Weekly Assignment, Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness Ideas (Week of July 22nd)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

What will you do if food prices sky rocket or become unavailable?

The midwest is experiencing a severe drought this season! As our daughter drives to work in Kansas, she lives on the border of Missouri and Kansas, she sees the dying drought corn fields. On the weather channel yesterday I saw the bleak pictures of corn fields, wheat fields and soybean fields, two thirds of the farmers fields throughout the midwest are destroyed due to the drought. They are trying to save as much of the soybean crops as possible, but the picture is bleak.

What does this mean for us? Extremely high prices on food in the grocery store. Some items may become unavailable. If you read the labels on most food products, you will notice most of them have some type of corn product in them. Live stock are feed corn and other grains too, which will make the cost of beef, pork and other meat products extremely high. What will you do when you cannot afford the prices, or no food is available at all?

Many I speak with, and things I hear on CNN, have great concerns for what is ahead, possible before this year is over, or the very beginning of next year. Some fear the stock market is going to crash. The presidential election is going to effect the economy greatly. What would we do if there was rioting, civil unrest, and maybe even a civil war in our own country? I strongly fear very tough days are ahead of us. The Spirit has testified this to me, and many others I have spoken with!

I have been saying, in this blog, for two years to get ready, get your food storage and water storage, get your emergency supplies ready! We all need to be as self-sufficient as possible. Who knows what is down the road? Who knows if food will be to expensive or unavailable? Who knows if we will have electricity, gas and water? The scriptures warn us over and over of the coming days and to be prepared.

It is never to late to start preparing for the day ahead! Start now! Protect your loved ones! Use the things in this blog to help you prepare. Read the information under "Postings" on the right side to see what you need to do to prepared, where you fall short. Make a plan for you and your family, set goals to accomplishment them. We have been counseled by our General Authorities to not go into debt when purchasing our Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness Supplies!

If we are doing all we can to stay very close to the Spirit, Heavenly Father will guide us, but we need to do our part! We need to be prepared! We need to do it now!!!

FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing Weekly Question:

Why might food prices sky rocket and become unavailable? Please email me your answer to
theark.carsonward@gmail.com to enter your name this week. The latest you can enter your name this week for the July drawing is Saturday by 10PM. This Sunday will be our July FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing. Please remember to put your name in your email if it does not appear in your email address.

July Goals---Paper Products and Adding Condiments to our Food Storage:

Weekly Paper Products Assignment:

1) This week add silverware (forks, spoons, knives) to your Emergency Supplies. You will need to determine how many of each you will need per day, per family member for the number of months (3 months, 6 months, 12 months) you are working towards. The big warehouses like Costco and Sam's Club may give you a better price than the traditional grocery stores and discount places. Compare the prises.

Weekly Condiments Assignment:

1) Continue to add the condiments your family uses to your Food Storage. See previous blog postings for this month concerning condiment and how much to add.

Food Storage Ideas:

Tips using your Food Storage in daily cooking:

1) I find making soups and casseroles is a great way to rotate canned and dehydrated vegetables, tomatoes, tomato sauce, broths, beans and packaged rice, pasta and noodles.
2) Out of cooking oil? When baking a cake you can replace the oil by using the same amount of pureed beans in place of the oil. If the recipe calls for 1/3 cup of oil then use 1/3 of purred beans.
Note: If chocolate cake use pinto beans, black beans or kidney beans. If a white or yellow cake use white navy beans or butter beans. To puree take a can of bean with the liquid and puree in a blender. Use as needed. Also cuts down on fats and calories!
3) If you store dehydrated powdered eggs rotate them by using them in cooking recipes (cakes, nut breads, cookies, etc.). Follow directions on powdered eggs regarding how much equals one egg.
4) On a daily basis when the recipe calls for eggs or milk use your powdered eggs and powder milk to help rotate them.

Emergency Preparedness Ideas:

1) Good source of light: Olive oil and a wick in a glass or metal container is smokeless and a good source of light.
2) If you have no heat in your house and it is cold: You can take your mattresses and make a shelter in a room. All of you go in and it will conserve your body heat.
3) Block out harmful chemicals and cold in your home: Collect newspapers and get some industrial strength plastic and duck tape to cover and insulate your windows. Also cover all the doors that lead outside with plastic and duck tape. Stuff the newspaper between the windows and the plastic. You want to keep as much of the chemicals and cold out as possible. It will be dark after you do this, so get a light source before covering the windows. You can also stuff newspaper between your clothes and body to keep warn.

