CLEANING INGREDIENTS
Vinegar, rubbing alcohol, salt, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, or just plain old water--just like the Frugal Pantry uses.
HYGIENE ITEMS
Natural-made soaps, diluted baking soda, diluted vinegar, or just plain old water.
LAUNDRY SOAP
See hygiene above. Use a salt scrub if necessary.
DRYER PRODUCTS
Vinegar in the rinse cycle prevents the need for dryer sheets.
BLEACH SUBSTITUTE
Hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice soak
Once you break down all your cleaning needs to the basic elements and ingredients, you find you're no longer an indentured servant to Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, or anybody else. Basic ingredients are a whole lot cheaper than stuff in a spray can, a squeeze bottle, or a sprayer bottle filled with the latest colored, scented cleaning chemistry.
FOODS
Eggs
Muscle meats
Organ meats
Some nuts--specifically almonds and macadamias (use sparingly)
Coconut milk and/or coconut water
In-season fruits and vegetables (the darker, the better—growing them is cheapest)
Sprouts (self-grown is cheapest)
Honey, Sucanat, and/or stevia for sweetening--these are the least-processed forms of sweetener
Raw cacao if you can stand it--otherwise, unsweetened cocoa powder is fine.
Nutritional yeast if you need non-cholesterol forms of protein--this has B-12 in it.
Look into long-term, unrefrigerated methods of storing foods for the long term: dehydration, canning, smoking, curing, etc. Here is some information on canning meats:
Here is some information from the University of Missouri Extension Office:
“Pressure canning is the only safe method for canning meat, fish and poultry. It is the only way you can destroy the bacterium that causes food poisoning (clostridium botulinum). Be sure to process canned meats for the correct time at the correct temperature in a pressure canner. Canning low-acid foods, such as meats, in boiling-water canners is absolutely unsafe because the botulinum bacteria can survive this process. If clostridium botulinum survive and grow inside a sealed jar of food, they can produce a poisonous toxin. Even a taste of food containing this toxin can be fatal. Boil foods 10 minutes at altitudes below 1,000 feet to destroy this poison. Boil foods 11 minutes if you live above 1,000 feet.
• Chill and can fresh, home-slaughtered meats and poultry without delay.
• Do not can meat from diseased animals.
• Remove guts immediately after catching fish, put on ice and can within two days.
All meats, poultry and fish canned according to current MU Extension publications may be eaten without boiling if you are sure you followed correct procedures."
Some books for further reading:
The Canning, Freezing, Curing, and Smoking Meats and Game Guide
Complete Guide to Home Canning and Preservation—USDA 2008 (contains meat chapter)
Extension Office information:
University of Minnesota
North Dakota State University
Montana State University
Useful Websites:
Food.com’s Illustrated Guide to Canning Meats
National Center for Food Preservation
Backwoods Home.com’s “Safely and Easily Can Your Own Meat” (illustrated)
Long-term, unrefrigerated storage of eggs.
For sprouts and garden produce, it's "just-in-time" delivery--the best non-refrigerated storage of these are on the vine, in the dirt, and in the dish. Cut them as you use them.
If you find you can no longer eat sufficient amounts of antioxidants through food to delay aging, try juicing your produce and sprouts instead--much more food goes into making juices than you'd think, and by drinking them instead, you consume more than you would by eating. Leftover pulp can be used in recipes (they're all over the web).
NEW APPLIANCES (well, new to us in daily use, anyway!)
Juicing blender
Dehydrator
Sprouting jar or tray
Book on preserving meats.
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