November PL Message

I think we all have heard some of the stories of the hardships families have faced from hurricane Sandy.  I wanted to restate the message I shared last night at the wonderful RS activity we had.

1.  Decide now to evacuate if you are asked to.  Decide where you will go, where you will stay, and what your family will need until you can return to your home.
2.  Two Weeks - If you are able to shelter-in-place do you have the food, water, fuel to cook with, gas for your car to survive for two weeks in your home should all power and fuel be cut off. 
3.  How will you share your food storage?  If you shelter-in-place how will you help others around you with your food storage?  You may be asked by neighbors and strangers to give.  Decide now what you can share.
4.  Radio - Many of us have battery am/fm radios but in severe disasters you may need a shortwave radio.  There are many models that can support all three formats.  I have seen some that will charge via USB ports. 

I have seen some neat ideas on Pinterest about food storage.  One thought was to store dry goods in cleaned 2 liter bottles.  They are easy to store, easy to transport, and you most likely have many to repurpose.  Here's a link to the article.

Another idea is knowing what you can make with just basics and then adding a few ingredients at a time.  Here's the info. and a link to the entire article.

Add some variety to your bulk food storage.
STEP 1:
IF I HAVE Wheat, Powdered Milk, Oil, Salt, Honey or Sugar, Water
I CAN MAKE Popped Wheat ,Steamed Wheat, Sprouted Wheat, Cooked Cracked Wheat, Tortillas
STEP 2
IF I ADD Yeast, Baking Powder, Powdered Eggs, Baking Soda
I CAN MAKE THESE ADDITIONS: Custards, Puddings, Pancakes, Cookies, Waffles, Muffins, English Muffins, German Pancakes, Crepes, Egg Noodles, Pasta, Breads, Biscuits, Crackers, Mayonnaise. A lot more options huh? Keep reading.
STEP 3:
IF I ADD Powdered Butter, Tomatoes, Powdered Cheese
I CAN MAKE THESE ADDITIONS: Meatless Dinners, Meatless Casseroles, Cream Sauces These really add flavor.
STEP 4:
IF I ADD Unflavored Gelatin, Canned Milk, Canned Fruits
I CAN MAKE THESE ADDITIONS: Jello Salads, Whipped Cream Desserts, Baby Formula, fruit dishes Mmm, now we have desserts.
STEP 5:
IF I ADD Soup Base, Rice, Legumes (Beans), Beef Broth, Chicken Broth, Alfalfa Seeds, Sesame Seeds
I CAN MAKE THESE ADDITIONS: Hearty Dinner Soups, Chili, Rice Puddings, Refried Beans, Rice Dishes, Fresh Sprouts, Gluten This would really expand your dinner menu in an emergency.
STEP 6:
IF I ADD Canned Meats, Dried Potatoes
I CAN MAKE THESE ADDITIONS: Dinners, Casseroles, Sandwiches. This may not sound like a lot but a meaty flavor can make all the difference.
STEP 7:
EXTRAS: Oats, Raisin, Nuts, Peanut Butter, Granola, Juices, Corn Starch, Soup Mixes, Spices & Flavorings, Lemon Powder or Juice, White Flour, Shortening or Margarine, Cream of Tartar, Junket Rennet Tablet, Molasses, Karo Syrup, etc. These are small things that you could do without but really add variety to your diet.
What do you cook with? Add it to your food storage.