Prep Hacks

bradsteen · Aug 11, 2024

My wife and I are going down the rabbit hole of trying to be more self-sustaining and less reliant on traditional supply chains. In the process we have learned some neat things that we probably wouldn't have otherwise. It got me thinking that we should have a thread dedicated to little hacks, tips, and tricks that might come in handy should the feces hit the fan.

Off the top of my head, I think most folks don't realize how useful eggshells are. Instead of tossing them out, we now keep a container on the kitchen counter for them. No need to wash them, just toss them in - the egg whites dry quickly and don't cause any lingering odors. Once your eggshell container gets full, run a pot of boiling water, toss them in, boil for an hour, and let them soak overnight. The next day strain out the shells but save the water - it is now nutrient rich and makes a great plant fertilizer. We use it to water any food-producing plants, giving more to those that seem to be struggling to help them liven up and power through.

Now that the shells are boiled, let them air dry. Once thoroughly dry, put them into a food processor and grind them down as fine as you can. The shells will sharpen the blades of the food processor while you grind them.

Now that the shells are ground up, they make a fantastic abrasive material. Keep it in a container next to the dish soap at your kitchen sink. Use it along with a bristle brush or brillo sponge to scour pots and pans. Stuff that normally takes forever to clean comes right off with minimal effort.

One thing to note, you'll want to avoid breathing in much of the eggshell dust, as it can cause respiratory problems. No need to mask up, just be careful. I use a container with a dedicated scoop, and dish it out one spoonful at a time to minimize dust getting kicked up.

Hope you all find this helpful!

P7M13 · Aug 12, 2024

For decades, I have dried and ground them and added coffee grinds and put them in the garden.

For this year, I picked up all the dog feces, added water and lime, made a slurry and mixed it into the veggie bed. Did 15 gallons of it this spring, and a surface application in June. With the lime, smells no worse than regular fertilizer. My veggies are the most productive I've ever seen. The tomato plants hit 7', and i am looking at buckets of them in a few weeks. I've had zucchini and crooked neck squash coming out of my ears since early July from one plant each. Giving it to the neighbors and family.

Turn your water heater operating thermostat down to low and get used to showers that aren't so hot. Your heating bill will thank you.

Joe13 · Aug 12, 2024

Coconut Oil

To many uses to realistically list but here are some of the most popular:

Coconut oil has many potential health benefits, including:

Skin
Coconut oil can hydrate skin, reduce inflammation, and promote wound healing. It may also have antibacterial properties.
Hair
Coconut oil can moisturize and repair damaged hair, and may help with dandruff and other scalp conditions. You can use it as a prewash treatment, conditioner, hair mask, or styling aid.
Cooking
Coconut oil can be used as a substitute for butter when baking, or mixed into yogurt, oatmeal, or hot cereal. You can also spread it on bread for toasted sandwiches, or add it to water when making rice.

Other potential benefits of coconut oil include:

Boosting energy levels
Maintaining blood sugar levels
Strengthening bones
Aiding digestion
Fighting yeast infections
Increasing good cholesterol
Reducing stress

However, coconut oil is high in calories and saturated fats, so health authorities recommend keeping your intake moderate to avoid increasing your risk of heart disease. Some say that taking 10 mL of coconut oil two or three times a day for up to 12 weeks seems to be safe, but there isn't enough reliable information to know if it's safe for children when taken by mouth as a medicine.

Edit: I have been using nothing but organic coconut oil to heal my tattoos. At first my buddy was very skeptical but after seeing how well it healed, he was all for me doing it but didn't recommend it to customers for a couple more years when they came up with tattoo healing balms.