Hi Everyone,
NOTES:
** Someone asked me last week about homemade deodorant. Yes! It’s not hard to make and only three ingredients: baking soda, cornstarch, and something to bind them together like coconut oil, or shea butter (available at Walmart or Target). You can also add some essential oil for aromatic effect.
How to make natural deodorant – Gundersen Health System
Here’s another one: Simple 3-Ingredient Deodorant Recipe That Works – Zero-Waste Chef
** Someone else sent me a TikTok video (which I won’t pass on because of inappropriate language!) but she listed top 5 things to have on hand that will NEVER expire:
1. Activated Charcoal – yep I have that. Activated Charcoal: 15 Benefits & Uses for Health and Wellness The uses of charcoal include everything from poison control, to teeth whitening, to purifying water.
2. Honey – I have honey, and am pretty sure most of it has crystalized by now. But it can be liquified again with a little heat. Besides its sweetening ability, honey is a natural antioxidant and antibacterial agent. It can be used on injuries, for burns, and sore throats. Honey – Mayo Clinic
3. Salt – Did you know you can brush your teeth with salt? When I was young, our family had some lean years. We often used salt in place of toothpaste. (Baking soda works just as well). 16 Uses for Salt That Don’t Involve Cooking | HowStuffWorks
4. White Vinegar: 26 Household Uses for Vinegar, From Cleaning to Deodorizing I will admit I do not use vinegar very often, but my mother used to clean her windows with it and newspapers!
5. Bentonite Clay – Yep, I have some of this too. I’ve used it internally to detoxify, and externally to help with insect bites, boils, and poison ivy. 11 benefits of bentonite clay: How to use it and side effects I bought something like this:
SMART SOLUTIONS Calcium Bentonite Clay Food Grade, 2 lb Pure Indian Healing Clay – All Natural for Internal and External Use | DIY Facial Treatments, Deodorants, Hair Masks : Beauty & Personal Care and keep it with my first aid stuff.
** Stuff I need to do but don’t want to do:
—Clean out the food storage closet, organize, rotate, refresh. Ugh and Ugh!
— Defrost the chest freezer–organize, rotate, throw away old food. Ugh and Ugh!!
— Check all the 72-hour packs. Refresh the food and first aid supplies.
Remember when your kids were little and they told you they were bored? Then YOU said, I can give you something to do. And THEY said, Never mind, I’ll go out and play. Remember that??? Well, I also want to go out and play.
** I signed up through the Red Cross to take the “Shelter Training”. I thought it would be informative and interesting. I think I chose the February training day. You never know if that knowledge will come in handy. See the attached flyer.
GARDEN HAPPENINGS:
I know that you are supposed to plant garlic in the fall her in Zone 9b. I’ve always done it in the spring and the results have NOT been good. I looked online and one gardener says he likes to plant garlic on Halloween. Okay, I’m not TOO late. Oh, but then he says you have to put the garlic in the refrigerator for 40 days before planting. Not to be deterred, I’m putting the garlic in the refrigerator and writing on the calendar that it will be ready in 40 days. I’m a little late, but you never know, it may be a late Spring.
One last note about garlic– I haven’t used fresh garlic for years. I really like the convenience of garlic in the jars. But, a week or so I ran out. Luckily I had some garlic in the closet that I had harvested at the beginning of Spring. (Mind you, I haven’t harvested garlic – EVER, but this Spring I had 3-4 big bulbs left over from last winter). It was SOOO fragrant! My house smelled delicious! Maybe it was because it was fresh garden garlic and not “store-bought” garlic? Not sure, but I’m using my fresh garlic until it’s gone before I buy any more jars.
Which is why I’m anxious to actually grow it on purpose instead of by accident. LOL
THIS WEEK’S PURCHASE: Pasta sauces: Spaghetti sauce, Alfredo Sauce, Tomato Sauce, Enchilada Sauce….
What sauces do YOU use on a regular basis? This week, just pick up 3-4 of each of them as you shop. Put the date on them, and put them away. Put one in your kitchen pantry, and when you use it, then put it on your shopping list and pick up 2 then next time. Put the date on them, then bring put one of the previously purchased jars on your pantry shelf, rotating the new ones to the back. This is how your build up to a 3-6 month supply!!!
MISC. PURCHASE: vitamins
Check your supply of vitamins. Try to have enough to get you through next year.
Especially Vitamin C and Vitamin D.
Unless you spend a lot of time outside, you are probably NOT getting enough Vitamin D. When COVID hit, they found that the homeless population had little or NO COVID. It was determined that they were getting so much Vitamin D from the sun, it was acting like a natural immunity. As I age and fight bone loss, I was told to take Vitamin D and calcium.
Finally, women should probably take iron.
Wherever you get your vitamins, stock up this month!
FOOD STORAGE RECIPES:
Do you have dried apples? They are available at the Home Storage Center. A #10 can of dried apples is $10.83. You can use these apples for all kinds of yummy desserts.
Here is an example from Simple Recipes Food Storage by Cedar Fort Publishing.
To use dehydrated apples, put 1/2 the amount of apples called for by the recipe into a bowl and cover with boiling water.
If the recipe calls for 4 c. apples, put 2 c. dried apples in a bowl and cover with 4 c. boiling water. Let stand for 45-60 minutes.
Grandma’s Apple Dessert
2 c. sliced apples
1 tsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
Mix and put in a 9″ baking dish.
In a separate bowl mix:
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake 350 30-40 minutes until apples are tender and top is lightly browned.
This next recipe is one I’ve shared a few times before, but I LOVE it! Everything is shelf stable, and it’s delicious.
Chicken Tetrazzini
2 1/2 lb. chicken cut in pieces and browned.
OR you can used shredded chicken
OR you can use a canned chicken
I only use 1 lb. chicken and it makes more than enough for just two of us.
2 4 1/2-oz. jars of mushrooms drained.
AGAIN, If you don’t like mushrooms, just leave them out. I like fresh mushrooms, so if I have them I use those.
1 16-oz. jar alfredo sauce
1/4 c. chicken broth
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg (this is the secret!)
Just heat everything through. I usually simmer for 30 min. or so while the pasta is cooking.
Cook linguini, drain
Add to the alfredo sauce.
2/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese – stir in.
Top with chopped parsley if available.
Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups
lasagna noodles
1 jar alfredo sauce
basil
mozzarella cheese
This recipe is not written down anywhere. Here’s how I do it:
Cook lasagna noodles. For Craig and I, I usually cook 6-8 noodles and it’s enough for leftovers.
When the noodles are cooked. Drain, then fill the pot with cold water and let them sit for a minute. You have to handle them, so you want to cool them down.
Take one noodle out of the pot and use your fingers to remove excess water. Then lay the noodles on a cutting board.
Spread with alfredo sauce.
Use a fork, to flake the chicken over the entire noodle. Sprinkle with basil. Starting at one end, roll up the lasagna noodle and place in a baking dish.
When all the lasagna noodles are rolled in the pan, pour the remaining alfredo sauce over and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 30 min. 350.
Marti Shelley
