I ran across this article today, it’s about a grandmother who has made the active choice to protect herself by prepping for an uncertain future. She made changes in her lifestyle to help her get through any tough times that might come her way. I say with tongue firmly planted in cheek, this grandma has gone all TEOTWAWKI, all I can say is, you go granny!
I don’t agree with everything in this article, such as the parts about making a big deal about people stockpiling guns as a result of the potential coming problems, yes, many people who have their eyes wide open do have guns, I don’t see that as a bad thing or even a shocking thing. I really dislike the spin the media puts on people owning guns, like it’s a bad thing, as if it’s out of the ordinary. Main stream media, please stop making people who own guns look like they are crazed fanatics. The other thing I don’t agree with is the “end of the world” thing, the world isn’t coming to an end, and if it did, it wouldn’t matter, none of us would be here to worry about it, now it is quite possible that The End Of The World AS WE KNOW IT is coming, and those who are prepared will have a better chance of surviving than those who think the government is going to save us, just ask the Katrina victims.
I also don’t care for the term “Doomsteads” in reference to those who are trying to go off grid and/or live off the land, ie being more self-sufficient, it sounds too drastic, doom and gloom and all, I certainly don’t consider myself a doomsteader, nor do I consider aany of the other survivalist I know to be doomsteaders.
I feel sorry for Kathie’s family, they think she has gone overboard on this, her husband left, her DIL worries that she has gone too far and is depressed, I’d bet almost anything that if/when TEOTWAWKI happens, they will all be on her doorstep asking to come in and wishing they had listened to her. JMHO.
I am happy though, that the main stream media is starting to focus on the more normal people who are trying to get ready for what is coming, too often they focus on the crazed, wild eyed, backwoods man and/or his family wearing rags, living in a shack with no running water, it’s about time that the main stream media realized that we are real people, normal people, living simple lives, consuming less and getting by just fine, we are happy, we are healthy, we have everything we need to live and survive.
‘Recession Apocalypse’: Preparing for the End of the World
In the serene hills of rural upstate New York, Kathie Breault is hunkering down for doomsday. It’s not an all-out Armageddon that the 51-year-old grandmother is convinced of, but an imminent economic apocalypse.
A few years ago, Breault began reading about what happens when the world surpasses “peak oil” — a point where we will use more oil than we can produce.
“I was afraid that any day that oil would disappear, that gas would start to disappear, that I wouldn’t be able to get to work, I wouldn’t have money, I wouldn’t have food that I needed,” she said. “It was frightening — the picture that was painted.”
Breault and a growing number of so-called “economic survivalists,” are convinced that when oil supply wanes, the world will head for calamity; governments and the global economy will dissolve into chaos and collapse, the group believes, changing life as we know it.
“Everything that we do in our lives is dependent on abundant, cheap energy — all the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the transportation. We’ve lost everything that we know about how to live in a different way,” she said. “I’m totally dependent on a system that I think isn’t going to be there in the future.”
To prepare for a looming catastrophe, Breault began eating healthier, walking four miles a day and biking. She lost 100 pounds as a result. Getting rid of her TV and credit cards, she slashed her monthly expenses and now heats her entire house with a tiny wood-burning stove.
“It gets cold, I wear a hat to bed and I wear lots of layers. I wear long underwear all winter,” she said.
Breault’s survivalist lifestyle marks a radical departure from the consumer-driven life she used to lead. “I was in the malls — big Christmases, big holidays. Every weekend, I was entertaining my family, we had great get-togethers, lots of food. I took trips to Mexico and Ireland and across the country, conferences. Eat, drink, have a good time,” Breault said. “I had a wonderful life. I traveled where I wanted to, I did what I wanted to, and I bought what I wanted to. And I overconsumed.”
Whoever keeps leaving comments on this message in Japanese (my mistake for not recognizing the difference between Chinese and Japanese writing), please stop, I have rejected all of your messages, I can't read Japanese and I can't find a translation site that can properly translate it. I don't know if you are offering me a million dollars or you are promoting porn...
