Neighborhood Christmas Food Drive in Lieu of Neighbor Gifts

This year our neighborhood is trying something different...and fun. Love it!!!

Dear Friends and Neighbors

At Christmas time we like to give
to friends and neighbors dear,
but maybe we could think of those
less fortunate this year.

Instead of giving neighbor gifts
we'll fill the Food Bank's shelves. ...
Let's warm the hearts of those in need
like Santa's little elves.

As friends we'll join together
and bring food in cans galore,
non-perishables are very best
because of how they store.

Monday Night, December ____
will be the time we meet,
from 6 - 7:30
it's cocoa, donuts & heat.

__________________'s
is where we're going to be.
Dress up warm, we'll be outside
and bring the family.

But if you cannot make it -
no big deal, you see,
we'll still be glad to take your food
to the Food Bank charity!

Just drop it off on __________'s porch
or _____________'s will do,
up to a week beyond the date -
Merry Christmas to YOU!!!

One Year Anniversary

I've learned a lot about preparedness and food storage during this past year and hope you have, too. Here are some good reminders from last year's post:

1. BEGIN WHERE YOU ARE:
Think about what you are already doing and what you have already in store.
Make an inventory of what you have.
Make a list of what you need.

2. SET GOALS:
Decide what you want to work on (ie. three-month supply, drinking water, financial reserve, longer-term supply, 72 hour kit, etc.)
Set reasonable goals (ie. weekly plan, monthly plan)

3. DO SOMETHING:
We can't do everything all at once, but we can do something.
Begin today!

Best wishes in your quest to prepare and enjoy the peace that preparedness brings!

Twice Blessed - Donating Food Storage

Do you have cans or cases of food nearing expiration? Don't let it go to waste - donate it to a local food bank. Not only will you have had the peace of mind knowing that you had food available on your shelf, but you will also bless others who are now in need.

This would also be a good time to re-evaluate your family's likes and dislikes as you replenish your storage. I over-estimated how much chili my family would eat the last time I purchased an entire case. As the expiration date draws near, I'm making plans to make a donation to my local food bank before it expires. No guilt, no waste - twice blessed.

For information about Utah Food Bank Services, go here.

Principles of Self-Reliance

While going for a walk the other day, I listened to a talk given by Silvia H. Allred entitled, "Principles of Self-Reliance" on my mp3 player. Today I decided to look it up on the internet and found a pdf of her talk. If you'd like to read it in its entirety, click here.

She has personally experienced an unexpected family tragedy as a child, the financial collapse of Argentina in 1989, and "the devastating effects of earthquakes in El Salvador and Chile." She said, "These events have taught me to follow the counsel of our leaders about living the principles of self-reliance."

"There are many other types of adversities we might encounter in the normal course of our lives, such as loss of a job, accidents, divorce, health problems, death, etc. Those who prepare are blessed in the present and will be blessed if adversity comes.

"Family preparedness is a well-established welfare principle, and women are instrumental in family preparedness. We prepare for difficult times. We prepare for the day of scarcity. We put away for emergencies. We save for a rainy day."

Some other highlights from her talk:

Personal and Family Finances -

"The two overriding principles of sound financial management are: first, live within your means, and second: save for a rainy day.

"What does it mean to live within your means, and how do you do it? It simply means to ensure that your expenses are less than your income." ...

"The second principle is to save for a rainy day. Keep in mind that small sums saved regularly, over time, compound into large sums of money. Financial advisors agree that saving at least 10 percent of your income will provide flexibility and security in your future." ...

Home Storage -

"We have been advised to acquire and store a reserve of basic food and water that will sustain our lives during difficult times or in emergencies. By following this counsel, we will help protect ourselves if adversity comes. Through careful planning and faithful efforts, we can gradually store a supply of food according to our circumstances."

