Prepped Living Blog

  This week we are sharing one of our favorite drink mixes – Tom and Jerry Mix (sometimes called Tom and Jerry Batter). Because this drink is served hot and has a wonderful mix of spices, it is the perfect drink for Christmas. It is reminiscent of hot buttered rum, but with a richer, fuller flavor and a more complex spiced finish.  You can leave out the rum and enjoy an alcohol-free version if you like. We used to make the alcohol-free version for the kids when they were young and it is quite good. However, if you are not opposed to drinking a bit of alcohol, the flavor is soo much better with rum. Cheers! A Tom & Jerry Drink TOM & JERRY MIX Ingredients ½ lb. butter 1 ½ lb. powdered sugar 6 eggs, separated ½ t. salt 2 oz. dark rum ½ t. of each: mace, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom Directions Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg yolks, one at a time. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy, continuing to be...

As stories came out of North Carolina following the hurricane, there were a number of videos people posted listing things they wish they would have had on hand or things they wish they would have done before the hurricane that could have helped them through the first few days. If you have decided to take the next step in your preparedness journey (no matter where you are at now), I encourage you to look up a few of these videos from people who have lived it - they are certainly more experienced than many, and they have a lot to teach us. A Few Takeaways from the Flood Videos Here are a few highlights from what was said: 1) You can prepare for a disaster and still loose everything. Prepare anyway - you may end up being one of the few in a position to help your neighbors. 2) It is nearly impossible to be completely prepared for every possible scenario.  3) If you can afford it, a generator is wonderful to have, but only if you have enough fuel stored to run it. 4)  Store water. ...

With the holidays approaching, now is a good time to give some thought to gift giving. In the past few weeks we have posted our 2024 Gift Guide and our Homemade Gift Ideas - Crafts article. This week we are posting ideas for homemade gifts revolving around food and drink. Drink Mixes Over the last couple of months, we have posted four recipes for powdered drink mixes that you can use to make gifts. Pour one of these mixes into a jar with an airtight lid, add some decoration to the jar to make it special, and write or print a nice card with instructions for use. You could add a mug and a nice spoon if you want to make a gift basket of it, or you can make a sampler basket by making several recipes and putting a jar of each into the basket. Here are the recipes we have posted for reference: Hot Cocoa Mix Chai Spice Mix Winter Coffee Mix Russian Tea Mix Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix Soup in a Jar Mixes These mixes have been popular for decades and you can find several resources online. Here are a...

Homemade gifts blend your time, talent, and treasure to create a unique gift made with love. Whether you are on a budget and need to use what you have or if you simply want to create something unique, making your own Christmas gifts can be a great option. Here are a few homemade gift ideas our family has enjoyed: CRAFTS Christmas Tree Ornaments The girls and I made angel ornaments by upcycling old pant pockets. We found a photo on the web for inspiration. We used the legs of the pants to make quilts some time ago and cut out the pockets thinking we would eventually find a use for them, and we did! Angel ornaments made from pant pockets There are many other great ideas for DIY Christmas ornaments out there. Here are some other ideas you can check into: Ribbon Ornaments We made something similar to this several years ago. They turn out beautifully and are so easy! Clothespin Ornaments  Here is a site that lists 5 ways to make ornaments from clothespins. More Ornament Ideas The Pion...