Homemade Sidewalk Chalk

Homemade Sidewalk Chalk

1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 water
2 6-muffin tin or 1 12-muffin tin
2 to 3 drops of food coloring per muffin cup

1) Mix cornstarch and water together.
2) Spoon into muffin cups.
3) Add 2 to 3 drops of food coloring per muffin cup.
4) Let harden, pop out of muffin cups and enjoy.

How to Make Your Own Pectin

Jams and jellies were and still are an excellent way to preserve fruit, and make a delicious treat that can be added to all forms of bread, hot cereal, and even cooked rice. Pectin is one of the things required to make them, it adds the gel like quality to low pectin fruit, and is one of natures best preservatives. Most people who make preserves buy pectin from the store in the form of powder or liquid from Sure-Jell or Ball. Both manufacturers make excellent performing products, which store wonderfully for long periods of time, but the price has been creeping up on them. Just like everything else, making homemade pectin very economical and frugal.
The Why
Not all fruit needs pectin added to make jam or jelly, some fruits like cranberries, grapes and apples (just to name a few) naturally contain high amounts of pectin, so they only require some extra boiling to concentrate the fruit and sugars. But other fruits, like strawberries, raspberries, cherries, blueberries, and peaches are very low in pectin and you can't achieve a nice jam or jelly just by boiling them down. In these cases its very handy to have pectin to add to your preserves to help the juice and sugar to 'set' and this also greatly reduces cooking times. The less it's boiled, the more nutrition will be preserved from the fruit.
Homemade pectin is usually made from apples or crab apples, both of which have an abundance of pectin. Making homemade pectin is one of those things you can do to save some money and to learn as a self-reliance skill. If there was ever a time when the stores are closed or sold out, knowing how to make pectin would be a very valuable skill that could help your family and community preserve food. Just like everything else, the homemade version is less processed and by default more healthy than store-bought stuff. To read more on how commercial pectin is produced click here to see what wikipedia says about the process. Then decide which version is better.
The How
I usually start making pectin by making something else with apples, like pie or apple sauce or hard cider. Then I use my apple peelings and cores to make the pectin since the natural pectin in apple is concentrated in those areas. This way, I can still use the meat from the apples for other food. Most other recipes for making pectin involves cutting up and using whole apples, and I always felt like I was wasting the apples. One of my favorite ways to go about this is by using an apple peeler (like this one here). I have several brands of these peelers and they all work similarly when properly adjusted. They take a slightly bigger bite out of the apple while peeling which works exceeding well for making pectin, they also core and slice the apples for you making a pile of apples quick work.


1) I gather all the peelings and the cores (I try to discard as many of the seeds as I can) and throw them into a large stock pot. I then add just enough water to cover them and get them boiling. Since I am boiling peelings and cores (the tougher parts of the apple) I boil them, uncovered, for an hour with medium heat, which is a little longer than most recipes that use whole chunks of apple call for. It's also important to note here that I usually go with the amount of peeling and cores I end up with and am therefore happy with whatever amount of pectin I end up with, but, if someone absolutely needs a recipe, start with 2 pounds of peelings and cores plus 4 cups of water (courtesy of WSU Extension Office).

2) Once an hour has passed I remove them from the heat and line a strainer with some cheese cloth (cheese cloth is great, I prep it, and I use it a lot while preserving and cooking food) and strain the mixture for several hours. I try not to press the peelings as this will make the pectin more cloudy.

3) After the liquid has drained I add it to a smaller stockpot and put it back on my stove to boil. I start off by reducing the liquid by 30-40% before I even test the strength of the pectin. I have found there is no need to test before reducing, it ALWAYS needs to be reduced. Later I feed the left over apple pulp to my chickens so there is literally no waste. Horses and cows also enjoy a pan of grain topped with warm apple pulp, especially on a cold winter day.

