New Mexico Preppers Network

Free Screening

2012-01-30T13:09:00.001-08:00

Please go over and watch the free screening of the documentary Fresh, by ana Sofia joanes.

Here(the viewing is free for a week).

The documentary is about small scale farming and coming back to our roots because the impact of the large scale farming. I recommend everyone watch this film as it has a good deal of information in it~one thing that resonated with me is that 4-soon to be 3 firms handle 80% of our beef in the US. That is pretty worrisome in so many ways.

As a person living to be more self sufficient the film reaffirms much of what I am doing.

Enjoy the documentary!

Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm

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Incredible Food Dehydrator Makeover: link fixed

2012-01-26T06:49:00.000-08:00

Please go over and check it out:Pellet Stove Dehydration Unit.

It is a blog I found a while ago and have in my blog favorites. Please swing by and check out this wonderful blog: Subsistence Pattern !

Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm

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Food Storage Series

2012-01-21T06:01:00.000-08:00

This is a photo of a batch of popcorn I made the other day. I want to share that the popcorn was 4 years old and tasted delicious!

The thing about this 4 year old popcorn is that I did not buy longevity items, nor expensive buckets to secure the popcorn. I did what I always saw my mom do. I always put any flour, sugar, rice, beans, wheat, or popcorn in the freezer for 48 hours. This kills off any bugs that may be in the product. Then I pack my long term food storage in food grade buckets that I get for free from a local restaurant. The buckets still have the o ring in the lid, and once I close the lid and stand on the bucket to make sure it is closed, I label and date the bucket and into the pantry it goes. Result: spending no money, aside from the actual food, the stored item is as fresh as when packed~now how is that for practical doable food storage?

I believe maintaining a rotating pantry filled with foods you and your family use is a way that you can stretch your money. When an item goes on sale you can get several items and slowly but surely your pantry is ready for you when you have a need.

Since no one can predict when or what type of crises will occur, it is a good idea to have a pantry to hold you over. Last February, almost the entire nation suffered from a blizzard and bitter cold temps. Many people were stranded in their homes. For me, that is reason enough to have food storage on hand~before a crises arises.

I must put this rule I live by~I am very frugal but~if I think a food item, whether newly purchased or older, is off, or I am concerned a tad~ I throw it out. I never would risk the health of my family over an item in my food storage. Food safety and product awareness is key to keep you alive!

Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm
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Simple Thought

2012-01-17T09:27:00.000-08:00

Supplemental prep item: Manual Sweeper!

All of my life I had used an electric vacuum. I never thought of it as being a luxury item and if one broke I tossed it and bought another as they are so inexpensive.

When my last vacuum died, I wished to learn how I could do without, as a vacuum uses electricity and bags etc. So I looked for the push Bissell. I found the Bissell Sweep Up.

photo credit Bissell

I paid $12.99 total as Bissell did not charge shipping. They have several models that are manual. Check here.

I am not being paid by Bissell. I am sharing a simple tip to slowly ween yourself from so many things that you think you need. In a crises, cleanliness is critical-especially to keep disease down yet, how many situations occur where power is off for a good while? Perhaps a prep item should be a manual sweeper as it is for me!

Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm

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Use it Up

2012-01-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful WW II poster! As a prepper I find this my theme of 2012. Jump over to my farm blog to see how incredible an orange is, and how much you can do with it...The Incredible Edible ~~Egg~~ Orange.

Remember the time is now.

Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm

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What do apples have to do with prepping?

2011-10-24T17:13:00.000-07:00

First off, forgive me for my lack of prep blogging. This has been a crazy year with things like my oldest in Afghanistan, my mothers illness then death, two teens graduating, crossing the country twice, my father-in-law kind of moving in, my husbands issues and surgery all have been contributing factors to life and not posting.

Secondly, I plan on posting more of my day to day life which is no longer a life of one of a prepper, as I have changed over the years. Instead I have been transformed to a life that many will never understand, and others, perhaps like you will read and nod, or aspire to do as my life is the life of a blending of long ago skills with modern innovation...which will be coming soon to a more regularly scheduled weekly format.

For now I wish to share that I have been researching Kimchi.

The apples are what I put in some batches of Kimchi.

I am going to dive in more and share about Kimchi and how I use it in my life and the farm soon. My question to readers is this: Do you know what kimchi is, and if you do what are your thoughts on it?

Please share as that is what a real prepper is...one that listens, studies, and learns from those that have done something. A prepper appreciates that it is not what we accumulate that will get us through a crises, but what we learn and are able to cart in our mind are the real tools of prepping and survival.

Take care,

Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm

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The Record Heat Waves

2011-07-22T14:13:00.003-07:00

With the record heat waves and drought across the nation, the American Preppers Network hopes that you have been prepared. Disasters of any type can and do happen anywhere, at anytime, and without warning. We are now witnessing and will continue to witness a prime example of how one disaster can cause a chain reaction leading to other disasters. Here are some potential disasters to be aware of as a result of the drought and heat waves.

1) Water shortages. Water is the number 1 most important necessity to survival. The average human can only survive 3 days without water, and even less in a heat wave. I hope you've stored some. If the water system shuts down or does not have enough, you could turn on the tap only to have a few drips. If you run into a situation where there is not enough municipal water supply to your home, start looking for other sources of stored water.

Your hot water tank may have 30 - 50 gallons of water stored.
The top supply tank to your toilette is typically clean water that you can use.
Your plumbing in your house could have a few gallons. Open a higher faucet in your house as in a shower, sink, or upstairs source to relieve pressure, then open a lower outside faucet to retrieve water from your plumbing system.

Don't short change yourself on water! Make sure you have plenty for personal consumption. If you stop sweating, that means you are dehydrated!

Got Water?

2) Heat. Heat poses many risks, including but not limited to:

Heat Stroke. Watch family members closely, especially the elderly, watch for slurred speech and disorientation. When in doubt, call for help. Time lost is brain lost. Never leave pets or children in a vehicle, and keep them out of the direct sun. Drink lots of water.
Fire. Fires are much more common in the heat. Things dry out and become more flammable. Keep dry brush and trash picked up. Do not store fuel in or around your house, and keep well ventilated in a cool area out of the sun. Keep grass cut short, especially if your city is rationing water and not allowing watering of lawns. Do not store any flammables in the direct sun or in your attic.
Vehicle breakdowns. Avoid driving unless it's absolutely necessary, or drive at nite. Check your fluid levels and make sure your oil and coolant are topped off. Bring extra oil and coolant with you in case you need it. DO NOT top off your fuel tank! Make sure your tires are property inflated and not over or under inflated. Bring extra water with you in case you do break down. Drive with the A/C off when going uphill. Watch your vehicles tempature when climbing grades. If your car starts to overheat when going uphill, pull over at a safe location to let it cool. Check to make sure your thermostat is working before you make your trip.

3) Blackouts. The nations grids are maxed out. With everyone using A/C, expect rolling blackouts. If you are in a blackout, you can wrap sleeping bags around your refrigerator or freezer to help insulate it. To conserve power, only use what you absolutely need. Keep lights turned off and keep your A/C set to the warmest temperature that you can safely stand. Do you have a generator? Be prepared to use it. Do you have plenty of non-perishable food stored? If there is an extended blackout, you may need it. Stores and gas stations will be shut down in a blackout. Do you have an emergency battery powered radio and flashlights?

4) Food Prices Expect food prices to increase. Especially meat. Many ranchers are butchering all of there livestock as there is not enough food and water to care for them, this means shortages in the future. Produce crops are drying up. Prices of corn, wheat and other grains will increase. Even produce grown in unaffected areas may increase in price as well due to demand. If the blackouts are too severe, stores, gas stations and truck stops may close down temporarily disrupting the supply chain and preventing food from making it to the stores.

Stay safe during this heat wave and dought. This is a serious and potentially devastating national disaster.

If you have tips, ideas, news, videos or pictures that you wish to share regarding this heat wave you can submit your article to americanprepper@yahoo.com. If your article is chosen we will post it on your states preppers network blog. Top articles will get posted on APN. The top article of the week will win a free flashlantern valued at $49.95 (made in the USA). Articles must be submitted before 7/29.

Feel free to copy and repost this article in it's entirety. Credit source as AmericanPreppersNetwork.com

Here are some free helpful pdf files to download

Fire and Heat Waves
- ARC - Are You Ready - Fire

- ARC - Are You Ready - Heat Wave

- ARC - Are You Ready - Wildfires

- Fact Sheet: Fires

- Fact Sheet: Fire Safe

- WildFires

Water
- ARC - Food and Water in Emergency

- Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water

- How To Make A Solar Still (Plastic Cover)

- Purification Of Water On A Small Scale

- Simple Solar Still For The Production Of Distilled Water

- Slow Sand Filters

- Water Purification

- Water Treatment

Fire Safety

- Fighting Fire

- Fire Safety

Get More Free Downloads here:
http://preppers.info/Free_Downloads.html

What to do...in a Catastrophic Event?

2011-05-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

I wrote what to do on Double Nickel Farm. We have no way to prepare for every situation, but you can read What to do...and it will give you some ideas on what a prepper can do after a crises occurs.

It appears as if this summer is going to be one for the record books. Now is the time to learn skills to prepare you for any crises that comes your way.

Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm

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Home Made Dog Food

2011-05-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

I had been researching home made dog food recipes and came up with one that costs pennies a day. I wrote about my recipe on my farm blog Home Made Dog Food~The Results. It is important to factor in our preps food for our pets too.

Feel free to swing over to Double Nickel Farm to see how you too can make homemade dog food!
Jennifer

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Pickling Eggs

2011-05-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

I pickled eggs today and shared the how to's on my farm blog Double Nickel Farm. It is so important that we take the time to continue to acquire new skills. Becoming more frugal in these times seems to be an incredible side effect, so feel free to go over and see how many items I was able to re-purpose while pickling eggs!

Happy Mother's Day!
Jennifer- mom of 4!
Double Nickel Farm

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What is Possible?

2011-04-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

I promote learning skills more so than accumulating actual prep items as things run out, but your skills will be there forever. On my farm blog, I share how my family has been able to accomplish both skills and building up my prep items, all because of the potential or the possibility we saw when we found our farm. Feel free to read my post Breaking the Land on my blog, and maybe you too will be inspired to seek out some piece of land and live the dream of yesteryear, all the while preparing your family for the future that is coming.

Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm
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How to's

2011-04-14T11:39:00.001-07:00

On my farm blog I share how to make simple deodorant. It seems so silly to realize that in your preps are all the items you need to make most every thing. Instead of having x amount of deodorant in your prep to last x amount of time, you could save a good deal of money by learning how to make a deodorant that is unisex, and cost pennies. Go here to to see how easy it is to make deodorant.

By the way my post that shares how to make deodorant also shares how easy it is to prepare and eat lentils. Lentils are highly nutritious and are easy to add to your preps for very little money. I never understood how easy it was to prepare lentils, beans and the likes until I realized how inexpensive the bags of lentils were and beans verses buying the canned beans. A bonus was how I can eat foods that now do not have that silly little product corn syrup added. Seems like corn syrup is now added to everything, and in my mind that troubles me. Take the time and increase your skills today as well as adding to your preps.

Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm

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What's in the Pantry

2011-04-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

I wrote a post about what's In the Pantry on my farm blog. It is time to make sure our pantry is full and our skills are constantly increasing as we live in uncertain times.

The time is now.

Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm

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Shopping, Groceries and Preparation

2011-04-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

Hello preppers!

It has been a good while since I have been able to apply some time to share prepping ideas or tips. I just completed a post on my farm blog that shares how much my family of five spends on shopping, groceries and preparation. It is so important that we all appreciate the times we live in...

Feel free to swing over and check it out!
Shopping Groceries and Preparation

Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm
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New Mexico Preppers Roll Call - All Preppers Please Check In

2011-03-07T06:06:00.001-08:00

The American Preppers Network is conducting a network-wide roll call. Whether you are a member or not please check in and let us know what you are doing to prepare.

This is a good opportunity to network with other preppers near you.

New Mexico Preppers, to respond to the roll call please follow this link:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=479&t=9273

Reply to the Roll Call and let us know what you have been doing to prepare.

If you are not yet a member of the forum you can register here for free:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

Funding For Uninsured

2011-02-26T20:58:00.000-08:00

$1 Million from The New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration will be available for damaged homes of residents affected during the natural gas outage.

How To Be A World-Class Survivalist in 5 Simple Steps

2011-01-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

Joy Paley
Activist Post

With the recent econopocalypse, it’s no wonder that people are becoming more interested in what it would take to survive after our current society has undergone a major shift. After all, if something we thought was intrinsically stable—our financial sector, and the guarantee of ever increasing wealth—is actually pretty flimsy, well, a lot of other things can be brought into question too. Take out a seemingly small piece of the puzzle, like access to gasoline, and you find that your local grocery will run out of goods within 2 days. Learning the basic skills to survive without the modern conveniences of society is a way to prepare yourself for these unpredictable shifts. And, the skills you’ll hone in the process—self-reliance, problem solving, and cleverness—are ones that will definitely benefit you in your everyday life.

1. Get In Shape
It’s not that exciting of a tip, but it’s probably the most important in terms of survival. Having an in-shape cardiovascular system will mean that you’ll be able to run, forage, and do any other intense aerobic activity that comes with living outside of society. Keeping your muscles strong is to key for chopping wood, building shelter, and generally being useful when physical brawn again becomes as important as intellectual ability.

2. Learn Basic Wilderness Skills
Before you hit the military surplus store for thousands of dollars worth of MRE rations, first put a little effort into really getting good at basic skills for navigating outside of your comfort zone. First, learn how to build a fire

, without a gallon of fire starter and newspaper. Review how to build a protective shelter outside and how to find water. These three most basic skills aren’t easy—but they are sure to come in handy when you’ve got no lights, heat, or running water.

3. Invest Wisely in Supplies
Now that you’ve shown your commitment to survivalism by knowing a few basic essentials, you can consider investing in the supplies that will make your life easier, after society’s collapse. Don’t head down to your local REI store though—you can burn through your entire nest egg on commercial wilderness and survival gear at those fancy places. Think utility and budget.

• Stock up a pantry of canned goods—think beans, tuna, veggies, fruit, and soups
• Get bulk basics like oil, sugar, salt, peanut butter, rice, lentils, and any other grains you prefer
• Pick up a rechargeable LED flashlight for every member of your family
• Get several 5 gallon jugs of water
• Create a comprehensive first aid kid
• If you don’t have one, purchase a firearm and stock up on ammunition

4. Learn How to Feed Yourself
No matter how many Costco jugs of peanut butter you buy, your food stock isn’t going to last forever. Any survivalist has to know how to feed themselves when the going gets tough. This includes growing food, foraging, fishing, and hunting. Stock up on seeds, and start with a small vegetable garden. Learn to identify and find edible and medicinal plants in your area. If you’ve never hunted, start small. Find, catch, kill, and cook a rabbit or squirrel to start.

5. Learn Antiquated Skills
Back before the days of Super Wal-Mart and excess income, regular people like you and me knew skills for surviving the year. In the winter when there weren’t any fresh fruits and vegetables, people depended on canned, pickled, smoked, and other preserved food that they had prepared in the summertime. Candles offered valuable light, and handmade soap kept them clean. These are the types of skills that will not only keep you alive longer, but will actually make living a little more enjoyable.

Joy Paley is a science and technology writer from Berkeley, California. She is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and writes on accredited online degrees for Guide to Online Schools.

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We’re Going to Experience Apocalyptic Pain, and It’s Going to Be Out of Our Control

2010-12-28T20:26:00.000-08:00

The US Treasury Department tells us that our federal debt is currently sitting at $13.8 trillion. On its most basic level the federal deficit is the difference between current government spending (including interest payments) and total current revenue from all types of taxes.

In 2001, when President George Bush took office, our debt was around $6.5 trillion. Combined with President Obama’s spending packages and commitments, our public and gross debt over the last 10 years has more than doubled.

But that’s not the scary part. What’s scary is how much money we owe when we look at current and future liabilities over the course of the next three decades. Officially, this figure is estimated to be around $150 trillion. Unofficially, according to Boston University economist Laurence Kotlikoff, our future liabilities exceed some $200 trillion. Considering that the tax revenue of the United States is around $4 trillion per year, anyone who’s ever held a balance and made a credit card payment can understand the near impossibility of paying off such a debt.

