Prepared In Every Way

With the temperatures in Houston at 90 degrees and more, I decided to use my SOS Sport sun oven to bake banana bread. Not only was it an experience in cooking without electricity but it kept the kitchen from being overheated!

I made the bread from the basic recipe in the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook! I poured half of the batter in a dark, glass bread pan, and the other in the dark metal pan that came with the sun oven.    I put the sun oven on my patio and pointed it toward the sun. 

 
I checked the progress in an hour and saw that the dough had risen half way up the pan.

After two hours, the dough in the bread pan was at the top.  There was a shiny look to it, which told me it was cooking.

In three hours, the dough was pulling away from the sides.  Yea!  That should mean it’s done!

The temperature inside the oven registered at 200 degrees almost the entire time.   When I took the cover off, I was careful not to grab the pans with my bare hands, but I didn’t have hot pads with me, either.    The temperature wasn’t so hot that I couldn’t use the bottom of my t-shirt to pick up the pan.

I carried the pans inside and cut into the round pan.  The banana bread was definitely done and had a wonderful, cake-like consistency. 

What would have taken an hour in the oven anyway, at about 350 degrees, only took 3 hours and was cooked by the sun!

Here’s the “after” picture!  You can see that we just dug right into it with forks!

 
Do you have an alternative source for cooking if you don’t have electricity?

Crystal Abrahams has been a guest on my “All You Need to Know” show several times.  She’s one of my favorite guests.  

In one of our recent shows, she talked about using tubs to contain the food she would need for 72 hours.  She then uses another tub for the things she’d need for that 72 hour period – i.e., solar radio, hand crank flashlights, extra clothing, etc.

I went to my local Costco and bought a package of 3 11-gallon containers.  I thought they were a bit pricey at $11, but after a later trip to Walmart, discovered that the price was good for the quality of the containers.

Crystal has a list of items that she puts in her kits, but I had recently purchased some Mountain House meals that only require adding boiling water, and I decided to start there.  Since I needed kits for both myself and my husband, and because the tubs are really a little larger than I need for just one person, I put enough food in the tubs to feed TWO of us for 72 hours.   As of this writing, I have 6 tubs filled and ready for any emergency!  That means that two of us can survive 18 days with just what I have in these tubs. 

This is really for emergencies, and not long-term food storage.  I still have food on my shelves that is rotated as I cook my usual meals.

Here’s Crystal’s list of things she put into her own 1-person 72 hour kit:

Sugar (not a full 5#, but am refilling honey jars)
Ketchup
1 roll ppr towel taken from a 12-roll pack;
2 rolls toilet ppr;
2 two-lb cartons Chicken broth;
2 gallons of water (I know it should be three, but three won’t fit with everything else I want; plus, I keep a bigger tub that fits exactly six gallons in the trunk of the car 24/7);
1 plastic bottle of dollar store pure soybean oil to use to fry things in, since I may not have butter;
1 dollar store honey flavored syrup;
1 dollar store Parmesan Cheese (it’s Kraft!);
1 dollar store Mayo;
1 walmart salt & ppr, only 94 cents, cheaper than Dollar Store;
2 cans German Potato Salad (dollar store);
2 cans Spaghettios (Campbells, even though I got at DStore;
2 cans sliced beets, DS (lots of iron in them);
2 cans dole mandarin oranges, DS;
1 jar instant coffee, 1 ounce, refilled from a large jar into old jars I kept from camping;
Dollar store bag of rice, 1.5 lbs.;
1 pkg dog treats;
3 quart sized ziplocks with one day’s worth of dog food in each, taken from 40-lb bag with measuring cup;
1 pkg cat treats;
3 pouches cat food (they share 1 pouch a day);
3 tubs of Annie Chuns rice; can eat without microwaving, raw out of container because they’re pre-cooked (walmart);
3 cups Idahoan potatoes, single serving, add hot water, taken from flats of those I bought;
Ditto Kraft “cheesy made easy” single serving cups, taken from a 6-pack;
Dollar Store box of Denture Cleanser;
Dollar Store Triple Antibiotic Ointment;
Dollar Store first aid kit;
Dollar Store q-tips box (need for teeth);
Dollar Store matches, two-carton pkg;
Dollar Store Ibuprofen pain killer, 40 tab;
Travel sized Shampoo & Conditioner I got from Walmart travel section, 1.7 fl oz each;
Johnson’s baby powder from same section, because if I don’t shower daily I get a sore bottom!
Dollar store Dial deoderant;
10-pak of Kleenexes that I bought a large flat of, the little purse-sized ones.
Dollar Store Cocoa Butter hand lotion (my hands are always dry, and it drives me nuts if I don’t have lotion handy).
Purse sized Polident (Wally)
5-pack of dust masks (Wally, or maybe DS)
Travel size body wash/soap, Wally?
Vitamins

Bear in mind that all the things I only need one of (tools, clothes, radio, etc) are in my go bag.
All of that fits in a 10-gallon Rubbermaid Tub purchased for $4.99.

