Onion Soup Mix Make your own

Onion Soup/Dip Mix
Compliments of www.Budget101.com

2 C. powdered milk
3/4 C. cornstarch
1/4 C. beef bouillon crystals
2 T. dried onion flakes
1 tsp. dried basil leaves, crushed

Measure all ingredients into a Ziploc Bag. Shake well, transfer to vacuum seal bag, seal and store up to a year.

To Use:
1/3 c. Onion Mix per recipe. Blend with water for soup, sour cream for dip, etc.

Beans & Cherry/Grape Tomatoes

I have green beans & both cherry and grape tomatoes that are ready for the picking. I need them gone by this weekend. Any takers? (There are lots of regular tomatoes too, but I have plans to use those, sorry:).

Beans can be eaten fresh, or canned.

Tomatoes can be eaten fresh, or dehydrated (think sun dried tomatoes), & I'm sure there are lots of recipes out there where you can can them somehow? I've only ever dehydrated them so I'm not sure on the canning. But let me know what you find-I'm interested.

The best thing would be for you to call me 757-3274. Just come pick until you are happy!

Chicken

Ok. I am back from the blogging hiatus I claimed to be in need of (not sure why said hiatus was necessary, but....) Macey's is having a 'Back to School Blast' or something along those lines and is having their chicken tenders/ breasts (you choose which you'd like) on sale for $1.49/lb. This is a killer deal. Let me repeat THIS IS A STELLAR DEAL. Go get some. If you are not sure what to do with a plethora of chicken once you've obtained it, let me give some ideas-and please feel free to add to my so-called list in the comment section. I'd love some other ideas on what to do with it.

* Freeze it
* Cook it, bag it, freeze it (cooking methods: diced, grilled, fried in batter-not so sure that would be that good re-heated). At any given time I have at least 4 little snack sized baggies chuck full of diced cooked chicken ready to be put in a chicken pot pie, chicken casserole, etc.)
* Eat it-well, cook it first. Please
* Can it- If you weren't aware that chicken can in fact be preserved other than the freezer method, it can! Super super easy to do as well. Google search it, or call me. I've been doing it for years now and it's easy. I'll guide you through it over the phone or come help you:). Quick run-down on the how-to of canning chicken. Thaw it, cut it (or don't, it doesn't really matter as it will cook while canning and end up shredded. But it might be easier to put in the jars if its cut-and I prefer to cut mine as I KNOW it gets cooked in smaller portions rather than a massive breast that is the same size as your canning jar-yikes), put it in the jar of choice (quart or pint-I prefer pint since I have a rather small family and the pint size really is plenty), put in salt: 1t= quart jars 1/2t.= pint jars, fill with hot water (or don't, the chicken will excrete plenty of liquid while cooking. Should use a different word then 'excrete'....the chicken will.....um......there will be juice that comes out of the chicken? Did that sound better?--I never add water to my chicken, I leave it alone and empty) Pressure cook for 75 minutes. If you're a little nervous to follow my 'by memory' instructions, google search 'how to can chicken' or 'canning chicken instructions' or something of the like.

That's about all I can think of. But go. Get some chicken. The sale dates are only Friday & Saturday. And the ad said 'while supplies last' They are selling them in 10 lb. boxes... Good luck! I"ll see you there, early Friday morning:).

Website

www.unclutter.com

Online Food Storage Tracker

I practically struck gold just now. Oh my. This really is the greatest thing that has come along since chocolate and peanut butter. I have been trying to find ways to have an easier time inventory-ing my food storage. I was just browsing around google searching for 'food storage inventory list' and this is what I stumbled across:
trackmyfoodstorage.com
It's free (there is another 'cooler' option that you can purchase, but just choose the free one for now and see what you think before jumping in too fast.) The 'cooler' option has a few more things to offer, but not completely necessary.

It is an online inventory tracker for you to keep up on what you have in terms of food storage, what you need, your goals for your particular family, charts to show you what you have/need, dates that things will expire in your food storage so you know when to rotate, etc. HOLY COW this is soo cool! You might feel like it'll be a little hard to keep up with (constantly having to run to the computer) there is a way around that, May I suggest having a piece of paper on your fridge or down with your food storage that you can quickly jot down what you are taking out/adding to your storage and then update only once a week-taking that paper to the computer and inputting everything you've added/taken away for the week?

Oh I am so glad to have stumbled across this. Let me know what you think. I know it might seem like a lot of work up front, but keep up with it and it'll be something so useful-at least I know it will for me. Good luck:)

Again, the link is www.trackmyfoodstorage.com

Homemade Mayonnaise

Homemade Mayonnaise
source: Jessica Ringle

Start to Finish: 15 minutes
Makes: about 2 cups

1/2 t. dry mustard
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. paprika (optional)
1/8 t. ground red pepper
1/4 c. refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed (or 2 egg yolks)
2 T. vinegar or lemon juice (or both)
2 c. salad oil or 1 1/2 c. salad oil and 1/2 c. olive oil

1. In a medium mixing bowl combine the mustard, salt, paprkia, and red pepper. Add egg product and vinegar. Beat mixture with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined.
2. With mixer running, add 2 T of the oil, 1 t. at a time. Slowly add the remaining oil in a thin, steady stream. (This should take about 5 minutes.) Cover and store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. (If needed: Beat in 1 T. hot water)

Food Processor Directions: Use only half of each ingredient, except use the 1/4 c. egg product. In a food processor bowl combine all ingredients except oil; process until combined. With the processor running, add 1 cup oil in a thin, steady steam. (When necessary, stop processor and scrape down sides of bowl.) Makes about 1 cup.

Blender directions: Use only half of each ingredient, except use the 1/4 cup egg product. In a blender container combine all ingredients except oil. Cover and blend for 5 seconds. With blender running slowly, add 1 cup oil in thin, steady stream. (When necessary, stop blender and scrape down sides of blender.) Makes about 1 cup.

