How Prepared Are You?

While reading on one of my fave blogs today she made a post about her Sunday school class yesterday.  They were talking about emergency preparedness.  The instructor asked them several questions.  She listed them on her blog post.  They were really good questions.  A few of them I had to think about.  Here they are:

• Do you know where your 72-hour kit is and how to use it?
• Do you have a kit for each member of your family?
• Do your kids know what is in it?
• Is the 72-hour kit up to date?
• Do you own a battery-powered radio?
• In an emergency, do you know where to find emergency information for our area?
• Do you have a family emergency plan?
• Have you practiced it recently?
• Do you carry a paper list of contacts with a phone number of someone at least 100 miles away for everyone to contact?
• Do you have an emergency kit in your car? In your office?
• How long will it take for you to walk home from work?
• Do you know where you will evacuate?
• Can you bring your 72-hour kit to an evacuation center if needed? Or can you stay home and shelter in place?
• Do you own a shovel?
• The government can bring emergency drinking water in trucks, but when they do, what kind of container to you own to carry the water in?
• Do you own a tent or travel trailer?
• Do you have 2 gallons of water per day per person? 1 gallon for drinking and 1 gallon for sanitary use?
• Is your hot water heater strapped to the wall?
• Do you know how to shut off your water so you can use it?
• Do you know how to shut off the gas? Only shut it off if you smell gas.

Now is the time to get your 72 hr kits together.  There are different ways you can do it.  You can assemble them your self or you can buy pre-assembled kits.  For my family I have pieced them together.  If I cold go back AND I could afford it I would buy pre-assembled kits and add the personal items to it.  As I have built our kits over the years I have never felt that they have been complete.  They have been a huge source of stress. 

Whether you decide to piece yours together or buy pre-assembled kits I have what you need.  We have all sorts of different items that you can build your kit with and we also have several different kits to choose from.  Click here to go to my website.  Click on the buy tab and then on the left side you will see the different options for emergency kits and supplies.

Thinking about those questions, how prepared are you?  I know my family will be working on a few of those in the coming weeks!

Granola Bars

A few days ago my sister who has helped me with the design of my blog sent me a txt asking when I changed my blog.  I had no idea what she was talking about as I had not changed anything on it.  After a minute she realized she was at the wrong blog.  She went to self reliance by Jamie.

I can see how she would get that confused with mine.  We have the same name and I sell Shelf reliance products.  Anyways I asked her to send me the link to the blog so I could take a look.  I was very impressed with what I was seeing.  I looked through her blog and found some yummy sounding recipes and great info.  I love a good food storage/emergency preparedness blog and another I have found.

I am all about making homemade when I can.  I have been trying for about a year now to find a good granola bar recipe.  I have tried several different recipes and they have all tasted good. BUT when I go to cut them into bars they either crumble or fall apart when I pick them up.  My other problem is I compare them to store bought granola bars.  With these I need to remember that the homemade bars are not going to be like the store bought bars.  Anyways Jamie at self reliance by Jamie  about a year ago posted a recipe for granola bars.  They looked and sounded good so I tried her recipe yesterday.  Oh my goodness....I found my granola bar recipe.  Thanks Jamie!  These not only taste good but I was able to cut them into bars and they held up!!!

Granola Bars

4 1/2 c rolled oats (regular, not quick)

1 c flour ( I like to use whole wheat flour)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 c butter, melted

1/2 c honey

1/3 c brown sugar, packed

1/2 c mini chocolate chips (raisins, craisins, other dried fruit, whatever you like!)

Combine all ingredients but the chocolate chips (or whatever you are putting in). Mix and then add the chocolate chips in and mix again. Press into a greased pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22 minutes. Enjoy!!

**this is a basic recipe. . . if you like other things, try putting them in and make it your own recipe! Nuts, seeds, coconut, peanut butter. . . the options are endless!**

 

These are NOT my pics, they are Jamie`s.  To see her blog for this recipe click here.

