January 2014 - Update 72 Hour Kits and First Aid Kits.

January should be easy for those who made their 72 hour kits and First Aid kits last year.  I you didn't now is the time to make them.  Go to the tabs on this blog for different level kits or click on these links.  72 Hour Kits and   First Aid Kits.

If you have these thing done then use this month to update them.
1. Check that all batteries are still good. 
2. Make sure there is no corrosion in the flashlights. 
3. Is any food or drinks expired. 
4. Have your eating preferences changed and you don't like something you liked when you packed this kit.  5. Does everyone's clothes still fit?
6. Do you take different medications that need to be updated?
7. Are your medical supplies expired?
8. Has anything leaked?

Make sure everything is up to date and in good working order.  Can you leave comfortably in an emergency for 3 days if needed?  Can you leave right now?

Healthy Breakfast Ideas we Love

Today I decided that the kids needed something different than cold cereal for breakfast.  I got the idea from my neighbor for Chocolate Pancakes.  The flour is equal part of coconut flour, buckwheat flour, and whole wheat flour.  She adds coco powder and chocolate chips to the pancakes also.
I am not a chocolate fan or a pancake fan so I make waffles and added chocolate chips to the waffles for the kids.  You can fine the recipe Chocolate Waffles here.

Another favorite is homemade breakfast sandwiches.  I buy multi-grain high fiber English muffins.  Split the muffin in half and toast it.  Cook a beaten egg in a small fry pan.  When the egg is almost done I add a thin slice of cheese on top and two half slices of turkey bacon. Place a lid on top of the pan.  When all is heated and the cheese is melted I fold in the sides of the egg to make a square.  Put mustard on the muffin and put the sandwich together.

I find that the turkey bacon tastes the same reheated as it dose just cooked, so I cook the entire package and put it in a resealable bag in the fridge to make breakfast or BLT sandwiches quickly.

We all love hot cereal, especially oatmeal. My husband likes butter and honey in his.  I like canned milk.

Since it only takes a small amount of canned milk to a bowl of oatmeal, I take the rest of the can of milk and pour it into ice cube trays.  After it is frozen I put the cubes into a resealable freezer bag.  Then when I fix oatmeal again I take 2 cubes of milk and add it to my cereal.  I adds just enough liquid and cools it to just the right temperature for me.

Thoughts for the New Year - 2014

I have been reading ideas and thinking of things I want to do to simplify my life for the next year.

I saw a fun money saving idea for a year to save $1378.00 in 52 weeks.  Week one you put $1 in a jar, week two $2, week twenty $20, and so on.  I will be easy to do at the beginning, but hard to do the last few months of the year.  I calculated that to be $26.50 a week.  We are going to save the $26.50 a week and use that money to fix some minor home repairs. You can find one of the schedules for this here on my Pinterest site.

Another site I looked at had an idea for downsizing the amount of stuff in the home.  The lady stated that she was going to eliminate 2014 items from her home during the year of 2014.  And for every item that came into the home an item had to leave.  So if see added 100 item that year then 2114 item must leave (2014 for the year plus 100 for the newly added item).  No cheating by saying a 100 piece puzzle is 100 items.  It is only one.  Consumable items do not count.

I have not put a number on the amount of  items to eliminate in my house, but I am going to downsize a lot.  We have another family moving in with us and a college student moving in this fall.  Right now our house, garage, and shed are packed and only two people live here.  It is definitely time to downsize the items at home.

Five or Six years ago I didn't buy any sewing or craft items except what I needed to complete a project.  It was so nice to have all those things done by the end of the year.  Well I have filled the space back up with projects again and plan to shop only for needed items again this year to finish projects.

My mom and I grow gardens and have fruit trees, grape vines, berry bushes, and other edible plants.  We can and dehydrate everything we can get.  This year I plan to concentrate on making more well rounded meals with the things we have preserved.  No more skipping meals and snacking on dried fruits and nuts,not to mention the store bought junk food.

Every January 1st I inventory my home preserved food and plan a basic menu for the year.  The last two years I have not used what I canned like I normally do.  I can blame it on poor health (which I do), but reality is that if I ate healthier I would feel better.

I printed out blank menu forms for January through July.  I also made a cute weekly menu board to hang for the family to see.  I will post it on my crafting blog when it is finished.  You can find lots of ideas on Pinterest also.

I hope everyone who reads this has a wonder 2014 year and can simplify their year.

Get Ready for a New Year - 2014

So there was no emergency preparedness for the month of December, but 52 weeks of preparedness ideas were posted.  2014 will be monthly preparedness ideas.  I will post things I am doing and ideas I learn about throughout the year.

Week 52 - Purchase Cranberries and Make Sauce or Juice for Later Use

Week 52 – November 24

Purchase Cranberries and Make Sauce or Juice for Later Use.  There are many recipes on-line for making cranberry sauce and juice.

I will post my pictures and the recipe I choose to make when I get the berries canned.

Home Food Storage: Purchase cranberries

Week 51 - Purchase and Can an Extra Turkey for Future Use

Week 51 - November 17

Purchase an extra turkey while they are on sale and can it.  Follow the time and pressure amount from your instruction book.  The turkey just needs to be cut into chunks and placed in pint jars.  It will make its own juice.

NOTE: See the canning and preserving page where I canned chicken.

 

Home Food Storage: Purchase an extra turkey and preserve it for later.

Week 50 - Cook in a Squash, Purchase Spices or Seasonings

Week 50 - November 10

Cook in a squash.  Cook any meatloaf or stuffed bell pepper filling in a large zucchini or in a winter squash.

Home Food Storage: Purchase any spice or seasoning you use often.

Week 49 - Cook in a Pumpkin, Purchase anything you need

Week 49 - November 3

Did you know you can cook soup, stew, and pudding in a pumpkin?

Set the cleaned-out pumpkin with its lid on in a cake pan.  Add 1/2 to 3/4 inch of very hot water to the pan. Bake for 45 minutes until almost tender in a 350 degree oven.  Fill pumpkin as desired and bake without the lid on for 30 to 45 more minutes.

Home Food Storage: Purchase anything you don’t have enough of.

Week 48 - Cook Quinoa in a Thermos, Purchase Canned Meat

Week 48 – October 27

Cook quinoa in a metal thermos. Preheat thermos with very hot water and let it set. Empty thermos.  Add 1 part quinoa to 2 parts boiling water in the thermos.  Leave plenty expansion room. Shake well. Lay the thermos on its side.  Quinoa should be ready in 45 minutes.

Home Food Storage: Purchase canned meat.