Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Items to Stock Up On in the New Year

This year, I am making a list of bigger ticket items for the new year. I have loads of rice, wheat, beans, etc. I will be adding to those monthly, as usual, but there are some bigger ticket items that we need that I am going to budget for.
I have two manual grain grinders, but both are difficult to use and only work well on corn for coarse ground meal.So, I plan to get the Wonder Junior Deluxe Hand Grain/Flour Mill.
I would also like to get a decent electric grain grinder and have looked at several....I have sorta settled on this one , the Kitchen Mill by KTEC.
We have a dehydrator, but it is a very basic, inexpensive model the fella picked up at Wal-Mart a few years ago. I am looking and drooling at the Excalibur  and hope to purchase one by March. I have heard from loads of other preppers that the Excalibur is the one to have!

I have looked at solar ovens online, like this one , but look at that price! Holy cow!!! I have found some project plans online to making solar ovens, so I think I will try one of those before I sink $200+ into a solar oven!
I am looking for a treadle sewing machine...Lehmans has some, but I think I would rather find an antique one.

My big purchase this year may be a loom. Amazon has this one and it looks like it would work well for a relative novice (I haven't used a loom in AGES) .

My Darlin' Man got the Boy and himself both crossbows for Christmas. I don't like them. Takes too long to reload, etc. You need way more upper body strength than I have to effectively draw the string back and cock it, even using the *bow draw* accessory the fella also got.
I want a regular, old-fashioned-Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest kind of bow! I found this bow at Amazon, and although a bit pricey, I think I will set my sights on getting it around the end of summer. I'll set my sights for the #30 pound draw.

And, of course, books and milk & cheese processing equipment and fabric and hand sewing needs.

It seems that everytime I think I have everything I need for the homestead-to-be, I find something else that is needed or very much desired!

8 comments:

  1. We too have some things we hope to accomplish this year and while we're well stocked and have many of the items you listed and are hapy with them we'd like to build a smoke house, a sorghum mill( if the sorghum turns out to be a good crop) an walk in cooler for butchering and hanging our own beef( for the two week aging period) and we also need to poultry fence our property, so the birds can free range all day, rather than just a few hours. We are also growing more crops that will serve a dula purpose( feed us, our cows and poultry and sell any extras)

    Blessings and praying you get everything you have on your list. I feel that we're all going to be glad we did.
    Kelle

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  2. The Excalibur is the Rolls Royce of Dehydrators,you will not be disappointed.I have noticed though that Cabela's now has their own line of dehydrators that are very similar.

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  3. my wish list at amazon is almost three pages long. I noticed that the electric grain mill is actually cheaper than the hand mill, makes me wonder.......

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  4. I have a few things like that I want also... A Cast Iron dutch oven on legs with a flat lid. Another wheelbarrow to keep up by the house (since the other is down with the sheep and horse). A solar panel light system on timer in the chicken house so I can get more eggs... The list goes on and on, doesn't it? Hmmm... maybe writing them down like you did will help me to accomplish it?

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  5. Hope/Joy/Faith...when you get a wheelbarrow, make sure you get one with the solid rubber tire! We have one with the inflatable tire and one with the solid tire. The one with the inflatable tire is out of commission once again because the darn tire is flat---yet again! We have a lot of cacti here and the spines can be pretty rough on those tires! We are replacing the tire in February with a solid one (FINALLY!). I LOVE my cast iron and a Dutch Oven is worth it's weight in gold! We are also looking for a relatively inexpensive but reliable solar light system for our chicken house. Let me know if you can find one that doesn't break the bank!

    Kellie, I noticed that the prices for grain grinders (electric and manual) varies WILDLY! Have no clue why!?

    Lee, I want that Excalibur! Hope to have a good garden this year and will need an excellent one to cope with all my hoped-for produce!

    Kelle--I have plans for a smokehouse, beef butchering kitchen, etc for when we move to our homestead up north. One year to go before we move!!! Yay!!!

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  6. We bought an Excalibur last year. I love it! It is excellent for any dehydrating job, but also works great for raising bread dough. I set the thermostat on 100 degrees and put a small glass of water in the bottom, then set my pan(s) on a tray above. In 30 to 45 minutes, my dough is double or more and ready to bake.

    I prefer recurve bows. I've never shot a crossbow but suspect I would have the same problem you do with reloading. You should be able to pull a 30# bow. If not, you need to work out, girl! Speaking of being a girl, don't forget your arm and finger guard. If you have not shot a bow much before, I would start out in winter and wear a heavy jacket buttoned up. This is because forearms are not the only place we girls can end up with some nasty welts!

    Once you get the hang of it, you won't be in much danger of ...ahem ...shall we call them upper body welts? But if you do that to yourself just once, you will want to make sure you never do it again. Just trust me, okay? LOL

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  7. I have a Wonder Mill, and I really love it. If you can find a co-op in your area, or a buying group (find the local LDS church and ask them, because they know what is in your area and will be really helpful and nice) you can likely get a discount on a few of your items. I bought my mill that way andsaved a good bit.

    I managed to pick up a Little Ark with both stone and steel burrs from someone else in my co-op, for $50, and it was just like new. So watch for a used deal if you can find one too (so you can get more toys for your money, hee hee).

    Also...have you considered refurbished for any of your items? I have heard nothing but good about refurbished products. My hubby has gotten some battery operated drills, a sawzall and a few other power tools that looked brand new, had the same warranty as new, and were 1/3 less money. We've had them a few years and been nothing but happy!

    Always pinchin' pennies,
    -Laura at TenThingsFarm

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  8. http://cgi.ebay.com/Wonder-Junior-Hand-Grain-Mill-BASIC-New-WonderMill-/300413117548?pt=Small_Kitchen_Appliances_US&hash=item45f204646c#ht_3918wt_1141

    I found this on ebay, as I always look on ebay before I buy something I want. It's quite a bit cheaper and it's FREE shipping and they show 10 available. I plan on getting on very soon myself!

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