Prepare For Peace

Preparedness Checklist

2011-06-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

http://beprepared.com/article.asp_Q_ai_E_45_A_c2a_E_mt_A_name_E_72%20Hour%20Checklist

Preparedness Websites

2011-05-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

Click on link below for a page full of preparedness website links:

http://offgridsurvival.com/survivalwebsites/

Freeze Drying at Home

2011-05-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

New Preparedness Website

2011-05-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.wonthappenhere.com/

For the Spiritual Minded

2011-04-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

http://reachingourpotential.blogspot.com/

Prepare Every Needful Thing-- Video

2011-03-31T19:36:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yef_jcnqSD0&feature=player_embedded

2010-10-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

As found in Meridian Magazine...

Food storage includes more than just food

Author: Connor Boyack See all from this author
20 October 2010 9:00am

Food storage is about more than just food. For instance, it's not uncommon to find families who have several months (or years) of food stocked up but little to no water storage. Unless they have access to a water source they can collect and purify, these people would have an extremely difficult time preparing their food, cleaning their cooking supplies, keeping up their hygiene and hydrating themselves during a disaster.

Kenneth Moravec, a Community Emergency Response Team instructor from American Fork, Utah, emphasizes this point in his seminars. He says, "We need to seriously look and think through many different scenarios and how they might affect us. When teaching on any emergency preparedness subject, I normally ask people to think of preparing for an earthquake of the worst magnitude and prepare accordingly. This will usually cover most bases for any emergency."

Eating food you've stored usually requires first cooking it, which in turn requires cooking supplies and fuel. The extra supplies needed will largely depend on what you've decided to store. Of course, the best way to plan for using your food storage is to actually use it. Consider conducting a week-long experiment where the only food your family eats must come from your food storage. Along the way, make a list of the non-food items you use — water, propane, matches, napkins, plastic cutlery — so you can readily identify what you would need should you be living off of your food supply long term.

While food storage is an important aspect of preparing for emergencies, Crystal Godfrey of EveryDayFoodStorage.net notes that it's "also for times of unemployment, extreme price increases and for convenience." For these types of more common occurrences, Godfrey says it's important to "store things like toilet paper, deodorant, toothpaste, napkins, etc. You can only fold your paper towels into napkins for so long!"

Godfrey also suggests acquiring paper goods such as bowls, plates and cups, so doing the dishes is as easy as throwing away (or burning) the trash.

"In a natural disaster, or any scenario where there's a lack of water, you don't really want to be wasting your water to clean your dishes. Plus, there are some nights you just plain don't want to do dishes."

Whether for natural disasters or the rough and tumble of daily life, being prepared is more than buying and storing things. Jason Hall, founder of UtahPreppers.com, stresses the importance of a good plan, whether for food storage specifically or emergency preparedness in general.

"If you have your food storage, medical supplies, camping gear, tools and anything else organized ahead of time, you are ahead of most everybody else."

Why is this so important? Hall says, "If you have a plan of action on what food you'll eat, how to cook it, how long it will take, etc., you will be less stressed and more able to spend your time and energy focusing on other pressing concerns that will come up. Being organized allows you to be proactive and not reactive to the turmoil during an emergency."

When working on that plan, Moravec proposes five main topics for consideration: water, food, medical, sanitation and fuel. Each of these are interrelated under the umbrella of "food storage and should be broken down into specific items to acquire, practice with and store for that proverbial 'rainy day.'"

Most people are familiar enough with the food aspect of food storage, but what about water? Storing a large amount of water requires food-grade plastic containers, a thorough purification process and optimal storage conditions of cool temperatures and darkness. While it requires a good deal of homework, it can and should be done in order to have a well-rounded storage of food that can be cooked and eaten.

Food storage-related medicine is also important, whether it's for pain relief, indigestion or dental problems. For sanitation, it's a good idea to store dish and hand soap, toothbrushes and paste, toilet paper, paper towels, and if you're adventurous, your own portable toilet. Lastly, storing the right kind of fuel depends specifically on your cooking methods and supplies. Whatever your circumstances, you'll likely want to store either propane, wood, charcoal briquettes or any combination of the three.

Simply start with the basics, and remember food storage is not just about food. Even in the worst of disasters, you'll find yourself stressed out and starving if you're surrounded by canned goods and nothing else.

Preparedness Website

2010-09-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

Visit www.foodstoragemadeeasy.net for practical food storage tips and challenges.

They have a fun challenge in September that you may want to be a part of.

Gov't = caretaker, parent = babysitter

2010-06-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

The Senate is expected to take up the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The effort is a dangerous treaty for the family, according to pediatrician Rosemary Stein of Burlington, North Carolina, and a spokesperson for the Christian Medical Association (CMA).

"It takes away the parents' rights to rear their child and gives it to the government," she explains. "The government becomes the caretaker and the guardian, and the parent becomes the babysitter. Another way to define it would be 'the government takeover of our children.'"

If the contract is enforced, the government would have the right to intercede or supersede if officials believe the parents are doing something that is not in the best interest of the child. An example of this comes from Germany, where the government has passed laws that ban parents from homeschooling their children.

"I didn't know that it was this insidious, and at the same time, this overwhelming," Stein laments. "It goes over everything -- what you teach them, what you do with them [and] how they're reared."

The CMA spokesman predicts this will change society from the bottom up. For instance, a 16-year-old girl in Great Britain asked her parents to let her boyfriend move in and share her bedroom. When the parents said no, the teen filed suit and won.

It is not known when the U.S. Senate will try to ratify the treaty, so Dr. Stein says people need to start contacting their senators to voice their views.

Solar Oven Cooking

2010-03-05T13:13:00.000-08:00

Now is the time to pull out your Solar Oven and start cooking with it again.

Visit http://www.sunoven.com/ to learn more about Sun Ovens.

Two new preparedness websites

2010-02-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

www.blog.totallyready.com

www.iwillprepare.com

2010-01-25T10:41:00.001-08:00

2010-01-04T17:19:00.000-08:00

In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility. I welcome it.
— John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address Jan. 20, 1961

www.patriotsquestion911.com

I believe one of the purposes of our generation is to be willing to face the truth, give up our "white picket fence life" and stand and fight for what we believe in.

I welcome the opportunity.

History repeats itself

2009-12-17T09:05:00.000-08:00

When the invaders in ancient times declared war, they tried to starve the people of the other side to weaken and kill them. They poisoned their fields and food, they threw corpses in their wells to poison their water. They catapulted dead bodies with contagious diseases over their defensive walls to spread disease. They created lies about their leaders. They blockaded their trade.

That's pretty much the state of affairs right now. There are globalists who want most of us dead (extermination). That is a war. They want our collective immune systems weak and failing (profit, control, extermination), they want our food contaminated (profit, control, extermination), they want our bodies weakened with dangerous vaccines (profit, control, extermination), they want the very air we breathe and the ground we grow our food in contaminated by chemtrails (profit, control, extermination), they want us dumbed down, submissive, supine and suppliant (profit, control), they want us infertile (extermination). The last thing they want is for us to understand their game and combat it. But that is exactly what we are doing: spreading information and creating strategies to foil their plans.

Christmas Gift Idea: Stand for the Family

2009-12-01T11:14:00.000-08:00

Recommended reading: STAND FOR THE FAMILY by Sharon Slater (President of Family Watch International)

You can buy it here.

Here’s what you’ll find inside:

Riveting, firsthand experiences that give you an up close and personal view of the various hidden assaults on the family at the UN and at the national, state and local levels.
Documentation, research, and commentary exposing how key institutions are being manipulated to undermine the mother/father family.
Concrete steps that you can take to protect your own family and the institution of the family.

I loved the book so much I bought several for Christmas gifts.

Join the fight!

2009-10-14T01:00:00.002-07:00

Sign the petition, become informed, and encourage others to do the same.

www.parentalrights.org

THE NEW WORLD DISORDER
United Nations' threat: No more parental rights
Expert: Pact would ban spankings, homeschooling if children object

Posted: February 05, 2009
12:00 am Eastern

By Chelsea Schilling
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

A United Nations human rights treaty that could prohibit children from being spanked or homeschooled, ban youngsters from facing the death penalty and forbid parents from deciding their families' religion is on America's doorstep, a legal expert warns.

Michael Farris of Purcellville, Va., is president of ParentalRights.org, chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association and chancellor of Patrick Henry College. He told WND that under the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, or CRC, every decision a parent makes can be reviewed by the government to determine whether it is in the child's best interest.

"It's definitely on our doorstep," he said. "The left wants to make the Obama-Clinton era permanent. Treaties are a way to make it as permanent as stuff gets. It is very difficult to extract yourself from a treaty once you begin it. If they can put all of their left-wing socialist policies into treaty form, we're stuck with it even if they lose the next election."

The 1990s-era document was ratified quickly by 193 nations worldwide, but not the United States or Somalia. In Somalia, there was then no recognized government to do the formal recognition, and in the United States there's been opposition to its power. Countries that ratify the treaty are bound to it by international law.

Although signed by Madeleine Albright, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., on Feb. 16, 1995, the U.S. Senate never ratified the treaty, largely because of conservatives' efforts to point out it would create that list of rights which primarily would be enforced against parents.

The international treaty creates specific civil, economic, social, cultural and even economic rights for every child and states that "the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration." While the treaty states that parents or legal guardians "have primary responsibility for the upbringing and development

of the child," Farris said government will ultimately determine whether parents' decisions are in their children's best interest. The treaty is monitored by the CRC, which conceivably has enforcement powers.

According to the Parental Rights website, the substance of the CRC dictates the following:

Parents would no longer be able to administer reasonable spankings to their children.

A murderer aged 17 years, 11 months and 29 days at the time of his crime could no longer be sentenced to life in prison.

Children would have the ability to choose their own religion while parents would only have the authority to give their children advice about religion.

The best interest of the child principle would give the government the ability to override every decision made by every parent if a government worker disagreed with the parent's decision.

A child's "right to be heard" would allow him (or her) to seek governmental review of every parental decision with which the child disagreed.

According to existing interpretation, it would be illegal for a nation to spend more on national defense than it does on children's welfare.

Children would acquire a legally enforceable right to leisure.

Teaching children about Christianity in schools has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.

Allowing parents to opt their children out of sex education has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.

Children would have the right to reproductive health information and services, including abortions, without parental knowledge or consent.

(Story continues below)

"Where the child has a right fulfilled by the government, the responsibilities shift from parents to the government," Farris said. "The implications of all this shifting of responsibilities is that parents no longer have the traditional roles of either being responsible for their children or having the right to direct their children."

Michael Farris

The government would decide what is in the best interest of a children in every case, and the CRC would be considered superior to state laws, Farris said. Parents could be treated like criminals for making every-day decisions about their children's lives.

"If you think your child shouldn't go to the prom because their grades were low, the U.N. Convention gives that power to the government to review your decision and decide if it thinks that's what's best for your child," he said. "If you think that your children are too young to have a Facebook account, which interferes with the right of communication, the U.N. gets to determine whether or not your decision is in the best interest of the child."

He continued, "If you think your child should go to church three times a week, but the child wants to go to church once a week, the government gets to decide what it thinks is in the best interest of the children on the frequency of church attendance."

He said American social workers would be the ones responsible for implementation of the policies.

Farris said it could be easier for President Obama to push for ratification of the treaty than it was for the Clinton administration because "the political world has changed."

At a Walden University presidential debate last October, Obama indicated he may take action.

"It's embarrassing to find ourselves in the company of Somalia, a lawless land," Obama said. "I will review this and other treaties to ensure the United States resumes its global leadership in human rights."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been a strong supporter of the CRC, and she now has direct control over the treaty's submission to the Senate for ratification. The process requires a two-thirds vote.

Farris said Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., claimed in a private meeting just before Christmas that the treaty would be ratified within two years.

In November, a group of three dozen senior foreign policy figures urged Obama to strengthen U.S. relations with the U.N. Among other things, they asked the president to push for Senate approval of treaties that have been signed by the U.S. but not ratified.

Partnership for a Secure America Director Matthew Rojansky helped draft the statement. He said the treaty commands strong support and is likely to be acted on quickly, according to an Inter Press Service report.

While he said ratification is certain to come up, Farris said advocates of the treaty will face fierce opposition.

"I think it is going to be the battle of their lifetime," he said. "There's not enough political capital in Washington, D.C., to pass this treaty. We will defeat it."

Join the fight!

2009-10-14T01:00:00.001-07:00

www.parentalrights.org

"EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE."

2009-09-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.vegsource.com/articles/catano.htm

I love how this article points out our responsibility to live the longest, healthiest life possible so that we can fulfill the mission we were sent on earth to do.

So many people believe that we should "Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die". They say, "Life is too short to not enjoy every food available."

Parents have literally passed disease from one generation to another by the foods they have chosen to eat. It's time to stop disease in its tracks...now...with OUR generation so that our kids won't have to pay the price of our poor food choices.

This is an important topic that we will surely be held accountable for!

Read the article and then, if possible, read the book, "The Golden Seven Plus One" (Conquering disease with eight keys to health, beauty, and peace) by C. Samuel West.

We must be a healthy people if we are going to build up Zion!

An informative site on swine flu and vaccine

2009-08-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

http://www.theflucase.com/

Disregard if you don't agree; pass it along if you do.

Ever wonder how we'll live in health and peace during the millenium?

2009-08-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

I believe the answer lies in this book:

The Golden Seven Plus One (How to conquer disease with eight keys to health, beauty, and peace) by C. Samuel West.

Pick up a copy today and be prepared for a life-changing experience!

Not getting the swine flu vaccine? You're not the only one.

2009-08-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

Check out this site to see how people around the world are reacting to the news of a possible forced vaccination for swine flu:

www.theflucase.com

Dr. Stephen Fraser's letter to Senator Evan Bayh re: healthcare

2009-08-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

Want to know what the healthcare plan that is being pushed really contains in its 1000+ pages? Read this:

http://www.u4prez.com/Blogs/friday/Stephen-Fraser-Letter-to-Evan-Bayh.html

It's time to take the tea party movement directly to Washington D.C. Don't miss your chance to be a part of this historic day!

2009-08-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

http://www.912dc.org/

The Greatest Health Discovery

2009-07-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

Read this fantastic article by Keith MacFarlane regarding the greatest health discovery ever made.

http://www.healsa.co.za/greatesthealth.htm

Then check out the following sites:

www.speedhealing.com

www.zerodisease.com

Perhaps this is how we will live in a state of perfect health during the millenium!

Take a multivitamin? Then you'd better read this!

2009-07-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

No more vitamins and minerals available after December 31, 2009! Read this great article for more information:

http://www.naturalnews.com/024128_CODEX_food_health.html

First Presidency Message...from 1988

2009-05-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

This is good stuff!

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=acf3d7630a27b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

It's Time to Raise the Title of Liberty.....Again!!

2009-05-02T20:43:00.001-07:00

http://www.latterdaybanners.com/shop/

Power Outages

2009-04-17T13:17:00.001-07:00

Prepare for More Frequent Power Outages
By Carolyn Nicolaysen

On April 8th 2009 the Wall Street Journal reported that the electrical grid in the United States is compromised:

"Cyberspies have penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system, according to current and former national-security officials. The spies came from China , Russia and other countries, these officials said, and were believed to be on a mission to navigate the U.S. electrical system and its controls.

"The intruders haven't sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure, but officials warned they could try during a crisis or war. Specialists at the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit, a nonprofit research institute, said attack programs search for openings in a network, much as a thief tests locks on doors. Once inside, these programs and their human controllers can acquire the same access and powers as a systems administrator."

Just one day later, April 9th 2009, the San Jose Mercury News reported on the sabotage of phone lines.

"Police are investigating four severed fiber optic cables in San Jose that left tens of thousands of area residents without phone service this morning and prompted the mobilization of Santa Clara County emergency communication systems. Santa Clara County officials have declared a local emergency after they said someone intentionally cut an underground fiber optic cable in south San Jose, causing a widespread phone service outage in southern Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties today that included disruption to 911 emergency phone service.

"John Britton, a spokesman for AT&T, said it appears somebody opened a manhole in South San Jose, climbed down eight to 10 feet and cut four or five fiber-optic cables. Britton also said there was a report of underground cables being cut in San Carlos . The outage initially affected some cell phones, Internet access and about 52,200 household land lines in Morgan Hill , Gilroy and Santa Cruz County , according to the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Services. The cell phone networks affected are Verizon, Nextel, Sprint and some AT&T.

"'We've never to this extent in recent history had this kind of phone outage,' said Gilroy police Sgt. Jim Gillio. ATMs in South Santa Clara County were not working. Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy cancelled all elective surgeries in response to the emergency, according to county officials."

This outage began at 2:00am and 911 service was finally restored at 5:00pm. After considering these reports, we must acknowledge the possibility that power and communication infrastructure in the United States is precarious. I am sure we are not alone in the world with this vulnerability.

How can we prepare to be without power for an extended period of time?

Are we prepared to cook without power? Gas stoves will continue working during an electrical outage, but their electronic ignition will not. You will need to light your stove with a match. You will need a supply of matches for this purpose. You will also need a plan in place to educate family members in the proper use of the stove. Children should be taught that only an adult is allowed to turn on and light the stove. They should be taught to recognize the smell of natural gas and propane. If a burner is not turned completely off or if someone turns on the stove top and then walks away before the gas ignites an explosion or poisoning could occur.

It will be important to have a camp stove, grill, fire pit or solar oven available for use. Never burn charcoal, gasoline, or propane-powered equipment inside your home. This equipment should only be used outdoors. Use of such equipment indoors may cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 500 Americans die each year from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning. You cannot see, smell or taste this gas. Because of this, death can occur before anyone is aware there is a problem.

Carbon monoxide is created any time oil, natural gas, propane, kerosene, wood or charcoal is burned. Non-electric appliances such as furnaces, hot water heaters, stoves, space heaters, fireplaces, wood stoves and a car idling also create carbon monoxide. When a house is tightly "closed up" this gas can build up and become deadly.

Many natural gas or propane appliances will work even when the power is out. Most water heaters operate with a pilot light so they function even when the electricity doesn't. Most furnaces however, won't operate during a power outage because every forced air heating system requires electricity to run blowers. Gas appliances with electronic ignitions will not work without electricity to ignite the natural gas. Most other appliances will not work, either.

This means your emergency plan needs to consider the the functions of these appliances, and how to accomplish the same tasks without electric power. Clothes dryers can easily be replaced by hanging clothes on a line outside to dry. Yes, a “no-brainer”, but how many young people in their 20's have ever dried their laundry this way? Store soap, a rope clothesline, and clothespins for this purpose.

To wash clothing you can make a simple "washer" by purchasing a five gallon bucket with a lid. Cut a hole in the center of the lid large enough to accommodate the handle of a new plunger. Place water and a small amount of liquid laundry detergent in the bucket. Add a few pieces of clothing, place the plunger in the bucket, replace the lid and secure it. Plunge away to agitate your wash. Clothes may be rinsed in the same manner.

Heaters can be replaced using a wood burning fireplace, layering clothing, or wrapping up in a blanket or sleeping bag. Be sure to have firewood and kindling stored, and blankets, comforters and sleeping bags kept clean and easily accessible. Never use your stove top or oven for heating. Unattended, carbon monoxide can build up, fires can occur and children can burn themselves.

Water can be heated for washing dishes or bathing by using a stock pot or roasting pan full of water on a camp stove or grill (outdoors).

Did you know that many utility companies maintain a list of critical customers? These are people who have medical or other life threatening conditions and cannot be without power. If you are in this situation, or have a loved one who is, check with your electric provider to see if they keep this type of list. Even if they do, you should have a plan to care for this individual in your home or there should be a plan to evacuate them when an outage takes place. Check with your public safety agencies (fire, police, and ambulance) to find out their procedure for such situations.

Portable generators provide a good source of emergency power, but if installed or operated incorrectly they can become deadly.

Do not connect generators directly to household wiring. Power from a generator can back feed along wiring and electrocute anyone coming in contact with the circuit. A qualified, licensed electrician should install your generator.
Make sure your generator is properly grounded.
Keep the generator dry.
Plug appliances directly into the generator.
Make sure extension cords used with generators are rated for the load, and are free of cuts, and worn insulation. Plugs should be grounded.
Be careful not to overload the generator.
Do not operate a generator in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces. Generators can produce high levels of carbon monoxide, very quickly, and can become deadly.
Use a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) to help prevent electrocution and electrical shock injuries. Portable GFCIs installation is easy and units are available for less than $30.00.

To avoid shock and electrocution:

Never operate a generator in rainy or wet conditions
Never touch a generator with wet hands
Never use electrical appliances that have gotten wet
Never connect generators to exposed cables or electrical wires in your home
Never get near or touch downed or sagging power lines outside
Never engage in an extremely dangerous practice known as “backfeeding”. Backfeeding involves connecting a generator to your home's wiring by plugging the generator into a wall outlet without using an appropriate power transfer switch.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that more than 220 people died from generator-related carbon monoxide poisonings between 2000 and 2005. Many people don't realize these generators are not made to be used inside the house or an attached garage. Now you know.

Avoid food poisoning

Power outages will mean your refrigerator and freezer could become harbingers of serious illness. When food is not kept cold or is not fully cooked soon after the power fails it can become very dangerous.

More than 250 diseases can be caused by bacteria found in contaminated raw or undercooked foods, such as meat, milk, eggs, fish, or shellfish. Keeping foods cold and cooking them before they reach room temperature will help prevent food borne illness. (See Meridian article: Storing Food Safely)

Freezers should always be kept full, as this will preserve foods longer when the power fails and will help your unit run more efficiently - and saving you money at other times.

When an outage occurs, doors to refrigerators and freezers should be kept closed as much as possible. Post a note on the door to remind everyone not to open the door. When it is time to cook or eat, make a list of items needed and open the door, retrieve them and close the door quickly.

Freezers that are part of a refrigerator-freezer combination will keep food frozen for up to a day. A free-standing chest or upright freezer will keep food frozen solid for two days if it is fully loaded and kept closed. A half-full freezer will keep food frozen for a day. If food is still cold to the touch, it is safe to cook and eat.

Some refrigerated items can be kept safely at room temperature for several days. They include: jam and jelly, butter, margarine, ketchup, mustard, pickles, relish, olives, and fresh uncut fruits and vegetables.

During power failures, water purification systems may be compromised. Be sure to keep informed and do not use tap water if it looks or smells odd. You should have safe water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene stored for just such an occasion. Set some of this water next to every sink in the house to remind family members not to instinctively wash their hands or brush their teeth with tap water. (See Meridian article: Water Storage - What if the Tap Goes Dry)

For more tips, review the Meridian article: When the Power Fails in Winter. It will give you more insight into keeping your family safe should your power be interrupted or cut off for an extended time. Now is the time to make preparations and educate ourselves so we can calmly and confidently care for our family when the power fails.

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Ready Classroom

2009-04-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

Emergency preparedness for teachers, students, and families.

http://readyclassroom.discoveryeducation.com/#/map

The Chosen Generation

2009-04-11T15:13:00.001-07:00

It is not difficult to understand why the great God of heaven has reserved these special spirits for the final work of the kingdom prior to his millennial reign.... This generation will face trials and troubles that will exceed those of their pioneer forebears. Our generation has had periods of some respite from the foe. The future generation will have little or none....This is a chosen generation.... I believe today's [Church youth] will lead the youth of the world through the most trying time in history.

Vaughn J. Featherstone, "A Champion of Youth," Ensign, November 1987, p. 28

Join America for a tea party on April 15th!

2009-03-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

http://www.teapartyday.com/

"A Government that is large enough to supply everything you need is large enough to take everything you have."

Thomas Jefferson

These colors don't run!

