What are you doing for preparedness?

[JoyGal]

After the threads on ways that we need/should/could/would like to prepare for our homes and families, I think it would be neat to see how everyone is doing.

By 'preparedness' I mean anything from emergency preparation to bulk food storage to learning new skills to gardening or absolutely whatever you would like to contribute.

I know a few mama's have started storing foods, have you received your containers or bulk foods yet? How is it going?
There was another mama who was going to look more into solar ovens, has there been anything interesting yet?

[mummy2boys]

subbing to come back to later

There was another mama who was going to look more into solar ovens, has there been anything interesting yet?

It wasn't me but I am acutally looking into them myself

[Blue Savannah]

[ArmsOfLove]

If anyone is interesting in what FEMA says about getting ready here is a link to their manual for emergency preparation
http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/

I've managed to get about 3-9 months worth of foods stored up and am slowly but surely buying extras of this or that. I'm really appreciating my Food Saver. I think my next goal is to get another 25 pounds of sugar and buy 25 or 50 pounds of various dried beans and lentils.

dh has learned how to make solar panels and solar ovens but is focusing on finishing the house repairs so if we need to sell it this year we can first

and he is going to turn the backyard into a garden very soon

[JoyGal]

Mummy2boys, I'm interested in what you learn about the solar ovens too.

Crystal, that's a great start! I miss my Food Saver so much (it's still in storage in Idaho and does me no good over here!)

I have not done as much as I've intended so far, but my goals have tentative time frames I have started to research some on heirloom seeds and am deciding on what I want to try growing in pots this summer. I figure before I invest in growing an entire garden, I'd like to find I can grow the best. I do know I'm going to start with some tomatos, green beans and herbs.

[Can'tTurnLeft]

Well we do use a solar oven in the summertime but I haven't mastered it yet LOL

We have probably about a three month supply of food, but I'm working on making that bigger. I can much of my own food, and have about three years worth of lids since you can only use those once. We are planting a garden this year, but it wont' be very big because it is the first year in a new house in a new climate that I have to get used to. I buy fruits and veggies in bulk and freeze and can most of them.

Also we store wheat, lots of wheat and other whole grains as well to grind and bake as needed.

We are toying with chickens this summer, and we'll see if that happens or not. I've got a local source for eggs and honey, as well as a pretty large honey stash.

I am terrified of not having enough deodorant and toothpaste if there is a time of trouble, so I've got about a six year supply of both.... probably my most neurotic tendency with those things LOL

[rstump]

I am working on 72 hour kits (backpacks) for everyone and starting to add more to my pantry with a plan. I have always purchased in bulk but at random...not a real plan for 3-6 months worth of food.

One question I had for everyone....are you planning for your longterm food to be food you can cook without a oven...ie...no baking only stove top/grill/fire type foods.

I am confued about having lots of grains/flour for bread baking. I know you can also use a solar oven...but I haven't gotten there yet.

I just keep thinking...if we are having that large of a problem...hurricane, war, etc.....most likely we wouldn't have electricity. Or am I missing something?

[rstump]

Oh...and has anyone made meal plans?

Like a food plan for your 72 hour kit

or a meal plan for 2 weeks for your food to use without power or perishables?

[Lady TS]

The furthest I have gotten really, is starting the garden plan in my head.

I keep trying to get ahead on groceries, but probably have only *maybe* a month's supply on hand, if that. And that's assuming I could eat what everyone else is eating(which I shouldn't, yet).

So,

[JoyGal]

Originally Posted by rstump

Oh...and has anyone made meal plans?

Like a food plan for your 72 hour kit

or a meal plan for 2 weeks for your food to use without power or perishables?

This was my January goal. I had intended on making a two week emergency plan, a month menu and then tackle a year menu.

As for the 72 hour kits, I want to have the contents of each family members kit written down then just make sure I have the items needed for them in the house (without actually having them in a small bag.)

Originally Posted by rstump

One question I had for everyone....are you planning for your longterm food to be food you can cook without a oven...ie...no baking only stove top/grill/fire type foods.

I just keep thinking...if we are having that large of a problem...hurricane, war, etc.....most likely we wouldn't have electricity. Or am I missing something?

