in that moment God will endow us with power."
~ Ezra Taft Benson ~
Where are we going . . .
and what are we all doing in this handbasket?*
Fear not, little flock; do good;
let earth and hell combine against you,
for if ye are built upon my rock,
they cannot prevail.
~ D&C 6:34 ~
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*"Going to hell in a handbasket" is an American idiom commonly understood to mean something or someone is deteriorating rapidly.
Look unto me in every thought;
doubt not, fear not.
~ D&C 6:36 ~
Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone of our religion and, one would hope, our lives. By looking to Him we can find peace in the midst of turmoil and uncertainty.
Our leaders have consistently counseled us to prepare so that we may live free of fear and panic during difficult times.
But what about today . . .and tomorrow? What are we to do? “. . .let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.” (D&C 123:17)
Let us liken the scriptures unto ourselves and with Nephi clearly proclaim, “I will go and do the things which the Lord has commanded, for I know that the Lord gives no commandments unto me, save he shall prepare a way for me that I may accomplish the thing which he commands me.” (1Nephi 3:7)
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16)
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You will find it here: http://tinyurl.com/6k99tn
Or, you can go to ldscatalog.com and put RECIPES in the search field.
Below is a sampling of the recipes to whet your appetite. (How cool is that to have a recipe for HARDTACK?! It sounds so . . .so . . . pioneer-y!)
~~~~1/4 cup wheat berries (whole kernels of wheat)
1/2 tablespoon oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet. Add wheat berries and pop like popcorn. They don’t expand as much as popcorn, but they will pop. Swirl around in the pan to prevent burning. Sprinkle with salt while hot.
Makes 1/3 cup.
Hardtack (unleavened bread)
1 cup water
4 tablespoons oil
2 2/3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
Mix together water, oil, sugar, and salt. Add flour. Stir well and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch squares and poke several holes in each square with a fork.
Bake 35 minutes at 350* F.
Makes approximately 20 crackers.
Basic Granola
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
6 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
10 cups rolled oats (uncooked)
In a pan combine the sugar, water, oil, and salt. Heat until sugar is dissolved, but do not boil. Pour syrup over the oats and stir until well coated. Add a little more rolled oats if the texture seems too moist. Place in pans or sheets about 1/2-inch deep. Bake at 425* F, 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bake 15 minutes longer if you want it crunchier. Makes 11 cups. Store in an airtight container.
Cream of Bean Soup
1 1/4 cups dried pinto beans
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
6 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup powdered milk
Sort through beans and discard rocks and any beans that are discolored or damaged. Add 3 3/4 cups of water to the beans and soak overnight (about 10 hours). To cook the beans, drain them, rinse them thoroughly, and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer for one or two hours or until the beans are tender. Adding one tablespoon of oil to the water will reduce foaming during cooking. Do not add salt or other ingredients until the beans have softened adequately. Drain the cooked beans. Add the flour to the oil and blend. Stir all remaining ingredients into the beans and cook on low heat until thickened.
Makes 6 cups.
Note: The longer dry beans are stored the longer they take to cook. When beans don’t soften with normal soaking and cooking, add three cups of water and 3⁄8 teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) for each cup of dry beans. Let them soak overnight. More baking soda may be required for older beans or hard water.
CPR:
Just Chest Compressions,
Mouth-to-Mouth Not Necessary
New guidelines for CPR
Care for patients is a combination of high tech and high touch and the American Heart Association is working hard to get the touch back into the equation. After years of advocating bystander CPR, cardiopulmonary pulmonary resuscitation, the "P" or pulmonary is being dropped and chest compressions may be enough.
Why the change? Because when many bystanders are confronted with a medical crisis, such as somebody collapsing with their heart stopping, they are too frightened to intervene. Often they are not certain whether they might even do harm. And with today's fear of getting an infection from an unknown person, doing mouth to mouth breathing on a stranger can add to that fear. The concept might be summarized by the axiom: if you can't do something well, don't do it at all.
But in a medical crisis, people who try to help make a difference and the result is patients survive. Studies have shown that bystanders who had no knowledge of CPR, were given simple instructions by 911 operators to do chest compressions and were able to save lives. It seems that there is often enough oxygen left in the blood stream to allow the brain and other organs to survive until medically trained personnel arrive, as long as that blood is circulated, and chest compressions does just that.
As usual, there are special situations where breathing for a victim is important, including babies and drowning victims, but the new recommendations make it easier for bystanders to make a difference.
The first steps remain the same:
· Make certain the victim is unconscious and doesn't have a pulse
· If possible, send one person to call 911, send another to find an AED (automatic defibrillator)
· Begin chest compressions
· Don't stop until either the patient wakes up (yes, this does happen), the rescuer gets too tired to continue, or help arrives and ask that you stop
The best chance for a victim of heart attack to survive depends on the quick use of devices that can electrically stimulate a proper heartbeat. An AED, or automatic defibrillator, can shock the heart back into a rhythm where it can beat and sustain life. But until the AED arrives on the scene, chest compressions are a bridge for saving a life.
