Prevent Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when the body loses too
much water and it’s not replaced quickly enough.
It can be serious. Begin giving soothing drinks at
the first signs of the flu and follow these tips:

> In addition to plenty of liquids, give ice and
light, easily digested foods, such as soup and
broth.

> If your loved one has diarrhea or vomiting,
give fluids that contain electrolytes. These are
available at your pharmacy or grocery store.

You can make your own re-hydration electrolyte
drink for someone over the age of 12.

ELECTROLYTE DRINK
1 quart water
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. table salt
3-4 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt substitute
Mix ingredients well and flavor with lemon juice or
sugar-free Kool-Aid®.
*If drinking liquids makes nausea worse, give one sip
at a time until your loved one can drink again.

www.pandemicflu.gov

A Great Motivating Article

Are you still needing a little motivation to get prepared? Click here to read a great motivating article.

Pumpkin Pancakes

I just realized that I have a lot of canned pumpkin in our food storage that will expire in a few months. Time to find new ways to use pumpkin. Here's a recipe I found on another blog. I made it this morning for breakfast. My family loved it!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups whole wheat flour
3 T brown sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. allspice
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. vinegar

Mix together milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir into pumpkin mixture just until combined. Add more milk if necessary. Cook on griddle.

I also use pumpkin to make popsicles, shakes, pumpkin bread and cookies. I've even used it to make a cream sauce for pasta. Pumpkin is a great item to have in your food storage!

Sourdough Starter

2 c. flour
2 c. water
1 c. cooled potato water
1 T. yeast

Mix well and let set in a warm area until it is done fermenting. (It will separate and no more bubbles are present.) Stir well, remove 1 c. of the contents and stir in another cup of flour and 1 c. water. The new starter is ready to use after 3-4 days. The sourdough flavor will improve as your starter ages. Feed your starter several times a week. Always remove 1 c. starter then add 1 c. flour and 1 c. water or enough to make it soupy. Do not refrigerate. Leave it on the counter. Potato water is the water you boil potatoes in.
(From Wholesome Sugar-free Cooking)

Oregano Oil

I highly recommend having this product on hand as it has a multitude of uses.

http://bio-alternatives.net/buyoregano.htm

Oil of Oregano is used as a natural nutritional supplement for the management of acne, allergies, arthritis, asthma, athlete's foot, candida, constipation, croup, digestive disturbances, insect bites, bronchitis, canker sores, colds, flu, earaches, fatigue, gum disease, headaches, menstrual irregularities, muscle pain, parasites, pneumonia, psoriasis, toenail fungus, toothache, seborrhea, staph & strep infection, strep (sore) throat, ringworm, rosacea, sinusitis, and warts.

Rejuvelac

Rejuvelac is one of the best aids for digestion. It contains a very high level of enzymes that help you properly digest food. It replaces the missing enzymes that cooked foods have lost. It is rich in B vitamins, including B12, vitamins C, E and K. It also contains the friendly bacteria necessary for a healthy colon.

Recipe for Rejuvelac (1 gallon)

1 cup sprouted soft wheat berries
1 gallon pure water

Rinse sprouts well. Blend wheat berries with enough water to cover on high for 5 seconds. Pour in gallon glass jar. Fill with water. Cover with cheesecloth. Let it sit at room temperature up to 3 days. The length of time will depend on humidity and temperature. Strain. Should taste like tart lemonade. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Drink at least 2 glasses daily for good health. You may use Rejuvelac in recipes instead of water.

72 - Hour Kit Checklist

http://www.byub.org/livingessentials/shows/13.asp

72 Hour Kit Checklist

Your kit should be in a durable water resistant duffel bag, frame pack or day pack located near an exit of your house. Each family member should have their own personalized kit with food, clothing and water and it should be inspected and updated at least twice a year. Do not overload the kits--you may have to carry it long distances to reach safety or shelter. Emergency Essentials suggests storing the following items:

• 3-5 gallons of water stored for sanitation and drinking and method of water purification (rotate)
• 72 Hour supply of food (rotate)
• Windproof/waterproof matches and second method to start a fire
• Mess kits and other cooking equipment
• Tent/shelter
• Wool-blend blanket or sleeping bag
• Emergency reflective blanket
• Lightweight stove and fuel
• Hand and body warm packs (check expiration dates)
• Poncho
• Flashlight with batteries (check expiration dates), candles or light stick (keep in top of kit so you can find it easily in the dark)
• Tools, pocket knife, shovel, hatchet or axe
• Sewing kit
• 50-foot nylon rope
• First aid kit and supplies (see below)
• Bottle of potassium iodide tablets
• Radio with batteries or radio with alternate power sources
• Whistle with neck cord
• Personal sanitation kit (include soap, toothbrush and gel, comb, tissue, sanitary napkins and razor)
• Extra clothing for each family member (include extra socks, underwear, hat, sturdy shoes and gloves) -- store in plastic to protect from water.
• Money (at least $20, include quarters for phone calls)
• Important documents (such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, wills, insurance forms, phone numbers, credit card information)
• Stress relievers (games, books, hard candy, inspirational reading, small toys, paper and pen)
• Sun block, insect repellent, snake bite kit, necessary medications (including extra contacts)
• Portable toilet

