December 2024 How we can prepare for possible conflict involving our country

 I was recently asked in an email about how to prepare ourselves for what looks like a not-too-distant war that our country may be involved in.  And how people can prepare for possible food shortages.  Remember the Great Depression and the rationing of WWII?  You do not have to be old enough to have lived through it.  We can all learn from it.  There are so many documentaries on YouTube about how people were affected by the war and what they did to survive.  In the UK the rationing went on for several years after the war ended.   I am happy to share a list of videos with you if you ask. Now that Thanksgiving has passed, I can take a few minutes to write an answer.

The answer is "The Primary Answers of Food Storage".  The church of Jesus Christ has counseled us to store a year-supply of the foods we eat and the everyday things we need and use.  Do we have at least a 3-month supply of the things we eat every day?  This varies from family to family. What does your family need?   A 3-month supply is only the beginning.  Do not stop with 3 months.  Once you have 3 months, keep adding to that until you have a year.  I see people commenting on social media all the time that "the Church says we only need 3 months."  That is not true. They did not read the entire article.

While we are doing this, we should be buying LONG-TERM foods that will sustain life.  These foods are at the moment, easy to find, fairly inexpensive and have a long shelf-life.  The Church sells many of these foods at the Home Storage Centers.  These foods include whole grains such as wheat, oats, white rice, dried beans, dry pasta, honey, salt, sugar and dried apple slices and dried carrots.  You can order these on the church website and have them shipped to you for almost zero shipping fees. www.churchofjesuschrist.org/store or www.providentliving.org  under the food storage button.  In addition to having these foods, we need to know how to cook them.  

A couple years ago I started looking for WWII era cookbooks online to buy and I also buy used food storage books at thrift stores.  For those with special diets they need to store things they can eat.  They need to do what works for their needs.  (I have been preaching this information for 15 years.  So, this is nothing new.)

Each family should have a minimum of a 2-weeks supply of water for an emergency.  That is 2 gallons per person, per day.  This is NOT enough for bathing or doing dishes or for pets.  Do we also have at least one way to filter and purify water that may not be safe to drink?  I highly recommend having more than just one way to do this.  There are gravity filters and ceramic filters and Berkey systems as well as Life Straw and Sawyer among other brands.

Are we trying to get out of debt?  This is probably the hardest thing to do. We need to prioritize our needs and wants and take care of our responsibilities.  Maybe instead of spending $5000 on a vacation, we stay home and buy food storage items and some fuel, a generator, build garden boxes, plant fruit trees etc. (This advice usually makes a few people mad).

Do we have our Vital Documents stored as a copy on a thumb drive?  Are the Originals in a zippered 3-ring binder ready to go if and when we evacuate?  One can add zippered pencil pouches to that binder to hold cash, keys, passports etc.  Maps... buy some old-fashioned paper maps and include those as well.  I bought one that shows every urban street in my suburban area.  And I bought some that show the entire state in great detail in case of evacuation.

Do we have a really good first aid kit assembled, and do we have some over-the-counter medications stored?  One can go beyond that and learn about herbal remedies and how to make them.  Do you have books on wild edibles and herbs for your area?

Do we know how to GROW FOOD?  Do we have edible landscaping?  This can go on and on.

I am now posting information all the time on Facebook in the groups I Admin.  You can email me at wendydriggsprep@gmail.com and ask me which groups those are.  

Google will not allow me to share from my Google Drive now.  But I have downloaded everything to my laptop.  You can always email me and request information and handouts on any topic you want.  I am also happy to share with people my favorite YouTube channels to stay up to date on current events and those that give sound advice on how to prepare.  

The Christmas season is now upon us.  If you have loved ones that are not very prepared, I encourage people to give preparedness items.  You can give long-term foods, small kits or at least a start to a kit such as a power outage kit or a camping mess kit or a 96 hour kit or a First Aid kit.  You can also offer to teach a skill or share something that you made using the preparedness skills you have learned.

If you are interested, I still have some copies left for sale of a cookbook that I published recently.  It has over 200 pages of family recipes as well as recipes and instructions on building up your food storage, how to make dressings, sauces, mixes, how to make multiple dairy products from your powdered milk, kefir, water kefir, apple cider vinegar, ghee and many other things.  The cost is $20/ book and shipping is available.  I have a few on hand in my home in Utah. I am currently waiting for 100 more copies to arrive in the future. I am crossing my fingers they arrive by Christmas.

