PureCajunSunshine

A rattlesnake had the nerve to bite PureCajunSunshine, Part 1

2009-09-12T17:10:00.003-05:00

Dearest Friends,

I have a recipe for Rattlesnake Gumbo, and I am not afraid to use it! Unfortunately, I missed a chance to make it because the snake that bit me on the leg got clean away before I could catch it.

All kidding aside, I am having a very rough time of it…and to make a long story short, I am trying not to lose my leg. On top of all that, I’m not sure which is worse: hospital food or snakebites.

If that wasn’t bad enough, I am unable to get online! Maybe it’s just as well…my morphine-fueled posts and rants may not be appropriate for the internets. Because I am not sure when I’ll be able to post again, I am typing this on a laptop computer and will burn it onto a CD to give to a friend who will cut and paste it to here. (Thank you sweetly, Billie!)

Some time ago, I wrote on my blog about herbal measures that I used with great success on a copperhead snakebite and brown recluse spider bites. I also cautioned that if professional medical care is available, to USE IT. If medical care is NOT available, or won’t be available for a while (such as in the event of a severe and prolonged disaster, or a zombie invasion, or some other crisis), then it might be helpful to know which herbs our ancestors have used for eons. Of course, in spite of the very best care that modern and ancient medicine has to offer, nothing is 100% guaranteed!

Hopefully between modern medicine and natural healing efforts, I will be back online to announce my recovery soon!

By the way, toasted garlic bread, a tossed salad and a fine red wine goes very well with Rattlesnake Gumbo.

‘til later,
PureCajunSunshine

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Part 2, a couple of weeks later:

I am tired of being digested alive by rattlesnake venom!

What a wild ride this is…The doc says it ’taint over yet. He said I was not out of the woods, but we’re approaching a clearing…

I STILL HAVE MY LEG (so far) !!!!!

I have been so exhausted that a few times I came here and also to a few of my favorite forums to thank all y’all for your kindnesses and welcome smiles and laugh-out-loud funnies…but I couldn’t sit long enough and think clearly enough to post, until now.

My leg is still horribly swollen and sitting in front of puter makes it scream…

Rattlesnakes are such bad juju that here it is two weeks later, and it still feels like I am being bitten over and over again… and there’s the weird sensation of a snake writhing around inside my leg! I was told that others who have been bitten experienced similar feelings. I suppose this is the result of nerves and muscles rebelling…

I just can’t NOT write about this…Soon as I can, I will post more about it on my blog, with a view to surviving rattlesnake bites, especially in austere situations...complete with pictures for Pablo. (Warning…not for the fainthearted or those with snake phobias.)

I've been in and out of the ER, and in the hospital bed five times, and spent most of the rest of the time at a friend's (with no internet) and now recently back home.

Yes, I am battling compartment syndrome, and I am worried sick, cause the pressure has not eased up very much for two weeks. I still have circulation in my toes...HOW DO I RELIEVE THIS AWFUL PRESSURE (without surgery?).

They are hesitating to do the surgery because of several reasons...don't have the stamina to explain it right now. My leg looks like a train wreck and now I'm getting some raised red whelps that are painful...I caught some term, vascularization...something or another...doc flew off before I could ask what that was about.. Also, how long can a leg be under this amount of pressure and horrific bruising....?

I am praying that infection (gangrene, etc.) stays out of the picture, as well.

Thank all ya’ll...family and friends in the cyberworld and in the meatworld for your kindnesses and good wishes. There’s something so very therapeutic about friends rallying ‘round…

‘til later,
Sharon

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Part 3:

I'm 'bout ready to haul off and hunt that snake down right now. Today is the 20th day since it bit my leg and it feels like it's been forever…

If'n I can whine, I must be getting better, right? In many ways yes, and some ways no.

Sitting at the computer is agony, still. (It will take more than a few tries to complete this post.)

To make a long story shorter...my snakebite recovery was clouded by the lack of antivenin treatment.

Snake antivenin is not given to persons who have had reactions to anti-tetanus and anti-rabies treatment, unless cardiac or respiratory arrest is in the picture. Otherwise, the consequences of deadly reactions to the snake antivenin serum are too great, even with the best measures taken to correct them.

I was not given antivenin treatment because of a past history of serum sickness and bad reaction to two episodes of anti-rabies treatment that I underwent three years apart, six years ago… (second go-round was a serious anti-rabies overdose situation…The docs mistakenly gave me the entire ten-shot regimen over again instead of the required two shot booster dose). Serum Sickness City.

On the other hand as a result of not having antivenin, I experienced a rougher ride with the snakebite itself.

I've also been battling a massive bacterial infection that was introduced along with the snake's venom…This (and the effects of the venom) caused my entire leg to swell up Goodyear Blimp style…and away we went. 'round the clock IV antibiotics hardly fazed it. After two days, it finally started to show a little improvement…

I looked at my leg and tried not to throw up. That's sayin a lot for a Cajun, seeing how we're such a strong-stomached bunch, and all…How in the world can a human leg bruise and swell and stretch so much without splitting wide open? The nurses told me of a patient they had who was bitten on the arm by a rattlesnake. His arm swelled up and finally did split…why did they hafta tell me all that?

The fevers were weird, weird, weird…waves of them left me drenched in sweat and dizzier than a fool on Bourbon Street after Mardi Gras…In between the waves, I felt so fragile that it scared me. I'm not the tough nut I thought I was.

The hemotoxic effects of the rattlesnake's venom caused my platelet count to plummet to near spontaneous hemorrhaging levels. My veins were disintegrating with only a few rounds of IV antibiotics, morphine, etc. (I forgot the medical term for it). My arms look like they've been in a train wreck, with all the bleeding under the skin going on.

Doc told me that normal platelet levels are near 100,000, and that spontaneous hemorrhaging occurs at 10,000. Then the doc told me that my platelets were dropping, and at last count it was 18,000. (I'm happy to say that as of this writing, my platelet levels are finally back to normal.)

Then the nasty words 'compartment syndrome' were thrown around for good measure. The remedy for this condition in snakebites is primitive and brutal, and is the alternative to amputation…Unfortunately it in my situation, it would also have been extremely bloody. On its website, the World Health Organization detailed the procedure and showed how in a case similar to mine (no antivenin, low platelet count, etc), a patient underwent the fasciotomy surgery and was given 20 units of blood to try to stem the loss…

Forget that mess. And, I'd imagine cell salvage procedures would also be a joke…

I was told to watch my toes, and if they showed signs of impeded circulation, then it was time to do an emergency fasciotomy. It is butchery on a snakebitten leg…

For my leg, the plan is to make two great big and deep incisions, from just below my knee to my ankle. One on the inside of my calf, the other on the outside of my leg. The cuts are made deep, in order to cut through the fascia (the tough membrane that covers groups of muscles). Each group of enclosed muscle is called a compartment. When the compartment fills with blood, fluid, etc. the pressure on blood vessels and nerves can cause permanent damage. When the pressure is too great, muscle and tissue quickly begins to die and decay…Hence the emergency to cut it open in a large way.

The brutal-to-me part: These incisions are left wide open for a week or more (sometimes less), with saline dressings on top to keep things from drying out, and to encourage muscle tissue to extrude from the wound…! Later, the mess is closed with skin grafts…

Naturally, because snakebite and hospital introduced infections are common, there is a chance of muscle loss anyway.

Bottom lines: I am hopefully almost 'there' as far as winning the battle with the bacterial infection (leg is still hot and swollen, but not as much. Fevers are gone.)…and my platelet count is back to normal…but the compartment syndrome is still a worry.

I'm just glad the rattlesnake did not bite me on the face or neck…which almost happened. I was squatting down on the ground cutting the wires to strap the "No Trespassing' sign to the tree with…and stood up, and squatted back down to fool with the wires some more, and stood up again when BAM the snake bit me on the leg…

Being hard of hearing, I didn't hear the rattlesnake ‘say’ a single word with the characteristic rattling they do, and it was so well camouflaged that I didn't notice it at first…

Wow. This could have been so much worse.

I learned more than a few things from this experience. One of the best things I learned is the immense value of Echinacea, a time honored Native American snakebite herb…it is doing wonders for the pain, infection, fever and more…

I'll write more about that later here on my blog, f'sure.

Thank all y'all sweet'uns (here, there and everywhere) for your graciousness.

Hugs,
Sharon

How to make three months of food last six months, and why you need to know...

2009-06-12T08:23:00.017-05:00

Can you think of ways you can stretch your groceries if you were suddenly faced with not being able to buy more for some reason? I’d like to share a few ideas with you to help kickstart your own idea machine.

How far do you think you could stretch your groceries if you really needed to? How solid are your emergency preparedness plans? Could you deal with a longer crisis than anticipated, or multiple ones? Why should you consider questions such as these?

The scene of this world is rapidly changing and becoming more threatening, with no letup in sight. Just a few bumps in the wrong places on the beltway of global commerce alone can trigger a cascading chain of events that can put a serious dent in anyone’s plans.

Our global community has grown so fragile and unpredictable that new normals are being set every day. Here are a few interesting factoids that illustrate how fast the scene of our world is changing. What we are witnessing today was not ‘normal’ just ten, twenty or thirty years ago!

Not that many years ago, terrorism was almost unheard of. The June 1986 issue of the Awake! magazine reports this about the early years of terrorism (see the commentary at the end of this article for an explanation of these statistics):

In 1971, fewer than two dozen people died in terrorist attacks worldwide.

In 1983, 10,000 people around the world were killed in terrorist attacks.

Despite increasingly diligent and aggressive anti-terrorism measures, the year 2007 saw over 22,000 people killed in terrorist attacks. Things are heating up fast!

And look at the disasters!

In 1960, there were 523 catastrophic disasters worldwide.

In 1970, there were 720 catastrophic disasters worldwide.

In 1980, there were 1387 catastrophic disasters worldwide.

Globally, more than 2.5 billion people were affected by floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters between 1994 and 2003. That's a 60% increase over the previous two ten-year periods, United Nations officials report. (These numbers do not include the millions displaced by the horrific tsunami which killed an estimated 180,000 people in South and Southeast Asia in 2004. Also, those numbers do not include Hurricane Katrina's victims and survivors.)

Despite better communications and evacuation methods, more people than ever are dying in natural disasters. As recent as 2008, 220,000 people perished in natural disasters.

Then there's the global threat of out-of-control influenza and other pandemics that are admittedly unstoppable. Famine can strike anywhere now, thanks to shortsighted agricultural practices such as monoculture and genetically engineered food crops. Weather conditions wreak havoc with our food supplies. Agricultural terrorism is waiting in the wings. War is an ever present threat in many places.

Because we can only digest so much bad news, it’s easy to be lulled into a jaded complacency that dulls our vision and hearing. It’s only natural, or else we would all go mad with worry. On the other hand, the wrong kind of complacency can be deadly because ignoring probabilities does not make them any less likely to happen. Being well prepared brings peace of mind because you know that you have done all that you reasonably can to protect yourself and your loved ones from serious emergencies.

The old saying about ‘preparing for the worst and hoping for the best’ is wise, considering the uncertainty of our times. Because none of us know what emergencies lay ahead or for how long, it doesn’t make much sense to limit your preparedness goals based on a guess what the disaster of the day might be. (If you do hazzard to guess, then be prepared to deal with the tragic possibility of being wrong.) It makes sense to prepare for the most likely events first, but don’t stop there. It’s better to be a little over prepared than not enough. The broader your plans are, the more your back will be covered.

Being well prepared is not a destination, with a finish line where you can say, “I have finally arrived! I have enough!” View your preparedness plans as an ongoing, evolving process of learning new ways to be more self-reliant. You and those around you will benefit from being better prepared for The Unexpecteds.

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Being well prepared is learning how to be more self-reliant, and being less of a victim of your own ignorance.
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HOW TO STRETCH YOUR SUPPLIES TO THE MAXIMUM LIMIT

Take an inventory of your supplies. How much do you have on hand? At your present rate of consumption, how long will they last? Three days? Three weeks? Three months? What will happen if you run out of supplies and replacements are not readily available? Hmmm... ok, then...

With that thought in mind, pay close attention to warning signs of prolonged or multiple events that could affect your ability to renew your supplies. You may need to consider a few drastic measures to stretch your provisions to create a thicker cushion against hard times.

1. RATIONS: Consider the possibility that someday you may need to view your provisions as rations, rather than as your only source of sustenance. Be prepared to use your provisions only to supplement what you cannot get otherwise. If you ever find yourself in the midst of a severe crisis, don’t wait until you have gone through most of your stuff to begin rationing. If you can, begin stretching your supplies early on, and take all reasonable measures to make them last as long as possible.

2. SUPPLEMENT YOUR PROVISIONS

A) Indoor/outdoor food gardens can be grown just about anywhere in urban, suburban and rural areas.

Explore different gardening techniques that would be useful in your area. For example, if gardening is difficult because of too much shade or not enough water, seek information about which food plants thrive under those conditions. Are you physically challenged, or do you live in an apartment in the city? Look into container gardening. Many kinds of vegetables can grow in surprisingly small spaces. Highly nutritious sprouts are easy to grow inside a quart jar. Poke salad shoots can be grown in a cardboard box in a closet. Surprised? Wait, there’s more…

B) Guerrilla gardening: hiding in plain sight.

If historical accounts of the Great American Depression (and other sad chapters in human history) are any indication, you can expect conventional or “normal” gardens to be a magnet for hungry visitors during particularly hard times. If you realize that you can’t feed everyone who comes knocking, and if you can’t see yourself standing guard over your beans, corn and tomatoes, consider gardening guerrilla-style.

Guerrilla gardens can be grown just about anywhere--in the city, suburbs and in the rurals. This new clandestine type of gardening can be made highly theft-resistant without the need for fences or alarms, operating on the principle of ‘hiding in plain sight’.

You can easily grow delicious and highly nutritious ‘specialty vegetables’ that won’t attract the attention of those who are unaccustomed to eating them. Certain plants that look like weeds or ornamentals to most people in your community are highly prized as delicious foods by people in other lands. More information about this style of gardening with easy to grow plants will be discussed in my future blog posts and will be covered in detail in the upcoming Mrs. Tightwad’s Creative Survival Handbook.

C) Go for the wild and natural. Learn the basics about harvesting animals and wild plants for food and medicine.

Making meat: If you are an inexperienced omnivore who wants to learn how to 'make meat', you may want to consider cultivating a working knowledge of fishing, hunting and trapping, now. These skills can go a long way in stretching your provisions. If you are not skilled in these areas, consider taking the time now to learn. Viewing documentary videos, along with some real-time observations and experiences will help you to be a better hunter and gatherer. Much in the way of animal behavior, along with a plethora of hunting tips and techniques can also be learned from library books and the internet (Google.com is your friend).

During prolonged or widespread crisis, expect hunting pressure to adversely affect deer and other wildlife populations, in terms of a lower count and increase elusiveness. Consider studying smaller animals and birds that are generally more plentiful and easier to hunt and trap.

Foraging for wild edibles and medicines: There are a lot of look-alikes in the botanical world, and some are deadly poisonous. If you don’t have an experienced guide to personally introduce you to the wonderful world of wild cuisine, then get a reputable guidebook and proceed very slowly and carefully. Don’t try to learn too many things at once.

One of the easiest and the most foolproof learning tools I’ve ever seen is the Peterson Identification System, as taught in the Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants in the Peterson Field Guide Series. These guides are sponsored by the National Audubon Society and are published by the Houghton Mifflin Company.

These guidebooks really shine with incredibly detailed descriptions, illustrations and photos that aid in positive identification. Plants that have poisonous look-alikes are indicated by a skull and crossbones icon as a warning, and a special chapter is devoted to them.

D) Go native! Broaden your horizons by learning about “alternative” foods that primitive tribes around the world have thrived on for thousands of years.

If you live in America, a casual study of traditional Native American foods that sustained the tribes that originally inhabited your region should be enlightening.

E) Microfarming: the other, other meat.

If you find your supplies nearing the end of their existence, and if times are austere enough, you may also want to consider ‘microfarming’, or raising certain insects for an abundance of nutritionally rich and life-sustaining food. Other folks may think of it as raising fish bait. Naturally, I prefer to recycle the fish bait first, by fishing. But if times were hard enough and I couldn’t fish for some reason, then I’d consider eating the bait (after proper cooking of course).

For thousands of years people around the world have cooked and eaten certain insects for their superior nutritional value and also because they’re tasty. This makes perfect sense because no one in their right mind would want to eat a bug, if it didn’t taste good. In many parts of the world, certain insects are highly prized delicacies that fetch good prices on the market, and are eagerly sought after.

If times ever get hard enough and you are staring at starvation, please do consider microfarming. After all, millions of people around the planet couldn't have been wrong all these years.

Those with high ‘ick’ factors can take a lesson from smart mommies around the world: camouflage the undesirable food! Cooked, dried and pulverized almost to a powder, insects can be added to soups and stews without anyone noticing the source of extra nutrition. Although the flavor of most insects is considered quite mild and bland, it is possible to sort different flavors of some insects to match or complement the flavor of the dish at hand. For instance, roasted June Bugs are said to faintly resemble the flavor of malted milkball candies and would do well to raise the nutritional value of a variety of sweet dishes. Imagine that.

F) Minifarm with small animals.

Unless you have the means to grow all your own animal feed, owning conventional livestock may become a hardship and a liability during prolonged emergencies and other hard times. Smaller animals are generally easier to maintain because of their size and feed requirements, and make good choices for minifarming during hard times.

During really hard times when hungry thieves may be a problem, some animals can be raised indoors, out of sight. If set up properly, animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs are easy to maintain indoors and pose little to no odor problems. An easy ‘ecosystem’ can be created with wire cages suspended above worm beds (plastic boxes containing soil and worms). The worms will recycle animal wastes into nutrient rich castings which makes an excellent plant fertilizer.

To prepare against the really, really hard times, you may also want to consider collecting information about how to raise some of the smaller critters such as rats or mice. The taste of the meat is said to be quite good, and has been enjoyed by people in other lands for generations.

3. LEARN TO BE MORE SELF-RELIANT

Self-reliance topics such as these may seem extreme to some who have always enjoyed an uninterrupted supply of food and water. In contrast, many people are seeing the need to explore as many options as possible because they recognize that our food and water delivery systems are becoming increasingly unreliable and disturbingly vulnerable to new threats and interruptions.

None of us can be totally self-sufficient, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to be a little less dependent on an undependable system. Independence begins with knowledge. Accumulating a wealth of information is good, but having a working knowledge is even better and may prove to be more sustaining than relying on a pile of stockpiled goods that have a limited shelf life.

Can you learn and practice new self-reliant skills right now? Hopefully, you will never need to put this information to use, but if you wait until the last minute to learn too many new skills, it would be a lot like waiting until you are drowning before learning to swim.

A few words about statistics...

Notice that the terrorism statistics given at the outset of this article represent what is called ‘non-state terrorism‘. State terrorism is not included in the statistics given by Wikipedia and other similar factoid places because they are considered to be 'acts conducted by governments'.

When you do a Google search using the key words: 'deaths terrorism 1971', you’ll find state terrorism deaths are not included in the statistics published in many of the encyclopedia-type sites such as history.com, Wikipedia and other similar notables. The acts committed against people by governments or their armies are not considered in the statistics.

So, what I'm seeing is that while the harm done by some political machines can be horrific and terrible, it's apparently not coined with the term 'terrorism'. That’s too bad, because terroristic acts committed in the name of governments are in many ways worse than that of individuals in a militant or religious group.

Terrorism is terrorism, no matter how you look at it, regardless of the source! To me this ‘state’ and ‘non-state’ distinction is terribly misleading, also because it is obvious that some deaths will fall through the cracks of “facts” and may never be reported justly or accurately. To see an example, Google statistics involving the IRA (Irish Republican Army). Although by definition (from wordnet.princeton.edu),the IRA is "a militant organization of Irish nationalists who used terrorism and guerilla warfare in an effort to drive British forces from Northern Ireland...", those who died under IRA hands sometimes are not counted in terrorism statistics because of the misleading 'state' distinction.

In spite of these inaccuracies in historical accounts, one thing is clear: terrorism in every form is showing no signs of slowing down and more innocent people than ever will be affected by it in the future. No, it’s not a new thing, by a long shot, but it is an unstoppable growing thing that every preparedness plan should take into account.

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/

Seeds for survival gardens? How reliable are they?

2009-05-13T09:09:00.007-05:00

Before ordering from a new-to-me seed company, I always plug their name into the search box here:

http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/

The Garden Watchdog has saved me a small fortune with just a few clicks. It is a "directory of 6,750 mail order gardening companies. Here gardeners share their opinions on which companies really deliver on quality, price and service."

Keep in mind, a few bad reviews does not always mean a bad business, but a long string of them is a good indication that something is not right.

Speaking of not right…

Hmmm...looks like more than a few ‘survival seed’ companies are jumping on the $eed wagon these days. My concern with some of these new boys on the block is their integrity.

Without naming names, I’ll just use a typical example of a ’survival garden seed’ outfit selling an (x) number of thousands of seeds, almost two dozen variety heirloom seed package for a total of $X.95...

For what it's worth, my alarm bells were clanging and banging when I visited their site.

I was put-off and a bit suspicious of the hype-hype talk, especially since the heirloom seeds they're offering are not exactly 'rare' as they claim. The same varieties are commonly available--by the small pack and in bulk--at reputable places such as Fedco, Baker Creek, Seeds of Change, Johnny's Seeds, Territorial Seeds and others. Also the emphasis on their seed count was silly and pure hype (almost insulting, really). Most small-seeded varieties are normally sold in multi-hundreds or thousands anyway.

Because heirloom seeds are essential to a survival garden, more folks are appreciating their value. Heirloom seed sales are skyrocketing, and as with any other profit venture, there will be unsavory merchants.

If venturing outside well known and established companies...buyer beware! Companies with reputations similar to the ones I listed are a safe bet for your large orders.

Some 'new kids on the block' look promising, but they'll get small trial orders from me before I would consider investing in a larger order.

For long term storage purposes and as a hedge against hard times, I'd rather assemble the packet myself with seeds from reputable companies that are well known for their fresh-as-possible seeds labeled with honest germination rates and dates.

I'm not saying all new companies are bad news, but...

If your food source is--or will be--from your garden, get your seeds from a well known and reputable seed source before trusting the success of your food garden to brand new or unknown entities.

Seeds of all food plants can be safely stored many years (in most cases for up to ten times longer than normal germination rates, longer in some cases) if they are frozen in airtight containers and if the seeds are dried to about 5% - 8% moisture. If they are not dry enough, the excess moisture inside the seeds will expand when frozen and derange their internal cell walls. As a result, germination and seed vigor may be poor.

How dry is enough? If the seed breaks or shatters instead of bending when folded or whacked with a hammer, it is good to go.

If you can’t freeze the seeds, the next best place to store them would be the refrigerator. Failing that, a cool dry and dark place would be third best.

Tip: When you take your seeds out of the freezer or refrigerator, allow the container to completely reach room temperature before opening (overnight is best). If you don't, you may have problems associated with condensed moisture inside the container.

Because fluctuations in temperature will also shorten the shelf life of seeds, I like to package my seeds in many smaller containers instead of a few large ones. That way I don't thaw out a big wad of seeds when I just need to remove a few from frozen storage.

And just in case you didn’t know…it is possible to overdry seeds! For example, if you stored a desiccant (a drying material such as silica gel, etc.) with seeds that are already plenty enough dry, you could shorten their life span considerably.

Seeds that are stored with less than 5% moisture may suffer a poor germination rate over time, and the ones that manage to sprout may suffer loss of vigor. You can test one or two seeds from each batch the low tech way. When the seeds reach the point where they are dry enough to crack and shatter when lightly whacked with a hammer or when bitten with your teeth, they should be stored in an airtight container without a desiccant.

Never dry seeds in an oven or in direct sunshine! Damage begins when the temp rises above 95* F. When you harvest your own seeds, it is best to dry them on window screens in a warm airy place. I like to boost the air circulation with a fan, and park the seedworks in the same room as my woodstove. On the days when I don’t want to fire up the woodstove, I use a fan, a thermometer, and a portable electric heater with a built-in thermostat to dry seeds in a small room.

A great food garden starts with great seeds!

Grow forth and be happy!

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/

Twelve Days of Christmas in Cajun Land

2009-05-11T18:39:00.008-05:00

’tis funny no matter what month it is! This is an oldie that I dressed up just a little bit. (BTW Thibeau is not Thibodeaux misspelled.)

Day 1: Dear Boudreaux, Tanks for de bird in a pear tree. I fix it las’ night with Jambalaya. I doan tink de pear tree will grow inna swamp, so I swap it for a Satsuma.

Day 2: Dear Boudreaux, You letter say you sent two turtle doves, but all I got was two scrawny pigeons. Anyway, I mixed dem with andouille sausage and made some good gumbo out of dem.

Day 3: Dear Boudreaux, Why doan you sent some crawfish? I’m tired of eating dem birds. I gave two of dose prissy French chickens to Marie Trahan over at Grans Bayou and fed de turd one to my dog Phideaux.

Day 4: Dear Boudreaux, Mon Dieu! I tol you no more a dem birds. Deez four, what you call dem “calling birds” were so noisy you could hear dem all de way to Napoleonville. I used dere necks for my crab traps, and fed de rest of dem to de gators.

Day 5: Dear Boudreaux, You finally sen’ something useful. I like dem golden rings, me. I hocked dem over at da pawn shop in Thibodeaux and got enuff money to fix da shaft on my shrimp boat and buy a round for da boys at de Raisin’ Cane Lounge. Merci Beaucoup!

Day 6: Dear Boudreaux, Couchon! Back to da birds, you big honking ole turkey! Poor egg suckin’ Phideaux is scared to death at dem six geeses. He tried to eat dems eggs and dey peck de heck out a his snout. Dey good at eating cockroaches, though. I may stuff one of dem with erster dressing.

Day 7: Dear Boudreaux, I’m gonna wring your fool neck next time I cast eyes on you. Thibeau, da mailman is ready to kill ya. The merde from all dem birds is stinking up his mailboat. He's afraid someone will slip on dat stuff and sue him good. I let dose seven swans loose to swim on de bayou and some duck hunters from Mississippi blasted dem out of de water. Talk to YOU tomorra.

Day 8: Dear Boudreaux, Mais cher! Poor ole Thibeau, he had to make tree trips on his mailboat to deliver dem 8 maids a milkin and all their cows. One of dem cows got spooked by da alligators and almost tipped over da boat! I doan like dem shiftless maids, me no. I tolt dem to get to work guttin fish and sweeping the floor, but no. Dey say it wasn’t in dair contract. Dey probably tink de too good ta skin nutrias I caught las night, f’sure.

Day 9: Dear Boudreaux, What for you tryin to do huh? Thibeau had to borry the whole Lutcher ferry to carry dem jumpin’ twits you call “Lords-a-leaping” ‘cross da bayou. As soon as dey gots here, dey wanted a tea break with crumpets. I doan know what dat means but I says, “Well, La-Dee-Da. You gets Chicory coffee or nuttin.”

Mon Dieu, Emile! What I’m gonna feed all dese bozos? Dey too snooty for fried nutria, and de cows done eat all my turnip greens.

Day 10: Dear Boudreaux, You got to be outs you mind! If de mailman don’t kill you, I will f’sure. Today he deliver in da mailboat, 10 half nekid floozies from Bourbon Street, all the way from N’Awlins. He said dey be “Ladies-a-Dancing” but dey doan act like ladies in front of dose Limey twits.

All a dem almos' left for good after one of dem go bit by a water moccasin over by da outhouse. I had to butcher two whole cows to feed toute le monde and had to get terlit paper. The Sears catalog wasn’t good enuff for dose hoity toity Lords’ royal beehines.

Day 11: Dear Boudreaux, Where y’at? Cheerio and pip pip! Your eleven pipers piping arrives today on the mailboat. Dey musta come from de House of Blues, second lining as soon as de got off de boat. We fixed stuffed goose and beef jambalaya too, finished all da whiskey and we having a fine fais-do-do. Da new mailman, he drink a bottle of Jack Daniel and he having a good time, yeah, dancing with all de floozies. Thibeau, he jump off de Sunshine Bridge yesterday, screaming your name. If you get a mysterious, ticking package in de mail, doan open it. Hit’s prolly a goodbye present from the old mailman.

