Food Storage, Emergency Preparedness and Weekly/Monthly Assignment (Week of September 14th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Torrance Stake Family, Family and Friends,

Thank you so much to all those your participated and helped out with our Carson Ward Emergency Preparedness Fair last Saturday, September 6th. It was a great success because of all of you who worked so hard and provided your fantastic booths. A special thank you to Emily Brown (Torrance California Stake USA) who taught how to grid wheat and make homemade wheat bread, to Teri Shimohara (Torrance California Stake USA) and Irene Varela (Long Beach California Stake USA) who taught how to cook with wheat, to Brother Sheriff Don Manumaleuna (Torrance California Stake USA) teaching the children the importance of safety and to Richard King (Huntington Beach California Stake USA)  who came and did our booth on Water Storage and Filtration. It would have not been the success it was without all of you and your dedication. Here are some photos from the Fair. Below in Emergency Preparedness Idea I have posted the websites and videos mentioned in the different presentations.

Our Pancake Breakfast prepared by the Carson Ward and Lomita Ward Bishoprics and their wives.

Emily Brown teaching how to grind wheat and make homemade wheat bread.

Richard King demonstrating Water Filtration and Water Storage.

Elders Quorum President Jeramie Alba demonstrating different ways to cook.

High Priest showing different ways to have heat. See the videos below.

High Priest showing different ways to have light and electricity with a solar generator and a gas generator. 

Our Young Men and Boys Scouts showing different  ways to build shelter and how to handle sanitation.

Food storage demonstrations and displays.

Young Women fingerprinting and emergency ID cards for the children.

A couple of our full time missionaries explaining how important it is to be spiritually prepared too and things about our church--The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Our Ward Sunday School President Omar Ramil showing displays of 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpacks or Bug-out-bags, the Emergency Family Bag and the Emergency Cleaning Bucket.

     

We had a Carson California USA Sheriff come talk to our children about safety and they watched a video on fire safety. We greatly appreciated Sheriff Don Manumaleuna taking time to come to talk to them and our Primary Presidency for their great job with this booth. 

We had our Ward nurses teaching us emergency first-aid skills and displayed the Emergency Family Medical Kit.

Weekly Assignment: Family Emergency Medical Kits

 

Many of us have some sort of medical supplies in our homes like band-aids, alcohol, peroxide, anti-infection creams, pain killers, etc.. Some of us have limited first-aid kits in our cars and home that we probably have not checked in months, years. Medications do expire!

If there was a major disaster or emergency situation would you have the proper emergency medical supplies to take care of you, your family and help your neighbors. I would say most of us do not! Right?

Some of these items can be found at discount stores and drug stores. Make sure you check the expiration dates before purchasing them, you want them to last for at least a year or more.

Note: Make sure you keep this out of the reach of your young children and explain to the family is your Family Emergency Medical Kit/Supplies. If you need to use an items from it, make sure you replace it right away!

This week add the following:

1) Antacids 


    2) Stool softener

    3) Anti-fungal ointment/cream

September Monthly Assignment . . . Food Storage

For the next several months we are going to work on Food Storage. Each month we will work on one aspect of food storage, canned vegetables, fruits, soups, packages items like pastas, pancake mixes, etc., and many other items. Hopefully, with this process you will discover how easy it is to set up and add to your food storage.  

Vegetables: This month we are going to add vegetables to our food storage. Purchase vegetables each week or as you go grocery shopping. They can be commercially canned, home canning, dehydrated or even frozen. Only add the types of vegetables your family will eat. It has been proven, even in an emergency situation, people are hungry, especially children, they will not eat things they do not like. Do not waste your hard earned money by storing vegetables your family will not eat. As all canned foods, store them in a cool, dry, dark place. Store them in your cupboards, under beds, enclosed lamp and bedside tables, and in closets. The garage is too hot! Most commercially canned and home canning vegetables will last for about 2-3 years if stored properly. Dehydrated and freeze-dried vegetables will store for 20-30 years if stored properly. Frozen vegetables usually only last about a year. Rotate them every time you purchase more. As always, the key to any food storage is rotation!

Monthly Assignment: Decide what vegetables you will store and how much you will need for your food storage goal, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, a year. Continue each week to add what vegetables your family will eat as you go grocery shopping.

