iPrepared

The Great Utah ShakeOut

2012-01-31T07:38:00.000-08:00

Where will you be on the morning of April 17 at 10:15 a.m.? At work? At school? At home? Likely your family will be in many different places at that exact moment. What would you do if there was a 7.0 earthquake? How would you get back together? How would you communicate? Do you have enough supplies to survive an extended recovery period without water or power?

Be Ready Utah is hosting The Great Utah Shake Out and is encouraging everyone state wide to DROP! COVER! and HOLD ON! at exactly 10:15 a.m. on April 17. Write the date on your calendar today! Even if you don't live in Utah, you can still partcipate and take the opportunity to practice with your family and to improve your earthquake preparedness!

This is a fantastic video to get you thinking about what could happen:

There is a ton of information at this website: http://www.shakeout.org/utah/resources/.

All About Sources

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of information on preparedness found on the web. Some of it is fabulous and frankly some of it is flat-out wrong. In one of my recent posts, I described the importance of seeking out good sources when you look for preparedness information. Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to determine how much to trust any source.

1) Does the website cite sources?

I often share my own personal stories on my blog, and there isn't a better source than myself when it comes to my own experiences. But when it comes to reporting news, giving safety information, etc., I feel that I have a serious responsibility to give you accurate, up-to-date information. So I often turn to other, more-knowledgeable sources. No single writer is going to know everything about everything. Eventually, they'll read or use other resources. Watch for clarification from the writer about which elements of their writing are their own opinion and when it is coming from an outside resource. When that happens, they should tell you what their resource is. Even better, look for links and source lists included with each relevant post.

2) Do they cite credible sources?

Don't just look for cited sources, but look at what those sources are. You can learn a lot from just a glance. If you can't tell about the source in a glance, then click on the links and follow them to the original location. I do this with every website that I read regularly. It doesn't take long to learn if the writer is using trusted, less-trusted, or sub-culture resources.

For example, if you were reading a list of first aid tips and looked under and saw a reference to throwsafetytothewind.com, it might indicate that what you read there deserved much more scepticism than if it stated redcross.org.

3) Does the writer (and the resources they cite) use multiple and primary sources?

Articles, news reports and blogs are much more credible when the authors verify their information by using multiple and primary sources. I often compile information for my posts using multiple sources in order to give you accurate information. I try to make sure that my sources come from places that use information that is verified in this way.

Multiple sources means that several people or news agencies independently report the same/similar information. A primary source means that the person who had the experience is the one giving the information - not my mother told me that her neighbor said . . .

I read a recent article online that had to be retracted just a few days later because it's single source didn't stick by their information once under pressure. The mistake was that the writers of the article used only a single source and that single source was a secondary source (not primary) meaning they were sharing an experience someone else told them about.

4) Is this information consistent across many other sites?

Check out the information you read by searching for other sites that verify the same information. Usually a single source is not enough.   It is better to find two or three opinions that back up what you have read.   And again, pay attention to the credibility of those back-up sources.

5) What is the bias?

EVERY writer has a bias. Make sure you read enough to know what that bias is.

6) Do they openly acknowledge the relationship between themselves and any advertising on their page?

A lot of online sources openly advertise on their pages. They don't hide that they profit from doing so. Usually any advertising is clearly labeled as such. I get particularly concerned, though, when writers advertise products without publicly making disclaimers about their possible bias or profit because of advertising kickbacks.

A recent example of this was a blogger who discussed a product and claimed it was the superior one available and most cheaply purchased at *recommended website*.  A little research on my part soon made it clear that the link was to the blogger's own retail website, which wasn't disclosed and was quite difficult to discern. Think of it as a major conflict of interest. Because of the lack of disclosure in this situation, I will be less likely to trust that writer's product recommendations in the future. It just takes a little research to find similar advertising conflicts, but it's definitely worth your time, especially when you are trying to purchase reliable products for reasonable prices.

Hopefully you can use these questions to help you determine the trust-worthiness of the writing that you read.   It's good to apply a healthy dose of skepticism and always keep your guard up. Remember, that even the most trusted sources make mistakes sometimes.   When you are paying attention to sources, you can proceed with more confidence about the information that you have received.

How Do I Get Started With a Longer-Term Supply?

2012-01-10T10:44:00.000-08:00

Question: How do I get started with a longer-term supply?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says,

"For longer-term needs, and where permitted, gradually build a supply of food that will last a long time and that you can use to stay alive, such as wheat, white rice, and beans."

At the Provident Living website, under product recommendations they add,

"You may also want to add other items to your longer-term storage such as sugar, nonfat dry milk, salt, baking soda, and cooking oil. To meet nutritional needs, also store foods containing vitamin C and other essential nutrients." [Link]

So, a good starting point is grains and beans. Sugar, milk, salt, oils, baking soda, and vitamins can be also included. I'm hoping you noticed that it doesn't say "one-year supply" anymore. It's up to you to decide how much to store.

My Longer-Term Supply
There are so many approaches to organizing and gathering a longer-term supply. Ultimately, you'll have to decide how to make a plan that works best for you. This is how I gathered my longer-term supply:

1) I got a three-ring binder and filled it full of paper. I set up one sheet for each long-term category. [You could also do this with a spreadsheet or word processing program.]
2) We decided that we wanted to store 9 months' worth of longer-term items.

3) We figured out how much we wanted to store for each month's worth. I used old food-storage recommendations to figure this out. Roughly per person/per month: Grains - 25 lbs (we do 33); Legumes - 5 lbs; Sugar - 5 lbs; Fats - 1.7lbs; Salt - .7 lbs; Milk - 1.3 lbs. Vitamins - 30; Baking soda - unknown. [Sources: http://providentliving.org/ & First Presidency Letter, 2002]

4) I wrote the category and goal amount at the top of a sheet of paper.
5) I did an inventory and listed what I already had on that paper.
6) I added items to the sheet as I purchased them. I loved retotalling the amount and calculating how many months I had already accumulated.

An Example:

GRAINS

Goal - 1485 lbs.

On Hand:

flour - 50 lbs

pasta - 20 lbs

pancake mix - 10 lbs

wheat - 265 lbs
rice - 200 lbs
cornmeal - 5 lbs
cereal - 20 lbs
oatmeal - 50 lbs
cream of wheat - 10 lbs
Total: 630 lbs (4 months' worth)
Still Need: 855 lbs

bought 2 - 50 lb bags of rice
New total: 730 lbs (5 months)
Still Need: 755 lbs
etc.

On my first trip to the store after making these pages, I bought the entire supply of salt for less than $8! I was so excited to have one category completely done! It was so motivating. So, I would recommend that you start with salt - and maybe you'll have the same experience.

I chipped away at the totals on each page for more than a year. I loved seeing the progress. A longer-term supply goal can seem very overwhelming, but by working on it in chunks, it became very doable.

Even now, my longer-term supply is very fluid. In some categories, I've fallen below our 9 month goal and need to replace some items. In other areas, I'm ahead. That, in some ways, is the biggest blessing of striving for a longer-term instead of a one-year supply. Regardless of where I am in replacing this food, I'm able to have the blessings of being completely obedient.

Let me know if you have any questions! I'd love to hear about your system for gathering a longer-term supply. Please share in the comments below.

The End is Near!

2012-01-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

iStockphoto

There are a lot of scriptures that talk about false Christs and false prophets in the last days. One, in Luke 17: 22-23 says, "And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them." I used to think of the guys that stand on street corners holding "The End is Near!" posters when I read these verses. I'm realizing, however, that the false Christs and false prophets of our modern world are much more subtle than the obvious sign on the corner. We are surrounded with false prophets all trying to lead us in their way - not God's way.

I am noticing many individuals who are genuinely seeking Christ, but who believe everything that they read from every source and are consequently making unwise choices. They listen to and regard the instructions of self-described "experts" as if they were prophets. Are you someone who believes everything you read? Or do you you consider carefully the biases found in the sources of your information? Do you look for sources when you read? Do you check to see if those sources come from trusted venues? It's important that you not abdicate your own agency to someone else and look to them to make decisions for you. You are your own agent and need to be responsible for your own decisions.

Please understand that no one is perfect. My blog and the information therein are not perfect. Even though I am extremely careful about what I include, I have biases just like anyone else. Part of living a Christ-like life is gaining the companionship of the Holy Ghost who can warn you when you are being led astray and can also confirm when you read truth. As you gather information for your own preparedness, employ all the wisdom you have, make sure you listen carefully to the Spirit, and then you will be able to discern the paths and methods you should take.

New Year's Resolution

2012-01-03T15:05:00.001-08:00

FEMA has a new media spot encouraging everyone to make a 2012 New Year's Resolution to be prepared.

This past year we've seen the need to be prepared no matter where you live. Even if you don't choose their recommended resolutions, find at least one way to become better prepared this year. If you don't have a three-month supply of foods that you regularly eat, I would recommend starting there. I think I'll be working on taking better inventory of my own storage and rotation.

Debt and Preparedness

2011-12-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

With such uncertain times around us, I've noticed a trend of desperation as families work towards getting prepared. That desperation sometimes results in incurring debt to purchase preparedness items.

Over and over, we have been told by living prophets not to go into debt in order to get prepared. Instead we should be working towards getting debt-free as part of our preparedness efforts. Here are just a few sources:

We urge all Latter-day Saints to be prudent in their planning, to be conservative in their living, and to avoid excessive or unnecessary debt. (President Thomas S. Monson, October 2008 general conference)

“We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve." (All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage (2007), First Presidency, President Gordon B. Hinckley, President Thomas S. Monson, President James E. Faust)

“I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order … Self-reliance cannot obtain when there is serious debt hanging over a household." (President Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference, October, 1998)

Wisely we have been counseled to avoid debt as we would avoid the plague. (Elder L. Tom Perry referencing President J. Reuben Clark, October 1995 general conference)

You do not need to go into debt, may I add, to obtain a year’s supply. Plan to build up your food supply just as you would a savings account. (President Ezra Taft Benson, October 1980 general conference)

A huge chunk of being prepared is also having your financial houses in order. You might reason that in an economic downturn, or the end-of-the-world, that money might be meaningless. But it's much more likely, that whatever the emergency circumstances, your house payment will still be due.

And it's not enough to be debt free. Make plans to ensure that you have a financial reserve to get you through potentially tough times:

“We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. We urge you to be modest in your expenditures. . . Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from this bondage. Save a little money regularly to gradually build a financial reserve. If you have paid your debts and have a financial reserve, even though it be small, you and your family will feel more secure and enjoy greater peace in your hearts.(All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances (2007), First Presidency, President Gordon B. Hinckley, President Thomas S. Monson, President James E. Faust)

“Set your houses in order. If you have paid your debts, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then should storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wives and children and peace in your hearts” (President Gordon B. Hinckley, October 1998 general conference).

So, before you go and purchase that new generator, farm land, long-term food storage, or gun, make sure that you can afford it without using credit, that you have a financial reserve and that you are working towards being debt-free.

Peanut Butter

2011-11-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like peanut butter prices are headed upwards because of a smaller-than-usual crop this year. As I shopped this week, I was still able to find peanut butter for around $.10 an ounce - which is a pretty ordinary price. If you include peanut butter as part of your three-month supply, you might want to inventory your supplies and stock away a few extra now before the prices rise. Peanut butter is one product, though, that you don't want to get too much of. Because oil is a significant component, the peanut butter will go rancid just like oil. From my experience, it will store well for 9 months to 1 year depending upon it's manufacture date and storage condition. It is best stored in a dark, cool area.

For more information: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-peanut-butter-prices-skyrocketing-20111101,0,1645306.story

Green-Tomato Raspberry Jam

2011-11-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

It was supposed to freeze. So, I picked most of my remaining veggies and made Green-Tomato Raspberry Jam. Here is the recipe (just don't tell my kids that it's full of tomatoes!):

Green-Tomato Raspberry Jam

(from my friend Cheryl)

8 cups pureed green tomatoes (clean and trimmed)
2 cups of raspberries
10 cups of sugar (I used 5)

Mix and cook at a low boil for 25 to 30 minutes.

Add:
1 t. of lemon juice
1 package pectin
2 3 oz. packages of raspberry jello

Bring back to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Ladle into pint jars that have been sterilized. Water bath for 15 minutes. Set on counter overnight. Makes 8 pints. (I only got 6 from the recipe, likely because of the reduced sugar). Use within a year.

This is not an canning-approved recipe. Proceed with caution because it contains tomatoes which fall closer to neutral on the acidity scale..

72-Hour Kit Risk Assessment

2011-09-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

For some reason when talking about 72-hour kits, most people seem to imagine themselves running with their family and kits into the mountains or surrounding areas. However, when I tried to think through our own actual risks, I couldn't imagine a single situation where running with a kit would be necessary.

During an earthquake, I wouldn't want anyone running anywhere. Afterwards, we would proceed carefully to retrieve our kits. During an approaching wildfire or hurricane, you would just need quick access to your kits in order to move them into the car for evacuation. Short of a war-type situation, I just can't see any reason that you would be running long-term with your kits. In a raging fire, tsunami, mud slide or tornado, you wouldn't even want to delay an extra second to grab a kit. In those cases, you just get out of the way as fast as possible.

I recommend that you do a risk assessment to help you plan what to put into your 72-hour kits? When you know your most likely emergency situations, you can include items customized for those moments. For example, here is an assessment of risks for our family (you can use the same list to evaluate needs for your family which will likely be different):

Tsunami - No risk

Hurricane - No risk where we live.

Volcano - No risk.

Mud slide - No risk.

Riots - Low risk.

War - Low risk. Evacuate to extended family outside of state/country.

Terrorism - Low risk.

Tornado - Little risk where we live (shelter in basement if needed).

Flood - No risk where we live. Possible risk for interior flooding. Would stay with extended family.

Nuclear - Evacuation unlikely as there are few escape routes available and they are likely to be jammed. Safer to shelter in home.

Fire - High risk. Speedy evacuation required. If required, we would evacuate to stay with family. Biggest needs: Change of clothes, underwear, credit cards, cash, etc.

Earthquake - High risk. Speedy evacuation may be required if there are gas leaks and/or fires. Three possible evacuation locations. Stay with extended family if they are not affected. Even in large earthquake, we would likely be able to access our supplies in our home (though it may have significant damage). Husband and sons would likely be involved in clean up and rescue. Biggest needs: Shelter, food, clothing, tools.

My family's biggest risks are fire and earthquake. I try to make my 72 hour kit reflect those most-likely situations.

In a fire situation, we will still have easy access to food and shelter. I know I'd want something to wear that I felt comfortable in (not cut-off sweats) as we would likely be assessing damage and cleaning up in the next few days.

Customized 72 hour kit: includes comfortable clothing and underwear. Cash and/or credit card.

In an earthquake scenario, I realize that most earthquakes have damage limited to a specific area. It is likely that our extended family would be able to come and get us if needed, but that might take some time. Our home is earthquake-prepared as it has been fastened to the foundation and is wood construction with limited masonry. Even in a worst-case earthquake, we would likely be able to use our home as a shelter. However, there are accompanying risks of gas leaks and fire. Those would require full evacuation. In that situation, we would likely end up in a shelter if available (which might take a day or so to locate) or in a field below our home. More likely, though, we would shelter in our home or yard.

Customized 72 hour kit: Food that is calorie rich so that we have the energy to help with rescues and evacuations, food that is familiar to the kids, clothing that is comfortable for work, gloves, tools including a crow bar, flashlights, whistles, cash, tarps, communication, radio, etc. We also need cold-weather gear located in an easily accessible space. These kits don't have to be light as I don't anticipate that we would be walking far enough that we couldn't return and get more.

Customized Extra kit: For my husband which he keeps at work. My main thoughts are that he would likely be walking home. His kit ideally reflects that specific need and would include 1 days worth of food, spare shoes, flashlight, cold-weather supplies and minimal shelter. His kit needs to be light-weight. We keep similar kits in each of our cars.

What are your family's biggest risks? How can you customize your 72-hour kits to be ready for those situations?

When Cheapest isn't Best!

2011-09-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

Often, I can be found at our local grocery store doing price-per-ounce comparisons, buying in bulk, and/or buying store-brand items. I do this to try to save money which allows me to funnel those savings back into buying additional storage. All of these things are good price-saving strategies, but in some cases they aren't the best strategies for your home storage.

Here are some examples:

Oils
Cheapest - I know that I can save a lot of money buy buying my cooking oil in bulk (large containers) at warehouse stores. I've learned, however, that oils don't store well long term. I am careful to keep my oil in a cool (basement), dark (in a box) area to maximize storage potential. Often, though, I will open some oil and use it for a month or two. As is typical with oil that have been stored for a while, it soon starts to smell rancid and I throw it out. So, in this case, buying large containers of oil just results in waste.

Better - Now I buy cooking oil in small containers. I find that even if it has been stored for a year, I am able to use it fast enough that it doesn't turn rancid.

Sandwich Dressing
Cheapest - There are two problems that I have with these giant-but-cheaper containers of Miracle Whip and/or mayonnaise. The first issue is that they contain a lot of oils and behave similarly to stored oils as I've described above. The second issue is that my growing boys use these dressings for sandwich making and they aren't so careful about cross contamination. The result is mustard or pickle bits that end up in the dressing. Yuck! I only had to learn this lesson once. I had a huge mayonnaise container in my fridge and it seemed to last forever (and take a ton of fridge space). I did my best to keep it cross-contamination free, but there was only so much I could do. I couldn't wait to get rid of it.

Better - Now I buy small bottles/containers of these dressings. Once opened, we are able to eat the contents quickly. I personally prefer the squeezable bottles because there isn't any danger of mustard cross-contamination. I also realize that in an potential emergency situation where I don't have electricity, I am much more likely to be able to use the contents of these small bottles quickly without having to worry about refrigeration.

Peanut Butter
Cheapest - Big bulk jars. Peanut butter contains a lot of oil which has all of the challenges listed with oils above. We eat some, but not enough to keep up with those big jars.

Better - I buy smaller jars and rotate and donate more often in order to avoid rancid peanut butter. Your family might eat peanut butter quickly enough to avoid this issue. We don't.

Powdered Milk
Cheapest - I originally thought all powdered milk was the same. Boy, was I wrong! I've found that choosing powdered milk is an extremely personal purchase. Some are sweet, some are cheap, and some more closely resemble the milk that you are used to drinking.

Better - I made sure to taste several brands of milk before deciding which brand to store. I also evaluated my powdered milk use to determine how much we would use for drinking and/or baking. I did find one that I really like and I wait for sales, but it isn't as cheap as some powdered milks that are available (and that I like a lot less). I'm always hesitant to recommend one brand, but instead encourage you to find what YOU like before you store a lot of it.

Known Brands
Cheapest - Once I bought a large supply of a no-name brand of chili. It tasted terrible! After trying several cans, we donated the rest to the food bank. I've unfortunately made the same mistake several times.

Better - Now I stick to buying brands that we've already tried, especially if I'm buying a lot.

Unfamiliar Foods
Cheapest - I mentioned this story once before, so forgive me for the repeat. I found an awesome deal on Kix cereal. I had young kids and was sure they would like it. So, I bought tons. Needless to say, they hated the cereal. So again, after several creative tries to use it, I ended up donating most of it to the food bank.

There is so much wisdom in the current recommendation to store three months of food that you already regularly eat. I once read that kids will starve rather than eat unfamiliar food. It's true that at some point, most of us, even kids, would eat almost anything rather than starve. But I can honestly see my kids resisting and consequently whittling themselves down and compromising their health before they would get to that point.

Better - I try to store food items and recipes that are tried and true. We regularly introduce new foods to our kids, but I don't store those items until I know that they like it. Sometimes that means I have to pay a higher price to get those familiar foods, but it prevents waste.

Seeds
Cheapest - I thought it would be a good idea to make sure that I had a full garden's worth of seeds for the next year in my storage. It's fantastic to get those after-season deals each year and I thought I would be better prepared for next year. I didn't realize, however, that some seeds have a very limited viability. Onions seeds are a good example. I plant green onion seeds every year. But when I tried to grow onions from those season-old seeds, I think I maybe got a handful of green onions at best. "Bargain" seeds can have similar results.