Day 12: Dear, dear Boudreaux, I sorry to tole ya, but I ‘taint your true love anymore, no. After fais-do-do, I spent de night talking with Jacques, de head piper. We decide to open a restaurant and gentleman’s club on de bayou. De floozies, pardon me, Ladies-a-Dancing, can make $20 for a table dance, and de Lords can be waiters and valet park de boats and pirogues. Since de maids doan have no more cows ta milk, I trained dem ta set my crab traps, watch my trotlines, an run my shrimping bidness. We will prolly gross a million whole clams next year.

Everything you need to know about alcohol-free elderberry syrup for preventing colds and influenza

2009-05-02T04:35:00.017-05:00

Elderberry is considered by many herbalists and satisfied users to be nature’s answer to Tamiflu, a drug that is commonly used to nip influenza in the bud. Elderberry works in a similar way by preventing the virus from adhering to human cells and multiplying. Traditionally, elderberry preparations are taken early enough to head off a massive viral invasion right from the start.

Sambucus nigra is the most researched medically potent species of elderberry, and it is so highly regarded in Europe that it has been called the “medicine chest of country people”. It grows wild in most of Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia.

Native Americans and the Pioneer settlers found elderberry useful, but historical accounts suggest that they may have not regarded the American species of elderberry as much as Europeans do their own. It’s possible that the European species may be a little more potent than the American species of elderberry. The jury is still out on that debate.

Some herbalists are leaning towards the same slant as Richo Czech of Horizon Herbs in Oregon, who says that the European native Sambucus nigra “…is the most tried-and-true species for medicinal use.” He also notes that the berries are about twice as big as the berries of other species.

If something should ever prevent me from making a cold and flu preventative from the traditional European Sambucus nigra species, I would gladly use elderberries from commercially available cultivars such as the York and Nova species. They are available from nurseries such as Henry Fields and Gurneys. (I would steer clear of other cultivars sold for ornamental landscaping use.) According to more than a few devotees, the York and Nova cultivars are said to work very well in warding off the common cold and influenza.

As a personal preference I am cultivating the European elderberry species Sambucus nigra from seed, and will continue to buy the dried European berries to make my preparations with until my little ’orchard’ becomes established. Herbalcom and Frontier Herbs are two of my favorite sources for the berries.

Interestingly, after years of searching, I have never found any commercial sources for elderberries from cultivars or American elderberries, only berries from the imported European Sambucus nigra species.

Elderberry has been proven effective against a wide range of influenza viruses including human, swine and avian strains.

Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu made elderberries internationally famous through the well publicized research and laboratory studies conducted at the Hadassah Medical School of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. It was demonstrated that Sambucus nigra species of elderberry was effective against a wide range of influenza viruses including human, swine and avian strains. This led to the development of a popular elderberry syrup preparation called Sambucol. Even if the preparation is taken too late to act as a preventative, controlled clinical studies in 1995 also demonstrated that Sambucol could reduce the severity and duration of influenza by half.

At a press conference held January 19-20, 2006 at the Royal Society of Medicine in London, the results of exciting new research on the patented elderberry formula were presented. Speakers included the developer of Sambucol, Dr. Mumcuoglu and Professor Hannoun of the Pasteur Institute.

Imagine the excitement of hearing the announcement that the elderberry-based Sambucol was found to be at least 99% effective against the Avian Flu (H5N1) virus in cell cultures! Laboratory trials verifying this were held in a prominent research institute associated with the University of London. Retroscreen Virology, Ltd. concluded that the elderberry preparation “significantly neutralised the infectivity of the virus in cell cultures”.

Although elderberry is effective against the H5N1 viruses in a culture dish, without human 'guinea pigs' there is no way to conclude that it is as effective in humans, but all indications look good.

Science is beginning to realize what European country folks knew all along. Elderberry is good for preventing cold and influenza infections. According to many herbalists and satisfied users, traditional homemade elderberry tinctures and non-alcoholic syrups work just as well as Sambucol.

How well does a non-alcoholic elderberry preparation work?

The original and well-researched Sambucol formula was made with an alcohol-based extract with a bit of glucose added. Some modern-day herbalists speculate that only alcohol-based elderberry preparations will work. Others speculate that the application of heat could be detrimental to the effectiveness of elderberry.

I am happy to tell you this is not true. For over a decade, I have made and given away to family and friends, many gallons of a very potent non-alcoholic elderberry syrup made with heat. I make my decoction by gently simmering elderberries in water for hours over a medium-low fire. The result is a fine tasting juice and syrup that has worked splendidly against every challenge of cold and influenza viruses put to it. It works so well that every year friends and family (as well as their friends) always ask for more.

Before I share my recipe with you, I’d like to alert you to a few things you should know.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT ELDERBERRY AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA

One of the things that make some influenza strains more deadly and worrisome than most ordinary strains is that they can cause a young healthy person’s immune to kick into overdrive. In this case, too much of a good thing can become deadly because of the overproduction of cytokines. Some cytokines promote mucous production. Unfortunately when too much mucous is produced, it can quickly become a life threatening situation because the patient can literally drown in his own fluids.

In recent years, some herbalists and pandemic flu speculators (affectionately known as flubies) have debated a valid question: Could the immunostimulant properties of elderberry worsen the cytokine storm associated with a deadly strain such as H5N1 and others?

On the other hand, elderberry also increases levels of the cytokine IL-10 which is a known immunosuppressant. This could very well ‘balance out’ the cytokines with immunostimulating effects. Another natural check and balance system at work?

Of additional interest is the fact that elderberry is useful for treating bacterial sinusitis because it reduces excessive mucus in the sinus cavities, promotes better drainage, and reduces nasal congestion and swelling of mucous membranes. In that light, it seems that elderberry would be beneficial during a mucous producing cytokine storm.

To date elderberry has not yet been tested in humans against the strain of the dreaded H5N1 avian influenza that has worried the medical community for the past few years. No one really knows what elderberry preparations will do in the face of an influenza induced cytokine storm.

Experts agree that limiting the initial viral load (such as with Tamiflu) seems to be one of the best ways to survive the more deadly influenza strains. It is commonly understood that if the viral load is dramatically reduced, especially in the beginning stages of infection, then the body’s response to it--the deadly cytokine storm--is reduced as well.

Elderberry is a time tested remedy with a great reputation for preventing and inhibiting ordinary influenza in humans, if taken promptly and regularly. It does the job so well, that my personal pandemic influenza plans include taking elderberry syrup as a preventative. If for some reason, I am stricken with a pandemic flu, I plan to continue taking elderberry, but at a higher and more frequent dosage.

I am not suggesting that anyone else do as I do, but that you should explore all your options, including professional medical help if confronted with the possibility of a life-threatening illness such as pandemic influenza.

Because this issue is so controversial in the face of certain deadly strains of influenza, I am monitoring several news portals very closely for any new findings that I need to know. If it is ever determined that elderberry is harmful to take during a full blown pandemic influenza infection, a change in my plans would be in order.

Go here for up to the minute news and intelligent discussions about pandemic influenzas:

http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/2007/12/where-to-find-latest-breaking-news.html

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PureCajunSunshine’s Recipe:
ALCOHOL-FREE ELDERBERRY SYRUP AND JUICE
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The Dry Stuff

In some cases, herbs and other natural remedies are not substitutes for professional medical care. I urge you to seek the best professional medical resources available to help you make informed decisions in all health matters, especially concerning pandemic influenza.

This educational information is intended to increase your knowledge of traditional usage of plants. It is not meant to diagnose, prevent, prescribe or to administer in any manner to any physical ailments. In any matters related to your health, please contact a professional health practitioner.

IMPORTANT CAUTIONS

Avoid any kind of elderberry preparation if you have a known allergy to plants in the honeysuckle (Caprifoliaceae) family.

Don’t consume raw elderberries or uncooked elderberry juice, which may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal pain. It is understood that cooked elderberries are safe and completely free of any cyanide toxicity.

Don’t take elderberry if you are undergoing chemotherapy. Elderberry may increase the effects of some cancer chemotherapies, which may also increase adverse effects as well.

Patients using theophylline should consult with a medical professional before using elderberry preparations. The quercetin in elderberries may inhibit xanthine oxidase, and may also affect theophylline levels.

Elderberry may lower blood sugar levels. If you are a diabetic, monitoring and medication adjustments by a qualified health professional may be in order.

About sugar concentrations in elderberry syrup

A 65% or more sugar concentration in a water-based syrup is self-preserving, without the need for refrigeration. A lower sugar concentration may invite mold growth. For long term storage and extra insurance against harmful mold growth, I prefer to increase the sugar concentration to 70%.

A sugar-free, or lightly sweetened elderberry preparation can be made by simply omitting the sugar in the following recipe. If you omit the high sugar content, the final product must be frozen and used within six months, or else refrigerated and used within three days. Without alcohol or a high concentration of sugar as a preservative, the elderberry juice will likely promote the growth of molds that can cause spoilage.

An elderberry tincture made with alcohol works great, but it may not be suitable for work or school. Teachers and traffic cops may also agree. Alcohol-free elderberry juice and syrup to the rescue!

Why I don’t like to use honey or glycerin in making elderberry syrup

Because glycerin does not affect blood sugar levels like honey or sugar, it is sometimes used in making certain herbal extracts, such as echinacea. Unfortunately, glycerin is a very poor vehicle for extracting medicinal oils and resins in some herbs and berries, and elderberries are definitely resinous! Ask anyone who has ever made elderberry juice! When making juice from fresh elderberries, you will notice that utensils are soon coated with a dark and oily residue.

Honey is nice for flavoring, and it has enough sugars to preserve itself, but not enough for making a shelf stable grade of medicinal elderberry syrup.

How I use elderberry juice and syrup to ward off colds and influenza

I’ve found that the very best time to start treating a cold or flu virus with elderberry is at the very earliest stage, BEFORE the virus has presented itself in full-blown symptoms. As in “I think I might have been exposed but I’m not feeling bad yet”, or maybe “I think I may be coming down with something, but I’m not quite sure”. Elderberry works by preventing the virus from multiplying. Cold and flu viruses multiply so rapidly that it is critically important to begin treatment while they are few in number, and before they have a chance to mount a massive attack.

Although elderberry syrup can be taken alone, it is so highly concentrated (and quite sweet) that some people prefer to mix it with water or juice. Some of my favorite ways to take it is to stir a couple of tablespoons of elderberry syrup into a glass of red wine (delicious!), or grape juice, or into an old fashioned ‘shrub’ style drink (2 tablespoon elderberry syrup along with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar stirred into a glass of cold water). For more shrub ideas see http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/2007/08/keep-cool-with-old-fashioned-summertime.html

The advantage of elderberry syrup is that it needs no refrigeration, so it’s ideal for work, school or travel.

DOSAGE GUIDELINES AND TIPS

Approximate guidelines are given here, not exact dosages. Doses may vary more or less, depending upon the level of risk, along with many other factors such as an individual’s immunity, weight, etc.

In the event of possible exposure to colds and flu, I would consider taking more frequent doses of sugar-free or lightly sweetened elderberry juice at home, reserving the self preserving, but sugar-laden syrup for situations when no refrigeration is available.

Individual doses of juice can be frozen and popped into a plastic covered cup or other tightly capped container and tucked into a lunchbox, book bag, purse or briefcase. (Warning: elderberry juice will stain! Make sure containers are leak proof.)

If I suspect that I have been caught ‘off guard’ without my elderberry preventative, and start feeling even the barest hint of “something coming on”, I immediately start taking elderberry at approximately the same doses given above, or perhaps more frequently if the situation warrants it. Sometimes I can ’feel’ it when I have not had enough (feeling more poorly). This is a clear signal for me to immediately ramp up the dosage and frequency a bit. If I get up during the night, I make sure to take another dose. Umm, please don’t go crazy and overdo it, or else you may find yourself dealing with a powerful diuretic and laxative action! Don’t ask me how I know.

Adults:

If the risk of exposure to ordinary flu is high, I usually take one to two tablespoons of the sugar-free juice, or two tablespoons of elderberry syrup every four to six hours as a cold and flu preventative.

Children:

In my house, little kids take kid doses. For children under 12 years old, I use about half the adult dose. Toddlers get half of that. Keep elderberry syrup out of the reach of children because the little rascals may try to sneak extra ‘doses’ when you are not watching. Elderberry also makes a fine pancake syrup. Yum!

Pregnant or Nursing Mothers:

Some herbalists prefer not to give any herbs to someone who is pregnant or nursing. Other herbalists like myself feel that, if faced with a deadly pandemic influenza outbreak, the risk of dying from the virus far outweighs the risk of consuming a fruit product such as elderberry. However, pregnant women should not take large, frequent doses of elderberry or any herb, for that matter. Although I am not aware of any human contraindications in normal usage of elderberry syrup, I have read that insanely high concentrations of pure elderberry extract given to laboratory rodents have sometimes caused spontaneous abortion and birth defects.
If I were pregnant, I would only take elderberry only if I were at high risk of being infected by a particularly deadly strain of flu.

RECIPE RULES

1. Elderberry stains. Everything. Just be careful and rinse off spills immediately.

2. The aroma of cooking elderberries is pretty stout and lingering. If you have a range hood exhaust fan, use it! Open the windows! (I cook my elderberries on my covered porch with an electric hotplate.) If you live in bear country, keep the shotgun handy. The aroma of elderberries is bearbait extraordinaire and may provoke home invasions. (The bears are berry crazy in the mountains where I am living now.)

3. Don’t use a metal cooking vessel to extract medicinal properties from herbs, roots or berries. A glass pot is best. An enamel coated metal pot is fine, as long as there are no chips exposing the metal.

4. Start off with cool water (not hot) and gradually bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat. (This little trick also brings out maximum flavor when cooking soups and stews.)

5. If you can, try to cook elderberries in larger rather than small amounts.

6. Regular canning jars and lids are perfect for storing elderberry syrup. Make sure to sanitize the jars and lids just before using. More on that later.

7. Keep everything clean, clean, clean. The last thing you want to see when you need elderberry is a jar of spoiled syrup!

THE RECIPE, FINALLY!

You will need a ratio of ¼ cup of dried elderberries for every two cups of water. You can make more than this amount, but try to maintain this ratio. To help promote maximum extraction, I like to soak the dried berries in water for a few hours first. Overnight in the refrigerator is even better.

Cover the pot loosely with a lid, enough to allow steam to escape, but not too rapidly. Gently simmer the water and berries together over medium-low heat until the liquid volume is reduced by about almost half of the original volume. For a large pot, this make take a few hours. Don’t allow the brew to come to a full rolling boil.

When elderberries are decocted in hot water, you may see a few very small ‘oil slicks’ form on the surface of the water. This is a good thing! The longer the berries cook (over low heat), the more medicinal resin is extracted. To increase the extraction process, stir and mash the berries against the side of the pot with a large spoon from time to time. Don’t try to skim it the oily stuff off, you want it to stay in the brew.

After a few hours, when the liquid in the pot has been reduced by about half of the original volume, allow to cool a little before straining the berries out.

Strain the berries through a colander, taking care to squeeze all the juice and goodness out of the berries. I don’t like to use cheesecloth or any other fabric for straining elderberries because the resins and other medicinal goodies will stick to the cloth.

At this point, if you have opted for the sugar-free preparation you will need to preserve the juice it by freezing it (use within six months), or you can refrigerate it if you can use it within 3 or 4 days.

To make a shelf-stable and self preserving 65% sugar syrup, add 2 1/8 cups of sugar to every cup of elderberry juice. Reheat and stir until all the sugar is completely dissolved.

Pour the hot syrup into hot canning jars that have been sanitized first by boiling in water for at least ten minutes. Jar lids need to be hot, as well. Simmer, do not boil the canning lids. Overheating the canning jar lids at a higher heat than a simmer (about 180*F. or so) may result in a seal failure. After pouring the hot syrup into the hot jars, wipe the jar rim with a clean damp paper towel to ensure nothing is there to interfere with sealing. Fill the jars to about ¼ - ½ inch from the top. Wipe the rim with a piece of a wet paper towel before positioning the lid. Screw on the band firmly and allow the jar to cool slowly. From time to time, you may hear ‘pings’ as the jars cool and a vacuum forms, pulling the lids down tighter.

For longer term storage, I prefer to bump up the sugar concentration a wee bit more to 70% . This translates into adding 2 ¾ cups sugar to every cup of elderberry juice. It may be overkill, but I have never seen a batch of elderberry syrup go bad at this rate.

Although elderberry syrup can last for years, I like to rotate my stock on a 6 month basis for maximum freshness. Store in a cool, dark location.

EDITED TO ADD: Until I get around to posting Part II of this article, there's more information in the comments section...If they are not displayed in their full glory, just click onto the "comments" link at the end of this post, right after the date 5/2/2009...

Copyright 2009 PureCajunSunshine / Mrs. Tightwad

This copyrighted material may be reprinted by you for noncommercial use, if the following credit is given:This article and recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #2: HOW TO MAKE HOME REMEDIES THAT REALLY WORK. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

Is gardening too physically challenging? Try wheelchair gardening!

2009-03-22T05:09:00.000-05:00

Here's a really nice collection of ideas and resources for those who find conventional gardening a bit too physically challenging:

http://www.dmoz.org/Home/Gardening/Enabled_Gardeners/

Susan Tomlin's Disabled Garden Page (check out the photos for ideas and inspiration):

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/1391/disabled.html

Happy Gardening!

Put a 'Shelter Box' in Your Emergency Preparedness Plans

2009-03-02T18:15:00.012-06:00

Even if you plan to ride out every crisis in the comfort of your home, you should prepare to evacuate anyway. When SHTF (Stuff Hits The Fan) it is not usually evenly distributed...Not one of us is immune to the possibility of natural or manmade disasters forcing us to flee our homes or our favorite crisis hideyholes.

Do you have a tent in your emergency bugout kit?

Some of you may be thinking along these lines in the event of an emergency evacuation, "I don't need a tent, I'll be in a motel/relative or friend's house/etc." or "I can sleep in my car, if I need to." If this is you talking, then please consider that best laid plans can go wrong. You may have to abandon your vehicle for some reason or another...or face way too many miles of no motel vacancies...houses can burn down...you get the idea.

The paramount rules for survival anytime, anywhere involves shelter, water and food. Naturally, when preparing for emergencies, we always think of food and water...but how prepared are you for emergency shelter?

If you have not already done so, put a low cost ‘shelter box’ in your emergency preparedness plans. Make your own custom kit to suit your group. Here’s the general idea:

http://www.shelterbox.ca/what-shelterbox.html

The price and weight is a bear, so...

Here’s my spin…a combination Shelter Box and 'bugout' bag. The following items can be packed into one or two large sturdy and waterproof boxes (or large bags). Waterproofing is essential, in the event of rain. Use plastic bags inside of the containers, if needed. A well stocked Shelter Box should at least include the following items.

This is an outline of a very basic kit. My personal kit contains more gear than this, and other folks may have more or less than what is outlined here. A supply list as long as your leg can be overwhelming to those who are just starting out in their preparedness ventures, or to those who simply can't afford to buy a lot. Here is a short and sweet version of the basics:

1. Expedient dry shelter such as a tent (or several heavy duty tarps and rope if you can’t afford a tent right now). Instead of including one large/medium tent to shelter your whole group, I would include two medium (or smaller) tents. Bad things can happen to your one shelter. Better to have a backup, even if it will be a bit cramped.

2. Bedding and clothing for every person:

A. Thermal blankets and thermal sleeping bags, if you can afford it.

B. Even if it is summertime (or wintertime) when you pack your shelter box, and the next season is far from your mind…don’t forget to include a coat and a summer/winter change of clothing and shoes for each person.

C. One heavy duty plastic tarp for each person, to serve as a ground cover beneath bedding. Include an inexpensive mylar blanket for every person to bolster up insulation where needed. In summer, the same mylar blanket can be used on top of a tarp shelter to divert the sun’s hot rays and to help cool the area beneath the tarp…

3. Light - Include an inexpensive solar powered battery charger and rechargeable batteries for several LED flashlights. I like to get a few of the same kind of flashlight (and other gear), so I can cannibalize one for parts, if needed.

4. Clean water and several ways and means of purification. Collapsible water containers.

5. Heat / cooking - Two lightweight stoves: one multi-fuel stove and one twig-burning stove. Here are some options/ideas: http://www.modernoutpost.com/gear/camping-stoves.html Include several ways of making fire.

6. Cooking aids - 2 cooking pots, cooking spoon, sharp, tough knives, small knife sharpener, folded heavy duty aluminum foil, etc. Include one set of utensils and a bowl for each person. Lightweight mugs if you have room. (A bowl can do multi-duty in a pinch, if needed to save space on plates and mugs).

7. Food - Lightweight instant foods that require no refrigeration or extensive cooking. Include dried fruits, nuts, jerky, tasty energy bars, etc.

8. Tools - hammer, axe, saw, heavy duty plastic bags of varying sizes, quality duct tape (the ‘Gorilla’ brand tape is the best!), folding shovel, rope, tent stakes, bungie cords, etc. etc.

9. Health and special needs: fever and diarrhea reducing meds, personal medications, basic first aid gear. Your favorite insecticide, and mosquito nets if your area calls for it. If you have babies, include the basics for their survival. Pets…decide ahead of time what their emergency plans will involve and plan accordingly.

10. Communications - Radio, cell phone, windup battery chargers. Phone numbers.

11. Sanity savers - Just to mention a few…

A. A copy or the originals of your important papers. You know what they are.

B. A list of details about your employment/educational history. Not many think to include this in their emergency kit, but it is a sanity saver in the event you cannot return home right away, and may need to apply for temporary or permanent work elsewhere.

C. Crayons, pens, pencils and paper can go a long way to help children work through stress. Include instructions for simple games that can be made with found materials.

D. Snacks and hard candies.

E Last but not least, consider your spiritual needs. For me and mine, that would be our Bibles.

If you made your own Shelter Box right now, what would it contain? How could you make it better, later?

Here are a few ideas for solving the problem of hauling all this stuff on foot, if you needed to abandon your home or vehicle. In addition to backpacks, you could consider a few options.

The first one I like. The rest are make-do's, but they may be better than just a backpack alone.

--> Folding game carts and carriers can haul up to 700 pounds of deer and gear--or your shelter box and bugout kits. One of my favorite places to shop has a good variety. Looksee at Cabela's...

--> whatyoucallit...the suitcase-on-wheels-with-a-long-handle kind of thing (lined with plastic bags)...

--> Plastic wheelbarrows can be disassembled and reassembled with minimal tools and ease...

--> Garbage cans with wheels...

--> Child's wagon and rope for strapping a load on...

--> Native American style travios...

Can you think of other ideas for transporting as much of your essential gear as possible, in case you need to travel on foot in an emergency?

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 make a cat repellant that really works

2008-10-21T05:23:00.004-05:00

Results guaranteed.

http://www.plasma2002.com/blenderdefender/

What to do with all those apples...

2008-10-21T04:02:00.002-05:00

Pretty soon, I'm going to have my hands on gobs and gobs of apples! It is getting cool enough here so that I can temporarily store some of them in a sort-of 'root cellar' that I made out of a clean galvanized trash can that is parked in the shade outside my kitchen door. (Last winter I used it to dump my woodstove ashes into.)

Speaking of root cellars, here's an excellent book about root cellars of every description: Root Cellaring by Mike and Nancy Bubel. This book and many other self-reliant topics are published by Storey Publishing http://www.storey.com . Root Cellering is the best book I've ever seen on the subject, and it's where I got the inspiration for my trashcan 'root cellar'.

Blurb on the book's front cover: "Keep your produce 'harvest fresh' in your own basement, porch, garage, or closet hideaway!"

What I'll be doing with the rest of the apples:

-- Dehydrate (rings and apple leather)...This can be done in the oven, or near a wood stove or in a dehydrator.

-- Vinegar (peels and cores)... It's fun and easy to make gourmet vinegars as well. http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/2007/10/homemade-vinegar-is-fun-and-easy.html

-- Applesauce

-- Apple Pie Jam

-- 'Apple Pie Jam Leather', made with the same yummy flavors in this delicious recipe:

Miss Violet's APPLE PIE JAM

4 cups tart apples, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
4 cups sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 box powdered pectin
1/2 teaspoon butter

Add water to chopped apples to measure 4 cups. (This is NOT 4 cups each, but water placed on top of the diced apples to come up to the 4 cup mark.)

Place apples and water into large, heavy saucepan.

Stir in lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice. Measure sugars. Stir pectin into fruit. Add butter.

Bring mixture to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in both sugars. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Ladle quickly into hot, clean jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands on finger tight. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

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DID YOU KNOW?
Applesauce and apple leathers are considered to be good foods to eat during and after a nuclear crisis. While this is by no means a 'cure' for radiation poisoning, it does not hurt that the pectin in the apples binds with heavy metals associated with radiation poisoning. The pectin (along with some of the bound metals) is removed by the process of elimination. This helps your body to detox better. And of course, you know about how good applesauce is for you! Plus it is a comfort food that is easy to digest.

Here's a link to an excellent tutorial: Making Your Own Apple Pectin

By Sam Thayer From The Forager. Volume 1, Issue 3. August-September 2001
http://www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com/The_Forager/pectin.html

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/

What To Do About New Orleans?

2008-09-02T08:48:00.002-05:00

Some say restore flood damaged New Orleans, yet others say she should be allowed to return to the waves, because we can’t fight nature forever.

I am speaking as a seventh generation New Orleanian, and if I could have my way, I'd say...

Keep the port of New Orleans open, because it is a major commercial artery into the heart of America.

Keep the French Quarter because it's on ‘high ground’ anyway. Keep all the older New Orleans and South Louisiana communities that are all on higher ground. They are doing just fine, and have been for a long, long time through many 'canes...

The ones that are not doing so well and make the biggest news (noise) are all the "newer" communities that have been built over the past sixty, seventy or so years on reclaimed swampland and low lying riverbottom land by builders and developers who were blinded by the shiny flash of money to be made...and of course all the dumb sheep followed...and more followed over the years until everybody kinda forgot that they are seriously living in harm's way.

Alligators belong in the New Orleans Ninth Ward and Lakeview areas (and many other low spots), not people.

ALL those places that are so prone to floods....turn it all back into what it originally was: some of the finest hunting and fishing lands in the world!

How to Make Free Fertilizer From Weeds

2008-08-08T16:18:00.004-05:00

Supercharge your plants and save money by making one of nature's best free fertilizers: weed tea!

When you recycle your weeds into fertilizer, you return to the soil a powerful array of nutrients that will give your garden a kind of naturally superior boost that can't be had with most commercial fertilizers. You will also notice a dramatic improvement in the flavor of garden vegetables that have been given doses of this 'green gold' weed tea during the growing season. As a bonus, it has been noted that plants given weed tea seem to have more disease and insect resistance than plants that were fertilized with chemicals.

Weeds spend their entire lives mining valuable minerals and many other kinds of vital nutrients from the soil. You can tap into this large reservoir of free fertilizer by making a tea of chopped weeds and water. This simple brew serves as an excellent liquid fertilizer for root or foliar feeding. As a bonus, some weeds even offer insect repellent protection!

You might be surprised to learn that some weeds have more nutritional value than the average green leafy vegetable, such as spinach or kale. For instance, a common weed called Lamb's Quarter contains triple the amount of calcium, almost double the amount of beta-carotene, more than double of minerals as kale or spinach. (By the way, Lamb's Quarter is delicious to eat, but you'll probably never find it in a supermarket. Because it is so delicate, it can't easily stand up to the rigors of the commercial food chain.)

There are three easy ways to extract nature's goodness from weeds: 1) as a liquid fertilizer (either as a cooked or cold brewed tea), 2) or as a mulch, or 3) buried into the soil.

If the weeds are in the seed stage, you may want to consider making liquid fertilizer (see the next heading), rather than using them as mulch to prevent unwanted weeds from sprouting in your garden.

MULCHING WITH WEEDS

When you pull or cut weeds that have not yet gone to seed, you can simply lay them on top of the ground to serve as a mulch that will provide a small but steady trickle of nutrients. Mulches are a valuable addition to your garden because they will add nutrients to the soil and help conserve ground moisture.