I did finally translate it and it still doesn't make any sense. I hope this translates well enough
このブログで書くことを止めなさい 再度書いてはいけない . . Bottom line, if I can't understand what you are writing, I will not approve the message. If you want to leave a comment, write it in English. Thanks,
It’s the middle of August, smack in the middle of summer, and it’s time to start thinking about winter. Yes, the cold air is coming. I have a hard time thinking about cold weather when I’m sweating and grumbling about where the breeze went… But there are little reminders about the coming cold, the sun is setting sooner and sooner each night. The evenings are cooling off nicely, it’s all but getting cold at night. Of course cold is relative, when it’s been near 100° F, then 55° or 60° feels cold, after it’s been in the 30°s, then 55° to 60° will feel like a heat wave. :)
I thought back to last winter as I was pulling a blanket over myself the other night. I thought about what I could do and/or buy to make this winter just a little more comfortable. Last winter we decided to not kill ourselves keeping the skycastle overly warm. When you heat with wood, especially in an uninsulated space, (yeah, I know, just add insulation, it’s easier said than done), no matter how hot you get the wood stove before you go to bed, by morning, it’s cold again. You go to bed with a light blanket and by morning, you need the heavy down blanket. So, in all honesty it’s just easier to go to bed in the cold and bundle up properly for the night in the first place.
My only complaint last winter was my feet being cold, you can only put on so many socks, since feet are the closest to the ground, and they tend to not have much in the way of insulation (fat), they are prone to getting chilled first. My hands come in second at being cold. I decided that I would not have cold hands and feet this winter. I just received 2 packages from UPS (thanks Bobby! You are the best!), the first package contained silk, long underwear, silk gloves and silk (& nylon) socks. I understand that ounce for ounce, silk is one of the warmest fabrics available. I remember my mother, who was forever cold, saying that one of the warmest things she wore was silk long underwear. So if it works for her, then I know it will work for me.
I ordered these from Sportsman’s Guide, along with a couple of other items, the price was right since I was renewing my Sportsman’s Guide membership, that gave me free shipping for the whole order, I also had a $10.00 coupon, it was not a bad deal! I highly recommend Sportsman’s Guide, and it’s very much worth the extra to join the club since they give such great discounts, especially on your first purchase, they give free shipping and an extra discount on top of the club discount.
I ordered nearly the complete set of silk long underwear, the only item I didn’t order was the balaclava, I might order one later, but for now, I didn’t get it. I tried everything on last night, it felt so good, it was warm, soft and comfortable. The fabric is very lightweight so layering it under other clothes will not be a problem. I (almost) can’t wait for the cold weather to hit. I chose the natural colored fabric, the other choice was black.
In that same package we got another on demand, propane fired water heater. It’s always good to have a backup of anything that is necessary, or at least a major convenience, would hot water be a necessity or convenience? You will have to decide that one. I call it a necessary convenience. We are going to use this one for the shower that Mountain Man Bob is building. It has been started, we have the space designated and it’s almost completely closed in. We chose to give up part of the deck on the north side of the skycastle, it will be a large, walk in shower, big enough for two people. I can’t wait to take my first shower at home! :)
The second package I received was a pair of boots. Also from Sportsman’s Guide (unfortunately they are out of stock on these boots, but you can order them from here,Women’s Itasca Ice Breaker Boots ). These are good, warm boots, they say they are rated to 20° below zero F, I doubt I’ll give them that kind of workout. As long as my feet stay toasty warm, or at least not freezing in 14°to 20°, I’ll be happy. I ordered these boots a full size larger than I normally wear, that’s to accommodate the extra socks I’ll be wearing. Last winter, my boots were a half size larger and once I had on a couple of thick pair of wool socks, my toes were cramped. Ladies, I know how hard it is to buy shoes a size larger than you normally wear, but when it comes to keeping your feet warm and comfortable, then you have to sacrifice a tiny bit of (perceived) dignity, besides, these boots are cute and they make your feet look more compact. No one need know what size your boots are. :)
Today was a good day, I had a wonderful visit from Seth and his son, Jamen. We planned this quite some time ago, (I'm good at keeping secrets)... It finally happened today, woohoo!
I met Seth and Jamen out at the entrance to the community and led them in. Seth is a good navigator, he was able to figure his way around the community rather quickly, it's easy to get turned around on these roads.