Instant Milk

I will admit, I have been putting off trying our instant powdered milk.  I have tried non-instant powdered milk from another company, and it wasn't bad, but in order for it to taste good I had to add 1/4 tsp of clear vanilla and 1/2 tsp of sugar for 1 gallon of milk.  It was drinkable but my kids didn't enjoy it.  I DO use non-instant powdered milk for baking!

I have had SO MANY people tell me how good the instant milk is so I decided to try it at a party I had yesterday.  I will say that it needed to be a little colder, but it tasted like fat free milk!  It was GOOD!!  Even my 13 yr old daughter, who did not like the other companies non-instant powdered milk, liked this milk.  She said she could, and would, drink this and wouldn't complain at all!  Every one at the party agreed that this didnt even taste like instant powdered milk.

I have mentioned instant milk and non-instant powdered milk.  There is a difference.  Non-instant powdered milk is better for baking.  You can use it to drink but you need to add 1/2 tsp of sugar and 1/4 tsp of clear vanilla to make it drink able to make it drinkable.  My kids still complained about it even with adding the sugar and vanilla.  Non-instant powdered milk is also much harder to mix up.  It will have clumps in it and it is just a pain to make. 

Instant milk is better for drinking.  It almost dissolves with out any mixing from you.  Just remember that no matter which kind of milk you use MAKE SURE IT IS COLD before you drink it.  If its not cold it is not going to taste good!

Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Mothers Day to all you wonderful Mothers!  But most especially my Mom!  She is the best Mom I could ask for!  LOVE YOU! This pic is of me and my 3 Moms.  My Mom is on the left.

The Q

Shelf Reliance has done some research and has found 4 of the most common reasons that people dont have a food storage or "home store".  They have taken those 4 reasons and come up with a solution.  I wanted to share more about those reasons.

The top 4 reasons they found are:

What/how much do I need?
How do I use it?
How do I rotate it?
Money.

So Shelf Reliance came up with a program to help with those concerns.  Its called The Q.

We have a GREAT program that you get onto and type in everyone in your families names and if they are an adult or child. Then you put in how much food you want to store, 3 months, 6months, 1 year ect.  After you put in that info it spits out a plan.  It tells you what your family will needs.  Once you see your plan you can customize it.  If your family does not like say wheat, you just take it out.  You can think of it as your personal grocery store.  You only put in your store what your family likes.

Now you know what and how much you need!

How do you use it?  There are several ways you can use it.  Several of our items you can eat straight out of the can.  Or you can rehydrate it.  VERY simple.  Simply add water and let it soak until it is soft.  All our products also tell you on the can or pouch how to rehydrate them.  We also have TONS of recipes on our website.  We now have a cookbook as well.  Kelsey Nixon, one of our 2 chefs, also has put together several youtube videos on how to use our food as well as showing you different recipes you can make.

Now you know how to use it!

How do you rotate your food?  Use the oldest cans 1st.  We have GREAT rotators to help you do just that.  And they also keep your food nice and organized.  

Lastly how much is this going to cost you?  This is a big concern for many people.  Years ago I was going to buy a food storage package. I dont remember all the details now but the one thing I remember after picking out the package is them telling me it was going to cost $6,000!!! I was SHOCKED!!!  I dont have $6,000 laying around.  When I told them I couldnt afford it they said oh thats ok most people cant. We are able to break that up into 6 months worth of payments for you.  WHAT, are you kidding me?!?!  I dont have $1,000/month to spend on this!

We dont want you to feel that way.  The Q is not here to be a burden to you.  It is here to help you. The Q is a monthly shipment program. You will get automated shipments every month on a date you set them to ship.  You are only obligated to stay on for 3 months.  After the 3 months are up you are able have complete control over everything.  You can change the date you have shipments sent to you.  You can change the amount you spend either up or down. You can pause it if you are going to be gone or cancel if you decide this is not for you.  Our average Q is about $120/month.  You pick what you can afford. DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR THIS!!!  What we suggest you doing is taking your monthly food budget, the average US food budget is $600/month.  So if your budget is $600/month take say $150, or whatever amount you decide, and reallocate that to The Q.  I`m sure your thinking I`m already pinching pennies at the grocery store now you want me to take some of that and buy food storage. Thats right, I do, BECAUSE not only will you be building your food storage but you are also going to be using this in your daily meals.  I`ll tell you more about that in a minute.  So you are going to spend $450 at the grocery store and put $150 to The Q. 

