Heavenly Homes

"A home is much more than a house built of lumber, brick, or stone. A home is made of love, sacrifice, and respect. We are responsible for the homes we build. We must build wisely, for eternity is not a short voyage. There will be calm and wind, sunlight and shadows, joy and sorrow. But if we really try, our home can be a bit of heaven here on earth. The thoughts we think, the deeds we do, the lives we live not only influence the success of our earthly journey, they also mark the way to our eternal goals."

--President Thomas S. Monson, "Heavenly Homes, Forever Families", World Wide Leadership Training February 2006



D&C 138:47–48

Families Can Be Together Forever, Hymn #300

Walk In the Light

"Choices are not always easy to see clearly. You make choices every day and almost every hour that keep you walking in the light or moving away toward darkness. Some of the most important choices are about what you set your heart upon."

--Henry B. Eyring, "Walk in the Light", Ensign, May 2008, 123–25



Moroni 7:13–15

Teach me to Walk in the Light, Hymn #304

Self Reliance Tip # 38 Don't forget Tithes and Offerings!

Goal this month: Do something to be more financially prepared.

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If you follow this link:

http://www.providentliving.org/media/training/peaceheart/main.html

...it will directly lead you to the advice given by the First Presidency on finances. This month we have covered "use a budget" and "avoid debt". I failed to mention the most important and first on their list "pay your tithes and offerings". Just like every other principle of the gospel, you have to live it first to gain a testimony of it. This also applies to the last point The Presidency want to add under "Managing Household Finances Wisely"...that is Build a Reserve.

Having a savings set away is an excellent idea. I could list so many reasons why it could make your head spin. I'm sure you could give me even more reasons than I could think of. But, of the savings you have, how much of it is in digital form? How much do you have that you could just get without going to the bank to withdraw it?

In last weeks tip I shared an excerpt from "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader" - the authors stated that because of all the unpaid credit accounts, the ATM's no longer could give cash out because they didn't have any. Sometimes I've gone to the bank when the ATM isn't working and I grumble because I HAVE to go inside. What if you go and the bank or the ATM will issue no money to anyone? That would be a little more than a slight inconvenience. Especially if you need diapers or something that is a similar necessity.

In the book "On the Wings of Faith" by Fredrick W. Bable (which I highly recommend), he shares that someone who was in charge of church monies in Germany during WWII was trying to protect it. The government was following the money from bank to bank. Finally he buried it. After the war, he went back through it. There was more than what he put there. Unsure of what to do with the extra, he was advised to record it as "anonymous donation". I LOVE THAT! Now that I'm thinking about it, there is so much in that book about the miracles of spiritual self reliance "when you do your part, the Lord can do his."

I was given the advice once to save small dollar bills as well as the bigger ones.

Well, that's about it for today! Have a safe and a happy New Year!

Christmas...

Christmas means giving

"Christmas means giving. The Father gave his Son, and the Son gave his life. Without giving there is no true Christmas, and without sacrifice there is no true worship."

--Gordon B. Hinckley, "What Shall I Do Then with Jesus Which Is Called Christ?", Ensign, Dec. 1983, 3



John 3:16

He sent his son, The Children's Songbook #34

Self Reliance Tip #37 Finances...

So, I just found this show on BYUtv.org and I LOVE IT!!! I've been watching it with my kiddos on Sunday nights. I encourage you to take the time to watch some...
http://byutv.org/watch/d4c8b5ec-b416-4e33-aaf4-0796bfc998a9

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This month's goal: Do something this month to help you be more financially self reliant
Put some money away

Pay an extra payment on a credit card

Pay off your mortgage :)...you know something small :)



Ok onto todays tip!


One of my FAVORITE past times is to read from "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader". It is full of humor, interesting facts and just plain silly things. There are like 20 editions now, but I wanted to share with you something I read from the 17th Bathroom Reader, the "Slightly Irregular" one (isn't that hilarious!).

Have you ever planned something to solve a problem and your plan worked a little too well?

"The Plan: To get its citizens to spend money, and thus boost the country's faltering economy, in 1999 South Korea instituted a program making it easy for anyone to obtain a credit card.


It worked... The nations economic growth climbed by 10 % in the first year alone.


...Too well! by 2003 the average South Korean worker had four credit cards and consumers had run up more than $100 billion in debt. There were so many unpaid credit card accounts that the nation's largest credit company had to stop issuing money from their ATMs and had to get an emergency loan just to stay afloat. Credit card debt was also blamed for a rash of suicides, thefts, kidnappings and prostitution cases. "Koreans ate a poison pill," economist Kim Kyeong Won told Time magazine, "It tasted sweet at the time, but was still poison." (pg 194)

It is kind of interesting that our country did the same thing only a few years later. The way to true economic growth is to provide a good or service. The way to economic decline is to spend "free" money because you end up paying double if not more. 

I still remember the talks given by Sister Noelle and her husband a few months ago. They spoke about communication in finances between husband and wife. They are good at saving and remind the other what are needs and what are not.

It can be tough when you're strapped to the hilt as it is..."How can we pay this stuff off?"

President Eyring gave a conference address in October 2010 about trying to heed the counsel of President Benson about getting out of debt and staying out. He specifically mentioned paying off the mortgage. President Eyring and his wife prayed, had faith, obeyed the promptings of the spirit. Then they received the blessings for being obedient. You can read more of the details here.
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/trust-in-god-then-go-and-do?lang=eng&query=mortgage+(name%3a%22Henry+B.+Eyring%22)

.....And another thing....


Woah ...did you eat onions??!!!

The last time I was at my parents home, my mom gave me large bags of onions . She instructed me to dehydrate them. I don't have a dehydrator, so I used my oven on the lowest possible setting with wax paper between the onions and cookie sheet. It took all night to dehydrate them. After I diced them the "tear gas" was so strong at dinner time everyone's eyes were watering. It makes me cry just thinking about it! But...nothing flavors food storage meals quicker or more efficiently than dehydrated onions!

If I hadn't dehydrated them, they would have gone bad because there were a lot of them! Dehydrating is an excellent way to preserve an over abundance of just about anything...except eggplant maybe...well, I guess I'll never know because none of us like eggplant.


This website is AWESOME!! It has lots and lots of recipes of how to use dehydrated foods. There is even a "recipe" how to make BEAUTIFUL mahogany colored shelves to store your vacuum sealed creations! Enjoy and let me know if you find a recipe you really like!

http://dehydrate2store.com/recipes/

The Real Christmas

"How is Christmas regarded today? The legend of Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, the decorations of tinsel and mistletoe, and the giving of gifts all express to us the spirit of the day we celebrate; but the true spirit of Christmas lies much deeper than these. It is found in the life of the Savior, in the principles He taught, in His atoning sacrifice--which become our great heritage."

--Howard W. Hunter, "The Real Christmas", Ensign, Dec. 2005, 24



Acts 20:35

Joy to the World, Hymn #201

A Christmas with no presents

"The message of this season that is applicable throughout the year lies not in the receiving of earthly presents and treasures but in the forsaking of selfishness and greed and in going forward, seeking and enjoying the gifts of the Spirit, which Paul said are 'love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,meekness,temperance: against such there is no law' (Gal. 5:22-23)."

--James E. Faust, "A Christmas with No Presents", Ensign, Dec. 2001, 6



Matt. 25:31, 34–40


Have I Done Any Good?, Hymn #223

Self Reliance Tip #36 Frugal's $ Stretch

First off a video that was shared by Sister Linda S....I LOVE EET!!!

http://youtu.be/EMwKxmTLaCs

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Oh the fun of being frugal!!!


This month we are focusing on different ways to be frugal!


At a recent Relief Society meeting, Sister Tricia gave us a few ideas with grocery shopping to make that skinny little dollar stretch more like Stretch Armstrong.

Here are some of her ideas:
I buy in bulk. I don't use coupons because they usually are for items that I don't normally buy. My flour, sugar, rice, oat, beans, ect. I have stored in 5 gallon buckets. Look up the sales online before going shopping to see which store is offering the best deals. Buy tomato sauce, fruit in #10 cans and you also can buy vegatables this way. Way cheaper and makes lots of different meals.

I found a new site with TONS of good ideas and info. Here is a page with more ideas on being frugal!
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/self-reliance/budgeting-frugality/

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....And another thing.....


Comfort food means different things to different people. Chocolate is a comfort food to many...while some prefer Sister Leann's carrot cake...yummo! You are the only one who can decide what is classified as "comfort food" for you and your family.


Comfort food is to help with "emotional survival" and not necessarily a "physical survival". I vacuum sealed some "Oreo" cookies last week. Not exactly nutritional, but oh so necessary...after all it is milk's favorite cookie! Here are a few ideas to get you started thinking about what type of things you'd like to store away (they are even fun to pull out in a non-emergency...they have to be rotated too right?)


