Being Prepared is more than Food Storage

[Pamela]

"We encourage Church members worldwide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings.

"We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve." (The First Presidency)

For years we have been counseled to get a year supply of food. For years now, we have been counseled by our leaders to plan more than just food. Included in emergency preparedness is being financially, emotionally, and spiritually prepared. Food storage is wonderful, but if we neglect our responsibilities in serving in the Church and our responsibilities in our own personal and family preparedness regarding scripture study, family home evening, prayer, etc., what have we accomplished.

The Lord does not give us these 'preparedness' commandments to torture us. He knows what it will take for us return to Him and our Father in Heaven.

It all seems overwhelming at times, but does the Lord ask of us what He does not ask of Himself?

[rickety]

What I think is if I try to do everything at once I will become discouraged and will just give up. So I work incrementally on my preparedness and build on the small successes. Others may find a different approach works for them.

[Alaskagain]

Originally posted by Pamela;48

It all seems overwhelming at times, but does the Lord ask of us what He does not ask of Himself?

Oh my, does He have a year's supply of food stored too? /smile.gif

Seriously though, if you just buy a little extra each time you go to the store, you will be surprised how fast it can add up, just something nonperishable that your family uses already, that is on sale, especially "buy one, get one free". It IS hard to get wheat there, though, so if you order one or two bulk food items once every 3 months, it is easier to budget for it that way.

I have noticed that some of the member warehouse clubs are carrying milk products in boxed cartons that are not refrigerated until after opening, and they have a shelf life of 2 years. It tastes good too!

[Jeny]

I try to do that...but I end up getting into the "extra" every month! I am a disabled, single mother of two teenagers with bottomless pits that they call stomics...I struggle to keep food in my house, much less food storage!! I DO have plenty of wheat and lentils, because the kids refuse to eat them is the only reason they are still in my storage!!! G-d help them if we ever DO need to live on them...I could...they just may starve...at least that is what I keep telling them...they won't hear me, of course, and still refuse to eat lentils...I have gotten my son turned on to fried wheat...but my daughter won't touch it!! Meh!

[Elizabeth]

We live in a ward where the members just struggle to get food for a week. How do I teach them the importance of emergency preparedness which includes more than just food storage?

[Jeny]

Good question, good luck with that!! I am in that same boat!!! See above post!!!

[Pamela]

I am realizing that my food storage is not just for me and my family - it is for others who are not able to afford their food storage at this time. When others are blessed with the resources to build up their food storage, I believe we have an obligation to share it with others in the church and in the community.

[Alaskagain]

Originally posted by Elizabeth;254

We live in a ward where the members just struggle to get food for a week. How do I teach them the importance of emergency preparedness which includes more than just food storage?

What a great opportunity you have! Nobody teaches simple home economics any more in school!

Since living from week to week is a struggle, why not have mini-classes for personal enrichment such as

menu planning (getting more out of leftovers, etc),

basic kitchen skills (knowing how to prepare meals and store food and properly)

grocery budgeting (goes with planning menus)

local shopping (where to get the best buys on local produce, or best bargains overall).

Teach how to track the saved money (actually show what you would have spent, what you didn't spend, and put what you save on coupons, sale buying, etc into a jar, and put that money towards preparedness items. Also, prepare a household survey form - most people have more items in their house than they think they do, they just need to put them into one backpack for an emergency kit.

Maybe go together and buy a bolt or two of fabric and have a sewing day to make sleeping bags or pallettes, and get creative in how to personalize them.

If you have a small group or lack of overall interest and this is your calling in your ward, then just call two or three sisters you know are in need and see if you can get together with them.

Good luck!

[Jeny]

Hey Pam...you live anywhere close to NY? J/k...but not really!!/rolleyes.gif

[Guest HEthePrimate]

My father is a very practical man who knows he won't rotate out of food storage what he doesn't normally like to eat. So, along with wheat, water, oil, etc., he also keeps things like chocolate syrup (to flavor that icky powdered milk!) and stuffing mix!! That way, if there are no dire emergencies in the near future, at last the food doesn't go to waste.

DH

[mnn727]

I have gotten my son turned on to fried wheat...but my daughter won't touch it!! Meh!

Fried wheat???? whats that?

I always tell people to only store what they eat, if there is a true emergency a lot of people will be looking at their wheat and wondering what they are supposed to do with it.

[cjcampbell]

Being prepared means being prepared spiritually and emotionally as well. You are not prepared if you have hoarded a bunch of food and plan on defending it with your rifle! We are not preparing for the type of social breakdown where survivalists head up into the hills to fight the Russkies or the heathen Chinese. Seriously, we are preparing for the coming of our Lord and for the many trials that will precede that coming. We will need food. We will need water. We will need to be financially secure. We will need a thorough understanding of the gospel. We will need friends and neighbors who understand what the Church is doing and how we are prepared to help them. We will need to be able to give spiritual and emotional support. There will be times when we will be the only shoulder that people will have to cry on -- the rock in the storm.