2009-03-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

Elder Robert S. Wood of the Seventy: “For too many, responsibility seems to end with hand-wringing and exclamations of dismay. Yet talk without action accomplishes little. We need to be vigorously engaged in the world. If our schools are inadequate or destructive of moral values, we must work with fellow members of the community to bring about change. If our neighborhoods are unsafe or unhealthy, we must join with the civic-minded to devise solutions. If our cities and towns are polluted, not only with noxious gases but soul-destroying addictions and smut, we must labor to find legitimate ways to eliminate such filth. … We have the responsibility to be a blessing to others, to our nation, to the world” (“On the Responsible Self,” Ensign, Mar. 2002, 30–31).

This is worth looking into! It's lifechanging!

2009-03-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

What is EFT? Click here.

Preparedness Website

2009-03-19T16:54:00.000-07:00

There is a wealth of preparedness information HERE. Check it out!

Wendy DeWitt - Food Storage Video

2009-03-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

Click HERE to view Wendy DeWitt's Food Storage Seminar. It's a must see!

Top 10 Reasons Why I Don't Have My Food Storage.

10. My neighbors have a TWO year supply! No, they don't. They don't have any food. Did you know that 85% of the members of the church don't have any food storage at all? If your idea of food storage is to eat someone else’s food………..this is a really bad plan.

9. I've paid tithing for 20 years...the church can give me a little food. Many members believe that when the times get hard, the church is going to come through like Joseph in Egypt. Absolutely not true. All the church storehouses and welfare farms across the country would only feed 4% of the members of the church. The church has been asking YOU to store food for 75 years. They're NOT storing food for you. Thus, another bad plan.

8. I'm moving in with my children / parents! Really....that’s just a bad plan all by itself. But it points out that most members don't have a year's supply because they're PLANNING on eating someone else's food! Of course, since no one HAS any food, we have yet another bad plan.

7. I have a year's supply...and the bullets to go with it! I've heard time and again, "How dumb is that to go to all the time and expense of getting food...just to have some guy with a gun come and shoot my family to take it away?" Here's a better question. Are you afraid of the guy with the gun? Or are you more afraid of BECOMING the guy with the gun? What would you do if your children were starving to death? Would you lie? Cheat? Steal? Would you shoot your neighbor for his food? I guarantee....if you were watching your child starving to death, you would do anything you had to to keep them alive. If you don't have your year's supply, you are putting yourself in danger of losing not only your temporal salvation, but your spiritual salvation as well.

So far, all the reasons we don't have our food storage involve eating someone else's food. Please, don't put your family's temporal salvation in other people's hands. No one is storing food for you. Not your neighbors, not the government...not even the church.

#6. The boat and the 4 wheelers are taking up all my storage space! (priorities!)

#5. 3 letters....Y2K. Ok, that's 2 letters and a number....but they're always making way too much out of everything! This is never going to happen!” (Every prophecy that has ever been given WILL happen.)

#4. If anything DOES happen, the government will be here within hours! (insert laughter) Did you know the government has been telling us that we need to have food storage? They're actually CALLING it food storage! We now have the government telling us to store food, water, medicines...whatever we will need to be able to stay in our homes for several months.

#3. I can't afford scrap booking AND food storage. The average food storage can cost as little as a dollar a day. We live in the richest society in the history of the world, and while there are cases where money may be a problem, most of the time it is a matter of priorities. We have chosen bigger homes, nicer cars, more tv's, computers, vacations ...everything is more important than our food storage. If I asked, "Who has a cell phone?" most of you would say yes. You pay at least $30 a month to have a cell phone....that's about a dollar a day...the cost of one year's supply of food for your child. Is your cell phone really more important than your child's temporal salvation? You have to make food storage a priority.

2. I'm waiting for the cannery to sell Papa John's dehydrated pizza! Food storage has always had a stigma attached to it. If it's not wheat, beans and powdered milk, it's not food storage. With the system I use, food storage can be sweet and sour chicken, tamale pie, chile and cornbread, beef stew, shepherd's pie, minestrone...even chocolate chip cookies! Your imagination (and your pocketbook) are the only limitations you have.

And the #1 reason why I don't have my year's supply of food? A year?? I thought it was 72 hours!!

You KNOW you should have your food storage. You WANT to have it, but it can be so overwhelming! How much do I buy? Where do I store it? How do I cook it? It seems like an impossible task.... but it's not.

EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN
Putting the Foods You Love Into Food Storage
by Wendy DeWitt
everythingunderthesunblog.blogspot.com

What’s for dinner? An age old question. But in times of crisis, that question becomes even more significant. Experience has shown that when disasters hit, having a supply of food and water can be life saving. But it doesn’t take a natural disaster to need food storage. Personal economic disasters happen every day and the choice to pay the mortgage or buy food becomes a reality. It is essential for every family to have food storage in order to survive whatever crisis may be ahead.

There are many questions and concerns about food storage. What should you buy? What will it cost? Where do you store it? How do you cook it? What about rotation? The following information answers all of these questions and more. It will give you the knowledge you need to put the foods you love into your food storage.

THE SYSTEM
This system is based on a worst case scenario, meaning there would be no running water or electricity. This scenario also assumes that families will be on their own and will not be banding together at churches or schools. There are many circumstances that would require isolation from other people, not banding together. Don’t put your family at risk by assuming that you will be eating someone else’s food.

Organization: How much food do you need? This system answers that question down to the last teaspoon of salt. Take 14 note cards and write down 7 breakfasts and 7 dinners that you would like to have once a week for one year. There are 52 weeks in the year, so you will be having these meals 52 times. Write on the left side of the card everything it takes to make the meal and on the right side everything multiplied by 52. Don’t forget to add the water you will need for cooking. My food storage has 14 dinners (x 26 weeks) 7 breakfasts (x 52 weeks) a daily loaf of bread (x 365 days) and a variety of desserts. This is a very simple system that saves time and money because you only store what you need and will eat. It can easily be adapted from a years’ supply to a 2 weeks’ supply or a 3 months’ supply. The individuality of this system is also helpful for people with food allergies.

Organize all of the information from your cards into a notebook. Make a chart or table that alphabetically lists all the foods from your recipe cards. My table has 5 columns. The first column lists the food item. The next lists all the meals that food item is in. The third column lists how many cups, cans or jars are needed. The fourth lists how much of that item I have and the fifth, how much I need to buy.

The equivalency section at the end of the book gives you the information you will need to create your table. The equivalency page is an alphabetical listing of common foods and how their amounts translate into pounds, quarts, containers or #10 cans.

Cost: The cost of using this system depends upon your menus. It can cost about one dollar per day per person if you shop wisely and bottle your own meats. This would include 2 cups of breakfast, 2 cups of dinner and a loaf of bread every day.

Storage: One person’s year supply will usually fit under a twin size bed. Remember that heat and moisture can destroy your food so keep it inside your home.

Rotation: Food storage rotation is a once a year event with this system. Your food storage notebook shows how much food is stored, where it is stored and when it was purchased. Once a year, check your notebook to see if anything is expiring that year. (Because long shelf life is important, the shortest shelf life in my food storage is 3 years.) For vacuum sealed foods, visually check each jar to be sure it is sealed. Open one jar of each vacuum sealed item to check for freshness and then reseal it. If anything on your list is close to expiration, take it out, put it in your kitchen pantry for daily use and replenish your storage with fresh food. A food storage slush fund of even $10 a month will give you $360 after 3 years. Keep in mind, the food storage that goes from your storage into your pantry is going to cut your grocery bill.

Meat Rotation: If you are storing one pint (or quart) of meat per day, you will bottle 365 jars of meat.

While this sounds like a lot, I once used 3 pressure canners to bottle 150 pints of meat in 12 hours. To rotate, place 50 jars of bottled meat in your kitchen pantry and place the rest in your food storage. If you use 3 jars per week, those 50 jars will be gone in about 4 months. You will then bottle 50 more jars, place them in your food storage and take out another 50 jars for your pantry. Your entire stock will be rotated in about 2 years. If you use 2 jars per week, it will take about 3 years to rotate your supply.

BOTTLING MEATS
(Caution: If you have a glass-top stove, you may want to use a propane camp stove outdoors to bottle meats. I have a glass top stove and have had no problems, but I still need to caution you.)

Bottling your own meats is extremely easy and it’s what makes this food storage system so unique. It’s real chicken in your sweet and sour and real beef stew. The meat is tender, juicy, ready to eat and needs no freezing or refrigeration...just like your tuna fish from the store. The shelf life is at least 3 years, but the process is so easy, you may want to rotate your meats more often to be sure the nutritional quality is high. You can bottle any kind of meat; chicken, turkey, beef, hamburger, fish, ham…I’ve even had moose.

Pressure Canners: You must use a pressure canner to bottle meats. Pressure cookers will not safely can meats. Canners come in quart sizes, meaning they hold a certain amount of liquid quarts, but don’t purchase anything smaller than a 15 quart canner, which will usually hold 7 quart jars.

For used canners, check the internet. If you buy a used canner, be sure to have the gauge tested at your County Extension Center or buy a new gauge. This will ensure that you are cooking at the right pressure and your food will be safe. Try to avoid canners with the rubber gasket in the lid because the gasket will eventually leak. A good canner will have a metal to metal lid, a pressure gauge, a pressure release valve, wing nuts to hold the lid down and an inside tray. A canner is a great investment even if you’re not doing food storage because canning meat will save time (no more defrosting chickens) money (shopping the sales) and a good canner will last forever. I have one that is over 70 years old and it still works.

Canning Meats: A pint bottle will hold 1 pound of meat, a quart will hold 2 pounds. Jars from thrift stores or yard sales are fine for vacuum sealing dry foods, but not for bottling meats. Old jars might crack under the pressure. Invest in some new jars when you first start canning and reuse them over and over.

Many books will tell you to cook the meat before you bottle it. With the exception of ground meats, I prefer the raw pack. Put your raw meat and ¼ to ½ tsp of salt into a clean jar. Jars do not need to be sterilized. Fill jars to ½” from the rim. No other spices should be added. With the exception of ground meats, no water is added to the meat. In a small pan, boil the lids for about 2 minutes to soften the rubber seal. Make sure the rim of the jar is completely clean before you put the heated lid and ring on. Tighten the ring down finger tight. Pour about three inches of water into your canner and place the tray inside. Place your jars in the canner on the tray, screw down the canner lid, making sure the top is even, and turn your stove on high. Don’t put the weight on the pressure valve until steam has spouted out of the valve for about 10 minutes. This expresses the air out of the jars and the canner. After expressing the air, put the weight onto the pressure valve. In desert altitudes, can meats at the 10 pound mark. For other altitudes, check your manual. If you have an older canner, there may not be a weight but there will be some kind of pressure release mechanism. Keep this mechanism open to express the canner then close it to begin your pressure. When the gauge gets to the correct pressure, (according to your altitude) begin timing...75 minutes for pints and 90 minutes for quarts (Fish is 15 min longer). This is the formula for all meats. You will need to immediately start turning down the heat to keep the pressure stable and continue turning it down over the allotted time. Keep the gauge at the correct pressure. When the pressure drops or increases, a vacuum effect causes the juices in the jar to be pulled out. Do not leave your canner. At the end of the 75 or 90 minutes your heat should be at a very low level and you will then turn the heat completely off. Don’t move the canner; just let the pressure go down on its own. When it’s back to zero, release the pressure valve (or remove the weight) take off the lid, put the jars on the counter away from cool drafts and wait for them to seal. You’ll hear a “plink” when the lids seal correctly. If a jar doesn’t seal, you can either refrigerate it for later use or re-bottle it using a new lid. When they are cool, wipe the bottles clean, remove the ring and put them back in the box for storage. Ground meats have a better texture if you brown them first, pack loosely in the jars, cover with water and process. When canning cooked meats like leftover turkey, add a soup broth before canning. Ham makes very little juice, so don’t worry if the juice doesn’t cover all the meat. Don’t bottle spiral cut hams, use a shank cut and don’t add salt. Don’t bottle turkey hams or other processed meats like bologna or hot dogs.

SOLAR OVEN COOKING
It is not uncommon in emergency situations for the power to be out. With a solar oven, if the sun is shining, you can cook. Have backup sources of fuel, such as wood or propane, but in sunny climates your solar oven will be your main source of cooking. Solar cooking is clean, it keeps the heat out of your kitchen, it’s delicious and, best of all, it uses a free source of energy. You don’t want to waste precious food when times are bad, so you should practice cooking with your solar oven to know what you’re doing. The recipes have been included in this booklet to show the variety of foods that can be stored and how to cook them. Every recipe in this booklet was made in a solar oven.

With solar cooking, you can’t start dinner at 5:00, so you may want to do what our ancestors did; have breakfast in the morning, a big meal in the afternoon and a light snack before bed. If possible, have two solar ovens so you can be cooking dinner in one and baking breads or desserts in the other. Cooking times and temperatures are always approximate and will depend upon how your oven is placed, the time of day and cloud cover. A general rule is that foods will cook in about twice the usual amount of time. Don’t try to cook too much at one time. Larger amounts of food will cook faster if you divide it up and put it into smaller pots or cut foods into smaller pieces. Grains and beans need about ¼ less liquid because very little moisture escapes in solar cooking. There are other uses for your solar oven such as pasteurizing water, killing infestations in grains or dried foods, sanitizing dishes, drying firewood, sprouting foods, and decrystallizing honey or jams.

Some good safety rules are: germs can’t grow at 120 degrees, water is pasteurized at 150 degrees, foods will cook at 180 and water boils at 212 . Remember, no matter how you do your cooking, there is a danger zone for foods. Some foods left at temperatures between 50 and 120 for 3 or 4 hours can grow harmful bacteria and carry a risk of food poisoning.

Cookware: Measure the inside of your oven before buying any pots or pans. Using dark pots with tight fitting lids will absorb the heat and your cooking will go faster. In addition, your foods won’t have to be stirred as often. This is important because opening your oven drops the temperature by 50 to 100 in just seconds. Smoked glass cookware is good because you can see your food without opening the oven. Cast iron is great on partially cloudy days because it holds the heat. Cloudy days are good times to cook foods that just need a gentle simmer. The intermittent sun will provide enough heat to simmer soups and stews. Don’t use stainless steel or shiny aluminum pans which reflect the heat instead of holding it in. If all you have is aluminum, you can cover it with a dark cloth. Mason jars painted black work well. Put a strip of masking tape from the top of the jar down to the bottom and up the other side. Paint the jar and remove the tape. This allows you to see inside the jar while cooking. Using sunglasses will help you avoid the glare from the reflectors and always use pot holders.

FOOD STORAGE TIPS

Baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, cocoa: These are some of the items you don’t need to can or vacuum seal. Keep them in their original containers or you can place them in buckets with lids.

Brown sugar: 2 Tb Molasses, 1 cup white sugar. Mix with pastry blender until blended. You can also vacuum seal brown sugar in mason jars to keep it fresh for years.

Butter.almost: 1 pound shortening (butter flavored works) ½ tsp salt, 1 2/3 c condensed milk
Whip the shortening and the salt until light. Add the condensed milk a little at a time and blend.

Butter bottled: Google “bottled butter”. Real butter is best but margarine works too. Heat pint jars in the oven @ 250 for 20 minutes. Heat lids in boiling water for 3 minutes. Slowly stir and melt the butter in a pan. After it has boiled for 5 minutes, stir and then scoop the butter into the hot jars. Use a funnel to keep butter off the rims. Place the hot lid and ring on the jar and wait for the “plink”. Shake jars several times over the next 15-20 minutes. The separation will stop. While still slightly warm, put the jars in the refrigerator. Eventually the butter will harden. Leave in refrigerator for one more hour. Bottled butter can store on your shelf for almost 3 years.

Butter canned: Check the internet for best prices. 12 oz can, 24 Tb or 3 sticks of butter.

Cheese canned: Check the internet for best prices. A Velveeta tasting hard cheese that can be shredded or sliced, comes in an 8 oz can. Minimum 5 year shelf life.

Corn syrup: 1 c sugar + 2 c water. Cook in canning jar in solar oven about an hour or until thick.

“Eggs” from unflavored gelatin (Knox): Buy in bulk at bulkfoods.com. In all the recipes in this book I have substituted unflavored gelatin for the eggs. The gelatin is less expensive than powdered eggs (as little as 3 cents per tsp) and has an indefinite shelf life.
1tsp gelatin =1 egg, 1 oz gelatin = 12 tsp, 1 pound gelatin = 192 eggs.
Making one egg: Combine 1 tsp of unflavored gelatin with 3 Tb of cold water and stir until dissolved. Then add 2 Tb of hot water and stir. When using your own recipes, decrease the liquid called for in your recipe by about ¼ cup to compensate for the added water from the “egg”. I have already done this for the recipes in this book.

Eggs: Storing fresh eggs for up to 1 year. Rub warmed mineral oil on your hands and coat the entire surface of the fresh egg with the oil. Replace egg in carton with the point down. In cold climates they can be stored in a cool, dark place. In warmer climates, place in the refrigerator. Rotate once a year.

Jar cakes & breads: This method of baking has been done for years, but there has been some discussion as to its safety. Because the eggs were exchanged with unflavored gelatin in all of these recipes, it is unlikely that the ingredients used could support bacteria if prepared and cooked properly. If you feel at all uncomfortable with this method, don’t use it.

Jar cakes are great for food storage and the solar oven, but you must be sure to sanitize all your jars and lids to be sure they are free from bacteria. Foods such as breads, cakes, muffins, cornbread, brownies, cookies and cinnamon rolls are cooked and sealed in mason jars and can be kept on the shelf for several weeks. Using a pastry brush, grease the inside of your jar with shortening (no Pam or Baker’s Secret) and fill it ½ to 2/3 full with batter or dough and bake. No lid is used at this time. Let your breads rise in the jars and then bake. If it bakes too high, cut the top of your bread or cake off before sealing the jar. Just be sure your jar edge is clean and your lids are hot. Immediately after the food is cooked, place a heated lid on the hot jar and tighten with the ring (Use hot pads). Within a few minutes, the lid will “plink” and the food will be sealed. The food will slip out of the jars easily if you use the straight sided “jelly jars” but any kind of mason jar will work. With this method, you can do your baking on your bright sunny days and have fully cooked baked goods waiting on your shelves for that rainy day.

Milk: Powdered milk: If you have electricity, powdered milk is best if you use warm water, mix with a blender and chill overnight.

Buttermilk: 1 c water, 1/3 c dry milk, 1 Tb vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit 5 min.

Condensed milk: ½ c hot water, 1 c sugar, ¼ c dry milk, 1 c water. Place in canning jar with lid and shake until thoroughly blended.

Eagle Brand: 1 c hot water, 1/3 c corn syrup,1 2/3 c sugar, ¼ tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, ½ c butter, 2c dry milk. Place all ingredients except butter in canning jar with lid and shake until well blended. Gradually add the butter and shake each time until well blended.

Evaporated: 1 c water, 2/3 c dry milk. Whole 1 c water + 1/3 c dry. Skim: 1c water + ¼ c dry milk.

Milk on the shelf: Technology has given us real milk that sits on the shelf and has at least a 1 year shelf life. It comes in quart containers, available in whole, 2%, vanilla soy, almond and rice milk.

Peanut butter: 2 c peanuts and 4 Tb honey OR 2 ½ c peanuts and 2 Tb butter - salt to taste. Blend until smooth. This really needs an electric blender but it can still be done without one.

Rice: If your rice goes rancid, set it out for 2 or 3 days and rinse with water.

Shortening: I have substituted shortening for the oil in all my recipes because of the longer shelf life. Oil has about a 2 year shelf life, unopened shortening has 10+ years. If you can still find the hard lid shortening (not foil lids) they have an indefinite shelf life. Store shortening in a cool, dark place. Opened shortening has a less than one year shelf life. After opening shortening, melt it in the microwave or solar oven, pour it into mason jars and vacuum seal it for a longer shelf life.

Tomato powder: ½ cup powder mixed with 1 cup water =1 c tomato sauce. Less water makes tomato paste and more water makes tomato juice. Shelf life is 10+ years.

Vacuum sealing foods: Many foods with high oil or high sugar contents cannot be stored in #10 cans because of the interaction with the metal (Chocolate chips, nuts and raisins for example). You can significantly increase the shelf life of your foods by placing them in mason jars and using a Food Saver and a Jar Sealer attachment to vacuum the air out of the jars. Put your ingredients in a mason jar, put a lid on the jar, place the jar sealer attachment over the lid and start the machine. If a jar won’t seal, try placing one lid down and one facing up or heating the lid in boiling water. The jar can be opened and resealed over and over. If you take the lids off carefully, they can be reused indefinitely. You can seal nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, brown rice, cornmeal, candy bars, egg noodles, poppy seeds, dried apricots, malt-o-meal, cookies, granola bars...just about anything in the pantry. Shelf life should be 3 years or more if you keep the foods cool. Remember, the warmer the temperature, the shorter the shelf life.
You cannot vacuum seal foods that need refrigeration…only foods that sit on your pantry shelves.
Don’t vacuum fine powders….they gum up the works of your machine. If you want to seal powders, put a plastic or zip lock bag in your jar, fill the bag, express the air, zip lock it then vacuum seal.
A new Food Saver can be expensive. Used ones are easy to find online and are very inexpensive. Just be sure it has the port hole on top of the machine where the jar sealer attaches. Jar Sealer attachments come in regular and wide mouth.

Water: I store water in the 55 gallon plastic barrels. You can add 1 tsp of household bleach for every 5 gallons of water, but most city water supplies already add sufficient chlorine. 2 - 3 of these barrels per person will fill most water needs for cooking. Store in the garage or on the north side of the house.

Yeast: Yeast has an indefinite shelf life in your freezer or one year on the shelf. ALWAYS test your yeast before adding it to your dry ingredients. Add the yeast to warm (not hot) water and wait a few minutes. The mixture will start to bubble and smell good. Add this to your dry ingredients.

BREADS

The question most often asked about solar cooked bread is, “Does it brown?” The answer is yes. It bakes and browns beautifully. As with all other foods, breads take almost twice as long to cook in a solar oven. They will bake in a cooler oven (200 ) but hotter ovens are best. Cooking times and temperatures will always depend on how hot your solar oven is. Pint references are connected to cooking in pint jars.

Cinnamon and Raisin Bread makes 1 loaf or 3-4 pints.
1 recipe wheat bread (use white wheat if possible) 1/8 c butter, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 Tb sugar, ¼ c raisins.
Make the bread recipe and before you roll it into a loaf, spread the butter on the dough, sprinkle on raisins and a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Roll it up, place in loaf pan or jars and bake until browned.

Cornbread makes one 8x8 pan or 3-4 pints.
1 2/3 c flour, 1 2/3 c yellow cornmeal, 2/3 c sugar, 2 “eggs”, 5 tsp baking powder, ¼ c dry milk,
1 tsp salt, 1/3 c melted shortening, 1 ¼ c water.
Make your “eggs”. Melt 1/3 c shortening. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and dry milk in a large bowl. Stir in the cornmeal until well blended. Add “eggs” and water and stir until the batter is smooth. Gently stir in the melted shortening just until blended. Do not over-stir. Pour into your greased pan or jars and bake for 60 to 80 minutes or until browned.

Oatmeal Raisin Muffins makes 12 muffins.
1 ”egg”, 3 tsp baking powder, ½ c milk (1/8 c dry + ½ c water), ½ tsp salt, ½ c raisins, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ½ c melted shortening, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1/3 c sugar, 1 c white or wheat flour, 1 c rolled oats.
Melt the shortening. Make your “egg”. Mix “egg”, milk, raisins and shortening. Stir in remaining ingredients and stir just until moistened. Fill muffin cups ¾ full or mason jars just over half full. Bake until browned.

Wheat Muffins makes 12 muffins.
2 c wheat flour, ½ c melted shortening, 1 c sugar (or brown sugar), 1 “egg”, ¼ tsp salt,1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp baking soda, 3/4 c water, 1/3 c dry milk, ¼ c raisins.
Melt shortening. Make your “egg”. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix liquid ingredients, raisins and “egg” and pour over the dry mixture. Stir just until moistened. Spoon into greased muffin tins or fill mason jars to just over half full. Bake until browned.

