Illinois Preppers Network

We have Moved

2011-12-31T20:13:00.000-06:00

The Illinois Preppers Network has moved. Please bookmark our new location at: http://illinois.preppersnetwork.com/

Be sure to update the new link on your sites!

Southern Illinois- interesting?

2011-11-02T14:22:00.003-05:00

Hello Illinois preppers! Yes, I know, it's been a while.

Here's a tidbit I just saw that will be of interest to us southern preppers. yesterday, there was a "plume event" on the new madrid fault line which can be a signal for oncoming seismic activity. Might be something to keep in the back of our minds in the next few days. I did notice that yesterday the critters here on the farm were a bit restless with the goats and horses being a bit unsettled and both the milk cows moo'd all darn day. Wonder if some earth shifting had anything to do with it? Could be, just saying...

As you may have already heard, the crop report for the peanut harvest wasn't a good one with reports of the harvest being up to 40% less than expected with plenty of acreage not producing peanuts at all. prices are slated to go up soon so you might want to put a little extra peanut butter up in your preps if you are fond of it. No sense in paying more for it later when you could get it now for much less.

Weather conditions are starting to change now so keep in the back of your mind what your familys plans are for severe weather and possible long term power outages. We don't want you to be stuck like the folks out on the east coast. Remember to use your head and if you choose a generator or kerosene heater, make sure you have proper ventilation and a CO monitor for safety.

Stay safe and keep prepping!
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Water=Life

2011-08-29T09:58:00.003-05:00

Hey Illinois! I read something this morning that angered me but it does prove a point.

Apparently, some deranged people decided to punish one of their 10 yr old twins by denying him water for 5 days. The child died of dehydration. I hope the judge imposes that same punishment on them. But, this story is proof of why water is so very vital to our survival. We need it, have to have it and after just 3 days, we are in serious trouble and headed for the ever after. It is of the utmost importance that as a prepper, you have a clean water source available at all times. That could consist of bottled water stocked up or a well with a proper filter system at the ready. The first thing to be gone off the store shelves for the huge non disaster called hurricane Irene was bottled water. People all over the east coast who do not have the ability to think ahead in even the smallest ways all flocked to their local grocery stores and walmarts to wipe out the bottled water. So, forget about scrounging bottled water anywhere after any type of disaster, it will be all gone because the sheeple are incapable of thinking ahead. As a prepper, it is part of your agenda to have the necessities stocked up already.

Maybe it's time to double the water you have in storage, just in case.......

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Illinois jobless rate

2011-08-24T00:34:00.004-05:00

Hi folks! It's been a while, I know. Life in southern Illinois hasn't been smooth sailing and our dear friend Gen still needs our prayers for her recovery.

I hope you are all prepping as best as you can, life in Illinois isn't getting any better. Gov Quinn is making life uncomfortable from the top down. I picked this little tidbit up this evening from Drudge Report- Illinois Policy Institute... the article is about what Quinns brilliant plan for increasing taxes has companies all over the state getting rid of employees and some are even leaving the state. That of course has eliminated 89,000 jobs since January of this year! The need to be better prepared is upon us....
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Please keep praying for Gen

2011-07-23T09:56:00.000-05:00

Please keep praying for Illinois Preppers Moderator Gen Rogers

Latest updates posted on the Prayers for Gen facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=179633978759234

Nancy Ward Gibes Curry
With Gen & Waylon last eve..she was up 2 hours in her special chair, sleeping..but upright..a new level for her brain to adjust to... Waylon looks weary, pray for good rest for him as the days go on , Lord strengthen him, for the race before him, or should I say the WALK of this journey ? You are enough Lord...

Steven Bfabb Ostrander
‎UPDATE 7-19-11 (8:50 PM)
WAterford now has one more patient!!!! :D Gen has been successfully transferred! Praise God! Prayers that she settles in well and wakes up in God's perfect timing! Also prayers for Walyon and that he gets some sleep as the transfer has I'm sure been stressful on him and the rest of the family! Thank you Lord!

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The Record Heat Waves

2011-07-22T16:08:00.000-05:00

With the record heat waves and drought across the nation, the American Preppers Network hopes that you have been prepared. Disasters of any type can and do happen anywhere, at anytime, and without warning. We are now witnessing and will continue to witness a prime example of how one disaster can cause a chain reaction leading to other disasters. Here are some potential disasters to be aware of as a result of the drought and heat waves.

1) Water shortages. Water is the number 1 most important necessity to survival. The average human can only survive 3 days without water, and even less in a heat wave. I hope you've stored some. If the water system shuts down or does not have enough, you could turn on the tap only to have a few drips. If you run into a situation where there is not enough municipal water supply to your home, start looking for other sources of stored water.

Your hot water tank may have 30 - 50 gallons of water stored.
The top supply tank to your toilette is typically clean water that you can use.
Your plumbing in your house could have a few gallons. Open a higher faucet in your house as in a shower, sink, or upstairs source to relieve pressure, then open a lower outside faucet to retrieve water from your plumbing system.

Don't short change yourself on water! Make sure you have plenty for personal consumption. If you stop sweating, that means you are dehydrated!

Got Water?

2) Heat. Heat poses many risks, including but not limited to:

Heat Stroke. Watch family members closely, especially the elderly, watch for slurred speech and disorientation. When in doubt, call for help. Time lost is brain lost. Never leave pets or children in a vehicle, and keep them out of the direct sun. Drink lots of water.
Fire. Fires are much more common in the heat. Things dry out and become more flammable. Keep dry brush and trash picked up. Do not store fuel in or around your house, and keep well ventilated in a cool area out of the sun. Keep grass cut short, especially if your city is rationing water and not allowing watering of lawns. Do not store any flammables in the direct sun or in your attic.
Vehicle breakdowns. Avoid driving unless it's absolutely necessary, or drive at nite. Check your fluid levels and make sure your oil and coolant are topped off. Bring extra oil and coolant with you in case you need it. DO NOT top off your fuel tank! Make sure your tires are property inflated and not over or under inflated. Bring extra water with you in case you do break down. Drive with the A/C off when going uphill. Watch your vehicles tempature when climbing grades. If your car starts to overheat when going uphill, pull over at a safe location to let it cool. Check to make sure your thermostat is working before you make your trip.

3) Blackouts. The nations grids are maxed out. With everyone using A/C, expect rolling blackouts. If you are in a blackout, you can wrap sleeping bags around your refrigerator or freezer to help insulate it. To conserve power, only use what you absolutely need. Keep lights turned off and keep your A/C set to the warmest temperature that you can safely stand. Do you have a generator? Be prepared to use it. Do you have plenty of non-perishable food stored? If there is an extended blackout, you may need it. Stores and gas stations will be shut down in a blackout. Do you have an emergency battery powered radio and flashlights?

4) Food Prices Expect food prices to increase. Especially meat. Many ranchers are butchering all of there livestock as there is not enough food and water to care for them, this means shortages in the future. Produce crops are drying up. Prices of corn, wheat and other grains will increase. Even produce grown in unaffected areas may increase in price as well due to demand. If the blackouts are too severe, stores, gas stations and truck stops may close down temporarily disrupting the supply chain and preventing food from making it to the stores.

Stay safe during this heat wave and dought. This is a serious and potentially devastating national disaster.

If you have tips, ideas, news, videos or pictures that you wish to share regarding this heat wave you can submit your article to americanprepper@yahoo.com. If your article is chosen we will post it on your states preppers network blog. Top articles will get posted on APN. The top article of the week will win a free flashlantern valued at $49.95 (made in the USA). Articles must be submitted before 7/29.

Feel free to copy and repost this article in it's entirety. Credit source as AmericanPreppersNetwork.com

Here are some free helpful pdf files to download

Fire and Heat Waves
- ARC - Are You Ready - Fire

- ARC - Are You Ready - Heat Wave

- ARC - Are You Ready - Wildfires

- Fact Sheet: Fires

- Fact Sheet: Fire Safe

- WildFires

Water
- ARC - Food and Water in Emergency

- Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water

- How To Make A Solar Still (Plastic Cover)

- Purification Of Water On A Small Scale

- Simple Solar Still For The Production Of Distilled Water

- Slow Sand Filters

- Water Purification

- Water Treatment

Fire Safety

- Fighting Fire

- Fire Safety

Get More Free Downloads here:
http://preppers.info/Free_Downloads.html

Motives and Motivations

2011-06-30T11:13:00.000-05:00

Emergency Preparedness is first a state of mind involving a single goal oriented person. Then it evolves into a way of life in which, for whatever reason a person chooses, becomes something more than what they were before. In 2 sentances alone I have stated what I beleive most people on the American preppers Network would like to achieve. Instead of staying on this single idea for being prepared by exchanging ideas we've found and experiences we've endured, we shoose instead to make a mockery of our way of living proving the "outsiders", who accuse us of narrow mindedness etc, right about our intentions.

There is no right or wrong way, no right or wrong reasons. Not everyone has the same views or reasons for wanting to be better prepared. Because someone else doesn't think like you do is no reason to not be a Prepper. Becoming a prepper does not make you joined at the hip with anyone and you are free to think and feel any way you choose. it's not about what he says or what she says, it's about finding freedom thru self sufficiency! That's why I'm here. I already live self sustained, on a small farm, growing everything we eat. Raising my own livestock for food, canning, dehydrating, butchering, hunting, I even learned to make cheese. I make my own soap, repair things for myself, build what I need to make my life easier, that's what it's about. That's what it's always been about.

Choosing to be more self sufficient is a life changer folks. Just the implication leaves no more room for eating junk food, going out for pizza, sitting around staring at the TV while your brain rots away from the completely idiotic garbage spewing from network television stations. Any type of emergency preparedness is going to change your life. Making a real effort to take care of yourself is a huge step toward freedom.

Work together with the like minded people you find. Don't make mountains out of mole hills over things you can not do anything about. Not everyone is going to have the same thoughts or even political ideals you do and you will lose valuable friendships, ideas and information if you allow it to keep you from your goals.

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Where To Start

2011-06-29T11:10:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we all feel like we've hit a roadblock when we're working on a project. I have times like this too. For instance, some people can't figure out how to convince others around them that being prepared is a good idea. Some men can't get their wives onboard with the idea of being prepared and vice versa. How do we get past a block like that? That could be a tough one.

I look at prepping and being prepared like an insurance policy. Everyone has to have car insurance, property insurance, health insurance is a pretty good idea and folks like me even occasionally have crop insurance. Those things make pretty good sense. So why is it so hard for people to think about freedom insurance in the same manner? After all, being emergency prepared is nothing more than a little bit of freedom insurance. Freedom from danger, freedom from being displaced by having to leave your home and belongings for a shelter to ride out a storm etc. Freedom from being dependant others for your well being.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to take care of yourself in times of trouble, nothing wrong with actually doing it either. When things like what we had in southern Illinois this past spring (inland hurricane) or those winter ice storms that frequently knock power lines down and make the roads impassible for days at a time, would you rather hoof yourself down to the school gym or church basement and live on a cot alongside 100 or more other unprepared people or would you like to stay in your home and cook for your family? Your dedication to being prepared is all up to you. Even if you choose to simply have enough supplies to make it thru just a week long ice storm, when that storm hits, you will be glad you did!

For me, I am constantly reminded of how glad I am that I live on my farm. By growing what I eat I always have something to put on the table. Even when we're unemployed, the power goes out, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, fires, whatever comes our way, I've got some clean water to drink and a full belly. That is something to be happy about! Being emergency prepared can be as simple as having a case or 2 of water put up in a closet along with a box or 2 of canned goods. Your level of preparedness is always up to you.

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Food Storage Thoughts

2011-06-28T11:06:00.000-05:00

why is it some folks are just so hard headed? No matter how you try to explain it, the words just don't get thru to them. This evening I was having a food storage conversation with a couple preppers. We were discussing storing corn that can be ground up for cornmeal. Now, the corn I use for cornmeal isn't a type of corn readily available thru normal channels. I grow my own. so, most folks store whole kernel popcorn to grind. It works okay and makes decent cornmeal. That wasn't the snag point tho. The problem came in where the people I was having this conversation with did not understand that grinding their corn into cornmeal and then storing in the freezer was not a very good option. They argued that it was the best way to keep it fresh and not moldy. WRONG. The best way to keep it fresh and not moldy is to keep the whole kernels in an air tight bucket and only grind what you intend to use right then. A freezer is not a good option for an emergency situation!!! The ice storms, thunderstorms and weather like the inland hurricane we suffered thru down in the southern part of the state very often knock the power out for several days. 2 winters ago we were out of power for 3 weeks during the big ice storm. The roads were covered with several inches of ice and downed trees, how does a person expect to make it to the gas station-which is also out of power- to fuel up a generator to keep your electric supply going? What about in the summertime when something like the inland hurricane comes along and knocks power out for 10 days? It was 90 degrees during that power outage.......

Like I've said so many times before..... at least half of being emergency prepared is a mind thing. having the mindset to be able to handle any type of situation no matter what happens. You must stop thinking like a sheep does and learn to think outside the box. The power will go out and with it goes the water supply, your food in the fridge and freezers, the wash machine, the air conditioner, the heater and the electric motor on your grain grinder!

So please consider all sides of any emergency you can think of when you choose to prep for them. Common sense goes a long, long way when it comes to being prepared for anything.

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Update on our Gen

2011-06-27T10:49:00.001-05:00

Prayers are still needed but Gen could be on the recovery side of her illness now.

**UPDATE** 6-25-11 (2:54 PM)
...The doctors are lowering sedation and taking her off morphine today! Prayers that we see no signs of brain damage as she comes out of her sedation! It seems so soon, and thank God for it! Maybe she can see Mike before he leaves Tuesday! ;)

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Announcement-

2011-06-15T10:49:00.003-05:00

It has come to my attention that Gen has fallen gravely ill. I am trying to get solid information and I will update as soon as I have it. Preliminary information says that our dear Gen has been stricken with a brain aneurysm.

Please keep her in your prayers.

Update-
**UPDATE** 6-14-11 (8:56 PM)
...Sorry that I didn't get this up sooner everyone, I wasn't able to get to the hospital today. :(
Gen is having spasms in the brain which is critical because the spasms could cause a stroke. The doctors are doing everything they can to prevent the spasms from getting worse. They also said that they could occur for up to ten days or more. More prayers needed for sure!! Thanks for all your support everyone! Sorry again for not getting this up... My fault.

Prayers for Gen Rogers.

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Glad I Learned This Stuff Now....

2011-06-04T15:04:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone!! My story today, and the lessons learned, comes from the 'crazy weather' category. Last weekend we were having some crazy storms (who hasn't lately) and I had just stuck a pan of raspberry muffins in the oven when the electric in the kitchen went out. I went to the basement to flip the switch on the circuit that had overloaded and shut itself off. You see, that's really all that ever happens around here. I was thinking it was strange that I tripped it, though, because there was no unusual power usage in the kitchen at the time. Anyway, the light in the basement didn't go on, so I grabbed a flashlight. (First hint that I missed.) I looked at the electric box but didn't see any switches tripped. Hmmmm. I felt them over, up and down, pushing them slightly, but nothing was moved. I just didn't get it! Finally, I realized that the power was out in the whole house, and that it was a problem outside the house--not inside! Okay, before you think that I'm really slow, you have to know that power outages never happen here! We're in a suburb of Chicago, and the grid for Chicago is built to last! (That's my excuse anyway!)

The thing I didn't anticipate was that the gas stove stopped working when the power went out! What???? I've got muffins in there! I've got to heat up my dinner in 45 minutes! (Dinner was leftovers.) What am I going to do?? Okay, this is like those practice sessions that people recommend for you to do (which I never do). First I call the electric company on my corded phone. They say it'll be back on in under 2 hours. Okay! I go grab my camp stove and get it ready to go for reheating our dinner. I grab a book and enjoy a little quiet reading time. Thankfully within 45 minutes the power was back on and I could resume muffin cooking and start warming dinner.

We learned a few lessons through this situation, though. First, MY GAS OVEN DOESN'T WORK WHEN THE POWER IS OFF!! This was/is very disturbing. I always assumed that the stove would work for me. Right then I was wishing that I'd made the cardboard box stove I'd seen online. (I am assembling one now!) I need to rework my emergency plan by taking the stove out of the equation. What a disappointment that is. And I couldn't even use my dutch oven right then because of the rainstorm outside. What a predicament I was in in regards to what my plan for cooking was to be! This wake-up call was valuable if it makes me better prepared the next time something more serious happens.

The next thing we learned (well, I learned) is that the emergency flash light in my pantry---it sucks! Seriously! Wow, do I need better flashlights!

I was always a bit afraid to do a weekend emergency trial to see the holes in my preparedness plan. Nobody wants to live through it when it actually happens, so why would I want to live through it when it isn't happening??!! Right? Well, I now know that valuable lessons can be learned this way. I'm glad I learned what I did. (And I'm glad the electric came back on quickly!)

How about you? Have you done an emergency trial? Or maybe you don't have a dependable electric grid and you live a 'trial' all the time! What are the holes in your emergency plan?

Prep On!!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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A Most Interesting Conversation-Recommendation

2011-05-25T11:47:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone!! Today I want to direct you to another post in our network of blogs. Andrea writes over at the Ohio Preppers Network. Her latest blog post is entitled "A Most Interesting Conversation". I thought it was great and wanted to make sure you knew about it. Go here
to see her post and make sure to let Andrea know if you enjoyed it!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader
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Spring Things

2011-05-23T14:32:00.008-05:00

Hi everyone!! It's a beautiful day in northern Illinois! I hope it is in your part of the world, as well.

It's rhubarb time! If you've got rhubarb, I'm sure you're harvesting right now. I wrote this post last year about rhubarb, which included a few recipes and my favorite tip for growing great rhubarb! Check it out if you need some rhubarb inspiration. I found a new rhubarb recipe I'm going to try out: Frosted Rhubarb Cookies! Mmmmm. Sounds yummy! I'm always looking for ways to use the foods I grow. I also put lots of rhubarb by in the freezer (in packages sized for future uses) so that I can enjoy this sweet veggie even when it's not in season.

It's also dandelion season, if you don't weed-n-feed. Here's last year's post on a few things to do with dandelions.

Did you plant seeds indoors for plants to put in your garden? I did, and it's just about time to put those plants in the ground. Some of you in the south may have already put your plants in, if your ground has dried enough. For those of us up north, it's time to start 'hardening off' our tiny seedlings. Hardening off is taking them outside for a bit of time each day to get them used to the 'harsh' outdoor conditions they will soon endure full time. I usually bring my plants out for an hour or two the first day and put them somewhere where they can have a bit of sun and a bit of shade. I place them where they're protected from too much wind, as well. Everyday, I bring them out for a little more time, and a little more 'harsh' weather. After 5 or 6 days, the plants should be ready to put in the ground.