Remember: We love your comments, ideas and experiences. We all learn from each other. Please put your comments below.

Weekly Assignment, Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness Ideas (Week of July 15th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

Quote:

"Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come,...." (Doctrine and Covenants 1:12)

Why be Spiritually prepared?

Many times I have mentioned being spiritually prepared as well as being temporally prepared. Yesterday our daughter Heidi called to share a very interesting spiritually experience they had while driving back home from Missouri to California. Here is their story...

They stopped at a hotel in Amarillo, Texas that they had scheduled ahead of time. As Heidi entered their hotel room she did not have a good feeling. She did not know what it was, but things just did not seem right. She thought maybe it was just her, not saying anything to her husband they headed off to dinner. While driving back from dinner she had the same feeling and Jason mentioned it too. Neither wanted to say anything thinking it was just them. They got to the hotel and entered the room again, still feeling uneasy about it, they went to the front desk to see if they could get a refund for the room. They explaining that they are religious people, and they believe in following the Spirit, had nothing against their hotel, just knew they needed to change hotels. The man understood, and after some negotiating they were able to get a refund and change hotels. They left the hotel for a new one, and both understood from the Spirit that their son Bradley would have been seriously injured while in the swimming pool. Once they entered the new hotel they felt at peace. This is why we listen to the Spirit!

How does being spiritually prepared help us be temporally prepared? Being spiritually prepared will protect us and our family, just like in the story above, and guide us with what we need to do to become temporally prepared. The Spirit will warn us of impending dangers too, guiding us to a safe place. What if their was going to be a disaster, wouldn't you want to be in tune with the Spirit so you would know what to do? What emergency supplies and food should you store? The Spirit will guide you with that too, if you just pray and ask.

Weekly FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing Question:

Why is it good to keep at least a half a tank of gas in your vehicles at all times? Please email me the answer to theark.carsonward@gmail.com to have your have name entered to the July FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing. Remember to include your name if your name is not in your email address.

July Goals: Adding Non-Food Items and Condiments to your Food Storage and Emergency Supplies

Weekly Non-Food Items Assignment:

1) This week add paper cups (for cold and hot drinks).  You will need to determine how many paper cups you will need to store for your family. You will probably need 3 cups per day per person in your household. You may even want to store some extra ones too, but first get the amount you will need for the number of months you are working towards, then add extra ones later on. Great tip: One way we save on paper cups is to write the person's name on the cup with a permanent sharpie marker, that is their cup for the day. Keep some permanent sharpie markers with your paper cups.

Weekly Condiments Assignment:

1) This week add another type of condiment (ketchup, mustard, relish, etc.) your family eats for the Food Storage amount of months you are working towards. Watch for sales. Remember to check the 99 Cent, Dollar Tree and other discount place for the expiration dates, you want the date to be at least a year away. The only way to determine the amount to store for 3 months, 6 months, 12 months is to keep track of how much you use for that particular condiment in a month, and then multiply by the number of months you are working towards.

Food Storage Ideas:

The best advise I can give you is ROTATE, ROTATE, ROTATE your Food Storage! Do not waste money by throwing away expired food! Inventory your Food Storage every 3 months. Food that is in your Food Storage about to expire should be moved to your everyday pantry. Replace the rotated food  from your Food Storage immediately.

Emergency Preparedness Ideas:

1) Here is a great idea I received from someone regarding gas in our vehicles...

One of things that we do to always be ready is to never let any of our vehicle fuel tanks get less than half full. This should include all large lawn and garden equipment that are completely refueled after each use.

This practice provides four benefits:
1.Wherever anyone of us happens to be we have the ability to drive a minimum of 250 miles.
2.We have a minimum of an additional 30-60 gallons of fuel for our generator.
3. This practice also reminds us each time we fuel at half-a-tank why we are doing it and keep preparedness in mind.
4. And the everyday bonus benefit of reducing condensation in the fuel tanks.

