Monday, December 28, 2015

January 2016 Newsletter

2016 Goals for Preparedness:  Suggested ideas if you need some.
1.      Evaluate what your family’s needs are.  What are the areas that your family needs to work on?  Concentrate on those areas first.
2.      Do you have EMPTY water containers?  If they are empty, you cannot count that as water storage!  Fill-up your containers ASAP.
3.      Do you have wheat but you don’t have a wheat grinder?  Buy a wheat grinder.  Start with one that is small, affordable and non-electric. Victorio Brand is a nice little starter one that retails for around $60.
4.      Did you get some preparedness gifts or items this past year?  Practice using them so you are familiar with the tools you have.
5.      Continually add to your stock of your most commonly used items.  Buy things when they are on sale. Put your favorite grocery store ads app on your phone or read the ads that come in the mail each week.
6.      Do you get these newsletter every month?  Do you read them right away and put things on your calendar?
7.      Make a goal of using the Stake dry pack canner at least once this year. Or go to the Sandy Home storage center and buy dry goods there.  It is really easy.
8.      Make it a goal to go to the case lot sales this year and stock up on your most commonly used foods.  Many times, the case lot sales have the lowest prices on canned goods all year.
9.      Are you lacking sanitation supplies?  Start gathering supplies and make a sanitation kit or two.  You can keep your supplies in plastic tubs or 5 gallon buckets.
10.  Do you have a garden plot but have not planted a garden in several years?  Plant a garden this year.  Gardening rarely goes as planned and there is always something to learn.  If you had to, could you live on only what you grow?
11.  Do you need a refresher course on First Aid or CERT?  Sign-up for a class near you and take the class this year.
12.  Sign-up and attend at least one of the free classes that your church or community will offer on preparedness topics.  You cannot borrow someone else’s knowledge.
13.  Do you have some old foods stored away but you don’t use it?  Start using it and as you use it, buy some fresher foods to store.  You MUST rotate your food storage.
14.  Do you have a FACEBOOK account?  Great!  Find pages on Food Storage and Preparedness and “like” a page or two. Other pages will be suggested for you to check out.  There is a lot of information on Facebook.
15.  If you use Facebook, please join our large preparedness group, or one in your area.  You can even start a group of your own with family and friends.  It only takes a minute and you can invite whomever you want.  If you live in West Jordan you may join one of these groups.  COPPER CANYON NEIGHBORHOOD PREPAREDNESS GROUP or WEST JORDAN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS GROUP.
16.  So you ARE part of a preparedness group?  Do you check what group members are posting?  You can adjust your notifications settings and check as often as you like.  You may choose to only look at it once a week.  Set a goal to participate in more group buys this year.
17.  You have decided YOU WILL NOT GET A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT.  That is fine, many people chose not to.  There are many websites, stores and blogs devoted to preparedness and food storage.  Check them out and add some to your favorites list.


      This is funny, but is does not count as water storage!    You can fill containers from the sink or buy it anywhere, until there is an emergency.

Highlight of the month:   27 LED  work light,  also known as 24 +3 work light
This small light has 24 bright LED lights on the front and 3 LED lights on one end.  Most of these have 2 work settings.  Some brands have a strobe setting also.  (I have seen the same lights under different brand names online). On the back it has a magnet and a hook for hanging.  It comes with 3 AAA batteries.  These retail for about $4 each.  I have found them at Harbor Freight stores as well as on-line.
I like that it is small, bright, very useful and very affordable.  We now have one in each car and in each 72 hr kit as well.  We also have at least one in a handy location for when the power goes out.






