2013/11/27

Free E-books

     Free E-books to download from Preppers Custom Search.  Enjoy!

How to Make and Use Char Cloth

     A good article detailing how to make and use char cloth.  I've been meaning to make a bunch of this for use with my fire piston.

2013/11/20

Break the Bank: Build Your Local Economy

     Another good article from Mother Earth News on "getting back to the basics" of economy.  Bartering is making a huge resurgence all around the country and is a good way to get what you need and help out a neighbor at the same time.  A site you can go to if you'd like try bartering is Barter Quest (non-affiliate link), check out the "meet you half way club" while you are there.


2013/11/06

Dead Simple Fodder System

     An informative and thurough article about sprouting seeds for your animals as a way to cut feed costs.  Well worth the read.  I'll have to try this in spring when I have more time.  Enjoy!

2013/11/05

The Pantry Primer: Stockpiling Grains

     Good information on different grains and deciding how much to store.  Enjoy!

The Perfect Homemade Biscuit Mix from Food Storage

     Another excellent article from Backdoor Survival.  Enjoy the biscuits and pancakes...I know I do!

Outrageously Delicious Malted Chocolate Brownies

     They sound to good to be true!  I think I wanna try this one next!  Enjoy!

2013/11/04

Sharing your Prepping Knowledge with Your Family

     A good post about sharing you knowledge with the rest of your family.  I think it applies to more than prepping.  Let's pass on all of our skills.

2013/11/03

Life (and Death) on the Homestead

     A good article on life and death and how different people, even in the same family, can perceive it.  Definitely work the read.

2013/11/02

Build a Basement Root Cellar

     An article with advice on how to build a root cellar in your home.  Not a bad project.  Enjoy!


2013/11/01

Gourmet Foraging and Advanced Acorn Processing

     A really informative article on processing acorns.  Well worth the read!  Enjoy!

2013/10/31

Let’s Bring Back Victory Gardens

I agree whole heatedly with the author. We should bring back Victory Gardens. Let people enjoy the benefits of growing some of their own food(better health and fitness are just the start). Please read and next spring, plant your own victory garden!

2013/10/30

Alert: Back Door Gun Control Moves Forward

     Very scary article.  Take a look at what is going on behind the scenes.

Make a Skull and Crossbones Candy Dispenser

     From Woodworking for Mere mortals comes another good halloween project.  Spend the time with your kids and let them help put this toghether.  Enjoy!

2013/10/29

Acorns: The Inside Story

     Another informative article on using acorns for food.  Lots of good information here.  Enjoy!

How to Make Butter

     Ever wanted to make some homemade tasty butter?  This article tells you how.  There are also several different recipes for flavored butters.  Enjoy!

Oatmeal Cookies

     Another good staple...i mean dessert...for the colder months!  Milk and warm fresh baked cookies are one of my favorites.

Crockpot Chicken Corn Chowder

     This looks so tasty!   And the weather is getting to that cooler time of year when a mug of hot soup is a good warm-up after being out in the cold all morning taking care of the animals.  Good Eats!

Apple Cinnamon Bouchons

Another excellent recipe from the Paratus Familia Blog, although to me it sounds more like dessert than breakfast.  Who am I to talk, I usually have two soft pretzels and cheese for breakfast!  Enjoy!

2013/10/28

5 Most Toxic Food Additives to Avoid

Read this informative article from Mother Earth Living to get good information on several additives and chemicals found in prepared foods. Avoid them and better your health!

2013/10/26

3 Chicken Raising Methods: A Comparison

A good artice laying out the pros and cons of three different ways to raise/house your flock. Good information in there. Enjoy!

2013/10/25

2013/10/24

2013/10/23

Brian’s Alternative Hand Tool Storage

     Excellent use of space for storing tools.  My hats off to the carpenter.  Jump on over to The Wood Whisperer to see all the great shop storage Brian built.  Enjoy!

Make a toe-pincher coffin candy dish for Halloween

     I really enjoy this blog and the accompanying videos.  Here is the latest with plans for a casket candy dish.  You rock Steve!!!  Keep up the excellent work!

