From Flu Wiki 2

Forum: Flu Prep XI

24 July 2006

Bronco Bill – at 01:50

New Prep thread started here. Old threads can be found listed here


Last post from Flu Prep X:

TreasureIslandGal – at 21:01

For all of you familiar with Kash & Karry stores, they are in the process of becoming Sweet Bay in the south. Here in Florida, this is the last few weeks before the transition. The good thing about this, is that Kash & Karry used to have its own brands of just about every grocery item you can think of. By the end of the transition, the stores have to eliminate all of that stock from their shelves to replace it with Hannaford & SweetBay brands.

Last night I was able to pick up 6-box packs of raisins for $.08 and cans of crushed or cubed pineapple for $.08 each! Needless to say, I cleaned out the store of those items! They also had baking chocolate for $.75 a box and many other items on sale. Every few days, new items pop up for sale at >75% off! Most of the stuff at the one I go to is more like 90% off! It has made prepping way way easier.

This week they are moving on to their vegetable isle… that ought to be a huge help too!!!

Good luck with your nearby K&K’s! -ask the Store Manager what they intend to do and when. These are not being advertised.

Swann – at 02:21

Hi everyone! Saw an Office Max ad today with something parents may be interested in for their school-age kids…tiny, brightly colored bottles of Purrell hand sanitizer. The bottles have little clips which can attach to keyrings or backpack zippers. Price at my Office Max is $1.49.

Hillbilly Bill – at 09:12

So far I have $85 to spend on supplies for our church food pantry and there will be a special collection next Sunday. This may sound crazy, but I am really excited about buying and storing the food for my fellow church members. I made an announcement yesterday about why I thought it was important to keep a food pantry at the church. We will use it for handouts for those who really need it and for any church member who is having financial difficulties, but I told them it will also be emergency supplies for the congregation. I didn’t specifically mention a pandemic, but just talked in general terms about how little it would take to disrupt supplies and how quickly the store shelves would be emptied. I said that they could always count on being able to get food and some water at the church if we all supported the collection now. As I looked at the elderly and widows on fixed incomes in the congregation, I felt that I had been led to undertake this job. It is a VERY good feeling.

Jefiner – at 09:51

Good work on preparing your church’s food pantyr, HBB. I have to admit that I wonder what will happen to all the elderly and disabled folks who live in assisted and subsidezed living; so many of them are absolutely dependent on social services, food boxes and other assistance. I am going to start asking the superintendents and other staff at these buildings about what they are doing to prepare for disaster (not just bird flu). Katrina should have taught us a lesson abou this, but how quickly we forget.

Hillbilly Bill – at 10:12

Jefiner – at 09:51 - “Katrina should have taught us a lesson abou this, but how quickly we forget.”

So true. Actually, there has been ample warning for decades, but for the most part it has all been ignored. The longer I work on this the more I realize it’s something we used to do in this country, but we have gotten away from the principles that made us strong and as ready as possible for any problem.

bird-dog – at 10:40

Has Lisa posted since this one? She’s usually on and posting daily but haven’t seen one since this post.

23 July 2006 Lisa in Southern Maine – at 01:25

Today was more cellar clean up. Tomorrow will be getting the clean-up out. Back is pretty sore right now, but glad to be seeing results finally from this really huge project. Reminded of security again tonight, when unaskedfor visitor rolled into driveway with car lights out. Spotlighted them and let the dogs out. They took off. Rural ares can be tempting in the isolated darkness. Goodnight all.

just wondering and a bit concerned about the ‘un-asked-for’ visitor….

Love Texas – at 10:47

Yesterday my husband helped me inventory my food storage it took forever not because I had so much just the fact that it is everywhere. He took our laptop and followed me around and typed as I called off the items. I was on a ladder, under the bed, under the guest bed, under tables etc. Now it is all on paper and I can print it out, so much better. I can now mark off items I use on the paper copy, and have a record to use when I have time to enter in the computer. But most of all I can take it with me to the store, that will be a big help. It made me realize I am low on some things. For some reason I have over looked fruit for the most part and I am a big fruit fan. I think you just have to see it on paper.

Kathy in FL – at 11:46

Love Texas – at 10:47

I’ve been trying to do the same thing. I found though that as I “organized” things I messed up my inventory. <grrr>

What I am doing now is breaking down packaging as much as possible so that I can twice or more as much in the same space … turning out to be especially true with boxed items like bouillon, ranch seasoning, seasoning packets, dry soup mixes, etc.

I hope to complete the reorganizing soon so that I can do a proper inventory.

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 21:44

bird-dog - I’m fine but sorry to have worried you. The dogs scared the hell out of the (kids?)(guys?) 2 people I could see in that car. I didn’t even get the door fully opened before they barrelled out snarling and growling. They are really scary creatures when they’re too mad to bark. Their growls remind me of a scene from the excorcist! The car has not returned and I don’t think they’ve been back at all. The dogs protect perimeter to about 150 feet before getting angry. All has been quiet except deer (which make them drool stupidly, not growl). Boy does my cellar look great! Are you well? What prepping projects are on your list this week?

