Shelf Life for Foods - Cupboard, Refrigerator & Freezer

Website listing food storage shelf life for a wide variety of foods on cupboard, in the refrigerator and in the freezer...

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/fn579-1.htm

Recipes for a few All Natural Household Cleaners

                                         Recipes for a few All Natural Household Cleaners

Window Cleaner
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons liquid castile soap
- 2 cups pure or distilled warm water
- 3-5 drops tea tree oil

#2

-1/8 cup vinegar
-1 cup water
-10-15 drops lemon oil
 

#3

-3 cups distilled white vinegar

-1 cup water
-10 to 15 drops grapefruit oil

 Directions: Add all ingredients to spray bottle, shake to blend, spray on glass, and clean using newspapers or microfiber cloth. Shake well before each use.

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All-Natural Disinfecting Spray

-1 cup distilled water
-20 drops lavender oil
-20 drops of thyme or eucalyptus oil
-10 drops tea tree oil

Directions:        Mix ingredients with 4 cups of hot water. If desired, add 1 teaspoon of essential oils for kicks. You can use a mixture of two or just one. Oils suggested are lemongrass, eucalyptus, lavender, sweet orange or peppermint (eucalyptus and lavender go nicely together). You can use this cleaner on everything except glass.

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All-Purpose Cleaner

-2 teaspoons of castile soap

-5 tablespoons of cheap white vinegar
-2 teaspoons of borax
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-¼ teaspoon of tea tree oil

Directions:     Mix all baking soda, water & dish soap with essential oils. Place container  in larger bowl. Add vinegar. Mix.

#2
-2 cups boiling water
-2 tablespoons white vinegar
-½ teaspoon dish soap
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-5 drops lemon oil

#3

-2 cups white vinegar
-2 cups water
-2 drops tea tree, lemon, or lavender

Directions:                 Combine baking soda and essential oils in a mixing bowl. When ready to clean toilet bowl add vinegar and pour mixture into the toilet. Then scrub with toilet brush. Note: This is a single use recipe. There is no method of storage due to the fizzing action.

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Toilet Bowl Cleaner

-3/4 cup baking soda
-3/4 cup white vinegar
-10 drops of tea tree oil
-10 drops of lavender oil

Usually, the toilet bowl cleaner recipe is enough to clean the stains in the toilets. However, tougher stains may require the use of the following homemade soft scrub in addition to the toilet bowl cleaner.

Directions:       Add these ingredients directly to partially drained bowl. Tip: For serious stain or rust, empty water from bowl & scrub with a wet pumice stone. When wet, the stone will not scratch porcelain.

#2
-½ cup baking soda
-10 drops melaleuca oil
-¼ cup vinegar

Directions:        Add baking soda & vinegar to the toilet bowl, & let sit for 10 minutes. Scrub with a toilet bowl brush. Follow up by scrubbing with castile soap, if necessary.

#3

-¾ cup baking soda
-½ cup white vinegar
-1 tablespoon liquid castile soap (optional)

Directions:         Add liquid castile soap to baking soda slowly until paste is formed. Then proceed to add antiseptic essential oils. Apply scrub to sponge for use on surface to be cleaned.

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Homemade Soft Scrub

-¾ cup baking soda
-Enough liquid castile soap to form a paste
-5 drops tea tree oil
-5 drops of lemon, lemongrass, or orange oil (optional)

Directions:                                                  -WARM or HOT water – just add 1-2 tablespoons of washing soap to the washer. -COLD water – dissolve the 1-2 tablespoons of powder in hot water to be sure it distributes through the clothing properly. -You won’t see a lot of suds, but your clothes will be ‘spectacularly clean’.

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Washing Soap

-1 bar shaved soap

- ½ cup of borax
-½ cup of washing soda
-3 drops essential oil

Directions:                                                  Fill large bucket with half of the water. The bucket should be about ½ full. Add borax, washing soda & castile soap; mix well, breaking clumps as you go. Add the remaining water & essential oils, if desired. Stir well. Use immediately, & store in an old laundry container; the mixture will gel when cooled, so mix thoroughly before each use. Use 1 to 2 cups per load of laundry.

