Back-To-Basics: 3-Month Supply Part 2

Part one of the back-to-basics 3-month supply was all about WHY and HOW to begin a 3-month supply.  Click HERE if you missed that post.  Today we are going to learn....

So, how do you acquire all of this food storage??

After you have planned out your meals, made an ingredient list, and know how much to buy, you will need to go shopping.  

-Unless you have the budget, DO NOT go out and buy everything you need at once and put it on a credit card!  Slow and steady wins the race. But DO put aside a little every month for your food storage.  Or put off your wants until you have fulfilled your needs. Will that fancy vacation or fun new boat feed you in rough times? Priorities!

-Peruse the local grocery ads weekly and keep your eyes peeled for the items you need for your family.  Shopping when items are on sale will save you money!!  Purchase only the amount of items that your budget allows! Even if you only buy a couple of extra items each time you shop, you'll have food storage.  Remember.... "A Case of food is you can...A Can if you can't."  Coupons can also help tremendously, if you want to go that route.

-The grocery store sales cycle about every 3 months, so if  you missed a good deal this time, it will most likely be back in 3 months.  Plan ahead when to spend your money and save up for bigger purchases.

-In Utah we are lucky to have Case Lot sales at our local grocery stores.  Food is sold in cases at a discounted price. Check with your local grocery manager, they might be able to order cases for you if you don't have case lot sales.

-Group orders and buying in bulk.  Plan with friends, family, or neighbors and split the cost and bulk. Most food storage retailers have an online store.  Sign up for emails and you'll get a heads up on sales! Black Friday, last November, had some amazing online food storage deals.

-When buying dehydrated or freeze-dried food/meals, make sure you have tried them first before buying in bulk.  Every manufacturer is slightly different and you don't want a room full of dehydrated apples that no one wants to eat because the peeling is still on them. (guess how I know :) 

-Plant a garden to save money and also to learn.  Gardening is hard work and definitely has a learning curve.  Practice now while mistakes won't cause hunger. Store seeds!!

-Share and glean fruits and veggies from neighbors, family, and friends.  This is a great way to have extra food for canning and dehydrating.  And who doesn't love getting homemade jam from a friend!

 -Learn how to dehydrate and can.  Saving money sometimes requires buying something in bulk that may have an expiration date.  You can dehydrate almost anything and store it for use later. Click HERE to see how I store my dehydrated foods using a foodsaver. Canning also allows food such as meats and veggies a much longer shelf life in storage.

-The LDS Cannery is a great place to buy bulk items.  If you have a friend that is LDS they can go with you to purchase items.  There are also several staples that can be ordered online and shipped to your home for a very reasonable cost.  Check out lds.org for more info. 

-In the western United States there is a store called Winco.  They have amazing prices on food.  I especially love their bulk bin area for spices, cocoa powder, couscous, orzo, etc.  Spices are really affordable in bulk and I highly recommend checking this store out if you live near one.  

-Be on the lookout for stores that are closing.  There was a store this week in my town that was discounting everything 20-40% off.  I got medicine, feminine products, paper goods, trash bags, and deodorant for less than shopping with coupons!  There are also great savings at closeout stores, and dollar stores.  Just being aware of what is around me, I am able to save money and stock up!

 -Walking around the grocery store today I noticed many closeout prices on medicine and personal hygiene.  The stores don't like to keep inventory around when it isn't selling. Keep a look out for sales that aren't advertised. 

It really is quite easy to accomplish a goal of having food in your home that will last three months.  It will take a minute of your time to organize your recipes and shop but, if you commit to doing this, and do all you can, you will be blessed.

Back-To-Basics: 3-Month Supply Part 1

Every memory I have of food storage always included lots and lots of #10 cans of food in my parent's basement.  They were never used and my parents actually moved some of those cans, across the country, four times.  Last year I helped my dad clean out the basement and we threw away many of those cans from the 1960's.  

Thank goodness there is a more efficient and affordable way to plan out and use food storage today! Those of us who are Mormon have been raised with the idea that we need to have our one year supply of food on hand.  It has been that way since I was little (almost 40 years ago) and at one time we were also asked to have a 2 year supply.  In 2007 a new pamphlet came out from the Church that described a new approach to storing food.  We are now asked to have a 3-month supply of everyday, "normal", food.  When that is accomplished we are encouraged to continue and store longer-term items. This is sound advice for everyone, not just Mormons....emergencies, disaters, and job losses don't discriminate.

 Now, take a moment and consider WHY you personally want to have food storage?  

-Do you feel the need to be obedient to the counsel given by our Church leaders to become self-reliant?

