Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: June 7 ~ 13, 2020

Hindsight says we should have bought a place at a lower elevation. One of our kids is looking for a place to homestead. I told him to make sure it is 6000 ft or lower in elevation. We all live and learn.
We could likely afford to sell this place and buy something different elsewhere but I don't think I could ever get my wife to move again. Plus her and the neighbor gal are very close friends now so I know she would never move.
We'll get by. We are still still learning here. I would say at this point, no fruit trees but maybe plant just fast growing veggies then buy everything else. As it becomes available I am really boosting our LTS food storage.

Old Gray Mare said:

Warning on availability of propane camp stoves.

I tried to pick up a hefty propane burner to do my canning, especially my pressure canning outside. It helps keep the heat out of the house during canning season.

Anyhow checked hardware stores, big box stores, Home Depot and no burners or camp stoves. Well, none I felt safe putting a pressure canner on. One department store had an off brand camp stove that ran off small cylinders but not the bigger tanks. So DH ordered me one online.

The long suffering manager at Home Depot showed me a page long print out of manufactures who were no longer delivering products. He's stuck between the CV-19 and China tarriffs.

If you've been putting off purchasing one, you might want to reconsider.

Click to expand...

I picked up a Camp Chef 2 burner from Dicks ( I know but I had a coupon and a reward) for use in the sugar shack. I love it. Need to put cinder blocks under it to get it to height but it is quite sturdy.

No big preps this week. Got popcorn to plant this weekend and the deer fence to finish. I do need to tackle the list of little chores that always seem to fall by the wayside. Drying rhubarb for my son. One of our broodys hatched a clutch so I need to reduce the flock. Make some chicken stock. More firewood.

I've got some rearranging to do in my pantry. I was hoping I would have time to get it done, before our next shopping trip, Monday. Don't think it's going to happen, though. There are some canned items that are just too old, and I want them out of the way for newer and more frequently used items.

We got the fallen tree all cleaned up, and the wood stacked in the woodshed. That was a job! We're still waiting on the wood we need, so we can repair our fence that the tree fell on.

Gardens are doing great. I have baby squash and tomatoes! It won't be long now, before we have baby cukes and purple hull peas. We buy our peas from the local Farmer's Market, but they will be ready soon. Didn't grow any green beans this year, since I already have so many canned from 2 yrs. ago. Next year will be the year to grow those again. I bought new seed for them a month ago, but it was really too late to plant them here.

I didn't think my health would allow us to have a large garden again, so I only grew a very small one this year. I wish now that I had grown a larger one. I'm surprising myself as far as being able to handle it. I may try to do a Fall garden of some type.

I have hit Family Dollar, Dollar Tree and Aldi's this week for items, mainly small things to build up the prep supply. I don't buy much at a time and vary the stores I shop at so I won't be recognized as "the one who comes in and buys x all the time". One way to be "gray". I have a bunch of stuff to put away, so that will be my focus through this weekend.

I also went out to the garage where my tp, dish soap and other stuff is stored and am doing some straightening, cleaning and rearranging. I had baby wipes from Y2K that are hitting the trash. Some plastic stuff is really brittle and not worth it anymore. So, get rid of the crap and make room for the new stuff. Also lets me get a really good sense of what I have out there. I mean, I found a dozen dish towels and a half-dozen pot holders just this afternoon, all brand new. So it is definitely time.

Also looked through my notes--I was pretty sure I had put away some shotgun ammo a long time ago, just in case. I did!! So I have to find which ammo box it is in, but I have a nice supply of things other than birdshot that seems to be absent on the shelves around here lately. Happy me!!!!

SouthernBreeze said:

I've got some rearranging to do in my pantry. I was hoping I would have time to get it done, before our next shopping trip, Monday. Don't think it's going to happen, though. There are some canned items that are just too old, and I want them out of the way for newer and more frequently used items.

We got the fallen tree all cleaned up, and the wood stacked in the woodshed. That was a job! We're still waiting on the wood we need, so we can repair our fence that the tree fell on.

Gardens are doing great. I have baby squash and tomatoes! It won't be long now, before we have baby cukes and purple hull peas. We buy our peas from the local Farmer's Market, but they will be ready soon. Didn't grow any green beans this year, since I already have so many canned from 2 yrs. ago. Next year will be the year to grow those again. I bought new seed for them a month ago, but it was really too late to plant them here.

I didn't think my health would allow us to have a large garden again, so I only grew a very small one this year. I wish now that I had grown a larger one. I'm surprising myself as far as being able to handle it. I may try to do a Fall garden of some type.

Click to expand...

How old is too Old? I've used food that was several years past the best by date.

We went to town today, I had two main things I needed to do, one was to mail a return package and cash a check. I forgot both. I did remember the check and we went back for it and but I still forgot the package. I really need to make a list, but then I forget to make the list or forget the list. Too much allergy meds.

I broused around walmart and everything looked pretty full, just a few empty spaces, still pretty short of flour and I can't find any orange slices, just as well on those because I eat too many of them in one sitting. The rice section was just about full in all sizes. The dried bean section was all but full, just an empty space here and there.