Once we arrived on the property, I gave them the nickel tour of the skycabin and the property. They seemed to like what they saw, at least they put on a good face. :) They took lots of pix inside and out, I'll post them as soon as I get copies. Seth made the comment that the property is steeper than it appears in pictures and videos, yes, the verticality does not come across well in pictures or video, but they got to experience it first hand. :)
We ate a good lunch under a makeshift roof that Mountain Man Bob put up for our comfort. Seth's son, Jamen made a super dip and popped it on the fire as we were waiting for the coals to heat up. It was very tasty! I cooked some cheeseburgers and some hotdogs, we ate until we were stuffed.
After that, we sat under the metal roof, it began to rain and thunder, we had a nice little shower, fortunately it was a small shower and was quickly over. As if on queue, a young buck mule deer showed up, actually he had been hanging around hoping for a handout, I had some left over burger buns, I tossed a couple out and the deer walked up to eat the bread. He posed nicely for Seth and Jamen while they snapped pix.
The rain seemed to be over, more importantly the lightening was done, we took a stroll in the backyard, up the mountain. We didn't climb up all the way, we just went up far enough to see the area better. Seth's phone began to ring, he had network coverage the whole time, his son's phone has no bars... Seth uses Verizon, Jamen uses AT&T, hmmm, I wonder where the Verizon network people were hiding... LOL
All good things come to an end, and it was time for them to leave... I rode with them up to the Country Store, they needed to get fuel, the store is closed on Monday, but fortunately I have the key so for them, the store was open. A full tank later, they drove me back home, we said our goodbye's and Bob and I watched them drive away.
We had a really good time and look forward to the next visit.
I have been looking for a good, FREE and unlimited picture hosting site, I thought I had a good one in Flickr, I really love their system and the fact that I can make slideshows for Blogger. I knew they had a monthly upload limit, I could live with that, but yesterday when I was uploading a new set of pix, I found out they have a limit on the number of pictures that can be viewed on their free account, it's 200, I can continue adding more pix but only the last 200 will show. That's no good for me, and on our very limited budget, I can't see paying for their premium service, ho hum.... I even considered opening up a new account with Flickr, but it's associated with my Yahoo account, I don't want to go through the bother of opening up a new Yahoo account and going back and forth between accounts, yeah I know, I'm digitally lazy. :)
So I went on the hunt for another photo hosting site. I found several that seemed to be unlimited AND free, but the one I really like the best is Shutterfly, I signed up and uploaded a batch of photos, so far so good. The uploader is fast and allows me to upload multiple photos at once. They also offer the ability to create a website with my pix on it, here is the link http://offgridonthecheap.shutterfly.com/ It's still a work in progress, I'll be tweaking it in the coming days, but go ahead and visit and take a look at the new pix. I have lots more pix and albums to upload, as well as videos. Let me know what you think. :)
Just a quick note, I have posted a few ebook reviews, I am currently working on more, in the spirit of honesty I wanted to let you know how I do these. First and foremost, I will never post a review of a product that I don't entirely endorse myself, even if it means losing revinue, I will never post a review of an ebook that I didn't personally and fully endorse.
What I do is I will find an ebook that I am interested in and would be of interest to my readers, I will contact the author and ask for a comp copy in return for a review. So far, with the exception of one, I have had good results from this approach. Most authors know that by losing one sale (giving me a free copy) has the potential to gain them many sales. The one that didn't work was really frustrating for me, the author agreed to the exchange but never sent the ebooks, they said they did, but I never got it. I even created a special filter on my email account so that the particular ebook would not be sent to my spam box, I don't know if the author never sent it, or something happened between them sending and me receiving. I finally gave up after several tries.
Some of the ebooks I will earn money on if you purchase through my link, some I will earn no money, I just like the ebook well enough to promote it with no financial gain. Just because I earn some money from some of them does not mean I would ever promote an ebook that I didn't personally like. In fact, I just sent an email out to an author of an ebook to let him know that I couldn't do the review on his ebook, the really sad thing is I really liked the ebook content, and would give it a good review, the problem was that while doing more research on the subject, I found a another site that offered the nearly identical information for free. Either my ebook author had borrowed from the free info or the site offering the free info borrowed from my author. I suspect I know the truth about who borrowed from whom based on the copyright dates, but I can't prove it so it's best to not make any accusations.