Monday, November 23, 2015

December 2015 Newsletter

Emergency Preparedness and Provident Living Newsletter
December 2015

Now that the Holidays are here, it is hard to think about working on your food storage and preparedness.  There are some simple things you can do this month to keep working toward self-sufficiency.  I will list some things below.
1.      Always keep your vehicle’s gas tank at least half full.
2.      Stock up on cough and cold medicines while you are at the store.  Keep things you use the most on hand at all times.  As you use one, buy another to replace it.    Also stock up on facial and toilet tissue when they go on sale.  Extra paper goods for busy days, company, or when the dishwasher breaks down or when there is a power outage are very good to have on hand.  
3.      As you put winter linens on the beds, make sure you have plenty of extra blankets on hand.  If there is a winter storm and the power goes out you will need them.  Blankets and quilts make great gifts.
4.      This is one of the best times of the year to stock up on baking ingredients.  Stores are already having price wars on items like, sugar, flour, salt, powdered sugar, brown sugar, chocolate chips, corn syrup, flavorings etc.  If you keep basic baking ingredients in stock you can always make something delicious and comforting for less than buying it.
5.    
          Do some of your Christmas shopping with preparedness for your loved ones in mind.  See my Christmas list later in this newsletter.

Information on the LDS Home Storage Centers
You can find your location for the local Home Storage Center by doing a search on lds.org or providentliving.org    https://providentlinving.lds.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations.map?lang-eng  There are 101 of these in the US and Canada.  Most of them will only allow patrons to stop buy and purchase foods in bulk or already in #10 cans.  There are only 12 HSC in the country that allow patrons to can their own foods, (if they choose), while there.  Those 12 HSC still have all items already in the cans as well.
To find out the address and operating hours of your HSC look for the phone number of the one nearest you and call them to get the latest information.

You don’t have an LDS Home Storage Center near you?
Remember that stores like Costco and Sam’s Club and Amish grocery stores sell basic food stuffs in bulk every day.  You may also be able to find bulk rice or beans for sale at Ethnic grocery stores as well. Many regular grocery stores do sell larger bags but will place them on the very bottom shelf.

Black Friday Deals on Food Storage Products:
Many of the major food storage companies, especially the ones based in Utah, will have Black Friday deals.  If you do not get a newspaper where you can see these, you can check your favorite dealer’s websites.  You can also “like” your favorite dealers on their Facebook page to get their notifications of sales.
Thrive Life Company has great Black Friday sales every year.  This is when we have bought most of the Thrive shelving that we own.  They usually are knocked down about 40% off.  To check on the Thrive Life Black Friday deals go to http://www.thrivelife.com/picker/index/quickpick/ and click on “Show Black Friday pricing”.  Their Black Friday deals can be seen online now but will not be effective until 8am Nov. 25th and will run through 11:59pm Nov. 30 MST. You may also be interested in buying a specialty package on occasion throughout the year.  Sometimes those are a better deal.
You do not have to purchase through a Thrive Consultant.  But, if you do…it can help her as well as you can do an on-line party and get products at half price or even free.  In the past I have also just requested to have my item added to someone’s online party, (So I could get the deal), even if I did not know the host.
To take advantage of the Black Friday deals here is what one of the consultants told me to pass along to you.
Make sure you click the Big Black button that says Show Black Friday Deals”.
You can fill your cart BEFORE the sale and then wait to CHECK OUT during the sale window


Items will not display at the correct sale prices until that sale window and you will need to refresh your cart before checking out. 





Christmas Preparedness Gift Ideas
As in years past I will share a list of some gift ideas for Christmas.  You may also want to look at my blog for past ideas.     The blog is called littleredhenpreps.blogspot.com
Preparedness books, cook books
Foods in #10 cans or 72 hr kits in a bucket or backpack
Teach someone a skill like gardening, canning, sewing, shooting, outdoor cooking etc.
Outdoor cooking equipment or camping tools (too many to list)
Emergency lighting (many options available)
Food preservation equipment like a canner, seed sprouter, dehydrator etc
Build a kit: sanitation kit, emergency lighting kit, car kit, First aid kit, etc.  There are lots of kit ideas available on the internet.  Search for:    DIY __________kit of your choice.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Food Storage

Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Food Storage
This is just a list to get one started.  There are many resources and websites dedicated to Preparedness and Food Storage.  Start with these websites and they can lead you to similar websites.  There are also blogs and Facebook pages on these topics.  On Facebook, once you have “liked” one page other pages that are similar in nature will be advertised on the right side of your computer screen.  Some of the retailers listed below also have recipes and blogs for more information.  Many of these companies and websites below have free classes, webinars and videos posted online.
www.ready.gov                                              Espanol    www.ready.gov/es
www.fema.gov                                               Espanol    www.fema.gov/es
www.redcross.org                                          Espanol   www.redcross.org/cruz-roja                              



Food Storage and Supplies Retailers in Utah and online
Augason Farms   www.augasonfarms.com
Daily Bread   www.dailybread.com
Emergency Essentials   www.beprepared.com
Honeyville Grain   www.honeyville.com
LDS Church food storage   www.store.lds.org
The Ready Store   www.thereadystore.com
Thrive Food Storage   www.thrivelife.com
Wise Food Storage   www.wisefoodstorage.com
My Patriot Supply   www.mypatriotsupplycom
Saratoga Jacks  www.saratogajacks.com




Tuesday, October 27, 2015

November 2015 Newsletter

Sales for the month of November:  Watch for sales on baking items for the holiday season such as sugar, flour, brown sugar, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, and flavorings.  Also, if you wait to buy your Thanksgiving turkey until the week BEFORE thanksgiving, you will save a lot of money.  Buy a second turkey to donate to the food bank or to put in the freezer for a few months from now.  Remove left-over meat from the carcass and freeze for casseroles later.  


Preparedness Classes for the Copper Hills Stake:  We will not schedule any more preparedness classes for our stake until the New Year.  We had a different preparedness class nearly every month from January through October in 2015.  When we have the class it is for ANYONE in our stake, no matter which building it is held in.  We encourage EVERYONE to take at least some of these FREE classes.  Asking someone to get you a handout from the class is a good thing, but you miss out on a lot by not attending.  Nothing beats being there in person.  In a time of crisis your attitude, faith and knowledge will be more important than the things you have.

What can I do with a 5 gallon bucket?   I recently came across this website for Preparedness Ideas.  You may want to check this out.  This website has ideas and lists for kits and many other uses for 5 gallon buckets.  It is called,  fivegallonideas.com  If you have a 5 gallon bucket addiction…this website is for you!  Or if you want to make some kits that have handles or be frugal and crafty for lots of projects…this website is for you.



How to use powdered milk:  If you would like to be better at using the powdered milk you have stored there are several cook books for this on sale at preparedness stores, Deseret Book Stores and online.  I took a Powdered Milk Class at the Preparedness Expo in September and it was great!  In addition to teaching us about the different kinds of powdered milk and all the ways we can use it, we sampled a couple things and at the end the teacher had her book for sale.  I bought it.   The book is called 101 Things to do with Powdered Milk.  It sells for $10. It contains helpful hints, recipes for yogurt, milks, creams, cheeses, breads, dips, main dishes, soups, sauces and desserts.   She states that all of the recipes in her book were created using the LDS Home Storage non-fat dry milk.

$10 recipe book with 128 pages of recipes.




Saturday, September 26, 2015

October 2015 Newsletter

Sanitation kit add-ons:  If you already have a sanitation kit, such as a portable toilet, soap, hand sanitizer, disposable gloves, t.p., wipes etc,  you may choose to add a couple other items to your kit.  It might be a good idea to add some mouse traps, rat traps and some fly traps.  These would come in very handy after a disaster where there is no sanitation as we know it and there may be a lot of pests that spread disease.  Get some now while they are cheap and easy to find.