4) It usually takes between 30 and 40 minutes to reduce the liquid, but it's one of those things that I just have to keep an eye on. At this point most recipes say to just wrap it up and be done, but when I started making my own pectin I found a simple way to test (thank you again, WSU Extension Office) the strength of it so I always end up with a consistent product. This takes a lot of the guess-work out making and using your own pectin!

Test for Pectin: An alcohol test gives a rough estimate of the amount of pectin in fruit juice. In a small dish, put 1 teaspoon juice and 1 Tablespoon 70% rubbing alcohol. Stir slightly to mix. Juice high in pectin will form a solid jelly-like mass that can be lifted with a fork. Once I have reached the point where its solid enough to lift it out with a fork my pectin is ready for use and for storage. PLEASE NOTE: Do not taste this mixture. Rubbing alcohol is poisonous. Keep the container out of reach of children and pets. Dispose of the liquid down your sink, rinsing your sink, and your testing vessel (I usually use a shot glass) with water promptly when finished. 5) When I have reached the right strength of pectin I prepare it for long-term storage by water bath canning it. Homemade pectin is completely safe to be canned there is even an approved recipe (see above) and procedure (see below) - it may not be in the Ball Blue Book (after all, Ball sells pectin) but it can be found through those handy and helpful local extension offices!


Pour hot pectin into hot, sterilized, half pint or pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Clean jar rims, apply hot and sterilized lids and then rings to finger tip tightness. Process jars for 15 minutes (don't forget to adjust for your altitude). Remove jars and allow them to cool and rest completely undisturbed for 24 hours. Then remove the rings, check for good seals, and label the pectin. Store canned pectin in a cool, dry, dark place. How much one ends up with will depend on many factors like how long the peelings are cooked for and how much the resulting liquid is reduced by. Refrigerate and cap pectin after opening and between uses.


Using Homemade Pectin
Homemade pectin from apples will not change the flavor of the jam or jelly even though the pectin will still smell like apples. Homemade pectin may replace commercial liquid pectin (⅔ cup homemade pectin equals 1 packet commercial pectin). Use ⅔ cup homemade pectin for each 4 cups of fruit. Lemon juice should be added to prepared fruit that doesn't taste tart (1 Tablespoon for each cup of juice) this helps activate the pectin, adds vitamin C and helps to preserve flavor and color. Low pectin fruits may require the addition of another cup of homemade pectin solution for each 4 cups of fruit. Try the minimum amount (⅔ cup of pectin) first. Add pectin to prepared fruit in a large kettle and bring to a boil. After 2 to 3 minutes of boiling, add 2 to 3 cups of sugar and boil rapidly until the gelling stage is reached. Remember, it may take several days after your preserves have cooled to completely set up. *This article was originally posted on American Preppers Network.

Preparedness should be a life style

I know people whos' idea of preparedness is to buy a one-year supply of food from some company, stack it in the corner of their garage and figure they are prepared. I do not believe this is true preparedness. They probably have never tasted the food and are not aware of its calorie count. Some will be surprised at how quickly they are hungry. Now I will admit that they will be better off than the majority of the population and they are off to a small, yet good start.

To me, preparedness means that you should use the foods and other preps on a regular basis. Now I am not saying that in case of a major disaster our life could not be disrupted. What I am saying is that the more preparedness is a part of your life the less the disruption will affect you. You will develop skills that help you overcome the problems you will face. Don’t just buy preps; stack them in the corner and plan to learn how to use them after the disaster. Do something to better your position every day.

This does not require a lot of money or even time if you make preparedness a part of your life. Dehydrating and preserving food, we get for nothing saves us a lot of money. Skills can be often learned for free and the materials scrounged. Make preparedness a part of your life now, before you need to.

How to Select a Campsite

Here a few simple rules that will help you.

