About Me | Are We Crazy, Or What? Why is my blog called Are We Crazy, Or What? We (my husband and I) truly drive down the street and ask ourselves if we are crazy. In part because we are painfully concerned about the earth and her resources and see that most people are not and wonder why? Is it us? Are we that crazy? Other times we get ideas (some good, some bad) in our heads that lead us to question our sanity. So you be the judge as to whether or not we are crazy……….:) Hopefully, you’ll find something useful here. We’d love to hear comments and concerns as well variations on projects we’ve blogged about. Me: It is clear to everyone who knows me that I am not normal. My boys:I have three boys who keep me teetering on the edge of sanity. My husband:My husband is my rock. Making Granola in the Crockpot. Please note that affiliate links are used on this website.
That means if you click on one and make a purchase, I receive a commission to fund my blogging hobby. One of the best things I ever learned was making granola in the crockpot. You know why? Because in the oven, I always burned it–never failed. Oh, you can still burn it in the crockpot, but it’s not as easy. Fill your crockpot about 3/4 full of rolled oats. Add the following: a bag of chopped walnuts, slivered almonds, pecans, or peanuts. Stir that together and then mix the following in a saucepan: 1-1 1/2 cups of honey, maple syrup, or a combination thereof,1 tablespoon of vanilla1 teaspoon of cinnamon1/4 cup of oil. Heat this mixture over low heat until everything is melted and blended. Turn the crock on low and cover, but keep the lid ajar to let the steam escape.
Some recipes say you can stir every 45 minutes, but my crockpot gets too hot and I’ve scorched mine this way. It is done when it is brown and dry. Any questions? Recipe: Homemade Mayonnaise. I’ve been avoiding famous mayonnaise brands because they’re typically made from canola or soy oil, both products made from crops that are commonly genetically modified. I spent a small fortune on a “certified non-gmo” canola mayonnaise a couple of months ago, only to find it was terrible a really good replication of Miracle Whip. NOT what I was looking for. So I started making my own, experimenting a bit with different ingredients until I found a combination that tasted like the spread we’re used to.
Depending on your equipment, it can take from 60 seconds to 15 minutes, start to finish. There is a certain margin of error with the need to emulsify the ingredients, but using a room temperature egg really seems to increase the rate of success. Make your own mayonnaise 1 egg at room temperature (this is critical)2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg’s)1 teaspoon water2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard (you’re making your own, right??) Discover just how easy it is to make your own. Creating Water Proof Matches. Georgia Knife Laws | KnifeUp. Georgia knife laws were rewritten in 2012 and, because of that, older articles on the internet are out of date. The new law is much simpler but that does not mean it is not confusing.
This article will give you an understanding of the law in plain English. What is Legal to Own in Georgia Balisong knives, often called butterfly knives, are legal.Bowie knives and other large knives are legal.Throwing stars and throwing knives are legal.Disguised knives such as cane knives, belt knives, and lipstick knives are legal.Push knives, stilettos, switchblades, dirks, and daggers are legal.Spring powered ballistic knives are legal.Knives that are undetectable with a metal detector are legal. In Georgia, there are no limits on the possession of knives. You can own any knife you want. There are only limits on carry knives. Limits on Carry It is illegal to carry, open or concealed, a knife that is larger than 5 inches without a permit.For knives greater than 5 inches, you need a weapons permit. How to Cure Bacon at Home. 2823StumbleUpon If you eat bacon, then you should know how important it is to get pork from pigs that haven’t been tortured in industrial feedlots, shot up with pharmaceuticals and antibiotics, and then processed with toxic chemical additives and nitrites.
This means you need to buy pork from organic sources—or better yet, from a farm that raises their pigs naturally on pasture and forage. But have you priced organic, pasture-raised bacon lately? It’s $8.99 a package in my area! So, here’s how to cure bacon at home, (and have it taste even better than store-bought!) Making your own bacon is very easy and affordable, especially because fresh pork belly is a relatively cheap cut of meat.
So, if you have time and some space in the fridge, you can enjoy the wholesome, chemical-free goodness of homemade bacon right from your own kitchen! Food Preservation Safety There is one main concern when curing and preserving meat, and that is botulism. That sounds pretty bad, right? Homemade Bacon. How to Stop Wasting Food. How much food do you throw away because of improper planning? During this process of Selling Our Home, we have been doing all we can to cut corners. I started noticing how much food we were wasting and we started a mission to stop throwing our money away! Here is how our family tries to use everything that we buy. Each month, I start with a menu plan.
There are tons of free printables on the internet and Pinterest. I take an inventory of what we already have and purchase only what I need for the month's meals. With just about an hour of prep work, you can have your pantry and freezer stocked! When we get home from the store, I separate out my items. Here's a tip! I cut out the bar codes from the packaging and make sure they are visible for easy scanning. Some of you don't know, but my boys are HUGE. I buy the larger tubes of sausage from Sam's. We measure out the serving size (remember, being healthy) and freeze them making sure to mark the date.
