Thursday, December 31, 2009

Dry Pack Cannery Order Form

We have the OPPORTUNITY to go to the Dry Pack Cannery in February. All order forms are due January 24th and need to be turned in to Alicia Smith. We have not assigned an exact date yet, but we will keep you posted.
Hope to see you there . . . It really is FUN!


This link will take you right to the Home Storage Order Form.


http://www.providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/121874_Fall2009WE_HomeStoragePriceSheet_pdf.pdf

Monday, October 19, 2009

FHE Thank You and Reminder!

Thanks to those of you who signed up to help with our 2010 Family Home Evening Lessons!
Remember the due date is November 1st. You can email the FHE Packets, or give them to me as a hard copy. (I will return your originals.) Email me at: smithest1989@hotmail.com.
Thanks Again!
Trish
Special thanks to the Young Men & Young Women for taking the extra packets. YOU ROCK!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

2010 Family Home Evening Sign-Up!

Our plans for 2010 are already in the works and we need your help! We look forward to not only becoming "Temporally Prepared," but "Spiritually Prepared" as well. We have an amazing ward with very talented and inspired people, so we decided . . . why not share our Family Home Evening Ideas with each other!?! The topics are listed and you only have to make one copy of the lesson. How EASY is that? We will be posting a new family home evening lesson every Monday. All you will have to do is print, pray, and present!
Please check the table in the hallway by the south doors to sign up to help plan a Family Home Evening Lesson.
Our Family Home Evening Agenda Plans for Each Month:
Week 1: Primary Theme and Scripture
Week 2: Safety and Preparedness
Week 3: For the Strength of Youth - Mormon Ad
Week 4: Family History - Journal Page
Week 5: Family Activity
We are asking for your help to prepare lessons for weeks 1 and 3.
November 1st is the deadline for completion so that we will have time to change your lessons into PDF's or scan them if we need to and post them on the blog.

We know how talented, creative, and just plain inspired you all are, so we can't wait to be blessed by your talents!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

September Case Lot Sales!

Harmon's: August 31st-September 20th
http//www.harmonsgrocery.com
Smith's: September 9th
Petersen's: September 15th
Macey's, Dick's, Dan's, Bowman's, Kent's, Winegar's:
September 16th-October 6th
Lin's: End of October

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Dutch Oven Cook Out . . . Bring the Family!

You are invited to a Dutch Oven Cook Out!
Bring the family
for food, fun, and games - August 28th @ 7:00 pm.
Meet on the WEST side of the church.
We will be sending sign-up sheets around for help with dinner & desert.
The ingredients for the dinner and desert dishes will be provided . . . you just have to put it together and cook it!
(No Dutch Oven Required for this - your oven will be perfect!)
Dinner will be served at 7:00 pm and games for the kids will follow.
For the adults - a few tips and tricks on Dutch Oven cooking.
Can't wait to see you there!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

The Family Disaster Plan

It doesn't take a major disaster to create a situation where a family plan would be beneficial.
Disasters happen abruptly and frequently without warning. For example, when an earthquake strikes, the ground will suddenly tremble and shake - sometimes violently for as long as 60 to 90 seconds. Many people's "fight or flight" instinct will urge them to RUN! Studies prove that many people are killed or injured as they run out of their homes or offices where windows are breaking, bricks are falling, sidewalks are cracking and power lines are coming down. Developing a Family Disaster Plan will help you and your loved ones conquer the instinct to run by teaching you how to be safe and giving you a set of procedures to follow.
First... If you have not already done so, organize your family into a council and find out what disasters, both natural and technological, could happen in your area. Share responsibilities and work together as a team.
Second... Begin compiling the elements of your Family Disaster Plan into a notebook such as a three ring binder that can be kept in a central location in your home. We've created some disaster plan forms to make this step easy.
Third... Put your plan into action. Executing all the preparations, precautions, and procedures in your family disaster plan won't happen overnight or even over a month. But it can be done one step at a time over an extended period of time.
Fourth... Practice and maintain your plan. Review your plans every six months so everyone remembers what to do. Conduct earthquake, fire and emergency evacuation drills. Rotate and refresh your emergency food and water supplies. Check your smoke detectors and replace the batteries at least once a year.