• Stay out of low-lying green grassy areas, these will collect water if it rains and the ground may be damp..
• Camp uphill from streams or rivers. This will protect you from flash floods and sudden rises in water levels created by releases from dams.
• Look for protection from wind and storms. A rock overhang is a good example.
• Check the site for poisonous plants, dangers of falling rocks, overhanging branches and animals.
• Stay back from standing water to avoid insects pests like mosquitoes.
• Look for a flat place for your bed and campfire.
• Is there a good source of firewood?
• Check for food sources, edible plants, animals and fish.
• Check for the availability of good water.
• In the winter it will be colder in the bottom of ravines and valleys or near low lying rivers. Camping 20 – 30 feet high can make the difference of several degrees.
• In times of trouble if you are hiding from someone you may have to break these rules, but use them when you can to have a safe pleasant camping trip.

How Well do You Know Your Neighborhood?

Fifty years ago, when all the wives stayed home, everyone in the neighborhood knew each other. Today you are lucky if you know your next-door neighbor, never mind someone down the street. Now I know that many of you are not interested in becoming friends with your neighbors, but I want you to think of your neighborhood from an intelligence standpoint.

• Do you know who and how many live in the houses that are close to you? Who is a possible friend or danger?
• Do you know the wild plants that grow near you?
• Do any of your neighbors have a large garden or lots of fruit trees?
• Do you know all the ingress and egress routes from your area, both by vehicle and on foot? Have you walked or drove them?
• Have you walked around your area?
• What are the water sources that are available near you?
• What type of wildlife lives near you?

Now I am not saying to blow your operational secrecy, but walk around the neighborhood, talk to people. You don’t have to become their best friend.

There are many excuses to explain your presence. Exercise is a good one. I am a photograph and often carry a camera to take pictures of plant and birds. A pair of binoculars will also work you are watching birds. No one seems to be afraid of anyone wearing binoculars or carrying a camera. As long as you are not hanging around a school, everyone seems to dismiss you as a harmless tree hugger. If someone approaches, you just explain you are looking at birds or fauna.

With binoculars, I can look at things from a long ways away off, which is often quite handy. With the new digital cameras, you can get great pictures of plants and other things of interest for later reference.

People are used to me wandering around with a camera with a long lens. No one pays any attention to me and I do take a lot of pictures of wildlife and plants. In fact, I even have a website with some of my pictures on the internet.

It does not matter if you live in the city or country you need to know your area; it can make a life or death difference.

Why You Need to Keep an Inventory

In the last few days, I have posted quite a bit on the basics of food storage. Today I would like to cover inventorying. Most of us when we started out did not realize how valuable an inventory could be. I know I started mine after the fact and it created a lot of extra work. A good inventory solves the following problems.

How long can I live off my storage?
A good inventory tells you where things are stored.
It helps you know when to rotate your food.
What am I short off?
We keep a running inventory of all of our preps. The inventory is kept in a notebook that is stored in a secure location. The inventory not only tells us how much we have stored, but where they are kept. As food and medical items are added to our inventory, we dated the items both in the book and on the storage container so that we can tell when they need to be rotated.

Now I know of some who keep it on their computer in Excel or other formats. There are also some commercial programs that are designed for inventorying your foods. Because of possible problems with the computer we have decided to go the old fashion way and keep the inventory off the computer. In any serious emergency chances are you will lose power anyway, making your inventory inaccessible. It is a lot easier to hide a written list or carry it with us.

Someone near us had a fire and by using their inventory was able to get their preps completely replaced by his insurance. Now I know some would say that filing an insurance claim violates operational secrecy. I agree, but I would have trouble rebuilding mine without the insurance money. Better to have preps even with a bit of risk, than have none.

Light, Another Enemy of Food Storage

Light is the least understood enemy of food storage. Exposure to light can cause foods to spoil faster. Both natural and artificial light can cause photodegradation, according to the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Clemson University. Exposure to sunlight, fluorescent light or incandescent light can cause photodegradation.

The light sensitivity of a food depends on many factors including the:

• Light source strength and type of light that it emits;
• Distance of the light source from the food;
• Length of exposure;
• Optical properties of the packaging materials;
• Whether the food is solid or liquid.

Light normally penetrates only the outer layer in a solid food, typically causing discoloration on its surface. Light can penetrate liquids more deeply and affect more constituents because of mixing and agitation.

