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Monday, November 30, 2009

Motivational Monday

"Provident living requires us to develop proper attitudes—a willingness to forego luxuries, to avoid excess, and to fully use what we have—learning to live within our means.

Unrestricted by programs and projects, bricks and mortar, the Lord’s real storehouse is indeed in the homes and the hearts of His people. As the members of the Church follow the counsel to become self-reliant, they represent an immense pool of resources, knowledge, skills, and charity available to help one another. This storehouse, the Lord has said, is “for the poor of my people, … to advance the cause, which ye have espoused, to the salvation of man, and to the glory of your Father who is in heaven.” (D&C 78:3–4.)"

Robert D. Hales, “Welfare Principles to Guide Our Lives: An Eternal Plan for the Welfare of Men’s Souls,” Ensign, May 1986, 28

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving from Safely Gathered In!

We won't be posting the rest of this week - hopefully everyone will be busy with their families, celebrating everything there is to be thankful for (and eating lots of turkey!)

We are so thankful for you, our readers!  Abbie and I have learned so much doing this blog, and you keep us motivated.

Finally, we never heard from our winner of the Shelf Reliance gift card (staceyk).  Staceyk, please email us!!  If we don't hear anything by tomorrow, we'll be drawing another winner and we'll post that on Friday - so stay tuned for that!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!


"Come, ye thankful people, come; Raise the song of harvest home.
All is safely gathered in Ere the winter storms begin.
God, our Maker, doth provide For our wants to be supplied.
Come to God's own temple, come; Raise the song of harvest home."



Come, Ye Thankful People
a harvest hymn written by: Henry Alford, 1810-1871

*Emphasis added

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Gift Card Winner


Thanks to everyone who participated in our Shelf Reliance gift card giveaway!!  Your comments were great and gave us lots of good ideas for future posts.

We had 148 eligible comments, and used Random.org to find a winner....


And the winner is #104, staceyk!  Stacey's comment in 104 was that she signed up for the newsletter, but her real comment was #103 so I've included both.



Congrats, Stacey!  Please email us at safelygatheredin (at) gmail.com, and we'll get your prize to you!

Thanks to Shelf Reliance for this awesome giveaway!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

It's a Giveaway!! ******CONTEST CLOSED*********

*********UPDATE CONTEST CLOSED*************************

It's Shelf Reliance's 5th Birthday this week and to celebrate, they want to give one of our readers a $50 Shelf Reliance gift card!!

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post and we will use Random.org to choose a winner! Answer the following question:

"What is your biggest food storage challenge?" I'm pretty sure we've asked a similar question in the past, but we'd love to hear what things you are currently struggling with so that we can address these issues in the future!

You can also win a second entry by visiting Shelf Reliance's website and signing up for their newsletter, which is a regular email about their current sales, promotions, and other fun things that Shelf Reliance is up to (they have food storage and emergency kits as well). If you sign up, make a second comment on this post saying you signed up, and that will give you your second entry into the giveaway.

The giveaway ends on Friday, Nov 20 at midnight, and we'll post the winner on Saturday.

In celebration of their 5th Birthday, Shelf Reliance sent us a little history about their company, which we'd like to share with you. It's pretty inspiring!


"Jason and Lindsay Budge became acquainted with Steve and Amy Palmer while attending college. Though they didn't immediately realize the devout friendship and enduring partnership they would form, they both felt the need and responsibility to prepare their families for the future.

"The two families have always believed that the keys to happiness are the pursuit of self reliance and the proper balance of life's priorities, including a sound education, healthy diet, physical fitness, financial independence, devotion to family, and faith in God. However, there was a key component missing in their goal to be self reliant: an adequate supply of food and provisions to prepare their families for unforeseen hardships or emergencies.

"In the summer of 2004, Jason and Steve felt a strong desire to find a solution to this problem. At a time when they were facing difficult decisions and personal challenges - including Lindsay being hospitalized for 3 months to save her unborn twin daughters - Steve and Jason could no longer suppress their desire and passion to help people become self reliant. They turned down extraordinary financial opportunities, took the leap of faith, and started Shelf Reliance.

"Shelf Reliance has developed proprietary food rotation products which make food organization and rotation more manageable. The company has also developed its own line of food, THRIVE, recognized for its high-quality and excellent taste.

