Making your own natural laundry soap is a great way to save money and become more self-reliant.

The great part is that it’s easy to do and doesn’t cost much! In fact, you can make a year supply of laundry soap for under $20 with a little bit of searching and 5 minutes of mixing time. Here are some things you’ll need:

Fels Naptha Soap. This brand of soap has been around for decades and has proven itself as a reliable cleaning agent. You can usually find it in your laundry aisle at most local grocery stores. You can also use Ivory soap if that’s more readily available.

The other great thing about Fels Naptha is that you can use it for other purposes like treating exposure to poison ivy, poison ivy or other skin-irritants. Washing the area with a very small amount of Fels Naptha will breakdown the oils that carry the toxin. However, using the soap has been known to cause irritation to people’s skin.

You can buy a typical bar of Fels Naptha soap online for $1.99 or so. Usually, you’ll be able to find it cheaper in the stores though.

Price: $1.99

Washing Soda. Not to be confused with baking soda, washing soda, or soda ash; is a white powder that is used to remove dirt and odors. Arm & Hammer makes a high-quality washing soda that can usually be found in your local laundry aisle.

You can also make your own washing soda. Pure baking soda has a chemical makeup of NaHCO₃ (1 sodium, 1 hydrogen, 1 carbon and 3 oxygen molecules). When heated to high temperatures, it breaks down to become Na2CO₃ (2 sodium, 1 carbon, and 3 oxygen molecules). All you have to do is spread baking soda on a pan and bake it at 400 degrees for about a half hour. Stir it occasionally until you can tell a change has occurred. Baking soda is more powdery and clumpy like small salt crystals. You’ll be able to tell it changed when it becomes dull in color, opaque and is separated into grains.

Price: $2.99

Borax. Borax is a naturally occurring mineral that is great for whitening and deodorizing. One of the most popular kinds of borax is made by 20 Mule Team and usually comes in 76 oz. boxes.

Borax is a little harder to come by compared to the other two ingredients. However, you can usually find it with a little searching.

Borax can also be used for cleaning pots and pans, cleaning carpets, bathrooms and more!

Price: $5.99

Total Cost: $10.97

Combining the Ingredients
After you collect the ingredients, combine all the ingredients in large resealable bucket. Combine:

• 3 Bars of Fels Naptha Soap (grated)
• 1 Box of Washing Soda
• 1 Box of Borax

You can also add essential oils like lavender to add a bit of good smell to the mixture.

The mixture will make a large amount of laundry soap that will last about a year. When you toss in your wash, throw in 1 tbsp of the mixture into the mix or 2 tbsp for large loads. From the breakdown of the costs above, that’s about $0.03 a day for your wash! That’s pretty good!

The soap works just as well as other laundry soaps for everyday laundry washing. If you have a particularly stinky or dirty piece of clothing, you might need to add some laundry boost. But we’ve found that using this recipe keeps our clothes clean and fresh!

You might also want to read:
20 Uses for Vinegar That You Never Knew
How to Make Your Own House Cleaners
Magical Uses of Hydrogen Peroxide

As your family begins to move outdoors for the summer, you’ll have to take precaution against mosquitos and other insects.

Using mosquito repellent helps reduce your risk of exposure to West Nile virus or other diseases, it allow you to enjoy your summer activities with a low risk of disease.

Even if you’re indoors, it’s recommended that you use mosquito repellent, especially at dusk or when the sun goes down. Products that use Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus have been found to last a lot longer and work better.

Besides applying repellent, you should also take steps to avoid any exposure to mosquitoes. For example, wear long pants and long sleeves while you’re outdoors, use mosquito nettings and get rid of standing water near your home in order to avoid mosquito nesting grounds.

You can also make your own mosquito repellent – which will save you time and money. Check out these recipes below to see how you can make your own repellent and add your comments below:

Garlic Repellent
There is good reason that they say that garlic repels vampires. Mosquitos hate the stuff!

