Monday, December 31, 2012

New Year's Eve Dinner

Just a post to have your mouth watering....




Happy New Year and Keep Right On Prepping - K

New Year's Challenge 2013

I usually don't do New Year's Resolution's because generally a goal set to start on Jan 1st fails 99% of the time. A good time to start any personal betterment is now, but in the tradition of the New Year, I will describe some of the challenges that I'd like to conquer. So, without further ado:

  1. Increase our families preparedness food supply to 6 months of long term storage.
  2. Get into better physical shape - diet and exercise. ( 182.2 )
  3. Get better organized in the home.
  4. Complete some long standing projects - Kitchen and downstairs bathroom.
  5. Reorganize our food storage into a better logical format.
  6. Get better grades in school ( 3 A's 3 B's last semester ).
  7. Go to the range more often with Sweetheart.
  8. Teach the kids new practical survival skills : outdoors skills, common sense camping
  9. Learn to bake better bread.
  10. Pick three skills to work on with wife.
  11. Be more consistent with the MRE Monday reviews.
  12. Improve our family's water plan. 
  13. Do a monthly review of each for the blog to hold myself accountable.
Anyone else have grandiose plans for the new year? What would you like to have accomplished this year?

Keep Right On Prepping and Contact Your Senator about the Gun Control Legislation - K

Quote about Gun Control:

" Cries for 'Compromise' have gone up- a word to which there is more than one meaning. When we look at the compromises offered, it seems more that are asking us to do so in the manner of a compromised bridge structure, or having compromised one's morals. What we want are more freedoms, what they want are less- yet we are expected to compromise, and get slightly less. And, for what in return? Isn't that how compromise works? Pardon, but us giving up what we want and they getting what they want isn't compromise on my part. Its concession to a tantrum" - Den of the Wolfman.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

16 Minute Video on Assault Weapon Ban 2013

Bloggers-

This is a great video that I found on James' site. It is worth your time to watch and more importantly to act.



Look at my older posts to contact your representative in Congress.

Keep Right On Prepping - K

Friday, December 28, 2012

Let Our Voices Be Heard - Fill Their Mailbox - Gun Control Leg.

Dear bloggers-

I invite all of you to email or write a letter to your Senator and let your voice be heard about the current gun control legislation. Linking, Cutting and pasting onto your site is greatly appreciated to reach as many people as possible during this time. January 3rd is the reconvening of Congress.

UPDATED: I've added a new paragraph to the letter as noted by LindaG. Thanks


  http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

 COPY AND PASTE BELOW-----

Immediately cease all congressional actions to ban any current legally owned firearm.

We feel that ANY legislation against citizen firearms violates a well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State that shall not be infringed. Banning any legal current firearms will substantially weaken the citizen army’s ability to defend the United States against foreign invasion, should the U.S. armed forces be unable to perform this duty. We believe that any law prohibiting any currently legal firearm puts the freedom and very survival of the United States of America at risk.

The federal government has enough paper work to currently take care of any legal issues concerning weapons. The "Grandfather Clause" and fingerprinting is just another hurdle in the gun purchasing process that is ineffective against any kind of real crime prevention. Plus, most gun owners eventually get a concealed weapons permit which already collects fingerprints and does a background check at the applicant's expense.

Let’s look at the logistical ramifications of another magazine ban. Over the ten years of the ban, we never ran out. Not even close. Magazines are cheap and basic. Most of them are pieces of sheet metal with some wire. That’s it. Magazines are considered disposable so most gun people accumulate a ton of them. All it did was make magazines more expensive, ticked off law abiding citizens, and didn’t so much as inconvenience a single criminal.

Criminals and psychopaths do not care about laws and regulations. The only people that this legislation will hurt is the law abiding voter.

Would you feel safer having a weapon to defend yourself or a new law that takes away that possibility?

As my Honorable Senator, please consider this a request to vote NO for ANY type of gun control legislation.

Sincerely -



COPY AND PASTE ABOVE-----

This can be a grass roots campaign to make your voice heard. Feel free to add or edit this letter as you see fit.

Keep Right On Prepping - K


The paragraph about magazines was taken from:  http://larrycorreia.wordpress.com/2012/12/20/an-opinion-on-gun-control/

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Mail Campaign to stop gun control legislation

Dear bloggers-

I invite all of you to email or write a letter to your Senator and let your voice be heard about the current gun control legislation. Linking, Cutting and pasting onto your site is greatly appreciated to reach as many people as possible during this time. January 3rd is the reconvening of Congress.

COPY AND PASTE BELOW-----


  http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm 


Immediately cease all congressional actions to ban any current legally owned firearm.