Since baking the banana bread in the sun oven, I’m waking up every day and trying to find other things to cook. I promise that I won’t always cook bread, but today I am working all day, and decided to cook a chocolate cake outside!

I used a cake mix and poured it in the enamel pan that came with the sun oven. Dark cookware works the best because it absorbs the heat. Shiny stainless steel, as much as I love it in my kitchen, is not good outside. (I don’t use non-stick products.) So…instead of a 9×12 cake, we’ll be having a round, TALL cake! Maybe it will even look like a double layer cake without having to put the layers together.

Not sure why all my pictures this morning are going sideways, but I’m going to post them anyway, and will fix later.

This was sent to me by a friend and I liked it because as a small business owner myself, I try to do my shopping with other small businesses.    I’ve modified the original just a bit because I like my version better!

As the holidays approach, let’s stop supporting those countries who take American jobs.  This year, shop at home for gifts that support local businesses.    By shopping from our own communities, you’ll see that we’re also shopping more “green” because we’re not adding “things.”   Keep reading and you’ll see what I mean.

1.  How about gift a certificate from your local American hair salon or barber?   Not only are you giving a gift that everyone needs at one time or another, but you’re referring a new customer to your favorite hair salon.

2. Gym membership? It’s appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

3. Who wouldn’t appreciate getting their car washed or detailed? Small, American-owned carwashes and detail shops would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

4. Are you an extravant giver?  Look for real needs:  have their driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter.

5. There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants — all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn’t the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this isn’t about big National chains — this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

6. How many people couldn’t use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

7. Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

8. My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

9. OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They also make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.   Shop local craft fairs for gifts made in your community.

10. Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.

11. Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

12.  When you buy a five dollar string of lights, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip. 

13.  What about a membership to the zoo, or a gift certificate for your local golf course? 

This Christmas, support American small businesses.   When you care about other Americans,  the benefits come back to you in ways you can’t even  imagine.

Apparently, about 75% of honey in “big box stores” is not really honey and may have come from China.  It may contain, among other things, heavy metals and antibiotics. 

 Since honey is an essential part of food storage because it NEVER spoils, make sure you’re buying the real thing.  I like to buy my 100% Organic Raw, Wild, Unprocessed Honey from Tropical Traditions.  It has a creamier texture and has not been heated to temperatures that liquefy it.     Another resource is your local feed store.    Buy the real thing.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/

I got this from a friend.  Don’t know who originally wrote it but thought it was definitely worth passing along!  Enjoy!

Am I the only person who hasn’t heard of “cooler corn”?  Over the weekend I was blindsided by the simple genius of this method for cooking loads of corn on the cob perfectly.

I was hepped to it while visiting my family in Maine. Short story: We like corn on the cob. And with eight adults at the table, that means a couple of dozen ears. We would have used the lobster pot to cook them all, but the lobster pot was busy steaming lobster.Then my sister, a capable Maine cook with years of camping experience says “let’s do cooler corn!” Before I can ask “what the hell is cooler corn?” a Coleman cooler appears from the garage, is wiped clean, then filled with the shucked ears. Next, two kettles-full of boiling water are poured over the corn and the top closed.

Then nothing.

When we sat down to dinner 30 minutes later and opened it, the corn was perfectly cooked. My mind was blown. And I’m told that the corn will remain at the perfect level of doneness for a couple of hours.

Turns out, Cooler Corn is pretty well known among the outdoorsy set But for those of us who avoid tents as much as possible, it’s perfect for large barbecues and way less of mess than grilling. In fact, I may even buy another cooler just so I’m ready for next summer. Now that I’m in the know.

