Hi Everyone,
NOTES:
** I had the unique experience of sitting in on a group of residents who had lost homes in a fire–and their conversation with the city government and the fire department.
It was easy to see that they were upset–having lost so much. But, the fire department tried to explain that their resources were limited. They were already fighting another fire in another part of the county; they had to wait for a water-dropping helicopter to come from an hour away; they were trying to “head off” the fire on one end while protecting the homes on the other side. It was really a no-win scenario. Many of the homes backed up onto an arroyo and felt the city had been negligent in keeping the vegetation removed even though they had been reminded by homeowners of the danger. Some of the home owners had taken matters into their own hands. Others, when they asked for permission to remove the vegetation, were denied because of conservation groups. Then, of course, the fire spread SOOOO fast!!! The homes were gone before the fire department could get a handle on things.
Here were my take-aways
1. Make sure you are on your county reverse 911. In an emergency, the county will call or text instruction. Here are some directions. California OES Wireless Emergency Alerts
In this instance, the fire department/county was only able to reach 2/3 of the homes, despite calls and knocking on doors.
2. If you live in a rural area, MAKE SURE, the vegetation is cleared. Follow the 5-30-100 rule: Defensible Space | CAL FIRE At this fire debriefing, I sat by a man who works with Team Rubicon. They do a lot of debris removal when large machines are needed. He said that EVERY SINGLE home who followed the 5-30-100 rule was saved!
** Time to update your evacuation list and what you would take. I keep mine taped to the inside of my kitchen cabinet. I have a 10 minute, 30 minute, and 1 hour list. Just having up-to-date 72 hour kits gives you peace of mind!
GARDEN HAPPENINGS:
So, THIS happened this week:
This last extreme heat wave just fried some of my plants – even though they were under shade cloths.
Meanwhile, my beets have sprouted and the carrots have sprouted. The beans are still alive – yay. I LOVE fresh green beans.
THIS WEEK’S PURCHASE: lentils and split peas
Legumes (beans, split peas, lentils) play an important part in a bare-bones diet. Without animal sources to provide protein in your diet, beans step up and fill in the deficiency. Combined with grains or other beans, legumes are your source for protein. Other legumes include chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), black beans, peanuts, peas, soybeans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, and other types of dried beans.
The recommended amount to store is 2.5 pounds(1 #10 can) per person per month. This is 15 pounds for 6 months. You should store a wide variety.Â
You can get lentils and split peas at the grocery store. You will need to repackage them for long-term storage. You can vacuum seal the bags, or transfer them to mylar bags and use oxygen absorbers. You can even store them in clean 2-liter bottles with oxygen absorbers.
Unlike other types of beans, split peas and lentils do not need to be soaked overnight.
MISC. PURCHASE: a tarp
If you don’t have one, you should invest in a good tarp–or two. You can get them at Walmart or Harbor Freight, or Lowes, etc. If you have to evacuate, a tarp could offer shade from the hot sun OR protection from rain. Putting a tarp under your tent will protect the floor of the tent, and putting a tarp over the tent will protect the tent itself. We use tarps to cover our patio furniture through the winter, and cover all our patio cushions in the summer. They do NOT last more than a few years at best. The sun just destroys them. The cheaper the tarp, the quicker it will disintegrate in the sun and elements.
FOOD STORAGE RECIPES:
I like split pea soup. Craig? Not so much. As a result, I only make it about once a year. My recipe calls for bacon. I usually use ham. Then I wondered if you could use Spam and sure enough, I found a recipe for that. I’ve included both here:
Split Pea Soup with Bacon
Soak peas in water overnight. (As stated above, you don’t HAVE to overnight soak, but it shortens cooking time)
Brown 1/2 lb. bacon in 1/4 c. butter
1 diced onion
2 celery stalks diced
2 carrots diced
1/2 lb. pork sausage
     Add the vegetables and sausage to the bacon and brown together.
Drain the peas and mix all together.
2 quarts of chicken stock
    Add the liquid and simmer until the soup is the consistency you want. You can use an immersion blender to get it just how you like it.
The first time I had split pea soup, it had diced potatoes in it and it was delicious. So now, I always add them to my soup.
Split Pea Soup with Spam
1 lb split peas
2 TB ham soup base
1 c. chopped carrot
1 chopped onion
Combine all these in 2 1/2 quarts of water and let simmer for 2 hours. You can also put everything in a crock pot and set it on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. After cooking, use a hand blender or countertop blender until the pea soup is smooth.
1 can Spam chopped in small cubes
Cook spam in 1 TB bacon fat until golden brown on all sides, then add spam and fat to the soup.
Salt and pepper to taste.
I have not made this recipe, but I’m thinking if you exchange the water for chicken bouillon, you might get a better flavor.
Lentil Soup
This is also one of my favorites. I shared it last year, so this might be a repeat for you.
1 lb. lentils – Soak for 15 minutes in boiling water. Drain.
In a saucepan:
3 large onions diced (I NEVER use this many)
4 c. leeks (sometimes I forget to buy these so I leave them out)
1 TB chopped garlic
1 TB fresh thyme (1 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
1 tsp cumin
1 TB salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
Add all the above to the saucepan and sauté in a little olive oil until tender
4 carrots diced
3 stalks of celery diced
Add and sauté
** I use reconstituted dehydrated carrots and celery
2 quarts chicken stock
1/4 c. tomato paste
lentils that have been soaked and drained
2 Kilbasa sausage sliced
splash of red wine
Add the above and simmer 1 hour.
I LOVE this soup with sourdough bread. You can sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving.
No meat? Try this one:
Lentil Barley Stew
1 medium carrot sliced
1 medium onion diced
1 medium parsnip peeled and sliced (don’t have one? Use a carrot)
3/4 c. lentils rinsed
1/2 c. barley
28 oz. vegetable broth
2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp pepper
Add all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, Reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes or until done.
Marti Shelley
