Food Storage Now

JANUARY PREP CHALLENGE

2012-01-07T12:43:00.000-08:00

Here we are at a fresh start with a new year, and hopefully you have some goals that include your preparedness! I like to take it in small steps, work on one or two things per month. I also like to tackle those things that I feel inspired to do, based on their importance for my life. So these are my goals and you are welcome to join me.

For January, I plan to invest in a fire extinguisher for each floor of my home. Can you imagine how frustrating it would be if you could easily prevent some major damage/injury in your home if you just had one available? I like the idea of this found at Home Depot (or many places online), an easy to manage spray can as an alternative to the typical fire extinguisher, which may be a little more difficult to manage in a crisis. You can find small extinguishers for around $15-$20 each.

DECEMBER PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

2011-12-02T11:24:00.000-08:00

I apologize for my absence, I tend to get all caught up in the holiday season and sometimes neglect other matters. Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and that you took advantage of some great grocery sales to build up your food storage!

It's December again, and in regards to preparedness, I start thinking a lot about things that would make winter more manageable in the event of a crisis, i.e. Backup heat, backup power, blankets, clothing, winter car needs, etc. Here in the land of eternal winter, there's a lot to think about.

That can all get really overwhelming, so as usual, I am picking just one area to focus on. One goal a month...I can do that!

I am going to be scouting around for down comforters for all the beds in our home. I heard the story of a gal who lived through the Japan earthquake/tsunami and mentioned that this was absolutely crucial to keeping everyone warm when there was no power for heating. They don't have to be pretty or new, but I plan to just fold them and stick them under each bed so they will be there when needed. A bonus: I could put them on the beds underneath regular bedspreads so I can turn the heat down a couple degrees every night, and cut down on heating costs during the winter!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! Thanks for your support this year!

FILTER PICTURES COMING SOON!

2011-10-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

On following posts you will see the info on the water filters. I am in the process of re-formatting pictures so I can add them, too...so keep checking back!

Ceramic Gravity Water Filter Info and FAQs

2011-10-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

What do I look for in an emergency water filter?

#1 A gravity water filter is ideal because it doesn’t require electricity.

#2 Ceramic is used for effective filtration because of its ability to absorb particles and bacteria.

#3 Silver impregnated filters will not permit bacteria growth and will create a hostile environment for all microbiological organisms.

#4 Activated charcoal is used in filters. The charcoal is very porous, and many undesirable elements will adhere to the carbon as the water passes through the filter. Charcoal also takes away the bad tastes and odors.

#5 A portable gravity water filter is important so you can pick it up and take it with you.

Effective and Affordable

I was so excited when I found a water filter that had all five of these qualities and was very affordable.

This ceramic water filter has been proven to work both in the laboratory and in the field. The filter was tested by John Hopkins University, and they found it filtered out 100% of Giardia, E. Coli, Vibrio Cholerae, and several other harmful substances.

The filter does not take out 100% of the viruses. It’s more likely that you will have bacteria in the water than that you will have viruses. Viruses rarely can exist in water. If you suspect a water source has been infected with a virus, you should treat it first with a water disinfectant, like chlorine, or iodine. The gravity water filter will then take most of the chlorine and iodine out of the water.

These ceramic dome filters are being used in third world countries to clean up their drinking water.

When my good friend talked to a man ‘in the field’ that actually places them, and sees first hand how they work, he said, “Whenever there is a breakout of disease in these third-world countries and we start using the ceramic filters the epidemic stops immediately.”

Prices:

Basic Filter (includes nesting pre-drilled buckets, ceramic dome filter, spigot) $49

Deluxe Filter (includes all of above plus giant water sock and Polar Pure) $77

Giant Water Sock only $15

Polar Pure only (as available) $13

Where to Buy a Gravity Water Filter?

Each gravity water filter has four parts: one dome filter, one small filter sock, one spigot, and (2) 4 gallon buckets, and assembly and use directions. All the parts of the portable water filter will fit in the nested buckets, for easy storage. We pre-drill holes, so all you have to do is look at directions and assemble (no tools needed). We usually use ‘used food grade buckets’ to keep the cost down, but for an additional $10 per set, we can use new buckets. We just tell people to scrub them out with dishsoap and a green scrubbie, and the set is ready to go! Email foodstoragenow@gmail.com or call Michelle at 435-245-7756.

How can I extend the life of my filter?

The filter should last anywhere from six months to a year.

To extend the life of your filter, you’ll want the contaminated water to be as clean as possible. The ceramic portion is impregnated with silver, and lasts until it is worn away from scrubbing and cleaning it (100 plus times). The need for washing the ceramic filter goes down when you pre-filter the water first. That is why we recommend the giant water sock. (link coming soon)

Once the filter gets wet, the charcoal inside the ceramic shell will last 6 months. After the six months, you can put activated charcoal from the pet store (fish area) in the bottom of the upper bucket. But you don’t have to; the water just won’t taste as good. The ceramic portion will continue to work.

What if water filter wears-out or gets broken?

You can buy a couple extra domes as backups.

WATER FILTER SPECS

2011-10-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

Specifications

This ceramic water filter is affordable and will filter out 100% of Giardia, E. Coli, Vibrio Cholerae and 25+ other harmful substances. The filtration efficiency is 0.2 micron, so it filters out all bacteria, and most if not all viruses. So you could put mud puddle water in here, with dog feces, and safely drink it (according to the president of the company, he watched a man from the field do just that!). And because of the charcoal in the filter, it actually makes it taste good too.

Ceramic Filter is Manufactured to meet:

National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Standard 42
National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Standard 53
ISO 9002 Quality Standard
USA AEL Laboratories
USA Analytical Food Laboratories
USA Johns Hopkins University
British 5750 Quality Standard
England’s Water Research council (WRc) Performance Standards

Removal capabilities as follows:

>99% Arsenic 5 and 99% Arsenic 3 (special order)
>99% Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
>95% Chlorine and Chloramines
>99% Taste
>99% Odor
>98% Aluminum
>96% Iron
>98% Lead
>90% Pesticides
>85% Herbicides
>85% Insecticides
>90% Rodenticides
>85% Phenols>85% MTBE
>85% Perchlorate
>80% Trihalomethanes
>95% Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons
>99.999% of particles larger than 0.5 micron
. . .(Staffordshire University Labs) (includes Anthrax)
>99.7% of particles larger than 0.3 micron(Staffordshire University Labs)
>98% of particles larger than 0.2 micron (Staffordshire University Labs)
>100% Giardia Lamblia
>100% Cyclospora
>100% removal of live Cryptosporidium (WRc Standard)
>100% removal of Cryptosporidium
. . .(NSF Standard 53 – A.C. fine dust – 4 log challenge)
>100% removal of E. Coli, Vibrio Cholerae (Johns Hopkins University)
>99.999% removal of Salmonella Typhil, Shigella Dysenteria, Kiebsiella Terrigena (Hyder Labs)

Ceramic water filter is silver impregnated

and will not permit bacteria growth-through (mitosis), provides a hostile environment for all microbiological organisms and will not support their growth. Ceramic elements may be cleaned 100 or more times with a soft brush or damp cloth.

Performance Features:

Easy installation
Good flow rate / Up to 1 gallon of clean water per hour (gravity flow)
Up to 300 gallons per hour (pressure flow)
Filter will accept water from floods, lake, rain, well, tap, river or stream
Semi/Annual filter replacement Cleansable with clean damp cloth
Shelf life is extended by shaking filter every 3-4 months to loosen media inside and prevent packing once in use, filter will last 6-8 months

OCTOBER PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

2011-10-06T15:43:00.000-07:00

Well, after a wonderfully lengthened warm season, it is now officially cold weather time, and we have discovered first hand that it is also sick season. Yick. So it's fitting that my prep goal for this month is to stock up on some of the regular over-the-counter medicines that we use during cold/flu season. Let's face it, who wants to run to the store at 2 AM to grab some Benadryl for a very sick child? It's great to have a supply of the "regulars" on hand, like:

Vicks Chest Rub (this is a must in my house...good to rub on feet to stop a cough)
Child/Infant Pain Reliever/Fever Reducer
Child/Infant Benadryl
Throat Lozenges
Tons of Vitamin D and C (I like to purchase at puritanspride.com...cheap and delivered to my door)
Sudafed
Gatorade
Sprite
Crackers
Kleenex

These things will be going on sale soon, so keep an eye out and make sure you have your home pharmacy all stocked up.

Also...baking sales are starting up already for the holidays! This is the time to stock up on baking needs for the entire year!

Easy Indoor Garden Idea

2011-09-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

I heard this a few years ago and thought it was such a great idea for an indoor garden if that became a need (if water is scarce, it's winter, etc.). Using kitty litter boxes (a buck or two at the dollar store), potting soil, and seeds, you can create a portable garden. Stick it next to a window and you can grow short-rooted vegetables such as lettuce, beans etc. It's also space-conservative to just stick a couple of the boxes under a bed with a bag of potting soil, or to use the boxes to organize some of your storage.

I've actually thought of trying this out during the winter and having fresh vegetables during the off season!

CONTACT INFO

2011-09-27T11:35:00.001-07:00

If you are interested in buckets, food grade bucket liners, or any of our other products you can contact us at foodstoragenow@gmail.com or 435-757-6854. We will be getting a product list up on our blog as soon as we can!

Got underwear?

2011-09-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

I have never heard this before in all the preparedness classes I have attended, but a young mother that had been in one of the hurricane disasters was buying large amounts of 'underwear' for children. When the disaster strikes, kids get scarred, and even if they are potty trained, they wet their pants a lot. No time, or no place for bathes and keeping children washed up, so they develop medical problems from the unsanitary situation. She was also saying to get diapers for the smaller potty trained children. Toilets are not as available, and with the diaper on, the mom's can just tell their younger children not to worry about it, and to just go in their diaper. Also socks. She was buying lots of socks. Perhaps that is because the socks get wet when the child wets. Something to consider.

Canned Food Study

2011-09-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

Wow...canned foods are virtually indestructible! Check this out!
http://www.grandpappy.info/hshelff.htm

Be In the Know About Good Deals

2011-09-17T16:35:00.001-07:00

For those of you who like a good deal, here is a blog that my daughter Lorraine, is helping with. Looks like a nice variety of items, first being Halloween Costumes on clearance (I am tempted to get some for my grandkids). It mentions Utah deals, but most of these are available anywhere in the US. I even saw one for health foods on sale, online. Check it out and pass it on!

http://utahsweetsavings.com/2011/09/trick-or-treat-halloween-costume-roundup/

www.utahsweetsavings.com

Food Storage Analyzer

2011-09-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

Hey, I heard about this cool little FREE online tool to analyze your food storage based on the number of people in your family and their caloric needs. It will show you how many days you can survive on your storage as well as the nutrients you have in your storage and the ones you are lacking. It's cool! I learned a lot!

The only thing is...you need to get a good count of what's in your storage before you can use it. And...it is based on products sold by Emergency Essentials but you can add other products that you have just by using a nutritional label. (And a lot of the products that EE sells are the same that I have, just different brands, like the LDS Home Cannery or Augauson Farms...just used the EE products as substitutes.)

Try it out! I think you'll like it! www.foodstorageanalyzer.com or go the www.emergencyessentials.com and click on the food storage analyzer button.

SEPTEMBER PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

2011-09-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

I have been studying the story of Noah and Joseph of Egypt in depth for a couple of months. I would encourage you to do the same; there are some great insights there in the way of preparedness and I have gained some great inspiration for my own preparedness efforts. I think the biggest insight I have received is to be consistent with my preparedness; Noah and Joseph both knew tough times were coming and they didn't wait for the "signs" before they started preparing. They did what they were inspired to do for years before the difficulties came.

This month I have been re-organizing my 72 hour kits; basically re-packing them into totes and putting them where they are easily accessible. I have supplies/hygiene needs in one, food in another, and then each person has their individual bucket with some extra clothing,shoes, water that they can carry on their own. I don't know if this is the best way, but with my fairly big family, it works for the time being. I will do more research on 72-hour kits to see if I need to revamp at a later time, but right now I feel it is important to have it all together and accessible, at least.

I also intend to get some extra gardening supplies (hand tools, fertilizer, etc.) at clearance pricing, as well as stock up on paperware (I have an entire 20 gal. tote set aside just for paperware...don't want to use up precious water/time on dishes in a crisis situation!) It will take some discipline to leave that tote for emergency purposes only as I always seem to be out of paper plates :)

I will post a great indoor gardening idea later.

PREP FAIR THIS WEEKEND-SLC

2011-08-05T11:00:00.001-07:00

Honeyville Grain in Salt Lake... up by the airport 5600 West.. is having an Emergency Preparedness Fair this Friday and Saturday from 9 till 7 on Fri and 8-3 on Saturday. Lots of classes being offered and lots of give aways. Thought you might be interested. They are serving breakfast on Sat morning.

AUGUST PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

2011-08-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, can't believe it's August. Think about this...the year is 2/3 over. WHAT? So it's going to be Christmas in, like, 2 weeks? That's about how quick it goes folks.

And sometimes my preparedness plans fall through the cracks. But the great thing about this here blog is that each month I can re-focus and try, try again. So that's what we're doing. In keeping with my last post and focusing my efforts on specific categories, here are my goals this month:

BABY NEEDS: I am going to add an extra case of (large...for any size baby) disposable diapers and wipes to my brand new "baby" tote, as well as some pins and plastic pants to go over cloth diapers. I'll also throw in some extra blankets that I have on hand, some formula/bottled water with a bottle and baby cereal, and a couple little outfits. This goes with the 72 hr. kit items that I have for baby that include heavy winter clothes. This is not necessarily intended to be a long term fix, but hopefully it would provide some immediate help for me or someone else in an emergency situation. I can't imagine not having diapers on hand in a crisis!

And that's a big enough project for me for this month, what with school starting and what not. If you have any other ideas for baby emergency needs, please feel free to post!

USING YOUR FOOD STORAGE FROM USU EXTENSION

2011-07-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

If you've ever been to the USU Extension food storage classes, you know they are wonderful! Lots of fun recipes, good information on storing your staples, and taste testing! If not, I have the next best thing. We have been trying to find an easy way to get their handouts to you, and we found the link online, yay! Because these were developed using public funds, they are free to the public, so download, print, and enjoy! (Includes wheat, rice, milk, beans, oatmeal, and homemade bread)

http://extension.usu.edu/cache/files/uploads/Cooking%20with%20Food%20Storage%20Ingredients%206-07.pdf

JULY PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

2011-07-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

Happy summer! It's here and I'm really enjoying it. The living is easy...or at least, it's supposed to be, but we've found ourselves running around too crazy for easy living. So this month we are hoping to slow down a little and maybe enjoy some (lazy!) summer days.

Having said that, I still feel very compelled to keep a steady effort with my preparedness. I have been doing a lot of pondering and praying about it lately. I feel I have some new direction in the form of several categories that I need to focus on. I will list them at the end of this post if you are interested. Here are my goals for this month:

1) Stash of cash. I'll be getting my monthly preparedness budget out in cash, in smaller bills, to put aside somewhere very accessible. I have heard from several people in emergency situations that cash on hand is super important; doesn't help to have all your money tied up in the bank if you can't use your debit card, if the power is down, if banks are closed, etc.

2) Plug away at the garden. Confession: my garden is an absolute mess. Always. Every year the weeds get away from me and I finally just throw in the towel. This year I have found a way to co-exist with them. They get to live in between the rows but the actual rows of plants are MINE. It's the only way I'm going to keep my sanity. And, you know what? Vegetables can still grow and produce well in a weedy garden! I'm resigning myself to this situation until I have the money to build garden boxes...maybe next year.

