April: Wildfire and Earthquake Awareness (cont'd)

Last time, I spoke a lot about wildfire preparedness. What about earthquakes? What is an earthquake? How do I stay safe in one?

Earthquakes are more than just a shaking house. It's the tectonic plates in the earth's crust moving. Some of the plates collide with each other and form mountains, some pull apart and lava seeps through, and some submerge under the other, forming volcanoes. In Southern California, we feel earthquakes that slide back and forth. The San Andreas fault slides sideways. Every time there is an earthquake, we move a little bit closer to San Fransisco. Now that's a scary thought!

The major safety precautions that need to be taken for an earthquake are:

• Anchor your telephone and life support systems.
• Protect head and neck.
• If you are outside, move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires.
• If inside, hold on to something sturdy (more on this below). Avoid mirrors and windows, fireplaces, and tall cabinets.
• Prepare for aftershocks.
• If trapped, cover mouth, tap on a wall or a pipe, and don't light a match.
• If in a car, pull over. Avoid overpasses, tall signs, and bridges. 

One of the dangerous things that can happen in an earthquakes are that the earth can liquify. There may be a great presence of mud, either from broken pipes or liquifaction. Pipes can break, making tap water unsafe to drink - this is why water storage is so important, even more so than food. There could be landslides. Buildings may be dangerous to enter. Roads may buckle, making it unsafe to drive. There are many more.

If inside, they used to teach us to go under our desks at school. Now they are teaching to go next to your desk. That way, nothing can collapse on your head. It's called the Triangle of Life. It's a pretty easy concept. Look at these pictures:

Sometimes, as a result of an earthquake at sea, we have to be careful of tsunamis. As soon as it is safe to move, go to higher ground. This should honestly be done after any earthquake, especially for those who life very close to the coast. If you are already out of tsunami zone, just stay where you are. Don't add to the traffic panic. Remain where you are for several hours. Sometimes tsunamis have large waves lasting for 10 hours or more. When officials announce it is safe to return to the coast, you may do so.

The most important thing for evacuation to safety is this: know where you are going ahead of time, and be able to reach a safe place by foot. Plan something for family home evening relating to this.

Tuesday Storage Additions (LATE)

Again, sorry for the delayed posts! I've been quite whelmed (but not overly) with school, 2 jobs, buying a house, plus church callings!

This week for our 72 hour kits, add an emergency phone list. Include the numbers of local friends/relatives, fire and police department (other than 911), an out of state contact, an out of city contact, and a doctor/poison control. I highly recommend including the police station and fire station numbers, because if there is a disaster, think of how trafficked 911 will be.

This month for our long-term food storage, we're adding oats. Go to this website to view the prices and sizes available at the cannery. You can even print off the form and have it all marked up, just so it's easier when you go!

How's your long term storage been going? I'm having a hard time working through mine, honestly. I think that fresh is so much more refreshing than canned! But that's why we rotate! To learn what we are willing to eat in times of need.

Feel free to email me (found in the Contact Me section) with any recipes, activity ideas, or food storage tips! I love hearing from you!

Motivational Thought

“We will see the day when we live on what we produce.”

            President Marion G. Romney

I apologize for the lateness! My husband and I have been really busy buying a house, so now we definitely need to work through our food storage!

April: Wildfire and Earthquake Awareness

This month is an Emergency Prep month. There are four during the course of the year. We will be focusing largely on Wildfires and Earthquakes, as they are a direct threat to our geographic location. I also want to make it known that Japan had another earthquake. It was an aftershock of the large one last month, and there are tsunami warnings throughout Japan again. 

Wildfires are particularly a threat during hot, dry, windy months. We have a month or two to prepare ourselves for potential damage. Some ways you can prepare:

• Keep yard plants, trees, and shrubs well trimmed, and dispose of dry plant debris. 
• Store gasoline, oily rags, and flammable materials in approved safety cans. 
• Make sure your house has firefighter access. 
• Make sure you are able to get out of your house if a fire were to start from the inside.
• Make sure you can get out of the neighborhood if a fire started somewhere nearby. 
• Know and have easy access to the precious items you would choose to take with you.
• Plan ahead for needs of children, elderly, and pets. 
• Have your chimney inspected twice a year. Keep them clean, and know how to properly put out a chimney fire. 
• Make sure smoke detectors are working.

The most important emergency items you should have prepared are as follows:

• plenty of water for each person
• at least 3 days of food
• first aid kit
• clothing, shoes, and blankets
• flashlight, battery powered radio, wrench set and fire extinguisher
• sanitation supplies
• special items, such as glasses, medication, etc.
• important documents

To be continued... Soon I'll talk more about earthquakes, and since they are rather relevant, tsunamis. I'll also be talking about ways you can help your neighbor in an emergency.

