So what is it that starts someone on the path to live a more provident life or become a prepper? For me it began shortly after I was married. We were a young couple struggling to make ends meet. We were in entry level jobs and money was tight. After the bills were paid we had very little left.

When I was growing up I had helped in the family garden. I had learned to can food in glass bottles and  to use it in my diet. My wife came from similar stock. So I began to look for a way grow some food to help feed us. I spoke with my landlord and he let me convert a 6 foot by 12 foot plot in front of the apartment into a garden. I planted some tomatoes, peppers, garlic and parsley. It was not a big garden so I could tend it well. The harvest was good that year. and I made several batches of spaghetti sauce. after the processing was finished I counted my bounty and discovered we had 52 pints of sauce. I was very proud of my accomplishment. The number 52 rung a bell in my head and I realised there are 52 weeks in a year. We set in motion the plan to use our sauce once a week for a year. So Tuesday became spaghetti night. Pasta was cheap and easy to prepare and I kept track of the money we saved for the year so we could apply it to some other expense. This was the first step to getting a bit ahead in life, saving some cash for the future. We were also having one meal each week that was made with ingredients we grew and knew were healthy.

How to make my spaghetti sauce.

Ingredients:
30 pounds of tomatoes
1 and 1/2 cups green or red bell peppers
2 cups chopped onions
10 cloves of garlic minced or 2 and 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder.
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons of dried oregano
4 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons of black pepper.

If you want to you can bring a pan of water to a boil and drop the ripe tomatoes into it. Then place them in cold water. This will split the skins and make them come loose. You can then just peal or rub the skins off the tomatoes. This will make for a smoother sauce. I just cut the core out and quarter them into chunks and toss them in the pan. When the process is done there are small curled up bits of tomato skins some people do not like. The flavor is the same.

Be sure to use a non aluminum pan when canning. The acid in the tomato can leach aluminum out of the pan and change the flavor of the sauce. I use a 16 quart stainless steal pan to do mine.

Put all the chopped tomatoes, peppers and onions into the pan. Put the heat on medium to medium high and bring them to a boil. You will need to stir them frequently. When they start to boil turn the heat down to medium and let them boil/simmer for about 6 hours. Note how full the pan is when the tomatoes are all cooking and start to boil. For a normal sauce keep cooking and stirring from time to time till the volume is reduced by 1/3, for a thick sauce keep cooking till the volume is reduced by 1/2. Then take the cooked sauce and run it through a food processor to make it smooth then add the rest of the ingredients. I like the look of the spices in the sauce. If you want a more commercial look add the spices before you run it through a food processor.

Wash 10 pint jars with hot soapy water and rinse. Put 1 teaspoon full of white vinegar in each jar to make sure the acid level is high. Then fill them with the sauce, put the lids and rings on then place jars in a cold packer for 15 minutes. Take out or the cold packer be sure they seal and then store them out of direct sun light. The flavor improves if you wait a week or two before starting to use them.

I'm starting this blog because I want to provide some insight into living a more provident life. People I know have told me I sound like a prepper. So I looked up  preppers on the net and discovered I do have  a lot in common with the preppers. I plan for hard times, I'm working to become self sufficient and to have a safe place to live for the rest of my life. I will be talking about what I have done, what I am doing and what I plan to do. This is the documentation of the things I have learned along the way and continue to learn along my path. I will be making from time to time statements about life, family, religion, politics and whatever I think is important that day. I hope you enjoy the journey with me. I hope what I have to say will help you on your path to have a provident life and to be prepared for what may come along.

