Seven Steps Week 23
This week we begin something new, a Grab and Go Kit. A Grab and Go Kit (GGK) differs from a 72 hour kits because it contains supplies that you may need following a disaster, however each family member will not need each item. One will be adequate for the whole family. You will keep you GGK with your 72 hour kit and when told to evacuate you will “grab” this and “go”. We will begin to purchase or gather items for the kit and then when we have our items and know exactly how bulky they are, you will purchase an appropriate carrier. As you will discover over the next few weeks kits will be of different sizes depending on the size of your family.
1. Begin your GGK by gathering or purchasing one large roll of duct tape and a rope at least 75 feet long.*
2. Add 10 $1.00 bills to adult 72 hour kits. Next, check the sofa and chair cushions, under the sofa and chairs, the floor in the car, the bottom of your purse and coat pockets, for change. Place all the change you find in a zip lock bag in your adult 72 hour kits. You won’t miss that at all will you?
3. Add a toy for your pet to their kit.
4. Learn to use the manual release on the garage door. In case of a power outage you want to be able to get the car out of the garage if you need to evacuate.
5. Make a family uniform. We talked about this last week so you could start thinking about what you wanted to do. If all you can do for now is purchase a yard or two of a crazy fabric and make bandannas, do it. You can always add shirts later. Remember you will need something for three days.**
6. Add baby needs to an adult 72 hour kit. Don’t spend any money on this one. You have these items around the house if you have small children. Add a pacifier, bibs, bottle, spoon, toy, and a hat. See, you have doubles of all these things.
7. Try a new recipe made from food storage. Remember we are storing a 3 month supply of things we eat so this recipe should include the items in your 3 month supply and only those items. It does not mean you need to make a wheat casserole with beans and rice! I posted some recipes once before and here are a few others:
Beef and Macaroni Dinner
1 box macaroni and cheese
3/4 pound ground beef
1/2 C milk
1 can (14oz.) diced tomatoes
Prepare macaroni and cheese according to package directions. Brown and drain hamburger. Drain tomatoes. Combine all ingredients, including 1/2 C milk and bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes. To make this entirely from food storage substitute canned ground beef, canned chicken or canned beef for the fresh ground beef.
Tropical Fruit Salad
1 can pineapple chunks
1 can mandarin oranges
almond extract
shredded coconut
sliced almonds
Drain pineapple. Drain mandarin oranges reserving 2 T of the juice. Add a few drops of almond extract to the mandarin orange juice. Combine fruit and juice. Sprinkle with coconut and almond slices.
*Check the ads in yesterday’s newspaper. I asked you a few months ago to copy the Seasonal Bargains post and place it in your binder. Check that out. Yesterday many of the items for your Grab and Go Kits were in the sale ads for this week. I have no connection with any of the following stores (my disclaimer) but here is some of what I found in my paper: Longs, ketchup and barbecue sauce for 79 cents, shampoo and conditioner 79 cents, 24 pack water $3.66 pineapple 88 cents, malt-o-meal cereal $1.00, sunglasses and sun screen buy one get one free (both needed in 72 hour kits if you have not already done that); Walgreens, Royal gelatins 5/$1.00, pork and beans 39 cents (need a coupon for both, check their web site); Rite Aid deodorant $1.99, facial tissue & sun screen & M&Ms buy one get one free. Of course there are also many other items on sale so check the ads for yourself. Camping supplies and equipment, coolers and other items you may want in your GGK may be on sale so now is a time to consider purchasing them. This is also a good time to look for sales on charcoal briquettes, there are many out there this week.
** Longs has t shirts on sale 4/$10.00 and Walgreens has t shirts on sale 5/$10.00. They may not be the best quality, I don’t know, but they are inexpensive to use for your uniforms. Choose a bright color and embellish them so they are unique and easy to remember. This is a really fun family project, and right now, with school vacations, you may be looking for a cure for the “I’m bored” call from the kids.
We are not the only ones feeling the need to prepare:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=67596
This is another serious threat and reason for escalating food prices:
http://www.madison.com/tct/news//293804
