I love discovering things that make life work just a little better. I'm a proponent of free access to solid information. Enjoy your time here and do visit often!
Rebekah Anast brings her unique perspective to her newest book, The DaVinci Road. I half-expected to find tales of her jungle adventures, fun childhood, devotional gems, poetry or parenting tips. By the time I reluctantly turned the last page, I had not been disappointed. All of this and more are contained in The DaVinci Road.
The DaVinci Road expounds upon the learning method of observation to arrive at a conclusion. The author reflects upon her varied experiences and brings them into the classroom setting and beyond. Using DaVinci as her model, she encourages others to look and see the evidence for themselves. She urges all of us to continue to seek, to chase after the truth and to not grow complacent in that endeavor.
Her observations about life, children and academic instruction are sprinkled throughout along with some of her favorite recipes. She shares methods that have worked for her and others when dealing with a learning difficulty. The reader is left with a challenge to pursue the adventure that is this life with both eyes and ears wide open.
If you are interested in receiving a free ebook, here's the author and her husband with details on how this can be done.
NOTE: If you've got a computer and an Amazon account, you can use their Kindle application free. In other words you don't need a smartphone or some other personal electronic device (other than your computer) to read the book online. Here's the link for Kindle https://kindle.amazon.com/
Complex food preservation instructions can be overwhelming. That's why I think Self-reliance Recession-Proof Your Pantry is wonderful. At less than 140 pages, it is precise and concise without wasting lots of ink. Jackie Clay is a prolific writer with Backwoods Home Magazine. Jeffrey Yugo, Sylvia Gist and Linda Gabris join Jackie in offering their words of wisdom on this topic.
One of the things I like most about this reference tool is that you needn't be planning to build a bomb shelter to implement these methods. Use as much as you'd like to stretch your own food budget. Whether you are wanting to set aside some overflow from the garden or if you are looking for a way to cut grocery expenses, you can use these methods to create an economic cushion and stretch your hard-earned dollar.
Learn the mechanics of rotating your storage, what you need for successful storage, how to can and what to can. A section in the book is also devoted to drying, smoking and pickling your foods. You'll learn what tools you need and what methods work best for people that have plenty of experience.
Jackie Clay has weathered the seasons and dealt with the challenges that have arisen as she has worked to make her 120-acre homestead successful. I get tired just reading about all that she has done! I've never been tempted to encourage her to slow down . . . I'd likely have to climb a ladder to chase her down. It wouldn't surprise me if she handed me chores to do while we talked!
Our family subscribes to Backwoods Home Magazine, and we enjoy it very much. They leave room in their editorials for divergent opinions. Occasionally, I find myself on opposite sides of an issue. However, Backwoods Home consistently offers valuable information for anyone looking for ways to become more self-sufficient and avoid being at the mercy of fluctuating markets. Having a subscription is like purchasing a tuition to a varied seminar delivered right to your home. For our family, it's money well spent.
Keeping a well stocked pantry, medicine cabinet and a good supply of various household items on hand has long been recommended by various preparedness and survival experts. This strategy, however, can also be used to help save money and insulate your household from fluctuating prices.
The biggest hurdle that families on limited incomes have is that there just isn't that much disposable income with which to accumulate a stockpile of items. When you are thinking about getting the funds to acquire the tools to preserve and store food items -- and the foods also -- it can seem like an impossible task.
Instead of trying to do everything at once, I recommend you break it down into three gradual steps.
STEP ONE: Create a 'Buy Price List.'
This is a two-step process that involves writing down each item you purchase, the size and the price. If you are using paper, use a separate sheet for each major category. I use the following categories: Baking, Beverages, Bread, Canned Goods, Cleaning, Clothing, Condiments, Dairy, Dental, Grain/Dry Beans, Hair Care, Household Items (batteries, etc.), Kitchen Tools, Meat, Medicine/Supplements, Paper, Personal Care/First Aid, Pets, Produce, School & Office, Seasonings and Snacks.
There will be duplicate entries because you'll keep this up for about two to three months. Eventually, you will notice that there are times when you get a better price than others. On a separate sheet of paper, you'll write down each item you normally purchase and the best price or the 'Buy Price' for that item. An example would look like this:
Household Items -- Batteries -- AA Alkaline Batteries -- $.37 each -- $5.99 for pack of 16
This is important because your 'Buy Price List' tells you when prices have dropped to the best price for your area. When prices hit the range on your list, purchase enough to last you for 6 weeks or so. Why six weeks? Because retail stores have sales cycles that range from 6 to 8 weeks. You'll have enough of an item in your home to hold you over until it goes on sale again. This means that the same products you already purchase will (eventually) only be purchased by you when you see the price drop.
