Marti’s Corner – 27

Hi Everyone,

NOTES:

• I found another great website for my garden questions. Vegetable Garden Planner | Garden Planning Apps. You can look up garden plans, pests, and diseases.
• The state of Utah has been busy preparing videos with great information: Family Disaster Plans, Water Storage Information, and a ton of good stuff. Be Ready Utah. Here are some episodes about cooking without utilities:
• Be Ready Utah PrepCast Episode 22: Cooking without Utilities, Segment 5 Solar Cooking
• Be Ready Utah PrepCast Ep 22: Cooking without Utilities, Segment 3 Charcoal Dutch Ovens and BBQ Grills
• Be Ready Utah PrepCast Episode 22: Cooking without Utilities, Segment 4 Campfire Cooking
• In fact, go to YouTube and search for Be Ready Utah and you’ll find all their episodes there.
  ALL of the plants in your yard should be mulched. In fact, in Texas, during the summer, the Scouts make money by going door to door and charging people to mulch their plants and trees during the summer. Mulch suppresses weeds, holds in moisture, feeds the worms and good insects, and makes the yard look good.
• She offers you 5 good options. 5 Organic Garden Mulch Options – THE LIVING FARM
• How can you adapt your food storage for special dietary needs? Here are some ideas: Adapting Food Storage

SHORT TERM FOCUS: Cinnamon

When you consider how exotic cinnamon is, and how valuable it was thousands of years ago, we are lucky that it is so readily available.  If you buy it in the bulk section at Winco, it is really reasonable.  I have 2-3 quart jars of cinnamon in my storage.

You may ask, “Do I NEED that much cinnamon?”  Answer:  Probably not, BUT, I find myself using it for cinnamon toast, and using it when I dehydrate apples – in addition to cooking with it.  Apple pie, cinnamon rolls, snickerdoodles, Mmmm.

72-HOUR KIT FOCUS: Washrag & Trial-size Soap

Have you ever stayed in a motel? Have you wondered what you can do with those little soaps and shampoos? Your 72-hour kit is a great place for them. I cut a washrag in 1/2, put it in a sandwich bag, included a mini motel bar of soap, and put one in each kit. Plain old soap and water is a really good way to kill germs on a cut or scrape. It may sting a little, but if you are in an outdoor situation, it’s better than fighting an infection. After COVID, we should all know the value of washing with soap and water.

MISC FOCUS: Insect Repellant

This is not on the list this month, but it is something you should have. When Craig and I were in Indiana, we happened to notice a lot of people carrying chairs and blankets and heading to a local park. Naturally curious, we followed them and found out they were setting up for a “movie in the park”. As the families laid down their blankets, the moms had the kids stand with their arms out and gave them a good spray with insect repellent. We looked at each other and wondered if “this was a thing?” Needless to say, the bugs were HUGE, flying around in the air while all the kids (and dads too) sang to Frozen!!! We bought some the very next day and never got out of the car without spraying ourselves. Bottom line – if during the Zombie Apocalypse you have to spend any time outside, you may want something to ward off the mosquitoes. This is a good time, it’s on sale.

• If you find yourself in a sporting goods store, they have very small bottles of insect spray. I have one in each of my 72-hour kits.

FOOD STORAGE RECIPES

Spiced Nuts

I like this recipe because it turns nuts into a really delicious treat. I used to make it for the kids’ teachers and give it to them at Christmas or Teacher Appreciation Week.

1 c. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 TB milk
Cook this to soft ball stage. If you have never cooked candy, you can use a candy thermometer. 235˚ is the softball stage. If you take a little spoon full (like 1/2 teaspoon) and drop it into a small cup of cold water, you can push it together with your fingers to make a little ball. When you take that ball out of the water, it will slowly lose its shape and turn into a pool of mushy goo on the counter. That’s what you want. If it stays in a ball shape, it is no longer a “soft” ball stage.
When you get to soft ball stage, remove from heat and add
1 tsp vanilla
Pour-over
2-3 c. nuts and coat well. Spread on wax paper or tin foil to cool. Break apart.

Apple Crisp

4 c. sliced apples
If you like sliced apple stuff, you totally need one of these: Apple Peeler, Stainless Steel Apple Corer Slicer Peeler, Durable Heavy Duty Die Cast Magnesium Alloy.  I never knew they existed until I saw one at my daughter’s house. How did I ever live without one of these?
Put apples in a buttered baking dish.
Topping:
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. oats
1/3 c. soft butter
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
Mix and put over apples. Bake 375˚ for 40 min.

Coffee Cake

1 egg
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
2 TB vegetable oil
Combine
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
Add and mix. Pour into a greased 8X8 pan.
Topping:
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 TB flour
1 TB melted butter
1/2 c. chopped nuts
(Sometimes I double this. Who doesn’t like extra topping???)
Spread over dough
Bake 375˚ for 20-25 minutes.

We are finishing the 4th month of our goal to be sufficiently prepared by next April – even if that is only a 3 month supply. Three months was what it took for our stores to be stocked after COVID. And that is the minimum!!!! Please, I’m urging you, Please be prepared. Don’t let your family be hungry. Don’t worry about grinding the wheat, or cooking without fuel. Others can help with that. BUT, if food is a scarcity, you cannot ask others to sacrifice for you. It is not their job to prepare on your behalf. It is YOUR responsibility to do that.
Rant over. Carry on.

Marti