Motivational Thought (a little late)

"Ye Latter Day Saints, learn to sustain yourselves, produce everything you need to eat, drink, or wear."
- Brigham Young

It's Tuesday!

We haven't started our 72-hour kits yet. That particular project will start at the beginning of the new year. So, instead of telling you which item to add this week, I'll go through the items and explain why it may be handy to have, and whether or not its a "mandatory item." If you feel that any other items are useful, please share!

Sturdy backpack or rolling suitcase (1 for every 2 people in your family) - This seems obvious. You'll need some kind of package to hold all your items. A suitcase with wheels can hold heavy items, and you won't have to hold it on your back all the time like you would a large backpack. Backpacks are good for kids or lighter items.

1 set of scriptures per family, consecrated oil - These items are solely for faith and comfort. The blessings that come from having these two items, however, can be more lifesaving than any medicine you bring. They are not mandatory items.

Flashlight, spare batteries, light sticks (2 per person) - You'll definitely need these. Loss of electricity is likely to happen in many different circumstances. Keep these in the pack.

Spare keys (house and car) - These can go in an easily accessible place, not just in the suitcase. Make sure that you always know where they are, so that you can get in and out of your house and car with ease.

Cash ($100) - In the event of a disaster, credit cards and checks may likely be rendered unusable. It may also be very difficult to withdraw your money from a bank, so it's safe to keep some money in the house, either in the pack, or somewhere you can get it easily. I wouldn't recommend keeping large bills or large quantities of cash in your house. $100 per family is an appropriate amount for some food and gasoline until you reach a safe place.

Glasses, contacts, solutions - This is mandatory if you require aid from these items. If you are in a disaster without your glasses, you won't easily be able to help, drive, or find your way around. 

At least 1 week supply of medications, 3-5 weeks recommended - Same as glasses and contacts. Any type of medicine you commonly use should be in the pack. Including over the counter, like ibuprofin, or even birth control. 

Comfortable shoes, two pairs of socks - Imagine trying to navigate your way around a devastated area... in high heels. or even sandals. They protect your feet from objects and elements, and help you travel by foot with more ease.

Change of clothes per person, underwear, jacket/sweatshirt - Should you be stuck in a circumstance without electricity, you wouldn't be able to heat yourself. Should you somehow become soaking wet, a change of clothes would reduce risk of illness. Don't forget underwear! I recommend one change of clothes per person, but three pairs of underwear. 

Whistle 1 per suitcase - a good way to grab attention. Also takes up minimal space. Better have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Pocket knife - handy for cutting and scraping. 

Paper and pencil, crayons, cards, a book, crossword puzzle, or any small, light entertainment - Your kids will appreciate this. Little ways of thinking ahead like this will make 72 hours go by faster and with less panic. If your kids can feel relaxed and busy, its always a good thing.

Emergency phone list – Who to call if injured, who to notify where you are. Your out-of-city family members will want to know how you are. Include the number of doctors, firefighters, and friends.

Important personal documents, specifically a form of ID for each member of the family - In the event of a disaster, panic can set in. Being able to prove who you are reduces stress for those around you, and ensures trust. If there was a fire in your house, you'd also have the important documents safe from singe. I keep mine in a file in a desk near the door. I can grab it quickly and easily if i need to.

Small first aid kit - This shouldn't need much explaining. Any number of injuries can happen at any time. Always have a first aid kit in your kit. Its not a bad idea to keep a separate one in your house, also.

One small toothbrush per person - hygiene will make the 3 (or however many) days more bearable. 

Toothpaste, Vaseline, shampoo, soap - see above.

Toilet paper - see above. Take out the cardboard tube so the roll can squish kind of flat. It will store easily in a plastic baggie, safe from moisture.

Ziplock baggies, large and small, and plastic grocery bags - good for soiled clothing, trash, or to protect things from moisture.

Work gloves - This is up for your deciding. I'd think they'd be handy for almost any kind of work. And they don't take up a lot of space. 

