Helpful PDF For Fruits and Veggies For the Frugal Minded

I ran across a helpful PDF for those wanting to eat healthier and cheaper in the coming new year. If you are like our family of four, you are trying to squeeze every last penny out of the food budget. Seasonal fruits and veggies are at their cheapest while also being at their best quality, so it's a win-win situation.

Meats? I watch the weekly flyers from the grocery store and plan our weekly menu around the meat(s) that is/are on sale. Another good tactic is to find out when the butcher marks down the meats, and plan a trip accordingly.

What are some of your tips to save money and eat better?

Keep Right On Prepping - K

Merry Christmas

To those that have found their way to this blog, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Flu Season Reminder (repost)

How To Wash Your Hands

I know that this might seem elementary, but I learned a few things from my Basic Patient Care class. With Flu season starting to get wound up, this would be a good time to review hand washing procedures.

• Prepares for handwashing removes jewelry and exposes wrists.
• Uses paper towel to open faucet to provide continous running water, wets hands, keeps hands lower than elbows.
• Lathers cleansing agent in hands uses friction, washes wrists, palms,back of hands,fingertips and under nails for at least 15-20 seconds.
• Rinses under flowing water allowing water to flow down over hands.
• Use paper towel to dry thoroughly from fingertips to elbows.
• Turns off faucet with paper towel and disposes of paper towel.
• Inside of basin avoided at all times.

This is a direct copy from my "comp" sheet that has to be demonstrated. I'll add a few notes from the lecture ( yes, we had a lecture on hand washing ). Be sure that the webbing of your hands are dry when finished washing your hands. Water is an excellent medium for bacteria. The killing of the bacteria/pathogens has more to do with the friction rather than then soap. The underside of the nails is an excellent place for bacteria to hide, so don't neglect them. Open the public bathroom doors with a paper towel - Joe Blow probably didn't wash his hands after doing his "paper work", and this would cancel out any hand washing you've just done. A word about nail polish, as the nail grows, the area between the cuticle and the nail polish is an excellent place for pathogens to hang out. The same goes for clipped chipped nail polish, hence the reason nurses and health care professionals nix the nail polish and long nails.

Holiday Shopping Rant

I'm done with all of the idiotic people trying to get from one store to the next. I've seen the self-important dingdongs blocking intersections, running red lights, crossing lanes without a care of getting hit. I've seen it all today. People are stupid. I'm gonna try to stay at home until all of this driving silliness is over.

No CorkScrew? No Problem.

This is a skill that I'm going to have to learn.

Keep Right On Prepping - K

A Holiday Tradition

One of my holiday favorites...Enjoy.

Keep Right On Prepping - K

Meal Kit Supply MRE Review - Pouch 5

We tried pouch 5 from Meal Kit Supply during our ration heater experiment. I've provided a link, that opens in a new window, for the previous reviews that we have done in the past. Pouch 5 includes: Beef Ravioli, Potato Cheddar Soup, Chocolate Pudding, Crackers, Cheese Spread, and Lemon-Lime Electrolytes Drink.

Nutritional Information:

The complete nutritional information for every pouch, and the items in them, are available here.

Menu 5 includes: 19 oz (1.19 LB)

Beef Ravioli In Meat Sauce
Potato Cheddar Soup
Chocolate Pudding Dessert Powder
Cracker And Cheese Spread
Lemon-Lime Electrolyte Beverage Powder
Instant Coffee, Creamer, & Sugar
Condiments, Spoon, Moist Towelette, Napkin

The Beef Raviolis received the same comments as our earlier review. It was nice to see that the MRE entrees had the same level of consistency, and taste.

After our last review of the electrolyte drink, we decided to reduce the amount of water by an ounce. It did improve the taste and Row, our seven year old, exclaimed that it "tastes just like Gatorade!!!" Red Ant, our four year old, also enjoyed the drink which was kind of surprising. Of course, Mom and Dad would drink this after any long hike, or workout.

Our initial reaction to the unsalted crackers were that they were too bland. We quickly changed our minds with the addition of the cheese spread, and thought that it complimented the cheese spread very well. The cheese spread was noticeably creamier, and had a better cheese flavor than our previous reviews. The freshness from Meal Kit Supply made a huge difference, and the boys were trying to figure out how to stack more cheesy goodness on top of the crackers.  Sweetheart commented that the cheese spread was salty, so the lack of salt on the crackers was a non-issue. The boys also liked the cheese spread more than the crackers.

