Canning Butter

WARNING:  This is currently NOT recommended by the USDA or the County Extension Offices.  You do this at your own risk.  I have heard of it done several times over the last few years and wanted to try this.  I am posting this as a learning opportunity and option for those who want to be more self-reliant.  I am always looking for ways to learn from how things were done in the old days, before electricity and modern Super Markets.

These are videos posted to Youtube by blogger Katzcradul.  I liked her video turoral the best.  I am JUST now learning how to do this.  There are several different bloggers and Youtubers out there who have canned butter. You may want to study up on turning your butter into Ghee which is safe for long term, non-refrigerated storage. Ghee is used all over India and has been in use for thousands of years. After watching their videos and from what I have read I am giving it a try by keeping some things in mind.
1)  Everything must be sterilized and as fresh as possible.
2)  I added some salt to my butter to help with preservation.
3)  I am only going to PRESSURE can my butter.  I am treating it just like I would any meat.
4)  I melted and then simmered the butter in a large pot on the stove for about 45 minutes to reduce a      bunch of the water in it.
5)  As the butter simmered, I skimmed off most of the foam as per the videos above.  It helps with            the appearance of the final product.
6)  I will still store it in as cool a location as possible and will not eat it if the lids ever come unsealed.

If you are not a canner, or will not take on this adventure you have other options.
Option #1--buy butter powder in a #10 can.
Option #2--buy commercially canned Red Feather Butter in a small tin can.

Pressure Canning Meats

If you have successfully canned vegetables or fruits and you own a PRESSURE CANNER, you can also can meat in canning jars. If you buy a lot of meat when it is on sale it can save you a lot of money.
For example:  Commercially canned chicken in the little 5 oz can, on sale costs a minimum of $8/lb. But, if you were to buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts at $2/lb you can see how much you just saved.  It is also a great, affordable way to store some protein in your food storage.  And, you don't have to worry about a power outage ruining all of your meat.
Follow tested recipes that you will find in The Ball Blue Book of Preserving.  Be sure to adjust the pressure gauge for your altitude.  See the altitude chart in your canning book.  If you are still a little nervous about canning meats for the first time, I have shared a video from Youtube that I watched.  Renee aka Michigan Snow Pony, made this video and I feel that she is a good teacher and I liked her video and it was easy to follow.  The video is for those of us who are visual learners and is meant to be a helpful guide.  Follow USDA tested recipes and NEVER eat home canned foods if there is any sign of spoilage!
I highly recommend that for beginners, you buy some boneless-skinless chicken to make things easier.  You can can it with salt, without salt or with some chicken boullion added to the water.

You may can meats after you have cooked it or you may raw pack it and then can it.  It is suggested to remove as much fat from your meat as possible to improve not only your health but also the smell and appearance of the meat in your jars. No matter which method you choose, the meat will be completely cooked by the time you are done.

As with any canning, you should remove the jar rings and wash your jars in very hot, soapy water after they have sealed and cooled. They WILL be oily to the touch after they are done.  Label and date each jar and store in a cool and dark place.
You can can chicken, other poultry, beef, pork, or venison.

January 2012 Newsletter

Product Highlight of the month:  Dehydrated Celery in #10 cans.  I picked up 3-4 cans this past year and finally opened one.  This is a great product to have on hand.  I grow lots of vegetables but have never grown celery.  I use celery in many soups, casseroles and in stuffing.  I just add a handful to the other ingredients and it softens as it cooks and you would never know that it was dehydrated previously.  And better yet…no chopping involved.

Equipment Highlight of the month:  Slow cooker.  This is not a new piece of kitchen equipment but I think many people don’t use it often enough. As so many mothers are so busy, and many work outside the home, it can be a dinner life-saver.  Early in the day you can throw a few cheap ingredients in and then forget it.  It is perfect for soups and stews of course…but it is also terrific for cooking cheaper and tougher cuts of meat.  Even the toughest meats cooked “low and slow” come out fall apart tender at the end of the day.  I always buy whatever meat is on sale and freeze it.  For dinner I often simply put the meat in the crock-pot and add a little water and a bottle of sauce or a homemade sauce/marinade and let it cook most of the day.  For dinner I just add some vegetable and a simple side of noodles, rice or stuffing and dinner is done! This is a much better dinner alternative than eating out all the time.  Restaurants are a major budget-buster!  Don’t have time in the morning?  Cook a meal in the evening after work. Take it out when you go to bed.  It will be ready to re-heat and serve the next day.

