A Cheerful Attitude

"To be cheerful when others are in despair, to keep the faith when others falter, to be true even when we feel forsaken—all of these are deeply desired outcomes during the deliberate, divine tutorials which God gives to us—because He loves us. These learning experiences must not be misread as divine indifference. Instead, such tutorials are a part of the divine unfolding." --Neal A. Maxwell, "Be of Good Cheer", Ensign, Nov 1982, 66 Psalm 16:9, 11 There Is Sunshine in My Soul Today, Hymn #227

Self Reliance Tip #61 Soap Nut

You may consider me a bit of a "soap nut". It might have something to do with one of my hobbies of soap making. I have tried my hand at laundry detergent that is more natural, but economical. I think I have found something to make other "soap nuts" out there giggle with delight. Introducing...the soap nut. Is it a "nut"...not really. It is a berry that has been dried that has what is called "saponins" in it that make a bubbly froth. For a batch of clothes use five nuts for cold water and three nuts for hot water washes. Those three to five "nuts" are good for four to five batches! Sweetness!! I have read reviews on sites and blogs, and watched tons of videos. Here is a breakdown on how affordable they are:

http://www.soapnuts.pro/2009/09/01/soap-nuts-affordability/

...It gets better. The company NaturOli that is mentioned in the article has their "Soap Nuts" for more than twice the price that you can find them at Mountain Rose Herbs!! I love that place!! http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/bulkherb/s.html (scroll down to find soap nuts) Now it is time to try it. I have purchased some. I'll let you know how it goes. Wanna know what desert plants have saponins in them? You may have some in your back yard :) -

Native peoples used the root of this plant to wash everything...including their hair!! They would harvest the root, wash off the dirt, peel it, slice it and dry it. This was their bar soap. Just add water :). If you only take a few "tubers" (legs) of the roots, you can cover the remaining roots again with dirt and the plant will continue to grow. Even though soap nuts are a little more convenient at this point, it is good to know these yucca are out there :). Here is a video for more about the uses of yucca:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b08zwv2zHks&feature=related

Here is a video on how to make North American Yucca Bread...AWESOME!!! Watching this will make you thankful for your kitchen :).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynOEvuPI17E&feature=related

Until next time...my little soap nuts!

Self Reliance Tip #60 Casseroles For comfort

Last week I had the rare opportunity (if you could call it that) to watch my neighbor's house go down in flames. It was a crazy sight. At first, I was unsuspecting. I was walking my babysitter (not MY babysitter...but for my kids :) ) to her car and smelled something kind of like garbage burning, but it had a different smell. As I kept walking around the house, there it was. Flames were reaching at least 15 to 20 feet above the house. Tires on their brand new car swelled and burst sounding like a gun going off. Their neighbor's house and tree also caught fire, but luckily the Fire Department was able to put that out before it got too far into it. I haven't been able to get any solid answers as to what caused the fire. I haven't read any official report. I'm not trying to start a rumor here; however, it seemed to start in their small laundry room. It looked like the greatest damage happened by the hot water tank where I saw a pile of clothes. They lost everything, but no one was hurt and that is something to be thankful for.

I think now is a good time to remind our readers of the importance of fire prevention and evacuation. So... with the tradition in self-reliance, we need to plan ahead before we may be faced with a situation like this.
•When was the last time you checked the smoke detector's batteries in your home? •Are they working properly?
•Is there more than one way your family can escape your home?
•Do you have a family evacuation plan?
Here is a checklist that can help you in your efforts to be aware of potential fire hazards:
http://www.sparky.org/pdf/sparkychecklist.pdf
 
Here is an article on things that should be added to your evacuation plan: http://blog.oregonlive.com/themombeat/2011/12/do_you_have_a_fire_safety_plan.html

These are excellent things to talk about at a Family Home Evening or Family Night. They are just as important as any other topic to consider preparing for in implementing self-reliance.

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... And another thing....
One of the best ways (I have found) to try and make our preparedness menu more enjoyable by the family is to take family favorite meals and alter them with "food storage friendly" ingredients. For instance lets take one of our favorite recipes:

Chicken Casserole (original recipe)
1 whole chicken
1 1/2 C rice
3 C Celery sliced
1 C chopped onions
1/2 C butter
1 C Mayo
3 cans Cr. of Chicken Soup
3 T lemon juice
Corn flakes
Boil whole chicken in salted water until inside temp reads 180 degrees. Debone, dice and save broth. Boil rice in broth. Mix all ingredients except butter and cornflakes. Place in 9x13 pan and top with cornflakes and melted butter (to make the cornflakes crunchy!! Yumm!) Best when refrigerated over night (minus the cornflakes...unless you like them soggy). Take out two hours before baking and bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes.

Chicken Casserole (food storage friendly)
1 pint jar canned chicken
1 1/2 C rice cooked
1/4 C dehydrated/freeze dried celery
1/8 C dehydrated onions
1 C Mayo
3 T lemon juice
1 tsp chicken bouillon (I use MSG free)
3 C water (divided)
2 T dehydrated milk
3 T flour
1/2 C butter canned
Cornflakes
Dice canned chicken

 Heat 1 1/2 C water to boiling. Add bouillon, celery and onion- let boil for a minute or so. Pour other 1 1/2 C in pint jar with flour and milk. Put the lid on and shake until all lumps are gone. Slowly add to boiling water to make a gravy. Add salt to desired flavor. Mix rest of ingredients except butter and cornflakes into a bowl. Spread mixture in 9x13 pan and cover with cornflakes and melted butter. Bake 350 for 30 - 45 min. They are slightly different, as is the flavor. The more I play with it the better I get.

