This week add 6 pound of grains per family member to your store. Check out the Food Storage 101 class on grains if you have questions on what qualifies as a grain or you are just bored with rice and wheat in your storage plan. In our non food department we are adding sewing supplies this week. Be sure you have plenty of hand and machine needles, threads in various colors, especially black and white, elastic to replace some that has worn out or to make large garments smaller in a pinch, and patches for emergency repairs.

NEW CATEGORY

I have decided it is time to help with larger priced items in your General Store so I will be adding a larger priced item each month. You can purchase these if you have the money, send a request to family members asking for donations to a fund to purchase for a birthday or next month, Valentines Day, place them on lay away, or make a list to refer to when the tax return, bonus or other unexpected money comes your way. This month since it is the last week of the month I am adding an inexpensive, but vital item, a battery operated clock. This can be a simple, inexpensive one or a great mantle clock, you choose. These are absolutely invaluable during a power outage!

Now a word about cold weather. Did you know frostbite can occur on uncovered skin in FIVE minutes when the weather or wind chill is zero degrees or below? Did you know it only takes 30 minutes for frostbite to happen when it is 10 degrees? You can easily spend thirty minutes at a bus stop, shoveling snow or walking from the bus to the office while waiting for traffic lights and stopping for a hot cocoa. So stay covered and stay warm. 

Stay safe by:

Staying home if at all possible. By all means do not bring a baby or toddler into the cold if at all avoidable. Be sure all their skin is covered before taking them out even for a short walk to the car.

Stay dry. Snow, rain, sleet, hail and sweat are all your enemy in the cold. Stay dry! Wet clothing, hair, and feet can reduce the time it takes for frostbite or hypothermia to take hold.

Dress warm and protect your core temperature. In other words, keep your chest warm. Frostbite often happens when the core become cold and the body diverts blood from your extremities, hands and feet, to protect your vital organs. Wear long underwear if you will be out for any length of time. Polypropylene and wool are the best as they will wick the sweat away from your skin. Cotton clothing allows sweat to remain next to the skin and will cause the body temperature to fall. Dress in loose fitting layers. The air between the layers will act as an insulator.

Protect your feet. Boots should be big enough to allow you to wear two pairs of socks and still have wiggle room for your toes. Boots should be lined with felt, sheep skin or thinsulate.

Protect your hands. Mittens are your best option as they allow the warmth of each finger to warm the others. The more surface areas there are to cool down, as with gloves, the more heat escapes and the faster frostbite can set in, even with gloves on. If you are driving wear gloves and slip mittens over them when you exit the car. Two pair, as with socks, are always better than one.

Protect your ears and nose. If your ears or nose are cold the rest of your body will soon be also. Wear a hat that covers your ears and always take along a scarf that is long enough to wrap around your face as well as your neck.

Tune in tomorrow night, 6:00pm Pacific, 9:00pm Eastern for READY OR NOT when I discuss planning now for a garden, even in the city, with my guest, Marjory Wildcraft. Marjory sees the economic dominoes continuing to fall and basic staples of food becoming a bigger priority for the average American.   Marjory is on a mission to live sustainably, and the biggest key to a sustainable lifestyle is growing your own food. She is an expert in backyard food production.

Newsletter Special Ends January 28th!!!

TOTALLY READY NEWSLETTER SPECIAL:

When you order a two year subscription to the Totally Ready Newsletter

I will send you a copy of my food storage ebook, Mother Hubbard:What She's Doing Now

and a copy of the first 12 months of Totally Ready Newsletters (144 pages),

a $47.00 value for $24.00.

The ebook will answer the questions, where do I store, how can I afford this, what do I store and much more. The newsletter subscription will provide disaster preparedness tips, tutorials for survival, recipes and answers to many more questions. If others have told you, after listening to Glenn Beck, that they want to get started consider purchasing this package as a gift for them or let them know about this great deal.

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows: http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are continuing in a festival mood. Today I just have a quick post so those who are committed to food storage will be able to take advantage of this week's sales. This week add spices and extracts to your store shelves. They should be on sale so now is the time to stock up. After World War II the items starving Germans longed for the most were spices and oil to make the small amount of food they had taste better. We are working toward a three month supply of the foods we eat but most of us are also working on long term storage. Another goal is to have seeds available so we can grow or own foods after the three month supply in our General Store are depleted.  There may still be occasions when we need to eat our long term storage for weeks or months. During these times spices and extracts will be critical to avoiding appetite fatigue and to creating a feeling of well being for your family.

Today I'm off to see what I can find to add to my supplies while things are on sale. I'm also formulating plans to declutter to make more room for the storage I have so it is more accessible and thus, easier to rotate. Please send me photos of your food storage solutions. I would really appreciate being able to post some examples of the solutions you have found. As many people set goals in the coming weeks more families will realize the importance of food storage. For those who are new to the concept and to those who are just beginning after procrastinating, I would like to post some photos of storage options, many times the stumbling block to beginning. Please email your photos to Carolyn@TotallyReady.com

There are huge snow storms today and more, much more , is expected this week. Are you and your family and friends prepared if you become stranded?  Do you and they, all have kits in their cars, How about blankets? Do they all have a copy of Totally Ready for the Road? I know that may be a shameless pitch but I have heard back for some who have already had occasion to use the book and others have been very excited to know their family is prepared just in case. Before you head over the river and through the woods this holiday please consider adding the book to your glove box and by all means put together a car kit.

I know the Christmas and New Years are just around the corner and we are all getting very busy with holiday preparations but please don’t forget about your food storage and please, please consider a preparedness gift for everyone on your list.

This weekend I went to the grocery store and as you know by now, I only purchase things when they go on sale to replace items in my General Store. I have known prices were on the rise but I was shocked, really shocked to realize just how much. A can of evaporated milk which was $1.59 last year was $3.29! Now this is not a big item in my storage but, yikes! Sugar is going up at a very rapid rate 30% so far this year. I don’t normally purchase candy bars but I do for stocking stuffers. Oh my goodness! They have more than doubled in price this last year. Not only has the price gone up but the size is smaller. I warned you months ago that sizes were changing which is why you may not have realized prices were rising. We talked about peanut butter and mayo and ice cream at the time but cereal and canned items have joined the group to watch. A can of fruit and veggies which used to be 15 1/2 oz. is now 14 oz. Cereal boxes are the same size but they have also had the contents reduced.

In Food Storage 101 Lesson One I asked you to keep track of the money you are spending and to examine which items you can eliminate. In the December Newsletter I gave you recipes for freezer meals so you won’t have to resort to eating out when the holiday preps get overwhelming. In the newsletter there are also suggestions for holiday preparedness gifts that are inexpensive or free, thus saving money in the budget which can be used for food storage and other preparations. Please, take advantage of items that are on sale in the grocery store now and stock up. All month we have added items to our General Stores that were on sale that week. We will do that again today but if you can add other sale items please do that as well. Having done lots of research on food prices I do not see them going down or even leveling off in the new year.

