Sprouting to feed your rabbits

http://www.raisingrabbitsformeat.com/sprouting-method-for-rabbit-feed/

Free rabbit hutch building plans & sites!

http://www.raisingrabbitsformeat.com/plans-for-building-rabbit-cages-hutches/

Woot deal on batteries

http://www.woot.com/offers/kodak-aa-or-aaa-alkaline-batteries-72pk?utm_source=Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=4ca66caba9-Daily+Digest+-+20121206+-+Kids.Woot&utm_medium=email#tracked

72 AA or AAA batteries for $20 shipped.  Considering a 12 pack is $13 at some stores, this is a good deal, & you don't even have to leave home to get it!  This will sell out fast though!

More free batteries this week

More free batteries (after rewards) this week.  At OfficeMax & Staples!

Free batteries this week

This week Office Depot & Staples have AA & AAA batteries free after rewards.  Besides being great to have for preparedness, great to have for Christmas morning.

Solar oven turkey

So I decided to try turkey in my solar oven!  I'd read that putting it breast down makes the white meat more juicy so I tried that.  This is a photo of the turkey after about 4 hours.  I was surprised that it browned & crisped!
This turkey was about 8 pounds.  For some reason I was sure it would take all day.  So I didn't even check it until after 4 hours.  It was completely done.  In fact I think I probably should have checked it an hour sooner.

The turkey tasted delicious!  Just like in the oven at home. Complete success!   It made me wonder; in a survival situation....there's all these geese around.  Hhhmmm.....

Disposable warming blanket

http://superstore.wnd.com/homefront/HeatTreat-Blanket

This looks really interesting!  I can't quit thinking of places I'd like to have these.  My 72 hour kit, my car.  Even my backpack when snowshoeing in the back country!

Spider control

I hate the idea of not having a way to keep spiders out of the house.  So this was cool!
http://www.herbsandoilsworld.com/how-to-keep-spiders-out-of-your-home-with-peppermint-oil/

Christmas solar oven package!

Save $97.15 on the Be Prepared for Christmas Package Everything Required for cooking, water pasteurization and Dehydrating with the Sun!

$300 shipped!  (Utah residents must add sales tax).  Email singlemomprep@gmail.com if you want to order.  Make great Christmas presents!!

Be Prepared for Christmas Package Includes:

• A SUN OVEN®
• Hanging Turkey Roasting Rack (Roasts up to an 18 pound turkey.
• Multi-Level Dehydrating & Baking Rack Set (set of 3 racks w/1 roll parchment paper)
• Two Easy Stack Pots w/interchangeable enamel and glass lids
• Multi-Fuel Water Pasteurizing Indicator (WAPI)
• Two Loaf Pans
• A totally new computer CD with over 600 SUN OVEN® recipes, solar cooking tips, FAQs, operating instructions, and a video series on how to best use a SUN OVEN® and emergency preparedness tips
• Includes shipping to the continental US  

Hanging Turkey Roasting Rack

You can roast a juicy, golden-brown turkey in a SUN OVEN^®. A sun-roasted turkey does not dry out and retains the moisture. The white meat is uniquely succulent, tender, moist, and flavorful. To make it easier to roast a large bird, we have added a new Hanging Turkey Roasting Rack to the Be Prepared For Christmas Package.

Sun Dry Dehydrating Racks

A simple, effective way to use a GLOBAL SUN OVEN® to dry and dehydrate with the power of the sun. Easily stackable wire racks allows up to 3 layers of drying includes 3 racks and a roll of parchment paper. Use the sun to naturally dry vegetables, fruits, meats, herbs, or fish. Can also be used to bake multiple levels of cookies and other baked goods.

Easy Stack Pots with interchangeable lids

Spill free cooking of multiple dishes. Set of two interconnecting enamelware pots which can be safely and easily stacked. Includes an interchangeable enamel pot lid and a glass lid for improved visibility and browning. Each 3 quart pot holds 3 pounds of poultry, or a 3 pound roast.

