Well it's on to a new adventure, calling and responsibility.
This will be my last post for this ward blog. From here on out I will use it as a reference on how, where and when. Hope you do too.

Enjoy this well put together article on Food Storage, then give it some thought and plan accordingly...PLEASE

Do You Have Enough Food Storage?

 

By Kellene Bishop

“How much food storage do I need?”

For the record, I absolutely loathe the term "food storage." It's no longer used in our household because I'm not a squirrel. As such I don't purchase items which serve no other purpose than to be stuffed away into a corner, only to promise unpleasant eating later.  If I don't eat it or know how to use it, it doesn't come into our home. And if it comes into our home, we use it and are very familiar with it.
Now, have said that, the question posed above is a common question in my line of work because others don't necessarily share my point of view. That's okey dokey. Regarding having "enough" there are certainly plenty of numbers thrown out there. I do have an opinion to add to that list of suggested amounts, of course, though I confess that my answers aren’t always well received—I have this nasty habit of sharing facts that may contradict what a person has relied upon for a long time. *wink* So, how much food do you really need in order to have a year’s supply for your family at any given time?

Long Term Food Storage sticker facts

Ever opened a case of #10 cans or found a random can with a missing or faded label. Then thought to yourself, "I wonder what surprise is inside or how to prepare it?

Well I can't help you decide what is inside. However, I can help with how to prepare it or what the serving size and nutritional facts are of that product.

Below are the stickers that go on those can from a church cannery near you. 

Are YOU Prepared?

Perspectives: Camping Club

I read this article the other day and thought it was worth passing on.

 

 

 

 

What a great idea, "To live life Prepared", and to include family, children and great friends. Now is an excellent time to practice some of our skills and to learn new ones.

 

 

Please consider reading the article below and making some necessary changes for your families well being and comfort.

 

Perspectives: Want to be prepared? Consider creating a camping club

Written by Bryan Hyde on April 18, 2014        

 

          

OPINION – For the better part of the past week, I’ve watched with interest as a friend in Central Idaho has posted earthquake updates almost daily.
Granted, these have only been small quakes measuring up to 4.6 on the Richter scale. Still, they are a reminder that preparedness for the unexpected is wise.

 

Some years ago, a group of our friends came together with the goal of improving the personal preparedness of our families. Many of us met at a seminar featuring a cold weather survival specialist named Jim Phillips.
Jim’s approach to preparedness was refreshingly optimistic. Two of his observations have stuck with me.

The first was that anyone who lives long enough will encounter what Jim called “interesting times.” The second was that being prepared for interesting times makes what could have been an ordeal into an adventure.

 

We, along with our friends, decided to make preparedness a priority. Though most of us still had young children, we wanted to include them as much as possible.

To that end, we created a camping club. Our goal was to regularly take our families camping, teach one another useful skills, and enjoy the sights and scenery of Southern Utah while we did it.
Some of our favorite camping spots included Grass Valley, Cedar Pockets North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Pinto Springs, Enterprise Reservoir, and Lime Kiln Canyon. We planned our camping trips year round since disasters can happen at any time of year.

This meant camping in conditions ranging from sweltering summer heat to single digit temperatures. We suffered the bugs, sunburns, and cold hands and feet. We hiked and discovered caves and watched the wildlife. Our evening hours were spent visiting around the campfire.

These camping trips gave us the perfect opportunity to test our gear. It didn’t take long to discover what worked well and what didn’t. Likewise, we found that we could get by with much less gear than we might have thought. Roughing it can actually be a lot of fun.

Each time we camped, adult members of the camping club were asked to come prepared to teach a particular skill to the others. We all learned how to tie the most useful knots and how to properly use a GPS and to read a map. We made our own cold weather clothing.

We took hikes to learn to identify local plants that were edible and which ones had medicinal value. We practiced building shelters, cooking outdoors, and using first aid—occasionally for real. We learned to identify stars and planets.

Our kids were taught skills like how to make a solar oven, purify water, and what to do if they became lost.

The opportunity to build our survival skills went beyond our camping excursions. Most of us signed up for CERT classes in our various communities. These classes are offered at a very small cost and provide a wealth of information in how to deal with a wide range of disasters.
Some of us enjoyed our CERT training enough that we went on to become trainers ourselves.

Our camping club learned a number of valuable lessons along the way. First and foremost, we learned the value of teamwork amongst our members. Each of us had complementary skills that allowed us to contribute to the overall knowledge of the group.