We feel that ANY legislation against citizen firearms violates a well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State that shall not be infringed. Banning any legal current firearms will substantially weaken the citizen army’s ability to defend the United States against foreign invasion, should the U.S. armed forces be unable to perform this duty. We believe that any law prohibiting any currently legal firearm puts the freedom and very survival of the United States of America at risk.

The federal government has enough paper work to currently take care of any legal issues concerning weapons. The "Grandfather Clause" and fingerprinting is just another hurdle in the gun purchasing process that is ineffective against any kind of real crime prevention. Plus, most gun owners eventually get a concealed weapons permit which already collects fingerprints and does a background check at the applicant's expense.

Let’s look at the logistical ramifications of another magazine ban. Over the ten years of the ban, we never ran out. Not even close. Magazines are cheap and basic. Most of them are pieces of sheet metal with some wire. That’s it. Magazines are considered disposable so most gun people accumulate a ton of them. All it did was make magazines more expensive, ticked off law abiding citizens, and didn’t so much as inconvenience a single criminal.

Criminals and psychopaths do not care about laws and regulations. The only people that this legislation will hurt is the law abiding voter.

Would you feel safer having a weapon to defend yourself or a new law that takes away that possibility?

As my Honorable Senator, please consider this a request to vote NO for ANY type of gun control legislation.

Sincerely -


COPY AND PASTE ABOVE-----

This can be a grass roots campaign to make your voice heard. Feel free to add or edit this letter as you see fit.

Keep Right On Prepping - K


The middle paragraph was taken from:  http://larrycorreia.wordpress.com/2012/12/20/an-opinion-on-gun-control/


Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Preparations Pay Off

We got home around 3:00pm after spending some time at my parents for Christmas dinner. The Christmas dinner included a roasted turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, oyster stuffing, homemade bread, cranberries,and giblet gravy. I do love the holidays!


The weather had been raining most of the day and the temperature was near freezing, and the sun hadn't set yet. The forecast had called for snow, and we were well stocked with food, and all of the new entertainment that Santa brought. I was napping in my recliner when Sweetheart mentioned that the lights were flickering, and we might lose power. I nodded back off to sleep, and an hour later the lights went out.

No problem, we had a generator set up on the second story balcony, next to the living room. I had had an all weather outlet installed and directly wired into a new outlet inside the house. That way, I could run the generator and have power into the house without letting heat in or out. In theory, a good plan. In reality, I hadn't run the generator and tested the circuit. I added the oil into the generator, as this was the first time to use it. I pulled the gas cans from under the house, of which we have two 5 gallon all metal military Jerry cans and a 3 gallon Jerry can. I also had another 8 gallons in fuel set aside for lawn mowers and emergency car refills. They were filled last winter, this blend stores better, and I had planned on refilling the cars with them soon. The rotation of the backup gasoline was on my to-do list.

I got the generator started and plugged it into the outdoor outlet. Inside, I had a power strip with a 20-25 foot extension cord to power the entertainment system. The entertainment system power was "cleaned up" by using a backup battery power supply pack. This helps to massage,or smooth out the power spikes, and help protect my delicate electronics.

A problem quickly came up, when the lights inside the house didn't light up. I had let the generator run for a few minutes to get up to speed before putting a load on it. I rechecked the extension cords and the GFC on the outlet. Still no power to the house. I started from the generator and bypassed the outlet, running the extension cord in through the side door. The lights came on, so it was the outlet that was interrupting the circuit.

I threw the extension cord over the balcony and ran into the doggy door and up the stairway. The generator was louder than expected and slightly shook the living room. I had Sweetheart help me move the genny onto the carport next to the baclony, and was able to plug it into the extension cord that ran downstairs in through the doggy door. It only took about 20 minutes to get things situated, but I am still thankful that the sun was still shining.

Around 6:30pm, my next door neighbor had just gotten home and he asked about the how long the power had been out. I asked if he was able to keep his saltwater fish okay with the power being out, and he said that they were good for a few hours without power. I offered for him to bring an extension cord and power strip over and he could plug into the generator. He did.


We watched new DVDs from Santa, while Sweetheart and I read new books. A battery powered lantern was positioned in the bathroom, and flashlights were readily accessible if the generator ran out of fuel. We snacked for dinner, and made it a pleasant time for ourselves.

The power came back on around 10:00pm, and I let the generator run for another 15 minutes before shutting it down for the night.