Tuesday Storage Additions

Today for our 72-hour kits, we're adding cash! Any amount that you find appropriate will do. I would recommend $25 or more per person. You could also add this in increments, if adding a large sum all at once is daunting. If you're going with that option, add $10 or $20 a week until you reach the amount you want.

This month for our long-term food storage, we're adding oats! It may seem a little redundant, as we just had the month of grains, but nevertheless, we're adding. If you feel prepared as far as oats from the previous months of building, then you may not need to add very much to your storage this month.

How's your 3-month supply coming? Remember to always be rotating! I just found a box of stale crackers in my cupboard, and was disappointed! Shouldn't I be setting an example of constant rotation and providence?! Anyway, they're still edible, just not as fresh. Avoid this! Rotate!

Article from Yahoo.com

Reuters – Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints gather around the Mormon Salt Lake Temple …

By Laura Zuckerman – Sat Apr 2, 11:17 am ET

SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) – While the nuclear crisis in Japan unfolds a continent away, Mormon-dominated communities in the western United States say the disaster overseas is bringing close to home a lesson about preparing for the worst.

Emergency planning and the long-term storage of food, water and medical supplies are central practices by the 14 million worldwide members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The tradition stems from doctrine - "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear" - established by Joseph Smith when he founded the church in 1830 in upstate New York. It also stems from the persecution that drove his early followers from the Midwest to the Rocky Mountains in 1847.

Present-day Mormons, concentrated in the United States in Utah, California and Idaho, say preparedness and self-reliance are a way of life and not signs of survivalist leanings or knee-jerk responses to disasters.

"It's not a sudden, spectacular program," said Craig Rasmussen, spokesman for the church in Idaho, second only to Utah for the highest percentage of Mormons.

Worries about radiation from Japan's crippled nuclear plants have spurred sales in the West of potassium iodide to block absorption of cancer-causing radioactive iodine even though U.S. officials say minor amounts detected in the air, rainwater or milk in 15 states pose no health risks.

At a time of renewed interest in how to cope with calamity in a region where Mormonism is the prevailing religious, cultural and social influence, companies selling dehydrated, freeze-dried or canned foods in bulk are reporting rising sales.

Don Pectol, vice president with Emergency Essentials Inc., a retail and online emergency supply chain based near Salt Lake City, said top sellers are powdered milk, water purifiers and meat processed to extend shelf life.

'NORMAL BEHAVIOR'

Pectol said the spike came after harmless levels of radiation were detected in states like Utah, Idaho and Arizona and the upsurge is similar to one that happened when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005.

Another online seller of stored food said on its website that dried dairy products and powered eggs were temporarily unavailable.

University of Colorado sociologist Kathleen Tierney, head of a national institute that tracks society's reactions to disasters, said potential nuclear threats place people on heightened alert.

She said fears lessen with measures like stocking up on food or remedies because a sense of control replaces the feeling of helplessness.

"It's normal behavior during uncertainty," said Tierney, director of the Natural Hazards Center in Boulder, Colorado.

Mormon Mark Oliverson, a dentist and father of three in the remote mountain town of Salmon in central Idaho, said he and his wife routinely add and rotate items in the family's year-long supply of food. The couple also attends the church's workshops on emergency planning, food storage and other practices that make up so-called provident living.

"It puts you in a position to take care of yourself and provide for your family through hard times - and that puts you in a good position to help others," he said.

Church leaders say that principle allows it to respond to emergencies worldwide.

In the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, Mormon missionaries working in areas near Japan's stricken nuclear reactors were moved to safety.

Officials said congregations in Japan have since set up an emergency response committee to organize volunteers distributing food, water, fuel and blankets.

The hazard center's Tierney said models like that confirm studies that show "we are better people in disasters than in day-to-day situations."

Eric Erickson, head of a group of Mormon congregations in the eastern Idaho community of Rexburg, where 90 percent of 24,000 residents are church members, said the crisis in Japan would likely prompt local leaders to fine-tune emergency plans and communications systems.

"Katrina provided us the opportunity to re-look at things and revisit those principles; this will be another," he said.

(Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Greg McCune)

Motivational Monday

"Those who structure their standard of living to allow a little surplus, control their circumstances. Those who spend a little more than they earn are controlled by their circumstances. They are in bondage”
President N. Eldon Tanner "Constancy Amid Change," Ensign, Nov. 1979, 81

General Conference this weekend was incredible. I felt like there was a strong theme of providence and self-reliance in several of the talks. Please share any of the great messages you've heard!

