This weeks preps check-in

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Rat traps are great for catching squirrels for dinner. Attach the trap to the tree and bait with peanut butter or something similar.

This is pure redneck genius! I really liked Ma'am's alarm idea,but my first thought was glow sticks,rat traps and two kids,great idea,but wouldn't work for me.However,using the traps for hunting flies,as I can put them much higher up,out of reach.I love it!Thanks for adding more stuff for my "to get" list,lol
 
This is going to sound odd, but an inexpensive alarm system can be roosters. Those little boogers sing out anytime day or night if something comes into the area. Have a few yard roosters and guineas, you'll always know when something's come around.


Yeah only they do it if there is no one around too...

sensors etc.. are all good as long as you put them in a place no one will be this usually means behind a locked gate or door.

Roosters and dogs can other animals can work but unless they are trained to human threats which can take years of training you will get a lot of false alarms...

but I guess a false alarm is better than no alarm when it matters.
 
We don't have that trouble with our roosters. Other than crowing at first light, if one of them starts crowing in the middle of the night, there's something out there. Ours tend to be pretty quiet through the day as well unless he's gotten lucky with one of the ladies, but if you keep an eye out on that, you'll learn your bird's different crows.
 
Yesterday I found a great site full of great PDF files (I started a thread on it under the material forums) and I'm expanding my mind with extra knowledge. Need to basically prep for 2, me and my bro. (Problems with medication for my parents, blood pressure for mum and thyroid meds for dad) Up side is I know where to find medications, working in medical field currently as a summer job. Tried also bringing up a TEOTWAWKI situation to my brother to try to get him to start prepping, didn't work as well as I thought it would but not as bad as it could have been. God I don't want anything bad to happen to him. Basically started to prep because of him.
 
Yesterday I found a great site full of great PDF files (I started a thread on it under the material forums) and I'm expanding my mind with extra knowledge. Need to basically prep for 2, me and my bro. (Problems with medication for my parents, blood pressure for mum and thyroid meds for dad) Up side is I know where to find medications, working in medical field currently as a summer job. Tried also bringing up a TEOTWAWKI situation to my brother to try to get him to start prepping, didn't work as well as I thought it would but not as bad as it could have been. God I don't want anything bad to happen to him. Basically started to prep because of him.

We all have family like your brother. Keep working on your preps. Don't make it sound like zombie stuff. Go with things like weather, loss of job, cost savings in bulk buying, and many other logical ways and reasons to prep. Tyler, it sounds like your a squared away guy. Don't get discouraged.
 
I'm going with bulk buying and weather in Canada. He hates spending money so it helps for me to say that he can save more of it :p it is hard for him trying to deal with the world, he has social problems, dyslexia (worse then me/mine) and he is gay. More than once I've come to his rescue on them. Tried teaching him martial arts and that didn't work, tried cross bow and bow but neither worked. He just sits inside his room on the computer because it is easier than dealing with the world. Once I started looking at the world and him I started to prep.
 
Sharkbait, your food storage is off to a great start! Keep it up. And you medical supplies surpass mine in a long shot, so great job!
 
Roosters are a great alarm system, but I keep mine in the back of the house about 50 feet away and only alert when they see something different in their space, so they have the back. My donkeys, out front are the best alarm I have. They will alert to anything that comes close to there pasture and will even defend their area with their stomping, then I have my four dogs. I get alerted if anyone drives up.
 
Sharkbait, your food storage is off to a great start! Keep it up. And you medical supplies surpass mine in a long shot, so great job!

Thanks for the compliment Danil54grl,I really appreciate it,but that's not my food storage start,lol.Thats just what was overflowing from my storage/pantry room.It was too full and we had to "clear some space",so we cleaned out that closet just to put some of the excess food in.

Now today's job is working on that medicine cabinet and totes,although i'm not looking forward to it,haha.
 
I almost finished our chicken coop; got the roof on, built the laying boxes, got wire over the windows, vinyl on the floor for ease of cleaning, and put in the people door. All that’s left is the chicken door, shutters for the windows, make a feeder and waterier, and the roosts. So I have to ask the experts, how high off the floor and how far apart should the roosts be? And any tips on a DIY feeder and waterier would be appreciated
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I love how you can open each nest box area separately Wild Man. Good job on it!
 
It's been a canning day. . .Praline syrup, Candied Jalapenos, and an alternative to Vienna sausages
Just saying starting out: This is not USDA approved.
I had bought 6 lbs. of hotdogs when they went on sale at our local grocery store and I have been in a canning mode today, so thought I would try to can some up like they do Vienna sausages. I got all my half pint jars and lids ready, because a whole pint is just too much at one time for my family. I cut the hotdogs in half and boiled them in homemade chicken broth that I had in the freezer for a couple minutes. I placed 5 halves of hotdog per jar. Then ladled boiling chicken broth, leaving an inch headspace. For some variation on some jars, I added a 1/4 cup BBQ sauce and others I added 1/4 cup hot sauce (not the vinegary type) and red pepper flakes then topped with the chicken broth and just gently shook it in. I processed the jars at 10lbs of pressure for 90 minutes.
 
well danil..im deffintly intrested to hear how that tuns out..especilly seeing how i love veinna sausage..
 