All of the information you need is included on the order form.  Please read it carefully.  Make note of the price, shipping etc and how to pay.  We except Venmo and PayPal.  The order form link is HERE:  Cookbook Order Form   

Emergency Preparedness and Provident Living Newsletter October 2024

 

Emergency Preparedness and Provident Living Newsletter

October 2024

Announcement: I have written a cookbook that has over 200 pages of everyday recipes and many food storage helps and hints. These include some helpful lists, tips on how to integrate food storage items into your everyday meals, several pages on how to preserve many common fresh and dry foods, how to make a lot of dairy products from fresh or powdered milk, how to make a variety of vinegars and baking extracts, 12 pages of herbal remedies and recipes, 2 pages of kitchen remedies using common spices and other kitchen items and a lot more. There are several biscuit recipes, homemade egg noodles, veggie noodles, tortillas and other breads.  I have included recipes for salad dressings, dips, sauces and other condiments as well.

I expect to have the books shipped to me in November. Each book is $20. If requesting shipping, the first book will cost $6 shipping and each additional book in your order will cost another $1. I accept multiple payment options and local pickup in Utah is offered. At the moment I am not offering shipping outside of the United States. For International orders I am looking into having this available as a digital download. To order, please use this link here. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeWnzrehMC97rwlZYmgXsFvL0vPWDcJZtUSWfHomYaEei-VCA/viewform?usp=sf_link

If you have questions or need help, please contact me at wendydriggsprep@gmail.com

Current Events and how to prepare

Several states in the United States have been severely affected by Hurricane Helene. There are ongoing rescues and some supplies are just now reaching the areas that were hit the hardest. It will take months to recover destroyed infrastructure. Here is some information on what the most immediate needs are. I pray everyone can take something from this disaster and use it to prepare their families.

The most urgent needs beyond rescuing survivors are the following; Drinking water, foods that can be eaten with little to no preparation, baby formula and diapers, Ham radios because there is no cell service in many areas, laundry soap and cleaning supplies, gasoline, items to see in the dark, ways to cook food off grid, ways to keep cool or to keep warm at night and cash because there is no electricity so cash registers and ATMs don't work.

There are so many things happening all at once these past few months and I have tried to decide on just one topic to focus on and I am still undecided on just what to focus on. So, I think now is a good time to encourage each person or family to take a look at themselves and determine what they need to do right now. The following information is to help you find out what you may need to take care of in the next few weeks. Are you prepared for civil unrest? If you are, you can stay home until things calm down. I have written these in the order that I would prioritize these actions.

Use this list like you would use a checklist.

Take stock of what you have

Take a basic inventory of your supplies and write things down. As you look through your supplies you may feel that in some areas you are doing pretty well. Most likely you have more supplies than you thought, they just may need to be organized better, in case of an emergency.

Make a list of things you need to find or buy to get better prepared.

As you took stock of what you have, you will most likely notice some areas that need your attention such as filling more containers with water or maybe you need to stock up on infant and toddler needs or first aid and medical supplies. Make a list of things you feel you need to take care of. You may feel you need more guidance in this. Go ahead and pray about it to know what your family needs. As I watch videos of current events, including current disaster situations, it makes me think of things that I need to take care of as well. There is always room for improvement.

#1 Where to start if you are new to food storage or emergency preparedness

The most important thing to have is some water. No matter where you live or the size of your home, get some water stored. Some water, is better than no water at all. You can buy cases of water, refill used 2 liter soda bottles, fill up Water Bricks or square water jugs. If you have the room, buy some 50 gallon blue water barrels and fill those. Buy a barrel pump made to work with the barrel. You will need this to get the water out. I saw them recently in the Salt Lake Valley for $11. As long as the water was already clean from a city water source and put in a clean, food grade container and it has a tight lid, you are all set. If you are filling a clean container with clean, safe city water you do not need to add bleach.

The bare minimum recommended amount of water is 1 gallon per person per day for 2 weeks. This is only enough to sustain life. This is not enough for bathing or cleaning. If you have pets, you need to store water for them as well. Do the best you can.

In addition to storing water, have a way to filter water that has questionable water quality. There are

Berkey water filter systems that sit on your kitchen counter, there are Life Straw handheld filters, Sawyer handheld filters and even water bottles with a filter inside. These will be especially handy in a flooding situation or for hiking and other situations where there is water, but it is dirty.

