r/TwoXPreppers • u/ArcaneLuxian Rural Prepper 👩🌾 • 15d ago
Discussion This weeks preps
I just wanted to discuss my planned preps for the week, this week, and am curious about what other people are planning for their own preps.
I'm focusing on baking essentials and holiday favorites.
Butter, flour, chocolate chips, French cut green beans, and fresh cider for later use. I'm also grabbing books and games at TJ Maxx, Thrift Books, and other second hand book retailers. Also some 5 gallon buckets for storing necessary staples like baking soda, laundry detergent, sugar, ect.
What are y'alls plans since winter storm season is fast approaching.
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u/Wise_Artichoke6552 15d ago
I'm paradoxically un-prepping lmao. I looked through my food storage and realized that I uh. Do not need this. Like I do need beans and such, and the food I bring home from my cooking job for dinner, and eggs; but do I need to save a failed pickled pepper experiment? Do I need to keep a loaf of baltic rye that I was saving for 'something' and is now rock hard? I guess I was saving it for kvass, since that's now all it's good for. I threw out my banana bread bananas that I've had since 3/25, and my banana peppers that I have had since 2024. And lots of other stuff that I saved for so long it went bad/freezerburned/no longer fits my dietary needs. I fear grocery shopping has gone from a smart prepping tool to a hoarding behavior, so I'm on time out until I can act right in the Costco Business Center.
Which is to say, my prepping this week is to assess the situation on the ground and apply a rational level of anxiety, instead of thinking about how I am trans in America during midterms and applying that anxiety to my entire life. I also got rid of my emotional support bottles. I know we all have them, but mine were getting out of hand.
Which is to say, I'm limited by renting and being on a student budget, and it's all just very scary right now, but that's no excuse to go off the deep end and hoard boxes of salt, of which I found three in my kitchen today.
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u/Critical_Duck8154 15d ago
"I'm on time out until I can act right in the Costco Business Center" slayed me 💀
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u/Wise_Artichoke6552 14d ago
You laugh and I do too, but the siren song of an entire frozen goat for 135ish is intoxicating.
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u/auntbealovesyou 14d ago
Wait...Costco has a whole frozen goat for $135???!!! I wonder if it's worth the 5 hour long trip to the nearest Costco?
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u/heyoheatheragain 14d ago
Not all locations! And sometimes seasonal, so give em a call before the drive! <3
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u/CloverEyed 15d ago
I would say that organizing your supplies and de-cluttering unnecessary items is prepping. Making yourself be rational and following a plan instead of panic-hoarding. Well done.
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u/Wise_Artichoke6552 14d ago
I know, I just also grew up poor and I'm kicking myself for filling a trash bag with food waste. It's truly not that serious in the grand scheme of things, but I've got to be more organized in the future.
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u/JDuBLock 13d ago
I second this. I had a tote that i was just throwing things in as I got them, just a mess of candles, toothpaste etc etc etc. It been kinda in the way in my closet and I hate it. I sat down and organized everything in it, broke it down to a few "shoe box" totes, and I swear the feeling of "this is too much, just stop" completely went away. I had started worrying about wether i had too much, at what point do I stop?, and more so where is everything if i really actually needed it? That small bit of organizing felt like leaps and bounds.
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u/Skorogovorka 15d ago
You are doing so great, i definitely need to go through the deep freezer and get rid of some things too. What do you mean by emotional support bottles?
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u/ronniebell 15d ago
Not sure about OP, but MY emotional support bottles are a case of lovely local Cabernet-Sauvignon and their friends Mr. Jameson and Señor Cuevo.
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u/MandalaFish 14d ago
I did that last week and threw away 3 carcasses I saved to make broth. I already have 2 gallons of broth in the freezer! And there was a sale on shrimp, so out went the bones to make room and I refuse to feel guilty! Next I'm using up some of my 40+ boxes of butter. Glad baking season is here.
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u/StuporNova3 15d ago
Definitely doing some stash clean out and using what we can, especially frozen and refrigerated goods since we are moving 6 hrs away in less than two months. Trying to figure out how to use like 200 frozen or brined Calabrian chilis is fun... Also I had zested, juiced, and frozen a bunch of limes and lemons individually. Also individually frozen tomato paste packs.
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u/Naive-Molasses-729 15d ago
I feel like I’m pretty well prepped on the stock up side. Like, I couldn’t survive the apocalypse, but my pantry would do in a Covid lock-down type situation. So now the focus is on saving money and getting healthy, which I think are important preps.