Some of the comments under the article have some good advice too.

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/babysteps/step-9-comfort-foods/

Self Reliance Tip #35 Be Frugal... and Full of Cayenne!

Find a common theme in these quotes- if you will:

"We have all the elements which are necessary to make us a great people, and we cannot be deprived of them. We are a united people to begin with. And we are a temperate people, we are a frugal people, we are a virtuous people and we are a brave people."
Brigham Young Journal of Discourses pg 224.

"As Latter-Day Saints we should be honest, truthful, frugal, and economical and do everything in our power to improve our condition."
Brigham Young Journal of Discourses pg 225.


"We expect to become a very industrious, frugal and economical people."
Brigham Young Journal of Discourses pg 23.

What does it mean to be frugal? Our society teaches us to live in a "use and throw away" existence. A "Gotta have it all, gotta have it now!" mentality...like a dollar store flashlight. You know, the kind that are broken before you get home. 

I recently heard a statistic that blew my mind away. This statistic stated that, "The average woman has $6,000 to $10,000 worth of clothes (and accessories) her closet." I'm sure those numbers are a little different in our little valley, but think about it. Do we spend more than we ought to on the things that aren't really necessary? Clothes are a necessity, but I think "moderation in all things" can apply to clothing and accessories as well. This can also apply to how much time we spend doing underwater basket weaving :)...moderation, moderation, moderation .

My sister has been an excellent example to me. She and her family live on a single income. They are getting ready to send a son on a mission so she's got a budget set up. Some unnecessary expenses have to go. She has planned for things in advance so it will take a few months to save up for it, but it won't be on a credit card. She has her expenses set up in a Google Doc (the spreadsheet kind). She knows what she's spending, she knows when she'll be done paying off certain things, etc.

Just like President Young stated in an above quote, we need to do everything we can to improve our situation, but we still need to be frugal, not wasting or purchasing the unnecessary. This is especially important to keep in mind with Christmas approaching.

President Uchtdorf said during Sunday's Christmas devotional the following in regards to the perfect Christmas memory :

"It is usually something small - we read a verse of scripture, we hear a sacred carol and really listen to its words, maybe for the first time, or we witness a sincere expression of love. In one way or another, the Spirit touches our hearts, and we see that Christmas, in it essence, is much more sturdy and enduring than the many minor things of life we too often use to adorn it."

...And another thing...

From Heavenly Father's Medicine cabinet

Man its gettin' chilly! It is a good thing we've got cayenne pepper! The wonders of cayenne pepper!! There are SO many uses for this herbalicious spice!

When my father-in-law was on his mission in the frozen lands of Canada, he used cayenne to stimulate blood flow and keep his feet warm. If you use too much, you'll feel like you're walkin' on coals!

When I was a kid, my sister and I (under the direction of our parents) took care of some 60+ chickens. The White Mountains can become a bit nippy in the winter so we would add cayenne to their water to keep them warm and laying. It worked!

Cayenne can miraculously stop external and internal bleeding (it burns like a motherless goat or a newborn Russian race horse...which ever works best for you, but it works!). For external you sprinkle it over the wound. As for internal, in Peter Bigfoot's book "Ancient Natural Remedies" he states: " I have the most confidence in cayenne pepper to stop internal bleeding. It can be taken in capsule form or in water, but I simply use a teaspoon of the powder, straight, followed by bread, rice or yogurt as a "chaser" to stop the burning feeling in the mouth (water is ineffective). The pepper needs to be taken full strength and quickly."


If you have time, check out his website. He runs the "Reevis Mountain School of Self Reliance." Sweet!!!
http://www.reevismountain.org/

For Our Primary

It is time to update our Primary Substitute lists. If you are willing to be a substitute for our precious Solomonville Ward children, please respond to this email with your name and phone number. Thank you dear sisters for all your love and support.



Love,
The Primary Presidency


p.s. if your spouses are willing you can send us their names too :)

Self Reliance Tip #34 Ode to Bread

Goal this month: Make one recipe with just the basics from food you have stored.

Ok, what are your basics of food storage? Beans, grain, nuts, .... and all the extra cooking essentials.

Last night for dinner I made beef stew and fry bread. My husband came home late from a LooooOOonng day at work. He sat down to eat. He picked up the fry bread, took a bite and said, "You have everything in our food storage to make these...right?"


Fry bread was one of the first things I learned to cook as a youth. I griped and moaned that I HAD to learn how to make bread. Life was awful. Then when I went to college and I had "perfected" my recipe, I suddenly became popular with everyone. I must say that the old saying "The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach" rings true in the courtship with my husband :).


So, for fry bread you need flour, salt, sugar, oil and yeast. That's pretty basic, but oh its good. Yeast isn't on the "basics" recommended list, but neither is baking powder or any other leavening. Who's up for unleavened bread? Not if I can plan ahead!

My "perfected" recipe changed when I met Emily Clonts. She shared her recipe with us at a RS meeting. My life is forever changed....(bowing to the Queen of Bread) .....and so is my waistline :). I take no credit for this recipe. I usually half it...she's WAY better at sharing than I am :).

Ode To the Queen of Breads
6 C. warm water
2/3 C oil
2/3 C honey
2 T salt
3T yeast
1C white flour (plus more...read below)
6 - 8 C whole wheat flour

Put ingredients in Bosch as listed. Add all wheat flour, 1 C white flour and mix until blended and then let sit for 15 minutes. Start mixer and add white flour until you can see the sides of the bowl pull clean as well as the dough coming clean from the bottom of the bowl. The dough should be very sticky and does not come together at this point, but the bowl is clean as the dough turns. Kneed on 2 for 12 minutes. Oil hands, remove dough from mixer onto ta slightly oiled counter, divide your dough with a knife into 4 to large loaves depending on your pan size. Shape loaves, and place in a well greased (sprayed with cooking spray - oil does not work, but lard will). Cover with a dry towel and let rise until doubled in size. This will take 30 to 60 minutes depending on the room temperature. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 27-32 minutes or until the inside temperature is 180. Remove from pans, butter tops and cool on cooling racks before putting into bags.

....And another thing....

Here is a quote I will leave you with.

We all need to build a personal ark, to fortify ourselves against this rising tide of evil, to protect ourselves and our families against the floodwaters of iniquity around us. And we shouldn’t wait until it starts raining, but prepare in advance. This has been the message of all the prophets in this dispensation, as well as the prophets of old.

Unfortunately we don’t always heed the clear warnings of our prophets. We coast complacently along until calamity strikes, and then we panic.

When it starts raining, it is too late to begin building the ark. However, we do need to listen to the Lord’s spokesmen. We need to calmly continue to move ahead and to prepare for what will surely come. We need not panic or fear, for if we are prepared, spiritually and temporally, we and our families will survive any flood. W. Don Ladd, 2nd Quorum of 70, Oct, 1994

Self Reliance Tip# 33 Ah Nuts!!

Ah nuts...


(Think with me the newest nursery rhyme sure to be recited next to all the other famous Mother Goose poems for generations...)


Nuts are awesome!
Nuts are great!
Nuts give me something
to Celebrate!


Ok, maybe not, but it could catch on!


Nuts are an excellent source of the good fat. They contain trace minerals (because of deep tree roots), calcium, magnesium, phosphorus (which by the way you need all three of these for your body to absorb the calcium) iron, selenium, potassium, manganese and vitamin B complex vitamins. Pecans especially contain all these.


In Sally Fallon's book "Nourishing Traditions" she says:
"Nuts are an extremely nutritious food if properly prepared...Nuts are easier to digest and their nutrients are more readily available, if they are first soaked in salt water overnight, then dried in a warm oven. (You may also use a dehydrator.) ...Salt in soaking water activates enzymes that neutralize enzyme inhibitors. An excellent snack is crispy nuts with raw cheese."


There's that word again...enzyme inhibitors? When I first read that I thought..."That's so much work to just eat nuts." But I tried it anyway. My family loves it! My husband especially loves it! My first try was doing it with walnuts. It takes out the bitterness and you don't get that super heavy feeling if you eat more than 2 or 3.



Here's a recipe:


4 C Walnuts (halves and pieces)
2 t sea salt
filtered water


Mix walnuts with salt and water and leave in a warm place for at least 7 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander. Spread on a cookie sheet and place in a warm oven for 12 to 24 hours turning occasionally until completely dry and crisp. Store in an airtight container.


On my oven, when I'm turning it on it will "click" before the "warm" setting. That is where I let it sit. You don't want the temperature to get above 150 degrees.


And another thing....