Blankets or sleeping bags - Crucial for warmth. I would definitely have these. They probably won't fit into the kit with everything else, so just have them either next to the kits or somewhere accessible.

Plastic ground tarp - In any situation involving wetness, this would be handy to have. It will keep you dry whether its below you or above you.

5 gallon Bucket - This is handy for toting water or holding items that don't fit in the kit. 

Dust masks for every family member - Life saving in a fire, nuclear disaster, or any situation that would produce dust, smoke, or rubble.

Shovel - It can be small , but it should be sturdy (no children's shovels), and you can store it in the bucket. If you opt out of packing the shovel, be prepared to dig with the work gloves. 

Small axe or hatchet - Should you ever need to chop wood or kill a snake (or any other menacing critter), this would be handy. Same as the shovel, it can be small and stored in the bucket. Store away from children's reach.

Drinking water, 2 gal. per person - At least. Water is absolutely more important than food. If your water gets shut off or contaminated, you will definitely need at least 2 gallons of clean drinking water per person, for at least 3 days. Buy in bottles or pre-packaged large containers. We'll have a whole segment on water storage later.

Food – canned or non perishable, snacks, peanut butter, granola bars. Less important than water, but still crucial to survival. Keep non perishable (canned or packaged) foods in the packs. Rotate through them every 6 months (we do it each General Conference Weekend. We'll remind you). I'd recommend not having pop top cans. They can sometimes open on their own and mold all your contents.

Can opener - how else will you open that canned food?!

Mess kits or disposable plates, bowls, utensils, napkins - these just make eating more civilized. They also reduce the risk of you or your child getting cut on the edge of a can that you were trying to eat out of.

Insect repellant, sunscreen - Save your energy and stay healthy. Bugs and burns will slow you down, and you'll definitely consume more water and be less helpful.

Matches and/or lighter and candles - good for light in darkness, or for lighting a fire. 

Camp stove or portable BBQ and fuel - This way you'll be able to cook your food, thus reducing food-born illness. Also provides a small amount of warmth. Make sure you have enough fuel for 3 days.

Battery powered radio - handy if the phone lines are all down. You'll be able to reach someone who you can help, or who can help you. You could also have walkie-talkies that you share with a neighbor or ward-member. Keep track of each other.

Preparedness is a commandment

"Though we never know when we will face a challenge that will require us to depend on the resources we have stored, we know that the Lord has said, “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear” (D&C 38:30).

The Blog Plan for the New Year

Mondays, I'll post a motivational thought that reminds us why we live providently. We'll have new inspiration each week!

Tuesdays, I'll post the new item for the week that we should be adding to our 72-hour kits. Once we finish the 72-hour kits, we'll start making our car kits. If you join the blog while we're in the middle of one of the kits, don't feel like you have to go out and buy everything to catch up (unless you want to, of course). We'll be cycling through both kits together.
I'll also post some suggestions for what you might add to your 3 month supply.
And finally, I'll remind you what the long-term food storage item is for the month. We'll only do one item per month because we're doing other weekly activities. I know I wouldn't be the only one to feel overwhelmed if we did more than that!

Wednesdays, I'll tell you about upcoming activities or giveaways, and review any recent activities we had.

Thursdays, I'll show you any articles I've found pertaining to that week's items or activities, or I'll post some cheap crafts or easy ways to live providently! I might also show how to figure out some kitchen equipment, like different ways to use a rice cooker or crock pot.

Fridays, I'll share a recipe that can be made from food storage items. These may include some fresh items, like eggs or butter, but you can always use food substitutes. I'll try to include some dairy-free and gluten-free recipes, too, because I know some families in the ward who need that.

It's going to be really fun! You can always comment on what we've posted, or share new ideas or methods. Keep in mind, the activities we do will always be advertised in church.

Food Storage Friday

Today's recipe: a very versatile pasta sauce!

Ingredients are all from food storage.

canned tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes (you could also use tomato paste, just make sure you add water)
dry minced onions
pre-chopped garlic
olive oil
seasoned salt
garlic salt
parsley (dry or fresh)
pepper
balsamic vinegar
sugar

I used half fresh onion and half minced, just because the fresh flavor is a little better to me. I also used half oil and half butter. For an entirely food storage friendly sauce, don't use fresh onion or butter.

