While you’re enjoying Tom Turkey tomorrow and all the other yummy things you like to eat on Thanksgiving, remember how lucky we are to live in a country where we’re free.  We have some big issues, but when you think of all the hunger, war and disease that affect the rest of the world, we are lucky indeed. 

I’m thankful for my family, that we’re all healthy and together.  I’m thankful that the financial crisis affecting so many hasn’t hurt my family as of yet.  I’m thankful that I have good friends around me that love and support me like an extended family.

And I’m thankful my pantry is full! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

How is your pantry looking?  Are you starting to get full?  You should have a nice little stock of items now.  We’ll keep adding weekly until we’re reading to just rotate our stores.

Here’s what I picked up this week:

4 Jars Peanut Butter (I have to buy two kinds to satisfy everyone) $12.00

2 Cans Black Beans  $2.80

2 Cans Spam  $3.76

1 Box Crackers $2.99

Total spent for week#6:  $21.55

Stock Up Challenge Week #7:

4 Cans Peaches

2 Cans Green Beans

1 Bottle Honey

4 Boxes Macaroni & Cheese

Happy Shopping!

I’ve become more and more interested in learning which wild plants could be used as food in a crisis.  This is difficult unless you educate yourself as to which plants are safe and edible.  There is a lot of info out there, you just have to look. 

One of the more interesting edible plants in North America is Amaranth.  This plant’s use dates back to the pre-Columbian Aztecs and has long been used for its grain and medicinal purposes.  In Mexico, the seeds are roasted for a traditional drink called “atole”.  Peruvians use it to make beer and in other regions to treat toothaches and fevers. 

Amaranth is a bush plant that grows 3-10 feet tall.  There are vegetable and grain varieties.  Plants will produce up to 50,000 seeds each.  Amaranth is very hearty and will grow in your garden, or just about anywhere and reseeds itself.  The grain is very nutritious, and the leaves are on par with spinach, which it’s related to. 

Amaranth is high in protein, lysine and methionine, essential amino acids.  It’s higher in fiber than wheat and has calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, vitamins A and E.

There are many varieties, one of which, Spiny Amaranth, is shown to control blood glucose, which could be very useful in a long-term crisis situation.

To harvest the seeds, cover the plant lightly with a non-pourous bag, gently tip the plant to the side and shake.  You’ll need to winnow to separate all the debris that may come along.  Amaranth grain must be cooked before eating.  You can use as a cooked cereal, ground it into flour, pop it like popcorn, sprout it and toast it.  You can also add the grain to soups and stews as a thickener.  Amaranth flour is useful in pasta and all baked goods, but must be mixed with other flour for yeast breads as it contains no gluten - which makes it perfect for those with gluten allergies.

Boil 1 cup of seeds in 2 1/2 cups liquid for about 18-20 minutes, until they are tender.  It has a sticky texture, so shouldn’t be overcooked as it will become gummy.  It has a mild, nutty flavor almost like Quinoa, but without any bitterness. 

To store the grain long-term, package in an air-tight container with oxygen absorbers.  It should store in a dry, cool place for up to two years.  Amaranth has a hard outer shell which makes it store longer than buckwheat or Quinoa.

You can cook the young leaves like spinach and you can use the sprouts in sandwiches and salads.

Isn’t it amazing that what most of us think of as a weed, could be so highly valuable and nutritions?  I for one will be keeping some Amaranth grain stored away, along with including it in my container garden for the fresh plants.  This is definately a must for your long-term food planning.

I read three different stories today about people that are food poor.  The first one was about a lady in Zimbabwe who was picking undigested corn out of donkey poop.  I hope to never be that desperate in my life, and I don’t wish that upon anyone.  The second story was about three women in Pakistan that tried to give their children to a home that helps those that are abandoned or orphaned.  They were unable to feed their children because their husbands didn’t have jobs and they felt they would be better off away from the family.  The third story was about more children being hungry this year in the United States.  Yes, it’s not just a problem in third world countries.

All of these stories highlight a growing problem that will only get worse.  Food poverty.  For the vast majority of us, the most difficult food decision we make is if we should order a small or large soda with our fries and burgers.  There are people here in the wealthiest country in the world who can’t afford three nutritious meals a day.  Nothing breaks my heart more than thinking of kids the same age as my boys going without food. 

So what can we do to help and protect ourselves from the same fate?  First, think long and hard about donating food regularly - to homeless shelters, food banks, etc.  It’s natural for us to think of this around the holidays, but what about the rest of the year?  We have so much, we should share what we can.  Second, with the economic situation getting more dire, seriously think about your food insurance.  What is that?  Stocking up on your normal food items that might become unavailable, or too costly to purchase.  Think staples first, but also stock up on luxury items like pudding, noodles and other things your kids enjoy eating.  If you can only afford $5 per week - buy one or two items.  You’d be surprised how fast it accumulates.

