People often wonder how much to store and there is not a definitive answer. It will be different for different people. Store what you eat, and eat what you store and please never say "it is there if we need it" because statistics show that you wont eat it. You will starve because you do not know what to do with it, or you think it is gross and are not used to it, or it will wreak such havoc on your body you will be sick and then die. Everyone in my house stunk for about a week after I introduced wheat into our diet- I would not want to introduce anything new into our diet during a calamity. Here is a general idea of how much basics we should have.
per person, per year:
300 lbs. grain (that is wheat, rice, oats, dry corn)
60-75 lbs. dairy products (milk, butter, cheese)
5 lbs. salt
20 lbs. fats (cooking oils, shortening)
60 lbs. legumes (dry beans, dry peas, peanut butter)
1 gallon water a day per person- bare minimum!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
menu plan- a good way to get organinzed.
I think a menu plan is the perfect way to start storing, and to help organize what you already have. With out a menu plan you are likely to keep buying stuff you don't need. I don't want to end up with 4,000 pounds of wheat and not have enough yeast, salt, honey and milk- how would I make bread?
Pick a time when your family can sit together and discuss this. Prepping is not just for one family member to take on. Maybe they will be more helpful if they feel included?
First decide how long of a time period do you want to store for? 3 months? 6? a year?
Second while everyone is together plan what you would like to eat. macaroni and cheese? spaghetti? some casseroles? chili mac?
You should pick at least 7 different meals, but I do think variety is the spice of life and in this case more is better. Once you have decided what you want to eat, write down everything it takes to make that dinner. The salt, the water, cans or jars of something? Write it all down. There is your shopping list!
One of my recipes is chili mac. I got this recipe from http://www.melskitchencafe.com/ (very good recipes)
To eat this for a year (if I am having it once a week I will take everything x52.)
skillet chili mac+ skillet chili mac for 1 yr.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
52 TBSP. veg. oil
1 pound ground beef
52 pounds beef
1 onion, minced
52 onions -freeze dried would be best for worst case scenario.
3/4 tablespoon chili powder (add more if you want more heat)
40 cups chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander (substitute ground cumin for a smokier flavor)
26 tbsp. cumin (i use cumin) there are16 tbsp in one cup, so you will need 1 cup plus10 tbsp.
1/2 teaspoon salt
26 tsp. salt or (48 tsp in 1 cup) so1/2 cup plus 2 tsp.
3 garlic cloves, minced
156 cloves garlic- 20 tsp minced is = 1 cup. so a little less then 8 cups. you can buy shelf stable garlic that is already minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
52 tbsp. brown sugar or 3 cups+4 tbsp.
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
104 cans tomato sauce (a good time to stock up on those is when they go on sale for 20 cents a piece)
2 cups water
104 cups water 16 c. =1 gallon so 7 gallons water
3 cups elbow macaroni
156 cups macaroni almost (4 cups in a 16 oz pkg.)
1 cup frozen corn
52 cups canned corn is just as good
1 4.5-oz can chopped green chile's (i don't do this, but if you did it would be 52 cans)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (i don't do this- but an herb garden is a smart idea)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of cheddar and Monterrey jack but you can use pepper jack or a Mexican shredded cheese blend)
104 cups cheese-freeze dried or I'm trying to learn how to wax it. you could buy/store it already waxed
Heat oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, chili powder, coriander, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat or grease (the amount will depend on how lean your beef is). Stir in garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, water, and macaroni. Cover and cook, stirring often and keeping the heat at a steady simmer, until the macaroni is tender, about 10-12 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, frozen corn, green chile's and cilantro and sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Cover and let sit off the heat until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.
The good thing about this meal (besides the comforting deliciousness, and it is comforting a delicious) is that it is a skillet meal. It all goes into one pot, and I could cook it on a rocket stove if there was no electricity.
Fuel and the cooking method are also things to think about while doing this. These things should not determine what you choose to make, but should be a consideration.
Pick a time when your family can sit together and discuss this. Prepping is not just for one family member to take on. Maybe they will be more helpful if they feel included?
First decide how long of a time period do you want to store for? 3 months? 6? a year?
Second while everyone is together plan what you would like to eat. macaroni and cheese? spaghetti? some casseroles? chili mac?
You should pick at least 7 different meals, but I do think variety is the spice of life and in this case more is better. Once you have decided what you want to eat, write down everything it takes to make that dinner. The salt, the water, cans or jars of something? Write it all down. There is your shopping list!
One of my recipes is chili mac. I got this recipe from http://www.melskitchencafe.com/ (very good recipes)
To eat this for a year (if I am having it once a week I will take everything x52.)
skillet chili mac+ skillet chili mac for 1 yr.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
52 TBSP. veg. oil
1 pound ground beef
52 pounds beef
1 onion, minced
52 onions -freeze dried would be best for worst case scenario.
