Mmmmmm. The smell of fresh homemade bread fills the air as my body screams in protest to swinging my feet into the chilly morning air, over the end of the bed and into my comfy slippers. I've had this bread maker for two years but have never used it until we moved into our new home. With more counter space it has its own place on the shelf and anytime I want bread, I throw a few ingredients into the bucket that came with the bread maker and presto- hot fresh bread in a few hours!
The best part is I don't have to knead it or let it rise and knead it again etc. Now I know at the end of the world I would have to do the kneading etc. but since I was given the machine as a gift there's no need to let it go to waste. And I learn the ingredients to make different breads. French bread-no problem, rye bread, pumpernickel bread, peanut butter bread and the list goes on. I've also learned I need lots of yeast and flour to make bread everyday. I never would have realized how much ingredients it would take. I mean it's one thing for someone to say store 400 pounds of wheat per person and another thing for you to see the ingredients being used and the supply going down. (No we do not have our supply of wheat yet but we have been looking into a grain mill and trying to find a local place in central New York to buy bulk wheat. If anyone sells this please contact us. My wife is going to ask the Amish next time we go back to the Amish store.)
I recommend if you have a busy life but you need to practice your bread making skills for the end of the world without grocery stores that you do get a bread maker. You can throw the ingredients together in the morning in five minutes and have fresh bread when you arrive home that night. Not only will you learn what ingredients you'll need but you'll be putting together a bread cook book of your favorite recipes. I've been using allrecipes.com. They have some good recipes for bread machines breads and breads made in the oven.
Don't expect to make a perfect loaf of bread, or different kinds of bread without a little skill and know how. There is no reason not to start now to prepare for the future.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Living a Week without a Store
Saturday after we went to the Amish store and than to Aldi's (Discount Grocery Store)on the way home we decided we were going one week without going to a store.
We lived off food we had bought and food we had stored away. We could eat anything we had in the house. It turned out well. Though we did find we made a long list of items we wanted to have on hand for the future. I wanted some chewy spree (candy)to put in storage and wifey wanted more regular food.
We went to the store when this week was done and spent as much as we could on food. Not only to replenish our supplies but because we lacked items we wanted to have. Since this experiment, going a week without going to a grocery store is the norm. I'd like to get it to the point of going once a month except for fresh fruit & vegetables and milk (not living on canned or powdered ones until we have to at this point-though we do have them stored and we do circulate them).
We do save money by not going to the store more than once a week. All the extra things we think we need when we are there really do add up and in the end we had lived without them this long, did we really need them?
We also cut one expense. Paper towels. We were going through a roll or two every week for a yearly cost of over a hundred dollars. It doesn't seem like much at the time you buy them but they do add up. In the last two months I have bought one roll because we had a Christmas party and I thought guest would like their creature comforts. Other than that I haven't really missed them. I have wash clothes and real towels for any messes and they work just fine.
We lived off food we had bought and food we had stored away. We could eat anything we had in the house. It turned out well. Though we did find we made a long list of items we wanted to have on hand for the future. I wanted some chewy spree (candy)to put in storage and wifey wanted more regular food.
We went to the store when this week was done and spent as much as we could on food. Not only to replenish our supplies but because we lacked items we wanted to have. Since this experiment, going a week without going to a grocery store is the norm. I'd like to get it to the point of going once a month except for fresh fruit & vegetables and milk (not living on canned or powdered ones until we have to at this point-though we do have them stored and we do circulate them).
We do save money by not going to the store more than once a week. All the extra things we think we need when we are there really do add up and in the end we had lived without them this long, did we really need them?
We also cut one expense. Paper towels. We were going through a roll or two every week for a yearly cost of over a hundred dollars. It doesn't seem like much at the time you buy them but they do add up. In the last two months I have bought one roll because we had a Christmas party and I thought guest would like their creature comforts. Other than that I haven't really missed them. I have wash clothes and real towels for any messes and they work just fine.
Sauders--An Amish Store
This store was everything and more than we expected. We even found wheat there! We bought rye flour, wheat flour, hard white wheat, apples, a pineapple, pepperoncini peppers, farmers cheese, dried fruit (cheaper than we can make it), sun dried tomatoes, a pound of yeast, almond & cashew butter, blackstrap molasses, split peas and a few more things that escape me at the moment. It was interesting to see all the different items, all packaged in their own bags with their own labels.
