Preparedness 15.0 / Back By Popular Demand!
After all the great comments I decided to keep on keeping on. Watching things I am still seeing more shortages and price hikes. I decided to buy a small beef roast for the weekend to roast and got major sticker shock. I went ahead and bought a smaller one, since there's only two of us, and just wanted some for a few meals. I used this basic recipe Bottom Round Roast but left out the broth and wine-
Next time I will thaw one of mine out! I think the beef prices from the spring have almost doubled from what I can see. I made the roast with veggies, then made French dips the next night!
Still spending time dehydrating tomatoes, almost down to the very end-
I'm happy to have them but will be glad when that is done and I can put my dehydrator away. We have a reasonably small kitchen and not a lot of counter space. The kale and collard greens are holding on well since it's cool weather, will mulch them and see if I can winter them over. Last year my collard greens actually survived the winter without mulching. I just fed them to the chickens in the spring. This year I'm going to mulch them both and see what happens. I also have my Kohlrabi that never produced the little sputniks, so I will let them winter over also.
As far as purchasing I'm just filling in a few more gaps here and there. I've been hearing with the grain shortage there may be a major pasta shortage in the not-too-distant future. Luckily pasta is still pretty cheap so I've been buying a few extras here and there, as well as extra flour when I see it on sale. I could always make homemade pasta if needed! Years ago I bought a used Perfection kerosene heater at a thrift store cheap. I'm going to fire it up this weekend since I've never used it. With fuel shoratges looming better to have it working and not need it-
Kerosene is much safer than gas, etc. because it is so less flammable. Kerosene heaters made by Perfection company go way way back, they also made cookstoves. It is always important to have a carbon monoxide detector on hand if you're going to use them inside in the closed space and to crack windows so be warned! I would also never use one when I'm sleeping.
I'm still buying more cat food and stockpiling some since Anya a sensitive stomach. It's easier to buy two little boxes at a time instead of one and stash it. It's nice when you can buy the cans in the small shallow box because they're easier to stack. I've decided to get back into baking now that the garden is winding down. Bread-making is on the horizon soon, I did go ahead and start with a new scone recipe. They were fabulous! Recipe below.
Cranberry Orange Cream Scones-
I used to always loved getting these scones from a certain coffee shop years ago (Starbuck's). Not too sweet and a little tart. Then the recipe changed, yuck, no whole cranberries, more like a jam filling. After buying some of Trader Joe's scones (which were nice) I read the label, way too much sugar! I decided to start making my own cran-orange scones. Scones are nice because you really can flavor them any way you want. I found this recipe The Yes Chef Kitchen, and the dough was a little dry, so I added more cream. I baked a batch and we loved them! Slightly crisp on the bottom and very tender and moist inside. I used frozen cranberries, that's the ticket! I think I would add more orange zest next time, since I love citrus. It's a keeper!
Hi, Nancy!
ReplyDeleteWe are hearing that because of the increasing prices of fuel, the ships and trucks that transport food and goods are increasing their prices too, so everything is getting pricier.
So, we are also stocking up on everything, even cat food, snacks and litter.
I'm also already buying more flour to make bread, instead of buying it all the time. But I have to perfect my bread recipe!
Do you have a favorite one? And do you knead it by hand or do you have a bread machine?
:)
Hey Paula thanks for stopping by. I don't have a bread machine, I do have a stand mixer with dough hooks, not a fancy one. I have also kneaded by hand and there are also lots of really great recipes now for no-knead breads. If you Google some they're really pretty easy and there's lots of varieties. Once I do some baking I will post some recipes here!
DeleteThank you, Nancy! I found a link to a bread recipe that I will try and I believe it is from a Youtube channel you posted before. It's this one:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMAXNWOiL00
Oh, and I forgot to say that your roast and scone look DELICIOUS!
:)
Thanks! YouTube does have tons of great stuff in there especially for beginning bread makers. I've been watching quite a few too and there's some great ones on the Elliott Homestead Channel
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'll check it out!
ReplyDelete:)
Well yay!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the pasta tip! I try to keep about 10 pounds but with everything that has a long shelf life I am bumping up what I usually keep. Normally I shoot for a year's worth. In the last few months I have decided to shoot for two.
Even though I have kept a deep pantry since I married 39 years ago and we have always gardened there is always more to learn. So I thank you for sharing and encouraging. In real life, my brother is the only other "prepper" I know but his way is far different. He is wealthy so has a years worth of MREs, etc. I have just always stocked what we eat and eat what we stock.
Thanks Angela! I love pasta too and there's so many different things you can do with it you can add beans for protein, etc. I got a pantry for quite a few years but nothing like what I currently have. I really have a strong feeling in the spring I need to start getting serious, glad I did while prices were much lower and availability was good. I've heard that MRE's are great to stay alive but that it causes massive constipation and sluggishness. Good to keep you alive but I don't think I'd want to go through that myself ick!
DeleteI have been waiting anxiously for cranberries and have yet to find them at the grocery!
ReplyDeleteWho could have guessed we'd have to prep for winter heat! Do you have a CO2 monitor just to make sure you stay safe?
Good tip about pasta. What I have seen jump up in price, is livestock feed. It's hard to truly stock up on that (for me.)
Oops. I meant CO monitor.
ReplyDeleteYes gotcha!
ReplyDelete