Peanut Butter Powder Tip

A recent customer had this to say about our Provident Pantry® Peanut Butter Powder:

"My husband and I go through peanut butter like water, so when I saw this (Dehydrated Peanut Butter Powder) I got it. WOW! Deep roasted peanutty taste. I add a drop of olive oil and a dribble of Agave nectar (a natural sweetener similar to honey) and a shot of sea salt. WOW! Better than any store brand! Try it with celery!"

-Jeanne, Virginia

 

What We "Should Have" Done...

Here is another "winner" of our Guest Blog Post Giveaway. We would like to thank Amanda for her great post and let her know that her $20 gift card will be arriving soon. Don't forget to send us your own guest blog post and qualify to "win" a gift card. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Food Storage tip, experience, insight, etc.
• Emergency Preparedness tip, experience, insight, etc.
• Emergency Essentials® product review
• Food Storage recipe
• etc.

What We "Should Have" Done...

This is not a post about how we used preparedness skills or supplies during a severe weather experience. This is a post about how we "should have" used preparedness skills and supplies. I have made an effort to begin a storage solution at home, but I left one major hole...

Christmas Eve we had a blizzard move through our area. I'm sure everything in our tiny rural town was closed, but I wouldn't know because the kids and I were holed up in our cozy house. That is, until the power went out mid-morning. Never fear; we have plenty of extra blankets, a good store of food, everything we needed to stay comfortable for a decent period of time. The heavy snowfall was entirely unheard of in our area and I knew it wouldn't last, so I wasn't the least bit worried. What I failed to properly consider was my husband. He had gone to work just as the snow began to fall that morning, and I hadn't thought beyond making sure he arrived at the office safely.

One of the hazards of living in a tiny rural town is that "the office" is 30 miles away in the nearest city, and there are only 2 routes between us and them: "the highway" and "the back way". The highway is clearly the safest way to go in the snow, as our back roads and rural routes are not known for being high on the priority list for the snowplows. It never occurred to any of us that Daddy might not make it home for Christmas Eve.

Not half a mile after getting onto the highway proper he encountered a "snag". What it turned out to be, we found out hours later when he was still sitting in exactly the same spot, was a 4 semi pileup. He spent all that night, and all of Christmas Day, and then another night, sitting in the car on that snowbound highway. It took that long for the city and the National Guard to clear the road.

Roadwise™ and Emergency Road Side Kit Combo

I'd like to tell you that he had everything he needed in the car to make the experience...not comfortable exactly, but bearable. I'd like to tell you that, but our 3-day emergency car kit with everything possibly necessary for at least basic survival in a handy backpack was not in the car. It was conveniently stashed under my desk at the time. I'd like to tell you that he at least had a blanket in the car. I'd like to tell you that we'd even considered the possibility of being stranded somewhere other than our home. We were prepared for being housebound, but not for being carbound. He spent a miserable 48 hours out there in the snow, and not just because he was away from home and family for Christmas.

I have learned to expand our preparations for other eventualities, and I am devoting time and energy this year to building our storage and skills. Oh, and the 3-day car kit is now in the back of the car. :)

Amanda, Texas

Grilled Beef Quesadillas

These Grilled Beef Quesadillas were a huge hit at our house the other night!

Grilled Beef Quesadillas

The main ingredients used are Freeze-Dried Corn, Monterey Jack Cheese and Roast Beef. Let me just say that freeze-dried foods are amazing! They have excellent shelf lives and will give you the ability to have meat, cheese, etc. during an emergency. Simply add some warm water and a few minutes later they are ready to go!

Here's a tip for the Freeze-Dried Roast Beef: Add a little beef bullion and garlic powder to the water when rehydrating for some added flavor.

We made 2 versions of the Grilled Beef Quesadillas the other day. The first basically followed the recipe minus the Cilantro (not very popular in our house). Then we made "Anna's version" using just the roast beef and the cheese.

I'm sure you will enjoy these just as much as we did. Have fun!

