Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: December 15 ~ 21, 2019

[ReneeT]

Good Morning, All!

A winter storm alert coming in over the phones - his about a minute after mine (and why does that man have an alert that sounds like a blasted foghorn?!) woke us up a bit before 4 am; Hubby was lucky enough to be able to go back to sleep. I tried for a bit but the coffee pot was calling my name... The snow isn't supposed to start until around 3pm, so that gives us plenty of time to batten the hatches - especially since they are only calling for 1-3". Hubby had fueled up the tractor and put the blade on earlier; and we had picked up a gallon of kerosene to have on hand to keep the diesel fuel from jelling if the temp drops lower than it is supposed to. Neither of us really needs to leave home until Tuesday - if the roads are bad, I will have him drop me at my co-worker buddy's house when he goes in to work; then he can take me to work before he heads home that night.

No grandkids this weekend - plans changed as the other set of grandparents requested them on Saturday and they wanted to spend today at home with their Mama - I think the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season along with a lot of things happening at school is getting to them a bit. I was planning to take them up to the pool this afternoon, then stop by the store on the way home to do a bit of stocking up, but the sale is good until Christmas Eve. I'm sure I will be in that town to go to the pool several days before the sale is over so I will get there sometime before then. Folger's coffee is on sale for $5.99 for the 20 to 30 oz tubs, Green Giant canned veggies are 39 cents/can; there are a few other sales that I will likely take advantage of, but for generaly use, not stocking up purposes.

I'll use the time I would have spent a the pool to gather up the rest of the apples and can applesauce instead. I also want to carry in a few more 2 gallon jugs of water from the stock tank for watering my houseplants before it freezes. I'll catch up the laundry, too; just in case the power goes out. Reckon instead of sitting I might as well go get that first load of laundry started - my scrubs along with the fleece lined long johns that I've been wearing under them; it gets chilly in the hospital on night shift!

You folks all stay safe out there - we can't afford to lose any Patriots!

 

[moldy]

Been feeling a little rough the last few days. I really wonder if 2 years of school and go-go-go has not done a number on my immunity. Today, I did some canning and a little cleaning. DH is working on a ceiling in the guest house (hopefully my office after the first of the year).

 

[summerthyme]

Moldy... it surely can cause immune system problems. But it also may be an adrenal "crash", if you have gone from fairly intense physical stress to something a bit more relaxed.

It's very well known among trainers of Thoroughbred racehorses. An animal which has been at peak condition from intense training, and sustains even a mild injury that requires rest, often "crashes". They lose weight (despite using far fewer calories and being fed adequately), their coats can get rough, and they often catch every bug imaginable. It takes time for their adrenals to adjust.

Take care of yourself, watch carb intake, and maybe consider ginseng or rhodiola or another adaptogenic herb to help you adjust to your "new normal".

Summerthyme

 

[nomifyle]

The holidays or maybe the cold weather have given me a "not really interested in adding to preps" attitude. However, we don't do anything special for holidays anymore or visit with out of town relatives. I don't like to travel around a holiday.

Judy

 

[moldy]

Feeling an odd push. What is the best cheapest place to buy cloth diapers?

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I'm having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year. I don't even plan to do any decorating like I've always done in the past. It's just too much of an effort for me. We do plan to host Christmas dinner at our house, but it is only for a very small group. Only my dinning table will be decorated.

We made our bimonthly trip into town, yesterday. It was so cold! Temp only made it up to 39 with a wind chill down into the 20's. I froze my butt off all day! Only bought regular groceries this time, along with CaryC's Christmas gift from me, and he bought mine at the mall. I did go to Sam's to pick up another couple of jars of mayonnaise which was still on sale, along with another jug of Folger's coffee. While there, two women got into a fight at one of the cash registers!!!! Both white. We made our way closer to the entrance quickly. I sure didn't want to get caught up in the middle of something. Once they both left the store, we finished our shopping. Man, it's a mad house out there! Ya'll be careful!

I could hardly wait, until we got back home out of that rat race, cold, and back in front of our warm wood heater! Finally, I felt safe once again!

 

[nomifyle]

Feeling an odd push. What is the best cheapest place to buy cloth diapers?

I bought some several years ago either from amazon or ebay. Still have most of them, although I did give two dozen as a baby gift to someone, I don't think they were excited about the gift, LOL People today are so spoiled by disposable products.

We had to go to the big town yesterday for a doctors appointment for DH and stopped at Sams. I only wanted a few things but they've changed the store around and it was hard to find what I wanted. Ziploc has 1/2 gallon size bags now, so I bought a box and I needed quart size too. I had to look all around to find pork rinds and the snack section is overwhelmingly large, no wonder people are so fat. I don't really count ziploc bags as a much of a prep item, I've been buying them by the case for years, so much cheaper.

