Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: December 29, 2019 ~ January 4, 2020

[ReneeT]

Good Morning, All; hope everyone is having a good day so far!

The grandsons are here this weekend; yesterday was spent just hanging out - playing some Uno, reading books while snuggling on the couch (I'm gonna need a bigger couch soon lol!) We are planning a trip to the pool this afternoon, then I will take them home for a day or two - I have to work the 30th.

My bushel and a half of stored apples are starting to go bad on me, so I have 1/2 bushel of them in big pots on the stove cooking down. Once they are soft enough, I'll get out one of the Victorio strainers and turn them into applesauce, draining off the excess juice as I go and straining it through a coffee filter - if there is enough juice, I'll put in in the fridge until I get time to make a small batch of apple jelly. Then tomorrow, I will make a batch (probably 2) of Dutch apple jam:

Dutch Apple Jam

6 cups finely chopped apples
1 & 3/4 to 1 & 7/8 c water
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 generous teaspoon allspice
1 pink box SureJell for low sugar recipes
1/2 teaspoon butter (to lessen foaming)
2 & 1/2 cups white sugar
1 & 1/2 cups packed brown sugarin

Place water, apples, lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice in a large pan (I use a 4 qt soup pot), mix together. Add pectin and butter and stir in well. Bring to a rolling boil; add sugars. Bring back to a rolling boil; boil 1 minute, then remove from heat. Ladle into jar to 1/8" from top and seal as you normally would.

This jam is excellent on toast, biscuits, oatmeal, and as flavoring for yogurt.

I picked up a 4# bag (makes 20 qts) of Great Value Instant Non-fat Dry Milk (expiration date 12/21) to add to the pantry when the boys & I went to Wal Mart yesterday- we use it to make homemade hot cocoa mix, but I am slowly getting a medium size tub full, rotating it in to use as needed.

Well, dang - took me a while to type this in between feeding boys breakfast, hanging/folding laundry, and fighting with the Victorio - guess I'd better get up and finish that applesauce.

Take care all; wishing you all a blessed week!

 

[Illini Warrior]

Good Morning, All; hope everyone is having a good day so far!

The grandsons are here this weekend; yesterday was spent just hanging out - playing some Uno, reading books while snuggling on the couch (I'm gonna need a bigger couch soon lol!) We are planning a trip to the pool this afternoon, then I will take them home for a day or two - I have to work the 30th.

My bushel and a half of stored apples are starting to go bad on me, so I have 1/2 bushel of them in big pots on the stove cooking down. Once they are soft enough, I'll get out one of the Victorio strainers and turn them into applesauce, draining off the excess juice as I go and straining it through a coffee filter - if there is enough juice, I'll put in in the fridge until I get time to make a small batch of apple jelly. Then tomorrow, I will make a batch (probably 2) of Dutch apple jam:

Dutch Apple Jam

6 cups finely chopped apples
1 & 3/4 to 1 & 7/8 c water
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 generous teaspoon allspice
1 pink box SureJell for low sugar recipes
1/2 teaspoon butter (to lessen foaming)
2 & 1/2 cups white sugar
1 & 1/2 cups packed brown sugarin

Place water, apples, lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice in a large pan (I use a 4 qt soup pot), mix together. Add pectin and butter and stir in well. Bring to a rolling boil; add sugars. Bring back to a rolling boil; boil 1 minute, then remove from heat. Ladle into jar to 1/8" from top and seal as you normally would.

This jam is excellent on toast, biscuits, oatmeal, and as flavoring for yogurt.

I picked up a 4# bag (makes 20 qts) of Great Value Instant Non-fat Dry Milk (expiration date 12/21) to add to the pantry when the boys & I went to Wal Mart yesterday- we use it to make homemade hot cocoa mix, but I am slowly getting a medium size tub full, rotating it in to use as needed.

Well, dang - took me a while to type this in between feeding boys breakfast, hanging/folding laundry, and fighting with the Victorio - guess I'd better get up and finish that applesauce.

Take care all; wishing you all a blessed week!

you should check around - especially the garage sales when in season - for a good old fashion hand crank sausage grinder >>> the "burrs" are better for something like apples - you can always put that initial grind back thru your Victorio if the results aren't fine enough ...

 

[20Gauge]

Today is the last day of my vacation. Tomorrow I start the annual pattern of 16+ hour days for the next 5 months.

 

[ReneeT]

I just seem to have to go through a learning curve every year when I get out the Victorios I've got 3 or 4 meat grinders around - do you cook the apples before you run them through the grinder? And do you have any problems with discoloration from the metal of the grinder?