Whole Wheat Bread makes one loaf or 3-4 pints.
2 tsp yeast, 1 c water, 3 c wheat flour, 1 ½ tsp salt, 2 Tb applesauce or shortening, ¼ c sugar or honey.
Solar oven: Warm ¼ c of the water, stir in the yeast and let it dissolve. Add to yeast mixture: 2 c of the flour, the melted shortening, sugar, salt and the rest of the water in a large bowl. A little at a time, add enough of the rest of the flour, kneading until smooth and elastic. Cover the bread and let it rise until doubled in size. Punch down the dough, shape it into a loaf, place into a greased pan or jars, cover and let it rise again until doubled. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until browned. For a regular oven, bake at 350 for 25-30 min.

365 Loaves of Bread Whole Wheat Bread - 1 loaf per day - Total for One Year

2 c wheat (3 c flour) x 365=730 c (12 c / #10 can)

61 #10 cans white wheat

1 c water x 365 = 365 c (16 c / gal)

23 gal of water

1 ½ tsp salt x 365=547 tsp (117 tsp/container)

4 2/3 containers of salt

2 Tb melted shortening x 365=730 Tb (17 Tb/c, 2 ¼ c/#)

19 # shortening

¼ c sugar x 365=91 c (2 c=1#)

46# of sugar

Or
1/4 c honey=91 c (13 oz=1c=74# honey)

74 # honey

2 tsp yeast x 365=730 tsp=243 Tb (48 Tb/#)

5# of yeast

Follow instructions for whole wheat bread.

CEREALS
You will need to add the separate serving of ½ c water + 1/8 c dry milk and 1 Tb sugar to your totals.

Granola makes 5 cups or 3 pint jars.
3 c oats, 1/3 c honey, 1 c sliced almonds, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ c shortening, ½ tsp salt, ½ c raisins.
Melt the shortening. Place all the ingredients (except raisins) in a large bowl and mix well. Spread onto a shallow pan (or put into 3 uncovered pint jars) and bake until browned (60 minutes or longer). It shouldn’t have to be stirred but you can turn the jars half way through. Watch it closely so it doesn’t burn. For jars, add the raisins and place a lid and ring on the jar as soon as you remove it from the oven. The jar will seal and keep the granola fresh for weeks. For pans, let it cool, add the raisins and store in airtight containers.

Grape Nuts makes 4 cups.
6 c whole wheat flour (4 c wheat), 1 c brown sugar, 2 c buttermilk (2 c water + 2/3 c powdered milk + 2 Tb vinegar or lemon juice.) 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt
Mix everything in a bowl, press onto 2 cookie sheets and bake until dry (1-2 hours) Grind with a meat grinder to the size of grape nuts and bake again until golden brown. Cool and store in airtight container.

Oatmeal makes 1 cup.
½ c rolled oats (or quick), 1 c water, pinch of salt.
Place salted water and oats in separate canning jars or covered pots and heat. When heated, add warmed oats to hot water and cook to desired consistency. Serve with milk and sugar. Add raisins or dried apples.

Rice Cereal or Rice Pudding makes 4 cups.
1 ½ c rice, 4 c water, 1 tsp salt, 3 Tb sugar. Pudding: 2 “eggs” ½ c raisins, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp vanilla.

Place salted water and rice in canning jars or covered pots and place in solar oven. When water is hot, add warmed rice and cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until rice is done. Add milk and sugar. For rice pudding, add 2 or more “eggs”, sugar, raisins and nutmeg to the hot rice. Stir well and return to the oven, repeating the process until rice is thick like pudding. Add vanilla and stir. Add ½ c milk if desired.

Wheat Cereal makes 1 ¼ cups.
½ c wheat + 1 c water.

Soak overnight. (1 or 2 more c of water will be needed to cook). Place water, soaked wheat and pinch of salt in a jar or pot with tight fitting lid. Cook 2 hours. Add water as needed.

MAIN DISHES

Beef and Beans makes 8 cups. Start early....beans take a long time.
1 pound washed pinto beans (2 ½ c) 7 c water, 1 pint bottled beef (undrained), 2 tsp salt, 2-3 Tb dried onion, ½ tsp thyme, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp basil, 1 tsp parsley, ¼ tsp pepper, 1 bay leaf.
Place water in covered pot and heat to as close to boiling as possible. Add beans. Cover and soak out of the oven for 1 hour. Do not drain. Add all other ingredients and simmer 4 -5 hours or until done.

Beef Soup makes 12 cups.
1 pint bottled beef (undrained) 8 c water, 4-8 tsp (according to taste) beef soup base, 1 c dehydrated diced potatoes, 1 c dried carrots, ½ c dried celery, 2 - 3 Tb dried onion, 1-2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 bay leaf, ½ - 1 tsp thyme.
Mix all ingredients in large covered pot and simmer for several hours.

Beef Stew makes 8 cups Creamy or Tomato style. 1 pint bottled beef, 1 recipe cream of mushroom soup (using beef soup base instead of chicken soup base) (Tomato style: 1 c tomato powder + 2 c water=2 c tomato sauce) 1 c dried carrots, 2 Tb dried onion, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp thyme, 1 c diced potatoes.

Use the beef juices and water to make the cream of mushroom soup. (Or make the tomato sauce). Place all ingredients in large covered dish and simmer several hours.

Chicken Alfredo makes 10 cups.
1 recipe Alfredo sauce, 1 pint bottled chicken (drained) 1 pound spaghetti noodles, 8 c water, 1 - 2 Tb parsley, ½ - 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper.
Make the Alfredo sauce. Heat salted water and spaghetti in separate large covered pots (or canning jars w lids). Add warmed spaghetti to hot water, cook 15 - 20 min. and drain. Stir noodles, sauce, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and chicken together gently and return to oven for 20 min. or until hot.

Chicken Creole makes 10 cups.
1 ½ c rice + 3 c water + ½ tsp salt (5 c cooked rice) 1 pint bottled chicken (drained) ¼ c dried celery,
¼ c dried carrots, 1 bay leaf, 1 c tomato powder + 2 c water, 2 Tb dried onion, ½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp seasoning salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 3 Tb cornstarch, 1 c water, ¼ c dried parsley optional: ½ c dried mushrooms.

Split the 3 c water, ½ tsp salt and 1 ½ c rice between 2 canning jars, cover and cook about 40 min. Hydrate vegetables. In a large covered pot, put vegetables, tomato sauce, bay leaf, sugar, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire. Cook 30 - 45 min. Put the 1 c water or broth and cornstarch in another jar and shake until smooth. Add chicken and cornstarch mixture to vegetable mixture and cook uncovered until thickened. Serve over the rice.

Chicken Delight makes 9 cups.
1 ½ c rice, 2 Tb beef soup base, 3 Tb dried onion, ½ recipe cream mushroom soup, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper,
2 c water, 1 pint bottled chicken. Optional: ½ c dehydrated mushrooms.
(May use broth and water to equal the 2 cups liquid.) Mix all ingredients in a large covered pot. Cook in solar oven for 4 hours or until rice is cooked. Remove lid and cook another ½ hour or until browned.

Chicken Fricassee makes 6 cups of broth and 8 cups of potatoes.
4 tsp chicken soup base + 4 cups water, 4 tsp dry onion, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, ½ c white flour and water as needed, 1 pint bottled chicken (undrained) 6 c instant potatoes + 4-6 c water.
Combine the 4 cups of water, soup base, undrained chicken, onion, salt and pepper in a large covered pot. Place the 5 ½ c of water in another covered pot (or jars) and heat both pots in solar oven until hot. Take out the broth and slowly add flour and water mixture. Return to the oven to thicken. Take out the pot of hot water and stir in instant potatoes. (Make sure they’re nice and thick) Place the potatoes on a plate, scoop the center to the sides, making a “bowl” and spoon the chicken and broth mixture into the “bowl”.

Chicken and Rice makes about 12 cups.
1 recipe cream of mushroom soup, 1 Tb lemon juice, ½ tsp salt, 2 c rice, 4 c water +1 tsp salt (Don’t add salt if broth is used) 2 Tb dried onion, 1 pint undrained bottled chicken, ¼ tsp pepper, 1/3 tsp paprika
Optional: 1/3 c dried celery and ½ c sliced toasted almonds.
Add broth and water to make 4 cups. Add the rice to the liquid and cook in solar oven about 40 minutes or until done. In a large covered dish, mix the cream of mushroom soup, lemon juice, onion, paprika, pepper, salt, chicken and cooked rice. (And optional celery and almonds) Cover and bake until done.

Chicken Soup makes 12-14 cups.
8 tsp chicken soup base + 8 c water, 4 tsp dried onion, 1 c dried carrots, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper
1 pint bottled chicken (undrained) ½ c dried celery, ½ c dry rice. Mix all ingredients and simmer.

Chili makes 12 cups.
1 pound (or 2 ½ c) washed pinto beans , 7 c water, 1-2 tsp salt, ¼ c dried onion, ½ -1 tsp garlic powder, 3-4 Tb chili powder, 3 tsp cumin, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, 1 Tb sugar, 1 pint ground beef, 2 c tomato powder + 5 c water.
Place water in a large covered pot and heat to as close to boiling as possible. Add beans. Cover and soak beans out of the oven for 1 hour. (Use soaking water to cook beans) Cook beans in covered dish 4-5 hours. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until done.

Chili-Mac Makes 10 cups (add more water or broth if it’s too dry)
2 c macaroni, 2 Tb dried onion, ¼ tsp garlic powder, 2 Tb chili powder, 1 ½ c tomato powder + 3 c water (3 c tomato sauce) ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 1 pint bottled ground beef.
Add beef broth and water to equal 3 cups of liquid. Add water and tomato powder to make tomato sauce. Add liquid, tomato sauce, macaroni, garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper and ground beef. Cook until macaroni is done.

Goulash makes 14 cups.
3 c macaroni, 6 c water, 2 c tomato powder + 6 c water (6 c tomato juice) 2 tsp dried onion, ¼ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, 1 pint ground beef (undrained) 1 can of corn (undrained.)
Heat the 2 c water and salt in solar oven until very hot. Cook the macaroni in the water about 20 min or until done. Do not rinse. Add rest of the ingredients to the macaroni, return to oven and cook until done.

Macaroni and Cheese makes 10 cups.
4 c macaroni, 8 c water, 10 Tb mac + cheese powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/3 c dry milk + 1 ½ c water, 2 Tb butter, ½ tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper.
Heat the 8 c of salted water and the macaroni in separate containers. When the water is hot, add the macaroni and cook for 15 - 20 min or until done. Drain. Add butter, cheese powder, salt, pepper and milk.

Rice-a-Roni makes 8 cups.
2 c rice, 1/4 - 1/3 pound spaghetti (1 cup of 1" broken pieces) 1 Tb. dried onion, 2 tsp dry parsley, ½ tsp dry ginger, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 4 Tb shortening, 4 tsp chicken soup base + 4 c water, optional:
1 pint jar chicken, ½ c sliced toasted almonds and ½ c each dried carrots and celery.
In the solar oven, heat the shortening in a large pot. Dutch ovens are great but this can also be done in several canning jars with lids. Break the spaghetti into 1" pieces. When the shortening is hot, stir in the rice and broken spaghetti and cook until browned. (Jars can cook on their sides for this) Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook for 40 - 50 min. or until done.

Shepherd’s Pie makes 12 cups.
1 can corn (drained) 1 can green beans (drained) ½ recipe tomato soup, 2 Tb dried onion, 1 tsp salt,
¼ tsp pepper, 1 pint bottled ground beef (drained), 3 c instant potatoes + 3 c water (4 c potatoes)
Make the tomato soup. Heat 4 c water in jars or covered pot until very hot. Mix the ground beef, corn, green beans, tomato soup, onions, salt and pepper into a covered pot. Take the water out of the oven and wrap it in a dark cloth to keep it hot. Place the meat mixture in the oven and bake 45 min. or until hot. When it’s done, mix the instant potatoes and the hot water and spread on top of the meat mixture.

Spaghetti makes 10 cups.
1 pound spaghetti noodles, 1 recipe marinara sauce, 1 pint bottled ground beef or sausage (drained) 4 c water, 1 tsp salt.
Make marinara sauce and add drained meat . Heat salted water and spaghetti in separate covered pots (or use caning jars) add spaghetti to hot water and cook 15 - 20 min. Mix sauce and noodles.

Sweet and Sour Chicken makes 7 - 8 cups.
1 pint chicken, 1 1/3 c rice, 2 2/3 c water, 1 can pineapple, 2/3 c vinegar, 1 1/3 c sugar, 4 Tb cornstarch,
4 Tb soy sauce, 1 tsp Molasses, 1 Tb. dried onion. (opt. ½ c sliced almonds, ¼ c dehyd. celery.)
Heat the rice and water in separate jars. When hot, combine and cook until done. (Heat bottled chicken at the same time.) Put the pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, soy and molasses into a qt jar. Shake well and cook in solar oven. Cook and shake this sauce repeatedly until thickened. On the bed of cooked rice place the heated chicken, almonds, pineapple, and hydrated celery. Pour sauce over the top.

Taco Soup makes 12 cups.
1 pint bottled ground beef or sausage, 1 can corn, 1 can kidney beans, 1 29 oz. can stewed tomatoes, 2 c water (OR 1 c water and 1 c tomato sauce) 2 - 3 Tb taco seasoning, 2 Tb onion, ¼ tsp garlic.
Place all ingredients in covered dish and let simmer.

Tamale Pie makes 10 cups.
1 pint bottled beef or ground beef (drained) 1 c tomato powder + 2 c water = 2 c tomato sauce
½ pound (1 ¼ c) washed pinto beans + 3 c water + 1 tsp salt (3 c cooked beans) 2 Tb dried onion, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp oregano, 2 Tb chili powder, ¼ tsp pepper.
Topping: 1 2/3 c cornmeal, 1 2/3 c white flour, 2/3 c sugar, 2 “eggs”, 5 tsp baking powder, ½ c dry milk + 1 c water, 1/3 c melted shortening, 1 tsp salt.
In large covered pot, heat 3 c water as close to boiling as possible. Add beans. Cover and soak out of oven 1 hour Add 1 tsp salt to beans and cook in oven 4 -5 hours or until done. Melt the 1/3 c shortening and set aside in the sun. Put the beef, tomato sauce, cooked beans, onion, garlic, oregano and chili powder in a covered baking dish and bake 20 - 30 min. While it’s cooking, make the topping by stirring together the flour, sugar baking powder and salt. Stir in the cornmeal until well blended. Add “eggs” and milk and stir to a smooth batter. Fold in the melted shortening just until blended. When meat mixture is done, remove from oven, spoon topping over meat and bake again about 30 - 40 min. or until cornbread is done.

Tomato Soup (Condensed) makes 2 cups.
1 c tomato powder + 2 c water = 2 c tomato sauce, 2 Tb dried onion, 3 Tb melted shortening, 6 Tb white flour, ¼ tsp pepper, milk if needed, ½ tsp seasoned salt, ½ tsp soda, 2 tsp sugar.
Melt 3 Tb shortening in a canning jar in the solar oven. Place the flour, milk, salt and pepper together in another jar, shake to mix well (no lumps!) and heat. Add heated flour mixture to the melted shortening and stir or shake well. Heat another 10 -15 min. Continue to shake and cook until thickened. Add the onion, soda and sugar to the tomato sauce and slowly blend the two sauces together. Add milk if needed to attain consistency of condensed tomato soup. Return to solar oven and gently heat. Do not boil. (For soup, add 3-4 cups of milk then stir and heat.)

COOKING PASTAS
To keep pasta from getting pasty, use 2 pots with lids or jars with lids. Heat the dry pasta with a little oil or shortening in one; heat the salted water in another. When the water is hot, combine the two.

Macaroni makes 5 c cooked.
2 c macaroni, 2 - 3 c water ½ tsp salt.
Heat water and salt until very hot. Add heated macaroni to the water and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Spaghetti makes 4 c cooked.
½ pound spaghetti (break noodles to fit cookware) + 1-2 tsp shortening, 3-4 c water, ½ tsp salt.
Heat water and salt until very hot. Add heated spaghetti and cook 15 to 20 minutes.

SAUCES

Alfredo Sauce...almost. makes 2 ½ cups.
½ c water + 1/3 c dry milk = ½ c evaporated milk, 3/4 c Parmesan cheese, 1/8 tsp white or black pepper,
pinch of nutmeg, ½ c dry milk + 2 c water (2 c skim milk.)
Place 2 cups of milk in a canning jar and cook until hot (20 min). Place the ½ c evaporated milk, pepper, Parmesan, and nutmeg in another canning jar and shake to mix. Slowly add a little of the evaporated milk mixture to the hot milk and shake. Repeat until it’s all mixed together. Return the jar to oven for 15 to 20 min. to thicken. (You may have to add 1 Tb cornstarch and 1 Tb of water if it doesn’t thicken.)

Cream of Mushroom Soup (without the mushrooms) makes 4 cups.
½ c dry milk + 2 c water, 1 c white flour, 3 Tb shortening, 3/4 tsp seasoning salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, ¼ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp thyme, ¼ tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp chicken soup base + 1 ½ c water.
Melt the shortening in a canning jar, add the milk and heat. Heat flour and seasonings in a second jar. Combine the two and shake well. Put soup base in a jar and place both jars in the solar oven. After 10 min. take the milk jar out and shake it well. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Repeat until thickened. Remove both jars from the oven and slowly begin to add the hot broth to the thickened milk mixture, stirring or shaking until you have the consistency that you desire...either condensed or as soup.

Marinara Sauce makes 4 cups.
2 c tomato paste + 4 c water (4 c tomato sauce) 1 tsp garlic powder, 1-2 Tb dried onion, 1 ½ tsp dried basil,
½ tsp oregano, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper,1 tsp sugar. Or use 2 - 3 tsp Italian seasoning in place of other spices. Mix all ingredients in 1 or 2 canning jars and let it simmer.

SNACKS AND DESSERTS

Apple Crisp makes (1) 9x12 pan.
2 c dry apples , 3 c water, 2 Tb + 1 tsp cornstarch, 3/4 c sugar, 1/3 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/3 tsp nutmeg,
2 Tb lemon juice.
Topping: 1 c rolled oats, 1 c brown sugar, 1 c flour, ¼ tsp salt, 1/3 tsp baking powder, ½ c shortening.
Mix dry ingredients for apple crisp in large covered pot, add water and lemon juice; mix well. Bake in covered dish 1 - 2 hours or until done. Mix the topping with pastry blender or fork, spread over cooked apples and return to oven for 30 - 40 min (uncovered) until browned.

Brownies makes 1 8x8 pan or 4 pint jars.
1 c shortening, 2 c sugar, 2 c white flour, 1 tsp vanilla, 4 “eggs”, 2/3 c baking cocoa,
½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt. Optional: 1 c chopped walnuts.
Make your “eggs”. Mix shortening, sugar, and vanilla. Add eggs and mix. Add flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and vanilla and mix. Bake in 8x8 pan (or jars) about 45 min or until done.
Frosting:
6 Tb shortening, 6 Tb cocoa, 2 Tb corn syrup, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 c powdered sugar, 2-4 Tb milk.

Chocolate Cake makes (1) 9x12 pan or 6 pints.
3 ¼ c white flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 ½ c sugar, ½ c cocoa, ½ tsp baking powder, 2 c water,
2Tb vinegar, 2/3 c melted shortening, 5 tsp vanilla. ½ c chocolate chips, ½ cup walnuts.
Melt shortening. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix together melted shortening, water, vinegar and vanilla and stir into the dry mixture until smooth. Pour into 9x12 greased and floured pan (or greased jars) and bake for 30 - 40 min or until done.

Chocolate Chip Cookies makes 3 dozen.
1 c shortening, 3/4 c sugar, 3/4 c brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 “eggs”, 2 ½ c white flour,
½ tsp water, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 c chocolate chips. 1 c nuts.
Mix shortening, sugars, vanilla, water, soda and salt until creamy. Add “eggs”, flour, nuts and chips.
Bake in oven on cookie sheets or in jars until done.

Chocolate Pudding or Pie makes 7 cups.
3 c pudding mix, 5 1/3 c water (1/4 to 1/3 ratio)
In a container with a tight lid, combine mix and water and shake until blended. Let sit for 5 - 10 min until set. Use as a pudding or make a graham cracker crust and have pie.
To make a pie crust, crumble enough crackers to equal 1 cup of crumbs. Add 1/3 c brown sugar and 1/4 cup melted butter and press into a pie pan. Use as is or you can bake the crust in the oven until browned.

Graham Crackers
1 ½ c white flour, 3/4 c wheat flour, ½ tsp salt, 1/3 c brown sugar, 1/3 c shortening, 1/3 c honey, 3 Tb water, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp sugar.
Combine all dry ingredients except cinnamon and sugar. Cut in shortening to consistency of cornmeal. Stir the honey and water into dry ingredients. Divide in half and roll each half out onto ungreased cookie sheet to ¼” thickness. Cut into squares and prick with a fork. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake 15 - 25 min. Store in airtight container.

Spice Cake makes (1) 9x12 pan or 6 pint jars.
3 cups white flour, 2 c sugar, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 ½ tsp ground cloves, 2 ½ tsp cinnamon,
2 ½ tsp nutmeg, 2/3 c melted shortening, 2 Tb vinegar, 1 ½ c water, 2 “eggs”, 2 Tb vanilla.
(grease pan with 1 tsp shortening + 1 tsp flour) optional: ½ c raisins and ½ c walnuts.
Melt the shortening in solar oven. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the melted shortening, water, vinegar, “eggs” and vanilla and stir into the dry mixture until smooth. Pour into a greased and floured 9x12 pan or greased jars and bake about 1 ½ hours or until done.

Tapioca Pudding makes 9 cups.
1 c sugar, 9 Tb minute tapioca, 2 ¼ c dry milk + 7 ½ c water, 3 “eggs”, 1 Tb vanilla.
Put all ingredients except vanilla into your painted canning jar. Cook in solar oven for about 30 min. Remove, shake well and return to oven. Continue cooking and shaking jar every 15 - 20 min until tapioca swells up (total time: 60 -75 min). Add vanilla, shake and pour into dishes. Pudding thickens as it cools.

Wheat Thins
½ c wheat flour, ½ c white flour, ½ tsp salt, ¼ c shortening, 1 Tb dry milk + ¼ c water, 1 tsp molasses.
Melt shortening. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Combine milk and molasses and stir into dry mixture. Place a ball of dough the size of a tennis ball in the middle of a greased cookie sheet and cover with a sheet of waxed paper. Roll out thinly, covering sheet. Peel off the waxed paper and cut with pizza cutter into desired shapes. Bake 30 - 40 min or until browned. Salt while hot.

USER FRIENDLY FOODS AND MEAL IDEAS
Some of these recipes may need electricity and will not be suitable for the solar oven.

Breakfasts
Remember to add the milk, sugar and dash of salt to your breakfasts if needed. Try cold cereal, Pop Tarts, granola bars, flavored instant oatmeal. They have a decent shelf life and kids love them.

Malt-o-meal (1 cup, once a week) 1/4 c M/M = 1 c cooked.

28 oz box =4 ½ c dry or 18 c cooked.
1/4 c x 52=13 c = 3 boxes Malt-o-meal
1 c water per 1/4 c malt-o-meal=52 c = 3 1/4 gal water

Oatmeal (two cups, once a week) 1 c oats=2 c cooked

1 #10 can=24 c cooked
1 c oats x 52= 52 c = 4 1/3 #10 cans oats
2 c water x 52=104 c= 6 ½ gal water

Pancakes (5-6 pancakes, once a week) 1 c Krusteaz=5-6 pancakes.

