Weekly Assignment and Food Storage Ideas (Week of June 3rd)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

New Month....New Goals!

June Goals: Shelter and Adding Pastas and Tomatoes to your Food Storage

This month we will be adding items to our emergency shelter and adding pastas and tomato items to our Food Storage.

FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing weekly question:

What are the four different ways you can store tomatoes in your Food Storage? Email your answer to theark.carsonward@gmail.com to have your name entered to the drawing on the 4th Sunday in June. Remember to include your name with your answer since some email addresses do have have your name in them.

Shelter:

Having emergency shelter is an important part of our emergency preparedness. What if you could not stay in your and needed shelter, what would you do? Each family should have a tent big enough for the family, or some way to construct some type of shelter, a sleeping bag for each family member, and a space blanket in each 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Kit/Backpack. June is a great time to add these items because most stores and sporting good stores have tents and sleeping bags on sale. Another great time to purchase them is at the end of the summer season when they are getting rid of their summer inventory gearing up for winter sports. I find Big 5 has great sales this time of year. Check out the display and handouts at our June Goals display table by our chapel.

Pastas and Tomatoes:

Pastas:

Pastas are an inexpensive item to add to your Food Storage. The only way you can determine how much to store is to keep track for a month of how much you use to feed your family for one month. Then multiply it by the number of months you are working on for your Food Storage, 1 month supply, 3 months supply, 6 months supply or a year's supply.

As all other food items, store in a cool, dry, dark location. I store several bags/boxes of pastas in an extra large plastic zip lock bag with the purchase date on the bag. Then I put them in a large plastic container by type with a tight lid. These containers can be easily stored in the bottom of a closet and then you can sit shoes on them. You should rotate the pastas yearly. I rotate mine each time we purchase new pasta. The close to expiration date ones go into the pantry and then the new ones replace those. Fresh stuffed tortellini and ravioli can be stored in the freezer, watch the expiration dates and rotate as needed or replace when used.

Different types of pastas: Long form or strand pastas (spaghetti, angle hair, fettuccine, linguine, etc.), ribbon pastas (lasagna, etc.), shaped pastas (elbow and shell macaroni, bowtie, spiral, orzo, risi, etc.), tubular (penne, rotini, etc.), and stuffed pastas (tortellini, ravioli, etc.). If you Google "different types of pastas" you will be amazed at how many there are and there different uses. You can also purchase some whole wheat pastas. I found the cheapest place for whole wheat spaghetti and spiral pasta is Trader Joes, about $1.25 a one pound bag. Costco and Sam's Club also has them in large quantities. Discount stores like the 99 Cent Store also carries pastas, important to watch the expiration dates. What for sales and stock up.

Tomatoes:

Store in a cool, dry, dark location. Check the expiration about every 3-6 months to make sure they are not expiring and need used right away. Rotate as needed.

You can purchase tomatoes fresh, in commercial cans (7oz.-14 oz. cans of dices, stewed, whole, tomato sauce, tomato paste), #10 cans of dehydrated tomatoes dices, chopped or powder, tomato soup, marinara and other spaghetti sauce, etc.

Their shelf life is: commercially canned or jarred, 2-3 years (check the expiration dates on the cans); dehydrated/freeze dried, 20-25 years; canned in Mason canning jars, 1-2 years (check every 6 months); fresh peeled and frozen, 1 year.

Google this website for great ideas on storing and using tomatoes---"Tomatoes: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy". I will have this handout at our June Goals display table next to the chapel.

Weekly Assignment--Shelter:

1) This month purchase a tent big enough for your family or two smaller ones that will accommodate your family. If you already have a family tent then I would suggest, and this goes for every one, purchase a tent to keep in your car. You never know when you might be caught away from home and cannot get back. This way you will have your 72 Hour Emergency Preparedness Backpacks, Family Bag and a tent to protect you and your family. You may not be able to get a large tent in your car, but a 3-4 man tent should fit.  Also put a large tarp and rope in your car. This will provide additional shelter.

2) If you have a tent and have not used in it in awhile, get it out and inspect it for any damages. Repair or replace as needed.

3) Keep all your Emergency Preparedness Shelter items together in your garage or storage shed.

Weekly Assignment--Add Pasta and Tomatoes to your Food Storage:

1) This week add 3-5 bags of any type of pasta your family eats.

2) Add 5-6 cans of some type of canned tomatoes. Watch for sales!

Food Storage Ideas:

1) Never purchase canned foods that are damaged or dented for your Food Storage. Air can get into the cans and spoil the food inside.