Kit idea of the month:  Fire starting kit 
This would come in handy for camping or for cooking and heating during a long power outage or for a gift for the outdoor adventurer on your list.  This kit is small, is expensive and easy to assemble.  Keep with your 72 hr kits or your camping supplies.
Supplies for kit:   1 9v battery, ball of steel wool in a zip lock bag.  Do not store it in contact with any battery!  Water-proof matches, several small pieces of cardboard, a package of Wetfire fire starter, a small set of flint and steel, 1 or 2 Bic lighters, and a small, plastic tackle box to store it all.  This idea is from www.diypreparedness.net
    




                                                   
Homemade Fire starters using lint
Save lots of lint from the clothes dryer for a while.  Save several card board egg cartons and buy some paraffin wax or re-use some old candles. You will also need an empty #10 can and some tin foil.  You can also use the same idea but stuff empty toilet paper tubes with the lint instead.
1.       Place a ball of lint in each cup of the egg carton.  Put egg carton on the tin foil to protect the counter top.  Put some paraffin wax in an empty #10 can and place the can inside a larger pan that has water in it.  Heat the wax until it melts.  Pour melted wax over the balls of lint in the egg carton.  Fill each cup of the carton mostly full.  Allow a little of the lint to stick up above the wax so you can light it.  Let it sit until it is cool.  You can then store the egg cartons as they are in a plastic tub or tear apart into sections and then store.  To start a fire you can light a piece of this as kindling.

How many ways can you cook without power?
Each family needs to have AT LEAST 1 way to cook without electricity and have the fuel stored for that method.

Food Insurance
We all have home owners insurance, car insurance, health insurance and life insurance.  Have you ever thought of having food storage as having “Food Insurance”?  We cannot live without food and any number of things could happen that would make it harder to have enough in times of trouble.  Please think of food storage as food insurance.
                                            




5 day kits and evacuation plans for your animals
If you ever need to evacuate from your home, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR ANIMALS AT HOME!  Government agencies as well as Animal Control agencies and veterinarians now tell everyone to take your animals with you when you leave.  If you leave them at home they may not be rescued, fed or watered for many days, if at all.  Also, many people have left their animals at home and have endangered their lives or the lives of rescuers demanding that they go back for the animals.  Your bug-out or evacuation plans and kits need to include preps for your animals as well.  Well before any emergency you should make a plan for where you would take your animals if you had to evacuate.  The best and easiest option would be to take them to the home of a friend or family member who lives out of the area of danger.  You could also keep a list of pet friendly motels or boarding places.  For large animals, this is a little more difficult.  The best and most common places for these animals would be fair grounds.  If you have 4 horses, you better have a way to evacuate them in a trailer large enough to hold all 4 of them.  You do not want to make 4 trips.



Each kit should contain:
A way to contain or restrain your animal such as carrier, crate, pen, leash and muzzle.  Even the sweetest of dogs under stress and surrounded by strangers can bite.  Have a muzzle just in case you need it.
Several days-worth of food and a food dish and a water dish or bottle. You can get a bowl made for trips or just buy a plastic inexpensive version of what you use at home.  You can keep most of these items in a plastic tub all the time and label as the animal 72 hr kit.
Note on the food:  As pet food has a high fat content, you will want to place food in a gallon zip-lock bag and replace/rotate the food every 6 months.  Write a use-by-date on the bag.  This way the food in your kit will never be more than 6 months old.
Snacks and toys to comfort them. An old towel or blanket if they like that.
Medications that they take
Copies of their most recent vaccinations.  (Most motels and boarding places require them).
ID such as collars and more importantly, An AVID microchip in each pet.  Even if your pet does not have a collar anymore, any vet or animal control facility will be able to get your animal back to you if you have them micro-chipped and your info is current.  It is up to you to make sure  that the Avid Company is notified when you move or sell the animal.  www.avidid.com







Saturday, September 12, 2015

September Gardening Zone 6

It is nearly mid-September!  I am in the middle of the Fall harvest and canning vegetables from the garden and the peaches are done.  Most of us just think about harvesting and don't give much thought to planting.  If you want to have a Fall crop of cool weather vegetables, now is the time to plant some lettuce, spinach, kale and radishes in any empty places in your garden.  I should have planted mine about 3 weeks ago, but I kept forgetting.  In late Fall, if your cool weather crops are threatened by frost, you can cover them at night and uncover each morning.
  Frost will not harm your carrots or beets.

