Remember all of those online webinar classes we offered that you wanted to take but simply didn’t have the time to do so?  Or worse, the class was being taught in a time zone half way around the world from you, making it that much more challenging?

Perhaps you recall enjoying some of the classes we’ve had in the past but wished for more complete written information as a follow-up, or more recipes, or more visual “show how.” 

I think the one we hear the most is from people who wish that we had it recorded so that they could review it again and again.

Well, we’re happy to say that you’ve finally got all of your wishes! Whew! And boy, are we tired! *grin*

As of October 1^st, we will begin to release our best and most requested training events in a prerecorded and a complete written format. We’ve expanded the written content to be more book-like, so that the training therein can stand on its own, and we’ve expanded the visual portion of the class so its more comprehensive and inclusive of some of the aspects that have gotten left out in the past webinars because we’ve run out of time.  Now with this new format all you have to do is get comfortable in front of your computer either by yourself or with family and friends, any time you want to learn about your most compelling preparedness topics! Even better, since the training is now broken down in chapters, if there is a portion which you want to bypass because of your existing expertise, you can easily do so without wasting your time or diluting your enjoyment.

Whether you prefer to watch a demonstration or read instructions, these perfectly combined packages of education will provide you the same quality of instruction you’ve come to expect from The Preparedness Pro with just a little exception—convenience! You can now watch the training as much or as little as you want and you can also read a complete synopsis of the training event PLUS additional written resources in print. And since we’ve chosen to embrace the world of technology in delivering these courses to you, there are no shipping costs! Yeah! While I must say I’ve been exhausted trying to put all of this together and keep up with the blog, my health and the health of a very dear friend, I have to say I’ve been so EXCITED! Every time one of you has e-mailed me expressing disappointment that you were going to miss a date of an event, or that you wished there was more written content etcetera, I just knew this had to get done.  In fact, it’s actually better for us all this way. I can take a vacation if I want (ha! Like that will happen) and you can enjoy it at 3:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. I love that your family and busy schedules no longer need to be sacrificed just so that you can get complete Preparedness Training.

Additionally, since I’m no longer restricted by time restrictions or seat capacities, I’ve opted to provide detailed and fully comprehensive visual and written education of the most requested training events that have been offered in the last 2 years PLUS the ones that you guys keep hollering for. By revamping previous courses and creating some long-overdue ones, I’m confident that this venue of training will over-deliver and exceed your expectations every time. I’ve added a lot more content into the video portion of the classes, and gone to the expense of editing both the visual and the written portions.  Neither you nor I are restricted any more by a “reasonable amount of time to expect someone to sit through a class” or those “bladder breaks” we’ve experienced during the training. *grin*  YOU get to decide when that takes place with the push of the pause button. 

There’s even better news too. Thanks to the pool of talent I’ve encountered during the first step of assembly for these products, I can now provide you with some of the classes that you’ve been asking for that don’t portray themselves very well in a Powerpoint and voice presentation. This means, yes, you will now have access to Pressure Cooking and Making Wheat Meat in a video format! Yeah!! And did I mention that there are also a lot of great recipes? Yup. I know there will be a few of you excited about that. Each recorded visual presentation will provide you with a quality learning experience, complete with a detailed resource guide for you to reference again and again. This new development means no more cutting corners on a vital topic just because of time restraints. No more getting up early on a Saturday morning just so you can make a class halfway around the world! And no more missing the classes you want but just can’t seem to find time for. Enjoy these highly educational topics at your own pace and in accordance to your own interest. Simply slip into your most comfortable set of clothes, curl up with some munchies, and enjoy this vital training anytime, anywhere, you desire.

I love that the folks in both coasts of the U.S., South Africa, Norway, and Scotland can ALL enjoy this now. I’ve been trying to get it done for what seems like forever, but now it’s really here! Excuse me while I whoop!

Just be aware that we’re not going to release them all at once. And even though we’re spending some bucks to try and make them as professional and thorough as possible, we’re going to price them modestly. It’s more important to me that you have the training but not at the cost of other vital preparedness items.

So what I’ll be doing is as soon as I get a class ready for  the final editing stages, I’ll announce a pre-release of the course about 30 days prior to its official launch date. Any persons who purchase the class during that pre-release time frame will get a substantial discount. Even better, for this first pre-release, those of you who have already enjoyed the live webinar version of the two classes we’re prelaunching  will receive the new, more complete one, but with a $7 credit  towards your purchase! In othe words, if you paid  for The Wonderful World of Wheat in the last 12 months, you’ll be able to purchase at the pre-release price of $20, and then we will credit you $7.  My husband isnt’ too keen on that cause he knows how much info I provided in the first place. But he’ll get over it. hee hee.  (We wanted to do a full credit of your previous class, but the logistics of that were a nightmare since we had so many different prices over the last year. *sigh)  Anyway, I like offering a little something extra cause I’m so excited about the launch!  This way you get the best of both worlds without having to pay for it twice at full price!  Remember, the previous tuition credit will be credited to applicable purchasers after you’ve made the purchase and the offer is only good during the pre-release period which ends after the first 50 purchases. So don’t delay if you want that extra savings.

Now I realize that there are some of you out there who are a little technically challenged. To be truthful, I’m probably one of the worst. But I assure you that viewing these classes this way will be super easy. All you need is your computer and an internet connection and you can enter a world of professional, detailed, and accurate preparedness knowledge!  Remember, this isn’t just audio. This is a visual class presentation PLUS the written resource as well. You can even save the materials to your own computer to view at your leisure.  No matter what you choose to do in your preparedness preparation, I believe I’ve still managed to create some fun, professional, and upbeat classes that will really help you be prepared in many different areas. The fun, professional and upbeat style of The Preparedness Pro will expertly steer you in each of your preferred topics.

So are you ready for the first batch of pre-released classes? Here they are!

Due October 1^st, 2010—“Enough and to Spare” Coupon Training Boot Camp

This 4+ hour training will expound on every possible coupon saving strategy so that you can get the most out of this important financial strategy. Not only will you save literally hundreds of dollars a month using this training, but you’ll also be quickly putting together your preparedness supplies for free or cheap!  Unlike previous education opportunities, this class now comes with the exclusive book “Enough and to Spare” written by Kellene Bishop. You will find out where to get all of your coupons, how best to manage them, when to use them, where to use them, and how to stay on top of them without feeling overwhelmed!   There are literally hundreds of people who have taken this class and have loved it—even those who were already couponing! This particular class impacts 7 out of 10 of your Principles of Preparedness, so it’s definitely not one to miss!

Regular Retail price Oct. 1^st is a steal at only $45 but the Pre-Sale Special Price is only $30!

Next:

Due October 1^st, 2010—“The Wonderful World of Wheat”

I’ve been teaching this class for over 10 years now and it’s continued to develop and expand. Now I’ve got all of the aspects of wheat combined in one class—complete with valuable written information that you can reference at any time. For a more detailed description of this class, just go to this link.

Regular Retail Price Oct. 1^st is only $30, but the Pre-Sale Special Price is only $20!

More Classes Coming Soon! I’ll be sure to let you know when they are coming out and give everyone the pre-release price opportunity as well. Look forward to these classes coming your way soon!

Pressure Cooking Galore!

 Solar Oven Success

 Neanderthals in the Kitchen

 Integrating Essential Oils

 UNDERWhelmed in Food Storage

 Food Pantry Makeover

 Financial Velocity

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If you would like to host a preparedness party for your business, community, or church group, please contact Vicky at vicky@preparednesspro.com

For any questions or comments on this article, please leave a comment on the blog site so that everyone can benefit!

Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

Last weekend I wanted to create a recipe in which I could successfully use wheat pasta. My husband tends to be just as picky as any of the kids I know when it comes to eating “healthy foods” so when he declared the culinary creation one of his favorite top 10, I was thrilled and relieved.  Relieved because it meant that I wasn’t going to have to eat the leftovers single handedly, and thrilled because it was an easy one for me to make.  I’ll be sure to share the recipe with you down below. Before I do that though, I wanted to clear up some of the confusion that folks have about how much wheat they should store and what they should be able to do with it. So here goes.