Nutrition Facts per tablespoon: 122 cal., 14 g. total fat (2 g. sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 22 mg sodium, 0 g carbo., g fiber, 0 g. pro.
Exchanges: 2 1/2 Fat

Food Storage binders

Did you miss our last mini-class on 'Food Storage 101-the basics' or 'What to do with your Food Storage now that you have it'?

During our class, we made up food storage binders, talked about all sorts of 'food storage' questions. I have multiple copies of what we went over and learned, and put together if you are interested. Please let me know and I will get you a copy and help you get yours set up. (Totally easy!)

Do this! It is going to be so nice to have a place where ALL you food storage stuff can be put. I know how it is, I had papers all over the house. Old handouts, things I've printed out, etc. Once this binder is made, make it your own. It will be so nice to have everything organized and all in one place for you to use as a resource.

Help?

I am by no means an expert, a clean freak, an organized person, etc. But if there is anyone that needs help figuring out how to start your food storage, where to put your food storage, when to start, how to start, etc. (even if you've missed any previous classes I've put on) please know that this is my calling-to help out the ward ladies in any way I can. Namely, what I've stated above. I will come over to your house, map out an area and how to get it all set up and ready for your food storage you are going to start acquiring, or already have and don't know where to put it.

Please use me! That is why I am here!!

Baked Oatmeal

I just made this for breakfast. It was so yummy! I have really been in to oats lately (hence the 'spotlight on oats' for the month of May) so I wanted to find more and more recipes to use with my oat supply. I had every intention of posting on our wards recipe blog (yes, we do have a ward recipe blog!) but couldn't figure out the password, and how to post...?) Make sure to bookmark both blogs so you can be self reliant and a good cook...ish:).

Until I find out how to post on the recipe blog, here is that recipe for
Baked Oatmeal (adapted from King Arthur's Whole Grain Baking cookbook)
1 c. steel cut oat groats
4 T. unsalted butter
4 c. water
3 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1/2 c. milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1-2 c. fresh or frozen assorted berries (I used ~1 1/2-2 c. fresh blueberries & blackberries)

Preheat oven to 350. Butter/spray a 9 in. square baking dish. In a separate bowl, boil water, pour over steel-cut oats and butter. Cover. Let sit for 20 minutes. Stir in old fashioned oats, brown sugar, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Stir into the oat mixture. Fold in berries. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Bake until the center is set ~45 min. Remove from the oven, and serve warm with milk or cream for breakfast, or warm with whipped cream, ice cream or frozen yogurt for dessert.

Andy topped his with strawberry yogurt, I ate mine with milk (the first time) and plain (the second time-So I had two servings...I did mention it was good didn't I?) Pyper ate hers plain as did Ginger. Any way you like it goes. Let me know if you try it and what your thoughts are!

Honey Prices

I know we have talked about buying fresh honey before on this blog, but wanted to get you the prices. You can take your own Mason jar (or whatever else you'd like to transport honey in) into Cox Honeyland and pay per pound. I called today and got the prices, here they are:

Cache Valley $2.50/pound
Clover $2.60/pound
Mountain ____ $3.00/pound

I don't have a brand preference. I just go with the cheapest. You are probably asking right now "well, is that a good deal?" During the case lot sale at Macey's just a month or so ago, I got a 5 lb. bottle of honey for $9.xx (almost $10). So, my view on it: Cox Honeyland is a decent deal, but not something you should rush out to get first thing tomorrow morning. If you run out of honey and want some, then yes I'd give them a try because generally honey is a little more expensive than that, but like I said, nothing to hurry and go get. The prices quoted above aren't a sale price, those are the everyday prices.

In a nutshell: When you are between case lot sales, go to Cox. But stock up on the sealed stuff from Macey's during the case lot sales-and get enough to last you.

Making your own glass cleaner

I ran out of Windex, and was in a pinch. I needed something to use so I didn't have to run to the store (and the store price for Windex in insanely expensive! So I wanted to do this anyway.) So, here is a recipe for making your own glass cleaner. Use those old spray bottles too. No need to go get a new spray bottle.

A little dab of this and that from your kitchen cupboard will provide you with the best window cleaner!

Around Earth Day 1990, many newspapers offered recipes for non-toxic cleaning with the basics we all have in our kitchen cupboards, and the recipe was just plain vinegar and water with the option of drying the windows with old newspapers.

People by the thousands tried this but ended up swearing off cleaning with homemade recipes because the formula left streaks on their windows. Unfortunately, the commercial products they had used for so many years had left a wax buildup and vinegar alone wouldn’t do the job of removing the residue.

The good news though: Adding a dab of dish soap to the vinegar and water will remove the buildup.

THE BEST WINDOW CLEANER
Make a great all-purpose window cleaner by combining 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent, and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Shake to blend and spray on your windows!

Honey

Honey is an ingredient many of us use on a daily basis. Kids love it on sandwiches, (heck! even adults love it on sandwiches, or on a hot piece of bread right out of the oven), you may use it when baking bread, cookies or other such recipes. There are many reasons we use honey and for that reason, a lot of people will buy bucket loads of it during a case lot sale.

Storing: Stockpiling honey is fine, however it may crystalize on you. This is totally normal, you just need to know how to get it back to normal and usable for your particular recipe, sandwich, etc.

De-crystalize: If honey crystalizes completely or even get a little cloudy (not a cause of concern), all you need to do is re-liquify, it in some hot water in a pan. It is not a good idea to de-crystalize a large container over and over again. If you do plan to buy a big container, or even bucket of honey and store it, you may consider putting it in separate glass jars (mason jars work wonderfully). If worse comes to worse and you can't heat your honey-you can put it in your hot car with the windows rolled up-like a sauna in your car. It'll be ready in an hour or so:).

