Sharing...

In this section, I am asking that those of you who would like too, please share your testimony of food storage and being prepared. 

A time of Reflection...

During the last couple of weeks, we have seen the forces of nature as the high winds passed through our communities.  Shingles were blown away.  Trees uprooted.  Siding ripped off houses.  Power lost.  As a community and ward we came together and helped one another in the aftermath of the winds.  During the month of December, I have reflected on how being prepared has given me the peace that is needed when hard experiences and conditions happen.  It is not that we were unable to go to the store and buy food or even that we went with water; it is that because we are prepared in that matter there is one less thing to stress over. 

If you have bought and stored the items that have been suggested over the last year, you have about nine months of basic food storage items and water.  Over the next few months we will concentrate on the last items needed for a years supply.  If you have not been able to store the items, it is never to late to start.  I know that Heavenly Father will bless you for starting your food storage.  He will bless your efforts in that cause.

In the items to be bought I have listed all the items over the last 8 posts that were suggested to buy and store.  What a great gift you can give your family...starting your years supply of food storage. 

New Additions

We have up to this point made a significant effort to concentrate this blog entirely to food storage.  Through the coming weeks and months new post with emphasize on the other areas of self reliance will be added.  Please watch for the up coming post and comment if you have any insight at all. 

October Family Home Evening

Priorities!!  What are the priorities of each of your family members.  This month talk about what is important to each member of your family.  Make a list of items that are specific to your family based on this discussion and plan to add them to your storage.  Maybe someone has allergies, or diabetes, or a specific diet that needs to be followed.  Maybe you have a baby in the family.  What items would you need to add to customize your storage. 

Take time to discuss family heirlooms, journals and other items important to your family.  If you had 10 minutes to evacuate your home what important items would you take. 

September Family Home Evening

Discuss the possibility of having a disaster such as a fire or earthquake or flood that could effect your home.  What are the precautions you would take for each such situation?  Teach your family the basics, such as standing under a door frame during an earthquake, or to crawl along the flood in a fire.  Identify escape routes and determine a place to meet outside of the home.  Practice, Practice, Practice.  Learn how to turn the utilities off...

Add a pipe wrench and crescent wrench to your storage items this month...

August Activites

Pretend a diaster has just happened in your area.  The police have come to evacuate the neighborhood.  You have 5 minutes to gather what you need to leave your home.  You have been informed that the roads are closed and you must walk to safety.  You will probably be able to return home in 2 to 3 days.  Set a timer and gather what you need.  Remember to bring only the most important items and a way to carry them.

Discuss what it would take to put together a 72 hour kit.  It does not need to be expensive.  Most of the items can be found in your own home.  It is important to store all of the items in one place, not throughout the house.  If there is an emergency it must be easy to grab and take with you.

Other Items

Here are some ideas of other items you should try to store along with your food...

Winter clothes and blankets and items for cleaning!!

May and June Home storage Lesson

During your discussion the next couple of months in Family Home Evening focus on emergency situations.  What would happen if you were to become separated during emergency.  Reality is that one or both parents work away from home and often some distance from home.  Your children go to school and often at different schools.  Have you thought where you might meet?  Home? Somewhere in the neighborhood, city or state?  Do your children have a place to go until you are able to get to them?  Make your plan and individualize it to your family.

Activity:  place duplicate copies of the following items in a fire resistance container:

• prescriptions
• birth certificates, wills, titles, deeds. loans, patriarchal blessing, social security Numbers, tax returns....
• insurance policies and numbers
• vehicle ownership information.

Another topic to discussion in the next few weeks is what are your families water and fuel needs?  What fuels are safe to store and how much should you have.  You can find a lot of information in the food storage manual found at the LDS Distribution Center, the library, google and other resources.

It is suggested that you have at least one gallon of water for every person in your family for at least 10-14 days.  Find out how much water is in your home already.  Check the gallons in your water heater, toilet tanks, and other storage.  Remember that liquid household bleach can purify water. 

Food Storage Recipes

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

3 1/2 cups Swanson® Beef Broth (Regular, 50% Less Sodium or Certified Organic)

1 can (14 .5 ounces) diced tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed

1 1/2 cups uncooked mafalda or corkscrew-shaped pasta

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Cook the beef, onion, garlic and parsley in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, or until it's well browned, stirring often to break up the meat. Pour off any fat.
• Stir the broth, tomatoes and Italian seasoning in the saucepan and heat to a boil.
• Stir the pasta in the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Stir in the cheese. Serve with additional cheese, if desired.

April Family Home Evening

Read “To the Boys and To the Men”, Ensign, Nov. 1998 and also One For the Money which can be found at the distribution center.  Discuss as a family how to avoid debt.  Talk about the difference between what we want and what we need.  Discuss ways the world shows us we need gratification now.  Think of commercials and other pressures that affect our decisions when we spend or save money.  Set a goal as a family to be debt free by a year from now.  Define specific objectives on how you will achieve this goal.  Let the entire family be part of the plan.  Determine a reward which will motivate you to your goal.  Be realistic.  Remember the words of President Hinckley at the end of the October Conference, “May the Lord bless you to set your house in order”.  Watch for the blessings.  They will come if you are working towards the goal. 

Where do you get bulk food storage?

I spent some time in January looking for places to purchase bulk food.  Macy's in Clearfield and Wal-mart in Layton both offer food storage items.  I found that Wal-Mart was a little bit cheaper.  I am also looking into the dry-pack canning in Kaysville. If anyone has anymore suggestions please share...

February Family Home Evening

During the month study the stories of Noah, Moses, Lehi and Ether with your family. Look at the lessons that can be learned from the earlier dispensations...history repeats itself.

In each of these dispensations

• Each one had a the voice of warning.
• Each one had a time of preparation.
• Each one was sustained through a period of calamity.
• Each one reached the promised land.

We have been given a voice of warning...store a year supply of food, have a savings, do not get into debt.
We are to prepare now.
We will be sustained through the hard times in our lives.
We will each be blessed for obedience.

Ask your family the following questions:

• Is there a lesson to be learned for our day?
• What knowledge can be gained from each of the four stages above?
• How do we incorporate this knowledge into our lives?

Food Storage Recipes

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
1/2 c. shortening
2/3 c. peanut butter
1 1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
2 T. dried whole egg
1/4 c. water
3 T. reconstituted dry milk
1 1/4 t. vanilla
1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 t. baking soda
2/3 c. quick cooking oatmeal
Combine first 7 ingredients just until combined.  (shortening will be in small lumps).  Stir together flour and soda; blend into shortening mixture.  Add oatmeal and blend.  Spread into lightly greased 9x13, bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes.  Cool, and cut into squares.


Ham 'N Bean Soup (without a ham hock)
5 1/4 c. soaked and cooked any dry beans OR
    3 (15 oz) cans any beans drained
6 c. water
2 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 c. dried onions
1 T. ham bouillon
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. salt (none for canned beans)
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. chili powder
1 (5 oz) can chunk ham, broken up
Combine all ingredients except ham in a pot.  Cover and simmer 30 minutes.  Stir ham into soup.  Bring to a boil. Serves 6