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