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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

#2 Presentation at MV Ward- Old Way and New Way

Part 2- Presentation given by Amy at the Morrisville Ward, North Carolina, combined RS/Priesthood, Aug. 29, 2010. I will post the rest of the presentation in the next few days.


THE OLD WAY
I grew up in the church, and my mother bought SamAndy #10 cans of dehydrated food, and buckets of wheat, and hid them in all the closets in our house. I don’t remember her ever using any of those cans of food. She didn’t even own a wheat grinder.

I’m sure most of you think of food storage that looks like this (showed picture of lots of big buckets of grain), and you don’t know where to put it and you also don’t know how to eat it.

I can remember in the 1980’s, we were told it was crucial to store these 5 things: wheat, honey, powdered milk, salt, water. We were told these were the bare necessities, they would sustain life. They are the most compact foods, (Photo of one year supply will be on tomorrow's post) But if you have this amount of food, this is how much food you could eat each day (Photo of one loaf of bread and one bowl of beans will be on tomorrow's post). And appetite fatigue would set in very quickly. So we are going to look at some other food storage plans and see if they look more appetizing.

Quote: "Check the expiration date on your ideas about home storage. You may need to throw some of them out." “Family Home Storage: A New Message,” Ensign, Mar 2009, 56–60

The New Approach
...The Church published the pamphlet All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage, outlining new guidelines for home preparedness that gives Church members a simplified, four-step approach to building their home storage.

They are as follows:

1. Gradually build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet until it is sufficient for three months.

2. Store drinking water.

3. Establish a financial reserve by setting aside a little money each week, and gradually increase it to a reasonable amount.

4. Once families have achieved the first three objectives, they are counseled to expand their efforts, as circumstances allow, into a supply of long-term basic foods such as grains, legumes, and other staples.

Of the new guidelines, Presiding Bishop H. David Burton says, “Our objective was to establish a simple, inexpensive, and achievable program that would help people become self-reliant. We are confident that by introducing these few, simple steps we can, over time, have more success.”
“Family Home Storage: A New Message,” Ensign, Mar 2009, 56–60


Notice that it says ONCE YOU HAVE ACHIEVED the first three objectives, THEN you should get the long-term basics such as grains, etc. So be sure and do the first three things FIRST.

(Presentation to be continued in later posts.)

Monday, August 30, 2010

Hurricane Earl is out there- read this just in case

Carolyn Nicolayson has a good blog post on hurricane preparedness, so I thought I would add it here today.

http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fblog.totallyready.com%2F%3Ffeed%3Drss2

Also, my blog posts of Aug. 6-9 are about hurricane preparedness.

#1- Presentation at MV Ward- Starts here

Part 1- Presentation given by Amy at the Morrisville Ward, North Carolina, combined RS/Priesthood, Aug. 29, 2010. I will post the rest of the presentation in the next few days.


I’m so thankful for my new calling as RS Provident Living specialist. I feel very blessed for the way the Lord has led me and guided me over the past two years. Two years ago I started feeling very concerned about food storage. I started studying the subject and reading websites and blogs, getting mine up to date.

Coincidentally, at the same time I started writing a personal blog for my friends and family, where I put lots of random subjects, including a lot of emergency prep stuff.

When I got released from teaching seminary and called to be the Provident Living specialist, I immediately felt excited about starting a blog for the ward. I took all the blog posts on the subject of emergency preparedness that I had been doing for 2 years, and transferred them over to the new blog.

I was thinking about what to name the new blog, and decided to take the song from the Bojangle’s commercial (GottaWannaNeedaGetta Hava Bojangle’s) and changed it a little. So the name of this blog is
GottaWannaNeedaGettaPrepared.blogspot.com Thats on your handout.


I know you are all tech savvy, you probably all read websites and blogs every day. So I am using my blog to give you all the info I can, so I don’t have to give you handouts and papers all the time.

You’re getting a one-page handout today so you’ll have the highlights of what is in my presentation today, and to remind you of all the blogs and websites that I will be mentioning. (Note to people in my ward: I will pass those papers out again next Sunday. Otherwise, that handout will be in a later post.)

Disclaimer- I am quite a scavenger, most of my blog is made up of links to other people’s websites. I came up with very little of this on my own. Anything I am telling you here today, will have a link on my blog to where I got it from. And my blog is searchable.


HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS
I did a powerpoint presentation on Hurricane Preparedness for the RS
on Aug. 5, and Bishop B. wanted me to do a shortened version of that today before starting on food storage, but I’m just going to give you the link. I put the whole thing on my blog, Aug. 6-9, 2010.

I think by the end of that presentation, the one thing the women were most convinced of was the need to buy a $20 inverter, which plugs into the car’s power port, and then you can plug in electrical things like a tv or computer. So, read the blog posts, thats all the time I have for Hurricanes today.

