At least it should be--it has been awhile (toooo long) since I've updated my 72-hour kits, but the aim in our household is to update them in April and October. Time to renew this aim... I was reminded of this when I went by the Harried Homemaker website, where she is having a giveaway of Nature Valley products. I haven't tried the nut clusters, but have put Nature Valley granola bars in our kits because they have great expiration dates and they're tasty. Not in it to win, but you may like to swing by and enter, and hey, a reminder about 72-hour kits is always appreciated. Long-time readers of this blog may remember that I'm a big fan of products with far-in-the-future expiration dates..... :)
In other news, we should have perhaps checked our potatoes before, say, yesterday, seeing as how we do live in Idaho. Um, yeah, our potatoes are plentiful and huge, and we are very happy about it. Hope they taste as good as they grew. One of my children came running in when I came home from being out and told me one of the potatoes looked like a turkey. When I saw the gargantuan spud that had grown in a really unusual shape with plenty of unusual features, I understood the comparison. Our other potatoes are not quite as unusual, just larger than I expected. Wish our camera connecting cable would allow us to post pictures....
Also have a healthy number of beautiful cucumbers, and our pumpkins are coming along nicely. It's all good. And for the most part, the timing is great because it turned colder today. Now to figure out how to use all of the produce before it becomes unuseable.....not a bad problem to have. :)
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Glass and wood don't mix....
Given that:
---The wood is placed in such a way that it keeps the glass-fronted door of a wood-burning stove from closing entirely. But hey, it almost closed, and it would have been fixed before the wood was actually lit.....
And:
--There is an incredibly helpful and observant child in the house, who passing by said situation decided to pull the handle down on said door, causing the said wood to make contact with said glass.....
Resulting in a popping sound, which although muffled, was nevertheless ominous enough to cause immediate discovery of the fact that the glass on the door was splintered.
The good news:
---The glass stayed in the door, and there were no splinters out and about on the hearth to worry about.
--We didn't need a fire that day.
--It only took a couple of days to get it fixed, and the incident did not take place in the dead of winter or the middle of a quarantine.
Yeah, in a case like this, glass and wood don't mix. Don't try this at home. :)
---The wood is placed in such a way that it keeps the glass-fronted door of a wood-burning stove from closing entirely. But hey, it almost closed, and it would have been fixed before the wood was actually lit.....
And:
--There is an incredibly helpful and observant child in the house, who passing by said situation decided to pull the handle down on said door, causing the said wood to make contact with said glass.....
Resulting in a popping sound, which although muffled, was nevertheless ominous enough to cause immediate discovery of the fact that the glass on the door was splintered.
The good news:
---The glass stayed in the door, and there were no splinters out and about on the hearth to worry about.
--We didn't need a fire that day.
--It only took a couple of days to get it fixed, and the incident did not take place in the dead of winter or the middle of a quarantine.
Yeah, in a case like this, glass and wood don't mix. Don't try this at home. :)
Monday, September 21, 2009
Log time, do see...
As in, the back of our garage is now full of aspen wood for the winter. It's a good feeling--and thankfully, not a bad smell, because as my husband was pointing out yesterday, even the vehicle we were riding in smells like aspen wood....
We didn't get it in at the season's lowest price, although we did call earlier this summer and got no call back. However, we called back much later, and ended up getting it at $10 above that price/cord, which was still $25 less/cord than I remember us paying last year. Still an expense, but it did cut our utility bill last year, and it helps clear out dead wood wherever the gentleman acquires it, so hopefully it's a good deal for all.
We now have a bunch of canned meat and reusable canning materials sitting in our store room, thanks to my best source (Mom). And hence more peace of mind when it comes to my 3-month supply when it comes to the protein part of it. Still need more supplies/variety, but little by little the shelves fill up....
Unless, of course, you are actually using your storage, which we have been doing, and hence need to stock up on some of the supplies when/if they go on sale. That's definitely one of the advantages of having storage--the ability to wait for a better price. Hoping that happens for, oh, say, Dinty Moore Stew sometime soon.... :) We don't have shepherd's pie (the recipe for which I mentioned with some other recipes here) that often, but it's pretty popular and very very very easy.
I have had my eye on some other recipes recently that I will hopefully get to soon--usually making mention of my intention to do so provides additional motivation to do it sooner. Too bad the lip on our woodstove is disappointingly small--will have to also look at different alternative ways to actually cook our food while we keep warm to the smell of aspen.... :)
We didn't get it in at the season's lowest price, although we did call earlier this summer and got no call back. However, we called back much later, and ended up getting it at $10 above that price/cord, which was still $25 less/cord than I remember us paying last year. Still an expense, but it did cut our utility bill last year, and it helps clear out dead wood wherever the gentleman acquires it, so hopefully it's a good deal for all.
We now have a bunch of canned meat and reusable canning materials sitting in our store room, thanks to my best source (Mom). And hence more peace of mind when it comes to my 3-month supply when it comes to the protein part of it. Still need more supplies/variety, but little by little the shelves fill up....