Either way, I know that if I could find the free info, then my readers could also find it, and quite frankly, if I had purchased that ebook, then found the free info, I would have wanted my money back. That was a lose-lose situation. I would have earned money from each sale of this ebook (through my link) but couldn't in all honestly promote it, it wouldn't have been fair to you, I cannot promote something in a review that I don't believe in.
I have gotten positive comments from some of you about my ebook reviews, (I have received no complaints about them), I will be on the lookout for more ebooks to review, I am nearly finished with a really good one, and should have it posted soon, I am also lining up other sites so that I can contact the author, I have quite a few that I want to review, I just don't like having too many to do at the same time, I like to get them out asap after the author sends me their ebook. I thorougly enjoy doing these and I hope you enjoy reading them.
If you are an author of an ebook, or even a hard copy (real-non-virtual) book, and would like to submit it to me for review, please contact me and let me know, I'll be more than happy to look over your material. Especially if it relates to off grid living, survivalists, homesteading, cooking, canning, preserving or anything else that might relate to this lifestyle.
If you know of an ebook that you would like to see a review on, send me the link, the more the merrier. :)
EDIT Aug 7, 09
As pointed out by a reader, I tweaked my DIY sponsors, I removed one of the advertisers that had an obnoxious popup, there is another sponsor with a popup but you can close the window with no problems. If you experience something negative, like an obnoxious popup or something else, please let me know so I can check it out. I always check out the sponsors before I post them here, I try my best to not put up problem sites, but they can always change after I approve them, if that happens, please let me know.
Each sponsor will open in a new window (or tab), when you are done just close the window or tab to return to this blog.
I clearly marked the sponsors, so you know you are clicking on a sponsor, not something I wrote.
I also denote the sponsors that I have personally reviewed.
All of my DIY sponsors will leave a cookie on your computer, that is the way Clickbank works, that's how they know to give me the proper credit when a sale is made.
All of my DIY sponsors have a full, 100% money back guarantee, that's another thing that Clickbank does, the sponsors have to agree to that and since payment goes through Clickbank, your purchase (and refund should you need it) is safe and guaranteed, so no worries about whether or not you will like your purchase.
I hope this helps clear some things up, I do not want to trick or deceive anyone, that's why I check out the sponsors, they have to pass my scrutiny first, and when possible, I try to get a copy so that I can give a review, if I don't like it, I will remove it.
I know that some people will not like advertisers or sponsors, to those who feel that way, I am sorry, my site and all the information here, I offer for free, this blog represents untold hours of work, research and personal experiences. This blog is 100% free, you can read everything I have written without having to pay a fee for access. I have added sponsors, Google ads, Amazon links and such, some I have removed because I didn't like them, I try to be as careful as possible to add only quality ads and sponsors, I have no problem pulling an ad or sponsor if need be.
These sponsors and ads help, in a small way to keep this site going, believe me, I'm not getting rich here, anyone who does this know what I'm talking about. I'm just trying to keep things going, there are costs (for me) involved with doing this, my time, internet access costs, my computer and other equipment... I'm not complaining or begging, I just want those who might be offended by the advertisements here to understand my point of view.
Have you heard about hot box, hay box or cook box cooking? It’s the new-old way to cook that saves energy, improves flavor and increases the nutrition in your food, and frees up your time. All you do is heat up your food to boiling then retain that heat by insulating the hot pot of food until the cooking process is completed. The only energy expended is in the initial heating as the residual heat is what finishes the cooking with no more inputs needed from you or the grid. It is a very energy efficient, easy, straightforward way to cook and is almost foolproof. You cannot burn or overcook your food using this method. Meats come out juicy, rice and other grains come out perfectly cooked without danger of overcooking. Cook boxes are perfect for stews and soups. In fact, just about anything you would cook in a slow cooker or crock pot you can cook using this method. It does take extra time. You do have to plan ahead, but you can start your meal early in the day, then go about your normal business, go to work, go visiting, or whatever you want to do and by dinner time, you will have a great meal that is wonderfully cooked, and you haven’t heated up your house or wasted energy doing it.
