MESSAGE FROM TESS

Dear Reader,

Because preparedness is something very dear to me, I have made it a personal goal of mine to get as many prepared as I can. I have challenged my readers to beef up their preparedness efforts in order to get ready for life’s unexpected events.

This newsletter is an extension of that challenge. I have created a new Ready Nutrition series specifically for this newsletter called Prepped in 52 Weeks. This series will help each of you begin creating a preparedness foundation that you and your family can rely on when unexpected situations present themselves. On this 52 long week journey, each week we will build upon our existing preparedness items as well as, focus on a different preparedness layer. This week, we will focus on your basic needs – food and water.

Thanks for being a part of Ready Nutrition! Remember to friend us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! We are always around. And invite your friends and family to do the same as well!

Regards,

Tess Pennington

PREP OF THE WEEK

Week 1 of 52: Two Weeks of Food and Water

FEMA suggests that each family have a 2 week supply of food and water for their home. Starting a food supply does not have to be a budget breaker. By slowly accumulating emergency supplies, you will not feel the financial “burn” compared to having to pay for everything up front. Therefore, keeping in mind what type of emergencies that you are planning for, if there are any family members with medical needs, how long you want your food supply to last, and so on, will help you make the best choice for your family.

Taking time to read the nutritional information on the back of the food source and knowing other considerations, will help a person make the best choices for their needs. If a person needs to use their stashed food supply, having foods high in vitamins, nutrients, and proteins will provide their body with what it needs for needed energy and mental clarity.

Preps to buy for Week 1:

• 1 gallon of water per day for each family member (But enough for 2 weeks and remember that having more water stored up is better than being short on your supply)
• 2 jars of peanut butter
• 2 cans of juice per family member
• 2 cans of meat per family member
• 2 cans of soup or stew for each family member
• 3 non perishable items such as saltine crackers, graham crackers, etc.
• 1 hand operated can opener
• Permanent marker
• Additional supplies for infants or elderly – 2 weeks worth (diapers, wipes, children’s medication, formula, protein/calorie drinks, prescription medications, extra pair of glasses)

For those who have pets:

1 large container of dry food – This amount should last 2 weeks or longer

Action Items:

• Date perishable goods with a marker
• If possible, set aside $20 to use for emergencies
• Make a disaster plan and decide what types of disasters you are planning for (weather related, natural disasters, economic or personal disasters)
• Decide upon an out-of-area contact who can coordinate information with friends and family members.
• Once the out-of-area contact has been decided, email or call the newly designated emergency contact and provide phone numbers and names of family members for them to call.

WHAT WE’RE UP TO

Now that Spring is in full bloom, this week, we have been busy in our garden. I’ve harvested onions, garlic, beans and celery. I can’t tell you how happy I am that I can walk outside and pick fresh vegetables. My berry bushes are setting blooms off like crazy, I can almost taste the berry cobblers! Yesterday, I spent some time turning my compost pile to see it’s progress. I left it to decompose over the winter and didn’t really pay any attention to it. When I turned it I saw rich, black earth with loads of earthworms. So I know I am on the right track. It’s almost ready to use and I can’t wait! We also were lucky to go to LDS center in Houston this month and purchase some bulk food items. So, I have been spending a lot of my free time repackaging these items for our extended food storage.

Spending time with my children has also been a priority this month. Now that the weather has warmed a bit, we are doing more activities outside. We just came back from an amazing camping trip at the Guadalupe river. We camped right off the river bed and the kids had so much fun!

RECENT ARTICLES

In case you missed some of our recent articles.

11 Food Items That Can Last a Lifetime

Meet Your Emergency Foods Worst Enemies

What’s Lurking In Your Canned Goods

Personal Preparedness Kits For Kids

STATS AND FACTS

Did you know that April is National Earthquake Preparedness Month?

The map below shows the 20 states most likely for a earthquake to occur. The highlighted yellow portion of the map is the area most prone to earthquakes. Remember, that earthquakes centered in one state, can produce damage in another. In fact, this article, indicates that the Northwest coast of the U.S. is due for a major earthquake.

Although, earthquake preparedness month is coming to a close, there is still time to start preparing.

MEDIA

Earlier this month, I was approached by a local Fox television station who was interested in the topic of using food as an investment, and asked me to do a demonstration of how I store food. I had no idea that it would reach so many people. I thought I would share it with all of you. Click here to watch the demonstration.

LETTERS TO TESS

One of the perks of my job at Ready Nutrition is to answer any questions or concerns you may have with your prepping endeavors. No question is too big or too small, so feel free to ask me. I will post a random question in my newsletter to help you along your preparedness journey. You can email your questions to: getprepped@readynutrition.com

From FoxKitten86:

Hello. I live in Romania. We can not get such as silica or oxygen absorbing compounds. Yet, I want to ensure that we have food preserved for a very long time, not just the usual one year turn around that comes from having a small farm…… How do I preserve food such as rice, wheat, corn, everything, so that it will keep for at least three or four years without eventually getting full of bugs or simply breaking down.

Thank you.

Answer:

This reader brought up a very important point. When you do not have access to oxygen absorbers, what do you do? What natural products and procedures can she use that will help store her food for the long term?

1. Using diatomaceous earth when prepping and sealing food containers will keep the bugs off your food. They are organic and are safe to use on food. Use 1 cup to each 25 pounds of food. Some have had success with repelling bugs by using bay leaves. They add a few bay leaves to their food stuffs before sealing the food. My husband and I use this method and it seems to help.

2. Also, a lot of people who can dip their finished cans in wax to seal the edges to prevent bugs from getting in.