#2 Have some easy to prepare, quick meals on hand

You don't need to have a lot of these. Having some on hand is nice for illness, to make things easier. This is especially important if Mom does all the cooking and Mom is the one who is sick. These foods are also nice if the power is out or there is some other emergency. In most cases these foods could be eaten cold if needed.

#3 Assemble an Emergency 96 hour kit/Bug out Bag

Whatever you want to call it, have an emergency bag for each person in the home. Pack a couple day's worth of clean clothes, some light-weight food, some water and a way to filter water, basic toiletries, medications, maps, a light source etc. Your kits need to be tailored to each individual for the stage of life they are in right now. There are many printable lists available online to give ideas. But you don't have to have that. Think of the things you want or need each day.

If you have not looked at your kit for a couple years, it is time to look at them. Take everything out. Food expires, medications expire, kids grow out of clothes. Make it a family activity and make it fun.

#4 Add everyday foods to your pantry

The LDS Church has been recommending that people start with a 3-month supply of the everyday foods that they eat. Build up to having a 3-month supply on hand, if you are able to. (The real goal is 1 year. 3 months is just the starting point). For most families this is a gradual process. Buy what you eat, and eat what you buy. Watch for sales and use digital coupons at your favorite stores. Always take a marker and write the purchase date on it. Pull older inventory to the front of the shelf and put the new items in the back. This is what they do at grocery stores. Keep in mind that most dates on store-bought foods are Best By Dates. That is the date they can guarantee that the food will have the most nutrients. If you have stored things in ideal conditions, the food will usually be good well beyond those dates. This is especially true with canned goods.

#5 Store Long-term foods

In addition to everyday foods you will want to buy foods that have a long shelf-life and can be used to sustain life with the basics for quite a while. These are items such as whole grains, dried milk, sugar, salt, pasta, seasonings etc. These are usually easy to find and fairly affordable in bulk. For success in using these foods, you will need to have basic cooking skills and some recipes.

#6 Have Medical Items on Hand

Winter and cold and flu season are approaching. This is the time of year I start to stock up on cough, cold and flu medications. I get a little each time I go to Walmart of Sam's or Costco. I also stock up on things like facial tissue and pain relievers and anything else that I would normally use for illness. Do you have a pulse-oximeter in your medical kit? Do you have a couple thermometers? Do you have a First Aid booklet? Other things that will be helpful are a blood pressure monitor and ear otoscope. Do you have diabetic supplies? If you have herbalism skills, now is the time to make more tinctures to have when you need them.

#7 Vital Documents Storage

In case of an emergency you will need to have copies, if not the real documents, of your Vital Records. You will need a way to make them “portable”. Start with the most important documents and work your way through a list of documents to have.

Start with gathering and scanning each document like, Birth certificates, Drivers licenses, Social Security cards, have a photo of each family member that is fairly current that can be used for identification. Include a family photo to prove that your kids really belong to you. Then add health insurance cards, Homeowners insurance, car registrations and titles. Take pictures of your home from the front, back, sides etc. Take pictures of your vehicles and the most expensive things in your home. Take pictures of your pets, include rabies certificates etc. Include a copy of a list of logins and passwords to your favorite websites. In times of high stress you may not remember all of them. Include a list of your emergency contacts with their phone numbers. Do you have everyone's phone number memorized? I know I don't. If your phone is lost or damaged, you can borrow a phone and still contact those on your emergency list.

Put original documents in sheet protectors a large zippered 3 ring binder. You will want to spend a little more money on a binder that zips and that has a handle. If the binder has a zipper, things cannot fall out of it. A handle would be nice if you need to attach the binder to your backpack with a carabiner..

In that binder put some zippered pencil pouches that you can buy for school supplies. In one pouch put spare keys for cars and the house, in another pouch put thick documents like passports, in another pouch put a bunch of cash in small bills. I would also have paper maps of your area. One map can be of every street in your urban areas.

And another map could be a good map of the entire region you live in. If the internet is down you will have to resort to using old school skills like map reading.

Scan each vital document. Then save a copy of each scanned item and put on a thumb drive. Each person in your home should have the same information on a thumb drive that he can put on a lanyard. By doing this, you have a back-up to the original documents and if someone is separated from the rest of the family, they will have all the necessary documentation they need.