I believe that what's happening in the government around us is an indicator of what kind of future we'll probably have. That knowledge allows us to prepare correctly. On that note, here's an article explaining how the Indiana supreme court is shredding the 4th amendment. And, here's a video of Judge Napolitano talking about the same situation and more dangerous activity that's happening at the federal government level. Let's stay alert, folks!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Exploding Watermelons and Lost Farmland

2011-05-18T16:17:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone!! Did you happen to see this news video about the exploding watermelons? Apparently, some farmers in China have planted Japanese seed and half of the farmers are dealing with exploding watermelons! What a frustration it must be for them to see their livelihood destroyed. At first it was reported that the growth hormone sprayed on them was the cause, but some farmers who did not use the hormone have experienced explosions! How strange, eh? I have no idea if watermelons grown in China are shipped here, but I hope not!

The flooding that has happened in IL, KY, TN, LA, and MS has flooded millions of acres of farmland. We don't know yet how it will affect the availability of food that is normally planted in this area, or how it will affect prices. It can't be a good thing, though, when seeds don't get planted. The loss of crops will also negatively affect individual farmers. This situation reminds me that we really have no control! I, myself, have planted seeds in my yard and I'm counting on harvesting the fruits of my labor. Only God knows whether or not that will actually happen. Being prepared for whatever comes is the only thing we can do. Store food when you can. Grow it when you're able. Preserve whatever you can. Learn new skills. As the saying goes, Expect the Unexpected.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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How are you dealing with higher prices?

2011-05-11T19:13:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I think spring/summer has finally arrived in Illinois! Thank God!!

I'm wondering how everyone is dealing with the rising cost of food and gas. My last 'stock-up' trip to the grocery store was quite a bit more expensive than normal. I like to leave the store with quite a few dollars in my pocket. The last trip, I left with only $8!! And hubby came home today and told me it took $93.30 to fill up his gas tank! Yikes! Ouch!

In regards to gas, I will be biking to work as often as the weather permits for the next few months. That will certainly help in that department. It's also possible that hubby can car pool with a fellow worker.

In regards to food, my garden is the answer to rising prices! If all goes well and the weather cooperates, I will have jars of beans, tomatoes, salsa, carrots, jams and jellies, and apple and grape products. I'll have okra and broccoli in the freezer, and squashes and pumpkins on the shelves. All of these items will be basically NO strain on my pocketbook! That thought makes me happy.

So, what are you doing? How are you dealing with rising prices? Are you car pooling, driving less, biking more? Are you buying less at the grocery store? Only picking up the necessities? Are you eating out less? You know, cooking from scratch is a definite money-saver! And, scratch-cooked foods always taste better. If you have prepped and stocked-up on foods in the past, you'll be eating those items at lower prices.

We have to 'hang-in-there' for now. I don't believe that prices will be going down anytime soon. In fact, I think we will continue to see prices climb. Let's keep thinking of ways to preserve the money we do have, spending less on unnecessary items and finding deals on the things we do need.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Strange Times

2011-05-02T19:35:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! What strange times we're living in, eh? Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the tornadoes that ravaged the south last week. I can't even imagine what those folks are dealing with right now.

And, how will it affect the rest of the country? This article explains that around 5 million chickens in chicken farms in the south are dead after the tornadoes. Be aware that food prices could rise as an affect of the tornadoes.

Also, this argument going on between IL and MO! I don't know how the judge is going to rule on this debate. Homes. Farmland. As a prepper, I hate to see any farmland ruined. But, as a person I hate to think of losing my home to flooding. They say the judge should decide tomorrow on which side 'wins'. I'm very interested to see what happens.

A friend on Facebook had this as her status today: "Is it just me or are food prices going up?" Well, I thought she was a bit late in noticing, but assured her that yes, food prices are rising and that the tornadoes could cause even higher prices. Shop sales and stock up when you see good deals. The deals could be fewer and farther between. We're finally getting a break in the rain up here in northern Illinois, so I'm hoping to be able to start cooking outside on my cast iron over the fire. I'll post about it as soon as I can!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Japan Nuclear Fallout and Ridiculous Self-Sustaining Water Systems (really??)

2011-04-25T15:06:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a blessed Easter.

Just a few things for today. First, this video regarding the Fukushima nuclear plant. The woman speaking is Helen Caldicott, an MD, author, and speaker. She is also well-informed on nuclear info and has a strong anti-nuclear stand. I found what she had to say quite interesting. You won't hear that kind of talk from the msm, for sure. (And I loved the Australian accent!) She discusses the food system in Japan and Europe, which foods to be wary of, how long different nuclear components last, etc. Things that are way over my head, but very eye-opening.

Did you see this article. It's about a school in Washington state which is trying to be 'off-grid' in their water usage. Now, I'm all for being frugal with our water and power. I turn off the water while hand-washing, save the water that runs while waiting for it to heat up to wash dishes, hang laundry on the line, turn off lights, unplug appliances whenever possible. But, the school mentioned in the article used $500,000 in time and building materials on their project, which wasn't even the entire school! Ummm, a $500,000 off-grid project is not sustainable because not many people are going to be able to copy and sustain that! I've looked at the composting toilets in Lehman's. They sell for a few thousand dollars. How about we use methods which can be copied by the majority of folks in this country? Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's not such a big deal. I guess I just get sick of folks setting up fancy-shmancy, over-the-top, out-of-this-world-expensive systems, and using them as examples when I know there are lots of folks doing the same type of thing-or better-for a much more reasonable cost. Just gets under my skin, I guess.

Folks, I encourage you to keep one foot in the everyday world, and one foot in the future. Keep seeing what's on the horizon. It gives us our reasons to prep.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader
P.S. How are those seedlings coming along??? :)

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5 Bad Things, Earthquakes, and a Prepper Recipe

2011-04-21T19:10:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! How are you? Have you gone crazy yet, with this spring-winter-spring-summer-winter-type of weather we've been having?? I'm certain (almost) that spring will officially be here....one of these days!!

A few things today.....Did you see this article by John Hawkins? It's entitled '5 Things That Will Happen To You When America Goes Bankrupt'. I don't know about you but I like to read articles like this because they bring me back to reality. Not the day-to-day reality of life, but the reality of what I truly believe it coming. It's impossible to think that we can continue on in the way we've been going in this country. There is a big crash coming. I fear that the longer it takes to get here, the worse it will be. MMPaints, a contributor here, lives in southern IL and she says that the economic tide in her area is very rough. Things are not going well at all, and the downturn in the economy is quite obvious. Well, I live in the northern part of the state, and it's pretty much business-as-usual up here. Shopping malls are full of shoppers, Walmart is as busy as ever, restaurants are jammed packed with eaters. Aside from an increase in foreclosed homes, you'd never think there was any financial trouble by looking at what's going on up here. If you live in an area like I do, make sure you keep reading articles like the one I mentioned so you remember what's really going on and why you should continue to prep.

Have you heard of this 'exercise' that the state of IL and a few others states are taking part in? The Great Central U.S. Shake Out! It's taking place April 28th. It's a drill that coincides with Earthquake Preparedness Month. The New Madrid and Wabash Valley seismic zones are located in southern IL (and continue through other states). The exercise is an opportunity for schools and businesses to practice the instruction to 'Drop, Cover, and Hold On'. During an earthquake we're instructed to Drop to the ground; take Cover under a desk or table; and Hold On to the furniture until the shaking ends. If you're interested in learning more about this Great Central U.S. Shake Out, or other facets of earthquake preparedness, visit the ready.illinois.gov website and click the earthquake preparedness link.

I'm always looking for good recipes that use food storage, and I found a good one this week in one of my recipe books! Oats are a big part of my food storage and they're extremely healthy. The problem is that many people don't like to eat them. I love to eat them, but even I have gotten tired of my regular bowl of oatmeal lately. So, I was more than excited to find this scrumptious recipe! You'll use ingredients that (I hope) you already have in your pantry.

Crispy Breakfast Slices
3 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups quick-cooking oats (or whole oats and cook longer)
butter
In a saucepan, bring water, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to a boil. Stir in oats. Return to a boil; cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Pour into a greased 8-1/2-in. x 4-1/2-in. x 2-1/2-in. loaf pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Unmold and cut into 1/2-in. slices. Fry in butter in a skillet over medium heat until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Serve with syrup if desired.
*I also added some of my dehydrated apple slices and raisins. You could add any dried fruits or nuts that you have on hand for added nutrition and taste.

I hope you like the recipe. I thought it was quite tasty!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Happy Patriots' Day!!

2011-04-19T13:04:00.001-05:00

May we never forget, and may we be ever deserving of what was left to us. The battle for American freedom began many years ago today and still continues.

As I mentioned last year, a reading of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride, is quite appropriate reading for today. Enjoy!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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What happened?

2011-04-18T14:44:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! Well, were you surprised when you awoke this morning and looked out your window? I sure was! Remember that old saying, "If you don't like the weather in Illinois, just wait a minute. It'll change." Well, that sure was true this week! It made me think of one more great reason why we prep. You NEVER know what is going to happen from one day to the next. Last weekend we had 80 degree temps; this weekend it snowed. Being prepared for whatever life throws at you is priceless!

Thankfully, for us, the snow will melt and we'll go back to normal. This wasn't a major, life-shattering, life-altering event. It's just an annoying blip on the screen. Hang in there! Spring's a'comin'!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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News....

2011-04-16T14:29:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! I just wanted to pass along a few things I read this morning. First, an article from The Economic Collapse blog entitled 20 Signs That a Global Food Crisis is Coming. I really hope that you're focusing on your food storage by growing your own food. I just can't stress it enough. Growing a veggie garden is the single-best way to ensure there will be food in your future. Short of that, make sure you're watching sales and stocking up at the grocery store. Thanks to Aloha2U at Hawaii Preppers Network for the link.

Next, an interesting article about Iceland standing up to big bankers. Not directly related to prepping, but very insightful reading.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Spring is in the Air!!

2011-04-11T14:33:00.008-05:00

Hi everyone!! Sorry for the long absence here. Hubby and I just returned from visiting his family in Mississippi. (Yes, we are responsible for bring this gorgeous weather back to northern Illinois!! :)) Seriously, though, we are enjoying this (hopeful) jump into spring. We were hoping to get the peas, carrots, and onions planted in the garden yesterday, but our yard is still much too wet. I'm hoping that the next few days of sunshine and breezes will do the job.

So, instead of planting outdoors, we planted indoors. Well, transplanted indoors. The seedlings that we started, including tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, and broccoli were outgrowing their starter pots and needed to be replanted into bigger pots. Now they have plenty of room to grow and get nice and big before their final planting in the ground.

Do you know you don't need any kind of fancy pots to grow seedlings? While I do start my seedling in 'cells' in a miniature 'greenhouse' planter, the bigger seedlings get transplanted into whatever is available. This year we used 7oz. plastic drinking cups. In the past we've used small yogurt containers or washed-out containers that quart-size plants come in. Plants aren't fussy--they'll continue growing in whatever kind of container you have. As long as conditions are right, plants have a God-given desire to GROW and PRODUCE!

It's getting warm enough that I'll soon be able to start cooking over the open fire in my cast iron pans. I'm excited for that and excited to do some posts on the yummy things that cook so easily that way!

I was able to use the clothesline yesterday for the first time this year. I love how the clothesline not only saves money and wear-and-tear on the dryer, but it also makes your clothes smell fabulous!! It's as easy as stringing some clothesline rope between a few trees! Give it a try this year. Enjoy the sun's energy, enjoy fresher-smelling clothes, and enjoy 'being green' in the easiest way! And on that note, here's an article I saw on Yahoo about how often clothes should be washed. If you're an over-washer you can save time and money by wearing your apparel a few more times before a wash.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Taxed to the Max

2011-04-04T23:42:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! A few of our Illinois reps are collecting signatures on petitions to get the big IL tax hike reversed. Who knows if it'll do anything, but it's free to sign it and it only takes a second. If you want to sign the petition, go here. It can't hurt, right?? Now, it says that it's Illinois republicans who are collecting signatures. If you're a Democrat or Independent, you can still sign it!! :) Prep On! Gen-IL Homesteader ------------------------------------------ Join the APN Forum at www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net Visit the Illinois Forum at www.IllinoisPreppersNetwork.net

2011-04-01T10:04:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone!! It's spring! It's April! Can you believe it? Where is this year going??? Is it flying by for you as quickly as it is for me?? Well, we've been busy around here lately with garden 'activities'. As you know, the food from the garden comprises the biggest part of our preps every year. A very large amount of the food we eat comes from what we grow. It's a big job, and it takes alot of time and work. I have seedlings started and growing beautifully. This week we strung string for the peas to grow on. We got the garden planned out and marked. The busy season is about to begin, but there's such excitement in it! We're hoping for good weather in the next week to allow us to get peas and carrots in the ground. Are you growing something this year? I sure hope you are! Food grown at home is fresher, less expensive than store-bought, and most of all, it's a bit of self-sufficiency. It's something that you can do for yourself to play a role in your own survival! It is survival-ism at its most basic! So, on yesterday's local news, they mentioned more price increases. Apparently, Hershey's has announced that their prices will be going up in 2 months. (BUY YOUR CHOCOLATE STASH NOW!!!) Also, Walmart has announced that they are raising prices. These companies announcing price increases are caught between a rock and a hard place. They have increased costs so they need to increase prices. But they know they risk losing business from folks who can't pay increased prices. The decision to raise prices is not an easy one. You can bet that, when a major company announces price increases, they've spent much time in consideration and number crunching. To me, it's always a sign that things are really getting bad when million (or billion) dollar companies start passing the buck and risking sales. (One more reason to grow your own food. Hmmmm. Can I grow cocoa beans in IL??????) Prep On! Gen-IL Homesteader ------------------------------------------ Join the APN Forum at www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net Visit the Illinois Forum at www.IllinoisPreppersNetwork.net

Frustration, Ranting.....and More Price Increases

2011-03-22T15:37:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone! Well, I try to keep my posts here out of the political arena, but I'm crossing that line here today. Are any of you feeling frustrated at what the United States is doing militarily right now? Was it not enough that we were engaged in 2 'wars', we had to go and start a 3rd? Seriously? Does this make sense to anyone out there? Going and invading a country who has done absolutely no harm to us......I'm sorry it just makes no sense to me. Do we really need to lose more soldiers? someone's precious child? in battle's like this? I'm just overwhelmed with feelings of frustration right now. A fighter plane crashed there today. How many millions of dollars were just wasted? Thank God the soldiers lived through it! Are we so numb to this garbage that, when we start to see the nightly news reports on soldiers killed in Libya, we won't do a thing about it? I hope and pray we won't.

Remember this interview with then-senator Obama saying the first thing he would do if elected president would be to bring troops home from Iraq? Ummmm, it's been a few years now, I think. How close are we to bringing those troops home?

And did you know that just last week the House voted on bringing our troops home from Afghanistan by the end of 2011? Guess what. They voted it down. Surprised? Only 93 congressmen voted FOR the resolution. 93! And did you know that only 8 of those 93 votes were from Republicans? And NONE of those voting to bring the troops home this year were newly elected 'tea-party' representatives. Let that be a warning to you: voting party lines and voting for folks who don't even have a platform, is not necessarily a good thing.

I called my congressman and senators today to let them know that I want our troops out of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. I'm going to call them everyday if I have to until all of our soldiers are home. Forget about the soldiers that are lost overseas....think about the money spent over there! Our government is broke. Can a broke nation afford to start and maintain a third war? Oh, people, it does not bode well for us financially! The Russians left Afghanistan after a 10 year war and that war led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Can we expect to pull out of 3 wars in better shape than we went in? Prepare for the worst......

On to other news, did you see this article? Procter & Gamble has announced that they will be raising detergent prices. The price increases go into effect on June 6th. (Don't you like how they warn us? If you use items like Tide, Gain, or Era this might be a good time to stock up!) The article also discusses price increases by other companies such as Starbucks and Kimberly-Clark. Folks, prices are going up but I don't think our paychecks are going up that quickly!! It's time to watch where your pennies are going, shop sales, grow a garden (the above pic is some of the seeds I've started). It's time to embrace your frugal side!! It's time to stock-up! It's time to prep, folks! Like my dad used to say, 'There's no better time than the present!'

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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First Day of Spring for Illinois

2011-03-20T10:08:00.003-05:00

Actually, it's the first day of spring for everyone. The contrast from the north part of the state down to the south is striking, to say the least.

The southern part of the state, outside the major cities (college town, etc) show an extreme not obvious in the northern parts of Illinois. The stress down here is really beginning to show. One Dead, One Arrested, this incident happened just a couple miles south of the farm, my family knows all the people involved... More and more people for whatever reason, are turning to drugs and the task force is operating in full swing trying to keep up. Cops grab meth stash.

On top of the immediate troubles for the state, budget crisis, over loaded prisons, higher taxes, soaring fuel and food prices, low wages if you can even find work etc, we have now committed to butting our noses in where we just don't belong. "long war".

Now is the time to be worried about your own family and your own well being. Look what's going on in Japan for example. A very strong culture, rich with tradition, very little left after 3 major disasters. One still affecting them, raining radiation down on them by the second. People without food, water, shelter, no emergency preps available for those that so desperately need them. The time is now to be considering what you can do to protect yourself and your family.

Keep prepping...

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Saturday Quickie

2011-03-19T11:04:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! Happy Spring (a day early)!! For me, this is when prepping really kicks into high gear! Seeds are started and coming up, the garden will be planted, and eventually the shelves and freezer will be full of good homegrown food that is stored for the future. I'm gathering my energy and preparing my mind for the (pleasurable) work that coming with spring and summer.

Someone sent me this BBC news link for what's inside a Japanese quake bag. I thought it was interesting. Take a look and see if your own BOB needs an update!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Thoughts on Japan

2011-03-14T15:05:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! There have been some strange goings-on lately, haven't there? Flooding in the northeast is causing major damage. And of course the earthquake, and resulting tsunami, in Japan have wreaked havoc in that country.

Our son is a U.S. sailor stationed in Japan, so Friday was quite a trying day for us until we knew he was okay. Our thoughts and prayers are on the thousands of others who are dead, missing, or newly homeless there. Such an incredible tragedy.