-Do you want a feeling of peace that comes from having food and supplies stored away for a rainy day?

-Do you want the feeling of comfort if there is a job loss or sickness in your family, and you can still provide for your family?

-Do you want to be ready for any kind of weather related emergency? Know what weather may threaten your area!

-Do you fear an economic collapse and want the peace of knowing you could thrive in a time of despair for most?

-Or are you a hard core prepper that wants to be ready for the end of the world? 

-My main reason is....I don't want to see my children suffer from anything and if I can store extra food and supplies....I will do it now while I can!

Any one of those reasons is reason enough to store food for your family!  But take this into consideration......No one else is going to be there to rescue you, not the government, not the LDS Church, not even family.  If there is an earthquake in Utah, you may not be able to reach family and use their food storage.  Don't count on anyone but YOU to feed your family!!  Once you have the "WHY I am doing this"....you should be motivated to do it! I'm not comfortable relying on others to have food for my children.  How will you feel, watching your family go without food, knowing you could have done something to prevent that NOW?!  

The "new" way to do food storage is to store what your family eats on a regular basis.  Foods that are normal for your family and foods that fit within your dietary restrictions.  You get to customize what goes into your food storage!  The foods you use everyday are the foods you'll store and rotate because you're using them regularly.  Think of what is in your fridge and freezer, that is part of your 3-month supply.  

Some people also like to store in a way of "what ifs?" and that is ok too.  That means you don't want to rely on having electricity to use your 3-month supply.  You think in what if  scenarios, what if this or that happens?  How would I use my 3-month supply without electricity to cook and cool it?  What if I had to bug out somewhere besides my home?  I do count my refrigerator as part of my supply, but I also have canned and dehydrated options to fill in for those fresh foods, just in case. 

Three months is an interesting time frame, if you think about it.  If there was a quarantine, and you were forced to be in your home the whole time, it would probably last 8-12 weeks.   If you have 3 months worth of food and supplies you will be ahead of the rest, and it will give you time to figure out what to do after the 3 months is up.  If there was a disaster and there was a long term effect on food supplies, the 3 months would be a kind of buffer between what you know to do and what you will have to figure out to do later.  

 Planning.  That really is the key to a successful storage plan.  You have to know what your family eats and how much to buy.  Otherwise you end up with a room of food you don't use, or no one will eat.  Oh, and you will need to know how to cook, at least a few basic meals.  Sorry, but that is how it goes. Prepackaged food from the grocery store only lasts so long, and is quite expensive to stock up on and count it as your storage.  Learn to make bread, muffins, pizza dough, crackers, granola bars...you get it.  Follow the guidelines below and you'll be on your way to food storage success! This is what works for me and it may not work for you.  But try it out and see if works for you! I started with just dinners, but you can make a master list of all the meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and shop for them all the time.  Starting with just one mealtime is a little easier.

It's really all about buying extra whenever you find a good deal at the store.  Sometimes my grocery shopping looks kind of odd.  I'll have 10 packages of butter and 4 packs of toilet paper in my cart, and that's all I'll need that week.  Once I bought 20 bags of chocolate chips and the cashier asked what I was making.  I replied that the price was too good to not stock up for my food storage.  She was surprised and said what a good idea that was.  Don't let strange comments or looks bother you, maybe you'll influence someone to start storing too!

Once you have your dinners complete make a list of recipes and ingredients for breakfast and lunch.  Or, you can only do breakfast and dinner.  If there wasn't electricity, cooking would be done mostly with a sun oven for me.  I would do my baking in the morning and early afternoon.  No sun=no cooking in a sun oven so no dinners started at 5:00 p.m. I am  planning on having a big afternoon meal and then a snack type meal of breads or muffins for dinner.  I have breakfasts and dinners planned for my family but you can plan all three meals.  Not all reasons for having a 3-month supply will mean we don't have electricity.  Having 3 square meals a day planned would be routine and your family would have a sense of normalcy.  Decide what works for YOU, plan it, and commit to do it!! 

Back-To-Basics Water Storage 3: Bathing & Filter Options

If you missed the first two posts on storing water click HERE and HERE to review.

One of the ideas I had for conserving water in an emergency would be to use a solar shower.  Owning a solar shower used to be pricey and I didn't want to pay a lot for one but, I found something that works for me.  I have tried using a 2-liter bottle to wash my hair, and it's really difficult to angle the bottle over your own head and rinse without getting water everywhere.  Taking a shower is something I don't want to do without in an emergency, and a way to clean up when so many other things will be out of control, will be comforting to those in your family.  A few years ago I discovered an attachment that fits on a garden sprayer to create a shower.  