At the end of the growing season, mulches can be turned into the soil, to act as a powerful soil conditioner. In just a few seasons, repeated applications of mulch can help turn the poorest soil into 'black gold' that will outperform anything you can buy for your garden.

HOW TO MAKE WEED TEA

Recipe A - Regular strength

This is a quick stovetop recipe that does not smell bad, and can be made indoors. (The other recipes smell kind of barn-yardy, and should be made outside.)

You can use either fresh or dried weeds.

'Suntea' directions: For every big handful of weeds add 2 or 3 cups of water in a glass jar and set out into the sun for a day or two (use more water if making it from fresh, less if making it from dried.)

Stovetop directions: Bring the weeds and water barely to a boil. Remove from heat and cover. Allow to cool, and to soak for a few hours, then strain.

To use: Dilute one part tea to four parts of water. If using as a foliar spray, add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon genuine soap (not dish detergent!). A few thin shavings off Ivory soap bar, dissolved in a bit of water will work. This will help the liquid to stay on the leaves better. A little goes a long way; more is not better. This stickum is not needed if using the brew as a root fertilizer.

Recipe B - Super concentrated fertilizer

This brew is super concentrated and should be diluted at the rate of 1 part weed juice to 10 parts water. For a stronger fertilizer, try a dilution rate of 1/3 bucket of weed juice to 2/3 bucket of water. Pour as needed over the root zone of your growing plants, then water as usual to assist in bringing the nutrients to the roots.

For foliar (leaf) feeding, make sure that the color of the solution is no darker than weak tea, and do not apply it to vegetables about to be harvested.

Although weed tea can be made at any time of the year, the best time to harvest weeds for fertilizer is in in the springtime, or just before the plants go into full flower. This is when the nutritional content is at its peak.

For roughly each pound of fresh weeds, add 8 cups of water into a container with a lid, such as a bucket. Allow to sit outside for about two to four weeks (longer in colder weather). About once a week, stir well. Hold yer nose, 'cause fermenting weeds can be quite smelly. Do not touch this concentrated liquid fertilizer with your hands! Wear gloves. This concentrate will stain, and is difficult to remove from skin and clothing.

Don't wait too long to use your liquid fertilizer. After a time, the green brew will begin to change color to grey, brown, black and maybe even white. When it has changed color, it has been too decomposed to use as high powered fertilizer, but it will make an excellent addition to the compost pile.

If you brew this from nettles, you can make a good aphid spray if dilute it at double strength: 1 cup nettle juice to 5 cups water.

Recipe C - Perpetual supply of fertilizer

This brew is a perpetual, ongoing one. Once made it can be renewed so that it is always available, without having to wait for the brew to 'finish'. Dilute at the rate given for Recipe B.

Put your greens in a sack, with a strong cord tied around the closed neck. Drop it into a bucket of water. Allow to ferment as outlined in Recipe B. After some of this liquid fertilizer has been used up, add more water and another fresh sack of greens. Repeating this process ensures you'll have a continuous supply of 'green gold'.

WHICH WEEDS AND PLANTS MAKE THE BEST FERTILIZERS?

It is best that you include a variety of plants in the brew, if you can. This way you create a broad spectrum of nutrients for your garden. Too much of one nutrient can create a deficiency in another, just like with 'people vitamins'.

Although any plant will work well in making your own fertilizers, there are some plants that really shine as particularly nutrient-rich boosters. Here are a few of my personal favorites. In another post, I'll tell you why these plants deserve a closer look!

Nettles
Comfrey
Yellow Dock
Burdock
Horsetail
Chickweed
Alfalfa (not a weed, but one of the most nutrient rich plants I know of)

This 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 #5: QUICK SUBSTITUTES and EASY FORMULAS FOR OVER 100 "CAN'T-DO-WITHOUT" ITEMS. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you

2008-07-11T02:39:00.011-05:00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITED TO ADD: I'm sorry the link to the original video clip went dead...it was a popular and outrageously hilarious clip of a young cat challenging an older one. The younger kitty was standing upright on its haunches, waving its two front paws at the older cat, in a boxing motion. Suddenly the older (and very much larger) cat springs onto the unsuspecting young whippersnapper and bowls it over. The young cat didn't get hurt...just surprised as all get out. 'twas a priceless image of a valuable lesson.
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I have a gazillion really important things that I need to do today, but I just can't stop thinking of quips and quotes that would make good captions for this video clip!

Losing an illusion makes you as wise as finding a truth.

A coward dies a thousand deaths, a brave one dies but once.

You can't negotiate with the non-negotiable.

Don't believe everything you think.

He who angers you conquers you.

Never appeal to another's 'better nature'. He may not have one.

Facts seldom change what someone wants to believe.

Convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies. --Friedrich Nietzche

If you don't stay on top of things, soon you will be underneath them.

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that it won't work. --Thomas A. Edison

Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.

Get Rid of Ticks Without Poisons - Make a Homemade Tick Sweeper

2008-07-02T09:52:00.012-05:00

Quick and easy sweepings of the campsite or yard with this homemade gizmo can help put a serious dent into the herd of ticks in your area.

Here's how it works. In order to hitch a ride onto a victim, ticks stand at the ready, usually on the tip of a blade of grass or other vegetation. When dinner on the hoof (you, your pets, livestock, wild animals) pass by, the tick quickly latches on and begins crawling around looking for a suitable place to dine.

You can beat the ticks at their own game with a 'tick sweeper'. If you've never heard of this term before, it's because I just now made it up. It perfectly describes an old handy dandy trick.

Make a white 'flag' out of a sheet and attach it to a stick. No! It's not for surrendering to the ticks with. Never, ever surrender! The idea is to slowly drag a light colored cloth lightly over the vegetation, and if there are any ticks Out There, they will quickly latch onto the cloth, in hopes of a landing a meal. Ha! There, you can clearly see them! At this point you can engage in hand to hand combat. Have handy a tweezers and a small jar of rubbing alcohol. Drop the losers into the alcohol, which will immediately immobilize and kill the ticks. This frees your attention to catching potential escapees on the tick sweeper. Deal with the ticks crawling near the edges of the cloth first, then work your way inward. Work fast, and you should nab them all.

Any size cloth will do, but a 4' x 6' size is just right for me because it floats over the grass better, plus it's easier to reach the crawlies for dispatching. An old sheet will work. An old piece of lightweight flannel cloth is even better. A towel is too heavy and will knock most of the little buggers off of their perches. Because ticks are tiny and dark colored, the drag cloth must be white or light colored, preferably a solid color, not print.

Combat Tip: Ticks can not only sense body heat, but also sense when a shadow is overhead (a meal). This puts the tick into super alert mode, and thus ready and willing to latch onto your sweeper. Wave the 'flag' sweeper over the area once or twice, before dragging the cloth over the grass.

I won't tell you what the neighbors will think...

...just do it. Show them your conquests, share this trick and be a hero in the 'hood.

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

This article and recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #2: HOW TO MAKE HOME REMEDIES THAT REALLY WORK. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

2008-06-16T12:27:00.001-05:00

How To Check Any Gasoline Pump for Accuracy

2008-06-12T00:49:00.010-05:00

Do you ever wonder if your favorite gas station's pumps are accurate? Here is a simple and easy way to find out...and what to do about it if it's not accurate.

After all, we don't need to be giving away an arm, a leg and our firstborn...just yet.

The results of this test will not be affected by the grade of gasoline you use, or the time of day you are pumping it.

1. Put exactly ten gallons in your tank. (This test will not be accurate if you put a smidgen less than ten gallons, nor will it work if you accidentally go over ten gallons, even by just a little bit.)

2. Now, look at the price at the pump. The price you pay should be exactly ten times the per gallon price of the gas. If it is not, then the pump is not accurate.

If the pump is not accurate, this does not mean it is rigged

More often than not, the problem is with worn check valves. This means that the favor could swing either way, to you or the gas station.

The check valve is the gizmo that is supposed to make the price meter start ticking at the exact same time as the gas starts flowing. A common symptom of wearing out is when the price meter advances a few cents before the gas starts flowing.

The likelihood of the meter or the pump being deliberately rigged are very slim. The meter itself is built in such a way that it is not 'riggable'. State inspections that go along with state and federal laws are another strong deterrent to any temptations a dishonest gas vendor may have.

If you encounter a problem, report it to the gas station manager and/or to the local Commissioner of Weights and Measures.

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/

Some days...

2008-06-03T10:10:00.006-05:00

Some days, I can get into trouble all by myself.

How To Remove a Tick the Fast and Easy Way

2008-05-31T06:19:00.006-05:00

I must be the world's expert in removing ticks from people and animals. After so many years of this odious chore, I have my favorite ways of getting the job done safely.

First, a few words about how NOT to remove ticks, and why.

Although these tricks are popular, don't remove a tick by touching it with a hot ember such as one from a cigarette, or cover it with fingernail polish. It has been proven that these tactics can have a few nasty side effects, including Lyme's disease.

Aggressive removal methods causes the attached tick to regurgitate before it backs out. Diseases ride in along with the vomited material, and so there you have it. Disease-carrying tick vomit inside of you. Yuk.

Fortunately, there are better ways of removing a tick.

One of my favorite ways of removing a tick safely is with a 'tick spoon', called Ticked Off. It is the easiest, fastest way that I've ever tried.

This small spoon has a deep bowl with a "v" notch cut into it. Slip that notch under the tick and slide the critter right off, without ever touching the tick. That's it. No more worries about the tick's head and mouthparts remaining behind to fester. Because the tick is removed in one swift motion, the tick never has a chance to spew potentially dangerous vomit.

Once you try this gizmo, you won't want to be without one! They're cheap, so get a few. (About $6 for three)

I get mine from www.jefferspet.com . For their current page listing, type into the search box, the key words: Ticked Off. Jeffers is one of my favorite places to shop. I've enjoyed their top-flight customer service for the past 15 years, and their prices on pet and farm and ranch supplies are some of the lowest around.

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

This article and recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #2: HOW TO MAKE HOME REMEDIES THAT REALLY WORK. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

Homemade Honey Cough Syrups That Really Work - Now Backed By Science

2008-05-20T02:19:00.005-05:00

Honey works better than many over-the-counter cough syrups. A study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (December 2007) shows that honey works better than a leading cough syrup drug, dextromethorphan.

It looks like they've finally discovered what our grandmothers knew all along. Honey is good medicine.

An excellent article by Anne Harding for Reuters Health news service highlights this study with an interview with one of the study's authors, Ian M. Paul of Pennsylvania State University.

Here is an excerpt from the article reporting the results of the study.

To investigate, they compared buckwheat honey, a honey-flavored dextromethorphan preparation, and no treatment in 105 children who had sought treatment for nighttime coughs due to colds. Parents were surveyed on the day of the doctor's visit and on the next day, after those in the treatment groups had given their kids honey or dextromethorphan at bedtime. Among the three groups, children given honey had the greatest reduction in cough frequency and severity, and the most improved sleep, as did their parents.

There are several explanations for why honey might ease cough, Paul and his team note; its sweet, syrupy quality may be soothing to the throat, while its high antioxidant content could also be a factor. Honey also has antimicrobial effects.

Honey isn't recommended for infants younger than one year old, because of the rare but serious risk it might cause a type of food poisoning known as botulism, Paul said in an interview.

For older kids, however, it is generally safe. He and his colleagues used a dosage identical to that recommended for cough syrups: half a teaspoon for two- to five-year-olds, a teaspoon for six- to eleven-year-olds, and two teaspoons for children twelve and older.

My favorite simple cough syrup is plain honey. Sometimes I dress it up a bit:

Basic Honey and Lemon Cough Syrup

3 or 4 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup honey

Take one or two teaspoons every other hour or as needed. Thin it with a tiny amount of water, if desired. If water or lemon juice is added to honey, keep it refrigerated.

Most coughs come complete with a sore throat. Here's an old remedy for that.

Cajun Sore Throat Soother

Mix equal parts of honey and lemon juice and a dash of cayenne pepper, or Tabasco sauce. Before you know it, the cayenne pepper will help zap the pain of a sore throat, and will help speed healing. Honey and lemon are soothing with a healing antimicrobial effect. Honey, lemon and cayenne...now that's a potent triple whammy.

If you'd like to experiment with a whammy of a different kind, try one of these old favorites. They won't cure the cause of coughs, but they are guaranteed to make you feel much better.

COUGH SYRUP I

4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons water
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons whiskey

COUGH SYRUP II

4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons whiskey

COUGH SYRUP III

1/2 c. whiskey
1/2 c. honey
Juice of 1 lemon

You can take these syrups by the spoonfuls (take 1-2 tablespoons every 3 hours) or add a couple of spoonfuls of the prepared cough syrup to a cup of hot water or tea. Mix all ingredients well before taking.

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

This article and recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #2: HOW TO MAKE HOME REMEDIES THAT REALLY WORK. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

Adulturated honey looks, tastes and smells exactly like pure honey, and is more common than you think...

2008-05-09T03:51:00.007-05:00

Adulterated Honey is found on more store shelves than ever before. Why is this happening? What can we do about it?

A recent survey shows that a little over 36% of commercial bee hives have been lost in the United States since last year. Last year wasn't so hot, either. The Apiary Inspectors of America reported a huge loss of about 32%.

This is shaking up the honey industry pretty hard, and rather than deal with it honestly, more than a few companies are turning to shady practices to keep afloat.

Adulterated honey has always been around, but is becoming more common these days. Many in the honey business are being stung harder than ever before where it hurts the most, in the wallet.

Cleverly adulterated honey, with a bit of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and quality flavorings added, can fool even the most sophisticated tastebuds. Done right, the doctored up honey can also fool the eye and nose. Often the only way to detect impure honey is by laboratory testing.

The sad thing is, although it's easy enough to test adulterated honey, catching the violators is the hard part.

Malcolm T. Sanford, professor, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences,
University of Florida nails it: "All too frequently, the trail leads to phantom producers and distributors, hiding behind false labels and cash transactions." Only when enough people contact food inspectors, legislators and other policy makers with solid information can some effective action be taken."

Here is some practical advice he wrote in a document published by the Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service:

As in the past, the beekeeping industry is the first line of defense against adulteration. A "self-policing" program, sponsored by the American Beekeeping Federation continues to be in effect. Suspicious honey is tested and, if found adulterated, the Federation notifies the proper officials and sends a report to the person who sent the sample for their follow-up. In spite of the recent adulterating activity, the Federation is receiving very few samples.

Feeding bees sugar syrup and/or HFCS and extracting "honey" containing these products is also adulteration. Thus, beekeepers cannot be too careful. Even small amounts of adulterants are detected by tests currently in use. It is impossible to tell adulterated honey by either taste, smell or color. The only real evidence comes from defined techniques certified by the National Association of Chemists. Experience has shown, however, that adulterated product has one or all of the following characteristics:

1. No flavor, just sweet.
2. Very light or very dark
3. Molasses flavor
4. Consistently low price

In addition to the above characteristics, adulterated honey has often been associated with "rustic" labels and "Mason" type jars. If you see suspicious product, contact :

American Beekeeping Federation
P.O. Box 1337, Jesup, GA 31598
Phone: 912-427-4233
Fax: 912-427-8447
Email: info@ABFnet,org
Web: http://www.abfnet.org

They may want a sample of it, along with this information:

Date ____________________

DESCRIPTION OF HONEY SAMPLE: (include the label or copy the information on printed label including size of package, brand, name and address of packer or distributor)_____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

Where purchased:___________________________________________
Date purchased:____________________________________________
Code # on Jar or label_______________________

If only the packer's name appears on label, name and address of distributor:

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

Reason why honey is suspected of being adulterated_____________ ______________________________________________________________

Name and Address of Sender_________________________________

Coming soon...amazing healing benefits and other uses for honey.

This copyrighted material 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/

Banging your head against the wall?

2008-05-08T03:32:00.005-05:00

.
'tain't all that bad...

Banging your head against the wall uses 150 calories an hour.

Up-to-the-minute global earthquake news links

2008-05-03T14:18:00.013-05:00

Get up-to-the-minute earthquake news from around the globe. Whoah...what a weird sensation it is to watch the pulsing red dots glowing all over the world to indicate currently occurring earthquakes! Check out this cool map from http://www.earthquake-news.net/

And this site has a nice view of the world's earthquake 'footprints'.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/sitemap.php

Here's one map from that site

Are You As Prepared As You Think You Are?

2008-04-28T03:02:00.005-05:00

This post is not meant to disturb you or gross you out . I apologize if parts of it seems to be unnecessarily harsh. It's a serious wake up call to help some of us look beyond ordinary disaster preps.

What will you do if your present best-laid plans fail, or after they are used up? You need to have some idea of Plan B, C & D! Here are some practical ideas that might help you to see your disaster preparations beyond 'Plan A'.

Most preps are temporary, having a life span of only (x) number days, weeks or years. Also, things like theft, bugs, mold, fires and other disasters can easily lay to waste our carefully made preparations.

If you are ever faced with a prolonged crisis, or a series of them that leave you with nothing but your two hands and a half of a mind...What will you do? If you are in good spiritual health, or otherwise strong of heart and mind...then you won't be likely to panic or suffer extreme despair. If you have the know-how to make sustainable preparations work well, and enough staying power, you'll have a greater chance of thriving the crisis at hand.

Truly useful preparations are sustainable. They are often of the kind that you carry in your head. Sometimes, knowledge can carry you further than any storebought disaster prep item.

Take for instance, the most important prep item: water. Instead of focusing only on things like collecting a gazillion empty soda pop bottles, and how many drops of bleach to use for purification, learn what you can about how you can to safely replace the saved water during the most austere of times.

Learn about indicator plants that reveal higher levels of moisture in the ground, and how to harvest it...Know how to make water catchment devices (rainbarrels, cisterns, ponds, or even earthworks like ditches and ridges to funnel water into an area). Get hydrology maps for your area, and study them. Visit alternate sources of water.

That sort of thing.

None of us are immune to severe survival challenges, and that's why we should seriously consider Plan B, C & D, possibly even more so than Plan A.

During good times, it is sometimes difficult to wrap the mind around unknown factors. To remedy that kind of shortsightedness, take a look at recent history. Wars, disasters, famines, and pestilences abounded throughout all of humankind's history.

One eye-opener for me was in an interesting book, When All Hell Breaks Loose by Cody Lundin. Here are a few excerpts that I hope will cause you to open your eyes a little wider, to look beyond the obvious, and to motivate you to gather more knowledge and sustainable preps. As a result, you may be more proactive in making your Plan B, C & D work.

Most people think of famine as ancient history, or something that happens only to third world countries. Notice that most of the following events happened not that long ago...and consider that these are just a few of many.

Here's a sobering look into our history, from Cody Lundin's book:

Europe, AD 1315-1322, The Great Famine
Bad weather and crop failure caused the death of millions of people by starvation, disease, infanticide, and cannibalism. At that time in Europe's history, famines were common and people were lucky to survive to the ripe old age of thirty. It seems that hard times knew no economic boundaries. In 1276, official records from the British royal family, society's wealthiest people at the time, recorded an average life span of thirty-five years.

Ireland, 1845-1849, The Great Potato Famine
Potatoes, the mainstay of the Irish diet, were inflicted with a potato blight that killed the crops. Local grain and livestock were owned by the English, and laws prevented the Irish from importing grain. The combination of crop disease and politics caused the death of 1.5 million people by starvation, cannibalism and disease.

USA, The Great Plains, 1930s
The United States experienced the worst drought of the twentieth century. The resulting lack of precipitation caused massive dust storms, which dominated the landscape, causing severe health problems while destroying crops and killing livestock. Death toll is unknown....

The Soviet Famine, 1932-1943
The Soviet Famine was initiated by Josef Stalin in an attempt to boost industrialization financed by forced collective farms in which grain production fell by 40 percent. His draconian measures included forbidding peasants to leave the country without permission; expelling, killing, or sending rich peasants to labor camps and forcibly seizing what little food remained to double grain exports to raise cash for his failed plan. The predicted chaos included a report issued by an Italian consul member in the Ukraine reporting "a growing commerce in human meat" and that people were killing and eating their own children. Astute authorities immediately responded, not with food, but by distributing posters that read: "Eating Dead Children Is Barbarism". Due to a national cover-up forbidding doctors to disclose on death certificates that the deceased had starved to death, numbers for the total dead are sketchy but estimates are at 5 to 8 million people, 10 to 25 percent of the population of the Ukraine.

The Warsaw Ghetto, 1940-1942
Three hundred eighty thousand Jews were confined to a 3.5. mile area that normally housed 160,000. The population eventually reached 445,000 before the Nazis sealed off the area with a ten-food wall, with the intention of starving all of the inhabitants within nine months. Official food rationing provided 2,613 kilocalories per day for Germans, 699 kilocalories per day for Poles, and 184 kilocalories for Jews in the Ghetto. Tens of thousands died from starvation and disease.

Northern China, 1958-1962
Chairman Mao's failed bid to "industrialize" his nation, along with several natural disasters and drought, killed an unbelievable 30 million people by starvation, disease, infanticide, and cannibalism. Desperate families swapped each other's children to eat, thus avoiding having to eat their kin....

Biafra (now Nigeria), Africa, 1967-1969
Civil war-caused famine kills one million people, leaving another 3.5 million to suffer from extreme malnutrition.

North Korea, 1994-1998
A combination of reduced Chinese and Russian food subsidies, along with the effects of collective farming, flooding, drought, and government corruption, caused an estimated 2 to 3 million people to die of starvation, disease, and cannibalism...

-------------- end of excerpts.

Because of weather, disease or politics, many more famines have occurred, or are happening now, and will happen again in one place after another.

Please don't suffer tunnel-vision and be caught mentally and physically unprepared if a (short or long term) famine comes to your neighborhood. Get ready for a short term crises with the obvious, but look beyond temporary preparedness for a longer lasting and more sustainable kind.

This post was not aimed at increasing worry levels, but to kick up awareness/preparedness levels a notch or two...

Like I said before, if you are in good spiritual health...then you won't be likely to worry needlessly, or suffer despair. Worry is so destructive, and accomplishes nothing good; on the other hand, being fully aware with eyes wide open can be a good thing, and may lead to workable solutions.

I'll wager that most of us have already thought about these things. But I suspect that some of us are preparing pretty much for a temporary event or two, and that 'everything will return to normal' after the dust settles...

It won't. The scene of this world is changing too much, too fast. There are 'new normals' being set every day.

Your ability to adapt to these 'new normals' may well depend upon how sustainable your Plans B, C and D are...in addition to your spiritual health.

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/

Survival and Preparedness Wit and Wisdom

2008-03-09T01:24:00.006-06:00

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These are a few of my favorite bits of wit and wisdom. They drive home some pretty good maxims of a preparedness lifestyle. Here's hoping you'll enjoy these as much as I do.

The more you carry in your head, the less you carry on your back.
--Jack Mountain Bushcraft and Guide Service

It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

The difference between adventure and disaster is being prepared.

Last minute preparations are like learning to swim when you are drowning.

Chance favors the prepared mind. --Louis Pasteur

A lack of prior planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

When it does hit the fan, it will not be evenly distributed.

On the job training doesn's work when you're dealing with survival.
--Duncan Long "Backpack Survival"

Don't prepare to survive the bad times, prepare so that you don't even notice them, by living a simpler lifestyle.

Blessed are the flexible, for they don't get bent out of shape.

Adversity can lead to the discovery of strengths that you did not know you had.
--Al Siebert "The Survivor Personality"

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.

A testimony is what's left after the test.

The best way to win a gunfight is by not being there. --John Farnham, firearms expert

If we could just get everyone to close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be...until the looting started.

Everything will be OK in the end. If it is not OK, it's not the end.

What are your favorite survival and preparedness proverbs, funnies, witty sayings, or bits of wisdom? Please share them with us using the 'comments' link just below this post!

Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water: How long do you REALLY need to boil water to purify it?

2008-02-17T15:17:00.009-06:00

There are so many conflicting guidelines for emergency disinfection of drinking water, that many people may decide to boil water longer than is necessary, just to be on the safe side.

In most crisis situations fuel may be in very short supply, so knowing exactly how long to boil water to safely purify it may prove to be helpful.

The United States Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends boiling water for 1 minute, or 3 minutes above 2 kilometers (6562 feet) to disinfect water for drinking.

The CDC recommends boiling water for one minute to kill most organisms. One minute is long enough to kill all major harmful waterborne bacteria and protozoa including Esherischia coli, Salmonella, Shigella sonnei, Campylobacter jejuni, Yersinia enterocolitica, Vibrio cholerae, Legionella pneumophila, Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica and other pathogens.

Waterborne viral pathogens such as hepatitis A, which is known to be one of the more heat-resistant viruses, are also inactivated by one minute of boiling.

If you can't boil water for drinking, here is what the CDC recommends:

"If you can't boil water, you can treat water with chlorine tablets, iodine tablets, or unscented household chlorine bleach (5.25% sodium hypochlorite). If you use chlorine tablets or iodine tablets, follow the directions that come with the tablets. If you use household chlorine bleach, add 1/8 teaspoon (~0.75 milliliter [mL]) of bleach per gallon of water if the water is clear. For cloudy water, add 1/4 teaspoon (~1.50 mL) of bleach per gallon. Mix the solution thoroughly and let it stand for about 30 minutes before using it. Treating water with chlorine tablets, iodine tablets, or liquid bleach will not kill many parasitic organisms. Boiling is the best way to kill these organisms."

Unfortunately liquid bleach has a fairly short 'shelf life', but granular calcium hypochlorite lasts a long time. The EPA has easy to follow guidelines for using it for emergency disinfection of drinking water. Several methods are discussed here, including using granular calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water. Calcium hypochlorite is the main ingredient in 'pool shock', a powdered product commonly sold to disinfect swimming pools.

Caution: Use only 'high test' calcium hypochlorite that contains a minimum of 70 percent, preferably 78% available chlorine.

Here is what the EPA says about using granular calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water:

Make a concentrated 'stock' solution (liquid bleach):

Add and dissolve one heaping teaspoon of high-test granular calcium hypochlorite (approximately ¼ ounce) for each two gallons of water, or 5 milliliters (approximately 7 grams) per 7.5 liters of water. The mixture will produce a stock chlorine solution of approximately 500 milligrams per liter, since the calcium hypochlorite has available chlorine equal to 70 percent of its weight. To disinfect water, add the chlorine solution in the ratio of one part of chlorine solution to each 100 parts of water to be treated. This is roughly equal to adding 1 pint (16 ounces) of stock chlorine to each 12.5 gallons of water or (approximately ½ liter to 50 liters of water) to be disinfected.

Mix the treated water thoroughly and allow it to stand, preferably covered, for 30 minutes. The water should have a slight chlorine odor. If not, repeat the dosage and allow the water to stand for an additional 15 minutes. If the treated water has too strong a chlorine taste, allow the water to stand exposed to the air for a few hours or pour it from one clean container to another several times.

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 Keep Rabbits, Dogs, Cats, Deer and Other Critters Out Of The Vegetable Garden The EZ Way

2008-02-06T03:38:00.001-06:00

I discovered that most critters will not walk over a solid border of prickly, stick-it-to-em pine cones, or other weird stuff. Tenderfooted dogs, cats and rabbits hate walking on those prickly pine cones! I have more of a rabbit problem than a dog or cat one, so I make my pine cone barrier a bit wider than a rabbit-jump across. Fresh pine cones keep their wonderful prickly, stick-it-to-em nature for about two years before softening and losing their 'bite'. Every year, I add more pine cones to my arsenal, and remove the really old ones. I use the 'spent' pine cones as handy dandy firestarters in my wood stove.

No pine cones? Use scrap fencing material. Cats and rabbits especially hate to walk on chicken wire fencing material that has been laid down sort of loose and floppy-like. Most dogs don't like to walk on it either, but it works only if it is really sproingy-boingy, and not laid down perfectly flat.

Because I have moved to a lots-of-bears wilderness area, I also use the same 'barrier principle' to keep the deer and bears out of certain areas, by laying scraps of fence material on the ground. The deer positively hate walking where their hooves can get tangled up in it... I find I don't need to completely cover the ground with the barrier material, just enough pieces here and there, to get the message across that this ground is not easy to navigate through. Use any kind of fencing material that is larger than chicken wire.

One night as I slept, a bear got its claws hung up in a ground barrier of scrap fence material. That must have been one highly irritated bear. It flung fence wire everywhere, and tracks indicated it was not a short struggle. Dang. I missed the whole show.

