Water Storage

I just recently listened to this segment of Judge Jeanine's:

Now, I'm not one of those Dooms Day Preppers, but I do believe in being prepared.  And even though things like Solar flares are real and could cause havoc, I think I'm more afraid of other countries with their nukes, like North Korea or Iran.  Theo and I have had discussions about what we would do if they ever were capable of firing off one of those nukes at us, but he assured me that the U.S. has deflector missiles that would destroy them before they got to U.S. land.  But with this new revelation that they could just shoot it up into the atmosphere and disrupt our whole power grid has got me feeling those heebie jeebies all over again. 

The church that I belong to, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has been pushing self efficiency and preparedness since the beginning of it's organization.  There are lots of helpful tips and food storage calculations to help you know what your family is going to need to survive any kind of catastrophe.  Even if you aren't worried about nukes, there is always some kind of weather element that could effect your life where you live (Sandy or Katrina for example) and you will have to survive on what you have laying around your home.

So this year for my New Year's Resolution I am going to be focusing on getting me and my family prepared in case of emergencies. 

My first priority today was my water storage.  I have a few bottles in my basement that I am adding to as I go along and I am slowly bulking up my water supply.  But what I really want is this:

Until I get enough money to buy some of these babies I'll have to make due with my empty soda and juice containers.

I read on a blog that you should rotate the water out every 6 months, and that you shouldn't use juice bottles either.  I did some research HERE, on the church website, but it didn't say anything about not using the juice bottles.  It only said to use bottles that are made with PETE plastic and that it was used for food storage.  So I went to check my bottles.

BAM!!  PETE right there on the bottom of the juice bottle, and all the soda bottles as well.  I was in the clear and proceeded to rotate the bottles out by pouring out the water, washing and refilling for the next 6 months.  Then I got to thinking, the church website didn't say anything about rotating them out.  I was almost done with all these before I came to that realization:

It does state to make sure your water is treated with chlorine, and if it isn't then to just add a few drops of clear bleach of your own.  A quick check to the Atlantic County water site assured me that our water is already treated.  I did swish a bottle caps worth of bleach in them after washing and before rinsing again to fill with water. 

I did label them with the month and year, just to be on the safe side in case I do read that it's a must to rotate water.  My stash is small, but hopefully it will multiply quickly, or even better, I'll get my drum! 

Please be aware of these kinds of things.  You never know when you might need something like this, whether it is a disaster, nature or man-made, or maybe you might fall on hard times in the future, it's always a good idea to be prepared.  Especially if you have a family where other people depend on you.  You can visit THIS site to give you all kinds of ideas, and while you're there stop in for some spiritual enlightening also!

In a Jam

This Spring Break week started out with the whole family going strawberry picking. I ended up with about 12 cups worth of strawberries and I knew just what I wanted to do with them.

I have only made jam once before and it was under the strict supervision of a good friend of mine who was a pro at canning. Even though that lesson was several years ago I still had some confidence that I could do it.

Things were going really well, I was boiling my jars and lids, washed, cut and smashed my strawberries. Then that's when things got a little hairy. Apparently the pot that I was cooking the strawberries in wasn't big enough for the 10 cups of sugar that was added. That is what you see all over the side of the pot. Even though I think it made for a cool picture, that sticky strawberry substance was ALL OVER my stove top.

I cut the heat and just went with what I had to fill my jars. In the taste category the jam is re-heally good! But in the texture department it's a little runny. I know it could have cooked a little longer so the fruit pectin could have had a better chance of jelly-ing it up.

What can I say, I'm Mormon, not Amish...

But it worked out for us for the better this morning. I made pancakes and we used some of the jelly as strawberry syrup, and then added a little whipped cream on top. I can't be disappointed by that!

Be Prepared

If you have any boys of the Scouting age, or if you were once a Scout yourself, then you are familiar with the motto, "Be Prepared". That phrase has been turning over and over in my mind since the earthquake in Haiti. Now with the devastation in Chile the words have returned.

I once lived in earthquake country for a short while, and it was a time of constant paranoia. Everyone was always talking about "The Big One" and how it was due at any moment now. I was petrified and couldn't wait to be transferred back to my safe Hurricane country, the South. I know that's a little tongue in cheek, but I always say you can run away from a Hurricane, but you can't run from an earthquake.

My religion has been very vigilant about preaching the importance of being prepared. My whole life food storage has been on the front burner of family issues. My mother canned food, my dad started a garden and as a family we would clean and fill MANY water bottles to store. It is important to understand that if there is a disaster that hits close to your home you are responsible for your own survival. With this perspective we should all have a back up plan on how we can feed our families in case something terrible happens.

I thought it was funny, but also a little alarming, when a friend of ours was giving a talk one Sunday about preparedness and how we should have at least $300 in cash for such emergencies. I don't know how he got on the topic of it with the bank teller, but when he explained that he needed it for his emergency stash she matter-of-factly stated that she has a debit card and therefore is in no danger of being without money. Did she not realize that if there is no power, then there is no working ATM's and therefore is no money?

Having at least 6 months of food storage is ideal with cash on hand in case ATM's aren't working. There is so much information on the internet how to achieve this. Here is one LINK that is an excellent resource to use. Regardless of your religious background this link is very informative and educational.

Even if you are one who doesn't live in an area prone to natural disasters it is still a good idea to have storage. Our country is slowly emerging from a recession. How many people lost there jobs, their homes? How many wondered when their next meal was going to be for them, and for their children.

Be prepared, two simple words that can save your life.