I wanted to give you this announcement, we have a great RS class coming up.

Family Communication Plan: Have One Before Disaster Strikes!, 
Taught by Phyllis B.
In a disaster will you know how to contact your family?   Will they know where you are?   Will they know your plans?  Will your cell phone work?...

Relief Society evening meeting, Thursday Sept. 9, 2010, 7 pm.  in the Morrisville building RS room.  Guests, and members of the Green Level ward are also invited.



Description:
Your immediate family might not be together when disaster strikes, or may become separated by the event. Your concerned loved ones outside the affected area will want to know of your safety and whereabouts. This class will discuss emergency communication options, including the Red Cross Safe and Well Website, that should be part of every family’s emergency preparedness plan. 


(Presentation to be continued in later posts)

Friday, August 27, 2010

Cost of Solar Oven

Here is a video of how to set up a brand new solar oven
http://preparedplanet.com/Sun-Oven.html


I have posted some links to homemade solar ovens before, but now I have found some solar ovens to buy.

The Global Sun Oven package is $341, and that includes all the pots, pans, cookie sheets, thermometer, etc. Tempting, but that is a lot of money.

http://www.fivestarpreparedness.com/?section=Cooking#Cooking


Here is another Global Sun Oven without any pots and pans, just the oven. $224. This website also gives a quantity discount if you buy three or more. Anyone want to go in with me?

http://shop.solardirect.com/product_info.php?products_id=65&OVRAW=Solar%20Ovens&OVKEY=solar%20oven&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=39884325022&OVKWID=194145116022&OVCAMPGID=76265022&OVADGRPID=8819095910&OVNDID=ND2

Thursday, August 26, 2010

"Food Storage Pep Talk", by FoodStorageMadeEasy

Here is a link to the abbreviated version of a slide show made by Julie and Jodi of FoodStorageMadeEasy. It is their pep talk to people who have not started getting food storage yet. Is that you?

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2010/05/05/food-storage-pep-talk/

And, by the way, I am going to be giving a pep talk at church this Sunday, Aug. 29. I will be giving a powerpoint presentation at the combined Priesthood/Relief Society meeting the third hour, on Food Storage.


ONE MORE THING:
Who wants to do the 7-Day Challenge with me?


On FoodStorageMadeEasy, they are holding a 7 Day Challenge. You must sign up for it. Then on an undisclosed day in September, they will announce that it is beginning. For 7 days you will have different scenarios that you must deal with, and you can't go to the store or spend any money. I am very excited to do this, and wish some people in my ward would do it with me. Click on this link to read all about it:
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2010/08/25/7-day-challenge/

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Using a FoodSaver by Wendy Dewitt, Wheat Grinder Sale

Okay, after I buy the large pressure canner, and the solar oven, now I have to buy a FoodSaver. This is amazing!

Video #8- FoodSaver
http://www.danielsparkward.com/fsv8.aspx

(Wendy Dewitt has a blog, and on her Nov. 12, 2008 blog post she gives basically her whole presentation.
http://everythingunderthesunblog.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html .)

Wheat Grinders
And I just got an email from Food Storage Made Easy telling me that their sale on both the WonderMill Electric Mill and the Wonder Junior Deluxe hand mill is ending August 31st. I personally don't use this brand, so you will have to decide if you think it is good. Their sale prices are as follows:

WonderMill Electric Mill: Regular Price $269.96, SALE PRICE $239.95
Wonder Junior Deluxe Hand Mill: Regular Price $219.95, SALE PRICE $199.95

They are also offering free shipping during this sale to make it even cheaper
for you. (Free shipping only applies to the lower 48 states). Click here to see their website:

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/products-we-recommend/grain-mills-wheat-grinders/

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Sept. 9 Communication Plan at Relief Society

You are invited:

Family Communication Plan: Have One Before Disaster Strikes!,
Taught by Phyllis B.
In a disaster will you know how to contact your family? Will they know where you are? Will they know your plans? Will your cell phone work?...

Morrisville Relief Society evening meeting, Thursday Sept. 9, 2010, 7 pm. in the Morrisville building RS room. Guests, and members of the Green Level ward are also invited.


Description:
Your immediate family might not be together when disaster strikes, or may become separated by the event. Your concerned loved ones outside the affected area will want to know of your safety and whereabouts. This class will discuss emergency communication options, including the RedCross Safe and Well Website, that should be part of every family’s emergency preparedness plan.


Bio: Phyllis B. is a member of the Cary I Ward and is currently an Institute teacher. She became a Red Cross volunteer with the Triangle Area Chapter in 2003. Phyllis is currently the Chapter’s Safe and Well Linking Activity Lead, which assists people in areas impacted by a disaster to contact and be reunified with their family members.