Ways to purchase vegetables: When you go grocery shopping add a few extra commercial cans of vegetables, frozen too. Watch for sales so you can purchase even more. Watch for sales for dehydrated and freeze-dried vegetables. store.lds.org (limited), emergencyessenials.com  and honeyville.com have great prices on vegetables. Honeyville also has a stores in Salt Lake City and Brigham City, Utah USA, Chandler, Arizona USA and Rancho Cucamonga, California USA. You can also go to a LDS Home Storage Center in your area. Click on the order form for prices on the right. You can order them online too.

Emergency Preparedness Ideas

Please check out the websites and videos from our Emergency Preparedness Fair regarding things that were shared.

1) How to build a solar cooker:

Supplies you will need:

1) Recycled satellite dish antenna
2) 6" x 12" x  3/4" plywood or plank
3) 2" wood dowel 8-12 inches long
4) Aluminum foil
5) Elmer's craft glue

Procedure: Remove the sensors arm from the antenna, wipe the dish clean, spread glue with a brush evenly and apply the aluminum foil evenly avoiding wrinkles as mush as possible. Screw the wood dowel to the center of the plank and attach it to the antenna via antenna base clamp. To learn how to use it properly, view the video below.




 2) How to build a flower pot heater

Supplies:

1) 6 inch clay pot
2) 4 inch clay pot
3) 6 inch clay saucer
4) 24 inch 3/8-16 threaded rod
5) 8-12, 3/8-16 hex nuts
6) 8-12, 3/8 flat washers
7) 10 inch utility wire
8) candles

Assembly: View the video below.



3) Paper Brickett 

Supplies:

1) scrap paper (newspaper, store adds, flyers, junk mail, etc.)
2) Recycled 5 gallon paint bucket with water
3) Deep pasta strainer (optional)
4) Recycled can (to be used as a press or as shown in the video)

Instructions: Watch the video below. 




 




2) Cooking with wheat: A great book that was displayed at the Cooking with Wheat booth. I found it listed at different companies online for a variety of prices. Walmart--$11.97, Amazon.com--$13.71, Barnes and Noble--$13.64, Target--$15.25 and Deseret Books--$17.95. I love this cook
book, has many recipes and how to cook with your long term food storage.





3) emergencyessentials.com: One of my favorite websites. Great prices, products, low shipping cost and great ideas on their blog under education.

Next week I will share some more ideas from the Emergency Preparedness Fair. 

Comments: Please share your comments, ideas and experiences below. We all learn from each other.

Food Storage, Emergency Preparedness & Weekly/Monthly Assignments (Week of September 7th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Torrance Stake Family, Family and Friends,

September--National Emergency Preparedness Month

Being prepared is not just about Food Storage and 72 Hour Emergency Preparedness Backpacks . . .

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

It is about being spiritually, emotional, physically, and temporally prepared, having our homes in order, our lives in order, our family in order, being able to take care of our own family when a disaster hits, or a pandemic, loss of income, major health issues, civil unrest, needing to evacuation immediately, and how to survive in a disaster.

It does not happen over night . . .

Many people approach me saying they feel overwhelmed when it comes to getting their food and water storage, their 72 Hour Emergency Preparedness Backpacks for each family member and their emergency supplies together. They say they do not have the money, time nor space. You do not have to do it all at once!

When we had our young family of 6 children, one income, a mortgage to pay and other bills money was tight. But some how we were able to collect enough canned and packaged foods for 6 months by adding a little extra each time we went grocery shopping. When my husband was in a serious car accident while working we were able to use our food storage for the 3 months he was out of work. It helped us with the minimum income from his disability check he was getting to be able to pay our bills. We never had to ask for help with our groceries. What a blessing it was that we had made it a point to add just a few extra cans and packages of food over the years. Even when a hurricane type storm hit Southern California USA in the early 80's and we lost our electricity for a week, and could not go outside due to down power lines and flooding in some areas, we were able to provide for our family, even with an electric stove not working. We even managed to make pop corn with our emergency candles, a nightly tradition in our household. We were not going to let a storm stop us from having our pop corn. We all slept in the front room together, the younger ones were a little afraid, we played games, told stories, read books and sang songs by candle light and lanterns.