There are online sites that offer guidelines on what is considered the lowest price, but these seldom take into account things like organic vegetables and/or the ingredients that you might use if you make things from scratch. You'll want to make your own list in order to know when something like your favorite bulk herb or Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar is available for a good price.
Step Two: Combine your buy price with coupons.
I know. Food coupons often promote processed foods and less than healthy options. However, consider for a moment how many items come home in your shopping bag that aren't actually foods. You probably purchase clothing, hair products and accessories, toothbrushes, batteries, canning jars, storage bags, garbage bags, paper products, etc. By combining manufacturer coupons with sales prices, you can greatly reduce the cost of these items, leaving more money for the healthy foods you prefer.
Many stores offer store coupons in their sales fliers and on their web sites. These can be printed off at home and redeemed in the store. Most stores will allow you to use a store coupon AND a manufacturer coupon for the purchase of single item. My husband was able to use this strategy to purchase two loaves of sprouted grain bread. The store coupon and the manufacturer coupon actually totaled more than the cost of the bread. He went through the checkout and got paid to leave with some very healthy bread.
Step 3: Leverage your savings
Now that each dollar is being used to get products at lower prices, and you are stocking up on the items you regularly use, you should notice a drop in your spending. This can take a few months to kick in, but it will happen. Once this occurs, you'll have a little nest egg. Use that as seed money to invest in tools to increase your savings. Whether it's as small as a well-organized coupon book, or as large as a durable wheat grinder, tools like these pay for themselves.
Maybe you've been thinking about raising your own eggs with some backyard chickens, or you'd like to find a rock bottom price for some bulk grains, or you need to build a sturdy pantry -- whatever your needs, consider purchasing something that increases your ability to be self-sustaining and thereby further stretches your dollar.
Your savings will also allow you to collect items that would be a blessing to a family in need. Imagine how a basket of toiletries and cleaning products would be received by a family that had just lost their home. What you were able to collect for free (or nearly free) could be a great bounty to them.
If you are interested in learning more about how to effectively coupon, here are some resources I recommend:
Brown rice is a staple food which is rich in soluble fiber and can be combined with nutrient rich beans to create a complete protein. When money is tight and every calorie counts, knowing how to cook brown rice helps make sure you get enough nutrients to maintain your health.
Brown rice is less expensive when purchased in bulk. In addition to a lower price, you’ll also find that the overall quality of the rice is better. Bulk grains are often fresher. You will notice the difference in the intensity of the sweet smell when a large bag is opened. For storage, food grade buckets with tight lids are fine. My preference is to store it in a chest freezer. The cold keeps bugs away. A few bay leaves tossed into your grain bucket will help repel insects also.
For years, I had cooked brown rice using the absorption method. This involves placing rice into a pot of salted boiling water and cooking it for 45 to 50 minutes. Twice as much water as brown rice is used. This works well enough, but it is a bit of an art to get rice that isn’t too mushy because (as mentioned above) the moisture content of the grains can vary. Many people use rice cookers to automate this process, but the result is the same. Another drawback is that this process has the potential to create burnt rice if you lose track of the time or miscalculate the water to rice ratio.
Because it is a grain, I soak brown rice. This isn’t as important with rice as with other grains, but I like the texture that soaking produces. To soak brown rice, measure double the amount of water as grain into a stainless steel or glass container. Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar for every cup of grain you use. Let this sit overnight or 24 hours. In a pinch, this time can be reduced without hurting the final product.
Once I’m ready to cook the rice, I strain it using a large strainer set inside a larger bowl. I repeatedly rinse the grain until the water runs relatively clear. You may notice little flecks and bits floating to the surface. Throw those away. You may not want to examine them too closely.
Here is a demonstration on how to rinse rice. The cloudy water that you pour off of it can be used to water your plants. I would skip using the rice cooker!
Re-fill your pot with clean filtered water, using twice as much as the measurement of soaked rice. Season the water with sea salt and any other flavorings you prefer. I like to use chicken broth. Bring this to a rolling boil and then add the soaked rice to the pot, giving it a single stir. Boil this uncovered for about 20 minutes if the grains have been soaked, 30 minutes if they are dry. Remove the pot from the heat and strain the rice from the hot water. Let the rice drain for ten to fifteen seconds. Return the rice to your empty pot and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Let the rice sit, absorbing the water that remains on the grains for ten or 15 minutes.
