Being Prepared - Cooking Alternatives Part 1 ~~ A Titus 2sday Linkup

(The next installment in a series on preparation. You can find my posts on water storage and alternatives by searching this blog for "Preparedness".)

She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. Proverbs 9:2

Here in the Midwest we get some crazy weather. Today's record-breaking heat reminds me of other extreme weather we've had. During one particular ice storm our power went out right after we put the kids to bed.

My darling groom and I debated the wisdom of leaving or sticking it out. We prayed and then decided we would tough it out in the family room. We gathered the sleepy children from their beds, poured blankets and pillows into one huge pallet in middle of the floor and added new meaning to "the family bed." We awoke the next morning to sunlight glinting off every icy surface outside and inside, well...

"We're hungry, what's for breakfast?"

Three sleepy-eyed little faces looked up at me and I had no answer.

The power had been off for the night so we feared opening the fridge and we couldn't even make toast. I gave them each some dry cereal to munch on while their father and I decided what to do. We faced the truth--we would have to brave the treacherous ice and cold in order to properly care for the kids.

That storm really shook me up. While we had plenty of food (my tired and stressed brain didn't think to grab a new jar of fruit from the cupboard) we had no way to prepare it. From that day on I began to look for foods that wouldn't need a lot of prep and also at other cooking methods that would enable us to at least survive until the power came back on.

Here are some options that might help you think about alternative ways to take care of your precious families during times like these.

~ BBQ/Dutch Ovens. We have a charcoal grill but at the time it was not covered and we didn't want to skate across the deck and chip away at it. That said, with a little thought, you could prepare enough charcoal or gas and cover the grill to keep it accessible no matter what.

~ Sterno. Not exactly cost effective, but if you can get your hands on a buffet server or special pan and rack fitted for sterno cans you could at least reheat water or soup. I found two of these types of copper pans/racks at the thrift store for just a few dollars. After a nice shine-up they were even company-ready for some nice dinners. :)

~ Fireplaces, firepits or wood-burning stoves. We don't have any of these, but they are under consideration for future renovations. If you do, consider keeping a small store of wood dry year-round for use to cook and heat water with.

~ The gals over at Food Storage Made Easy really endorse a new product called InstaFire. I have not tried it, but on their website you can watch videos of cooking on snow with it and even show it burning in water.

~ Solar Ovens. I will create a separate post on this particular method, but with the amount of sun streaming over us the next day it would have certainly been useful to have one of these.

~ Foodstuffs. Keep food items on hand that don't require a lot of refrigeration or heating. A small bit of store-bought pop tarts or granola bars won't harm too much and powdered milk can make dry cereal better, and help with other things too.

I am sure there are other methods out there and if you know of them please share!

Pray to the Lord to show you what you need and what He has already blessed you with that you might have overlooked. Look around your home and see what you can use in an emergency situation to help you feed your family meals more nutritious than simple Saltines.

Just make sure that there is no chance of a gas leak before you light a fire! This is why I wish to do a separate post on solar ovens (how tos, etc.) because if you can use that without fire, it would be great during dry seasons, etc.

Being Prepared - Water, Part 2

As promised, here are some personal notes about this as well as some alternative ideas. I encourage you to think about your habits and needs (as well as your loved ones) as you determine what would be best for you.

Now, I have to admit, I am behind in all my storage needs because we did consume quite a bit over the winter. Between the holidays and the snowstorms, I didn't get out as much and so it was nice to be able to "shop" from my own pantry. Another benefit to being prepared--makes financial sense. That said, I am now rebuilding my pantry, with water being all the way down (my kids will sneak my water bottles if I'm not careful, lol).

Typically, I prefer to use empty 2ltrs for storing "cleaning" and "cooking" water. And yes, to even flush those toilets. Honestly, that's been what they've been used for most often when our subdivision has had water issues.

