Alaska Power Outages | Winter prepping for emergency | 100 hour emergency Candles and fire starters 

I made a lot of these shortening candles maybe 4 years ago in pint jars. I too have extra shortening for this purpose. Before making these candles I made regular wax candles so I have a wax melting pan. If you had to and the shortening can is metal you can shove the wick candle or candles down into the shortening. I'm from South Louisiana. After my husband and I were married in 77 he joined the Army. Besides 3 months in Georgia and his year in Turkey we lived in Arizona, Colorado, the coast of California, then back to Colorado. LOVED IT! But then we moved to Alaska for 3 years. Alaska was my favorite! We wanted to stay but our 3 kids were so small and we wanted to raise them near family. Except for a few rock em sock em earthquakes the snow and cold did not bother me. Can't stand the heat anymore. Take care. You're very good at making these videos.

Thank you for sharing this video I sent it to my son who lives in Fairbanks Alaska they just moved there this summer they’re young and I want them to be prepared for emergencies this could be so helpful to them

Hi from the UK, we are also preparing for the threat of power cuts. I am a scout leader so we always enjoy a good firefighting session. Im going to make those candles to keep the frost out of my greenhouse. Another good firelighter can be made by dipping 100% cotton pads (the type for beauty care) in the used wax. You use them by tearing them in half, fluffing up the torn edge which will then take a spark from flint and steel or a match very well. These are pretty lightweight and could be a useful addition to your camping kit too. Loving your hen house, we are also making plans for when our hens have to be inside due to disease restrictions. Thank you for all the pantry videos, really useful. Best wishes from Lincolnshire, Jenny

I REALLY appreciate that you mentioned the scented candles being overwhelming, I hadn't thought about that. 100 hours is way more than any other candle I've ever seen! I grew up in Colorado and moved to the Dallas area as an adult. The storm a couple of years ago set me back in motion after being lulled into false security in Texas. Living in Denver and also very rural areas in Colorado, we learned to be prepared for snow days and between a home in both states being totally destroyed by tornadoes, I've learned my lesson about being prepared. I learn something new every video you put out and I appreciate your work so much! Thank you

A few years ago we had loss of power for 3 weeks due to a hurricane. I had to cook outside on my grill to save as much as possible. It was a nightmare! You are so right to do everything you can to prepare for winter there. It could mean the difference between life or death. I think the shortening candles are brilliant...I have never heard of that! Of course you would...you are Fierce!! Big hugs and many blessings, sweet one!

I have used an old camping coffee pot to melt in and makes a faster pour…..also collect pine cones soaked in vinegar water then dried ( kills bugs ) for fire starters, shredded paper in brown lunch bags or store bags, scraps of wood and sticks, bark, paper egg cartons, even used dry paper towels that doesn’t have food or grease in them, dryer lint, and old rags all make starters. Thank you for this blog on using up old candle wax and making the Crisco candles. You can get glass jars at the Dollar store if you do not have any. The larger containers are great to heat water or soup on. Place two metal skewers on top of jar and then a metal pot on top of those to heat liquid up. My skewers are flat so they don’t roll…

Hi Jessica! Greetings from SoCal. I must say, your channel is such a blessing to me. I love watching your homestead grow and enjoy all of the helpful and beautiful content that you and your family are sharing ❤️The Lord has truly blessed you and your husband with wonderful skills that you are not only passing down to the next generation, but also to people like me who didn’t have mamas and grandmas to teach us these things. I enjoy learning something new from you each and every video 😊. My husband and I are trying to build up our skill set to eventually move to Idaho or Montana and start our own homestead, God willing, so that we too may pass down some skills to the next generation. Keep up the great work and I’ll be praying for you and your family! 😊 *As a side note, I just purchased the Nesco electric canner (I’ve never canned before)- do you like yours? - Stephanie

I live in the Midwest and winter brings in blizzards. We use Solar Garden Lights in emergency power outages. Let them charge turn them off then we keep them in a box inside. Check them and charge them occasionally. It’s been a game changer. We also used them in the summer during thunderstorms. No batteries and no mess or worries about fire.

You could tie some twine around your firestarter to keep the paper in place.

It's been awhile since I have seen the crisco candle process. Thanks for the reminder. I have the materials,.now I need to get busy and make them up in my Mason jars

Thank you Jessica. What a great idea. Didn’t know you could make candles from shortening

Thank you for sharing! So important !!!

My husband made these by using an old muffin pan and cupcake holder papers, worked great for a fire starter

I like these candles. I hope to make some.

Very nice, thanks for sharing.