Here are the categories I am working on. You can see I am working on a different one each month, I am planned through January. I have gotten some good ideas (inspiration) about what to have for each category. I am confident they will continue to come as I try to be consistent.

HEAT
LIGHT
COMMUNICATION
CLOTHING/BLANKETS
FUEL/POWER
BABY NEEDS (August)
GARDENING SUPPLIES (Sept)
CASH (July
HYGIENE
SPIRITUAL/MENTAL PREPARATION (Always!)
LONG TERM FOOD STORAGE
SHORT TERM FOOD STORAGE (Nov)
EXTRA COOKING SUPPLIES/PAPERWARE (Dec)
WATER
ANIMAL NEEDS
MEDICINE (Oct)
EMERGENCY DOCUMENTS (Jan)
72 HOUR KITS

WHEAT CLASS SAT, JUNE 11- DON'T MISS IT!

2011-06-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

Here is the info about our long anticipated wheat class! We are very excited to have Lorraine who came all the way out here from Pennsylvania to teach this class for us (among other things :) If you ordered wheat (or even if you didn't) she will show you some very easy ways to use your wheat, from the berry (no grinding necessary)to sprouting to delicious recipes using wheat flour. Even if you use wheat regularly, I am sure you will find some uses that are new to you. Lorraine has done a ton of research and experimenting and has a fantastic wealth of knowledge.

Please RSVP if you can make it and bring a friend if you would like! (Email me at foodstoragenow@gmail.com)

Date: Saturday, June 11

Time: 10 -11 AM

Place: Joan Elder's home, 4820 Hollow Road, Nibley (email me for directions)

Cost: Free for those who made a wheat order, $5 for others

This is normally a $20+ class so we are excited to be hosting it for such a low cost. It is excellent preparedness info and whether you are familiar with using wheat or not, everyone will learn something from it! Hope to see you there!

How would I fare without a kitchen in an emergency?

2011-06-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

So...you may have noticed (or not) that I didn't write a monthly preparedness post for May. I thought about it all month long, but just couldn't do it. I have a great excuse.

My kitchen was out of commission for the entire month.

So, at first I saw this as a great adventure. I thought, now I can see how I would do in an emergency event when I couldn't use my kitchen. You know...cooking with a different source, washing dishes and finding cooking water without access to a kitchen sink, etc.

I give myself about a D-. That's how bad I did. And I can see now where I need a lot of improvement to be able to function under a highly stressful situation where I really do have to operate without my kitchen. Here are some things I learned:

1) Bottled water was invaluable. Even though we had access to bathroom water...it tasted yucky and of course in a real emergency that may not be available. We burned through those cases of water like crazy and still never really felt hydrated. I need about twice as much as I had before...and that's a lot!

2) I am lost without my dishwasher! Joan suggested a very simple way to hand wash dishes without access to a sink...buy those cheap plastic dishpans from the dollar store with soap water in one and rinsing water in the other. This is, of course, making sure you have plenty of dishwashing detergent on hand!
This is the area where I really bombed...I tried washing in my tub, from the hose, using neighbors' sink and dishwasher...in the end I gave up and just piled dirty dishes in a laundry basket until we could give them a good wash. What a pain!

3) Which leads me to another invaluable item...paperware! We didn't have nearly so many dishes as usual because we used so many paper plates, cups and utensils! Again, I should have about 10 times the amount of paperware than I now have if I ever want to make my life that much easier in an emergency. (I know it's bad for the environment but if water was scarce...it would be mighty helpful.)

4) Grill, griddle, slow cooker, blender, and toaster oven. These babies helped me get something warm on the table. Because I had electricity and propane, I was good on the energy side of things. But it's a reminder to me that I still need to get an extra propane tank and I will also be looking for a generator that can run small appliances.

5) Ready made/Easily prepared food: I am not a fan of processed food and try to avoid it when I can. However, it was a real life-saver in this situation. Granola bars, yogurt, string cheese, fruit snacks, cold cereal and PBJ's were the go-to items pretty much every day. Ready made granola, pre-browned hamburger, and pre-grilled chicken from the freezer would have been mighty helpful. Never knew how much I took that cooktop for granted till I couldn't brown a pound of hamburger! Also, easily accessible fruits and vegetables that don't require preparation would be fantastic; grapes, baby carrots, bananas, apples, etc. For whatever reason, we really craved pre-made juice; probably because we weren't getting enough water or enough fresh fruit. Stores easily and really refreshing in a pinch. Mixes are also helpful. Pancakes, cookies...whatever. Easy to make up a batch and help everyone feel "normal" for a minute.

I didn't do much grocery shopping during the entire month because we didn't really have a place to keep groceries and so I could also gauge how well we were using our food storage. I give myself about a C here; I made a valiant effort but we pretty much bought the Chinese takeout and pizza joints close to our house. Sigh...too bad that stuff isn't readily available in a crisis...

We did appreciate canned soup, bread from the freezer, tuna, crackers, pickles and dried apple chips. And mayo. Plenty of it.

6) I also had my refrigerator/freezer running. So without those I would really be hurting. Another reason to find a good generator. Ice chest coolers could be used temporarily. Also a cool trick...freeze water in milk gallon jugs in your extra freezer. Keeps things cold for awhile even if the power goes out, plus it's extra water storage!

I sure learned a lot with this experienced, mainly that I'm really not as ready as I had hoped.

How would you fare without a kitchen in an emergency???

By the way...in case you're interested...here's the fruits of our labors.

Before...

After...

Wheat pickup info

2011-05-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

For those who ordered wheat:
Pickup will be on Wednesday, May 25, at 6-8 PM at the JB's Flooring America store in South Logan, 1202 S. Hwy 89-91. Directions to the store are listed below. You may pull around to the back of the store (east side-to the immediate west of the Browse Around antique store...there's a loading area there) and check in, and we can get you loaded up right from there. We plan to have some help on hand, but it would be great if you could bring a strong set of muscles if you have a big order!

If you yourself can't make it, please try and send someone in your place. We have special permission to use this building and we can't leave any of the wheat there overnight so whatever is not picked up will end up coming home with us and it becomes somewhat of a hassle for you and us. Thanks for your understanding!

See you there!

Directions to the store from the south: Turn left at the light at the Providence Maverick, heading toward Hwy 89-91. You will pass the south side of Walmart. Head straight west (even through the windy intersection), you will see Browse Around antique store just to your left (after Watkins Printing, Family Dollar, and the old Hobby Shop), take a left in the driveway just to the west of the antique shop. That goes directly to the back of the store and the loading dock.

Directions to the store from the north: Turn right at the light at the Providence Maverick, heading toward Hwy 89-91. You will pass the south side of Walmart. Head straight west (even through the windy intersection), you will see Browse Around antique store just to your left (after Watkins Printing, Family Dollar, and the old Hobby Shop), take a left in the driveway just to the west of the antique shop. That goes directly to the back of the store and the loading dock.

WHEAT ORDER CLOSES MAY 9

2011-05-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

Please get your wheat order in to me by MONDAY MAY 9. You can email it to me at foodstoragenow@gmail.com or call Joan at 435-757-6854 or Michelle at 435-245-7756 and we'll get you an address to send payment. More info on previous posts but here are the prices:

Hard White or Red

50 lb. bag: $16.50

45 lb. sealed bucket: $21.50 (no hassle long term storage, love that!)

HOW TO FEED YOUR BABY IN A CRISIS OUT OF LONG TERM STORAGE

2011-05-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

If a nursing mother becomes sick or injured during a crisis situation, this information on how to feed an infant from our basic food supply may prove to be very useful; or, if a family runs out of formula during an emergency situation.

Our basic food supply of unprocessed foods, whole grains and beans, would not be suitable for the very young. They need foods that are more concentrated and less rough. To make a formula adequate for a 24-hour period, you will need to make this recipe three times.

This formula can be prepared for the whole day in cool weather or when a refrigerator is available. In warm or hot weather, or under unsanitary conditions, it is safer to make a formula 3 times a day. To do so, add 1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons of instant non-fat milk powder to 1-1/3 cups (2/3 pint) of boiled (safe) water, and stir thoroughly. Then add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons of sugar, and stir. If regular dry milk powder is used, ¼ cup is enough when making one-third of the daily formula, 3 times a day. If baby bottles are not at hand, milk can be spoon-fed to an infant.

During a crisis situation, the best and most dependable food for an infant is mother’s milk – provided the mother has an adequate diet. This brings us to the matter of how many calories to store for various individuals? We are not going to go into that depth here, but just know that after a child reaches 5 years old, it is recommended to calculate his food storage of that of an adult’s. A nursing, or pregnant mother will require more calories than usual. Keep in mind we burn more calories when in a stressful situation, and also in the cold. You need to ask yourself if your family members are generally big eaters. Large men will burn more calories than a smaller woman. So when you are looking over the list of the basics and deciding how much you feel your family needs, you will want to take all these things into consideration.

Baby Formula:

Powdered Milk needed: 6 lbs per month 32 lbs per 6 months

Veg Oil needed: 2 lbs per month 12 lbs per 6 months

Sugar needed 1.3 lbs per month 8 lbs per 6 months

This is a lot higher than the “15 pounds per person per year” dry milk suggested in the basic one year’s food supply, and would work out to be 64 lbs per year. The book this was taken from suggests giving the baby 1/3 of a multi-vitamin every day ground up and then added to a little bit of liquid. A way to make your own multi-vitamin from your home storage would be to make wheatgrass juice. Sprout your wheat for a day, grow it in 1” of dirt in a cookie sheet for about 10 days, and then harvest the wheatgrass by cutting it just above the roots, then cut it into 1/4 “ pieces, placing it in a blender with some liquid (water or pineapple juice) enough to blend for several minutes, separate the pulp out from the juice through some cloth, and drink the green juice. Yum! Your own Jamba Juice! It has nearly every vitamin and mineral, and is a complete protein. You can learn more about this from one of Ann Wigmore’s books, or come to our wheat class in June.

If sufficient milk is not obtainable, even infants younger than six months should be given solid food. Solid foods for babies must be pureed to a fine texture. We will tell you more about this next time on how to use your grains for younger children.

P.S. There is more info on all this in a book we will be offering later this month.

WHEAT ORDER DEADLINE AND WHEAT CLASS

2011-04-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder, the deadline for this wheat order is Monday, May 9. The order will be closed that day. Your payment must be received by May 9 to honor your order. Please email foodstoragenow@gmail.com for ordering info or call Joan at 435-757-6854 or Michelle at 435-245-7756.

Wheat class to be held in June, taught by Lorraine who is an expert in using your wheat! Class is free to those who make a wheat order this month and will be held in Cache Valley. Details forthcoming.

Please see below for more great info on our wheat and the class!

WHEAT STORAGE-WHERE DO I START?

2011-04-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

Some of you may be new to wheat. So here is a little info I found in a famous preparedness book.

• Napoleon marched his army all over Europe on a cup of wheat a day.

• Maximizing the nutrition power of wheat: Ann Wigmore, author of many books on wheat and founder of The Boston Health Institute, pioneered the wheatgrass juice movement, in her books says that when you sprout wheat, and grow it in trays of 1” dirt, you turn it into “a complete protein” and it possesses nearly every nutrient that a body needs for optimum health.

• Wheat keeps forever! (well almost) The LDS Cannery says 30 years, I have made bread with my grandma’s 35 and 50 year old wheat. It was delicious! In fact, it tasted better than the new wheat I was buying! And wheat they have found in the pyramids of Egypt have sprouted! If you start with good quality wheat, and store it properly, the results can be fabulous.

Basic foods keep better than typical convenience foods, requires much less space to store or transport, and is much less expensive. Field tests have shown that the majority of Americans would find these basic foods acceptable under crisis conditions. Unprocessed grains and beans provide adequate nourishment for many millions of the world’s people who have little else to eat. Dry grains and beans are very compact. A 6 gal bucket of grains hold 45 pounds of hard wheat. Yet when cooked, dry whole grains become bulky and give a well fed feeling.

• Netting down the cost: Several years ago when my adult daughter wanted to get started, she didn’t know where to start. So when I showed her the amount and cost of each item of the basics, it helped her to know where to begin, so -

$437 for 1 year basic supply of food (about $1.20 a day)

About $140 of that could be wheat (or $200 after this sale), $2 for 25# salt, $110 for 60# beans, $30 for 15# milk, $25 for 2.5 gal oil, $130 for 60# sugar, 14 gal water min per person plus water filter. These prices are based off of LDS Cannery bulk bags and Macey’s, and bucketing it yourself in used buckets. Yet when you compare this to when you Google “year’s supply” you will see prices 3 times this.

Price of 50# rice, oats comparisons. You would not want to eat just wheat. It would be hard on the digestive tract if you weren’t eating them beforehand, and it would get boring eating the same thing.

• Most of these foods can be stored for 30 or more years. So if you never used them at all (and we hope you do), that would be $15 per yr. food insurance.

GROUP WHEAT ORDER AND WHEAT CLASS

2011-04-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

We have locked in a great price for a group wheat order! This is hard white or red wheat, premium quality with 13% protein content (higher protein wheat is getting consistently more scarce, although the lower quality seems to be a bit more plentiful, according to our research)and 9% moisture. We know finances are tight, but this is a great time to get your wheat storage and gain some peace of mind for your household. As of right now, the price of wheat at the LDS Cannery is $22.90 per 50 lb. bag. Our price:

• 50 lb. bag: $16.50

• 45 lb. bucket: $21.50 (No hassle long term storage!)

Please email your order to foodstoragenow@gmail.com* or call Joan at 435-757-6854 or Michelle at 435-245-7756. We want to make as big an order as possible at this price! Cost on this high quality wheat is guaranteed to rise. We plan to have the wheat available for pickup the first week of May. See below for details on a special class we are offering to help you learn how to use your wheat!

Lorraine's Wheat Class

It can be overwhelming to order and store a wheat supply and not know how to use it! We are very excited to have Lorraine here from the east coast to offer a valuable class on using your wheat! She has taught these classes for us before and has done extensive research on the best way to use, store and ENJOY your wheat-right now! She goes way beyond wheat bread. (Hint: You've GOTTA try the snickerdoodles; they are amazing!) We are sponsoring this class at NO COST for those who make a wheat order this month. Class will be held in mid-June and we will keep you up to date on the details. Others who want to join the class are welcome, cost is $5 per person (this pays for the cost of materials). One class will be held in Cache Valley and one will be in the Salt Lake area, so keep watching for details!

*In order to keep our group price as low as possible, we are unable to accept credit cards or online payments as of right now. So bear with us, we have to do it "old fashioned" way and need cash or a check from you. After you email us, we will give you details on payment. We promise...we have been doing this for a long time and there is no scamming. If you would like to talk to some of our customers to make sure we are legit, we are happy to have you do so.

WHEAT HAS DOUBLED! POSSIBLE GROUP ORDER...

2011-04-09T09:38:00.001-07:00

The LDS Canneries are a good indicator of nationwide food prices and are typically the last to raise their prices. As of April 4, the price of wheat for a 25 lb. bag rose 44%, from $11.65 in January (this year!) to $11.45 this month! Yipes!

Here is an article that explains in more detail: http://www.examiner.com/finance-examiner-in-national/prices-at-lds-canneries-show-inflation-for-food-up-between-11-and-49

We are considering putting together a group order and we think we can get a significantly better price than the cannery. We would love to see what kind of interest we have. If you are interested please email me at foodstoragenow@gmail.com. The wheat would be high quality white in 50 lb. bags.

APRIL PREP GOAL

2011-04-08T14:30:00.001-07:00

My oh my is it April already? Can't hardly tell with 18 inches of new snow outside! Guess it just means using the time to work on preparedness goals rather than the yard! So here goes...

