Take time on the Sabbath to discuss the importance of emergency preparedness with family & neighbors. Establish a 3 month supply of water and food and rotate it. Actively participate in all emergency response drills. Maintain a "red file" for your most important documents. Live righteously, practice the welfare principle of self-reliance and build a three to six month financial reserve.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Butane lighters

The best types of butane lighters to purchase are the long necked fire starting kind. Smaller lighters designed for lighting cigarettes aren’t as good for starting fires since they can easily burn you and don‘t work as well tipped over. Also, the long necked lighters contain more butane and will therefore last longer. They are so inexpensive that any home should have at least a dozen on hand. Don’t bother investing in high powered pseudo torches – for the price of one of these you can probably buy a case of lighters.

Week # 49: 10 lbs of Barley


Week # 49: 10 lbs of Barley (If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in steps.)
Barley:hulled-barley
 Why do I store it? 
Barley is popular as a staple food, used in soups, as an extender for vegetable proteins and occasionally milled into flour. Barley flour, a by-product of pearling, is used in the United States for baby foods and other specialties. Barley as flatbread or porridge is widely consumed in North Africa and parts of Asia.
Barley’s Fiber for Regularity, Lower Cholesterol, & Intestinal Protection. Wish you were more regular? Let barley give your intestinal health a boost. Because of its neutral flavor, it’s easy to blend barley’s nutrition and texture into a variety of foods: soups, sausages, crackers, casseroles, hot and cold ready-to-eat cereals, snacks, breads, cookies, bagels, side dishes, main dishes and granola.
Nutrition:
Barley is a very good source of fiber and selenium. It also serves as a good source of the minerals phosphorus, copper and manganese.
Livelyhood:
Though the United States produces only 3-5 percent of the 200 million metric tons (7-8 billion bushels) of world barley output, the U.S. is consistently one of the top 10 world barley exporters.

Storage: If possible store unhulled barley.  Stores longer and is more nutritious!
]Barley is generally available in its pearled, hulled and flaked form. It is available prepackaged as well as in bulk containers. Just as with any other food that you may purchase in the bulk section, make sure that the bins containing the barley are covered and that the store has a good product turnover so as to ensure its maximal freshness. Whether purchasing barley in bulk or in a packaged container, make sure that there is no evidence of moisture.
Store barley in a tightly covered container in a cool, dry place. Barley can also be stored in the refrigerator during periods of warmer weather.

Shelf life - The shelf life of Barley is only 2-3 years due to the higher oil content of the grain.  Store only what you need and use on a regular bases.  You can extend the shelf
life by 3 to 5 times by putting it in a canning mason jar and use a Food Savor and jar sealer lids and suck out all the oxygen which breaks down oils over time.

Recipes:curried_fruit_barley_salad
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.
weeklypurchasingplan-new using-your-52-weeks

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Easy Home Remedies for the Cold and Flu Season 2012


5 Easy Home Remedies for the Cold and Flu Season 2012






Easy home remedys for the cold and flu season



10+ Natural Cold Remedies

President Benson Videos

Prepare yourself for the great day of the Lord part 1




Prepare yourself the the great day of the Lord part 2



Week # 48: 50 lbs of Wheat (white or red) (our ward owns a wheat grinder:see below)