Where to buy: Cox Honeyland right off the highway and 800 west sells honey if you bring in your own mason jars. I have never done this, but Tiffani Buck from our ward was who told me about this. (It's been a couple years since she told me this). She mentioned it being a cheaper and yummier option than store bought. You can also buy honey either at Smiths or Maceys during their case lot sales. (**Side note on case lot sales- I prefer Maceys for the case lot sale over Smiths. Maceys allows you to buy 1 can or 1 case of the particular item you are looking for where Smiths doesn't. At Smiths, you have to buy the entire case to get the 'case lot sale price'. Because I don't want to buy 12 cans of every type of canned bean out there (which you'd have to do at Smiths) I can get 4 of each can at Maceys and still pay that cheap case lot price. Maceys might have a couple cents higher on their prices (on some things-not all) I am ok with that because I feel like I can get a better variety for the money I spend).

Storage: If honey is stored in an air-tight container in a dark cook place, it can store your whole life and possibly your children's lives as well. I have read on some accounts of 2000+ year old honey found in tombs that is still edible.

Cooking with Honey: You can switch out honey for sugar interchangeably (with the exception of meringues). However you will want to use just a little less honey than sugar because of the liquidity of it. 1c. sugar = 3/4 c. honey.

Health Benefits of Honey:Oh this is good. I should've put this all first because DANG! It's good stuff. I copied and pasted some of this article from this site because it was just too good to summarize. Read the whole article! It's good! Here goes: Honey is much more healthy and nutritious than cane or beet sugar. Honey has 15 nutrients whereas refined sugar has essentially none, other than "empty carbohydrates". Honey contains healthful enzymes, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The minerals in honey include zinc and selenium, which could play a role in preventing the spread viral infection. The enzymes in honey include glucose oxidase, invertase (sucrase), diastase (amylase), catalase and acid phosphate, which help predigest our foods, lessen the work of digestive organs and relieve the stress on the digestive glands. Honey is an aid to digestion when taken in the raw state because of its enzyme content while sugar interferes with digestion. Honey enters the bloodstream slowly, at about 2 calories per minute. In contrast, sugar enters quickly at 10 calories per minute, causing blood sugars to fluctuate rapidly and wildly. Sugar causes calcium leakage from bones, contributing to osteoporosis while honey does not.
While sugar is produced in only a few states, honey is produced in every state. So it makes sense to get used to using and storing honey, since that will be the form of sugar that will be most commonly available after the balloon goes up.

Storing wheat flour

I love to grind my own wheat. I will usually set aside a day to do all my grinding for 2 weeks. I have a fairly small family (1 3 year old, 1 8 month old), so we don't go through food as fast as a family of say, 6 does. It is nice to get it all done and not have to worry about needing to grind flour when I need it for a recipe. That grinder is sure loud and takes some prep working getting it all ready to go, so like I said, I like to do it only once every other week. I get enough done to last me and I don't have to get everything out (usually) until my next grinding day.

I'm sure you've heard all sorts of things about flour/wheat losing its nutrients if it sits on the counter, or in the pantry. I've researched a few facts for storing wheat flour. Once ground, flour can be stored in an airtight container, a #10 can, a zip top bag, etc. Freezing is nice as it will kill any weevils.

Wheat flour can be stored without losing nutrients or going rancid:
In the freezer for up to 12 months
Refrigerator: up to 6 months
Room Temperature: up to 3 months

How many cups of flour will you get out of a #10 can of wheat (weighing 5.8 lbs.)?
About 17 cups.

source: preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com *awesome blog!

Emergency in a #10 can

I am finding some really cool self reliance blogs out there. I am loving it. I only touch on some things here, but if you just search (look at my link list on the right hand side-toward the top of this blog) you will see some of the best blogs out there! They are dedicated to making self reliance easy and fun. This, I got from theideadoor.com. It is really cool. Check out her blog-she does a great job!

Emergency Kit in a number 10 can

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PACKING 72 MEAL CAN

Place 2 juice boxes in bottom of can at right angles to each other.

Place 1 cup in the space between the juice boxes.

Inside the cup place: 6 hard candies

1 package gum

2 packages fruit snacks (may need to be folded)

2 packages apple cider mix (may need to be folded)

Place 2 packages of granola bars beside the cup (I package on each side in the empty space).

Place 2 packages of hot cocoa mix in the spaces between the juice boxes and the cup (you will have to gold the cocoa packets in half).

Place 2 sticks of beef jerky in any spaces in the bottom of the can.

Place 3 plastic spoons across the top of the juice boxes/cup.

Place 2 packages of oatmeal on top of the spoons.

Place 2 packages of soup mix on top of the oatmeal.

Place 1 package of trail mix beside the oatmeal/soup packets.

Fold menu and place on top of food.

Close kit with 1 plastic lid.

This is all the food that you will need for 72 hours. You will also need 3-4 liters of water per kit.

*****The beef jerky, trail mix, and juice boxes should be rotated every six months. (If you don't rotate them, they could go bad and then they will not be of any use to you when you need them.) The other items in the kit will probably last 2-3 years.

REMEMBER TO DATE YOUR KITS AND ROTATE THOSE ITEMS.





72 HOUR MEAL CAN


SUPPLIES:

#10 CAN WITH PLASTIC LID

1 PLASTIC CUP (16 oz works best)

2 JUICE BOXES (BOXES, NOT POUCHES)

6 HARD CANDIES

1 PACKAGE GUM

2 INDIVIDUAL PACKAGES FRUIT SNACKS

2 INDIVIDUAL PACKAGES APPLE CIDER MIX

2 INDIVIDUAL GRANOLA BARS

2 INDIVIDUAL PACKAGES OF HOT COCOA MIX

2 STICKS OF BEEF JERKY

3 PLASTIC SPOONS

2 INDIVIDUAL OATMEAL PACKAGES

2 INDIVIDUAL PACKAGES OF SOUP MIX

1 PACKAGE OF TRAIL MIX

(SOME OF THESE ITEMS YOU WILL NEED TO BUY IN A LARGER PACKAGE AND THEN PUT IN A ZIP LOCK BAG OR SOMETHING OF THAT KIND)

YOU SHOULD DO ONE CAN PER PERSON IN YOUR FAMILY.