  Fall is the best time of year to plant new trees or shrubs.  They will have a lot less transplant shock because of the cooler temperatures.  Keep them well watered through the Fall.

  It is also a great time of year to create and fill any raised bed planters.  This is a perfect time to take advantage of cooler temperatures to work outside.  You can get everything built and filled and you will be ready to plant as soon as the soil thaws in early Spring.

Soil amendments or additives that are good for your garden and are very affordable:  wood ashes from a fire place or fire pit, play sand, manure from chickens, cows, horses, rabbits or guinea pigs, wood shavings, or saw dust, shredded newspaper,  vegetable peels, grass clippings, peat moss, and old potting soil.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

January 2013 Newsletter

Thoughts for the month:  This is not meant to be a “downer newsletter” but more of an encouragement to help you want to become more prepared. 

November 18th in the LDS Church News there was a great article on Preparedness that I saved.  It was so good that I will share most of the article here with you.
A week after Super Storm Sandy hit the northeastern part of the United States one observer noted that the storm had transformed an advanced area of the world, at least temporarily, to conditions faced daily in many Third World countries.  Many areas of the East Coast had no power, no fuel, no water, limited refuse collection and no public transportation-all changing a lifestyle of plenty to one of need and dependency on government and other groups.

In 2006, A Time magazine article explored reasons why people do not prepare for disasters. A year after Hurricane Katrina hit the article stated that “people are even less likely to plan ahead.” A poll done in connection with the article found about half of those surveyed had personally experienced a natural disaster but only “16 percent said they were very well prepared for the next one”.
The article found that 91 percent of Americans live in places “at a moderate-to-high” risk of natural disaster, yet many polled explained their lack of emergency preparation saying they believed they were not at risk.  Reasons given for lack of preparation included “it won’t happen to me” and “if it happens to me, it won’t be that bad.”

We are encouraged to plan and prepare and consider having a three-month supply of food, drinking water, financial reserves, medical and first aid supplies and clothing and bedding.
When our government is broke, which it is…FEMA will not have the money to give out to everyone affected by a huge disaster. And even if they are able to help, it takes forever and your world will be drastically changed for quite a while.
Members of the LDS church have been counseled for MANY years to be prepared for temporal and spiritual adversity.  Preparation, both spiritual and temporal can dispel fear and allow us to serve others.  We cannot help our friends, family and neighbors if we cannot help ourselves.  A message we learn in 2 Nephi 25:23 teaches us that we cannot stand still and do nothing and expect that our faith will increase and our afflictions will be resolved.
I read the whole article and loved all of it so much I wanted to share it will all of you. It is sound advice that all of us can use.  Do what you can, a little bit all the time, and it will be worth it!



February 2013 Newsletter

Gardening Corner:  Yes, time to start thinking of the garden already.  If you plan on doing  a garden then this is the month to plan it out on paper and start to order your seeds.  If you wait very long some seeds will sell out early.  In about 1 month you can start some plants from seeds.  Better to plan early and be ready.

 Product Highlight of the month:    Dehydrated or Freeze dried foods
I have had several people ask me from time to time about how to use these foods.  It is rather easy I think.  Don’t think of them, especially the fruits and veggies, as being very different from using canned, frozen or fresh.  If you are to use frozen, you thaw things out first.  If wet canned you open the can, drain and dump.  If you are using dehydrated you just rehydrate for a while and then use like wet canned or fresh.  If you are making a soup or casserole and it will sit awhile you can even just throw the dry stuff in and let it soak up the liquid that is in your recipe.   I personally try to keep 1 #10 can of each commonly used food in my kitchen pantry and throw some of that stuff in as I am making dinner. That way I am getting used to it and I am rotating my stock.  Here are some of the ways I use my dried foods to keep them rotated.

