Watch And Be Ready

Harvest Time

2011-09-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again, when the days start getting shorter, and the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor finish ripening and are ready to harvest. Part of living providently and being self-sufficient is keeping food on the table throughout the winter and spring. There is no better way to do this than to can your food so you can enjoy it all throughout the year. It is a great source of comfort to see all the beautiful jars of fruits and vegetables lining your shelves, knowing that you will have food in times of want.

Even if you have never canned before, you will find it is easy and cheap. Here is a list of some great websites compiled by The Kitchn Blog that will give you the information and recipes you need, and get you going on the right foot:

1) National Center for Home Food Preservation is a wonderful first resource as it's exhaustive in its coverage of so many elements of preservation (freezing, fermenting, drying, pickling, and storing). They offer a list of publications and fact sheets on canning along with an informative FAQ and Links page. If you're looking for sensuous photos, you won't find that here. But rock-solid canning information and inspiration to get started? Yes, indeed.
2) Food in Jars is one of the first canning blogs I started reading because they don't just focus on recipes. You'll find everything from book reviews to profiles of great canners to "Canning 101" posts that deal with a lot of preservation basics. And when you are just seeking out a wonderful recipe, Food in Jars delves far beyond the expected with recipes including Honey-Sweetend Skillet Stonefruit Jam and Yellow Tomato and Basil Jam.

3) Punk Domestics is unique in that you can contribute content and recipes! Once you register with the site, you can submit recipes that you've come to love. They also have a searchable "Topics" list so you can learn more about specific elements of canning you're curious about (pickling, home brewing, cheese making). Since September is National Honey Month, Punk Domestics is featuring a great line-up of recipes for honey and using honey.
4) Canning Across America (CAA) is put together by a group of chefs, gardeners, and food lovers who enjoy canning and putting up food the old-fashioned way. In their words, "our goal is to promote safe food preservation and the joys of community building through food." They feature events on the site that are region specific or open to anyone nation-wide and a wide range of recipes split into the categories "Fruit" and "Vegetable." I think the true strength of this website is its resources page, with information on books, blogs, and videos that deal with canning. Oh, and songs to can to!
5) Well Preserved is a website devoted to food, cooking, and design with a definite focus on preserving. The element that I admire about this site is they don't just deal with making jam or simple canning; this duo sets out to tackle dehydrating watermelons . Informative, well-designed, and approachable.

Food Storage Program

2011-07-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

Click here to download the food storage program that was mentioned in the 5th Sunday talk.

And click here to view the slideshow

Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days.

2011-06-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

There was a phrase that was frequently used in years past. It became a motto of sorts for pioneers and those who survived the depression and even into World War II. It highlighted the need to be frugal in all that you do it went like this:

Use it up,

Wear it out,

Make it do,

Or do without

You do not need to wear a tin-foil hat, or be a "survivalist" to be preapredness minded. Was your Grandma viewed as a wacko because she canned tomatos, and beans, and jams? Was your Grandpa a little off kilter because he planted a garden, and built his own home?

About ten years ago, we bought a brand new iron for my wife's grandparents. Theirs was a bit old and dated, so we thought they needed a new one. But they grew up during the depression, and volunteered to serve when World War II occured. So it even though it has been ten years since we bought them the iron, it still is sitting on the laundry room shelf unopened, because the one they have still works fine. They know what it is like to not have things. And using things up is ingrained and is a part of who they are. When their iron finally does break, I'm sure they will open the one we bought them, but until it does, they are just fine using the one they have.

Being self sufficient isn't so about buying a bunch or wheat and then thinking that you will change your lifestyle when the situation demands it. It is changing it now, so when things get really bad, the shift will not be quite so dramitic. It means going back to the way your grandparents lived.

I think often of my Grandpa Hassell, who built his home with his own hands; Who built his own car; Grew a 2 acre garden; Was self employed his entire life; Fed and housed countless hungry and homless people; Served faithfully in his Church to his dying day. He worked hard and lived a hard life, but he was always happy. He knew that whatever hardship came his way, he would figure a way out of it.

