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I just found this really fun crafty idea! This wonder box will cook your food for you after you just bring it to a boil! It works alot like a crock pot but it doesn't use any electricity so it is a great emergency item. Here is the like for the instructions and ideas.
http://ourldsfamily.com/wonderbox/
Showing posts with label Tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tools. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Food Storage Analyzer
I recently tried the food storage analyzer that you can get from Emergency Essentials. It is free to try. It was a pretty good way to keep track of your food storage items and see what it would cost if you want to purchase everything else you need from Emergency Essentials. Check it out!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Powdered Eggs
How many cans of powdered eggs should you have in your years supply?
Think of how many eggs your family eats in a week, then multiply that number by 52. That is how many eggs your family will eat in one year. A can of eggs has the equivalent of 216 medium eggs or 150 large eggs. Take the number of eggs your family will eat in a year and divide it by the number of either medium or large eggs, depending on which size you buy. This is how many cans you need for a years supply.
one medium egg = 1 T. dry powdered egg + 2 T. water
one large egg = 1 1/2 T. dry powdered egg + 3 T. water
one extra large egg = 2 T. dry powdered egg + 1/4 c. water
I recently used powdered eggs in my chocolate chip cookies. They turned out really good! Not a single cookie was left! I plan to try them making scrambled eggs to get a test with them plain. I will let you know my findings.
Enjoy!
Think of how many eggs your family eats in a week, then multiply that number by 52. That is how many eggs your family will eat in one year. A can of eggs has the equivalent of 216 medium eggs or 150 large eggs. Take the number of eggs your family will eat in a year and divide it by the number of either medium or large eggs, depending on which size you buy. This is how many cans you need for a years supply.
one medium egg = 1 T. dry powdered egg + 2 T. water
one large egg = 1 1/2 T. dry powdered egg + 3 T. water
one extra large egg = 2 T. dry powdered egg + 1/4 c. water
I recently used powdered eggs in my chocolate chip cookies. They turned out really good! Not a single cookie was left! I plan to try them making scrambled eggs to get a test with them plain. I will let you know my findings.
Enjoy!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Solar Ovens
I am wondering if anyone else is interested in Solar Ovens. I watched a special on them on BYUTV and I am hooked! Just the idea that I won't have to store extra fuel to cook seems like heaven to me. I was thinking I might try to find a company that will give us a group discount. So far they are ranging from $200-$280, but I'm sure I could get it cheaper if we buy lots. Anyone else interested? The brand I am looking at is called a Sun Oven. I am trying to figure out how to make a DVD from my recording on my DVR so that I can share all of this information with all of you! Let me know your thoughts!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
How to store your food
There are several ways to store your food. First, however, you need to decide where to store it. The cooler the place, the longer your food will stay fresh. The ideal place will stay between 32 and 70 degrees and will stay dry. Also, keep it off the floor! The area should have less than 15% humidity, and should be well ventilated to prevent condensation of moisture. A 9' X 12' room should provide enough space for a family of six to store an 18 month supply of food. Remember to check your area regularly to watch for insect or rodent infestation and water damage. Dispose of any food that has gone bad.
Okay, now for what to store your food in. There are several different options. For dry food here is what you can do:
4 1/4 gallon bucket will hold approx. 30 lbs
5 gallon bucket will hold approx. 40 lbs
6 gallon bucket will hold approx. 50 lbs
Dry Pack #10 cans
1 gallon Mylar bags (need a sealer)
The approximate weight depends on the food density!
There are several ways to control infestation and keep your food fresh.
Dry Ice - Place a few inches of grain in the bottom of your bucket. Then place 3-4 oz of dry ice on top of the grain. Fill the remainder of your bucket with grain leaving approximately 1/2 inch for head space. Place the lid on top of the bucket (without sealing) for approximately 20-30 minutes. (This process can take up to 1 hour. Feel the bottom of your container. If it is still cold, the ice is not yet evaporated.) When the dry ice has completely evaporated, seal your lid on tightly. If container bulges after sealing, slightly loosen the lid to release the pressure. Then re-seal. Items that can be used with the dry ice: Grains, flours, beans, lentils, split peas, oats, oatmeal, pasta, dry milk, dry soup, mixes, cornmeal, and popcorn.
Oxygen Absorption Packet- Place inside container and seal.
Freeze - Keep food at 0 degrees F for four days. Then place in container and seal.
