Answering a few more Questions
It seems everyone really enjoys having questions answered in a post format so they don’t have to keep checking the comments on each post. Therefore, I will do that each weeks from now on.
Stumbling Blocks: My stumbling block is that I’m planning on food for six, while there is only my husband and I at home (soon my father will be joining us). It is hard to rotate the amount of food for six with only two eating. I am concerned about the foods that don’t have a long shelf life, oils, peanut butter, etc. How do I plan this way? Any ideas would be really helpful.
There are really very few food items with a very short shelf life. We need to remember that the government requires all food and medications to have expiration or pull dates. Testing has shown that these are really not a great way to judge the safety of a food or medication. Canned foods are good for a minimum or two years. Canned fruits are great in smoothies, oatmeal, crisps and homemade ice cream. Canned veggies are great in soups and stews. I know you probably, normally use fresh , but if you are trying to rotate use canned occasionally, or part fresh and part canned. Oil will keep longer than the pull date if it is kept unopened. Most people store far too much oil. Use the method we discussed and date a bottle of oil and measure how long it takes you to consume it. Peanut butter can be used in candies and cookies for the holidays or birthdays. Instead of chocolate chip cookies make peanut butter and add chocolate chips, yummy. Have you had peanut butter pie or ice cream? I have a great recipe for Asian peanut sauce which uses peanut butter and makes everything taste great. The point is, you just need to experiment with new recipes and the next time you are asked to bring something to a pot luck why not think about those items that you need to rotate and use some of them then.
A response from another reader: I Googled “King County Washington web page” and then scrolled down to the pandemic section, and them the streaming video. You are right, it is well done and helps families see the greater impact of a pandemic. Even churches would be limited in how they could help because their members would undoubtedly also experience outbreaks of the flu.
I think the people of King County are doing a great job of putting out information to help us prepare, especially businesses. I wish the national media would also show some concern. Does anyone know Glenn Beck? I have tried to contact him with no response. At this same web site you can download a great coloring book to help your children understand what a pandemic is and why you are preparing for it. If you followed our Seven Steps this should already be in your binder. If not, it’s worth a look.
Sanitation: I would like to know more about the burn barrel – where to get one, store one, how to burn etc. We have burned alot of thing in our parent’s firepit, like sensitive documents, etc, but I don’t think we could do large amounts of waste.
What you need is a 50 gallon metal barrel which has not been used for chemical storage. Store it in the garage or in a shed and fill it with briquettes or kindling until you need to use it. You would also need to purchase fine mesh screening large enough to lay over the top of the barrels while there is a fire burning. The barrel itself will need some dime size holes punched in the sides about 1/4 of the way from the bottom to provide air to fuel the fire. Any time you are burning in a barrel or using a barbecue grill you need to make sure you have at least five feet between the fire and the house or other structures, 10 feet is better. Also be aware of tree branches overhead.
How do you suggest getting rid of disposable diapers? Or maybe I would just have to switch to cloth!
I also have the cloth diaper question, though my situation is opposite. I diaper my twins with cloth, but I’m wondering if I should switch to disposable to reduce the work and electricity usage in the event in the event that we have to care for sick folks in our house.
The answer to both questions is yes. While washing a soiled diaper in a bucket is no fun, our grandmothers did it and they survived. Not something I am looking forward to but we are women (!) and we can do it. This is one reason I recommend you store plenty of bleach. It will kill all those germs you don’t want to touch and keep diapers looking white. If you are ill or caring for those who are, disposable diapers will be a huge help in preserving your sanity. These will become very difficult to dispose of when trash pick up is suspended. You will not want to use disposable diapers all the time. We will discuss waste disposal on Friday so check that out. Always store diapers a size larger than your child wears now. As they grow into that size use them and add larger diapers to your storage.
During a pandemic would flushing paper waste from illness be safe? or would the system be overloaded and spread the illness?
Read the comment received from another reader:
About the flushing waste being safe in a pandemic. My son in law was in Marine bootcamp when 9/11 happened & was one of the first shipped off to war. When he received his small pox shot he was required to keep it covered with a bandaid for a predetermined amount of time. He was also required to change the bandaid at least daily AND to flush the bandaid down the toilet. No putting it in the trash – orders were to flush!! Our best guess was the length of time a pathogen can survive away from the host, waste treatment plant chemical or if a home septic – no one digs into the tank just for fun. Pandemic should be similar.
Flushing all waste contaminated by a patient would be unreasonable. A few tissues would be fine but not much more. This is why I recommended having a few large garbage cans outside. Tissues, napkins, feminine hygiene items, hand wipes, baby wipes, etc. should all be disposed of outside as soon as possible. They would be great candidates to burn or bury. Flushing may not clog the system or fill the septic tank but it may plug your pipes. Being without a bathroom would be a disaster during a pandemic. Don’t risk it.
Water: I have purchased distilled water in plastic bottles shaped as the milk cartons but they are of a sturdier plastic. Do you still consider these in the same category as the milk containers?
Look on the bottom of the container. If there is a triangle with the number 1 inside they are good for storage. If the triangle has a number 2 inside they are not good to storing water.
Would plastic vinegar bottles work for water storage? I’ve been using vinegar as a water softener in my wash and so as I empty those, I could fill them with water if the plastic will last.
Again check the bottom of the bottle for the symbol mentioned above. Be aware, no matter how hard you try, this water will taste like vinegar so store it for cleaning and flushing only. Water should never be stored in a bottle that has contained cooking oil.
One of our readers asked about recipes for canning soups. If you have a great soup recipe you have canned please share it with us.
There you go…keep those comments and questions coming. They keep me on my toes and also address questions other have. Some times I can’t believe I have left out some important info in a post so…keep commenting.
Remember…each comment gives you one more chance to win our February give away!!
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Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I will now start filling the vinegar bottles to store water for washing, etc.
If I use juice bottles for water storage do I put bleach in the water?
Great post. It’s always interesting to have questions answered on things you have never thought of. In the event of an emergency, it will make it so much easier when we have thought out or read about different problems we may face. This is sure a great lesson in being prepared for an emergency ie: “emergency preparedness”.
You do such an amazing job in helping us! Thanks!
Hello! Glad to see you’re answering questions, as I’ve also got one! I’m always looking for more water storage options. I have a few 10-gal yellow rubbermaid containers with spouts. (They’re the ones you see on the back of work trucks that guys use when they’re out working.) I thought of using those for extra water storage, but my husband thought they would be wrong to store water in since they have the spout. Is that correct? What do you think? Thanks ahead of time for your help.
For those interested in canning soups, check out your Ball Blue Book. I’ve used those recipes and they are generally good. Just be sure to use your Pressure Canner to process them!!! Also, check your local University Extension service. They often have recipes that have been specifically tested for your altitude.
Thank you for the info on the bottles- #1 & #2 recycling symbols. This is so helpful!