Sunday, January 29, 2012

Sunday at home

Had a good day today.  Read my scriptures for today and then went to church.  Had great uplifting messages.  I had put a frozen chicken in our Global Sunoven before leaving this morning so the ones who stayed home could move it as needed and cook our dinner.  It was at 120 when I checked it as I got home and had one who had to go to work so I went ahead and put it in the oven for an hour and we had a great dinner.  The Sunoven always leaves the food so moist and the flavors are so great.  We love it so much we are thinking about investing in another one for those times when we are baking lots of stuff.  You can stack trays of cookies and I bake up to 5 trays at once.  Great investment if you have no other way to bake.  I use it inside in the winter to make yogurt and sprouts.  It's to cool in the winter and I just couldn't make yogurt like I do every week and sprouts took forever.  So I learned a trick about putting the yogurt/sprouts into the sunoven and put a lite candle in with it and then laid the lid down with the lock tabs under the glass instead of on top.  That way the heat stays in but the candle gets enough oxygen to stay lite.

Hope you had a lovely Sabbath day too!

Cherlynn
brchbell@yahoo.com

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Are you just starting?

I'm always amazed at how many I run across who still haven't bothered to but food aside for that rainy day.  If you are one of those please start now.  Start with a 2 week supply and then build up from there.

What are the best things to store?  Not fresh produce or dairy!  Canned goods, dry goods are good options.  Buy a case of soup and a bag of beans and a bag of rice.  Didn't cost much but you started!  A case of canned fruit or vegetables is another great option!  If your water goes out this would give you liquids to drink in an emergency. 

See how this works?  Just a little at a time and it builds up real fast.  I avoid things for our storage that requires refrigeration or freezer.  If a crisis hits the last thing I want to worry about is what to do with all that stuff in the freezer, less alone what is in the fridge.

So you should choose canned foods and shelf stable foods that are good on the shelf for at least a year.  Now a reminder about expiration dates!  We now have a federal law that requires testing for expiration dates.  Testing cost money and the longer you test for the more it cost.  For that reason most expiration dates are now for a year or less.  I've not seen any for more than 3 years.  Most foods are good well past their listed expiration date.  Is the can bulging?  No, then it's still good!  But some shelf ready foods do leave much to be desired after their expiration date.  Things like the meals you peel back the lid and nuke tend to become undesirable faster then cans of soup, ect.  So it's ok to keep a few of those meals but actual canned meals would be better for longer term storage.

Getting basic's like rice and beans and wheat is good but make sure you have other stuff to go with it.  Include a good selection of spices, herbs, seasonings, and produce to add variety and nutrients to these basic's!   

Many like to buy food that are packaged in cardboard boxes and waxed paper bags inside.  Those are fine but will last much longer is you pour them into canning jars and vacuum seal them.  In the box they will last anywhere from 1 to 3 years but sealing into canning jars will help them last for 10 years or more.  Cut off the package instructions  and put them right in the jar so you have it when you use it.  Cheerios to  Hamburger helper meals all seal up well for future use.  Some folks prefer to add Oxy Paks to their jars when vacuum sealing them and I think it would be a good idea on these types of foods but not required if you can't find them.




Many will use an online list on what to store.  That is ok but every family is different and your storage should be too!  I store lots of wheat but my good friend June is gluten intolerant and can only use two grains, corn and rice.  It would be silly for her to store wheat except for a small amount she might use as a barter item.  It would make much more sense for June to store popcorn and rice in her storage.  I have other friends who are vegetarians so they don't store meats or dairy.  Your family allergies and likes and dislikes will be a gauge on what you should be storing not some online list.

Some think they should store food anywhere they can find like in the garage of storage shed out back.  If you invest in food storage you should treat it as you would any item you invest in.  Find a place in your home to store your food.  You could cover cases of soups, veggies, or fruits with a cloth and make an end table out of it.  Stash under your bed. Get creative and you will find the space.


Some buy freeze dried meals and call it storage.  some freeze dried meals are fine but never get more than 1/3 of your total storage in freeze dried foods.  I store freeze dried and dried foods but I store very few "meals".  I would rather make up my own meals using freeze dried items then be stuck with #10 cans filled with lasagna, chicken a la king.  I would think you would get sick of these very fast.  Variety is the spice of life!  When you start laying in food it's ok to settle for basic staples but after you get a good start you need to think about what your family likes to eat and try to make a plan to get their comfort foods and things they like.  You might end up having to get beans a couple days at a time but then you can make it liveable by adding in those tried and true family favorites!  