This was before solar showers became more mainstream and a little more afforadble, but I think it's still is a frugal way to create a shower in an emergency.  It's not heated by the sun, but it could be painted black to absorb the heat from the sun, or add heated water to the base. (that would use up fuel in an emergency)

Four years ago I paid $13.00, with shipping, for 4 shower heads.  I gave two of them to my sister and kept the other two.  I bought the sprayer in the picture for $8.00 during a sale at Ace Hardware.  I have two of these emergency showers because there are 7 people in my household.  They will conserve our water, each sprayer holds a gallon of water, when water will be at a premium.  Controlling the water flow is as easy as letting go of the handle. When the handle isn't held down the water stops flowing.  It was easy to hang it on a branch outside, but it could be used inside in a shower/tub if your house wasn't compromised by a storm or earthquake. An outside shower tent is on my preparedness wishlist.

 After filling the base with warm water, simply pump the handle a few times until you feel resistance, and press the handle down on the attachment for the water to being flowing.  I timed how long the water ran before having to pump again, and it was around 35 seconds.  Now, that doesn't sound like a long time, but in-between shampooing and conditioning you don't need the water to be flowing.  It's long enough to rinse your hair, or your body, off.  Pumping the handle isn't difficult either, a child could easily do it. It won't take a lot of effort to take a shower. 

 The original source that I purchased my shower head attachments from is no longer available, but I found another source HERE and they are still reasonably priced at $5.20.

There are also solar showers available from emergency supply stores and online.  Check them out and see what would work for you.   

  This is something that I learned from a friend.  Store baby wipes and use them as a type of sponge bath. Use your shower as a weekly cleaning and the baby wipes as a daily refresher.  You will feel clean and more like yourself.  Nothing refreshes a person like being clean!!

 How are YOU planning on bathing in an emergency??

Water Filters

My last thought on water for this week:  Have a PLAN for when your stored water runs out!

Research filters both homemade and manufactured:
 The Berkey water filter
The Survival Still
An affordable ceramic gravity fed water filter
Other Water Filter Ideas
Low-cost homemade options 

Filter Water From Natural Sources:
  Know how to filter water from streams, lakes, and rivers.  

Back-To-Basics Water Storage Part 2: 55-gallon Water Barrels

How is your water storage coming along?  Did you take the challenge from my first post and store water for your family?  I hope you did, but if not, get going today!  I took my own advice and got around to a project that I have needed to do since I moved into my home a year and a half ago.  

When I moved, in January, we (I say we, but it was really my husband) emptied two 55-gallon water barrels, that were frozen solid.  My husband, bless him, never complained, just added more hot water and loaded the empty barrels on the truck.  And empty is how they remained until this past week.  

  

I needed to move the empty barrels from the garage into the storage room.  Right where that pile of junk is.  It took some maneuvering but I got them in there.

 

After the 2 barrels were put into place, they needed to be filled up.  Empty barrels defeat the purpose of owning them!!  One of the barrels was pretty dirty and so I added some water, swished it around and dumped it out. 

 

 And let me tell you what....I am so glad that I flipped that bad boy over....there was an entire family of spiders living on the bottom of this barrel.  There was even an egg sack!  If I hadn't checked they would have moved into my storage room....yuck!!!

After the spider removal I used a bung wrench (make sure you have one!!) to open the barrels.  

Then I filled them up.  I am really lucky that I have a hose hook up in my garage that uses culinary water.  The hose isn't used for yard work and I felt it was safe to use to fill up our water barrels.  

 

I thought I was going to be there all day filling up these barrels, but I was completely done in about an hour and a half.  That included moving all the stuff around, cleaning them, and filling them.  The actual filling only took about 20 minutes for two barrels. 

 

 After they were filled I put the caps back on and they were good to go.  There is no need to add cleaners or purifying ingredients if you use culinary water to fill up water containers.  The water is already treated and if your container is clean, you shouldn't have an issues with bacteria. 

Don't forget that if you ever need to get the water back out of the barrel, that you'll need a pump, siphon, and a bung wrench to open the caps.  I keep my water barrel paraphernalia close by but out of the way.  I would also suggest having a few 5-gallon water containers with a spigot to siphon the water into.  Five gallons is a manageable size to carry after filling it.  I have no intention of moving my 55-gallon barrels for a long time, but if I needed to get water out they aren't too far away from my kitchen or backyard.  Lugging a 5-gallon container from the big barrel to wherever we need the water is something I thought about before filling the 55-gallon barrels. 

Okay, it's your turn!  Did you get any water stored this week??  