3/4 tablespoon chili powder (add more if you want more heat)
40 cups chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander (substitute ground cumin for a smokier flavor)
26 tbsp. cumin (i use cumin) there are16 tbsp in one cup, so you will need 1 cup plus10 tbsp.
1/2 teaspoon salt
26 tsp. salt or (48 tsp in 1 cup) so1/2 cup plus 2 tsp.
3 garlic cloves, minced
156 cloves garlic- 20 tsp minced is = 1 cup. so a little less then 8 cups. you can buy shelf stable garlic that is already minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
52 tbsp. brown sugar or 3 cups+4 tbsp.
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
104 cans tomato sauce (a good time to stock up on those is when they go on sale for 20 cents a piece)
2 cups water
104 cups water 16 c. =1 gallon so 7 gallons water
3 cups elbow macaroni
156 cups macaroni almost (4 cups in a 16 oz pkg.)
1 cup frozen corn
52 cups canned corn is just as good
1 4.5-oz can chopped green chile's (i don't do this, but if you did it would be 52 cans)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (i don't do this- but an herb garden is a smart idea)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of cheddar and Monterrey jack but you can use pepper jack or a Mexican shredded cheese blend)
104 cups cheese-freeze dried or I'm trying to learn how to wax it. you could buy/store it already waxed
Heat oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, chili powder, coriander, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat or grease (the amount will depend on how lean your beef is). Stir in garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, water, and macaroni. Cover and cook, stirring often and keeping the heat at a steady simmer, until the macaroni is tender, about 10-12 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, frozen corn, green chile's and cilantro and sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Cover and let sit off the heat until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.
The good thing about this meal (besides the comforting deliciousness, and it is comforting a delicious) is that it is a skillet meal. It all goes into one pot, and I could cook it on a rocket stove if there was no electricity.
Fuel and the cooking method are also things to think about while doing this. These things should not determine what you choose to make, but should be a consideration.
this is helpful
Wheat | 5 pounds | 37 pounds |
White Flour | 4.5 pounds | 33 pounds |
Cornmeal | 4.3 pounds | 33 pounds |
Popcorn | 5 pounds | 37 pounds |
Rolled Oats | 2.5 pounds | 20 pounds |
White Rice | 5.3 pounds | 36 pounds |
Spaghetti | N/A | 30 pounds |
Macaroni | 3.1 pounds | 21 pounds |
Dried Beans | 5.6 pounds | 35 pounds |
Lima Beans | 5.4 pounds | 35 pounds |
Soy Beans | 5 pounds | 33 pounds |
Split Peas | 5 pounds | 33 pounds |
Lentils | 5.5 pounds | 35 pounds |
White Sugar | 5.7 pounds | 35 pounds |
Brown Sugar | 4.42 pounds | 33 pounds |
Powdered Milk | 3 pounds | 29 pounds |
Powdered Eggs | 2.6 pounds | 20 pounds |
The ladies over at www.foodstoragemadeeasy.net came up with this list, and I love it! You will see the food item and then how much will fit into a number ten can and a five gallon bucket.
buy for the packaging
I feel guilt no more when I buy a 4.00 bottle of juice! Even if I can't coupon it, I think of what I can store in the container after the juice is gone.
(this is sad. who have i become? seriously? this is what i think about. using old juice containers. yikes.)
Soda bottles are good too- BUT remember you can store water in soda bottles, so you might use those for that. Juice bottles should only be used for dry goods, no water.
I wash them out with hot soapy water and let them dry completely. Pour in what ever I am storing and pack it in as much as I can, then put in an oxy pack.
I have stored all sorts of crackers, white flour, pasta, sugar.... the list is never ending.
*think of spices too.... ketchup bottles are good for that, mayo, honey- any container (if has an air tight lid) will work. start saving. I'm sure your husbands will love it!
(this is sad. who have i become? seriously? this is what i think about. using old juice containers. yikes.)
Soda bottles are good too- BUT remember you can store water in soda bottles, so you might use those for that. Juice bottles should only be used for dry goods, no water.
I wash them out with hot soapy water and let them dry completely. Pour in what ever I am storing and pack it in as much as I can, then put in an oxy pack.
I have stored all sorts of crackers, white flour, pasta, sugar.... the list is never ending.
*think of spices too.... ketchup bottles are good for that, mayo, honey- any container (if has an air tight lid) will work. start saving. I'm sure your husbands will love it!
Remember no milk bottles- the plastic is too flimsy. Look on the bottom of your containers for PETE.
PETE is a good indicator you have a solid plastic that you can re-use and store food in.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
why should we store?