Better - When an entire harvest is dependent upon the quality of the seeds, it's best to choose name brands and buy in season. One note here: There are some seeds that are easily over wintered. This is an area in which it pays to do a little homework. You can also learn how to collect and preserve your own seeds. This is a great self-reliance skill (that I'm still working on).

*****

You get the idea, right? Though it is good to save money, it's better to be smart. Don't buy bulk, store-brand, or even with a group order (even if it a killer deal) unless it is food that works with your own storage habits and your own family's tastes. Sometimes it's worth it to spend a little extra money.

Green Peppers - NOT!

2011-08-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

Finally, despite the cool and wet summer, my peppers are producing. I purchased what I thought was a standard green pepper. However, as you can tell from my picture above, that isn't what is growing.

These peppers are thumb-sized and are pale yellow turning purple-brown. The flesh inside is yellow. They taste bitter with a bit of spice on the front which quickly disappears. The flavor reminds me of regular peppers, but not quite the same.

Any ideas on what I've got?

Hurricane Preparedness

2011-08-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

Photo Source: Wikipedia

15 years ago, our family moved into a small 540-square-foot summer cottage on Long Island, NY. We lived just two blocks from the ocean for several years. Both my husband and I had grown up in western states with snow storms, heat waves and earthquakes, but neither of us knew anything about hurricane preparation.

I remember hearing warnings about an incoming hurricane that first weekend after we arrived. We inquired at church about how we should prepare. The response was to tie down the garbage cans and bring in any lawn furniture. That was good advice, but there was so much more we should have done. The hurricane, though it was a direct hit, had lost strength and was luckily a tropical storm as it passed overhead.

We had several other hurricanes come close that year. In 1999, we were still in the same place on the east coast when Hurricane Floyd hit and caused widespread flooding in our area. By then, though, we had learned a little more about hurricane preparation and were less nervous and more prepared than that first year.

As we watch Irene approach the east coast again this year, I thought I would review several principles of hurricane preparedness:

1. Develop a Family Plan.
Discuss your home's vulnerability to flooding, wind and storm surge. Designate a safe room within the home. Decide on an evacuation plan. Determine an out of state contact. Check up on your home insurance to determine if you have flood coverage.

2. Create an Disaster Supply Kit.
Keep a supply of food, batteries, flashlights, water, medications, cash and other necessities on hand. Make sure you have a radio that you can use to get up-to-date information if the power is out. Keep your cars fueled.

3. Have a Place to Go.
Evacuate quickly if you are asked to do so. The longer you wait to leave, the more difficult it will be to get out. Choose an evacuation destination with friends/family or at a hotel. Your first choice should be as close as possible. If you have to evacuate farther away, be prepared for long waits on roadways. Fill your car up with gas prior to leaving. If you go to a hotel, call ahead for reservations. Choose a shelter only if you don't have other options available because they will be full, uncomfortable and may not accept pets.

4. Secure Your Home.
Get flood insurance if needed. Protect and reinforce your home as described on the NOAA site. Turn off utilities if instructed. Turn off propane tanks.

5. Have a Pet Plan.
Make sure your pets are current on their vaccinations. Use identification collars and appropriate carrying containers. Prepare a pet disaster kit including vaccination records, medications, food and water. Locate possible pet sheltering locations beforehand.

I found this information on the NOAA site (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). This is a fabulous site if you want more information.

More sources:
FEMA
Red Cross

Earthquake in Virginia

2011-08-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press

Are you prepared for an earthquake? Do you know what to do before, during and after an earthquake. Because of the earthquake this afternoon in Virginia (5.8) or yesterday in Colorado (5.3), you might be paying closer attention and looking for information.

Here are several previous posts on how to prepare for and respond to an earthquake:

BEFORE an Earthquake

DURING an Earthquake

AFTER an Earthquake

More information on today's earthquake:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/us/c0005ild/us/index.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44245009/ns/us_news-life/
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/23/quake-hits-near-washington-d-c/

Three-Month Supply Worksheet (image file)

2011-08-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

I've had several requests for copies of this worksheet recently. Some readers, unfortunately, are not able to access the google docs PDF file. So, I've saved it as an image file. You can click on the picture above to make it larger. Copy the picture file and then print using photo/graphic software.

If it works for you, here is the link for the google docs PDF.

As always, this worksheet is for personal, church or community use. I'm happy for you to use it and share it - but not to profit from it. If you place it on any type of website or blog, please also include a link directly back to this page.

Easily Stored Meals (for a three-month supply)

2011-07-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

I'm getting ready to teach a course on starting a three-month supply.

Though I don't advocate recipe sharing when developing a plan (the recipes should be ones that you already use regularly), I have seen that a list of possible shelf-stable and easily-stored meals can jog memories for those who don't think they eat anything that stores well. I'd like to have a large list on the black board for this presentation to help people get thinking.

So, I'm asking for your help! What meals do you store for your three-month supply?

Here are a bunch of ideas that I've compiled so far:

BREAKFAST
Granola, pancakes/waffles, french toast, cereal, oatmeal, cream of wheat, hashbrowns, bacon, eggs, muffins, smoothies.

LUNCH/DINNER
Wraps/sandwiches (PB&J, tuna, chicken salad), fish fillets, chili, Mac-N-Cheese, jambalaya, pizza, easy canned soups (Spaghettios, ravioli, chicken noodle, etc.), lasagna, enchiladas, chicken crescents, spaghetti, burritos, taco soup, beans and rice, soups, chowders, crock-pot chicken, curry chicken, chicken alfredo, shepherd's pie, pot pie, baked potatoes, quesadillas, casseroles, stroganoff.

OTHER
Various canned/dry/freeze-dried fruits and vegetables to supplement all of the above (bottled peaches, fruit leather, applesauce, canned green beans, etc.). Grow a garden. Fruit trees. Sides and desserts as desired.

NOTE
All of these items can be made using shelf-stable storage items which can be stored at least three months or more. I personally include freezer items in addition to those on my shelves. All freezer items can be substituted with shelf items if necessary.

Obviously, these meals are all within the realm of my own recipes. I'd love to hear your ideas! Please, help me think outside my own kitchen.

Trek

2011-07-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Photo belongs to the author of this blog. Please do not use without permission.

I've been heavily involved with our church pioneer trek reenactment during the past many months. We were able to trek the actual Mormon Trail near Fort Bridger, Wyoming. We just returned a couple of weeks ago. I haven't experience many things quite so humbling as to strip away many of our conveniences for several days and survive without.

It was hard! I had some medical inconveniences that resulted in my only walking about half of the projected 17 miles. I was tired and worn out - even though I regularly walk several miles up and down hills. We survived two thunderstorms with torrential rain (which had to be bailed out of our tent because there was so much water). I was reminded about just how dependent we have become on technology and modern inventions. I loved taking a shower at the end of our trek experience. It was so easy to just turn on the water - hot and clean. I almost cried when my husband told me he had just put fresh sheets on our bed.

I couldn't have survived like my past grandparents did - because I don't have the skills that they had. Our water was trucked out to us - but it often ran out faster than it was available. My grandparents had to look for their water and then hope it was clean. Wyoming seemed devoid of life and food. I was grateful for coolers full of food and refrigerated trucks instead of a measly 1/4 cup of flour a day like my two grandmothers had.

We have so much! But we rely heavily on others for it.

Just another argument for self-reliance!

No Water

2011-06-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight, our water has been turned off. Our city is doing some sort of maintenance on the system and we were notified via notes on our door yesterday that it would be off from 8:00 p.m. tonight until early tomorrow morning.

In anticipation of not having access to water, we tried to think of all the ways that we use water each evening. My son showered early. We filled multiple water pitchers providing water for brushing teeth and drinking. We also filled each tub half-way full, thinking it would give us water for washing hands and flushing toilets. We have water stored, but I'd rather not use it for this occasion.

What we didn't anticipate was needing water to wash the dishes and wipe the counters. We scrambled during the last few minutes of water pressure after we realized that we still needed to wash our faces and take care of these other things.

It's amazing how much water we use! I can't imagine being without water and all the conveniences that it provides. It's just another good reminder to make sure you store as much water as possible.

My Solar Cooker

2011-06-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my current solar cooker. It is a hybrid Windshield Shade Solar Cooker based on models developed by Kathy Dalh-Bredine and Sharon Cousins.

I added the silver bowl after several failed attempts to balance the cooking rack on just the windshield shade. I also added the black lid after my first failed roll cooking experiment. I read through a great FAQ on solar cooking and noticed that they mentioned needing to use the black lid.

Materials:
*Reflective Windshield Shade
Mine is oversized. $5 from Amazon.
*Velcro
To attach the edges of the windshield shade. $3 at Walmart.
*Bucket/Pots/Basket
In which you place the windshield shade. I used two flower pots stacked. We were also successful with a five gallon buckets with rocks inside. A square laundry basket also worked - but I needed the basket.
*Large Silver Bowl
*Square Cooling/Cookie Rack
*Black Pot with Black Lid
Mine is a 12 lb. roaster from Walmart ($11). It is actually too big but I've been nesting a smaller second pan inside. I still need to try cooking directly in this pan.
*Cooking Bag
I needed turkey size to accommodate the black pan. This can be reused.

Optional:
*Internal Cooking Thermometer
This was my husband's Christmas gift several years ago. It is fantastic for making perfect steaks and tender chicken. It has been extremely helpful in our cooking experiments because I am able to track temperature without opening the bag and pan (which usually results in a a 20 degree temperature drop). It is wireless and I can read the temperature from within my home.

Instructions:
1. Attach Velcro to the windshield shade as shown here. I used an oversized windshield shade so it took four two-inch pieces evenly spaced. It is easier if you make sure that the Velcro is put on the notched long side.

2. Place the windshield shade funnel into your bucket or pot.

3. Place cooling rack into silver bowl. I used scotch tape at the corners to keep it from slipping. If your rack is larger than the bowl, you can just have it rest on the edges.

4. Place bowl and cooling rack into funnel.

5. Place food into either the black pot directly or a smaller nesting pan within the black pot.

6. Place the black pot into the cooking bag. Fasten tightly. I like to tightly twist the bag opening and then insert the twist tightly into the pot handles.

7. Place pot and bag onto the cooling rack inside the silver bowl.

8. Tilt the setup so that the funnel optimizes the sun light. I can see the best position by looking at the shadow on the ground behind the windshield shade. Continue to adjust every 30 minutes or so as the sun moves across the sky.

9. Cook until items reach desired temperature or until food is cooked thoroughly.

Hints:
*Cooking will be most successful on a clear day. Sun rays are most direct and consequently your cooking temperatures will be optimized between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Smaller food pieces will cook more quickly.

My First Attempts at Solar Cooking

2011-06-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

I tried solar cooking for the first time last Tuesday afternoon. Let's just say things didn't go so well. Five major lessons learned:

1) Prime solar cooking time is between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. (It's not likely going to work so well if you start cooking after 3:30 p.m.).

2) You need a clear day to be successful at solar cooking. (In my defense, there were hardly any clouds in the sky when I started).

3) If you are going to attempt solar cooking, start with a simple, non-temperature dependent food like rice, water, or cinnamon apples. (Rolls aren't such a good choice for the first time because they might rise and then fall when temperatures drop because of incoming clouds. In fact, I'd recommend waiting to try baking until you've master basic solar-cooking skills).

4) Solar cooking is like crock-pot cooking. You should choose foods that cook well at low and slow temperatures.

5) Small food pieces cook more quickly than large ones.

My first attempt, as you might have reconstructed from my comments above, was rolls. This was a huge mistake because I didn't know anything about solar cooking. Yet. I tried starting them at 3:30 p.m. with rolling clouds in the sky. The attempt was aborted around 4:30 when those clouds blocked the sun and the internal temps starting decreasing instead of increasing and the perfectly risen rolls fell.

The next day I attempted brownies (with powdered eggs to ensure safety). I also modified my solar cooker design (watch for more information about this modified design), started earlier in the day and made sure the sky was completely clear of clouds. After two hours, we had yummy brownies that were almost done. My third attempt was baked apples started right after the brownies. At this point, I abandoned the internal temperature probe and just let them cook. They were tender and delicious after three hours or so. The sugar had not caramelized though - just dissolved.

My most recent attempt was potatoes. I put them into the solar cooker around 10:30 a.m. and let them cook all day. I pulled them out just before dinner and was rewarded with billows of steam and a wonderful rich smell of rosemary and dill. The potatoes were definitely done. My only complaint is that the top layer of potatoes darkened and didn't look very appetizing. A little research reassured me that this was normal and they were completely safe to eat.

Success!

Update on Solar Cooking

2011-06-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

Are you waiting to find out how my solar cooking experiment goes?

Well, so am I. For living in one of the sunniest places in the United States, we sure haven't had any really sunny days for months now.

I've got all of my supplies. I found an oversized window shade on Amazon for about $5. I purchased my Velcro at the local store for around $3. I also bought a new black enamel pot for $11. It was the smallest I could find, but still may be too big. I already have a cookie rack, bucket and cooking bags on hand.

It looks like some sunny days are in the forecast. Hopefully, I'll update again soon.

2011 Garden

2011-06-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

Photo is property of author. Please do not use without permission.

Gardening isn't something that you just do. It's actually a skill that you develop. That's why it's so important when it comes to self-reliance that you try to plant a garden each year, whether a large plot or a few pots on a patio. If you wait to develop those gardening skills, you risk a failed garden when it really matters.

Every year that we've planted a garden - which is most of the past 14 years - we've had new adventures. Last year, we dealt with the encroaching shade from a quickly growing maple over the fence. Now I know where *not* to plant my tomatoes. We also tried "solarizing" a section of our garden to reduce the weeds last year. We put clear plastic (edges buried) over a section of the garden. Unfortunately, the plastic wasn't durable enough to make it through the heat of the summer.

Some of our ongoing successes: We have tomato volunteers every year. It seems like such a fragile plant, so I'm always thrilled to find those new little plants. I also have a fantastic rosemary plant that comes back year after year. We're expanding our raspberry row because they are so popular that our kids sneak into the garden just to eat them.

This year, we're trying square foot gardening in addition to our regular garden. It's been pretty expensive to set up two 3.5 x 7.5 beds. The jury is still out on whether or not it's worth the extra cost.

It's been a very wet spring. I missed planting my spring crop of lettuce, peas, and spinach because I kept waiting for a dry Saturday. I finally gave up and found a Monday afternoon late in May to get my summer crop of strawberries, beans, onions, carrots, watermelons, tomatoes, potatoes and peppers planted. Almost three weeks have passed since dropping those seeds into the ground. I was actually expecting that I'd have to replant, but this afternoon I discovered these late, but very welcomed, bean shoots finally emerging. I can also see carrots and barely an onion or two. No watermelon plants yet.

I'd like to learn how to collect my own seeds. I've tried several years in a row now, but have only harvested Marigold seeds with success. I suspect that eventually I'll get it - but see - another reason to practice gardening now.

How is your garden doing? What have you learned from past gardens? Successes? Failures? What do you want to do in the future? I'd love to hear all about it!

How to Prepare for a Zombie Apocalypse

2011-05-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

I'm loving this tongue-in-cheek ad campaign from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Whatever works!

Solar Cooking

2011-05-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

Photo Source: Solar Cookers World Network

Storing cooking fuel for various situations such as electricity outages is one of the weakest parts of my preparedness plans. I currently store and rotate through multiple large canisters of propane for use with my grill. I have plastic buckets full of charcoal for my dutch oven and apple-box oven. But there are limits on how much propane I can legally store. And I can't possibly store large enough quantities of charcoal. So, I've been exploring the merits of solar cooking to expand my options.

There are a lot of commercial products available for solar cooking. Unfortunately these products are often quite expensive. The amazing thing I've discovered, is that you can often get the same results with as little as $3 and not much more work on your part.

I want to direct you to two fabulous sites on solar cooking. Both sites have resulted from efforts to improve cooking situations for women in Africa and South America. The first is a wiki (http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Plans) with many solar cooking designs. It includes plans for elaborate solar cookers to simple homemade solar cookers that can be just as or more effective.

This second site (http://solarcooking.org/plans/funnel.htm) gives the plans for an effective solar stove developed by Dr. Steven Jones, a BYU physics professor. The part I love most about the link on Dr. Jones' page is that he includes a chart with estimated cooking times (it is about 3/4 down the page).

Here are two other links by Dr. Jones on solar cooking (for some reason this site is not easily navigable):
http://solarcooking.org/plans/funneltests01.htm
http://solarcooking.org/saveheat.htm

My favorite? The Windshield Shade Solar Cooker developed by Kathy Dahle-Bredine (found on the Solar Wiki). This cooker is almost identical to Dr. Jones' design except it uses a reflective windshield shade instead. I'm eager to have something that can withstand water a bit better than Mylar-covered cardboard, so this is the design I've opted to pursue.

Making one of these solar cookers is my current project right now. I've already been to my guaranteed-to-have-one-of-everything store with a list of products. Unfortunately they didn't have the one fundamental item that I needed - the reflective windshield shade. So my next try will be at an automotive shop. I already have cooking bags and cooling racks on hand. I'm also looking for a black pot for under $10 that is approximately 5 quarts or less. I've seen a 7.5 quart pan for $12, but it seems too big. The cheapest "pan" option is actually a black-painted canning jar. I'd prefer something a little more durable if possible, but I am intrigued by the "pressurizing" potential when using canning lids (see Dr. Jones' design).

Watch for an update on my solar cooker once I get the supplies and give it a try.

Are We Still The Good Guys?

2011-05-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

In the book The Road written by Cormac McCarthy, a father and son travel through a ravaged post-apocalyptic world. Over and over the son asks his father, "Are we still the good guys?"  This question is posed in extremely difficult situations which include making the choice to share food and possibly go hungry themselves. Clearly many characters are no longer good guys, but have abandoned their humanity with completely selfish actions, some of which are beyond imagination. Others, despite their realizations of the consequences, reach out anyway. The father, with his heart full of the desire to save his son, struggles throughout the book with the questions of how to act - with selfishness or with compassion. And his son over and over helps him to remember that goodness and humanity is the answer.

Lately, as I've browsed the news, I been both thrilled with the unselfish actions of the good guys and simultaneously disappointed in extremely selfish actions of others. I look at the ravaged neighborhoods of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Sendai, Japan and Christchurch, New Zealand and read of looting1 and exploitation.  From preparedness sources, I read about individuals who claim they won't need food storage because they have guns and plan to take it3. I read of plans to loot, steal and hide2 resources from fellow neighbors if tough circumstances arise. Thankfully, in contrast, I see individuals with destroyed homes and lives setting their own needs aside and helping neighbors who are worse off. I hear of the poorest families sacrificing their own funds to help a little in these disaster areas. I hear of families storing extra so they will be able to help their neighbors if needed.

I'm not so naive as to think that there aren't people out there that will continue to act without humanity regardless of what I think and say. I also recognize the need for me to provide for and protect my family in difficult circumstances. But what is survival without humanity?  If sharing and helping others meant my family would starve? Well, I would much rather have the last acts of my life be ones of compassion and charity rather than of selfishness, greed, and violence.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I look closely at the example of Jesus Christ. His life was full of compassion and love despite knowing his death would ultimately result from those actions. He was definitely one of the good guys.

I encourage you in your preparedness plans and in your home-storage plans to plan with compassion rather than selfishness and to plan with love instead of greed.

And make sure that you ask yourself over and over and over again, "Are we still the good guys?"

Source:
1 - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42834400/ns/weather/
2 - Sorry, not going to post the links and add traffic or credence to these sites.
3 - http://www.survivalblog.com/2011/04/two_letters_re_confronting_tho.html

Iron Chef: Food-Storage Style

2011-04-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

Do you ever buy a food storage item for your family only to find out that it is a complete "miss" and no one will even touch it? This happened to me this year. I purchased 5 boxes of Kix cereal on a great sale. Those boxes have been sitting down on our cereal shelf for almost a year now. I brought a box upstairs in hopes that someone would open it and give it a try. I even rearranged my cereal shelves so that all of the boxes of Kix were highly visible right at the front. But no bites (literally)!

