Prep Genrl Weekly prep thread: October 12-18, 2025

[SouthernBreeze]

Other than closing vents to the underneath of our house and lighting the pilot light on our small propane heater, we are set for winter. Cary went ahead and cleaned and covered our propane grill for the season, so no grilling, today. I still have a bit of mulching to do in the raised beds, but everything else is mulched. We have tons of fallen leaves and pine straw in the yard. We've picked up 2 large baskets of pinecones to use as fire starter, too. I'll get the rest of the mulching done, today, just in case we get rain, tomorrow night.

We only have a 7% chance of rain and storms, now. That's not good news for our drought. We're still praying that the system will develop, and we can get measurable rainfall. 86 for our high, today. Sunday's high of only 69 degrees. It could drop down into the upper 30's Sunday night.

 

[Meemur]

I have to brag, too. I got my pass rates from tutoring HiSET (formerly GED) over the summer. I had a 98% pass rate, the highest in the summer session. I can't take all of the credit. Once I tossed out the "problem children" (they are adults), everyone settled down and worked fairly hard.

That's why they want me back.

 

[WanderLore]

Trying to get through the list. Found mice has chewed a huge hole under kitchen sink. Got that all tended to.
Washed what I could of mildew on house. Son and I still trying get the power washer working.
Had him cut some trees that blocked view of road at mailbox.
3 hours at library yesterday finishing paperwork for insurance to write off the new truck loan.
Printed and faxed from library.
I've got the chimney pipe laid out on the floor, see if I can get that up today.
My sweet neighbors are moving to Florida in December, the dad and son. They are the ones bringing us the big freezer full of meat!
In the small town nearest us, the whole block with the grocery, pharmacy, PT place, bank,etc, is for sale. 8 Million. Family wants to retire.
Can't think who would buy it.
Winter is coming.

 

[WanderLore]

The insurance company for the credit union wanted HIPPA paper, past med hx and med list.
Gave them what I had.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I have a prepping question. If you could only have one "natural" antibiotic in your medical provisions, what would it be? I already have a homemade infection recipe, but I would like to know more.

 

[summerthyme]

I have to brag, too. I got my pass rates from tutoring HiSET (formerly GED) over the summer. I had a 98% pass rate, the highest in the summer session. I can't take all of the credit. Once I tossed out the "problem children" (they are adults), everyone settled down and worked fairly hard.

That's why they want me back.

That's great, Meem! I'm sure there are plenty of "problem children", but if you get to toss those, that has to be a very rewarding job! You are making a potentially huge difference in their l8ves and futures.

Summerthyme

 

[summerthyme]

I have a prepping question. If you could only have one "natural" antibiotic in your medical provisions, what would it be? I already have a homemade infection recipe, but I would like to know more.

Colloidal silver! Oral or topical (or both), it's amazing. We even use it as a "boost" for Rx antibiotics... I've seen that work several times when the original antibiotic just wasn't doing the job...helping the infection, but not finishing it off.

Summerthyme (who just realized the .9999 silver wire in her kit is now worth 3x as much as she paid!)

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Colloidal silver! Oral or topical (or both), it's amazing. We even use it as a "boost" for Rx antibiotics... I've seen that work several times when the original antibiotic just wasn't doing the job...helping the infection, but not finishing it off.

Summerthyme (who just realized the .9999 silver wire in her kit is now worth 3x as much as she paid!)

Thank You! Can you buy colloidal silver already made, or would I have to make it myself?

 

[summerthyme]

You CAN purchase it... but it's very simple to make yourself, and MUCH cheaper. I do sell 8 ounce glass and 16 ounce PET plastic bottles of it, much cheaper than you'll find on Amazon. I don't see any need to raise my prices, as I stocked up on the necessary pure silver wire when silver was at $25 an ounce.

Summerthyme

 

[SouthernBreeze]

You CAN purchase it... but it's very simple to make yourself, and MUCH cheaper. I do sell 8 ounce glass and 16 ounce PET plastic bottles of it, much cheaper than you'll find on Amazon. I don't see any need to raise my prices, as I stocked up on the necessary pure silver wire when silver was at $25 an ounce.

