The Fantastic Four – 4 Essential Wild Edible Plants that May Just Save Your Life Did you realize that knowing just 4 wild edible plants could one day save your life? If there were any four categories of plants that I would recommend all people to know how to use and identify it would be these: Grass, Oak, Pine, and Cattail. For the knowledgeable survivor, knowing just these four plants can make the difference between life and death if stranded in the wilds – for each one is an excellent food source which can sustain you until help arrives. Throughout this week and part of the next, I’ll be going into details on how you can prepare and eat these plants. Grass Surprising to many is the fact that you can eat grass. The young shoots up to 6 inches tall can be eaten raw and the starchy base (usually white and at the bottom when you pluck it) can be eaten as a trail nibble. The best part of the grass plant to eat are the seed heads, which can be gathered to make millet for breads or filler for soups & stews. Oak Pine “You can eat pine?!” Cattail Conclusion
DIY Mason Jar Oil Lamp Lantern Craft Tutorial for Indoors or Outdoors DIY and create a beautiful oil lamp / lantern from a mason jar. Indoors, or outdoors, your new beautiful oil burning lamp craft will look gorgeous anywhere. A concept idea for using your lantern to burn scented oil has been appended onto the end of this tutorial. Oil lanterns are nice to have when camping, and they’re also great to have around for power outages. These mason jar oil lamps are functional, very inexpensive, fun to make, and sometimes just nice to kick back and stare at for a while. Keep out of reach of children and away from pets. There are endless variations that can be implemented when making your oil lamp— just use your imagination! Have you seen the article with 12 different oil lamps made using all sorts of jars, jugs and bottles? Do you remember the experiment in grade school with food coloring, applying it to different liquids that would ultimately float on the others? That was all, of course, due to different densities in the different liquids.
CODY LUNDIN: outdoor survival, primitive living skills, and urban preparedness courses DIY Cheap 100 Hour Candles I am always on the look-out for homemade counterparts to store bought preparations. These DIY ’100 hour candles’ definitely fit the bill. In less than 5 minutes you have an inexpensive, refillable ’100 hour candle’ that will light up your home in the darkest of times. And for you ladies – these homemade alternatives are far more aesthetically pleasing than the store bought versions. Supplies The supplies you need are pretty straight forward. Just as a side note, it took me forever to find the liquid paraffin. Step One: Create Opening For Wick I used some grass-trimming shears but you can use a knife or any other sharp tool to create your opening. Step Two: Insert Wick Instead of just putting the wick in like a candle, we’re going to place it so that it is doubled over. After having both ends through, pull down so that only a tiny amount of the folded piece of wick remains. Step Three: Pour Paraffin Into Jar Fill up your 1/2 pint mason jar with the liquid paraffin. Step Four: Secure the Top
The Most Frequently Overlooked Long-Term Survival Items by Robert Wayne Atkins The Most Frequently Overlooked Items for Long-Term Hard Times Survival Copyright © December 1, 2008 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E. All Rights Reserved. One of the suggestions that is frequently mentioned on a variety of internet forums is to purchase "trade or barter items" before the hard times begin. Some of the typical "trade and barter items" that are recommended are salt, first aid supplies, toilet tissue, and 22LR ammunition. The general reasoning behind this "trade and barter strategy" is as follows: At the current time these "items" are widely available and reasonably priced.During really hard times these items will become scarce or very expensive.When that happens almost everyone will be desperate to obtain these items.You will therefore be able to trade these "items" for the things you really need. In my opinion a better strategy would be to simply invest your money in the things you know you will need. List of Frequently Overlooked Items
12 More DIY Oil Lantern Ideas - Put It In A Jar We’ve previously covered how to create a mason jar oil lantern, and we’ve covered how to create a rock candle. Now, for inspiration, let’s check out 12 different photos of various bottles, jars, and jugs that were converted into oil lamps or lanterns using the same steps as mentioned in our two tutorials. One of the nice things about making your own oil lamps is that they serve a purpose and will be there when you actually need to have one around. They can be used indoors or outdoors, depending on the oil you’ll be using, and are perfect for a desk party, BBQ, or small get-together. Would you like to view one of our tutorials on how to make your own oil lamp? You guys / gals should email in your photos once you’ve made your own oil lanterns, or any of the other craft projects on our site! This design is pretty impressive. This Christmas oil lamp is absolutely brilliant. These oil lamps are very stylish! I love the Pale Ale lantern! You can definitely use olive oil for your lamp fuel.
