Marti’s Corner – 73

Hi Everyone,

NOTES:

**  Have you ever heard about canning butter?  It’s somewhat controversial and many will advocate against it.  But I read about it and thought I’d try it.  So I canned some back in 2018.  And these small containers of butter have been sitting in my closet since then. I decided it was time to open one of the jars and “try” the butter.  I toasted a bagel and spread on the butter.  It was smooth and creamy and melted deliciously.  Yep!  It worked!!!!  And I didn’t use a “canner”, I did it in the oven.  With canning, it’s all about raising the temperature high enough not just to kill botulism, but any botulism spores.  Of course, you probably know that when butter is melted, it separates.  The trick is, after the butter is heated for a sufficient amount of time, the lids are put on and the jars seal, then as the butter continues to cool, there is a “sweet spot” of time where it will re-congeal as you shake it.  

*** I was cleaning out a closet and found an Emergency Prep binder that I had totally forgotten about.  Among other things in there, I found a recipe for a “Natural Antibiotic” containing turmeric and honey.  I looked up turmeric and found that it is NOT considered an antibiotic, but it does have some good health benefits.  It helps prevent heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.  It has anti-aging properties and helps fight against inflammation.  It helps improve symptoms of depression and arthritis.  So… there you go.  My recipe says to mix 1 TB turmeric and 100 grams of organic honey in a small jar.  On the FIRST day of flu symptoms, take 1/2 spoonful every hour.  On day 2, take 1/2 spoonful every 2 hours.  Day 3, 1/2 spoonful three times a day.  NOTE:  Let it melt in your mouth before swallowing.

REMEMBER THE POWER OF 3

1. 3-Minute Kits which include sturdy shoes, flashlight, leather gloves, whistle, and lightweight clothes.  Keep in a drawstring bag immediately under each bed for easy access.

FIRST THREE HOURS

1. AM/FM Radio with batteries.  I have had several wind-up radios and they have never worked right.  Just sayin’
2. First-Aid Kit with adequate supplies, medications, and personal needs for each member of the family
3. Gas, water, and electricity shut-off tools in place
4. Search & Rescue equipment: tools, rope, masks, duct tape, fire extinguisher, etc.

     e  GO Binder:  Contains names, addresses, phone numbers, and maps for local and out-of-state contacts.  Also include important documents for each family member; general family information (SS cards, passports, birth certificates, insurance cards, insurance policies, bank account numbers, vehicle ID numbers), spare keys

FIRST THREE DAYS

1. 72-hour kits for each family member packed and ready to leave home.  Includes water, food, clothing, shoes, first aid supplies, medications, hygiene supplies, water filters or purification tablets, shelter, survival supplies, and cash in small bills for each family member
2. Car kit adapted for each household need:  food, water, walking shoes

FIRST THREE WEEKS

1. In addition to the First 3 Days, food and personal items for 3 weeks
2. Alternate cooking methods and/or fuel
3. Batteries
4. Laundry detergent and bleach
5. Hygiene supplies (include babies, elderly, and feminine needs)

GARDEN HAPPENINGS: 

Saving seeds is not that hard.  Here’s an easy chart I found to help explain the process.

***  New pest damage:

Found this guy in the lettuce and 3 or 4 much smaller green grubs.  Here is the damage they do:

Unfortunately, they often eat the “heart” of the lettuce, which then kills the plant.  How rude!  It’s that time of year.  I’ll have to add lettuce to my twice-weekly spraying of Captain Jack (that will kill these larvae-stage moths) AND twice-weekly spraying of safer soap for the aphids. 

THIS WEEK’S PURCHASE: sauces, 10 jars

This could include spaghetti sauce, alfredo sauce, Picante sauce, BBQ sauce, or any other type of sauce you usually use.  Imagine planning meals for a month.  What would you need?  Maybe 3-4 of each?  Start with that.  Just set aside some money (and that amount is increasing weekly) and get extra sauces for pasta, or canned meat.  Even though I always make my own spaghetti sauce, I STILL have some on hand in the cupboard.  Just last week I used some alfredo sauce that was several years old, and it tasted just fine.  

I still get nervous when I open something that is WAY past its date.  But NOT opening it, and just pushing it to the back of the cupboard, is worse.  Use it up, rotate it, or toss it. 

MISC PURCHASE: bandaids & antibiotic ointment

You may think that in a Zombie Apocalypse situation, bandaids would be the last of your worries.  Water and food first, right?  But infection can kill faster than hunger. 

I put the ointment right into the bandaid box, so I don’t have to hunt through drawers to find it.  You should have a

mini first aid kit in your 72-hour grab bag.  AND it would probably be a good idea to have one in your car.  I HAVE been places where someone has gotten hurt and I’ve remembered I had bandaids and ointment.  Yay me!!!!  EVEN if you already have bandaids, they lose their stickiness after a while.  Just get more. 

FOOD STORAGE RECIPES

Pasta Primavera  

In Italian, Primavera means spring.  As you can imagine, there are a LOT of spring vegetables and this dish can include everything from

sliced red onion, yellow squash, zucchini squash, cherry tomatoes, peas, asparagus, carrot, bell pepper, broccoli, artichoke hearts, and chicken.  

Start cooking your pasta.  Penne, bow tie, linguine, whatever you have.  While it is cooking, sauté the veggies in some olive oil just until they start to get tender.  Don’t forget to add some garlic.

Drain your pasta, and pour it in with veggies.  Add some more olive oil, 3 TB lemon juice, 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese.  

This works well with my small garden where I may only get 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, and 1 bell pepper.  I can add any leftovers and no one will know.

Andrew A-La-Toni

When my youngest child, Andrew, was little, he really liked this dish I made up.  

It’s a lot like the Pasta Primavera, but I used spaghetti sauce.  Typically I would put in mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, and chicken.  (Just use a can or pint jar of chicken).  Then I would serve it over pasta.  

As long as we’re using veggies, you can always make…

Minestrone

I like this recipe because it doesn’t call for any fresh food (although fresh is better, of course), but everything is shelf-stable.

My recipe calls for:

1 c. macaroni
1 can corn undrained
1 can green beans undrained
1 can diced tomatoes undrained
2 TB dry onions
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp thyme
2 TB parsley
1 c. water
1 pint cooked ground beef.

Simmer together to let the flavors blend.

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Things are getting bad in the world.  Don’t be caught unprepared.

Marti