Are you ready to prepare for the future?

If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that our lives can change in matter of days...hours. In January, who thought we would go through what has happened in the past six months?

Jan here, talking about long-term food storage. Again. We've talked a lot about pantries here at the Cafe, but this year we have been living through the kind of crisis many people prepare for when they live with a long-term pantry.

For ten years as we built and lived with our pantry, we called it "preparing for the zombie apocalypse." And we laughed. But I never wondered if we were over-reacting to something that might not happen - we had relied on our pantry already in times of financial difficulty, and we knew something would happen again, even if we didn't know what it was.

And as we face the remaining months of 2020, there is no reason to believe that we won't go back to stay-at-home orders in some states, or won't experience supply chain disruptions (again,) or won't face shortages overnight (remember the toilet paper debacle?)

It's time to prepare for the future in a biblical and steadfast way.

Who stores food?

Prudent people store food.

Storing food means that we gather food (and household supplies) when they are plentiful, affordable and available, and save them for times when they aren’t. It’s as simple as that.

And storing food isn't the same as "hoarding" food. Storing food, like I said above, happens when the supplies are plentiful, affordable, and available. Hoarding food happens when supplies are threatened, scarce, and when panic reigns. Hoarding food takes more than your share of the available supply, while storing food puts you in a position to help others when the community's supplies get low.

Long-term food storage isn’t a project – a “let’s work on this now and then we’re finished” sort of thing. It’s a lifestyle.

When you live with a pantry, you are constantly using and replenishing your stock and planning for the future.

It’s living a Proverbs 31 kind of life.

What food (and other items) do we store?

There's a saying, "Store what you use and use what you store."

When I build or replenish my pantry, I look at what I normally buy at the grocery store. I look at my regular pantry. I look at my favorite recipes. What shows up most often? I start with a list.

And then I think about non-perishable alternatives to the perishables on that list.

Yes, that can be hard when we're talking about milk, eggs, or fresh produce. Even though we use the fresh versions of all three of those items, I also store canned milk, powdered milk, and frozen and canned fruits and vegetables.

My pantry includes dried beans, rice, whole grains (I have a grain mill) and flours. Baking supplies like baking powder, baking soda, yeast, and salt. I keep dried pasta on hand, along with cans of tomato sauce and tomatoes. I also have a supply of canned meats - beef, chicken, and tuna.

I also keep a LOT of unsweetened chocolate powder on hand, because a girl needs her chocolate!

But that's MY pantry. Take some time to plan what you would store in your pantry.

How much do we store?

When I built my first long-term pantry ten years ago, there were six of us in the household. I aimed for a three-month supply and guessed at the quantities we would need. Experience taught me where I had over-estimated and where I had under-estimated.

Now I don't worry as much about how much is on the shelves because I'm constantly using and re-supplying everything. I plan my purchases, buying for the future instead of the present need.

That's a lot of food to buy. What if you're on a strict budget?

We do it by buying a small quantity at a time. I add about 10% - 20% to my monthly grocery budget for long-term purchases, and then I look for sale items in the grocery flyer. I'll buy ten cans of tomato sauce one week and two pounds of spaghetti noodles the next. Whatever is on sale. I save a lot of money by buying most of our groceries at sale prices!

Another way to do it is to choose one item on your list to buy each week. A package of toilet paper, or a box of trash bags. A box of cereal. A bag of flour. Just keep track of what you buy so you don't over-purchase in one area at the expense of another area.

I think of it as investing in our savings account.

One exception was back in 2010 when we were building our first pantry. Both of us felt an urgency we couldn't explain, so we used our income tax refund to buy the food on my list. Within a month after we had our three-month supply on the shelves, my husband lost his job of thirty years. It was six months before he started at his new job, and money was tight, but that "three-month supply" lasted for the entire time. When he started his new job, we were down to the last few cans of tomatoes, but we didn't go hungry. God's providence at work!

Another exception is when we buy beef for our freezer. I save all year to buy our quarter or half steer from a local rancher. I love doing this because I know where our meat was raised and processed. This year's supply is from a friend's ranch in the Badlands and was processed in Wall, South Dakota, the home of the famous Wall Drug.