Over the years we were able to add dehydrated and freeze-dried foods. Even some emergency equipment, a way to cook, have light, heat, shelter and sanitation in an emergency. It has taken us 43 years to get to where we are, and we still have a few things I would like to add to our food storage and emergency supplies. Food and water storage is an on going process due to we are also rotating our food and water.

So the bottom line is, never give up. It takes time to gather together enough food for your family. Be patient and add just a few extra cans and packages of food each time you go grocery shopping. First work on a goal of a 3-months supply of food and emergency supplies. When you can add the long term food storage like dehydrated and freeze-dried foods, wheat, etc.. Before you purchase an item you want but do not need, evaluate it and decide if you really need it and that you could use that money to purchase food and emergency supplies. Set your priorities.

You can do it!

Weekly Assignment: Family Emergency Medical Kits

 

Many of us have some sort of medical supplies in our homes like band-aids, alcohol, peroxide, anti-infection creams, pain killers, etc.. Some of us have limited first-aid kits in our cars and home that we probably have not checked in months, years. Medications do expire!

If there was a major disaster or emergency situation would you have the proper emergency medical supplies to take care of you, your family and help your neighbors. I would say most of us do not! Right?

The next few weeks we are going to work on our Family Emergency Medical Kit. We have done this before but I am sure there are some of you who did not do it, never completed it and some things need to be replaced due to expiration dates.  Some of these items can be found at discount stores and drug stores. Make sure you check the expiration dates before purchasing them, you want them to last for at least a year or more.

Note: Make sure you keep this out of the reach of your young children and explain to the family is your Family Emergency Medical Kit/Supplies. If you need to use an items from it, make sure you replace it right away!

This week add the following:

 

1) Instant ice packs (2-3)   

2) Instant hot packs (2-3)

September Monthly Assignment . . . Food Storage . . . Vegetables

For the next several months we are going to work on Food Storage. Each month we will work on one aspect of food storage, canned vegetables, fruits, soups, packages items like pastas, pancake mixes, etc., and many other items. Hopefully, with this process you will discover how easy it is to set up and add to your food storage.  

Weekly Assignment--Vegetables: This month we are going to add vegetables to our food storage. Purchase vegetables each week or as you go grocery shopping. They can be commercially canned, home canning, dehydrated or even frozen. Only add the types of vegetables your family will eat. It has been proven, even in an emergency situation, people are hungry, especially children, they will not eat things they do not like. Do not waste your hard earned money by storing vegetables your family will not eat. As all canned foods, store them in a cool, dry, dark place. Store them in your cupboards, under beds, enclosed lamp and bedside tables, and in closets. The garage is too hot! Most commercially canned and home canning vegetables will last for about 2-3 years if stored properly. Dehydrated and freeze-dried vegetables will store for 20-30 years if stored properly. Frozen vegetables usually only last about a year. Rotate them every time you purchase more. As always, the key to any food storage is rotation!

Decide what vegetables you will store and how much you will need for your food storage goal, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, a year. 

Ways to purchase vegetables: When you go grocery shopping add a few extra commercial cans of vegetables, frozen too. Watch for sales so you can purchase even more. Watch for sales for dehydrated and freeze-dried vegetables. store.lds.org (limited), emergencyessenials.com  and honeyville.com have great prices on vegetables. Honeyville also has a stores in Salt Lake City and Brigham City, Utah USA, Chandler, Arizona USA and Rancho Cucamonga, California USA. You can also go to a LDS Home Storage Center in your area. Click on the order form for prices on the right. You can order them online too.

Emergency Preparedness Idea

Each of us should have one way to cook, heat, lighting, shelter, sanitation in a disaster or emergency situation. Plus the fuel for the type of cooking equipment you have. Check out the this blog under "Postings" for information on these subjects. The better prepared you are the more at peace you will be! 

 

Great Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

2 packages of regular active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 degrees F to 115 degrees F)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
3 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups very warm water (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F)
4 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
2 3/4 to 3 3/4 cups of all purpose flour

In a bowl dissolve the yeast in the 1/4 cup warm water. I add about a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to the mix, helps the yeast rise better. I also cover it while it is rising. Let sit for about 5 minutes.

Add honey, butter, salt and 2 1/2 cups very warm water and 3 cups of the whole wheat flour in a large mixing bowl. Mix until all incorporated. Add the yeast mixture. Mix in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour.

Mix in the 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 cups of the all-purpose flour until mixed well.