When I talk to people about THRIVE foods the most common question I get is, Come on do you REALLY use this stuff.  The answer....YES, and on a daily basis.  I use dehydrated onions ALL the time, in fact I havent bought fresh onions, except for when I make stroganoff, for years!!!  The fruits I send with my kids in their lunches ALL the time, we use it as a snack, in meals ect.  It has become a part of our groceries. 

For my family of 6, 1 can of corn is not enough but 2 cans is too much.  So I am always throwing away corn.  What a waste of money.  If we looked at how much food we throw away we would be shocked.  I saw a study from Harvard I believe it was and if I remember correctly it said that the average person throws away like 40% from either waste or it going bad.  CRAZY!!!  With THRIVE you use what you need.  There is NO waste.  So you are saving money. 

We also have something called The Q Club.  Click here for more detailed info. Basically what The Q Club is, is for every $1 you spend on The Q you will get 1 point.  When you build your points you can turn them in for specific items or turn it into "cash" and use it for whatever you would like.  There are different levels for The Q Club.  The highest level is platinum.  It has an initial fee of $79.99 and a yearly renewal fee of $19.99.  I have a special that I am able to do right now where I can wave both of those fees for you.  So there will be NO initial fee or a yearly fee....EVER.  How great is that.  Just a few of the benefits of The Q Club is every month we have a Q-pon...haha I know funny hu...We have 1 item that has an extra discount.  April FD strawberries were an additional $4 off/can.  It changes every month.  Occasionally we will have shipping discounts, we will receive gifts.  When we have a new product come out we get it before anyone else can buy it!!  How sweet is that! 

I could go on and on about The Q.  It is such a wonderful program.  I am on it and LOVE it.  If you would like to know more info about The Q feel free to contact me and I can get you some more info!  Or if you want to sign up for The Q let me know.  In order for you to get the best pricing I need to set it up for you.  On The Q you will ALWAYS receive the best price!

What Happens if the Trucks Stop

I found this article from thrivehive.blogspot.com.  Now I am NOT posting this article because my husband is a trucker!  And Honey, PLEASE dont go getting a big head now.  :)  But really this is what could happen if truckers are not able to get their jobs done!

Do you realize how much your everyday life depends on whether or not truckers are able to do their job?  The American Trucking Associations (ATA) put out a report in 2006 about what would happen in the event that trucks became unable to deliver supplies to a given area.  There are many reasons why trucks might be unable to make their deliveries in an emergency, whether it is because of actions by the government halting or limiting truck traffic or the extreme traffic jams and destruction of roads that can occur in a disaster.  Whatever the reason, the potential consequences are alarming.  Below is a timeline from the ATA giving a brief description of those consequences.  For a more in depth look, check out the whole article entitled "When Trucks Stop, America Stops".

"When Trucks Stop, America Stops 

A Timeline Showing the Deterioration of Major Industries Following a Truck Stoppage 

The first 24 hours
• Delivery of medical supplies to the affected area will cease.
• Hospitals will run out of basic supplies such as syringes and catheters within hours. Radiopharmaceuticals will deteriorate and become unusable.
• Service stations will begin to run out of fuel.
• Manufacturers using just-in-time manufacturing will develop component shortages.
• U.S. mail and other package delivery will cease.


Within one day
• Food shortages will begin to develop.
• Automobile fuel availability and delivery will dwindle, leading to skyrocketing prices and long lines at the gas pumps.
• Without manufacturing components and trucks for product delivery, assembly lines will shut down, putting thousands out of work.

