What have you done???

Hi everyone!! It's the end of January. January is the month where many people make resolutions or goals for the coming year. Did you make any prepping goals this year? And what have you done towards accomplishing those goals?? Even if all you did was go to the library and check out a book that relates to some skill you want to learn, then you've made a start at accomplishing that goal. Good for you!!


Well, I did some canning and dehydrating this month. I canned meatballs in tomato sauce. I also canned a few jars of sloppy joes/barbecue. Our stash of dried apples was getting low, so when my sister found some on clearance I dehydrated them. I also sat down to try and learn about how to use the Aladdin oil lamp that hubby got me for Christmas. I accomplished a life goal (that has nothing to do with prepping) of reading through all 6 Jane Austen novels. (I read the last book this month!)


And, of course, this year's garden plans are starting to brew in the back of my mind. February is the month that I've set aside as 'get ready for the garden' month. It's when I'll figure out what veggies we'll plant and how much of each. I'll figure out the dates to start seeds indoors. I'll figure out what new foods need to be canned from what we grow, and how much we'll need. When you're trying to grow enough food to supply your family for a year, there's alot of planning that goes into the garden before you even pick up a seed. But, the rewards are immense!!


So, the new pantry shelves that hubby was building are finished!!! We've loaded them with what's left of our home-canned foods and they look FABULOUS!! I'll post a pic in the near future!


Prep On!
Gen-IL Homesteader

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How did you add to your preps this week?

Actually, I guess I should say How did you add to your preps these past 2 weeks?, because 2 weeks ago was the last time I asked. Now, I don't ask this to try and flaunt what I did or to make you feel bad if you didn't prep. I ask because I want to keep it on our minds! I don't want to forget that prepping is a day in/day out things that I need to be doing. It isn't something that we do once and forget about. It's really a different way of life and we need to encourage each other in this journey because there isn't a whole lot of encouragement from the rest of the world. Any emergency is right around the corner, and I want to be continually preparing for whatever it might be.

So, towards that end, I personally canned chicken soup and chicken stock, and I dehydrated another 6 pounds of apples that were on sale for a great price. I have always frozen 2-cup containers of chicken stock. The problem is, when I need it and have forgotten to thaw it, I spend a little time melting it before use. Boy, having canned chicken stock is great! I used one pint already this week because I forgot to thaw the frozen stuff! (Silly me!) I'm definitely going to can more of it the next time I cook another bird!

Prep on!
Gen-IL Homesteader

How did you add to your preps this week?

You know, for most of us prepping is a way of life. When I'm in a store I'm looking for sales on canned goods, I pick through the mark-down carts for dented cans or overripe fruit that can be brought home and dehydrated/canned/frozen. I watch for sales on items that would be useful or necessary in the event of an emergency.

I go to the grocery store once every two weeks. Before I go, I look through my pantry and freezer to take stock of what's needed. I know how many jars of certain items that I like to keep on my shelves. While we like to use fresh or frozen veggies, I always have canned on hand in case of an emergency. I use those cans every once in a while to keep my stock rotated. So, every shopping trip I'm rebuilding my supply from the few things I've using in the past two weeks. I also look for any great sales or mark-down items.

Remember that I said I was going to try to add significantly to our food preps for the month of January? This week I added to our preps by canning pinto, black, and kidney beans, and black-eyed peas. I also bottled 5 pounds of butter. I dehydrated a bunch of bananas, and 6 pounds of apples. I also bought a gallon of water to put back. Next week I'm hoping to can a few meals-in-a-jar.

We meant to stop at an out of the way gun shop while we were traveling to purchase some more ammo, but we completely forgot. Next time!

How did you add to your preps this week?

Prep on!
Gen-IL Homesteader