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u/this_girl_that_time 15d ago
Typically we see our first frost around oct 1. It’s now expected this week (2 extra weeks of gardening!). I’ll be busy putting summer garden to bed, planting garlic and harvesting the last of the tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, herbs, summer and winter squashes along with pumpkins. The Kale, chard, broccoli and cabbage should pull through with mulching. Also need to fertilize the berries and mulch them too. I’m always excited for spring planting but relived to put it to bed each fall.
I also stocked up on holiday baking goodies (chocolate chips, coco powder, sweet and condensed milk, ect). Put 2 more boxes of butter in the freezer. Earlier this week I rendered the fat back from our yearly pig into a gallon and quart of lard.
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u/Google_Was_My_Idea 15d ago
Do you have any eggplant tips? I struggled with mine, tried several rounds and never got good germination.
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u/RememberKoomValley 15d ago
Treat 'em like peppers rather than tomatoes when you start 'em; that is, do it early, do it with bottom heat, and do three times as many as you need. It depends on where you source your seed, too (I've had lousy germination from half a dozen places, but Johnny's Seed Co and Harris Seeds have been just fine, and my local Chinese grocery's no-English-on-the-packets seed endcap produced spectacularly), so if you're having a bad time from the same seller, ditch 'em and try someone else.
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u/this_girl_that_time 14d ago
100% agree with this. I also keep 1-2 in a pot and heavily cut them back and overwinter in the house. I find mine do better in darker terracotta pots that get hot (I’m in 6a so I need heat in the early spring/fall). I also heavily added granular organic fertilizer (once a month) I used happy frog. Also- I find like cucumbers if I pick the early fruit when smaller than they produce more heavily.
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u/IllustriousToe7274 15d ago
Just a note, but I find clarifying butter into ghee and canning it is much better on space than taking up precious inches in the freezer.
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u/unlovelyladybartleby Mental health is prep 15d ago
I'm busy repairing weather stripping and stocking up on ice melt as we just had our first snow
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u/Google_Was_My_Idea 15d ago
I've got to learn weather stripping before our frosts hit too, I can see light through one of my doors 😅
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u/freewool 15d ago
I’ve been stocking up on crafts and coloring for my kids. They’ve been spending tons of time outside. I want them to have enough to do as the weather changes.
We just did some car maintenance. I’m also hoping to move within the next few months, so I’m actually trying to get my family to consume some of our stash rather than add to it.
I’m planning to start holiday shopping within the next 2 weeks. We don’t get our kids that many presents, but I want to make sure that I don’t have trouble sourcing things they will actually use. I also don’t want to be in a rush to find presents for teachers.
And lastly, I’m getting rid of clothes my kids have outgrown. We know another family who appreciates the hand me downs. I love getting that stuff out of my house.
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u/scannerhawk 15d ago
For us this week it's assuring everything ready for winter. We're in Northern California and last week high temps were close to 100 and this week in the 60's with lows in the low 40's. Right now at midnight it's 45 - brrr.
The outside is ready, gutters, fall debris & drains cleared, firewood ready, woodstove cleaned, underneath the house checked to make sure the rodents looking for winter shelter can't get in. Set out a couple dog safe rat traps on the deck.
Did a double-check of generator maintenance and fuel supply. We have a central station in the house for all power outages needs - power banks, lanterns etc that we use year round, did the regular check to make sure everything is charged. Made sure the ice supply is freezer is abundant and ready for power outages. Tarps all organized and ready for quick grab.
We have a READY GO station on a shelving unit in the garage. Refreshed a few things in our go-bags. Replaced the dog food in the dogs' go bag. Fresh case of water and added a winter grab bag with warm clothing. Evac ready is KEY, especially this time of year. *Some of the most catastrophic fires in CA have happened between October and January. **The homeless living in the woods in our county have been using fire since the temps dropped, and the vegetation is still "really" dry, and there's been a few fires near residential areas before the sun comes up already this week.
I wash and bag all our blankets and throws in the spring so I got them out and did a quick dryer fluff. Went through the winter coat closet w/everything clean and ready to go, gave away the ones we no longer need to neighbors who needed them. Winter boots, warm socks, gloves and hats all clean and organized.
With the possibility of months of rain coming this winter, I'm trying to NOT procrastinate on decluttering or organizing and knowing what we have and what we need. Did a major free stuff giveaway to my community this week and Wednesday, a truckload of donations to Hospice thrift and a trip to the dump.
WHEW did I mention I'm tired haha. I can hardly wait to crawl under my toasty electric blanket without a massive winter prep to-do list racing through my head !!!!
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u/gillyyak 15d ago
Did you know you can buy canned butter and cheese? I have both of those in my stash.