 Freeze-Dried: Monterey Jack Cheese, Roast Beef, Super Sweet Corn

 

Ingredients are rehydrated and ready to go

 

 

Place on half of tortilla, fold, and grill

 

Ready!

 

Anna's Beef and Cheese only version

December 10, 2007: A day I'll always remember

We would like to say "thank you" to everyone for your guest blog post submissions so far - keep them coming! This is a post from our first "winner" of the Guest Blog Post Giveaway. Roseanne from Oklahoma will soon have her $20 gift card, but more importantly, we are grateful for her willingness to share her experiences and insights with the rest of us. Hopefully her story will motivate us to become better informed and prepared for the future. Thank you Roseanne!

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management reported the following:

On Saturday December 8, an Arctic airmass moved into Oklahoma from Kansas. As the cold air settled in across Oklahoma, temperatures dropped below freezing. A storm system moved across Kansas/Nebraska early Sunday morning and produced widespread freezing rain in Oklahoma, especially along the I-44 Corridor. This area received at least 1.5 inches of ice accumulations with some areas up to 3 inches from Oklahoma City to Tulsa. Many adjacent areas received a 1/2 inch of ice with a 1/4 inch farther south and north from the highest impact areas. At one point over 600,000 customers were without power.

December 10, 2007:  A day I'll always remember

There was a sound like an explosion that knocked me clear across the room in one leap...amazingly, nothing was hurt. As I looked toward the window, all I could see was lights flashing, and by the time I reached the window to see what was happening, the whole city seemed to be lit up with beautiful blue haze, and then...nothing. We had an ice storm the night before, and ice was hanging from trees, making pictures perfect. It was gorgeous. By dusk, it was all the lines could take and there was one huge city-wide power outage. There were spots that were still receiving power, but not many.

Still and quiet, everything seemed to stop, except sirens. Those were just beginning. There were fires, and lines down in streets, and iced branches...not just branches, but whole trees, down on the ground. You could hear them falling for a couple days. It was an eerie sound to hear creaking branches full of ice move back and forth, and then fall. Some trees blocked roads, some fell on cars, one fell on a car on the street I was traveling on the next day, and killed the driver. Not much in the city was moving except the army of trucks from electric companies who came from far, far away.

Neighbors were helping one another when they could, clearing paths to houses and drives. I sat here in my home with my two cats, thankful that we were safe and that the tree leaning against the gutter hadn't fallen any further into the roof. Then I was thankful I had my emergency kit here. I got out my radio and cranked it to play. I used it to charge my cell phone battery, as well. Some of the radio stations were on the air and one was helping connect people who needed things. I was fortunate I had what I needed here. My stove is gas which made it easy to cook or warm things up. I had water in my kit and extra water I had stored. I was able to sleep in layers of clothes under layers of blankets, and sleep comfortably.

During the day I was out helping who I could. I had enough food stored to be able to eat good healthy meals without worrying about going to the store, where shelves were fast depleted of necessities. By being prepared, I didn't have to go to a shelter and could stay with my pets here at home. I talk about preparedness to my friends and neighbors, and help plan what we would do if something like this happens again. It's nice to know where to turn for help and ideas, and Emergency Essentials is a great place to find everything you need.

-Roseanne, Oklahoma

Guest Blog Post Giveaway

Do you have some great food storage recipes? How about a preparedness or food storage tip? Maybe you have a great preparedness experience or product review to share with everyone. If so, this is the Giveaway for you. You can "win" a $20 Emergency Essentials® gift card by becoming a guest blogger on our blog!

Here's how the Giveaway works:

1. Submit your guest blog post relating to food storage, emergency preparedness, product review, etc. (See below for submission details.)
2. We will periodically select a guest post and publish it on the blog.
3. If your post is selected and published, we will send you a $20 Emergency Essentials® gift card!

Rules:

1. Guest posts must be submitted by email to social@beprepared.com with "Guest Blog Post Submission" in the subject line. Please include your first name and state.
2. Once submitted, the post content becomes the property of Emergency Essentials®. We reserve the right to edit the submitted post for content, typographical errors, grammar, etc.
3. Submitted photos, graphics, text, etc. must not be copyright protected material.
4. No advertising or links.  Emergency Essentials® does not provide "back-links" to authors personal blogs.
5. There is no limit to how many posts you can submit. You can "win" more than one gift card if we post more than one of your submissions.

