Grab and Go Bags Is it Necessary?

Grab and Go Bags

It is funny how now FEMA advises Americans to have an emergency grab and go bag. With shows like Preppers and Survival man it is almost understandable that we as a culture would become more aware of the need to be able to take care of ourselves and our families in an emergency situation.

So what goes in a Emergency grab and go bag? Simple things you would need if you had to leave your home or if you got stranded along the road over night. Last year when Hurricane Sandy hit many people found out the hard way that by taking certain precautions it can make a world of difference.

I have one I keep in the back of my own car because you never know. Inside it is emergency water packets, granola bars, a first aid kit, emergency thermal blanket, spare gloves as well as an assortment of other items. For myself what brought the need home to be smarter about emergency care was when I read FEMA’s advisement. Any mother with kids knows if you're stuck in a car with kids you have to have emergency items to pull out for them because they will get thirsty, or hungry. It may not be the end of the world as we know it but being smart is always better than being sorry.

One of the things I admire about preppers is they are ultimately survivors. They are the individuals who want to get through the bad parts. It isn't hard to put extra food away in your pantry, and to be honest I do so myself. To be perfectly honest there have been times when having backup has come in handy like during Sandy. Disaster isn't pretty or fun it can be a fire that takes away your home, or a catastrophic event. It doesn't matter what or even when. I know there are people who stubbornly insist on living in the here and now never looking out for tomorrow. Because as the saying goes you can't take it with you right?  If you back up a bit though and think about it, would you rather be the dope knocking on doors looking for food or would you rather be that person who is able to take care of your kids in an emergency as well as yourself?

So even if you aren't into prepping for different disaster scenarios setting up your own grab and go back is not a bad idea. All you need is a simple back pack, and a few supplies. Fema recommends having a three day supply of food and water. You can always add what you think is important. Here is a list of basics that should go in any emergency grab and go bag. As I said we keep one in each of our cars for an emergency.

Think about this as well, if these shows did not garner a decent amount of viewers they would not be on and there wouldn't be more popping up every day. If people didn't feel that there was some validity to what these shows are about they would not watch them. There wouldn't be prepper networks and sites on the internet or even prepper stores. Large food chains like Costco and BJ’s wouldn't offer for sale food rations for people to buy that are geared towards preppers.

To stubbornly pretend that the world we are living in is not going through some serious changes is beyond a fantasy land point of view. Its almost irresponsible.

Grab and Go Bag:

For my car I don’t have all of these items but many are included.

1. A three-day supply of water – one gallon of water per person, per day.
2. A three-day supply of non-perishable food - foods ready to eat or requiring minimal water are preferred. MRE’s are great for this.
3. Small portable, battery-powered AM/FM radio extra batteries.
4. Flashlight and extra batteries (don’t skimp here get a good quality light).
5. First aid kit and manual.
6. Personal hygiene items including toilet paper, feminine supplies, hand sanitizer and soap,
7. Toothbrush and toothpaste etc.
8. Matches and waterproof container.
9. Battery powered lantern and batteries
10. Compass & Map.
11. Extra clothing according to climate and season.
12. Kitchen accessories and cooking utensils, (wooden spoon or spatula) Girl Scout mess kit, a manual can opener.
13. Special needs items, such as prescription medications, eye glasses, contact lens, and hearing aid batteries etc.
14. Items for infants, such as formula, diapers, bottles, and pacifiers.
15. Sleeping bag or warm blanket (one per person) rating depending on location and climate.
16. A multi-tool. A roll of duct tape, and leather work gloves are also good to have, if you prep  the gloves you can often hang them from a carabiner and attach to your pants.
17. Small bottle of unscented liquid household bleach/ or chlorine tablets  for water purification.
18. Plastic sheeting, duct tape and utility knife for  sheltering in place.
19. Large heavy duty plastic bags and a plastic bucket for waste and sanitation or other suitable solution.
20. A small multi-fuel backpackers stove (You can find these on any prepper store or Amazon. )
21. Dust mask for each person in your group.
22. 100’ of rope (550lb paracord or similar)

Canning Your Own Salsa A Little Work Can Go A Long Way

Delicious Simple Salsa for Canning

One of the many things I love about this time of year is we start canning our own sauce and salsa. Its a great way to save money and keep it fresh for your kids. In our travels on Friday Tom picked up 4 crates of plum tomatoes at a roadside vegetable stand. “Lucky me!”