Making Handles for New Tools

     This is an older post of his but I really like the handles he made.  Makes me want to go out to my shop and finally make handles for my files.  I think I'll go to Lee Valley to get the ferrules though.  I think I'd prefer the brass over using copper pipe fittings.  Enjoy!

2013/10/22

33 Awesome DiY Projects

     An articel containing links to 33 DIY Projects from around the internet to get you started on/help you continue your journey towards self-reliance.  Enjoy!

2013/10/21

Subsistence Survival Re: The Stealth Poacher

     A very good article.  I encourage all to read it.  There is a time and a place for it, as I tell my boys:  "If it comes down to it, it's better to have to explain to a judge why you were taking game out of season than get the final escort by six friends."

2013/10/20

The Harried Homemaker Preps: How to Cook an Old Rooster

     A good article with recipes for cooking an old rooster or laying hen.  I hope you enjoy it.

2013/10/19

Nesting Box Herbs - Chicken Aromatherapy

     A good article about the benefit of adding herbs to your chickens nesting boxes and brooders.  Definitely trying this one.  Worth the read!

2013/10/18

Preppers To Freeze Without A Crosscut Saw

     A short article about the advantages of having a crosscut saw to assist you in cutting firewood.  Also has a link to buying a crosscut saw as well as sharpening guide.  Enjoy!

2013/10/16

Honey Maple Pumpkin Bread Recipe

     This recipe sounds delicious!  I suggest you make up a batch today and try it for yourself.

2013/10/15

How to Plant Garlic

     Good article on planting garlic.  Unfortunately the weeks in my garden are not deterred by straw, they grow right through it!  I think I'll plant a small crop this weekend and see how it goes over winter.

2013/10/14

The Three Stages of US Martial Law

     Scary article.  Food for thought.  Read and think long and hard about trusting your government.

2013/10/13

10 things to buy every time you shop

Good short article. Every time you shop may be a bit excessive once you have a good stockpile started, but you get the idea. Enjoy!

2013/10/11

Never Run Out Of Meat Again – An Introduction to Raising Meat Rabbits

     A very brief introduction to reaising rabbits for meat.  Definitely just a skim over article and look for other more indepth sources of information.  Some are listed below the link  to the article.

2013/10/10

Rendering Lard

A short but informative post on how to render lard in a slow cooker and process it for long term storage.

2013/10/09

Dam Raised Goats: 4 Reasons to Skip the Bottle

     A good article on why you should let your young goats be raised by their mothers and not bottle fed by us.  There is also a book giveaway at the bottom of the article.

2013/10/08

Acorn Maple Shortbread Cookies

     Ever tried a Acorn Maple Shortbread Cookies?  Neither have I, but this article make me want to bake some up!

2013/10/07

How much do I need?

     A very good article designed to help you figure out how much of each kind food and other items  you use to put aside in case of emergency.  Well worth the read!

2013/10/06

Sew by Hand: Build Your Own Sewing Kit

     A good article on getting together your own sewing kit so you can repair your clothes instead of buying new ones just because you get a hole in them. Enjoy!

     The book offered at the end of the article is no longer available from their website.  You can however, find it here (affiliate link):  Sewn by Hand: Two Dozen Projects Stitched with Needle & Thread

2013/10/05

A Canning We Will Go: Apple Pie Filling

     A good article about canning apple pie filling.  I only hope my wife reads this entry!

2013/10/03

The Pantry Primer

     A good series of articles about building up your pantry and efficiently using the items located there including getting started, meal plans, home canning, and much much more.  Read them all as a good source of excellent information.

2013/10/02

17 Great Ways to Utilize 2-Liter Soda Bottles for Survival

     Seventeen different ways to utilize 2-liter soda bottles in your preparedness plan.  I'm not sure about filling them with water, capping them, and placing them in a camp fire to boil water, but hey...whatever floats you boat!  Also discusses the SODIS method of water purification (which I had never heard of, very interesting as well).

     Enjoy!

2013/10/01

5 Myths about Water Storage

     Here is a good article debunking several myths about storing water.  Check it out and make your water storage plans as safe as possible.  Well worth the read!