Living providently means getting back to the basics. It means throwing off the disposable society we live in. It means go back to the basics. One way you can do this would be to go to your grandparents, or some other "seasoned" person, and ask them to show you how to:

Sew, and make and repair clothes.

Crochet

Prepare and cook a meal with basic food.

Plant a garden.

Raise chickens or rabbits or bees.

Wash your laundry without using the machine, then hang it outside to dry.

Fix your broken washing machine (or research how to do it on the internet).

Can food and put it away for the future.

Play games that don't require electronics

Skin and field dress a deer/elk/cow/fish etc.

Frame and build a fence or shed.

Make soap

Change the brakes or the oil on your car.

Learning the skills and gaining the knowledge that your grandparents posses is not about being extreme or becoming a survivalist. It is simply getting back to the basics. But the skills and knowledge you gain may save you and your family at some time in the future.

Free Food Storage Analyzer

2011-01-29T07:27:00.001-08:00

I have a make-shift food storage analyzer I've created in excel, but after using the free food storage analyzer found at http://beprepared.com/analyzer, I'm sold that theirs is a much better way.

First of all you enter the number of family members and their ages, so you can get an accurate idea of the amount of daily needs and calories. Then you simply go through and enter what you currently have in your food storage. You can enter canned, foods, bulk foods, MRES, and even add your own items. It is also easy to order needed items directly from the site.

It makes it really easy to get an accurate idea of where you stand and what you need to do to fill in the gaps. Also, as your family grows you can change it to meet your needs.

All you need to do is go make a free account and get going. Good luck!

Earthquake Preparedness Class - Feb 19

2011-01-29T07:27:00.000-08:00

On February 19th at 10:00 at the Stake Center, we will have the privilege of having Professor Ron Harris, a geology professor at BYU, come to speak to us about preparing for an earthquake. Professor Harris predicted the Indian Ocean earthquake that resulted in the the Tsunami that hit Indonesia and the the recent earthquake in Samoa. It should be a great class with lots of info. Don't miss it.

Self Reliance Expo this weekend

2010-11-05T08:26:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to attend the Self Reliance Expo today and tomorrow at the South Towne Expo Center. There will be tons of booths, deonstrations and lectures on self reliance. More info can be found here: http://www.selfrelianceexpo.com

Hillcrest County Fair

2010-08-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

The Hillcrest Stake is sponsoring our annual County Fair, which focuses on Emergency Preparedness. It's going to be so much fun! I hope you all will come. There will be lots of food, homemade root beer, popcorn, snow cones and great entertainment. You can also learn something about being prepared such as:

How to sprout seeds
Layering clothing during an emergency
Cooking in a solar oven
Cooking with dutch ovens
Becoming CERT certified
Living without electricity
Purifying water
Using medicinal herbs
Getting your HAM radio license
Putting together a 72 hour kit

Hillcrest Stake Country Fair
Saturday August 21st
11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
outside the 4th & 9th ward building

(440 E 800 S, Orem)
Hope to see you there!

Nasa warns solar flares from 'huge space storm' will cause devastation

2010-06-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting/sobering article from the UK: Nasa warns solar flares from 'huge space storm' will cause devastation

Excerpt:

“We know it is coming but we don’t know how bad it is going to be,” Dr Richard Fisher, the director of Nasa's Heliophysics division, said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.
“It will disrupt communication devices such as satellites and car navigations, air travel, the banking system, our computers, everything that is electronic. It will cause major problems for the world.
“Large areas will be without electricity power and to repair that damage will be hard as that takes time.”

Top Ten Preparedness Myths

2010-06-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the Powerpoint Presentation that I gave in my talk on Sunday regarding the top Ten Preparedness Myths. It was taken from info I gathered as well as info from Wendy Dewitt and Kellene Bishop blogs.

Top Ten Preparedness Myths

View more presentations from holyhabanero.

Also, I planned to show this video but ran out of time. If you are interested, you can view it below:

Free Giveaway over at Adventures in Self Reliance

2010-04-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hey, just a heads up that our friends over at Adventures in Self Reliance are having a giveaway that is pretty neat. Stop over and take a look: http://selfrelianceadventures.blogspot.com/

Lessons learned from the recent Tornado

2010-04-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

I found this interesting letter to the editor on Survivalblog.com that gives a good perspective of what to expect in the aftermath of a major disaster.