Milk:  I use to make milk when we are low and I am not in the mood to run to the store.  Make ahead when no one is looking and give it time to get really cold!  Also when making pudding or any dish like potato soup that calls for lots of milk, whisk in a bunch of powdered milk to the water as it cooks.  There are so many other things in there, no one will know that you used powdered milk and not fresh. Use in baking too.

Eggs:  Yes, they have egg powder.  I am not a fan of fresh eggs, and these sound awful but we all use eggs.  I use these mostly when I am baking and have run out of eggs.  So glad I have a few cans of these.  No late night or Sunday afternoon runs to the grocery store.  Keep in mind that most of your ready-made mixes have egg powder in them.  I have not used them like fresh so I can’t comment on that.

Freeze dried or dehydrated fruits:  Rehydrate and use in cobblers or pies.  We recently opened a can of freeze dried strawberry dices.  They are TINY little pieces of REAL strawberries.  They taste really good.  I opened up the can because my child was mad that we bought a plain cereal that had strawberries on the photo.  There are no strawberries IN the cereal.  It became a lesson in product advertising.  She would not eat the plain cereal without strawberries.  I remembered we had some of these and thought “Now is the time to test them out.”  We put a bunch in the box of cereal and shook it up well and “Viola”, strawberry yumminess. 

Freeze dried or dehydrated vegetables:  I use the onions a couple times a week at least, my personal favorite.  And I use the celery dices in soups and other recipes when I realize I don’t have any fresh.  Most of the other veggies I have in #10 cans just to have for hard times.  I also have wet canned from the store and home canned from the garden.

Dehydrated potato products:  We all use potatoes in many different forms. These are really handy to have on hand.  I use the potato pearls and hash browns all the time.

Dehydrated red and green bell peppers:  I keep these in the pantry to use in soups and casseroles. You can also add them to your frozen or fresh hash browns once they have been rehydrated.  I have also used them a few times when canning homemade salsa or pickle relish when I realized I did not have any fresh ones on hand.  These are very small, no need to chop.

TVP/Soy based meat replacements:  They come in several flavors now such as beef, taco, BBQ, chicken and sausage.  I use them on occasion to “stretch” the amount of meat I am using in a recipe.  These are usually not cheap so I buy them when they are on sale.  Great to have when you are out of a job or low on meat. Use on occasion to get familiar with them.
If you are interested in finding some recipes on-line you can find a bunch at www.augasonfarms.com   I will put a couple in this newsletter that I found at the grocery store next to some of their products.





Freeze Dried Corn Chowder by Augason Farms
8 C. water                                                                     ½ C. dehydrated chopped onions
2 T. Chicken Bouillon                                                  1 sm. Can diced green chilies
4 C. freeze dried sweet corn                                     2 t. salt
2 T. dehydrated diced carrots                                  1 ½ t. cumin
1 C. dehydrated diced potatoes                               ½ t. garlic powder
½ C. dehydrated cross-cut celery                            2 C. heavy cream

Place all ingredients except for the cream in a pot and bring to a low boil, simmer 20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender.
1.      Place soup in a blender in small batches and blend until smooth.
2.      Return to pot and add cream.  Mix well.
3.      Garnish with hot sauce and fresh lime juice if desired.

Pasta Salad by Augason Farms
10 oz. Rotini pasta                                                2 tomatoes, chopped (optional)
¼ C. chopped onions, dehydrated                     1 C. chopped mushrooms (optional)
½ C. dehydrated red & green bell peppers, dehydrated
¾ C. fat free Italian style dressing                      1 sm. can sliced black olives
1.       In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente, rinse under cold water and drain.

2.      In a large bowl, combine pasta, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms.  Pour enough dressing over to coat; toss and refrigerate until chilled.