Note to self: put up game camera.

Heh. Most people wanna keep fences up; sometimes I find they work better laying on the ground. Tip: don't lay the material too flat. The more bumps and humps, the better...

This article is an excerpt from the Gardening During Hard Times section of Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #1: How To Survive Disasters and Other Hard Times.

This copyrighted material 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 I Grind Grain The Old Way With Handheld Grinding Stones

2008-01-28T00:58:00.002-06:00

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

2008-01-15T01:57:00.001-06:00

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

2008-01-10T14:12:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-01T00:41:00.000-06:00

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.

Thinking About 'Fleeing to The Mountains' If a Severe Crisis Hits Your Area? Read This Before You Bug-Out!

2007-12-19T01:23:00.002-06:00

Are you one of the gazillions of town or city folks who think that all they need to do survive a severe widespread crisis, is to head for a wilderness area and set up camp?

There's a few things you need to know.

I live in a remote wilderness area in the mountains, and I can tell you a little bit about my neighbors, the people who are already living where everyone wants to go, WTSHTF (When The Stuff Hits The Fan).

I hope ya'll have land of your own in those mountains, or else you may find yourselves considered by the neighbors, the local mountainfolk, as being one of "Them"...one of the crowd of invaders who will be pouring out of the towns and cities into the countryside and "wilderness areas". In rural folk's eyes, these ones are viewed as the dreaded hordes of strangers who will suck the neighborhood dry of vital resources. My neighbors are not as nice as I am. Expect severe--and very likely brutal--resistance from many of the rural folks. This sentiment is widespread, not just in my neck of the woods. The "good old boys" who live in the country won't cotton too well to a bunch of peeps stomping all over their prime hunting grounds, either.

I suspect that, in many ways, things will be harder for the refugees in the woods, than if they had stayed in the cities.

Maybe a better idea would be to consider buying a small, cheap piece of rural property. If a SHTF situation finds you with just that, and nothing else, then you are leagues ahead of "Them". You can make do with with hasty shelter on your property, if need be.

Tight finances? Slow or no credit? Look for a lease-purchase or owner financing agreement. Many rural sellers are quite motivated, especially these days because of the tanking real estate market.

Here's another thought, if tight finances are an issue: After getting a little piece of land to call your own, build a lil' ol tool shed on the place, just barely big enough for everyone to lay their sleeping bags down. After that, build something a little bigger as finances permit...then expand on that.

I primitive-camped on my heavily forested property in a wilderness area for three years with no running water, no electricity, no heat, no a/c, and no phone service (mountains interfere with signals). Slowly but surely, and little by little, with a little help from a couple of friends now and then, I got a patch of land cleared enough to build my (now almost complete) home on. It wasn't easy...but it can be done. If'n a little old lady like me can do it, anyone can.

The idea is to have something Out There to call your own, paid for free and clear, before a major crisis event. Be a neighbor, and please don't be one of the unwelcome invaders...

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/

Where To Find The Latest Breaking News about Pandemic Influenza

2007-12-17T07:33:00.001-06:00

Here are some of the best places for keeping track of the latest breaking news about pandemic flu, or H5N1. The freshest news are often found at some of these sites before the news media has a chance to broadcast them into the mainstream.

This is one of the most reputable and complete portals I've found for the latest breaking news on H5N1 on the Internet:

http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/

Other collaborative sites for the latest on influenza outbreaks:

http://planforpandemic.com/index.php

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/

http://www.curevents.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=40

http://thisbluemarble.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28

http://www.newfluwiki2.com/

http://recombinomics.com/

http://www.singtomeohmuse.com/

Topflight health and influenza stuff here:
http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2007/08/from_pandemic_flu_to_walmart_b.php

Here are a few reputable flu blogs:

Scott Mcpherson"s
http://www.scottmcpherson.net/display/ShowJournal?moduleId=1366394&categoryId=116462

Sophia Zoe's
http://birdflujourney.typepad.com/

Crof's Blog (a great portal, as well)
http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/

Homemade Ant Poison That Really Works

2007-12-11T00:38:00.000-06:00

This is my all-time favorite ant killer: a cheap homemade ant bait using BORIC ACID (not to be confused with baking soda, which won't work). You can buy boric acid from any pharmacy or dollar store. Combine it with any ingredient that will attract your target ants.

I've found the big black carpenter ants and many other kinds of ants like a bait made of sugar water/boric acid mix. I put in enough boric acid to make a thick "soup" with super sweet sugar water, and pour it into numerous shallow "dishes" made from plastic yogurt or butter container lids. I put the bait where the feeding ants wouldn't be so visible (and annoying). Keep out of reach of pets and any children that might be tempted to eat it... I can say with 100% confidence: if you put out enough boric acid bait, and if you are persistent enough, you will win the battle with ants in your home! Eventually, over several days to a week, the ants will have brought back enough poison to decimate the entire nest.

I'm not sure if this will work on fire ants, but I will certainly try it and report the findings here! I'd love to hear from anyone who has...

(PureCajunSunshine wanders off, muttering...what can be used as a homemade fire ant bait to mix with boric acid? hmmm...)

This 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 #5: QUICK SUBSTITUTES and EASY FORMULAS FOR OVER 100 "CAN'T-DO-WITHOUT" ITEMS. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

Everything You Need to Know to Make Really Great Jerky...Safely

2007-12-05T06:10:00.000-06:00

Making jerky is the world's oldest way of preserving meat. When our ancestors hunted for food, they often did it in a large way. Bison, bear and deer were like the Walmarts of the ancients. A good hunt meant much more than food. It also meant bone tools, clothing, shelter and more. Priority was given to the meat and the hides because of rapid spoilage.

Before the days of canned foods and frozen dinners, many foods were usually preserved by drying. With the moisture removed, heavyweights become lightweights. The moisture is easily restored by soaking in water, or by adding to soups and stews, or simply chewed.

Because jerky and other dehydrated foods are so lightweight and needs no refrigeration, they are perfect for travel or emergencies. All the goodness of a pound of meat can be reduced to a mere four ounces!

IMPORTANT FOOD SAFETY ISSUES

Through the stream of time, much has been discovered in the name of food safety. Foodborne illness and diseases can be deadly serious. Because we know more about safe food preparation than the ancients did, most of us will enjoy a longer life span!

In the old days of the First Americans, jerky was hung to dry in the sun, especially in climates with low humidity, high heat and a goodly amount of wind. Other tribes that lived in less than ideal jerky-making territory, hung strips of meat near smoldering fires.

The old way of doing things is perfectly acceptable, if you are willing to put up with a small--but definite--risk of serious illness or death.

No jerky ever tasted good enough to die for, so it's a good idea to check out the latest approved techniques for making jerky the safest way possible. The USDA has the latest, right here: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/jerky_and_food_safety/index.asp

Here are excerpts from the link above, which is (as of December 2007) the latest USDA meat and poultry recommendations for making homemade jerky:

* Keep meat and poultry refrigerated at 40 °F or slightly below; use or freeze ground beef and poultry within 2 days; whole red meats, within 3 to 5 days.
* Defrost frozen meat in the refrigerator, not on the kitchen counter.
* Marinate meat in the refrigerator. Don't save marinade to re-use. Marinades are used to tenderize and flavor the jerky before dehydrating it.
* Steam or roast meat to 160 °F and poultry to 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer before dehydrating it.
* Dry meats in a food dehydrator that has an adjustable temperature dial and will maintain a temperature of at least 130 to 140 °F throughout the drying process.
* Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after working with meat products.
* Use clean equipment and utensils.

Why is it a Food Safety Concern to Dry Meat Without First Heating it to 160 °F?

The danger in dehydrating meat and poultry without cooking it to a safe temperature first is that the appliance will not heat the meat to 160 °F and poultry to 165 °F — temperatures at which bacteria are destroyed — before it dries. After drying, bacteria become much more heat resistant.

Within a dehydrator or low-temperature oven, evaporating moisture absorbs most of the heat. Thus, the meat itself does not begin to rise in temperature until most of the moisture has evaporated. Therefore, when the dried meat temperature finally begins to rise, the bacteria have become more heat resistant and are more likely to survive. If these surviving bacteria are pathogenic, they can cause foodborne illness to those consuming the jerky.

Are There Special Considerations for Wild Game Jerky?

Yes, there are other special considerations when making homemade jerky from venison or other wild game. According to Keene and his co-authors, "Venison can be heavily contaminated with fecal bacteria — the degree varying with the hunter's skill, wound location, and other factors. While fresh beef is usually rapidly chilled, deer carcasses are typically held at ambient temperatures, potentially allowing bacteria multiplication."

What is the Safe Storage Time for Jerky?

Commercially packaged jerky can be kept 12 months; home-dried jerky can be stored 1 to 2 months.

(Well, I'm going to argue about that last point. Lots of people say jerky has lasted as long as a year. Maybe it could last longer, but I'll never know because me and my friends can't keep away from it long enough to find out. I'll be sure to include some of my favorite recipes here, so you'll know the real reason jerky has such a short shelf life.) --PureCajunSunshine

The National Center for Home Food Preservation is an excellent authority all kinds of ways to preserve food including drying, curing & smoking, fermenting, pickling and more. Go here: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.html

Their section on jerky recommends this:

If you choose to heat the meat prior to drying to decrease the risk of foodborne illness, do so at the end of the marination time. To heat, bring strips and marinade to a boil and boil for 5 minutes before draining and drying. If strips are more than ¼ inch thick, the length of time may need to be increased. If possible, check the temperature of several strips with a metal stem-type thermometer to determine that 160ºF has been reached.

If the strips were not heated in marinade prior to drying, they can be heated in an oven after drying as an added safety measure. Place strips on a baking sheet, close together, but not touching or overlapping. For strips originally cut 1/4 inch thick or less, heat 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 275ºF. (Thicker strips may require longer heating to reach 160ºF.)

(End of excerpts from the United States Department of Agriculture)

JERKY MAKING BASICS

Now that we have the important food safety issues covered, lets get to the meat of the matter.

Use only pure lean muscle meat in making jerky. That means no fat, no tendons, no connective tissues of any kind. Meat that is marbled with fat will not make good jerky.

Best wild game or beef cuts of meat to use in making jerky: flank, round and sirloin.

If using poultry, pork or bear meat, dry only meats that have been thoroughly pre-cooked for safety's sake.

Before drying wild game, freeze the meat for at least 60 days at 0 degrees F to help kill any parasites or bacteria that causes disease that may be present.

Cut strips of meat 1/8" - 1/4" thick, and 1" -1 1/2' wide. They can be as long as you wish. The thinner the meat, the faster it dries.

Make the meat easier to cut thinly by firming it up in the freezer for a bit, first.

There are two ways to cut jerky: for a real chewing workout, cut the meat "with, or along the grain"; for an easier chew, cut "across the grain". The grain is the direction that the muscle fibers lay.

A marinade or dry rub is what makes delicious jerky.

To marinade: Raw meat strips are soaked between four to eight hours, or overnight in a flavorful liquid consisting of any combination of ingredients such as soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke and seasonings.

Dry rubs are often a blend of salt and seasonings that are rubbed onto the surface of raw meat, and is refrigerated for several hours to overnight.

Fancy dehydrators are nice, but not necessary. For years, I made my best jerky in an oven at the lowest heat setting, with the door propped open one or two inches. I can fit lots more in an oven, which is a must during deer hunting season.

To test jerky for doneness: Remove a strip of dried jerky, let it cool for 5 minutes. Bend the jerky. Jerky that was cut across the grain should snap if it is done. Jerky that was cut along the grain won't break, but will bend.

Never, ever make jerky in a microwave, which is notorious for uneven cooking, and can be a health hazard.

A gas or electric oven works fine.

For longer shelf life, I tend to overdry the meat a little more than I need to. I store it in a glass jar with some kind of desiccant (moisture absorber). Some people like to store jerky in plastic bags.

If you freeze or refrigerate the jerky, and take it out of storage, it will immediately absorb moisture from the air. This may shorten shelf life, depending on the amount of moisture it collects.

If you use a dehydrator, and if the instructions include jerky making, follow the directions carefully.

OVEN DRYING JERKY

Here's how I do jerky in an oven.

Marinate the meat overnight in your favorite choice of flavors. Drain well, but do not rinse.

Line the bottom of the oven with heavy duty aluminum foil. Spray the oven racks with a no stick spray made for BBQ cookers. Do not forget this. If you do, you will never forget it again. The baked on drippings are a pain to remove.

Skewer the end of a strip of meat onto a toothpick. Position the toothpick between the rungs in the oven rack, so that the meat dangles freely below the rack. (My way is a little different from what most people do, which is laying the strips directly onto the oven racks. My way dries better because of improved air circulation. It is a space saver, so more jerky can be made at one time.)

Turn the oven on the lowest setting (mine goes to 200 degrees Fahrenheit). Close the oven door, but leave it ajar with a one or two inch opening to allow moisture to escape. To hasten the drying process, and drive everyone in the house insane and drooling, place a fan in the room. If it gets too bad, beat everyone back with a broomstick until it is done. Jerky before its time can make you sick as a dog.

Tip: place the thinnest cuts of meat near the front of the oven. Because it will be a few degrees cooler near the front, the thinner pieces won't need as much heat as the thicker slices. The thicker pieces dry much better closer to the hotter backside of the oven.

Before storing, the meat must be allowed to cool on the rack naturally. After the jerky has cooled, remove the toothpicks, and place the strips of jerky in a large bowl. Cover with a clean dishtowel and allow them to "rest" for several hours. During this period, the overall small amount of moisture remaining in the jerky becomes equalized. This allows for the possibility that a few small unseen spots in some of the pieces might not be as dry as the others.

Here are a few of my favorite jerky recipes. They're all deliciously different.

Cut strips of lean meat 1/8" - 1/4" thick, and 1" -1 1/2' wide. They can be as long as you wish. Soak the strips in the mixture given below for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator. Stir occasionally to ensure even penetration of flavor throughout. Dry in a dehydrator or oven, according to guidelines given above.

Marinade #1, for about 1 or 2 pounds of meat

2 packs of Au Jus instant dry gravy mix
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 dry powdered mustard
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups water

Marinade #2, for about 3 or 4 pounds of meat:

2 c soy sauce
1/2 c water
3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs liquid smoke (look near the Worcestershire sauce in the grocery)
1 Tbs garlic powder or onion powder (or, in proportion, use both if you're adventurous!)
1 Tbs ground ginger
black pepper (optional)

Marinade #3, for up to 5 pounds of meat:

2 cups teriyaki sauce
3/4 cup water
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 t. garlic powder
2 t. onion powder
1 t. ground ginger (powder)
1 Tb. Liquid smoke
1 t. black pepper
1 t. Tabasco sauce

This recipe from Sunset Home Canning shows another way of making jerky.

Basic Beef Jerky Recipe

1½ lb Lean boneless meat
¼ c Soy sauce
1 ts Worcestershire Sauce
½ ts Onion powder
¼ ts Pepper
¼ ts Garlic powder
¼ ts Liquid smoke
Vegetable oil cooking spray

Preparing the jerky: Freeze meat until firm but not hard; then cut into 1/8 to 1/4-inch-thick slices. In a medium-size glass, stoneware, plastic or stainless steel bowl, combine soy sauce, Worcestershire, onion powder, pepper, garlic powder, and liquid smoke. Stir to dissolve seasonings. Add meat and mix until all surfaces are thoroughly coated. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or until next day, stirring occasionally; recover tightly after stirring.

Drying the jerky: Depending upon the drying method you're using, evenly coat dehydrator racks or metal racks with cooking spray; if oven drying, place racks over rimmed baking pans. Lift meat from bowl, shaking off any excess liquid. Arrange meat strips close together, but not overlapping, on racks. Dehydrator and oven drying: Arrange trays according to manufacturer's directions (if using dehydrator) and dry at 140-degrees until a piece of jerky cracks, but does not break when bent (8 to 10 hours, let jerky cool for 5 minutes before testing). Pat off any beads of oil from jerky. Let jerky cool completely on racks; remove from racks and store in airtight, insect proof containers in a cool, dry place. You may also freeze or refrigerate the jerky, however keep in mind that cold jerky will collect moisture from the air when taken out of cold storage.

Makes about 3/4 pound.

Storage time: Up to 3 weeks at room temperature; up to 4 months in refrigerator, up to 8 months in freezer. Per ounce: 94 calories, 12 g protein, 1 g carbohydrates; 4 g total fat; 28 mg cholesterol, 398 mg sodium.

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/

Pemmican: The Original Fast Food of the First Americans, Traditional and Fat Free Recipes

2007-11-23T12:26:00.000-06:00

Pemmican is a tasty high-protein treat that's perfect for snacking, traveling, hiking, camping, and for disasters or other crisis events, where cooking meals may be difficult. As a bonus, this lightweight nutrient-packed food needs no refrigeration.

Traditional recipes for Indian pemmican usually calls for a mixture of shredded jerky, dried berries and nuts, along with a bit of melted fat to hold it all together. In the old days, it was considered essential for sustaining warriors and hunters on the trail. Pemmican can be eaten out of hand, or added to soups, stews, or anything in need of an extra nutritional boost.

The fast-food idea caught on with the Hudson's Bay Company and became a standard feature in the North American fur trade industry. The highest prices were paid for Native American-made pemmican that was stored in buffalo skin bags, called parfleches. The filled bags were sealed with melted fat. The parfleches shrank as they dried, creating a kind of vacuum seal that helped to preserve the contents for years. Traditionally, this kind of pemmican was made with equal parts dried meat and melted fat. Animal fat taken from around the kidneys and loins were considered choice. If taken from beef, this kind of fat is called suet. For those who prefer a fat-free pemmican, a recipe is included here.

To eat pemmican Native American style, pop a little bit into your mouth and chew it just about forever, sort of like chewing gum. That way you entertain your mouth and extract every bit of goodness from the dehydrated meat, berries and nuts. It is surprisingly filling when eaten this way. Even though the food is low-volume, it it packs power because it is highly concentrated and loaded with protein.

There are different schools of thought regarding the shelf life of pemmican. Some say it will last for only a month or two; others say it will last for years. It depends upon the temperature and humidity of the environment, the quality of ingredients, and how it is stored. At any rate, the fat content will also determine shelf life. After the fat goes rancid from age, it will taste bad, and should be thrown out. The cooler the storage temperatures are, the longer the fat will stay fresh.

To help extend shelf life, I like to store pemmican in the freezer. If the electricity should ever go out long enough to affect the contents of the freezer, I will take the pemmican out of the freezer, and after making sure that it is perfectly dry, store it in a glass jar or plastic bag in a dark cool place.

For even longer term storage, I sometimes use raisins in place of fat in the traditional recipe.

PureCajunSunshine's Fat-Free Pemmican

In a blender, whizz together equal parts of pulverized-to-a-powder jerky, ground dried berries, and chopped nuts of your choice. Add enough raisins so that the smashed up raisins hold everything together nicely. Then you can form marble-sized balls or whatever. No blender handy? Chop with a knife, then pound the foodstuff to a pulp with a rock.

This stores a lot longer than the traditional version with fat. But then, during really high caloric demanding situations such as hiking, working, or coping with a disaster, you'd be wishing for that little extra fat, because it supplies a majority of the calories in pemmican.

Another delicious alternative to animal fat is peanut butter, which provides more sustenance than the fat-free version.

Pemmican with Honey and Peanut Butter

Some people prefer peanut butter to fat; some like a blend of honey and peanut butter. Here is a recipe that helps provide calories without fat:

1/2 pound of jerky, pulverized to a powder, or nearly to a powder
1/2 pound of raisins
1/2 pound of nuts (peanuts, pecans. etc)
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons peanut butter

Warm the honey and mix with the peanut butter together until well blended.
Add all ingredients together. Store in a plastic bag in a cool, dry place.

Native American Pemmican - Traditional Style

Cook chunks of fat over low heat until all moisture is removed and oil is rendered. Strain well, allow to cool until hardened. Reheat and strain again, to make the fat firmer, and to improve its keeping qualities.

Pulverize dried meat (jerky) to a powder. Add equal parts of ground dried berries and chopped nuts. Add just enough hot melted fat into the mixture to lightly coat all the ingredients. Immediately stir the mixture, working quickly to allow the melted fat to soak into the powdered ingredients before cooling. If it cools too quickly, gently warm the mixture in the microwave or over a low flame. While still warm, shape the pemmican into balls, bars or small patties.

Lacking traditional containers such as animal intestines or skin parfleche bags to store them in, wrap the pemmican pieces in wax paper. Store in glass jars or plastic bags.

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/

Foods That Are Perfect for Camping, Traveling, Disasters or Crisis Events

2007-11-17T15:05:00.003-06:00

Save time and money when traveling, by bringing your own brand of fast foods to eat. Light and nutritious foods helps to beat road fatigue better than heavy, fat-laden McAnything!

Camp or trail food needs to be fast and easy, so that you can get back to having more fun doing other things besides fooling around with a bunch of pots and pans without a sink to wash them in!

Homemade fast foods can also come in handy even when you are not having a good time.

During and after a prolonged and severe crisis, the ways and means to prepare meals may become a serious challenge. Fuel may be scarce, or you may be an evacuee, or you may be too sick or injured to prepare a conventional meal.

Good buzzwords: Trail Food...Instant Meals...Quick Cooking...No Cook...Low Profile...

Low profile? Yes, as in a "don't attract unwanted attention" kind of way.

Imagine the effects of the smell of delicious meat roasting over an open fire or even of beans cooking during a very severe crisis, after most of the unprepared masses have gone long past "just a missed lunch"...

That picturesque odor trail you see in newspaper comics and TV cartoons is for real. You would be surprised at how far odor molecules float in the wind to keenly hungry people! Unless you are in a position to assist everyone, go low profile!

Sometimes the business of keeping well fed can be a challenge in a crisis situation, or even while camping or traveling. That is why I will soon devote a separate category just for this, in my blog and handbook.

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/

Urban Survival During a Severe Crisis

2007-11-12T11:11:00.004-06:00

Natural or manmade disasters can befall any community. That can be bad enough, but in the inner cities especially, things can get real ugly in a hurry. There, extreme duress can bring out the very darkest side of humanity. It is the kind of stuff that used to shock the world: widespread rioting, looting, and general mayhem triggered by things such as electricity outages, court decisions, or even just general fed-upness of the people...such as what happened in France not that long ago. Then there's Katrina...where even rural and small town communities were raped and plundered by out of town gangs, and even by their own neighbors.

If you ever find yourself in a severe crisis situation that turns your world upside down, and your fellow man turn into predators, here are a few lessons borrowed from Katrina Hell that might help you survive:

1. Water is top priority! Lots of pure drinking water, and the ways and means of purifying the worst possible polluted water. Think viruses (pandemics), radiation, sewage, industrial accidents and other toxic scenarios. Do NOT even count on rain. After Katrina, it did not rain for weeks. Droughts happen.

Prep action: Scout out all possible sources of water now. A Google-search using the keywords "hydrology" and "hydrology maps" and your location could be rich with little known sources of water. A good hydrology map will reveal abandoned wells, natural springs, streams and other sources of water in your area.

2. Prep for various ways and means for purifying water and cooking meals. My portable "mess kit" has saved me much grief over the years. I keep one at home and another in my vehicle. It is a sturdy school-style backpack that contains a few propane bottles, a single burner rig that screws onto the propane bottles, plus other ways and means of "making heat", boiling water and cooking foods: pots, utensils, homemade "hobo stoves" (more on that in a future article), alcohol, candles, Sterno fuel, a flint & steel kit, Bic lighters, matches, and a few pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil to serve as wind foils and as a pot "lid".

3. Prep heavily on instant meals, MREs, dehydrated stuff, and canned goods for low profile heat-and-eats that also conserves fuel, which will likely be limited.

Concentrate on low, low profile meals, as in NO COOKING ODORS. You would be amazed at how far the odor trail goes...and the trouble it can bring back to you.

4. Secret temporary retreats (important IF you are few in number, or could possibly be overrun). This can be inside fake walls, fake closet backs, etc. Use your imagination and plan ahead of time. Preparing for this possibility now may be your saving grace later.

5. Low tech barrier "alarms" might buy time for you to prepare for fight or flight. Almost a hundred years ago, some French Quarter residents would place large broken pieces of slate on the ground beneath the windows, so that the crunching sound of the intruder's footfalls could alert the householders. Some still do. Use your imagination with whatever materials are handy...

During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I strung clean empty tin cans (with a small hole punched near the open top for passing a string through) and beer cans onto fishing string. Then strings of cans were tied to gether in such a way that it made a hellacious racket at the slightest movement. I pinned bunches of them onto curtains, and also used them in other rigged up contraptions that made lot of noise if triggered...

6. If your home/apartment already looks looted, AND uninviting in an unappealing kind of way...gangs, and other Bad Guys will move on quickly.

Edited to add: This advice may be useful only in certain situations (such as mentioned in #4, "IF you are few in number, or could possibly be overrun", and if you decide to hide or leave the area...). Every situation is different. More on this in a future article.

This bit of advice may not always prevent theft, but it might discourage looters and other two legged critters from hanging around too long, or camping out at your place.

Prep item (don't laugh): Large jars of superstinky homemade catfish bait with screw lid caps. These can be opened and hidden near likely points of entry, and in the kitchen area, etc.

Heh. Now the Bad Guys think the place has already been picked over AND there's a lot of dead and rotten things in there...phew! They might be more inclined to set up camp down the road in better quarters.

PureCajunSunshine's Looter Repellant...duh huh...this plan just might work almost too (gag) good.

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/

Herbs and Things for Copperhead Snakebites and Brown Recluse Spiderbites

2007-11-05T00:21:00.006-06:00

In an austere, where-there-is no-doctor situation caused by natural or manmade disasters, we may have no choice but to rely 100% on our own resources. In that case, this information may come in handy. If competent medical care is available, I strongly advise that snakebitten or spiderbitten persons take advantage of it.

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IMPORTANT NOTE: This information is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or dysfunction. If you have a physical concern, it is recommended that you seek the advice of a competent health care professional.
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Last week a young copperhead snake bit me on my finger. Fortunately the angle of the bite was in my favor. One of the fangs hit my knuckle bone and did not penetrate deeply; the other fang kind of rolled off and left a deep scratch. I think that because the snake struck me on the knuckle bone it did not turn loose with nearly as much venom as it would have if it had sunk its fangs into sure 'nuff meat...as in muscles or tissues. The pain and swelling was intense enough to make me wonder if somehow the fang had reached inside the joint. Yeow!

I opted for self-treatment because I live in a wilderness area where medical care truly is a dismal option. I would not trust the nearest local professionals on anything more than a bee sting.

If the bite had been on my face, neck or closer to my heart, or obviously hit an artery, or if I had been bitten by the deadlier diamondback rattlesnake or coral snake, I would have opted for the nearest competent hospital. Heh. That would be quite a long ride.

Death from copperhead snake bites are very rare (I believe the average is only about one per year in the USA), which is a good thing because statistics show that they account for most of the reported snakebites in America.

However, because serious complications are also frequently reported with copperhead snakebites, diligence and good medical care will greatly influence the outcome.

I have several traditional Native American snakebite remedies in my herbal arsenal. For my copperhead snake encounter last week, I relied on these herbs internally and made lots of poultices. More on poultices later.

Now the bruising and swelling has gone down and everything is looking and feeling MUCH better. I noticed that whenever I'd slack off on the echinacea regimen, the swelling and pain reminded me that it was time to take more of something!

Here's what I use for snakebites (and brown recluse bites, too...see below: "About Brown Recluse Bites").

Echinacea root (Echinacea angustifolia or E. purpurea or E. pallida), (4 - 6 capsules, internally every two to three hours) and poulticed

Goldenseal root (Hydrastis canadensis), (2 capsules, internally every two to three hours in between Echinacea doses) and poulticed

Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) root, poulticed

Slippery Elm bark (Ulmus fulva), (capsules internally, as needed for nausea and stomach pains) and poulticed

Plantain leaves (Plantago major), crushed and poulticed (this is a whiteman herb adapted to redman uses) Take one tablespoon crushed leaf juice every hour, at the same time applying the bruised leaves to the wound. The dried leaves can also be used when soaked in water or herbal tea. Plantain tea can be used as a wash to bathe the area often.