Back-To-Basics Water Storage Part 1

Welcome to the first post in my Back-To-Basics series.  My goal is to have a new topic up each week, but today we're starting with.....

I think everyone will agree that we all need water to live.  Our bodies can't survive longer than three days without it and that's why it is number one when it comes to food storage. This is also the easiest part of food storage to accomplish because water is fairly inexpensive, easy to get, and most containers for storage are easily found. 

If you don't have any food storage at all, I urge you (silently begging you) to get your water storage done today!!  

A gallon per person per day is the bare minimum that you will need to store. Youngsters, nursing mothers may need more. My water was shut off one day, due to construction, and it took almost 3 2-liter bottles of water to just wash my hair.  That made me pause and realize how much water I was going to need with 4 daughters.  But in all seriousness I'm thinking that 2 gallons per person would give each person enough water for hygiene, laundry, cleaning, and drinking.  See if you can get 2 weeks stored away (that's 28 gallons per person) and that would be a great start!  It's only a start because there really isn't a feasible way to store a year's worth, or longer, of water.  You will need to find water from another source after your stored water runs out. 

• 2-liter soda bottles, juice bottles, laundry detergent bottles....NOT milk containers...they will break down and leak.  Clean the soda and juice bottles with soapy water, or a small amount of bleach, and let air dry.  Fill them with tap water and they are good to go.  The detergent bottles will store water used for cleaning. Make sure to mark them clearly as WATER.
• Mason jars that aren't being used at the time.  

• Smaller water bottles that come in 24 packs are great for everyday water needs.  
• 5-Gallon water jugs, with a spigot
• Water bricks (look online)
• 55-gallon water barrels

Just remember to use clean containers and plain old tap water will be safe to fill them all up.  Keep a variety of water containers in different sizes.  If you only have 55-gallon barrels, you'll be sad when you have to evacuate and you can't lift one of those!  The smaller the container, the easier to transport.   Store your water in different places in your home.  If all of your water is in one area and that area gets damaged....I hope you have some strong men and lots of shovels.  Keep water in the garage, basement, kitchen, cars, under the bed, etc.  Try to store your water in cool, dry places.  The sun will encourage bacteria to grow.  (I would rotate water at least once a year that sits outside in the sun, but I don't rotate my water if it's in my house)

• Lakes, streams, rivers in your area
• Water heaters
• Toilet tanks (not the bowl!)
• Wells
• Rain barrels
• Liquid from canned foods
• Melted ice from your freezer
• Pools & spas, but use it for cleaning only!
• NOT a water bed!!

Some of the above sources will most likely need to be purified.  If in doubt...treat it!!  Do you have the supplies to purify water?

Bleach:  

1. Filter the water through a coffee filter, t-shirt, or any clean cloth.
2. If you have a heat source, boil the water for a minute, but let cool down completely before adding the bleach.
3. If you have clear water add 1/8 t-1/4 t (8-16 drops) of bleach and shake/stir.  Use 1t for 5 gallons of water.  Double the amount for cloudy water.  Make sure the bleach doesn't have any added perfumes or dyes. (1/8 t per 2-liter bottle)
4. Wait 30 minutes.
5. The water must smell like bleach to be safe to drink.  If is doesn't smell of bleach, repeat step 3.

Bleach does have an expiration time of about 8-12 months.  Make sure you are using and rotating it. I write the date I bought it with a sharpie before putting it on my shelf.

Boiling:

1. Boil water for at least one minute. Water is purified the minute it reaches the boiling point, but if you let it boil for 1 minute, you'll be safe.  
2. Make sure to filter the water first if it is cloudy or has debris in it.  
3. Let it cool before drinking.  Boiling does leave a taste to the water.  Add oxygen back in it by pouring it between two containers before drinking. 

My theory is...if in doubt....purify it!!!  

Calcium Hypochlorite: AKA "Pool Shock"

1. 1lb bag will treat 10,000 gallons of water.
2. C.H. doesn't degrade like bleach does
3. Only buy the granular type...not the liquid...it will degrade.
4. 1 gallon bag will treat 1 gallon of water per day for a family of 4 or 6-7 years. 
5. First make a chlorine solution of 1 C. of water and 1/4 t of C. H. (78%)*, mix until dissolved and DO NOT DRINK THIS SOLUTION!  It will be used to purify your water.
6.  Add a 1/2 t of chlorine solution to 2 gallons of water. Stir or shake.
7. Let sit for one hour minimum before drinking.
8. Calcium hypochlorite can be found in pool supply stores, or where ever pool supplies are sold. (I found some at Wal-Mart)
9. *C.H. does come in different strengths.  The store brands are usually about 52% and the stronger stuff, 78%-99% will be found at pool supply stores.  If you use the lower percentage you might need to purify the water more then once.  

