A Review of Siamese Cats as Pets

Siamese cats have been around for hundreds of years.   It is believed they were first seen during the Ayutthaya Kingdom, which was between 1351 and 1767.  At that time the country was known as Siam.  In 1939 the leadership of Siam was changed from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy, and along with this formation, the name of the country was changed from Siam to Thailand, which is what it is known as today.

Legend tells the story of Siamese cats being collected as treasures of war by the king of Burma, who brought them home to live in his palace, believing them to bring luck and power to those that kept them.  At that time, royals were the only ones allowed to keep these cats and they had the run of the palace and grounds.

This is all conjecture, of course, the exact origin of Siamese cats is not known for sure, only that they have been kept by humans for a very long time!

Or do the Siamese keep us?    That is a question for another time....

The first Siamese cat arrived in America in 1879 as a gift to President Rutherford B. Hayes from from the American consul in Bangkok.  The female cat, named Siam, was the first Siamese to live in the White House, but not the last as the daughters of both Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter had these beautiful cats as pets and they roamed the White House as their ancestors did the King's palace.

Why Many People Think Siamese Cats are Mean

Many people think Siamese cats are mean and they would never want one as a pet.  Much of this misconception comes from the 1955  cartoon movie Lady and the Tramp, that almost every youngster watches multiple times during childhood.  The portrayal of Siamese cats in this movie makes them look not only mean and destructive but also cruel to other animals.  

See the movie clip below from Lady and the Tramp.

I am sure it was not a deliberate act on the part of the screenwriters, they probably had no idea at the time that this movie would make many kids (that later grew up into adults) think that Siamese cats were mean and would not make good pets.  Even today, in 2023, when I have repairmen or painters come in my house most of them always say "Your Siamese cats are so friendly, I always thought they were mean!"

Siamese Cats Are Not Mean!

I grew up loving Siamese cats.  I never had one as a kid, but I loved the look of them!  So beautiful and regal.  I knew they were the cat for me!  I got my first Siamese in the mid 90's and I have had 5 others since.  I have three of them now!  Affectionately called "Meezers"  I have adored all my Siamese cats.  They are lovable pets, just ask anyone that has one.  They are pretty much like any other cat, the only major difference being they are very chatty.  They like to talk to you and will hold a conversation with you, if you give them the chance. The bad thing is, only they understand the entire conversation, since they understand human language and we have no clue how to speak cat!  

Don't ever doubt they understand what we say!

Siamese Cats as Pets

I have had both male and female Siamese and found them to be equally loving.  Some are more cuddly lap cats and others want to be around you all the time, but not touching you.  Some are more a one person cat and others are attention hounds to everyone that will pet them.  Each has their own personality, just like all cats.  One great thing about Siamese cats is that they are long lived, and if cared for properly easily live 15 to 20 years!

One Thing I Have Noticed From Experience

The cats we got as small kittens have turned out to be more loving, calm and trusting of us than the ones we have adopted as adults.  I would bet that this is probably true of most cats, but it seems especially true of Siamese.  Two of the Siamese that we have now were adopted as adults.  It took a very long time for them to warm up to us, and I am still not sure that they trust us completely.  Not knowing their history before coming to us, it is impossible to know what happened in their past to make them how they are, but we still love them unconditionally.

Here are the cuties we adopted from a rescue:

Tater Tot - adopted 2020 at 1 year old

Jazzy - adopted 2022 at 5 years old 

Here is the cutie that raised from a kitten:

Bitty - now 13 years old

And last but never least is my two boys that have already passed.

 Tiny - passed at 18 years old and Benjamin - passed at 16 years old 

Tater is a flame point Siamese, with probably an orange tabby mixed somewhere in his ancestry, which is most likely responsible for the stripes in his tail.  Jazzy is a seal point Siamese/ Ragdoll mix, which accounts for her long, beautiful fur.  Bitty and Tiny are full blooded Siamese from a breeder, and Benjamin we got  from a friend who found him as a kitten in an alley in the city.  I have no proof of lineage on him, but the vet said he looked full blooded as well.

It doesn't seem to matter if they are full blooded Siamese or not, if they have Siamese in them, they are characters that love to talk.  If you don't like cats that meow a lot, these cats are not for you.  However, if you want a fun companion to keep you company, Siamese are perfect!

