Every decision we make has an impact on our bodies and our spirits, our homes, the earth, and the people around us.
Here are some ideas to help us all leave the best legacy we can.
You may remember that for this year we are going through the values of "charity." Do you remember the first one for January? "Long Suffering." Yeah, we should have given a second thought before praying as a family to be more long suffering.
We passed around the stomach flu, had the coldest month we could remember, and had a gas leak that resulted in co2 poisoning, and having our gas turned off because of a leak, taking with it our heat and hot water.
Our home was swarming with these guys late last Friday night as they tried to detect the source of the gas leak.
Our CO poisoning came from corrosion of an old gas pipe. We don't know how long it's been leaking, but we definitely experienced most of the symptoms: headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Especially the confusion ;) Having the gas turned off in January was a good crash course in preparedness. I'm happy to say we did pretty well, and we're very grateful for a very effective wood burning stove that did the job beautifully.
But seriously--get a CO Detector! People can go years not knowing they're being poisoned, if the leak is small. Who knew?
Needless to say, we're very happy to be moving into February, with slightly warmer weather, slightly more light, and instead of focusing on "long suffering," we get to be "kind." How bad can it be?
To celebrate, the littles and I made this super easy poster. We used potatoes and a red and black ink pad, and viola! A reminder poster.
Char Cloth Defined
Made of 100% plant material (i.e. cotton), char cloth will catch even the smallest spark, enabling you to blow fire into a tinder bundle. This is a great emergency prep item, and will extend the life of your fire starter (i.e. flint and steel) by many, many uses.
How to Make Char Cloth
My husband and I learned how to make char cloth at an emergency prep camp we went to a couple years ago, but we never tried it until last month. It was easy! Here's a step-by-step:
1) Cut some 100% cotton fabric into roughly 2'x2' squares. I used a pair of Keenan's old jeans.
2) Find a tin and poke a hole in the center of the lid. Fill (but do not stuff) with your bits of cloth.
3) Start a fire and let it get good and hot.
4) Place your tins in a hot spot (the coals work nicely). Smoke, sometimes even fire, will start spewing from the hole in the lid.
5) Rotate your tins to make sure the heat is even. The larger the tins, the longer they will take. I'd say these large ones took at least an hour. A small Altoids-type tin would be comparatively fast.
6) You know it's done when the smoke stops coming out of the hole. Set the tins aside and do not open the lids until cool to the touch. Otherwise, the sudden rush of oxygen will cause the cloth to combust.
Ta da!!
The cloth should be completely black. Spots of brown mean it wasn't quite done. Ashes in your tin mean far overdone. I think it's pretty hard to get it wrong.
How to Make a Fire Using Char Cloth
1) Place your char cloth on your tinder nest.
2) Using your fire starter, throw a spark at the cloth.
3) Rub the tinder in your fingers as you gently blow.
4) Fire!
I'm sorry I didn't make a video of this, but there are lots of them on youtube! I really liked the guy in this one, but couldn't get it to upload to this post (he makes the char cloth and starts lighting at 3:22 if you want to skip ahead). We have friends like this.
I liked the guy in this one too, probably because he says "bla bla bla."
So enjoy making your own, and feel happy knowing you have a way to warm your family and cook your food (and have fun camping!) should the needs arise.
On Friday I attended a wonderful webinar hosted by Wardeh Harmon of the Gnowfglins blog. It was a very enlightening hour and a half about food preservation! I wanted to share some of the highlights here, and get your ideas about food preservation. What methods do you like best and why do they work for you?
If I ever build a house, it's going to have a root cellar! image source
I recently got a dehydrator, and I love it. So far I've used it for sprouted wheat, fruit leather, dried mangos, soaked raw almonds and walnuts, soaked raw sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds, homemade crackers and homemade granola. Looking forward to trying jerky!
But I've never canned or fermented. I am less scared to try after this informative webinar!
One thing I need to think more about: it is important to have some semblance of organization to your long-term food storage. First in, first out! Make sure you are rotating your foods, and labeling them by date as you prepare them.
Reasons to Preserve Food
Emergency preparedness. And not just in case
of natural disasters! One of the guest speakers at the webinar told of
how she and her husband felt prompted to start preserving food. They
worked nonstop for 9 months to build up a food supply. As soon as they
had one year's worth of food, her husband lost his job. They lived off
that food supply until he secured another job --- when they only had 2
weeks' worth of food left.
It's frugal! Buy (or grow) in bulk, and store.
You know what's in it, and can ensure that maximum nutrients are present.
Low temperatures retrain nutrition and don't kill enzymes
Dehydrated foods are extremely portable and compact
They are shelf-stable at room temp.
Dehydrating is excellent for herbs and tinctures and almost all foods
You can use previously dehydrated foods in fermented recipes!