On a lightly floured surface, knead in remaining 1/2 to 1 cup all-purposed flour, continue to knead 5-10 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy.

Grease large bowl with shortening or cooking spray. place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover, let rise in warm place 30-45 minutes or until double in size.

Generously grease 2 )8x4 o r9x5 inch) loaf pans with shortening or cooking spray. Gently push fist into dough to deflate, divide in half. Shape dough into loaves, place in pans. Cover, let rise in warm place 30-45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Uncover dough, bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, bake 10-15 minutes longer or until loaves sound hollow when lightly tapped. Immediately remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

I found they were done in 30 minutes at the 375 degrees. Will need to check. Depends on your over.

Comments: Your comments, ideas and experiences are most welcome. Please leave a comment below. We all learn from each other.

Food Storage, Emergency Preparedness and Weekly/Monthly Assignments (Week of August 31st)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Torrance Stake Family, Family and Friends,

 "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines (droughts), and pestilences (a fatal epidemic disease), and earthquakes, in divers places." (Matthew 24:7)

Have we seen the things mentioned in this scripture lately? You bet! Russia and the Ukraine, Israel and Hamas, 6.0 earthquake in Napa, California USA (Sunday, August 24, 2014), severe natural disasters throughout the world, and severe drought in California USA, other states and parts of the world, Ebola in several countries and other diseases. 

What if you could not leave your home due to civil unrest, rioting, a severe earthquake or other natural disaster damages, disease? 

What would you do?

Could you take care of your family right now with food, drinking water, medical supplies and emergency supplies if you could not leave your home for days, weeks, maybe even a month or more?

These are important questions we need to ask ourselves, our family and our neighbors. We each need to be prepared, better prepared than we currently are. We need to encourage others to be better prepared too. The scriptures, our church General, Stake and Ward leaders, other churches, our federal government and local community governments warn us over and over of coming events and to be prepared. Many times I have heard friends and others when an earthquake or other disaster hits them or someone they know, they are not as prepared as they thought they were, they did not have the right supplies like working flashlights when the electricity goes out or drinking water when the tap water become contaminated and not drinkable or even unavailable.

What does it take to start preparing? When it hits, it is to late! 

Are We Prepared? 

Click above on the First Presidency Message, given by President Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, September 2014. A message to all . . .

"Are we prepared for the emergencies in our lives? Are our skills perfected? Do we live providently? Do we have our reserve supply on hand? Are we obedient to the commandments of God? Are we responsive to the teachings of prophets? Are we prepared to give of our substance to the poor, the needy? Are we square with the Lord?

We live in turbulent times. Often the future is unknown; therefore, it behooves us to prepare for uncertainties. When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past."

Next Saturday!

The Carson Ward Emergency Preparedness Fair

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Saturday, September 6th, 9:00 am - 12:30 pm

Carson Building, 22721 Main (Main & 228th), Carson, California

 Pancake breakfast (8:30am--new time), Emergency Preparedness Displays, Booths, Demonstrations, Handouts, 
Finger-Printing/Emergency Cards (0-18 years) 
and Safety class for children (3-11), 

Hot dogs and chips $1.50 (11:30am-12:30pm, Cub Scout Fundraiser)   

 Bring your family, non-member friends and co-workers. 

Let's be better prepared! 

Weekly Assignment: Family Emergency Medical Kit

 

Many of us have some sort of medical supplies in our homes like band-aids, alcohol, peroxide, anti-infection creams, pain killers, etc.. Some of us have limited first-aid kits in our cars and home that we probably have not checked in months, years. Medications do expire!

If there was a major disaster or emergency situation would you have the proper emergency medical supplies to take care of you, your family and help your neighbors. I would say most of us do not! Right?

The next few weeks we are going to work on our Family Emergency Medical Kit. We have done this before but I am sure there are some of you who did not do it, never completed it and some things need to be replaced due to expiration dates.  Some of these items can be found at discount stores and drug stores. Make sure you check the expiration dates before purchasing them, you want them to last for at least a year or more.

Note: Make sure you keep this out of the reach of your young children and explain to the family is your Family Emergency Medical Kit/Supplies. If you need to use an items from it, make sure you replace it right away!