Strain the broth and let it cool fully. It’s Easy to Win: This Month’s Giveaway and Offers! Win A Host of Prizes this Month! A summer of giveaways at Ready Nutrition would not be complete without a food preservation prize. We’re hosting a writing contest until September 30th, where you can share your knowledge with the Ready Nutrition community. Although our theme for the giveaway is food preservation, don’t feel handcuffed to this particular topic. We will enter all preparedness/homesteading topics as entries for the contest. 1st Prize is an All-American 21 1/2 -Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner capable of canning 19 pint jars or 7 quart jars. 2nd Prize is a Roma Food Mill and Sauce maker along with with a 4-piece accessory set ($80 value) This will make canning processes faster and less messy. 3rd Prize is a set of essential canning books, including The Prepper’s Cookbook. ($40 value) Winner Selection If your article is published on our web site you automatically receive an entry into the contest.
Contest Details Your article should meet the following criteria: Formatting the Article. Homestead Hack: Nifty Repurposed Masonry Ladders. Real Food on a Budget: 25 Tips to Make Eating Healthy Affordable | The Mommypotamus | organic SAHM sharing her family stories and recipes. Take A Hyperventilating Walrus . . . Some dingy fluorescent lights, and a pair of stilts and you’ve pretty much got my best copycat impression of the Cici’s Pizza greeter that welcomed us to pizza binge delirium.
As we walked down the condiment aisle of the local grocery store, I bellowed, “Welcome to Cici’s! Thank you for coming!” I did it again as we passed the Heinz ketchup, strolled by the meats gassed with carbon dioxide, and one more time as we arrived to our final destination: the cookie dough aisle. It was Friday night, and all we “needed” before heading home from our pizza fest was a sausage-shaped tube of enriched wheat flour, sugar, and partially hydrogenated soybean oil . . . aka Pillsbury’s chocolate chip cookies.
Back then, I thought the cost of convenience was nothing more than pennies, which I was more than happy to push bit by bit into the automatic checkout machine while Daddypotamus counted floor tiles. Now, I Don’t Care . . . 1. 2. 3. The Clean 15 4. Read more here. 5. Homemade Bleach Alternative ~Non-Toxic and Frugal | Deep Roots at Home. I must make a confession. In our home, we’ve gone green in so many areas: water collection barrels, passive solar and solar collectors, in transition to organics in the pasture, raising some of our own food, safe household products…uh…well…hmmm, that is except for bleach.
You see, I didn’t think I could get my washload (especially dirty wash cloths and work clothes) really clean (like germ-free) without it. We all expect to produce a nice and fresh smelling, stain-free laundry. It is sad, but we have found that most of the big producers like P&G and Unilever are using harsh, toxic chemicals in order to meet our demands. However, bleach is something that was traditionally used even when I was a girl in the 50s, so I overlooked it for some time. Most people know by now that it is a poison, but it is still in most homes. The side effects include eye, nose, throat, lung, and skin irritation, and it usually tops the list for household poisons. Notes: Wikipedia on peracetic acid.
. ~ Jacqueline. Those Old Fashioned Skills Could Save Your Life. What old fashioned skills and abilities did your grandparents or great-grandparents have that, if you had those skills, would help you to survive in the event of a long-term survival situation: a real TEOTWAWKI (aka: “the end of the world as we know it”)? This is the question that was asked in a blind study of a group of online workers. Here are the old fashioned skills most identified as being employed by their ancestors and considered necessary to survival: 1. Hunting – My grandfather and father were good hunters; we always had meat on the table. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. As this last person describes, our grandparents and great-grandparents employed a variety of old fashioned skills and were all about surviving: “I’m most impressed that they knew how to live off the land and how to make everything they needed. We would all do well to learn some of those old fashioned skills, lest we some day fail to survive a situation that our ancestors would have taken in stride.
The Author: C.L. ZUCCHINI BEEF SKILLET. Posted on August 4, 2013 by The Southern Lady Zucchini is one of my favorite summer vegetables and I am always looking for new ways to make it. I just add some cornbread muffins to accompany this dish and it makes a meal. 1 pound ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon chili powder 2 fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped (You don’t have to peel the tomatoes, sometimes I do and other times I don’t) 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn 2 tablespoons pimiento 1 tablespoon dried parsley 5 cups unpeeled thinly sliced zucchini (Can use yellow squash instead of zucchini or a mixture of both) 1 package onion soup mix 3/4 cup water Brown beef, onion and green pepper in a large skillet.
