Healthy BBQ Bean soup!

Bean Soup
3 c. beans (one kind of bean, or a mixture of several types of beans, peas and lentils.)
7 c. water
1/2-1 c. molasses
1/4-1/2 c. balsamic or apple cider vinegar
1 1/2-2 T. salt
3-4 bell peppers, red, yellow and orange look best
2-3 C green beans sliced

Cook beans, water, molasses, vinegar and salt in a crock pot on high for 6 hours. Add peppers, green beans. Warm thoroughly. Serve. Nice with shredded cheese, sour cream, chips, or bread.

Courtesy of Mom.

Raw Foods

Blog about Whole Raw Foods.

http://wholerawfoodnow.com/

Yay for nutrition!

(Courtesy of Sherie)

Simple 72-Hour Kit and 1 Year Food Supply

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Preparedness is common sense. There are two types of emergency preparedness: 1) Short-term evacuation
with a possible no return (wildfire, chemical spill, flood, weather,) 2) Long-term sustaining of needs 1-2 yrs. (job loss, economic difficulty, strikes, large disasters, famine.)
-------------------------------------
72 hour emergency evacuation plan  (See Red Cross and FEMA web sites)
Important family and legal documents like insurance info, identification, bank acct, immunizations, SS #, cash/
traveler's checks—in waterproof, portable container (take documents you need if you cannot return)
Prescriptions/glasses/infant formula/diapers/feminine supplies/personal hygiene
Maps/family emergency contact phone numbers/books/games/activities
Water 1 gal/person/3-4 days (can bleach/filter, but don’t depend completely on other sources)
Household chlorine bleach (do not use scent/color safe/added cleaners bleach) and medicine dropper 9:1 water: bleach disinfect. 16 drops/gal. purify water or ½ t./5 gal. clear, 1 t./5 g cloudy water. Good water filter.
No cook food 3-4 days/person (and pets) can opener, plate/bowl/cup/ utensils (small camp stove, optional)
Complete change of clothing, sturdy shoes (very warm if in cold areas)
Sleeping bag/person and/or extra bedding (enough to keep warm without heat)
Battery flash light, radio and extra batteries, matches, water proof container/lighter; whistle to signal help
First aid kit for injuries and family health issues, Moist towellettes, TP, garbage bags, plastic ties for sanitation
Duct tape/plastic/dust masks to shelter in place, home or away, opt
Wrenches/pliers to turn off utilities—know how (off in emergencies only: some only utilities co. can turn back on)
*Pre-plan emergency contacts/meeting locations both local and out of area incase family is separated
(work/school/church.) Keep gas ½ tank in car. Plan what you need to self-sustain 3-4 days with no electricity/heat/gas/food/water, and needed documents if unable to return. Every 6 months rotate food and resize children's clothing/diapers. Be prepared to leave in 5-10 minutes notice. Scan or send copies of special mementos/pictures to trusted family/friends in other areas so you don’t need to worry in an emergency. What you take should be easily portable. (Save money by grouping items, buy only needed things you don’t have.)

Minimal 1 year storage plan TOP PRIORITY before ALL other types of long-term food storage get:
Wheat, Beans, Salt, Water because it 1) stores 30+ yrs; 2) is least expensive; 3) contains all nutrients (sprout wheat periodically for certain vitamins), 4) can be eaten just soaked hrs in water if cooking is not available.
Once obtained, feel peace 30+ yrs! Famine insurance only: $254.50/30+yrs = $8.48/yr. Protect your family.

Wheat 300 lbs/person/year minimum, canned at cannery costs
$180/person
$15.00/mo
Beans 60 lbs/person/year minimum, canned at cannery costs
$ 55/person
$ 4.58/mo
Salt 5 lbs/person/year, purchased bulk
$ 2/person
$ .25/mo
Water 14 gal/person (abt $1.25/gal buy containers, or reuse bottles free ) $17.50/person $ 1.46/mo
To acquire a yr supply for 1 person within 1 yr (1/2013 prices):
$254.50/person $21.21/mo
These amounts supply 1-2 cupcake portions/day/person/1 year—alive, but not much food. Once you have the above amounts, double them. Good water filters or bleach (non-fragrant/non-additives) is also recommended.

Don’t go into debt, be systematic, prioritize, make sacrifices, save and buy. Protect your investment: Food
needs insect, rodent, & moisture protection. Store as dry & cool as possible, sealed with an oxygen absorber or dry ice treatment. (Stored properly—wheat, salt, sugar store forever. Beans, white rice store 30+ yrs. Unused basics can be passed to next generation.) Prepare for all utilities to be out--warm clothes, bedding, sleeping bags, fuel, heat sources, etc. Once wheat, beans and salt is stored, one can add/person 60-120 lbs sugar/jam/honey, 37-74 lbs dry milk, 20-40 lbs fats/oil/butter, garden needs, and daily foods like canned or dried fruit, vegetables, meats, spices, candy. (These items should be rotated every 2-10 yrs.) Prepare for hygiene needs: TP, feminine supplies, diapers, soaps, tooth brushes/paste/floss, medicine. Think of what you need to independently manage 1-2 years, with no other food/utilities/supplies/fuel. (One yr supply/person fits under a queen bed, in the space of a washer/dryer, along a wall, or one can even walk on a layer of #10 can food cases, if necessary.) Water: store in barrels with a little siphon pump, and/or portable containers like 5 gal. water coolers or empty canning jars. Make sure storage containers are food grade and designed to last (some plastic is designed to deteriorate—like milk containers), See twoyearpreparednessplan.blogspot.com, or providentliving.org. We have been told that food storage is as essential to our day as getting on the ark in Noah’s day. ..

