I am looking for a less dense bread recipe. I put extra yeast in my bread now to help the wheat bread rise better. Wheat is so much heavier than white flour so I think that by adding a bit more yeast can help with the lift. But I would like a less dense bread. Does anyone have a good recipe for this?
Can you leave me a link in the comments and help me out here? Thank you!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Winter Prepping for your Car
As a mom I want my kids and family to be warm and dry. I want to be prepared in case we are out and a storm comes up or if the weather turns cold. A few years ago I had the "pleasure" of witnessing my friend's prepping efforts result in warm and toasty children. My kids on the other hand weren't as warm and toasty. Here is what happened. We all met for dinner at a restaurant, her family and my family. She suggested that we go to this winter village and walk around and see the lights. This place has lots of old timey homes and store fronts etc, that you can walk around and see. At Christmas time they decorate them with lights and decorations and you can walk around and enjoy the vintage feel. They have things there from a 1950's gas station to a turn of the century post office. Anyway, we weren't prepared to walk around for long as it had gotten chilly but my friend assured me that we wouldn't be out in the cold long as we would be popping in and out of these buildings and they are all heated. We were game and agreed to follow them there. We get out of our car in the parking area and her kids are all bundled up with hats and scarves and mittens and such. I told her that my kids didn't have such things and her husband said that their kids weren't prepared with this stuff either but it is just all the things that my friend has stashed in her car in the winter time just in case. {ah ha} In the winter time she grabs older hats, gloves and scarves and she sticks them in the back of her car just in case... The night was a fine night and my kids weren't freezing and were okay just walking around in their winter coats with the hood up and their hands in their pockets. And my friend was right we just popped in and out of the buildings and were quite warm. But that image stuck with me of her pulling these hats and gloves out of the car for her kids. I wanted to be that prepared.
Ever since then I have tried to always have a few extra pair of gloves, hats and scarves in my car for the kids and us adults, ...just in case....
So on with the list of items I always try to keep in the car: This list is "mom style" so don't expect big containers of ice melt and snow tire chains, etc. I would love to have that in my car but we don't get enough winter weather here in my world to warrant me having to worry with that stuff. If you are in that part of the world then I would certainly recommend having the equipment to get you out of a snow drift or in case the weather turns bad on you quickly. For me, I am worried about warmth for us if we break down and need to wait a few hours for a tow truck, or if we are out and our friends suggest us walking around in the winter. Back to my list.
Ever since then I have tried to always have a few extra pair of gloves, hats and scarves in my car for the kids and us adults, ...just in case....
So on with the list of items I always try to keep in the car: This list is "mom style" so don't expect big containers of ice melt and snow tire chains, etc. I would love to have that in my car but we don't get enough winter weather here in my world to warrant me having to worry with that stuff. If you are in that part of the world then I would certainly recommend having the equipment to get you out of a snow drift or in case the weather turns bad on you quickly. For me, I am worried about warmth for us if we break down and need to wait a few hours for a tow truck, or if we are out and our friends suggest us walking around in the winter. Back to my list.
- warm hats, gloves or mittens, and scarves for everyone in our family. I put these in a bag and toss it in the back of the car. These are older gloves and hats that will be fine in a pinch but not ones that the will make us the most fashionable family at the time. I am going for warmth here. I also love the ones that are sold for $1 or 2 at Target in the fall. They are cheap enough for me to buy a set for each person and just stash them. They aren't wool but they will do for us.
- blanket (s). In our big suburban I want a blanket for each person. These are fleece and are lap blanket size. In our smaller cars one or two are great. I am not spending a ton of money on these either. The set we have in the suburban were given to use many years ago by my in laws. The ones we have in the other cars are just fleece I got at the fabric store and I cut and sewed the edges. Easy peasy and inexpensive.
- Water. I try to keep a few water bottles in the back of the car (trunk) just in case. But in winter they freeze and thaw so I open them and pour out just a bit so they don't burst when they freeze. What would be great is to keep them in a plastic container so if they do bust they won't seep into the carpets or back of the car.