This week add 10 pounds of sugar per family member to your store. You may also want to add brown sugar if you can afford to do that as well.  We will be adding brown sugar later but it is on sale right now. For those of you who have your three month supply and are working on non food items I would suggest you add sugar as well. Nothing in the food world is ever written in stone but from what I am hearing sugar will continue to go up in price and it will keep for 20 years so if it doesn’t go up it will not go to waste.

Lesson Four: Exactly why is it so important to have variety in your food storage? Yes, storing grains and powdered milk will be all you need to stay alive but that is not good enough. We want to be able to thrive during a crisis and to have the strength to care for all of our family’s needs. Beside that, all those foods need water to prepare. That may not always be possible. As far as nutrients are concerned, consider the following.

Why Fruits and Vegetables? Colorful fruits and vegetables provide the wide range of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and chemicals your body uses to maintain energy levels, protect against the effects of aging, reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, maintain good vision, build strong bones, keep the heart healthy, maintain a healthy immune system, and improve memory function.

Why Protein? No other nutrient plays as many different roles in keeping you healthy as protein. Protein is important for the growth and repair of your muscles, bones, skin, tendons, ligaments, hair, eyes, metabolism, and digestion.

Protein helps create the antibodies your immune system needs to fight disease. If you are injured or ill, you may need more protein. Often when people are dieting or just in a hurry they will skip protein. If you develop a headache, muscle cramps or shaking you can’t control, you may need to consume protein.

Easy sources of protein include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, and dairy foods. Besides meat, beans, peas and nuts have the most protein, but they are incomplete proteins. To achieve a more complete protein serving, you must combine them with grain, fruits and vegetables.

Why Grains? When we speak of grain we are really talking about carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel and are easily used by the body for energy. Carbohydrates are needed for the central nervous system, kidneys, brain, and muscles to function properly.

The best source of carbohydrates is grains – whole wheat, wheat flour, bulgar, oatmeal, cornmeal, rice (white, brown and wild), buckwheat, popcorn, rye flour, barley, pasta, pretzels, couscous, amaranth, millet, quinoa, sorghum, and triticale. You can also count muffin, corn bread and pancake mixes when calculating your grain requirements for your food storage plan.

For a three-month supply, you should store only the grains you use or are learning to use. If you would like to expand your horizons, purchase a small amount of a new grain, try a few recipes and then purchase more once you know your family will eat it and you can properly prepare it. If you don’t know how to prepare grains such as wheat, ask for cooking lessons for Christmas!

Why Dairy? Diets rich in milk and other dairy products help build and maintain bone mass, reduce the risk of osteoporosis, build teeth, and help maintain a healthy blood pressure.

Evaporated milk contains milk fats which powdered milk does not. Evaporated milk is great to use in ice cream, cream sauces and soups and is also much better for children 3 and under. For every 10 cans of evaporated milk, eliminate 1 pound of powdered milk in your storage plan.

Please send me any questions you may have today as I will be answering questions on my radio show tomorrow night. Please tune and and please call in! The call in number is: 347-326-9604  6:00pm Pacific and 9:00pm Eastern every Tuesday night.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

When you order a two year subscription to the Totally Ready Newsletter

I will send you a copy of my food storage ebook, Mother Hubbard:What She’s Doing Now

and a copy of the first 12 months of Totally Ready Newsletters (144 pages),

a $47.00 value for $24.00.

The ebook will answer the questions, where do I store, how can I afford this, what do I store and much more. The newsletter subscription will provide disaster preparedness tips, tutorials for survival, recipes and answers to many more questions. If others have told you, after listening to Glenn Beck, that they want to get started consider purchasing this package as a holiday gift for them.

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows:

http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

For the past two weeks we have talked about how to decide what foods you want to store in your General Store. We have talked about where to store your food so you can prepare a place before you begin purchasing large quantities. Today we will address how to rotate your foods so you don’t have a mess like in this photo.

Rotating is an extremely important  component of any great food storage plan. Too often people waste valuable money due to the lack of a good, efficient food storage rotation plan. We want to purchase our food storage for the least amount of money as we possibly can but we also want to preserve those foods and make sure none are ever wasted because they spoil. The more simple your plan the more likely you are to stick with it and to succeed.

First you will need to decide how you will handle the foods in your store so you are always using the oldest items first. You may consider purchasing rotating shelves for your General Store. I like the can organizers that are linked on this page. I have their shelves in my General Store and they are strong, efficient and much less expensive than the plastic models sold by others. The shelves are as little as four dollars each, a real bargain. These organizers can easily be laid flat and reassembled if you are moving. Take a minute to click on the link and check them out.

Whether you are using rotating shelves or stacking cans or placing them in bins, you will need to mark each can, again, so you are using them in the order they were purchased or canned. I keep a permanent marker in my kitchen and as soon as I unload the groceries I date the top of the can or box with the date I purchased the item. I chose this method because canned food are safe to use for a minimum of two years past the expiration date and I know I can rotate a three month supply within two years so even if the can was at the expiration date the day I purchased it ( I don’t recommend purchasing items that have reached their expiration date unless you are using them right away) I still have plenty of time to use it. Storing according to the expiration date is very frustrating as you may find a great deal on an item, purchase 10 cans and the next month purchase 10 more which have a later expiration than the first 10 cans. Now you have to pull the cans off the shelf, place the more recently purchased behind and then replace the older, a real pain in the neck.The can organizers also make a great gift and would be great for you to ask for as a gift. Again,click on the link and check them out

You can choose the method you feel good about but I date the can with the month and year purchased. The tops of my cans and boxes look like this: 10-10 if purchased in October of 2010. It just takes a minute and helps so much to keep your store organized.

Next, I take any boxed items and seal the ends with packing tape. I place a strip or two of tape on the bottom and top of the boxes so it covers the seam and the ends. This prevents any moths that may hatch from getting out and if you have an invasion it also prevents any from getting into boxes that are not infested. I used to have a big problem with that but this method has really help. On occasion I will open a box that has moths in it but they have not been able to get out and to infest the rest of my store and I simply throw the box away, outside of course.

This week add powdered sugar, brown sugar and honey to you General Store. You should have determined how much to store for your family when you dated these items but if you are new just double what you are purchasing for holiday baking and you can catch up later, but get some now while they are on sale. If you have no idea what I am talking about as far as dating items read about it now. For those who are also working on non food items this is the week to add hand and body lotion. These are also on sale right now for holiday gift giving. Those who have been reading for awhile know how important lotions are during a medical emergency such as a pandemic, when using hand sanitizers and disinfectant to keep your family healthy. Again, if you did not date and track your use of lotions add one per family member now and track your use for a month and add more as needed.

Tomorrow we will talk about how to rotate foods in unique ways. If you have subscribed to the newsletter there are some great recipes for rotating in the February and August 2010 issues.