Multi-Fuel Water Pasteurization Indicator

A simple reusable thermometer which indicates when water has reached pasteurization temperature and is safe to drink. Can be used in a SUN OVEN® over a campfire, with charcoal, propane, or with any type of fuel you use for heating water.

Wilton Non-stick Even Heat Bread Pans 

Favorite size for homemade breads & cakes.
Constructed of heavy-gauge steel that provides an even-heating performance baking experts prefer for perfectly-browned baked goods.  The non-stick coating improves food release and cleaning. 9 1/4 in. x 5 1/4 in. x 2 3/4 in.

GLOBAL SUN OVEN^® 

With a  totally new computer CD with over 600 SUN OVEN® recipes, solar cooking tips, FAQs, operating instructions, and a video series on how to best use a SUN OVEN® and emergency preparedness tips

Free Shipping

Includes shipping anywhere in the continental US .

Great solar oven cooking videos!

http://www.sunoven.com/sun-cooking-usa/how-to-use#egg
videos for cooking with your sun oven, including how to boil an egg with no water!

My favorite spice for potatoes

Now that you have all those potatoes to eat, you may want to buy some of this delicious spice.  You can use it on many other things besides potatoes of course (like scrambled eggs!), but it's super yummy on potatoes. Anything I do with them, mashed, in stew, whatever, we use a liberal amount of this spice.   I'd recommend buying the MSG free version.  A great way to keep from getting sick of all those potatoes in your sawdust!

storing potatoes for winter

Apparently a lot of people don't know you can store potatoes all winter long.  Every time I'm working on mine someone stops & asks me what I'm doing.  So here it is.  You need them pretty cold, but not frozen.  I live in an area with winter, & I put them in the garage.  I take them out of the bag, & pack them in sawdust in buckets.  I take them out as needed.  Around March if I have any left, I dehydrate or can (or make potato chips) out of what's left, saving a few to grow potatoes with.  They keep well all winter (although red potatoes only store for about 3 months).  One thing I had happen the first year, is when I'd open the garage, water & snow dripped in 1 of the buckets.  This did cause some of those to go bad.  They need to stay dry, so keep that in mind.  A cool basement or root cellar would work too.  So I'm off to Kohlers for 50 lbs of potatoes for $7 this week!!

Best ever caramel apple dip

This stuff is eat with a spoon amazing!  And it's so much easier to dip apple pieces than try to eat a caramel apple.  (Some in my family prefer this without the cinnamon.  I think they're crazy, but you could try it both ways).  This is best with TART apples, like Jonathan or Granny Smith.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 can 14oz sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch salt

Directions:
Combine butter, sugar, corn syrup & milk in saucepan.   Heat over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, 5 min.   Stir in vanilla, cinnamon & salt.   Pour into dipping bowl.

Failed potato box...again

I put my foot in the photo so you could tell the size.
Last year I tried potato boxes, but the plants all died.  (post here http://singlemompreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-failed-potato-experiment.html)
A helpful reader told me I needed to dry the grass before putting it on.  I still loved the idea of growing so many potatoes in a small space, so I tried again.  Drying the grass seemed to work.  The plants grew big & beautiful.  I added grass, until I had 4 foot tall boxes with big beautiful plants on the top.
October came, & I decided to dig out the grass & see what I had.
Very disappointing!  Out of the whole box, this is all I got!  And they were all at the soil level, none in the grass like was supposed to happen.  And they are probably smaller than if I'd just let the plant grow short & put the energy into the potatoes!
I've had many people tell me they've seen this work with tires.  And I've seen more than 1 gardening video tell me you can grow potatoes in straw or grass.  So I don't know why this didn't work.  Very sad!  There is one thing to be grateful for though!  That I didn't discover this when I was needing to feed my family for the winter with what I'd grown.  I can head to Kohlers today & buy 50 lbs of potatoes for $7.  So I'll do that this winter.  Guess next summer I'll have to try the old fashioned way!  Unless anyone has a brilliant suggestion?

