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the Prairie Crocus – symbol of persistence

One of the first flowers I have a memory of feeling something special for is the simple, unassuming – prairie crocus.

I grew up on a military base in northern Alberta. Our house backed onto a field with woods bordering it, so as children we spent a lotta time playing in those woods, especially in the summer. We had a spattering of wild blueberries, even wild strawberries and raspberries, and we had wild flowers: roses, tiger lilies, crocuses and all sorts of other native plants that I didn’t know the name of. When I got older and a little more interested in native plants, I could identify yarrow, kinnikinnick, labrador tea, hyssop and a few others in ‘my’ woods where I would often waunder looking for plants I could call by name. But I have some big regrets related to those tiger lilies and crocuses. When I was a child I’d go out looking for flowers to pick for the purpose of putting in a cup of water on our table. I fear I was part of their near elimination in those wild areas near our home. I still love flowers, but I grow the ones I put on my table these days, rather than forage for them. I wish I knew then what I know now – enjoy them, but leave them where they are.

The wild crocus is not the most beautiful flower, nothing ostentatious or pretentious about her. She’s happy simply being herself, doing what she was designed to do – which apparently was not to “impress” us with her flamboyance. But her very appearance told me that “spring was finally here”, that “hope” had returned. She encouraged me not to be fooled by a cold snap or a spring snow storm – if the crocuses were out, I could know that winter was over. I could count on it. To this day – I am buffered against those empty threats by my memory of the brave little crocuses that would poke their pretty heads out of a fresh snow. They give me the confidence to say “Give it all you got Winter! You don’t scare me! We both know your days are numbered.”

Crocuses don’t make big announcements – you can look closely in all the same areas you saw them last year for some sign that they’re there, and then suddenly, before your very eyes, THREE OF THEM! Like girlfriends – always hanging out in clusters. One day there is nothing, and seemingly over night they’re in full bloom! Humble and yet stalwart. Warm and friendly, yet tough as a Canadian winter. Crocuses in snow and cold are resilient, they are the poster child for “persistence”; the foliage is cold-durable and can persist under a thick blanket of spring snow. Even if some dumb little kid picks they’re brand new blossoms – don’t despair, they’ll come back next spring. They’re forgiving that way, and – persistent. I’m sure there’s a life lesson for me in there somewhere.

They’ve become quite the symbol for me: persistent, trust-worthy, patient, long suffering. They’re not quitters. Extreme cold can damage crocus blossoms that are already open but will not affect the bulb or future flowers. Another life lesson: “Your past doesn’t determine your future.” When dahlias cry and give up, crocuses come back next year – bringing friends with them.

The crocuses we grow in our gardens now are not the native prairie crocuses I grew up with. The ones we buy are imported and from the iris family, they can be planted in full sun or partial shade. I don’t wish to sound disparaging about them; just because they aren’t purists doesn’t mean they don’t have value. They are still the same cheerful, encouraging sports, and are still among the earliest small, spring flowers – with the same cheery message about spring. They like to hang out in clusters, and you can still count on them. They’re brighter than their country cousins, wearing the vibrant Easter-egg colours of purple, lavender, yellow, cream and white, attracting and providing an important food source for the earliest bees of spring, who are drawn to their rich, golden pollen. Often their cheery blossoms will be open while there’s still snow on the ground, and in time their bulbs1 will multiply to produce more flowers. Because they bloom and die back before most trees and shrubs have even leafed out, areas that might be shaded later in the season, are still hospitable. 2

They are winter hardy in zones 3-8, and bloom best after a cold winter (generally that means 10 weeks of freezing), which makes them perfectly suited to the area I live in. 3 They’re forgiving, but they need well drained soil (they don’t like to be soggy). Plant a few handfuls of bulbs pointy end up, about three to four inches deep (yes I know, that’s DEEP) in the fall before freeze up. Tuck them into your flower beds, around rocks or along a walkway, keeping them to the front where they’ll be seen better because they’re short. They’re very social, and will be happier planted in clumps (just like you’d find them in the wild), filling your garden with flowers when you need them most before anybody else is awake. But don’t worry, after blooming they’ll fade away and make room for late spring flowers – the perfect room mates: respectful of your space, and charitable.

Persistence is essential to happiness; I’m convinced of it. And happiness is not situational, not dependent on sunshine and roses. Crocuses live by the motto “if you can’t change your circumstances, . . . change your outlook“. 4 They always see the sun notwithstanding the snow that surrounds them today. They don’t just survive in the snow – they thrive in the snow. And they thrive when the snow goes too. They’re okay either way. Another life lesson from crocuses.

Know what got me thinking about crocuses this week? I came across a quote in a book I was reading and it jumped out at me. It spoke to my heart, about persistence. Nothing fancy and spectacular – just good old fashioned, hardy “persistence”. Profoundly simple. “Press on” it said. Just what I needed to hear. I had a visual flashback to a small cluster of crocuses, on the edge of a field, surrounded by snow. I couldn’t have been older than 10 or 11 years, but I was struck by how out of place they were. Nothing else had woken up; even the nearby trees hadn’t budded out yet, but here they were! At first I thought they’d made a mistake; the recent spring snow must have surprised them. My older friend told me they were called ‘crocuses’, and that they grew very early in the spring, sometimes even with snow still on the ground. I felt some sort of kinship with them immediately.

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common that unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan PRESS ON has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” – Calvin Coolidge

Crocuses inspire me. They don’t demand instant success. They appreciate the time, effort and sacrifice that go into success and they’re willing to go the distance, but they focus on what they do best – their job – trusting in the process. You could say they’re ACTION oriented – not focused on hoped-for results that are beyond anyone’s ability to control – no matter how well we do our job. Crocuses get that. They simply focus on the job at hand, going about making the world a better place, blooming where they are. The truth is, sometimes things happen: the winter is weird or some dumb kid picks their first-day flowers – but they Press On, continuing to do the right thing – being them, making sure they’re where they’re supposed to be when we most need to see them. They’re kind of a super hero that way; a quiet, unassuming – super hero, too shy to take the lime light, just doing what they’re wired to do. Ironically, most of their job is beneath the surface not readily apparent to the rest of us, getting things ready for their chance to say “Good Morning!“.