For starters, understand that a year of preparation supplies is my minimal benchmark. The most basic way to say why I use such reasoning is because a cursory look at all potential “disasters” would require at least a year in order for society to get back on its feet. A major earthquake, financial collapse, pandemic, flooding, and even unemployment in today’s market, is highly likely to require a year to cycle through the healing steps. As such, I recommend that everyone supply themselves with a year’s supply of necessities such as food, water, medical needs, clothing, etc.

Today, I want to take a look at just one component of this preparation, and that is your grain supply. Each person needs at least 300 pounds of grain supply for a year. I always say to have that much on hand regardless of the age of the persons in the household. The reason being is that you never know when you’ll be using those supplies, and you never know what you may elect to use in order to aid others as well. So instead of trying to analyze what your 3 year old may need now, just play it smart and have enough in the event your 3 year old turns into a 16 year old before you have time to change the amount of your supplies.

Understand that grain preparedness can take on all different kinds of forms.  Wheat is what folks think of first usually, but remember that alternative wheat items such as quinoa, millet, and amaranth, are viable substitutes. Also keep in mind that if you are ever required to use your supplies exclusively, VARIETY is one thing for which you’ll be grateful. So mix things up a bit now. Grains include oats, pasta, cornmeal, rye, flaxseed, any type of flour, rice, barley, and corn. You could even supplement your grain supply with things like baking, pancake, bread, and muffin mixes as a part of your 600 pounds.  Out of all of these recommended grains though, wheat has the longest shelf-life, the most stable nutrition, and the most adaptability.  As such, I suggest that you make yourself as familiar with using it as possible.

There are 4 culinary aspects that I encourage everyone to learn to do with their wheat supply. One is to learn how to make pasta from scratch. This means that you’ll need to invest in a hand operated pasta maker so that you can quickly and easily make pasta such as ravioli, linguine, and spaghetti with it.  Wheat pasta tastes a bit different that regular pastas, so for starters you may want to expose your family to some wheat pasta dishes. There are several commercial wheat pastas that I have been easily able to use in my regular pasta dishes (including the one I made last weekend).

Next, I would make sure you can master making at least one type of bread with your wheat or other grains—be it rolls or bread loaves, or even just scones.  Sandwiches, and slices of bread can easily turn a “barely there” meal into a wonderfully memorable and satisfying one.  Keep in mind that the more fiber you have in your recipes, the more satisfying for a longer period of time they will be. In other words, having high quality meals full of fiber could actually reduce your need for a lot of other supplementary foods and could even reduce the number of meals per day you need. This kind of food also brings with it more energy and significantly better health.

Which reminds me of another aspect of using wheat.  You must introduce it into your diet now. Don’t wait until a scenario in which you have to live off of it. If you do, you could very easily cause dehydration, painful constipation, and even death if your body is not already used to high fiber in the diet. If you’re just now venturing into the use of wheat and high fiber into your meals, start with one serving each day of high fiber, then increase it to two, and then to three. You should be fine after that. Be sure that you drink PLENTY of water with this kind of a diet too. The fiber can only do its job if it’s accompanied by plenty of water, at least two quarts of drinking water every day per person.

The next culinary skill I would recommend is making homemade tortillas.  Tortillas are a great carrier for a variety of foods including salads. They are fairly simple to make, but the right tools and a little bit of practice will create a stress-free occasion for you later down the road. It’s easier to make them if you have a tortilla press; otherwise you’ll have to use a whole lot of physical energy getting them thin enough with a rolling pin. Besides, a tortilla press doesn’t require as much work space as a rolling pin would. I recommend that you do a search on The Food Network’s site and get Alton Brown’s recipe for tortillas. They turn out perfectly every time.

Lastly, I suggest you learn how to make your own pita bread.  Pita bread is very easy to make and it can be used as an alternative to bread in so many different ways. A piece of pita bread can accompany a meal or it can be the main part of the entree. You can easily make pita chips or large pita breads to stuff with a combination of sprouts, dressing, and seasoning. Yum!  Pita is also a good substitute for a pizza crust with only a fraction of the time to make it. Pita dough doesn’t require as much kneading, rising, and cooking time either. Remember, the easier something is to make, the less stress and the more energy you’ll have; out of all of the things that you need to prepare to conserve, your physical energy is at the top of the list.

Enjoy this recipe! My husband is already asking me when he can have it again.

(As you can see, all of the items in this recipe are easily found in a long-term pantry. This recipe can also successfully be cooked in a Solar Oven)

Spaghetti Pizza Casserole By Kellene Bishop

8 ounces of wheat spaghetti—cooked according to manufacturer instructions or 4 cups of cooked pasta

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (about 26 ounces)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of Shirley J Onion Seasoning

1-1½ pound of ground beef (I use that which I’ve already canned or browned and frozen)

2 cups plus 1 tablespoon of grated cheddar cheese (sharp cheddar is the best, but I also like Colby Jack, and Medium Cheddar)

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese

½ cup of sliced black olives

½ cup of sliced pepperoni, cut in halves or quarters

1 ½ cup of prepared Shirley J Universal Sauce or 1 can of cream of mushroom soup

½ cup of beef broth (I like to make this with the Shirley J Beef Broth combined with ½ cup of the water I used to cook my pasta in.)

Cook the pasta according to directions (the thin spaghetti works best for this recipe). Drain.

While the pasta is cooking, either brown or warm up your ground beef with the minced garlic and the onion seasoning. If it’s too fatty, be sure to drain off some of the fat before adding the seasoning.

In a large bowl combine the cooked ground beef, pasta sauce, Universal Sauce, beef broth, 1 cup of the grated cheese, and 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese. Mix gently to incorporate all flavors throughout.

Then add the drained, cooked pasta. Mix gently and then pour ingredients into a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Top with the pepperoni and sliced black olives. Then top with another cup of the cheddar cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and then top with the remaining cheeses. Serve and devour!

Serves 6. This recipe is easily doubled and tripled. You can also make it successfully without the pepperoni or black olives.

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If you would like to host a preparedness party for your business, community, or church group, please contact Vicky at vicky@preparednesspro.com

For any questions or comments on this article, please leave a comment on the blog site so that everyone can benefit!

Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

I have SO much that I’ve got building up that I want to share with you guys! When I don’t write regularly, I feel like I’m ready to explode with information and insight. So, you may be inundated this week with info if I can find enough time to write. For those of you who have inquired, my friend is definitely in a battle for her life, but I feel very, very confident that she will be victorious. Thank you all for your kind comments and prayers on her behalf.

I’m also busting at the seams because I have not one, but TWO great announcements to make this week! I’m so excited I’m definitely having trouble sleeping. Fortunately though, in spite of a lack of sleep, I’ve still been able to keep up with my schedule requirements, so I guess a little excitement won’t kill me.

So, one of the things that I really wanted to share with you all is my experience a few weeks ago that ended up being what I call Coupons on Steroids! Not to discourage anyone, but I spent about 2 ½ hours in one store. Why? Well, because there were SO many deals, and I was being very meticulous, that it simply took me that long to go from one aisle to the next. Yes, I went through EVERY aisle. Yes, that’s uncharacteristic of me, but I assure you there was a method to my madness. Unlike my normal store excursions, I didn’t take a master shopping list this time. The reason being is that the store was offering a special coupon promotion; they would double, triple, even quadruple any coupon you had up to $1 dollar.  So, if you had a .20 cent coupon off of Hunts Ketchup, then the store would increase it to $1 off of Hunts Ketchup. When you take such circumstances and combine them with the fact that every store has thousands of un-advertised sales and clearance prices, that no “coupon shopping service” can ever know about, then you can do several months worth of shopping all in one fail swoop. Everywhere I turned I was able to get something I wanted or needed for free or cheap! The real excitement comes when you realize that this was the SECOND time I was able to do this kind of shopping at this grocery store in a 4 week period of time! After doing this for years, I have to say that this was by far my best coupon adventure. (And I haven’t gone back to a store since then as I have satisfied my retail therapy need for at least 4 weeks. *grin*)

So, in an effort to help you guys literally SEE what I did, I want to go through a lot of this with you blow by blow—at least as it relates to this particular haul.  For those of you who still have not taken our Coupon Training Boot Camp, I strongly recommend that you do so this Saturday, August 21st.  There will be some significant changes coming about for our webinars effective after this Saturday, so I recommend you take advantage of this while you’ve got it. I won’t share more than that with you right now, but you won’t be able to say that I didn’t warn ya. Hee hee.