2) Discard all food from cans that are leaking, rusting, bulging or severely damaged.

3) Never store opened canned tomatoes in their original cans in the refrigerator, store in a glass or plastic container.

 

Emergency Preparedness:

 

If you have not had a fire, earthquake or evacuation drill with your family in several months, have them this week. Practice will keep them from panicking when a real fire, earthquake or evacuation comes. Remember--"If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

 

Comments: Your comments, experience and ideas are always welcome! Thanks

Weekly Assignment and Food Storage Ideas (Week of May 27th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

Congratulations to the Adams and Craig Families! They both won the FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing last Sunday. Todd and Tami Adams won a #10 can of Dehydrated Butter Powder and The Craig Family won a #10 can of Dehydrated Shortening Powder. Both these items keep for 20-25 years depending on how they are stored, in a cool, dry, dark location.

New Carson Ward Emergency Preparedness FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing!!!

***More chances to win
***New rules
***Easier to enter
***More fun


How to enter-----

1) Each "Weekly Assignment & Food Storage Ideas" will have a question at the beginning of the posting to answer.
2) Look for the answer somewhere in that weekly posting.
3) Email me the correct answer at "theark.carsonward@gmail.com
4) Include your full name with the answer since some email addresses do not contain your name
5) You will have 4 chances to win on the 4th Sunday FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing
6) Please do not put your answer in the comment section below the blog posting, I will only accept the answers in my email
7) Only Carson Ward members can enter
8) Once we have the drawing the names entered for that month will be tossed out and you will have 4 chances again to enter for the next month's FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing

Question: Remember to only email me your answer for the FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing

What is one thing we must do to spiritual prepare and why do we need to be temporally prepared?

May Goals: Emergency Cooking and Add Oils and Fats to your Food Storage


Weekly Assignment--Emergency Cooking:

1) Continue to add some type of cooking equipment (Gas or Charcoal BBQ, Butane Stove, Dutch Oven, Wood Fire Pit, etc.) in cas
e you cannot use your regular stove/oven
2) Continue to add the type of fuel (propane, gas, charcoal, Butane, wood, etc.) for the type of cooking equipment you have
3) Put all your emergency cooking equipment and fuel in one place, easy to access
4) Store as much fuel as you will need for your family for at least 3 months


Weekly Assignment--Adding Oils and Fats to your Food Storage:

1) Continue to add cooking oils (Olive, Corn, Vegetable, Canola, Sesame Seed, etc., whatever type of cooking oils your family uses).
2) Continue to add fats (butter, margarine, shortening, mayonnaise, salad dressings, dehydrated butter powder, dehydrated shortening powder, etc, whatever types of fats your family uses).
3) Remember to store them in a cool, dry, dark location.

Note: For more information on storing Cooking Oils and Fats and how much to store, check the previous posting for May 2012 and the "Postings" on the right under "Cooking, Heating and Lighting".



Emergency Preparedness Ideas:

Spiritual Preparation

Spiritual Preparation is just as important as Temporal Preparation! Why? We live in the last days! I would like to quote from President George Albert Smith, "Teachings of Presidents of the Church, George Albert Smith", Lesson #24, page 255-263. A great lesson to read.

"In the midst of these difficult times,...many people had (have) becomee discourgaged. ... that they (we) can escape much of the distress of these perilous times by living the gospel and resisting temptation.

No matter wheather the clouds may gather, no matter how the war drums may beat, no matter what conditions may arise in the world, here in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wherever we are honoring and keeping the commandments of God, there will be protection from the powers of evil, and men and women will be permited to live upon the earth until their lives are finished in honor and glory if they will keep the commandments of our Heavenly Father.

...we must take stock of ourselves, and our homes should be the abiding place of prayer and gratitude and thanksgiving. Make your homes the abiding place of the spirit of the Lord; let them be holy places, where the adversary cannto come; listen to the still small voice prompting you to works of righteousness."

In order to prepare temporally we must prepare spiritually too, and stay in tune with the Spirit at all times! Spiritual and temporal are inseparable, they are intertwind.

Temporal Preparation

How many of you watched the KCET program "Surviving a Disaster" on Monday night? It was not quite what I thought it would be, but I still learned some important things from it.