Disaster Plan Forms

Our Family Disaster Plan Notebook E-Prep Program: Month #1
Creating a Family Disaster Plan is the first preparedness activity in our 12-Month Emergency Preparedness Program. In the folder below, you will find downloadable forms that you can use to create your Family Disaster Plan. Review the forms and decide what will be of most value to you and your family. Assemble these forms in a three ring binder.
At minimum, your Family Disaster Plan notebook should contain:
The Floor Plan page (shows escape routes, safety spots and danger spots)
The Reunion Points page
The Family Contact page
Emergency Numbers & Information page
Emergency Medical Information page for each family member
Medical release form for each minor child.
We recommend that you calendar a family council meeting and complete the forms together.
Store your Family Disaster Plan notebook near the telephone in the kitchen, or some other central location in your home.
Make sure everyone in your family is familiar with the contents of your Family Disaster Plan as well as where to find it and how to use it in the event of an emergency.
Review your plan periodically (every 6 months or 12 months) and update the information annually or as necessary.

Click below to download forms:

Individual & Family Preparedness

Evacuation Plan

No matter how much you may wish to stay at home, there are times when evacuation will be your only choice. These include a nuclear, chemical or biological event as well as any impending disaster that is likely to destroy your home. An evacuation plan is an essential element of your Family Disaster Plan and should include where to go, how to get there and what to bring with you.
Where To Go:
If the order to evacuate is given, you should do so immediately and carefully follow the directions given by local authorities. If a local shelter has been established, you will be advised where to go. But if sitting on cots at the local high school gymnasium or National Guard Armory is not to your liking, and you are free to leave the area, a safe house or survival retreat in a location where the current crisis will not threaten you is a good alternative.
The easiest way to set up a safe house is to coordinate with a friend or family member located between 100 and 150 miles away, preferably in a different setting. [A vacation home, hunting lodge, or second residence can also serve as a safe house if you are fortunate to have one.] For example:
If you're in the inner city, they should be in a rural area or at least a smaller town, preferably not the suburbs of your city.
If you're near the coast, they should be inland.
If you're near a flood plain, the safe house should be on higher ground.
Following these guidelines, you can be relatively sure of several things:
Whatever disaster you are facing should not affect them, and vice versa. This allows you to trade off, so when they are facing a survival situation, your home can be their safe house.
You'll be running towards something, not just away from danger.
You can get there on one tank of gas, even if there is a great deal of traffic.
You won't be turned away at the inn (Hotel rooms are quickly filled, and often at inflated prices).
How to Get There:
Whichever option you've chosen for your safe house, the best way to get there is by car. It's convenient (most of us have them), offers some protection, is relatively fast and allows us to carry much more gear than on foot or bicycle.
And the old adage about never letting your car's gas tank get below half makes a lot of sense. We also recommend keeping a couple of five gallon tanks of gas on hand "for emergencies." But remember to store these properly in a safe location outside your house or garage. You can use these to top off your tank or carry with you (strapped to the roof, perhaps) when given the order to evacuate.
And while we're on the subject of cars, make sure yours is in good mechanical condition.
One of the most critical factors in an evacuation plan is route planning. You should have memorized several routes to your safe house or survival retreat and have maps on hand so you can identify alternate routes around accidents or other problem areas. The routes should include:
The fastest, most direct route. This will be your first choice when you are getting out early, before the crowds.
A back road route. This may be your best bet when the interstates are clogged with lines of cars all trying to leave "ground zero."
An indirect route. There may be a time when you need to get away, but don't want anyone to know where you're going. There may come a day when it make sense to go north 200 miles out of your way to end up 150 miles east of your destination. This is also the route to choose if you have reason to believe you may be followed.
What to Bring with You:
A bug-out bag is the first -- and possibly only -- thing you grab when you're evacuating. When the fire alarm is going off, for example, grab the kids, the bug-out bags and get out. Each member of the family should have his or her own Bug-Out-Bag.
Click here http://www.pep-c.org/bedbagkits/to find out what should be included in a Bug-Out-Bag.
Depending on the nature of the crisis at hand, if you have the time and room in your vehicle, you may also want to grab your 72 hour emergency food container, a tent, sleeping bags, and other camping or survival equipment you may have on hand. Most of these items should already be stored in an easily accessible location outside your home in the event there is a major earthquake.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Dry Pack Cannery