If you want to know more about Siamese cats, this is the book for you!  It has all the information you need to decide if you would like a Siamese companion.

The Complete Guide to Siamese Cats

I could be prejudiced, but I believe you could not make a finer choice for a pet than a Siamese cat.  They are sweet and loving and lots of fun.  If you don't believe me, ask any Siamese, they will be happy to tell you!  Meow!

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A Review of my Homemade Italian Salad Dressing Mix

We eat a lot of salads in our house, especially in the summer when the garden is growing a multitude of fresh veggies.  Our favorite salad dressing is Italian.  We always used to buy Wishbone House salad dressing, but we really went through it because we not only used it on salads, we also liked it on sliced vegetables and as a marinade for meats that we cooked on the grill.  I was buying two bottles every time we went shopping!  

I found myself mentioning it to a friend of mine who also loves salad and grilling.  She said she made her own mix for salad dressing and marinades.  She said it was much cheaper, especially since she had a herb garden which provided her with many of the needed ingredients.  I had to laugh, I could not believe it never occurred to me to make my own, which is really silly since I make so much other stuff from scratch instead of buying it.  

I asked her for the recipe and she texted it over.  I lucked out because I actually had all the ingredients, so I didn't even have to go to the store.  She had split the ingredients in half, dry ingredients and wet ingredients.  I asked her the reason for this in a later conversation, and she told me that she makes the dry mix to give away as gifts at Christmas time.  She said that people loved it because it was so easy to make, and it saved them money too! 

Ingredients:

3/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

1/8 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (omit if you don't like spice)

1/8 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon basil

Wet Ingredients:

1/8 cup of finely grated bell pepper

1/8 cup of finely grated carrot 

1/4 cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons of water

1/2 cup of olive oil (can use any oil you like)

 All you have to do is mix the ingredients and shake well for two minutes.  Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.  Keeps in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

This dressing is not only good on salads and meats, it's great drizzled over hot vegetables.  Toss it over noodles and with grated cheese for a great side dish.  It is so versatile once you make some you will not want to be without it.   I usually keep a jar of the dry ingredients mix in my cupboard to season soups and casseroles.  It really is almost like an all purpose seasoning. 

If you want to make this mixture and give it away as a jar gift, simply fill a decorative jar with the dry ingredients only and shake thoroughly.  Tie a pretty card to the jar that lists the wet ingredients to mix with the dry.  That's all there is to it.  An easy and thoughtful gift that almost anyone will love.

This is my favorite jar to use for gifts

4 ounces

I have told my friend what a blessing her recipe has been to me and all the things I make with it.  I have even given her some ideas!   I highly recommend you try it, I think you will love it too.

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Get Rid of Slippery Bathtubs! Use SlipDoctors Non-Slip Treatment

 Use in Baths or Showers

When we moved into our house in 2016, one of the first things I noticed was that the bathtub floor was slippery!  I mean dangerously so.  Stepping over the side, I had to hold on to the wall because my foot would slip when lifting my other leg in.  It was scary!    After a few months, I knew I had to do something.  I dreaded taking a shower because I was honestly was afraid I would fall.  

When I looked up on the internet what to do for slippery bathtubs, I first thing I saw with the textured rubber stick ons that you can put on the floor of your tub.  So I ordered some.  When they arrived, I cleaned the tub and let it dry and stuck them on.  I immediately hated how it looked, I felt like I was back in the 70's.  Those stickers looked pretty tacky.  However, they did stop my slipping problem, even though I didn't care for the feeling of stepping on them.  I figured it was the price I would have to pay to be safe.  Unfortunately, less than a month later, when I was cleaning the tub, I noticed that the stickers were starting to peel off. I remember thinking.....there has got to be a better solution than buying and applying these ugly stickers once a month.  

So back to the internet I went.  This time, I looked on You Tube to see if there were any how to videos on preventing slippery bath tubs.  I took a look at a few different ones, and I found out there are solutions you can put on your bathtub or shower floors to give them a more stable grip when wet.  Many of them were a bit more complicated than I wanted and some could actually cause harm to your tub, like one that called for sanding your tub floor!  I didn't want to do anything like that and end up with a scuffed up awful looking bathtub.  