Garden plants can be kind of fussy. They have their friends and they have those they don't really like to be by. Sounds like grade school kids if you ask me. Plants already need so much...good soil, the right nutrients, the right amount of time in the sunlight. But when they grow and mature, it all pays off. Also like grade school kids.


Here is a chart that may help you when you're trying to keep the trouble makers separated.

http://peaceofpreparedness.com/Resource%20Library/Gardening/Companion%20Planting%20Chart%20for%20Vegetables.pdf

Self Reliance Tip # 32

Goal this month: Make one recipe with just the basics from food you have stored.

Not everyone can tolerate whole wheat. If you are one of them, I'm sorry. There is nothing like warm wheat bread with real butter melting on it... MMMmmmMMm. However, if you are in a long term "grind my own wheat" circumstance, chances are you won't be making bread all that much. Why? Well, in my experience, if I grind 4 cups of wheat to make 2 loaves of bread, it takes about 30 minutes of grinding....and THEN you make the bread.

It is a good idea to have several "quick bread" recipes in your repertoire. Quick bread recipes also use less wheat making what you have stored stretch a little.

Here are some facts on wheat.
http://goodlookingcook.blogspot.com/2009/02/one-grain-at-time_27.html

My family LOVES this recipe. They especially love it when we have fresh strawberries. In the case their isn't fresh available, I can mix together re-hydrated strawberries and some strawberry preserves. You can also substitute the flour for 3/4 C wheat and 1/4 C white - if you do that you can mix the gluten.

Strawberry Crepes
1 C ground wheat flour
1 tsp vital gluten
1 tsp salt
1/4 C powdered sugar
1 C milk
2 eggs


Strawberries (sliced and a little sugar/honey/br.sugar stirred in to make syrup-y)
REAL whipped cream. ( I found this recipe for "in a pinch" whipping cream, but haven't tried it yet).
http://www.ehow.com/how_2083537_make-whipped-cream-from-dry.html

Directions: blend everything but strawberries and whipping cream together until smooth. Add more milk if needed. Make very thin. Melt butter on griddle and use a spoon to thin out the crepe. Fry both sides on medium heat. Fill crepes with strawberries and whipping cream, fold and then add another dabble of cream on top to keep it closed. Enjoy!


And another thing...


In our lesson on Sunday, I mentioned that President Benson (before he was President Benson) encouraged the gathering of leather along with many other needful things. Below you will find a link to this talk. I said it was given in 1976, when it was actually 1974.

http://lds.org/ensign/1974/01/prepare-ye?lang=eng&query=ezra+taft+supply+leather

In a little further reading, I also found that one of the first things God did for Adam and Eve is make clothing for them - out of skins. This was in an effort to clothe their nakedness. You can find that here.

Genesis 3: 21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make acoats of skins, and bclothed them.

You learn somethin' new every day :).

Self Reliance Tip #31

This month we will be focusing on getting back to basics with food storage. When you talk about beans, it is way more than the musical fruit. Beans are the MAGICAL fruit. When prepared properly they are loaded with nutrients. I just made this salad last night and I was surprised with how well my family received it. It could easily be turned into a year supply meal.

http://goodlookingcook.blogspot.com/2009/07/black-bean-salad.html

Soaking and sprouting beans and other grains breaks down the stuff in them that make them hard to digest causing the need for "beano".

The referenced website teaches:

Sprouting changes the composition of starch molecules, converting them into vegetable sugars, so the body recognizes and digests sprouted grains as a vegetable. Enzymes are also created that aid digestion, complex sugars are broken down which can eliminate painful gas, and vitamin and mineral levels increase. Furthermore, sprouting neutralizes carcinogens and enzyme inhibitors, as phytic acid that inhibits absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc.

"Enzyme inhibitors" sounds like a pretty sophisticated thing. That basically means the seed is protected until it time for planting to grow a new plant. Sprouting takes more time than soaking, but makes it even better for you.

Beans beans....oh yeah!

And another thing....


....From Heavenly Father's medicine cabinet.

Remember, I'm not trying to be anyone's doctor. I've discovered some cool stuff along the way and wanted to share. Self-reliance has many faces.

I have been dying for years to be able to say this. Let me give you a little background first.

Ours has been a journey of many days of strep-throat. We had been on antibiotics for several months when we lived in Thatcher (partly because of mold in the walls of our home). I know what it looks like, I know what it smells like and it has stricken fear in me many times "Oh, not again!" When we moved to Safford it stopped for a while, but it started up again and I was so desperate. After many prayers and trial and error, I discovered that Oregon Grape Root extract (also called a tincture) would kill Step in my son and husband, but it wouldn't kill it when I got it.

Well, Kayla had it just recently and Oregon Grape Root didn't kill it for her either. But a friend told me that Golden Seal Root extract would also kill it. Well, I got some and it worked! I also used Mullein tea to bring the swelling and inflammation down in her throat. And last but not least, I used Yarrow to clean her blood. It worked swimmingly!

Trunk or Treat?!

Hello Ladies!

Just a reminder about our ward Trunk or Treat/ward service project this Saturday. The chili cookoff will be a ward activity held in the courtyard and will start promptly at 5pm and the Trunk or treat will start at 6pm and end at 8pm. The public is invited to come to our Trunk or Treat. The price of admission will be one can of non-perishable food per person. I know the food banks are in great need of baby food, so that would be a great addition!

There will be no outside non-ward members allowed to set up a "Trunk" at the Trunk or Treat. The location of the trunk or treat will be our buildings east parking lot. The parking lot will have one entrance and one exit and will be confined to foot traffic only, so if you are planning on having your car participate it needs to be in the parking lot no later than 5:00 pm! Please provide what candy you can, we will provide more if needed. Please remember, no homemade goodies (or just bring all homemade goodies to my house, hehe:)).

There will be prizes for the best decorated trunk, the hottest chili, the best chili, and the best decorated pumpkin! All of this will happen BEFORE 6pm when the public will arrive. If you can bring some cornbread that would be great, please let me know so that we can plan accordingly. (what good is chili without cornbread!)

We look forward to the opportunity to make this a fun yet powerful way in which to help those in need! Cant wait to see you all there!

Self Reliance Tip # 30 Sounds of Communication

Think "Sound of Music" with me...


"The hills are alive with the sounds of communication..." Ok, it doesn't completely fit unless you REALLY try.


What have you done this month to strengthen your emergency communication? Send me an email so I can share.


Ok, back to business. Gone are the days of smoke signals, mirrors of mountain tops and Morse Code. Speaking of Morse Code, do you know what the first message sent over telegraph using this outlandish new technology ? It was a scripture. Numbers 23; "What hath God wrought?" What would Mr. Samuel Morse think of our communication technology today? Oh, Mylanta!


I send these tips to some of my friends and family (if you want any of yours added to our tips, ask their permission first and I will add them to our e-mailings). My sister-in-law sent me the cutest email. You might be able to glean something from what she learned when it is "sanitation vs. communication".


We have a meeting place planned out and map in both our cars. On the back of the map we put lists of things to bring and we prioritized them by how much time you have to gather things. So, like you are told you have 15 minutes to grab stuff and run, etc. It also has a list of things to do before leaving the house... like leave a note for other family members and what to put in it (just in case your brain is in panic mode!). We also have a list of designated contacts with phone, cell, and email listed. I printed it on card-stock and laminated it so it can stay in there and not fall apart.

I also made tiny little phone number lists of close friends, family, doctors, etc and also laminated them and [my husband] and I each have one in our purse/wallet. I realized once (after I dropped my cell phone in the toilet!) that I had nothing without all those numbers stored in my cell (and that it's really gross to pull your cell phone out of a toilet!). Luckily [my husband] had his, but what if we didn't have our cell phone? We live in a day of speed dial. I don't have a lot of numbers memorized.


I love how she has a list of "grab and go" things and her list. It can almost be painful for me to have a list. That means I have to SIT and THINK. When I finally do, I'm glad I did.


Well, I'm not going to ask HOW the cell phone got in the toilet. BUT (there's always a big but) I think the important thing is, that if your brain is in panic mode and you don't know the phone numbers by heart, then you'll be thankful that "God hath wrought..." a plan B.


And another thing....


I must admit I was wrong...(don't tell my husband) :) . I need to correct something I said last week. Aluminum is an excellent heat conductor and will quickly heat water in a Kelly Kettle - maybe even more quickly than the stainless steel kettle. However, I would be purchasing the stainless steel one before the aluminum one for the reason I stated last week. Just an FYI.