Basic First Aid Kit

Include the following items in your first aid kit:

• First aid manual or guide
• Band-Aids (various sizes)
• Gauze (various sizes)
• Triangular bandages
• Elastic bandages with pins
• Cotton balls or cotton square pads
• Disposable diapers (dressing/splint/padding)
• Sanitary napkins (pressure dressing)
• Non-adherent sterile pads (various sizes)
• First aid tape or micropore adhesive, or paper tape
• Anti-bacterial ointment (Neosporin, bacitracin, etc.)
• Burn cream
• Eye wash
• Iodine pads or plastic bottle
• Petroleum jelly
• Rubbing alcohol swabs or plastic bottle
• Hand soaps
• Salt
• Hand wipes (antiseptic)
• Rubber disposable gloves
• Small splints, popsicle sticks
• Non-aspirins, pain relievers, ibuprofen, essential medications
• Laxatives and diarrhea medicine
• Syrup of Ipecac
• Baking soda (½ tsp. Soda + 1 tsp. Salt + 1 qt. water for shock)
• Chemical ice pack, hand warmer packets
• Safety pins (various sizes), needles and heavy thread
• Scissors, tweezers, pocket knife, razor blade, etc.
• Thermometer
• Matches (water proof/wind proof)
• Water pouches (option)

Survival Kit for Your Car

• Always maintain at least ½ tank of gas
• Tools needed to change flat tire
• Jumper cable
• Road emergency flares
• Tow rope (option)
• Fire extinguisher (Standard Class ABC)
• Siphoning hose (option)
• Bag of sand or rock salt (option)
• Collapsible shovel
• First Aid Kit and First Aid Guide Information (basic)
• Sanitation (toilet tissues)
• Freeze-dried or nonperishable canned foods and a can opener! (option)
• Writing pad and pencils, maps
• Ice scraper for winter season
• Maintain your vehicle(s) for seasonal change (Summer and Winter)
• Always buckle up and drive safe

Baby Diaper Bag

Add a flashlight, water packets, extra baby formula and a warm change of clothing to your diaper bag so your baby can be prepared for an emergency. Remember to refill regularly.

Emergency Skills

Learn how to secure broken or fractured bones, protect burns, cover deep wounds and CPR to make sure you can provide life-saving aid during an emergency. You can learn these skills through your local American Red Cross.

Further Reading

Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Complete Guide to Home Storage and Physical Survival
by Jack A. Spigarelli

Plan...Not Panic: 72 Hour Survival/Emergency Evacuation Manual
by Barbara G. Salsbury

A Practical Guide to Survival: What to Do Before, During and After Disasters in the Home
by Victoria Mason

"72-Hour Emergency Preparedness Kit"
from the City of Orem

"Emergency Education Quiz"
from Emergency Essentials

"Emergency Preparation"
from Provident Living

Web Resources

Provident Living: Food Storage & Emergency Preparedness
FEMA: Are You Ready?
American Red Cross
Emergency Essentials

Woodgas Stove

My brother-in-law recently recommended this woodgas stove to us. We were impressed with it and bought a large one for our food storage. The link below provides more information:

http://www.woodgas-stove.com/

Tortillas in 72-hour Kit

A friend recently shared with me how she is including tortillas in her 72-hour kit. I was excited to hear her idea as I had just been wishing that we could store some kind of bread in our kits. Bread is a type of comfort food and is so filling!

Food seal in a plastic bag a mixture of flour, baking powder and salt.
Include a small bottle of oil and a bottle of water in kit.

Tortilla recipe:
4 cups flour
2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t salt
2 T oil
enough water to make dough

You can half the recipe if you need to.

Include several days worth of tortilla dough (flour mixture) in separate bags. Add water and oil to flour mixture just before rolling out. (Dough rolls out better if you let it sit 30 minutes before rolling.)

Also in your kit include a miniature rolling pin, a plastic roll-up cutting board for rolling the tortillas out on and some extra flour to keep the dough from sticking.

My friend suggested using the Mini Ninja butane cooking stove to cook the tortillas on. I liked the stove so well that I went and bought one this weekend. It's small, self igniting, and produces a hot enough flame to boil water. I got mine for $25 at a local Asian Market.

Don't forget to include a light weight skillet to cook the tortillas on.

Tortillas are a very versatile item to include in your kits. You can eat them plain or roll them up with refried bean or peanut butter and jelly.

It's going to be a great addition to our 72-hour kits! Email me if you have any questions.

