Thankful November Bite...Eating an Elephant!

Thanksgiving Bite!

I am still chuckling over this month's elephant!  On a whim I went to Pinterest and typed in "Thanksgiving elephant" without much hope of finding such a thing.  Well, what do you know...look what popped up!!  I admit I snorted a bit of Diet Coke through my nose...good thing I don't have a trunk...lol!

November...A Month for Gratitude

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, I just want to take the opportunity to thank each and every one of you that read and support this blog.  Blogs are funny things...a cross between an online newsletter, a magazine article and a personal journal.  It can be many things depending on who writes it and who their audience is.  This year I have focused mainly on preparedness.  I hope the monthly "Bites" have been helpful...especially if you and your family are just getting started.  Some of the suggested storage goals may have been a little too much for the monthly budget to handle.  I understand.  The purpose is to make suggestions for the month and we each do as much as we can.  Every little bite helps...right?  So if the goal is 100 lbs. of wheat per person, even if you just get 100 lbs. total (or just 1 bucket) you are that much closer to completing your storage goals.  

November Goals...

President Brigham Young

"The time will come that gold will hold not comparison in value to a bushel of wheat."

--Pres. Brigham Young

Spiritual Goal:

Have personal prayers and scripture study every day.

Provident Living Goal:

Make a goal of reducing your family garbage by recycling more.

Storage Goal:

• 100 pounds of wheat per person.
• 1 #10 can juice mix with vitamin C per person.
• Hand/shower soap.
• Light bulbs.
• At least one month prescription ahead for all doctor prescribed medication.

72 Hour Kit:

• Soap.
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste.
• Infant needs.
• Feminine needs.
• Disinfectant.
• Aluminum foil.

Grateful for the Harvest.

"Y Prepare?"  Stake Preparedness Blog

If you are not already following the Stake Preparedness Blog, you can easily receive updates in your email by visiting www.yprepare.com and filling in your email in the subscribe box.  It's right there at the top of the article.  The following links are for the last four posts...in case you missed them.

Highland Central Stake FRS/GRMS Frequencies and Radio Instruction Video

http://www.yprepare.com/highland-central-stake-frsgrms-frequencies-and-radio-instruction-video.html

Practical Hazmat Protection--Accident Mitigation

http://www.yprepare.com/practical-hazmat-protection-accident-mitigation.html

Emergency Cleaning Bucket

http://www.yprepare.com/emergency-cleaning-bucket.html

Shelf Life of Commercially Canned Foods

http://www.yprepare.com/shelf-life-of-commercially-canned-foods.html

Grateful for the Peaceful Beauty of an Autumn Day.

I have so much to be grateful for this year...

Bless you, Dear Sisters!

Workshop...Dutch Oven Cooking!

Dutch Oven Cooking!

What better way to enjoy autumn...or be better prepared?

Workshop and Demonstration

• Wednesday evening  September 16, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Highland Central Stake Center Picnic Pavilion (if weather permits...if not, will be held indoors.)
• Taught by Larry and Jeanie Walker...authors of several books on Dutch Oven Cooking and long time Highland residents.
• Helpful instruction, live cooking demonstration, recipes and yummy samples.
• Adults 12 and over please.

Every month members of the Stake Preparedness Committee get together to plan and discuss ways to help our ward members be more prepared in all aspects of their lives.  This workshop is open to all members of the stake and whoever else might be interested.  The Walkers have been doing this for many years and are expert Dutch oven specialists.  They were at the Preparedness Expo this past weekend.

One of the books they have published.

Preparedness Blog and Calendar

The Highland Central Stake has an official preparedness blog  Y Prepare?  Mike Parry is the administrator.  He and his contributors have prepared links to resources to help us with our preparedness goals.  It's very important that each of us visit this blog and sign up on the right-hand side for email updates.  That way any time the blog is updated, you will know and be able to access the new information.

Across the top of the blog are links to subjects like food storage, 72 hour kits, gardening, health, etc.  One of the links is Events Calendar.  The calendar will list classes, workshops and other upcoming events pertaining to preparedness.  If you haven't been to the blog, please take a minute to look at it.  I know you will be glad to be able to access the resources they have put together for us.

Miscellaneous...

• Case Lot Sales are going on right now.  Macy's ends this Saturday.  Smith's ends tomorrow.  I love these sales.  They're perfect for filling up my rotating can organizer in the pantry.  The lower price per can makes it easy to store the suggested 90 days of "food my family will eat."