Tip:  If you have less than 6 hours to cook the dinner…turn the dial up to High so it will cook in about 3-4 hours.  If you have all day, you can cook it on Low and double the cooking time.

There are many websites now devoted to slow cooker recipes and tips.  A couple popular ones are www.crockpotgirls.com, www.crockpot.com and www.maceys.com and click on “crock talk” recipes.

  Crock Pot recipes:  Chicken Fajitas

Fresh or frozen, boneless, skinless chicken pieces                   1-2 onions, sliced

3-4 bell peppers, sliced                                                                 dry fajita seasoning

I place the chicken pieces, usually not even cut up, into the crock pot.  Add just a little water, maybe 1/2 C.  Sprinkle on a generous amount of fajita seasoning. About 2 hrs. before serving add the veggies.  Slice the onions into rings and separate.  Slice the bell peppers into ½ slices.  Place all the vegetables on top.  Total cooking time:  Cook on High for about 4 hours, or on low for 7-8 hours.  Just before serving, remove the chicken and shred or chunk up.  Return to pot and stir.  Serve fajitas in flour tortillas with sour cream. Cheese is optional.

I do this same recipe sometimes with beef such as round steak which can be tough.   For the seasoning I use Montreal Steak seasoning.  Everything else is the same.  The beef just falls apart and makes yummy steak fajitas.

Lazy Crock Pot Meat

I place some chicken, pork or beef, whatever we have, in the crock pot.  Add a little water.  Pour a bottle of whatever kind of sauce I have on hand and let it cook all day or afternoon.  I cook some side dishes or vegetables to go with.  If I used a teriyaki sauce we will eat some white rice and stir fry veggies with it.  I don’t have time to be a gourmet cook or the money to eat out very often, so this makes for some healthy and affordable easy meals.

I stock up on the bottled sauces when they are on sale and I try to have a variety on hand.

Another way to stock up on fresh meats:  Canning

If you already know the basics of home canning/bottling and you have a pressure canner you can bottle your own meats.  This would become extremely handy if your power went out for an extended period of time.  The meat would already be completely cooked and ready to eat and would not spoil like the meat in your freezer.  Caution:  You must use a pressure canner for any meats!  You do not have to pre-cook the meat before canning but some people choose to.  Refer to the booklet that came with your canner or use the Ball Blue Book for instructions.  Take advantage of really good deals on meats and stock up with this method.  Store-bought canned chicken is usually well over $2 for a can of only a few ounces.  Doing this yourself would cost you much less than $2 for a pound.

Make a New Year’s Resolution toward preparedness

Resolve to learn a new skill such as sewing, dehydrating, canning etc. Grow a garden, pay off your debt, get some equipment, store water, earthquake proof your home……..

September 2015 Newsletter

The Utah Prepare Conference   This Expo will be Saturday, Sept. 12^th 8am-7pm at the South Towne Expo center in Sandy, Utah.  Cost is $5 and covers all activities inside.  There will be a large area with vendors and there will be several class rooms with over 30 different classes offered.  To see more details or the list and times of classes go to www.utahprepare.com  I went to the expo last year and the classes were really worth the time.  Many of the vendors will offer their products at a great discount for the expo.

Bulk Dehydrated Hash browns

I am happy to report that I have found a source for bulk 25 lb bags of dehydrated hash browns, also known as potato shreds.  Who doesn’t love potatoes?  Potato Pearls can only be stored for about 2 years and then they start to go rancid.  Hash browns if stored under ideal conditions will last at least 10 yrs.  Store in 2-3, 5-gallon buckets with a tight lid in a cool, dark place. You can also store them in 12-13 #10 metal cans.  I have been using some that I canned 10 years ago and they are just like new.