No, seriously that isn't cheating when you can get a bulk quantity for a really great price on fresh produce it can be a really great way to save money for the long haul.Most items that you can yourself can be stored for 1 to 2 years depending on the item.

Using two of the cases we were able to can 18 quarts and 20 pints of Salsa. Its fresh there are no preservatives added and I can use it in other recipes for our family. When you shop organic it can run from about $3.50 - $8.50 for a pint jar. That works out to a pretty good savings over all at roughly $1.00 per a quart. We also put some away in the fridge and gave away several jars to our neighbors.

To can it you only need to use mason pint and quart jars which are available at most Wal Mart's, grocery stores, or even some hardware stores will carry them. Another great place to find them can be at flea markets or garage sales.You just have to check the rims of the jars to make sure there are no chips or cracks in the rim as they will not seal correctly. The lids and seals you want fresh and can be found at the above mentioned locations this time of year. Another option is the ball canning site.

To make the Salsa you're going to need a large bowl now if you're making it for yourself for a snack no worries a small bowl will work fine. For our purposes we diced up our plumb tomato’s and filled our large bowl about ¾ of the way full. We then diced up 5 cloves of garlic, and half of a very large vidalia onion. The choice of how large you dice your tomatoes and onions if up to you. Its your salsa so make it how you like it. We then minced up 5 whole cloves of fresh garlic. You want this chopped up fairly fine as you want it to go throughout the salsa. As I add each of these I take a moment and mix them through the tomato’s . Do this gently or you will mash your tomato’s.

Next we diced up a bunch of fresh Cilantro and added that. This smells really great and adds to the overall flavor. Next chop up and add some fresh green bell peppers.Then we used one whole lime grating the outer zest from the lime first and adding that. Then quartering the lime and squeezing the juice in for flavor. I add the lime sections into the mix and remove it when I serve it or ladle it into my mason jars.

Finally take one whole jalapeno pepper, you can  put on rubber gloves as these bad boys are really hot . Cut it lengthwise and remove all the seeds and inner core from the pepper. Then dice the Jalapeno up really fine before adding. (For small batches you are only going to use about a quarter of the jalapeno unless you like your salsa really hot. The meat an seed can be used if you like it really hot. )

Now you can add salt and pepper to taste, or approximately 2 tablespoon of sea salt,  1 tablespoon of pepper, 2 teaspoon of cumin and a 1  teaspoon of chili powder. Mix everything thoroughly and taste to make sure its good to go. Some of the spices will broaden in flavor after this sits a bit so if you're making it to eat now in a smaller quantity put it in the fridge for a bit. If you're canning it make sure your jars have been boiled and are ready to go.

As you fill your jars you want to tamp down the salsa in the jars. I put as much as I can in each jar because it will reduce when canning this also helps to force any trapped air out..  I do my lids and seals after I fill my jars boiling them for several minutes in a pan of water on the stove. When you put your lids on the jars make sure you don’t over tighten them or they won't seal correctly.

When canning I use a hot water bath, I find for things like salsa and sauce, your veggies don’t go to mush.You want to use a very large pot for canning, one that will hold your quart or pint jars and stands several inches over them. After you have put your jars into the pot fill it with water to just under the lids or glass lip on the jar.

You want to leave a little room for the water to boil and expand. Turn them on and bring to a boil. Once your pot starts to boil set your timer for 20 mins. You're creating a vacuum and killing any bacteria  to keep it fresh. Not unlike sterilizing a baby bottle in boiling water.  

After 20 mins using a canning grabber, lift your jars out one by one and let them sit on the counter to cool. You will hear them begin to pop as they seal closed during this cooling process. I will often leave them on the counter overnight and put them away in the morning when they are cool so I know they have all sealed correctly.