Things to keep in mind:
Meats should be fat free to prevent spoiling
You can vacuum seal or freeze dehydrated foods for longer keeping
Rehydrate foods with water (since brown rice is not very stable kept raw at room temperature, you can cook it and dehydrate it for later instant brown rice)
Foods must be totally dry and cool before storing
You can dehydrate food in the sun if you don't have a dehydrator! Or in a sun oven.
Although food is still considered raw if dehydrated under a temperature of 155 degrees F, meat must be dehydrated at 155 to kill bacteria
You can use previously frozen foods in fermented recipes
Things to keep in mind:
Storing anything more than 3 months risks freezer burn and generally worse taste
Vacuum sealing prevents freezer burn!
Power loss can result in expensive food loss
Food needs time to thaw before use
Treat all dry goods before storing by freezing them for 72 hours. This will ensure that all bugs and bug eggs are killed before long-term storage. Then use dry ice for vacuum sealing, for long-term freshness! This is a cool trick.
Note: cool running water through an insulated building can give you cold storage. Not sure exactly how this works, but it's a cool idea that I want to research. You know, if I ever own land with running water.
Some resources:
"Ball Blue Book --- Complete Guide to Canning, Freezing and Dehydration"
"Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving"
National Center for Home Food Preservation: nchfp.uga.edu
I call it an emergency item, but in fact, it's almost a daily convenience around here. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:
I don't have to turn my kitchen into an oven to cook dinner (my hot, pregnant self assures me that this is #1 right now). This also lowers our AC use.
Great in case of emergency. No electricity? No gas? Go sun oven!
Simple to use (with clear instructions). Once you have one, don't let it sit in your garage! It's easy as pie. In fact, go ahead and bake one in there.
No fossil fuels required, just sunshine. Easy on the environment and the pocketbook.
Preheats very quickly.
Cooks with an even, moist heat (read: very difficult to burn food therein).
Folds nicely. Stores compactly. Not heavy. Easy to clean and maintain.
Made in the USA!
The company is committed to placing their ovens in developing countries all over the world, reducing deforestation, improving health by providing a clean cooking alternative, and running programs to raise standard of living and reduce poverty.
Since I bought mine, they've added a dehydrator rack. Gotta get me one of those.
What have I made with it? Not enough! It's hard to remember exactly, but so far everything's worked, including: bread, rolls, meatloaf, whole chickens, cookies, cake... You can use it for anything except fried foods (which require hands-on prep). Incidentally, it can be used anytime you have direct sunlight, including winter months. I haven't experimented enough, but I bet you could get a fair amount of heat in there even under an overcast sky. Anyone tried?
I had my eye on the Sun Oven for over a year before my ward did a group buy, making it slightly more affordable. But it is worth every penny. I highly recommend it!
Nothing like a real emergency to check how prepared you really are!
Friday, June 29, an unexpected lightning and wind storm pounded the DC area pretty hard. A large tree branch from our neighbor's tree hit our house, toppling the top of our chimney, tearing off a good deal of the rain gutters on the west side of our house, some of the fascia, eventually crushing our fence and spreading across our patio, yard, and my humble vegetable garden. The storm left us with no power and very little cell phone service for about a week of 100 degree weather. Yes, it was a great chance to see how prepared we were! The little boys and I were out of town, so Andrew had to literally "weather the storm" solo, and thankfully he came out to see us mid-week.
Here's the breakdown of our experience:
Useful tools that we had
A community of people who depended on each other
A lantern
Food that won't go bad in 100 degree weather
Cash. Some gas stations (and grocery stores) in our area didn't have power, but they would give gas and services for cash
Insurance
A three-month emergency fund
Our downed fence
Useful tools that we did not have
A generator for our fridge
A (battery-powered) drill
A chainsaw
A more powerful lantern
More tarps (to plug up the holes in the fascia and chimney)
Our chimney meets our patio
Questions I still have
How much do generators cost, and how long would they be able to power a refrigerator?
If we had all been in the area and had been separated before the storm hit, what would be the best emergency plan for meeting up?
With no cell or internet service, how would we contact our families to let them know we were okay?
What we will keep in mind
Andrew had to go into the attic to get our lantern. It's staying in our closet now.
It's been on our to-do list to route a gasline to our range so we can trade in our electric for a gas range. With how common large storms and power outages are in this area, it would be good to be able to cook without power.
We're in the habit of running on fumes. We'll be keeping a little more gas in our car now.
If this storm happened in the winter, we would need to use our wood-burning stove and have lots and lots of firewood on hand (which we do, thanks to this storm!).
Get to know the neighbors! It's better for everyone if you know everyone up and down your street, what resources they may have, and what service they may need (particularly in the case of elderly people or immigrants/refugees who may not know the area, people, or language).