Set goals. Move forward. Become prepared.


(Courtesy of Mom)

Sherie's Pear Lemon Green Drink--my new favorite!

I have been branching out lately, trying new green drink options since I'm drinking a minimum of a quart of green drinks a day. I stumbled on a recipe at a smoothie shop but didn't love it--the idea sounded good though so I went home, played with it and made some changes. We're moving soon so I pulled out the individual serving coconut water and threw one in. I tossed in chia seeds because they're AMAZING, I used Doterra Essential Lemon instead of fresh lemon juice because of the concentrated power, and I omitted the apple because I don't like the texture in green drinks. Voila, I my new favorite green drink! This one is a great powerhouse greendrink for several reasons:

All raw to keep ph low and bodies happy and healthy

Uses Doterra Lemon essential oil (don't use another brand, Doterra is the only one that can be taken internally) to help strengthen the liver and cleanse it of toxins

Lots of spinach for iron

Chia seeds for Omega3s and LOTS more benefits

Coconut water for electrolyte boost


Sherie's Pear Lemon Green Drink

6 cups lightly packed spinach
1 pear
1 banana
1/4 cup chia seeds (that is an estimate...I just dump)
1-2 dates (remember to take out the seeds)
12 oz coconut water
5-8 drops of Doterra Lemon essential oil

Blend and enjoy!

Note: use a frozen banana/pear and either refrigerate or freeze the coconut water if you want it to be a cool smoothie (during the winter I prefer my green drinks room temperature because I freeze. That's one of the great things about this green drink--it's actually REALLY good at room temperature!! Yey!)

Create a Food Storage Plan

CREATE A FOOD STORAGE PLAN

“See that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.  And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent…” Mosiah 4:27.  Food storage is a commandment, but wisdom and order are also commandments. Make a food storage plan—see info below, multiply by number of persons in your family. Decide what you can spend/month and how long to take. Pray for confirmation. Systematically follow the plan. Make sacrifices. Succeed in food storage.

Sometimes we don’t start because we feel overwhelmed—this time you can succeed.

Minimal 1 year storage plan TOP PRIORITY:  Wheat, Beans, Salt, Water  because 1) stores 30+ yrs; 2) contains all needed nutrients; 3) most inexpensive. Once obtained, feel peace 30+ yrs! Famine insurance: $254.50/30+yrs = $8.48/yr

Wheat 300 lbs/person/year minimum, canned at cannery costs     $180/person      $15.00/mo.

Beans 60 lbs/person/year minimum, canned at cannery costs       $ 55/person       $ 4.58/mo

Salt 5 lbs/person/year                                                                $  2/person        $   .25/mo

Water (abt $1.25/gal to buy containers, or wash used ones free)     $17.50/person  $ 1.46/mo

            To acquire a yr supply for 1 person within 1 yr:                             $254.50/person  $21.21/mo

            Don’t go into debt, be systematic, prioritize, make sacrifices, save and buy. For cannery purchases see provident living specialist/RS sign up.

Protect investment: Store properly, sealed, dry & cool as possible. Need insect, rodent, & moisture protection. Cans protect best. (Compare prices: Wheat--cannery .60/lb; sacks .46/lb; online pre-packed cans .85/lb. Pinto Beans--cannery .90/lb; sacks .74/lb.; online pre-packed cans $1.30/lb. Cannery you can your own. Sacks from cannery you pack in containers or buckets, sometimes inferior seals. Online is already canned & shipped to you in cans/cases. Salt $1.70 4lbs at Cash & Carry, iodized best. Water containers: Walmart, Winco, or order barrels online (good to have a cheap siphon pump, order with barrels), hard plastic/glass wash and fill (don’t use milk type soft plastic containers—they leak in time). Wheat must be HARD white or red, other wheat has too much oil/moisture to store well. Wheat available in buckets at Walmart. Above food storage amounts provide only 1-2 cupcake size portions of food/day (alive but skinny and hungry—better than nothing.) Increase wheat to 400+ lbs and beans to 120+ lbs ASAP. Get any other storage items after the top priority wheat/beans/salt/water. Only 10% of our ward has a year supply. Let’s not all starve sharing. Let’s ALL be prepared through quiet, steady diligence. Start by increasing your supply by 3 mo.—set a goal and date. Start saving. 

(Also reference "Be Prepared" Post)

(Courtesy of Mom)

Provident Living Site

http://providentliving.org/self-reliance?lang=eng

The Provident Living page of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Includes tips on Home Food Storage, Finances, etc.

Be Prepared!

Check out our stake PL website that my cochair and I did. It has everything you'd ever need to help you for food storage to wills to 72 hr kits to gardening:

Www.twoyearpreparednessplan.blogspot.com

Little things are interesting and helpful like:
Wheat and beans together have every nutrient you need for survival. (The vitamins that come from perishable food can be obtained by sprouting the wheat). Also raw honey also has all needed nutrients.
If using the number 10 cans in their boxes from the cannery, you can fit 1 year of food storage for 1 person under a queen bed in one layer.
If you save $11 per person per month for 2 years you will have enough for 1 year supply of food for everyone.

--Sherie