. . .But the high tech can't work unless the high touch happens. The new recommendation for chest compressions "hands only" CPR may make that difference between life and death.
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FIND THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE:
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=88307
ILLUSTRATION FROM HERE:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23884566/
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Emergency Preparedness Articles
Carolyn Nicolaysen writes the Emergency Preparedness column for Meridian Magazine (www.ldsmag.com/).
Below is a partial list of her titles you’ll find at: www.ldsmag.com/emergency/index.html Her preparedness blog (http://blog.totallyready.com/ ) could be very useful for Preparedness Chairmen, families, or individuals.
Why Don’t We Prepare?
Like the grasshopper in Aesop's fable of the grasshopper and the ant, all too often we put off preparing for tomorrow as we revel in the busyness of today. Here are some reasons why we shouldn't postpone preparing for the future.
Protect and Secure Your Home from Invaders
With the price of gas and other basics skyrocketing, many thieves seem to be getting bolder, and your home could be a target.
LDS Fire Survivors Tell Their Stories
Survivors of last fall's fire storms in California tell what they learned from the harrowing experience.
Prepare to Communicate
When families are separated in an emergency, communicating can be next to impossible. How can we communicate, when all else fails? This is where a ham could save the day.
Take CERT Training to be Truly Prepared
Now is the time to get some training and prepare yourself with lifesaving skills. If you want really comprehensive training to give you the skills and self-confidence to face an emergency, it's time to check out CERT training.
What Your Neighbor Wants to Know about
Preparedness
This week's preparedness column includes questions and suggestions from Meridian readers. It also tells readers who may be overwhelmed by preparedness issues how to eat the preparedness elephant, one bite at a time.
Ordinary Items for Extraordinary Survival
Sometimes it's the everyday things that save lives or help us avoid tragedy during a crisis. Whether stranded in the snow, by a heat wave, power outage, hurricane, or by the simple cancellation of our return flight from abroad — we need to take a new look at the items we commonly have in our possession for their possible value in our emergency.
Storm Tests Family's Preparedness
One LDS family in California uses a powerful windstorm to gauge the effectiveness of their emergency preparedness plan.
Preparing in Diverse Places
Recently someone living in earthquake and firestorm prone Southern California asked where people should move to avoid natural disasters. The answer is — there is no such place. FEMA and local governments are recognizing this fact, too, and waking up to the job of urging citizens to prepare on their own.
Helping Children Cope with Disaster
Whether it's a natural disaster, an act of war, or a family emergency, your children will be affected by trauma at least as much as you will. Here are ways to prepare them ahead of time and help them after the crisis is over.
Food Storage Focus:
Legumes and Other Proteins
Although whole grains provide some protein, it’s important to add other protein sources to your food storage. For long-term storage, the first choice is usually legumes (beans, peas, etc.) These provide many nutrients not common in grains, are low in fat and high in fiber.
However, if your family is not used to eating beans or other legumes, it is wise to store other sources of protein, such as canned meat or fish, as part of your 3-month supply.
Your Storage Goal for the Month:
· 15 lbs. dry legumes or 45 cans protein (for a 3-month supply)
· 60 lbs. legumes per person (for a year supply)
Protein storage for your 3-month supply
Begin your storage by laying in a supply of canned protein sources that your family enjoys, such as:
Tuna . . . . . . . . . .Crab . . . . . . . . . . Ham (or Spam)
Salmon . . . . . . . Beef . . . . . . . . . . Chili
Chicken . . . . . . .Stew . . . . . . . . . . Peanut Butter
If you don’t have a lot of money, you can build your supply by “doubling up.” In other words, if you normally buy one can of tuna a week, buy two instead. If you normally purchase eight cans of chili a month, get 16 each time you go to the store. This helps you increase your storage without putting a huge one-time burden on your wallet.
One thing you’ll notice as you build your three-month supply is that canned meats have a relatively short lifespan; most last no longer than three years. The reason to choose dried legumes for a year supply is that they have a long shelf life (up to 30 years if kept in a cool, dry, oxygen-free environment). They also store more compactly than an equivalent amount of canned meat.
Cooking Legumes
Many people don’t incorporate legumes in their daily diet because they think they’re too difficult or time-consuming to prepare. Here are a few tips that may help you in using them in everyday cooking:
• Use lentils or split peas. These legumes cook much faster than beans (no pre-soaking required, done in 30-45 minutes.)
• Cook beans in large batches. Fill Ziploc bags with enough beans for 1 meal (often 1-2 cups for a family). Freeze. Thaw as needed.
• Use a pressure cooker. This cuts cooking time to 50 minutes (for unsoaked beans), or under 10 minutes for soaked beans or lentils.
