"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.