While reading a Chicago Tribune article yesterday regarding the earthquake in Japan, a few things jumped out at me. I think most people know that the Japanese live some facets of preparedness because they've been affected by numerous earthquakes in the past. Did you know that they have a yearly Disaster Prevention Day to commemorate the earthquake of 1923? "Most schools and offices keep helmets handy, as well as first-aid kits." "Disaster supplies such as reflector blankets, collapsible water containers and hand-cranked cell phones are easily found in convenience and department stores. Neighborhoods are organized with water storage facilities. Parks, shrines and temples are designated as congregation points in case of disaster." Most modern Japanese buildings are built to sway and absorb the shock of earthquakes instead of collapsing. Obviously, with the scope of this tragedy, many preparations would have been washed away or rendered useless, but I admire their actions to prepare. (quotes from 'Panic and Confusion Trump Preparedness', Kenji Hall and Mitchell Landsberg, Tribune Newspapers)

Another Tribune article titled 'Amid Suffering, Politeness Reigns' was quite telling. It was a beautifully written piece about how the typical Japanese politeness has been played out during this tragedy. It made me think, 'How are Americans when tragedy strikes?' I don't know that our politeness shines through when we're at our worst. Maybe it's because we don't prepare. We freak out, we're scared. We think only of ourselves and not of the needs of others. Would we be different, would we be polite if we trained and prepared ourselves for emergencies (or if we lived politeness in our daily lives)? It's something to think about. (Tribune article written by Laura King)

As I've shared before, I'm not always overly concerned with what happens in other countries. I believe we have enough problems here to occupy our time. I guess that this situation is on my mind more because our son is there. For any of you who have friends or loved ones there, I pray they're all right.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Need Pumpkin Seeds?

2011-03-12T13:05:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! The last two years I've been very successfully growing an heirloom pumpkin called Small Sugar. It is a small pie pumpkin which is an excellent grower, at least in my yard! Last year we got about 70 pumpkins from just a few vines! Just last week I cooked and froze the last of my pumpkins, so they lasted quite a few months in storage in my basement. Small Sugar makes excellent pie, muffins, or bread. It has lots of seeds which are great for eating and saving, which brings me to the point of my post. Since this is an heirloom seed, you can plant the seeds and get the same thing you started out with. And, since we had so many pumpkins, I have lots of saved seed. Which means I have some to share!!

Would you like a few Small Sugar Pumpkin seeds? (See a description here.) If so, please send me an email at illinoisprepper(at)yahoo.com with your name and address. I will try to fulfill as many requests as I can, but if I run out of seed I will let you know. I will send 12 seeds in an envelope. Obviously, there is no guarantee that the seeds will grow, but they should. These are the same seeds that I will be using in my garden, and they have been saved and stored properly. (And they're free for you, so if they don't grow you're not out anything, right?) Since I don't want to be sending seeds 10 years from now if someone happens to find this post then, I will place a cut-off date of March 25, 2011. Please email your requests by then. Thanks!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Do You Know How To: Turn Off The Water

2011-03-09T16:56:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! This is the last installment (for now anyway) in our Do You Know How To series. Today's topic is turning off the water. I'm very interested in knowing how to do this, because water in the basement is something I absolutely DO NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH!! So, how do we do it?

Our house is on a well. For us, shutting of the water is a very easy thing. We go and turn off the electric box (see post) and it will shut off the well. But, I would also go and turn the levers on the Well Mate (water holding tank) to OFF. (See above picture)

If you're on city water you have a completely different system. Since I can't show you personally how to take care of this, I'm going to refer you to an excellent online reference. This page will show you how to turn off the water depending on what water system you have. It has good pictures of various systems and good descriptions of what needs to be done. Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with your city or well water shutoff so you know how to turn it off if the need arises.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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A Beautiful Sight!!

2011-03-07T16:25:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! Remember I said a few weeks ago that hubby was building shelves for my canned goods? Well, they're done! And I wanted to show off his handy-work! It was hard to get it all in the picture, but there are 8 shelves (5 shorter for pint jars, and 3 taller for quart jars). The entire unit is 6 feet tall and just under 9 feet wide. In the picture above the bottom shelf got cut off. Oh well! It's only holding empties for now. We're going to hang curtains in front of the shelves so that the light doesn't shine on them (and so that they're hidden from folks that I don't want to show my preps to). For now, though, I'm enjoying seeing all those beautiful jars when I go to the basement!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Illinois Preppers Roll Call - All Preppers Please Check In

2011-03-06T23:12:00.000-06:00

The American Preppers Network is conducting a network-wide roll call. Whether you are a member or not please check in and let us know what you are doing to prepare.

This is a good opportunity to network with other preppers near you.

Illinois Preppers, to respond to the roll call please follow this link:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=301&t=9255

Reply to the Roll Call and let us know what you have been doing to prepare.

If you are not yet a member of the forum you can register here for free:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

New meetup group in Southern Illinois

2011-03-04T12:14:00.000-06:00

There is now a new meetup group in Southern Illinois. Please join if you are close enough to attend the meetings.

http://www.meetup.com/SouthernIllinoisPreppers/

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Do You Know How To: Turn Off The Gas

2011-03-04T09:55:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! It's our 2nd lesson in the Do You Know How To: series. Turning off the gas! Please forgive my lack of proper terminology!! This will probably be more useful to the ladies like me who don't know a thing about the unit or the terminology, as opposed to the men who might actually know what I'm talking about!! :) Okay, so the picture above is of the gas meter at my house. (Can you see a teensy bit of earth where the snow has melted??? It's so exciting!!) If you're on standard city gas you probably have a contraption something like this at your house, too!
Our particular gas meter has 3 'lines' coming off it; one to the house, one to the game room, and one to the previous owner's grill set-up. The grill setup is in the OFF position already. That picture is above. Do you see the little piece of metal with the hole in it? which you can tell is in front of another piece of metal with a hole in it? When those 2 holes line up, they're in the OFF position. Hubby said the holes are there so that a lock can be put on them to keep the gas off.
This is the gas line that is going to our house. See how one metal piece with a hole is facing down and the other is facing to the left? The holes are not lined up, so the gas is ON. To turn it off, you'll need to get a tool to turn the front piece so that the holes line up. THIS WILL TAKE SOME MUSCLE, LADIES!! But, we can do it! This is another good reason to keep those arms in shape!
This is the gas line going to the game room, which you can tell is also in the ON position. Now, even after I were turn the above unit off, I would still want to go to the game room and turn off the switch there. That picture is below.
Here you see the lever that shuts the gas off right at the game room furnace. As you see below, there are easy On-Off pictures on the lever. But, hubby explained it in a way that's easy to remember. When the lever is in line with the pipe (above) the gas is flowing. If the level is on OFF and turned to the side it's not flowing. (It made sense in my brain, anyway!)
So, there you have it! I encourage you to go outside and check out your gas meter so you are familiar with what you would need to do in the event of an emergency.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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What is Lisa Thinking????

2011-03-02T10:12:00.006-06:00

(Obviously, the above pic is photo shopped, but the message of the pic is good reason to protect gun owner's--and non-gun owner's--rights! I certainly do NOT advocate notifying 'bad guys' that your neighbor doesn't own guns!)

Hi everyone! I had another post all ready to go today when I saw this news article. Illinois' Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, would like the state police to release the names of all FOID card holders. Forget about privacy, folks! Thankfully the state police are, so far, refusing to comply with her demands. What Ms. Madigan doesn't realize is that this not only kills the privacy of the gun owner, but it also makes non-gun owners great targets to those who have ill intent! What on earth does Ms. Madigan think can ever be the positive outcome of this type of action? Sheesh!

I would encourage you to contact Ms. Madigan's office and the office of your local state rep and let them know that you want them to protect gun owner's rights (if you feel this way). These types of battles cannot be taken lightly.

Ms. Madigan's main office: 312-814-3000

Ms. Madigan's general email comments page

Link to find your state rep.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Illinois Appleseed Event Schedule

2011-03-01T12:55:00.000-06:00

Thanks to kilogulf59 for bringing this to our attention

2011 Waterman, IL Appleseed Information

Flyers: Available below

Range: Aurora Sportsman’s Club

Address: Rueff Road, Waterman, IL 60556

Website: http://www.aurorasc.org

When: Feb 05-06
Mar 05-06
April 02-03
May 07-08
June 04-05
Aug 06-07
Sept 10-11* Special 600 Capacity Event
Oct 01-02
Nov 05-06
Dec 03-04

Range Fee: $10.00 per Weekend

Camping available: NO onsite Camping. Nearby Camping at Shabbona State Park, for more info follow this link. http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/pa ... abbona.htm.

Hotels: Several Hotels within 30 minutes drive in nearby Aurora and Yorkville, IL

Directions: Waterman ASC is located south west of Waterman, Illinois, about 60 miles due west of Chicago. The Ranges are on Rueff Road, Waterman, IL 60556. To get to the Ranges from the traffic light at IL route 30 and Elm St in Waterman, drive one mile past Elm St. in Waterman to Leland Rd (Look for the HOKA Turkey sign) and head south approx 1 mile to the second road, Rueff Rd and turn left heading east. Signs are posted at each gate

When Traveling from Chicago (from the East)
Take 290 West to I88 West
Take I88 West to the Sugar Grove/Route 56 Exit
Take the Sugar Grove Exit
Stay on Route 56 which will change to Route 30 West
Continue on Route 30 West towards Waterman

When traveling from the West
Take I88 East to Route 47 South
Take Route 47 South to the Route 30 West exit, or
Take Route 30 West to Waterman

When traveling from the North
Take Route 47 South to Route 30 West Exit
Take Route 30 West to Waterman

When traveling from the South
Take Route 47 North to Route 30 West Exit
Take Route 30 West to Waterman

GPS: N/A

State Laws to be aware of: Check Local Laws Here http://www.isp.state.il.us/foid/

Misc: Centerfire OK. This range is handicap accessible. Shooters, who achieve Rifleman, may have a chance to shoot on Known Distance Ranges out to 600yds, depending on availability. This Range is very conveniently located near Aurora Municipal airport for those of you that fly.

For More Information Contact: Bill Essling on the Appleseed forum via Private Message to "EEL", or Dan Hendrickson via Private Message to "Garand69" on the Appleseed Forum or email at, IL@appleseedinfo.org or (630)529-5654

Registration Link: Feb 05-06 http://www.eventbrite.com/event/983982117
Mar 05-06 http://www.eventbrite.com/event/983986129
April 02-03 http://www.eventbrite.com/event/983988135
May 07-08 http://www.eventbrite.com/event/983992147
June 04-05 http://www.eventbrite.com/event/983994153
Aug 06-07 http://www.eventbrite.com/event/983996159
Sept 10-11* Special 600 Capacity Event http://www.eventbrite.com/event/984012207
Oct 01-02 http://www.eventbrite.com/event/984000171
Nov 05-06 http://www.eventbrite.com/event/984002177
Dec 03-04 http://www.eventbrite.com/event/984008195

Flyers:

2011-Mail-In-Registration.pdf

Waterman IL - All 2011.pdf

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Do You Know How To: Turn Off The Electric

2011-02-27T10:58:00.009-06:00

Hi everyone!! A few years back I read a post on a preparedness blog discussing things that the blogger thought everyone should know how to do: turn off electric, gas, and water, plan an escape route, etc. I copied the page and stuck it on the fridge so that hubby could go over those things with me. Well, it's a few years later, the paper is thrown out, and I still didn't know how to do the things it discussed.....until today! The sun is shining, the snow is melting and I wanted to be outside DOING and LEARNING! So, I had hubby show me how to turn of the electric, gas, and water and now I'm going to show you! In case of an emergency, knowing how to accomplish these tasks is a very good thing. If there are leaks due to earthquake, floods, or any other disaster, you don't want the gas or water running into your home and possibly causing more damage!

So, I'm going to start with the easiest 'to-do' for today....Turning off the Electric. I'm assuming you already know this, but we're going to do a refresher course. See the picture above? That's the electric box in my house. In order to turn off the electric to the whole house, I would flip the switch at the very top (you can't see in the picture, but it says MAIN above it) and I would pull the switch down to the 'off' position. That's it! Easy-breezy! Your house, if you're on a standard city electric system, should run the same way. (If you run your own electric system through wind or solar I hope you know how to operate the system, because I'm not going to even pretend that I would know how to show you!) Now, you might have more of these boxes if your barn or garage have their own systems. Double-check with your spouse/significant other/landlord about any other electric boxes that would need to be turned off in the event of an emergency.
Today's lesson was easy, and the implementation of it would be easy. In the next few days, I'll have posts about shutting off the gas and the water to your home. We're on a need-to-know basis here, and we ALL need to know!!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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In the News.......

2011-02-23T14:59:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone! If you were able to attend the Meet 'n Greet that MMPaints arranged, please know I'm jealous!! :) I hope it was a great get-together! Hoping we see more of those kinds of meet-ups in the future!

Did you see this article on Yahoo? It's about how gas prices have risen in IL compared to other states. Well, if you're like me and you're out driving anywhere, you know it! I try to do as little driving as possible and definitely combine errands so that I'm not out wasting more gas than I have to be!

I also saw this article about falling home prices. I think that most of you reading here believe that things are not going to get better anytime soon. That's why we prepare!!

While loosely discussing the situation in Egypt, a friend said to me in surprise and alarm that the atm's in Egypt weren't able to dispense cash. This person was truly shocked and then asked, "What if something like that happened here?" I was thankful to be able to respond that those types of situations are ones that we can easily prepare for by keeping some cash in a safe place at home. I said I was 'loosely' discussing the situation because I truly don't feel the need to get involved in what goes on in other countries. But, I was thankful that in this instance, a foreign situation could be used to hopefully open up the eyes of someone who hadn't thought that what goes on in other places could also happen here.

I hope you're staying alert. I hope you're prepping. I hope you know WHY you're prepping! This will help you to figure out the plan for your preps.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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APN meet and greet

2011-02-20T11:52:00.003-06:00

Hey Illinois! Some of the southern Illinois members of the APN had a small meet and greet yesterday in Mt Vernon, Illinois. We all met up at the Cracker Barrel right there off of I-57. Wow, was that a noisy, crowded place! The management kept coming by to see if we were "okay", in other words, they wanted us to move on.

It is always great to put a face to the screen name and we all enjoyed a nice conversation about food storage, alternative heating and cooking, off grid, animals and more.

Next time we'll all meet in a spot we can relax and at least hear each other talk! A great time tho...

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The Lull

2011-02-15T20:29:00.004-06:00

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been missing here lately! I'm feeling the lull of winter. The holiday rush is long over and the eventual rush of spring is far off. There's not too much going on right now except the normal, day-in day-out prepping.

The one prepping activity that is occupying my time these days is garden planning. For plants to go in the ground in time, the seeds need to be started early enough. The growing medium will be brought in the house to warm, grow lights will be adjusted, seeds will leave the freezer and enter the warmth of their new home in the soil. Are the seeds dreaming of what they will become the same way that I'm dreaming of it?

Do you want home canned jars of food lining your shelves? Do you want bags of frozen veggies in your freezer? Start planning now for your spring garden! Dreaming of the garden's glory can help you endure the lull that is February in Illinois!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Money Saving Projects--Croutons, Candles, and Sausages!

2011-02-04T11:43:00.009-06:00

Hi everyone! Well, we survived the Blizzard of '11 just fine!! We got almost 2 feet of snow and high winds, but we're okay! Today, I'm keeping busy with a few easy, money-saving activities. I LOVE candles, and burn them as often as I can. Very often, though, those jars candles leave big hunks of wax unburned. What to do with that wax? MAKE NEW CANDLES!!! Either scrape the old wax out of your old candles holders, or like I did, melt the wax in the jars in a pot of water.

You need some wick and wick holders (I bought some, but I also started saving used ones from old candles if they're good enough to be reused.) Put a dab of melted wax on the bottom of the wick holders to attach them to your new jars. Cut the wick a little longer than needed and insert in wick holder. You can squeeze the wick holder around it or just dip the end in wax as well. When your wax is melted, pour into your containers.

When the wax cools, it will usually shrink and make a dip in the center of the candle. Save a bit of wax to fill the dip in. If you want you can layer different colors and scents of candles like you see in stores. (The below pic is 2 layers of wax. Notice how the wicks are taped to a knife to hold them in place while the wax dries.) Waa-laa!! You have new candles for free from an item you would normally throw out!

We like to purchase breakfast sausage from a grocery in MS that makes their own. It's hubby's favorite! We get a few pounds of meat and I make and freeze the patties at home. We ran out a few weeks back, so I bought a package of premade, precooked sausage patties. I used to buy this particular brand before I started the 'homemade' sausages. Well, imagine my surprise to find that the patties are now the size of quarters! Seriously! This past week when I went to the store I looked at another brand of patties that are larger, but the price was $2.39 for a 12 oz. box of uncooked patties. Whoa!

I looked closer and found that 16oz. packages of bulk sausage were only $1.29. I could work with that! I let them thaw, sliced them and froze them on cookies sheets. Once they're frozen I'll throw them in a zip lock baggie. So, I got 32oz. of sausage patties for $2.58 compared to 12oz. for $2.39. all it took was a little bit of work on my part!

The next thing on my list today is making homemade croutons. Do you find yourself with a few slices of bread at the end of the week that are starting to get hard? Those pieces are perfect for croutons! Trim the crusts (you can dry these for bread crumbs if you'd like). Mix garlic, paprika, basil and oregano (my favorites--you can use your favorite herbs) with a few tablespoons of melted butter. Brush on both sides of bread. Bake at 250 degrees for about 1 hour, turning once, until bread is crisp. Allow to cool slightly and cut into small cubes. These are so yummy and, if you use whole wheat bread, much healthier than store bought. All from a product that might otherwise get wasted (or thrown to the birds or chickens).

I hope I've inspired you today to find some money-saving projects, and took look at things more closely before you thrown them out!

Prep On!

Gen-IL Homesteader

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So glad I'm not one of them....

2011-02-01T10:20:00.006-06:00

Hi everyone! How are you feeling today? Did you see those news reports yesterday showing people at the big box stores buying shovels and snow blowers before the 'Blizzard of 11'? (Hello. You live in the Midwest. This isn't our first snowstorm! You don't have a shovel yet????) Then there were crazy lines at the grocery store my daughter works at. Hubby saw long lines at the gas stations on his way home from work last night.

If those folks waiting in line at the grocery store were already living a life of preparedness, they wouldn't have had to run out in a panic before a blizzard hit. They could sit in the comfort of their own home, warm and relaxed, instead of fighting crowds for a few days food. (Obviously, gas for your car is something that's hard to prep for. When it's your normal day to fill up, you've got to fill up!) I ran out for milk (it was my normal day to buy), but even if I hadn't I would just open a box of instant milk or a can of evaporated milk and we'd be fine.

There's such peace that comes with preparedness, isn't there? I hope you're feeling that peace. I hope you're glad that you're not one of those who got caught unprepared! (If you are one of those caught unprepared, you can be prepared for the next one!!)