When you order a two year subscription to the Totally Ready Newsletter

I will send you a copy of my food storage ebook, Mother Hubbard:What She’s Doing Now

and a copy of the first 12 months of Totally Ready Newsletters (144 pages),

a $47.00 value for $24.00.

The ebook will answer the questions, where do I store, how can I afford this, what do I store and much more. The newsletter subscription will provide disaster preparedness tips, tutorials for survival, recipes and answers to many more questions. If others have told you, after listening to Glenn Beck, that they want to get started consider purchasing this package as a holiday gift for them.

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now.

Current show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper

Past shows:

http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

I am home from all the holiday traveling now and should be back on track and posting almost every weekday so please check back often and sign up for the RSS feed if you want the posts to come to your inbox. First let’s review your home work.

Homework assignments

1. Pumpkin and cranberry sauce will never be cheaper than this week so if you like those at times other than Thanksgiving purchase a few this week and stock up. I was traveling and missed out on this one. I hope you didn’t.

2. Make a list of the meals you enjoy and your ingredient list. If you have not done this make a cup of hot cocoa and do it now. This is so important as it will help you determine what to store so you are getting what your family will eat and avoid wasting your resources.

3. Date the items you do not finish when you use them one time. If you missed the first post and have no idea what this is please go read the post now.

4. Keep track of every penny you spend this week. Again, if you have not done this please do it this week. You will discover areas in which you can make changes to your habits and save money for food storage.

This week we are going to discuss where to store your food. I do this now because it is so much easier to create a plan now then to wait until you have cases of food and are wondering what to do with it all. A few things to remember:

1. Food should not be stored in garages or out buildings unless they are heated in winter and cooled in summer.  As we store non-food items you will need to create space in the garage but for food, think indoors.

2. There is no law that says a linen closet must house linens. You need to rethink the uses for all the storage areas in your home.Linens are the perfect items to store under beds in plastic containers or bags. We often have extra linens and blankets that are used only when guests come to town. During the summer why have blankets taking up space in a cupboard? Bathroom cupboards are the perfect place to store hygiene supplies like deodorant, medications and toothpaste. Every home used to have a coat closet near the entrance. If your home does consider devoting at least a part of that to food storage. When guests come just take their coats to another room and hang them. Place hooks near the back door or in the laundry room for those coats used every day. Re-think all the closets and cupboards in your home and determine which can be converted to a section of your General Store.

3. Move little used items to the garage or attic. Now I know this is not an option for apartment dwellers but if you have family close by ask to “borrow” part of their garage or attic. Move old files, Christmas decorations, the roasting pan that gets used once or twice a year, the humidifier, the second and third crock pot (better yet sell those and use the money for food storage), space heater during the summer and fans during the winter, baskets, you get the idea. Too often we are storing items which are rarely used in the most valuable space in our homes.

4. Many people advice you to store food under beds. I do not like this idea. The foods are forgotten and not rotated on a consistent basis. I do understand storing five gallon buckets under the bed when they are filled with long term storage items such as wheat and rice. These can be placed side by side and used in place of a foundation. If you do this I that you write the contents and date of purchase of each bucket on the lid where it can easily be seen when the mattress is removed. When you remove a bucket you will need to replace it so the mattress continues to be properly supported. If you are storing blankets, winter clothing, Christmas ornaments or other non foods items under a bed you should consider purchasing risers for the bed frame. These can add another 3-5 inches of space to work with.

5. Build up. If you are in need of a chest of drawers consider purchasing an armoire. It will take up the same amount of floor space but provides much more storage room.. Shelves can be added and clothing kept folded on shelves or in baskets. You may also want to use this for hanging clothes and convert the closet, by adding shelves, for clothing and food storage. If you are building or purchasing book shelves get the tallest ones possible for the height of your ceilings.

Baskets can be used on shelves or on the top of the bookcase or armoire to store food. No one will ever know you have green beans in those cute baskets. This is also a great tip for plant shelves. Why decorate plant shelves with knick knacks when they can be used for your General Store.

That’s just a few tips. There are more in the February and April  2009 Newsletters and in your copy of Mother Hubbard:What She’s Doing Now.

For those already stocking shelves or for those who believe they are ready to begin add4 cans of soup per family member this week. These can be soups ready to eat or soups you use as an ingredient. Soups are on sale this week, so again, it’s a good time to get stocked up. For those who have their food section complete or who can afford to do more, add hand soap to your store. You should know how much you need to store for a three month supply if your dated this items and determined how much you had used in one month. If you did not do this, now is the time. For now, store a minimum of one bar per shower, one bar per sink and one bar per family member. When you evaluate how much you really need you can make up the difference. You probably use more than you think you do. Remember when I said not to guess or let anyone tell you how much to store? You can do this. You can determine your family’s needs, it just take a little effort.

Be sure to set your alarm for my show tomorrow night with Bonnie Jones from Grain Maker. Bonnie was a beginner just a few years ago and has great insights as well as a great product. READY OR NOT 9:00pm Eastern and 6:00pm Pacific.

I know many of you have your own creative approaches to housing your General Store and I hope you will share with those just beginning.

When you order a two year subscription to the Totally Ready Newsletter

I will send you a copy of my food storage ebook, Mother Hubbard:What She’s Doing Now

and a copy of the first 12 months of Totally Ready Newsletters (144 pages),

a $47.00 value for $24.00.

The ebook will answer the questions, where do I store, how can I afford this, what do I store and much more. The newsletter subscription will provide disaster preparedness tips, tutorials for survival, recipes and answers to many more questions. If others have told you, after listening to Glenn Beck, that they want to get started consider purchasing this package as a holiday gift for them.

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now!

http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

I decided to begin with this questions because if there is no money there is no food storage. With all of us on much more limited budget right now we must be creative in our approach to stocking our General Stores. Following are a few ideas:

1. For homework I asked you to get a notebook and record every penny you spend this week. I think you will be surprised what you spend. I know it is a holiday week so you may want to do this for two weeks to get a better picture of your spending habits.

You may discover you purchase items because you are shuttling kids. This is a huge budget buster. We have all been there. You pick up the kids from school and it’s off to soccer practice or music lessons. On the way the kids are hungry and thirsty so you drive through and pick up a quick snack. Make it a habit to keep a few drinks and snacks in the car. You can even purchase bottles for water and fill them when you know there are errands to be run. This saves on the cost of using bottled water all the time.

You may discover you run to pick up a pizza because you are just too exhausted or you have no time to fix a meal before another meeting in the evening. Spend one afternoon, evening or Saturday each month making freezer meals. Then when you are in a pinch pop a meal in the oven or microwave. We have had recipes for these in past newsletters and there will be more recipes and tips in the December Newsletter next week. These can save you lots and lots of money and as with the previous tips are much more healthy than the fast food stop.

2. Save your change. Each night take the change from your pockets and purses and place it in a bottle. This is money for food storage only!

