Preparing For a Disaster

It's been a while since we've been able to post to this blog.  While I get my next post formulated, I wanted to share (with permission) a fantastic one written by a friend of mine, Julie.  This was originally posted on her blog, "Hesses Madhouse," on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012.  You can find the original post here.  Thanks for sharing with us, Julie!

Preparing for a Disaster

If you do nothing else with what I've written here tonight, please take a moment and read this.

As I prepared to do a presentation on our trip to Japan last year, I ran across this blog. It impressed me in so many ways, but this particular post left a HUGE mark. A mark that will probably never leave me.

One thing that going to Japan did was make disasters take on a new facet. I have been concerned with emergency preparedness for most of my life, but I have to admit, because I've lived in safe circumstances, that I held these kinds of things at arms length. The experience in Japan made tragic circumstances so real and so human. I realized that part of our preparations had to be more than just having enough water and food for our family in the event of an emergency, it had to include some kind of emotional preparation.

A few months after returning, we sat down as a Primary presidency and created a plan to begin some of this emotional preparation for the children we look after. We know that if a disaster were to occur, our church building would become a Red Cross shelter. It is a fact that if something terrible were to happen to any of our family, the rest would gather there. It is possible that in such a situation, our children could be in the care of compete strangers. This is an awful reality to face, but I'm sure that the mother in the story from the link above would never have dreamed that her little girl would be essentially alone and in such circumstances.

image credit: cowalbagpipes.com

We decided that we wanted there to be a greater chance that the 70 +/- children in our ward would know at least someone that would end up at that same shelter. We decided that the children needed to know more of the adults in our ward, so each week, we invite four people--two children and two adults or youth--to share a talent with the children. One child and one adult present in junior Primary and the other two in senior. It is a simple thing, but it has been so eye-opening. We have had everything from bagpipes played to expressions of love and care for animals to drawings with chalk on chalkboards. My own son got up and showed everyone how he could write his own name. We've had one child share what a good balancer he is and have experienced a drum solo, a guitar solo, and a number of piano solos. We've even had a child doing cartwheels in the back of the room. I have learned so much that I didn't know about the people I rub shoulders with on a weekly basis. It has been truly fascinating!

Although the purpose of this exercise is to make the children aware of those that surround them each Sunday and at church activities, today, something else became very clear to me.

image credit: www.hoosier-rainbows.com

As I greeted children at the door this morning, our talent child walked in proudly carrying a Ziploc bag with all kinds of colorful things in it. I was excited to hear what she had to share. When it was her turn, she and her mom stood in front of the room and told us about all of this five-year-old's creations. She showed us Legos that she'd put together, bracelets and rings made from beads, pages she'd carefully colored and even a stained glass butterfly wind chime. I loved it and secretly wished that I could do such things, but my talents lie elsewhere.

image credit: benchprep.com

After this little girl sat down, one of the women in our ward stood up. In her hands she held a very large, green textbook. On the spine, I could read the word "Calculus." She shared that when she was little,  she loved school, and particularly, math. She told the children that she had struggled with it even though she loved it, had worked her way through it and in college decided to become a math teacher. Wow! I had no idea. Wouldn't it be amazing to be able to think like that?!

As I sat there and listened to these talents, a very strong feeling hit me. During all of these months of seeing kids and adults bring in sports equipment and piano pieces, I learned that we are all so different. Our talents and our experiences are so varied. We all complement each other so well, but although we are different, we are also so much alike through our beliefs and our spiritual experiences. These things bring us together and to a similar place.

What a relief and blessing it is to think that if something were to happen to us, our children would be in the hands of such people as these. We never explained the reason for our "talent spotlight" to the children. We didn't want to scare them. We only wanted to build a foundation. My hope is that through the willingness of these individuals to share a small part of themselves, they will come to know our children and our children will come to know them. My hope is that the emotional strain of a tragedy would in some small way be decreased, and that a repeat of what happened to Luna would never happen to any of the children I know.

Wheat Bread Recipe

Exodus 23:25: "And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee."