This 72 hour meal can will fit in the bottom of a backpack along with 3-4 liters of water. The following list contains suggested items you might want to put in your backpack. You will then be the happy owner of a "Complete 72 Hour Pack".

Toothbrush

toothpaste

hair brush

shampoo

hand towel

wet wipes

aluminum blanket

small flashlight or candle

hat or cap

extra pair of socks

1st aid kit to include:

band-aids

tape and gauze

Tylenol

Ace bandage

Triple Antibiotic Cream

Chap stick

Hydrogen Peroxide

set of garments or underclothes

1 pair of pants

1 long sleeved shirt

Class Feb. 11

I just got this email from Linda Barnes, Nibley 6th ward Emergency Preparedness Specialist. Mark Andersen is the owner of Anderson Seed & Garden! This will be an awesome class. He is very knowledgeable and will help explain things to us on whatever topic we want so long as it refers to our families, food, etc. (see below email)

Please come tomorrow night. Stay as long as you can, leave when you must. This is the last time this presentation will be made. Bring your gardening questions and concerns. You will be able to ask questions about your specific problems as long as they have to do with vegetation used to sustain the family. In other words, we will not be addressing ornamental or shade trees, or landscaping bushes, etc.
See the announcement below.
Linda Barnes

Just a reminder that Mark Anderson from Anderson's Seed and Garden will be doing a presentation for our Emergency Preparedness class this month. This presentation will be held Thursday, February 11th at the LDS church house on 3200 South from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Anyone is welcome to attend. Please join us. He will be addressing advanced gardening techniques. In addition Mark will be teaching us about certain varieties of fruits and vegetables that can be planted and harvested and stored over winter as opposed to having to be processed by canning, freezing or drying.

Many members in the Nibley 6th ward tried their hand at gardening for the first time last year because of the gardening class and help from ward members. Remember to support each other as we learn new skills.

Linda Barnes
Nibley 6th Ward Emergency Preparedness Specialist
363-0091

Food Storage-Have you thought about this?

Neat Ideas for Dried Emergency Foods to Keep on Hand

Do You Have Astronaut Ice Cream in Your Stockpile of Emergency Foods?

Following an emergency situation nonperishable foods are one important item to have on hand. Dried foods are a great option because they don’t require any preparation and have a very long shelf life. One particular dried food that can be used when an emergency situation arises and nonperishable foods are a must is astronaut ice cream. I know it sounds a bit space age, but astronaut ice cream, along with being a popular novelty item, also provides a unique taste and flavor above and beyond some other dried emergency foods.



Just Desserts

You can think of astronaut ice cream as a dessert food. How cool is it to have ice cream that requires no refrigeration? Cost might be a prohibitive factor for some individuals. Just one pouch of astronaut ice cream can cost about $3, but there are some positive reasons you might want to include astronaut ice cream in your supply of emergency food. If you order astronaut ice cream in bulk, your cost per package will be a bit less.

If you have kids, astronaut ice cream can be a helpful product. Following a difficult emergency situation that forces you to rely on emergency food, your children might be very upset. Astronaut ice cream can be a fun and enjoyable product for them when they are faced with having to eat foods they might find less than appetizing. Astronaut ice cream can be ordered from online retailers and is actually a pretty neat creation. It is freeze-dried and dissolves upon tasting.

On The Healthy Side

Of course, it is helpful to have a variety of dried emergency foods on hand in case of an emergency situation. Dried fruits are also a great choice for “dessert.” You can literally find many dried fruit selections: bananas, papayas, cherries, cranberries, blueberries, and apricots just to name a few. Keep a variety of dried emergency foods including astronaut ice cream, so that you can still enjoy dessert even when a disaster strikes.

www.emergencypreparednesstips.org

Changing a Flat Tire-everything you need to know

What You Need to Know about Changing a Flat Tire

Have You Ever Changed a Flat Tire?

If you are traveling via car, you always need to be prepared for a flat tire. Having a spare tire in trunk is only half the battle. You must have all of the necessary equipment required to actually change your tire if needed. A flat tire can present itself at the most inopportune time, so be prepared.


Are You Prepared?

One of the first things you need to check in advance of a long car trip (and on a routine basis) is your spare tire. Modern cars typically have a donut as opposed to a full spare. Regardless of what you hear, there is nothing inherently unsafe about a donut compared to a full spare. It is really just a convenience issue that goes both ways.

The donut gives you convenience of not taking up a lot of space in your trunk. However, the donut can only be driven for a minimal amount of miles. Typically this distance is only about 50 miles, but you should consult your owners manual to learn how long you can drive before the donut needs to be replaced with a full spare. On the other hand, the full spare will allow you to drive until that tire wears out. So, you don’t have to immediately replace that tire like you have to with a donut.

Regardless of whether you have a donut or full spare, you must make sure that it is properly inflated. It makes no sense to replace a flat tire with a tire that is flat.

The other most important tool needed to change a flat tire is a car jack. The car jack will be needed to jack up your car to change your tire. You should inspect this jack to make sure it works properly. The jack can become rusted in your trunk over the years and will not be in working condition.

The final tools required to change a flat tire are a flashlight and socket wrench. Although not required during the daytime, a flashlight is imperative for flat tire situations that occur during the nighttime. The socket wrench must be able to fit over you lug nuts on your tires, so make sure you have the right size stored in your trunk. With the above advice, you should have all the tools necessary to change a flat tire when you experience one.

www.emergencypreparednesstips.org

Dry Onion Soup Mix-Make it Yourself

Here is a recipe I found online on making your own onion soup mix. It is nice to have on hand for those days when you you need it and don't have a box.

