Weekly Prep thread, December 5 - 11, 2010

[The Freeholder]

Since no one else has started it....

Right now, unsure what if anything I will do this week. I seem to have given myself a good case of tendinitis in my right elbow, and I'm trying to avoid a doctor's visit if possible. So that limits the amounts and kinds of work I can handle.

 

[kilagal]

Well Prudentwatcher was back so I didn't do it. I do not wish to step on anyones toes. I did do it when Prudent was on vacation.
It has been a long week here. On Tuesday we went to the ranch and butchered a pig. I have now been cutting up the 350 pound pig. All that is left to do is grind and season all the sausage, brine the bacon. Then freeze the fat till the weather is warmer to make lard. I will not stand outside when it is freezing to cook lard. And the smell of it cooking in the house makes dh sick.
We did find mayonaise on sale this week at a very small store for $l a jar and got 10 of them. Because it was a very good buy.
I got dh some very needed tools for Christmas presents on a sale at Ace Hardware. I see that some of there wrenches now have lifetime warranty like Craftsman. And they also sell Craftsman now as well.
We also got 3 battery lanterns this week for $5 each. Which is a good price as they are suppose to be over $20 for the ones we got.

 

[prudentwatcher]

It doesn't have to be me to start it each week I just like to see this thread-it help keeps me focused.

I spent my afternoon making blueberry jam for Christmas presents (blueberries were picked this summer). I also changed out the bedroom stuff to the winter flannels and heavy duvet.

Christmas shopping this weekend, but managed to get other stuff too: a big throw from Kohls; 2 flannel shirts, 2 sweatpants, 5 polos for my better half; a number of big candles (for less than $3.50 each); some dvd's for our collection; some yarn for another throw; a number of good books and magazines; a big tin of popcorn (fill it with rice when we finish it); more flour; 4 big bags of chocolate chips (buy1/get1 free), and probably a few other things as well. Haven't had a chance to really go through the sales ads from today, so might have more for the week later.

 

[Barb]

We always froze the ground pork and seasoned it when we wanted to cook sausage. It keeps longer that way and the spices don't develop that off taste they can get when frozen.

 

[summerthyme]

Since no one else has started it....

Right now, unsure what if anything I will do this week. I seem to have given myself a good case of tendinitis in my right elbow, and I'm trying to avoid a doctor's visit if possible. So that limits the amounts and kinds of work I can handle.

Try taking some extra Vitamin B6 (100-200 mgs daily for *no longer* than 2 weeks). If you don't mind yellow skin temporarily, make up some turmeric "tincture" by putting 1/4 cup of turmeric powder into some rubbing alcohol (label it NOT FOR INGESTION- POISON!!) or use vodka, which will cost more. Dip some of the resulting yellow liquid (it will get stronger as it sits, but you can use it almost immediately) out on a cotton ball, and rub over the tender area, and along tendons which seem to be involved. It's a potent anti-inflammatory, and it works.

OR buy some arnica gel and use it in the same way as the turmeric.

The effectiveness of the above is why I have 10# of turmeric powder in my preps.

Summerthyme

 

[Ellie Mae]

Summerthyme,

can you give the ratio for the tumeric to alcohol mix? I see the 1/4 cup of tumeric, but how much alcohol? should it be liquid or more of a paste consistency?
Freeholder, I feel your pain girl, seems it rears its head frequently since we got all these critters...another suggestion that seems to work for me is to get a support wrap, it goes around the forearm area and keeps the strain off the elbow tendon, I wear it most days if I will be lifting and milking,etc...

sorry I got off topic, but am excited to try something that will relieve the elbow pain, it really affects daily chores!

on topic....haven't done much prep related stuff this week, got hit by a mouse attack with 20 degree weather, so everything is out of the kitchen cabinets and is awful mess... our most excellent mouser cat is stuffed so full of them rodents, he just kills them now and lets em lay, lol...

I did learn to make homemade hot pockets from scratch, we stay so busy on this farm somedays, we need some grab and go food,
but trying to get a stash of them is difficult as they get eaten up so fast fresh out of the oven!

 

[prudentwatcher]

Forgot about my trip to PetsMart on Saturday. I didn't have many coupons and was looking mainly for dry cat food. MAN!!! PRices have gone through the roof. I spent the month's budget on pet food really quickly. Wish I had the space and money for more cat food. WIth 5 cats we go through a fair amount.