I decided to take a look on Amazon.  I typed "preventing slippery bathtubs" in the search bar and the first thing that came up was "SlipDoctors Bathtub & Shower Kit | Non-Slip Treatment for Ceramic or Enamel Tubs & Tiled Showers"  When I looked further, I began to get hopeful.  It seems easy to apply and it got good reviews from other customers.  This is the video I found showcasing this product:

I ordered it.  I knew I would be kicking myself, if it didn't work, but I had to try.  A couple days later, when it arrived, I handed it over to my husband and said "please put this on the bathtub."  He was happy to, as he didn't like the slippery tub floor any more than I did.  I am allergic to many chemicals, even soap,  or I would have done it myself, I was just that anxious to try it!

It didn't take long at all, after washing the tub and wiping it dry.  The solution was dry in a short time as well, but I let it sit a couple hours just to make sure.   I finally was ready to see if it worked.  I turned on the water and stepped in and I had no slippage!  I even tried to slide my foot across the tub floor and it was difficult.  However, picking when my foot straight up, the floor was not at all sticky.  The floor looked exactly the same and felt the same under my feet.  It was like a miracle!  My slippery bathtub floor problem was solved.

They gave us enough for two applications, but believe it or not, 7 years later it still is as non-slip as the day it was applied.  Now that is what I call a GREAT product!  

Remember, you must get the right product for the type of tub or shower you want to apply it to.  We got the ceramic and enamel treatment,  but if you have an  acrylic or fiberglass shower or tub, make sure you get the treatment for that.  The two different treatment are in the links below. 

Ceramic and Enamel

Acrylic and Fiberglass

To look at all of the products that are available from SlipDoctors, click the link below:

SlipDoctors Treatments

I highly recommend this product, it worked perfectly for us and has lasted for over 7 years.  We no longer have to worry about our safety while showering and that is worth much more than the price of the treatment.

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Elevated Garden Beds - Great for Senior Gardeners!

 

I've always been fond of gardening.  Even in my younger years when I lived in apartments, I would always have plants on my balcony.  Most of the time, I grew flowers, but over the years, I began also growing a few vegetables like lettuce and peppers.  Lettuce is really pretty and because you can snip off a leaf at a time, it stays pretty for quite a while as long as the weather is not too hot.

When I bought my first house, I happily saw that it had a lot of flower beds in the front and in the back.  I grew some very beautiful flowers, but as time passed I realized I was missing an opportunity to grow healthy vegetables to eat but also to save the money it would take to buy what I could easily grow myself.  I dug up all my annuals and  planted a blueberry bush, peppers and onions.  I got rid of the bushes down my driveway, and planted cucumbers. It took a few years and hard lessons, but overall, I was very pleased with the results. 

As the years passed, I found it more and more difficult to bend or kneel in the dirt to plant and weed and harvest.  My knees were not what they once were.  It all came to a head when I had to have knee surgery,  After that, getting on my knees for anything, let alone gardening, was out of the question.  I was devastated.  I did nothing in the garden that summer, and by August it was a weeded mess.  I didn't even want to go out on the deck.  

I missed gardening very much, so I began to wonder if I could do raised garden beds.  They were up off the ground, but usually only about a foot.  I might be able to make due with this!  I decided to have a look on Amazon and see how expensive they were.  While scrolling through  The raised garden beds, I saw a garden bed that was up on legs!  The top of the dirt was at waist level and could be planted and weeded comfortably while standing up!  

EUREKA !!!!!

This was the solution I had been looking for.  After spending some time looking at the different styles and prices, I decided on this one:

Elevated Wood Planter Box

This was about 5 years ago.  At that time, they were $99 each.  After checking today, I see that they are still the same price.  Not bad!  Unfortunately, they do not arrive at your house ready to go.  My husband and I had to put them together and stain them.  It was a lot of work, but it was very much worth it.  The only thing we added to the boxes was some metal strapping to reinforce the corners. 

Metal Strapping

Below is a picture of one of our boxes four years after we bought it.  Still looking pretty good!

These garden beds have been a lifesaver for me.  I can grow my own vegetables without hurting my back or my knees.  Weeding is a breeze, and it is so much easier to examine your plants to look for problems like insect damage.  It just makes gardening so much easier, I wish I had known about them years ago!  We add a couple every year so we can grow more kinds of vegetables.  We are up to eight!  I highly recommend trying these garden beds if you dislike or are unable to garden in the ground  They are great for growing vegetables, herbs or flowers!

