"Today, I emphasize a most basic principle: home production and storage. Have you ever paused to realize what would happen to your community or nation if transportation were paralyzed or if we had a war or depression? How would you and your neighbors obtain food? How long would the corner grocery store—or supermarket—sustain the needs of the community?" (President Ezra Taft Benson)
You can't look at what is going on today and not be a bit concerned.
The flooding continues all along the Mississippi. The weather patterns are crazy. The tariff troubles - a million people could lose their jobs and prices will go up...I think we might be in for some bumps.
It could be there are things we cannot see coming along as well.
Our house insurance company is moving out of Iowa this follows our health insurance that already pulled out.
It would be prudent to be prepared.
If you do not know how to garden you might want to learn that.
Put yourself in the position of those that will be losing their jobs. What would you do? What will you wish you had stored? What will you have wished you had learned? How would you manage? What could you live without? I used to think I would do okay but I have to have_____ (fill in the blank) until I had to do without it, this happened several times. Each time I was amazed how I could do without it. So give this some thought.
Ponder these things.
Can you...
Grow sprouts?
Do you even have the seeds to do so?
Did you know you can and should vacuum seal these seeds or they will not work in time?
Do you have a sealer?
Did you know if you have the tall canister you can seal any jar that has a lid with that rubber inside the rim? Most everything has that now and you can use your canning jars for canning.
Mend your family's clothing? Do you have what it takes to do it?
I noticed buttons will be a tariff item...do you have some on hand with thread and needles and scissors?
Can you make pancakes from scratch? Do you have those items in storage?
What about making bread? Do you have the ingredients on hand? Did you know you can make pancakes or waffles from these ingredients?
When we first moved back to Iowa we had no stove. I made french toast in the waffle iron. We called them eggy waffles. It is surprising how we can adapt.
Do you have food on hand like canned meats, fruit, and veggies?
Do you have wheat to make bread or flour?
What could you put on that bread?
Do you have peanut butter and jam?
Do you know how to preserve your food? i.e. can your food, dehydrate food, etc?
Do you have the equipment to do so?
Having a full working storage is more than just having food, it is about equipment, clothing, skills and supplies...ponder which areas you need to improve.
Are you practicing better budgeting to handle higher prices?
Even if nothing goes bad you would do well to prepare and with yard sale season soon here you can watch for these items or ask on your neighborhood groups if anyone has what you are looking for.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+make+underware&docid=608011894426045293&mid=FF9A4A911105F6255E43FF9A4A911105F6255E43&view=detail&FORM=VIREHT - this is a great skill to know or use the site below to make your own pattern.
https://salvageandstitch.com/2017/11/13/diy-underwear-tutorial-from-a-t-shirt - this shows how to make a pattern from your own underwear.
I saw a YouTube video where the husband sewed his wife and daughters' underwear from t-shirts.
https://www.sewmamasew.com/2014/08/how-to-make-boxer-shorts/ - not to leave the boys out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfDG0LohngI - how to make hankies.
https://www.google.com/search?q=crafty+gemini+pillowcase&rlz=1C1ZKTG_enUS834US834&oq=crafty+gemini+pillo&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l4.23319j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 - this is my favorite pattern to make pillow cases.
I just wanted you to see with a little sewing skill you can make useful items.
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+crochet+a+scrubby&rlz=1C1ZKTG_enUS834US834&oq=how+to+crochet+a+scr&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l5.15824j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=1 - this is a great way to learn to crochet a scrubby
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+crochet+a+dishcloth&rlz=1C1ZKTG_enUS834US834&oq=how+to+crochet+a+d&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.16585j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=1 - how to crochet a beginner dishcloth.
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+knit+a+scrubby&rlz=1C1ZKTG_enUS834US834&oq=how+to+knit+a+scr&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l5.12072j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=1 - how to knit a scrubby.
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+knit+a+dishcloth&rlz=1C1ZKTG_enUS834US834&oq=how+to++knit+a+dishc&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.21961j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=1 - how to knit the dishcloth.
I have given some very basic ways to knit and crochet helpful items that you can learn to make on a beginner's level.
I think getting back to basics will be helpful.
I always look forward to your posts. I too believe in needing to be prepared. I do some minimal water bath canning and I hope to look into dehydrating this year. Are there any books that you recommend regarding dehydrating fruits and vegetables and how best to store them? No one I know does this and will have to look into myself. I do have a vacuum food sealer but did not really k ow about sealing in jars. I will buy that accessory as I already looked up I do on Amazon. Do you have any links regarding these things on your site? Thank you for any help. Sad times we are living in. Many of my friends can not even go a week without needing to go to a store and many do not even cook. Im not talking about young people, I’m talking about 60/70 year olds. I am alone but have nearly a year of food storage in case of something happening. I need to look out for me since no one else will! Hopefully now that I am recently retired I will Have more time to look into things such as food storage and prep.
ReplyDeletejust type any of the topics in my search engine i have alot of info and as far as books i would just search online for free info there is so much and store this not that has a great you tube on dehydrating and vac sealing best ever it is you tube clips good job on taking care of you!
DeleteThank you for always providing such informative posts. I always look forward to them.
ReplyDeletethank you so much!
DeleteWe do keep a good supply of canned food around here, but there's always room for improvement. It's a good thing to talk about because I also see that there's no way to avoid price hikes in the near future. Here in Kansas, there is water in all the local fields. I see as much as half a crop underwater. We haven't even gotten dry enough to plant our standard lettuces & tomatoes. Or our annual petunias. Everything is completely saturated and the roots will rot. Even though the south U.S. isn't underwater, they're having a heat wave & drought. There's going to be effects from that, as well.
ReplyDeleteI score well in the making & creating part. And buttons? I've been a hoarder of buttons my entire life. I could probably supply my entire city of 12k with buttons for life lol. My Gran started my obsession in a little talcum powder tin she put hers in. For as long as I can remember, I loved pouring those buttons onto the dining room table and looking over them as treasure. Now, I have bottles and bottles of them separated by color. They make a beautiful decoration, as well. I asked my friends to save their Starbucks coffee bottles because they look like mini milk jugs from the milkman delivery days.
Always a great message here. Stay dry. We're under ANOTHER tornado watch and impending rains. I'm fully expecting to see the Ark float by soon.
i saw a graphic on the news that showed the whole center of us all the way from top to bottom is wet i just had to carry some things to burn pile and was lucky to not lose my shoes muck muck muck as i walked no longer like a sponge it is mud price will go up no doubt about it. I have collected buttons off the ground when i was a girl i got quite a bit.
DeleteThe church has really stopped pushing the two year supply and I wonder why? It kind of scares me. Or is it that they have told us enough?
ReplyDeletei wonder if is they told us enough ? what is scary is the wet thru center of the us the flooding just sad to see prices will go up.
DeleteHubby got me a dehydrator for my birthday this week so I can't wait to try it out. My garden is almost fully planted. All of my herbs are going crazy already. The dehydrator will make drying them much easier this year. I used to leave them laying on cookie sheets around the house for days. My youngest wants me to do a watermelon. Her friend's mom does it and she said it tastes like candy. I will wait for a sale on them.
ReplyDeleteoh it does yum yum and her is a couple things we like take your qt of applesauce and add jello powder to is two tbsp or to taste and spread it on the leather sheet yum or you can leave it plain do the same as the jello one when done melt caramel spread on it roll it and cut cinn roll fashion yum but our fav is peel and cut apples into dices then shake in jello powder and dry i would spray the trays as hard to pick off those are like candy too we near me to plant i put my toms in two weeks ago haven't watered yet it won't quit raining
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