Dear Editor:
I have been reading your blog for a while but until Saturday, I never saw how a disaster could unhinge some people so quickly and what lack of preparedness can do to some people.

I went to deliver a chainsaw, some gas and water to a relative in Yazoo City and what is usually a 45 minute drive took over 2 hours. Land lines and cell towers were down, and if you had a phone with a certain carrier, the service was very spotty. The traffic was bad and the roads into the town were blocked and we were turned away twice by a motley group of authorities but mostly State police. One local deputy was sympathetic and told us a way to get in the town that was 35 miles out of our way and we eventually got close to the north side of town and we had to drive over live power lines and swerve around transformers. We got to the entrance of town and there were two State troopers blocking the exit but we told them we were delivering some supplies and they let us through. Eventually, we reached the home and there were trees and power lines everywhere. No power, no gas lines, homes and cars crushed, etc. One generator was being shared by neighbors and gas was being siphoned out of boats and cars to power it. There was one electric chainsaw that was plugged into the generator.

Things to note were that the authorities were very stressed out and not experienced with this kind of devastation and there were many people who tried to get to loved ones or family that couldn't get past the road blocks. Some people just left their cars on the sides of the road and were allowed to walk into town. One lady drove around the roadblock and was chased by a cop car. There were people panicking and the Red Cross got there and all they were doing was handing out water bottles. The power company was only responsible for getting the trees off the power lines. You could see people just staring at their crushed homes and houses wondering what to do. There were cops on four wheeler ATVs just riding around and eventually the National Guard showed up but they were just driving around.

Some lessons learned:

No one is getting into town right after a disaster

Have a big chainsaw and make sure there are no trees in your yard

Have a four-wheeler and a 15 foot trailer to haul out pieces of debris from your home/yard

Have a siphon and a generator

Know how to turn off your gas in your home because live wires and natural gas don't mix

Know beforehand that the authorities are not there to help you but to maintain order and the power company is not going to cut down that tree that is now in your dining room.

Brick homes fare better than stick ones

Anticipate that neighbors are going to freak out and run around like chickens with their heads cut off and try to do silly things like get in their cars and drive over debris in the road and get stuck and pop their tires.

Have gloves and chains in your truck and keep a full tank of gas at all times. Some people ran out of gas in the traffic.

Realize that tensions are going to be high and seeing weird things like one group of people having a barbecue and getting drunk and across the street one family was sitting on the lawn waiting for help is a recipe for a bad situation. I saw a kid in the road trying to flag us down and there were some guys leaning up against a house a bit out of sight. We just drove around him. I couldn't believe that it was already getting strange and the tornado was only a few hours earlier.

So in a nutshell, that was my experience and one more thing, the tornado hit so fast that the siren didn't give enough warning. And what was worse, people are conditioned to think the siren means thunderstorm or it could be a test or something else. So no one was prepared until they heard the freight train sound and with no one having basements in Mississippi, there isn't really a safe place to be.

Sincerely, - James H.

Raised Bed Gardening Class Handout

2010-04-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

For those who attended the raised bed gardening class, thanks for coming. It was very informative and I learned that I'm doing everything wrong. If you weren't able to make it, here's the handout from the class.

Great Conference Deals at Blue Chip Foods

2010-03-31T09:14:00.000-07:00

If you're looking to get some great deals and build up your food storage, you've got to take advantage of Augason Farms Blue Chip Foods Conference Specials. They have over 40 items under $10, and many other items at greatprices. You'll need to visit their retail outlet in Salt Lake to get the deals, but if you want to save money and get great food, this is the time to go. To see more information, visit them here: http://www.augasonfarms.com/ and click the starburst link on the right hand side. To see the conference specials price sheet, click here.

Food Storage Class handout

2010-03-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

For those who attended the UNDERWhelmed in Food Storage class, you can download a copy of the handout by clicking here.

Recipes from the Food Storage Class

2010-03-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

For all of you who attended the food storage class, I hope you had a great time. It was very informative. If you want the handouts from the class visit www.preparednesspro.com and send Kellene an email requesting them. Lastly, here are the recipes that were prepared:

Southern Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

This recipe is a very, very simple “Open, dump, and mix” one.