2013/09/29

Survival Tablet

     Linked herein are parts one and two of what was supposed to be a three part series on setting up a tablet or thumb drive with a digital prepping library and back-up of your necessary documents and information.  It would be really nice if they finished and posted part three of the article, but I imagine the information can be found elsewhere on the net.

2013/09/28

10 Must-Haves for Your 72 Hour Kit

     72 Hour kits are pricey.  You can put one together for your self, but what goes in it?  This article answers that question as far as the top 10 items that should be in all 72 hour kits.

2013/09/27

The Best Way to Make Acorn Flour

     An excellent article on making arcorn flour.  I may have to gather some this fall and try to make some.  I wonder how it tastes.

2013/09/26

How to heal cavities naturally

     A short but interesting article on how to prevent and heal cavities without resorting to fillings or a dentist.  The arguments in the comments section are as informative as they are fully too.  Check them out as well!

2013/09/19

How to Cut Up a Squirrel for Cooking

     A good short article on processing a squirrel for cooking.  I think I need to go to the woods once squirrel season opens and pick off a few of them with my bow so I can try this out.

2013/09/11

"The Herbal Survivalist Spot": Herbs for diabetes

A good beginning of instruction to using herbs to manage diabetes.  Check it out and bookmark it; the author intends to update it regularly.

2013/09/10

6 Trees Every Survivalist Should Know & Why

     A short article but very informative.  I didn't know there were so many uses for the trees native to my area.  Well work the read.  I think I'll try the maple seeds in spring as well as sone pine needle tea.

2013/08/14

Coke Bottle Watering "Globes"

     A short tutorial from radmegan in words and pictureson making a water globe out of a coke bottle.  I've also heard of people doing the same thing with 2 liter soda bottles.

2013/08/13

5 Uses For Chickens In the Garden

     Mike's Backyard Nursery's article cirting five benefits of having chickens to help your garden.  The only thing left out is where he fails to mention about the chickens eating the fruits of your labor if you don't keep them out once the plants start to bear fruit!

2013/08/12

20 Awesome Survival Books for Kids

     All kids should read these classics, as well as the other books on the list.  This article, from Mom with a Prep, does say that kids wouldn't lose anything by not reading all three of the books in the hunger Games trilogy.  I disagree with that.  There is a lot to be learned in all three of the books.  Not necessarily about preparedness and survival, but resilience, loyalty, and serving your community.  Those are probably the most important aspects you can take from that series.

2013/08/11

How to Make and Use Zeer Pots to Keep Your Foods Cold

     Preparedness Advice details how to make an eco-friendly "refrigerator".  It's a very interesting concept.  I'd like to know from any readers if they have tried it and what their results were.

2013/08/10

Living Fences: How-To, Advantages and Tips

     Another excellent article from the folks at Mother Earth News.  This one is about growing living fences.  If I had a larger homestead and could keep livestock larger that chickens and ducks, this would be a project I could see undertaking.

2013/08/09

How to Build a Chicken Feeder

     Another great article from Grit!  How to build a pest and weather proof chicken feeder.  Check it out!  I'll have to start on a couple of these next week!

2013/08/08

Prepper groups, power in numbers

     An interesting article from Geek Prepper.  It makes a lot of sense.  Kind of like haveing a militia to help the community in times of need.  Remember, it took FEMA five days to reach the Super Dome.

2013/08/07

Drills to Test Your Preparedness

     Preparedness drill for you to test your family with from Prepared Christian.  Just remember that if you have kids, try to make the drills serious but inroduce an element of fun or reward for good performance.

2013/08/06

Six survival tips that you can use every day

     Six excellent tips and explanations from All Outdoor.  This is a short and concise read with good sense driving suggestions.

2013/08/05

Random Acts of Prepping

     From the Survival Sherpa comes a good article on helping your fellow man as well as introducing them to or assisting them with getting prepared.  After reading make sure you go out and commit a

2013/08/04

How to Build a Natural Swimming Pool

     Mother Earth News has an informative article on constructing a natural pool in your back yard.  The article is from 2002 so the prices are probably just a bit understated; however, I think the

2013/08/03

How To Make Stevia Extract

     An article from New Life on a Homestead detailing how to make stevia extract for use in baking and other foods.  A rather simple process once you have thaken the time to grow the plant.