While surfing the internet, I found a wonderful eBook that teaches all about hot box or hay box cooking, with a modern twist. One of the first things you will read in Retained Heat Cooking … the Wave of the Future Again, Discover How Easy it is to Make and Use Your Own Off-the-Grid Cook Box to Cook Uncommonly Good Food – A Frugal, Time Honored Method of Cooking That Saves Time, Space, Money, Resources, Nutrition and Electricityis the history of hot box cooking as it has a rich history. Did you know that people were trying to conserve energy as far back as the early 1900s? Even the government was trying to get people to conserve on fuel, including cooking fuels, especially during the war, so hotbox cooking was promoted as a way to save or conserve energy.
The next thing you will learn about is the science behind hotbox cookers or cook boxes. It’s really very simple, even a caveman could do it, sorry, wrong commercial. We know that ancient Indians (Native Americans) as well as other native peoples all over the world and throughout history used this technology to cook great meals
Leslie Romano has put a new twist on an old method, replacing hay with modern insulating materials that most of us have around the house. You should not have to go out and buy anything to make this version of the hot box cooker, or as Leslie calls it, the off-the-grid cook box. You do not have to be an engineer or have a degree in anything to construct an effective off-the-grid cook box.
Leslie teaches you how to make a very simple, yet ingenious instant off-the-grid cook box using common, household materials. You can also very easily take the knowledge gained from this eBook and build a more permanent and even decorative hot box cooker, or you could just continue using the simple one. You might even consider trying out several different hotbox cookers using different materials and then have several hotbox cookers to use and experiment with when you are done.
In this inexpensive eBook, you are given a variety of methods for making different sized hotbox cookers, using easy to find materials. There are many suggestions and advice included such as the more often you plan on using your cooker, the sturdier you will want to make it and what dimensions to consider for your cooking needs and so on.
Think about the holidays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays or other times when you will have a lot of people over to eat and you are making big meals to feed a multitude of people. You will probably use every burner on the stove top, you will fill your oven, and your microwave will be going full force. How nice would it be if even half of these foods could be started on the stove top or oven ahead of time and cooked in a hotbox cooker? That would free up valuable cooking real estate (stove top, oven…) for other foods. Any dish that needs to be or can be cooked long and slow can be started on the stove and then finished in your hotbox cooker. If the food needs to be browned, then it’s a simple matter to pop it under the broiler for a few minutes to add that finishing touch. And just think that with all of those dishes cooked in a hotbox cooker, you don’t have to worry about overcooking or drying them out. Also, the heat you are using to cook your foods will be doing what it is supposed to be doing, heating your food, not your kitchen. Plus you are free to focus on other, more important things during such important times, such as your guests.
In Retained Heat Cooking … the Wave of the Future Again, you will also find a multitude of links, books and other reference material that deepens your understanding and provides extra information. I spent an afternoon reading the various blogs and websites she linked to that discuss hot box cooking. It turns out that there are a lot of talented people out there using various versions of this type of cooker, and Leslie points you to many of these people. It is great to have a broader perspective on this simple, timeless technology.
There is a wonderful story in this eBook about how Leslie went without a refrigerator for a period of time. She remarks about the “ahhh” factor of the silence the moment they unplugged their refrigerator. Have you ever had the electricity go out for a while and noticed just how quiet, the QUIET really is? I mean real quiet, silence. It truly is golden. We are surrounded in our daily lives with motors, machines, fans and compressors. We get so used to this constant drone that we don’t even realize how much noise we are really living with. So for every machine with its accompanying noise that we can lessen or eliminate completely, the better it is for our health and sanity as well as our pocketbooks. For Leslie, unplugging her refrigerator ended up leading her to discovering how to cook with a cook box.
Leslie teaches you how to set up a simple hot box cooker, what to cook in it and how to cook in it. She teaches the basics as well as shares some mouthwatering recipes to get you started. Honestly, once you get the basics down, you will find yourself converting your own recipes to use in your off-the-grid cook box. It’s quite simple and you might even wonder to yourself why you didn’t think of this before.
Here are some videos to watch:
You can even use your cooker to make yogurt. It’s very easy to do and you don’t need special equipment, just a few easy to get household items, and you are well on your way to making a healthy alternative to the overpriced, chemically enhanced junk they sell in stores.
Whether you are trying to go green and save energy, or you are looking for an inexpensive way to cook (saving money and energy) or you need a better way to cook when you are off the grid (or camping, going to the beach and such…), this eBook is just what you need.
I also love and appreciate the heartfelt prayer she includes at the end of this eBook.