Usually, I use the apple peeler/corer when I make applesauce - then quarter the cored/sliced apple when it comes out and toss 'em in the pot to cook down - once they have, I get the mixer out and use that to chop them up a bit as we like applesauce chunky. The skins were too tough to use the peeler/corer this year - the storage area got warmer than it should have a few times. When I use the Victorios, I quarter the apples, then cook them in just a bit of water to soften them before I put them through the Victorios. I dump the bowl under the chute into a colander that's been placed in a larger bowl to collect the juice for jelly making and then scoop the thicker applesauce out and put it in the jars. The 'squeezins' go through twice. I tried using the pumpkin snout on the Victorio, but the apple seeds made it through the holes so I used the next size down. Reckon I could cut out the seed area and use the pumpkin spiral and screen, but it was just so much easier to quarter 'em and toss 'em in the pot.

I had an extra couple of cups of applesauce once I had the jars in the canner, so I got out the dehydrator and spread it on a fruit leather sheet - it is soooo good! And if you haven't added any spices to the applesauce, you can mix a teeny bit of Kool-Aid powder in to it before you put it on the sheets - the applesauce doesn't overwhelm the flavor of the Kool-Aid. My boys like black cherry, grape, and strawberry the best. You can also mix in a bit of Jello powder with the applesauce, put it in a frosting bag and pipe blobs or stripes on to the fruit leather sheets for fruit snacks - the gelatin keeps it running out of the shape.

 

[ReneeT]

20Gauge, you have my sympathy...

 

[20Gauge]

20Gauge, you have my sympathy...

Tax season.... It is long and hard, but I do get a lot of free time afterwards.

 

[Digger]

Hubbys eye has done well. He has cataract surgery on the 8th to do the other eye.

We had beautiful weather Christmas and after. Temperatures in the upper 70s. We got the limbs cleaned up along the driveway using the graffel bucket on the tractor. The burn pile is big now. I picked up the small stuff the tractor missed. Hubby ended up with a broken headlight on the tractor. We are picking another up today.

We took down a gate post and pulled 3 t-post to make getting in that one field easier. We plan to cut hay to sell off that field. So getting equipment in will be easy now. I got to try my new plantain salve after wrestling with the barb wire. I gave a little jar to each of my kids at Christmas. My daughter in law was thrilled as was my son. My daughter will use it if son in law will let her. Not sure how he feels about it.

I had been having a lot of leg pain for weeks. By accident, we found I only needed 20 MEQ of potassium to keep my levels normal instead of 50. That was Oct. My legs hurt so bad at times I had trouble walking. I cut back to 10 MEQ and still had pain, but not as bad. I dropped to an over the counter potassium pill. It takes 7 over the counter to equal 10 MEQ. I have stopped all potassium supplements as of Saturday and my pain is mostly gone. I expelled some more yeast from my gut just before the leg pain started. I must be able to absorb potassium much better now. This is the 4th year of working on my gut health. I am now off 3 prescription meds in that 4 years. I have 2 more to go. One of them has been cut in half. I will be going to the dr to confirm normal potassium levels in the next week or so.

I am going through the house and cleaning out. I have done the pantry cabinet and part of the extra bedroom. My daughter took her old Winne the Pooh and Garfield comforters to use their two year olds room. That cleared out some space.The little guys eyes lit up when he saw the Pooh comforter. I took some stuff to the charity resale shop. There was a big pile outside the door. They will store all the Christmas stuff till next year. But all the stuff I took was just everyday items. I bought 4 movies while I was there. But I also re-donated 4 that we had watched.

 

[Freeholder]

A friend stopped by earlier, and mentioned that she’d just picked up a few fruit trees at Lowe’s for 75% off, and they still had some left. (She and I are both members of the permies.com forum.). So we ran in to town, and picked up two pear trees - Moonglow and Ayers - and three apple trees - Mutsu, Liberty, and one missing it’s variety tag (hope it’s not Red Delicious!). Plus one unknown - the stem sleeve just says fruit ( the others all say either pear or apple), and the variety tag is missing. I am pretty sure it’s an apple. So we got six fruit trees for under forty dollars. And they are in pots, so I don’t have to get them all planted right this minute.

Kathleen

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I've been doing that, too, slowly. I've decided that I need to slow down a bit on buying for storage. Some things are approaching my "too old" date (like two or three years past expiration dates). I need to concentrate on using that up, before buying more. I'm just going to be buying items on sale for awhile, until I use down my pantry some. Tomorrow is my shopping day. I dread it. Being New Years, I can imagine how crowded it will be at WalMart! CaryC needs a hair cut, and the car needs to be put in for an oil change. I'm sure they will have lots on sale that I can pick through.