So, for a recent Family Home Evening I decided to ensure that the Kix cereal got used. I was in charge of the activity and planned an Iron Chef Competition: Food-Storage Style!

If you've never seen an Iron Chef competition, the gist is that two teams (chefs) are given a "secret" (previously unknown) ingredient and then have one hour to create unique foods which are then judged. The winning team is determined by which receives the most total points in three categories: plating, originality, and taste. Each judge can award up to 5 points for plating and originality and 10 points for taste, for a total of 20 points which are then added together.

We broadened the time limit and then talked our good-sport neighbors, who I'm pretty sure thought we were crazy, into being our judges. Of course, our secret ingredient was Kix cereal. Dad's team created a Kix-Brownie by replacing most of the flour with crushed Kix. They dusted them with powdered sugar and drizzled with a chocolate sauce. My team created a chilled peach pie with a Kix cobbler-crust. We added a sprinkle of toasted crumbled crust on top. Sorry, I forgot to take pictures.

After we created our concoctions, we delivered the treats and judging slips. We sampled each-other's dishes while waiting for the results. After a few minutes, our neighbors returned the totaled judging sheets. The winner? Chilled Peach Pie! Who knew that the neighbor-dad didn't like brownies? His super-low ratings for the brownies threw the game to the peach pie by just 3 points.

Unfortunately we only used one box instead of all four like I hoped. So, I'll likely donate the remaining boxes to the food bank. Even if you only use a bit of your unused storage, having an Iron Chef competition is a fun way to help you rotate through some of your own less-used food storage items.

I'd love to hear about your competition if you try it!

Self Reliance Thought

2011-04-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

"Everyone is happier and feels more self respect when they can provide for themselves and their family and then reach out to take care of others."

President Henry B. Eyring

First Counselor

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

April 2011 General Conference

Food Storage Tags

2011-03-30T06:18:00.000-07:00

You may remember this previous post, Labeling Long-Term Storage, from back in 2009 where Stephanie shared her idea of making tags to help with locating, rotating and replacing her food storage. Well, I've had two-year intentions of doing the same thing, but have never gotten around to it. Just this past Christmas, my wonderful parents-in-law gave me a new fun laminator and I've been itching to use it for this project since then.

I made my tags using a different color of cardstock for each food storage product that I keep in buckets. Actually there isn't much rhyme or reason to the colors. I just used the colors that I had on hand. In the picture below, you might notice that the brighter colors are easier to see and read so I would recommend that you use bright colors instead of dull or dark colors.

I figured out how many tags of each that I needed. For example, I knew that I wanted to always keep four buckets of flour on hand, so I used my word processor to print four "flour" labels. I repeated this process for each of the items I keep in buckets: wheat, sugar, powdered sugar, brown sugar, rice, oats, and beans. I laminated my tags for durability, but this isn't necessary. Then I hole punched the side and tied each onto the bucket handles with some white yarn. I made more than 40 tags. It took about two hours from start to finish (but most of that time was spent doing second and third runs through my laminator in order to fully seal the tags - I'm sure you could do it in a fraction of that time). I love the result! It is so easy to figure out what is in each bucket now.

Recently I ran out of flour. So I ran down into my storage area, grabbed a bucket of flour (which was so easy to find because of the easy-to-see tags) and emptied the previously-stored flour into my upstairs bucket. I actually left the tag on the empty bucket and let it remind me that I needed to buy some more flour to replace the now-empty bucket. I could also untie the tag and slip it into my purse or tie it to a shelf as a reminder that I need to replace that flour. When I refilled the bucket with flour, I flipped the tag over and wrote 2011 on the back with a black permanent marker so that I would know the age of the newly purchased flour.

Here are a few other ideas and tips that you could use for labeling your food storage:

*Use different colored ribbons for each different food (i.e red for red wheat; black for black beans; pink for pinto beans; tan for oatmeal; white for rice; etc.).
*Use a different colors of ribbon/yarn to indicate the purchase date.
*Use different colors of permanent markers to differentiate between foods and/or dates.
*Wrapping ribbon and index cards would work just fine.
*Magnetic labels could be used with #10 cans or steel shelves.
*Instead of tying a ribbon to foil pouches or #10 cans (that don't have a handle like a bucket or a neck like the PETE bottles), just tie a tag to the shelves or adhere a label with a small piece of ribbon directly to the product.
*Label two sides and the top of each container for more visibility.
*Use cup-holder screws to hang labels (of items needing to be replaced).
*These tags would be a great idea for a cheap, but love-filled gift.

I would love to hear your ideas!

Food Storage Hunt

2011-03-28T06:25:00.000-07:00

Hannah and Abby over at Safely Gathered In are doing an ongoing series right now about how food storage bloggers organize their storage. Last week they featured my storage area. If you are interested in seeing how we organize our food storage, you can go to: http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/2011/03/food-storage-hunt-iprepared.html.

They've also featured two other bloggers with promises of more to come. Check it out. You might find some ideas for your own storage.

iPrepared is now on facebook!

2011-03-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

iPrepared is on facebook!

Click here (or on the link below) to join us there:
https://www.facebook.com/iPrepared.

We're also on twitter:
http://twitter.com/iPrepared

Toilet Troubles (second of two parts)

2011-03-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

Portaloos line the streets after the earthquake last September in Kaiapoi, New Zealand. (source unknown)

For sanitation in temporary emergency situations, a chemical (portable) toilet is the easiest to store and set up. Portable toilets are easy to store, but require disposal. If there won't be any entity helping with waste disposal, a longer-term solution of digging a latrine might be a better option.

Chemical Toilet
A chemical toilet is one that utilizes different chemicals to deal with the smells and disinfect your waste. Portaloos (portapotties), RV toilets, airplane toilets, and portable toilets work this way. You can turn an existing toilet into a chemical toilet by emptying the water and inserting a plastic bag inside the bowl. In it's simplest form, a bucket with a trash liner can also be used to create a chemical toilet. Two boards placed parallel to each other can create a more-comfortable, make-shift seat.

After using the facilities, commercially-available chemical packets, or home-stored chemicals such as baking soda, lime, or bleach are added to the toilet bag to maintain sanitation. The American Red Cross recommends that you "pour or sprinkle a small amount of regular household disinfectant, such as creosol or chlorine bleach, into the container to reduce odors and germs."4

You can buy portable toilet kits which just include a bag and chemical packets. Other kits include the seat and/or stand. Some even "flush" into a lower chamber to reduce smell. The downside of a chemical toilet is that waste still needs to be disposed.

Many sites recommend disposing waste in an outdoor container until your local governments collect it. If you feel that a quick response is reasonable, then store an extra trash container with a tight fitting lid to be used for this short-term disposal. In a situation where collections might not be soon available, official emergency sources recommend that you "bury garbage and human waste to avoid the spread of disease by rats and insects. Dig a pit 2 to 3 feet deep and at least 50 feet downhill or away from any well, spring or water supply."5

Store: Bucket, lid/seat (or other configuration), garbage-can bags, chemicals.
Pros: Easy and readily available.
Cons: Waste still has to be disposed.

Latrine
If you find yourself without toilet facilities for a longer period of time, you might consider digging a latrine (privy or outhouse). In reality, people have lived without sewer systems much longer than they have lived with them. It's not been so long since digging a hole for an outhouse was the norm.

The big concern in latrine construction is fresh water contamination. It is essential that toilet facilities be placed where they will not contaminate ground water, fresh water wells, or streams. 50 feet from homes or water sources is a widely cited distance for location of toilet waste. Some areas have high ground water and require that outhouse facilities be located elsewhere in order to protect drinking water.

An adequate hole for a privy would be about five feet deep (which gives you about five years worth of sanitation disposal depending upon use).6 Sources vary in their suggestions of depth from as little as four feet to as much as 15 feet (larger depths require reinforcing the walls to eliminate the risk of cave-in). After digging a hole, a board with a hole cut in the middle can be placed on top to cover the pit. Your privy would be usable at this point, but probably not comfortable. You can add an elevated box or a chair with a hole cut into the seat to make sitting more comfortable. A hollowed bucket with two boards on top would be better than nothing.

At this point, you would also need to address the smell. Whatever construction method you use, it is important to have a lid of some kind to close off the pit which would help to contain the smell. An outhouse can utilize a built-in vent pipe to reduce the build-up of methane gas and disperse the smell into the air. Flies are attracted to the smell and can cause the spread of disease. If you use a venting pipe, make sure to add a screen on top to reduce access to flies and other insects. Fly paper placed inside the facility would also reduce the flies somewhat.

Privacy is a huge issue with outdoor toilet use. There are pop-up tents available for this purpose. A regular tent or even a tarp could also be modified to give privacy. Because a latrine is located outside, weather considerations are important as you build your new facility. Tents and tarps will have to be anchored to ensure resistant to winds, rain and/or snow. If you have the resources to build a permanent wooden facility, weather would be less of a concern.

Store: Shovels, pick-ax, large piece of wood to cover the pit, bucket (or other seat), tent/tarp/wood for privacy.
Pros: Waste is disposed as part of the design. No need for additional chemicals.
Cons: Requires time to set up/dig, usually smelly, cold/hot and uncomfortable.

Important!
Make sure that you also store sanitizer, sanitary pads (dispose separately), and septic-safe toilet paper in addition to any other supplies for your toilet.

Click here to go to Toilet Troubles (part one).

Sources:
1 - Christchurch earthquake: Survival in the suburbs
2 - Strangers brought together by quake stories
3 - Christchurch earthquake: Many face weeks of temporary toilets
4 - American Red Cross - Emergency Sanitation
5 - University of Florida - Emergency Sanitation
6 - How to build a latrine

Helping Each Other in Japan

2011-03-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

Rescuers and victims carry out bags of food aid from a helicopter in Yamada, northern Japan on Tuesday. Takashi Ozaki / AP

Yesterday, Polliwog commented and shared a blog of a family housed on a US military base in Misawa, Japan. On that blog (Acte Gratuit), Emily shares insights into her own food storage - and what she wishes she had stored. She also describes how her church congregation is gathering supplies for those affected by the tsunami and earthquake.

It's a fabulous example of how preparedness enables you to reach out and help others!

Acte Gratuit:
Humanitarian Aid for Hachinohe
Surviving the Earthquake in Japan

Japan

2011-03-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

A little girl stands in line with the rest of the people waiting for the second batch of water in Shiogama on Monday. David Hogsholt for CNN

I am beyond sad about what is happening in Japan. Our family has donated money through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Charities - Humanitarian Aid Fund and are constantly praying for everyone who has been affected. I feel helpless in many ways, but know that the power of prayer is real. Many people have been motivated to start (or continue) their own preparedness efforts because of this recent devastation. This is good. Being prepared will truly bring you peace.

I just want to remind everyone about the importance of storing water and food. This morning I read an article from the AP with information about the current lack of food and water:

"In many areas there is no running water, no power and four- to five-hour waits for gasoline. People are suppressing hunger with instant noodles or rice balls while dealing with the loss of loved ones and homes. "People are surviving on little food and water. Things are simply not coming," said Hajime Sato, a government official in Iwate prefecture, one of the three hardest hit.

. . . "I'm giving up hope," said Hajime Watanabe, 38, a construction industry worker, who was the first in line at a closed gas station in Sendai, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of Soma. Just then, an emergency worker came over and told him that if the station opens at all, it would pump gasoline only to emergency teams and essential government workers. "I never imagined we would be in such a situation" Watanabe said. "I had a good life before. Now we have nothing. No gas, no electricity, no water." He said he was surviving with his family on 60 half-liter bottles of water his wife had stored in case of emergencies like this. He walked two hours to find a convenience store that was open and waited in line to buy dried ramen noodles."1

I love that Hajime's wife anticipated an emergency and stored that water. What a blessing for their family! The reality is that in many situations, especially those with vast consequences such as in Japan, the government is not going to be able to provide immediate resources for your family. For example, it has been four days since the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, yet many areas still don't have enough incoming supplies.1 In some cases there has been no contact with remote neighborhoods because of impassable roads.2 You might be on your own in a similar situation. It's up to you to be prepared.

Those most affected by the tsunami have lost everything and many are turning to friends and relatives to help them. This is another example where being prepared can make helping others easier. Those with ample supplies are likely in a better position to reach out, clothe, feed, and help displaced family members and friends. This is also a good reason to encourage your family and friends to get prepared. You might be the one staying at their house in a similar circumstance.

So, keep working on your preparedness; make getting water a priority; and pray for those in Japan.

Sources:

1 - Japan begins to dig for dead amid nuclear crisis (AP, Todd Pitman)

2 - @BBCWorld on twitter - 1131 (Many remote towns and villages remain cut off and have had no help since Friday's earthquake.)

Toilet Troubles (first of two parts)

2011-03-07T07:22:00.000-08:00

A portaloo decorated by residents in the suburb of Sumner in Christchurch.
Photo / Getty Images

Yesterday I read an article by David Fisher in the New Zealand Herald describing declining conditions in Christchurch, New Zealand suburbs after the 6.3 earthquake that hit that area almost two weeks ago. The surprise? The decline doesn't seem to result from a lack of food or shelter or even from untreated injuries or damage from the earthquake. The cause? A lack of toilets.

From the article:

Tears flowing down his cheeks, burly Canterbury mechanic Keith Mackie was trying to explain that life's basic necessities have been forgotten. . . "We didn't complain. We just suck it in. After nine days we got a chemical toilet. I had to empty the chemical toilet this morning . . ." The nearest Port-a-Loo - a decent walk away - was filled to overflowing. Mr Mackie, retching, drove around trying to find another one into which he could empty his chemical toilet. Again and again, he found the same problem. "I've seen a lot in my life, but this takes the cake."

. . . St Heliers Cres resident Kevin Guy said the lack of toilets and housing threatened to send the disaster out of control. "People will die of this." He said elderly residents in his street tried to go to the toilet outside in yesterday morning's rain. "I live near a woman in her 70s who broke down crying, too embarrassed to go to the toilet in a bucket."

Another woman who would not be named said the focus on the central city had ignored thousands of people who were living in squalid conditions. "The dead people are important but they don't need to go to the toilet. I do."1

Reports reference the planned distribution of 7,000 chemical toilets and more than 1200 portaloos.6 Prime Minister John Keys was quoted as saying, "I think pretty much every portaloo in Australasia is on its way."2 In the meantime, individuals have resorted to stealing portaloos and moving them from areas that they perceived as having plenty. Kerre Woodham from the Daily Herald quipped that it was "The Battle of Portaloo."5

In the end, even with significant distribution of toilet facilities, there isn't enough (or enough upkeep) to meet the sanitation needs of the 300,000 people impacted by this earthquake. Sewer lines have been severed and/or overwhelmed by liquefaction. There is no short-term fix. Lines are "still some way from repair".6 This is all made even worse by the lack of running water in more than 20% of the city. Unfortunately in the meantime, overflowing toilets and the resulting lack of sanitation can ultimately lead to sickness and potentially death.

Knowing how to address your own sanitation needs could be an essential skill for many different emergency situations. Unfortunately, it isn't as simple as just digging a hole. Stay tuned for the second part of this article where we'll address ways to plan to take care of your own waste and sanitation needs.

Click here to go to Toilet Troubles (part two).

Sources:
1 - Christchurch earthquake: A new living hell
2 - Key visits hard-hit eastern suburbs
3 - Quake to cost insurers up to $16b
4 - Christchurch earthquake: Latest updates
5 - The best of human nature
6 - Christchurch earthquake: Many face weeks of temporary toilets

Helping Each Other

2011-02-28T07:06:00.000-08:00

Members of Canterbury University volunteer army clean up mud on Feb. 24 in Christchurch.

The quake caused liquefaction of the ground. (Martin Hunter / Getty Images)

I am so impressed by the citizens of Christchurch, New Zealand.  Almost one week ago, a massive earthquake hit their area. Deaths and damage abound. What amazes me is the spirit of community and service that has emerged from these hard-hit people.

Immediately after the earthquake, citizens with no training jumped in to help rescue and take care of the injured and dying. There are many stories of everyday heroes jumping and doing whatever they could to save the lives around them. Kieran McErlain saw a school yard full of children desperate with fear as the water rose to knee level around them. Though he had no responsibility there, he stayed and helped to calm the children.1 Reports mention students from a university-organized "army" of 10,000 who traveled into the damaged neighborhoods armed with shovels.3 They are shoveling out the liquefaction that has filled up so many yards and houses. They are helping to move cars stuck in the sludge. No one asked them to come. Instead, compassion moved them to help - and they found a way to do so.

The New Zealand Herald has published a list of companies that are distributing supplies to anyone who needs them. Again, no one asked. These businesses just saw the need and took the initiative to do something. Local bakeries are cleaning up their own buildings, firing up their ovens and baking bread and distributing it for free. Grocery stores are giving away food and medicine.

"Growers from around the country are offering fresh food donations, church groups are donating goods to those in need and Food and Grocery Council members are also working to get donated food to the people of Christchurch." 4

Neighbors are taking care of each other by feeding each other, and watching over one another.

"They are sleeping under canvas in the backyard and look well-organised. Tables, a dozen chairs, the barbecue are set out. It looks inviting, an oasis amid the chaos. They and their neighbours have managed to salvage enough glasses and they get together each evening . . . while they cook meat from their defrosting freezers. Such neighbourliness keeps spirits up."1

Thousand of families in surrounding areas have opened their homes to the fleeing refuges. A call went out for help and so many responded.   Even families with nothing to give are reaching out and helping each other.   I read a story about a family that gave away their tent because they could fit their little family of four into a backyard playhouse instead.

"We had a tent put up, but we gave it to some friends up the road because their house was not good and they had nowhere to sleep that night," Richard Bruin told the Herald yesterday. "And then we moved into the playhouse. But it's safe, it's waterproof - unlike the house." 2

Other countries have also been quick to offer and send assistance. Rescue teams arrived as quickly as they could travel and are helping still with the recovery effort. Donations are quickly accumulating and will be used to help many of the now homeless and hungry.

There is such a spirit of love and sharing instead of greed and selfishness surrounding these people.  I can only hope that we all will respond similarly when faced with any unexpected dangers in our lives.

Sources:
1 - New Zealand Herald - On two wheels through the rubble
2 - Christchurch earthquake: Playhouse becomes shelter for family
3 - Christchurch earthquake: Students form volunteer army
4 - Christchurch earthquake: How you can help
5 - Christchurch earthquake: Food companies swing in to deliver supplies

AFTER an Earthquake!

2011-02-25T07:29:00.000-08:00

A man holds a child in his arms after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch on Tuesday. (Iain McGregor / Reuters)

Once the earth has stopped shaking from an earthquake, all danger has not passed. Because of aftershocks, there is a constant need for vigilance even after an earthquake. Earthquakes also create many different hazards. Awareness of these hazards can help you to protect your family from any additional harm.

AFTER

* Expect aftershocks.

Get yourself and others out of locations that might be dangerous with continued shaking. Be aware of hazards such as fires, electrical lines, or spills that might still put you in danger. Be especially careful as you enter or exit buildings. Buildings can continue to shift even after the earth has stopped shaking.

* Be aware of Tsunami potential.

Move to a higher location if this is an issue.

* Check for injuries.

Do not move seriously injured individuals unless they are in danger of further harm. Help trapped persons if possible.

* Check for hazardous conditions.

Damage from an earthquake can cause fires, leaks in the water, sewer or gas systems, downed or exposed electricity wires, spills and broken items. Extinguish any fires. Check your utilities. If you smell gas, turn off the gas at the meter. If you don't smell gas, do not turn off the gas because it might be many days before you can have it turned back on. If wires are sparking or exposed, turn off the electricity at the breaker box. Do not step in water in order to access the electricity box.

* Check your home for damage.

Turn off water if you have any broken pipes. Do not use the water until you have been told that it is safe. Don't use the toilets if you suspect problems with the sewer system. Inspect your chimney, walls, and foundations.

* Ongoing needs.

Don't use your phone except for emergencies. Listen to your radio for instructions. Gather your children from local schools. Stay away from damaged areas. Be careful as you open cupboards (expect items to fall out). Make sure to check on your neighbors.