2) Toilet paper is a great bartering item for things you might need, keep extra on hand.

3) Always keep cash in your car and at home. ATM machines, banks and store cash
registers/monitors will not work if there no electricity.

Remember: All comments, suggestions, ideas and experiences are most welcome. Post them in the comment section below or email them to me at theark.carsonward@gmail.com.

Weekly Assignment, Food Storage and Preparedness Ideas (Week of July 8th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

Quotes:

"Prepare ye prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh."  (Doctrine and Covenants 1:12)

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing:...." (Doctrine and Covenants 88:119)

"If we are wise with our means, we will be prepared for hard times." (President George Albert Smith)

I love Aesop's Fables story abut the "The Grasshopper and the Ants". Are we like the ant who harvests his supplies when they are available and stores them up against the day when it would not be possible to obtain them? Or, are we like the grasshopper, a much larger insect, who does not lay up anything in store for hard times, but depends upon providence, or others, to provide him what he needs?

When our son was on his mission in Honduras there were two missions. His mission president felt a very strong warning he need to stock up on supplies, food, water, etc. for his missionaries. He did not know why, but followed the warning. He told the other mission president in Honduras of his concerns, but that mission president decided not to heed the warning. Several months later a devastating hurricane hit Honduras, the one mission president was able to take care of his missionaries and also help the other mission.

Brothers and Sisters, hard times are here, and more are ahead! Are we the ant or the grasshopper? Are we prepared for the harder times ahead, or do we think others will provide for us and our loved ones? We have been admonished over and over by our General, Stake and Ward Leaders and in the scriptures to be prepared. What does it take for us to follow that admonish? Some day will be to late! We need to fill our storehouses (our homes) now! Just a little at a time, and you will astonished by how much you have stored.

What would happen if our infrastructure (computer systems, roads, freeways, etc.) fell apart? What if the trucks could not get through to deliver food to the markets? Our grocery markets only have about 2 weeks of food in inventory. We have all seen on the news how quickly food disappears off the shelves when there is an impending danger. What would we do?

Let's not be like the grasshopper who depends on providence or others, which will probably not come, and will starve. But, let's be like the ant, and store up "every needful thing" for our family.

FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing Weekly Question:

What is the difference between the ant and the grasshopper, and why do we need to be like the ant? Please email me the answer to theark.carsonward@gmail.com. Please remember to include your name if your name is not in your email address.

July Goals: Adding Non-Food Items and Condiments to your Food Storage and Emergency Supplies

Weekly Non-Food Items Assignment:

1) This week add paper bowls (hot/cold) to your Food Storage. You will  need to determine how many meals a week you would use paper bowls, example: breakfast--cereal, oatmeal, lunch/dinner--soups, stews, etc. Remember, you will need that many for each person in the family.

Weekly Condiments Assignment:

1) This week add 1 month to 12 months supply, what ever your goal is, of one of the condiments your family eats. You will need to determine how much of that condiment you use in a month and then multiply by the number of months (1-12 months) for your goal. If you purchase them at the 99 Cent Store, Dollar Tree, etc., watch the expiration dates. Sometimes they expire in just a few days, and sometimes they have already expired.

Food Storage Idea:

Where do I store my Food Storage? Designate different places in your home. You can use your garage, but it is really to hot and your shelf life is diminished drastically. I really do not encourage anyone to store food in their garage unless it is insulated and the food can be kept cool and dry. You will need to rotate your food more often. The best place to store your Food Storage is in your house. You can store food in cupboards, closets, and under beds. When you purchase coffee tables or end/bed side tables, purchase ones with storage. Go on line for more ideas. Be creative!

Emergency Preparedness Ideas:

When your family gets together discuss Emergency Preparedness. Assess how prepared each family is and what they need and encouragement them to be prepared. Work together as a family and set goals to accomplish the goals. Have a monthly family meeting, either in person, by email, by phone or skype. Refer to this blog for ideas and encourage them to check out the blog weekly for ideas.

Keep all your different types of emergency supplies in groups. Example, keep all your shelter supplies together in one place in your garage or backyard storage shed. Keep all your cooking supplies together in one place. Keep all your sanitation supplies together in one place. That way they are easier to inventory and get to them when you need them.