Okay, now for what to store your food in. There are several different options. For dry food here is what you can do:
4 1/4 gallon bucket will hold approx. 30 lbs
5 gallon bucket will hold approx. 40 lbs
6 gallon bucket will hold approx. 50 lbs
Dry Pack #10 cans
1 gallon Mylar bags (need a sealer)
The approximate weight depends on the food density!
There are several ways to control infestation and keep your food fresh.
Dry Ice - Place a few inches of grain in the bottom of your bucket. Then place 3-4 oz of dry ice on top of the grain. Fill the remainder of your bucket with grain leaving approximately 1/2 inch for head space. Place the lid on top of the bucket (without sealing) for approximately 20-30 minutes. (This process can take up to 1 hour. Feel the bottom of your container. If it is still cold, the ice is not yet evaporated.) When the dry ice has completely evaporated, seal your lid on tightly. If container bulges after sealing, slightly loosen the lid to release the pressure. Then re-seal. Items that can be used with the dry ice: Grains, flours, beans, lentils, split peas, oats, oatmeal, pasta, dry milk, dry soup, mixes, cornmeal, and popcorn.
Oxygen Absorption Packet- Place inside container and seal.
Freeze - Keep food at 0 degrees F for four days. Then place in container and seal.
Clean Water!
I got this information on having clean water during an emergency from The Ready Store website. They have lots of great information! I have a link to this article in the title of this post. Enjoy!
Clean water is something that I have addressed in different ways on this blog. The reason I keep going back to it, is because having access to clean water in an emergency is so critical and almost always overlooked until it is too late. Here are a few obvious points to understand about water, but that I want to make very clear:
Without water you die very quickly – Depending on your health and age, you will live for 5-7 days without clean water. You can live much longer without food.
Water is heavy and takes up a lot of space – A gallon of water weighs about 8.3 pounds. Water is not easy to transport because it is so heavy. That means your emergency water plan should account for that.
Keep these items in mind when you are doing your planning. For example, you may want to put a gallon of water per day in your 72 hour kit. But, that will weigh about 25 lbs. Are you strong enough to carry that water around? Are your children strong enough? Will it even fit? So make sure you plan.
The recommended amount of water from a variety of sources like the American Red Cross is 1 gallon of water per person per day. That is water for drinking, cleaning, cooking and sanitation. It is not for just drinking. You and I don’t drink a gallon of water on a normal day. But to be safe and to take of other needs, 1 gallon of water is the recommendation. If you start doing the math on how much storage space that would require for you and your family for 1 year, you will start to understand my recommendations below.
Here is my approach to water and what I recommend. In an emergency, you need to have a 3 ways of getting to clean water:
1. Store water – Every Shelter in Place supply should have water storage. A small word of caution: don’t try to go cheap on your water storage. Buy a food grade water storage container like a 55, 30 or 5 gallon container and use that. Don’t fill up your old juice bottles or worse your old milk jugs. The barrels and water containers are not to terribly expensive and when the time comes that you need the water, you will be glad you stored water you can actually use. Also, have a variety of sizes of storage containers. Don’t just have a 55 gallon barrel that you never move and never clean out or worse fill up. Use smaller, easier to transport containers like a 5 gallon stackable. Remember, water is heavy!
Also, you won’t rotate your water as much as you think you will, so make sure you use some sort of water stabilizer that allows the water to be stored safely for 5 years without rotating. We have a Water Preserver that works well. But, if you do have the water stored but you are not sure if it is safe or you come across water in an emergency and you don’t know if it is safe, that leads me to my 2nd point.
2. Have a portable water filter – These portable water filters are extremely handy and will allow you to clean suspect water that you come into contact with and make it drinkable. These portable micro filters are will remove bacteria and protozoa from the water, but won’t kill viruses. If you have a stream, lake, pond, river or well by your house, you will be able to clean the water from those sources uses these filters. Each filter will clean up to 500 gallons of water. That is nearly ten 55 gallon drums worth of water. An impossible amount of water for most people to store. I really like or MSR MiniWorks water filter and the Katadyn Combi. They are also great for backpacking and camping can have that dual purpose.
3. Have water purification tablets – These are very handy to have around and a small bottle will chemically treat up to 25 quarts of water. They work fairly quickly (typically in less than a half an hour) and will kill bacteria, protozoa and viruses.
