Elizabeth Horsley

Even when I get a regular tissue paper pattern, I trace it onto other tissue paper because I don't want to mess up the original. Cutting and taping paper patterns is a pain, but at least I know that I always have a digital backup.

I have a fancy paper cutter that's meant for scrapbooking, which I use to trim the edges on PDF patterns. It helps a lot.

I was poking around Amazon for resources on canning when I found a book on dry mixes. It had things like biscuit mix and dehydrated soup mixes. I previewed it, and I was about to buy it when I noticed another book on the suggestions list with the same name and a different cover. A search for dry mix cookbooks revealed dozens of books about dry mixes with slightly different covers. My AI siren went off.

Do any of you have suggestions for a good, tried-and-true dry mix cookbook? I like the idea of having some jars of dehydrated meals on the shelf where I just have to add water for busy days.

Here is the original book that I found: https://www.amazon.com/Super-Easy-Pantry-Cookbook-Budget-Friendly/dp/B0GTHL6JXM/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.heTOafJpc03UnXQx09cc1WvGSIf1o_PaAIb95TkRNCJaqOTLE_WTpYF2rXdd2NAah0o9mgRCnQLx7XfxoHxaRle1zUGmJO2s5OiE1RR3R2rjQAmuoxw7lciEFSJwxKWQmsMOBMCT06enku5xFuONIYdM_HlsnWhK0h0Gd6Bgd_7uCLCYf0meMql5XHHOIPWDdzODr53x6oGqTRgNsAh6GyP2tX-oAtgcQmpdpEB6GLg.3y7eRJvwoQiZN3pJKLXB--JE2Vpq-si8754Aot_hsPI&qid=1781112427&sr=8-6-spons

I have wild grapes too. I want to use the leaves to make dolmas, kind of a meat and rice grape leaf wrap from Greece and surrounding area. I just haven't put in the research to make it happen yet. I love ordering them at our favorite Greek restaurant though.

I don't think anyone has mentioned caulk yet. I had to rip out a shower due to a caulk fail that got out of hand. If the mold is growing around/in the caulk, the old caulk needs to be removed and redone. There's no good way to clean it once the mold has gotten into the caulk. There are various grades of caulk, some meant to last longer than others. The one you want should say 100% silicone somewhere on the bottle.

The nice thing about a crocheted washcloth is that it can be very wonky and still work for its intended purpose. If I'm teaching a friend to crochet, that's usually the project I start with. Hopefully, that brings the intimidation level down.

For beginner yarn recommendations, a lot of people start with acrylic yarn because it's cheap, easy to find, and easy to work with. However, acrylic yarn is made of plastic and the washcloth BB specifically says to use natural material. You'll be better off using a cotton yarn like this: https://www.walmart.com/browse/arts-crafts-sewing/yarn/lily-sugar-n-cream/1334134_7780827/YnJhbmQ6TGlseSBTdWdhciiduIENyZWFt. It's also very easy to find, cheap, and easy to work with. 100% cotton will give you a better result for your washcloth and be BB compliant.

Jay Angler wrote:

R West wrote:Uh... thin the herd of cats? (Distasteful but...?)

I have a friend who's a naturalist and professional bird photographer*. He would totally vote for live trapping and handing them over to the authorities. They kill huge numbers of song birds which are in huge decline due to loss of habitat, food supply, environmental toxins and diseases like bird flu.

It would be interesting to know how many of those female feral cats have been neutered? If the answer is "none of the them", it makes control a more pressing issue. Simply chasing them off your property, won't solve the overall pressure.


*http://www.naturalimagescanada.ca/  - warning, gorgeous bird pictures that will suck you in...

Second this! I love my two indoor cats, but outside cats roaming the neighborhood are an invasive species. I spoke with my city's animal services a while back and they said they would come pick up a cat if I trapped it for them first. They then make sure the cat is spayed/neutered and make the owner pay a fee or adopt them out to a new person. I might have more hesitation if my city had to euthanize unadopted pets, but that's a separate issue.

Could you pre-make the meals and take them? When we go camping, I do every possible step I can at home which usually amounts to everything but the cooking. That would reduce excess packaging/food cut-offs and make it easier to whip something up for your family and relatives.

I'm thinking of purchasing a small portable rocket stove such as this one: https://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Portable-Burning-Camping-backyard/dp/B0BZ4D72QF/ref=sr_1_4?crid=11NGT4XKC6HP7&keywords=rocket+stove&qid=1692144338&sprefix=rocket+stove%2Caps%2C505&sr=8-4 or this one: https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Camping-Portable-Chamber-Carrying/dp/B0B55MZ3ST/ref=sr_1_8?crid=11NGT4XKC6HP7&keywords=rocket+stove&qid=1692144338&sprefix=rocket+stove%2Caps%2C505&sr=8-8

My goals would be to:
1. Cook grain on it and be able to finish the cooking PEP badge. I'm already confident cooking on an open fire.
2. Have it as a backup cooking implement for SHTF. I live in north Texas and S indeed HTF a couple of years ago.
3. Fun with friends cooking stuff on the back porch.

I'm not familiar with RM stoves. Is something like this worth my time to experiment with? Is it likely to just fall apart on me? How cheap and easy would it be for a newbie to construct a small RM stove so it's not worth buying one?

For this BB, I used the Almond Flour pizza crust linked in the first post: https://comfybelly.com/2010/08/cheese-bread-and-pie-crust/

Harvest, dry, and store one of the following for a tea, infusion, or decoction:
https://permies.com/p/1465996
Create an infusion (hot or cold) of one of the following (fresh or dried):
https://permies.com/p/1431272
Create a decoction of one of the following (fresh or dried):
https://permies.com/p/1909109
Create a tincture of one of the following (fresh or dried):
https://permies.com/p/1560389
Create a vinegar infusion of one of the following (fresh or dried):
https://permies.com/p/1874980
Create an oil infusion of one of the following (fresh or dried):
https://permies.com/p/1559739
Create syrup or gummies from one of the following (fresh or dried):
https://permies.com/p/1560384
Create a salve from one of the following (fresh or dried):
https://permies.com/p/1875181
Create a poultice of one of the following (fresh or dried):
https://permies.com/p/1466618