The Basic Pantry List

What should you have in your pantry to be prepared? Having a number of basic items in your pantry can mean the difference between eating and not eating in the event that a disaster or hard time strike your family. These basic items can be combined into many different meals, so you should always have them on hand. Here are just some reasons why having an emergency pantry could come in handy. If you lose your employment and have to make do on a limited or absent income If there is a disruption in the supply chain that makes getting … Continue reading →

Tips for Preserving Staples

You can extend the life of your staples, your food, if you just follow a few guidelines. Storing food the right way will keep it fresh. Making sure that your emergency food supply is good and ready to eat is important in any emergency preparedness plan. For a good overall tip for preserving staples is to store them in a cool, dark location, but make sure that this location is also dry. Basements are idea for storage, as long as you have a dehumidifier that can take the moisture from the air and prevent the growth of mold. Whenever you … Continue reading →

How Long Will Your Food Last

Storing food and stockpiling is a great idea for being prepared. One issue that can arise is how long is it before food expires? How long do canned goods last, and how long can you store your staples? I came across this dilemma just two days ago when I went through my pantry to rotate some food, having a plan to use up some older items in meals in order to add some new ones and keep everything fresh. I came across ajar of salsa. It contained no expiration date to guide me, and I hadn’t marked one on the … Continue reading →

Fill Your Pantry Now for the Leaner Months

Right now, stores are overflowing with food stock and great food bargains. If you fill your freezer and pantry now, you’ll be able to get through the leaner months that are coming soon. Why Should You Fill Your Pantry Now? There are a couple of reasons why filling your pantry and freezer now will help you to be prepared for later. The first is availability. Stores anticipate selling more food in December and less in January when the perceived demand is not there. This means that some of your favorite foods, especially holiday-related foods may not be available later. If … Continue reading →

Stockpile These Foods Now

From natural disasters to financial crisis to food scarcity, it is important that you are prepared to provide your family with good, nutritious food. Stocking up on non-perishable food is one way to take care of your family. One interesting thing that not too many people think about is the fact that in an emergency, you will probably be eating more than usual. This is because it is likely that your body will be expending extra energy. You’ll want the calories. Don’t forget about fiber too, to keep your body running well. While you still want to be able to … Continue reading →

With Food Prices Getting Higher, Taking Action is a Must

I don’t know if you have noticed, but food prices are higher than they have ever been, and all indications are that they will continue to go even higher. There are several reasons for this: Increased cost of fuel to transport food Increased world population leading to a high demand for food Smaller food harvests on many essential foods, including corn, grain, and peanuts Recessed economy leading to lower food stock in stores as retailers strategize to reduce their waste and cost of doing business Decreased value of the US dollar. While naturally, there are fluctuations in food prices from … Continue reading →

The Different Ways to Stockpile Food

One of the main ways that we can be prepared is to stockpile a good food supply for ourselves and our families. Having enough food, should an unexpected crisis occur, is very important. Food is one of the necessities, and being well nourished can make the difference between staying healthy and succumbing to illness or disease. Stockpiling food can be helpful not only in a natural crisis or a man-made one but also in times of a financial crisis, either personal or global. If the cost of food goes up to high for most people to afford, or if it … Continue reading →

Some Different Ways to Heat Food in an Emergency

If weather or another emergency prevents you from cooking and heating your food normally, you’ll have to find other ways of doing so. Here are some ideas to have on hand. Each may require a little preparation or supplies that you can put into place now. Be prepared, and you’ll be ahead of the game if an emergency should strike. We keep a small house generator available, along with the gas it needs, and we run it intermittently as needed. Living in a semi-rural area with above-ground wiring, we have our fair share of power outages in any given year. … Continue reading →

How to Store Dried Food

Having a supply of dried food is a good strategy to include in your emergency preparedness plan. Many important nutrients can be found in dried food, and those nutrients are generally more concentrated in a smaller package, ideal for storage and transport if needed. Because the food is preserved when it is dried, there is no need for refrigeration or freezing, an important factor when electricity to run appliances may not be available. While dried food generally keeps very well, there are some special considerations that you can follow to ensure a long shelf life and optimal nutritional content of … Continue reading →

Make Your Own Baby Foods in an Emergency

Here are a couple of recipes for making whole-grain baby cereals at home with your stored foods. These are great options for emergencies, but also for good times as well. By making your own baby foods, you have more control over the nutrition your baby is getting, and you can choose to use a variety of grains that cannot be found in your average supermarket. Baby whole grain cereal Use barley, brown rice, oatmeal, or a combination of any of these in this recipe: Grind your whole grain(s) in a blender or food processor until they are a very smooth … Continue reading →