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 21:50

Kathy in FL - Your idea of breaking down packaging to fit twice as much in same space is an excellent one and is now adopted into this household with thanks. Are you done with your months trial of using prep food for menu? I was learning a lot!

MAV in Colorado – at 21:52

Swann – at 02:21 those are handy for about 4 good applications. Expensive in the long haul. There are medical supply places online that sell the refills for dispensers that are $8 per liter. Maybe use em up and refill em

bird-dog – at 22:12

Hi Lisa …lol, I was worried. Glad that all is well! You have inspired me to clean out my crawl-space under my house tho I haven’t started yet. It’s dark, wet, spidery and most of the *pink* insulation has fallen down into the puddles. It’s also cool and may be a good place for canned items in enormous plastic totes. I need to clean it out first! I can access through a trap door in my house and it usually doesn’t freeze in there in the winter. We need more dry days like today…beautiful.

I bought and filled more 5 gal. gas containers, and bought more 7 gal. water jugs, and spent another $100 plus on my usual preps--- propane cannisters, batteries, RWFK, canned fruit ‘n beans, pasta, rice, on and on… My major task will be the crawl-space this week! Next week maybe my attic. I’ll try to recruit a friend to help. ;)

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 22:57

Bird-dog - the crawl space sounds perfect for good storage. Good luck with the cleaning and the spiders. eewwww! While cleaning my cellar, I found a clump of what I thought was lambswool (I use it for medicinal stuff - like if the boys have respiratory infection). I picked it up, and (yes, I really did this) squeezed it because it was so soft. But it wasn’t lambswool. It was a clump of insulation left there by an electrician. I forgot that insulation is usually white these days. So…My palms got so itchy that amputation for a little while was considered a viable option! Well…maybe not that bad…but very itchy! This was actually a prep mishap - but that thread isn’t active. By the way, ‘canned fruit ‘n beans’ could be a volatile combination! Be careful!

Eccles – at 23:14

Seacoast - Sorry for not getting back to you, I missed your question in the roll-over to the new thread.

Bob’s your Uncle is a Canadian/Midwest/British expression. It means something like “And then you’ve got it made”, or “Voila!” or Badda-Bing Badda-Boom.

I picked it up years ago when living in the great Plains region. At first it puzzled me. now I’m hooked on using it, but back East I usually just get blank looks.

Average Concerned Mom – at 23:17

yes bird dog, that crawl space sounds like a perfect root cellar! I’m quite envious!

For my preps this week we have been living just on our pantry; my family is rebelling but I am holding firm. I have learned we need a lot more oil, soy sauce, and parmesan cheese.

I bought a LED lantern from a sporting goods store on someone’s recommendation and it is GREAT! Gives off a ton of light, you can read a book by it.

Otherwise I am just saving money on food in order to put an old credit card debt to rest as part of financial prepping.

bella – at 23:26

Can anyone recommend a decent battery operated fan? Campmor.com has one, but it’s awfully small. It was 114 degrees in my SoCal backyard on Saturday. Fortunately we haven’t had any power outages in my neighborhood, but I can only imagine how it would be if we did this time of year. I’m saving for a generator, but in the meantime I’d like to have a fan or two just in case we get an outage this summer.

If anyone knows of a good one, I’d appreciate a brand or a link. Thanks.

25 July 2006

bird-dog – at 00:02

bella – at 23:26 I’ve been using the smaller O2 Cool fan which is battery operated, It has 2 speeds and has cooled well but the switch on the side is annoying as it’s O2 small! >>> http://tinyurl.com/q2v3n. It may be my hands tho and not a normal problem.

bird-dog – at 00:11

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 22:57

“By the way, ‘canned fruit ‘n beans’ could be a volatile combination! Be careful!”

Fruity-Tooty! …sorry, couldn’t resist. ;-(

Houston 6-Pack – at 00:19

Bella~~

I bought a 10″ battery operated indoor/outdoor fan that has up to 72 hours of battery life. Its called 02 COOL. I purchased all 6 of mine on Ebay….but I have recently seen them at Wal-Mart…I think there they run about 14.00 each.

It is fantastic!! Here in Houston, Texas if the electricity goes out….these have proven to be awesome. Keeps you really cool…..awesomely cool!! This fan has a two-speed fan, dual powere sources, lightweight-less than 3 lbs. its easy to hang hook/handle, folding design-is easy to pack, and also came with an AC adapter. The only downside I found is that it takes 8 D batteries. Still…..its awesome!!

Houston 6-Pack – at 02:39

Hillbilly BillHouston 6-Pack?

I have enjoyed reading all your posts and have to say that your idea of a church pantry is now my favorite. I also go to church here in Texas and would really like to start up something like this at our church. Are you heading up the whole thing? How has it caught on? Where are you storing this food and water at church? Would you let me know everything about this idea so I can have enough information to head this up at my church? Thank you so much!!

anonymous – at 03:36

I said this on another thread but thought I would repeat it here. The preps above have been great motivators and this might have already been mentioned in this thread but it is easy to do and costs no money.

