Prepper Non-Food Items

When preppers prepare for a disaster they usually stock up on food and water. They purchase can goods from the grocery store, can their own meats and vegetables and dehydrate foods. Even though their time, effort and money go into preparing food stores, there are non-food items that are equally important.

For food items, here is a quick rule of thumb of how to prepare for a year.

There are 52 weeks in the year and 7 days per week. Figure out what foods you like, not frozen, and have 7 different types and 52 of each one so your family can have it once a week. As an example, if you like chicken, then have enough canned chicken, store bought or home prepared, for your family to eat chicken once per week for 52 weeks. If you like green beans with the chicken, then store enough green beans for your family to have once per week with the chicken.

That’s it. If you have 52 of each item to cover 7 days per week then you have food stores for your family for one year. If you don’t have that, then you have some more preparing to do. In a pinch, dry beans and rice will keep you from going hungry.

For non-food items, here is a list we have added to our supplies.

Toilet paper is an essential item. We buy Pom’s Toilet Paper from Sam’s Club. It is two ply and is a triple roll. You get 40 rolls for under $20. To figure out how many you need, keep track of how long one roll will last in each bathroom. So, if a roll lasted for 3 days, you will need 365 \ 3 = 122 rolls of toilet paper (3 cases of Poms)to supply that one bathroom for one year.

Paper towels or dish towels? That is the question. If paper towels, determine how many you need using the same method as for toilet paper. If you go with dish towels that you can wash, Sam’s Club sells them in bulk.

Plenty of Kleenex Tissue unless you plan on using your toilet paper or paper towels. Determine your consumption the same as above. Buy in bulk at Sam’s Club or Costco.

Paper Plates and plastic eating and drinking utensils since you may not have water to wash dishes.

Manual Kitchen Utensils, such as, a can opener and hand mixer.

Tooth paste and tooth brushes. Determine how many you need for a year.

Gas grill and cook stove. If you don’t have electricity, you will need a way to cook your food. We installed a 120 gallon propane tank for our grill and a two burner cook stove that will last about one and a half years. If you also want it for heat then install a larger tank.

Alternate heat source. Kerosene or propane heater, solar heat or fireplace. Install a 250 gallon tank for the kerosene and/or an appropriate sized propane container. Stock up on wood for your fireplace or wood stove.

You need to have clean drinking water. You can have a water bladder that fits into your tub that can be filled before the disaster strikes. You could also have purification tablets, a way to strain and boil water or a gravity fed water filter, such as, a Berkey.

Kerosene Lanterns are great for light and provide a little heat. You do not need to buy the special lantern oil in the stores….just use kerosene. Buy a blue kerosene container at your favorite hardware store and fill it up at your local gas station. Many hardware stores have fragrances you can add to the kerosene. Also have a smaller container to pour the kerosene into to fill your lanterns.

Make sure you have a supply of matches, candles and batteries on hand, as well as, flashlights.

Moist towelettes for bird baths.

Feminine hygiene products.

Medicinal stuff, such as, peroxide, aspirin, antibiotic cream, anbesol, etc.

Hand and bath soap, as well as, anti-bacterial hand wash.

If you are on a sewer system, you absolutely need a portable potty and a supply of hygiene bags. Do not use trash bags as they will leak and end up causing health problems. You can use a 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat made for the bucket. You will still need the hygiene bags. You can also put kitty litter in the bag to keep down the odor.

If you are on a well for your water, it only works if you have electricity. So you need to install a manual well pump that works when you don’t have electricity. Even if you don’t have electricity for days, weeks, months or years, you will still have good drinking water which is absolutely necessary to stay alive and healthy. If you are on city water then buy the water collection barrels to collect water from your gutter system. You will still need a way to purify your water before drinking it.

Since I am a prepper, I believe you should also have a way to protect your family, your home and your possessions. If you can, buy your weapons from an individual. No city, state or Federal Government can keep you from having arms. There is no law they can pass that trumps the 2nd amendment. If they try, carry it all the way to the Supreme Court. So, stock up.

Buy an ATV (Four Wheeler) that has a distributor with points and plugs (EMP Proof). They make these special without electronics for the same price but you have to ask for them. If you rather have a car, buy an older one that does not have any electronics on it, such as, an electronic ignition.

The above is not a big deal unless you need it and don’t have it. If you are a tent camper you already have your starting supplies. Just keep adding to it.

Walk through each room of your home and ask, ‘If I had to rely on my supplies for one year, what do I absolutely need. Then, stock up a supply that will last you for a year. That’s all there is to preparing a survival list.