To use these hash browns just put some in a bowl, keeping in mind that they will double in size at least.  Pour some warm water over them and cover. Let them sit for at least 30 minutes.  Then fry in a skillet with a little oil and some chopped onions and salt and pepper.  These also work in funeral potatoes or any potato casserole.

Alpine Food Storage                       www.alpinefoodstorage.com    they do have a Facebook page

11800 N. 6000 W.                            open Mon-Sat.

Highland, UT                                    email;  info@alpinefoodstorage.com

 

dehydrated hash browns 

dehydrated hash browns, cooked.

                                            

How much food do you have stored?  Back to school, back to the basics:  Step 1:  We have been told for many years to have food stored in our homes for any emergencies in life.  The amounts have changed over time but the advice still stands.  Right now we are advised to have AT LEAST 3 MONTHS of foods that we eat on a daily basis.  These are the things that we eat all the time. Things that are easy to prepare and that our children will eat.

Step 2:  Then, we are advised to store a MINIMUM of a 1 year supply of long-term foods that would keep us alive if we had nothing else.  These things are wheat, milk, salt, sugar, flour, white rice and various beans and pastas.  These things are easy to get and very affordable in normal times.  They store well in buckets or #10 cans.  Alone, they don’t sound that healthy and they sound boring to be honest.  But they will be very useful and keep you alive.  After you have these it is time to go to step 3.

Step 3:  After we have the basics we need to have fruits, veggies and meats and seasonings as well.  And we need to have recipes for cooking.  If you have wheat, do you have a wheat grinder?

Figure out how much you have on hand, right now.  How long would it last you if you could not go shopping anymore, starting today?  Thoughtfully figure out what you need to do to be more prepared and pray for guidance in your preparations.  We have been promised to be blessed with protection from the worst of the calamities.  But, that protection comes from us being obedient to the council we have been given.

New Preparedness Store info:  Prepper Center   www.preppercenters.com

6874 S. Redwood Road, West Jordan, Ut     801-566-0960

This is a really new store but they carry many well-known name brands such as Eden Valley Foods, Harvest Right Goedesic Domes, Fortress Clothing, Seychelle Water Purification, Saratoga Jacks products and several sizes of military tents.  They also carry preparedness books and hold classes and workshops.  They receive regular deliveries of Dave’s Farms wheat and raw honey.

Do you have cash on hand?  It is a very good idea to have some cash on hand in small bills.  I would advise having as much as possible.  Keep the bills to denominations of $20 and smaller.  Keep this money hidden in a secure place where only you know where it is.  This is for an emergency such as when you are not able to withdraw any money from a bank or ATM.  If the power grid is ever down, you will not be able to withdraw money from any ATM or bank.  People in Greece right now are limited to only being able to withdraw a maximum of $20 per day.  They have been reduced to bartering and doing without.  As you can imagine, you cannot live on only $20 per day. 

Communication:  FRS Radios

This paragraph is to get you thinking of communication if the power grid is down as a result of a disaster.  If one parent is at work and the other is at home etc, how are you going to communicate?  This is NOT to tell you what brand to buy or how many.  That is for you to decide for your family.

 I have been told that LDS wards and stakes ARE NOT to pay for the purchase of any of these radios.  But, the LDS church does encourage members to buy the radios of their choice to have in the event of an emergency.  It would be wise for members who do have some of these radios to inform their Ward Emergency Preparedness Specialist or Bishopric.  Then, if and when there is a need, those people who are in charge of disaster relief could use those radios to help everyone.  

Look at your budget and study the different kinds of FRS radios and check reviews and buy at least 2 for your family.  Our local CERT trainers used these and they were great!

Canning Jar Sizes

Once in a while I am asked about canning jar sizes and what I recommend.  If you are a family of two, you may choose to can most things in pints.  If you have a large family, you may choose to use mostly quarts.  It would also depend on how fast you would eat that product.

For example, whole tomatoes take up a lot of space and you can easily use 1 or 2 quarts in one meal. Use quarts.  But, if you are using a jam or salsa, a pint is big enough.  Keep in mind there are no hard and fast rules about it.  Sometimes you need to use what you have on hand at that moment.