1) Prep the garden. Oops. Guess I can't get out of yard work after all. I have a giant vegetable garden and this year I have some great ideas to increase my yield without the great weed harvest that I always seem to get. I found a GIANT piece of heavy-duty black plastic that will fit over the ENTIRE garden (on eBay, of course!), at which point I will cut slits in it for rows, and small holes for individual plants like tomatoes. Hopefully that will save me a ton of work. I plan to use railroad ties to secure the edges and keep those naughty little weeds from sneaking through the sides. So...need to get the tractor man over here to till and flatten, and have the plastic ready to go right over. Costs: Tilling ($25), plastic ($180....yeah, it's an investment for sure), seeds (already in my storage but you can get a great supply for 20 bucks or less).

If food supply goes short this year...at least we'll have a ton of fresh vegetables! (And of course we will can the surplus at summers' end.)

2) Fill in some holes on the 72 hour kits. My kits are pretty sad, actually. I am planning to buy some hardy and compact foodstuffs, flashlights with extra batteries, and whistles for each one. (Just think...if you are trapped in rubble with a whistle handy...how great would THAT be!) Just a few bucks to spend there. Going into summer, it's also a good idea to have sunscreen, water, and a sunhat in there.

A side note: I was checking out Walmart's camping aisle the other day and they have some excellent preparedness items. One that I am really considering is kerosene lamps with kerosene; the whole set-up is about 10 bucks and you can burn them indoors. I understand the fuel is much safer to store also.

Good luck!

Quilting Efforts

2011-03-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

We sent out a group email earlier explaining what you can do in the way of quilts and blankets for the people in Japan. If you would like an address for a drop-off for your quilts, please email foodstoragenow@gmail.com and we'll be happy to get it to you (for safety purposes, we prefer not to list it here).

If you missed the email, here it is:
There's so much need...How can we help?

Quilts and Blankets!

We have all watched the heartbreaking footage and heard the stories from the recent disasters in Japan, and have wondered...there's so much need; what can I possibly to do help?

Currently there is a great need for, well, just about everything, but particularly quilts. The weather is cold and snowy there and many are without heat or have limited utilities. If you are inclined to help with quilts, here are some ideas:

Quilt-A-Thon
The Hyrum Stake Center on 600 S. and 200 E. Hyrum is having a mega quilt-a-thon Monday, March 21, 9 AM-5 PM, and Tuesday, March 22, 9 AM-9 PM. All are welcome to help for any amount of time!

Make Your Own
Or if you would like to make your own, we would love to have you drop them off at Joan's home in Nibley and we will make sure they are distributed to Salt Lake and sent to Japan via the LDS Church Charities. Here are their guidelines for quilts:

Quilts

Un-used fabric, preferably cotton blends or flannel. High-loft bonded batting is

preferred. Quilts may be quilted or tied with yarn ties about 4 inches apart.

Please ensure that the ties will not pull out. Do not use fabrics with prints of

religious or military themes or any flags.

Approximate sizes are:

Crib 45x60 inches, Single 72x90 inches, Double 90x90 inches

Receiving blankets of fleece or flannel are also needed. Guidelines for fleece are as follows:

Fleece

· Cut a 36x36 – 45x45 inch

square of medium weight

fleece.

· Serge, hem, or blanket-stitch edges.

You can access more information on guidelines and other humanitarian projects here.

Family in Japan Shares their Story

2011-03-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

Email from LDS family in Japan with advice to us all

This was sent to a friend of ours March 13, and I've edited out names, they felt we could learn from this experience about a 'real' emergency. Hope it helps someone here.

Hi Everyone,
We're doing "fine" here. Considering what is going on around us.
When the first big quake hit, around 2:45 in the afternoon on Friday,
I ran to ***** room and grabbed him out of his crib. We've had
plenty of earthquakes in the 2.5 years we've been here, but this one
was huge. ***** started crying and calling for me --I got him too and
we huddled on the stairs away from windows and light fixtures. The
two boys were walking home from school and came in while the
house was still shaking. They thought it was exciting. I yelled at
them to "GET BACK OUTSIDE!" because I'd just been told if you're
outside, you're supposed to stay outside! I sat on the stairs
praying: "Please protect my kids, please protect my kids, please
protect my kids..." It seemed to last forever (around 5 minutes I've
heard) and then the aftershocks just kept coming and coming. They're
still coming.

They evacuated the hospital and **** was able to come home around 4.
[I can't tell you what a relief it was to have my whole entire family
safe and together. And how upsetting it was/is to think of people
all over Japan who have family unaccounted for. It's really hard for
me whenever one of the husbands has to leave.]

Since then, the power has been out and we haven't had any heat or
access to phones (to the states) or Internet (except ***** getting one
e-mail out from the hospital.) Friday evening we moved our friends
in with us (**** and **** and three kids) since they just shipped all
of their stuff to the states in preparation for their move in two
weeks. It's been nice to have them around because everyone is on
edge and extremely stressed.

Yesterday (Saturday) they opened the commissary (No lights, cash
only) and we grabbed some extra food, water and diapers. Since we
have the standard Mormon "food storage" I wasn't too worried about
running out of food or water, but I didn't have any spare diapers so
was happy to buy three big boxes yesterday for *****. (And yes,
I bought two big cans of hot chocolate. Priorities, people!)

We went to church for a shortened meeting to take the sacrament and
get the news today. All members of the branch have been accounted
for and we've heard that all the missionaries in Japan are accounted
for also. (Big relief.)

The power is now back on off-base which is how I have Internet access
right now. We're at ***** house. Hopefully it stays on.

We were asked at church to see
what extra coats, blankets, food and water we can round up to donate
to the Japanese people nearby. I feel heart sick thinking of those
who've lost homes and loved ones. Although you probably know much
more than me, I hear the devastation is extremely great. We were
lucky to be so safe on base and grateful our off-base friends and
neighbors were okay.

The earthquakes (aftershocks) haven't stopped and I spent all night
last night having nightmares about running from collapsing and
buckling buildings. The kids are on edge and tantrums are at an all
time high. They keep busy playing during the day, but when it gets
dark and we have to ration flashlights and candles it gets extra hard
to keep the peace.

A few things I've been wanting to tell people and note for the
future:

*Get an old school, corded phone. If the power goes out, your
cordless won't work. We were lucky to have a corded phone upstairs
which helped ***** coordinate with the Branch President to get
accountability of church members. (The phones have worked on-base
off and on, but we were never able to get a call through to the
states.)

*Speaking of accountability, in an emergency, if you're going to
leave your house--leave a note on the door saying where you are going
so when guys from church or work coming looking, they'll know where
you are.

*When the power went out, people off base couldn't get their cars out
of their garage. Turns out there is a special crank to use but most
of our friends didn't have it or know what it was. Luckily ***** had
parked outside and was able to get her kids to our house Friday.

*We've been cooking with our camping equipment. Note to self: Buy a
20 pack of small propane tanks. We've also used our outdoor BBQ (in
the cold) and I'm wishing I had a spare tank of Propane for that.
(We still don't have power and don't know when it will come back on
On Base. Estimates have said 24 hours (we're way past that) to 1
week, to indefinite.)

*Do you have an extra refill of your prescriptions in your 72 hour
kit? It's terrifying to imagine running out of the things you take
every day. Also, the thought of my kids getting sick and not having
enough Children's Advil and/or Tylenol made me pretty nervous until I
verified we had some of each.

*For ONCE I was glad to be doing Dave Ramsey yesterday when we had
plenty of cash on hand to shop at the commissary. But we also have a
cash and yen emergency fund hidden in the house for back-up which was
very comforting.

*While I'm making notes to myself: Buy a hand crank wheat grinder
and blender! (We have a freezer full of frozen fruit to make
smoothies but no way to blend anything.)

*Flashlights are a pain in my butt. All of our stupid Rayovac
crappy-**** batteries that I had stored for an emergency, LEAKED! So
the flashlights are all slowly dying, being over used by the
children, and being misplaced. The best source of light the last two
nights has been the pillar candles I've had in the cupboard for fancy
table settings. They seem to burn pretty slow and shed a lot of
light. I've gone through 3 and have 1 left. Wish I had a 20 pack of
those in my 72 hour pack. It would be nice not to worry about
running out. Small, light weight, energy efficient lanterns would be
nice too.

*Also, my next house will have a wood burning fire place. This all
would have been much easier if we could have been warm.

*Also, I'm buying all my kids a down comforter. We have one on our
bed and we've been fine at night, but the kids need 20 blankets piled
up to stay warm. (Actually, the older boys each have a two layer
fleece blanket which is pretty warm, but unfortunately, they're not
very big.)

(Poor little ***** had to spend yesterday in his snow suit to stay
warm. The poor little guy must be sensing the stress because he's
been quite out of sorts. He's always shivering (even when bundled)
and very clingy. The kids are all confused and upset but mostly
hanging in there. Like I said, it's been nice to have friends to
keep us company.)

Sorry, I'm rambling on and on but I've had all this stress for the
last two days and my main way to process is by writing my thoughts
down. So I've been going a little nuts feeling so disconnected.

A few more random thoughts:
*The last two days this thought kept running through my head "All are
safely gathered in.". I can't express enough how glad I was/am to
have my family around me. Please say a prayer for our many many
friends with deployed spouses. This is a very stressful time here
and it's really sucky for them to be apart. Also, please pray for
all the Japanese people who are missing or displaced. So sad.

*We were very blessed on base to have running (freezing cold) water.
Off base, sewer lines broke and contaminated the water supply they
weren't even supposed to touch it.

*Today we sang "I Need Thee Every Hour" at church. Has a lot of
meaning right now.

Okay, there are other people who need to use this computer. Everyone
on base is coming off base to try to contact family.

***** husband (Pilot) is at work trying to coordinate rescue efforts
so I should go down and help her take care of the multitude of
children and get everyone some lunch.

Please pray for us (us being everyone in Japan) and if you feel so
inclined, find a way to send some warm blankets to people who've lost
their homes. Don't know when I'll be back on-line again, but
hopefully soon.

Thanks to everyone for your concern. I knew (figured) there were
people praying for us back in the states and it helped to think about

100 Items to Disappear First

2011-03-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting list that may give you some ideas you hadn't thought of:

http://www.thepowerhour.com/news/items_disappearfirst.htm

Thanks to All About Preparedness for the tip!

LESSONS LEARNED FROM JAPAN EARTHQUAKE

2011-03-15T15:24:00.001-07:00

I have been horrified by the extent of damage that has resulted from the multiple events going on in Japan. It has spurred a lot of thought on what I should be doing better, and a lot of prayer on their behalf.

I found an excellent article on the potential earthquake risks here in the USA, and some great ideas on what we can do to prepare ourselves from Crystal over at www.everdayfoodstorage.net. Take a look:

http://everydayfoodstorage.net/2011/03/12/lessons-to-learn-from-japans-earthquake/food-storage-recipes

MARCH PREPAREDNESS GOAL-or, how to use your tax return!

2011-03-01T12:53:00.001-08:00

With world events being what they are, I have been really thinking about what I need to work on with my preparedness. As I have sought for answers, I have found I have much yet to do! I have heard some great ideas on how to use your tax return (or a portion of it) for preparedness purposes, and I plan to do some of these:

1. Set aside some money for your emergency savings fund. (Recommended by LDS church leaders and Dave Ramsey: 6 month to a years' supply of savings)

2. Buy the basics; bulk up on your years' supply (wheat, sugar, milk, salt, legumes, oil, etc.) These are the items that are projected to skyrocket with pricing in the next several months. Good sources: LDS dry pack canneries and case-lot sales, which should be happening in the next few weeks at Associated Food Stores. Macey's always has a ready supply of these goods also.

3. Work on your 3 mo. supply of foods, foods you would like to have in an emergency, not just "survival" foods. Focus especially on proteins like peanut butter, meats i.e. tuna, etc. I also love canned soups for an easy and filling back-up.

4. Buy a first aid kit. This is one of my goals this month! I have been doing some research on this and there are TONS of resources on the internet. One reliable source would be the American Red Cross. They have kits for home, car, pets, business, etc. In the event of an emergency, I can see a first aid kit being invaluable.

5. Buy a fire extinguisher. Again, look on the internet for zillions of options. They are not terribly expensive, and it's a good idea to have one on each floor. If you could stop a small fire in your home, you could save yourself a lot of problems with smoke and water damage at the least. With this, it's a good idea to test your smoke detectors to be sure they are operating. And have I mentioned...batteries!

6. Another of my goals is to get another filled propane tank for back up cooking fuel. Around $40, these are a little pricey, but I know if I don't use the fuel in an emergency situation, I can always use it for summer barbeques!

7. And, last but not least, I've been putting off the secondary heating monster long enough; time to pony up the cash for a small woodburning stove to have as a back up (which of course means I need to have some wood put aside somewhere). We have way too cold of winters to be without heat. If anyone has a good contact for me in this area please leave a comment!

Don't get overwhelmed; pick one or two of these items that you really need to work on and just do it! You will find peace knowing that you are preparing for that "rainy day," even just a little at a time.

GREAT PREPAREDNESS BLOG TO CHECK OUT

2011-02-17T19:42:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent new blog that I am really liking. Just a disclaimer that most of the material is based on LDS teachings. Check it out and enjoy:

www.AllAboutPreparedness.blogspot.com and/or www.MormonMomsWhoBlog.blogspot.com

FEBRUARY PREP GOAL

2011-02-07T13:58:00.000-08:00

So as you can tell I got faulty info last month about the case lot sales. Sorry bout that! Got me off the hook having to go shopping :) I did, however, buy a boatload of frozen berries from the wet-pack cannery and they are sitting happily in my freezer, so I count that as my food storage goal for the month.

As for the batteries, I used newspaper insert coupons to get some great deals from Smiths on batteries. (Coupons were for Duracells) I feel SO much better having a good stock of batteries around.

My goals for this month:
1) Now that I have stocked up on batteries, I need to make sure all the smoke detectors have batteries, as well as the flashlights around the house. (With kids in the house it is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to keep the flashlights in batteries I tell ya.) I like to keep an extra set of batteries with the flashlights also, so when the power goes out I can have light without the feeling around in the dark situation.

2) I am also participating in the 10 day food storage challenge from www.everydayfoodstorage.net, which is a great introduction to food storage or a good refresher for those seasoned folks. I am a big fan of Crystal, who hosts the site, she knows a ton about food storage. Bonus: you can enter to win a Bosch mixer if you sign up for it, and it's FREE! Go check it out!

A NEW YEAR, A NEW START! JAN. GOAL

2011-01-20T09:49:00.000-08:00

As you may have noticed, I am already behind in 2011 :) Let's just say, despite all my good intentions, I have a newborn and snuggling with her has been foremost on my list these days. So...sorry if I'm lacking on updating my totally awesome and sophisticated (haha) blog.

That said, it's time to get to work! It's a great time to re-commit to your preparedness goals, and I will again be posting my monthly goals for all to see...you are welcome to join in.

JANUARY PREP GOAL:

1) Case-lots are coming again! I love them! There are a few items I want to get for my 3 mo. supply, but since my food storage room is pretty short on space at the moment, I will go easy on my shopping and my budget. I'm shooting for $150 this go-around. I want to focus on items that will make entire meals, like:

Chili
Peanut Butter AND Jelly
Tuna AND mayonnaise (can go with crackers or bread)
Beef Stew
Instant Potatoes (can top with chili or stew or chick noodle soup)
Soup AND crackers
Oatmeal AND dried fruit (make sure to have powdered milk also)

2) My other goal is to restock batteries. This is something I truly do not like to buy, but I also do not like being out of them (especially when the smoke detectors start beeping in the middle of the night...grrrr). So I am going to do some research to find them in bulk and stock up. DH insists they be high-quality, also, not store brand. If you have any ideas please pass them on. I'll let you know what I found.

