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What To Square Away For The Upcoming Winter

What To Square Away For The Upcoming Winter

Extreme winter storms have the capacity to knock a home off the grid for a given amount of time. Have a plan for any situation, and maintain a diverse supply of survival foods so you are ready for anything this upcoming winter.

Extreme winter storms have the capacity to knock a home off the grid for a given amount of time. Have a plan for any situation, and maintain a diverse supply of survival foods so you are ready for anything this upcoming winter.

Building an emergency pantry is one of those lifelines that takes time, financial resources, and planning to make it fully functional. Ideally, you will want to store shelf-stable foods that your family normally consumes, as well as find foods that are multi-dynamic and serve many purposes.

So, what does a well-stocked food pantry look like? In a previous article on how to stock a prepper pantry, Tess Pennington wrote, “Over the years, I have made recommendations for the best types of foods to put in your pantry, how to save on emergency food stores by learning how to can and dehydrate your own food sources, as well as providing the best rules to go by when creating an emergency food pantry. Ideally, you want the food you put in those coveted pantry spots to be versatile and serve many uses. I like to start with shelf-stable basics like wheat berries, rice, an assortment of beans, dry milk powder, peanut butter, drink mixes, etc., and then add on to my pantry with home canned and dehydrated foods. This creates layers of different types of short and long-term food stores and gives me more functionality in my pantry…

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

4 Things I Learned by NOT Going to the Grocery Store for a Month

4 Things I Learned by NOT Going to the Grocery Store for a Month

I just walked into my grocery store for the first time in a month, and it was surreal. First, because I was there without my two kids (ages 5 and 7), so I kept feeling like I was forgetting the most important thing. What is it? Oh yes, the most important thing is shouting:

“Do NOT climb in the freezer bin!” at exactly the right moment.

Not too soon, or they forget that you said it and climb in. Not too late, or you’re explaining muddy footprints on the frozen turkeys to disgruntled grocery employees.

Just kidding, my kids have never climbed in the freezer bin. They’ve gotten a leg up, but I always shout at the right moment. By the time we get to produce, though, I’m frazzled from the rapid oscillation of my eyeballs from list to shelf to list, and I’m not quite as on-the-ball. They have climbed in that giant box of pumpkins.

In addition to the lack of shouting, at my grocery store this week there was a cordon so people could line up to get in. There was a new “maximum occupancy 537 persons” sign on the door. There were empty spaces on some shelves, and a lot less friendliness. Other than that, it was the same old fluorescent-lit cavern I despise.

Before I get to what not going to the store taught me, I should explain why I haven’t been to the store since before my state’s stay-at-home order was issued.

1. I hate shopping, so if there’s any little excuse for not going (such as contagion or it’s a Sunday), I am so not there.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

25 Hardcore Healthy Foods You Need in Your Emergency Pantry

25 Hardcore Healthy Foods You Need in Your Emergency Pantry

Ready Nutrition - 25 Hardcore Healthy Foods You Need in Your Emergency Pantry
Natural disasters like hurricanes, Nor’easters, and winter storms can cause you to be stuck in your home for days (or even weeks) on end – and stuck eating whatever you currently have stashed in your pantry and freezer.

Normally, enough notice is provided to allow time to run out to purchase items prior to a storm’s arrival. It is tempting to stock up on convenient comfort foods before a disaster, but this isn’t ideal. For example, many freeze-dried foods are notorious for having excessive amounts of sodium – thus causing you to consume more water to make up for it (oops, there goes your stored water supply!). Staying hydrated in winter is especially important – your body needs more water during winter than it does during the warmer months. And, remember – you will need to store enough water for drinking AND for cooking.

Surviving on your favorite junk foods may leave you feeling dehydrated, drained, and stressed, which will make enduring a sustained emergency situation even more difficult.

Building an adequate emergency pantry takes time and planning to make it fully functional. Ideally, you will store nutritious shelf-stable foods that your family normally consumes (and enjoys), as well as foods that serve many purposes.

Learn how to build a well-stocked pantry using a layering system: The Prepper’s Cookbook: 300 Recipes to Turn Your Emergency Food into Nutritious, Delicious, Life-Saving Meals, or The One-Year Pantry, Layer by Layer.

How to build a pantry stocked with nutritious, energizing foods

When selecting foods to add to your emergency pantry, focus on the most nutrient-dense items you can find that are also shelf-stable, with a focus on macronutrients.