You’ll Need:
• Minced Garlic
• Mineral Oil
• Lemon Juice
• Cheesecloth

Directions
Mince a few cloves of garlic and cover them with mineral oil. Allow them to sit and soak for 24 hours. After they are done soaking, remove the minced garlic chunks and mix the oil with 2 cups water and 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice. Strain everything through a cheesecloth and add to a spray bottle.

Lemon Eucalyptus Repellent
You’ll Need:
• Lemon Eucalyptus Oil
• Sunflower Oil (or Witch Hazel)

Directions:
Mix 1 part lemon eucalyptus oil for every 10 parts of sunflower oil. You can rub the mixture on your skin or add it to a spray bottle and apply that way.

Lavender Mosquito Repellent
If you rub lavender flowers on your wrists, neck and behind your ears, you’ll smell great but you’ll also avoid mosquitoes. If you don’t have any lavender at the moment, you can always plant one in your yard.

Your Ideas?
Comment below and tell us ways that you avoid mosquitoes during the summer.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a great skill to know in case of an emergency. In fact, CPR doubles a person’s chance of survival after a sudden cardiac arrest.

Modern methods of CPR help the body maintain a flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and heart, keeping these organs alive until more help can arrive.

With sudden cardiac arrest, the heart changes from a normal beat to a fluttering beat called ventricular fibrillation (VF). This happens in nearly ⅔ of all cardiac arrest incidents. VF is fatal unless an electric shock can be given. CPR does not stop VF but it does extend the window in which a defibrillation can be effective.

Check out these instructions on the basics of CPR. You can also find a pocket guide to CPR that you can print here. There are also free iPhone and Android apps that you might find helpful.

1. Check the Victim
Check the victim. Did you see them collapse? If that’s the case be weary of your surroundings. Perhaps they were stung or bitten by a nearby insect. Be careful of the surroundings and check your victim to see if they are breathing, responsive or breathing normally.

2. Call for Help
If your victim is unresponsive and not breathing, you’ll need to call 911. A lot of people in the movies just yell “Someone call 911!” which isn’t a good idea. Make sure to single someone out and ask them specifically to call authorities. If you don’t do this, a lot of people will assume that someone else is calling 911. If you need to call yourself, do so. Many times an emergency dispatcher can also walk you through CPR instructions.

3. Pump the Heart
If the victim is still not breathing normally, not coughing or moving; begin chest compressions. Use your fingers to find the top of the rib cage and place your hand about four fingers higher than this point.
Use both hands, interlocking the fingers and keeping your elbows locked. Begin pushing down about 2 inches on the center of the chest 30 times. Pump hard and fast – at the rate of about 100 pumps per minute – faster than once per second.

If the victim is a child (ages 1-8), use one hand to pump the heart. If the victim is an infant use two fingers instead of an extended arm.

4. Rescue Breathing
After you’ve pumped the heart 30 times, provide them with some oxygen to circulate in their system. Tilt their head back and lift their chin. This will open up their airway system. Pinch their nose and cover their mouth with yours. Blow into their mouth until you can see the chest rise. Give two breaths with each breath taking about one second.

If the victim is a child (ages 1-8), use normal breathes. If the victim is an infant (less than 1 year), provide two gentle breaths instead of large ones.

5. Continue
If the breaths are going in, continue to alternate between pumping and breathing until help arrives. If the victim wakes up or becomes responsive, stop administering CPR.

Sometimes, an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) can be located after you’ve started CPR. Continue administering CPR until you can attach the AED correctly. Once it has been attached, follow the instructions on the AED.

Complications
Vomiting is the most common complication when administering CPR. If the victim begins to vomit, turn their head to the side and try and sweep out their mouth to keep the airway unobstructed.

Many times, people are afraid of catching a disease or infection by administering CPR. A spread of infection is extremely rare when administering CPR. Most cardiac arrests occur in the home where a family member would administer CPR. Even with CPR performed on strangers, there is an extremely low risk of infection. There are no documented cases of transfer of HIV or AIDS via CPR.

