Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[perchie.girl]

That said, Irish soda bread is ancient. Supposedly there ARE natural sources. Guess seawater or something? It would be interesting to know how they acquired it in 'ye olden days'... seems like it would be a valuable bargaining chip should it come to it. Same for salt. Salt was very valuable in the middle ages... still is in the desert. There are families that make salt pillars for a living. Without salt in the desert, you die.

Sadly Baking Soda or Sodium Bicarbonate isnt easy to "make" unless you have some Chemestry back ground.....

A quote from YahooANswers

""As far as the history part....in 1861 Ernest Solvay developed a process to make sodium bicarbonate..
His process involves heating calcium carbonate so it releases CO2....the CO2 vapors are bubbled through an aqueous solution (meaning dissolved in water) of ammonia and sodium chloride (table salt..dissolved in water)....Sodium bicarbonate will precipitate (come out of solution)...

This process isn't really possible because ammonia isn't really available in a grocery store...nor would it be safe to work with at home & by someone who doesn't really know what he/she is doing...

Sodium bicarbonate occurs naturally in minerals found in dried up salt water lake beds....which is how it could have been obtained from the "pre industrial age" .....""

Your best bet is to use SourDough style starters for breads.... And learn to make unleavened breads..... There are quite a few out there.... Just about all countries have their own version. I make one that is very yummy good with Beans.... Hoe Cakes.... Which involves two ingredients. Cornmeal and boiling hot water. Mix em up till you cant stir any more let it set so the corn can absorb the water then form it into Patties and fry them. OMG.... YOu can add chiles or herbage of your choice if you want.

With regard to cleaning.... I personally use vinegar Its easy to make and a very powerful disinfectant. Plus it dissolves calcium for hard water issues. There are several sites devoted to vinegar and its use.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

We would like to become more self sufficient and less dependent on the electric company and grocery store.

And if you do go the prepping rout, think of the things that will have the most value if something major, like an asteroid strike, caused world-wide havoc. The things with the most value will be those things that meet basic needs. Food, shelter, fresh water, etc. If you can't grow it, eat it, drink it, breathe it or live in it, it won't have any value in an end-of-the-world scenario.

A gold bar might work as a good door-stop, though.

LOL.... I am not a prepper.... just a reader. But if disaster strikes I think all of us SHOULD be prepared to live with out electricity, internet, Telephone (of any kind), and conveniences of any kind. So this means No refrigeration... what do you do.... No water what do you do.... Thats just the first part. when infrastructure fails for what ever reason. Hopefully its something local where assistance can come in and "lend a hand" But if its a true failure.... food will be the Currency of the day.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

prepping? more fun to think about winning the lottery...winter clothing and sleeping bags are in the basement but I refuse to buy a generator.

If you have the means why not? I personally would jump on the opportunity to get a Generator/welder setup that runs off Diesel. This way it would be a dual purpose tool. AND Diesel engines will just about run off anything from Motor oil to kerosine. AND they were invented originally to run off Peanut oil.

deb

 

[Tomtommom]

A gold bar might work as a good door-stop, though.

SO very true.

You obviously want a good first aid kit.. include things like anti-dhiarrea/nausea medicine, nothing will get you faster than a stomach issue. Maybe even include a surgical stapler (they're like $8 with 35 staples). We've seen what happens in Alabama after a big tornado, and while we are a stonethrow away from the firestation, it's always good to think about the what-ifs.

Some handtools, like a hammer and saw... Rope is ALWAYS handy.

Some spare clothes (hard to believe folks don't think about these things), spare shoes. A lot of folks will run out of the house barefooted in an emergency... Some blankets. Some basic hygiene products, again, dhiarrea/nausea/dehydration will freaking kill you if you can't replace electrolytes. Disinfectant/bleach/alcohol...

Water is very important.