So get going on those posts! Keep in mind that in some cases we may publish your post weeks or months after you have submitted it. You will receive a gift card after your post has been selected and published. We look forward to receiving and reading your submissions.

Please note: If your guest post is selected and published, please allow a few weeks for your gift card to arrive. We welcome entries from everyone; however, gift cards can only be mailed to an address within the 50 United States.

Winter Camping

Camping is a popular recreational activity anytime of the year, but camping during the winter requires the most preparation and special equipment. Extra precautions and education about the risks involved are critical to the fun and success of your camping trip.

Winter camping is a challenging adventure. A camper must have a healthy respect for Mother Nature and plan accordingly. When my dad and brothers go ice camping, they spend days beforehand planning for every situation and working out the smallest details. And their preparation pays off because they always have exciting things to tell us when they get back. Before hearing their stories, I never knew you could sleep safely in a hole in the snow, or stay warm even when you are soaking wet.

The main concerns for winter camping are staying warm, dry, and remaining hydrated. The best way to avoid frostbite or hypothermia is to conserve your own body heat. There are three ways to lose critical warmth. Keeping them in mind as you camp or hike through freezing temperatures will make you aware of what you can be doing to keep your body warm.

1. Radiation is the emission of body heat, especially from the skin areas exposed to the elements. A good set of gloves, hat, and scarf can help best in keeping bare skin to a minimum.
2. Conduction is the absorption of cold by the body when sitting or laying on cold ground, or handling cold objects such as metal cooking utensils or canteens. This is why a decent sleeping pad is required for cold weather camping. The same goes for wearing gloves. A camp stool is a must on a winter camping trip. Try not to sit on the ground.
3. Convection is the loss of body heat due to wind blowing across unprotected body parts. This situation can also be reduced by keeping bare skin covered with hats, scarves, and gloves. It is important to keep exposure to a minimum, especially in a windy situation. Convection heat loss can reduce body heat the fastest. Wet clothing will accelerate this process, making staying dry even more important.

Here are some other tips that will make your winter camping trip successful and free of accidents or emergencies that can prove to be life-threatening:

• Tent placement. Whenever possible, place your tent in a location that will catch the sunrise in the morning. This will aid in melting off any ice and evaporating any frost or dew that may have formed during the night. This will also warm your tent as you awaken in the morning. Cold air sinks. Try to place your campsite on slightly higher ground than the rest of your surroundings. Try to choose a protected site if it is snowing or the wind is blowing.
• Water consumption in cold weather. Dehydration can seriously impair the body's ability to produce heat. Drink fluids as often as possible during the day and keep a water bottle or canteen with you at night.
• Cooking in cold weather. Cooking in cold weather will take about twice as long as normal. Always use a lid on any pots that you are cooking in. This will help to hold in the heat and decrease the overall heating time. Make sure you start hot cleaning water before you start cooking. The pots and utensils must still be cleaned. Try to keep your menu to good one-pot meals. Things like stews, chili, and hot beans stick to your ribs, lessen the cleaning time, and provide good sources of energy and fuel for your internal furnace. A good high-calorie snack before bedtime will also keep you warm all night. Stay away from an overabundance of sugar. Cheese is a good high-calorie bedtime snack.
• Sleeping tip. Do not sleep with your mouth and nose in your sleeping bag. The moisture of your breath will condense in the bag, and cause it to become wet and ineffective as an insulator.
• Buddy system. Buddies can help each other pack for a trek, look after one another in the woods, and watch for symptoms of frostbite, hypothermia, and exhaustion.
• Checklist. Make a checklist of everything you need before you start to pack. Then check each item off as you pack it. This way you will not forget anything.