Family First
Be Ready. Be Prepared. Be Safe.
November 1, 2011
ISSN: 1527-6201
©2011 – Joyce Pierce – All Rights Reserved
————————————————————–

An important part of being prepared is knowing how to protect
yourself and your loved ones. What are your options? If you’re
not licensed, or don’t feel comfortable owning or carrying a gun,
you might consider pepper sprays, stun guns, or tasers. Our guest
today is Alex Wertheim of PepperSprayCenter.com. Come learn the
difference between these products, what they are, what they’re
good for, how to use them properly, how to maintain them, and
how to buy them. He’ll also tell us what to do if you are
affected or hit with these weapons. Learn how to avoid it
and minimize the impact.

You’re invited to join us!

Date: Tuesday, November 1st
Time: 1:00PM-2:00PM CT (2 pm ET, 12 pm MT, 11 am PT)

Event: The All You Need to Know Show

Joyce Moseley Pierce
Author and Family Preparedness Expert

ARE YOU PREPARED?
————————————————————–

Prepare in EVERY way! 32 page booklet to guide you through the
process of recording information your family will find invaluable
if you aren’t there to guide them. Don’t leave your loved ones
guessing.

http://www.emersonpublications.com
http://www.preparedineveryway.com

A few weeks ago I decided to move my preparedness items to our RV. 
It made sense because if we had to evacuate, we would drive the RV
and tow our car.

I’m sure glad I did!

Last week we drove to Kansas City for a family wedding, and on the
way home, the RV overheated.  We pulled over, giving it some time to
cool down, but when that didn’t work, we felt it was unsafe to drive
without risking even more damage.   Because we were towing the car,
we were able to disconnect it, and I drove home with
my daughter and her kids.  That was important because I needed
to get back to work, and the grandkids needed to get back
to school.

My husband drove the RV to a rest stop off the interstate.  
This time of night the rest stop was full of truckers who had pulled
over to sleep.  We’ve done the same thing in our travels and I’ve always
felt safe parked beside them.  There is safety in numbers.

I hated leaving my husband behind, but I knew he would be okay.
Here’s why:

1.  The RV was stocked with food we had packed for traveling.  None of it
required cooking, so he could have easily made sandwiches.

2.  In addition to that, there was about 30 days worth of dehydrated food
and bottled water.  The RV also has about a 40 gallon water tank.

3.  He had tools and other emergency supplies.

4.  The RV provided his “home away from home” with bed, shower,
bathroom, and kitchen. 

5.  He had a cell phone and a charger.

6.  He always carries a gun, so he was even prepared to protect
himself if necessary.

7.  If nothing else, he was carrying a full layer of delicious wedding cake!
That would have been enough to keep me going for the day.

I dropped my daughter and the kids off at 11 pm and arrived at my
place soon after.   The next morning, my husband found the help he
needed, but the two of them spent the entire day working to resolve
the problem.  One of the belts was chewed up, which meant that the
compressor was now frozen.  I can’t begin to tell you what they did,
but they put in a new belt and were able to work around things well
enough for him to drive home.

He arrived home safely that evening.  He was tired and glad
to be home, but the ordeal could have been much worse if we had not
stocked the RV with the things we need.

Whether traveling on a long or short journey, by car, RV, train or
plane, it’s best to be prepared.  You just never know what might
happen to delay you from reaching your destination.  After we got
home, I heard that one whole terminal at the Kansas City airport
was closed because of no electricity.  No planes were leaving.
No food could be prepared.  No ATMs would work.  I would imagine
there were lots of unhappy travelers who felt pretty helpless and
irritated.

Whatever you do, wherever you go – be prepared for the unexpected.

I made this for dinner last night and really liked it.  I got this receipt from a package of Kraft cheese.  

Here’s the link for the original recipe:  http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/santa-fe-enchilada-bake-113400.aspx

I’m  giving you my modified recipe so you’ll see how easy it is to improvise and save some time.    It’s a quick recipe if you have the canned chicken.   I find that it really comes in handy for casseroles like this as well as chicken spaghetti or even chicken enchiladas. 
 