Senator Tom Coburn is one of many who warns of dire consequences if we can’t get our finances under control:

I think you’ll see a 15 to 18 percent unemployment rate . I think you will see an 8 to 9 percent decline in GDP. I think you’ll see the middle class just destroyed if we don’t do this. And the people that it will harm the most will be the poorest of the poor, because we’ll print money to try to debase our currency and get out of it and what you will see is hyperinflation.

If we don’t take some pain now, we’re going to experience apocalyptic pain, and it’s going to be out of our control. The idea should be that we control it.

We share Senator Coburn’s sentiment. Unfortunately, we’re not as optimistic as he is that any of Congress’ placations will be sufficient enough to help us get out of this hole.

With $4 trillion in annual tax revenue, at today’s debt levels it would literally take 50 years just to pay off the debt that we’ve already committed to - that’s if we stopped all additional spending right now - today. The odds of that are zero - thus our debt liability will continue to grow, as will the interest payments required to service our debt.

The end result of our pulling forward 25 - 50 years of debt is not going to be pretty. As we’ve outlined before, we are on the brink of a catastrophic collapse in the credit of the United States of America. This means that at some point our national credit card is going to be maxed out.

When that will be is difficult to predict. According to Senator Coburn, we’re looking at about 3 - 4 years - which sounds like a viable time line. Really, it all depends on China, because they are the largest buyer of US debt.

But the Chinese are not going to stand by while their US currency reserves become worthless. They are already taking action to counter the effects of a soon-to-be suicided US dollar.

We recently learned that the Chinese have signed agreements with the Russians to drop the dollar as a settlement vehicle, essentially replacing the world’s reserve currency with the Yuan when dealing with each other. We’ve heard many people suggest that this is just a drop in the bucket because of the widespread use of the US dollar - and we agree. However, China is working with other trade partners to do the same thing. And eventually all of those drops in the bucket will fill it up.

Once the Chinese pull the plug there will be only one entity left to support the US dollar - The Federal Reserve. They’ll digitally print trillions of dollars for as long as they can, but sooner rather than later the US dollar will collapse.

And when it does, the end result can only be described as an economic apocalypse.

If the dollar gets to the point it is equivalent to Monopoly money it will be impossible for holders of the bills, as well as our government, to settle transactions with the currency. This means that commerce on a global scale, for all of those expecting to fulfill transactions in US dollars, will come to a standstill.

How will individuals and governments buy food, gas, and other essential goods when the very currency being used to settle the transaction is no longer a viable trade instrument?

Really, it can get that bad. We have no confidence that Congress, the President, the Federal Reserve or US Treasury can fix this problem.

Over the course of the next decade we will see a new US monetary system introduced - just like we saw in 1971, 1944, 1913 and 1785.

This time it will be very disorderly. We can expect trillions in wealth to be wiped out and the many complications that come along with such an event - violence, protests, riots, breakdown in the rule of law and potentially even large-scale war.

If you haven’t done so already, take action to protect your wealth and preserve your well being now, before it hits the fan. Follow the investment strategies of the Chinese and you might have a chance of coming out with something when the chickens come home to roost.

Take possession of hard assets whenever you can, including precious metals, long-term food stores, tools & equipment, and anything else that will retain value when the US dollar loses it.

Author: Mac Slavo
Date: December 27th, 2010
Visit the Author's Website: http://www.SHTFplan.com/

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Sing the health praises of parsley and sage

2010-12-25T12:51:00.000-08:00

Those of us who go back a few years likely remember the line about parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme in the huge Simon and Garfunkel hit song about two ill-fated lovers, "Are You Going to Scarborough Fair". Many have speculated that the reference to the four popular herbs was due to their use in Medieval Europe to help cleanse the air and ward off the infamous black plague. Others have thought that the reference to the four herbs was because the combination may have been used as a love potion. Whatever the reason for their inclusion in the popular song, the many health benefits of parsley and sage are worth loving and singing praises about in their own rights.

PARSLEY

Parsley is an amazing medicinal herb with a world of health benefits. The root contains calcium, B-complex vitamins, and iron, which nourish the glands that help regulate the uptake of calcium. It is a source of magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin K.

Among the many benefits reported for parsley are:

*It is a diuretic which helps the body produce more urine to keep the urinary system operating smoothly and which helps prevent problems such as kidney stones and bladder infections.

*It is wonderful for removing toxins from the body, such as heavy metals.

*It is an effective breath freshener. It is believed that the practice of including parsley on a dinner plate began due to its breath freshening abilities and not merely for its decorative effect.

*The root and leaves are good for the liver and spleen.

*It helps relieve bloating during menstruation.

*It provides relief for edema, often helping when other remedies have failed

*Parsley root and seeds help relax stiff joints, often making stiff and unmanageable fingers work again.

*It helps remove gallstones when used properly by taking a pint of the tea daily.

*It is beneficial for the adrenal glands.

*It is a powerful therapeutic aid for the optic nerves, brain and sympathetic nervous system.

*Parsley juice is an excellent tonic for the blood vessels.

Note: It is best to avoid large amounts of parsley if you are pregnant, especially the use of the volatile essential oil.

SAGE

Like rosemary, its sister herb in the mint (Labiatae) family, sage contains a variety of volatile oils, flavonoids and phenolic acids, including rosmarinic acid. The oils found in sage are both antiseptic and antibiotic, helping it fight infections.

Besides the antioxidant and other properties shared with Rosemary, sage`s other health benefits include:

*It is effective for symptoms of menopause, night sweats and hot flashes because of its estrogenic action and because its tannins help dry up perspiration.

*Sage helps provide better brain function and has been used in the treatment of cerebrovascular disease for over a thousand years. It helps provide better recall and research has suggested that it may be an effective option to help treat Alzheimer`s.

*There`s also compelling evidence that sage may be of value to people with diabetes for whom the hormone insulin does not work as efficiently as it should. Lab studies indicate that sage may boost insulin`s action.

* The ability of sage to protect oils from oxidation has also led some companies to experiment with sage as a natural antioxidant additive for cooking oils that can extend shelf life and help avoid rancidity.

In an upcoming article, we will also sing the praises of the other two herbs mentioned in the popular song - rosemary and thyme.

Sources included:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarbo...
http://www.healthy-holistic-living....
http://www.greenmuze.com/blogs/natu...
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pars...

About the author

Tony Isaacs, is a natural health author, advocate and researcher who hosts The Best Years in Life website for baby boomers and others wishing to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. Mr. Isaacs is the author of books and articles about natural health, longevity and beating cancer including "Cancer's Natural Enemy" and is working on a major book project due to be published later this year.
Mr. Isaacs is currently residing in scenic East Texas and frequently commutes to the even more scenic Texas hill country near San Antonio and Austin to give lectures in health seminars. He also hosts the CureZone "Ask Tony Isaacs - featuring Luella May" forum as well as the Yahoo Health Group "Oleander Soup" and he serves as a consultant to the "Utopia Silver Supplement Company".

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Terrorist may poison the food supply (but the food companies already have)

2010-12-25T12:48:00.000-08:00

Always on the terror streak, the mainstream media is now warning Americans that terrorists may strike the food supply by dumping poison into restaurant salad bars and buffets, for example. CBS News broke the story, quoting anonymous "intelligence" sources who insist that terrorists might use ricin or cyanide to poison foods in salad bars.

I have news for CBS, the federal government, and the terrorists: If you really want to poison the U.S. food supply, just use aspartame. It causes neurological disorders and yet remains perfectly legal to dump into foods such as diet sodas and children's medicines. You don't even have to dump it into the food supply in secret, either: You can do it right out in full view of the public. Heck, you can even list this chemical right on the ingredients label!

Or get into the MSG business. MSG, which is often hidden on "natural" foods under an ingredient called yeast extract, is a potent neurotoxin that promotes obesity and even cancer, according to some experts. Feed people enough MSG and they'll probably die of cancer sooner or later, and that counts toward the goal of terrorism too, doesn't it?

If you really want to get nasty and up the body count, start a hot dog company and dump sodium nitrite into your processed meat like all the other hot dog companies do. Sodium nitrite promotes aggressive cancers -- even in children -- and yet the USDA and FDA allow its use in the food supply (http://www.naturalnews.com/007133.html).

Better yet, feed the population genetically modified corn and then wait for the mutations to kick in. GMOs might actually be called a biological weapon because they cause so much harm to humans and the environment. (http://www.naturalnews.com/GMO.html)

Why be a terrorist when you can do so much more damage as a processed food company?

If you're a terrorist looking to poison the U.S. food supply, get in line, buddy! The food companies have beat you to it!

In the U.S. food supply right now, you can find toxic mercury, BPA, acrylamides, petrochemicals, dangerous preservatives, synthetic chemicals like aspartame, pesticide residues and artificial colors that alter brain function. The FDA doesn't seem to care about any of this, of course: All these poisons in the food supply are legal!

So here's a message to Al-Qaeda and all the other terrorists trying to kill Americans: Don't bother with bombs and missiles... just get into the processed food business!

Or, heck, if you really want to kill Americans with poison, get into the cancer industry! The "Al-Qaeda Cancer Clinic" could really rack up some body bags by doing what all the other cancer clinics do: Inject patients with chemotherapy and watch them die (http://www.naturalnews.com/029996_c...).

Seriously, if you want to kill Americans, all you really need to do is keep supporting conventional medicine and the FDA with its do-nothing position on dangerous chemicals that threaten the health of Americans right now. FDA-approved drugs kill well over 100,000 Americans each year -- a statistic that dwarfs the body count of any terrorist group.

Come to think of it, how do we know the FDA isn't already being run by terrorists? Their actions, which blatantly endanger American lives, are entirely consistent with the aims of a terrorist organization. (http://www.naturalnews.com/001894.html)

By the way, this is all depicted in a CounterThink cartoon I created in 2006 called The Food Terrorists: http://www.counterthink.com/The_Foo...

This cartoon anticipated today's terror news alerts by four years. That's because when it comes to the U.S. government's rhetoric on terrorism, it's not that difficult to see where they're taking it.

Want to know what the next four years will bring us? I'll soon be publishing a list of predictions for 2011 and beyond. Watch NaturalNews.com for that announcement.

In the mean time, you might want to steer clear of FDA-approved foods and drugs, because you just never know what's really in them.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com

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New Mexico Preppers Roll Call

2010-11-27T10:33:00.000-08:00

The New Mexico Preppers Network is conducting a Roll Call on our forum. If you are a prepper please check in.

* Here is a link to the Roll Call:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=479&t=6188

You have to be registered to check in. If you aren't registered please join here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

* If you are a HAM Radio Operator check in here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=143&t=6219

* If you are an A.N.T.S. member please check in here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=618&t=6220

New Member

2010-10-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome our new member:

Chance3

Proud to be a new member of APN - My wife had been telling me for years, in her own sweet way, about prepping. Years ago she read great books like Atlas Shrugged and Lucifer's Hammer, these books gave her the mindset for prepping...she just didn't know it was called Prepping/Prepper's. She has been asking me to read these books and give her my take. I would try and get through the first chapter and get bored with them.
Y2k didn't phase me at all. 9/11 was very upsetting and unsettling, But "W" earned my trust and kicked butt, then I went back to my normal suburban rut. You know, keeping up with the Jones, buying all the new gadgets, getting hooked on computer games as my release after a hard day at the office grind.
Then came 2008 - father had a heart attack, found out my health was in poor shape with overweight, high blood pressure, and panic attack's due to stresses over the last few years. The doctor said my fathers heart attack was the trigger. And then comes a new president.
Needless to say, my whole way of life and thinking has changed for the better. I really wish I had understood what my wife was trying to explain to me some 20 years ago. Where would be now with our prepping mindset if I had "Got it".
Better late than never and you have to start somewhere sometime. I'm just glad you all are here, and we can learn and share together as like minded free Americans in this Great Republic.

Please welcome our new member by following the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5400

Carlysle

Hello all, Just a note to introduce myself to the board.

I am in Alamogordo, NM and have been a prepper since Y2K. Still learning and look forward to the fellowship of like minded individuals here.

Carlysle

Please welcome our new member by following the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5380

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How To Join The New Mexico Preppers Network

2010-09-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

Come learn survival, preparedness and sustainable living with us!

The Preppers networks are all about volunteering our knowledge and skills with each other. We share ideas, tips and basically network with each other to survive any type of disaster whether natural, man made, or economic. Information that you learn and share with others will help everyone learn how to find "Freedom Through Teaching Others Self Reliance."

Joining the New Mexico Preppers Network is simple, and most of all, it's Free! To join, just follow these few steps.

1) Register to become a member of the American Preppers Network www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net The registration page is here: http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

2) Once you have your account, go to the index page of the forum and do your first post by introducing yourself in the new members area. http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/index.php

3) Once you know how to do posts, visit the New Mexico forum and introduce yourself. The New Mexico forum can be found by scrolling to the lower section of the index page where you will find a list of states, or you can go directly by following this URL: www.New MexicoPreppersNetwork.net

4) After you've visited the New Mexico forum, follow this link to learn how to join the New Mexico Preppers Network group:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=564&t=2738

APN's success depends on your contributions. If you would like to donate to our organization by becoming a Gold Member you can join the APN Gold Members club by following this link:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/page.php?p=apn-gold-membership&sid=5b241e92a767cdfbe7a345c54dd55127
Gold Membership is only $5 per month. For a list of Gold Member benefits go here

Thank you for your support!

Nervous About the Times?

2010-08-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

My 25th high school reunion was this past July. I was unable to attend as it was in Ohio, but I have been thinking much about the parallels of high school and prepping for a while. Before one enters high school there is a bit of nervousness because of unknowing what to expect. As a prepper, that is how I was when I began. I did not know what kind of crises or disaster or economic issue may happen and I was extremely fearful.

Over the past few years I have worked very hard to prepare myself for any type of crises and in this I have come to an incredible conclusion. All is well. I am prepared. I do not know what is coming our way, although it does not require a doctorate degree to see the impending economic crisis racing towards the American public. No worry, as I am prepared.

How on earth can one reach this point of preparation? Do you wonder if my house if filled from floor to ceiling with prep items, so much that I squeeze around the house instead of walking? Do you wonder how I was able to pay for so much?

Let me help you all in how easy this transformation has been for me. Like high school, I was nervous until I went to school, and realized it was the same as junior high or middle school. This is what has happened to me in prepping. I no longer worry about what may happen, as I am ready.

I have learned how to make food from scratch...you know from the very base ingredients. I can look in a pantry and create a menu without looking at a cookbook.

I have learned to grow foods in a desert climate. I have also learned how to utilize the sun and a solar well. In addition, I have mastered how to salvage and actually use gray water. From the foods I have grown, I then learned how to preserve the foods by dehydrating, canning, pickling or smoking.

I have learned to mend clothing, sew clothing, and refashion clothing into other items.

I have learned how to clean my home with minimal cleaning products...
I have learned how to wash my clothing by hand with home made soaps...

I have learned how to utilize the environment I am in- as in harvesting mesquite beans the fruit of cactus, and the likes. Mesquite beans feed the animals, make a great coffee, and can be ground into a flour.

I have studied and grown herbs...and taken this further to understand the human body and the healing process. More importantly I have learned more about living a healthy lifestyle and exercising to maintain health.

I have learned how to raise chickens, collect their eggs, build their pens, feed them, allow them to free range, and then butcher them. I followed the butchering up with canning the chicken.

I have learned how to raise turkeys and can do the same with them as I can with a chicken. Dollar for dollar and pound for pound, turkey's are more economical.

I have learned how to raise ducks and geese...in the desert. The eggs from a duck are the best ever to bake with!

I have learned how to raise goats and can milk them, feed them, help deliver the kids, and of course butcher and preserve the meat.

I have learned how to raise sheep, how to sheer them, how to feed them, and help deliver the lambs, and of course butcher and preserve the meat. In addition, I have learned how to wash the wool, and use it.

I have learned how to raise a cow to butcher and preserve the meat. In addition we have attempted(but not mastered the tanning of the hide...we will soon though as practice does make perfect).

You see prepping is about obtaining knowledge and skills to hold you over if in fact you cannot rush down to the local grocery store. Prepping is not about the hording mentality as supplies have a shelf life and of course cost $$$.