I came up with a few questions to ask Leslie and she was kind enough to answer: 1. How and when did you learn about this method of cooking?
We unplugged our refrigerator for a while last winter in order to inch our way towards living off the grid, but for various reasons our alternatives were not quite working out. The day we reluctantly plugged it back in, I was in the kitchen trying to figure out what to make for dinner while also feeling very restless to somehow “make up” for having had to plug the frig back in. A couple of lines in one of my cookbooks tipped me off and I made dinner that night in a spontaneously constructed cook box. It was fabulous and we were all hooked immediately! 2. How often do you use this method of cooking?
It varies with season. In the winter, we use it daily or even a couple of times a day. In the summer, we use it anywhere from nearly daily to several times a week. As we learn more about how to use a cook box effectively, we are finding more and more ways to use it. It took us some time to figure out the best way to cook rice, for instance, and pasta dishes. With time, I think we will figure out so many ways of using our cook box that we will just always be using it. Perhaps someday the question of note will become, “How many times did you use your oven?” I look forward to that. 3. What made you decide to write about this method of cooking?
Experience and research. When I ate the soup that came out of the cook box the first time I used it, I was amazed. Each ingredient was perfectly cooked for that ingredient. I mean that soup was yummy and the whole family noticed it. It was a soup that could have easily burned because of the flour in it, by the way, but the pot was clean and easy to wash up at the end. That really got my attention also. Gradually I realized that cooking in a cook box is a low heat method of cooking which, therefore, preserves nutrients. I think that is really important as I am committed to slow cooking and natural methods of preparing foods. Finally I started actually researching the subject. I learned about the use of cook boxes in developing countries. I learned that you save 20% – 80% of your cooking fuel using a cook box. I learned so many exciting and interesting things about cooking with cook boxes or hay boxes that I decided to write an e-book so that hopefully many other people would learn these things too and find the same benefits we have found. Plus what a difference it would make to the world both in terms of human health, environmental health and budgetary health if many, many people all over the world used simple cook boxes for much of their cooking. I am on fire with that vision. I figured an e-book was a simple step to take to help make that happen even a little. My husband also put a couple of videos up on our You Tube channel that show our instant cook box and provide a brief explanation of the whole thing.
I also wanted to write about this method of cooking so that I could weave cook box cooking into modern life. It isn’t just a cooking method for agricultural workers on their way to the fields any more. It is perfect for large families and small. It saves energy and preserves nutrition which are modern day concerns. It works with thermodynamics, eases the strain on deforested areas and requires less water which are also modern day concerns. People these days are so used to instant comfort and convenience that often the advantages of carrying out the activities of daily life in simpler ways are not obvious. So I wrote an entire section on some of the terrific advantages to cook box cooking that might not be immediately apparent to the modern reader. Finally being a homeschooler myself, I also added a section that provides lots of ideas spanning science, history, math, life skills and creative thinking and problem solving for homeschoolers or after-schoolers so that this great addition to the kitchen can also be a great addition to the education of the family. After all, the direction of the future is being determined now – especially with our children. 4. What is your favorite recipe to cook in the hotbox cooker?
Well, let’s see. It is hard to choose a favorite because anything you cook in a cook box tastes better than on the stove top. I love jasmine rice cooked in whey in a cook box because the rice comes out perfectly, is extra flavorful and nutritious from being cooked in whey but does doesn’t scorch the bottom of the pot and so is easy to clean up. I love a continuous leftover soup my husband made all winter that included pasta that never got mushy even though all the other ingredients were thoroughly cooked. I love using the cook box to incubate milk while it is turning into cheese when the kitchen is cold. So many favorites… If I were going to pick a recipe, though, I guess I would choose “Going Off the Grid Lentil Soup” because it is the first recipe I made in a cook box and is delicious. As a matter of fact, I included that recipe in the e-book. I hope everyone tries it and experiences the same delicious “aha!” that I did. 5. What does your family think of this? Do you get strange looks from friends and family when you cook in the hotbox cooker?
My family loves it. They appreciate how wonderful the food tastes and they benefit from the time savings. The children appreciate it because it allows them to contribute to the cooking in a very meaningful, foolproof way. Also when I am deep into writing and editing, my husband does a lot of the cooking and he finds using a cook box makes this much easier. He also enjoys being inventive with it and is good at it. He has come up with some great innovations and recipes.
