By Kellene Bishop

Throughout the last several weeks of writing for this blog, I have repeatedly addressed why the term “emergency preparedness” does not generate genuine attention and interest from the majority of persons around us.  Today, I’d like to address the scientific reasoning behind that rationale a bit more in depth as I’ve been sharing in some of my classes as of late.  I think it may help us all better realize why trying to prepare for an emergency is a self-defeating approach to readiness.

Imagine that you are a well-paid executive in New York City in September, 2001. More specifically, let’s say that you go to work everyday at the World Trade Center.  On the morning of September 1, 2011, you receive a formal memo from your highest authority within your company.  Perhaps it’s also endorsed by a government leader or some other external authority as well. Let’s summarize what the letter says to you and all of your thousands of co-workers.

• Sometime in the next two weeks the building you are working in will catch fire as the result of a fuel explosion and eventually collapse.
• In order to encounter the least amount of injuries, everyone is encouraged to immediately leave the building when the alarms are sounded.
• Do not stop to gather your belongings.
• Be sure that you are wearing comfortable shoes in order for your descent to be the most successful.
• Be sure that you have a face mask on hand in order to prevent inhaling any harmful fumes.
• During the course of your evacuation, do not wait until other floors to descend before you. Everyone should exit the building orderly as soon as the alarms sound.
• Do not stop to call your loved ones or relatives.
• It is imperative that you do not attempt to go up to the roof, rather quickly and calmly descend the stairs to safety.
• Once you are at the bottom of The World Trade Center buildings, get as far away from the buildings as possible to avoid further injury.
• Yes, some of you will die a horrific death simply because you are in the immediate area of the explosion, however, for the rest of you, if you follow these instructions, your survival rate will increase by 60%.

Now. Let me ask you. If this scenario was real, how many of you would actually show up to work during those two weeks?  If you did go to work, how many of you think you would be very productive during that 14 day stretch?  Additionally, without the benefit of repeated drills, it’s actually unlikely, even given the warning, that you would follow all of the instructions as they were given.  Just how comforting would the “60% chances of survival figure be to you either?  And yet, in fact, had all of these specific instructions been followed on that horrible day of 9/11, the casualties actually would have been reduced by over 60%!

If you are honest with yourself, most of you would admit that you are likely to conveniently take your vacation days during this time.  Or, if you did go to work, you’d probably hang around the lower floors as much as possible. Perhaps you’d try to still work but naturally you may  be so tightly strung you would be nearly worthless to your professional responsibilities. Perhaps that night you’d stop on your way home to purchase an ax, a parachute, a fire extinguisher, a flame retardant suit, water bottles, and an oxygen mask. Many of you would also likely have spouses and children that would beg you not to take the chance of dying and go to work. Everyday you were thee they’d be unproductive as they worried about you.  Still others would roll their eyes in disgust, call the author of the letter a “fear monger” who’s simply trying to cause chaos and desperation. You’d then send back a scathing retort to the author that you were going to sue them for the infliction of emotional trauma and threaten to sue them should anything go awry in the next 14 days as described.

The bottom line is that under these circumstances you would cease to function wholly, full of your existing strengths and reliable characteristics. You’re mind would be rattled. You’d be consumed with fear instead of faith; panic instead of peace.

This is exactly why the premise of a person “preparing for an emergency” is unproductive, counter-intuitive, and self-defeating.  How is this scenario any different from what the world of “emergency preparedness” would have you buy into?  Sure, the timing of the disaster is not as well known as indicated in this make-believe letter.  Is this scenario any different than warnings we hear frequently in the world of preparedness against an act of war, a major earthquake, hurricane, or famine  And aren’t we provided with “in case of emergency…do this…” kind of instructions in the world of emergency preparedness?   To me, the emergency preparedness culture seems to have woven itself in such a way that it irritates a world of confidence and calm.  It preys upon our fears, panic, and most of all—dread. Yet such an approach does absolutely nothing to truly help us. All of the specialized equipment in the world is useless if we have not truly learned to accept the everyday scenarios in which we would have need of it.

I don’t know which mentally disturbed person ever came up with the term “emergency preparedness.” But in my mind it’s as oxymoronic as the phrases “Federal Budget” and “Politically Correct.” The brain simply does not work that way. In defense of a mental state that it can handle, the brain will even wrestle with and deny the reality of such a scenario. So how in the world are we supposed to prepare for a scenario which our minds won’t even let us believe?