Garlic internally and poulticed

Salt water soaks

Honey, poulticed

Charcoal, poulticed

For pain relief: Calcium gluconate 500 mgs. every 4 - 6 hours in addition to your favorite pain relief measures. NO ALCOHOL, under any circumstances.

Vitamin C capsules 1,000 - 5,000 mgs several times a day, as much as can be comfortably tolerated (take with Slippery Elm powdered bark). I use Ester-C.

I used a combinatin of herbal teas and decoctions to moisten a single or combination of herbs being used in the poultice, depending upon the immediate crisis or need at hand (drawing/extracting, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, or anti-whatever else is needed at the time).

HOW TO MAKE A POULTICE:

A poultice is a pulverized or powdered mass of herbs moistened with water, herbal teas, tinctures, infusions, oils, decoctions. It is applied wet to the problem area. If fresh herb is used, it is pulverized until juicy, then applied directly to the skin without moistening. A cloth can be wrapped around the poultice to hold it in place when there will be movement such as walking, etc.

ABOUT BROWN RECLUSE BITES

By the way, the regimen outlined here is pretty much how I treated my brown recluse bites (3 bites, the first time two years ago, and another one a couple of months ago). Instead of the poultices, I poured a high quality tea tree oil directly into the "hole" that the bite caused. All four bites healed amazingly well, and tissue necrosis was kept down to the size of a dime, or less. I also took frequent large doses of echinacea as outlined in the other post.

Note: It is quite possible that I may be one of those tough old birds who is "immune" to Brown Recluse spider bites. I don't know if this is the case, or if my homemade treatment should take the credit for my success. If you have access to professional medical care, I urge to you seek it promptly if you think you have been bitten by a Brown Recluse spider. More often than not, the damage from Brown Recluse is very profound, as in severe tissue damage leading to loss of limbs... They are nastybad spiders.

ABOUT SNAKE VENOM EXTRACTORS

I do not have an "extractor" of any kind in my arsenal. It is my understanding that they are no longer recommended first aid treatments. Not even the Sawyer Extractor (which involves no cutting or lancing).

Here are three (of many!) well-versed comments made about extractors:

http://www.ehow.com/how_7753_treat-snake-bites.html

Note - The Sawyer Extractor kit, is no longer viewed by experts (such as Dr. Sean Bush, the nation's leading expert on snakebite) as a useful therapy for snakebite treatment, and may cause more harm than good.

Proper protocol is to immobilize the bite, keep it at roughly the same level as the heart, and to transport to the hospital without delay. In the words of Dr. Bush - "Time is Tissue. The longer it takes to get proper medical treatment, the more tissue is damaged and destroyed."

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http://www.venomousreptiles.org/speakout/opinions/69

Matt_H on 2005-02-26
I have to agree with Doctor Bush on this one. I've read several reports on the study of this device and have come to the conclusion that it is not a good idea for hemotoxic envenomations. From a medical point of view, consider this. When you are bitten the first thing to consider is whether the fang penetrated a vein or just tissue. the fang penetrates a vein it is immediately traveling through your bloodstream and envenomation effects will be rapid. If it has not penetrated a vein, then it will sitll enter your bloodstream (though a little slower) by absorbtion through the capillaries. Once venom enters your bloodstream it is at the mercy of your circulatory system which is continually flowing as long as your heart is pumping. A simple negative pressure at the bite site is not going to slow down your blood circulation enough to stop the travel of venom. At best, it can retain a small portion of the venom at the bite site. If you are bitten by a pit viper, or any other snake whose venom is hemotoxic, this will definately exaggerate the localized necrosis.

The main idea here is to try to slow the movement of venom until medical attention can be acquired. In order to slow down the movement of venom you have to reduce the circulation in the affected area. This is still best achieved by a pressure bandage, (NOT a tournequet). A pressure bandage will constrict the veins and arteries in the limb enough to slow the movement of blood through the limb and thus slow the movement of venom. The bandage should be tight enough to compress the limb but loose enough to slide two fingers under the bandage. In additon the limb should be immobilized. This combination should buy you plenty of time to seek emergency medical treatment.

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By Tod Schimelpfenig
Curriculum Director – WMI of National Outdoor Leadership School, 2007
NOLS, 284 Lincoln Street, Lander, WY 82520-2848, USA

We've taught that if promptly applied the Sawyer Extractor may be helpful for pit viper bites, albeit with caveats that there is limited evidence it helps, and some evidence that concentrating venom locally may be harmful.

We've changed our curriculum on the Extractor, based on the opinions of experts and research that indicates the Extractor has not lived up to it's original promise. A study published in the February 2004 Annals of Emergency Medicine created a human model for "mock venom" extraction and found little to no venom (2% actually) was extracted by the extractor. A second commentary article reviewed past studies of the extractor and weighed pros/cons. The authors overall recommendation was "This study should change our practice. We should stop recommending Extractors for pit viper bites, and the manufacturer should certainly stop advertising that they are recommended medically as the only acceptable first aid device for snakebites."

The fundamentals of rattlesnake treatment remain scene safety; remaining calm (both you and the patient); removing constricting clothing and jewelry; keeping the patient resting with the bite site immobilized and at approximately the same level as the heart; monitoring swelling and evacuating the patient by carrying, walking only if it's necessary.

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/

Learn How To Make Dozens of Useful Knots With This Animated Website

2007-10-26T03:20:00.000-05:00

The easiest way in the world to learn how to make knots is by watching how it is done. Clear instructions accompany the step by step process of selecting the right knots for the job, all the way through the creation of each knot.

http://www.animatedknots.com offers the clearest presentations of how to make an amazing variety of knots for every imaginable purpose: fishing, boating, household, decorative, search and rescue, climbing, scouting and more.

You can even control the animated step by step instructions just by moving your mouse along the row just beneath the animated photos. This way you can repeat any of the steps as many times as you wish.

This EZ learning tool is just so cool! It is now a constant feature on the sidebar of this blog. I'll want to play with it, every time I come here to post...

FEMA Getting Ready For Catastrophic New Madrid Earthquake Events to Hit America's Midsection

2007-10-21T02:52:00.001-05:00

Instead of mainly considering disasters in a generic kind of way, FEMA is now concentrating on specific potential disasters, such as "...devastating earthquakes beneath San Francisco and St. Louis and catastrophic storms in South Florida and Hawaii..."

Well, at least they realize which one of these four contemplated disasters would be the most devastating and crippling to the United Sates: The New Madrid Earthquake.

Here's how the dollars are being spread at the moment: "The federal government spent $5 million to develop the Florida plans, about $17 million for the New Madrid plan, $1.5 million for Hawaii and $1 million for northern California."

When the New Madrid fault blows again, it will be tragically spectacular, because of all the people now living in harm's way.

When it last blew near St. Louis, Missouri in the winter of 1811 and 1812, the walls in the White House cracked and the tremors rang church bells over 800 miles away...

Because of the high population now living along the fault line, a New Madrid earthquake will bring the entire midsection of America to her knees...

It is an expected event.

Here's part of the news article:

FEMA Shifts, Draws Own Disaster Plans

By SCOTT LINDLAW, Associated Press Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. - The Federal Emergency Management Agency is quietly drawing up plans for a handful of disasters: devastating earthquakes beneath San Francisco and St. Louis and catastrophic storms in South Florida and Hawaii, FEMA's chief said Thursday.

In a departure from its traditional expectation that states develop such responses, the agency is forming "base plans" for responding to specific calamities, FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison said in an interview Thursday with The Associated Press.

FEMA officials expect to finish plans for a massive Bay Area quake by the end of the year and are at work on another response blueprint for a large quake on the New Madrid fault, which runs from southern Illinois to northeastern Arkansas and lurks beneath St. Louis, Paulison said.

FEMA also is preparing for a Category 5 hurricane in the Miami area and has nearly completed response guidelines for a failure of the 143-mile dike around Lake Okeechobee, northwest of Miami, he said. About 45,000 people live in flood-prone areas around the lake.

Also, the agency recently began assembling response plans for a catastrophic hurricane in Hawaii, Paulison said....

...The federal government spent $5 million to develop the Florida plans, about $17 million for the New Madrid plan, $1.5 million for Hawaii and $1 million for northern California.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071012/ap_o...D7xDkGP9rAE1vAI

NOAA Weather Radio For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

2007-10-19T04:26:00.000-05:00

Here's an informative excerpt from the folks at NOAA. Go here for more information and a diagram: http://www.weather.gov/nwr/special_need.htm

The material provided is intended as general information on how NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) can be used as an emergency warning tool for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. It is not intended to be an all inclusive listing of how the system can be used, what products are available, or an endorsement of any product or vendor listed herein.

In several cases there are complete off-the-shelf NWR receiver based systems available that will perform the required emergency warning function as they come from the box. In some cases, where a home alerting system is already in place, the NWR receiver can be connected to the existing alerting system, much the same as a door bell, smoke detector, or other sensor. In other cases, persons with some electronic skills can purchase the NWR receiver and other components and assemble them into a system designed to meet their own special needs.

In simple systems, alarm devices can be directly connected (hardwired) to the output of the NWR receiver. In more complex installations, using wireless and wired remote modules, connections are made through devices that allow more remote and versatile placement of alarms. Alarms may require external power from batteries or modular power supplies. Care should be taken that the complete alerting system works when commercial power has failed. See the block diagram (below) for system layouts.

The NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) does not guarantee the proper operation of any of the equipment and systems listed herein and is not liable for any damages as a result of non-receipt of alarms, alerts, or warnings from these systems. Inclusion of a product in this document does not imply endorsement by the NWS.

The following are general questions regarding use of NWR by people who are deaf or hard of hearing:

QUESTION: What good is a radio to people who are deaf or hard of hearing?

ANSWER: The voice broadcast of NWR is of no value to people who are deaf and of limited value to many people who are hard of hearing - very little of the audio information broadcast can be understood by individuals with moderate to severe hearing loss.

However, other non-verbal information is imbedded in these broadcasts that can provide timely, critical warnings of life threatening events to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The NWS uses something called Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) technology to send warnings of imminent severe weather or other hazard conditions from any of 122 Weather Forecast Offices directly into homes, offices, public buildings, churches, hospitals, nursing homes, and to many other locations using the National NWR network of transmitter stations. At least 97% of the American population is covered by NWR. The NWS is working toward a coverage level of 95% in every State.

Special NWR SAME radio receivers can be programmed to set off an alarm for specific events (tornado, flash flood, toxic spill, evacuate, etc.) and specific locations (your county) of interest to you, the listener. Some receivers are also equipped with special output connectors that activate alerting devices - bed shakers, pillow vibrators, sirens, and strobe lights or other alerting systems.

Those who use hearing aids or cochlear implants equipped with telecoils may also be able to use Aloop technology to listen to NWR broadcasts. Many receivers are equipped with external output connectors that will accept a Aneckloop. The Aneckloop creates an electromagnetic field that couples the NWR receiver to the telecoil in the hearing aid or cochlear implant, allowing the user to hear the broadcast. FM, infrared, and loop based Assistive Listening Devices can also be used. There are also some hearing aids and cochlear implants with adapter cables that can connect directly to the output of an NWR receiver.

QUESTION: How does it work?

ANSWER: Forecasters at your local NWS Weather Forecast Office (WFO) decide that a severe weather event is occurring or about to occur, or local authorities determine that a hazardous event (nuclear power plant problem, a chemical or biological accident, etc.) has occurred and is a threat to the local populace. The information is immediately input into a computer at the local WFO and immediately broadcast by NWR transmitters that cover the areas at risk. Digital codes are added to each broadcast identifying the event (tornado, flash flood, local civil emergency, etc.) and the location (Montgomery, Prince Georges, and Anne Arundel Counties). When the Warning is received by an NWR SAME receiver, the receiver turns itself on, sounds an alarm, activates a warning light, writes a short message (TORNADO) on the display, and activates any external devices (strobe lights, sirens, vibrators, etc.) connected to the receiver.

QUESTION: What should I do when I receive a Warning from NWR?

ANSWER: If the Warning is for a Tornado or Flash Flood you should immediately take steps to protect yourself. Every household should have an emergency plan in place that includes pre-established actions that need to be taken to lessen the likelihood of injury or death. These may include moving to the basement, a special safe room, or lower, interior levels of your home during a tornado or evacuating to higher ground along a pre-established, safe route during a flash flood. Household emergency plans can be developed with assistance from your local, county, or state emergency management office and or the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

QUESTION: Where can I get additional information about the event that caused the Warning to be issued?

ANSWER: The NWR SAME Warning message broadcast you receive also triggers the Emergency Alert System at your local television stations. The message is also immediately available on the internet at sites accessible from the NWS Home Page at www.weather.gov. Either or both of these sources of text information can be monitored to get additional information, if you can do so without putting yourself at risk. There are also numerous sources of emergency information supplied by Email by various commercial telecommunication service providers on cell phones, pagers, and other personal digital devices, however, these may not be as timely as the NWS services.

QUESTION: Where can I get the necessary equipment and what does it cost?

ANSWER: NWR SAME receivers with features useful to people who are deaf and hard of hearing, such as an output to activate external devices, an LCD display, and battery back-up power are manufactured and/or sold by several companies, including Radio Shack, Midland, Recom, Homesafe, and First Alert. Connecting some of them to external alarm devices requires knowledge of electronics and some electronic technician skills for proper installation. However, there are systems that have been assembled, tested, packaged, and marketed by Silent Call, Harris Communications, Compu-TTY, and Homesafe that are simple to install and use. The cost of a basic NWR SAME receiver is $50 to $90. Systems packaged with external alarm devices start at $100.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and NOAA collaborated on the development of an industry standard and a certification program for Public Alert (NWR capable) electronic devices that include displays and external alarms useful to deaf and hard of hearing people. Purchasing a Public Alert certified NOAA Weather Radio assures that you are getting a high quality receiver, however, you still need to make sure it works for you in your location and that it is able to activate any external alarms you want to use.

QUESTION: What should I do if I’m interested in using NWR to get warnings of life threatening weather or other hazards?

ANSWER: Satisfy yourself that your area is vulnerable to weather or hazard conditions that warrant expenditure for an emergency warning system. The National Weather Service believes that NWR receivers should be as common as smoke detectors. Visit the NWS web site at www.weather.gov/nwr to learn more about NWS and NWR and to determine if the area in which you live is covered by NWR. The web site has very specific information, including coverage maps, state and county listings, and codes needed to program receivers.

QUESTION: Where can I buy an NWR receiver and accessories for the deaf and hard of hearing?

ANSWER: Contact one of the vendors listed below. Purchase an NWR receiver or system only with the understanding that if it does not work in your area that it can be returned for a full refund.

Vendors of NWR Specifically Packaged for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Silent Call - 800-572-5227 - www.silent-call.com
(Download catalog, page 12-14)

Harris Communications - 800-825-6758 - www.harriscomm.com
(Search on Weather)

Homesafe, Inc. - 800-607-6737 - www.homesafeinc.com

QUESTION: Is anything being done to improve the delivery of warnings of life threatening events to people who are deaf and hard of hearing?

ANSWER:
Yes, there are currently efforts under way that will have a direct impact on warning systems to serve the deaf and hard of hearing.

The NOAA Weather Wire Service (NWWS) provides the direct delivery of text warning messages via Email by subscription. This provides Email delivery to any device (pager, cell phone, PDA, PC) capable of receiving text Email. Messages are selected by event type (tornado, flash flood, etc.) and issuing office (Washington, DC, New York City, etc.) and can be used to supplement NWR SAME warnings or to get specific information on severe weather anywhere in the country.

NOAA and the Consumer Electronics Association developed a standard (CEA-2009) and a certification program (Public Alert) based on NWR SAME technology. Most Public Alert certified devices are able to provide an alarm output that can drive devices to warn the deaf and hard of hearing. Public Alert certified devices are currently available from a number of manufacturers.

NOAA NWS has initiated a Weather Radio Improvement Program that includes greatly improved access for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

All of these innovations have direct, significant application to deaf and hard of hearing warning improvement.

NWR Alerting Equipment

NWR Receivers with NWR SAME and an Alarm Output

Special receivers that can tune to NWR frequencies and trigger an auxiliary output on the basis of a received All Hazards warning from the NWS for a specific event in a specific state and county. Items with an asterisk (*) can be purchased as a system with external alarms (bad shaker, strobe, siren, etc.). Items in bold type are Public Alert Certified. Items in italics are out of production, but still may be available.

First Alert WX-167 Homesafe 2000HS* Midland 74-200
Homesafe 2005HS* First Alert WX-67 Radio Shack Model 250
Radio Shack Model 262 Midland WR-30 Radio Shack Model 258
Midland WR-300 Midland WR-100 Radio Shack Model 261
Reecom R-1650 First Alert WX-167 Radio Shack Model 249
Silent Call WX-67S* Midland R-300 Reecom-1630

Power Module Interface or Signaler: Converts the output of the NWR SAME receiver into a signal that is carried by electrical wiring in the home or by means of a wireless transmission that can be received anywhere in the home.

Radio Shack (X-10 Powerhouse Modules) Alertmaster AM-AX, AM-DX
Sonic Alert DS 700 Silent Call X67T*
Silent Call SC-DOT1003-2 Compu-TTY KA300TX

Remote Modules or Receiver: Receives the signal from a Power Interface or Signaler and coverts it into something that can activate an internal or external alarm.

Radio Shack (X-10 Powerhouse Modules) Alertmaster AM-RX2
Sonic Alert SA 201 & 101 Compu-TTY KA300RX
Silent Call SC-REC09214, SC- REC1001-N

Alarm Devices: Converts the alarm signal into visual, audio, or mechanical form that is more easily sensed by a person with a hearing disability. (Some of these do not meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, but may be useful in special circumstances.)

Strobe Light
Radio Shack 49-527 Homesafe Kit*
Harris HAL-2737 First Alert WX-TRS*
Harris DATA-1005 Reecom R1603
Silent Call X67-S* Midland 18-STR

Siren
Radio Shack 49-490 or 49-488

Bed /Pillow Shaker
Harris SA-SS120V, SS-SS12V , NFS-BV6670
Silent Call X67-V*, Homesafe Kit*

Appliance module
Radio Shack (X-10 Powerhouse Modules)

The above are available from the sources listed below:

Radio Shack - See local store
www.radioshack.com

Harris Communications 1-800-825-6758*
www.harriscomm.com

NFSS Communications 1-888-589-6670
www.nfss.com

Potomac Technology 1-800-433-2838*
www.potomactech.com

Homesafe, Inc. 1-800-607-6737*
www.homesafeinc.com*

Midland Consumer Radio 1-800-241-8500
www.midlandradio.com

Silent Call 1-800-572-5227*
www.silentcall.com*

Compu-TTY 1-817-738-2485 or 1970 (TTY)*
www.computty.com*

Sima Products 1-800-345-7462*
www.simacorp.com*

*Vendors of Silent Call, Homesafe, Compu-TTY, and First Alert packaged systems for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Other websites for NOAA Weather Radios:

www.noaaweatherradiostore.com*

www.weatherconnection.com

The National Weather Service does not guarantee the proper operation of any of the equipment or systems listed herein and is not liable for any damages as a result of non-receipt of alarms, alerts, or warnings from these systems. Inclusion of a product in this document does not imply endorsement by the NWS.

How To Do Laundry When There Is Little or No Water

2007-10-16T03:05:00.000-05:00

Whether you are camping or in a crisis event such as a natural disaster, laundry can be a challenge when water is in short supply. This cheap and easy no-soap, no-rinse way of getting your clothes clean really works!

Here's how it's done:

Add about 1/2 cup of ammonia to a sink or bucket of water, swish things around, let the clothes soak for up to a half hour. Scrub where needed, swish the clothes around, and repeat scrubbing and swishing until the grime is lifted. Remove the clothes from the water, wring out, then hang dry. No rinsing is needed. Use a little more ammonia for heavily soiled clothing. Repeat if needed.

Somehow, the ammonia seems to help prevent redeposits of dirt and grime onto the clothes. The ammonia smell will evaporate as the clothes dry, and they come out smelling and looking fresh and clean.

NO WATER AT ALL?

Brush off the worst of the dirt and grime. Turn underwear items inside out. At night, lay the clothes outdoors where the dew will fall on them. Early in the morning, hang the clothes up in full sun for a few hours.

This copyrighted material 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 Rescue Leather From Mold and Mildew

2007-10-09T04:00:00.000-05:00

Here's what I do for mildewed leather...

Remove the mildew with a cloth that has been dipped in vinegar, and wrung out. Repeat applications with fresh clean cloths and vinegar, until all traces of mildew are gone. Take care not to allow the leather to become soaking wet with vinegar. The vinegar acts as a strong fungicide and mildewcide, but it will not harm or weaken your leather. After cleaning the leather, replace the leather's natural oils with a light coat of Neatsfoot oil or Jojoba oil rubbed in and buffed with a clean dry cloth. If the leather was badly mildewed, add a few drops of Tea Tree Oil to it (see below).

After the vinegar treatment, this trick will kill every last trace of mildew, and will help keep the mildew from returning:

Add about 15 - 20 drops of Tea Tree oil to a tablespoon of Neatsfoot oil or Jojoba oil. Apply a light coat of this mixture onto the leather. Buff it into the leather well. This may darken the leather somewhat, depending on the amount of oil absorbed by the leather. If this is not desirable, add Tea Tree Oil to a small amount of vinegar, and dampen a soft cloth with the mixture. Buff it into the the leather.

TIPS:

The Tea Tree Oil and vinegar odor will disappear soon.

Buy the best quality Tea Tree Oil you can find. The cheapo off-brands are made with weaker strength stuff, they just don't seem to work as well as the older more established brands... Tea Tree Oil and Jojoba oil can be purchased at any well stocked health food store.

Neatsfoot oil is a leather preservative and conditioner that can be found in most hardware stores, farm supply stores, or here http://www.doityourself.com/invt/u157362

Use more drops of Tea Tree Oil if the mildew was abundant or longstanding. Do not allow the oil to come into contact with plastics (plastic unfriendly).

Jojoba oil also makes an excellent rust inhibiting gun oil. The mildly nutty aroma will vanish and won't spook game...Some Native American tribes already know this. Machine gunners in WW II also appreciated the high heat tolerance and superior lubricating properties of Jojoba oil...

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

This recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #5 : QUICK SUBSTITUTES & EASY FORMULAS FOR OVER 100 CANT'-DO-WITHOUT ITEMS. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

How To Skin a Snake, Make Beautiful Snake Skins for Belts and Hatbands, and Prepare Snakemeat for Cooking or Freezer

2007-10-03T09:25:00.000-05:00

.................................................................................................
Warning, this is rather graphic, and not for the fainthearted!

Here's how I do snakes, for the meat and beautiful skins.

First, I lop off the dead snake's head and bury it deeply, then I pour a little ammonia over the "grave" so that critters I care about won't get the notion to dig it up and play with it.

Then I hang the headless snake upside down for a few hours to bleed out. When the dripping is done to my satisfaction, I take the snake down and lay it flat. I start at the cut off head side of the snake with my knife just barely under the skin, at that exact spot where the row of belly segment "scales" meets the skin on its back. Then, CAREFULLY, ziiiip down with a super sharp knife blade. Not too deep! I don't want to poke any stinky innards. Then I do the same thing on the other side of the belly scales.

Next, carefully separate the meaty part of the snake from the mess of innards with a super sharp knife. Slide the packet of innards off, nice and easy, without rupturing anything or else, phew-ee! I find this part easier to do when I am wearing rubber gloves. For some paranoid reason, I always look around the innards for any possibility of baby snakes that might have been about to be born, had I not shot mama. They can bite, too.

After the innards are out, rinse the snake well, pat dry with a cloth. The top skin can then be peeled off in one piece. I use a dull knife to help "move" the skin off the meat, wherever it is needed. 'tis too easy to mess up a pretty skin with a super sharp knife.

You might find the most interesting things in snake bellies. I have pulled a full grown rabbit out of a 6 foot long eastern diamondback snake. The rabbit still had live "wolves" or bots squirming under its skin...These big ol' bot grub looking things are larvae of some kind of fly. The darned things will grow large under the skin of a rabbit, squirrel, dog, other critters...breathing out of holes chewed out of the host's hide. Some can get almost as big as half your thumb in length, and about as big around. I don't know why folks call them "wolves". I just call them disgusting. We don't generally shoot rabbits and squirrels for food during the "wolf" season, late spring and during summer. After the first few frosts, critters are generally parasite free. But for Mr. Rattlesnake, it was open season for rabbits.

That was weird, but the weirdest darned thing I ever saw in snake innards, was a snake's own beating heart. The rattlesnake was shot at 3 pm, here it was 9 pm, six hours later, and the heart was still beating, even though it was cut out of the snake's body. Stranger still, eight o'clock the next morning, the heart was beating, but barely. I am not making this up.

Speaking of snake reflexes, they continue moving for a while after they have been skinned. Something about removing the skin exposing nerves, I guess. If this bothers you, pop it into a bag, and freeze it for about a half hour or so.

A well done snakeskin makes a fine belt or hatband

After the skin is off, I use a dull knife or serrated rib bone or clam shell to get off every bit of whatever is not classified as "skin". Rinse well. Wash the skin by hand with detergent or soap. Rinse well. Rinse it some more. Pat the skin dry with a clean cloth.

Make a mixture of half glycerin/half boric acid (you can buy both at a drugstore). Coat both sides of the snakeskin with this mixture. With tiny nails, gently stretch and tack the edges of the skin onto a board. I like to put a length of wax paper between the skin and the board. The wax paper should be positioned so that the edges of the paper can be wrapped around the top side of the skin. This helps to conserve and hold the glycerin mixture in place, next to the skin.

Leave it like this for a couple of months. Longer is even better. Every couple of weeks, wipe off the glycerin/borax mix and renew it with a fresh application.

I have done the same thing using automobile antifreeze, instead of glycerine. I didn't care for the slight green tint on an eastern diamondback rattlesnake that I tried it on. It would probably work pretty good on a darker snake, though.

After the snakeskin has absorbed a great deal of glycering and boric acid mix for a few months, wipe the skin with a clean damp cloth, and it will be ready for any project.

How I prepare snakemeat for cooking or freezer

I clean the skinless and gutless snake with heavily salted water, and rinse well before freezing. My favorite part is the "backstrap", the two rows of muscle meat on either side of the spine. This can be chopped up and cooked like shrimp, YUM!! The flavor is delicate like lobster, almost, but sweeter.

The rest of the snake I cut into segments, then boil it in salted water (about as much salt you would cook noodles with). As soon as the meat begins to fall away from the bones, I lift the segments out, let cool...debone the meat. This meat can be used in an almost unlimited variety of recipes. It can be added to Jambalayas, Gumbos, stews, sauces. It can be added with ingredients to make patties for frying...

Although I have only eaten rattlesnake, it is my understanding that all snakes are edible. Some are said taste better than others. I heard that water moccasins taste horrible, in a cod liver oily kind of way.

There is no venom in the meat. The only poisonous part of the snake is in the head. Long after the snake is dead, reflexes are still strong, and it can still inflict damage, however unknowningly. Extreme care must be taken with the business end of a snake, dead or alive.

By the way, you may find this difficult to believe, but I used to be deathly afraid of snakes and other 'thangs'... I learned (the hard way, of course) that the more I confronted my issues head-on, the more empowered I would be. With every exposure, I grew less and less afraid...although it was just a tiny bit less, each time.

Now lookit me!!! I'm eating my durned issues for dinner.

This copyrighted material 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/

Homemade Vinegar is Fun and Easy

2007-10-01T15:48:00.000-05:00

Here's how I make vinegar for making gourmet salad dressing, and poison ivy killer too.

For a recipe for making weed killer with vinegar, go here http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/2007/08/homemade-poison-ivy-and-weed-killer.html

Cover any kind of chopped fruit and/or fruit peelings & cores with water, in a clean widemouth glass container. This can be scraps leftover from home canning, piemaking, or general mayhem involving fruit.

Different fruits yield their own special gourmet flavors. A pear canning spree usually results in a nice salad vinegar with a delicate undertone. Apple peelings make a more robust vinegar. Experiment and have fun.

If possible, use rainwater, distilled water or water from a well or spring. Chemicals in tap water may interfere with the natural bacterial action that is needed to make vinegar. Cover the container securely with a cloth to keep out insects while allowing contact with air. Keep it in a warm dark place for a few months, stirring now and then to allow the topmost layer to work with the rest of the mess.