Most important to me about one of the coups I pulled off last month was that I took a girlfriend with me who had taken my class.  She actually did better than I did in the savings percentage—which is simply the result of her purchasing more “free” items in ratio to her total number of items purchased which increased her percentage of savings overall. Ok. So first of all, here are the pictures of my most recent endeavor—the one I did without my friend.  I like to go late at night when the kids aren’t around and the aisles are mostly empty. The one thing I do detest though is when the store turns off half of their lights at 10:00 p.m. with some nonsense about saving energy—forget the fact that they make their shoppers feel like they need to leave the store 2 hours before they actually close. Anyway, here’s a picture of that evenings haul. At first blush, it may seem uneventful to you. One of the items that’s not picture was the $20 worth of Ribeye steaks that I got for free. How did I get them for free? I’ll be happy to tell you.

First of all, the store was having a clearance on the meat because it was nearing expiration. So they had a special, buy one get one free.  Secondly, I had $10 worth of “store money” that I had received because of my purchases last month. In other words, I bought enough of some items that the coupon/catalina machine spit out two coupons worth “five dollars off of my next purchase.”  I had two of these and could combine them with any purchase. I selected exactly $20 worth of meat, minus my $10 off in coupons, plus the buy one, get one free, I ended up getting them for free. I used them specifically on a meat purchase earlier in the day so that we could have a yummy, carnivorous meal. After I was suitably nourished for some marathon couponing, I went back to the store later that night. The picture is what I came home with.

Do you see the bottles and bottles of Old Spice Body Wash as well as the 8 containers of Old Spice Deodorant?  These items are regularly priced between $4.99 to $5.29 at the grocery store. However, tonight, thanks to the perfect storm, I obtained ALL of them for FREE! Here’s how. First of all, as with all coupon purchases I make, the products were already marked down to a great sale. The body wash was on sale for $2.99 (The deodorant wasn’t on sale, but I still got them for free. You’ll see how in a moment). I had a coupon for $3 off of two Old Spice Body Washes.  I also had another coupon for buy one body wash, get one free.  Remember, the rule of thumb is you can only have one manufacturer’s coupon per item. Ok. So I have a price of $2.99 and I have one coupon that gives me $3 off of two items, right? So I’m now at $2.98 for two body washes ($2.99 times 2 minus $3= $2.98) So then I also apply the other body wash coupon that is buy one, get one free.  The two coupons end up cancelling each other out and I end up getting both of the body washes for a negative two cents at the check out.  Are you with me so far? Next, I have yet another coupon for a FREE Old Spice deodorant when I buy 1 body wash. Well, am I buying one body wash? Yup. Lots of them.  If I had more of these free deodorant coupons, I could have purchased 20 FREE Old Spice deodorants. But alas, I only had 8 of the coupons left, since I used so many of them the month before. Ok. So I now have 28 coupons, and I have 28 items (20 body washes, and 8 deodorants). This is permissible couponing so long as I do not have more manufacture coupons than I have items, and it’s obviously highly beneficial to your bottom line. I purchased all of the Gillette Body Washes the same way—combination of buy one, get one free coupons PLUS $3 off coupons. When you purchase two items, the two coupons cancel each other out, combined with a sale price just below $3, and you’ve got FREE product.

Obviously, these body washes and deodorants went into their designated 4 gallon storage buckets in my basement and we have plenty for our own personal use, helping of others, and even some nice gift baskets for mens’ birthdays.

Ok; on to the next strategy. This may not be a big deal to those of you who aren’t fanatical about skin care like I am.  But you’ll learn something from the strategy nonetheless.  When you have a coupon, it’s not the picture on the coupon that determines what you use it on; rather it’s the WORDS on the coupon. For example, I had several $3-off coupons for any Olay Regenerist Product. Now, for those of you who don’t know, Regenerist is the hoity-toity line of Oil of Olay and the products usually cost anywhere from $15 to $30 each. That’s why that particular coupon was such a high value coupon. However, Oil of Olay also has facial wipe cloths as a part of that Regenerist brand. This particular item is not as expensive as the other Regenerist products at a regular retail price of $7-$10. However, as with all coupon strategies, the Regenerist Wipes were marked down to only $4.52.  Once you apply a $3 coupon, it makes a high value product irresistible, and even giddy in the purchase. 

But wait, it gets better!  I also had coupons for a FREE Oil of Olay cleanser/Moisturizer product when I bought any Oil of Olay moisturizer or cleanser. Is the Regenerist Wipes Oil of Olay? Yes. Are the Regenerist Wipes a moisturizer or cleanser? Yes, indeed, they are, as stated right on the packaging. So, not only did I get the Regenerist Wipes for only $1.52 each, each one of the moisturizers I purchased gave me a FREE Oil of Olay moisturizing or cleansing product in their basic line.  Color me clean, happy, and independent even if there is a water shortage now, folks! Unfortunately, I had purchased a lot of the Regenerist Wipes a couple of weeks before and they were dwindling in supply at the store. So I did some mix and matches and ended up with what you see in the picture—mostly to the left. I ended up getting 24 high end cleansing and moisturizing products for only $18.24. But keep in mind that negative 2 cents I was on each dual body wash purchase previously.  The store didn’t give me back 2 cents. They applied it to my total purchase, thus making a dent in my Oil of Olay purchase as well. So did a few other items.

Obviously, items like this will be helpful in the event that there is a water shortage. I’ll still be able to feel human.  But they actually are products that I am already using and in love with since I can’t stand going to bed without washing my face, but sometimes, I am just too lazy to do a whole facial. Regenerist Wipes to the rescue.

Ok. You see the small packets of Tide?  I get these all the time at the end of the month. Proctor and Gamble puts out coupons for $1 off of any size Tide. These Tide packets are sample/travel sizes and are usually only .97 cents. Voila. You have free laundry detergent that you can take with you on a road trip, camping, or may be great for bartering in the future, rather than trying to measure out a cup or two from large bottles. 

The same holds true on the Head and Shoulders, the Olay soap bars, and the Pert Shampoos. All of those items were free because the coupons permitted use on any size of that item. I always wait until the end of the month to use them though because you never know when a coupon like that can end up getting you a full sized item for free or cheap. So I wait until they are ready to expire before I use them to purchase sample sizes.

Next, see all of the Crest Toothpaste and Oral B toothbrushes?  They were ALL FREE—even the higher end Oral B toothbrushes with motors and the refills.  It all boils down to sale prices combined with manufacturer coupons. Crest Toothpaste is typically one of the more expensive brands, but Proctor and Gamble frequently sponsors store sales down to a dollar. That’s when you jump on it and use your $1 off coupons. When you have a buy one get one free coupon AND a $1 off kind of coupon, you can end up getting a lot of items for free or cheap that way as well. Again, you simply have to keep the rule that you can’t have more manufacturer coupons than you have items.

The Bounty Paper Towels were 9 cents each thanks to the store’s everyday low price of $1.09, combined with a .25 cent off coupon, which was quadrupled into $1 off.

Smart Balance Milk was negative .50 cents when combined with a high value coupon and a manager’s clearance sale. We’ll drink it fast enough, and besides, it’s like bending down to pick up two quarters to me.

The pretzels were free thanks to a sale price of .97 cents and a .50 off coupon which was doubled to $1.

All of the Soft Soap bottles were free thanks to a $1 clearance price and a .35 cent off coupon that was increased to $1.

