September 3, 2010 | Posted by Mark Z
If you don’t already compost household scraps, you should start now! Most homes I know have a compost bucket handy, somewhere near the trash and/or garbage bins. Recently, we had a “Doh!” moment when we heard a suggestion to improve home composting that should be glaringly obvious, but isn’t.
A friend told us that he lines his compost bucket with a couple of sheets of newspaper. This creates a clean barrier between the compost and the bucket, so that when the time comes to empty the bucket in the compost bin, everything falls out neatly and easily!
We’ve always taken a spatula with us to the compost pile so that we can scrape the bucket bottom clean. This works, but only just. If I take the walk, but forget the spatula, I end up searching for a stick that’s strong enough for the job. With a newspaper liner, that’s all done, neatly and cleanly, and I like it!
The newspaper should be shredded for most efficient composting, but a couple of whole sheets, well saturated with compost juices, will not cause problems. Any of it that hasn’t deteriorated soon gets mixed in anyway.
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Mark Zeiger is a regular contributor to The Self Reliance Exchange. He and his family homestead off the grid in Southeast Alaska. Learn more about their life through their photos and blog at www.akzeigers.com.
Categories: hints and tips | 
Tags: composting, easy composting, how to make compost, self reliance | 
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September 2, 2010 | Posted by Clair Schwan
Here are five techniques for indirect grilling that you can use alone or in combination to make your adventures in barbecuing a bit easier, and give yourself a better chance of success.
An example of indirect grilling of chicken thighs using techniques 1 and 2. Place food away from the heat source and on the upper rack.
1. Heat one portion of the grill and cook on the other. Whether you’re piling coals on one side of the barbecue or using just one of the burners on your gas grill, placing food on the opposite side provides distance from the food and also eliminates flare up from fats because they won’t be dripping directly on a source of ignition.
2. Use the upper rack to put some distance between your food and the hot coals or burners.
3. Provide less intense heat to your food by distributing coals more thinly or turning the burners down to the lower setting.
4. Move food around the grill to alternate between direct heat and indirect heat, spending less time direct over the source of heat and more time in places that are heated indirectly. This is a bit labor intensive, but allows you to check regularly on the cooking progress of your food.
Achieve indirect grilling by switching between active burners. Here the left is off and the right is on.
5. Alternate burners when using a gas grill with dual burners. Keep your food centered over one burner, and then alternate which burner is operating. Operate the burner under the food less often, and the other burner more often. I prefer this approach as it minimizes moving the food. To eliminate the need to relight the grill, simply turn on the burner that was left idle and let it catch fire before turning off the one you were using.
Any of these techniques for indirect grilling can be used alone or in combination for successful grilling of meats and vegetables. Try them out and see which ones work best for your approach to outdoor cooking. When you gain some experience and become quite skilled at this, you’ll enjoy delicious grilled meals that are the envy of the average person using a grill.
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Clair Schwan loves to cook on the grill. He recognizes that some of his fellow men view grilling as he does – a type of dangerous fun. He also knows that there is no sense cooking on the grill unless you’re skilled at bringing out the charm of grilled foods in the results you achieve.
Categories: cooking and recipes | Tags: cooking on the grill, grilled foods, grilling, indirect grilling, self reliance | 1 Comment »
September 2, 2010 | Posted by Glory Lennon
Now to discuss the controversy over weeds in the compost pile. If you’ve been following this Build a Compost Pile series, you’ll know I left this one for near last because it is likely to cause a fury and I may not survive intact! If I do manage to survive, however, I will continue with a few more compost articles.
Weeds, weeds! Gardeners hate weeds!
As you may already know, we’ve previously discussed:
An introduction to compost
Common misconceptions
Placement
Aesthetics
What goes in, what stays out
Perfect size
Optimal conditions
My goodness, I never knew a garden controversy so intense as this one. Seems like a no-brainer but I suppose that’s just me. Don’t even know why there would be a question. Well, actually I do. Thus, we shall talk it over logically and see what we can do about it.
Purpose of the compost pile
As every gardener should know, the purpose of the compost pile is to have a place to put your garden waste. This garden waste decomposes and becomes compost, a wonderful nutrient rich additive for your garden. This garden waste can be tree branches, spent flowers, grass clippings, pine cones, hay, straw, wood chips, shrub trimmings, autumn leaves and….hold on to your horses, folks….weeds. Yes, weeds should go into the compost pile.