Another test you can do is imagine you do not have electric, water or sewer. Now, what food and non-food items would you need to survive. If you think this is far fetched, ask the people of New York and New Jersey who survived Hurricane Sandy.

Here are some businesses that can help you get prepared.

www.carolinareadiness.com
www.samsclub.com

Canning without the Heat

When we first began canning we were living in a condo and did all of our canning in our kitchen on an electric stove. If we didn't run the air conditioner, the house became hotter and if we did run the air conditioner, it simply ran more which cost more money .... to can.

Then we moved into a house that has a small covered back porch (7 ft x 14 ft). We bought a two burner propane stove to put on the porch and connected it to our 30 gal propane tank from our camper. This works great because we can can in any weather and all of the heat stays outdoors. We have two pressure canners and two water bath canners so we can get more done in a shorter period of time.

The biggest inconvenience of this is I am in my mid 60's and those propane tanks just keep getting heavier and heavier. So, I had a 120 gallon propane tank installed and connected my two burner stove, as well as, my grill. At 80% capacity the tank holds 96 gallons of propane and will probably last 1 1/2 to 2 years. When I need more propane, I simply call and they deliver the propane directly to my house.
This set up is not just good for canning and grilling. As a prepper, it meets our requirement for alternate cooking methods in a lights out situation. And with a 120 gallon propane tank, we will not worry about ice or snow storms knocking out our power or a longer term outage caused by some natural or man made disaster.

My 30 gallon propane tanks will still be used for my camper, as well as, to connect to an energy efficient propane heater to use in emergency situations. I have two 30 gallon and one 20 gallon propane tank to provide for emergency heat. I will also buy more propane tanks if I can find them at yard sales.

Using propane tanks inside your house is a little more dangerous so make sure you have monitors set up close to the tank to detect any leaks. You can use a soapy solution to check your connections to ensure there are no leaks. You can also have the gas company install a quick disconnect connection so you can hook up a heater in a room of your choosing. This is the safest method of using propane inside your house.

So, look at your situation for canning and long term cooking and heating alternatives. Pick a solution that best meets your needs but by all means, be prepared.

Home Made Pizza Recipe

I don't remember where we got this recipe from but it is fantastic.

This is our favorite pizza recipe. Ever since we started making this recipe we have not bought a pizza out. The recipe for the dough makes two 12" - 14" pizza's.

Pizza Dough

1 cup warm water

2 tbl honey

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbl yeast

1 cup bread flour

1/4 cup olive oil

2 1/2 cups flour

Instructions:

Pour in warm water. The water should be about 85 to 115° F. Test it with your hand. It should feel very warm, but comfortable. Add the honey and salt. Mix on low for about 20 seconds. Add the yeast and mix on low for another 5 seconds. Add 1 cup of flour, mix on low for 10 seconds. Add the olive oil and mix until blended (about 15 or 20 seconds more). Add the rest of the flour (and any other additions) and mix on high for about a minute or two. The dough should turn into a ball and roll around the processor. If the dough does not ball up because it's too dry, add water one tablespoon at a time until it does. If your mixture is more like a batter, add flour one tablespoon at a time. Adding water or flour as needed to get the right consistency will assure you always get a perfect dough. Just remember to do it in small amounts. Once the dough is balled up, place the ball on a floured board and knead for about a minute. This builds the gluten which helps the dough to rise and become fluffy when cooked. Place the dough in a plastic grocery bag or a covered bowl and store in a warm, dry area to rise. After about 45 minutes the dough should have about doubled in size. Show it who's the boss and punch it down. That's right, give it a good smack so it deflates. Let it rise for another hour to an hour and a half. The dough is now ready to be rolled out. You can punch the dough down one more time if you want and wait another hour or two before rolling out. The choice is yours. Flour your surface and roll out your dough to the thickness and size you need. This dough can also be made in advance and refrigerated for a day or so, or even frozen. Be sure to let the dough come to room temperature before using. Topping 1 can Tomato Paste 2 tablespoons mashed baked garlic 1 can of Rotel drained 2 tbl basil pesto Sprinkle & spread EVOO on the unbaked dough Spread Topping over the unbaked dough  Add your toppings (Pepperoni, Hot Italian Sausage cooked and drained, sautéed Onions and Black Olives) Cover with mozzarella cheese We buy our cheese from Pete & Fran who make Fresh Homemade Mozzarella Cheese. It is the best cheese you can buy for pizza. They do not have a web site but their phone number is 239-940-0901 and you can find them at the following farmers markets. North Carolina (Waynesville, Asheville & Silva) and Florida( Bonita Springs, Marco Island, Cape Coral, Fort Myers & Sanibel) Bake at 400 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes

Banana Nut Bread Recipe

This is the best addictive recipe we have ever tried for Banana Nut Bread. It is easy and quick to make for breakfast or dessert.