[MorningStar]

Fried wheat???? whats that?

I always tell people to only store what they eat, if there is a true emergency a lot of people will be looking at their wheat and wondering what they are supposed to do with it.

I've decided I'm only going to store lots of wheat when I have a grinder. I'm just not into throwing plain wheat into a recipe. I'd rather make bread. The bonus of wheat is that it lasts for so long. I was surprised too to learn about how long honey lasts. When I am told to rotate my food storage, I get a little frustrated because I can't afford it in the first place and I would just like to buy a lot of stuff that last a long time then start rotating it when we're in the position to do so.

[MorningStar]

Being prepared means being prepared spiritually and emotionally as well. You are not prepared if you have hoarded a bunch of food and plan on defending it with your rifle! We are not preparing for the type of social breakdown where survivalists head up into the hills to fight the Russkies or the heathen Chinese. Seriously, we are preparing for the coming of our Lord and for the many trials that will precede that coming. We will need food. We will need water. We will need to be financially secure. We will need a thorough understanding of the gospel. We will need friends and neighbors who understand what the Church is doing and how we are prepared to help them. We will need to be able to give spiritual and emotional support. There will be times when we will be the only shoulder that people will have to cry on -- the rock in the storm.

We bought a water purifier so we don't have to store as much water. That way we'll just head down to the river and get us a duck while we're at it.

[Jeny]

Fried wheat???? whats that?

I always tell people to only store what they eat, if there is a true emergency a lot of people will be looking at their wheat and wondering what they are supposed to do with it.

I pop it just like popcorn...a lady at church taught me how to do it...Just get a pot, add some canola oil and salt and a thin layer of wheat kernels...then cover and shake over a medium heat. The wheat will "pop" like popcorn and it taste BETTER than popcorn!! My son loves it!! So do I!! My daughter won't touch it, but then...she hates popcorn, too!!!

[MorningStar]

I pop it just like popcorn...a lady at church taught me how to do it...Just get a pot, add some canola oil and salt and a thin layer of wheat kernels...then cover and shake over a medium heat. The wheat will "pop" like popcorn and it taste BETTER than popcorn!! My son loves it!! So do I!! My daughter won't touch it, but then...she hates popcorn, too!!!

I didn't know that! Mr. MorningStar wants to try it now. How big does it puff up? Can you make a caramel version like you can with popcorn?

[Jeny]

I didn't know that! Mr. MorningStar wants to try it now. How big does it puff up? Can you make a caramel version like you can with popcorn?

It doesn't puff up like popcorn and you have to be careful not to burn it...keep checking it. It should only get golden brown...not black. The wheat just changes color...but it taste yummy!!!!! Salty and crunchy!! I am SO glad my son loves it as it is very good for his bowel problems...

[Josie]

It is important to put things in your food storage, not only that you will eat, but that you do eat. If you have to survive for a long time on this food, you need to "want" to eat it. 3 times I have built my food storage up from buying extra of what was on sale at the store, till I could have atleast lived several months on what I had. Each time, I have had to give it to the needy in my ward, because I was moving and did not have room to take it. I am now starting over for the 4th time. That is no fun, but I know that people have received it have really needed it. The last time, the RS Pres. filled the back of her long bed pickup truck with it. Which also included cases of bottled water.

Also, if you buy what you want to eat, you will keep it rotated, which is very important.

I was also taught to put as much money as possible into my 72 hour kit, in case I needed it. Especially change. Change works in telephones, snack and soda machines, etc. If you are traveling due to bad weather and have your 72 hr kit with you, that can be so important. Also, by putting extra money there, you have it for the emergencies.

Josie

[Guest Iggy]

I try to do that...but I end up getting into the "extra" every month! I am a disabled, single mother of two teenagers with bottomless pits that they call stomics...I struggle to keep food in my house, much less food storage!! I DO have plenty of wheat and lentils, because the kids refuse to eat them is the only reason they are still in my storage!!! G-d help them if we ever DO need to live on them...I could...they just may starve...at least that is what I keep telling them...they won't hear me, of course, and still refuse to eat lentils...I have gotten my son turned on to fried wheat...but my daughter won't touch it!! Meh!