What an amazing promise that the Lord will bless us in our nutrition when we serve Him! I think of the story in 1 Kings 17 of the widow Zarephath, who was blessed that her oil and meal never ran out when she served the Lord by sacrificing her food (and she thought the lives of herself and her son) to feed the prophet Elijah.  I love this story because it reminds me of so many similar modern day miracles that have happened to people I know and love. 

My uncle and aunt one year were very low on funds, and consequently, on food.  My aunt had done her best to store up food for the future, and now they were living off of their food storage.  They had a small baby, and the only food they had for her were the few remaining bottles of apples that my aunt had preserved the year before.  The day came when there were only 2 bottles of apples left in the garage, and the baby ate a bottle of apples a day.  My aunt and uncle didn't know what they would do when the apples ran out in two days, but they prayed hard and tried to have faith that the solution to their dire circumstances would present itself.  My aunt went into the garage and brought in one of the two bottles of apples and fed the baby.  The next day, my aunt went out to get the very last bottle of apples.  When she looked on the shelf, there were again two bottles of apples.  It was a miracle.  With a prayer of gratitude, she took one of the bottles into the house to feed the baby.  The next day, when she went out to retrieve the last bottle of apples, there were two bottles of apples on the shelf.  This continued for some time.  Each day, she would go out to the garage to get the second to last bottle of apples, only to return the next day to find two bottles again.  The Lord blessed them with enough for their baby until their financial circumstances improved.


One of my favorite things about this story is that it reminds me that when we do our best to prepare, the Lord will magnify our efforts.  Even if we can only do a little, maybe learning to bottle the free produce we receive from our neighbors or from online advertisements, we are that much more prepared for an emergency, whether it be natural or financial.  With that in mind, I'm sharing my favorite recipe for home baked bread, made with food storage items.  It's a great place to start learning to use the kinds of long-term foods that we are counseled to keep in our storage.  And making your own bread is a fantastic way to stretch your dollars, regulate what your family is consuming, and add improve nutritional intake.  These ingredients can be purchased in large or small amounts, as budgets allow.  This recipe is adapted from one I received from my sister, who got it off of a website somewhere.  The adaptations made for a lighter, chewier texture and better flavor, as well as incorporating ingredients with a longer shelf life.  If you don't have these exact ingredients, you can also adapt the recipe to use what you have and can afford.  I'll write more about that in another post.  With this recipe, I'm going to pretend you've never made wheat bread before and give you excessive instructions.  :)

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients:
5 cups hard white wheat berries + 1 cup oat groats (available at WinCo in the bulk foods)
2 1/2 cups warm water (a little warmer than the temperature of a baby bottle)
1 1/2 Tbsp SAF brand instant yeast
1/3 cup raw honey
1/3 cup good coconut oil
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 Tbsp dough enhancer (available at Macey's, baking supply stores, or emergency supply stores)
1/3 cup vital wheat gluten (available where dough enhancer is sold)

Directions:
Mix together, then grind the wheat berries and oat groats to create a semi-fine wheat flour.  This can be done in a wheat grinder or even in a decent blender. (The wheat gives the bread its substance, while the oats add moisture and lightness to the finished product, without changing the taste.)  This will make up to 8 cups of flour, which is a little more than you'll need, but the leftovers can be used for some awesome whole wheat pancakes.

While the flour is grinding, combine the warm water, yeast, honey, oil, salt, and dough enhancer in a mixer.  (If you don't have a good mixer - I use my Kitchenaid - you get to work out all your aggressions while mixing this bread by hand.  Who needs an expensive gym membership?!)  Add 3 cups warm, fresh flour and the wheat gluten  and mix well until nice and smooth.  Let the mixture sit and "sponge" for 15 minutes.  Sponging eliminates the need for a second rising of the dough, and helps incorporate flavors. 

After 15 minutes, slowly add more fresh flour, one cup at a time, mixing as you go, until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl and form two little "arms" that reach up and to grab you as it's mixing in the Kitchenaid.  If you're mixing by hand, you will add flour until you can no longer stir it with a spoon, then knead the dough in until it's no longer leaving globules on your hands.  Be careful not to add too much flour.  This is a common mistake when making wheat bread, and is what causes the hard, indigestible loaves that you can use as a doorstop.  Just make sure that the dough is nice and moist, but not messy.  Continue to knead or mix the dough for about 7-10 minutes to activate the gluten and give the bread a nice, chewy texture.  Don't skimp on the kneading!  If you need to add additional flour to keep the dough from sticking, be sure to use very small amounts of flour so you don't end up with dry, yucky bread in the end.