Prep On (and stay warm)!!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Oh, the weather outside is (about to be) frightful.....

2011-01-31T14:17:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone! I hope you're all aware of what's coming to those of us in the northern half of the state in the next few days. We're expecting a blizzard with high winds and 1 1/2 feet of snow! I hope you have your emergency car kit, and a full tank of gas. I'm going to be going out for milk this afternoon ('cuz I don't have a cow!!). If you can stay home for the next few days, do so!! If not, take care and be prepared! If you're in an area that experiences power outages when storms come--be ready! You might need your backup power in the next few days!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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What have you done???

2011-01-30T11:48:00.006-06:00

Hi everyone!! It's the end of January. January is the month where many people make resolutions or goals for the coming year. Did you make any prepping goals this year? And what have you done towards accomplishing those goals?? Even if all you did was go to the library and check out a book that relates to some skill you want to learn, then you've made a start at accomplishing that goal. Good for you!!

Well, I did some canning and dehydrating this month. I canned meatballs in tomato sauce. I also canned a few jars of sloppy joes/barbecue. Our stash of dried apples was getting low, so when my sister found some on clearance I dehydrated them. I also sat down to try and learn about how to use the Aladdin oil lamp that hubby got me for Christmas. I accomplished a life goal (that has nothing to do with prepping) of reading through all 6 Jane Austen novels. (I read the last book this month!)

And, of course, this year's garden plans are starting to brew in the back of my mind. February is the month that I've set aside as 'get ready for the garden' month. It's when I'll figure out what veggies we'll plant and how much of each. I'll figure out the dates to start seeds indoors. I'll figure out what new foods need to be canned from what we grow, and how much we'll need. When you're trying to grow enough food to supply your family for a year, there's alot of planning that goes into the garden before you even pick up a seed. But, the rewards are immense!!

So, the new pantry shelves that hubby was building are finished!!! We've loaded them with what's left of our home-canned foods and they look FABULOUS!! I'll post a pic in the near future!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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The Core Pantry

2011-01-25T19:01:00.009-06:00

(The path to preparedness is a lifelong, enjoyable road.)

Hi everyone! After the last post I did, a reader asked that I explain more of what I meant when I mentioned my 'core' pantry. I'm going to try to answer that question today as well as I can.

My core pantry came about through a number of different venues. First, I found this LDS food storage calculator. I thought this was great! Enter the number of people in your home, 7+ and 6 and under, and it shoots out some magical numbers for the amounts of food you should store! Obviously, I know that everyone's recommendations need to be tweaked to my own situation, so I don't follow the food storage calculator exactly. For example, when I put in 2 adults it tells me that I should store 100 pounds of rice. WOW! Hubby doesn't like rice very much. In fact, I serve it less than once a month. So, I'm definitely not storing 100 pounds of it! Also, it says that I should have 80 pounds of sugar and only 6 pounds of brown sugar. Well, because I've tracked how much food I use, I know that I use alot more brown sugar. So, I store 60 pounds of white and app. 24 pounds of brown sugar. I can't stand lentils, so I'm for sure not going to store 10 pounds of them!Take the calculator recommendations to heart and then tweak it to fit your family's needs and desires.

Now, this might sound silly, but I also use 'how much space I have' to help decide how much food I store! I want things to be stored nicely, so as long as I have shelving and convenient storage spaces I will store more or less of certain items. I know some folks recommend that you store food wherever you can--under the bed, behind the couch, in boxes in the basement. That's fine for them, but my brain--and my hubby--needs to see things efficiently organized and in their proper space. That's just how it works in our house! I started in this house with the built-in pantry shelves that were already here, and a jelly cabinet for home-canned goods. Well, as my awareness of prepping grew (and our confidence in the governement shrank), we added 2 wooden shelving units from Menards. Then we added another shelving unit. 5 gallon tubs store bulk grains in underneath another mess of shelves! As we speak, hubby is building me some 8-foot shelves for home-canned goods since the jelly cabinet is no longer holding everything. (Don't worry the jelly cabinet will be placed in the pantry and used for more food storage!) We've grown the pantry to accomodate the growing amount of food we store!

So, what do I store? Well, I cook largely from scratch, so I need lots of all baking ingredients. Flour, wheat berries, oats, baking powder and soda, salt, yeast, spices, condiments, oil, sugars, canned milk. I have as many of these items as I possibly can have. Next, I think of what I'm going to use to make the things I'm going to cook: chocolate chips for cookies, dried fruits and nuts for breads and oatmeal. Next, I think of all the things that I buy fresh and make sure I have their canned counterparts stored for ease of replacement if fresh isn't available. This includes store- or home-canned veggies, fruits, meat, soups, meals-in-a-jar. Hubby is a meat and potato guy, so I have 4 of my cardboard can rotator shelves full of canned potatoes! I don't want to be caught in an emergency without potatoes! Next, consider all non-food items such as foil, baggies, tp, toiletries, meds, paper products. As I shared last time, I stay stocked up on ALL of the items in my pantry. When even one item is used of a particular category, I replace it asap.

So, what do you not want to be without in an emergency? What foods do you need to be able to make no matter what's going on in the world? The best advice that is out there is to 'Store what you eat and eat what you store'. If you do that, you can't go wrong! Roxie, I hope that I've answered you question. Please, please let me know if I haven't or if I need to clarify something. Thanks for asking!!

To Market, To Market, To Buy a Fat Pig

2011-01-20T16:28:00.007-06:00

Hi everyone! I wanted to talk today about food prices. If you pay any amount of attention to the prices at the grocery store, you've noticed that prices are going up! (Or, prices are staying the same, but the packaging is shrinking. Same thing!) Last week, I overheard a woman tell the man she was with that the creamer was $3.09. The man responded, saying, "Wow! Last time we were here it was $2.79"! Sugar prices have gone up. Grain prices have gone through the roof! Folks, none of the food that you buy is going to get any cheaper anytime soon. Well, So what?, you say....I can handle paying an extra 30 cents for a bottle of creamer! Can you? What if everything you buy--100 items in a transaction--go up 30cents each? Can you handle paying an extra $30.00 for every transaction? And many thing will go up more than 30 cents.

I would recommend that you establish a 'core' pantry, if you haven't already. Sugar--how many 5 lb. packages do you want to keep on your shelf at a time? Me, I keep 12. Then, when it's my week to shop, I go to the pantry and see what's missing and replace those items so that I always have the 'core' items covered. As you can see from the above picture, I was short one package of sugar this week, so I purchased a package at Aldi. ($2.39! That was a price increase!) But, I now have 11 packages purchased at a cheaper price, and only one package purchased with more funds.

In the picture below, you can see that the box that holds canned peaches and pears is missing some. I picked up 4 cans of canned fruit this week. I watch the sale ads and, if there's a great sale on something I use, I buy as much of it as I can. If there's no specific sale, I still replenish what's missing because I don't want to be caught with my pantry down! (I think that was a title of a book, wasn't it?)

The next thing I would encourage you to do is to plan to grow some veggies this year. I know, I stressed the same thing last year, but this year it's even more important. Seriously, folks, if you're not prepped already, if you don't grow and store your own foods, you are going to be taking greater and greater amounts of your income to buy food. And, don't forget the lovely income tax increase that is being enacted here in Illinois. You're check is going to be a bit smaller every week as it is! You cannot afford to NOT prep, shop sales, garden, and store your own food!

Do you see the paper with graphs on it? Can you understand what it says? Me, neither. But, it was posted at the feed store to explain why the bags of chicken food I buy have increased in price! The 50 lb bags used to be $11.xx and are now $13.xx. Folks, math might not be my best subject, but even I know that those numbers show a more than 20% price increase in the cost of feed! Remember, that commercial chicken growers will pay the same increases and will pass the cost down to you!

I've started to watch grocery sale ads even closer than I did in the past. The past 2 times I shopped (which happens every other week to restock the pantry) I got great deals on pork roast and potatoes at a new store that I normally don't frequent because of higher prices. But, if they're going to have great sales, I'll watch and buy what I need. I encourage you to do the same, if you can. Really scan those sale flyers. When something is at an unbelievably low price, SCOOP IT UP!! You may never see the price that low again! Consider that every penny saved on food is precious and that the food budget is a huge expense that YOU can control! Let's start saving some money at the grocery store!

Please, please, please, take this seriously. I believe a world of grief awaits us if we're not careful with our food budgets.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Great Article!

2011-01-18T14:24:00.004-06:00

Hi everyone! If you haven't seen it yet, head over here to an article that was on the Yahoo home page today. It's about a man who is 107 and has been living off his retirement funds for 41 years! I thought it was full of great tips for how we should live in our day-to-day lives. Being thrifty, borrowing money infrequently, and working wherever you can are a few of the 'rules' he's lived by! Enjoy!

I'll see you on Thursday to discuss shopping, prices, and some things going on at the grocery store.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Confession Time.....

2011-01-15T14:22:00.005-06:00

Hi everyone! Can I just say this? Really? Is this a safe place for me to admit something?? Yes? Okay, here goes. You know the homemade laundry soap recipe that have been all over the internet and prepper forums? The recipe that uses the bar of Fels Naptha soap? Well, I.....HATE that stuff!! That's right! I hate it! It's goopy, it's takes FOREVER for the fels naptha to melt, and it doesn't make bubbles! I know, I know, soap doesn't need bubbles to be able to clean. But, I LIKE bubbles! And I hate goopy! But, wait.....there's more than one homemade laundry soap recipe, right?! Definitely! I found it! This new recipe uses Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds and......IT MAKES BUBBLES!!!! That's right! It's not goopy and IT MAKES BUBBLES!!!! I LOVE it! Want to try it? Here's the recipe......

Homemade Laundry Soap
1 cup Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds
2 cups hot water
1/3 cup salt
1 cup baking soda or washing soda
Extra water

Place salt and baking/washing soda in 2 cups hot water until dissolved. Place in a one gallon container. Add Sal Suds. Fill rest of container with water. Stir. (That's it!!) Use 1/4 -1/2 cup per load.

How easy is that? No grating or stirring to melt soap. AND THERE ARE BUBBLES!!! :)

I've used this recipe on three loads of laundry this week; darks, sheets and towels, and whites. All of the loads came out clean and fresh smelling! I'm hooked!

I don't have a cost breakdown of this recipe, although I've seen it on other's sites. I know that it's cheaper than store-bought! And, Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds is cheaper than his castille soap (which could be used in place of Sal Suds if you desired.)

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Rual King Sale

2011-01-14T21:42:00.000-06:00

Here is a special emailed to me from Getting Started

Do You Live in IL, IN, KY, MI, MO, OH, or TN

.. then I have a deal for you.

Rural King has a sell on 5-gallon buckets. These buckets are the thicker .90 mil buckets, they are thicker and stronger then .75 mil buckets. The cost ...

$1.99

Now, I don't know if these are food-grade buckets, so caveat emptor.

Now, the bad news.

The sale ends Sunday; the buckets have a painted Rural King logo; and the $1.49 lids are flimsy.

Let me say this again.

The on sale lids are flimsy. If you plan to stack the buckets, you will need to buy a .75 or .90 mil lid.

Link:

Rural King - Store Locator

http://www.ruralking.com/store-locator/

Rural King - Weekly Ad

http://www.ruralking.com/weekly-ad/

P.S.

Just so you know, I just paid over six bucks for some buckets and two bucks for some lids from my local supplier.

Giveaway Winner and Stuff.......

2011-01-12T13:13:00.008-06:00

Hi everyone! Let's get right down to business! Drum roll, please! The winner of the book giveaway, receiving a copy of the book, Economic Meltdown, is........luvthenght31! Congratulations, luvthenght31! Send your address to my email, inthered2 @ yahoo.com and I'll get the book out asap! I hope you enjoy it!

On to other news. I heard something on the radio news the other day that I thought would be of interest. The announcer said that there are a few countries who are experiencing fungus problems with their banana crops. My ears perked up, of course, as they do whenever I hear of any problems with our food supply that could cause shortages or price increases. So, the past few days I've been trying to find an article that would discuss this, but I haven't been able to. Did I dream it? (I hope my brain isn't so 'off' that I dream about banana fungus!) Has anyone else heard this? Even though I have a pretty good amount of dehydrated bananas, I found some brown bananas cheap at the grocery last week, so I purchased them for freezing. I was going to recommend that you put by (via freezing or dehydrating) some bananas when you find them cheap. Since I cannot verify my info, though, I'll leave the decision to you! You might want to put up bananas, but then you might not!! :) (What a great reporter I am!! As a prepper, though, I'd say it's always a good idea to have some bananas put by. If there's ever a shortage, we in Illinois would be out of luck in the banana category!)

Have you noticed the way gas prices have increased? We were holding steady under $3.00/gallon for a long time. It was even close to $2.60-2.70 a gallon for a while. I filled up today and the cost per gallon was $3.15! Wow! I hope we're not on our way up to the $4.00/gallon stuff that we experienced a few years ago!

I was able to put up a few more gallons of water over the holidays when we had company come over with some 2 liter pop bottles, and when I finished a gallon of vinegar. I simply washed out the containers and refilled with clean tap water. Easy as pie! Always be on the lookout for everyday things that can be used in your preps.

Well, our economy seems to be in some sort of holding pattern right now. Strange, isn't it? I feel like I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I have a feeling, though, that the shoe is falling in slow motion, so slow we can't really tell it's happening. But, it's dropping as we watch it. Continue prepping, folks. Get out of debt. Learn a new skill. Be ready for what's coming! And as always,

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader
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Economic Meltdown: Book Review and Giveaway

2011-01-06T10:52:00.016-06:00

Hi everyone!

Picture this: It's May 2010 and Sam and Cindy are becoming discouraged by the 'signs of the times'. They see too many homes going up for sale in their neighborhood, and know that many may have been lost due to foreclosure. Unemployment is rampant. Patients become seriously ill because they can't afford to visit their doctor. Cindy, especially, is feeling stressed and suggests that the family needs to do a little belt-tightening. She's in for a surprise, though, when Same returns from a business trip and informs the family that he wants them to learn to be as self-sufficient as they possibly can! With some reluctance, and a bit of excitement, we watch as this family begins their self-sufficiency journey, and we learn some valuable lessons along the way with them.

The family I'm describing is the main family in the book 'Economic Meltdown' by Karen McHale. A friend gave me this book which just came out in December. It's a short book and easy to read. I have read (or just skimmed) many preparedness books, some of which can get rather technical and preachy (or just plain boring). Economic Meltdown is written as a novel, which is so much more enjoyable to me! Preparedness lessons are learned by reading how the family in the story is learning. They start out their journey at point A, which for many of us may be a long, long time ago in our own journey. That didn't stop me from enjoying this book, though, which kept my interest the whole way through. It challenged me on a few points which I discussed with Karen via email, and which hubby and I will be discussing. There is always room for tweaking our preparedness plans, and the ideas are usually sparked by others' experiences. I think this book is one that will be enjoyed by not only beginners, but veteran preppers. I particularly enjoyed the way Sam and Cindy encourage their family, friends, and neighbors in their own self-sufficiency journey. The community that is formed is quite wonderful.

At the end of the book, Karen gives her own self-sufficiency list which has been told through the story in Economic Meltdown. Point #7 is regarding water, in which she encourages you to rely on city water instead of storing water. I confirmed with Karen that she was indeed referring to day-to-day self-sufficient living, and not emergency preparedness. She feels, as you know I do, that storing some water for emergency situations is a good and necessary thing.

And now for the giveaway: I have 1 copy of Economic Meltdown to give away to a reader here at Illinois Preppers. Leave a comment letting me know that you're interested and I will enter your name in the drawing. (BTW, this is a new copy, not the one that I've already read and written in!) The contest will be open through next Wednesday, January 12, 2011. The winner will be chosen after noon. Good luck, everyone!

And, in case you don't win the copy of the book and you want to buy a copy for yourself or someone you know, see Karen's website at http://meltdown2010.com/

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Putting Food By: Cranberries

2011-01-04T18:53:00.007-06:00

Hi everyone! Around here, we only see fresh cranberries available between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love cranberries in juice and dehydrated, but store-bought cranberry sauce just doesn't cut it for me. So, I tried canning my own, and found a delightfully yummy product. If you can still find fresh cranberries in the store, you might want to can some for yourself, too! (Recipes from the Ball Blue Book.)

Jellied Cranberry Sauce

4 1/2 cups cranberries
1 3/4 cups water
2 cups sugar

Wash cranberries; drain. Combine cranberries and water in a large saucepot. Boil until skins burst. Puree using a food processor or food mill. Add sugar to cranberry pulp and juice. Boil mixture almost to gelling point (pulp falling from the spoon in a sheet). Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps, using lids set in previously boiled water. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. This will make approximately 2 pints. (I canned mine in smaller containers for quick snacks.)

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

8 cups cranberries
4 cups sugar
4 cups water

Wash cranberries; drain. Combine sugar and water in a large saucepot. Boil 5 minutes. Add cranberries. Continue boiling, without stirring, until skins burst. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps, using lids placed in previously boiled water. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Illinois Internet Sales Tax?????

2010-12-29T20:53:00.004-06:00

Hi everyone!! I hope you're enjoying the holidays with your family and friends! I sure am! Daughter and her hubby were with us for Christmas. Tomorrow our navy son arrives home (YAY!!) and this weekend we'll have Christmas with my family. So, the celebration continues, which is why I haven't checked in here for a few days!!

I did get something that I thought would be of interest to fellow Illinoisans, though. I get email updates from our state rep, and in her latest one she talked about the Illinois Internet Sales Tax. It is important to read, so I'm going to copy it for you here. I wonder if this is just the state's way to ease us into paying more taxes????!!!! Please read the following so that you have the facts!

You may have read or heard about news reports published this past week about a new state law intended to encourage Illinois taxpayers to pay unpaid "use taxes" on goods bought out-of-state; primarily from Internet purchases. However, there are serious facts about this new law which you should know to avoid any confusion.

"Unpaid use taxes" are the taxes many Illinoisans do not pay when they buy something from the Internet or a mail-order catalog, where a product is shipped to them across state lines. In many cases of this type, the seller does not charge sales tax and the buyer does not pay it. If the item is used in Illinois, however, the buyer is nominally obligated to calculate the tax and take the initiative to pay it to the State, reflecting their household "use tax". There is no way to enforce this requirement - it is up to each Illinois resident to decide whether or not to pay this tax, and if so, how much to pay.

A new law that took effect this summer authorizes the Department of Revenue to use income tax forms to remind Illinois residents of their duty to pay this tax on a voluntary basis. Line 22, on the 2010 individual income tax form (IL-1040), will contain a space for Illinois residents to fill in representing the amount of money they believe they should pay in unpaid use taxes for untaxed goods shipped across state lines.

