Wood Permits

Our area has some pretty cold winters - many of us have alternate forms of heating our homes.  Out of both a desire for self reliance and to save money on the ever rising cost of public utilities.
The most common alternative in this area is a wood burning stove.  We are lucky to live in a place where timber is abundant.

To legally acquire wood from state and federal lands you must first purchase a permit.  Unfortunately, the area that the Department of Land allows for firewood cutting is very limited.  The local office suggesting purchasing a permit from the U.S. Forest Service office.  You only need a photo ID.  It is $5 per cord, with a 4 cord minimum and a 12 cord maximum.  The USF permit also allows you to cut on Bureau of Land (BLM) property as well.

Here are some helpful links:

Idaho Dept of Lands

U.S. Forest Service

Washington Dept of Natural Resources 

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation

Obama Phone

Not Dead and Gone, Just Gone.....Temporarily

You may have thought this blog was put out to pasture, but oh no, that is not the case.  I've just been busy.  I'm going to remain busy though, so this blog is taking a back seat.  Consider Not Just For Mormons in hibernation.  A hibernating blog that emerges in late fall.

In the mean time you can always get the Survival/Safety/Food Storage/Prepper news at the Not Just For Mormon Facebook page.  Just click HERE.

VINEGAR

Vinegar?

Vinegar.

Vinegar!

Yes, vinegar.

It has like a million and one different uses and best of all it is c.h.e.a.p.

• Use vinegar as a stain remover.  Soak the stained garment in vinegar prior to washing.
• Wash your windshield or windows.  Use in place of Windex.
• Wash your floors.  I used about a cup of vinegar in a bucket of hot water to clean my tile floors last week.  I was surprised how well it worked.
• Use on carpet to eliminate pet odor.  I have heard it can even remove cat pee *gag* smell.  
• Keep vinegar in a spray bottle on hand.  It can be used as an air freshener, toilet cleaner, wallpaper adhesive remover, and fabric softener.  It also helps to remove calcium build up and lime deposits.
• Use it to clean stains off your coffee maker.  You can even run vinegar through the coffee maker for a sparkling machine.
• Add just a little splash to your water when boiling eggs.  If an egg cracks the insides will not boil out of their shell.
• Soak your feet in vinegar to rid yourself of athletes foot.
• Pour some vinegar into the rinse cycle of your dishwasher for streak free glassware.
• Most of us have heard about the tomato soup remedy for removing skunk smell from a pet, but vinegar also helps neutralize the stink.
• Use vinegar as a hair rinse in the shower - I have not tried this, but I have read that it really gives your mane some shine.
• I have heard drinking a few tablespoons of vinegar makes your odor unpleasant to mosquitoes.  Maybe worth a try.
• Clean your dogs ears out using vinegar.  Our dog is very prone to ear infections - keeping them clean makes them less frequent.
• Vinegar restores the natural acid base of your skin so it can be very helpful for skin conditions or even dry skin.
• Fruit flies are attracted to apple cider vinegar.  Put some in a shallow bowl and they will drown themselves in it.
• Try cleaning the microwave with some vinegar.

The uses for vinegar seem endless.

Do you have any great vinegar tips to share?

The Greatest Truth Never Told

Holy crap.  

Totally true.

Totally frightening.

Let this serve as a wake up call.

Saint Patrick

Did you know that Saint Patrick, born in the 4th century, was kidnapped by Irish hooligans and taken to Ireland as a slave?

He later escaped and returned to his home in Britain to become a priest.

After some years he felt called to Ireland to preach the gospel.

It is said he used the shamrock as a way to explain the Holy Trinity to Irish unbelievers.

Now, why we celebrate the day honoring him by drinking "Irish Trashcans" and green beer?  I'm not so sure.

:)

Have a happy St. Patrick's day no matter how you celebrate it.

Food Review; Green Peppers

 LOVE.  LOVE!  I LOVE these peppers.  

This may speak to how boring my life is, but I'm really excited about these green peppers.

Why?

Here are the top 5 reasons for my current green pepper love.

1. Cuts my prep time.  They are already sliced and ready to go.  
2. No more spoiled peppers in the fridge.  That saves me money and it means I always have peppers when I want to use them.  (that is actually two reasons in one - bonus.)
3. They are good - they taste EXACTLY like fresh green peppers.  Promise.  Not a lie.
4. The price is more than reasonable.  Through me, the #10 can is only $15.29.  $15.29 you say??  That is correct.  Only slightly more for red peppers or mixed red/green.*
5. I just added them to my crock pot chili.  I always add peppers to my chili and my son always picks them out.  Not this time.  I crumbled those suckers up before adding them.  He will have no idea he is eating them.  Tricky tricky.

 In their freeze dried form these things are brittle enough to be crumbled in my palm and added to anything.  Or you could also just snap them into smaller pieces before adding them to a meal - think Denver omelet for breakfast.  Of course they can remain in strips - like I use for fajitas.

Oh, and guess what is listed on the ingredient label?  

Green peppers.

Yep, that's it.

Unlike most every single canned veggie - there is no added sodium in this.