  #2
-¼ cup borax
-¼ cup washing soda
-½ cup castile soap
-1 gallon hot water
-5 to 10 drops of oil (lavender, rosemary, or tea tree are nice)
 

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Floor Cleaner

-1 gallon hot water
-2 tablespoons liquid castile soap
-15 drops wild orange oil
-8 drops lemon oil

Directions: Combine ingredients in a large bucket. Use a mop to clean the floor. Allow to dry completely.

#2

-2 gallons hot water
-¼ cup baking soda
-2 cups white vinegar
-3 to 4 drops tea tree oil, pine oil, or half a lemon

Directions:   Combine ingredients in a large bucket. Squeeze out mop thoroughly before using. Go over wood with a dry mop to remove excess moisture & give it shine.

Wood Floor Polish

-¼ cup olive oil

-¼ cup vinegar
-10 drops wild orange or lemon oil (or other)
 
#2
-1 cup white vinegar
-2 gallons of water
-20 to 30 drops peppermint oil

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Furniture Polish

-¼ cup vinegar or ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

-1 teaspoon of oil (or jojoba liquid wax)

Directions: Combine ingredients in a spray bottle & shake well. Mist onto furniture surfaces, & polish immediately with a rag (mixture may stain rag.) No need to rinse!

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High Chair Disinfectant

Mix 8 drops tea tree oil with 2 ½ cups water in a spray bottle; shake well. Spray & wipe down high chair surface.

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Mosquito Repellant

Mix 4 oz water & 6 drops peppermint oil in a spray bottle. Shake well before use.

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Insect Repellant

Lavender, geranium & eucalyptus all have repellant properties. Mix several drops of each in an 8 oz spray bottle. Shake well before each use and spray as needed.

Fruit & Vegetable Wash

-1 cup water

-1 cup white vinegar
-1 tablespoon baking soda
-10 drops grapefruit & lemon oils

Directions:                Combine ingredients in a spray bottle & shake well. Spray onto fruits & vegetables before eating. For berries, grapes, etc put items in a bowl & pour in the fruit & vegetable wash. Let sit for several minutes & rinse.

 

Canning a cake...in the oven. 3-2-1 Cake. Oven Canning

30 Classic Games for Simple Outdoor Play

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/08/simpleoutdoorplay/

When I was a kid, we played outside with the other kids in the neighborhood with most of our free time. We also made the most of recess at school. We kept ourselves quite occupied without any of today’s modern technologies. Listed below are some no-tech games that you may have enjoyed as a kid. I sure did. Some can be done indoors. Some can be done by yourself or with just one friend. But most of them are best when done outside with a group of people. Also, most of these games can be changed or improved by making up your own rules. Use your imagination!

Hide and Seek: Everyone has played this one. Most parents have played with their kids, since hiding and finding is a common interest of small children. I’ve heard of all kinds of variations on this game. Sometimes you count to twenty, sometimes ten, sometimes one hundred. Sometimes there is a home base that you can run to and tag, becoming “safe,” sometimes you just wait to be found. The general idea is that one person is “it,” that person closes his or her eyes and counts to a certain number without looking and then he or she tries to find the others.
Number of Players: Ideally at least three.
Equipment: None.

Kick the Can: This game is a variation of tag and hide & seek. One person or a team of people are designated as “it” and a can is placed in the middle of the playing area. The other people run off and hide while the “it” covers his or her eyes and counts to a certain number. “It” then tries to find everyone. If a person is tagged by “it”, they go into a holding pen for captured players. If one of the un-captured players manages to kick the can, the captured players are released. The game is over once all the non-”it” players are in the holding pen.
Number of Players: Ideally at least three.
Equipment: A metal can.