2013/08/01

14 Sustainable Food Companies You Can Trust

Another good article from the folks at Mother Earth Living detailing 14 companies whose products are sustainably grown and that have a positive impact in other environmental areas.

2013/07/31

Rabbit, Hare and Squirrel Recipes

     Tons of recipies from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook for various game animals.  With hunting season coming up it's time to bookmark a couople of these to try out so you can expand your meal variations throughout the seasons!

2013/07/30

10 Great Pretend Games to Help Your Children Develop Preparedness Skills

     A really good article from Mom with a Prep.  I think my family will try a couple of these games this weekend.  I already know they like camping in the back yard.  Time to find out how well they would handle a hike around town or go on a scavenger hunt around town or in the back yard.

2013/07/29

Self-Seeding Crops You’ll Never Need to Replant

     Mother Earth News discusses planting your gardens with self-seeding plants so you can spend less on seed each year.

Six Ways To Save A Dying Garden

     A good article from prep-blog.com containing six strategies for saving your garden when it is failing or failed the year before.

2013/07/28

21 Container Vegetable Gardening Tips

     Some good tips from Mike's Backyard Nursery on gardening in containers.  Nothing groundbreaking or earth shattering, but hey, if it was something you didn't know before then the read wasn't a waste!

2013/07/27

Make your own Dirt Cheap, Bulletproof Garden Water Wand

     A quick blurb and link to a video from Preparedness is Fundamental about making your own garden wand.  Check it out, maybe it can save you a few bucks over buying a Wal-mart special.

2013/07/26

Step-by-Step Plan to Fill Your Pantry Using Only Your Grocery Budget

     A quick three minute read from Family Survival Planning with a basic strategy for getting your food stores on a budget.  I think this is a method everyone can use to prepare. 

2013/07/25

Build an Outhouse (Privy) with plans from 1909

     An interesting article from The Prepper Journal.  Unfortunately the book is no longer in print because I am sure it is filled with tons of other ideas.  You can download a .pdf copy of the book (the link is in the article) but the book is over 1100 pages so it would use a lot of paper and take up quite a

2013/07/24

Grocery Store Prepping

     A short article from The Approaching Day Prepper containing a strategy for building up your short term supply of emergency food.  Not a bad article, it does contain a few good ideas.  I personally don't like the idea of stocking up on prepared foods because of all of the nastiness put in

2013/07/23

Homesteading in Suburbia – Five Easy Ways!

     A few good ideas from Keeper of the Home.org you can use to be partially self sufficient even in suburbia.  I still have one or two of the suggestions to implement, but we are getting there!

2013/07/22

Retractable PVC Hoop House

     Another fantastic article from the Grit website!  That site is a plethora of information on so many topics.  I spend hours a week looking through their articles.  This latest gem is about making a

2013/07/21

39 Fantastic Prepping Tips

     Another excellent article from Backdoor Survival with thirty-nine preparedness tips submitted by readers of the blog.  The last one on the list is very simple, I'm suprised I never thought of something similar.  I'm going to be using that tip every time I go on vacation.

2013/07/20

12 Things You Should Know About (and Do With) Your Eggs

     A good article from Crunchy Betty about pastured eggs and their benefits over commercially produced eggs.  I will have to say that we have, as a family, thoroughly enjoyed our feathered friends for their company, whimsical personalities, and those delicious eggs.  I knew some of the information in the article already, but a good portion of it was new information for me and I thought it was all very interesting.  I think I may need to try making some of that egg shell tea when I start my garden next spring.

2013/07/19

Cleaning Brass for Reloading

     This is a fairly decent article from the Harbor Tool and Freight Blog discussing three different methods of cleaning cartridge casings for reloading; once you get past the obvious sales tactics of course.

2013/07/18

How to Process Chickens at Home

     A really good step by step set of instructions from the Ramblings of a Redneck Mommy blog. I have a feeling I may be putting these to use soon. One of the roosters is getting a bit "uppity" and I don't think I'm going to tolerate much more of that.

2013/07/11

Building Shelter for Miniature Donkeys or Goats

     An article from Mike's Backyard Nursery that can be a source of inspiration for someone who wants to DIY a shelter for their animals but doesn't have extensive carpentry skills. I would advise you to also look into the building codes for your area so the county and state don't come by and make you take it down.

