**Here is a list of 15 items you can easily store that you may not have considered. 1. Disposable lighters 2. Toilet paper 3. Trash bags 4. Manual can openers 5. Vinegar 6. Duct tape 7. Baking soda 8. Garden seeds 9. Cast iron cookware 10. Books and educational materials 11. Manual tools 12. Fishing gear 13. Solar chargers 14. Bleach 15. Hand-crank radio
Wondering why you might need these things? Watch here: 15 Things YOU NEVER Think To STOCKPILE But Should!
GARDEN HAPPENINGS:
Not much is happening in the garden. Mostly I’m just trying to keep everything from dying! The tomatoes are waning — just a few need to ripen. I see flowers on the bell peppers.
I finally dug up a bag of potatoes. I’m always surprised at how FEW potatoes there are. Planting, fertilizing, watering for such a small harvest. But…. I’m practicing.
I’ll be having some of these for dinner. The others will go upstairs, on the guest bed, on a towel, and covered by another towel for a week or so to let them develop a thicker skin for storing – at least until we can eat them. DON’T WASH THEM. Store them dry.
THIS WEEK’S PURCHASE: milk
When was the last time you bought powdered milk? It has a shorter shelf life than wheat, sugar and beans. You SHOULD be rotating your milk like everything else. (okay, I’m totally NOT doing that – but I SHOULD!) Otherwise, if you don’t rotate it, you’ll eventually have to just throw it away! I think I have #10 cans of milk that are dated 1994. That makes them 32 years old!!! Even if they did taste fine, they probably wouldn’t have much nutritional value. But, as a wise woman said to me once, don’t throw them away. Give THOSE away to people who come begging for food.
Powdered milk today is NOT like it was in the 70’s. It has a much better taste and texture. It is NOT cheaper than buying milk at the store. But like all things I store, if there is NO milk at the store, I’d really like something to have on my cereal!
Recommended: 4 lb. per person per month. If you buy pouches of milk at the Home Storage Center, that would be 2 1/2 pouches per month per person. Milk is $6 per pouch. Five pouches = $30. That’s milk, for a month, for 2 people. Just about the cost of lunch at McDonalds!!!
Find a location here:
MISC. PURCHASE: hand crank emergency radio
Like everything, there are varying prices. This one is under $20. There are solar cells on the top, but I suspect it takes many hours to charge from the solar.
FOOD STORAGE RECIPES
Lucky Pancakes
2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 c. oil
2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs separated – beat whites separately, and then fold in.
French Pancakes
My kids call these Grandma Pancakes.
We cook them for special occasions (Easter morning, Christmas morning, etc.) AND, of course, Grandma makes them every time she babysits overnight.
It’s a “per person” recipe. For Craig and me, I make 1 1/2 times the recipe.
For one person:
2 eggs – I put them in the blender and mix
1/2 c. milk – add and blend
2 TB sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. flour
Blend. I do NOT make paper thin layers in the frying pan, although you could. I just fill the bottom of the pan with a layer of batter. Turning them is a trick because they are so big. When they’re done, I put butter and syrup down the middle and roll them up with a fork. They are SOOO good! My dad used to make them for us and top them with strawberries and whipped cream.
Granola
This is my favorite granola recipe. It’s so crunchy and yummy. This recipe makes 6 c.
3 1/2 c. oats
1/2 c. chopped almonds
1/2 c. wheat germ
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
You can get all this in the bulk section at my local Winco. Actually, you can add any type of nuts or seeds you want.
Mix
In a separate small pan
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. vegetable or olive oil
2 TB brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Heat to blend, but don’t boil! Add to the oats.
Spread out on an oiled cookie sheet. Bake 325˚ for 20-25 minutes. Stir once or twice while cooking. Remove.
Add 1 1/2 c. raisins or any other dried fruit you like.
Marti Shelley
APPLE BUTTER
Peel, core, and chop the apples into small pieces. The variety of apples you use can influence the flavor of your apple butter. I like to use a mix of apples to get a complex flavor. If you have a tree or your area is known for a particular variety, I think you can make an apple butter subtly unique to your area.
have given you the general spice breakdown in the ingredients. I have dabbled with this over the years and now use a powdered blend of generic mulling spices, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice and cook it all with three cinnamon sticks. My family likes it spicier, so I use two tablespoons of powdered spices.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
brown color. This process can take several hours. I find that it will take at least 4-6 hours. Be patient and continue stirring to prevent burning or crusting on the top. To check the consistency, it should stick nicely to the spoon once you stir it.
Ingredients:
the seeds to release the juice. Strain the juice to remove any pulp or seeds, and measure about 4-5 cups of pomegranate juice. Each large pomegranate has about ½ cup of juice in it. If you have a pomegranate tree, obtaining the number of pomegranates needed is easy. Getting it all extracted is the hard part. If you don’t want to go through the effort, you can always use store-bought 100% pure pomegranate juice. Here, I will juice four pomegranates and use two cups of store-bought juice to give me four full cups.
stirring frequently to prevent sticking, scorching, or boiling over. When the mixture reaches a rolling boil, add the homemade apple pectin, stirring continuously to ensure even distribution. Bring the mix back to a gentle boil, like a bubbling simmer, and cook for up to 30 minutes.