In a real disaster or survival situation, lone wolf types are at a distinct disadvantage. Having a network of trusted friends creates a safety net that provides real peace of mind. Even though many of us lived in different communities, we knew that there was a safe haven nearby in almost every direction.

We set up phone trees and amateur radio protocols to check on each others wellbeing and to stay in touch in the event of an emergency. We researched and made group purchases for camping gear, food storage, and first aid and survival supplies.

When one of our members was moving or needed help with a specific project, we had a ready-made volunteer labor force there to help.

We came to know each other at a level that inspires deep and lasting trust. By this, I mean the kind of trust that would provide needed help, at a moment’s notice, with no questions asked.

Our children also gained useful skills without ever realizing that they were taught principles of personal preparedness.

What exactly are we preparing for? We’re preparing for life, of course.

Bacon in a CAN

Yoder's canned Bacon

 

Usually when I purchased what I consider a specialty item like this,

I hoard it and consider it worth gold.

It's not that cheap, and besides when I can still purchase it in the store then I sometimes think it is foolish to use the storage variety.

 

I have heard some great reviews on this stuff and decided it was time to see taste it for myself.

 

 

 

So here ya have it. A can of bacon that I purchased and put on my shelf back in Feb. 2013

 

1st: I opened the top. Note to self...Purchase several manual can openers to keep in your storage. Why? Have you seen your storage? Those cans wont open themselves!

 

 

 Here is a peek into the can. Yep it's bacon alright. All tightly wrapped up and stuffed inside.

 

 Now I dare ya to try and get that roll of goodness out!.

2nd step: Open the bottom of the can so you can push it out and keep it still in one piece.

It worked perfectly!

 

 

 Here are the pieces of Cooked bacon folded neatly and wrapped up tight. This is what I was so curious to see.

My though was this. Ewe gross greasy wiggly fat. Well it is cooked and yes there is still some grease that has stayed with it in packing. But throw it in the microwave or a pan to crisp up a bit (the way I prefer mine) and you are ready to go.

 

 

What I did with all of my bacon once I opened the can...

I stuffed it in a couple of sandwich baggies and put it in the refrigerator.

 

I made pancakes and bacon, eggs and bacon, green salads with bacon bits, potato salad with bacon, pizza topped with bacon bits, and just whatever else I felt like having. It lasted a few weeks and was so nice to know it was there and ready to go. All I did was warm it up and pat away the grease with a paper towel.

 I Loved the ease of it all.

So glad I have several more cans!

Would I recommend this to my friends and family?

ABSOLUTELY!

More Water Education

The importance of hydration

Water plays many important roles within the body. Water is the major part of most of the body’s cells (except for fat cells) and it also cushions and lubricates the brain and the joints. It transports nutrients and carries waste away from the body cells. It also helps regulate body temperature by redistributing heat from active tissues to the skin and cooling the body through perspiration.

 

Water is the main constituent of the human body: it is normally about 60% of body weight in adult males, and is slightly lower, about 50-55%, in females due to their higher proportion of body fat. The muscles and the brain are about 75% water, the blood and the kidneys are about 81%, the liver is about 71%, the bones are about 22% and adipose tissue is about 20%.

 

The body requires water to survive and function properly. Humans cannot live without drinking for more than a few days – depending on weather, activity levels and other factors – whereas other nutrients may be neglected for weeks or months. Although commonly it is treated rather trivially, no other nutrient is more essential or is needed in such large amounts

Benefits Of drinking Water

Good hydration is essential for health and wellness. Every cell in the human body requires water. Hydration is central to the most basic physiological functions such as regulating blood pressure and body temperature, hydration and digestion.

Some of the most remarkable benefits of hydration are listed below:

• Brain
  Adequate hydration is important for proper functioning of the brain. When we are well hydrated, brain cells are better supplied with fresh, oxygen-laden blood, and the brain remains alert. Mild dehydration, a 1% to 2% loss in body weight, can impair the ability to concentrate. Loss of more than 2% body weight due to dehydration can affect the brain’s processing abilities and impair short-term memory.

• Cells
  Hydration in the body is important for transporting carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients and oxygen to the cells. The cells then produce energy for the body to function. Furthermore, hydration facilitates disposal of the waste products of metabolism, enabling the right cellular chemical function.