A car navigating a tree stuck on a powerline in front of our house
Over the course of the days Andrew felt a great outpouring of love and service from neighbors and friends. Despite the needs many faced, those who had resources were eager to serve. He met new neighbors who lent chainsaws and other tools and helped him saw the branch. He was able to help other neighbors who needed their car unburied from branches. He was invited to stay with friends in Virginia who had power. He was invited (along with many other people in our LDS congregation who didn't have power) to some friends' home for dinner on Sunday and they sent him on his way with leftovers for lunch the next day. He was able to salvage much of our food in a friend's running freezer, and he had many other offers of help along the way. The power of nature is a manifestation of God's power, but the greater manifestation is seen in the way His children serve one another in times of trouble.
I know Nonie has done a lot of studying, preparing and practicing for disasters, and hopefully she does her own post with more ideas and resources. What other suggestions do you have for disaster preparedness?
Since my post on natural sweeteners, a handful of people have asked me where I find them. Well, folks, one BIG answer is finally here.
In a few hours, I'll head off to the Rose Bowl to pick up my monthly order from Azure Standard, a family farm that specializes in "natural, organic, earth-friendly foods and products." Finding this company was like finding a small gold mine. We've been ordering from them since March and have been absolutely thrilled with their commitment to what's real. Here's what they have to say:
"We chose to call our business Azure Standard, to signify by the name what we are attempting to do. Azure is a shade of blue which has been associated with law, justice, and honesty. In raising an azure standard, we want to place an honest standard in the marketing of food. We feel that the correct way to effect a positive change is not to attack the way it is being done, but to begin to do it right."
Azure delivers to drop points in most of the western states. They currently have routes through Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. That's nearly half the states! (Keep your fingers crossed, East Coast -- they're always expanding...)
If you can't reach a drop point, you can order UPS from their website. I don't know what the shipping fees are like. (See Policies.)
The Drop Point
If you live in one of the above states and wish to start ordering from Azure:
Call a customer service representative at 541.467.2230 to locate your nearest drop point. They will give you the name and phone number of the drop point coordinator.
Call the drop point coordinator. Ask if you can join the drop and get the drop point number.
Use the drop point number to place your order online (you can also order by phone or fax or mail... do people still do this?). Whenever I place an order, my drop number comes up automatically as I'm checking out, so I don't have to remember it. :)
The order deadline is generally seven days prior to the drop day. If your order is below $50, there will be a small order handling fee, otherwise delivery to the drop points is free! Trust me, you'll have a hard time keeping your order under $50 once you discover this place. If you want to start your own drop point, you have to have a minimum order of $550 (can be a combination of people). There are a few dozen people who usually meet at my Pasadena drop point. The truck pulls up, unloads, you grab your stuff and skedaddle. It's a 15-minute affair. It's also a nice way to meet like-minded people.
Things I've Ordered
Azure Standard carries a HUGE variety of products, all high quality and reasonably priced. Much of it comes from their own farm, which is "dedicated to the 'organic principle' of cooperating with nature." They also sell many other brands of natural and organic products. One of the things I love the most is what a great resource they are for expanding food storage. They sell a lot of bulk items! To give you an idea of what's available, I went through my past orders and compiled a list of what I've ordered so far (I make new discoveries every month). This is just a drop in the AS bucket:
Whole Grains: hard white wheat, hard red wheat, soft white wheat, spelt, kamut, teff, quinoa
Legumes: small white beans, green lentils
Nuts: walnuts, cashews, (truly raw) almonds
Seeds: chia, sunflower, pumpkin
Sweeteners: rapadura, sucanat, maple syrup, date sugar, sorghum syrup, molasses
Other Foods: coconut milk, raw cheddar cheese, beef bones, beef liver
Baking/Cleaning Necessities: baking powder, baking soda, raw apple cider vinegar, 100% beef gelatin, arrowroot powder, nutritional yeast, coconut oil (I usually order this from Tropical Traditions), Redmond Real Salt, kelp powder, peppercorns, ground cinnamon, unbleached parchment paper, Charlie's Soap
Now, you're not guaranteed to get everything you order each month (they don't charge your card until they load the truck). Though I have received complete orders before, I generally get everything except maybe one or two items. So I just try for them again the next month.
If you've ordered from Azure, I'd be very curious to know what you've found. Or -- if you know of another company like this, please share!
Additional Thoughts
If you want to browse prices on the website, you have to register first (free). Their prices don't show up in google searches or anything. I bet you that when you see them, you'll be hooked.
Theonly Emails I get from Azure are my monthly order confirmations. Yippee!!
I have been very happy with the fresh produce. (The truck has a refrigeration unit for anything that might require it.)
While writing this post, I discovered the Links page on their website, which lists the many suppliers they deal with outside their own farm. Below that is another list called "Health-related Sites," which I drooled over for a few minutes.
I am touched that there are people out there, like the ones who run Azure, committed to helping others access good products at such fair prices. I whole-heartedly recommend this company!
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