Adding to our supplies

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Momma J
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by Momma J »

I tried my hand for the first time at starting a fire with ferro rod. I am glad that I decided to test my skills before I needed it in real time.

Some tidbits of information for those who have not tried: It took me approximately 3 minutes to start my first fire. This would have been much quicker without my husband laughing. (Actually, his laughter was incentive to succeed)

I did have to make two runs (part of the 3 minutes) The first was to grab a handful of dryer lint. I do not like using the lint. It smelled awful and the little bit of flame was short lived. I tossed it aside.

The second run was to the fence line to gather a handful of pine needles. This is the way to go.

I had smushed up a large handful of rotted pine stump. It was very soft. I mixed in the pine needles and a bit of small dead twigs (basic kindling stuff) I had this laying on top of a small piece of fat wood.

I then struck the ferro rod several times, got my face down close and blew on the tiny embers until they ignited. The pine needles burned hot enough to ignite the fat wood. The piece of fat wood was only about 1/2" thick and 1" wide and approx. 2" long.

Once it was burning, I piled more small sticks around. I had a really nice fire burning!

All of this was done in our covered bbq room. I cannot burn outdoors until the burn ban is lifted.

I have decided to fill a tote with small kindling materials mixed with pine needles. We do not want to be looking for kindling at the country cottage if the ground is wet.

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Momma J
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by Momma J »

I challenge everyone to have a 30-day supply of foods their family enjoys eating. It sounds so very basic and most here probably have 10-20 times that in supplies. However, many people that I talk with are stocking up on grains and beans. They have zero comfort foods.

If you like cookies, gather the supplies to bake cookies. The supplies to bake breads. The supplies to make spaghetti, pot pies, your favorite soups... etc.

We sat down and asked each other. 10 things would you miss most if you could no longer shop in a grocery store? We then went out and bought those items.

There is not harm since these are items that you love. They can easily be rotated into your monthly meal plans.

Buy some creature comforts... My husband said he would be sad without Tabasco, so I bought a few bottles and printed some recipes to make more.

My guilty pleasure is mac and cheese. I prefer homemade but have never learned how to make cheese. Therefore, I bought several boxes. If the world crazies level out, it will not be an issue. They will be eaten!

So, while you are bulking up. Think about comfort foods that you will miss. Pick up a few extras while you can. Beans and rice alone will make a very sad meal.

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BigT
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by BigT »

Our 3 smallish freezers are full, mostly meats, so I’ve been adding canned meats to our supply. Wheat buckets are back in our Costco, but now at .77/lb. When we bought the. Early in the year it was .44/lb. The local Maceys has 25 lb bags for .44/lb, though. Won’t be that when they restock.

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JK4Woods
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by JK4Woods »

Best prepare for power/internet outage of eight days.

Watch some videos on how to “can” meat.
Once in the one quart mason jars, it’ll keep for many months on the pantry shelf.

Dividing up big hunks of meat into apple sized chunks, and bottle canning with herbs, rubs and other veggies, provides a tasty protein rich Sunday dinner, even by candle light.

If the power goes out, natural gas would follow, (by a week or two).

Lay in spare (full) propane tanks, and get one of those refill valves so the tiny green qt. size propane bottles for camp stoves, can be refilled.

I have a solar setup to keep a couple deep cycle batteries charged, and with an inverter can run the TV and after sundown.

Also have a generator with treated gas to run freezer and fridge periodically.

Buy powdered butter, and yeast, eggs and milk.

I’ve even figured out how to run my big three burner Camp Chef stove using wood/charcoal fire.

I have twenty five sacks of charcoal stored away.
A charcoal fire doesn’t give off smoke, so it’s better than a wood fire for security purposes.

Keep you cars above half full, and be prepared to defend your home/car from fuel/battery looters.

Brace your exterior doors, screw chicken wire across inside of all windows, and do something to reinforce any sliding door.

Some kind of security watch post needs to be figured out. One which can monitor front, side and back yards. This might entail cutting a “skylight” in the roof.

Go to Tractor Supply, CAL Ranch or IFA and purchase an electric fence.

Get wire and insulators too. Set it up inside common fences/walls. You want a yelp! When someone touch’s it to alert your guard on duty.

Get a couple dozen sand bags and have a load of sand delivered for a “sand box”.

When rumors of wide spread home invasions start to circulate, fill the sand bags, and place in thoughtful locations for bullet protection.

A nice pile behind the front door, so it will only swing open 20% is a good idea.

All these steps need to happen now… don’t expect stores to be open during civil unrest/societal collapse. And certainly don’t depend on an debit card
during these times.

Good luck! And print out information you’ll want to refer to later in the midst of hunkering down at home. No power/internet means computer/web bookmarks are useless….