• Digestive Tract
  Hydration plays an important role in the digestion of food and the absorption of nutrients from the digestive tract. Water is required to dissolve nutrients so that they may be absorbed into the bloodstream and delivered to the cells. Insufficient hydration will slow the digestive process and chronic poor hydration can lead to constipation.

• Heart
  Fluids are important for healthy heart function and the correct regulation of water balance is essential to keep blood pressure within the healthy range. Dehydration decreases cardiac output which may lead to increases in heart rate and a fall in blood pressure. The circulatory system delivers a constant supply of oxygen to the brain, muscles and to all other tissues.

• Kidneys
  An adequate water intake is essential to keep the kidneys working well, helping them to remove waste products and excess nutrients mainly via urine. The kidneys regulate the body’s water levels by increasing or decreasing the flow of urine. The kidneys also work to control normal levels of sodium and other electrolytes. A well-hydrated healthy person’s kidneys filter approximately 180 litres of water each day: clearly most of this has to be reabsorbed to prevent excessive losses from the body.

• Muscles and Joints
  Water acts as a lubricant for muscles and joints; it helps cushion joints and keeps muscles working properly. Muscles and joints, in addition to the bones, are necessary for us to stand, sit, move and carry out all daily activities. Approximately 70 to 75 percent of the muscle is made up of water. Maintaining the right water balance is essential for optimum muscle function.
• Skin
  The skin constitutes a defence against pathogenic agents and contributes to preventing the development of infectious and allergic processes. Some people believe that good hydration helps to moisten body tissues and preserve the skin’s elasticity, softness and colouring though this has not been researched adequately.

• Temperature
  The body water has an important role as a thermoregulator, regulating the overall body temperature by helping dissipate heat. If the body becomes too hot, water is lost through sweat and the evaporation of this sweat from the skin surface removes heat from the body. Sweating is the most effective way that the body prevents itself from overheating.

Water Facts

GOT WATER?

 

YES, Water IS Food Storage!

The average person uses 50 gallons of Water per Day! 

 

The average person uses:  

· Toilet - 19 gallons per day
· Bathing & hygiene - 15 gallons per day
· Laundry - eight gallons per day
· Kitchen - seven gallons per day
· Housekeeping - one gallon per day

 

 

 Here are a few more water facts:

 

       

Every 21 seconds, a child dies from a water-related illness

 

 

 More than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes. Nearly all deaths, 99 percent, occur in the developing world.

---

 

Lack of access to clean water and sanitation kills children at a rate equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every four hours.

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Of the 60 million people added to the world's towns and cities every year, most move to informal settlements (i.e. slums) with no sanitation facilities.

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780 million people lack access to an improved water source; approximately one in nine people.

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"[The water and sanitation] crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns."

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An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day.

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Over 2.5X more people lack water than live in the United States.

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More people have a mobile phone than a toilet.

Do YOU have sufficient water

AND

 a way to filter or sanitize it if necessary?

 

Simple Flat Breads From Food Storage Staples

Simple Flat Breads From Food Storage Staples

Everyone loves fry bread, tortillas and pita bread. All these breads can be made from a few staple ingredients.
If you get caught in an emergency situation, these breads can be made and eaten to sustain your life. Add canned meat, beans, rice and rehydrated vegetables and you have a meal.

Wheat Grinder Or Grain Mill
A wheat grinder or grain mill is very important to have. If you have a wheat grinder, you can make whole grain flour that is much more nutritious than white flour. I suggest you have an electric grinder for everyday use and a hand-operated grain grinder for emergency use if the power goes out. I really like the Wonder Junior Hand Grain Grinder and the Wonder Mill Electric Grain Grinder.

Food Storage Staples For Making Bread
Everyone should store the following staples for making simple breads:

• Wheat and other grains to grind into whole-grain flour.
• White flour (has no nutritional value).
• Shortening or olive oil.
• Sweetener such as honey, sugar or agave.
• Salt.
• Baking powder.
• Dry yeast. (Keep it in the freezer.)
• Powdered milk.
• Potable water.

With these basic ingredients you can make just about any flat bread, tortilla or pita bread. Try practicing making these simple breads so that if you ever need to make them in an emergency, you will feel confident that you can.