We have two pick up trucks coming later this afternoon, too, bringing us more firewood. We've only used one cord so far, and this will replace that cord, plus extra. We've had so many storms blow through, lately, there are plenty of trees down around the area. The property owners just want it cut up and moved out of their way. Free firewood! All oak. Sunday, we had 4 tornadoes reported in Mississippi. One of them was in our county, just north of us by several miles.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

ps.....I posted this in the wrong thread, duh, in response to MarseyDoats last post in another thread. I must have overlooked the new prep thread, so I brought my comments over to this one. Forgive me if my post seems a bit out of sort.

 

[prudentwatcher]

Recovery from knee replacement continues to go quite well. I have hit all the initial goals of PT as far as movement goes, but will continue through January to work on strength and walking properly.

Haven't shopped much since mid-November (pre-surgery). Added some coffee that was BOGO the other day. My car got an oil change and new wipers, as well as a new battery on Monday. I didn't see anything in the ads this week that called to me, so no shopping this week either, other than refilling my meds.

Need to work on my 2020 prepping and financial goals. I find that things don't happen unless you have some kind of plan in place.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

We made a trip to Walmart, yesterday, for just regular groceries. They didn't have anything I usually buy on sale, except a few boxes of boxed potatoes (Au Gratin and Scalloped). I bought a few of those for storage. CaryC got his hair cut, and the oil changed in the car while I was shopping. The mechanic that was changing the oil checked our tires, and told Cary that one was bad. So, since we needed new tires anyway, he will be taking the car in to have all new tires put on.

We went on to Sam's, and when we got there, they were closed! I was expecting them to be open on New Year's day just like Walmart was. NO, I almost went into withdrawal symptoms! LOL! I also went to the mall to spend some of my Christmas money. My favorite clothing store is Belk's. They had a huge sale going. Some items were up to 75% off. Other items were buy one, get two free! I bought 3 winter tops for only $60. Regular price for them was $55 each. I hit the same deal two weeks ago, and bought 3 at that time, too.

Since I didn't get to shop at Sam's, yesterday, I'm going back, today. I have a doctor's appointment this morning, so I will catch Sam's afterwards. CaryC is completely out of Green Tea, and I buy it in bulk there. Each time we go, I also buy cases of bottled water, and other food items to last me for two weeks. No storage items this go around.

 

[20Gauge]

Recovery from knee replacement continues to go quite well. I have hit all the initial goals of PT as far as movement goes, but will continue through January to work on strength and walking properly.

Haven't shopped much since mid-November (pre-surgery). Added some coffee that was BOGO the other day. My car got an oil change and new wipers, as well as a new battery on Monday. I didn't see anything in the ads this week that called to me, so no shopping this week either, other than refilling my meds.

Need to work on my 2020 prepping and financial goals. I find that things don't happen unless you have some kind of plan in place.

Mom has her last therapy session tomorrow for the same thing. She is almost back to normal already.

 

[Dinghy]

I went to Walmart last night for another look at the after Christmas sales with my daughter. She was looking for a weighted blanket for my special needs grandson. There weren’t any in the blanket section, but a stocker told me they had the weighted blanket inserts in the craft section.

They are the exact same thing, only they don’t have a removable cover. You’re supposed to make your own. Any way, they had 6# and 12# weights on clearance for $14.99!! That is a huge price difference from the ones my daughter has looked at. They were on an end cap, and we almost walked right by them. They just looked like a pack of white sheets.

My daughter bought me one, because I have been having a terrible time sleeping. I used it last night, and couldn’t believe the difference! Hopefully it wasn’t just a coincidence.

 

[Digger]

We went to Kroger. They had chocolate chips on clearance for .89 cents a package and jars of planters peanuts for .99 cents. I bought 4 of each. I also bought a couple cans of chicken broth for .59 cents a can off the clearance shelf. I usually can my own, but that will do to make stir fry sauce.

We also put a deposit on two nuks of bees. I only wanted one, but hubby said get two. The store said if we catch a swarm, we cancel one and they will refund the deposit for that one.

 

[WanderLore]

Replaced what was used from pantry yesterday. Filled gas tank. Took down some Christmas deco. Hit the dollar tree and general for sales. Pretty well stocked.
One grandson birthday party this weekend.
Everything including animal feed is well stocked above and beyond and my shoulder is hurting like the Dickens. But it's done. Cleaned up outside also. Lots of big sticks and limbs down. Saving the good stuff for later projects.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

My doctor's visit went really well, yesterday. He's just trying to stay on top of things.