The potato cheddar soup was also a clear winner with the adults. You can read a more detailed review by clicking the link.

Probably the most anticipated item for us was the chocolate pudding. It was very easy to prepare. Just add the water, fold over the flap, and shake for 60 seconds. I was really surprised at the quality of the instant pudding and overall taste. The pudding would be a highly valued trading commodity in any campsite. My two boys would have licked the inside of the pouch...Okay, what the heck, we let them do it. I probably would have too!

Final Thoughts:

This pouch had a lot of highly rated entrees, and it wouldn't provide many trading opportunities for something else. This is the pouch for chocolate lovers. Hot cocoa and chocolate pudding, what could be better after a hard day of canoeing or backpacking? This pouch is a lot of food [1370 calories] for one person, and could easily be a meal and a snack.   

The favorite drink and food pick for each reviewer:

• Row (7 years old): Lemon-Lime Drink and Cheese Spread

• Red Ant (4 years old): Cocoa and Cheese Spread

• Sweetheart: Cocoa and Potato Soup w/ the Chocolate Pudding running a close second

• K: Lemon-lime Drink and Chocolate Pudding a tie between Oatmeal and Bread w/ jam

Stars:

Beef Ravioli With Meat Sauce  * * * (3)
Potato Cheese Soup * * * (3)
Cheese Spread And Crackers  * * * * (4)
Cocoa Drink * * * * (4)
Chocolate Pudding * * * * (4)
Lemon-Lime Electrolyte Beverage Powder * * * * (4)
Instant Coffee, Creamer, & Sugar * * (2) The boys didn't sample this one

Final Grades

My Final Grades are semi-official:

Special Imaging Procedures (3 hrs)...B
Radiographic Procedures III (2 hrs)...B
Clinicals (5 hrs).................................A
MRI (3 hrs / Senior class).................C
Radiation Protection (3 hrs)..............A

This semester:
Associate Degree GPA.....................3.62
Total GPA........................................3.31 

I'll relax for a few days, then catch up on an important post for Meal Supply Kit. I've also got a few projects that need to be completed around the house. Well, I'm off to cook dinner for the family and we have a special guest tonight: my brother. Take Care and Keep Right On Prepping - K

Infamy - Repost

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 

Good News [for me]

Yesterday: Blackboard announcement

"Position 4 exam had 1 XC question for 2 points that was not assigned that designation in Bb.   That has been fixed so you may see a change in your posted score.    Any questions, let me know. "

Today: [my email]


Mrs. Young-
Out of curiosity, is the final grade rounded up above .5%? I'm on the bubble at 83.6% and was wondering if I can expect a C or a B for the course. I couldn't find anything about it in the syllabus.
Again, thanks for your time - K

Her response:

Hi, K.  It's left up to the individual faculty, but if it is .5 or above, I round up.

Drats! I just read her syllabus again, and she has the lowest B at 85% instead of the usual 84% like the other instructors. Hopefully, with the power of suggestion, I'll make a B for the semester.


We will see.

Ice Index & Expected Damage (Chart)

It might be time to use some of those preps - K (yeah, I couldn't make it a day without posting. Now it's time to hit the book again)

Final Exams Break

I had a monster test in Radiographic Procedures III today that was about 1/3 fill in the blanks. Thankfully, we do NOT have a comprehensive final in this class, but I've earned my first C this semester. UPDATE: I scored 83.2% and the lowest B is 84%. Missed a B by 4 correct test answers.

I'm also on track to earn another C in Physics of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. I generally have no idea how I've managed to pass the last two tests, except for a lot of time studying. I'll read a paragraph and think, "I have no idea what I just read." I compare it to trying to explain the picture below in Chinese mathematics...

I'll need 95% (or higher) on my final for Special Imaging Procedures to get an A, or 55%-95% for a B.
I'll need 85% (or higher) on my final for Radiation Protection to get an A, or 40%-85% for a B.
I've earned an A in clinicals with a whopping 16 comps this semester, and this is a 5 hour class.

All in all, I'm a little disappointed in not making A's and B's with 16 hours this semester, but I'll have next semester to try again. Anyways, I'll be checking my blogrolls while I hunker down and study these next few days.

See everyone the second week of December and Keep Right On Prepping - K