Taking this last idea to heart, we have included a checklist of some basic items that should be on every camping trip:

• Backpack with straps to hold skis/snowshoes
• Sleeping bag with a zero degree rating or less is best
• Sleeping pad - never sleep directly on the cold ground (see above definition of conduction)
• Map and compass (every team member should have one)
• Headlamp and extra batteries
• Candles and matches
• Shovel (or use a grain scoop or other substitute)
• Sunscreen and sunglasses
• Moleskin
• Garbage Bags, 3 or 4 (to make emergency sleeping bags or shelters)
• Boots, socks (wool is best)
• Long underwear (polypropylene or other materials that wick moisture away are best)
• Ribbons to tie to small gear so it can be found when dropped in the snow

Winter camping is a very rewarding sport because it requires so much effort. It is also one of the most dangerous activities you can engage in, if you are not prepared. With the proper preparation, it can be a fun activity for your family that teaches the value of hard work, how to work together as a team, and basic survival skills.

Dairy Combo Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Lorilyn from Utah who is the winner of the Dairy Combo Giveaway! Remember that this combo is on sale during the month of January for only $89.99 - a savings of 48% off the value. Click here for more information on the combo.

Dairy Combo

We would like to thank everyone who entered the giveaway and emailed us with suggestions for the blog. We have some exciting things planned for this year, so don't forget to come back and check the blog often. 

Freeze-Dried Mushroom Slices Tip

Freeze-Dried Mushrooms are a great addition to your home food storage. They provide variety for your casseroles, pizzas, and more. These mushrooms are filled with wholesome goodness and can still be eaten years later for full enjoyment.

Provident Pantry® Freeze-Dried Mushroom Slices

Here is a tip from a recent customer:

"We love these mushrooms! We're switching off canned mushrooms for good! These are lower in sodium and taste great. Sometimes, like for pizza, we reconstitute them, (takes only a few minutes), or throw them in dry to Alfredo, spaghetti sauce and pot roasts. They powder nicely in the blender to add a more intense mushroom flavor to Alfredo mushroom sauce. Great!"

-Tera, Texas

Emergency Entertainment Essentials

One aspect of emergency preparedness that is often forgotten is entertainment. Games, puzzles, and books are great calming activities during or after a crisis. Familiar activities bring feelings of normalcy and ease. Here are some emergency entertainment options:

• Board games
• Card games
• Puzzles (jigsaw and crossword)
• Art supplies (coloring books and crayons, drawing pencils and paper, etc.)

Don’t forget to store extra batteries, flashlights and/or candles with matches with these supplies.

Pathfinder 9-LED Flashlight

Having a variety of different entertainment options will help keep children occupied and settled. If they enjoy play-acting or storytelling, prepare kits in which they could create a skit or story to share with the family. Storing extra clothing that can double as outfits for plays can provide extra layers for warmth.

A journal is useful for record feelings, experiences and notes to prepare better for future emergencies. Along with a journal, keeping a camera on hand could be a way to document your experience.

Here is a recipe for making homemade play dough:

Play Dough

1 cup flour
1 cup water
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp powdered alum
1/2 cup salt
2 Tbsp vanilla
food coloring

Mix all dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until reaching the consistency of mashed potatoes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and food coloring. Divide into balls and work in color by kneading the play dough. Enjoy!

Dairy Combo Giveaway

We are excited to announce our first giveaway of 2010! The prize for this giveaway is one of our newest food storage combos - the Dairy Combo. See below for entry instructions.

Dairy Combo - On Sale This Month!

The New Dairy Combo is on sale this month for only $89.99! This is a savings of 48% off the value of $175.70. It includes 2 cans of Cheese Blend, 2 cans of Freeze-Dried Mozzarella Cheese, and 2 cans of Butter Powder. If you purchase a Dairy Combo during this giveaway and win, we will issue you a refund or send you the combo - whichever you prefer.

Cheese Blend: Cheese Blend is a versatile and important part of a food storage plan. Cheese Blend can be used in casseroles, soups, and dips. You can even use it to make homemade macaroni and cheese as well as cheese covered popcorn.