6. Once Help Arrives
When paramedics arrive, they’ll most likely have you back away from the victim – even if you’re in the middle of a pumping or breathing cycle. Provide them the space they need.

You don’t know when disaster will strike, and neither does the health care system. The emergency room may seem the epitome of preparedness, but Stephen Flynn, a former Coast Guard commander and author of The Edge of Disaster; thinks that medical care in the United States may be unprepared to cope with a catastrophic emergency, wide spread pandemic or a large terrorist attack.

During the economic downturn, hospitals have been doing what everyone else has been doing, says Flynn.

“The medical community has been moving in the direction of much of our economy,” he says, “which is wringing out the extra capacity in order to essentially focus on the bottom line.”

In the event of a major crisis and the likelihood that you may not have access to immediate medical care, it is important to be aware of medical care that you can do yourself at home, especially with first aid. There are many natural and homeopathic first-aid treatments used effectively for thousands of years that are still accepted by the modern medical community as viable and effective treatments, especially ointments, tinctures, and salves using essential oils from many different plants. Essential oils are particularly useful in treating insect bites and stings, burns, and wounds – perfect for first-aid at home in an emergency.

Insect Bites & Stings
Few studies have examined the effectiveness of specific homeopathic remedies. A professional homeopath, however, may recommend one or more of the following treatments for insect bites and stings based on his or her knowledge and clinical experience. Before prescribing a remedy, homeopaths take into account a person’s constitutional type. In homeopathic terms, a person’s constitution is his or her physical, emotional, and intellectual makeup. An experienced homeopath assesses all of these factors when determining the most appropriate remedy for a particular individual.

• Apis mellifica — for stinging pains with rapid swelling and affected area that is warm to the touch; this remedy is most appropriate for individuals who feel better with cold applications; Apis is recommended if hives are present or ifLedum does not reduce pain or swelling after 4 hours
• Hypericum — for bites accompanied by sharp, shooting pains that often occur in sensitive areas, such as at the ends of fingers or toes
• Ledum — most commonly used homeopathic agent for bites and stings from bees, mosquitoes, wasps, or spiders; affected area is cold to the touch but cold applications or immersion in cold water improves symptoms
• Staphysagria — for children with large, itchy mosquito bites that may create large welts
• Urtica urens — for red, swollen bites with itching and stinging; may be used instead of Apis to treat hives

Some essential oils may help repel insects. Dilute the oil before applying it to your skin. Never apply pure essential oils directly. Avoid contact with your eyes. These oils include:

• Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus)
• Clove (Eugenia caryophyllata)
• Citronella (Cymbopogon spp.)
• Neem oil or cream (Azadirachta indica)

Burns
Minor burns may be treated with herbs, but you should never take or apply any herb when you have moderate o severe burns. Call for emergency help first.

Herbs are generally a safe way to strengthen and tone the body’s systems. As with any therapy, you should work with your health care provider to diagnose your problem before starting treatment. You may use herbs as dried extracts (capsules, powders, teas), glycerites (glycerine extracts), or tinctures (alcohol extracts). Unless otherwise indicated, make teas with 1 tsp. herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 – 10 minutes for leaf or flowers, and 10 – 20 minutes for roots. Drink 2 – 4 cups per day. You may use tinctures alone or in combination as noted.

These herbs may be applied topically (externally) to minor burns:

• Aloe (Aloe vera), as a cream or gel. Apply externally to the burned area, 3 – 4 times daily as needed, for soothing and healing.
• Calendula (Calendula officinalis), or pot marigold, as an ointment or a tea applied topically. To make tea from tincture, use 1/2 to 1 tsp. diluted in 1/4 cup water. You can also steep 1 tsp. of flowers in one cup of boiling water for 15 minutes, then strain and cool. Test skin first for any allergic reaction.
• Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) as a cream containing 1% of the herb, may help repair skin tissue.
• Propolis, a resin created by bees to build their hives, has been used historically to treat skin wounds. One study found that people given propolis to apply to minor burns healed as well as those treated with silver sulfadiazine, a prescription ointment. More research is needed, however. If you use propolis for a minor burn, test skin first for any reaction.