Remember: We love our comments, ideas and experiences. Please post them below. We all need to help each other prepare!

Weekly Assignment and Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness Ideas (Week of July 1st)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

Congratulations to the George Romo Family! They won the June FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing. They won pasta, canned tomatoes and Spaghetti sauce for their Food Storage.

July FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing Weekly Question....Why do you need to add paper products to your Emergency Supplies and what is one thing you should "be wise" about? Email me your answer to theark.carsonward@gmail.com. Remember to include your name if not in your email address. If you answer the question each week in July, you will have 4 chances to win.


New July Goals....(see below)

In our daughter's hallway on the way to the front door there is a small caulkboard with "Be Wise" written on it. This is to remind the family to "be wise" in keeping the commandment, how they exercise their agency and being a disciple of Jesus Christ. But you know me, I will also apply this to Emergency Preparedness....

Be Wise Temporally...

Be Wise in only storing what you and your family will eat.
Be Wise in rotating your Food Storage so you do not waste food and money.
Be Wise if you store deydrated foods, they require extra water storage. Store a variety of foods, dehydrated, commerically canned, frozen, canned in Mason jars, etc..
Be Wise in purchaisng food that it not close to the expiration date or has expired. Watch the discount stores expiration dates. Remember, this is for long storage.
Be Wise in purchasing your food storage, figure out the cost per serving, it is a savings?
Be Wise in having a 72 Hour Emergency Backpack Kit for each family member.
Be Wise in properly storing water and rotating it as needed.
Be Wise in having emergency medical supplies and extra perscriptions.
Be Wise in having a family emergency preparedness savings account, and keep cash in your house in small bills.
Be Wise in knowing where all your important papers/documents are and keep them together in one place.
Be Wise in having an out of state contact person each family member knows.
Be Wise in having an evaculation plan.
Be Wise in having a home fire escape and earthquake plan.
Be Wise in knowing what is going on around you, in your neighborhood, your community, your state and our Federal government. How will their choices effect your life? If the President of the United States declares Martial Law how will it effect you? Do not be complacent!

Be Wise Spiritually...

Be Wise in striving to keep the commandments.
Be Wise in staying close to the Spirit and following the guidance of the Holy Ghost.
Be Wise in reading your scriptures daily.
Be Wise in praying daily, and praying for daily guidance.

In a recent article in the July 2012 Ensign, "In the Aftermath of the Tornado", page 66, it reminds us of how important it is to stay close to the Spirit and how prayer will protect and guide us.

"After the tornado, says Bishop Chris Hoffman of the Josplin First Ward, 'As we realized that things were a lot worse than we thought they might be, we started to try to establish communications.' But those efforts were frustrated by phone outages. Even so, he and ward members tried to collect what information they could that night via sporadic phone calls and text messages. In the instances where those methods failed, they turned to prayer.

In a situation of this magnitude, Bishop Hoffman said, 'You recognize very quickly how reliant you are on Heavenly Father for answers, because you need them, and you need them quick. But the answers came. They alwasy did. They always will.'

Despite the destruction and disruption of the tornado, members in Joplin say their gospel perspective has carried them through." (To read this entire article see the July 2012 Ensign magazine or go to lds.org [Menu, Magazines, Ensign, Current issues, once the July issue shows up, click on the article])

Be Wise in being prepared both Spiritually and Temporally!

July Goals: Non-Food Items (paper products) and Adding Condiments to your Food Storage

If there is an emergency situation you will not want to use your water to wash dishes, and they may be broken or not accessable. You should store paper products like plates, bowls, cups (cold/hot), napkins/paper towels and plastic silverware. How much should you store? Figure how many meals your family will eat and what type of paper products you will need for that meal. Multiply that by the number of days in 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year, which ever goal you are working towards.

Condiments are ketchup, mustard, relish, mayonnaise (if you did not add it with your Fats Food Storage in May), and other types your family eats. Only store what your family will eat! Store then in a dry, dark, cool location.

Weekly Non-Food Items Assignment:

1) Determine how much you will need for your family for 3 months, 6 months or 1 year. Set a goal to purchase them.
2) Determine what type of paper products your family will need.
3) This week add paper plates to your Non-Food Items Food Storage.