My friend and I were talking Monday morning about how some of our ancestors (some are different, some are the same :) ) had so little. Her ancestors had one set of clothes. They were getting ready to have a baby and prayed and prayed to have a piece of flannel to wrap the new baby in. She was so afraid to not have anything to wrap the baby in that to console her, her husband said, "Has there ever been a baby born that had nothing to be wrapped in?" Her reply was, "No, I think not." His reply was, "Neither shall this baby." When the baby was born, a neighbor gave them a piece of flannel to wrap the baby in. Her prayer had been answered through another person. So, this week's extra thought is, remember how blessed you are. Remember how rich you truly are. People can live without a great many things and be happy.


I leave you with an AWESOME video:
http://www.youtube.com/davidkat99#p/u/7/WNQfmKBN2bQ

Self Reliance Tip #29 I love Your Hams!!

Goal for October: In some way, enhance your emergency communication. A few ways are:
Get a ham radio license

Get a reliable radio with am and fm stations on it ( and sufficient batteries to keep it going)

Create a DETAILED plan with your family (great FHE idea) on where you would go in your community if you couldn't go home, where you would go in the state if you needed to evacuate your community, where you would go out of state if you needed to.

Have name badges for your younger school children with name/address/etc. (you could really make these cute if you wanted to).

Or something else that will help you communicate better



As promised, I am sending information that Sister Barbara sent me on the local Ham Radio classes and test. Also provided is the website to study on your own if you cannot make it to the classes. Then show up on test day.


Wednesday at 5:45 P.M. is our 1st class for ham radio given by the ham radio club in town. The following 3 Tueday, 25th the 1st and the 8th will also be held at 5:45 with the test at the last meeting on Nov 8. The test will cost $15.00. The classes are free. You can also get on the web site: qrz.com/xtest2.html to practice for the test. If you can't make the classes you can study for the test and then take the test Wednesday Nov 8th. Which ever way I would like to know so that I can let the club know. The meeting will ge held at Ace Hardware, door is south of the building.



Contact Sister Barbara if you have any questions.



And another thing...


Well, if you were wondering where I was last Tuesday, I was playing hookie in the forest between Show Low and Heber. I had a blast and learned a lot. I wanted to share with you something that I learned.


Ok, I wasn't playing hookie, I was "preparedness camping" with my family. One family that was there had the most AWESOME gadget. It is called a Thermette. They used it to heat water quickly for showers, dishes, laundry etc. I just looked up its website and sadly they are no longer making them. But...have no fear my dear...I have a plan B!


The Thermette is like a rocket stove, but it is specifically built for heating water. The Thermette is made of copper which is the best heat conductor. However, this Kelly Kettle will still boil water in 3 minutes using sticks, pine cones, grass and even dung :) (did you expect anything less from me? Think of the pioneer children gathering chips for wood).


Check it out here - the vid is very informative.
http://www.kellykettleusa.com/


I would only recommend the stainless steel. The aluminum is less expensive, but it not a very good conductor of heat. As a side mention, anytime you cook with aluminum it gets into your water/food and thus into your body. Think tin foil, soda cans, and aluminum pans. The less heavy metals in your body the better...that includes heavy metal music :).

Just a Reminder

I just wanted to remind you that the temple will be closed on Sat. after the 9:00 am session. This is in conjunction with the Women's conference. You may want to send a reminder out to the lovely ladies of the ward

back to bacics....

Although the recipes I sent are good...they weren't quite the "basics". Here is the link for the "basics" recipes.


http://peaceofpreparedness.com/Resource%20Library/Recipies/1-month_kit_RECIPES.pdf

Self Reliance Tip # 28 "Clean" Websites!!

Goal for this month: [latin] toiletus paperous (sounds so romantic doesn't it?) two packages.

Here's a good video to start with:

http://www.youtube.com/user/davidkat99?ob=5#p/a/CCB0BA44C3D7C5D7/0/jTVECvTYpN0

Were you aware that Arizona State had a preparedness website? It is actually pretty good. The one tiny problem that I found is that they hardly mention sanitation. Sanitation is one of the top two "emergency necessities" over looked and unprepared for. Here is the site.
http://www.justincasearizona.com/make-kit/portable-kit.asp

Sister Alice would be proud that there is a link especially for pet preparedness :).
http://www.justincasearizona.com/make-kit/pet-items.asp

And another thing....


Sister Brenda B. sent this website to me and I just LOVE IT! Check out these recipes that ONLY use the basics.
http://peaceofpreparedness.com/Resource%20Library/Recipies/30%20days%20worth%20of%20storage%20recipes.pdf

I hope you can print those out, because that's just awesome!

Cookies

Oatmeal Cookies in a Jar

2/3 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c packed brown sugar
1/3 c granulated sugar
3/4 choc chips or raisins
1 1/2 c oats
1/2 c chopped nuts, optional

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Place flour mixture in a 1 quart mason jar. Layer remaining ingredients in order listed above. Seal, decorate.

Attatch the following recipe to the jar...

Ingredients:
1/2 c butter
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. preheat to 375
2. beat butter, egg, and vanilla in large bowl
3. Add cookie mix, mix well break up clumps
4. drop by rounded tbsp onto baking sheet
5. bake for 8-10 min

Work Shop

Create your own Solar Oven
Grill Fruits and Vegetables
& Dutch-Oven Cooking (Pie) Demo

Tuesday, September 20, 2010 -- 6:00 p.m.
&
Wednesday, September 21, 2010 -- 9:00 a.m.

Create your own Solar Cooking – Carrot Cake – Demo by Clint and Connie Waddell
Grilling – Fruits and Vegetables – Demo by Marvin and Claudia Rios
Dutch oven – Pie, pot pie, and fruit pie – Demo by Chuck Ferrin and Randy Norton

Eastern Arizona College Dining Hall

Everything will be demonstrated and TASTED!!
To register

Name ___________________________________

Address _________________________________

E-mail address _____________________________

Phone number _____________________________

Circle date wishing to attend

Tuesday, September 20, 2010– 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 21, 2010 – 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Cost
$5.00
To cover the cost of supplies
Make checks payable to:
Graham County Extension

Mail this registration form and check to:
Graham County Cooperative Extension
P.O. Box 127
Solomon, AZ 85551
928-428-2611

Self Reliance Tip# 27 Gimme a 'T'... Gimme a 'P' ...

So...picture yourself at a football game...



WHA'DO WE WANT?


TP!!!


...WHAT'S THAT?


TOILET PAPER!


Goal this month is: buy two mongoid toilet paper packages and store them for your family. Find a place that is inconvenient to get them so that you don't use them until you NEED them.


A few weeks ago the Wiltbanks let us know there was a milking stand for sale on our local "Trades and Sales" radio show. So, I called up the seller and went to check it out. While I was there I saw the back yard of the soon-to-be former owners of the aforementioned stand.


I was cracking up! These people were hilarious! They had an old outhouse and you could see cowboy boots peeking out underneath. He told me that he would tell his grand kids that the neighbor would come and use it whenever he needed to. The kids would come back 15 minutes later and say, "Grandpa! He's still in there!" Well, they were boots filled with sand for a funny effect.


It took me back to those days when I first moved to Taylor and froze my buns off because I had to go outside to use the outhouse. Poor me. I often wondered (even as a 13 year old) if there was a snake down there to bite those frozen cheeks. Well, I never did get bit and I grew up to be...fairly normal.


When it comes to sanitation and if your toilets all of the sudden can't work (Sister Alisha learned the last few weeks how much fun that can be) - what is an alternative? Here are a few ideas.


http://preparednesspro.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/emergency-sanitation/


These ideas are good if you have to leave...but what if you're staying? My personal preference is (though probably be different from some) to build some kind of an outhouse. In my camping experiences, it is not fun to "do your duty" in a plastic lined 5 gallon bucket and then have to empty the bag somewhere...yeah. That's just me. So until I would ever need to use it...I'll have some tennis shoes filled with sand peeking out of my "Little Brown House". It will give the neighbors something to talk about.


There ya have it....


And another thing...


Sister Barbara shared this and I think it is awesome.


These would make great gifts!

http://dinnerisinthejar.com/


Lasagna Dinner...In a Jar!

1/4 cup plus 2 T instant dry milk
2 T plus 2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. chicken or beef bouillon granules
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3 cups egg noodles

Layer ingredients in 1 quart (wide‑mouth) canning jar. Layer ingredients in order, and pack down ingredient before adding next ingredient. Attach a gift tag with the instructions.

To cook, brown hamburger in large skillet. Drain and rinse. Add Lasagna Dinner mix, 2 cups water, and 1 (16 oz.) can of tomato sauce. Bring this to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir until thickened. Top with 2 cups mozzarella cheese about 5 minutes before serving. Allow cheese to melt.

Self Reliance Tip # 26 Can you Bidet..?

Wow! How the heck are ya?


Goal for this month: Store 2 large packages of toilet paper for your family.