Wounds
Certain herbal remedies may offer relief from symptoms and help wounds heal faster. Herbs are generally available as dried extracts (pills, capsules, or tablets), teas, or tinctures (alcohol extraction, unless otherwise noted). People with a history of alcoholism should not take tinctures. Dose for teas is 1 heaping tsp. per cup of water steeped for 10 minutes (roots need 20 minutes), unless otherwise noted.

Applied to skin

Never apply herbs to open wounds unless under a doctor’s supervision.

• Aloe (Aloe vera), as a cream or gel. Aloe has been used traditionally to treat minor wounds and burns, but scientific studies about its effectiveness are mixed. In one study, aloe seemed to make surgical wounds take longer to heal.
• Calendula (Calendula officinalis), or pot marigold, as an ointment or a tea applied topically. To make tea from tincture, use 1/2 to 1 tsp. diluted in 1/4 cup water. You can also steep 1 tsp. of flowers in one cup of boiling water for 15 minutes, then strain and cool. Test skin first for any allergic reaction.
• Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) as a topical ointment to help wounds heal and fight inflammation.
• Tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) as oil or cream. Apply two times per day to reduce inflammation. Do not use tea tree oil to treat burns.
• Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) as a cream containing 1% of the herb, to help heal wounds.
• Chamomile (Matricaria recutita or Chameaemelum nobile), as an ointment or cream, to help heal wounds.
• Echinacea or coneflower (Echinacea spp.) as a gel or ointment containing 15% of the juice of the herb.
• Slippery elm bark (Ulmus rubra or fulva) as a poultice. Mix 1 tsp. dried powder in one of cup of boiling water. Cool and apply to a clean, soft cloth. Place on affected area.

Taken by mouth

• Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is an anti-inflammatory that makes the effects of bromelain stronger. Use dried extract 250 – 500 mg three times a day. Turmeric may increase the risk of bleeding. If you take blood-thinning medications such as warfarin (Coumadin) or aspirin, ask your doctor before taking turmeric.
• Gotu kola helps the body repair connective tissue and heal wounds, and prevents a scar from growing larger. Use standardized extract 60 mg one to two times daily, or 60 drops of tincture three to four times per day. Do not take gotu kola if you have high blood pressure or experience anxiety. Do not take gotu kola if you have hepatitis or liver disease.
• Coneflower and goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), used together, may help protect against infection. Use equal parts tincture 30 – 60 drops three to four times a day.
• Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale, 2 – 8 g per day) is another herb with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It may help with wound healing, although there are no scientific studies looking at dandelion for wound healing. Be sure you do not have an allergy to dandelion, and avoid taking the herb if you have liver or gallbladder disease, diabetes, or kidney disease, or if you take blood-thinning medication.
• Pycnogenol (Pinus pinaster, 200 mg per day), an extract of the bark of a particular type of pine tree, helps promote skin health.

Your Recommendations
So, what natural treatments have you used for fist aid at home? Let us know so we can benefit from your experience.

Thanks to the University of Maryland Medical Center for all their great information on Complementary Medicine
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/insect-bites-000095.htm
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/burns-000021.htm
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/wounds-000175.htm

Last year, the United States suffered one of the largest droughts in its history. More than 50 percent of the nation was declared in drought conditions. In fact, nearly 1,000 counties and 28 states were in a drought last year.

With drought conditions, it’s important to know how you can protect your home garden. This will help you have fresh, healthy produce no matter the season.

Here are a few points to consider when trying to conserve water in your home garden.

Space them Out
For flowers and vegetables, use wider spacing to reduce competition for soil moisture. You can also place mulch in between and on top of the soil to prevent water from evaporating out of the soil as quickly. Since the mulch is thicker, the water will stay trapped.

Layer on the Top
Placing a layer on the top to trap in the moisture is a great way to conserve water. Many families water the garden in the early morning or late at night and spread the lawn mowing clippings over the top of the soil to trap in that water as long as possible.