Summerthyme

Thanks, again! I just checked Walmart online, and they do have it. I've been making up a big order from them, so I'll just add a bottle to my list. I do like the convenience of shopping online at Walmart for items they don't have in the store. I can get it in 4 ounce or 8 ounce bottles.

 

[summerthyme]

What strength is it? It can go awfully fast when treating an active infection. Hubby developed a "paronychia" on an index finger recently...the result of having his hands in water and detergents for weeks while we were cleaning out and organizing the shipping containers. It accessed twice, and had to be opened and drained...they can be nasty, and often turn chronic. We had too much experience with them when we were milking cows...washing up and sanitizing milking equipment and calf pails.

Anyway, we use a tablespoon twice a day of my homemade 10ppm silver orally for an acute infection, as well as adding some to my anti-infection soak. That's made of garlic, salt water and calendula petals, with 10 drops of essential oil of oregano (or thyme...they both work) per pint. It took 3 weeks and three minor surgeries, but it has finally resolved completely.

And, that soak contains three more potent antibiotics...garlic, oregano and thyme! However, silver doesn't sting on open wounds. It does burn a bit when used as eye drops for bacterial pinkeye, but it usually knocks it out in a dsy or two.

Summerthyme

 

[SouthernBreeze]

What strength is it? It can go awfully fast when treating an active infection. Hubby developed a "paronychia" on an index finger recently...the result of having his hands in water and detergents for weeks while we were cleaning out and organizing the shipping containers. It accessed twice, and had to be opened and drained...they can be nasty, and often turn chronic. We had too much experience with them when we were milking cows...washing up and sanitizing milking equipment and calf pails.

Anyway, we use a tablespoon twice a day of my homemade 10ppm silver orally for an acute infection, as well as adding some to my anti-infection soak. That's made of garlic, salt water and calendula petals, with 10 drops of essential oil of oregano (or thyme...they both work) It took 3 weeks and three minor surgeries, but it has finally resolved completely.

And, that soak contains three more potent antibiotics...garlic, oregano and thyme! However, silver doesn't sting on open wounds. It does burn a bit when used as eye drops for bacterial pinkeye, but it usually knocks it out in a dsy or two.

Summerthyme

I had to go back and check. It's 500 ppm if that's what you mean in both 4 ounce and 8 ounce bottles.

I knew that garlic was a great natural antibiotic, oil of oregano, too. When I develop an ear infection, the first thing I reach for is my garlic juice and a cotton ball. I might smell like garlic for a while, but it really works.

 

[kyrsyan]

Dagnabbit, I hadn't thought about the wires for my colloidal silver generator.

New laptop finally set up. And fully updated. But I'm not doing anything else right now. My brain needs a computer break.

Otherwise, calm day so far. After a hectic week, that's a blessing.

 

[summerthyme]

Yeah, the 500 ppm stuff is strong... dosing should be in drops, I'd think. Ive never used it... the 10 ppm homemade stuff works well for us. But it does take larger amounts..

Summerthyme

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Yeah, the 500 ppm stuff is strong... dosing should be in drops, I'd think. Ive never used it... the 10 ppm homemade stuff works well for us. But it does take larger amounts..

Summerthyme

Yeah. Both come in dropper bottles.

 

[connie]

Does colloidal silver solution expire? I have some that's old. Unopened.

 

[summerthyme]

Does colloidal silver solution expire? I have some that's old. Unopened.

If it is in a dark bottle, or kept in the dark, it should be fine. Light degrades it...

Summerthyme

 

[Meemur]

Yes, I've got to focus and look over my fall and winter meds. I've got to catch up on sleep, first.

And, yes, Summer, it is rewarding, but it's also exhausting. Most have difficulty comprehending a multiple-paragraph essay, even one written at the junior high level. I had permission to re-format some of the materials and add photos -- picture books for adults. Hey, it worked! Half of the battle is getting them interested in reading.

 

[summerthyme]

Yes, I've got to focus and look over my fall and winter meds. I've got to catch up on sleep, first.