Our Garden

    https://www.reviewthisreviews.com/elevatedgardenbeds

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The Great Protein Bar Search

As someone who is always looking for ways to maintain a healthy  diet and lose a few pounds, about a year ago I decided to start eating a protein bar and fruit for lunch.  It's quick and also makes it easy to track the calorie count, which is something I always try to do.  Little did I know that deciding on this lunch plan was the easy part.......because finding a good tasting protein bar was anything but easy!

I started out with Premier Protein Bars, which I thought would be good because of the high amount of protein in them.  Unfortunately, they were kind of hard to chew, and the bar size was huge!  They were also over 300 calories, which was higher than I wanted..  

Thus began The Great  Protein Bar Search

 I spent a lot of time and a lot of money looking for a bar that did not taste like sawdust, or be as hard to chew as salt water taffy.  I also did not want to have to spend $5 a piece for them.  I tried so many....some were ok, some were even pretty good and some were so awful I could not understand how they managed to sell them.  The thing they all had in common was they were pricey.  The better they tasted, the more expensive they were.  I did find one bar that was really good, called Built Bars.  The problem was they were super expensive, but the taste and consistency was so far superior that I resigned myself to being forced to spend that, if I wanted a really good protein bar.

I bought Built Bars for about a year, and during that time things went downhill with their company.  They raised their price even higher from 18 bars for $40 to 12 bars for $30.  But the last straw for me was when they changed the recipe of my favorite bar.  It was called Coconut Almond and it used to taste just like an Almond Joy. Then the last time I ordered them they had a horrible chemical after taste.  That, in addition to the fact their shipping times were getting longer and longer, I parted ways with Built Bars.

I swore to myself that this time I was not going to try protein bars that were outrageously expensive.  I started scrolling through Amazon and I ran across a bar that looked almost just like a Little Debbie Nutty Bar....which happens to be one of my most favorite things in the world.  They were called Power Crunch Protein Energy Bars.  They were also only $15 for a box of 12!  So I ordered a box of peanut butter fudge and hoped for the best.

When they arrived, I opened up one and took a bite.  IT WAS BLISSFUL!  I swear I think I saw little birds and butterflies flying around my head when I was chewing.  This protein bar tasted just like a Kit Kat candy bar.  Chocolate covered wafers with peanut butter cream filling.  It was truly yummy.  I had finally found my dream protein bar.....and at a fair price!!

They also had pretty good caloric and nutritional statistics:

Since trying the peanut butter fudge, I have also tried other flavors such as Coconut Chocolate, Strawberry Creme, and S'mores.  There are so many more flavors I want to try, I order one new flavor and two peanut butter fudge bars a month, so I will be trying new flavors for a long time to come.  Here are all the flavors they offer:

Needless to say, I am very happy that The Great Protein Bar Search is over, and I have finally found what I was looking for. Power Crunch Protein Bars hit the high bar on everything I wanted:  convenience, taste, price and flavor selection. Eating these protein bars every day has helped me not to crave the sweets that make dieting harder and the protein is good for me and helps me to maintain energy throughout the afternoon.   

I highly recommend Power Crunch bars for everyone from kids to adults to seniors!  You won't be disappointed and people of all ages can use the extra protein!

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A Review of Creepypasta - What Is It?

 

What is Creepypasta?

The first thing that comes to mind is some type of scary noodles!  Maybe a Halloween dish?  Nope, Creepypasta has nothing to do with food, creepy or otherwise.   The meaning of Creepypasta has changed over time.  In the beginning it meant a short horror story, whose author was unknown, that was shared on forums, storyboards and other internet sites.  Now what, you may ask, does pasta have to do with stories?  I thought the same thing.  It seems that Creepypasta is kind of a rip off of the term Copypasta which has been around since 2006 and means a block of text that is shared in many places around the internet.  

Anyway, Creepypasta now refers to most any type of horror story that one can find to read or listen to on the internet.  Creepypasta stories are basically fiction, but are usually written in a manner that makes the reader think that it really happened, or at least that it COULD happen.  This is what makes them so creepy!  Authors are now fully credited and some have become quite well known, going on to become published writers and even writing screenplays for movies.

What are Creepypasta Stories About?  