She is also a member of a night Disaster Action Team which provides support to families impacted by a house fire. In 2005 she worked in the Wake County shelter and service center for Katrina evacuees. She also deployed for a couple of weeks to the devastated areas of Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where she saw disaster devastation first hand.

(Sorry, I don't put last names on this blog. To find out her last name, see ward calendar.)

Monday, August 23, 2010

In Case of Disaster- New Era Oct. 1990

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=b3dc92be7beeb010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=024644f8f206c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Here is an excerpt from this New Era, Oct. 1990 article:

Had they known then what they know now, the young people of South Carolina and California would have made a few adjustments to prepare for survival.

1. Store water. Many times after a disaster the safety of the water supply is in doubt. Having water on hand can be critically important.

2. Don’t forget food in the freezer. Because the electricity was out and freezers defrosted, many families had more food (for the short term) than they could use. Neighbors got together to barbecue steaks that thawed. Many teenagers said they never ate better than during the disaster.

3. Store batteries for flashlights and radios. It seemed like everyone in the country knew more about what was happening with the disasters than the people involved in them did. A television or radio that ran on batteries was often the only source of news. Flashlights allowed those who had them to read or play games after the sun went down.

4. Have a family plan in case of emergency. Discuss where to meet and what to do in case you are not at home when disaster strikes.

5. Photos and journals can’t be replaced. Make sure they are in a place where they can be grabbed quickly. Even better, make duplicate prints of your favorite family photos and send them to relatives out of state.

6. Additional supplies. Other items good to have in an emergency could include regularly required medicine (such as insulin); a change of clothes (work clothes would be best); a camp stove and fuel; first aid kit; games; bedding or a sleeping bag.

7. Cash and gas may come in handy. With power out, banks were closed, automatic tellers didn’t work, and service stations could not pump fuel. Usually it only takes a couple of days for generators to be brought in to get these services functioning again, but in the meantime, those with money and gasoline have purchasing power and mobility.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Solar Oven Cooking by Wendy Dewitt

(The Walton Feed order is due by Sunday. I'll be attending a different ward's sacrament meeting but I will be at our Sunday School and Relief Society, give it to me in an envelope. Remember to look at your email to see who to make the check out to- it is Aimee S. but I won't put her last name here.)



My next purchase is going to be a solar oven. She has convinced me that I need one.

Video #7- Solar Oven Cooking
http://www.danielsparkward.com/fsv7.aspx

(Wendy Dewitt has a blog, and on her Nov. 12, 2008 blog post she gives basically her whole presentation.
http://everythingunderthesunblog.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html .)

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Chart for Using Powdered Milk, Powdered Eggs

If you don't want to drink powdered milk, or eat powdered eggs, what can you do with these products?

They are fabulous to use in baked goods. And you don't have to reconstitute them first to use them.

I just found a chart you can print out, which tells exactly how much of the dry ingredients to add with your dry ingredients, and then how much water to add with the wet ingredients. Print this out and post it inside your cabinet door, or on the outside of your powdered eggs or powdered milk cans.


http://allaboutfoodstorage.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Milk-and-Egg-conversion-charts.pdf

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Family Home Storage Center Price List

Disclaimer: I have never been to the Greensboro "cannery". Come to find out, its real name is the Family Home Storage Center. I need to find out a bunch more about it, but here is the price list. Please compare this price list with the Walton Feed price list before you order. (The Walton Feed order is due by Sunday Aug. 22 to me. )

http://providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/122384_Jan2010WE_HomeStoragePriceSheet_US_71140_000_pdf.pdf

Basics of Food Storage- BYU TV Living Essentials

(Remember, the Walton Feed order is due by this Sunday, Aug. 22.)


There is a program called "Living Essentials" on BYU-TV that has good episodes about food storage. The BYU-TV website says these are not scheduled to be rebroadcast anytime soon, but here is the transcript for "Basics of Food Storage". It is a very good description of what should be included in your food storage.

http://www.byutv.org/livingessentials/files/127Trans.pdf

Monday, August 16, 2010

Got Powdered Milk?


The Walton Feed Order is due to me by Sunday Aug. 22, and I am sure all of you are still wondering what to order.

I just read this great post on FoodStorageMadeEasy describing why we need to store powdered milk. And, since most of us hate to drink powdered milk, it was handy that the authors included the results of a powdered milk taste test, and gave the winners.

The best tasting instant powdered milk is:
Provident Pantry brand sold at Emergency Essentials.

and the best tasting Non-instant powdered milk is:
Rainy Day brand sold by Walton Feed.


