Weekly Prep Thread, September 21 - September 27, 2008

[The Freeholder]

Well, last week was a roller coaster--what is this week going to be--a Tilt-A-Whirl?

There are some decent grocery sales this week (and there were some last week, I found) and we're rebuilding/adding to the shelves.

Fall is coming (though not quickly in the South), so I'm starting to take care of those things that need cared for this time of year.

Also in progress is the yearly purge of all the accumulated "stuff" that "I might need one day".

 

[prudentwatcher]

Haven't had a chance to look at the sales ads yet, but I have been busy. Last week another 5 lbs of chicken tenders went into jars. Right now I have 5 lbs of roast beef chunks in the canner. Picked up toothpaste, laundry detergent, canned potatoes and canned fruit at a good price. Trying to follow the news as much as possible. Hoping to do a triple batch of spaghetti sauce next weekend and get it into jars and canned up. Makes for a much easier dinner on those nights where we have no time.

 

[WalknTrot]

Did three more canner loads of salsa this morning. It's nice outside today, so am prepping the gardens for winter. Finished weeding and mulching the asparagus, and tilled up some beds that are now empty. Planted more spinach in case it has time to grow and harvested a bucket of broccoli side-shoots that just won't quit. Found onions that I missed turning up, so they are spread out in the sun drying. Still need to get on some herb drying, too!!

Have the back yard to mow yet, then there's a big bucket of apples that need prepping for the dehydrator. This batch I will soak in pineapple juice to prevent browning. The pineapple flavor in the apples is a real winner with everybody around here! Another half-bushel of tomatoes are sitting on the table ripe and ready for canning tomorrow. Crushed hot-pack this time I think.

Better get moving....

 

[sssarawolf]

We bought a 10 lb bag of chocolate chips Been canning what ever I am given.

 

[Big Bob]

I am going to give both my generators an oil change and restock the things I used in last weeks power outage. I may pick a spare L.E.D
headlight. I used mine quite a bit lastweek.

 

[savurselvs]

working away

We have finished with salsa for the year, have done some spaghetti sauce, blackeyed peas are nearly over, green beans are still going.
will be sharing/trading some gr. beans and tomatoes as we are outta canning jars!!!!!!!

FEEL as if the dollar may crap on itself/ major inflation.
Went on a grocery top off run. Picked up canned fruit, box tators, cheese, beef bullion, odds and ends OTC medicine

 

[Running Dog]

finished canning the peaches. 7 boxes. Now dehydrating pears and apples. Finished picking the cherry tomatoes, most of them split. Not going to get that variety next year. The medium size tomatoes did fine.

 

[Smoke]

Meijer's has cream soups on sale at $.45 a can, chicken wings $.99 a pound and other chicken on sale...not great deals but the best that been along for a while.

 

[genrim]

Have the yearly maintenance on my propane-powered generator set up for Thursday. Will try to get extra filters, etc, in case I need to do it myself (or have someone local do it) next year.

Picked up some more Advil - for preps.

Got 25 lbs more of millet and 25 lbs more of spelt. Wheat is still on order.

Had some medical tests done that I'd been putting off.

 

[PilotFighter]

I picked up a used .410 semi-auto over the weekend for under $100. Great deal, and the guy was really hurting for money. Stopped buy Walmart and picked up a couple of hundred rounds for it. Also picked up seven 550 Remington bricks of 22 LR and damn near doubled my supply of 30-30 and 30-06 ammo. Well over 2,000 rounds for both of them now. Ordered a case of 7.62 X 39 last night. Hopefully it will arrive for anything bad can happen to shut down the mail system. Some thing in the back of my head has been telling me all week to load up on ammo and get my firearms cleaned good and in order. All have been cleaned and loaded. Have been staying here at the house, but have been carrying a handgun and a rifle with me every time I go outside. Some thing is just telling me to keep them close at hand.

Other than that, just continuing with stocking as much food and seed as possible.

 

[ncsteelmagnolia]

I am very afraid that inflation will go thru the roof,
so I have bought addditional cases of green beans,
corn and mandarin oranges for little GS.

I also participate in a group that makes blankets
for wounded soliders so the knitting needles have
been busy while watching the crazy news.

Ordered add'tl meds but need to have antibiotics
on hand and seem to remember that diff ones are
for the upper part of the body and something
diff for the bottom half - any opinions would be
appreciated.