This month I would like to focus on sanitation. How much TP do you have stored? What happens if it eventually runs out? What do you do then?


When a friend of mine was on his mission, he had the opportunity to live in a penthouse apartment for a few months (dude...). The bathroom had a bidet (pronounced bid-ay). He thought it a bit odd at first...this little toilet thing that sprayed water up??...that was until he actually used it. He cursed the day he had to use toilet paper once again.


You can make your own make-shift bidet to use in place of toilet paper. Many of you can travel back in time with me after the birth of some of your children, a peri bottle was handed to you with instructions how to keep yourself clean while healing took place. Well, if you take it to the back, you can use that for the same purpose. I have friends who have used their peri bottle for years this way.


Now you know...

...And another thing...

We will be talking about 72 hour kits at our Super Saturday Extravaganza (I added that last part in...it makes it more exciting :) ). I found the COOLEST stove that is very affordable and collapsible to add to your kits. This is a video demonstrating how it works. The video is a bit long, but has a lot of good info in it.

http://www.survivalpodcast.net/store/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=29803

If enough people are interested, we may be able to organize a group buy and get them for less.

just a note

... the salsa recipe I just shared was tested using all the ingredients except the green onions. Because green onions are fresh it may not last as long on the shelf - everything else is peachy keen and should last a while.

Self Reliance Tip # 25 For A Rainy Day

It doesn't rain here much in the desert, it is easy to let a little giggle out when people say "save it for a rainy day". We don't have those here very often.


However, I have a few thoughts for you:


1. Have you saved a little cash for a rainy day?
2. How do you store medicine for a rainy day?



President Hinckley said in October 2005 General Conference:


"What (calamities) we have experienced in the past was all foretold, and the end is not yet. Just as there have been calamities in the past, we expect more in the future.


What do we do? Someone has said it was not raining when Noah built the ark. But he built it, and the rains came.


We can heed warnings...We have built grain storage and storehouses and stocked them with the necessities of life in the event of a disaster. But the best storehouse is the family storeroom...Our people for three quarters of a century have been counseled and encouraged to make such preparation as will assure survival should a calamity come. We can set aside some water, basic food, medicine, and clothing to keep us warm. We ought to have a little money laid aside in case of a rainy day..."


So to answer my own thoughts, I could change the wording to "a severe dust storm," instead of "a rainy day" - because...well we see those rather often. I need to do better to set aside a little "mula - mula" for those Arizona dust storms.


As far as medicine, a friend of mine shared a little trick with me. Most of you know that I try to take care of things on my own (most of the time) - so I am lucky to not to have to take medication on a daily basis, but there are MANY who do and depend on them. So - here's the trick. Walmart pharmacy will let you refill medications every 21 days. My friend has been able to save almost a year supply by refilling them every 21 days instead of using up the 30 days and then refilling them. The pharmacy that you go to may have a policy similar to this - if not, now you know.


And another thing...


There are those who believe ( I happen to be one of them) that if you have a year supply of beans, cheese, tortillas and salsa that you're set - I mean really, what else is there?


Up until a few months ago, I cringed at the thought of having to eat Pace Picante Sauce...that was more like "get a rope" for me. It is too vinegary for my liking. Then Sister Brandi solved all my problems...I think you'll love this recipe. Sister Leiah prefers less oregano - so play around with it a little and see how you like it.


Siesta Salsa :)
(So good, you'll think you're dreamin')
28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tsp granulated garlic
2 T minced onion
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 T oregano
Jalapenos (I have used about 3 to 4 slices bottled and it is just right for me)
Green onions


Blend it all together and Viola! Pour into sterilized jars (I think this recipe filled 3 pint jars) and hot water bath for 30 minutes.

Super Saturday!!

This little piggy went:

to the market - smart shopping class (10:00-10:30)
stayed home - crafts you can learn to make at home (10:30-11:30)
had roast beef - lunch! (11:30-12:00)
had none - make a wonder oven or attend a 72 hour preparation class (12:00-1:00)
cried wee, wee, wee - first aid kits/emergency first aid tips (1:00-1:45)


Sign-up sheets available for:

Temple name bracelet clip: 1st one free (additional bracelets $1.25 each)
Soap dispensers with a cute message: $2.00 each
Brown sugar body scrub:$2.50 each
Wonder Oven: $14.00 (bring 3 yards of material)
First Aid Kit: $19.00

Money is due by Sunday, September 4th

Self Reliance Tip # 24 Washboards are hard work!

I've been reading a bit of family history. My dad shared a book with me called, "The Ring of the Anvil". It is about the family of my Great Great Grandparents Joseph Smith Hancock and Emily Davis Wallace Hancock. I tell ya what....I live a cushy life.


When their oldest daughter Hannah Ida was 14 her mother Emily died in a wagon accident. Ida cleaned, cooked, and did laundry for 10 siblings and her father. Joseph never remarried. Ida's daughter remembers, "I don't think I ever hated anything as much as that washboard because I've spent so any hours washing clothes on one. To this day, I do not have a washboard in my house and I never will."


When I go into an antique store a thrill goes up my spine when I see a washboard (...I know, I know). I bought one and I've used one. It reminds me of days past and I just think it is cool. However, if I HAD to use it to do as much laundry as Ida...I'd probably hate it too :).


Last week I shared one recipe that I've used to do laundry with. Here is a link to several more laundry soap recipes.
http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

In my experience if you choose to add a fragrance oil or essential oil to your laundry to help it smell pretty, add a few drops to a washcloth when you are putting them in the dryer. If it is added to the laundry soap, it "washes" out. That's what you're doing right? Cleaning out dirt and odor (if it is good or bad) :)



And another thing...


How in the world do you rotate powdered milk? You wouldn't actually want to drink the stuff...would you?



I've been experimenting with this and have found that when my gallon of "store bought" milk is about half gone, I will add as much powdered milk as it asks for to make 2 quarts (on my can it says 2 2/3 cups powdered milk) - then I do a fun little shaking dance and then add water to fill it back up. I will give it another good shake or two and put it back in the fridge.


I have done this several times and no one has EVEN noticed. Not even Austin the picky pants. Don't get me wrong, I love the little guy. But if it passes his test, it passes the whole family.


Here is one more idea:

http://9fordinner.blogspot.com/2011/01/bit-more-buttermilk.html

Go to this link to see how Jenny buys a small container of buttermilk, then adds powdered milk to it to create a whole gallon of buttermilk. This is a great money-saving tip, and a great way to use your food storage powdered milk.

It Back!!

For those who ever wondered what happened to Bountiful Baskets in the Gila Valley, wonder no more.


You can order today for the delivery to be here on Saturday.


There is a new pick up site - it is now at the Safford Lion's Club.


For those who are not familiar with Bountiful Baskets it is a whole sale food co-op. They offer a basket of fruit and veggies for $15 that would normally cost easily twice that. Their bread is AWESOME too.


For offerings this week here is the link: http://www10.bountifulbaskets.org/?page_id=8

Lawrence Sabin

Hello Ladies,

Millie Sabin's husband Lawrence passed away yesterday. His funeral is going to be held Friday at 10am at the Solomonville Chapel. I will send out more info as soon as I recieve it from his family. We are going to need help with the family meal so if you are available to do so please respond to this email or call Mary Allyce at 322-5778. We will need potatoes, salad, and cake.

Thank you all!

Preserving our Liberty

"I testify to you that God's hand has been in our destiny. I testify that freedom as we know it today is being threatened as never before in our history. I further witness that this land—the Americas—must be protected, its Constitution upheld, for this is a land foreordained to be the Zion of our God. He expects us as members of the Church and bearers of His priesthood to do all we can to preserve our liberty."

--Ezra Taft Benson, "A Witness and a Warning,", Ensign, Nov. 1979, 31



Ether 2:12 America The Beautiful, Hymn #338

Self Reliance Tip # 23 Tergent or detergent.. that is the question!

My mind has been caught up a lot thinking about the happenings in America when the signs of the death of Christ had been given. In 3 Nephi 8: 24 it says, "And in one place they were heard to cry, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and then would our brethren [and sisters] have been spared..."


In remembering "If ye are prepared (temporally and spiritually) ye shall not fear..." (D&C38:30) - there is no "if only I had..." Just a thought.


In my "Plan B" laundry trial and error, I have tried several recipes for making my own laundry detergent. I even think one was shared at a Relief Society activity. I have seen them made wet and dry each having their own pros and cons. In the video shared last week the Sister LDS Prepper said she would NOT make her own. In what ever way you choose, your life will be easier if you have a sufficient storage of laundry detergent.


With the recipes I've tried, there didn't seem to be enough soap to actually break down the oils and dirt. So, I had an idea. This is what I've come up with. It is less expensive than buying "Tide", but not as inexpensive as other recipes I've used. So, here ya go.


