Well how do you do!

We're off to a flying start today! Grab your goggles, fasten your seat belt, and prepare to be propped...up!!! This Week's Sponsor: The Prepper Shaker: Top 10 Reasons Why The Future of America Depends on Survivalists & Preppers There has been a lot of derogatory talk lately about "preppers" and "survivalists" ... Read full article here. From the Funny Farm: The Plane Truth A Prepper, a Preacher and a Politician are flying in a bush plane over Alaska. There are 3 parachutes on board. Suddenly the plane has engine trouble and the pilot says, "Sorry guys, we're going down and I've got a wife and kids who need me. He graps one of the parachutes, opens the door, and jumps. The Politician grabs the next one and says, "I'm one of the elite--the smartest people in the world. You are just riff-raff and deserve to die." And out he goes. The Preacher then says to the Prepper, "You go ahead, son. I've lived a good life and I'm ready to meet my Maker." "Not yet," says the Prepper. "That guy who just left, one of the 'smartest people in the world,' took my go bag!" Prep Talk: Dry It. You'll Like It! Drying foods in-home is the simplest, least expensive and most fascinating method of food preservation. Dried food products normally keep longer, cost less to prepare, and take less storage space. Since food drying uses lower temperatures than canning, almost all of the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes are retained intact. As a bonus, dried foods are full of fiber, have no refined sugars added, and have concentrated amounts of naturally occurring nutrients, sugars and flavors. Drying may be done in the sun, in an oven, or in an electric home dehydrator. Families without hungry children or nosy pets may be able to use heating ducts or furnace rooms as heat sources, or the tops of counters and open spaces. In earlier times, the sun was the prime heat source for drying. I remember in my youth picking, preparing, paring, slicing, dicing and laying out the fruits and vegetables on wood frames with cheesecloth. This was the family's evening entertainment as we listened to The Green Hornet, The Shadow, and The Gene Autrey Show. I also recall that it was doubly entertaining for my grandmother--she got a kick out of seeing us work! It was indeed worth the work when she cooked up some great vittles from the pantry in the cold of winter! Dehydrated foods reconstitute in minutes by simply soaking in water or adding to a soup, casserole, or other recipe. The Quick Guides in Making the Best of Basics provide details for drying and rehydrating each type of fruit and vegetable. You'll find more about dehydrating and using dehydrated foods, as well as many listings of equipment dealers and suppliers online at: http://PreparednessMarketPlace.com http://PreparednessYellowPages.com For more information, monthly updates, detailed preparedness coaching, downloads, and exclusives, go to: http://www.BePrepared101.com Parting Shot: A golfer drove his tee shot onto an anthill. After many swings he demolished the anthill, but still had not hit the ball. At this point one of the two ants still alive turned to the other ant and said, "If we're going to survive, we'd better get on the ball!" * * * * * The Prepper-Upper is published weekly by James Talmage Stevens, Publisher Author of Making the Best of Basics: the all-new and updated 11th edition. Editor: Sharon Iezzi Subscribe to The Prepper-Upper by Email * * * * * If you find this information valuable, please pass it on to a friend. Your comments are always welcome! © 2009 All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You may NOT copy and distribute any portion of this blog for commercial purposes without written permission. Mail requests to: ready2prepare @ gmail.com

'Ya Gotta Start Somewhere!

You've taken the leap. Congratulations! Thanks for hopping by... This Week's Sponsor: TheReadyStore Getting Prepared: What's in YOUR Pantry? Several decades ago just about every home had a walk-in pantry adjacent to the kitchen. Back then the economy was primarily rural. People grew, preserved and stored most of their own food. It took at least a full day just to travel to the nearest store to purchase provisions. In those days a well-stocked pantry usually meant the difference between living well and living poorly, or even starving to death. The need for a well-stocked pantry hasn't changed; but nowadays, people in the more technologically advanced areas of the world generally depend on and expect the vast global network of supermarkets, superstores and convenience stores to provide that well-stocked pantry for them. And most of the time this public "walk-in pantry" system works just fine. However ... Read full article here. From the Funny Farm: Q & A Q. What do prepared cannibals eat most often? A. Prepper steak. Q. What do you call a well-prepared 3 day old fox? A. A 72 hour kit. Prep Talk: Cache for Cluckers We live in a town where having chickens in the city limits is prohibited--or was--until my husband and I successfully demonstrated to members of our town council that our 6 hens and one rooster could be discreetly kept in a backyard coop and fenced yard with responsible care. Each morning I remove the night's droppings from the coop floor, and each evening I clean up the chicken yard using my very own chicken "pooper scooper." I find that keeping chickens in town requires about as much work as keeping small dogs, but with one BIG difference: My pets make me breakfast! In return for about an hour's work each day I get lots of fresh eggs, free entertainment and fertilizer for the garden. Such a deal! As for the rooster: I've trained him to do his crowing inside the coop, which muffles the sound considerably. He almost never crows during the day because he's learned that crowing outside gets him put inside...fast. If you're thinking about creating your own "cache for cluckers," now's the time! We did it in our own backyard on an 80x120 foot city lot located just a block and a half from city hall, and so can you. * * * * * The Prepper-Upper is published weekly by James Talmage Stevens, author of Making the Best of Basics: the all-new and updated 11th edition. Editor: Sharon Iezzi Subscribe to The Prepper-Upper by Email * * * * * If you find this information valuable, please pass it on to a friend. Your comments are always welcome! © 2009 All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You may NOT copy and distribute any portion of this blog for commercial purposes without written permission. Mail requests to: ready2prepare @ gmail.com

Welcome to the Prepper-Upper!

Are you a prepper? You might be if you:

• Grow a kitchen garden.
  
• Have a well-stocked root cellar and/or walk-in pantry.
  
• Buy food and household supplies by the case when they're on sale.
  
• Keep chickens in your backyard (legally or otherwise).
  
• Wear a Swiss Army Knife or Multi-Tool on your belt even at church.
  
• Carry a first-aid kit in your purse.
  
• Find it difficult to move about in your garage because it's packed with camping gear and survival supplies.
  
• Know what a "Go Bag" is and have at least one handy.
  
• Own the latest edition of James Talmage Stevens'
  Making the Best of Basics.
  

The Prepper-Upper is published weekly by
James Talmage Stevens and Sharon Iezzi.

Subscribe to The Prepper-Upper by Email