Judy

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I bought some several years ago either from amazon or ebay. Still have most of them, although I did give two dozen as a baby gift to someone, I don't think they were excited about the gift, LOL People today are so spoiled by disposable products.

We had to go to the big town yesterday for a doctors appointment for DH and stopped at Sams. I only wanted a few things but they've changed the store around and it was hard to find what I wanted. Ziploc has 1/2 gallon size bags now, so I bought a box and I needed quart size too. I had to look all around to find pork rinds and the snack section is overwhelmingly large, no wonder people are so fat. I don't really count ziploc bags as a much of a prep item, I've been buying them by the case for years, so much cheaper.

Judy

I buy the case of 1 gal Ziploc freezer storage bags at Sam's when they're on sale. The reason, I take items such as cornmeal, flour, all meat out of their original packaging, and put them all in those bags, before putting them in the freezer. I also use the bags to store butter in the freezer. Helps prevent freezer burn, I also date and label each bag. They may not be a real prep item, but I use a lot of them in prepping. I think I'm on my last individual box of them. Need to get more in the future.

 

[nomifyle]

I buy the case of 1 gal Ziploc freezer storage bags at Sam's when they're on sale. The reason, I take items such as cornmeal, flour, all meat out of their original packaging, and put them all in those bags, before putting them in the freezer. I also use the bags to store butter in the freezer. Helps prevent freezer burn, I also date and label each bag. They may not be a real prep item, but I use a lot of them in prepping. I think I'm on my last individual box of them. Need to get more in the future.

I use the gallon size too, just didn't need them right now. I have been using gallon size for things the 1/2 size would be better, so I figured less waste. I use ziplocs every day.

Judy

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I use the gallon size too, just didn't need them right now. I have been using gallon size for things the 1/2 size would be better, so I figured less waste. I use ziplocs every day.

Judy

Yeah, me, too. They do come in handy for all sorts of things, don't they?

 

[20Gauge]

I buy the case of 1 gal Ziploc freezer storage bags at Sam's when they're on sale. The reason, I take items such as cornmeal, flour, all meat out of their original packaging, and put them all in those bags, before putting them in the freezer. I also use the bags to store butter in the freezer. Helps prevent freezer burn, I also date and label each bag. They may not be a real prep item, but I use a lot of them in prepping. I think I'm on my last individual box of them. Need to get more in the future.

The bags are a prep item. Think of all the things you can protect with them. I have a handful in my to go bag for that reason.

 

[20Gauge]

We picked up a 50 foot retractable hose reel yesterday. We got tired of carrying around the small compressor. It will give me a chance to find a location off the ground for the compressor and the ability to do what I need almost anywhere I need.

Not so much a prep as a handy thing I wanted.

 

[ReneeT]

Feeling an odd push. What is the best cheapest place to buy cloth diapers?

Not sure of the cheapest place, but here is a link to a good pattern that I used: Sewing and using cloth diapers is easier than you think - Backwoods Home Magazine

If I broke rules by posting this link, will someone please tell me what I did wrong? Thanks!

 

[ReneeT]

After we went to the pool this morning, the neighbor and I stopped by the store - I picked up 3 - 12 can cases of Green Giant veggies (green beans, creamed corn, whole kernel corn) and 4 tubs of coffee promoted in their sale ad. Those all went downstairs to be rotated into the pantry.

I hadn't had breakfast beyond a couple of cups of coffee and was getting pretty hungry, so for $6, I added a deli meal of roast chicken, green beans, and mashed taters to the cart. After I got home and carried everything in, I ate what I wanted of the meal for lunch, packed a lunch for work tonight, picked the rest of the meat from the bones and then threw the skin and bones and icky bits into a bit over a quart of water and cooked it down for broth - it made a nicely seasoned quart of broth. I have enough largish pieces of meat left to use them along with some of the broth, a scoop (1/3 cup-ish) of mixed frozen veggies and 1/2 a packet of Knorr's fried rice mix to fix two servings of fried rice. Then I'll take the small bits of meat that were leftover and put them in some of the rest of the broth along with another scoop of frozen veggies and some rice to make two servings of chicken and rice soup. Taking in to consideration the other ingredients, a punch card that gives a free meal after you purchase 12, and the fact that I know the price of the other ingredients (were bought on sale), it works out to about $1.13/meal. And I'll have happy possums (tick eaters - Go Team Possum!) scavengering the bones and skin and icky bits from my compost pile, so lots of full bellies from one deli meal

 

[ivantherussian03]

The freeze up took forever, as warmer winters continue. People were breaking through the ice, luckily no one died, unlike last year. The weather put a crimp in trapping season and I missed best part of season. I was not able to travel out to camp safely till this week. Trapping hardly seems worth it with fur prices so low. It is more work retailing the fur out. I have been selling via holiday craft fairs, online, locally.