I would like to be like the prairie crocus. In the snow – brightening up someone’s day, reassuring them that no matter what else is going on – winter has fulfilled its job, and for all intents and purposes – is over! Spring is up ahead, just around the corner

Thank you to the sweet, humble prairie crocus for this other, important life lesson.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

footnotes:

  1. their ‘bulbs are actually called “corms” ↩︎
  2. Prairie Crocuses have thick, woody taproots which make them difficult to transplant from the wild (so don’t risk killing one to try it), however, they’re fairly easy to grow from seed. If you want to grow a native prairie crocus, gather some seed and do it the more sure way. You can also contact your local chapter of ALBERTA NATIVE PLANTS SOCIETY, they probably have seeds to sell. Or just buy the non-native seedlings from your local greenhouse. ↩︎
  3. if you don’t know what ZONE you’re in, click this link. To provide some context, Edmonton is in its own little zone – considered 3b-4a. ↩︎
  4. Michelle McCullough – MAKE IT HAPPEN BLUEPRINT, pg 73 ↩︎

Find your growing zone.

Edmonton and the surrounding areas are in a unique micro-climate that puts them in a zone (4a) almost to themselves.

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the RULE of THREE in a Financial Freeze: Shelter

WHAT IF?

Playing the game of “What if?” can start to seem pretty real when the scenarios play out in the daily news. Here’s our current scenario – Financial Freeze: an economic downturn that hits hard, causing widespread unemployment and increased financial strain, especially with winter heating bills creeping up.

So – let’s talk about the potential of a financial down turn – the likes of what we saw in Alberta in the mid 1980’s. That’s still pretty fresh in my mind because that was when we lost our house. Actually, to be more precise – we didn’t lose it like so many others did at the time. We sold it in the 11th hour, for barely more than than what we owed on it – which was considerably more than what we paid for it six years prior. We owed more on it than we paid in 1979, because nearly a year after Dan was laid off from his job, and after a plan to go into business with our brother in law didn’t work out, with Dan looking for work and taking every side job he could find to bring in cash – we finally couldn’t make the mortgage payments anymore. So we didn’t. Interest multiplied, and what we owed added up.

We hadn’t seen this coming; a year before, it seemed Dan’s job was secure and he enjoyed it. Life was comfortable. We had three wonderful kids, had been fixing up our home as we could afford it, and were finding our way in the world. I picked up a few side jobs to bring additional money in; things were tight, but alright. And then suddenly, nothing looked the same; it was complicated and uncertain. We didn’t have much, or (thankfully), owe much at the time so the stress was mostly from not knowing what to do. At length we decided Dan needed to go back to school, which meant leaving our little house in Calmar and moving back into the city – temporarily we hoped. We put the house up for sale, and made plans to move as soon as possible. Dan got a part time job driving for Edmonton Transit that would work well around his class schedule at NAIT, we applied for subsidized housing in the city. We desperately didn’t want the complications involved with losing the house to the bank, and prayed earnestly for a buyer as we moved ahead with our plans. We did our best to live the gospel – being active in our church, faithful that God was in the details and trying to do all we could to meet our financial obligations. It was a trial – the biggest we’d had up to that point, and though we felt we were being tested, we never felt abandoned.

Two weeks before our scheduled move, a buyer came forward – making an offer slightly more than what we currently owed. The interest we had been paying on our mortgage was 10,5% A good rate at the time, almost half of what Dan’s dad locked into for five years. Not surprisingly he lost his house before those five years were up. By the time all the details were settled and additional fees were taken care of, we walked away with $42 more than what we paid the bank. We considered that no small miracle, and basked in the goodness of God for months afterward (and to this day) as we reflected on how much worse it could have been. We did our best to DO OUR BEST, and we knew that God knew it. He is our loving Heavenly Father, and He knew the desires of our hearts. He told us that “I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” [D&C 82:10] We trusted Him. It seemed that while we went through those two years leading up to our leaving Calmar we’d been protected from being able to see the bigger picture. We’d been so involved in the micro picture of day-to-day life without employment and getting through one week at a time, that we didn’t have time to be scared, and to truly FEEL the ramifications of how life defining this time was to become for us. It became a life lesson that altered many things we did from that time forward. It was a tender mercy to us that we didn’t know the end from the beginning, or the fine print in-between – so we simply walked by faith.

Flash forward to this week February 5-11, 2024 – in the Preparedness Group I am part of “We’re All in This Together“, we are living with the hypothetical, but very plausible challenge of a Financial Freeze – a veritable “storm of economic struggle causing widespread unemployment and increased financial strain.” Huh. Imagine that.

We moved into Edmonton April 1, 1985. 1712 17 avenue, a townhouse in a subsidized small housing complex across the street from the elementary school our two older children would attend. Dan started working for ETS a few weeks before. We planted a vegetable garden in Dan’s mom’s backyard – within walking distance. Dan started school in September, our fourth baby (another son) was born in October. I’m not going to say things were easy (they weren’t) – but they were comfortable. We did our best to do our best. We made friends, we worked hard, we paid our tithing, our bills and avoided debt. We enjoyed good health, we obeyed the sabbath – there were times Dan had to work on Sundays, but he never did school work on Sundays. We put what little money we could manage away. In our second year, Dan had to let his job go and we took out a student loan. He started applying for jobs in January 1987 – hoping to walk out of class and into a job at the end of the term. It didn’t happen that way. It took till the end of the summer before he found employment in his chosen field. Immediately, we began looking for a house to buy. During the time we struggled with our loss, and re-entry into the work force, many other Albertans were doing the same thing. Many had walked away from their houses – letting them go because they simply couldn’t make the payments anymore. Using the money we saved to make the necessary small down payment, we moved into a small affordable house that sold for considerably less than the sellers had paid for it, but they were moving on to another house, and needed the sale. Generally with real estate, if you sell low you buy low, if you sell high, you buy high. They sold low, and we benefitted. We moved in on the Halloween weekend of that year; the weather was in our favour – staying mild till we were completely moved in. Funny how you remember stupid little details like that. We were very grateful and received plenty of help from ward members in the move. It was a happy day to be in our own home again.

📌 Reviewing the Rule of Three – the big one in this scenario for me is definitely SHELTER.
In our society, it is too easy to take some things for granted – like shelter. And yet, a conservative estimate of people without homes in Edmonton is currently well over 3000 – according to an article in the Edmonton Journal January 12, 2024. In a winter city! It is difficult to try to imagine what that might FEEL like, unless one truly has experienced it. I am so grateful not to have experienced it.