A 10 lb bag Krusteaz = 40 c.
1 c Krusteaz x 52=52 c= 1 1/3 bags Krusteaz
3/4 c water x 52=39 c= 2 ½ gal water
½ c syrup x 52=26 c=208 oz = 9 - 24oz bottles syrup

Scrambled eggs and sausage (or ham) (4 eggs, twice a month)
4 fresh eggs x 26=104 eggs (add salt + pepper)............ 8 - 9 doz eggs
1 pint sausage (or ham) x 26=...................................... 26 pints sausage

Dinners

Chicken and rice (makes 6 cups, once a week)
1 pint chicken x 52=.................................................... 52 pints chicken
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup x 52=........ 52 cans soup
1 1/2 c rice (makes 4 ½ c cooked) x 52=78 c=............. 6 ½ #10 cans rice
3 c water x 52=156 c=.................................................. 9 3/4 gal. water
1 Tb onion x 52=52 Tb=............................................... 3 ½ c dry onion
Cook the rice in the water. Add the rice, chicken, soup, onion and bake. Opt. top with cheese.

Chile and fry bread (6 fry breads with chile, once a week)

or Chile and cornbread.
1 - 15oz can chile x 52=.............................................. 52 cans chile
1 ½ c flour x 52=78 c=.............................................. 6 ½ #10 cans flour
½ tsp salt x 52=26 tsp=............................................. 26 tsp salt
1 Tb shortening x 52 + 4 Tb for frying x 52=260 Tb.... 7 # shortening
½ Tb baking powder x 52=26 Tb=........................ 3/4 # baking powder
3/4 c (+ or -) water x 52=39 c=................................... 2 ½ gal water
Mix the flour, salt, 1 Tb shortening, baking powder and most of the water together and knead. (Add more water as necessary.) Let this dough sit for 30 min. Pull off pieces of dough, flatten into disks and fry in melted shortening on your stove. Cover with the heated beans and optional cheese.

Hamburger pie (makes 5-6 cups, once a week)
1 pint bottled beef or hamburger x 52=.................... 52 pints beef
1 can corn x 52 =...................................................... 52 cans corn
1 can green beans x 52=........................................... 52 cans green beans
1 can tomato soup x 52=.......................................... 52 cans tomato soup
2 Tb dried onions x 52=104 Tb=...............................7 tps dry onion
1 1/2 c potato flakes x 52=78 c=.................... 6 ½ #10 cans potato flakes
3 c water x 52 = 156 c=............................................. 9 3/4 gal. water
Place everything except the water and potato pearls in a casserole dish and heat in the solar oven. Heat the water at the same time. When the mixture is hot and the water is hot, add the potato pearls to the hot water and top the mixture with the potatoes. (Top with cheese?)

Parmesan chicken (makes 7-8 cups, once a week)
1 pint chicken x 52=............................................... 52 pints chicken
½ pound spaghetti(4 c cooked) x 52=26 pounds=.. 6 #10 cans spaghetti 1 jar spaghetti sauce x 52=........................................52 jars sauce
½ c Parmesan cheese x 52=26 c=.......................... 5 # Parmesan cheese
3 c water x 52=156 c=.............................................9 3/4 gal water
Cook the spaghetti in the water. Layer spaghetti, chicken, Ragu, bread crumbs, cheese and bake.

Salmon and rice (makes 6-7 cups, once a week)
1 pint salmon x 52=................................................... 52 pints salmon
1 ½ c rice (makes 4 ½ c) x 52=................................. 6 ½ #10 cans rice
1 Tb lemon pepper x 52=52 Tb=............................... 13 oz lemon pepper
1 can corn or other vegetable x 52=............................ 52 cans corn
Cook rice in the water and serve salmon over the rice. Corn is a side dish.

Sweet and Sour Chicken (Makes 7 - 8 cups)
1 pint chicken x 52=.................................................. 52 pints chicken
1 ½ c rice x 52=78 c=............................................... 6 ½ #10 cans rice
3 c water x 52=156 c=............................................... 9 3/4 gal. water
1 can pineapple x 52=............................................... 52 cans pineapple
2/3 c vinegar x 52 =35 c =280 oz=............................ 2 gal. vinegar
1 1/3 c sugar x 52 =70 c=.......................................... 35 # sugar
4 Tb cornstarch x 52 =208 Tb=................................ 4 ½ # cornstarch
4 Tb soy sauce x 52=208 Tb=.................................... 1 gal. soy sauce
1 tsp Molasses x 52=.................................................. 12 oz molasses
1 Tb dried onion x 52=52 Tb=.................................... 4 c dried onion
(opt ½ c sliced almonds, ¼ c dehyd. celery)
Cook the rice in the water in a qt jar or covered pot. (Heat the chicken in its jar at the same time). Put the pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, soy and molasses into a qt jar. Shake well and cook in solar oven. Shake occasionally and cook until thickened. On the bed of cooked rice place the chicken, almonds, pineapple, and hydrated celery. Pour sauce over the top.

Taco soup (makes 9-10 cups, once a week)
1 pint ground beef or sausage x 52=................ 52 pints meat
1 can kidney beans x 52=................................ 52 cans kidney beans

1 can corn x 52=............................................. 52 cans corn
1 29 oz can stewed or reg. tomatoes x 52=....... 52 cans tomato
2 c water x 52=104 c=..................................... 6 ½ gal. water
3 Tb taco seasoning x 52=156 Tb=9 3/4 c=..... 2 ½ # taco seasoning

Easy meal ideas:
Bottled meat and barbeque sauce over rice, potatoes or bread.
Bottled meat with green chili, onions and Mexican spices on fry bread or tortillas.
Chicken, tuna, beef or peanut butter sandwiches on homemade bread(Use mayo and pickle packets). Chicken or tuna mixed with cooked noodles and cream of chicken soup.
Hamburger Helpers….add a pint meat.
Boxed macaroni and cheese.
Ragu or Prego and bottled sausage over spaghetti or on a homemade pizza crust….top with cheese. Tomato soup and oyster crackers with a toasted cheese sandwich. Ramen soup, Cup-a-soup, Campbell’s soups, dry packaged soups.

Freeze Dried Foods:
The advantages of freeze dried foods are numerous: They take little space, are easily prepared with hot water, the taste is very good, there is a wide variety from which to choose, the cooking time is just 10 minutes and they have a 30 year shelf life. The disadvantages are the high cost and the fact that the industry considers a serving to be one cup of prepared food.

SOURCE LIST
Shop around for your best prices. Use the internet...Ebay, amazon.com Google etc.

Blendtec.com 1-800-253-6383 (The LDS Church rarely endorses a product, but because 90% of those who have food storage don’t have a wheat grinder, they have chosen to endorse the Blendtec electric and hand wheat grinders.)

Bulkfoods.com: Buy unflavored gelatin, powdered molasses, dried fruits and vegetables, etc.

Cost Co/Sams Club: Good prices on chocolate chips, flour, sugar, nuts, Parmesan cheese and yeast.

Food Saver and Jar Sealer: Most stores carry these but the internet is the best place for inexpensive ones. The Jar sealer attachments can also be found here.

Internet-grocer.com Canned cheddar cheese ($2.75 / 8 oz can) or butter ($4.50 / 12 oz can)

Spices: Sahuaro Spice Co. Phoenix 602-272-8557. Fresh spices sold by the pound. Price list can be faxed. Store spices in mason jars to preserve freshness, but don’t vacuum seal fine powders...it can clog the works.

Solar ovens: Do some research on the internet or at the library. Global Sun Oven sells for about $200 at survivalunlimited.com/solar aimdiscount.com/SOven or kansaswindpower.net/solarcookers.

Walton Feed Lots of bulk food items (dehydrated celery, sweet peas, sour cream, etc) 1-800-847-0465.

EQUIVALENCY INFORMATION

APPLESAUCE............... 16 Tb / c 4 c / qt
APPLE SLICES... 10 c in a #10 can =1 ¼ # 1 c dry + ½ c water=2 c fresh
BAKING POWDER ............... 32 Tb=1#
BAKING SODA ...................... 32 Tb=1#
BEANS ............................... 1 #=2 ½ c dry = 6 c cooked 12 c in a #10 can

BUTTER (canned) ............... 12 oz can=24 Tb or 3 sticks of butter
CARROTS.......... 12 c in a #10 can=2 ½ #. ½ c dry=1 c hydrated carrots
CELERY ............. 2 oz=1 c. 12 c in #10 can. ½ c dry=1 c hydrated celery
CHEESE (canned) ................ 8 oz per can
CHEESE POWDER ... 4 c in 1 # of powder. 96 Tb=1#. 1 Tb per 1 c cooked

COCOA..................90 Tb =1# Store in jars. Don’t vacuum pack
CORNMEAL............................ 4 c=1 #
CORNSTARCH....................... 45 Tb=1#
EGGS (powdered).................... 32 eggs=1#. 2 eggs=1 oz
FLOUR.................................... 19 c=5# 12 c in a #10 can
GELATIN (Knox ................ 1 oz unflavored gelatin=12 tsp of gelatin=12 “eggs”. 1# gelatin=192 “eggs” (egg substitute) 1 tsp gelatin + 3 Tb cold water + 2 Tb hot water=1 “egg”
HONEY................................... 20 Tb=1 c 13 oz=1 c 6 c=5#
HOT CHOCOLATE ................ 12 c in a #10 can #10 can=56 liquid c
MACARONI...................... 12 c in a #10 can 4 c = 1 # 2 c dry=5 c cooked
MALT-O-MEAL.................¼ c dry=1 c cooked. (1) 28 oz box=4 ½ c dry
MEATS......................... 1 pint bottle holds 1# of meat 1 qt bottle holds 2#

MILK..... 1/4 c dry milk + 1 c water=1 c milk. 12‑13 c powder in #10 can
about 1/3 # dry = 1 c dry a #10 can=58 liquid c
MUSHROOMS......................... 4 c dehydrated=3 oz 20 c=1 #
NOODLES............................... 4 c=8 oz 2 c dry=2 c cooked
REGULAR OATS.................... 12‑13 c in a #10 can 1 c=4 oz
ONION........½ onion=2 – 3 Tb dry. 16 Tb dry=1 c. 12 c=#10 can=192 Tb PARSLEY................................ 30 Tb=1 oz
PEPPER.................................... 6 Tb=1 oz
PIZZA SPICE........................... 42 Tb=1#
POPCORN............................. 12 c in a #10 can 1 c popcorn=16 c popped
POTATOES (instant) ............ 12 c in a # 10 can. 1 ½ c flakes + 1 ½ c water =2 c potatoes
PUDDING MIX....................... 12 ‑13 c mix in a #10 can
RAISINS.................................. 4 c=1#
RICE...............................12 c in a #10 can 2 1/3 c=1# 1 c raw=3 c cooked

SALT.............................. 1 ½ Tb=1 oz 1 container=26 oz = 39 Tb=117 tsp

SHORTENING ............... 227 Tb=6# can 17 Tb =1 c 2 1/4 c=1# 1 c shortening + 6 tsp water=1c butter
SOUP BASE............................. 1/8 - ¼ c dry makes 6 c broth
SPAGHETTI............................ 4 ‑ 5 # in a #10 can 8 oz=4 c cooked
SPICES..................................... 1 c=4 oz=16 Tb 64 Tb=approx. 1#
SUGAR (white)................. 12 c in a # 10 can. 2 c=1#. 1#= 32 Tb = 96 tsp
SUGAR (brown)...................... 1 1/3 c=1#
TAPIOCA................................ 40 Tb=1# 1 Tb=1 c cooked
TOMATO POWDER ............... 1 c powder + 2 c water=2 c tomato sauce
WHEAT........................... # 10 can=5.8 # =12 c=18 c flour when ground
1 c wheat = 1 ½ c flour, 1#=2 ¼ c wheat=3.37 c flour
YEAST..................................... 1# compressed=8 oz=24 Tb Shelf life: indefinite in freezer..1 year out of freezer

Index

Alfredo Sauce (almost)........... 10 Granola................................... 7
Apple Crisp............................ 11
Beef and Beans...................... 7 Grape Nuts............................. 7
Beef Soup............................... 7 Jar Cakes and Breads.............. 4
Beef Stew............................... 7 Macaroni and Cheese............. 9
Bottling Meats......................... 2-3 Marinara Sauce ...................... 11
Bread Whole Wheat.............. 6 Milk Variations....................... 5
Brownies................................ 11 Muffins Oatmeal.................... 6
Butter...................................... 4 Muffins Whole Wheat............ 6
Cheese (canned cheese).......... 4 Mushroom Soup..................... 11
Chicken Alfredo..................... 8 Oatmeal.................................. 7
Chicken Creole....................... 8 Parmesan Chicken ................. 14
Chicken Delight...................... 8 Pressure Canners ................... 2
Chicken Fricassee................... 8 Rice-A-Roni........................... 9
Chicken and Rice................... 8 Rice Cereal............................. 7
Chicken Soup......................... 8 Shepherd’s Pie........................ 9
Chili........................................ 8 Solar Oven Cooking .............. 3
Chili-Mac................................ 9 Source List.............................. 15
Chocolate Cake...................... 11 Spaghetti................................. 9
Chocolate Chip Cookies......... 11 Spice Cake.............................. 12
Chocolate Pudding/Pie............ 11 Sweet & Sour Chicken............ 9
Cinnamon Bread..................... 6 Taco Soup.............................. 10
Cooking Pasta......................... 10 Tamale Pie.............................. 10
Cornbread............................... 6 Tapioca................................... 12
Cream of Mushroom Soup..... 11 Tomato Soup.......................... 10
Eggs (knox & fresh)............... 4 User Friendly Foods............... 13-14
Equivalency page................... 16 Vacuum Sealing Foods........... 5
Freeze Dried Foods................. 15 Water Storage......................... 5
Goulash.................................. 9 Wheat Cereal.......................... 7 Graham Crackers 12 Wheat Thins............................12

Let your voice be heard!

2009-02-28T12:37:00.000-08:00

Are you ready to contact congress and let your voice be heard?

Click here to find their contact information.

We have a square foot garden and love it!

2009-02-20T14:39:00.000-08:00

Learn more about square foot gardening here.....

www.mysquarefootgarden.net

Don't forget to stock up on Vitamin C !!!

2009-01-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

Homeschool during a pandemic

2008-12-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

School may be closed for an extended period of time—Plan home learning activities and exercises. Talk to your child’s teacher/school. Have materials, such as books, on hand. Also plan recreational activities that your children can do at home. Consider childcare needs.

A wonderful website for school supplies is www.lovetolearn.net

www.pandemicflu.gov

Prevent Dehydration

2008-12-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

Dehydration occurs when the body loses too
much water and it’s not replaced quickly enough.
It can be serious. Begin giving soothing drinks at
the first signs of the flu and follow these tips:

> In addition to plenty of liquids, give ice and
light, easily digested foods, such as soup and
broth.

> If your loved one has diarrhea or vomiting,
give fluids that contain electrolytes. These are
available at your pharmacy or grocery store.

You can make your own re-hydration electrolyte
drink for someone over the age of 12.

ELECTROLYTE DRINK
1 quart water
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. table salt
3-4 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt substitute
Mix ingredients well and flavor with lemon juice or
sugar-free Kool-Aid®.
*If drinking liquids makes nausea worse, give one sip
at a time until your loved one can drink again.

www.pandemicflu.gov

A Great Motivating Article

2008-12-05T12:19:00.000-08:00

Are you still needing a little motivation to get prepared? Click here to read a great motivating article.

Using What You Have Stored

2008-12-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

I just realized that I have a lot of canned pumpkin in our food storage that will expire in a few months. Time to find new ways to use pumpkin. Here's a recipe I found on another blog. I made it this morning for breakfast. My family loved it!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups whole wheat flour
3 T brown sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. allspice
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. vinegar

Mix together milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir into pumpkin mixture just until combined. Add more milk if necessary. Cook on griddle.

I also use pumpkin to make popsicles, shakes, pumpkin bread and cookies. I've even used it to make a cream sauce for pasta. Pumpkin is a great item to have in your food storage!

Is your family prepared for a pandemic?

2008-11-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

Individuals & Families Planning

I was talking to a neighbor recently about the turbulent times we're facing in the world today. "Don't worry," she said, "we'll help each other out and get through it together."

She was right, except in the case of a pandemic.

When the pandemic hits, it will be every man for himself. When you are quarantined to your house for 3 months, there will be no going next door to "borrow a cup of sugar"..... or anything else.

Do you have enough food and water in your home to keep your family alive for 3 months or longer?

YOU have the responsibility to prepare your family. No one else can keep you safe and alive during a pandemic.

Click on the following link to learn more about preparing for this inevitable event:

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/tab3.html#prepared

Safety Central

2008-10-27T00:51:00.001-07:00

Here's a great site for emergency preparedness products:

Safety Central

Sourdough Starter

2008-10-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

2 c. flour
2 c. water
1 c. cooled potato water
1 T. yeast

Mix well and let set in a warm area until it is done fermenting. (It will separate and no more bubbles are present.) Stir well, remove 1 c. of the contents and stir in another cup of flour and 1 c. water. The new starter is ready to use after 3-4 days. The sourdough flavor will improve as your starter ages. Feed your starter several times a week. Always remove 1 c. starter then add 1 c. flour and 1 c. water or enough to make it soupy. Do not refrigerate. Leave it on the counter. Potato water is the water you boil potatoes in.
(From Wholesome Sugar-free Cooking)

Oregano Oil

2008-08-11T02:09:00.000-07:00

I highly recommend having this product on hand as it has a multitude of uses.

http://bio-alternatives.net/buyoregano.htm

Oil of Oregano is used as a natural nutritional supplement for the management of acne, allergies, arthritis, asthma, athlete's foot, candida, constipation, croup, digestive disturbances, insect bites, bronchitis, canker sores, colds, flu, earaches, fatigue, gum disease, headaches, menstrual irregularities, muscle pain, parasites, pneumonia, psoriasis, toenail fungus, toothache, seborrhea, staph & strep infection, strep (sore) throat, ringworm, rosacea, sinusitis, and warts.

Rejuvelac

2008-07-09T01:07:00.000-07:00

Rejuvelac is one of the best aids for digestion. It contains a very high level of enzymes that help you properly digest food. It replaces the missing enzymes that cooked foods have lost. It is rich in B vitamins, including B12, vitamins C, E and K. It also contains the friendly bacteria necessary for a healthy colon.

Recipe for Rejuvelac (1 gallon)

1 cup sprouted soft wheat berries
1 gallon pure water

Rinse sprouts well. Blend wheat berries with enough water to cover on high for 5 seconds. Pour in gallon glass jar. Fill with water. Cover with cheesecloth. Let it sit at room temperature up to 3 days. The length of time will depend on humidity and temperature. Strain. Should taste like tart lemonade. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Drink at least 2 glasses daily for good health. You may use Rejuvelac in recipes instead of water.

72 - Hour Kit Checklist

2008-07-09T00:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.byub.org/livingessentials/shows/13.asp

72 Hour Kit Checklist

Your kit should be in a durable water resistant duffel bag, frame pack or day pack located near an exit of your house. Each family member should have their own personalized kit with food, clothing and water and it should be inspected and updated at least twice a year. Do not overload the kits--you may have to carry it long distances to reach safety or shelter. Emergency Essentials suggests storing the following items:

3-5 gallons of water stored for sanitation and drinking and method of water purification (rotate)
72 Hour supply of food (rotate)
Windproof/waterproof matches and second method to start a fire
Mess kits and other cooking equipment
Tent/shelter
Wool-blend blanket or sleeping bag
Emergency reflective blanket
Lightweight stove and fuel
Hand and body warm packs (check expiration dates)
Poncho
Flashlight with batteries (check expiration dates), candles or light stick (keep in top of kit so you can find it easily in the dark)
Tools, pocket knife, shovel, hatchet or axe
Sewing kit
50-foot nylon rope
First aid kit and supplies (see below)
Bottle of potassium iodide tablets
Radio with batteries or radio with alternate power sources
Whistle with neck cord
Personal sanitation kit (include soap, toothbrush and gel, comb, tissue, sanitary napkins and razor)
Extra clothing for each family member (include extra socks, underwear, hat, sturdy shoes and gloves) -- store in plastic to protect from water.
Money (at least $20, include quarters for phone calls)
Important documents (such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, wills, insurance forms, phone numbers, credit card information)
Stress relievers (games, books, hard candy, inspirational reading, small toys, paper and pen)
Sun block, insect repellent, snake bite kit, necessary medications (including extra contacts)
Portable toilet

Basic First Aid Kit

Include the following items in your first aid kit:

First aid manual or guide
Band-Aids (various sizes)
Gauze (various sizes)
Triangular bandages
Elastic bandages with pins
Cotton balls or cotton square pads
Disposable diapers (dressing/splint/padding)
Sanitary napkins (pressure dressing)
Non-adherent sterile pads (various sizes)
First aid tape or micropore adhesive, or paper tape
Anti-bacterial ointment (Neosporin, bacitracin, etc.)
Burn cream
Eye wash
Iodine pads or plastic bottle
Petroleum jelly
Rubbing alcohol swabs or plastic bottle
Hand soaps
Salt
Hand wipes (antiseptic)
Rubber disposable gloves
Small splints, popsicle sticks
Non-aspirins, pain relievers, ibuprofen, essential medications
Laxatives and diarrhea medicine
Syrup of Ipecac
Baking soda (½ tsp. Soda + 1 tsp. Salt + 1 qt. water for shock)
Chemical ice pack, hand warmer packets
Safety pins (various sizes), needles and heavy thread
Scissors, tweezers, pocket knife, razor blade, etc.
Thermometer
Matches (water proof/wind proof)
Water pouches (option)

Survival Kit for Your Car

Always maintain at least ½ tank of gas
Tools needed to change flat tire
Jumper cable
Road emergency flares
Tow rope (option)
Fire extinguisher (Standard Class ABC)
Siphoning hose (option)
Bag of sand or rock salt (option)
Collapsible shovel
First Aid Kit and First Aid Guide Information (basic)
Sanitation (toilet tissues)
Freeze-dried or nonperishable canned foods and a can opener! (option)
Writing pad and pencils, maps
Ice scraper for winter season
Maintain your vehicle(s) for seasonal change (Summer and Winter)
Always buckle up and drive safe

Baby Diaper Bag

Add a flashlight, water packets, extra baby formula and a warm change of clothing to your diaper bag so your baby can be prepared for an emergency. Remember to refill regularly.

Emergency Skills

Learn how to secure broken or fractured bones, protect burns, cover deep wounds and CPR to make sure you can provide life-saving aid during an emergency. You can learn these skills through your local American Red Cross.

Woodgas Stove

2008-07-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law recently recommended this woodgas stove to us. We were impressed with it and bought a large one for our food storage. The link below provides more information:

http://www.woodgas-stove.com/

Tortillas in 72-hour Kit

2008-07-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

A friend recently shared with me how she is including tortillas in her 72-hour kit. I was excited to hear her idea as I had just been wishing that we could store some kind of bread in our kits. Bread is a type of comfort food and is so filling!

Food seal in a plastic bag a mixture of flour, baking powder and salt.
Include a small bottle of oil and a bottle of water in kit.

Tortilla recipe:
4 cups flour
2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t salt
2 T oil
enough water to make dough

You can half the recipe if you need to.

Include several days worth of tortilla dough (flour mixture) in separate bags. Add water and oil to flour mixture just before rolling out. (Dough rolls out better if you let it sit 30 minutes before rolling.)

Also in your kit include a miniature rolling pin, a plastic roll-up cutting board for rolling the tortillas out on and some extra flour to keep the dough from sticking.

My friend suggested using the Mini Ninja butane cooking stove to cook the tortillas on. I liked the stove so well that I went and bought one this weekend. It's small, self igniting, and produces a hot enough flame to boil water. I got mine for $25 at a local Asian Market.