"Begin modestly by purchasing a few extra items of food that are part of your normal family diet. You can do it when you do your normal grocery shopping. Take advantage of items that are on sale. Here are just a few other ideas:

• Complete a three-day supply of basic food items and then build your storage to a one-week supply.
• Gradually increase it until you have a one-month supply, two month supply, three-month supply.
• Consider items that will keep and store well, such as wheat, beans, rice and canned goods.
• Concentrate on essentials.
• Create a rotating system to avoid spoilage.
• Water should be stored in leak-proof containers and should be kept away from heat sources.
• Prepare a 72-hour emergency kit for each family member and keep them within easy reach.
• Be prudent. Don’t go to extreme measures to store food. Be obedient and faithful, and God will sustain you through trials."

Physical Health -

"The state of our health affects every facet of our lives: our feeling of well-being, our attitudes, our social interactions and our service to others.

"Habits that contribute to our physical health are:

• Eating nutritious meals.
• Exercising regularly.
• Getting adequate sleep.
• Practicing hygiene and sanitation.
• Avoiding substance abuse."

She concludes with:

"To be self-reliant in all these, we should:

• Assess current circumstances.
• Set realistic goals.
• Identify available resources.
• Make specific plans to reach goals, and follow such plans.

"I know that sound personal and family financial management, home storage, and physical health will be a great blessing to our families. Being self-reliant increases our ability to serve others, to assist the needy, and to give support and understanding to the emotionally-starved. Through righteous living, gospel study, and loving family relationships, we can achieve self–reliance and family preparedness, which will help us solve many of life’s problems." ...

I appreciate her words of wisdom. Thank you Sister Allred!

(Source: Silvia H. Allred, "Principles of Self-Reliance," May 1, 2008)

Free Produce - Everybody Wins!

Sara at The Pantry Panel shares some great ideas on how to preserve fruit that would otherwise go to waste.

"Many yards, especially in older neighborhoods, have fruit trees with fruit that go to waste because it is never picked. Many of us would like to preserve fruit, but either don't have fruit trees, or our fruit trees are too young to bear fruit. Is there a way to make a connection between unwanted fruit and people who want to preserve it? ...

• Keep your eyes open. Look for fruit trees around town, especially trees that have started to drop ripe fruit. This is a sign that the tree's owner may not be using the fruit.
• Be prepared. Look trustworthy and well groomed; these people may be trusting you to be in their yard. Bring ladders, gloves, and boxes or buckets.
• Knock and ask in such a way that they do not feel pressured to say yes. Never steal!
• Leave the yard cleaner than you found it. It's nice to put overripe fruit into a pile so it's easier for them to clean up after the overripe fruit."

Read the complete post here.

(Source: Sara, The Pantry Panel, "Finding Fruit with April", October 9, 2008)

Join the "FOOD STORAGE TELL-A-THON"

Liesa Card, author of "I Dare You to Eat It", has another great idea:

"So here’s the challenge. Beyond chatting about provident living tips and recipes, I invite you, and every single one of you, to please help someone else get started on designing and building their food storage. Just look around. Think about your family, friends, and neighbors. Pray for inspiration and then start offering to assist others in their steps towards preparedness.

And here are the rules:

1. Everything counts. You could take someone to the cannery and just be an extra set of hands. Teach others how to cook with food storage. Or, simply help them purchase their food storage online. Create opportunities and pay it forward.

2. Share your story. Long or short, and everything in between, I hope you’ll TELL your story of action taken and contribute to an endless variety of good ideas. If you think this tell-a-thon idea has merit, please teeeeeeell others and invite them to join us.

3. Don’t get discouraged. I get turned down all the time. If you are sincere about helping, and stay focused, I bet you’ll find success.

Now we have to have a poster child, or two. Meet Luke and Candee.

We’ve only gotten to know each other during the last few months but when we invited them to eat dinner at our house, Candee told us that she wanted to get going on her food storage. (!) We casually offered to help…and desperately hoped that they would give us the chance.