EMERGENCY PREP CLASS IN LOGAN

2010-12-30T17:19:00.000-08:00

This looks like it will be really informative, hope you can make it!

The USU Extension Office in Cache County will present an Emergency Preparedness class about creating a family emergency plan is case of a natural or man-made disaster. We will also discuss how to use your food storage in your daily diet. The class will be held on Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. in the Cache County Administration Building Multipurpose Room at 179 North Main, Logan. The cost is $3.00 per person or $5.00 per couple and includes handouts, binder, and food storage recipe samples. Phone 752-6263 for reservations.

DECEMBER PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

2010-12-04T08:55:00.000-08:00

It's truly the most wonderful time of year! I've had a great year working on my preparedness and I hope you have also. I hope you have taken a few steps, however small, to finding that peace that you experience when you know you have laid up in store for your family.

After much reflection to determine my goals this month, I have decided that I will do a little organizing and inventoring, but overall, I will be enjoying the season with my family and a new little babe. What could better invite the spirit of Christmas? I have much to be thankful for this year; my efforts have been richly rewarded and I look forward to continuing in 2011.

Have a most wonderful, merry little Christmas filled with the Spirit of the Season.

ORDERS DUE NOV.13!

2010-11-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

Hey if you still want to submit an order for oils/filters, etc., please do so by tomorrow, November 13! We want to have the orders filled and picked up well in time for the holidays so please send them right away to foodstoragenow@gmail.com. Thanks!

Correction on Silver/Oils order

2010-11-01T15:59:00.001-07:00

In the group email I sent last week, I made a couple mistakes on the information. My bad! Here's the changes:

1) Important: The silver is ionic silver not colloidal...in other words, it's much stronger and more effective than colloidal because the molecules are smaller and better able to penetrate cells. It's highly concentrated and excellent for so many ailments, also it can be taken internally and tastes just like water!

2) The hand sanitizer: I listed it as being normally $20...my supplier let me know that is not correct. It is on sale for $8 this month.

Orders due November 13! Also remember this is the last chance to order water filters for the year! Email foodstoragenow@gmail.com for more info.

NOVEMBER PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

2010-11-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

It's November, let the holidays begin! I know it gets crazy busy this time of year so I try to keep my monthly goals as do-able as possible without a lot of hassle. This is what I'm focusing on this month:

1) Stock up on baking goods with the holiday sales. This is the time of year when sugar, flour, nuts, butter, cream, chocolate, etc. comes on special and who can ever get enough baked goodies in the winter anyway? Not me! I will be making a list of the things that I am low on and watching for those great sales.

2) Add some ionic silver/oregano/hand sanitizer to my preparedness supply. It's on special right now and great to have for the winter sickness that comes around! If you would like some also, you can see the prices on the following post and email me at foodstoragenow@gmail.com. I can also send you more information on these if you have questions about their use.

Happy Thanksgiving y'all! I am thankful for you!

EXCELLENT GROUP PRICES ON SILVER/OREGANO/SPICE TRADERS/HAND SANITIZER

2010-10-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

Our supplier is trying to get rid of some inventory, so right now we have prices on silver and oils the lowest we have seen yet! Get in on our group order as soon as you can before the inventory is gone! We don't have a firm date as to when these prices will no longer be available so if you are interested in ordering, please email us at foodstoragenow@gmail.com as soon as possible. Most likely we will close the order by Oct. 31, depending on how much product is available.

ARISE Silver (Can be used as a disinfectant, spray in nose, ears or mouth, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, great for clearing up problem areas and for preventative maintenance for your health)

1 qt..............$60 (Normally $85)
8 oz.............$20 (Normally $28)
2 oz travel..$6

OREGANO Blend (already diluted with pure olive oil)

2 oz............$20 (Normally $28)

OREGANO Concentrate (you can blend on your own 6 parts olive oil:1 part oregano) *OR* SPICE TRADERS/Thieves Oil (Same price for each)

15 ml.........$20 (Normally $27)
1 oz............$41 (Normally $51)
2 oz........... $73 (Normally $91)
4 oz...........$131 (Normally $164)
8 oz...........$236 (Normally $295)

SANI SHINE HAND SANITIZER (Non-alcoholic, silver impregnated)

2 oz...........$8

And don't forget our close-out on 55 GAL BARRELS! We are anxious to get rid of them for winter so we are offering them for....$10.00! Used, food-grade, perfect for water storage, come and get 'em!

DON"T FORGET ABOUT OUR FALL CLASS! WED, OCT 6

2010-10-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

Our FREE quarterly class can help your family with the winter months coming on! Come learn how to maintain your families' health from home this season!

Fall Class: Using Spice Traders, Oregano Oil, Ionic Silver to assist in your Families' Home Health

When: Wednesday, Oct.6
Time: 7 PM
Where: Joan Elders', 4820 Hollow Rd, Nibley UT

Contact #: 435-245-9662

Oils and items covered in class will be available for purchase and pick up after the class.

***Note: This is NOT a medical seminar and we make no health claims. We are reviewing information from Dr. Cass Ingram's book, The Cure Is in the Cupboard, and methods that have worked with our families' health.

OCTOBER PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

2010-10-02T16:17:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it's October already? This is when the holidays start creeping up, until, wham! the craziness hits and then the year is over. I can't believe how fast it goes. Before the madness begins, commit to being consistent with your preparedness and join me in my goals this month!

With the harvest season and winter coming on, I am still focusing on "gathering in" and securing a good food supply for the winter months when I just plain don't want to go out in the freezing cold and snow and go shopping. I like to have everything on hand and shop about once or twice a month. So, this month I will be

1) Re-stocking my three-month supply with case lot finds, and taking inventory of my years' supply with a plan to work slowly towards getting that re-stocked. (For some great ideas on planning, inventory, and rotating, check out http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/)

2) Stocking up on paperware. In the event of water shortage, holiday run-around, a quick goodie plate for a neighbor, and the arrival of a baby and lack of time to do dishes I want to make sure I have plenty of paper plates, cups, napkins, bowls, utensils around to fill in the gaps. Not a really green way to live, I understand, but I only use them on occasion, and it prevents me from using the water to wash dishes, so...it's how it's gotta be. I'm always glad when I have some in my storage.

FIVE SHELF LIFE STUDIES FOR YOUR FOOD STORAGE

2010-10-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

In your quest for knowledge on all things preparedness related, this is a good resource for updates on the shelf life of dry and canned foods. The link at the end has some fabulous information on many different preparedness topics. Enjoy!

Five Different Shelf Life Studies:
Two on Canned Food and Three on Dry Food

Summary Article Copyright 2007,2010 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
The following brief summaries are for fair use and educational purposes only.

Publication History:

After granting permission, my Entire Food Shelf Life Summary Article was published in the
Journal of Civil Defense, Volume 43, Issue Number 2, Year 2010.

The Journal of Civil Defense has an extremely wide distribution and readership including
all the Congressmen in the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.

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Canned Food Study One
A Food and Drug Administration Article about a shelf life test that was conducted on 100-year old canned foods that were retrieved from the Steamboat Bertrand can be read at the following link:

http://web.archive.org/web/20070509153848/http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON00043.html

Following is a brief summary of a very small portion of the above article:

"Among the canned food items retrieved from the Bertrand in 1968 were brandied peaches, oysters, plum tomatoes, honey, and mixed vegetables. In 1974, chemists at the National Food Processors Association (NFPA) analyzed the products for bacterial contamination and nutrient value. Although the food had lost its fresh smell and appearance, the NFPA chemists detected no microbial growth and determined that the foods were as safe to eat as they had been when canned more than 100 years earlier. The nutrient values varied depending upon the product and nutrient. NFPA chemists Janet Dudek and Edgar Elkins report that significant amounts of vitamins C and A were lost. But protein levels remained high, and all calcium values 'were comparable to today's products.'"

"NFPA chemists also analyzed a 40-year-old can of corn found in the basement of a home in California. Again, the canning process had kept the corn safe from contaminants and from much nutrient loss. In addition, Dudek says, the kernels looked and smelled like recently canned corn."

"According to a recent study cosponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and NFPA, canned foods provide the same nutritional value as fresh grocery produce and their frozen counterparts when prepared for the table. NFPA researchers compared six vegetables in three forms: home-cooked fresh, warmed canned, and prepared frozen. 'Levels of 13 minerals, eight vitamins, and fiber in the foods were similar,' says Dudek. In fact, in some cases the canned product contained high levels of some vitamins that in fresh produce are destroyed by light or exposure to air."

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Canned Food Study Two
A canned food shelf life study conducted by the U.S. Army revealed that canned meats, vegetables, and jam were in an excellent state of preservation after 46 years.

The Washington State University summary article can be read at:

http://www.whatcom.wsu.edu/family/facts/shelflif.htm

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Dry Food Study One
A scientific study conducted at Brigham Young University on the shelf life of a variety of different dry foods can be read at both of the following links:

http://ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconference/archive/2005/sharing_stations/pdf/52a.pdf
http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7797-1-4222-1,00.html

A brief summary of the above web site information shows the following estimated shelf life per dry food item:

Over 30 years for wheat and white rice.
30 years for pinto beans, macaroni, rolled oats, and potato flakes.
20 years for powdered milk.

All dry food items should be stored in airtight moisture proof containers at a temperature between 40�F to 70�F.
Salt, baking soda, and granulated sugar still in their original containers have no known shelf life limit if properly stored.

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Dry Food Study Two
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/0208-keeping_food_for_years.htm

Following are some direct quotes taken from the above web site:

Food scientists now know that, when properly sealed, some dried food that's been sitting on shelves for years, could still be OK to eat.

"It lasts a lot longer than we thought," Oscar Pike a food scientist at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, tells DBIS.

Scientists have known certain foods like sugar and salt can be stored indefinitely, but wanted to learn the shelf life of other food like dried apples -- stored since 1973 -- tried by taste testers.

"I like to call it the emergency shelf life of the food, food that you'd still be willing to eat in an emergency," Pike says. "It's not as though it were freshly canned, but it's certainly edible."

He says the best foods to store are low in moisture, like wheat and powered milk. But keep all foods away from heat and light to stop it from going stale and losing nutritional value. "All the foods that we've tested have been stored at room temperature or below, so you want to avoid attic and garage storage."

In the study, researchers taste-tested rolled oats that had been stored in sealed containers for 28 years. Three-fourths of tasters considered the oats acceptable to eat in an emergency.

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Dry Food Study Three
http://beprepared.com/article.asp?ai=579&sid=INEM327&EID=ALL0608d&lm=emer&bhcd2=1213479534

Following are some quotes taken from the above web site:

It is important to first identify what is meant by "food storage" and "shelf life." "Food storage" that is intended to be held long-term is generally considered to be low moisture food packed in either #10 cans or in metalized bags placed within large buckets. "Shelf life" can be defined in the following two ways:

"Best if used by" shelf life - Length of time food retains most of its original taste and nutrition.

"Life sustaining" shelf life - Length of time food preserves life, without becoming inedible.

There can be a wide time gap between these two definitions. For example, most foods available in the grocery store that are dated have a "Best if used by" date that ranges from a few weeks to a few years. On the other hand, scientific studies have determined that when properly stored, powdered milk has a "Life sustaining" shelf life of 20 years. That is, the stored powdered milk may not taste as good as fresh powdered milk, but it is still edible.

Shelf life is extremely dependent on the following storage conditions:

Temperature: Excessive temperature is damaging to food storage. With increased temperature, proteins breakdown and some vitamins will be destroyed. The color, flavor and odor of some products may also be affected. To enhance shelf life, store food at room temperature or below; never store food in an attic or garage.
Moisture: Excessive moisture can result in product deterioration and spoilage by creating an environment in which microorganisms may grow and chemical reactions can take place.
Oxygen: The oxygen in air can have deteriorative effects on fats, food colors, vitamins, flavors, and other food constituents. It can cause conditions that will enhance the growth of microorganisms.
Light: The exposure of foods to light can result in the deterioration of specific food constituents, such as fats, proteins, and vitamins, resulting in discoloration, off-flavors, and vitamin loss.

EXAMPLES OF SHELF LIFE:

Recent scientific studies on dehydrated food have shown that food stored properly can last for a much longer period of time than previously thought. This research determined the "life sustaining" shelf life to be the following:
Dry Food Item Shelf Life
Wheat, White Rice, and Corn 30 years or more
Pinto Beans, Apple Slices, Macaroni 30 years
Rolled Oats, and Potato Flakes 30 years
Powdered Milk 20 years

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Revision History:

Revised September 1, 2010 - Added Publication History of my Summary Article at the top of the page.
Revised June 16, 2008 - Added a Third Dry Food Shelf Life Article.
Revised June 12, 2008 - Added a Second Dry Food Shelf Life Article.
Revised December 4, 2007 - Added a New Link to a U.S. Army Canned Food Shelf Life Article.
Revised December 4, 2007 - Added a New Link to a Brigham Young University Dry Food Shelf Life Article.
Fall 2007 - Created this new web page.

Click on www.grandpappy.info/indexhar.htm for more Hard Times Survival Tips.

OILS CLASS INFO AND PRICES...ALSO FEATURING IONIC SILVER!

2010-09-23T14:12:00.001-07:00

Fall Class: Using Spice Traders, Oregano Oil, Ionic Silver to assist in your Families' Home Health

When: Wednesday, Oct.6
Time: 7 PM
Where: Joan Elders', 4820 Hollow Rd, Nibley UT

I failed to mention in the group email that Joan will also be discussing some of the benefits of Ionic Silver. All prices include tax and shipping.

Silver-Arise 8 oz: $28.00
Silver-Arise 1 qt: $85.00
Oregano Blend (2 oz): $27.00 (Oregano mixed with pure olive oil)
15 ml: Oregano Concentrate: $27.00
Spice Traders: $27.00
1 oz: Oregano Concentrate: $51.00
Spice Traders: $51.00
2 oz: Oregano Concentrate: $91.00
Spice Traders: $91.00
4 oz: Oregano Concentrate: $164.00
Spice Traders: $164.00
8 oz: Oregano Concentrate: $295.00
Spice Traders: $295.00

Questions about classes or ordering? Email foodstoragenow@gmail.com or call Joan 435-757-6854.

Difference between Oregano and Spice Traders Oils

2010-09-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

What is the difference between this Oregano oil and the Thieve's oil?

Spice Traders (Thieves) is to put on you for PROTECTION from the bugs that make you sick. The name ‘thieves,’ came from the people who robbed the dead bodies that had fallen from the bubonic plague back in the 1300's. They didn’t get sick even when they touched the infected bodies. The trade routes are where the plague was the worst and spread to even remote areas. So the spice traders wore it for protection as well. They wore like a mask over their nose and mouth that had the oil on it. They put it on their clothes. Some places I have my family wear it are: on the sternum at the thymus place (midline of chest, just above the center of the breast). We also wear it on the feet lateral to the ball of the foot. During a pandemic situation, I will put some in a spray bottle, and add water, and spray it around the air, thus diffusion it everywhere to kill airborne bugs. I will have one of my kids go through and spray the air every few hours. I can also spray it on surfaces like faucets, light switches, doorknobs. In Melonie’s pandemic classes, she talks about a doctor who told her it was a good thing to spray on each side of a mask, let it sit for 1/2 hour, and that will make the mask more effective incase of air leaks.