Freeze-Dried Mozzarella Cheese: This freeze-dried cheese melts after you rehydrate it. Mozzarella lets you make pizzas even during an emergency. It allows you to make dozens of favorite meals straight from storage. Add a touch of premium gourmet taste to your delicious recipes.

Butter Powder: For baking needs, or simply for spreading on a fresh slice of bread, Butter Powder offers flavor and convenience to your food storage. Made from real sweet cream butter, this dehydrated baking essential rehydrates and spreads on smooth.

To enter this giveaway, simply send an email (with "Dairy Combo Giveaway" in the subject line) to blog@BePrepared.com with your answer to the following question:

As you have reviewed your preparedness goals for the New Year, what products and/or topics would you like to learn more about on our blog this year?

All emails received through Tuesday, January 12th will be entered into the drawing. The winner will be chosen at random and posted on the blog no later than Wednesday, January 20th.

Please note: We welcome emails and entries from everyone; however, free shipping of the Dairy Combo is included for the winner to the 48 contiguous United States only. For any locations outside this area, the winner is responsible for arranging and paying their own shipping costs.

New Year Preparedness Goals

The New Year is a time of making resolutions and goals for the year to come and leaving any regrets behind you. As you are thinking of what goals you would like to accomplish this year, along with other high priority goals, you may want to add the goal of getting your food storage and preparing for emergencies. Now is a good time to make the goal to Be Prepared.

In breaking down your preparedness goal you first need to determine exactly what you want to accomplish. If you plan to set aside a little money each week or month to go towards your family's preparedness, you will be surprised what you can afford.

To start, you could plan a budget for buying emergency supplies that deal with water. A reliable water storage system like the 55 gallon barrel and a 25 gallon boxed water kit is essential. Water is the first item we recommend to store because it is the most crucial item to have available during an emergency. It is recommended to have both portable and stationary water sources. You could also plan out a budget to buy a really good portable water filter or other unit to help purify water. There are also different types of prepackaged water you can purchase, such as water in pouches or foil-lined cardboard “juice boxes” filled with water. These small containers are excellent for small children and babies.

25-Gallon Boxed Water Kit

Another step to reach your preparedness goal is to set up a schedule of certain things you want to buy each month. Maybe you want to be prepared by having Emergency Kits for everyone in your family. Perhaps you want a total preparedness package consisting of emergency kits and a year's supply of food storage for each member of your family.

Personal Emergency Kit with MRE's

One month you could buy emergency preparedness items that deal with warmth, such as emergency blankets, sleeping bags, hand and body warmers, and wool blankets. Another month you could focus on purchasing items that deal with emergency lighting, such as 100 Hour Candles, propane lamps, light sticks, matches, or a flashlight. This may seem like a lot of items to buy, but purchasing them in stages will help ease the stress on your pocketbook.

HOTSPOT™ Reusable Hand Warmer

The next step you need to think about is setting a goal to save enough money to buy food storage. You can accomplish this by setting aside a weekly amount, and then at the end of the month, buy food storage with that money. A good goal is to have on hand at least three months of items you normally eat. Then add items called the basics that are the foundation of your food storage and follow up with other dehydrated and freeze-dried #10 canned items to complete your food storage. Remember, normal canned vegetables and fruits come in smaller cans, have a shorter shelf life and can only stack so high. They are also packed with excess water. Freeze-dried or dehydrated #10 cans of food are a lot more compact in a smaller area and can store up to 30 years compared to the 1 to 2 year shelf life of store bought canned food.

To help you evaluate where you are in reaching your goals for your food storage, you can use the free Food Storage Analyzer™. It is an easy and accurate way to know "where" you are in your food storage goal. Click on the button below to go to Analyzer.

FREE Food Storage Analyzer™

Another New Year’s goal could be to encourage your neighbors and family members to start preparing as you are. Maybe this year you can decide to give gifts of preparedness to help your family members and loved ones get prepared.

When you are planning your New Year's resolutions, think about setting a goal of food storage and preparing for emergencies. If you make a plan and a budget, it will be easier to get the things that you need without added stress and worry. Now is a great time to get prepared, and remember, you can do it!