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Momma J
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by Momma J »

BigT wrote: October 24th, 2022, 1:41 pm Our 3 smallish freezers are full, mostly meats, so I’ve been adding canned meats to our supply. Wheat buckets are back in our Costco, but now at .77/lb. When we bought the. Early in the year it was .44/lb. The local Maceys has 25 lb bags for .44/lb, though. Won’t be that when they restock.
We are learning to be more diligent about rotating meat in the freezer. Too many cuts became freezer burnt after sitting in the back for extended time. Mark them and rotate! Old meat really does have a nasty taste!

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Momma J
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by Momma J »

Very good info JK4Woods! It helps to remain in the right frame of mind when one has food in their belly and a roof over their head.

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BigT
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by BigT »

Momma J wrote: October 25th, 2022, 5:11 am We are learning to be more diligent about rotating meat in the freezer. Too many cuts became freezer burnt after sitting in the back for extended time. Mark them and rotate! Old meat really does have a nasty taste!
Agreed. After losing a fair amount of meat to freezer burn, we bought a food sealer. Now, everything that goes in the freezer is air tight. And, following a YouTube video, we have eraser boards on the freezer doors and write everything that goes into freezer down with its date. A bit of a hassle but hopefully worth it in the long run.

Hmm… YouTube button doesn’t seem to work.
Finally read Creator’ instructions and voilà!
Last edited by BigT on October 25th, 2022, 11:49 am, edited 3 times in total.

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Momma J
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by Momma J »

BigT wrote: October 25th, 2022, 9:21 am
Momma J wrote: October 25th, 2022, 5:11 am We are learning to be more diligent about rotating meat in the freezer. Too many cuts became freezer burnt after sitting in the back for extended time. Mark them and rotate! Old meat really does have a nasty taste!
Agreed. After losing a fair amount of meat to freezer burn, we bought a food sealer. Now, everything that goes in the freezer is air tight. And, following a YouTube video, we have eraser boards on the freezer doors and write everything that goes into freezer down with its date. A bit of a hassle but hopefully worth it in the long run.
I really like the suggestion of an eraser board! Thank you

moving2zion
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by moving2zion »

We try to vacuum seal all of the meat we slaughter, helps to reduce the freezer burn. Also putting a dehumidifier in your cellar or storage area, while expensive on electricity can really help increase the lifespan of your freezer and reduce the amount of frost inside. So food can last longer as well.

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Momma J
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by Momma J »

Living in SE Texas freezing pipes was never an issue.

Was.... Never... an.... issue.

Feb 2021 and now Dec 2022. Two episodes of frozen pipes.

Our old house in Houston has galvanized pipes in most locations. They are holding steady for now. The sprinkler crew tied into our main just before coming into the house, using schedule 40 pvc. This was wrapped but still froze in multiple places... cracked fittings, etc.

Our little country cottage was completely repiped with pex. If we are not home, we drain the lines.... It is a pain in the back-side. But we have not had any pipe issues to date.

If Texas continues to freeze over, we will need to rethink plumbing ... if nothing else, stock up on fittings, pipe glue, and good pipe cutting tools.

Side note: I am no longer in the best shape. My back can attest to this. I spent several hours yesterday cutting tree roots from the new path to the neighbors using a pickax. Now Mr J can walk to the neighbor's house without stumbling.

Temps went from -3 on the 23rd to 57 yesterday. We will be in the 70s throughout this week. Best time of the year to clear land

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darknesstolight
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by darknesstolight »

If the planet dissolves what's gonna happen to your food storage?

It's like trying to hang on to a rock that is falling with you.

...

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nightlight
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by nightlight »

darknesstolight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 10:40 am If the planet dissolves what's gonna happen to your food storage?

It's like trying to hang on to a rock that is falling with you.

...
If trucks stop coming into your town...you stop eating.

If you think you're going to be on your phone checking your bank account one day and then the next day the world dissolves....you are missing sum key points in the literature that showed you about the earth dissolving in the first place

Even a squirrel understands food storage my guy

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darknesstolight
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by darknesstolight »

nightlight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 11:36 am
darknesstolight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 10:40 am If the planet dissolves what's gonna happen to your food storage?

It's like trying to hang on to a rock that is falling with you.

...
If trucks stop coming into your town...you stop eating.

If you think you're going to be on your phone checking your bank account one day and then the next day the world dissolves....you are missing sum key points in the literature that showed you about the earth dissolving in the first place

Even a squirrel understands food storage my guy
If you say something then it must be true.

...

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Craig Johnson
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by Craig Johnson »

Momma J wrote: May 23rd, 2022, 2:02 pm Based on our weekend clearing land, I am adding to our supplies. If you have any property in the country you understand how quickly tress, brush, plants of multiple varieties grow! In East Texas it is surreal. A path that I cleared between us and the neighbors in March is now overgrown with brush and vines.