Assess the liveability of your home. Find a shelter if staying in your home is not an option. Remember that shelters are typically crowded and also often lack basic services. You might be better off staying in your home if you just lack basic services or have little to moderate damage. If you do leave, make sure to communicate your whereabouts with a staying neighbor.

Hopefully, you never have to use any of these recommendations. But knowing, practicing and thinking about them will help you and your family to be better prepared in an Earthquake.

Sources:

Utah Seismic Commission - Putting down roots in earthquake country.

Fema - What to do after an earthquake.

DURING an Earthquake!

2011-02-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

A teetering piano. Photo / NZPA/David Alexander

Scientists are always studying best practices for responding in an earthquake. It is valuable to stay aware of current thinking and findings. The reality is that earthquakes don't kill people, falling objects typically do. Your main objective should be moving away from anything that might fall on you -- a picture over your bed, a bookshelf, bricks, the building, etc. Knowing the age of the building that you work in or live in can also give you the ability to decide how to respond.

DURING

* If you are INDOORS:

Do not run outside! Stay inside until the shaking stops.

DUCK, COVER and HOLD
DUCK or DROP down on the floor. Take COVER under a sturdy desk, table, or other furniture. If that is not possible, seek cover against an interior wall and protect your head and neck with your arms. Avoid danger spots near windows, hanging objects, mirrors or tall furniture. If you take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture, HOLD on to it and be prepared to move it. Hold the position until the ground stops shaking and it is safe to move.

If you are in BED, stay there and cover your head with a pillow.

When in a HIGH-RISE BUILDING, move against an interior wall if you are not near a desk or table. Protect your head and neck with your arms. Do not use the elevators.

When in a CROWDED STORE OR OTHER PUBLIC PLACE, move away from display shelves containing objects that could fall. Do not rush for the exit.

When in a STADIUM OR THEATER, stay in your seat, get below the level of the back of the seat and cover your head and neck with your arms.

* If you are OUTDOORS:

When OUTDOORS, move to a clear area away from trees, signs, buildings, or downed electrical wires and poles.

When on a SIDEWALK NEAR BUILDINGS, duck into a doorway or move into an open area to protect yourself from falling bricks, glass, plaster and other debris.

When DRIVING, pull over to the side of the road and stop. Avoid overpasses and power lines. Stay inside your vehicle until the shaking stops.

Do you know what to do AFTER an earthquake? Watch for the third and last post on earthquakes.

Note: I am aware that there is an alternate earthquake survival method called "The Triangle of Life." The Red Cross recommends teaching Drop, Cover, and Hold On instead. Drop, Cover and Hold On has been researched and found to be successful in protecting life in the United States where there are strict building codes. If you live in an area with loose or no building codes, please take the time to find out what your local officials recommend for protecting yourself and your family. You can read more here: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/triangle.asp and from the Red Cross here: http://www2.bpaonline.org/Emergencyprep/arc-on-doug-copp.html.

Sources:
1 Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country - Utah Seismic Safety Commission

BEFORE an Earthquake!

2011-02-23T11:51:00.000-08:00

Cars covered in building debris on February 22, 2011. Photo / Getty Images

How much do you know about preparing for, reacting during, and responding after an earthquake? You might not live in an earthquake prone area, but mostly likely, you will travel through one at some point. Knowing what to do might save your life. Practicing and talking about it with your family might save their lives. It's worth a few minutes to review.

This is the first post in a series of three to help you prepare for an earthquake. Look for a post on responding DURING an earthquake tomorrow.

BEFORE

1. Have a supply of food and water on hand.
New Zealand still doesn't have water to 80 percent of Christchurch.1 Even if your home and workplace aren't damaged, your area might not have water or food available because of broken water lines and destroyed roads.

2. Keep a pair of shoes and flashlight by each bed.
I confess that I still haven't done this. My boys move through shoe sizes too quickly (which is just an excuse). They also tend to take the flashlights if they are so easily available. I do have a pair of shoes by my bed. Having shoes and a flashlight easily available makes it safer to navigate floors covered with debris and glass after an earthquake during the night.

3. Evaluate your home and workplace for hazards.
Bolt heavy, tall objects to the wall with earthquake brackets. Move large pictures away from beds. Add latches to your cupboards. Keep a fire extinguisher on hand. (More here: How to secure your furniture - Utah State Seismic Commission)

4. Practice occasionally.
It would make a good Family Home Evening lesson to review things as a family periodically. My 12 year-old son and I sat at the computer looking at pictures of the earthquake in New Zealand.2 I specifically pointed out all of the building fronts that had collapsed. We talked about the dangers of running out of a building because of this. I could tell that it sunk in with him differently than it had previously. Take the time to use teaching moments with your kids.

More information on preparing for an earthquake and teaching your kids can be found here from the Utah State Seismic Commission:
Tips for preparing children
Preparing your family for an earthquake
Tips for the elderly

Sources:
1 - Christchurch earthquake: Latest updates
2 - Christchurch earthquake: Images of devastation

Grow a Garden

2011-02-17T15:57:00.000-08:00

After writing my last post, I have continued to think about ways to blunt rising grocery prices. After reading a news article about produce prices rising because of freezing weather in unusual places, I realized I should have listed a fourth suggestion to my previous post on rising food prices.1 So here it is:

4) Grow a Garden

I recognize that growing a garden isn't always the cheapest way to put produce on your table. However, gaining gardening skills gives you the ability to supplement your three-month supply with fresh foods regardless of their cost or availability in stores.

You might think that you can only grow a garden during the summer season. However, there are many seeds that grow well in the cold temperatures of spring and fall. With some planning you can grow lettuce, peas, kale, cabbage, broccoli, swiss chard, spinach, radishes, beets, cauliflower, carrots, turnips and parsnips. You can also grow vegetables in pots inside your home or in a porch with a window all year long. Many crops, such as potatoes, apples and carrots can be harvested in the fall and can last throughout the winter (if stored correctly).2

One family in our area invested in a back-yard greenhouse. Medical dietary restrictions required one member of their family to live off of produce only. They were aware that it would be difficult/impossible to store foods for that person. So, they bought a small greenhouse. Now they have fresh produce all year long. Can you imagine the possibilities? I would love to have access to a citrus tree here - and could if I had a greenhouse.

One year I served tomatoes from our garden for Thanksgiving dinner. That's not remarkable if you live in Florida or Arizona, but we live in Utah. Earlier in the fall when I knew it was going to freeze, I picked all of the remaining ripe tomatoes. I also picked all of the green tomatoes that were shiny (the dull ones won't usually ripen). I stored them in a mostly-dark, cool place in our basement.2 I separated the tomatoes so that they didn't touch each other. I checked on them periodically throughout the next several months and brought up the tomatoes as they started to turn colors.

Truly, a garden can provide fresh produce all year and can protect us from the ups and downs of pricing.

Source:
1 - Deep freeze escalates produce prices
2 - Vegetable Harvest and Storage

Rising Food Prices

2011-02-09T11:04:00.000-08:00

Several news sources have been reporting ongoing food shortages and resulting rising food prices. In fact, the UN food and agriculture organization just reported that world food prices are at their all time high (since they started tracking prices 20 years ago).3

Unfortunately, home storage is not likely to completely blunt rising prices. Even if you lived completely on your home storage, you would eventually run out and have to start replacing at the higher prices. There are several things you can do, however, to maximize your money and utilize your home storage to give you extra savings in these circumstances.

1) Wait for sales.

Having a good home storage allows you to pay attention to sales and purchase only when items are cheaper than they might be at regular prices. When you already have a good supply on hand, you can ride the waves and maximize your funds.

Several years ago a bucket of wheat climbed to $25 in our area. Because I had a good supply of wheat, I didn't need to replace my wheat right away. In fact, a year or two later, prices dropped down to $14 a bucket which was the lowest I'd seen. I was able to wait and replace when prices were low. Here's another example: I like to buy refried beans when they drop to $.50 a can. Instead of the normal yearly sales, prices seemed to continue climbing. I had almost decided that it was time to replace anyway when I noticed an advertisement for $.60 a can. I paid a bit more, but at least I didn't have to pay the regular price of $1.19.

Now you have to be careful about doing this. You can get burned by waiting when prices just continue to climb. I try to keep a minimum amount on hand, replacing those minimums at the higher prices if necessary so that I won't be caught without a good supply of food.

2) Be aware of WHY food prices are rising.

Wheat prices are very volatile. Disease, drought and/or flood in different parts of the world affect crop prices. When wheat prices went up several years ago, I was aware that there were some drought-issues affecting wheat prices. I was fairly confident that these weren't long-term issues, that wheat crops would return to their normal levels and that I could wait to replace the storage that I had used. In fact the next year was a bumper crop and prices dropped to new lows.

By the way, there is a usually a delay before rising/lowering prices hit the market, so you may have to wait to see the price changes. The wheat crop this year has suffered from both drought and flood so prices will be going up in the future. My neighborhood store, however, still has wheat buckets from last year's inventory and prices are still good.

There is a cascade effect that happens when commodity prices increase. When wheat prices go up, so do pizza, bread and cereal prices. Recalls can also affect inventory and pricing.

Knowledge gives you buying power!

3) Maximize your education and skills.

Inflation, unfortunately, is real. Prices will continue to climb. One way that you can ensure that you stay on top of rising prices is to maximize your salary potential. Keep your job skills current. Get extra education when possible. Make sure your spouse is doing the same.

Obtaining high levels of education and skills mean in tough times you will be more likely to keep your job and/or find a job. In two different circumstances, I competed with 70 and 90 other candidates for a job. I was hired and told afterwards that in both cases I was different than every other applicant because I had two bachelor's degrees in related fields. Additional education made all the difference in the opportunities presented to me.

Those with the most education usually have the highest paying jobs and often the best job security.4 Make sure you are able to adjust and adapt to a changing world with rising prices by always learning and gaining new skills.

Want some good news? Rice, milk, and meat prices are down.2 Ice cream prices are also down.1 It's a good time to stock up!

More on the importance of education:
http://iprepared.blogspot.com/2009/03/education.html

Sources:
1 - Rising food prices sour Utah families
2 - Food inflation isn't in every grocery aisle
3 - World food prices hit record highs
4 - Education equals job security

Political Unrest & Traveling

2011-02-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

Praying: Minnesota native Pastor Peter Johnson and his family are

among the thousands of Americans currently waiting at Cairo airport

for a flight out as Egyptians took to the street . . .

There are many reasons why becoming self-reliant and prepared are good ideas. In just the past two years, we've seen hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, job loss, underemployment, inflation, etc. In each case, those who have been prepared have been able to take care of their families and then reach out to others in need.

The news headlines of the past few days have showed another instance where preparedness is a huge blessing. Egypt is reporting that food staples are running out in Cairo. Stores are closed and boarded up for protection. Shipments aren't making it into the city. Gas is not available and banks are closed. Cell phones and internet connections have been turned off. "The street demonstrations have made family members unwilling or unable to shop for food items." (CNN2) The political unrest is spreading in the region and governments aren't even functioning, let alone helping. I'm sure that being prepared wouldn't completely alleviate an Egyptian citizen's feelings of concern. But knowing that you had a food supply and could feed your family would allow you to concentrate on other issues.

I also want to note that it's important to be aware of preparedness even when you are traveling. There are many travelers stuck in Egypt in these conditions. I was in Beijing during the height of the Tienanmen Square demonstrations in 1989. When planning our trip, we had no idea that it would coincide with the political unrest in the area. Much of the city was shut down while we were there. We did fine and never went without food, but the potential was there for us to encounter problems similar to those in Egypt. These are dramatic events. Sometimes, though, a situation as simple as a snow storm can ground you and put you in tenuous circumstances while traveling.

It's impossible to transport many preparedness items as you travel - especially if you are flying. But as you are able, make a habit of assessing your situation and stocking up as much as is reasonable - wherever you are. If you are on an extended business trip, make a quick trip to a convenience store and grab a few extra boxes of granola bars and bottles of water. You may end up never using them and instead giving them away before you leave, but it would give you a bit of a back up. And though it seems obvious, make a habit of watching the news and find out the weather, politics, etc. before you travel. You can anticipate possible situations better and be prepared because of your knowledge.

Sources:

1 - Food staples starting to run out in Egypt - By Salma Abdelaziz, CNN

2 - United Press International

3 - Daily Mail

4 - Photo (Getty Images)

Canning Chicken

2011-01-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

Our local stores have chicken breasts for $1.39 a pound this week so I pulled out my never-used-before pressure cooker and finally tried canning chicken. Knowing how to process and preserve your own foods is a great self-reliance skill. I admit, though, that I was a little nervous because of an infamous family story of my grandmother's pressure cooker blowing up while full of red beets (no one was hurt, but the walls were RED!).
I thawed the frozen chicken by placing it into a bowl of warm water for about 20 minutes. This is about five pounds of chicken. I did a total of 20 pounds.
When it was completely thawed, I trimmed off any fat on the chicken (which wasn't much). I then put the breasts into clean jars with about 1 inch of head space. I didn't add any water. I could have added a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, but because the chicken had already been injected with some broth, I choose not to add the salt.
After wiping the jar tops and fastening lids and rings onto the pint jars, I placed them into my pressure canner with 3 quarts of water and fastened the pressure-cooker lid (the water amount will vary - see your own manual for specific instructions). My 16-quart pressure canner states that it will process 10 pints at a time, but it really only did 8 - maybe because I used wide-mouth jars. Each jar held about one pound of chicken.

My pressure canner manual states to cook meats at 13 pounds of pressure (adjusted for my own altitude of 5700 feet above sea level) for 75 minutes (90 minutes for quarts).

I think this was the hardest part of processing the chicken. Every pressure canner works differently. I had to carefully read the manual several times. Make sure to read yours carefully for water amounts, pressure required, and processing times (always adjusting for altitude as described in your manual). I vented mine for 10 minutes, added the weight, brought up the pressure, processed for 75 minutes and then let the cooker drop pressure and cool. It required some watching to maintain the pressure at 13 pounds. By the third batch, I had a pretty good idea of where to set my stove top and was able to get some other things done.

This is the result! I did 20 pints of chicken (each pint is about one pound of chicken). Prepping the chicken was easy. Learning to use the pressure cooker was a little harder, but now that I've done it, I won't be hesitant to do it again!

Home Storage for Singles and Newlyweds

2011-01-04T19:02:00.000-08:00

Think home storage is just for families? If so, you might want to check out these articles full of preparedness tips for singles and newlyweds:

Two Cans of Corn: Home Storage for Newlyweds

By starting small, wisely using storage space, saving money, and gradually increasing their efforts, newly married couples can experience the blessings of peace and security that come from home storage.

Being Independent, Being Prepared

How some young adults are applying principles of preparedness to their busy, mobile lives.

Serving Others

2010-12-26T18:07:00.000-08:00

I am completely convinced that we are blessed in our lives with so much abundance so we can help others. I think home storage plays a similar roll. When we have an abundant home storage, then we can take our of our family's needs and still help those around us.

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and urge you find a way to help others during this Christmas season. Make it a family tradition! Our annual family service tradition brings the Spirit of Christ and Christmas into our home especially when selfishness threatens to prevail.

The first commandment is to Love God and "the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There are NONE other commandment greater than these." (The Holy Bible, Mark 12: 31) I don't know of a better way to show love to God and our neighbors than by serving others. In fact, Christ was teaching us this principle when he said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (The Holy Bible, Matthew 25: 40)

Be generous with your funds, time and talents. And be generous about the circumstances of others. Everything that we have comes from God. "Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have? . . . O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another." (The Book of Mormon, Mosiah 4: 19, 21)

I know that Jesus Christ, my brother lives again. Merry Christmas!

The Value of Nesquik

2010-12-21T17:41:00.000-08:00

For the past few months, I have been cooking with a probably twelve year-old #10 can of Rainy Day instant powdered milk. I use it primarily for baking and I haven't had any problems with it. For the first time in years, we ran out of milk this morning. So, I made some up using my powdered milk.

Everyone raved over the peppermint cocoa served with the powdered milk just as they came in from a snowy morning of sledding. However, my four year old commented on his cup of straight milk served at dinner tonight, "Mom, this milk smells funny." I picked up my cup and cringed as I realized that I might not be able to stomach the milk either. After a mutiny by the entire family, I pulled out the Nesquik (which I used to know as Nestle Quik) to make "chocolate milk." Every time someone commented on the yucky milk, my teen-aged son would add an additional tablespoon-full to his glass. The Nesquik wasn't great, but the milk tasted worse without it.

I've always kept a few containers of Nesquick in my storage and I'll make sure to continue to do so for situations like this. This is also a good reminder to make sure that you taste and like the powdered milk that you choose to store for drinking. What you store for cooking matters less.

Click here for past posts on powdered milk.

Homemade Ricotta

2010-11-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

Part of being self-reliant is having the tools and skills to innovate in many different circumstances. Knowing basic recipes is one such skill that adds versatility to your home-storage. I love finding recipes that turn ordinary ingredients into something unusual. This is one of those recipes that I both want to keep on hand and that I want to share.

Homemade Ricotta

4 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons good white wine vinegar

Set a large sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with the cheesecloth.

Pour the milk and cream into a stainless steel or enameled pot. Stir in the salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar.

Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).

Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining whey. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days. Makes about 2 cups.

Source:

I found this recipe by Ina Garten in The Costco Connection, November 2010, page 30.

Canning Grape Juice

2010-10-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy few months as we've harvested our garden. The tomatoes, potatoes and squash were a bust, perhaps because of a cool spring and early summer. But, we had an abundant crop of raspberries, peaches, and apples. We've canned peaches, made several different batches of fruit leather (which is already gone), and just recently I canned grape juice.

Grape Juice

1. Pick grapes.
2. Prepare quart bottles. I washed mine in the dishwasher on a sani-rinse.
3. Fill basin of steamer approximately 3/4 full of water.
4. Rinse grapes, picking out leaves or debris. Leave grapes on the stems.

5. Place grapes into steamer. Pack, but don't press.
6. Bring water in basin to a boil. Turn down to medium heat.
7. After about 50 minutes, you will be able to fill one or two still-hot quart bottles.
8. Place flats on full bottles and finger-tighten the rings.
9. Check water in basin. Refill if necessary.

10. After an additional 20 to 40 minutes, you should be able to fill approximately three or four more bottles. Place flats and rings.
11. Process in a water bath for 5 minutes (adjust for elevation). The USDA also adds sugar (which is optional) and an additional step of refrigerating, straining and reheating the grape juice before processing in order to reduce tartaric acid. The tartaric acid crystals don't bother me, so I skip this step. I add my own sugar when using the juice.

Here is a link to official recipes and water bath times: UGA - Grape Juice.

Also:

A. If you aren't going to strain the juice, don't stir or push the grapes or you will get a lot of debris in your bottles.

B. After filling my quarts, I did stir the grapes in the pot and then let it cook a little longer. I saved that juice to strain and serve that day. Approximately two total quarts were taken after the grapes were stirred.

C. I had an apple box and a full shopping bag full of concord grapes. It yielded about 20 total quarts.

D. We reconstitute our juice with a little more than a full additional bottle of water and 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar. Each crop of grapes is different. Adjust to your own taste.

En Español

2010-10-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Veronica at El rincón de la preparación (The Preparation Corner) translated iPrepared's Three-Month Supply Worksheet into Spanish. Please pass this resource on to any Spanish speakers that would enjoy a copy of the worksheet or Veronica's blog (which is a wonderful preparation resource in Spanish). Thank you to Veronica for all of her work!

Here is the link:
Hoja de almacenamiento

Grab-N-Go List (partial repost)

2010-09-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of fires here in the Western United States lately, including one not too many miles from my home this past week. Thousands of homes have been evacuated with little notice. I've read story after story about families not knowing what to save as they rush to leave their homes in order to be safe.

Today, I'm reposting a portion of a previous post on prioritized evacuation lists because it might be on your mind right now. It's worth a few minutes to make your own list now. It's tough to remember where things are and what you want to take when you're in a panic.

Please make sure to personalize your list. You'll want to locate copies of your list in multiple locations. Hang a list on your fridge and near each door for easy access.