This week add the following:

1) Bandage scissors (EMT scissors): Or any type of scissors

2) Pain relievers (non-aspirin type, acetaminophen, ibuprofen for both adults and children, and adult and children aspirin): Important: Do not give children baby aspirin unless approved by your doctor, especially if they have the flu.  

Minor Surgery Kit


This is a great kit to have as part of your Family Emergency Medical Kit. 

emergencyessentials.com is offering this "Minor Surgery Kit" for $14.99, regular price $21.00. Shipping will be $6.00. Go in with a friend to shave on shipping.






Monthly Assignment . . . Food Storage

For the next several months we are going to work on Food Storage. Each month we will work on one aspect of food storage, canned vegetables, fruits, soups, packages items like pastas, pancake mixes, etc., and many other items. Hopefully, with this process you will discover how easy it is to set up and add to your food storage.  

 

August Monthly Assignment: Tomatoes

      Last week . . .

Go back to last week's blog posting, August 17th (and August 24th), to read more information on adding tomatoes to your food storage for this month and see what items we added last week.

This week add the following:

 

1) Tomato Soups, Tomato juice and other tomato products your family uses: Add what ever amount your family uses in a month, or the number of months for your Food Storage goal. We will add Catchup when we add condiments to our Food Storage.

Continue to add the other tomato items we have added this month, August; tomato sauce, tomato paste, canned tomatoes (whole, diced, etc.), dehydrated or freeze-dried, commercially canned, home canning

and/or freezing. 

Emergency Preparedness Idea 

     There are 3 Parts to Emergency Preparedness . . .

1) Temporal Preparation

We all should have extra food, drinking water, emergency medical supplies and other emergency supplies for at least 1-3 months. Our church General Authorities admonish us to have at least a 3-month supply, and when possible a years supply.

2) Physical Preparation

An important part of emergency preparedness is being physically fit, it could save your life if you are in a disaster. Take time to eat healthy, get some exercise, play as a family and get enough sleep. Walking or running each day will help you if you have evacuation on foot and had to walk several miles. Taking the stairs is better than taking the elevator. Aerobic exercise, yoga and swimming can also help build up your strength. Eating good healthy foods, like lots of vegetables and fruits, will help your energy and your heart. If you cannot walk, run, do aerobics, yoga, swim or other types of physical activity, find some way to build up your strength, talk with your doctor. But we all can strive to eat healthier.

Being healthy will help you fight infections and injuries caused from a disaster.

Make sure you keep plenty of your life saving prescription medications on hand in case of a disaster. Also, for those medications that have to be refrigerated, have some source of way to keep to them cold. If the power grid goes down you may not be able to renew your prescriptions for weeks and even months.

3) Spiritual and Emotional Preparation

Spiritual fitness is another important part of emergency preparedness, as well as emotional preparedness. Read your scriptures daily, pray daily and stay close to the Spirit. From my observations I find those who have a spiritual relationship with their Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ, handle the stress of a disaster much better.

Physical and Spiritual/Emotional Preparation is just as important as Temporal Preparation!

Comments: Please share your comments, ideas and experiences below. We all learn from each other.

Food Storage, Emergency Preparedness and Weekly/Monthly Assignments (Week of August 24th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Torrance Stake Family, Family and Friends,

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we will reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6: 7-9) 

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated---And when we obtain any blessings from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." (Doctrine and Covenants 130:2021)

What is this saying? What we sow, is what we reap!

How many times, how many years have we been admonished by our General Authority Leaders, and more lately, our Community and Government Leaders, to be prepared with extra food, water and emergency supplies? How long does it take us to follow their warnings?

"God's laws of the harvest is that if we want something later, we have to work for it now. If we want to grow a garden, we need to plant the seeds, water them, and protect them from weeds. If we don't do this, we won't have any harvest later." ("God's Harvest", President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, August 2014 Ensign, page 4-6)

And, if we want to feel peace in knowing that we are prepared with extra food, water and emergency supplies when a disaster hits our life, we need to work towards them daily. What will we reap, what blessings will come from it?

1) We will have peace of mind knowing we are prepared.
2) We will be able to take care of our family the way the Lord has admonished us to do.
3) We will able to help others.
4) We will be blessed for following and striving to follow our General Authority Leaders.
5) We will be able to reap what we have sowed!

Complacent!