When foods and spices like chili powder, which are normally brightly colored, have faded, their flavor and nutrient content have decreased. Deterioration from light exposure effects light sensitive constituents, like those listed below.

• Vitamins – Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Folic Acid, Vitamin K, Vitamin E, Pyridoxine, Riboflavin
• Pigments – Anthocyanins, Carotenoids, Chlorophylls, Myoglobin, Hemoglobin
• Amino Acids – Tryptophan, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Histidin
• Fats – Unsaturated fatty acids, Phospholipids
• Whether the food is solid or liquid.

According to the University of Minnesota, the riboflavin content in enriched macaroni has been known to drop by 33 percent after exposure to light for one week. Oils and fats seem to be practically sensitive to the effects of light.

Wet pack foods in metal cans do not need to be protected from light. Food in glass jars will need protection. Special care should be taken with home canned food in mason jars. They should be store in dark rooms, containers or cardboard boxes. The boxes the jars come in work well.

Dry foods packed in plastic buckets should be kept out of bright lights, unless the contents are packed in Mylar bags. Personally, we try to keep all our foods in dark cool dry and insect free areas.

Oxygen Another Enemy of Food Storage

Today I will write about how oxygen affects the shelf life of food. Oxygen supports the growth of microorganisms and causes changes in color. Aerobic bacteria and fungi are able to grow in a oxygen rich environment. It also lets insects thrive and feed on your food. Removing the oxygen prevents these changes from happening and kills the insects. This will greatly increase the shelf life of your food.

Currently there are three common methods to protect your long-term dry pack from the affects of oxygen, vacuum sealing, oxygen absorbers and fumigation with dry ice.

Vacuum sealing- home vacuum sealing is normally done with a Food Saver or similar device. We use a Food Saver to seal mason jars all the time. It definitely extends the life of the food products. Here are some links to prior posts Food Saver Jar Sealer, More on the Food Saver, See my Wife’s FoodSaver Demo.

Fumigating with dry ice – This method works well. I have seen it used but not much in recent years. I will write a blog on it later in the week. It is more time consuming than oxygen absorbers and I can see no advantage in using it.

Buckets with Mylar bags ready for sealing
Oxygen absorbers – this is my favorite method and is currently the most widely used method of removing oxygen in the dry food storage industry. Here is a link to a recent post on them, Answers to Questions About Oxygen Absorbers

Whatever method you use, make sure that your containers are non-permeable. Glass and metal are fine, but plastic breathes. If you are using food grade plastic buckets and oxygen absorbers, the buckets need to be lined with a non-permeable barrier such as a Mylar bag. Here is a link to the method I use, Sealing Food in 5 Gallon Buckets.

The more care you take now the longer your dry pack foods will last.

Moisture, an Enemy of Food Storage

The second enemy of food storage, I want to discuss is moisture. This includes problems with high humidity as well as the more obvious ones. The best, but most expensive solution is to store your food in a climate-controlled room. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have this option for all of our storage.

Whatever area you store your food in; make sure that it stays dry (don’t laugh I have seen people store food in a leaky shed, thinking that the containers would protect the food). Don’t set your food directly on concrete; allow an air space between the food and the concrete.

Use moisture proof containers, plastic, metal or glass with good seals. This serves two purposes, it also keeps the bugs out. If you use metal containers near the ocean or in areas with high humidity, you may have to paint them. Use a cheap paint or lacquer.

If your clothes dryer is located in the storage room, be sure it is properly ventilated to prevent moisture from collecting. If you have a high humidity problem consider a humidifier.

I have heard of putting food safe desiccants inside dry food containers. This is not a method I agree with. Oxygen absorbers require a small amount of moisture to work; desiccants may stop them from functioning. None of the food storage companies use them in long-term dry storage foods. The whole secret is to make sure that your products are dry before they are sealed in the moisture proof containers.

If you are in a flood prone area store your foods as high as possible, the same as if you have a basement with water problems. Check your food periodically and look for rust or damage to the containers. Don’t forget to rotate your wet pack food on a regular schedule.

