I attended a conference in Washington, D.C., the end of October presented by Partnership for Safe Medicines which was an informative session on the risks of purchasing medicines online. In my blog, I've talked a lot about the beauty of online buying for preparedness, but I would never advise buying your medicines online without consulting the proper authorities to let you know if your medicines are coming from a reliable source.
I have a family member who, because of the extremely high cost of one particular
Ordering In Bulk
If you find an item that you know others may want/need, it pays to research online and find a distributor or manufacturer who will sell to you in bulk at a better price. One example is when I needed a wheat grinder. I did my research and ended up with a distributor in Australia (love the internet!) He said he would cut my price by at least $60.00 for each grinder with an order of 10. I think we actually ended up with even a better cut when we ordered 13 grinders in the first order and then placed a second order for the same price for 4 more grinders. The distributor listed me as a distributor and gave me a huge discount on orders for the rest of the year. I do this for fun, not for profit, so any discount passed on to me was passed on to my friends.
Tomatoes!
There's More To My Pantry Than Food: What's In Your First Aid Kit?
On several occasions over the last year I have been prompted to refresh my first aid kit and to add a few items that I know would make a difference in taking care of injuries and wounds. I took care of my Mom for 8 years and I learned a lot about wound care and about some remarkable products for healing. I also learned that I don't have to go to the ER every time I cut myself. Some of my dear friends will laugh as they remember when I just about cut my thumb off at Girls Camp while using my machete and trying to show off in front of the girls with my culinary skills!
White Food Storage Pails (or buckets)
There was a time when I put all of my long-term storage in No. 10 cans, and I still use them when I have time to go to the cannery. I also like the metal bags because the sealer machine is portable and I can set it up on my kitchen table. But if I'm actively using a product that I have stored, like wheat or flour or whatever it is that you have on your shelf and use a lot, I go for the big white plastic pails that will take the "Gamma Seal" lid. You can look up Gamma Seal online and you'll see what they look like. Not all pails will take the Gamma Seal so make sure you check out what you purchase first. It gets expensive purchasing cans and bags that you will just turn around and open up within a month or two, so if you have a product you like and use a lot, think about the pails or buckets. The reason I like the Gamma Seal is that it gives you a twist-off lid that opens and closes very easily. I hate having to pry off a sealed lid with my fingers. I have a tool I now use for lid removal, but that's even hard sometimes. You can get a lid remover from a hardware store, a paint store, or online.
You can purchase 4.5, 5 and 6-gallon buckets from most preparedness stores or companies. I think Wheat Montana, Emergency Essentials (Utah), Montana Wheat (not the same as Wheat Montana), maybe Dutch Valley in Pennsylvania, and other stores. (Let me know if you have a favorite store I can add to my list.) The older I get, the more I select the smaller buckets. You can also look online these days and purchase buckets on Ebay or direct from the factory. If you need a bucket in a hurry, go to your local pastry shop or your grocery store where they have a bakery. If you chose this route, you'll most likely have to clean your bucket out. I would not get buckets that were used for icing or oily products. Go for the ones with jellies or fruits and give them a good cleaning - even set them out in the sunshine for a bit. I sometimes wash it down with a little baking soda to help remove odor. Remember that whatever scent is in the bucket when you store your goods will permeate through the food item over time. Trust me, you won't like it.
If you are not sure if your bucket is food safe, look on the bottom and get the company name and the number on the bucket. Call the company or check online. I had some small buckets that I checked out today online. I simply wrote the question, "Is the ______ bucket food safe. Right away, I found three sites that told me they were not food safe containers and quoted their reliable sources. You never want to store your food in containers that are not designated food safe. It's not about the seal or bugs getting in, it's about what the plastic contains that might be harmful if it leaches into your stored food. It is possible to purchase plastic liners made especially for putting inside buckets for dry goods. That is an alternative or even an added protection to help keep rodents and bugs out of your stored foods.
You can purchase 4.5, 5 and 6-gallon buckets from most preparedness stores or companies. I think Wheat Montana, Emergency Essentials (Utah), Montana Wheat (not the same as Wheat Montana), maybe Dutch Valley in Pennsylvania, and other stores. (Let me know if you have a favorite store I can add to my list.) The older I get, the more I select the smaller buckets. You can also look online these days and purchase buckets on Ebay or direct from the factory. If you need a bucket in a hurry, go to your local pastry shop or your grocery store where they have a bakery. If you chose this route, you'll most likely have to clean your bucket out. I would not get buckets that were used for icing or oily products. Go for the ones with jellies or fruits and give them a good cleaning - even set them out in the sunshine for a bit. I sometimes wash it down with a little baking soda to help remove odor. Remember that whatever scent is in the bucket when you store your goods will permeate through the food item over time. Trust me, you won't like it.
If you are not sure if your bucket is food safe, look on the bottom and get the company name and the number on the bucket. Call the company or check online. I had some small buckets that I checked out today online. I simply wrote the question, "Is the ______ bucket food safe. Right away, I found three sites that told me they were not food safe containers and quoted their reliable sources. You never want to store your food in containers that are not designated food safe. It's not about the seal or bugs getting in, it's about what the plastic contains that might be harmful if it leaches into your stored food. It is possible to purchase plastic liners made especially for putting inside buckets for dry goods. That is an alternative or even an added protection to help keep rodents and bugs out of your stored foods.
This is why I buy my honey straight from the beekeeper!
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2011-09-07/honey-laundering
You should listen to the link above on honey-laundering.
10 years ago I went in search for bulk honey for a group order. I found a business that carried my state brand and thought it would be a great source for local honey. I had a whole group of my friends with me and we swarmed in to see what we could buy. We found several items to take home to sample before
You should listen to the link above on honey-laundering.
10 years ago I went in search for bulk honey for a group order. I found a business that carried my state brand and thought it would be a great source for local honey. I had a whole group of my friends with me and we swarmed in to see what we could buy. We found several items to take home to sample before
"Come On Baby Light My Fire"
About 10 years ago (or so) there was an ice storm that hit south of Richmond, Virginia, where I grew up, that paralyzed the area. The power went out. People were freezing in their homes with no hope for the power coming back any time soon. My sister and her boys lived on our old street as well as Dick and Odie (in their 70's) two doors down from her. Dick was a stroke victim with no use of his left side. Odie called the rescue squad but even they were unable to get out on the ice. No hope. They would have to stay in place. Three days
Three-Month Storage
My daughter, Jessi, told me I should keep my blogs short and sweet so I don't lose you. I'll try but . . . It's hard. The lds.org website is a great place to go for information on preparedness. The 3-month plan means you have on your shelf 3 months of easy-to-fix food. I cleaned out my kitchen pantry and put my 3-month storage right there where I would use it, rotate it, and know what was needed. Some of my favorites
The Earthquake of 2011 - WOW!
I was sitting in my living room with the TV going and working on my computer. At first, I did not know what to think because over the last year we've felt some trembles coming our way. But I thought it was from all the blasting they are doing with the new buildings being built within 5 to 10 miles from here. My house began to shake and
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