Saute both kinds of onions in the oil and butter. The dehydrated onions should be semi hydrated, and the fresh onions should be soft.

add the tomato sauce in increments. season each layer. 

add three Tbsp sugar. You might not think to add sugar, but it makes it so good!

add the minced garlic. The reason we don't add it sooner is that when garlic is chopped so finely, it burns really easily. 

Add the vinegar. only do 2-3 Tbsp or it will be too liquidy. The vinegar will cook down and give a really great flavor.

At this point, your sauce will be brownish and thin. Let some liquid evaporate.

Season more as needed. You should have all the sauce in the pan now. Do not cover. Sauce will stay thin if you put a lid over it.

Let cool and transfer to freezable containers. These ones stack really nicely and take up very little space. I like to divide my sauce into separate containers so I don't have to defrost the whole batch and refreeze what I don't use.

This sauce is really good. Its cheaper than buying ready made sauce, and you can add whatever flavors you like! I know a woman who adds a little cinnamon to her sauce, just for a little extra spice! Personally, I love adding TONS of veggies. I chop up yellow summer squash, zucchini, and mushrooms. Saute them, add sauce and serve over pasta. You can cook up some meat and throw it in, or even sneak in some veggies if your kids don't like them: blend some of the pasta in the blender with a bunch of fresh spinach. Pour back into the pan with the rest of the sauce. The color will be weird and green, but as the spinach cooks, it will turn brown and your sauce will be normal looking.

The great thing is, pasta is food storage! You have a food storage-friendly meal!

Enjoy!

Wish list!

The holidays are rapidly approaching! Here are some gift ideas. I'll just mention now, that I want most of these things.

Under $20
Small first aid kits
Flashlights for the whole family
Jumper cables
Fuel for your camp stoves or grills
water storage containers
spices and herbs
work gloves
seeds for the garden
bottles/jars for canning

$20 - 50
Water purifiers
good-quality sleeping bag
jumper cables
Dutch oven
Solar-powered radio (or solar radio/flashlight combo)
Wheat grinder (very small, hand cranked - useful if you lose electricity!)
$50-100
Ready-made 72-hour kits
Wheat grinder (small - hand cranked or automatics)
Pressure cooker (small)
Dehydrator
Good quality blender
Food Processor
55-gallon drum for water storage

$100-200
Rotating shelf systems (small)
Wheat grinder (small electric)
Good quality electric or hand-crank wheat grinder
Pressure cooker (large)
$200+
Rotating shelf systems (small to large)
Good quality electric wheat grinder
Pressure cooker (huge)
Good quality, large solar oven
$500+
Generators (for information on these, read a Popular Mechanics article here)

You could also just ask for some actual food storage - cans of wheat, rice, beans, oats, powdered milk, etc.... YUM! Besides Amazon, there are many companies you can browse through as you make your wish list (or as you make your gift giving list). 

Any other gift ideas you can think of?? Share them with us!

Christmas Card Holder

When i was at the mall enjoying the Nordstrom half-yearly sale, i stopped into Pottery Barn and grabbed a catalog.

I opened right to a page that had this:

I loved it! Except it was $200 bucks, online only, which means you also have to pay shipping also. Then i thought, hey! I have everything i need to make it!

I have a roll of thin rope, so I hot glued it to an old picture frame that I've been trying and trying to find a use for. I have this habit of pressing on the hot glue in order to make it dry faster, plus I like peeling it off and seeing my fingerprint impressed into the dry glue. However, I badly burn my fingers every time.

A word to the wise, and also to me, don't touch the hot glue. There's a reason it's not called lukewarm glue.

Anyways, arrange the rope/string into whatever pattern you like. I wove them together, but you could do all horizontal, in a X pattern, or however you think it looks best.

I had some clothes-pins that i had painted (part of a previous boredom induced project) that i used to hang a few pictures I had laying around. The added bonus: more counter space now.

