Another frugal idea for your storage-COFFEE FILTERS

Thanks to a group member who sent this to me...I think it would be a great idea to have a pack of these in your storage. So versatile! Good substitute for paper towels, cotton balls, paper bowls, etc. And cheap at the dollar store!

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through and clogging the drainage holes.

11. Prevent a Popcicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..


13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."

15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or applique soft fabrics.

16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.

19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies... Saves on having extra bowls to wash.

21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.

22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book...

25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

ALTERNATIVE TO PEPPER SPRAY/MACE-WASP SPRAY!

This was sent to me by one of our members. I'm not really keen on forwards because so many of them lack legitimacy and are created mainly for drama, but it sounded like common sense to me and could possibly be of great use someday. Not a bad idea to keep a couple cans around.

"A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead. The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection. Thought this was interesting and might be of use.
Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School.
For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed. Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them."
Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The wasp cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says "spray the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the wasp spray. "That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out."

PICKUP TIME

For those that placed an order in January, here's the pickup info:

When: Sat., February 13, 1-4 PM
Where: Joan Elders', 4820 Hollow Road, Nibley

Also...stay tuned, we're working on getting a seed order going in the next couple of weeks. Happy winter!

FEBRUARY PREPAREDNESS GOAL

Here are my goals for February:

TP: I am WAY WAY WAY low on this very important essential so I need to stock up this month. I will budget $20 for this purchase and get as much as I can. A lot of times I will get a nicer brand (say Charmin) in a super pack for our immediate use, and then get the dollar store (6 rolls for $1-yeah!) for emergency purposes...if it comes down to it, we will be very happy to have the generic version!
*Note: We sell a toilet paper kit that consists of a squirt bottle, some cloths that have been reinforced around the edges and a bucket...sounds gross but if you're unable to make it to the store, it would be a great alternative to TP. I need to have one of those on hand in my storage also. (If you are interested email me at foodstoragenow@gmail.com)

Emergency Medical Supplies: Seeing all the chaos in Haiti has helped me rethink and evaluate some areas in my storage that are lacking. One of our readers was asking me what supplies would be great to have on hand for disinfecting, etc., in order to possibly prevent infection and eventually, amputations. I consulted Joan, who knows a heck of a lot about preparedness, and she gave this list to start with:
Bandages (found bulk at the farm supply store)
Bag balm (also found at the farm supply store; contains great healing antibodies and is cheap)
Hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol: cheap at the dollar store, it also comes on sale during caselot, sometimes 2/$1
Lavender essential oil: for burns and cuts, won't sting
Ionic Silver: can be applied directly to a wound without stinging, we sell this
Epsom Salts: also cheap at the dollar store, last indefinitely

Here's a good place to start. I will probably budget another $20 for these supplies and see how far that gets me. Join me if you want, let's work out way into preparedness one month at a time!