I am not afraid for what may happen in my life or my nation's. I can only say that I am grieved for the times as they are reflecting a change in the way America will be forevermore. I am prepared to help when times get tough, and prepared to help our nation come to stand once again. As a prepper I can only pray that you understand how important it is to study and learn how to live as much as it is to acquire items.

Jennifer

What Are You Truly Preparing For?

2010-07-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

I have been at times known to write about how one should prepare for any crises. In fact I say that often in post after post. My question today is more direct, more serious.

I am asking for comments.

This question posed is serious and I ask you to share a few paragraphs to explain what you are truly prepping for.

No more molly-coddling.

I am done with a government that is so completely inept. Oops, I meant not to share what I felt until the next post. Oh well, please share your thoughts. I am compiling a major post and need help.

ps...I am continuing my prepping like no other.
The time is at hand.

Jennifer

Link Fixed

2010-07-07T06:54:00.000-07:00

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Smoke 'em if you got 'em

2010-07-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

Why the title?
Sci Fi linked a story that has made me sick.
Here's the You Tube video:

Time to get serious about raising your own animals or paying local farmers...it is worth the extra money to buy organic beef from someone you know.

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We Are in a Depression

2010-06-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

Yep, check out these links...
Lots of charts and interesting data here

Recovery, Where?

We are in a Depression now and have been since 2008. A Depression is defined as a 10% contraction in GDP. But for the government borrowing 11% of GDP and spending it, GDP would have contract by at least the same amount borrowed and spent.

Home Sales Plunge...

Please take very seriously the need to prepare for what is coming. Now is the time to learn skills and abilities that will help you and your family. Soon it will be too late.
Jennifer

p.s
Truth be told I am confounded as to how the economy has held together so long with such tactics that have been going on, and sometimes wonder- am I just off? No folks- this economy is not sustainable and NOW IS THE TIME.

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Something to Consider in Whether You Should Prep or Not

2010-06-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

I have read things similar but Michael Snyder put together a pretty good post with all the reasons in one place.

So just how big is the U.S. national debt in 2010? Well, according to the U.S. Treasury Department, on June 1st the U.S. National Debt was $13,050,826,460,886.97. For those not used to seeing such big numbers, that is over 13 trillion dollars. To give you an idea of just how much a trillion dollars is, if you had started spending one million dollars every single day when Christ was born, you still would not have spent one trillion dollars by now. And yet somehow the U.S. government has accumulated a debt of over 13 trillion dollars. This is a debt that we have callously placed on the backs of future generations of Americans. Somehow we have the gall to expect our progeny to pay off the biggest mountain of debt in the history of the world. What we have done to future generations is beyond sickening.

It is really getting close to crunch time. Perhaps you feel that nothing has happened, therefore why prep? Folks please re-read the link I have added, and take in the fact that we- are reportedly the wealthiest nation on earth. If this is true, then we as a nation have the farthest to fall when things go bad. The farther you fall, the harder it will be~right? Prepping will not exempt one from those around you crashing hard. The time is now to learn the skills as well as prep, as we can share our skills.

Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm
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Food Storage Tip

2010-06-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ok this is very simple...so simple you may be shocked!

To add one meal more a week to your food storage try this tip:
Skip a meal- but buy everything that you would have in that meal, label, date it and place it in your food storage. This will increase your food storage by 52 meals a year!
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Crisis Crisis Wherefore Art Thou??

2010-06-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

Well it has been over a month since I last posted.
I have posted a bit more on my farm blog, but not like I used to as it has been a bit hard for me to blog lately. I was not aware of how heavy my emotions would be with my son in Afghanistan and especially since he has told us about situations called "outside the wire."

I apologize about not sharing tips, skills, ideas, and knowledge on how to prep, why to prep and where to begin prepping. I am hoping that I can get back into it now, today.

You see when your freezer is left open all night with the ice cream gallon blocking its door, you have a crisis that is neither a weather disaster nor an economic disaster, but it still requires thinking on ones feet.

I am so glad that we were near the end of the cow, and had not butchered the heifer yet...

So what should one do?

First and foremost clear your day...no plans!
Second get the food into the refrigerator...do not refreeze the meat.
Third- prioritize- for example I had two bags of the pre cooked BBQ/buffalo wings- so guess what I am serving for breakfast!

I am browning the pound of ground beef and pound of ground sausage to put in Ziploc baggies to freeze cooked. I will label each with today's date and the contents. When I brown ground beef to use in anything I add three spices- onion powder, garlic salt and cumin.

I am slightly overcooking the bacon to crumble for baked potatoes- I will freeze this too. The bacon grease will be strained and put in a jar to store in refrigerator to use making tortillas as we love the flavor that the grease adds to the torts(btw I always save the grease)!

My sons will be starting up the grill with gathered mesquite branches to cook up the 9 steaks that we have left...that is dinner, as well as the meat for fajitas for tomorrow.

We also will be drinking orange juice:) gotta love frozen OJ!!!

I then plan on later today making beef stew with vegetables and canning it, I think I should make about 7-10 quarts.

As my day proceeds, I am going to cube the chicken breasts and pack them raw into the canning jars...I think I will only have two to three pints as we have walking chicken so I rarely store much!

I will also be canning two roasts, soup bones broth, pork sausage...and other misc items.

You see prepping is not only for the major disasters that are anticipated but the day to day hum drum mini crises that occur in each of our lives. We need to realize that just because a major crises has not happened that our prepping isn't wasted. We are prepping to live too folks.

I pray you are all well and that you keep your focus on learning the skills to hold you over!

Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm

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And the Winner is...

2010-04-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

Kelly in PA!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out how the winner was picked by heading over to Double Nickel Farm.

Using Your Food Storage: Pinto Beans

2010-04-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

Storing food that you do not know how to use is a waste of time. Storing foods that have only one use can sometimes become frustrating. For awhile now I have been playing around with recipes to create unique foods or different foods from the same old ingredients. Pinto beans are a staple in the southwest and have been in my family since I married Bill. I love refried beans, cooked pinto beans, bean burritos, bean enchiladas, bean tacos, but wondered what else can I make that may not be specifically Mexican flavored?

Here is one recipe:

Pinto Bean Bread

Ingredients:

2 packets yeast(1 packet yeast =2 1/4 tsp.)
1/2 lukewarm water
1/2 cup evap.milk(I often use goat milk or powdered milk)
1 tbsp. salt
6- 7 cups flour
1 1/4 cup water(bean juice:) from making pinto beans
1 cup mashed beans
2 tbsp. shortening
2 tbsp. sugar

Directions:
Soften yeast in lukewarm water. Warm bean juice on low heat take off heat- add milk, oil, salt, sugar, mashed beans and 2-3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Add yeast and more flour until dough is easily handled. Knead until smooth(5-10 minutes). Place in greased bowls and let rise until double in bulk. Punch down and let rise again. Shape and place in 2 greased bread pans. Let rise again.

Bake 40-45 min. at 375 F.

Pinto Bean Bread

I must confess using even the water that the beans were cooked in plays into my conservation as I love using everything and having little waste.

From the website WH Foods I found a wonderful amount of information about pinto beans and if you want to check out how great pinto beans are click here.

Another bread I make from a leftover item is rootbeer bread, as I make homemade rootbeer and always seem to have a few cups leftover. So I make rootbeer bread!

By the way, I love the way cooking affords a person to be unique. One can use round pans and create round loaves of bread, square pans or even the traditional bread pans. Living a simple life is not about less but about you and slowing down. As a prepper this will help you adapt if you do not have all the items you are comfortable with in a crises, as you are already used to baking with non traditional measures!!

Food Storage Giveaway! Enter today~

2010-04-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

Augason Farms is a family owned business that began in 1972. This company offers dehydrated and freeze dried foods for your storage convenience. Double Nickel Farm is hosting not one but two separate giveaways! One is for the Breakfast Pack~ the other is for the Dinner Pack.

For this giveaway all you need to do is leave a comment. You may comment once a day on Double Nickel Farm and once a day on New Mexico Preppers for seven days...the winner of the Dinner Pack will be announced next Thursday April 29!

I have written often about preparing for times ahead. Augason Farms offers products that will enable you to do so, with products that are delicious, nutritious and prepared for a long shelf life. Properly stored these products can last from 20- 30 years!

Vegetable Stew Blend

Sweet Corn

Creamy Potato Soup

Vegetarian Beef

Honey White Bread and Roll Mix

Potato Gems

Don't forget the contest ends Wednesday April 28 at 11:59 pm.

Please remember that poor financial management by a government can and will impact its citizens. Now is the time to prepare for the worst and expect the best.

ps...the winner will need to forward me their email address and home address!

Have a Great Week!

Using Your Food Storage: Lentils

2010-04-20T06:52:00.000-07:00

Lentils are an amazing food, and because of two important reasons are a superb item to be stored. The first reason they are so wonderful is the time it takes from dry lentil to tasty meal is less than 30 minutes-so speed of cooking(whereas most beans need to be pre-soaked). The second reason for lentils being a great food storage item is the nutritional value they offer.

In times of crises nutrition should not be overlooked as maintaining ones health is much more critical during crises. One cup of lentils provides about 2/3 of your daily fiber needs, about 40% of your daily iron needs, and over 100% of your A, C, and K vitamins needed.

For women menstruating, pregnant, or lactating lentils provide the boost of iron needed, as they do for children and teens need additional iron too.

Oh and lentils are very inexpensive! You need to do a few things in prep to cooking them. First lay them out on a white or light table or counter top so you can remove any rocks or debris from them. Then you need to rinse the lentils in a colander in cold water. Cooking lentils for me then is filling about 3 cups of water over the one cup of lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce temp for about 30 minutes. That's it!

Simply pour the lentils out to make sure they are free of debris

I love lentils as is with a bit of salt on them and this makes the storage, the prep, the cooking, and the eating as simple as pie!!

Even a simple serving of lentils can be elegant

1 Cup lentils uncooked

Equals this much cooked lentils!

Here are some lentil recipes for you to look over if you have not used lentils before:
Lentil Burgers
Different recipe Lentil Burgers
Curried Lentils
Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Barbeque Lentils
Pomagranate Lentil Soup
Dry Bean ABC Soup mix
and heres a link to many more

Winner Announced

2010-04-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

The winner of the Breakfast Pack food combo held on Double Nickel Farm was Peggy. Click over to Double Nickel to see what to do next!

Thank you all for participating and stayed tuned later this week for the Dinner Pack combo giveaway!
Jennifer

Prepper's Rewards

2010-04-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

Prepping to prepare for any situation does not mean that life is frantic and without relaxation and peaceful pleasures.

In fact, on my journey I discovered something enjoyed by many that have lived before me- the County Fair. Seems like nearly everywhere in the nation sometime from May to October a county fair is held.

In 2007 after raising our simple in town garden my daughter entered one item. She won Reserve Grand Champion, and I saw potential recognition for my efforts to live a more simple, humble life(which coincides with prepping).

Last year I entered many items in many categories. I entered canned food items, dried foods, baked goods...

Some received blue ribbons, some red ribbons, some white ribbons, and a few received no ribbons

My kids have entered for two years now, some baked goods, some hand crafted items.

Simple items

Items unique to our region grown in our tire garden

Roma tomatoes

Squash of many varieties

You see prepping in my opinion, and in my experience does not need to go with fear. I live my life each day prepping for many scenarios-weather related, health related, finance related and what ever, all the while staying focused on the path my family is on.

If one preps without living, what life has been traded for preparedness?
If one preps without the skills to utilize the items one has accumulated, how will one fair in a real crises?

The county fair has been where I have found that all the skills I am learning are recognized as important things. Every month I make things or learn new things to enhance my life on the farm. By late July I have a box of items that I save to enter in the fair. My work and my simple life has value of old. No trophy for everyone, no perfect crafting items that one picks up from a craft store. Nope, just items hand made by residents of the county. The neat thing is that your simple item with crooked lines may be displayed next to a seasoned seamstress, yet when you meet the seamstress she delights in your skill! Your canning skills most likely are new found if you are a prepper, so why not enter the food in the fair. You will be reassured that you on track and doing just fine. If you dried items/dehydrated items enter them in that category.

Oh and for those with animals, you can enter them in the fair. Depending on your county population depends on if you have adult divisions. No matter, find a local neighborhood kid and allow him or her to share in your entry. Many people come to the fair to see the animals, the crafts, the vegetables, and never make it to the rides or snack booths. Don't disappoint your fellow county residents, enter some of your prep items this summer in the fair. You'd be amazed at how that ribbon will bring out the kid in you once again!
Jennifer(30 plus years from kidville but loving life and the simplicity that a county fair blue ribbon offers)!

Making Flavored Coffee

2010-04-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

Pecans- crack open, grind into fine powder.

Store crushed pecans in container...(an old coffee container works fine)
(don't you love my Art Deco period coffee canister?)

then when it it time to make the coffee, add a teaspoon or two to the coffee and enjoy!

*to store the ground pecans, I keep them in the freezer as it keeps them fresh for a long time.

Cooking With Food Storage: Powdered Milk

2010-04-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

When storing food products one must understand how to use them. One product I had never used until about ten years ago was powdered milk. I never understood why one would use it, let alone need it. In baking milk is a necessity yet in a crises obtaining fresh milk may not be a possibility.

I store my powdered milk in food grade plastic bins and since they had directions on the original packing, I leave the directions inside. I also mark the contents on the outside of the bucket with a permanent marker(and also the expiration date).

To make I use a fruit juice container, and add a bit of water to the bottom before I add the powdered milk~ this makes mixing so much easier!

Finished powdered milk to milk. It does not taste exactly the same and must be chilled to kind of taste good...but to bake with it is perfect! Now to flavor the milk for wee ones(or not so wee ones) have powdered chocolate milk, powdered pink milk or even the liquid flavorings-although they do not have a long shelf life.

I made Chicken Pot Pie off the Bisquick box the other day. I used from my food storage powdered milk, canned peas, canned carrots, cream of chicken soup, and also thanks to living on the farm had farm fresh eggs, and fresh chicken.

I love that even a simple recipe from Bisquick can utilize your food storage.

Lunch on the farm: Chicken Pot Pie!

As I use powdered milk almost daily here are a few things that I have made this past week or so.

Braided Easter Bread(click for recipe)

Instant pudding

Do not be intimidated because you have not used the product...take the time this week to increase your knowledge on using powdered milk! I cannot stress enough that knowledge and skills are as important or more important as having food storage. One needs to know how to prepare food, store food, grow food long before a crises occurs!!

As a side note, once you are comfortable cooking from scratch, utilizing items from storage etc, then it is as easy to make pudding from the box, as it is to make Braided Easter bread. Now is the time to prep for any situation and one way is to master using items that can be stored for a long time.

Contest Begins~Good Luck

2010-04-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

Go to Double Nickel Farm to enter to win the Breakfast Pack!

Stay tuned to recipe ideas and storage suggestions.
Jennifer

Major Food Storage Contest

2010-04-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

Double Nickel Farm will be hosting 2 food storage giveaways in the next few weeks. Check in the next few days to see the rules and enter.

Prize 1 Breakfast Pack - 6 number ten cans of freeze dried strawberries, creamy wheat cereal, buttermilk pancakes, imitation bacon bits, and scrambled egg mix.

Prize 2 Dinner Pack- 6 number ten cans of Creamy potato soup, Imitation beef bits, potato gems, honey white bread and roll mix, freeze dried corn, and vegetable stew blend.

Check over the next few days...for the breakfast pack it is a $78.28 value and for the dinner pack it is $80.20 value!
Jennifer

Need More Proof Why You Need to Prep?

2010-04-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

6.4 Billion dollars allocated to 440 Phantom Congressional Districts: Thanks Moe Lane for the video and work put in showing the citizens of the US what is going on in DC.

By the way this time in the video, the idiocy of our elected official is shown when the monies wasted , jobs lost and taxpayer dollars skimmed are all simply explained away because of clerical errors.

Don't you think that once the clerical error was noted, that the funds would be given back to say, you know, the taxpayer?

I have written much about what to prep, how to make homemade items such as deodorant, shampoo, breads, shared gardening, cooking from scratch, and animal tips. Now it is time to really get serious as to the why's one should prep.