Below is a picture I found on-line in preparation for a canning class I taught.  I found it at 

www.freshpreserving.com   (the website for Ball Canning).

They have also started to print this directly on all new jar boxes.   

June 2015 Newsletter

New Product at the Home Storage Center:  Seychelle water bottle

You can now buy a small, personal size water bottle with a filter for about $12.  It will filter up to 200 gallons of water.  These are on the current Home Storage Center order forms.  These can be found at each Home Storage Center as well as at www.providentliving.org and search for the order form.

What to buy this month:   This is the last month that you can find really good deals on fresh strawberries.  The best months were April and May.  You may be able to buy them “by the flat”.  Wash, cut and freeze them or make into strawberry jam.  This is also a good time to start stocking up on canning supplies and sugar and buy your Ball Blue Book of Preserving if you don’t have one yet. 

Uses for dehydrated onions and diced red and green bell peppers

These two products are some of my favorite dehydrated foods to use every day.  The onions are so handy!  I just throw a handful in most things that I am cooking. If I don’t have fresh onions or I am in a hurry and I don’t want to chop fresh ones, I just use these.  The Bell peppers are actually a great buy if you consider the cost of buying fresh bell peppers and chopping them.  I like to use these in soups and casseroles, homemade spaghetti sauce, add them to dehydrated hash browns to make O’Brien style hash browns.  I also use the onions and the bell peppers when canning spaghetti sauce, sweet pickle relish and salsa. They are a big time-saver.

Fire Extinguisher Care

You should have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen for sure.  It is a great idea to also have one in your garage and near your utility room as well.  At the CERT training that some of us recently had, we learned a couple things that we did not know about home Fire Extinguishers.

·         If you use your fire extinguisher but did not use it up completely, you can put the pin back in it and save it for future use again. It would be wise to buy a 2^nd one to have on hand though.

·         1-2 times a year, check the pressure gauge on the extinguisher.  As long as there is plenty of pressure in it, no matter the age, it should still work.

·         If you have had your extinguisher for several years and have been lucky enough to not need to use it…pick it up and gently dump the extinguisher upside-down.  You can hear the powder inside of it.  If it sounds like it is in one big clump…go ahead and turn it upside down and back and forth several times to break up the clump inside it.  Once it sounds soft again it should be good as new. The powder compacts as it sits.

·         To use: Remember P-A-S-S   Pull the pin, Aim toward the BASE of the fire, Squeeze the trigger and then Sweep side to side until fire is out.  

Product Highlight of the Month:  All American Sun Oven        www.sunoven.com

                          

To be honest, this is the most expensive item by far that I have ever highlighted.  There are other sun ovens on the market at different price points.  I will talk about this specific one because that is the one that we have.  This one can be bought for a little less at some preparedness expos and also with a coupon on particular websites and Facebook pages such as through www.foodstoragemadeeasy.net  Facebook:  Sun Ovens International, Inc.  If you are reading this newsletter at the end of May 2015, Sun Ovens International, Inc has an $80 off coupon on their website right now.

Like the name says, it only uses the power of the sun for fuel.  Free Fuel!  It can even be used in the winter as long as there is a good deal of sunlight.  It will not get up to high enough temperatures if there is a lot of cloud cover.  You can bake, boil, sterilize and dehydrate with it.  This oven is actually very easy to use and weighs about 22 lbs. It has handles attached to make it easy to carry.  If you choose, you can spend more up front and buy pots and pans made to fit inside.  If not, you can look around for some that will fit.   The only thing I would change would be to have the inside of the oven larger to fit most of my pans.  It comes with a self-leveling rack on the inside and an adjustable leg for the back to get the best sun angle. It has a built in thermometer right in the front.  It also comes with a booklet for use and a CD full of recipes and helps.  A side note:  It will not burn your food.  It acts like a giant crock pot and you can leave the food cooking all day and it won’t burn.  The food stays moist.