(1) When there is a disaster like the 1989 San Francisco/Oakland earthquake causing the double freeway collapsing, once the emergency response teams (Fire Department and Police Department) arrive and assess the situation, they are told and trained to first rescue the easiest trapped and injured people. Then the next easiest. The hardest ones to rescue and attend to will be the last ones to be removed and assisted, unless bystanders decide to help. I was shocked at this! I thought they would help whoever they came across and in that order. You may be on your own! This is why I want everyone to have an Emergency Family Medical Kit in your home and a good First-aid Kit in your car with a crowbar, and fire extinguisher. Each bedroom in your house should have a crowbar under your bed, tied to the bed leg, in case your are trapped and cannot open the door or window.

(2) As suspected, 911 was over loaded with emergency calls. Those on the double freeway and bystanders could not get through to 911. 911 did not know anything about them until one of the 911 dispatchers saw it on the television. This will most likely be the situation we will be in, no one will be aware of our situation. We need to be able to take care of ourselves and our families.

(3) There were many fires due to broken gas lines and downed electrical wires. Many of the water pipes had been crushed or broken due to the earthquake and there was no immediate water to put out the fires. What will you do it this happens? Keep a working, fully charged fire extinguisher in your home and a small one in your car. Of course, it will not put out a gas fire, but it will put out the fire caused to your house structure. 

June Goals: Next week we will start our June Goals. Watch for the June blog postings, FREE Monthly Giveaway questions, and the display table and handouts by our chapel door in the foyer.

Comments: Your comments, ideas and experiences are always greatly appreciated.

Weekly Assignment and Food Storage Ideas (Week of May 20th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

Quote:

Speaking of disasters and emergency situations: "There are going to be situations where people are going to go without assistance." Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates

Will you be able to take care of your own family if a disaster or emergency situation happens? How prepared are you to take care of them for 1-3 months alone? If there is a major earthquake or disaster or pandemic you will most likely be on your own! The emergency response teams, fire department, and other local and federal government groups will most likely not be able to get to you due to road closures, fallen buildings, downed power lines, fires, and severe road and bridge damages. How prepared are you and your family???

Do they know?

When I was working at State Farm Insurance a man came into the office, his wife had just recently passed away. She handled everything, all the bills, insurance, everything. He did not know what type of insurance they had and what their coverages covered. He did not know what bills to pay or where she kept them, or important papers. I also had a woman come into the office and her husband had handled everything too. The same thing is happening with older out of the house children, they are not aware of things regarding their parents insurance, bank accounts, bills, etc. Why am I bring this up?

When a parent or loved one passes away there is so much to handle, it is devastating and overwhelming to them. Without the vital information the task becomes even more overwhelming. We have everything together, but we have been procrastinating and getting distracted in getting together a list for our children, or if you have young children, a sibling, of all our vital and important information and how to handle our estate. You never know when your health may deteriorate or you may pass away. This week we finally did it!

We put together a special folder and explained what they will need to do (which is a lot having done three parents estates), companies to call (with account numbers and phone numbers), life insurance claims, how to handle Social Security and Pension payments, and where things are in the house. They know where this list is in the house, keep it in a safe place like a safe or lock box. Of course, they will need the safe combination or a copy of the key to the lock box.

None of us like to discuss this type of thing with our spouse or children, but it does need to be done. We feel much better knowing our children know what to do when the time comes. We have lessened the stress on them at a very difficult time. This is just as an important part of being prepared as Food and Water Storage and Emergency Preparedness.

Will and/or Trust: If you own a home and have children you need a Will and/or a Trust. Go to LegalZoom.com and you can complete a Will online for a small amount of money. If you own a home without a Trust, the property will likely go into Probate if the total estate is over a certain amount of money, which can take several months in court to settle. Setting up a Trust may require an attorney.

May Goals: Emergency Cooking and Add Fats and Oils to your Food Storage

Emergency Cooking Weekly Assignment:

This week add a type of cooking equipment that will allow you to cook outside in an emergency situation. Also add the type of fuel you will need to use with your emergency cooking equipment. See the "Posting" on the right side of this blog under "Cooking and Heating and Lighting" for information on types of Emergency Cooking equipment and fuel.

If you already have your emergency cooking equipment, at least 2-3 different types, then continue to add more cooking fuel for that type of equipment. Determine how much you will need for your family for at least 3 months of cooking.

Keep all your Emergency Cooking equipment and fuel together in one place.

Adding Fats and Oils Weekly Assignment:

This week add 1-2 jars of mayonnaise or salad dressing (which ever your family uses)  and
1-2 bottles of oil. Only purchase what your family will eat. Remember to keep them in a cool, dry dark location.