Starting Party!

Here are some ladies in Lisa's incredible garden.

This is where the goodies and socializing happened!

Lisa made these cute cupcakes with candy veggies on them, sticking with the theme of the party!

Filling our egg cartons with soil-less seed starter.

Adding seeds!

This is my finished product! I planted cilantro, basil, carrots, cucumber, dill, cantaloupe, and tomato.

I also grabbed a few onion starters! They smell incredible. So sweet and potent.

Everybody left the party excited about their new seedlings!
Here are some great things Lisa taught us about using gardening as a method of food storage:

• Seeds are way more economical than buying produce at the store. Seeds yield much more weight in produce. If you buy heirloom seeds, that means they are not genetically altered. If you grow produce from heirloom seeds, you will be able to plant what you harvest, and yield more produce next year. Many other seeds are altered to only grow one generation. This way, farmers have to buy more seeds.
• Starting seedlings indoors is easy. Most plants will grow better outside, in mildly warm weather, indirect sunlight, and plenty (but not too much water). Warmth is more important than light - but light is important too.
• Use a soil-free seed starting mix when starting seeds. Soil often has diseases or weed seeds in it. 
• Packages you buy in little paper envelopes are acceptable food storage, but each year you store them, you lose yield. They will realistically last for only 2-4 years. The only way to get longer life for your seeds is to buy heirloom, and have them sealed from air access. 

Tuesday Storage Additions

This week, for our 72-hour kits, it's an easy one! Just add some Ziplock baggies and/or plastic grocery bags. These can come in really handy - even in a non-emergency!

For the month of March, the long-term storage item is beans. I've been out of town or sick for the past couple weeks, but I swear I'll get those sign up sheets going around!

How is your short term (3-month) supply coming? It may seem obvious to some, but did you know that fresh food can be part of food storage? Anything you grow or provide yourself counts as food storage! This is why we are having a Starting Party tomorrow at Sister Beaumont's house! It starts at 7:00 pm, and we'll be learning different seasonal plants, seed storage, and even start our own little gardens!

Make sure you bring a paper egg carton, and egg shells if you are able (they degrade and nourish the seeds). If you have any particular seeds you want to plant, feel free to bring some of your own!

Soil, seeds, and snacks will be provided! Also, it's never too late to RSVP. Just email me at tesiahwilk@yahoo.com if you are planning on attending.

See you all there!

Motivational Monday

"The best storehouse is the family storeroom..."Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing" (Doctrine and Covenants 109:8). ~President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008)

Food Storage Friday - Hummus

This is one of my favorite Provident Living blogs to follow. I followed their format when creating this blog!

Here's a great hummus recipe from them.

http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/2008/08/food-storage-friday-hummus.html

Event Reminder! Starting Party

Provident Living Starting Party

Thursday March 31, 2011

7:00 pm at Sis. Beaumont's Home

email me for directions

Bring a paper egg carton (and egg shells, if you can)

We'll learn all about starting our own little food storage garden from Lisa Beaumont!

Seeds, Soil, and Snacks will be provided.

RSVP to Tess Frame at (626) 905-4716

or tesiahwilkyahoo.com

I'll explain the egg shells: When you poke a hole in the bottom of the egg shell, then fill with soil and seed, the egg shell will disintegrate and nourish the plants as they grow. It's not mandatory that you have egg shells, but they add a little extra strength to your little seedlings. 

Tuesday (Wednesday) Storage

This week for our 72-hour kits, we're adding eye necessities. This includes eye drops, glasses, contacts, contact solution, contact/glasses case, and any other eye care.

For the month of March, the long term storage item is beans.

How's your 3 month's supply coming? We're still whittling away at ours.

Just a reminder that I'll be sending around a sign-up this Sunday about cannery items.

Motivational Thought

Apologies for the lateness! It's my Spring Break, and my anniversary was Monday, so I've been a little unfocused.

“Set your houses in order. If you have paid your debts, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then should storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wives and children and peace in your hearts”
President Gordon B. Hinckley "To the Boys and to the Men," Ensign, Nov. 1998, 54

Food Storage Recipes: Soup Week!

Black Bean Soup



On Wednesday, Relief Society held another Cooking Connection, and several soups were shown to us. The first one, Black Bean Soup is almost totally Food Storage Friendly (FSF). It's a really good way to work through several cans of food storage.