"Through innovation, hard work, balance, the dedication of its employees and representatives, and an unceasing determination to help people around the world become prepared, Shelf Reliance has become the most trusted name in the industry."

Thanks again, Shelf Reliance, for the awesome giveaway. And readers, be sure to visit their site for more birthday fun, and check out their blog, too!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Food Storage: Keep Discouragement at Bay

For me, the absolute hardest part of food storage is not getting discouraged and throwing my hands in the air. I've never been great at food storage--terrible even--which is one of the reasons why Hannah and I started this blog. We wanted something to keep us accountable, and a way to make it seem less dauntless. But truth is, I still get discouraged.

Food storage is a never ending task.
You can't go to the store and buy thousands of dollars of food, bring it home and tuck it into the corners of your home and say: "I'm done!" Food storage consists of constantly planning, buying and rotating food to avoid spoilage. It's a job that's never done. Like laundry, if you have a two year old or younger.

There have been many times in my life when I've gotten down on myself about food storage:

"I should have my food storage perfect! I write on a food storage blog for crying out loud!"
"I can't believe I haven't even finished my 3-Month supply!"
"How am I supposed to build my food storage on just $200 grocery budget a month?"

These are all thoughts that have run through my head multiple times. Instead of sinking down and giving up, I'm trying to think of ways to ward off discouragement:

Keep going! Keeping going no matter what. For me, to keep going, it means that I buy a can of green beans and a can of corn every week when I go grocery shopping. It ends up being about $1.30 each week and that's something I can handle, and at least I know I'm doing something. I also try to buy a sack or a couple #10 cans of wheat from the cannery at least once every 3 months. Because I have a wheat grinder, wheat is something that we eat regularly.

Make mini goals. Instead of thinking: "Oh man, I've got to have 3-Months worth of meals for our whole family!" Try a goal of one week of breakfast meals. Then one week of lunch meals, and then one week of dinner meals, and then you have a whole week out of your 3-Month supply! Smaller goals are easier to attain and as you complete goals you'll have the strength and willpower to keep going.

Look at what you already have.
Instead of focusing on what you don't have, look at what you do. Sometimes I stare into my guest room closet (home to much of my food storage) and think: "I have no food storage," when I'm actually staring at a lot of food. I have to compare myself to what I had 6 years ago which was a couple of cans of oats, sugar and instant potatoes that were gifted to us for our wedding. Compared to that I've come far.

Get to work. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, in his last General Conference address:

"Work is an antidote for anxiety,
an ointment for sorrow
and a doorway to possibility."


Instead of wallowing in self-pity, get to work. I may not have money to go buy food, but I have garbage bags stuffed with empty 2 liter soda bottles in my garage that I got for free from a friend. I could be washing out and filling these with water for my water storage. Doing something will always make you feel better than doing nothing.

In the end you have to remember that as long as you are trying to build and rotate your food storage you will still get the blessings of food storage. Although he was talking about raising righteous children, I think it also applies to following the commandment of having a food storage. President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

"You have not failed as long as you have tried."

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Tuesday!

Every Tuesday, we post specific items you should gather in order to supplement your 72-hour kit, your 3-month supply, and your longer-term storage. If you are new to our blog, don't worry! You won't be left behind. Just start up where we are and follow along. You will eventually have everything completed! Once the 72-hour kit is complete, we'll be putting together emergency car kits again (week by week). Once those are done, we'll gather the 72-hour kits again. So don't worry, just jump on in and join us where we are today!


This week for your 72-hour kits, add a mess kit for every person, or something similar.  Abbie keeps a plastic mug in each person's kit.  It currently holds small snacks, but when it's time to eat it can be used over and over again for each meal.  Make sure you also pack utensils - plastic or reusable.


How is your three-month supply coming along?  Make a plan, and make a shopping list.  Just be sure that your meals are made from non-perishables, so that you can truly live off your food storage if something were to happen (for example, if you lose power for a significant period of time, you will lose your frozen food, so plan most of your meals to rely on frozen items).  Need some meal ideas?  Check out our recipes page.  Don't have time to plan it all out and make your master list?  Check out our e-book - we've done it for you!  It would also make a great Christmas gift!