Form the dough into loaves.  I always make 3 loaves in a medium-sized, Pyrex bread pan, which I've found for a great price at WalMart.  Metal pans are good too, but I just love the result I get with the Pyrex.  Spray the pans with a silicone and soy free, non-stick cooking spray, or lightly grease with shortening.  Place your loaves of dough, seam side down, into the pans.  Put the pans of dough in a warm place to raise.  I always heat my oven to about 100 degrees, then turn it off and put my loaves in there.  (It saves a whole lot of time, and I usually don't have a whole lot to spare - especially if I'm making more than 1 batch of bread.  I can be mixing batch #2 while the first batch is raising and baking.)  Let the dough raise to about double, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.  You know the bread is done when the top is a dark, caramel brown and the sides are golden, and when you tap the bottom of the loaf it makes a hollow sound.

Turn the loaves out onto a cooling rack to cool, instead of allowing them to cool in the pans, or they will sweat and stick in the pan.  Nobody can resist eating hot bead, but just give it a little bit before you cut into it so you don't smash the loaf.  This bread freezes very well, and the medium loaves fit perfectly into gallon-sized ziploc bags for storage.

I would love to answer any questions you may have about baking bread or the ingredients or whatever - just leave a comment.  I'm sure if you have a question, someone else is wondering the very same thing!

I just want to add that I do have a strong testimony that as we do all we can to prepare for the future and serve the Lord to the best of our capacity, He will magnify our efforts.  I really believe that this applies not only to our efforts in serving, but our efforts in preparing for emergencies and becoming more self-reliant.  And when we put forth the effort, and it's right for us, he will even magnify things like the food in our pantries.  Miracles do still happen, and when we do our best, the Lord will provide miracles in our lives.

-Katie

Becoming Learners

"In addition to the spiritual self-reliance we have been discussing, there is temporal self-reliance, which includes getting a postsecondary education or vocational training, learning to work, and living within our means. By avoiding debt and saving money now, we are prepared for full-time Church service in the years to come. The purpose of both temporal and spiritual self-reliance is to get ourselves on higher ground so that we can lift others in need." - Elder Robert D. Hales -

This week I have been thinking a lot about education and the differences it can make in our lives long-term. Education is certainly a vital part of becoming self-reliant.

After I graduated from high school (barely), I married my first husband right away. I got several entry-level jobs during that time, while taking care of homemaking duties and doing the job of providing bodies for 2 little guys. I don't know that anyone ever gets married thinking about the marriage ending (through death or divorce or what-have-you), but these things happen sometimes - and sadly, more and more frequently. Due to my lack of education, once I was on my own with two little boys to support, I ended up relying heavily upon the goodness of others for the first while, then barely scraping by when I was finally able to get out on my own. I was generally making in the neighborhood of $5.50-$7.00 an hour trying to support us. Until I met and married Vance, I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had great family support providing me with places to stay, loans, daycare help, and gifts.

Vance has an amazing job, which provides us with enough income that I am able to stay home with the kids, fantastic health benefits, wellness programs, etc. But what if something were to happen to him, rendering him unable to work? This was a question that was frequently on my mind.

Then, we read this edition of the New Era, published in April of 2009. I loved it! The articles in the publication, coupled with some intense prayer helped us to come to the conclusion that it would be in the best interest of our family's future and self-reliance for me to attend vocational school. It took nearly two years of very difficult sacrifices on the parts of every family member. But through those sacrifices I was able to obtain a skill that will not only help provide for the family in an emergency, it will help with incidental needs along the way, as well as hopefully helping us to assist our kids as they serve missions, attend college, and pay for weddings.

One of the reasons I loved the April '09 edition of the New Era was that it was so great in pointing out and stressing to youth the importance of receiving a good education, but also the fact that our education might not come in the form of a degree from a major college or university. A valuable education can be acquired from any number of places.

