Self Reliance Tip #19 Keeping a cooler house in the heat!

Ok, raise your hand if you love alternative cooking!!! MEEEEeee!!!


Awesome! One of the reasons I love all these different ways of cooking is that most of it can be done outside. When summer is here it can be SOOOoooOOoo hot. It keeps the kitchen cooler when I can cook outside. That's a big deal!


This video can be applied to anything, even self reliance...I used this video for FHE last night and it was an excellent teaching tool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nczw6xHJ0I

This week's tip is on a little thing called a rocket stove. What is so special about a rocket stove? Well, it is more than just fire in a can, the can in insulated where you only use a handful of sticks as opposed to building a huge fire to boil water on. I have seen big ones and small ones. They are easy and fairly inexpensive to make. This site shows step by step instructions through pictures.

http://www.iwillprepare.com/index_files/Rocket_Stove_In_A_Number_10_Can.htm

If you don't want to trouble yourself with making one and you have a little bit of extra cash around, here is a professionally made one.
http://www.stovetec.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=35

This is a video on how to light rocket stoves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7BcZD_IzCQ


There are TONS of rocket stove videos!


One thing you should know with rocket stoves is that there will be soot on the bottom of your pan. Some users will put dish soap on the bottom before they use it and it makes it easier to clean. I haven't tried that yet. But, Mr.Clean magic eraser worked better than anything else I have tried.


And Another Thing....


I've been experimenting with freeze dried cheese and wanted to share my experience. Its awesome!


When I first rehydrated the cheddar cheese and poured off the extra water. It was kind of gloppy and not very...sprinklable? But when I added it to a cheese crisp, an amazing thing happened. It melted. My kids didn't say ANYTHING about it tasting "funny" or anything.


I did the same thing with the mozzarella cheese (but "sprinkled" it on some pasta with spaghetti sauce and it also melted wonderfully!


Happy Day!

Self Reliance Tip # 18 Wonder Source!!

HAP HAP HAPPY TUESDAY TO YOU ALL!!!


Ok, so here we are.


An awesome quote to begin with -

"I bear my humble witness to you that the great God of heaven will open doors and means in a way we never would have supposed to help all those who truly want to get their year’s supply. The Lord will make it possible, if we make a firm commitment,... All we have to do is to decide, commit to do it, and then keep the commitment. Miracles will take place; the way will be opened, we will have our storage areas filled. We will prove through our actions our willingness to follow our beloved Prophet and the Brethren, which will bring security to us and our families."


Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone

Ensign, May 1976


I testify this is true. I have experienced this in my own life. I know some of you have too. Keep up the good work!!!


Goal for this month: Cook one meal this month using an alternative cooking source (i.e. not electric or propane).


This week's tip is SO STINKIN' exciting!! Some of you may have heard of it, some of you may not have. My grandmother had one, but I never knew how to use it or why it was SOOooo cool. It is called a Wonder Oven or Wonder Box and it is truly a wonder....it is the 8th wonder of the world its so wonderful! It is inexpensive, it is easy to use and it saves on fuel like Grandma's car she only drives on Sunday! Here is a run down on how it works.


You bring your meal to a boil for 10 to 15 minutes, you place your pot in the "WOOooonder Oven" and leave it like a crock pot. It keeps your meal boiling and insulated for several hours. That's it!


I borrowed one yesterday because I didn't have my own yet and it worked awesome. I cooked some rice. I still need some practice with it, but it still worked! You can even make bread in it!


At our Relief Society meeting tonight, I will have copies of recipes and "how to's" so be sure to come and get one!


The website below has the pattern and how to to make it. If the pattern is confusing don't stress, I have a copy of it that I plan on making one this month and hopefully I'll work out the kinks to share my knowledge. The wonderful author of this site lived on her year supply for a year and has more cool things to share. Here is the link:


http://eatingfoodstorage. blogspot.com/2010/02/word- about-wonder-ovens.html



This is where I plan on getting the Styrofoam pellets:


http://www.walmart.com/ip/ Popped-Polystyrene-Bean-Bag- Refill-4-Cubic-Feet/11004709

There may be a better price somewhere else out there, but if you have it shipped to our local store, you don't have to pay shipping - now THAT's a bonus!


And Another Thing....


When my grandmother was the Relief Society president in her ward many moons ago, they were encouraged by their stake to keep 3 wool blankets in their home at all times...


Now why is that? The summer is hardly the time to cuddle up with a nice itchy wool blanket, pop some popcorn and sit down to watch the news....


It is an excellent fire retardant. They didn't have fire extinguishers back then. I have purchased three wool blankets from this site (the best price and quality I could find).
http://shop.vtarmynavy.com/russian-grey-wool-blend-blanket-p1035.aspx?__utma=1.950576363.1295969052.1295969052.1295969052.1&__utmb=1.10.10.1295969052&__utmx=-&__utmc=1&__utmz=1.1295969824.1.2.utmcsr=google|utmccn=(organic)|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=wool%20blankets%20military&__utmv=-&__utmk=257642763


Wool is awesome in more ways than a fire retardant. Wool will keep you warm even if you're wet. My husband's grandfather who attributed his survival on the German Death March to intervention from Heavenly Father and the over sized wool jacket given to him by the Germans the day the march began.


Because wool can be itchy, I made the wool blankets the "batting" in some quilts. I got two flat "full sized" cotton sheets and sandwiched the wool blanket in between and tied it like a normal quilt.

Tah Dah!


** For more info on what's ging on in the picture for the 'wonderbox' look at..: http://selfrelianceadventures.blogspot.com/2009/11/using-wonderbox-style-insulated-cooker.html

Self Reliance Tip # 17 Alternative Sources

This month's goal: Cook [one] meal from an alternative cooking source...i.e. solar oven, alcohol stove, rocket stove, volcano stove, BBQ on the grill, dutch oven etc.


This month we will be focusing on alternative cooking sources. A few years ago I made a cardboard box oven. I cooked with it quite a bit until I left it outside and the sprinklers got it. I kept thinking about how I could made a more sturdy one. So, I batted my eyelashes at my husband and we worked together to make one. This link shows you a video on how I use it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoXyVsXqAl4

In the video I made some zucchini bread muffins. They have never turned out that flat before, but OH they were good.

Most of you should have a BBQ grill of some sort. It can be used basically the same way. If not, I saw one at Walmart that would work awesome like this for $35. If you want an oven more like mine, you'll need to contact your local handyman (husband, son, grandson, uncle, cousin, neighbor) who knows how to use a welder and SHAZAM - there ya go :). Just remember that your oven has to have some ventilation otherwise the coals go out - they need a wee bit of oxygen. One charcoal will give you about 35 degrees. So if you need a 350 degree oven, you will need basically 10. If you are cooking at a higher elevation, you need more.

So, there is alternative cooking idea #1

And Another Thing...
From Heavenly Father's Medicine cabinet...


One of my favorite herbs is peppermint. There will be some who don't like the taste or smell, or may have a reaction to it, but for the most part, peppermint is one of the best herbs ever!


I have personally used peppermint for:
Calming the munchies
Upset stomach
Gas
Freshen clothes in the dryer
The BEST brownies ever!!
My kids will ask for it if they've eaten too much. If I'm not sure why they have an upset stomach, I will give them both lemon and peppermint. That usually does the trick.