The wild strains of vinegar-making bacteria present in the air should colonize and feed on the sugars and starches in the liquid. After a few weeks, you will notice a vinegary smell. Allow the liquid to ferment until desired strength is achieved (smell, taste). Strain and pour into clean bottles.

For faster and better action, add a cup or so of Bragg's Vinegar or other natural unfiltered vinegar (from health food store) to the water before fermentation takes place. This promotes rapid growth of the good bacteria, while discouraging unwanted bacteria that could spoil the batch. I usually use a bit of my previously made vinegar for this purpose. The "mother of vinegar" sold by Lehman's and other back to basics stores, also helps to ensure successful vinegar making, by introducing a dense population of the "good bacteria" that converts sugars to vinegar.

Some tips:

You can make vinegar from just about anything that contains starch or sugar: Fruits, fresh or frozen fruit juices, berries, grains, roots, or even a 10% sugar water solution.

Do not use canned or bottled fruit juices, as they contain chemicals that prevent fermentation.

The 1999 July/August issue of Countryside Magazine has an excellent article on canning and general purposes:

http://www.countrysidemag.com/issues/4_1999.htm

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

This recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #5 : QUICK SUBSTITUTES & EASY FORMULAS FOR OVER 100 CANT'-DO-WITHOUT ITEMS. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

How To Call The Police When You're Old and Can't Get Around Like You Used To

2007-09-27T00:19:00.000-05:00

True story, this!

This happened in Meridian, Mississippi. George Phillips called the local police one night to report a burglary in progress. He told the dispatcher that thieves were stealing things from his shed, and he could see them from his back door. The dispatcher asked, "Is someone in your house?" George said "No, but..." He was cut off by the clipped voice on the phone. The dispatcher then told him that all patrol units were on calls, and that an officer would be there when they would be available.

George said "Okay", then hung up the phone. He looked out the window, looked at the phone, took a deep breath and called the police again. This is what he said. "Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people stealing things from my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I've just shot them." Then he hung up the phone and smiled to himself.

Within just a few minutes, an Armed Rescue Unit, three police cars, and an ambulance responded. The surprised burglars were apprehended.

One of the officers wondered out loud, "I thought the homeowner shot them..."

George leaned on his cane and shouted from his doorway, "I thought you said there was nobody available!"

Chainsaw Safety Chaps May Help Newbies Stay in One Piece

2007-09-26T18:04:00.000-05:00

If trees are part of your habitat, having a chainsaw is helpful, especially for clearing your driveway of trees and tree limbs after ice and wind storms.

If you are new at the business of chainsawing, you should thoroughly study the safety aspects of it. Practice enough so that you are comfortable with your new skills. During emergencies is no time to learn anything.

Experienced chainsawyers appreciate the extra margin of safety that good safety gear provides. Chainsaw safety chaps, safety gloves and glasses are not 100% chainsaw proof, but may make the difference between a good day and a bad day.

Buy only good brands of safety gear. Discount or "off" brands are noticibly skimpier on quality. The savings are certainly not worth the sacrifice. AO is a good brand that is reasonably priced. The best deal I've found for safety chaps is here:

http://www.northerntool.com/

NorthernTool.com
1-800-221-0516

AO Safety Chainsaw Chaps Item # 181931 $49.99

Provides leg protection while logging or when using a chain saw. Durable nylon material designed to jam a chain saw on contact. Each leg has two quick-release buckles. Oil and water-resistant outer layer. 42 in. Waist with 37 in. Inseam. UL approved. U.S.A.

These folks sell lots of safety gear for chainsaw work:

http://loghomestore.com/

LogHomeStore.com
Orders: (800) 827-1688
Technical & other (503) 843-3608 Fax:(503) 843-3673
Email: Sales@LogHomeStore.com

Helmets
Ear Protection
Eye Protection
Safety Shirts
Chaps
Safety Gloves
Safety Boots

Undercooked Beans Can Be Toxic

2007-09-24T13:57:00.000-05:00

If you find yourself in a hurry, and tempted to cook beans "al dente" (just a tad bit too firm)...don't!

Time or fuel constraints might tempt some to settle for slightly undercooked beans. Did you know that dried Kidney beans (and other beans) that are not thoroughly cooked can cause poisoning? This can range from moderate to severe discomfort.

Hat-tip to Science Teacher (at CurEvents.com), for this link: FDA/CFSA http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap43.html

The toxin is called: "Phytohaemagglutinin"

"The onset time from consumption of raw or undercooked kidney beans to symptoms varies from between 1 to 3 hours. Onset is usually marked by extreme nausea, followed by vomiting, which may be very severe. Diarrhea develops somewhat later (from one to a few hours), and some persons report abdominal pain. Some persons have been hospitalized, but recovery is usually rapid (3 - 4 h after onset of symptoms) and spontaneous." snip

Alan T. Hagan, a CE poster who is also a food storage and preservation expert, said: "Most of the common beans are Phaseolus vulgaris so they all contain varying levels of this compound.... Virtually all legume seeds contain various compounds that are anti-nutritional which is why they must be cooked before eating them...."

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap43.html

5. Associated Foods: Phytohaemagglutinin, the presumed toxic agent, is found in many species of beans, but it is in highest concentration in red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). The unit of toxin measure is the hemagglutinating unit (hau). Raw kidney beans contain from 20,000 to 70,000 hau, while fully cooked beans contain from 200 to 400 hau. White kidney beans, another variety of Phaseolus vulgaris, contain about one-third the amount of toxin as the red variety; broad beans (Vicia faba) contain 5 to 10% the amount that red kidney beans contain.

The syndrome is usually caused by the ingestion of raw, soaked kidney beans, either alone or in salads or casseroles. As few as four or five raw beans can trigger symptoms. Several outbreaks have been associated with "slow cookers" or crock pots, or in casseroles which had not reached a high enough internal temperature to destroy the glycoprotein lectin. It has been shown that heating to 80°C (176 degrees F.) may potentiate the toxicity five-fold, so that these beans are more toxic than if eaten raw. In studies of casseroles cooked in slow cookers, internal temperatures often did not exceed 75°C.

6. Relative Frequency of Disease: This syndrome has occurred in the United Kingdom with some regularity. Seven outbreaks occurred in the U.K. between 1976 and 1979 and were reviewed (Noah et al. 1980. Br. Med. J. 19 July, 236-7). Two more incidents were reported by Public Health Laboratory Services (PHLS), Colindale, U.K. in the summer of 1988. Reports of this syndrome in the United States are anecdotal and have not been formally published.

AT Hagan also said, in response to another poster who was concerned about the sometimes kinda crunchy commercially canned beans:

"Canned beans have been cooked well over 176 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook your beans until they are not crunchy and you'll be fine. Other than relatively small amounts of bean sprouts (usually not made with P. vulgaris varieties) don't eat raw legumes. They need to be cooked."

Another poster, Summerthyme, pointed out that this temperature issue with the beans "...might be a bigger issue with people grinding dry beans for "bean flour" and then using it as a thickener in various dishes, possibly without thorough cooking..."

Here's the link to that thread: http://www.curevents.com/vb/showthread.php?t=81726

So, to sum it all up: If you want to cook beans using a low temperature method, first boil the beans, or bean flour for 10 minutes to destroy the toxin. If you have cooked the beans the conventional way, and if you can't mash a bean between two spoons, it needs to be cooked longer.

I make my own "bean powder" by dehydrating cooked beans, then pulverizing them to a powder for thickening and adding extra nutrition to soups, stews and such.

Beans and rice are a staple in many emergency food storage plans. Together, they make an nutritious protein-rich meal, and store well for a long time.

How To Make a Homemade Emergency "Multi-Tool" With a Bic-type Lighter

2007-09-22T04:06:00.003-05:00

I have several of these compact "multi-duty lighters" scattered where it counts. They've come in handy more than a few times over the years.

Here's how I make my favorite homemade emergency "multi-tool", starting with a plain Bic-type lighter...

Wrap a lighter with a foot or two of duct tape, as close to the bottom end as possible. Then wrap several yards of dental floss around the lighter, just above the duct tape. Secure the loose end of floss with a spot of duct tape. The dental floss can be used for many things besides your teeth.

Gorilla Tape can fix a bad day, and it is the world's best duct tape. Period.

My "deluxe" model includes a few more items wrapped around it. A tightly folded, brand new unopened plastic trash bag, plus a decent sized piece of heavy duty aluminum foil, then a bandana (that has been ironed super flat) is wound around the whole job, and tied in place with several rounds of dental floss. Sometimes I get in a fancified mood, and wrap the floss around the lighter in a decorative criss-crossed pattern. XXXXXXX

If need be, you can boil water in the heavy duty aluminum foil to purify drinking water in an emergency. A bandana and a bag = water carrier. There's a gazillion more uses for every item. Necessity may prove to be the mother of invention...

I have two "multi-tools" that feature a magnesium fire-starter and a small knife (instead of a Bic lighter), plus a few fish hooks and split shots, along with a lot of dental floss. I use a narrower strip of duct tape so I can freely use the magnesium firestarter without interference from the tape. With magnesium shavings, I can start a fire under almost any condition...in rain, snow, or sleet. I must be a serious firebug, because I go buggy looking at Cabela's firestarters.

You can customize your own lighters with a variety of small items that might help make a difference between a really bad day and a saved day.

This copyrighted material 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/

Anting: A "Birdbath" of a Different Kind

2007-09-20T06:16:00.000-05:00

A friend related a story of how he observed a hawk laying flat on the ground, as if dead. It was laying atop a red ant nest, and its whole body was covered with ants... The hawk rose up, as from the dead, walked around a bit, shook its feathers free of ants and flew off!

A short while later, other birds came to sunbathe in the ant bed. This behavior, called "anting" has been observed in over 250 bird species. The ants do not seem to sting the birds, but quickly carry off bothersome mites and lice that infest birds.

Some birds are not passive bathers, but pick up the ants with their beak and rub them over their feathers. Blue jays, starlings, tanagers, weavers and other species have been known to do this.

The ants secrete formic acid, a chemical that has insecticidal, miticidal, fungicidal and bactericidal properties.

Birds and red fire ants...who'da thunk it?

How To Recognize Suicide Bombers

2007-09-19T02:39:00.000-05:00

The Mackenzie Institute suggests the following indicators: a shaved head or short haircut, especially if recent, as indicated by a different skin complexion than on the face; a smell of herbal or flower water, as they may have perfumed themselves in anticipation of paradise; fervent praying as if whispering to someone; an agitated appearance; behavior inappropriate for the setting; bulky clothing not suitable for the temperature; an odd fit to the pants as from wearing a cup and multiple sets of underwear to protect the genitals for the anticipated 72 virgins (John Thompson, 10/21/05, http://www.mackenzieinstitute.com).

Thompson also gives tips for recognizing mail bombs, vehicle bombs, or activity that could be the precursor to an attack. He discourages any action other than immediately reporting to an authority in as much detail as possible.

In airport lounges or other public places, be alert. If a person makes you feel uncomfortable, one attorney suggests asking some casual questions: Are you traveling to Pittsburgh today? Do you know any good places to stay there? An odd reaction might make you decide not to board the flight, and to report concerns to an authority.

Katrina Insomnia

2007-09-17T01:06:00.002-05:00

It was like this every night for a week, until I escaped.

The weather is so incredibly hot, that it is unthinkable to close a single window, day or night, thugs and looters or not. There is no escape from the heat, even with all the windows open. I lay in the sweltering heat, so hot that my skin throbbed in tune with my pounding heart. I do not know if my heart is pounding from the effects of heat exhaustion, or fear. The adrenalin rushes are taking my breath away. Fight or flight? Gunshots in the night. Do I lay in wait for the prowling thugs and looters? Fight back, or be killed? There is nowhere to hide, really. I do not sleep. I do not trust the strangers I am trapped with. They want my van's gasoline, my ticket out of this nightmare. I can't leave. Roads are heaped with storm debris. I am alone. I do not know if my family (scattered like ants) are alive or dead. Tuning in to my Sony Walkman radio, I discover that some of their homes are under water, or worse. Did they all escape in time? If so, did Katrina reach them anyway, by destroying everything they left behind? Where is my youngest brother? We've never had millions of people evacuating all at one time like this...

Moral of this story: In a severe crisis, be prepared for the possibility of having to stand guard against the world, and your nightmares, with eyes wide open.

This copyrighted material 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/

Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina, Part 2

2007-09-15T15:15:00.000-05:00

For many years to come, there will be the telling of thousands of stories about Hurricane Katrina, each one with its own color and shades of pain, or joy. For some, it will be years before they are able to speak of it. Others, freely give. As of this writing, I think I fall somewhere between the two... My story is long and complicated enough that I would do a better service to try to pick out and present to you only the most beneficial stuff that might be of use to others.

I see a few common threads connecting many of the stories from survivors of Hurricane Katrina (and other major disasters around the world):

1. People will generally sing Kumbayah and get along pretty well...until their provisions run low. After that, then its a song of a different tune. Take a look back throughout history. In every culture in the world there have been accounts of extreme predation, in the names of 'need', 'want', and 'gotta have'. Sad thing is, it does not take extreme deprivation to bring it on.

2. Never, ever underestimate anyone, even if you think you know that person perfectly well. Hardship makes some folks go nuts. The degree of hardship usually directly affects levels of trust, decency and normalcy.

The same principle affects the evacuation process. Normally, road rage on most highways is uncommon, but desperate people stuck in evacuation traffic were subjected to road rage of the worst kind. In both Hurricane Rita and Katrina evacuations, there were more than a few reports of on-the-road armed robberies, assaults, hijacked gas, vehicles, etc. etc., ad nauseum.

There were also news reports of an increase in the number murders committed by family members. After Hurricane Katrina passed in Mississippi, a man shot his sister in the head in a dispute over a bag of ice. An almost identical report occurred in Louisiana. There were others...

The actions of family members, friends and neighbors under extreme duress may surprise you. Everyone's tipping point is built differently, but in extreme circumstances, ALWAYS expect the unexpected. Even normally gentle folks under pressure can reveal an unexpected side.

3. Desperate people with more 'brawn than brain' can be extremely dangerous, especially towards those who have more 'brain than brawn'. If you are in this situation, watch your back, and be prepared to think on your feet, 24/7. For this and many other reasons, it is not a good idea to be totally alone in a crisis situation, if you can help it.

This copyrighted material 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 Edges of Survival

2007-09-09T22:52:00.001-05:00

Do you have that "extra edge" that marks you as a natural survivor? Many of us already have "It" and don't realize it yet, or maybe it just needs a little polishing, or a lot. It's hard to carve the outcome of any situation with a dull knife. Sharpen your personal "survival knife" with these "honing stones" or attributes, for that extra edge to help you cut through the toughest problems.

PERSISTENCE

Never give up, even if it looks absolutely hopeless. Doors may open, sometimes when and where you least expect it. If you have given up and your mind is closed, you may not see it when another door has been opened.

PAY ATTENTION

Maintain a relaxed awareness, so that you don't miss the little things that could become really big things, if ignored. Do not relax or zone out so much that important 'reality checks' find you asleep at the wheel. On the other hand, if you get too frazzled, your emotions can cloud your vision. Learn how to put your emotions on hold, so you can deal with survival issues, and maintain clear vision.

TRUST YOUR GUT FEELINGS

Your instincts are there for a protection. Sometimes the consequences of ignoring them can be tragic. Survival instincts can be developed and finely tuned by absorbing knowledge. See KNOWLEDGE, below.

HUMOR

"Laughter is like changing a baby's diaper. It doesn't permanently solve any problems, but it makes things more acceptable for a while." I love this little proverb, because it is so true. It goes real well with the S part of SHTF, too.

(If you are not familiar with the abbreviation SHTF, here's a hint: Stuff Hits The Fan.)

OPTIMISM

If you dig deep enough, hard enough and long enough, you can find something good in almost anything, even if it is only a lesson learned. Optimism means seeing a little ray of hope shining in a hopeless situation. If your eyes can't see any light, then look for it with your mind. Lost your mind? Then look for it with your heart. Disheartened? Then look for it with your soul.

CHILL OUT

Cultivate the art of staying calm and detached from the crisis of the day. Keeping your cool in a volitile situation is of utmost importance. Panic can kill, or at the very least, wear you down.

KNOWLEDGE

This is the foundation of survival. Build on it from from reputable books, the wisdom of the Scriptures, respected internet sites, your own experiences, and that of other fellow students in the "School of Hard Knocks". This in turn, leads to being more self-reliant.

PREPARATION

Start preparing for life's uncertainties now, if you have not already. If you are limited in circumstances, then prepare by building your knowledge. Someday, your 'know-how' could become very, very valuable to others. This knowledge could open new horizons and avenues for your survival. It can also mean your downfall, so be discreet about what you know and have.

FLEXIBILITY

Best laid plans are great, but don't set them in stone. Always make several alternate plans, because circumstances can quickly change. Abandon plans as soon as you find out they won't work well. You can't ride a dead horse, so get off of it before it starts to stink.

GOOD SPIRITUAL HEALTH

Having good spiritual health is the very best glue for holding yourself together. By their very nature, material preparations are so temporary. After they are gone, what is left? So, in that light, focus on prepping your mind, and your spiritual health. The two often go hand in hand, along with courage, which is often said to be 'fear that has said its prayers'.

This copyrighted material 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/

Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina, Part 1

2007-09-08T03:16:00.001-05:00

Hurricane Katrina taught me that during a severe prolonged crisis, being more prepared, or even just knowing a little more than those around you, can prove to be a serious downfall.

Because I was trapped among strangers, I did my best NOT to reveal all my assets. As time wore on, and conditions deteriorated to the point that basic needs for survival was being sorely tested, my high level of preparedness was getting more difficult to hide. People were being killed for less than what I had. (Heard about the man who shot his sister in the head over a bag of ice?) The inside of my vehicle was like a rolling Walmart, for all the goodies it contained: a boatload of bottled water, lots of food, general meds, a propane cooker and a ton of propane, a gazillion batteries, oil lamp & plenty of oil, kerosene lanterns and plenty of kerosene. Candles, matches, lighters, water, more water, bleach, baking soda...you get the idea. My van was just packed. If I got into a wreck, it would have been quite spectacular... I've always tended to overdo, overprep...

After a week of extreme circumstances among strangers, this was nearly impossible to hide. I tried my best, but hey, I had to survive too. Even to the very end, those around me never knew exactly how much stuff I really had. If someone else was in dire need, I helped as much as I could, but as discreetly as possible which was not easy.

It seemed like whenever every new serious crisis or emergency popped up, I had the knowledge to "fix it", or pulled a magic bunny out of my "hat" (van)... For goodness sake, one old woman had run out of her heart meds, including her diuretic Rx...she was starting to swell up...and in this heat with no water...Well, I had durned parsley and celery (of all things) in my van...I made teas with these natural diuretics, and gave them to her, along with enough fresh clean water to do some good. Celery and parsley? Yeah that, and dehydrated onions, garlic and bell pepper, too. No self-respecting Cajun cook will be caught (not even in a hurricane) without them...LOL

Long story short: I ended up being informed that they would not let me go, they said they "needed" me too much. Most of them were originally from "up north", new to the area, and knew little about hurricanes and absolutely nothing about the business of survival.

I had a full tank of gas, but even that would NOT be enough to get me to the next working gas station before the last drop of gas was used up. The no-gasoline thing was a very serious problem where I was...a few people were hijacked for their vehicles, or their gas...by thugs and as rumors had it, by law enforcement officers as well. (???) So leaving the area safely was not an option, for what seemed like a lifetime...

After more than a week, there were reports of some gasoline to be had, but still hours away...I hoped to be able to hold out long enough for the gas situation to ease up and I could just slip out...

Here's what I finally did: I started to act like I was blooming nuts, as in psycho. We were all armed, to one degree or another, so the situation was already tense. I acted like I was on the edge of insanity, what with the heat, and stress of being there and all...I think I made them wonder that if they pushed me too hard, or long enough, I might cause a spectacular and messy scene. Heh. This was easy enough to do. Soon they were wary enough, and I think they were actually glad when I finally made my escape.

Truth be told, after a week of almost no sleep to speak of, I was starting to wonder if the psycho thing might become real...

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/

Rabies: Everything You Don't Want to Know...but Should

2007-09-02T03:42:00.000-05:00

.
Someone once asked (on a message board):

"My husband said a vet told him if a dog was not going to run loose outdoors where he would be in contact with other animals, then it did not need to be vaccinated. Is that true? We have a fenced back yard. and he is going to be a lap dog not a yard dog...

My answer to her was this:

This might be right, EXCEPT in the case of rabies vaccinations.

Once upon a time, I thought along the same lines, as this veterinarian did until I had an experience with a rabid skunk...

My animals have always been confined to either my home, or a well-fenced in yard, at all times. Imagine my surprise when a rabid skunk made contact with my large unvaccinated dogs THROUGH the chain-link fence. I will leave out the nasty details, but will tell you that I went through the standard rabies treatment.

Less than five years later, we had a second experience with a rabid skunk. A storm blew a tree down on top of the 6 ft. tall chain-link fence, providing a perfect "ladder" for a rabid skunk to climb into my fenced yard, where my dogs were.

Unknown to me at the time, the skunk hid in a hole under the doghouse in the yard. I kept smelling a weird faintly skunky smell, but it was not very strong. I never dreamed a skunk was actually IN the yard! Then one day, a couple of weeks after the storm blew the tree down on the fence, I found a freshly killed skunk near the doghouse. It was badly mangled, and covered with old and new injuries. Apparently it managed to survive by sneaking past the dogs as they slept, to get to their food and water.

While I was waiting for the rabies test results to come in, one of the animals started displaying signs of rabies...Long story short, the rabies test came back positive, and I had to go through the treatment a second time.

At the time, I didn't know that because I had been previously treated for rabies, I only needed TWO booster doses, not the full ten shot regimen again. Not one nurse or doctor at the hospital or at the clinic, bothered to read the dosage and usage guide that is included with each treatment syringe! If someone had read it, they would have seen the information regarding the required two-dose regimen, and I would not have been overdosed. Sad thing is, one of the doctors had given me the full treatment at his clinic the first time it happened, less than five years before. You'd think somebody would have known what standard treatment protocol was...

Naturally, I suffered from really nasty "serum sickness", plus some other bad stuff because of the overdose...Well, so far, I have not bitten anybody yet. Heh. I know, bad joke...can't help it...must be dat Cajun in me...

Wait, there's more.

I feel obligated to share some other things I have learned...keep reading.

The following "factoids" can be easily researched through reputable universities, Kansas State Veterinary School (which has one of the busiest rabies labs in the country), and the Pasteur Institute, CDC, WHO, JAMA, etc etc. Just Google it/ call/ write them. Its all there.

Factiod #1--->>> In researching this odious subject, I learned that if your animal has a confrontation with a rabid animal, and the infected saliva gets on your animal's fur...AND if you happen to touch that area (even after the saliva has dried) within 2 HOURS of the incident...AND, if it gets into a cut or abraded skin, or if you accidentally rub it in your eyes or nose...BINGO. You could be infected with rabies. Only after the virus has dried on a surface for more than two hours, it is believed to be harmless. Until then, it is very much alive and dangerous.

While it is not good to be in morbid fear of rabies, it is a mistake to take it lightly, especially in view of so many well documented findings. Ignorance is not always bliss.

More rabies factiods:

Factiod #2--->>> Did you know that a skunk can carry the rabies virus, and pass it on to its young and to other animals, without ever appearing sick? Sometimes environmental or physical stresses can bring on full-blown symptoms, because of a compromised immune system. Otherwise, it is capable of appearing perfectly healthy--even bearing young--while passing the virus along to other animals. In many cases, a skunk first contracted the rabies virus when it was nursing from its mother...

Factiod #3--->>> Rabies in humans is more common than formerly thought. More than a few people who have died of rabies, died of neurological events of unknown or misdiagnosed origin. In many cases, post mortem exams uncovered the real cause of death: rabies (almost all of them have been the bat variant).

Factiod #4--->>> For that reason, the Center for Disease Control has made this recommendation to all state health (rabies) departments: If a bat has been found in the same room with an infant or sleeping individual, it must be caught and tested for rabies, whether or not bite/scratch marks are evident on an individual (the marks may be too slight or obscure for dectection). If the bat cannot be found, the individual is advised to begin rabies treatment.

I learned this the hard way, when a bat accidentally hitched a ride into my home, scratched my arm, flew off and vanished! On the third day, I caught it, had it tested. It was negative. Whew. That was a long three days, because if I couldn't find the darned thing, I was told by the local health department that I would have had to go through the rabies treatment for a third time. Heh. This time I knew I would have had to only receive two booster shots. Yay, to that, but because of my previous rabies history, which also included some nasty allergy responses, anaphylaxis (hypersensitivity resulting in shock) would have been likely.

I mention these things because rabies information can be dangerously outdated in just a year or two. So when in doubt, check and double check! Do not take a doctor's or hospital's word for it. They may be (unknowingly) acting on outdated information. Call / write / or email the CDC (Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA) yourself for the latest on it. My doctors didn't, nor did they bother to read manufacturer's usage guidelines, that are included with each box of rabies treatment. Wow, they threw ten of these brochures away. I "rescued" the tenth one from the trash bin. That's how I first learned about out all this.

Factiod #5--->>> To show you just how little doctors (and the rest of us) really know about this disease... Do you remember the cornea (& other organ) transplant cases that were in the news a few years ago because of rabies? The donors had died of rabies. At the time of death, the real diagnosis was unknown by the doctors. The recipients of the cornea (and recipients of other organs by another donor) all died of rabies, because of misdiagnosis. It was previously unheard of to contract rabies this way!

Factiod #6--->>> Another startling discovery: Live rabies virus has been known to survive in the poop of owls that have eaten rabies infected prey. The virus begins to die only after the pellets have completely dried.

Factiod #7--->>> For best protection, ALWAYS use the "killed rabies virus vaccine" rather than the "modified live vaccine", which has been associated with actually causing rabies in some animals, due to defective vaccines. Naturally, the killed virus cannot reproduce, and is deemed safe. Sometimes things go wrong with the "modified live" virus. It does not happen often, but why take a chance? Use only the "killed rabies virus vaccine".

Factiod #8--->>> Rabies virus can have a much longer incubation period than most people think. Medical journals contain more than a few cases where full-blown symptoms did not develop until months after exposure to the pathogen. There have been a few rare cases of incubation periods lasting for years before symptoms were presented.

In a nutshell:

1. Even if you think your animals will never, ever contact another animal (that you know of), please vaccinate your animals against rabies.

2. Only after the virus has dried on a surface for more than two hours, is it believed to be harmless.

3. Ignorance is not always bliss.

4. A skunk can carry the rabies virus, and pass it on to its young and to other animals, without ever appearing sick.

5. If a patient is suffering from neurological distress of serious magnitude, and is not responding to conventional treatment, investigate the possibility of rabies infection.

6. Bats are very beneficial for the ecosystem as insect eaters, but they may not be so good for your system. Stay away from them.

7. Doctors and nurses are not gods, and can make mistakes. Sometimes really stupid ones, too. Don't be afraid to double check. If they don't like it...well, tough.

This copyrighted material 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/

Life's Lessons

2007-08-26T03:00:00.000-05:00

I got these gems from a friend today...

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1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.
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During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

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2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
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One night, at 11:30 pm, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console colour TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached.

It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole.

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3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.
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In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.

"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies.

You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

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4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
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In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

Think Small

2007-08-23T03:48:00.000-05:00

More folks are moving into rural areas these days. Many more would like to, but feel it is financially out of their reach.

Smaller (and cheaper) housing may be an option for those who would like to move away from big cities or suburbia, but can't afford a traditional sized home in the country.

For some, thinking smaller just might help dreams of that place in the country become a reality.

