How I Grind Grain The Old Way With Handheld Grinding Stones

I have a pair of very old grinding stones that I use from time to time to grind parched corn, bulgur (cooked and dried wheat berries), and other such things. Grinding raw wheat into flour by hand is hard work! Grinding dried field corn with it is easier, and grinding millet and parched corn is easiest of all.

My larger grinding stone is about the size of a car's steering wheel, with a depression hollowed out caused from years of use. Eventually, the action of the smaller handheld stone grinding all the grains, acorns and whatever else against the larger stone formed a handy hollow in the larger stone, making the job easier than if it were just a plain flat rock...

If the stones are reasonably hard, and not apt to bits crumbling or flaking off as you work, any two stones with a slightly rough texture should get the grinding job done. From a bit of trial and error, I learned that a gentle thud with the handheld rock smacked against the grains (that are sitting in the little hollow in the larger stone), then a pushing or dragging action of the smaller handheld stone against the larger one, with the grains inbetween the rocks, does a pretty good job of rendering any grain to flour...

My old antique grinding stones are of Native American origin and were originally used to grind softer stuff than wheatberries...such as dried acorns that had the tannins leached out, and wild grass seeds, corn, and certain roots. That's what I use them for, and they do the job well!

This copyrighted article may be reprinted by you for noncommercial use, if the following credit is given:

This article is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #1: HOW TO SURVIVE DISASTERS AND OTHER HARD TIMES. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

How To Convince Others To Prepare For Disasters and Other Hard Times

There are many intelligent people in this world who are still finding the idea of pandemics, crippling terrorist events, economic collapse, or any other heavy-duty scenario a mite hard to bite into...'tis so incredibly and wildly horrific! Who can blame them?

Some people's "tipping points" are built differently. If they are fortunate, they have a caring and knowledgeable friend or relative who is willing to nudge and point, and if needed, push, shove and show what can and should be done with what resources they have.

To some people, 'PREP' is just another four letter word. If ya just spell it a little differently, it might appeal to those folks a bit more.

There's Social Security and...there's grocery security!!!

Use buzz words like "Insurance you can eat", or a "hedge against inflation", or "money in the pantry", or something like that...

Next week, or maybe next month, some might feel differently about accepting (and preparing for) the very real possibility of the really "scary" kind of scenarios.

Some will never wake up until TSHTF (the stuff hits the fan) ...and they will likely be one of your biggest problems. Count on it.

Heh. I'm preparing for that eventuality now.

I have recipes for Cricket Jambalaya and Grasshopper Gumbo, and I am not afraid to use them. My family and friends know this, and that is a good thing. The mental imagery of eating these things in a SHTF situation helps to ensure that I won't be overrun with too many unprepared and empty-handed guests, in the event a severe and widespread event has them 'fleeing to the hills'.




This may be reprinted by you for noncommercial use, if the following credit is given:

This article is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #1: HOW TO SURVIVE DISASTERS AND OTHER HARD TIMES. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

If You Are On a Diet, Do Not Read This

Millions of Americans are overweight, but in the event of a widespread or prolonged disaster situation, that might not be a bad thing.

Being 50 lbs overweight will buy almost an extra month of survival in austere conditions...

Two pounds of extra body weight will sustain most people for a day without food. If a person is 50 pounds overweight, that might buy another 25 days or so, because the body will utilize its own fat reserves...if you don't croak with the bad side effects of being overweight, first. Hauling fifty pounds all day is hard work.




This may be reprinted by you for noncommercial use, if the following credit is given:

This article is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #1: HOW TO SURVIVE DISASTERS AND OTHER HARD TIMES. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

The Fun Way to Repel Trespassing Dogs and Cats

This trick won't work for everyone, but if you live in a rural area that is not under a 'burn ban' or high fire risk area, it's guaranteed to train fourlegged trespassers to keep off your property. They may even leave the county.

Near my door, I keep a small supply of those really small 'black-cat' sized firecrackers on skinny red sticks (whatyoucallits?), along with a handy Bic lighter. These firecrackers are very small but loud (wheeeeeBANG) and very showy.

When a stray or neighbor's dog show up on the property, I light one of these little firecrackers and let 'er rip. Because it makes such a hellacious racket and frightening looking show before it even hits the ground, the dog usually resembles a virtual cartoon character, hightailing it out of there so fast, sometimes yelping, imagining it has been shot or something.

No one gets hurt, not even a hair singed on 'nary a dog or cat...but one by one, I am educating most of the fourlegged trespassers in this community: "Stay away from PureCajunSunshine's place!".

These small firecrackers do a good job of sending a dog or cat packing (usually for good; only the really dumb ones return). The critters needing a higher education get the two or three firecracker treatment. It works, and I get a load of entertainment, especially when the cats come around. Quite spectacular! I never saw anything run so fast as a cat that imagines it's about to be hit by a real live meteor from outer space.