Everything I used can be bought on the cheap at a craft store or thrift store. You might even have this stuff lying around your house, like me!

The finished product saved me all of $250, and now I have the perfect place to put all of the much-anticipated Christmas cards! It will also be good for other cards, notes pictures, and wedding announcements.

Provident Living is not just about preparedness, its about frugality. The Lord supports our needs AND our wants if we are obedient. 

"Get Ready" Gazette

This was sent to me in an email. Thought I'd share.

“GET READY” GAZETTE

October & November 2010

Quote of the Month for November: “The time will come that gold will hold no comparison in value to a bushel of wheat.”  Brigham Young

Just an overview of what last month's focus was on. We'll be diving into the current schedule soon, so don't feel like you're behind!

October focus: Oils, Fats, Peanut Butter, Salt, etc.

November focus:  Special needs of Family Members such as babies, elderly and pets.   Additional focus on First Aid & medications.

Fats, Oils, Peanut Butter, Salt, etc:  Fat is essential to every diet. Shortening, cooking oil, margarine and mayonnaise are suggested for storage.  Store fats in sealed containers in cool, dry, dark places and rotate them frequently.  Nutritionists recommend iodized rather than plain salt, when available. Store salt in original container in a cool, dry place.

• Oil is crucial.  It is a great item for bartering.  It adds flavor, calories, and is needed for cooking. Get good quality oil. The best oil to store is cold pressed (expelled) oil.  Shelf life is 7-8 years, unopened, if stored properly.  Olive oil is also a good oil. Rotate your oil.

Rancid oil is not safe.  It is dark, cloudy, and smells.  Exposure to oxygen, light and heat are the greatest factors to rancidity.  If you can, refrigerate your oil.

• Most unopened cooking oils have a shelf life of about a year to 1 ½ years, depending on storage conditions. Some types (sesame & flax seed) have shorter shelf life.  Once opened, left at room temperatures, oils can begin to become rancid anywhere from a week to a couple months, though it may take several more months to be able to smell it.
• Although darker colored oils have more flavor, they can become rancid faster.
• The fat with the most shelf life is hydrogenated  shortening in its unopened metal or metal lined can like Crisco.  It is reasonable to expect an unopened metal can of shortening to have a shelf life of 8-10 years if kept reasonably cool, particularly if it has preservatives in it.  Make sure it doesn’t have a foil top.  That will not store as long.
• Peanuts/peanut butter is high in protein and carry many of the essential B vitamins as well as vitamin E. As with other foods such as wheat and other legumes, such as beans, some of the essential amino acids which make up protein, are found in varying amounts. Peanut butter & bread (one plant protein combined with another) multiplies the effectiveness of the protein.  Raw peanuts can be frozen, thawed and refrozen without loss of quality. P-nuts go rancid at warm temps.
• Storage life for salt is indefinite as long as it is not contaminated.  It may turn yellow over time, but that is ok.  It will absorb moisture from air if not sealed up.  It can be dried out in oven & broken up. Small amounts of salt, daily, are necessary for our body.

Medicine:  Maintain a current first aid kit or review the one you have. Throw out outdated medicine and restock depleted supplies.  We should take some time to go back over our 72 hour kits (AKA 3 day kits) to make sure we have them available in an emergency (ie: evacuation).  Have 72 hour kits and first aid kits in your house as well as car.  Prepare for the special needs of your household.  What types of special needs do you have in your household? Elderly or for individuals who need medicine daily, disabled, small children, pets? 

BEFORE AN EMERGENCY:  PREPARE!!!

Videotape your house and contents and keep it with the items you will take when you evacuate.  Possibly send a copy to a friend or family member (in advance) in case you are not able to come home before evacuation.

Have your list of items to evacuate listed on a paper and know where they are in your house.  You will probably not remember what to take in an emergency.

Motivational Monday

Here's a motivational thought to consider as we start a new week.





