This weekend was a really productive one as far as prepping goes.
I tried some more dehydration Friday night. BrooklynPrepper (http://www.youtube.com/user/brooklynprepper) has some really good YouTube videos on the subject. I'm trying out some of his ideas since I picked up a dehydrator a little while ago. Seriously, he does know what he's talking about...once you get past the accent. Nothin' but love Brooklyn...nothin' but love.
All of the frozen vegetables I have dehydrated came out great with the exception of the thick cut carrots. They never would rehydrate.
Saturday morning was running around shopping and refilling water jugs. Once I got back home I started going through my stored food and moving the older things to where I would be sure to use them first.
After that, I rotated my stored water. I was told this, but I'll pass it on as well...NEVER buy the teal colored 6 gallon water jugs at Walmart. I had yet another one of them that started leaking. I went to pick the jug up and nearly threw it across the room because I expected it to weight around 63lbs. Instead, it was nearly empty. Meaning, it had leaked out during the last 3 months. I've been replacing these water jugs with the blue 7 gallon ones, also from Walmart. Those, I haven't had any problem with these.
Last on my To Do list for the day was to get around to vacuum packing 25lbs of flour I had bought a week ago.
Saturday night, before I turned in, I starting a pot of Great Northern beans soaking.
Sunday morning I got up early and drained the beans, added the spices and water and started them cooking. Then it was pancakes for breakfast. Which reminds me...Bisquick does NOT store long term. I had always planned on storing some to cook with, but I've had it go bad...really bad on me before. You'll know when it turns too. Biscuits made from it won't rise and they have a really bad acrid taste. Don't store Bisquick!! 'Nuff said.
After breakfast, I ran to the store to pick up the replacement water jug and start my PAW bartering supplies. I have just started stocking up on three things I want to have on hand for no other reason for bartering. Coffee, alcohol, and cigarettes. All I can say is Holy Buckets!! How can people afford to smoke! The cheapest, and I mean CHEAPEST carton of cigarettes was almost $41!! It killed me to pay that much, but I have officially started my barter supplies cache.
Once I got back home, I started a loaf of bread in the bread machine, made some lunch, loaded up the wood bin, baked some cookies, baked some cornbread...for the beans you know, organized some more supplies, and finally made dinner.
I had been fussing with the pot of beans all day. And, they finally were done right after we finished dinner wouldn't you know it. But, I have to tell you...I made one helluva' good pot of beans. This was only the second time I have tried to cook beans. The first time was a total failure since I didn't soak the beans overnight before I cooked them. This time it worked out great though. Now I know I can actually cook all of those beans I have been storing. That's progress no matter how you look at it.
It sure beats watching sports.
PJ
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