What did you do today to prep?

**Daisygirl** · 03-17-2011, 06:27 AM

Well, Polly, if you have goats milk might be one less thing you need to buy!

I'm on the hunt for dry milk. I drink my coffee iced with skim milk so that should work for me.

Another point about milk. Anyone who is concerned might consider the possible radiation coming from Japan. If it does indeed reach our shores, milk is one of the main items that will contain radiation. Dry milk is a vital protection against ingesting radioactive particles.

I'm not so worried about radiation from Japan. The thing I find alarming is the large number of nuclear energy plants here in North America. This kind of tragedy could really happen anywhere. I hope I don't sound like a nutcase here, but the tragedy in Japan has definitely illustrated why many of us are prepping.

Just to preach on it a little (on soapbox) some people have said it should show us how useless prepping is. I agree, if your home is washed away by a tsunami or some horrible disaster, all your physical preps like food storage will be useless. But if you are one of the survivors hunkering down in your home with your doors and windows sealed, all of your preps would certainly pay off.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best. (off soapbox)

**Grammarbug** · 03-18-2011, 07:38 PM

Planted herbs today: basil, rosemary, sage, lemon thyme, lavendar, oregano, cilantro. Will use it fresh and then dry for the winter use. Tomorrow I will plant my vegetable garden.

**frugalwarrior2** · 03-18-2011, 11:09 PM

Polly-excellent deals on the beans. I can't find Great N. beans for anywhere less than $1.02 not incl. shipping. Please where?

today
75' extension cord and another 40' one
4 Nutkao (Nutella) frm Big Lot $2.50 (protein source)
4 cans white grape juice (welches)

Going for more protien bars
Need to move on getting a new cell phone picked out next week. Old equip.just isn't cutting it.

DH got a shocker today. Apparently Concerta is out of stock at Kroger because 1 ing. has been suspended. Scary.
I may start mail ordering my meds for availability not price.

**pollypurebred39** · 03-18-2011, 11:34 PM

Now maybe this does not seem like prepping, but I think it will help me in the long run. The homesteading book had mixed reviews, but I'm thinking at least in part it was because those reviewing were already familiar with homesteading. The other book is the one I'm most excited about.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1603421386"]Amazon.com: The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre! (9781603421386): Carleen Madigan: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51aDpI-ON6L.@@AMEPARAM@@51aDpI-ON6L[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0970869703"]Amazon.com: Mix-A-Meal Cookbook (9780970869708): Deanna Bean: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514JFZCX4EL.@@AMEPARAM@@514JFZCX4EL[/ame]

This author was recommended on another thread. I thought that recommendation was enough since I got these for pennies. I already have the make a mix cookbook and thought these might be a good compliment to that.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0672526719"]Amazon.com: More Make Your Own Groceries (9780672526718): Daphne Metaxas Hartwig: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Eddsa%2BEBL.@@AMEPARAM@@31Eddsa%2BEBL[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0025485318"]Amazon.com: Dinner's Ready (9780025485310): Daphne Metaxas Hartwig: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51S39i7AP6L.@@AMEPARAM@@51S39i7AP6L[/ame]

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0911954317"]Amazon.com: Classic Greek Cooking (9780911954319): Daphne Metaxas Hartwig: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61YGR227NSL.@@AMEPARAM@@61YGR227NSL[/ame]

HA! the picture of a cookie book is wrong. It was a Greek cooking book

I have several more books in my saved bin, I'd like to go through these before I make any more decisions about the books I'd like to purchase. I need to be wise about spending my Christmas money.

**madjen** · 03-18-2011, 11:42 PM

I added to the stockpile today! I got 10 boxes of pasta and 8 cans of dog food free after coupons/sale. I also got 2 bags of dog food for $.99 each after coupons/sale. This was all at Kroger.

My seed starters (milk jugs) got their first drink of rain water today. They were still fairly wet from putting them together earlier in the week. This method seems to be working well. Just playing the waiting game to see what grows seedlings and what doesn't.