Pita Bread Recipe
2 packages dried yeast (4 ½ teaspoons)
1 tablespoon sugar
1½ cups lukewarm water
4 cups  flour (white, whole wheat, multigrain or a combination)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
2. Dissolve the yeast and sugar into 1½ cups of warm water, then set it aside for 10 minutes so it can proof. This means it starts to grow and form bubbles.
3. Mix the flour, salt and oil together in a bowl and then add the yeast and water mixture.
4. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary until it is no longer sticky.
5. Place the dough in a warm, oiled bowl, turning the dough around to coat the surface with oil. Cover the bowl with a dry cloth and set it in a warm place. Allow the dough to rise until it is double in volume. This takes about two or three hours.
6. Punch down the dough and knead it for about two minutes. Divide and roll the dough into 12 little balls.
7. Place the dough balls on a dry cloth in a warm place, then cover with another cloth and let them rise for about 30 minutes.
8. Roll out the balls into circles about 1/8-inch thick.
9. Bake the pita bread on a preheated cookie sheet in the center of the oven for six to seven minutes, watching them so they don’t burn. When the bread cooks, it will puff up like a balloon. It will collapse when it cools.
10. Once the pita bread is cooked, remove it from the baking sheet and cover it with a dish towel with plastic wrap on top of the towel. Repeat with each loaf until all the pita bread is cooked. If you do not cover with the towel and plastic wrap, the bread will harden and not be as good.
11. Store the pita bread in a zippered baggie. You can eat it immediately or freeze it.

Pita bread can be eaten with any meal. A staple in many Middle Eastern countries, pita bread can be used as a spoon or scoop and is eaten with olive oil, hummus, dips, soups, sauces, meats and vegetables. When cut in half, pita bread can be opened up like a half-moon pocket that can be filled with meats and vegetables.

Old Indian Fry Bread Recipe
2 cups white or whole-wheat flour
1½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons shortening or lard
¾ cup milk or (½ cup powdered milk mixed with ¾ cup warm water)
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Rub the mixture with your fingers until it forms coarse crumbs. Push all the shortening and flour crumbs to the side of the bowl.
2. Add the milk and mix this together in a circular motion with your fingers. Knead the dough until it forms a soft dough ball. It usually takes three to five minutes to knead the dough by hand. It takes practice, and you will get a feel for it. Continue to add a little extra flour to the countertop and continue kneading the dough until it is no longer sticky.
3. Divide the dough into six portions and shape them into balls. Flatten each of the balls with your fingers from the center outward until it is round like a small pizza. Pull it back and forth and form it into a 6-inch tortilla. You can roll the dough with a rolling pin to flatten it as well.

Basic Dough
This dough can be used for making into tortillas or flat bread. The difference is that tortillas are cooked in a cast iron skillet without oil and flat bread is cooked in a frying pan with oil. How you cook it depends on what you are making.
Tortillas are usually filled with meat and ingredients such as tomatoes, onions and cheese and then rolled into a burrito or soft taco. Fry bread is used flat and topped with meat such as shredded beef, hamburger, chicken or pork, then topped with black beans, pinto beans, rice, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, minced onions, cheese, sour cream and guacamole. If fresh food is unavailable, use canned tomatoes, canned beans, canned meat and whatever else you have on hand.

Tortillas
To fry tortillas, the pan must be hot with no oil in it so that the bread dough does not raise and puff up like fry bread. It stays flat and soft.

Fry Bread
To fry the flat bread, you will need to prepare a frying pan with vegetable oil in it about 1/8-inch thick. Heat up the oil in the pan and place the fry bread in the oil. When it turns golden brown, turn it over and cook it on the other side. Take it out of the oil and place it on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

Bread Cooked Over Hot Coals Or On a Stick
Use this same recipe and method of preparation as for fry bread and tortillas. Shape the dough into a circular piece of flat bread and cook it on a wire rack that has been placed above the hot coals. Turn the bread over several times to make sure it is browned on both sides and has thoroughly cooked.
You can cook flat bread on a stick by wrapping the dough around a willow-type stick and securing it by pinching the dough together so it won’t fall off the stick. Hold it over the warm coals and turn it often so that all sides will brown evenly and cook all the way through.
This recipe came from the book Cookin’ With Home Storage.
This book has more than 550 food storage recipes as well as:

• Emergency food storage instruction and tips on survival.
• What to store and how much to store.
• Reconstituting charts for dehydrated and freeze-dried foods.
• Authentic pioneer and early settler recipes using basic food.
• Fascinating historical pioneer information.
• Natural beauty and personal care.
• Natural household cleaners.
• Grandma’s home remedies.
• Emergency baby food.

–Peggy Layton

Thank You Peggy for our guest post. Gotta love the basics of food storage and it's life sustaining ability. Not to mention how Yummy it taste!