Emergency Preparedness Ideas:

1) Learn a skill or talent you would be able to use to barter with for things your family may need to survive. Skill might be cooking, baking, sewing, gardening, electrical, plumbing, minor construction repairs, child or elder care, etc. These skills will give you the ability to barter for the things your family may need like, food, clothing, repairs, etc.

2) Do not tell others, like your neighbors, co-workers, and friends, how much Food and Water Storage and Emergency Supplies you have stored. If they ask, just say, " I am getting ready and you should too".

***Check your 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpack Food Kit: I went to check on the Food Kits and water in our 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpacks we keep in our car and found the fruit cups were spoiled. Even the granola bars seems questionable, very sticky. It has been about 6-8 months since I last checked the food. The trunk of your car can get pretty hot, especially in the summer. You should check the Food Kits and water every 3-6 months to make sure they have not expired or spoiled and replace the items as needed. Most items will last for about a year, in the car, a shorter time. What good will the food do you if is spoiled? Mark your wall or pocket calendar, or planner, to check your 72 Hour Emergency Food Kits at least every 6 months, 3 months would be even better if stored in your car.

Food Storage Ideas:

Egg Substitute: Did you know you can use flax seed as an egg substitute? Good for people who are vegetarians too. Eggs in a recipe are just used as a binder. Healthier too! No cholesterol!

1 egg=1 tablespoon of ground flax seed, 3 tablespoons of cold water (not refrigerated)
Whisk together, let set in a bowl for 5 minutes.
Then add to any recipe that calls for eggs

Do not keep ground flax seed for long periods of time. Only ground up what you will need for about a week. We purchased a small coffee grinder to grind up our flax seed. We keep it in a plastic zip lock bag, or a container will do, in the refrigerator. You can purchase it at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Target and WalMart may carry them.

We purchased a large bag of flax seeds at Whole Foods, which we also keep in the refrigerator.

Flax seed is good to keep for your Food Storage!

FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing: This Sunday, May 20th will be our FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing. The item will be for your Food Storage.

Weekly Assignment and Food Storage Ideas (Week of May 13th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the mothers and to all those who nurture children in some way! You are all mothers!

Congratulations to all of YOU!!!

Many of you have 55 gallon water barrels filled...
Many of you have the Seychelle Water Filters...
Many of you have a Portable Toilet and other Sanitation supplies...
Many of you have emergency cooking equipment...
Many of you have shelter for your family if you cannot stay in your home...
Many of you have emergency lighting if you cannot use your electricity...
Many of you have or are working towards your 3 months to 1 years Food Storage...
Many of you have or are working towards 1-3 months water storage....
Many of you have an out of state contact person in case of an emergency/disaster...
Many of you practice fire, earthquake and evacuation drills with your family...
Many of you are CPR and First-aid Certified...
Several of you have home vegetable/herb gardens (some in containers)....
Several of you have 72 Hour Emergency Preparedness Backpacks for each family member...
Several of you have an emergency preparedness fund/savings...
Many of you are striving to be as prepared the best you can...

How prepared are you for a disaster or emergency situation?

Quote:

"We have been place on earth in troubled times." President Thomas S. Monson
"The time has come to get our houses in order....There is a Portent [a time of calamity, monumental] stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed." President Gordon B. Hinckley, 1998
"All is not well in America. ... The days ahead are ominously frightening..." President Ezra Taft Benson, 1965

President Monson, President Hinckley and President Benson's statements are just as true then and even more so today.

Watch again the talk given by President Ezra Taft Benson on the April 29th "Weekly Assignment and Food Storage Ideas" posting.

The Carson Ward Emergency Preparedness Blog is to help you and your loved ones become more prepared. The "Postings" on the right side of the blog will give you information in each section, with great ideas and helps. The Weekly Assignments and Food Storage Ideas posted each week will give you more great ideas and challenges to help you become better prepared for the "Portent stormy weather ahead". The monthly goals and Sunday display table, with handouts, will also help you. It is very easy to become complacent and think we have a lot of time to prepare! Tomorrow may become the day we should have prepared!

May Goals: Emergency Cooking and Add Fats and Oils to your Food Storage

Emergency Cooking--Weekly Assignment:

This week add extra fuel for the type of emergency cooking equipment you have (propane, butane cans, charcoal, wood, etc.) May is a good time to purchase charcoal, usually on sale due to Memorial Day weekend.

Add Fats and Oils to your Food Storage--Weekly Assignment:

This week add a large can of shortening and 2 pounds of butter or margarine, or a can of dehydrated shortening powder and butter/margarine powder (EmergencyEssentials.com, Shelf-Reliance.com, HoneyvilleFarms.com) to your Food Storage, add more if you can. Store the butter or margarine in your freezer (stores up to one year). Watch for sales! Remember--only store what you and your family will eat!