A few weeks went by and then Candee mentioned it to me again. (This almost never happens.) I repeated my original offer and encouraged her to choose the date and time. About a week later, the four of us met at the cannery right after work and knocked out sixteen cases of food storage, 6 for them and 10 for us, in just over one hour. And we had fun! I was so happy for this young couple as they loaded their small car and drove home with 25% of their long-term storage done. I don’t think they have tons of extra money, and I know they don’t have any extra space, but they made it happen. That’s very cool.

A couple of things I learned, again, from this experience with Luke and Candee: Having your own food storage brings peace. That’s wonderful. Helping others with their food storage brings JOY, and that’s even better. I hope you’ll give it a try!

Liesa, out"

(Source: http://www.idareyoutoeatit.com/2009/07/food-storage-tell-a-thon)

Food Storage for Diabetics

A few days ago I received an email from a reader looking for information on storing food for diabetics. Here are a few sites that may be of help:

Recipe Source: Diabetic Recipes - http://recipesource.com/special-diets/diabetic/
Diabetic Diet Ideas - http://www.food-storage-info.com/diabeticdietideas.html
Emergency Preparedness: Diabetes Management During a Crisis - http://aces.nmsu.edu/terrorism/CRpresentations/epdiabetes.pdf

Some suggestions for planning food storage for diabetics:

1. Take a look at diabetic recipes (ones you now use, check online, or diabetic cookbooks from the library).
2. Find ones that sound good to you and have "storage" potential (ones that use ingredients that may be stored.)
3. Give the recipe a try -- see if you like it.
4. Save the recipes you like by printing them on recipe cards or on paper and keep them in a binder. (In an emergency where there is a loss of power, you may not be able to retrieve recipes from your computer.)
5. For each recipe, make a list of necessary ingredients.
6. Itemize ingredients as to whether they may be stored short-term (3-months or less) or long-term (1-year or more).
7. Purchase necessary ingredients. (Don't go into debt to do this. Gradually build your food storage by purchasing an extra can or two each time you shop -- or a little more -- as you can prudently afford. Watch for sales.)
8. Store your supplies. (See "Family Home Storage Pamphlet")
8. Rotate. (Use it up.)
9. Replenish. (Restock your shelves.)
10. Repeat steps one through nine.
11. Adapt your recipe collection as circumstances and tastes change.

Some recipe suggestions:

Almond Granola Bars
Baked Oatmeal
Refried Beans
Rice Pudding
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes
Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

Food Storage...on the Path to Preparedness

Debbie Kent has prepared a 14-page handout entitled "Food Storage...on the Path to Preparedness" that I came across the other day on www.utahpreppers.com. She's organized some great information in an easy-to-read format with lots of pictures. Here are some of the topics she addresses:

• Why Should You be Prepared?
• Warnings and Where they can be Found
• The NEW Food Storage Plan
• 90 Days the Easy Way -- Think SOS
• WATER
• Filling 55-Gallon Barrels
• Rotating
• Water Ideas and Rotating Systems
• Financial Reserve
• Long Term Food Storage/One Person/One Year (in addition to your 90 day supply)
• Why Store These?
• I Have a Year Supply...That's All I Need
• What Will This Provide Per Day?
• MENU Using Basic Year Supply
• Survival Mode
• Menu Planning
• Using Your Year Supply
• Storing Your Food Storage
• Inventorying
• How Can I Afford Food Storage?
• How Do I Find all the Food I Need?
• What Are You Going to do With This Info.?
• 6 Steps to Success
• Going the Extra Mile
• Why Do We Prepare
• The Path to Preparedness
• Will You Be Ready?
• Top 10 Reasons Why I Don't Have My Food Storage
• A Year's Supply for $58.81?
• OTHER BASICS and "Fun Stuff"
• Menu Suggestions
  

(Source: http://www.utahpreppers.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/fson_the_path_to_preparedness-handout.pdf)

Real Life -- Living It

Because we can learn so much from each other, Monday's posts will be "Real Life -- Living It" featuring a guest post.

