Best Survival Gear and Supplies
Here’s another frugal and easy food choices for prepping, camping, and survival on a budget: Pan Fried Stuffing.
Learning how to cook some simple, hearty dishes is an important part of learning to be self-sufficient. It can also help you learn to utilize some items from your survival food list.
My daughter, Montana Storm, actually came up with how to make stuffing from leftover bread in a frying pan one day (she may have stumbled on this because all the pans were dirty!). I don’t know how, but became quite a hit in our family. And now I always have a bowl sitting on the back of the counter to catch the heels of bread, and leftover rolls and buns that will mold if not frozen or dried, for stuffing and meatloaf, meatballs, croutons, whatever.
Frying pan stuffing takes about five minutes to make and can be (depends on how you dress it up) oh so good! It will fill the stomach, can be eaten alone (I like it with leftover gravy) or as part of a meal.
This is the basic recipe, from here it is all what you have available and your own personal taste palette.
I also keep ice cubes of “drippings” from roasts, etc. to create a good soup stock, broth or gravy. Nuke a couple of these and it will make your stuffing oh so much more delicious!
Serves 4-6. Or two if this is the meal. ENJOY!
I would love to publish a series of “basic” recipes that people can add to, to taste. Just good frugal recipes, especially those with an eye toward using rice and beans.
Due to their unique life off the grid, this intentional community has had to be extremely clever in how they can make money to support their homesteading. Here are some of their small farm income ideas:
Along the side of a gravel road an old farm wagon advertises pizza! Wood fired pizzas every Friday from 5-8 pm, May through October. This is just one of the homestead based businesses this family runs to make ends meet without an outside income.
The building behind the greenhouse is used on this evening as a restaurant. Note the wood fired pizza oven centered on the back wall. The player piano provides music and a chalkboard is used to announce the pizza menu available. “Bring your own plates, utensils, and beverage,” is clearly written on the chalkboard. A pizza picnic!
Al fresco dining is also available at two levels to take in the view of the gardens and pastures against the backdrop of limestone bluffs and deciduous forests.
In between the indoor dining and the outdoor dining is a certified kitchen which is not only used for the pizza business but also the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from the extensive gardens. And when interns and workshops are given at the farm this is a communal eating and gathering area.
The gardens occupy perhaps two acres of land. Besides the families that live here, this garden has supported up to 30 CSA families as well. However, even though demand is increasing the cooperative has decided to cut the CSA families to 15 to not only better serve them but also to balance lifestyle desires with financial rewards for the members working the CSA.
The loft of the old barn has been converted to a theatre for local actors and comedians to ploy their trade on Friday evenings. It is also used for a “movie night” for the families who live on the farm. And in the winter, it again becomes storage for hay for the working animals on the farm.
The Curiosity Shop houses the only telephone on the farm. A landline that is hooked up to an answering machine and checked daily. It also is a retail outlet for the various crafts and wares that the members of the cooperative create.
The cooperative also provides internship opportunities for people interested in CSA ventures. Workshops are held for horse farming and solar energy.
I asked about workshops were being planned for next year. The wife just smiled and said that they would be planning that over the winter.
Winter is a time for this family to recuperate from the hectic three season schedule of greenhouse gardening, planting via horse cultivation, the intensive work of gardening for multiple families and the CSA, pizza nights, theatrical productions, workshops, interns and guests, putting up wood, and the harvest. It is a time to think about what worked and what didn’t, and to plan for the new year.
The silence provided by the great white blanket of snow that covers the north country can be therapeutic, not only for individuals, but families. Homeschooling provides a closeness that is enviable in today’s fast paced society of after-school activities and both parents working outside the home. This family revels in that quiet time of winter.
I have been invited to revisit this cooperative farm in the spring. They will know then what their venue will be for the summer. If you have questions or comments, feel free to email me and I will try to answer them now, or then.
This is part of an off grid series, where I take you on a tour of the off-grid home without solar assist and a walk around the farm.
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out the other posts featuring their: home without electricity, masonry heater, off grid water system, and gardening efforts.
My hope is that you will enjoy the experience as much as I did and perhaps learn, or remember, a bit of an older/newer lifestyle.
More people than ever are getting curious about prepping with the state of the world as it is. Many people become overwhelmed, though, when they first get into prepping. The lifestyle change can be pretty dramatic for some, so it’s easiest to start with ways to prep at home. This article is going to give you some tips on how to start prepping, with a focus on prepping in the home.
This may seem a bit out of the blue, but remember that the world, at least for the time being, runs on money. Going out and buying prepping supplies until you max out your credit card isn’t really going to do you any favors. There’s no guarantee that doomsday won’t be another major financial collapse or natural disaster that costs you thousands in-home repairs.
Getting your finances in order is a multi-step process. Set aside income each month dedicated to paying off any debts. Invest in an identity theft monitoring service such as Lifelock or IdentityForce, it’s up to you which of the two big choices you use. This will help you make sure that your finances aren’t meddled with by other, malevolent parties.
If you start collecting dry goods, weapons, tools, and other gear, you’re going to quickly end up with a house full of stuff. Before you go buying all of the supplies you want to have, it’s vital that you make room in your home for everything you need. This might involve clearing out a part of the house that will be dedicated to supplies. You’ll want enough room to have supplies easily accessible, not packed away in boxes.