We should prep because those who are running the show have banked on Americans remaining ignorant to their blatant theft of our money. No longer are there any shadows in Washington. Everything is out in the open and no one cares one iota what we the citizens think. With that I believe that they have tipped the scales so far that it will take years(if ever) to reset the weights. I also believe that the elected officials smell the sinking(perhaps are willingly complacent in bringing the destruction) and are stuffing their pockets with every grimy bit of coin that they can- American Citizen be damned.

For the record, I claim no political party anymore. I believe EVERY sitting member of Congress should be voted out when they come up for re-election. I also believe that term limits should be applied, as well as the removal of life time benefits(life insurance for one) be removed. This is the same as the job bank the Big Three Unions have...

Most Important Video Proof for the Need to Prep

2010-04-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

This is one of the 535 that make all the decisions over you, me and the rest of the Americans-Rep. Hank Johnson is seen below questioning Adm. Robert Willard about the relocation of 8,000 troops and their families to Guam.

We are in more than a world of hurt as Rep. Hank Johnson D-4th district of Georgia shows us...through his incredible understanding of an island.

This man is not fit to be an elected official, and if I attended the university that he graduated from(with a degree in geology) I would burn my diploma.

Preparing takes on a whole new meaning when you factor in that some are not progressives trying to swoop in communism. No, some are so stupid that we are at risk of harm because of their stupidity.

Take serious this video, as you need to prep in earnest. Now is almost too late to prepare.

Jennifer

Why We Have to Prep

2010-03-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

We need to prep because for a few generations we have had life pretty darn good, and forgot the how to's of real living. All of the dirty work or any hard work has been removed from our presence and we are soft.

For most of us, it was our great grandparents generation that understood how to live. They worked very hard to make life better for their children. This is where the problem began. Now there is nothing wrong with working from dawn to dusk to make a dollar, as there is nothing wrong with wishing to make life better for our children.

What is wrong is that this goal of removing the hardships actually has a downside, as when times get tough only despair, grief and emotional stress happen. We have no clue how to live without. Now you know that this is the truth. When the power goes out what happens in your home? When someone loses a job what happens?(unemployment) When you have only flour, sugar, Crisco and a few spices what can you make(you should be able to make a sweet treat, a bread, with water a white gravy to name a few).

Do you understand what I am saying?

We have to prep because we have lost skills.

Once again, we have to prep because we lost skills.

I remember thinking I was amazing because I made "homemade bread" from frozen bread dough. Don't take this wrong, there is nothing wrong with frozen bread dough(well not in the big picture). What is wrong is that we have no idea how items are made, what they are made of, and most importantly how we can live without it or make it ourselves. That is the problem.

Do you rush to the doctor when someone in your home gets the sniffles? Do you take your car to have the oil changed because you don't even know how to? Then it is time to prep in earnest. Basic doctoring has been lost thanks to the big drug companies. They count on us acting like the doctors are GENIUSES and therefore we are too dangable ignorant to treat simple ailments. For colds and flu- newsflash stay home, rest, and drink lots of fluids.

Prepare to live like our great grandparents did, as they survived the multiple depressions of the late 1800's and the Great Depression of the early twentieth century. I know that if our nation continues on this slope to economic ruin that many Americans will be at a loss. Remember this, the Great Depression was made worse by a government not the people. This time the people and the government will stretch things out for much longer as ignorance takes time to overcome, and while people learn the skills they need, there will be much failure.
(c) Double Nickel Farm
Jennifer

Prepping 101

2010-03-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

If you are new to prepping, sometimes it is overwhelming to know where to start. The first thing to remember is this: prepping is a mindset, it prepares you to handle a crises. Once you mentally start preparing for what if's and what could happen, you then begin accumulating "prep items."

The three main prep items to cover are food, clothing, shelter. Then you have medications, toiletries, and safety items such as weapons. Why consider items such as weapons? Well in times of natural disaster-sadly looting happens, and you cannot expect the government or local police to help initially as they will be busy with critical issues such as infrastructure and life saving measures. There are other important reasons to maintain weapons but I will not address that issue in this post.

I recommend a three month food and water supply(to start). To create a list of what you need, I suggest you make a three month menu(of foods that you eat) and stock up on those items first. Do not forget foods that require no cooking- such as canned or dried fruit, crackers, peanut butter-in case you have no electricity. Make sure you have a hand can opener instead of an electric can opener. The food you buy comes with a date on the item, and I recommend then adding a second date in permanent marker of when you purchased the food.

By the way, do you have charcoal and matches for your grill(even if it is a propane grill as you can disconnect the propane when it runs out and use charcoal(or wood-as we use mesquite exclusively in our former propane grill).

Another item to consider is lighting-such as flashlights, candles and oil lamps. I was surprised to discover the solar lamps one puts outside will be perfect in the house at night.

This is an introductory to prepping. Here are some items I have in my prep for long term storage:
1. 250 lbs rice
2. 250 lbs beans(pinto, lentils, navy, kidney, red beans, lima beans)
3. 25 lbs of salt
4. 250 lbs of flour
5. 75 lbs of pasta
6. tomato sauce-great for base of many things-200 cans
7. oats-75 lbs
8. honey 30lbs
9. white sugar 200 lbs
10. cane sugar 50 lbs
11. molasses 5 jars
12. powdered milk-3- 5 gallon buckets(in addition to milking goats)

This is not complete but it gives you an idea of what I have. I began with the LDS food storage calculator(here) and catered the list to my family's needs. For example, we do not really like flavored gelatin(jello) so I do not really have much jello in storage. I do have some, as I mix it with cake mixes to make swirl cake sometimes, but not five pounds worth.

Please remember that if you have women or babies that you need to have items to take care of menstrual cycles and diapering. This is so important that in a time of crises that you have the needed items so no undue stress is added to an already stressful situation.

If you have any questions and wish to take it to an email level please email me at penofjen(at) yahoo(dot) com...and put in the subject New Mexico prep question.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Jennifer
(c)Double Nickel Farm

Challenge Update

2010-03-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

In my previous post I offered a challenge to preppers to see if their preps were enough. The challenge was in a way to see if you could survive on less and live off what you have. So far on the challenge all is going well for my family and I. The kids have had two activities(yesterday, and this afternoon) that they have had to go to, but aside from that all is great.

We have been using up any perishables from the fridge and are enjoying simple activities to keep us content. We are readers and we do not have cable or satellite TV so we have no loss on that...

When a crises occurs what will you do? Will you be able to handle the children without the television? Will they be able to function without the television? Will you be able to use the food storage you have on hand or will you be scrambling to find a cookbook to assist you in making bread from wheat(that you must grind first).

This challenge may not have given any feedback, but I promise you this is one of the things as a prepper you need to do BEFORE a crises arises.

Do you know where the flashlights are? The matches? The batteries? The meds? The needs of a baby? Can you grab items quickly if you need to leave the house? Do you have a prep kit in the car? Do you have emergency cash in the house, the car, and the wallet/or purse? Do you have a planned destination for all family members if something happens- earthquake, tornado, hurricane, wildfire? Have you prepped enough on making several things from scratch that you could do so in a crises? Can you make water potable?

Now back to the challenge! Do you see why it is important to not only prepare, but to experience the prepping skills before the crises? We are the most advanced nation technologically on the planet and because we are, we are without some skills that many worldwide have. We need to get real, get back to basics and learn to apply the prepping we have.

Jennifer
(c) Double Nickel Farm

Trial Run: Challenge

2010-03-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

Today is the day for a trial run of your prepping. This challenge is serious and you should take this serious as it will be a precursor for what is coming.

From the moment you read this post for seven days do not go to the store. Do not buy anything. Aside from work and business(or school for your kids) do not go anywhere.

What first? Well bring out the ration chart...or for this, you will be using only foods on hands right now. So what meals will you eat? By the way, use up as much of the foods in your fridge as you can...as this is something in a crisis that really happens- loss of foods that are in the fridge and freezer. For this drill you can check the internet for 10 minutes a day, what sites will you check? Do you see how this challenge will work?

Now the biggie, ration your utilities for the week. Eliminate most of the items that are plugged into the walls. Use only 50 % of your lights. By 7 pm no lights. Can you do this? Are you ready? Can you and your family deal with this *fake* scenario?

Here is what is happening at my house and the meals we have eaten so far, as I am on day two(although I did get on chat last night).

Monday:
~Breakfast: arroz con leche {using milk in fridge, rice from pantry, and spices} home made bread into toast.
~Lunch: Bean enchiladas, dried apricots
~Snack Ice cream...use up perishables during this week.
~Dinner: Rice and chicken casserole{ rice, cream of chicken soup, canned peas, 1/2 pound of shredded chicken} canned peaches

Tuesday:
~Breakfast: arroz con leche leftovers.
~Lunch: Ramen noodles and pb and honey sandwiches(homemade bread)
~Dinner: Spaghetti and crushed meatballs{4 cans of tomato sauce, 1 can of tomato paste, spices, 1/2 pound of ground beef, 4 slices dried bread, 2 eggs, spices} frozen corn, cucumber slices with lemon juice.
~Snack/dessert Pineapple upside down cake{1 can pineapple slices, flour, butter, brown sugar, spices}

For us, as we have a well, we are drinking water. The moment a crises occurs plan water at the top of the list. Fill every container if you have none stored or have no well...

~things to pass the time- play a board game, read or create skits(my kids love to do this)
IF YOU REMOVE THE TELEVISION NOW- when a crises occurs you will not feel like life is over. TV is an unwelcome guest in all of our homes. TURN IT OFF. Cherish the time with your family now.

Go to bed earlier and let your body really rest.

The time to see if you can handle a crisis of any sort is not during the crisis. Prepare now. Remember grade school and the fire drills? This week I challenge you to have a prepper drill with your family. The way things seems to be heading sooner, rather than later these drills may be extremely valuable.
Jennifer
(c)Double Nickel Farm

Now What?

2010-03-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

Now what? Well we sit and wait as the circus begins in the Senate.

While you wait, I recommend investing some of your money into food products.

I am buying a hand powered grain mill for my first prep in reality(as I am well prepared foodwise)
Next I am spending all my surplus money on more prep items.
Not just foods, in case you are wondering.

Enough is enough, and now that we understand that the government is not of the people, for the people,

WILL YOU WAKE UP????

We're Headed for a World of Inflation

2010-03-19T10:04:00.001-07:00

Click here to read the article.

My advice is and will always be the same, Now is the time to prepare. Now is the time to have a food supply on hand to hold you over when you are paid the same wage and groceries cost 50% more than they do now.

If you are new to the prepping, I would suggest buys that get you the most for you dollar, such as dried legumes, and rice. Canned goods next, and dried foods thereafter. Do not minimize comfort foods, but be wise and first put up three months* worth of foods first.

Do not forget that our own president has told us that bad times are coming? Did he say this exactly? No, but he told us that in order to get out of debt we need to spend more money. That is all one needs to know- as this has placed us on the fast path to an economic meltdown.

*I should add that I do not believe that you should stop your food storage once you reach three months worth of storage. I just think that before you buy snacks etc, one should have three months of real food first. Then buy comfort foods, candles and icing etc. I recommend having at least 1 years worth of food storage and seeds to enable you to grow your own foods if necessary.

Buy foods you eat and use your storage in your food rotation.
Jennifer

Some Thoughts

2010-03-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

If today life changed as you know it what could you do?
Could you live for any amount of time off of what is in your home/property?
Do you have the means such as seeds and the know how to grow your own foods?
Do you have the skills to treat medical conditions of a various assortment?
Do you have the skills to create your clothing
Can you heat your home without electricity?
Can you protect your loved ones and your home?

These are just thoughts that have been swirling around in my head.

With my woodstove I create ash which is a key ingredient in making soap. I also use the ash to put in my compost pile(when it is cool) which adds nutrients to the soil.

I recommend at least six months of food storage which will get you through to the next growing season, but to be honest, shoot for at least one years worth of food, that you use and rotate out. From these foods you will have labels from canned goods that can be saved as fire starters, and the cans can be used for many things. One thing is to make a votive holder for a candle, as lighting will be important but it will be as important to maintain safety and not burn your home. Tin cans can have the top and bottom cut off and can be laid flat to be used as shingles for a coop, doghouse, or other animal structure. These will add up. You can also make tin can stilts from the cans, as well as teach children telephone. Prepping is all about preparing and using all that you have in every measure.

Items that make it into your trash can should be assessed before it gets tossed. You see the phrase waste not want not, really comes into play.

I am wondering if a bad growing season happens, are you prepared? Do you have any other means of food?

For me, living on the farm provides a surplus of foods from meats, to eggs, to even milk and making cheese. We also have native plants here that can provide foods. Unlike areas that are green, living in the desert requires more planning and acquiring of skills. I studied the local Indian tribes and what they ate to help me make plans for edible foods from the wild.

This post may seem to be a bit rambling but you get the idea, we must prepare for all scenarios, by preparing ourselves. Playing what if's now will prepare you if and when a crises arises.

Money Saving Prepper Tip

2010-03-10T19:20:00.000-08:00

For those who are preppers and have chickens I have a simple low cost tip that we use on the farm. We use paper shred for the nests.

Simple yet serves its purpose quite well. The shred is free from a local business and it composts quite well.

Another extremely important thing to note about the shred is that it has no mites on it. If you use straw or hay bedding you may have to purchase dusting powder for your flock. Since we switched to shred we have noted almost no mites! Amazingly simple, but prepping should not be a chore but a lifestyle towards a goal of living on less but with far more skills.

Jennifer

Comments?

2010-03-08T06:50:00.000-08:00

I disagree with this poster.
I suggest that a prepper may have lived life like this before prepping.
But once you begin prepping, life and attitude changes.

As a prepper this poster should say:
When you are in deep trouble
Say nothing, and pull deep from within your prepping
As you are prepared for EVERYTHING
ANYTHING
and a little bit of nothing.

How I Beat Spam on my Farm Blog

2010-03-05T21:32:00.000-08:00

I had terrible problems with Spam on my farm blog, until I did a few things.
I removed all anonymous comments.
I required typing in the word verification code.

I have not had any more spam in the past three weeks.

Life is grand again!

Saturday Stockpile Item

2010-02-27T06:40:00.000-08:00

Be sure to stock up on Dehydrated Water...

Have a wonderful weekend, and remember use common sense when you are prepping!

Living the Simple Life Tips Part 2

2010-02-24T12:40:00.001-08:00

This is a continuation of the previous post. Please understand that prepping or living a prepper's lifestyle is not all about hurry up and rush around like a chicken with its head cut off. Prepper's must be able to assess each situation that is cast our way, and if we are too busy we may miss specific signs or cues that we need. So here are a few more tips on living the simple life.

4.
Change your menu for the next month. Make 14 recipes (or seven if you can) and repeat it twice. Stick to the menu, and use fresh or homemade as much as possible. Do not make more than you will eat, and if everyone has a smaller portion that is okay. Make notes on your measurements so you can finagle them to make more or less as you eat the meals. Perhaps it was not Julia Childs, but someone earlier, no matter- somewhere along the way, we decided that we showed our wealth and how Cosmopolitan we were by serving so many diverse, complicated recipes. Take a break...If you still desire to dabble in diverse cuisine, then take one day a month and do what we do on the farm. I call this day: Where in the World, and I create a menu and background about the food we will be eating. Be creative! Oh and you do not need small children to do this as it is fun for all.

5
Go computer free one day a week. Actually, when trying to slow down, this is a good way, as it is very easy to get caught up in the momentum of surfing the Internet and losing track of the time. I bet you have projects all around your house that need tending to. In fact, I bet you have friends, neighbors, and family that would be surprised if you sent them a letter(snail mail) as none of us has done this one very much since e-mail!!

The whole idea of Living the Simple Life has nothing to do with living a less than American lifestyle. It means that one Living the Simple Life is prepared for the worst, but lives each day expecting the best.

p.s. This is how I live every day!

photo credit: taken by me! It is almost the direct backside of the mountain I look at each morning! Pretty amazing isn't it?

Living the Simple Life Tips Part 1

2010-02-16T07:25:00.000-08:00

Slowing down on Double Nickel and enjoying the views

1. Stop spending money

I write this often. Have you decided that today is the day that you can do this? There is no prep item as important as using your common sense. We must learn that a large portion of the economic crisis is due to off the chart out of control spending that we do in this nation.