Sample Grab-N-Go List:

Two Minutes:
Kids
Keys
Purse (check for cell phone)
Tennis shoes
Jacket/coat
Car

Five Minutes:
72-Hour Kits (hooks in garage)
Extra food kit (under coats in mud-room)
Bottled water (car trunks)
Both cars (pull out into driveway)
Vital Info Folder (includes birth certificates, insurance policies, etc.)
Cell phone chargers
Dad's medication
Additional cash

Ten Minutes:
[From this point on my list, I've included two columns under each time amount. The first column are survival items, the second column includes possessions that I want to save.]
Additional clothing (fill suitcases/bags with clothing as if packing for a trip)
Blankets (linen closet & beds)
Additional food (pantry)
******
Scrapbooks (office shelves)
Scrapbook bins (office closet)
Journals (office shelves)
Boys' journals (bedrooms)
Camera/video camera (M/D closet)
Family videos (M/D closet & entertainment center)

Twenty Minutes:
Flashlights/lanterns (basement)
Batteries
Tent (under stairs)
Radio (basement)
Camp stove (basement)
Larger water Bottles (basement)
Sleeping bags (under stairs)
********
Mom's portrait (over the piano)
Computer hard drive (pictures are already backed-up online)
Family pictures (on walls - already have digital backups)

One hour or more:
Portable Potty
Food storage
Air mattress
Shovels
Saw
*********
Dad's published books (office shelves)
Musical instruments
Contents of cedar-chest
Quilts

Some things that aren't on my personal list, but that you'll want to consider:
First-aid supplies (I've already included them in both my cars and our 72-hour kits)
Scriptures (also already in our 72-hour kits)
Pets and pet supplies
Medications
Fuel & generators
Eye glasses/contacts
Jewelry

For more information on creating your personal list, see a more complete post here: Prioritized Evacuation List.

Fruit Leather

2010-09-15T10:06:00.001-07:00

It's harvest time and I've got my hands full of extra fruit. Making fruit leather is an easy way to use up any fruit that isn't ideal for eating or canning. Here are my favorite two methods:

1) Hot Car Method

Make your fruit leather on a clear, hot day. It won't work if it's cloudy or too cool (less than 85 degrees). Puree any combination of fruit in your blender. Place parchment paper into a cookie sheet (cookie sheet must have edges). Spray parchment paper with Pam or wipe with vegetable oil. Pour pureed fruit onto parchment paper until it is about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. If it is too thin it will break apart too easily. If it is too thick, it won't dry. Park your car out in the sun. Leave your cookie sheets in the car. It might take two days for the fruit to fully dry. Finish drying in a low-temp oven if it hasn't dried after two days.

2) Dehydrator Method:

Puree any variety of fruit in your blender. Spray or wipe fruit roll-up trays with Pam or vegetable oil. Pour fruit into trays until full. Turn on dehydrator to recommended temperature. It takes about 24 hours until they are dry. Don't bother to roll and wrap with plastic wrap if your house is like mine. I made my first batch two days ago and it's already gone.

These trays have (clockwise from the top) peaches mixed with applesauce, only peaches, and strawberries mixed with applesauce. I add 1 T. of lemon juice per blender-full of puree to help slow browning. Applesauce is a great extender. I buy it in #10 cans at Costco for about $4.

I dried this batch too long and it crackled apart. It still tastes good, but is harder to roll onto plastic wrap.

For more information: Dehydrating Foods At Home

Fall Reminders

2010-09-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

My kids have already headed back to school. My home is much more quiet and clean. You might find yourself with more time to address preparedness. Here are several suggestions for renewed efforts:

1) Keep working on your three-month supply.

You can use the iPrepared worksheet for a one-week supply or some other source. Resolve to at least make a menu this fall. It's so easy to drop a one-week supply menu into your purse or pocket to keep on hand for grocery trips.

2) Look for fall sales.

Here in Utah, the case lot sales are starting. Fellow preparedness blogger, Prepared LDS Family, has a fantastic comparison price sheet to help find the good buys. (I don't think that the Maceys sales have been added to her link yet.) Shopping sales is a great way to save a little money that you can then put towards your three-month supply.

3) Review backpack emergency kits.

My kids all have new bags, which means that their old pocket-sized emergency kits are either still in their old bags or have been thrown away. Back to school is a great time to refresh those supplies and make sure that your kids have a few necessities on hand.

4) Learn a new food preservation skill.

A lot of local produce is cheap right now as it is being harvested. It's also time to start picking fruit and vegetables from your own trees and gardens. A great self-reliance skill is to be able to provide and preserve your own fruits and vegetables year round. Local extension services often offer classes on food preservation techniques. Don't be overwhelmed by pressure cookers and canners. You can start by learning dehydrating and cold-storage techniques that can extend your harvest and don't even require special equipment, just a little knowledge.

Lessons from New Zealand

2010-09-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's 7.0 earthquake in New Zealand, power has been restored to the majority of homes. However, many of the residents are still without water. Many water and sewer lines were severed in the earthquake. Because of the sewage contamination, many backup drinking-water sources have also been compromised.

The New Zealand Herald is reporting that "There is a shortage of drinkable water in Waimakariri, mostly Kaiapoi. The Selwyn District has nearly returned to normal in urban centres but rural areas remain problematic. Rolleston's water is contaminated. Residents of Canterbury still advised to boil water prior to use, also to avoid recreational use of water as rivers have been affected with sewage."

We've seen this same scenario over and over in varied situations. Once the dust settles, the primary concern is water. Water sources are often compromised at best and non-existent at worst. Water supplies are already on their way to Christchurch, but obviously it is going to take some time to distribute it to those who need it.

So, what do I want you to do with this information? Store Water! You don't have to have special equipment - just a clean, empty soda bottle. Swish with 1 teaspoon of bleach mixed with about a quart of water, rinse well and fill with chlorinated water. Start now. In my opinion, it's the most important part of your home storage.

Past posts on water:
Two Weeks
Haiti
Prepared in Houston
Would I Have Been Ready?

Sources:The New Zealand Herald - Latest News Christchurch Earthquake
The New Zealand Herald - City Awakes to Billion-Dollar Aftershock
Safe Drinking Water (includes instructions for non-chlorinated water)

Apologies

2010-08-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the blank and random posts today. I often work on a post for several months. I post date the entry while I'm working on it. Sometimes, those posts sneak up on me and publish without being finished (or even started).

My Three-Month Supply

2010-08-11T17:07:00.000-07:00

This is a one-week supply for our family of five (which includes two teenage boys).*

Think it takes too much space to store a three-month supply? This is the same one-week supply as above with everything stacked. It doesn't take much space at all!

Hopefully with the Three-Month Supply Worksheet that I posted a few weeks ago, you've been able to find out that gathering a three-month supply is much easier than you'd imagined - especially if you work at it one week at a time. Though you should not use my menu (and should only include what YOUR family eats), I know that sometimes seeing someone else's plan can help you to scrutinize your own eating habits and develop a successful menu for your own family. So today, I'm including an example of my own Three-Month Menu Plan.

Our Three-Month Supply Menu
Multiply these one-week amounts by 13 for a Three-Month Supply

Breakfast
Monday - Cereal/Milk
Tuesday - Oatmeal/Juice
Wednesday - Pancakes/Milk
Thursday - Cereal/Milk
Friday - Oatmeal/Juice
Saturday - Pancakes/Milk
Sunday - Cereal/Milk

Lunch
Monday - Mac-n-Cheese/Juice
Tuesday - PB & Honey Sandwiches/Milk
Wednesday - Jambalaya/Milk
Thursday - PB&J Sandwiches/Milk
Friday - Pizza/Juice
Saturday - Chicken Salad Sandwiches/Pickles/Juice
Sunday - Easy Soups (Spaghettios, Soup, Raviolis, Chili)/Milk

Dinner
Monday - Taco Soup/Mandarin Oranges/Milk
Tuesday - Pasta with Meat and Marinara Sauce/Peas/Peaches/Milk
Wednesday - Burritos/Apple Sauce/Milk
Thursday - Black Beans and Rice/Mandarin Oranges/Corn/Milk
Friday - Wild Rice Soup (includes carrots), Peaches, Juice
Saturday - Chicken Alfredo and Pasta/Peaches/Corn/Juice
Sunday - Curry Chicken/Peas/Apple Sauce/Milk

Note: These are selections from our family menu that are a part of our normal, daily diet. That doesn't mean that we eat all of these items every week. I've picked these particular meals because they store well and we eat them often enough that they are familiar and can be easily rotated. For example, I probably serve Taco Soup about once every-other month - or 6 times a year. I've stored 13 meals-worth of Taco Soup for our three-month supply. We eat it regularly enough that I would be able rotate through all 13 servings in about two years -- well within expiration dates. My family likes it enough that they would be happy to eat it more often if needed.

Also: Our day-to-day menu includes a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. This menu does not reflect that fresh produce, but instead only includes preserved produce or canned items which we also use. We grow a garden, berries and fruit trees and I count on these to be part of my three-month supply. I plan to add more fresh fruits and vegetables to these menus as it is available.

*Picture is missing a small bottle of mayo, one can of cream of chicken soup, one can of chicken broth, and an additional box of cereal.

Prioritized Evacuation List (Grab-N-Go)

2010-08-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

Lisa recently wrote,

"I live in Southern California and recently we had a wildfire very close to homes and a lot of my friends had to evacuate. They gathered most of their important documents and scrapbooks and things. But while staying away from their homes, all they could think about was what they had forgotten. So we have all been trying to come up with some (kind) of "evacuation list" to be prepared for any other situation like this. Do you have any ideas for this or any resources that we can turn to?"

I think it is a great thing to have a prioritized evacuation list. In a stressful situation, it can be hard to think clearly. If you have a list, you can rely on it to remind you of important items without stressing that you're forgetting something. You'll want to locate copies of your list in multiple locations. Hang a list on your fridge and near each door for easy access.

Each family's list is going to be different. Perhaps a certain toy is essential to comfort a toddler in your family. For your family, that toy will need to be towards the top of the list. A different family might have a special family portrait that is important to save.

Every evacuation situation is also going to be different. You might only have two minutes or you might have twenty minutes to gather items. I've broken my evacuation list into time amounts, guessing what I can gather in that amount of time. If my guesses are wrong, I'm still okay because the list starts with the most important items and moves to less important items. I've also included the location of each item. Listing the location will save precious time as it reminds you of where things are and saves you from describing the location to anyone else who might be there to help.

In an actual evacuation, you might choose to skip items on the list depending upon the situation. In a fire, you would probably choose to skip things like sleeping bags and tents, knowing that you will have family, a shelter, or a hotel available to you and instead concentrate on getting valuables out of your home. In an earthquake, your priority might be gathering survival items and food out of a broken home before another aftershock hits. In a gas leak evacuation, you'll just be trying to get out as fast as possible with only absolute necessities. It's impossible to predict when you might need this list or what the circumstance will be. So I've made one easy-to-find list that I can adapt accordingly.

My Grab-N-Go List:

Two Minutes:
Kids
Keys
Purse (check for cell phone)
Tennis shoes
Jacket/coat
Car

Five Minutes:
72-Hour Kits (hooks in garage)
Extra food kit (under coats in mud-room)
Bottled water (car trunks)
Both cars (pull out into driveway)
Vital Info Folder (includes birth certificates, insurance policies, etc.)
Cell phone chargers
Dad's medication
Additional cash

Ten Minutes:
[From this point on my list, I've included two columns under each time amount. The first column are survival items, the second column includes possessions that I want to save.]
Additional clothing (fill suitcases/bags with clothing as if packing for a trip)
Blankets (linen closet & beds)
Additional food (pantry)
******
Scrapbooks (office shelves)
Scrapbook bins (office closet)
Journals (office shelves)
Boys' journals (bedrooms)
Camera/video camera (M/D closet)
Family videos (M/D closet & entertainment center)

Twenty Minutes:
Flashlights/lanterns (basement)
Batteries
Tent (under stairs)
Radio (basement)
Camp stove (basement)
Larger water Bottles (basement)
Sleeping bags (under stairs)
********
Mom's portrait (over the piano)
Computer hard drive (pictures are already backed-up online)
Family pictures (on walls - already have digital backups)

One hour or more:
Portable Potty
Food storage
Air mattress
Shovels
Saw
*********
Dad's published books (office shelves)
Musical instruments
Contents of cedar-chest
Quilts

Some things that aren't on my personal list, but that you'll want to consider:
First-aid supplies (I've already included them in both my cars and our 72-hour kits)
Scriptures (also already in our 72-hour kits)
Pets and pet supplies
Medications
Fuel & generators
Eye glasses/contacts
Jewelry

Did I miss anything? Please share if you have an idea of something else that might need to be included in these lists. Thanks!

Here are some other examples and ideas:
Prepared LDS Family - List
Rim Family Services
Natural Disasters Evacuation Possessions Survival
Mountain Living

Mylar Blankets (and the importance of being prepared while hiking)

2010-07-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

Last week I sent my son to scout camp. His leaders gave him quite an extensive packing list. We generally complied, but I admit that I thought the list was a bit over the top -- especially the day-pack list. One item on his list was a Mylar Blanket (also known as a space/emergency/first-aid blanket). I had stored one of these blankets in each 72-hour kit, so I just grabbed his and threw it in his backpack.

We were surprised to find out that during the mid-week hike they got "lost" and had to use their day-packs to spend the night under the stars. [This was completely planned and was part of the scouts earning their Wilderness Survival Merit Badge.] My son had a well-packed day-pack, including long pants and a jacket.

Temperatures plummeted as it got dark (summer lows in the area average around 50 degrees). The boys put on their jackets and hats and then pulled out their emergency blankets. My son described the blanket as being way too little (he is 4' 10"). The blanket was only big enough to wrap completely around his upper body. He indicated that complete coverage was important as any gaps in the blanket allowed the cold air in and negated any warmth added from the blanket. Their scout leader also brought trash bags for each boy to use. My son felt that he really needed two mylar blankets and two trash bags to stay "barely warm." By 3:00 a.m. it was clear that the boys (especially those in shorts) weren't going to stay warm with just the supplies on hand. So they packed up and hiked back to camp where they all promptly snuggled into their warm sleeping bags.

In contrast, it was interesting to hear a cousin relate the story of his scout camp just weeks earlier. A group of 19 scouts and several leaders got lost in the Washington mountains while hiking. In that large group of scouts, only one scout had matches and food (a bag of goldfish). Temperatures dipped below freezing and it snowed that night. Thankfully, they had those matches and were able to build a single fire (too little dry wood for more). They were found the next morning. No one was permanently harmed. Unfortunately we stories like this all too often.

The moral?

Always, always, always be prepared for getting lost - even on day hikes!

(and) Rethink your use of emergency blankets. If my 12 year-old son needed more than one, I'm certain that the adults in our family would need even more. I've seen the "sleeping bag" style and might give those a try. However, I honestly don't think they would work for the larger adults in our home. I think I will add several mylar blankets to each 72-hour kit and to my car kits. I'm also going to add some garbage bags to those kits.

[Photo Credit]

Charcoal

2010-07-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

[I've been offline because we've been on vacation to Colorado for a family reunion. We had a great time! I hope you're having a great summer.]

Right now is a great time to purchase charcoal. You'll know that you've found a great price on charcoal if it is less than $.22 a pound. You get roughly 16 - 18 briquettes per lb. You can cook roughly 32 dutch oven meals for around $11 (24 briquettes for a 10 inch dutch oven). Charcoal is the "least expensive fuel per BTU that you can store." [1]

When stored, charcoal absorbs moisture easily and then doesn't light or burn well. You can prevent moisture from getting into the charcoal by storing it in an air-tight container. If properly stored, it can last indefinitely. [1] Charcoal can be easily stored in food storage buckets or used laundry buckets. You can lengthen the storage life of charcoal and increase the convenience of using it by sealing smaller quantities in food-saver bags and then storing those bags in your bucket. I plan to store the amount of briquettes I need to achieve 350 degrees in a dutch oven. This amount varies depending upon the size of your grill or dutch oven. Read here for more information.

You probably also want to store newspapers or lighter-fluid in order to light the charcoal. A chimney makes starting the charcoal a lot easier. I would also recommend purchasing a dutch-oven, volcano stove, and/or charcoal grill. These are uniquely suited to cooking with charcoal.

You should never, never, NEVER use charcoal indoors (or even in an open garage)! Charcoal creates a lot of carbon monoxide and will kill you. Always use it outside.

[1] Jones, Jonathan and Kylene; Cooking and Lighting with Alternative Energy, American Fork West Stake Home Storage and Preparedness pamphlet.

[2] Chuck Wagon Supply; Dutch Oven Tips & Techniques.

More for Preparedness/Home Storage Specialists

2010-06-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are also serving as Home-Storage or Preparedness Specialists might be interested in a document that we created for training the ward specialists. Instead of linking to a pdf, I'll just give you the text:

Ward Food Storage Specialists

Main Objective: Teach and assist families to become self-reliant in home storage.

Current Focus: Make a renewed effort at the ward level to help every family gather a three-month supply.

"President Hinckley clearly recognized that change and adaptation are needed so that all of us might benefit from the Lord’s inspired program." (Evelyn Jeffries, Family Home Storage, A New Message, Ensign, March 2009) 　

"This new approach asks us to do the best we can, even if all we can do is to set aside a can or two each week. If the prophet asks us to do something, we can find a way to fulfill the commandment and receive the blessings." (Dennis Lifferth, managing director of Church Welfare Services) 　

"This new program is within everyone’s grasp. The first step is to BEGIN. The second is to CONTINUE. It doesn’t matter how fast we get there so much as that we begin and continue according to our abilities." (Bishop H. David Burton)

Some possible tools that can help you accomplish this within your wards:

1. Work with your Bishopric. Seek and follow their direction.

2. Reach out specifically to the 80% of your ward that have NO storage.

3. Simplify. Make things as simple, understandable, and accessible as possible.

4. Emphasize storing foods that are already a part of each family’s "normal, daily diet" (Safely Gathered In)

5. Gain personal experience by making a plan for your own family to gather your three-month supply.

6. Meet with individuals or small groups in your ward (those who don’t already have a three-month supply) and assist them in developing a personal plan for gathering a three-month supply. The Three-Month Supply worksheet can be used as a tool to develop plans.

7. Have blank copies of the worksheet available so that families can make additional copies for future use if desired.

8. Enlist the help of Visiting Teachers and/or Home Teachers when working with inactive members. They might be able to take the message and worksheet to these families with greater success.

9. Remind and encourage each member to gather a one-week supply. Then encourage them to expand their storage to three-months as soon as they are able.

10. Use announcements in ward bulletins, ward newsletters, and in ward auxiliaries to inspire, remind, and motivate.

11. Be a broken record in reminding members about the importance of getting a three-month supply.

Many Ways to Approach a Three-Month Supply

2010-06-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

“The first step is to begin.

The second is to continue.

It doesn’t matter how fast we get there so much as that we begin and continue according to our abilities.”

(Bishop Burton)

Obviously there isn't just one way to plan a three-month supply. Here are several different methods. Choose the method that works best for you (or make up your own) and begin!

Use a three-month calendar. Plan three months at one time.
Use a one-month calendar. Repeat three times.
Use the one-week worksheet, but use it to create two different menus. Alternate.
Purchase one extra meal or one day's menu each week when you go shopping.
Buy double of everything when you go shopping.

Here are some planning forms that might help you:
*Gathering Your Three-Month Supply (one week at a time worksheet) - by iPrepared
*3 Month Food Supply Excel Worksheet - by Food Storage Made Easy
*3 month food supply plan with printable forms - also by Food Storage Made Easy

How have you planned for a three-month supply?

We Can Begin With a One Week's Food Supply

2010-06-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

We can begin ever so modestly.

We can begin with a one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months.

(President Gordon B. Hinckley)

There was some confusion as we introduced the Three-Month Supply worksheet at a Relief Society Meeting this week. Some thought we were teaching the need for a one-week supply and abandoning the idea of a three-month supply. We had to clarify that this worksheet is just the first step to gathering a three-month supply. This quote by President Gordon B. Hinckley has been the inspiration for the development of our plan.