Make sure that you let the people you love know that you love them. Say it every chance you get. You never know when something will happen. This is obviously not just a pandemic issue. Life goes on and stuff happens.

We all make the assumption that our parents, spouses, children, other loved ones know that we love them but saying it, in my experience, is a good thing. I did not have a chance to say it to both of my grandmothers before they passed on and that is something I will always regret.

This issue came to the forefront this last week when my mother, who is frail anyway, was admitted to the hospital with multiple “issues”. Fortunately, she is recovering nicely.

Anyway, something to keep in mind.

Mike

CAMikeat 03:38

Oops. That was me at 03:36. No idea where my handle went. Maybe the cookie monster was hungry.

Houston 6-Pack – at 03:45

CAMike~~

Well saidHouston 6-Pack? July 25, 2006, at 03:45 AMthank you…..glad to hear that you mother is recovering nicely.

galt – at 09:53

I saw a post quite some time ago (I thought on this forum, but maybe on a different one) about a crank operated fan. Sounded like the same idea as the crank radios and crank flashlights, only the internal generator powered a smallish personal fan. Can’t find any information on this anywhere. Has anyone else seen or heard of this product? Thanks.

Galt

Hillbilly Bill – at 10:02

Houston 6-Pack – at 02:39

Thanks for your interest in my project! We have a really small congregation of mostly elderly people, but I don’t see why this type program wouldn’t work for any church. I approached the Pastor with the idea to revive our church food pantry. The original purpose was to have food available to give to people would come to the church in need and also for any members who suffer financial hardship. I think you will find most Pastors willing to approve such a project as long as you are willing to manage it and do most of the work. As an aside, most of the people who stop at the church looking for handouts only wany cash. I feel OK if I offer them food and they don’t take it, at least I have done my part.

So here is how it works for our church. Members bring in assorted canned goods or cleaning supplies that they buy on their normal shopping trips. Members also give me money to do the shopping for them, something I don’t mind at all. The current plan is to take up special offerings to support the pantry every 3 or 4 months. We are storing the food in an unused room right. Most churches have a “fellowship hall” or some kind of addition where they have functions or meals so space should not be a problem.

I date all of the canned and dry goods and do whatever packaging is necessary to keep them safe. When donated items get close to their expiration date, I plan to set them out on a table in the vestibule for members to take home. Also, we have monthly dinners at our church so I have asked members to check with me to see if I have any ingredients they need for what they are bringing to the dinner. Then they replace what has been used so our stock gets rotated.

I have also asked that members bring empty 2 liter soda bottles for emergency water storage. This past Sunday I did a quick inventory and I already have 30 gallons collected. It only takes me a little time each Sunday to do what is needed to keep the pantry in order. There is a speaker in the room where I work so I don’t even miss out on the adult Sunday school lesson. All in all this has been a blessing to me to be able to do this.

Houston 6-Pack – at 11:17

Hillbilly BillHouston 6-Pack?

I bet it has.

I know our church doesnt have anything like this. What a blessing it would be if TSHTF and our church has this and it helps so many people at one time:).

I will start on this project today and keep you posted on its outcome.

Also, are you treating the water in the 2 Liter soda bottles? If so with what and how much? I am also going to do this at home…..

Kathy in FL – at 11:29

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 21:50

Your welcome on the idea for breaking down the packaging.

We are still working on the month prep test. I’ll post that in a bit … learning lots.

Hillbilly Bill – at 11:40

Houston 6-Pack – at 11:17

Of course it isn’t possible to store enough food for everybody for an extended problem, but at least they will have something. Also, everybody in your congregation can get to the church, so you know they can get to some help.

I’m not treating the water in the 2-liter bottles as the church is supplied from a municipal water works. I will dump, rinse and refill bottles as they reach the 6 month mark. I bought some round stick-on labels that fit on top of the cap of the 2-liter bottles. I just put a number there to designate the month, (i.e. 7 for July), the bottle was filled so I can tell at a glance what ones need changed.

LauraBat 11:42

Went and had an exam today for additional life insurance. I already have coverage, but was thinking not only if something happened to me (dh would be lost and would throw money at the problem of taking care of the kids, grocery shopping, running errands, etc. and burn through it quickly) but if he were out of work as a result of a pandemic it would be very bad financially. He’s got plenty of coverage if god forbid something happen to him.

I think HBB’s church [project is awesome. I brought it up at our church but it fell on deaf ears, just like with prepping for anyone else in my town.

Kathy in FL – at 11:45

Days 10, 11, and 12 of our Prep Test:

Things that were on the menu:

Major prep chores for the day:

How things are going thus far:

Bertha’sKittyBoutique – at 12:28

HillBillyBill — Love the idea of your church food pantry, but the idea of donated empty 2 liter soda bottles creeps me out. Is it just me or is anyone else bothered by the thought that folks drank from the bottle? If we’re not supposed to use soap to clean them, then…well, yuck.