The KY was negative $1 when combined with an unrestricted high dollar coupon of $2 off, and a $1 trial size price.

The Herbal Essence Shampoo was probably my hardest decision of the night. I was struggling because I knew I would actually have to pay for shampoo. But I actually like the Herbal Essences, and since there was a sale price when you purchased 10 of them, plus a .50 off coupon that would be increased to $1 each, I ended up paying .99 cents for each of them. Fortunately the KY and the milk would help eat into some of my out of pocket cost there.

All of the Mentos gum (one of the few I chew) were free thanks to a .55 cent off coupon that was increased to $1 combined with a sale price of $1 each.

Febreeze Noticables were only .35 each and they were a scent I really liked. I’m particularly grateful for them this past week as we have inherited a young kitten abandoned by its mom. Whew!

The Johnson First Aid kits were free thanks to an unrestricted $1 off coupon. The kits are considered travel size and were only .97 cents. The Miracle Whip ended up being only .75 each thanks to sale prices and coupons. The Huggies Wipes were only .40 each because I paid attention to what the WORDS said on the coupon, not the picture. It was a high dollar coupon for ANY Huggies Wipes, so that included the Winnie-the-Pooh travel series. The Kleenex were only .50 a box—and I was running out at home. And the storage bins were free because I received yet another $5 off coupon when I purchased the Miracle Whip. So I made a separate purchase and got some storage boxes that were on sale for only a dollar. Lastly, the pineapple was only .17 cents each thanks to the sale price and the doubling of coupons. So I bought as many as I had coupons.

In closing, I realize that there will be some of you who bemoan that you don’t have double coupons anywhere in your area. Or that you “only eat organic foods” or that “your store doesn’t do coupons.”  I can assure you that YOU are not the exception to coupon success. If you have a store, they take coupons. If you have a store near you, they also have sales. Even if you don’t have a newspaper that carries coupons, you still have no excuse not to save at least 70% regularly on your groceries and household supplies. And if you haven’t noticed it, what you eat has only about a 30 percent impact on most grocery budgets, as it’s the detergents and paper goods that suck up all of your money each month. No one; and I mean NO ONE has come to me that I couldn’t help significantly—even those on food stamps and a fixed income! The girlfriend who went with me last month was just shopping for her and her husband. She was still able to save NINETY-FOUR percent on her grocery budget, and that’s even taking into account that she had to buy Bounce Dryer Sheets, a can of beans that was only slightly on sale, three gallons of milk and a couple of battery packs. In spite of all of this, her total out of pocket was only $41.22 for over $409 worth of groceries!  So, how about you let me help you too with what YOU want in your preparedness supplies?

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

I realize that for many persons it’s simply impossible to believe that we are subjected to a litany of misinformed articles in the mainstream media each day, courtesy of our government, but not wanting such to be the case doesn’t get rid of it.  If a mental will was enough, I’d be 3 inches taller, 100 pounds lighter and still able to indulge in my favorite foods without consequences.  But the fact of the matter is that we ARE constantly fed misinformation through the mainstream media, as well as some more strategic occurrences, on a regular basis.  The appropriate question is WHY?

This nation’s government runs on money accompanied by a façade of power.  As a result, control of the masses is critical.  As such, for over a hundred years we have been fed information that suits the general plan of the government in order to keep Big Money stable. Every leader knows that if just a few panic, then it dominoes into an unstoppable effect.

For example, yesterday I featured an article with tons of easily verified information as to why we are definitely in for a wheat and grain shortage. Today, however, the self-anointed newspaper king, The New York Times, ran an article attempting to assure everyone that there will be no wheat shortage.

Ironically, they took this position simply by featuring a handful (because that’s all there is) of farmers in the world who are having a boon season for wheat. Let’s see…are we supposed to believe that farmers in Alberta, Canada are going to serve the whole world? The article goes on to state that the Midwest and France are going to help with the wheat supply too.  Perhaps they missed the information that even France is experiencing some diminished wheat crops due to high temperatures and dry conditions? Yes, it’s not destroyed but it is confirmed by many economic and agricultural specialists that the yield is at least 10% lower this year.  Last I checked my math, 10% less usually means less for the rest of the wheat market too.

What’s even more interesting in this aspect is that in 2008, when our own nation experienced an undeniable wheat shortage and rising wheat prices, some areas of the world experienced record high productions of wheat.  From this experience it’s clear that record high productions in only a handful of areas in the world are not sufficient to maintain the world’s wheat needs when the rest of the world is experiencing drought-like harvest. To make matters worse, major wheat importers are also experiencing below average crops such as Spain, Italy, China, and Japan.

To be perfectly clear so that we can all see it for what it is…MISINFORMATION is all about control.  “They” don’t want to set off a string of panic purchases of wheat because such a run on wheat at the consumer level would indeed compound the present problem.  Believe you, me, they are presuming that silly old wheat isn’t exactly on everybody’s grocery list—and they’d like to keep it that way so that we can all go on believing that “all is well.” The only way that all is well with all of this undeniable evidence of a wheat shortage is if you’ve made sure that there’s no such shortage in your own home!

All I can say is to be diligent in acquiring truthful information. At least it’s still available. “They” have not eradicated it all just yet. And when you’re compelled to believe that “all is well because ‘They’ said so” just remember “They” also told us that smoking one cigarette a day was healthy, the Depression would only last 8 months, and that the ‘Stimulus package’ would get our nation back on its feet in no time.  Yeah right. And I’m 5’5’, 120 pounds with thick, flowing, blonde hair.

As an aside, I just want to reiterate what kind of wheat you want to purchase: make sure that it has no more moisture than 10% and no less protein than 13%. Also, you don’t want to purchase wheat in clear bags unless you know it’s this year harvest and you’ll be putting it in your own non-clear packaging when you get it home.  Remember, cool, dark, and dry is the best scenario for your wheat storage. Also, be sure you know how the wheat is preserved—with oxygen absorbers—if so, how much, or diatomaceous earth.  Right now, one of my local sources for wheat has it on sale for only $14.99 for 50 pounds. But it’s in a clear bag and stored with oxygen absorbers. The only saving grace is that it’s this year’s harvest, washed 4 different times, and will be just fine for baking and such. But remember, you need to have some wheat on hand that will sprout. So be sure that you don’t invest solely in oxygen absorber-preserved wheat/grains.

Also, as mentioned by a previous poster yesterday, you can find great quality wheat from the LDS church catalog. You don’t have to be LDS to order from them. The prices are just as good as you’d get elsewhere–if not, better–and the wheat is in #10 cans. Yes, they use oxygen absorbers, but only enough to comply with USDA requirements.  So I wouldn’t worry about it. I have used their wheat and other similar items for 20 years. Their prices are great because they do a great deal of their work via volunteer work from their members.  They also buy more than 10 Costco’s when it comes to long-term, shelf-stable products. Also, even better, their prices include shipping! Presently the hard red winter wheat is only $26.95 for six #10 cans. White rice is $32 for 6 cans, pinto beans $37.50 for 6 cans, and quick oats are $20.50 for 6 cans. They also have a “starter kit” which includes 2 cans of wheat, 2 cans of rice, 1 pinto beans and 1 rolled oats, plus some helpful written materials as well. That’s only $29.75.  To order you can simply go to www.ldscatalog.com  or call 1-800-537-5971. (they only ship in the U.S. though. Sorry, my international readers.)

Take care my friends, and remember there’s PEACE in preparedness, not panic.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

I know that I’ve shared with you all the merits of a FoodSaver previously, but my enthusiasm for it has recently been refreshed.