Finally, made it to Sam's! I didn't buy much. Case of Green Tea, coffee, mayo, case of bottled water, and some OTC meds. It was pouring down rain, so I didn't feel up to going anywhere else but home. Still raining today. Makes me feel lousy and lazy. Nothing will be getting done today, except washing laundry. Cary is having the new tires put on this morning.

 

[nomifyle]

The wire cube shelving I ordered from Amazon came yesterday and I'm putting it together. I misread the dimensions and its not quite as large as the one I have in my office, but I think it will actually fit better in the spaces in my closet than the larger one. We stack our jeans on a closet shelf instead of putting them in a drawer or hanging, so the shelves above the hanging rods will accomodate them very well. I also needed space for our linens and the wire shelves will work well for that.

I have a plastic shoe box system that I use for all meds and sundries. I take everything out of boxes and put the contents in labeled shoe boxes and stack them on the shelf. This way when I need something I can see what I have from the labels and I can also see into the shoe boxes. Its easy to pull them down and put them back.

Still not really adding to my food stores, just replacing what I use, use two, buy four. One of my plans for 2020 is to spend less and pay more on my bills and build my savings back up. For a couple of reasons I depleted my bank savings in 2019, but never touch what I have in the bank of seely. I got a little extra cash in December and I added it to the seely bank, along with any change that comes to us.

Judy

 

[SouthernBreeze]

The wire cube shelving I ordered from Amazon came yesterday and I'm putting it together. I misread the dimensions and its not quite as large as the one I have in my office, but I think it will actually fit better in the spaces in my closet than the larger one. We stack our jeans on a closet shelf instead of putting them in a drawer or hanging, so the shelves above the hanging rods will accomodate them very well. I also needed space for our linens and the wire shelves will work well for that.

I have a plastic shoe box system that I use for all meds and sundries. I take everything out of boxes and put the contents in labeled shoe boxes and stack them on the shelf. This way when I need something I can see what I have from the labels and I can also see into the shoe boxes. Its easy to pull them down and put them back.

Still not really adding to my food stores, just replacing what I use, use two, buy four. One of my plans for 2020 is to spend less and pay more on my bills and build my savings back up. For a couple of reasons I depleted my bank savings in 2019, but never touch what I have in the bank of seely. I got a little extra cash in December and I added it to the seely bank, along with any change that comes to us.

Judy

Same here. I'm on a pretty strict grocery/food storage budget. If I don't spend all of my budgeted money, I put it back into a little emergency fund I keep. All throughout 2019 I was spending all of my budget money, and then some. It has almost depleted my little emergency fund. That's why I've decided to slow way down on stocking my pantry for awhile. Plus, I'm comfortable where my pantry is right now.

 

[nomifyle]

Same here. I'm on a pretty strict grocery/food storage budget. If I don't spend all of my budgeted money, I put it back into a little emergency fund I keep. All throughout 2019 I was spending all of my budget money, and then some. It has almost depleted my little emergency fund. That's why I've decided to slow way down on stocking my pantry for awhile. Plus, I'm comfortable where my pantry is right now.

I'm comfortable with where my pantry is right now too, and I still have a huge stack of purchases from the last 6 months to organize. And I'm not buying any long term food for the forseable future either. My internet company just deducted $125 extra from my account in error but they won't put the money back, I get a credit on my bill, which I'll deal with, but it comes out of my savings to cover that. I'm blessed to have savings no matter how small amount it is.

Judy

 

[Kathy in FL]

I think I've finally whipped the last of this back and forth cold out of the house. No matter how much disinfecting I was doing someone kept coming down with it and perpetuating the bugger. I think after the flu (type B) hit the house in August our immune systems were so out of whack we were just defenseless against the normal round of virii that hit this time of year. I've taken enough Vit C, Vit D, and all sorts of other vits and minerals that I could have set off a metal detector. Laugh if you want but that's honestly how it felt.

Now it's time to clean and organize the house. Christmas decorations will come down this weekend as is our customary tradition. We aren't Catholic or Orthodox but Epiphany has always been on our calendar as our target date. Some stuff has already been accomplished. Lights are down and bagged up, just not boxed up or put in the barn. Exterior ribbons and bows have gone to the burn pile. Gift boxes have been purged and the good ones saved for next year. But I have three trees that need undecorating and that will take most of my unclaimed time this weekend, what little there is of it.

