Marti’s Corner – 03

Hey Everyone!!

NOTES: * I got to use my 72-hour kit!!! We had gone shooting out in the desert with some friends. One of the men brought his 10-year-old son. In a freak accident (that could have been much worse), part of the gun barrel exploded on firing, and a small piece of what was probably very hot metal grazed the boy’s neck. No one quite knew what had happened except that the boy suddenly started crying. After determining the cause, I was able to find my first aid kit in my pack. I had individual packets of “burn cream” and a large bandaid. Burns hurt because of the air. When you put on cream and cover with a bandaid, you take away the air, and the hurt decreases. Yay for being prepared! * I decided to plant my green peppers inside. It’s a good thing I did because they didn’t sprout. I still have time to plant more. Plus, I’m going to “test” the seeds. Put a piece of paper towel on a plate. Sprinkle 5-10 seeds on the paper towel. Cover with another paper towel and squirt with water. Spritz with water several times a day. After a week or 10 days, check for sprouting. If the seeds don’t sprout, they are dead. But, if they are sprouting, they can then be planted. * Garden seeds keep longer if you keep them in the fridge. I have not been doing that. I have a second fridge outside. I’m going to make room for my extra seeds. I hate to see them go to waste.

LONG TERM FOCUS: Oats Generally speaking, the less a food has been “processed,” the better the nutritional value. Regular oats have more nutrition than quick oats, which have more than instant oats. But they each can have a place. I have instant oatmeal in my 72-hour kits, but I have regular oats in my long-term storage. If you store quick oats, be sure to rotate them more often.

Oats can get boring, especially with extended use. Think of what YOU could put in it to vary the texture and taste. You could add dehydrated fruit, sunflower seeds, or nuts. Maybe you’d like cinnamon? Or honey? I have two blueberry bushes, and in the spring, we like to put a handful of fresh berries in our cereal.

I’m going to interject and say a word about blueberries. If you grow blueberries, you need two bushes of different varieties to cross-pollinate each other. My bushes are in two large pots and get good afternoon sun and are very happy. I feed them in the spring and add compost once or twice in the summer. And, I don’t like blueberries – at least I THOUGHT I didn’t like them. But blueberries right off the bush taste different than those you buy. I never have enough for a blueberry pie with two bushes, but I have enough to add them to my pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, or muffins. Those bushes were a good investment and are now about 6 or 7 years old. So, yay!

You can also store other hot cereals like Cream of Wheat or Malt-O-Meal. Personally, I LIKE Cream of Wheat. I have 2-3 boxes stored. I just vacuum sealed the entire box. You could also store in jars that have been vacuum-sealed or in empty, clean 2-liter bottles. In the short term, you probably don’t need oxygen absorbers, but it wouldn’t hurt in the long term.

SHORT TERM FOCUS: Syrup Do you HAVE to store syrup? Do you USE syrup? If not, then DON’T STORE ANY!!!. But if you like syrup on pancakes or waffles, you should use either store a bottle or two OR make your own. (The recipe is below) MY husband likes peanut butter AND syrup on his pancakes. So, although we don’t eat many P B & J sandwiches, I have peanut butter stored just for him. Pancake syrup is one thing where you could easily have one open and 2 on the shelf ready to go.

72 HOUR KITS

As you start building your kit, you should think about what your kit will be used for. Ask yourself, which is the most likely scenario:

a) you will be stuck on the freeway for hours b) you will get snowed in or delayed in your car c) there will be an earthquake that will destroy all bridges and overpasses, thereby stranding you someplace desolate d) there is a fire, and you have to evacuate e) the zombie apocalypse will happen on the very day you have to leave home for a meeting an hour away.

Okay, you get my point. Probably NOT the last one. So for any MINOR reason, you will probably only need some granola bars, a little water, a blanket, a few dollars, a solar cell phone charger, and a deck of cards to keep you busy.

But…… I always like to be prepared for the worst that could happen. My scenario is that I’ve gone to San Diego (about an hour and a half away), there is an earthquake, the roads are unusable, and I have to walk home. I’ve packed my kit accordingly.

Get input from your family. Make some decisions, and start packing – even if it is just a change of socks.

MISC: Water

Did you know you can “gather” dew? This guy was able to fill a 16 oz. glass in about 3 minutes. It might be worth it to keep a “Shamwow” towel with your kit. For the sake of space, you could cut a towel in 1/2 or 1/4 and put a piece in each backpack.  Dew Collection for Survival Water

Here is another useful item. Amazon.com: LifeStraw Personal Water Filter

It’s called a personal water filter. There are several types. Basically, it’s a small water filter that can easily be packed or carried – for individual use. I have one of these in each of our packs. You can filter gutter water if you need to!

FOOD STORAGE RECIPE:

Maple Syrup

1 c. corn syrup 1/2 c. brown sugar 1/2 c. water few drops of maple flavoring 1 TB butter

But wait….. there’s more….. You can make your own corn syrup: 1/4 c. water 1 1/4 c. sugar Mix and heat until sugar is dissolved.

But wait….. there’s more….. You can make your own brown sugar too. This website has a video so you can watch how she does it. How to Make Brown Sugar – Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking

So…… you can store syrup, OR you can store brown sugar and Karo syrup OR you can store white sugar and molasses

Banana Oat Breakfast Cookie from Taste of Home Brunch and Breakfast Magazine

1 c. mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas) 1/2 c. chunky peanut butter 1/2 c. honey 1 tsp vanilla Mix until blended. 2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp baking soda Add and mix 1/4 c. nonfat dry milk powder 1/2 c. whole wheat flour Add and mix 1 c. dried cranberries or raisins Mix in by hand.

Drop by 1/4 cupfuls 3 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Flatten to 1/2 inch. Bake 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes. Cool on pans for 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Serve warm or at room temperature. To reheat, microwave for 15-20 seconds.

Till next week, Marti Shelley

LIST OF LINKS:

http://tacticalintelligence.net/blog/dew-collection.htm “Dew Collection for Survival Water by Tactical Intelligence.net

https://amzn.to/3t0aYIn Amazon link for the “LifeStraw Personal Water Filter”

https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/make-brown-sugar/ “How to Make Brown Sugar” by Bigger, Bolder Baking