Try sprouting them and using them in salads, soups and sandwiches. Take a mayo jar and put in about 1/2 C of wheat. Rinse in 1/4 tsp bleach to a cup of water, then rinse with plain water & drain well- place mesh(clean old nylon knee-hi or netting) over the top of jar and secure with rubber band, lay jar on its side out of direct sunlight. Every day rinse with water and drain well then lay on side again. I don't know how long wheat takes to sprout - I do mung beans, alfalfa, etc. What I do is once they have green shoots the length I like, I rinse them in a bowl of water to remove the husks or what is left of the shell of the seed. Let them drain for a bit so they are not soggy and then place in a plastic container that has a folded paper towel sort of crunched at the bottom and then put the plastic lid on it and store in the fridge. I love them in sandwiches and in soup. Toss into your soup just before you serve it!

Get yourself an inexpensive electric coffee/spice grinder and grind it to make gravy, pancakes, biscuits, etc with. You can do a little at a time - just stop and wait if the grinder gets too warm to the touch. Let it cool down. This is how I ground my Red Wheat (which is one of the hardest wheats) and my other grains. Yep, I ground lentils up and added that to my multi-grain breads. Did Barley and rice too.

Now that I am making whole wheat/multi-grain bread exclusively- when I bought my Bosch mixer I also got the meat grinder, grain grinder and food chopper/slicer attachments. In for a pint, In for a pound I say.

[Jeny]

Try sprouting them and using them in salads, soups and sandwiches. Take a mayo jar and put in about 1/2 C of wheat. Rinse in 1/4 tsp bleach to a cup of water, then rinse with plain water & drain well- place mesh(clean old nylon knee-hi or netting) over the top of jar and secure with rubber band, lay jar on its side out of direct sunlight. Every day rinse with water and drain well then lay on side again. I don't know how long wheat takes to sprout - I do mung beans, alfalfa, etc. What I do is once they have green shoots the length I like, I rinse them in a bowl of water to remove the husks or what is left of the shell of the seed. Let them drain for a bit so they are not soggy and then place in a plastic container that has a folded paper towel sort of crunched at the bottom and then put the plastic lid on it and store in the fridge. I love them in sandwiches and in soup. Toss into your soup just before you serve it!

Get yourself an inexpensive electric coffee/spice grinder and grind it to make gravy, pancakes, biscuits, etc with. You can do a little at a time - just stop and wait if the grinder gets too warm to the touch. Let it cool down. This is how I ground my Red Wheat (which is one of the hardest wheats) and my other grains. Yep, I ground lentils up and added that to my multi-grain breads. Did Barley and rice too.

Now that I am making whole wheat/multi-grain bread exclusively- when I bought my Bosch mixer I also got the meat grinder, grain grinder and food chopper/slicer attachments. In for a pint, In for a pound I say.

Great idea, what is the point of the bleach?

[Guest Iggy]

Great idea, what is the point of the bleach?

It prevents EColi. You don't need a lot, let it sit for 15 minutes (which is what I forgot the first time) then rinse the grains/seeds well. I use a seive or collander in the case of the mung beans.)

Here is a site: http://www.primalseeds.org/sprouting.htm and this one http://www.sprouting.com/sprouting%20seeds.htm

I get my seeds from the Health Food Co-op that is on the way to my husbands job. He gets them that is. I am educating him by having him pick up the things I need in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. I hate driving in those citites.

[19nazzy]

Since it will be the 5th Sunday of the month later, our combined RS/PH lesson is going to be on preparedness. Should be interesting.

[Abraham]

Hello all,

I am new to this site. Recently, my wife and I were co-chairman for our Stake's Prepaaredness Fair. Without boring you with too many details, rather than have many handouts (printing is expensive) we made up a CD with over 1000 pages on 16 different topics from 30 days of menus, Dutch Oven Cooking (along with 4 cook books), two Emergency Preparedness manuals, FHE (26) on EP, etc. I am sure we could figure out a way to e-mail them to those interested. We had about 350 people come and felt it was very successful. BTW - we got 200 CDs for $120 dollars, to print the same would have been over $12,000. Pretty good use of Stake resources don't you think.

I will close with this quote from my wonderful wife. "I'd rather be preapred two years early, than one day late"

Your bro in the go,

Abraham

[ztodd]

Passing out CDs is a great way to spread a lot of info like that. If people also want or need it emailed, rather than emailing huge files to many people you should post the files on a blog or website and then email just the link(s) to them.

edit: You should also be able to get CD-Rs for cheaper than that if you shop around some more.

[Abraham]

Passing out CDs is a great way to spread a lot of info like that. If people also want or need it emailed, rather than emailing huge files to many people you should post the files on a blog or website and then email just the link(s) to them.

edit: You should also be able to get CD-Rs for cheaper than that if you shop around some more.

True but that included burning them, sleeves, and a label. I will try to get a better price next time. Thanks.

Abraham