Within two to three days
• Food shortages will escalate, especially in the face of hoarding and consumer panic.
• Supplies of essentials—such as bottled water, powdered milk, and canned meat—at major retailers will disappear.
• ATMs will run out of cash and banks will be unable to process transactions.
• Service stations will completely run out of fuel for autos and trucks.
• Garbage will start piling up in urban and suburban areas.
• Container ships will sit idle in ports and rail transport will be disrupted, eventually coming to a standstill.

Within a week
• Automobile travel will cease due to the lack of fuel.  Without autos and busses, many people will not be able to get to work, shop for groceries, or access medical care.
• Hospitals will begin to exhaust oxygen supplies.

Within two weeks
• The nation’s clean water supply will begin to run dry.

Within four weeks
• The nation will exhaust its clean water supply and water will be safe for drinking only after boiling.  As a result gastrointestinal illnesses will increase, further taxing an already weakened health care system.

This timeline presents only the primary effects of a freeze on truck travel.  Secondary effects must be considered as well, such as inability to maintain telecommunications service, reduced law enforcement, increased crime, increased illness and injury, higher death rates, and likely, civil unrest"


I do not share this to scare, but to help prepare.  Some things this reinforced for me are that I need to:
1.  Become knowledgeable about first aid and have a good first aid kit.
2.  Make sure you keep a good stock of necessary medications on hand.  (If this isn't possible you may consider researching survival methods that can be used for people with your particular health issues).
3.  Always keep your gas tanks at least half full.
4.  Keep an adequate amount of food and water storage in an accessible place.  This will save you money, time, grief, gas, stress, etc. in case of emergency.
5.  Keep an ample supply of money in a safe, yet accessible place.
6.  Make sure you have reliable means of water purification.

Ample water supply is a key component of emergency preparedness.  See FEMA's Water Storage Guidelines here.  For additional information about water storage and purification, this article from the National Terror Alert Response Center is helpful.

THRIVE Chicken Pot Pie

The other night I made THRIVE chicken pot pie for dinner.  SOOO delish! 

I have posted a link to the youtube video that Kelsey Nixon made.  Unfortunately I couldnt find part 2.  Part 2 just tells how to roll out the dough, placing 1/2 of the dough in the bottom of your pie plate and then covering the top with dough.  In the video she uses fresh chicken.  You can do that or if you forgot to defrost the chicken or dont have any THRIVE freeze dried chicken will work just as well!  I used the FD chicken.

CHICKEN POT PIE

2 c. THRIVE chicken
1 c. THRIVE carrot dices
1 c. THRIVE green peas
1/2 c. THRIVE celery
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. THRIVE chopped onion
1/3 c. THRIVE white flour
1/2 tsp THRIVE salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 3/4 c. THRIVE chicken broth (1 3/4 tsp. THRIVE chicken bouillon + 1 3/4 c. water)
2/3 c. THRIVE instant milk rehydrated (4 Tbs instant milk powder + 2/3 c. water)

PIE CRUST (can use store bought crust or make your own)
4 c. THRIVE 6 grain pancake mix
4 Tbs melted butter
1 1/2 c. THRIVE instant milk rehydrated (9 Tbs instant milk powder + 2/3 c. water)

1- preheat oven to 425 deg

2- In sauce pan combine, chicken, carrots, peas and celery.  Cover w/water and boil for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

3- In saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in better until soft.  Stir in flour, salt, pepper and celery seed.  Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk.  Simmer over medium low heat until thick.  Remove from heat and combine with chicken mixture.

FOR PIE CRUST

1- In lg bowl stir 6 grain pancake mix, butter and milk until soft dough forms.  On well floured (use pancake mix in place of flour) surface, work dough and shape into ball.  Knead 5 times.  Divide dough into 4 equal parts.

2- Gently press 1 part of dough parts into bottom of pie plate and up the sides.  Place 1/2 the chicken and sauce mixture in bottom of pie crust.  Roll out 1 dough ball and place over top and seal edges.  Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.  Assemble 2nd pe with remaining ingredients.

3- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until dough is golden brown and filling is bubbling.  cool for 10 minutes before serving.

You can cook both pot pies or freeze one for a later time!

Enjoy!