Self Reliance Tip # 59 Latter Day Preppers

Good morning to ya!!

A few years ago in "Pop Culture" a song came out. It is called "Its the End of the World as We Know It". The lyrics at the end of the chorus say, "Its the end of the world as we know it...and I feel fine." They must be into self-reliance!! :)

Most "preppers" outside the LDS community refer to prophecies foretold in the bible as TEOTWAWKI (or the end of the world as we know it). It is our goal to follow the promptings we get to get our individual families ready for such a time. The Book of Mormon repeats the lesson over and over that if the people who dwell on this land keep the commandments, they will prosper. If not, they will loose it. The excerpt below is an email I received from Sister Kathy. I share it with you in hopes that you might tell your friends and family why it is important that they make preparations for their own families. If they plan ahead, they will have no need to "just come to your house" when things get tough.

"When discussing prepping preparedness and emergency supplies with family and friends, many of you have probably heard the flippant remark: ""I'll just go to your house." I have been somewhat taken aback at this statement. I initially didn't know how to respond. I knew it was a flippant response from some, made out of mockery and intended to elicit laughter. Their mindset is that they don't want to prepare, and don't see the point. Most off them think that our concerns for the future are humorous and unlikely to ever come to fruition. And I knew a few who felt overwhelmed and unsure of how to start to prepare for themselves. They were frightened by what they saw coming, but unable to make that practical step, to prepare for themselves while there is time and information aplenty. I know that many other like-minded people have been faced with the same situation. Perhaps my pondering on it and laying it out when you face the same statement, or rashly consider making the statement yourself. After much consideration I have realized there can be only one response: You cannot come to my house in TEOTWAWKI (the end of the world as we know it). I don't say this because I don't care. I do. I wouldn't have entered the conversation with you in the first place otherwise. I say this because of two very real and serious reasons. 1. In the event of a real emergency, you will most likely never reach my home. Consider it. If you have been to my house, you most likely had to drive to get there. And some of you have had to drive a long way. And some of you have had to drive through many cities and other populated areas. Many emergency situations could lead to roads and bridges that are damaged or closed. Many unprepared fellow citizens could become lawless, falling into a dangerous mob mentality. The further you have to drive, simply increases the number of obstacles you could face. Traveling immediately after an emergency can be extremely dangerous and unpredictable. 2. I do not have the resources, energy or ability to prepare for you and your family's unique needs. Many people have very differing dietary needs. Within just my close circle of friends and family, I have loved ones who need very low sodium foods, gluten free foods, vegetarian foods, low glycemic or low carbohydrate foods. Some also have food allergies, drug allergies, environmental allergies, and chronic conditions that require medications or frequent monitoring and specialized treatment. Slowly, one by one, I research these needs to find foods, herbs, home remedies and treatments to aid in a long, healthy, drug free life, using materials that I can grow, glean, or make in my own home. But this research takes time and practice. And sometimes I am happy with the results, and sometimes I have to start over in my search for a self sufficient answer to these troubles. I also try to find alternatives to everyday items and duties. Baby diapers, Toilet Paper, Washing clothes without electricity, Cooking. This has taken a lot of time to research (still underway) and purchase needed supplies that will last: Cloth diapers, family cloth, a bucket and plunger, clothes drying rack, propane camp stove as well as an outdoor fire pit. We are also a one income family with 3.5 children, 100+ chickens, 9 ducks and 4 goats. It could take years for me to provide beds, bedding, clothing, medicine and food for 20+ additional people. Let us consider just one aspect. My family of 5.5 people live in a two bedroom home. If you and your family were to come to my house, where would you sleep? Perhaps for one or two nights you would feel grateful to have space on my floor. But after a while you would desire better sleeping arrangements, beds or at least pads, blankets or sleeping bags. You would also eventually need to change your clothing. Would you be able to bring all the extra clothing you would need in your hurried race from your home? Sturdy practical shoes? Your favored hygiene products? Your hair brush and tooth brush? How long will you be satisfied at my home carting water daily and defecating in an outdoor privy? With no electricity my home does not have water OR septic. Even with electricity, my septic is rated for 6 people and could quickly be overworked and create a health nightmare for everyone involved. These are things that you may not have considered. But they are things that I must consider. Prepping literally means, Preparing for what could happen. I hope you can see that this is not because I do not care for you. It is because I do care for you. I urge you all to prepare for your own. Not only is it truly your responsibility, but it is truly something that only YOU are capable of doing. By relying on someone else, you will end up with impersonal, inadequate and sometimes completely unsatisfactory results. And for those who think this is all unnecessary and a waste of time.... I wish it was."

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I was taking a little time to sit and relax on Saturday morning and decided to take a peek at Pinterest. I found something shocking that I love. I am going to try it and tell you how it went for me. Did you know that you can re-grow celery from the bottom that you usually cut off and throw away? Check this out! The author of this blog also has all kinds of other cool recipes and ideas!

http://chickensintheroad.com/farm-bell-recipes/re-growing-celery/