Seven Steps Week 18
Happy Memorial Day. I am always so grateful each year for those who are willing to defend the freedoms we enjoy in the United States.
This week has been disastrous due to some awful weather disasters. Each week the news of emergencies seems to grow. I feel great when I look at my preparations and I hope you are feeling the same way. This week:
1. Add prescription eye glasses to all 72 hour kits, when appropriate. I have my old pair in mine but I also have a pair of magnifiers in my car.
2. Purchase or find a container to hold your pet’s 72 hour kit. This could be a back pack, messenger bag, or even a bucket with a lid.
3. Add biohazard bags, both large and small, to your 72 hour kits and also to your car kit. Biohazard bags are wonderful because they are red in color and say hazardous materials right on the side. You will want top use these to line a port-a-potty. It is easy to tell children the stuff in the red bag is dangerous so don’t touch it, keeping them safe. If you use a regular plastic garbage bag be sure you label it clearly and brightly so everyone can tell the difference between these bags and bags of trash or debris.
4. Sweeten things up! Add 10 pounds of white sugar, 2 pounds of brown sugar and 2 pounds of powdered sugar to your storage.
5. Add two gallons of water to your supply. You can fill bleach bottles, canning jars or other containers with a tight fitting lid or you can purchase water at the store.
6. Print the Water Storage article from Totally Ready. Study it and add it to your binder.
7.Add a one month supply of hand soap to your storage and a small bar to your 72 hour kits. This is one of the items you should have dated and if you did, you will know how many to purchase for a month.
Please share a link to this blog with your fiends and family. We all need to be ready for whatever comes. I am amazed how many people have told me they are feeling a real need to prepare. Your friends and family may be having those feeling also. If they think you are crazy remind them of the rising food and gas prices and the huge increase in weather emergencies. If you fail to plan you plan to fail! ( Benjamin Franklin)
What is the best way to store brown sugar?
I know that it’s not good to store in #10 cans because it will be hard.
Brown sugar should not be stored in metal cans because the moisture in the sugar will rust the can.
Brown sugar hardens when it’s moisture evaporates. I store it in the original plastic bag and also place those in an airtight container. Brown sugar is one ingredient you do not want to purchase in large bags. I no longer buy brown sugar in boxes as I find the plastic bags store much better. As you use the sugar force as much air out of the packaging, before resealing it with a twist tie, then place back in an airtight container. When cooking never leave a bag of brown sugar open on the counter as it will harden quickly.
If brown sugar hardens, let it stand overnight in a sealed jar with a damp paper towel or apple slice. For a quick fix, heat the needed amount in a 250ยบ F oven for a few minutes. You can also soften brown sugar in a microwave oven. Heat on low for 1-2 minutes per cup. Start with 20 seconds, check and 20 more seconds.The softened brown sugar should be used immediately as it will harden again.
I hope that helps.
We have bought brown sugar in large bags for a long time and have never had a hard time storing them. I put them in gallon sized ziplock bags and have put them in the freezer or just on the shelf. I have not experienced hardened sugar with either method.
Good idea. I never have room in my freezer but taking out as much air as possible would really accomplish the same thing as the plastic bag brown sugar is sold in. The key again…get out the air.
I put the plastic packages of brown sugar in a new gallon sized (or larger sized) ziplock bags. Be sure to leave the brown sugar in its original plastic bag. This double bags it. Then include inside the outer, larger bag a brand new sponge that has been rinsed with clear water and squeezed thoroughly. Zip the outer bag closed. Every time you use the sugar, either twist tie it shut in the original bag or zip it shut, depending on the brand you buy, and rewet and squeeze the sponge. We have lived in very humid areas and in very arid areas. Hardened brown sugar is a bigger problem in arid areas. If a bag of brown sugar is particularly hard, set it aside inside a larger bag with its sponge and rewet and squeeze the sponge every two or three weeks. It will usually become very soft and easy to use. I find that when I microwave brown sugar it is soft initially, but becomes harder to use thereafter. This method works better for me. The reason I use a new ziplock bag and a new sponge is to avoid unwanted microscopic friends in the form of mold, etc. If you only use the bag for this purpose thereafter, there likely won’t be any problems. I have never had any.
Hi there. I just happened onto your website last week and immediately bookmarked it!
I am just starting–first things first–a backpack for my and my two girls, copies of important documents and a 72 hour kit. I couldn’t agree with you more and with two little ones to worry about by myself, I need to be prepared. I’d been thinking about this for a while but never got prepared. Time to change that.
I am starting at the beginning but hoping you can consider a couple of things to address in the future (if you already did, I have not run across it in my readings here):
1. How much cash do you think we need to keep in our kits? I can only imagine cash machines are out of the question once disaster hits!
2. I have no access to a fireplace (though I have made arrangements with neighbors) and live on a dead end street so think if electricity goes out, I am stuck as we’ll be last on the list the power company goes to fix in case of emergency power losses. Any ideas/suggestions.
Thanks again. I don’t think this is a crazy idea at all. I think the people that don’t consider the possibility are very short sighted and I am glad I will not be caught off guard with no plans. THANKS!!!
Welcome! It’s so exciting to have new people join us. Tell your friends and, if you have one, add a link to your blog. The more questions we have and the more comments the more we all learn. Next week is a review week for our Seven Steps and you will be able to see just how much we have accomplished. As far as cash is concerned, I recommend at least $100 and I would suggest $200, especially with the price of food and gas going up so much. Cash should be in denominations not over a $20.00 bill, I like $10 and smaller. During a crisis you always have those who will take advantage and if you can find water or other items for sale, especially if the electricity is out,you don’t want to hear that they don’t have change. If they don’t have change for a $10, well it would be worth it to pay $10 for water but a $20 would really hurt. I would also suggest you have $10.00 in coins. More than that will get too heavy.
As for power going out we have addressed that in some early posts as that was one of the first things we completed, getting ready for a power outage. There is much too much information to add it here but you can search our early posts or there is an entire section in my ebook “That Won’t Happen To Me”. How’s that for a promotion? If you click on the ad for the Staycation Guide it will take you to the page with the other book also. Check out the post Power Outage Tips June 3rd, 2008
Let us know what other questions you may have. Good luck!