The Oregano oil is what you eat when you ARE SICK. There is a great book called "The Cure is in the Cupboard." In the book, the doctor said it has been tested to kill Bird Flu Virus. And that the FDA has actually approved it to be one of the few oils you can take internally. I am very impressed about the wide range of problems the oregano oil addresses. It gives case histories of different ailments it cured, and how the people took it to get that result. He talks about the oregano killing viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Within our group, we've had some great testimonials about oregano oil in dealing with skin/acne issues, chronic coughing, etc.

SEPTEMBER PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

2010-09-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

Each month I focus my preparedness efforts on two specific goals; it seems a lot less intimidating that way and a lot more do-able. So I invite you to join me with these goals or create some of your own; just make sure you're doing something each month to build your storage!

1-I have done a little canning already and found how unprepared I was with the basic supplies I needed. That is very irritating when you are up to your elbows in tomatoes and have to run to the store. So I am challenging myself to stock up on my years' supply of canning needs, since they are on sale right now. Here are some of the things I need to have on hand:
Canning lids (I'm ample for jars)
Vinegar; white and cider
Sugar
Pectin
Lemon juice
Pickling salt

2-Guess what is coming up??? Case lot! Some of the stores have already begun. I usually visit Macey's and the Providence location is starting their case lot sale on September 29, so I have almost a whole month to prepare! This means creating room in my budget, taking inventory in my 3 month supply, making sure I have space to keep it all, and making a great list of exactly what I need. Although it gets a little crazy for me to shop the case lot sale, it helps my peace of mind tremendously. I love the feeling of everything being "gathered in" for the winter. I am such a squirrel that way :)

Good luck with your goals this month!

COUPON CLASS-PART 2

2010-08-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

An Invitation to learn how to save half or more off your grocery/household bills each month!

Heather from www.savvysistershops.com is coming to our area to show us how to save big bucks on our groceries and household items as well as build our food storage! I know I could sure use a few extra dollars each month, how about you? This is a couponing class that I can vouch for; I have seen the information and I myself have been able to save every month by using it. Come see for yourself, there is no cost. *For those that came to the previous class, this will be a good review and Heather will be able to answer your questions!

Where: Joan Elders' home, 4820 Hollow Rd, Nibley UT
When: Thursday, Aug. 5
Time: 7 PM
Contact number: 435-757-6854

AUGUST PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

2010-08-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

1) Tis the season to get prepared for cold/flu season...ick. I need to stock up on tissues, pain reliever/fever reducer, Vitamins D and C, hand sanitizer, ionic silver, spice traders and oregano oil. Whew! That will keep me busy this month! But it's worth it when several family members get sick at the same time and I already have supplies on hand.

***If you are interested in ordering any of the last 4 of the listed supplies you can email me at foodstoragenow@gmail.com.

***I was just thinking, would anyone be interested in having a no cost class on home health care to prepare for the winter season? We have some knowledgable people that would be able to teach us about using oils, silver, etc. to prevent and treat sickness at home. Let me know at foodstoragenow@gmail.com!

2) Case-lot sales will be coming up soon. I will be making a list of the things I am low on so I can spot the deals and stock up! (I love the feeling of "all is safely gathered in" for winter, so I know I can be ready to hunker down and enjoy the snow!)

STRICTLY STORAGE: HOMEMADE ENCHILADA SAUCE

2010-07-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe years ago and LOVE IT! Enchilada sauce from the store is so expensive, but this is easy to make right from your food storage and is just as tasty! One batch will make 3 cups, too, so it's definately more bang for your buck!

ENCHILADA SAUCE
2 Tb. veg oil
2 Tb. flour (white or wheat...wheat will add a little grainier texture)
2 Tb. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (I use garlic salt, it's what I've got :)

Heat oil in saucepan, stir in flour and chili powder, cook 1 minute. Add the rest of ingredients, bring to a boil, simmer 10 minutes. Done!

How easy is that???

WATER FILTERS AND BARRELS AVAILABLE

2010-07-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! We are focusing on clean water for our preparedness efforts this month, and our supplier has stocked us with water filters, disinfecting items, and barrels that are available for purchase!

Prices for water filters are $45-$60 (these will filter several gallons at a time, the ceramic filter has proven to be effective against nearly all bacteria/viruses) Click here for more info about the water filters

Barrels are $20 each, food grade, used, 55 gal. plastic.

Disinfecting/conservation items to be announced

How to purchase: You can email me at foodstoragenow@gmail.com to submit your order or attend the water class on July 28 and purchase items there. All pickups will need to happen on July 28, whether you attend the class or not! We will do payment and pickup in the same transaction this time.

Class info:
When: Wed, July 28, 7 PM-8 PM
Where: Joan Elders' home, 4820 Hollow Rd, Nibley UT 84321
Teacher: Joan Elder
Cost: None!
Contact #: 435-757-6854

This is great information on storing, purifying, and conserving water during an emergency situation. Plan to be there! Q&A and items available for purchase following the class.

WATER STORAGE ADVENTURES

2010-07-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, so in keeping with my July preparedness goal, I have been getting rid of the water from my 55 gallon drums in preparation for cleaning and refilling. (My plan was to siphon it out with a hose but my super tough husband just tipped them over for me...much easier!) I made some discoveries that I thought I would share.

1. I have water stored in both metal barrels and the plastic ones. The metal ones have an enamel lining so I didn't think rust would be a problem, BUT alas, they are beginning to rust anyway. So I will probably line them somehow and use them to store wheat bags or something. However, the water from those smelled and tasted much better (yes, my husband actually tasted it!) than from the plastic ones. Hmmmm...

2. Even though I left a good 10 inches of headspace at the top of each barrel to allow for freezing/expansion, those that were stored outdoors still bulged out the bottom from freezing. My husband explained to me that it was because the water freezes from top first, so it ends up expanding out the bottom instead. Why didn't I think of that? So, the barrels are now a little tipsy...but they'll still work. I guess the lesson learned here is to store them indoors if possible (like in a shed or garage).

3. Though I thoroughly disinfected each barrel before filling it, there was still some suspicious looking matter at the bottom of the barrels. Nothing a little Clorox won't fix, but this is why it's very important to have a filter (we are selling them this month! see above post or email me at foodstoragenow@gmail.com) to be able to clean up your water even if it has been stored well.

If you know some great tips for storing water in these huge barrels please post them in the comments so we can all figure it out together! Remember that water is one of the top three items to have in your storage! Don't be without it, summer is a great time to get it in order!

Safe Water Storage Class , July 28

2010-07-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

Safe water/Water conservation class
Coming up July 28, 7 PM

This time of year we are thinking a little more of the importance of water and what shortages can mean. It's even more important to have an idea of what to do about water in an emergency situation, when it is very often scarce. Join us for a no-cost class taught by Joan that will show you how to store and purify your water, as well as teach you how to make your own filter and show you how to conserve water in some ways you might not be thinking about! The class is about an hour long, with a Q&A session and items available for purchase that will assist you in your water storage (water filters, barrels, disinfecting materials, menstrual cups, etc.)

Date: Wed., July 28
Time: 7 PM-8 PM
Where: 4820 Hollow Rd, Nibley UT

JULY PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

2010-07-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

Happy summer everyone! Isn't the sunshine great? Here's what I'm planning to do for my preparedness in July, join me if you can!

*As the weather heats up and the water gets scarce, I am reminded that I need to revamp my water storage. I will empty and refill my barrels, get all my filtering supplies in one place, and restock my bottled water supply (it seems to dwindle very quickly in the summer months...) I have also heard that freezers will operate more efficiently when full, so I may fill up a few milk jugs and stick them in to fill in the empty spots as well as provide for more water storage and/or ice in the event of an emergency. There are other places in your home where water is available that you may not have considered, i.e. water heater tanks and toilet tanks. Of course, those should be used as a last resort. Remember, the recommended water storage amount is 2 weeks for each person, which is about a gallon per person per day.
Here are some guidelines on water storage: http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7534-1-4065-1,00.html
http://www.nationalterroralert.com/safewater/

Plug here: If you need help with your water storage/purifying/conserving during an emergency, come to the free water class we are holding on July 28! Info above.

*I need to do some planning for canning. I have a good idea of what my garden yield will be and will take inventory from my storage to see what I could use more of for winter. I'll also be watching for produce sales in stores and farmers' markets in case I would like to can anything that I am not currently growing. So many times in the summer, though, many generous people share their surplus so I rarely have to buy anything...what a help!

Good luck with your summer prepardness goals! Don't let the sun get you sidetracked! :)

A Personal Note from Joan on the COUPON CLASS

2010-06-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have already received it, this is your reminder. For those of you who haven't decided yet, here is why it would be good to come check it out:

2 weeks ago, my daughter in Provo bought $100 worth of household goods, toiletries and food for $2.50!

Last week she lead me by the hand and she and I bought (4) $10 items for $ .99 ea! And some 'Always" pads that retail for about $5.00 for $ .50! And I have coupons for 2 months worth of FREE contacts for myself.

I thought it would take too much of my time to cut coupons out, ect. This is what she does WEEKLY:

She spends an hour making out her shopping list & cutting coupons

And an hour going to her 3 stores that are near each other, picking the items up.

This is an excellent way to build your supplies up at very little cost.

I thought it was un-ethical, too good to be true. My daughter spent an hour going over why it was honest and fair.

Manufacturers use their advertising dollars, and get a prime spot on the store shelf after a certain level of sales in a peticular period. It ends up being a win-win for everyone involved.

"But I don't get the newspaper." Michelle's ward has had a coupon class, and their Relief Society has a volentary program where those who get the paper bring their Sunday coupon booklet to R.S. and the couponer sisters can get free coupons. Also, Heather will be showing us how to get the best price on these coupons (like $ .75 a week).

Joan

Come to an absolutely FREE coupon class!

Thursday June 17th

1:00 p.m.

Joan Elder’s home

435-757-6854

Learn how to get organized & get the best deals with your coupons!

www.savvysistershops.com

Please forward this message/invitation to all your friends! Cut your monthly grocery bill in half- (or more!) Babysitting provided.

JUNE PREPAREDNESS GOALS

2010-06-02T13:06:00.001-07:00

*Ok, due to the almost constant rain, this is the month I will actually be planting the bulk of my garden. Which is ok. Despite my best intentions, I usually don't end up planting most things until the first of June and I always end up getting a bounteous harvest anyway.

*I also need to check my canning supplies and replenish whatever I need in the way of jars, lids, etc. If you have a pressure cooker it would be a great time to get the pressure gauge checked at your local extension office. I also like to stock up on quart sized and gallon sized freezer bags (must be high quality like Ziplock) so I will be ready for freezing extra produce. Sometimes I will get a giant bucket of beans from a neighbor and I'm just not in the canning groove, so I do a lot of freezing.

*Last month, to make up for the garden goal I did not accomplish, I ordered a giant bag of 9 grain cereal from www.honeyvillegrain.com and it is DELISH! Even with morning sickness I can eat it and my kids gobble it right up if it's got a little brown sugar cooked in. So I totally recommend this delicious cereal for your storage and it is so nutritious-check out the link to see all the good stuff it contains! 1/2 cup will feed four people in my family-try getting that kind of a value from your cold cereal!

TO PREPARE MY PEOPLE TABERNACLE SEMINAR

2010-05-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

Because I believe being informed is a big part of being prepared, I am posting this notice for a seminar that I believe will have a lot of great information.

When: Sat, May 22, 1-5:30 PM
Where: Logan Tabernacle
Who: 14 and older
Cost: $5 donation (optional)
Featured speakers: Scott Bradley (senatorial candidate for the constitution party), Farley Anderson, Janet Ashcroft Summit, Arlene K. Butler

I think there is also an optional dinner afterwards at the Coppermill for those who would like to attend.

For more info, see www.ToPrepareMyPeople.com

Should be great information! I have heard a lot of great things about many of the speakers. Hope you can make it.

MAY PREPAREDNESS GOALS

2010-05-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

Is it May already? Yikes, I am behind...again! Here are my goals to accomplish this month. Join me if you would like!

*The young women in our ward are going to the dry pack cannery for a service project. All I have to do is sign up for what I want and write out the check. Love how easy that is!

*But this one is not so easy...gotta plant my garden this month, that is, if it ever stops snowing! (I am actually loving the snow because it gives me a great excuse to snuggle up with a book instead of doing yard work. I'm guilty!) I have some seeds left over from last year, and I'll run to the garden store to get the few that I need. Plus, I heard a great trick to keep the weeds down in your garden; spread used carpet, backing-side up, over the garden, then cut it as needed to plant, in rows, or circles for sqaush, etc. I have heard several people swear by this method, and if the carpet is ugly, no one has to know because the fuzzy side faces down! Brilliant! I am definately going to try it this year! (And I happen to know that carpet stores throw away TONS of old carpet every day...just ask them if you can go dumpster diving and I'm sure they will be happy to oblige you.) By the way, having a weed-free garden is more important to me than having a perfectly beautiful one, if you can't tell :)

FOOD STORAGE CONFERENCE AT WSU-MAY 1

2010-04-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

Weber State is hosting a Food Storage Conference on Sat., May 1, 8AM-2:30PM at the WSU Student Union Building. Cost is $5. Register by calling 801-399-8207. Experts from USU, BYU, LDS Church Dry-pack will be giving workshops on shelf life, acquiring and managing food storage, containers and oxygen, dry milk, wheat bread, cooking with dry pack, cooking with dry beans, and more. Should be great!

APRIL SALE PICKUP INFO

2010-04-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all who ordered with us this month, we had a great response and are excited for our product line-up. We will be sending out a survey really soon to see what kinds of things you would like us to make available for your family's preparedness needs.

PICK-UP INFO:
When: Saturday, May 1
Time: 9AM-12PM
Where: Joan Elders', 4820 Hollow Rd, Nibley UT 84321

See you there!

APRIL PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

2010-04-06T09:43:00.001-07:00

Each month I am focusing on two areas of preparedness to work on and I invite you to join me or leave your comments if you have some great ideas. My focus for this month is:

1)Stock up my freezer. It's looking a little lean after the long winter. I know March was frozen foods month, but better late than never right? I like to store frozen fruits and vegetables, freezer jams, breads and buns, butter, juice, ice cream, frozen pies, and whipped topping (SO important for preparedness :) and meats of all sorts in my freezer. So I'll be scouting around for some *cool* deals.

2)Time to inventory my 72 hour kits again. I try to change things out with the changing seasons, so in the event of an emergency, I can "grab n go" with the things that will be really beneficial during that specific season, i.e. suncreen and extra water in the summer, heavy jackets and extra socks in the winter. I'll do another posting later on good things to include in your 72 hour kit and other ideas to help you get it put together. One of our group members happens to have a great deal of knowledge in this area so I will consult her and get some of her ideas.

OOPS! Hybrid and non-hybrid seeds...my mistake

2010-03-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
In my excitement to get that last email out to you, I made some mistakes with my verbage in regards to the hybrid (regular, one-season seeds) and the non-hybrid (heirloom) seeds. My bad! So if you are confused...you are not alone. Here is the difference between the 2:

Hybrid = type of seed that you canNOT harvest seeds that will harvest/grow again and bear fruit. You grow it, eat it, the end. You may get a volenter plant come up from it a time or two. But you cannot harvest seeds from it. This is the kind sold nearly exclusively at our stores. They have been breed to have certain desirable qualities. I have heard that they do not have as much nutrition for you as the other kind of plants made from the other seed, but they can be more disease resistant.

Non-hybrid = Heritage. It has not been 'bred.' It is in it's original unchanged form. Man has not done his stuff to this plant. These two words non-hybrid and Heritage are the same. You can use these words interchangably. Many of these seeds came over from the Mayflower. They are hardy. You can harvest their seeds, and they will reproduce (and put the seed growers out of business). Supposedly they are more "pure", meaning the fruit has a richer color and taste.

