Food Storage in 3 Easy Steps

Deals to Meals is a terrific resource for information on beginning your own food storage journey - or continuing in the effort with renewed vigor! This young, hip, Utah mom has turned her love of family and food storage into a business and she supplies the Utah valley with weekly updates as to what is on sale in their area. While this is of little use to those of us in Michigan, her site is packed with free downloads (food storage inventory sheets!), recipes (she posted MY wheat bread recipe, which I stole from a friend in Troy), and terrific how-to videos for so many different areas of preparedness. Check her out for sure. This one is my favorite because it's a terrific overview of what food storage is and what it looks like for a family. When you see the Best Wheat Bread Recipe (and it is!), scroll to the bottom of the page and watch the 3 Easy Steps video. It will breathe new life into you, I promise!

Side note on $aving money as you store up: CouponMom is a resource that lists the grocery deals for a long list of stores nationwide. It's FREE! They scour the ads, connect them with Sunday paper coupons and save you a ton of time. If coupons are not your thing, it's still much faster than going to each individual store to see what's on sale. Food storage is much easier if you buy only what is on sale and buy it in bulk. That way you never pay more than .59 for a can of tomatoes again.

- Anne Burns

Beef Jerky at the Fair

I'm just too excited to keep this to myself anymore. Inspired by so many others who are constantly adding to their family's preparedness, I have made beef jerky. I stopped at H&S Meat Market in Lapeer (where Saginaw Street meets M-24, behind the filling station) and purchased an eye of round. Big deal for me since I usually only talk to the butcher at Sam's Club to ask for a big roll of 90% lean ground beef.

Alton Brown of Food Network fame had what I think is the best recipe for homemade beef jerky, so I gave it a shot. There are lots of factors in the drying process and I've still not perfected that in my kitchen, but I'm telling you...it tastes really good!

First I tried the oven process (lowest setting, door propped open) and then I tried the dehydrator. My vote goes to the oven, but watch your time. It doesn't take nearly the 12 hours Mr. Brown suggests. Here is the recipe.

OR stop by my booth (72 Hour Kits) at the Preparedness Fair on May 22nd. I'll have samples of the jerky and recipes for you to take home and try yourself. Beef jerky is so expensive in the store; this is a great way to save money and learn a new skill all to benefit you and your family!

See you at the fair!

- Anne Burns

This is getting redundant...in a really good way.

We have yet another fabulous booth at the upcoming fair! Randy Hund from Cass River Bulk Foods will demonstrate homemade laundry soap and an all-natural pain killer made from burdock leaves. Those are two very welcome skills for emergency situations and every day use. Talk to Randy at the Preparedness Fair on Saturday, May 22nd from 1 to 4 PM. Bring your questions too - anyone that knows how to do these two things knows a lot of other stuff too!

See you at the fair!

The Booths...they keep comin'!

Our Preparedness Fair gets bigger by the day it seems as we announce another newcomer. "Dutch Oven Cooking" will be presented by the illustrious Hoyt Family. This is no Romper Room program, this is for people who intend to eat when the microwave doesn't have power. The Hoyts will be outdoors with information on seasoning & cleaning your Dutch oven, meal preparation and recipes, and just how to manage those hot coals. They'll answer any questions you have and share a wealth of experience gained through years of camping. When you arrive at the building for the fair, they'll be the ones with the fire outside. Stop by!

Physically Prepared

Let's say you walk into a room and suddenly are confronted with an emergency situation. There is a very hungry lion looking at you to provide his next meal. How is your body going to react? Reaction to an emergency situation or even simply a short term stressful event will depend completely on you being ready physically, emotionally and spiritually for it. Today we will discuss the physical readiness you need to have.

In our example, the hungry lion will cause a set of processes to kick in. Your eyes transmits the image of the lion to the brain which accesses your memory banks and decision making. A signal is sent from the brain to the adrenal glands signaling the necessity for adrenaline. Adrenaline is put into high gear which will increase your breathing rate, raise your blood pressure, and increase your heart rate. A signal is then given to the blood sugar system and fatty acid system that there is an immediate need for quick energy. Finally, the system is set and the brain gives the “all clear” to fire up the muscle tissue You scream and run and you live to fight another day.

There are a few things you must do to prepare your body for the stress response. First, it is important to be physically able to move. This is done through a consistent exercise program that involves what I call “lengthening and strengthening” exercises. You need an amount of cardio exercise to get your muscles and breathing system in shape. But you also need long stretches of the muscle tissue to prevent injury. You need a clean blood flow system, you need proper nutrition, adequate daily hydration, and proper sleep. Also be aware of medications you may be taking which interfere with your body's response.

With constant training of your body and good health, you should be able to handle most any stresses or emergencies that come into your life.

- Dr. Robert Skouson

New Booths

We have two new booths to announce for our May 22nd Preparedness Fair - great news! The first is Loving Hand Clinic, a free medical clinic that serves the Lapeer community and surrounding areas. Stop by to learn about the services they offer in case your emergency includes medical care AND find out how you can be of assistance to others in need.

The second booth is "Spiritually Prepared - Being Calm in the Storm" hosted by the full-time missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Having our lives in line with the gospel before an emergency occurs will help us endure the trial much more sanely. Come by the LDS missionaries' booth for insight into being ready on the inside.