Hi Everyone,
NOTES:
** Three or four earthquakes in Pasadena. Nothing major. But it’s a good time to talk to your family about “What to Do in an Earthquake.” At Rivcoready.org there is a lot of good information about disaster preparedness. If you click on the Earthquake tab, you get this: Earthquakes | County of Riverside Emergency Management Department
It’s also a good time to make sure you can turn off the gas at the meter.
Do you have lanterns? Flashlights? Outside solar lights you can bring in? Can you cook something without using your stove?
Knowing what to do beforehand eliminates a lot of worry.
** As much as possible, try not to let your gas get under 1/2 tank.
** Here is a good place to start if you do NOT have an evacuation kit: Build A Kit | Ready.gov
** Many of us are still thinking 72 hour kits. After experiencing firsthand the aftermath and recovery process during the chain of hurricanes in Florida in 2004, I’m convinced we need to encourage people to be able to be on their own for a minimum of 3-4 weeks! –Ken, Director of Emergency Operations Center, Sandy, Utah
GARDEN HAPPENINGS:
** Looks like we might be getting some relief from the 100’s around here. I still have the shade cloth on. Some of my determinate tomatoes are empty now. I might just pull them out. Others still have a tomato here and there waiting to ripen.
Hang in there. The beans are up, and I’ve already used some Sluggo Plus for the roly polies that are eating them!
Some BIG critter got to another tomato. This one was in a mesh bag, but whatever it was opened the bag and ate most of the tomato. Grrr.
THIS WEEK’S PURCHASE: oatmeal – 1 48 oz. container of oats will last 2 people for one month – depending, of course, on how often you eat it.
I remember my grandma telling me that they ate oatmeal every day during the depression, often for dinner.
There are so many benefits to eating oatmeal:
- reduces risk of heart disease
- improves intestinal functioning
- contains magnesium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, folate, copper and vitamins B-1 and B-5
I like to use regular oats for cereal, and quick oats for cookies. I just store them in the cardboard containers they come in. Unless you have some BIG critters to worry about, they will keep fine. Sometimes I will buy oats at Winco in the bulk section and refill my open container. It’s cheaper in the bulk section.
MISC. PURCHASE: batteries for flashlights.
Check the flashlights in the car, in the nightstand, wherever you have them stashed. Make a list of what you need and go get them.
FOOD STORAGE RECIPES
Just for fun, I thought I’d google “Recipes from Food Storage” Here is what I found:
Recipe Index – My Food Storage Cookbook
Food Storage Recipes
Recipes Using Your Food Storage
Cooking from long-term food storage – Backwoods Home Magazine
Favorite recipes that only use shelf stable/frozen/long term food storage? : r/preppers (I didn’t see any recipes here, just a list of ideas from different people)
And much more!!!
Here’s one from Food Storage Made Easy:
Garden Chicken Stew
Combine:
- 1/2 c. dehydrated carrots
- 1/2 c. dehydrated green peppers
- 1/2 c. dehydrated potato dices
Boil for 10-15 min.
Add: 1/2 c. orzo or any small pasta
1 pint chicken (2 cans) with the juice
Boil 5-10 minutes more
Personal Note: Generally it takes my dehydrated foods LONGER to get tender. I’d cook the first part for at least 1/2 hour and then check them.
Here’s one from myfoodstoragecookbook.com
It says it serves 10, so I’ll need to really cut that down.
Chicken Stuffing Casserole
- 2 cans water chestnuts, sliced – spread in the bottom of a greased 13 X 9 casserole dish.
- 2 c. freeze dried celery or 2 c. fresh celery – layer next
- 3 cans of chicken drained – next layer
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
Mix mayo and soup and spread over chicken.
dried onion flakes – sprinkle on top
In a small pan
- 2 pkgs Stove Top stuffing (chicken flavor)
Stir to heat on the stove for a few minutes, and then spread over the casserole.
Bake 30-40 min at 350˚
Marti Shelley