Enemies of Food Storage

The first rule of food storage can be summed up in the acronym HALT. It stands for the four enemies of good food storage. These are Humidity, Air (oxygen), Light, and Temperature. This is the basis of all food storage

To get the maximum storage life of your food you need to protect it from these four enemies. This will also preserve the maximum amount of nutrition.

Store your food at constant temperature of between 40 – 70 degrees.
Protect your foods from exposure to moisture and high humidity.
Protect your foods from exposure to oxygen.
Store your foods in a dark area or opaque containers.
Today we will discuss temperature. Since storage temperature is one of the most important factors, perhaps a general rule might be appropriate. The lower the temperature the longer the shelf-life. Persons storing foods in a garage at an average temperature of 90°F should expect a shelf-life less than half of what could be obtained at room temperature (60-70°F) which in turn is less than half the storage life in cold storage (40°F)

Now for some of us this is easier said than done. A good dry basement is always a good choice; anything below ground maintains a relatively even temperature. But if you don’t have a basement, what is your next choice? Avoid uninsulated garages and storage sheds, if at all possible. On this subject, a wise man once said that if we have to use our food storage, we would wish we had stored our furniture in the garage and our food in the house. If you have to store food in the garage, store it low, near the floor, but leave a little air space between it and the concrete. Plant some fast growing trees to shade your garage. If possible, move your sheds into the shade.

These sheds need to be insulated and depending on where you live, placed in the shade or air conditioned. Avoid attic areas; if you store your food in the house in temperature-controlled areas you are in good shape. If your home gets hot, store your food low in closets and under beds etc. Remember heat rises.

If you have to use some less desirable storage areas, use them for foods that are less likely to be damaged by heat. Foods subject to heat damage would include most wet packed canned foods. Food stored in hot areas should be rotated on a more frequent time schedule.

Over the next three days we will discuss the three other major enemies of food storage. Humidity or moisture, oxygen and light.

Inexpensive Storage Space

Do you need extra storage or a second storage location? One easy and relatively inexpensive solution is to purchase a shipping container or conex. They come in lengths of 10, 20 and 40 ft. Most are approximately 8 ft high and 8 ft wide. I have had one for years and have never had a problem with rodents or bugs damaging anything I have stored in it. Mine has never leaked and was exposed to the elements for years, it is now covered.

Basically, they are a large metal box that has been used to carry cargo on container ships. Some have wood floors and may be lined with wood. When you purchase a box there are a few things you need to look for. Rust is a big one; some outlets will just paint over the rust and try to hide it. A second thing to look for is damage to the doors, do they swing freely and are the rubber seals in good condition.

I have seen them used for everything from houses to mini storages. Since they are a box you can place them side by side and connect them or stack then to make an upstairs. You are only limited by your imagination.

The biggest disadvantage I have found is that because they are a metal box they get hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Now where I live cold is not the problem, but heat is. I have seen several solutions to this problem. One answer was to line the container with 2 inch styrofoam insulation. A second was to cover the container so that it is not exposed to direct sunlight. A third is to cut a hole and install a window air conditioner. I have seen a combination of these ideas used. For cold weather, I would leave it exposed to the sun and insulate it if I stored anything in there that would be damaged by the cold.

A cabin made from shipping containers I like to keep them out of the dirt so mine is setting on railroad ties. It is been there close to twenty years and the ties are still good.

I know that some of these containers have been buried. Personally, I do not recommend it. The main reason is that they are not engineered for that type of weight load. They are build on a strong frame work that is designed to carry the weight of another container, but the areas of roof and walls between the frame work are not designed to carry weight.

If you are interested in purchasing a container, try a locate trucking company that does long distance hauling, also check for companies the sell them for storage. You should be able to find one for between 1 to 2 thousand dollars, maybe cheaper if you live near a port. The twenty-foot containers can be loaded and moved easily on a flat bed wrecker.

