Sunday, November 28, 2010

"Getting Prepared" Project

During the week prior to Thanksgiving and following Thanksgiving, I felt impressed to update our preparedness supplies after hearing what Glenn Beck on the Fox News program had to say.  He predicted significant price rises on food and other commodities in the coming months and urged us to get prepared for this by laying by food storage and getting out of debt.  We're OK on debt, but we needed to replace some food items in our existing supply.  So guess what!  I bought all the great meat specials I saw that we could use and pressure canned them in pint bottles.  I did up some beef, turkey, chicken, ham, and white beans with ham.  I also did beef stew and turkey ala king.  Now we can make up main courses using up our staples like rice, pasta, and potato flakes combined with the meats I put up.  Now, if I can just learn how to use my cast iron dutch oven properly and be able to cook without gas or electricity, I will feel well prepared to do meals in an emergency or shortage situation.  I went to the local preparedness market and looked at a sun oven and hand wheat grinder.  I need a hand wheat grinder now in order to make cracked wheat.  My electric mill only does fine flour, not cereal, and we like hot cereal.  The sun oven looked really good because we have lots of sunny days down here in Southern Utah, but it cost over $200.  I can buy lots of charcoal briquettes with that.  This may sound a little "over the top" to many of you, but it was actually fun for me, and I feel more secure doing all I reasonably can to be prepared for hard times ahead.

2 comments:

  1. I have a hand wheat grinder, but someone told me the gauge that determines the fineness of the wheat isn't working properly because a part is missing. But it still cracks wheat. I have an electric wheat grinder for flour, but if there were no electricity I wouldn't be able to use it! I need to get more canned goods. I also would really like to get an outside freezer soon. What I really need to do is get my 72 hour kits updated.

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  2. Good for you, Joanne. My grandmother, Ina Dobson, canned meat. She didn't have electricity -- just a pantry, a cellar, and a wood stove. Something to be said for the simpler way perhaps.

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