How to care for a knife.t

     I was in the thrift store looking at the used cutlery. I was looking for a small knife to take to work to cut fruit, cheese and other food with. The handles were loose, the wood bleached. All the knife handles looked old and dingy. Most of the blades looked near new, I realised that very few people know how to care for a knife. They use it leave it on the counter after they use it and when they do the dishes they toss it in the sink or dishwasher with the rest of the dirty dishes.
     Knifes with wood handles need different care.They should never be submerged in soap and water and left to drown in a sink. The finish will soften, the wood will swell with water and when it drys shrink. This will cause the handle to become lose. Then the knife is on the way to destruction.
     A wood handled knife should be cleaned as soon a you are done using it. It should never be soaked in a sink or placed in a dishwasher. The blade should be wiped clean. The handle needs to be kept dry. The handle can be wiped with a damp cloth. If you clean the knife as soon as you use it the handle will stay tight and keep its luster, the blade will be bright. If you have a good old knife made before stainless steal. Be sure to put a fine coat of cooking oil on the blade. You get a soft cloth of paper towel put a drop of cooking oil on it then rub the blade with it. This will keep it from rusting. Last of all be sure you do not toss the knife in a drawer and let it rattle around with all spoons and forks. A knife should have a sheath or knife rack to keep it in. This will protect the edge of the blade and you will not have to sharpen it as often. This care works for any knife. If you take care of the tool it should last your lifetime and be something you can pass on.

I have been thinking lately about years ago when I was young and family, friends or church folks got together for a pot luck dinner. I remember a lot of different special dishes that people made. My Grandmothers marshmallow salad, my moms potato salad, my aunts relish and pickles the list is long so I will stop now. Each person or family had a special dish that I looked forward to tasting. Some of them I have not seen in years and miss greatly. I think it was wonderful to see people I knew bring their special foods. I was connected to them by the sight, smell and taste of what they made in their home with secret ingredients. Over the past few years the home made goodness has slipped quietly into its grave.The last several potluck dinners I have been to have been mostly purchased at Costco or Wallmart. Bags of chips, canned beans, salads from the store and microwaveable quick prep foods with a industrial aftertaste have nearly replaced all the good home made unique foods. Every gathering is beginning to taste and look the same. I miss food made with love. The way people glow and smile when asked for the recipe of their special dish. There is a difference in the food made at home with care that is sadly leaving. I think you can taste the love when some one makes a meal at home that is clearly not there with store bought items. I made cookies today, anyone can have some. Just a bit of home made goodness from me to you with love. Stop by soon they taste great!

Considering the common penny

Yesterday I went to a coin show down at Salt Lake Community College. I was looking at some of the Roman coins, from about 200 to 400AD. I picked through some of the coins about the size of a US dime. they are made of bronze and copper. This was the pay of the soldier a few of the small coins for a days work and fighting. Constantin was the emperor on the front with 2 pagan gods on the back. The emperor is famous for being the first Christian emperor, but it was not the emperor I was thinking of he has had centuries of fame. I thought of the soldier who's pay this may have been, the shop keeper who gave him bread and drink for the same coin. then a boot maker who made boots for the shop keeper, who paid his tax and the same coin went to the treasury, Then the coin was re issued to a soldier for his pay and because there was no bank just before he went to battle he buried the coin with the rest of his coins. He never returned to collect the coins. Likely killed fighting for his country. Then, 1600 years latter someone with a metal detector finds a small pile of coins buried in the earth and a bit of history comes to light. The coins are common, where they have been is remarkable. Do you ever wonder in some thing you made, something you held that penny you lost when you were a child will still be around in  1600 years. I hope I make a different that even if my name is lost my values and knowledge will go on. I hope it is more than a small pile of coins.

Face book posts.

    Yesterday a friend of mine posted on his status on face book his endorsement of a political candidate. He encouraged me to go to the web site and see what the man was made of. So trusting that my friend was a good judge of character I went to the web site and checked the man out. He was not a bad person and seemed of good report. His web site was bland and quoted the party line. No real position statements. No plan for the people. Some statements about defeating the opposing party. I was most disappointed that he did not have any planed direction to lead the people or work on economic solutions. So I commented on my friends post that I was not impressed with the man and if he was to get my vote he would need to do something to stand out. I was surprised that this friend took it as a personal attack. He fumed that I did not trust his judgment. That my questions about the candidate were an argument that was destroying our friendship. He was mad I did not blindly accept his recommendation. 0.o
    When it comes to politics I think if you are going to carry the flag of your party and blindly follow the leaders you are just a lemming and you deserve to fall off a cliff. I'm not satisfied to have elected officials who are following the party line like sheep. I am looking for the Shepard who will lead by example and in a direction that meets the needs of the people. I know lots of luck finding that.