I have added a few items onto my to-do list.
  • Making a concrete platform under the balcony for the generator. The generator can be stored under the house, and hauled out when needed. It will be more secure from neighbors, and reduce the noise towards the street. The generator will need to be wrapped up to prevent dirt and dust from accumulating on it.
  • We need to purchase a few more extension cords. The refrigerator needs to be plugged into a power strip where the cord is easily accessible for prolonged outages. It makes more sense to have it prepped for an extension cord than trying to move the refrigerator while the power is out.
  • Another power strip to run the router would have been nice to find out information about weather or natural disaster. We don't have cable, and our main means of information is the internet.
  • Rotate the fuel reserves. 

Keep Right On Prepping - K

Monday, December 24, 2012

Our tree...



Merry Christmas from the all of us here at The Compound - K, Sweetheart, Row, & Red Ant with Pincers.

Friday, December 21, 2012

My Gun Control Slogan


For all the ADHD people that like their sound bites...


Keep Right On Prepping - K

Mayan Update

Well, I'm still here. I've not taken any pain medication today which is a good sign on the oral surgery. The prescription will be set back into our medical kit.

Sweetheart and the kids are home, and we are headed out to my parents for a nice dinner and some wine. Pictures will be uploaded when we get back home.

We are also celebrating my Mom's birthday ( it's on the 22nd ) and Christmas since Super RN Sister has to work on Christmas day.

Gotta Go & Take Care - K


And another good tune to be humming today...

12-21-2012 - Wake Up!

Well, Today is the end of the Mayan Calendar. I'm going to (mostly) live like it is the end of the world. I got up early made coffee and I'll be adding this:

Sweetheart's mug is the James Dean, just in case you were wondering. I'll add a little bit of flavor, since I'm still on pain meds. The kids have to go to school, otherwise they'd be with me. I'll send them off on their way, and head back home for some soup for breakfast. I'll also be headed back out to do some Christmas shopping for stocking stuffers, and ammo hunting.

I'll also be humming this song all day:

"And I feel fine"

Tell your loved ones that you love them and stay aware - there is gonna be one wack-o out there.

Keep Right On Prepping - K

Thursday, December 20, 2012

3 Less Teeth, Painpills, and A Couch

I survived the oral surgery. I had two wisdom teeth gone and one on the opposite side, I had the upper left moral removed that was turning black and dying. I just don't understand insurance companies because they said it was salvageable. Really? Not without a root canal, crowns, drilling, and about $2500. Mind you, we are on one income, and I don't like people poking into my mouth. I told them to pull it.


Sweetheart is taking great care of me as I lay on the couch and try to listen to Pandora. In between nap sessions, she repacks my gauze, and allots me more pain meds. I'm hoping to get a body massage out of the deal. Surgery was at nine am, but going from six until nine without coffee, water, or anything by mouth really sucked. The twilight anesthesia hasn't hit me as hard this time, I'm actually able to have moments of activity.

I also found this:




Hell, I might have some Bailey's in tomorrow's lukewarm coffee to start the day off right.  Later on at my Dad and Mom's house, we are celebrating  my Mom's birthday, Christmas, and The End Of the World As We know It (TEOTWAWKI). I'm hoping the Tenderloin is soft enough for me to eat, but we are also bringing a couple of bottles of wine.

I think the guy in the middle is sticking his tongue out at us.


I think the guy in the middle is sticking his tongue out at us. The Mayans must have won the Longest punch line delivery in all of history. I'm calling Guinness World Records and check it out.


Stay Tuned, more random thoughts to follow....

-K


Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Picture Collection # something?

Time for some humor...

Politically incorrect, but funny...

For my Brother...



Remember Pie day is March 14th!

Something I might do...


If this is your Bug Out Bag...good luck!





Another screensaver....


From my newest follower, Scott Way , thanks and I'll be doing a proper intro soon.


Tis the season....



On a serious note, order your high capacity magazines soon, they will soon be banned. I prefer the P-Mags. Buy ammo every time your go to the store, accumulate slowly and consistently. I think that you might be too late to buy your AR15 type rifle, buy from a private sale if possible. Times are interesting, take care and take note.

Keep Right On Prepping - K

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Meat For The Pantry & A Trip to China-mart

I made a trip to China-mart to do some Christmas shopping and to check out the ammo/gun supply. I had heard that ammo was getting hard to find, so I swung by the sports department, and sure enough, all of the .223 was gone. A lot of the other calibers were also empty, except for the higher priced stuff. The AR15 style weapons were also pulled, I don't know if they were sold out, or voluntarily pulled from the shelves.