Food... heck, some cans and a can opener can keep you fed for a while. Add a jar of peanut butter.. rolled oats.. dried fruit. I don't need freeze dried linguine with portabello mushrooms in wine sauce or something else crazy that I see in those MRE boxes. Dry beans and rice are wonderful... but you actually have to COOK them. Oatmeal can be soaked overnight and eaten. It ain't tasty... but will do. They do have really cool solar ovens on Amazon, if you do need to be able to cook or boil water when supplies run low. Safer than storing cooking fuel in a shelter. Short term, I can deal with cold food from a can/jar.

Dear hubby was an Eagle scout. Got his polar bear badge sleeping in a tent in below freezing weather. He knows a few things about survival. Main thing is attitude. Don't attach yourself to stuff and you will be ok. I watched this video of these folks walking through their house after they JUST survived a tornado, half the house is gone and all they were freaking out about was the loss of stuff. If everyone is alive, you're good. Stuff CAN be replaced.

In my opinion, if it's really 'the end of the world'... I don't want to survive anyway haha But to get through a temporary disaster, be it natural or economical.. yes. I want to be prepared.

I don't have space for a year worth of food though. 800 sq ft, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom.... soon-to-be a 5 person household.

Bills stay nice and low though, in a small home.

 

[Sweetpea3829]

SO very true.

You obviously want a good first aid kit.. include things like anti-dhiarrea/nausea medicine, nothing will get you faster than a stomach issue. Maybe even include a surgical stapler (they're like $8 with 35 staples). We've seen what happens in Alabama after a big tornado, and while we are a stonethrow away from the firestation, it's always good to think about the what-ifs.

Some handtools, like a hammer and saw... Rope is ALWAYS handy.

Some spare clothes (hard to believe folks don't think about these things), spare shoes. A lot of folks will run out of the house barefooted in an emergency... Some blankets. Some basic hygiene products, again, dhiarrea/nausea/dehydration will freaking kill you if you can't replace electrolytes. Disinfectant/bleach/alcohol...

Water is very important.

Food... heck, some cans and a can opener can keep you fed for a while. Add a jar of peanut butter.. rolled oats.. dried fruit. I don't need freeze dried linguine with portabello mushrooms in wine sauce or something else crazy that I see in those MRE boxes. Dry beans and rice are wonderful... but you actually have to COOK them. Oatmeal can be soaked overnight and eaten. It ain't tasty... but will do. They do have really cool solar ovens on Amazon, if you do need to be able to cook or boil water when supplies run low. Safer than storing cooking fuel in a shelter. Short term, I can deal with cold food from a can/jar.

Dear hubby was an Eagle scout. Got his polar bear badge sleeping in a tent in below freezing weather. He knows a few things about survival. Main thing is attitude. Don't attach yourself to stuff and you will be ok. I watched this video of these folks walking through their house after they JUST survived a tornado, half the house is gone and all they were freaking out about was the loss of stuff. If everyone is alive, you're good. Stuff CAN be replaced.

In my opinion, if it's really 'the end of the world'... I don't want to survive anyway haha But to get through a temporary disaster, be it natural or economical.. yes. I want to be prepared.

I don't have space for a year worth of food though. 800 sq ft, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom.... soon-to-be a 5 person household.

Bills stay nice and low though, in a small home.

Depends...we had 700 sq ft for the 6 of us and were paying through the nose in bills. Now, we have 3500 sq ft and are paying much much less. But...we don't have a water bill, we don't have sewer bills or taxes, we don't have road taxes, we primarily heat with wood and sometimes propane. Our electric bill is comparable to what we were paying before we relocated from RI to NY.

I will say...my 700 sq ft was a HECK of a lot easier to keep clean!

 

[Tomtommom]

Depends...we had 700 sq ft for the 6 of us and were paying through the nose in bills. Now, we have 3500 sq ft and are paying much much less. But...we don't have a water bill, we don't have sewer bills or taxes, we don't have road taxes, we primarily heat with wood and sometimes propane. Our electric bill is comparable to what we were paying before we relocated from RI to NY.

I will say...my 700 sq ft was a HECK of a lot easier to keep clean!