KathyinFL — I want to buy your cookbook! No kidding, you should make your prep recipes available in book form. I am agog at your test run. You possess knowledge that other’s envy. Please consider compiling breakfast, lunch and dinner for a month for those who aren’t as far along as you.

Eccles – at 12:53

Re: Store bought sliced bread.

Home-making bread is not much of a pain at this moment for me. Have 2 bread machines and use them fairly well. My problem has been in slicing. Even using an electric knife, I get some too think and some too thin and mangled. The only slicing thingee I have seen is on Amazon for about 20 bucks, and the reviewers all say it is a waste.

Does anyone out there have either some bread slicing tips/tricks, or else something to do the slicing in between the $20 plactic piece of junk, and a couple of thousand for a commercial slicing machine for bakeries?

Hillbilly Bill – at 13:00

Eccles – at 12:53

I wish I had an answer for this one, but unfortunately I don’t. I just hack at my loaves with a serated knife. Many years ago I did know a girl who could cut a loaf of warm homemade bread into perfect slices with a bread knife. She said her Mom always made homemade bread and since she was the oldest child the job always fell to her and she got, in her words, “pretty good at it.”

Hillbilly Bill – at 13:04

Bertha’sKittyBoutique – at 12:28

I understand your concerns. I do rinse the threads and caps of the bottles very well in hot water as I rinse out the inside. Having observed the communion ceremony in a variety of churches, I would say this would not be a worry for some.

Kathy in FL – at 13:06

Eccles – at 12:53

I don’t know if this will help or not but here goes:

I have a bread machine and we use it … but I’ve been trying to do things “the old fashioned way.” Truthfully my hubby says I’m just punishing myself for some misdeed. LOL! Plus I’m trying out breads that wouldn’t work well in a bread machine because they are non-yeast.

Plus I’m trying lots of flat bread and tortilla recipes out. They just take technique which is what I’m trying to develop <grin>.

tjclaw1 – at 13:09

I’ve used something similar to this for years, but mine doesn’t store bread, just a slicing guide:

http://tinyurl.com/fxznt

It appears to get good reviews and I just might get one: http://tinyurl.com/kj9s9

Looks like Amazon.com has it on sale for $8.99: http://tinyurl.com/zgxxj

Eccles – at 13:24

Thanks all- I DO use either a sharp serrated bread knife, or else an electric knife. I actually prefer the electric knife as the counter motion of the blades just lets it cut without pulling back and forth on the bread.

The last time I looked for such a thing, the slicing guides out there all had dreadful reviews. Since this one is under ten bucks, I might as well give it a try.

Prepping Gal – at 16:21

I’ve had a serrated bread knife with a 1/2 inch guide for years. It has the knife edge away hinged away from the handle so the bread slices between the handle & knife edge. It came with a bread board that has 1/2 slots to aid in cutting and a catch underneath for bread crumbs. I don’t do a great job with it but my husband for some reason gets perfectly sliced bread every time. Now it’s his job. I have no idea where I got it.

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 21:16

Kathy in Fla - todays menu made me drool! I’ve thought about the bread baking and how time consuming it will be to make nourishing loaves while in SI. Really not looking forward to it. It’ll be OK as long as electricity lasts…but then I think it’ll be a major pita. Did you handmake of breadmachine this month? If hand - how many hours over the course of a week do you think this task consumed? Sorry about the vandalism in your other home…

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 21:21

Bird-dog - how’s the crawlspace coming? Any progress? I’ve done no prep work since Sunday…unless I can count active learning from Kathy in Fla’s posts. Actually, I think I will count those and say that I’ve been learning more about meal planning and preparation this week. Sounds much more productive, doesn’t it?

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 21:22

Laura B - I’m surrounded by prep-deaf people too. Frustrating, isn’t it?

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 21:31

Eccles - with bread on its side, stabilize loaf with hand over crust end/rear end (could get dirty here!) - putting hand on top of loaf while cutting helps crush it. Use the bread knife not in sawing motion but in a gentle single-sweep cut in one direction, and slightly lift the blade for the return direction. So all cuts are towards you and non-cuts are away from you or vice-versa). This way you have the steady rythm of the knife without sawing the bread to death or crushing it. Hope this helps. One of my few talents…bread cutting…who woulda thoought!

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 21:34

thought…

NoisyJoeyat 23:44

Kathy in FL, thank you so much. I’ve just discovered your prep test posts and am so impressed. 5 children and you still have time to not only cook from scratch (plus the millions of other things moms do), but to share your information with us. I’ll refer back to your posts in the future for some really good information. I agree that you should post/publish your recipes. Good luck with the rest of your test…looking forward to the next installment. Can we SIP at your house??? I’m going to sleep now – I’m tired just from reading about everything you’ve been doing!

Eccles – at 23:57

Lisa- Thanks for the advice. I am currently using an electric knife with dual counter-moving blades. Crushing is not a problem with this device. I have some problem with uniformity of cuts, either making slices a little too thick, or a little too thin and ending up with partials or with slices with holes missing in the middle.