Shading
A drought means less water but can also means higher heats. In order to protect their plants, many gardeners will create a shaded area for their garden to protect them from the extreme heat throughout the day. You can do this by building a netted canopy over your more tender plants which allows some light in. Many shading canopies are also built to be adjustable so that they can move to the side for setting suns on the horizon. The shading also helps water stay in the area instead of evaporating as easily.

Raised Gardening Beds
Raised beds made of concrete are a great way to retain moisture in the soil when you’re gardening. In many water-deprived areas, they use large troughs to plant all of their garden vegetables and fruits.

Less Fertilizer
Be sure to cut down on how much fertilizer you use and how often you use it. High-nitrogen fertilizer is great for quick growth but also requires more water for lawns and other plants. By using organic fertilizers, they deposit less nitrogen into the soil and improve soil humus – which helps hold water for longer amounts of time.

Pruning
Pruning takes a lot of effort for the plant to heal. Pruning can also cause side shoots and more growth, and thus require more water. Avoid pruning as much as you can. While your bushes and trees might look a little shabby, that’s better than having to replace a whole plant the next year because they didn’t survive the drought.

Weeds and Hoeing
I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but making sure that you weed your soil as much as possible. Weeds are competing for soil moisture and you can’t afford for your plants to miss out on any water that might be there. It’s also recommended that you avoid using a hoe on the soil. Disturbing the soil surface will result in drying out much faster.

Organic Material
Add organic materials like fruit scraps to the soil, they will add nutrients along with moisture. Composted materials will also add nutrients and are a great way to retain moisture. A popular practice is to use peat moss in gardens. While the peat moss lasts a lot longer in the soil, it doesn’t add as many nutrients and can acidify the soil.

Your Advice
So, what do you do when water is tight? Comment below to tell us what you think about gardening in a drought. Spread your knowledge and advice to others.

Not only is butter found in your favorite meals, dishes and desserts; it’s also a great multi-use tool for food preservation, cleaning, medical needs and more.

Check out these eight ideas on how you can use butter to help save time and money. These ideas will help you become more self-reliant and prepared.

Keep Mold Off Cheese
Is your cheese growing moldy too quickly? Rub it in butter! Lay a thin coat of butter on semi-hard cheese before you re-wrap it and it will help extend the shelf life of the cheese.

Foot Ache
After a long day of walking, soothing your feet is a must! Massage your feet with butter, wrap them in a damp, hot cloth and let them sit for 10 minutes. Your feet might smell a little like popcorn but they’ll feel great!

Removing Sap
If you’ve been out working the yard, cutting down trees, you’ll probably have sap all over your hands and arms. Picking off this sap can take a long time, but butter can help you get it off quickly. Rub your hands and arms with butter and the gunky black sap will wash right off with soap and water.

Fresh Onions
Butter is a great way to keep onions fresh for longer. Many times a recipe calls for a half an onion but you still want to keep the other half. By rubbing the cut side of the onion in butter and wrapping the end with aluminum foil, the onion will stay fresh longer while it’s in the fridge.

Cut Sticky Items
Rubbing butter on knife blades or scissors is a great way to cut through sticky things like figs or marshmallows. The butter will act as a lubricant and keep other things from sticking to the blade. You can also use melted butter on spoons when you’re spreading food in a pan. This is great for spreading Rice Krispy Treats in a pan without having them stick to the spoon.

Shoveling Snow
By rubbing your snow shovel with a thin layer of butter, the snow won’t collect on the sides. The fats in the butter will form a water-resistant barrier that will keep snow from collecting on your shovel and help you move quickly through the snow.

Repair Dinged Up Candles
Have you ever unpacked holiday candles and somehow they got scrapped or dinged? Rub 1/2 tsp of butter on your hands and then run your greasy hands over the candles. The friction will remove dust and grime while the fats in the milk will bring moisture back to the candle. This will give them a glossy sheen making them look nice.