Peggy Layton a home economist and licensed nutritionist, holds a B.S. in Home Economics Education with a minor in Food Science and Nutrition from Brigham Young University. Peggy lives in Manti, Utah with her husband Scott. Together they have raised seven children. Peggy owns and operates two businesses.  She is nationally known for publishing a series of seven books on the subject of food storage and also lectures and teaches seminars about preparedness and using food storage products. Peggy practices what she preaches, has no debt, grows a huge garden, lives off the land, raises chickens, bottles and dehydrates food and has time left over to operate her businesses.

7 Great Ways to Use Wheat WITHOUT a Wheat Grinder

Another GREAT article worth putting into practice this year.

Thank You Jodi and Julie at Food Storage Made Easy

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/10/23/7-great-ways-to-use-wheat-without-a-wheat-grinder/

 

7 Great Ways to Use Wheat WITHOUT a Wheat Grinder!

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1. Thermos Wheat
Recipe from author Rita Bingham

Bring 1 c. of wheat kernels, 2 c. water, and 1 t. salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Pour into a heated stainless steel or glass-lined thermos bottle. Secure cap. Place bottle on side. In the morning, pour off any additional water, add butter and honey, and serve hot.

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2. Wheat Berries
Add some of your plain dry wheat kernels to a pot of water. Bring it to a boil and cook for a few minutes. Then let simmer for about 45 minutes. Drain the wheat berries and stick them in a Tupperware container in the fridge. These are delicious to add to yogurt or to use to replace some meat in recipes. You can also use it in place of brown rice in a lot of recipes.

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3. Popped Wheat
Take 1 cup of your cooked wheat berries (see above) and add to a frying pan of pot with two tablespoons of oil in it. Cover with a lid and cook over a hot stove shaking the pan while it cooks. After about 4-5 minutes the kernels will be nice and toasted. Put the popped wheat on a paper towel to get the extra oil off, and sprinkle with your choice of seasonings. Try it with salt, seasoned salt, garlic, barbecue salt, onion salt, cinnamon and sugar or any combination you desire. These are delicious on salads as a topping, mixed with trail mix, or as toppings for a desserts or just as a healthy snack.

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4. Wheat Grass
Most people have heard how healthy wheat grass is for you, but most people DON’T know that you can make your own wheat grass at home for free with just a little bit of your food storage wheat. Check out this step by step tutorial on How to Grow Wheat Grass if you want to try it yourself! It looks so easy. Then you can snip bits off and add them to your fruit smoothies, or if you have a juicer you can use them in other healthy juice drinks.

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5. Cracked Wheat
You can crack wheat in a blender or a coffee grinder. To do it in a blender you simply put in about 1/4-1/3 cups of wheat and pulse it until it looks like little cracked kernels. These kernels will cook much faster than regular wheat, and cook up in the same way that you cook rice on the stove or in the microwave. You can use cracked wheat to make hot cereal, add it into bread, or cook it up and use as a meat filler. For more info in cracked wheat visit this post at Everyday Food Storage.

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6. Wheat Sprouts
Making wheat sprouts is a different method than making wheat grass. You can sprout wheat just like any other vegetable seeds, legumes, or other grains. Make sure to review our tutorial on how to grow sprouts. Most people like wheat sprouts to be very small, just barely sprouted. These are delicious to throw on salads or to add into your whole wheat bread for a little extra texture and flavor.

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7. Blender Wheat Flour
If you are cooking a recipe for something like pancakes or waffles, you can EASILY use your whole wheat kernels, mix the whole recipe in your blender, and pour it straight from there onto a griddle or waffle-maker. Just make sure to add the liquid for your recipe into the blender, then add in your wheat kernels and blend for about 5 minutes. Then add the rest of the ingredients. We blogged about trying Blender Wheat Pancakes and we also have a delicious Corn Cakes Recipe you could try in the blender too.

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Please note: Don’t go trying all of these ideas all at once! If you add TOO MUCH wheat into your diet TOO FAST it can give you digestion problems, and we promise you don’t want to have that

Visit foodstoragemadeeasy.net for more information about food storage.

They know what they are talking about!

Lessons of the storm

                                   picture courtesy of Jill Bridges Bloomington 6th Ward


             Local churches cancel Sunday services, observing public safety warnings


Some who are accustom to this weather question the decision to cancel church or any other activity. They think we a bunch of wimps. The truth is that our city is not equipped to handle such a drastic change in our weather. Many life time residents have never seen such an event occur here.

