February 2016 | Page 3 of 4

11 Feb 2016

How to Close a Bag Using a Soda Bottle

Since I am always messing around in the kitchen I tend to have all sorts of bits and bags of stuff that I rarely use.

I tend to just wad up the top of the bag and stick it in the cupboard. When I how to close a bag using a soda bottle I was amazed.

This is a pretty popular hack for preppers and busy pinterest moms alike. It works well.

It works, so I thought I would share it with you…

Cut a two-liter (or smaller) bottle right where the bottleneck starts to form. (This could make a good funnel for another project)
Insert the open end of whatever bag you are using – nuts, chocolate chips, beans….
Double the bag back over itself, so that the bottle is sandwiched in the middle.
Smooth the bag as best you can over the threads of the bottle spout.
Screw the lid over the bag and you will be able to have a tightly sealed bag of goodies.

As you can see this bag storage adapter is amazingly simple, and readily made by most anyone. Furthermore, I find it pretty useful is storing treats for William. It is perfect for large bags of small candies like jelly beans.

11 Feb 2016

Possum Living

After being out of print for decades, Possum Living: How to Live Well Without a Job and (Almost) No Money is being reissued with an afterword by an older and wiser Dolly Freed.

In the late seventies, at the age of eighteen and with a seventh-grade education, Dolly Freed wrote Possum Livingabout the five years she and her father lived off the land on a half-acre lot outside of Philadelphia. At the time of its publication in 1978, Possum Living became an instant classic, known for its plucky narration and no-nonsense practical advice on how to quit the rat race and live frugally. In her delightful, straightforward, and irreverent style, Freed guides readers on how to buy and maintain a home, dress well, cope with the law, stay healthy, save money, and be lazy, proud, miserly, and honest, all while enjoying leisure and keeping up a middle-class façade.

Thirty years later, Freed’s philosophy is world-renowned andPossum Living remains as fascinating, inspirational, and pertinent as it was upon its original publication. This updated edition includes new reflections, insights, and life lessons from an older and wiser Dolly Freed, whose knowledge of how to live like a possum has given her financial security and the confidence to try new ventures.

11 Feb 2016

Recipe: Chicken Zucchini Poppers

Chicken zucchini poppers are a low carb, 21 day fix compliant recipe that tastes good and is easy to prepare.

This is important because ever since Genny started getting serious with the 21 day fix lifestyle she has constantly looked for ways to incorporate the foods she is supposed to eat into tasty recipes that she WANTS to eat.

I personally don’t like zucchini, but these chicken zucchini poppers are pretty good. They also get bonus points because the boy likes them also.

You can watch the video above, or follow the recipe below to make a great zucchini popper.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground chicken breast
2 Cups grated zucchini
2-3 sliced green onions
3-4 TBSP minced cilantro
1 Clove minced garlic
1 TSP salt
1/2 TSP pepper

Instructions:

1. Mix ground chicken and all other ingredients in large mixing bowl.

2. Spoon out 8-10 nugget sized pieces onto the a greased frying pan.

3. Cook the chicken poppers on medium heat for five minutes and then flip and repeat on other side.

4. You can eat plain or serve with your favorite dip or sauce.

These poppers were pretty easy to make, and they did not cost very much. Once Genny started making them they kept showing up on the table on a pretty regular basis.

8 Feb 2016

Moscow Mule Mug Review

The Moscow mule was developed as a marketing gimmick when three friends created a drink that used the products they were each creating. A copper mug held a drink containing lime, ginger beer, and vodka.

The drink was a hit, and now most people use copper mugs when drinking this summer beverage.

I, however, got this mug for its other benefits. I like how copper cups transfer heat, so I can sit around a campfire and cup my hands around a warm mug of hot chocolate and enjoy myself.

Alternatively, I can dip cool spring water and take a drink when I am out on the land clearing stumps and working on my dang-blasted backhoe…

The copper conducts the heat (or cold) directly to the lip of the glass so that you get the benefits of your drink very rapidity. I love it when I am out working in the heat. It makes me feel so much better.

I also like the hammered texture and quality construction of the mug. It is very classy looking, and is a great addition to my camp cooking set.

Two things I feel like I must share with you, watch out for brain freeze when drinking icy beverages and I did receive this item at reduced cost in exchange for an honest review on Amazon.

7 Feb 2016

Stainless Steel Chainmail Scrubber Review

Gear Review: Stainless Steel Chainmail Scrubber — Buy at Amazon

As you know I cook with cast iron quite a bit – daily actually. However, as much as I love my dutch oven and cast iron skillets, I HATE cleaning them. So when I saw a program to review a chainmail scrubber designed to clean cast iron skillets without removing the seasoning I had to apply.

Don’t think that because this is a sponsored post that I won’t give an honest review. A free $20.00 scrubber, no matter how cool, is not worth my integrity.

Luckily, this thing actually works pretty good, and I find that it actually is something I can use. Being stainless steel I can use it scrub my pans and then toss it in the dishwasher (I did have to think for a minute how to lay it in my washer so that it would bother spread out to wash and not fall into the bottom of the machine).

I don’t use the scrapers

I have not really used the scrapers, but they are a plastic that is very similar to those plastic “CIA letter openers” – AKA plastic knives. They seem sturdy, and to be honest, I probably will throw the flatter one in the glove box of my truck to use as an icescraper.

What I think is really cool, is the silicon mitt for the handles of my skillet. I can’t tell you how many times I have burned myself when the towel I was using bunched up and let me touch the hot handle. The silicon looks much nicer, is removable, but still classes up my kitchen.

I feel that this product is worth the $20.00 it retails for, and if something ever happened to the one I have now, I will either buy another or use it as an excuse to learn to make chain-mail (something I have wanted to do for a while, but always felt it to be too time consuming to be practical).

*Its January of 2018 and I am still using this almost everyday on my iron skillet, this thing rides in the dischwasher fine and still works great. So far its the most used thing I have reviewed and it is still awesome.

*Update:

It is now October of 2018 and I use this scrubber nearly every day. My wife keeps it in the dishwasher because we use it so much. It has no signs of wear, and works as great today as when we first bought it.

Monthly Archives: February 2016