This month for our longer-term storage, we're gathering wheat.  You can store wheat in 5-gallon buckets, or you could can it up into #10 cans.  Just be sure it's stored in a place where bugs can't get to it!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Inspirational Thought

“The best place to have some food set aside is within our homes, together with a little money in savings. The best welfare program is our own welfare program. Five or six cans of wheat in the home are better than a bushel in the welfare granary. … “We can begin with a one week’s food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. I am speaking now of food to cover basic needs.” (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

“To Men of the Priesthood,” Ensign, Nov. 2002, 58

Friday, November 13, 2009

Food Storage Friday: Magic Milk Shakes

I don't know about you, but I like ice cream. A lot. But when I want it and I don't have it in the house, I use this great recipe for make a chocolate shake akin to a Frosty.

Magic Milk Shakes

1 1/2 to 2 c. ice water
1 1/2 c. nonfat dry milk powder
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 t. vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 trays of ice cubes, as much as you can spare
2 T. oil plus 5-second squirt of non-stick spray for emulsification


I realize I don't have a photograph here. That's because I am currently on a no-dessert policy and I don't think I could stomach the thought of making four delicious, thick chocolate shakes and not sampling one. Or two. So here's what you'll have to imagine.

I also realize that ice and ice water aren't technically "pantry shelf items." However, if you're in the middle of a snow storm and you have electricity to boot, why not make a magic milk shake from the ice outside? It's also a fun way to use up almost-expiring powdered milk.

To make the milkshakes, place all of the ingredients into the blender, including the oil and non-stick spray. Use less water for thicker milk shakes and vice versa. The blender should be about 3/4s full. If your blender is a weakling like mine, you might have to add more water. Place the lid on. Process for a full two minutes. This is important as the continued blending breaks up the ice crystals and makes a creamy consistency. Pour into cups and serve.

Makes 4 12 oz. shakes.

For variations:
Add a ripe banana
Add a big spoonful of peanut butter
Add a few broken peppermints
Omit cocoa powder and reduce sugar to 1/2 c and 1 T. to make a vanilla shake


Brittany

Recipe courtesy of Cindy Lerch.


Thursday, November 12, 2009

Basic Cooking Skills: Burgers


Every other Thursday we will post about different basic cooking skills. Knowing how to prepare meals from scratch is a very important step in becoming self-reliant, which in turn is a crucial component of being prepared. Being able to cook meals for your family will give you confidence, more family togetherness time, and lower your food budget=more money for food storage! If you have a basic cooking skill you'd like to learn, email us! These meals contain perishable food items as this is a different series than our food storage recipes.

Vegans and Vegetarians: Skip this post!

Knowing how to make delicious hamburgers at home is a great skill to have. Most of the restaurants where you get a really good burger charge you upwards of $8-10 if not more. You can make delicious burgers at home for less money and less calories.


Mountain Man and I LOVE burgers. We frequent Red Robin every birthday for our free burger. But two times a year isn't enough to get the fix. I learned to make good burgers from Rachael Ray. Not personally, but in a cookbook. Here are all of Rachael's burger recipes and let me tell you---there are some AMAZING burgers out there just wanting to be made.

Burgers are not difficult to make. If you are intimidated, watch an episode of 30 Minute Meals where Rachael makes a burger, just seeing the visual will make you more confident.


Today we're just going to make the very basic burger. Once you've got this down it won't be difficult to add in any extras to make a gourmet burger.

Ingredients: Meat (ground beef, turkey or chicken), worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper



Turn your pan onto medium high heat to get it ready to cook the burgers. You can use an outdoor grill, a grill pan (like me) or even a skillet, it doesn't matter, all you need is some medium high heat.


Dump your meat into a bowl. The raw meat itself is the worst part for me---I really dislike the feel of raw meat. But---it turns into such deliciousness, so it's worth it.



Add the worcestershire sauce


salt



and pepper.



And there's no better way to do this than to stick your hands in there and mix up the meat.


When the meat is totally mixed, kindof shape it into a flat ball, and then score it into 4 parts.



Then we roughly know the size of our burgers.

Alright, that was the end of the one handed show. At this point I had to put down the camera to form the patties. Pick up a section of the meat that you've already sectioned off. Form it into a round patty, trying to make the middle section of the burger flatter than the edges. When the burger cooks, the middle automatically pops up. If we flatten the middle before cooking, the burger will be the same thickness all around after we cook it.