Week # 35: 50 lbs of Wheat (white or red) (our ward owns a wheat grinder:see below)
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in baby steps.)
Baby Steps:
  1. Choose location for storage
  2. Purchase containers (#10 Cans, Buckets) for wheat or purchase pre-packaged wheat.
  3. Purchase your wheat for containers.
  4. Fill and date your wheat containers. (Leave some extra wheat out in order to test it some recipes.)
10 Reasons to love Whole Wheat:
  1. It’s more nutritious, providing several more minerals, vitamins (18 more to be exact!), and natural photochemicals than white flour.
  2. Relax! It has More B Vitamins which are known to help with nerves & stress.
  3. Get cleaned out. Whole wheat provides more fiber, preventing constipation & diverticulosis. The American Dietetic Association recommends 20-35 grams daily, the average American consumes only 12 grams.
  4. Lose weight and keep it off! Whole wheat has a lot of fiber which has almost no calories, keeps you fuller for longer, absorbs 3x it’s weight in water, cuts absorption of calories, cleans out impurities, requires more chewing, and takes 1/2 as much to fill you up and takes longer to digest.
  5. Reduces your risk of colon cancer & other diseases.
  6. Lowers blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and risk of adult on set Diabetes.
  7. Cheaper! It will lower your food costs by at 30% to 50%!
  8. Lowers doctor visits, bills, & medications.
  9. Lowers Dentist Bills by cutting down on tooth decay.
  10. Eating Whole Wheat keeps your body both emotionally and physically used to wheat.
Differences between White & Red Wheat:
“The main difference between hard red wheat and hard white wheat is color genes. Both have similar fiber and protein levels. But whole-grain bread from hard white wheat is less bitter–some say sweeter–than whole-grain bread from hard red wheat. That’s because white wheat’s outer kernel contains fewer tannins and phenolic compounds.” (Scientists redesign white wheat Agricultural Research, June, 1994 by Linda Cooke)
They also taste different. Red wheat has a more “nutty” flavor while white wheat’s mild flavor makes it easier hidden in bakery items.
Hard Red Wheat
Hard White Wheat
Recipes with wheat:
If You ONLY Have: Water, Wheat, Salt, Shortening or Oil You Can Make:
  • Sprouted wheat
  • Cooked cracked wheat
  • Cooked whole wheat
  • Wheat grass
  • Gluten (a strange bread-type food that has a very high protein content)
  • Tortillas
Just Add: Powdered Milk, Powdered Eggs, Honey or Sugar, Flour And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:
  • Wheat pudding
  • German pancakes
  • Crepes
  • Pasta
Just Add: Yeast, Baking Powder, Baking Soda And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:
  • Puddings/custards
  • Pancakes
  • Some varieties of cookies
  • Waffles
  • Muffins/English muffins
  • Breads
  • Biscuits
  • Some varieties of crackers
Just Add: Tomatoes, Powdered Butter and Cheese, Unflavored Gelatin, Canned Milk, Canned FruitsAnd You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:
  • Meatless dinners
  • Meatless casseroles
  • Cream sauces
  • Jello salads
  • Whipped cream desserts
  • Baby formula
Just Add: Rice, Legumes, Beef/Chicken Broth, Canned Meats, Dried Potatoes, Dehydrated VegetablesAnd You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:
  • Lots of great chunky soups
  • Chili
  • Refried beans
  • Rice dinners
  • Rice puddings
  • Sandwiches
  • Many different dinners and casseroles
Just Add: Extras such as Oats, Raisins, Nuts, Spices, Juice, Peanut Butter, Cream of Tarter, etc.And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:
  • A wide variety of almost any type of food you would want to cook
As you can see, with a bit of planning (and a fabulous food storage recipe book on hand - Victoria's how much is enough? Food Storage Cookbook), you can be confident that you will be able to create healthy, filling, comforting meals for your family should a true emergency occur. It will also be helpful to start using and rotating through these foods in your every day cooking so that you can find the recipes your family likes, get them used to eating these foods, and ensure that all of your storage retains its maximum freshness.
Shelf life of wheat?
30+ years if low-moisture foods are properly packaged and stored at room temperature or cooler (75°F/24°C or lower) remain nutritious and edible.
How can I store Wheat?
Recommended containers for longer-term storage include the following
  • # 10 cans (available at Church home storage centers)
  • Foil pouches (available through Church Distribution Services)
These containers, used with oxygen absorber packets, eliminate food-borne insects and help preserve nutritional quality and taste. Oxygen absorber packets are available at Church home storage centers or through Church Distribution Services.
Under certain conditions, you can also use plastic buckets for longer-term storage of wheat, dry beans, and other dry products.