Powdered Milk and its Uses

Here are some things that you can do with your powdered milk. You don’t have to use them all the time, but you should know how to make them and how they taste.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 1/3 cup instant dry milk (¾ cup non instant)
½ cup hot tap water
¾ cup sugar
4 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted
Pour water into blender, add milk and sugar. Blend, Add butter and blend thoroughly. Let mixture thicken a little, and then use in recipes calling for canned sweetened condensed milk. Chill if not going to use right away. Makes 1 ¼ cups, equal to one can.

Evaporated Milk

1 1/3 cups water
1 cup instant dry milk (1/2 cup +1 Tbsp non-instant)
Mix water and powdered milk well. This is equivalent to one can of evaporated skim milk.

Whipped Topping

½ cup cold water
½ cup powdered milk
2-4 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp vanilla
Place water in a bowl to chill in the freezer (or you could use a bowl previously chilled in the freezer). When it has ice crystals around the edges, it is ready. Add powdered milk to the bowl of ice water. Use electric beaters to whip the milk until stiff peaks form; it will take about 5 minutes. Gradually ass desired amount of sugar. Add lemon juice and vanilla and beat only till it is mixed in. Serve right away for best results. (Do not over beat)

Storage Information

Store powdered in airtight containers in a cool, dark place. It’s stored properly it can last much longer up to 20 years (in #10 cans or mylar bags with an oxygen absorber). Since nonfat milk powder has little fat it does not go rancid, but it will lose nutritional value and develop a stronger flavor over time. Milk that is too old, works as a great fertilizer for your garden. (This I have not tried)

How to Cook With Wheat Berries

The most common wheat used and sold is Hard Red Wheat and White Wheat. Hard Red spring wheat has strong gluten and generally used for standard bread flour. Wheat is used in cakes, pasties, cookies, crackers and breakfast foods. So you have to use the flour according to what you are going to bake.

Wheat is an important product and needs to be in your home storage, but don’t just store it. Start using it now before you have an emergency and then wonder what to do with it. Some of us (not just adults but children also) are allergic to wheat so you must find out before you start storing wheat.

If you have wheat and are wondering what to do with it: Well start using it. It makes great hot cereal, bread and many other things, following are some recipes you can start with.

First, you need a grinder, whither it’s electric or hand powered. Of course in an emergency you won’t have electricity, so start with a hand grinder and make sure it works properly. Don’t just get one and put it away, use it.

Wheat Cereal

1 cup wheat berries
2 cups water
½ tsp. salt
Put in shallow pan or slow cooker. Bake overnight at 200 degrees. You can also soak the wheat overnight then cook on top of the stove for an hour. Serve with milk, sugar (brown also) a little cinnamon and honey. Top with berries or some such fruit and eat a delicious breakfast.

For a quicker method of Cereal (Cracked Wheat Cereal)

½ cup whole wheat
2 cups water
¼ tsp. salt
Crack wheat in blender on high speed for 35 to 40 seconds or crack with a hand grinder. Bring water and salt to a boil. Using a wire whisk to avoid lumps, gradually stir in cracked wheat. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally. (I ate this for years and with milk and sugar is very good. Howard)

If you’re not crazy about hot cereal, try Pancakes

11/4 cups water
1 cup whole ground wheat
¼ cup nonfat dry milk
1 egg or egg substitute
2 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. honey or sugar
¼ -1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
Mix water, ground wheat, and dry milk. Add egg, oil, honey, and salt. Mix, add baking powder, and mix. The mixture should foam up and get very light. Cook immediately on a hot nonstick griddle. Also makes greatfles.

I hope that this will help you get started on cooking wheat, more recipes to follow in the near future. As always, we would like to hear your comments suggestions.

Preparedness Mom

Making Homemade Granola

It’s not hard to make, but you have to pay attention during the cooking because it does brown fast. (Burns also) This recipe that I use gives me three cookie sheets full and then I have 3 different varieties. I put different dried fruit in them after I cook it. If you put the fruit in before it will get really hard once it dries.