Fishy Smell
An afternoon of fishing and cleaning can make your smell pretty strongly. By rubbing your hands with butter and then washing with soap and water, it will get rid of that fishy smell.

Your Uses
What do you use butter for? Comment below to tell us your thoughts and give some advice to others. Spread the word and help others become more self-sufficient.

In recent years, beekeeping has grown as a hobby to help families grow healthier plants while also helping the families be more self-reliant.

You might be thinking that beekeeping is going to be too advanced but in reality, it takes about the same amount of time and means as gardening or other outdoor hobbies.

Check out these tips on how you can start your own beehive at your home and reap the rewards!

Where Will You Keep Them
Bees are like any other pet that you might have and need a place to stay. Think about where you’ll put them in your yard. Is your yard big enough for a beehive? Are they going to be a problem for children? Do you have zoning laws that speak to beekeeping? All these are questions you’ll have to answer.

You’ll also need to consider your neighbors. While it might be OK with the city laws, no one wants to be the troublemaker in the neighborhood. Consider if your neighbors have allergies to bees, if the hive will be too close to their yard, etc. Many times, making a beehive a different color helps them be unrecognizable and out of the mind of your neighbors. You can also set up hedges or walls around your hive forcing bees to come back to the hive at a higher level – flying above the human height range.

A Strong Hive
A strong population is crucial to successful beekeeping. The typical population will reach 75.000 bees during the summer and around 30,000 gathering bees. A good colony is docile when managed and shouldn’t swarm very often. A good colony will produce 50-100 pounds of surplus honey each season. Avoid collecting a lot of honey in the fall – this is what bees use during the winter to survive.

Keep Your Hives Off the Ground
When you’re planning the location of your hives, it’s recommended that you have your hives off the ground to protect them from other animals. A simple stand made of 2x4s will do the job. Not to mention having them higher on the ground will be easier on your back and help you keep the bottoms cleaner.

Learn How Bees Naturally Form a Hive
Bees will typically create hives in cavities of about 2-3 cubic feet. Typically the honey will be stored on top of the hive and around the outside. The main brood food for the bees is usually stored below the honey. The queen bee will usually lay her eggs and raise her young at the very bottom of the nest. Knowing and researching the basic structure of a hive will help you know where to harvest and where to let things be. This will also affect how you design your bee hives – instead of combs hanging down off of a board, you’ll have to imagine that it’s a sphere like a natural hive.

You’ll Need Protective Gear
Obviously you’ll need some type of veil to keep bees from becoming entangled in your hair. You’ll also want to get a sturdy lightweight jacket (ideally that attaches to your veil). You don’t necessarily need a jumpsuit to do light beekeeping work. A jumpsuit is a great idea when you’re going to be doing a lot of manual labor with the hive – moving it, rearranging them, etc.

The Smoker
A beekeeper’s smoker is one of your most vital tools. It’s basically a cylinder with a bellows attached. A slow burning fire is inside the cylinder (made of pine needles, smoker fuel, old burlap, etc.). When you gently squeeze the smoker it will push a puff of smoke towards the bees and two things will happen. First, they will try to get away. Their natural instinct is to get out of the way of fires and they’ll leave if at all possible. Worker bees will duck into the hive trying to eat as much honey as possible before the bail. The second thing that the smoke will do is interfere with the bee’s communication signals. This will allow you to do your work in the hive without a hive that can communicate and swarm.

Building the Hive
You can either purchase a pre-built hive or build your own. Basically the hive consists of long sheets that lay side by side like folders in a cabinet. They can easily be pulled out and scrapped off.

What Type of Bees
The most common bee for beekeeping beginners is the Italian Honey Bee. They are gentle, very productive and easy to manage. They are the most common bee available for purchase. Carniolans are dark bees and demand slightly more time. They are very gentle and winterize better. There population builds fast in the spring and you’ll need to plan accordingly. Russian bees are also gentle and somewhat erratic. They are slower to build in the spring but build fast when they do.