How to Receive Emergency Alert System Messages - Code Green Prep

     A good article from Code Green Prep about emergency alert radios.  Only piece of advice I might add is to have a solar charger and extra rechargeable batteries or get a backup that has hand crank and solar charging capabilities.

2013/07/04

Top 10 Items for Modern Homesteading Kitchen

     A list of items of use in any kitchen, not just a homesteading one.  See what you have on the list, are there things you are missing?  This would be a good weekend to hit a yard sale or a thrift store to see what you can pick up.

2013/07/03

37 Awesome Survival/Prepping Hacks

     An inspiration riddled article from How to Survive it.com with a bunch of suggestions for survival/prepping projects.  This made me think of so many other tings I can make or reuse!

How to Prevent Burglary

     Here is a good article and checklist from Preppers Planet with suggestions to make your house less of a target for thieves.

2013/07/02

5 Uncommon Skills That Will Be Useful After the SHTF

     Another good article from Backdoor Survival.  Make sure you take the time to learn at least one, if not two, of these skills.  The can be very important, even in normal times.

Growing Food Hidden in the Forest

     I really didn't think there were that many perennial fruits and vegetables that you could base your gardening around them.  I can't wait for part two of this article (from Mother Earth News.com)!

     You can also get the book Secret Garden of Survival: How to grow a camouflaged food- forest (affiliate link) that talks all about growing hidden gardens.

2013/06/28

How to Make Yogurt in a Mason Jar

I never thought of making yogurt at home.  The Prairie Homestead has a step by step article about it.  This has given me some ideas! I should probably call the wife and have her get a couple gallons of milk ready!

2013/06/27

How to Safely Clear Your Home When You Think There’s an Intruder

     An excellent article from usconcealedcarry.com about checking your home if you fear there is an intruder.  Calling the police is the best first option, but if you have no chioce, this is an excellent primer.

2013/06/26

Poor and Prepping : 5 Ways to be Prepared

     This one is from a guest blogger at thesurvivalistblog.net.  It contains five good strategies for getting prepared if you, like most of us don't have a ton of cash to throw at getting prepped.  I think my favorites were the "1+1=stockpile" and "K.I.S.S. & Thrifty" methods.  Of course I think the author intended all of them to be used at the same time, but none-the-less, those were my favorites.

The Best Preparedness Moves You Can Make Right Now for FREE!

     For those of us prepping int the no or low budget mode, edthatmatters.com has produced this excellent article with no-nonsense things you can do now to help you be prepared in case of and emergency or natural disaster.

Ten Smart Ideas

     There are some good suggestions in this article.  Thankfully I already do/have done six of the ten items onthe list.  I think it's time to start tackling the other four.

2013/06/25

20 Items to Kick Start Your Food Storage Plan

     A list of twenty staples for you to obtain to begin storing a supply of food in case of an emergency or natural disaster (hurricane, earthquake, tornado).  Now, why the author decided to include a flashlight and batteries on a list of twenty food items I don't know, but the rest of the list is a good place to  start.  Especially if you like all of the foods on this list. 

Seven Reasons You Should Learn to Cut Hair

     This is a good article with seven well though out reasons why you should learn to groom hair, human and pet. 

2013/06/23

How to Suspend a Pot Over a Fire

There is an excellent video with two very interesting ways to suspend a cooking pot over a fire.  I'm going to try them both this year when I get out hiking again.

2013/06/22

Making & Using Bow Drills

While I don't advocate using a bow drill to start a fire regularly, it is a good skill to have in case you need it.  Plus, it you teach your kids to do it you can have them start your campfires for you to make them appreciate matches and lighters even more!  Personally, I like using my fire piston.  People are really impressed when you can make fire with no spark.

2013/06/21

Five Mistakes to Avoid while Hiking

A good short article with 5 mistakes all hikers should avoid making.  Listening to this could save your life when you are doing any activity that puts you out in the world at large.

Eight Reasons to Live Frugally

A concise article with good advice as to why you should live within your means.

Supreme Court: Your Right To Remain Silent Can Be Used Against You!?

