CRATER OF DIAMONDS STATE PARK - More than Diamonds to be Found

This past June, I camped for two days at the Crater of Diamonds State Park, in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. This gem of a state park is truly a hidden treasure, nestled in an ancient volcanic vent not far from I-30. I had visited this park briefly a few years back while passing through Little Rock, and was literally devastated in having to leave after 2 short hours. It wasn't necessarily the prospect of finding diamonds that drew me to the park, but rather I wanted to linger at the "only diamond mine IN THE WORLD that was opened to the public"... It was truly a finders keeper type of experience, and deserved more than just a few hours. 

Since we couldn't stay long, I knew I had to return.

Their website  has a link for camping reservations, and I was able to secure a camping spot in the primitive camping area. 

A campsite with water is $13 a night

The primitive campsites are right off the road, requiring no hiking, which was fine for me as I was camping in my van. 

Right across campsite are bathrooms and showers

This park has many attractions for visiting families. Not only is there a giftshop and info center/museum in the main visitor center, but this park also has a cafe, swimming area, and offers free services where you can bring your gemstones to the counter for identification. Not only are diamonds to be found (over 600+ a year on average) but many people uncover Amethyst, Agate, Jasper, Garnet, Peridot, to name a few. 

Keep in mind that the ADMISSION FEE to enter the diamond fields are $10 a day, and this is not covered with your camping pass. This is $10 per day per person. Discounted rates for children. 

Plenty of acreage to explore 

And relax

 You'll be looking at this all day... 

 Did I mention it rains at the Crater of Diamonds State Park? 

Nothing like a surprise thunderstorm in the wee hours of the morning!

I was informed that diamonds are easier to find after the rain! 

If you get stir crazy, Murfreesboro is a wonderful little town to visit nearby for souvenirs, ice, and groceries. 

All of those "crystal looking rocks" that you see all over town is just glass. I asked. 

This is what I learned while camping at this state park:

Diamonds come in all shapes and sizes and are easy to find in others (I discovered some incredibly nice people at the campsite!)  

The number #1 question I got asked after visiting this park was, "did you find any diamonds?" 

I think deep down, I went for the solitude and the joy of anticipation. The mornings become busy as people show up, dragging buckets and pulling on boots. There's an air of excitement and adventure. And that is why I left feeling like I'd hit the jackpot, even though I never found a diamond... 

FREEZE DRIED COLBY CHEESE - Is it any good? Augason Farms REVIEW

 I love the idea that I can keep cheese on my shelf for 30 years! Let's see if the taste will hold up too!

I purchased the Augason Farms Freeze Dried Colby Cheese this

 October 2018 from Amazon for $27.59

This is a 1 pound can of freeze dried cheese 

This can is just a little more than half full. 

The cheese is hard and crunchy and surprisingly DELICIOUS 

Instructions: soak in warm water for 15-20 minutes...

Cheese has been drained and now ready for a real taste test... 

This freeze dried cheese has passed the test in every way. It is very good and I confess that I found myself popping the dry cheese into my mouth several times before I realized what I was doing.

This is possibly one of those comfort foods that is just worth the price to keep around in food storage. Of course, this is my own opinion, but I would definitely buy this product again. 

Stay tuned for recipes with freeze dried food 

CAMPING AND SEWING WITHOUT ELECTRICITY - Off the Grid

Now, WHO is wanting to camp and sew??

A special THANK YOU to my sister who sewed this adorable pillow for me! 

This pillow sums it up for me as a seamstress, as I am wanting to take my sewing business on the road. That means work camping, off-gridding, boondocking, sewing out in the boonies, you-name-it! 

This hand-crank beauty I had purchased a few months back can handle no electricity. She's over 100 years old and very low maintenance! Just give her a little oil here and there, turn her wheel, and she will hum and tap dance all day long. 

Short video of this hand-crank in action

But there are times when I love using my electric machines... 

When I had first purchased my Aeiusny Portable Generator, it didn't dawn on me I could plug into a sewing machine... 

  So this week, I'm sharing my experience sewing without electricity, using a small portable generator. 

I'm hooked up to a Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 with 600 computerized stitches at 55 watts --- a pretty decent sized machine. 

I plugged my Singer into the portable generator at 100% charge and kept a diary of every. single. second. 

For the first 3 days, I sewed off and on with several miscellaneous items, documenting on the sheet the exact duration and remaining % of charge. I ran the machine a combined total of 4 hours... 

At 85% charge, I realized I had a deadline looming on getting something HUGE sewn for a festival. 

I figured a picture is worth a thousand words. 

With 28.5% charge remaining, I had sewn a full sized historical gown without electricity.  

I now have confidence that I can tackle any sewing project with a portable generator! 

Live Simply and Enjoy the Ride 

PORTABLE GENERATOR - Aeiusny 500 Watt REVIEW

500 Watt Aeiusny Portable Generator

I purchased this from Amazon in June 2018 for $279.99 

Currently, the price has gone up to $300.00 

Why I purchased a portable generator

Power Outages

Camping

Boondocking

Mobility 

Why I chose the Aeiusny generator

Can be charged 3 ways:

electricity

car

solar 

Off Grid Portable Generator

The Aeiusny came with everything I needed to charge from the wall outlet, car, and solar. 