Don't forget to include a light weight skillet to cook the tortillas on.

Tortillas are a very versatile item to include in your kits. You can eat them plain or roll them up with refried bean or peanut butter and jelly.

It's going to be a great addition to our 72-hour kits! Email me if you have any questions.

Food Saver Sealer V2440

2008-07-01T09:43:00.001-07:00

We recently bought a Food Saver Sealer V2440, mostly to seal up the food we dehydrate in our Excalibur Food Dehydrator. We've been really happy with it! Would recommend it.

Quick Veggie Chili

2008-05-23T18:59:00.001-07:00

2 T olive oil
1 large carrot, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream ( I use Vegenaise)

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add carrot and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute longer.

Rice Krispie Treats (a healthier version)

2008-05-19T01:12:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup vegan chocolate (or carob) chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup of brown rice syrup
4 cups of puffed (or crispy) brown rice cereal

Mix all the ingredients except for the cereal in a large bowl. Add in the cereal and mix with wet hands until well coated. Press the mixture in a well oiled pan and place in the fridge to harden.

Growing potatoes in the garden

2008-05-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

Potatoes are a fun crop to grow because being underground you don't know what you have until it is time to harvest them. They fit very nicely into a square Foot Garden. For large-sized potatoes we plant one per square foot. If you are going to harvest them early, called new potatoes or if they are a small variety, we have actually grown four plants per square foot.

Now, here is the way you grow them: First, if you understand how potatoes are formed on the plant, it will enable you to understand the planting method. Potato plants start from a piece of an old potato called a seed potato that has a few eyes in it. Those eyes sprout and a stem comes up. The new crop grows off of that stem and the longer that stem is below ground, the more potatoes you will have. So, in the old-fashioned way, the seed potato piece was planted and then you started hilling up from the side aisles to cover the plant and kept covering it so you had more stem below ground and also to protect the new crop from the sunlight. But, it was a lot of work - a lot of hoeing. We've eliminated all of that with Square Foot Gardening.
Now, we take one square foot, remove the 6 inches of Mel's Mix from that square foot and, in the bottom, put in about 2 inches of pure, homemade compost, the best you have, this is for the roots. Then you put your seed potato pieces right on that and cover them with about an inch of compost. By the way when you cut up your seed potatoes, you cut them into big chunks that have 2 or 3 eyes in each one. If they are small potatoes, some people like to put the whole potato in, but that seems a little wasteful and they provide too many sprouts. You can buy certified seed potatoes in most garden supply centers early in the spring, or you can just take a chance and use store-bought potatoes. However, they are usually sprayed with a material that prevents them from sprouting. This makes them more saleable in the store and they last longer in the vegetable bin at home. It is best, after you cut them, to let them sit in the sun (to heal over the wound and then it won't bleed and rot when you put it in the ground). This is done for just a few hours.
Once that hole is all planted, you have about 4 inches of material in the bottom. Then, once or twice a week as the plant sprouts through that layer of compost, you cover it again with more compost and you keep covering it as it grows. It would seem like it would discourage the plant from growing, but it just keeps pushing up through our new layer that you've covered it with and, hence, you have a vary long stem underground and you'll have many, many more potatoes. Instead of getting out the hoe and bringing all that soil up and doing that hard work, all you are doing is taking compost and backfilling that hole - a very simple process. Of course, you can have as many square feet planted in potatoes as you want. We like to plant different varieties in different square feet scattered around the garden boxes.

Once the potato reaches the top and you've filled in right to the top of your garden, then it is either time to quit and let all the new potatoes form, or if you've gotten an early start in the season, some people like to go to our High-Rise Method where you build a 12" x 12" square bottomless box and put it right over that square foot. Make sure it is small enough to sit on the inside of your grid. You continue the process of filling in and the plant just keeps growing. I've found that 6 more inches is a little too much for the potato, so I like to use a 1 x 4 lumber so that you have the first six inches to grow in plus another 4 inches.
Finally, when you are through covering the plant, it will grow to maturity and you can either dig the potatoes out near the middle of the season to get the smaller ones, or you can let them finish the season. You will know when the plant is finished because it dies off, withers and turns brown and is rather unsightly looking, but that is nature's signal that it is all over for this year and the new potatoes are all in the ground waiting for you to harvest them.

www.squarefootgardening.com

Online Food Storage Planner Announced

2008-04-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Food rotation, food storage, and emergency preparedness made easy!

http://www.shelfreliance.com/

http://ldslivingonline.com/article.php?articleId=46159

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

2008-03-13T09:36:00.001-07:00

1 pkg rye or whole wheat spirals

1 can garbanzo beans, drained
2 cups fresh basil, chopped
1 cup whole pitted black olives
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
1 cups mixed baby salad greens

Dressing:
3 T apple cider vinegar
1 T mustard
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 t sea salt
1/8 t black pepper
1/2 c olive oil

Cook pasta, drain and mix with beans. Place vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in bowl. Whisk, add oil continuing to whisk until thick. Toss dressing with pasta and beans. Cover and marinate 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate up to 24 hours. Before serving add other ingredients and toss with greens.

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

2008-03-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

5 cups water 1 cup lentils, rinsed
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t honey
2 t minced fresh thyme or 1 t dried thyme
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped tomato
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
2 T chopped fresh parsley

In a saucepan, bring water and lentils to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Rinse under cold water; drain. Place in a large bowl to cool. Meanwhile, in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the lemon juice, oil, garlic, honey, thyme, salt and pepper; shake well. Add tomato, celery, cheese and olives to lentils; toss to combine. Add dressing and gently toss to coat. sprinkle with parsley Yield: 6 servings.

Update

2008-02-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

It has been an eventful few months. I plan on posting more information soon. Until then, feel free to browse through previous posts...

Family Home Storage Starter Kit

2007-12-09T21:49:00.001-08:00

http://www.ldscatalog.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10151&storeId=10151&productId=10151&langId=-1&sortId=3&sortOr=1&sTerm=06604000&sNVPs=%26beginIndex%3D0%26pageSize%3D200%26searchTerm%3D06604000%26searchType%3DALL%26sType%3DSimple%26pageId%3D1%26pageCt%3D15&retURLtext=Back%20to%20'06604000'%20search&retURL=http%3A%2F%2Fbeta.ldscatalog.com%2Fwebapp%2Fwcs%2Fstores%2Fservlet%2FCatalogSearchResultView%3FcatalogId%3D10151%26amp%3BstoreId%3D10151%26amp%3BlangId%3D-1%26beginIndex%3D0%26pageSize%3D200%26searchTerm%3D06604000%26searchType%3DALL%26sType%3DSimple%26pageId%3D1%26pageCt%3D15%26sortId%3D3%26sortOr%3D1

Apple Strudel Crunch Cake

2007-11-19T20:55:00.000-08:00

Topping:

½ cup spelt flour

¼ cup toasted almonds

½ t nutmeg

¼ t cinnamon

1/8 t cardamom

Pinch salt

3-4 T pure maple syrup

Cake:

1 ½ cups spelt flour

2 ¼ t baking powder

¼ t sea salt

¼ cup light olive oil

½ cup pure maple syrup

½ cup apple juice

¼ cup rice milk

1 ½ t vanilla

2 small granny smith apples, peeled and sliced thinly

Pour in 8” – 9” oiled and floured pan. Press apples into top of batter and top with strudel. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Drinking Water and Emergency Preparedness

2007-11-19T13:43:00.000-08:00

During an emergency or natural disaster, the water supply to your home may be stopped or become undrinkable due to contamination. As a result, you may need to be able to provide your own drinking water until your regular water supply is restored and deemed safe for consumption.

Alternative Drinking Water Sources

There are actually many potential sources of water in emergency situations. In addition to any bottled water that you have on hand, drinking water can be obtained from ice cubes or canned goods. Even rain water or the water in your hot water tank or the toilet's water storage tank (not the bowl), can be used in an emergency situation if purified through boiling. Water from waterbeds or swimming pools should not be used, as the water may contain impurities that could be harmful if consumed.

If you have city water, some water suppliers will recommend that you shut off the water supply coming into your home if the water supply has been contaminated (the shutoff valve is usually near the water meter). The valve can be turned on when water is needed for non-potable water requirements, such as flushing toilets.

http://www.nsf.org/consumer/natural_disasters/disaster_water_safety.asp

Protecting Your Family From an Influenza Pandemic

2007-11-14T19:16:00.000-08:00

By James Wesley, Rawles -- Editor of www.SurvivalBlog.com

The emerging threat of the Asian Avian Flu Virus (AAV H5N1) brings into sharp focus the vulnerability of modern, highly mobile and technological societies to viral or bacterial infectious diseases. The last major Asian flu outbreak, (H2N2 in 1957, which killed 69,800 people in the United States) took five months to reach the United States. With the advent of global jet travel, it is now likely that highly virulent disease strains will be transmitted to population centers around the world in a matter of just a few days.

In this article, I will describe how you can protect yourself and your family from the next great pandemic. Although the likelihood of AAV H5N1 mutating into a strain that can easily be transmitted between humans is relatively low, the potential impact if this were to occur would be devastating. The current strain of the virus has a 58% lethality rate for humans. But even if AAV H5N1 turns out to be a "non-event", in the next few decades there is a very high likelihood that some other disease will emerge and suddenly make a pandemic breakout. The odds are against us, because influenzas have tendency toward antigenic shift. Because influenzas are viral and are spread by casual person to person contact, the majority of the world's population will be exposed in just a few weeks or months. Even today, more than 30,000 Americans die each year from flu complications--mostly the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

Here are the key things that you need to do to protect yourself and your family, and to help restore order during a pandemic:

A.) Raise Your Immune Resistance

B.) Be Ready to Fight the Illness

C.) Avoid Exposure.

D.) Stockpile Key Logistics.

E.) Be Prepared to Dispense Charity From a Safe Distance
I will briefly discuss each of these requirements in this article. I will also be posting more detailed follow-up articles on each topic in my daily blog (web journal) at http://www.SurvivalBlog.com

Raise Your Immune Resistance
There are two philosophies to fighting off influenza viruses. The first and mostly prevalent is to raise the body's immune response. The other is to maintain normal immune response to prevent a collapse caused by over-response--a so called "cytokene storm". While opinion is divided on this issue, I tend toward a strong immune response--particularly if combating a highly virulent illness.

To raise your immune resistance to disease it is important that you stop smoking. If you are a smoker you have already realized that you are much more susceptible to respiratory infections. Smokers are at high risk to develop complications. Get plenty of exercise, eat healthy foods, drink only in moderation, get plenty of sleep, and use top quality vitamin supplements (from a company such as eVitamins.) If you are overweight, you need to alter your diet get down to within five pounds of normal body weight. You need to change your diet for two important reasons: First, unhealthy foods weaken your immune system. Cut out refined sugar. Avoid candy, snack foods, soft drinks, and any processed foods with preservatives, artificial sweeteners, or MSG. Avoid store-bought meat, which is often tainted by the hormones and antibiotics used in commercial livestock feeds. Wild game or home-raised livestock is much healthier! Lastly, pray. Why? Anxiety is a form of stress that weakens the immune system, and prayer is a proven way to relieve anxiety and stress. And more importantly, as a Christian I believe that it is crucial to pray for God's guidance, providence, and protection.

Be Ready to Fight the Illness
There are some symptoms that distinguish between colds and flus: Flus typically cause fever, chills, achy feeling (malaise), headaches, and extreme fatigue. Cold symptoms are usually restricted to the upper respiratory tract while flu symptoms tend to involve the entire body.
Influenzas tend to kill most of their victims in two ways: dehydration and lung congestion. Even the Avian flu, which is respiratory usually starts with stomach flu symptoms. Stomach flus usually induce diarrhea which rapidly dehydrates the victim. To fight this, you need to stock up on both anti-diarrhea medicines (such as Imodium AD--an anti-spasmodic) and electrolyte solutions such as Pedialyte. (The latter is available in bulk though large chain "warehouse" stores.) The various sports type drinks (such as Gatorade) can be used as oral rehydration solutions (ORSs) too. However, I prefer to dilute them about 50% with water, they have a lot of glucose in them which will exacerbate diarrhea symptoms.

If commercial ORSs are not available, I have read that you can make an emergency solution as follows:
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons honey, sugar, or rice powder
• 1/4 teaspoon potassium chloride (table salt substitute)
• 1/2 teaspoon trisodium citrate (can be replaced by baking soda)
• 1 quart of clean water

Imodium is a trade name for Loperamide. It can be purchased generically for relatively little cost, at such places as warehouse stores. The generic (house brands) are just fine. Stock up on Acetominophen (Tylenol) and Ibuprofen (Motrin) as well - for treating fevers. These two antipyretics can be taken together or on an alternating 4 hour schedule (take each every 4 hours but split them, for example at 8 AM take acetaminophen, at 10 AM take ibuprofen, etc. This makes it easier to monitor the patient and get them to drink fluids, if they're up every 2 hours they will have to drink some fluids). Either have a traditional glass thermometer for each person, or a digital thermometer with lots of disposable sleeves. The thermometers are a couple of bucks at the stores mentioned above. The sleeves are a buck or so per hundred. Don't cross-contaminate your patients.

Because influenzas are viral rather than bacterial, most antibiotic drugs (antibacterials) are useless in combating them. If you suspect that you are coming down with influenza get bed rest! Too many people ignore their symptoms because "that project at work just has to get done." Not only do they risk their own health, but they infect their co-workers! Liquids help ease congestion and loosen phlegm and are of course crucial to rehydration. Just a fever alone can double your body's dehydration rate.
Respiratory flus such as the Asian Avian Flu kill with congestion. Buy a steam-type vaporizer. Stock up on expectorants containing guaifenesin as the main ingredient.

You will need to watch carefully for any symptoms of pneumonia develop. These include: difficulty or painful breathing, a grunting sound when breathing (quite distinct from the wheezing of bronchitis or the "barking" of croup), extremely rapid breathing, flaring nostrils with each breath, or coughing up rust-colored phlegm. Pneumonia can be a deadly complication of the flu and is the main cause of flu-related death. It is important to note that pneumonia is typically a co-infection that can be either viral or bacterial. In case of a bacterial pneumonia, antibiotics are crucial for saving lives. If it is viral, there is not much that can be done. While antibiotics can clear infection they cannot remove secretions. The patient must cough them all the way back up the respiratory tract. Do not use cough suppressants--anything with active ingredients like dextromethorphan or diphenhydramine. A "productive" (wet) cough that produces phlegm is a good thing! This is where you may need expectorants. One that works well is Robitussin (the original type of Robitussin without any capital letters after the name). These are also available as generics, and quite cheap, so stock up. You should also read up on postural drainage and percussion techniques for chest secretion clearance--for instances when your patient cannot or will not cough effectively.

Avoid Exposure
Aside from being actually coughed or sneezed upon by an infected person, the most common way to catch the flu is by touching something which has been coughed on or sneezed upon by an infected person. For instance, the person that used the shopping cart before you had the flu. They covered their mouth with their hand when they coughed then used that very hand to push the cart around the store. Now your hands are touching the same place. Without thinking while shopping, you rub your eye or nose and you have introduce the virus to your most vulnerable point of infection. When you are out in public do NOT touch your eyes or nose. Wash your hands frequently to remove any germs you have picked up. Teach your children this as well.

Even though the chances of a full scale "nation busting" pandemic are small, the possibility definitely exists. The recent public statements by President Bush about considering the use of the military to enforce an Asian Avian flu pandemic quarantine are indicative that government officials are taking the threat seriously. A full scale pandemic that starts taking lives on a grand scale may then reasonably cause you to take some extreme measures to protect the lives of your family members. You can cut your chances of infection by more than half if you prepare to live in isolation (a strict "self quarantine") for an extended period of time. You need to be prepared to avoid all contact with other people during the worst of the pandemic. The self quarantine period might last as much as three years, as successive waves of influenza sweep through the country. Think this through, folks. What would you need to do to successfully quarantine your family? Grab a clipboard and start making some prioritized lists.

History has shown that infectious diseases do their worst in urbanized regions So if you can afford to, make plans to move to a lightly populated region, soon. Where? Read my blog ( http://www.SurvivalBlog.com) for some detailed recommendations, but in general, I recommend moving west of the Mississippi (because of the west's much lighter population density) to a rural, agricultural region. When looking for a retreat locale, look outside of city limits and away from major highways that will serve as "lines of drift" for urban refugees. You are looking for a property that could serve as a self-sufficient farm--something over five acres, and preferably closer to 40 acres. In the event of a "worst case" pandemic situation, there is the possibility that power grid could go down. Even if your farm has well water, you may be out of luck. A home with gravity fed spring water is ideal, but uncommon. So you will either need to be able to pump well water by hand--only practical with shallow wells--or be prepared to treat water that you'll draw from open sources: rivers, creeks, lakes, or ponds.

Plan to live at your retreat year-round. In the event of a full scale pandemic, the police and military will probably be ordered to enforce draconian quarantines of cities, counties, or perhaps entire states or regions. Having a well-stocked retreat is useless if you can't get to it. Live there, and become accustomed to getting by self-sufficiently. Plant a big vegetable garden, using non-hybrid seeds. Raise small livestock that can forage on your own pasture. Get your digestive system accustomed to consumption of your bulk storage foods. Home school your kids. Develop a "hunker down" lifestyle with minimal trips to town. Each trip to town will constitute another opportunity for infection.

To make self-quarantine effective, it is essential that you are prepared to live in isolation for many months, and possibly years, to avoid contact and subsequent risk of infection. This can be practical for anyone that is retired or self-employed in an occupation that does not require regular face to face contact with clients or customers. (For example home-based mail order, self-publishing, recruiting, medical/legal transcription, or telecommuting.) But for anyone else it may mean having to quit your job and live off of your savings. So it is essential that you get out of debt and start building your savings, ASAP. If you can possibly change jobs to something that will allow isolation or semi-isolation, do so as soon as possible. For most of us in the middle class, this may mean "doubling up" with another family to share resources.

To protect yourself (at least marginally) from infected spittle, wear wrap-around goggles and buy or fabricate surgical style masks, in quantity. Note that even an N100 gas mask filter will not stop an airborne virus, since the viruses are too small. But at least a cloth mask will give you some protection from virus-laden spittle. Once the pandemic breaks out in your region, you won't look out of place wearing these, even on a trip to the post office. Stock up on disposable gloves. Note that some individuals are allergic to latex. So do some extended wear tests before you buy gloves in quantity. Wear gloves whenever away from your retreat, and wash your hands frequently, regardless. Keep your hands away from your nose and eyes at all times. Stock up on soap and bottles of disinfecting hand sanitizer.

Stockpile Key Logistics
To make long term self quarantine effective you will need to buy a large quantity of long term storage food from a trustworthy vendor. Storage food is bulky and expensive to ship, so plan to buy locally or rent a truck and travel to a nearby state to pick up your storage food. In the eastern U.S., I recommend Ready Made Resources, of Tennessee. (See: http://www.ReadyMadeResources.com) In the western U.S., I recommend Walton Feed of Idaho. (See: http://www.WaltonFeed.com) It is also important to lay in extra food to dispense in charity--both to your neighbors and to any relatives that might end up on your doorstep at the 11th hour.

Stockpile fuel--firewood, home heating oil, or propane, plus fuel for your backup generator, vehicles and/or tractor. For liquid fuels, buy the largest tanks that you can afford to buy and fill, and that are allowable under your local fire code. If you heat with wood or coal, determine how many cords or pounds of coal you buy each winter and then triple that amount.
Build a sturdy gate to your driveway and get in the habit of keeping it closed and locked. It may sound far-fetched, but in the event or a "worst case" you may have to repel looters by force of arms. Buy plenty of ammo, zero your guns, and practice regularly. Hurricane Katrina showed how fragile our society is and how quickly law and order can break down in an emergency. Plan accordingly.

With the consent of your doctor and his prescription, you should stock up at least moderately on antibiotics such as penicillin and Ciprofloxacin ("cipro") to fight co-infections. But they should only be used if it is abundantly clear that a co-infection has set in. (Again, watch for pneumonia symptoms.)

There are a few drugs that have been clinically proven to be useful in lessening the symptoms of viral influenzas, and shortening the duration of illness. These include Relenza (Zanamivir), Tamiflu (Oseltamivir phosphate), and Sambucol. These drugs are used immediately after the onset of flu symptoms. Of the three, Sambucol--a non-perscription tincture of black elderberry-- is probably the best. I predict shortages of these drugs in coming months, so stock up while they are still readily available!

Be Prepared to Dispense CharityFrom a Safe Distance
I already mentioned that it is important to lay in extra food to dispense in charity. I cannot emphasize this enough. Helping your neighbors is Biblically sound and builds trustworthy friendships that you can count on. To avoid risk of infection, you need to be prepared to dispense charity from a safe distance--without physical contact. Think: planning, teamwork, and ballistic backup. While your family's food storage can be in bulk containers (typically 5 to 7 gallon food grade plastic pails), your charity storage food should mostly be in smaller containers. Or, at least buy some extra smaller containers that you can fill and distribute to refugees. Also be sure to lay in extra gardening seed to dispense as charity. Non-hybrid ("heirloom") varieties that breed true are available from several vendors including The Ark Institute. (See: http://www.ArkInstitute.com). By dispensing charity you will be helping to restore order and re-establish key infrastructures. The bottom line is that you'll be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

In closing, I highly recommend that you read Dr. Grattan Woodson's monograph "Preparing for the Coming Influenza Pandemic", available for free download at my blog site. Also see: http://www.fluwikie.com.

Postscript from SurvivalBlog.com Reader and Contributor "Dr. November":
I'm not a big believer in Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) or the other neuraminidase inhibitors. It's only demonstrated effect is to make the course of the flu slightly less long (on the order of 1-2 days less), but it has a critical requirement: IT MUST BE TAKEN within the first day or two of feeling ill. Most people (myself included) will just feel a little 'off' those first couple of days, or try to work through it. Tamiflu in this situation is pretty useless. Also, if someone is going to use it, they MUST have it on hand before they get sick: Getting the first symptoms, then deciding to call your physician and getting an appointment to get the prescription the week after next isn't going to help. Finally, it's pretty expensive (a standard 5 day adult dose is around $100 plus the physicians appointment). It's also going to be in short supply as people start trying to get it (similar to Cipro following the anthrax attacks and scares). BTW, Mom's old standby for respiratory infections (chicken soup) is as effective as oseltamivir. I doubt that it would be a good choice for an avian flu pandemic, though.

I was favorably impressed with a study done in Israel about the efficacy of Sambucol. At least, it's not expensive and won't hurt anything.

So, what should people do? In addition to the suggestions you've offered, I have a few more: If the pandemic strikes, and you can't avoid going out among people, wear disposable gloves (they don't have to be surgical or sterile). You don't know who last touched that ... whatever (door knob, elevator button, etc). Carry and use several pair, and learn how to take them off without touching the outsides (ask a medically trained individual to show you).

Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose and eyes! If your hands become contaminated, don't transfer the virus to mucous membranes. Wash your hands often (and also, BEFORE and AFTER using public restrooms, then don't touch the door knob on the way out - use an extra paper towel). Hand sanitizer gels are OK but plain soap and water is fine too. If nothing else is available, a 'dry wash' (vigorously rubbing your hands as though you were soaping them up) is surprisingly effective in removing the outer dead layer of skin cells that harbor virus particles or bacteria. It won't get rid of every single one (nothing will) but it's a matter of odds - the fewer, the better.

Teach everyone (especially the dear little germ transport mechanisms we call children) to cough into their elbow or armpit - NOT to cover their face with their hands (and then what?) or use a tissue (and then what?). And to wash their hands afterwards.

I can commend a medical blog that has an excellent article (and link to a free New England Journal of Medicine article) on avian flu: http://medpundit.blogspot.com/2005/10/flu-bug-variations-everyone-seems-to.html and
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/13/1363 - Dr. November

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, and I don't give medical advice. Mention of any medical device, treatment, drug, or food supplement is for educational purposes only. Consult your doctor before undertaking any treatment or the use of any drug, food supplement, or medical device. SurvivalBlog.com is not responsible for the use or misuse of any product mentioned.