So, you need to do your homework and decide if you need instant or non-instant. Read the blog post and find out more.


http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2010/04/26/lets-talk-about-powdered-milk/


And here is a great document all about the benefits and uses of powdered milk, produced by the Washington State Dairy Board.

https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/apps/Food/MiscFiles/Nonfat%20Powder%20Milk%20Recipes.pdf

P.S. I have used powdered milk every time it calls for milk in every baking recipe or every casserole I have made for years. I don't drink it, but it gets rotated. And I am glad I have it, just in case.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Pressure Canning Meat by Wendy Dewitt

This was one of the most interesting videos by Wendy Dewitt. She explains how easy, simple, and cost-effective it is to use a pressure cooker for canning meat. She is so persuasive that I really plan on buying a big pressure cooker soon. I really think I could do this!

She said that she bottled 150 pounds of chicken in 12 hours in one crazy marathon day. But she said you can easily do 50 pounds in one day.

She buys used pressure canners on ebay.

Video #6
http://www.danielsparkward.com/fsv6.aspx

(Wendy Dewitt has a blog, and on her Nov. 12, 2008 blog post she gives basically her whole presentation.
http://everythingunderthesunblog.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html .)

Saturday, August 14, 2010

When Disaster Strikes- Ensign Jan. 1982

When I find good talks about Emergency Preparedness in the Ensign I am going to share them here.

Marvin K. Gardner, “When Disaster Strikes: Latter-day Saints Talk about Preparedness,” Ensign, Jan 1982, 67

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=c07eaeca0ea6b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Paul and Jean Kreiner of Sylmar, California, were glad they had a year’s supply when the earthquake hit. While others were standing in line for two or three hours every day to buy food and necessities, “I didn’t go to a store for a month,” Jean says.

Their biggest problem was water shortage—all their water containers broke in the earthquake. (They’ve since discovered that cans and bottles packed in cardboard boxes with cardboard dividers suffer little damage if not stacked too high.) “I was really glad for all the plastic utensils and paper cups and plates we had on hand because most of our dishes were broken and we didn’t want to waste water washing the ones that were left.”

The Kreiners learned other storage tips from the earthquake: (1) Store supplies in various locations in the house so if one part is damaged you still have something left. (2) Have some food available that doesn’t have to be cooked, and a variety of other foods—dehydrated, frozen, and canned. (3) Keep on hand a supply of medicines your family uses regularly, and some consecrated oil. If you wear glasses, have a spare pair, well-packed to prevent breakage.


Here are some more good tips from the article:

But what if you have faithfully stored a year’s supply and it’s washed away in a flood or carried away by a tornado or burned up in a fire?

“I found that the mental security of having a year’s food and fuel supply was even more important than the physical security,” says Ruth V. Tingey of Lincoln, Massachusetts. “If our year’s supply had been destroyed, then, having been prepared and having helped others to have their supply of food, I would have felt free to ask for their support, and they would have given it without bitterness. When the Lord promises that if we are prepared we shall not fear (see D&C 38:30), I think he means regardless.”

LDS families feel that by following the counsel to be prepared they are witnessing to the Lord that they are obedient and that they have faith in his promises. And many, unable to use their own storage, still receive the benefits of a year’s supply—that of friends and family who come to their rescue.

The experience of the Teton flood impressed many Saints with the need to have something in addition to a year’s supply: a portable emergency supply that’s ready to be thrown into the car at a moment’s notice. It should contain enough water, clothing, equipment, and ready-to-eat food for the family to survive on for seventy-two hours. Cash and important documents should also be handy. (See lists in Essentials of Home Production and Storage, pp. 7, 11.)

The car should always be in good repair and the tank at least half-filled with gas. And it’s a good idea to have an evacuation plan already decided upon as a family so you’ll know where to meet if family members are away from home when asked to evacuate.

Friday, August 13, 2010

"Power Out Night"

Nickey H., a member of our ward, told me about “Power Out Night” at their house.

The kids love it, they ask “When is the next Power Out Night?.”

Nickey explained it this way:
“I try not to do anything ahead of time, that way it is a test for my husband and I as well as for the kids. I’ll just say okay, and turn off all the lights and the air conditioner. Then we all have to try to find the candles, and try to go until the next morning without electricity. We’ve probably done it five times at least. “

What has been their biggest failure?

“I want it to be like a real emergency, so I don’t test things ahead of time . One time I got everything out for dinner, my husband went outside to grill it and our propane tank was empty. I think we ended up having cold sandwiches and Danimals yogurt drink.”

What went well?

“We spent the whole night playing games by candle light. Then we all camped out in living room, it was summer, so downstairs was the coolest part of the house.”

When we did it in the winter, we had a fireplace, and roasted hot dogs in the fireplace.”



What have you learned that you can share with us?