Last week I wanted to use up some brown bananas and make some banana bread. I usually put walnuts in my banana bread, but for some reason I was having a challenge finding my walnuts. After searching for about 20 minutes, I finally found a large half-gallon Mason jar of them which I had sealed via the FoodSaver Mason Jar attachment. Inside the jar, I had the walnuts still in their original packaging which read “Best if used by October 10, 2007.” Nearly three years old on a food that is notorious for going rancid quickly. So…the moment of truth… I opened the jar and smelled the contents. Hmmmm. There wasn’t any rancid smell. Ok. Now for the taste test. Even though I’ve done this for a long time I still was amazed that the walnuts tasted perfect. There wasn’t the slightest hint of any deterioration in the flavor or texture. I was so tickled! I decided to get into some other items that had long been stored in a Mason jar using my FoodSaver.

Peanut M&Ms. The oldest I could find were 4 years old. The taste test yielded another perfect, fresh taste…and a half-empty jar by the end of the day. *sigh.

Brown Rice…after being sealed for 2 years there was no hint of age. I was stoked and had brown rice that night to celebrate.

I could go on and on, but I was so pleasantly surprised with everything I tried. I’ve had several things that I’ve tried previously, but since I rotate my foods fairly well, it’s not like a lot of my jarred items have aged for very long. But I am that much more at peace knowing that even if I miss some food items, I still won’t be wasting my time and my money on foods that I entrust to this preservation method. So hopefully, now you’ll have a little bit more peace in your preparedness efforts as well.

For those of you who need a little reminder, FoodSaver jar attachments come in 2 different sizes—wide mouth and regular size. All you have to do is put your food item in the jar. Be sure that you do not put finely sifted items in the jar as they may clog up the sealing tube. When I want to preserve cake mixes and such, I simply poke a couple of holes in the bag that holds the mix with a needle, and then place the entire bag in the jar. Once your food item is in the jar, place the flat portion of the lid on the jar, place the FoodSaver jar attachment on top and then connect the suction hose to the attachment and the FoodSaver. Press the automatic sealing button on the FoodSaver and wait for the sealing process to end. (The motor will whir loudly until it’s finished the suction process. You’ll also see the light turn from green to red on the FoodSaver.) Then remove the suction hose from the jar attachment and then remove the attachment. This makes it easier for you to remove the jar attachment, otherwise there’s too much suction. You can store the jars sealed just like that or you can screw on the rest of the lid. The nice thing that I love about using this preservation method is that I can easily get into the jar and then simply reseal it. So long as you don’t bend the lid while you’re getting into it, it’s just fine to reuse again and again. Also, you do not need the have new lids for this process. So you finally have a use for your old lids that you used to store other food items. I use this FoodSaver method for cereals, marshmallows, nuts, crackers, pasta, brown sugar, cake mixes, cookies and so much more.

You can get a FoodSaver in the kitchen gadget section of any department store, Costco, Target, and Wal-Mart. I how you enjoy this process as well as I do. By the way, I’ve also included the Banana Bread Recipe below. I am especially proud of it because I was able to use coconut oil instead of margarine or shortening.

Pantry Banana Bread

Mix the following in order:

½ cup of coconut oil (the oil should be firm, not liquid)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 mashed ripe bananas
2 cups of wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch of salt
½ cup of chopped nuts or chocolate chips

Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Makes 1 loaf and can easily be doubled and tripled.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

Let’s face it. A household that’s full of enough groceries and other household supplies to last a year isn’t exactly a common sight nowadays. In fact, I know many persons who would actually label such a person as a hoarder. However, they would be woefully incorrect in this assessment and I hope that many of you can shake off the negative stigma that such a label carries with it.

If I were to pay my utilities a year in advance or save enough money to live off of for a year without incurring debt, would someone presume to judge me as a hoarder?  Would such a wise financial act cause a sense of scarcity among the banks and creditors of the world? No. In fact, the strength of a nation’s savings accounts has long been viewed as a sound barometer to the financial strength of that nation. If I were to pay all of my insurance premiums a year in advance, I’m offered a sizeable discount.  If I were to pay my wholesale invoices immediately upon issuance I am also issued a profitable discount. In fact, I’m sure that most of us would consider a person with such healthy financial habits to be a wise financial steward, would we not? Do we label Mr. Gates, Buffet, or Trump paranoid fools because they have had the audacity to “get while the getting’s good?”  Then why in the world would anyone accept the label of a hoarder simply because they are stabilizing their dollars and leveraging their money wisely by stocking up on necessary items today?

Ah, look at how our spoiled selves have evolved when it comes to obtaining food and other necessities.  First we are given the luxury of shelves and shelves of options right around the corner that we can quickly make our purchases conveniently in an air-conditioned environment with the swipe of a piece of plastic.  The variety and availability of the selection of food we are given rivals the Amazon book list (I don’t know about you, but I have seven well-known grocery stores within 5 minutes of me all trying to get my attention and hard-earned money). Though we no longer have to tend to the gardens, the cattle, and endure the backbreaking work to eat, we still haven’t been satisfied. We want things even easier. So Necessity has created restaurants.

We simply sit down, look at a menu, order our meal and in many instances pay less for it than if we were to have to buy all of the stuffs to make it ourselves.  No dishes to clean. No table to set.  We expect it hot, safe, and served with a smile.  But no…this still isn’t a good enough option to our grocery stores.  So Necessity has given us fast food.

We barely have to stop what we’re doing to order a meal with a minimal amount of effort, and Voila! It’s readily handed to us in any weather, virtually any time of the day, and many brands can be obtained in any part of the world.  But still, this isn’t good enough for us. We demand that Necessity give us take-out.

A phone call and a credit card number delivers to us some of our favorite flavors and scents from across the world.  No thinking, cleaning, or human interaction is required. We call or log online. We pay. We eat. If room service is late, some call it the suffering of egregious affronts.

Meanwhile the options become more and more abundant for us. We are bombarded with offers from an army of grocery stores for our dollars. Reward points. Gas discounts. Curb-side service. Every possible enticement that can be conceived is conjured to win our attention. Every restaurant in our area jockeys for their share of our appetites. And every drive-thru window strives to make it even easier to reach into our pocketbooks and eek out support for their establishment. Heck. We don’t even have to name the foods we want to order. We can simply order an entire meal by number.

Is it any wonder that very few of Americans have taken thought of providing nourishment and comfort for their family tomorrow, let alone next year?  Even when there is plenty of food in the home we still find too much fatigue or too much immediate desire to drive us to spend our money elsewhere. Is it any wonder why the kitchen cupboards are shrinking in size while the entertainment rooms and garages are demanding most of our household space? We seem to be sufficiently convinced that these options will always be there, will always be affordable, and will always be safe.  Is that a way of life we are really comfortable embracing?  Is there any certainty of sustainability in that choice?

Sure a year’s supply of food and provisions for a family looks quite out of place when contained all in one space—but then again, I think that those lime green smart cars look pretty outlandish too. It makes no sense to me for persons to accept being prudent with their money, but refusing to buy into the wisdom of being prudent with that which money will always need to buy.  In fact, they haven’t even dared to create a game show that awards the winner  a year’s supply of all of the groceries their heart desires. Even the deep-pocketed detached bureaucrats know that’s too much of a financial uncertainty. Granted, I certainly wouldn’t be investing in food items that will perish sooner than my dollar value, but it certainly makes sense to me to invest in necessities that will undoubtedly keep their value long past my retirement account.  If credit companies can charge astronomical interest by providing that which people want right now, doesn’t it make sense for us to pay ourselves for that which we will most certainly need in the future?

Just as I believe that I will still need a roof over my head one year from now, I’m certain that I will still be in need of a meal six months from now?  If I can purchase some of that meal at a discount and stock up now, how is that any different than making a smart stock purchase today?

I realize that stocking up on foods and such isn’t exactly a popular decision. In fact, there have been times in our civilization in which people are encouraged to scoff and scorn at such persons even as they are fed and nourished by the very hand which they criticized. But understand that no one is exempt from having an abundance of undisputable proof that stocking up on necessities is a wise financial choice and not one held exclusively by extreme survivalists.  This isn’t some crazy preparedness person telling you all of this. There is irrefutable evidence.  I have yet to find any instance in which mankind was able to stop eating. And yet we can all find countless examples throughout history in which the currency which mankind relies upon to purchase his meals has become worthless. No one knowingly bets AGAINST a sure thing, and yet kitchens and pantries across America are doing that very same thing—they are betting that somehow the financial mistakes made in their generation will lead to different results; that somehow their political leaders are able to defy gravity and never permit a financial crisis from occurring; and that somehow they will be saved from any consequences their poor decisions bring them.