Extra suplies that we are bulking up on:
Good leather gloves Several pairs of good fitting gloves per person.
Mucking boots -I wear these every time I leave the front porch. I recommend 2 pairs
Long sleeve cotton shirts. Poison Ivy is no joke and I am highly allergic. They also provide relief from the blazing sun. Lawn crews around here are all wearing long sleeve shirts.
Good cutting tools and the know-how to sharpen. I have a variety of axes, hatchets, manchettes, clippers.
Goats This is in our near future to keep brush and vines down.
Apple cider vinegar - The internet searches advise against using, but the areas that I used ACV did not develop a rash while other areas of my skin are covered. ACV is also good for a number of heath issues
Fire ant control - I am convinced that insects will take over the planet if we lose commercial ways of keeping them at bay. I am open to suggestions. Same goes for fleas. They are out of control in our area right now. I stopped by Home Depot for something to knock out whatever is eating my plum trees and the aisle was filled with people looking for a way to eradicate fleas.

Side note: We knocked down almost 1/4 acre of heavy brush this weekend! I can almost move around the old shell of a building. I will be using that lumber and tin for my chicken house.
I work my rear end off on our small 5 acre ranch taking care of my wife, our home, property, horses and a cat.
I make certain to always have what I might need in as much abundance as I can store reasonably.
My wife is different, she does not care if she has room or not, she just buys and buys and clutters up every corner with what she has to have.

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Momma J
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by Momma J »

darknesstolight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 11:56 am
nightlight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 11:36 am
darknesstolight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 10:40 am If the planet dissolves what's gonna happen to your food storage?

It's like trying to hang on to a rock that is falling with you.

...
If trucks stop coming into your town...you stop eating.

If you think you're going to be on your phone checking your bank account one day and then the next day the world dissolves....you are missing sum key points in the literature that showed you about the earth dissolving in the first place

Even a squirrel understands food storage my guy
If you say something then it must be true.

...
If we are prompted by the HG to have food and water in abundance to help others in times of need... do we tell the Lord that there is no need because the planet is dissolving? I will continue to follow the promptings and worry not about how I will die.

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Momma J
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by Momma J »

Craig Johnson wrote: December 27th, 2022, 12:16 pm

I work my rear end off on our small 5 acre ranch taking care of my wife, our home, property, horses and a cat.
I make certain to always have what I might need in as much abundance as I can store reasonably.
My wife is different, she does not care if she has room or not, she just buys and buys and clutters up every corner with what she has to have.
This sounds like my parents... thank you for the chuckle.

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nightlight
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by nightlight »

darknesstolight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 11:56 am
nightlight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 11:36 am
darknesstolight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 10:40 am If the planet dissolves what's gonna happen to your food storage?

It's like trying to hang on to a rock that is falling with you.

...
If trucks stop coming into your town...you stop eating.

If you think you're going to be on your phone checking your bank account one day and then the next day the world dissolves....you are missing sum key points in the literature that showed you about the earth dissolving in the first place

Even a squirrel understands food storage my guy
If you say something then it must be true.

...
Now you're thinking!!!!

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darknesstolight
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by darknesstolight »

nightlight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 12:34 pm
darknesstolight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 11:56 am
nightlight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 11:36 am
darknesstolight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 10:40 am If the planet dissolves what's gonna happen to your food storage?

It's like trying to hang on to a rock that is falling with you.

...
If trucks stop coming into your town...you stop eating.

If you think you're going to be on your phone checking your bank account one day and then the next day the world dissolves....you are missing sum key points in the literature that showed you about the earth dissolving in the first place

Even a squirrel understands food storage my guy
If you say something then it must be true.

...
Now you're thinking!!!!
Yeah! Go squirrels!

...

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darknesstolight
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by darknesstolight »

Momma J wrote: December 27th, 2022, 12:32 pm
darknesstolight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 11:56 am
nightlight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 11:36 am
darknesstolight wrote: December 27th, 2022, 10:40 am If the planet dissolves what's gonna happen to your food storage?

It's like trying to hang on to a rock that is falling with you.

...
If trucks stop coming into your town...you stop eating.

If you think you're going to be on your phone checking your bank account one day and then the next day the world dissolves....you are missing sum key points in the literature that showed you about the earth dissolving in the first place

Even a squirrel understands food storage my guy
If you say something then it must be true.

...
If we are prompted by the HG to have food and water in abundance to help others in times of need... do we tell the Lord that there is no need because the planet is dissolving? I will continue to follow the promptings and worry not about how I will die.
If the planet is fading away I doubt you'll be thinking about your food storage and that won't be the question you will be asking. But I could be wrong in this hypothetical but I doubt it.