The State is asking every Illinois individual income taxpayer to fill in Line 22. However, the space can be filled with the number "$0." Nothing in the new law or the new income tax forms requires Illinois residents to accurately estimate their liability or pay this tax.

While the State has no way of knowing how much money we spend on out-of-state goods delivered without payment of sales tax, the use tax table consists of asking taxpayers to multiply their adjusted gross income (AGI) by 0.075% (three-quarters of one-tenth of one percent) and adding the resulting number to our tax bill. For example, if we have an AGI of $50,000, the State would like us to assume we owe $38 in additional voluntary tax. ($50,000 x 1.00% x 1/10 x ¾ = $38.)

This is not an accurate calculation of actual tax liabilities; it represents a guess as to what percentage of Illinois household income is used to buy goods from out of State over the Internet or by conventional mail order.

The new law, Senate Bill 459, makes clear that these will be voluntary payments by individual income taxpayers who want to recognize their obligations to pay the use tax. However, please keep in mind that the Department of Revenue instructs all individual taxpayers to fill in Line 22; "Do not leave blank," the line says.

Commercial tax preparers have indicated their understanding of this directive, but some individual taxpayers who fill out their own tax forms may not be fully aware of this fact.

As always, do not hesitate to call or email me if you have any questions on these or other issues. I can be reached at 847-838-6200 or via e-mail at reposmond@aol.com. Or, if you have specific questions about the use tax, you can call the Illinois Department of Revenue toll-free at 1-800-732-8866 or visit them online at www.revenue.state.il.us.

Merry Christmas and blessings to all for a very happy holiday season!

Warm Regards,

JoAnn D. Osmond
Assistant Minority Leader
State Representative - 61st District

(Bolded items are from me, Gen.)

Don't forget to check your grocery store for good deals on spices and extra things that they stocked up on for Christmas. Stock up, if you can!! Plus, if you see bags of fresh cranberries on sale, pick up a few. I'll be back in a few days with a post on canning cranberry sauce which is soooo much better than store-bought!!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Sing the health praises of parsley and sage

2010-12-25T12:36:00.000-06:00

Those of us who go back a few years likely remember the line about parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme in the huge Simon and Garfunkel hit song about two ill-fated lovers, "Are You Going to Scarborough Fair". Many have speculated that the reference to the four popular herbs was due to their use in Medieval Europe to help cleanse the air and ward off the infamous black plague. Others have thought that the reference to the four herbs was because the combination may have been used as a love potion. Whatever the reason for their inclusion in the popular song, the many health benefits of parsley and sage are worth loving and singing praises about in their own rights.

PARSLEY

Parsley is an amazing medicinal herb with a world of health benefits. The root contains calcium, B-complex vitamins, and iron, which nourish the glands that help regulate the uptake of calcium. It is a source of magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin K.

Among the many benefits reported for parsley are:

*It is a diuretic which helps the body produce more urine to keep the urinary system operating smoothly and which helps prevent problems such as kidney stones and bladder infections.

*It is wonderful for removing toxins from the body, such as heavy metals.

*It is an effective breath freshener. It is believed that the practice of including parsley on a dinner plate began due to its breath freshening abilities and not merely for its decorative effect.

*The root and leaves are good for the liver and spleen.

*It helps relieve bloating during menstruation.

*It provides relief for edema, often helping when other remedies have failed

*Parsley root and seeds help relax stiff joints, often making stiff and unmanageable fingers work again.

*It helps remove gallstones when used properly by taking a pint of the tea daily.

*It is beneficial for the adrenal glands.

*It is a powerful therapeutic aid for the optic nerves, brain and sympathetic nervous system.

*Parsley juice is an excellent tonic for the blood vessels.

Note: It is best to avoid large amounts of parsley if you are pregnant, especially the use of the volatile essential oil.

SAGE

Like rosemary, its sister herb in the mint (Labiatae) family, sage contains a variety of volatile oils, flavonoids and phenolic acids, including rosmarinic acid. The oils found in sage are both antiseptic and antibiotic, helping it fight infections.

Besides the antioxidant and other properties shared with Rosemary, sage`s other health benefits include:

*It is effective for symptoms of menopause, night sweats and hot flashes because of its estrogenic action and because its tannins help dry up perspiration.

*Sage helps provide better brain function and has been used in the treatment of cerebrovascular disease for over a thousand years. It helps provide better recall and research has suggested that it may be an effective option to help treat Alzheimer`s.

*There`s also compelling evidence that sage may be of value to people with diabetes for whom the hormone insulin does not work as efficiently as it should. Lab studies indicate that sage may boost insulin`s action.

* The ability of sage to protect oils from oxidation has also led some companies to experiment with sage as a natural antioxidant additive for cooking oils that can extend shelf life and help avoid rancidity.

In an upcoming article, we will also sing the praises of the other two herbs mentioned in the popular song - rosemary and thyme.

Sources included:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarbo...
http://www.healthy-holistic-living....
http://www.greenmuze.com/blogs/natu...
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pars...

About the author

Tony Isaacs, is a natural health author, advocate and researcher who hosts The Best Years in Life website for baby boomers and others wishing to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. Mr. Isaacs is the author of books and articles about natural health, longevity and beating cancer including "Cancer's Natural Enemy" and is working on a major book project due to be published later this year.
Mr. Isaacs is currently residing in scenic East Texas and frequently commutes to the even more scenic Texas hill country near San Antonio and Austin to give lectures in health seminars. He also hosts the CureZone "Ask Tony Isaacs - featuring Luella May" forum as well as the Yahoo Health Group "Oleander Soup" and he serves as a consultant to the "Utopia Silver Supplement Company".

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030824_parsley_sage.html#ixzz199MCeUCU

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Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-22T17:12:00.006-06:00

Hi everyone!! I wanted to wish you all a most blessed and wonderful Christmas!!

'And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord.'" Luke 2:10-11

Blessings,

Gen-IL Homesteader

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Southern Illinois News

2010-12-18T13:18:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone! I know, it's been quite a while since I made even a peep here at the Illinois Preppers Network. I'm still down here in the south eastern tip of Illinois, slipping and sliding on the ice we got this week on top of the pitiful amount of snow. It's hanging on pretty well as it is down right cold.

Once again, southern illinoisians ran out at the last minute to stock up on what they think they need to be iced in. Despite the poor economy and folks around them urging personal emergency preparedness, most of these folks down here are still living day to day with nothing stocked in their pantries.

Interestingly, the Trust for America's Health rates Illinois a rating of 6 out of 10 on emergency preparedness.

We should never put ourselves into a position where we would need to depend on local government to take care of us. We should be prepared to take care of ourselves. Think ahead, think of the things you will need and stock those items in reserve for when your emergency happens.

Also, a side note here as to what the economy looks like in southern Illinois. Apart from the serious increase in all types of property crime, now we have a woman running around trying to rob people at gun point. Always be aware of your surroundings and look around to see what is going on in your immediate vicinity. it could very well save your life.

Stay safe, think safe and keep prepping!
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What's Happening???

2010-12-17T16:51:00.005-06:00

Hi everyone!! Sorry I've been MIA for a few days. I guess I needed a break after the 12 days of prepper Christmas!! lol

Not much going on here personally. There has been some crazy weather happening in other places, though. Did you hear about the 300 cars that were stranded on an Ontario highway? Drivers spent the night in their cars! I hope they had their emergency car kits! (If they didn't, you can bet they put one together after they got home--for the next time!!) Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota have been experiencing heavy snowfalls. U.S. Sugar company has experienced freezing weather and severe damage of their sugar cane crop. We saw this situation last year as well as this week: Sub-Freezing Temperatures Maul Florida Citrus Crop.

All of these weather situations that affect crops mean that we could see prices rise on all these foods in the future. Do you use sugar? Like to drink oj? I'd suggest that you stock up while you can and while prices are low! You might still be able to find sales on sugar in the next week. Check your local sale ads!

I pulled a package of tortillas out of my fridge the other day, and was surprised to see that the amount of tortillas included has gone from 10 to 8! Of course the price of the package has stayed the same. This is one of the ways that inflation affects us. Prices stay the same, while the packaging shrinks. It means you pay more and get less for your money.

Pay attention to what you buy; shop sales; use every bit of food you have with out wasting it. Make your money go farther and you can survive and maybe even thrive in our economy. Remember that when you work, you trade your life for money, to turn around and trade your money for stuff. So, you're really trading your life for stuff. Is that 'stuff' worth your life?? Think carefully before every purchase. I know this is hard to do at this time of year. Christmas in much of our society is a time of excess. It doesn't have to be that way, though. Spending time with family and friends doesn't cost anything and will make for a rich holiday celebration.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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12 Days of Prepper Christmas-Day 12

2010-12-11T20:02:00.000-06:00

In a past year, Matt from KY Preppers did a series of posts entitled 12 Days of Prepper Christmas. My thanks to Matt and APN for allowing me use the title to do my own series of posts. I hope you found something here was that useful for your own Christmas!

Hi everyone!! Our last day, last gift, but certainly not least! Today's gift is probably more applicable to the men in your life

Is there a second amendment supporter in your life? If so, some things they would really appreciate are time at a gun range, a gun cleaning kit, or gift certificates to places like Cabelas, Bass Pro Shops, Gander Mountain, or whatever your local hunting store happens to be. Do you know if they're low on ammo for one of their guns? (Wouldn't a guy's guy just love to find ammo under the Christmas tree? Kudos to you ladies if you know what kind they need!) Do they need some new hunting camo?

For the fisherman in your life, the same stores mentioned above have fishing supplies. A new rod and reel? Lures? Bobbers? A fishing tackle box? What would that fisherman like to see under the tree?

Both of these gifts represent skills that are so useful to preppers. Like lots of prepper items, they're fun now, and more-than-useful when we end up in emergency situations.

Well, the 12 days are up! I had fun thinking of gift ideas, and I certainly hope you found something that you can use. Remember, though, that this season is not just about the gifts you give and receive, but about the reason we celebrate. May we remember to focus on Jesus' birth at this beautiful season!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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12 Days of Prepper Christmas-Day 11

2010-12-10T19:35:00.000-06:00

In a past year, Matt from KY Preppers did a series of posts entitled 12 Days of Prepper Christmas. My thanks to Matt and APN for allowing me to use the title for my own series of posts. I hope that you will find something that will make your own Christmas more fun, frugal, and wonderful!

Hi everyone!! Today's gift idea is (again) one of my favorites! Plus, it's practical now and in an emergency situation. Basically, it's the gift of 'something to do'. In other words, games, puzzles, books! You know, "old-fashioned entertainment" to today's modern kids, because by games I mean board games!

Puzzles are great for the mind, everyone can work on them at once, and they take up ALOT of time! Every Christmas we put one out and it stays out until it's done. People work on it whenever they feel like it!

There are tons of old stand-bys when it comes to games: Monopoly, Backgammon, Scrabble, Yahtzee, MasterMind, Boggle, Battleship, PayDay, Tripoly. The list goes on and on. We've also fallen in love with some 'newer' games such as: Rummy-O, Apples to Apples, Sequence (one of my absolute favorites!), Wits & Wagers (we played this as a family at Thanksgiving), Mad Gab (another family favorite). Games can be hours of family fun now, and a way to have fun and make time pass quickly during a power outage or some other sort of emergency.

Books!! What can I say? I LOVE books! I for one, just can't fall in love with a machine that you load a book on to. My love of books isn't just for the words, but for the case it comes in! I love shelves of books! Anyway, some books that are good ideas for preppers or others are the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Back to Basics by Abigail R. Gehring, a travel Bible, Harvesting the Wild from Backwoods Home Magazine, How To Hide Anything, Making the Best of Basics by James Talmage Stevens (one of APN's sponsors), 101 Things to do 'Till the Revolution, by Claire Wolfe, Living on Less from Mother Earth News. The list could go on and on! And don't forget, if you have a book-lover in your life, they would be happy with any book, whether it was new or used!

Under the reading category, two great gift ideas for preppers/homesteaders are subscriptions to Countryside and Backwoods Home magazines. Please note also, that both of these publications sell wonderful homesteading/prepping books!!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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12 Days of Prepper Christmas-Day 10

2010-12-09T16:48:00.006-06:00

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12 Days of Prepper Christmas-Day 9

2010-12-08T20:18:00.005-06:00

(Isn't that smile adorable??!!)

In a past year, Matt from KY Preppers had a series of posts entitled 12 Days of Prepper Christmas. My thanks to Matt and APN for allowing me to use the title for my own series of posts. I hope that you will find something that will make your own Christmas more fun, frugal, and wonderful!!

Hi everyone!! Today's gift idea is another homemade item. (Homemade gifts are my favorite!!) Jerky!! That's right! Beef jerky, goose jerky, venison jerky, whatever kind of meat you have available can be turned into fabulous jerky that is as good as, if not better than store-bought! I'm sure there are bajillions of recipes out there, but I'm going to give you ours. We have made it for years, tweaking it here and there, and we think we've got something pretty good now!! Enjoy!

Jerky
Meat (beef, venison, goose, etc.)
soy sauce
water
brown sugar
garlic
ginger root (or ground ginger)
liquid smoke
crushed red pepper

Slice your meat very thin. Hubby always does this part as he is somehow able to get the meat thinner than I can. In a large baking pan mix the ingredients. I know, I know, I don't have amounts listed! Well, the amounts depend on how much meat you have, and how big your pan is. We never measure; we just mix up what we think looks good! Layer your meat in the marinade. Let sit at least 24 hours. We've gone as much as 48 hours before! Lay meat strips on top rack in oven with a cookie sheet below for 8 hours at 200. Check it every now and then. If you have a dehydrator, lay meat on trays and dry at 145 until pliable. Check it after 8 hours or so. You don't want meat chips (I've done that before). You want them at that perfect dryness where they won't go bad in storage, but where they still have a little bit of 'chewy' left in them! Mmmm!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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12 Days of Prepper Christmas-Day 8

2010-12-07T16:20:00.008-06:00

In a past year, Matt from KY Preppers had a series of posts entitled 12 Days of Prepper Christmas. My thanks to Matt and APN for allowing me to use the title for my own series of posts. I hope you find something that will make your Christmas more fun, frugal, and wonderful!

Hi everyone!! In the beginning God said, 'Let there be LIGHT!' And that's what our prepper gift for today is--light! When the electricity goes out, everybody has to find another way to light their homes. The easiest way to accomplish this, and it disguises itself as a normal Christmas gift, is candles! Shelly from Ohio Preppers said she gave these to her non-prepping family one year, and none of them knew they were being given a prepper gift!

One of my favorite ways to light is to use an oil lamp. Many times, inexpensive oil lamps can be found at Walmart or another 'everything' store. Lehman's, which caters to Amish families in Ohio, carries lots of oil lamps, many more expensive, and even the coveted Aladdin lamp. (Well, coveted by oil lamp lovers, anyway!) Don't forget to purchase lamp oil, and some extra wicks, while you're at it! (Lehman's has some really fun stuff, so you might want to take a look around their site and get some more gift ideas!)

For the person who is a prepper, something practical like a camping lantern would probably be appreciated. These can be found almost anywhere that camping/hunting/fishing supplies are found.

Last but not least, is outdoor solar path lights. Whoever you buy these for will have NO idea that these are a prepper item, so they're great for the non-prepper. When the electricity's out, these lights, which charge by the sun all day, can be brought in and placed in a container to be used as dim lighting indoors! I just have to say, that I hope we shed a little light on the situation today!! (Oh, I know that was bad, but I just had to!!)

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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12 Days Of Prepper Christmas-Day 7

2010-12-06T17:55:00.007-06:00

12 Days of Prepper Christmas-Day 6

2010-12-05T16:41:00.000-06:00

12 Days of Prepper Christmas-Day 5

2010-12-04T16:35:00.007-06:00

(A view of some of our trees covered in our first major snowfall today!)

Hi everyone! Today's prepper gift ideas is one that doesn't require any work on your part, as the first 4 days have. But, it is just as enjoyable to give and could be needed as much as any other gift. It's the gift of canning! If someone you know has just started canning, you can help them along by purchasing some canning supplies for them. A couple boxes of quart or pint jars is invaluable! You can purchase a few other inexpensive supplies such as jar lifters, plastic 'bubbling' tool, or a magnetic lid lifter. You can purchase a big stock pot which can be used for cooking foods to be canned, or for water bath canning. Depending on how much money you're willing/able to spend on this person, you could even purchase a pressure canner. (I'd make sure this person is definitely going to continue in the canning adventure before spending the money that a pressure canner requires!)

The other great item to add to this kind of gift is a good canning book. The Ball Blue Book, which is updated all the time, is a great basic canning/dehydrating book. Another canning book that I really enjoy is Jackie Clay's book, Growing and Canning Your Own Food. Jackie's book has alot of different recipes including many meal-in-a-jar recipes.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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12 Days of Prepper Christmas--Day 4

2010-12-03T21:49:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone!! In a past year Matt from KY Preppers wrote a series of posts entitled 12 Days of Prepper Christmas. My thanks to Matt and APN for allowing me to use the title for my own series of posts. I hope that you will find something useful that will make your own Christmas more fun, frugal, and wonderful!

Today's gift idea is simple. Food! If you know someone who is a beginning prepper and you want to help them out, consider a gift of food. You can take cans from your own pantry or go to your local grocery store. Buying a few cans of veggies and fruits, baking goods, or dried foods will be a great boost to their own pantry.

You may also want to consider purchasing some freeze-dried foods from a mail-order company. If you look at the side-bar on this blog, you'll see some companies that sponsor the APN blogs. Freeze Dry Guy, Emergency Essentials, and The Ready Store are three of the companies listed there.

Stocking someone's pantry for the holidays. It's a good thing!

Prep On!

Gen-IL Homesteader

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12 Days of Prepper Christmas--Day 3

2010-12-02T17:40:00.008-06:00

Hi everyone!! In a past year, Matt from KY Preppers did a series of posts entitled 12 Days of Prepper Christmas. My thanks to Matt and APN for letting me use the title for my own series of posts. I hope that you will find something useful that will make your own Christmas more fun, frugal, and wonderful!

So, today's gift idea is my absolute favorite gift to give! (Yes, even more than the homemade kahlua!) I love to give people homemade goodies! I also love that this gift dips into your pantry stash to bless others. I'm talking about homemade quick breads, cookies and candies; homemade jams and jellies; homemade yeast breads and pies; homemade muffins. So many people today don't do any cooking for themselves, and they really appreciate the time that goes into homemade goodies. Everybody knows they're the best!