So, my dear friends, the next time you see me or someone else with dozens of bottles of shampoo, deodorant, Spam, ketchup, body wash, and mayonnaise filling the shopping carts, recognize that they are not a hoarder. They are simply being wise by financially investing in their future needs—and I hope they are wearing their wisdom with pride.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

The purpose of my article today is to help to outline some aspects of mental and physical preparedness that we must take into consideration prior to enduring a serious scenario.  Whether it be an earthquake, a flood, a hurricane, or a financial collapse, there are some consequences which will definitely take place and I feel that it’s important that all persons who desire peace in their preparedness efforts, take the time and the work necessary to prepare for this very important aspect of preparedness—giving help to others.

I believe in helping others and my preparedness efforts give proof to that end. However, understand that there is a well-deserved saying that “no good deed goes unpunished.” Unfortunately, there is truth in that statement as it relates to our fellow men, so that’s what I’m going to address today.

Confidentiality: For starters, know that your willingness to help others should be shared confidentially and only with those you intend to aid. The helping of others MUST be a pre-planned strategy, not a reactive, knee-jerk one, in order to ensure the utmost of safety and survival for you and your loved ones.  In other words, you need to have a set plan among your family members that under a specific set of circumstances you will plan on assisting them in accordance to their needs. In other words, suppose there is an earthquake in California where your brother and his family lives. Communicate clearly to your brother that under such circumstances they are to get to your home in Utah post haste with whatever supplies they can bring, and you will give them aid. Be sure that it is understood that this invitation is to be kept confidential between you and your intended recipients. Otherwise, you will be confronted with a desperate and aggressive army of other persons seeking aid. Regardless of the size of your heart you can NOT take care of everyone who comes to request assistance. Doing so will not only compromise your safety, but your life as well, and most certainly the lives of those you intended on helping all along. Clear communication and confidence is key in such circumstances.

No Flood Gates: There have been examples in every single disaster that has ever taken place in the history of the world in which well-intended caregivers lost  their sustenance, their shelter, and their lives because they opened the proverbial Wal-Mart doors on the morning of Black Friday to those in need.  Several instances were shared in which successful survivors of Hurricane Katrina were robbed, bludgeoned, or killed so that others could benefit from their supplies.  A church, which made every effort to try to help others, was suddenly forced by local authorities to take on all of the evacuees that the local law enforcement deemed necessary, regardless of the compromise of safety that such demands put upon the church and the others they were sheltering. Think of it as the camel getting his nose into your tent. You’ll never get him out after that and all you’ve done to prepare will be seriously compromised. A hospital in the aftermath of India’s historic tsunami was taken over not by patients who needed care, but by violent gangs who demanded access to drugs.  In order to ensure that you are not one of these statistics you must plan on being heavy handed and determined in the care you will extend to others.  This means you need to rehearse in your mind, discuss with your family, the severity of such circumstances and make sure that everyone is educated in maintaining the safety of your group.

Stand Your Ground: Planning on helping others cannot just be about the amount of supplies and the foundation of your religious beliefs. Remember that desperate circumstances create monsters out of some of the best of persons.  As such, no person can be completely prepared without accepting this reality.  Food, water, clothing, etc. are only a small part of your preparedness efforts. There’s a reason why I teach that the third most important part of preparedness is your Physical Preparedness. Some think that I’m simply referring to ones health when I say this. In actuality, I’m also referring to ones physical security as well.  Your supplies are meaningless if you cannot ensure that they will be used in safety and security. As such we must all obtain the  proper knowledge and supplies to ensure our safety and that our decisions on behalf of our safety are respected and obeyed.  This also means that mental fortitude must be established before a disaster comes calling. And, sorry to say it folks, but this also means that you must learn how to effectively protect yourself, and your loved ones, even if you are in a high stress situation.

Community: This brings me to my next point. I’ve said it previously in other posts, but I believe it bears repeating. There is something to be said for strength in numbers. Part of the reason in you preparing to share you goods with a specific person should be in anticipation of the man power it will take to protect those goods as well as lives.  A single, lone person doesn’t  man an empty Fort Knox today. So I suspect that it will take more than a single person with knowledge and skill to protect your shelter—whether it be an automobile traveling for safety, a tent community, or a single home.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: Lastly, it’s critical that you know your rights sufficiently so that you are committed to maintaining those rights. My favorite motto when I was in sales holds true to just about any scenario: “Whoever is more committed, wins.”  Throughout even recent situations of natural disasters, many persons have given up their freedoms with the least little bit of aggravation in a “disaster scenario.”  (shelter in LA, guns in NC, speech in MI, etc.) Let me be perfectly clear in hopes that you openly discuss this with your family and friends for future planning– It’s not ok for you to be taken somewhere else when you have chosen to stay in your home. If folks can sign a “do not resuscitate” (DNR) order, then they sure as heck have the right to “Do Not Rescue” as well.  In fact, I suggest that you make a “DNR” sign for your front door in the event of a natural disaster. You and your family should always plan on staying together—if for no other reason than the safety of your family and the mental well being in knowing how everyone is doing.  Your GOD GIVEN rights, which no court in the land can legally infringe upon, gives you that right to stay together even if a uniformed person tries to convince you otherwise in a disaster scenario. And you know what, if Fido or Brutus are one of your family members, then you darn well better PLAN for them to remain a part of your family with your preparedness efforts.

Always remember, disasters do not alienate you from your unalienable rights. Keep in mind that the Declaration of Independence was written during a time of disaster, war, and turmoil. If it had efficacy during such a time, then a little ole earthquake, hurricane, or other Act of God or U.S. Government certainly does not take those rights of survival away from you simply because times are tough. In accordance to the U.S. Constitution, you also have a right to arms—in a disaster or in peace time. You also have a right to your property—regardless of who does not have their own property. The Constitution doesn’t say that “Mr. Smith shall only retain his foods in the event of everyone else having three meals a day,” right?  There’s nothing even remotely in our laws which intimates such a posture.  So, what I’m saying is that you must decided ahead of time what your committed posture will be in the event of a disaster in order to you to have your rights and decisions heeded.  Will you stay or go. Will you give to others? Will you defend your lives under all threats of loss or impairment?

As you know, I continually teach peaceful preparedness efforts. I also believe that you can have peace in the midst of you needing the fruits of your preparedness efforts. However, if you do not mentally and physically prepare in some of the ways I’ve suggested, then you will have liberated peace from your family and surroundings. We all need to prepare now to keep the peace.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

So, here’s the rub.  You want to be independent and stabilize your costs for vital supplies, but some supplies just don’t line up very well with your plans.  They don’t tolerate storage conditions that you have available, or they don’t retain their taste, color, and nutrition or a myriad of other problems.  I don’t know about you, but I use a lot of oil for cooking, frying, baking, etc.  However, like you, the shelf-life issue has been a challenge for me as well. There’s nothing worse than making a great batch of some yummy baked goods, only to be confronted with an awful, rancid smell of the shortening.  You can bet that when there’s a dilemma that threatens to conquer my strategy of thriving in all circumstances, I’m going to find a solution. So, here are my solutions for oil that I use at present.

First of all, understand that a container of shortening will actually last approximately 5 years if it’s stored in a cool, dry place. Yes, I realize that in some parts of the U.S., such places are hard to come by. But considering how much you pay for shortening and oils, I would prioritize some of the best “cool, dry” areas in your home to make room for the oil.  It’s definitely a priority.

Next, let’s make sure that you focus on the right kinds of oils that are great to use everyday now, and that will also store well for you in the long-term. 