“Once our flashlight exploded. The batteries had all gone bad inside it. We learned not to leave batteries inside the flashlights, now we tape a ziploc bag containing batteries to the outside of each flashlight.”

“We also learned to let the kids play outside until it is truly dark, because they need to get their wiggles out, and they won’t be able to run around inside the house later, its too dark. We had to teach them not to run in the dark house, you can’t see where you’re going.”

We had to review candle safety, because we had to leave a candle burning in the bathroom overnight. Now we wouldn’t use a candle, we would put a glowstick in there.”

“Also, I try to check the weather first, I make sure its not going to be an incredibly hot day so we don’t suffer too much with the air conditioner off.”

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Where to Store it all by Wendy Dewitt

Wendy Dewitt teaches about food storage, and how to rotate your food.


Video #5- Where to Store It All
http://www.danielsparkward.com/fsv5.aspx


(Wendy Dewitt has a blog, and on her Nov. 12, 2008 blog post she gives basically her whole presentation.
http://everythingunderthesunblog.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html .)

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Wendy Dewitt's Equivalency Page

In Video #4, Wendy Dewitt explains that when you have a recipe, and you multiply it for 52 weeks, you will have an amount such as 800 teaspoons of salt that you need to buy. You can go to the equivalency page, and find out that a 26 oz. container of salt contains 117 teaspoons. Or that there are 32 Tablespoons of baking powder in a pound.

Video #4- Short
http://www.danielsparkward.com/fsv4.aspx

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Recommendations, Price Comparisons

The Walton Feed order for our stake is due to me by August 22. (see blog post of 7-27-2010). You are probably wondering what to buy from that, or whether to buy anything at all.

I will give you my best advice, but please study all these price lists yourself to make your decisions.

There are three places from which I have purchased food storage and emergency supplies.

Emergency Essentials is a mail order catalog and website which has dehydrated food, water barrels, solar radios, emergency blankets, all sorts of things besides food. They have a monthly group special, for example for August they have a cheaper price for freeze-dried cheddar cheese, but at least 6 cans must be ordered to get that price. I have purchased many items and many different types of food from them over the years. I think their group specials are sometimes a very good deal. Group orders qualify for free shipping. When you do a personal order, they charge shipping.

(I would like to offer the group orders every month in our ward. If someone wants dehydrated chedder cheese, call me or email me, we'll see if we get 6 orders.)

I do not recommend buying Emergency Essentials' buckets and #10 cans (the big coffee-can size cans) of dehydrated and freeze-dried foods, because the church leaders seem to be getting away from that type of food storage. I think we are being steered toward buying smaller containers of items we actually eat, so most times we can get those types of food items at the grocery store or at Sam's.

Also, personally I am not buying buckets of wheat, rice, etc. any more, because they are so big. It is easier to find places to store the #10 cans. (However, notice that a 50 lb. bag of wheat from Walton Feed is only $18.40, that seems to be the very cheapest way to buy wheat. But then you'll have to can it or store it somehow, it will get bugs in it if you don't.)

I also don't recommend Emergency Essentials' 72-hour kits (I think you can make better ones yourself) or their "One Year of Food Storage for One Person" (it costs a whole lot and its nothing I would eat.) I also don't think you should buy a year's supply of MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat). Those are super expensive and very pre-prepared. I would rather cook my own stuff using basic ingredients.

Walton Feed: This is a grain company which specializes in large quantity shipments at a good price. They ship to many LDS stakes up and down the east coast, plus probably lots of other people too. In many things I checked yesterday, their prices for bulk food were all cheaper than Emergency Essentials (but of course I didn't check every item on the list.)

LDS Church Distribution Services: For some reason, the Church is the best place to buy wheat, pinto beans, rolled oats, and white rice right now. I don't know how they can sell it at these prices. In the Church's Family Resources catalog, 2010 edition, the prices for #10 cans of wheat, pinto beans, rolled oats, and white rice were all much cheaper than Emergency Essentials, and all a little cheaper than what you can order from Walton Feed. And shipping is FREE.

Here are the price comparisons for those four items (I used the prices from the 2010 Family Resources catalog that came with my Ensign a few months ago, the website might have updated their prices.) :

#10 can of Hard Red Wheat:
LDS: $4.37 a can (must buy case of 6)
Walton $4.20 a can
Emergency Essentials $7.50 a can

(Note: Yes, Walton is cheaper. BUT IF you're only ordering cans of wheat, the LDS Distribution will ship it to your house with free shipping. The Walton Feed order also has free shipping, but you have to meet the truck on the specified day and help unload the truck.)