Be gentle with it, it will want to fall apart, but if you gently squeeze it together, shaping the edges, you'll be fine.


When you've shaped the burgers, lay them down in the hot pan. Rachael always coats her pan with olive oil. I either spray it with pam or do nothing at all. There's enough fat in the meat to keep the burgers from sticking.

You'll noticed I have 2 big burgers and 2 little ones. The 2 big ones are each one section of the scored meat. I divided a section to make mini burgers. My girls like them better--and are more likely to eat them.


Set your timer for 4 minutes. When it rings, flip them over.



Another 4 minutes on this side.


Pop them on a paper towel to drain when the timer rings again.


Now top your burger with whatever you want. Rachael has great suggestions if you have trouble coming up with your own toppings.


Like I said, deliciousness.


Basic Burgers
(makes 4 normal size burgers, or 8 mini burgers)

1 lb ground meat (beef, turkey, or chicken)
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Form into patties and grill on medium high heat for 4 minutes on each side.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

72-hour kits

72-hour kits are essential.  You should have a 72-hour kit for each person in your home, and if possible, one for your pet(s).  Kits include basic necessities that you would need to survive for 72 hours - food, clothing, medications, and other emergency-related things like blankets, flashlights, and matches.  For a complete list of items needed, check out our 72-hour kit list over on our "free printables" page.


Check out our other articles relating to 72-hour kits-
The LIST of things you need
Review: Adequate Nutrition During an Emergency
Dehydrated Foods
Keeping Your Kits Updated
How to Make Family T-Shirts (this would make a great Family Home Evening activity!)
72-Hour Kits: For Pets?
72-Hour Kit Distribution: Who Carries What?
My 72-Hour Kit Journey
Food for 72-Hour Kits
How to Use a Backpacking Stove
Open it up, try it out

Guest Columnists

To read more about this blog, and the blog creators, click here.



Brittany is a SAHM who is trying to improve her food storage and make homemade pantry-safe items palatable for her preschooler and patient husband. Her favorite food storage items are powdered milk, rolled oats, and whole wheat. When she's not baking perfect bread (ha ha), she's singing, writing, working out, or eating. All simultaneously.

Aleasha is a stay-at-home mom of 2 little girls. She loves to cook and try out new recipes. Aleasha recently started incorporating a strictly food storage meal in her family's weekly menu and has been pleasantly pleased with the tasty meals that can be made.






Sarah, formerly known as the newborn sister Abbie tried to sell for one penny, collects propaganda posters and antique books. She is the mother of a toddler and is hoping participation in this blog will help her expand her food storage beyond the 2-liter diet coke bottle filled with water.









Tiffany is a mother of one, wife to one, and she for one loves to cook. She love that preparedness is more that just flashlights and food, but a sense of peace that comes from being prepared on all levels. She have been serving her family food storage friendly meals for a while now, some days it is good and others well, no so good. Lets just say that it is hard to cook for a husband and daughter who don't like beans and a husband that isn't a fan of wheat... They are slowly learning, and lucky her, her husband says "if beans were cooked like this when I was little I might have actually liked them." So she keeps cookin' them.

About

“The best place to have some food set aside is within our homes, together with a little money in savings. The best welfare program is our own welfare program."    -President Gordon B. Hinckley


Hannah is a wife to a doctor (well, intern!) and has two little girls.  She grew up in New Hampshire, so living in the warm (and mostly snow-less) South has been a big adjustment for her.

Hannah graduated from BYU in 2006 with a degree in Family Sciences, and would love to go back to school someday to get a Masters in Human Resources.  In her spare time (what's that??) she loves to read and quilt.

Hannah also has a real passion for college football, and bleeds BYU blue.



Abbie, or Abs as she is known in the blogging world, is a mom to two girly-girls, wife to medical student and wildlife-loving Mountain Man, and part-time seamstress.  Although is it considered work if you love it?

While food storage is a struggle for Abs, she's found it much easier with the support of this blog and its readers.  Get ready to see more healthy recipes as Abs makes the journey back to school to become a registered dietitian.

To learn about our regular guest columnists, click here.