What you need:
1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (I used a large can of chicken!)
1 large onion and one green pepper, chopped (I used dehydrated onion and a real green pepper, but dehydrated green pepper would have been fine)
2 cups salsa (I used 1 cup of fresh salsa and about half a can of Rotel)
1 package (10 oz) of frozen corn (didn’t use this much – I probably used about 1/4 cup)
12 corn tortillas (6 inch)   I only used 6 and I fried them first.  I didn’t want so much “filler.”   I guess if you were frying them first, you could also use corn chips out of the bag except that they’re always so salty.
1 cup sour cream
1-1/12 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
 
 
Make it:
I drained the chicken and put it in the pan with a little oil.  (If you were using fresh chicken, of course you’d cook it now.) 
Added dehydrated onions and peppers and stirred until heated.  Then I added the salsa and corn.
While that was heating, I fried the tortillas 
I put half of the chicken mixture on the bottom of a small greased baking dish (9×9)
I put the fried tortillas on top of the chicken and added a layer of cheese
Put another layer of chicken mixture and then more cheese on top of it.
I did NOT add the sour cream to the layers.  I just used a spoon full of sour cream on the top of each piece.
 
Let it bake at 350 degrees just long enough to melt the cheese.  I thought it was yummy.
 
I liked the consistency and thought that using just 6 tortillas was a good decision. 
It didn’t make a lot of food but it fed 3 of us.  The recipe says it feeds 8, and I guess you might be able to do that if you used the recipe as printed with more chicken and more tortillas.

Enjoy!

I found this recipe in my rice cooker cookbook.  It’s quick and easy, especially if you have the ingredients on hand.

This can be a shelf-stable meal except for the sausage.  I usually buy the sausage when it’s on sale, like 2 for $5, and keep a few in my freezer.   They come “shrink wrapped” so they have a long freezer life, and thaw quickly.     Nice backup meal when 5 o’clock hits you sooner than you expected.
 
1 cup coarsely chopped onion (or dehydrated)
1 red bell pepper, diced (I just happened to have one.  Don’t know why you couldn’t use green, or even dehydrated green pepper)
1 medium stalk celery, diced
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (I used a 14 oz can)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 pinch powdered cloves
1/4 tsp chili powder (Might omit for kids or wimpy adults.)
1 tbs dried parsley
1 ring of beef sausage
 
Heat oil in the pan and saute onion, pepper and celery for 3-4 minutes to soften.  Add sausage and cook.  Drain grease.  Add rice and stir to coat.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cover and cook on low for about 20 minutes, or until rice is done.  Allow to stand about 10 minutes before serving.
 
I LOVED it!  The amount of spice was just right for me.  Would be great served with your favorite salad.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) – September is National Preparedness month and with the flooding, earthquakes, and hurricanes rattling America’s nerves, there couldn’t be a better time for families to start thinking about how prepared they are.   Watch short video and read full story here:
http://www.abc4.com/news/local/story/Sun-Oven-provides-solutions-for-emergency/EJTVvowPA0OeSqyywnp3AQ.cspx

I received my jury summons several months ago and had to reschedule twice.   The original date, I was going to be out of town.  The second time, I got stuck in traffic when they closed off the highway.  I scheduled the 3rd time and then organized my life around it. 

While sitting there the greater part of the day, I had plenty of time to think about the whole process.   As much as everyone seems to dread going to jury duty, I found it to be quite interesting as long as I was being observant along the way. 

Here are some ideas that can make your day more enjoyable: 