The All American Sun Oven

banana bread in my sun oven

A few tips for more success with the Sun Oven          www.sunoven.com

·         Place in a really sunny location if possible.  Focus it toward the sun.  The booklet shows you how.  (They also have videos and a CD.)

·         You need enough sun to cast a shadow. If no shadow, then you don’t have enough sun for it to work.  Cold temperatures and snow on the ground does not affect the cooking. Only the amount of sun.

·         Depending on where you live, from May-Sept. you may not need to use the leg on the back of the oven for focusing.

·         Allow time for oven to pre-heat.  Keep the door latched!

·         Put food inside and close the door quickly.  When you open the door, the temp drops 75 degrees.

·         Do not open door except to remove food.  This is why a see-through lid is best.

·         To maintain highest temperature and cook the fastest, refocus oven every 30 mins.

·         If your pan is too tall, remove leveling rack from the hooks and place on the bottom of oven to create a little more room.

·         Use dark metal pans for the fastest cooking.  Use a lid, (glass), to keep the moisture in the food and keep oven door from having condensation.  This condensation will lower your temperature and it will take longer to cook.

·         You can hard boil up to 2 dozen eggs at a time.  Cook them right in the cardboard egg carton they come in.  No water needed. It takes 1 hour.

·         For perfect bread, let dough rise to ¾” to ½ “ below the top of bread pan.  Spray top of dough with water and then bake.

·         If you want to buy pans on your own be sure to measure the inside area of your oven first.  I have found a couple pans that do fit. I found them at major “big box” stores.  One is the Corning Ware French White Oval Entre baker with a glass cover, 2.5 qt size.  I also found a small round enamel ware stock pot with a lid.  (black with white specks).  You will need to put rack all the way on the bottom for this one to fit.  I also bought a set of 2 glass lids for using with pans in this oven.

To be honest, after all that work trying to find lots of different pans that fit….I would just buy the ones direct from the co

May 2015 Newsletter

Is your family prepared to live off-grid for weeks or months on end?    In the Deseret News on Sunday April 19, 2015 there was a very large article and insert on the GREAT UTAH SHAKE OUT.  It had a lot of sobering information for what a 7.0 earthquake could do to everyone living along the Wasatch Front.   Some people are not afraid of a large earthquake, they feel that we are MORE likely to have an EMP or other terrorist attack.  Yes, those can likely happen as well.  My point in sharing this info and ALL info with you is to show you many things you can do to prepare your family for a number of scenarios.  If you are truly prepared to live off-grid for a good amount of time, you are prepared for just about anything.  Here are the things I gleaned from that article that will hopefully give you plenty of incentive to start preparing or keep preparing your family.

·         Results from a 7.0 earthquake centered along the Utah Wasatch Front could total up to $27.5 BILLLION in damages and lost wages alone.

·       

  Depending on the time of day there could be at least 2,500 deaths, 36,000 injured and at least 86,000 people left homeless.

·         The region’s main highways, utilities and communications would be severed.  Many utilities would not be restored for weeks and in some cases, months.

·         The main water line for Salt Lake City crosses the fault line 19 times.  There could be 10,000 water main breaks in the valley and up to 17,000 leaks.

·         Power will be easier and faster to repair than restoring drinking water.

·         There would be hazardous materials spills, landslides and hundreds of after-shocks.

·         Rocky Mountain Power is expected to shut down the region’s power grid anytime there is a good size earthquake, for a minimum of 24-48 hrs to inspect the system.  So realistically, even a much smaller quake would bring us loss of power for a couple days.

What is an EMP attack?

EMP stands for Electro Magnetic Pulse. In layman’s terms it is a giant power surge created by man, that is so strong, it would destroy all or most of the power grid and electronic devices in the U.S.  This can be caused by a giant solar flare but more likely by another country detonating a nuclear weapon in orbit above the U.S.  We would be plunged back into the pre-electronic age. That means no phones, tv, heat, air conditioning, banking, shopping without cash, etc.   It would take a minimum of months to get back to normal.  You may ask if this is a REAL or PLAUSABLE threat.  Yes, it is and our Military is worried about it.  Just another reason to prepare for possibly living off-grid at least for a while.  For more information on this subject you can do an internet search for yourself.

