Weekly Assignment, Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness Ideas (Week of August 25th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

Congratulations to the Jack and Pat Lawson Family and the Salvador Garcia Family! They both won a One Burner Butane Stove with two cans of Butane fuel. This stove is a great item to add to your Emergency Preparedness Supplies. You can cook on a Butane Stove in your house. They allow you to have a way to cook if you cannot use your conventional stove. They are also great for camping. Keep several cans of the Butane fuel on hand for emergencies.

Ephesians 5:17..."Therefore, do not be unwise, ...."

In other words, do not be foolish, especially when it comes to food storage and emergency preparedness! Last week I mentioned about how many of us feel overwhelmed when it comes to food storage and emergency preparedness. We do not know where to start or we give up to easily and do not try again. The important thing to remember is never give up and simplify the processes.  

Let me simplify things for you...

1) Keep a list for one month of all the things your family eats in a month. Include breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals, snacks, going out to eat. Everything your family eats in a month. Include all the ingredients in the recipes you use. Most families eat the same thing each month. Then multiply that number by how many months you want for your food storage, 3 months, 6 months, etc. 

  2) Start out slow. Maybe first just do a one supply, then continue to add to it until you have reached your goal of 3 months, 6 months, a year. See "Postings" on the right under "3 Months Food Supply" and "Year's Supply of Food" (or click on the links) for information. 

3) Keep a list in your purse or wallet of the items you need. Each time you go grocery shopping and see an item on your list on sales purchase extra cans or packages and put them in your food storage. Use newspaper or store coupons to save even more.

4) Store a variety of different types of ways...

Store short food storage items like canned, jarred or packaged items. Watch the expiration dates on the cans, jars and packages. Only purchase items that have at least a years expiration date. Watch items at discount stores like The 99 Cent Store, etc., they usually have a very short shelf life.  Note: You can use items a few months past their expiration date, the longer you keep something past the expiration date the less the nutritional value. Do not use items where the lid is bulging or leaking.

Store long term food items like dehydrated or freeze-dried #10 cans or 5 gallon buckets. These are great to have on hand since you do not have to replace them as often. Most dehydrated or freeze-dried foods store for 20-30 years. Beware of how long they store. Mark the expiration date in a visible place on the can in permanent marker. Remember, you will need to store water to rehydrate the food. 

  5) Water. Water is very important to your food storage. You can live without food for a month, but you can only live without water for a couple of days. Store in 30-50 gallon barrels or plastic bottled water. Remember, to store in a cool place. Do not store plastic bottled water directly on the concrete, they will absorb the chemicals from the cement. Store on raised two by fours or bricks. See the "Posting" on the right side under "Water Storage" (or click the link) to learn how and where to store water. 

  6) Where do you store your food storage? Keep all food storage in a cool, dry, dark place. The cooler the temperature, the longer it will last, especially dehydrated and freeze-dried foods. Clean out closets and cupboards of unwanted items allowing some room for your food storage. Store in cupboards, closets, under the bed, and in side or coffee tables with enclosed storage areas underneath them. Be creative. Try to not store food  in your garage, it is too hot, unless insulated and is less than 70 degrees at all times.  

7) Rotation, Rotation, Rotation. Rotation is the key to food storage. Keep a chart  and rotate as needed by moving stored items to your regular pantry and replacing them as soon as you use them. You should do an inventory of your food storage, especially the canned, jarred and packaged items every three months. Food is to expensive to loose because you forgot to rotate it and use it before the expiration date. See under "Postings" on the right under "Food Storage Rotation" (or click on the link) for more ideas.

 8) Paper Supplies. Remember, in an emergency situation you will not want to use your valuable water, or you may not have water, to wash dishes. Keep paper plates, bowls, cups, plastic silverware, napkins, paper towels and toilet paper and baby wipes on hand.  

9) Emergency Preparedness Supplies. Make a check list of the items you will need and what you already have. Set goals and start an emergency preparedness savings jar like I mentioned last week. These are more expensive items to add, but if you save and you watch for sales, you can do it. This time of year is a great time for sales on camping equipment like tents, sleeping bags, etc. 

If you need help, please ask me. I would love to sit down with you and your family and help you make a plan towards Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness Supplies. 

Remember, keep it simple and make small goals under you reach your ultimate goal!

Weekly Assignment: 72 Hour Individual Emergency Stressor Kit 

This week add the following... 1) Book of Mormon for each family member's Stressor Kit. It should be the soft cover type, $2.50 on church catalog website at www.store.lds.org. For non-Mormon's you can add a small paper back copy of the Bible.  So far you should have the following in each family member's Stressor Kit..paper pad and pen or pencil with sharpener, 5-in-1 survival whistle, copies of insurance (adults only), family photo, activity book (age appropriate), list of family contact names and phone numbers, small travel size board game or card game( age appropriate). We only have two more items to add. 

 Emergency Preparedness Ideas Aluminum Foil (love these ideas)

"A few rolls of aluminum foil will serve you well in an emergency situation.  You can use foil to fashion cooking utensils or to line your pots and pans before cooking so that you do not have to waste precious water cleaning up. If you do cook on you pans directly, a crumpled up piece of foil can be used as a handy scrubber to remove the crusties. 

There are a lot more uses for this handy stuff such as wrapping stones in foil, heating them by the campfire, then using them to heat up your blanket or sleeping bag before going to bed.  Once you put a mind to it, you will wonder why you had not thought of including aluminum foil in your survival kit before now." ("5 Things You May Not Have Thought of When Planning for an Emergency", Gaye Levy)

Comments: All your comments, ideas, suggestions and experiences are welcome! We all learn from each other. Thank you for your comments.