3. Serve breakfast for dinner one or two nights a week. Everyone loves breakfast foods and they are  much less expensive.

4. Rethink gift giving. Everyone loves gifts from the heart. As an example:

Canning Kit: ( almost free). Give a case of canning jars, either new, or used with new lids – include a few of your favorite canning recipes and a gift certificate for a lug of fruit from your local orchard or your own tree next summer, and a day of canning help. If you have your own fruit trees, this gift is free except for the lids.

Canning Season Order Form: (free if you ask for return of the jars!). Create a gift certificate that is an order form for next canning season. Label the top of the certificate “Redeemable from Summer 2011 Crop”. Directions on the certificate: “Choose one from each section” Then create sections for items you normally can. For example, “Fruit” – choose from pears, applesauce or peaches. You could include a jam and jelly section, vegetable section, and a “Just for Fun” section which could include such things as pickles and spaghetti sauce. Then next summer deliver their selections all canned and ready for the shelves of their General Store.

Disaster Preparedness Kit: (free). Send for, or download, information concerning natural disasters known to occur in your area. This information should also include counsel on what to do to be prepared for such emergencies. Wrap it in a gift bag and add a gift certificate from a provider of 72-hour kits and preparedness items or collect items from around your home such as a backpack, whistle, flashlight, and roll of TP to begin their kit. You will not only have “warned your neighbor”, but will have provided them with a way to act on the knowledge they have gained.

Again, there will be a longer list in the newsletter…

5. Trade for items you now pay for. What can you trade the person who cuts your hair? Maybe you could mow their lawn, pick up their kids from school, teach them or their children to sew or take them dinner or a freezer meal once a month!

6. Organize a swap meet. Why purchase new toys when you can trade? I have known people who have even traded furniture. Sick of your jewelry? Trade!

7.  Meet needs. Do you know someone who works and needs help to pick kids up from school? Know someone who would pay you to hang their Christmas decorations? What about teaching a class, cleaning a garage, inventorying someone’s food storage?

Right now…BABYSIT… Just think,  babysitters make $5.00 an hour or more so why not take a day of two and offer babysitting in your home while mom and dad get to go Christmas shopping. Make it a 10:00am  til 5:00pm  day, watch a Christmas movie, decorate cookies and eat lunch and the day is gone! Set a reasonable rate per family and I will bet you get plenty of takers.

8. Ask for food storage for Christmas from family and friends. Send out an email and give them a list of items you would like. Explain that the best gift you could receive this year is the gift of peace of mind, which having food for a rainy day will provide. Sitting around the Thanksgiving table is the perfect time to make this request.

I hope that provides you with a few ideas, and I hope you will share your tips too. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

When you order a two year subscription to the Totally Ready Newsletter

I will send you a copy of my food storage ebook, Mother Hubbard:What She’s Doing Now

and a copy of the first 12 months of Totally Ready Newsletters (144 pages),

a $47.00 value for $24.00.

The ebook will answer the questions, where do I store, how can I afford this, what do I store and much more. The newsletter subscription will provide disaster preparedness tips, tutorials for survival, recipes and answers to many more questions. If others have told you, after listening to Glenn Beck, that they want to get started consider purchasing this package as a holiday gift for them.

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now!

http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

Join me Tuesday night for READY OR NOT 9:00pm Eastern and 6:00pm Pacific. I have been watching your comments on Glenn Beck’s website and I will be answering your questions. Please call in with more questions and please pass the word to your friends

Do you wish you had a General Store in your home stocked like the one in the picture? You can and together we will make it happen. It’s time to begin the journey. Be sure to invite others to join us now, at the beginning.

Where to begin Food Storage: Lesson 1

Ask yourself:

a. What food do I have access to for free or nearly free? Is there a farm or neighbor where you can glean? Do you or a family member have fruit trees?

b. Are the fruits and vegetables available to you good candidates for preserving, canning, or drying?

c. Do you have the room to plant a garden and harvest your own food?

d. Do you have friends you can share a garden with? Perhaps you will grow the tomatoes and they will plant and harvest the green beans. Now you are learning skills of provident living; caring for your needs while helping others strengthens both giver and receiver.

e. What is your current food budget?

f. What is your current entertainment budget?

With those questions answered, and the answers written down, you are ready to begin.

First Step, you must decide how long a period of time you will be storing for. Are you going to begin with one week and work up or are you going to work toward a month or three months of a complete supply and then move on to more? This will be a critical decision as we move forward next week so give it some thought. I like to start with one month and then increase but if you can afford to invest a little more money or if you are very anxious and feel you need to get it done now I would recommend going right to the three month goal, three months of the foods you normally eat.

Second step, YOU must decide what to store. No one should ever tell you what to store. This is a decision only you can make as you evaluate your family’s likes and dislikes, assess allergies and other medical questions and understand your storage challenges.

To determine what you will store on the shelves of your General Store begin by making a list of your 10 favorite meals. Get all the family involved and ask their preferences also. Be sure to include menu items for breakfasts, lunches and dinners. I can hear you all saying”but you said don’t plan a few meals and purchase the ingredients”. Right! You were listening.

Once you have the list gather your recipes and sit down with a binder and some paper. You will now begin building your own family food storage reference binder. First, add the pages containing the answers to the questions at the beginning of this post. Next, take your paper and beginning with the first recipe. List all the ingredients down the left hand side of the page. Move on to the second recipe and do the same. When you have an ingredient that is a duplicate make a check next to the item. Do not forget to record the spices. When all the recipes have been recorded count the checks next to each ingredient. You will now understand which ingredients your family enjoys the most.

For example: Your family has listed chicken and rice, chicken pot pie, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, spaghetti, chicken stir fry with peanut sauce, tacos, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, mac and cheese , and chicken noodle soup.

You now know your menus include chicken 4 times, beef twice and peanut butter twice. As you work on the protein section of your General Store you now know you will want to store more chicken than beef. You can also see that you will need more pasta than rice when you stock grains. Remember we will be storing portion sizes from each food group when determining how much to store. Of course, this is not an exact science but it will give you a guide to follow as you stock up.

Notice there was no tuna on the list. If your family likes tuna you will want some for lunches but not as much as peanut butter since that did make the list. The more your family enjoys an ingredient the more often you will be able to serve it without protests from your crew.

Since your menus may not include fruits and veggies be sure to ask the family to list their three favorites. This will again be the basis for deciding what percentage of your General Store shelves are stocked with peaches and what percentage are pears.

Notice I did not tell you to purchase those ingredients. This is just meant as a guide. As you shop and add ingredients your family loves you will be able to create many, many more meals than your original 10. You can be assured your family will eat them because you now understand they like each individual item in the dish and thus, will give the meal a try and they will like it.

There will be some items on your ingredient list that are not used up in a recipe, catchup for example. All these take your meals from ordinary to extraordinary. I suggest you plan to store three months of these since often three months is only one or two bottles. How do you know how much to purchase of these? That is part of your homework assignment.