Granola
10 cups of oats (oatmeal, barley, spelt, multi grain or any combination of oats)
4-6 cups nuts almond, walnuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seed, what ever you like
1 1/2 cups maple syrup (real maple syrup is too expensive, so use what you desire.
1 cup oil (I used olive oil once, the taste is different-didn’t use again)
1 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
5 tsp vanilla or any flavoring you like better

Mix all the ingredients together. Spread thinly on cookie sheets. Bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees until lightly browned. YOU NEED TO SET A TIMER FOR 10 MINUTE INTERVALS AND MIX INGREDIENTS UNTIL BROWNED. It will last two months in closed jar.

Ingredients to add:

your choice of raisins, dried apples, pineapple, pears, papaya, cherries, coconut, sunflowers, pumpkin seeds, and you can use spices if you choose. Use your imagination and what you like to eat. Its granola have fun with it.

Reconstituting Dehydrated Foods

Here is a list of items and what they yield after reconstitution. Of course this list is not complete, but once you try some of these you can experiment with your own product. Prepping is not easy and no one (not even my husband) will ever know everything they need to know.

Each situation and place is different. So your best bit is to practice and practice some more.It has been my experience that vegetables rehydrate better with boiling water and fruit warm water. Don’t rush it give it a chance to soak.

Preparedness Mom

Dried food	Amount	Water	Yields
Apple slices	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	3 cups
Apricot slices	1 cup	2 cups	1 1/2 cups
Beets	1 cup	3 cups	2 1/2 cups
Bell Peppers	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	2 cups
Buttermilk	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	2 1/2 cups
Cabbage	1 cup	2 1/2 cups	2 cups
Carrots	1 cup	2 cups	2 cups
Celery	1 cup	1 cup	1 cup
Cheese	1 cup	1/3 cup	2/3 cup
Corn (Sweet)	1 cup	3 cups	2 cups
Dates	1 cup	1 cups	1 1/3 cup
Fruit Blend /td>	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	1 1/2 cups
Gelatin	1 cup	4 cups	4 cups
Green Beans	1 cup	2 cups	2 cups
Green onions	½ cup	1 cup	1 cup
Margarine	1 cut	2 tbsp	¾ cup
Milk	1 cup	4 cups	4 cups
Onions	1 cup	1 cup	1 1/2 cups
Onions (Minced)	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	2 cups
Peach Slices	1 cup	2 cups	2 cups
Peanut Butter	5 tbsp.	4 t. oil + 1/3 t. salt	½ cup
Peas	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	2 1/2 cups
Potato Dices	1 cup	3 cups	2 cups
Potato Granules	1 cup	5 cups	5 cups
Potato Sliced	1 cup	2 cups	1 cup
Sour Cream	1 cup	6 tbsp	¾ cups
Spinach Flakes	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	1 cup
Tomato Powder	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	1 3/4 cups

Pizza Balls

Ingredients:

3 cans Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits (10 per can)

56 pepperoni slices

block of Colby cheese

1 beaten egg

Parmesan

Italian seasoning

Garlic powder

1 jar pizza sauce

Preparation

Cut the block of cheese into 28 squares. Flatten a biscuit out and stack pepperoni and cheese on top. Gather up the edges of the
biscuit. Line up the rolls in a greased 9x13 in. pan. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with parmesan, Italian seasoning and
garlic powder. Bake at 425°F for 18-20 minutes.

**Use the pizza sauce for dipping

Make a Bean Teepee

A bean teepee creates a wonderful hiding hole for young kids during the summer months at the same time as providing a perfect support for growing pole beans!

You can locate your bean teepee either in the vegetable patch or in a spare corner of the garden - it adds the dimension of height and is not only useful and fun, but quite ornamental too. Just bear in mind that the teepee will cast a fair bit of shade once the beans have grown.

How to Make a Bean Teepee

You will need: 7 - 9 long bamboo poles, some twine, string or even masking tape, and runner or pole beans.