Orders for the Dry Pack Cannery are due: July 27th. Hard copies will be at the table between the Primary and R.S. rooms this Sunday. If you would like to fill your order form out on the computer so it will calculate as you go - just click on the link below.
The canning date is August 13th @ 7:00 pm with the Ranches 1st Ward. All of the prices have gone down, so now is a great time to stock up. Hope to see you there!!!

Pandemic Kits

With the upcoming flu season just around the corner, we thought you might like a list of things to have on hand in case of a 10 day quarentine. We will have a sample pandemic kit for you to see on Sunday between the Primary and Relief Society rooms with copies of the list for you to take home. Let us know if you have any questions, or are interested in a group order for the pandemic kits. (Price will depend on the quantity we order.)
  • Supplies to have on hand:
    N95 medical masks - at least 3 per person. "95" means that they keep out 95% of the airborne particles. Contact a local medical supply store, or order online. Cheaper if ordered in bulk, but even Walgreens carries them. These will disappear quickly from the shelves in a pandemic.
    Liquid hand soap
    Hand sanitizer (one for every family member)
    Household bleach
    Lysol® or Clorox® disenfectant
    Disinfectant wipes (plenty)
    Trash bags (plenty as there may be limited trash pickup)
    Laundry detergent (if someone in your family is ill, you will be doing plenty of washing)
    Kleenex tissues (not fabric handkercheifs)
    Toilet paper
    Paper towels - Use instead of hand towels.
    Disposable diapers for infants
    Disposable vinyl, nitrile, or latex gloves or other reusable gloves that can be disinfected
    A supply of your prescription medications (in case you are too sick to go to the store), nonprescription drugs, and other health supplies, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes, vitamins, rubbing alcohol, and thermometers.
    Have a 2-week to 3-month supply of food at home (outside food may be difficult to obtain or you may not be able to get to the store if you are ill).
    Food for the flu such as chicken noodle soup, Sprite, 7-up, or ginger ale, saltine crackers, white rice, broth, Pedialyte for children or Gatorade, jello, etc.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Maple Syrup

Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute
1 3/4 C white sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 cup water
add 1 tsp vanilla
1/2 maple flavoring
To help syrup not crystalize as it stores, cover saucepan as it cools down.

Dry Ice is Now Reccomended in 5 gallon Buckets Instead of Oxygen Absorbers

Plastic buckets may be used to store food commodities that are dry (about 10 percent moisture or less) and low in oil content. Only buckets made of food-grade plastic with gaskets in the lid seals should be used. Buckets that have held nonfood items should not be used.
To prevent insect infestation, dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) should be used to treat grains and
dry beans stored in plastic buckets. Treatment methods that depend on the absence of oxygen to
kill insects, such as oxygen absorbers or nitrogen gas flushing, are not effective in plastic buckets. Avoid exposing food to humid, damp conditions when packaging them.
Dry Ice Treatment Instructions
1. Use approximately one ounce of dry ice per gallon (7 grams per liter) capacity of the
container. Do not use dry ice in metal containers of any kind or size because of the potential
for inadequate seals or excessive buildup of pressure.
2. Wear gloves when handling dry ice.
3. Wipe frost crystals from the dry ice, using a clean dry towel.
4. Place the dry ice in the center of the container bottom.
5. Pour the grain or dry beans on top of the dry ice. Fill the bucket to within one inch (25 mm)
of the top.
6. Place the lid on top of the container and snap it down only about halfway around the
container. The partially sealed lid will allow the carbon dioxide gas to escape from the
bucket as the dry ice sublimates (changes from a solid to a gas).
7. Allow the dry ice to sublimate completely before sealing the bucket. Feel the bottom of the
container to see if the dry ice is all gone. If the bottom of the container is very cold, dry ice
is still present.
8. Monitor the bucket for a few minutes after sealing the lid. If the bucket or lid bulges, slightly
lift the edge of the lid to relieve pressure.
9. It is normal for the lid of the bucket to pull down slightly as a result of the partial vacuum
caused when carbon dioxide is absorbed into the product.
Storage of Plastic Buckets
• Store plastic buckets off the floor by at least ½ inch (1.3 cm) to allow air to circulate under
the bucket.
• Do not stack plastic buckets over three high. If buckets are stacked, check them periodically
to ensure that the lids have not broken from the weight.
Visit providentliving.org for additional information.
Upcoming Demo's