I have noticed many Good people reaching out to help others. I truly believe this is our core value...to Be Good and to DO Good.

Yet it is extremely difficult to reach out and help when we ourselves are not properly prepared.

 

SO WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? 

 

 

1. When a weather advisory says that snow will start at 10:00 am and continue through the night and possible next day...take it serious. Maybe at 8 or 9 am you should assess your situation and take the needed steps then to get ready and hunker down.

 

The scriptures have warned of times to avoid and to prepare for. Prophets have advised us to be a prepared people, not to run out the last minute or during a crisis and create a panic situation.

 

 

2. Once you have decided to stay put at home, what is most important to you?

Warmth, food and security...?

 

 

Warmth...

Do you have the means to warm your house?

 Do you have fuel or firewood to enjoy the ambiance of the season?

What if we lost power and only had the means of a fireplace to warm ourselves?...Things to Ponder!

 



Food...

Need I say anything about this? Nothing will make your children or grandchildren...who am I kidding, OR You crankier then NO food! Or a way to prepare it!

Please, Just Do It! Maybe consider food storage as gifts for Christmas.

 

Security...

Communication is key to me. I wasn't relaxed during the storm until I knew that All of my children were home and safe. Most people think that they are the model driver and that they can successfully navigate any situation. Maybe true until you have no control with ice under your tires or the cars near you come towards you out of control.

 

PHONE service is key for communication, especially since many of us only have cell service these days. Having a fully charged phone battery or a car charger is more important then you think. Our new phones loose their charge very fast, especially when texting family members all day long (yes I speak from experience!)

 

If you have need to travel or are on the road during a storm...do you have food, water or blankets in your vehicle?

 Do you have medications in case you can't get home for several hours to a couple of days? (This is a real concern, I know some who had to stay the night somewhere else due to their car not making it up the slightest incline. She really missed her nausea [pregnancy] medication!).

 

A 4 wheel vehicle was a life saver.

Do you have sufficient gas in your vehicle if you are forced to sit in traffic for HOURS and still want to run your heater?! (another true story)

 

This is such an abbreviated list. I could go on with more real experiences and situations that family and friends have already experienced. I have made it short for a reason.

 

I want you to consider your preparation and re evaluate your needs and wants this year!

 

Elder Bruce R. McConkie in 1979, said the promise of security only comes with preparation.

 

And so we raise the warning voice and say: Take heed: prepare; watch and be ready. There is no security in any course except the course of obedience and conformity and righteousness

(Ensign, May 1979, p. 93)

 

 

 

  

Follow the Prophet...Are We Listening?

Have you ever said, or heard others say...

"Food storage was for my parents and grandparents time.

 I don't hear the Prophets speak about it anymore in our days".

 

Well think again.

I LOVED this post that I came across by one very smart woman, who did a ton of research.

Check it out.

Guess they really are talking about it.

 

   

Are we listening?

 

 

http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com/2012/11/ensign-articles-about-food-storage-and.html

 

Over the past four years, numerous articles have been written about food storage, emergency preparedness, and self-reliance in the Ensign magazine. Below you will find articles listed by year. As you prayerfully study some of them, I hope you will find the answers you seek on your quest to becoming better prepared.

2012

• Everyday Home Storage (March) - Making home storage a part of our everyday lives.
• Follow the Prophet (March) - Both of us were thinking about how to start home storage for our family.
• In the Aftermath of the Tornado (July) - Members of the Church in Joplin, Missouri, were physically prepared for a natural disaster. More important, they were prepared spiritually. 
• Natural Disasters -We Don't Have to Be Afraid (August) - As we seek Heavenly Father’s guidance, the Holy Ghost will help us prepare for, endure, and recover from natural disasters.
• Provident Living Prepares Us For the Future (October) - We believe in preparing educationally for employment, in preparing financially for a rainy day, and in preparing temporally for natural disasters or other challenges. Most important, we believe in preparing spiritually for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and for living with our Father in Heaven again. 