Once you have completed most of these tasks you will be much better able to recover from a large or small disaster. If you have taken care of these things, you will be able to handle the stress much better and you will be able to recover faster. And you will be comforted and at peace and be able to help others around you.

Save money on groceries April 2024 Emergency Preparedness Newsletter

 

Emergency Preparedness and Provident Living Newsletter

April 2024

This month I will focus on how people can save money on groceries and how to stock up on pantry items. I will also write about how to incorporate “food storage” into their everyday meals.

I recommend watching a few videos on YouTube by the channel, Frugal Queen in France. They are a British couple who are retired and live in Brittany, France. She has many, many ideas on how to live a frugal lifestyle. They post several videos a week.

How to save money on your groceries

#1 If you are not shopping the weekly specials, you are paying too much!

If you are lucky enough to still get paper grocery ads in the mail each week, be sure to take the time to look at them to see what the specials are. Make your shopping list from the items that your family eats or uses that are on special each week. Some weeks there are a lot of items that are such good deals that I don't pass them up. Some weeks there are not very many good deals. If you are the one who does the weekly grocery shopping you will know what the normal prices are. Be sure to stock up on the fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season. Think of ways you can preserve these foods such as freezing, dehydrating, canning or freeze-drying.

If the stores in your area no longer send out physical ads, you will need to download their app or go to their website each week to see their ads. You will have to create an account. This account will work online as well as when using the app.

It can save you a lot of money if you look at these ads once a week and make your list. After a while you should see the number of items in your pantry grow. Many stores will say that to get the best deal, you need to buy a minimum of 3 or 5 items. Keep in mind that these are usually a mix and match deal so you do not have to get 5 of the exact same item. I never try to clean off the shelf. If there is a lot of something, I get just a few and leave plenty for others.

Just take the time to read the tags on the shelf at the store so you get the right price to ring up. These apps will also have digital coupons. To clip a digital coupon just tap on it. They will stay “clipped” until the coupon expires or until you use it up when checking out at the register. When checking out you will give the cashier your frequent shopper or account number and all the coupons will lower your bill there.

#2 Quite often I have found better deals on the shelf at the store right next to an item that was on sale that week. Sometimes these are on clearance. If the unadvertised item is cheaper that what I was going to get, I buy the cheaper item instead.

#3 Join a local on-line couponing group. There may be some Facebook groups where people share good deals at their local stores. These are nice because sometimes even I miss seeing something in the ads or it is at a store that I have not been to in a while.

#4 Don't be too brand loyal. Many foods are the same no matter which brand it is. There are only a couple foods that I buy that are a certain brand name. For example, we like Miracle Whip dressing but we don't like mayonnaise. So I only buy Miracle Whip when it is on sale. Most things, I don't care which brand it is such as canned vegetables, beans, etc.

#5 Don't buy something that your family does not like just because it is on sale. I have seen people commenting on this online. If you don't like it or use it, don't stock up on it. It will just cost you money and go to waste. If you want to start to learn how to cook and use something, buy just a little of it and try it out. Find a couple recipes that use that items and experiment with it before you buy a lot.

#6 Buy what you eat and eat what you buy! Adjust your grocery list and food storage to your dietary needs. Only you kn ow what your family likes and if there are any food allergies or if someone is diabetic or not. This is why shopping lists that others make often will not work for you.

Resources for bulk foods

I realize that my readers are from all across the US, Canada, UK and several other countries. This list is just to give you ideas. You will most likely need to do an internet search for your area.

Wal-Mart sells some common foods in bulk like rice and beans

Winco grocery stores

Hispanic and Asian stores

Amish and Mennonite stores

Costco and Sam's Club

Honeyville.com based in Honeyville, Utah

Davesfarms.com in Delta, Utah

Grandpasgrain.com based in SE Idaho (buy through a local distributor found on website)

Walton Feed in Montpelier, ID

Lehi Roller Mills in Lehi, UT

Co-op stores such as Azure Standard in the US. They deliver to most states now. Azurestandard.com

I am sure there are other resources that I am not aware of.

How to incorporate food storage into your meals

If you already know how to bake and cook from scratch this will be easy for you. If you are still learning how to cook this will be a little harder.