- A bit of food. This can be peanut butter cracker packs, snack packs or breakfast bars. I try to keep a few in the glove compartment or in the car somewhere. This works well when I have my lunch box with me that I take back and forth to work. I always have extra food in there. And I try to keep that with me during the day and in the car. If we are going out as a family I will often pack that full of drinks and snacks anyway so we don't have to stop anywhere to get a child or us a snack. It just makes life easy
- First Aid Kit. I always have a little one in my purse but in the car we like to have a bigger one. This holds headache medicine, band-aids, benedryl, bactine, and neosporin, an ace bandage, and a pair of tweezers and a fingernail clipper. I keep it in a rubbermaid box that is pretty small. We have had this box for a long time. It is about 6 inches deep and about 8 inches long. It is not big but it holds lots of stuff.
- My purse (my purse is part of my plan and I take it with me where ever I go) In my purse for the winter I have a small bottle of hand lotion, chapstick, my small first aid kit, tissues, a snack or two (my peeps get hungry!), my emergency cards, my cell phone (the chargers stay in the car), and a flashlight.
Things I should have in my car but they aren't: (This is my "to do" list)
- an umbrella
- old towels
- a lightstick or flashlight that stays in the car
- jumper cables (we only have one pair and they float from car to car) We take them on big trips but they aren't in every car we own nor in the cars we use for everyday running around.
- a plastic box to keep my water bottles in. This way if they freeze and burst, they don't leak all over the car)
- a window ice scraper
- antifreeze, oil, or other car maintenance stuff (I am not sold on putting these in the car for just every day running around. We do put these items in the car for trips)
- weather radio or hand crank radio
What am I missing? We live in a pretty mild climate and while we have cold weather, we don't tend to drive in adverse weather conditions and when it snows the entire town shuts down until the roads are clear.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
A New Year
Well it is a new year and with that comes our "poor" time. My husband doesn't work much in the winter because his job is mostly seasonal (not the winter season) so we are in what we call our "poor" time. We will be fine though because we have stocked up on food and have plenty of it. We will eat from our food storage and buy fresh produce and milk. Then when he starts working again we will stock back up. It is a great exercise in learning what we do eat and what we don't eat. It is also great for food rotation. (obviously).
Here are a few recipes that we will be using this month:
Chicken Casserole
1 can cream of chicken or cream of anything really
1 cup of milk
1 cup of water
1 cup of rice
1 can of chicken
1 can of peas and carrots drained
Mix all together and pour in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Salt and pepper at the table to taste.
Leftover Chicken Noodle Soup
take any left overs you have of chicken and cut in to small chunks
Any left overs of veggies (drained)
Chicken stock (use water and chicken boullion if you don't have stock)
Sauteed onions and celery and carrots if you have them
Combine together in a pot and bring to a boil. Put in left over rice or break up pasta (any kind) and let cook until pasta is soft and serve. While cooking you can season it with salt or pepper or any spices you think would be good. This is a leftover soup so really anything goes.
Mac and Cheese
You can use a box mix if you have one and then add two slices of American cheese and let melt in with the finished product. You can add left over ham to this also and make it a meal.
Ham and Eggs
We love breakfast stuff for dinner and have Ham slices and either scrambled eggs or fried eggs every once in a while.
Hope these help!! :) Hey do me a favor and if you like what you are reading you don't need to leave a comment but click one of the buttons and tell me if you are liking these posts. Are they interesting? Cool?
Here are a few recipes that we will be using this month:
Chicken Casserole
1 can cream of chicken or cream of anything really
1 cup of milk
1 cup of water
1 cup of rice
1 can of chicken
1 can of peas and carrots drained
Mix all together and pour in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Salt and pepper at the table to taste.
Leftover Chicken Noodle Soup
take any left overs you have of chicken and cut in to small chunks
Any left overs of veggies (drained)
Chicken stock (use water and chicken boullion if you don't have stock)
Sauteed onions and celery and carrots if you have them
Combine together in a pot and bring to a boil. Put in left over rice or break up pasta (any kind) and let cook until pasta is soft and serve. While cooking you can season it with salt or pepper or any spices you think would be good. This is a leftover soup so really anything goes.
Mac and Cheese
You can use a box mix if you have one and then add two slices of American cheese and let melt in with the finished product. You can add left over ham to this also and make it a meal.
Ham and Eggs
We love breakfast stuff for dinner and have Ham slices and either scrambled eggs or fried eggs every once in a while.
