Recipe of the Week: Homemade Pasta Sauce

Reader “Sis in Montana” kindly sent us one of her family’s favorite recipes: Mom’s Quick Homemade Pasta Sauce Ingredients: 5 – 8 oz. Cans of Tomato Sauce 1-1/2 tsp. Dried Parsley 1-1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano 1 tsp. Dried Basil 1 TBSP. Garlic Powder 2 tsp. Onion Powder 1 Pint (or 1 pound) Browned Hamburger Directions: Combine all ingredients, mix thoroughly, and simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This can simmer while you are preparing the pasta of your choice. Notes: This recipe can be made with storage foods, including canned browned hamburger. This goes well with garlic bread. …


Raising Chickens For Meat- Part 2, by Michele Cooper

I’m writing about our experience of raising chickens for meat. Since I didn’t want to kill chickens, we still found a way to raise our own, thanks to a friend who told us about chicken processors. In part 1, we had obtained our chicks and told you about the things they required to grow strong and healthy in their plastic bin in our home. I also told the funny story about how my husband reacted when I shared my plans to move layer chicks into our first home together. (It all worked out really well. Jeff helped me with the …


Raising Chickens For Meat- Part 1, by Michele Cooper

This past year, for the first time, I raised chickens for meat. The reason I did not previously is that I do not like killing animals. I can butcher them after they are dead, but I don’t like killing them. Yes, I know, I’m such a wimp. Informed of Chicken Processing Plants I have a good friend, Tami, who works for the local feed store, and in the spring, they have lots of chicks. I mentioned to Tami that I would like to raise my own chickens for meat but cannot kill the chickens (or rabbits, or whatever). She informed …


Guest Article: The Whispered Prepper Necessity: Feminine Hygiene, by Patrice Lewis

An unspoken but critical need for any prepper family with women is feminine hygiene. Sorry to bring up an awkward and indelicate subject, but every woman reading this is nodding her head in agreement. Phasing Out Disposable Products A number of years ago, our family started phasing out disposable products. We did this for a number of reasons, including environmental and financial; but the biggest reason was our interest in reducing waste. If the bleep ever hits the fan, waste disposal will be a huge issue. Better to tackle that aspect now rather than later. Washable Feminine Hygiene, A High …


Recipe of the Week: Biscochitos, by T.R.

This is one of our favorite holiday cookies here in northern New Mexico. The traditional shape in this area is a simple disk about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, but you can use your cookie cutters if you want to. Ingredients: 6 cups all-purpose flour 1 tbs baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 2 cups lard 1 1/2 cups white sugar 2 tsp anise seed 2 eggs 1/4 cup brandy 1/4 cup white sugar 1 tbs ground cinnamon


“Inclusive” Strategic Planning As Part Of Everyday Environment- Part 5, by Old Bobbert

Inclusiveness in our prepper world of “after the SHTF event” is that element wherein everyone who will be involved in an activity, regardless of the nature of the activity, will be involved in the creation of the plan. This way they can thereby be more fully committed to the plans’ success. We are currently in the midst of looking at itemized “inclusive” strategic planning considerations to apply in an event situation. Twelve points have been covered so far, and we are in the midst of the thirteenth– economics. 13. Economics– Single Most Likely Disaster Looming (continued) Crisis Moment, Lost Confidence …


“Inclusive” Strategic Planning As Part Of Everyday Environment- Part 4, by Old Bobbert

Inclusiveness in our prepper world of “after the SHTF event” is that element wherein everyone who will be involved in an activity, regardless of the nature of the activity, will be involved in the creation of the plan. This way they can thereby be more fully committed to the plans’ success. We are currently in the midst of looking at itemized “inclusive” strategic planning considerations to apply in an event situation. Ten points have been covered so far. 11. Applied Knowledge We have often heard that ”knowledge has value”, or “knowledge is power.” While these simple and well-worn sayings do …


“Inclusive” Strategic Planning As Part Of Everyday Environment- Part 3, by Old Bobbert