The meat section was stocked but very expensive. They still had a supply of grass fed beef, the same prices are before, so I got another four patty package for 5.64. The regular crappy beef patties were a good 10 dollars or more. Even on a good day I do not buy walmart meat, nasty stuff.

The OTC meds are still over priced, they are probably from China and what is still here is high.

I really didn't need anything but did manage to gather up enough stuff to spend $60 and it was only a few bags.

Judy

nomifyle said:

How old is too Old? I've used food that was several years past the best by date.

We went to town today, I had two main things I needed to do, one was to mail a return package and cash a check. I forgot both. I did remember the check and we went back for it and but I still forgot the package. I really need to make a list, but then I forget to make the list or forget the list. Too much allergy meds.

I broused around walmart and everything looked pretty full, just a few empty spaces, still pretty short of flour and I can't find any orange slices, just as well on those because I eat too many of them in one sitting. The rice section was just about full in all sizes. The dried bean section was all but full, just an empty space here and there.

The meat section was stocked but very expensive. They still had a supply of grass fed beef, the same prices are before, so I got another four patty package for 5.64. The regular crappy beef patties were a good 10 dollars or more. Even on a good day I do not buy walmart meat, nasty stuff.

The OTC meds are still over priced, they are probably from China and what is still here is high.

I really didn't need anything but did manage to gather up enough stuff to spend $60 and it was only a few bags.

Judy

Click to expand...

Since Cary thinks he has to have potatoes of some sort at every meal, I went overboard buying canned potatoes, whole and sliced in the event we couldn't get fresh. We didn't like them, and they kept getting pushed back to use only in an emergency. I don't like throwing anything away. Now, I'm stuck with 3-12 can flats of these potatoes that are almost 20 yrs. old. I opened a can of them 2 weeks ago, and they were mushy. The can's are still in good condition, but the potatoes weren't. I plan to fill that hole in my pantry with more food that we know we like, and use more on a regular basis.

We started prepping, in earnest, back in 99 for Y2k. Not being too sensible at that time, I just bought anything and everything to fill my pantry. That's when the potatoes were bought. I didn't shop too smart back in those days. Once the potatoes are gone, they will be the last of things that are over 2 yrs. old in my pantry.

We bailed the other half of the hay field yesterday. I put 51 bales in the barn to sell later and sold 100 out of the field. I am glad that is done for awhile.

The peaches are starting to come off. We have a very few plums too. The first plums we have had in about 8 years. Frost usually gets them. Blackberries are starting to ripen also. I ended up with 12 pints of cherries and two bags frozen for cherry jam later. I should have a pint or two of blueberries to freeze if they will ever ripen.

The garden is doing good. I pulled most of my onions. We are getting some asparagus and I could pick some collard greens. This is my first year growing collards. I am thinking they could replace salads when it is too hot for lettuce much of the summer. I have to dig some potatoes and the snap peas are about done. I am not sure what I want to plant in there place. I have some melons and sweet potatoes to cover part of that area. They are growing on the edge..I just have to turn the runners the way I want them to grow.

I have to clean out the lettuce bed. It has bolted. The chickens and my sons pigs will be delighted for a treat.

We stopped at the local Harps for a few things. Fewer holes in the shelves. Hubby checked the price of hamburger. It has come back down some. It was just under $6 a pound. My Smart Chicken is back on the shelf. But we did not buy any meat. Our freezers are still full. One does have some room, but I told dear hubby that was for fruit. We like frozen peaches. I bought the last 3 boxes of sure jell on the shelf. I can make jelly the old fashioned way if I need to, but sure jell is quicker.

I have 8 roosters on death row. I bought some straight run chicks. Big mistake! They were all roosters. I have plenty of hens I bought in the breed I wanted. I just wanted to add some color variety to the flock. I guess the hatchery are selling out of pullets and having lots of roosters left.

SouthernBreeze said:

Since Cary thinks he has to have potatoes of some sort at every meal, I went overboard buying canned potatoes, whole and sliced in the event we couldn't get fresh. We didn't like them, and they kept getting pushed back to use only in an emergency. I don't like throwing anything away. Now, I'm stuck with 3-12 can flats of these potatoes that are almost 20 yrs. old. I opened a can of them 2 weeks ago, and they were mushy. The can's are still in good condition, but the potatoes weren't. I plan to fill that hole in my pantry with more food that we know we like, and use more on a regular basis.

We started prepping, in earnest, back in 99 for Y2k. Not being too sensible at that time, I just bought anything and everything to fill my pantry. That's when the potatoes were bought. I didn't shop too smart back in those days. Once the potatoes are gone, they will be the last of things that are over 2 yrs. old in my pantry.

Click to expand...

LOL, that is too old. I do have some things that are maybe 5 years past the date, but I'm trying to make my way through them. When I open the cans everything seems fine. Problem is we don't usually eat canned food on a daily or even every other day basis.

I've started giving stuff I get in commodities that I have a huge amount of to my pastors family. They have three young children and I'm determined that they are going to have a full pantry even if I have to be the one to fill it. We also give our excess eggs to them (they usually eat 10 a day) usually a one gallon bucket every couple of weeks. We've lost two of our laying hens to old age, but there are quite a few in two different stages of growing. When DH lived in Illinois he usually had 50 laying hens and had trouble finding people to take the eggs.

Judy