This is my thought to, and for the 72 hour kits we'll have easy foods (pre-made pre-packaged stuff.) For anything longer than that, I'm going to have to delve into that more. I know of one source to find out how to make anything on the stove/camp stove/camp fire, I just have to muster up the ability to contact.

Speaking of meal planning though, does anyone know of a good online blan calendar I can download?

[Herbwifemama]

Ok, I started by buying foods that all you needed to add was water, and could be cooked over an open fire. I bought a lot of these boxed meals: http://lrdinc.com/images/HB-Lineup-v3.jpg
And some rice and potatoes that you just have to add water to and cook. And some gravy, biscuit mixes. And some canned soups that all you need is to warm them, but they don't HAVE to be warmed.

I bought 4 7-gallon water containers, and made space in a closet for them. I plan on buying several more.

I just ordered a grain mill, and am planning on ordering a superpail of wheat soon. I've got to clean out a LOT more space for all these buckets of grain and beans I'm going to have...

I'm the one looking into solar cooking. I found a pattern for a simple solar oven, and I also learned that GraniteWare is the best thing to cook in. So, I'm looking for a dutch oven and a small roasting pan made of GraniteWare, and that shouldn't be too hard to find. (as long as it's black)

These are the two plans for solar ovens that I'm going to try first:
http://www.solarcooking.org/plans/windshield-cooker.htm

and

the first one on this page: http://www.solarcooking.org/plans/

If I can't find a piece of cardboard big enough, I'm just going to order one.

I'm making plans for a 72 hour kit, and for a winter car kit. I found plans for a coffee can car heater: http://www.survivaltopics.com/surviv...-for-your-car/

And I also am following along with this site:
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/ I signed up for their email "babysteps", and I've gotten the first one, and they say by the end of the year you should have enough food storage for one year.

We're having a family meeting tonight where we discuss emergency plans, and decide on family meeting locations and family contacts, and we're also going to start a family virtues study, which isn't related to preparedness, but I thought I'd mention it cause I"m excited.

Oh, I also canned a gallon of water, and several jars of applesauce.

[rstump]

How do you "can" water? Sounds interesting to me.

I would love to see other's 72 hour lists and/or meal plans.

[Herbwifemama]

Just the way you can anything- It's the first thing I ever canned. I put water into sterilized jars, and processed them according to the recommendations. I've read that this keeps the water sterile for a long time, and I've also read that it's an extra step since water should be ok without doing it, if you want to just put it in jars. And it's not practical to have more than a couple days worth, but I figured it would come in handy if there was another water main break around here. Usually they warn you before they turn off the water, but recently, they didn't, and I was kicking myself for not having my water ready yet.

[Garland]

We are preparing to grow food in the garden this year. We were looking into buying a local 1-acre farm (not to live on, but just to grow food there), but we decided against it because it is in a flood zone (see the pictures of the recent flood on my blog if you'd like). So instead, we are going to take out a section of the grass in our backyard, remove some big bushes and unwanted rosebushes to make more gardening places in our yard. I've been planning what foods I'd like to grow and have been ordering organic seeds online (and some of them are heirloom ones!). I ordered some books from the library too about kitchen gardening, lasagna gardening, and comlimentary plant pairing. I'm hoping to grow a good amount of veggies and fruit for us to eat this summer, to have some extra to freeze, and to let some plants go to seed so I'll have more seeds for next year.

We're also working on paying down debt and then will start adding to our emergency fund.

That's all I've done so far. I need to start buying more things for our emergency kit and slowly build up a stash of extra bulk food items.

[JoyGal]

Originally Posted by MessianicMama

And I also am following along with this site:
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/ I signed up for their email "babysteps", and I've gotten the first one, and they say by the end of the year you should have enough food storage for one year.

We're having a family meeting tonight where we discuss emergency plans, and decide on family meeting locations and family contacts, and we're also going to start a family virtues study, which isn't related to preparedness, but I thought I'd mention it cause I"m excited.

That website rocks It is so perfect for what I've been looking for! Thanks for posting that.

You are so inspirational, completely on top of this subject! Great idea for the family meeting tonight, I think I'm going to do the same this weekend.

MommaCat, your gardening ideas sound wonderful. The books you picked out from the library sound perfect because then you can incorporate all of those ideas together and get a really strong and fruitful garden.