Diatomaceous Earth (food grade): Bug Killer You Can Eat! (2) Pauley's Rowdy Acres. Hope Farms. Dry Ridge Farm | The Omnivore's Delight. Goldfinch Gardens. Goldfinch Gardens is a small farm located in beautiful Celo, North Carolina. We specialize in a large variety of vegetables, herbs and flowers of the highest quality, available March through December. Our online farm stand is a new way of supplying your family with natural, locally grown produce. Using the internet, we have made our harvest available to you. Surviving the Middle Class Crash. Canning Water for Emergency Preparedness The Nerdy Farm Wife. We are in the midst of a power outage, here in Virginia; and it will likely be a week before electricity is restored. (Update: we were without power for 11 days!) For us, no power means no water. Couple that with 100 degree weather and you can see where that could quickly become a problem for those who are unprepared.
In these types of emergency situation times, people tend to feel a bit panicky and there’s always a mad rush for bottled waters. While I do use them sometimes, I’m not much of a fan of plastic water bottles. We refreeze water in them to keep the bunnies cool in the heat, but most of the time, they end up getting only one use. Today, I thought I’d share my method of canning water for emergency situations. All you need to do, is every time you can something, whether it is green beans, soup, potatoes, or what-have-you; fill a jar with water and process with the other items per their recommended times.
I hope everyone is staying cool in this heat! Canning Water for Emergency Preparedness The Nerdy Farm Wife. The Holistic Homestead - Annie's Homestead/The Holistic Homestead. The Homestead Survival » Emergency Preparedness, homesteading, gardening and so much more! Homemanagementhowto. Common Sense Homesteading. Homesteading. Some are driven by a desire for self-reliance. Many are trying to survive in a devastated economy. Still others prefer natural living and wholesome, organic foods. Homesteading, simple living combined with small-scale farming and gardening, is what they all have in common.
While the term is somewhat undefined, homesteading has come to signify simple living, combined with a measure of self-sufficiency through food or energy production, usually on a small scale. Homesteading is synonymous with cooking from scratch, home food preservation, natural living and survivalism skills for many homesteaders. In the past, homesteading was a way of life for most American families, many of whom lived off the land as their primary means of support. Homesteading Today There is no typical homestead, but a mini-farm homestead at any given time might have a flock of chickens for eggs and meat, a large kitchen garden, a goat or cow for milk, and a steer or fattening pig being raised for meat.
Homesteading with Ozarkguy. A Guide to Storing Fruits and Vegetables Tip Roundup. Bread Recipes Round Up - Never Buy Bread Again. When I asked on the Common Sense Homesteading Facebook page if people were interested in bread recipes, I got a resounding, “Yes!” So I’ve rounded up some of my favorite bread recipes, plus some from my friends, to give you enough options that you should never have to buy bread again. The first section has a number of yeast bread recipes using wheat flour, the second section has bread recipes for special diets including gluten free breads, a kombucha sourdough and a bread recipe that uses soaked or sprouted whole wheat flour. Ditch all the nasty ingredients in store breads, save yourself some money and enjoy some really good bread! Homemade Yeast Bread Recipes Note: I use SAF-INSTANT yeast, which does not require proofing (activating the yeast in warm liquid).
Sandwich Bread – This sandwich has eggs and butter for extra richness. Basic Sourdough Bread – This simple sourdough recipe uses only four ingredients – sourdough starter, flour, water and salt. From Adrienne at Whole New Mom: Dr. Mercola Interviews Joel Salatin at Polyface Farm. How to can potatoes | No Ordinary Homestead. Good Things. How to Freeze Eggs. Nesting Box Herbs - Chicken Aromatherapy. How To Get Started on the Path to Providing for Your Family. Home and Garden Country Living. Raising Meal Worms 101 « Back to Basic Living. Basic Living. Life is tough, living doesn't have to be. Homestead Skills -Gardening, crafts & self-sustaining homestead skills. "Skills That Pay the Bills: Self-employment for Homesteaders" by Regina Anneler page one. Old fashioned, traditional, homemaking, country family life. Frontier Freedom - Home. Homesteading Skills. Blog | Black Fox Homestead | Finding the way forward. Finding it is good.
Home - Common Sense Homesteading. Hillbilly Housewife | Low Cost Home Cooking from Scratch. The Backyard Farming Connection. Modern Pioneer. The Prairie Homestead | How to Homestead | Self Sufficiency | Homesteading | Homestead Blog. New Hampshire family builds off-grid house and farm powered by solar, proves self-sufficiency enhances quality of life. The Elliott Homestead. Simply Southern Homesteading | Life simple and southern. Modern Homesteaders. The Homestead. Little House Living Contributors - Little House on the Prairie Living. Little House Living: Making the most with what you have! Starting a Farm | Sunshine Sisters Farms. Awesome Sites. Self-Sufficiency and Homesteading.
The Homesteader's Free Library. How I brought my electricity bill down to $5. Homestead websites&magazines. Soap Making for the Beginner, Part I. Hobby Farms, Livestock & Pets, Crops & Gardening, Home & Barn. The Firepiston.