NOM

Would be delish with homemade vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!!