Antelope beanless chili

I tried making some of our antelope into chili.  This way I have meals ready to go, without having to store the ingredients to make it into something.  It also gave me a lot more jars for the amount of meat.  15 lbs of meat gave me 24 jars of chili.  This would work with ground beef too of course.  Note:  rather than peeling & blending tomatoes, I bought a #10 can of tomato puree at Costco for $2.60.  For all the work that saved me, it was a bargain!  There was about 10 cups of puree in the can.  This was pretty tasty!

5 lbs ground beef
2 cups chopped onions
1 clove minced garlic
6 cups canned tomatoes and juice
1/2 cup chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 hot red pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin seed

In the bottom of a large stockpot, brown the ground beef, onions and garlic. Drain well any excess fat. This is an important step as high fat content foods don't keep as well canned; additionally the fat has a tendency to cause a higher proportion of jar seals to fail during processing.

Add the remaining ingredients and reduce heat to a simmer. Continue to cook about 20 minutes. Skim off any excess fat.

Put in jars & process pints 1 hr 15 min.

I'm told this is a recipe from the Blue Ball book of canning, but I'm not sure.  I also couldn't find a hot red pepper, so I used a jalapeno.  

Browning meat shortcut

We had a very successful antelope hunt, & I was so blessed to come home with lots of ground antelope meat to can!  However, the week following was also one of the most stressful of my entire life!  So I was very grateful someone had told me about this tip!  Although it spread out my canning to several days, & maybe took longer all together, it saved me a lot of actual work time.  And during a crisis saving time & energy is a blessing!

Unlike canning chicken, you need to brown ground beef (or antelope) before you put it in the jars.  Last year I had meat in the microwave defrosting, meat in 2 fry pans browning, meat having the grease drained off, & then meat going into jars.  I was going around this circle like a crazy tazmanian devil!!  My arms were tired from turning the meat as it browned, my stove top was a disaster to clean off!  This year, what a difference!  I browned the meat in the crockpot before hand!!  I borrowed a crockpot & had 3 going.  I could get 7 lbs in each one.  After browning that filled about 16-18 jars...not quite enough to fill my pressure cooker, but close enough.  The meat was defrosted, & on high it took around 3 hours to brown.  I would put it in, in the morning, homeschool my son, & then can what was browned that afternoon.  It seemed like a lot more fat cooked out this way too.  The last afternoon I was almost done, so I put more in to brown while the pressure cooker ran & depressurized.  If you want to get it all done in 1 day, this isn't the way to go.  But this week for me it was a lifesaver!!

If you're interested in my other posts on hunting antelope, using it for food storage, & cooking it in the solar oven, here's the links:
http://singlemompreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/10/hunting-for-food-storage.html
http://singlemompreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/10/canning-antelope.html
http://singlemompreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/10/antelope-sloppy-joes-in-solar-oven.html
http://singlemompreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/10/best-ever-jerky-antelope-or-beef-solar.html
http://singlemompreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/10/solar-antelope-or-beef-meatloaf.html

Post on why to get food now!

We're having some personal crisis's here, so for a bit I'll just share some great websites with you, & then get back to writing about our experiences!

http://survivethecomingcollapse.com/

Free batteries at Office Depot

If you have a business (even home business) or are a teacher, or homeschool; you can join the rewards program at Office Depot.  This week they have AA, & AAA batteries free after rewards.  This means you buy the batteries, & a few weeks later receive a certificate for that same amount to use at the store.  I do that & then buy the office/school supplies I would have needed anyway.  You can buy 2 a day all week!

Great site

Great Frugal Sustainable living website!  So much wonderful information!

http://frugallysustainable.com/

Canned goods expiration dates

http://survivethecomingcollapse.com/1970/the-mother-of-all-food-storage-myths/

Beef stew recipe for canning

I love beef stew!  I've tried this recipe, & it's delicious!  It's so wonderful to have the ease of opening a can of soup already made, but have it taste just like homemade, instead of that nasty stuff in cans at the store.  I'm canning some of this because of reports of beef prices going up later because of the drought.