March 2013 Newsletter

Words of advice:  The time to install a new garden system or build grow boxes and to learn new skills of self-sufficiency is not AFTER you have lost your job or might have to sell your home but BEFORE.  While times are good and you are doing ok you should be learning new skills and investing in equipment. A pressure canner costs at least $60.  A water bath or steam canner costs about $30. Getting started costs money and you should use the good times to be getting things in place and building up your skills and food storage so when times get harder and more stressful, you already have a back-up system.

The gardening corner:  In northern Utah you can plant peas around St. Patrick’s Day.  In March you can also start planting tomatoes and other warm weather crops in tiny pots from seed.  Keep them indoors!   Warm weather crops cannot go outside until at least Mother’s Day.

This month’s area of focus:  Communication
The Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center is now accepting cell phone numbers and email addresses into their notification system.  This is sometimes called reverse 9-1-1.  For now, if you have a land line that number is already in the system.  But if you do not have a land line anymore or you want to also be notified on your cell phone, you will need to register your number(s) with them.  This is a quick and easy process on their website www.vecc9-1-1.com
If you register your numbers they WILL NOT ever email or solicit you!  This is only in the case of an emergency or disaster that would affect the ADDRESS of where that phone is registered.  This system was used in Utah several times last year when there were several fires that forced thousands of people to be evacuated.  If you had your phone registered, and your neighborhood was being evacuated, your cell would be called and you would find out.  You create your own account on their website and you can go in at any time and change anything that you need to.  Please note; for those of you who do not live in the Salt Lake Valley, south of Salt Lake City, your area may have their own similar system. Salt Lake City proper is NOT included in this system.   Utah County also has their own.

You have decided that you want to do this.  Here are the steps:
1)      Go to www.vecc9-1-1.com  Click the menu item VOIP registration (top of screen)
2)      Click NEW USER link at the bottom of the screen.  Fill in the blank fields and click ADD.  Log-in using the information you just entered and click LOG-IN.
3)      Click ADD ADDRESS.  Be sure to follow the directions given on the page!
4)      Do not put any dashes in your phone number.
5)      Select either VOIP or MOBIL in the drop down box.
6)      Check the box that you agree to have this entered into the DCC database.  Then click ADD.

7)      Check your information and then if satisfied, click LOG OUT.  Be sure to keep your information and password! 

April 2013 Newsletter

The Gardening corner:  If you have not planted your peas yet, now is the time.  This month you can also plant lettuce, radishes, broccoli, kohlrabi and later in the month, plant carrots and beets.  If you want to make your old wooden grow boxes deeper, that is an easy fix.
1)      Buy more of the same lumber as the original boxes.  Also have exterior wood screws, brackets and tie plates on hand.  Build new boxes using the wood screws and brackets.
2)       Place the new box on top of the old one. On the inside of the box use tie plates in several places to attach the new one to the old one.
3)      If you have a sprinkler in the center of the box you will need to buy a PVC riser and coupler to make it taller.  This takes less than a minute per box.  Remove old sprinkler head attachment, screw in the riser and coupler and reattach the sprinkler head.
4)      Fill your deeper box with your choice of soil.
5)      To make your boxes look better as well as last longer, use a water-proofing deck stain on the outside of your boxes in the spring when it is warm and dry and the plants are small.

My Garden Soil Recipe  This is not an exact thing.  Just what I ADD to the FREE CLAY TOPSOIL that I already had.  To each 4’x8’ box that was ½ full of top soil I added…3 bags of composted steer manure, ½-1 bag of sphagnum peat moss and several pounds of play sand.  Mix well and then plant.  Then each spring I add 2 new bags of manure.  As time goes on you can add material from your compost bin, grass clippings and even some saw dust or bagged pine shavings bought in bulk.
Dark garden soil has more organic nutrients in it and absorbs heat faster and is therefore warmer than a light colored soil.