Where else are they to go?
Don’t know about you, but weeds make up the biggest part of my compost pile. So, it would behoove me (and you too, I’d say) to place the weeds in the compost pile, where they can disintegrate into something a bit more useful. What would be the alternative? Landfills, which, as we all know, have got enough to be going on with without your weeds going there too.
The trouble with weeds
It isn’t entirely clear if people understand the reasoning behind the “No weeds in the compost” crusade. The fear is that tossing weeds into the compost pile will make the compost “bad”. They fear weed seeds will infect the finished compost, and in turn their gardens. This is, in fact, a true concern, but one easily fixed.
Segregation
If you are so afraid of weed seeds infecting your finished compost, and you don’t really like the idea of paying Waste Management to haul the weeds away, then you might want to consider having a second compost pile just for them. Yes, segregate the weeds from the other garden waste and then don’t use that weedy compost in the garden. Only use the compost made with no weeds. You could always give away the weedy compost to someone who needs fill, or you could just let it sit there until it vanishes completely. Yes, it is a bit wasteful, no pun intended, but there you go.
Some like it hot
On the other hand, if you want to be able to fix the weedy compost, there is a trick. Kill the weed seeds. To kill weed seeds in the compost pile, you just have to ensure the pile is cooking very hot. To do this, you’ll have to invest in a compost thermometer and check the temperature of the compost pile. A pile that reaches 110-160 degrees F is supposed to be hot enough for the elimination of weed seeds.
Cool compost, bad compost?
So, what are you to do if you have a less than hot cooking compost pile? Does that mean your finished compost is not usable? Not at all. You can still kill any weed seeds within the finished compost. It’ll just take a few extra steps, but they are worth it, to eliminate all that future weeding.
Spread your finished compost out, either on a sheet of black plastic, in a wheel barrow or in flats in a greenhouse, water it nicely as if you have just planted seeds in it and let the weeds seeds germinate.
Once seedlings emerge ( it’ll take a week or two at best), simply stir the compost around to bury the seedlings again. If you want to be absolutely certain of a weed free compost, do this a second and third time until all weed seeds have germinated and then eliminated. Your finished compost is now weed free and quite usable.
Controversy no more?
Have I succeeded in banishing this “No weeds in the compost” controversy? Perhaps and perhaps not. But no matter. I did try and each gardener is to do what he/she feels best for their own garden. I, for one, will continue to use the compost pile as it was intended, for the elimination of garden waste, including weeds.
This posting is partially “borrowed” from Glory’s original article “How to Make Compost” found at Helium.com.
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Glory Lennon learned the not-so-fine art of composting at a very young age from her father who used to toss garden waste behind the tool shed and seemingly make magic happen. To this day, Glory believes true magic can be found only in the garden. For more whimsical musing from the garden visit GreenThumbArticles.com and Glory’s Garden.
Categories: waste disposal | Tags: build a compost pile, composting, controversy over weeds in the compost pile, how to make compost, self reliance | No Comments »
September 1, 2010 | Posted by Joan Crain
I hope you are enjoying your garden harvest as much as I am. Since my tomato plants have exploded and are ripening at an accelerated pace, I’m trying several new recipes to avoid having to just bottle them.
I tried this recipe for tomato soup and it is scrumptious, so I thought I would share it.
Herbed Tomato Soup
1/4 c. olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
6-8 peeled and coarsely chopped tomatoes
1 6-oz. can tomato paste or 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbs. snipped Basil or 1 tsp dried
2 tsp snipped fresh Thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp Oregano
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
2-3 Tbs. sugar
1/8 tsp pepper
4 c. chicken bouillon
Sauté diced onions in olive oil until transparent and soft. Put all ingredients in a large pot, cover and bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 30-40 minutes. Place soup mixture in blender or use a stick blender to puree. Put through a food strainer if desired to eliminate seeds.
If desired, thicken with Roux or corn starch. Add heavy cream or half-and-half to desired taste. Garnish with parmesan cheese or sour cream.
This soup can be the base for delicious variations such as, adding meat of your choice and other vegetables from your garden. I’m going to add some broccoli, corn, carrots and squash along with some beef for a yummy beef stew.