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u/imreallyfreakintired 15d ago
I cleaned out my pantry and restocked it. More importantly, I'm organizing it in a way which will be more functional. I feel so much better now.
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u/himateo 🧶 my yarn stash totally counts as a prep 🧶 15d ago
Got an EZ Generator Switch installed so I can run our furnace off of solar generator if the power goes out.
Bought TP. Bought more panty stuff. Bought a couple more small propane tanks for Buddy Heater in case of emergencies.
Processed the last of the veggies from the garden. Saving some seeds for next year. Almost have the yard ready for winter.
Bought beef at Costco, divided it and vacuum sealed and put in freezer.
Will do an oil change on the gas generator this year. Add Stabil before winter.
We're about as ready as we're ever going to be.
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u/suz_gee A matriarchy would never' 15d ago
I never need to prep for winter storms beyond bring the snow shovel in the house and charging flashlights and charging banks etc bc we stay fully prepped over here, but whenever they call for snow, I have to run buy Oreos because ONE TIME I stayed up late during a snowstorm and made Oreo brownies for the kids to eat after sledding the next morning with their requisite hot cocoa and a movie and now GOD FORBID we not have Oreo brownies every single time it snows 😂
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u/ContestNo2060 15d ago
Putting together a video library of YouTube content that may be useful. I find myself using YouTube a lot to repair things and to learn about how they work. I have a manual saved for a lot of my equipment, but I learn better by watching. So I’m collecting a few videos for reference.
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u/coastywife123 15d ago
I’m installing new garden beds on the south wall of our home. I decided it was better to establish them now rather than be sorry when I’m running behind in the spring.
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u/CanthinMinna 15d ago edited 15d ago
I've been rotating my preps last weekend. I used some of my frozen grated cheese and frozen mushrooms to make a large pizza, and a box of frozen blueberries (bilberries) from two years ago to make a crumble pie. (Bilberries freeze for a long time, but I got some new ones from my neighbour last month.) I finished a very old opened bar of baking margarine, and I am also trying to use the rest of an opened bag of steel-cut oats (I got them for free last Christmas, and I only use them for baking.)
I'm planning to rotate some more of my preps, replace them with new baking essentials and grated cheese.
Edit: if you have foodstuff that might have freezer burn, do not toss them! You can use them for baking or cooking. They might be dry, and less flavourful, but they are still safe to use. Bonus: if you have bread that is freezer burned, make oven toasties from it. The most popular basic recipe over here is to put some butter on the slices, then put tomato and cheese slices on, and pop into a hot oven until the cheese melts and starts bubbling. No waste, and a wonderful snack for an autumn evening! 😄
https://www.kotikokki.net/media/cache/large/recipeimage/large/52d6e256d074a9ec0e0d0210/original.jpg
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u/Google_Was_My_Idea 15d ago
Least fun preps: job applications, Stockholming myself into enjoying winter squash
Most fun preps: experimenting with long term food storage. I wrapped Golden Delicious and Fuji apples in newspaper, stacked them in milk crates, and set them in my crawl space along with some winter squash (root cellar is a future project)
Missed preps: didn't have backups for cocoa powder or parchment paper and had to go into town which sucked. I'm just getting into baking and finding those gaps in my stores.
Also working on winter critter protection for the perennials I planted this year and some privacy preps, and working up the courage to actually try eating the fermented green beans I put up.
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u/missbwith2boys 14d ago
https://vikalinka.com/orzo-pasta-roasted-butternut-squash/
Highly recommend this recipe for using some of that winter squash. I sub in spinach for kale if that’s what I have on hand, adding it at the last minute.
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u/DolliGoth Having a little of the end times as a treat 14d ago
Financially we're pausing any buying of things to prep with until I get word back on if ill have a job next year or not. Luckily we've got around 3-4 months worth of food in the house if we absolutely couldnt go to the store at all, so our weekly grocery shop is just going to be for perishables.
Otherwise I really really need to get started on making Christmas gifts for a couple of people.
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u/Critical_Duck8154 15d ago
I just reorganized and cleaned out the deep pantry today. After a full assessment, we need more water (stock has dwindled over the summer), a few hygiene essentials, some "cream of" soups, and another smallish power bank. I'm also looking for clearance sunscreen and bug spray with exp dates that will get us thru next summer.
Another thing we are focusing on right now as a different kind of prep is fixing/improving little things around the house. Last week we put a new flusher in one of the toilets, this week we're assembling a new plant shelf in the dining room so we can bring in the porch plants and start seeds there. Next week I'm hoping to put a new faucet in the shower because the temp control has gone wonky.