Dry Onion Soup Mix

3/4 cup beef bullion powder (or beef soup base powder)
1 cup minced dry onion
1/8 teaspoon onion salt (or plain salt)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup onion powder

Mix together and store in a jar (a clean empty peanut butter jar would work great). 1/4 cup mix = equals 1 package of onion soup mix. Note: I think I will add 1 tablespoon garlic powder into my mix.

Making your own All-Purpose Kitchen Cleaner

Here's a great recipe for making your own kitchen/bathroom cleaner:

(1) Tbsp. Borax
(3) Tbsp. white vinegar
(1) Tbsp. dish soap
(2) cups water
(1) drop essential oil (for fragrance - optional)
empty spray bottle

Mix ingredients and pour into empty spray bottle. Make sure to label.

I made this for the first time the other night and really like it. I was originally planning on using some of my peppermint oil for fragrance, but there was just enough fragrance in the dish soap that I didn't need anymore, and I really liked how it turned out. So far I've tried it on my counters, my kitchen table and my (very dirty) painted walls near the front door without any problems.

[The spray bottle was purchased at Ikea and ended up holding all but about 1-2 Tbsp of the mixture.]

Making your own Baby Wipes

I got both this and the next post straight from pinchingyourpennies.com. I am constantly raving about the site, if you haven't checked it out yet, now is a great time;).

You can use the same method for making your own cleaning wipes (see previous post) in order to make your own baby wipes as well (with different ingredients, of course).

Here's what you'll need:

(1) roll Bounty* paper towels (or a half roll left over from making cleaning wipes)
(1) Rubbermaid #6 square container or similar
(2) cups water (distilled or tap, depending on your preference)
(2) Tbsp. baby wash or baby shampoo
Optional: (1) Tbsp. baby oil or baby lotion

Prepare the same way as you would the cleaning wipes.

I usually just used tap water, and I left out the baby oil/lotion. But you can use distilled water or boiled tap water (which has cooled to room temp before using the wipes) if you want. Adjust the amount of water based on how relatively wet or dry you prefer your wipes.

As before, you may need to add a few drops of water periodically if your wipes start to dry out.

If you also make your own cleaning wipes, make ABSOLUTE SURE to label each container so that you (or anyone else in your household) don't accidently mix them up!

*I've found that Bounty works really well. You'll want to use a paper towel that is quite thick and is not prone to giving off a lot of lint.

Making your own Cleaning Wipes

Make Your Own Cleaning Wipes
Let's face it - those ready-to-go disinfecting cleaning wipes can be so handy around the house, but so very expensive on the pocketbook! When you can't find them for cheap, or your stockpile is running low, consider making your own!

Here's what you'll need:

(1) roll Bounty paper towels (these seem to hold up the best; I've also heard that Viva towels do pretty well)
(1) Rubbermaid #6 square container & lid, or other similar size (10-cup) container with tight-fitting lid
(2) cups water
(1) ounce Lysol all-purpose cleaner (according to the bottle, this 1:16 dilution will give you hospital-grade disinfecting)

You'll also need a long serated knife (like a bread knife), an electric knife, or a small hacksaw. (I use a long serated bread knife.)

Begin by cutting the roll of paper towels in half, so that you end up with two shorter rolls. (It may help if you cut down through the paper all the way around until you hit the cardboard tube in the middle, and then cut through the cardboard tube.) Brush any loose "fuzzies" off the cut ends, and trim any large clumps with scissors if desired. You'll only need one half of the roll right now; save the other half.

Add the water and Lysol in your container, and swirl to mix (do not shake - you'll make suds).

Next, turn your half roll with the cut side down and gently fold in the sides of the cardboard tube in the middle of the paper towel roll until you can pull it out of the center. It will pull up the inside end of the towel roll with it, and that's just what you want.

Place your roll cut side down in the container with your cleaner and water mixture, and close the lid. Allow the paper towel roll to soak up all the liquid (about 30-60 minutes). Then turn your container upside down for 1-2 hours so that the cleaning mixture can saturate all of the roll. Once it's done, turn it right-side up and you're ready to go - just grab the towels from the inside of the roll, tear off as many as needed, and replace the lid.

Depending on how quickly you go through these, you may need to add just a little water periodically to keep the towels moist.

You can, of course, substitute other brands of cleaners if you'd like. Just be careful that you don't mix different cleaners together. Or if you would rather stay away from the chemicals in the Lysol, you can try this recipe for the cleaning mixture:

1 tsp baking soda
2-5 drops dish soap
3 Tbsp. white vinegar
2-3 cups water

Be sure to label all containers and keep out of reach of small children.

Homemade Laundry Soap

Here are a couple of recipes to try when wanting to make your own laundry detergent/soap:
Liquid Laundry Detergent

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

You could add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, citrus, eucalyptus, tea tree, peppermint, etc…

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*You NEED to use Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" -. Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

Powdered Laundry Detergent - Top load machine

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)

*You NEED to use Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" -. Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

Can’t Find Fels-Naptha? Most recipes call for Fels-Naptha bar soap, but you can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps.
Washing Soda and Borax can often be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2 per batch.

Sherri’s Notes (Moderator on the pinchingyourpennies site)

I have read several things online saying that the powdered laundry detergent is harsh on clothes, so if you decide to try that one you may want to add the detergent and allow the water to start filling (maybe hot) to dissolve the detergent before you add your clothes.

A few members of PYP have said that they don’t always feel that all of the odors come out of their clothes with the basic recipes. Some other suggestions have been to add a cup of Dawn dish soap to the recipes; you could add vinegar to your rinse cycle also. Another member suggested buying a bottle of stain fighter like “Shout” when it’s on sale and adding about a cup of that to the detergent when you are making it.

It might be a good idea to have the ingredients on hand in your non-food storage for an emergency situation.

Amazon has lots of other laundry soap options and also sells the ingredients needed to make laundry soap.

There is lots of information on Pinching Your Pennies. Log-in and search for “Homemade Laundry Soap”.