I don’t get strange looks because the people around me kind of expect this sort of thing from me, I guess. Besides, I get so excited in telling them all about it that they usually walk away in wonder rather than in perplexity. So far, most people seem to really enjoy learning about this way of cooking naturally and inexpensively. It is such a discovery to realize that you can do this. This seems to light other people up just like it does me. 6. How many cookers do you have?
We have one large one. I would like to have a large one and a medium sized one at some point as we are a large family. But just the one cook box does wonderfully well for us so we are content. 7. Have you made a permanent cooker?
We haven’t yet, interestingly enough. Our instant cook box works really, really well and we are otherwise terrifically busy so the available time and resources have not yet been available to make a permanent cook box. My husband has a wonderful idea for making a permanent one that is also a kitchen island. We are gradually accumulating the supplies to make that a reality. I look forward to including a description of the final product in a future e-book. 8. Is there anything you would like to add here, anything you want us to know about you or anything else?
My husband and I were both raised in a sort of typical middle class, corporate American way. As adults we discovered that this type of upbringing did not position us very well for facing such an uncertain future as the one we are all now facing. It also didn’t position us to enjoy a rich, intimate family life. So we made a choice to go in a new direction that we felt made sense for us, for our future, for our children and for the world around us. We are now a homesteading, homeschooling family of eight that every day discovers a new way to live a little bit more naturally and to become a better and better team, as it were. We are so grateful for this new way of life that is so much work but which brings peace and satisfaction, and produces adaptable, cooperative, skilled children complete with highly developed senses of imagination and humor that we want to share whatever we can in case it may be helpful to others doing the hard work of also changing their way of life. To that end we formed the Pockets of the Future project which includes web sites and blogs, videos. We also formed Bamboo Grove Press in order to publish books and now e-books. It is hard to live a steep-learning-curve-life and then find time to write about it too, but we try.
Changing the whole orientation of your life and your way of living your daily life can be a daunting task since the necessary knowledge, experience and skills are usually scarce. Many people write to us saying, “Help…” Where to start? Where to get the needed resources? How to think about it? What about the children? and so on. We have experienced over and over again that if you long for a better way, a simpler way, a more intimate, more natural way of life and you are willing to actually do something about it, then a thread to pull or a hint to follow up on or a step to take will always appear. If you pull that thread, follow that hint or take that step, then the next bit will always appear. Always. Soon the threads and hints and steps will become a torrent with which you can barely keep pace but that is perhaps a separate problem. In the meantime, we hope that our e-books and videos and beginning experiences will provide at least a little inspiration and information.
Thank you Leslie for answering these questions, I feel like I know you better now and understand more about your life and the reasons why you chose to use this alternative method of cooking. Thank you for sharing this part of your life with me and the world.
Don’t forget to check out Leslie’s other eBook, On Your Way Towards Solar Cooking: The Why’s and Wherefore’s of Solar Cooking in Brief. You can find both of these eBooks at a very reasonable price here: http://www.bamboogrovepress.com/Ebooks.htm
I notice all of the ready made, easy to use, premixed, God only knows what is in it foods and drinks. There probably isn't anything wrong with it, until you begin to read the fine print on the ingredient lists. One thing I have noticed lately is all the "healthier" juice drinks and teas that are hitting the shelf at your local stores. On the outside of the can or bottle it will say something like, "healthier" and "less sugar", it sounds really good, you think you are getting a drink with less sugar and no artificial sweeteners, until you turn it over and read on the ingredient list that it not only contains sugar and corn syrup, it also contains sucralose, the generic form of Splenda, some contain aspartame and another sweetener that hasn't gotten much media time, acesulfame potassium.
The problem is it says NOTHING on the front label about having any sort of artificial sweeteners, so you believe that you are getting a wholesome, juice or tea beverage, it's even being done with some of the energy drinks, I find this deceptive. It used to be that you had 2 choices, either you had sugar in the drink or it was sugar free and contained artificial sweeteners, now they are blending these and not stating it clearly on the labels. There are many people who are sensitive to artificial sweeteners, there are many people who don't want to put that sort of garbage into their bodies, and now drink companies are putting this into so called, healthy beverages and hiding the fact in the small print on the back of the container. See the examples at the bottom.