Hope these help!! :) Hey do me a favor and if you like what you are reading you don't need to leave a comment but click one of the buttons and tell me if you are liking these posts. Are they interesting? Cool?
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Cleaning out the Pantry
I should have taken a photo of the before and after. But I didn't and I am sorry. Yesterday I cleaned out my pantry. I originally started doing it specifically because I have been tossing stuff in there and not sorting it out. So by yesterday morning I could no longer close the door. Something had to be done. So I started cleaning it out.
I learned many things:
1. If you keep it neat and organized you can fit a ton of food in there.
2. I really need a rubbermaid tub for my flour.
3. Only two items were out of date and needed to be tossed.
4. I have a TON of dessert items. So if we have a SHTF situation right now, we don't have to worry about running out of cake and frosting.
5. I am low on pasta sauce, canned meats, and water.
6. I think I have actually succeeded in storing a month's worth of food, plus some.
I have:
I learned many things:
1. If you keep it neat and organized you can fit a ton of food in there.
2. I really need a rubbermaid tub for my flour.
3. Only two items were out of date and needed to be tossed.
4. I have a TON of dessert items. So if we have a SHTF situation right now, we don't have to worry about running out of cake and frosting.
5. I am low on pasta sauce, canned meats, and water.
6. I think I have actually succeeded in storing a month's worth of food, plus some.
I have:
- 6 months worth of desserts and sweets.
- 3+ months worth of pasta (but need to stock up on some sauce)
- 2+ months worth of canned veggies
- 2-3 weeks worth of canned meats
- 2 months worth of peanut butter
- 3 months worth of flour
- 3+ months worth of oatmeal
- 3+ months worth of rice
- 3-4 weeks worth of canned fruits
- 2+ months worth of cooking oil (veggie and olive oil)
- 3+ months worth of yeast
- 1+ month worth of honey
- 3+ months worth of baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices
I need:
- water
- canned meats (although my freezer is stocked with meats, enough for at least a month)
- pasta sauce
- powdered milk (I have none at this point and feel like I need it)
- shelf stable milk
This was an awesome lesson in what we have and what more we need. Now that I am more focused on my "holes" in my pantry, I know what I need to purchase. In fact after I finished cleaning out my pantry I went to Sam's Club for paper towels and toilet paper and I was able to pick up another 5 cans of canned chicken, some more frozen chicken breasts, oatmeal, and a few other items that will go into the pantry. My focus now is on powdered milk and shelf stable milk. Oh and we need water.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
What's in your stocking?
I know I posted a few down that I am trying to add preparedness items to my list of gifts that I am giving. Now that I am pretty much done with my Christmas gift shopping I thought I would update and list the items that I am giving away.
Husband:
1. baseball cap head lamp, clip on light. This is a light that clips on to your baseball cap. It is like a headlamp but you don't have to wear it like a goober. It is a cool looking headlamp. I just hope it works well. (bought at Kohls $9.99)
2. Hand and foot warmers. I found these at Target in the $1 spot. They will be great for adding to our 72 hour kit as well as for him when he is working.
3. New flannel lined jeans. Why are these on the preparedness list? Because they are awesome, warm and durable.
4. Pocket sized flashlight
5. A battery operated coin sorter.
Son:
1. Pocket sized flashlight.
2. small trinkets to go in his 72 hour kit for entertainment.
Daughters:
1. pocket sized flashlights
2. small trinkets to go in their 72 hour kits for entertainment.
Sister and boyfriend:
1. pocket sized flashlights
2. paracord bracelets
3. neck warmer (gators) scarves
I have on my list a multi-tool and I saw a cute small one at Kohls for $10 the other day. Get this. It was PINK! How awesome is that. It was in the men's section where they have the seasonal gift items. I am hoping that my husband will find it.
By the way, while shopping at Kohls I was pleasantly surprised that there was so many items for sale that had to do with preparedness. Many multitools, battery rechargers, pocket knives, flashlights, headlamps, car chargers, emergency kits for cars, first aid kits, and more. Target also had many of these items also.
What is on your list this year? What will be in your stocking?