1 small box of Arm and Hammer unscented detergent
1 box of borax
1/2 box washing soda (not baking soda)


Mix it together with a wire wisk in a small bucket (I used something to cover my nose and mouth because it is rather powdery) . If you double it, it will fill a 5 gallon bucket about half full.


Sister Leiah also told me that Costo sells a 5 gallon bucket size for a very reasonable price.


And another thing...


Well, yesterday marked a milestone in my efforts to become more self-reliant. I have stored a [one] year supply of basic necessities according to the calculator provided by the church for the size of family I have. You can find that here.
http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7498-1-4070-1,00.html


It took me about two years of planning, preparing, and saving but I did do it.


Am I "done" yet? Nope. I want to eat more than beans, rye, oats and salt.


However, it IS time to do the "Year Supply Dance" - I'll let you know when I get the steps down for it...so when you're ready, I'll teach it to you :). I am quite the dancer as I'm sure you could guess. I was an Eastern Arizona College Choraleer ....years ago. Paahahahahhahaha.....

Self Reliance Tip # 22 Wha'cha got a washin?

Hey good lookin'! Wha'cha got washin'?


This month's goal - Wash one batch of laundry without your washer. Yes, Sister Cindy, you can do just a batch of stockings. If you're going to wear them again, I wouldn't recommend using them to sprout some seeds :).


I could tell from all the eyes rolling on Sunday that laundry is not a hot topic when it means doing it by hand (laundry is never a hot topic now that I think about it). You will thank yourself over and over that you have a backup JUST IN CASE!


Last week for 5 days I had no washer. It stopped working because of one little tiny switch. I've "mickey moused" it until I can get a replacement part. Sister Charlotte knows my pain. So for five days I got to practice. Yippie Ki - yi- yea!! My kids even got to join in...they were so excited (ok not really - but they realized for 10 seconds that if you put clean clothes in the laundry, you double the work load).

I found this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k405br7_Wto

I haven't been able to find the galvanized tubs like the video shows, but I did have 9 gallon plastic tubs that I used with my plunger. I switched to the 9 gallon as opposed to the bucket I had tried before because it fits more laundry. The 9 gallon tubs will fit about half a regular sized batch as opposed to 1/4 batch that the bucket can do.


I would still like to get one of the plungers in the video - some comments I've read said that denim pants will tear the rubber plungers - though I haven't had that problem yet. I plan to get one here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002QUAPSO/ref=s9_simh_gw_p79_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1PTSN8QQE8SNVQQ24VWJ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

I looked up the wringer that they have and....I think I'd rather twist them with my kids to get extra water out. I don't need a wringer that bad. In some of the comments someone said you can get them at Home Depot, I have looked online and at our local store and no luck. If you find one for a good price, let me know. Another thought is to get a mop wringer for less and could even save the grey water for toilets or watering plants etc.
Here's one I found:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Rubbermaid-Commercial-Yellow-Wavebrake-Side-Press-Mop-Bucket-Wringer-Combo-26-qt/16351977

Have fun with it!


And another thing...
A few years ago we had a Relief Society activity where we talked about preparedness. One of the classes was about gathering copies of important documents and having them in a three ring binder ready to go in case of an evacuation etc. (like my mother-in-law or Sister Georgia experienced recently). What would you put in it? What would your priorities be?

Uncertianties and Challenges

"In many of the uncertainties and challenges we encounter in our lives, God requires us to do our best, to act and not be acted upon , and to trust in Him. We may not see angels, hear heavenly voices, or receive overwhelming spiritual impressions. We frequently may press forward hoping and praying—but without absolute assurance—that we are acting in accordance with God’s will. But as we honor our covenants and keep the commandments, as we strive ever more consistently to do good and to become better, we can walk with the confidence that God will guide our steps."

--David A. Bednar, "The Spirit of Revelation", April 2011 General Conference



D&C 121:45 Go Forth with Faith, Hymn #263

Funerals

Hello Lovely Ladies!
Just wanted to inform you of the latest goings on in the Ward...

George Mayfield passed away Tuesday evening from a massive heart attack. He is Nellie Mayfield's son. His viewing will be held Tuesday the 9th 6 pm at Caldwell Funeral Home. His Funeral will be Wednesday the 10th at 10am in the Solomonville Chapel.

Also Thella Montierth passed away Tuesday and her funeral is scheduled for next Saturday the 13th. I will give you more information on this one when I receive it.

We will be passing around a sign up sheet this Sunday for all who can help with the family meal for each of these funerals.

Thank you all for everything you do!
Love,
Brandi

Hope

"Hope is an emotion which brings richness to our everyday lives. It is defined as “the feeling that … events will turn out for the best.” When we exercise hope, we “look forward … with desire and reasonable confidence” As such, hope brings a certain calming influence to our lives as we confidently look forward to future events."

--Elder Steven E. Snow, "Hope", April 2011 General Conference



John 15:12–14 Our Savior's Love, Hymn #113

December Gardening Tips

December Gardening Article
by Neil DeWitt

This month I will discuss the topic of using organic fertilizers. Today organic” this-and that” seems to be the craze. No place should organic be more applicable than in one’s home garden. We have already taken a huge step towards providing our family with more healthy produce when we grow it ourselves, but when you do it without the use of commercial fertilizers you know for certainty that you are doing the best you can for your family and at the same time, helping to protect the environment.

Organic fertilizers differ from conventional chemical fertilizers in several ways. Of course they are organic as opposed to being chemical formulations, so when you buy a chemical fertilizer, that is pretty much all you get, while most organic fertilizers provide you with a smorgasbord of nutrients important to plants. Another difference between chemical and organic fertilizers is in how they feed plants. Chemical fertilizers are generally water-soluble, so plants can use the nutrients immediately. However, most organic fertilizers, in contrast, must be degraded by soil microorganisms before their nutrients become soluble and can be taken up by the plants’ roots. And this is a good thing because the same warmth and moisture that coaxes plants to grow also encourages those microorganisms to work. The result being, that organic fertilizer feeds plants in synch with plants’ needs. Another benefit to the fact that most organic fertilizers are at first insoluble is that rain or irrigation tends not to leach away the fertilizers’ nutrients quickly and thus they often will last an entire season.

And finally, a benefit to be had by utilizing organic fertilizers is that they are more environmentally responsible than using chemical fertilizers because the production of these commercial fertilizers usually require the use of petrochemicals for their manufacture. On the other hand, many organic fertilizers are simply byproducts or waste products. Recycling them is not only environmentally sound, by it also costs less, in fact, these are sometimes even “free” for the hauling!

Since most nutrients in organic fertilizers aren’t immediately available to feed your plants, you need to plan ahead when using them. The ideal time to apply organic fertilizers is between late fall and late winter. Thus, the timeliness of this topic falls into the timeframe of our December gardening article. If the organic fertilizer is applied during the winter months, all you have to do is sprinkle or scatter the matter on top of your garden’s soil and it’ll be ready for plants to use when they are planted or they awaken in the spring. There is no need to dig the fertilizer into the soil, thus saving on your labor. The one exception to this would be a fertilizer applied specifically to add phosphorus to your soil. It will need to be spaded into the soil because of the fact that phosphorus moves very slowly through soil and thus it won’t feed your plants’ roots which are usually one or two feet deep in the soil.

You can buy organic fertilizers that supply mostly one major nutrient, or you can buy a blend that supplies one or more of all three of the major nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. All organic fertilizers also offer micronutrients, which are just as important as the major nutrients, but are needed only in tiny amounts. Keep in mind that organic fertilizers do not address the need for adding additional organic matter such as compost, leaves, and other bulky natural materials to your soil to improve your soil aeration and water-holding capacity. Although these organic materials do, in fact, also help to release nutrients as they decompose, but they release it at such a low percentage that they are not rightly called fertilizers.

Here is a list of some commonly used organic fertilizers available at most garden centers:
Fertilizer Nitrogen % Phosphorus % Potassium % Fertilizer Nitrogen % Phosphorus % Potassium %
Alfalfa meal 3 3 2 Manure, cow 0.25 0.15 0.5
Guano 12 15 2 Manure, horse 0.3 0.15 0.5
Blood meal 15 1 1 Peat 2 0.3 0.8
Bone meal 4 20 0 Rock Phosphate 0 33 0
Compost 2 1 2 Seaweed 2 1 9
Fish emulsion 4 3 2 Cottonseed meal 7 2 2
Granite dust 0 0 5 Wood ashes 0 2 5
Greensand 0 1 6 Worm castings 1 0 0



TIP: Use soluble organic fertilizers such as fish emulsion or seaweed extract when your plants
need a fast acting fertilizer for an emergency feeding.
____________________________________
Suffer Not a Weed: Remove weeds while they’re small. A mature weed that goes to seed can produce thousand of new weeds!