...

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mudflap
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by mudflap »

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12506240/1/

story was written in 2018 - about a virus that decimates the population. This girl in state custody escapes from a Tampa FL location, and makes her way north to her parent's compound in Live Oak, FL. Her parents died a long time ago, so she is the sole inheritor of their property. Story follows her and the small town as they try to survive the societal collapse all around them. Lots of recipes and ideas thrown in the story as well.

I find it fascinating.

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Momma J
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by Momma J »

mudflap wrote: December 27th, 2022, 1:49 pm https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12506240/1/

story was written in 2018 - about a virus that decimates the population. This girl in state custody escapes from a Tampa FL location, and makes her way north to her parent's compound in Live Oak, FL. Her parents died a long time ago, so she is the sole inheritor of their property. Story follows her and the small town as they try to survive the societal collapse all around them. Lots of recipes and ideas thrown in the story as well.

I find it fascinating.
Thank you! This is a good read so far

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Momma J
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by Momma J »

mudflap wrote: December 27th, 2022, 1:49 pm https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12506240/1/

story was written in 2018 - about a virus that decimates the population. This girl in state custody escapes from a Tampa FL location, and makes her way north to her parent's compound in Live Oak, FL. Her parents died a long time ago, so she is the sole inheritor of their property. Story follows her and the small town as they try to survive the societal collapse all around them. Lots of recipes and ideas thrown in the story as well.

I find it fascinating.
I read 11 chapters yesterday between life events.... The things you take for granted. Writing pens and paper for example. So many good tips in so far

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mudflap
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by mudflap »

Momma J wrote: December 28th, 2022, 4:46 am
mudflap wrote: December 27th, 2022, 1:49 pm https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12506240/1/

story was written in 2018 - about a virus that decimates the population. This girl in state custody escapes from a Tampa FL location, and makes her way north to her parent's compound in Live Oak, FL. Her parents died a long time ago, so she is the sole inheritor of their property. Story follows her and the small town as they try to survive the societal collapse all around them. Lots of recipes and ideas thrown in the story as well.

I find it fascinating.
I read 11 chapters yesterday between life events.... The things you take for granted. Writing pens and paper for example. So many good tips in so far
Yeah, it's gripping. a good "what if" story to make you think. I was up way too late last night reading chapters in the 60's...

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Momma J
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by Momma J »

mudflap wrote: December 28th, 2022, 6:46 am
Momma J wrote: December 28th, 2022, 4:46 am
mudflap wrote: December 27th, 2022, 1:49 pm https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12506240/1/

story was written in 2018 - about a virus that decimates the population. This girl in state custody escapes from a Tampa FL location, and makes her way north to her parent's compound in Live Oak, FL. Her parents died a long time ago, so she is the sole inheritor of their property. Story follows her and the small town as they try to survive the societal collapse all around them. Lots of recipes and ideas thrown in the story as well.

I find it fascinating.
I read 11 chapters yesterday between life events.... The things you take for granted. Writing pens and paper for example. So many good tips in so far
Yeah, it's gripping. a good "what if" story to make you think. I was up way too late last night reading chapters in the 60's...
I read the entire story. Many good points. My husband is going to make me a decent sized dehydrator, similar to the type that the main character in the story used. I plan on perusing back through and writing down a number of recipes. The author wrote out the step by steps for most of the new foods that she made. I loved that the author included a strong faith in God and praying for help and guidance as well as learning to work together as a community

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mudflap
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Re: Adding to our supplies

Post by mudflap »

Momma J wrote: January 3rd, 2023, 10:19 am
mudflap wrote: December 28th, 2022, 6:46 am
Momma J wrote: December 28th, 2022, 4:46 am
mudflap wrote: December 27th, 2022, 1:49 pm https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12506240/1/

story was written in 2018 - about a virus that decimates the population. This girl in state custody escapes from a Tampa FL location, and makes her way north to her parent's compound in Live Oak, FL. Her parents died a long time ago, so she is the sole inheritor of their property. Story follows her and the small town as they try to survive the societal collapse all around them. Lots of recipes and ideas thrown in the story as well.

I find it fascinating.
I read 11 chapters yesterday between life events.... The things you take for granted. Writing pens and paper for example. So many good tips in so far
Yeah, it's gripping. a good "what if" story to make you think. I was up way too late last night reading chapters in the 60's...
I read the entire story. Many good points. My husband is going to make me a decent sized dehydrator, similar to the type that the main character in the story used. I plan on perusing back through and writing down a number of recipes. The author wrote out the step by steps for most of the new foods that she made. I loved that the author included a strong faith in God and praying for help and guidance as well as learning to work together as a community
OMG! you beat me! I'm on ch 81. very good stuff in there.

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