"World Bank President Robert Zoellick says the surge in food prices is the biggest threat to the world's poor, pushing 44 million more people into poverty over the past year."
go here for the article
go here for the article
Saturday, April 16, 2011
not extreme. but still couponing none the less.
i just started, and this was my first trip. i am pleased with myself. i spent 18.79 and saved 53.73
i think the trick is not having kids with you. this will have to be a late night or early Saturday morning thing. i could not do the usual routine of dispensing crackers and promising we will go see the lobsters every five seconds, and also coupon.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
things to store in your brain
Birth certificates
Credit cards/credit card numbers
Insurance cards
Life insurance policy
Military papers
Tax return or receipts
Marriage/sealing license
Wills/trust
Burial plans
Titles to autos/VIN numbers and license plate numbers
Passports
Patriarchal blessings
Old utility bill/car insurance- home insurance bill (you should have your agents name and your account number, and their phone number on them.)
Mortgage bill/ morgt. Company contact info
Phone numbers of family/friends/ward list
Local fire department numbers/hospital numbers
Im buggin out. wanna go?
Given the crazy goings on in Japan, I thought it appropriate to talk about bug out bags or (72 hr. kits) this month. There are so many different things to store in your BOB, and you should make it suit your family. I have a few items that are just a must have and I want to go over those today. For those of you that have your BOB’s and think you can exit out of this without reading on I ask you this…. Do you have a can of neon spray paint!? That’s right, I said neon spray paint. Ha! I didn’t think so. This tip comes from a friend of mine. More often than not statistics show disasters happen when the man is outside of the home. If you had to grab your bags and kids and bug out you could spray paint on the house, sidewalk, or just about anywhere “we are safe and went to my mother’s” or whatever message you need to convey. It would be good to explain this idea to your latchkey kids if you and your husband work out of the home. I also thought of times when I go to the park and dress my kids in obnoxiously bright clothing so that I can easily spot them. If there was chaos (like Japan) I could put a big X on the back of their shirt, so that if they did get lost in the crowd I could spot them or tell a government agency “there is a neon X on his shirt”. A second great idea is having a luggage tag on each BOB. This would be especially great on kid’s bags if separated, or if you were seriously injured and unconscious. In the tags list your home address and different numbers and addresses of family members, and allergies etc. You would want to have as many addresses/numbers as possible in case there is a problem with telephone lines. Besides the bags there should be a designated place that your family knows where to go if you are forced to leave the house and are separated. I also keep my “brain” in my BOB. It is a folder with different information I would need in a disaster like mortgage info, account numbers, lists of what is in my home for insurance purposes, etc. Following will be some of the papers I have in my brain, so you could do the same if you want. Basic kits (one kit for each person) should include a change of clothes (extra socks), food, water (1 gallon per person per day), flashlight (tape the batteries on the outside of the flashlight so that batteries wont drain over time), first aid kit, way to start a fire, tarp, rope, money, knife, and trash bags. If you have animals you need to think of them too. My dog has her own pack that she will carry and I keep her leash next to the BOB’s. A baby sling is great in the BOB, also a copy of documents from your computer on a flash drive (in your brain). I have more ideas for BOB’s email me if interested. REMEMBER: Go cheap. Think Goodwill… your BOB does not have to have everything at once or be Gucci! ******* The link on the right at the top (under pages) has some documents you can print, and fill out for your brain. It is complete to the T, and if you have a child go missing, your house catches on fire, or burglarized, a natural disaster- what have you.... you will have everything you need. Numbers of who you need to call, all your account numbers, precious documents etc. ***********
Monday, April 11, 2011
my towels stink
i walked into my bathroom this morning to the stink of sour towels. (deep whiff) aaaahhhhh..... cough- cough- choke- gag- die.
today is laundry day thank heaven! but i started to think about laundry in a worst case scenario. i know in the matter of the worst case there could be a million things more important then clean clothes. medical problems? sickness? getting medication? something wrong with my shelter? someone is missing? the list can go on. ....but in an attempt to keep some sort of comfort and normalcy in an emergency situation i have started stocking up on laundry detergent. i figured out how many loads of laundry i do a week (about 8) and i rounded up to 10, cause i'm anal. then 10 times 52= 520. i will need two more box, as these boxes only have enough for 145 loads. (the 145 is for the smallest load possible)
and i want to purchase three more boxes, not just two.... cause i'm anal. (and clothes line and pins)
but i really should stock up on soap that is free of phosphates so i could use the water for something else like watering my garden. i have a food storage book from the 1950's and the author talks about using one tub of bath water to wash the whole family (one at a time of course). then that water went to other uses like dishes, floors, garden, etc. my mom remembers heating up the water to put it in the 1st electric washing machine they had, and using that water for all their laundry. being a born and bread American kid of the 80's i have never had to even think of these things, but i know it is important. practice does make perfect, and i am going to at least start practicing conserving water in case i do have to live off my own water supply, and do not have access to the city water- then my world would not be turned upside down as much.