Right now Alberta is again going through a “storm of economic challenge causing widespread unemployment and increased financial strain“, and again people are struggling with housing. It seems the more things change, the more things stay the same. Some very dear friends who were renting a house in Edmonton, were recently given the unexpected news that due to his mortgage coming due, and the increased rate, their landlord had decided to sell the house they were living in. Suddenly they were scouring the market looking for anything affordable. Quite literally, in the few weeks they had – they could find nothing to accommodate them at a price they could afford. My friend told me “In all the efforts of trying to be prepared for an emergency, we hadn’t considered being houseless.” It was a sobering reality for me to listen to. Fortunately for them, a relative had an older small house empty, in a small town seven hours away. They packed up their belongings, left their jobs and their local family members and moved into it, to try to formulate a plan of what to do next. What. to. do. next?

This scenario is REAL for a lot of people. Without jobs in a very small town – with zero employment potential, how long can one continue to pay rent? – even if it is lower than in the city? And in the city with inadequate employment at best, how does one pay rent?

I’m not pretending to have any answers – the problem of affordable housing in our province (and country) is dismal, and we as a people need to start considering alternative ways to adjust. One such way may be multi generational family homes. Its a departure from what our society has become accustomed to in the last fifty or more years, but we see examples of three generation living situations around us all the time, mostly among newcomers to Canada. Perhaps we can learn some lessons from them. Perhaps we may need to.

For nearly eight years, my elderly mother has lived in our home, and yes there have been plenty of adjustments – on all parts. But all in all, it has been a good thing and we’re happy to be able to provide a safe home for her, for as long as that is possible.

In the year 2000, we owned a bookstore. We had just recently – after four years without a wage, putting every dime back into it and in paying off a bank loan – turned a corner and I began drawing a small wage from it. One year before then, we bought a house that we hoped we’d stay in till we died. With no expectation that it was coming – Dan got laid off. His position was dissolved and we suddenly found ourselves on strangely familiar ground. We truly believed he would eventually retire from that job. It took a few days to process it enough to be able to call our family together and tell them our news. Our oldest son was 22, our youngest was 10.

We had recently taken measures to follow prophetic counsel to “get out of debt”. We worked to pay off remaining credit cards and any other obligations we had. We had adjusted our spending to stay within our means, promising each other above all – that we would avoid future debt. I recall it had been important to us at the time, and we had felt an urgency to do so. Imagine our relief (and gratitude) that we had obeyed that counsel, as here we sat in the living room telling much bigger our kids what was going on.

Some of them asked fair questions: What does this mean? What is it going to look like?

We were happy to say “Except for this house, we owe no money. We have no credit card debt. If we did, we would be in SERIOUS trouble. If we’re careful, we should be able to ride this out in a way that won’t feel much different from our current day to day living, for as long as it takes Dad to find a job again.” I cannot verbalize how reassuring that was to be able to say that to our children. I cannot tell you how relieved we were to have taken the steps necessary to be able to say them. “The most important thing in our life at this time” we told them, “is THIS HOUSE! We cannot. lose. this house. Every effort will be dedicated to keeping this house safe.”

We knew first hand what it was like to lose a house, and we were determined to not go through that twice. It was clear to us, if we did lose the house – we would likely never recover from it. That was October. It’s a full time job looking for a full time job, and it went on a lot longer than we expected it to. Who knew? I recall saying aloud to whoever was near enough to hear – several time during those months “Who could have guessed this would go on as long as it has? There is no doubt in my mind, that if we had had credit card debt, we would have lost this house.”

The years that followed were difficult years – mostly emotionally. Dan was older and getting back into his profession proved harder than we expected. He had ‘specialized’ for too long, and his field of expertise was too specific, not currently marketable. It became evident that his career as he knew it, was over; he began looking elsewhere and finally took a temporary retail job to re-enter the workforce. The pay was inadequate, but our resources were running low and any money was money. In retrospect, it was the most difficult trial of our life together up till that point, and repercussions went on for years. We continued to be grateful for prophetic counsel to get out of debt. We were grateful for our commitment to follow that counsel – which ultimately saved us much unnecessary grief. It was hard enough without the extra pain that could have accompanied consumer debt. We were grateful for the promises that come with paying tithing. We learned empathy in a way that we never could have learned any other way. We felt we had been resourceful, but we learned to be more resourceful. Our kids – most of them being old enough to remember – came out of that time with a healthy respect for the dangers of credit card debt.

Truth is – as hard as those years were, I am glad for them, and would gladly re-do them for the lessons we learned, particularly for the lessons our kids learned – life lessons that they were able to learn from an arm’s length. Close enough, but not too close. I used to tell them “Don’t remake our mistakes. Make your own. Otherwise, you’re wasting them, and what a waste of time that would be.” If we would all follow the wise counsel of prophets, and learn from the experience of others, we might save ourselves grief that doesn’t need to be.

With the Rule of 3 in mind, specifically SHELTER –
consider the circumstances of the many people without houses right now.  In any season that’s a tragedy, but in winter in a city like ours its unthinkable. There are things we can do to ease the burdens of others; agencies we can serve with and donate to.
Ask yourself:
“Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad? and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my helped was I there?”
– Will L. Thompson

What is your plan to prepare yourself against any possibility of losing SHELTER for your family?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

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Community CONNECTIONS – being a good neighbour in a water shortage

This week – coincidentally and conveniently, to coincide with a scenario in a Preparedness Group I’m part of – Edmonton and area cooperated by having a minor emergency that required citizens to step up and voluntarily reduce their normal water usage. The scenario we are living with at the time of this writing is WATER shortage. And as luck would have it, as we’re wrapping it up, a major pump in the water treatment plant shut down. While it is being repaired water availability to over a million homes and business became a worry. Fortunately, people responded well and there seemed to be an over all spirit of cooperation. Also fortunately, the problem is expected to be resolved in about a week – about as long as people’s patience could reasonably be expected to last.

To my knowledge, the situation never developed into an emergency or crises, but sometimes the transition can be over a very fine line, and the general public probably would never know how close we may have come to that. While it’s true that people often come together in an emergency, it is also true that patience can be stretched as time goes on, and good natures become less so, as inconveniences turn into real struggles. The line between selfless and selfish becomes blurred and everyone justifies their own focus on self.

I’m glad we didn’t go there – but on the other hand, as I write this, the situation hasn’t been resolved so we’re still yet to see how it ends.

This time of year in Edmonton, we generally have quite a bit of snow on the ground, and snow can be melted to provide water. But currently we have very little snow in our city, even our own backyard has hardly any snow after many days of melting temperatures. Things we might have counted on in the past, let us down this winter.

