Spools Are Cool

We all have objects from our youth that seem to stick in our mind and almost become mythical for one reason or another.  One thing for me that rolled into my memory and never left was a large wooden spool (the kind that electric and phone companies have their cables rolled on).  The one in question resided at my grandparent's house.  At the time I didn't know where it came from or how it got there.  All I knew was that it was always there and it was used for sooo many things!  It had to be about 3 feet tall with even wider dimensions for the top and bottom.  It had been painted to slow its deterioration from the sun, wind, rain, and snow, but other than that it was "as-is"... and it was perfect!!  Made out of good lumber and bolted together in such a way that it was both sturdy and durable--the spool was made to industrial specs.  Best of all, if it wasn't in the right spot for the job you could just turn it on its side and roll it to where you needed it:)  It turned out to be a really invaluable tool for a variety of rural activities.  It was used as a work table, a canning prep area, a fish cleaning station, and much more. 

A little while back I had the chance to ask my grandma where that spool had actually come from.  The answer, "Oh we went down to the local electric co-op with the pick-up and picked it up." 

"Well, how much did they charge you for one of those back then," I asked. 

The answer, "it was free."

Free...I was on it!!! 

Since my electric co-op is close, I gave them a quick phone call.  Sure enough, the spools became available from time to time and all you had to do was put your name on one (or more) then show up with something to pick it up with when it was ready.  It didn't take them long to notify me that a spool was available.  When I got there they were actually dismantling some unclaimed spools and throwing them in the trash.  A waste to be sure, but it showed me that much like pallets these wooden treasures often go unappreciated.  The gentleman in charge pointed me in the direction of the one he had set aside for me and even loaded it up on the spot with his forklift.  Oh, and there were actually 4 or 5 sitting there when I got there because he didn't know exactly what size I wanted:)  I took two off of his hands since it was all we could get crammed into the pick-up bed.  I then shook his hand and was off.


Our cool spool

I've since come to find that these wooden spools become available at several places, not only the mentioned electric and phone companies but also wiring retailers and others.  All you have to do is keep an eye out for them and then go in and ask what they would take for one.  Chances are they will tell you to take as many as you need.  They may even help you load them...because spools and the folks who let you have them are cool!!!

All Is (Not) Lost

I have been waiting with great anticipation for the film "All Is Lost" to come out on DVD.  Well, now it has and just as I suspected it's an incredible journey!  It's the story of a man who runs into what seems to be insurmountable odds on the open sea and how he ultimately deals with both Murphy's Law and nature's wrath.  Now I'm not a sailor, (although I do greatly admire those that have acquired those skills), but regardless the story lends itself to all of us who strive for self-sufficiency and self-reliance.  My last intention here would be to provide spoilers to the film because it truly deserves to be experienced without much detail. The less you know about the film the more that you can fully experience the power of the picture.  Suffice it to say there is an incident that occurs over the course of several days that pushes him and his survival skills to their breaking point.  There are however, many good lessons to be learned from the film and the movie's lone character including preparation, repair work, keeping a level head in the face of extreme stress, and even how to make a working solar water still (a very sound process to know on land or at sea).  This small yet critically acclaimed film staring Robert Redford is called "All Is Lost", but it's NOT lost on its viewers. 

Oats-a-Meal

It was something that I hadn't really thought to try to be honest with you:  making meat from oatmeal.  OK, so technically it wasn't meat, but it turned out to be one of the best substitutes that I had ever tried!  Like most discoveries, it came from necessity.  With nothing thawed out for dinner the choices were go without or find an alternative. 

"To the internet," I said, and within a few minutes I had found a process of using oatmeal as a meat substitute.  They were using it as a sausage but mentioned how it both looked and tasted a bit like chicken-fried steak....Well, chicken-fried steak sounded good to me!!  I'll share the process with you first then the results:

* 2 cups of raw oatmeal (I used quick oats)
* 4 eggs (egg substitute could also be used here)
* Seasonings to taste (salt, pepper, sage, whatever you and your family prefer in your favorite dishes)
* Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a bowl then make your patties (This amount of ingredients will make two large steak-like patties)
* Place your patties in a frying pan and cook them as you would any like cut of meat
* Take your browned oatmeal steaks and place them in a pan of simmering bouillon broth (This can be chicken or beef whichever you like best)
* Let simmer for 20 minutes
* Pull the steaks from the broth and re-brown them for just a few minutes

That's it!  You're done!  The first time I tried this I skipped the simmering broth step.  While the steaks were still very good with a delicious flavor (they were indeed used as a substitute for chicken-fried steak),  the texture was very dense almost like a bannock.  The second round of "oatmeal meat" was used for meatballs and served with noodles and a red sauce.  This time the simmer step was not skipped and the difference could most definitely be told in the meat's texture...it was perfect!  Though you may be skeptical (as was I), give it a try.  Because if the refrigerator or pantry is running a little thin or there's simply no time to thaw something out or run to the store, just remember oats-a-meal!!!

Oatmeal meatballs

A Fire Starter With Flare

We've used pine cones as kindlin' for quite awhile now and I just have to say...they work great!  There's just one problem---they go up quick!!  Some times that leaves you with a nice red glowing mass of what was once a stack of the little dudes but without a burning fire.  Solution:  Just add wax and a wick.  Voila!  You now have something that not only starts and burns easily but also has some staying power.  These wax- powered wonders are easy to make and make an awesome addition to your fire-starting arsenal.

1.  Pick up cones in mass.  If you don't have access to them check with friends and family.  If anyone you know has a few pine trees in or around their yard they will more than likely be happy to let you pick them up.  This saves wear and tear on their mower and you'll walk away with bags and bags of cones since pine trees produce and then drop a ton of them every year!