I am impressed that you use a pre made candle as the wick. My attempts with using the little discs and wicks is that I produce “lateral-light candles”. Mine tip over!! Your kitchen looks so cheery and cozy. Love the tablecloth. I hope to soon hear that Aaron is going to start your inside basement steps. That will be a major improvement and accident reducer for your daily life! Tell Aaron not to hate me for the suggestion, I am just looking out for my girl! ❤️ Momma G

Jessica, On the fire starters you can also use dryer lint in place of the saw dust and a little wax. They work really well.

I like the pine and woods scents

If you have trouble with the little beetles that look like ladybugs 🐞 they hate the scent of vanilla. Use a vanilla scented candle 🕯 you don't even have to burn it or put some vanilla soaked cotton balls around in your rooms and the beetles disappear

Thank you good information to have

You can also use lint from the dryer with wax as fire starter.

In the last year and a half (all within the same year) we have had record heat at almost 120F with wildfires that evacuated our son and his family for over a week and kept us all inside due to the air quality and one of the worst ice storms we have ever had that knocked out our sons power for almost 2 weeks and ours for a week. Needless to say, we all learned lessons through these events. Thank God I had been preparing for a couple of years. We still had to borrow a generator (we now have our own) and we had no water the whole time our power was out. I had plenty of water for our family to eat and drink, but we needed more for flushing the toilet and washing dishes. Im we were able to collect water from our over flowing gutters as the ice started to melt. I have videos of my son and his family coming down from their house in the ice and barely being able to get through with all of the downed trees, branches and power lines as well as when they were evacuated from the wildfires. The scariest moments of my life! I pray that many heed your warnings and prepare as best they can. Thank God we have a wood stove but it is an insert and I had to cook outside in the freezing cold which is no fun. God bless you for all of the effort that you put into sharing your knowledge and experiences!

Very cool ideas I have lots of candles 🕯 in preparation for the winter months but definitely going to make a few of this. Thanks for sharing

Thank you

I'm from northern Maine we had over 200 in that winter. When the ice broke it flooded a lot of the town it even pushed the international bridge. People were stuck on the other side because of the flooding. And when I say on the other side in the allagash. And at some points between different small towns bordering the St John river. I find it funny living in Southern Maine that people go to the grocery store the day before or the day of a storm. And they shop like crazy. I always have a pantry of dried goods. And canned goods.

I buy homemade firestarters from a special education program who makes them locally. I love supporting locals 💜 theirs were made out of a toliet paper roll and I don't know what else.

Thank you so much I will be making these

Just a hint when you burn 🔥 store bought candle especially the cheap ones whenever possible burn until there is a thin layer of melted wax before you blow them out ths helps the candles to burn evenly so you can burn the whole candle. Also when making your own candles 🕯 do not pour any residual wax into any of your dishes that you use for food. Crisco candles 🕯 are ok

I am new to your channel and loving it! You incorporare such great messages in your videos...know people are hearing them❄🙏🏼

Love your channel. Great basic ideas

Your wood stove is gorgeous. Love the candles with Crisco so simple who knew not me . I have asthma so ideal . I have mainly battery operated ones. 🙏💕🕊🙏🇨🇦

Learn so much from you,thank you so much.

I love your videos 🤩 You're so Amazing.

Such a beautiful kitchen!!!

Good Morning family 🌅 and Happy Friday thanks for sharing

You have so many great ideas. Love everything. So interesting!!! God bless you and your family!!

Cool I like this idea

What a great idea. These would also make great gifts. Have a blessed day.

Love your videos. Would love to see a kitchen tour!

Check out Alaskan Prepper ….he has a generator he feels is a great one and he is not one to push products….his one blog he said there were shipping free to Alaska free also.

Great idea, enjoyed the video.

I love this idea! Once it gets cold enough here. I plan on trying this. Thanks amazing video.

That was very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

I’m going to try the candles! Thank you!

I make fire starters in cardboard egg cartons using my dryer lint.

First time visitor to your channel and I just wanted to say I love your kitchen. Thank you for sharing the candle idea I'm gonna try it.

Great tutorial

Brilliant idea. It'd work anywhere.

Excellent video for time of year. I cannot do scented candles because of lung cancer but I do have candles and use them when it's lights out.I see termination dust on a peak outside my window. Seriously fighting gnats sitting with a spray bottle with water/ hydrogen peroxide, always this time of year they come in and fight is on. The old timers would use their dirty oil and make oil lamps.