I'm always on the look out for new products, especially in the canned meat department. Cheese is also another long term storage problem, but that's another post. If my long time readers recall, I did a MRE Monday on Sloppy Joes (link provided) and it was an 8 oz pouch for $2.75. I found this new product from Hormel called Sandwich makers and it was a 7.5 oz. sloppy joe barbecue sauce with beef tray. They also had two other new products, one was pulled pork, and the other was meatballs in a marina sauce.


It recommends the best buy date of 3-14-14 which is around 15 months. I am really excited to do a review on this entree and to be able to compare it to the MRE. It also costs $1.98, which is a good sized savings compared to the MRE. 



I'll be doing a review soon, but it may be after my oral surgery. I'm having oral surgery on Thursday, so I might be blogging on pain meds...beware. These wisdom teeth need to be taken care of before the end of the year. I don't think things are going to get better, and any elective surgery for the long haul is a good preparation.

Anyone tried these Hormel Sandwich Makers? What do you think of them? The comment line is open...you know what to do.

Keep Right On Prepping - K




Monday, December 17, 2012

MRE Monday Update// FD Green Peas

I am still going to do the MRE Monday's, but I will be mixing in other Mid to long term food storage solutions. Today, I am going to introduce Freeze-Dried Green Peas from Provident Pantry. It is available through Emergency Essentials for :

IN FH P230 - MyChoice™ Green Peas - 6 oz
Quantity    >>
1-56+
Our Price  >>
$6.50$6.50 $6.25
    Quantity:
IN FN P130 - PROVIDENT PANTRY® Freeze Dried Green Peas - 18 oz
Quantity    >>
1-56+
Our Price  >>
$17.95$17.95 $17.00
$ / Oz         >>
$1.00
$0.94
    Quantity:

 The MyChoice size can (#2.5) is a little larger than a soup can (#300) and roughly a quarter of the size of the institutional size cans (#10). They also come with a pop top lid which requires no can opener. These cans will provide long term storage for the same length of time as the standard sized cans, which is 25 years under ideal conditions.



Nutritional Information:
Serving Size: 1/2 cup or 28 grams
Calories: 100
Calories from fat: 5
Total Fat: .5g or 1% DV
Cholesterol: 0mg or 0% DV
Sodium: 5mg or 0% DV
Total Carbohydrates: 18g or 6% DV
Dietary Fiber: 6g or 26% DV
Sugars: 7g
Protein: 7g or 14% DV
Vitamin A: 15% DV
Vitamin C: 80% DV
Calcium:  4% DV
Iron: 10%


Review:

I love the size of these cans ( #2.5 MyChoice Cans) , because they take up less space in the kitchen, and they are the right size for a small family. They also make using the product before going bad very easy. We have only done green peas as a side dish only on a few occasions, and they didn't go over very well.

So, why would I order these?
  • The nutritional value of these are very good, and the can packs around 600 calories.
  • We mainly sprinkle them onto salads as a salad topping. 
  • They can also be added into stir fry dishes or homemade potpies when a small #300 can would be too much. 
  • They can also be ground up and added to spaghetti sauce to hide some veggies from the kids.
  • It eliminates wasted food when doing some recipes. The added cost of the freeze-dried green peas makes up for cost savings versus the canned green peas. 
  • Plus, the can is a great size to sample new products without committing a large sum of money.

I am not that big of a fan of green peas, but will even occasionally snack on them freeze-dried. The green peas also retain their freeze dried qualities for a long time after the can has been opened, unlike the freeze-dried strawberries. We have been pleased with this product, and once we establish our homestead, we will be ordering a lot more.

Comments?

Keep Right On Prepping - K


Friday, December 14, 2012

How To Make A Heavy Duty Bathtub Cleaner

Okay, I'm going to expose some dirty laundry today. I absolutely hate cleaning the bathtub, but I like clean bathtubs. So, there is always an internal conflict or some kind of Zen Ying Yang balance between the two extremes.

Recently, I have also been exploring natural homemade cleaners. Not so much for the "green" or environmentally friendly stuff, but more the effective frugal type of household cleaners. I ran across this recipe and gave it a shot.

RECIPE:

8 oz ( 1 cup ) Dawn dish soap
8 oz ( 1 cup) white vinegar

  • I actually used 9 oz of the Dawn because that is the size that I had on hand, and it's a one-to-one ratio, so it's easy to figure out.
  • Heat the vinegar in the microwave until hot ( about 123 seconds ).
  • Pour into an empty spray bottle, then slowly add the Dawn into the spray bottle too.
  • TIP: Let the mixture get to room temperature before tightening it down. 
Pretty hard, huh? It does have a strong vinegar smell, but it doesn't burn like Tilex.