**For our emergency preparedness purposes, we are offering the HERITAGE, NON-HYRBRID seeds. Vegetables, 25 varieties, $37. Herbs, 11 varieties, $32. If you are interested, email me at foodstoragenow@gmail.com

PREPAREDNESS FAIRS IN CACHE VALLEY

2010-03-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

This Saturday
North Logan Preparedness Fair; Sat. March 20th; All invited! 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the LDS Church Building on 1800 N. 400 E. Will include info. about turning off utilities, food storage, power generators, 72-hr. kits, gardening, sanitation, financial aspects, fire extinguishers, building solar ovens and emergency handcarts etc. 12 and older. Direct questions: Jeff Jorgensen; City Administrator and Director of Emergency Services; 752-1310 ext. 14.

Next Saturday
CACHE COUNTY PREPAREDNESS FAIR
Saturday, March 27, 2010
1:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Mountainside Elementary
235 East 125 North
Mendon, UT

LESSONS LEARNED FROM A FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT OF THE CHILE EARTHQUAKE

2010-03-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

I have a brother who experienced the earthquake in Chile, firsthand, as an LDS missionary. Not only that, he was in the most damaged area, Concepcion. So I wanted to take from his experiences and see if we could learn a few lessons that might help us in our preparedness efforts, since earthquakes seem to be happening on a more frequent and severe basis. It could happen to any of us.

1) They had to evacuate the area immediately because of the danger from aftershocks (falling buildings and debris) and even more perilous, the looters. From what I could gather, he only had time to grab a couple pair of extra underwear and his camera (the most important things LOL). Lesson learned: Have 72 hour kits and other important items accessible and ready to go at a moment’s notice. There may not be time to gather food, water, extra clothing if it is not close by.
2) They had to go to a neighboring city where the danger wasn’t so great and because public transportation was totally full, they ended up hitch-hiking and catching a ride with a horse drawn buggy (cool…but a little stressful under the circumstances. And last time I checked there weren’t a heck of a lot of horse drawn buggies in these parts.) Lesson learned: Have the car full of gas, an extra tank if possible, and even some cash available for travel (or to pay someone to get you there). Or even have another means of transportation available, i.e. four-wheelers, bicycles, etc.
3) The pre-determined meeting place was damaged to the point that they couldn’t gather there, so they ended up going to the neighboring city to find another. Lesson learned: Have a pre-determined plan in place of where you can meet up with your family; have a plan B and C also.
4) The utilities, including electric and phones, were out for a long period of time. Even cell phones were out of service. Lesson learned: Have back-up communication, and make sure you have a place to meet up if all communication is down. A good solar- or battery-powered radio is great to have when you need to know what’s going on. Also, be prepared to be without utilities and electricity. What will you do for warmth? Cooking? Light?
5) They had a major problem with looters which still continues. Lesson learned: Be prepared to be able to take care of your family and home in whatever way you think is best, and know that your home may be raided if you have left it.
6) Most stores are STILL not in operation, 2 weeks later. The group of missionaries pooled their money together to buy food and water, but many of the people are still struggling to find food; thus, the looting out of desperation in many cases. Lesson learned: Food and water storage are imperative, as well as all other items that you must have, i.e. medications, sanitation items, etc. How long could you live without a store? A good way to find out is to try it now; start small and learn to plan for longer and longer periods without visits to the store, i.e. start with one week, then 2, then a month, etc.
7) Aftershocks are happening on a daily basis; many are 6 and 7’s. They are constantly on the watch. Many of these happen during the night. Lesson learned: Once the “main” earthquake has hit, be prepared for more. Make sure falling hazards are secure, have an exit strategy wherever you are, have some shoes and a flashlight next to your bed in case you need to get out during the night.

CASE LOT DATES

2010-03-02T12:16:00.000-08:00

If you miss out on some things during this months' caselot, or can't afford all that you want to get, Macey's is doing theirs during April so that may help in your planning. http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com/ has a great list of things that typically go on sale each month so you know what to be looking for.
Ridleys: March 2-16
Fresh Market: March 3 - 9
Macey's: April 7 - 27
Lees: March 1-14

MARCH PREPAREDNESS CHALLENGE

2010-03-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

My goals for this month in preparedness...join me! I've heard of several people (myself included) that invest a portion of their tax return in preparedness each year...you might consider it for your family.

1) Stock up on food storage at case lot: If you saw my last post, you'll know that I'm actually excited for this...wierd. Anyway, case lot always seems to roll around right when my storage is looking pretty thin...so I'll go blow a couple hundred bucks and that might make me feel better :) We'll try and list some of the best deals.

2) Research back up cooking sources. We want to look at our options so when summer comes around with good pricing on camping gear, we will know what we want to purchase.

CASE LOT!

2010-03-01T12:08:00.000-08:00

Hey folks, case lot sales are starting this week at Associated Food Stores in Utah! I know how strange I am when I get excited about this and it is re-affirmed when I get strange looks in the grocery store when I'm dragging around two carts full of goodies (like canned corn, yick :) Check out the ads and see what's on sale, and stock up while prices are good! If we see any fantastic, don't-miss-it-deals, we'll let you know. Happy shopping!

Another frugal idea for your storage-COFFEE FILTERS

2010-02-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a group member who sent this to me...I think it would be a great idea to have a pack of these in your storage. So versatile! Good substitute for paper towels, cotton balls, paper bowls, etc. And cheap at the dollar store!

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through and clogging the drainage holes.

11. Prevent a Popcicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."

15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or applique soft fabrics.

16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.

19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies... Saves on having extra bowls to wash.

21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.

22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book...

25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

ALTERNATIVE TO PEPPER SPRAY/MACE-WASP SPRAY!

2010-02-15T14:21:00.001-08:00

This was sent to me by one of our members. I'm not really keen on forwards because so many of them lack legitimacy and are created mainly for drama, but it sounded like common sense to me and could possibly be of great use someday. Not a bad idea to keep a couple cans around.

"A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead. The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection. Thought this was interesting and might be of use.
Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School.
For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed. Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them."
Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The wasp cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says "spray the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the wasp spray. "That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out."

PICKUP TIME

2010-02-11T13:59:00.000-08:00

For those that placed an order in January, here's the pickup info:

When: Sat., February 13, 1-4 PM
Where: Joan Elders', 4820 Hollow Road, Nibley

Also...stay tuned, we're working on getting a seed order going in the next couple of weeks. Happy winter!

FEBRUARY PREPAREDNESS GOAL

2010-02-06T13:35:00.002-08:00

Here are my goals for February:

TP: I am WAY WAY WAY low on this very important essential so I need to stock up this month. I will budget $20 for this purchase and get as much as I can. A lot of times I will get a nicer brand (say Charmin) in a super pack for our immediate use, and then get the dollar store (6 rolls for $1-yeah!) for emergency purposes...if it comes down to it, we will be very happy to have the generic version!
*Note: We sell a toilet paper kit that consists of a squirt bottle, some cloths that have been reinforced around the edges and a bucket...sounds gross but if you're unable to make it to the store, it would be a great alternative to TP. I need to have one of those on hand in my storage also. (If you are interested email me at foodstoragenow@gmail.com)

Emergency Medical Supplies: Seeing all the chaos in Haiti has helped me rethink and evaluate some areas in my storage that are lacking. One of our readers was asking me what supplies would be great to have on hand for disinfecting, etc., in order to possibly prevent infection and eventually, amputations. I consulted Joan, who knows a heck of a lot about preparedness, and she gave this list to start with:
Bandages (found bulk at the farm supply store)
Bag balm (also found at the farm supply store; contains great healing antibodies and is cheap)
Hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol: cheap at the dollar store, it also comes on sale during caselot, sometimes 2/$1
Lavender essential oil: for burns and cuts, won't sting
Ionic Silver: can be applied directly to a wound without stinging, we sell this
Epsom Salts: also cheap at the dollar store, last indefinitely

Here's a good place to start. I will probably budget another $20 for these supplies and see how far that gets me. Join me if you want, let's work out way into preparedness one month at a time!

FYI: Phillips class location

2010-01-19T09:17:00.001-08:00

I've had a few requests for the address of the BATC (Bridgerland Applied Technology Center) for the Jim Phillips class tonight. Here it is: 1301 North 600 West, Logan, UT Enjoy!

JANUARY PREPAREDNESS GOAL-JOIN ME!

2010-01-09T13:04:00.001-08:00

I decided that I am more likely to follow through on my preparedness goals if I am accountable to y'all, so each month I will be listing my preparedness goals and you are welcome to join me! Sometimes doing things with someone else helps you get it done! So here goes:

January-

Get spare keys made (enough to have house/vehicle keys on each keychain as well as having some put away for "emergency" purposes.) This is something I've been putting off forever! Time to get it done!

Get legal documents scanned and saved to a USB drive, put with my 72-hour kit. In the event of an emergency, if I don't have time or the thought to grab all my "important" papers, I will have them all with me!

Cost of items: spare keys (no idea), USB (already have an old one that will work). Minimal cost this month as I am still recovering from Christmas!

JANUARY ORDER

2010-01-09T12:59:00.000-08:00

All of these items will be covered in the Jim Phillips classes (details below) so if you would like to know how to use them before purchasing, we would love to see you at the classes!

New! Sanitation tablets that are used to make a disinfectant for food surfaces, faucets, doorknobs, dishes, ect. (these have an indefinate shelf life, are non-toxic (unlike bleach), and cheap! Putting 1-2 tablets in water gives you a whole gallon of disinfect you can spray). One bottle will make 75-150 gallons. $16
55 gal. water barrels - for storage, special price this month (used, food grade, triple washed). Recommended 2 week-3 month water storage, 1 gal per person, per day. $20 ***If we get enough interest from the Salt Lake or Provo areas, we can put a group order together on barrels and get them delivered to one location. So tell your friends!
Polar Pure iodine crystals (water disinfectant that can be used multiple times). One bottle will disinfect about (10) 55 gal. water barrels. $12
Moon cups -"reusable tampons" in the form of cups that catch your flow rather than absorb it. One of these will last at least 15 years, talk about saving money on feminine needs, plus they take up very little space and are environmentally friendly. $31
To order any of these products during the month of January, please send an email to foodstoragenow@gmail.com.

WATER AND SANITATION CLASSES IN LOGAN

2010-01-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

Water: The Liquid of Life –
What to do when the pipes run dry

Jim Philips teaches water preparation as the second preparedness parachute.

Everyone is invited. Cost is $5 per person.

Date: January 14, 2010 Time: 6 pm

BATC East Room 840

Correct water preparedness for emergencies is of extreme importance. Lack of proper water preparation will cause stress and great discomfort within hours. Without adequate sanitary water, injury and death will happen within two to three days.

Water is your second Preparedness Parachute. The issues and needs surrounding dependence on the water utility infrastructure (electricity, communications, pipes, pumps, reservoirs and purification) that delivers safe water to our homes is not well understood and respected by most people.

When the infrastructure is down and emergency services are not available, the lack of readily available safe water can quickly escalate all the interconnected issues into serious killers.

There is much more to understanding WATER preparation than just having a drum of water, a portable filter and some bleach on hand. There are many options available and many are low cost or no cost. You must have adequate supplies of safe sanitary water or you will become weak, sick or die.

Sanitation: The Hidden Disaster

- What to do when sewer, water and power fail

Jim Philips teaches sanitation as the third preparedness parachute.

Everyone is invited. Cost is $5 per person.

Date: January 19, 2010 Time: 6pm

BATC East Room 840

Sanitation is your third Survival Parachute. If you get this wrong, you die.

The issues and needs surrounding emergency sanitation are grossly overlooked and very underestimated. When something really serious happens and the infrastructure is gone and emergency services are not available, the lack of proper sanitation can quickly escalate into the biggest killer of all.

Seriously, if you get this wrong during an emergency, sanitation issues can turn very deadly in a hurry. You might have all the food, water, tools and other skills you need, but if you come down with typhus or crypto and die, then everything else you did to prepare is for naught.

There is much more to sanitation than storing toilet paper and bars of soap. In this class, we will explore the key principles of empowering sanitation for long-term self-reliant living:

- Why is sanitation a Survival Parachute

- Long-term emergency disposal of the world’s most deadly substance

- Protecting your home environment from sewer system failure

- Personal hygiene

- Personal protection

- Keeping things cleaned up

- Cleaners and sanitizers

- Disposal of trash & garbage

- Controlling vermin and pests

ONE-DAY HAM RADIO CLASS, BYU CAMPUS

2009-12-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

Start the New Year out right!!The next one day Tech class is Saturday, Jan. 2nd. at BYU Campus.
You will have the opportunity to take the test at end of class!!!
Cost for class: FREE
Cost for Test: $14
Handhelds: as low as $100Please send this around to anyone who may be interested.If they wish to attend have them e-mail Steve at nv7v@burgoyne.com
I'm so excited! See you there.
Joan
(details below)
-----------------------------------
message from Steve:I must limit the size to 40 people so sign up early to reserve a spot. If you must cancel please let me know immediately so I can free up a slot for someone else. If you must cancel please do it as soon as you knowyou will not be coming to make room for someone else!!-. ...- --... ...-One Day Ham Radio Class for the Technician (entry level) license.Saturday, Jan. 2nd, 2009 7:30am to 5pmRoom 276 in the Howard W. Hunter Law library in the J Reuben Clarke law building (JRCB) on BYU campus. If you get lost ask someone on campus. We start before the library opens so be on time so you can be let in. Park in the lot immediately east of the law building. Don't park in the restricted areas like Dean's spot, delivery etc....Enter through the right set of the east facing doors just left of the service entrance and go halfway down the hall and turn right. You are now facing 3 doors with the elevator on your left. go through the door on the right that has the large round sign "caution automatic door". Go through the detectors by the main entrance and past the circulation desk. Room 276 has a green blinking light right next to the door to your left about 100 feet in. I have an interior map I will send if you want.An interactive map of campus is here: http://byu.eduClick on "Campus Map" in the lower left. It is building #17 on themap; the J. Reuben Clark building JRCB.Another map is here: http://map.byu.edu/campusmap.pdf It is building#17 in this map also.GPS N 40 14.977' W 111 38.718'From 7:30am to noon is classroom instruction and then a break for lunch between noon and 1pm. Bring a lunch or you can buy lunch at several places close by on and off campus. Between 1pm and 5pm is self study using a computer program. When you are ready, in the afternoon, you may take the exam. You don't have to take the test that day if you are not ready and would like to study more.Each student needs a laptop computer for self-study in the afternoon. Every student who can needs to bring a laptop that runs MikeRowesoft Windows. Borrow a laptop if you don't have one. Bring an extra laptop if you don't mind loaning it. The room we will be using has power at every seat for a laptop. I also have a CD for Linux and Mactel (The newer Mac that has an Intel microprocessor) laptops if you can boot off the CD drive. If you have access to a laptop but don't want to install the program I have a disk that will allow you to run the program without installing it (this is great if the laptop is not yours or if it was borrowed from work).I have a handful of laptops to loan during the class. There are not enough of them to cover all who attend so everyone who can needs to bring a laptop. If you have an old laptop gathering dust you no longer use that runs any form of Windows I am looking for donations to use with the class.There is no charge to take the class but the cost of taking the test is $14.00. You also need to bring two forms of ID, one preferably with a picture. The electronic form you will fill out requires your Social Security number (thanks to congress....). We do not put your SSN on any forms we keep or send in. The most common mistake is forgetting ID and a Social Security number for those under 18...... Don't forget!!No programmable calculators.....The test is given on computer and graded immediately. Specific instructions how to run the program will be given. It is similar to practice exams available on the Internet.E-mail nv7v@ucares.org (preferred) or call Steve or Susan N7QZU (801-465-3983) to let me know if you are coming and bringing a laptop (please bring one... beg, beg....bring extra laptops if you can).Don't forget:$14 check or cashLaptop if possible--2 FORMS OF ID and a Social Security Number-- !!Oh... and just in case I forgot...... don't forget to bring two forms of ID, one preferably with a picture. These qualify as ID: SSN card, driver's license, CCW permit, library card and just about any document issued by a government entity. Credit cards are not ID.If you have any questions please e-mail me.nv7v@burgoyne.com

CHRISTMAS WISHES

2009-12-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all of you! May the real spirit of the season abide in your home this season.