It doesn’t need to be a whole room either. You’re likely going to start with a small portion of supplies rather than create a huge stockpile right away. There are plenty of ways to prep even if you live in a small home or apartment. However, one of the first ways to make space is to go through your home and see what you don’t need anymore.
Another aspect of prepping is getting rid of your old fears and attitudes. This can mean a lot of things for different people, but the gist is to let go of reasons to not fully commit to prepping. Whether you’re scared of the possibility of doomsday, or you’re afraid of what prepping will do to your family, you need to fully commit to the cause. Only when fully committed will you be able to embrace prepping and all of the benefits that it can have for your family.
A family is only as prepared as its least committed member. Whether you’re the only one into prepping, or there’s a mix of attitudes on the subject, do your best to get everyone involved. Treat prepping as a family activity, with special time allotted to the practice. Everyone can learn survival skills together not only as a bonding activity but also so that you can ensure that everyone’s skills are satisfactory.
Consult the rest of the family and find ways that you can incorporate their interests into your prepper training. Maybe one of your children wants to learn to hunt, or maybe your spouse wants to learn more about cooking. Whatever the case, embracing each individual’s interests is a great way to make sure everyone is getting something positive from this experience. These positive experiences can make it easier to deal with the stress of prepping, which can take a toll on your family if not well managed.
If you can’t get everyone on board, it’s a good idea to have a plan to include your non-prepping family members in your emergency plans.
Many new preppers get caught up in storing water, food, and gear that they forget about the problem of waste removal. When doomsday hits, there’s a chance that your current system will be unusable. It’s best to start planning for this ahead of time so that you don’t find yourself in a situation without a waste removal system.
There may not be sanitation works after doomsday, so consider composting to get rid of your food waste. Most other items can biodegrade or be burned, such as cardboard packaging. If it comes in a container that can’t be composted, burned, or won’t biodegrade, don’t buy it. This way you won’t end up with piles of plastic trash outside of your home.
It may seem more than obvious, but you’re going to need food and water, even when doomsday hits. It may seem like you can run on adrenaline alone, but this simply isn’t the case. It takes a long time to build up a food and water supply, so start slowly. Do some research on food items that keep well and begin purchasing them over time. Before you know it, you’ll have a year’s worth of food to satiate your entire family. If you need help pulling ideas together, check out this really thorough survival food list.
As far as water is concerned, you don’t want to be underprepared. While humans can survive on less than ideal amounts of food, water is another story. Whether you’ve collected water in outside tanks, or in containers inside, make sure you have enough to keep everyone hydrated. Dehydration can kill in a matter of days, so you don’t want to wait until doomsday hits to collect enough water.
While it’s important to be prepared to be in your home for an extended period of time, there is a good chance that a time may come when you have to leave. Whether you’ve finally run out of provisions or there’s an unforeseen emergency, you need to be prepared to pick up and leave when the time comes.
Each member of the family should have a bag with some of the basics that can be grabbed at a moment’s notice. It’s also a good idea to assign roles to each member of the family that divides up the work in the event that the family must migrate. One child may be tasked with looking after the younger children, while another may be tasked with packing up the items that will be taken with the family. These roles will help minimize the amount of stress that occurs during this time.
If you’re just starting out as a prepper, it can be overwhelming to know just where to start. With the help of these tips, you can begin prepping at home and expand into other areas of your life once you are more experienced.
Do you wake up after a long night’s sleep and make an assortment of noises just walking to the bathroom? This is the reality of getting older. Aches and pains equal limitations on the ability to perform certain tasks either comfortably or possibly not at all.
It sucks. Period.
As humans, we do an incredible job of figuring out ways of doing things. I just watched a TV show where last week a woman had her arm bit off by a shark. She had the attitude – “The shark will not win. I will live and live my life to the fullest.” Is she living in denial? I think she is just choosing her attitude. She could wallow in sorrow and be depressed – or lift her head up high and take on the challenge that lies before her.
A big part of dealing with the challenges of getting older is mental. While pain may be physical and no amount of positive attitude will make it hurt less – living a more fulfilled life while dealing with the pain is possible.
Did I mention getting older sucks?
In my own existence, I have struggled lately with energy and stamina. While many people drink a cup of coffee every morning I take a 200mg caffeine pill and feel it has really made a difference in my energy and mental alertness. Stamina? Still struggling but part of that I know is I need to challenge myself and exercise more.
Although some may argue from my point-of-view firearms and preparedness absolutely go together.
From talking to many readers of this site and others there are people out there getting involved in prepping and have NEVER shot a firearm. They are uncomfortable with firearms and often do not know where to start. Every person and situation is different but here are a few thoughts:
Rules to handling guns –
When I work with people new to firearms – I emphasize the following safety rules over, and over, and over again:
Take a course –
An excellent method to becoming familiar with shooting is to take a course. Most any decent gun shop can point you in the direction of a local trainer. The course should be hands on with YOUR gun.
Start small –
Starting off with a small caliber or even a an air rifle is a great way to get used to shooting. Remember that even smaller caliber firearms can kill – so they must be treated with respect.
The Ruger 10/22 is an excellent long gun to start with.
Practice, practice, practice –
Once a firearm is acquired – practice with it. Practice is the only way you will become proficient. What is proficient? Being able to safely engage a target with confidence and hit it.