Homework assignments

1. Pumpkin and cranberry sauce will never be cheaper than this week so if you like those at times other than Thanksgiving purchase a few this week and stock up. Both of these items will go into the fruit and vegetable section of your store. Be realistic and don’t go crazy. If you love pumpkin bread then assume you will make it 4 or 5 times before next Thanksgiving and purchase that amount.

2. Make a list of the meals you enjoy and your ingredient list.

3. Date the items you do not finish when you use them one time. Again, this would include mayo, salad dressings, oil, pickles, dried onions, and all those miscellaneous bottles on the door of the fridge. Take a permanent marker and draw a line at the level of the contents. At the end of a month you will check to see how much you have used. If you open a new one calculate how long it took you to finish the first. If it takes two weeks to use a bottle of salad dressing you know you need 6 bottles for a three month supply. That would be plenty for my family for a year but your family may eat more salads and use more. This is why no one should tell you how much to store. They should teach you how to calculate the needs of your family so you can store according to your needs, not some chart.

4. Keep track of every penny you spend this week. Every family member should have a small notebook or record in another way, everything they spend. This will help you to determine what you can cut out to free up the funds to stock your General Store.

That’s it! Next week you will be ready to start purchasing food. Once we have finished food we will move on to non food items such as hygiene products, cleaning supplies and medications.

As you get started please ask for help. We were all beginners at one point and there are no stupid questions. Please post a comment and ask a question or join the yahoo group and facebook page and ask for help from those who are further along on the journey.

For those who are already stocking their store, this week add 8 cans of evaporated milk per family member (again, this is the least expensive week of the year to buy) to your food and for those who have finished the food and are on to non food items add medications to treat the symptoms of a cold and nasal spray.

Be sure to take a look at our specials offer for yourself and as a gift for those traveling the road to self reliance.

When you order a two year subscription to the Totally Ready Newsletter

I will send you a copy of my food storage ebook, Mother Hubbard:What She’s Doing Now

and a copy of the first 12 months of Totally Ready Newsletters (144 pages),

a $47.00 value for $24.00.

The ebook will answer the questions, where do I store, how can I afford this, what do I store and much more. The newsletter subscription will provide disaster preparedness tips, tutorials for survival, recipes and answers to many more questions. If others have told you, after listening to Glenn Beck, that they want to get started consider purchasing this package as a holiday gift for them.

Listen to my radio show READY OR NOT…every Tuesday night 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific…if you missed some listen now!

http://www.bepreparedradio.com/category/prepper-podcasts/ready-or-not/

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The colder weather is about to hit and that means an increase in home invasions by the rodents and insects trying to get out of the wet and cold. It’s a good time to stock up on mouse traps in your General Store. We have already stored insect sprays so you should be prepared with that but if you missed that week it may be time to go back to breakfast for dinner to free up money and stock up on all things anti insects. You may feel you have never had a problem and this is over the top but I assure you it is not. After a natural disaster insects, rodents, and snakes appear in places you have never seen them before. When a disaster disrupts or destroys their home they are looking for another and even your home, which may have  extensive damage, provides a perfect refuge for them. Now is the time to stock up before everyone is looking for traps and sprays.

Fruit season is now ending but in many places pears, apples and even some grapes are still available. This week add 6 14oz. cans of fruit per person to your store.

This is short and sweet because I have just returned from a road trip.

Don’t forget to join us tonight for a visit with Scot and Maurine Proctor who will help us better understand the aftermath of the earthquake last year in Haiti and what we can do for those who suffered as well as what we can do to prepare out own homes and neighborhoods.

6:00pm Pacific Time

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/10/06/2010-10-05-7pm-10pm-preparedness-radio

Food security is defined by the United Nations as having enough food on to feed a country’s population. The United Nations estimates the need for food will more than double over the next 50 years. Their scientists believe the only way to avoid wide spread famine is to re-invest in agriculture and in agricultural practices.

Many of you who have been following Totally Ready for a while know the opposite is happening in our country. In California we continue to limit water to farmers to protect a smelt. This has lead to top soil being lost and crops going unplanted for several years now. This is all due to the federal government’s control of California water supplies. More and more government controls are being placed on farmers throughout the country leading to many selling their land for development.

I still marvel at those who do not understand that when the land is lost our ability to grow the food we need as a nation diminishes. Wal Mart and Krogers do not grow food! With an increased demand for food we will be held hostage to foreign countries to import what we need. What happens when the the countries we import our food from can no longer export because they need their food supplies to feed their own population?

Right now Russia has decided to ban wheat exports after a drought wiped out 25 percent of its crop. The decision increased food prices about 5 percent worldwide. Massive floods in Pakistan caused huge losses to the country’s crops. African beetles are destroying bee hives in Australia. Researchers have warned that this could lead to increased food prices as bees are needed to pollinate many crops.

“While nations debate what to do about long-term problems such as climate change and dwindling water supplies, two words send immediate shivers down the spines of government officials across the world: Food security.

A series of environmental disasters fueling a wave of food price volatility has given governments, “a much needed wakeup call,” said Abdolreza Abbassian, an economist for the United Nation’s Security of Intergovernmental Group on Grains.

“The pace in which prices went up, nobody predicted markets could turn so fast,” said Abbassian. “It’s been two months and we’re still struggling with it.”

In the years ahead we’ll probably be seeing more of the turbulence we’re experiencing now because markets are set to become more volatile in the medium term for at least three reasons: a) the growing importance as a cereal producer of the Black Sea region, where yields fluctuate greatly from one season to the next; b) the expected increase of extreme weather events linked to climate change; and c) the growing importance of non-commercial actors in commodities markets,” Ghanem said in an interview posted on the UN Food and Agricultural Organization website.”

http://www.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/09/22/un.food.security.poverty/index.html?hpt=C1

As responsible  people we can not ignore this threat. Fifty years may seem a long way away and many of us will be gone but we all know forecasts such as this are based on scenarios in which conditions remain the same as they are today. What happens when conditions change. This week President Obama is introducing a resolution at the United Nations that would require wealthy nations to support with food and money, poor countries. I doubt this will pass but if it did that would definitely change things. Less food stockpiled and more money going out of the country. Neither is good. Should there be a several year drought, severe flooding at planting time, severe winters, tornadoes just before harvest, war, terrorism, a pandemic where farm workers could not get out to plant or harvest,  that 50 years could quickly turn into just 10 years. We must learn from the warnings we are receiving and get our own house in order. Begin today to formulate a plan to feed your family should food become scarce or just too expensive to afford. Be more diligent in stocking your General Store and plan to garden and can whenever possible.

Tip # 23- Create a list of 10 meals your family loves. List all the ingredients in those recipes. If more than one includes the same ingredient, such as pasta, make a hash mark next to that item each time it appears. You have just created your shopping list for your General Store. With those ingredients you will be able to create dozens of dishes and you will know you like everything in those dishes so everyone will eat them.