Remember that if you don’t have any of these three things, you can still clean water by boiling it. As a matter of fact, boiling is most effective way to clean water except it won’t take out the floaties like a filter will. The problem with boiling water to drink is it uses a lot of fuel that you may not want to use for that purpose. Also, don’t forget to have portable water pouches in your emergency supplies. They have a 5 year shelf life and are very handy to have around.
Clean water is something that I have addressed in different ways on this blog. The reason I keep going back to it, is because having access to clean water in an emergency is so critical and almost always overlooked until it is too late. Here are a few obvious points to understand about water, but that I want to make very clear:
Without water you die very quickly – Depending on your health and age, you will live for 5-7 days without clean water. You can live much longer without food.
Water is heavy and takes up a lot of space – A gallon of water weighs about 8.3 pounds. Water is not easy to transport because it is so heavy. That means your emergency water plan should account for that.
Keep these items in mind when you are doing your planning. For example, you may want to put a gallon of water per day in your 72 hour kit. But, that will weigh about 25 lbs. Are you strong enough to carry that water around? Are your children strong enough? Will it even fit? So make sure you plan.
The recommended amount of water from a variety of sources like the American Red Cross is 1 gallon of water per person per day. That is water for drinking, cleaning, cooking and sanitation. It is not for just drinking. You and I don’t drink a gallon of water on a normal day. But to be safe and to take of other needs, 1 gallon of water is the recommendation. If you start doing the math on how much storage space that would require for you and your family for 1 year, you will start to understand my recommendations below.
Here is my approach to water and what I recommend. In an emergency, you need to have a 3 ways of getting to clean water:
1. Store water – Every Shelter in Place supply should have water storage. A small word of caution: don’t try to go cheap on your water storage. Buy a food grade water storage container like a 55, 30 or 5 gallon container and use that. Don’t fill up your old juice bottles or worse your old milk jugs. The barrels and water containers are not to terribly expensive and when the time comes that you need the water, you will be glad you stored water you can actually use. Also, have a variety of sizes of storage containers. Don’t just have a 55 gallon barrel that you never move and never clean out or worse fill up. Use smaller, easier to transport containers like a 5 gallon stackable. Remember, water is heavy!
Also, you won’t rotate your water as much as you think you will, so make sure you use some sort of water stabilizer that allows the water to be stored safely for 5 years without rotating. We have a Water Preserver that works well. But, if you do have the water stored but you are not sure if it is safe or you come across water in an emergency and you don’t know if it is safe, that leads me to my 2nd point.
2. Have a portable water filter – These portable water filters are extremely handy and will allow you to clean suspect water that you come into contact with and make it drinkable. These portable micro filters are will remove bacteria and protozoa from the water, but won’t kill viruses. If you have a stream, lake, pond, river or well by your house, you will be able to clean the water from those sources uses these filters. Each filter will clean up to 500 gallons of water. That is nearly ten 55 gallon drums worth of water. An impossible amount of water for most people to store. I really like or MSR MiniWorks water filter and the Katadyn Combi. They are also great for backpacking and camping can have that dual purpose.
3. Have water purification tablets – These are very handy to have around and a small bottle will chemically treat up to 25 quarts of water. They work fairly quickly (typically in less than a half an hour) and will kill bacteria, protozoa and viruses.
Remember that if you don’t have any of these three things, you can still clean water by boiling it. As a matter of fact, boiling is most effective way to clean water except it won’t take out the floaties like a filter will. The problem with boiling water to drink is it uses a lot of fuel that you may not want to use for that purpose. Also, don’t forget to have portable water pouches in your emergency supplies. They have a 5 year shelf life and are very handy to have around.
Monday, April 20, 2009
How to fill your water barrels
You will need a special wrench to open the white screw caps. It is called a bung wrench/opener. As for what to put them on, you can put them on anything as long as you don't leave them directly on a cement floor. We just have ours on a few pieces of leftover wood we had. I know of several other people who put them on pallets. Anything is fine. As for filling the barrel, you need to make sure your hose is very clean. A drinking water only hose is the safest, but you can clean your garden hose to make it work too. If you want those instructions, let me know! If you fill a clean barrel with clean water you shouldn't have to refill it for a very long time and it won't have to be treated unless it gets contaminated somehow. I hope this helps! If you want to borrow my hose, let me know!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Getting your food storage organized
I have been trying to find ways to get my food storage a bit more organized lately. you might have noticed a few posts I have made on making your own can rotation systems. I wish we had wood working equipment so I can build one of the wood ones! I am wondering if any of you have ideas or pictures of your food storage that you would like to share with all of us. We all need ideas!