About this site
In the beginning we were just two friends who moaned and groaned to each other about the need to have food storage but didn't know where to start, and once started, how not to get discouraged.  We started this blog to encourage ourselves to learn more about food storage and emergency preparedness and to be accountable to each other, and to our readers for our progress. Neither one of us has much time, money or space, but we are learning to make food storage and emergency preparedness a priority.  We are not experts, but we invite you along on our journey.

This is how the blog works:


Monday - A little reminder about why this project is so important and, basically, give us all a little push to succeed.
Tuesday - We will give you "assignments" as to what you should set aside that week for your three-month supply, as well as one or two items to put in your car emergency box or 72-hour kit. Sometimes you will already have these things in your home, and other times you will have to purchase them.
Wednesday & Thursday - We'll be posting tutorials, and we'll also be writing series of articles on different topics.
Friday - Food Storage Friday! We will share recipes for meals you can make using food storage items only!
Saturday - Roundup - We love to read blogs about frugal living and food storage, and we'll share links to our favorite things we read during the previous week.



To learn more about the religious reasons for food storage, click here.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Tuesday

Every Tuesday, we post specific items you should gather in order to supplement your 72-hour kit, your 3-month supply, and your longer-term storage. If you are new to our blog, don't worry! You won't be left behind. Just start up where we are and follow along. You will eventually have everything completed! Once the 72-hour kit is complete, we'll be putting together emergency car kits again (week by week). Once those are done, we'll gather the 72-hour kits again. So don't worry, just jump on in and join us where we are today!


This week for your 72-hour kits, add a small sewing kit.


How is your 3-month supply coming along??  Remember it can be very overwhelming if you don't have a plan.  Make a food plan, then write up a master grocery list.  Stock up when things go on sale.


This month for our longer-term storage, we are gathering wheat.  Click here to find out more information about wheat, and click here to see some recipes using wheat.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Motivational Monday

Work is a spiritual necessity as well as an economic necessity. Work brings happiness, self-esteem, and prosperity. It is the means of all accomplishment; it is the opposite of idleness. We are commanded to work. (See Gen. 3:19.) Attempts to obtain our temporal, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being by means of a dole violate the divine mandate that we should work for what we receive.We cannot be too often reminded that Church welfare assistance is spiritual at heart and that these spiritual roots would wither if we ever permitted anything like the philosophy of the dole to enter into our Welfare Services ministrations. Everyone assisted can do something. Let us follow the order of the Church in this regard and insure that all who receive give of themselves in return. May we be on guard against accepting worldly substitutes for the plan to care for his poor in this, the Lord’s own way.

“Chapter 11: Provident Living: Applying Principles of Self-Reliance and Preparedness,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, (2006),114–23

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Weekend Roundup: Give, Share, Serve

There are lots of good reads for this weekend!

I Dare You to Eat It has made what looks to be a delicious Apple Crisp from dehydrated apples. If you have loads of dried apples and don't know what to do with them, this recipe looks like a winner.

For those of you who have wheat allergies, Food Storage Made Easy has put up a post about wheat alternatives in food storage.

Have holiday parties on the menu? Hold off on the finger foods. Totally Ready has some tips on throwing holiday parties without passing on the germs.

The Self Reliant Sisters have scanned in the nutritional labels for all the food items available at Mormon canneries. If you aren't LDS you can go to a cannery with a Mormon friend, so buddy up.

Most importantly, Preparedness Brings Peace posted about donating canned goods that are nearing expiration dates to food banks during this holiday season. What a good way to share what you have with others.

This is also a good way to rotate through items you store, but don't care to eat. For example, if you store canned vegetables in the case of emergency, but prefer to eat fresh as often as you can, give some of the canned to those in need and restock your own supply.

You don't have to donate to a food bank either, there are families in your neighborhoods and areas who need help, ask around tactfully, and drop off an anonymous basket. Nothing will make you feel better than serving others this time of year.

Have a good weekend!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Food Storage Friday: White Chicken Chili

Today's recipe hails from the Test Kitchen from Tiffany.

