I’ve hinted around at what you’ll be seeing the last few weeks of May, and although I do still have a soaked buckwheat (gluten-free) pancakes recipe that I’ll share with you someday (I’ll never quite be finished with the gluten-free/grain-free series I worked on this month), today I want to get you ready for the short series on preparedness.
With gas and food costs rising, jobs becoming less secure, and storms hitting left and right, it doesn’t seem fearful or "wacky" at all to be thinking about how you’ll feed your family in case of an emergency. It is simply prudent and wise.
I’m thinking about it.
And thinking.
And thinking.
I’m no preparedness guru, believe me. In fact, I probably only have enough water in the basement for 2-3 days, maybe less. But I’m becoming more and more convinced that it’s an important topic, so I’m inviting you to walk with me for a few weeks and explore the topic. I’ll be asking as many questions as I answer, but I think together we can come up with some real food style, practical baby steps to making your household more ready for the unexpected.
(Psssst! I also have a Berkey water filter, over $250 value, to give to one lucky reader. I’m so excited! You will get yours before I even get mine, but I can handle that. Really. I’m okay with it. Can I come over to watch you use it though?)
The Eat Well, Spend Less series is also continuing – we had such great feedback on the short 3-week run that we’ve decided all nine of us are going to make EWSL a once-a-month feature. You can find links to all the past posts under "features" in the top menu here at KS. Watch for next week’s theme about storing food.
For today, I’ll give you a little taste of both topics coming next week with my Green…Your Way article called How to Freeze Food in Glass Jars. Avoiding plastic and being able to stockpile healthy and inexpensive foods are all things I feel strongly about, and these tips will help you keep your costs down and your nutrition up!
It seems that every day a new report comes out on the dangers of something or other toxin in various materials, doesn’t it? Bisphenol-A in plastics is one of the more recent villains that’s really stuck around, even in mainstream media and conversation.
Although plastic number 5 (PP, or polypropylene) does not contain BPA, some folks have become nervous about using plastics for food storage, period. What will be the next new evil to come knocking?
For the sake of space, I do often freeze foods in plastic zipper bags (no. 4 plastic, no BPA), but I try to put as much as I can in glass jars. It can be a bit of an art form, so I’ll share the vastness of my frozen jar knowledge here today.
Includes:
- Where to find jars
- What to freeze
- How to choose the right jar
- The importance of headroom
- How to thaw the food
- Labeling and lists
- What to do with broken jars
[To read the article in full, click HERE…]
Have a lovely weekend, and don’t forget to take a second to jump in this week’s giveaways here and here – not just for those with food allergies, but anyone who wants to cook healthier!
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this is a topic I really need to learn about-we don’t have any extra water (though we do live 5 minutes away from my in-laws that have a well and two generators). Can’t wait to read more about this!
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This is wonderful!! I’ve repurposed all my plastic stuff to food planters – well, with the exception of a few tupperware things – I’ll get over that soon enough tho too.
I’ve been searching for what to store my freezer stuff in. I do have my share of bags because I can’t bear to throw anything out, but really do not want to freeze in them anymore.
Will be watching the unfolding events on all fronts, very interested in the various series you’re working on.
Water – yeah, need to do something about that. I have 5 gallons of “pre-gray water” that I’m keeping in case the power goes out to flush the toilet. Living in a mobile home has storage limitations – well, that’s my excuse anyway. I have other excuses too, so hoping you can help obliterate them soon!
Bless you! Katie
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Hi Katie!
I’m so glad you are doing this series. This has been a topic heavy on my heart and mind for several months. I have been reading a lot and am starting to put plans into action. I’m excited to read all you have to say!
Thank you!
Amanda
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I need a boost every once in awhile to help with my food storage. I have a good portion but to sustain a family of six and a pregnant mom not sure how many days it could last. I am trying to get myself prepared to GET prepared this summer. The thought of canning, etc. stresses me out but I know it is the best thing.
I am still kicking myself for throwing away (yes I threw it away didn’t even put in the recycling bin) an empty jar of spaghetti sauce. It isn’t often I have store bought sauce just extras for those just in case moments. And that moment I just got in the heat of the moment preparing the meal that I didn’t realize what I had done until it was too late.
Something I have loved freezing in my glass mason jars is green smoothies. I take one morning and make a lot of smoothies. Put them in the jar (sometimes I don’t even leave headroom) and then it makes it so much easier to have a green smoothie ready.
