Not much is more sobering about the fragility of human life than a pandemic. Beyond the consideration of our own mortality, for many, COVID-19 has been their first experience of even a remote possibility that goods and services we all take for granted might not always be so readily available. This initial thought can cause … Continue reading Practical steps to developing food security during uncertain times
Emergency Preparedness
Our cold and flu anti-viral toolbox in good times and bad
Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This helps us offset the cost of the time spent writing articles like these. Hello friends. Long time no write. We wanted to take this opportunity of the panic and pandamonium of the COVID-19 virus to share a bit about how we manage sickness and malaise in general … Continue reading Our cold and flu anti-viral toolbox in good times and bad
TIO&OIN – it’s not just for Navy Seals
This expression has come to be a mantra in our family. In fact, recently one of my youngsters was snacking on some freshly made cookies and asked me for another... "After all", she said, "two is one and one is none!" Of course, she knew what we really mean when we say that, but … Continue reading TIO&OIN – it’s not just for Navy Seals
A reasonable plan toward residential solar or other renewable energy
Solar energy is expensive. It currently costs more than grid energy, leaving many people to conclude it isn't worth it. If your motivation to choose alternative energy is mostly to save money - you won't get that outcome with this information. At present - establishing alternate energy at home has not yet reached financial parity with grid power. … Continue reading A reasonable plan toward residential solar or other renewable energy
Why your family should own a quality water filter
We've blogged plenty of times about water and the need to have access to good, clean, quality drinking water. Something every family in the world should consider is this... Where and how do we get access to good, clean, healthy drinking water? Many in the world cannot answer this question because they have nothing but … Continue reading Why your family should own a quality water filter
The shelf-life of money
Money, as we know it, is quite an illusion. Think about it. We place extreme value on very complex pictures printed on special paper. We live, work, and die to accumulate this treasure that is really no treasure at all, but worthless resources. We cannot eat money, it cannot make us healthy. It cannot keep … Continue reading The shelf-life of money
Sprouts – add this tasty super food to your emergency meal planning
Sprouts: Fresh produce all year long - no garden required! Many people (ourselves included) who value eating healthy, organic, nutritious foods and who also concern themselves with securing a sustainable food supply will eventually ask themselves the question "How will we continue to eat healthy foods when we cannot harvest from the garden?". There are … Continue reading Sprouts – add this tasty super food to your emergency meal planning
Our principles for emergency preparedness
The following are some principles that we've learned, pondered, and/or developed in the area of preparing for the unexpected - particularly for disasters or long emergencies. It's not a complete list and we're likely to update it as often as new principles begin to emerge in our thinking. Fear Not Fear leads people to make … Continue reading Our principles for emergency preparedness
Emergency Preparation: Water Strategy
A friend and reader recently posted a comment regarding our recent post, "it's more than just flashlights and duct tape" asking how we handle securing/storing water. Here's the comment: "I’m assuming you have a well. Any advice on stockpiling for those of us who have city water? Water jugs?" As we pondered our response, it … Continue reading Emergency Preparation: Water Strategy
Using dandelion roots as a coffee substitute
We've had a growing interest this summer in foraging and the use of wild edible plants. While cleaning up the garden today for the upcoming fall/winter, we decided to use some of those pesky weeds that have infiltrated our vegetable garden. Roasted coffee substitute, here we come! We thought about pan-frying or sautéing the dandelion … Continue reading Using dandelion roots as a coffee substitute
The Intrepid Homestead 