Thanks for this tutorial, Jessica! I learn so much from you in every video! 💓💓👌👌

Thank you for sharing this vital information

Just found ur channel. We live in northern BC, Canada. We are in a somewhat remote area and our power goes off often and normally stays off for days some times. I love the idea of the crisco candles. Thanks for sharing, I am going to make some for the house and truck. Thanks🇨🇦💕

If you don't have saw dust you can use lint from your dryer and it works awesome. I save mine to put out in the spring for birds to use in their nest also..squirrels will get some too.

Thank you, that was really interesting ... waves from Western Canada =) HUGS

Thank you Jessica. Very interesting...I'm gonna make some because I am allergic to scented candles

Oh thanks I have store brand crisco in my basement from making soap i didn't know what to do with. I m not able to make soap like i did. Im making some of this I knew you could like a candle with it but did know how big thanks from West Virginia

Thank you for sharing these AMAZING ideas 👍👍👍 Your videos always have interesting content!!!! Any chance of more cooking videos ?? Really enjoyed the video 😁😁😁 Love from the UK x

Hi from Mississippi

I always teach the young kids that I know keep an emergency bag in your car. You never know if you'll be stuck in the snow

Hello from Malaysia.

Good to be prepared for emergencies because they unfortunately occur.

Glad to watch you make emergency candles….what about putting a wick in them?very informative. Thank you SO much! Bev in Maine

What is the easiest way to clean the black soot off old jars? Wish you showed that. Thank you.

You can also use dryer lint instead of wood chips.

Thanks great idea but I was wondering where you got the emergency candle sticks to place in the 100 hour candles you made

Hi, So you just melt the crisco add to jar let it resolidify then add a taper candle as the wick. The crisco will stay at that same consistency it starts at when finished. And it doesn’t go rancid? I know lots of questions 😊

Hi it's Jeanie again! Just wondering if you got the pics I sent you.

You have mentioned emergency kits a few times in videos. Will you be showing us how/what you do?

Great video. I do have question, do the Crisco candles smell rancid when the oil goes rancid? Thanks!

I know you talked about the overwhelming scent of candles if you lit scented ones. but if I made these could I put essential oils in if I wanted? would it change the burn time? we like lightly scented candles and this way I could control how strong they are.

How do you keep your pipes from freezing? Now that I ask that question your wood fire LOL but how do you keep your well going?

Thanks for sharing., this is good Information for Emergencies 9-10-2022👍🏽👍🏽., I am New to your Channel thanks. Do you keep your Fire starter in the Refrigerator to keep from Melting

Could I scent my Shortening for candles? I like scented things. I want them for my house not emergencies per say. Im scent senstive and have asthma so I don't put candles in every room.

I made these emergency candles years ago however, they did not work for me the wicks kept burning out. We are going to purchase an emergency generic generator.

So out of curiosity and because I have a million baby food jars. How long do you think those would burn as emergency candles? I’m thinking of giving them a try.

Can you use Crisco that has reached its expiration date? I have a can that has expired and trying to find a use for it. Thank you

When my husband was about 13 1213 he joined Boy Scouts we started dating at 16 the summer he was 16 he went to Nevada hiking we are from North Carolina and every day it rained and they would have to build a fire with rip wet stuff whatever they got use and it got down to the last night they were going to be there everybody was hungry and nobody could get their fire started so The Boy Scout camp said OK everybody get your Berzal your belly button and everybody just looked at him he said seriously get your fuzz out of your belly button where your shirt rubs you belly button you specially at puberty years you getting hair and holding the lint type stuff in anytime we were going scouting needless to say with him a Boy Scout we were done a lot of hunting and oh camping and stuff like that he would always tell the story around wear around the campfire about everybody having to get there belly button stuff an out to start fire that night and it really works it did with them that night and it works to this day and also he would always tell me before we go on camping save the stuff that you get out of the dryer seal the lint instead of using the chips that you have to purchase save your dryer chips at lint and put it in and pour the wax over we’ve made them like that I love watching y’all I lost my husband two years ago and it’s so hard but reassuring to watch y’all through your happy times knowing that we did that too

Won’t the shortening go rancid if not used?

I'm very sensitive to smells n have copd

Great video!! A lot of people say save your lint from your clothes dryer and you can use wax on them. Just a thought…. I have never done this but… they use them when camping etc. loved the candle idea. Do they go rank and smell with the grease???? Ty

cracks me up you actually have to say clean shavings lol like ud want to start a fire with shit filled fire starter lol

Good morning Jessica and family! I left you a couple comments. I would like to get in contact with you. Can you give me your email address? Love your videos and I would love to send you some pictures of garlic so you know I'm not fake or whatever people want to call it today. God bless you and your family and your beautiful pups!