There are certainly many snags we might run into when seeking greater education. Time, finances, family constraints, and other issues might prohibit us from acquiring the degree or certificate we desire. There is good news, though. The fact is, we can educate ourselves in so many ways! I love this talk, "The Power of Diligent Learning," by Elder Jay E. Jensen. In it, he reminds us of a story told about a woman who felt she had never had an opportunity in life to do any learning. She was encouraged to learn more about simple things in her environment, beginning with the bricks her feet rested on, and through her efforts she was able to learn more than she had ever anticipated, thereby earning the financial means to follow many of her lifelong dreams.

We can also start in small ways. Maybe our goal is not a financial one, but a goal to gain knowledge that will benefit those we care about. Maybe you will choose to begin by learning more about the plants that grow in your surroundings: In an emergency, could they be consumed as food, or are they poisonous? Could they be used for medical purposes? Maybe you choose to learn about water purification techniques. Maybe basic, then intermediate first aid. Maybe better nutrition. Maybe child development, maybe money-saving skills like using coupons, or maybe sharpening your career skills.

The important thing is to start somewhere. Pray for guidance for a good place to start. Start setting goals towards your own increase in knowledge. Decide on something you're interested in and look for sources. Explore articles and books for free on the internet or at the library. Think outside the box. Look for sources and mentors that you may not have thought of before. Watch videos on the subject on YouTube. Just remember, it's never too late to start learning!

-Katie

Yard Sales

Matthew 14:17-21
"And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children."

I really believe that no matter what our financial circumstances, the Lord wants to bless us with the ability to meet our needs, even if this means we need to get a little creative. Sometimes, being self-reliant means finding ways to save some money, to make a little go a long way. Sometimes we are in dire financial circumstances, and other times, there might be things we need but don't want to spend a million bucks on it. And let's face it, it's much nicer to get more for your buck and either set aside the money you saved, or get two things you needed instead of just one.

For these reasons, we have always loved yard sales. Some simply don't like the idea of buying used items. Others may argue that the time and gas spent driving around to the sales would negate the money saved. But let me give you a few examples of our yard sale successes.

We have a baby on the way. It's been years since we were in the realm of infants, and had given away all of our clothing and equipment. The idea of spending jillions of dollars to start over is a little more than I can bear. We have been watching the yard sales. Recently Vance was able to find one with lots of little clothes and was able to get probably a week's worth of clothing for less than $12. We will continue to look for furniture and other needs. (Please note that it is NEVER safe to buy a car seat from a yard sale, because you never know what kind of abuse it has been through, which could render it unsafe in an accident.)

For a while our microwave has been possessed. The door will be closed, and suddenly out of nowhere it will start cooking. (Please imagine some creepy "Twilight Zone" music here.) And then the other day, it started shooting blue lightning. Time for a new microwave, but to find one with our size and wattage requirements would cost over $200. Yikes. Today Vance found just the microwave we needed and paid... $11 for it! It works great!

Every few years we take a family camping trip out of state. With our increasing family size and luggage demands, we are rapidly running out of room in our vehicle. We need one of those hard-side rooftop cargo deals. Again, these are pretty darn expensive, and we have a limited vacation budget. But Vance had his eagle eye open and found one, brand new, for $45.

We have been able to acquire a very large portion of our emergency supplies, household equipment, and even canning equipment in our yard sale escapades. I think some keys for successful yard saling are to make sure that you keep your budget in mind and make sure that you are only purchasing items that you really need. Just like any enjoyable shopping excursion, it can be easy to find a lot of stuff that would be fun but just not needed. If you have the budget for that kind of spending that's fine, but what if you have a limited budget for these purchases and you already spent your $5 on an inflatable canoe with a hole in it (just saying), when what you really needed were dishes?

Just remember, if your freaky about germs and such, most items are easy to sanitize and disinfect, and you can usually tell if they come from a home with pets or cigarette smoke (which may or may not be a turn-off for you).

I really can attest to the Lord's ability to help us stretch our dollars! He wants to bless our means and make them greater than we had thought possible. It's easy to get caught up worrying about what we can't afford, but sometimes if we re-evaluate our budget and think outside the box, He is more than willing to provide a way for us to have the thins we need, and even some of the things we want! We just need to have a little faith and imagination.

-Katie

Earthquake Shake Out: Lessons Learned

Doctrine and Covenants 38:30
"I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear."