Copyright 2006, 2007. All Rights Reserved by James Wesley, Rawles - www.SurvivalBlog.com^™ Permission to reprint, repost or forward this article in full is granted, but only if it is not edited or excerpted.

About the Author:
James Wesley, Rawles is a former U.S. Army Intelligence officer and a noted author and lecturer on survival and preparedness topics. He is the author of the novel "Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse" and is the editor of SurvivalBlog.com--the popular daily web journal for prepared individuals living in uncertain times.

Banana Cream Pie

2007-11-13T12:04:00.001-08:00

INGREDIENTS:

1 pre-baked pastry case (pie shell)
170 g / 6 oz / 1 cup stoned dates
115 g / 4 oz / 3/4 cup cashews
4 t arrowroot
Pinch sea salt
1 t vanilla essence
285 ml / 1 1/3 cups water
2 ripe bananas

METHOD:

Chop the dates and place them in a liquidiser with the cashews, arrowroot, salt, vanilla and water. Blend thoroughly.

Pour into the saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly until thickened. Allow the mixture to cool.

Slice the bananas into the pie shell. Cover them with the cashew date mixture; chill to firm and serve.

Bean and Pasta Stew

2007-11-13T12:01:00.000-08:00

Recipe By :Vegetarian Times 101 Low-Fat and Fast
Serving Size : 8

1 cup onion -- chopped
1/2 cup green pepper -- chopped
3 cloves garlic -- minced
nonfat cooking spray
16 oz stewed tomatoes -- (1 can, = 2 cups)
16 oz kidney beans, cooked -- undrained can, =2 cups)
6 oz whole wheat pasta -- shells, or other (3 cups cooked)
1 cup water
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
16 oz garbanzo beans, cooked -- undrained -- (1 can, = 2 cups)
pepper -- to taste

Sauté onion, green pepper, and garlic in kettle sprayed with nonfat cooking spray. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, pasta shells, water, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until pasta is tender. Add garbanzo beans and pepper to taste. Heat thoroughly.

Pandemic Preparedness Flier

2007-11-10T19:39:00.000-08:00

Feel free to copy and distribute this Pandemic Preparedness Flier. I had to shrink it down to fit on the blog so it may be a little difficult to read. If you would like me to email you the flier in its original size, email me.

Pandemic Preparedness Flier

Page Two

Page 3

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Page four

3 Step Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Plan

2007-11-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

It is my hope that more people will see the value of implementing the 3 Step plan in their neighborhood. It only takes one person to get it started. That one person could be you!

Most everyone wants to get prepared, but some aren't sure how to go about it. This plan will make it easy for them. And it will be very rewarding for you. It's the perfect way to help our neighbors prepare.

For more information on this plan, visit www.3steps.org

You'll be amazed at just how simple it really is!

The 3 Step 60-page booklet will tell you everything you need to know to get started. It is only $5.

Call 1-801-225-6231 to order them. If you order through their website it might take a while to get the booklets since they don't seem to check their PO Box on a regular basis. You'll have much better luck calling them directly.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Why all the talk about a "three-day supply?"

2007-11-09T13:33:00.000-08:00

April 17, 2006

http://reports.typepad.com/pandemic_plan/2006/04/why_all_the_tal.html

Here's one of the best illustrations that (1) people aren't "Thinking It Through" and/or (2) various officials and experts are saying overly reassuring things about the risk of a flu pandemic.

Based on past experience, it's widely assumed that a flu pandemic would last perhaps 18-24 months (maybe more, maybe less). Within that period, there likely would be two or more waves of illness, each lasting perhaps six to eight weeks (maybe longer), according to the U.S. Pandemic Influenza Plan.

Given that scenario, officials or experts tell us there are several conclusions and planning recommendations:

Federal governments will be limited in how much local help they can provide. A pandemic is too widespread, affecting too many people. There's no way federal agencies can be everywhere at once. Agreed.
Therefore, much will depend upon individuals and localities making their own preparations and being self-sufficient. Agreed.
To reduce your exposure to the flu, you should cut back on your public outings, especially to high-traffic places - like the grocery store. (This is called "social distancing.") Agreed.
Also, there's always a chance that production and transportation of foodstuffs could be hampered if the companies involved are experiencing high employee absenteeism. (The official U.S. government pandemic plan assumes a 30% infection rate.) Agreed.
But even if your grocery store is fully stocked, you still want to avoid going there for a few weeks. ("To reduce your exposure to the flu,....") Agreed.
Therefore, your household should stockpile three days' worth of food and water as part of your pandemic preparations. Huh???

Let me get this straight. In all likelihood, a pandemic would last more than a year, coming in waves lasting several weeks each. I really need to be self-sufficient, plus avoid mixing in public as much as possible. And food deliveries might even be delayed. So I should stockpile three days' worth of food and water??? Yep, that's what they say:

"Families are advised to have at least a three-day supply of food, something residents of hurricane-prone areas already do." Charlotte Observer, 4-9-06, Are we ready for possible pandemic?
The Denver, Colorado water utility is putting emergency kits at water treatment plants and key pumping stations. Along with many other items, "Each plastic tub holds enough food to feed one or two people for three days."
Rocky Mountain News, 4-17-06, Denver Water readies for flu pandemic

"I think every person should have a little stockpile of food and water, a little bit like the air-raid shelters in the Cold War," said Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. "The No. 1 strategy in protecting yourself from avian flu is to minimize contact with others."
ABC News, 3-12-06, How Will Bird Flu Change Your Life

Look at that last quote again. It's at odds with itself. "The No. 1 strategy" is to "minimize contact with others." But the recommendation is to have a "little stockpile." Do we not realize that a "little stockpile" will only let you minimize contact for a little while?

Matching the supply to the need

You have to match the emergency supply to the type of need you're anticipating. That makes sense, doesn't it?

A flu pandemic is a very different kind of problem to plan for. We're not talking about a hurricane, winter storm, or moderate earthquake. Those deliver relatively localized blows, then move on. Afterward, governments and non-government organizations move in with assistance. The National Guard (U.S.) or similar military troops can help. Retailers arrange for special shipments of food, water, ice, and recovery supplies.

If you're anticipating a snowstorm, maybe an extra three-day supply of food and heating is adequate. For a hurricane/typhoon, maybe you stock enough extra food for a week or 10 days. But for a threat with the uniquely high impact of a flu pandemic, why not have enough supplies for two or three months? (The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends having a two-week supply of water and food. Even that sounds inadequate to me.)

And it's not just food and water. What about medicines, infant care items, etc.? You don't have to build a fortress or live hermit-like. But to the greatest extent reasonable, consider having a self-sufficient household for three months. If a pandemic begins and supplies aren't disrupted much, great. You can save your stockpile for the pandemic's second or third wave, which may be worse than the first wave. (T-h-i-n-k I-t T-h-r-o-u-g-h.) If the pandemic is mild or doesn't happen in the next few years, no harm is done. Use the stockpile. Or, if you're "rotating stock," as advised, just keep the stockpile perpetually.

False assurance

Let me tell you something else the idea of "three-day supply" does. It suggests the effects will only be felt for three days. That is false assurance. Or it suggests that someone will begin bringing you food and water after three days. That is false assurance. It subliminally understates the potential risk and, therefore, encourages people to under-prepare. That is bad, bad, bad.

Practical application

Let's get down to brass tacks. If you're the head of a household, think about the kids. What do you do for them on the fourth day of your "three-day supply of food and water?"

Get serious about planning and preparation. Browse this blog for ideas and action items.

Pandemic planning. Think It Through.

The Ten Most Important Herbs

2007-11-07T12:13:00.001-08:00

http://www.herballegacy.org/Ten_Herbs.html

Water Bob Water Storage

2007-11-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

Here is another water storage idea:

http://www.waterbob.com/

Chief Justice John Roberts Re: Constitution

2007-11-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

We have been taught that it is our obligation to study the Constitution. Here is another reminder...

Chief Justice John Roberts Discusses Importance of Constitution at BYU Kiku Beaufort
10/30/2007 12:00 AM MDT

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts discussed the ingenuity behind the Constitution of the United States in an address at Brigham Young University last week.

Chief Justice Roberts was confirmed by the United States Senate as the 17th Chief Justice of the United States on Sept. 29, 2005. At the time he was only 50 years old, the youngest Chief Justice since John Marshall who was confirmed in 1801 at the age of 45. Last Tuesday, he addressed students, staff, and community members who came both to hear his speech and ask him questions during the 40-minute question and answer session that followed.

He began his remarks by referencing a devotional address given by BYU’s President Cecil O. Samuelson in early September. President Samuelson encouraged everyone to study the Constitution, and Justice Roberts repeated his suggestion.

“For all Americans the actual words of the Constitution are vitally important,” Roberts said. “I would therefore like to suggest that you not only read about the Constitution, but that you read the Constitution itself. It is a short, but powerful document.”

He called the document one of the most concrete documents in the history of the world. He mentioned that it has endured 220 years, while during the same period of time the French have had 10 different constitutions.

Justice Roberts then went on to discuss the genius and reasoning behind the governmental structure the Constitution ensures. The document is the embodied ideals of the framers, who saw the necessity of checks and balances within the government. In this way, the new country they were trying to form would leave the power in the hands of the people.

He talked about how the checks and balances came within the separation of powers between the three government branches. The importance of each was celebrated by the immediate construction of separate buildings in Washington, D.C. First, the White House was built for the executive branch. Then, the capital for the legislative branch, and he noted with a chuckle that the third building constructed was the patent office.

“The third branch of the government, the Supreme Court was forgotten and relegated to a basement room in the capital,” he said. “In fact, it was not until 1935 that the court had a building of its own.”

However limited early politicians believed role of the Supreme Court to be, its role in interpreting the Constitution has grown over the years. Justice Roberts made reference to the court case of Marbury v. Madison, and said that this showed the need for a judiciary that must make decisions that may contradict popular opinion.

He concluded by talking about his past experience with Rex Lee who was a Supreme Court litigator and past president of BYU. He praised Lee’s optimism and ability to balance his life.

“I continue to believe in Rex Lee’s optimism, especially in the cause of public service,” he said. “It is the optimism of the Framers of the Constitution who undertook to make a nation from 13 quarrelling states. It is the optimism of Brigham Young and the Utah pioneers who crossed the mountains to settle in a desert and make it bloom. And it is the optimism that each of you inherits, in doing your part to create a more perfect union and to secure the blessings of liberty for yourselves, and your posterity.”

Justice Roberts answered questions after his address from audience members who asked pointed questions ranging from flaws in the Constitution to Mitt Romney’s bid for the presidency and how religion cannot be used as a qualification for elected office as stated in the Constitution. He discussed some of the issues openly, but left many unanswered because of his influential position.

Justice Roberts attended Harvard University, majoring in history. He then went on to attend Harvard Law School, and graduated with high honors. He eventually worked as a clerk to the then-Associate Justice William H. Rehnquist of the Supreme Court, who he replaced as chief justice.

---

LDS Living

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

2007-10-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 T olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 small, fresh hot chile, seeded and minced

1 ½ cups cooked or one 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1 T chili powder

Salt and pepper

2 cups Fresh Tomato Salsa

8 large flour tortillas

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roast until tender, turning once, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the sweet potatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.

Spread a thin layer of salsa over the bottom of a lightly oiled 9x13 baking dish and set aside.

Place a tortilla on a flat work surface. Spoon a portion of the sweet potato mixture down the center of the tortilla and roll it up. Place the filled tortilla in the baking dish seam side down and repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling mixture. Spoon and remaining filling mixture on top of the enchiladas, top with the remaining salsa, and sprinkle with the onion. Cover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve hot. (Vegan Planet)

EMERGENCY WATER STORAGE

2007-10-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

By Vicki Tate
Used by permission
(Courtesy of waltonfeed.com)

A couple of months ago I met a very interesting gentleman via the telephone who is on the President's committee for dealing with disasters. He goes into areas around the country after earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. have struck. As we were talking, he said that the coverage you see on TV doesn't reflect many of the realities of the situation. One of the specific things he mentioned was water typically going sold for $5 a gallon during the aftermath. Any of us who've thought much about emergency preparedness realize that one of the most crucial items to store is water. The "how-to's" of water storage is one of the questions I'm asked most often.
Fourteen gallons of water per person is the suggested amount to store for a 2 week emergency situation. One thing to note is that this amount is enough for subsidence purposes only, 2 qts. for drinking and 2 qts. for cleaning and bathing purposes a day. When you consider that a person normally uses in excess of 140 gallons of water per day for drinking, bathing, laundry, dishes, watering lawns, etc. this isn't a lot of water. If you have the room to store more you probably will want to do so.
The easiest way to store the bulk of your water is in 55 gallon, polyethylene (plastic) water drums. These can be obtained from most food storage companies or from local container companies found in the yellow pages. It is important that you use only food grade, good quality containers. Many times you can get food grade containers from companies that distribute beverages or syrups. If you clean them well, they can provide a good container that costs considerably less. One word of caution, however, often the taste or odor of the previous contents has leached into the plastic and over time may reintroduced to your water. If you plan to use previously used containers make sure that what it had in it before is something you wouldn't mind tasting or smelling in your water. Most water containers come in 5 gallon, 15 gallon or 55 gallon sizes. I always suggest that a family stores between two and six of these smaller containers along with their 55 gal. drums. This is a prudent suggestion in situations where you might need to transport water, in the normal course of events or in a situation where your normal water source might be disrupted, such as after an earthquake, hurricane, etc., and you might have to go to a secondary water source such as a water truck, stream, etc. to refill. Water weighs approximately 8 lbs. per gallon. Fifty- five gallon drums are much too heavy to handle (440 lbs.) and awkward. Smaller containers don't hold enough water and would require too many trips, especially if you have to go on foot. Five 15 gallon containers are more practical and can easily be put into a wheelbarrow or child's wagon and wheeled to and from an area.
Two-liter pop bottles make a good container for additional water storage and cost nothing if you save them and fill them with water as you empty them. To economize many people are tempted to use empty milk jugs, but don't plan to store water in these for more than 3-4 months. They are bio-degradable and will break down within 6 months. Not only may you loose your water, but if they are stored near food or other items, they may damage them. Heavy containers should always be stored close to ground level and secured to prevent breakage or possible injury in the event of earthquake, etc. Be sure to store your water away from any harmful chemicals or objectionable smelling products.
Culinary water (tap water) is what is usually stored for long term storage. If you have a clean, opaque container where the light cannot get through and your water is bacteria-free when you store it you probably don't need to treat it further. Under these conditions the water actually gets more pure as it is stored. However, for most of us there is no guarantee that our culinary water is bacteria-free and most of us prefer to treat our water in some way as a precaution as we store it. Several methods have traditionally been used to purify water for long term water storage:
Two percent Tincture of Iodine -- To use this add 12 drops per gallon of water. Note: pregnant or nursing women or people with thyroid problems should not drink water with iodine.
Chlorine Bleach -- Household bleach can also be used. This should contain a 5.25% solution of sodium hypochlorite without soap additives or phosphates. Use 1/8 teaspoon (about 5-8 drops) per gallon of water.
Most of us have used one of these methods to treat our water over the years. Both are inexpensive and are effective methods of killing bacteria. I have always preferred the iodine method myself. The one drawback, however, is that both may have negative health effects if used for long periods of time. As noted above, you have to be careful with iodine and chlorine. For years they have been associated with many possible health problems. I was introduced to a product a couple of years ago that I now prefer to use instead because it is an excellent water purifier, but it also has many excellent medicinal properties. It is a stabilized oxygen called Ion that is very effective in killing all harmful bacteria without any of the harmful health affects associated with chlorine or iodine. In fact, it is very healthy. For long term storage add 20 drops of Ion per gallon of water. One bottle will purify two 55 gallon drums. It is also excellent for your emergency packs (72 hr kits). It is small and light weight (2.33 oz.) but extremely effective. It kills all harmful bacteria including giardia, cholera, dysentery, etc. within 2 1/2 minutes, but it also doubles medicinally, having many healing properties. For more information visit www.oxygenforlife.net.
Studies show that if water is bacteria-free and is stored in clean containers it will stay safe for several years. It is a good idea, however, to periodically check your water for purity and taste. And every few years it's a good idea to change it. One of the things that affects the taste of water is it "going flat". This occurs because of the oxidation that takes place as it sits. You can improve the taste by pouring the water back and fourth between containers to aerate it or by beating it with a hand egg beater. You also may want to store some flavorings such as fruit drink powders, kool-aid, etc. to add to your water if you find the taste objectionable. One of the other benefits of Ion is the oxygen remains suspended maintaining its good taste for much longer periods of time.
Remember also that you have several sources of water already in your home that can be tapped in an emergency such as your hot water heater, toilet tanks (don't use water from a tank that contains colored disinfectant. It is poisonous.), water pipes, ice in the freezer, etc.
Water is relatively inexpensive to store and certainly not difficult to do - but certainly the time to store it is now. Water that we take so for granted when things are normal, in an emergency becomes absolutely critical. This is an item you can't afford to overlook in your preparedness preparations.

Honey

2007-10-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

The Natural Sweetness of Honey

When considering what types of sweeteners to add to your food storage there are several reasons why honey should be at the top of your list. Not only is honey healthy, but it also has great flavor and will store almost indefinitely.

Honey doesn’t undergo the processing that sugar does, therefore it contains more nutrients. Mineral content is higher in darker honey. Digestion of honey is also easier than digestion of refined sugars. Honey provides a boost to your immune system that refined sugars won’t. The boost comes from the antioxidants that are found naturally in honey. Other health benefits of using honey include fatigue prevention and increased energy, and enhanced physical performance.

Note: Do not feed honey to babies under 1 year of age--it may cause infant botulism.

Honey can be used whenever you have a recipe that calls for sugar. Since honey is more concentrated than sugar use approximately 3/4 cup honey for every cup of sugar called for in any recipe. You may substitute up to half of the sugar called for without needing to make any other adjustments to the recipe. If substituting more than half of the sugar with honey, reduce the amount of liquid called for by one-quarter. Using honey also gives a sweeter taste to the foods you are eating.

Storing honey is simple. It can be stored in almost any container from glass and plastic jars to larger 5 gallon food grade buckets. Around 75° F is the ideal storage temperature, but any crystallization that occurs at cooler temperatures can be reversed. Simply place your container of honey in a pan of warm water (approx. 130° F) or in a sunny spot in your home. This will liquefy your honey. Be sure not to boil the honey as this can ruin the taste. Rotating honey is simple when substituting it for sugar but it can still be stored for a lengthy amount of time.

Making honey a part of your food storage can provide all these benefits and more.

(Courtesy of beprepared.com)

Easy Honey Uses

Antibacterial: Apply honey to cuts, scrapes or burns and cover with a clean bandage. Change dressings one to three times daily, as needed. Note: excessive heat or prolonged exposure to light can rob honey of its antibacterial properties. Always store in a dark, cool place.

Disinfectant: Take several tablespoons of honey daily for internal disinfection.

Nursing salve: Nursing mothers, try covering cracked, sore nipples with honey-soaked gauze to prevent infection.

Sore throats: Many opera singers add honey to a glass of warm milk and sip slowly. This helps soothe the throat.

Insomnia: Mix a half glass of warm water with 2 tablespoons of honey and the juice of a lemon and an orange. The darker the honey, the better this works.

Honey pick-me-up: Combine 2 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons pollen, a teaspoon of ginseng, and dried orange peel. Take with a spoon. Asian healers believe that this creates a feeling of total rejuvenation.

Diarrhea: In 8 ounces of water, mix 4 large tablespoons of honey. This works well for bacterial diarrhea. Those with diabetes should be cautious about taking so much honey at one time.

Dieting: Honey's double action (providing instant energy boost, while maintaining sugar levels for along time) satisfies the hunger for sweets and may keep you feeling fuller longer. For some dieters, this may be good news.

(Courtesy of motherearthnews.com)

Alternative Cooking Options

2007-10-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

It is wise to have several alternative cooking options in order to be prepared for various circumstances. Some options are so simple that you probably don't even realize you have them. Here are a few alternative cooking ideas:

fireplace

charcoal grill (a folding grill is nice for travel)

fondue pot/chafing dish

votive candles (yes, you can cook with them)

sterno cooking stove

butane/propane/Coleman fuel/gasoline camp stove

kerosene heater

dutch oven (you can cook over coals or in the ground)

campfire

solar oven

hobo stove

aluminum foil (to make a solar oven or cook in coals, etc.)

Snap-On-Stove® (Uses a product called ALCO-BRITE® gelled ethanol fuel)

Folding Personal Stove Trioxan Lightweight Pocket Sized Stove

heat canned foods in the can, after removing the label

***************************************************************************************************

If the Electricity Goes Off:

FIRST, use perishable food and foods from the refrigerator.

THEN, use the foods from the freezer. To minimize the number of times you open the freezer door, post a list of freezer contents on it. In a well-filled, well-insulated freezer, foods will usually still have ice crystals in their centers (meaning foods are safe to eat) for at least three days.

FINALLY, begin to use non-perishable foods and staples.

***************************************************************************************************

Hobo Stove: This is reportedly a very efficient and inexpensive option. Puncture three holes in the bottom edge of a one-gallon paint can, then turn the can over and puncture three identical holes in the top edge. Make one of the holes in the bottom large enough so you can stick a match through and light the fuel. Air will be drawn in through the bottom holes and exhausted through the top. If you want to keep your pans from getting full of soot, cook with the can lid on. You can burn sticks, Canned Heat, or trash. Operate outside only.

****************************************************************************************************

Preparing Food During a Power Failure:

During a power failure, cooking and eating habits must change to fit the situation. You may have no heat, no refrigeration and limited water. In addition, health risks from contaminated or spoiled food may increase.

Conserve Fuel:

Consider the amount of cooking time needed for particular foods. If you have limited heat for cooking, choose foods which cook quickly. Prepare one-dish meals or serve no-cook foods. Commercially-canned foods can be eaten straight from the can. Do not use home-canned vegetables unless you have the means to boil them for 20 minutes before eating.

- From "Preparing Food During a Power Failure" University of Illinois Extension Disaster Resources http://spectre.ag.uiuc.edu/~disaster/facts/powerout.html

Gamma Seal Lids

2007-10-24T13:46:00.001-07:00

My sister introduced me to Gamma Seal Lids this weekend. She loves using them for her food storage. She convinced me to give them a try. Here is a link that offers information on the lids:

(copy and paste link)
http://www.usaemergencysupply.com/emergency_supplies/gamma_seal_lid.htm

This site has good information. It may or may not have the best price for the lids. Shop around!

******************************************************************************

Update: This site has the lowest price I've found so far: http://freckleface.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/gammaseals.html

Food Ideas for Three Month Supply

2007-10-14T19:48:00.000-07:00

While your one year supply likely consists of cans of wheat and beans, your 3 month supply should contain items you use on a regular basis---things that don't require much effort to make.

Some ideas include:

Canned soup
Canned meat
Canned tomatoes
Instant potatoes
Instant rice and other grains
Applesauce
Canned fruits and vegetables
Instant hot cereal
Olive oil
Canned beans
Instant baking mix
Peanut butter
Jelly
Syrup
Nuts
Crackers
Pasta
Spaghetti sauce

Don't forget water storage.....

Public Service Advertisements

2007-10-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.ready.gov/america/about/_flash/movie7.html

Tortilla Recipe

2007-10-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

4 cups spelt flour (may substitute whole wheat flour)

2 t baking powder

2 T extra light olive oil

1 ½ t salt

3 T honey

1½ cups warm water

Combine ingredients. Mix well. Let dough sit at room temperature at least one hour before rolling into tortillas. Dough should be very soft but not sticky. Roll golf-size balls of dough into thin tortillas. (Use spelt flour to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and cutting board.) Cook the tortillas in a skillet until they bubble and brown, approximately 1 minute. Turn with a spatula and cook the other side until brown.

