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!

November 2014 Newsletter

  With all of the coverage of the Ebola Virus in the news, now is a good time to talk about preparing for a serious illness or even a pandemic.  Some people think that the world will never have these again.  Keep in mind how quickly people can travel around the world now.  In most cases people are contagious before they even know they have a serious illness or disease.  It is not panic to prepare for something that very likely will affect your life at some time.  Panic is what happens when those who are not prepared run out to get supplies when it is too late to prepare.  Use common sense and good judgment and build a kit a little at a time.  Most items in your kit can be used for multiple illnesses.   Prepare for illnesses and to be quarantined.  Prepare for if you can’t leave the house for several weeks.  Keep up on your vaccines.  If you think you are seriously ill or contagious, stay home!  This is another reason to have plenty of food in your home.  What would you do if there was a serious illness going around and you could not go shopping or people are told to quarantine themselves?  As we have seen from the patient in Texas, he and his family did not self-quarantine as instructed.  They exposed up to 100 other people.  I asked a Doctor we know to give his input on this and I included his recommendations.

Most of these items can be found very easily and can be used for other things besides a pandemic.  Most families have a very basic first aid kit, but if there ever was a large scale disaster in your area, that little kit alone would not be enough.

Pandemic kit (You could call it Emergency Medical Supplies etc)  I borrowed the basic idea from www.foodstoragemoms.com  They posted this idea on October 4, 2014.  I chose not to assemble mine exactly like theirs.  I chose to keep the medicines that will expire out in the open on a shelf so we can use and rotate them.  Anything that will not expire, I have put in the kit.  Some items such as foods and a can opener I also did not put inside.  I already have those, I can just grab them off the shelf.  Do what works for you.  Of course you can always add to this list.

1large sturdy container such as a plastic storage box.  Make a cool label for the ends. Maybe with a Red Cross

N95 face masks, to wear as a filter to stop the spread of infections and can be used when the air quality is very bad from smog, smoke, dust or chemicals.

Disposable rubber/vinyl gloves, you can never have too many. Latex are available everywhere, but some people are allergic to latex.  Please study and practice the proper way to REMOVE them.

Garbage bags, paper towels, toilet paper, small paper cups

4mil. clear plastic sheeting, a roll of at least 100 ft.  Can use to make an isolation room if necessary.

Chemical ice packs or reusable hot/cold packs

Ace bandages and small splints

Self-adhesive bandages for small wounds, butterfly band aids

Gauze pads and medical tape for larger wounds, tampons and pads will also work for heavy bleeding

Duck Tape (use to secure the cover-alls, for an isolation room etc), many other uses

Bleach, rubbing alcohol, anti-bacterial soap and hand sanitizer all for sanitation

Cough medicines, fever reducers, anti-diarrhea meds, Pepto Bismal, Tylenol, Ibuprophen

First Aid Book, thermometer, scalpel, small medical scissors about $2 pair etc

Several pairs of fabric, disposable, all purpose cover-alls  aka PPE suits

Several pairs of safety googles, for eye protection.  Can be used in non-medical situations also

Large package of dog pee pads (house breaking, training pads.)  Generic brands or ones made for the elderly, called Underpads, are usually less expensive.  These will protect bedding from heavy bleeding or diarrhea.

New cloth baby diapers.  These can be used for cleaning, for bandages, etc.  White can be bleached many times.

Resources for your medical supplies:  The standard pharmacy section of your big-box stores, Look at Big Lots, Dollar Tree (The Patriot Nurse has a Youtube Video on buying medical supplies at Dollar Tree), watch for sales and coupons.  I recently found a great deal on Flexible, self-adhesive bandages/wrap, called CoFlex bandages at the Farm Supply Store!  In the veterinary supply section they had hundreds of rolls in various colors for $2 and under per roll. Emergency supply stores and Amazon also carry most of these items.

