General Food and Preparedness

I found this online last year. An empty wine bottle and a chop stick together makes a wonderful cherry pit removal system. Place your cherry on the opening of the wine bottle stem side up push the pit out with the chop stick. That's it, worked better then the wife's squeezy plier type pit remover.

A whole bunch of years back I wanted apple trees. I've planted white pine, Norway pine, black spruce, blue spruce, cedar trees, juniper trees- now throw in birch trees, red maple and a pile of black walnut trees. BUT- these were my apple trees! I followed all the directions and they grew. Last year I was able to harvest about 20 apples and I was excited! This spring I smiled as all three trees showed beautiful white blossoms. Small apples began to form. Then last week a wind blew and...

Being able to sit down and enjoy a warm meal is a great source of comfort. As you feast on a hot dinner, a sense of peace and tranquility overcomes you. Even if the world is in turmoil, for that small moment in time as nourishment enters your body, everything feels much better. You are refueled and rejuvenated and ready to take on TEOTWAWKI. The good, wholesome feelings of a warm meal aside, being able to cook food prior to eating is necessary for continued good health in many scenarios....

During the course of a normal week, how much over the counter medication do you take? Taking OTC meds is for many of us a routine thing to the point where you may not fully realize how often you utilize them. When plagued by aches and pains, we take pain killers and anti-inflammatories. If the allergies or the common cold gets you down, there are a plethora of medications that can ease symptoms and help you get to functioning again. Digestive problems and heartburn can also be calmed with an...

When you're holed up in survival mode post TEOTWAWKI, you're going to be eating a lot of canned goods. As time passes, those items will become less and less appetizing. Hopefully a garden will provide for you as well, but chances are you will eventually miss the foods you once loved, such as cheese, which could easily spoil or become a scarcity once the power goes out. A life without cheese for some of us can be quite depressing, which is why we should take the time now to fulfill our...

As a child, you likely participated in a great many treasure hunts. While this was a captivating activity for children, it fell by the wayside as we matured and grew into adults. For some, however, the excitement of a treasure hunt was too much to put down. They simply could not go through their adult life without the joy of stumbling upon a hidden treasure. As a result, geocaching was born. Photo: Friends of CCSP Geocaching is described as a 'real-world outdoor treasure hunt.' Worldwide...

An emerging trend is the harvesting of wild plants. Survivalists have done this for some time, but it has recently been embraced by other members of the population as well. During the harvesting process, wild plants are obtained to fulfill the needs of the forager. These needs may be for energy sustenance or medical in nature among other things. The common ground in harvesting includes the realization that items from the natural world can be used to aid us in survival and thus more and more...

A lesson we could all stand to learn prior to TEOTWAWKI is how to grow food. Purchasing seeds and stockpiling them to suit your growing needs is wise, but in the absence of seeds or to conserve seeds, try planting leftover scraps from the kitchen instead. Whether it is vegetables, fruits, nuts, or even herbs you crave, it can be grown from parts you might otherwise throw away. By planting instead, you create a new resource from which you and your family can partake. In addition to saving...

A huge part of prepping is generating a stockpile that can sustain you and your family through TEOTWAWKI and beyond. We as preppers frequently discuss how to create such a stockpile and what should be in it. Equally important is where and how to safely house our goods. All of this is valuable information, but the things you need to know do not end there. Photo: Prepper Today If you go to the grocery store during stocking hours, it is likely that you will see persons placing items on...

When many of us think of survival cooking, it is likely cooking over a camp fire that comes to mind. While cooking over an open flame is effective, sometimes an oven is the best method of getting the dinner job done. Without the modern convenience of electricity in your home, how are you supposed to cook in an oven? By making one, of course! Photo: Weeding for Godot Through the use of mud, clay, sand, etc. along with a few other components it is actually possible to create your own oven for...

One of the ways we will likely have to feed ourselves post TEOTWAWKI is by cooking food in methods that are not the norm for us. If your stove top and oven are rendered out of commission, there will be a need to cook in other ways if you're going to cook at all. Depending on what's for dinner, it very well may be edible while cold. In the case of meats, however, cooking to the proper internal temperature is necessary for your health and well-being, so in that case, grill you must. For...

Since the importance of a food bank was discussed recently along with the importance of staple crops, going into staple crops in more detail could prove helpful to individuals and families mulling over selections. As discussed earlier, staple crops are foods that are eaten regularly in quantities large enough to make them a 'staple' in one's diet. They also provide adequate levels of calories and nutrients for survival. Often times, staple crops are inexpensive to buy as well as easy to...

Having an emergency seed bank may be of great use to you after the SHTF and food is hard to come by. With seeds stored ahead of time, you can go right into garden mode, planting and growing foods that will sustain you through uncertain times. Ideally growing a garden is something that will be embraced before lean times befall us, but having a seed bank ready to go when the time comes will still put you ahead of those who will have nothing at all on which to rely. When preparing a seed bank,...

Food storage sounds like a simple enough concept to grasp. Buy what you need and store it in a safe place and you're good to go, right? Well, not so much. With the prices of food constantly going up and the possibility of TEOTWAWKI lingering, we need to take measures to ensure the longevity of the food we have and can afford to stockpile. It isn't like the grocery store will still be open for business and receiving regular shipments when the SHTF; at that point, you will have to be your own...

When the lights go out, most people gravitate towards flashlights or candles. If you do not have access to these items, however, you are going to have to rely on the acclimation of your eyes to the darkness. You will be able to see surprisingly well in the dark, but still not as well as normal, or as well as you would be able to with a light source. Having the ability to create light in darkness with everyday food items can come in quite handy, especially if you need to read some...