I think in parts of the United States, and the world, we become too complacent of how a disaster can effect us in just a second. In some parts of the United States we have natural events in nature like hurricanes along the South Coast and the East Coast and tornadoes in the Midwest. When you live in areas like that you know to be prepared each season. But when you live in areas like California USA or other parts of the state you never know when a large earthquake will hit. What if a total power grid failure happened in the United States that lasted for several  months, or your country, could you take care of your family and your needs, could you survive? We need to be prepared at all times!

We also think, "It will never happen to me" and "I have plenty of time to prepare". It only takes a second for things to change drastically! It is to late to prepare when the disaster or emergency situation is upon us! We need to start preparing now!

 

Coming Soon!

The Carson Ward Emergency Preparedness Fair

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Saturday, September 6th, 9:00 am - 12:30 pm

Carson Building, 22721 Main (Main & 228th), Carson, California

 Pancake breakfast (9:00am), Emergency Preparedness Displays, Booths, Demonstrations, Handouts, Finger-Printing/Emergency Cards (0-18 years) and Safety class for children (3-11), 

Hot dogs and chips $1.50 (11:30am-12:30pm, sponsored by our Cub Scouts.  

 Bring your family, non-member friends and co-workers. 

Let's be better prepared!

Weekly Assignment: Family Emergency Medical Kits

 

Many of us have some sort of medical supplies in our homes like band-aids, alcohol, peroxide, anti-infection creams, pain killers, etc.. Some of us have limited first-aid kits in our cars and home that we probably have not checked in months, years. Medications do expire!

If there was a major disaster or emergency situation would you have the proper emergency medical supplies to take care of you, your family and help your neighbors. I would say most of us do not! Right?

The next few weeks we are going to work on our Family Emergency Medical Kit. We have done this before but I am sure there are some of you who did not do it, never completed it and some things need to be replaced due to expiration dates.  Some of these items can be found at discount stores and drug stores. Make sure you check the expiration dates before purchasing them, you want them to last for at least a year or more.

Note: Make sure you keep this out of the reach of your young children and explain to the family is your Family Emergency Medical Kit/Supplies. If you need to use an items from it, make sure you replace it right away!

This week add the following:

1) Eye wash solution  (1-2 bottles)     

2) Visine (or another product) eye drops  (1-2 bottles)

Monthly Assignment . . . Food Storage

For the next several months we are going to work on Food Storage. Each month we will work on one aspect of food storage, canned vegetables, fruits, soups, packages items like pastas, pancake mixes, etc., and many other items. Hopefully, with this process you will discover how easy it is to set up and add to your food storage.  

 

August Monthly Assignment: Tomatoes

Go back to last week's blog posting, August 17th, to read more information on adding tomatoes to your food storage for this month and see what items we added last week.

This week add the following:

1) Spaghetti Sauce: Any variety, with or without meat. Watch for sales. Check the chart you kept on how much spaghetti sauce your family uses in a month. Purchase enough for one-three months supply, what ever your family goal is for your food storage. If you have spaghetti (or other pasta dishes that use spaghetti sauce) 4 times a month and you use 2 cans or jars each time, then add 4 jars of spaghetti sauce to your food storage for a months supply, or more if you desire.



Emergency Preparedness Ideas . . .
    We all need a plan!

Quote: "As residents of California (USA) we have been, and continue to be, subject to earthquakes. Nearby neighborhoods have been evacuated for several hours due to refinery accidents, toxic spills and local flooding. Additionally, a legal decision from a court of law caused riots with resultant heavy property damage. Next time any of these or other situations could be worse, closer to home, and suddenly have a devastating impact on our lives." (Brian Butler, California Torrance Stake Emergency Response Communications Committee)

This statement applies to all of us throughout the world. As we hear and read things in the news and from our neighbors we all realized we are subject to these types of events happening in our lives. This year alone we have heard about plants accidentally dumping chemicals into community main water sources causing them to not being able to use their water for weeks. We have heard about flooding in some areas, wildfires in others and extreme droughts in some USA states. He have heard about devastation from tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes and other natural disasters throughout the world. Civil unrest. Conflicts and wars. Diseases spreading.

What can we do? We all need an emergency preparedness plan!