Where do I store all this food?

Not all of us have a basement with plenty of room. Believe me, I am thankful for our store room every day!

But there are ways to store your items, even in the smallest apartment. 

Don't forget to take a few things into consideration though:

1. Choose a place that doesn't experience extreme temperatures. So attics and garages are generally out.

2. Store your items in varmint-proof containers. I use half-gallon and quart size canning jars for many things, and I also purchased some food-safe plastic containers at Sam's Club years ago. An old cooler can keep mice out. Old pickle buckets from restaurants also work well. Sometimes you have to be creative.

3. Store the food in a way that makes it easy to rotate your purchases - always put the oldest items in front.

Here are some ideas for creative storage:

- I used the closet under the stairway for several years in our old house.

- The closet in a little-used room is a good spot.

- Underneath a bed is great for canned goods. Use a flat cardboard box or plastic storage bin to slide them in and out.

- Some people make a "table" out of a stack of containers. Stack them to the right height, place a piece of plywood on top, cover with a table cloth, and you have a lamp table for your living room.

- Think about the back of your cupboards. Sometimes there is enough space in the back to stack a row of canned goods or boxes, leaving the front for items you use often.

- And for readers...think about all that space in the back of your bookshelves! Instead of double-stacking your books, you can line up cans or boxes behind the front row of books.

And consider investing in a freezer. It doesn't have to be a large one. We have one that's about 15 cubic feet, large enough for a 1/2 steer plus other items. Smaller ones are available for apartments and mobile homes, and larger ones for big families. It's worth the investment!

And what do I do with all my stored items?

I store what I use. I make a point of planning my shopping around the foods I normally keep in storage, and I only purchase the foods I know we'll use. There isn't much point in buying a fifty-pound bag of lentils, because I'm the only one who likes them. Or buying a brand of dish soap I don't like to use just because it was on sale.

And I use what I store. When I plan my weekly menu, I use items from my long-term pantry. If an item is getting low, I make a note to replenish it soon.

I always remember that I am planning for the future instead of reacting to present need. I don't take last minute trips to the store because I forgot to buy an ingredient for a recipe. I don't worry if the next pay check will stretch far enough to buy the groceries we need. I don't rely on convenience foods just because there isn’t anything else in the house to eat. 

My pantry gives me the freedom that comes with prudent living, and I am always thankful for that!


So, let's chat. Do you have a pantry? Or are you overwhelmed by the idea of starting one? Are you ready to jump in?

Jan Drexler is an author by day who is addicted to counted cross stitch and sauntering through the Hills with her dear husband and their puppies - goofy corgi Jack and growing-fast border collie Sam. You can find Jan's books and other fun things on her website: www.JanDrexler.com.

Pantries and Pandemics

by Jan Drexler

Last week was a doozy, wasn't it?

We were all prepared for the change to daylight savings time, a full moon (it was a beauty, wasn't it?) and Friday the 13th (really, a non-event for me.) But were any of us prepared for the SPEED of the pandemic panic???

Think about it. In the comments on last Monday's post, no one, NO ONE, mentioned the corona virus, school closings, quarantine, a National Emergency....all of that was on the radar out there somewhere, but it wasn't an issue yet.

By Wednesday, Cate Nolan talked about how to survive a possible quarantine in the city (you can read her post here) and on Thursday, Ruth Logan Herne shared about the flu and emergency preparedness on the farm (you can read her post here.) Things just exploded from there.

My dear husband and I tried to do our regular grocery shopping on Friday - between the pandemic panic and a snowstorm in the forecast, the place was packed. We left. We didn't need groceries (we were just going to pick up a few things that were on sale) because our pantry is stocked.

And I'm not the only one. I was talking to my neighbor on Friday evening, and she said they were stocked up, too. We both agreed: when you live in the country and in the North, that's just the way you do things.

I've talked about my pantry in a few other posts. It saw us through the Blizzard of 2013 (you can read about that HERE) and it sees us through the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally every year (you can read about that HERE.)