The asset of olive oil tends to be underestimated.  Yes, it’s true that you need to be mindful of how the olive oil is packaged and you want to make sure that it’s cold-pressed and impelled.  Focus on the extra virgin oils that do not use any chemically refined processes in the extraction.  Interesting to note is that it can be called “pure” but still use chemicals.  Also, extra virgin olive oil can be as little as 10% “extra virgin” mixed in with the less shelf-stable ingredients of light or so-called “pure” olive oil.  Try to purchase your olive oils that are from Italy, Spain, or Greece which are labeled as “100% extra virgin olive oil. In the long run, the pricier olive oils will be worth the peace of mind and taste.  That’s not to say you don’t come across great deals on the good stuff periodically. I lucked out by getting several one-gallon, sealed, metal cans of great olive oil that will store indefinitely in cool, dry circumstances.  Ironically, I found this great deal at a local hardware store.  I also purchase it in the smaller containers when I have coupons.  When I get them home, I wrap up the glass bottles in newspaper and then put them in a four-gallon square bucket to protect them against breakage in the event of an earthquake or flooding.  Keep in mind that olive oil also has medicinal and cosmetic benefits as well.  Don’t you just love multipurpose products?

Cold-pressed, expelled coconut oil is one of my favorite finds over the last several years.  While there are some loud, misinformed voices claiming that coconut oil is bad for you, I assure you it’s just a bunch of hype orchestrated by the American Soybean Association.  Yes, coconut oil contains saturated fats, but all saturated fats are not created equally.  There’s a difference between a medium and a long-chain fatty acids. Coconut oil contains a medium-chain fatty acid in it which means it’s easily digestible so it doesn’t just get stored somewhere in your body. 

Coconut oil can be used in place of any oil or shortening—baking, deep-frying, everyday cooking, etc. When you cook with it, your foods do not take on a coconut flavor at all.  Additionally, coconut oil really is good for you (which I’ll have to get into in another article) and it’s the only plant-derived saturated fat that exists.  This is why is does not go rancid.  In fact, it takes to sitting on a shelf with the utmost of good behavior, storing indefinitely.  My goal is to convert all of my oils in my household to primarily coconut oil.  I use it for my pie crusts, my fried eggs, and my deep-fried wheat meatballs. Yes, coconut oil can be pricier than your mainstream counter parts, but I feel a heck of a lot better investing in oil that I know won’t deteriorate in its taste or nutritional benefits whatsoever after several years. As an added benefit, when I use coconut oil to cook things with, the foods themselves last a lot longer in the refrigerator since they don’t contain any volatile polyunsaturated oils.  Besides, finding good deals on coconut oil is possible.  Be sure you purchase cold-pressed, expelled coconut oil, though. (I believe that Five Star Preparedness—also carries this product.) As an aside, I love taking a smidge of the coconut oil and putting it in my dry hair to sit for about 30 minutes prior to a good, hot shower.  It’s better than any commercial conditioner I’ve found and is great for the health of my scalp. I just finished reading “The Coconut Oil Miracle” by Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D. which also has a great deal of other contributing information by other medical professionals.  You might enjoy this book as well. 

Lastly, applesauce. Yes, I said applesauce.  Applesauce is an excellent substitute for oils in baking. Considering that it costs so much less than most oils, it’s healthier, and is even available in a freeze-dried form, applesauce is another oil solution that’s at the top of my list.  I purchase it freeze-dried regularly in a #10 can.  In that condition it will store for 30 years easily. I can use it for it’s obvious uses such as a side dish with a little bit of cinnamon, or in a slow-cooked pork recipe—yum!  But I love the strategy of using it in lieu of oil in a cookie or cake recipe. Both turn out so wonderfully moist and tasty. (By the way, Five Star Preparedness  is having a killer sale on #10 cans of freeze-dried applesauce which regularly retail for over $30.  Their price on a limited supply is only $16.97!) I love the freeze-dried version because I get so tired of the applesauce that I buy in jars going brown before I have a chance to use it.

Hopefully this will help you all in solving this oily dilemma.  I know these few little lessons have made a huge difference on eliminating expensive frustrations for me.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

Perhaps when you listen to the news you hear “blah, blah, blah, resin price increases, blah, blah, blah.”  Well, after today, you may hear this bit of news a bit differently. This isn’t exactly something that you would expect to see in the mainstream news, but you will get the info here because it’s important to your ability to be aware and be prepared.

The cost of resin has been escalating dramatically since the first of this year. For those of you who don’t know, resin is a big part of your life. It’s necessary for the production of all things plastic. This includes pipes, storage bins, buckets, kitchen tools, road markings, construction supplies, general household and kitchen goods, automobile parts, toys, DVD/CDs, waxes, medical adhesives, product packaging, etc. This means that not only are these items increasing in costs but so are all of the products that are packaged in plastic such a wheat, milk, yogurt, juices, etc.

The resin price increase began about two months prior to Chinese New Year (February 14^th) as China began to buy up a great deal of resin in order for them to produce their trinkets, toys, and other necessary celebration items.  The rise has continued with three significant  increases since the first of the year.  The demand was brought about because of the Chinese New Year orders were in addition to China’s standard hefty resin purchasing for all of the kinds of items which I mentioned previously. Unfortunately, this surge in demand, combined with all of our other export demand, our own consumption and some serious production glitches have caused an imbalance between the supply and demand—resulting in some very uncomfortable price increases. In fact one key producer refers to resin now as “extremely expensive stuff”.  (Yes, stuff is apparently a technical term in the world of resin production.)

The production glitches?  The production of plastic products is reliant upon vital equipment known as steam crackers. Steam crackers are usually located near oil refineries. Unfortunately, there are very few steam crackers in existence in relation to refineries (500 refineries compared to only 42 steam crackers).  The simplified explanation is that steam crackers take natural gas liquids and convert it to ethylene and propylene (petrochemicals) which we require in order to manufacture the resin pellets and consequently the plastic goods. The natural gas liquid is fed into the steam cracker and the cracker heats up the natural gas liquid and thus “cracks” the molecules and olefins.  Once the ethylene and propylene is produced, it’s piped into a reactor and converted into resin pellets. As you may know, the oil refineries ideally need to be running 24/7 in order to put out the amount of fuel we consume at a tolerable cost. That cost is dramatically increased however, if one or more of the refineries breaks down or the operation is interrupted.  The consequences are that fuel prices escalate. The same scenario holds true when it comes to any interruption in the functionality of the steam crackers.  If the crackers don’t produce their maximum output, then it has an impact on the cost as a result of imbalanced supply and demand. With such a strain on existing production, the fact that many skilled maintenance workers were laid off and some plants were shut down (such as Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan) as a result of the economic crisis does not bode well. Ultimately the consequences are a limited amount of resources to keep the crackers operating properly in order to attempt to keep up with demand. Whew! How’s that for a behind the scenes explanation?   

Initially the price increases were taken on by the wholesalers anticipating that it was just a temporary cut of their profit margins. However, after the third increase before April of this year, many were no longer able to handle the increase cost and had to pass it along.  In early February, many resin sellers were imploring buyers to buy their May orders on a set contract in order to lessen the cost impact. Due to the economic stage though, few buyers were in a position to do so.  Some even felt that the manufacturers were simply crying wolf in a ploy to bring in additional cash during tough times—as that is standard in virtually any industry, right?. Many seasoned buyers were taken by surprise when the price increases continued, claiming an unprecedented problem of narrowing supplies.

To complicate matters, the U.S. has an onus to take good care of China and other nations who hold a sizeable investment of our foreign debt. China and Japan, who own 25% and 24% of all of our foreign debt respectively, interpret slow turn times and unfulfilled orders as a sign of a weak economy, thus making them a bit nervous in holding so much of our debt. While there is a reality of the narrowing supply of ethylene and propylene monomers (consequently polypropylene), it’s important that the U.S. maintains a good economic game face when selling to their heavy foreign investors. Call it preferential treatment to keep a key customer. The U.S. tends to bend over backwards to meet such demands in order to put forth the impression of a healthy manufacturing market, as opposed to a scarce one.  As a result, the U.S. sells what they’ve got to these critical relationships leaving what’s leftover for us.  (Reminds me of how teenagers act when their friends become more important than their family. Hee hee) Thus our supply of resin has diminished dramatically making the price higher due to the good old fashion consequences of supply and demand.