Homemade Dish Soap

Another post from Pinching Your Pennies. A great site! Check it out. Register to become a member (they don't send junk mail or anything unnecessary-I don't know the last time I got an email from them at all to be exact.) Once you are a member, (this is a forum based site) you can read all sorts of good tips, information, etc. Let me know if you have questions navigating on the site and I'll help point you in the right direction. It isn't all about shopping-this site!!

I think that most of these recipes could easily be adjusted according to your own scent preferences. Just visit your local health food store and choose essential oils to your taste.

Fruit Scented Dish Soap

Liquid castile soap
20 drops lime
10 drops sweet orange
5 drops citrus

Fill a clean 22 oz. plastic squirt bottle with castile soap (diluted according to directions if using concentrate). Add the essential oils. Shake the bottle before each use. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the liquid to dishwater and wash as usual.

Blue Dish Soap

Liquid castile soap
10 drops lemon
6 drops bergamot
4 drops lavender
2 drops orange

Fill a clean 22 oz. plastic squirt bottle with castile soap (diluted according to directions if using concentrate). Add the essential oils. Shake the bottle before each use. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the liquid to dishwater and wash as usual.

Basic Dish Soap

1/4 cup soap flakes (grated ivory)
2 cups hot water
1/4 cup glycerin
1/2 teaspoon lemon essential oil

Let soap flakes dissolve in water. Add glycerin and lemon oil. Let cool. Funnel into squeeze container.

Lavender Dish Soap

2 cups soap flakes (grated ivory)
1 gallon water
25 drops of lavender essential oil (you can change this to lemon or orange or other scent)

Place soap flakes and water into a pan. Heat over medium heat stirring occasionally until it boils and until soap dissolves. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes to thoroughly combine the ingredients. Remove from heat and let liquid partially cool, add the essential oil and stir. Pour into a clean plastic squeeze bottle or re-used dish soap bottle.

Dishwasher Soap:

Mix equal parts of washing soda and borax and store in a plastic covered container. To use, add 2 tablespoons to the dishwasher soap compartment.

Another Dish Powder Recipe:

In a plastic container with a firmly fitting lid, mix:
1 cup borax (20-Mule-Team Borax, available in any supermarket)
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup citric acid (available in some grocery stores among other places—OR you can try this formula, use two packets of Lemonade-Flavored Kool-Aid, ONLY lemon, or you'll dye your dishwasher! and ONLY unsweetened Kool-Aid!)
30 drops citrus essential oil--lemon, grapefruit, orange, tangerine, or a mixture

Put all of it in the container, shake it up.
To use, put a tablespoon or so into each cup of your dishwasher.

This recipe would also work as good if not better than any scouring powder. You could find an old sugar shaker to put it in to sprinkle it in your sink or tub.

Sherri's Notes: (Sherri is a moderator on the PYP site)

If you find when you try these recipes that you have a powdery film on your dishes try filling your rinse aid compartment with white vinegar.

You can buy castile soap in some grocery and health food stores. It typically comes by the gallon or ½ gallon. It is also available on AMAZON.

For greasy dishes, add 1/2 cup vinegar to the water.

To loosen baked-on food from pots and pans, immediately add some baking soda and wait 15 minutes before you've had a chance to add baking soda, boil a solution of 1 cup water, 5 drops of essential oil, and 3 tablespoons baking soda directly in the pot or pan. Allow the mixture to stand until the food can be scraped off easily.

These are all great ideas! Great ways to save money and to have some control over some of the chemicals coming into you home

Ingredient Substitution

I found some awesome information from the USU Extension office. It is a whole long list on different things you can substitute for other things in your kitchen when cooking or baking. I tried to copy and paste it into a post, but the way it is formatted (3 columns) it was nearly impossible for me to do it. I decided to just give you the direct link to the pdf file. You can look at it once you click here and if you'd like to print it out, you can. Give it glance over. It's pretty dang cool.

If for some reason you can't pull it up, or don't have a way to print it, let me know. I can make a copy for you-or you can go into the extension office and buy yourself a copy for .30 (they only charge the cost of printing).

What about Pork?

Here are some tips on what to except when you buy pork:

Boneless pork loin chops, pork rib chops, center cut loin chops, sirloin end chops and boneless sirloin chops will all be nice and tender.

Boneless ribs, country style ribs and Slab ribs are overlooked for great meals. All work well in a crock pot, slab ribs on the grill will be very tender and have a wonderful flavor, just remember to cook low and slow.

Pork roasts;
Boston butt roast is a fatty roast works well in the oven, crock pot or a smoker. Boneless loin and crown rib roast are all ways a great meal, cook in the oven at a lower temp for best results. Bone in and boneless sirloin roast are very good oven roast.

Ground pork is all ways a great item to use in place of ground beef. Another one to use is ground Chicken this has a nice buttery flavor and makes wonderful tacos.

Different Cuts of Beef and what they mean

This information is from Jeff the meat department manager at the the Layton, Utah Ream's grocery store. Copied from the pinching your pennies website.

Middle meats like Top sirloin, T-bone, bone in rib steak, Tenderloin, Tri-tip, New York, ribeye will be your most tender cuts.

Steaks such as Petite sirloin are a good low cost steak, good flavor not overly tough.

Steaks such as Eye of round, bottom round and tip steaks will be tougher.

Flank and skirt steaks are great when grilled, skirt makes wonderful fajita meat.

Cross rib roast and chuck roast are best for pot roast application, remember that a bone in chuck will have more flavor and that a cross rib if the bone was still in would be a round bone roast.

Rump roast, eye round roast, sirloin tip roast petite sirloin roast are all oven roast.

All roasts will come out very nice in a crock pot.

Ground beef is pretty straight forward, just remember that the higher the number the less fat that is in the ground beef.

Grains and their uses

I have been surfing other self reliant type blogs and found some really really great ones. Check out the link list on the right to see some phenomenal blogs dedicated to making food storage, emergency preparedness, and any other form of self reliance easy and doable.