Inclusiveness in our prepper world of “after the SHTF event” is that element wherein everyone who will be involved in an activity, regardless of the nature of the activity, will be involved in the creation of the plan. This way they can thereby be more fully committed to the plans’ success. We are currently in the midst of looking at itemized “inclusive” strategic planning considerations to apply in an event situation. Five points have been covered so far. 6. Keep a Daily Journal and Hold Bible Study Classes Many of the “old” maxims we often follow blindly have lived long …


“Inclusive” Strategic Planning As Part Of Everyday Environment- Part 2, by Old Bobbert

We have defined “inclusiveness” and the application for it in our prepping communities and especially in an event (SHTF situation). Now, we’ve just begun to discuss the planning process. Let’s continue to dig further into this meat of the article. Successful Strategic Planning Above all else, a successful plan needs to be carefully written and will always require a knowledgeable and fully committed buy-in on the parts of every participant, both operators and support. Every operation participant needs a written and accurate plan contents page(s) concerning their individual specific participation. Additionally, every operation participant needs to be thoroughly familiar with …


“Inclusive” Strategic Planning As Part Of Everyday Environment- Part 1, by Old Bobbert

Editors Note: Commenting has been turned off for this article because most are not reading the article before posting their comments. What’s the “Inclusiveness” Element and How Does It Work? As my answer to what is the “inclusiveness” element and how it works, I suggest the following: As a generality, inclusiveness is a system/commitment/style of enabling your group, team, or community of allowing/encouraging/enabling the diversely talented members to work together more productively, and to have stronger provisions to enable these participants to excel in their special talents within a strong, family-like cooperative environment. As a result, you thus create a …


Recipe of the Week: CrockPot Spicy Brisket, by F.M.

Ingredients: 3 lbs lean beef brisket 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 sliced onion 1 stalk of chopped celery 1/2 cup chili sauce (catsup consistency) 1 can of beer Directions: Place beef in a slow-cooking pot. Add salt, pepper, onion, celery, and chili sauce. Pour Beer over all. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until tender. Remove beef from pot and slice. Skim the fat off of the juices and serve with the meat. Makes 5 to 6 servings. o o o Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to …


A Deep Well Pump Jack: Vital Part of Water System, by R.M.

Water is vital, so being prepared with multiple layers of backup make sense. A deep well pump jack is one way to have your cake and eat it too when a deep well is part of your water supply using the lowly pump jack. Pump Jack Can Pump Deep Well By Many Power Methods There are both advantages and disadvantages to use of a pump jack, but the greatest advantage by far is that you can power your deep well pump by many different electrical and non-electric methods. It can be powered by: the grid, a back up power system …


American Has Never Been So Divided…Or Has It?, by VEY

There have been only two wars truly fought on American soil– the Civil War and the American Revolution. Both wars were preceded by strong internal conflict– the Abolitionists vs. State Sovereignty in the Civil War, and the Patriots vs. the Loyalists in the Revolutionary War. Sparks of Internal Conflict Yet while those internal conflicts were certainly fierce, there have always been sparks of internal conflict. Why do some sparks ignite a crisis while others smolder out? Historical Patterns The answer, I believe, lies in a series of historical patterns outlined that may be crucial in predicting whether our current political …


Nuclear War Won’t Be Like Hollywood Portrays It- Part 3, by 3ADscout

If you believe the Hollywood hype, you are probably like many people (prepper or not) who don’t even bother to prepare for nuclear attack and hope that you go quick if it happens. Yet, with some basic knowledge and pre-planning, you can survive. We are taking a look at what is required to do this. In parts 1 and 2, we took a look at radiation basics and principles of protection as well as Geiger counter/meters, home construction, shelters, and shelter living. Let’s continue to discuss what can be done to prepare for survival. Decontamination Your shelter area should also …


Nuclear War Won’t Be Like Hollywood Portrays It- Part 2, by 3ADscout

If you believe the Hollywood hype, you are probably like many people (prepper or not) who don’t even bother to prepare for nuclear attack and hope that you go quick if it happens. Yet, with some basic knowledge and pre-planning, you can survive. We are taking a look at what is required to do this. In part 1, radiation basics and principles of protection were discussed as well as the importance of location. Let’s continue to discuss what can be done to prepare for survival. Home Construction Your home should also have been built after 1946. This is because home …