Fill Jars: Remove the pot from the heat once the jelly reaches the desired consistency. Pour the hot jelly into the sterilized and warmed jelly jars, leaving about 1/4-inch headspace. Process the jars in a water bath canner for 5-10 minutes. Pomegranate jelly made with proper canning techniques and sealed jars can last for up to a year or even longer. Refrigerate after opening.
You don’t need to boil pasta, but you do need boiling water. For boiling water, we can use something like a simple camp stove with a propane tank or an induction plate connected to either a gas or solar generator. It’s important to understand that pasta does not cook because of the boiling water. It cooks because of the temperature of the boiling water. So, if you bring your water to a boil, add a pinch of salt to help maintain temperature, add your pasta, stir it, and put your lid on the pot. You can now turn off your heat source, thus conserving the fuel. The pasta will be softened and ready to eat in about 12-14 minutes. This is valuable information if you are trying to conserve cooking fuel or minimize outdoor open fires. Also, when cooking pasta, scoop the pasta out but don’t dump the water. The water can be used as a thickener for cooking because of its flour content. Wheat flour is 70-75% starch, so some of that separates
out into the water. You can reuse all the pasta water as a base for soup or stew. Simply drop a bouillon cube in the water for a rich broth to sip throughout the day and night. Once cooled, you can drink it as a carbohydrate-rich energy drink. Mixing in the appropriate amount of powdered milk or drink mix will give back a richness that is sometimes lost in the dehydration, powdering, and packaging process. 
If you time this right, you will add the pasta to your mix, or you can scoop the pasta out and gently stir in a tablespoon of oil to keep it from sticking together. In a separate pan, warm 4 cups of water. You can use the already-warmed pasta water if your pasta is done cooking. With the water warm, turn up the heat source on the pan and slowly mix in your bowl of drier ingredients. Stir to prevent lumping. When smooth and slightly steaming, add seasoning to taste and any herbs, dried or foraged. The best herbs for this meal are basil, dill, or parsley. The herbs will freshen up the taste. 
continually cooking. Your ancient ancestors survived on this. Pasteurization occurs if you keep the temperature above 145 degrees with the lid on for 30 minutes or more. If you use a can cooker or Dutch oven and keep that wrapped in blankets or a Wonderbag to slow the heat loss, you can easily store the food overnight and heat it up again in the morning with no health risks, so long as it stays above or relatively near while sealed that temperature point. If you have a campfire, you can simply set the pot in the proximity of the radiant heat of the fire in an area where you can hold your hand comfortably for around 10 seconds. Generally, when you can only hold your hand for a count of 6 to 8 seconds, the temperature is between 250 and 300 degrees. 
oven or pot to a near boil and add it to something like a Wonderbag to trap the heat and allow it to continue cooking. Or there are options on the market, such as the can cooker, which would allow you to get it up to a boiling temperature, then turn off the heat source and let it retain heat and cook. This minimizes fuel use and the scent of cooking food, attracting unwanted guests. You can transfer the entire contents of the pot to a thermal cooking container once it has been brought to a cooking temperature and allow it to cook for 4 or 5 hours slowly. Again, the advantage here is that we save fuel in the process. I cover 12 ways to safely cook after a disaster which explores all of these devices and methods in another video. I will link to that in the comments below.
Canned beans are the easiest to work with because they are presoftened. The canning process pasteurizes and pre-cooks them. Don’t throw out the liquid. It contains salt and carbohydrates that your body will need in a post-disaster environment. Consider diluting it in water and adding some powdered drink mix. That will give you the salts, electrolytes, and carbs to keep you going. If you start with dry beans, you must soak them in water with a pinch of salt or a tablespoon of vinegar for at least 12 hours. You can skip this and just boil them until soft, but that will take more water and cooking time, and you will lose the shape of some of the beans. Since you can just boil these to make them edible and add seasoning, we will take this a step further and use bean flour.
the equivalent of 3 eggs in rehydrated whole egg powder. If you have no eggs, there are many egg substitutes, but many will give you a different texture in your brownie. For instance, you could use 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed, and 2 1/2 tablespoons of water. To this, you can add just a pinch of powdered milk to give it a little more richness. I’m going to use rehydrated whole egg powder because that’s what is in my prepper pantry for after a disaster.