This particular post I found on a blog called Food Storage Made Easy. They have 10 baby steps on making food storage something we can all strive for and attain. The list below has certain grains, the types, uses, how to store them and more. Read on to find out what you can do with those grains you've been storing in case you don't already know-or in case you want more ideas. And don't forget to go check out their site!

Rolled Oats:
Uses – Breakfasts, granola, cookies, filler in meat loafs or casseroles, thickener for soups/stews.
Types – Quick rolled oats or regular rolled oats. Quick oats cook faster but regular oats retain flavor and nutrition better.
Storage – If unopened, optimum shelf life is up to 8 years. If opened should be used within 1 year. We recommend storing large amounts in an airtight plastic container and pulling out a smaller amount every few months for your actual usage/rotation.

Wheat:
Uses – Wheat grass, appetizers, desserts, breakfast cereals, crackers, brownies, tortillas, breads, pancakes, muffins, cakes, snacks, in salads, to make vegetarian meat/protein, and any other baking item you would use flour for.
Types – Spring or winter, hard or soft, red or white. Hard varieties have higher gluten (protein) and are better for making breads. Soft varieties have lower protein and nutrients but are better for pastries, pastas, and breakfast cereals. Red wheats are typically hard and whites are typically soft. However if you prefer the flavor of one over the other you can find soft red and hard white. Experiment with different varieties in your recipes to find out what works best for you.
Storage – If unopened, optimum shelf life is 12 years or more. If opened will last about 3 years. However, once ground into flour, wheat loses most of its nutrients within a few days so only grind small amounts at a time. You can add oxygen absorbers, bay leaves, or dry ice to help keep critters out of your wheat.

Spaghetti or Macaroni:
Uses – As a main course, in casseroles, in soups.
Types – You can store any type of pasta you like to use, the main ones sold in bulk are macaroni and spaghetti so they are convenient for long-term storage.
Storage – If unopened, optimum shelf life is 8-10 years. If opened will last about 2 years. If you buy it in plastic bags we recommend transferring your pasta to airtight plastic containers for better storage.

Cornmeal:
Uses – Grits, cornbread/muffins, mush, jonnycake, hushpuppies, breading on fried items.
Types – Steel ground or stone ground. Most common is steel ground, it has husk and germ almost all removed. Loses flavor and nutrients but has a long shelf life. This is what you will find at the grocery store. Stone ground retains more of the husk and germ but is more perishable. Cornmeal can be found in white, yellow, red, and blue varieties. Yellow and white are the most common.
Storage – If unopened, optimum shelf life is 5 years. If opened will last about 1 year.

Enriched White Flour:
Uses – Cakes, biscuits, pie crusts, pastries, gravy, thickener, puddings.
Types - Bleached or unbleached. Both have had their bran and germ portions removed and are “enriched” by adding back some of the lost nutrients. Bleached has been treated with chlorine, while unbleached is aged and bleached naturally by oxygen in the air.
Storage – If unopened, optimum shelf life is 5 years. If opened will last about 6-8 months.

Enriched White Rice:
Uses – Rice pudding, cereal, casseroles, side dishes.
Types - Bleached or unbleached. Both have had their bran and germ portions removed and are “enriched” by adding back some of the lost nutrients. Bleached has been chemically bleached while unbleached goes through a natural bleaching process.
Storage – If unopened, optimum shelf life is 30 years. If opened will last indefinitely.

Pearled Barley:
Uses – Thickener in soups and stews, in sides or casseroles similar to how you would use rice.
Types - You can buy pot barley which retains more of the nutritious germ and brand, but it has a shorter shelf life. Pearled barley is recommended for long-term food storage.
Storage – If unopened, optimum shelf life is 8 years. If opened will last 18 months.

Freezing Produce

Have you ever considered freezing produce? It is really quite simple.

Most fruits can be frozen without much prep. People frequently freeze berries, peaches grapes, cherries, melon, citrus, and bananas. What you can do is line a baking sheet with waxed paper and put the fruit in a single layer across the pan. Stick the pan in the freezer for a couple of hours and then transfer the fruit to ordinary freezer bags. For cherries, remove the pits prior to freezing and then with melon, kiwi or bananas remove the skin or rind.

Frozen fruit can be eaten plain as a snack, just like candy, or you can use it in smoothies or cobbler.

Freezer jams are simple to make. Just follow the directions on a box of freezer pectin. Low sugar varieties are available.

Have a bag of apples or pears getting past their crisp state? Cut them up, remove the seeds and cook them in your crock pot with a little cinnamon. When they are soft, run them through your food processor and put them in small freezable containers (icing and yogurt tubs work great) and freeze your own applesauce/pear sauce. I frequently use applesauce or pear sauce in place of oil in brownies, cakes, and quick breads.

So stock up when the price is right and don’t be afraid to put your freezer to work for you!

Stay tuned for information on freezing vegetables! Even potatoes!

Seasonal Sales

I use a website called pinchingyourpennies.com. It is a wealth of information when it comes to cooking, cleaning, shopping, couponing, dieting, food storage, but mostly couponing. Please check them out if you haven't already and get to know their site. It is soo packed full of good information. It is almost all forum based, so you'll do a lot of reading what others have to say about your choice topic of the day. You will have to register to the site in order to access every forum they have available. Don't worry, I have never gotten junk mail from them, and they don't sell your email address. (I wouldn't recommend them to you if they did).

I copied this straight from the pinchingyourpennies.com website. I thought it was a great thing for you to read through, and get to know the sales cycles. Some you may already know about, but others you might not.