Capture the Flag: This game is most fun when played with a large group. Split the group into two teams, each team having a flag or other marker at the team’s base. The object of the game is to run into the other team’s territory, capture their flag and make it safely back to your own territory. You can tag “enemy” players in your territory, sending them to your jail. They can be sprung from jail by a member of their own team running into your territory, tagging them and running back, with one freed person allowed per jail break. It is sometimes played that all the people in jail could hold hands and make a chain back toward their own territory, making it easier for members of their team to tag them. We also played a similar game called Steal the Sticks. It had almost the same rules, but several sticks were used instead of one flag.
Number of Players: A large group.
Equipment: Two flags or other markers.

Parachute: Fun for kids of all ages, this game involves a large round parachute, preferably with handles, with people holding the parachute all around the edges. It helps if someone is in charge telling people what to do. Players can just ruffle the parachute up and down a little bit, they can go all the way up and all the way down, or all the way up and then run underneath, sitting on the edge of the parachute, which can create a bubble of air with everyone inside. Players can also place light objects such as wiffle balls or beanbags on top of the parachute, and make them jump by ruffling the parachute. Also, one person can sit in the middle of the parachute and everyone ruffles it near the ground. If there is a smooth floor and a light child, the child can sit in the middle on top of the parachute and everyone else can walk partway around still holding the parachute edge. Then everyone pulls backward, spinning the child. There are countless variations.
Number of Players: Depends on the size of the parachute, but usually eight to ten.
Equipment: A play parachute. These aren’t as hard to find as you would think. Try here and here.

Traffic Cop: This game works best on a street with little to no traffic, or in a large paved area of some kind. You need bikes, wagons, pedestrians, scooters or whatever is available. One person directs traffic to make sure kids don’t run into each other. It is more fun than it sounds, and helps kids learn about waiting to cross the street and about traffic safety.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: Bikes, wagons, scooters, anything on wheels.

Four Square: This ball game is played on a square court further divided into four smaller squares, numbered one through four. One player stands in each of the squares, with the highest ranked player in number one, lowest in number four. You bounce the ball among the players, bouncing once in the other person’s square before that person catches it. When I played this as a kid, we had countless additional rules to choose from. The person in square one got to choose the rules. Anyone who violates the rules will have to move down in the ranking, or be eliminated with another player rotating in to square four.
Number of Players: Four, unless you take turns.
Equipment: A four square court or sidewalk chalk, a playground ball.

Hopscotch: Use some sidewalk chalk and make a hopscotch grid. Number the squares from one to nine. Pick a rock that is good for tossing. Small ones can bounce too much, and larger ones are hard to throw. Start by tossing the rock onto Square 1. Hop over the rock and hop with a single foot or both feet (to follow the hopscotch pattern) all the way to the end. Turn around and come back, stopping on Square 2. Balancing on one foot, pick up the rock in Square 1 and hop over Square 1 to the start. Continue this pattern with Square 2. And so on. If you toss your rock and miss the correct square, your turn is over. This game can be played with any number of people, but only one person can go at a time. If it’s raining or dark or too cold, you can get indoor hopscotch mats or foam pieces, or just find a pattern on the floor to follow, perhaps using a beanbag instead of a rock.
Number of Players: One at a time.
Equipment: Hopscotch grid, rock or beanbag.

Jump-Rope and Double Dutch: One of the biggest ways I spent my recess time as a young girl was jumping rope. I got quite good at it for my age, both in speed and in skill. It was fun to jump by myself, but it was even more fun to have a long rope and jump with a couple of friends. That’s where jump-rope rhymes come in. They turn a simple exercise into a fun game, to compete against yourself and others. Then there’s double dutch. I was always in awe of the older girls who could do double dutch. The first time I tried it, I got tripped up almost immediately. However, once you understand how to do it, it isn’t as hard as it looks.
Number of Players: One for single jumping, three with a longer rope or for double dutch.
Equipment: One or two jump-ropes.