There are also many water filters, and water bottles with built in filters, on the market today.  Do the research to find what works best for your family, or research a product called Steramine, found on Amazon. It purifies water too.  We are so lucky to live in a day in age where a couple clicks of the computer, or phone, and we get instant information.

• buy a solar shower to conserve water when bathing
• use spray bottles for hand washing....one bottle has soapy water and another bottle has clean water to rinse hands with
• keep sanitizers in your storage for cleaning hands in times when water isn't really needed
• use the juices from canned goods in cooking
• use cups and a large container of water to dispense drinks. If you hand out water bottles to everyone, they will drink part of it and most likely waste the rest.  Picture your campsite/bug out spot full of the same water bottles and no one knows whose is whose.  (pack a sharpie to write names with your water supply)

Your goal is no more procrastination!!!  My next post will show you how I follow my own advice!  If you don't have water stored, start today!  If you do have water stored, add a gallon or two more. Knowledge is power, but that knowledge won't quench your thirst....commit to DO something today!! 

Back-To-Basics: A New Series on Food Storage

 Sometimes you have to get back to the basics and re-learn something you thought you already knew.  I started this blog about 5 years ago and in the last year, or so, I haven't blogged as frequently.  Hopefully I haven't forgotten too much about food storage!  But my church calling (job) changed and I didn't have the focus on food storage that I had before.  But, that will change now!  I am back in the prepping mode and with new motivation.  So, I've decided it would be helpful to get back-to-basics, and get a refresher course in all things food storage related.    

 

For starters we are going to learn all there is to know about storing water and then all about having a 3-month supply of food.  It can be intimidating and I feel I lose a lot of people before they have even started, just because they don't know where to begin. I will break it all down and explain how I do food storage, and hopefully that will help all of you!  Cause there isn't just on way of doing things.  I learn so much from others and find new ways of doing things that I wouldn't have thought of by myself.  Check back next week for part one of my Food Storage Back-To-Basics Series!! 

Prepare Today Homemade: Chia Millet Granola

I am always on the lookout for a great granola recipe and I have found a new favorite!  Breakfast foods have sounded so blah to me lately and nothing has sounded good to eat.  Well, I have a new favorite breakfast and have been eating this deliciousness everyday for the last 2 weeks.

It's chock full of seeds, oats and flax.  One of my favorite parts of this granola is that is has chia and millet in it.  Yes, millet is in bird food, but it really is produced for people too!  Both are gluten-free as well.  Millet is easy to digest, has a high fiber content, b-vitamins, thiamine, riboflavin, and more!  Chia is a seed that has a really high omega-3 content, lots of protein, and is rich in calcium.  This is great nutritional information for vegetarians, like myself.  Chia also absorbs more than 7 times it's weight in water and can be used as an egg substitute.  
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Chia Eggs:
2 t. ground chia seeds
1/4 C. water
Mix together and let stand for 5 minutes.  This will equal 1 egg. 
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Both of these "grains" are packed full of nutrition, but they taste great too.  You almost can't even tell they are in the granola.  

Chia Millet Granola
4 C. quick oats
1 C. uncooked millet
1/4 C. ground flax seed
2 T. chia seed
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon

Mix ingredients above in a large bowl. Stir to combine.

In a microwaveable bowl, combine:
heaping 1/4 C applesauce
1/2 C. brown rice syrup
6 T. peanut butter

Microwave for 1 minute and stir well.  

Add in: 
2 t vanilla

Add the wet ingredients into the oat mixture.  Stir until combined.  It may take a minute to get all the mixture moistened, but it will get there.  Place on a greased jelly roll pan and pat down slightly.

Heat the oven to 325° and bake for 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through.  Stir the granola after cooking so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.  Let cool in the pan for a few minutes.  Once cool, store in an airtight container.  Makes about 10 cups.

Add in any dried fruit, nuts, seeds, etc.  I really like to add freeze dried fruit to mine.  It's also really good mixed in with the cereal I posted about last week.

It is crunchy, sweet, and delicious!  AND it uses many ingredients from my food storage.  Chia has a shelf life of at least 5 years!  I love that!  And I have been noticing it in more and more stores lately.  The brown rice syrup in the recipe is also found right in your grocery store. A few years ago I couldn't find that stuff anywhere local!

This is an example of  how yummy food storage is, and that it doesn't need to contain wheat and powdered milk to be considered food storage ;)  

Eat what you store......store what you eat!!!