I am excited for this series and know of some ideas myself but can’t wait for the good kick in the pants to get it done!
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It’s interesting you are covering this topic because I get a ton of questions about this at my blog. I never really know what to say because 1. I don’t believe that “preparedness” the way most people see it is the correct answer and 2. I don’t think people are even truly identifying the real problem.
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Katie Reply:
May 13th, 2011 at 3:07 pm
Shannon,
Katie
You’ve piqued my curiosity – please tell me more! What’s the difference between preparedness the way most ppl do it and what should be done, in your opinion, to combat the real problem? I’d love to hear some of the questions people ask over at Nourishing Days, too. I’ve had some good feedback on Facebook, but more is always helpful. Thank you! I’m looking forward to hearing your voice over the next few weeks.
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Awesome topic. I’m looking forward to reading more the next few weeks. For us, preparedness is happening somewhat unintentionally in the quest for healthier foods, with our garden, chickens, and maybe an eventual cow. I’m not prepared at all in the water department though, and there are certainly areas I need to improve on, so I’m looking forward to your great ideas!
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why so worried about preparedness? The end of the world is coming on May 21, don’t ya know?
That’s just over a week.
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Off topic a little, but I was browsing the Berkey site and it says they can’t ship to IA. I think that is the first time I have ever seen a product unable to be shipped to my state! Why do you suppose that would be?
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Katie Reply:
May 15th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Vicky,
Katie
I know Berkey also can’t sell in CA, some odd state law. Jeff “the Berkey guy” over at LPC Survival (the link you followed) would be able to shed more light. Folks get around it be sending their Berkeys to relatives in nearby states…
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My church teaches that if ye are prepared ye shall not fear. A lot of preparedness for isn’t REAL food. Here is Houston, TX its important to prepare your home in case you have to hunker down for a hurricane AND/OR prepare a 72 hour kit in case you have to leave. I have asked around and a lot of people suggest you buy things like raman noodles, military MREs, granola bars, and powdered mixes. Eating REAL food and preparing for an emergency need to meet up somewhere… I am thinking perhaps my dehydrator… I am excited to hear what you have to say.
As far as water goes… I went on a church mission to Ecuador, we had a cistern and would run out of water once a month. Prior missionaries had left the perfect system in place: under each sink in the apartment was filled with 3 liter soda bottles full of water that we used to flush the toilet. We were already buying drinking water, and although we never fully showered with the water stored, we could do a quick army swab down, flush the toilet and wash our hands. I am trying to replicate the system here and I don’t drink soda, but every Tuesday is recycle day so I help myself to my neighbors soda bottles. We’ve haven’t lost our water yet, but I am working to be ready if it ever happens. We have lost electricity and I am looking into getting a solar cooker (Sun Oven) so I can cook our meals.
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Thank you! I can’t wait to read more.
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One of my favorite preparedness resources is this blog: http://blog.totallyready.com. For our family preparedness we store what we eat and we eat what we CAN store. I am not completely where I want to be yet, but closer every month. I currently have stored wheat, oats, dry milk, beans, corn, etc. Also items to make each of these staples usable such as oil, sugar, yeast, salt, etc. I have a garden that we eat out of. I watch end caps at stores for discounted canned goods. I bottle my own from the garden and seasonal fruit. We have 72 hour kits for emergencies…that need to be updated now actually.
The biggest thing is to think of different senarios and plan accordingly. Just a little bit at a time makes the difference.
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I am very interested in this series! I, too, live in the Houston area and am never quite prepared enough for hurricane series. Thanks for your help in getting ready for these types of emergencies. As for freezing in glass, I’m always afraid of the glass breaking (pictured as exploding in my mind!). Is that really not something I need to fear?
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Katie Reply:
May 15th, 2011 at 5:11 pm
Pat,
Katie
You can read more over at the Green Your Way article (http://green.yourway.net/how-to-freeze-food-in-glass-jars/) and the comments there, but I only have broken jars a few times, and when they break, it’s just a big crack and everything holds together. You risk losing your food and the jar, but not a big mess.
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Pat C Reply:
May 15th, 2011 at 6:22 pm
Thanks Katie! That’s very reassuring.