We hope to have more regular, informative postings in reference to preparedness with the coming year. We want to help you feel that you are steadily achieving your goal for peace of mind and the ability to care for your family. Thanks for your support and look for some exciting things happening in January.

COME AND GET IT! CHRISTMAS GIFTS ARE IN!

2009-12-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

If you participated in our November/Christmas order and you have paid, you can come pick up your wares. Here's the info:

When: Wed., Dec. 9

Time: 10AM-Noon, 4-6 PM

Where: 4820 Hollow Road, Nibley UT 84321

For the Salt Lake area, stay tuned, we are trying to put together a delivery for the Kaysville area and Salt Lake. We will let you know ASAP when we know more. Happy Holidays!

PANDEMIC KIT PRICES FOR NOV. ORDER

2009-11-13T15:59:00.001-08:00

***Pandemic kits: See details below. Here are the pandemic kits we are offering this month. We have several options for you:
1. Easiest, and at a group buy price - buy them one at a time, all put together
2. Even better price - buy them four kits at a time for a greater savings, and you divide up a larger bottle of oil w/ empty bottles provided.3. Buy items separately (Build own kit, or add to a kit), many at group prices this month.
Details below:

1. Easiest, and at a group price - buy kits one at a time. One kit includes:
Spice Traders essential oil, 15 ml
Oregano Blend essential oil w/ dropper bottle, 2 oz
Pandemic Booklet, over 60 pages of material covered in pandemic workshop
Oregano Book
Empty capsules for oregano oil
Hydration formula & recipe
Medical masks, box of 20
regular $122 w/ tax, now $87.37 w/ tax
a savings of $34.63 per kit

2. Even Better Price buy them four kits at a time for greater savings, and you divide up a larger bottle of oil w/ empty bottles provided (written instructions provided at time of purchase).
$122 or 4/$363.98, now 4/$322.64, or $80.66 ea w/ tax
a savings of $41.34 per kit

3. Buy items separately - Build own kit, or add to a kit, all at group price this month. Prices are w/ tax.
Spice Traders or Oregano Concentrate 15 ml, or Oregano Blend 2 oz dropper, reg $27.00/$21.31
Spice Traders or Oregano Concentrate 1 oz, reg 51/$41; 2 oz reg $91/$72.81; 4 oz reg $164/$131.21; 8 oz reg $295/$236
Pandemic Booklet, by Melonie Turley, over 60 pgs. $6.00
Oregano Book, The Cure is in the Cupboard, reg $21/$11 (This is an older edition with the same basic information.)
empty capsules for oregano oil, reg $5/$3
hydration formula & recipe, reg $2/$1
medical masks, box of 20, reg $30/$23

GROUP ORDER FOR CHRISTMAS

2009-11-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

***Water filters: **Note**We will not be ordering any more water filters after Nov. 30, until April, due to not shipping well in colder temps so get your filters right away! In an emergency, clean water is key to survival so this is a great Christmas gift for your loved ones.

Water filter set $45 (less than .13/day for clean water for a year! includes pre-drilled nesting buckets, ceramic filter, spigot)
Water filter set w/ giant water sock $60 (comes with all of the above plus a sock that aids in filtering and prolongs the life of your ceramic filter)

For more info about the water filter set, see post below.

***Pandemic kits: We do not yet have firm pricing from our suppliers on the pandemic kits, but wanted to let you know we will be offering them so you can be thinking about it. They will include Spice Traders (Thieves) oil, Oregano oil with extra bottles for mixing and empty capsules, the pandemic booklet from the class, the DVD of the pandemic class, a book on how to use oregano oil, and N95 masks. Sorry for the delay, we will be offering these in single kits, or you can save money if you purchase quantities of 4 or 8. Details forthcoming SOON.

***Moon Cup $31: Re-usable "tampons" for you or your daughters (if only used it for 10 years, that would be about .25 per month for feminine hygiene, made by a reputable company and are meant to last for at least 15 years)

***HOW TO ORDER: Please send an email to foodstoragenow@gmail.com specifying what you would like to order. I know, it's not the most high-tech but for now it's what we do to keep costs down. Your orders must be in by November 25, and your check postmarked by November 27 for your order to be honored. It helps us very much to have orders and payment in before that, if possible. After you send me your order, I will send you a confirmation email with the price as well as where to send your check. Pickups will be available by the 10th of December, more details forthcoming.

GENERAL INFO ON CERAMIC WATER FILTER

2009-10-15T16:56:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to be getting the word out about the water filters. Having clean water in an emergency is so important! Make sure you attend an upcoming water filter class if you have purchased one so you know how to use it and see our "beefed up" version complete with the giant water sock. And if you haven't purchased one...come learn about it and you will have a chance to buy one if you would like. Next class June 24, Nibley, UT 5:30 PM (see above post for details).

Here's some info on the water filters that you can print off and keep with your filter.

Ceramic Water Filter – General Information

When a disaster strikes

When there is a disaster, the devastated areas always need clean water right away. Over and over, you see a certain number of people are killed or injured by the disaster, but many more times that die from unlean water. This portable water filtration system is a simple and effective way to bring that safe water to you and your family.

How do I know it really works?

These filters were created to fill the need for clean water throughout Third World Countries where serious outbreaks of numerous epidemics occur, including Cholera, Giardia, E. Coli, and many more. The filter will accept water from floods, lake, rain, well, tap, river or stream. John Hopkin’s University tested these, and made an impressive report on their findings, as well as a number of other prestigious scientific research groups. All gave a thumbs up rating. (all below).

When I talked to a man ‘in the field’ that actually places them, and sees first hand how they work, he said, “The filters stop an epidemic RIGHT NOW, PERIOD! Always works, the sickness goes away, every time.” He’s seen them work in India, Africa, Afghanistan, and a number of other places around the world.

What you get:

There are (2) 4 gallon square buckets that come in the kit. The holes are already drilled for you. The only thing you need to do is wash the buckets before storing. (To keep the cost down, we have used food grade buckets). And the buckets ‘nest’ inside each other. You can store your water equipment, and any other equipment that will fit, into the nested buckets.

Easy to Put Together:

When ready to use,
(1) Install the spigot into the bottom bucket (3/4” hole, about ½” from the bottom). A plastic gasket goes on inside between bolt and bucket, and the larger gasket goes on outside between spigot and bucket.
(2) Put ceramic dome filter into bottom of top bucket. To do this, hold securely onto the black plastic base of the filter, taking care not to put undo pressure on the ceramic portion. When I think of the ceramic portion as delicate as a chunk of big chalk, then I am more aware of it’s delicateness. Instead of shoving the plastic tube through the bottom of the top bucket, and through the lid, hold firmly to black plastic base, and turn counter clockwise to slowly move tube into position., and apply steady downward pressure all the while.
(3) Put felt water sock onto the ceramic dome and put a rubber band arount the bottom of the ceramic dome to keep more dirt out, and thus prolonging the life of the filter. It can be removed for cleaning.
Note: Be careful not to apply pressure or ‘torque’ on the water tube. To do so can cause the ceramic dome to crack around the base.

This may seem like a lot of cautions, but people around the world have been sucessfully using these for a number of years.

Easy to Use:

Just pour the dirty water in the top bucket, and take get it out the bottom bucket. It has a spigot for easy dispensing. It has a good flow rate of up to one gallon of clean water per hour. Because it is ‘gravity flow’ there is no pumping. Simply pour it in, and get it out from the spigot.

When I talked to the president of the company, he said that it was demonstrated to him by a man who put some mud puddle water in the top bucket, then added some dog manure. He then drank what came out of the bottom bucket. He said that this is how it is for third world countries around the world. They have pond water, water from floods, lake, rain, well, tap river or stream. This filter is rated to handle all of these.

John Hopkins rates it as a level #4 for dealing with viruses, and takes care of 100% of the bacterias, and viruses 100%, most of the time. Bacteria in the water is what is so prevalent, and viruses rarely can exist in the water. If you suspect a water source has been infected with a virus, then you can treat it first with a water disinfectant, like chlorine, or iodine. The one that comes the highest recommended by two preparedness experts, is “Polar Pure.” This will be offered soon at a great discount by the food storage emails/blog I send out.

How long will it last? How can I extend the life of my filter?

The shelf life is indefinite. Once it gets wet, the charcoal inside the ceramic shell will last 6 months. This is what makes the water taste so good. So you could put in some more activated charcoal from the pet store in the bottom of the upper bucket. But you wouldn’t have to; the water just wouldn’t taste as good. The ceramic portion will continue to work and block the bacterias and viruses.

The ceramic portion is impregnated with silver, and lasts until it is worn away from scrubbing/cleaning it (100 plus times). The need for washing the ceramic filter goes down when you pre-filter first. That is why we recommend the large water sock. It’s only an extra $15, will last indefinitely with proper washing and drying, and extend the life of your filter considerably. The ceramic portion of the filter is 3/8th’s of an inch thick, and generally lasts a small family about one year.

Tell me about this water sock…

It acts as a pre-filter, and a back-up to the ceramic filter in the event the ceramic filter wears out or breaks. It is made out of polyester, is several feet long, the shape of a wind sock, and filters water up to .05 microns. Rinse well and air dry, but do not leave out in the sun. UV Rays can break the sock fabric down. Keeps indefinitely if you take care of it like this. Would help the ceramic water filter stay cleaner longer. And ‘cleaner longer’ translates into not needing to scrub the ceramic filter as often, and so your ceramic filter would last even longer. We feel it is well worth the several extra dollars to have it.

Do I need to have a water disinfectant with my ceramic water filter?

Even though the people in the third world countries do not use any disinfectant, in an extremely deadly virus, this would be a good choice as an added safety measure. Here are two good choices:

Polar Pure $12 with tax and shipping. Does 5000 qts, or 10 barrels.
Lasts indefinitely. Fill up over and over until crystals are gone. It is iodine, so you will want to filter out. Much more cost effective than a bottle of iodine drops at the camping store. Great for short term. Very simple, and fast to use.

For longer term though, you can use powdered chlorine. It will keep indefinitely, unlike the liquid chlorine bleach. That will keep only a year before it loses its potency. You may be wondering why you would even want a year’s worth. I have an article written by an engineer who works for a city’s water municipal system. It the article, he states that in the event of a pandemic, we will only have clean water for perhaps as little as one to two weeks. That is all our cities have on hand. After that, the sewage water will be circulating from the homes of infected people, and there will be no chlorine to disinfect the outgoing water to the homes. So having your own cleaning system becomes vital.

Powdered chlorine is very concentrated. 1/4th tsp will disinfect (1) 55 gal drum of water. It is the chlorine for the swimming pool or hot tub. There is no place in Logan. You want 97-99% pure chlorine. Can find on-line. Caution: when it gets wet, it lets off a very poisonous gas, so you must be aware, and never let children get into it. I plan on canning mine in a #10 can to keep them out. It’s a great bargain for how many gallons it will treat. If you buy with some friends, you can get the cost down to about $15 for six people for 1 year. Can also use for disinfecting surfaces.

Other Special Care:

Cold weather; will freeze and crack. Must keep air tight with moisture packets to keep moisture vapors from entering ceramic portion. Will freeze and crack. One solution is to always store it indoors. Another option is to ‘can it’ in a #10 can with some oxygen absorbers. Or in a mylar bag with some oxygen absorbers.

As with all ceramic filters, once you begin using them, and it is in freezing temperatures, you will need to keep them warm enough to keep from freezing or they will crack. The way to do this is to give it to your husband to sleep with. Keep it close enough to have body heat keep it warm.

But how much does it cost?

This is the best part. Ceramic filters of this nature and quality run $250-$330 for a gravity fed system. This one runs $40, and $55 for the whole kit with the advanced water sock. It is sold by a non-profit organization to help the people in the third world countries. So we get quality, without the big price.

If you would like to have a “Clean Water” class for your neighborhood or family group, or your ward, just let me know, and my friend and I will come and show you more about the filters, assembling them, extending their life, proper storing of both the filter and water in general, and in cleaning and gathering safe water.

Joan Elder
435-757-6854

Ceramic Water Filtration Specifications

Product is manufactured to meet:
National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Standard 42
National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Standard 53
ISO 9002 Quality Standard
USA AEL Laboratories
USA Analytical Food Laboratories
USA Johns Hopkins University
British 5750 Quality Standard
England’s Water Research council (WRc) Performance Standards
The filtration efficiency is 0.5 micron
Removal capabilities as follows:
>99% Arsenic 5 and 99% Arsenic 3 (special order)
>99% Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
>95% Chlorine and Chloramines
>99% Taste
>99% Odor
>98% Aluminum
>96% Iron
>98% Lead
>90% Pesticides
>85% Herbicides
>85% Insecticides
>90% Rodenticides
>85% Phenols
>85% MTBE
>85% Perchlorate
>80% Trihalomethanes
>95% Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons
>99.999% of particles larger than 0.5 micron (Staffordshire University Labs) (includes Anthrax)
>99.7% of particles larger than 0.3 micron (Staffordshire University Labs)
>98% of particles larger than 0.2 micron (Staffordshire University Labs)
>100% Giardia Lamblia
>100% Cyclospora
>100% removal of live Cryptosporidium (WRc Standard)
>100% removal of Cryptosporidium (NSF Standard 53 – A.C. fine dust – 4 log challenge)
>100% removal of E. Coli, Vibrio Cholerae (Johns Hopkins University)
>99.999% removal of Salmonella Typhil, Shigella Dysenteria, Kiebsiella Terrigena (Hyder Labs)
Product is silver impregnated
and will not permit bacteria growth-through (mitosis)
provides a hostile environment for all microbiological organisms and will not support their growth
Ceramic elements may be cleaned 100 or more times with a soft brush or damp cloth.

Performance Features:
Easy installation
Good flow rate / Up to 1 gallon of clean water per hour (gravity flow)
Up to 300 gallons per hour (pressure flow)
Filter will accept water from floods, lake, rain, well, tap, river or stream
Semi/Annual filter replacement Cleansable with clean damp cloth

BARREL PICKUP

2009-10-04T11:19:00.001-07:00

We have NEW pickup dates for the barrel order because we couldn't get them delivered when we hoped. You can now pick up your barrels on:
Tues., October 13, 9AM-11 AM or 2PM-7PM
Wed., October 14, 4PM-9PM

Please make arrangments to get your barrels during one of these times so I can get my garage back! For the location, please email me at foodstoragenow@gmail.com. If you have NOT paid for your barrels we will be offering them to others so if you're still interested please get a check in the mail right away.

Date Night this week!

2009-09-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

This has very little to do with food storage but I just wanted to put a plug in for a little restaurant in Logan called "La Hacienda." It is right across from the new Marriott in south Logan, right next to the river, on Main (I am not sure of the address, I will find it to post). This restaurant has really struggled but my family discovered it this week and it is DELICIOUS and SUPER CHEAP (price, not quality) Mexican food. And if you're like me, those two things are usually the only way I can get my husband to take me out once in awhile :) One other plus...there are no, shall we say...uncomfortable side effects associated with this food. So please give it a try, you will love it! And may I recommend the soft tacos...