Makes about 7 (32 oz) quarts or 14 (16 oz) pints

Traditional beef stew with potatoes, carrots, celery and more. Preserved in your pressure canner for when you want a homemade meal fast.

You will need:

4 to 5 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
12 cups cubed and peeled potatoes (about 12 medium)
8 cups sliced carrots (about 16 small)
3 cups chopped celery (about 5 stalks)
3 cups chopped onion (about 4 small)
1-1/2 Tbsp salt
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
Water
7 (32 oz) quart or 14 (16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:

1.) PREPARE pressure canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2.) BROWN meat in oil in a large saucepot. Add vegetables and seasonings to browned meat. Cover with boiling water. Bring stew to a boil. Remove from heat.
3.) LADLE hot stew into hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
4.) PROCESS filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure 1 hour and 15 minutes for pints and 1 hour and 30 minutes for quarts, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Jalapeno Cilantro Lime Butter

1/2 cup butter
1 jalapeno (roasted & diced)
1 lime zested
1 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs fresh chopped cilantro

Mix all together.  Tasty!!

Strawberry Peach jam

Sooo yummy!  Although next time I'm going to cut the sugar a bit.

• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1-1/4 cups finely chopped peeled peaches
• 1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin
• 5 cups sugar

Directions

• In a large saucepan, combine the strawberries, peaches and pectin. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Stir in sugar; return to a full rolling boil. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from the heat; skim off foam if necessary.
• Process in canner.

Peach bread pudding with caramel sauce

2 cups fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and halved
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups hot water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups French bread, torn into small pieces

CARAMEL SAUCE
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon rum
If you prefer, you can omit the rum and use 2
teaspoons of vanilla extract in the caramel sauce
instead.

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Chop the peaches and lightly mash them in a
mixing bowl. Combine the sweetened condensed
milk and the eggs; add them to the peaches and
mix well. Stir in the hot water, melted butter,
cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir the French bread into to
the custard mixture until the bread is completely
moistened. Turn the pudding into the prepared
baking dish.
Bake until a knife inserted in the center of the
pudding comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10
minutes.
While the pudding is baking, combine the brown
sugar, 1/2 cup butter, corn syrup, and rum in a
saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and
simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until just slightly
thickened. Let cool slightly.
Remove the pudding from the oven and let it cool for
about ten minutes before serving. Serve warm with
the caramel sauce. Cool and cover any leftover
pudding and store it in the refrigerator.

Free food storage videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOLuIApyNPc&feature=related
This is split into 9 segments.  Wendy Dewitt is great!

Canning corn

After I'd filled my dehydrator, I still had most of the corn left.  Corn gets less tasty the longer after it's picked.  So I didn't want to wait all week to get it dehydrated one day at a time.  So I looked up corn canning instructions.  I chose a raw pack method because it was less steps.  Again, I wished I had an electric knife!  But I did get it all cut off.  I put it in the jars, added salt (1/2 tsp for pints, 1 tsp for quarts), added hot water, & processed in the pressure canner.  You can find charts online, but for my altitude I did 15 lbs pressure, 85 min for quarts & 55 min for pints.  I had 7 quart jars and 15 pints (this was 50 lbs of corn, after filling 3 dehydrators & freezing about 8 cups).  This was pretty simple & looks wonderful!  I think it will taste like summer when we eat it this winter!
I have an excellent frozen corn recipe I posted last year.  You can see it here:
http://singlemompreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/07/corn-on-cob-in-solar-oven.html

Sun oven contest!

http://www.sunoven.com/contest/yulebean
Enter to win a Global Sun!

Solar oven corn dehydrating

 I decided to see if I can dehydrate corn from my garden in my SOS solar oven.  You'll notice the tape in the top....that's to keep the oven slightly open.  Solar ovens are excellent at holding in moisture, so you need to have a way for it to vent in order to dehydrate.  I used a black letter tray I got at the dollar store.  Black is better in solar ovens because it traps in the heat.  The Global Oven now comes with dehydrator trays if you buy during a sale (like is going on now!) but I don't have any, so I used these.  They worked great!

