week 8: Gallon of oil/ 4 lbs. Potato Pearls

Best place to get Potato Pearls is the cannery.

Don't forget amongst all the Food Storage to have an Emergency Plan:

If and when an emergency comes that requires you and your family to evacuate your home, there will be little or no time to make your plans. If you have an evacuation plan in place, and make sure that all family members know and practice what to do, you will have a tremendous advantage in the event you ever need to implement that plan.Evacuation plans can be useful for many different types of disasters: hurricanes, tsunamis, and statistically more common, house fires. House fires are one of the most common disasters people face in this country so it is important that everyone has an evacuation or fire escape plan, and practice it regularly. Everyone in your family should know the plan, even the little ones, so set aside an evening when the whole family can get together to make your emergency escape plan. Follow these simple steps and you will be ready for evacuation.

1. Make a map of your home with escape routes marked:Label every exit, including doors, windows, and hallways, which may become a potential fire escape. In every room, label the primary exit (usually a door or hallway) and a secondary exit (usually a window) in case the primary exit is blocked by smoke or flames. Label every room where a family member sleeps. Label the main shutoff valves of the gas, electricity, and water lines. Establish a safe meeting place outside the home so everyone can be accounted for.

2. Practice your emergency evacuation planIt does little good to have a plan on paper. Practice will help you to learn how to improve your plan and will insure that all family members know exactly what to do.It is important for everyone in the family to learn how to escape, including how to get out the windows. A good fire escape ladder is essential if your exit is through a window on an upper floor. You may want to arrange the furniture so a dresser or nightstand is under the window to make it easier to escape, especially through basement windows. Place your emergency preparedness kits strategically near an exit so they are easy to grab in a hurry. Be sure to have a flashlight or light stick by each persons bed to make it easier to find your way out at night.Practice turning off utilities, but only pretend to do it. You do not want to actually turn off the gas during a drill. A gas wrench or other tool is needed for this. You should have an emergency evacuation drill four times a year, and vary the conditions so that you practice in different situations such as night, day, good weather, and bad weather.

3. Communication:Each family member must know where to meet after getting out of the house in an emergency. Make sure everyone knows that their number one priority is to get out quickly and go to the designated meeting place without delay and to wait there.Be sure that each family member memorizes the phone number of an out-of-town, or even better and out-of-state person to call in case they are separated from your family. Have everyone memorize the phone numbers of other important contacts. Evacuation plans can be life-saving for you and the ones you love. Disasters don't just happen to other people. They are very real and can happen to anyone at anytime. Take the time to plan and prepare and you will be very grateful you did.

A confidential family code word or phrase would be a very important signal of communication in the presence of immediate danger. Use words and phrases easy to remember that mean a certain action to be taken, but does not give away your intention, nor gives away what is to be done. You might practice these code words and phrases until everyone in the family is well familiar with them, and know exactly what is to be done and the action to take. Make sure small children are trained not to give away the meaning of this code under any circumstance and train older children not to share this information with anyone, not even the closest friends.

We need 72 hour kits, but those aren't enough:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the American Red Cross and the U.S. Department of Agriculture state that if an earthquake, hurricane, winter storm or other disaster strikes your community, you might not have access to food, water and electricity for days, or even weeks.

By taking some time now to store emergency food and water supplies, you can provide for your entire family. Having an ample supply of clean water is a top priority in an emergency.

A normally active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot environments can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers and ill people will need even more. You will also need water for food preparation and hygiene. Store a total of at least one gallon per person, per day. You should store at least a two-week supply of water for each member of your family, according to FEMA.

If supplies run low, never ration water. Drink the amount you need today, and try to find more for tomorrow. You can minimize the amount of water your body needs by reducing activity and staying cool.When Food Supplies Are LowIf activity is reduced, healthy people can survive on half their usual food intake for an extended period and without any food for many days. Food, unlike water, may be rationed safely, except for children and pregnant women.

If your water supply is limited, try to avoid foods that are high in fat and protein, and don't stock salty foods, since they will make you thirsty. Try to eat salt-free crackers, whole grain cereals and canned foods with high liquid content.

You don't need to go out and buy unfamiliar foods to prepare an emergency food supply. You can use the canned foods, dry mixes and other staples on your cupboard shelves. In fact, familiar foods are important. They can lift morale and give a feeling of security in time of stress. Also, canned foods won't require cooking, water or special preparation.

Following are recommended short-term food storage plans.
Special Considerations As you stock food, take into account your family's unique needs and tastes. Try to include foods that they will enjoy and that are also high in calories and nutrition. Foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking are best.

Individuals with special diets and allergies will need particular attention, as will babies, toddlers and elderly people. Nursing mothers may need liquid formula, in case they are unable to nurse. Canned dietetic foods, juices and soups may be helpful for ill or elderly people.

Make sure you have a manual can opener and disposable utensils. And don't forget nonperishable foods for your pets.

Food Storage Tips
Keep food in a dry, cool spot - a dark area if possible.
Keep food covered at all times. Open food boxes or cans care-fully so that you can close them tightly after each use. Wrap cookies and crackers in plastic bags, and keep them in tight containers. Empty opened packages of sugar, dried fruits and nuts into screw-top jars or air-tight cans to protect them from pests. Inspect all food for signs of spoilage before use. Use foods before they go bad, and replace them with fresh supplies, dated with ink or marker. Place new items at the back of the storage area and older ones in front.
Nutrition Tips
During and right after a disaster, it will be vital that you maintain your strength. So remember: Eat at least one well-balanced meal each day. Drink enough liquid to enable your body to function properly (two quarts a day). Take in enough calories to enable you to do any necessary work. Include vitamin, mineral and protein supplements in your stockpile to assure adequate nutrition. Shelf-life of Foods for Storage
Blue Chip Group, Inc.