Tip #24 Create a list of items you would like to add to your preparedness inventory. This could include food as well as non food items such as Dutch ovens, water purifier, survival kits, tents, or even firewood. Mail or give this list to everyone who gives you birthday or holiday gifts and tell them these are the items you would like. I have started a fund for something I am saving for and my kids give me money to add to that fund on special occasions.

Tip # 25  Add water to your water storage. Fill empty canning jars with water, place a clean, used, lid upside down on the jar and screw on the lid. Fill empty plastic juice bottles, bleach bottle, etc. You can purchase water at the store but remember water that is stored in soft plastic bottles will eventually leak. Never store water in milk bottles. For more help with water storage check out  your copy of Mother Hubbard: What She’s Doing Now.

Tip #26 Teach each family member how and where to turn off the gas, electricity and water into your home.

Review Tips…For more specifics about each tip please visit the former posts.

#1:  Find an out of area contact.

#2: Gather maps.  Get several different colors of highlighters and mark at least three different routes out of the city and  ending at the home of your out of area contact.

#3: Collect all your flashlights. Check  to make sure they are all working properly. Make note of any batteries you need to purchase.

#4  Post important phone numbers and your own address by each phone.

#5  Place a pair of good shoes under each bed where they can be reached in the middle of the night.

#6  Place a glow stick next to each bed.

# 7:  Listen to READY OR NOT. If you can’t listen tonight the show will be available for download at the same link as the live show. Hope to hear from you tonight!

# 8: Stash some cash, about $100.00, for each adult kit.

# 9 Inventory your kitchen, everything.

#10 Inventory your Family room/living room.

#11 Inventory your bedrooms.

#12 Inventory Office and formal dining room.

# 13 Inventory and update 72 hour kits. If you are just beginning collect back packs for every family member.

#14 Sort through medicine cabinet. Replace expired medications.

# 15  Copy your driver’s license, auto insurance policy and birth certificates for your important documents file. We had a great show Tuesday night with tips and info about collecting important documents and just why it is so vital. If you missed the show download it and listen today.

#16 Inventory bathrooms and hall closets

#17 Inventory garage

#18 Make copies of your home owners or renters insurance.

#19 Make copies of the front and back of all credit cards and record the contact phone numbers for all cards on these copies.

#20  Place a flashlight and whistle next to or slightly under each bed in the house.

#21 Teach all family members to text.

#22 Make copies of your home owners insurance and medical insurance papers

To Listen to past broadcasts of READY OR NOT visit:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/search/carolyn-nicolaysen/

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Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

September Newsletter:

Let’s Play…a look at things to do during a power outage to keep sane.

Food Safety…keeping foods safe during a power outage.

Frozen Food During a Power Outage, when to save and when to throw away.

Dutch Oven Cooking…How to Control the Temperature

Haybox Cooking…one more way to cook when the grid goes down.

Recipes: This month all the recipes are from 1850. They are fun and easy to make and perfect during power emergencies, after all our great grandparents didn’t have electricity!

We have been focusing for awhile now on preparing to live without power. WE have had natural disasters to stay on top of and the usual posts, such as Tips of the Week and Money Saving Tips have been absent. I felt it was important to focus on threats to the poser grid as it is expensive to prepare for outages. Dutch ovens, water purifiers and generators all take a big chunk out of the budget so I felt giving you plenty of warning of what could face us in the next two years would give you time to plan for those purchases and to make them. It’s time to get back to the tips that will enable you to be prepared in other ways and also help in freeing up funds to make more expensive purchases and to finish stocking your General Store.

This week we will reintroduce those weekly posts.

This week add a gallon of white vinegar and several pairs of latex gloves to your General Store shelves. Tomorrow we will discuss uses for vinegar other than cooking so this is not a mistake and not to be confused with the vinegar your have already stored in your food section. Vinegar will store just about forever so you really can’t have too much. Store gloves in several sizes as you will want help cleaning after a disaster and the kids, teens and all adults in your household will need gloves to be safe. Check out the dollar store for both of these items.

For those just joining our family and just beginning their food department add 10 cans of veggies per person to your store this week. As always if this is beyond your budget add as much as you can and remember it is more important to have a balanced two week supply for your family than to have a years supply of grains and not fruits, vegetables, proteins and dairy. Our food storage plan is designed to keep your family healthy while you face your challenge.

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

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Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

My discussion with Doctor Prepper all about food storage part 1. .http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/08/doctor-prepper-show

Doctor Prepper show all about food storage part 2. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/20/doctor-prepper-show

Talk with Halli: food storage and current financial outlook. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/idahotalk/2010/07/16/hfalli-friends

The Tax Foundation was established in 1937 to help Americans understand the implications of tax legislation and to understand tax codes. There website says:

“The Tax Foundation has launched a “Bush tax cuts” calculator at www.MyTaxBurden.org, which allows taxpayers to compare their 2011 federal income tax liabilities under three scenarios: if all the Bush tax cuts expire completely at the end of this year, if they’re all extended into 2011 or made permanent, and if President Obama’s budget is adopted, which includes a combination of expirations and extensions.

Taxpayers can type in basic information-such as filing status, wage income and number of dependents-along with optional more detailed information-such as capital gains and dividend income, state and local taxes paid and other itemized deductions-and determine what their federal income tax burden would be in 2011.”

As an example of what the elimination of these tax cuts will do: a couple making $100,000 per year will pay $12,500 in 2010…2011 the tax will be 15,700 or an increase of 3,200. For a couple with two children making $100,000 the taxes will go from $8,600 this year to 12,600 next, or an increase of $4,000. The alternative tax code requires tax payers to calculate their taxes two ways and to pay the larger. If this code is not adjusted one in three taxpayers in the country will have to calculate their taxes in this manner. Please check out the calculator for yourself to determine how this will affect you. Bottom line, taxes will go up for all Americans not just the wealthy on January 1st if the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire.

It’s time to add another non food item to our General Store. With all the discussion about water in our yahoo group we are going to prepare for water shortages by stocking up on paper cups this week. Add a minimum of 100 cups per family member. This may sound like a lot of paper cups but that is figuring only one per day! It does not account for those who may just, drop in, when they discover their preparations are not sufficient. We all have a list of those we have tried to counsel and we know when the crisis hits, they will come. Consider those as you plan. Also, consider if the crisis we are facing is not contaminated water or a power outage causing water shortages but a severe pandemic you will want more than one cup per ill person per day as you will be discard them after every use. When dealing with a pandemic you will not have the energy to care for the ill and also wash dishes and continue with all the other household chores. Disposable cups will be an absolute necessity.

I would advise you to store both cold cups and cups appropriate for hot drinks. I have started storing more hot than cold because they are more versatile and can be used for serving hot foods like beans, soups and stews, as well as drinks. They will also hold up better for a full days use.