How to Build a Rotating Canned Food Shelf - wikiHow
How to Build a Rotating Canned Food Shelf - wikiHow
I found this website and thought it was wonderful if you have the equipment to build these shelves. The would definately help keep your food storage area very organized!!
I found this website and thought it was wonderful if you have the equipment to build these shelves. The would definately help keep your food storage area very organized!!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Making your own can rotation system
http://mormonfoodstorage.blogspot.com/2008/09/pantry-paragon-or-how-to-make-your-own.html
I found this blog where she shows you how to make your own rotation system for your cans! It's awesome! I can hardly wait to try it out. Let me know what you think!!
I found this blog where she shows you how to make your own rotation system for your cans! It's awesome! I can hardly wait to try it out. Let me know what you think!!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Reconstitution
Apple Slices:
1 cup dry apples to 1/2 cup water yields 2 cups fresh apples.
Beans: 3 cups hot water and 2 tsp baking soda per 1 cup beans. Soak overnight; drain, rinse, and cool.
Carrots: Use 1 cup carrots to 1 cup ice water. Let stand 20 minutes.
Fruit Drink Mix: Add 1 cup drink mix to enough cold water to make 2 quarts. Blend well.
Hot Cocoa: Use 1/4 cup mix per 3/4 cup of hot water. Blend smooth.
Potato Pearls: Add 2 cups hot water (+180 degrees) to 1 cup potato pearls. Stir briefly, cover and allow to stand 5-10 minutes.
Chocolate Pudding: Add 1 1/2 cups mix to 2 2/3 cups water. Blend. Chill 15 minutes. Serves 4.
Vanilla Pudding: Add 1 cup mix to 2 cups water or milk. Blend. Chill 15 minutes. Serves 4.
Oats-Rolled: 2 cups water to 1 cup oats and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring water to a boil. Add oats and stir. Cook 2 minutes.
Rice, White: Use 2 cups water and 1 tsp salt per cup of rice. Cook, covered, about 15-20 minutes.
TVP: 1 cup TVP, 1/4 cup Tamari or soy sauce, and 3/4 cup water. Heat water to boiling, turn heat to medium and add TVP. Cook until water is absorbed. This can be used in any recipe that calls for ground browned beef (lasagna, chili, etc.)
Soup Mix: Soak overnight. Add 1 cup soup mix to 3 quarts water or meat broth. Add vegetables, meat or bouillon as desired. Simmer for 45 minutes. Season to taste.
Cheese powder: Using wire whip, mix 1/4 cup cheese powder to 1/2 cup milk or water. Do not add to hot liquid as it will lump.
Powdered whole eggs: Varies 1 Tbsp egg powder to 1 1/2 Tbsp water. Make a paste with a little water, then blend smooth, adding remaining water. 1 egg.
Dehydrated fruits: 1/3 cup fruit to 1 cup water. Let stand several hours. Equal to 1 cup fruit.
Margarine powder: Mix 1 cup powder to 1/4 cup water equals 1 cup margarine. One half cup powder, 1 Tbsp water and 1 Tbsp oil equal 1 cup margarine and mixes easily.
Powdered milk: General rule equals 2 cups powdered milk to 1 gallon water. Mix with wire whip or in blender. Refrigerate overnight.
Dehydrated vegetables: 1/3 cup vegetables to 1 cup water. Let stand several hours. Add a little pinch of sugar to improve flavor. In soups or stews, do not reconstitute before using.
1 cup dry apples to 1/2 cup water yields 2 cups fresh apples.
Beans: 3 cups hot water and 2 tsp baking soda per 1 cup beans. Soak overnight; drain, rinse, and cool.
Carrots: Use 1 cup carrots to 1 cup ice water. Let stand 20 minutes.
Fruit Drink Mix: Add 1 cup drink mix to enough cold water to make 2 quarts. Blend well.
Hot Cocoa: Use 1/4 cup mix per 3/4 cup of hot water. Blend smooth.
Potato Pearls: Add 2 cups hot water (+180 degrees) to 1 cup potato pearls. Stir briefly, cover and allow to stand 5-10 minutes.