If you really think about it, this isn't complicated. Many of us use frozen foods as part of our meals. Simply thaw the food and then cook like it was fresh.

If something was dehydrated, simply rehydrate in a little water and then cook as if it were fresh. Dehydrated foods actually take a while to rehydrate. Many rehydrated foods are good in soups and stews as they have a longer cook time.

Freeze-dried foods rehydrate quickly! Simply rehydrate and then cook as you normally would.

Canned foods are easy to use. Just buy the canned foods that your family will eat.

I often use a combination of dinner ingredients that were dried, canned, frozen and fresh in the same meal. For example, for a spaghetti dinner, I will use pasta that I bought on sale and put in a bucket. I will use store-bought pasta sauce or make my own from tomatoes I canned and herbs that I buy in bulk. For the meat I will use ground beef that I froze or use meatballs that I freeze-dried. I can serve fresh, frozen or canned vegetables on the side.

I frequently use commercially dehydrated onions and diced bell peppers in my soups and casseroles. I just grab a handful and put it in the bowl with the other ingredients. No chopping required!

Meat bought at a really good sale can be frozen or pressure canned or freeze-dried before it goes bad.

Don't want to eat bugs for your protein?

If you are not aware of the international push for people to stop eating beef, pork or chicken, you have not been paying attention. The big push from the EU and WEF is for people to start eating insects for protein. If you don't like that idea, one thing you can do is to stock up on shelf-stable proteins that your family will like.

#1 Buy meats when they are on sale and freeze, pressure can or freeze-dry them.

#2 Buy canned meats at the store suc h as canned chicken, beef, pork, stew, chilli, Vienna sausages, Spam, and Keystone meats, salmon, tuna and sardines.

#3 learn about and store other protein alternatives such as beans of all kinds, dried peas, lentils etc. Meals that have beans and rice in the same meal will make a complete protein. Save these recipes and try them out. Practice making more meatless meals using your protein alternatives.

Give the gift of knowledge and preparedness for Christmas this year

You can make a family cookbook for Christmas this year. Your cookbook can include family favorite recipes. It can include recipes from extended family members and family members that have passed on. Share their knowledge and include information such as who used to make that recipe, why did they like it, was it served at family gatherings or certain holidays?

Other things you can include are old-time medicines for certain ailments. Are there family tips to pass on? Are there some food storage tips you have learned? Are there some food preservation tips you want to share? Include what you feel is important to pass on and add information that makes your family cookbook more personal. There are many cooking charts, substitution charts etc online.

You can have it printed by an online cookbook publisher or you can print it yourself and put in sheet protectors and put everything in a 3-ring binder. I prefer this method as it makes the pages wipeable if they get food on them. And you can easily add more pages later.

                                    Emergency Preparedness and Provident Living Newsletter

                                                                    February 2024

2024 Church of Jesus Christ Home Storage Center Price Lists

Find a Home Storage Center near you and their hours on this page.  https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations-map?lang=eng

Home Storage Center Order Form 2024  (U.S. English version.)   https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/providentliving/content/Home-Storage-Center/2024%20Home%20Storage%20Order%20Form%20USA-Locked.pdf

You can order food storage online for home delivery https://store.churchofjesuschrist.org/new-category/food-storage/food-storage/5637169327.c

Food Storage Companies and Resources List

These are resources in addition to the Church of Jesus Christ Home Storage Centers. I am not affiliated with any of them and do not benefit from sharing this information.

Costco and Sam's Club and Restaurant Supply companies that are open to the public

Amish and Mennonite Stores

Ethnic grocery stores such as Hispanic and Asian groceries

Winco grocery stores sell many bulk items

Use an app for your local grocery stores and clip their digital coupons and shop their sales each week.

www.azurestandard.com now delivers by semi to most states along major highways.

Www.beprepared.com sells both Emergency Essentials and Augason Farms products

www.amazon.com sells Augason Farms products and posts daily specials

www.wisefoodstorage.com

www.nutrientsurvival.com

www.mypatriotsupply.com

www.thrivefreezefoods.com

www.readywise.com

www.products.4patriots.com

The 8 Enemies of Food Storage

In order for us to make our foods last longer, we need to know the 8 enemies of food storage and how to

combat them. Once we know these basics, we will be much more successful in storing healthy foods.