As for sales I opted out of all after-Christmas sales for the first time in over 30 years. I've got enough tags and wrapping paper to last the decade out the way things are going. The garage is my main target in January. We are turning it into a gym for the 16 year old ... it helps deal with his fritz-i-ness. His adult brother will also utilize the space. They have a gym membership but my older son can't go if his little brother can't and occasionally their schedules just don't mesh and they both miss it so ... home gym in the garage it is. Not to mention I am tired of son's gym bag stand in the living room. He put it together himself after Christmas without thinking ... of much apparently, certainly not dimensions and doorways. Then he pulled a cute one and said it could be decorations. Yeah. I'll give him points for trying.

 

[moldy]

Still working on the practice space. The porch has water leaking into it from outside. DH will have to deal with that as it is not my area of expertise. I've gotten 90%+ of the wall paper stripped, and all the paneling has had at least one coat of tung oil. I've ordered ceiling tiles for the bathroom, and will order wall covering tomorrow. DH suggested putting cedar closet liner on the walls of the bathroom, and that's what I'm planning on. The house is old and the walls are uneven. This will keep him from having to mud the walls.

Waiting to turn in my cut sheet for the steer. I need to get a freezer cleaned out, so that will be a priority for the next several weeks.

 

[moldy]

Our local grocery does a 'produce pak' the first Saturday of every month. the contents vary, but it's good quality. I usually buy 2 and that lasts us most of the month with some left over to preserve. This month was 2 apples (Gala), 2 pears, a bunch of bananas (still a tiny bit green), 2 potatoes, a thing of celery, a pound of baby carrots, 3 onions, a head of cabbage, a cucumber, 2 grapefruit, 2 avocados (hard), a package of salad, and a bell pepper (per pak). Cost was $15 per pak.

So, the celery and carrots are prepped for the freeze dryer. The onions will be prepped for the dehydrator. The cucumbers are soaking for marinated cukes. The rest I will deal with tomorrow.

I talked to the guy I buy pigs from today. I had thought it would be February before he had any ready, but he just took some to the locker Thursday. He said it's a little on the big side, but I'm so OK with that. The steer should be ready in another couple weeks, so I need to get hopping on cleaning out the freezers.

 

[Kathy in FL]

I hate stripping wallpaper. You have my sympathy for sure. I used to steam it off … we had a lot of wall borders … but that only worked so-so before I had to dig out the scrapper and scrub brush. Then of course came the wall repair. Geez.

 

[Siskiyoumom]

Th

I just seem to have to go through a learning curve every year when I get out the Victorios I've got 3 or 4 meat grinders around - do you cook the apples before you run them through the grinder? And do you have any problems with discoloration from the metal of the grinder?

Usually, I use the apple peeler/corer when I make applesauce - then quarter the cored/sliced apple when it comes out and toss 'em in the pot to cook down - once they have, I get the mixer out and use that to chop them up a bit as we like applesauce chunky. The skins were too tough to use the peeler/corer this year - the storage area got warmer than it should have a few times. When I use the Victorios, I quarter the apples, then cook them in just a bit of water to soften them before I put them through the Victorios. I dump the bowl under the chute into a colander that's been placed in a larger bowl to collect the juice for jelly making and then scoop the thicker applesauce out and put it in the jars. The 'squeezins' go through twice. I tried using the pumpkin snout on the Victorio, but the apple seeds made it through the holes so I used the next size down. Reckon I could cut out the seed area and use the pumpkin spiral and screen, but it was just so much easier to quarter 'em and toss 'em in the pot.

I had an extra couple of cups of applesauce once I had the jars in the canner, so I got out the dehydrator and spread it on a fruit leather sheet - it is soooo good! And if you haven't added any spices to the applesauce, you can mix a teeny bit of Kool-Aid powder in to it before you put it on the sheets - the applesauce doesn't overwhelm the flavor of the Kool-Aid. My boys like black cherry, grape, and strawberry the best. You can also mix in a bit of Jello powder with the applesauce, put it in a frosting bag and pipe blobs or stripes on to the fruit leather sheets for fruit snacks - the gelatin keeps it running out of the shape.

This year I used an apple peeler corer then hand trimmed any peels left. Then I put the slices through the Victorios, using the pumpkin strainer. Then simmered the mash and fruit, added sugar, got it to boiling, put it in hot jars and processed it. I used pre y2k lids that you have to boil. I noticed they had a lot thicker sealant than the new lidsI also used. I lost two jars with the new lids. I also add cinnamin to the applesauce.

 

[BluBloc]

Been slacking for awhile. With all the events it is to,e to reinvent or my preps.