Label your jars and date them, if you don't have a label maker you can use a piece of tape or print some out on your computer. You want to know what it is and when you canned it for freshness. Enjoy!

If You Can Grow it You Can Dehydrate It

Drying Herbs Then and Now

Saving money and watching what we purchase is an ongoing battle for most individuals. One of the things I learned was to dry my own herbs. Yes this may be a little old fashioned but next time you are in the grocery store look at the prices in the spice section. People have been drying their own herbs for thousands of years, so we are not reinventing the egg here. Herbs have so many uses it is ridiculous. To season food, preserve, medicinal,even as a  disinfectant yet each year more and more of us lose the knowledge to do this.

For myself I like to grow my own, usually what I will do is choose three to four different herbs that I know I use regularly such as parsley, basil, or oregano. I will grow large varied batches and alternate the following year. Usual two or three plants will give you more then enough for yourself and to share. If you your neighbors grow herbs you can also trade with them.  I like to take the extra I have dried and put it in vacuum pack as they will keep for one to two years. It is also easier to give to other people this way.

This year I used three different varieties of Basil, to create a basil blend, lemon mint which I use as a rub and for tea. Lastly good old fashioned parsley and thyme. You can keep them separate or blend them how you like. 

What is nice about most herbs is that you can effectively grow them in small containers. This makes it handy if you live in an apartment or have a small yard area. Even if you don’t have either of these options there's always the window sill which works great as well. Just make sure it gets lots of sun. Another option if you don’t have a green thumb is in the summer months when these herbs are readily available at vegetable stands, and the grocery store buy a bunch. There is no rule that says you can use what you purchase.

Once you have your herbs growing nicely you can clip them to use fresh during the summer and fall season. What I wind up doing is two to three harvests because they grow so well. Now I know you may be thinking, “ok great what do I do with them now? “

To start with put them in your colander and wash them off. One of the things about growing yourself is insects do like plants. The nice thing is they wash off. Pat the herbs dry with a paper towel and then you can begin. Gently take them off the stems placing them on each layer of the dehydrator until it is full.Very small leaves you can leave on a small section of stem and later remove when dry.  If you don’t have one and cannot afford to pick one up new keep your eye’s open at garage sales, flea markets etc as people get them and never use them. A little cleaning and they are as good as new.

Option two is the old fashioned way which is to bunch them tying the ends together in a bouquet and hanging them upside down in your kitchen. When I do it this way I will usually use the window over my sink that way I can check them and they usually smell great as they dry.

Your third option is to use the oven, you can do this with a cookie sheet spreading the leave out on the try and setting your oven to its lowest setting. This is not the most economical option, but in a pinch it will do.

After you have checked you leaves making sure they are completely dried out. You will know they are when they crumble very easily. You should be able to smell their scent now on your fingers. Take your dried leave and put them in a clean mason jar or other type of ceiling jar. You can stuff the jar as full as you can. Do not be afraid to press down on the leaves, having them crumble isn’t a bad thing here.

If you want them chopped up finer you can use a food processor, bullet or even your coffee grinder. Just make sure you wipe it out between if your are working with more than one herb.

This process takes several hours when using the oven or dehydrator, the nice thing is you can go about your day and just check on it. On a special note if you are using a dehydrator rotate your trays every now and then. This evens out the processing. As I said most people don't realize what you spend on herbs . If you go for organic you can pay up to $20.00 for .25 oz jar. or as little as $3.00 for the cheaper brands. When you grow it yourself, you have the advantage of knowing its safe for your kids. Its fresh and hasn’t been sitting in a warehouse somewhere for a year. You also know it hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals which aren’t good for you. Here is a list of just some of the herbs you can dry yourself, some can even be used around the house or in the tub. But that is for another day.

Parsley Basil Oregano

Dill Mint Rosemary

Tarragon Chives Green onion

Lavender Cilantro Sage

Spearmint Lemon Mint Catnip

Lemon Balm …....................... and so many more.