The enemies to foods that you are storing are, Air, specifically oxygen, chemical contamination, Insects,

rodents, moisture, light, temperature and time. Here is a really good introductory video on this topic

posted by my friends at The Provident Prepper  https://youtu.be/UY1AH7zOMD4?si=Gt4ZDTTSt0e1Pa_u

As you consider storage containers or methods, keep these enemies in mind and make sure you are

keeping as many of these enemies out as possible.

Packaging Long-term Food Storage, how to do it right  https://youtu.be/9J31WXxAEwY?si=RySy9zaGeS-rqIfR

Newbie Prepper Food Storage Questions Answered  https://youtu.be/0geZG0epLT8?si=e7dyoRIeXJrenm7_.

Don't Overthink How to Build Your Food Storage

The following information to meant to help people who feel overwhelmed or stuck and do not know where to start or if they are doing things correctly. As someone who is in several online groups and helps Admin many of those groups, I see many questions from people who are new to preparedness or food storage. Quite often I see questions or posts that show the person is overthinking how to store food or how to preserve some foods and many times they are making more work for themselves than is needed. I wanted to cover this topic at the beginning of a new year to help people. If you have a friend, neighbor or relative that is stuck, please share these newsletters or even share the videos and channels that I often highlight.

#1 Please do not think you MUST have a fancy list that someone created for you to know what to buy. Itis ok if you want one, but I would not worry about it too much. Do not overthink what to buy for your 3 month supply of everyday foods. You in most cases are the main grocery shopper in the home. Write down the meals you make often. What are the common ingredients that you buy often? This is  where you start. Buy what you eat, and eat what you buy! Work up to a 3 month supply. This is just the start! You really want to work up to 1 year, eventually.

#2 Stock up on basic toiletries, medications and cleaners too. Don't forget feminine hygiene items and baby items etc. Concentrate on needs of those in the family. Stick to basics.

#3 Decide if you want to work on long-term foods such as many dry goods right away while you build up your 3 month supply, or if you want to get the 3 month supply first and then get some long-term. This will depend on your budget and space.

#4 Take advantage of sales and coupons. I have never shopped using a list that I found online. Those rarely match up with what is on sale. I shop the sale items of the week that my family uses. I try as much as possible to use coupons on top of the sales. Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables while on sale. Preserve them in various ways.

#5 People often get stuck on how to use “food storage” foods. ANY food you have in your home at the moment is food storage. Do not overthink how to use preserved foods.

If something has been canned, either cook the food in the liquid, or drain and then heat and heat or use in a soup or casserole.

If something has been dehydrated, simply put in a bowl and add warm water to it and let it sit until the food is soft. Some foods will rehydrate faster than others. Even if some things never get completely soft, they will still be edible and offer nutrition.

If something has been freeze-dried, you can eat dry, or put it in a moist casserole, in a soup or simply rehydrate it in a bowl with water. They will rehydrate quickly. Use as if it was fresh or frozen.

If something has been frozen, simply thaw and then heat and eat.

#6 You don't know how to use DRY FOODS? Get some cookbooks that focus on cooking with basics. There are many food storage cookbooks on the market. Some food storage books just focus on one type of food such as dried beans, grains, powdered milk etc. You can also buy basic baking books, and  ethnic cookbooks. You can find many books at thrift stores. It may not be possible to rely on the internet in the future for recipes. You will need to have books in your home.

#7 (Freeze drying only section). You don't know how to freeze dry certain foods? I often see people asking about how to freeze-dry things like coffee, cocoa, milk, dry beans etc. Keep freeze drying simple!

If you have a food item that is already in a very dry form...most likely it will keep just as it is.  Coffee, tea, cocoa, milk and drink mix powders will keep for a long time as they are. Just store in an airtight container, out of light in a cool, dry location. As for milk, personally I would just buy and store powdered milk. It has a long shelf-life if stored properly. Many people are focused on freeze drying whole slices of pies, cakes, pancakes and breads. Think about what will reconstitute well. How will you reconstitute these items without them turning to mush? These are poor candidates for freeze drying. Let's talk about pumpkin pie for example, I freeze dry the pumpkin. Then I powder the pumpkin. In the future I can rehydrate the pumpkin powder into a puree. Then I will use my stored milk, egg powder, sugar and spices to make a fresh pumpkin pie. Doesn't that sound more appetizing? Candy? Hard candy already has a very long shelf-life. Store it in an airtight container. Dry beans, peas or lentils if stored in an airtight container, in a can, bucket or glass jar will keep for many years. If you want to be able to rotate through them and use them often, I really like to pressure can them in jars and they are ready to eat out of the jar.