It's been a canning day. . .Praline syrup, Candied Jalapenos, and an alternative to Vienna sausages
Just saying starting out: This is not USDA approved.
I had bought 6 lbs. of hotdogs when they went on sale at our local grocery store and I have been in a canning mode today, so thought I would try to can some up like they do Vienna sausages. I got all my half pint jars and lids ready, because a whole pint is just too much at one time for my family. I cut the hotdogs in half and boiled them in homemade chicken broth that I had in the freezer for a couple minutes. I placed 5 halves of hotdog per jar. Then ladled boiling chicken broth, leaving an inch headspace. For some variation on some jars, I added a 1/4 cup BBQ sauce and others I added 1/4 cup hot sauce (not the vinegary type) and red pepper flakes then topped with the chicken broth and just gently shook it in. I processed the jars at 10lbs of pressure for 90 minutes.


Good stuff Danil,love the idea on the hot dogs.Our 3yr old won't touch beans,so we are always looking for new idea's of foods to store long term thats more tailored to him.

And can you come off the candied jalapeno recipe?That sounds pretty darn tasty and i've got some peppers that'll be ready to pick in the next week or two and would love to give it a try.
 
And Wild Man,that coop is sweet!Very nice craftsmanship and design.That makes my coop look like it was built by.....umm,well...me,lol.Nice job!
 
Good stuff Danil,love the idea on the hot dogs.Our 3yr old won't touch beans,so we are always looking for new idea's of foods to store long term thats more tailored to him.

And can you come off the candied jalapeno recipe?That sounds pretty darn tasty and i've got some peppers that'll be ready to pick in the next week or two and would love to give it a try.


Candied Jalapenos



Serve this over cream cheese, with cracker, add to burgers, or pimento cheese



4 lbs fresh jalapeno, sliced

2 lbs onion, diced

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup water

6-8 cups sugar

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons celery seeds

1 fresh garlic clove (1 per jar)

1 teaspoon ginger



Slice jalapenos into thin slices and dice onions (I would suggest a pair of rubber gloves for handling jalapenos, personal experience, do not touch your face!). Place in pan with water and vinegar, bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer about 2 min. (do not breath fumes) . Pour off most of the water vinegar mixture, add the sugar and spices bring to soft candy temperature to completely dissolve sugar about another 10 minute Place boiling mixture into jars, leaving 1/4 in head space. Adjust caps.

Water bath 5 minutes to insure a good seal.

*note: if you like the peppers a little crisp, boil mixture and add peppers at the end
 
well danil..im deffintly intrested to hear how that tuns out..especilly seeing how i love veinna sausage..
They turned out great. . .at least the only one we sampled so far. BBQ Very easy and only 22 cents a jar
 
Thanks Danil,thats got my mouth watering,lol.Some of that on top of some pimento cheese and crackers sounds like a real treat.Appreciate it!

Funny you mentioned the gloves.My Uncle and I,many years ago was making salsa and he was teaching me how to can and naturally we were pounding the beers away while doing so,well I had to use the bathroom.He told me to wash my hands in vinegar to neutralize the peppers oil first,but of course I didn't do it.Needless to say,I haven't cut peppers since without gloves on and yes he still makes fun about it,haha.
 
Thanks Danil,thats got my mouth watering,lol.Some of that on top of some pimento cheese and crackers sounds like a real treat.Appreciate it!

Funny you mentioned the gloves.My Uncle and I,many years ago was making salsa and he was teaching me how to can and naturally we were pounding the beers away while doing so,well I had to use the bathroom.He told me to wash my hands in vinegar to neutralize the peppers oil first,but of course I didn't do it.Needless to say,I haven't cut peppers since without gloves on and yes he still makes fun about it,haha.
That's funny. Sorry you had to learn the hard way. . :p
 
Thanks Danil,thats got my mouth watering,lol.Some of that on top of some pimento cheese and crackers sounds like a real treat.Appreciate it!

Funny you mentioned the gloves.My Uncle and I,many years ago was making salsa and he was teaching me how to can and naturally we were pounding the beers away while doing so,well I had to use the bathroom.He told me to wash my hands in vinegar to neutralize the peppers oil first,but of course I didn't do it.Needless to say,I haven't cut peppers since without gloves on and yes he still makes fun about it,haha.
I personally haven't had the same EXACT problem but have gotten some of the oils under fingernails...that burns forever! To top it off, we don't grow ONLY the tame jalapenos...we grow the HOT ones...ghost, scorpion, etc. Those are 200+ times hotter than jalapenos.

Danil, how many quarts does your recipe make? I have an overabundance of jalapenos to do something with...I can only make/eat so many stuffed jalapenos each night!

today, put strawberries and mushrooms into the dehydrator...tomorrow I'll do more.
 
Today I went threw my BOB and added a bag attachment to the outside of it and moved my food into it. I also went threw my brothers bag and rearranged gear inside of his bag. I will be going to the store later today and picking up some soup in a cup mixes. I will also be adding some more cans of food.
 
Just last night, I found out my wife has been filching AA batteries from my stock. I did an inventory and talked to her about it. Kinda had a discussion coz she said she needed batteries immediately then I found out it was for the kid's toys. Am down to half my stock of AA batteries. Had 100 pairs. Now am down to 50 pairs.

She does support me in my prepping but sometimes, she forgets and if she doesn't want to go to the store, she gets it from the stock.

Am doing an inventory now.
 

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