#10 can of Rolled Oats
LDS: $3.41 a can (must buy case of 6)
Walton: $5.70 a can
Emergency Essentials: $5.49 a can

#10 can of Pinto Beans
LDS: $6.25 a can (must buy a case of 6)
Walton: $8.50 a can
Emergency Essentials: $10.95 a can

#10 can of White Rice
LDS: $5.33 a can (must buy a case of 6)
Walton: $7.60 a can
Emergency Essentials: $8.95 a can.

The LDS Distribution also sells starter cases for $29.75 which include 2 cans wheat, 2 cans rice, 1 can pinto beans, and 1 can rolled oats.

I will be ordering these 4 items for my family on my own through LDS Distribution, and you can too. Those are the only food items sold through LDS Distribution.

You may wonder if you should just go to the cannery and can these foods yourself. I would rather just buy them pre-canned. The LDS Distribution price is so excellent, just buy them. Here's how to order from the LDS Distribution Center: visit ldscatalog.com or call 1-800-537-5971.


(CORRECTION ADDED AUG. 17: I may have misspoken. Check out the "cannery" prices at the Family Home Storage Center http://providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/122384_Jan2010WE_HomeStoragePriceSheet_US_71140_000_pdf.pdf
The prices seem to be better than I expected.)



I will be ordering other things for my family from Walton Feed. I get my alfalfa sprouting seeds from Walton, and powdered whole eggs (#10 can for $18.10). Those are just 40 cents cheaper than at Emergency Essentials, but shipping is free with Walton so it is still worth it.

I also noticed that the 55 gallon water barrels are much cheaper through Walton Feed ($57.60 at Walton, $74.95 at Emergency Essentials), and the 15 gallon water barrels are cheaper at Walton too ($32.30 at Walton, $44.95 at Emergency Essentials.)



ALSO, DID YOU KNOW THERE IS A WHEAT SHORTAGE?

I read this on CNBC on Aug. 5, 2010-
"On Tuesday investors were attempting to gauge the future of food prices, after Russia said it would temporarily halt grain exports.

Russia's worst drought on record has devastated crops in parts of the country and sent international grain prices soaring as markets have speculated on restricted supply from one of the world's leading exporters.....

On the news wheat markets immediately jumped to nearly two year highs."


http://www.cnbc.com/id/38577000




Kellene Bishop did a whole article about the shortage of wheat in other nations besides Russia.
http://www.preparednesspro.com/blog/did-i-mention-that-a-wheat-shortage-is-imminent/

This is definitely something to think about. I'm buying some more wheat.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Hurricane: Communication, Evacuation



If a hurricane hits here, and we have no electricity, how are we going to be able to communicate with the outside world?

No electricity = no computer. (unless you have a generator or inverter.)

We won’t have our computers to see the internet.



And whats worse, we won’t have our computerized lists of friends, family, ward lists, hospitals, or any other information. Before the hurricane hits, you need to print off all your important phone numbers and address lists.

Email your friends and family with your tentative plans. If there is a chance you will be evacuating, email or call and tell your friends and family so they will know. You might not be able to tell them later.

Pay your bills online ahead of time.

No electricity=no cell phone.
Your cell phone’s battery will go dead eventually. You need to get all your phone numbers off of it, in case you can use someone else’s home phone with a cord.

Charge cell phone ahead of time or plug it into an inverter.
Be aware that if the cell phone towers are blown down in the storm, you won’t have any coverage even if it is charged.




Cord phones usually work when the power is out. If the cell phone towers are down, you will be happy if you have one of these dinosaurs, a home phone with a cord (not a cordless phone). These don’t need any electricity to work.




How can we get information when the power is out? There will be no electricity to power a TV or radio.
It is important to buy a radio that uses batteries or some other source of power. This one has a solar panel on the top and a crank on the back, and cost about $15.

Plug a TV into the car inverter.
If you have a small TV that is new enough to use digital signals, buy an antenna for it and plug it into the inverter in the car. We loved our little TV during Fran, I went out to the car and watched it many times during the day we had no power.

Become a HAM radio operator. If you really want to know what is going on, train to become a Ham operator and buy a short wave radio. We have many people in the stake who can help you with this.

If you have to evacuate: You won’t have a computer to print out Google maps, so be sure you have some good maps, or print them from the internet ahead of time. You might need alternate routes. Also, be aware that the roads may be completely jammed.

Have a full tank of gas and plenty of food.

If you go to a Red Cross shelter, they will provide you with the bare minimum. It is much better to bring all your own necessities of life.

After the hurricane passes, what things do you need to be aware of?




A great number of the deaths in hurricanes come from drowning. Do not drive on roads that are covered with water. Several inches can float a car and sweep you away.

Signs may be blown down. After Hurricane Hugo, my friend drove from here to Florida, and she said there wasn’t a single road sign left in South Carolina. You’ll need to know how to get where you are going.