So what do we buy to do laundry when the PHTF (poo hits the fan)? A big tub and a scrub board?
or opt for one of these?
it is 42.95 on laundry-alternative.com (i might add this to my wish list)
if i do have to use it one day i wont have a smile, pearls or heels on like this iconic 1950's house wife. although my husband would like it if i did- im sure.
the lesson i need to learn is prepare, and not gripe about my current laundry situation. .... it could always be worse.
today is laundry day thank heaven! but i started to think about laundry in a worst case scenario. i know in the matter of the worst case there could be a million things more important then clean clothes. medical problems? sickness? getting medication? something wrong with my shelter? someone is missing? the list can go on. ....but in an attempt to keep some sort of comfort and normalcy in an emergency situation i have started stocking up on laundry detergent. i figured out how many loads of laundry i do a week (about 8) and i rounded up to 10, cause i'm anal. then 10 times 52= 520. i will need two more box, as these boxes only have enough for 145 loads. (the 145 is for the smallest load possible)
but i really should stock up on soap that is free of phosphates so i could use the water for something else like watering my garden. i have a food storage book from the 1950's and the author talks about using one tub of bath water to wash the whole family (one at a time of course). then that water went to other uses like dishes, floors, garden, etc. my mom remembers heating up the water to put it in the 1st electric washing machine they had, and using that water for all their laundry. being a born and bread American kid of the 80's i have never had to even think of these things, but i know it is important. practice does make perfect, and i am going to at least start practicing conserving water in case i do have to live off my own water supply, and do not have access to the city water- then my world would not be turned upside down as much.
So what do we buy to do laundry when the PHTF (poo hits the fan)? A big tub and a scrub board?
if i do have to use it one day i wont have a smile, pearls or heels on like this iconic 1950's house wife. although my husband would like it if i did- im sure.
Monday, April 4, 2011
back to the drawing board
i had the idea to cover these buckets, and make them look like bar stools. i am so depressed- it looks so stupid. help?
back to the drawing board on this one. i almost wanted to modg-podg something on the buckets, i just don't want the modge-podge to letch in the food. ugh.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
and there was light.
A little while ago I was reading Kellene Bishop at http://www.preparednesspro.com/blog/ (She is amazing by the way) and she had the idea to use solar lights in case of a power outage. LIGHT BULB! How stinkin smart is that? I wish I had thought if this- if I had, I would brag about it. Allot.
So, I went to china mart and got some. Funny- as I was picking them out I struck up a conversation with a gentlemen there. He was getting some lights too and said he was going to accentuate his trees in the back yard. I took a deep breath and told him I want them for a survivalist situation, and if the power ever goes out (especially for a long period of time) I will not have to worry about batteries, candles etc. He looked at me like I was a crazy cat lady, and said "With my cell phone, and the light from the monitor on the computer, I can see just fine in my house."
@#$%^$%^????? WHAT????? I couldn't help myself and grabbed him by the shirt and started to shake him. I said "Hey, normalcy bias, do you even hear yourself? Those things run on electricity, or have you not ever had a power outage in you 60 some od years of life!!!" ...Okay- I didn't say that, but I wanted to. What is with people? I used to think the normalcy bias thing was stupid- but now I totally believe in it.
I put the lights to the test and it totally worked. I am excited about not having to mess with candles if I don't have to. The stink- the fire. I am in love with my solar lights. Thank you Kellene!
So, I went to china mart and got some. Funny- as I was picking them out I struck up a conversation with a gentlemen there. He was getting some lights too and said he was going to accentuate his trees in the back yard. I took a deep breath and told him I want them for a survivalist situation, and if the power ever goes out (especially for a long period of time) I will not have to worry about batteries, candles etc. He looked at me like I was a crazy cat lady, and said "With my cell phone, and the light from the monitor on the computer, I can see just fine in my house."
@#$%^$%^????? WHAT????? I couldn't help myself and grabbed him by the shirt and started to shake him. I said "Hey, normalcy bias, do you even hear yourself? Those things run on electricity, or have you not ever had a power outage in you 60 some od years of life!!!" ...Okay- I didn't say that, but I wanted to. What is with people? I used to think the normalcy bias thing was stupid- but now I totally believe in it.
I put the lights to the test and it totally worked. I am excited about not having to mess with candles if I don't have to. The stink- the fire. I am in love with my solar lights. Thank you Kellene!
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