Types of Wheat Grinders:  


Prices of Wheat Grinders
Manual Wheat Grinders
  • Low: $20-30 models will not grind flour, only coarse corn meal, etc. Not very useful.
  • Medium: $75-$175 is a good price range. Back to Basics Grain Mill is $75. It can grind fine enough for bread flour but not for very fine cake flour. Wonder Junior is higher-priced at $169 but it can grind into cake flour.
  • High: Up to $400 for the Country Living Grain Mill. It is quicker than other manual grinders and is able to grind a fine cake flour.
  • KitchenAid Attachments
  • $100-120, some may be used on any stand mixer.Electric Wheat Grinders
  • Low: Under $200 for grinders such as the Blendtec Grain Mill. Its drawbacks are it is very noisy and cannot do very coarse grinds.
  • Medium: $200-$300 can get you a great grinder. The two most popular electric grinders are the WonderMill and the NutriMill. In my tests I found the WonderMill to be faster, quieter, cleaner, and easier to store. And priced at $239 it is even cheaper than the NutriMill which is $269.
  • High: Over $300 is an unnecessary amount to spend in my opinion. There are heavy duty models out there but you can get the job done with the mid-range models.
  • Sample Wheat Grinders:
    Click here to see sample wheat grinders or here to view a detailed comparison chart.
    One not included in the above comparison which is actually my favorite can be viewed here.
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.
    weeklypurchasingplan-new using-your-52-weeks

    -- 

    Week # 47: 4 Gallons of Bleach


    Week # 47: 4 Gallons of Bleachbleach
    (If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in baby steps.)
    Bleach 
    For this purpose we are suggesting bleach here for water purification and as a disinfectant. So if you need more for other uses then please by all means store more.
    Shelf life- one years so please rotate!
    To Purify Water:
    If your water supply is not known to be safe or has become polluted, it should be purified before use. Water purification is generally a two-step process.
    Step 1: Clarify
    Cloudy or dirty water must first be made clear. It may be passed through filter paper, fine cloth, or other filter. It may be allowed to settle and the clear water on top carefully drawn. Filtered or clear settled water should always be disinfected before use.
    Step 2: Disinfect
    Boiling Method
    Bringing water to a rolling boil for 3 to 5 minutes will kill most water-borne microorganisms. However, prolonged boiling of small quantities of water may concentrate toxic contaminants if present.
    Bleach Method
    Adding 1/8 of a teaspoon (8 drops) of fresh liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to every gallon (4 liters) of water will kill most microorganisms. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used. The use of bleach does not address toxic contamination.
    EMERGENCY WATER PURIFICATION VOLUME CALCULATOR here.
    Print the following chart and keep it next to your Bleach.
    bleach-table
    The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site provides additional information about water purification.
    For General Disinfecting:
    Bleach emits potentially lethal fumes, so it should never be used full-strength. When using bleach as a disinfectant, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend using a 1:10 solution. Follow these steps to make a 1:10 bleach solution safely.
    Use the following method to disinfect hard, nonporous surfaces at home:
    1. Create bleach solution using ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach per gallon of water. (use spray bottle or bucket)
    2. Wash, wipe or rinse items/area with water, then apply solution.
    3. Let stand 5 minutes.
    4. Rinse thoroughly and air dry.
    5. Discard any unused Solution
    Chlorine bleach solution begins to lose its disinfectant power quickly when exposed to heat, sunlight, and evaporation. In order to be sure your solution is still strong enough to kill germs, you should mix a fresh batch each day and discard whatever amount you don’t use at the end of the day.
    Print this chart and keep next to your bleach too.
    bleach-usage
    [Source: Clorox.com]
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.
    weeklypurchasingplan-new using-your-52-weeks