My alarm clock died so I went to WM for a replacement. While I was there I found lamp oil again. First time I've seen it in ages. Bottle is different, don't know if it is a different brand, but I picked up another 2. Also got another winter throw. I seem to have an obsession with those and I live in Florida, not like we need them a lot.

Filled up the car today. Gas here hit $3 a gallon.

 

[summerthyme]

Whoops... sorry, that should have been to 1 cup alcohol! The actual ratio doesn't matter that much... you can use more turmeric, but the alcohol can only absorb just so much of the active chemicals, so using a lot more would just be wasteful.

This ends up like a "wash" or liquid. It STAINS cloth, so be aware of that- we used an old towel and wrapped hubby's knee in it last fall when we were treating his badly torn MCL... the yellow-orange never did come out of that towel. It will wash off skin, but not easily.

I also make a salve out of turmeric using any bland cream, or even vaseline... it works really well on livestock for severe sprains, swelling, inflammation. But that's messier than most people are willing to tolerate on their skin, hence my experimenting with the "wash" in alcohol. The curcumin doesn't dissolve in water, so you need to use either alcohol or an oil type base.

Summerthyme

 

[Ellie Mae]

thanks Summerthyme, good info!

Ellie Mae

 

[The Freeholder]

Freeholder, I feel your pain girl, seems it rears its head frequently since we got all these critters...another suggestion that seems to work for me is to get a support wrap, it goes around the forearm area and keeps the strain off the elbow tendon, I wear it most days if I will be lifting and milking,etc...

Um...I'm a guy. Clue is in the avatar.

However, I did get a support brace for it. Still trying to figure out exactly how the little strap thing ought to be used.

 

[joyfulheart]

canned 5 quarts of cinnamon pears, that's all I had time for today.
aargh.

 

[summerthyme]

LOL... THE Freeholder is a guy.

Freeholder... Kathleen... is a woman. Who has goats. Hence the confusion...

Summerthyme

 

[prudentwatcher]

Doctor visit to take get a shot in my foot for plantar faciatis (sp?) pain. It's been bothering me for a couple of months now, including a lot of pain on vacation. Time to get it taken care of. Got a new pair of orthotics to help out.

Stopped by Home Depot to look for another Christmas tree as our 9 or 10 year old fake one finally died (won't turn). Found one and grabbed a 32 pack of AA batteries on my way out.

Posted sales so far this week are nothing to get excited about. Hoping Publix will have some good stuff.

 

[Ellie Mae]

oops! Thanks Summerthyme for clearing that up for me...

The Freeholder, sorry bout that mix up in names...but I still feel your pain, lol...

the strap I use has velcro, and am not sure what type you got, but mine has a plastic loop that the strap goes through so it can be adjusted.

One of the ones I have is very comfy, has a gel pad in it, but no real way to clasp the velcro securely so it will pop loose on occasion...

The supports really do help relieve the fire shooting out of the elbow most days.


Ellie Mae

 

[prudentwatcher]

Using some gift cards and an online code, I ordered a heavy (for Florida) jacket and three heavy shirts from JC Penneys. Just a few bucks out of pocket.

Picked up another pair of sweatpants for SO and some AA batteries on sale at Home Depot.

 

[Volleyball Granny]

I have to write lesson plans for this week and the week after the holidays--as though I won't be in class, since I have ankle surgery on Dec 16th. I'll be off my feet for 2 weeks, in a cast for 8 weeks, and in a boot for 4 weeks after that.

I have never had anything like this done before and don't quite know what to expect. I plan to fix a 'nest' where I can reach books the TV remote, and the computer without too much moving around the first week.

 

[colonel holman]

summertyme gives great supplements advice, as I like to add the physical therapy advice.

I am a PT specializing in musculoskeletal overuse disorders. most elbow tendinitis is actually a wrist problem since the wrist muscles originate at the elbow (wrist extensors on the outer part; tennis elbow; and wrist flexors on the inner part; golfers elbow). either of these is caused by chronic loading at the wrist and hand (hammer use, computer mouse use, lots of lifting-gripping). One very simple and often helpful tip is to wear a wrist splint like what you would wear for carpal tunnel or a sprained wrist. that allows these groups to rest and heal faster.

stretching also very important. two stretches for this would be hold elbow straight, palm down, close fist, curl fist down. if it hurts, that's tennis elbow. stretch very gently 10-20 sec. other stretch is elbow straight, palm up, hand open, stretch hand backward for golfers elbow. healing leaves behind scar tissue on tendon, reducing its elasticity, setting up repeated bouts of tendinitis. thus important to stretch to keep healing elastic