When I first saw the title of the article, Supreme Court: Your Right To Remain Silent Can Be Used Against You : FreedomOutpost.com, in my e-mail, I wanted to jump up and down screaming about the injustice of it all. How could the Obama lackeys on the Supreme Court once again diminish our constitutional rights! Haven't we been beaten down enough! And after reading the article I certainly didn't feel any better but, I decided to take a few days and cool down while I did a bit of homework by reading the full opinion published by the Supreme Court (The full opinion can be found at Salinas v. Texas).

Let me start by stating that I am by no means a constitutional scholar and while I am all for protecting and expanding our constitutional rights, I unfortunately found myself agreeing with the opinion of the majority in this case.

2013/06/16

Downloading the Classics

A good article with a couple of places to find literary classics online as .pdf e-books. Personally, I would just go to the Project Gutenberg website where you can download them in many different formats, and all of them DRM free.

2013/06/14

13 Pioneer Skills You May Need

While this article calls these skills things you may need to know I happen to disagree.  I think a lot of them would be good to know right now if not just neat to know in general.  I'll let you decide which is which for yourself.

Seven Reasons Why You Should Get a Goat

Although short, I think this article nicely outlines some good reasons to keep goats.  I think it's time I start reading up on keeping them myself.

2013/06/12

Food Waste In America – Would You Eat This?

     I had not thought of doing this before I read the article. I think it's time for me to visit my local grocery store.

2013/06/06

2013/06/04

26 Five Minute Prepping Projects

     A little article on different things we should all do just in case of emergency, nothing outlandish or conspiracy theory-like involved.  Great article!

26 Five Minute Prepping Projects








Deadfalls and Snares

Good article about on a book about deadfalls and snares - a good trick to have in your bag.

I found a cheaper copy of the book here (affiliate link)!

2013/05/01

Kitchen Cabinet Door Organizer Paper Towel Holder

I found this great project on Ana White's website today. Check it out, it's a Kitchen Cabinet Door Organizer Paper Towel Holder!

After reading the plans, it looks like a great project do take up some weekend time with the kids!

Enjoy,
TroutAngler







2013/04/04

Mosquito Repellent Plants

I found this interesting article on the Gardening And More blog. It's about several plants that you can add to your landscape that act as natural mosquito repellents. I though this appropriate at the start of the gardening season.

2013/03/21

A Fun Family Ostara/Easter Event

I understand that this is a little late if you celebrate Ostara, but if you live in or near Carroll County, here is a nice Ostara/Easter activity you could attend with your kids:

Carroll County Public Library - Dye Eggs the Natural Way

-TroutAngler


2013/03/20

2013/03/19

Baking for Survival - Denver Biscuits

Another delicious looking recipe...same blog as the last.  Look thorugh their older posts, I bet there are more! 

-TroutAngler

Paratus Familia Blog: Baking for Survival - Denver Biscuits: Contrary to the deceptive title of this post, these biscuits aren't survival food in the classic sense, but in more of a "help m...






Quintessential Survival Bread

I found this on another blog today and with St. Patrick's Day just behind us, I though this was appropriate for a random thought!  Enjoy this recipe for Irish Soda Bread!

Paratus Familia Blog: Quintessential Survival Bread: At its core, survival depends upon efficient, simple and effective methods for dealing with the necessities of daily life.  Food is no ex...






2013/02/28

Newest Homeschool Project

Well...here is a pic of our newest homeschool project.  This is the first really long term project.  Some have lasted over a summer or a winter but this will be their first multi-year project.

They were almost a week old at this point and already feathering out.
 


2013/02/27

I'll try for seven again...

Well, Just under two years ago I said I was going to try and blog once a day for seven days in a month.  I'm suprised I made it to 5 days, but I think it's time to try again.  Since the last time I was here I have been very busy with homeschooling, gardending, woodworking, and way to many other past-times to be counted here.  I have had my successes and failures in all areas as is to be expected in life.

Here is one of most interesting things I found online today, I intend to put some of these sources to use!

http://oldworldgardenfarms.com/2013/02/26/8-great-tips-for-finding-free-compost-materials/

Read it and enjoy!