2. Challenge yourself to learn one skill this month

Prepping is not about accumulating items. It is about learning how to survive or come through a situation or crises. The more skills you have the better you will fare in any crises. Ideas? Basic first aid, canning fruits and vegetables, making cheese, making bread, changing a tire, changing oil in your vehicle, sew a blanket by hand, make shampoo, make soap, make candles, butcher a chicken-get the idea?

3. Slow down

Slow down. Sit on your front or back porch and just breathe. Take in the sounds, sights and smells of your home, neighborhood, and surroundings. This is so critical to learn. Many people have been pushed and get impatient when doing nothing. Newsflash- your body needs to rest. Sleep is not real rest in America. So take the time to slow down today.

Homemade Deodorant~Reposted

2010-02-10T07:36:00.000-08:00

I wrote this post a while ago and think that it is a great reminder on how one can make many things on their own with just a few base products. Have a great day-

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Can it be so easy to make a product at home that is like what you buy at the store? Will the homemade product work? Is it hard to make? Is it really cost effective to make at home? The questions I have written go through my mind every time I research making something at home. In addition I have been researching making things that have limited preservatives or chemicals as I am unsure exactly what side effects they may cause me. I have been amazed at what things are in items that we use on a daily basis, and although I am neither a doctor nor scientist, wonder if the rise in cancer is the result of chemical overload.

I make my own toothpaste, hairspray, shampoo (not sold on its ease so still working on) hair gel, facial cleanser, soap, and as of today deodorant! Yes, I made my own deodorant today. I will confess that not wishing to smell has been the reason I have delayed making deodorant. I ran out of deodorant the other day, so I decided to get over my worries and just make it-pass or fail.

Wow, making deodorant has to be one of the easiest items I have ever made. The process took around 8 minutes, and 4 minutes was spent washing out my old deodorant container.

Empty deodorant container

The ingredients:
1/4cup corn starch
1/4 cup baking soda
1-2 TBSP coconut oil

Mix the dry ingredients first and slowly add the coconut oil mixing with your hands. The coconut oil is the bonding agent and you do not need too much to make the deodorant the same consistency as store bought. Then fill the empty deodorant container.

Here is the finished product! It has no smell and works wonderfully.
The total cost to make this:
coconut oil= around 10 cents
baking soda= around 5 cents
corn starch= around 10 cents
empty deodorant container=free
total= 25 cents! Amazing

And for the record the baking soda is the odor fighter, the corn starch keeping dry, coconut oil bonding agent-3 ingredients safe and simple.
(c)Double Nickel Farm
Jennifer

I wrote this post for my farm blog. You see for me prepping and living simple are the same thing. I am preparing on relying on my brain to make things for my family, if and when I can no longer go to the store anymore. Once I discovered the volume of chemicals and garbage in so many products, I threw myself into this full force. You see even if the world changes and our economy tanks I am still me and wish to maintain some normalcy. In any crisis, comfort items do make all the difference. Having clean clothes, being able to wash up are stabilizers for many of us. If you prep long term it becomes a lifestyle and then making every day items become a snap!

Before the Farm

2010-02-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

I wrote a post that linked to some blogs that used pop bottles as planters...and mentioned that I have used milk gallons as greenhouses and planters. Here is the follow up to share old pics of what I have done. The laptop that had farm pics crashed and I did not save greenhouse pics- so if the pic was not on line- I lost them. These were from my homeschool blog 2007.
Before we bought our farm we rented to get to know the region we had just moved to. We are from the southwest but not from NM so we wanted to get a feel for the area before we purchased a place. These photos are from the rental we lived in while in town. The back yard was trashed and rough so we opted to plant a small patch of grass, lay some paving stones, and make a "secret garden."

This photo is how I gathered water- we have serious water restrictions in the town(Alamogordo) and we were only able to water 1 day a week in 2007. I then began learning water collection etc. We eventually stopped watering our teeny lawn and converted that to a watermelon patch.
Another photo of gathering water from the monsoon. See my lovely paving stones? I loved that grass did grow between them...I watered it using a water spray bottle!
I planted 300 sunflowers...and in this region of town many began to refer to our home as the sunflower house! I just wanted to increase the privacy fence and we love sunflowers!
Here are tomatoes and zucchini...I maximized space by creating garden beds that we made trenches in so we could incorporate flood watering.
Here is one of my potato bucket plants. I love growing potatoes by this method because potatoes are finicky to the southwestern sun, so we move the plants to follow the shade around the house. Btw- this is a GREAT workout!
My photos are out of order so enjoy jumping around with me! These are sunflowers breaking through on my east wall of my yard. The lot was a 1/4 acre lot to include the house, garage, and front desert landscaped front yard- translation, my back yard was small but grand enough to grow a tremendous amount of food!
This is the view that I had from my rental kitchen sink- you can see why the mountains captivate me! Note the center area never grew anything as we did not water. I collected tons of rocks to make walking trails and to out line the garden beds.
Here is the first week of gardening in 2007. As you can see from the previous photo, it was very drab before we began our Secret Garden.
Even after I planted my garden I continued to baby the plants and would cover them at night with my milk gallon green houses. I used skewers to place the tops on...as then I would not crush any small plant...or if the wind would pick up the top would stay on.
Here are some green houses with the lids in back. During warm sunny hours I took the lids off, and then at night I would cover them. Yes that is an old ironing board. I am a bit eccentric and like how it looks with plants on it!
Here is a view of more milk gallon green houses. The milk cans(hmm sense a theme?) hold up the board with the plants on it. I grew so much it would be hard to list. If you look at the yard we grew you can note it was even larger than the first photos. We slowly reduced its size as the season went on so we could maximize our water allotments. As a former Ohio girl I just love walking barefoot. In NM for my feet it is somewhat hard on my soles. My kids are used to this region and do not miss a grassy yard...oh it is so funny how opposite our memories are!!
Check out my blooming garden! Pumpkin bed in front, peas, green beans, and broccoli in the middle, and tomatoes and zucchini in the rear. The sunflowers follow the fencing. The bucket gardens were along the paths and well everywhere.
This photo shows both my bucket garden method, and the greenhouse method. I grew herbs, potatoes, marigolds, and cucumbers in this years bucket garden...but I have grown everything in the 5 gallon buckets. In my city-fied days I spray painted the buckets to have some aesthetic beauty...but since moving to the farm...I find the beauty in the plant and no longer use the facade. Perhaps when we can slow down from projects I may begin this again.
Close up of the green houses. Usually I stored the tops behind the container, unless it became too windy.

As you can see many things can be taken from this post. Water conservation is important- not because I am a green crowd fanatic- no water conservation is important as every year in nearly every region of the world there is a drought of sorts. To learn how to collect rainwater or implement grey water you can be prepared for anything.

In addition to water conservation, one can see that living on a farm or in the sticks is not a requirement to gardening and prepping. To be honest many neighbors were amazed at what we did, and almost all have begun doing the same thing in their small spaces. While we were seeking our humble farm- I still was enacting my plans. We must not put off plans but live and change as we go. Do not wait...start today.

One can also learn that container gardening need not be store bought-recycle containers. We had a friend save milk gallons for us(and I did too). The fast food restaurants utilize many containers that are tossed daily. We have a fast food place in town still gather buckets for us. We use them for planting, animals, and because they are food grade I store beans, flour, and sugar in them.

Please remember that prepping is not something to do as a fad. It is a wonderful amazing way to live and it is a present tense word...so be a continuous prepper- live it, do it and enjoy it. I must confess that it has made all the difference in my life!
Jennifer
(c) Double Nickel Farm

10 Steps To Destroying American Society

2010-02-03T09:08:00.000-08:00

[I saw the comment below on this post: On China Obama says US must address currency rates]

Rewrite the Constitution and break down its firewalls through Judicial and Bureaucratic fiat.

Concentrate all meaningful power in the Federal Government.

Suppress and Repress the Individual by attacking his Unalienable Rights through laws and constant torment.

Eliminate Private Property through Confiscatory Taxation and Regulation and wage constant war against Business Enterprises and Entrepreneurs.

Control Institutions of Education at all levels and turn them into Indoctrination Centers for the State.

Change the Citizenry by opening National Borders to virtually all comers and changing the qualifications for Citizenship to include mostly poor, uneducated illegal aliens.

Destroy the Private Financial Institutions that have funded the Greatest Production and Accumulation of Wealth for the Most People the World has ever known.

Destroy Capitalism and replace it with Redistributive Policies by Destroying the currency and Replacing it with a new currency or Revaluing the old currency.

Eliminate American Sovereignty through arrangements and agreements with Foreign Countries and International Bureaucracies.

Use American Foreign Policy not to improve American Economic and National Security, but to advance the Notion of One Government Globalism.

Thanks vcue 15 who left this comment

Pop Bottle Gardening

2010-02-03T07:14:00.000-08:00

I have used milk gallons as mini-greenhouses but never pop bottles(or water bottles) this way...
Link 1
Link 2- pop bottle pole planter
Link 3- pop bottle salad maker
Link 4- interesting conversion
Link 5
Link 6-bottle herb farm

Perhaps we all should consider this simple idea to increase our garden size and to use otherwise wasted items.

All is Well

2010-01-30T07:05:00.000-08:00

15 down in 30 days...

Be wise by reducing debt, learning old skills long forgotten, and most importantly prepare for what seems to be coming.

What Have I Done In Prep Nature?

2010-01-25T07:17:00.000-08:00

Delivered a goat-and I mean delivered a goat nitty gritty using my small hands in places I never thought they would be...
Collected home grown eggs
read more on mesquite flour and the how to's of using it in baking
Prayed
heated home with only woodstove heat-btw the weather has been FRIGID this year.
plotting and planning the year of the tree on the farm...

That is about it...in no particular order. Sometimes living is prep enough. I mean that. We need to sit back and understand that we are preparing for the times ahead, but we must live too.

It is Saturday

2010-01-23T16:43:00.000-08:00

It is Saturday have you done anything in prepper nature today?

A Lovely Getaway for Preppers

2010-01-22T08:12:00.000-08:00

One should always have a place in mind to go to in case a crisis requires this. The solitude is a bonus.

Don't forget when planning a lovely getaway to take in to account the needs of your critters.

In addition your getaway should have water.

Another bonus to your getaway would be beauty.

In the most simple of terms a prepper should understand the need for a getaway place. This is not a paranoid notion but one of sound advice. Perhaps like in California one would need a place to head to in the case of mudslides. For those on lowlands the hills are a place to head to in cases of tsunamis. As one who just loves to have multiple plans I found several incredible places that will provide just the right getaway for me and my family. What about you? Have you found just the right place for you and yours?

Basic Three- food

2010-01-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

I shop twice a month for the farm. One trip is what I call a food storage run and the second one is for the month in foods. I make 1 mini trip every other week to buy fresh produce which I keep under $20.00. I am going to share a few recent pictures of what I bought for January.

Produce will keep if you store it properly. Cabbage lasts longer than any lettuce items so in the off season we use cabbage as our salad base. In the picture you can see cilantro, oranges, sweet potatoes, cabbage, celery,limes, zucchini...mozzarella, olives, 2 boxes of margarine, 3 boxes of Mole, lasagna noodles, hotdogs, potatoes...

I guess this is a better view...you can also see bananas, tomatoes, jalapenos, Serrano's, carrots, tortillas, OJ, frozen OJ, enchilada sauce, peaches in pear juice, baked beans, pepperchinis, lunch meats, cottage cheese, sugar, tampico, milk, vinegar, spinach, ranch dressing, oats, frozen corn on cob, cheddar cheese and mozzarella

another close up...oh sloppy joe mix

and some of the produce...

Why am I sharing this? Well first off, I have five in my family, and I spend 100-120 dollars on menu groceries and 100 dollars a month on storage. We average 250 for groceries for the month total. We eat pretty well because we have our own meats for the most part- beef, chicken, turkey, goat...and eggs daily. We also grow a good portion of foods that we canned.

Someone said to me once that we seem Hippy like(maybe we are) but I thought I would share that we are most likely average in what we consume...except that we produce much of our own needs. The kids love hotdogs, rice, mac and cheese- and lasagna. We buy milk sometimes to supplement the goat milk but we have weened the kids off box cereals as too expensive.

Our menu is pretty standard- I have it on a calendar and I stick to it as it keeps expenses down(meaning we can spend our money elsewhere).

Here is a menu plan we use for week one of the month

Sunday arroz con leche- no lunch on Sundays- steak baked potato rolls applesauce fresh veggie slices dessert: brownies

Monday- oatmeal- ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches( I pack Bill a leftover meal each day from some meal we had during the week- I prefreeze it)- hotdogs mac and cheese rice peaches and bananas dessert: chocolate pudding

Tuesday- egg burritos- ramen and peanut butter sandwiches- tacos refried beans Spanish rice salsa shredded cabbage dessert: tortilla roll up( warmed tortilla then butter and sprinkle with sugar)

Wednesday-arroz con leche- ramen with peanut butter sandwiches- casserole corn buttered bread applesauce dessert: ice cream

Thursday-oatmeal- ramen with peanut butter sandwiches- baked chicken egg noodles spinach salad pears dessert: brownies

Friday- egg and potato burritos ramen with peanut butter sandwiches homemade pizza fruit slices(apples and oranges) veggie slices carrots and celery dessert: peanut butter cookies

Saturday- pancakes scrambled eggs OJ-tomato soup grilled cheese- Squash stew rolls dessert pineapple upside down cake.

Most times I make the rolls from scratch. I have been buying tortillas from the local tortilla factory in town as they are fresh and inexpensive. Creating a menu and sticking to it will reduce your food waste tremendously. Did you know that most Americans will toss out 30-50% of the food that they buy? Can you imagine not wasting that money and using it to pay off debt or to invest in land etc?

My menu changes each week and I have a grocery list to coordinate with the menu. My food storage matches to the tee what we eat for our monthly schedule. I have foods that would cover the what if's of not going to a store-such as powdered milk etc. My food storage blends with the menu and is used on a rotating shedule. It is so important to only buy what you use and use what you buy. It is also important to know how to make breads from scratch, beans from the dried form, and how to improvise on menus.

Very rarely is there waste in my home from foods. Even the traditional items we would toss now have purpose- you know the skins of citrus, banana peels, egg shells, bones, the stalks of the cilantro and so on- we give them to the chickens and then we clean up the waste of the birds and put it in our compost pile. We eat pretty well in my book and spend about $500.00 less than before we crossed on this path of simplicity.

By the way if necessary we could reduce the grocery bill by half once again...and reduce the fun foods such as hotdogs, lunch meats, ranch, store bought cheese for that matter all store bought dairy products. We have come to the point where we could survive fairly well although it would require much more effort we would be fine( for example to grind the mesquite beans into a flour to make tortillas and bread). I will stress that having skills to provide for yourself is as important as the stockpiled items.

Please remember that prepping is not about running off to the hills(although those in tsunami areas should consider that)...it is about changing your habits and lifestyle to a pattern of living that will prepare you for any and all crises that may occur because in a crises one needs to meet the basic three- food shelter and health. If you can manage one before a crises, you are 33% better off than nearly everyone else!

Jennifer

Landscaping and the Prepper

2010-01-19T07:19:00.000-08:00

You may wonder how landscaping is part of a prepping lifestyle. The NM Urban Homesteader has written a wonderful post on how to consider landscaping and security. Here is a snippet

While most police will say that dense landscaping is an invitation to trouble and that statistically houses that cannot be seen from the street are at a higher risk for break-ins than houses that are, there are other landscaping tips they do not stress that they really should. Like their own "3-7" rule, especially if combined with thorny plants. IE: security landscaping.

The 3-7 Rule is to keep shrubs near the house no more than 3 feet high to deprive a potential intruder of a hiding place; Keep tree limbs at least 7 feet away from the side of the house and at least 12 feet off the ground, to deprive the intruder of easy access to a second level window or balcony.

I never knew this rule and am amazed at what good advice this is. Head on over and read the entire post here.

Are You Prepared?

2010-01-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

The situation in Haiti really has me thinking a good deal about preparedness. We can never be totally prepared because there are so many variables as to what can happen. But we can be wise. We can educate ourselves on skills that will be beneficial in any situation, any place, any where.