With no electricity, and air conditioning, I was dependent on this generator to keep my fans running, my phone charged, and something to plug my USB light into while boondocking overnight on a roadtrip, as well as primitive camping for several days in July. 

Having plenty of battery to run my fans all night, life was bearable, and I was impressed at how quickly the Aeiusny Generator recharged by using my car charger while driving.  Now I needed to test it with solar. 

Mighty Max 100 Watts Solar Panel

Purchased in August for $103.95  Currently on Amazon for $96.95.  

Unfortunately, the solar panel needed an adapter cable to hook up to the solar input connector that came with the generator. I purchased the connector cable from Amazon for $8.99

MC4 Connector Adapter Cable

My solar panel is charging, but the cable is so short, my Aeiusny generator has to remain nearby in the shade. This is not ideal, especially if needing to charge out in the open, risking theft. Not to mention, when it's extremely hot outside or it starts to rain. 

I went online and purchased another cable to add length. 

ACOPOWER Solar Extension Cable 

I paid $28.99 for the 20 foot extension cable and was finally able to charge via the solar panel while the battery remained indoors. No problems recharging with solar. Naturally it takes longer to charge than the conventional method with electricity, but it works! And best of all, in a worst case emergency, I now have a back-up plan.

Now I have everything I need to successfully charge my battery from every source possible, whether plugging it into electricity at home, or at a coffee shop. I can charge from my car while on the road, or I can bring my solar panel and charge while camping and boondocking in the sun.  With this battery, I have so far tested with my laptops, tablets, cellphone, Kindle Fire, Christmas lights, box fan, lamps -- completely happy with this battery and would buy this again. This portable generator is perfect in every way as I have so many connectors and options. Not to mention, the built in flashlight comes in handy, and there's no guesswork when needing to know how much charge is left. As for sound, from a scale of 1-10, the "rushing air" hum is about a 2-3. This means you can stealth camp without bothering your neighbors. 

As for the Mighty Max solar panel, I am on the market for something with the same watts, but smaller and easier to pack. THIS panel is as large as a window, heavy and bulky. It was the cheapest I could locate at the time. What I will end up doing with this panel is having it installed to the top of my van permanently, and buy a foldable panel to keep at home for back-up. 

All of the links are included on what to buy to make sure your generator has everything you need - saving you the headache of trying to piece together the exact cables and connectors. 

Hope this review helps with all of the links, and stay tuned for my next review as you won't believe how I retested this battery! 

FREEZE DRIED BEEF - Is it any good? - Augason Farms REVIEW

Review for Freeze Dried Beef

This food review is for the Freeze Dried BEEF from Augason Farms. I purchased this can on October 25, 2018 for $40.84  - A one pound can --- EXPIRATION DATE is  2048     

$40.84 is a LOT of money for 1 pound of meat, but when it comes to LONG-TERM food storage, and the fact that freeze dried doesn't expire for more than 30 years... kind of makes up for the price. Kind of. 

Okay, let's get to the meat of this! 

Freeze Dried BEEF

WHERE'S THE BEEF??? 

Okay, the can is filled half way. That number #10 is half empty. I can fluff this up and say it's half full, but I just paid $40.84 for a can of meat that is filled somewhere in the middle. 

 Here's a close-up. The size is smaller than the eraser of a pencil. According to the photo on the can, I thought the meat would be chunky BEEF STEW sized, or at least the size of a dime. 

Maybe something magical will happen when I add water. INSTRUCTIONS: add boiling water and allow to stand 5 minutes. 

size of the meat has not increased much 

Water has been drained and now the taste 

Both spouse and I tasted the meat and we're in agreement that it resembeled GROUND BEEF in texture. 

As for taste, it tastes like - ground beef that used to be dry.

It tastes like it used to be freeze dried, and brought back to life.

It tastes like it used to be paper. 

PROS 

• Freeze dried meat will last for 30 years in the pantry
• Lightweight (the entire can felt as light as a feather)
• An option to have beef long-term without refrigeration

CONS 

• $40.84 for 1 pound of beef
• Meat has little substance - size is minimal 
• This product is deceptive (you are not buying a full can)
• No wow factor on taste 

CONCLUSION 

This beef was purchased for an upcoming camping trip I'll be taking OFF GRID for several weeks. I needed a meat product that didn't require refrigeration, and would taste good while cooking in the desert. This opened can will maintain freshness for several months -- giving me plenty of time to create recipes and to offer a more indepth review. 

But would I buy this again? Probably not. I'm a home canner. I would much prefer to can my own beef, or do without. Freeze dried beef is very pricey, and for the money, I feel I could have done better spending the $40 elsewhere. That is my two-cents for now. 

Perhaps I will change my mind after my camping trip. Stay tuned!