The-Atlantic-thefemalesurvivalist

I can't believe its that time again. Do we really have to start choosing our candidates already?
Now, I know its a really big deal because things are not going so good. The one big thing we need is jobs.

With enough jobs people could buy homes again, they could enjoy our country's natural beauty, eat some of the great food our country cooks up in nice restaurants, and pay taxes. Yes, we could pay some taxes and maybe our elected officials would get back to work and off the streets. I just don't want to put up with the campaign trail again, so soon.

Mr.President, I have an idea for jobs.

We know how to make wind mills and wind farms. We know how to do solar panels. I've been dehydrating apples in the back window of my car all week. I took a lovely solar shower today. All cheap. Just plastic and glass.

I'm no scientist, but we have plenty of technology to combine solar and wind to make one viable contraption for your average American family. I believe a good science teacher could challenge his high school class to come up with an affordable system this year.

As I drive across the country, I'm amazed by the wind farms. Hundreds of windmills, out in the open fields, basking in the sun. How come there are no solar panels installed on the bases of those windmills? There could be double the energy gathered from the same amount of land.
While they are installing the cables to transmit the wind power generated to the main storage facility, bundle that right up with a solar panel cable  transmitting all the electricity that has been gathered from the solar panels installed on the base of that windmill.

When it's night or stormy, the wind power will charge the system, when its still but sunny, the solar panels will charge the system. When its even party cloudy, and mildly breezy, both will work together.

I'm getting pretty tired of the media suggesting we are about to enter into another recession. We've been told the last recession ended in 2009. Excuse me, I'm sorry. Have you seen the long lines waiting for food, jobs, and help preventing foreclosure? Has the media seen the smash and run, the rise in bank robberies, and the pitiful return rate on anything a body might have in savings, not to even mention whole 401Ks lost from the planet? These are not the signs of recovery, or a non-recession.

I read last night that the rate of American children living below the poverty level is now 20%.
http://news.consumerreports.org/money/2011/08/the-us-child-poverty-rate-has-reached-20-percent.html?EXTKEY=I91CONL&CMP=OTC-ConsumeristRSS

Apparently, some economic indicators at some point went up, and the recession was declared "over".
Not that any normal person would have noticed.
Just because a drowning man is able to take a gulp of air does not mean he's not drowning anymore. Just because a drowning man can make a stroke towards shore does not mean he is saved.

The man is still drowning over here, its the same man, drowning in the same lake, and it's not getting better.

Years ago we were told about a bird flu pandemic possibility. Folks were warned to be prepared to stay put, not go into town, and certainly do not go to a hospital. We were instructed to store up enough food, water, medicines, and hygiene stuff to survive a month. Oprah even had a show on it.

Seemed like I just didn't have any room to store food in any quantity. Then, as this economy became more desperate, and the price of food skyrocketed while returns on any savings lost ground, I found some room.
I've downsized my wardrobe so that one of my "dressers" is now a food storage unit. I feel good about this. It also allows me to stock up on deals if I find them.

I was reading another blog about priorities in survival planning. He suggested that clothing will be much easier to find than food should things go seriously bad. I agree. Clothes last a long time and are easy to come by. Food, on the other hand, maybe much harder to find.

Today was my town day, and I had blogged so much about a gallon of corn (10 # can) that I just had to buy one. For a rainy day, and plus, I want the can for a stove prototype I'm working on.

So, anyways, I have to visit the town thrift stores, just can't help myself. Today I found a king size sheet, in brand new condition, that will serve as the perfect backing for my matching quilt for the Master's bedroom.

While I was there I saw they were still giving away the whole wheat pasta. For the last three weeks they've been giving it away. I take two, with many thanks. Today, I finally found out the problem. When a customer asks the volunteer clerk what to do with the stuff, how on earth do you use it, she suggested a cold pasta salad. I learned the reason for this. The recipe is on the flip side of the bag.

I couldn't contain myself. Having cooked with whole wheat pasta, I found myself directing the sweet little lady to be sure and cook it in boiling water. Make sure its done all the way. It will take a little longer than white pasta. Then, when its fully cooked, drain and toss with some hot olive oil in a skillet. Top with spaghetti sauce, heat well. You can add grated cheese if you like. Serve with Parmesan cheese, and a side of green salad.

I didn't mention that a person could saute sliced mushrooms or onions in the oil too, or add some parsley to dress up this simple hot dish. I was just keeping it basic.

She was amazed, stunned that you could serve these noodles like spaghetti. She thanked me and said, "No one cooks with whole wheat in R---County".

I've appreciated the free pasta, and hope none of it goes to waste in any one's kitchen.

Bon Apetite'.

If I was planning to do much canning of food after a SHTF breakdown, I would begin stockpiling now a list of items without which canning could not happen.

I would have a wood stove. If the power goes out, or a person can't buy propane or operate a generator long term for canning, using a wood stove would be necessary. Canning requires several pots, one for sterilizing jars and lids and rings for those lids, one for cooking or prepping the food, and then the pressure canner or hot water bather. You must have a surface large enough to keep all this hot at once. It doesn't all have to be on full heat. Too much heat will cause excessive water loss from the canner.

A person must have lids. As I posted a few days ago, the flat mason lid with corresponding, yet removable ring, is iffy at best for reuse. The rubber gasket must be piping hot, anchored with the ring, until completely cooled on the jar. The ring can then be removed and used with other flat lids.
So, buying plenty of lids would be paramount. Sometimes they are sold out during harvest time. If they get sold out now, you know they will be sold out if SHTF.

Salt and sugar. You can can and preserve without it, but the food looses quality. Salt in particular is essential to food preparation. You can make sauerkraut in a large jar with salt, be sure it stays below the brine. You don't have to can it either, same with pickles.