Seasonal Sales Cycles

JANUARY - Historically, Quaker has hot deals on cereal/all items. We see Pepsi/Tostitos go on sale mid-January (again, rebates abound for these). Other items of note this time of year are chili, side dishes, anything for hearty/warm meals.
• Post-Holiday Sales
• White Sales
• Sports and Weight Loss Equipment
• Computers
• Winter Apparel and Accessories
· Organizers, Rubbermaid totes, shelf organizers, planners, filing cabinets

FEBRUARY – many of the same food items as January
• Electronics
• Floor Coverings
• Housewares
• Furniture
• Candy and Chocolates

MARCH - Frozen food month. You'll find many stores are offering free freezers or fill-a-bag deals. Between March and April, look for spring cleaning deals, so many cleaner items will be on sale. With Easter, looks for eggs, ham, Kraft products to cycle into good sales. Paper products like towels, napkins, plates are starting to come on strong. Beverage items.
• Spring Apparel and Accessories
• Winter Sports Equipment
• Gardening Supplies
• Luggage

APRIL –
• Spring Apparel and Accessories
• Coats and Hats
• Paint
• Wallpaper
• Jewish Foods and Eggs

MAY -
get ready for summer! Here come loads of deals on BBQ sauce, frozen veggies, baked beans, and condiments of all kinds, summer-time meats (ribs, hotdogs, and ground beef). Also with all the holidays, look for tons of paper goods that match the holiday and pick them up after clearance. These deals generally continue through September!
• White Sale - Linens and Towels
• Spring Cleaning Supplies
• Auto Maintenance
• Home Maintenance
• Sodas & Bottled Water, Hotdogs, Hamburger Meat, Condiments, Paper & Plastic plates & cups
* Raid/Off bug repellents and sunscreens

JUNE –
• Summer Apparel and Accessories
• Pianos
• Television Sets
• Building Materials and Hardware
• Dairy Products

JULY –
• Air Conditioners
• Summer Sports Equipment
• Sportswear
• Craft Supplies
• Sodas, Hotdogs, Hamburger Meat, Condiments

AUGUST –
• White Sale - Linen and Towels
• BBQ and Patio Equipment
• Back to School Supplies
• Bathing Suits
• Fresh Fish and Vegetables
• Breakfast foods (Cold cereal-Juice-Waffles-etc)
• Cold lunch items for in lunch boxes

SEPTEMBER - back to school; time to fill up on snacks! Pudding cups, Capri suns, fruit snacks, cereal sales start up hard again, peanut butter/jelly. Also, like clockwork, there will be Prego coupons in August, and plan on getting lots and using them in a hurry before they expire in September when the spaghetti sauce goes on sale. Sauce wars between Ragu and Prego this month. Campbell’s soups will go on as well and there will be coupons in the end of August for these as well. Lunchables are on sale this time of year, too.
• Back to School Supplies and Apparel
• Gardening Supplies
• Housewares
• Bicycles
• Canned Goods

OCTOBER - Stock up on holiday foods – Stove Top, turkey, instant mashed potatoes, broth, cranberries, marshmallow, ice cream, pie shells, whipped cream, pudding. Look for great Kraft deals again this time of year. Piggyback those Kraft coupons when you can. Crackers are a biggie - going on for $1 or less a box. Lots of extra deals like $ off cheese WYB crackers. The real kicker is the after Christmas food deals! Save your coupons because pie fixings, fried onion, broth and canned green beans will be on deep discount. I got those onions for .50 a can, normally almost $4. These generally continue through December.
• Cars
• Houses
• Fishing Equipment
• Crystal, Silver, and Glassware
• Candy
· Baking/candy-making items (choc chips, sprinkles, vanilla, corn syrup, nuts, etc)

NOVEMBER -
• Winter Apparel and Accessories
• Quilts and Blankets
• Heating Devices
• Turkey, Sweet Potatoes
• Canned goods (soup, chicken broth, condensed milk, veggies etc)
• Baking goods

DECEMBER –
• Toys
• Gift Items
• Party ware
• Post-Holiday Sales
• Party Foods, Baking Goods, and Various Meat
• Canned goods (broth, soups, etc)

Year-round after a holiday, you can always pick up cheap cookie dough and any food related to a holiday.

Continual sales are candy, popcorn, chips, anything snacky, cereal (heavier in the fall/winter, but still around in the spring).
Frozen food sales seem to centralize on a brand and the switch brands the next month. I think the manufacturers buy slot time for sales. So last month, Stouffers was on sale hard, now lean cuisine is. Save the entire frozen coupon and then keep checking back for the brand of the month.

Frozen pizzas go on sale in the fall and then again the spring; not often in the summer because people don't want to turn their ovens on in the summer.

By all means, this isn't everything that you can get on sale, but if you follow the cycle and stock up (I never buy BBQ sauce in the winter), then you can get where you have enough on hand and only need to refill when the items are in season. The result is that you spend less and less with each successful cycle.

My official disclaimer

I just want to put this out there first and foremost. I am not, and in no way claim to be, an expert on the 'self reliance' topic. I only have a major interest in the subject matter and want to better myself on a daily (or at the very least weekly) basis.

I hope to tell you of all the good deals on food storage items, and/or grocery items, help in the area of emergency preparedness, give cooking tips (mostly not from myself, but others experts), cheap ways to do all sorts of things around the house from gardening, cleaning, cooking, home-remedies, and anything else I can. I am one cheap-son-of-a-gun and have a few things up my sleeve that I feel I could share with you.

Like I mentioned, I am not an expert and hope to learn just as much from you as well as other resources on the web as you learn from me. I will post a 'link list' of other blogs, video clips, articles, etc. that have a common interest we all share here-being self reliant in all ways.

I will post all the handouts and a brief synopsis of what we talk about or participate in during our monthly self reliance meetings/classes.

I am so dang excited for this! I think this blog will help me to be on the lookout for 'cool' and informative things to share with you all and in so doing will help me as well. Please please please feel free to comment and teach the other readers, or provide insight on any topic you feel like. I know each reader here has something different to offer up and we can all learn from one another.

This is not my blog, but 'our' blog:). If there is a topic you'd like to learn more about, comment and I'll see what I can dig up.