Emergency Preparedness Idea:

Sanitation Update--- I learned from our son you can purchase Enzymes called RID-X Septic Tank Treatment, which are much cheaper than the Enzymes 300 from EmergencyEssentials.com. You can purchase this at Walmart, Home Depot and Lowe's. These Enzymes are used by people who live in areas where they have septic tanks, we do not have these in the city. You just sprinkle some on each time someone uses the portable toilet to break down the bacteria. Another important note: If you cannot use your toilet in the house, but you can still stay in your house, use the house toilet just like you would use the portable toilet, flush out all the water, line the toilet with the heavy black trash bag, put in some cat liter and sprinkle with the Enzymes each time someone uses the toilet. Once full, tie the bag and bury in your yard, if there is no city trash pickup, away from your vegetable garden. Note: Walmart online has a 9.8oz box for $6.37. If Google RID-X your can print out a $1 off savings coupon, 5th one down, "All About Septic System, Maintenance...".

Your refrigerator when there is no electricity: When electricity has gone out your refrigerator should keep your food cold for about 23 hours as long as you do not open the door as little as possible. Eat the food in the refrigerator first and then the frozen food. Then eat your canned and dehydrated foods. Important: If you have a generator run the refrigerator for 1 hour with the generator, it will keep your refrigerator cold for 23 hours. Repeat every 23 hours.

Food Storage Ideas:

Where do we store our Food Storage? This is usually a big concern for most people with limited storage. A years supply of food for a family is a lot of food! Remember--the cooler, drier and darker the area the longer your food storage will last. The best temperature is about 65 degrees, or cooler if possible.

Garage: A lot of people store their food storage in their garage, not the best idea. A garage gets too hot, usually way over 70 degrees, especially in the summer. If you have to store food in your garage, and it is attached to your house, the best place to store the food against the wall attached to the house. You can build or purchase shelves to fit along the wall from the floor to the ceiling. If you do not have dormers or fans on the roof that let heat escape, you might consider this to cool down your garage.

Cupboards and closets: Go through your cupboards and closets, get rid of things you no longer use or need. Organize the shelves and you will be amazed at how much space you can find. I love organizing small things into labeled containers, they save so much space and things are easily found. Try to eliminate one, or more, shelf for just food storage. You can put canned, jarred and packaged (pastas, mixes, etc.) foods in plastic containers and store in the bottom of the closet or under your beds. You can write on the container what is in the container and the expiration dates. Avoid storing in cardboard boxes, they are attract bugs!

Under beds: A great place to store food items, it is usually cool, dry and dark. Purchase under the bed plastic storage containers and place your canned/jar foods under the bed. Remember to check the expiration dates every 3 months and rotate as needed, move the almost expired items to your pantry and replace with new ones.

End tables and coffee tables: When purchasing new ones, keep in  mind extra storage space. Try to purchase ones with storage space. A good place to store food storage items.

Be creative!!! You will find places in your home to store your food storage.

FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing: To be held Sunday, May 20th. After this drawing I am changing the way we do the FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing, more opportunities to win!

Weekly Assignment and Food Storage Ideas (Week of May 6th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

Congratulations to the Saunders Family! They won the April FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing. They won a one burner Butane Stove with two cans of Butane fuel.

Quote:

"How blessed we are, ..., to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives and in our hearts. It provides answers to life's greatest questions. It provides meaning and purpose and hope to our lives. We live in troubled times. I assure you that Heavenly Father is mindful of the challenges we face. He loves each of us and desires to bless us and to help us. May we call upon Him in prayer, as He admonished when He said, 'Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessings---yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth.' (Doctrine and Covenants 19:38)" President Thomas S. Monson, April 2012 General Conference.

Brothers and Sisters, Family and Friends, stay close to the Spirit through prayer. Listen for guidance through the still small voice, the Holy Ghost. Our paths will be directed and we will know what we need to do to protect ourselves, our families and our homes.

May Goals: Emergency Cooking and Add Fats and Oils to your Food Storage

Emergency Cooking: What will you do if you cannot cook your conventional way, there is no gas or electricity? Do you have resources for emergency cooking? This month we are adding emergency cooking equipment and supplies. I feel each household should have several different ways to cook.

