"Get Home" Bags

    Hello again! Well, as the title implies, I just fixed up my parents some "Get Home" bags. What are these, you ask? Well, it's actually a pretty simple concept. "Get Home" bags are simply bags filled with supplies to get someone home from their workplace (or anywhere any distance away from their home) in case of an emergency, particularly one in which people could not safely use their vehicles or needed to get away from cities and into the woods (riots, namely). I packed away enough food for 2-3 days for my mother, but it could really last longer if she rationed it. My dad, who sometimes drives pretty far away for his job, has enough for 3-4 days, or more if he rations. I packed my mom a tool (one of those plier/pocket knife hybrids) and a pair of scissors, while my dad got a pocket knife. They both got a light blanket, which will be upgraded when winter rolls around. I tried to balance their kits based on how self-reliant they could be in the woods (Dad wins that one), how far they had to go, and how dangerous their area might be (Mom works in Memphis...yikes). I still need to add several things - like water, first aid kits, and compasses - but overall I think the "Get Home" bags could indeed get them home in case of an emergency or natural disaster. I didn't make myself one, because I travel much less and don't usually go very far when I do. That being said, though, my purse is kind of it's own kit, minus the food. ;) Now, my parents think I go overboard with "this prep stuff," and they're probably right...but...I would rather be safe than sorry. I still have a long way to go in my prepping, but at least I've made a bit of progress. One never knows what will happen, after all. 

    I live too near people to sleep easy in the case of a disaster. Don't get me wrong, I like people and I don't mind having a neighbor or two. I would just rather be somewhere where my nearest neighbors were a mile or so away, or at least somewhere that I really knew my neighbors. That is not the case here. Now, if you think about, what is one of the greatest dangers when a disaster occurs? People, particularly in cities and crowds. People panic, and that sometimes causes them to act violently towards others. They don't have preparations for emergencies, they've lost loved ones, and they may not even know what's going on; I can't really blame them for panicking (of course, there is no excuse for violence or riots, but they happen). I can only imagine how bad the riots in and near Memphis would be if there any kind of natural or unnatural disaster occurred and caused power outages or massive damage. I probably don't even need to mention the added strain of the current economic situation. 

    Riots occur for various reasons, but they can cause so much damage so quickly. Also, as people found out after Katrina, when hundreds of people are hungry and even the stores don't have enough food set back for an emergency, things can get ugly and stores can be emptied. It is in times like those when your personal safety and your access to the things you need just to survive become very threatened, very quickly. I don't want to be caught with my pants down, so to speak. I want to be ready, whether the situation be a black out, a flood (which my area did recently suffer from - thank goodness I like on a hill! But oh, those poor people who lost everything!), an ice storm/blizzard, a tornado, an earthquake, or something man made; I want to be able to protect and have supplies for my family, my friends if they could get here, and my animals. 

    In any case, here are some links you might want to peruse -

Katrina Food Riots

Post-Katrina Looting

New York City Blackout of 1977

Emergency Essentials

Survival Forum at Homesteading Today

Be Prepared

P.S. My blackberry and blueberry jams are now available! 12oz jars are $4.00. There is plenty of peach still available, but blackberry is already running low. The jam is going like hotcakes, so be sure to place your orders now. =)

Be safe, everyone!

-Rach in Wonderland

Fresh Jam!

    Today I made some super-delicious Peach Jam from fresh peaches that I bought from a local farm at our farmer's market. Have I ever mentioned that I love farmer's markets? I certainly do. 
    Well, as I said, these peaches made some wonderful jam. It's not only tasty, it's pretty as well. It also made a lot more than I was expecting. I was hoping to have a little bit of surplus to sell, but I turned out having two dozen half-pint jars (four batches)! I even had to go to the store to pick up more pectin; I wasn't prepared for more than two batches. I'm certainly not complaining, though. Jam making is one of my favorite kitchen activities. I love the process, I love the end result, and I even love the "Pop! Pop! Pop!" of lids sealing. Not to mention the fact that nothing in this world tastes better than warm jam fresh out of the pot! Mmm. Plus, now I'll have enough jam to last well until the next peach season. Well, that is if I don't sell all of it. Don't get me wrong, I'll sell any to anyone who wants it until I'm fresh out, but I don't have a developed "client base" of sorts yet, so I don't expect it all to sell. 
    Well, enough yammering. I managed to get a half-decent picture from my cell phone, so I can share it with you. If any of you are interested in this jam, it's $3.00 a jar. I am, as always, open to bartering. If you don't live within pleasant driving distance, I would be happy to find out shipping costs for you. 
    Oh, and before I forget! I'm making blackberry and blueberry jams tomorrow! I'm not sure how much I will get, but I should have some excess available. The berries are coming from mine and my grandmother's bushes. I should also have fig preserves in just a little while, from my grandmother's trees. Well, enough of trying to be a salesman. Here is the picture! 