Honey and jams? Those should not be freeze-dried! This is stated in the machine booklet and on the Harvest Right website. Besides, these will store for a long time just as they are.

#8 I prefer to store single item foods in containers. For example, I have fruits, vegetables, meats, grains etc, usually stored individually, not as a meal. This makes it easy for me to preserve these foods and allows me to combine them as desired with other foods when cooking. It is nice and convenient to have a few things ready to eat as a meal like chili, canned soups or Ravioli but most of our stored foods are single ingredients. Do what works for your family.

#9 Some foods are considered “forever foods”. These include things like honey, maple syrup, whole wheat, salt, sugar and many other things. You do not have to do anything fancy to store these. Here are  a couple good videos on these foods.

https://youtu.be/iYTbhqOBWJA?si=CHwPndOqYZsKiuSrby Prepsteaders

https://youtu.be/Zu5gscdCEjQ?si=pXRFXTbcwe_-QY11 by Alaska Granny

#10 If you want to learn how to preserve certain foods, I suggest you go to YouTube and watch reputable channels and watch several of them to get a consensus on proper methods of preserving.

Unfortunately, there are many people in online groups who give out terrible advice. I saw one such video in the past week that was being shared on Facebook showing how to preserve dry rice in a soda bottle using several things that will only ruin the food. Many people thought it was great. But those of us who have been doing these things for many years could immediately see several problems with the video.

The person who created the video had in one way, over-thought how to preserve something that needs no special treatment to be good for decades. At the same time, he did not use any common sense and in trying to preserve the food, actually ruined it.

Be cautious and use common sense and invest in good books such as the Ball Blue Book of Preserving and look up County Extension Offices such as Utah State University Extension office. There are other State Extension offices that are really good. I believe one is Ohio State.

#11 Do not worry or even try to store every food in the same way. For instance, I see many people posting about using Mylar bags for nearly everything. You DO NOT want to store all foods in the same way. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Never store “All your eggs in one basket”. Use a variety of preservation methods. What containers and supplies can you get? How much space do you have? What is your budget?

Parting advice: Pray about what you should store and to be guided in how to store things properly. Use the knowledge that you already have. Be humble and willing to learn new things from those who have a lot of experience. If in doubt, watch videos from several sources to see if there is something that everyone agrees on. Invest in quality books and keep learning. I wish everyone the best in the year 2024.  Keep Prayed up and Prepped up! Happy New Year!

January 2024, Shipping supply chain problems and Family Medical preparedness

 

Emergency Preparedness and Provident Living Newsletter

January 2024

Current Events that affect our food supply and the cost of living

Over the last two months millions of chickens in farms that supply eggs have been culled because of avian influenza again. So far there have been no reports of chickens on meat poultry farms have been culled. No matter if this is a legitimate reason to cull them, this will affect the supply of eggs and will increase the cost of egg products. Please find ways to store extra eggs in various ways. And if you are able to care for a small flock of chickens, consider adding chickens to your property.

There have been many reported cases of shortages of frozen and dehydrated potato products. There have been problems with the potato crops over the last two years and as we have used up the supply of products in storage, we now have fewer of those products on hand. Also, over the last 20 years or more, we have had the supply of foods and other products converted over to a “Just in time” delivery system. That system works well when everything is running smoothly. But if there is a prolonged power outage, truckers strike or a large natural disaster it affects that delivery system and suddenly there are big shortages. Most stores only have about 3 day's worth of products, especially foods, on their shelves. If you add-in a rush to purchase such as right before a hurricane, you can see how quickly the store shelves are stripped bare.

Worldwide Shipping problems are not getting better! There has been a prolonged drought in Panama. This drought is causing a lot of problems with the Panama Canal. Right now only a fraction of normal ships are getting through the canal each day. The number of ships waiting to get through is only getting longer.

New and expanding conflicts in the Middle East are affecting the shipping traffic in the Gulf of Aden and in the Red Sea that leads to the Suez Canal. Ships are being attacked by Somali pirates and Houthi thugs in Yemen.