2 bananas - mashed
1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 pkg (small) instant banana pudding mix
walnuts on top - I also mix some in
pour into an ungreased loaf pan
Bake at 350 for 35-40 min

Grocery Store vs Farmer

A nice clean grocery store is a joy to shop in. Everything is laid out in straight rows or stacked perfectly so it is appeasing to the eye. You have multiple brand choices and you see the store brand becoming the dominant brand and the cheapest. If the grocery store has their own butcher shop, you can get some great deals on meat with their store sales.

The real problem with grocery stores is not the store itself but with some of the products they sell. All can goods have BPA and preservatives I can't even pronounce. The produce looks good due to the chemicals constantly sprayed on them because they are usually harvested several days before they reach the grocery store display case. Many times I have witnessed fresh vegetables already becoming wilted and potatoes becoming a little soft and just a day or two from sprouting. We found the eggs with thin shells and light yellow, weak yokes. It made us wonder what they were feeding these chickens. What really gets me is when some vegetables, like sweet red bell peppers are severely overpriced at $2.00 per pepper.  Have you ever experienced any of this?

We started going to a local farmers market on Wednesday and Saturday. We visited each booth to look at their offerings and to talk to them to see if the products came from their farm or if they were buying at a larger farmers market and reselling (grocery store). We connected with a farmer whose farm is about 15 miles from us and he sells in bulk even cheaper than his prices at the farmers market. As an example, we purchased a bushel of sweet red peppers, picked that morning, for $25. This worked out to be about .50 per pepper where that same pepper bought individually at the farmers market would cost $1.00. So, you wonder, what in the world do we do with a bushel of peppers. You know, during the winter, that same pepper will cost $3 - $4 for a single pepper. So, we clean them, chop them up and dehydrate them. Then they are put in a half gallon Ball Jar and vacuum packed. When we need a sweet red bell pepper for soup, stew, chili or pizza we simply take what we need from our dehydrated supply and re-vacuum pack the jar. By the way, we bought 4 bushels and ended up with 3 3/4 half gallon jars.

But that's not all. We buy a bushel of Roma tomatoes for $5 and a bushel of regular tomatoes for $10. These end up as tomato sauce, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, chili and sun dried tomatoes. Then you can dehydrate or can snap beans, peas, sweet potatoes and potatoes. We also bought the biggest blackberries we've ever seen. We juiced these and made blackberry jelly. No BPA and no preservatives.

Now, the greens are ready to be harvested and we can't wait to can and dehydrate them.

Our farmer friend turned us on to a neighbor who sold eggs from free roaming chickens. We went to their house and sure enough, chickens were roaming around the yard and field. We bought 2 dozen of the biggest most beautiful eggs you have ever seen. The shells were thick and the yokes were a dark rich yellow. And, the best part is they only cost us $2.50 per dozen. Now, we do not buy eggs from any other place.

We still shop at the grocery store but for very selected items. Like, sirloin roast when it is on sale so we can cut it into kabobs and can it or ground it into hamburger for canning meatloaf. Watch for the Whole Beef Sirloin Tip which looks like a shoulder or butt to be on sale. We bought 4 this week for $2.98 lb. I cut two up into kabobs for canning and had the store ground the other two into hamburger for canning ground beef and meatloaf. The store does not charge for this service so we end up with ground sirloin cheaper than what you can buy out of the display case on sale. However, we buy our sausage and brats from a local farm.

We grind our own flour for bread and corn for cornbread and we make our own milk from Moos Powdered Milk which can be bought at places, like, CarolinaReadiness.com

If you don't already, learn how to can and dehydrate to take advantage of the plentiful food during harvest. And remember that different produce is harvested at different times of the year. It can keep you pretty busy.

So, by being selective you can support both your local grocery store and your local farmer.

Good shopping and eat healthy.

Privatizing Cities

I was watching Fox News on Saturday Sept 8, 2012 and they began talking about our government discussing plans to privatize the cities in the United States. Can you believe this? As much as our government rails against corporations and now they want them to take over and run our cities. What's going on here?

Are our politicians so crooked now that every city is going bankrupt because of the ungodly pension plans they have agreed to and participate in. It seems the regulations should be on government and not on business. I don't know of a single corporation that went out of business because their pension plan caused them to implode like our public sector is doing. So, now they have a brilliant idea. Let the corporations run the cities and the politicians will dictate to the corporations how they will operate. Kind of like what our government is doing now. Unfortunately, every business the government has tried to run has gone bankrupt. So why should this be any different. It will just be on a larger scale.