    So if your going to post on social media do not be too surprised if someone puts a comment on your post you do not like. If you can't handle your post being questioned or even ridiculed  you should crawl back under a rock and leave social networking to people who can handle it.

Quick trip to San francisco.

     Took a quick trip to San Francisco yesterday morning.  Started out at 7:00 AM to catch an 8:30 flight. At the security check suddenly all the officers started yelling FREEZE!! FREEZE!!! So everyone froze. After about 10 minutes of security running around and talking to every white man in a white shirt they all started yelling CLEAR!! CLEAR!!!  We never found out what that was about and I did not want to appear too interested. We arrived at the Delta gate and were told the flight was delayed for 2 hours due to fog at the airport in San Fran. Some friends arrived an hour and a half after us. They told us they had been called by Delta before they left home and informed of the delay. It would have been nice to have had that call too. Finally we were able to get on board and Delta played the infamous leave the gate, pull away from the gate and sit on the tarmac trick. We had another delay of 20 min this time. Still not impressed with Delta. Had a smooth flight to the San Francisco airport.
      We were to be picked up by Four Park Avenue for transport to the hotel. No one in sight at the baggage claim where we were to be picked up. After about 15 min a man came wandering along the baggage claim holding the sign for our group. Seems he was at a different door looking for us. The ride to the hotel was uneventful.
     We soon arrived at the Westin St Francis Hotel. Checked in and went up to our room. I was astonished to discover the room was not clean, dirty towels on the floor and unmade beds. So we went back to the front desk. The staff was very apologetic and we were given a new room 2 floors above the first. The room was comfortable, 2 double beds, bath, desk and TV. The view we had was mostly of a brick wall.  You would have to be desperately hungry to eat the in room snacks and drinks. Standard candy bars $5.00 and soda $5.25. I was not on an expense account so I walked a block to Walgreen's and picked up a few drinks and snacks for less than the cost of 2 hotel candy bars
     We took a walk around the shopping district near the hotel. It was the same as any other downtown, the same stores, same stuff, more expensive. We stopped for a quick bite to eat at Subway. I tried the Philly cheese sub and my wife had the pulled pork. The crew at Subway had no idea what went on a Philly cheese other than meat and my choice of cheese. With some direction and working past the Asian/English language barrier they got it close to right. My wife enjoyed the pulled pork.  Two 12 inch subs 2 drinks $19.45.  For fast food it was a little below average.  We continued on our walk. We investigated the local street vendors. For the most part they were selling stuff made in china (see Orientaltrading.com for the same items at a huge discount.) There was one man there selling metal work and coin work that he did himself on the corner of Market Street and Powell.  I like to support local artisans. He was reasonably priced and the work was good quality.
     After 3 hours of exploring local streets and big name stores we returned to our room. We took a rest and went to a reception and dinner honoring employees of Wells Fargo who had worked there for 25 years. The reception was well done with plenty of drinks and hor dourves. Dinner by the hotel was excellent with an appetiser of dungeness crab salad, cleansed our palette with raspberry sorbet, then a delicious main course of Angus beef short rib, butternut squash and potato puree, zinfandel-thyme sauce, roasted trumpet mushrooms, purple cauliflower and green beans. High marks for the food. Wells Fargo knows how to do an employee appreciation event. Good food, good company, short remarks from the leadership team. Lots of time to talk to other team members from around the country and make new friends.
     After dinner back to the room and to bed. The bed was comfortable lots of pillows and no noise from other rooms. A very good night's sleep.
    In the morning a nice slow wake up. I called the front desk and asked about a late check out. They extended the room with no extra charge to 2:00 pm, the time we would be picked up to go to the airport.
     We went to John's Grill for lunch. A nice old place near the hotel. We were looking for a good soup and salad. They have an excellent New England clam chowder. The lunch salad was a beautiful mix of greens, carrots and tomatoes. I had the blue cheese dressing and my wife had the house vinaigrette. The meal was just the right for a light lunch.  With an Ice tea lunch came to $28.81. A short walk back to the hotel and checked out of the room. Then to the airport and back to the Delta gate. This time there was no delays and the flight home was just a bit bumpy. Not anything to lose your lunch but not as smooth as on the way out.
    A quiet drive back home. We were surprised hear of a lot of wind damage in our area, but our home was untouched.