Having water storage is absolutely critical, and all must take this seriously. If our only source of drinkable or useable water comes from our taps, we can be in serious trouble with zero notice. Depending on our living situation – farms, acreages, rural, urban, single family dwellings, multi family complexes, apartments . . . we can all store something. Even if we’re only talking about an extra case of bottled water, a few extra cooler bottles, or a few jugs of water in the back of a closet, . . . everyone can and should do SOMETHING to store water.

When I was young I couldn’t even imagine a need for conserving water. It seemed like ‘air’ to me – constantly available, and I believed it should be FREE – for everyone. My father had a different outlook. He well remembered hauling water into the house as a young man to use for drinking, cooking, bathing, cleaning and laundry. I recall my gramma saying she used to feel bad for the boys especially on laundry day and she was very conscious to never waste a drop because they worked so hard to bring her the water. They pumped their water from a well in their backyard. Even as an adult living on a military base where we didn’t pay for water and it was in constant supply, he couldn’t break the habit of conservative water use. I love this quote from Benjamin Franklin. 300 years later, we’re still THAT close – whether we realize it or not . . . “When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”

Not wasting water is now a social responsibility. We recognize that clean water is not an inexhaustible resource, and it is a privilege that few in this world actually enjoy. In most cases, the water we rely on – especially in urban areas, is 100% dependent on systems you and I cannot control. Depending on someone else to fix our lack of planning problem is shortsighted and irresponsible, but at the same time we must be aware of those around us who are more vulnerable.

I don’t pretend to have the answers – but there should be some degree of responsibility we feel to help our neighbours.
We can start by getting to know them. Putting faces to names and sharing experiences with people in our neighbourhoods, humanizes them to us, and us to them. We naturally feel more desire to help those we know and recognize, than those we do not. Part of feeling part of a neighbourhood is that neighbours help neighbours.

I am completely against being neighbour natzis, and I hated the reports we heard during Covid about neighbours finking on neighbours and being afraid of neighbours. There is however, a certain degree of public accountability that can be positive when we’re all in this boat together. We’re a little less likely to water our lawns or wash our vehicles when we’re on a water advisory – because doing so would be visible, and we can expect some disapproval from our neighbours for doing so. Peer pressure isn’t always a bad thing – just sayin’ . . . .

We have EQUAL responsibility to use water resources wisely, and equal accountability for doing so. We have equal rights, and should have equal privileges.

Share Your Ideas:

Comment Below: Share your thoughts about how having strong community connections might help us with a prolonged water shortage.
Inspire Others:  Share ways you can make your neighbourhood a better place for you living in it?
Charity:  How can we help a neighbour when faced with a water shortage that affects us all?
Remember: preparedness can be a community effort! 🌟 By collaborating and sharing knowledge, we enhance our collective resilience.

· Now is the time to make a plan and extend the hand of friendship to our neighbours.
· Start with those on either side of us. If we don’t know their names yet – LEARN their names, and two more facts about them.
· Then reach out to those on the other side of each of them, and those across from us. LEARN their names and two facts about them. Make it a game to accomplish these goals, and then continue on with those on the other side of them, and so on.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

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Community CONNECTIONS – good neighbours are an important resource

I think we might agree that Sesame Street was a great neighbourhood to live in; even Oscar was endearing.  But a good neighbourhood doesn’t have to be fictional.  A neighbourhood is made of real people like you and me.  And yes, each one may even have an Oscar, and its even possible he or she may not want to ‘partake’ of whatever you’re offering.  That’s okay.  He can do him, but that doesn’t mean others can’t enjoy the spirit of ‘community and neighbourliness with or without him. 

Sometimes people really do come together in an emergency or crises, but the better time to start building those relationships is long before – simply by BEING a good neighbour.  How do you do that? 

Here are 8 keys to being a good neighbour

1. Look UP. 
It’s not that hard – simply look up, open your eyes and notice things.  See people coming and going.  Say hello or at least give a wave.  You’re more likely to notice little details with your eyes open and a caring heart.  Perhaps someone could use a wave, or a smile, or a hand, or maybe something more.  Chat a bit in the driveway from time to time.  Chat in the front yard.  Chat with the neighbour down the street when you’re walking the dog. 

2. Smile.
It cannot be overstated – a smile really will make someone’s day better, and yours too. 

3.  Be kind.
Something so simple can really make all the difference.

4. Lend a hand.  Could they use a hand bringing some groceries to the door?  Would it really put you out if you pitched in?  What about offering to mow their lawn when they go away? 
What about bringing over a quart of homemade soup when you hear someone’s not feeling well?  A loaf of fresh bread?  When you’re shoveling your sidewalk, how difficult would it be to simply go a little further and shovel your neighbour’s.   

5. Be tolerant.  Not everyone’s gonna do things that way you do.  Your neighbour may have young kids when you don’t, that may mean more noise than you make.  Cool your jets, they won’t stay kids forever.  Your patience with bikes all over the front yard and kids shooting baskets in your driveway will go a long way.  Kids grow up, and those days will end.  It’s a lot easier for your neighbours to be tolerant of you and yours if you extend the same courtesy.  Learn to laugh it off – that’s where funny memories are born. 

6. Invite
Invite them over to sit around a backyard fire.  Invite them for dinner.  Invite them to go for a walk. Host a neighbourhood party. 

7. Work together.

Many years ago Dan decided it would be a helpful thing to have a snow blower, we live in a crescent and the snow plows rarely come into crescents.  But the half dozen times we might use it in a year hardly seemed worth the price.  But IF we could share that cost with others . . . he spoke with some neighbours, and four of us bought one together – with a few simple ground rules.  Still using it.  Still a good experience. 

The border between our front lawn and our neighbours front lawn is vague – so for nearly the whole time we’ve lived here, whoever mows the lawn – mows both.  Such a simple service – takes an extra five minutes, and both of us always have a mowed front lawn. When I do for walks and see front lawns with an obvious mowed border, I am always surprised. Such a small effort to make both yards look nicer and extend that hand of friendship and service.

8. Keep your house and yard neat and tidy.  No one wants to live beside or across from a slob.  It is respectful to your neighbours to take care of your property.  When we first moved back to the city many years ago, for Dan to go back to school – we lived in subsidized housing. As soon as the snow melted, we dug our small area of dirt in a sunny spot and planted flowers, some herbs and even a few tomatoes. We lived there for three summers and though we were the only ones that first summer to do so, I noticed that the following summer some of our neighbours planted flowers, and the next year even more did.