Perhaps its just my lack of ability ot “do neat”. I could never “do neat”. I was the only student in my drafting class (this was before computer assisted drawing by a couple of months) who could take a clean piece of paper, fasten it carefully to a clean drawing board. Clean my T-square and triangles. And then sit down to something that looked like Pigpen from Peanuts had been there.

I think I’ll try one of those slicing guides. they are cheap enough to buy one, use it once and throw it away.

26 July 2006

Anna NY – at 12:51

I cannot seem to find a place that sells mylar bags that fit into a 6 gallon bucket. Does anyone have suggestions.

EastTNat 12:59

I had a couple of days off and was able to catch up on some of my preps.

Finished the installation (by propane company) of a stand alone propane supply system. This will provide heat during the winter months and a source of fuel for cooking.

Sealed the mylar bags in 21 five gallon buckets, with oxy absorbers.

Re-organized paper products, actually found 1 more case of TP than I thought I had.

Began cutting fire wood, about a cord done, need a totat of 3–4 cords.

Developed planning list for remaining food supplies to complete 1 year supply. Currently at 8 months. Overall 70 % of a 1 year supply of food for 6 persons completed. Goal is December, but sooner the better.

Next household items to do: Pump septic tank, well/pump maintenance, keep cutting fire wood, double size of garden plot and prepare for fall plantings.

Immediate Goal - Let the money catch back up!!!

Chesapeake – at 14:41

Anna NY..Walton Feed has them on page 8 of their catalog, item #F015, 20×30 holds 50 lbs, for$1.85 each. They also have other sizes and ziplock bags too.

Eccles – at 14:55

Here’s a suggestion I would like people’s opinions about.

Since it has been discussed for a long time that TP could well be a means of barter, or a form of currency if TSHTF (sorry), I was thinking that it would be awfully generous to approach each deal with a full double or triple roll (which is what we are stocking).

What I’ve been thinking of is stealing partial rolls from the family when they aren’t looking and replacing them with full rolls. These partials can go into storage as barter rolls for when you need to have a smaller denomination of TP than a full roll. A strange way to make change to be sure, but is this over the top, or reasonable?

Hillbilly Bill – at 14:59

Eccles – at 14:55

It would seem that an agreed upon measurement of the diameter of the partial roll would be needed….

Kim – at 15:05

Ahhh, Eccles, the old “bait & switch”, eh? Well, all I gotta say is, when you gotta go, you gotta go… and Eccles sure drives a hard bargain!

EastTNat 15:07

Eccles

I have been stocking a small quantity of “travel rolls”, which I get at Target, in the miniatures. You now all the small bottles of shampoo, toothpaste, and such. The small rolls hold 20–30 single sheets I believe. I carry them now in vehicles and backpacks, you are right it could be worth it’s weight in gold later. And your idea is also good, in fact I think I will start doing it with the in-laws cabins and campground bathrooms, start saving all the small rolls for barter items.

annie – at 15:10

Just got back from a sucessful prepping trip!

For the vegetable shelf: 24 cans of corn 96 cans of green beans (on sale for .50 a can at our local Food Lion!)

For the baking cabinet: 5 pounds sugar lemon juice morton salt 5pounds whole wheat flour 2 lbs brown sugar 2 packs of 3 sticks each butter crisco 6 packs of yeast box of baking soda can of baking powder slivered almonds 4 more cans evaporated milk 3 boxes of parmalat

For the medecine box Alum (found with spices but when sprinkled on an open wound, it draws out the infection and disinfects) 2 bottles of Elderberry (read it’s good for immune system..especially flu symptons) bandaids with antibiotic on them After bite stick for bites and stings Anti-itch gel

General survival stuff: 12 more coleman propane cylinders for stove 2 flashlights 2 lanterns (battery kind) 1 battery operated fan (have 1 and it works great)

I even had a chance to tell the check out girl a little about the bird flu. She questioned what you do with alum. When I explained, she asked how I learned that. That opened the door to mention BF. I’m not sure it sunk in. I think she thought I was nuts! You should have seen the people looking at me with all the cases of vegetables. This is the sale I’ve been waiting for. I was in prepping heaven!

annie – at 15:13

Sorry about lack of commas in above post. No sure what happened. I typed this in a list and it changed to different format.

MAV in Colorado – at 15:54

Amazon.com has em

Hillbilly Bill – at 16:05

MAV in Colorado – at 15:54 - Amazon.com has em

what? commas?

Kathy in FL – at 17:38

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 21:16

If I had to take a wild … really wild as I’ve never really measured it … I would say baking my own bread adds about 3 to 5 hours worth of work per week.

Doesn’t sound like much but it is so interspersed through other tasks … and I’m not including actual baking time … that it kind of hard to guess at.

Also, it depends on what I’m baking and how many days a week that I bake.