Boredom will set in. You might be without power for days. Its good to have some entertainment for the kids, they will be bonkers without the TV and computer.

Final comments:
Please know that when disaster strikes, you will be thankful for ANYTHING that you did to prepare. Even basic preparations can relieve suffering and save lives.

The Lord has lovingly commanded us to “prepare every needful thing” (see D&C 109:8) so that, should adversity come, we can care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops as they care for others.

"We encourage members world-wide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings.
"We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings.

—The First Presidency, All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage, Feb. 2007, 1


By following the prophet and apostles, and preparing for adversity, we will be blessed and we can bless others.
It is time to prepare.

(End of Relief Society presentation on Hurricane Preparation for Morrisville Ward, Aug. 5, 2010)

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Possibility We Won't Have Water After a Hurricane

When planning for a hurricane, we have to plan for the worst-case scenario, so what will you do if there is no water coming out of your faucet, or if the water is contaminated?

If you have a well, the water is pumped up with an electric pump. So no electricity = no water.

If you have a septic tank, and it is uphill from your house, the sewage is pumped uphill with an electric pump, so you wouldn’t be able to flush at all. For you, no electricity = no flushing.

For those of us on city water, if the water treatment plant gets flooded, the water will be contaminated.

During Fran, my house and my friend’s houses had water, but the city of Zebulon did not.



You need to store water.

Buy water or store it in clean containers. You can buy water or wash out sodapop or juice bottles and fill them with tap water.

Our city water is chlorinated, so provident living.org says you don’t have to add bleach or anything to it.

"If water comes directly from a good, pretreated source, then no additional purification is needed; otherwise, pretreat water before use. Store water in sturdy, leak-proof, breakage-resistant containers. Consider using plastic bottles commonly used for juices and soft drinks."


Be sure to store at least 1 gallon per person per day for cooking and drinking, plus 1 gallon per person per day for washing. That equals 2 gallons per person per day.

For Wayne and I and Tara and Zac for 9 days, that is 72 gal. (4 people x 2 gallons per day x 9 days = 72 gallons.)

(Our general authorities have suggested that we should have 2 weeks of water stored, I just used 9 days as the amount we might need after a hurricane.)

Where to store water?
Where can I store 72 gallons of water? I just store it all over my house. There’s a little space behind my sofa where the drapes hang. I can store 50 bottles behind there, which equals 25 gallons.



And all around the edge of my master bedroom closet, I have put bottles under the clothing. I can store 38 bottles in there, that is 19 gallons. That is 44 gallons just in those two places. Plus I have them hidden in a lot more places too.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Cooking, Laundry, Lighting with No Power

If we are without power because of a hurricane, how are you going to survive?

Keep the fridge closed.
The fridge and freezer will stay cold longer if you don’t open it. Make sure you open it as few times as you can. Also, eat all the refrigerated and frozen food as fast as you can.




Store paper products.
You don’t want to be doing dishes or laundry without power or water, so store enough paper plates, paper towels to see you through.




Have a manual can opener.
Of course your electric can opener won’t work.

Store foods that are easy to prepare or ready to eat, that don’t need refrigeration, to last at least 3 days.

Store baby supplies. Make sure you have enough formula, diapers for your baby, also foods that your small children will eat.

Cook on a grill.
You need to get some way to cook your food. You can get some sort of grill or hibachi to cook outdoors.

Buy fuel and matches.
You could cook with charcoal. You will need lighter fluid and matches, or get MatchLight charcoal and it will light without lighter fluid. Our grill uses a big tank of propane, and our camping stoves use little cans of propane.

Laundry.
You can just wash things out by hand in the sink, or you can buy a regular toilet plunger and plunge your clothes in a bucket.



Hang clothes up to dry.
Buy some clothespins at the dollar store, and get some rope to hang your clothes out to dry.

Lighting without electricity.
You may be faced with 1-9 nights without light, so you need to figure out ways to create light for your family. How are you going to do that?

Candles. One candle will burn for about 35 hours, but it makes a very dim light, and is unsafe around little children.



Lamp and lamp oil. A lamp with lamp oil can be burned in the house, but again, the flame is dangerous around little children.


Flashlights are safe and bright, but the batteries will only power them for so long.
Be sure you have plenty of batteries.

Glowsticks from the Dollar Store.
Something that is very safe around kids are Glow sticks. The dollar store has some really cute shapes right now. Buy the yellow ones, they make a brighter light.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Before a Hurricane

I prepared this powerpoint presentation for my ward Relief Society meeting Aug. 5. For those of you who didn't attend, I will put the whole thing on my blog over the next few days.





Yes, Hurricanes can hit us here in the Raleigh area. As you can see, Hurricane Fran went right through Raleigh.