Fluff with a fork and serve. The rice will be fully cooked without mushiness.
HOMESTEADING FOR BEGINNERS is just the video for those who are considering the possibility of moving to the country. This video gives a delightful overview of life on a small family farm. Erin and Mark Harrison invite the viewer into their home to learn and laugh with them and their five children through the many adventures of homesteading.
You gain insight into all that it takes to get a REAL chicken dinner onto the table from the ground up – literally, from seed to supper. All of the scenes are filled with a beautiful rural setting and happy, healthy, helpful children keep popping up into almost every scene.
Learn how to make butter and cheese using kitchen tools you likely already have on hand. See how this family raises and harvests chickens and eggs. Get an introductory demonstration on wood splitting, building a simple chick pen, learn how to start seeds and tend a low-maintenance garden. Mama takes the time to show you how to freeze and can your produce and meat, gives you the recipes, and then shows you how to prepare the meal. Pamper your inner flower-child and learn how to make a wild-flower crown to adorn your head. If you watch carefully, you might spot Mike and Gabriel Pearl giving a knife-throwing demonstration.
The attentive viewer may even pick up some tips on how to incorporate child training and education throughout the busy day. Washing eggs becomes a math and chemistry lesson taught by a curly blond-headed little girl that needs a step-stool to reach her mama’s kitchen sink. It’s one of my favorite scenes in the film. A take-charge big brother is happy to demonstrate how to use scraps of wood to make signs for the garden. Listen carefully as Papa patiently explains how to milk a cow while little voices comment on the condition of the barn floor (you’ll have to rewind here as your laughter might drown him out).
Grandpa and Granny loved watching with us as little ones stole scene after scene. Grandpa said, “I can see now, if I wanted to homestead, I’d have to find some little helpers.”
HOMESTEADING FOR BEGINNERS should come with a warning label for parents that are used to children sitting peacefully in front of the television all day. After viewing this video, those children could be inspired to go enjoy the great outdoors more often. They might begin asking for some chickens or a cow of their own . . . possibly even some pigs to ride!
Lacto fermentation is a method of preserving foods that does not require hot processing. The food is preserved by lactic acid which inhibits the growth of bad bacteria.
In general, you will want to have enough salt suspended in a liquid to keep mold from forming while the lactobacillus (the organisms that produce lactic acid) take hold and begin to multiply. This salt and liquid mixture is called your brine. Lacto-fermentation enhances the digestibility of the food so that your body can better assimilate nutrients. As with other cultured foods, consuming foods preserved in this manner will help replenish the digestive tract with beneficial enzymes that help aid digestion and fight harmful bacteria.
The seasonings within the jar can be adjusted to suit the individual’s taste and used for many other types of fresh produce. Feel free to experiment with green beans, carrots, corn, beets and other vegetables. I prefer to use pint jars so I don’t have an opened jar sitting for a long time in my refrigerator until it is used up. If I need more, I just open another jar.
Ahead of time: Boil your jars, rings and lids in water for 3 minutes. Sometimes, I just bring the water and jars to a simmer, turn off the heat, and cover the pot with a lid while I work on other projects. When you are ready to begin, remove the jars from the water and dry thoroughly.
To make about 5 pints: Dissolve 3 tbsp sea salt in 2 quarts of warmed, distilled water. You can heat the water on the stove, but you don’t want it too hot. Make sure it has cooled to at least 100°F before you use it so that the lactobacillus in your whey is not killed.
When the water and salt mixture is cooled, place the following in your sterilized jars:
3 to 4 Tbsp of the distilled water & sea salt brine
Use a chop stick or the handle of a wooden spoon to stir and mix the seasonings. Wash and dry enough cucumbers to fill the jars (3 to 5 or so) and slice them ¼ inch thick. Pack jars tightly, stopping 1 inch below the rim of the jar. I just stop at the point the threads begin on the neck of the jar.
Add enough distilled water/salt brine to cover the cucumbers. This should leave at least ¾ of an inch between the brine and the inside of the lid. The cucumbers shouldn’t float if they are tightly packed. Cover the jar securely with the lid and rings. Shake the jar to mix the seasonings into the brine. Sometimes, the jar’s contents may shift and rise above the water level. Repack and add more brine if needed.