In the past few years I have become wise to living a very simple life. I did not attend any special training seminars nor did I purchase tons of How To Books. I decided to act. My life became a living learning zone and to be honest still is. Did I ever make foods from scratch(you know the old fashioned way instead of say opening a cake mix and baking the cake)? I really didn't, which is sad and very telling of the times we live in. I bought frozen bread dough and baked home made bread that way! By the way I am not judging a lifestyle life like I led before. Instead I am reflecting on the changes or progress we have made as a society that we have lost so many basic skills.

The most obvious thing I have learned is that if it is free or homemade many people will be turned away, as the common thought process is that the store can make the product safer, tastier and better. Have you ever used the Aveeno oatmeal powder in your bath? Do you know how easy it is to make oatmeal powder? Within moments you will have the oatmeal you have in your pantry turned into a powder-yet Aveeno products are sold in great volume.

note the center item, which is oatmeal powder I made by rolling oats between my fingers

Now is the time to implement the prepper plans that you have. Do you think that storing up knowledge and never applying the skills will be beneficial to you? Are you worried that people will think that you are weird- cuz I bet they already do~so what! Are you worried that your life will turn into some pseudo military zone and the niceties will disappear? Well let me assure you that applying prepper skills will be an asset to you, and you should always do the things you have learned. A garden is something we should never have strayed from. We should stop wasting our money on material items. We can still have nice things. Note the soap above. This method is a quick way to extend your soap and provide soap that reduces dry skin...and I make them in autumn cookie cutter shapes. We can still have a lovely life but a new life with our eyes opened to the fragile world that we live in.

We need to start practicing the skills we are learning. Because if we have a major catastrophe occur we need to be able to act instead of wonder where our little file of how to's is.

Another thing about living as you are preparing-if you desire to live in the country start now. Quit talking about when and if, and act. If you desire to be debt free- act. If you desire to live healthier- act. If you desire to prepare for an economic catastrophe- act...now. You see the prepper blogs are a place to garner tips but they are more importantly a place where you can see real people living the walk that they talk. It is possible because we all are implementing the skills now. So now is the time for you~Are You Prepared?

(c)Double Nickel Farm

Jennifer

All For Nothing~unless...

2010-01-14T07:05:00.000-08:00

I cannot guess how many times I have written that as a prepper we must learn the skills we need to survive more so than accumulating items that will carry us through. After the massive earthquake in Haiti I am going to reaffirm this line of thinking.

The very best stockpile of prep items in Haiti would be under rubble this day~therefore what is a prepper to do? I am not suggesting that we stop having food storage or increasing in our preps. I think that a prepper needs to know how to make water potable. I think that a prepper needs to know how to make a fire and cook over it. I think that a prepper needs to know how to make bread from scratch...even if only tortillas. I think that a prepper understands salvage-and what one should look for first in a crisis of the magnitude in Haiti...so here goes-

Food-Shelter-Safety

The order may go back and forth in Haiti as one can imagine the aftershocks that have been occurring. Under safety there are many criteria: safety from the two legged varmint, safety from the diseases as a result of the death and destruction, safety from injuries that one may have, and safety from following aftershocks. In fact, you may have to think and process all of these thoughts while a loved one is missing or dead(even a child). A prepper is not without emotions but can function with little effort because mentally and physically a prepper has been preparing for any and all scenarios.

What do you do if you discover a dead body? In a crises of any magnitude you can make a white flag on a pole and sink it in the ground near the body and then leave...do not touch the body. I promise you that the urge will be twofold-one to see if the person is alive(as we see that on TV so much) and two to run like heck. I suggest the middle ground. If you have no white materials and poles leave quickly as the dead body is a pool of disease.

What do you do if you discover people injured? Can you perform basic First Aid? See this is a skill that I constantly speak about. We must learn skills in addition to having a super stocked kit. There are tons of people that are injured in Haiti...and one more person who can field treat wounds would be a bonus. Do you have some country doctor tips that will allow you to treat something without the norm medical treatment, but will be effective? This is a skill that we preppers need to have some basic knowledge of.

What do you do if you see children wandering? Can you honestly allow them to wander away and not protect them? Of course not. So as a prepper you need to understand that as much as we think we are planning to go solo or without those who don't think as we do...the children are a different case. I am most certain that Haiti has far too many wee ones that are not with a parent today. Simple things to do with the children are comfort things. Holding them on your lap...touching their heads or even playing games from childhood with them. They will need some bit of normalcy during these times. As soon as you can you must get to a point that is set up and document that this(or these) children you found...so they can reconnect the child with a loved one. But you may be the only one to care for the child until some services are set up...and so you must(remember you would want someone to do so for your child). By the way...make a mental note of where you located the child and all the initial information about him so that you can assist those who will be looking for him.

What do you do if you need to cook food? Can you prepare foods quickly, over a fire? Can you scrounge out what you need to survive? Most importantly can you find water...this is the key...WATER.

Shelter is key in a crises as most people are functioning in a bit of shock. To maintain a place that blocks the sun or keeps the elements off is very important, but think outside the box on this one. You may need to construct just a cardboard shelter...but shade in Haiti is very important.

I have many more thoughts but I think you get the idea. As a prepper we should be lifetime students of learning skills that generations before us took for granted. These skills will not only keep us alive but most likely what keeps others alive too. I understand that in the prepper circuit many joined thinking about the government and the economy and I will not minimize the reality of that as an impending crisis...but we all must take in account that each and every day a crises of some magnitude hits somewhere in the world. My question is this: Are you really prepared?

Jennifer

How to Become a Prepper

2010-01-12T08:23:00.000-08:00

A fellow New Mexican has started a blog to share her tips and skills as a prepper-here is her seven part series on How to Become a Prepper.

Part 1
Part2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

New Updated Link

2010-01-09T09:59:00.001-08:00

Last link was pulled, here's another one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=662R2awSwPQ

Lib's are certainly all over this one, keep re-posting and finding new good links.

America Rising: Update with new link

2010-01-07T08:24:00.000-08:00

Click here to watch a pretty interesting promise.

Ok, everything I have read shows liberals are trying to have this permanently removed from YOUTUBE...I found that Powerline still has a good link here.

I have watched it three times and must say it is very powerful!

Wednesday's Wisdom

2010-01-06T15:34:00.000-08:00

I am not sure who this is, as this came to me in an email- but I sense that she would not mind me sharing her wisdom here. I am an avid penny pincher~which makes me very GREEN~ yet I have disliked the green movement's agenda so I never jumped aboard. Well thanks to this incredible woman and her sign, I am taking back conservation and what the green movement should have been about all along!

Please *steal* her picture and add it to your sidebar as we all need to jump on this movement!

Jennifer

Ten Things

2010-01-05T06:46:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of money saving ideas, today I am going to share ten things you can do instead of watching television. Television is a huge time waster and does cost money(either satellite or cable). Television also causes the CP syndrome(couch potato syndrome) and the I WANT IT NOW syndrome. You see life portrayed fictionally and think that you need the same things, and fill up with clutter because you cannot achieve the perfection that TV presents...so what can you do in the time you usually slot to sit and zone out?

Read!!!

So here is my top ten items to read:

1. The Bible- I believe wholeheartedly that most of television is stolen from the Bible- if you have never read the Bible you may think I am crazy, but the Bible is filled with the what nots that will make life a living hell(and eternal hell) and the what to do's to make life better. David sent a man into battle(front lines death wish for sure) just so he could sleep with the wife of the soldier...oh and the soldier died, the woman got pregnant and the baby died- talk about drama, weeping, and shock!

2. Louis Lamour Western- I love his works. He died the year I married and the year I discovered him as an author(as my husband had all of his books). LL-books are written with an appreciation for nature, man, woman, and morals and values. He researched the west, lived in the west, lived and studied the Indians in the regions. I have required my kids read several books for their homeschooling as some are stand out for some great lessons. For here I will suggest the Sacket series as my favorite...(honestly I love pretty much all- in fact one book he wrote about was a American soldier(with American Indian ancestry) in the USSR---powerful read for sure!)

3. The US Constitution- boy if we all did this one, we could stand firm in our votes as we would KNOW who really did not believe in our land.

4. The $30,000 Bequest by Mark Twain. I bet you could find it on Project Gutenberg. Want to see how we all were so quick to get in the credit game(ie gambling money you don't have on money you hope to make)...this is a very short-eye opening read. It is one of my favorite reads.

5. Let's stick with Mark Twain one more time. Read the Death Disk. To me it is a great reminder to those that will not make a decision. You see passing responsibility on to another resolves nothing and causes so much headache. Funny the two Mark Twain stories were written a hundred years ago yet are so relevant to today in America with the people and the elected.

6. Powerline a site that is more of a commentary on the day's events. Not heated but seen through a conservative viewpoint.

7. Ace of Spades Updates on news with goofy(sometimes a bit off color) opinions. This site reminds me of high school and the kid you knew would never grow up(and you were glad to think that)...makes me wonder if he is the guy from my high school!

8. Big Government This is a new site that gave attention to the Acorn scandal. No other place seemed interested.(kind of like Drudge with the Blue dress)- and look where Drudge is today!

9. American Preppers Network( pick any state on the side bar and visit and read the tips, ideas and skills they share) and the Canadian Preppers Network(pick on any province)...you will be amazed at the amount of information you can learn from a bunch of people volunteering their time to help others..

and lastly

10. You can read about a real life family that loves each other and is, through the sweat of their own brows, carving out a piece of America for their own. They use more their minds than money, yet life seems to work out fine. It is a place where corny is in...a real honest to goodness blast from the past...my farm blog: Double Nickel Farm.

Don't forget that 2010 is the year of the prepper!

Monday Money Saving Idea

2010-01-04T06:58:00.000-08:00

As I wrote in my previous post, money matters a good deal. We need to learn how to manage our money or we will be managed by it. In preparing for any crises that may come our way, we need to understand that spending money stockpiling will not help you if you are buried in debt, late fees, and collection notices.

In one of my visits as a Life Coach, the woman who I was visiting has a land line telephone still. It rang off the hook but her teens would check the Caller ID and shout collections and not answer the phone. I was amazed at the quantity of calls that came in the home from 4:30- 7:30 pm! I would go stir crazy as I am a bit sensitive to noises anyway. This woman and her family, in my opinion, represent many Americans in the way they live. She is on the fence between clutter and hording and doesn't realize what she has.

Her husband is a truck driver and home on weekends so while he is gone mom and the teens eat out- lots. Her freezer and fridge are stocked with frozen meals, pre-made foods, and junk. She has a large pantry filled with similar items. The kids all have laptops, TVs, cellphones, Ipods, and so does the mother. They have three absolutely adorable little pugs and the pugs have nice dishes, collars, and wet food to eat each day. I could go on and on- but you get the idea. It was overwhelming to me because they are ignoring the collection calls all the while continuing to accumulate more junk...

Does this sound familiar to you? I hope you understand this-if you resemble the above family I am not judging you, as I help people work themselves up from this hole weekly. But today is the day. Stop. Do Not Buy Anything Else- EVEN PREP STUFF. I guarantee that you have enough right now, and if you don't you would not be able to utilize the prep stuff you bought because you are more a consumer than one who buys with purpose.

Today is the day. Set up a yard sale. Advertise like crazy-and say it is a moving sale(this is not a lie-because you are moving from being a poor money manager to a wise one). Have everything that I listed in the sale- Ipods, TVs etc...at fair prices but understand that they MUST GO. Then use the yard sale money to pay your final phone bill on your cell phone(if you are still bound by a contract-and disconnect the cell service- TODAY). We have survived incredible catastrophes not having a way to contact those we love. Holy heck- you can rediscover conversations with people at the grocery as you will cease having ridiculous conversations with another person about a double latte or something(knowing full well that the person you are chatting with on cell phone is also on Facebook and slightly paying attention to you as they are most likely at work).

I am hearing many reasons why this is impossible. I am hearing justifications- I can't cancel the contract- well why not? You have perhaps collection calls, so you are not being so honorable to other contracts. Enough is enough. To prepare for a situation also requires that one think on their feet. How prepared can you get if you cannot let go the biggest stumbling block ever- YOU?

2010 is the year of the prepper. To become a prepper, one must understand that eventually you will accumulate items to see you through a crisis of some sort... but what goes hand in hand with the stockpiling is the knowledge of what to do in a crises. We are also stockpiling lost skills as preppers. We are learning how to grow foods, prepare foods, and live without items that are nonsensical(such as a preteen having a cell phone)...now is the time to become the prepper that you should be.
(c) Jennifer Double Nickel Farm

Money Matters

2010-01-02T07:26:00.000-08:00

I think that it is time to get very real as a prepper. I know I am fairly direct(blunt) as I write about prepping, I will continue on that path to make sure that folks understand that the time is now to change our behaviors.

IRL(in real life) I am what one would call a Life Coach. I will meet with the person, ask them some questions, assess their life and then lay out a plan to make changes for them. Most often the biggest block in their lives is nothing more than themselves. That is what is the problem now for even those living the prepping lifestyle.

Keeping this in mind, I have decided to begin posting about money and why the lack of controlling your money will control you instead. I have been sensing that some people, in seeing the way the economy is heading, have disregarded financial savvy anticipating the death of the dollar. Maybe this sounds blunt but one can see it from a mile away...

The reason our nation is at the brink economically is complete and utter disregard of common sense. So let's apply that here as a prepper. We have built up storage and perhaps even stored up some second amendment items and all the while paid minimum payments on credit cards, etc. Storage will run out, ammo will dwindle, but common sense will allow people to pull through any crisis. Against everything I have ever said, I have decided that we need to stop being part of the problem. Stop buying anything else and pay of the debts we have. Now is the time. This is the year, and we are the preppers. We must cease being the problem that has crumbled our foundation as a nation and begin being part of the solution.

How much supplies could a western traveler bring when he loaded up his family in a Conestoga wagon and headed to the great unknown? Well not to much and as the family traveled the trail became littered with the excess items as they realized the burden that the extra weight placed on the team hauling the wagon was far greater than the benefit of the item. Moral of this story, the pioneers that came West, were strong hearty stock, that started with nothing, and they...were the backbone of the building of this great nation.

You see they understood that it was not a tangible item that made them successful, but something inside them. They had an inner strength to achieve the personal dream of owning a piece of God's great planet and were willing to sacrifice everything to achieve it. But the honor system was the majority not the minority then. Yes as in all times there was evil doers, but when a man shook on something that was gold, and he did everything in his power to honor the commitment. People did not expect handouts, children worked with the parents as the family either worked together or the family would have failed.

The first homes were dugouts(literally a room or two dugout in the prairie) sodhouses or cabins so drafty that many pioneer journals discussed daubing in extreme detailing to remedy the situation. Life was not easy, but the understanding was that by the sweat of their brows it could become anything that they desired. The women were not submissive, meek, spineless people that is portrayed often in Hollywood. The woman worked side by side, and was an equal otherwise the system would have failed. We know that the settlement of the west led us to such incredible heights(worldwide) that the template that they set was a keeper. Like everything though, these settlers made the classic mistake. They didn't want the next generation to have the hardships they had, so each generation was molly coddled a bit more, thinking that this was a good thing. Where we are now as a society is because we wished our children to have more. This is a problem.

It is time to unload the clutter in our wagons...or in modern speak the debt that is weighing us down. We are resilient as people and we will do what is needed to survive. We must cease spending with the debt over our heads. Now is the day. We must look to what was successful in the past to direct us today. No debt should be the goal- we should not work 40+ hours to be in a home because you are paying heavily to have it. The time is now to build up personal responsibility once again.

Give up the TVs, land lines, and cable. Get rid of the toys(four wheelers, snowmobiles, boats, and extra cars) and pay off your debt. Hook line and sinker each generation has bought into this need for a grander more extravagant home. How big is your home? How big is your payment to live in your castle? How much sweat and stress, and strife goes into maintaining the new American dream?

I said yesterday and I will repeat every post- 2010 is the year of the Prepper. We must become like the pioneers of yesterday and take back this nation through character, ideals, and standards and remove the bondage of usury(credit) as our ancestors(the pioneer stock) would have been appalled to owe a debt to anyone. They would have rather died.

Now is the time- are you ready?