Item of the month:  Tote-able Toilet

The number one cause of disease is improper sanitation.  Lack of running water and working toilets can be an issue immediately after any natural disaster or water main break.  Each family should have AT LEAST ONE tote-able toilet or port-a-potty.  Also consider that most of your neighbors most likely don’t have one.  So if there is only 1 toilet for at least every 2 families, it is going to get very “interesting” very quickly.  The one shown above is very simple to assemble and very affordable.  This one consists of a 5-6 gallon bucket and a toilet seat and lid combo.  Keep this kit with your 72 hr kits or camping gear.

·         Inside you should also store heavy duty trash bags, if not heavy duty then you should double them.  If you can find black ones that might be nice.  You can never have too many garbage bags!  Emergency Essentials even sells special bags made just for this called Double Doody bags. I suggest having enough to change-out the bags once a day per family.

·         Several rolls of toilet paper

·         Baby wipes to save on water

·         A bottle of hand sanitizer

·         Toilet chemicals (can be found in sporting goods)

·         A bottle of bleach if it fits.

·         You can find toilet seat-lid combos at Macey’s grocery stores in the preparedness section and also at Cabelas and at Wal-Mart in Sporting goods and sometimes at Farm Supply Stores.

·         You need to have this on hand BEFORE an emergency.  If you wait until the emergency happens you probably won’t be able to find any.

·         For in depth information on Emergency Sanitation go to www.safeharboralliance.com and find his section on sanitation. He also sells DVD’s, teaches classes and posts videos on Youtube about this and other topics.

Tote-able toilet

How to search my blog

Welcome to my Preparedness blog!  I hope you find my information helpful and easy to follow.  I have been doing a monthly Preparedness Newsletter for almost 6 years for my family, friends and neighborhood.  I have just decided to try to download as many of them on here as possible.
 
If you have just found me, you can find information on a variety of topics by looking at the TAGS on the BOTTOM of each Newsletter post.  You can also do a search by TOPIC with the SEARCH BAR at the top left corner of the blog.  You can also choose to search for gardening and harvesting helps if you search by the MONTH.

For instance, if you want ideas of what to do with lots of apples, you can search for APPLES in the search bar or search for Newsletters that came out in the Fall, such as September or October.

Thank you for viewing my blog and let me know if it helps you and your family.  

April 2015 Newsletter

Pressure Canning Dried Beans

You can buy your dried beans in bulk and then pressure can them.  It is easy and will save you money. It costs about half as much as the case lot sales.

·         If you know the basics of canning and own a pressure canner you can easily can your own dried beans.  The cost not counting the jars, will be about 25 cents per pint.

·         Buy your choice of bulk dried beans in a 20-25 lb. bag.

·         You MUST pressure can them.  If you use a water bath canner, the enzymes will not be killed and they will get botulism.  Botulism can kill you!

·         Put your beans in a large bowl or pot.  Keep in mind that they will double to triple in size.  Cover with water and a lid.  Soak the beans for 12-24 hrs.

·         Drain the beans, rinse and cover with fresh water.  Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.

·         Ladle the beans and the cooking water into clean, hot jars.  Add 1 tsp of salt if desired to each pint.  Leave 1/2 inch headspace.  Wipe the rims of jars and place a new lid and a ring.

·         Process in a PRESSURE canner for 1 hr and 15 minutes at 15 lbs pressure for UTAH.

·         Beans will be soft and ready to serve right out of the jar.

·         www.simplycanning.com/canning-dried-beans.html

·         I recently tried this myself and it was very easy and I would say it was a success!  I probably won’t buy store bought, canned beans again.

·         I paid $17 for a 20 lb bag of black beans.  And I have only canned ½ of the bag and already got 38 pints.  10 lbs=38 pints!

Notes from our Feb. 7^th CPR Class: We learned some valuable information during our class from Dave Bresnahan who has visited Emergency Shelters during an emergency.  Here is what he had to say.

·         

A 72 hr kit is only a START. It really should be good for AT LEAST 5 days to start.  If you need to evacuate take the kit with you. That is what it is for.