Creepypasta stories are usually centered around some type of scary being, such as:

Cryptid - Any creature that may or may not exist. Sightings  have been reported, but their reality is unproven.  Includes: bigfoot, dogman, werewolves, mothman, sea monsters, etc.

Alien - Any creature that is not from our planet or dimension.

Undead - Physical creatures that were once alive but have died and then came back in a physical body.  Includes:  vampires, zombies, ghouls, mummies, etc.

Ghosts- An entity that was once alive, but has died and come back to the world of the living without a physical body.

Demons - A malevolent supernatural entity, mostly considered to be fallen angels that serve the Devil.

There are stories about other things that are also considered to be Creepypasta, but these are the top five that I have seen the most.  

How I Found Out About Creepypasta

I was looking through YouTube one day, searching for something interesting when I ran across a video called "I Am A Monster Created By The Government."

I had to laugh, but I was also intrigued.  What kind of video could this be?  I hit play and was immediately immersed in an interesting creepy story.  This was a compilation of a group of stories about the same characters, which is good because it saved me the trouble of looking for all of them in YouTube.  There was nothing on the video screen to watch, it was more like an audio book that you listen to.  This was even better for me, as it gave me something interesting to listen to while I was crafting or cleaning.  After I finished with that video, I went in search of other stories to listen to and that is when I was introduced to the world of Creepypasta. I've  been listening ever since!  There are literally dozens of authors that write these stories and I have listened to many narrators (that is what they call the people reading the stories in the videos) but there are three that I like the best:

Donovan Dread - https://www.youtube.com/@DonovanDread/  

Mr. Creeps - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrCreeps/

Magnetar - https://www.youtube.com/@MagnetarYT

If you don't like to listen to stories, and you prefer to read them yourself, there are also websites with archives of Creepypasta stories.  My two favorites are:

Don't Turn Around - https://www.dontturnaround.com/

Creepypasta - http://www.creepypasta.com

If you are not into monsters, there are other types of video stories that you can listen to on YouTube like True Crime Stories, Mysteries, Bedtime Stories, Time Travel Stories and many others.  Just type "narrated stories"  in the search bar of YouTube.  There is something there for everyone!  I love listening to stories and I am so glad that I found a new place to find them.

If you prefer your reading material in physical book form, you can buy Creepypasta books on Amazon. Not only do they have regular books, but also Creepypasta coloring books and even Creepypasta role playing games.  There are so many ways to have scary Creepypasta fun!

Click Here to Search for Creepypasta on Amazon

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Reviewing Homemade Instant Oatmeal

 

I really like oatmeal for breakfast.  It is warm and filling and keeps you going till lunch or beyond.  Unfortunately, I rarely want to take the time to make it.  Boil the water, stir and stir, trying to figure out how much sweetner to put in, it is just a hassle for only one person. As a result, I used to buy instant oatmeal in the package; pricey but quick and easy was my reasoning until one day I took a look at the ingredients:

• Whole Grain Rolled Oats
• Sugar
• Natural and Artificial Flavor
• Salt
• Calcium Carbonate
• Guar Gum
• Carmel Color
• Niacinamide
• Reduced Iron
• Vitamin A
• Palmitate
• Pyridoxine
• Hydrochloride
• Riboflavin
• Thiamin Amononitrate
• Folic Acid

Hydrocloride?  Pyridoxine?  What is that?  Whatever it is I don't think it sounds very healthy.  I would prefer something that is a bit more good for you than store bought instant oats that are full of stuff I never heard of.  

So I decided to see if I could make my own instant oatmeal that would be convenient, quick and best of all not chocked full of additives and preservatives that are definitely not good for you!  I wanted to make a recipe that I could do in bulk and then split it up into individual servings, that was easy to store and would keep for at least a week.  

I sat down with a pencil and paper and did some thinking.  After coming up with a plan, I did some checking on the internet to see if the ingredients needed refrigeration and how long they would stay fresh.  When I had my formula (I actually did feel kind of like a mad scientist.....hehe) I made my first batch.