**scooby8themall** · 03-21-2011, 08:48 AM

I have picked up some extra blankets
Started my seeds
Granddaughter started basil,dill,chives there was some thing else can not remember what.
I bought some strawberry plants
stock piling what I can
I'm buying fresh produce when I find it at a decent price and freezing it
and gathering as many coupons as can to help my stock pile along.
I also look for mark down on clothes for my 3 year old grand daughter who is living with us I pick up 3t , 4t and 5t so I have some clothes for ahead of time .

**frugalwarrior2** · 03-21-2011, 09:34 AM

Bought
-12 2pk. fly traps
-8 rolls of bandage tape
-20 balance bars
-lg container of chives and basil

Heading to the old Big Lots today to see about more Pom juice.
Thinking about snap traps for mice
clothesline/pins
need more car keys

**madjen** · 03-21-2011, 11:47 AM

We started the compost bin yesterday. DH put grass seed and crab grass preventer down. The yard looks terrible right now! Hopefully it keeps the pups paws in good shape this year. At least 1 of them is allergic to crab grass. I'm going to see what containers I can find around here to start some more seeds. Also going to make another Kroger run.

**pollypurebred39** · 03-21-2011, 12:41 PM

Money is an object, and being able to stockpile as much as I'd like is just not possible. So it got me to thinking that prepping isn't just about things, it's about ideas, acquiring skills, and being on a search for things you didn't know you needed to know.

So......

I joined a preppers group on FB. I haven't looked through it throughly, so it may have some extreme ideas, but I thought there would be good things to glean from the group.

I also did a a food flyer list for the deals this week. I'm hoping to have the car tomorrow so I can get started this week.

**MsMarieH** · 03-21-2011, 03:34 PM

I attended a class yesterday on pressure cooking and pressure canning. I already knew the canning side, but I've never played with pressure cooking and was anxious to learn more about it. I had asked hubby to get me a set of pressure cookers last year for my birthday or Christmas (I forget which) and danged if I haven't even used them yet!!! (Poor hubby) By golly, I need to start. They are a tremendous energy saver.

**frugalwarrior2** · 03-21-2011, 04:08 PM

Polly or whoever
Ideology in the visual.
Videos-pioneer living survival magazine. Have been watching gardening videos. DID NOT join.

today
-4 bags clothespins
-30# Great Northern Beans
-10# navy beans
-Rubber gloves 5 pks.
-2 50ft. alum. foil
-Bluberry/pom juice
TBC

**pollypurebred39** · 03-21-2011, 04:45 PM

Thanks FW!

My first gem of knowledge, thought I'd share.

Cheese : one gallon of milk to one cut white vinegur. warm the milk until you get a skin on top, add herbs if you want ( fresh) stip and add the vinegur.the cheese curds will sink and the whey will rise. You have to strain the cheese curds and whey ( they whey is nasty but its really good for you). You can press the cheese in forms ( aka tuppperwear with something on top to smach it down). You can double wrap it and freeze. =) We make ours from goats milk, raw and freash. =) VERY simple Armenian recipe. =)

**Jayceef** · 03-22-2011, 10:29 AM

I found large cans (3.5 lbs) of whole powdered milk Nido brand at a Walmart. Bought one and now I have that big can and two little Nidos as well as one small whole goats milk. I have good coupons for Enfagrow so will pick up a can of that at some point also. Want to make sure my son will have plenty of milk in a crisis.

**madjen** · 03-22-2011, 11:10 AM

I added to the stockpile a little yesterday... 13 boxes of pasta, 10 cans of dog food, 2 bags of dog food and 4 bottles of Motrin PM.

I started a compost bucket inside the house. For now, it's just an old ice cream pail but if that gets stinky, I will figure out something else to use!

I found a website with vegetables that can be planted in each zone with the dates and apparently there's a few things that I can plant THIS week! Can't wait until the weekend!

**pollypurebred39** · 03-22-2011, 07:46 PM

I put

7 pounds of dried beans
12 cans of kidney beans
40 rolls of toilet tissue
21 pounds of ground turkey/chicken

in stockpile today

I also bought another bag of peaches (DS2 snagged the last bag

) to try my hand at homemade wine.

And

I'm going to try that cheese recipe, either tonight or tomorrow.