Be as prepared as possible with extra food (1-3 months), drinking water (2 weeks-1 month), emergency supplies (shelter, sanitation, lighting, heating, cooking, etc.) and emergency medical supplies. We all need to have a family emergency plan and a family evacuation plan in place. Plan on being alone for several days, may be even several weeks or months. We all need to have 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpack (or some call them "Bug Out Bags") and a 72 Hour Emergency Family Bag in case we have to evacuate immediately.




Being prepared will be bring peace of mind to you and your loved ones. 
 

Comments: Please share your comments, ideas and experiences below. We all learn from each other.

Food Storage, Emergency Preparedness and Weekly/Monthly Assignments (Week of August 17th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Torrance Stake Family, Family and Friends,

We are back!

3,400 miles later and lessons learned . . .

The past three weeks we made a road trip back to see family near Joplin, Missouri USA and on the way home in Phoenix, Arizona USA. As we traveled by road the 3,400 miles there and back to home we learned some valuable lessons regarding being prepared.

We felt a peace knowing we had our 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpacks, 72 Hour Emergency Family Bag, a tent, tools just in case, an ice chest with food and other items as we traveled. You never know when you might need them.

Our trip to Missouri USA went without any problems. We spent three weeks enjoying being with family, seeing my birthplace and making great memories. On the way home, we hit a huge accident involving three semi-trucks and one car on the West I-40 in New Mexico USA near the Arizona USA boarder. It took us 2-3 hours to go 10 miles past the terrible accident. Many times we came to a complete stop. Truck drivers and other drivers got out of their vehicles to see if they could see what was going on down the road. Due to curves in the highway it was impossible to see that far down the road. We soon learned of the accident. Truck drivers and others got out and talked with each other. We had one really nice fellow with a motor home, William Jordon, headed home from Florida USA to Arizona USA for his birthday. He offered his bathroom for those in the long line of trucks, motor homes, RVs and cars. Truck drivers also offered assistance for those in need. It was so great to see Americans helping each other in a time of difficulty.


At this point we did not know how long we would be on the I-40. The accident had happened at 9am and we arrived there at 1:30pm with traffic still backed up. Trucks and other vehicles had been waiting for many hours, they were lined up for miles in front of us and behind us. The fire department, police and huge tow trucks had to take care of those injured, put out the fire, clear the road and investigate the accident before letting anyone through. We were grateful we had our emergency supplies and could help others if needed.
 
As we drove we thought about all the big semi-trucks carrying their supplies to us across the country (USA), food, medical supplies, all kinds of things that help us exist. There were hundreds of them on the I-40 going West and East across the country (USA). We have become so depended on our power grid, electronics and computers. If our power grid went down across this nation (USA) it would shut everything down. Trucks would not move, planes would not fly, stores and business could not operate. American ports bring in huge ships daily with supplies from other countries. Supplies across the country (USA) and the world would be difficult if not impossible to get through to us.

What would we do? Could we survive without those supplies for days, weeks, months? 

We all need to be better prepared! 

Coming Soon! 

The Carson Ward Emergency Preparedness Fair

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Saturday, September 6th, 9:00 am - 12:30 pm

Carson Building, 22721 Main (Main & 228th), Carson, California

Pancake breakfast (9:00am), Emergency Preparedness Displays, Booths, Demonstrations, Handouts, Finger-Printing, Emergency Cards and Safety class for children (0-18 years), Hot dogs and chips $1.50 (11:30am-12:30pm, sponsored by our Cub Scouts)

 Bring your family, non-member friends and co-workers. 

Let's be better prepared!

Weekly Assignment: Family Emergency Medical Kit

 

Many of us have some sort of medical supplies in our homes like band-aids, alcohol, peroxide, anti-infection creams, pain killers, etc.. Some of us have limited first-aid kits in our cars and home that we probably have not checked in months, years. Medications do expire!

If there was a major disaster or emergency situation would you have the proper emergency medical supplies to take care of you, your family and help your neighbors. I would say most of us do not! Right?

The next few weeks we are going to work on our Family Emergency Medical Kit. We have done this before but I am sure there are some of you who did not do it, never completed it and some things need to be replaced due to expiration dates.  Some of these items can be found at discount stores and drug stores. Make sure you check the expiration dates before purchasing them, you want them to last for at least a year or more.

Note: Make sure you keep this out of the reach of your young children and explain to the family it is your Family Emergency Medical Kit/Supplies. If you need to use an items from it, make sure you replace it right away!

