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[Quail_Antwerp]

OH Pam! Stocking up is great!! LOL

I had to LOL on your reasons for sewing I think it's great! I wish I could make clothes, but I'm best at straight stitching, and I do enjoy making quilts. I get that ooohh ahhh factor from the kiddos when I have a new blanket for their bed.

You should try a quilt for your kids, if for nothing else. It will be something they won't outgrow, can use until it wears out, and the ooh ahhs you get from them will be far more rewarding than the attention you get from others (watch freecycle for quilting supplies! I got bundles of pre-cut quilt squares FREE when someone was just giving away their deceased grandmothers old projects!)

 

[TanksHill]

hey pam I was just reading above about your dh jumping on the band wagon and it made me think. This past week several small towns in the San Diego area were on a boil water order. I guess some old pipe broke and got contaminated. Anyways while restaurants were closing and people were complaining bout boiling their h2o. I made a comment about how if it was me. I would use my emergency water filtration system in the garage. My dh says "You have one?" Of course I do. He was rather surprised but impressed. Anyways it made me feel good. Goes to show all our SS prep work is a good thing.

 

[PamsPride]

"You have one?" After I am done with some of my stocking up shopping that is what my DH is probably going to be saying too!!

 

[TanksHill]

I think your idea of stocking up is a good idea. I should be getting my tax refund in a couple weeks. Just signed and sent the e file out today. I had planned to get my fencing in, but I think I might need to do some shopping as well. I really want to buy some freeze dried stuff. Veggies and fruits. I could live with out meat but I don't have much in the way of preserved veggies yet. Then there's the coffee. It cost a small fortune.

 

[PamsPride]

We are pasta and rice eaters so that is what I am stocking up. But, like I said on the squirelling thread I have an objective/purpose when I go shopping. I am going to go off of my 30 day meal plan and have enough to make each meal 12 times then if we throw in our fresh or from the freezer meals then this stocking up should last us two or more years! I want to try not to have very many freezer items on my stock up list because if the power should go out I do not want to lose that much food! Plus I have been putting eggs in the incubator every chance I get so we will have plenty of fresh chicken when we need it.
My family is big enough that I can also get the #10 cans of things.
I also TRY stock up on hamburgers and hotdogs for the entire summer when they go on sale for Memorial day. My family loves to build a fire in the little fire ring we have and grill out at least once a week in the summer.

 

[TanksHill]

The burgers and dogs for the summer is a great idea. I need to find another freezer. I do have in my dry storage bns, rice, and pastas. In 5 gallon buckets. It is amazing to see my bulk storage going up and my grocery bills coming down. You know though my bulk store raised their prices last week. I refuse to pay 1.29 for a lb of dry beans. So I will wait until they have sales and buy 50lb bags. They give an additional 10% off that way.

I caved last week and bought chicks at 5 dollars each. My egg demand is so high I needed to get more asap. I do however plan to let a hen set some eggs. Keep my supply up. I really want to learn to process my own birds. This is a main goal for me this summer.

 

[keljonma]

I got this recipe from another site. I have never tried it. But, obviously it caught my eye.

Canning Ground Meat Without A Pressure Cooker aka Hamburger Rocks

Hamburger Rocks are small chunks of cooked, dehydrated, fresh beef or turkey burger. They will store on your shelf for two or more years. They are so easy, require only an oven to make, and saves your canning jars.

5 lbs of burger dehydrates into only one quart of hamburger rocks! What a timesaver and freezer space saver!

Fry 5 lbs of ground meat. When cooked transfer to colander and rinse meat under hot water to remove fat. Don't rinse beef burger in the sink. All that beef fat will clog the drain and septic tank. 99% fat free turkey burger doesnt have much fat to rinse off. Use hot water so it will flow down the drain.

Place washed meat back into cleaned skillet. fry again over med/low heat stirring often until you see no more steam. Keep flame low once the rocks are browning up nicely.

Place twice cooked rocks into an oven roasting pan. Turn the oven to 200 F, stirring and turning occasionally as meat continues to dry. One to two hours should do the job. Remove from oven and check for dryness. Store in Jar or Ziploc bag.

If you want to "can" the hamburger rocks for long term storage, preheat canning jars in the oven at 250F, simmer lids as usual. Make sure your canning lid is dry when you put it on the jar.

Put the rocks into the jars while hot, then seal jars. After 15 minutes or so the jars will cool and you will hear the jar lids "pop" as they seal in place.

You re-hydrate by soaking one cup of rocks in two cups of boiled water. The precooked re-hydrated meat can then be used for tacos, spaghetti sauce, hamburger helper, casseroles. It takes maybe 15 minutes to re-hydrate.

 

[PamsPride]

I just got back from Aldi's. It took me about 45 minutes to spend $337!! It does not even seem like it is that much food. It is nothing for me to spend $400 a month on groceries so I don't really feel that stocked up. But I do have several of my 12 month meals now. Once I go to Sam's Club and Walmart and get the items off my list from their I will feel a little more prepared....hopefully!

 

[PamsPride]

Oh, I forgot...I also went to Goodwill. And those derned sheets just keep catching my eye!! I got a white sheet with pretty pink flowers on it for a $1! I also got 13 yo DS a pair of black dress shoes for $4.49. Tomorrow and Saturday are half price days....so I may have to convienently go by the other Goodwill and see what they have while I am out tomorrow!

 

[justusnak]

Hey Kel...have you tried the "Hamburger rocks"? Im wondering how those work out? Could you possible use pork? I have LOTS of sausage...from 2 pigs! I guess I can cann it...grandma always did. Hmmmm. What to do...what to do!?? :/