In August, Idonna will be demonstrating at Enrichment how to sprout using seeds. We will also be ordering Garden seeds in #10 cans.


August 28th, we will be having a Dutch Oven Cooking Demo and Dinner. More info. coming soon!




We will do a quick demo on different ways to dehydrate and rehydrate fruits and vegetables. We will also be ordering peaches and pears as a ward for bottling. Please contact Idonna Murray and let her know if you are interested in ordering. She needs to let Mr. Rick's know how many bushels we are planning on. (We will be ordering from the same place we ordered from last year . . . the fruit was amazing!


Emergency Baby Formula
1/3 cup plus 2 t instant powered milk or
1/4 cup non instant powered milk
1 1/3 cup boiled water
Mix together and stir thoroughly.
add 1 T oil
2 t. sugar

Emergency Baby Food
3/4 C cereal grain
1/4 C beans

Boil until soft. strain. Boil again to insure that it is bacteria free. This will provide good protein and iron as well as calories.

Recipes

Granola
6 cups regular oats
6 cups rice crispies
1 1\2 cups brown sugar
2 T cinnamon
Mix all dry ingredients
Over low heat, cook
1 cup honey
1 cup oil
Pour over dry ingredients
Pour granola onto two cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Stir then cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.


Taco Soup
2 lbs of chicken breasts or tenders
3 cans of black beans
3 cans of canned corn
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
1 large black bean or corn salsa
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 large v-8 juice
Boil chicken until cooked through. Add black beans,corn, stewed tomatoes, v-8 juice, black bean and corn salsa, and taco seasoning packet. Cook until hot and serve


Canned Carrots
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of sugar
boiling water
baby carrots or sliced carrots
process in the pressure cooker for 25 minutes

Joy's Honey butter
1 cup honey
2 cups whipped cream
1 cup butter
Melt butter and add honey. Whisk together, then fold in the whipped cream. Keep leftover in the refrigerator

Mikelle's Salsa
2 cans of whole tomatoes drained
you can use bottled, just make sure they are drained
1/2 yellow pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, take out the seeds...Leave seeds in for a hotter salsa
1 Anaheim pepper, take out the seeds
barely blend these ingredients together in your blender
pour into a large bowl
add the following ingredients
1 lid full of cumin
1 tbsp of brown sugar
1 cap full of lemon juice
1 bunch of green onions
2 cloves of garlic pressed
garlic salt and salt to taste

Easy Berry Cobbler
5 cups of mixed berries ( you can use frozen from Costco)
1 yellow cake mix
1 cube of butter
Pour 5 cups mixed berries into the bottom of a 9 x 13 cake pan. Sprinkle the yellow cake mix over. Cube butter and sprinkle over cake mix. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.


Sour Dough Starter
2 cups potato water
2 cups flour
1 T sugar or honey
Make potato water by cutting up two potatoes and boiling in 3 cups of water until tender. Remove potatoes and measure two cups of liquid. Mix, water, flour, and sugar into a smooth pasty sponge. Set in a warm place for several days. It should double in size.