This "Shake Up" was an excellent, though ridiculous experience for me today. Here are the lessons I learned, just for starters:

1.) We have really tried to prepare for emergencies where we might lose electricity, but the preparations we have made would be pretty useless in an earthquake scenario. This is bad news considering this is the most likely catastrophic event in our area.

2.) We have several kerosene lamps and lanterns throughout the house. These are great in case of a loss of electricity, but would be pretty useless in the case of an emergency due to their very breakable/flammable nature.

3.) We have lots of food storage (though not as much as we'd like). The problem is location. We live in a pretty small home, so really the only space we have for storing these items is below decks in "the dungeon." If our old, rickety home came crashing down, it would take at least several days to dig them out.

4.) We have some excellent equipment for food preparation, but this equipment is also located in places which would be inaccessible or could potentially be damaged beyond repair.

5.) We have a latrine setup... which is located in the same lame place.

6.) Our 72 hour kits are well equipped with non-perishable items, but the food is out of date and needs to be replaced. This is bad because if our food supplies got buried in rubble, we wouldn't have a backup food supply until we could dig them out.

7.) If we had to make a quick exit from the house, we don't really have supplies (like long, protective clothing, boots, work gloves, etc.) in a good place to use to dig out important items.

8.) Our water barrels are located near an exterior brick wall and could easily be damaged, resulting in the loss of all our emergency water.

9.) We have never gotten around to taking inventory and pictures of our valuable items to submit to the insurance company should a disaster arise.

10.) Most of us run around the house barefoot all day. Shoes belong in a certain place, but rarely find their way there. This could be a huge problem when trying to exit a crumbling building, or even just getting through a room with broken glass.

11.) We have not secured any heavy furniture to the walls, and our water heater is not anchored or fitted with flexible piping.

12.) We have no real plan for communicating when individual members of the family might be separated during a disaster.

13.) A lot of the "safest" places in the house are actually occupied by furniture and would be hard to get to for a person in a panic.

14.) The pre-emergency communication in our neighborhood is lacking in planning and leaves some to be desired.

15.) Our gas tanks in our vehicles are generally filled to less than half full - a problem if a need arises to "bug out."

Basically, we have a lot of work to do to be more prepared, and it made me a little fearful, due to our lack of preparation. But we will pick and work on one thing at a time, as time and finances allow. For example, we can update (and upgrade) our 72 hour kits and make sure they are in areas that are not as likely to be buried so that we have a few days' food supply while trying to dig out the rest of the food. We hope to adjust our budget to accommodate better preparation. Our list is a little overwhelming, but again, if we eat the elephant one bite at a time, it is progress.

I also learned and experienced a lot of positives.

1.) I have amazing kids who watch out for each other! During one of our drills, my 13-year-old was really angry with his 4-year-old brother and was attempting to escort him to his room. But although he was so angry, when the "earthquake" hit, his first response was to drag him to a safe place and shield him with his own body! No way!

2.) Most of the kids were quick to remember the plan and drop what they were doing and go directly to the closest, safest spot. (Not the 4-year-old. We decided that in this drill, he would not be killed, but definitely seriously maimed. I guess that's an improvement?)

3.) Many of the things that we need to do to be more prepared will be super easy to do, free, and great Family Home Evening activities.

4.) I want to be more involved in our home preparations, as well as our neighborhood planning for emergencies, which will take effort but will be well worth the rewards of seeing my loved ones and friends as safe as possible.

6.) Preparation goes beyond having "stuff" and includes attitudes, skills, and work.

5.) My "stuff" is nowhere near as important as my people.

6.) I'm grateful for my 4-wheel-drive vehicles in case there are problems with the roads.

7.) We do have quite a bit of equipment (including emergency shelter, cooking equipment, etc.) stored in more accessible places, which will be a huge benefit if a disaster arises.

8.) We have amazing friends and neighbors who will band together to help each other in emergencies.

Hopefully this has been an opportunity for all of us to take stock of our preparations and decide to do a little more - whatever we have the capacity to do. Although I feel a little overwhelmed by what has yet to be done around here, I can remember to do my best to prepare (whatever my best may be), and take comfort in my efforts and have faith that the Lord will magnify my efforts. I am still a beginner, but all that the Lord expects of me is my best.