Now take a look at what you have and plan your food storage accordingly.  If you have nothing don't panic, just start.  Get a couple packages of rice and a bag of beans and you've started.  


that's all you have to do is just start.  Don't think of what you don't have or how much you want to get in the end.  Just buy a little each time you go shopping and stash it away.  With in a few month's you'll be surprised at how fast it piled up!  


Most of all have fun!  We take a good look a couple times a year and decide what we might want to stock up on next.   


Cherlynn
brchbell@yahoo.com





Friday, January 20, 2012

Do you have pets?

I was listening to different shows tonight on blogtalk radio and hit one I hadn't heard before.  Sheri the Organic Pet Lady.   Tonight she told about making your own organic pet food and treats and organic safe cleaning stuff.  The nice thing about Blogtalk Radio is all the shows are archived so you can go listen anytime. 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2012/01/21/pet-prep-radio

While prepping and getting ready for those hard times, it is good to remember the animals in your life and know how to prep for them.  I hope this link to her show will get you on your way to prepping for your pets too!

Cherlynn
brchbell@yahoo.com

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

2012 Predictions

So many have made predictions about 2012 most of which as quite silly but something is afoot that is pretty scary.  Satan is alive and well and very busy.  We see his work all around us every day.  What we don't see is his secret organizations.  But this year many of those will be coming out into the open.  There is one group that has become very large in our world.  About 30% of the US population has joined it, many without knowing they were joining Satan's Army.   New Ager's think they are working to bringing "World Peace".  They seek to abolish all church's for a world religion.  Another group is working toward one world government.  Yet another is working toward one world currency.  New Age groups are planning big things for 2012 with a big world celebration for Earth's New Life on December 21, 2012.  The biggest celebration is suppose to be at Budapest, Hungary.  Bigger things will continue in the next few years. 

Keep your eyes and ears open and be aware of whats going on in our world.  It all sounds pretty unrealistic but I'm beginning to see they might just be able to pull this off.  Knowing and I mean truly knowing your Lord and Savior is most important now.  You can't just go to church on Sunday and think that will do.  You need to read your scriptures in detail.  Pray and ponder and get to know your Lord.  Sincere prayer is your best friend in these days.  

Take care my friend.  Know who the good guys are and who the enemies are.  Be Prepared so that you can handle the coming storms.

Cherlynn
brchbell@yahoo.com

Friday, January 13, 2012

Natural Organic Sweeteners

Anyone who knows me, knows I have a strong opinion on sweeteners.   Artificial sweeteners are totally unsafe.  Your body can not process them so we all have different reactions but none of them are good.  For me they get processed in my liver.  My liver is shot.  My doctor pleads with me not to take things like Tylenol and  flu shots.  I've been warned that those things are so full of impurities that they could kill me.  I try to stay away from simple sugars and starches which also play havoc with my liver.  Simple sugars and starches will greatly raise your triglycerides which in turn will raise your cholesterol.  If you think it all had to do with fats you just got educated.

So what sweeteners do I use?  I makes lots of desserts with apple juice concentrate.  I take 1 1/2 cups of my apple juice concentrate and boil it down to 1 cup.  What else do I use?  Stevia.  Stevia is an herb you can grown in your garden.  Taste the leaf, it is very sweet.  You can buy Stevia at most stores but it is a white powder that has been processed.  The Stevia I prefer to use Is home grown.  I collect the leaves and dry them and then as I need them I grind it into powder.  It's a green powder not the white process stuff.  The other thing I use is pureed fruits, like applesauce or bananas or even peaches.

Agave is suppose to be a natural organic sweetener but it's not.  It's not made from Agave plant but a starchy root.   Here is a link they will give you the full run down on this sweetener: http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/

That leaves the other sweeteners like honey, molasses, etc.  They are all simple sugars.  They may have some trace minerals but they are still simple sugars that will break down to exactly the same thing as sugar in your body.  But read on for my bottom line.

I started eating a couple pieces of fruit first thing every morning and that seems to take care of my sweet tooth for the day.  But the bottom line in my opinion is a little occasional sugar would be much better than any type of artificial sweetener.

So now you have my take on the sweet stuff. 
Cherlynn
brchbell@yahoo.com

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Thoughts for a Sunday

Well I'm still recovering but at least I can function now.  Well at least if I don't get to carried away!  So today I'm going to talk about my frustration with some of my Christian friends.  

Not just my friends but family too.  This last summer at family reunion, one of my cousins commented on the fact that it was a waste to get prepared.  All you need to do is have perfect faith in Christ Jesus and He would provide for you.

Well that reminds me of the story about the guy who prayed for help during a flood.   His neighbor came by right after in a row boat and tried to get him to go with him.  No he replyed, the Lord will take care of me.  Later a motor boat came by but no the Lord will take care of me was his reply.   Stranded on his roof in the flood a helicopter came by and he still refused to budge.  At the pearly gates in Heaven he asked the Lord why he hadn't been taken care of.  The Lord said he sent his neighbor, He sent a motor boat and he sent a helicopter, what more did he expect? 