Finally purchase only paper cups. If we have an extended power outage we may be dealing with a major disaster and may not have trash collection. Paper products can be burned, plastic will emit dangerous gases and will be a danger to your family.

For those who are just beginning the food portion of their General Store we have added fruit. Today we are adding desserts. Yep, start with the important stuff…You should have asked your family about their favorite desserts so this week add the ingredients to make eight desserts. This could be as simple as a cake mix or the individual ingredients for your favorite cookies. Consider some that could also be made if the electrical grid were down. There are a few recipes for Dutch oven desserts in the April 2010 issue of the Totally Ready newsletter. This week…store eight desserts!

****Win a Consultation!***

To help motivate you to share I am offering the chance for you to win a personal one hour consultation. This will be a phone call where you can ask any questions you may have. You may even ask a group of friends to join you on a conference call or just using your speaker phone. To win one of five  consultations just refer five friends to blog.totallyready.com and our yahoo group. Have them mention your email address when they log into the yahoo group and leave a comment on any blog post. Ten friends and you get two chances to win. Fifteen friends and I will call you, guaranteed! It’s that simple. Watch for other special offers as we progress. I know I don’t want to look back when things get worse and think I could have done more to help you.

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

My discussion with Doctor Prepper all about food storage part 1. .http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/08/doctor-prepper-show

Doctor Prepper show all about food storage part 2. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/20/doctor-prepper-show

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

Talk with Halli: food storage and current financial outlook. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/idahotalk/2010/07/16/hfalli-friends



Just Getting Started with Food Storage or Restarting?

Purchase any item: an ebook, newsletter subscription, newsletter archive or product,  from Totally Ready and receive a free Guide to a Three Month Supply in 52 Weeks. Take advantage of this offer today and get an easy to understand and implement system to get you Totally Ready for whatever comes….

Yesterday we added water to our general store. Today it is time for you to determine just how much you should be storing for your family. Following are a few guidelines to consider:

Drinking- normally 8 glasses of water per day or or about 1/2 gallon person.

Flushing: Each flush can use as much as 2 gallons of water. Most people flush 5 times per day.

Laundry: If you have make a bucket washer you will need 3 – 4 Gallons of water for washing and the same for rinsing each “load”.

Cleaning and hand washing: 1/2 Gallon per person per day or plenty of hand sanitizer. Some of both is the best.

Cooking: If you are using canned fruits and vegetables you can use the juices and water they are packed in for cooking purposes and you will need less water. If you are using dehydrated or freeze dried foods you will need three times as much water for reconstituting. Again, you should calculate about 1/2 gallon per person per day under normal circumstances.

Pets: They are family members too and will need water for drinking and bathing. Observe how much they consume each day and add a little extra as you may have to resort to feeding them foods they are not as familiar with and will need more water to digest.

Bathing:  You can handle this like our great grand[arents and share bath water or you can plan on bathing using just a wash cloth and a basin of water or a camp shower. Whatever the plan you will need water. Only you can determine just how much.

We have often been told 2 gallons per person per day but you know how I hate generalities. Only you can really determine your family’s needs. Take a little time now with a paper and pencil and do a little calculating for yourself. Remember it is always better to be over prepared for an emergency than to be under prepared.

For information regarding storing water please read the post post  Water Storage and More

For information regarding finding water during a crisis and water when living in an urban environment see: February 2010 and May 2010 Totally Ready Newsletters

****Win a Consultation!***

To help motivate you to share I am offering the chance for you to win a personal one hour consultation. This will be a phone call where you can ask any questions you may have. You may even ask a group of friends to join you on a conference call or just using your speaker phone. To win one of five  consultations just refer five friends to blog.totallyready.com and our yahoo group. Have them mention your email address when they log into the yahoo group and leave a comment on any blog post. Ten friends and you get two chances to win. Fifteen friends and I will call you, guaranteed! It’s that simple. Watch for other special offers as we progress. I know I don’t want to look back when things get worse and think I could have done more to help you.

Confused about the solar storms NASA is anticipating? Take some time and listen to my show with Halli.

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

My discussion with Doctor Prepper all about food storage part 1. .http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/08/doctor-prepper-show

Doctor Prepper show all about food storage part 2. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/20/doctor-prepper-show

Back issues: Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010



For those who are just beginning and as a reminder to all who have been at this for years, a tutorial about why we store the things we store. So, why is it important to store fruits and veggies and not just wheat and beans? Simple, all the foods we consume contribute in some way to our overall health. During a time of stress it is even more important for all of these vitamins and nutrients to be present to insure good health.When considering foods to store first refer to the list you made when you created your ingredient list. Then consider color. You should be storing fruits and vegetables in every color. This will guarantee you are providing all the vitamins and minerals available. Store orange: peaches and apricots, yellow: corn, pineapple, applesauce, pears, Red: beets, red cabbage, cherries…you get the idea.

We have had this discussion before so I will summarize and just say, remember canned foods will keep at least two years past the expiration’s date. Also remember in all the studies that have been done comparing frozen, fresh and canned foods it has been shown that canned foods provide as much nutrition as fresh foods which have been harvested after just 24-48 hours. In other words, they are as nutritious as fresh fruits and vegetables you would purchase in the grocery store which are at least that old when they hit the store shelves.

This is what fruits and veggies contribute to our health:

Calcium: Calcium is essential for healthy bones and teeth. Promotes healthy functioning of muscles, nerves and some glands.

Fiber: Diets rich in dietary fiber has a number of beneficial effects including, decreased risk of coronary heart disease, reduces colon diseases, helps control cholesterol, and helps control blood sugar levels.

Folate: Healthful diets with adequate folate may reduce a woman’s risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord defect. Builds red blood cells.

Iron: Needed for healthy blood and normal functioning of all cells.

Magnesium: Magnesium is necessary for healthy bones and teeth and is involved with more than 300 enzymes in your body! Increases metabolism and tissue formation. Inadequate levels may result in muscle cramps and high blood pressure.

Potassium: Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain a healthy blood pressure.

Sodium: Needed for normal cell function throughout the body. Most diets contain too much sodium which is associated with high blood pressure.

Vitamin A: Promotes good night vision, and maintains healthy skin and membranes and helps protect against infections.

Vitamin C: Helps heal cuts and wounds by building strong blood vessel walls. Keeps teeth and gums healthy.

Finally, this morning I had a visit from a couple of friends. One I had not seen for many years and all she wanted to talk about was food storage. She asked questions for over an hour and as we talked she thought of questions she didn’t even know she had. That is what is called a consultation. It wasn’t meant to be but that is how it turned out. You can qualify to win a consultation too. Get busy today and win one so we can talk! You could just hire me but why do that if you can win one?

****Win a Consultation!***

To help motivate you to share I am offering the chance for you to win a personal one hour consultation. This will be a phone call where you can ask any questions you may have. You may even ask a group of friends to join you on a conference call or just using your speaker phone. To win one of five  consultations just refer five friends to blog.totallyready.com and our yahoo group. Have them mention your email address when they log into the yahoo group and leave a comment on any blog post. Ten friends and you get two chances to win. Fifteen friends and I will call you, guaranteed! It’s that simple. Watch for other special offers as we progress. I know I don’t want to look back when things get worse and think I could have done more to help you.