I love to take a quick bread recipe like pumpkin, banana, or zucchini, and make it in tiny loaf pans and give someone 1 of each kind in a basket with a jar of homemade jam. If you made a few different jams this year (I made raspberry, dandelion, pea hull), you could put a pint or 1/2 pint of each variety in a basket with a loaf of yummy homemade yeast bread! Mmmmm! How about a tray of homemade Christmas cookies? I have a girlfriend that makes 3 of her friends (thankfully I'm one of them) a cheesecake every Christmas. Every year she puts a different fruit topping on it. I look forward to it every year!! Google 'homemade candy' and you'll come up with tons of recipes. Another treat my sister and I love to give is pretzels dipped in white or milk chocolate. You can put sprinkles on the chocolate while it's wet. (Those white chocolate pretzels have to be delivered quickly because I really like them!!)

When I make my monthly meal of quiche I invite my mom and step-dad over. They both love my recipe, but my step-dad especially raves about it! Guess what he's getting for Christmas? That's right. His own quiche, frozen in convenient meal-size pieces that he can eat in between trips to my house for quiche.

I encourage you to rack your brains and I know you'll come up with some wonderful presents from foods you've already canned, or from your pantry food stores. I didn't include recipes because most folks seem to have their own favorites. When I need others I google 'em! In my opinion, food goodie bags are one of the best all-around gifts for anyone on your list!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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12 Days of Prepper Christmas--Day 2

2010-12-01T17:30:00.011-06:00

Hi everyone!! In a past year, Matt from KY Preppers did a series of posts entitled 12 Days of Prepper Christmas. My thanks to Matt and APN for allowing me to use that title for my own series of posts. I hope that you will find something useful that will make your own Christmas more fun, frugal, and wonderful!

So, today's gift might not appeal to all of you, but I am really excited about it! I'm making my own kahlua! That's right. Homemade kahlua! A few months back, we had a taste of this when a friend of ours, Brian, shared his. Oh my, was it good! I just knew I had to try the recipe myself and share it with you here! This recipe would make a great, frugal, homemade gift. (I'm giving it to you now because it needs to set for 4 weeks!)

The ingredients list is simple: 2 3/4 cups sugar, 3/4 cup dark karo syrup, 3 tbsp. instant coffee granules, 3 cups boiling water divided, 2 oz. vanilla, 750ml vodka. As you can see, I chose the cheap coffee (yes, it is the Walmart brand) and cheap vodka. It's okay to do that in this recipe!

The first step is to place 2 3/4 cups sugar plus 3/4 cup dark karo syrup in a bowl. Into this, add 2 cups boiling water and stir until the sugar is dissolved. In another bowl, place 3 tbsp. instant coffee granules and add 1 cup boiling water. Stir (I just realized my next 2 pictures are backwards. *sigh* You understand, right?)

Combine your sugar mix, coffee mix, vanilla, and vodka. Stir. Now pour this into containers. You can use old cleaned-out liquor jugs if you have them. I used canning jars, because that's what I had available. Put lids on; date your jars.

Now you just need to cover these and put them in a dark location for the next month. Brian says that he believes his kahlua always turns out better when it's in a completely dark location. Shake your jars once a week. At the end of 4 weeks open your jars and enjoy! A single batch only made 2 quart jars and one almost-filled pint jar. My suggestion would be to make a double batch. I'm going to be giving some of these as Christmas gifts in a box with instructions to keep it in a dark place for a few more days (till the 29th) and then Enjoy!

Don't know how to use kahlua? Lots of folks splash it in their coffee. Kahlua 'n cream is a great drink that is equal parts kahlua and cream. My group of girlfriends has adopted a shot as our own. Since this is a family blog, I won't say it's real name. But, mixing equal parts kahlua and butterscotch schnapps in a shot glass will get you the most tasty drink. You'll be wanting to lick the glass!

Prep On!

Gen-IL Homesteader

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12 Days of Prepper Christmas--Day 1

2010-11-30T19:47:00.017-06:00

(Since I showed you my frugal fall window boxes, I figured I should show you my frugal Christmas window boxes. The only thing that cost money was the ornaments!)

Hi everyone!! In a past year, Matt from KY Preppers did a series of posts entitled 12 Days of Prepper Christmas. My thanks to Matt and APN for allowing me to use that title for my own series of posts. I hope that you will find something useful that will help make your own Christmas more fun, frugal, and wonderful!

Can you sew, crochet, or knit? If so, you have the ability to make some wonderful Christmas gifts in your own home, with your own hands! And what better kind of gift is there!! Crocheted dishcloths (like the ones I made, pictured below) only take a few minutes of your time. You can find a few patterns here, or do I like I did and use the pattern provided with the skeen of yarn you purchase. These dishcloths, made with cotton yarn, are so thick and scrumptous to use. I absolutely LOVE them and continue to make more to replace my worn out ones. I'm sure that anyone who receives a gift like this, made with love, will appreciate it immensely. Obviously, if you knit, there are patterns for dishcloths, including those found at this link.

If you sew, I would suggest a gift of homemade cloth napkins. Some of my own Christmas napkins are pictured below. Cloth napkins not only save trees, save money, and reduce trash and waste, but they make people feel so special when they use them. I always feel that life is a bit more refined when I use a cloth versus a paper napkin. (I have a nephew who, after living out of state for 1.5 years, had a meal with us and remarked how much he always loved using my cloth napkins!) If you have some leftover fabric pieces laying around, you're ahead of the game because you have free supplies! I'm sure there are patterns out there somewhere, but all I did was cut out my fabric in squares that looked 'about the right size' and hem the edges. (All of our napkins sets are different sizes as I had more of some fabrics than others! They're unique!) If you have a serger, hemming the edges will be even easier! (Remember to keep some paper napkins on hand, though, for emergencies!!)

One of the best homemade gifts I've received was a homemade matching apron and hot pad. My sister made these for us 'girls' one year based on the pattern of one of our mom's vintage aprons. It is a delight to use, so pretty and comfy, and I think of my sister everytime I use it! If you're a prepper who has committed to cooking largely from scratch, you know how valuable an apron is! (And doesn't it just make you feel so wonderful to wear one! I sure love it!) You might find an apron you'd like to make from this list of patterns.

Lastly, if you do know how to crochet, knit, or sew, think of giving a gift of free lessons to a friend who is wanting to learn this skill. This will cost nothing to you but your time, and will be wonderful skill to pass on to someone else. One of the skills I wanted to learn in 2010 is knitting. Well, 2010 is quickly drawing to a close and I haven't learned yet! But, my sister is taking her first lesson this week from a friend and she said that when she (or her daughter) have it down, they'll teach me! It might not happen in 2010, but it is on the radar!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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"I'm Going to Feed my Family by Hunting When TSHTF."

2010-11-27T15:28:00.006-06:00

Hi everyone!! Boy, I sure hope that you've NEVER said that you're going to feed your family by hunting post-shtf. You haven't, have you? I'll bet that you've probably heard somebody say it, though, haven't you? What a bad idea that is.

First off, hunting is a skill. That's right. It's a skill because it takes time to get to know what you're doing, to know your prey, to know how to process it. It's a skill, but it's also a game of luck. Hubby bow hunts every weekend during bow deer-hunting season, which is a couple months long. Last year, he got 1 deer. So far this year, none. (Season's not over yet, though!) He hunts in a good location where they see lots of evidence of deer. But, that doesn't mean the deer are always there when he is! So, you can't count on hunting always providing food when you need it.

Secondly, how much game do you think will be available when tshtf and everybody and their brother is hunting because they're starving?? I'm guessing there won't be alot of game left!

So I have 2 suggestions for you. First, if you plan on hunting after tshtf, then you should start now so you learn what you're doing. This will give you a leg up on others who try to join you post-shtf and don't have skills. Secondly, continue to store foods, including meats, in case game is not available when you need it.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Illinois Preppers Roll Call

2010-11-27T11:56:00.002-06:00

The Illinois Preppers Network is conducting a Roll Call on our forum. If you are a prepper please check in.

* Here is a link to the Roll Call:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=301&t=3417

You have to be registered to check in. If you aren't registered please join here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

* If you are a HAM Radio Operator check in here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=143&t=6219

* If you are an A.N.T.S. member please check in here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=618&t=6220

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T09:47:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone! Happy Thanksgiving from the Illinois Preppers Network!

'On the first Thanksgiving day,
Pilgrims went to church to pray,
Thanked the Lord for sun and rain,
Thanked Him for the fields of grain.

Now Thanksgiving comes again:
Praise the Lord as they did then;
Thank Him for the sun and rain,
Thank Him for the fields of grain.'

Blessings,
Gen-IL Homesteader

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I Got Skills!

2010-11-23T16:53:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone!! Are you learning new skills? Skills that will come in handy when tshtf? I hope so. You know, I'm pretty sure that if we as Americans relied more on ourselves than others, if we were happy to live simple lives, if we had skills like gardening, animal husbandry, saving money, contentment, that our country would not be in such a deep mess as the one we're right now. (We'd probably still be in a mess, but the depth wouldn't be as bad if we'd been depending on ourselves and not the government to fill our every need.) The trick is to LIVE that life. I hope you're not learning skills right now to keep yourself afloat, only to forget them and go back to living a shallow life when everything turns around and gets better. That would be such a waste of skill, with no lesson learned. The deep satisfaction that comes from doing for yourself is one that almost nothing else compares to.

So, hubby always likes to buy me a few Christmas gifts, and I try to make up a good little list of a few things that I'd like. One skill that I've been very interested in learning is cheese-making. (Have you ever tried fresh, homemade cheese? Oh man! There's nothing like it!) So, I'm going to find a good cheese-making kit and put that on my wish list for hubby. Might as well use the gift-giving season to stock my preps and learn a new skill, right? What new skills are you wanting to learn?

(Note: After I wrote this, and saved it for today, I read this post over at Ohio Preppers Network, in which Andrea covers the exact same topic! Her post is more thoroughly written, so I'd encourage you to take a peek there, too!)

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

Prep On!

Gen-IL Homesteader
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Changes

2010-11-18T18:47:00.013-06:00

Hi everyone! What do you see when you look at that picture? A bare space, boxes, 'stuff'? I see shelves!! Lots and lots of shelves!! Shelves filled with food stuffs and other preps! This is the space that my friend has chosen as her pantry. Her hubby is in the process of designing the shelves he's going to build for her. He's even going to build some type of first-in, first-out shelving for her canned goods. Isn't that exciting??!! One more person on board, preparing their family for the hard times to come. It makes me happy!!

I hope you've been able to take advantage of the great food deals that are happening right now! I sure did! I upped the amount of flour I store because of the great sale I found. I also got a great deal on chopped walnuts. Good stuff! Don't forget, November and December are the months to buy those baking supplies at the lowest prices we'll see all year.

So, a friend sent me this link this week. It's an article and video. The article, entitled "The Financial Catastrophe Can Destory Your Future Fast--How to Avoid It", is written by a Dr. Mercola, which would explain the few times that health is mentioned in the article. I thought it was quite good, though, and Dr. Mercola seems to have a good grasp on what's happening in our country right now. The video is entitled "End of Liberty" and is produced by the National Inflation Association. The NIA must have some connection to gold and silver buying, as the last few minutes of the video are basically an advertisement for it. (I didn't actually watch the last few minutes with the ad.) The rest of the video, though, is excellent and could be eye-opening if you're still wearing your rose-colored glasses regarding the state of freedom in our country. The video is just over an hour long, but could be worth your time.

Welcome New Member

2010-11-18T00:37:00.001-06:00

Welcome our new member:

wetrustingod

Hi everybody. I see a few people here I already know. Lifetime country boy, and looking forward to making more new friends. Illinois is my home state.

Please welcome our new member by following the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=184&start=375

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Meeting With Preppers..........

2010-11-14T16:54:00.006-06:00

(Here we are checking out a friend's pantry.)

Hi everyone! I can't believe it's been 5 days since I've signed in here! Where has the time gone? It seems to be flying by sooooo quickly! (I think that means I'm getting older!) Anyway, I wanted to let you know how my first prepper meeting went this past week. To refresh your memory, I'm meeting at the homes of my sister and our 2 closest friends so that we can take stock of their preps and identify their strengths and weaknesses. We're also discussing reasons for prepping. One of our friends has only 'woken up' to prepping in the past few weeks, so she's a major newborn! At her house, we're going to be figuring out where she can have her food storage and helping her get started.

This past week, though, we met at the house of our friend who woke up to prepping only a few months ago. We discovered that she's fairly strong in the area of veggies, but fruits and proteins are lacking. There was a small amount of grains/pastas. She didn't have any water stored, so we encouraged her to start storing it.

The meeting went very well. It was exciting to talk with others who are waking up to the idea of prepping. It was part teaching and part learning as even as beginning preppers they had some good ideas. (We're never too old to learn, right?)

There's a fellow prepper in the next town who is my ordering buddy--when we need to place prepping orders, we let each other know so that we can share shipping costs. We had ordered some dehydrated goods in the past week and I went to pick up my food tonight at his house. He let me check out his 'bunker' where he stores his food. What fun that was!! I mean, I've only seen my stocked pantry in real life, but I've viewed other's food storage in pictures online. So, to step into someone else's food storage.....it was quite a delight, let me tell you! He has a great stock, and I was quite inspired!

I hope that you have other preppers in your life that you meet with. It's wonderful to talk to someone who thinks like you do. Really! Being with like-minded folks makes you feel like you're not alone, but it also gives you a chance to teach and learn from others.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Stay the Course.....

2010-11-09T19:22:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone!! Just a quick one today. First, I saw this little fact on the Country Magazine facebook page. Country magazine Did you know? On this day in 1965, a massive electric power failure left more than 30 million people without power in northeastern United States and parts of Canada. WOW!! I did not know that, did you? 30 million people! It made me think that it's not always the major financial, government messes that can be why we prep. Sometimes it's strange happenings that catch us by surprise. Either way, we need to prep!

Next, I saw this video today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWsTzl3FfHY. It's a clip of Judge Napolitano on Follow the Money discussing "Is the World Broke". I thought it was pretty good.

Stay the course, folks. Tougher times are coming. Keep building your preps.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader
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What Did You Do To Prep This Week? and November Challenge

2010-11-06T13:28:00.010-05:00

Hi everyone!! It's been a while since we've asked the question, "What did you do to prep this week?" Since I've been doing alot of prepping stuff lately, that's all that is on my mind this morning. I feel like the time that we have to prep is running short.......do you feel it? Our cities are broke, our states are broke, the fed gov is broke, way too many households are broke! It's like a house of cards that is about to tumble. We're on a ride that we can't get off of, no matter how hard we try. The only thing we can do is prepare for the crash. It's coming, folks. We're entering the holiday season, which is the most delightful time of year! But, we CANNOT forget about our preps.

My November challenge for you is to take stock of your baking items. November and December always see great sales on flour, sugar, spices, and other baking items. Check your stock, see what is lacking, and use the upcoming holidays sales to stock up on whatever you need.

As far as what I've done to prep this week......I pulled all the carrots from the garden. WOW!! What a harvest! I've never grown so many huge carrots in my life! Yesterday my sister came and we scrubbed, peeled, cut and canned all of the big ones that we could. The smaller ones are left and will be eaten raw. I also dehydrated a few pounds of apples, and froze some apples for use in apple crisp (thinking ahead to deserts)!

I'm getting together with my sister and our 2 closest girlfriends to do a prepping check-up at each gal's house. We are planning to do one house next week. We'll take stock of what they have, figure out what their strengths and weakness are in their preps, and help them figure out what the next step is. I'm VERY excited!! I'll come back next week and let you know how it goes!

It's Like A Party For Corrupt Folks.......

2010-11-01T14:21:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone! Tomorrow is election day. If you're like me, you're not encouraged by the options that are before you. I mean, this is Illinois. Everyone knows us as the state with the most corrupt politicians. And they all line up, proud of themselves, waiting for us to pick the lesser of 2 evils. Of course, we know that the biggest loser in the whole mess is us. We, the people.

Is that 'lesser of 2 evils' thing working out for us? I don't think so. I encourage you to check this website for candidates in your area. Enter your zip code, it will show the candidates. You can click on them and then on the Candidate Courage Test (on the right hand side of the candidate's page) to see where they stand on certain issues. I was very disappointed at how many of the candidates I looked at didn't fill out their 'test'. Not very courageous folks, I'd say.

If you don't agree with what someone stands for, don't vote for them! Don't just vote party lines! That's like easy money for somebody who has no morals, but is lucky enough to get elected because of the party he represents. Vote 3rd party, or don't vote for anyone at all. Show those you-know-whats that we're tired of it all and we choose NO ONE!! Remember that Republicans and Democrats are basically all the same! They want your money, they want power, they want money from lobbyists. Be very careful how you choose tomorrow. Our state and our country are headed downhill fast, and we have the ability to choose candidates who can try to get us on the right course.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Putting the Garden to Bed and a Book Review

2010-10-30T14:52:00.007-05:00

(A picture of my garden today, covered with leaves and hay. Carrots, to the left of the picture are waiting to be pulled.)
Hi everyone! It's that time of year...time to put the garden to bed for the winter so that it wakes up in the spring ready to grow! The best mulch for your garden is probably laying on your yard right now--leaves. As leaves fall from the trees, gather them and lay them on your garden. If you rototill, you can till those leaves in for even better results. If you have homemade compost, or if you buy it from the store, rototill that in your soil now, also. Then leave the garden sit for the winter. Unless you're like me and you're trying the Stout method of gardening.......

Ruth Stout wrote a couple of gardening books and is considered the mother of the modern mulch method. You know how you go past all those fancy-shmancy subdivisions, and they have those perfectly manicured yards, with flower beds full of mulch? Well, Ruth Stout advocated doing that! But, she also thought that the mulch should be on your veggie gardens, not just your flower beds.

I think I shared with you that hubby tilled a beautiful 50x35 garden plot for me last year. I was more than excited, let me tell you! I fed it in fall and planted it in the spring, only to be discouraged by the amount of weeding I had to do. Normally I love pulling weeds, but this garden was just too much for me to keep up with. I remembered a cousin had read this book by Richard Clemence about Ruth Stout's mulch gardening method, so I shot her an email to ask her about her experience with it. I also checked out the book at the library. My cousin said that she had loved Ruth's method, and that when she is able to garden again, she will continue to use it. I read the book and it made so much sense to me. All of the reasons that we use mulch on our flower beds--conserve water/moisture, keep weeds at bay--apply to the veggie garden. How much more do we want/need moisture and want to avoid weeds in our veggie patches than our flower beds!!! So, hubby called a friend and we got some of his old rotted hay and I laid a few sheets of newspaper first, and then layers of hay on the papers. I have only used this method for one growing season--and not even for planting time--and I am SOLD already!! The lack of weeds in the garden was FABULOUS!! Oh, sure, there were a few that popped up here and there, but per Ruth's instructions, I just laid down more hay. For the size of garden I have, I did an insignificant amount of weeding. IT WAS GREAT!!!! I'm now in the midst of laying down leaves over the bare sections of garden (the corn did not get hay this spring and was drowning in weeds) and will then lay more hay. The other beauty of this system is that the hay and leaves break down in the soil and feed it! While I still have a compost pile going, Ruth always just laid her compost items directly in/on the hay in her garden. Simple!

