Empanadas a perfect Prepper food ?

     Every one needs a way to make food storage interesting . I think Empanadas are a perfect high calorie way to keep your meals simple and tasty . All it is is a stuffed fried pie it can be stuffed with leftovers and fried to taste totally different. They can be fruit, meat, vegetables .I use Crisco instead of butter have made them with pork beef , chicken and rice. My grandmother made apple and peach and had never heard of an empanada . Simple dough stuffed with anything left over then skillet fried in oil. High calorie hand food  is always welcome in times of stress and activity .The link below is for Hors d'Oeuvres but you can make them large for a meal.

   http://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/recipes/spicy-pork-empanaditas-with-avocado-relish/fd-acc2d2d5-3b33-5acd-8ef6-39b67f2fc723

A link to an optimistic solar powered future.

   Ran across this article on MSN.  Its a fluff piece but makes for a worth while read and makes you think. Personally I don't think the PTB will allow one and done energy to get into their pockets very deep.

 http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/a-solar-future-isnt-just-likely-%e2%80%94-its-inevitable/ar-BBiMf4X?ocid=U141DHP

A link on making Saeurkraut.

     My Mom made sauerkraut and hominy for years and I loved it . I found this post and a neat way to do small batches of kraut .

    Wander around the site by clicking the header neat stuff.
http://selfreliantschool.com/making-sauerkraut-mason-jar-fermenting-3-different-set-ups/

I got chicks !!!!!

     Well I have been wanting more chickens and today my hen led out 10 chicks . Last year I had 2 clutches hatch and lost them all to hawks and coyote's . Yes I have coyote's I have seen them twice this year. Well I decided to catch them . Needless to say easier said than done. A mad mother hen and 10 chicks made for 2 hours of chasing for 4 of us. Chicks hide when told by the hen .We caught 4 of the chicks first, the hen paced the side of the pen then she called out 4 more chicks that we caught . Catching her took an hour she has never been penned . Once she was with her chicks she calmed down and called the last 2 out of hiding and we got them into her pen covered it with a blanket watered and fed her added straw to the pen.

       Now tomorrow I have to build a run for her and a small roost. I have some old dog wire and will line the bottom edge with fine mesh  just 8x12 may make it portable have to see what junk I have. Some may die but I hope most make it. It will be nice to have 6 or so laying hens next year . Now that I am committed to having a chicken coop I wish I had bought those hens at Mt Top last week.

first ticket since 198? .

     Last week I got my first ticket since 198? I cant even remember. It was a damn seatbelt violation. The only reason I got it was I was going to the store. Traffic was stopped due to construction and I waved at the trooper as I went by. When I came back he was on me like stink on S#@$. I know its a law but the only reason I was noticed was I was being nice . That wont happen again ! I am still pissed and haven't even called to see what the thing will cost. If I ever make it to New York I will drink a 44 oz. on the street because its my choice. Screw that law too .

    Public safety my ASS. We have so many laws on the books before you go to the bathroom in the morning you have to violate at least one law. Our LEOs are working  in a way Hitler and Himmler would be proud of .

Flea markets I Love them.

     Sunday morning I woke the wife and my son at 6 am for a trip to Mt. Top flea market. The unusual thing about this flea market is one its Sunday only and starts at 5 am and they start packing up at 2. It has been around since the early 70s and is going strong.
    My wife just wanted to look around I carried 3 axe's 2 mauls and 2 sledge hammers in need of handles. I also was on the hunt for 2 hens because one of my 2 hens didn't make it crossing the road last week. First I headed to the lemonade stand a friend has owned there since 1978 for a free lemonade. Them made it 3 rows up and across the field to the handle man .Ok the handle man has been there since day one he is about 80 and my grandfather bought handles from him when I went as a kid with him .I got him to pick me 7 handles for what I had for 28$ .One at ace is 12 $ ,he use to seat them for people but has got to old and to busy.