The Lord made us in His image and he gave us each talents and a brain to use.  This earth is our testing ground.  He expects us to learn and grow and make choices that will hopefully bring us back to Him.  He expects us to think for ourselves.

When Noah tried to preach and save mankind, the Lord told him to give up and build an ark.  The Lord could of done it himself but He told Noah where and how to do it.  He didn't tell Noah much more than that except that the animals would come two by two.  The clean ones in groups of 7 and the unclean just a pair.  No mention of food or water.   But you can bet Noah had already planned for that, knowing what the Lord had in mind.  Do you think he had seeds, ect stored away?  I bet he did.  How about tools to start over with?  I bet he stored those too. 

How about Joseph in Egypt?  Did the Lord just give the Israelite's what they needed? No He told Pharaoh in a dream that an Israelite had to explain.  He still didn't do it for them, someone had to prepare.  They had to store their excess ahead of time.


That's what the Lord is telling us now.  We must be prepared for famine.  Really. 
Are you aware that we no longer grow most of our food but import it from over seas?  It's true, most of our food comes from South, Central America and Mexico or Asian countries.  We are headed toward disaster and good people are setting there on their thumbs thinking the Lord will provide.  Open your eyes.  He is providing, right now.  Buy or grow extra and put it up because you will need it in the future. 

Don't let Satan deceive you.  Just because you store food and emergency supplies, doesn't mean you don't have faith.   I have perfect faith.  I know if I prepare and something terrible comes my way.  The Lord will get me through because I did all I could to be ready for this time.  I don't think we can ever be 100% ready for everything.  But if you do your best and warn your neighbors, you each will be blessed with what you need at your time of need.  But you will of had to of prepared in the first place.

Preparing isn't just storing food.  It's studying scriptures and prayer and mediating and knowing the Lord.  It's studying and learning skills that will help you in your job or learning to survive if you have to live without.  It's getting out of debt and saving for that rainy day.  Being prepared is being prudent and following what we have learned from the scriptures.  Being prepared is using the brain the good Lord gave us so we can thrive here on earth and one day return to Him.


I hope and pray that you will be prepared both body and soul.  I hope and pray your pantry shelves are bulging with good foods and you have extra water stored and know how to get more.  I hope and pray you know the good book inside and out and read it daily.  Not just select sections but every last word in it.  



Happily Prepared in the Lord,
Cherlynn
brchbell@yahoo.com

Saturday, January 7, 2012

I'm not just back, I never left

I was so sick my family left without me.  I finally went to the doctor and was told if I had gone I would of ended up in the hospital minimum but a better chance I would of died in route so guess it was good I stayed home.   Taking 870 MG of Amoxicillin to fight off the strep throat and pneumonia I have.  My youngest son stayed home with me to take care of animals and he has it now too.  No insurance but we know whats going on so we are sharing my meds and I have more Amoxicillin coming in.   There are 3 people I listen to online.  #1 is Kal Sellers "The Mad Herbalist",  #2 Is Dr Bones and Nurse Amy.  They are retired down in Florida and teach so very many skills that we should all learn.  Make sure you check out their blog and I have posted on below that tells you how to stockpile antibiotics in case you ever need them.  #3 is the Patriot Nurse.  You can Google these fine folks and learn ways to make yourself medically self reliant.  We can't handle every medical emergency but with study from these fine folks we could learn enough to take care of most illnesses and emergencies.  


I ordered in the 250 MG pills and can take 3 of them to get close to the dose we are taking.  Take care and learn and stockpile all you can.


Cherlynn


FISH ANTIBIOTICS IN A COLLAPSE


Hey Preppers,

Accumulating medications for a possible collapse may be simple when it comes to getting Ibuprofen and other non-prescription drugs. It will be a major issue, however, for those who need to stockpile prescription medicines but don’t have a relationship with a physician who can or will accommodate their requests. Antibiotics are one example of medications that will be very useful in a collapse situation that (you would think) are difficult to obtain in quantity.



The inability to store antibiotic supplies is going to cost some their lives in a collapse situation.  Why?  Well, there will be a much larger incidence of infection when people have to fend for themselves and are injured as a result.  Simple chores in a power-down situation that most of us aren't accustomed to performing, like chopping wood, will cause various cuts and scratches. These injuries can begin to show infection, in the form of redness, heat and swelling, within a relatively short time.   Treatment of such infections, called "cellulitis", at an early stage improves the chance that they will heal quickly and completely.  However, many rugged individualists are most likely to “tough it out” until their condition worsens and spreads to their blood.  This causes a condition known as sepsis; fever ensues as well as other problems that could eventually be life-threatening.  The availability of antibiotics would allow the possibility of dealing with the issue safely and effectively.