• Today I began to update and rotate the food in my 72 hour kit back packs.  I am at a bit of a dilemma.  My 72 hour "bug out" kit is getting unwieldy.  It may take several trips to load the stuff into the car.  So I decided to change the contents of the back packs so that we can just grab them if there is little to no time to dally.  If time allows, then we can go back for the duffle of tools and emergency stuff, the sleeping bags and the backpack of freeze dried entrees.

• It's very important to rotate the food every 6 months...at General Conference time is a good rule of thumb.  I hadn't done it for over a year and the saltines and little cartons of Goldfish crackers were positively rancid.  I store a package of saltines inside a Pringle's can.  I don't know if I'll ever get the weird smell out of the can...lol!

This was just a quick post to let you know about the Dutch Oven class.  I hope you can make it!

Eating an Elephant...July Goals!

Eating an Elephant!

This little elephant is red, white, and true blue!

July Goals...

"Ye Latter-day Saints, learn to sustain yourselves, produce everything you need to eat, drink or wear..."  President Brigham Young

Spiritual Goal:

Take the family names you prepared last month to the Temple.

Provident Living Goal:

Make a goal to eat healthier.  For example:  less sweets, more fresh fruits and veggies, less meat, more fiber, etc.

Storage Goal:

• 50 lbs. honey or sugar per person.
• 10 #10 cans (35 lbs. total) powdered milk per person.
• 2 toothbrushes per person.
• Toothpaste
• Mouthwash
• Infant needs...formula, baby food, diapers, Tylenol, etc.

72 Hour Kit:

• Prepare blankets...the silver foil ones.
• Gather items to entertain your family and include in kit: UNO cards, coloring books and crayons, cross-stitch kits, etc.  Be sure to include paper and pencils
• Camp stove or portable BBQ and fuel.
• Mosquito repellent.
• $25 cash.

July is such a patriotic month and also a month  when we think about our pioneer ancestors.  During WWII it was considered patriotic to be frugal and learn to make do with the resources one had at hand.  Those who were wasteful often went without some of the necessities.  Things like shoes, bedding and automobile tires were rationed, so folks learned to take good care of the ones they had. 

Our pioneer grandparents arrived in the valley with only those things that they could carry.  Many precious and lovely heirlooms were left behind.  They had to make do with what they had.  If a plow or shovel broke or a pair of sewing scissors, there was no way to replace them until the next company of freight wagons arrived from back east.  Things gradually improved with the coming of the railroad, but people learned to provide for themselves just as Brigham Young asked of them.

Happy Pioneer Day, July 24th!

Note:  The link to the Stake Preparedness Blog is located on the sidebar to the right.

Eating an Elephant...May Munch!

May Munch!

"The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah." --President Ezra Taft Benson

Spiritual Goal:
Share a Book of Mormon with a non-member

Provident Living Goal:
Make a specific provident living goal and plan to exercise it regularly.  Example: Make a plan for your family where to meet or how to get in contact during a time of emergency.  Go over it in FHE from time to time.

Storage Goal:

• 100 pounds variety cereal grains...rice, quinoa, oatmeal, cornmeal, etc. per person.
• 24 rolls paper towels per person.
• 24 packages flavored gelatin per person.
• Garden seeds.
• 1 small bottle olive oil (for consecrating).
• At least one month ahead on prescriptions for all doctor prescribed medications.

72 Hour Kit:

• Battery powered radio.
• Battery powered light.
• Batteries.

Y Prepare?  New Stake Preparedness Blog!

Even woodland creatures know how to prepare.

I am the ward provident living specialist on the stake preparedness committee.  The committee meets monthly to share information about what each ward is doing to promote preparedness.  We are then supposed to share this information back to the ward and educate the members.  If there are classes, workshops, or other important resources  we are to let you know about them.  I use this blog for that purpose.  Mike Parry of the 14th Ward has published a blog for the use of the Stake.  It's called Y Prepare? and will be a wonderful resource for us all.  http://www.yprepare.com is the link.  It is also on the sidebar of this blog along with other LDS bloggers.   The most recent topic is 72 hour kits, so I hope that you will visit this blog as soon as possible and add it to your Favorites.

I will still be doing the monthly goals, along with information from the stake and other resources I think will be helpful.  Thank you, sisters, for your support and encouragement!