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T03:30:00.000-08:00

Items for your storage

2009-12-30T07:22:00.001-08:00

Here is a simple list for the storage today:
matches
candles(12)
bar soap(12)
peroxide(3)
toothbrushes(1 per person)
cotton swabs(you know Q-tips)

1 lb. dried item(such as lentils, pinto bean etc)
1 lb. rice

So that is the list, depending on where you shop or if you make your own soap, this list should be fairly inexpensive. Make sure that you put a date on each item 12-30-09 so that you know when you purchased it and rotate it. Please remember that you should not buy items that you and your family do not already eat. You also need to remember that these items should be stored in what I call an in house grocery store. Your storage is not something that you fill and never touch. No, it is something that is slowly being built up, while you use from it.

I believe that a problem for many people is not grasping the notion that we are not storing up goods to leave alone. I believe that one should be storing up goods to help one in a crisis, or something economically devastating, but use them. If I were regularly buying only for the week, this should change to buying for the week, while stockpiling items that you already use. If toothbrushes go on sale stock up(a toothbrush should last two-3 months, so don't over load on an item that you may only need 5 per person).

I pray that those who visit here understand that having storage to get one over a crisis is critical. I pray that those who stop by go to the store and buy a few extra items for the times ahead. We are crossing into uncharted territory(as many economic forecasters have stated) and therefore the comforts we find in our corner grocery may not be there as readily or as cheaply as we have grown accustomed to.

Happy New Year
Jen

Alarming

2009-12-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

DHS has done WHAT??? Here's a snippet:

The Department of Homeland Security has placed an order for 200
million rounds of pistol ammunition (.40 caliber, hollow-point) over the next
five years for use by its Immigration, Customs and Enforcement
division.

Go here to read Wizbang's take, or here, or here at Gun Reports.

I have news for you readers To Me This is Pretty Alarming News.

Prepping Humor From the Younger Preppers

2009-12-28T06:48:00.000-08:00

One of my sons told me this today and I knew I needed to share it with the Preppers!

If the world ends in 2012, I would have spent my whole life in
school...lovely.

It is always important to get a broad perspective of any and all things that may occur, and the thoughts of fellow family members. Ironic that the fear in this above quote is non existent, and only an observation about what a waste something was. Perhaps we could take something from this little gem: Are we wasting our time on things that, if the world were to end are full of it? Now I am not suggesting that we give up hobbies or things that offer us a bit of relaxation. I am only thinking about the things that are absolutely zero for what life is about. Sometimes this makes me think about when we lived in Nevada, and folks would commute 100 miles(one way) to Las Vegas for the big paying jobs- every day. To me from the outside, that seems to be a waste. Is the money that great? Is the commute worth it on the vehicle? Is the commute worth it on the relationship one has with his or her spouse or children? To me I could never see that work out as a positive in my head, but I must remind you that my thoughts about what is wasteful are mine, please take this post as a time to assess things in your life based on your needs, wants and goals.

Happy New Year in case I don't see you all again until 2010~

Hurry Up and Wait

2009-12-24T06:13:00.000-08:00

Is that how prepping has become as no serious crises has happened? Life is still awesome, job intact, and you spend like you always have?

What are you doing? Are you one who desperately needs a "high" to continue or do you appreciate that a life of a prepper is a lifestyle change. Living does not cease, nor does joy or happiness. No, the only thing that changes is that way you see things and the way you do things. Gone should be the conditioned spender that needs new all the time. Gone should be the conditioned spender that has no clue how to maintain anything. Gone should be the conditioned spender that has no idea how to make any food of substance from scratch. Gone should be the person who was properly molded into a consumer living a life based on a number. Gone should be the person who is living in a home only as a step to the bigger, better home in the best neighborhood. Gone should be the person that has no clue what contentment is.

Yes, I ended that paragraph with what has happened to all of us. In the frenzied path of accumulation we have lost our simple ways, our simple joy and peace in appreciating the real things in life. Capitalism is not this...but it has been converted to this bizarro interpretation...and then spun by the Left. When everything at your fingertips has been made in China, how can it be Capitalism that has gone awry?

I say it is time to hurry up and wait. If you can begin thinking about a move to a rural place near the work that you have. If you can, begin spending money on the one tangible thing out there~ land. Not over priced land that is in a hip locale...no, buy land that can be used and lived on. This will carry on for generations. Buy land that has water- that is a place that you can hurry up and wait.

Just my thoughts.

Merry Christmas to You All

From The Double Nickel Farm

Must See Chart

2009-12-17T17:45:00.000-08:00

Unemployment Chart from 2007 to 2009 - actually it is a few second animated chart(click on words "unemployment chart- as my computer does not show link)

Kind of shocking if you asked me.

Thursday To Do List

2009-12-17T07:19:00.000-08:00

This is a simple list: add food to your food storage.

Rice- 2lbs
flour- 5lbs
fruit-either dried or cans at least 2 bags of dried or 6 cans
vegetables-canned 6

Circle the actual expiration date on the food item- then write the date of purchase underneath. It is very important to rotate the foods in your storage.

As to Christmas- if you cannot pay cash for an item- DO NOT BUY IT. If you are in arrears on payments elsewhere-DO NOT SPEND MONEY ON GIFTS. Pay your debts. Sorry if this comes off as harsh but we need to start relearning or learning how to be financially responsible. Gifts do not make the holidays.

Ideas for Christmas- have a game day, where you have playoffs with the chart. You can play two player games like chess, checkers, ping pong, or mancala- then keep going until there is a grand champion.

Have a day of baking cookies- and actually decorating them the old fashioned way, without all the store bought falseness. Show enthusiasm and your children will too. Plot giving two dozen cookies to a neighbor and go and sing carols and deliver the gifts.

Have a day where you sit and do crafts or projects such as models with the family. It was fun when we were kids, but as of late the game systems, the computers, and the TVs take away from simple pleasures. Remember that models do not need to be store bought. I remember during the Stars Wars craze of the seventies, my brothers made Star Wars ships, that they hung from their bedroom ceiling, from shampoo bottles- and they were truly sharp!

Have a day where you plot with your children to make a gift for the other parent-even if you are divorced. The other parent may not be your spouse anymore but they will forever more be your children's parent. This will create so much respect from your child. Your action will speak so loudly.

Sit down and write a year in review with your family. Instead of embellishing it for those you mail it to, be true and document even the seemingly trivial things. Make a cover and then when you take down decorations leave this in the Christmas box. Each year read the previous years accomplishments, then add to them.

Make coupon books for each member of your family for something that you can do for them.

These corny ideas are only corny, because the media has played us like fools. If we do not spend money then we are poor, or someone will have a terrible day. This is not the case. If you have debt be responsible, and then you can give in a unique way which cost nothing at all. You can give of yourself...and to be honest the birth of Christ, leads us to the ultimate gift of One, as Christ gave all for us.

Don't forget to mark Thursday on your calendar- To Do: Add to food storage.
(c) Double Nickel Farm
Jennifer

To Prepare To...

2009-12-14T06:37:00.000-08:00

A town in the mountains went without power due the wind and snow storm that we had last week. I want to share some things about this not to make this a post about a local story, but a post on how we should prepare for anything and everything.

Losing electricity during storms is a common occurrence nationally, but could you go without power for a week, or more? The folks in Cloudcroft, NM had to do just that as they were without power for several days. Sadly many ended up going to hotels, or coming down the mountain and living in a shelter set up in Alamogordo, NM. Crises come in all shapes and sizes and not every crises should require you bug out to another locale.

But ill preparedness does require leaving and most likely with no plan or direction.

Not every situation a prepper prepares for is of rogue government takeovers or the likes. Preppers prepare for things that naturally occur in their regions too. In fact, this should be your number one thing to prep for because each year we deal with the natural weather situations such as hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, floods, and such. These will do more damage to more people annually. So this is the time to prepare.

Do you live where blizzards are a risk to you? If so, why not invest in a woodstove, as if you have one then you can stay in your home even without power. You can heat water to sponge bathe, cook, and heat the home. You will not have pipes freeze if your power goes out, and the family is not shaken up with the crises. It will not define you if you can maintain normalcy in your home.

Suppose you are on vacation to a resort island. Do you understand that tsunamis are a risk? If many a few years ago understood that a receding water line is NEVER something you should go out and see, the numbers of dead would have been less. The tourists were the ones that did this, as most did not live near coastlines and were ill prepared for what to expect if a natural disaster occurred.

Where I live, because of a construction site east of us(near the base of the mountains) it seems like we are going to have to deal with flooding because of man diverting a natural arroyo(wash). So preparing next year began this year. The animals are not going to be at risk like they were last year. We are planning for what we know as this is what prepping should be about. We should ascertain what is possible in the regions we live in and study resolutions and prepare for them. Basements are a must in the band of the country known as Tornado Alley. For those on the coasts- hurricane prep is a must. Not the week it is heading your way, but today, when hurricane season is over- this is the time to buy the plywood and materials to cover your windows.

Does this make sense? We must prepare for all situations that we are exposed to, first. Then we must have a few bug out places to go to if in a crisis we have to leave our homes.

As to having a bug out place chosen if all heck breaks loose and our economy tanks- well this is something entirely different. This is something that if you must do, prepare for now. How you prepare is not about how much you have in food storage or preps, but how you will adapt to leaving all you know to head to an unknown. Can you preserve foods? Can you grow foods? Can you butcher an animal? Can you build a structure? Can you find water? Can you protect yourself? These questions are critical to prepare for now. If you cannot do any of these things than you are ill prepared for a situation that may be a national crisis. The reality is that if a situation arises where you will be facing a meltdown nationally-you will need as much moxie and skills possible. I recommend that you prepare now by reading as many books as possible about the above listed items, and then trying to apply them in simple training lessons. I will write more later.

Jennifer

Northern New Mexico Information

2009-12-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the tip CKraus 111!(Feel free to email me if you would like to write for New Mexico Preppers as I would love to have another New Mexican sharing prepper skills, information, and ideas)(hint ~hint!)

Gun Show This Weekend at Expo NM December 12-13, 2009 8 AM - 4 PM

Albuquerque Tea Party will have a table at the Expo NM Gun Show in Albuquerque this weekend. We will also have a raffle for a gift certificate to one of the major Shooting & Sporting stores. Come see us and be sure to check out our flyer's from other concerned groups, including the NRA and Oath Keepers.

Quarterly Meeting and Greet January 16, 2010 7 PM - 11 PM. Albuquerque Tea Party has extended an invitation to all congressional candidates for this Quarterly Meet and Greet. Join us in getting to know them and strike up a conversation with other like minded people so we can coordinate our game plan for 2010.

Pass this on to anyone else you feel might be interested and RSVP soonest (bokor1933@aol.com; rsvp@abqteaparty.com).

Please RSVP no later than January 8, 2010.The Inn at Rio Rancho1465 Rio Rancho Blvd(a little past Sara Road)Hors d'oeurves, tea and water will be served. Cash bar.$12 per person, payable at the door.Large attendance expected.RSVP required. Space is limited. See www.albuquerqueteaparty.com for additional details.

Prepare Now

2009-12-11T08:18:00.000-08:00

Do people find you odd or unusual because of the lifestyle that you live? I say so what! Check out this family that was a traveling reporter team from the mid 1930's.

Now during the Depression many people lived in their cars in a less than desirable fashion all because they didn't have the means to live anywhere else, nor realized that they could improve the situation. You do see the times that are coming our way. We may not be able to have the perfect prep closet, but we can have the vision that we can make life comfortable.

I do not believe we have seen the end of the housing crisis, and I do believe that many people will become homeless. So then what? Are you prepared to think outside the box? Are you concerned what others will think? Or have you considered options such as living in a tent at a national park(for example)?

I know that there are some folks out there that will be blindsided when they lose their home- whether it is unforeseen or a tragedy occurs, but others know that they are close and refuse to prepare. If you are close to losing your home because you have not made payments, prepare. Look for options now. Do not resort to pleading in front of a news camera...stand up now and look. The burden is heavy if you are close. But this is not the end of the world. Many rise from failure and shine. I know that this is hard to believe because we live in times where everyone is a winner, and many have never had to learn that one must know how to lose in order to win.

Now is the time. If you are close to losing your home- do not, I repeat- do not purchase anything for the holidays- no justification. Stop now. Make a card for the loved ones, or refurbish something you already have, or just be honest with those you love. Now is the time. Children will understand. Please prepare now.

Why?

2009-12-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

I have been deeply reflective for the past few days, pondering one word~why? You see alarm bells and common sense have fallen away. We are in the epic battle for a way of living that has granted freedom to so many and hope to so many more. Yet doubletalk has won.

We are no longer discussing if we should have government run healthcare- nope...we gullible Americans are concerned now only if abortion should be covered. The snakes did a bait and switch and the conservatives have allowed themselves to be pulled in.

How dare we? Hasn't the blood of those before us meant anything?

How dare we? We have fallen like everyone else. You know how? By justifying our actions. I do this because. I do that because. So when the Left justifies we cave as we have lost our foundation.

Stop waiting for something big to happen. Stop waiting for a crisis to happen.

It already has.

We all have been too busy to realize it. With climategate we realize that we have been lied to for a long time, yet many, even preppers will discuss the planet and how we need to care for it...you see the bait and switch occurred and we were just trying to be good citizens.

With everything going on it is hard to keep up on events... it seems like each day we have something else that the government is doing. Perverting our children? Check- have you removed your children from public school? No, because of justifying. I am tired of how we all cannot understand that the battle is not in how much we have in preps, but how the government has stolen the next generation- and we sent them, all nicely tucked in a bright yellow bus.

It is over.

So now what? I received an email confirming what I had read over the weekend about what our children are being taught. Now I am pretty naive on things of this nature, because I choose not to read about perverted sexual behaviors. I get people have sex with animals, and do abhorrent things to eachother- I do not need to read anything else. But dear friends, when the government is teaching YOUR CHILDREN fisting, and you allow them to continue to go to school I have lost my zeal to share anymore.

Jen, it does not happen at my children's school. ???? Are you trying to cover your shame or do you really believe this? I am sorry if this comes off as harsh...but we need to prep in all areas of our lives. Our children need to be taught- and who better than you? Do you want them to hate Christopher Columbus? Do you want them to read about Kwanzaa and not Christmas? Do you want the children to have school supplies with the Obama logo and campaign motto on it? Do you want your children to praise our president like Christians praise God? Jen, my kids don't do these things.

Are you sure?

What can you do? Please do not be angry at me because I wrote these things. Our public schools are not quaint places to send children to learn their ABC's...no it is a place where an agenda of the Left has reigned for decades. Your children have been taught to be good little people. Questionnaires are given often that never reach home, all about mom and dad, and what you may have at home. Have you ever fought? The Left desires to create America's youth- and they are against you. Public school separates the family unit and now promotes anything but this unit. White males need not ever be promoted and capitalism is EVIL. My kids need a good job therefore they need a good education, is that what you are telling me(or yourself)? Because this is a sellout if I have ever heard one. My kids need the sports and extracurricular activities Jen. Why? How much do you spend so the little ones can play on a team? How much gas do you spend? How much do you spend eating out? Now, are you in debt? Then why? We must cease to pamper the children all the while driving straight into debt. Join city teams, the Y, or church leagues. None of these costs as much as it does in public schools. We have allowed this notion that the children can play- then when they marry they are ill prepared to work as they played in gradeschool, played in middle school, played in high school, and played in college(I mean I wrote a final exam essay that was a blog- come on~) so then the adult is launched and has no clue that work is the key...and hard work at that.

Public school teaches that everyone is a winner. Not in my book...and I would love to challenge these kids in life skills- cause if it is me or a winner that never was taught how to lose, I am going to win every time. We need both sides, to drive us. We need our children to learn how to fail, as well as succeed.

The time is now.

Rethinking Everything

2009-12-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

The life of a prepper often means that one must rethink everything. This should not be seen as a negative- different is good in my opinion. For the past four years(it has been five since Bill's accident but he needed a year of recovery before returning to any kind of work) I have been sending homemade lunches. Instead of humdrum cold sandwiches, I try and create meals that Bill loves and that will recharge him while he is working. So this post is a photo sharing of what I made a week or two ago for Bill- and to give you ideas on how to save money in your life, so you can pay off any debt that you may have so that you are not weighed down so heavily.