After probably 8 hours in the sun, I had dehydrated corn!  It probably would have gone faster if I'd paid more attention to keeping the sun directly in the oven all day.

Wonderful free booklet on solar cooking & food storage

http://www.sunoven.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/EverythingUnderTheSun.pdf

Wendy Dewitt has a wealth of knowledge, & shares it free!  There is some wonderful information in here!

Dehydrating corn

I was blessed to get 50 lbs of corn on the cob free.  But what do to with it?  First of all I decided to try dehydrating it.  I shucked it, washed the silk off, & then cut it off the cobs.  The first suggestion I'd have to is to try to get an electric knife.  By the time I'd cut the corn off all 50 lbs I was blistered!  I did notice it was a bit easier to cut if I used hot water when I was washing the silk off.
I spread the kernels on the dehydrating tray & turned it on 135.  It took approximately 9 hours to dry.  I had 12 dehydrator trays filled...the dried corn filled 2 quart & 1 pint jar.  My friend & I tasted some, & it tastes really good!  I could see eating this as a snack!  (I was using sweet corn).  I'm going to mostly store it though & use it in soups, where it should rehydrate.  Stored in glass jars, this should last a really long time!  And it doesn't take up very much space!

Growing foods from leftovers

http://www.gardenswag.com/2011/12/5-foods-you-can-grow-from-kitchen-scraps/
Very interesting!
http://www.17apart.com/2012/02/growing-celery-indoors-never-buy-celery.html

Work free way to do bees

http://www.beehivecondominium.com/index.html
This is very interesting.  You buy the hive, they do the labor for $25 a year, & you buy the honey from them for a reduced price.  They replace the bees if they die.  I may have to consider this!  I've long wanted bees but I'm very allergic to bee stings.

Solar oven & preparedness package sale!

Sale right now on Global Sun Ovens!

$300 shipped to you!  (Utah residents must add sales tax).  Paypal me at singlemomprep@gmail.com, (include shipping address & phone number), or email me at singlemomprep@gmail.com for other options!

Price good through Sept 28, 2012.

SUN OVEN^® with Dehydrating & Preparedness Accessory Package includes:

• One GLOBAL SUN OVEN^®  With a computer CD with recipes, videos and cooking tips.
• Three Sun Dry Dehydrating Racks With roll of parchment paper)
• Two Easy Stack Pots w/interchangeable enamel and a glass lids
• Multi-Fuel Water Pasteurizing Indicator (WAPI)
• Two Loaf Pans
• Free shipping within continental US

Sun Dry Dehydrating Racks

A simple, effective way to use a GLOBAL SUN OVEN® to dry and dehydrate with the power of the sun. Easily stackable wire racks allows up to 3 layers of drying includes 3 racks and a roll of parchment paper. Use the sun to naturally dry vegetables, fruits, meats, herbs, or fish. Can also be used to bake multiple levels of cookies and other baked goods.

Easy Stack Pots with interchangeable lids

Spill free cooking of multiple dishes. Set of two interconnecting enamelware pots which can be safely and easily stacked. Includes an interchangeable enamel pot lid and a glass lid for improved visibility and browning. Each 3 quart pot holds 3 pounds of poultry, or a 3 pound roast.

Multi-Fuel Water Pasteurization Indicator

A simple reusable thermometer which indicates when water has reached pasteurization temperature and is safe to drink. Can be used in a SUN OVEN® over a campfire, with charcoal, propane, or with any type of fuel you use for heating water.

Wilton Non-stick Even Heat Bread Pans 

Favorite size for homemade breads & cakes.
Constructed of heavy-gauge steel that provides an even-heating performance baking experts prefer for perfectly-browned baked goods.  The non-stick coating improves food release and cleaning. 9 1/4 in. x 5 1/4 in. x 2 3/4 in.

GLOBAL SUN OVEN^® 

With a computer CD with over 80 SUN OVEN recipes, cooking tips, FAQs, written & video operating instructions, a video on how the SUN OVEN works and emergency preparedness tips.