We love Chili in our house and it doesn't matter what kind, but this happens to be one of our favorites and as I was making this I realized that everything I was using was food storage friendly so here it goes....
Ingredients: 2 chicken bouillon cubes or chicken broth, cumin, garlic (I like to use sliced dried garlic), corn oil, can of chicken or turkey as it might be (it's all I had in the house when I was making this today), garbanzo beans, navy or white beans, white corn, chopped green chiles, oregano. dried onion (not pictured)

I forgot to take a picture of the next step... oops....
Place oil, cumin, dried onion, in a dutch oven, I use a crock pot when making this at home but we use a dutch oven when we are camping. Once the the oil, cumin, and garlic are heated and mixed add your can of chicken.
Next add beans, corn, green chiles. Stir to blend.
Combine chicken bouillon, and 1 1/2 cups boiling water together.
Stir through chili. Liquid should just cover the other ingredients. I also add a pinch of cayanne pepper and a pinch of paprika. Cover and let chili cook about 30 minutes, until flavors are blended.
Then eat... its yummy...



desired amount of dried onion, just shake some in there
1 tablespoon garlic powder, or dried garlic
1 to 2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon corn oil
1 can of chicken
1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (15 oz.) can white beans, drained
1 (15 oz.) can navy beans, drained
1 (12 oz.) can white corn, drained
2 (4 oz.) cans chopped green chilies
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cups boiling water
a pinch of cayenne pepper
a pinch of paprika

In pot, crock pot, or dutch oven cook onion, garlic, and cumin in hot oil. When garlic, onion and cumin are mixed and heated, stir in chicken, then add beans, corn, and chilies. Stir to blend.Combine chicken bouillon with 1 1/2 cups boiling water, and stir through chili. This is where I add my pinch of cayenne pepper and paprika. Cover and let chili cook over low coal or heat, or in ashes until flavors are blended- about 30 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon, as both beans and corn have a tendency to scorch or stick if heat is too high.
When rotating this dish top with monterey jack cheese, salsa and or sour cream. Eat with tortillas, chips, or cornbread.
Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

A "Preparedness" Wish List

We published this article last November, and want to share it again with you as the holidays rapidly approach!

In past years
, whenever my husband/parents/in-laws asked me what I wanted for Christmas/birthday/anniversary, my mind went blank. Well, this year I know exactly what I'm asking for - food storage and emergency preparedness items!

We have compiled a Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness "Wish List". These are things that you may want to consider purchasing for yourself (or spouse, parents, children) this year, or you can mention these items when someone asks what you want!

We've broken down the items by price, but of course many items range in prices, so some things may be listed under two prices. If you aren't sure what some of these items are, just Google them and they're pretty explanatory.

Also, on the left side of the page, we've added an "Amazon Favorites" link. Click on it! There, you can see more than 25 recommended products based on what we currently own, or based on great online reviews. Many of them qualify for free shipping.

*Note: these prices listed below are based on quick online research. Shopping around or buying used will help you find the best deal on any of these items.

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
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 - #10 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). Check out Survival Outpost, Food Storage Depot, and Shelf Reliance, just to name a few!

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

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Tuesday

Every Tuesday, we post specific items you should gather in order to supplement your 72-hour kit, your 3-month supply, and your longer-term storage. If you are new to our blog, don't worry! You won't be left behind. Just start up where we are and follow along. You will eventually have everything completed! Once the 72-hour kit is complete, we'll be putting together emergency car kits again (week by week). Once those are done, we'll gather the 72-hour kits again. So don't worry, just jump on in and join us where we are today!

This week for your 72-hour kits, we're still gathering food. Be sure to check out Abbie's article from a few weeks ago about what kinds of food to keep in your kits.

How is your three-month supply coming along? Don't forget to store three months' worth of medications and other OTC medicines that you may need.

This month for our longer-term storage, we're gathering wheat. At LDS Catalog You can buy wheat already canned up in #10 cans, ready to store. Prices include shipping. You can also buy wheat in big bags and then store it in 5 gallon buckets to keep it safe from the bugs.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Motivational Monday


We have placed considerable emphasis on personal and family preparedness. I hope that each member of the Church is responding appropriately to this direction. I also hope that we are understanding and accentuating the positive and not the negative. I like the way the Relief Society teaches personal and family preparedness as “provident living.” This implies the husbanding [prudent managing] of our resources, the wise planning of financial matters, full provision for personal health, and adequate preparation for education and career development, giving appropriate attention to home [food] production and storage as well as the development of emotional resiliency.


“Chapter 11: Provident Living: Applying Principles of Self-Reliance and Preparedness,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, (2006),114–23