I do purchase some bottled water as well for drinking. It may not be "pc" but when the kids are whining for something to drink and the water has been shut off, and the juice and tea have run out, it's nice to grab one and not have to worry if it's safe to drink. We do try to limit our useage of those bottles and try to recycle as much as possible.

When it is time to rotate out the stock, I try to check at the beginning of each month. Purchased water gets drank then the bottle goes in for the process of being used for "cleaning" (if larger). 2ltrs get emptied...I use those to water trees and plants out doors or to clean the deck, porch, etc.

Again, I cannot stress to watch what type of container you purchase/use. The flimsy milk-carton style plastic jugs will break down. Let's just say I've had to toss more than the bottles and wasn't happy about it. Lesson learned and now shared with you!


ALTERNATIVES
NOTE: I strongly suggest that if you use any of these methods that you look into sales to save yourself $$. If you buy when they are less expensive, you can often purchase 2 for the cost of one. Save the extra for your stock. For example, hand sanitizers--I was able to use register rewards and coupons to get these for pennies on the dollar rather than pay full price. If you keep an eye out, you can save money and prepare at the same time. It takes patience and organization, but it is doable to keep your budget!

Some alternatives to keep water consumption at minimum during low/no water periods could be:

When pre-made drinks (like teas or juices/juice boxes) go on sale purchase two--one for immediate use and one for your stock.

Use paper products (plates, cups, etc.) for a meal or two. Again, may not be "pc" but when you have kids running around wanting dinner and you don't have clean dishes these could be a sanity saver. Keep a small supply on hand.

Use hand sanitizers, wet wipes, or diaper wipes. I still use diaper wipes for all kinds of things (great on picnics) and my youngest will be 12 soon!

If you have preteens who "sweat" a lot and get stinky underarms and they can't get to a shower, use hand sanitizer before reapplying deodorant. The alcohol in it breaks down the bacteria that cause the odor.

Look into other alternatives for cooking, such as broths for cooking rices, potatoes, etc. If you have a few in your pantry, they will come in handy if the water is out. You might even like them enough to use them every day instead of your tap water (if you don't already).

What about no-poo shampoos? There are "recipes" all over the internet for these. Maybe have a fun experiment night (especially if you have little ones--make it a party) and whip up a batch or two and try them out.

Basically, try to think outside the box as you evaluate your family's needs and decide what you can do to help make your life easier when things like this crop up. :)

Planning and preparing to store even just a few gallons of water will help you save $$ in situations like these--you won't have to take the kids to the store or even to McDonald's. (If you want to do that, then by all means go ahead, lol).

Being Prepared - Water

Next to air for breathing, I would say water is second-most physical thing we need to survive. Our bodies are made up of so much water. We use it in so many ways--for play, for cooking, for cleaning, etc.

You never fully realize how much you depend on the water from your tap until the day you go to take a shower and the water company has shut off the water while they repair a pipe. Or maybe your neighbor dug up a line while trying to move earth for that fancy deck. Or maybe it's just something as simple as your pipes have frozen up.

My point here is that it does not have to be a "disaster scenario" for you to be without water. In our subdivision it's happened several times and it is one big inconvenience.

If you do not have your own well (as most of us don't) you might consider storing some water. It's not difficult to do and while it will take up some space (you might need to be creative here), even just a few bottles will come in handy during those times.

Here are some water storage tips I have picked up over the years.

~ Most emergency sites/sources/etc. recommend you store ONE (1) gallon of water per person, per day. Most adults will drink at least 1/2 gallon per day, and use more for cleaning, cooking, etc. Don't forget about your furry friends either!

~ If possible, keep at least enough to get your family through 72 hours. If you want more, you can build up one week at a time until you get to a point you feel that you have enough.

~ If you store water from the tap, be sure to use food-grade (PETE) containers. (I do recommend you not use milk jugs or materials similar because they break down too quickly and will leak! I have had this happen before). Containers like 2-ltrs are good storage material.