Quick Veggie Chili

2 T olive oil
1 large carrot, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream ( I use Vegenaise)

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add carrot and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute longer.

Rice Krispie Treats (a healthier version)

1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup vegan chocolate (or carob) chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup of brown rice syrup
4 cups of puffed (or crispy) brown rice cereal

Mix all the ingredients except for the cereal in a large bowl. Add in the cereal and mix with wet hands until well coated. Press the mixture in a well oiled pan and place in the fridge to harden.

Growing potatoes in the garden

Potatoes are a fun crop to grow because being underground you don't know what you have until it is time to harvest them. They fit very nicely into a square Foot Garden. For large-sized potatoes we plant one per square foot. If you are going to harvest them early, called new potatoes or if they are a small variety, we have actually grown four plants per square foot.

Now, here is the way you grow them: First, if you understand how potatoes are formed on the plant, it will enable you to understand the planting method. Potato plants start from a piece of an old potato called a seed potato that has a few eyes in it. Those eyes sprout and a stem comes up. The new crop grows off of that stem and the longer that stem is below ground, the more potatoes you will have. So, in the old-fashioned way, the seed potato piece was planted and then you started hilling up from the side aisles to cover the plant and kept covering it so you had more stem below ground and also to protect the new crop from the sunlight. But, it was a lot of work - a lot of hoeing. We've eliminated all of that with Square Foot Gardening.
Now, we take one square foot, remove the 6 inches of Mel's Mix from that square foot and, in the bottom, put in about 2 inches of pure, homemade compost, the best you have, this is for the roots. Then you put your seed potato pieces right on that and cover them with about an inch of compost. By the way when you cut up your seed potatoes, you cut them into big chunks that have 2 or 3 eyes in each one. If they are small potatoes, some people like to put the whole potato in, but that seems a little wasteful and they provide too many sprouts. You can buy certified seed potatoes in most garden supply centers early in the spring, or you can just take a chance and use store-bought potatoes. However, they are usually sprayed with a material that prevents them from sprouting. This makes them more saleable in the store and they last longer in the vegetable bin at home. It is best, after you cut them, to let them sit in the sun (to heal over the wound and then it won't bleed and rot when you put it in the ground). This is done for just a few hours.
Once that hole is all planted, you have about 4 inches of material in the bottom. Then, once or twice a week as the plant sprouts through that layer of compost, you cover it again with more compost and you keep covering it as it grows. It would seem like it would discourage the plant from growing, but it just keeps pushing up through our new layer that you've covered it with and, hence, you have a vary long stem underground and you'll have many, many more potatoes. Instead of getting out the hoe and bringing all that soil up and doing that hard work, all you are doing is taking compost and backfilling that hole - a very simple process. Of course, you can have as many square feet planted in potatoes as you want. We like to plant different varieties in different square feet scattered around the garden boxes.

Once the potato reaches the top and you've filled in right to the top of your garden, then it is either time to quit and let all the new potatoes form, or if you've gotten an early start in the season, some people like to go to our High-Rise Method where you build a 12" x 12" square bottomless box and put it right over that square foot. Make sure it is small enough to sit on the inside of your grid. You continue the process of filling in and the plant just keeps growing. I've found that 6 more inches is a little too much for the potato, so I like to use a 1 x 4 lumber so that you have the first six inches to grow in plus another 4 inches.
Finally, when you are through covering the plant, it will grow to maturity and you can either dig the potatoes out near the middle of the season to get the smaller ones, or you can let them finish the season. You will know when the plant is finished because it dies off, withers and turns brown and is rather unsightly looking, but that is nature's signal that it is all over for this year and the new potatoes are all in the ground waiting for you to harvest them.

www.squarefootgardening.com

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

1 pkg rye or whole wheat spirals

1 can garbanzo beans, drained
2 cups fresh basil, chopped
1 cup whole pitted black olives
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
1 cups mixed baby salad greens

Dressing:
3 T apple cider vinegar
1 T mustard
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 t sea salt
1/8 t black pepper
1/2 c olive oil

Cook pasta, drain and mix with beans. Place vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in bowl. Whisk, add oil continuing to whisk until thick. Toss dressing with pasta and beans. Cover and marinate 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate up to 24 hours. Before serving add other ingredients and toss with greens.

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

5 cups water 1 cup lentils, rinsed
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t honey
2 t minced fresh thyme or 1 t dried thyme
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped tomato
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
2 T chopped fresh parsley

In a saucepan, bring water and lentils to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Rinse under cold water; drain. Place in a large bowl to cool. Meanwhile, in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the lemon juice, oil, garlic, honey, thyme, salt and pepper; shake well. Add tomato, celery, cheese and olives to lentils; toss to combine. Add dressing and gently toss to coat. sprinkle with parsley Yield: 6 servings.