But the main thing I want to talk about today is USING all that food you've been stocking up on for the past week. Because you have purchased and stored that food for a reason.

And now that reason is here. Whether you're expecting to be quarantined or you're quarantining yourself voluntarily, most of us are going to find ourselves relying on our pantries over the next couple weeks. 

Maybe your stores are packed full of people - germ-carrying people - and you don't need to add your purchasing power in the midst of all that. Maybe your stores are running out of certain items. Maybe you are fighting the flu or a cold, or your immune system is compromised... Or maybe you just want to stay home.

So, today is the day to sit down and PLAN how you're going to use what you've stored.

1. Start with an inventory. You can't plan to use it if you don't know you have it! Count how many cans of tuna, how many pounds of flour and sugar, etc. And don't forget your freezer and refrigerator!

2. Then brainstorm several meals you usually prepare with the food you have on hand. As you do this, assign the foods you need for each meal. For instance, if you're going to make tuna noodle casserole, subtract the ingredients (1 can of tuna, 1 can of mushroom soup, 1 package of noodles and 1/2 package of frozen peas) from your inventory.

3. Look at the food items you have left in your inventory and look for recipes to use them. One great resource is Betty Crocker's "101 Meals You Can Make with Pantry Staples." Go there and scroll through the pages to get ideas.

Your goal is to have fourteen days worth of meals planned. Don't forget to plan for leftovers, too. Last night's leftover casserole makes a great lunch for today.

4. Now, assign your planned meals to days on the calendar. Be sure to use up your perishables first! 

Note: Don't forget to plan healthy meals. As much as you might like them, three meals in a row of only hamburgers isn't healthy. Add in those veggies and fruits! The goal is to stay well, isn't it? 

5. Be creative! Combine foods that you might not have considered before, like this recipe for Quick Pumpkin Pear Soup that I shared a few years ago.

So, how are we feeling about all this?

I hope you are confident and challenged to rise to whatever situation you will need to face. That isn't only a prayer for now - March 2020 - but for always. Being prepared calms the heart and reduces anxiety.

Jan Drexler is an author by day who is addicted to counted cross stitch and sauntering through the Hills with her dear husband and their puppies - goofy corgi Jack and baby border collie Sam. You can find Jan's books and other fun things on her website: www.JanDrexler.com.

Prepared for Evacuation

Jan here, with a post that's going to be a bit different.

The events of the past weeks have made me think about emergencies. How prepared am I if a catastrophe happened here?

Smoke from the Montana fires over the Black Hills
on September 4, 2017
photo by Meg Brummer

We've mentioned pantries a few times here at the Cafe. We relied heavily on ours during the blizzard back in October 2013 (read about that storm here).

I also use my pantry throughout the year - I store what I use and use what I store! You can read about one of my pantry recipes here.

And I encourage you to have a pantry ready, especially as the winter months are approaching. You think you don't have any room? Get creative, and get simple. Do you have a place where you can store a few cans of soup? A box of crackers? That's all you need. Forget about running to the store to fight the crowds for the last loaf of bread!

However, pantries are for when we need to hunker down at home. Snowstorms and events like that keep us at home, either with or without electricity. But what if we would need to evacuate? I can't take my pantry with me, can I?

Well, in a way, I can...

Prepared for Evacuation

I'm sure you've heard that phrase, "when you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail." We've prepared a bag for each of us that we can grab in a hurry if we need to leave the house.

Why would we evacuate? Our biggest danger here in the west are wildfires. We only need to read the headlines to know how dangerous they can be, and if you're in the path of one, you need to get out - without wasting any time.

In other parts of the country and the world, you may face earthquakes, hurricanes or flooding. Or you may live in "tornado alley." In any of those situations, you may not evacuate, but your home may not be livable, either.

One name for these bags are "Bug-Out Bags," and they're always lumped in with articles about the "zombie apocalypse" and "survivalists." But don't let their extreme associates keep you from being prepared!

The rule of thumb for a bug-out bag is to be able to carry enough supplies for 72 hours - or three days. The idea is that by the end of three days, you should be in a place where you're safe, or where you can replenish your supplies.