"...living providently is more than just putting aside food for future need. It encompasses all areas of life. If we want to face the future with confidence and peace of mind, we must prepare ourselves in six areas: literacy and education, career development, financial and resource management, home production and storage, physical health, and social-emotional and spiritual strength. When we strive to prepare in each of these areas, we can enjoy peace of mind as we face the uncertainties of the future."
-From the Liahona, September 1987

Safely Gathered In

I found this incredible blog that gives you tons of advice for food storage rotation!

http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com

Its given me some great ideas for our Provident Living Program.

Feel free to share in the comments any helpful websites or blogs you've stumbled on!

White Christmas

On December 2nd, the Del Mar Ward is having a Relief Society White Christmas. There will be a 4:30pm temple session (optional 10:00am), and a 7:00 dinner following. This event is for all the women in the San Diego area, not just our ward. We want to try to fill the room with women, ie no empty seats! If you are unable to make it to the temple session, we hope you will join us for dinner. This is an incredible missionary opportunity, and a chance to grow closer as an organization, so bring friends, members or not, to the dinner!

We are seeing what we can do about arranging babysitters at the church for the mothers who need it, and you can always call your Visiting Teacher/Teachees for carpooling. Count it as December's visit! There will be RSVP and babysitting sign up sheets going around during the third hour for the next few Sundays. For any further details, please email me at tesiahwilk@yahoo.com.

Finance Article

I found this article whilst perusing the internet, and thought it had some really fun, semi-easy finance tips. I know, I know, whenever we hear "finance tips" or "ways to save more," we zone out because those words are a little too common.

Click here for the article. Otherwise, continue reading for a summary.

One woman realized that her spending habits were less than healthy, and she decided to go on a total spending-fast (as in "doing without," not "quickly"). She cut out all non-necessity costs, such as eating out, and clothes shopping. She figured out some skills she had, like sewing and painting, and started selling some of her products for extra cash. She budgeted her grocery bill and started using more of her canned food, which is something a lot of us with food storage could really learn from.

"How on Earth did she go without clothes shopping?!" you may ask. There are a few things that can lengthen the life of your clothes that cost a lot less than buying new stuff. If you have a stained top that you once loved, dye it with fabric dye! Do your husband's (or yours or your children's) jeans have a big hole in the knee? Cut them into shorts or use the deemed unusable fabric for quilting or as rags for cleaning. I won't even get started on the wonders a simple needle and thread can do - or a sewing machine for those fortunate enough to have one.

Some other money methods in the article are saving spare change, selling things on craiglslist.com or etsy.com, and coming up with a savings plan or some financial goals for the future. All of these things are really great and effective if you stick to it.

Each sister has something to offer her community. Trading services and goods with each other could be really helpful to someone who needs it. Some of us have very handy, capable families that could also get involved.

Please share any financial tips that have worked for your family, along with any services you might be willing to offer someone who needs it!

Living Providently as Sisters in the Gospel

Welcome to the new site for Provident Living! To view posts older than October 2010, click here. We are so excited to get started learning and teaching each other how to beautify our lives by living providently!

To live providently is to be wise in all our doings, whether it be with finances, resources, preparedness, etc. This blog will post all upcoming activities and seminars, and also post pictures and results of the events.

President Marion G. Romney said in the March 2009 Ensign, "we must preserve our talents of self-sufficiency, our genious for creating things for ourselves, our sense of thrift and our true love of independence." By meeting together as the Relief Society and teaching each other valuable skills, we not only build a solid sisterhood, but we better prepare ourselves to help others in time of need. "How can we give if there is nothing there? Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves. Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak."

Some examples of the things we might learn about are recycling old clothes, spending wisely, growing and canning your own food, navigating the internet, and being prepared for emergencies. "Outwardly, every act seems to be directed toward the physical: re-making of dresses and suits of clothes, canning fruits and vegetables, storing foodstuffs, choosing of fertile fields for settlement - all seem strictly temporal, but permeating all these acts, inspiring and sanctifying them, is the element of spirituality."

In a comment below, please tell what you would like to learn from these activities, and what knowledge or resources you might be able to contribute! It could be something already listed above, or something else.