·         Use the Emergency Shelter as your last resort!   If you can stay in your home, that should be your first choice.  If you have a camper or tent, you can live in that in your yard and also keep an eye on your property.  Another option would be to stay with family or friends.  The shelters will only provide you with 4 walls and a cot if you are lucky.  They will be ill-equipped and over-whelmed.

·         Take all the toilet paper you can if you go to a shelter.  It will be like GOLD!  They never have enough.

·         Also include in your kit activities for you and your kids to do to pass the time.  They will not have games etc to occupy you.  Can you imagine a bunch of bored kids in this situation?

·         Other notes from this class pertaining to medical issues.

·        

Blood is dangerous for 72 hrs wet or dry.  Always use gloves and clean up properly.  It is actually a Hazmat issue.

·         Always have a CPR mouth shield on hand or several if you can manage it.  Also have gloves and handkerchiefs and bandanas in your medical kit.

·         Syrup of Epicac is not the best.  Go to a pharmacy and buy ACTIVATED CHARCOAL in liquid form.  You will need 1 whole bottle for a child and 2 bottles for an adult.  Make the person drink the whole bottle and then Call 911 anyway!  The patient has to drink it while still conscious.  This will work only for medicines like an over dose, not for caustic chemicals.  Poison control is 800-222-1222 and is at the U of U Hospital.

·         For Anaphylaxis- use 1 Epi-pen injector, then 20 mins later use the 2^nd one.  (You should always have 2 on hand).  Then get emergency help.

·         Snake bites:  For a rattlesnake bite, you need to get anti-venom within 2 hours.  You will not die, but you will lose a limb or fingers.  Snake bite kits don’t work and neither does sucking on the bite.

March 2015 Newsletter

Emergency lighting:  Solar lights

                                      

The light on the left is a Luci Solar Lantern by Mpowerd Co.  www.mpowerd.com   It only weighs about 4 oz. and measures 4” in diameter.  It is inflatable and waterproof.  It comes with a handle for carrying or hanging.  The average retail price is about $15.  The lantern on the right is also a solar lantern.  It has 3 brightness settings and works like a more traditional camping lantern. The last solar light shown is a Luminaid light. www.luminaid.com   It is small and inflatable and has a handle for hanging.  When not inflated, it folds down to be about 1/2 inch thick.

Luci solar lantern by Empowerd Co.

small solar lantern

 

Luminaid solar light by luminaid.com

Ever wonder how you could possibly store a year’s supply of feminine hygiene supplies?

Buying and storing a year’s supply of these little necessities can be very hard to do.  There is an answer!  You may have to “go old school” and make cloth pads.  They are re-usable and can last 2-3 years easily. Each woman should have about 12-15 during her period.   There are many patterns and on-line tutorials. If you have a basic sewing machine and can sew a straight or slightly curved stitch, you can easily make these.  One thing you will need to invest in or share would be a set of plastic snaps and a snap setter.  These can be bought at a fabric store with a coupon.  To learn more about making re-usable cloth pads, look up Mama Cloth or Mama cloth tutorial, or Mama cloth pads or homemade cloth pads.  A couple websites that have instructions and patterns are:  www.pamperedcheeks.com and www.theecofriendlyfamily.com and www.daysforgirls.org    Sources for the PUL or Zorb fabrics that are used in these can be found online.  One website that has good prices is www.wazoodle.com     

Top Ten Most Useful Food Storage Foods from The Survival Mom blog www.thesurvivalmom.com   And Elder F. Enzio Busche. From his talk “How beautiful to live in these times and be prepared” given in June 1982.   To see all the reasons why The Survival Mom suggests these particular items and in this order, see her post on Sept. 19, 2014.  Elder Bushe was a child in Germany during WWII and his list is VERY similar.

1.      Wheat

2.      Rice

3.      Dried milk

4.      Salt

5.      Dried beans

6.      Tomatoes in different forms, whole, dried, sauces, paste

7.      Vegetable oil

8.      Fruits and vegetables

9.      Pasta

10.  Peanut butter

11.  Sugar or honey   (I know, more than 10!)