I must say this store was crowded on Saturday. I personally can't stand crowds but I slowly made my way around each aisle checking out the items. As much as I liked looking around it was a big relief when I left the crowd behind. As I get older (I'm 40) I can't seem to handle a lot of people around.
I would probably go back again hopefully when there is less people. I wonder if week days are like that? Anyway, I have a few things I would like to get next time like powdered butter. Just sprinkle it on the bread. That sounds cool!
So I do recommend a trip to Sauders in Seneca Falls NY for the hard to find cooking supplies on your list. It is also a great place to go just to try something new or get wholesome and unprocessed items like homemade pickles, freshly ground nut butter or any kind of fresh jams or jellies you can imagine. Also there are items such as TVP and nutritional yeast for the veggies. Wifey was most impressed with the prices except for the nutritional yeast which can be found much cheaper at NatureTyme. It was a welcome change from the rows and rows of processed junk found in most grocery stores (although they have a great selection of bulk candy as well).
Be cautioned: Don't go in hungry. You'll buy even more food then you intend to!
I must say this store was crowded on Saturday. I personally can't stand crowds but I slowly made my way around each aisle checking out the items. As much as I liked looking around it was a big relief when I left the crowd behind. As I get older (I'm 40) I can't seem to handle a lot of people around.
I would probably go back again hopefully when there is less people. I wonder if week days are like that? Anyway, I have a few things I would like to get next time like powdered butter. Just sprinkle it on the bread. That sounds cool!
So I do recommend a trip to Sauders in Seneca Falls NY for the hard to find cooking supplies on your list. It is also a great place to go just to try something new or get wholesome and unprocessed items like homemade pickles, freshly ground nut butter or any kind of fresh jams or jellies you can imagine. Also there are items such as TVP and nutritional yeast for the veggies. Wifey was most impressed with the prices except for the nutritional yeast which can be found much cheaper at NatureTyme. It was a welcome change from the rows and rows of processed junk found in most grocery stores (although they have a great selection of bulk candy as well).
Be cautioned: Don't go in hungry. You'll buy even more food then you intend to!
Friday, December 4, 2009
The Internet Grocer
We were excited last night to get online and order a sampler pack from the Internet Grocer. We put the sampler in out cart. It had gone down 50 cents just this week and that made us feel even better about getting it and trying it out.
The sampler pack is a bunch of different dehydrated foods in a #10 can. We wanted to try the different kinds to see what we would want to stock up on. When we went to check out the shipping and handling was over $17. Needless to say we did not order from the internet grocer.
This can is filled with dehydrated food and can't weigh more than a few pounds. I read they charge $2.75 for handling alone. Maybe this wouldn't be bad if I was ordering in bulk but for a small order, with a budget, this is not the place for me to order from.
I understand the cost of shipping as I sell online too. In all fairness they do use UPS which tends to cost more for smaller packages. Unfortunately, I will not be ordering any small items from this company on my budget. If I could afford more in bulk I might check them out again to see what the shipping charge would be for a bigger order. It might be worth it to me then.
For those who have a larger budget then me: The company does have good prices on many products. Their items look appealing like cheese and butter in a can! That's great for long term storage! I also like the idea of ordering dented cans to try samples of a product (I didn't see the cost of these dented cans so make sure it's reasonable when ordering or you may just want to buy regular cans).
The good news for us is we still have the money we would have spent at the Internet Grocer. This weekend we're going to an Amish Store! We're both excited about this because we've never gone before. We hear you can get rye flour in bulk and such. I'll update the blog after we go to let you know all about it.
The sampler pack is a bunch of different dehydrated foods in a #10 can. We wanted to try the different kinds to see what we would want to stock up on. When we went to check out the shipping and handling was over $17. Needless to say we did not order from the internet grocer.
This can is filled with dehydrated food and can't weigh more than a few pounds. I read they charge $2.75 for handling alone. Maybe this wouldn't be bad if I was ordering in bulk but for a small order, with a budget, this is not the place for me to order from.