Three-Month Supply Worksheet

2010-06-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

Link - Three-Month Supply Worksheet by iPrepared

(En Español)

[If the link above doesn't work, go here and click on the worksheet graphic which will give you a picture file.]

This worksheet will help you make a plan for gathering one week's worth of food for your family. A step-by-step list of instructions is included on the worksheet. In a nutshell, make a menu plan for one week and determine which products you need to have on hand for those meals. Purchase a few extra items each time you go shopping. Pretty soon you'll have a one-week supply!
Once you've gathered one week's worth of meals, continue purchasing extra food. Repeat the worksheet four times for a one-month supply. Repeat 13 times for a full three-month supply. It's easier than you think!

[FAQs] Frequently Asked Questions:

How do I know which meals to include?
As you plan your menu, it is important that include meals that are a part of YOUR "normal, daily diet"1 (including canned and commercially packaged foods).2 This isn't the time to include someone else's recipes or plans. These don't have to be "food-storage foods." Store what YOU eat.

What if I have more meals that I want to include in my three-month plan?
Make several copies of the worksheet. Label each week as Menu A, Menu B, etc as desired. You can repeat your one-week plan thirteen times to achieve a three-month supply or you can create a variety of menus and repeat in order to have 13 weeks total.
What types of meals are easier to store?
It's almost easier to talk about which foods don't store easily. Most fresh fruits and vegetables perish quickly. Maybe you often have grapefruit for breakfast. Because grapefruit only lasts for a month or so in ideal conditions (and can't really be frozen, dehydrated, or bottled), this meal might not be a good candidate for three-month supply storage. (Regularly planting a garden is a good way to plan for fresh fruits and vegetables in your menu.) On the other hand, if you enjoy eating oatmeal for breakfast, the supplies necessary for preparing this meal can be stored for at least three months.

What about infants?
If your infant drinks formula, you'll want to include that in your plan.

Should my meals be easy to cook without electricity?
I have based this worksheet on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' directions for a three-month supply. They have not indicated a need to store foods that can be cooked without electricity. You have to decide what is best for your family. Just remember that the meals you store should already be a part of your "normal, daily diet."1

Can I plan to store things in my freezer?
There are foods that can be easily stored in your freezer and rotated into your three month supply. If you are concerned about not having electricity, see the question and answer above.

Should I include water?
Water is essential to survival. Water storage is one of the four major components found in the new recommendations for family home storage from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.1 Though it is not specifically included in this worksheet, it is important that your family also store water. Water can easily be stored in soda bottles that have been washed out and sanitized with a combination of a little bleach and water.
What about toiletries?
The main purpose of this worksheet is to help you store food that is a part of your normal, daily diet. If you feel like you would like to also store things such as toilet paper, toothpaste and shampoo for your family, that would be fantastic - but again, it is not the focus of this worksheet.

What if my diet is only fresh fruits and vegetables?
This question is the most difficult that I've had so far. If your normal, daily diet only includes fresh fruits and vegetables, then I would strongly suggest that you plant a garden. A garden would enable you to supplement those fruits and vegetables for much of the year (maybe even year round depending upon the climate). If you are open to dehydrated or home canned produce, you can store your own fresh fruits and vegetables year round.
In order to store a three-month supply, you may have to highly scrutinize your menu and look for any items that can be stored and rotated. It might be more difficult, but it isn't impossible. You might choose to store foods/meals that would be acceptable in tight circumstances. Then, plan to donate any stored items that you haven't used to the food banks in your area prior to expiration dates.

Sources:1 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Safely Gathered In, Three-Month Supply. (Text; PDF; Multiple Languages)
2 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Provident Living, FAQs

Copyright - 2010. You may make copies of the "Gathering Your Three-Month Supply" worksheet for your own personal use or for church use. If you link to this worksheet on your website or blog, please also include the link for this post on iPrepared and give appropriate credit. Link: http://iprepared.blogspot.com/2010/06/three-month-supply-worksheet.html

Preparedness Outreach Ideas

2010-06-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I asked for ideas from you about how to help single parents become prepared. I received this fantastic email from Jennifer. She has given me permission to share her ideas.

"I love this! As the parent of a baby, it was parenthood that made me get serious about “preparedness”. Sure, we always had some stuff around, but becoming a “Mama Bear” made me realize that I fiercely want to protect my Baby Bear, and make sure that he always had what he needed. Single Moms have so many more things working against them including lacking that partner. This would be my approach:

Map out a series of steps based on immediate needs for an emergency. Have a buying plan for an extra $10/week.

1.) Storing Water:
Have a soda bottle drive at your church. It doesn't cost a thing! Just by announcing the collection, you’ll have people thinking about their own water supply. You can’t make it more than ~ 3 days without water. This would be my first step because it’s free. For the next big holiday (4th of July?) ask members to buy their soda in plastic bottles for their party and bring them in when they’re done.

2.) 72-hour kit:
Make up a list and an approximate cost. Make the list in phases of “essential” (water, food, flashlight), “like to have” (extra shoes, toiletries, etc.). Perhaps a “drive” in the church for unused kids backpacks and bags? Have the kids make up a 72-hour kit in Sunday School. Moms might not accept charity for themselves, but they won’t say “no” to something that will benefit their children. I know I wouldn't. (Around here we have a chain of stores called “*****”. They often have “free with rebate” items, and backpacks are a big item. Other times they’re $0.99 with rebate.) Also the little “drawstring” backpacks are <$3 online. Combine it with Biblical stories – Joseph, the 10 virgins, Noah, etc. Fill it with what kids could reasonably fit and carry – 6 bottles of water, granola bars, fruit cups, pudding etc. It’s a start.

3.) Lifestyle Issues:
Getting out of debt, savings, living within your means, etc. Real resources and problem solvers for issues at home (eliminating cable, Netflix, etc.). Smartly using a credit card. Having a garage sale. Scoring great kids items at other garage sales. Free entertainment (think public library instead of the movies). Trading child-care services with other parents instead of paying a sitter. Advertise local resources - WIC, school programs, etc.

4.) Helping your moms get their 3-month-supply:
Compile Easy Recipes – Sure we’d all like to whip up a Martha Stewart meal every night, but busy moms need recipes that are tasty, easy and can eliminate the frozen convenience foods (pizza, etc.) “30-Minute-Meals” sound appealing, but a 10 minute prep then throw in the oven/crock pot is even better. 20 minutes not in the kitchen, is 20 more minutes with the kids. Also focus on one-pot meals for easy cleanup. From this list, compile a 2-3 week menu rotation that is diverse and nutritionally complete. Multiply by 4-6 for 12 weeks (3 months). Yes, I know about having wheat and grinders handy, but initially, this is a lot for a single mom to swallow. She doesn't have time to shower, so she’s not whipping up home made bread. Am I right?

My faves: Cheap Baked Beans - can of pork and beans, ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. Heat on the stove. Serve with hotdogs bought on sale and frozen. :) Baked chicken breasts with Dijon mustard and crushed saltines on top. Pasta & Sauce (boil pasta, drain, then add sauce in same pot, and heat) Easy peasy

Create a recipe booklet with the ingredients in a standard format to inventory ingredients. Include substitutions or extras. Along-side, create a master ingredient list for the 3 months of meals. This could be a great thing to “sell” at church, allowing the proceeds to help fund other phases of your endeavor. Include a mini-sharpie with the cookbook and encourage people to write the purchase date on their canned goods if there is no exp.

Start a coupon exchange at church. Lots of people get the big Saturday/Sunday paper with coupons. Some people just throw out the coupons. Formula and diapers are a big one to save on. Moms have to have those.

5.) Maintaining emergency supplies, rotating stock, establishing a long-term storage:
eNewsletter with hints and tips – Amazon has diaper prices that are competitive with Babies R Us AND they ship for free. Timesaver! Remind your moms of what they can do with their $10 that week: 10 boxes of Mac N Cheese. 5 jars of pasta sauce. Discuss building an emergency car kit before winter cold or summer heat. $10 should cover new batteries for smoke and CO detectors each fall and spring – a wise investment. Talk about squirreling away $10 in the car for emergency gas, $10 away in the 72-hour kit. An extra $10 on the credit card bill. Discuss this Tylenol recall and the benefit of diversifying supply sources. (Our stores were out of generics, too!) I’m thinking about the peanut recall, too.

Move on to longer-term storage dehydrated vs. freeze dried. Educating your readers instead of giving instructions will help them to think about how they can attain these goals within their own situation. Don't forget to include your single moms in the giving back! They'll have kids clothes that are outgrown or toys that they no longer need. They can donate them too."

Thanks Jennifer for all of your fantastic ideas! I shared some of these ideas at a recent brainstorming meeting and our Stake is already talking about doing a soda-bottle donation drive.

Home Storage Specialists 2

2010-05-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

I met with our Stake President last night and received an additional calling. I am now serving as the "Assistant Stake Home-Storage Specialist." For those of you that would like me to say that again in non-religious terms: I'm now one of two main people responsible for teaching home storage principles to a group of over 4,000 people.

Like I said in an earlier post, I've had some responsibility for the ward (about 100 families) application of home-storage principles. But this is obviously much bigger. Our leaders want us to emphasize getting a three-month supply. They want us to make things as simple and accessible as possible -- and don't want us to cater only to food storage "hobbyists." We have also been encouraged to find ways to reach out to the single mothers in our area (for whom home-storage might be particularly overwhelming).

I just sat and wrote down a list of my ideas. This list is just a beginning. There is a lot of praying still to do in regards to what Heavenly Father wants us do. I've shared a similar list before, but this one has my own Stake's objectives in mind. I thought I would share it with you even though much of it is a repeat.

Some of you have had similar responsibilities before. I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas. I would especially appreciate any ideas on helping the single mothers to acquire their three-month supply.

Short Term:
*Meet with leaders to discuss the goals and objectives of the stake.
*Be a broken record about the three-month supply.
*Make retraining the ward home-storage leaders a priority.
*Set up a communication lines with the ward home-storage leaders.
*Eliminate the stake workshops - encourage the new program to be taught at the ward level.

Medium Term:
*Attend Bishopric training and RS training and present a message about the importance of the three-month supply. Encourage them to emphasize this in their wards and support their ward "home storage" leaders as they try to do so.
*Offer to teach fifth Sunday lessons or Additional RS Meetings as needed or encourage use of ward home storage leaders to teach these lessons.
*Set up an email newsletter (OR set up a paper newsletter) to go out to the wards anywhere from monthly to quarterly.
*Develop a worksheet that simplifies (walks you through) the process of getting a three-month supply.
*Place motivational quotes/reminders on the bulletin boards in the different building RS rooms.
*Contact (or encourage ward home-storage leaders to contact) those in charge of printing bulletins and ward newsletters. Have them include motivational quotes and reminders about a three-month supply.
*Provide outlines for FHE lessons to support the family in teaching these concepts.
*Create a description page and schedule for families who want to reserve stake canning equipment.
*Encourage ward home-storage leaders to volunteer to meet with individuals and/or small groups and help them as needed.
*Help ward home-storage leaders to know about new information including Ensign articles.

Long Term Ideas:
*Maybe do a every-other-year home-storage fair - emphasizing the new program.
*Coordinate and carry out a Stake emergency simulation.

Wheat Grinder Owner's Manuals

2010-05-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

You know that you should always read your owner's manuals, right? Well, so do I - but I don't always. I didn't read my owner's manual for my wheat grinder. If you had asked me 20 minutes ago, I would have told you that I knew how to use my grinder without any hesitation. Today, I found out that I was wrong.

Earlier this week, Crystal at Everyday Food Storage posted a video showing how to correctly use a Blendtec Wheat Grinder. I was drawn to watch because it was the same wheat grinder that I use. And guess what? I haven't been using it correctly. Like Crystal, I thought that the cup that came with was just measuring cup. It turns out it has a functional purpose.

So, I encourage you to read the manual for your electric grinder. You might discover some information that you've been missing.

Don't know where to find the manual? Here is a list of several online sources:

*K-Tec/BlendTec Mill - Crystal's Video;

*Wonder Mill - PDF; Video

*Nutrimill - PDF; Video

*L'Equip Vitalmill - PDF

Fat Pantry

2010-05-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

I don't know who coined the term, fat pantry, but I'm a believer in this concept. Don't know what a fat pantry is? Let me explain:

A fat pantry is a pantry (or shelves, cupboards or whatever) where you keep a large stock of foods that you regularly eat. I've heard some call a fat pantry their own personal store. The idea is that you stock up when items are on sale (or regularly if it's something that never goes on sale) so that you always have several of an item on hand. Then you can shop out of your own pantry.

This is the way my mother shopped. She could make hundreds of recipes on the spot without having to go to the store because she had shelves full of things that she regularly used. In fact, I only remember a handful of times that she had to purposefully pick up something at the store for a recipe. She just always had one of everything on hand.

Now, I use the same method in my own home. It's taken some time to get a well-stocked or fat pantry. But I try to have some of everything on hand.

There are so many great things about using this method. First, I am able to always save money on my groceries -- I rarely have to run to the store (and use gas) to get an item that is likely not on sale. I buy a lot of my foods on sale -- and when it is discounted I stock up. The second great thing about this method is that I am never locked into a menu. Planned for enchiladas, but really in the mood for wild-rice soup? No problem - ingredients for both are usually on hand. I can make the majority of my favorite recipes right now because I have all of the ingredients in my "fat" pantry.

Finally, if you think about it, a fat pantry can also be a three-month supply in disguise. A three-month supply is an important part of a good family home storage plan. I recommend following the family home storage plan outlined by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In their plan, a three-month supply is just one of four important steps in gathering a complete home storage. By having a full fat pantry (three-month's worth) you can complete this part of the storage plan. You also gain some of the promised blessings of peace by knowing that your family is better prepared.

Do you have a fat pantry? How do you make it work for your family?

Rotating Emergency Kits

2010-05-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

I always intend to rotate my emergency kits each year, but I don't always get around to it. Obviously that makes my kits less effective. In fact, you can read about my past 72-hour kit failure here. We currently keep the bulk of our emergency-kit food in a separate bag just inside the back door to reduce any spoiled food from the extreme temperature in our garage. Each person also has their own backpack, stored on hooks in the garage, with a little bit of less-perishable food in addition to this main bag.

Determined to create a new habit of rotation this year, I decided to follow some advice given by others and connect it to general conference and make a family tradition out of rotating the contents of our emergency kits. This could also be a fun Family Home Evening activity, especially if it was paired with practicing a preparedness skill such as an earthquake or fire drill.

Early last month I informed my family that we would be serving lunch from the food in our food-emergency-kit. Honestly, there was a lot of moaning and groaning. But I was determined. I let them choose anything from the kit. Well, that's not completely true. My twelve-year-old would have eaten just Tootsie Pops if I had let him.

My husband chose a tri-tip roast Compleat (which is a shelf-stable meal). He warmed it up and lamented that it probably wouldn't taste very good cold. My oldest son chose beef jerky, which was completely predictable. In fact, I had packed it just for him to eat because I didn't think he would eat anything else. My youngest two had a can of vienna sausages each. I had a Sensations tuna kit. We all shared a can of mandarin oranges and one of pineapple.

I know - no veggies. I actually don't store any extra vegetables in my kits. I've thought about this and figure that my kids resist eating veggies normally, so I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't eat them in an emergency (consequently taking valuable storage space). Plus, I figure that they'll be fine without veggies for three days.

I learned some important lessons as we ate our food. First, my tuna was spicy Thai - and boy was it spicy! I really needed some milk to dilute the spiciness, but only had water. So I won't be including spicy foods in the future. Second, the emergency kit was really heavy. I will probably chose fruit cups instead of pop-tab cans in the future - just to lighten the weight. Third, I realized that it would make more sense to include some plates and utensils in the food kit instead of just in the individual kits. Last, I concluded that we really needed more variety in the kit. My kids suggested including small cereal boxes. My husband suggested replacing the Compleat with a flavored tuna fillet which would taste better cold. As I shopped to replace the items we ate, I also added some crackers and a jar of peanut butter/jelly. I would really prefer to store individual restaurant packs of the peanut butter and jelly but I haven't been able to find any.

So - some good lessons learned. And even though they complained, I think it was a fun (or maybe just unusual) way to rotate the contents of our kits. It was an extremely valuable experience for me.

When/How do you rotate your kits?

Wheat Prices

2010-04-20T08:15:00.001-07:00

Just a heads up -

Updated August 2011 hard wheat prices (per pound):
$.36 - Maceys, Auguson Farms, 45 lb. bucket ($15.99) - recent sale price.
$.42 - Costco, Lehi Mills, 45 lb. bucket ($18.**)
$.46 - Family Home Storage Center (LDS Cannery), 25 lb. bag - needs to be repackaged.
$.60 - Family Home Storage Center (LDS Cannery), #10 cans.
$.86 - Honeyville Grain, 50 lb. bag - needs to be repackaged, shipping is $4.49 extra. ($.78 for bulk orders)
$.99 - Emergency Essentials, 45 lb. super-pail (lined with mylar bag), shipping is extra. ($.84 for bulk orders)

2010 for comparison (per pound):

$.23 - Family Home Storage Center (LDS Cannery), 25 lb bags - needs to be repackaged.

$.29 - Maceys, Morning Moo, 45 lb. bucket ($12.99 - sale may end on Wednesday).

$.30 - Costco, Lehi Mills, 45 lb. bucket ($13.50).

$.45 - Family Home Storage Center (LDS Cannery), #10 cans.

$.82 - Emergency Essentials, 45 lb. super-pail (lined with a mylar bag), shipping is extra.

$.89 - Honeyville Grain, 50 lb. bag - needs to be repackaged, shipping is $4.49 extra.

What are the prices of wheat in your area?

Solar Lights

2010-04-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

Recently the Eastern United States had quite a winter storm. I read a personal account of someone who was experiencing that storm along with an extended electricity outage. They brought their solar landscape lights inside each evening to add light to their home without using up their flashlight batteries or candles. What a fantastic idea!

I recently purchased some new landscape solar lights for our home. I love that I could easily twist the top off of the stakes and have an instant source of light. I would have to make sure that the solar panels were cleared of snow during the day to make this work during the winter. Some landscape lights are fully attached to their stakes and would have to be fully removed - but it would still work.

Note:

I wish I could remember the blog where I originally read this idea. If this personal account came from you, please send the link and I'll give credit where credit is due.

Photo Source: Brinkmann

FHE Scavenger Hunt

2010-04-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

Not sure what to do for Family Home Evening tonight? I love this idea from Prepared NOT Scared! for a Family Home Evening Scavenger Hunt. The hunt is actually set up for families in her ward, but it could be easily adapted for each member of your family to do separately (or as pairs with little ones).

Here's a link:
Safety & Emergency Preparedness Scavenger Hunt

Earthquake Preparedness Week

2010-04-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's Earthquake Preparedness Week here in Utah. And it's a great time to evaluate your earthquake preparedness even if you don't live in Utah. Experts have stated that California, Arizona and/or Mexico might experience a 6.0 magnitude aftershock1 (following yesterday's 7.2 earthquake) in the next few days. So, if you live in these areas, it might pay off to review any emergency plans with your family. You might also feel motivated to update any emergency kits that you have stored.

The State of Utah has prepared a website with many preparedness tidbits. Here are a few highlights from that site that I wanted to share:

*Be Ready Utah (the main website)
*Kids Activity Book (This could be a great workbook for Family Home Evenings or teaching preparedness. The activities are geared primarily for ages 8 to about 13.)
*Tips for Preparing Children (has a section about infants and another about younger children)
*Organizing Your Neighborhood (has some great ideas for wards and/or neighborhoods helping one another)

Source:

1 - NECN

Preparedness at Work

2010-03-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

As I evaluate our family's preparedness, I feel like we're doing pretty well. Like I said in my last post, we are able to roughly maintain a certain preparedness status-quo. I feel so much confidence and peace because I know we could weather many storms because of our storage. However, I have been feeling strongly lately that we have a big hole in one part of my family's emergency preparedness. We each spend so much of every day away from our home. Yet, there are limited preparedness resources when we are at school, work or on the road.