Start off by finding a suitable spot in your garden and dig the earth over in a circular shape. A circle with a diameter of 3-4 foot is usually perfectly adequate.

Beans like well-drained soil, so add some compost and fertiliser if needed - like in this example!

Firmly push the ends of the bamboo poles into the ground by about 3 inches on the outside of the circle.

Leave a gap between two of the poles to act as the entrance to the bean teepee.

Tie the bamboo poles together firmly near the top using twine, string, a bit of old rope or even masking tape.

There is absolutely no fine art in tieing the poles together - the main and only aim is to ensure they are all VERY firmly held in place, as no matter how careful kids are, they are likely to knock the poles when going in and out of the teepee!

Plant the runner or pole beans about 2 inches deep. Plant them on the inside of the teepee rather than the outside, as this makes it easier to hoe and keep weeds down - anything growing on the outside of the bamboo poles are weeds!

It is usual to plant two beans per pole. That should ensure at least one healthy plant per pole.

Water generously.

Beans usually take between 7 to 14 days to germinate. Once the seedlings appear, protect them from slug attacks.

When the beans are a few inches high, loosely tie them to the poles. From then on, they should find their own way up.

When the plants reach the top of the teepee after about 7-8 weeks, nip the growing ends off. Keep them well watered during a dry patch, especially once the pods have started forming.

Once the dense foliage of the runner or pole beans has climbed up the bamboo poles and provides a cover, your bean teepee is ready for it's inhabitants. Pop a blanket inside for the perfect private hide-away!

Tips

Once the first bean pods are ready to be harvested, keep picking them every few days to ensure the plants keep flowering and producing more pods. Once a pod reaches full maturity, the flowering process is shut down.

Beans can be planted outside once the risk of frost is over, usually late May or the beginning of June in the more northern areas.

For an even more colourful display, interplant climbing flowering plants too, such as climbing nasturtiums or black-eyed Susan.

Cats love these shady hide-aways too!

*Orginally Found on Kiddie Garden (the link is now broken but was http://www.kiddiegardens.com/bean_teepee.html)

Homemade Mozzarella Cheese

1 gallon whole milk (just be sure that it is not Ultra-pasteurized, any other kind will work, store bought, fresh from the cow (or goat))

1 tsp. citric acid*

1/4 rennet tablet*

2 tsp. cheese salt*

A big pot

Thermometer

Slotted spoon

1) Place milk in large pot with thermometer.

2) Turn heat on med-low and heat milk to 90 degrees, stirring occasionally.

3) While you are heating the milk, dissolve 1/4 rennet tablet in 1/4 C. cool water.

4) When milk has reached 90 degrees, turn off heat. Pour rennet over slotted spoon into milk and stir for 20-30 seconds.

5) Remove thermometer and let milk sit undisturbed for 8-10 minutes.

6) Milk should be like a thick gelatin. Cut the curd into a grid pattern.

7) Stir gently for a minute and then remove the curd using your slotted spoon into a microwave safe bowl, trying to leave as much of the whey (the yellowish liquid) behind.

8) Pour off as much liquid as you can without losing any curds. Heat in microwave for 1 minute. Stir, pour off liquid and heat for 35-40 seconds more. Stir and pour off any liquid. Cheese should start to stick together and look stringy. If the curds are not sticking together you can heat for 35-40 seconds more.

9) Once your curds are sticking together and you have removed most of the liquid, add your cheese salt. I usually sprinkle a little on, knead, and sprinkle more on until all the salt is incorporated.

10) After your salt is incorporated, heat the cheese for 35-45 seconds more until it is stretchy like taffy. The cheese will be really hot, so it helps to wear gloves to work with the cheese.

11) Pull and stretch cheese until it is shiny and smooth.

12) Shape cheese into a log by kneading on counter top.

* Also, I took the whey, brought it to 200 degrees, added 1/2 cup of vinegar and got about a cup of ricotta. I kept almost all of the whey and froze it to use in soups. I've also heard that whey is very good for your skin.*