Husband:
1. baseball cap head lamp, clip on light. This is a light that clips on to your baseball cap. It is like a headlamp but you don't have to wear it like a goober. It is a cool looking headlamp. I just hope it works well. (bought at Kohls $9.99)
2. Hand and foot warmers. I found these at Target in the $1 spot. They will be great for adding to our 72 hour kit as well as for him when he is working.
3. New flannel lined jeans. Why are these on the preparedness list? Because they are awesome, warm and durable.
4. Pocket sized flashlight
5. A battery operated coin sorter.
Son:
1. Pocket sized flashlight.
2. small trinkets to go in his 72 hour kit for entertainment.
Daughters:
1. pocket sized flashlights
2. small trinkets to go in their 72 hour kits for entertainment.
Sister and boyfriend:
1. pocket sized flashlights
2. paracord bracelets
3. neck warmer (gators) scarves
I have on my list a multi-tool and I saw a cute small one at Kohls for $10 the other day. Get this. It was PINK! How awesome is that. It was in the men's section where they have the seasonal gift items. I am hoping that my husband will find it.
By the way, while shopping at Kohls I was pleasantly surprised that there was so many items for sale that had to do with preparedness. Many multitools, battery rechargers, pocket knives, flashlights, headlamps, car chargers, emergency kits for cars, first aid kits, and more. Target also had many of these items also.
What is on your list this year? What will be in your stocking?
Feeling the panic....but it will be over soon.
The panic will be over soon, hopefully not the holiday. So here is the deal. My job gives me off the last two weeks of December. Tomorrow is my last day of work for two weeks. I get paid twice a month on the 15th and the last day of the month. Normally not a big deal. However, in December this pay schedule gets screwed up because we close the last two weeks of December. They adjust the pay schedule, and this year I got paid on the 9th and the 16th. I don't get paid again until January 15th. (well the 13th because the 15th is a Sunday).
I am currently in the midst of scrambling to get last minute things for Christmas done. Scrambling to do my baking for my coworkers which I have to finish and bring in tomorrow. Scrambling to make my lists, lists of lists, etc. Scrambling to get my Christmas cards finished and mailed. Scrambling to get other items which need to be wrapped, packaged and mailed out to the post office. Scrambling to get last minute things done for the kids' last few days of school. Teacher gifts, friends' gifts, tests studied for, projects done, AHHHHH!!! Scramble scramble scramble. Oh and let's just complain about the house for a minute. Every time I come home from work the house looks worse then it did when I left. Breakfast dishes are still on the table, junk is everywhere, laundry tossed on the floor, oh and the bathrooms. Well we just won't go there. So I have to clean before I can do anything else.
Starting on Saturday life will be a bit easier. The school stuff for the kids will be done, the coworker baking will be done, the job will be done for two weeks and we can start to focus on the true meaning of the holidays: family, friends, time, and of course Jesus.
So the point of my post today and what it has to do with preparing. While preparing for the holidays I am also planning and preparing for a few weeks with no pay. We are heading into the lean times anyway with my husband's job winding down for the season. He usually takes most of January and February off which means less money in the bank for us. I try to plan ahead for this time by stocking the pantry and the freezer of food that we will eat. I also try to plan by stocking the bathrooms of toiletries so we don't have to run out and buy more shampoo or expensive items. I plan by stocking the paper towels, toilet paper, and cleaning items, laundry detergent, etc. now so we don't have to worry until March. This is almost like a test to see how much we consume in the next 2 1/2 months. Can I stock the house? What items do we run out of quickly? What items do we forget about stocking that we end up needing?
Have you ever tested your stock? Have you ever tested to see how long you could go? Have you ever tried to live for two weeks without going to the grocery store?
We know we will have to go to the grocery. But we only want to need milk, eggs, bread (if I don't make it), produce and fruit. We will have to purchase meat at some point probably mid January and then again in mid February. But we plan for this. We will also be menu planning!!! This is a big important thing for us to be able to use what we have and to be able to use it efficiently.
I will be making a big run to our Sam's Club for items this weekend and then hopefully we will be pretty much done with our spending for a while. On my list for Sam's Club is flour, sugar, toilet paper, paper towels, coffee, some spices we are low on, and oatmeal. These items will go into our food storage because I know we will go through our storage in the next few months. I will also be picking up a few more cans (20-25) of veggies from Target who has them on sale for $.49. This should last us a while.
