How long can I store flour? What’s the shelf-life of freeze-dried strawberries? Can I preserve meat in some way other than smoking or drying it? I’d have to say the most common question I get asked as the Preparedness Pro is asking me how long something will store of Read more…
When I make cornbread, I always make extra and then I’ll make cornbread croutons for this particular salad. It’s a nice twist on the same old boring side dishes and it’s got a little bit of a spicy, sassy kick to the flavor as well. The recipe is even better Read more…
Having sufficient food for a weekend full of house guests may be a bit overwhelming. So when it comes to attempting to have a year’s supply of great food on hand, one might start thinking about taking psychiatric medications in order to measure up to the task. But I assure Read more…
Frequently I’ve written on this blog as to how simple it is to make delightful dairy indulgences such as yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, ice cream, 
cream cheese and other cheeses. So today I’ve decided to share with you just one of the many scrumptious dishes you can make—preferably from whole milk. After trying this yourself you might catch the same bug that pesters me—the one which entices me to move to big, green pastures where I can drink all of the raw milk I want, enjoy fresh eggs, and thick slices of ham knowing completely what Frankenstein-ian chemical additives are lurking behind my meals.
You know. One of the most consistent battles we have to fight in our pursuit of self-reliance is misinformation. There’s always plenty to mislead us, cause us unnecessary heartburn, or make us worry. I believe that allowing ourselves to be swayed by misinformation 
actually diminishes us of our real capability and value in our lives. Take couponing for example. It’s one of my most important strategies in my preparedness efforts because it impacts so many of the Principles of Preparedness. But I suspect that the new show, TLC’s Extreme Couponing, is doing more to dissuade folks from couponing rather than taking it up and that bothers me. I bothers me because I KNOW that couponing is a great way for folks to actually achieve a year’s supply of food, clothing, medical needs, etc. for free or cheap and I KNOW that doing so doesn’t require a person to be some kind of a psychotic hoarder with nothing else to do but cut coupons and clear shelves. So, I’ve decided that today’s article will be dedicated to helping folks cut through the shine-ola and hear the truth about couponing one more time. So, do your worst TLC, ‘cause I’m talking.
We’ve received a LOT of new readers lately and as such I’m hearing a lot of questions that are also covered in articles in the past. So 
today I thought I’d help someone find an article on the use and selection of powdered milk that I swore I had written at one time. But I gotta tell ya, I’m not all that impressed with the search features of Wordpress. I figure if I can’t even find the dern-blasted article, then how can I expect anyone else to. So, I’m going to provide some basic powdered milk 101 kind of information today that will hopefully answer a lot of questions.
Many moons ago (I think nearly 11 years) my hubby and I decided to go to Walt Disney World for a delayed honeymoon. As a part of our Land/Cruise package, we were given about $300 in the form of a gift card that we could purchase any of our food with as well as any items that the restaurants sold. We did such a good job in budgeting the use of this card while we were there that we found ourselves still with about $100 left the night before we were to board on the cruise ship. In essence, our gift card would be useless and expired as soon as we left the park. So, my husband,
Is there a cure for the common cold? Why yes, there are LOTS of them and they have nothing to do with anti-biotics or other chemcials.
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Having beans in your pantry isn’t appealing to a lot of people. Mostly though it’s because the thought of eating them exclusively long-term causes them to prefer death. So allow me to fill you in on some of the basic information about cooking with beans, storing them, sprouting them, etc.
Believe it or not but beans can be a comfort food.
Today I’m going to give you an easy way to cook in a do-it-yourself solar oven. Understand that I do so only in the name of independence as circumstances may prevent you from having access to a commercially made solar oven. However, if I had a choice between using my own homemade solar oven and a commercial one, I would go commercial any time. Why? Because the commercial solar ovens I recommend are specifically made to handle rugged third world conditions. They are intended for cooking everyday for a number of years (5-15, depending on which model you get). The DIY solar ovens are not likely to last that long, be as sturdy, or handle as much volume as a solar oven you may purchase commercially.