Rice has been found in archaeological sites dating to 8000 BC, so humans have some experience cooking and eating it. Rice is a grain belonging to the grass family and is consumed by nearly one-half of the entire world’s population. You may only be familiar with boiled rice. You may also only be aware of white and brown rice, though there are different varieties. White rice is preferred for long-term storage because it lacks the husk, which contains natural oils that can oxidize and cause spoilage.
the ingredients for two eggs, triple them for three, and so on. Take 1 1/2 cups rice and give it a few chops on a cutting board. You don’t want to reduce it to a paste, but it will come together and cook better if the grains are at least halved in size. Add 1/2 cup chopped allium or other green. Add 1/4 teaspoon of pepper or chili flakes. Add a pinch of salt. Add one egg or the equivalent egg substitute. When mixed, scoop about 1/4 cup onto a hot skillet with about a tablespoon of cooking oil on it and mash the mix down to a level 1/4 inch thickness. 
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a teaspoon of salt or one 3-finger pinch. Add 2 ounces of dry pasta per planned plate served. Stir pasta with a few swirls. Turn off the heat source and place the lid securely on top. It will be done in about 12-14 minutes.
In this blog, I’m going to give you the ultimate crash course in pickling. It is likely you’ll never buy a store-bought lifeless can of sliced jalapenos or a limp dill pickle again after watching this. I will also share with you my recipe for Prepper Pickled Pepper Purslane. In just a few minutes, you’ll know what you need to do for your first pickling project. I went a little pickling crazy and pickled Jalapenos, Classic Dill slices and spears, Green Tomatoes, Bird Peppers, and garlic and onions, which are amazing in Bloody Mary’s, cocktails, or just for cooking. I wanted to give you a broad range of examples. I even use Purslane and Broadleaf Plantain I foraged from my yard. I’ll give you the simple formula upfront, go into a little more detail of what you need to know to be successful, then I’ll tell you what can go wrong, how to fix it or when to toss it, and what to look for when you’ve got it right. 
shortcuts to give you the basic, acidic pickled flavor. Other recipes add a little vinegar at the end of the process to lower the pH and create a more shelf-stable product that does not require refrigeration. Lactic fermentation is a process that involves anaerobic bacteria consuming carbohydrates in the form of sugars and converting it to lactic acid, ethanol, and creating more bacteria.
far too acidic. In case you were curious, average tap water is in a range of 6.5 to 9.5 pH. So, the lactobacillus is consuming the sugars in your vegetables and creating acid, which is lowering your pH and preserving the food. But, forget all that, because I want to keep this simple. Lactobacillus can’t survive well in an environment with a pH of less than 2.5. Yeast, which I’ll cover later in this video, grows in a pH range of 4 to 4.5, and molds can grow from pH 2 to 8.5 but favor an acid pH. So your ferment from yeast or bacteria will stall out, and your food is preserved between a pH of 4 and 2. Mold can still grow, and I’ll tell you what to look for about that later on in this video. We’ll give our finished product the smell, taste, and visual assessment to determine when it is done to our liking. Because we aren’t going that extra level of assurance with the pH test, we will want to put our finished product in the refrigerator.
white pith and seeds. In hot peppers, most of the capsicum, which is the chemical that burns your mouth and other parts, is stored in the pith and seeds. You may even want to use some kitchen gloves during this process.
ingredients and pickle them together. For my dill pickles, I add a garlic clove and at least one pearl onion. 
There’s much discussion about the perfect brine and the perfect salt to use. I use a natural salt with no cacking agents or additives like a sea salt or Himalayan salt. Kosher salt or specific pickling salts can be used, as well. Depending upon the salt, you may get cloudiness in your brine. That’s okay. It doesn’t change your pickled product. If you want to see a debate more passionate than the ones you see on political forums, ask the question of what salts to use on a pickling or canning group. You’ll get answers that range from “just use table salt because it doesn’t matter” to “use sea salt” or “use kosher salt” or “only use canning and pickling salt.” As simple as I can explain, you want to use pure salt without additives like iodine or anti-caking agents. Could you use table salt if that is all you had? Sure, but it may leave some cloudiness in your ferment.
can’t get in there when you pour it over the top. Leave at least one to one and a ½ inch headspace. I like to use 1 to 2 inches of headspace, so I can be sure to get a solid one inch of brine over my vegetables. Some people make what is called a salt cap, but I’m not going to cover that here.
After a day or two, you should see bubbles forming amongst your vegetables. They’ll trickle up the sides and pop or linger slightly on the surface. Many people advise against checking the surface and encourage you to leave the lid on, but I’m not one of those people. Their thinking is that you expose the contents to oxygen, and this is true. But, checking the surface will allow you to catch Kahm yeast early, remove floaties that might mold, and make sure your very brief fermentation process is going along as intended. I check them on days 3 and 5. On day 5, I decide how much longer I want to ferment them or if they are done and ready for my fridge.
likely. You may experience some gas from your fermented products since they are quite rich in probiotics. Friendly lactobacillus comes in many types: acidophilus, reuteri, rhamnosus, plantarum, gasseri, and casei shirota. That’s as technical as I’ll get here.