If I make biscuits at breakfast, sandwhich bread for lunch, and rolls at dinner time … that’s quite a bit of my time. Now I can use the bread machine to make the loaf bread at lunch … and I could even use it to knead and rise the dough for rolls at dinner. BUT … I don’t always make yeast breads. I make a lot of cornbread and baking soda/salt breads as well, not to mention tortillas and flat breads.

Tortillas are the most labor intensive, but in a way are one of the easier breads as well. Not too much you can mess up as long as you don’t burn them.

There is also the idea that we may not have electric to actually run the bread machine. If we are out electric, I am also out my stove though … no gas appliances here. But I do know how to make breads using a dutch oven and we have a Coleman oven that I’ve made just about any kind of bread you can think of in … including pretzels. You just have to think in smaller quantities.

But … with electric … I really do think its about 3 to 5 hours per week extra work. But for a busy mom and business owner that is 3 to 5 precious hours of time I could be doing something else. The myth of the housewife sitting around all day eating bonbons and watching soap operas is a load of hooey … who ever made that one up must have taken their laundry home to mom to do. <grin>

Average Concerned Mom – at 18:17

Now Kathy in FL, I am a bonbon eating soaps-watching stay at home momma and I take offense at your remark! (JUST KIDDING)

Actually 3 to 5 hours per week of bread baking sounds like a LOT of work to me. If there’s no electricty to run the bread maker, all I can say is, my family will be eating gruel.

Just in case anyone is interested, I am on about day 8 of my SIP meal plan, inspired by Kathy but way less interesting. I was just too lazy to go shoping after a 2-week vacation and decided to make my picky-eating family eat off my preps (which aren’t substantial) For fun, here’s what we’ve been eating:

day 1: rice, can of beans, homemade tortillas, freezer cheese and canned salsa day 2: leftovers from day one; macncheese for the whiners day 3: tuna salad sandwich with mushy celery day 4: more rice and beans; homemade tortillas came out better this time day 5: canned turkey with a noodle/cheese mix, canned fruit day 6: leftovers from day 5 with macncheese for whiners day 7: ravioli from the freezer with tomato paste sauce; steamed froze broccoli day 8: canned roast beef and hash with some rice

The good enws is, my family HATES canned fruit but boy oh boy did they appreciate it after this week of canned foods. I am teaching them to be less picky as we speak.

I’ve also decided I can’t shop for any more preps until I force my family to eat the really weird stuff in our pantry — 3 tins of sardines come to mind. (-:

OKbirdwatcherat 19:42

My husband’s grandmother had 14 children. For breakfast she would make about 100 biscuits. The leftovers were bread for lunch and supper. I never heard anything about her making yeast breads. Can you even imagine?

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 20:01

Kathy in Fla - thanks for taking the time to respond. I guess I need to master tortilla making. So…You haven’t been eating bon-bons while your cook and maid did all the prep work? I was just about to bring you my laudry too! :)

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 20:07

Average Concerned Mom - I’m laughing at how you’ve ended up on day 8 of sip plan. Too lazy…I know just how you feel! I have shop-phobia after all the store time logged in while prepping. Not that I’m done, but it does feel good to reach into the preps instead of going to the store…and it helps with rotation too. What is freezer cheese? How many whiners are there?

Average Concerned Mom – at 21:24

Freezer cheese: just a big bag of grated cheese that I bought on sale several months ago and put in the freezer, then forgot about. (Under the frozen 2 liter bottles of water.) So, it was still there after the vacation.

Whiners are basically my husband (though he has the grace to be quiet about it, I can see the disappointment on his face when the meal isn’t “fresh”) and the 4 year old. The baby doesn’t whine. She eats if hungry and if not decorates the floor with it and demands to nurse late rin the PM.

Seriously my husband doesn’t even like frozen vegetables. Even expesnive ones. Everything has to be purchased fresh. And forget about powdered milk. He and my son must be these “super tasters” you read about — they can immediately taste if anything is even the tiniest bit off or different.

I joke with my husband that if anything serious ever does happen, the first thing I’ll do is, not feed any of them for 3 days. Maybe just a little broth. Them a week of just beans and rice. By the time that’s over, they’ll be darn glad for a few cans of tuna and some frozen veggies will taste like heaven!

Average Concerned Mom – at 21:29

Hey, here’s a prep I did today. I wanted more water storage. It seems Aquatainer-type containers run about $8 for 7 gallons of water — so about $1 per gallon stored.

We don’t drink soda so it is hard to get those 2 liter bottles whicih seem to work so well, PLUS they fit in your freezer.

I was at Aldi’s and they had some Gosh-awful orangy drink soda in 2 liter bottles for something like 3 for $1. So I bought $5 (15 x 2 liters = 30 liters which is over 15 gallons, I think… and poured out the soda. How’s that for wasteful? But it made me think, why can’t the soda companies just sell us the water in the bottle? (And the main expense of soda must be the packaging….)

Houston 6-Pack – at 21:32

Average Concerned MomHouston 6-Pack?

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!! You’ve got winers too?!?!?!?!? Would mac and cheese be their ‘comfort food’?!?!?