Weekly Condiment Assignment: 1) This week add 1-3 months supply of one of the condiments your family eats. If you purchase them at the 99 Cent Store, Dollar Tree, etc., watch the expiration dates. Sometimes they expired in just a few days, and sometimes they have already expired.

Food Storage Ideas: 

 Honey verses Sugar....
Honey is an important part of your Food Storage. It keeps forever. Do not store in metal cans, only heavy plastic bottles. Every 6 months turn your honey over. If it crystallizes, which it will in time, you can heat over a double boiler, on in a sacue pan (low heat so it does not burn). After calling several honey companies all over California, I have found Costco and Sam's Club are the lowest in price, about $14 for a 5 gallon bottle. Honey is more inexpensive than sugar, but it is better for, and good to add to your Food Storage. Needs to be kept in a dry, dark, cool location.

Sugar stores forever too and less expensive. Keep in its originally bag and store several bags in large plastic storage bin. You may first want to put the origianl bag of sugar in a large plastic zip lock bag to protect from water damage. It will harden in time but can be pounded into the same consistancy as when you purchased it. Needs to be kept in a dry, dark, cool location.

Personally, I would store some of each. Check out the "Food Storage" Posting on the right for how much to store per person.

Emergency Preparedness Ideas:
Holidays, like Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, and Summer (BBQ & picnics), are a good time to stock up on paper goods and condiments due to sales. Costco and Sam's Club are also a good place. But watch for sales, sometimes regular store sales might be cheaper that Costco or Sam's Club. Remember, calculate the price per piece to see if it really is a savings. Also, the thinner/cheaper the paper plate the more you will probably use! One of the great things about paper products, you can store them in your garage, attic or back yard storage shed.

We are grateful for your comments, experiences and suggestions.

Weekly Assignment and Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness Ideas (Week of June 24th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

Why not be prepared?

Why not have extra food on hand?
Why not have extra drinking water on hand?
Why not have a 72 Hour Emergency Kit for each family member?
Why not have emergency medical supplies on hand?
Why not have a way to provide shelter for your family?
Why not have a way to have light if there is no electricity?
Why not have a way to cook if you cannot use your stove?
Why not have a family evacuation plan?
Why not have a home fire plan?
Why not be ready for an earthquake?
Why not have an out of state contact person?
Why not protect you and your family?
Why not feel peace at a time of turmoil?

WHY NOT??? "If ye are prepared, ye have no need to fear."  (Doctrine and Covenants 38:30)

FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing Weekly Question--

Why do we need to prepare and how can you store lemons? Email me your answer at theark.carsonward@gmail.com to have your name entered into the June FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing to be held this Sunday, June 24th. You must enter by Saturday, June 23rd by 9:00PM.

June Goals---Shelter and Adding Pastas and Tomatoes to your Food Storage: (Next week we start our July Goals!)

Weekly Assignment--Shelter:
1) You should know the closest emergency shelters near your home and work place.
2) If there is an emergency situation and you can stay in your home, you need to know how and where to shut off the main gas, water and electricity of your home if instructed by the local leaders, or if you feel it is necessary. Remember, only shut off your gas if you smell gas, it takes days, and possibly weeks, to get it turned back on by the gas company, do not attempt to turn back on by yourself.
3) Know what your Homeowners, Homeowner-Condo or Renters Insurance policy will cover if you have to leave your home due to damages. Most California Insurance companies will allow you to stay in a home that is comparable to your current living condition for up to 24 months, or until damages are fixed. Check with your insurance company or your policy booklet for this information.

Weekly Assignment--Adding Pastas and Tomatoes to your Food Storage: 

1) Continue to add pastas and different types of tomatoes, tomato sauces and soups to your Food Storage. See all the previous June postings for the June Goal ideas.

Food Storage Idea:

What can you do with all those lemons on your lemon tree or when you find a great sale? "Many professionals in restaurants and eateries are using or consuming the entire lemon and nothing is wasted. How can you use the whole lemon without waste? Simply place the whole lemon in the freezer in plastic freezer zip lock bags. Once the lemon is frozen, get your grater, and shred the whole lemon (no need to peel it) and sprinkle in on top of your foods. All the foods will unexpectedly have a wonderful taste, something that you may have never tasted before. Most likely, you only think of lemon juice and vitamin C. Not anymore. Now that you've learned this lemon secret, you can use lemon even in instant cup noodles.