Think of it this way, no really successful security system salesperson would dare tell you that you were in need of the top-of-the- line model in order to avoid rape and murder, whereas the less expensive model would only protect you from robbery and moderate mayhem, right? Instead, the successful security salesperson needs to address the level of concerns that the customer has already mentally accepted and which they may easily be open to accepting in order to determine which security system is best for them.

If a particular “emergency preparedness” item does not have a place in your everyday life, then it won’t have a welcome part to play in a highly strained and threatened life scenario either.  Focus on the everyday preparedness of independence from vulnerabilities, knowledge, etc. and then the reliable catastrophic preparedness will come. The everyday warriors are the ones who are best seasoned for the once in a lifetime battles.  And that is what successful preparedness is really all about.

Become a fan of Preparedness Pro on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter here

To see our upcoming event schedule, click here

Subscribe to Preparedness Pro today and never miss a thing!

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’ve decided to be very forthright and open in today’s article in hopes that it truly does help someone else.  I often hear people say “I don’t know how you do all that you do.”  I smile and thank them for their gracious compliment, but the truth of it is, I do what I do while challenging a significant obstacle—depression.

Depression can take hold of anyone. photo c/o hopeworkscommunity.wordpress.com

I realize that in this kind of forum I’m only going to be able to scratch the surface on this topic, but I firmly believe that it has not been appropriately addressed in real-life terms and is especially absent topic in the arena of preparedness.

First of all, allow me to dispel some myths of depression.  Depression isn’t a mood, it’s a disease. It’s a break down in the chemical functions of the body that impair communications from the brain to the rest of the body.  The impairment of proper brain charges and chemicals is much like someone having low blood sugar, or high insulin levels, a heart murmur, or a person in need of blood thinners, etc.  In other words, it’s about a deficiency in the body.

Depression isn’t about “woe is me, I want to end my life,” although many forms of depression can get that serious.  There are many levels of depression. Some levels of depression are the lowest of the low and considered “manic.” Other forms manifest themselves when a person eats poorly or doesn’t get enough rest.  Still other forms manifest themselves on a low level throughout a person’s life or on a higher level when a great deal of decision making is thrust upon them. (it feels more like an anxiety though, at that point rather than what some people would associate with “depression.”) Feeling grief or unresponsive due to a severe tragedy in a person’s life isn’t depression. It’s responding naturally to life. Although some people do have a physiological change in their chemical make up in response to such an instance and succumb to depression as a result.  It’s actually very similar to someone being injured in a car accident. Instead, a person’s heart, brain, chemical balance, etc. is injured in a collision with grief.

The grief process can be exacerbated by depression photo c/o www.theocentric.com

Contrary to assumptions, depression isn’t always about a feeling of low or sadness. Sometimes it’s feeling a serious lack of energy to do anything proactive. Sometimes the chemical imbalance demands a great deal of sleep. Depression isn’t something that a person can just “snap out of.”  You can no easier get a person to “snap out of depression” than you can get a paralyzed person to get up out of their wheelchair and walk as the result of a superhuman will.  Some who struggle with depression appear to the outsiders to be wallowing in their victimization status or their “Eeyore moods.”  What many folks don’t realize is that the depressed person literally can’t see it.  Getting them to “snap out of it” when they are in that state is like trying to get a blind person to see clearly. The vision of a seriously depressed person is physiologically skewed and does not represent full faculties. A person suffering from serious depression simply does not see the world as it really is.  They have chemical blinders, much like a person whose mental capacity is altered by drugs.

Another misconception that I really wish people understood for their own benefit is that depression is NOT triggered by the actions of someone else or a particular experience. Too many folks take blame upon themselves for the heavy level of depression experienced by a loved one in their life. While a great deal of stress or a mean hearted act of someone else may not be helpful to someone who struggles with depression, it’s never solely responsible for the depression. Think about it.  Any person who doesn’t deal with depression is affected by stresses of the day, right?  But what happens in response to life, with a person who has depression, is based primarily to how the body responds to the instance—chemicals and electrical charges and all.  Sometimes the chemical and brain signals are insufficient to appropriately deal with a situation. But just because someone has depression doesn’t give an edict of authority to the rest of the world to change and accommodate the person who struggles with depression either.  Just because I may struggle with depression doesn’t give me the right to alter someone else’s behavior.  To put it another way, my car running out of gas on the way to your house isn’t about you living 500 miles away. It’s about how much gas I have in my car. I have a girlfriend who is married to a man who struggles with depression. She can love him, she can be accommodating to a point. But that doesn’t mean that she is to allow his disability to define her worth and virtue as a wife. In other words, when dealing with a person who has depression, it really is NOT you, it’s them.