Since this recipe makes quite a lot of soup, I poured it into smaller containers and put them in the freezer for savoring at a later time.
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Growing a vegetable garden and using the produce to implement food storage is a goal Joan strives for at home and on her web site, Family Survival Planning.
Categories: cooking and recipes | Tags: cooking and recipes, cooking from scratch, self reliance | 1 Comment »
September 1, 2010 | Posted by DDFD
Before-- Good, But Rusty Tools
Here is another DIY Quick Tip: Find Other Jobs to Use Up Extra Paint. Let’s face it– outside of touch-ups, extra paint is a waste. I always look for ways to use up extra paint from one job, on another job.
Storing paint can be done by:
- Sealing the can well
- Storing the can upside down to keep air out
However, it is smarter to use the paint before it goes bad.
I recently had a small can of paint left over from a small job and decided that I had some outdoor tools that could benefit from a touch up and the protection of a coat of paint. Three of the tools were yard sale finds that needed a refresher, one was an old, but well used tool:
- Shovel
- Pitchfork
- Splitting wedge (I need a new handle for this $3 wedge I bought at a yard sale recently).
- Axe (Several seasons of hard use had removed most of the paint)
These tools benefited from leftover paint.
After-- Refreshed Thanks to Extra, Leftover Paint
I recently found four nice, wrought iron Tiki torch holders at the dump– rejuvenating them will finish this can of paint off for me.
Use up that extra paint!
Look for more DIY Quick Tips here at the Self Reliance Exchange . . . If you have any questions or would like to see a particular topic, drop us a comment below.
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DDFD (DivorcedDadFrugalDad) believes that self reliance and self sufficiency are the roads to individual freedom. He is dedicated to living a quality life through Frugality, personal growth, development, and productivity, and Defensive Entrepreneurship. On weekends, he can be found in front of the BBQ grill.
Categories: DIY | Tags: DIY quick tip, do it yourself, hints and tips, self reliance | No Comments »
August 31, 2010 | Posted by Clair Schwan
Every Day Carry kit - just how effective would this really be?
I’ve seen these every day carry videos where guys explain what they carry every day as part of their preparedness for emergencies. You may have seen something like this as well. It’s questionable in my mind whether any of this stuff will be of use. Whether it’s a small tin full of stuff, or something similar, it really makes me wonder what some of these people are thinking.
The every day carry videos often show us a button compass, matches, fish hooks, snare wire, fishing line, razor blades, 1/4 of a hack saw blade, a couple water purification tablets, a miniature magnifying glass, some needles and thread, a tiny candle and a miniature folding knife. To be sure, it’s a lot of different kinds of things crammed into a very small package, but I have to wonder what good all of this will be in a real emergency. Even if I were thrown into the middle of a tornado ravaged countryside, I could find more useful things for survival amongst the debris strewn everywhere than I might be able to carry in a small every day carry tin that is no larger than my back pocket.
I’m all for being prepared, but I suggest a little realism be inserted here. How about we temper what we carry each day on our person with basic analysis, careful planning and clear thinking? Like, what are the threats to our well being, how might we respond, and what will really be needed but clearly unavailable to us in various scenarios?
Remember, this is stuff you carry every day, like when you’re going to and from your place of employment. Just how far away from home will you be that you’re going to need a compass to find your way around? And, what good will the compass be without a map? Also, in the event of an emergency, will you immediately set about fishing and snaring wild game for something to eat?
I encourage people to be prepared – financially, mentally, physically, emotionally and with respect to basic resources like food, water, fuel, tools and transportation. I also encourage people to think clearly before they start to identify resources that they’ll need in an emergency. This is especially true when it comes to things you’re going to carry on your person every day.
From my perspective, the little tins or pouches that are designated as every day carry, are little more than symbolic gestures. They make the people who carry them feel better about having taken some basic steps in the direction of emergency preparedness, but that’s about it. If you’re going to create your own kit for carrying on your person every day, then do a little thinking about what you might encounter, how you’re likely to respond, what you’ll need, and then get serious about having adequate resources to meet those needs.
In my mind, it’s all about assessing how effective our kit will be in terms of responding to emergencies. After all, if what we do isn’t going to be effective, then why do it in the first place? When it comes to preparedness, we need to be focused on “real good” instead of “feel good.”