Chinese Jump-Rope: This game requires three people, or just one or two people with really good chairs. It is easily done inside, assuming a sturdy floor. This game resembles regular jump rope in that you jump. A lot. But you jump in a pattern. Two people (or chairs) put their feet inside the rope and stretch them out, standing far enough apart for the third person to jump between them. The third person, or jumper, faces one of the people holding the rope and jumps in a pattern of left, right, inside, outside and on the ropes. What pattern you use is up to you, but all the players should use the same one. The game is started with the rope around the ankles. Once the jumper does the jump correctly, the rope is moved up to the calves. Then to the knees, then the thighs. Usually it doesn’t get any farther than that. Once you miss, it is someone else’s turn.
Number of Players: Preferably three, but it can be done with one or two.
Equipment: A stretchy-type rope or 5 to 6 meters of rubber bands tied together in a circle.

Jacks: This game can be played on any flat surface, indoors or out. The player scatters the jacks on the playing surface, often by just tossing them out of one hand, as if rolling dice. The ball is then tossed up, is allowed to bounce once, and is caught before the second bounce. The player tries to scoop up jacks and catch the ball with one hand before the ball’s second bounce. The number of jacks to be picked up goes in order. First you pick up one (“onesies”), then two (“twosies”), then three and so on. There are many variations to the rules of this game including things like “pigs in the pen” and “double bounces.” Jacks is one game I wish I had played as a girl, but it was much more common when my mom was a child.
Number of Players: Any, taking turns.
Equipment: A set of jacks and a small rubber ball.

Marbles: The general rules specify that you draw a circle in the sand or on the sidewalk, and then take turns trying to knock each other’s marbles out of the circle with your one large marble. As with the other games, there are countless variations. I haven’t played this game at length, though, because I always seem to hurt myself flicking the large marble into the ring! You can also use a marble mat which contains different point zones.
Number of Players: At least two.
Equipment: Chalk, large and small marbles.

Red Light, Green Light: With enough room, this game can easily be played inside. One person is the traffic light at one end, and the other players are at the other end. When the traffic light faces the group, he or she says, “Red light!” and everyone must freeze. The traffic light then turns his or her back and says, “Green light!” while the group tries to get as close to the traffic light as possible. The traffic light turns around quickly, again saying, “Red light!”, and if anyone is spotted moving, they have to go back to the starting place. The first person to tag the traffic light wins and gets to be the next traffic light.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None.

Mother, May I: This game is set up in the same way as Red Light Green Light. One person in the group asks the person in the front, “Mother, may I take <insert number> steps forward?” The person at the front then says, “Yes, you may.” or “No, you may not.” You can vary your requests by including options such as taking baby steps, spinning steps, leaps or whatever strikes your fancy. Again, the first person to tag the person in the front wins and is the next person in the front.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None.

Simon Says: This game can be played anywhere, even in a car or other small space. One person is Simon and starts by saying, “Simon says, ‘<insert action here>.’” Everyone must then do the action. However, if Simon makes an action request without saying, “Simon says” to begin the request, anyone who does that action is out. The last person still playing in the end will be Simon for the next round.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None.

Tag: It seems that everyone knows how to play tag, but just in case it wasn’t in your childhood game playing repertoire, here is how you play. A group of kids decides who will start out as being “it.” That person chases the other people around, trying to tag one of them with their hand. The newly tagged person is now “it.” There is often the rule of “no tag-backs” where you can’t tag the person who just tagged you. The game ends when everyone is tired of playing.
Number of Players: Any size group.
Equipment: None.

Shadow Tag: In this fun version of Tag, you tag each other’s shadow with your feet instead of tagging their body. Thus, it must be played on a sunny day. The closer to noon, the greater the difficulty.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None.

Freeze Tag: This is a variation of Tag where if the person who is “it” tags you, you have to freeze where you are. Another participant can tag you to unfreeze you.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None.

TV Tag: A variation of Freeze Tag where the person unfreezing the frozen player has to call out a TV show title. That show then can’t be used again during that game.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None.