During Hurricane Fran in 1996, we had winds of up to 79 mph in Cary. We had a basement then, and we all slept down there. The winds were so bad I felt like the windows would all crash in on us. We heard trees cracking and falling all night. My friend Phyllis had 17 trees down in her yard.

During Fran, people in Cary had no electricity from 1 to 9 days. There were 4.5 million people without power in North Carolina and Virginia.

Right here in Cary, we had 9 inches of rain in one day. The ground floor of Crabtree Mall in Raleigh was completely flooded.

How can you prepare for a hurricane?




You’ll want a way to make some electricity. You can buy a little inverter for $20 that sticks into the cigarette lighter in your car, and you can plug in one item at a time. A more expensive inverter with more wattage or voltage (about $100) could power your microwave or freezer.



Or, you can buy a generator for $1000-$2000. This can run almost everything in your house at once.

Fill up freezer with ice.
When you know a hurricane is coming, fill a bunch of bottles with water and fill up all the empty spaces in your freezer. A fuller freezer stays frozen longer without power.


Be sure and fill up your car with gas. The gas stations might be without power, so you won’t be able to buy gas.

Get your bikes repaired, figure out other ways to travel besides by car.

Do all the laundry and run the dishwasher, and kiss your electricity goodbye, because you’ll be washing by hand for awhile.


Store money in small denominations. When the power is out, some stores will be open for business, but they will only take cash. You’ll be paying more for things if you can’t make the correct change.

Bring in outdoor items.
Don’t underestimate the power of high winds. Even with 79 mph winds, anything left outside becomes a flying projectile. Be sure to store everything in the garage or in the house. If you want to, you can take off your detachable screens, but you’ll want to put them back up so you can open the windows with no air conditioning.

There were thousands of houses with trees through the roof, and unfortunately a few people killed when trees fell on them inside their houses. Sleep downstairs near the center of the house. and don’t sleep near windows, the glass could break.




Park away from trees. If you have big trees in your yard, think of parking your car in a nearby parking lot instead of your driveway.
(continued tomorrow)

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Emergency Preparedness on a Budget

Here are the top ten tips for Emergency Preparedness, when you don't have buckets of money to spend. FoodStorageMadeEasy has printed these, courtesy of BeReadyUtah.gov

Be sure to go to this link

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2010/07/08/top-10-tips-for-emergency-preparedness-on-a-budget/

because they have lots of comments along with each tip--I'm only posting the 10 tips here.


1. Plan for specific disasters.
2. Create a personalized list.
3. Budget for preparedness items.
4. Save by shopping sales.
5. Store water in safe containers.
6. Request prep items as gifts.
7. Think ahead.
8. Review insurance policies.
9. Update contact records.
10. Trade a night out for prepping.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Wendy Dewitt's Food Storage System

Here is a link to the Daniels Park Ward website, where Wendy Dewitt teaches fabulous classes about food storage. I am linking to her videos #2 and #3.

She explains how she has her food storage down to a science, figured out specifically for what her own family eats. She has taken the ingredients for every recipe, and then figured out the amount to store for 52 weeks. For her, this system works. Of course, I haven't tried her system yet, mine is quite haphazard.

(Video #2 is only a few minutes long, really just an introduction to Video #3.)
http://www.danielsparkward.com/fsv2.aspx

(Video #3)
http://www.danielsparkward.com/fsv3.aspx

Wendy Dewitt has a blog, and on her Nov. 12, 2008 blog post she gives basically her whole presentation.
http://everythingunderthesunblog.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html .

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Seven Day Challenge from Food Storage Made Easy

There is a great website that I follow called Food Storage Made Easy. Last year I watched them go through a whole week of false emergencies, by email they would announce a scenario ("There has been a flood and everyone in your city has been told to evacuate their homes for part of the day. You are not sure whether your home, or its contents, will survive the flood.") Their fans tried to live out the scenario, and then reported in to the website and told about their experiences. It was fascinating!

So this year I am going to see if I can do it. I'm warning you, I'm probably going to only do it half-heartedly, if the scenario is way too difficult I'm opting out for that day.

Here is what Food Storage Made Easy says:

Starting on a surprise day … for 7 days, we have a new emergency to survive with only things we already had stored in our house. We use email to communicate each of the day’s challenges so make sure to sign up (on the website). This also indicates your commitment to participating in this year’s challenge! We will notify you by email when the challenge begins!


If you want to read last year's 7-day challenge, plus all of the responses, go to http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/7day/#.html You can read the 7-Day Challenge Findings Report or print it out (16 pages).

If you want to officially sign up, go to their website. But if you want to do it unofficially, all you have to do is check their website each day, because the challenge will be on there as well.

Who wants to participate with me? I would love for you to tell me what you learned so I can put it on this blog.