And, yes, Summer, it is rewarding, but it's also exhausting. Most have difficulty comprehending a multiple-paragraph essay, even one written at the junior high level. I had permission to re-format some of the materials and add photos -- picture books for adults. Hey, it worked! Half of the battle is getting them interested in reading.

That's really heartbreaking. Meanwhile, my 6 year old granddaughter was telling me how much she lives reading "chapter books"! It really needs to start young.

Summerthyme

 

[Wildwood]

On a food storage note, I opened a can of sliced carrots tonight that expired December 31, 2022. I try not to let my stuff get that far out of date but it happens and until the last year or so there hasn't been a problem but lately when I open something that far out, I'm not happy with the quality of the food. I tasted the carrots and they had a slightly tart taste so I dumped them. The newer can from Aldi didn't have that same taste.

Great Value has been the brand of those items. My cream style corn has been soupy compared to a newer can of the same brand. It was around the same date as the carrots. I only had a few cans of the corn left so just fed the rest to the chickens. That was the only old can of carrots. I don't think I have much more out of date but I have cut back most of my canned preps by one case because we don't use quite as much.

I'm not as comfortable with the out of date food any more, especially past about a year or two. Maybe it's just the Great Value stuff. I've always kept tons of canned corn and in the last twenty years, I've never had any issues with expired cream style corn getting that soupy, watery texture. My stuff has been in the same spot at least fifteen of those years and the temp is not extremely warm or cool.

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed anything. I much prefer the Aldi brand and am slowly switching over. I have to drive an hour to get that and they don't always have what I need so I'm often forced to buy locally.

 

[anna43]

If the can is intact with no rust and not bulged, then I open sniff, look at carefully and use if it passes. If in doubt, throw it out is good for any food product at any stage/age!

Did some more cleaning today which my back did not appreciate. Also, did two loads of washing successfully but feel the machine is not operating properly so will still have the service call. When it went crazy, it was spinning, stopping, then starting spin cycle again. Now when it spins it makes a funny noise so perhaps something is damaged. I no longer trust it and I hate having to babysit it.

I cut a bunch more zinnias for seed plus a bouquet for the kitchen table.

We did not get the forecast rain yet again. We did get enough earlier in the week for the ground to be too tacky to go into the garden.

Grandson called late yesterday and said he was doing okay. His aunt had stayed overnight with him his first night home and then went shopping for groceries. He asked her to get him milk, eggs and bread but she came back with a big loan of heart healthy foods. He had a job interview today that he said he was going to go to. Haven't heard how that went.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I don't mind using expired cans of anything as long as the can is still intact and passes the look and smell test. I have never bought a can of creamed corn that wasn't too soupy. I only have one case of it in storage to use in a certain recipe. Really, the only cream corn we like is what I cut off the cob and make myself.

I have laundry to do and more light house cleaning, today. I found what looks like a delicious recipe online, yesterday. I had everything I needed to make it, so I've got all that in the crock pot on low for tonight's supper. It's a one pot meal. All I will do is make Cary a skillet of cornbread for his. It makes a full crock pot, so we'll have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow night.

Regarding our rain chances. It looks like we will get some rain overnight when the front comes through. The really severe weather looks to stay a bit south of us, but we could still get some strong to severe thunderstorms, just not tornadoes, tonight. Of course, severe thunderstorm cells can produce tornadoes, so we'll be keeping our eyes out and ready to go to our safe place. 86 degrees for our high, and 68 for tomorrow's high.

 

[Wildwood]

This can of carrots passed all the tests and looked great but it did not taste right. I agree, CS corn is soupy but what I opened was more soupy than usual or I wouldn't have mentioned it. I have a few recipes I use it in and have been making one since I was a girl still living at home with my parents. My little granddaughter really loves one of those recipes so we've been using a little more of it lately. I'm no longer comfortable keeping GV brand canned goods more than a year or two past expiration.

 

[kyrsyan]

I don't typically keep store bought canned veggies. There are a few that we like and use though. If they have a pop top lid, I won't store them long term. I've heard of too many issues.