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I will be following this topic for sure. I bought some survival food. The kind you’d use if you really were dealing with a lot and didn’t want to cook, just eat to survive. But I’d like to add some “real food”. I live in a location with bridges going over rivers in all directions. Our small town could get cut off for awhile for sure. Looking forward to learning.
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This topic has really been on my heart lately, even before the Japanese earthquake. When I lived in California, we always had emergency storage ready for “the big one.” In the mountains of Oregon, we kept some food stored in case of blizzard. But here in the south, I’ve really slacked off lately and have just begun putting my store back together.
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Looking forward to your writing on this topic! I’ve been into “preparedness” for a number of years and found it very helpful when my husband lost his job almost 2 years ago (had an 8 month supply of food I was able to stretch further). Right now I’m trying to replenish on the small amount of money we have coming in. That would be a great topic to write on. I would love to win the Berkey (I have the smallest one) but they stopped shipping to CA a year ago. I can’t even get the replacement filters anymore.
Here is an excellent resource on preparedness geared towards women that I’ve been a member of for years… http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?s=f23294a132469db63387aeb50ae3d8a4&act=idx
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frankly, i struggle with all of this talk about “prepared-ness” – on several levels. i want to be prepared… i’m more comfortable prepared… and, in fact, not having our gas tanks always at 1/2 full or higher, a several day water supply and a month food supply (embassy recommendations) is scary as i reason through from my temporal, wanting to be in control perspective… but am i obedient if i spend so much time and energy focusing on preparedness?
1) we are missos, working in w. africa. water cuts, electric cuts, staples suddenly not available throughout the (i.e. butter, flour, etc.) city, coup d’etats – these sorts of things are monthly (had 2 coups/attempts and several city-wide lock downs in the 10+ years we’ve been here) occurrences and we just adapt. we do keep extra barrels of water (which must be filtered before we drink it) because we live on the edge of the desert.
2) our misso support level – the funds we have coming in – are literally just enough to meet our daily needs – we usually have flour, rice, oil, sugar, onions, garlic and tomato paste in bulk – but that is also because those are the foods we give away to people who come to our door asking for help. everything else i buy on a weekly basis because i never have more than enough to buy a week’s supply.
3) gasoline prices here have always been higher than the present highs in the US… and you get better gas mileage on these road with a less full tank… but if something drastic would happen and we’d need to get ourselves and kiddos out of the country rapidly??? we don’t currently run our chest freezer – electricity is too expensive and with the excessive heat of our hot season right now, sleeping with AC and fans so we sleep well (when the electricity is on) is a higher priority.
4) we lived the whole y2k thing on the mission field with friends at both extremes and just listening to both sides explain their reasonings and their “predictions” of what might happen was a continual stress… and i remember not sleeping that night, sitting awake and filled with a spirit of fear – clear disobedience… and so i continue to “struggle” and muddle through this.
i am learning what it means to pray that God gives my family our daily bread – literally. how does “preparedness” fit in with verses in matthew 6 that say take no thought of tomorrow… consider the lilies of the field? that is so much easier for me to contemplate if i knew i didn’t have 8 children dependent upon me and i don’t want to see them in want.
please know these comments are in no means judgemental towards those who have chosen or for whom God had enabled them to walk a different path… i’m just so wondering what some of you think about some of these types of questions.
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Katie Reply:
May 17th, 2011 at 9:38 am
Richelle,
I am certain you are not alone in questioning “being prepared” vs. “thinking not of tomorrow.” You are, definitely, in a more unique situation than many of us, living on the generosity of others as a missionary and simply having a different lifestyle and perspective of “normal.” If you didn’t trust God for your daily bread (and much more), you wouldn’t have taken those 8 miracles to Africa.
In my opinion, we can have a balance between the two extremes – I don’t like the idea of spending hours each month making sure I have all the necessary everything for a major disaster to keep my family alive for a year. I do, however, think it’s prudent and wise in many ways, and I pray that the Lord agrees, to stock up on things that we use, have more than 3 days worth of food in the house – because we can! – and maybe have some water set aside.
As a Christian, it is definitely an interesting question: Jesus talked A LOT more about NOT storing material things and “being prepared” in our souls for the end. I’m sure, like many things in this world, preparedness can become an idol. It’s a wise reminder for all of us to make sure that we (1) don’t let it do so and (2) do not live in a spirit of fear, regardless of our level of preparedness.
Thank you so much for your honesty; I really appreciate the chance to address the tension here.
God bless your work,
Katie
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