They point out the success of cities in Europe and Hong Kong so you will feel more comfortable with the idea. Remember, this is for you. This is to Help You. Remember what Ronald Reagan said was one of the biggest Lies is when the government says 'We're the government and we're here to help'. Watch out. They may be here to manipulate and use you into doing something you would never agree to if you knew the truth but the only help you will get is to further their agenda.

When I first started my career in computers (a few years ago), the company I worked for ran the payrolls for mining towns all over the country. Are you familiar with mining towns? Well, the mining company owns everything in the town. The grocery store, gas station, clothing, shoes, movie theater, bank, furniture, car dealerships, everything. If you work for the company, you are given a line of credit and you can go to any of their stores and purchase what you need on credit. Come payday, your check stub will show deductions for everything you purchased, show the balance of how much you still owe and your check will be printed with big fat zeros. Remember, you don't need money because everything is available on credit ..... as long as you don't leave the town limits. You are virtually a slave until you die.

Also, have you ever lived in a Planned Neighborhood. The Homeowners Association controls everything that goes on in that neighborhood. Even though you paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the house, you have very few rights about what is done to that house. And, if you don't keep up your property to their standard, you could get into some serious legal trouble.

So, how great would it be to live in a city owned and run by a corporation. How much say would you have about anything?

I don't think you will have a choice about living in a privatized city. I think it will just happen and you will hardly notice. And then, little by little your rights will be eroded until you won't recognize the city or country you are living in. Kind of like what is happening now. And to think, our politicians think this is progress.

Personally, I do not want to live in a Privitized City run by some corporation. What would be nice is to change the way we elect politicians. Do not elect anyone to public office unless they have a minimum of 25 years experience in business and have some strict guidelines so politicians cannot run amuck. Basically, require them to have a balanced budget and do not allow them to be exempt from any laws they pass.

That should do it.

December 21, 2012

My wife and I subscribe to a lot of news letters. Not just any news letters but ones that are vetted by us to be people with tremendous experience, success and political or business contacts. We pay close attention to their advice about what is coming and their recommendations on how to prepare to survive the End of America as we know it. Sometimes it seems like it is a quest for us searching for more knowledge.

We have learned a lot about our political process. Some enlightning and some disappointing. Every once in a while a revelation will be presented to us that scares us to the depth of our souls and we feel it is imperative to warn others. We believe there is much more happening than what we see on ANY news channel .... even Fox. I remember in the movie 'A Few Good Men' the statement that 'You can't handle the truth'. I feel this is true for most of the American public.

We have heard many times that the dollar would lose its status as the reserve currency but we have never heard of a date when this would happen.

A news letter we recently received described how the Petro Dollar came into existence. Basically, Richard Nixon made a deal with Saudi Arabia that if they would only accept dollars for their oil, from any nation, then the United States would guarantee their protection from all enemies. Saudi Arabia then convinced all the other Arab oil producing states to do the same. This meant that everyone had to convert their currency into dollars, at the current exchange rate, to buy oil. All the U.S. had to do was print more money to supply all these countries with dollars to buy oil or buy more cheap products from these countries to supply them with dollars.

Iran, which is the second largest oil producing state, said in January 2012 that on December 21, 2012 that the Arab States, led by Iran, would begin accepting other currencies for the purchase of oil. You haven't heard this on the news, have you? We have been told that the issue with Iran is nuclear weapons. It is estimated that it would take Iran 10 years to produce just two nuclear weapons. The U.S. has over 2,000. Pakistan, Indian and North Korea already have nuclear weapons. Would Iran risk annihilation by the U.S. just to destroy Israel?

Eliminating the Petro Dollar is a much greater weapon of mass destruction than a nuclear weapon. Now you know why Iran is such a threat and why the U.S. needs to do something to stop that from happening.

This means that we will not be selling dollars (our debt) to other countries after December 21st. This also means that our economy collapses and 2013 and a few years after, are going to be horrible years. This is much more effective than a nuclear weapon. We cannot even imagine the negative effect this will have on America and our lives. But, what it will mean is, 'The End of America' as we know it.   

Sept 20, 2012 Update

The Fed has decided to pump 40 Billion Dollars per Month into our economy till our economy recovers. What this really means is that No One is buying our debt anymore. This also means the more money the Fed prints, the more our dollar is devalued and the higher inflation will be. Everything is going to cost a lot more.

So, do you think this is bunk or does it make sense? To ignore it is like playing Russian Roulette.

If you haven't been preparing, then you had better get into high gear.

We would rather be prepared than play Russian Roulette.