The surprising benefits of lemon! Lemon peels contain as much as 5-10 times more vitamins than the lemon juice itself. Lemon (Citrus) is a miraculous product which kills cancer cells. It is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy. It is considered also as an anti microbial spectrum against bacterial infections and fungi, effective against internal parasites and worms, it regulates blood pressure which is too high and as an antidepressant, combats stress and nervous disorders.

The source of this information is fascinating: it comes from one of the largest drug manufactures in the world." (comsumerproducts.com)
 

Emergency Preparedness Idea:

Dutch Ovens--a must for emergency cooking equipment. Our ancestors used Dutch Ovens to cook in. You can cook just about anything in one of them. Get a good cooking booking on cooking with a Dutch Ovens. You can even bake a Cherry Upside Down Cake in them. You just put hot charcoal briquettes on the bottom and the top of the lid and let it cook. They can run from $25 -$80, depending on the size and type. I spent $25 for ours on sale at Majors Surplus Survival in Gardena. Check around for sales.

Your comments and personal experiences are always welcome!    

Weekly Assignment and Food Storage Ideas (Week of June 17th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

Happy Father's Day to all those men who are Dad's and have an influence in a child's life!

Quote:

"Dear God, make me the kind of man my son (daughter) needs me to be." Lloyd D. Newell (Host/Narrator of "The Spoken Word")

FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing weekly question:

Why is it important to have a 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Kit for each family member?

Email me the answer at theark.carsonward@gmail.com to have your name entered into the Carson Ward FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing. Each weekly question you email me the answer gives you more chance to win this month's drawing.

What would you do?

A couple of weeks ago there was fire in Castiac, California by the 5 Freeway, causing the 5 Freeway to be shut down for 6-7 hours. Traffic came to a halt! A few months ago all the electricity from South Orange County down into parts of Mexico went out for several hours, causing havoc to all those in the area and those trying to get home from work. Why do I mention this on the Carson Ward Emergency Preparedness Blog?

When we think of emergency preparedness we usually think of a major disaster like an earthquake, tsunami, hurricane or some other type of disaster. But even something like the 5 Freeway shutdown and the Orange County electric outage, we will need our emergency supplies.

Imagine being on the 5 Freeway for 6-7 hours without any water, food or communication. If my husband and I had been there at that time, we would have been alright because we keep our 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpacks, extra water, our Family Bag, and even a small tent and blanket in the trunk of our car. You  never know when you might need them! We would have had water and food to eat, shelter if needed and a way to communicate by our cell phone. Sanitation might have been a issue, but we do keep a large tarp, rope and hygiene items in our Family Bag. What a blessings those items would have been in this situation!

How important is our 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpack and Family Bag to you and your family! Would you have been able to handle the 6-7 hour freeway shutdown? What about no electricity for many, many hours? Street lights and stop lights out, causing crazy traffic issues, no way to get gas (the pumps and cash registers run on computers and electricity), no electricity at home, elevators at your office building not working (maybe even stuck in one for hours with no lights), what would you have done? Do you have emergency lighting for your home (flashlights, lanterns, candles, generator), what about at work (flashlights)? What would you do???

Let us all strive to be better prepared for what may come our way. May we each take time to assess our emergency supplies and make a goal to purchase the items we will need to survive.

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

Emergency Preparedness Ideas:Weekly Assignment--Shelter:

1) This week get out all your sleeping bags and inspect them for damages and cleanliness. Wash and repair as needed and properly store with all your emergency Shelter equipment.


2) If you do not have a sleeping bag for each family member, watch for sales (great time of year for them, and at the end of the summer) and set a goal to purchase a sleeping bag for each family member. I have seen them on sale at Big 5 for $17 and up. You can also make your own bedrolls by putting blankets together. The Boy Scout manual will show you how to do this.

Weekly Assignment--Adding Pastas and Tomatoes to your Food Storage:

1) This week add more pastas and different types of tomatoes (commercially canned, dehydrated/freeze dries, canned in Mason jars, freezing) to your Food Storage.