One thing I have noticed over the past few years, with anything canned, is that the seals and rims are no longer uniform. Not even within the same brand. This has caused issues with can openers here.

With all the things that have been going on with the food supply and food issues, I would honestly not be surprised to find that companies are somehow short cutting for canned items. I've seen too many changes over the last few years.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

This can of carrots passed all the tests and looked great but it did not taste right. I agree, CS corn is soupy but what I opened was more soupy than usual or I wouldn't have mentioned it. I have a few recipes I use it in and have been making one since I was a girl still living at home with my parents. My little granddaughter really loves one of those recipes so we've been using a little more of it lately. I'm no longer comfortable keeping GV brand canned goods more than a year or two past expiration.

I've had a few cans of tomatoes that tasted like metal in the recipe they were used in, so I don't store a lot of canned tomatoes, anymore. That's why I need to home can as many as I can in season. I only use cream style can corn when I make taco soup. A can of whole kernel corn is too much corn for our liking.

 

[summerthyme]

Even home canned veggies start getting a little odd in flavor or texture around year 4. Ours are stored dark and cool, and i strongly believe they keep better flavor in glass, but you can't prevent all changes.

If things get really tough, older foods that pass the basic tests are going to be better than nothing...they still will provide calories. But at least at this point, I'm not concerned about that level of need...I'd rather pass out our 2 year old extras to family who will use it up, as soon as the current harvest is safely tucked away.

Summerthyme

 

[Wildwood]

I don't typically keep store bought canned veggies. There are a few that we like and use though. If they have a pop top lid, I won't store them long term. I've heard of too many issues.

One thing I have noticed over the past few years, with anything canned, is that the seals and rims are no longer uniform. Not even within the same brand. This has caused issues with can openers here.

With all the things that have been going on with the food supply and food issues, I would honestly not be surprised to find that companies are somehow short cutting for canned items. I've seen too many changes over the last few years.

I've noticed the same. I'll probably cut back a little more on all the store bought canned stuff. I try to not keep more than what we can use in a year or two but our tastes change sometimes and we get tired of something I've cooked for years and end up with a few things that are older than what I like.

That's what happened with the CS corn. I make a corn pudding for the holidays that everyone absolutely loves but with all the kids married we don't have the crowds to cook for that we use to have. In an effort to use it up and have something different, I started cooking a can of cs corn with a can of drained whole kernel corn and a tablespoon of butter. My little granddaughter absolutely loves it and wants it at least once a week.

I miss sales on groceries. With only WM, Dollar General and Dollar Tree to shop around here, there are no sales.

 

[patriotgal]

I like to keep a flat or 3 on hand of all the veggies we use. We have truly decimated our stash and food is much higher now. I buy what I can find at Aldis right now when we go to Missouri. I cannot catch canned mushrooms in stock there at all lately. Watching local sales on canned goods but they are few and far between. Kids in KC rarely buy cans because they can get so much fresh.

Trying to find a place for all of my oil lamps. Will be giving Grand one of MILs. Will probably be giving her anything she can use of MILs since she and her family are the only ones that go visit her. It's been 2 years since FIL death and MILs dementia decline. DH is about ready to deal with all the household stuff. We will need it gone to make repairs. We will keep whatever he wants to, of course.

Have blackberries thawing for cobbler. I normally don't do a lot of pre-planning for meals but need to start. My classes last 2 more weeks then I will be working mostly full time until spring. When I build a better meat stash I can use instapot and crockpot.

Off to get linens in the wash and do some cleaning. They can't decide when our severe storm is supposed to hit. I want to get stuff done before it does.

 

[kyrsyan]

I rarely shop specifically for sales right now. I just flat out don't have the time. But I will stock up on something we use if I see it on a good sale. Right now, we are stable. And sometimes it's hard to remember that I don't need to buy bulk.

One thing I did need to tackle was son's supplements, and mine. The spot for them had gotten messy and therefore I wasn't sure what we had, or didn't have. I found myself ordering things because I couldn't find them when I needed them. This morning I pulled it all out, did a count, and organized it. We are solid. I am actually only low on three items which I'll look at picking up in the next few weeks, when I see them on sale.