2.  Melt down a candle or two.  The ones that never burned right to start with or the ones whose wicks have given up the ghost are the best ones to sacrifice here.  You might also be able to pick up some spent candles at your local thrift store.  They can usually be bought on the cheap if you can find them.

3.  Make yourself a hook fashioned out of a piece of wire of some sort so that you can safely dip the cones into the hot wax and retrieve them.

4.  When you have your cones ready for dunking and your wax hot there is just one last step--Tying a bit of wick around a portion of the cone. This will give you a fuse to get the little guy started when you're ready for it to do its thing.  Wick material is relatively inexpensive.  It goes a long way, and it can be found at almost any hobby or craft store.

5.  Once you've tied your wick off you are ready for the deed.  Simply hook your wire around the cone and dip it into the hot candle wax.  After a few seconds, carefully pull your now wax-covered pine cone out of the wax and sit it on a safe drying area to cool.  You may find that you will want to do multiple dunks depending on the amount of wax that you want on each piece.

That's it!  Once the pine cones have dried you are ready for action.  Whenever you have the need for a fire starter with a little extra oomph, these guys will fit the bill!!


Fire starter with some kick

Sweet, Sweet Vinegar

There are a few things that are a "cannot go without" staple in a Runnin' Lean household.  One of these things would have to be vinegar.  There are few substances that can give you the bang for your buck that vinegar can.  On top of that...it's cheap too!!!  Our local big box bulk store carries it in a two jug box for around 5 bucks.  These are gallon jugs mind you.  Those jugs last us a long time and they can be used for sooo many things.  Here are just a few examples of the worthiness of vinegar:

1.  Cleaning.  Toilet bowls, bathtubs, stoves, refrigerators, the list goes on and on.  If it's greasy or grimy a little bit of vinegar can cut through it.

2.  Weed Killer.  Pour a little vinegar on those unwanted little buggers and watch them disappear but quick.

3.  Pickling.  One of my favorites!  The sky is the limit here.  Have more fresh veggies than you can use or care to can...pickle it with the help of your ole' buddy vinegar.

4.  Ant Invasion Deterrent.  Simply wash your countertops, cabinets, and floors with vinegar to keep the ants away.

5. Laundry Freshener. Add a little vinegar to the rinse cycle when washing something extra smelly (dog bed, gym clothes, etc). The stink will wash right out.

In fact, vinegar is good for so many things there's a good chance that you will replace a number of the items that are both cluttering your cabinets and emptying your wallet.  That makes vinegar very sweet indeed in my book;)

The Great Paper Chase

This Christmas a very good friend of ours gave us a set of beautiful napkins that she made as a gift.  It reminded us of how long it had been since we had picked up a roll of paper towels or super pack for that matter.  You know the kind that you get at your local big box bulk store...the kind that has taken a half or full tree to make depending on which pallet it's sitting on. That all changed a few years ago and we've never looked back.  We ultimately gave paper napkins and towels up for three reasons:

1. The cost
2. The waste
3. We had sets of perfectly good cloth napkins that we seldom if ever used

Now don't get me wrong.  We still have the need for the occasional paper towel, but I would say that a good 98% of our needs are now filled by our cloth napkins.  Another 1% is filled by rags that have been recycled from various cloths, towels, wash clothes, etc. that have served their original purpose but are ready for their next 'life' as they make the trip to the ole' rag bag.  That leaves a whole 1% to what used to be our go-to product for spills, messes, and general tidiness...paper towels.

Cloth napkins can be inexpensively found at most thrift stores, can be easily made, and best of all can be used time and time again year after year.  All of this means that you will no longer have to chase down the paper towel aisle of your local, (fill in the blank).  No more spending money on something that you are going to use once and then immediately throw away.  Plus, as an added bonus...I can tell you that at a set table there is no contest when it comes to display between a paper towel and a neatly folded cloth napkin!

And yes, when handmade out of stunning fabric they make great gifts:)    

Our Christmas gift:  A set of cloth napkins

Great Balls of Dryer

While surfing the internet one afternoon, I came across a DIY project that piqued my interest. It looked easy, quick, and could save me money--Wool Dryer Balls.  One of the biggest energy hogs in a house is the clothes dryer.  Every month when we look at our utility bill we can tell what days I did laundry by the "extra" amount of energy we consumed.  As mentioned in the Runnin' Lean Field Manual, we do hang dry much of our laundry to cut costs; however, it is a necessary evil for us to use the clothes dryer to dry some items.  After looking at numerous websites and reading lots of reviews, I discovered that wool dryer balls could save me 25 to 50% in drying time.  Wow, I had to try them after reading those statistics!

To make your own wool balls, your need:
1 skein of 100% wool yarn (I used Lion Brand's Fisherman's Wool)
Pantyhose or knee-high hose
String 
Washer
Dryer


Little money-saving gems:  Wool dryer balls

1. Using the skein of yarn make 4 tight balls of yarn about the size of a tennis ball.  Be sure and secure the end of the yarn in each ball by wrapping them under and over several layers of yarn.
2. Place a ball in the toe of the pantyhose. 
3. Tie it off with the string so it does move.
4. Add the other balls and tie them off separately too.
5. Toss the ball-filled pantyhose in your washer and dryer with your next load of laundry.  The hotter the better to speed up the felting process.  
6. After the balls have been washed and dried, remove them from the pantyhose.  The yarn fibers should be fused together and  the ball should be more smooth!

That's it!  You've made  your own wool dryer balls!    Each time you need to dry clothes toss the balls into your dryer, too! 

Have a favorite scent?  Try scenting your wool balls with your favorite essential oils.  I haven't tried this yet but several websites have stated that the scent will last multiple loads.

Give wool dryer balls a try!  Those little gems will save you time and money!
I know because they balls have cut our drying time down by approximately 33%. 


LaRynda