Shelving. Proper shelving should allow easy access and have high weight limits. Storage out of direct sunlight, and low humidity. A cool but not damp basement is nice.  You'd be surprised how heavy all these jars full of food can become.

Glass measuring cups, funnels, hot pads and cooling space are all nice to have. Its funny how little counter space some kitchens have now days.

I am working on primitive ways our ancestors used to preserve food. Root cellars, salt brines, dehydration, and natural forest foods. One reason our pilgrims brought over dandelions and kudzu was gifted to the southern states by the Japanese was to take advantage of hearty natural foods which do not require cultivation.

Now, someone asked me what on earth does two people do with a ten pound can of corn.
First, I wouldn't open it unless in season food was gone. Hopefully we eat out of the garden til frost.
Once fall sets in, the weather is cold, we can open said huge can, divide it into smaller containers. With cooler weather, this gallon of food should last, without spoilage, one week. I think we can eat corn chowder, corn muffins, and corn and venison for a week.

Another blogger posed the question, and I debated whether to add my few cents worth in comments, or just take the time to really address it properly on this blog.

As you can see, I chose the latter because really, there are a lot of considerations.
For background, let me say I used to live in Wisconsin, then raised a large family up in northern Illinois. We had two enormous gardens, several apple trees and nearby farmers that gave us all the shelled peas we wanted every June harvest.

I canned all our fruits and vegetables, later opting for a large freezer for most of my produce. We made dried apples, pickles, sauerkraut, katsup, currant juice, you name it. If I could get my hands on it cheap, I put it "up".

Back then you could find products in jars where the lid was the same size as the mason jar. Mayonaise and salad dressing come to mind.  Of course we were warned in all the users manuals not to use the Inferior Jars because they could break. A person learned how to be careful. I learned which jars had that nice thick rubber embedded in its lid, the kind that would reseal when boiled and screwed tightly on a hot jar of steaming hot applesauce. Peanut butter and various jellies come to mind.

You get it, I accumulated jars by the dozen, an ungodly mix of jars that filled several deep shelves in the basement.
Jars are expensive. They are the single most expensive thing you need for serious canning.
I think mason jars are going for nearly $11 a dozen now. If I'm buying them, I never waste money on pints. Get the quarts and you have double the food value for the same price per lid.
Mason jar lids, Bell brand, are not reusable. The last thing you want is to go through all that time and money, and next spring find the seal has popped. If a jar has the least little chip or imperfection, you must discard it. You can not trust its seal.

A good pressure canner is essential. Of course, you can use it to cook roasts and potatoes for supper as well. Its not just a canning pot. It's also good for stews for large crowds. The gaskets must be kept from drying out. A simple rub of cooking oil on occasion helps with that.

Not everything needs to be processed in a pressure cooker. Some things are done by water bath, primarily things with high acid content. These huge pots are filled half way with water which is then brought to a low boil. The jars of steaming hot food is placed on the accompanying rack and lowered into this pot whereby the hot water should cover the jars one inch past the lid.

Tomatoes, fruits, and pickles are examples of foods done by water bath. You can't make pickles in the freezer, and tomatoes do much better in a cooked, water bathed environment as well.
You can make refrigerator pickels, no processing needed, and solar dry tomotoes.
Fruits are better when sliced and frozen. Canning fruits require much sugar or the water saps the flavor right out.

Now, if you price out the #10 can of corn in the store you'll find its not that bad. If you plan on buying corn on the cob, using some form of energy (electric stove or gas), and dedicating one quart mason jar for when SHTF scenario, you'll find that the can is the better deal, price wise.
I have canned on a wood stove. The main thing you must do is be sure the "jiggler" maintains a constant hiss which indicated pressure has been reached and is being maintained. Some canners have pressure dials or gages instead of the jiggler. Never drop the lid of such a pot.
Corn requires 90 minutes of unbroken pressure. If you allow it to drop, you must start over. The reason is you are preventing botulism. If you freeze the corn instead, you mearly blanch it on or off the cob and freeze it. Easy.

I had some friends who short cut the timing on asparagus. After a lengthy near death experience in hospitals and long recovery, they have sworn off aparagus. Botulism is deadly.

From this long essay you can tell I'm not into canning much anymore. It is a lot of work. The cost savings for canning comes as you reuse the jars year after year. You still must buy new lids, pay for the energy cost, and either raise the food in a garden or buy it.

If you plan on buying jars and totally dedicating them to the food storage long term those savings go out the window.
Please ask questions. I probably haven't thought of everything in this discourse.

http://www.popcornlung.com/PracticeAreas/Popcorn-Lung-Symptoms.asp this is actually at a lawyer's website.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronchiolitis_obliterans where you page down to the information about popcorn lung disease. Its all about that butter flavoring.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/09/05/us-conagra-popcorn-idUSN0524254120070905
another place.

Research at your own pace. I do the brown bag popcorn now, see blog posts a couple days ago for complete directions.

Apples are just coming in locally and I love it. Wednesday I bought a bushel (in a box) of gala "seconds" for $10. Amazing deal. The local growers is in South Carolina, and very good people to do business with. So friendly!

Gala apples are an early variety. Sweet and crunchy, they make excellent cider, applesauce, dried apples and just plain old snackin'. Seconds means they may have a slight blemish, be a little smaller than "normal" have a tiny bruise, or basically anything less than picture perfect.
That all suits me fine cause I'll be processing them anyways.


While I'm at it, might as well try the solar approach. With this sunshine and heat, the back window of my Geo provides a perfect testing ground.
Photos here include apples sliced for dried apples. A two quart mason jar with diced apples for applesauce. Naturally sweet, the applesauce will only need some cinnamon and a bit of salt added once they are solar cooked to perfection.

My garden is doing great if you count the marigolds! I decided to dry a few for winter floral arrangement.