     After I walked a 1/2 mile to the jeep and back I went to livestock row. Livestock row has chickens ducks turkeys geese goats rabbits dogs and cats . saw a pair of dominicker hens for 20 each, nope I pass . The cheapest I found was 15 for Reds I Pass .They wanted 5$ for chicks or 3 for 12 . Well I didn't get the hens I wanted I planned on 10 ea. and just would go for what they wanted. I had parted with my wife and son so I went and called and  found them . On the way I found once used ammo cans for 10$ each I got 3. My son had found new boots for 20 a inverter for 12 and 5 boxes of Entmans doughnuts for 1$ each. The wife had a bag of navel oranges 3 dozen brown eggs and a flat of flowers all for under 12$.

   My son and I carried every thing to the jeep and went back got my wife before she made it back to the flowers again. As we headed to leave I stopped and got a Quart of honey ( local apple blossom bee hives) and we got out of there by 11 am .

     Now we had a good time got some great buys and exercise .Stores cost more and help local people less, we met and interacted with people as we bargained for deals, saw friends while there . Have you ever noticed in other country's this is everyday shopping/ life but here its looked at as red neck slumming not a normal way of doing business . Perhaps this is the way we should do business face to face interacting within our community.

A neat way to keep para cord in your car .

      Here is a link on how to wrap a steering wheel in para cord. My Jeeps steering wheel will be getting wrapped and my truck both steering wheels are slick and have that sticky feel from sweat grease  and use.


      http://www.instructables.com/id/paracord-steering-wheel-wrap/?ALLSTEPS   


    I also keep one of those hatchet, hammer, pry bar tools under the seat . I need to wrap it to. These are a must in a work truck or utility vehicle .

         

My sons trailerstead got reclaimed .

     Been a busy week sorry for not posting. My sons property was on a tax claim that got reclaimed 45 days before it became his. So we had to move him off the place by the creek and in to the field next door to my house. I didn't think it would be reclaimed my son had paid 300$ over 3 years in a tax lien  at 12% interest but the man that was behind found some one that was willing to buy the property for 1200$ so he paid to  redeem and made 800$ at the last minute . The last day was going to be April 27 but we knew it was a chance.

    Now the field next door isn't mine but I have not seen any of the owners family in 7 or 8 years. The old man is almost 90 and if he or his kids say anything its move it again . They live about 50 miles away now so I think we are safe till may. Come May there is another property we may move him on to as reclaim will be past.

    This years tax sale I will be looking to buy a few tax liens and see if any go unclaimed for 3 years. I will not be looking for a house I want .5 to 2 acre parcels no buildings or utility's . My thinking is if it is raw, small and has a high building cost its more likely to be let go and suits my purpose .

    Now don't think I have cash to gamble with, on these types of properties for 1 acre no improvements first year is about 150$ and 50$ a year for the next 2 . If they reclaim I get my money back plus 12% interest  or the property for 250 to 300 $. If  I can get 2 or 3 I will be happy. The risk reward is worth the gamble.

     The one thing I have learned with my sons place is there is a way to make a place un reclaimable . If I had built a building on the property and had it assessed we would have been entitled to the cost back before title could be reclaimed. His place was in a flood plane and I would never have built on it, an old trailers one thing a building is another.
      If I am lucky and get a nice piece of property 1 to 2 acre in size and it goes unclaimed for 2 years its time to build a pole barn shed and have a power pole put up. I will get a permit and an assessment and have a friend print a paid receipt  as proof and make reclaiming it exceed 3000 or more . If a person had trouble with a 50$ tax bill a 3500$ reclaim would be out of the question . I have known men that buy tax sale deeds hoping only for the 12%  they never touch an unimproved parcel . It is tax auction time if you ever wanted a bug out / homestead / hideaway its something to think about!
    I need the storage room , my front yard has 4 cars, 1 jeep, 2 truck, 3 camper ,3 operating vending trailers, 2 smokers and 1 trailer frame for a monster kitchen trailer to be built. I feel the county inspectors eyes every time one drive by .