Off to tackle the next thing.

 

[kyrsyan]

I like to keep a flat or 3 on hand of all the veggies we use. We have truly decimated our stash and food is much higher now. I buy what I can find at Aldis right now when we go to Missouri. I cannot catch canned mushrooms in stock there at all lately. Watching local sales on canned goods but they are few and far between. Kids in KC rarely buy cans because they can get so much fresh.

Trying to find a place for all of my oil lamps. Will be giving Grand one of MILs. Will probably be giving her anything she can use of MILs since she and her family are the only ones that go visit her. It's been 2 years since FIL death and MILs dementia decline. DH is about ready to deal with all the household stuff. We will need it gone to make repairs. We will keep whatever he wants to, of course.

Have blackberries thawing for cobbler. I normally don't do a lot of pre-planning for meals but need to start. My classes last 2 more weeks then I will be working mostly full time until spring. When I build a better meat stash I can use instapot and crockpot.

Off to get linens in the wash and do some cleaning. They can't decide when our severe storm is supposed to hit. I want to get stuff done before it does.

I love oil lamps but can't have them because of son. I have one Aladdin that is up for rehab and that will go in storage with lamp oil. But it is a last resort use, just like my propane lanterns.

Dad is making me lamp shelves though. The small ones just large enough for one lamp. Those will be where my emergency lanterns go. A home on the wall, with a set of batteries in a storage pack. Easily available when needed. Batteries stored separately so they don't go bad inside and corrode things. A mirror on the back of the shelf so that I can light them, put them back on the shelf, and have the mirrors reflect the light back into the room.

I debated the light bulbs that recharge when electric is on and then keep working when the power is out but there have just been too many complaints about them being broken and not working at all, not working when the power went out, and/or only working the first time the power went out. If I can find a good brand, I may set up small lamps in some rooms with those. I was thinking more plug in wall sconces in different places.

Okay, ADHD brain is now willing to get back on task. Have a good day!

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I really over bought a lot of canned veggies in the past. I've been using those up for a while now, without restocking them. I don't like to keep cans of veggies no longer than 2 years past their expire dates. I've still got a lot of those veggies to use up in the next year. I won't buy to restock as many as I have been, either. That's leaving a bit more room in my pantry for other items that I use most often. Limited to mostly ingredients to make skillet meals and casseroles. More than likely, it will be sometime next year, before I begin to restock can veggies of any kind. I'm using more fresh veggies from the grocery store now days, so the canned items aren't used as much.

 

[summerthyme]

When youngest son and I built my oil lamp shelves (just big enough to hold one lamp, with a mirror mounted behind it...they made a huge difference in available light), i mounted self stick velcro on the bottom of the shelf. Then I put a matching piece on a box of wooden matches. When the power went out, I was able to feel my way you the nearest shelf, slide the matchbox open, and light the lamp.

I'll bet you could do the same with the small plastic battery storage boxes they sell.

Summerthyme

 

[Meemur]

That's really heartbreaking. Meanwhile, my 6 year old granddaughter was telling me how much she lives reading "chapter books"! It really needs to start young.

Summerthyme

For sure! That's why I'm supporting all the local programs that have children reading to shelter dogs, summer reading challenges, and book fairs. Make reading great again!

Re: canned veggies -- I generally eat them within nine months. Other than vac-sealed tea, there is very little in food storage that's over a year old. Toilet paper and such are a different story, but I've tried to set up my pantry so the winter stuff is gone (or nearly gone) by spring. I will change that routine if the crap hits the fan, but right now it's working well. There's zero waste.

And, yes, the supply chains are thin, again. I was re-stocking vitamins and winter supplies, plus checking the garden centers. I can't believe the mish-mash of Halloween - Thanksgiving - Christmas stuff that's out, and given the prices, I think some is left from last year, especially at Lowe's, and that store, which is normally tidy, was an absolute mess with boxes everywhere and piles of merchandise all over the seasonal area. Ugh!