Sourdough Pancakes
4 cups Starter 2 T sugar
1 egg
2 T melted butter
1/4 C evaporated milk or cream
1 t salt
1 tsp baking soda
Mix starter, egg, butter and milk. When it is well beaten add remaining ingredients. Beat. Thicken with flour if needed.

Sourdough biscuits
1 cups starter
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 T shortening
3 1/2 cups sifted flour
Place the flour in a bowl, make a hole in the center and add the starter. Stir in all other ingredients. Gradually mix more flour to make a stiff dough. Pinch off enough dough to form a ball. Roll it into melted butter or shortening and arrange in a cake pan. Let rise 20 minutes. Bake at 425 degrees until done approx 15 min.


Homemade Noodles
2 cups flour
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
whip eggs until foamy, add salt. Roll dough onto lightly floured surface. Cut dough into thin strips using pizza cutter. Let dry on counter for at least 4 hours hours. Drop into soup. Cook 12- 15 minutes.

Fruit Leather Dried in the Sun
Drain juice from the fruit and put in the blender and puree. Line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap. Pour puree evenly over plastic. About two cups per cookie sheet. Set in the sun until dry.

Homemade Applesauce
2 lbs apples
1/2 cup water or apple cider
Honey to taste
Lemon juice to taste
Cinnamon to taste
Core the apples and cut them into chunks. Place the apples, and water or the cider in saucepan. Simmer until tender. Force through an applesauce strainer or sieve. Season to taste with the lemon, honey, and cinnamon.

Reconstituting Dehydrated Fruit
1 cup dried fruit
2 c water
2 T sugar
1/2 t lemon juice
Add fruit to water in saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in sugar and cool, or cover fruit with water and let sit over night in the refrigerator. Stir in sugar.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Water Barrels

If you are interested in ordering 55 gallon water storage barrels, please contact: Fran Caughlan (Jared Caughlan's mom) @ . They are reconditioned and santized and much cheaper than the blue ones and they work exactly the same. The price is $20.00 per barrel or 3 for $50.00. They will be delivered right to your door.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Water Storage

Just thought we would check and see how you are coming on your water. Remember, you can put water in empty canning jars with a piece of plastic wrap between the lid and the water. You can use 2 liter pop bottles, buy already bottled water (3-4 cases per person), or store water in 5, 6, 15, 30, or 55 gallon jugs and drums. Make sure you use a lead-free hose to fill your containers. If you need to borrow a lead-free hose, just give us call. (Jason, Tricia, Alicia, Idonna, or Diane)

Don't throw away your old liquid laundry soap containers, especially the ones with a spicket. Fill them with water and use them for washing hands or cleaning. Make sure you label them as cleaning water not drinking water and be sure to include the date.
To keep your water fresh you will need to add Clorox. We have included the amounts to help you out. Make sure you use plain old Clorox, no fragrances or special features! It's a good idea to rotate your water once a year . . . Conference is a great time to do that!

1 Quart: 2 Drops Clorox

1 Gallon: 8 Drops Clorox

5 Gallons: 1/2 tsp. Clorox

6 Gallons: 1/2 tsp. + 8 Drops Clorox

15 Gallons: 1 1/2 tsp. Clorox

30 Gallons: 3 tsp. Clorox

55 Gallons: 5 1/2 tsp. Clorox
Double the amounts of Clorox if your water is cloudy.
One more thing to remember: Make sure you don't store your water directly on the cement, it will pull contaminates from the cement and ruin your water. Store your containers on a piece of wood or a couple thicknesses of heavy-duty cardboard.

Recommended Storage Amounts: 24 Gallons Per Person!


Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Our New Blog!

We finally have our ward blog up and going, Yeah! Sorry it took sooo long, we are all blog spot rookies! We hope this will make Food Storage and Preparedness easy for you and your families. We will be posting recipes, reminders, order forms, food storage menu planning hints and helps, and ward and family challenges. It's still a work in progress so please be patient with us while we figure it all out.
We look forward to becoming more prepared as a ward family!
Check back often . . . We have lots of fun ideas to share.