I understand the cost of shipping as I sell online too. In all fairness they do use UPS which tends to cost more for smaller packages. Unfortunately, I will not be ordering any small items from this company on my budget. If I could afford more in bulk I might check them out again to see what the shipping charge would be for a bigger order. It might be worth it to me then.
For those who have a larger budget then me: The company does have good prices on many products. Their items look appealing like cheese and butter in a can! That's great for long term storage! I also like the idea of ordering dented cans to try samples of a product (I didn't see the cost of these dented cans so make sure it's reasonable when ordering or you may just want to buy regular cans).
The good news for us is we still have the money we would have spent at the Internet Grocer. This weekend we're going to an Amish Store! We're both excited about this because we've never gone before. We hear you can get rye flour in bulk and such. I'll update the blog after we go to let you know all about it.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Christmas Ideas for Preppers
May not work for all preppers but for us who are beginning preppers:
1. Books on prepping. Their are so many I don't know where to begin. Maybe a gift card to Amazon so I can purchase the ones I want. There is also a Back to Basics autograph copy by James Talmage Stevens from his website. That looks like a good reference guide and is a lot about food storage from what I've read.
Along with prepping books I'd like some how to books. How to build a log cabin. How to garden. How to live on $10 a week. How to survive in the wilderness. How to make your own butter, bread, candles, canning etc.
Also magazines about these things would be good. And fiction books about the apocalypse or the world ending.
2. Wheat. Rice. MREs. Long term storage foods with a shelf life of 20 plus years. We have a lot of basic stuff to get us through and I'd sure like to get a couple of years worth stored up but I'd like the safety net of beyond that too.
3. Camping supplies. Warm sleeping bags, lanterns, flashlights, blankets, tents, rain coats, hiking boots, hand sanitizers, medical kit, etc. Great stuff for camping, for bugging out or with no electricity camping inside the home.
4. Barbecue grill, fire pit, camp stove (with fuel), cast iron pans and camping pots and pans and a wheat grinder.
5. Clothes. Here in the north country: winter boots, gloves, long johns, hats and a snow suit. Also extra t-shirts (if it ends I'll need a supply of these!), jeans and sneakers/hiking boots.
6. Water storage, water tablets and a water filtration system. A hand pump for the well.
7. Material to build a cabin: Two by Fours and 4 by 8 foot sheets of plywood, nails etc.
These are just a few of the things I can think of at the moment. If there is unlimited money I would go for solar panels, solar ovens, pressure canners, generators and a lot of big ticket items.
It's all on the list....
1. Books on prepping. Their are so many I don't know where to begin. Maybe a gift card to Amazon so I can purchase the ones I want. There is also a Back to Basics autograph copy by James Talmage Stevens from his website. That looks like a good reference guide and is a lot about food storage from what I've read.
Along with prepping books I'd like some how to books. How to build a log cabin. How to garden. How to live on $10 a week. How to survive in the wilderness. How to make your own butter, bread, candles, canning etc.
Also magazines about these things would be good. And fiction books about the apocalypse or the world ending.
2. Wheat. Rice. MREs. Long term storage foods with a shelf life of 20 plus years. We have a lot of basic stuff to get us through and I'd sure like to get a couple of years worth stored up but I'd like the safety net of beyond that too.
3. Camping supplies. Warm sleeping bags, lanterns, flashlights, blankets, tents, rain coats, hiking boots, hand sanitizers, medical kit, etc. Great stuff for camping, for bugging out or with no electricity camping inside the home.
4. Barbecue grill, fire pit, camp stove (with fuel), cast iron pans and camping pots and pans and a wheat grinder.
5. Clothes. Here in the north country: winter boots, gloves, long johns, hats and a snow suit. Also extra t-shirts (if it ends I'll need a supply of these!), jeans and sneakers/hiking boots.
6. Water storage, water tablets and a water filtration system. A hand pump for the well.
7. Material to build a cabin: Two by Fours and 4 by 8 foot sheets of plywood, nails etc.
These are just a few of the things I can think of at the moment. If there is unlimited money I would go for solar panels, solar ovens, pressure canners, generators and a lot of big ticket items.
It's all on the list....
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