52 Weeks to Preparedness- Week 32

Food Storage: 8 cans of vegetables

Extra Item: 30 lb of rice

Family Gear Box: lantern flashlight, flashlight, and batteries (AAA, AA, D)

Family Preparedness: Review your family disaster plan including where to meet if separated. Decide on and notify an out-of-area contact that can coordinate information for scattered family members. Discuss with your family the name and number of your out-of-area contact, and kinds of information to give that contact in an emergency.

Spiritual Preparedness: Read Alma 37:37. Strive this week to counsel with the Lord. Look for his direction in your life.

52 Weeks to Preparedness- Week 31

Food Storage: 8 cans of fruit

Extra Item: 8 rolls of toilet paper

Family Gear Box: 1 tall candle and safety light sticks

Family Preparedness: Review your insurance coverage with your insurance agent to be sure you are covered for whatever disasters may occur in your area.

Spiritual Preparedness: Read "Righteous Traditions" by Cheryl C. Lant, Ensign May 2008, p. 13.
“Will their (our children’s) hearts and lives be full of traditions that make it easy for them to accept and follow the Lord and the latter-day prophets? Will we as families be able to claim the blessings promised, “that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life” (Mosiah 5:15)?”

52 Weeks to Preparedness- Week 30

Food Storage: 30 lb of wheat
Extra Item: 8 lb of salt
Family Gear Box: Kitchen supplies: paper plates, bowls and cups, stirring, serving and eating utensils, paper towels, dish washing and sanitizing supplies, water purification items.
Family Preparedness: The following are guidelines if a thunderstorm is likely in your area: *Get inside a home, building, or hard top automobile. Although you may be injured if lightning strikes your car, you are much safer in your vehicle than outside. *Avoid showering or bathing. Plumbing and bathroom fixtures can conduct electricity. *Use a corded telephone for emergencies. *Unplug appliances and other electrical items such as computers and turn off air conditioners. Power surges from lightning can cause serious damage.
Spiritual Preparedness: Read 2 Nephi 28:30-32 and Alma 38:5. Our Father in Heaven has promised us that He will be there for us. How much He gives us is dependent on our diligence and faithfulness.

52 Weeks to Preparedness-Week 29

Food Storage: 20 lb of sugar
Extra Item: 3 months of dish soap
Family Gear Box: Cooking supplies: a single burner propane stove with 1 or 2 bottles of fuel, a spoon and spatula, a multi-use pan, potholder, and a hot glove.
Family Preparedness: Complete a contact card for each family member. Have each family member keep the cards handy in their wallets, purse, backpack, etc. These cards should include important phone numbers, including a contact that lives out of the area and where you are to meet as a family if an emergency situation occured when you were not at home.
Spiritual Preparedness: Read “Some Must Push and Some Must Pull” July 2006, Ensign, p 38.
President Hinckley said, “I hope we are thankful. I hope we carry in our hearts a deep sense of gratitude for all the pioneers have done for us.”

52 Weeks to Preparedness-Week 28

Food Storage:

8 cans of soup

Extra Item:

2 months of laundry soap

Family Gear Box:

This is a box, action packer, cooler, etc. that is used for larger, heavier more specialized items that will make life nicer in an emergency and when the urgency of grab and go fast isn’t present; more suited for a mandatory evacuation that would last a longer time. This week get the “Box.”

Family Preparedness:

  Keep lawns trimmed, leaves raked and the roof and rain gutters free from debris such as dead limbs and leaves. Stack firewood at least 30 feet away from your residence. Store flammable materials, liquids and solvents in metal containers outside your residence at least 30 feet away from structures and wooden fences.

Spiritual Preparedness:

Read Ephesians 6:1-4. Families are essential to the gospel plan. Improve your family relationships by spending time together as a family as often as possible throughout the year.

Chicken

Freeze dried meat is very expensive, but I wanted to have meat in my food storage. I took on the "challenge" of canning chicken and discovered that it is SUPER easy.

What you need is:

A Pressure Canner

Salt (non-iodine)

Wide mouth quart jars

Raw chicken

First wash and prepare your jars. 
I bought my chicken in bulk and needed to separate the breasts and trim off additional fat.

                                     
      Then add 1 teaspoon of salt to each empty quart jar. Most canners will hold 7 quart jars at a time, so don't fill too many at once.  I put two breasts each in a quart, although I could have put more in. I only did two since there are just the two of us at home and I didn't need more than that at a time. In hind sight I should have done pints instead.  So, stuff the chicken into the quarts and leave 1 inch headspace.  Wipe the top of your jar clean with a wet rag and add your lid (that has been warmed in water) and hand tighten the ring on. 

Place the 7 quarts into a pressure canner.  Process for 90 minutes at 15 pounds of pressure.

 

You did it!! The chicken is fully cooked and all that lovely liquid is the most delicious broth around. 

52 weeks to preparedness-Week 27

Food Storage:

8 cans of meat

Extra Item:

8 rolls of toilet paper

Car Kit:

Your BASIC car kit is complete. Modify and personalize it. Some items might be coins/ money, a book for a long wait, candy or gum, a multi-tool, toilet paper or hand towels, a cell phone, OTC medications like aspirin, etc.

Family Preparedness:

To prepare for a thunderstorm, you should do the following: Remove dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall and cause injury or damage during a thunderstorm. Remember the 30/30 lightning safety rule: go indoors if, after seeing lightning, you can’t count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder.

Spiritual Preparedness:

Read "Blessings for my ancestors, Blessings for me" by Kim Crenshaw Sorensen; August 2006 Ensign, p 34. Doing your family history is easier than ever before and can be done in your own home. Contact your ward family history consultants to learn more and get started.