The following advice is contrary to standard medical practice, and is a strategy that is appropriate only in the event of societal collapse.  If there are modern medical resources available to you, seek them out.

Small amounts of medications can be obtained by anyone willing to tell their doctor that they are going out of the country and would like to avoid “Travelers’ Diarrhea”.  Ask them for Tamiflu for viral illness before every flu season, and Amoxicillin, Doxycycline and Flagyl for bacterial/protozoal disease.   This approach is fine for one or two courses of therapy, but a long term alternative is required for us to have enough antibiotics to protect a family or survival group. Thinking long and hard for a solution has led me to what I believe is the best option for the preparedness community:  Aquarium antibiotics. 


For many years, I was a tropical fish enthusiast.  Currently, I am growing Tilapia as a food fish in my aquaculture pond.  After years of using these medicines on fish, I decided to evaluate these drugs for their potential use in collapse situations. A close inspection of the bottles revealed that the only ingredient was the drug itself, identical to those obtained by prescription at the local pharmacy.  If the bottle says FISH-MOX, for example, the sole ingredient is Amoxicillin, which is an antibiotic commonly used in humans.  There are no additional chemicals to makes your scales shiny or your fins longer.  Here is a list of the products that I believe will be beneficial to have as supplies:



FISH-MOX  (Amoxicillin 250mg)
FISH_MOX FORTE  (Amoxicillin 500mg)

FISH-CILLIN  (Ampicillin 250mg)

FISH-FLEX  (Keflex 250mg)

FISH-FLEX FORTE (Keflex 500mg)

FISH-ZOLE (Metronidazole 250mg)

FISH-PEN (Penicillin 250mg)

FISH-PEN FORTE (Penicillin 500mg)



BIRD BIOTIC (Doxycycline 100mg) - used in birds but the antibiotic is, again, the sole ingredient

I understand that you might be skeptical about considering the use of aquarium antibiotics for humans in a collapse.  Those things are for fish, aren't they?  If this is purely the case, then why are all of the above antibiotics also commonly used on humans?  More importantly:  Why are these antibiotics in the exact same DOSAGES that are used in humans?  Why would a guppy require a dosage of FISH-MOX FORTE that would suffice for a 180 pound human adult?  It is my opinion that they are manufactured in the same way that "human" antibiotics are made; I don't have proof, but perhaps they even come from similar batches.



These medications are available without a prescription in lots of 30 -100 tablets for less than the same prescription medication at the local pharmacy. If you so desired, it appears that you could get as much as you need to stockpile for a collapse.  This would be close to impossible to obtain from your physician.  Of course, anyone could be allergic to one or another of these antibiotics, but not all of them. There is a 10% chance for cross-reactivity between Penicillin drugs and Keflex (if you are allergic to penicillin, you could also be allergic to Keflex).  I have removed FISH-CYCLINE (Tetracycline) from this list due to lingering concerns on the part of some about its use, once expired. There were some reports in the 1960s about kidney damage after expiration (the formulation has changed since then).  This one additional fact:  I have personally used some (not all) of these antibiotics on my own person without any ill effects.  It’s important to note that I am speaking primarily about aquarium antibiotics, as some dog and cat medications also include other chemicals and are not just the antibiotic.


These antibiotics are used at specific doses for specific illnesses; the exact dosage of each and every medication is beyond the scope of this handbook. Suffice it to say that most penicillin and cephalosporin meds are taken at 500mg dosages 3-4 times a day for adults, (250mg dosages for children), whereas Metronidazole (250mg) and Doxycycline (100mg) are taken twice a day. It's important to have as much information on medications that you plan to store for times of trouble, so consider purchasing a hard copy of the latest Physician's Desk Reference. This book comes out yearly and has just about every bit of information that exists on a particular medication, including those that do not require prescription.  Indications, dosage, risks and side effects are all listed.

If we ever find ourselves without modern medical care, we will have to improvise medical strategies that we perhaps might be reluctant to consider today.   Without hospitals, it will be up to the medic to nip infections in the bud. That responsibility will be difficult to carry out without the weapons to fight disease, such as antibiotics.  Alternative therapies should be looked at carefully as well.  Honey and garlic have known antibacterial actions, as do a number of herbs and essential oils.  Some swear by the action of colloidal silver.  Be sure to integrate all medical options, traditional and alternative, and use every tool at your disposal to keep your community healthy.  If you don't, you're fighting with one hand tied behind your back.

 Dr. Bones