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Clair Schwan applauds individuals who are prepared for emergencies. It’s a key part of individual responsibility. Nevertheless, he isn’t at all impressed with a tiny every day carry kit of emergency supplies that wouldn’t satisfactorily outfit G.I. Joe and a couple of his men. He believes if you’re going to be prepared, think it through carefully, and then take action to be prepared in a serious manner, not simply in a way that makes you feel good.
Categories: emergency preparedness | Tags: E.D.C., EDC, every day carry, self reliance, survival gear | No Comments »
August 31, 2010 | Posted by Mark Z
We’ve noticed lately that we go through a lot of shoe and boot laces around here. We see a couple of reasons for this:
- Mass manufactured eyes are more commonly made without attention to quality, leading to rough or sharp edges.
- Cheaper, softer metals used in eyes damage more easily, creating rough edges where none existed before.
- Many laces are now braided, a woven sheath covering a tougher inner core. These cords are only as strong as the sheath; when the sheath breaks or chafes through, the lace becomes practically useless.
As the quality of shoe and boot laces decrease, the price seems to rise. We’ve found a simple way to stop this trend dead: we use mountaineering line for shoe laces.
I figured this out when I needed to replace a frayed starter cord on our gas generator. I found mountaineering line at the sporting goods store; 1/8″ diameter worked for the cord. At less than $10 for 100 feet, it was a cheap solution that worked well, and left me with most of the line left over for other odd jobs around the homestead.
It didn’t take me long to try the cord as bootlace. It’s slightly bigger than many bootlaces, but there’s a rule of thumb in sailing that using the biggest diameter line for the job reduces wear and tear on the line and the equipment. As with sailboats, so with hiking boots, apparently!
Before restringing the boots, I smooth the eyes with a chainsaw sharpening file or fine grit sandpaper. Then I cut laces to length, seal the ends with a flame, and I’m good to go. The cost: about the same as two middle quality pairs of bootlaces off the shelf. I’ll probably get about 16 pairs of laces for that price!
Mountaineering cord is manufactured for strength and durability under extreme conditions. It’ll be a long time before lengths of this line, re-purposed as boot laces, wear out.
This post appeared previously on The Zeiger Family Homestead Blog.
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Mark Zeiger is a regular contributor to The Self Reliance Exchange. He and his family homestead off the grid in Southeast Alaska. Learn more about their life through their photos and blog at www.akzeigers.com.
Categories: frugal living | Tags: how to make your own boot laces, how to make your own shoelaces, self reliance | No Comments »
August 30, 2010 | Posted by Brad Harrington
As discussed last week in “Home Canning: Boiled-Water Canning,” we have filled our jars, placed the lids and bands, and are now ready to process our product.
To process, take the following steps:
- Fill the canner half-full with water, and heat to 180 degrees.
- Place the canning rack on the top of the canner above the hot water.
- With the help of the lifter as needed, place the sealed jars onto the canner rack.
- Once all jars have been placed, lower the canner rack into the water.
- Ensure that the water completely covers all the jars and lids by at least 1 inch but not more than 2 inches. Add more boiling water as needed.
- Put the lid on top of the canner.
Placing Jars Into The Canner
After placing the lid on the canner, bring the water back up to a hard boil, then reduce heat slightly to maintain a gentle rolling boil throughout the processing period.
The processing time, it needs to be noted, will vary according to several factors: what food you are processing, whether it was hot-packed or raw-packed, and the size of the jars. Check your recipe for the proper processing time, as this can vary from 5 to 85 minutes. Also, as with the jar sterilization earlier, remember to add another minute to processing time for every 1,000 feet above sea level.
Set the timer for the necessary processing time and boil away. When the timer goes off, kill the heat and remove the canner lid.
At this point, your jars are ready for removal. Using the jar lifter, remove all the jars from the canner and place on a towel on your countertop. Ensure that you’ve left enough space between the jars (1 to 2 inches) for proper cooling. Allow the jars to cool for 12 to 24 hours.
Product After Processing
Once your home-canning product has cooled, take the following steps:
- Test the lids for a proper vacuum seal by pressing the center of the lid to make sure it is concave.