Honey Lemon Apple Jam

http://www.foodinjars.com/2010/01/honey-lemon-apple-jam-recipe/
I got a super deal on some apples from a local orchard & tried this jam.  Super yummy!  I did put less sugar in, around 2 cups.  I also blended mine in the blender because my son doesn't like chunks.

no pectin jam

I just tried this recipe.  I loved it!  It has several advantages by not using pectin.  First of all, you could make it if you're out, it's not available, or to save money.  Using raspberries from my yard, jars I already have, the only cost then is the sugar!  Also, you don't have to have a certain amount of fruit to match the pectin.  You could make only 1 cup of jam if you wanted to!  This is a real benefit when using fruit from your yard, especially if you didn't have a way to freeze or save them for days.
I tried it with raspberries & it was delicious!  I've had other people tell me it works with other berries as well.

• 4 cups mashed raspberries
• 4 cups sugar

Directions:

1. 1
   Use a very large pot.
2. 2
   When the jam reaches a full rolling boil it will double in volume.
3. 3
   Heat mashed berries until they reach a full rolling boil.
4. 4
   Boil 2 minutes.
5. 5
   Add sugar.
6. 6
   Stir well.
7. 7
   Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, boil for 2 minutes.
8. 8
   Remove from heat.
9. 9
   Beat with rotary beater for 4 minutes
10. 10
    Pour in sterilized jars and seal.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/raspberry-jam-35192#ixzz20K7ZzK2H

Free huge preparedness manual download

http://www.ldsavow.com/PrepManualGeneral.html

Jar boxes

http://www.jarbox.com/index.html
These look like a good way to help earthquake proof your canning jars.  But so expensive!  I'd never be able to afford enough of these for all my canning jars!

160 uses for coconut oil

I do have coconut oil in my food storage, but this sure makes me want more!
http://www.hybridrastamama.com/2012/01/160-uses-for-coconut-oil.html

Lemon Lavender cookies

We really loved the flavor of these!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 Cups Flour
• 2 Eggs (room temperature)
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 1 Cup Butter
• 2 Tbsp Lavender sugar
• 1 Tbsp Lemon zest (grated)
• 1 Tbsp Lemon juice
• 2 Tsp Dried lavender buds (optional)
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 2 Tsp cream of tartat (optional)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Extra lavender sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray. In a food processor, pulse together the butter, eggs, sugar, lavender sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cream of tartar, dried lavender, salt and baking powder. Add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture and blend together to form a soft ball.

Form the dough into 1- inch round balls and press into discs, about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and 1/4 – inch thick. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle over lavender sugar. Bake until light brown around the edges (approximately 10-15 minutes). Cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely for another 15 minutes.

Dandelion cookies

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs.
Mix.
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
Mix.
1/2 cup yellow dandelion blossoms (no green)
Mix.
Drop onto cookie sheet.  Bake 375 for 10-15 min.

These were better than I expected.  My son didn't love them; but I think it wasn't the dandelion flavor, I think it was that they were sweetened with honey instead of sugar.  He didn't think they were strong enough flavored or sweet enough.  I served them to a group of 6 boys I had over (ages 8-11).  Half didn't much care for them, the other half LOVED them & made me send the recipe to their moms.  So definitely worth trying to see if you like them.  I do think they'll be a great treat to be able to make if we're ever living on our food storage.  Healthy too!

Great deal on Band-Aids

http://www.thatdailydeal.com/
1000 Assorted Band-Aids for $8.99 plus $5 flat rate shipping.  I ordered 3 sets for $32 (giving some sets to other family members).  What a cheap way to stock up!