Moving to a different area or a home with different features made all the difference then.

We went and stayed with some family in NC and their house was so rediculously big.. One of those newly built McMansions.. I just don't get the purpose of those things. Their upstairs hallway was bigger than my livingroom, diningroom and kitchen combined

What's the point? Pay $1200-1400 a month for a mortgage.. and only use 1/3 of the house. *shrug* their money though.

Our bills will be even better when we managed to drag the place back into the 21st century. Ya know.. get some insulation in the walls. Windows and doors that seal. Maybe a water heater that's not from the early 90s. The goal is to have it paid off and brought up to standard by the time we're retired. I got 30some years left

 

[ozexpat]

So many preppers out there! LOL

If their was a sudden but long term loss of infrastructure, the non-preppers will riot and kill the preppers for their stash. Their stock pile of weapons wont save them.

While I think the possiblity of a world wide loss of power and transportation is somewhat unlikely, Localized calamity from natural disasters are real and its good to be prepared to last a month without needing outside assistance.

Maybe I will set up a "how to live without modern conveniences" eco tourism to CocoBeach Farm

Bernie's family have 42 watts of lights and a stand fan. A 7 watt LED light in each room and a reading lamp. A 150w solar panel and a car battery will have them in electricity for years but could switch to coconut oil lamps if they had to.

They use a charcoal stove and dont use a refridgerator. They eat nourishing meals and are not underweighas they buy fresh or canned foods and salted fish. They kill a chicken, they eat it. They grow some veges but there is a farmer's market 1.8 miles away. They would rather use the charcoal stove that they have used all their lives than be dependent on gas and have to panic when it runs out (like we did til we bought a back up bottle)

They hand wash laundry have a charcoal iron and their clothes are imepeccable. Even sheets and underwear get ironed.

They collect rain water and have a shallow well with a hand pump should we lose municipal water.

Bernie, Analou and Dave live in a 400 sq foot home. When we build their new house, it will be 550 sq feet. I am pretty sure they will add a "dirty kitchen" on the back to cook in rather than use and fill the gas bottle.

We all live in gluttony compared to most of the world. If in doubt, come on over. It will change your life.

 

[perchie.girl]

Oz I am not a prepper.... but I want to be as self sufficient as I can as I head into retirement. My income will be around 1400 a month if the government doesnt mess with it.... This is what all my reading and planning is for.... Family issues wont allow me to practice any of it till I get moved.


If only more people in the US knew how much food it REALLY takes to be healthy and full of energy..... Sigh. I am still parusing the Grandma site delving into what My personal needs are. She makes a good point where If its on sale for less thatn what you can produce it for then buy it preserve it in some fashion. When I move up to my hose I will be supplementing my larder with "commodities" Believe it or not plain old canned goods can be preserved to last much longer thant the "Best used by" recommendations. Probably twice as long before it starts changing flavor.

I consider myself a city girl....with a country heart.

deb

 

[ozexpat]

Oz I am not a prepper.... but I want to be as self sufficient as I can as I head into retirement. My income will be around 1400 a month if the government doesnt mess with it.... This is what all my reading and planning is for.... Family issues wont allow me to practice any of it till I get moved.


If only more people in the US knew how much food it REALLY takes to be healthy and full of energy..... Sigh. I am still parusing the Grandma site delving into what My personal needs are. She makes a good point where If its on sale for less thatn what you can produce it for then buy it preserve it in some fashion. When I move up to my hose I will be supplementing my larder with "commodities" Believe it or not plain old canned goods can be preserved to last much longer thant the "Best used by" recommendations. Probably twice as long before it starts changing flavor.

I consider myself a city girl....with a country heart.

deb

keep researching and sharing

its interesting stuff

 

[Bulldogma]

One thing I think people often forget to factor in whilst making prepper-style plans is water for cooking. Yes - you need drinking water, but you must also have clean, potable water for cooking all the rice, beans and whatnot you have stored away. Those food items require a pretty good amount of water to get them soft enough to eat and digest.