1.  Ride the bus.   The bus is free when you present your jury summons in the morning, and the court gives you a pass to ride home, so you save money on gas and also parking.   It had been years since I’ve ridden the bus downtown and I looked at it as a treat.    Since I’ve worked at home for the past 9 years, it was a bit of a walk down memory lane to be downtown again.    The best part was that I wasn’t riding the bus to go to work.
2. Wear comfortable shoes.  Riding the bus was great because I didn’t have to fight traffic, but it also meant I had to walk a few blocks.  I walk every morning, so this wasn’t a problem except that at home I don’t walk in dress shoes.  After jury duty, I walked to Hard Rock to buy a shirt for a friend, and then walked to the building where I used to work.  The business is gone but the building hadn’t changed a bit.   My biggest regret was that I was sorry I ignored my thought of packing a pair of walking shoes.  By the time I got home, I felt like I had gel inserts in my shoes because of the big blisters on the balls of my feet! 
3. Wear comfortable clothing.  The summons tells you what NOT to wear – shorts, tank tops, etc. to show respect for the court.   I wore a long skirt and a lightweight sweater over my blouse.  I was glad to have the sweater because it was cool in one of the rooms, but also had the option of removing it if it got too warm.
4. Take a magazine.  They tell you to bring a book, but we were so busy listening to instruction that I really didn’t have time to read.  I spent most of the time watching people.   I only spent about 30 minutes in the 8 hour day reading but used my iPhone to email and text.  
5. Don’t hire anyone for murder.  The trial I’d been chosen for was a capital murder trial for a man accused of hiring someone (his son) to kill his wife.  Of course I did a search on this man when I got home and learned that he was a pastor whose church had mysteriously burned down the week before his wife was murdered.   I don’t think I’ve ever been in the room with an alleged murderer before.
6. Don’t be foolish enough to believe that because you’re potential juror #63 out of 63 that you won’t get chosen.   I was #63,  and #62 was convinced  they’d find 12 people before they got to us.  There were people with lots of different issues on why they couldn’t make impartial decisions about this case so that increased our odds.   I was released, but  #62 was invited to step into the juror’s box!    I didn’t say anything that I thought might keep me from being selected, but I thought it was important to mention that a family member had been the victim of a “murder for hire.”    Even though I told the prosecutor I didn’t think that would keep me from being impartial, it probably lowered my odds of being chosen. 
7. Take your calendar or at least know your schedule for the next few days.  If I’d have been chosen, I’d have been committed to 5 days next week.   Potential jurors were asked if they had responsibilities that would prevent them from serving.  The judge was happy to call employers who had a problem with it. 
8. Pack a lunch.  We only had a 15 minute break at noon so people could go to the vending machines.  I brought a couple of sticks of beef jerky, a snack pack of grapes, a granola bar, gum, and my own bottle of water.  I made it through the day just fine without having to buy anything.
9. Take some cash.  If you ignore my suggestion to pack a lunch, you’ll definitely want to have money for stale chips or old sandwiches.  If you drove, you’ll also need money for parking.
10. Be patient.  You have absolutely no control over what’s going on and can’t rush the system.  I arrived at 8 am and was released at 2 pm.   That meant six hours of mostly just sitting and listening to instruction.   The judge, prosecutor, and defense attorneys all want equal time!
11. Listen.  I learned a lot.  I learned the difference between capital murder and just plain murder.   I learned that people really don’t pay attention when they are told how to line up in numerical order outside the courtroom.   I learned to take that bathroom break whenever I could get it.    I learned that prosecutors and defense attorneys can be funny even when advising you about the rules in a criminal case.   I saw for myself that an alleged murderer doesn’t look any different than you or me.   I also realized that the nice man in the blue shirt who was on trial didn’t look as crazy as the man they interviewed on the news.  I learned that in some countries, they still  use the Napoleonic Code, which says that you’re guilty until proven innocent.   
12.  Remember that it’s a real honor to be part of the jury selection process.    No one really wants to be on a jury, and it’s an inconvenience to spend even a day at the courthouse, but like the judge said, “I know you’re all busy people with responsibilities, but if you were all unemployed with nothing to do during the day, we’d all be in California.”   I consider it a great blessing to be an American and to have the opportunity to live in this great country where we are considered innocent until proven guilty.   Our system may not be perfect, but it’s still the best system in the world. 

While most of us are under the misconception of believing that “innocent until proven guilty” is written in the US Constitution, it is not.    This concept is part of the constitution because we have the right to remain silent and also the right to a jury trial.   An interesting website to read more about this is: http://www.usconstitution.net/constnot.html#innocent

After my last show with Debbie Kent of Peace of Preparedness  and listening to her suggestion to have at least three alternatives for cooking food, I took stock of what I had and their fuel sources:

1.  sun oven – sun, of course

2.  gas grill – propane

3.  Coleman stove  – propane

She also talked about a Volcano Stove.   There was a discount from the company this month, so I ordered one.  With the Volcano you can use propane, wood or charcoal.  Last night I went to Walmart and purchased a charcoal chimney so I could be more efficient with the charcoal.

While there, I browsed the clearance section and found little battery-operated fans.  They were priced at 75 cents each, so I bought a few to throw in my survival kit.  Might be nice to have if there’s no electricity and the weather is hot!

This is a good time to take stock of what you have to use if there’s no electricity.    If you’d like to hear more, listen to the interview with Debbie here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2011/09/13/all-you-need-to-know-show

Each year in the United States millions of people lose power for three or more days. When this happens, you want to be prepared to eat something more than cold chili out of a can.  Joyce’s guest today is Debbie Kent.  They’ll discuss several options for cooking and even baking when the power is out.