I had stocked up on unsweetened powdered drink mixes before moving off grid, I still pick them up when I find them on sale. Kool-aid is a favorite, I'm still a kid at heart. I generally don't make up a whole pitcher of Kool-aid, we just don't drink it fast enough and the lack of refrigeration is also a problem. I was happy when I found Kool-aid Singles, you can pour one packet into a glass of water or into a bottled water, one packet, one serving, that is convenient!
Then I read the box, those rascals put sucralose and acesulfame potassium in the drink mix along with sugar and fructose! It says nothing on the front of the box about containing any artificial sweeteners, it didn't say sugar free, it merely said less sugar which sounded good to me.
Well, I decided I could make my own drink mix that contained the amount of real sugar that I want, and I can make up one drink at a time if I choose. I had lots of Kool-aid powdered drink mix, the kind that comes in a packet that you have to add sugar to.
One problem that has to be overcome is the sugar, in its granular form, it will not readily dissolve in cool or cold water, so I pulled out my coffee bean grinder. I use this for spices (I have never used it for coffee), I made sure it was absolutely clean, then I measured out one cup of sugar, then I placed a small amount of the sugar into the grinder and pulsed it into a fine powder. Once I did the whole batch/cup, I poured it into a wide mouth jar, I added one packet of Kool-aid, I chose pink lemonade. I replaced the lid on the jar and shook it until it was combined.
I poured a glass of water and added a heaping spoonful of the drink mix, it dissolved almost instantly, I drank it and it was perfect! I just finished my second glass. In the next few days, I'll make up more batches with the different flavors of Kool-aid that I have lots and lots of.
You can use a blender or food processor to buzz the granulated sugar, I just use what I have on hand. You could also just use powdered sugar, but there is an extra ingredient in powdered sugar, it is corn starch, I assume it is to keep it from clumping, I will continue using my method. :)
Click the links to see some examples of the deceptive labels, you should note that nothing on the front of the bottles/cans indicate they contain artificial sweeteners, they are not sugar free, they do in fact contain sugar, AND sucralose and/or aspartame. I am not picking on these two companies, there are many more who do this as well, these are just 2 very well known companies with well known products. I know that Snapple does carry some lower sugar beverages that do not contain artificial sweeteners, just read those labels!
I’ve been going back over the first pictures we took of our cabin, before it was renamed the sky castle, it’s hard to believe we have done so much with so little. Here are some of the original pix followed by more current pix. Enjoy!
I ran across this article today, it’s about a grandmother who has made the active choice to protect herself by prepping for an uncertain future. She made changes in her lifestyle to help her get through any tough times that might come her way. I say with tongue firmly planted in cheek, this grandma has gone all TEOTWAWKI, all I can say is, you go granny!![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t8lyDK_BgzYGV5Tc9BvBRBXO7YAT_BivKT0JmWIv1Qvo_-hVFe7dW9zhGgVkxoAXU6SaXaCJ6zrr7ocB7hYstNq5pP0y4BgYi7OkDRGhi0B_V60UZPlSfNAo5OvX0fdKf40OZNAI_6U9DuuFeKOC0=s0-d)
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). These are good, warm boots, they say they are rated to 20° below zero F, I doubt I’ll give them that kind of workout. As long as my feet stay toasty warm, or at least not freezing in 14°to 20°, I’ll be happy. I ordered these boots a full size larger than I normally wear, that’s to accommodate the extra socks I’ll be wearing. Last winter, my boots were a half size larger and once I had on a couple of thick pair of wool socks, my toes were cramped. Ladies, I know how hard it is to buy shoes a size larger than you normally wear, but when it comes to keeping your feet warm and comfortable, then you have to sacrifice a tiny bit of (perceived) dignity, besides, these boots are cute and they make your feet look more compact. No one need know what size your boots are. :)![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tctR4R9l2-E-3FDG2xd2NhgHy-Lo4BKNr3bVg7xfByfKakMbSSQEig2cQnjEoOHvD_XJnqoGULguMr47otenmCDoeFWr2UjBEIjmE66EQyBhxq_OSpxCYlyfllXLA7fURYIprKer5Pwmc3uBd4iuc=s0-d)
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