I will keep you updated on our food storage and how it is faring. Will it hold up to the three month supply?
I would love to hear if you have tested your food storage and what you learned. Please leave me a comment.
I am currently in the midst of scrambling to get last minute things for Christmas done. Scrambling to do my baking for my coworkers which I have to finish and bring in tomorrow. Scrambling to make my lists, lists of lists, etc. Scrambling to get my Christmas cards finished and mailed. Scrambling to get other items which need to be wrapped, packaged and mailed out to the post office. Scrambling to get last minute things done for the kids' last few days of school. Teacher gifts, friends' gifts, tests studied for, projects done, AHHHHH!!! Scramble scramble scramble. Oh and let's just complain about the house for a minute. Every time I come home from work the house looks worse then it did when I left. Breakfast dishes are still on the table, junk is everywhere, laundry tossed on the floor, oh and the bathrooms. Well we just won't go there. So I have to clean before I can do anything else.
Starting on Saturday life will be a bit easier. The school stuff for the kids will be done, the coworker baking will be done, the job will be done for two weeks and we can start to focus on the true meaning of the holidays: family, friends, time, and of course Jesus.
So the point of my post today and what it has to do with preparing. While preparing for the holidays I am also planning and preparing for a few weeks with no pay. We are heading into the lean times anyway with my husband's job winding down for the season. He usually takes most of January and February off which means less money in the bank for us. I try to plan ahead for this time by stocking the pantry and the freezer of food that we will eat. I also try to plan by stocking the bathrooms of toiletries so we don't have to run out and buy more shampoo or expensive items. I plan by stocking the paper towels, toilet paper, and cleaning items, laundry detergent, etc. now so we don't have to worry until March. This is almost like a test to see how much we consume in the next 2 1/2 months. Can I stock the house? What items do we run out of quickly? What items do we forget about stocking that we end up needing?
Have you ever tested your stock? Have you ever tested to see how long you could go? Have you ever tried to live for two weeks without going to the grocery store?
We know we will have to go to the grocery. But we only want to need milk, eggs, bread (if I don't make it), produce and fruit. We will have to purchase meat at some point probably mid January and then again in mid February. But we plan for this. We will also be menu planning!!! This is a big important thing for us to be able to use what we have and to be able to use it efficiently.
I will be making a big run to our Sam's Club for items this weekend and then hopefully we will be pretty much done with our spending for a while. On my list for Sam's Club is flour, sugar, toilet paper, paper towels, coffee, some spices we are low on, and oatmeal. These items will go into our food storage because I know we will go through our storage in the next few months. I will also be picking up a few more cans (20-25) of veggies from Target who has them on sale for $.49. This should last us a while.
I will keep you updated on our food storage and how it is faring. Will it hold up to the three month supply?
I would love to hear if you have tested your food storage and what you learned. Please leave me a comment.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Being Prepared - Christmas Style
Okay, I have talked a bunch about preparedness in the sense of emergencies, weather-related disasters, economic disasters, but today I will talk of preparedness for the holidays. This blog is truly meant to be for all things family, preparedness, and ready for whatever comes my way. The old boy scout saying is "Be prepared" and they truly mean to be prepared for anything and everything. If you are prepared then there ARE no emergencies, right???
With the holidays in full swing now that we are in the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas if you are like me you are in a mix of household chaos, emotional chaos, and scheduling chaos. If it were up to me, all extra curricular activities would cease to exist between Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is just so much more going on in this time that it adds to the chaos of our house. We have Christmas lights to see, shopping to do, friends to visit, parties and dinners to attend, along with decorating our home, and continuing other family traditions. Just so much.
Right now my focus is on organization in my home. I am working on decluttering and organization. However, last week 15 boxes came down from the attic with Christmas decorations, three Christmas trees, and other holiday items like glassware, dinnerware, table linens, etc. All my decluttering just went out the window. {sigh}
So here is what I am doing. I am list making. I have made a ton of lists and I keep these lists close with me. I have shopping lists for gifts, lists of things I need to do, grocery lists, and decorating lists. I mark off what has been done, sent and completed. I add to the lists as I think of them. Right now they are my saving grace. I have done this in the past however, I never saved the lists. This year I want to save them and then use them for next year as well. In the least I will remember what I have given others as gifts.