I gotta ask too….what is freezer cheese?

I think that if we all tried our preps on our families as a dry run….we would be suprised how fast those not so desirable foods would be desirable!!! I’m trying my hardest to only buy things that we usually eat. There are some things like salmon and lobster in a can that the kids wont like….but I use that in some hor’dourves that I make…that will be used for my DH and I with a very TALL glass of wine…..I have made sure that I do some special preps for just DH and myself…since we wont be able to dine out….we can have a special ‘dine in’ evening……but dont forget the wine!!!!! LOLOLOL

If the kids chose to eat the lobster and salmon…..that would make me the happiest mom ever!!!! You’ve got to understand that they are THE pickiest eaters around:)

annie – at 21:36

Average concerned Mom…How was the quality of the cheese? Would you suggest freezing cheese as an option for preppers?

AVanartsat 21:37

Average Concerned Mom ,

I’ve never seen plain water in the 2 liter bottles, but COSTCO has it in one liter bottles, which cost considerably less than the same amount of the same brand in the little 500 ml bottles.

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 21:39

I think I’m a supertaster whiner like your husband. Absolutely hate anything not fresh. Only canned product I’ve had before this prepping was tomatoes. Tough stuff. I won’t do the powdered milk either - but the shelf-stable soymilk is fine. And Nido - the dry whole milk, is tolerable. I’ve found, since experimenting with canned and frozen veggies, that they’re OK in a rich coconut-cream curry sauce. I guess I’ll be eating an awful lot of curry in sip. At least it’s good for you! And you’re right - I too believe our tastes will become more accepting as food supply is restricted. And we probably won’t whine itshtf, we’ll just be grateful. How was the freezer cheese? Taste OK? Do you freeze cheddar blocks?

CashBat 21:51

picked up a box called heater meal, at the local publix. It was on a shelf of hurricane items and I’ve never seen these before… They look like commercial, for the public, MREs. Same concept but smaller and 1/4 the calories(thank god). They sell for about 5 bucks so they are a little pricey for preps but would be great for BOBs. The box advertises Heater Meal Plus that has more to it I guess… Bought one out of curiosity but haven’t eaten it yet. Only had a 2 year shelf life instead of the good till infinity MREs.

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 21:53

Average Concerned Mom - my 21:39 post is to you.

Houston 6-Pack – at 22:09

Cash….I wonder if any other supermarkets carry those (Heater Meals). Do you know? I’m going to google that and see what I can find out. It would be something to have if preps run out….

CashBat 22:12

I just looked them up on the net heatermeals.com and the company sells and ships them individually and by the case. I didn’t look up shipping costs tho. Seems they have been in business several years and they also make one that has a 3 year shelf life.

Average Concerned Mom – at 22:14

Shredded cheese keeps very well in the original package in the freezer for a few months at least. (Well, anyhow, the whiners don’t mention anything against it!) The smaller packages thaw quickly too. I’m sure you could do blocks but have never tried. I freeze the mexican mix and probably montery jack. I wonder if provelone or mozzarella would hold up as well? Surely it would be fine for a pizza. You probable couldn’t go longer than 3 months unless you specially sealed them and so on — freezer burn, I bet.

anonymous – at 22:15

I bought 2 cases of canning jars, rings and lids, a jar lifter, and a funnel. Also as replacements for things that rust out, 2 sink drain strainers/haircatchers and an all metal grater. (The old one has a plastic handle which retains the water for too long.) I didn’t find any refillable liquid candles, though. I read that parafin oil is not recommended for tubular lanterns with a 7/8″or larger wick and perhaps not for my cookstove. The lantern company said it would contaminate the wicks and replacement would be necessary. Also, the Ultrapure parafin only burns half as bright. Drat! I have so much of it, lots bought for Y2K. So now I need refillable candles, the only approved use for the stuff. :(

Houston 6-Pack – at 22:16

CashB

I just pulled it up…..They look pretty good….and it would be a good switch. I’m going to order a couple cases. Sorta reminds me of a lunchable….with all the extras they have….but I did notice that one of themhey have a shelf life of 3 years…..

CashBat 22:16

Hou 6-pk, I don’t know who else might carry them… I’ve never seen them before. Am going to Wal-Mart tomorrow night so I’ll look there. Maybe their web site has a list of suppliers?

Jane – at 22:16

Forgot to sign— Jane. My computer died, I’m afraid. This is a substitute, and it freezes after a while, too.

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 22:17

Average Mom - Thanks. I’ll freeze mozzarella and tell you how it goes.

Average Concerned Mom – at 22:24

I hear rumors you can freeze cold cuts as well…. (-:

I know, I know, don’t count on having electricity… but I tell you, the worst that can happen is, we lose some great freezer food….or bust a gut trying to eat it all before it goes bad. Then, the week long fast… and then, the canned food….Well, it’s a plan, anyhow….thanks God you don’t have to freeze wine….

Cinda – at 22:28

annie – at 21:36 Average concerned Mom…How was the quality of the cheese? Would you suggest freezing cheese as an option for preppers?