GROUP ORDER: 55 GAL BARRELS ONLY $25! Here's your water storage folks!

2009-09-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

Due to popular demand, we are once again offering the 55 gal. blue water barrels for a group order, now through the end of September. They are a SCREAMIN deal at $25 apiece, as opposed to $40-$60 at local stores! Don't miss em! Here's the details:

These barrels ARE used, they contained a harmless saline solution that can easily be rinsed out and will not harm your water.

We will have a one day, one location pickup for them in Cache Valley at the end of September, and will post details on this blog as well as through our email list. If you can't pick up your barrels that day, please arrange for someone to do it for you!

We must have prepayment to hold the barrels for you! It is the only way we can offer such a great deal.

If you would like to make an order, please email me at foodstoragenow@gmail.com and I will make arrangements with you.
If there is enough interest, we can arrange for another pickup location in the Salt Lake or Utah Valley areas. Please email me if you are interested. foodstoragenow@gmail.com

NEW USES FOR BOUNCE DRYER SHEETS

2009-09-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, I will admit, this was an email forward that has been around for awhile, BUT I have tried some of these tips and found them to be useful so I thought I'd pass it along FYI, and because we're talking about repelling the bees! (Plus...don't you just LOVE the smell of Bounce???)
**********************************************************************************
The US Postal service sent out a message to all letter carriers to put a sheet of Bounce in their uniform pockets to keep yellow-jackets away.

Use them all the time when playing baseball and soccer. I use it when I am working outside. It really works. The insects just veer around you.

All this time you've just been putting Bounce in the dryer!

1. It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels mice.

2. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.

3. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often..

4. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season..

5. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer) screen..

6. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.

7. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.

8. To freshen the air in your home - Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.

9. Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.

10. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.

11. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.

12. To freshen the air in your car - Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.

13. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan.

14. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.

15. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the lose hairs.

16. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.

17. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

18. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

19. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.

20. Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.

21. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh

22. Wet a Bounce sheet, hose down your car, and wipe love-bugs off easily with the wet Bounce.

FLY CONTROL

2009-08-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

We received a tip from the email list about homemade fly repellant. The idea is that a ziplock baggie filled halfway with water with pennies (just a few) added to the water, zipped shut and hung over a doorway, will repel the flies. Does it work? You tell us!

2009-08-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

TAKING AWAY THE STING: This info comes from one of our members.

It might be wise to carry a penny in your pocket while working
in the yard.......... BEE STINGS !

A couple of weeks ago, I was stung by both a bee and hornet
while working in the garden.

My arm swelled up, so I went to the doctor. The clinic gave me
cream and an antihistamine. The next day the swelling was
getting progressively worse, so I went to my regular doctor. The
arm was Infected and needed an antibiotic.The doctor told me - "
The next time you get stung, put a penny on the bite for 15
minutes".

That night, my niece was stung by two bees. I looked at the
bite and it had already started to swell. So, I taped a penny
to her arm for 15 minutes. The next morning, there was no sign
of a bite. We decided that she just wasn't allergic to the sting.

Soon, I was gardening outside. I got stung again, twice by a
hornet on my left hand. I thought, here I go again to the doctor
for another antibiotic.

I promptly got my money out and taped two pennies to my bites,
then sat and sulked for 15 minutes. The penny took the sting
out of the bite immediately.

In the meantime the hornets were attacking, and my friend was
stung on the thumb. Again the penny. The next morning I could
only see the spot where the hornet had stung me. No redness, no
swelling. My friend's sting was the same; couldn't even tell
where she had been stung.

She got stung again, a few days later upon her back---cutting
the grass! And the penny worked once again.

Wanted to share this marvelous information in case you
experience the same problem. We need to keep a stock of
pennies on hand.

The doctor said that the copper in the penny counteracts the bite.
It definitely works!

LUNCH AND LEARN GROUPS

2009-08-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

We've had great success with our classes and are finding different ways to get the word out. Our latest is this; you put a group together (lunch and learn, enrichment, mothers group, etc.) and we will come teach a class for you! Of course it is free and a great way to help your friends out with some preparedness info that is valuable for all. For now, we are featuring the water safety class. Please email foodstoragenow@gmail.com if you are interested in doing a class from your home!

Come See us at Macey's Little Theater!

2009-08-03T16:58:00.001-07:00

We would love to meet you at our clean water class, presented by Joan Elder, at Macey's Little Theater! There will be water filters there that you can take a look at and purchase if you so desire. I also have it on good authority that there will be TREATS! (I am SO there.)

Details:

Tuesday, Aug. 4
7-8 PM

Class is FREE. Held at the LOGAN Macey's. See you there!

Don't Forget Spice Traders Group Order due Aug. 10

2009-07-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

There is a group order going on for the Spice Traders/Thieves (see previous post "Screamin Deal..." If you don't know what this is, come to the pandemic class and find out. Here's a short clip of the story behind it:

"As the bubonic plague decimated Europe in the year 1413, four thieves were captured and charged with robbing the dead and dying victims. When the thieves were tried, the magistrate offered leniency if they would reveal how they resisted contracting the infection as they performed their gruesome acts. They explained that they were perfumers and spice traders and told of a special concoction of aromatic herbs, including cloves and rosemary, that they rubbed on their hands, ears, and temples..."

If you would like to make an order for this, please email Joan at joan_elder@comcast.net or Michelle at foodstoragenow@gmail.com, by August 10th. See the previous post about prices, and how to earn a free 1 oz bottle and have your own group buy. Great bulk price! Make check out to Joan Elder, and send to Joan Elder, 4820 Hollow Road, Nibley, UT 84321 by Aug 10th.

NEW WEBSITE-AWESOME!

2009-07-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.provident-living-today.com/

This is a great new website created by one of our members. It incorporates preparedness skills that they have used in their own family and you won't believe how much they have learned! (Just to give you an idea, they do not go to the grocery store during the winter AND they feed their family of 12 on less than $1/person per day! I could definitely use some tips there!) The site is still under construction but there's a lot of material there and much more to come. Bookmark the page and check back often!

CLASSES CLASSES CLASSES!

2009-07-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

Logan Classes

Date: Thursday, July 30, 2009
Location: Thomas Edison Charter School South
1275 West 2350 South, Nibley, Utah
Time: 5:30-6:30 p.m. – Clean Water Class-by Joan Elder
6:30-7:00 p.m. – Heating, Lighting, and Fuel -by Garth Turley
7:00- 9:00 p.m. – Pandemic Preparation Class -by Melonie Turley

Free Classes - All are Welcome!

(60 page pandemic packets will be available)

(Pandemic Kits & Water Filters will also be available)

Clean Water Class
Macey's Little Theater, Logan

by Joan Elder
Date: August 4, 2009
Time: 7-8 PM
Class is FREE- water filters and treatments will be available

Orem Classes

Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Location: Parley’s Hardware
260 South 1200 West, Orem, Utah
Time:5:30-6:30 p.m. – Clean Water Class -by Joan Elder
6:30-7:00 p.m. – Heating, Lighting, and Fuel -by Garth Turley
7:00- 9:00 p.m. – Pandemic Preparation Class -by Melonie Turley

Also at Parley's Hardware
Date: August 12th - Oats, Sugar & Honey ($20)

Following discounts are available:
Register in advance and recieve a $2.00 discount.
Bring a friend who has not attended one of my classes before and get a $2.00 discount for each of you.
Bring 3 friends who have not attended before and you come for free. $2.00 discount for each friend applies also.

Preparedness Blog by the Provident Living Team-needs your help!

2009-07-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

http://preparedness.ldswelfare.org/

This is a blog (NOT an official LDS website) created by the Provident Living Web Team to gather ideas to help with the new Provident Living website, which will be focusing more on preparedness. http://www.providentliving.org/. This is a fantastic way for y'all to share your knowledge with people everywhere who are trying to become prepared. Go read the welcome letter on the blog to see how you can participate. What a great way to share!

HOME FOR RENT

2009-07-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

This has really nothing to do with food storage, but hey, if you need a home to KEEP your food storage in then I have a deal for you! This beautiful new home is up for rent, for details see the ad at http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=475&ad=7047642&cat=278

UPCOMING CLASSES/JULY 4th FAIR IN MORGAN

2009-07-03T14:42:00.001-07:00

We are branching out and getting great response from many areas in Utah! Check out the locations below to find out if we are doing classes in your area, and if not, let us know so we can arrange it for you! You can always request more info by emailing foodstoragenow@gmail.com

A FAMILY PLAN FOR AN EPIDEMIC

When it is time to act, the time to prepare is over.
Knowledge is Power! When you know what is happening and how to respond, there is peace.
Come and learn how to protect your family during a pandemic that may come around!

Morgan 4th of July Fair 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Riverside Park in Morgan, Utah. Morgan is in the Weber Canyon just off I-84 East. Take the Morgan exit and take a right on State Street. Then turn left on Commercial and then right on 1st East. Go 2 blocks south and the park is on the right side of the road.

Mount Pleasant/Fairview Class
Date: Wednesday July 8, 2009
Location: Mt. Pleasant Senior Center
101 North 100 East, Mt. Pleasant, Utah
Time: 6:30- 8:30 p.m. – Pandemic Preparation Class -by Melonie Turley

Logan Classes
Date: Friday, July 10, 2009
Location: Thomas Edison Charter School
1275 West 2350 South, Nibley, Utah
Time:
5:30-6:30 p.m. – Clean Water Class -by Jennifer Willis
6:30-7:00 p.m. – 3 Month Supply Mini Class -by Melonie Turley
7:00- 9:00 p.m. – Pandemic Preparation Class -by Melonie Turley

Orem Classes
Date: Saturday, July 11, 2009
Location: Parley’s Hardware
260 South 1200 West, Orem, Utah
Time:
3:00-4:00 p.m. – Clean Water Class -by Jennifer Willis
4:00-4:30 p.m. – 3 Month Supply Mini Class -by Melonie Turley
4:30- 6:30 p.m. – Pandemic Preparation Class -by Melonie Turley

Free Classes - All are Welcome!
(60 page pandemic packets will be available)
(Pandemic Kits & Water Filters will also be available)
pandemicpreparedness@hotmail.com

SCREAMIN DEAL ON SPICE TRADERS GROUP ORDER

2009-07-03T14:39:00.000-07:00

**To see why we are promoting the "Spice Traders Essential Oil" please refer to the next post, the story behind the Spice Traders.**

We have been able to get a special deal on a limited amount of Spice Traders Essential Oil. We are offering a group price to those who put together an order of 20 bottles or more.

Our normal pricing is $25.34 for a 15 ml (½ oz) bottle of Spice Traders. This is already a great price considering that other comparable oils are $35-$45 for a
15 ml bottle.

Here’s the deal:

Everyone that is part of the group order will get the group order price:
Group Order Price Regular Price
1 oz bottle is $ 38.48 1 oz bottle is $ 47.86
2 oz bottle is $ 68.51 2 oz bottle is $ 85.41
4 oz bottle is $122.95 4 oz bottle is $153.92
8 oz bottle is $221.49 8 oz bottle is $276.87

The tax on these items is 6.55%. To figure the cost of the items plus tax, you take the price times 1.0655. Here are the costs plus tax

Group Order Price + TAX Regular Price + TAX
1 oz bottle is $ 41.00 1 oz bottle is $ 51.00
2 oz bottle is $ 73.00 2 oz bottle is $ 91.00
4 oz bottle is $131.00 4 oz bottle is $164.00
8 oz bottle is $236.00 8 oz bottle is $295.00

BONUS: The person that takes responsibility to put the group order together will get a 1 oz bottle of Spice Traders for free.

The Spice Traders Essential Oil is from Native American Nutritionals.

It is of Therapeutic Quality.

Ingredients: Pure Liquid Copal of Clove Bud, Cinnamon Bark, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Radiata, Thyme, Orange, Oregano, Nutmeg Rosemary, Mandarin, Ginger Root, and Citronella

STORY BEHIND "SPICE TRADERS"

2009-07-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

This will explain why we are fans of the Spice Traders Essential Oils for pandemic preparedness. Cool story!

There are many versions of the story of the Spice Traders/Thieves Essential Oil Blend. There was a plague in the 1400’s and then again in the 1700’s. There were strories written then about thieves and spice traders. Here are a couple of those stories.
• As the bubonic plague decimated Europe in the year 1413, four thieves were captured and charged with robbing the dead and dying victims. When the thieves were tried, the magistrate offered leniency if they would reveal how they resisted contracting the infection as they performed their gruesome acts. They explained that they were perfumers and spice traders and told of a special concoction of aromatic herbs, including cloves and rosemary, that they rubbed on their hands, ears, and temples http://www.secretofthieves.com
• The thieves happen to have been merchants and spice traders, and that’s how they knew about the oils because they were importing cinnamon and clove from India and when the plague hit, the kings of the various countries sent out a mandate closing down inter-national commerce and shipping. So all of the ships were docked and they couldn’t sell and they couldn’t engage in their business and they were going broke. The spice trade was a very lucrative trade and they made money at it, so they decided, “Well–all of these people are dying and they are afraid to touch them. We might as well go loot their bodies and take the things off and go into the homes where everybody is dead and take the things out of the homes, like pots and pans and jewelry and clothing and set up a pawn shop trade…” that’s when pawn shops evolved. Of course, you have heard the story when the king issued the proclamation to have the thieves captured, but the constables were afraid to touch them because they knew they had been touching the dead bodies and going in the homes of the dead people, and they didn’t want the plague. It became so severe that the king even executed a few of the constables that refused. Finally, it was a life or death issue, and as the story
goes on there were four of them who were caught. The king gave them an opportunity to confess the secret of their immunity, either with the choice of
burning at the stake or being hung by the neck, meaning if they didn’t give up their secret they would be burned at the stake, and worse if they gave
up their secret they would be hung by the neck–and they chose hanging. They gave up their secret and it was published and plastered all through the town. http://inspiredpurpose.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/the-story-behind-thieves-oil

Oils Used in the Stories
The oils in the different versions of the stories list different oils that were used. No one really knows for sure which oils were actually used, but we know that they were spiced oils. We know that Oregano,Cinna-mon,and Clove were oils that were traded at that time and because of the power of Cinnamon and Clove they were most likely two of the oils of choice.

GREAT IDEA-MAKE YOUR OWN LAUNDRY DETERGENT!

2009-06-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

One of our contacts has a great write-up on her blog on how to make your own laundry detergent from items found in your grocery store. The best part is...using your homemade detergent will cost you only 1.5 cents per load! I could get into that! Check out her blog to see the goods:
http://www.foodstorageclasses.blogspot.com/

HEADS UP- JULY 10 CLASSES IN LOGAN

2009-06-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

Just so you can mark your calendar...our next series of mini-classes is on July 10. Details to follow. And make sure you keep emailing us at foodstoragenow@gmail.com if you have ideas for the blog, i.e. food storage recipes, deals on food storage at local stores, gardening and preserving tips, etc. And email us if you would like to schedule water purification/pandemic/cooking with food storage classes in your area!

ORDERING AND CLASS

2009-06-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

Don't miss the F-R-E-E classes tonight! The info is awesome and our instructors are so knowledgable. (see below for class info)

Also...wanted to let you know that we have a much improved ordering system. If you want anything off our current product list, you can purchase AND pick it up right there at the class! We have most things in stock so there won't be a turn around time anymore! We are really excited about making things more available and reducing the headache for everyone.

If you don't live in the area or can't make it to classes, but would still like to order, please email me at foodstoragenow@gmail.com and we will make other arrangements. We do deliveries down to the Salt Lake and Lindon area every month or so if you would like to pick up an order there. Thanks everyone!