When these ships cannot get through, they have to find a new route often taking them several thousand miles out of their normal way. These issues make for longer shipping times and large increases in shipping costs that WILL be put onto the consumer. You can do a search of this topic on the following websites; www.maritime-executive.com,, www.fortune.com, www.reuters.com, www.bloomberg.com,

www.marinelink.com,and www.freightwaves.com.

Try to find ways to buy products made closer to home and take care of what you have. And remember to make it do or do without.

The infographic photo below talks specifically about the trucking industry and how quickly we would run out of things that affect us every day. This also applies to the shipping industry. Please take this information to heart when thinking of things you can do to be better prepared.

Ways to build-up your immune system

Now that Winter has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere, many people are getting sick with the common cold, Influenza, RSV, CV19 and intestinal problems. Doctor's offices and hospitals have become very busy again and most of us, if not all of us want to avoid illnesses and we want to stay out of the hospital.

In addition to common sense actions such as practicing better hygiene and staying home when you are sick, to get fresh air and some exercise, there are some things we can eat each day to boost our immune system. Here is a list of those things. You can do one each day, or if you feel the need, do more than one each day as desired.

• Take 1 teaspoon of Elderberry syrup or tincture each day. If you feel you are getting sick, increase the amount times a day.

• Eat 1 clove of garlic and some honey each day. You can store unpeeled garlic cloves in a container of honey for at least a year. This will bubble as it ferments and the honey will thin. Use the honey as well.

• Take Vit K2 and Zinc together each day.

• Take Vit. D3 each day. You will want to find a Vit D3 with high IU amounts.

• Make a quart or more of Fire Cider (many recipes online), and take a couple Tablespoons each day. This is also called other names such as a Flu Bomb or anti-plague remedy. You can adjust the ingredients if needed. Best if stored in a refrigerator. Keeps for over a year.

• Improve your gut health by adding fermented foods to your daily diet. These include low-sugar yogurt, Kefir, Kombucha, Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother, fermented vegetables, Sauerkraut and Kimchi.

• This time of year people in my house also make sure they increase their daily intake of Vitamin C. This can be by tablet, citrus fruits or things like Tang or Emergen-C mix in water each day.

• One form of Vit. C is Sodium Ascorbate Buffered Vit. C. powder.

• Tea made of rose hips or pine needles are also full of Vit. C.

I made a list of these things and put it on my refrigerator door to remind family members of their daily options to use to ward off illness.

Things to have on hand before you get sick

These are things that are easy to find in stores or online such as Amazon. Most of these foods can be stored for a long time. If you have small children, are elderly or are prone to asthma or pneumonia I highly recommend getting a nebulizer. You can find a lot of them for well under $100 online.

Over the counter medications that your family uses when sick. Have a few on hand.

Vitamin C tablets

Cough drops

Lypo-spheric C gel

Liposomal Vit. C

Vicks Vapo-rub

Broths, either vegetable or chicken or beef

Herbal teas, especially those high in Vit. C like Rose hips or pine needles. Yarrow is good for fevers

honey, lemon juice, fresh ginger

crackers, Jello gelatin, ginger ale, 7up, or fruit juice

fresh onions (cut up and put in socks and place on bottom of feet for bad coughs)

Herbal remedies that you have bought or made to replace some of these remedies above

Simple to prepare foods such as soups, mac and cheese, fruit, cheese, yogurt

Medical Tools to have on hand (this list is for illnesses, not injuries)

Humidifier

Nebulizer for medications like Albuterol

Pulse oximeter to monitor your pulse and oxygen saturation

Blood pressure monitor machine, you can find in many pharmacies

digital thermometer, have more than one

heating pad

hot water bottle to use on the body, think of the old-fashioned, rubber kind.

Resources for learning about herbal medicine for beginners

Dr, Patrick Jone at https://homegrownherbalist.net he also has a YouTube channel. He also has a school of herbal medicine that you can learn from at your own pace.

www.thepatriotnurse.com She also has a YouTube channel and she has an online herbal course as well.

Dr. Christopher's school of herbal medicine course Contact | Dr. Christophers (drchristopher.com)

Barbara O'Neill of New Zealand has a lot of great videos on Youtube. Her channel is called Living Springs Retreat.

Books by Rosemary Gladstar

Books on alternative remedies by Claudia Orgill at www.healthypreparedness.blogspot.com She has older videos on YouTube. Newer content is on her Patreon page.