Macronutrients are compounds found in all foods that humans consume in the largest quantities, providing the bulk of our calories (energy) from our diets. The three main categories are protein, carbohydrate, and fat.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Dealing with Pantry Pests: Bugs

Dealing with Pantry Pests: Bugs

When it comes to stocking the pantry, many of us have heard the advice to rotate our food using the “first in, first out” (FIFO) concept. However, a lot of folks don’t realize how vital this practice is when it comes to preventing an infestation of pantry pests in our food supplies.

Did you know that the bulk of insect infestations can simply be addressed through prevention, including having an eye on your pantry and keeping things moving through it? While it’s very easy – and common – to go purchase cases of canned goods, some boxes of pasta, and our favorite cake mixes and just let them sit on the shelf until a time of need, it’s actually the worst thing to do if we want to be able to eat that food before the critters do.

Common pantry pests to look out for

There are a variety of pantry pests that are common across North America, including the following:

  • Dermestid beetle
  • Indian meal moth
  • Sawtoothed grain beetle
  • Confused flour beetle
  • Rice weevil
  • Maize weevil
  • Red flour beetle.

Other beetles and moths may also infest stored food products, so check with your local agricultural extension for pests most common in your region.

How do pantry pests get in your food?

While some of these insects may work their way into our kitchens from the great outdoors, the bulk of them are already in the food products we bring home.

An infestation may originate in a processing plant, a warehouse where the products were stored, delivery vehicles, or in a retail store. The longer a food item is stored in one place, the more its chances of infestation increase. Insects may be present in any form of development, from egg to adult, but the tiny eggs are seldom seen.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Healthy Emergency Food List for Beginning Preppers

Healthy Emergency Food List for Beginning Preppers

In this day of paychecks that are stretched to the limit, it can be difficult to imagine taking on anything else that will cost money.   Despite that, if you are interested in preparedness, you know that it’s wise to have a food supply on hand that will see you through a basic emergency.

I always recommend that you get started by planning for a two-week emergency.  What kind of emergency, you may be asking?

Well, the best kind of prepping will be so versatile that it will see you through a personal financial issue, an extended power outage, or being confined to your home for a period of time due to a blizzard or civil unrest.  None of these things makes you a “doomsday prepper” of the National Geographic variety. I’m not asking you to filter your pee and drink it. Just have the basics on hand to ride out a variety of situations in comfort.

One of the most frequent requests I get is for specific recommendations, so here’s a healthy emergency food list for beginning preppers.

Shopping Tips

Shopping for an emergency food supply isn’t like regular grocery shopping. Here are a few things to think about when planning your emergency food list.

Buy good quality food. While it’s easy to get sucked into the “something cheap is better than nothing” mentality, that’s not 100% true.  It’s very important that you nourish yourself well during a crisis. This provides you with the energy you need to get through the emergency and it keeps you healthy. What could add more insult to injury than a lowered immune system allowing you to become sick during some sort of crisis?  Focus on getting the best quality of food that you can afford.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

 

 

12 Strategies for Creating the Perfect Pantry

12 Strategies for Creating the Perfect Pantry

There are a lot of different ways to go about building your pantry.  While each style has its pros and cons, I think that adhering to any one strategy alone leaves some gaps in your food preparedness. Personally, I’m a fan of combining the best of each world based on the needs of your particular family. Enjoy this excerpt from the updated version of my book, The Pantry Primer.

 Excerpt from The Pantry Primer: A Prepper’s Guide to Whole Food on a Half-Price Budget

Looking for a strategy to create your own pantry? There are a lot of different philosophies out there, but I think it boils down to three basic types of food supplies:

  • The Bunker Pantry
  • The Agrarian Pantry
  • The Bargain-Hunter’s Pantry

This doesn’t mean you are stuck with just one strategy, however. All of the types have positives and negatives. Learn about these food storage ideologies and then take the most applicable components for your situation. Combine them to create your own version of the Perfect Pantry. Use strategies from each type to create a stockpile that meets your family’s needs.

The Bunker Pantry

This is the most “hardcore” of the food storage types.  A Bunker Pantry is the type of food supply that could keep you going for the next ten years without a single trip to the store.  Sure, it might be a little bit boring and lacking in variety, but it is a supply that will see you through any disaster while allowing you to remain in your shelter.  This type of pantry focuses on huge quantities of long-term foods, repackaged carefully to resist spoilage due to pests or the elements.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

 

 

 

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