Good neighbourhoods don’t just ‘happen’

My husband’s parents lived in a little house in a nice little neighbourhood.  They pretty much stuck to themselves, didn’t much care to get to know their neighbours.   They weren’t rude, they kept their yard tidy.  But they never reached out.  They never offered to lend a hand.  They just did what they did and minded their own business.  In time they got older and needed some help.  We drove an hour one way to mow their lawn when they couldn’t, to rototill their garden, and to do all sorts of little things that we were happy to help them with, but were too far away to be help on the day to day.  I marveled that there wasn’t a single nearby friend, church member, or neighbour that we maybe could have asked for a hand once in a while.   But their wasn’t.  After almost 40 years of living in and around that same general area, there wasn’t anyone they felt comfortable asking a favour of.  Why?  Because they weren’t really “good neighbours” themselves.  

Good neighbourhoods just don’t happen on their own.  They’re not magic like that.
Being a good neighbour is the building block of a good and friendly neighbourhood.  That doesn’t mean we have to all be the same, just be nice. 
Good neighbours watch out for each other. 
Good neighbours keep an eye on each other’s property when they’re away.
Good neighbours care about each other.
When emergencies happen, good neighbours pitch in and help each other through it, and THEREIN LIES THE KEY TO THIS CONVERSATION. 

You cannot live in a ‘good’ neighbourhood if you’re not a good neighbour.  It doesn’t work that way.  And you may think you don’t need your neighbours – until you fall on your icy sidewalk, or someone breaks into your house, or your spouse has a heart attack, or your house is on fire,
 . . . . or when any number of other reasonable and perfectly normal scenarios happen. 

Being a good neighbour is important for everyone because it makes good neighbourhoods. 
It means safety, a sense of belonging, a helping hand, purpose, charity, empathy and friendship.  It takes TIME, investment, kindness, charity, empathy and friendship.    

Share Your Ideas:

I’d love to hear your thoughts about how having strong community connections helps us, and ways you might make neighbourhood a better place. After all, WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

Now is the time to extend the hand of friendship to our neighbours – and yes, I even mean the ‘Oscar’ on your street. We can start with those who live on either side of us. If we don’t know their names yet, LEARN their names and two facts about them. Then reach out to those on the other side of each of them, and those across from us. Learn THEIR names and two facts about them. Make it a game to accomplish these goals, and then continue on with those on the other side of them, and so on.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

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10 things to know, DO and NOT DO when buying emergency food

Years ago, I bought this Emergency Food bucket at Costco in Utah. It says it has 200 adult servings – pretty impressive. I think I paid almost $200 (cdn) for it. I tried one of the meals as soon as we got it, and I recall thinking it was ‘okay’ and in a real emergency if it was all we had, we’d probably be glad to have it. I liked the claim of a 20 year shelf life (still like that part).

To be fair, at the time there really weren’t too many alternatives on the market so its not like I had a whole lotta options and I considered myself lucky to make this find.

The label says 100% vegetarian and vitamin fortified. Each package contains 5 servings. All this appealed to me. I offered it to my son-in-law to use for backpacking trips he was taking in the mountains at the time. He took some meals once and reported that they were ‘alright’, but I noticed that he never asked to use them again. . . . huh.

So flash forward to now, I thought I’d start using some of them – as time is flying by and I did spend $200 on it after all. The first morning I tried one of the breakfast packages, oatmeal. The ingredients: oats, sugar and flavourings (natural and artificial). Instructions: add to 5 cups of boiling water and cook for one minute, stirring. This is much more water than I add to quick oats normally, so I was a little suspicious of the claim to five servings per package.

It wasn’t terrible, but it really wasn’t good either. No milk + no salt = kinda blah. I added some Thrive Instant Milk powder and a little salt and it was ‘better’, but not much. I would have preferred to have had the milk and salt already in the pkg. Gramma Great said it “wasn’t terrible”. but I’ll be glad when they’re all gone. I tried to serve it to my grandkids when the came for a sleep over a few days later, but though they are huge oatmeal fans, they disliked this profusely. Let they lose confidence in “Gramma’s oatmeal” (which they love and request every time they’re here), I promised to never make THIS kind for them again.

I tried a few different meals this week. They were all pretty yucky. I’m committed to try more meals so that I know better what I’ve got, and how to prepare it for my family. Then I’ll decide what I’ll do with what’s left. Dan says we could use it for chicken food.

From the perspective of TODAY (15 years after I bought it), I have 10 suggestions when buying long term, shelf stable emergency food:

1. CONFIDENCE

when you buy something you expect to last long term, you should really know what it’s like. You should be able to have confidence in it. That means you should sample some of those meals fairly soon after buying, so that you know what you’re dealing with. If its good, its good and its gonna stay good. If it’s yucky to start out with, its certainly not gonna get any better in 15 years.

2. STORE WHAT YOU EAT. AND EAT WHAT YOU STORE.

Use the food from time to time so that you’re aware of how it’s ’aging’. Yes, it’s got a long shelf life, but time has a way of passing before you know it. And I know it’s tempting to go with a “One and Done” mentality for food storage, and then forget about it. But I have seen the result of that way of thinking. . . food that you thought you could count on – only to find out too late that it was poor quality.

What if you really had needed it? It let you down. Simply because you didn’t really know what you had. You trusted something too much, something that had not earned your trust.

In the end, you’ll waste a lot of money if you don’t STORE WHAT YOU EAT, AND EAT WHAT YOU STORE.

Keeping it rotated (by using it) keeps it good, and eliminates the potential of waste if it expires.

3. USE IT

‘Protecting’ your food till the end of the world or when the zombies come, may seem like a good idea at first, but eventually it will expire. Even 20 years comes to an end one day – and then what?

If you have something similar to what I describe in this post in YOUR food storage – that you bought a loooong time ago – USE it. Now would be a good time to know whether you like it or not. Finding that out later when you need it is a terrible ‘failure to plan’.

Don’t let it go to waste. The money you spent then, was real money, and if the food expires, you’ve wasted those dollars $$$!

4. CHECK REVIEWS

Seek out ‘real’ reviews from ‘real’ people and better yet, recommendations from like-minded friends. If you find a good line of shelf stable food that you’ve tried and like – tell others. If an emergency supply of quick easy to prepare meals is important to you, and you find a line that you really like, tell others. Learning from each other saves a lotta time and effort for everyone. Personal recommendations from a friend COUNTS.

5. SALT?

The sodium in that package of oatmeal was ‘0’ (zero). Impressive until you tasted it. There’s a reason we use salt. Just sayin’ . . .

6. GOOD FOR YOU?

I really don’t like artificial ingredients. Of any kind: flavours, colours, anti-caking agents, preservatives, etc . . . That’s important to me, even in something I expect to last a long time; maybe ESPECIALLY in something I expect to last a long time.