~ Some sites recommend you stay away from juice containers, especially from pasteurized juices because of increased opportunities for bacteria to be in the water. My thought is that if you are going to use these, perhaps clean them well and use those particular jugs for toilets, hard cleaning jobs, etc. and save others for drinking water.) DO NOT use non-food containers to store water (ie shampoo, detergents, etc.) to keep chances of ingestion to a minimum.

~ Store water away from too much light and heat. You should also not store your water directly on the floor (especially if concrete). Use a carpet pad or even a flattened cardboard box to set the bottles on.

~ Clean, sanitize and rinse all containers prior to use. You can boil them, but personally, I wash them in hot, sudsy water, then use a solution of 9 parts water/1 part bleach to sanitize, then rinse thoroughly and fill immediately. Seal tight. If you want, you could even use a tape around cap to ensure it will remain sealed.

~ MARK your bottles (even store-bought ones) with a sharpee. I typically write the month and the year on them so I know when they need to be rotated out. You should not let your water sit in storage for more than 1 year.

~ Consider using different sized containers for different sized jobs. Dishes and cleaning will require more water, but you only need a bit to flush a toilet. If you have different sizes you can accommodate the task and keep other bottles sealed up (not to mention, having to heft a too-big bottle around).

~ When you open it, if for consuming, you can boil the water (make sure it's a rolling boil for at least 20 mins) or you can add a tiny bit of plain (unscented) household bleach (see below).

~ If your water tastes "stale" you can remedy this by pouring it back and forth from one clean container to another clean container to "re-oxigenate" it.


This ratio chart for adding bleach to water to "clean" it comes from Food Storage 101 by Peggy Layton.

If your water is clear:
1 quart water + 2 drops household (plain) bleach
1 gallon water + 8 drops household (plain) bleach
5 gallons water + 1/2 teaspoon household (plain) bleach

If your water is cloudy:
1 quart water + 4 drops household (plain) bleach
1 gallon water + 16 drops household (plain) bleach
5 gallons water + 1 teaspoon household (plain) bleach

Up next, some personal notes and alternatives to help you conserve water.

Preparedness?

My heart breaks tonight as I watch the news reports from the earthquake out of Japan and resulting tsunamis, volcanic activity, etc. What a day it has been. If you are a praying woman, I encourage you to join with me in lifting those people up in prayer.

It also has me thinking, some of us are not prepared for any type of emergency--be it a disaster like the ones mentioned above or even just a minor inconvenience.

I'd like to do a series of posts related to being prepared. I know you cannot predict the outcome of anything nor should you live in fear. That is not the intent of these posts. Instead I want to get you thinking about things and your family and doing what you can to prepare for difficult or stressful times that can arise. We know that being organized is half the battle. Some of us are better at it than others and some of us are good in certain areas, weak in others and some of us haven't even considered it at all. That's where our paths converge and we can learn from each other.

Most of us within the continental US live in some type of zone--earthquake, tornado, wildfire, hurricane, etc. We try to plan for those things.

What we don't always plan for are the smaller things like a burst pipe, shorted paycheck, etc.

I hope that through this series of posts that you consider these topics and adapt them to your own lifestyle and family needs. Because that's really what organization and "being prepared" are all about -- lifetstyle! If it's a part of you to plan and prepare, then you won't be caught short when you need an extra dollar in the checkout line, or you won't worry about feeding an extra mouth at the dinner table or even if you have candles should the power go out.

These topics and suggestions are by no means "expert", though this is an area that I have been working on most of the past twenty years. (RAISING HAND) Who doesn't have all the answers? I sure don't. But have acquired a lot of information and practical suggestions from my own experiences.

If you do these things, please comment away if you have extra tips or help! We can always learn something new from each other and look forward to hearing from you.

If you don't practice these things, I just ask that perhaps you consider it and look at it as a way to help you help your family.

I'll be posting as time allows, in between other posts, most likely. And praying for each of you and your precious loved ones. Hold them close tonight and be thankful.