Chocolate Pudding: Add 1 1/2 cups mix to 2 2/3 cups water. Blend. Chill 15 minutes. Serves 4.
Vanilla Pudding: Add 1 cup mix to 2 cups water or milk. Blend. Chill 15 minutes. Serves 4.
Oats-Rolled: 2 cups water to 1 cup oats and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring water to a boil. Add oats and stir. Cook 2 minutes.
Rice, White: Use 2 cups water and 1 tsp salt per cup of rice. Cook, covered, about 15-20 minutes.
TVP: 1 cup TVP, 1/4 cup Tamari or soy sauce, and 3/4 cup water. Heat water to boiling, turn heat to medium and add TVP. Cook until water is absorbed. This can be used in any recipe that calls for ground browned beef (lasagna, chili, etc.)
Soup Mix: Soak overnight. Add 1 cup soup mix to 3 quarts water or meat broth. Add vegetables, meat or bouillon as desired. Simmer for 45 minutes. Season to taste.
Cheese powder: Using wire whip, mix 1/4 cup cheese powder to 1/2 cup milk or water. Do not add to hot liquid as it will lump.
Powdered whole eggs: Varies 1 Tbsp egg powder to 1 1/2 Tbsp water. Make a paste with a little water, then blend smooth, adding remaining water. 1 egg.
Dehydrated fruits: 1/3 cup fruit to 1 cup water. Let stand several hours. Equal to 1 cup fruit.
Margarine powder: Mix 1 cup powder to 1/4 cup water equals 1 cup margarine. One half cup powder, 1 Tbsp water and 1 Tbsp oil equal 1 cup margarine and mixes easily.
Powdered milk: General rule equals 2 cups powdered milk to 1 gallon water. Mix with wire whip or in blender. Refrigerate overnight.
Dehydrated vegetables: 1/3 cup vegetables to 1 cup water. Let stand several hours. Add a little pinch of sugar to improve flavor. In soups or stews, do not reconstitute before using.
Friday, February 27, 2009
USU Extension: Essential Life Documents
http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=56&sid=5627532
Get your life documents in order! Go to this website and it will give you link to print out documents for you to fill out. Put your documents in a binder to keep them easily accessible and organized. Thank you April for letting me know about this! Here is what April told me about them:
I saw this idea on Studio 5 today and thought it might be useful for a lot of people. It showed a binder with all of your personal/financial information in it that could be easily accessible or put in a fireproof safe or at another location. It would be very good to have in case of an emergency or if something happened to you or your spouse because anyone could get it and know exactly what you have as far as investments, insurance, obligations, documents, ID numbers, accounts etc. They said that USU extension office also offers these all put together in a binder for 15.00 or you could just print the downloads and use your own binder and dividers.
Get your life documents in order! Go to this website and it will give you link to print out documents for you to fill out. Put your documents in a binder to keep them easily accessible and organized. Thank you April for letting me know about this! Here is what April told me about them:
I saw this idea on Studio 5 today and thought it might be useful for a lot of people. It showed a binder with all of your personal/financial information in it that could be easily accessible or put in a fireproof safe or at another location. It would be very good to have in case of an emergency or if something happened to you or your spouse because anyone could get it and know exactly what you have as far as investments, insurance, obligations, documents, ID numbers, accounts etc. They said that USU extension office also offers these all put together in a binder for 15.00 or you could just print the downloads and use your own binder and dividers.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Food Storage Worksheet
http://www.simplylivingsmart.com/calculators-spreadsheets/article/11-calculators/36-food-storage-spreadsheet.html
This web address will take you to page on the simply living smart website. The spreadsheet that it lets you download from this page is awesome! You just put in your families information and then what you currently have in your food storage in the appropriate tabs and it calculates what you need! It also has room for you to put down how much you use and purchase. I loved it! Let me know if you use this and what you think!
This web address will take you to page on the simply living smart website. The spreadsheet that it lets you download from this page is awesome! You just put in your families information and then what you currently have in your food storage in the appropriate tabs and it calculates what you need! It also has room for you to put down how much you use and purchase. I loved it! Let me know if you use this and what you think!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Food Storage Caculator
Here is a link to site where you can put in your information and it will tell you what you need to store to get your year supply of basic food storage. Let me know if you have any questions!
http://standeyo.com/News_Files/Food/bl.calculator.html
http://standeyo.com/News_Files/Food/bl.calculator.html
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