Compassion and understand is imperative for those living with depression photo c/o brucefong.wordpress.com

So, if you or a loved one struggle with depression, what can be done so that the disease itself doesn’t preclude you from surviving everyday now as well as serious trials in the future?  The answer is specific to a person with depression at any level, but it also has some commonalities with someone who suffers from diabetes or hear or kidney problems. There is only so much you can do to be prepared. But there are a whole LOT of “so much you can do” actions to take.  And then simply let what will be, be from there.

First of all, the key to surviving depression is accepting it.  It’s real. It’s not going to just go away, and person who has depression MUST deal with it as such. When it comes to depression, I feel like dealing with it is just as serious as dealing with a firearm. I use a firearm regularly, but I have the ultimate of respect for its power. I instinctively keep my finger off of the trigger unless I’m in a safe environment or a necessary environment to use it. The same bodes true with depression. I do NOT mess around with it. I don’t treat it as an inconvenient gnat. I’m not casual with it.  I take care of it head on just like I would if I had diabetes. . What I mean by that is one of the most dangerous things people can do is to ignore their depression.  Such persons must be spoken to when they are not suffering a bout of depression and be brought to realize that this can be a killer disease. Worse, it can not only kill someone physically, but it can zap the life, confidence, and worth out of all of those around you that you love.  That’s the worst kind of death, in my opinion.  Professional assistance should be sought out for ANY level of depression. It may not be at a level which requires medication. But it should be watched just as aggressively as a cancerous lump.

Visit with your doctor about any depression symptoms you may have photo c/o www3.whig.com

Secondly, do everything NATURALLY to help battle the depression as possible. This is where I really get to apply some control over this disability and so can many others. As I’ve often said, Preparedness isn’t about being ready for an emergency. It’s about being independent from your vulnerabilities and conquering them. Even those with a physical limitation can do a great deal to be independent in spite of that challenge. When it comes to depression, taking proactive steps to conquer it has a compounded positive impact because not only do I benefit from the independence and peace that such actions take, I also benefit physically in my minimizing the effect of the disease.  Just as many paraplegics refuse to be a burden on those around them, persons who struggle with depression will also benefit substantially from taking on this responsibility as well.

Every time I drink water, for example, I know that I’m taking my depression head on.  Every time I make a healthier food choice or avoid harmful foods I am taking charge of my depression and how it affects those I love.  Every time I work out, I am showing the depression who’s really the boss. *grin* Every time I push myself towards a proactive work I’m “pushing past the pain” so to speak, much like physical therapy.

(As a side note, proper water hydration, excellent nutrition, and physical activity are ALL significant aids in battling depression but they do need to be consistent.)

Excercise and staying hydrated are a must in battling depression photo c/o skynewswire.com

Next, I treat depression with respect.  When I feel it coming on significantly, I do not ignore it. I let my husband know, “hey, it’s coming on and I’m going to just go lie down.”  He’s been educated enough to know that it isn’t about him or what he did or didn’t do. He knows it just comes about sometimes.  Sometimes it’s more like this kind of conversation: “Honey, I’ve got a bout of depression coming on and I still have this to do to get ready for a class. Can you help me?”  It’s no different in my household than if I were to say “Hey, Honey. I just threw my back out; can you lift this for me?”  I don’t hide it from my husband.  But I don’t worry him excessively because he knows that I treat it head on and listen to what’s going on in my body and pay attention. Doing this actually gives me ability many times to censor myself or my actions in the event that I do feel a bout coming on.  It’s almost like a head game. I can realize that I’m about to respond one way to a scenario, recognize it as being driven by my disability, and instead proactively choose to deal with the scenario by my own agency and not that of my disability. It’s because of this that I sometimes jokingly refer to my depression as that stupid hump on my back that gets in my way sometimes.  “It’s alive!,” I sometimes kid, pointing to the imaginary hump on my back, when I realize that I just did something depression driven. While I respect depression, I refuse to be overcome by it, or be less than I’m created to be as a result of it.  I know an 89 year old man that still gets on his stationary bike at 4:00 a.m. to work out. I know amazing Special Olympics children who thrive beyond many non-impaired persons of privilege. I know mothers who went through horrible abuse at the hands of their husbands and who still set the example for me as the epitome of motherhood.  And so when it comes to depression, I’ve taken on the attitude of “there are no victims, only volunteers.”  It’s not always the magic fairy dust that works, but it puts me in an independent state in spite of the obstacle, and that’s what preparedness is all about.