Unless, of course, you are actually using your storage, which we have been doing, and hence need to stock up on some of the supplies when/if they go on sale. That's definitely one of the advantages of having storage--the ability to wait for a better price. Hoping that happens for, oh, say, Dinty Moore Stew sometime soon.... :) We don't have shepherd's pie (the recipe for which I mentioned with some other recipes here) that often, but it's pretty popular and very very very easy.
I have had my eye on some other recipes recently that I will hopefully get to soon--usually making mention of my intention to do so provides additional motivation to do it sooner. Too bad the lip on our woodstove is disappointingly small--will have to also look at different alternative ways to actually cook our food while we keep warm to the smell of aspen.... :)
Friday, September 11, 2009
Eight years later
When it comes to September 11, it never seems like words are enough.
On September 11, 2001, my husband came home from work specifically to put out our flag before we even knew who was responsible for the terrible attacks on that day.
This year, a child who is too young to remember September 11, 2001 helped my husband display our flag. We are teaching our children what the meaning of remembering September 11th is all about.
We will never forget.
On September 11, 2001, my husband came home from work specifically to put out our flag before we even knew who was responsible for the terrible attacks on that day.
This year, a child who is too young to remember September 11, 2001 helped my husband display our flag. We are teaching our children what the meaning of remembering September 11th is all about.
We will never forget.
Monday, September 7, 2009
One of those one-day sale specials...oh, yeah, that's today
Received an e-mail from my best source (Mom) yesterday that there is a one-day sale today at Hancock Fabrics where a bunch of stuff is on sale for really good prices. She sends out Emergency Prep e-mails to a group of people, and she is down in Utah, but there was one thing that caught my eye, that made me find out if we had a Hancock Fabrics near enough to merit a visit, and then go find out if that particular store was having the same sale. Those who read this blog regularly may be surprised to learn what that special was....
A Janome Sew-Mini for $39.99, which is regularly priced at $59.99.
And guess what? I now own one, along with some brand-new scissors that were also on sale at a spectacular price. I figured, what could I do with sewing if I had no scissors? I actually almost didn't buy them, but there you go, and I wouldn't have looked twice if they hadn't been on sale. (Sticker shock is an ugly thing...)
For those who don't know, to say that I don't like sewing and that I have issues with it would be pretty much a massive understatement. I haven't sewn for years, but it's one of those skills that would be really really helpful in emergency situations, as well as just plain old useful to be able to do, so I have decided to try it again....
For those who decide to go in search of a Janome Sew Mini, (please call your particular store and see if they have it if you have any questions about it--gotta hate a wild-goose chase) may I share something that I learned from my brief but profitable experience there this morning:
--Janome is not pronounced Janome with a long o, silent e (or n-e-m-e-s-i-s, if your feelings about sewing are akin to mine) but rather Janomeeeeee. I found this out when I asked if they had any left, and the staff person who was helping me asked another employee about it. Nothing like showing and not telling---glad she was nice enough not to act like she didn't know what I was talking about.....
Anyway, I still have the sewing machine that my mother-in-law was kind enough to give me nigh these many years ago. There is a manual with it, so I may try working with it, if it still works, one of these days. However, if I am going to mess around with a sewing machine and potentially cause damage, I figure it's better to do so with a bargain-priced machine.
To those of you who are already accomplished sewers, I tip my hat. (Well, I would if I had one, but you get the idea.) I am seriously impressed. I'm just glad that sewing machines can't read, and I may be able to convince this sewing machine to be my f-r-i-e-n-d, instead of that other thing I spelled out earlier.... :)
A Janome Sew-Mini for $39.99, which is regularly priced at $59.99.
And guess what? I now own one, along with some brand-new scissors that were also on sale at a spectacular price. I figured, what could I do with sewing if I had no scissors? I actually almost didn't buy them, but there you go, and I wouldn't have looked twice if they hadn't been on sale. (Sticker shock is an ugly thing...)
For those who don't know, to say that I don't like sewing and that I have issues with it would be pretty much a massive understatement. I haven't sewn for years, but it's one of those skills that would be really really helpful in emergency situations, as well as just plain old useful to be able to do, so I have decided to try it again....
For those who decide to go in search of a Janome Sew Mini, (please call your particular store and see if they have it if you have any questions about it--gotta hate a wild-goose chase) may I share something that I learned from my brief but profitable experience there this morning:
--Janome is not pronounced Janome with a long o, silent e (or n-e-m-e-s-i-s, if your feelings about sewing are akin to mine) but rather Janomeeeeee. I found this out when I asked if they had any left, and the staff person who was helping me asked another employee about it. Nothing like showing and not telling---glad she was nice enough not to act like she didn't know what I was talking about.....