4 cups of canned chicken, drained

1 package (6 ounces) of Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice Original Recipe

1 can of cream of celery soup

2/3 cup of Miracle Whip (don’t substitute a different mayonnaise)

1 can (8 oz) of diced water chestnuts, drained (I like to chop mine a bit smaller than they come in the “diced” can)

1 2 oz jar of sliced pimento peppers. (diced is fine also)

1 can of French cut green beans, drained

1 ½ cups of chicken broth OR water

2 Tablespoons of pre-grated Parmesan cheese. (yes, the stuff in the green can is just fine.)

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well with a spoon. Transfer to a Dutch oven, or a pre-greased baking dish if you’re cooking in a solar oven. Top the dish with the Parmesan Cheese. If using a solar oven, be sure to cover the dish with foil or a dark towel. If using the Dutch Oven, simply put on the lid.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until it’s bubbling and the rice has cooked. Let cool about 5 minutes and then serve.

Corn Bread Casserole

Yet another easy dump, mix, and cook recipe! You won’t believe how addictive this dish can be. You can enhance it as a main dish by adding spam, bacon bits, or cheese to the dish as well just before baking.

1 can of creamed corn

1 can of regular corn, drained

1 cup of sour cream. (yes, you can make sour cream from powdered milk)

1 egg or 1 egg equivalent

1 box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 tablespoon of butter

Mix all of the ingredients together well. Place in a baking dish or Dutch oven. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. (I usually cook it the longer period because I like it a bit browner on the top than some do.) Serve as a great side dish!

Blueberry Dump Cake

The name says it all. This is easy!

2 cans of blueberry pie filling

1 box of yellow cake mix (18.25 ounces)

8-12 tablespoons of butter or margarine

Simply dump the blueberry pie filling in your baking dish or Dutch oven. Mix the melted butter together with the cake mix. Spoon on top of the blueberry pie filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes until light golden brown on top.

If you have a way to make ice cream, this is a yummy dish served warm with some vanilla ice cream on top.

Stretch your grocery money - Bountiful Baskets Food Co-Op

2010-02-22T15:39:00.000-08:00

This is the food we got last week!!

Finding ways to make your grocery dollars stretch is not easy. But what if I told you that you could buy over $35 worth of fruits and vegetables for only $15?

The idea behind Bountiful Baskets, is a food co-op, where average citizens leverage the power of group buying to purchase fruits and vegetables at wholesale prices.

Basically you pay up front (by Wednesday at 10:00 pm) and they pool all the money, then spend it all where the grocery stores shop. Then volunteers show up an hour before pickup (just show up if you want to help!) to divide up the produce, then all the participants show up and take home their baskets and bread!

In addition to getting produce at a screaming deal, you can order items like bread, or granola or larger boxes of various produce. What you get depends on what is on special or in season that week. Just remember to sign up early each week, as there are only a limited number of spaces open.

In today's economy, we need to do all we can to live frugally. Bountiful Baskets is a great way to make sure your family eats healthy, but still keeps within your budget. Stop by http://www.BountifulBaskets.org and give it a try.

Free is a very good price.

2010-02-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

You probably know I'm all about getting prepared for the least amount of cost. Well, one way that I've found to store things like wheat and beans or whatever is to put them in plastic buckets. But those buckets can get spendy if you need more than a few. But what if I told you could get all the buckets you could ever want for FREE!

You probably don't know it, but bakeries all across the city get most of their frostings, and fillings and other items shipped to them in plastic buckets. When they empty the buckets, they just throw them away.

So one or twice a month, I'll call the bakeries in Smith's, or Albertsons or whomever and see if they have any buckets. Or if I happen to be in the store shopping, I just stop by and ask. They are usually more than happy to hand them over. Just make sure you get the lids with them and that they have no cracks. You won't always get large 5 gallon buckets, but that's ok, as I like to store my items in smaller containers anyway.

Then when you get home, wash and disinfect them, and they are ready to be filled up with whatever you'd like. You can also purchase the oxygen absorbers from Emergency Essentials or Macy's to increase the shelf life of whatever you put in it.