Give all your pains, frustrations, griefs, worries, and despair over to Christ and He will give you peace.

Lastly, I firmly believe in the power of the Atonement for healing all of our ailments. I know that He suffered not just for our sins, but our pains, griefs, and illnesses as well. Thus I am certain that if I will “wrestle with the Spirit” on a consistent basis that I too will have claim on the efficacy of His atonement to heal what I cannot with all of my best intentions.  I know that the Balm of Gilead is real.  I cannot expect to do 5,000 sit-ups in one day to get a 6-pack of abs.  The price has to be paid over time for such a result, with consistent behavior. This is yet another reason why I’m certain that spiritual preparedness is the number one priority of preparedness. Everything else we may work on can be at the mercy of our effectiveness in that one aspect. Regular fervent prayer, meditation, scripture study—and ensuring that my other activities don’t negate the affect of these actions—is just as important to my depression management as is the medical and nutritional aspects.

And that, my friends, is how I recommend overcoming ANY physical impairment in favor of preparedness today and in the future.

Become a fan of Preparedness Pro on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter here

To see our upcoming event schedule, click here

Subscribe to Preparedness Pro today and never miss a thing!

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 2010 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to www.PreparednessPro.com & Kellene Bishop

By Kellene Bishop

I’ve often had the question asked of me, “Why do we need spiritual preparedness for an emergency?”  I also frequently hear requests for a clarification of what I mean by “spiritual preparedness.”  Fortunately spiritual preparedness does not mean you need to have the Bible memorized, nor do you necessarily need to be able to interpret the Book of Revelations.  When I list the ten components of emergency preparedness, I assure you there is a deliberate reason why it’s at the very top of the list.  Bottom line, after all you can do, it may be your only source for survival.  Allow me to explain what I mean by that.

Stress, chaos, confusion - all byproducts of an emergency. Photo c/o stressrelatedillness.com

I anticipate that in virtually any emergency, chaos, confusion, upheaval, and stress will accompany the scenario.  You could have plenty of food, water, family, and physical comforts, but nothing will be able to take the place of what you have “stored up” spiritually.  If you’re not in the habit of reaching outside of yourself for comfort and peace, the likelihood of you being able to do so successfully in the midst of chaos is unrealistic, and yet I assure you that it will be just as vital as will your food and water.

Spiritual preparedness cannot be accumulated overnight.  It takes diligent and consistent effort.  Just like 1,000 sit ups in one sitting won’t prepare you physically, neither will a periodic drop to your knees in prayer.  In fact, chances are, if you’re not already in the habit of strengthening your spiritual standing, you won’t be likely to take any such efforts in the midst of a disaster.  To me that would make a person just as vulnerable during a disaster as a wounded deer out in the wild of Africa.

Think of it this way.  The children of Israel left the captivity of the Pharaoh with all of their provisions.  They took their clothing, their family, herds, water, seeds, agriculture and construction knowledge, and essentially everything they would need to survive a long trek.  But, when they came upon the edge of the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s armies close behind them, could any of these physical provisions save them?  No.  What did save them?  Spiritual preparedness on the part of Moses.  He wasn’t prone to panic and pacing.  Instead he relied on something outside of his own physical abilities.  

I know several individuals who dabble in building model airplanes, train sets, and boats.  I assure you that Noah’s building of the ark had nothing to do with a “little hobby of his.”  He was not a shipbuilder.  He was a spiritually prepared man.  I’m sure it was the result of his spiritual preparedness that he was able to break the news to his wife that her backyard was going to be consumed by a large vessel and hoards of animals, and not a recent “marriage class” he attended.