Marco Polo: This variation of tag is played in a swimming pool. Whoever is “it” closes their eyes and yells “Marco!” The other players then yell “Polo!” The “it” person has to tag one of the others, and then that person is “it.” Be sure to play in a pool that is not too deep for any of the players.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: A swimming pool.

Blind Man’s Bluff: A favorite game in Tudor and Victorian England, this game is yet another variation on tag. The person who is “it” wears a blindfold and tries to tag the other players. Be sure to play this in an area safe from obstructions and other hazards.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: A blindfold.

Red Rover: Divide everyone into two teams, each forming a long line, holding hands, facing the other team. The two teams should be around 20 or so feet apart. The teams take turn calling out, “Red Rover, Red Rover, let <insert child’s name> come over!” That child leaves their team’s line, runs as fast as they can toward the other line and tries to break through the held hands. If they break through, they get to take someone back to their team. If they don’t, they join the new team. When a team only has one person left, that person tries to break through the other team. If they do not, then their team loses. If they do, they gain a player and play continues.
Number of Players: Any decent size group.
Equipment: None.

Heads Up, Seven Up: Dating back to at least the 1950s, this game is one we played in elementary school. In my experience, it was usually done in the classroom with everyone at their desk. To start the game, seven players go to the front and the teacher says, “Heads down, thumbs up!” Everyone still at their desk puts their head down, extends an arm and stucks their thumb up. The seven kids that were at the front go around and each press one person’s thumb down. Then they all go back to the front of the room and the teacher says, “Heads up, seven up!” The players at the desks raise their heads and the seven whose thumbs were pressed down stand up. Each in turn names the person they think pressed down their thumb. If they are correct, they change places with the presser. Then the game can start again.
Number of Players: Minimum of 14.
Equipment: Desks at which to sit.

Spud: This outdoor game is a lot of fun. Every player gets a number and crowds around the person who is “it” for that round. “It” then tosses the ball straight up and the other players run away. As the ball reaches the top of its toss, “it” calls out the number of one of the other players and then runs away also. The player whose number was called must run back and catch the ball (or chase after it if it is bouncing around). Once that person has the ball, they yell, “Spud!” Then everyone else must freeze. The person with the ball must try to hit one of the players with the ball. If they do, that new person gets a letter (first S, then P, then U, then D) and is now “it.” If they miss, the person who threw the ball is “it” for the next round.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: Playground ball.

Button, Button, Who’s Got the Button?: Played inside or outside, the group sits or stands in a circle and holds their hands together in front of them. One person takes the button and goes around the circle, pretending to put the button in someone else’s hands. They actually deposit the button in one person’s hands, but then continue the rest of the way around the circle, pretending to put it in everyone else’s hands. Then going around the circle, each player tries to guess who has the button now. Before each person’s guess, the group asks together, “Button, button, who’s got the button?” Then the player can state their guess. Once the player with the button is finally guessed, that person distributes the button during the next round. Because a button is used in this game, be sure that all the kids playing are old enough so as to not choke on the button. In another version of this game (and the one that I am more familiar with), one child stands in the middle of the circle, and the button gets passed around the backs of the rest of the group. Those without the button pretend to pass it. When the passing stops, the player in the middle has to guess as to who actually has the button.
Number of Players: Any size group.
Equipment: A button.

Cat’s Cradle: This incredibly portable game can be played anywhere. If you are playing alone, you can make various string shapes on your own hands. With two people, you can play a bit of a game, transferring the shapes back and forth and creating new ones. Learn from someone if you can, but otherwise there are some good books on the subject. Make your own string, or buy a book on how to do it, which often comes with a string!
Number of Players: One or two.
Equipment: A string, approximately 36 inches long, tied in a circle (length varies, so find one that works for you!).