The above picture is the actual bathtub being tested. It is the original bathtub from the 1950's and solid. I'm hoping that the grime is visible ( don't think less of me ). You can click to enlarge if you like.


This second photo is taken after the mixture was applied onto the dry surface and allowed to sit for 10 minutes. A light scrubbing was applied with a bar towel or terry cloth. I really hate cleaning the bathtub, so the less elbow grease the better. You'll also notice the recipe on the spray bottle, and it is clearly marked.


I reapplied another coat of the bathtub cleaner, and let it sit for another 5 minutes. Another light scrubbing was applied, and hopefully you can see the difference. I am very impressed with the cleaning ability of this cleaner.


Final Thoughts:
I was hoping that the cleaner recipe was a little cheaper, but I'm going to use a 100% vinegar spray as maintenance, and for mold/mildew control on the bathtub. In the past, I have used all sorts of bathtub cleaners: Comet, Scrubbing Bubbles, Tilex, Limeaway, etc. I've also tried them in various combinations, one after another. This cleaner has outperformed all of them in less than 20 minutes.


Keep Right On Prepping ( and saving money ) - K

Before and After pictures to compare.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Infamy

December 7th, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy --
 





Granddad,

For serving America during it's time of need, without reservation, without remorse, without fear, You were "The Greatest Generation".

- K 

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

I thought I'd share...

My Procedures I class had an assignment to post a discussion thread about geriatric patients, this was my post:      

In The Zone

"My most recent experience with an older patient involved a chest x-ray while they were seated in a wheelchair. While I was trying to remove the armrests he was saying "Help Me", so I thought maybe he needed help. I tried to move his arm, which he was having trouble doing, and he then tried to punch me in the privates. The first time I was a little stunned and thought he was joking until he improved his aim on the next punch. Luckily, there wasn't much force behind it, but as a result, I increased my distance while still trying to get the x-ray. I'm not sure if he was suffering from dementia, but it was a memorable morning in a combat zone."

I'll be posting less frequently, since it is getting very close to the end of the semester, and I have a few grades that are "on the bubble". Three tests this Friday to end the semester, then Finals start on Monday the 10th to Wednesday the 12th.

Keep on Prepping - K

Monday, December 3, 2012

MRE Monday - Au Gratin Potatoes



Nutritional Information:

Serving Size: 5 oz.
Calories: 170
Calories from fat: 80
Total Fat: 9g or 14% DV
Cholesterol: 25mg or 8% DV
Sodium: 630mg or 26% DV
Total Carbohydrates: 18g or 6% DV
Dietary Fiber: 1g or 4% DV
Sugars: 1g
Protein: 4g
Vitamin A: 6% DV
Vitamin C: 40% DV
Calcium:  6% DV
Iron: 2%

Expectations:
I was thinking that those Au Gratin Potatoes that come in a box would a good expectation.


Very small sampling tonight for everyone.

Realities:

Tonight we had a total of six people sampling this MRE, so it was literally just a bite or two per person.

Row, the six year old, took his usual cautious bite, then decided that he didn't like it. I would have guessed that he would have liked this one. Looks like I was wrong.

Red Ant, the vocal three year old, doesn't like potatoes in any form except for french fries. I was rather surprised when he said, "Yeah, I like cheese soup. I like the cheese soup." Okay, so it has potatoes in the cheese soup, but he ate it!  He finished the bowl without any further prodding.

Mother-in-law was rather blunt and said that she would eat it anytime. Oh, and there was an "Mmmmmm" before the announcement.

Mimi, or second mother, simply said that "They're good". I asked her if I could quote her and she said yes. I'll take this as a nod of approval. She did ask about why we were reviewing MREs, and I told her it was for backpacking. She also asked about a lot of the food stored downstairs, and I explained stocking up at the grocery store when the price hits a low point in the cycle.

"One of the best", was the high praise that came from my wife. Another star was earned for this side dish.

I only got a small bite, and wished I had had more to sample. The potatoes were firm, and the au gratin potatoes had a full body. The sauce was creamy, with a hint of onion or some other subtle flavor. After looking at the ingredients, garlic powder and onion powder were further down the list, so my taste buds were correct.

Final Thoughts:

I would probably go nuts, if both my boys liked the same dish, but since they are individual pouches it is really a non-issue. That's the beauty of the MREs, we could all have different meals without the fuss.

I'm a meat and potatoes guy, and these really satisfy my taste buds. I was a little surprised that my wife liked them so much, as she usually balks at canned potatoes. I'd say this was high praise. They are on the A list for reorders.

Stars: * * * ( 3 )