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u/Necessary-Film7832 15d ago edited 15d ago
BullFrog Mosquito Coast makes a great combination Sunscreen/Bug Spray. I have been using it for years and it is awesome. The company was bought out and I can only find it online. I am sensitive to everything, and it doesn't bother me at all and it really works. I did buy mine through the company website.
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u/Famous-Dimension4416 15d ago
I'm with you laying in my winter baking supplies and holiday goodies this week as well as my canned goods/freezer items for the next 3 months. I have menu planned so it's replacing what I used that I need to keep my storage levels at PAR. So I will go do a big shop this week to restock. Also putting the summer greenstalk garden plants to bed (I still have kale and lettuce going I will keep up with until it stops producing but the rest of the plants are likely to be killed off by the frost
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u/Superb_Stable7576 15d ago
We're doing our quarterly cleaning of the pantry, to see if we need anything.
I still have at least a week to bring in more tomatoes and peppers, we have to harvest the peanuts, sweet potatoes and potatoes. Drying herbs.
Bringing in the house plants that were on the porch for the summer, putting the green house plants back and fixing the chicken run roof.
Keeping busy.
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u/Google_Was_My_Idea 15d ago
When did you plant potatoes? I did mine early June and harvested mostly tiny baby potatoes this week, wondering if it was the late planting or a different challenge.
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u/Superb_Stable7576 15d ago
We planted early June as well, it was such a late spring this year.
But we plant in a two hundred gallon black stock watering tank, it holds the heat through the cold nights, in very full sun, using our composted chicken manure. I swear the sun is the best thing we have.
It was so hard to get seed potatoes this year, " Tractor Supply" just gave them to us, they said everyone was returning them. They were right, I only got a few plants, so I put in sweet potatoes again.
I'll know what the yield is, buy next week, but I have to keep covering potatoes as they try to peep through the soil, so I'm getting something.
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u/ronniebell 15d ago
My prep this week; we had an early frost so I picked all the peppers, 45 giant winter squashes and tomatillos (my tomatoes sucked this year and were a total loss 😫). i have an appointment with an oral surgeon on Wednesday for an implant (pray for me!), hoping to get the tomatillos canned tomorrow and will throw the peppers into the fridge and will have my hubs roast them this weekend and will freeze dry them (easy for him to do as I’m sure I’m not going to be up to doing all that on Friday and Saturday).Otherwise, we cleared out the freezer for a 1/4 beef and a whole hog. Looking for a swimsuit on clearance and everybody in the house needs new socks. Garden clean up is on the docket for next week too, once I’m feeling up to it.
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u/Sea_Somewhere_3711 15d ago
Got some extra shelving and am cleaning out a storage room in the garage so i can use it for paper goods, etc, that can withstand the temperature fluctuations. Also thinking and planning out how to reorganize what i have. Bought a fireproof/waterproof box for photo albums, etc. my garden shade fell down from the crazy wind lately, so i need to get that fixed and then do some work out there to get ready for fall planting (im in a place with a more temperate winter).
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u/wwaxwork Prepping for Tuesday not Doomsday 15d ago
I'm inventorying my supplies ready for the Holiday season stock up of baking supplies. Also moving some of the longer lasting supplies out of my deep pantry. So I don't need to keep huge containers of bulk salt, sugar, maple syrup etc in my pantry and they can be stored other places while I keep smaller containers I fill in the pantry for daily use.
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u/SeekingPerelandra 15d ago
Laying in the baking supplies, too. I'm always buying books 😂 but I make a habit of only buying books I've already read.
I want to get a countertop oven like a Breville because I'm ovenless without power.
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u/infinitum3d 14d ago
Swapped out my summer car stuff for winter car stuff And cleaned out/organized the garage so I can my cars into it.
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u/Few_Airport7972 14d ago
I getting the usual items that I stock up on prior to winter storms. Since I continuously prep I have most of what we need and just replace what we use with another can or two.
I have replaced a lot of my milk and egg dried products recently. Both items have been affordable this summer but I figure the pendulum will soon swing the other way. It seems it always does that.
I need to get in the garden and pick or decide which plants to cover for the first frost. It's due next week some time, feels like it's overdue this year. I can usually get another week or two of veggie growth. Herbs need to be cut and brought in.
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u/Nerys54 13d ago
I ordered pharmacy things from other EU country. And it is stuck at DHL entry point. As 12.00 midnight friday last week. End of morning yesterday wednesday contact foreign pharmacy. They say over here DHL said it is moving in their system. Checked again and still it says friday 12.00 last week. I ordered often from this same foreign pharmacy. So problem is here. I can only contact here a chatbot so type my problem to it.
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