I have been freezing store bought shredded mozzerella, mont-jack, taco/pizza & cheddar and grated parm/romano for years. it’s always fine. I often use it right from the freezer as it thaws so fast. I have shredded my own to freeze and had mixed results. You have to put cornstarch in with the shredded cheese (to keep it from sticking together in a big clump)and I haven’t hit the right amount yet or a good way to get it spread evenly through the cheese. It’s a worthwhile $ saver if you buy the big bag at BJs (like Costco or Sams) and repackage into smaller amounts

Petticoat Junction – at 22:29

Hillbilly Bill – at 09:12 “So far I have $85 to spend on supplies for our church food pantry…..This may sound crazy, but I am really excited about buying and storing the food for my fellow church members.”

HBB, I think that’s great! I thought of you this evening ~ I had the older girls at choir practice and was hanging out in the office/nursery with the toddler/preK dd’s. Today’s church mail was on the table (dh is one of the clergy; I wasn’t being too nosy, lol).

On top of the stack was a postcard from the county public health dept (we’re in central TX), apparently sent out to all the churches and major non-profits, asking them to be partners in preparing for public emergencies, along with something that sounds like a CERT class for individuals. There’s a website and phone number for more info. I’m going to have dh tell the head priest that I would love to be a contact person for our parish. I may be asking you for suggestions! :o)

(I just peeked at the website and the link for this program is on the front page, right next to “Pandemic Flu Resources.” Yay, I have some slight hope for our county, lol.)

Cinda – at 22:37

Yes you can freeze cold cuts too! I regularly buy the large ham, salami, lean pastrami, turkey breast and r-beef - like what you see in the deli case- from a resturant supply store and slice it and freeze it. That is a considerable savings also- often 2.00 or 3.00 per pound. I have a small Chef’s Choice meat slicer that was 99.00 a few years ago from Pleasantville Grain and has paid for itself a few times over already as I use it for lots of other things that need uniform slicing, like fruits or vegetables for dehydrating -also meat for jerkey - more savings

Houston 6-Pack – at 22:53

Petticoat Junction~~

Because of Hillbilly Bill I am going to do the same thing at our church. I was going to start working on it 2 days ago but had a little one that was trying to catch a cold and I didnt want to take her out. I think its a wonderful idea….I wonder if my church has gotten a postcard like the one your talking about. I live in Houston, Texas….:) Lots of rain down here right now….:)

bird-dog – at 23:06

Lisa in Southern Maine – at 22:57 from yesterday

Sorry to take so long to get back to you… nope, I haven’t finished the crawlspace yet - sigh. After reading BB’s posts on mold i was even more reluctant to get ‘down and dirty’. It is sooo dank and is on a very hard-on-the-knees ledge. I have to crawl down in there every month or so to change my water filter(iron, etc.) and I’m convinced that an unknown species of mammal lives there too. I scan the dark with my flashlight but have yet to pick up some eyes. Anyway, I did borrow a staple gun and started to reattach the insulation.

My main prep yesterday was to check out my finances…not good. I’m planning to cancel my newspapers since I read them online anyway and to only eat out once a week. I’ve also broken into one to my cheap nicotine gum boxes and will only buy a pack of cigs in an emergency. I have a trip to Mass General this coming Wed….that may be the day! Naaa. I’ll chew my gum. Lol

It really felt great to organize some preps today (batteries, propane cannisters, tool kit, tackle box, and books) and to get out of the buying mind-set. I still always need more toothbrushes and sponges, plus an axe, Silk in boxes, and quilted shades(!!!), etc., etc..

After reading tonight about the ‘Stage 4′ news, I may be tempted to do a Whole Grocer and Wild Oats run tomorrow. Whoops, on second thought, no… I also suddenly have a seriously cracked tooth so I’ll need to pay for that first! Thank God I’m not SIP now! I can’t eat well and it hurts like crazy. Ate some 90 second rice tonight. Did the trick. Appt early tomorrow thank goodness!

As for baking bread,,,I used to eat somewhat macrobiotically and baked unyeasted bread—25–30 yrs ago! I’ll be happy with chapati’s. I’ll drag out my Tassajara Bread Book and reaquaint myself. ;-) great book!

I’m so impressed with Kathy in Fla. and Average Concerned Mom!! ‘You are amazing!’ Thanks for the ideas!!!

Every one is amazing here, for that matter!

KimTat 23:54

I went shopping tonight, the only thing I bought was a couple of below 0 sleeping bags, then I got back and saw the news thread.

Closed and Continued - Bronco Bill – at 23:54

And once again, with all the fantasmagorically great ideas, we’ve filled up another thread. Y’all can find Part XII ovah heah! (Ah’m practicin’ tahkin’ Suthurn…)

27 July 2006

Ima-Prepper – at 00:12

In response to the bread topic, anyone who has ever been on an atkins diet knows that the cravings for bread are almost unbearable. I do plan on making it even though it is time consuming.

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