This week add the following:

1) Ace bandages: 2", 3" and 4" (2 each size)   

2) Tweezers (one regular size, one small size) 

August Monthly Assignment: Food Storage . . . Tomatoes

 
Tomatoes, tomatoes, Tomatoes! This is the time of year when those of us who planted tomatoes usually have more than we can eat before they spoil. What do you do with all those tomatoes?

You can share with your family, friends and neighbors and you can put some up by freezing them or canning them. We do both. Frozen or canned tomatoes are great for soups, homemade tomato sauce, homemade spaghetti sauce, homemade catchup and salsas.

It is also a great time to buy tomatoes too since they are so abundant right now at a reasonable price to freeze or can them for later.

This month we are going to add all types of tomatoes to our Food Storage; canned tomatoes (different varieties, diced, whole, etc.), stewed tomatoes, tomato soup, spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce.

This week add the following:

1) Either freeze and/or can the tomatoes from your vegetable garden or those purchased at the grocery store or Farmers Market. Click here to learn how to can tomatoes. It really is not hard, just takes time.

To freeze: Wash the tomatoes, place in boiling water until the skin starts to crack. Remove and place in ice water until cool. (This process is like the canning process.) Place the cooled tomatoes into a strainer. Peel the skins and cut into pieces. If you desire you can place the cut up pieces in a strainer to allow some of the extra juice to strain off. I usually place two cups in a quart size plastic freezer zip lock bag. Write on the bag, tomatoes, the date and how many cups. Lay flat and freeze in your freezer. They will last for one year in your freezer. If you can them they will last for two years.


2) And/or, purchase some cans of tomatoes, a variety of canned (diced, whole, etc.), tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes. What ever kind you use in cooking. If you were keeping track last month of how many canned and/or fresh tomatoes you use in a month for your family, it will give you a goal of how much to purchase for the number of months you are working toward for your Food Storage. It is also a good idea to purchase them when on sale.



Remember: All commercially canned and home canned tomatoes need to be stored in a cool, dry, dark place, like a pantry, closet or under the bed. If you purchase your canned tomatoes from a discount store make sure you check the expiration dates, they usually expire earlier than regular grocery store ones. You want them to last for a least 1-2+ years. You can also purchase dehydrated or freeze-dried ones in #10 cans or Mylar pouches from emergencyessentials.com, foodforhealthinternational.com (tomato flakes), honeyville.com  (tomato powder) or other companies that sell dehydrated or freeze-dried products. Watch for sales. If stores right (70 degrees or less) they will store for 20-30 years.

It is a good idea to store tomatoes in a variety of ways, commercially canned, frozen or home canned, and dehydrated or freeze-dried. In an emergency situation use the frozen first, then the home canned, then the commercially canned, then the dehydrated or freeze-dried. Even if they have expired a few months beyond the expiration date you can still use them as long as the cans are not dented or the lids bubbled. They will loose some of their nutritional value.

Fall Vegetable Garden

Did you miss out on planting a Spring/Summer vegetable garden? Did you know there is still time to plant a Fall vegetable garden?

Click here to read about planting a Fall vegetable garden and a list of all the vegetables you can plant between now (August) and September/October. Also see the posting under "Postings" on the right, "Vegetable Gardens" to see how to plant a vegetable garden and the variety of ways you can do it.

Emergency Preparedness Ideas

Items you should always carry in your vehicles? 

Set of tools (hammer, flat head and Philips screwdrivers, pliers, wrench, crowbar, etc.)
Flashlight (solar or battery operated with extra batteries)
Small radio (solar or battery operated radio with extra batteries)
Good First-aid kit
Blanket
Snacks/food (if you do not keep your 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpacks in your car)
Drinking water
Flares
Battery jumper cables
Antifreeze
Windshield washer (optional)
Oil for you car
72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpacks (some people like to keep them in their cars, food will need to be rotated every 6 months due to heat in Summer)
72 Hour Emergency Family Bag
Hat for each family member
Sweater or light weight jacket for each family member
Rope (good sturdy one)
Sturdy walking shoes if you wear dress shoes to work (for walking if you have to leave your car)

You should be able to keep most of these items in one large plastic container with a lid.
 

Comments: Please post your comments below. Share your personal experiences with food and water storage and emergency preparedness. We can all learn from each other.