2) Inventory the current ones and rotate to your regular pantry and replace as needed in your Food Storage.

Emergency Preparedness Ideas:

What if you did not have electricity and water to do your laundry, what would you do?

Think back to your grandmother's or great grandmother's days, how did she do the laundry? She may have washed her clothes by hand and hung them out to dry. Here are some things you might want to consider for your emergency preparedness supplies:

1) Large metal (better, last longer) or plastic tub to wash the clothes in. You can purchase these at True Value and some Home Improvement stores.
2) Clothes line rope and a way to secure them. You can either put up nails to secure the line or tie to a tree. You can purchase this at most home improvement stores and places like Walmart, Target, etc..
3) Clothes pins to hang the clothes with. You can purchase them at Walmart, Target, etc..
4) A wash/scrub board. You can purchase these at True Value and some Home Improvement stores, possibly Walmart.
5) A "Mobile Washer". You can purchase these on EmergencyEssentials.com for $14.95. It lets you agitate the clothes by hand like a washing machine. I have one, they are great!
6) Laundry soap, bleach, fabric softener (optional). Keep enough on hand for at least 3-6 months.
7) And of course, stored water if your water is not running. If you are using your stored water, use sparingly, you will need it to drink, cook and to rehydrate your dehydrated food. Water stored in rain water barrels are great for this.

Remember: You comments, ideas and experiences are very welcome!

Weekly Assignment and Food Storage Ideas (Week of June 10th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

Quote:

"How blessed we are, my brothers and sisters, to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives and in our hearts." President Thomas S. Monson

Day to day we face the struggles of life. With God's help, we need not fear the future. In the midst of world calamity we have the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. We each need to live our daily life that will allow the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion, to guide us, to help us, to protect us. If we pray to our Heavenly Father and ask, we will receive revelation to help us and our family. Being Spiritually prepared is so important. It will help us become Temporally prepared.

FREE Monthly Giveaway Drawing Question----

What are two items you should add to your emergency shelter items and why do you need them?

Remember to email me your answer to theark.carsonward@gmail.com

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

Weekly Assignment--Shelter:

There may be times when your home may become your shelter. If there was a pandemic or some type of chemical issue, you may need to stay inside your home and protect your family from any type of germs or chemicals from entering. You may be advised by local government authorities to cover all your windows, doors and anything that would allow germs or chemicals to enter your home.

This week add the following to your emergency shelter equipment and keep them with all your emergency shelter equipment:

1) Large heavy plastic sheeting, either purchase in a roll or in individual packages. You will need enough to cover all your windows, doors and any openings in your home.
2) Purchase enough duct tape to go around each window, and any other openings to secure the plastic in place.

Note: Your can purchase both of these items above from any home improvement store.

Weekly Assignment--Adding Pastas and Tomatoes to your Food Storage:

1) Continue to add more packages/boxes of pastas to your Food Storage.
2) Continue to add more tomatoes to your Food Storage. Adding a varieties and different types to store will give you more choices when cooking.

Note: See last weeks posting (June 3rd) and Sunday's display table and handouts for information on how, how much, where and what to store.

Food Storage Idea:  A yummy recipe using your pasta and tomatoes

Spaghetti Casserole

1 pound hamburger or ground turkey/chicken
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (great way to use your diced frozen tomatoes or tomatoes canned in Mason jars)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 package of dried or canned mushrooms (optional)
1/4 pound grated cheese
1 pound (package) of spaghetti

Brown the meat, turkey or chicken with the onion and garlic, add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms and seasonings. Simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Cook spaghetti, drain and add to meat sauce. Add grated cheese and mix. Pour into a casserole dish and top with more grated cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. This may be stored in the freezer and bakes when desired. .

Emergency Preparedness Idea:

It does not rain as much here as it does in other parts of the county, but when it does it is a great opportunity to store water. If you have rain gutters on your house, purchase the items in the video to construct a rain barrel. This is an extra good source of "free"water. You can circulate the water by placing a water spout and attach your hose to water your vegetable garden. It is also a great source of water for bathing and cleaning up. Go to YouTube for more video ideas.



Remember: Your comments, experiences and ideas are most appreciated.