Info-4-life/vial of life kits
These two (very similar), programs are designed to provide local safety agencies and medical response teams with pertinent and timely information during an emergency call.  This would be especially vitally important if you or an elderly parent lives alone or is unresponsive or incoherent in a medical emergency. Every home should have one of these kits. These programs would work for your family or family member no matter what part of the country they live in.  It is just a quick, easy way to access your emergency medical information.

How much does the kit cost? How do I get one?  These FREE kits are available at your local Kroger Pharmacy if you ask for one.  You can also read more about it and print your kit out for free online at www.info-4-life.org or www.vialoflife.com
If using the info-4-life program click on the “forms” button on the left-side of your computer screen and follow the directions to print out your forms.  Store the forms in a clear bag that has been taped to the fridge in a prominent place.  If you get the kit from the pharmacy, there is a magnetic pouch in the kit for this purpose.  The kit also includes a sticker for the front door AND a small card to be placed in your wallet.
The Vial of Life project is very similar and is also sponsored by Smith’s Food and Drug and the Salt Lake Valley Health Department.  Another idea to store the paper work instead of a baggie could be a water-tight container or a large pill bottle kept on the top shelf of the refrigerator on the right side.  For more information see their website.

 One of these websites allows you to store the information on-line so you can go back and update it electronically and then print out a new copy.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

May 2013 Newsletter

The Gardening Corner:  Most years it is safe to plant your tomatoes in the garden around Mother’s Day in Northern Utah or zone 6.  If you plant them before that day, or even afterwards and the weather is unusually cool…place Wall-o-water’s around them to protect them.  Remove them when it is consistently warm and the tomato plant is growing out the top.  A hint for using the Wall-o-waters:  I plant the seedling, place a tomato cage around it and then place the wall-o-water around the cage.  That way the wind cannot blow it over and kill your seedling. 
How to plant a tomato plant for the best success:  It is ok and even recommended to plant tomatoes “deep”.  Roots will grow all along the stem length.  If a plant is really crooked it is ok to lay the plant in the hole on its side and have the top pointing up so it looks straight above ground.  Add some great compost or manure to the bottom of the planting hole.
What is the difference between Determinate and Indeterminate tomatoes?  Determinate tomatoes grow to a certain size and stop growing.  Indeterminate tomatoes continue to grow all Summer and Fall until killed by frost.  If you want to grow “giant” tomato plants in very tall cages or have them tied to a tall trellis, these are the ones you will want to grow.  Check for this information on the plant tag or seed packet.
Spinach:  If you want to grow your own spinach but have a hard time growing it there is a solution!  Spinach is a cool weather crop and like lettuce once it gets too hot it will bolt and go bitter.  You can grow “New Zealand” spinach by seed. This spinach does well in hotter weather and will not go bitter for quite a while.  I grew a patch of it last Summer and it did too well!  Plant some and wait about 2 weeks before planting a little more to prolong the harvest.

Deals of the Month:    IFA Country Stores is a great source for home canning and food processing equipment.  They have all kinds of canners, cherry pitters, grinders, steamers and strainers as well as canning jars and books. They also carry cast iron camp cookware.

Do you want to make a garden vegetable trellis that will never rot or fall down?  My family has discovered “cattle panel fencing”.  This can be bought at any farm store as well as major hardware stores.  It is made of heavy gauge wire and comes in lengths of 8 feet and longer.  It has large holes in it so one can reach through to pick your vegetables.  Use wire cutters to cut to the desired length and attach to fence posts on each end with wire or zip ties.  This fencing can also be curved as desired and one can even build an arch from one grow box to another for crops such as peas and beans.


Use the Internet for great tutorials for preparedness topics:  You can find a tutorial and many videos on the internet for any preparedness topic you want.  I have recently found videos on canning butter in pint jars and for building your own grow-light stand for plant starts for almost nothing!  I already have projects in mind for next winter.
If anyone has a topic they want to know more about let me know. If you have some great information to share with others via me…let me know that too.