1 1/2 cup chopped veggies (carrots, celery, onion)
3 15 oz cans black beans
1 15 oz can Italian stewed tomatoes
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 Tbsp taco sauce or hot sauce
shredded cheese, sour cream/yogurt, avocado to top

Finely chop the veggies with a food processor or blender and put into crock pot. Put contents of all cans on top, no need to drain. Add broth and taco sauce. Mix. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 5 to 6 hours (but longer on low is better). Before serving, puree with a handheld blendor. Serve with cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, avocado, or salsa. Tortilla chips would be good, too!
Makes 6 servings.

Then we talked about another way to incorporate food storage: Tortilla soup.

Whatever kinds of beans you have in your cupboards will do. Pictured here are a whole bunch of things you could put in:
Great Northern beans
Kidney
Green chilis
Corn
Fire roasted tomatoes
Canned chicken
Salsa
Rice

This could be made on the stove or in a crockpot. Just combine all canned ingredients (the only thing I would recommend draining is the chicken, because the juice in the can can taste a little metallic), and allow to heat through for however long. Cook the rice separately and add just before serving (so it doesn't get really mushy) If you feel like you want to add more broth to it, add veggie or chicken broth or stock. It's a good dish to make if you've got a bunch of people to feed. Season and serve with chips, sour cream, cheese, avocado, or whatever sounds good!

I make an announcement last night to the Cooking Connection group. If you weren't there, here it is:

I will be coming to your homes and helping you individually with your food storage! It's pretty difficult to know if I'm covering everyone's needs in the ward, so the only way I can be sure that I'm reaching everyone is to give personal advice. I also know how hard it is to get motivated just by looking at a blog. Even getting people to just go on the blog is hard!

Contact me by phone or email to set up an appointment! It would also be helpful if you have any specific questions before I come over, that way I can be a little prepared. 

The other exciting announcement I have is that I'll be passing around a sign-up sheet this Sunday for food storage items from the cannery. You'll be able to sign up for the items you want, pay me, and I or someone I designate will go package and pick up what has been ordered. Since three months have gone by, and I didn't do this for January or February, the sign up sheet will include rice, wheat, and beans, as those were the food storage items we were building for those months.

I would love to here from people willing to drive down to the cannery, either with me or not, and help can and pick up the items for the families in the ward. It can be really difficult for some people to find the time to go do it themselves, so I decided I'd make it easier and have only a few people run the errand. Comment below if you are willing to help with this task!

The Theme of March: Gardening Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs

If you haven’t started your home garden, now is the time to do it.  Our church web site, www.providentliving.org has a large section on gardening under “provident living”, including info such as:  acquiring seeds, selecting a gardening site, selecting crops, planting your garden, when to plant, preparing the soil, fertilizing, watering, preventing pests & disease….and more.  If you do not have access to the internet, visit you local library and use theirs.  If you are not “computer literate”, speak to your ward preparedness rep (me) and they can give you the info you need.

Gardening can be as small as planting vegetables in a pot on your balcony, and as large as planting a large garden in your back yard. If you have limited space for fruit trees, consider planting the types of trees that have 2 or more types of fruits grafted together.  Dwarf trees are also an option in this scenario.  Try to buy “heirloom” vegetable seeds at the store.  If they go to seed (flower), you can collect the seeds and plant them the following year, thereby having an endless supply of garden seeds.

“Planting a garden, even a small one, allows for a greater degree of self-reliance…”.  President Hinckley and other Latter-day prophets have counseled Church members to become more self-reliant.  Members should be able to provide adequately for their own needs and should be in a position to support themselves and their families in the midst of economic uncertainty, political unrest, or natural disaster.   “In the environment in which we live today, we all should be looking to greater self-sufficiency, a greater spirit of self-reliance, a greater desire to take care of ourselves and our own.” Gordon B. Hinckley, “Reach Out In Love and Kindness”, Ensign, Nov. 1982, 76.

Beans, Legumes: Beans are an important part of our food storage.  Our bodies need to consume protein and in times of hardship, protein, in the form of meat, eggs & cheese, may not be easily obtainable.  Beans contain protein, and in fact, contain protein without all the bad cholesterol that meat, eggs & cheese contain.  Check the protein content to obtain the best beans or legumes for your situation.

Sprouts:  Sprouting seeds offer a way to quickly grow additional fresh vegetables.  They are very nutritional.  Sprouted seeds can have increased nutritients from 2-60 times the amount of the seed itself.  Care must be taken to buy quality seeds and care must be taken to wash and handle them properly. One place sprouts may be purchased is at Jimbo’s.

Activity announcement!

Provident Living Starting Party

Thursday March 31, 2011

7:00 pm at Sis. Beaumont's Home

email me for the address.

Bring a paper egg carton (and egg shells, if you can)

We'll learn all about starting our own little food storage garden from Lisa Beaumont!

Seeds, Soil, and Snacks will be provided.