This week's guest post is from an Ensign magazine article entitled "One Can at a Time" by Mary L. Wilson. She shares how she overcame her fears of "being trampled by the enormity of the food-storage elephant."

"It would take an elephant to feed my family for a year, I thought as I tried to make a plan for our food storage. And how could I afford it or store it all? Just then an old saying about elephants popped into my mind: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” The question for me was, “How do you store an elephant?” The answer was—one can at a time!

The Church has provided many areas with a wonderful resource: the dry pack cannery. If there is one nearby, we can sign up to pack various products at reasonable prices. Dry packing in number 10 cans is a convenient and safe way to store the basic foods needed for long-term storage. Our “elephant” could fit nicely in our storage room. The next question was, how could we afford it? Our family came up with the following ideas for financing our food storage:

1. Save all the change that comes home. It is amazing how much money five people can contribute in just a week. With only $1 per week per person, we could dry pack one can of potato pearls, or three cans of flour, or one can of delicious apple slices.

2. Use the money from our tax return for quantity purchases. A case of six cans of basic items of milk, flour, sugar, and wheat was affordable and helped us be much more prepared. When we added pasta and beans, we felt that in an emergency we could actually create family meals for a month.

3. Buy one extra item when at the store. Oils, salt, and spices are necessary for a complete storage plan. The cost of one item was seldom noticed in our grocery bill, but our storage room benefited greatly.

An article in the Ensign about debt reduction states, “Your most important savings is food storage” (Jack M. Lyon, “ ‘How Many Loaves Have Ye?’ ” Ensign, Dec. 1989, 41). We have tried to balance this with monetary savings. Each time we purchase an item on sale for food storage, we try to save the extra amount we would normally have spent and add it to our food storage fund.

Our food storage is growing day by day, can by can, case by case. We are better prepared and no longer afraid of being trampled by the enormity of the food-storage elephant." —Mary L. Wilson

(Source: Mary L. Wilson, “One Can at a Time,” Ensign, Aug. 2001, 68)

THANK YOU Liesa Card!!!

If you were unable to attend last night's Enrichment night, you missed out on a wonderful evening. Guest speaker Liesa Card, author of "I Dare You to Eat It", shared her wisdom and wit with those able to attend. What a talented woman!

THANK YOU to these cute ladies - Melanie, Britney, Julie, and Darlene, and Janet - for beginning the evening with "The Family Preparedness Song."

And a big THANK YOU for all the time and amazing efforts of dear Donna and Janice and their committee for all the planning and preparation to make the evening so enjoyable! THANK YOU to those who brought food and to all who attended! I feel each of us came away better informed and inspired to do something(s) about building and using our food storage.

I've been motivated to plan 30-days of meals my family will eat using basic food storage and store the printed recipes in plastic sheets in a binder. That's not all, but it's what I'm going to begin with.

I highly recommend her book "I Dare You to Eat It"! In it she shares a simplified approach to the whole food storage concept and makes it more manageable for everyone. Along with her helpful ideas are quotes from wise leaders, personal stories, delicious recipes, and her heartfelt testimony.

THANK YOU for sharing your time, wisdom, and testimony Liesa!!!

Tonight's the Night...Please Join Us

ENRICHMENT NIGHT

Come share an evening
with our guest speaker
Liesa Card
(Author of the book "I Dare You to Eat It")
as she presents a manageable method
for food storage that can be used
during a time of need
but that can also help to
SIMPLIFY EVERYDAY LIFE.
Instead of buying, storing, and then tossing it,
you can create a storage of food that
makes your life easier
by integrating it into regular meals.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009
6:30 pm
Murray, Utah

Bring your family, friends, and neighbors.
Light refreshments served.

Got Food Storage?

GET SOME...