 

[Nuthatch]

Gathered the soybean seeds last night. And have everything on hand for pesto making today.

A childhood friend wrote to my sister and asked what I thought--she'd been scared by the recessions stories and had found a place called survivalblog that made sense to her. LOL Suddenly I am less crazy than ever.

Meanwhile, I saw a 2000 watt generator for sale at Big Lots for $269 for those of you who want to try a small one. I don't use one but thought I would pass on the sale.

 

[blueberry]

The bell pepper plants have been working overtime lately, so I have been dehydrating them. I have been drying fruits and vegetables for a long time, but it always still amazes me when I can fit a couple of buckets of bell peppers on a little saucer, after drying them.

 

[rmomaha]

Stocked up on some canned goods. For those of you with an Aldi store nearby, their canned goods are pretty good quality and cheap. I really like their beef stew. I plan on buying some medical stuff later on this week. I am getting a couple of fillings at the dentist on Friday. Getting your teeth fixed is a high priority item in my book.

 

[Nuthatch]

Blueberry: that's COOL!


Ended up making 11 quarts of spaghetti sauce and pepper jelly since we found tomatoes for $5/ 25 pounds. Have more to do tomorrow.

BTW, everyone I talked to today is worried, even minimum wage folks with little money tied up in Wall Street.

 

[sssarawolf]

We picked a 5 gallon bucket of banana and jalapeno peppers that need canned or dried and i picked up a 50 lb bag of powdered sugar

 

[blueberry]

Now the okra plants have started working overtime too. That is usally the way my garden does - I have a good spring and fall garden, and a terrible summer garden. No complaints from me, for having too many vegetables!

 

[sssarawolf]

Oh that's so great Blueberry we love okra, looks like its going to get to cool to quick for our okra this year.

 

[seraphima]

In the last four days, picked and froze one tray of raspberries, two of rhubarb, harvested two beds of potatoes, made a bunch of compost, cleaned and filled a 55-gallon drum of water, filled two cans of gas, and stocked up on Safeway sales- Chicken-of-the-Sea sardines, paper goods, dog and cat food, bulk oatmeal, organic peanut butter, freezer bags, Ibuprofin etc.

This past week have been insulating and caulking the sides of wall sockets and switches, around pipes, etc. preparatory to a big insulation job in the attic. Got to get the air escapes up into the attic first!

Need to get the thermal curtains and window shades up-curtains are here, but shades have not yet arrived.

Lately have been just hoping that some of the preps on order get here- the shades, an on-demand electric hot water heater, and getting the electrician to just come give us an estimate (!)

Nervous days, yuppers.

 

[herbgarden]

Busy canning fall beans,tomato sauce and freezing and drying green peppers.Can you dry jalapenos? Also, does anyone know if it is possible to can frozen peas? I was unable to can my peas this spring and only had time to freeze them. But, I really would like my freezer space for fall broccoli.

 

[Nuthatch]

Sure you can dry jalapenos. I prefer to take the all-red ones and smoke them with a low heat/ high smoke for about 6 hours, then dry them the rest of the way in the oven and grind for chili powder. When they are red and smoked they are called chipotles.

I just did this with some red cayenne and they are fabulous.

I also dry some non-smoked and grind for simple chili powder.

Finished another 25 pounds of tomatoes, peppers, onions etc. into sauce last night. Feels good.

 

[Barb]

Herbgarden, you could dehydrate your frozen peas. Barb

 

[blueberry]

Also, does anyone know if it is possible to can frozen peas? I was unable to can my peas this spring and only had time to freeze them. But, I really would like my freezer space for fall broccoli.

I have never had good results canning frozen vegetables. I tried it a few times when I was learning how to can, and the results were mushy, yucky and inedible. And I agree with Barb, you could dehydrate your frozen peas.

 

[BaywaterRoss]

I'm doing grounds cleanup. Gonna post a separate thread about part of it on the main board.

My newest tomato plants got severe leaf wilt and I figured the weevils were killing them from the inside,so I pulled the plants outta the ground. No weevils in there at all! Surprised me. I had treated them with fungicides and insecticides, so I'm a little baffled. I still don't know what killed them.

Oh well, NEXT year! Gonna tear down this year's small experimental garden spot. It's empty now.

I'll be "fixing" the location of my large garden space over the next coupla weeks. Once I figure out where to put it, I'll begin preparing the site for next spring.

-Ross