Next year will be the first year that I'll actually plant in the mulch. I'm counting on it going smoothly, with well fed soil being a great start to my seeds and plants. If you're like me, and you have too many weeds to pull, do a little winter reading and see if Ruth's methods won't just work for you!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Backyard Foraging: For Your Medicine Cabinet

2010-10-27T11:30:00.012-05:00

Hi everyone! Have you ever looked at the label on your vitamin C bottle and noted that it includes 'Rose Hips'? Have you wondered what on earth the hip of the rose is, and why it's in your vitamin bottle? Approximately 3 rose hips (which are teeny things) have as much vitamin C as 1 orange! Isn't that amazing? I'm going to tell you today how you can eliminate buying any more of those vitamin bottles and gather your own home-grown vitamin C!

First off, you need to locate some rose bushes that are not going to be sprayed with chemical sprays. This could be a rose bush in your own yard, your neighbor's yard, or even wild rose bushes growing along the edge of an orchard or field. To harvest the rose hip, you need to stop deadheading your plants towards the end of August or September. The hip is the garlic-shaped fruit that is left after the rose blooms. (The above picture is some hips that I pulled off of my knock-out rose and are already starting to dry and get wrinkly.) Let the hips form on the plant and leave them until after at least the first frost, if not a few more frosts. Pull the hips off, remove the stem and blossom ends. Rinse and dry the hips. You can split them in half and use 1-2 tablespoons of fresh hips to 1 cup boiling water to make tea. Or you can dry them for later use by laying them in a single layer on a cookie sheet in a dark place, or in an oven on the lowest setting, or even in your dehydrator. Obviously, the cookie sheet method will take up to a few weeks to finish the drying process. The hips are dried when they are hard, wrinkly, and dark in color. (Note that some of mine NEVER turned wrinkly, but are hard and dark.)

The picture above shows dark, wrinkly, dried rose hips from my neighbor's wild rose bushes. These wild rose hips are significantly smaller than my knock-out rose hips. To make tea with dried hips, use 2 teaspoons per cup of boiling water. Steep for 10-15 minutes. Store your dried rose hips in a jar or plastic baggie in a dark room.

There are lots of instructions online for making rose hip mash, jelly, and other items. I've not tried any of those recipes, so I won't republish any of them here. But, if you're interested just Google rose hip recipes and give a few a try!

(Dried rose hips can also be used in potpourri for gifts, or left on the vine to be used as simple, rustic decorations as the above picture shows.)

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader
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A Link and Eat Your Fall Decorations

2010-10-21T17:23:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone! I wanted to pass on to you this link that I got off of the Indiana Preppers site. It's a doozey! As Ernie, of Indiana preppers said, if this doesn't get your attention, then I don't know what will! It's a powerful article about the crisis that has already begun and will probably get much worse. (Do you check the IN Preppers site? Ernie does a great job finding the 'black-listed' news, the real nitty-gritty stuff that you don't hear anywhere else. Reading that blog is like having a constant wake-up call. I love it! If you head over there and like what you read, then let Ernie know!)

Also today, I wanted to encourage you to 'eat your fall decorations'! That's right! I hope you didn't carve your pumpkin yet. You did? Well, go buy yourself another one or two. That pumpkin will yield a great amount of yummy food! Many folks will say you should only eat pie pumpkins, not regular jack-o-lantern pumpkins. I totally disagree! For years and years, I've cooked and eaten our jack-o-lantern pumpkins and they've always been perfectly delicious! Split your pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds (save for roasting) and strings. Lay the halves face up or face down (your choice) in a pan and roast at 325 or so for a while. (I know. How long is a while?) Well, it depends on the size of your pumpkin. Check it after an hour; poke it with a fork to see if the thickest parts are nice and soft. Once they are, remove from the oven and let it cool. Scoop out the pumpkin meat and blend it in your blender or it will be stringy. Freeze in appropriate size containers for pumpkin pie, muffins, bread, or any other recipes that require pumpkin. It's that easy! (I hope that every time you see a pumpkin smashed or in the garbage after Halloween, you'll think 'That's food!')

Now you can roast the pumpkin seed. Soak them in salt water for a while and remove all the 'strings'. Lay them flat on a jelly roll pan and cook at 275 degrees or so till cooked. (Check after 30-45 minutes to avoid burning.) You can also sprinkle salt on them. Waa-laa! Enjoy!

Backyard Foraging: Awww, Nuts!

2010-10-19T12:22:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! One of the free foods that is available to us right now in our backyards (okay, maybe in somebody else's backyard) is nuts! Tree nuts, that is. My sister has a shag bark hickory tree that has wonderful tasting nuts falling from it. We can pick these up for free, or pay my niece and nephew to gather buckets for us! :) Black walnuts are also dropping their fruit now. Black walnuts are a little tough to crack, but if you can get to them the reward is worth the work! Even acorns are edible, but they do require a little work before eating. See this article to find out how to get acorns ready to eat.

Look around you. Are there hickory, black walnut, or oak trees you can harvest from? What other nut trees do you see? Take advantage of this free food just waiting to be harvested!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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More Sobering News......and Encouragements

2010-10-14T10:14:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone!! Well, I read this article this morning by Peter Schiff and it really.......it really bummed me out. You know some days you can read something and you're okay, but then read the same thing another day and it really 'bums you out'! That's how this article affected me today. Mr. Schiff discusses what he believes is coming in our economy, and it isn't pretty. Of course, I've always believed it to be true, but today.......*sigh*........the truth hurts.

The paragraph that really got me is the last paragraph of the article which states, "In the end, our bubble economy will not just deflate, it will burst. The dollar will collapse, consumer prices will skyrocket, real credit will completely evaporate, millions more will lose their jobs, and our economy will change in ways few of us can imagine. Our standard of living will plummet and legions of middle- and upper-class Americans will be impoverished. It is not a pretty picture, but unfortunately, it's the one our government is painting. Unfortunately, we are running out of time to change artists." Ugh.

Folks, time is running out. I know we say that all the time, but we don't know the day nor the hour that it will hit us. In fact, every minute of every day we're slowly ticking down into the pit that Peter discusses. PREP NOW!! Seriously, you don't know how much time you have. Take advantage of sales, learn new skills, start planning next year's garden, buy some seeds. DO SOMETHING!!

I try to live self-imposed simplicity. Part of living that way is making do when you don't have exactly what you need. I'd like to encourage you to learn to 'make do'. Making burgers for dinner and don't have buns? Make do! Either use bread or go bun-less. Run out of bread for the kid's lunches? Whip out your recipe box and make a loaf. (They'll enjoy it so much more!) Need buttermilk for a recipe? Better dig out your milk and lemon juice. What I'm saying is, don't run to the store for everything you're missing. Just make do. Figure out what you can do with what's in your house. It's an adventure. It's good for your brain, your family, and your pantry. And it's good practice for when the store might not be available.

Stay alert, folks! Take advantage of holiday sales you come across, and continue to learn new skills. 'Time's a' wastin'!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Bernanke Smarter Than We Think???

2010-10-12T06:50:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone!! So, I saw this article yesterday http://www.truth-out.org/ben-bernanke-warns-looming-economic-crisis64008 entitled 'Ben Bernanke Warns of Looming Financial Crisis'. Now, if you're like me, you believe that old Ben, the Federal Reserve, both houses of Congress and the president (past and present for each of those groups) have helped to cause the financial crisis we're in, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that those involved can see the problems that are on the horizon. ""The threat to our economy is real and growing," Bernanke said." Really?? Okay, maybe he's smarter than he appears!

Anyway, for those of you who have fallen asleep, who have been lulled to inaction because 'nothing's happened yet', this is another attempt to wake you up to the real dangers that lie ahead of us. Don't stop prepping! Buy what you need and are able to buy! It's important and it's real. Wake up!!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Living With a Difficult Spouse

2010-10-07T10:39:00.011-05:00

Hi everyone!! If you're here reading this, I'm guessing you're a prepper, either a seasoned one or someone who's just starting their journey. How about your spouse? Are they on board with your prepping or do they think that it's a ridiculous waste of time and money? Well, if they think the latter, you are not alone. I personally have a supportive spouse, but I know there are many people who do not. So, if that's the case for you, how do you deal with it?

First, I would suggest that it not become a 'big, hairy deal'. I don't believe that being supportive/unsupportive of prepping is a deal breaker to a marriage. There are so many other more important things about your marriage relationship. I'm not downplaying prepping at all, but I believe there are ways you can accomplish your goals and keep peace in your home, which should be your main goal in life!

In our prepping, having a well-stocked pantry is one of the main goals. The easiest way to accomplish this peacefully is to do the shopping yourself! That's right! I'm not sure how it works in your home, but I do the shopping for our family, so I get to bring home whatever I want. For me, food preps happened slowly a few cans at a time at the grocery store. What if you're the husband and your wife shops, but your wife isn't interested in prepping? Well, mister, you'd better start doing the shopping! (Men, tell her you want to start taking more responsibility around the house. She'll love you for it!!) That's the only way around it! Don't fill out a list full of prep items for your uncooperative spouse to take to the store! It's going to make them angry, they won't buy what you've requested, and then there's a fight and tension (and NO preps in the house!). Not good! Remember we want to keep the peace in our homes! So, if you're the prepper, you do the shopping! Simple!

Does your spouse love cheese doodles? Do you always forget to buy them and then they're angry because they need their fix? Well, stock up on what they love and tell them you don't want them to have to go without. Let them know that you're thinking of them and their comfort. Then say that beef stew in a can is YOUR favorite food and you just don't want to be without it, so you bought a few extras for you, just in case!! ;) I think that if you show them how convenient it is to have lots of their favorite foods on hand, you can show them how convenient it would be to have a few extra things on hand as well.

Okay, so now you, the prepper, are doing the shopping and you're bringing home extra preps. You're happy, but what if your spouse complains? (I know, how could anyone complain about that, but they do!) Well, my first suggestion is to calmly, rationally, patiently, kindly, try to explain to your spouse why you feel the need to prep. (You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.) If they still aren't convinced that it's important, and they still think you're a dork for thinking it's important, my next suggestion is to hide a few things. No, I'm not advocating keeping secrets from your spouse (although it sounds like it!), but purchasing and 'storing-a-few-items-in-another-location' should be okay! For instance, we have friends who are not on the same page about prepping, so the hubby (the prepper) asked me to buy him some bulk oats and store them at our house. The bucket is in the basement and if/when TSHTF and they come to me for food, I can hand them their buckets o' oats and send them on their way! Obviously, I don't have room to store an entire storehouse of goods for him, but a few items are not problem.

If you're a Christian, I would suggest you pray about this. Pray about your spouse's attitude; pray for understanding, or at the very least, a willingness on their part to 'let it go' and let you prep.

How concerned are you about your spouse's interests? Is that uncooperative spouse reacting negatively to your prepping because you could care less about (or you bash) their interests? Generally speaking, taking an interest in someone causes them to take an interest in you. When you show that their concerns are your concerns, it will sometimes soften them and cause them to be concerned about what concerns you.

There are so many things in marriage that are so much more important than prepping that I would NOT make a bigger issue out of prepping than it is. I know this sounds like I'm saying to downplay it, but I believe that a good relationship in the home is the most important thing to focus on. Focus on the main thing first, and those other 'ducks' will fall in line.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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New Members

2010-10-05T15:56:00.004-05:00

Welcome our new members:
Dee

Hello, from southern Illinois. My husband and I have been preparing for 2 years and although I feel very good about how far we've come, I feel there is so much more we need learn. I think I've found this is place to learn those things. Thanks, Dee

To welcome our new member follow the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5251

mkcruiser58

Hi everyone new to this group from IL and WI. Looking to get prepared feel like I my attemps are moving very slowly. Hope this forum will give me tips and help!

To welcome our new member click on link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5116

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Frugal Holiday Tips

2010-10-03T17:11:00.014-05:00

Hi everyone!! Happy Fall!! Here in northern Illinois it really is feeling and looking like fall. Yesterday a dear friend came over and helped me (okay, I helped her) decorate the window boxes on the front of my house for fall. What do you think? I really love how they turned out. Even more than that I love that everything we used was free! The pumpkins and gourds came from the garden, pine cones from our pine trees, and then various weed flower heads from a nearby field filled in the rest. It got me thinking about the holiday season we're entering into, so I wanted to share some other tips to help you out if you're feeling a pinch financially or just want to spend less this holiday season so that more can be spent on preps.

Halloween is coming. That means costumes and candy. Look around your house for any clothing you have that could be made into a costume. Does your child have a cowboy hat and boots? Give 'em a rope and they're a cowboy. When I was little, we would dress in old clothes to be a bum. Is your child on a sports team? Dress them as an athlete for Halloween! And when it comes to handing out candy, many people I know will spend upwards of $100 on sweets! Don't feel bad handing out small, cheap candies. If you really can't afford to buy any candy there's nothing wrong with going out (or turning off the lights and pretending you're out) during trick-or-treat hours. Really, the neighborhood kids can survive without one more piece of candy!

The wonderful, American holiday of Thanksgiving is just around the corner after Halloween. I see that day as a day of rest (except for the cooks!), relaxation, thanksgiving, and reflection. None of those things require spending alot of money. If your family is spending Thanksgiving at home, you can save money by purchasing a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey. A great meal can be had with only turkey breast, mashed potatoes, corn, rolls, and of course, pie! You can keep it very simple and very inexpensive. Find a puzzle at the dollar store or thrift store and open it that day and let everyone work on a few pieces in between watching football and eating more pie! Or pull out some fun family board games. As far as decorating, you can pick up pretty fall colored leaves, dip them in melted wax from leftover candles, and they will dry and stay beautiful (as opposed to dry and crunchy) throughout the season. Sprinkle them on your tables for a beautiful look!

The last wonderful holiday of the upcoming season is Christmas. If you're a Christian, Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, not gift-giving. Keep your celebrations and gift-giving (if you do it) to a minimum. Spending time together with your family and friends is the most important thing you can do. If you are not a Christian, the Christmas season still doesn't have to be just about elaborate gift-giving. Try to think of gifts that are inexpensive but meaningful to the recipient and you. Most people would love a few jars of home-canned goodies. Homemade bread is a real treat for someone who doesn't bake. How about giving someone a jar of homemade cookies or fudge. Do you know someone who's wanting to prep but doesn't have the finances? How about raiding your stock and giving them a small prepping basket full of goodies! Encourage your kids to get in to the season by cleaning out some of their unused toys that are still in great shape and giving them to someone who needs them. Most people will love a gift of time: gift certificates for lunch together, babysitting, house-cleaning, or help with some project they've been wanting to get done. You don't need to spend alot of money-and you definitely don't want to go into debt-to have a nice Christmas.

After seeing how easily and inexpensively my window boxes were decorated for fall, I've started thinking of the rest of this season and how to keep it meaningful, low stress, inexpensive, and wonderful. It will take some prep work, but I'm pretty good at that! :) Why not give it some thought now and start your own preps for the holiday season!!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Prepping Lessons From A Camping Trip

2010-09-28T16:14:00.009-05:00

(A picture overlooking Nymph Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Beautiful!)

Hi everyone! So, the big camping trip that hubby and I just took revealed a few prepping hints to us. I wanted to share them with you. Maybe they'll help you, too!!

I can wash a load of dishes with only 1/2 gallon of water! That's a good thing to know if I ever have to ration water.

Water is precious!!! When you're tent camping, and you like remote campsites like we do, you often end up in campgrounds with no available water. When it's scarce, you're very careful with it and cherish it more. I'm convinced that I need to have even more water on hand at home than what I originally had. Running out of water is a scary thought!

Two cans of beef stew feed hubby and I for one meal. Okay, you might think that sounds silly, but I actually wasn't sure how many cans it would take to feed us. Now I know!! And now I know how many cans I need to have stored!!

One can of canned fruit will feed hubby and I. (Same concept as #3.)

If I'm near a breaking point--feeling like I can't cook one more meal on a camp cookstove and wash dishes with water I'd heated--hubby will come through and pick up the slack! It's a good thing to know that your partner is your helper!

While I've always 'known' it, camping always confirms it: I know that I don't need lots of stuff to be happy. I'm very happy with the simple life that I live and I don't need a whole lot more than that!

Somehow I came back from our camping trip even more revved up to prep than when I left. I think it's because it's fall, the garden is winding down, and apples are for sale at all the farms now. Don't stop your canning just yet! Glean what's left in your garden and put it up. If you don't grow apples at home, buy some from a nearby farmer and put them up. Applesauce, apple butter, strawberry-applesauce (I have this recipe if you'd like it! Yum!), dried apple slices, cinnamon-spiced dried apple rings, apple pie filling.......that list is just a sampling of all the ways that you can put up apples in your pantry! They're a great food storage item!

We're nearing the end of what the government called Preparedness Month. I hope you took advantage of it and gave your food storage a check-up, and if it was needed, a face lift! Don't slack! Try to get it in order before we go in to the busy 'hibernation' and holiday seasons! Food storage really comes in handy then.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader
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Prepper Recipe

2010-09-24T21:07:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone!! Sorry for the long absence--hubby and I were on a 2-week camping trip to Colorado and stopped to see family in MO and KS! We had a great time, but I'm glad to be back with this network of people!! I miss it when I'm gone!! I have to take some time to go through my favorite state blogs and check the forum. I don't want to miss anything!!

I have a ground beef hash recipe from my mother-in-law that we just LOVE!! It's so simple, too! It's 1 lb. ground beef, a few sliced, peeled potatoes, 1 packet au jus mix, and the 2 cups water that it calls for. Cover and cook on low until the potatoes are soft and then lift the lid and stir and cook on low until the water is gone.

Well, I needed some good camping suppers, so I figured a way to make this camping-friendly, which also made it prepper-friendly!! Take 1 can of home-canned ground beef (or commercially canned), 1 can potatoes, sliced, with liquid, 1 can corn with liquid, 1 packet au jus. Throw all together in a pan and heat until water is gone. You don't need the entire 2 cups of liquid and you don't have to cook it as long because the potatoes are already cooked!! This was so easy and yummy, and is all from food storage!! Woo-Hoo!! I hope you enjoy it!! (Hubby didn't care for the addition of veggies IN his hash, but I liked it!!)