Confused about the solar storms NASA is anticipating? Take some time and listen to my show with Halli.

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010

My discussion with Doctor Prepper all about food storage.http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/08/doctor-prepper-show



Yep, we are going to have a power outage tomorrow so the electric company can put in a new transformer. I was asked the other day for unusual recipes to use food storage items. They weren’t meaning beans either…I love these recipes as they are for comfort foods but can be made without eggs during a time when it may not be possible to go to the store and purchase them. When the power comes back tomorrow I will post again but until consider how you would prepare meals if one of the ingredients you normally depend on is not available. How would you modify your recipes? Do you have a variety of recipes for the same foods, bread for example. There are bread recipes with sugar or honey and then there are those without any sweetener. There are breads with oil, butter or no fats. Do you have a variety in case one is no longer feasible to make?

WW II CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa, soda and salt.

2. Cream together the sugar, mayonnaise, water and vanilla.

3. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture; stir until well blended.

4. Pour batter into greased and floured layer cake pans (or a 9- x 13-inch pan).

Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes

Soda Pop Cake

1 box cake mix

10 oz can soda

1/3 c mashed white beans

1. Place beans in blender and process until smooth. (Add 1 Tablespoon water to cooked beans or use water from canned beans)

2. Combine ingredients and bake according to directions on box.

For flavor combinations:

lemon cake and orange soda

vanilla cake and cream soda

chocolate cake and cherry soda

Wacky Cake
A WWII favorite when foods eggs and milk were scarce.
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups water
3/4 cup oil
2 TB. vinegar

1 bag chocolate chips (optional)
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.
3. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl (except chocolate chips).
4. Add wet ingredients and quickly mix with hand mixer until everything is incorporated.
5. Immediately pour cake batter into greased pan.
Optional: Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of cake.
Bake 35-40 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Frost cake with your favorite frosting, or dust with powdered sugar.

Your turn to share! Don’t forget Our Contest!

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To help motivate you to share I am offering the chance for you to win a personal one hour consultation. This will be a phone call where you can ask any questions you may have. You may even ask a group of friends to join you on a conference call or just using your speaker phone. To win one of five  consultations just refer five friends to blog.totallyready.com and our yahoo group. Have them mention your email address when they log into the yahoo group and leave a comment on any blog post. Ten friends and you get two chances to win. Fifteen friends and I will call you, guaranteed! It’s that simple. Watch for other special offers as we progress. I know I don’t want to look back when things get worse and think I could have done more to help you.

Confused about the solar storms NASA is anticipating? Take some time and listen to my show with Halli.

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Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010



****Win a Consultation!***

To help motivate you to share I am offering the chance for you to win a personal one hour consultation. This will be a phone call where you can ask any questions you may have. You may even ask a group of friends to join you on a conference call or just using your speaker phone. To win one of five  consultations just refer five friends to blog.totallyready.com and our yahoo group. Have them mention your email address when they log into the yahoo group and leave a comment on any blog post. Ten friends and you get two chances to win. Fifteen friends and I will call you, guaranteed! It’s that simple. Watch for other special offers as we progress. I know I don’t want to look back when things get worse and think I could have done more to help you.

This weekend I spent several hours inventorying my General Store. I took some time but it was well worth it. I discovered a few areas I need to beef up but I was so happy to discover my storage really is very well balanced. Plenty of each food group, condiments, spices and ingredients for desserts. There is always room for improvement and that was my goals, to find the weak spots. We have been working on our non  food items and there I am doing much better because it is on my mind each day as I watch for items on sale and think about what we should add next. We have had a conversation about laundry detergent in the yahoo group and I am feeling I need to store more so I can make it an entire year instead of just three month. None of the ingredients will go bad and I would really like to be able to have clean clothes for as long as the emergency last. I also think if there are others I need to be around I would want them smelling fresh too! It’s important for all of us to have those “discussions” with ourselves to determine what the priorities are for our own situations. TP, toothpaste and now soap, yep they all make my list!

I also spent time this weekend at an LDS cannery. If you have never been they are a wonderful resource for inexpensive, long term storage foods. The prices are great and you can the food in #10 cans which protects them from pests, water damage in case of a flood and damage from winds, smoke from fires and earthquakes. You do not have to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to go. Just find a Mormon friend and ask them if there is one in your area. The friend can direct you to a price list so you can see what is available. Then ask them to take you. You may just get them moving on their own food storage again.

This morning Erskine Bowles who is Obama’s Debt Commissioner spoke and he said if we (our nation) don’t restore fiscal sanity we are going to go broke. He continued that this is the worst economic crisis in history and if we stay on this path it will be a cancer that will destroy our country from within. Allen Simpson, the co-chair of the same commission made similar remarks and said out debt is being financed by China who is just printing more money to buy up investments in the US.

Last week I received emails from people around the world like never before, New Zealand, Australia, Costa Rica, England, Canada and more. It reminded me this is not a problem only for us in the United States.

“Otago University’s school of human nutrition has released its annual food costs survey of how much it costs to feed a family based on healthy nutritional guidelines. The survey confirms what shoppers already know – it’s getting more expensive to buy even the most basic of groceries. And in some areas prices have risen by more than half over the past five years”

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/3907335/Food-prices-eat-more-from-weekly-budget

If you are just joining us you should now have a list of items you are going to add to your General Store and you should have a storage buddy. Today you begin. You will add non food items each week along with those who have been around here for a long time. This week we are going to add vitamins to our store shelves. I am not a huge believer in vitamins because I don’t believe they are the fix but during a time of stress when our food choices may not be adequate to provide all the vitamins and minerals we need vitamins will be an important addition to our daily diet. Vitamins are good for at least two years after the expiration date so when purchasing by the newest on the shelf. Check because the newest are often in the back. This week there seem to be lots of B one get one free offers on vitamins so stock up.

If you are just beginning and need to be stocking food as well begin this week by adding fruit. You can can your own or go to the store and purchase. Add 5 cans per family member. To get a complete list of what you will need to store for a three month supply you can  purchase my ebook: Mother Hubbard: What She’s Doing Now, you can purchase the Totally Ready Newsletters from the last year, or you can go back and browse the General Store posts beginning in February of 2009. If you choose to purchase anything I will include the 52 Week Guide to a Three Month Supply free.

My last  Doctor Prepper Show. We spent the entire hour talking about food storage. Take a listen as it was all about how to get started. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2010/07/08/doctor-prepper-show

Confused about the solar storms NASA is anticipating? Take some time and listen to my show with Halli.

Join Our Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://blog.totallyready.com/announcing-the-totally-ready-newsletter/

Totally Ready Newsletters July 2009- June 2010



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