2011

• How We Broke the Chains of Debt (February) - Our hearts were being prepared to truly follow the Lord’s counsel to stay out of debt. 
• Sowing Seeds of Self-Reliance in Small Spaces (March) - Experiences and advice from members who have followed the counsel to plant a garden.
• The Lord's Richest Blessings (April) - As we pay our tithing faithfully, the Lord will open the windows of heaven and pour out upon us His richest blessings. 
• Opportunities to Do Good (May) - The Lord’s way to help those in temporal need requires people who out of love have consecrated themselves and what they have to God and to His work.
• Making Principles of Welfare Part of Your Life (June) - Living welfare principles is about putting our faith in Jesus Christ into action.
• Catching the Vision of Self-Reliance (June) - Self-reliance involves several facets of a balanced life, including (1) education, (2) health, (3) employment, (4) family home production and storage, (5) family finances, and (6) spiritual strength.
• Work Is an Eternal Principle (July) - Since the time of Adam and Eve, work has been a way of life for all of us on earth.  
• Getting Out of Debt-for Good (July) - The first step, and the most important factor in debt elimination, is a firm commitment to reject debt.
• Preparation of All Kinds Blesses Saints in Joplin, Missouri (September) - Emergency supplies from the storage of several Latter-day Saint families played a role in facilitating the Joplin Missouri Stake’s organization and action in the initial hours after a tornado devastated Joplin.
• Providing in the Lord’s Way (November) - The welfare principles of the Church are not simply good ideas; they are revealed truths from God—they are His way of helping the needy. 
• Tithing: A Key to Peace in a Troubled World (December) - While cutting costs everywhere else, these families were blessed because they continued to pay tithing. 

2010

• Being Independent, Being Prepared (January) - How some young adults are applying principles of preparedness to their busy, mobile lives.
• Lessons from My Father (June) - The value of work.
• Investing in the Golden Years (July) - Preparing for the near certainty of old age is an important aspect of provident living.
• New Orleans Members Exemplify the Rescue (August) - Five years later, the recovery of the New Orleans First Ward is evidence of how, through the members of the Church, the Savior provides both physical and spiritual rescue to those in need. 
• Growing Green Beans and Families (September) - I thought a garden would help me be self-reliant. Little did I know that it would also teach me about cultivating relationships. 

2009

• Mormon Helping Hands Completes First Decade of Service (January) - Service rendered by members of the Church around the world comes in many forms, but over the past 10 years that service has usually come in one color: yellow.
• Family Home Storage: A New Message (March) - About the new Church home storage. guidelines and the simplified Four-Step Approach to Home Storage.
• Becoming Self-Reliant—Spiritually and Physically (March) - From my experience, I believe that a few simple but very important principles can help prepare us to become more self-reliant. 
• The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance (March) by Marion G. Romney
• Saints Encouraged to Put Faith in the Lord’s Financial Plan (April)
• Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually (May) - When we live providently, we can provide for ourselves and our families and also follow the Savior’s example to serve and bless others. 
• This Is Your Phone Call (May) -We now call upon you to mobilize our priesthood quorums in response to the employment and financial challenges facing our members.
• Focus on Family Finances (June) - Either we control our finances or they control us. Here’s how to get the upper hand.
• Stretching Your Dollars (June) - We can stretch our dollars by eating home-cooked meals, looking for bargains, and establishing a budget.
• Preserving Food When a Storm Hits Home (August) - When power is out for a few hours or a few days, what can you do to keep cold storage items from spoiling?  
• Two Cans of Corn: Home Storage for Newlyweds (September) - By starting small, wisely using storage space, saving money, and gradually increasing their efforts, newly married couples can experience the blessings of peace and security that come from home storage.

 

Thank You...http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com

Shelter - in - Place

What if this happened in the city YOU live in.

Almost sounds unbelievable that something like this could happen, Right?!
We talk about getting prepared and some people tune you out. Thinking that it is so silly to talk about the end of the world. Well that is NOT what preparation is all about.

Seriously, could you at a moments notice, stay in your home for 24 hours or longer. I mean, REALLY stay in your home. No quick trip to Wal Mart for some milk or a drive thru for some dinner or even a call for pizza to be delivered.

No we are talking a complete shut down. No school, (do I hear celebrating or panic?) No work, No stores...nothing. Just you and your family alone in your home.

What would you do?
This may almost sound like the end of the world to some people. Just talk to anyone who lived through Katrina, Sandy, Boston, Santa Clara, or the flood of 2005. I've heard some say how much a roll of toilet paper meant to them. Something That simple!

Questions to ask yourself:
1. Can you properly secure your home?
2. Do you have sufficient water or food?
3. What would you do to entertain or calm the troops (your children)?

Time to give it some thought.

So WHAT will you do different now to Properly Prepare?