Five of Them Were Wise by Walter Rane

What made the difference between the 5 foolish virgins and the 5 wise virgins?  All 10 of them had vessels in which to hold oil.  All 10 of them fully expected to be granted access to the wedding.  And yet it was the spiritual preparedness that motivated the 5 wise virgins into action to actually fill their vessels with oil.  Didn’t even the 5 foolish virgins have every intention of filling their vessels with oil?  Surely you have the intention of filling your water jugs, your pantries, etc, right?  (What spiritual preparedness causes some to fill their pantry and their water jugs as opposed to others who just let them sit empty?)

In an emergency, situations will arise that we cannot possibly be prepared for otherwise.  Spiritual preparedness is often the only thing which can fill in the gaps of what we can and can’t do.  I find that it enhances my physical preparedness efforts as well, so long as I do all that I can.  Periodically I come up with ideas that I know I have never read in a book or heard of otherwise.  I’m certain that it’s as a result of my efforts to prepare spiritually for tough times ahead. 

I consider spiritual preparedness to be a key component to my “warning system.”  Some call this “women’s intuition”, or a “gut instinct.”  I hope you don’t mind my telling you that I usually refer to it as a “prompting of the Spirit.”  After 9/11 occurred, we heard stories of numerous people who avoided this disaster as a result of their spiritual preparedness coming in handy.  Some avoided getting on the plane.  Some avoided going in to work that day.  Many similar credible stories circulated before and after Hurricane Katrina.  For example, last week as I was heading out of town to teach some classes, I felt an unexplainable sense of angst.  I had no idea what it was attributed to.  Sure I get a bit nervous before teaching a class.  And sure it was a lot of work ahead of me.  But frankly I’m used to that.  As it turned out I felt the urge to ask a friend of mine if she’d like to join me on a road trip.  Surprisingly she did.  We ended up having TONS of people at the training events.  The effort and time that I had anticipated to be the necessary preparation work for the events ended up doubling!  I literally could not have done what I did without her.  (Thank you so much, Vicky!)  This is just a small example of what I mean by spiritual preparedness.  If I was more wrapped up in watching Oprah on TV, or staying busy 24/7 instead of taking time to listen to what’s really going on around me, I assure you I would have been in tears and a big emotional mess.  I’m sure such a state would have given me NO credibility as a “Preparedness Pro.”

Peace Amidst the Chaos in Iran, June 2009 photo c/o time.com

Take time to pay attention to how you’re feeling.  Take time to be quiet so that you can listen to your instincts.  Take the time to instill habits which bring you a peace that may otherwise be foreign or in short supply in the midst of an emergency.  For those of you who believe in God, I assure you that He does not intend for those who are prepared to be panicked and helpless.  I figure that there’s a darn good reason why He urges us to be prepared.  Peace in the midst of chaos is what makes men great.   I’m certain that this is what He means when He tells us “if we are prepared, we shall not fear.”  Fear is debilitating and crippling.  I’m certain that if my spiritual preparedness is in short supply, I will be useless, and even a dangerous liability to those around me in the event of an emergency.  I am committed to being as much of an asset to my family and loved ones as possible.  How about you?

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

Subscribe to Preparedness Pro today and never miss a thing!

By Kellene Bishop

Here’s one simple tip so you never have to worry about HOW to cook what’s in your food storage. 

Many folks just plain don’t know how to cook with their food storage.  When I hear this, I ask people why they’re storing foods that are unfamiliar to them or their family?  Sure there are ideal lists which include long lasting grains and legumes, but if you’re not using such ingredients now to feed your family with, it’s not going to be helpful to them in an emergency.

Think for just a moment what kind of chaos a financial collapse, an earthquake, an act of war, or some other kind of disaster could bring into your life.  Do you really want to complicate things by adding more stress into your life by consuming “foreign foods”?  You and your family are going to crave as much “normalcy” as possible.  Unless you’re already serving your family “Boston Baked Wheat” you don’t want to try it out on them while they are being quarantined for 90 days as the result of a flu pandemic.  In fact, it is exactly these kinds of times that you will want to provide the most comforting favorites for your family.  But…yes, there is a but…

Part of being prepared is being ready to live off of foods which are most nourishing and longer lasting than what your diet may currently consist of in your household.  (To this end I implore parents of picky eaters—or spouses of such—to do all they can to get them to embrace more nourishing foods.)  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are great now.  But how will they be when you have to make the bread from scratch?  Will your family even touch them?  Don’t panic.  Just start learning the lost art of bread making now.  I can tell you from experience that it’s a heck of a lot more rewarding than besting someone at an online game of Scrabble.  