Your Advice
Now, we’ve covered some basics you should consider when figuring if beekeeping is for you. There are a lot of other items to consider including a starter hive, equipment and more.

Do you have bee hives? How do you like them? Comment below to let us know!

Using a home canner is a great way to preserve foods in mason jars. Using a home canner can help you save money and become more self-reliant. However, not everything can be canned!

Home canners are great for canning certain vegetables and fruits but are unable to reach the heat required to properly can foods that are too oily, have high fat content, or are too viscous. Commercial canneries also use additives, preservatives and processing equipment that you can’t replicate at home.

- Check out this high-end, inexpensive canning equipment - 

Check out this list of 10 items that you shouldn’t can at home:

Milk
Milk, or items containing milk, aren’t recommended for home-canning. Milk has a low-acid level and supports an environment which fosters botulism growth at room temperature. Many times, the fat in milk can also protect botulism spores during the canning process.

Lard
With the high density and fat content, lard is just not a good item to can. The fatness and density won’t allow the heat of the canning process to penetrate the contents, allowing the food to house spores and other harmful bacteria.

Refried Beans
There are some recipes out there for canning refried beans but they can be dangerous. The thickness of the refried beans is too much for the heat to penetrate the interior of the bottle. You might be better off getting freeze-dried refried beans instead.

Pickled Eggs
Once again, density is a problem with canning pickled eggs. The skin of the egg is a little too much for your home canner to handle.

Butter or Cream
Like milk, butter or cream items, are not recommended for home canning. The amount of heat required for dairy items to be canned correctly would actually make the foods inedible. It’s not recommended that you can any items with dairy at home.

Cornstarch
Lots of families want to can cornstarch to use in future baking projects. However items that contain cornstarch shouldn’t be canned because of their ability to break down acidic food mixtures and interfere with heat-killing pathogens.

Flour
A popular trend is for people to create “cakes in a jar” or other dishes containing flour. Flour products (breads, doughs, etc) are very prone to botulism.

Nuts and Cashews
Most nuts have an oily texture and can lead to botulism. The oily outside coats and insulates botulism spores and creates an anaerobic micro-environment which allows the spores to live in a high-heat environment.

Meats
Most meats and fish are too oily to be canned correctly. The oil allows for botulism spores to stay inside the jar.

Purees
Similar to refried beans or peanut butter, purees like pumpkin puree or squash puree are too gelatinous to can at home. Cooking cubed pumpkin however, is a nice alternative that is safe to eat. Cubed squash however will compress during heating and become too thick.

Please Note
This list is made of items that have unproven canning recipes. Before you say, “I’ve canned those items and I’m fine,” please note that many canned foods aren’t guaranteed to have botulism spores but they are unproved when using the home canning process. Just remember that because your items haven’t had botulism spores in the past doesn’t mean they couldn’t in the future.

Making your own cheese is a great way to become more self-sufficient while saving money for your family. Many people, after researching how to make their own cheese, leave a bit disinterested because they have to use ingredients that are hard to come by – rennet, tartaric acid, calcium chloride, etc.

However, there are simple ways to make cheese with a gallon of milk, lime juice and salt! It’s easy. Here’s how you do it:

You’ll Need:
• One gallon of Whole Milk (You can use pasteurized or raw milk but not ultrapasteurized)
• 1/2 cup of Lime Juice (about 4 limes) or 1/4 cup of White Vinegar
• Salt
• Strainer or Colander
• Cheesecloth
• Candy Thermometer (optional)

Directions
1. Place the gallon of milk in a large, non-aluminum pot. Bring the pot to a medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until it looks like it’s about to boil. Be careful not to actually let the milk boil though. (If you have a thermometer, the milk should be at 185 degrees.)

2. Add 1/4 cup lime juice to the milk. The curds will begin to separate from the whey. The mixture will begin to look grainy.

3. Continue to allow the mixture to simmer for a couple of minutes.

4. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and remove the pot from the heat source. Pour the contents into the cheesecloth and allow it to drain for a couple of minutes. (You can save the excess liquid to make ricotta, add protein to oatmeal dishes, etc.)