If you don't have any debt than most likely you can use your money to shore up any prep items that you need or to maintain a vehicle or a roof(you get the idea).

Five meals cost me under $2.00~ each week. Pictured below is a taco meal that is simple, but Bill loves.

Corn torts toasted on the comal- once they start toasting I fold them in the shape of a taco shell.

My older brother(when he lived nearby) saved his TV dinner tray's because I new the minute I saw them that I would use them to send meals to work for Bill. I have about 20 of them! I cook the beans weekly in the crock pot over night. I start them around ten and then by 6 am they are ready. In addition to serving them in any meals I send with Bill, we eat them through the week. The taco has cheddar cheese on the bottom, seasoned ground beef- the sides are beans and a jalapeno.

I use the shower cap style plastic thingies to cover the meal. Believe it or not I wash these out and reuse them!

Then I stack the five meals and put them all inside a plastic grocery bag and freeze. In the morning I will grab one meal and send it with Bill. I also will send a homemade desert, water, tea or a fruit drink too.

Preparing meals in advance does take planning- in fact, I am browning some meat as I type this post for next weeks meals. But this time is well spent as you know what you are eating, and what hands touched your food. Please take the time to reduce the amount of time you spend on eating out, and put this surplus money towards storage.

Jennifer

I need your help...

2009-12-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

I have been busy for a few days and decided to come clean with my prepping blog friends! For the past 15 weeks I have been taking an on-line writing course as I am working on a book about my farm life and felt that it would help.

The problem was that I was required to participate in a community service project for up to 15 hours- boy I am none to pleased with the liberal notions of what will make a person community minded(instead of civilly minded).

Anyhow I had to write a final essay in any forum I choose to share my experiences that I had while performing my community service. Not for one moment did I change anything that I am already doing. You see, I write for prepping sites and have mini courses at the farm for those interested in learning the ways of my family and I on the farm. So I created a blog to share these tips. Please swing by and leave me some comments! I must ask that you not mention that you may *know* me, as I held back what blogs I have- I am guarded that way to protect my family. But as a humble request I do hope you will swing over and say something!

Oh and my brother caught a terrible thing I did on the blog- see if you catch it- I did not do it intentionally and am a bit embarrassed that it happened- innocent as it is.(don't mention it there but come back here and tell me if you see my terrible mistake)

Living Frugally

Thank You All!
Jennifer

Please Take a Moment

2009-12-02T06:33:00.000-08:00

...and read the comments in addition to the previous post. Wonderful thoughtful series of comments which take us full circle on groups or clans! Thank you!

btw-for some reason I cannot leave a comment or post comments. My internet times out. So here I am in post form!
Jen

Groups or Clans(and this and that)

2009-11-24T08:27:00.000-08:00

What can I say? I have been trying to be upbeat and positive in blogging about prepping but I have had a few days where I just want to scream- therefore I have held back from blogging.

I cannot believe how obvious it is. I cannot believe how close we are to the dollar's demise. I cannot believe that so many Americans have no idea what is coming. I cannot believe it myself sometimes. Recovery from this path seems impossible. I am an optimist so I do have hope, but am clear as to the next bend in the road. I cannot believe that things could have happened so quickly and therefore that is why I have been silent these past few days. I wish things were not this way. I wish things would go back to a time of idyllic days where we planned future events, not sat wondering if today was the day.

Now off to another thought, Bullseye posted something the other day and I decided instead of leaving a comment that I would post my thoughts here.
Group or Clan
Pros and Cons
What ifs are big in the very real scenario of the dollar crashing and America changing as a result. I am a prepper because my world crashed quite literally a few years ago. I do not see this as a negative as my life is peaceful pleasant with much time to be with the ones I love.

The topic is whether we should have a group or a plan in the EOTWAWKI scenario. I have decided to give some of my thoughts as one makes the best decisions when it can be made with much information as possible.

I live in a remote area where I do not know too many of my neighbors. One neighbor borders on the law in nearly every action that he takes. We have caught them on our property twice now, and each time they are vague in the reasoning. They are a lot of people that I see as a problem in the situations that Bullseye linked and wrote about.

My husband and I talk often about those in our community that as of yet are not preppers but are people that we can unite with and take steps to learning to survive in a world that as I type is so hard to even imagine. I suppose watching The Patriot with Mel Gibson is allowing me to even consider such frightening of a scenario. We are approaching times of uncertainty. We are approaching times where we will need to take a course much different than we are used to. So we talk about those in our community that are like minded although not prepping. We not only think about those that would be best because of their military might, or the weapons that they have. We consider much more than that.

You see a community can fail because of a snippity woman who has nothing but meddling on her mind. A community can fail because a man will not lift a finger in work when even the most frail will. A community will fail when children lack respect for their elders, and where wives and husband cannot rise above petty bickering. I believe that plotting to have groups to preserve not only lives but a livelihood is critical. But to survive to have a member step out and reveal too much, or to cause friction in a group is a member that will be a problem.

I see the plan for grouping important, but I see that as our failure as a nation currently. We failed to hold up honor and integrity. We failed to check behavior of unruly children, we failed to require marriage to be upheld above all cost. We failed to support the family, to protect the weak and infirm, and to honor God. How then can we recapture all these precious things lost in a horrific end of world scenario? Will we suddenly change who we are? Can we expect the reality situation to cease that we all are so accustomed to?

I think not. I am not trying to be disrespectful to others prepping. But the reality is that we will not change who we are, therefore all our prepping will be for naught. My suggestion is that we change now who we are. I suggest that we reach so far deep inside us, to find the character that we all wish for. If we do not do these things our future is bleak.
Just my thoughts
Jennifer

Optimism for the Dollar

2009-11-17T19:12:00.000-08:00

It still can be used as a kitty toy and kitty bedding. Shwew~ I was beginning to believe that the dollar would never have value again.

Fret ??

2009-11-16T18:28:00.000-08:00

The main stream media is so informative.
I cannot believe how careful they are not to insert their own bias when reporting stories.
How fortunate we are as Americans to have freedom of the press.

Psych!

Of course I am full of it!
Check this article title out: AP Poll: Americans fret over health overhaul costs

We fret!?

Really!?

Fret!?

Let me make this very clear- we do not fret. We are furious over this nonsense of spending our nation into financial ruin. We are furious over this nonsense that everyone will have healthcare, then we have that interesting tidbit that those who do not have coverage will go to jail or face fines.

Wait~ how can this be so?

Have I forgot to mention who will be receiving blanket amnesty next spring and summer?

TWENTY MILLION PLUS ILLEGALS...

Now to that spending until we are in financial ruin~ these twenty million uninsured soon to be Americans will pound the final nail into the coffin.

I am not one to fret...that seems to be a characteristic of the lily livered~ pansy~ fruit tooty media that cannot report the news, but help create(invent) or spin the news.

P.S. Uncle Sam~ Stop Ramming Things Down Our Throats

2009-11-13T22:30:00.000-08:00

In addition to my previous post's question, I have had it with late night surprise bills, and the latest crap fest of bringing the 9-11 mastermind to NYC to try him in a civilian court... on a Friday...enough is enough~

Help Me Figure This Out?

2009-11-13T17:48:00.000-08:00

If Health Care will be for everyone- then why will some go to jail for not having coverage???

Do you see the deception of the Left? Please, please link to this post and have as many people as possible see this. Everyone needs to see this question and clearly see that this is a scam first and foremost.

Jennifer

Now is the Time: Part 1 trillion and 1

2009-11-12T18:12:00.000-08:00

Now is the time to learn how to make bread. Yes, all kind of bread. No, taking a frozen loaf out and allowing it to rise then baking it is not making bread(I know as this is how I made bread for 17 years of my marriage-thank you Schwan's Man!!) Learning to make bread is kind of scary at first and kind of hard to understand until you just sink your hands into the dough!

For several years I really wanted a breadmaker. I mean how neat could this be? But I never bought one, even though I could have anytime I wished. So I guess it was not a priority as store bought bread or defrosting a frozen loaf worked for me. Many times I would buy several loaves of bread from my favorite bread store...Great Harvest Bread Company.

Then fast forward and buying bread, even the cheap 59 cent kind slowly crept out of my league as the kids went through it so fast. I missed oatmeal honey bread, raisin bread, and well the free samples from Great Harvest Bread Company! So I went to a thrift store in town and found this book...and the world of breadmaking in my life began.
Several of the pages were kind of well used(you know) which to me meant here is a good recipe...and so I started there.

I can make six loaves of white bread so fast, well not as fast as the way one loaf is always eaten...within minutes of coming out of the oven, but fast none the less!

I can also make unleavened breads, and I actually know what that means.! The center loaf is what I entered in our county fair 2 years ago. It is applesauce bread...I was asked by many people for this recipe. You want to know why? Because I was comfortable enough to begin tweaking recipes and make my own versions and styles of bread!

Here are a few breads I made a few months ago...back left oatmeal wheat bread, back right sourdough rolls, front bagels, front right sourdough bread.

These are pinto bean bread...yummy. I also have won a blue ribbon for this recipe too!

But my learning is a nice story to read, but will not help you out one bit. You must understand that bread has been part of our diets for a long time, and you will miss it if you cannot make it.

I could share recipes etc, but the time is NOW for you to learn how to make bread. Start simple if you are like how I was nervous (as I opted for shop class instead of home ec- shop teacher was a cutie...and never learned how to make bread). Begin making flour tortillas. This is a simple recipe and the taste will leave you ready to jump and begin making breads.

The time is now to learn this skill. I am not suggesting that anyone needs to become Susie Homemakers etc, but I am suggesting that this is and will be a valuable skill. By memorizing a few recipes you can make bread without a book. Everyone around you will love you more, as you are the bread king(no pc correctness here folks!)

Please take the time to learn skills that will benefit you. Our leaders want to put you in jail if you do not have health insurance...SO DON'T YOU DOUBT THAT ANYTHING ELSE. The concern is NOT for the people, but for a Change that will take our nation to a place we are not ready for. Prepping will help you through this...

Now is the Time: Part 1 trillion(my new fav number thanks to current spending spree)

2009-11-11T21:33:00.000-08:00

Food Storage Daily Tally

chunky applesauce- canned 8 pints
zucchini pickles-canned 4 pints
dried limes-10
dried lemons-5

While sharing this tally I thought I would repeat myself. I am probably sounding like a broken record(for those of you who remember what this sounds like-lol) but I am going to once again stress that now is the time.

Now is the time to stock up on some powdered milk- it is very easy to use in baking and cooking. It does not taste like store bought milk(this is why I have goats in addition to storing powdered milk). But I make all my bread using powdered milk- every morn I make either oatmeal or arroz con leche and use powdered milk. Please stock up on this item, as you do not realize how much you use it until it is gone.

Now is the time to stock up on some honey- it is pricey unless you can buy it at Costco or Sam's club. Honey is so good for the body in joint health and in other ways. Honey is so soothing for sore throats. Honey is a great complement to peanut butter and has NO corn syrup in it like nearly all jellies and jams(unless you have canned your own).

Now is the time to stock up on baking powder-look for aluminum free...it should not be too much more than the one with aluminum...this is something important in baking and can be made from cornstarch and baking soda in a pinch...but if you stock up now then you will be ahead of the game.

Now is the time to create 2 rotating sets of menus- weeks one repeats itself as does week three. Most data suggest that families eat pretty much only ten meals or combination or varieties of the ten meals. Include breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks per day... Then refocus your stockpiling as this will give you focus. Please remember that you can change the feel of a meal by adjusting just a few items, and still maintain the integrity of stockpiling items to meet these menus.

Now is the time to understand that you will never have everything. Never. How about the skills you do have? I suggest that you need one additional book that you may not have...click here.

Thank You

2009-11-11T06:39:00.000-08:00

Your service matters to me. To all Veterans I salute you today and everyday!
Thank you.
Double Nickel Farm has more

Hello

2009-11-10T14:50:00.000-08:00

I thought I would just say hello from New Mexico.

~oh and remind you that if you can stock up foods, medicines, vitamins, toiletries I would advise you to do so. I feel pressed to write to you that stocking up time is now. I would skip some things over others.

~tomato sauce goes for about 20 cents a can----it is a base for so many foods...

~lard---it is cheaper than Crisco, and I think that the taste in products is much better...

~canned tomatoes---the gallon of whole peeled tomatoes at Costco is under 2.50...

~rice---- bring home and freeze for a day or two to kill off any thing in...

~chocolate---all kinds. What I read from those who are living solely off food storage is that they never had enough chocolate products. So chocolate syrup, cocoa, chocolate cake mix, brownie mixes, chocolate pudding...I am not a big chocolate fan but this advice is sound, so I promote it and have myself been adding these items for my family.

My advice to the two or so that read this blog is that if you can buy some food because you have a few coins PLEASE do so!!

I can not stress this enough so I am typing this again...Please, please buy wisely and plan ahead.
Jen

The Time Is Now

2009-11-10T06:37:00.000-08:00

After reading several blogs and even from what I feel, I believe a sense of urgency is upon us all. We are beginning to understand that we may not learn everything, but we feel pressed to continue on.

I have been a huge advocate of preparing foods yourself instead of buying store bought canned goods. I do understand that it is an easy fix and quick, but it is far too wasteful on your budget and health.

A pound of dried beans equals 2 cups of cooked beans. A can of 15.5 oz beans is just about 1 cup of beans with added ingredients such as corn syrup, sugar, and other preservatives. The price I pay for one bag(1 pound of beans) is around $1.00. What I noted for canned beans even generic or store brands cost around 80 cents! So for the same quantity you pay an additional 60 cents per item. Now that may seem inconsequential when we think of one item, but take it to the scale of food storage for a family of four for the year. According to the food storage calculator a family of four needs about 240 pounds of beans. Make your dollar go further and invest in more for less.

I cannot negate the value of preparing the beans yourself. You can monitor anything put in and of course season the beans for your likes. Click here to learn about all the different kinds of beans that are out there. Click here to learn how to reduce the potential gas that the beans cause.

I challenge all readers to buy ten pounds of beans a week until the New Year. This will be such a benefit to you. By the way on each bag of dried beans is a way to prepare them and how to soak the beans so if you do not remember to print the bean page you will be fine. It does take planning, but is easy to get in the routine.

For another tip this week the sweet potato is being spotlighted on Worlds Healthiest Foods. If you are a smoker please read about the sweet potato because it is excellent in combating things that cigarettes cause. I love sweet potatoes but do not eat them the traditional way. I eat one sweet potato each day- I peel it, dice it, and skillet cook it in 1 tbsp of olive oil.

Friends please heed the importance of preparing. Be smart with your money even if you are comfy financially, as you could spend more wisely...when we see all the signs around us of a government that is choosing to isolate us from our allies(think Barack Obama NOT attending the 20 year anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down)...and our dollar has lost its value and nations are crying for another currency...IT IS REAL. The prepper circuit is here to clue you in via many volunteers how to build up storage, prep for scenarios, and how to out last anything. The question is this: ARE YOU WILLING TO SEE THE TRUTH?

Jen

Monday Stockpiling

2009-11-09T08:23:00.000-08:00

As it is November I am suggesting that all readers take advantage of the holiday sales.

Turkey-cook, can freeze, make broth
pumpkin(in can)- soups, pies, cookies, breads, muffins
cranberry sauce- cookies, granola bars as is
broth- beef or chicken- for soup base, for those ill
sweet potatoes- can, dry, as is
potatoes- can, dry, as is
celery- dry, as is
olives- as is
cane sugar- in place of refined sugar
pickles-as is
mayonnaise- as is
gravy mixes
cran drinks
oranges- dry, as is
nuts- great and store in freezer
spices- many on sale -stock up
jello- this is a good thing to have on hand for small children or when sick(drink hot)
cake mixes, frostings, cocoa- all important for sanity items in crises

So do you get the idea? Use your change jars and invest in your food storage this holiday season. I recommend curbing ALL holiday expenses(usually stuff that we don't want and break days after the holidays) and instead make items for loved ones. A few years ago I made a monopoly board game for the family of all the places we lived and where all the children were born. It was a big hit and I learned how much I wasted for years by not thinking ahead of simple ideas that would unite the family instead of causing financial dependency. We are a huge part of the problem with the economy as we have had to have things now, instead of saving for items. Now is the time to remove commercialism from our homes. This is the time to stop.
Jen