It took some experimentation but after a few tries, I finally came up with my favorite recipe for instant oatmeal:

Ingredients:

• 4 cups oats
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (can use Splenda Brown Sugar)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

Mix these together in a bowl

Put 3/4 a cup into a small zipper bag

How to Cook:

Pour the contents of the baggie into a bowl or mug

Add 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups of skim milk and stir

Cover with a paper towel 

Microwave for about 3 minutes

Stir and let sit for a couple minutes

To keep from getting bored, sometimes I put other things in my oatmeal to give it different flavors like:

• Pistachio nuts or any nuts you like, chopped
• Coconut
• Dried apricots, chopped
• Dates, chopped
• Dehydrated apples, chopped
• Mini Chocolate or Peanut Butter Chips

Sometimes I put fresh fruit in my oatmeal, if I have any in the fridge, like strawberries or blueberries.  I have also been known to put maple syrup or honey in it instead of brown sugar. There are so many things you could put in your oats, it would take years to find them all.  Actually, its kind of fun to come up with different flavor combinations.  I have run across a few that were surprisingly delicious like:

• chocolate chips and peanuts
• sliced fresh bananas and coconut
• dried cranberries and pecans
• diced dehydrated apples and chopped walnuts

These zipper bags do not need to be refrigerated and they last a long time without spoiling.  They also make great jar gifts for friends that have the bad habit of skipping breakfast!      My homemade oatmeal is much healthier and cheaper than what you buy in a store and frankly much more yummy!  Try making some and see for yourself.

__________________________

Image Credits: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/3180105556/sizes/z/

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A Review of Emergency Preparedness - Is it Really Necessary?

 

Preparing for an emergencies, what some people call "prepping" has been laughed at for decades.  It brings to mind images of crazy people putting bunkers in their back yards and sitting on hundreds of boxes of army rations.  

However.....

What about preparing for real life emergencies that could really happen?  Floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and even terrorist attacks or rioting.  Any of them could really happen, but the most likely to happen is prolonged power outage.  The grid could go down for many reasons, and stay down for days or even weeks.  Would you be prepared if that happened?

What is  Emergency Preparedness?

Emergency Preparedness is planning for an unexpected, serious occurrence that could pose a threat to the health and wellbeing of you and your family.  It can be something as dangerous as a gas explosion, to something less dangerous, but still devastating, like a flood or a serious problem with your electrical supply.

How Can Planning Help?

Emergency planning helps to reduce the amount damage an emergency does to your life, the lives of your family and your property.   If the incident is catastrophic, planning can actually save your life.  In an emergency, people are scared, confused and in a panic about what to do and how to take care of themselves and their loved ones.  If you are prepared, it will significantly reduce your fear because you know you have a plan and the items you need to make sure you are safe and cared for during a bad situation.

How Can I Know What Kind of Emergency to Prepare For?

The simple answer is:  you can't.  You have no way of knowing what will happen, so the best thing to do is to take care of the basics that you need in any emergency situation.   

1. Food -  Have some food that you can eat without having to cook it, even better if it does not have to be refrigerated.  Peanut butter, crackers, beef jerky, protein or granola bars, honey, cookies and things like this are easy to store and will keep you going if you are in a situation where you have no electricity and can't cook.  It is always safer to have your own food available when a bad incident occurs so you don't have to go out, which in an emergency can be dangerous.  Keep your emergency food in totes in a cool dry place and don't forget to switch it out for fresh a few times a year so it does not go out of date.  
2. Water - Water is something most people take for granted as always being available, and therefore it is not necessary to store it.  This is not true.  Your water supply may become contaminated or your local water treatment facility could break down and stop supplying water.  The best way to be prepared for this situation is to store some water.  You can buy cases of bottled water, or 5 gallon plastic jugs that are available in most big box stores.  Having clean water to drink and wash yourself with is one of the most important things in an emegency.  Never take water for granted, it can be the difference between life and death.
3. Shelter - The other part of having shelter is having a way to keep warm, should something happen in the winter.  Your house is normally excellent shelter, but if you lose the ability to heat it, it can be nothing but a giant refrigerator.  If this happens, find one room that is small and can be closed off and get a propane heater like Mr. Heater  that is safe to use inside the house. Bring in blankets and warm clothes and stay in that room to keep warm.  If you have a situation where you are forced to leave your house, such as a fire, flood or earthquake, you need to have a tent or tents to stay in outside, along with clothing, food and water to take with you. 

Is There Anything Else I Should Stock Up On?