Olive Oil Lamps It's a good idea to be able to know how to create your own light sources in case you ever need them. This is a simple candle that you can put together with things that you already have laying around the kitchen (besides the wick, but I'd recommend keeping that as a regular stockpiled item anyways!) There were many times when we have lost power at our house. Olive Oil Candles What you need: Depending on how long you want your candle to burn you can pick different thicknesses of wick. I would go with at least a #2 wick if you choose the smaller, more candle like flame. Or if you are going for more light you may want to pick up a lantern width wick. Cut the wick a couple inches long. Bend the wire so it hooks onto the side of the jar. Here's a close up of the wick in the middle. Add your olive oil and that's it! The awesome thing about this candle/lantern is that olive oil burns clean and doesn't smoke. I personally used these squatty style half pint jars. What should we work on next?
Free Candle Making Instructions Directory Vital Instructions Candle Making Safety Instructions Do not make candles without reading and understanding these rules. Introduction To Candle Making This interactive on-line course teaches the basics of paraffin candle making. The course is 100% free, however you must register to use it. Candle Makers Troubleshooting Guide Just answer the questions for diagnosis and solutions to most candle making problems. Candle Measures A guide to measurements for candle making formulas. Wick Selection Guide Instructions on how to choose the correct wick for your Candles Candle Making Recipe Book Series This series is still under production, however most of the articles are now available. Container Candle Recipes A guide to container candle wax formulations and other information about container candles. Floating Candle Recipes A guide to floating candle wax formulations and other information about floating candles. Full Instruction List (in alphabetical order) Whipped Wax The basics of making whipped wax.
How To Make Your Own Wicks For Candles Candle making is a popular crafting activity. They make fun and unique gifts, are customizable and give of lovely scents when lit. Many crafters create their own candles but wicks are often purchased at a hobby store. For a completely handmade candle, use just a few steps and simple materials. Things You'll Need Cotton Kite Strings Or TwineClothespins And LineTable SaltScissorsOld NewspapersPaper And Binder Clips show more Dissolve two tablespoons of table salt and four tablespoons of borax in 1-1/2 cups of warm water. Soak a 1-foot length of regular cotton kite string or twine in the solution for 15 minutes. Hang the string with a clothespin for five days to be sure it is completely dry. Use a paper clip to dip the string in melted wax three or four times, coating it completely. Store wicks rolled up in a newspaper. Add only one chemical for color variation.
Everyday Tricks Everyone Should Know Tricks every woman should know…Nik The last several are a few of my own I’ve discovered… Peel a banana from the bottom and you won’t have to pick the little ‘stringy things’ off of it. Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster. Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold! Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking. Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking. To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a Couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in beat them up. For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. for 15 minutes!!! Easy Deviled Eggs gone.
Earth Clinic: Folk Remedies & Holistic Cures Uses for Peppermint Oil – Ways to Use Peppermint Oil – Essential Oils Uses for Peppermint Oil Like many essential oils, Peppermint Oil has many uses for your health and around your home. Today we will talk about a few ways to try it and make sure to share your tips on the best uses for Peppermint Oil in the comments! Peppermint Oil is the oil harvested from the peppermint plant. Make Your Own Peppermint Oil Harvest the peppermint leaves from your plant in the early morning. Now that we know how to make peppermint oil, let's learn about all the things we can do with it! **Note: Like with all essential oils, test first to make sure you are not allergic, do not use on young children, do not use if pregnant, and do not use if you have certain medical conditions. Uses for Peppermint Oil Around the Home Keep ants and spiders out of your home by making a barrier of peppermint oil. Uses for Peppermint Oil for Health and Beauty Help bring down nausea or indigestion. More Uses for Peppermint Oil Uses for ChivesUses for CilantroUses for Mint
Aromatherapy To Fight Winter Blues Winter can be a gloomy time. It can feel very long, and the lack of daylight combined with holiday stress can get some people pretty down. What’s interesting is that certain aromas or scents have been known to help lift your spirits during the winter blahs. How Does It Work? Our sense of smell is very powerful, and can have a profound impact on our feelings. Of course, you ultimately smell with your brain, and it’s this scent-brain connection that aromatherapy seeks to tap into. Studies have shown that certain smells actually affect brain wave activity. What Scents Are Best for Winter Blues? To help combat the feelings of melancholy associated with winter, there are certain “sunny” scents that may lift your mood. Other popular essential oils with uplifting qualities include the mints, particularly peppermint and spearmint. You can blend these in various proportions to achieve a pleasing, bright scent. What Are the Best Sources of Scent?