Try sprouts on a meat sandwich! Photo c/o scanwiches.com

Slowly introduce your family to new things.  For example, my husband, who I can’t get to eat a vegetable unless it’s on a slab of beef, has agreed to try and start putting sprouts on his meat sandwiches.  Why?  Because I am trying to get him used to eating this easy and widely accessible source of nutrition so when we are in the midst of an emergency, he can handle it—not only emotionally, but physically as well.  Being ready to live off those foods doesn’t involve just having the appetite for them.  We need to be prepared to use them and work with them as well.  If you’ve never tried sprouting, don’t think that the sprouter you’ve got in the basement is going to do much for you in a time of crisis.  Using it under such circumstances will only cause you more stress due to its unfamiliarity and you’ll avoid it at all costs. 

You also need to get your body accustomed to eating such foods.  In fact, if most people attempted to go from their existing diet to one containing whole wheat at the majority of their meals, they would actually DIE inside of 30 days due to the dehydration and diarrhea their body would experience in so drastic a dietary change.  This is one reason why I counsel people to store what they eat—at least a 90 day supply—and then work on introducing other, more stable storage foods, into their diet along the way.  Yes, it’s a lot less expensive to store a year’s supply of wheat, legumes, honey, and powdered milk as opposed to the ingredients for your favorite casseroles, Navajo Tacos, and brownie mixes.  But I assure you that those items won’t get used for much of anything if you haven’t already familiarized your family with them prior to a disaster.  So be sure to have at least 90 days of the familiar and then work on familiarizing your family with other foods that will have a great shelf-life in your home.  Remember, stress alters the mind.  It races the heart.  It breaks down the immune system.  If you’re in a quarantine situation, for example, can you really afford to expose anyone in your family to any of these physical stresses simply because you weren’t prepared with a realistic menu for them?  Perhaps now you may better understand why I go to great lengths to learn how to make bread, sprout, store M&Ms, make sour cream out of powdered milk, wax my own cheese, store eggs long-term, and create recipes out of what’s on my shelves, etc.  I do it in anticipation of a situation in which food and nourishment will be a comfort to the mind and the spirit, not just sustain life.  (And yes, there are indeed those times in which M&Ms sustain me. )

I’ve been asked how I remember where all of my food storage is since it’s scattered all around the house.  I remember because I’m always in it—except when I’m on that blasted diet.  I’m always using what I store.  I’m rotating it.  (In fact I have a Mason jar full—er, half full—of almond M&Ms next to me on my desk as I write this.)  Other than the years supply of MREs we have stored in the back of the basement, there’s not a single nutritional item in my home that is “uncommon” to me.  If you have anything that’s uncommon to you in your food storage, it’s nearly useless.

Point being, no one should have trouble cooking with their food storage, because their food storage should contain what they are already consuming and thus what they are already familiar in preparing.  Practice making your food in a Dutch Oven, or in a pressure cooker over a small butane stove, or in a solar oven.  Go to classes to learn how to make the essentials.  They are usually free.  Go through cook books and experiment with “less than fresh” items as substitutes in recipes, such as canned chicken for frozen, canned green beans for fresh, etc.  Find out from your family what their absolute favorite meals are and then find the most efficient way to stock the items for those meals.  We’re not in the dark ages here, folks.  Cooking with your food storage doesn’t have to involve an Indian dance and an archaic tool for grinding your flour.  Even without the luxury of electricity, we still will have the benefit of the luxury of knowledge and technology galore. 

Keep in mind that in a previous article I wrote, I recommended that folks start their food storage by storing their food in “meals” as opposed to “pounds of items.”  In other words, if your family loves waffles, then be sure you have the makings for waffles.  If you have such ingredients sufficient to make them 12 times, then you only have to come up with 29 other meals.  (Or less, depending on how often you want to eat waffles.  I recommend coming up with a great variety for your family though so that they don’t suffer from “appetite fatigue.”)

It all boils down to this: Store what you eat and eat what you store.

UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Series

• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 1 of 8
• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 2 of 8
• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 3 of 8
• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 4 of 8
• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 5 of 8
• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 6 of 8
• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 7 of 8
• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 8 of 8

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

Subscribe to Preparedness Pro today and never miss a thing!