It’s gotta be “good-for-you”, or what’s the point? In this regard, the food in that bucket is profoundly disappointing.

7. TASTE?

After trying the few meals I tried, I have to say I really dislike the artificial after-taste. Its gotta taste good, or again – what’s the point? Who want’s to eat it if it tastes bad? I seriously couldn’t bring myself to eat a bowl of the bowl of the soup I made last night.

8. TRIAL AND ERROR

When I first bought that bucket, I’ve since found a brand I like MUCH better – for taste and quality, but I did the best I knew at the time, so I don’t regret my choice to purchase the original one. You can’t win them all. I just would never do it again – with what I now know. And I’d be a little more careful to read the label better. I trusted the place I bought it, and sadly, I put too much trust in the labeling – it said things I like to read. But I didn’t take the time to look at the ingredients.

I made mistakes, and learned from them.

9. AVOID PANIC BUYING

To be fair – like I said at the start, there were very few options for emergency food at the time I invested in this one. I may have “panic purchased” for that reason, scarcity.

That’s no longer the case. There are options now. I recommend taking your time. Check out reviews. Ask for opinions. I still think emergency meals are important to have – but ask around first. Read reviews.

10. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS

Take the details seriously if you don’t want to waste money.
Preparedness is not a vacation; it’s a journey and an investment – so its worth investigating, reading and asking around. If all you’re concerned about is shelf life, then no worries – there are lots of things that will last a long time. But if you want it to be nutritious, read the labels. If you want it to be delicious, read the reviews. And don’t just put it away “in case of”.

My conclusion –
Don’t be afraid to try things – how else will we learn. Though I didn’t like anything about the package I bought 15+ years ago, I don’t regret buying it. It was important to me to invest in emergency planning and I did the best I could have at the time. I learned – and that made the purchase worth it (although I hate wasting money). However, if I can reduce my mistakes by learning from other people’s mistakes – all the better. Which is why I am writing this – so that you don’t have to make the same mistakes.

I am happy to see better options available now, and the BEST in my opinion – came on the market just a few years ago. Thrive Life Premium Meals – 12 individual meals available singly or in 5 assorted packages. What makes them different?

Well, for starters –
I have CONFIDENCE in the company as I’ve tried everything else they produce. They are INSTANT meals, meaning just add water, and ready in 10 minutes – much more suited to emergencies, and also suited to meal prep on those crazy busy days when you still have to feed the family. They are completely freeze dried (prepared as meals from nutritious ingredients, then freeze dried to preserve goodness and taste). I was fortunate enough to be able to taste a few before I invested in them, so I knew they tasted good, and now I can read reviews about them.
Yes, I STORE them for long term, but I still USE them at home when we need a quick meal, for camping trips, in the trailer, at the cabin, I even take them when I travel sometimes – because they’re so easy to prepare. In this way I keep them rotated and replenished.

*I like that they have a 20 year shelf life. *I like that they taste good. *I like that the ingredients are wholesome and nutritious. *I like the variety. *I like that there are many reviews – and more added constantly. *I like that they don’t require cooking, and that they can be refreshed in a bowl or their original package. *I like that each package has THREE servings, honest-to-goodness-hearty-real servings. *I like that they are available in an Emergency bucket very similar to the one I bought all those years ago – suitable to grab and go, or easy to send home with a College student or to take camping or whatever. *I like that I can order them to arrive right at my door. *I like that I can get FREE shipping (yes, even into Canada). Hey, I just plain LIKE them! And I highly recommend them.

Live and learn I guess.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

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Rule of THREE

When considering any emergency, I find it helpful to consider the RULE OF THREE to prioritize my means and my energies. 
*We can live up to 3 minutes without air.
*In extreme weather, we’ll be in trouble within 3 hours without shelter.
*We can go up to 3 days without water.
*Our bodies will start shutting down long before 3 weeks without food.
Variables include age, weight, health, activity level, environmental conditions and type of food of course. 

So with these priorities in mind – whether considering emergency scenarios – especially without POWER or fresh running WATER (both of which could go on several days), do you have plan in place? . . . .
I live in Edmonton, Alberta and in the winter we can experience some pretty severe cold weather from time to time.  To be without power during those times can be deadly, and yet it is precisely those times that we may have problems with our furnaces. Furnaces are not going to quit in the summer when they’re not being used, they’re going to quit in the winter when they’re being used daily, especially when it’s bitter cold outside. (sigh . . . . I know right?)

And if you don’t have heat in the winter, you will soon have a water problem as well. Regardless of the time of year, our water supply is precious yet volatile, always susceptible to restriction or contamination. It is worth protecting and having a clean supply on hand.

Rule of 3

AIR
– not likely to be a problem UNLESS we need to provide an alternate source of heat, at which time improper ventilation becomes a concern.  Carbon Monoxide is produced any time you burn fuel: in vehicles, stoves, lanterns, grills, fireplaces, gas ranges and furnaces.  It is a very real, very scary thing – which can kill. 
*NEVER bring in an outdoor heat source or cooking stove. NEVER EVER.  Those are not meant for indoors. 
link to my post THE NIGHT WE NEARLY WENT TO SLEEP FOREVER
https://backyardcityhomestead.com/2018/12/13/the-night-we-nearly-went-to-sleep-forever/

SHELTER
– This should give us pause to consider the circumstances of the many people without houses right now.  Every day I hear about another death or two in the ‘tent cities’ in Edmonton. People just trying to stay warm in the most difficult situation.
But if we’re sheltering in place during an extended power outage, there are things we need to take care of.  With no heat, it will take only hours for the inside of your house to be the same temperature as the outside.  If we don’t have an alternate source (fireplace or wood stove), we’ll need to leave the house in a short amount of time.  Hopefully we’ve got a place in mind that we can go.  We do – Right? And of course dressing for the weather is imperative.

Assuming we have a wood stove, lighting it when its really cold is not so easy.  The low temperature in our chimney will force the cold air down creating a blockage – that prevents the smoke from escaping.  Time to figure out how to light the fire and have it draw properly. 
Assuming that we’ve mastered that, we may find it a good idea to have everyone sleep in the room with the heat source.  We have a Carbon Monoxide detector right? One that is battery run and fully charged.  Right?
Dressing for the weather is important IN the house too – sweaters, slippers, blankets . . .