- Remove the band from the lid and try to gently pry up the lid with your fingertips. If you cannot, you have established a proper vacuum seal. If the lid is not concave or you can lift the lid off with your fingertips, the product has not been properly sealed, and must be either re-processed or used within a few days.
- Wipe off any food residue present on the jars or lids with a damp cloth.
- Label each jar with the date and type of product.
- Store your product in a dark place with a temperature range of 50 to 70 degrees, and use within one year.
Next week: Home canning, pressure-cooker style.
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Bradley Harrington is a former U.S. Marine and a writer who lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming; he blogs at http://www.timeforeverymantostir.blogspot.com.
Categories: food storage | Tags: food storage, home canning, home inventory, preparedness, self reliance | No Comments »
August 30, 2010 | Posted by DDFD
My DIY Fillet and Bait Cutting Board
Here at the Self Reliance Exchange, we love Do-It-Yourself (DIY) projects– here is a DIY fish fillet board or bait board for under $3.00. I was tired of cutting bait in the sand, on a rock, or on my tackle box. I have seen fillet and bait boards in stores for $8-36. I made this board in a matter of minutes, with minimal parts for $2.49 from Home Depot.
Materials needed to make the DIY Fillet and Bait Cutting Board
Here’s what you need:
- Board from the scrap bin at Home Depot $0.51
- Clip made from a clamp $0.99
- Hardware (Nut, bolt, and washers) $0.99
- A drill and drill bits
- A screw driver and wrench
- A ruler
Drill with a countersink to recess the bolt
Match the drill bit to the bolt, then drill the hole
Here’s what to do:
- Measure and mark about 1-2 inches down from end of board and check that your mark is centered
- Drill with a countersink drill bit to recess the screw from the back of the board
- Drill with a regular bit sized to the bolt diameter from the back of the board
- Insert bolt through the board, the clamp, the washer(s), and screw the nut on
- Straighten and tighten the hardware
Put the hardware through and tighten-- you're done!
That’s it! Takes about 10 minutes.
If you want, you could substitute the board with an actual cutting board, but I was keeping it cheap and simple.
The clip makes a good place to store your bait knife. I used the board while fishing on a recent vacation– it worked great. I have posted on making sand spikes (How to Make Your Own Sand Spikes for Surfcasting), next I will show you how to make a fishing priest or club.
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DDFD (DivorcedDadFrugalDad) believes that self reliance and self sufficiency are the roads to individual freedom. He is dedicated to living a quality life through Frugality, personal growth, development, and productivity, and Defensive Entrepreneurship. On weekends, he can be found in front of the BBQ grill.
Categories: DIY, fishing | Tags: bait cutting board, do it yourself, fillet board, fishing, how to, self reliance | No Comments »
August 29, 2010 | Posted by Annie Jean
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about several different options available for those in search of Frugal Phone Service. Since I wrote that post it has come to my attention that there is a new method that enables users to make phone calls to any number in the United States and Canada completely for free!
Google has unveiled a phone service that allows users to call any number in the United States or Canada completely free. This is unlike Skype and other services that only allow you to call other users of their service for free, or MagicJack and Vonage that charge users of their service.
When I discovered this, I was skeptical. To test, I plugged in my daughter’s phone number and, sure enough, her phone rang in the other room!
This service also allows users to hold video chats, provided that both are on the computer using the Google interface and (of course) have the necessary equipment like a webcam.
The one drawback to this service is the fact that only other Google users can call you at this time, because you do not get assigned a dedicated telephone number, but hey, it’s free!
You could use this to phone home if you are out late and your cell phone dies. If you are at work and worried that your boss is listening in on your phone calls. You could even use this service to call the phone company and tell them your traditional (or cell) phone is not working if you had access to an internet connection!
Aside from Skype, this is the only phone service that I have discovered that will work on Linux systems, which gives it an advantage right there. MagicJack users could use this service to return calls left on their MagicJack voicemails without having to reboot into Windows and connect their MagicJack dongles!
Should you decide to explore your frugal phone service options, you may want to visit Google and give their service a try.
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Annie Jean is an expert at frugal and simple living. She challenges herself to live on less than $500 a month. She also encourages us to simplify our lives for efficiency and our own sense of well being.
Categories: communicating, frugal living | Tags: frugality, google voice, magicJack, phone service, skype, vonage | No Comments »
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