Social Distancing:  This is just a new way of saying “Stay away from sick people” and large groups of people.  This is a common sense approach to viruses. It means, when you are very ill, keep your distance from others to prevent the spread of illness.  Also, if there is an especially virulent illness going around, use common sense and stay away from large crowds.  One should also be sure to wash hands very frequently, cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing and use hand sanitizer.  Some people are also very good about washing hands immediately after returning home from any shopping trip.  A quarantine is where you either voluntarily or involuntarily stay at home, or in a hospital, away from everyone but your care giver.  You do not leave your home until everyone is healthy again.  This can take up to several weeks.  If you are quarantined you cannot leave to go to any events, meetings or even grocery shopping. 

Additional Resource for Pandemic Kits:  In August of 2012 I watched an episode of Doomsday Preppers on NatGeo tv.  They featured a woman from Alpine, Utah who’s main focus in Preparedness is Pandemics.  If you feel you want to check out more on this, her information is Donna Nash, Alpine, Utah and she has a website called www.arkready.com   you can use her website to get information or even order a kit from her.

Do you have earthquake insurance?  Do not wait to get it until your area has had some small earthquakes.  You will not be able to get it then. Insurance companies will not allow people to add earthquake insurance for a while after your area has had some good size quakes.  Check with your home-owners insurance company for this information.   Take inventory and photos of your belongings.  Keep this information away from your home.  Keep at work, or with your out- of-area emergency contact.

The Building Blocks of Food Storage

Some families can afford to buy many freeze dried entrees in #10 cans or even large kits that cost at least $1,000.  Most families cannot afford to build their food storage this way.  And I personally feel that buying the ready-made meals that only require rehydration is very limiting.  If all I had stored was freeze dried lasagna or chicken a la king, that is all I will be eating.   I prefer to think of my food storage items as building blocks or Lego pieces.

I have fruits (yellow blocks), vegetables (green blocks), meats (red blocks), grains (blue blocks) and lots of little extras like seasonings, oil, and things for baking (black blocks).  By having all of these little simple blocks I can actually take ALL of these foods (blocks) and make an infinite number of different meals from them.  Picture a child using all of his Legos to build a house, car or airplane as shown above.  The only thing that limits him is his imagination.  The little mixed up bag of Legos did not cost very much but this child can make about anything he wants till he runs out of blocks.   If I were to buy a Harry Potter Lego set, all I could make would be Harry Potter themed things.  And they cost a lot more than the bag of mixed up basic Lego pieces.  I equate these to the ready-made freeze dried meals.

If you can afford it, freeze dried components such as single fruits or veggies or ground beef would be great.  Most of us would only be able to buy a can or two at a time.  Once again, do what works for your family in your budget.

Here are some additional common sense tips for building up and using your food storage.  Make it a way of life.

Food Storage Tips for All

·       Buy the things you eat, and eat what you buy.

·       If you have not started your food storage, start now.  Make it a  way of life.

·        Always put the purchase date on anything that will expire.

·        Put new items in the back or under older items.  Use oldest items first.

·       Start with the basics first:  flour, sugar, rice, pasta, beans, wheat and milk etc.

·       Learn how to use those foods, get recipes, and keep learning.

·       Store a minimum of 2 weeks’ worth of water for each person.

·       After you have the basics, expand your storage with variety.

·       Store things such as oil, vinegar, baking soda, baking powder etc so you can bake from scratch.  Include spices for flavor.

·       Store your foods in a variety of containers such as plastic, glass and cans.

·       Shop smart and don’t go into debt.

·       Learn new skills such as canning, dehydrating and gardening.

How do I start my food storage?

I am often asked how one should start to do food storage.  Here are some simple no-nonsense ways to get started.

How do I start to build my food storage?

1.     Buy the things you eat, and eat what you buy.

2.    Buy a little extra when it is on sale and use coupons.  Stock up a little at a time, all the time.

3.    Take advantage of case lot sales and stock up.

4.    Grow some of your own foods and put away.

5.    Freeze, can or dehydrate what you can’t eat right away.

6.    Go to the church’s Home Storage Center several times a year and do some dry pack canning.

7.    Store bulk dry goods in buckets.

8.     If you find a new item, buy a small amount and try it out before buying a large amount of it.

9.    Whatever you do…start now if you haven’t already and keep going!