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader
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How to Join The Illinois Preppers Network

2010-09-14T15:02:00.001-05:00

Come learn survival, preparedness and sustainable living with us!

The Preppers networks are all about volunteering our knowledge and skills with each other. We share ideas, tips and basically network with each other to survive any type of disaster whether natural, man made, or economic. Information that you learn and share with others will help everyone learn how to find "Freedom Through Teaching Others Self Reliance."

Joining the Illinois Preppers Network is simple, and most of all, it's Free! To join, just follow these few steps.

1) Register to become a member of the American Preppers Network www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net The registration page is here: http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

2) Once you have your account, go to the index page of the forum and do your first post by introducing yourself in the new members area. http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/index.php

3) Once you know how to do posts, visit the Illinois forum and introduce yourself. The Illinois forum can be found by scrolling to the lower section of the index page where you will find a list of states, or you can go directly by following this URL: www.IllinoisPreppersNetwork.net

4) After you've visited the Illinois forum, follow this link to learn how to join the Illinois Preppers Network group:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=564&t=2738

APN's success depends on your contributions. If you would like to donate to our organization by becoming a Gold Member you can join the APN Gold Members club by following this link:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/page.php?p=apn-gold-membership&sid=5b241e92a767cdfbe7a345c54dd55127
Gold Membership is only $5 per month. For a list of Gold Member benefits go here

Thank you for your support!

Mrs.Cunningham wants you to prepare!!

2010-09-13T13:09:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone!! So, hubby and I were driving the other day when we heard a radio commercial for ready.illinois.gov encouraging people to have their own personal preparedness plan in place. That's right, the state of Illinois is so convinced that you need to prepare that they asked Marion Ross, aka Mrs. Cunningham, to be in their preparedness commercial. Folks, the state of Illinois knows that they can't help all of us if an emergency happens and they want you to be prepared to help yourself. I think that's pretty groovy!! "Ehhhhhhhhhh!" (Okay, that was supposed to be Fonzie's trademark call! I couldn't find it in the dictionary!!)

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Is Canning Really Worth It?

2010-09-06T16:37:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone!! I have been asked that question (Is canning really worth it?) so many times!! Even hubby has asked it at times when I've been stressed, burning the midnight oil to get some veggies put away! Maybe you've read my posts encouraging you to do some canning, and you've thought to yourself 'Is is worth it?' Well, my answer would be a definite "YES"!! Let me explain....

Like so many things we do, there is an initial monetary investment if you're going to start canning. Of course, if you're a patient, savvy shopper you can save yourself some of that money. The items that you will need to start canning are:

*water bath canner (can be large stock pot with towel on bottom)

*canning jars

*screw bands

*flat lids

*pressure canner (for veggies and meats--can also be used for fruits)

*stock pot

*jar lifter

Of course, beyond this list you could add any number of gadgets that are NOT necessary to a successful canning career.

When I first started canning about 15 or so years ago, I scoured garage sales, estate sales, and thrift stores for any canning equipment I could find. (Now think of craigslist and ebay.) I answered an ad in the classifieds in which someone was selling a few canners, lots of canning jars, and other various canning gadgets. I called that phone number as quick as I could and went to view the 'goods' that night! I was able to score a single pressure canner, double-stack pressure canner (love this!), water bath canner, half of his canning jars, and all his gadgets (things I would probably never pay full prices for!) for only $50!!! That was a steal!!! Then, my parents bought me another double-stack canner (score!), a great big stock pot, and a fabulously large ladle for my birthday one year. The biggest expenses in canning were given to me and purchased as cheaply as possible! Those are my recommendations for getting canning items as cheaply as possible! To this day, I continue to buy inexpensive canning jars at thrift stores and garage sales.(I've since been given another couples canners which I was able to pass on to my sister!)

So, what if you've been patient and just have NOT been able to score any cheap or free materials? What if you have to go out and buy brand new items? I would recommend that you buy only what is absolutely necessary for the moment and continue to keep looking for inexpensive used items.

The great thing about canning equipment is that it will last for years! There's been the occasional broken jar, but besides that all of the items I bought/was given years ago are still being used today! They've long ago paid for themselves.

This year I put in 4 rows of green beans, which used app. 2 packets of seeds ($1-2 per bag). So far this year, we have picked enough beans to can 160 pints of green beans, and we've also frozen and eaten a ton! Plus, the plants are still producing, so there are more canned beans to come! If I was to buy 160 pints of green beans in the store, I could possibly get them for 50 cents a piece on sale or at Aldi. Even so, at 50 cents I would have to spend $80 to get 160 pints, and I wouldn't know what kind of bean it was and if it had been raised organically! Of course, there is stove gas that is used, but it is so minimal I wouldn't even know how to calculate it! I could say almost the same thing for this year's tomatoes. I started all my plants from seeds indoors, only watered in the very beginning, and have 20 quarts of juice and over 32 pints of sauce so far. (Plus, all of the mouth watering tomatoes we've eaten raw!) I would say that in this year alone, I've gotten enough food to justify the expense of buying canning equipment, and that equipment has been earning it's keep in the same way for 15 years!! I think you'll agree that canning is indeed WORTH IT!!

The one expense in canning that is continual is the flat lid. This year, though, I've been hearing more and more about the reusable Tattler canning lid. I've not used them, but I think I'm going to give them a try. It's another investment but is one that could, like the rest of the canning equipment, earn it's keep in a very short time! And what a great preparedness item!

Prep On!!

Gen-IL Homesteader

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National Preparedness Month

2010-09-03T10:12:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone!! It's September already (can you believe it?) and it's National Preparedness Month! That's right, our government knows that they can't do it all, so they want us to prepare on our own! That's one of the smartest things that our government does--encourage people to do for themselves! It's kind of like they gave us preppers our own holiday month!!! So, what will you do this month??

First off, I hope that you took advantage of paper sales in August to stock up on paper products in your preps. I made an oops! of buying too many paper plates, so I passed some along to someone else that I thought might need them.

For September, let's take a bird's eye view of our prepping plan and find out what needs our attention.

*Do you have bug out bags for all members of the family? (If you're missing a few items, collect them this month.)
*Do you have a bug out location?
*Do you have water stored at your home and bug out location?
*Do you have a well-rounded start to your food preps? Grains, protein, fruits, veggies, treats, seeds.
*Do you have other drinks besides water?
*How will you handle lighting issues in an emergency?
*How will you cook in an emergency?
*How will you handle hygience, bathroom usage, staying clean?
*Do you have a small stash of small dollar bills?

Ask yourself the above questions and more to determine where your holes are this month. Write it down. Where are you now and where do you want to be? Then make a plan to get yourself, as quickly as you can, to where you want to be. That's September's work: find our prepping holes, figure out how to fix them, and make a plan to get the fixin' done!! It's our month--let's celebrate!!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Make Hay While the Sun Shines, and A Child's Observation

2010-08-29T09:50:00.008-05:00

Hi everyone!!

Are you a hard worker? Do you see what needs to be done and do it, or do you ignore it? I hope you're the type that gets things done. Prepping and homesteading are hard work! Did you realize that when you woke up and realized that you needed to prep?? It involves staying on top of your needs and doing the work required to meet them. Shopping for great deals, gardening, canning, freezing or dehydrating, maintaining your 'stuff', rotating foods, staying alert to danger, and more. It's hard work, sometimes from sun-up to sun-down! When I get tired, I encourage myself to keep going by remembering Pa Ingalls' (Little House on the Prairie) words that he had to 'make hay while the sun shines'. Sure, he was tired and had 20 other things to do, but the most urgent work had to be done while it was most pressing and advantageous to do it.

Yesterday, I was up at 6:30 to finish cooking down tomatoes to make sauce. By a little after 9:00 the sauce was in jars and in the canners. Then it was time to make breakfast for hubby and daughter and son-in-law who stopped by. Then a friend stopped by to pick green beans with me (I'm sharing with her), and then of course we had to snap and can them. Wash dishes. Now it's getting close to 3:00 and I have to get a load of laundry on the line and run to the grocery store for a few things. While there, I see a great sale on strawberries, so I pick up a few extra boxes. While doing dinner preparations I wash and hull the berries and lay them on trays in the freezer. Dinner, dishes, removing laundry from the line, fold and put away. Now I've got to move the berries from the trays to freezer bags. More dishes. Finally I get to sit, but of course I have a few cloth napkins to fold while I'm sitting. (I hope you're still with me!!) I wrote all this to show that I was 'making hay while the sun shines'. Beans are green in the garden, tomatoes are red, and both foods need to be put up or be lost! Clothes lines need to be utilized while the weather's nice. When you find a food you use on a great special, buy it and put it up in a way you'll use it later. Do the hard work that needs to be done and land on the couch at the end of the day feeling tired, but satisfied with the work you accomplished!

Work is a good thing, and being a hard worker is an asset that is lacking in far too many people these days. When raising my kids my first and foremost goal was that they be Christians. Secondly, I wanted them to be hard workers. (Both hubby and I are from hard working families!) I believe that if you work hard, you can survive anything. Lose your dream job? Well, if you find another--even if it's flipping burgers at burger joint--if you work hard you'll survive. Hubby's company was on strike one time, and to help make ends meet he got a job doing lawn mowing during the hour's he wasn't on the picket line. Don't be afraid to 'stoop below' yourself. Hard work is something to be proud of no matter what it is!

I was picking green beans with my sister and her 7- and 9-year old kids one day. She was reminding them (as I used to do to my kids) that the Bible says that if you don't work, you shouldn't eat! She wants them to grow to be hard workers who understand where their food comes from and hopefully love taking part in the process. When we went in the house with our beans, cukes, broccoli, and blackberries, my 9-year old niece remarks that I don't need to go to the grocery store very often! Isn't that something?? A 9-year old can see that by doing a bit of work, growing whatever you're able, you can keep yourself out of the grocery store a bit more! That's preparedness in my book!!

Prep On!!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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An Interesting Read

2010-08-20T09:12:00.011-05:00

Hi everyone!! In the latest Backwoods Home magazine I received, there was an article describing another article that was written in 1936. The article being discussed was "Isaiah's Job", written by Albert Jay Nock. The Backwoods Home piece was so interesting, I had to print off Nock's actual article and read it. You can find a copy here.

The article, Isaiah's Job, is based on the biblical figure, Isaiah, and the job that he was given. Now, before you run, let me tell you that this is not necessarily a religious article. Isaiah is the base, but the article makes his situation applicable to any situation. You see, God gave Isaiah the job of talking to the people of his day and warning them of the wrath that was to come. But, God told him beforehand that the people would NOT listen to him! Well, why was he supposed to be warning them? (And here is where the article is applicable to us specifically....) Because Isaiah was to go and encourage The Remnant! That's right, there are the masses--the great majority of people--and there are the remnant--those few folks who don't follow the masses, who see the lies they believe, who see through the folks who are telling the lies! As I read this article, I kept thinking about US--preppers, liberty-lovers, homeschoolers, homesteaders, (and, of course, Christians). All of us folks who see the lies that are being told to the masses and who are choosing to turn the lies off and get on with living the lives we know we should be living.

With most modern media, places of learning, entertainment, places of religious worship, the messengers' "last and only thought is of mass-acceptance and mass-approval. His great care is to put his doctrine in such shape as will capture the masses' attention and interest", writes Nock. "The main trouble with all this is its reaction upon the mission itself. It necessitates an opportunist sophistication of one's doctrine, which profoundly alters its character and reduces it to a mere placebo. If say, you are a preacher, you wish to attract as large a congregation as you can, which means an appeal to the masses; and this, in turn, means adapting the terms of your message to the order of intellect and character that the masses exhibit. If you are an educator, say with a college on your hands, you wish to get as many students as possible, and you whittle down your requirements accordingly." And so the article goes, describing how 'prophets' to the masses must 'adulterate' their message to their audience. "Meanwhile, the Remnant, aware of this adulteration and of the desires that prompt it, turn their backs on the prophet and will have nothing to do with him or his message." The Remnant, that's us in the prepper movement, can see the sham that is presented to the masses, and we end up seeking out our own 'prophets'. Those that are speaking the truth, and whose truth is relevant to our lives. I think that's how we all found the American Prepper's Network--we were searching for something that wasn't being talked about anywhere else, and we found a place where other people like ourselves were speaking the truth. (Thank God that Tom founded this network!)

If this tweaked your interest, like it did mine, you might want to read Nock's article. I printed it off--only 11 pages--and found it quite an interesting, affirming read.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Checking In........

2010-08-14T16:29:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone!! Long time, no see!! I hope everyone is doing great and enjoying their warm Illinois summer. The above pictures give you an idea of what I've been doing. The garden is producing wonderfully this year! Saving the harvest has basically been the sum of my preps lately. The day the above picture was taken, I had picked 22 cukes!!

Besides preserving my garden's harvest, I've only done a small amount of work towards the inventory of my food preps, which was my summer goal. I purchased some more wheat berries and got them stored, and I finally stored the bags of white rice that I had purchased. (The way I store my grains is to lightly coat them with Diatomaceous Earth to prevent any bug infestation.) Beyond that, not much has gotten done. I'm still waiting on a new food shelf. The plan we originally had didn't work out, so we're stuck figuring out what WILL work. (Things don't always work out like planned and you have to go with the flow!)

Our economy is still on shaky ground; I'm not sure it's possible that it will ever be on solid ground again. Even if things are not negatively affecting you and your area of the country right now, it's doesn't mean that it won't at some time in the future. NOW is always the best time to prep, to practice with your preps, to learn new skills. I'm helping a few newbies with their gardens and canning this year. Teaching someone a skill that can be used to enhance their life and their preps is a very satisfying thing.

I'll try to check in more often. Until then, if you need me, I'm in my kitchen standing over the canner!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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August Checkup: Paper Products and Cooking

2010-08-04T09:58:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone!! If you have school-age kids in your house, you're probably out buying school supplies and paper. I want to encourage you to take stock this month of the paper items that you have in your preps and see if they need replenishment. Things that should be on hand for emergencies are: paper plates, paper bowls, paper cups, paper napkins, kleenex, paper towels, and toilet paper (last, but certainly NOT least). Also take stock of your plastic spoons, forks, and knives. These items should be kept separate from any everyday paper items that you may use.

During an emergency you won't want to waste water washing your everyday plates, etc. or washing cloth napkins. Plus, all of these items made of paper can be used for fire-starting. Consider how many weeks/months you're prepping for and buy the amount of paper products that can supply that many meals for your chosen number of days.

I also want to encourage you to 'practice' with your alternate forms of cooking while the weather is nice. I confess that I haven't spent as much time cooking over the fire with my cast iron dutch oven as I did last year. (This year's heat has kept me from spending too much time around fire!!) But, I plan on making a few meals outdoors before the weather turns cold. Cooking that way really requires practice to get the feel of the cookware and the heat/coals needed, so it's best to practice it instead of waiting until an emergency and then trying to make something edible!!

Just because things seem okay right now, we need to stay vigilant because we never know the day or hour when an emergency can be upon us and take us by surprise! And we know that our economy is in quicksand, nationally and here in Illinois.

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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Cleansers and Cancer Risk???

2010-08-01T16:23:00.013-05:00

Hi everyone!! I stopped using commercial chemical cleaners years ago. I didn't want me or my family to be breathing chemicals that weren't safe to be touched and were considered poisonous. Well, last week on the down-to-earth blog I saw a link to this article. It's an Australian article based on a US study regarding women, chemicals cleansers, and breast cancer. According to the article, "Scientists found significant links between the disease and women's use of cleaning products, air fresheners and mould removers". It seems that the more you clean with chemical cleansers the greater your risk of breast cancer. This is serious stuff! So, I wanted to share the recipes for a few cleansers that I make at home, in case you're interested in making a them yourself. Not only will you be safer, your home will still be clean, you'll save money, and you'll have the satisfaction of something made by you! (I love how the writer calls homemakers 'House Proud"!!)

A few products you'll need to make these cleansers include: liquid castile soap, baking soda, white vinegar, tea tree oil, and your choice of essential oils. Most of the recipes--and names for the recipes-- come from the book, "Clean House, Clean Planet" which I found at our library. A few friends and I got together to share ingredients the first time we made these cleansers. It was a fun day!!

Odor Absorber (we'll do this first since air freshener was one cleanser specifically mentioned in the article)
8 oz vinegar, 20-30 drops essential oil in a fine mist spray bottle (That's it!!)

Merlin's Magic (Antiseptic spray for toilet seat, cover, base of toilet, counters--wherever!)
3 tbsp castile soap, 20-30 drops tea tree oil, Fill the rest of a 16 oz. spray bottle with water. Shake

Dust to Dust (Furniture Polish)
2 tsp olive oil, 20 drops essential lemon oil, 1/4 c. white vinegar, Fill the rest of your 16 oz. spray bottle with water.

Earth Shake (Kitchen Sink Cleanser)
Fill a parmesan cheese bottle 1/2 full with baking soda, add 15-20 drops of essential oil, fill the rest of the bottle with baking soda. Screw on top and shake.

Hollywood Bowl (Toilet bowl cleaner)
1/2 c. castile soap, 2 cups baking soda, Mix with fork; dilute with 1/4 c. water and 2 tbsp vinegar; Add 1/2 tsp tea tree oil. (This is always way too thick for me and I have to add extra water.)

Earth Scrub (Tub and Tile Cleaner)
1 2/3 c. baking soda, 1/2 c. castile soap, Dilute with 1/2 c. water, add 2 tbsp vinegar; Stir, pour in 16 oz. squeeze container. (Too thick? Add more water.)

Club Cleaner (Glass cleaner)
Club soda (yes, straight club soda!!) in a spray bottle

Sleep It Off (Oven cleaner--which I think is one of the worst smelling cleaners ever!!)
3/4 c. baking soda, 1/4 c. salt, spray oven with water and dishsoap, spray again with water, add 1/4 c. water to salt/soda mixture; Smear paste on oven wall, leave overnight, remove and scrub (use steel wool if necessary)

Countertop Cleanser (if you didn't want to use your Merlin's Magic)
1 c. peroxide, 1/2 c. vinegar mixed in a spray bottle

Floor Cleaner
Vinegar in water works great. Also a dash of castile soap in water works great.

I've had great success with all these homemade products. If you're not wanting to take the time to buy the bottles and mix them all up, any amount of castile soap, vinegar, and baking soda will clean just about anything they touch!! (When I've run out of 'Hollywood Bowl' and haven't yet gotten around to making more, I just squirt some castile in the toilet and clean it with that!)
Another plus about making your own cleansers is that you'll have the base ingredients on hand to allow you to be prepared to make more in the future!

Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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