WATER

– If we have to leave our home because of no heat, we must ensure the water is turned off and the lines are drained.  Water will freeze in only hours and burst water pipes will cause terrible destruction.  (don’t ask me how I know this)
But even if we’re sheltering in place, there may be parts of our home that are at risk of freezing.  It may be advisable to shut the water off anyway.  We have another source of water in the house – Right? 

If we only have one area that is warm, bring containers of water into that area to prevent them from freezing. 

FOOD

We have more flexibility with this than anything else.  For the short term, open up a can of pork and beans or make yourself a sandwich.  (You have a hand operated can opener – Right?)  Eat up some leftovers in the fridge – it could be lost within a day or two.

If the power outage goes on for more than a few days – your frozen food is in jeopardy.  When its bitter cold, setting it all outside is an option – but that’s a terrible job!  If the weather isn’t cold enough, we better be able to cook – or we’ll lose a lot!  But that sounds like an arduous job too, and not very practical. I strongly advise AGAINST having your freezer contain the bulk of your food storage.  Not a good idea at all, and this is exactly why.  Having said that – I too have a freezer, and I use it. But depending on it alone for your food storage is a terrible idea.

Having some Meals in a Jar (MIJ) on hand will be a life saver if we have the ability to cook a one pot meal.  They are nutritious, delicious, easy to prepare, and provide variety to meals that we’ll be glad to have.  All we need is a pot, some water and a heat source.  15-20 minutes for most meals. 

Instant freeze dried meals-in-a-pouch provide tasty and nutritious hearty meals with nothing more than added water.  Excellent resource to have in your pantry or food storage.  If you have the ability to heat the water, then all the better.

Always consider the RULE OF THREE and use it to measure every emergency when coming up with a game plan. 

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

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does it work? heating water on a candle

I’d heard about heating water over top of a candle for a long time, and I’d been casually curious about it, but my recent involvement with our WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER Emergency Prep group seemed like a good time to try it myself.

Not coincidentally, the scenario we were focusing on the second week of January was LOSS OF POWER. As fortune would dictated, it happened to be our coldest week of the years with temperatures dipping to -40 Celcius, and we were feeling it. Church last week even got cancelled to prevent unnecessary exposure, it was a good week to stay home.

And with us trying to keep the house reasonably warm without straining the system with our electrical needs, it seemed like a perfect time. We lit a fire in the woodstove downstairs and enjoyed the coziness of that warmth for several days, burning up quite a lotta wood. And we had a brief concern that our hot water heater might be having issues, but it had a happy ending.

So the claim I saw was exactly this (see below). I recreated it as closely as I could, but think I had more water than the original test cases used. My smallest kitchen pot is 4 cups, so 4 cups of water was my test.

You can see the start of bubbles in the bottom and steam coming from the water. That’s pretty impressive for 4 cups of water over tea lights.

It took a lot longer than I expected, a couple of hours till it reached 197 degrees. But to be fair, 197 degrees is pretty hot, hot enough to heat some soup, and maybe to even cook some eggs. If you aren’t in a hurry that is.

I’ll be using this hack again in the future – even if just to show off to the grandkids. And its nice to know if we ever run out of power, that we can have hot water with little effort.

After I took the above video, I meant to blow the candles out but forgot. When I came back in about half an hour, I was surprised to see that it had reached a slow boil. I guess what they say about a watched pot not boiling is right. They’re so shy.

I think I’ll pick up another pack of tea lights when I see them. A good thing to have sitting in the linen closet for just such a time as this.

Warmly (in a very cold week),

Cindy Suelzle

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making old look like new again

“Use it up, wear it out. Make it do, or do without.”

For most of our married life – we’ve adhered to a continuous routine of fixing up our world as we could afford it. Our agreed upon routine has been one INDOOR project a year (usually done in the winter), and one OUTDOOR project a year (usually done in the summer). There’s never been a shortage of projects, and they move up and down the priority list according to need and affordability at the time.

This year our big indoor project was to refinish our dining room table. It had been moving up the list for a long time, well worn from 24 years of heavy use. Unfortunately, the time we chose ended up being the coldest weeks of the year – so opening the windows to get some air became a sketchy thing, but we had to a couple of times! The stain smell became very strong that we opened a few windows in -40C temperatures for a few hours to get rid of the worst of it, while Gramma Great watched tv in front of the woodstove downstairs.

As soon as the Christmas decorations were put away, we cleared the table, set in all four leaves and began a job we’d been putting off for years: that of refinishing our well worn oak table. We were nervous as heck which is why we procrastinated for a decade. But we’d collected advice and courage long enough – while our table continued to collect more scratches and worn areas – letting us know it needed a major face lift. Thank goodness it was only the top that needed attention.

Step 1 – Borrowing a friend’s super-duper sander/vacuum system, Dan sanded the top. That was the only area that needed refinishing. He did it in the house – right there in the dining area. We thought we’d need to hand plastic sheeting everywhere but as I said that sander was of the ‘super-duper’ variety, and it was fabulous.

Step 2 – We took a leaf to into a paint shop, trying to match the colour with stain. The leaf had the original colour still in the facing under the top.
Step 3 – With the help and encouragement of a talented friend, Dan applied the stain. But the colour was toooooo ‘red’ for me. Argh.
Step 4 – Back to the paint store to ‘brown up’ the stain colour. They did a great job.
Step 5 – Dan applied another coat of stain but sadly, didn’t apply it evenly enough which resulted in some splotches. We tried to fix them up by applying another coat but that didn’t work. By this time we were into a week or working on it – around our regular working / living obligations. I knew I wouldn’t be happy with it. Argh again.

Step 6 – Re-sand the whole stupid thing and start over. As frustrating as that it, I have learned with many other projects over the years, sometimes that is the ONLY way – and it’s far better to concede sooner than later.
Step 7 – Re-stain. But this time we did it together. Working quickly and efficiently together, we covered the table beautifully.
Step 8 – Still, a few uneven spots. Our friend and neighbour came back to assess and advise us. Back to the paint store to buy a matching stain in a spray bottle. We lightly touched up the spots. Wow! Great stuff.

Step 9 – Applied the first coat of Varathane – with our friend. We let it dry, then I lightly buffed with fine steel wool. We applied another layer, and let it dry – then lightly buffed again with steel wool. One more coat, let it dry – then gently rubbed with a piece of brown paper to smooth out the finished job.

Step 10 – We brought out our well worn chairs and after rubbing with steel wool, I gently sprayed the seats with our matching stain. Let dry, then smoothed with the steel wool again and applied a coat of Varathane.