Types of Emergency Cooking equipment and fuel: Gas BBQ, charcoal BBQ, Butane Stove (one or two burners), Coleman Propane Stove, Fire Pit, Solar Oven, Dutch Oven, Pressure Cooker and a Single Burner Folding Stove. Of course, you will need the right type of fuel for your equipment; propane, charcoal, Butane fuel (cans), wood, kindling, matches, firestarter, and/or heat cells (Sterno cans). You should have enough fuel on hand for at least 3 months, more if possible, for the size of your family and cooking needs. Important: I would also have a fire extinguisher on hand. Make sure you keep it filled and charged.

Warnings: It is against California Law to store propane tanks in your garage or home, or near you home. If you do store your propane tanks in your garage, make sure they are the furthest from the house wall. All fuel must be stored in a cool dry place, out of direct sunlight. If you store wood, make sure you do not stack it near your house, garage or any structure, will cause termites!

Never, never, never use charcoal inside your home, any structure or your car/van. It will KILL YOU!!!

Emergency Cooking Weekly Assignment:

1) Gather all your emergency cooking equipment and supplies together. Assess what you have and what is needed to provide a way for you and your family to cook if you cannot use your indoor stove. Put all those items in one place in your garage or a storage shed (may be too hot for the fuel). Inventory them every 3 months, replace items that you have used. The best rule is "ROTATE", replace the item before you will use it up.
2) This week add some type of emergency cooking equipment and fuel for that equipment. If you already have one of these types listed, then add another type and its fuel. The most inexpensive one I have found is the Butane One Burner Stove and Butane Fuel. You can purchase them at Muraki Market in Gardena on Artesia and Western or in Torrance on Sepulveda and Hawthorne. The one on Artesia requires a $1 membership fee you can pay as you enter. They are around $15 and the Butane fuel is about $1.25 a can.
3) Check out under "Postings" on the right side, "Cooking and Heating and Lighting in an Emergency Situation", for more information about types of emergency cooking equipment and fuel, great ideas.

Great New Product: This stuff is amazing! It is called "Fired Up!, Emergency Fuel and Fire Starter". It has as 30+ year shelf life, ideal for lighting a campfire and charcoal, no kindling required and is water repellent, two cups burn for approximately 1/2 hour, it is safe and can be used inside, a reliable fuel source for cooking or heating in an emergency situation, one cup will boil two cups of water in approximately ten minutes, no harmful chemicals. You can even burn this on top of water or snow. It burns from the top down. You can purchase it from EmergencyEssentials.com. It is expensive but worth it! A 4 gallon bucket cost $47.95 and a #10 can cost $11.95. Best price I have found so far and hard to find. Food for Health International sells a 4 gallon bucket (InstaFire) for $69.95. This product was created by two LDS fellows.

Add Fats and Oils to our Food Storage:

Amount per person (combination of both):
20 pounds per person per year
10 pounds per person for 6 months
5 pounds per person for 3 months
2 pounds per person for 1 month

Types of Fats and Oils: Any type of cooking oil (extra virgin olive oil, vegetable, corn, sunflower, sesame, canola, etc.). Fats are butter, margarine, shortening, salad dressings or salad oils, and mayonnaise.

How and where to store Fats and Oils: Store in a cool dry, dark location. Most oils will store 2-3 years if properly stored. Check the expiration dates on the bottles and containers. Butter and margarine can be stored in the freezer for one year. #10 cans of dehydrated powdered butter, margarine and shortening can be stored up to 25 years if stored properly.

Adding Fats and Oils Weekly Assignment:

1) This week add 2-3, or more, bottles of the type of cooking oil you use.

Vegetable Garden Update:

How is your vegetable garden doing? Have you planted it yet? There is still time to plant! See the March postings for ideas and under "Postings" on right side, "Vegetable Gardening", for more great ideas.


This week I visited a sister in our Ward who is doing Container Vegetable Gardening. I was so happy to see it and hear the excitement in her voice. Check out the photo of her container tomatoes. You can do this too!

Food Storage Ideas:

Learn how to use your food storage so when the time comes you'll be even better prepared to use it. Enjoy the food you've stored while it tastes best. Then replace those foods as you use them.


Dehydrated powdered butter, margarine and shortening: This is a great way to store those fat items for long storage, usually 25 years if stored properly. They are easy to use in recipes. When using in baking it is not necessary to reconstitute. Simple add to your dry ingredients and increase the liquid. If rehydrating, add a little oil to the powdered butter or margarine for better flavor. Add slowly until the consistency of creamy butter or margarine.

FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing: I am thinking about changing the way I do the FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing. I will have one more drawing for the month of May, then I will change the format starting in June.