- Katie

Earthquake: Shake Out

Tomorrow morning, April 17th, at 10:15 AM, the state of Utah will be conducting the largest earthquake drill in state history. This drill will test our communications and preparedness structures. Due to the geographical nature of the LDS church setup, the State frequently uses church leadership and members to assist with coordinating efforts and communication. Each city should have a plan of action and communication. If you are unfamiliar with your area's plan, check with your local Bishop, or check your city's website. Our neighborhood plan consists of block captains and lieutenants who report to a coordinator. This coordinator reports to the bishop, who reports to the stake president, who reports to the city representative. It's important to know who your block captain is and get to know them. If you don't know who your block captain is, check with your bishop.

Our city's communication plan includes a laminated signal that residents are advised to place in their front window after the emergency passes. It is the basic size of a file folder, which can fold closed or opened. One side is green and says, "All Okay!" This side is displayed when all members of the household are fine and do not need medical attention or outside help. The second side is yellow and says, "Help Soon!" This side is displayed when there is a non life-threatening injury or a problem that requires outside help, but not immediately. The third side is red and says, "Help Now!!" This side is displayed when there is a life threatening injury or a problem which requires immediate help. Our city is asking us to display these signs in our windows tomorrow morning after we hold our earthquake drills in order to practice our communication chain. If you have not yet received your signal, ask your local bishop or block captain how to get yours TODAY so that you'll have it in time for the drill.

Utah Shake Out is the perfect time to get some planning done for yourself and your family. At our house, we realized that although the danger of an earthquake is really quite high in our state, our family has really never had any discussions or drills to prepare for such an event. So this morning we took the opportunity to have a real talk and a few drills and some fun. We live in a 70-year-old house, built before construction was done with seismic activity in mind. We had to make a few adjustments to the usual wisdom because of this. We also needed to make it clear to the kids that the plan for an earthquake is different from the plan for a fire.

We began by discussing a few facts:
*In our home, the doorways are not load-bearing, so we should NOT crouch in a doorway.
*Our home is made of un-reinforced masonry, so it is very important to take cover near an interior wall, away from crumbling brick and breaking windows.
*When taking cover, it is important NOT to run out of the house, because a large proportion of injuries happen when people are struck by falling debris while trying to get outside. It is therefore safer to stay where you are and not try to leave the house until the shaking stops.
*It can be very dangerous to wander from room to room looking for a safe place to take cover, so it's important to know the places in each room that are the "safe" places, and only move a few steps away from your original location.
*If you are in bed when an earthquake hits, it is best to stay put in the bed and cover your head with your pillows, instead of trying to move to a safer spot.

Then we went through the house, looking in each room for hazards and for the safest places to take cover.
*We looked for interior walls, especially corners.
*We checked for sturdy furniture to crouch under.
*We looked for hazards like falling items, glass, windows, etc. to stay away from.
*We looked for cupboards that could fly open and empty their contents, or large furniture such as book shelves that could come away from the wall and cause injuries.
*We looked up to see if there were any light fixtures that could potentially come down.

Finally, we had several practices in each room. I would yell, "Earthquake!" and the kids would move as quickly as they could to the closest safe place, duck down, cover their heads, and grab onto something sturdy close by (like the legs of a table if hiding under it).

We made a few discoveries and adjustments. For example, our poor 4-year-old would be a dead baby if left to his own devices. The poor kid just ran in circles from room to room screaming, "That's it! I'm dead! I'm dying!" He then made a "dead face" and fell to the floor. Nice. We adjusted by making sure the older kids knew to grab him if they are close by and take him with them to their safety spot. We also clearly need more practice. Some of the kids treated it like a game, while others took it very seriously. We saw that some of the kids didn't really have a clear understanding of what an earthquake is and what it looks like so we watched a few videos of earthquake footage. We discussed what people did right and what they did wrong in the videos, like taking cover vs running through the house, or staying put vs trying to run outside and getting crushed by falling debris.

Unfortunately, we have a lot of work to do to prepare for an earthquake, like securing furniture and water heaters, etc. But we are sure grateful for this drill and the attention it is helping us to focus on getting prepared. Here is a list of fantastic websites that can help you get prepared. Even one thing at a time (like holding your first earthquake drill) is a step in the right direction. We all have to start somewhere!