November Gardening Tips

November Gardening Article
by Neil DeWitt

This month I will discuss a couple of topics beginning with another tip concerning soil quality. Last month I discussed how to improve your soil’s quality by the addition of organic matter. Not only do we need to know what to put into our garden soil but sometimes it's as useful to know what you shouldn't put in your soil or compost heap as it is to know what you should. Here's a list of no-nos. Some may seem silly, but you'd be amazed what people might consider.

1. Anything you'd use for a house-hold painting or refinishing project, including paint, paint thinner, paint remover, turpentine, varnish, and varnish stripper. Would you drink these? If not, don't put them in your garden.
2. Household chemicals, such as cleaners and drain un-cloggers.
3. Meats or animal fats. They attract rodents, dogs, cats, and other pests.
4. Table or pavement salt. Salt bursts plants' cells, making the plants look burned. In high enough concentrations, it can even kill them. (Many weed killers, both synthetic and organic-are salts.)
5. Dog doo-doo, used cat litter, or, heaven forbid, solid human waste. The droppings of any meat eating mammal can carry harmful pathogens.
6. Drywall. It has become popular in recent years to soak drywall in water, and then add it to soil to help break up clay. Not only is drywall's effectiveness as a soil amendment dubious, but it also can contain compounds you don't want your plants (especially edibles) to be taking up.
7. Pressure-treated wood, which contains arsenic, a toxic heavy metal.
8. Black walnut leaves, bark, or chips. Black walnut contains juglone, a chemical that inhibits the growth of many plants, especially tomatoes.

When the cooler weather draws near many of us are anxious to see the end to the summer garden, especially if we have been busy canning or processing our harvest for storage. However, I can attest to the fact that it is very satisfying to have tomatoes from the garden as part of our Christmas dinner. I definitely enjoy bragging about it to my family members who live up north having had their first frost in late September or early October. There are a few things that one can do to “extend” the harvest season of their tomatoes. One thing to do is to plant a few special varieties of tomatoes that are great for storage. Among these are “Ruby Treasure” and “Red October”, (available from Burpee). If you have storage tomatoes they can be picked green when their blossom ends lighten to a creamy green color. Regular varieties can also be picked green and used as they ripen during the weeks following a killing frost. Even these regular varieties can often make it to the holidays. Be sure to monitor the weather forecast to get your tomatoes picked before a frost damages them.

You can extend your tomato plants’ time in the garden by covering the plants at night with sheets or blankets. It really does not take too much to protect them if the temperature stays above 29 degrees. Even if some of the tomatoes around the fringes of the plant are damaged by frost, the tomatoes closest to the ground or on the interior of the plant will most likely survive without damage.

When a hard freeze is coming, gather your green tomatoes, wipe them with a weak bleach solution (1 tablespoon bleach per gallon of water) to kill any mold spores, and arrange them in a single layer on an indoor shelf or table. Some suggest individually wrapping tomatoes in a small sheet of newspaper to capture the gases they emit for the purpose of hastening the ripening process. However, I prefer to place them on the shelf on top of a sheet or two of newspaper (the paper will absorb any fluids that may come from fruit that is spoiling), and I then place a couple of additional newspaper sheets over them. This allows me to monitor the ripening process (or spoiling process) with a quick daily glance. Others prefer to pull the entire tomato plant and hang them upside down in the barn or similar place. A final suggestion is to plant some tomatoes in clay pots which are buried in a pile of compost in the garden in late summer (in time for the plants to fully “set” fruit), then you can dig up these pots and bring them indoors when cold weather stops their growth. This technique can be messy, yet rewarding; when you are the one WHO has vine ripened tomatoes in winter months.

Off-season tomatoes are not quite the same flavor as your garden fresh vine ripened tomatoes in the summer months, but they still are definitely better than some of those supermarket tennis balls that only look like tomatoes. And besides, there is much joy to be had when you share homegrown garden tomatoes from your garden as part of your holiday meals. The Gila Valley is a wonderful place to enjoy growing a vegetable garden that can continue to reward you even in our cooler months with fruit that hasn’t travelled thousands of miles, been sprayed with pesticides, and artificially turned red in color to look appealing in the supermarket display.
TIP: The best time to plant garlic is the fall.

October Gardening Tips

October Gardening Article
by Neil DeWitt

This month I will discuss soil quality. For the most part, if your garden plot is in the lower portions of the river valley, you will have a clay soil. If your plot is on the higher portions of our area, you are likely to have sandy soil. Both are fine for growing a vegetable garden as long as you take the necessary steps to improve your soil. Of course we all would like to have a great loamy soil to work with. No matter what cards we have been dealt, we can turn our soil into one that is productive for vegetable gardening.

Sandy soil is the easiest to work. It dries out and warms up quickly and it always drains well. However, these characteristics will cause you to have to water very often as well as fertilize more often because there is nothing to keep the water and nutrients close to the roots of your plants. To improve sandy soil, you need to constantly add organic matter to it. Green manure crops, which were discussed in the last newsletter, will help a great deal. Also, plant residues after the harvest and fall leaves are good sources of organic matter.

Clay soils are more fertile than sandy soils by nature. However, they are heavy, often preventing good drainage, which can spell doom to your plants if water remains in constant contact with your plant’s root system. When clay soil is wet, it is slippery and it sticks to your shoes. The soil becomes slippery because the soil particles in clay are flat and they compress when stepped on and this shuts off the flow of air and water to the plant’s roots. The best way to improve clay soil is once again, to add organic matter such as leaves, old mulches and green manure crops. As this organic matter breaks down, it acts like little wedges that keep the soil particles from sticking together. This creates openings for air, water, and the roots of the plants to better penetrate the soil to take in needed oxygen and water. Adding a whole lot of sand to clay soil does not work well because you will need so much sand it usually is not economically efficient and you are still going to need to add just as much organic matter to the soil anyway. Using raised beds in your garden is also great when working with clay soils as this prevents the soil where you grow your plants from being stepped on and thus becoming compressed. This also allows the clay soil to dry out quicker and warm up earlier in the season.

A loam soil is what should be our goal. Loam soils are usually rich in organic matter and quite fertile. They’re easier to work. They have good drainage, but they still hold enough moisture for plants to thrive. They are certainly the best soils for gardens. And, as you can clearly see, no matter if you have sandy soil or heavy clay soil, you can move towards a loam soil through the use of organic matter. It is important to note that the process of adding organic matter is never complete. It must be a constant process because as soon as you work it into your soil, it begins to break down and in the matter of a short period of time you will be right back where you started with your garden plot in regard to soil composition.

Whenever soils are moist and the temperature is warm, organic matter in the soil will decompose. Organisms such as bacteria, fungi, earthworms, mites and others, attack organic matter. Earthworms are probably the most beneficial workers in your garden. And you need to encourage them to stay in your garden and to multiply by providing them with a constant source of food supply, which is of course, organic matter that you add to your soil. The worms digest the organic matter and deposit casts that are high in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium, making these essential nutrients available to your plants.

Doing a soil test on your garden plot can also help you in knowing what you might need to add to your soil to make it more productive. It is suggested that new garden plots be soil tested before you begin and it is also recommended that the soil in an established garden be tested every three or four years. This test can tell you the strengths and weaknesses of your particular soil. The pH of the soil is the primary thing you should be most concerned with. The pH level of the soil regards the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. The pH level is rated on a numbered scale ranging from 0 to 14, with 7 being considered neutral. Most vegetables do best in soil between 6.0 (slightly acidic) to 6.8 (almost neutral). Lime can be added to the soil to raise the pH level while sulfur can be added to lower the pH level of the soil. A quart of lime spread on 100 square feet of garden area will raise the pH level about 1 point, while about ¾ of a pound of sulfur is needed for 100 square feet of soil to lower the pH level about 1 point.

Take your soil sample by digging a six-inch hole and then cut a thin slice of the soil down the side of the hole to its full depth and place this in a plastic bag. Make sure you do not get your soil sample from just the top of the hole because the sample will not be accurate. Now you have a sample ready to send to a soil testing facility or you can use a home gardener’s test kit available from most garden centers.

Remember, our gardens are like our lives here on earth---we must continually seek improvement as the process for enduring to the end.