My children's schools are quite close to home. I've made little preparedness packs for my kids' backpacks in the past. And I'm aware that their teachers have kits available for the kids in an emergency. So, I don't feel the need to do more there.

My husband, on the other hand, spends most of the day far away from home. When we did our earthquake scenario for Family Home Evening, I realized that he would be the one most compromised in an emergency. This is the hole in our preparedness plans that I feel strongly about addressing. So, I've been working hard on preparedness packs for him. He works at a local university and I'm aware that they have emergency supplies for the university population for as much as three days. But if roads were closed for any reason, it would be a long walk home. Weather would just make things more difficult.

I'm actually working on two packs, one for my husband's car and one to keep in his office. Thus far I've purchased a rain poncho, flashlight, glowsticks and some granola bars. He already keeps water on hand. I think an umbrella, a change of socks, soap and a small first aid kit need to be included. I also plan on adding some clothes and underwear as well as a blanket to be kept in his office. Extra clothing would give him some options if he was hung up helping at the university. Extra clothing is also not a bad idea generally -- even if not for an emergency that you expect.

Funny Story: My husband called me once from work wanting to know how to resew a seam in his pants. The pants were brand new and must not have had a good knot to hold an essential seam closed. He had discreetly walked to the bookstore, with bag or book in front of the missing seam, purchased a sewing kit, returned to his office and promptly called me. Funnier yet, while he was sitting in his office, on the phone with me, pantless and resewing the seam, the fire alarm went off. As part of the evacuation plans, someone comes through each building opening each office to make sure everyone has left. To say that he sewed those pants up quickly is an understatement. And luckily he was able to get out of the building before someone burst into an unfortunate situation in his office. The new seam on those pants is still holding - if you were wondering.

I'll include a sewing kit in his office preparedness pack as well.

But I digress. What preparations have you made for those who work at locations away from home?

Ongoing Preparedness

2010-03-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

There is no such thing as being perfectly prepared. It's impossible to anticipate every future problem that we will face. It's also impossible to *stay* prepared. There have been small moments in time that I've had everything that has been recommended. But soon enough, water needs to be rotated, food replaced and finances built up. For all of us preparedness is an ongoing process.

Over the past seven years, I have focused a great deal on my own personal home storage. We now have a decent three-month supply, more than 200 gallons of water stored, a financial reserve that could always use some more padding and 9 months of longer-term supplies. But as always, we draw from those reserves. There are quite a few items in my three-month supply that need to be replaced again. And of course, I'm waiting to replace my rice and flour buckets that are still sitting empty in my laundry room.

It's now been several years since I rotated my 55-gallon barrels of water. It's time to replace that water. I'm nervous about some possible contamination from a vehicle spill in my garage that could have compromised a full one-fourth of my water storage.

I recently purchased new clothing for our family 72-hour kits. Yes, it's probably crazy that I was putting *new* stuff into the kits. But after thinking of the many situations in which we might need the kits, I came to the conclusion that regardless of the emergency I would be more comfortable in something nicer than what I had previously chosen to store. I wanted clothing that fit well, was comfortable and would also be durable for work that would likely accompany the use of the kits. I also had come to understand that my teenage son might sit inside a tent or shelter rather than work - because he was too cool to wear the clothing that I stored for him. (I hadn't realized before that teenage boys care a lot more than we realize about these things - even in emergencies.) Unfortunately - or fortunately, My son and I liked our new pants so much that they never made it into our kits. So those pants need to be replaced *again.*

So, I currently have a pretty long catch-up list. I have found the need to plan for those catch-up lists as part of becoming prepared. Sometimes I purchase a little extra beyond my three-months' worth in order to keep on top of my goals as the reserves are being used up. But in the end, at some point, it all has to be replaced, rotated or restocked. Having an awareness of your preparedness supplies, can allow you to constantly replace supplies or you might set up a monthly or bi-monthly routine of evaulating your home-storage.

Instead of thinking of preparedness as an event, I recommend think of it as an ongoing process.

More for Home-Storage Specialists

2010-03-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun handout from Plenty of Picnics with more ideas for home-storage specialists.

My Preparedness Calling

Valerie also has other fun handouts:
First Aid
Sanitation
Family Emergency Plans
Family Emergency Contacts
Emergency Water
Preparedness Organization Planner (inventory, planning, binder sheets).

NOTE - The food storage calculator in the organization binder is based on the OLD home storage program (which can still be applied to longer-term storage). I have not verified the accuracy of the information included in the above handouts.

Click here for iPrepared's past post on ideas for home-storage specialists.

Home-Storage-Price Dilema

2010-03-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

Well, I've had two large storage buckets sitting empty for more than a month now. Typically, when I empty a bucket, I add that item to my grocery list and refill it as quickly as possible. However, when I visited Costco with that intention, I discovered higher prices on both the flour and rice than I remembered. I found myself conflicted with replacing the storage as quickly as I could and trying to find a good price.

In the end, I didn't make the purchase. I know that some of these items are likely to go on sale at our local grocery store in the near future. A "case-lot" sale is scheduled for April and flour and rice prices are typically lowered. But every time I pass those empty buckets, I find myself wondering if I should have just purchased the food stores. Knowing that those buckets sit empty reduces my feeling of preparedness - well, two-buckets-worth.

Was it worth waiting? I'm not sure.

Powdered Milk Taste-Test

2010-03-09T07:40:00.000-08:00

I love this post by Angela at Adventures in Self-Reliance. She got samples of most of the major powdered milk brands, conducted a taste test, and posted her results. She has some great information.

As you can see from her ratings, personal preference varied widely (with a few brands more broadly liked or disliked). As her tasters sampled one of the brands of milk, they were surprised to find out that they didn't like it. Angela writes, "I had some folks about cry when they found out how bad it tasted because that was the only kind they had stored."

Once again, this shows the importance of tasting the powdered milk that you store!

Home-Storage Specialists

2010-03-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Often in our church congregation you might find someone volunteering as a home-storage specialist. A home-storage specialist doesn't necessarily fall under one organizational umbrella. Consequently, you might have different instructions, goals and/or objectives if you serve in this responsibility. For example, in our own ward and stake, the home-storage specialist falls under the women's organization (Relief Society), but serves the whole ward or stake. In other wards a home-storage specialist might be a called as a welfare specialist, attend ward welfare meeting and work primarily with the Priesthood Quorums and Bishop. Up until recently, I served in the Relief Society Presidency and had some responsibility with the home-storage specialist.

In the past it seems, many home-storage specialists traditionally took orders, gathered money and delivered food storage. Because of tax-exempt issues in our area, we have specifically been asked by our leaders to not take orders or collect money anymore. But there is so much more that a home-storage specialist can do to encourage, teach and model preparedness than just take orders. So, I've included a list of ideas below.

As a HOME-STORAGE SPECIALIST you can:

*Schedule cannery trips. Create car-pooling groups to travel to and from these trips.

*Make arrangements for and educate congregation members about ward/stake home-storage equipment.

*Do "home-storage spotlights" each month in church.

*Include preparedness and home-storage information in ward newsletters, ward bulletins and ward emails.

*Create and distribute a monthly home-storage newsletter.

*Emphasize the *new* program. Too many people don't realize that there has been a change in the way the church is asking us to collect home storage. You could devote several of your spotlights to educating your ward members about these changes. Here it is in a nutshell: 1-Get a three-month supply of foods you regularly eat; 2-Store drinking water; 3-Save up for a financial reserve and THEN 4-Work on your longer-term storage (no longer a one-year supply).

*Pass around sign-up sheets for you to visit homes and help families inventory their current supplies and make goals.

*Help individual families transfer foods, menus, and recipes that they regularly eat into a three-month supply. It may be helpful to turn their menus into lists that can be tracked and rotated.

*Give ideas for Family Home Evening lessons that teach preparedness.

*Draw attention to church-magazine (Ensign) articles that teach home storage concepts.

*Use quotes and information from Priesthood Leaders to instruct and motivate.

*Make members aware of deals. Doing this requires caution and care to preserve the tax-exempt status of the church. Instead of promoting a specific business or sale, you can indicate that December is a good time to buy baking supplies, March to buy gardening supplies, etc. If individuals in your area want to do group orders, you could encourage them to collect orders through community resources instead of at church meetings or through church networks.

*Teach classes (or arrange for teachers to teach classes) to the Relief Society or ward about home-storage concepts including financial preparedness. These classes can be taught as a part of Sunday meetings (as directed by priesthood leaders), additional Relief Society meetings, ward activities, or workshops.

*Invite the ward or stake to a storage "fair" with displays. Include financial, water, and home-storage information.

*Facilitate and teach gardening classes. If space is available, develop a ward garden.

*Become educated yourself so that you can answer questions as they arise. Be aware of current food safety recommendations.

*Counsel with Priesthood Leaders and/or Relief Society leaders in order to understand the priorities that they feel are important to emphasize in your area.

*Educate about ideal storage conditions and packaging.

*Plan and carry-out ward or stake preparedness simulations.

Are you a ward or stake home storage specialist? I would love to hear about your experiences and ideas. Please respond below with your comments.

Cautions About Buying in Bulk

2010-02-22T08:07:00.000-08:00

There are several great things about buying home storage in bulk. Usually the cost is lower and it is often more convenient to grab and store one bucket, bag, box or case. However, there is also a downside. When bulk items spoil, you usually lose a lot of product. It is also often more difficult to inspect bulk items adequately.

Last night I opened a case of mandarin oranges. I purchased them just a year ago at a case-lot sale. As I have organized and rotated my storage, it has been extremely convenient to deal with a box of mandarin orange cans rather than manage each can individually. The box, however, was sealed closed and I had not inspected the cans. I opened the box and fed each can into a rotating shelf. I was dismayed to find many dented cans and at least one that was leaking. The cans were all dusty and several were rusty at the bottom. I threw away multiple cans and was left with many questions about the others.

There is a lesson here for me. Obviously I'll need to be more aware in the future. My mandarin oranges are the most "unseeable" cans in cases. So, I'll likely open each box in the future and inspect the cans before I purchase them. My cases of canned vegetables are stacked and sealed with plastic, but I can see through the plastic. I definitely will look more closely. I will also look more closely for dings in cans, breaks in buckets and cracks in jars. Hopefully, in doing so, I'll have a more reliable storage and be able keep all the savings of buying in bulk.

Keeping Emergency Supplies Accessible

2010-02-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Here is another idea from my sister, Vickie:

"So this one can't be used by everyone, but for those who like to get out into nature on a regular basis.

A week ago my husband and I took the kids on a hike. Driving to our destination took us a little long, and then we couldn't find the trail head so our afternoon hike started much later than planned. The end result was that it was dark for the last 1/2 of our hike. We realized we could easily get lost if we didn't hurry and so we had to push it and didn't get to enjoy the hike that much. I also fell and was lucky I wasn't hurt or that could have been really bad.

We knew better than that and realized that flashlights should always be in backpacks for our hikes, but had been overlooked as we rushed to pack our hiking needs. Our new plan is to have the back-packs packed in advance. Each of the kids will have a backpack with a flashlight, emergency blanket, whistle, water bottle, and snacks. If I make sure they are stocked for our next hike before I put them away then all we'll have to do is grab the packs and go. This would also be what we would grab in a sudden emergency if we had to leave the house. Sure it wouldn't have everything, but it would be better than nothing.

I think that our neighbors did something like this as well. They went backpacking overnight and so they would essentially have their 72 hour kit packed in their back-packs (complete with sleeping bags, tents, and food) and then they would use it on their next camping trip. I obviously haven't mastered this one, but it's something I'm working on."

Location of Emergency Supplies

2010-02-12T00:58:00.000-08:00

Another idea from my mom:

After watching the destruction in Haiti, a neighbor realized the importance of being able to access your supplies - even when you can't get into or stay in your home. She shared some of her ideas with my mom: "She said they have decided that they need to get a garbage can that they can seal completely and put blankets and coats, hats, and gloves inside in case there was a disaster in bad weather. Then, they are going to store this container in the shed in the back yard, thinking if (buildings) had fallen because of an earthquake, it would not be as hard to get in and access the garbage can."

My mom assessed her own 72-hour kit supplies and location and realized: "I just purchased new food to replace the food that has expired. (As I replaced it,) I realized that even though I have some supplies by the front door, it is not all in any type of container and it would take me too long to gather it all together."

Car Preparedness and Helping Others

2010-02-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

This is a fantastic idea from my sister, Vickie:

"One of the things that was always difficult for me was the homeless people on the corner. I've never liked the idea of giving money, but still wanted to do something. I love it when I see someone after a trip to the grocery store because then I can pass out a box of cereal or some fruit. This was nice if the food was in the car, but what about the times when the food wasn't there.

"Well, my husband went on a business trip this summer. He was living in a hotel for a few days and purchased some soup to microwave. He ended up not eating all of it and then just left it in his car. Then the next time he saw a person asking for food/money on the side of the road, he gave them some soup. Ever since then we have kept a few cans of non-condensed soup with pop lids in the car. They can be eaten straight out of the can - hot or cold. This has served two purposes, obviously we can now be charitable to those in need. But it's also comforting to have some food in the car if there was ever an emergency. As you know, those pop-lid cans don't withstand extremes in temperature, etc. We see people in need often enough that I haven't had anything in my car too long."

Preparing to Help Others

2010-02-04T13:54:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Family Services specialist Paul Garrett plays hand games with Haitian children in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Part of relief efforts is to provide children with meaningful activities during times of disaster.

I'm going to be featuring several guest posts over the next while. They are a grab bag of ideas from my family members. We grew up in a home where my parents made having their food storage a priority. Preparedness is one of those righteous traditions that each child is now trying to perpetuate. I'm so thankful for my parent's goodness and example.

These thoughts are from my Mom:

"After watching all of the Haiti disasters and trials AND giving the Visiting Teaching message on self-reliance, I had a thought run through my mind. I got thinking about “work." I see all those (Haitian) people standing around and know that sometimes things are getting tense there – and they would be with me if I was starving. But (even) after they have received food and water, many are still just waiting. My thought is how much better they would feel, how much stress could be released, and tensions eased if they had something to do to contribute to making things better. I know that they are in need of big trucks and equipment, but is there not something they could be doing – removing the smaller pieces of cement, helping to clear the roads, digging down to restore the water, etc.?

"I suspect that there are many who are doing works of service – but my most important question is for us. We have our 72-hour kits. If we are able to get them and all of our family members to a place of safety – then what would be our plan? Would we be just sitting and waiting for someone to call out the next move? Is it possible that we need to have some plans in place – besides those of ward, city, stake, etc. – that we can take action upon? Is it possible that we need to store some shovels, saws and other tools (not electric tools) near doors in our garage or house that we could (easily) get and go out and make a difference. I noticed in the Church News this morning an article about one of the church humanitarian agents who was playing games with the children so the children would not be wondering aimlessly. What is it that we individually could do to help even though we were a victim in a disaster?"

Two Weeks

2010-02-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit: Marco Dormino (United Nations via Reuters)

A child awaits for the distribution of meals by the United Nations World Food Programme in a make-shift camp in Jacmel, Thursday, Jan. 28.

It's now been more than two weeks since the earthquake in Haiti. One thing I've noticed is that finally some of the water and supplies are getting through to help many (but still not all) of the displaced and injured people. You might assume that it took additional time to get supplies into Haiti because of a more rudimentary distribution situation. However, it is interesting to me that it also took up to two weeks (or more) for aid to get to many Katrina and Rita victims. In all three cases after two weeks there were still many who were not getting any help.

There is a lesson in this for our own preparation. It's a good idea to have at least two weeks of supplies including water, medical supplies, shelter, money, food and fuel (more would be even better). It takes time after emergencies, disasters, or economic crises for help to arrive.

In an emergency, I've always assumed that our family could just leave our area and stay with family if things were bad enough. Recently, though, I've realized that floods, earthquake scarps, pandemics, winter storms and panic all block roads. It is likely in many different scenarios that you will have to shelter-in-place and be ready to take care of yourself. Many emergency kits provide three or four days worth of supplies which just isn't enough to make it through those first two weeks during which you'll likely be without any help.

If you are just starting out, make gathering two-weeks worth of supplies your first priority. If you've been working on your home storage supply for a while, take time to inventory and make sure you have the supplies on hand to help you navigate through the first few weeks of any type of emergency. It would be even better to be prepared for a long haul with a three-month supply, a water supply, a financial reserve and some longer-term storage so that you can take care of your own family without relying on outside aid. Being well prepared will also put you in a position to better help others and allow those who are less prepared to utilize any aid available.

iPrepared's Informational Links

2010-01-28T17:38:00.000-08:00

How-To:
Apple Box Oven (instructions by Safely Gathered In)
Food Storage on $10 a Week
Make Bread in an Emergency

Information:
Emergency Essentials - Preparedness Articles
FEMA
RED CROSS: Home Preparedness
USU Extension: Food Storage
Utah Extension Disaster Education Network

Also see:
Provident Living Links

iPrepared's Family Home Evening Lesson Links

2010-01-26T05:37:00.000-08:00

From The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
*Finance - 4 lessons for varying ages
*Home Storage - 3 lessons for different ages
*Preparedness Activities - 12 activities for teaching preparedness skills in FHE
*Self Reliance - 2 lessons for older children

From iPrepared:
*Earthquake Scenario

From Safely Gathered In:
*Ready To Go
*It Wasn't Raining When Noah Built the Ark
*Emergency Plans
*Emergency Preparedness

From Let Us Prepare:
*Power in Preparedness (1) - 4 lessons
*Power in Preparedness (2) - 4 more lessons

From LDS Living Magazine:
*Preparedness

Haiti

2010-01-18T09:56:00.000-08:00

[Photo credit: Lynne Sladky, AP]

U.N. peacekeepers from Sri Lanka distribute water in Leogane, Haiti.

I've been thinking a lot about the earthquake and subsequent suffering in Haiti. I've thought about preparedness and have wondered what lessons could be gleaned and which troubles avoided by paying attention to what is happening there.

After a lot of thought, I would like to recommend two things (beyond your prayers):

First, donate to the relief effort. I was struck by the recent instruction that preparedness is not just about taking care of ourselves, but it is also about taking care of others. Elder Robert D. Hales said "It is important to understand that self-reliance is a means to an end. Our ultimate goal is to become like the Savior, and that goal is enhanced by our unselfish service to others. Our ability to serve is increased or diminished by the level of our self-reliance." (A Gospel Vision of Welfare: Faith in Action, Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-Reliance, World Wide Training, February 2009).

We are truly rich compared to most of the Haitian people. Each of us can sacrifice in some way to help. It may mean waiting a little longer to finish your basement. It may mean going out to eat a few times less this month. It may mean sacrificing the amount you spend on gifts this year. But I really believe Heavenly Father gave us all that we have so that we can help others. If you are unsure of where to donate, I can recommend either Red Cross or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Emergency Response (100% goes to help). Our family agreed unanimously to take money from our basement-finishing fund and donate it to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Emergency Response.

Second, store more water. The most fundamental need of those affected by the earthquake was and still is water. Jenny Fyall from The Scotsman quoted Jimitre Coquillon, "a doctor's assistant working at a triage centre set up in a hotel car park. 'This is much worse than a hurricane. There's no water. There's nothing. Thirsty people are going to die." A foreign aid worker told Reuters, "Money is worth nothing right now, water is the currency."

I've thought a lot about my own water storage and have asked myself some questions. Would I be able to access my water in an earthquake? Do I have portable containers with which to transport water? Do I have water in multiple locations to increase the likelihood that I could access it? Do I have enough water stored? After asking these questions, I personally decided to store more water in my basement. I already have water in my garage and cars - but I don't have an alternate water location source. So last night I filled my first PETE bottle and my son added it to our storage shelves. Ask yourself the same questions and find some way to increase your water supply.

In both of these suggestions, you can do a little or a lot. Even a little more water stored or a little money donated could make a huge difference.