I'm letting my day "unfold," as the New Agers used to say. If I have more energy later, I'll go work outside. If not, I'll do things where I can sit. It's that sort of day.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I love oil lamps

I love oil lamps, too. I have one in every room in the house. 2 in the living, dining, kitchen area. We keep 25 gal of lamp oil on hand at all times. For mine and Cary's wedding shower, my dad gave us an oil lamp. He said that every home should have at least one. It was his personal gift to us. I still have it in the dining area. We visited an Amish community up in Kentucky that had a country store several years ago. I bought a handmade lamp shade that was hand painted with a beautiful floral and fruit design for that lamp. It's a perfect fit. If I ever get back to an Amish community, I would love to get lamp shades for the rest of them.

 

[kyrsyan]

Sunken cost fallacy. I'm still learning the multitude of versions of it that exist, and where it affects things. Today it came up because of clothes.

But I'm also learning the flip side. You become more careful where you spend your money. I was already more willing to pay more for quality. That is now concrete. But another side is occasionally buying a uber cheap item so I can figure out if the item will actually be worth the investment, and what issues might pop up. Currently, that is two garden tools. And I've learned a lot from both. One will be replaced by a high quality version when it dies. The other won't. For other items, that I know the value of, I just look and save for the quality version. And make sure that the quality version I buy will do what I actually need it to do.

And then today I bought a mini hot air popcorn maker. It hit several points. So much easier to clean than the stovetop pots. About the size of a coffee grinder. Batches are small and easy, so I can make two separate batches and not have a large bowl of each. And lastly, it means I'll stop wasting money on pre-made popcorn and use some of what I have. (I have a lot.) Because it turns out that popcorn is keto safe. It's the toppings that are not necessarily keto safe.

Off to find the tools so that I can trade out sash locks.

 

[Meemur]

I always have at least one air popper (it's two right now, one in a box). They have their place! Sometimes I get invited to something at the last minute (like movie night at the library), and I make popcorn to go. Or I get invited to stop in for beer. I take popcorn. It's cheap and everyone likes it.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

We, once upon a time, ate a lot of buttered microwave popcorn. Not so much, anymore. I haven't bought any in a long time. I do have 2 large jars of popcorn in storage, but it's so old, I guess I need to throw it away. It probably won't even pop. I don't have anything to pop it in, anyway. Dad made the best but always popped it in bacon grease in an old aluminum pot with a lid.

 

[patriotgal]

I have a good stash of what one Grand calls "popcorn seeds" Lol. We don't use a microwave anymore

My new motto is no leftovers. Today was leftover day and I had someone side dishes that I used almost all of both sets of pots. More work than starting from scratch! What I should have done is just makes use everything is in glass and put in oven.

My blackberry cobbler looks great but ran over in the oven. Set oven to clean now.

I have one lamp shelf and about 9 lamps. I will be using STs velcro and match idea. We have several battery operated little touch lamps that are handy for navigation but too dim to do anything by.

 

[Meemur]

I get two years (or so) from popcorn in vac sealed jars. Others claim it can be stored longer, but mine either won't pop or if I can get it to pop, it tastes stale. FWIW.

I no longer buy microwave popcorn. The last batch was giving me headaches, probably from the artificial butter. I've tried making microwave popcorn in a lunch bag. That hasn't worked for me, yet.

The air popper is the best for me if I need some quickly. Otherwise, I use coconut oil and a deep frying pan, with a lid, on the top of the stove.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I get two years (or so) from popcorn in vac sealed jars. Others claim it can be stored longer, but mine either won't pop or if I can get it to pop, it tastes stale. FWIW.

I no longer buy microwave popcorn. The last batch was giving me headaches, probably from the artificial butter. I've tried making microwave popcorn in a lunch bag. That hasn't worked for me, yet.

The air popper is the best for me if I need some quickly. Otherwise, I use coconut oil and a deep frying pan, with a lid, on the top of the stove.

The jars I have are over 2 years old. I'll just go right now and throw them away. I probably won't buy any to replace them, either. It's hard for me to eat with no molars, and Cary isn't a big eater of popcorn anymore.

Will birds eat what I throw out?