Here are just a few ideas of some things you can use your buckets for:

Store All varieties of food especially Grains and Beans
Keep Flashlights and Batteries
Keep a 72 hour kit
Separate your food into meals and put one days worth of food in a bucket
Shelter in Place kit
Emergency toilet
Carrying water

Getting prepared $5 at a time

2009-12-18T09:20:00.000-08:00

Maybe forking over $500 for food storage is a bit intimidating, but not if you do a little at a time. The $5 plan means each time you go shopping for the week you buy one extra item that costs $5 or less.

Here's a good starter list:

FOOD ITEMS

Five packages of Idahoan instant potatoes (flavored)
A case of ramen noodles (20 pkgs)
five cans of sardines
five gallons of purified water
nearly two cases of bottled water
four cans of peaches, pears or fruit cockatail
2 jars of mandarin oranges
five pounds of rice
three to four pounds of spaghetti
Two cans of spaghetti sauce
three bags of egg noodles
eight packages of gravy mix
four cans of whole or sliced new potatos
four cans of green beans or at least three cans of carrots, greens, peas or mixed veggies
Two cans of Yams
six cans of pork and beans
one 40 ounce can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew
Two 12 ounce cans of chicken, tuna or roast beef
One 1lb canned ham
three cans of refried beans
three 12 oz cans of raviolis or spaghetti O's.
Two 12.5 ounce cans of Salmon
Five pounds of Oatmeal
Four packages Dinty Moore heat and eat meals
five packages of corn bread mix
Four pounds of Sugar
Five pound of Flour
1.5 quarts of cooking oil
three one pound bags of dry beans
two cans of apple juice
a jar of peanut butter
two boxes of yeast
two bags of generic breakfast cereal
10 8 oz cans of tomato paste/tomato sauce
four cans of soup
four cans of Chunky soup
25lbs of Salt (at Costco) or 8-10 lbs at most supermarkets.
two bottles of garlic powder or other spices
Two boxes of kool aid
Two cans of Hot Cocoa
2 bottles of powdered creamer

Non-Food Items

one manual can opener
two bottles of camp stove fuel
100 rounds of .22lr ammo
25 rounds of 12 ga birdshot or small game loads
20 rounds of Monarch 7.62x39 ammo
a spool of 12lb test monofilament fishing line
2 packages of hooks and some sinkers or corks.
artificial lure
two packages of soft plastic worms
three Bic Lighters or two big boxes of matches
A package of tea lights
50 ft of para cord
a roll of duct tape
a box of nails or other fasteners
a flashlight
two D-batteries, four AA or AAA batteries or two 9v batteries
a toothbrush and tooth paste
a bag of disposable razors
eight bars of ivory soap (it floats)
a box or tampons or bag of pads for the ladies
two gallons of bleach
needles and thread
a ball of yarn

OTC Medications (at Dollar General)

2 bottles 1000 count 500 mg generic Tylenol (acetometaphin)
2 bottles 500 count 200 mg generic advil (ibuprofen)
2 boxes 24 cound 25 mg generic Benadryl (diphenhydramine HCI)--also available at walgreens under "sleep aids."
4 bottles 500 count 325 mg aspirin
2 boxes of generic sudafed
4 bottles of alcohol
a box of bandages (4x4)

Earthquake Liqufaction Map for Utah County

2009-09-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

Here's an image put out by the Utah Geological Survey that shows the liquefaction hazards of Utah County. Click the image below for a larger view or click here to get a PDF of the map. To learn more about liquefaction, and to see maps for the rest of Utah click here.

Earthquakes in History

2009-09-24T14:46:00.001-07:00

Here's an interesting graph showing earthquakes between magnitudes 6 and 8 for the past 100 years

http://www.thehorizonproject.com/earthquakes.cfm

This reminds me of D&C 88: 89-91:

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

90    And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds.
91    And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.

Welcome to Watch and Be Ready

2009-09-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Watch and Be Ready, the Emergency Preparedness blog for the Hillcrest 1st Ward. The purpose of this blog is for members of the Ward to be able to get information that will assist them in their emergency preparedness endeavors.