Provident Living Links

2010-01-14T05:30:00.000-08:00

Home Storage:
All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage
Basic Recipes
Family Home Storage
Food Storage Calculator
Product Recommendations

Home Storage Centers:
Home Storage Center Order Forms
Home Storage Centers
Home Storage Online Sales

Storage Container/Location Recommendations:
Foil Pouches
Longer-Term Storage #10 Cans
Longer-Term Storage Shelf Lives
Oxygen Absorbers
Packing Recommendations
PETE Bottles
Plastic Buckets - Dry Ice Treatment
Storage Conditions
Water Storage Guidelines

Emergency Planning:
Emergency Communications
Family Emergency Planning
Pandemic Preparedness Planning
Ward & Stake Emergency Plans

Finances:
All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances
Family Finances

iPrepared's Blog Links:

2010-01-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

Everyday Food Storage
Food Storage. Alright, Let's Begin.
Food Storage and Preservation (Filling Your Ark)
Food Storage - A Necessary Adventure
Food Storage and Survival
Food Storage Made Easy
Food Storage Plus
Journey to Preparedness
My Food Storage Deals
My Square Foot Garden
Pleasant Grove, Utah Stake - Emergency Prep
Prepared LDS Family
Preparedness Brings Peace
Preparedness Matters
Preparedness Pro
Ready. Set. Plan.
Safely Gathered In
Sisters Always Simplifying
The Food Storage Shopper
The Pantry Panel
Totally Ready
Utah Preppers
These links are intended to be sites that discuss home food storage and general preparedness. If I've missed your blog please let me know. Two requests: Please only recommend active blogs (i.e. published posts in the past month). Also, I would prefer to not list business sites unless there is an active blog separate from the product sales. I will delete business listings from the comments.

Inclusion on this list is not intended to be an endorsement by iPrepared. There are many sensibilities when it comes to home-storage, self-reliance and preparedness and these blogs span the divide. You may find an approach that motivates you or provides information to help you in your quest for preparedness. Disclaimer - you may also find inaccurate information on these blogs. It is always wise to find multiple, valid sources to verify information.

iPrepared's Links

2010-01-11T07:41:00.000-08:00

I've not been happy with the link structure that filled up my right column on this blog. So, I've revisited these links, updated them, and will now have several link pages available, depending upon what you are looking for. Over the next two weeks, I'll be adding these pages. Thanks for your patience.

Please let me know if I've missed a great link or fabulous site.

Preparedness Sales (January 2010 - Intermountain West)

2010-01-06T07:59:00.000-08:00

For those of you with a Maceys close by, they are having a "case lot sale" this week. Smiths also has a few items listed as a case lot sale. These sales are good opportunities to stock up on both your three-month supply and longer-term supply.

Some well-priced items that I noticed:

Maceys:
*Powdered Milk: #10 Country Cream (white or chocolate) - $8.88 (This is the best price I've seen for a very long time - stock up if you like this brand!)
*Sugar: 25 lb bag, Western Family - $9.68 (This is an okay price, but is good given that sugar prices are on the rise)
*Sugar, powdered and brown: 2 lb bags, Western Family - $.98 (I sometimes see this price drop to $.89)
*Beans: 15 oz. cans, Western Family - $.48
*Eggs, powdered: #10 Morning Moo - $14.78

Both the flour and white rice are cheaper at Costco right now.

Here are two past posts to help in price comparisons:
The Price of Grains and Home Storage Best Prices

Did you find any great deals?

Being Independent; Being Prepared

2010-01-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

Being Independent; Being Prepared

How some young adults are applying principles of preparedness to their busy, mobile lives.

This is a great article put out by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this month. Here are some highlights:

". . . Jocelyn Winter attends medical school. Much of her time and energy go into balancing schoolwork with meeting financial obligations. Marcia Brisson is finished with school for now and is working full-time. Abby Croshaw is also working full-time but is considering a career change. And Emily Hardman is planning to move across the country to go to law school. All are finding that by applying the principles found in All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage and Family Finances they are better able to adjust to the shifting demands of young-adult life. Not only do they feel better prepared for new stages of life, including marriage or career changes, they also feel more secure about the future, no matter what it brings. As the Lord said: “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear” (D&C 38:30).

Furthermore, as these women apply the principles of provident living to meet their current needs, they find greater peace and have more faith as they seek emotional, spiritual, and temporal blessings."

. . . Abby, too, knows the blessings that come from obedience. She recalls that when a series of bad rainstorms hit her city, she was grateful she had followed the counsel of the prophets to build up a short-term home storage supply. During the inclement weather, she was safe in her home while others in the community were rushing on crowded roads to the grocery store for supplies. “Even if you made it to the store, the shelves were completely empty,” she says. “My roommates and I didn’t even feel the stress because we had food stored at our house. I was grateful we had listened.”

. . . Jocelyn says, “It really gives me a sense of security to know that the teachings in the Church focus on things to help us succeed, especially in times of trial.” Years ago, Jocelyn’s stake in Texas temporarily housed members displaced by a hurricane. Her personal resources proved valuable. Even though she didn’t use them for herself, someone else needed them. “I gave away what I had to others. Just helping one person can make a difference if everyone pitches in,” she says."

. . . I took a job in a new city and began to build a small reserve of food and household necessities, as well as a savings account. Later, I broke my foot and became helpless for nearly two months. Help from good friends and having that small reserve in place allowed for far fewer trips to the grocery store. Although this was not the type of disaster I was anticipating, I was grateful for the counsel to be prepared.” -Shannon Wilson, Texas, USA

“. . .Thankfully, there hasn’t been any major disaster or need for me to rely solely upon my food storage or other supplies, but I consider it a blessing to have the security of knowing I could live on my storage if needed. It is also a blessing to be able to partially rely on it when I don’t have as much income at a particular time due to extra expenses or fewer hours at work. I know that implementing provident living principles in our lives is a commandment from the Lord that helps us be more fruitful and independent.” -Jaci Smibert, Australia"

Self-Reliance

2009-12-31T10:20:00.000-08:00

This morning, I was directed to this new site found on LDS.org on self-reliance: Self-Reliance.

It's not got a ton of information, but there are some great quotes and ideas about becoming self-reliant. I love that half of the content under self-reliance resources talks about the importance of being self-reliant so we can, in turn, help care for the poor and needy.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful for the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Hope you have a Merry Christmas!

preparedness in temporary quarters

2009-12-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

Preparedness doesn't always happen in ideal conditions or situations. It was very difficult for our family to collect and store a three-month supply and even harder to store longer-term storage items while we moved around the country and lived in small, temporary spaces. We tried to take as much storage as possible each time we moved. In some cases where moving storage was not practical, we sold or gave away some of our storage supplies.

Properly packed home storage products were very difficult to find when we lived in New York. I remember spending hours calling around and contacting companies just trying to find storage buckets and barrels (which I never found). In the end we participated in a group home storage purchase and items were delivered in a huge truck for many of us. I left some of my storage with my friends in New York when we moved, but I actually wish I would have given them all of it. It's so easy for me to get it here in Utah now.

My husband tells a story of incredulous looks as neighbors, not familiar with home-storage, helped to move their family. They responded to many questions of "why do you have all this food/wheat?" It was a wonderful opportunity to share their beliefs and testimonies of having home storage.

I love this talk where Sister Silvia Allred, 1st Counselor in the General Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, explains how they adapted their home storage to many moves and less-than ideal conditions. "My husband’s job required our family to move to Guatemala City. I had to leave behind our food storage. Once we were settled in our new home, I began to plan our food storage. The first thing we did was buy wheat. To our dismay, the 200 pounds we bought were moist. We had to dry the wheat before we could store it. It was the rainy season in Guatemala, and it rained a little almost every day. I found myself spreading wheat in thin layers out in the sun for what seemed like forever. We learned to be more careful about what we bought for food storage. Six months later, we moved to Costa Rica and again had to leave my precious wheat behind." (Principles of Self-Reliance, Silvia Allred, BYU Women's Conference 2008).

You may not have to dry your own wheat like Sister Allred, but you might be in the military or at college. You might be living with family or struggling from job to job. You may be in a situation where you change locations every few months. In any case, you can start and restart your home storage as much as needed. All you need is an extra can of something to start over. Something is better than nothing. Even a college student can keep a bag of extra food supplies under their bed. And who knows, you might bless others with difficult-to-find storage items if you have to leave your storage behind.

bland home storage

2009-12-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the multiple posts teasing this topic. We've continued to be sick and busy.

Recently I read stories from several individuals who lived off their food storage either out of necessity or as experiments. The surprise? They all felt like their food storage was very bland. They missed things like ketchup and spices. They also missed fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, and butter.

It's worth a little time to consider how you can add these items to your home storage. Eggs and butter are difficult and expensive to store. They also require fairly regular rotation. But ketchup, sauces and spices are all easy to store with some-what lengthy shelf lives. A garden can help you supply your home storage with those fresh fruits and veggies.

Here are two links with personal experiences:

Lessons I've Learned While Living on our Food Storage for the Last Two Years (Deseret Saints Magaine, Brandy Simper, July 2009)

Has anyone had to live off their preparedness supplies? (Pinching Your Pennies, various authors, February 2009)

sick

2009-12-04T10:31:00.001-08:00

Once again, we've been sick with the stomach flu. And once again, we were glad for our food storage. The lessons that I learned during the first round of sickness paid off. We had chicken noodle soup, crackers and soda on hand. We even had enough for our guests who were also sick.

We did make a trip to the store for some over-the-counter medicines over the weekend. I actually had just cleaned out my medicine bin and discarded quite a bit of expired medication - and consequently had not replaced some things. I need to remember to rotate and replace those medications more regularly so as to not be caught without them.

I was also diagnosed with pneumonia three weeks ago and it's taken quite a while to bounce back. I was quarantined for about a week. For treating the pneumonia, I was glad to have a working humidifier as well as bleach and vinegar to clean it with.

I needed to wear a mask in order to protect others around me while I was contagious. I discovered that I'm not a fan of the more-firm n-95 masks that I stored. They were quite uncomfortable and not very adaptable. I ended up choosing to use the surgical-style masks that I was given at the doctor's offices. So, I'll be looking to add some of those to our storage once I'm fully recovered.

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you've avoided all the sickness that seems to be circulating.

Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-Reliance

2009-11-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

Last February, I attended a training meeting specifically geared for LDS church leadership. We learned all about self-reliance and welfare principles. And in fact, our stake has encouraged us to teach these principles for our first-Sunday lessons, which we have been doing for almost a year.

There was so much great information given, but the materials were not generally available, so though I've wanted to, I've waited to post some of the great quotes. I discovered today, however, that the information is now available at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' website. Here is the link: Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-Reliance. (PDF link)

And here are some of my favorite parts:

ELDER ROBERT D. HALES

"The first building block may be described as provident living. This means joyfully living within our means and preparing for the ups and downs of life so that we can be ready for the rainy-day emergencies when they come into our lives. Provident living means not coveting the things of this world. It means using the resources of the earth wisely and not being wasteful, even in times of plenty. Provident living means avoiding excessive debt and being content with what we have."

"It is important to understand that self-reliance is a means to an end. Our ultimate goal is to become like the Savior, and that goal is enhanced by our unselfish service to others. Our ability to serve is increased or diminished by the level of our self-reliance. As President Marion G. Romney once said: “Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves. Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come from the unlearned. And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1982, 135; or Ensign, Nov. 1982, 93)."

"As Latter-day prophets have counseled, some of the most important welfare building blocks have to do with preparing for the future. Preparing for the future includes making a spending
and savings plan with our income. . . Preparing for the future also includes obtaining an education or vocational training and finding gainful employment. . . If you are seeking a new job, increase your faith in the Lord’s desire and power to bless you. Also seek counsel from those you trust, and don’t be afraid to network and ask for help in finding a new job. If necessary, change your lifestyle—and possibly your place of residence— to live within your means. Willingly seek additional training and learn new skills, regardless of your age. Maintain your health and stay close to your spouse and children. And, above all, be grateful. Express your gratitude in prayer for all that has been given to you."

"Every year Church members contribute to the digging of wells where there is no other source of drinking water. Consider the benefit of just one of these wells, dug in a remote village. While some might characterize it as a strictly temporal blessing, what are the spiritual blessings to a mother who had previously walked hours to get water and more hours to bring it back to her children? Before the well was dug, what time did she have to teach her children the gospel, to pray with them, and to nurture them in the love of the Lord? What time did she have to study the scriptures herself, ponder them, and receive strength to bear the challenges of her life? By putting their faith into action, Church members helped quench the temporal thirst of her family and also provided a way for them to drink freely of the water of life and never thirst again. By being faithful in living welfare principles, they were able to help dig “a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14)."

JULIE B. BECK

“Self-reliance means using all of our blessings from Heavenly Father to care for ourselves and our families and to find solutions for our own problems.” Each of us has a responsibility to try to avoid problems before they happen and to learn to overcome challenges when they occur."

"How do we become self-reliant? We become self reliant through obtaining sufficient knowledge, education, and literacy; by managing money and resources wisely, being spiritually strong, preparing for emergencies and eventualities; and by having physical health and social and emotional well-being."

As I cut and paste these quotes, I find myself tempted to post everything. The entire talks are worth reading!

repost on home-storage christmas gifts

2009-11-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

Is there anyone on your Christmas list for whom you have a hard time finding a Christmas gift? Well, home storage gifts can solve all of your problems! It really is rare to find a person that is completely prepared. Here are a few ideas that might solve your gift-giving woes.

*Water Storage Containers ($3 to $80)
*Water barrel wrench and pump ($8 to $15)
*Food storage shelves ($40 to $300)
*Gamma lids ($4 to $8)
*Food storage buckets ($4 to $8)
*Three-month supply meal baskets (Put ingredients for a three-month supply meal into a basket. Add bows and gadgets for fun. This would be easy to do with pasta & sauce or pancakes & syrup. Add a cute card that tells how many servings are included as well as the expected shelf life. Here is an example: In a basket place a package of pancake mix, syrup, powdered milk or cocoa mix, and a jar of fruit.)
*LDS home storage kits ($24 to $44)
*Wheat grinder ($60 to $400)
*Bucket of wheat (around $20)
*Camp stove & propane tank ($50+)
*Canning supplies (bath canner, bottles & lids, or pressure cooker)
*Dehydrator ($40+)
*Fruit trees or bushes (weather dependent)
*Gardening supplies (varies)
*Grill/Dutch oven/Firepit/Woodburning stove etc.
*Generator ($500+)
*Home storage foods (#10 cans, bottles of juice, home bottled preserves, buckets, etc.)
*Water filter
*First aid kits($5+)
*Car safety kits.
*72-hour kits.
*Fire safety ladder.
*Money for financial reserves.

Want to have some fun? Give a lump of coal (i.e. a bag/bucket of charcoal)!

What are your ideas?

LDS Home Storage Centers

2009-11-16T09:55:00.000-08:00

I loved this post on LDS Home Storage Centers by Self-Reliant Sisters this past week. They've included photos of the labels that are included with the products available at these Home Storage Centers. This is a great resource for both planning and inventory. You can see product weights and estimated storage lives in a glance. These labels also include preparation information for many of the products - which is great if you happen to lose a label.

Another fantastic information resource for inventory or planning is the Home Storage Center Order Form. These forms included updated prices, weights and estimated storage lives. They also have a form in Spanish.

Home Storage Centers are located all over the United States and Canada as well as in a few other locations around the world. You can find a Home Storage Center near you by clicking here. These products can also be order online here.

waxing cheese - not recommended

2009-11-09T07:58:00.000-08:00

Last night I was made aware of this statement from USU Extension services:

"From time to time, dubious methods arise for preparing and storing various food items. Current information being circulated about the merits of dipping cheese in wax and placing it in storage for many years can be placed in this category. Consider the science.

• Waxing cheese is a method to minimize mold growth on the surface of cheese. It cannot prevent growth or survival of many illness-causing bacteria. In fact, it may promote anaerobic (absence of oxygen) bacteria growth, such as botulism. The practice of waxing cheese for storage is considered extremely unsafe.

• Before the days of refrigeration, cheese was dryer and fermented to a lower pH (higher acid). These types of cheeses were traditionally stored at room temperature with wax covers. The very low pH and fermentation byproducts could inhibit foodborne illness bacteria. An example is parmesan-style cheese. Acid, dryness and fermentation byproducts make this cheese storable at room temperature.

• Today, many cheeses are made strictly for storage under refrigeration. These cheeses may not have a low pH and other factors created in the manufacturing process to prevent illness-causing bacteria growth because the manufacturer knows the cheeses will be kept refrigerated. If someone waxes this cheese and places it in food storage, there is no science indicating any level of safety. In fact, there is evidence to the opposite ? placing cheese meant for refrigeration at room temperature is a significant risk and hazard for foodborne illness.

Contact your local USU Extension office for further information on safe home food preservation and for storage advice." (Brian Nummer, Utah State University Extension food safety specialist, September 9, 2009)

As a result of this information, I no longer recommend waxing cheese for storage.

earthquake safety: how to turn off your gas

2009-11-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

Part of being prepared is being educated. It's a good idea to know how to turn off your gas in case of a gas-leak, which can happen at any time, but may be more likely in an earthquake. You should store a wrench next to the gas meter or in an easily accessible location so that you can turn the gas off if needed.

From FEMA:
"Check for gas leaks. If you smell gas or hear blowing or hissing noise, open a window and quickly leave the building. Turn off the gas at the outside main valve if you can and call the gas company from a neighbor's home. If you turn off the gas for any reason, it must be turned back on by a professional."1

From The San Fransisco Chronicle:
"It's estimated that 90 percent of the damage caused by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake was due to fires caused by ruptured gas lines - over 30 fires leveled 490 city blocks. In light of this, it would seem prudent to shut off the gas main in the event of a major earthquake, right? Not so fast says Pacific Gas and Electric Co. spokesman David Eisenhauer. "If you do not smell or hear gas do not shut off," says Eisenhauer. "If you shut it off and there's no damage it could take days to turn it back on." Once shut off, PG&E also does not recommend residents turn it back on themselves. This is because either someone from PG&E or another trained professional should inspect the house first for any damage to gas lines."2

If you determine that you need to shut off your gas, simply turn the valve one quarter-turn with a wrench (as shown in the diagram above). You can significantly reduce the likelihood of a gas leak in an earthquake by securing your water heater. Water heaters often rock loose during and earthquake and sever the gas connection.

Sources:
1- FEMA
2- How To Prepare For An Earthquake (Paul Kilduff, special to The San Franscisco Chronicle)

Diagram Source: http://www.doh.wa.gov/phepr/handbook/utility.htm

recipes

2009-10-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

I currently have about 9 to 12 months' worth of longer-term storage. I'm familiar with many of the products I've stored and I use them somewhat regularly in my day-to-day cooking. There are a few, however, that I am not as familiar with. I usually choose canned beans instead of using my dried beans. And I feel like I have a lot to learn when it comes to using cornmeal and sprouting wheat. Because I have the food stored, I feel like we would be okay in an emergency. But I would like to have more experience with these products before I might need to use them under more serious circumstances.

So, I've started collecting recipes that use the grains and legumes that I've stored. I try to experiment and practice using these recipes so I can gain a familiarity working with legumes and grains. My goal is definitely a work in progress. I might make one new recipe a month or try a new technique here and there. Hopefully, over time, I'll also have the added advantage of slowly rotating through my longer-term supply.

Below, I've included some links that are great resources for longer-term supply recipes and techniques. I want to emphasize that your three-month storage should be made up of meals that you normally eat. So, these recipes are more for experimentation and use of longer-term food supplies - not three-month supply foods.

Longer-Term Storage Recipe Resources:
All Is Safely Gathered In - Intermittent recipes both for three-month supply and longer-term supply.

Basic Recipes - From Provident Living (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

beprepared Recipes - beprepared.com (huge database of recipes - just click on category and go)

Emergency Bread - Suggestions for cooking bread in an emergency.

Everyday Food Storage - Fantastic Food Storage Recipe Blog. She includes pictures and videos.

Food Storage Recipes - Compiled by a Stake Food Storage Specialist.

More Recipes - Source unknown

Preparedness Brings Peace - An assortment of recipes and preservation techniques (3-month)

South Jordan River Stake Cookbook - featured by Preparedness Brings Peace

Using Food Storage - More from Provident Living

NEW GOAL: Find a recipe or new technique and try it in the next few months!

Found a great food storage recipe site? Let me know! I'll add it to this list.