5. Sprinkle the curds with salt (you’ll probably want to add a little more salt than you normally would due to the fact that some salt will drain from the cheese as it dries).

6. Since this cheese isn’t aged, the cheese will have a neutral flavor like mozzarella. If you’d like, you can add herbs, spices or chiles to add a bit of flavor.

7. Gather the cheese curds in the center of the cheesecloth and pull the ends of the cheesecloth up. You can then tie the ends of the cheesecloth to a faucet or cupboard and allow to drain for a few hours. You’ll want to drain it for at least four hours or overnight if you can.

8. After you’ve waited for a few hours, untie the cheesecloth and remove the cheese. This recipe should make about 16 ounces of cheese. Keep the cheese refrigerated. It should last as long as milk would in your fridge.

9. You can also place the cheese in the bottom of a clean can and use a glass bottle to form it to the can. That will give it more of a circular form.

10. Enjoy!

Your Tips?
Have you made cheese before? What did you find helpful? Do you have your own recipe that you’d like to share? Comment below to give us your advice.

Thanks to From Away for help with the images in this article

If you start to raise chickens to be more self-sufficient, you want them to be as productive as possible. But what if they aren’t laying as many eggs as you’d hoped?

The most common reasons that chickens aren’t laying eggs is because they are too young, too old, the hours of daylight are too short, it is molting or the feeding is not of sufficient nutritional value. You might not be able to affect those first points, but you can help contribute to a stress-free environment for your chickens while keeping them healthy and well.

Chickens will typically lay one egg or less during a day and that will decrease with age. Their egg-laying years will typically last for 2-3 years.

- Check out these high-quality chicken coops - 

If you are experiencing a low yield of eggs from your chickens, check out these tips below to see what you can do to help them lay more eggs.

Quality Feed
You don’t have to go crazy with some cutting-edge feed that’s guaranteed to make your chickens produce eggs the size of a garden gnome. It’s recommended that you use a diet of premium laying mash or pellet, along with occasional fresh fruit. vegetables, meal worms and other healthy treats. If you’re going to change your chicken’s feed, do it gradually substituting it in slowly.

Clean Nests Boxes
One of the most important factors to helping chickens lay eggs is a clean nesting box area with comfortable bedding. You can also make a soft surface with recycled-newspaper pellets which also are easy to toss and replace.

Open Areas
The idea behind free-range chickens is that if they are more comfortable, they will produce more healthy eggs. While free-range chickens might not be a possibility for some urban homesteaders, it’s a great idea to have a larger area with enough area for the chickens to graze on a lawn while still being protected from hawks or other predators.

Calcium
Egg-laying takes a lot of calcium from a hen’s body. Be sure to provide them enough calcium in their diet to keep a steady flow of eggs. Besides a high-quality feed, you might consider mixing crushed oyster shells in a cup of of feed. Or even placing a cup of oyster shells in the coop for the chickens to eat when they need it.

Inspect Regularly
Try to handle your hens often checking for problems. If they have large cuts, broken bones, etc. it will give you a better idea of how you can help. Are they uncomfortable? Have they been pestered by predators? Handling your hens on a regular basis will help you know how to best help them.

Coop Security
Along with the previous point, make sure your coop is secure from predators. Make sure that animals like raccoons, cats and other animals can’t burrow or find their way into the coop.

Fresh Water
To stay healthy, chickens need constant access to water. Change the water every day. It might be a chore to do it every day but it will lead to healthier chickens who will lay more eggs.

Parasite Control
Parasites love to prey on chickens. Mites are the most common and can take control of your coop without you even realizing it. Make it a habit to inspect your chickens at night when mites are most active. Mites are small, reddish-brown insect that scurry around a chicken’s head. If you do have a mite infestation, use a dose of ivermectin (available from a veterinarian) for each chicken.

What Have You Found?
How have you helped your chickens lay more eggs? Comment below to help us know what we can do to make our chickens more productive.