Enchilada Sauce

2007-10-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

Save money by making your own sauces.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Heat oil in large 2-quart saucepan; stir in flour and chili powder; cook for 1 minute.
Add remaining ingredients bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Makes 3 cups sauce.

Storing Documents

2007-10-12T12:59:00.001-07:00

Preserving and
Proving Your Identity and Worth in an Emergency

The Importance of Storing Documents in your 72 Hour Supplies

There are four areas of documents that you should consider when planning your 72 hour supplies. Those are a record of material possessions in the home, identification, cash and irreplaceable family mementos. Following a brief explanation of each of these subjects is a complete list of documents you should consider storing in your 72 hour kit.

Taking an Inventory of Your Home

In the event of a natural disaster or fire, you may find your home and everything in it badly damaged or destroyed. This is traumatic enough for any family, but if they don't have a photographic record of their possessions, they may find a battle for reimbursement with the insurance company even more horrific.

Barry and Lynette Crockett, co-authors of 72-Hour Family Emergency Preparedness Checklist, Family Emergency Plan, and A Year's Supply urge families use one of the following methods to keep track of items in the home:

Make a list of every item in your home and try to include serial or identification numbers, when and where purchased, the receipt and its estimated value.
Use a tape recorder and make an audio list
Supplement a written list with photographs of furnishings and other valuables in their normal setting in the home
Videotape a tour of your home and garage

After you have taken inventory, store one copy with your 72 hour supplies and then give a back-up copy with a relative or family friend (preferably in another town). Or, you could store the back-up copy in a safe deposit box; just make sure you keep a copy of the key in your 72 hour kit.

It's important that you make your inventory list as complete and well documented as possible. This will ensure a fast and fair settlement with the insurance company.

Identification

In an emergency situation, being able to prove who you are is critical for receiving help, both from government agencies and insurance companies. Some of the documents you should have copies of in your 72 hour kit include:

Social Security cards and/or numbers for each of your family members
Drivers license
Passport
Birth certificates

Again, it would be wise to have these in water-tight bags or containers and to also have another copy in a safe deposit box or in another town.

Cash

After a natural disaster such as an earthquake, hurricane or flood, many of the convenient ways we spend and get money no longer exist. Automatic teller machines, credit card networks, even the banks themselves are often inoperable. It is then that towns become "cash only" societies for goods your family may desperately need.

Having enough cash on hand to get you through the first 72 hours following a disaster will bring peace of mind to you and your family. Here are a few suggestions of storing money:

$100 - $200 in cash, small bills
Rolls of quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies
Checking, savings and credit card numbers

Irreplaceable Family Mementos

Some of the worst things a family can lose in a disaster are those that can't be replaced: photo albums, family histories, journals, the list could go on. Chances are not everything that your family cherishes will fit into your 72 hour kit to be taken with you at a moments notice. There are some alternatives, however, that will bring you peace of mind in an emergency.

Make copies of photographs, pedigrees and personal histories and store them with a trusted relative or friend in another town
Store them in single location--in a closet or on a bookshelf near an exit, so if needed, they could be taken out with your 72 hour supplies
Store family mementos in a safe deposit box

A Complete List of Vital Documents as advised by Barry and Lynette Crockett in their book,

Family Emergency Plan

Household and place of business inventory (recorded using photographs, videotape, or stored on a database manager computer program).

Important information and records stored on computer back-up software
Duplicates of insurance policies (life, health, auto, home, hazard, etc.)
Mortgage documents
Real estate deeds, investments
Property settlement agreements
Title papers
Motor vehicle titles and bill of sale, serial or VIN numbers, driver's license numbers, registration, and plate numbers (including boats, RVs, etc.)
Wills and trusts
Safe deposit box: location, number, inventory of contents, location of key, authorized persons to access box
Investment portfolio
Record of hard assets (precious metals, gems, collectibles, etc.) jewelry appraisals
Net worth statement
Stocks, bonds and other securities
Accounts receivable information
Purchase contracts
Other contracts
Bank loan agreements, other obligations
Bank, checking, savings account numbers or certificates
Credit card accounts (company and account numbers
Permanent tax records
Important guarantees, warranties and sales receipts

Voter registration
Family health and medical records
Employee benefits information
Letter of instruction in case of death
Funeral and burial plans (pre-arranged)
Name, address, phone number of attorney, accountant, executor, trustees, stockbroker and insurance agents
Photocopy of documents carried in wallet or purse
Location of spare house and car keys
Birth, marriage, and death certificates
Divorce and separation decrees
Adoption and custody decrees
Citizenship papers
Military papers
Passports, visas
Social security card (or card numbers)
School transcripts, diplomas
Patents, copyrights
Original manuscripts
Employment records
Membership cards or records
Important church records
Cherished family recipes
Cherished family Photos, slides, videotapes, etc.
Important books
Journals, diaries, scrapbooks, etc.
Person and family histories,
Genealogies
(Courtesy of beprepared.com)

Emergency Preparedness at Work and School

2007-10-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

I am preparing an emergency backpack for my husband to take to work and thought I would post this useful information. If you work, find out what your company's evacuation plan is. Also find out how they will handle things during a pandemic. Will you be allowed to work from home? Don't forget to contact your school district to find out about their emergency plan.

Natural disasters and emergencies may not normally occur while you are at home where your emergency supplies and food storage are kept. Because of this, it is important to have an emergency plan for the various places your family spends time. Our homes, schools and workplaces should have site-specific preparations for an emergency.

Work

Think about what you have at your office that will help you get through an emergency. Maybe you have a candy bar or a package of stale donuts in your desk drawer or maybe just an old pack of chewing gum. At least that's a start! Do you even know if your company has an evacuation plan or how to use that plan? The following are some simple ideas to help you feel safe at work, even during an emergency.

Keep a backpack or duffle bag of your own personal supplies in a desk drawer. This pack could include the following:

Flashlight with extra batteries
Emergency bag or blanket (very compact and made of a special material that reflects up to 90% of your body heat)
Food (high calorie food bars, MREs, granola bars, fruit bars, candy bars, crackers, fruit leather, raisins, nuts, prepackaged foods, etc.)
Water pouches or juice boxes
Pair of walking shoes
Multi function knife
Mini first aid kit (adhesive bandages, rolled bandages for sprains, pain reliever, any medication you need, gauze, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic first aid cream, etc.)

In addition to packing a small survival kit, here are some other important things you can do:

Read your company's evacuation plan. If your company doesn't have one, volunteer to prepare one. Make sure there is a good designated meeting location and every employee knows where to go.
Make sure you are aware of the exit routes in your building.
Know where the fire extinguishers and first aid kits are located.
Note the locations of stairways as you walk from room to room.
Carry a card in your wallet or purse that has important phone numbers including the number of your out-of-state phone contact.
Keep the area under your desk free of trash cans and clutter. This area is the best place to secure yourself in the event of an earthquake.
Don't count on being able to get back to your desk for personal supplies if you are away when an emergency occurs. Store additional supplies in your car, such as an emergency car kit.
Be sure you discuss a meeting plan with your family so they know where to go and when to expect you.

School

Schools should already have an emergency plan to make sure your children are safe, but do you know enough about it to explain it to your children? The following are ideas to help you and your children feel safe away from home during an emergency.

Contact your school district to find out about their emergency plan and the policy on how children will be released from school. Some schools already have an emergency classroom kit. Find out where it is located. Also, help your child prepare a small disaster kit for them to keep in their locker or desk. This kit could include the following:

Flashlight with extra batteries
Emergency bag or blanket (very compact and made of a special material that reflects up to 90% of your body heat)
Food (high calorie food bars, MREs, granola bars, fruit bars, crackers, candy bars, fruit leather, raisins, nuts, prepackaged foods, etc.)
Water pouches or juice boxes
Comic book for stress or boredom relief
Mini first aid kit (adhesive bandages, rolled bandages for sprains, pain reliever, any medication you need, gauze, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic first aid cream, etc.)Make sure your child knows how to use these first aid items properly.

Help your child understand when they are allowed to use their disaster kit and exactly how to use it. You should also include an identification card with their name, address, telephone number, emergency telephone numbers, birth date, and a reminder note to stay calm.

Make a family fun night out of getting everyone prepared. Here are some ideas to help your family feel prepared wherever they are:

Discuss your family emergency evacuation plan from your home in case of fire or other disaster, and a specific location to meet.
Help your children memorize important phone numbers.
Teach them the location of the nearest police and fire stations and their phone numbers.
Know the route to the nearest hospital emergency room.
Meet with your neighbors and find out who has medical experience and have a training night.
Give spare keys to your trusted neighbors.
Show your children where the utility shutoffs are and how to shut them off.
Keep your car's gas tank at least half full.
Familiarize your children with emergency preparedness products by going through your home emergency kit.

It is important to think ahead and communicate with others in advance. By following these guidelines you will be better prepared to safely reunite with loved ones during an emergency.

(Courtesy of beprepared.com)

Great Buy on Rumford Baking Powder

2007-10-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Pancakes! Tortillas! Biscuits! If you plan on making these then baking powder is an essential ingredient to your food storage.

Amazon has a great deal on Rumford Baking Powder.

Rumford Baking Powder, 10 ounces (Pack of 8) = $15.04

(copy and paste link)
http://www.amazon.com/Rumford-Baking-Powder-Ounces-Pack/dp/B000H7XXOG/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-8250381-0327804?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1192209039&sr=8-1

Order two packs of 8 and you will qualify for Free Shipping.

30 Day Menu

2007-10-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

Having a hard time deciding what food to put in your food storage? Making a menu of meals is the perfect way to get started. List 30 food storage friendly recipes that your family enjoys eating. Combine and list on paper all the ingredients in the recipes. Then determine how much of each item you will need to get a 3-month supply of meals --- followed by a year supply.

If you are in need of more food storage friendly recipes, check out the ones posted here on the blog. Many wards/neighborhoods have Food Storage Recipe Clubs where they meet to sample food storage friendly dishes and swap recipes. Don't have one in your area? Start one!

Water Purification

2007-10-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

Water should probably be #1 on your list of things to get. Have you decided on a method of water purification for your family? Consider Aerobic Oxygen. It is a safer alternative to bleach and iodine. Visit www.oxygenforlife.net for more information on purchasing this valuable product.

"The Coming Tests and Trials and Glory" by Bruce R. McConkie

2007-10-09T18:53:00.000-07:00

Bruce R. McConkie, “The Coming Tests and Trials and Glory,” Ensign, May 1980, 71
We stand today on a mountain peak, on a majestic, glorious peak in the midst of the mountains of Israel. To gain this height, we have climbed over peaks of peace and trudged through the valleys of despair.

Below us lie the deserts of sin and the forests of evil; below us stretch the swamps of carnality and the plains of passion; below us rage the roaring rivers of war and hate and crime, through all of which we have struggled to reach this summit.

Above us, stretching crest on crest, are yet greater and grander peaks. Each one is rimmed with rivers and forests and cliffs and crags. There are deep canyons and steep precipices.

Along the way we shall yet climb, hidden in the underbrush, is the lair of the lion and the hole of the asp. Venomous serpents are coiled on ledges beside the path and jackals lurk in dark caves by the wayside.

Our onward course will not be easy. The way ahead will be blocked by a landslide of lasciviousness; an avalanche of evil will bury the trail.

As we trudge forward, sharp rocks will cut our feet; rivers of lava will melt the soles of our sandals; and we shall be hungry and thirsty and faint. The way ahead will be hard and the path rugged.

But far in the distance—its heights hidden in the clouds, the divine Shechinah resting upon its summit—far in the distance stands Mount Zion, the grandest peak of all.

Through the morning mists we see Mount Zion, whereon is built “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,” where there is assembled “an innumerable company of angels,” on whose height is congregated “the general assembly and church of the firstborn” (Heb. 12:22–23).

From where we stand, on the peak of 150 years of progress, the view is glorious indeed.

Looking back with pride, we see the spring of 1820 when the Gods of heaven, the supreme rulers of the universe, rent the heavens, appeared to Joseph Smith, and ushered in the dispensation of the fulness of times (see D&C 112:30).

We see Moroni flying through the midst of heaven, sounding the trump of God, and revealing the book which whispers from the dust with a familiar spirit (see Rev. 14:6).

We see other angelic ministrants come, bringing keys and powers and authorities until all of the keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth.

We see the little stone cut from the mountain without hands beginning to roll forth toward that coming day when it shall smite the Babylonian image, break in pieces the kingdoms of men, and fill the whole earth (see Dan. 2:34–35).

We see the elders of the kingdom going forth to many nations, crying repentance, gathering Israel, and assembling the faithful in the tops of the mountains where stands the house of the Lord (see 2 Ne. 12:2).

We see converts and stakes and temples. Gifts and signs and miracles abound. The sick are healed and the dead are raised by the power of God, and the work of the Lord goes forward.

But amid it all there is sorrow and toil and testing. The Saints are tried to the full to see if they will abide in the Lord’s covenant even unto death (see D&C 98:14).

Our gaze falls upon Carthage, where murderous devils in human guise shed the best blood of the nineteenth century.

We see Nauvoo in flames and the holy temple of God desecrated by depraved and cursing fiends.

We see snow and cold and death and graves, as a weary people follow a new leader to their promised land.

We see a people cursed and smitten and driven as they lay their all on the altar, and we hear them sing with their might, “All is well, all is well” (Hymns, no. 13).

We see prophet follow prophet as the faithful seek to prepare a people for the Second Coming of him whose witnesses they are.

But our joy and rejoicing is not in what lies below, not in our past—great and glorious as that is—but in our present and in our future.

Nor are the days of our greatest sorrows and our deepest sufferings all behind us. They too lie ahead. We shall yet face greater perils, we shall yet be tested with more severe trials, and we shall yet weep more tears of sorrow than we have ever known before.

We honor our forebears and reverence our prophets. We rejoice in the goodness of God to them and thank him and them for the heritage that is ours.

As we ponder these things and count our blessings, we seem to hear a voice acclaim, “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Ex. 3:5).

But we know that our work is in the living present and our glorious destiny lies ahead.

From the top of the peak where the soles of our feet now tread, we can look forward, crest upon crest, to the Zion of God which one day will be ours if we walk in the course charted by those who have gone before. We cannot see the whole course; many things are hidden from our view. Mountain trails wind through valleys and over crests, around ledges, and through forests. We do not know the length of the journey nor the perils that await us.

But what we can see causes us to rejoice and to tremble. We tremble because of the sorrows and wars and plagues that shall cover the earth. We weep for those in the true Church who are weak and wayward and worldly and who fall by the wayside as the caravan of the kingdom rolls forward.

We rejoice because of the glory and honor that awaits those who come forth out of all this tribulation with clean hands and pure hearts (see Ps. 24:4).

Looking ahead, we see the gospel preached in all nations and to every people with success attending.

We see the Lord break down the barriers so that the world of Islam and the world of Communism can hear the message of the restoration; and we glory in the fact that Ishmael—as well as Isaac—and Esau—as well as Jacob—shall have an inheritance in the eternal kingdom.

We see congregations of the covenant people worshipping the Lord in Moscow and Peking and Saigon. We see Saints of the Most High raising their voices in Egypt and India and Africa.

We see stakes of Zion in all parts of the earth; and Israel, the chosen people, gathering into these cities of holiness, as it were, to await the coming of their King.

We see temples in great numbers dotting the earth, so that those of every nation and kindred and tongue and people can receive the fulness of the ordinances of the house of the Lord and can qualify to live and reign as kings and priests on earth a thousand years.

We see the seed of Cain—long denied that priestly power which makes men rulers over many kingdoms—rise up and bless Abraham as their father.

We see the Saints of God, who are scattered upon all the face of the earth, rise in power and glory and stand as lights and guides to the people of their own nations.

We see our children and our children’s children stand firm in defense of truth and virtue, crowned with the power of God, carrying off the kingdom triumphantly.

We see the faithful Saints perfecting their lives and preparing for the coming of him whose children they are, preparing for the glorious mansion he has promised them in the kingdom of his Father.

But the vision of the future is not all sweetness and light and peace. All that is yet to be shall go forward in the midst of greater evils and perils and desolations than have been known on earth at any time.

As the Saints prepare to meet their God, so those who are carnal and sensual and devilish prepare to face their doom.

As the meek among men make their calling and election sure, so those who worship the God of this world sink ever lower and lower into the depths of depravity and despair.

Amid tears of sorrow—our hearts heavy with forebodings—we see evil and crime and carnality covering the earth. Liars and thieves and adulterers and homosexuals and murderers scarcely seek to hide their abominations from our view. Iniquity abounds. There is no peace on earth.

We see evil forces everywhere uniting to destroy the family, to ridicule morality and decency, to glorify all that is lewd and base. We see wars and plagues and pestilence. Nations rise and fall. Blood and carnage and death are everywhere. Gadianton robbers fill the judgment seats in many nations. An evil power seeks to overthrow the freedom of all nations and countries. Satan reigns in the hearts of men; it is the great day of his power.

But amid it all, the work of the Lord rolls on. The gospel is preached and the witness is born. The elect of God forsake the traditions of their fathers and the ways of the world. The kingdom grows and prospers, for the Lord is with his people.

Amid it all, there are revelations and visions and prophecies. There are gifts and signs and miracles. There is a rich outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God.

Amid it all believing souls are born again, their souls are sanctified by the power of the Spirit, and they prepare themselves to dwell with God and Christ and holy beings in the eternal kingdom.

Is it any wonder that we both rejoice and tremble at what lies ahead?

Truly the world is and will be in commotion, but the Zion of God will be unmoved. The wicked and ungodly shall be swept from the Church, and the little stone will continue to grow until it fills the whole earth.

The way ahead is dark and dreary and dreadful. There will yet be martyrs; the doors in Carthage shall again enclose the innocent. We have not been promised that the trials and evils of the world will entirely pass us by.

If we, as a people, keep the commandments of God; if we take the side of the Church on all issues, both religious and political; if we take the Holy Spirit for our guide; if we give heed to the words of the apostles and prophets who minister among us—then, from an eternal standpoint, all things will work together for our good.

Our view of the future shall be undimmed, and, whether in life or in death, we shall see our blessed Lord return to reign on earth. We shall see the New Jerusalem coming down from God in heaven to join with the Holy City we have built. We shall mingle with those of Enoch’s city while together we worship and serve the Lord forever.

And so, as we view the endless course ahead, the glory and wonder on each succeeding peak seems to swallow up the shadows and sorrows in the valleys below.

With our souls attuned to the infinite, we seem to hear a heavenly choir whose celestial strains resound through the mountains of Israel. The music purifies our souls and the words become a psalm of worship—the Psalm of the Restoration. From peak to peak the echoing strains acclaim:

Glory and honor unto the Lord our God. Let heaven and earth acclaim his name, for he hath wrought wondrous works in all the earth.

Sing unto him, for he sendeth his holy angel and restoreth his pure word. He calleth truth from the earth and raineth righteousness from heaven.

Blessed be his great and holy name. He restoreth the kingdom to Israel; he gathereth his elect out of all nations; he inviteth the Gentiles to join with his people.

All glory to the Lord our King, for he cometh to reign gloriously among his Saints. He cometh with fire, and the wicked are as stubble. He cometh with loving kindness, and his redeemed inherit the earth.
Glory and honor unto the Lord our God.
Sing unto him for his wondrous works.
Blessed be his great and holy name.
All glory to the Lord our King.

And as these psalmic words echo and reecho in our hearts, we hear other things that it is not lawful for us to utter; and there comes into our hearts that sure witness that he who called his ancient covenant people, he who guides and preserves us at this hour, even he will be with us and ours everlastingly.

Our souls are at rest.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

English Muffin Recipe

2007-10-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

1 cup (237 ml) water 2 tablespoons (30 ml) 105°-115° water
1/2 cup (118 ml) scalded milk 1 -package active dry yeast
2 teaspoons (10 ml) honey 4 cups (.95 liter) whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt 3 tablespoons (45 ml) butter, softened

Dissolve 2 tablespoons water and yeast for 3 minutes. Combine water, milk, Sugar, salt and yeast mixture. Gradually beat in 2 cups flour. Cover with cloth. Let rise in warm area, 85°F (30°C), about 11/2 hours or until dough collapses back, into the bowl. Beat in butter. Beat or knead in remaining flour. Press dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch and cut out with muffin rings. Let them stand on lightly greased cookie sheet until dough has doubled in bulk. Carefully slip a thin pancake turner under the muffin rings -and transfer to a fairly hot, well buttered griddle. Remove rings. Cook until light
brown. Turn once. Cool on rack. To separate muffins before toasting, use a Muffin Splitter. Serve with butter and marmalade.
Makes approximately 10 muffins.
(kitchenfantasy.com)

Split Pea Soup

2007-10-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

4 cups water

1 small onion, diced

1½ cups dry split peas, rinsed

1 cup chopped ham (optional)

3 bay leaves

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

¼ tsp. thyme

¼ tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until peas are tender. Stir well until peas are smooth. Discard bay leaves. Yield: 4 servings.

The Lord Warns and Forewarns

2007-10-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

‘’In mercy the Lord warns and forewarns. He sees the coming storm, knows the forces operating to produce it, and calls aloud through His prophets, advises, counsels, exhorts, even commands—that we prepare for what is about to befall and take shelter while yet there is time. But we go our several ways, feasting and making merry, consoling conscience with the easy fancy of ‘time enough’ and in idle hope that the tempest will pass us by, or that, when it begins to gather thick and black about us we can turn back and find shelter.’’
- James E Talmage, The Parables of James E. Talmage, p. 50

Steady Small Steps

2007-10-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

“Life is made up of small daily acts. Savings in food budgets come by pennies, not only by dollars. Clothing budgets are cut by mending stitch by stitch, seam by seam. Houses are kept in good repair nail by nail. Provident homes come not by decree or by broad brushstroke. Provident homes come from small acts performed well day after day. When we see in our minds the great vision, then we discipline ourselves by steady, small steps that make it happen.” (Barbara B. Smith, former Relief Society general president - Ensign, Nov. 1980, p. 86.)

Temporal and Spiritual Preparation

2007-10-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

"For the moment we live in a day of peace and prosperity, but it shall not ever be thus. Great trials lie ahead...and we must prepare ourselves temporally and spiritually."
-- Bruce R. McConkie

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

2007-10-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. "Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Growing Your Own Food

2007-10-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

Children love to plant seeds and watch them grow. Encourage them to help with the family gardening. You don't need a large area to garden in. Try container gardening (indoors or out).

When land is available, one of the best ways of keeping fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet is by growing them in your own garden. A garden is a great way to add nutrition and variety to your food storage. Storing a year�s supply of garden seeds in addition to keeping and maintaining a garden is a great way to ensure that, even in an emergency situation, growing a garden is a viable option.

Storing Garden Seeds

Non-hybrid, open pollinating seeds are the best type to store when considering purchasing storage seeds. These types of seeds can be planted and allowed to "go to seed" at the end of the season. They then can be collected and used for a future garden. Most seeds purchased today are hybrid seeds and cannot produce more plants. The value of these seeds cannot be overestimated. There is an old adage that says, "You can count the seeds in an apple, but you cannot count the apples in a seed."

Emergency Essentials� canned garden seeds are non-hybrid, open pollinating seeds (except the corn) and include one packet each of radishes, onions, spinach, cabbage, Swiss chard, beets, carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini squash, peppers, winter squash, and tomatoes and four packets each of peas, beans, and corn seeds. Each packet is foil lined. This will allow your garden to produce enough vegetables to make up a garden the size of a basketball court. Garden seeds should be stored at a dry, cool environment and sealed tightly to avoid moisture. Freezing seeds will stunt their pollinating ability and is not recommended.