• WHAT?
• WHO?
• WHEN?
• WHERE?
• WHY?
• HOW?

Family Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness

I came across some helpful information entitled "Family Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness" by Debi D. Koontz. Thought it was worth sharing! The following is her introduction.

"I have a strong belief in the importance of family preparedness. In my home we live on our food storage whenever life throws us an unexpected difficulty. We do not think of our storage as only being there in case of some drastic emergency like an earthquake or civic unrest. Using your food storage in your daily life is the only way to be successful in having a complete and efficient supply on hand for whatever you and your family may be called upon to bear.

I would be the first to admit that I am, by no means, an expert in this area, but I do have an interest, which has prompted me to research this topic, and I can share ideas and experiences that I have had. I hope this information will be of some use to someone somewhere, and that perhaps it may help families prepare in time.

This booklet is in two parts. The first part are some notes, ideas and hints on all aspects of starting, organizing and using your food storage. It is beyond the scope of this work to be complete in all areas on this topic, but is simply a starting place with basic information.

The second part is a detailed list of most of the items that should be considered for your storage. I did not simply list each item, but described reasons, uses, advantages or disadvantages about each item. Many item descriptions include information on how best to store them. Please read through the list and the descriptions and decide which are most important to you and your family. If you are just beginning, it may be wise to prioritize what items you intend to store. The list is divided into three sections: Food; Health & Grooming; and Household & Emergency supplies. Many medical and emergency uses are given for various food items, however, if it’s food then it will be listed in the food section, regardless of it’s other uses (medical, emergency, etc.) Each part of the list is listed in alphabetical order. This booklet covers everything from mild to extreme circumstances.

When you read through the list you may be tempted to think, Oh, I want so much! I’ll never do it! Well, take heart. Don’t let fear or doubt overwhelm you. Any storage is better than no storage and even the best storage had to start with a single item. Just begin and then build it as you can. You can do it!

Should anyone reading this wish to contact me please feel free to contact me via e-mail at debidawn@earthlink.net . I would love to hear from you. If you wish to pass the information in this booklet along, that’s fine, but please keep it complete and intact, with my name attached (for copyright and possible future publication purposes). I appreciate this. So, now, read on and enjoy. I sincerely hope this is of use to you and your loved ones.

(Source: "Family Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness", by Debi D. Koontz)

Basic Insurance Plan

I Dare You To Eat It is a fun website where Liesa Card says "Using your food storage doesn't have to be scary." I've enjoyed reading what she has to say.

On one of the posts entitled "Basic Insurance Plan" she writes, "I want to be an optimist and I want to be smart. With so much uncertainty in our world today, it just makes sense to have some insurance coverage that provides food." She shares what she learned on the "Provident Living" website where you can purchase a "quick and easy year supply."

Here's the link to the online LDS catalog for Home Storage where five different kits are available for purchase.

Preparing College Students

For those of you who are college students or if you have loved ones away at college, you may be interested in checking out these sites:

The Pantry Panel has a blog post entitled "Food Storage for College Students" at:
http://mormonfoodstorage.blogspot.com/2008/10/food-storage-for-college-students.html

Prepared LDS Family has a post entitled "College Food Storage" at:
http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com/2008/10/college-food-storage.html
where she has prepared a "College Food Storage" spreadsheet at:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=po2cukCUXR8pCt8hpUclUTQ

The Idea Door has a "College Student Emergency Kit" list at:
http://www.theideadoor.com/Preparedness/COLLEGE%20STUDENT%20EMERGENCY%20KIT.pdf

Meridian Magazine has an article "Keeping Our Kids Safe While Away at College," written by Carolyn Nicolaysen:
http://www.meridianmagazine.com/emergency/080806college.html

Six Reasons to Keep Food Storage

If you needed another reason to store food, there's an article entitled "Six Reasons to Keep Food Storage" by Afton Nelson that you may enjoy reading. She gives the following reasons and goes into greater detail about each one:

1. A Well-Stocked Pantry
2. Take Advantage of Sales
3. Take Advantage of Short-Term Supplies
4. Prepare for Financial Hardship
5. Prepare for Natural Disaster
6. Alleviate Fear and Concern

(Source: "Six Reasons to Keep Food Storage," by Afton Nelson, Associated Content)

Bounce Back From Anything

This morning, while waiting for a doctor's appointment, I picked up a "Woman's Day" magazine, (February 1, 2009 issue.) I read an article in the "Live Well" section entitled "Bounce Back From Anything" that had this to say:

"REGAIN CONTROL
'Anxiety is what we feel when we believe two things: that something bad is about to happen and that we don't have the ability to cope with it,' says Dr. Reivich. To calm those pit-of-the-stomach feelings, focus on the things within your control. 'When you take purposeful action (even if it's cleaning out your closet!), it lowers your anxiety level and puts you in a place mentally where you can take on bigger hurdles,' she says." (Woman's Day Magazine, February 1, 2009, "Bounce Back From Anything", pg. 22.)

I thought how this applies to preparedness. Preparedness brings peace. When we FOCUS on building our food storage and managing our finances (purposeful action), it does help lower our anxiety levels and "puts you in a place mentally where you can take on bigger hurdles." THINK about it -- then DO something -- TODAY. :)

Expanding Your Pantry

"To Enhance Basic Storage
yeast, baking powder, baking soda, bouillon, cornstarch, cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, tomato sauce, onion flakes or powder, dried egg mix, powdered margarine or butter, canned soups, dried vegetables, soy sauce, garlic powder, salad dressings, spaghetti sauce, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salsa, vinegar, ketchup, jams, gravy mixes, syrups, vanilla, pasta, pickles, cocoa/carob, vanilla and maple flavoring, canned meats, butter-flavored shortening, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, Parmesan cheese.

Commonly Used Spices
cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, oregano, sage, cloves, bay leaves, chili powder, ginger, curry, cumin, poultry seasoning, parsley, celery salt, ethnic seasonings (Italian, etc.).

Varieties of Grains
wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley, triticale, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, rice, spelt, amaranth, etc.

Varieties of Legumes
lentils, split peas, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, other beans: pinto, black, navy, garbanzo, red, lima, soy, etc.

Nutritious Seeds
sunflower, flax, poppy, sesame, pumpkin, sprouting seeds: alfalfa, mung bean, radish, peas, lentils, etc."

(Source: "Food Storage Recipes - Using only the ingredients contained in the One-Month Basic Food Storage Kit", pg. 35)

Important Concepts to Remember

Found an article entitled "Seven Major Mistakes in Food Storage" by Vicki Tate at LDS Living Magazine. The article covers "seven important concepts to remember while planning your food storage program." There is also a "Getting Started" segment. Below that is some helpful information regarding "Water Storage" authored by Scott Pedersen, Vicki Tate, and Barry Crockett.

Speaking of water storage...many thanks to my wonderful husband for finding a home for our two 55 gallon water barrels purchased a few weeks ago! He made room by the water heater in our home and built a platform to keep them off the floor. My sweet daughter helped me wash and rinse them out. (That is a task I'm grateful to have completed -- although it was kind of fun to roll them back and forth on the floor while we were rinsing them out.) My husband filled them with fresh water after they were positioned in their final resting place. It feels great to have that project completed!

You've Gotta Check This Out

"Let Us Prepare" has posted 9 You Tube videos of "Wendy DeWitt's Food Storage Seminar" (THANK YOU Andrea!) Click here to check it out. You'll be glad you did!

"Everything Under the Sun" is Wendy DeWitt's Food Storage blog and is where she shares "just the way she does her food storage" (THANK YOU Wendy!) You may view (and print) the booklet she refers to in the You Tube video mentioned above.