It was a happy day to let the whole project harden over night, then removes some leaves to clear out the kitchen area. I happily vacuumed well, handwashed the floor and tucked the chairs around.

Done. Two full weeks later! So happy we finally DID it, and now its behind us. I still have three more chairs to finish, but that’ll be a piece of cake in the next week or so.

Not looking forward to the first scratch, but I’m resigned to it happening. And I have full confidence that we’ll be able to touch up as needed with the tools and confidence that we now have at our finger tips.

Welcome 2024. One big job down!

Warmly,

Cindy & Dan Suelzle

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Cooking with Food Storage – Chili MIJ

Traditional Chili con Carne (but in a Jar)

Using mostly freeze dried ingredients, this is an easy dish to prepare for the pantry, ready when you need to pull a great meal together in less than half an hour. Meal in a Jar! Imagine that. LOL
*when my kids were little, one of our favourite story books to read was STONE SOUP. A hungry traveler convinced uncharitable villagers that he could make Soup from a Stone. Curious villagers contributed assorted ingredients, shaking their heads and musing “Soup from a Stone! Imagine that.” Well it wasn’t that long ago that the idea of a shelf stable Meal in a Jar was just as novel and just as curious to me. Now its a way of life, and I always have several on hand in the pantry – for times that a quick hearty meal will make the day go better, or when I want to send a meal out to someone who could use a lift.

Servings: 6
Time: 15 mins
Layer ingredients into quart sealer in this order:

2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin powder
4 Tbsp tomato powder
1 Tbsp beef bouillon
3/4 t black pepper
1 Tbsp freeze dried garlic
1/4 cup freeze dried Chopped Onions
1/4 cup dehydrated red + green peppers
1 cup freeze dried Ground Beef
1 + 1/2 cup Instant Beans (which are parboiled and dehydrated) your choice of type
1/2 cup freeze dried Corn

1 quart of home canned tomatoes or 1 796 ml can of tomatoes (your choice of type)
4 cups water

Directions:

  1. if preparing a Meal in a Jar (MIJ), layer all ingredients in the jar. I like to arrange very neatly so that it looks nice. End with the corn – and put as much corn as you can to fill the jar.
  2. Put the lid on and label with name, date and brief instructions.
  3. Store in pantry for up to a year. It’s okay if you pass a year, but shoot to use it within a year. This is no longer long term ‘food storage’, it is intended for the convenience of a kitchen pantry. For up to 5 year storage, insert an oxygen absorber and vacuum seal.
  4. Dump contents of jar into a pot and refill the quart jar with water to add. Stir to combine thoroughly and dissolve spices. Add quart of tomatoes.
  5. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to gently simmer approximately 20-25 minutes until beans are tender. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes.
  6. if you prefer to have chili soup, just add another 2 cups of water.

If preparing meal straight in the pot (without a jar), just put all dry ingredients in the pot, add water and canned tomatoes and follow directions above.

Serve with dollop of sour cream on top and corn chips. Or cornbread (see recipe for cornbread mix).

When I try a new recipe, I make the recipe once into the pot, and again into the jar. That way I can check the measurements that fit into the jar, and sample the soup to know how much I’d like to store. After we finish dinner, I know if I’d like to make a few more. I’ll make up to four jars to store of a recipe that we enjoy, to keep on hand in my pantry or to share.

Enjoy!

Cindy Suelzle

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Cooking with Food Storage – Chicken Curry MIJ

Traditional Yellow Curry Chicken

using mostly dried ingredients, this is an easy dish to prepare straight from the pantry

Servings: 6
Time: 20 mins
Ingredients:

1 + 1/2 cups freeze dried chopped or diced Chicken hydrated in water to cover (I use the bouillon here)
1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1-2 cloves minced or 1 Tbsp freeze dried garlic
1/4 cup freeze dried Sliced Onions
1/4 cup freeze dried Diced Green Chilies
1/2 cup freeze dried Green Peas
1/2 cup freeze dried Green Bell Peppers
1/2 cup freeze dried Red Bell Peppers
1 tsp Garam Masala
1Tbsp Yellow Curry Powder
1 Tbsp Chicken Bouillon
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Paprika
pinch of Cayenne
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp Tomato Powder
2 cans Coconut Milk
1/2 – 1 cup freeze dried Zucchini, Green Beans, or your choice of other vegetable

Directions

  1. Pre-cook your favourite type of rice.
  2. While your rice is cooking, place freeze dried chicken in a bowl covered with water and 1 Tbsp bouillon. Set aside to refresh 10-20 minutes.
  3. Heat a large skillet with sides, to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil heat. Saute garlic, onions and chili peppers in the oil. Add the chicken (with water used to refresh), and saute until the chicken is tender and warm.
  4. Add all of the seasonings and stir to mix well, continuing to simmer.
  5. Add the coconut milk, tomato powder and brown sugar and stir well to completely dissolve tomato powder and brown sugar.
  6. Add the peas and zucchini and any other freeze vegetable you want to use. Don’t be afraid to add a little more water if needed.
  7. Simmer till warmed through, then remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes Serve over hot rice.

for Meal in a Jar:
1. layer in dry seasoning – one at a time; I like to put the smaller amounts against the glass so that they show better. Top seasoning with the tomato powder, unless you’re using tomato paste later.
2. 1/4 cup each of freeze dried Sliced Onions, and freeze dried Diced Green Chilies,
1/2 cup each of freeze dried Green Peas, freeze dried Green Bell Peppers, freeze dried Red Bell Peppers
3. 1+1/2 cup freeze dried chopped or diced chicken
4. Top the jar up with 1/2 cup of your choice of Zucchini or Green Beans, or your choice of another vegetable. Add as much as you can till jar is full.
5. Put the lid on, label and date, put it away in your pantry to use within a year. Store away from light. For best results, don’t push the shelf life passed a year.
6. To prepare – cook your rice ahead; pour jar ingredients into a fairly large skillet and add 2 cups water. Stir to combine well, while bringing to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, add coconut milk, stir well to combine. Lightly simmer till chicken is tender, then remove from heat. Let sit covered for 5 minutes and serve over top rice.

Pro Tips:
– if you don’t have tomato powder, use tomato paste (not in the jar – at the time of cooking)
– if you don’t have all those spices (other than curry), not to worry; just use what you’ve got. CURRY however is important. If you don’t have curry – don’t make the dish.
– to simplify the preparation I spoon the spices into a small (1/4 pint) jar, arranged beautifully. I save this seasoning mixture in my spice cupboard to add all together when preparing similar dishes later.

Enjoy!

Cindy Suelzle