Free canning publications

Here's some free canning publications you can print!
http://www.pickyourown.org/canningpubs.htm

Dandelion Jam!

http://www.simplycanning.com/dandelion-jelly.html#axzz1t77aczfG
We were caught up in an odd urge to make dandelion jam the other day.  We followed the recipe on the above site.
It only took me & the 2 boys less than 10 min to pick enough.  Getting the green parts off, so I'd have just the yellow left is another matter.  That is tedious!  I was doing it by myself & it took me an hour to get the 4 cups necessary!
I was quite nervous about tasting it.  Honestly, I'm not a big vegetable lover.  But this stuff was GOOD.  It was kind of like honey, but with a bit of tart.  The word to that came to my mind is that it tasted like summer!  After the work was done & we tasted it, I thought it was worth all the work.  Probably even more so to open some of this on a cold winter day!
I love that I can make this with something that grows free all around.  Now I'm debating...I spend a lot of money every summer on weed-b-gone trying to get rid of the dandelions in the lawn.  But my rabbits love dandelions, & now we do too.  But am I quite ready to turn the lawn over to them?  I'm just not sure!
I did have one trouble with the recipe.  The jam didn't jell.  I've never had that happen before.  Looking online, it seems to be a common problem with dandelion jam.  I tried some online instructions for adding more pectin, & that didn't work either.  So I was left with tasty dandelion syrup (using recipe posted above).  I finally tried the instructions in the pectin for adding another box if it didn't set.  This worked, but it was a much smaller amount of jam than your usual recipe.  I'll try it again when I'm up to doing the dandelions again; I think I'll double the pectin in the recipe & see if that works.
For some reason I found making this to be hugely satisfying.  I'm so glad we did it & excited to share it!

Article on starting food storage

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/03/everyday-home-storage?lang=eng
This article has some great tips on starting small, & where to store if you don't have much room.

Canning strawberries?

canning strawberries link
I tried these instructions for canning strawberries.  While I knew they wouldn't be like fresh, I was hoping to get something maybe similar to frozen.
First problem was that they didn't make near enough of their own syrup to fill the jars.  So I added a very light canning syrup.  The whole process was easy to do.  So then after a month I opened a jar to have over ice cream.  Yuck!  The strawberries were colorless & tasteless.  Not a success at all!  I guess I'll go back to drying my excess strawberries instead.  Those are yummy!

Strawberry-raspberry-lime jam

4 cups crushed strawberries
1 cup crushed raspberries
2 Tbs lime juice
package of pectin
4 cups sugar

Directions:
Mix strawberries, raspberries & lime juice.   Gradually
stir in pectin.   Bring to a full roiling boil that cannot be
stirred down over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add sugar, stirring to dissolve.   Return to full boil.   Boil
hard for a full minute stirring constantly.   Remove from
heat.   Ladle into jars & process in boiling water canner
for 15 min.

Strawberry-Lemon Jam

(The instructions don't say to, but I ran the lemon peels through the blender after simmering them because I didn't want chunks.)   You can cut lemon in half if you don't want it as tart.

Ingredients:
4 cups crushed or pureed strawberries
2 lemons, juice from both, & thin peels from both
6 cups sugar
1 box pectin

Directions:
Thinly peel lemon.   Just cover in water & simmer 5 min.   Drain & discard liquid.
Add lemon peel & juice to strawberries.   Gradually stir in pectin in large saucepot.   Add up to 1/2 tsp butter to reduce foaming if desired.   Bring mixture to full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.   Add full measure of sugar, stirring to dissolve.   Return to full rolling boil.   Boil hard 1 min, stirring constantly.   Remove from heat & skim foam if necessary.   Process in canner.

Number Of Servings:7 (8 oz) half pints

Strawberry Cranberry Jam

Did you know that jam was one of the most in demand items on the black market in England during WWII?  I keep thinking what a luxury it will be to have some on hand!  So the next few posts will be some favorite strawberry jam recipes.

Strawberry Cranberry Jam
2 1/2 quarts strawberries crushed
1 (12 oz) package cranberries chopped (we put them
through the blender)
2 packages pectin
1 tsp margarine
7 cups sugar

Directions:
Combine strawberries, cranberries, pectin &
margarine.   Bring to a boil.   Stir in sugar & return to
boil.   Book for 1 min stirring constantly.   Remove from
heat.   Put in jars & process in boiling water canner for
15 min.