Anyway, I still have the sewing machine that my mother-in-law was kind enough to give me nigh these many years ago. There is a manual with it, so I may try working with it, if it still works, one of these days. However, if I am going to mess around with a sewing machine and potentially cause damage, I figure it's better to do so with a bargain-priced machine.
To those of you who are already accomplished sewers, I tip my hat. (Well, I would if I had one, but you get the idea.) I am seriously impressed. I'm just glad that sewing machines can't read, and I may be able to convince this sewing machine to be my f-r-i-e-n-d, instead of that other thing I spelled out earlier.... :)
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Don't let "Dorito dogs" happen to you....
Well, at least not unexpectedly....
My husband went camping on Friday a distance from home with our children that would be old enough to enjoy the experience. The experience was enjoyed, though not entirely without its glitches...
The good:
---Those who have been reading this blog for awhile may remember that we purchased a tent last year for emergency purposes. This was the first time it had been used outside of our backyard, and reportedly everything went well.
The not-as-good:
--My husband left home without the hot dogs they had been planning to cook over a campfire. Hence, there were hot dog buns, Doritos, juiceboxes, and the makings for s'mores. But no actual hotdogs. What to do?
Well, in this instance, there were "Dorito dogs" for supper. My children liked them a lot, actually, so taste and appetite fatigue don't figure much into this particular experience. Nutrition does (please don't tell me what's actually in hot dogs--I like them and don't really want to know... :) in terms of protein, though I figure one night of "Dorito dogs" isn't going to hurt anyone, and we don't eat that many hot dogs around here anyway--they are more of a campout treat. What really struck me was the thought, what have I forgotten in terms of food storage?
I know what I need more of, (stored fruit comes to mind) but is there anything I just have actually forgotten about, that would lead to some really weird substitutions if I didn't have it long-term? Doritos aren't a long-term storage item for us, but if we had some in storage they would be a comfort food, and we do have some comfort foods in storage, though there is probably room for improvement in that area as well. (Could there ever be enough comfort foods in storage? :)
Is there anything you have forgotten about? Personally, I think it's time for me to check the store room....
My husband went camping on Friday a distance from home with our children that would be old enough to enjoy the experience. The experience was enjoyed, though not entirely without its glitches...
The good:
---Those who have been reading this blog for awhile may remember that we purchased a tent last year for emergency purposes. This was the first time it had been used outside of our backyard, and reportedly everything went well.
The not-as-good:
--My husband left home without the hot dogs they had been planning to cook over a campfire. Hence, there were hot dog buns, Doritos, juiceboxes, and the makings for s'mores. But no actual hotdogs. What to do?
Well, in this instance, there were "Dorito dogs" for supper. My children liked them a lot, actually, so taste and appetite fatigue don't figure much into this particular experience. Nutrition does (please don't tell me what's actually in hot dogs--I like them and don't really want to know... :) in terms of protein, though I figure one night of "Dorito dogs" isn't going to hurt anyone, and we don't eat that many hot dogs around here anyway--they are more of a campout treat. What really struck me was the thought, what have I forgotten in terms of food storage?
I know what I need more of, (stored fruit comes to mind) but is there anything I just have actually forgotten about, that would lead to some really weird substitutions if I didn't have it long-term? Doritos aren't a long-term storage item for us, but if we had some in storage they would be a comfort food, and we do have some comfort foods in storage, though there is probably room for improvement in that area as well. (Could there ever be enough comfort foods in storage? :)
Is there anything you have forgotten about? Personally, I think it's time for me to check the store room....
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Things are tough all over...
Apparently even in the schools.
Was surprised recently to find out that there was a request for donations on top of regular school fees. I know that the people in schools work really hard with fundraisers, etc., to get "extra" money, but I don't recall ever having a straight-out request for donations sent home. Granted, at this point the "extra" money being requested was not a requirement, but a bit disheartening all the same.
And money needed for any other use doesn't go into food storage/emergency preparation supplies...
On a related subject, there is a collection going on to gather supplies for children who may not have been able to acquire everything they need for school. Since I knew about this beforehand, I was able to get some extra "generally-needed-in-just-about-every-class" supplies for said collection at the really cheap back-to-school sales. Now to get the stuff to one of the announced collection sites before the collection ends this week. Things can be tough all over, but when we help where we can, things can be a little easier...
Was surprised recently to find out that there was a request for donations on top of regular school fees. I know that the people in schools work really hard with fundraisers, etc., to get "extra" money, but I don't recall ever having a straight-out request for donations sent home. Granted, at this point the "extra" money being requested was not a requirement, but a bit disheartening all the same.
And money needed for any other use doesn't go into food storage/emergency preparation supplies...
On a related subject, there is a collection going on to gather supplies for children who may not have been able to acquire everything they need for school. Since I knew about this beforehand, I was able to get some extra "generally-needed-in-just-about-every-class" supplies for said collection at the really cheap back-to-school sales. Now to get the stuff to one of the announced collection sites before the collection ends this week. Things can be tough all over, but when we help where we can, things can be a little easier...
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