Prepped Living Blog

Do you ever have pieces of bread left from the loaf that go a bit stale? Perhaps it is the heel that no one likes, perhaps it is a piece that was sliced imperfectly and didn't work for a sandwich. We put pieces like these in the freezer and save them until we have enough to use for a project. Whether you make your own bread or you buy bread from the store or a bakery, don't waste it when it goes a bit stale! Below are some ideas for using stale bread, or just using it up before it molds: Make French Toast   Stale bread slices are perfect for making French Toast. Slightly stale bread soaks up the mix better, making for a more moist result. Just use your favorite French Toast recipe! Make French Toast Casserole   This is our favorite way to use up our leftover bread slices. Whether you have pieces of the heel or the center, cutting the slices into smaller pieces and soaking them in the mix overnight makes for a moist casserole the next day. Check out our website for the recipe ...

We finally prepped the garden beds for winter. We pulled the plants that needed to be pulled and trimmed those that needed trimming. We left the calendula, which is still blooming, and the regular marigold, which also still has blooms. I still haven't thinned the strawberry bed, but since the deer seem to trim the plants once we take down the netting, I am not sure that I need to do a lot of actual thinning. I am hoping to trim the suckers before the snow piles up. Since it snowed today, I know I won't have much time to get it done. It may have to wait until spring.  I was a month later than planned, but I also planted garlic. I cut some grass we had growing on the hillside and layered it over the garlic for mulch. This method worked well last time we grew garlic. Will our garlic survive planting this late in November? Who knows?  I was just happy to get some in the ground. A Facebook gardening group thought it should be fine. We will see what happens in the spring. If it...

The Prepped Living Gift Guide is finally here! Each year we focus on long-lasting, useful gifts for those you love. These are gifts that give year after year, contributing to your preparedness plan, your good health, or both. Gifts for Everyone Pendleton Wool Blanket for the Bed Wool is unique in its ability to provide warmth even when wet. For this reason, we recommend that each person in your family have a wool blanket in their emergency supplies. We keep our wool blanket on our bed year-round because wool is also known for its temperature regulation capabilities. It keeps us just the right temperature whether it is summer or winter. Pendleton blankets are an investment, but they have a quality you can depend on for durability and longevity. We bought our camp blanket fifteen years ago, and it still looks as fresh as the day we bought it. It has definitely been a worthwhile investment. Personal Wool Throw This throw blanket is the perfect size for camping, outdoor fires, and emergenc...

We have  previously   posted about canning bone broth and have mentioned the usefulness of having prepared meals. Today we want to talk about canning meat or meals containing meat. First, let me say that meat, as with any low-acid food, requires pressure canning to be safe to eat.  This post contains affiliate links. As an affiliate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. Each purchase helps to keep this blog running. Thank you for your support! Why should you can meat? Quick Meals Canned meats provide a great base for a quick, easy meal. If you have a busy day and forgot to take out meat for dinner, just pull a jar off the shelf to make a quick meal. Healthy Meals Have you ever read the ingredients on the cans of store-bought meat? Some brands have a lot of preservatives. Canning your own meat provides you with a flavorful, preservative-free protein. Preparedness Having a shelf-stable protein is a great idea for preparedness. If the electricity goes out or your freeze...

Disclaimer - This blog post contains affiliate links for your convenience. As an affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. Purchasing through these links is optional, but each purchase helps to keep our blog going. Thank you for your support! Backstory Our family really enjoys coffee. We have a small selection of methods to make coffee - both electric and non-electric. We have an electric coffee maker, a French press, an AeroPress, and a camp stove percolator. We enjoy grinding our beans for the freshest coffee, so we have a couple of options for that as well. Our electric grinder is a quality hand-me-down from a favorite cousin. Our hand grinder was a gift from me to Husband one year. I did a lot of research to find a nice, durable grinder with metal parts that could be taken apart and cleaned ( this 1Zpresso grinder  is the updated version of the one we have). We are satisfied that our coffee-making options are pretty well covered. Our only challenge is that coffee beans d...

As most of you know, both Husband and I grew up in households with very modest incomes. Our grandparents were either farmers or ranchers. They grew and preserved a lot of their food. Our parents continued this by canning, hunting, and gardening through much of our childhood. We carry on the tradition of growing and preserving food for many reasons: We know our food is healthy, it helps keep our grocery budget affordable, and it allows us to build up a pantry for lean times.  Tomatoes and jalapenos for hot sauce; calendula, comfrey, and parsley to dry Health issues have pushed us to branch out and learn to do even more projects ourselves in an effort to further reduce the toxins in our food and environment. Some of these projects can be enjoyed right away, like canned sauces, fruits, vegetables, and meats. We had been canning off and on throughout the summer and now have a nice variety of items in the pantry to enjoy in the months to come.  Canned hot sauce and tomatoes for the...