The Small House Society has a fairly good resource page:

http://www.resourcesforlife.com/groups/smallhousesociety/resources.htm

Here's a cool Yahoo group devoted to small housing, and everything to do with it (300+ members):

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smallhousesocietyonline/

Low Tech Hurricane Forecasting: The Hebert "Hurricane Box"

2007-08-18T01:37:00.001-05:00

http://www.hurricanecity.com/hebertbox.htm

The Hebert Box was "discovered" in the late 1970s by Paul Hebert. This former NWS & NHC forecaster found many major Hurricanes that hit South Florida had to first pass through these boxes. The first box is located east of Puerto Rico and the second box is located over the Cayman Islands. Every Major Hurricane that passed through Box 2 late in the year, hit the Florida peninsula prior to 1950. Hebert says that a Hurricane does not have to pass through these boxes to hit, but if they do "you better pay attention". The 1935 Labor day Hurricane that devastated the Florida Keys developed west of this box and Hurricane Andrew passed NE of this box, so there are exceptions to the rule.
This image shows the two Hebert boxes. If Floridians want an indication of a possible hit they need to keep an eye on any hurricane that passes through these boxes. Nearly every major Hurricane that hit S Florida since 1900 passed through these boxes. When major Hurricanes miss these boxes,they virtually always miss South Florida. If a major Hurricane moves into these boxes South Florida really needs to watch out. These boxes approx 335 miles x 335 miles includes the Virgin Islands but not Puerto Rico. The pattern has proven accurate for 9 out of 10 storms storms that developed and hit Dade, Broward & Palm Beach Counties.

So what does all this mean when a Hurricane passes or develops in the Hebert Box #1 east of Puerto Rico since 1950?
1)N Carolina has as much of a chance to get hit as Florida.
2)20.58% or most go out to sea without hitting land.
3)Only 8.82% make it into the Gulf of Mexico when they pass through the box as a hurricane.
4)Puerto Rico will get hit 20.58% of the time (the highest outside of n Antilles).

What about Box #2,Hurricanes developing or moving through after Oct 1st since 1950?
Cuba & the Bahamas are at highest risk late in the season.

BOX #1 (since 1950)
1950 Baker--Alabama...1950 Dog--out to sea
1951 Charlie--Yucatan/Mexico
1952 Baker-- out to sea
1953 Carol--Nova Scotia
1954 Alice--Leeward Isl out to sea
1955 Connie--N Carolina...1955 Ione--N Carolina
1956 Betsy--N Antilles, PR,Bahamas
1958 Fifi--out to sea....1958 Ilsa--out to sea
1960 DonnaN Antilles,Bahamas,Fla,east seaboard
1963 Edith--windward isl,PR,Hispaniola
1964 Cleo--N Antilles,Hispaniola,Haiti,Cuba,Fla
1966 Faith--N Antilles....1966 Inez--N Antilles, Hispaniola, Haiti, Cuba Bahamas, FL, Yucatan, Mex.
1967Beulah--Hispaniola,Yucatan,S Texas
1975 Eloise--Hispaniola,Fla panhandle
1979 David--Antilles,Hispaniola,Haiti,Fla,Ga,Sc
1984 Klaus--out to sea
1985 Gloria--NE U.S
1989 dean--Bermuda,Newfoundland....1989 Hugo--N Antilles,PR,SC
1990 Klaus-- out to sea
1995 Luis--N Antilles,New foundland....1995 Marilyn--N antilles,VI.PR
1996 Bertha--N antilles,VI,PR,N carolina...1996 Fran--N Carolina
1996 Hortense--PR,Nova Scotia
1997 Erika--out to sea
1998 Georges--N antilles,VI,PR,Hispaniola,Haiti,Cuba,Keys,mississi ppi
1999 Jose--N antilles,VI....1999 Lenny--N antilles
2000 Debby--n antilles,VI,Hispaniola
2004 FrancesBahamas,Treasure coast,Fla.

BOX #2 (since 1950)
1951 Item Cayman isl,Cuba
1952 Fox Caymans,Cuba,Bahamas
1961 Hattie Belize
1981 Katrina Cuba,Bahamas
1988 Gilbert Yucatan,mexico
1995 Roxanne Yucatan
1998 Mitch Honduras
2001 Iris Belize
2001 Michelle Cuba,Bahamas
2004 Charley W cuba,Fla
2005 Emily Yucatan,Mexico
2005 Wilma Yucatan,S Fla

How to Make Herb Teas

2007-08-16T03:48:00.000-05:00

In my August 14 post, there's a list of cooling herbs to help beat the heat.

If you are not familiar with making herbal teas, I strongly suggest that you do a little research on individual herbs before using them. This is important, especially if you are prone to plant allergies, or are pregnant or nursing. If you are taking medication, or are suffering from any medical condition, consult a medical health professional before using any herbs.

Make certain that your herb IS what you think it is, especially if you are gathering it from the wild. Poisonous lookalikes can be deadly! Herbs can also be purchased from a health food store, mail order catalog or from the internet.

These folks have great prices, fast service and free shipping:

http://www.herbalcom.com/

Herbalcom, 1520 Ranier Ave.
Napa, CA 94558
(888)649-3931

When taking new herbs for the first time, be alert for allergic reactions, side effects, and even interactions between the herb and medicines and even with food. If you feel nausea, dizziness or headache, stop taking the herb. If you develop any allergic reactions such as difficulty breathing, within a half hour of taking a new herb, food or drug, call 911 immediately. Fortunately, reactions are extremely rare.

Basic Rules for Making Herbal Teas

Most herb teas made from leaves and flowers are usually steeped in hot water, not boiled. Boiling is for extracting the goodness from roots and bark, but it would be destructive to the more delicate leaves and flowers.

A standard strength tea can be made with one ounce herb to one pint water, or one teaspoon dried herb (or 1 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh herb) to each cup of water. Boil water, remove from heat source. Stir in the herb. Cover and let brew for about 3 to 5 minutes for flowers and leaves. Up to ten minutes for roots, bark and hard seeds. Strain, sweeten if desired. Herb tea can be enjoyed cold or hot. Refrigerate. Use within 2 or 3 days.

A stronger, medicinal tea is steeped longer, for twenty minutes. Dosages vary with the herb and treatment, and should be researched before use.

Standard adult dose for herb teas:

1 cup three times a day for normal conditions
1 cup up to six times a day, or every two hours, for acute conditions
1 cup twice a day as a long-term tonic

Children's dose: Reduce proportionally. Give a seven year old child about half the adult dose. At six months, use one teaspoon of the standard strength tea. For breast feeding infants, give the tea to the mother.

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

This article and recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #2: HOW TO MAKE HOME REMEDIES THAT REALLY WORK. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

Cooling Herbs and Foods to Help Beat the Heat

2007-08-14T02:25:00.000-05:00

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PureCajunSunshine's Liquid Ice: Lemon-Peppermint Iced Tea

Stir in 1/2 teaspoon dried peppermint leaves into each cup of boiling hot water (removed from heat). Cover for five minutes. Strain, add juice of 1/2 lemon for each cup of tea. If desired, sweeten with honey or your favorite sweetner. Cool in the refrigerator. Pour over ice and serve. Aaahhh...this is really chillin'. Keep refrigerated and use within three days.

Peppermint Cooling Spray for Hot and Itchy Skin

Stir in one or two teaspoons of dried peppermint leaves into each cup of boiling hot water (removed from heat). Cover. Let steep until cool. Strain, pour into a spray bottle. Store in refrigerator. Use within three days.

Do a double chill, inside and out: Spray this on your skin and drink the Liquid Ice...mmmYea!

COOLING HERBS

These herbs are cooling to the system. They have been traditionally used as "refrigerants" for lowering fevers, and for helping to cope with hot weather. Be responsible in using herbs. More is not always better, and may result in undesirable effects.

Alfalfa herb
Chamomile herb
Chickweed herb
Hibiscus flowers
Japanese Honeysuckle Flower
Lemon Balm herb
Lemongrass herb
Passion Flower herb
Peppermint herb
Pine needle tea
Plantain leaf
Raspberry leaf
Red Clover blossoms
Spearmint leaf
Sorrel herb
Vervain herb

COOLING FOODS

Asparagus
Broccoli
Corn
Bananas (potassium rich)
Cantaloupe melon (potassium rich)
Cranberry
Fruits rich in vitamin C
Leafy greens
Lemons
Limes
Melons
Mulberries
Oranges
Potatoes (potassium rich)
Rice
Smoothies
Tofu
Watermelon
Yogurt

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

This article and recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #2: HOW TO MAKE HOME REMEDIES THAT REALLY WORK. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

Keep Cool with Old Fashioned Summertime Drinks that Help Lower Body Temperature

2007-08-12T03:52:00.000-05:00

During long hot marches between conquests, Roman soldiers were given a healthful drink that also acted as an energizing liquid coolant. It was a fruit concentrate that was preserved in vinegar, sweetened with honey and added to a quantity of cool spring water to make a refreshing drink.

The recipe for this delicious thirst quencher came to America from the West Indies in the late 1600's. By the 1800's it was known in America as "Haymaker's Punch", "Shrub", or "Switchel". It was wildly popular as a heat-beating summertime drink. Farmers, especially during the hot and dusty haymaking season, enjoyed it as a cooling pick-me-up that quenched thirst better than water alone.

It was also given for feverish colds and flu to help lower the body tmeperature, and to bolster the body's ability to fight diseases.

These recipes can be easily tweaked to suit your personal taste preference. Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Berry Shrub I

One teaspoon of this liquid concentrate is added to a cool glass of water to make an instant summertime beverage.

Add to any quantity of blackberries, raspberries, or any kind of berries, enough good apple cider or malt vinegar to cover. Keep covered for 2 weeks in a cool location. Drain well, allowing the berries to drip from a strainer for several hours, or until the dripping stops. Stir in a pound of sugar for every 2 cups of strained juice. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring well until dissolved. Skim the surface clear of any solids that may float up. Pour into clean, hot jars, and seal. To use, stir one teaspoon of this into a glass of water.

Old Fashioned Berry Shrub II (my personal favorite)

Put a tablespoon of this liquid concentrate into a glass of cool water. Sweeten if desired.

Pack freshly picked berries (raspberries, blackberries or strawberries) into a jar. Add enough cider vinegar to fill it. Release any air bubbles with a knife inserted between the sides of the jar and the berries. Close or cover the jar. Tap the bottom of the jar gently on the tabletop to help release any remaining air bubbles trapped among the berries. Keep in a cool, dark place for a month. Strain the liquid, pour into clean jars that have been made sterile by boiling.

Haymaker's Switchel I

1/2 c. sugar or honey
1/4 c. vinegar
Scant 1/4 tsp. ginger

Haymaker's Switchel II

1 c. light brown sugar
1 c. apple vinegar
1/2 c. light molasses or maple syrup
2 qts. cold water
1 teaspoon ginger

Haymaker's Switchel III

1 gal. water
2 c. sugar
1 c. molasses or maple syrup
1 c. vinegar
1 teaspoon ginger

Watch for more great cooling ideas in the next few posts...

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

This article and recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #2: HOW TO MAKE HOME REMEDIES THAT REALLY WORK. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

The Survivor's Rule of Three

2007-08-08T13:06:00.000-05:00

The survivor's rule of three is that you can go...
• 3 minutes without air
• 3 days without water
• 3 weeks without food

Homemade Poison Ivy and Weed Killer That Really Works

2007-08-07T02:15:00.001-05:00

Over the years, I have fiddled around with different homemade poison ivy and weed killer recipes until I found a combination of ingredients that really works for me.

I had a huge poison ivy patch that I fought for years with all kinds of herbicide$, including homemade organics. I experimented with recipes using vinegar and salt in varying proportions. Some of them almost did the trick. I finally found that straight vinegar (no water added) with lots of salt and a hefty dose of detergent is most lethal to poison ivy and other noxious weeds. The once-huge poison ivy patch has been gone for over two years now. I've had to zap a few survivors now and then, but they are manageable. This homemade spray works better than anything else I've tried.

3 cups vinegar
1/2 cup salt
1 tablespoon liquid detergent or soap
(I use Dawn) for stick-to-itiveness

Mix vinegar and salt until the salt is completely dissolved. Stir in liquid detergent, and pour into a sprayer. Spray onto the green growing leaves of the plants. Wait a week, then repeat on any survivors. Best time to apply: during a dry spell. Do not spray on plants you want to keep.

EDITED TO ADD: I have found that the poison ivy plants that are not too old (less than a year old) respond extremely well to this treatment. Plants from older, more established roots will die but may come back a year later. Zap the new growth again with the killer. The roots will die of exhaustion because its energy is wasted in putting out all that new growth for nothing. Some really old roots are made of mutant zombie stuff, and may need a few more repeat doses.

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

This recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #5 : QUICK SUBSTITUTES & EASY FORMULAS FOR OVER 100 CANT'-DO-WITHOUT ITEMS. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

PureCajunSunshine's Red Beans and Rice Recipe

2007-08-04T18:02:00.002-05:00

This is Part Three in a trilogy. Part Two is "Wash Day on the Bayou", posted on July 30, 2007. Part One is "Red Beans and Rice, Old Time Creole Style: A Story and a Recipe", posted on July 26, 2007.

If you are not from South Louisiana, there are a few important things you need to know about preparing Red Beans and Rice...

The beans...

Although my family (and everyone else I knew back in the day) always used red kidney beans, I've heard that some people prefer small red beans. If you can't get either kind, Pinto beans and Great Northern beans are suitable substitutes.

When shopping for red kidney beans, try to pick the lightest colored beans for best flavor and creamiest texture. The darker the beans, the older and tougher they are.

Red kidney beans can take less than two hours to cook, or as in the old Wash Days, up to eight hours. For hurry-ups, I will include a thirty-minute recipe using canned beans.

The meat...

A variety of meats may be used, in any combination, or singly, according to personal preference. The meat may be cooked with the beans (ham hocks, pickled pork, a meaty hambone, and/or sausage), or it may be cooked separately and served on the side (sausage or pork chops).

I like to flavor my beans with about a pound of good quality smoked sausage, cut into two inch sections. On special occasions, I also prepare a side order of pork chops that have been dusted with a good Cajun or Creole seasoning blend, and fried in a small amount of bacon drippings.

Regional meats such as Andouille sausage or "Pickle Meat" adds a special home-style flavor to Red Beans and Rice. A good substitute for Andouille sausage is a high quality Kielbasa sausage, which is a wonderful Polish creation that is found in nearly every grocery store.

In the old days, when this dish was a six to eight hour affair, a meaty hambone from Sunday's dinner was broken and added to the pot to allow the marrow to be released during long cooking. A combination of the marrow and the effects of hours of cooking gave the beans a special creaminess. A dollop or two of butter stirred into the pot in the last minutes of cooking is a fine substitute for marrow.

The "trinity" and the "pope"...

In the old days, almost everyone in south Lousiana was Catholic. The faith permeated everything, even food.

In a south Louisiana kitchen, the trinity is a combination of three essential ingredients that form some of the basic flavors for many dishes, including Red Beans and Rice. Onions, celery and bell pepper are referred to as the "holy trinity". Garlic is referred to as the "pope" because the shape of a pod of garlic resembles the shape of the pope's miter...ok, his holy hat.

The trinity for this dish is sauteed, or gently cooked, in butter or bacon drippings until wilted. Then all the other ingredients are added.

The rice...

Hot fluffy rice is served in the center of the plate, and the creamy beans are spooned all around the hill of rice. If cooked separately, the sausage or pork chops are placed to the side, on top of the beans.

For a special touch, a small sprig of parsley atop the hot mound of rice, or a garnish of minced green onion sprinkled over the beans, is nice.

The recipe...

PureCajunSunshine's Red Beans and Rice

1 pound dried red kidney beans
1 medium-large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 small or half a large bell pepper, chopped
1 or 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh garlic
1 bunch of green onions, chopped from the bulb to the tip (about 2 cups)
1 or 2 generous dollop of butter
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, or 1 heaping tablespoon dry parsley
1 pinch of thyme (what you can pick up between your thumb and index finger)
2 large bay leaves or 3 small ones
your favorite Louisiana hot sauce to taste
your choice of meat (see above commentary)
salt (add only after the beans begin to soften), or a good Cajun or Creole seasoning blend, to taste. See below for recipes for Creole Seasoning blends.

Clean the beans of garden rejects, gravel, dirt and anything else that doesn't belong there. Rinse until the water comes clear. Soak in water overnight. In the morning, drain water from the beans.

If you forgot to soak the beans, all is not lost. Put the beans in a large, heavy pot with enough water to cover them. Slowly bring to a boil. Boil for a few minutes. Turn off heat. Let soak for an hour or two. Do not drain the liquid from the semi-cooked beans.

Chop the onions, celery and bell peppers into approximately 1/4" pieces. Chop the garlic fine. Saute the vegetables (cook over medium-low heat in a small amount of bacon drippings) until they are wilted and softened a bit, stirring frequently to prevent browning. Stir in half the green onions. Stir until wilted. Remove from pan, and set aside.

Add a small amount of bacon drippings to the pan, and fry sausage (or pork chops, etc.) until cooked. Remove meat, drain excess grease. Return sausage to the pot, add beans, and sauteed onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Add enough water to cover beans about two or three inches. Bring to a boil, and allow to cook over medium high heat for about a half hour, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to a gentle boil, add the bay leaves and thyme. Stir well, cover and cook for another hour, or longer if the beans are old. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. The use of a heavy pot also helps in this regard. Add a little water as needed to keep the beans from cooking dry.

After the beans begin to soften, smash some of them against the side of the pot to "cream" about a third of the beans. This gives the dish a wonderful creamy smoothness that glorifies hot fluffy rice!

Add salt, parsley, and hot sauce to taste. Continue to cook a few minutes more, stirring frequently until the new flavors are well blended, and it is thickened enough to honor the rice with a rich and creamy bath.

Just before serving, stir the remaining cup of chopped green onions into the pot.

Serve with hot fluffy rice, with pork chops on the side. A fresh green salad and garlic bread are nice accompaniments to complete this culinary delight!

Ça c'est bon! (that's good!)

PureCajunSunshine's Thirty Minute Red Beans and Rice Recipe

In place of the beans in the above recipe, use five or six cans (15 1/2 oz. each) of red kidney beans. I like to use a combination of both light and dark red kidney beans. If you can get it, use one of these brands: "Blue Runner", or "Van Camp's Creole Red Beans". Dump the entire contents of two of the cans into a blender, and whiz it up good. Set aside.

For quicker cooking, use a good quality precooked smoked sausage. Brands such as Healthy Choice or Hillshire's are good.

After the onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic have been sauteed, and the meat has been fried, and excess grease drained off, add all the canned beans (liquid included) to the pot, including the blender creamed ones. Add only enough water to keep the beans from cooking dry. Add seasonings and cook over medium high heat for 15 minutes or so, stirring frequently until flavors are well blended. Stir in chopped green onions just before serving.

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

This recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #4 HOW TO COOK AND LIVE LIKE A REAL CAJUN: Jazz Up Your Kitchen Without Setting Your Mouth On Fire. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

Make your own South Louisiana seasoning blends! Here are a couple of good recipes. These versions are not as complex as the (top secret) commercial versions, but they're darned close:

From Emeril Lagasse:

Emeril's Bayou Blast

2 1/2 T. paprika
2 T salt
2 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 T black pepper
1 T cayenne pepper powder
1 T oregano, dried and crumbled fine
1 T thyme, dried and crumbled fine

Combine all ingredients, mix well. Pour into a clean salt shaker.
Use on just about anything. Sprinkle generously before cooking.

This recipe is from Tony Chachere's Cajun Country Cookbook:

Tony Chachere's All-Purpose Creole Seasoning

1 box (26-oz) Morton's free flowing salt
1 box (1 1/2 oz) ground black pepper
1 bottle (2-oz) ground red pepper
1 bottle (1-oz)pure garlic powder
1 bottle (1-oz) chili powder
1 carton (1-oz) Monosodium glutamate (Accent)

Mix well and use like salt. When it's salty enough, it's "seasoned to perfection". Use generously on everything.

Tips: To season seafood use half of the above mixture and add:

1 tsp powdered thyme
1 tsp bay leaf
1 tsp sweet basil

Wash Day on the Bayou

2007-07-30T10:39:00.001-05:00

This is Part Two in a trilogy. Part One is "Red Beans and Rice, Old Time Creole Style: A Story and a Recipe", posted on July 26, 2007. Part Three is "PureCajunSunshine's Red Beans and Rice Recipe", posted August 4, 2007.

Early in the morning, before most of the birds were fully awake, Mamere would already have the fires blazing under two huge black kettles of water that were set up outside. Those who lived near the bayous usually set up their wash day contraptions near the water's edge, to make the job of hauling water easier. The large kettles were set up on bricks over the fire. One kettle was filled about two thirds full of water, and was designated for washing and boiling sheets first, then a succession of clothes. Another kettle was filled with clear water to be heated and used to fill smaller wash tubs. A long poke stick or two, a few cakes of lye soap (or store-bought Octagon soap), some wooden benches, wash tubs, and a washboard were set up. The addition of a wooden deck was always nice because it helped to keep the place from turning into a messy mud-wallow after countless Mondays of laundry.

Mamere's washboard was a beautiful old one. Its gleaming hills and valleys were carved from a single heavy block of cypress by her grandfather's hand. The newer metal washboards became the minou's meow back in the 1850's, when the new-fangled inventions made their first appearance in the stores. But Mamere stubbornly clung to the old family washboard. Mais, cher! The old ways are good.

While water heated in the kettles outside, Mamere would hurry back into the kitchen to prepare the morning meal and to get the tradtional Monday's Red Beans and Rice started. After the breakfast dishes were cleaned and put away, the pot of beans was given a final stirring, and was moved to the back of the stove. There, it would gently simmer for the next several hours while Mamere washed clothes.

Although the same basic steps were always followed, Mamere, like countless other women of the day, had her own way of doing laundry. She would pour hot water into four wash tubs that were arranged on the benches. Two of the tubs were reserved for rinsing only. A third tub was filled two thirds full with hot water and enough soap flakes to make a mild soapy brew. Soap flakes were made by shaving off thin slivers from a bar of homemade lye soap or store bought Octagon bar soap (Ivory soap can be used this way, too). Enough soap was added to the big kettle that was filled two thirds full of boiling hot water, to make a very strong soapy brew. A fourth tub of water on the bench included liquid starch that she made from potatoes. In later years, she admitted that powdered store bought Faultless Starch from a box worked almost as well as her potato starch. Imagine that.

Into the strong soapy brew in the big pot over the fire, went the big stuff like bed sheets. The sheets were stirred and poked with the long poke stick until Mamere was satisfied they were clean. With a deft sweeping motion of her poke stick, Mamere would lift the sheets out of the pot and plop them onto a bench to drain and cool a bit before wringing, rinsing, and wringing them again. After the sheets were hung on the clothes line, then the dark colored pants, shirts and dresses were washed in the same hot soapy water. They were stirred and poked in the same manner as the sheets. Lastly, after the previous batch of clothing was removed from the pot, the grubbier work clothes were thrown in, and given a real good workout with the poke stick.

If it was a warm breezy day, Mamere didn't have to wring the water out of the clothes as much. Drip dry is nice. On very humid or freezing cold days, she would wring out as much water out as possible, so that the clothes dried better. There was a trick to wringing bed sheets and other heavy items by twisting them with the poke stick, but she used to wring just about everything else by hand. Later, after she bought a hand-cranked wringer, she wondered how in the world she managed to do laundry without it.

The lighter weight whites and very light colored items such as shirts, pants, dresses and underwear went into the washtub on the bench with the mild soapy mixture.
After the clothes soaked for a few minutes, the whites were scrubbed on a wooden washboard that was set up inside the tub. It went something like this: rub and plunge, rub and plunge. One area at a time, each article of clothing was rubbed on the washboard, then plunged into the soapy water...rub and plunge, rub and plunge... Often she hummed or sang a catchy tune in time with the action. It looked like a right good time to all the little girls, who wanted so badly to hurry up and grow big enough to help. Duh huh. Little did they know...

After much rinsing, wringing and singing, the cleaned shirts, pants and dresses were dipped into the starch pan, and wrung out a final time. In the days after Mrs. Stewart's Liquid Bluing was invented, a small amount was often added to the final rinse water for making whites look brighter and whiter. Mrs. Stewart's familiar blue bottle can still be found on store shelves to this day, near the laundry detergents.

True to South Louisiana tradition, nothing is ever wasted. At the end of the washday, the pot of hot soapy water was poured on unwanted weeds in the driveway and walkways. This worked fine and dandy as a weed killer, or it could be used to scrub the porch. The rinse water from the washtubs was poured into the flower beds.

By the time the last of the clothing was dried and taken off the line, the Red Beans and Rice that simmered all day had reached the peak of goodness and was ready to enjoy! To many in South Louisiana, it is a delicious comfort food that evokes fond memories of our mothers and grandmothers from a time gone by.

(Coming soon...two of my favorite Red Beans and Rice recipes. One recipe takes less than two hours to cook; the other one takes less than thirty minutes, and tastes almost as good as Mamere's beans that cooked all day.)

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

This is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #4 HOW TO COOK AND LIVE LIKE A REAL CAJUN: Jazz Up Your Kitchen Without Setting Your Mouth On Fire. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

THIS IS WHAT MINOU-CATS

LOOK LIKE ON WASH DAY

Red Beans and Rice, Old Time Creole Style: A Story and a Recipe

2007-07-26T17:45:00.001-05:00

This is Part One in a trilogy. Part Two is "Wash Day on the Bayou", posted July 30, 2007. Part Three is "PureCajunSunshine's Red Beans and Rice Recipe", posted August 4, 2007.

Red Beans and Rice is the old fashioned South Louisiana answer to the electric Crock Pot. Traditionally, this delicious slow cooked comfort food was usually prepared on wash day. Why wash day fell on Mondays is anybody's guess. I think it was because most folks were rested and charged-up from the slower pace of Sundays.

Wash day in the old days was hard, and it was an all day affair. Red Beans and Rice was the perfect solution for Monday's not-enough-hours-in-a-day problem. The beans could be left alone to simmer slowly for hours with very little attention from the cook.

Red Beans and Rice is a versatile dish. It is delicious either as a two hour cooked affair, or simmered for up to eight hours in a heavy black iron pot on the back of a wood burning stove. It adapts well to whatever is on hand, such as sausage, diced ham, smoked ham hock, pork chops, or salt pork. There are recipes that call for regional favorites such as pickle meat, tasso, or andouille. Singly or in any combination, these flavors work well with beans. Traditionally, a meaty hambone from Sunday's dinner is added to the pot. Mamere always gave the hambone a few good whacks to break it, so that the goodness from the marrow can seep out as it cooked.

Of course, the longer it cooks, the creamier the beans will be. The flavor from the cracked hambone lends a special taste and creaminess that can only be attributed to the marrow. An almost-as-good substitute for hambone marrow is a dollop of real butter stirred into the pot just before serving.

All day long, back in the old days...promises of fine eating wafted outside kitchen windows all over the neighborhood, to ride in the breeze, and tormented us all. By the time all the laundry was washed, supper was ready and welcomed with glad hearts and large appetites, whetted sharp with the smells of the day. In some of the older neighborhoods (on high ground) in New Orleans, it is still like that to this day. Good smells, good food, good times...

I think that second only to Sunday's dinner, Monday's supper is the most eagerly awaited meal of the week In New Orleans. No, wait! There's Friday's seafood. Or, what about Tuesday's Red Bean Gumbo, made with Monday's Red Beans and Rice, that's made with Sunday's hambone...and so on it goes. It just gets better and better.

We don't just have leftovers, we celebrate them.

I have a couple of favorite recipes to share, but first let me tell you the story of why Red Beans and Rice seems to taste so much better on wash day in South Louisiana...

(Recipes will follow shortly after the post titled, Wash Day on the Bayou)

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

This is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #4 HOW TO COOK AND LIVE LIKE A REAL CAJUN: Jazz Up Your Kitchen Without Setting Your Mouth On Fire. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

You are probably from Louisiana if...

2007-07-18T22:36:00.001-05:00

You know that "(he / she / it) passed me a pair of eyes." means that someone has just given you a look of utter disdain. This is usually performed best by teenagers, husbands and wives. My own dog has given me that look. Many times.

You eat things that most people hire an exterminator to get out of their yards.

Your eyes pop and your jaws drop. you drool, and your tongue hangs out whenever you see a whole gallon of Tabasco. You will willingly spend your last $$$ to buy a gallon of this essential life-giving fluid. Hmmm.. I wonder if it can be used in an I.V. drip to rejuvinate tired old Cajuns? Ppssstt...you can get it here: http://countrystore.tabasco.com

You are probably from Louisiana if...