-Katie

Utah Shake Out
Ready.Gov Earthquake Info.
USGS Earthquake Info. Page

Wheat Keeping, or, Adventures in Sublimation

D&C 89:14 All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth.

When it comes to long-term food storage, an excellent place to start is with a growing supply of grains, especially wheat. Wheat is relatively inexpensive, versatile, filling... it's the staff of life!

I like thinking about Joseph of Egypt and his responsibility to store up grains in the 7 years of plenty, so that when the 7 years of famine came, the country had enough food, and to spare. Some of us might not currently be in a "time of plenty." Some of us may be experiencing our "years of famine," and are now consuming what may have been stored up for this very time.

Vance and I went through one of these times early in our marriage. Our ward had the opportunity to have a turn with an electric can sealer for #10 cans in the bishop's garage for a little while. We had just received a nice bonus and had decided to use it for taking advantage of this opportunity. Using oxygen absorbing packets and #10 cans, we dry canned flour, sugar, pasta, brown sugar (a HUGE no-no, but we didn't know!), and other staples. Later on, things got lean in the pocket book, and it was a huge blessing to have those basic ingredients stored away.

Although this method is a fantastic one for long-term storage, I did notice that when we used the flour that had been in the cans for a few years, the oxygen absorbers had left the food with a funny flavor. Their effectiveness comes from iron inside the packets which react with moisture and air in the food to create rust and neutralize the oxygen in the container. Although the rust and iron do not come into contact with your food, I could still taste the rust in the flour. Also, the oxygen packets are not a reliable and safe method to use if you're storing your food in plastic buckets.

Why do we need to worry about oxygen in the food, anyway? No matter how hard industries try to keep the creepy crawlies out of our food, and no matter how hard we try ourselves for that matter, some insects will find a way. Whether there are full-grown insects or simply eggs, something needs to be done to safely eliminate them and prevent them from infesting our food, without posing a threat to those actually eating the food. And since living things can't survive without oxygen, we remove it. We don't want to treat our foods with chemicals, either. It will compromise the longevity of the product, and when push comes to shove, we may want to sprout our grains to gain added nutrients and this can be a problem with chemically treated grains.

Oxygen packets are the perfect solution for dry goods which are being stored in cans, but what about dry goods that are packed into plastic buckets? These are not good candidates for the oxygen packet. This is where we learn a magic word. Sublimation. Kinda rolls off the tongue, huh? "Yes, I store my grains with the use of sublimation." We're fancy here. Sublimation is the process in which a solid turns into a gas without first becoming a liquid. (There's your science lesson for the day, cool experiment to follow.)

This is where our good friend, dry ice, comes into play. Sorry men, we are not going to be making dry ice bombs, root beer, or witch's brew. *Sigh* But, that same goodness that gives your homemade root beer its bubbles is going to keep your family alive 30 years from now. Is that not awesome?! Dry ice is simply frozen carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is heavier than oxygen (and un-sustaining of animal life), and that's what makes this trick work.

Instructions:

When storing dry goods in plastic buckets, place 1 ounce of dry ice per gallon of container size in the bottom of the bucket or other plastic container. (Be sure to first wipe off any ice crystals to prevent the introduction of moisture.) Pour your dry item over the dry ice to fill the bucket almost to the top. Place the lid onto the container, but don't seal it all the way (or you WILL have a dry ice bomb). This allows the oxygen to escape, without allowing a transfer of new oxygen back into your container. Wait for all of the dry ice to sublimate. You'll know it's done when the bottom of the bucket is no longer cold to the touch. At this point, you can finish sealing your container, and you're good to go for the next jillion years... Or 30.

This works because as the dry ice sublimates, the carbon dioxide begins to fill the bucket from the bottom up, pushing the oxygen right out the top, leaving nothing left for your little enemies of wheat to breathe. Dastardly.

-Katie-

For more information on long-term storage methods, visit the LDS church website, here. There you'll find information on this dry ice method, oxygen absorbers, vacuum sealers, and examples of which kinds of food are acceptable and unacceptable for long-term storage.