That’s not the whole of it either.  If we aren’t able to export a sizeable amount of China’s resin requests, then their own market security is compromised. Ironically, all of those “made in China” items begin with the resin we produce here in the U.S.  Because of our financial ties, we’ve ensured that we price our resin to them at better pricing than they could obtain from other, closer suppliers This is the exact same scenario that caused the U.S. to deplete our “just in case” supply of wheat. China was clamoring to purchase it in light of serious drought conditions and increased population. We sold it to keep peace in the family. If China’s economy takes a serious hit because of a lack of resin to produce some of their primary exports, then they are no longer able to purchase our foreign debt. See the vicious cycle?  The U.S. is already way behind its necessary debt sell rate for 2010 by nearly 500 billion dollars—nearly 1/6^th of the entire amount it needs to sell this year.  Holding back resin in order to appease our own domestic demand would consequently be throwing fuel on a much larger fire—at least in the minds of the powers that be.

As a way to make all of this news a bit more real to my own world, I took the initiative to interview five national retailers regarding their bucket prices.  No surprise, all of them confirmed that, yes, they have experienced a hike in plastic goods pricing—anywhere from 7% -32%!  Five Star Preparedness owner, Scott Bishop, stated that he’s seen 4 price increases in the square buckets he offers just in the last three months, impacting his bottom line by approximately 12% on the wholesale side of pricing.  That’s pretty steep when you realize that resin is simply ONE component of the world of plastic manufacturing. 

So what are we left with?  Well, we’ve provided China with as much resin as we dare. In spite of which, their needs are still not satisfied, so they are having to resort to using the more expensive local and Middle Eastern options for resin supplies. This has an unpleasant domino effect causing the resin based imports that we receive from China to increase significantly. This also means that our own supply of resin is critically low and thus everything that is connected to this will increase in price as well. 

Let’s see. What does this all mean to you?  The same as it always does. Just because you don’t see all that goes on behind the curtain doesn’t mean it’s not there, right?  Take time to be methodical and strategic in your acquisition of necessary supplies which will ensure your independence on a rainy day.  Personally, instead of waiting until I’m in an organizing mood, I intend to keep a sharp eye out for storage bins and the like and get them when they are on sale rather than waiting for the mood to hit me. I also intend to be more diligent in acquiring items that are packaged in plastics or that are heavily reliant on plastics as I don’t see a cure for this imbalance anywhere in the near future.  Some financial experts believe that the pricing will settle down in May, but that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.  The snag is that unless you’re a commodities trader, you won’t see an immediate impact because the products have already been manufactured with the more expensive resin since the first of the year. So until the manufacturers can sell through that inventory, they won’t be able to pass on the improved pricing, and by then, the prices could come back up or exceed where they are presently.  We’re not going to be creating any new crackers anytime soon, right? We’re still a bit behind on China’s desire for resin—and that’s just one customer.  Plus, our technology is constantly increasing in the use of plastics over other more expensive commodities. AND you’ve got the wholesalers who have already invested in the pricier resin who will have to sell through that stock before they could take advantage of the supposedly lower priced goods at the end of May. By that time, a whole lot could happen and the recovery could be swallowed up by another natural disaster or another oil spill accident.  So, for me? I’m not going to gamble on things getting better in this regard. Rather, I’m going to be more diligent in taking advantage of this awareness and acting accordingly.

Peace in preparedness, folks.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

by Kellene Bishop

As crazy as it sound, I periodically engage in debates with another person or a cause privately in my mind. Ok. Yes, sometimes I do say things out loud just to see how they sound.  It’s how I formulate an articulate and sound argument on a particular issue.  I think I started it as a teenager when I plotted how I was going to rationally get away with pushing the envelope with my mother’s rules.  So, today, I am going to let you in on an argument that I’ve been having with myself and the imaginary USDA persons who believe that bottled butter is bad due to potential botulism poisoning.  I still hear so many of the concerns caused by the fictional USDA warnings about bottling butter. And I think it’s ridiculous—as is clearly noted in my previous article. So hear it goes folks…

First of all…why in the world would the USDA say that bottling your own butter increases the risk of botulism?? I may not be a scientist, but I do know what kills botulism:  heat and oxygen; 180 degrees of heat, to be exact, for about 20- 30 minutes. When I purchase my butter from the store, can I safely assume that there is no botulism in it when I buy it? Isn’t it fair to say that the manufacturers of the butter properly pasteurized it to eliminate botulism?  Um, I would certainly think so.  So, Mr. USDA, help me understand why is it that you are concerned that if I take my store bought butter from my refrigerator, put it in a pan and heat it for 15 to 20 minutes, which also exposes it to oxygen, which kills the botulism, and then transfer it to sanitized jars and seal it, that somewhere in that process I’m introducing botulism bacteria into my butter?! Botulism, by the way, originates from spores found in the soil!? Last time I checked I haven’t been able to grow butter in my garden. Botulism needs low oxygen, comfy temps, AND low acidity to thrive.  It’s not like I’m bottling my butter in the middle of my garden or field out back.  Yes, botulism is serious. You can’t see it, smell it, or detect it other than in a laboratory. So let’s be serious about it instead of spreading unfounded risks.  The growth of botulism requires low oxygen, low acidity, AND a comfortable temperature. Extreme hot or cold, along with the elimination of oxygen –AFTER the butter has been exposed to oxygen, is enough to cause the bacteria to become dormant.  Notice I said dormant-not eliminated.

In the past I have bottled my butter with a combination of the stove top, sanitized jars, a funnel, and shaking the contents for a while after bottling them. But lately I’ve been tweaking my method and am excited with the fact that I’ve made the process easier AND safer!  (I keep telling you all that I’m the laziest preparedness person you will ever meet. And what do they say about lazy people?  Give a lazy person a job and they will find an even easier way to do it.) hee hee

For starters, remember one thing about a solar oven.  It can easily reach 180 degrees and maintain that level with a modest amount of sun coverage.

Secondly, remember that you cannot burn or scorch anything in a solar oven. Thus, instead of having my butter melt in a saucepan on my stove for a long enough period of time that will  eliminate the botulism concerns, I’ve begun melting the butter in my solar oven.  This eliminates the oft-hyped concern that most bottle butter naysayers have to contribute about the process. At 180 degrees you are cooking low and slow. Botulism doesn’t have a chance in that environment.  This is why I teach folks that they can also use their solar oven to sanitize bandages, dishes, and medical supplies.  Heck, you can even pasteurize water in your solar oven!

My solar oven has simplified the bottled butter process substantially.  I take ½ pound of butter and put it in a sanitized ½ pint mason jar.  Then I add a single marble to the jar as well. (This will aid me in the shaking process.)  Then I put a lid on the jar, and screw it down tightly.  I melt the butter in the solar oven for about an hour—PLENTY of time!  The lids seal nicely and the butter melts beautifully without getting brown or scorched.

Then I cool off the jars of butter in the house, shaking them every 10 minutes for the first ½ hour of cooling. Then I put them in the refrigerator and continue to shake them every 10 minutes for the next half hour (the marble REALLY helps in this regard).  From there the golden jars of delight are stored downstairs in my cool, dry pantry for approximately 3 to 5 years.  No funnel, no mess, and no worries about botulism. Now when I make homemade bread, I can enjoy the taste of REAL butter on it, instead of the powdered stuff—even if there were no electricity for months and months.

Ah, freedom. You’ve just got to love it! Now, I feel so much better after this rant. How about you? *grin*

(Author’s note: I prefer the Global Sun Oven for its superior insulation, heat retention, seal, and sturdiness.  You can find them on Five Star Preparedness for a good, everyday price which includes drop shipping right to your door.)

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If you would like to host a preparedness party for your business, community, or church group, please contact Vicky at vicky@preparednesspro.com

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.