Hand-Clap Games: The first hand-clap game most people have played is Pat-a-Cake with their parents. Songs and patterns get much more complicated from there. Usually there are two people involved, doing a series of clap patterns on their own and each other’s hands while singing or chanting a rhythmic song. There are many rhymes listed online, but if you can learn from someone else or see it in a video, that is best, so that you can get the notes of the song and the rhythm of the clapping. From “Miss Mary Mack” to “Miss Susie” to “Say, Say, My Playmate,” there are countless hand clap games to learn.
Number of Players: Usually two, but creativity can allow for a third or fourth person.
Equipment: None.

Crack the Whip: Though often played on ice while wearing skates in the winter, this game is much safer, though possibly less fun, when played on grass. All the players hold hands in a line. The person at one end of the line skates or runs around, changing directions quickly. The tail of the “whip” of players tends to get moved around with a lot more force than players closer to the front. The longer the tail, the harder it is to hold on. If the players at the end fall off the end of the tail, they can attempt to get back on, perhaps in a position closer to the front.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None.

Musical Chairs: In a circle, arrange chairs facing outward to total one fewer than the number of players. An additional player needs to be in charge of the music. When the music starts, the players walk around the chairs. When the music stops, players sit down in the nearest chair as soon as they can. The one player who does not have a chair is out. One of the chairs is then removed, and the game continues in this manner. The player that sits in the final chair is the winner. This game is traditionally played inside, but it can also be played outside with outdoor furniture and a portable music player.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: Music player or person making music, chairs.

Telephone: This game is one in which most people end up laughing quite a bit, so if you’re in the mood for silliness, give it a go. Players sit in a circle. One person thinks up a sentence or phrase and whispers it to the next person. That person repeats it to the person on their other side. This continues around the circle. When it finally reaches the last person, that person says the sentence out loud. Hilarity ensues. The ending sentence is usually quite changed from the beginning sentence, since errors tend to compound as they go around the circle.
Number of Players: A small group.
Equipment: None.

Freeze Dance: Choose one person to be in charge of the music. When the music starts, everyone else dances, the crazier the better. When the music stops, the dancers must freeze in their position. Anyone caught moving after that is out. Play continues until there is one person left, the winner.
Number of Players: Any number.
Equipment: Music player or person making music.

There are additional unwired activities in The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Daring Book for Girls, as well as some jump rope and hand clap rhymes.

So round up the kids and their friends, and play some unwired games. They are great fun, and most of them are great exercise.

Useful Preparedness Tools

Other Useful Preparedness Tools - great site!

3 Month Food Supply Calculator/Inventory spreadsheet

3 Month Food Supply Calculator/Inventory Record


This a great resource for recording your food & nonfood preparedness items!!!

Food Storage - Week 5 Record Keeping & Water Storage

Now that you have shopped and labeled your packaging it’s time to get your record keeping started. You can do this any way that works for you. A word doc, a spread sheet or a list on the cupboard door. The important thing is to start now, at the beginning. Record the items you have purchased and the number of each item. Do not use any of these items until you have a complete three month supply. Go ahead and as you make your record keeping sheet add all the ingredients from your top 10 meals. You will be buying them soon. We will add more items in the next few days so leave room to add new ingredients and supplies.


Also add to your inventory list:

Toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, wetting solution, shaving cream, razors, after shave, feminine hygiene products, lotion, bath and hand soap, and facial tissues.

Another Food Storage Project Day

We have talked about food and other necessities but we have yet to talk about the most important item. Water. Today is the day to store water. Check your home for places to store and also for ways to store. Save your old bleach bottles as you finish using the bleach. Fill them with water. If you have empty canning jars fill them with water. Print and study the article at Totally Ready. com and begin today.

The need for liquids is even more important to survival than the need for food. Today as you think about this part of food storage add juices and water to your inventory list. This need is another reason it is important to store canned foods. The liquid from canned green beans can be used to cook pasta. The juice from canned fruits can be used to cook oatmeal or cream of wheat. This need is also the reason I do not like dehydrated or freeze dried foods except in very small amounts. They need to be reconstituted and if they are not they will cause dehydration when you consume them.

Many of us get our water from sources far from our homes. These can be interrupted by a natural disaster hundreds of miles away. So today, prepare to store water.