Loosen the ring only slightly – just enough to let any gas escape, but not enough to let air inside. Let the jars sit for 3-4 days at room temperature. Transfer to cool storage. If the taste is not as strong as you’d prefer, you may leave them at room temperature for a little longer. The fermentation process produces its own vinegar taste that is pleasant without being overly harsh.
Here's a video demonstration of another variation of lacto-fermentation. This particular method takes longer and runs more of a risk of mold as it does not utilize a whey starter. However, if you wished to make a large crock of pickles, rather than just pint jars, you could do so and just add about 1/2 cup of whey (for a gallon-sized crock).
Whey is a valuable addition to any diet. It can be an added ingredient to enhance many sauces, foods and beverages. It is also a key ingredient in lacto-fermented foods.
A quick internet search will reveal that many people cover their jars with cloth or a coffee filter when making whey. I don’t. The reason I don’t do this is because I am not trying to capture bacteria from the environment. Raw milk comes perfectly packaged with the right blend of digestive enzymes and bacteria needed to cause separation to occur. You needn’t expose it to the elements for this to happen. As a matter of fact, if you left raw milk in your refrigerator long enough, separation into curds and whey would eventually occur within the sealed container at cooler temperatures. Leaving it on your countertop simply places the milk at temperatures where this happens sooner.
To make whey, pour raw milk into a clean glass quart jar. Cover the jar with a plastic lid (or coffee filter, or clean cotton cloth) and allow it to sit undisturbed for 2-3 days until separation occurs. You will know the milk has separated when you see white solids floating in a yellowish clear liquid. The liquid is whey. The white solid is cream cheese – also known as curds.
Line a strainer with an unbleached coffee filter or clean cotton cloth (such as a freshly laundered t-shirt). Pour the liquid and solids into the strainer, catching the liquid in a glass bowl. When the dripping stops, transfer the whey into a lidded jar labeled with the date. The whey will keep in your refrigerator for about 6 months.
The cream cheese can be seasoned to suit your taste and used in your favorite recipes.
If you have yogurt, the yellow or clear liquid that floats to the top is whey. You can pour this off and use it in food preservation.
Debi Pearl writes about how a medicinal brew is concocted from berries and herbs in her latest book, The Vision. The methods used are real although the story is a work of fiction.
Nutrient contents of plants and fruit, whether organic or wild-crafted, can be preserved by fermentation. The naturally occurring alcohol acts as a nutrient and enzyme preservative. The medicinal and beneficial properties of herbs and other fruit preserved in this method can be stored at room temperature for long periods.
It is important that all of your utensils and equipment are very clean when you make your own elixir. Distilled water (or the purest water you have access to) is a good choice for this process. Clean equipment and jars with boiling water. A chlorine bleach solution may be used to clean surfaces -- five gallons of water to one capful of bleach -- but this must be thoroughly rinsed. Take care in rinsing; even a small amount of chlorine will ruin your brew, leaving it tasting and smelling foul.
1. Choose a blend of herbs and berries. Place one cup of this mixture into your cleansed blender. 2. Grind this into a pulp. Add a few drops of distilled water, if necessary. 3. Pour the contents of the blender into a CLEANED quart jar with three fourths of a cup of honey. 4. The jar should be filled with distilled water leaving a space of about 3 inches at the top. 5. Stir the contents of the jar three times each day for a week, moving the pulp from its resting place on the jar's bottom. 6. In order to keep out flying pests, cover the jar with a clean cloth secured tightly with a rubber band. 7. In a matter of days, you will observe the liquid starting to bubble. 8. The bubbling action will slow when a couple of weeks have passed. 9. In 21 days, it will be time to store your brew. Pour the liquid off of the sludge (leaving it behind) into a new clean storage jar. 10. An ounce each evening is a tonic dose.
You will have a bit less than 32 ounces of liquid. Read The Vision by Debi Pearl to get her recipe for Berry Herbal Brew. It yields a gallon.
Rebekah Anast brings her unique perspective to her newest book, The DaVinci Road. I half-expected to find tales of her jungle adventures, fun childhood, devotional gems, poetry or parenting tips. By the time I reluctantly turned the last page, I had not been disappointed. All of this and more are contained in The DaVinci 
Road.
HOMESTEADING FOR BEGINNERS