I am also making a time line of things that need to be done by a certain time. This allows me to not get too freaked out by everything that I want to get done. I have divided it all up by day and week. If I stay on track then I won't have to worry too much the last week before Christmas and I will be able to sit back and enjoy the time with my family.
In addition to my preparations for the holidays, I am also still thinking about food storage and I am taking advantage of the sales right now for baking items. I have added 20 lbs of flour to my storage. I have added 3 cans of baking powder, 3 boxes of baking soda, 1 lb of yeast, and many bags of chocolate chips. I have also added extra sweet bread mixes, pumpkin (canned), and 5 lbs of sugar, 2 lbs of brown sugar and 1 lb of powdered sugar. I also picked up two turkeys during Thanksgiving time and I have saved these in my freezer for later cooking.
As I have been making my lists of items for family and friends as well as for me, I have been focused on thinking of items that they would like and that could help them and me in an emergency situation. Everyone in my family will be getting small pocket flashlights. My sister and her boyfriend will be receiving paracord survival bracelets. I want a multi-tool for my purse, and a new freezer (because we need more freezer space). I thought about asking for a wheat grinder but we are not there yet in our storage. We have no whole wheat to grind yet. So I will get one when we are ready to start storing whole wheat grains.
This month of December I have some preparedness goals. I will have two weeks off for Christmas and I not only want to enjoy my time but I also want to use it to accomplish some things.
1. Continue to use sales to stock up on food storage.
2. Reorganize my food storage areas. Explore other areas of the house to store items and food.
3. Continue to declutter the house. Look for areas where we need more storage units (furniture) and more effective areas for storing appropriate items. (ex. my closet is not the place for our steam cleaner)
Do you have items on your Christmas list that are preparedness related?
Do you have goals for preparedness for December?
Right now my focus is on organization in my home. I am working on decluttering and organization. However, last week 15 boxes came down from the attic with Christmas decorations, three Christmas trees, and other holiday items like glassware, dinnerware, table linens, etc. All my decluttering just went out the window. {sigh}
So here is what I am doing. I am list making. I have made a ton of lists and I keep these lists close with me. I have shopping lists for gifts, lists of things I need to do, grocery lists, and decorating lists. I mark off what has been done, sent and completed. I add to the lists as I think of them. Right now they are my saving grace. I have done this in the past however, I never saved the lists. This year I want to save them and then use them for next year as well. In the least I will remember what I have given others as gifts.
I am also making a time line of things that need to be done by a certain time. This allows me to not get too freaked out by everything that I want to get done. I have divided it all up by day and week. If I stay on track then I won't have to worry too much the last week before Christmas and I will be able to sit back and enjoy the time with my family.
In addition to my preparations for the holidays, I am also still thinking about food storage and I am taking advantage of the sales right now for baking items. I have added 20 lbs of flour to my storage. I have added 3 cans of baking powder, 3 boxes of baking soda, 1 lb of yeast, and many bags of chocolate chips. I have also added extra sweet bread mixes, pumpkin (canned), and 5 lbs of sugar, 2 lbs of brown sugar and 1 lb of powdered sugar. I also picked up two turkeys during Thanksgiving time and I have saved these in my freezer for later cooking.
As I have been making my lists of items for family and friends as well as for me, I have been focused on thinking of items that they would like and that could help them and me in an emergency situation. Everyone in my family will be getting small pocket flashlights. My sister and her boyfriend will be receiving paracord survival bracelets. I want a multi-tool for my purse, and a new freezer (because we need more freezer space). I thought about asking for a wheat grinder but we are not there yet in our storage. We have no whole wheat to grind yet. So I will get one when we are ready to start storing whole wheat grains.
This month of December I have some preparedness goals. I will have two weeks off for Christmas and I not only want to enjoy my time but I also want to use it to accomplish some things.
1. Continue to use sales to stock up on food storage.
2. Reorganize my food storage areas. Explore other areas of the house to store items and food.
3. Continue to declutter the house. Look for areas where we need more storage units (furniture) and more effective areas for storing appropriate items. (ex. my closet is not the place for our steam cleaner)
Do you have items on your Christmas list that are preparedness related?
Do you have goals for preparedness for December?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)