RSVP to Tess Frame at (626) 905-4716

or tesiahwilkyahoo.com

Starting a garden can seem scary. It's a big project that can be tough to start on your own. So I decided to hold a Starting Party this month, as gardening is the theme of March. This way, we can all learn from each other's skills and start our own little sprouts. If there are any specific seeds that you would like to plant, you can bring your own to share (a packet is only $2 or so).

Tuesday Storage Additions

For the month of March, the long-term food storage item we are adding to our year supply is beans. There are so many kinds of beans you can buy in either dry or canned form.

For our 72-hour kits this week, we are adding small forms of entertainment, such as Sudoku puzzles, crosswords, books, pens, pencils, etc. If you have kids, add things like crayons and coloring books, stickers, etc. This is not essential to survival, but it may make time pass a little quicker. In an emergency, we most likely will not have the comfort of TV or internet. You may even consider putting a deck of cards or something the family can do together.

How's your 3-month supply coming? Like I mentioned last week, we might be moving in a month or two, so we're trying to work through our supply a little more than usual. Make sure you keep an eye on expiration dates, too. This week I noticed a Hamburger Helper that was about to expire. If you incorporate you food storage into your daily meals, you won't be wasting any money. If you don't ever use it and it goes bad, you've not only wasted money, but you lose that portion of preparedness.

Motivational Monday - Japan in our Thoughts

Tide of 1,000 bodies overwhelms quake-hit Japan

"I never imagined we would be in such a situation" Watanabe said. "I had a good life before. Now we have nothing. No gas, no electricity, no water."

He said he was surviving with his family on 60 half-liter bottles of water his wife had stored in case of emergencies like this. He walked two hours to find a convenience store that was open and waited in line to buy dried ramen noodles.

The government has sent 100,000 troops to lead the aid effort. It has sent 120,000 blankets, 120,000 bottles of water and 29,000 gallons (110,000 liters) of gasoline plus food to the affected areas. However, electricity will take days to restore.

According to public broadcaster NHK, some 430,000 people are living in emergency shelters or with relatives. Another 24,000 people are stranded, it said.

Food Storage Friday

I know it's Sunday, but I made this on Friday, so I'm still calling it Food Storage Friday.

Yesterday morning I started making homemade yogurt! I know it isn't beans, and even worse, it's not FSF! However, it is a provident method, so I felt I had to share.

All you need is 4 cups of milk (whole or 2 percent), and some plain yogurt starter (make sure it contains active cultures).

Start heating 4 cups of milk in a saucepan. It's not necessary to bring it to a boil, just heat until bubbles form around the edges and steam rises. Once the milk is warm, pour into a bowl and allow it to cool until you can hold your finger in it for 15 seconds. It should still be warm, just not scalding.

For the starter, I used a personal sized cup of plain yogurt, containing active cultures. Don't use more than that.

Sorry the picture is on its side, I just couldn't make it do what I wanted. Put the yogurt in a small bowl and whisk for smoothness.

Once the milk has cooled down enough, mix a couple spoonfuls of it into the small bowl, combining well. You don't want lumpy yogurt. Add to the warm milk. Whisk to combine.

Place the bowl of milk in a warm place for 10-12 hours. My house is quite cold, so I stuck it in the oven with a pot of hot water. Periodically, you can scoop out the layer of water that settles on top (this happens as the yogurt sets.

It will still seem thin, so just cover and put in the fridge.

In the morning you'll have really fresh yogurt that is excellent with honey, almonds, banana, granola, etc.

Food Storage Additions

This week for your 72-hour kits, add a pair of socks and shoes. This one was easy for me. I needed a new pair of running shoes, so I stuck my old ones in the kit. Make sure that the shoes you have are able to get wet, support and protect your feet, and would allow you to climb, hike, or run to safety.

For long term food storage this month, we're adding beans! There are so many different kinds of beans you can add, so use this opportunity to try new things and discover all the options. Legumes are so beneficial and energy packed.

How's your 3 month supply coming? I'm doing a pretty good job of rotating through mine. We might be moving in a 2 months, so I figure if we eat one can per day, I won't have to transport s much heavy canned food. This week, to go along with the bean theme, I made salsa chicken and refried beans. For the chicken, just place frozen chicken into a crock pot, top with salsa, and cook for 4 hours. It just falls apart when it's done, and it tastes just like you made fajitas. For the beans, we just used a can. Yum! you could add lots of things to make this meal more fit for more than 2 people - make some rice, veggies, or eat with tortillas and sour cream. With this meal, I prefer black beans, but I only had refried.

Motivational Monday

"Behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise."

Alma 37:6