Doesn't that look good?

-Rach in Wonderland

   

Corn Sweet Corn

    Yesterday (Friday), I spent the day with my grandmother, aka Mamoo, and helped her put up her sweet corn in the freezer. My little "baby" cousins (who are actually my cousin's children, but who knows what that technically makes them to me) Kaylee and Lexi were there, also. I learned a couple of things - 1) Four year olds don't understand words like slack, basically, and cooperate. 2) Worms really, really love sweet corn. I wish I had my camera already, because I would have loved a picture of those gooey, creepy little crawlers. Blech. There was one in probably 99% of the cobs (of which there were about 100). There were big worms, little worms, and in between worms...and they all damaged the tips of the corn. Still, despite the worms, I enjoyed spending time with my grandmother and putting away the corn. It's fun work, to me, and I like helping my grandmother. It did have me wondering, though, how "city folk" spend time with their grandparents. Do they just hang out? Do they eat? Do they cook? Do they sew? Do they paint and make things? Do they have small gardens in their tiny backyards? It just makes me wonder. My fondest memories of my grandmothers almost always involve us doing something, like sewing, crocheting, gardening, cooking, painting, or putting away food from their gardens. My grandmothers are the ones who taught me to do some of my favorite things. Mamoo taught me more about outdoor farming, and Granny taught me more about domestic and creative things, including putting away fruits and vegetables (both of them garden) and making soap. I was blessed to have the grandmothers I have. 

    Anywho, I thought I would walk you guys through the process of putting up sweet corn, in case you're interested in it but don't know how.

    Step 1: Pick the corn, obviously. =) You can tell it's ready when the silk coming out of the top is brown.

    Step 2: Shuck the corn. This part is where you may encounter worms. You've got to get all of the husks and the silks (those annoying stringy thing within the husk that people often compare children's hair to) off of the cobs. A vegetable brush is great for ridding the ears of silk.This is also the time for worm removal; yuck, I know. Save the husks for your compost pile!

    Step 3: Wash the corn, and remove damaged parts. You will likely find ears that have been damaged by worms. Cut off all of the yucky, damaged part (usually the tip, but sometimes the worms go in the side. If they have gone in the side and damaged too much, just discard the ear). Be sure that the corn is nice and clean. Now is also a great time to remove any resilient silks.

    Step 4: Alright, it's time to cook your corn! Put the ears into boiling water (don't overfill your pot - you will most likely have to cook several batches) and allow them to boil for 7-10 minutes, depending on the size of the ears. Remove the corn from the water, and spray the ears with cold water in your sink to cool them off until you can handle them without burning yourself.

    Step 5: Okay, this step is optional. If you want corn off the cob, you can now slice the kernels off. If you want corn on the cob, leave them as they are. If you want to cream your corn, which is what we did, then you will need one of these. Of course, it doesn't have to be stainless steel - we used a wooden one (picture below). These instruments are really neat. You just rub the corn down the tool, which should be over a bowl, and it cuts the kernels off and creams them. Just rub every side of the cob, and then - if you want - use a butter knife to scrape a bit more milk out of the corn. Be careful not to cream or cut your fingers or hands! 

    Step 6: Once you've got all of the cobs creamed (or prepared in whatever way you chose), it's time to put the corn away. We put our into zip lock freezer bags, but any kind of freezer container with a good seal will work. Be sure to label it with the date included, and to press out as much air as possible. The less air inside the bags, the longer the corn will last and resist freezer burn. Stick the corn in the freezer, and voila! You've saved your sweet corn to be enjoyed in whatever season you want. 

    (Of course, you could also can your corn, but that would be a much more time consuming and detailed process.) 

Mmm..delicious! 

-Rach in Wonderland