September Gardening Tips

September Gardening Article
by Neil DeWitt

September is one of my favorite months as a gardener. Fall is just like spring with its cooler crisp mornings and evenings, but without all the wind! An occasional rain is also a real blessing in the fall. It is a time when we can thank our Heavenly Father for all that He has provided for us over the course of the summer through our garden labors. It is a time to continue enjoying the harvest of crops. It can also be a time when we can restart our garden with fall and winter vegetable crops. And, can even be the time when we begin the process of building-up our garden soil to become better than ever once the weather turns warm/hot next spring/summer. The best preparation of your garden plot can come over the winter months through the use of “green manure” crops. We see examples of this with our local cotton farmers every winter when they plant a grain crop, often, not for harvest as grain, but as fertilizer for the next year’s cotton crop.

A “green manure” crop can turn both heavy hard clay and lifeless sandy soils into a garden soil that is full of nutrients, easy to work, and one that retains moisture well. It is possible to improve any soil and build it into a soil that is compatible with vegetable gardening. However, this is not always something that you can do overnight through the use of commercial fertilizers and soil supplements. Neither will mixing one huge pile of organic matter into your soil one time accomplish it. This may certainly help in the short term, but it won’t last. Organic matter is the key to creating a rich productive soul. But, you must realize that it is always temporary. From the moment you mix organic matter into your soil, you start to lose it. Earthworms and countless other soil creatures start breaking it down into usable plant food and soil-improving humus. In our hot temperatures, they will work their way through organic matter in no time, and if you don’t have another helping ready for them, they’ll die or leave the area in search of food sources elsewhere. And once you have a big crew of worms and other beneficial critters working for you in your garden, you don’t want to “lay them off” so they move on to “greener pastures”, but you want to keep them well fed with organic matter as in a good winter crop of green manure.

Any green plant that is spaded or tilled back into the soil can be called green manure. Certain crops can be grown specifically to be turned under, back into the soil while they are still green for the purpose of serving up a host of organic matter. Alfalfa, buckwheat and annual ryegrass are a few examples from amongst a long list of possible green manure crops.

There are many advantages to be found in utilizing a green manure crop. First, green manure is easier to use than animal manure as a fertilizer and soil conditioner. Five or six pounds of seed can produce tons of green organic matter. Animal manure is usually full of weed seeds that you may end up fighting in your garden for years. It takes a lot more animal manure to add a significant amount of fertilizer to soil as compared with using green manure. Green manure crops really help sandy soils to better hold their nutrients and moisture which are trapped by the organic matter close the surface for better utilization by your vegetable plants. Green manure crops provide a tremendous amount of organic material for earthworms and the bacteria in the soil to break-down for food. Green manure provides a literal feast in your soil. When tilled into heavy, clay soil, green manure crops improve and condition the soil. This keeps the clay-laden soil from baking down and crusting over as much, thus making it easier to “work” or till. Use of a green manure crop over the winter months helps to reduce the loss of topsoil due to erosion and our heavy spring winds. A thick green manure crop helps to choke out weeds, smothering them by blocking out the sunlight they need to thrive. Three or four successive years of winter green manure crops will almost wipe-out persistent problem weeds in your garden. Green manure crops act as an insulating blanket to your soil, keeping the ground cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Winter months are when earthworms are most active. Having an insulating blanket of green manure allows the worms to “feed” closer to the surface of the soil where they will produce a rich store of nutrients for next year’s crops, right where young plant have full access to these nutrients. And a final benefit to the use of green manure is the fact that these crops typically send their roots much deeper into the soil than do most vegetable plants, thus bringing valuable deeper nutrients up to feed the plant when they get put back into the topsoil as the green manure crop is tilled prior to the time when you plant your next year’s garden.

One of the easiest green manure crops to use in our area is annual ryegrass. Be sure you purchase the “annual” variety of seed rather than the “perennial” seed. Also, make sure you are getting ryegrass seed, not rye seed, which is a grain. This seed is inexpensive, easy to grow, easy to obtain, and it will grow as a rich green crop throughout the winter months. This is the same grass crop that is grown in our area as a “winter lawn” when it is “over seeded” on turf lawns.

Use 2 to 3 lbs. of annual ryegrass seed per 1,000 sq. ft. of garden for green manure. This seed is usually less than $1 per lb. The best time to plant this crop is in late September through the end of October. To plant, spade, plow, or till your soil to prepare a good seedbed. Turning the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches is sufficient. Rake the seedbed. Spread a little commercial fertilizer such as a 5-10-10 or a 10-10-10 at a rate of about 2 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. Use your rake to mix this fertilizer into the soil. Broadcast the ryegrass seed evenly over the area, then finish with a light raking to mix the seed into the soil. Finally, keep the soil damp each day, but not soaked, until the seed germinates and becomes established. Let the ryegrass grow without any mowing, continuing until you till it under about 2 weeks prior to the time you begin planting your garden next spring.

August Gardening Tips

August Gardening Article
by Neil DeWitt

Hopefully all is going well in your garden and you are enjoying a bountiful and delicious harvest. This month I have a few hints relative to harvesting your crops of various produce. After months of hard work and tender care, when it’s finally time to reap the rewards of your vegetable garden, it helps to know when it is best to harvest your vegetables. This knowledge can be as important as knowing how to grow them. The following tips might just help you somewhat in picking your produce at it’s prime:
· Early morning is always the best time of day to pick your produce before it becomes stressed from the sun and the heat of the day depleting some of the moisture in the fruit and vegetables.
· Small is beautiful, tasty, and tender, too! (Size does matter for vegetables, usually smaller is even better)
· Keep picking! Don’t let plants go to seed.
· Asparagus: Snap off spears when they are 6 to 8 inches tall. Bend the spear from the top toward the ground, it will snap at the point in the spear where it is tender and not too fibrous. Only harvest spears for about 8 weeks before letting the plant grow to the “flower stage” as this will allow it to “feed” properly for the next spring harvest season.
· Bush Beans: Pick when 4 1/2 to 6 inches long.
· Broccoli: Harvest when the buds are compact but before they turn yellow or open into flowers. Leave 5 to 6 inches of stem attached. Leave the plant in the garden after you cut it and the broccoli plant will produce additional heads.
· Carrots: Pull or dig when ½ to 1 inch in diameter and before the plant begins to produce a seed flower.
· Corn: Harvest when silks turn dry and brown, don’t pull back the husks to peek at the kernels. The kernels should be bright, plump, and milky when pricked with your fingernail.
· Cucumber: Harvest before cukes begin to turn yellow, unless they are the “lemon” variety. Pick when 4 to 6 inches in length for pickling varieties and when 6 to 10 inches for the slicing varieties.
· Eggplant: These are ready when they turn dark and shiny.
· Green onions: Harvest when their tops are about 8 inches tall.
· Summer Squash varieties: Pick when you can easily dent the rind with your fingernail. Smaller is certainly better for zucchini especially.
· Winter Squash varieties: Harvest when the rind is firm enough so that you cannot easily dent the rind with your fingernail.

If you would like to have fewer troubles with your tomatoes, consider these tips:
o Choose the right location. Tomatoes need at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. Leave plenty of space between plants for good air circulation, staking or otherwise supporting plants also helps.
o Rotate crops. Many disease spores can live in the soil for years. Don’t grow tomatoes or related plants like peppers and eggplants in the same spot year after year.
o Improve soil. Get your tomatoes off to a good start by planting them in well-drained, weed-free soil that is enriched with organic matter like well-rotted manure.
o Water correctly. Deep, slow watering encourages good root formation and is better than short, frequent irrigation. Use soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems to avoid wetting foliage, which can lead to fungal diseases. Water early in the day so plan ts dry before evening hours. By keeping moisture levels consistent, you will help prevent problems like blossom-end rot and leaf curl.
o Mulch. Reduce weeds and maintain consistent moisture levels by spreading mulch around plants. Leave space around the stem. Mulching reduces the spread of early blight and other diseases by preventing spores from splashing onto plants.
o Keep it clean. Remove garden debris, leaf litter, and weeds to keep pests and pathogens away. Sterilize garden tools periodically in a solution made from one part bleach to nine parts water to lessen the spread of diseases.
o Encourage beneficial insects. Praying mantises, predatory wasps, lady beetles, and toads are all natural predators that reduce tomato pests. Keep them happy in your garden by avoiding use of pesticides as much as possible.
o Plant the right variety of tomato. Select the types of tomatoes that grow well in hot arid areas. Your garden centers or the local cooperative extension service will have recommendations for our valley. When selecting plants for transplanting, look for healthy green leaves and stems. Avoid plants with roots coming out of the bottom of the pot, as this indicates they have been in the container too long. Also look for signs of pests or diseases on the plant to avoid introducing them into your garden.
o Tomato varieties marked with these codes have built-in resistance to these diseases:
F – Fusarium wilt T – Tobacco mosaic virus A – Alternaria leaf spot N – Nematodes
FF – Fusarium Race 1 and Race 2 L – Septoria leaf spot V – Verticillium wilt