You plan your wedding around hunting season. Your funeral too, if you could.

You drive a boat more than your car.

When you evacuate, the first things you grab are your ever-trusty shrimp boots that saw you through many a wild time. You'd just feel better knowing they're right there with you. Those white shrimping boots, also known as Cajun Reeboks, will keep your feet dry no matter what comes. Even in a Motel 6 parking lot in another state.

Northerners are anyone living any further north above Baton Rouge.

When you say "WAY up North", you are referring to places like Alexandria, Shreveport or Monroe. There are places more north than that, where polar bears live.

Your burial plot is six feet over rather than six feet under. Even the dead float, here.

When giving directions for almost any town in South Louisiana, you use words like "lakeside", "northshore", "eastbank", "westbank", "bestbank", "down da bayou", "up da bayou", "riverside", or "across da river".

You've ever worn T shirts and shorts in December.

You can pronounce Tchoupitoulas, and know that it is the name of a street in New Orleans, not a sexually transmitted disease.

You know it is normal when you see ships riding higher in the river than the top of your house. When they're not, you know the levee broke...

You know it is Monday in New Orleans if you smell Red Beans and Rice cooking.

(Coming soon...a story and my favorite Red Beans and Rice recipe.)

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

"You are probably from Louisiana if..." and this recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #4 HOW TO COOK AND LIVE LIKE A REAL CAJUN: Jazz Up Your Kitchen Without Setting Your Mouth On Fire. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

SPECIAL NEEDS in an Emergency Situation - Solar Power for the Hearing Impaired

2007-07-18T04:58:00.000-05:00

Good news for those who are dependent on hearing aids, and their ever-dying batteries!

This might help solve the problem of what to do in a prolonged crisis situation, when hearing aid batteries are not available...or you find your little stockpile of batteries are fading out fast. Hearing aid batteries have a way of "expiring" long before their expiration date.

Or horror of horrors, your hearing aid may go on the fritz.

What's that you say?

I plan on ordering the charger soon and will try it out on an inexpensive "hunter's hearing aid" to see if this really works. If you beat me to it, please leave a comment about your experiences (comment link at the end of this post).

FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED:

Solar Button Cell Battery Charger

Sundance Solar http://store.sundancesolar.com/solbutcelbat.html

Solar Button Cell Battery Charger Perfect for hearing aid batteries.
Item#: 700-10003-00 $19.95

Here's what they have to say...

"...solar charger for all those tiny button batteries that are so expensive. Charges Ni-Cd, Alkaline, Zinc Air, Mercury and Ni-Mh button cells that are 1.2 - 1.5 volts.

In 3-5 hours of direct sun your battery will be charged and ready for use.
Includes suction cup so you can hang it in any sunny window. Charges one battery at a time, simply put the battery under the alligator clip on back. Red LED tells you it's working!

One of our customers charged her hearing aid batteries 14 times! She went from spending $25 per month to spending less than $4.00 per month!"

Measures approx. 1.5" X 2.5". Shipping wt. .10 lb. Made in the USA.

The best way to get in touch with us is via email. sundancesales@sundancesolar.com

Telephone: 603-456-2020
Monday through Friday 9 AM to 4 PM EST.
Fax 603-456-3298.
Snail mail:
Sundance Solar
PO Box 10
Warner, NH 03278

-----------------
Solar Powered Hearing Aid

ComCare International, Inc.
Scotta Williams, Executive Director
3027 Split Rock Circle
Bulverde, TX 78163

210-317-9998
You may place your order by phoning the ComCare office, 309-833-3727

Solar Powered Hearing Aid: $100.00
Custom earmolds are not provided with the instrument.

---------------------

Here's the world's original first ever solar hearing aid, made in Africa.

(I bought two in 1999...they're powerful little suckers, still going strong)

Godisa USA
customerservice@godisausa.com
Tel. +1.866.901.4327 (toll-free in the USA)
http://www.godisausa.com/

------------
Canada

Green Angel http://www.Godisa.ca/
Zeke Zavie zeke@RocktheVote.ca
49 St. Olaves Rd.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Tel +1.416.767.9108

Fast Relief From Bug Bites and Stings With Homemade Honeysuckle Lotion

2007-07-17T08:51:00.002-05:00

This homemade remedy is one of my top favorites for soothing all insect bites and itchy skin. It will even stop the awful hot bruised lumps that wasps and deerflies and inflict on me, so I am mightily impressed.

Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is a valued medicinal plant in Japan, but is considered a serious weed in America, especially in the south, all the way up to Indiana and Massachusetts. The white sweetly scented flowers start blooming in April and finishing around July. To see what this plant looks like, click on the link at the end of this post.

In Japan, the leaves and flowers are used as a beverage tea. Floating a few honeysuckle flowers in your iced tea will boost its summertime cooling powers. Honeysuckle is known by Japanese healers for lowering body temperature. Now that's good news for a hot day!

They use dried or fresh honeysuckle flowers in tea for fevers, flu, bacterial dysentery, enteritis, and laryngitis. It is also regarded by natural healers to be an antiviral, antibacterial and a tuberculostatic, with cholesterol lowering properties.

Externally, the leaves and flowers are traditionally used as a wash for swellings, rheumatism, sores, scabies and infected boils, insect bites and stings.

HOW TO MAKE HONEYSUCKLE LOTION
FOR BUG BITES AND STINGS

For those who are new at this tincturing thing, almost all herbal tinctures are made for internal use, but PLEASE NOTE: This recipe is a rubbing alcohol preparation...it's for external use only!

Harvest a bunch of leaves, flowers and a few new green growth shoots. The best time is in mid-morning, after the dew dries and before the day heats up. Although the leaves can be harvested anytime, they reach their peak medicinal potency just before, or at the very beginning of the flowering stage.

Chop everything, and put into a blender. Add barely just enough rubbing alcohol to cover. Whiz-pulse in blender for a couple of minutes. Pour alcohol and whacked up honeysuckle into jars. Cover and keep away from light. Shake once or twice daily for two weeks or longer. Strain and pour into clean jars.

For ease of application, I like to store some of it in empty rubbing alcohol bottles, and empty well-cleaned hot sauce flip-top shaker type bottles. For longer term storage, my tincture goes into glass canning jars. Warning: this tincture will stain your clothes a lovely shade of green.

This year I'm going to "test drive" a few batches using a vinegar tincture.

For identifying photos and many other uses of Honeysuckle, see http://altnature.com/gallery/Japanese_Honeysuckle.htm

Go and be amazed.

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

This article and recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #2: HOW TO MAKE HOME REMEDIES THAT REALLY WORK. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

"I Can't Believe It's Not 'Hidden Valley' Ranch Dressing Mix"

2007-07-10T19:54:00.000-05:00

After much tweaking, tinkering and fiddling around with recipes for homemade Ranch Dressing Mix, I am delighted to share my best with you:

Pure Cajun Sunshine's "I Can't Believe It's Not 'Hidden Valley' Ranch Dressing Mix"

DRY MIX - To use, mix one tablespoon dry mix to 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup buttermilk. No buttermilk? See below for buttermilk substitutes.

7 saltine crackers
1 cup dry parsley flakes, measured first, then finely crumbled
1/4 cup dry minced onion
1 tablespoon dry dill weed
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
3 1/2 tablespoons onion powder
3 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder

Whiz crackers in a blender on high speed until finely pulverized. Add remaining ingredients, and pulverize everything almost to a powder. This can be stored in a covered container for up to a year without losing flavor. The dry powdered mix does not need refrigeration (but the prepared dressing does).

TO MAKE RANCH DRESSING
Mix well one tablespoon dry mix to 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup buttermilk. Refrigerate. For best flavor, prepare the dressing at least two hours before using.

LOW FAT, LOW CALORIE VERSION
For a rich tasting and delicious low calorie and low fat dressing, use 1 cup Kraft Mayo (Fat Free Mayonnaise Dressing), and 1 cup Lowfat Buttermilk. This translates to only 8 1/2 calories each tablespoon serving.

BUTTERMILK SUBSTITUTES -Try any one of the following:

--> 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar (let stand 5 -10 minutes before using)
--> 1/2 plain yogurt + 1/2 milk
--> 1 cup plain yogurt (thicker)
--> 1 cup milk + 1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter
--> 1 cup sour cream

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

This recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #5 : QUICK SUBSTITUTES & EASY FORMULAS FOR OVER 100 CANT'-DO-WITHOUT ITEMS. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

Jazz Funerals...and all that jazz

2007-07-09T08:50:00.000-05:00

It's this kind of stuff that makes me homesick...

For those who are unfamiliar with the concept of a New Orleans Jazz Funeral, here's a quote from a memorial to Tuba Fat's funeral:

"For us in New Orleans, death is the ultimate celebration of a life well lived. It is a time to rejoice. It is a time to celebrate. For we believe that if we do not mark the passing with one final party, then the creator will never know how much the person was appreciated and loved."

To read the rest of this tribute, and for visual (and audio) treat, visit Cajun Images: http://www.cajunimages.com/jazz_funerals.htm

"You are going to rot your brain out..."

2007-07-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

Nature - Real Help for ADHD Sufferers

This needed to be said, and it needs to be passed on.
http://www.naturemoms.com/natural-adhd-treatment.html

Here's the article...

My mother’s warning; “You are going to rot your brain out...” still rings through my mind whenever I spend too much time in front of the television set.

I grew up in a time when mothers shooed their children out - rain, snow or shine - to get a breath of fresh air. Our television set tuned in to only four or five channels and those channels signed off at midnight. It would be years before cable television, satellite dish, VCRs and Nintendo would debut. Lazy summer days were spent riding bicycles for hours because there wasn’t much of anything better to do.

This period of time was also a few decades before Ritalin and Attention Deficit would become commonplace terms.

I have long believed that inactive hours spent indoors has contributed to the increased incidence of Attention Deficit Disorder. A recent study, published in the September 2004 issue of the “American Journal of Public Health,” validates that believe.

University of Illinois researchers studied nature as an ADHD natural treatment. This study showed that children with ADHD benefit from time outdoors enjoying nature with a significant reduction of ADHD symptoms.

Researchers of this nationwide recruited the parents of 322 boys and 84 girls, all diagnosed with ADHD, through ads in major newspapers and the Internet. Participants, ages 5 to18, spent time in a variety of settings which varied from big cities to rural settings. Some activities were conducted indoors, others in outdoor places without much greenery such as parking lots and downtown areas and other activities were in "green" areas such as a tree-lined street, back yards or parks. The parents were interviewed and asked to report how their children performed after participating in a wide range of activities.

The researchers found that symptoms were reduced most in green outdoor settings, even when the same activities were compared across different settings. Researchers believe that simply incorporating nature into a child’s day could be widely effective in reducing ADHD symptoms.

Based on the results of this ADHD natural treatment study, researchers recommend that children with ADHD spend quality after-school hours and weekend time outdoors enjoying nature.

Study authors Frances E. Kuo and Andrea Faber Taylor suggested that daily doses of ''green time'' might supplement medications and behavioral approaches to ADHD if clinical trials and additional research confirm the value of nature as a natural treatment for ADHD.

The study findings indicate that exposure to ordinary natural settings in the course of common after-school and weekend activities may be widely effective in reducing attention deficit symptoms in children.

In each comparison (there were 56 in all), green outdoor activities received more positive ratings over the activities taking place in other settings. In 54 of the 56, the difference was significant, signaling that the findings were consistent.

Researchers said that exposing ADHD children to nature is an affordable, healthy method of controlling symptoms. Researchers also suggested that daily doses of "green time" can supplement medications and other traditional treatments of ADHD.

Simply using nature may offer a way to help manage ADHD symptoms that is readily available, doesn't have any stigma associated with it, doesn't cost anything, and doesn't have any side effects.

ADHD natural “green” treatment has endless possibilities, many of which might closely resemble childhoods from years long past.

Here are just a few ideas for increasing "green time":
_ Play in a green yard or ball field at recess and after school.
_ Take after-dinner walks.
_ Make a scarecrow.
_ Doing class work or homework outside or at a window with a relatively green view.
_ Build a birdhouse.
_ Grow an outdoor garden.
_ Bike, ski, sled, inline skate...
_ Visit a nature center.
_ Choose a greener route for the walk to school.
_ Participate in local nature clean-ups.
_ Take up bird watching.
_ Star gaze.

Jeannine Virtue is a freelance writer with a focus on issues relating to Attention Deficit Disorder. For research-based information about Attention Deficit Disorder, practical tips to help parents survive the task of raising Attention Deficit children and information about effective Ritalin alternatives, please visit www.add-adhd-help-center.com.

Tame those wild potato chip monsters

2007-07-01T03:40:00.000-05:00

Here's a satisfying homemade snack to tame those unruly cravings to munch on too many chips, nuts and stuff. I love the way it satisfies cravings for salt and crunchies. Super low cost, too. Tweak this delicious and healthy recipe with your own favorite seasonings.

PureCajunSunshine's Lentil Snacks

1 cup brown lentils
1 quart water
salt (between 1/2 -1 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon oil (olive, coconut, canola, etc)

Boil gently for 10 minutes, then let stand 15 minutes. Drain well.
Stir in the oil until well distributed. Sprinkle on your favorite seasonings (see below).
Mix well.
Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
Spread thinly, in a single layer in a pan lined with foil.
Bake 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often until crisp. Let cool.

CAUTION: Watch closely, as they will burn to a nasty black crisp in no time!

For small portions, I like to use my electric toaster oven. For open fire cooking, use a skillet.

The mild taste of the lentils makes this a versatile snack because you can flavor it with just about any seasoning, and it'll probably turn out good. Experiment until you find your favorites. Have fun!

Lentil snack seasoning blends to try:

Flavor treat #1
Cajun/Creole Seasoning
(Don't have any? Make your own. See recipe at the end of the Jambalaya-ya-ya recipe.)

OR

Flavor treat #2
1/8 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

OR

Flavor treat #3
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Other flavoring options to use singly or combined with the above blends:

--Popcorn Salt (superfine grade, buttered or plain)

--Powdered Cheese Flavoring

--Morton's Nature's Seasonings (contains no MSG)

--Red Monkey Seasonings (www.RedMonkeyFoods.com)
Their seasonings are made to be used after cooking for an extra taste treat. Several flavors to pick from: BBQ, Cajun,Charbroiled, Southwest Flavors. No MSG. Wondermous make-you-sigh flavors.

Next, I'm going to try this with cooked or canned chickpeas, black beans, and all kinds of other cooked beans...if you beat me to it, please tell me your results!

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

This recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #4 HOW TO COOK AND LIVE LIKE A REAL CAJUN: Jazz Up Your Kitchen Without Setting Your Mouth On Fire. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

The panther that wouldn't die...

2007-06-25T01:04:00.001-05:00

I was about to call it a day from working the "back forty", and was thoroughly exhausted... It was pretty near slap dark, and there just beyond the dark edge of the swampy side of the woods, was the biggest panther I'd ever seen. Why, its evil eyes were glowing, and it was crouched ready to spring.

I fired my shotgun, and saw that I made a clean kill, for the panther fell dead where it stood... Cautiously, I ventured closer to find....

I had made toothpicks outta an overturned roots-up kinda stump with my shotgun. The evil eyes turned out to be the last rays of muted sunlight filtering between some of the roots...I was so sure it was the old panther that had been prowling the property like clockwork...

That was the first and last case of mistaken identity I ever made with a firearm. A memorable lesson learned.

Make your own mosquito dope

2007-06-24T18:06:00.000-05:00

A homemade alcohol or vinegar tincture of Catnip works great for repelling the skeeters. Catnip is super easy to grow and it readily re-seeds itself for another crop of leaves and stems for next year. It is also good for a lot of other things too...a must-have on my homestead.

Heh. I recently read that some scientifical study or another indicated that some compounds in the catnip is as effective as DEET!

Catnip skeeter dope is easy to make. Here's how to do it:

Chop fresh leaves, stems. Put into a blender with just enough rubbing alcohol (or vinegar) to cover. Whiz it good. Pour the mess into a clean glass jar. Cover, keep in a dark location (or put the jar into a paper bag). For two weeks, shake twice a day, if you can remember it. Strain, pour into clean bottles. I put mine into spray bottles.

Before offering your body as a blood sacrifice when venturing outdoors, spray the catnip tincture onto exposed areas. It will buy you a few hours of nearly mosquito-free time. Reapply as needed.

I'm a believer in catnip spray and a diet that is big in B-Complex rich foods (plus extra B-Complex vitamins). Something about them that mosquitoes hate...

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 #2: HOW TO MAKE HOME REMEDIES THAT REALLY WORK. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

On courage...

2007-06-22T14:01:00.001-05:00

"Courage is being scared to death, and saddling up anyway." --John Wayne

"The death of fear is in doing what you fear to do." --Sequiche Comingdeer

"A coward dies a thousand deaths; a brave man dies but one."

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly."

"How to make something that is difficult, easier: Don't do it less--Do it more."

"You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to discourage him."

"When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there."

"Courage is fear that has said its prayers."

"The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us."

"People who lack courage think with their legs."

"A testimony is what's left after the test."

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal."

Courage, according to Maya Angelou: "I think you develop it the same way you cook... You don't start off with Beef Wellington. You start off with a hard-boiled egg, then an omlet. Before you know it, you're doing a frittata!"

What love means: a collection of children's sayings

2007-06-22T13:47:00.000-05:00

These gems were found in "Lil Bits and Pieces", an Oklahoma based newspaper.

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate." --Nikka, age 6

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth." --Billy, age 4

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." --Terri, age 4

"There are two kinds of love. Our love. God's love. But God makes both kinds of them." -- Jenny, age 8

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day."
--Noell, age 7

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."--Karen, age 8

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." --Lauren, age 4

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." --Jessica, age 8

Thoughts on rural America in times of crisis...

2007-06-22T13:34:00.002-05:00

Unfortunate, out-of-my-hands kind of circumstances found me trapped near Ground Zero, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast during Hurricane Katrina. I weathered the storm in an area generally known for its friendliness and charming hospitality.

After the hurricane, I emerged into a totally changed world. All the old rules didn't apply anymore. Nothing was as it should be. As if the devastation weren't enough, I saw some of the darkest anarchy I ever dreamed would be possible in the otherworldly polite pre-Katrina society.

True, there were places where there was no anarchy to speak of, but rather a walking-dead kind of numbness, an unreal-ness to it all. Nothing even remotely like this had ever happened before.

What really struck me, was the suddenness of the looting and brutality. As the hurricane winds stilled, something else evil and palpable was stirring. I can almost pinpoint the loosening of it...just as soon as people realized there were no real boundaries, little to no law-and-order, or communication...that's when anarchy quicky broke loose in places. It wasn't just a case of food and water deprivation. It started long before that.

Armed-to-the-teeth thugs and looters are not far behind any major crisis, anywhere. They are equal opportunity workers. Some are highly organized and brutally efficient, and wait for opportunities such as this.

For a week, gunfire could be heard in pockets here and there all along Katrina's path. Communications were next to impossible, radio/cell towers were down, gasoline to escape was scarce or non-existent in many places. No police (did the hurricane blow them all away?)...no law and order! Funny thing, after Katrina passed, just when I thought it just can't get much worse than this...then even more pockets of anarchy popped up here and there...these were insults to injury. Looting, murder, rapes, beatings, you name it...a man shooting his sister over a bag of ice... In places, the anarchy was totally senseless!

I saw first hand just how transparent the skin of polite society really is...even in rural America! It's NOT just about big cities, you know.

On the other hand, many neighborhoods banded together and organized armed street patrols to protect themselves, family and friends (and their homes if they still had one). Some of those without guns grabbed knives and baseball bats.

At first, the more visibly organized neighborhoods had almost no trouble with gangs and looters. It was like an oasis...folks helping one another in many ways. Things were fine, as long as food and water were abundant. As time wore on, and supplies stretched thin, things changed...

I will say this: if a widespread crisis is given the opportunity to last longer than a few weeks (or months), even the nicest, most helpful and organized neighborhoods won't be so warm and fuzzy anymore, as soon as food and water supplies start to become scarce in a prolonged crisis.

Count on it.

Edited on June 14, 2008 to add author's note:

I had a recent convos with someone who misunderstood my intentions with this article. She thought that I was trying to paint Katrina in Mississippi as a 'worse than it really was' Jericho-style anarchy situation. Although I have not heard any other viewpoints like hers from anyone else, I suspect that if one person spoke up, surely there might be more. If so, then maybe I need to clarify a few points:

1. In a severe crisis situation, given the right ingredients, things may suddenly turn ugly in places you think not.

2. In places where neighbors banded together, it was an oasis of law and order that was most unattractive to looters.

3. When supplies stretch thin enough, the' warm fuzzy kittens and rainbows' pictures will begin to fade, even in the most helpful and organized of neighborhoods.

4. Like the saying goes, "When the SHTF it will not be distributed evenly". In some rural areas, there were small pockets of lawlessness scattered in Katrina's path. This article is a snapshot of what some of them looked like. This is NOT to paint Mississippi in a bad light, nor to paint the entire tri-state area as a lawless wasteland. Violent trouble certainly did erupt in places in Louisiana, and to a lesser degree, Mississippi and Alabama because of loss of vital communication, and lack of law and order (either uniformed or in the form of neighborhood patrols).

On the brighter side of the coin, Katrina and many other disasters show many people everywhere pulling together with a community spirit that is most heartwarming. If you are well prepared, then you can be an asset to your family and possibly your community.

My entire point of this article is for people to see a need to prepare for the possibility of having to deal with sudden anarchy situations (be it large or small ones), where you live or work. Please don't be too smug or complacent about your disaster preps in this regard.

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/

Jambalaya-ya-ya!

2007-06-22T04:53:00.001-05:00

First, here's a little video to get you in the mood for some kicking Jambalaya. Wow! can you believe a four year old kid can sing and dance like that? Oh hey, check out those cool moves, too. If you're on pokey-slow dial-up internet connection like I am, I can guarantee that the long wait will be worth your while. Enjoy your Jambalaya!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQPEsa5e7K0&mode=related&search
Please pull up the Hunter Hayes "Jambalaya on the Bayou" video.
By the way, I am not sending my readers to any other links that may be on the same page. Link advisory: some sites may contain tasteless or downright raunchy You Tube videos that is sure ruin your appetite for good food.

This is a book excerpt from my handbook series:
Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #4 HOW TO COOK AND LIVE LIKE A REAL CAJUN: Jazz Up Your Kitchen Without Setting Your Mouth On Fire

JAMBALAYA, the story and the recipe

For those of you who are not familiar with this kind of cooking, first things first:

South Louisiana cooking has become popular because of the wonderfully complex flavors that come from a blending of French, Spanish, Native American, Caribbean, African and other cooking cultures. It is highly adaptable to a wide range of ingredient substitutions, making it one of the most economical cooking styles around.

If you leave out any of what is known as the "holy trinity" (chopped onions, bell pepper and celery, sauteed in a small amount of oil), you have left out a little bit of the soul of Louisiana cooking. Some, like me, like to throw the "Pope" (garlic) into the pot (I suppose I coulda worded that better).

This Jambalaya recipe reflects some of my heritage: French/Native American/los Islenos Spanish. When my mother's mother's side of the family (early los Islenos, also known as Spanish Canary Island Settlers) came to the New Orleans area in the 1700s, they brought the recipes for their wonderful paella. Since all the ingredients could not be found in the area, they "made do" with what they found. Oysters, shrimp, crab, chicken, duck, alligator, crawfish, etc. replaced the clams and mussels called for in the original recipes. A long time ago, the locals around New Orleans called these improvised recipes of the los Islenos, "Jambon a la yaya". Yaya is the African word for rice. Now it is called Jambalaya, and it is delicious!

Now that you know one of the stories behind it, here's a good Jambalaya recipe. Save a bundle on the commercially boxed version that is sold nowadays.

PureCajunSunshine's JAMBALAYA (meat or meatless)

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 lb (or more) boneless & skinless meat (any kind will do: chicken breasts, rabbit, turtle, deer, alligator or just about anything that don't eat you first)

12 ounces (or more) your favorite smoked sliced sausage (I like to use Andouille, which is a delicious South Louisiana sausage that is perfect for seasoning old-time Jambalayas, Gumbos and Red Beans & Rice. Not to be confused with the continental French "andouillette", which is a tripe sausage(yuck). A good quality Keilbasa sausage may be used instead.

If going no-meat, use 4 - 6 cups cooked black-eyed peas or black beans, or 2 or 3 cans of storebought'en. Whatever you use, make sure it is flavorful and seasoned well.

1 medium-large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small-medium bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
(beginner cooks: a clove is a single "toe" taken from the main
bunch)
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with the juice
a few dashes (about a teaspoon)of your favorite hot pepper
sauce (preferably Louisiana hot sauce)
2 tablespoons or more of your favorite cooking oil
1 1/2 cups of water (or stock/bouillion for extra flavor)
salt & pepper to taste
4 to 6 cups hot cooked rice
1/2 - 1 teaspoon Cajun spice blend, more or less, to taste

Cajun spice blends are found in groceries almost everywhere in Southern America nowadays, because a good thing is hard to hide...(Just curious, is it available in Northern states??) For our friends in other lands, a recipe for a famous Cajun seasoning blend will follow Jambalaya recipe.

Nice touches, if you have it: 1 teaspoon filé powder (powdered Sassafras leaf, and pronounced FEE-lay); 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato sauce/spread (such as Classico brand or something similar; 1 cup fresh green onion tops, chopped. The filé powder and green onion tops are added at the very end of cooking. Wild edibles such as chickweed, cattail roots, violet leaves, etc. can be added to Jambalaya.

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a large, heavy dry pan over medium-high heat. Cast iron is always good. Add a very tiny amount of cooking oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add sliced sausage. Cook until browned (about 30 minutes). At this point it is ok if some of the browning sausage (and added meat) sticks to the bottom of the pot. This will give the Jambalaya extra flavor and a nice brown color. Remove sausage, keeping the drippings in the pan for next step. Cut chicken (or whatever meat you have on hand)into half-inch pieces and brown in remaining oil. Return sausage to pan and add onion, celery, garlic and peppers. Cook over medium heat until the the vegetables are almost tender. Add tomatoes and their juice, along with a cup of water (or stock/bouillion). Stir well. If you have bits of meat stuck to the pot, remove from heat and allow to cool a little. Work the bits loose with a large spoon. Return to heat, turned low. Add Cajun spices and hot sauce, stir well, cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on taste preferences or time allowance. Add cooked rice, stir well and heat through.

For a one-dish meal, I sometimes add a bit of cooked okra, collard, mustard or turnip greens (leftover or canned), canned corn, black beans, etc. Adjust your seasonings according to the amount of extra veggies or beans that have been added.

MAKE YOUR OWN CAJUN SEASONING:

Here is a recipe for Emeril's Bayou Blast. This homemade version is not as complex as the commercial version, but it'll do:

2 1/2 T. paprika
2 T salt
2 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 T black pepper
1 T cayenne pepper powder
1 T oregano, dried and crumbled fine
1 T thyme, dried and crumbled fine

Combine all ingredients, mix well. Pour into a clean salt shaker.
Use on just about anything. Sprinkle generously before cooking.

This recipe is from Tony Chachere's Cajun Country Cookbook:

Tony Chachere's All-Purpose Creole Seasoning

1 box (26-oz) Morton's free flowing salt
1 box (1 1/2 oz) ground black pepper
1 bottle (2-oz) ground red pepper
1 bottle (1-oz)pure garlic powder
1 bottle (1-oz) chili powder
1 carton (1-oz) Monosodium glutamate (Accent)

Mix well and use like salt. When it's salty enough, it's "seasoned to perfection". Use generously on everything.

Tips: To season seafood use half of the above mixture and add:

1 tsp powdered thyme
1 tsp bay leaf
1 tsp sweet basil

Ça c'est bon! (that's good!),
PureCajunSunshine

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

This recipe is an excerpt from Mrs. Tightwad's Handbook #4 HOW TO COOK AND LIVE LIKE A REAL CAJUN: Jazz Up Your Kitchen Without Setting Your Mouth On Fire. For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

Be content with the little things

2007-06-22T02:40:00.000-05:00

Enjoy the little things
for one day you may
look back and realize
they were the big things.