The first step is to break down your supplies into categories:

- clothes
- food
- heat
- protection from the weather/shelter
- first aid supplies
- a way to keep clean (and healthy)
- water - one gallon per person per day is the recommendation

And finally, something to carry it all.

How do you do all this?

We took our clues from backpackers. There are products made for the situations we were imagining. Freeze-dried foods, backpacking stoves that burn any type of fuel, emergency heat-reflecting blankets, Lifestraws...

What are Lifestraws? I think these are just about the best thing invented in recent years. With this straw, you can safely drink from any water source.

Check them out here - Lifestraw  When you visit their website, you'll see the awesome potential for these straws. Not only for backpacking, they're invaluable in a situation like post-Harvey Texas. And think of the difference they would make in a place where safe water isn't available, like in third-world countries!

We each have one in our bug-out bag so that we don't each have to carry three gallons of water!

If you want more information about building your own bug-out bag, try these links:

Graywolf Survival

Ultimate Bug Out Bag List

You can also buy a pre-packed kit like these

Along with our bug out bags, we keep our camping gear handy. Sleeping bags and a roof over our heads would be welcome, no matter the circumstances.

The final key point is to keep gas in your vehicle. This should be a no-brainer - just get in the habit of always filling your tank whenever it gets down to the half-way point.

One important difference between preparing to evacuate and preparing to hunker down - while we use and replenish our pantry on a weekly basis, we hope we will never use our bug out bags.

But if the worst ever happens, we'll be glad we were ready.

What about you? Can you think of a situation that you would need to be prepared for?


Meanwhile, my dear husband and I went "off the grid" for a week, and headed west. More about our trip next week, but here's a hint of where we went....

Preparing for Harvey

Mindy here, and by the time you read this we will likely still be dealing with the remnants of Hurricane Harvey. You see, even though our ranch is located 100 miles from the coast, this storm is expected to impact a huge portion of southeast Texas—including us—with tropical storm force winds and upwards of 20 inches of rain.

So what does one do to prepare for a hurricane?

Well, that depends. Since we live in a rural area, ranchers are scrambling to bring in their hay before the rains fall. Grocery stores are frantically trying to keep up with the demand for water and bread. Schools, which are already in session, are evaluating the forecast to determine when/if they need to call of classes.

Even the animals know when to get ready.

These deer are hunkered down.

See them tucked in the thicket?

And the hummingbirds can’t seem to get enough nectar.

 

We typically have half this many at one time, and though it’s getting close to migration, I suspect their instincts are telling them to get ready.

Then there’s us. Since we are rural, we have a well for water. That means we have a pump. If the electricity goes out, so does the pump and we have no water. So we’ve set out buckets to catch the rain water for things such as doing dishes (after boiling, of course) and flushing toilets. 

Batteries are always important for things like flashlights and portable radios.

Plenty of drinking water.

Ice to keep refrigerated items cold if we lose power.

We moved the grill to the front porch so we don’t have to trek out in the rain to cook whatever might potentially thaw after a day or two without power.

As well as a gas burner for things like heating water and cooking.

Now that we are ready, we wait under ominous skies. And pray.

 

 

UPDATE: Saturday morning. Who would have guessed that a tropical depression meandering around the Yucatan Peninsula a week ago not only reorganized, but was able to become a Category 4 hurricane? Harvey’s outer bands began to impact us yesterday afternoon. Overnight, we were inundated with wind and rain.

And we're nearly 150 miles from where the storm made landfall!

We awoke to a little over 6 inches of rain which, considering we haven’t had any measurable rain in over a month and were very dry, is good.

This was the pond in front of our camphouse Thursday.

See how low that water is. Almost dry under the bridge.

This is what it looks like this morning.

The concern is over what is yet to come the next several days. They’re saying we may not be free of this storm until Wednesday or Thursday.

Oh, but we still have power. Yay!

And the hummingbirds… I love watching these little creatures. Whenever there’s a lull in the rain, they come out to replenish.

Now it’s your turn. Have you ever been through a hurricane or other natural disaster? What did you do to prepare?

Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com