There are so many things that are good to have but here are some of the most important:

• Flashlights and batteries
• First Aid Kit
• Candles and the means to light them
• Power Bank Charger to charge your cell phone
• Knife
• Aspirin
• Garbage Bags
• Sleeping Bags or Blankets
• Heavy Socks and Hats for all family members
• Firewood (if you are able to build a fire outside where you live)
• Some type of weapon to defend yourself

Last Thoughts on Emergency Preparedness

These ideas are just the very basics you will need for a short term emergency, for longer term situations the list of what you would need would be much longer.  The above mentioned items are minimum of what every household should have in case of an emergency.  Having these items on hand will make you feel calmer, safer and better prepared should the worst happen.  Pick up a few items a week until you have what you need and as they say about being prepared for anything:

It is better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it!

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A Review of Making Pickles Without Canning

 

If you have ever made pickles with a hot water bath canner, there is a good chance you ended up with rubbery, soggy pickles with no crunch.  I did!  I tried many different recipes and even tried adding an envelope of some stuff I bought that was supposed to keep your canned pickles crunchy. They were still awful.  I had pretty much given up and resigned myself to forever buying pickles from the grocery store which was a real shame since we grow our own wonderful cucumbers every summer.

One summer day about three years ago, I was talking to a friend of mine on the phone and lamenting about the sheer number of cucumbers I was getting from my garden when she asked me why I didn't make pickles.  I told her of my lack of success in pickle making and she told me about the cold pack pickles she makes every summer.  I was shocked!  I had never heard of making pickles cold, but I had to admit that it made sense, if you wanted them to stay crunchy.  I wrote down the recipe and immediately checked the cupboards to make sure I had all the ingredients, which I did!  

I could not believe how easy it was to make these pickles!  It did not take any special equipment, all I needed was a large bowl, a knife, a ladel and a jar.  It didn't even have to be a mason jar, any jar with a tight fiting lid would do.  I decided to use some large containers I had saved from some deli pickles I had bought for my husband.  That was another great thing about this recipe, you did not have to make 10 jars at a time and spend a whole day pickle making.  My friend's recipe made two jars at a time and took only a few minutes to make. I remember thinking to myself "this has got to be too good to be true!"

Here is what you need:

• 6 to 8 medium or 8 to 10 small cucumbers 
• 1 3/4 cups white vinegar 
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup chopped fresh dill weed or 3 to 4 tablespoons dried dill
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pickling salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pickling spice 
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste  (optional)
• 4 sprigs fresh dill weed or 1 teaspoon of dried

I was lucky, I had all this stuff left over from my prior pickle mishaps and I grow fresh dill in my garden, so I didn't have to go to the store, but if you do, you can get all these ingredients at any large grocery store.  If you don't grow your own cucumbers, just buy some at a produce market.

Making them is really easy, here's how:

Wash and cut up your cucumbers.  You can cut them as rounds or as spears, the shape is up to you.  

Mix the water, vinegar, chopped dill, sugar, garlic, salt, pickling spice, and red pepper flakes in an extra large bowl and stir till the sugar and salt dissolve.

Place the cucumbers in the bowl and stir gently.  Make sure all the cucumbers are fully immersed in the liquid.  Place the bowl on the counter and let it marinate for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Take your freshly washed jars and put a sprig of fresh dill in each or a pinch of dried dill, if you don't have fresh.

Ladel the cucumbers and pickling liquid evenly into the two jars and screw the lids on tightly.  Shake each jar and then place them in the refrigerator.

In ten days you will have delicious dill pickles, cold and crunchy.  If you have any left over juice, you can put it in a jar and keep it in the refrigerator till you have some cucumbers to add to it!

All pictures by author You can also make these "pickles" with other vegetables.  I have made them with mild banana peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.  They all came out really tasty.  I love the flavor of pickled vegetables! The greatest thing about this recipe is that you can make and eat fresh pickles all summer long and into fall and it is quick and easy to do.  I just throw a batch together once a week, that way we never run out.  They keep in the refrigerator for about 2 months, but they never last that long in my house! Last winter, when our pickles ran out and we had none from the garden, my husband was complaining that we had no "good" pickles anymore.  The next time I went shopping I picked up some cucumbers at the grocery store and made some!  Needless to say, he was very happy and so was I!   If you are a pickle lover, give this recipe a try and I think you will be happy too.

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