I took advantage of slow start to season. I cleaned mud room floors, and organized. Organized and defrosted freezers. I sharpened all the knives in the house. I sorted clothes to separate the worn out items to become rags. I cleaned all floors, shampooed the rugs. I cleaned the wood stove and chimney. Wife seemed happy about clean house. I am going purge daughters toys.

In kitchen I will make meals for freezer soon: pizza, lasagna, chili. Then I will make moose jerky.

I bought a star chart to learn constellation and teach daughter. Fun!

Merry Christmas

 

[Digger]

Hubby got cataract surgery done on one eye. It went well. Now to keep him from doing anything he shouldn't is the hard part. The other eye is scheduled for early January.

The barn work is done all but some bracing. Our son is going to do that I think.

Today I will start baking for Christmas. My sister does not cook much. She loves to get a variety of baked goods. I freeze what I cook early for her.

Yesterday after hubby's eye check up, I got some Christmas decorations up and the tree decorated. I gave in and bought an artificial tree for the first time. I hurt my knee working over the weekend. I did not think I could go get one out of the woods this year. It is ok. But some years I will still get me a real tree. This year it just did not happen. Now I have to find a place to store the tree. There is no way I can put it in the attic. It is too heavy.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I've already started my Christmas baking. I have a pumpkin and pecan pie in my freezer, and will be baking two chocolate pies today to go in as well. Pulled out my Christmas ham from the freezer to thaw in the fridge. It will take from now to Christmas for it to thaw. A huge whole ham. Dinner rolls are already made and in the freezer, too. If I don't get started early, doing a little everyday, I wouldn't be able to handle all the cooking at one time.

My mom is throwing a big Christmas party at a local restaurant tomorrow night for all the family. Hopefully, I can get through it without much fanfare. My sister and her family are all Liberals. Takes a lot when I'm around them to keep my mouth shut! Cary, too! I'll just be glad when it's over. I don't need the stress right now.

 

[nomifyle]

No holiday baking in my house, except maybe a fruit cocktail cake and strawberry rhubarb pie for DH. I bought three beautiful center cut ham steaks from Sam's that I'll probably cook. I might get a roast to cook also, we don't care for turkey at all. We usually go to a cousin's house for holiday meals, but we've decided not to do that anymore, way too much food to be around and the company is not that great, too much family nonsense. They won't miss us either.

I ordered a 50 bag of dog food from Walmart and they substituted and the dog will not eat it. I'm taking it back. No sense in having 50 pounds of food the dog won't touch.

Judy

 

[SouthernBreeze]

No holiday baking in my house, except maybe a fruit cocktail cake and strawberry rhubarb pie for DH. I bought three beautiful center cut ham steaks from Sam's that I'll probably cook. I might get a roast to cook also, we don't care for turkey at all. We usually go to a cousin's house for holiday meals, but we've decided not to do that anymore, way too much food to be around and the company is not that great, too much family nonsense. They won't miss us either.

I ordered a 50 bag of dog food from Walmart and they substituted and the dog will not eat it. I'm taking it back. No sense in having 50 pounds of food the dog won't touch.

Judy

I wouldn't be doing so much baking if it weren't for me and Cary hosting our Christmas dinner at our house for our DS, DDIL, and her mother. Each one had a request for each of those pies, so I honored their requests. I know I'll be making way too much food, but they can all take a plate or two home with them afterwards. We will eat the leftovers if they leave us any, LOL.

I don't think we would be missed if we didn't show up for Mom's party, either, Mom would, but not my sister and her family. They didn't want to get together with us for Thanksgiving, so why would they feel any different now?

 

[Freeholder]

We aren’t doing anything at all for Christmas this year, other than reading the Christmas story from the Bible. The electrical work on the house is done but the inspector didn’t come until Friday, so we are still living with gutted walls and everything out of place. After Christmas I will get the insulation and start putting it into the walls.

I have a coffee question. I’m sure it has been discussed before many times, but do beans keep better? I’m guessing yes, and if so, I should probably add some to our preps.

Kathleen

 

[summerthyme]

Green coffee beans keep the best. Roasted beans stay fresh longer than ground, but not the years and years people say green beans keep. We haven't seen roasted beans (vacuum sealed in mylar, stored in a cool basement) go bad for at least 5 years. And for us (not big coffee drinkers... I don't drink the stuff, and hubby has a cup or two a day), that's good enough... we don't need the hassle of roasting them, too.

Summerthyme