• Use your crockpot. Add 6 cups water per pound of beans. Beans will cook in about 12 hours on low setting.
Storable legumes include:
Black (turtle) beans Great in southwestern or Mediterranean cooking.
Garbanzo beans Also known as chickpeas, these are often pickled in vinegar and oil for salads. They are also mashed to form the basis for hummus.
Great Northern beans Large white beans commonly used in soups, casseroles, and baked bean dishes.
Kidney beans These large beans are popular for chili.
Lentils (in many colors) Small, disc-shaped legumes about the size of a pea. Use in soups and casseroles. Combine lentils, bread crumbs and liquid to make vegetarian “hamburgers.”
Lima beans White, flat, and available in several sizes. Use in soups and casseroles.
Black-eyed peas Despite the name, these are actually small beans. Common in Southern cooking. Good in soups or main dishes.
Split peas (green, yellow) Often used for soup, but combine well with other foods.
Pink beans (relatives of the kidney bean) these are commonly used in Mexican dishes or chili. Excellent in refried beans.
Red chili beans Like pink beans, but with a more pronounced flavor. Use in Mexican dishes or chili.
Pinto beans The most commonly available (and cheapest) type of bean. Generally used in refried beans or chili.
Navy beans Small white beans, related to Great Northern beans and usable in all the same ways.
Soybeans Cooked soybeans can be added to casseroles. If you have a grain mill, grind these into flour and substitute ¼-½ cup for an equivalent amount of wheat flour when baking.
Peanut butter Peanuts are not real nuts; they’re actually legumes. Many children who will not touch other legumes will eat peanut butter. Unfortunately, peanut butter has a shorter shelf life than other legumes (about 1 year).
For more info on legumes, see:
http://emergencyprep.net/Legumes.shtml (simple summary)
http://waltonfeed.net/self/beans.html (many pages of information)
YOUR 72-HOUR KIT:
Your emergency kits should now contain granola or energy bars and water. This month, add three cans of soup, chili, or canned pasta. If your cans don’t have pop-tops, you’ll also need to add a can opener.
With gas prices so high, the media is awash with lists of gas-saving tips. Well how's this for a tip? If you listen to us, you can see hybrid-type savings without having to buy a new car.
By changing your driving habits you can improve fuel economy up to 37 percent right away (depending on how you drive). Combine several tips and perform routine maintenance and you will save real dollars, not just pennies.
A miracle? All we did was take several of the most common tips out there and put them to the test over a remote 55-mile route in the high desert of California. Some of them worked like a charm. Some of them didn't work at all. We'll give you the breakdown.
These tests were done under real-world conditions — not in a government lab somewhere. Our results can be matched by anyone — even you.
The wonderful part about what we found is that improving your car's mileage is just a matter of changing your habits. Stack a few of these winners together and we'll bet that you'll see a substantial savings at the pump — without the need for a new car.
TEST #1- AGGRESSIVE DRIVING vs. MODERATE DRIVING
Result: Major savings potential
The Cold Hard Facts: Up to 37 percent savings, average savings of 31 percent
Recommendation: Stop driving like a maniac.
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Result: Substantial savings on a long trip
Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14 percent savings, average savings of 12 percent
Recommendation: Drive the speed limit.
Result: Surprisingly effective way to save gas
Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14-percent savings, average savings of 7 percent
Recommendation: If you've got it, use it.
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TEST #4 - A/C ON WINDOWS UP vs. A/C OFF WINDOWS DOWNResult: Nice in theory; not true in practice
Cold Hard Facts: No measurable difference (unless you open the sunroof, too!)
Recommendation: Please, make yourself comfortable.
Result: Important for safety and to reduce tire wear
Cold Hard Facts: No measurable effect on the vehicles we tested
Recommendation: Check your tire pressure often but don't expect a big savings.
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TEST #6 - AVOID EXCESSIVE IDLING
Result: More important than we assumed
Cold Hard Facts: Avoiding excessive idling can save up to 19 percent
Recommendation: Stopping longer than a minute? Shut 'er down.
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CONCLUSIONS:
The good news is that you can drastically improve your gas mileage. The caveat is that you have to change your driving habits. If you are willing to change, you'll find many related benefits too: no speeding tickets, greater safety, reduced stress and lower repair bills for tires and brake pads. In the long run this will save you money.
Quoted items are used under the Fair Use Act for educational purposes. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107.
The person who compiles and writes this newsletter is a dedicated member of the LDS Church and it is solely this person's decision which items to include, edit or write; at no time is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints responsible for any decisions or errors that may find their way into the newsletter.
Preparedness Chairmen: You are welcomed to use this information (all or in part) in your efforts to encourage others in their efforts to be prepared.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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1 comments:
Your blog is a great blessing. We are sorry that you are unable to continue the newsletter but very grateful for this blog. Staying prepared requires daily vigilance and you help us to maintain our determination to be obedient in all things.
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