Planning Your Garden

When planning a garden plot, remember:

Draw a garden plan. This is helpful in deciding what to plant where and can serve as a reminder to rotate the next year.
Every yard has some space available. You can even use part of your lawn, play area, or flower garden, or if a yard is not available, window boxes and planters are a great option.
The area where you want to plant your garden should have at least four to six hours of direct sunshine every day.
The soil should be able to drain well. (Holes in the bottom of planters or window boxes are useful). Fertilize the soil by adding fertilizer before tilling the soil. Continue to fertilize your garden throughout the growing season. Fertilizer can be made from any available organic materials or a commercial concentrate may be used.
Plant a variety of fruits and vegetables. Dark green and orange vegetables are rich in vitamin A while tomatoes, strawberries, green peppers, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C.

Gardening in Small Spaces

If you don�t have a lot of space available, or the soil in your area is poor, you may want to consider growing your garden in containers as an alternative form of gardening. Any room in the house can be used to grow plants. Some alternative spaces are:

Hanging baskets (indoors or out)
Pots, baskets, buckets
Boxes, egg cartons
Barrels, wheelbarrows, oil drums
Window boxes
Greenhouses
Shared neighborhood lot

In an emergency situation, seeds can be grown in even more unusual areas:

Open sections between bricks and concrete
Along fences, river banks, or train tracks
Around storage sheds or boulders
On a raft at anchor in a pond (protection from animals)
Soil beds on a roof built like flower beds and filled with fertilized soil

Be creative. The same places that weeds and other unwanted plants grow can be used to grow vegetables, fruits, or even herbs.

How to Plant

A good general rule is to plant seeds at a depth three times the diameter of the seed. Fine seeds should be scattered on top of the soil and pressed down lightly.
Climbing plants such as tomatoes, peas, and beans should be planted near stakes or trellises.
Plant your seeds with enough room to enable you to move around the plants so you can weed them even after the plants have grown.
Fruit trees should not be planted in the lawn area. The watering and fertilizing schedule for lawns varies greatly from what fruit trees need.

Saving Seeds

Saving your own seeds can be time consuming. However, when you replant from seeds that you save, it usually yields plants that are better suited to your particular soil and climate.

Once you have planted your garden, watch for and keep track of the healthiest non-hybrid, self-pollinating plants. These are the easiest to harvest good seeds from. Self-pollinating plants are able to produce seeds on their own, without the aid of wind, bees, or other insects. Hybrid plants will grow great the first time, but seeds harvested from a hybrid plant may yield unusual produce.

If this is your first try at saving seeds, start with beans, squash, dill, and/or marigolds. Once the seeds have been collected it is essential to dry them thoroughly before storing them. Excess moisture can cause the seeds to mold and rot. Use a fine screen or a sheet of plastic or glass to dry the seeds on. Do not use paper towels--the seeds will stick and become hard to separate. Dry the seeds in a warm place out of direct sunlight.

Seeds that you have collected can be stored in coin envelopes, small pill bottles, empty film canisters, or other small envelopes and containers. Label each container or packet with seed type and any other relevant information. Then store in a dry, cool place. If you use envelopes to store the seeds you may also want to place them in a jar with an airtight seal to keep out moisture.

Sprouting Seeds

Sometimes you and your family need nourishing vegetables immediately in an emergency. Waiting months to harvest a garden may be too long. An easy and fast approach to obtaining some nutrients vegetables provide is sprouting. Sprouting is simple, and sprouting kits can be purchased for under $15, or you can use items found around the house. Some good sprouting seeds are: alfalfa, mung beans, triticale, soy beans, lentils, whole peas, adzuki beans, clover, garbanzo beans, rye, wheat, beans, rice, and oats. The last five seeds mentioned sprout in only two days. The rest sprout in about three to five days.

Fresh vegetables, greens, and fruits are an important part of your family�s diet. With a little planning, storage, and hard work, you can grow part of your own food storage. (Article courtesy of beprepared.com.)

Water Challenge

2007-10-08T16:34:00.001-07:00

Emergency Essential's Water Challenge:
One Gallon of Water for a Day

Make this activity a fun, learning experience for your family and they will come away knowing more about what to expect in an emergency when water becomes scarce. Similar to other emergency drills such as earthquake, fire, and tornado, this drill is intended to familiarize your family with a difficult situation. They may also become more confident and prepared to deal with other challenges that could arise. Use wisdom and caution when trying out this challenge. Keep members of your family well hydrated and it will be a good experience for everyone.

This activity is also a great way to introduce the principle of preparedness to your children. Let them help prepare the storage water, teach them about the importance of clean water and its scarcity during emergencies and show them what storage options are available (opaque containers to inhibit algae growth, smaller containers for easy carrying, or large containers with siphon pumps, etc).

It is far less stressful to challenge your family to survive on your emergency supplies voluntarily than to have to turn to those supplies during an emergency. You may have practiced fire drills with your family, planned escape routes and a meeting point somewhere in the neighborhood, or practiced climbing down fire escape ladders from a bedroom. You may have experienced earthquake or tornado drills, and other role-plays to prepare for whatever disaster might occur specific to your area. If you feel your family has those drills down to perfection, or you are concerned about being prepared for all situations that may arise, Emergency Essentials suggests this challenge. It's a simple water challenge but you may be surprised at how revealing it can be.

The Challenge

Consider living at least 24 hours with only one gallon of water per family member per day. For example: a family of four would need to live off of 4 gallons of water for a 24 hour period.

You may be thinking this would be easy. Anyone can go without cooking or extensive cleaning for 24 hours. You can expect that your children will have no problem drinking less than a gallon of water per day. However, consider average water usage in non-emergency situations: brushing teeth, 1 gallon; washing hands, 1 quart; taking a bath, 35-40 gallons, taking a shower, 5 gallons per minute; laundry, 19-45 gallons, washing dishes, 10-15 gallons. When you begin to consider sanitation, cooking, and washing clothes you'll notice that one gallon of water is an absolute minimum.

After completing this challenge you may want to take some time to evaluate what occurred and re-evaluate your family�s preparedness plans. Were the proper tools available to cope with limited water use? Would one gallon of water per person per day be sufficient for your family? Most recommendations are for 2-5 gallons of water per person per day in an emergency. Discuss the results with your family and adjust your plans accordingly.

Idea courtesy of www.beprepared.com.

Wheat Chili

2007-10-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups water
3 Tbs. beef broth
1 1/2 cup whole wheat
1 onion, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbs. honey
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. sweet basil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on high for 6-8 hours.
-- From http://www.lds.net

Quick Vegetable Soup

2007-10-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

1 can (15 ounces) mixed vegetables, undrained
2 1/4 cups vegetable juice cocktail.
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine ingredients and heat to boiling. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 3.
(From Pantry Cooking by Cheryl Driggs)

Have Your House In Order - Heber C. Kimball

2007-10-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

"Say I, Wake-up, ye Saints of Zion, while it is called today, lest trouble and sorrow come upon you, as a thief in the night. Suppose it is not coming, will it hurt you to lay up the products of the earth for seven years? Will it hurt you, if you have your house in order? I want the world to know that we are ready for anything that comes along. If it is good, we are ready for that; and if it is evil, we are ready to stand against it." --- Heber C. Kimball

Lights Out Dinner

2007-10-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we had friends over for a "lights out" dinner. All the food was prepared without the use of electricity. When dinner was ready, we turned out all the lights and ate by the light of a lantern. The kids LOVED it!

It's fun to do activities like this now when it's not necessary.

It's helpful to practice now for a time when it might be necessary.

Some alternative cooking methods:

propane stove
gas grill
solar oven
wonder box
dutch oven

Why not try this activity in your home? I bet your kids will love it, too!

Pizza Crust

2007-10-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 package yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon)

1 cup warm water

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together. Let rise 1/2 hour. Press into pan. Top with pizza sauce and vegetables.

"Raise the Bar" by Elder Henry B. Eyring

2007-10-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed watching conference this weekend. The Holy Ghost seemed to be one of the main topics. I found this talk by Elder Eyring that goes right along with what was said at conference. It is a powerful message from an apostle who is now a member of the First Presidency. It is quite lengthy, but well worth the time to read it. You can find information on last weekend's conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at www.lds.org.

"Raise the Bar”, Brigham Young University–Idaho Devotional, January 25, 2005, Elder Henry B. Eyring.

My beloved brothers and sisters, I am grateful to be with you again. I bring you the greetings of President Hinckley and the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and especially Elder Bednar. You are loved and you are known and you are trusted.

Each time I come here, I am struck by what seems to be continuous change. Many new buildings now stand where once we looked across open fields. What was a fine junior college is becoming a distinguished university. Thousands of students enroll who seem to be ever brighter and more spiritual. They study in classrooms, some of which I saw today, equipped with powerful teaching aids unknown just a few years ago. New faculty are choosing to join us who have remarkable professional preparation and great faith in the restored gospel. The rate of growth in physical structures will slow down, but spiritual and academic improvement will continue and will accelerate.

Change is also accelerating in the world around us. Some of that change, like that in this university, is for the better. But much of the acceleration in the world is in troubles long prophesied for the last days. Each time you watch the evening news, you see stark evidence of that. You remember this scripture: “For behold, at that day shall he [meaning Satan] rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good” (2 Nephi 28:20).

The Lord told us in the time of the Prophet Joseph that war would be poured out upon all nations. We see tragic fulfillment of that prophecy, bringing with it increased suffering to the innocent.

The giant earthquake, and the tsunamis it sent crashing into the coasts around the Indian Ocean, is just the beginning and a part of what is to come, terrible as it was. You remember the words from the Doctrine and Covenants which now seems so accurate:

And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people.
For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand.

And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds.

And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people (Doctrine and Covenants 88: 88-91).

Fear shall come upon all people. But you and I know that the Lord has prepared places of safety to which He is eager to guide us. I think of that often. A few days ago, I heard two accounts of God leading His children to safety on the coast of Thailand when that monstrous tsunami wave struck.

One was of people who accepted His apparently routine invitation to a Church meeting on a Sunday. The meeting was called by ordinary men who hold the priesthood of God. The meeting place was on higher ground, away from the coast. The people who gathered with the Saints were spared from physical death, while the places on the coast where they would have been were destroyed. As they were spared physical death, they were being strengthened against spiritual temptation and the wave of eternal tragedy it will bring to those who are disobedient.

The other account I heard was related to me by a Latter-day Saint who was led to safety by the Holy Ghost. He checked into a hotel on the ocean front in Thailand the day before the wave struck. He walked out on the beach. He felt uneasy. He went back to his hotel determined to check out. The hotel staff, I think worried that he didn’t like the hotel, pressed him for a reason. They only reluctantly agreed to his leaving. He moved to another hotel, away from the beach. It was on higher ground. Because of that, he not only survived but stayed to serve the survivors.

The Lord is anxious to lead us to the safety of higher ground, away from the path of physical and spiritual danger. His upward path will require us to climb. My mother used to say to me when I complained that things were hard, “If you are on the right path, it will always be uphill.” And as the world becomes darker and more dangerous, we must keep climbing. It will be our choice whether or not to move up or to stay where we are. But the Lord will invite and guide us upward by the direction of the Holy Ghost, which He sends to His leaders and to His people who will receive it.

The mists of spiritual darkness will become more dense as we climb. They are described in the Book of Mormon this way: “And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost” (1 Nephi 12:17).

But the word of God will guide those who develop the capacity to receive it through the ministrations of the Holy Ghost. A clear light piercing the darkness will show the way to those who have taken the Holy Ghost as a trusted and constant traveling companion.

Now my purpose today is to share with you what I have learned over the years about getting and keeping the companionship of the Holy Ghost. It isn’t easy, but it is possible.

The foundation is a burning desire to qualify for that gift. Most of us who are members of the restored Church have enough faith to want the Holy Ghost at times. That desire may be weak and intermittent, but it comes, usually when we are in trouble. For us to be led upward to safety in the times ahead, it must become steady and intense.

The problem for most human beings is that when things go well, we feel self-sufficient. You remember the warning:

“And others will he pacify, [again speaking of Satan] and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell” (2 Nephi 28:21).
And later comes the warning:

“Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 28:31).

If you examine your own experience carefully and honestly, you will see that you tend to seek the Holy Ghost most fervently when you are humbled by difficult circumstances or life-changing decisions. Remember the time you faced the prospect of teaching the gospel as a missionary perhaps in a new language where you couldn’t understand what people were saying and you couldn’t put a sentence together. Or, remember a time you had to make choices that might lead you toward, or away from, marrying someone. Those moments probably brought a great desire for the faith and the capacity to get the help of the Holy Ghost.

But if we have to be in trouble to want the Holy Ghost as a constant companion, then to have that steady desire we will have to be in steady trouble. There has to be a better way.

Happily, there is. Now you will have to find your own. I’ll tell you mine. There is one for me that works: I choose to remind myself about my experience with what prophets have said about the peace and happiness that comes with the visitation of the Holy Ghost. It has been true in my life. Wilford Woodruff described it this way:

You may surround any man or woman with all the wealth and glory that the imagination of man can grasp, and are they satisfied? No. There is still an aching void. On the other hand, show me a beggar upon the streets, who has the Holy Ghost, whose mind is filled with that Spirit and power, and I will show you a person who has peace of mind, who possesses true riches, and those enjoyments that no man can obtain from any other source (Journal of Discourses, Vo. 2, p. 199, Wilford Woodruff, February 25, 1855).

That has been true for me. One of the ways I know that I’m feeling the influence of the Holy Ghost is that I feel a light and I am happy. When the Holy Ghost seems far from me, I feel a darkness and I am not happy. I have felt that ebb and flow of light and happiness in my life and so have you.

I like to feel of that light and I like to be happy. I don’t have to wait for troubles and tests to make me want the help of the Holy Ghost. I can choose to remember what that companionship has been like, and whenever I do, I want that blessing again with my whole heart.

When we want the Holy Ghost and the peace of mind and enjoyment that comes with it, we know what to do. We plead with God for it in faith. It takes the prayer of faith to bring the companionship of the Holy Ghost. That faith has to be that God the Father, the Creator of all things, lives and wants us to have the Holy Ghost and wants to send us the Comforter. It takes faith that Jesus is the Christ and that He atoned for our sins and broke the bands of death. With that faith we approach our Father in reverence and with confidence that He will answer. With that faith we close our prayer in the name of Jesus Christ as His true disciples, confident that our deep repentance, our baptism by His servants, and our faithful service in His cause have purified us and made us clean and worthy of the blessing we seek, the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
I have found myself setting a higher standard for my prayers for the Holy Ghost to guide me because of the great examples of others. A favorite for me is in 3 Nephi. Jesus had chosen disciples who would need the Holy Ghost as their companion when He was gone. Their example lifts me every time I read it and could lift you: “And they did pray for that which they most desired; and they desired that the Holy Ghost should be given unto them” (3 Nephi 19:9). It helps me to plead with more desire and faith when I read again the answer to their prayer:

“The Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire. And behold, they were encircled about as if it were by fire; and it came down from heaven, and the multitude did witness it, and did bear record” (3 Nephi 19:13-14).

My prayers to receive the help of the Holy Ghost have been strengthened by pondering the record of the scriptures. And so has been my ability to recognize the message which the Holy Ghost brings. The scriptures tell us why that is so. The scripture declares:

Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.

For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do (2 Nephi 32: 3-5).

I have found that is true: the words of inspiration from the Holy Ghost are words the Savior used. When I read the words spoken by the Savior in the scriptures, I grow in my capacity to recognize inspiration from the Holy Ghost. For that reason my personal scriptures tend to wear out unevenly. I go most often to those places in the Book of Mormon, in the Doctrine and Covenants, and in the Bible where the Lord is speaking. By doing that I can better recognize the voice of the Spirit when the Savior’s words echo easily in my mind.

Just as pondering the scriptures invites the companionship of the Holy Ghost, so does doing the things we have been told to do and doing them promptly. We are promised that the scriptures and the Holy Ghost will tell us all things that we should do. When we go and do what we have been told and do it the best we can, we qualify for more instructions of what to do. If we do not act, we will not receive further instructions. My hero in this is the prophet Nephi, described in the book of Helaman. He is my example for “Go and do.”

And behold, now it came to pass that when the Lord had spoken these words unto Nephi, he did stop and did not go unto his own house, but did return unto the multitudes who were scattered about upon the face of the land, and began to declare unto them the word of the Lord which had been spoken unto him, concerning their destruction if they did not repent (Helaman 10:12).

His immediate obedience brought him the companionship of the Holy Ghost, just as it will for you and me. Here is the account:
The power of God was with him, and they could not take him to cast him into prison, for he was taken by the Spirit and conveyed away out of the midst of them.

And it came to pass that thus he did go forth in the Spirit, from multitude to multitude, declaring the word of God, even until he had declared it unto them all, or sent it forth among all the people (Helaman 10:16-17).
Now, there is a wonderful way in which all the things about which we have spoken work together. Desire for the Holy Ghost leads us to the prayer of faith. Pondering the words of the Savior in the scriptures increases our capacity to recognize the voice of the Spirit. The Spirit and the words of Christ tell us all things that we must do. And as we do those things, we qualify for further inspiration by the Spirit. And, in time, that companionship of the Holy Ghost changes us. We feel the effects of the Atonement. Our desire for light increases, and so we pray with greater faith that our prayers will be answered. The scriptures open up to us more clearly, our power to obey becomes greater, and we are drawn ever upward, higher and higher, toward purity and happiness and eternal safety (see 3 Nephi 27:20; Alma 19:33; 3 Nephi 9:20).

Now, all this has some practical applications for each of us. One is that we can repent and be cleansed to qualify for the gift of the Holy Ghost. That makes us optimists. We can be forgiven and be worthy to receive the Holy Ghost. With that gift, things will work out. The Holy Ghost has a sanctifying influence. So, people can improve. Tomorrow will be better. We can have rising expectations.

You can set the bar for yourself a little higher and then a little higher, again and again.

For instance, you returned missionaries can set your goal not to maintain the spirituality you felt in the mission field, but to rise higher. That will take work and determination but you can do it. Other people did some of your work for you, which you must now do for yourself. For instance, the Church set the bar higher for the standard to become a full-time missionary. Your mission president urged and lifted you to higher standards. Now, it is your responsibility to set the bar higher for yourself, not once, but again and again.

That is true for all of us, not just for those who have been missionaries. The faculty of this university face the daunting reality that here there will be perpetual education innovation. What we have gone through was not only a transition from two to four years. It was a transformation into another kind of university, where education will be constantly getting better.

I’ve taught in such a place. In my ten years on the faculty at Stanford, I was blessed never to teach the same course twice. I moved from field to field and changed every course I taught, every time. I remember the nights when I was still working when the dawn came. I remember the adrenaline pumping when I stood to face students with material as new to me as it was to them. I know that I got help from the Holy Ghost. If that help came to me there, it will surely come in greater power here. So, while I appreciate the challenge the faculty and staff face in this university, I await the future with happy anticipation.

As the challenges around us increase, we must commit to do more to qualify for the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Casual prayer won’t be enough. Reading a few verses of the scripture won’t be enough. Doing the minimum of what the Lord asks of us won’t be enough. Hoping that we will have the Atonement work in our lives and that we will perhaps sometimes feel the influence of the Holy Ghost won’t be enough. And one great burst of effort won’t be enough.

Only a steady, ever-increasing effort will allow the Lord to take us to higher ground. I know what some of you are tempted to think: “I’ll have to be careful not to set the bar for myself too high. I wouldn’t want to fail and be disappointed.”

I did a little high-jumping over a bar in high school and in college. I know what it is like to be running toward the bar and see that it is higher than when you jumped last and that you are now looking way up at the bar. Some of you have been high-jumpers so that you know that it is very different when you come toward it so that you can look over it. I know what happens when you look up at that bar. You think, “That bar is over my head. Is it physically possible to put my whole body over a bar above my head?” As I look back, remember I was a physics student, I realized that I must have decided that some law of physics limited me. Well, the laws of physics did apply, but the limits were more in my mind than in reality. When I now see junior high school students, some of them girls, jumping higher than my best, I wish that I were young again. I’d set my expectations higher. More was possible than I thought, and more is possible spiritually for you and for me. And more is necessary. Set the bar a little higher for yourself. And then set it a little higher. In spiritual things you have a heavenly power lifting you beyond where you are now. The Lord promises that unending rise in his own voice in the Doctrine and Covenants: “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:24).

You can set the bar higher for yourself to get more power of faith to pray for the gift of the Holy Ghost. You can set it higher for yourself to have the scriptures opened so that you will come to know the Savior’s voice. You can set it higher for yourself to be obedient in the things He asks of you. And you can set the bar higher in your expectation for peace in this life and your hope, even your assurance of eternal life in the world to come. You can set your expectations for yourself a little higher and then a little higher, with confidence that a loving Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son will send you the Holy Ghost and lift you higher and higher, toward Them.

I testify that God the Father lives and hears our prayers. He loves us. He loves His Son, our Savior, and He loves those who love and serve His Son. The Holy Ghost is real and constant in His service. I testify that the keys which unlock the gift of the Holy Ghost were restored through the Prophet Joseph and are now exercised by President Gordon B. Hinckley. When the Lord’s authorized servants say the words, “Receive the Holy Ghost,” I know that God honors that promise, as we honor our covenants with Him.
Now as I leave you I would like to tell you something personal about you. I have been away from here a long time. If you had told me that an institution and students and the faculty could rise as high as they have risen spiritually in so short a time, I would have said, “It is not possible.” Just as I used to wonder if I could possibly keep going higher and higher jumping over a striped bar in a track field.

I can’t imagine where this University will be in just a little while. I pray with all my heart that you know that I gave this message to you with a feeling of optimism, not of pessimism. I did not plan to speak to you about the hard times that are ahead and they are real, and they are coming. But as I prepared to come here I was given a feeling of light and confidence about you, that somehow the people I would be speaking to today were special, brought here and chosen because of your capacity to rise higher than you yourself would think even possible spiritually.

As I was preparing to come, I was awakened, I will even tell you the time of day, at 1:00 in the morning. I had slept for only two or three hours and I think the Holy Ghost did it by telling me, “You’re rested,” which didn’t seem reasonable at that hour. “It is time to go.”

So, I got up. In a period of five hours, when I planned to talk about quite a different thing, I wrote what I have given you. I was surprised. I thought that this isn’t the kind of thing you talk to young people about. You should tell more stories, or tell them something amusing, or try to catch their attention.

But know you are special. Heavenly Father is inviting you upward, and you can move there if you have the determination and the grit to say to yourself, “I don’t have to be forced by circumstances to seek the Holy Ghost.”

There will be some private things that you need to repent of. There will be some things you need to begin to do that you haven’t been doing. The Holy Ghost will tell you what those are and tell you all things that you must do. And I have every confidence you will not be overwhelmed, that Heavenly Father and the Savior will lift you up, and the Holy Ghost will be your companion in a more constant and powerful way.

There is a God. He is our Father. He really knows us. He knows the future. I don’t know how He knows it in such detail, but He knows the future. He knows every challenge ahead of you. He knows every opportunity ahead of you. He knows your power and wants to lift you to every opportunity and to be able to go through every trial that may be ahead of you, and to go through, smiling. You will hear President Hinckley say, “I’m an optimist.” That is not just in his personality, that’s a fruit of having the Holy Ghost as a companion.

I testify to you that the Holy Ghost can speak to your heart and your mind. And you can train yourselves to know that voice in such a way that you might move away from the beach as that man did in Thailand, or might be impressed to go to a sacrament meeting when you are on vacation, as people did in Thailand. They could have easily said, “Well, we are on vacation.” But no, they went to where the Lord wanted them to go.

You will be the ones who will be able to hear the voice of the Spirit, and it will bless you in the times ahead. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Today's Thought

2007-10-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. --- 2 Timothy 1:7