All signs point to things getting a bit worse before they get better.  Already predictions for next year are subtle warnings not to think relief is around the corner.  If we learn to tighten our belts before the food crisis gets worse, we’ll have a chance of living through it with minimal disruption.  Just as you set aside funds for your homeowners insurance, think about food insurance and how it could save your life. 

I don’t know about you, but I NEVER want to pick corn out of doo.  That’s not my idea of a plan.

Where does the day go?  I always have great intentions.  I intend to have all my preparations organized, in their allotted spaces.  But, unfortunately, I love procrastination as much as I love preparing.  I have one bug out bag for myself.  I intended to make a bag for every member of my family, even the dog, but intentions never went to the store and bought batteries.  I know what I want to do and that I should do it NOW.  A disaster won’t wait until I can run to Costco to buy bottled water.  There are a lot of people like me out there - especially women with jobs and kids and dog medicine they have to pick up.  They’re busy like me from morning until night and then try to grab a few minutes to blog our lives to the world.  We all have good intentions.  The problem is our life is happening while these intentions are going through our heads.  Don’t get me wrong, I love lists and I love planning and I love seeing those plans finished and put in their proper place.  I feel a deep satisfaction when I look in my pantry and it’s stuffed full.  When I go to pull out a tube of toothpaste and there are 4 more backups.  It’s a sense of accomplishment and well-being and it’s hard to describe to non-planners.  It’s like I’ve found what I should do in life and I’m doing it.  It’s calm.  It’s restful.  So, why do I procrastinate?  Because I’m busy, and maybe a little lazy.  But, that’s okay because I know things will get done.  I know it might wait until I’ve played with the kids, or washed the next load of laundry, but it’ll get done. 

One thing that’s changed drastically in my life since I started preparing, is the little things that make me happy.  This is what did it today:

The pizza man came and brought presents!  Individually wrapped forks!  A whole bunch of them!  Guess what gets stuck in the BOBs and the car?  Some of my friends would think I’ve lost it if I told them this, but I knew you would all understand.  You’d understand how a pile of forks could make a person so happy.  It’s all perspective.

What exactly does $20 worth of water look like?

Doesn’t seem like a lot does it?  Is it just me, or is the cost of water going up too?

I bought the Aquafina which was on sale for 2 for $9.00.

The other water is the additional two bottles per month I order in addition to what we use weekly in our water cooler.  Our bottled water is $6.00 per 5 gallon bottle. 

Total Spent for Week #5:  $21.00

Here’s the list for Week #6:

4 Jars Peanut Butter

2 Cans Black Beans

1 Box Crackers

2 Cans Spam

Did you hear they’ve doubled the output of Spam over the last few months?  I think this is just proof that more and more people are interested in stocking up - be it for emergencies or just tough economic times.  I also read that beans and rice are flying off the shelves.  Just keep in mind that food and water are the most important things you can store up, so join the rest of America and budget just a few dollars per week to building up your pantry.  It’s the smart thing to do!

I’m sure you’ve all seen the devastation on TV.  This is very close to home for me, so it’s a sad, sad thing.  People may not feel very sorry for multi-millionaires losing their homes, but there were 500 families that lost their mobile homes, and others that lost their homes in Orange County today.  This will be devastating for them.  The market has dropped in Southern California, but not as much as it has in other parts of the country.  I’d say there are definitely some people that were upside down on a mortgage, and now have totally lost the home to fire.

Please, please learn a lesson from these devastating fires.  Have your bug out bags ready at all times.  Know where all your important legal documents are.  Keep a set of family pictures in a place you can grab it quickly (this is a great idea for all those duplicates).  Keep your insurance policies up to date.  Plan ahead with family members about where you will meet in the event of a crisis.  You should have both a close meeting place and another more remote in case everyone evacuates a certain area.  Think about your pets in the event of a natural disaster - you want to take them with you, but will you have room in the car? 

Unfortunately, even those of us committed to being prepared need reminders from time to time.  It’s sad that this reminder comes at such a high price.  Losing your home is a shocking reminder of how fragile our lives really are.  Yesterday those people were coming home from work, maybe watching a movie and going peacefully to bed at night.  Little did they know that one of their worst nightmares would happen today. 

Prepare for crisis before it happens.  Fortunately for my family, we’ve escaped any such disaster in our lives so far, but I wouldn’t want to tempt fate too much.  I plan on preparing the best I can so that a tragedy like this doesn’t devastate our lives any more than necessary.

What kinds of things should you store away for a possible flu pandemic?  Keep in mind that there are other possible threats too.  We could have some kind of bio warfare in the future that causes some unknown sickness.  You could also just be isolated somewhere without medical help - so it’s good to think about these things ahead of time and stock up.  My husband still wants to know why we have three bottles of hydrogen peroxide and so many bandages, but I know if the time comes, he’ll thank me!  Here’s my list - alter for your own needs, but make a list and start to stock up little by little as you can afford it.  You might also want to educate yourself by taking a basic first aid class, and also researching home remedies to be used in an emergency. 

Flu Pandemic Stock Up List:

Acetaminophen

Adult Diapers

Anti-bacterial Wipes

Baby Wipes

Chamomile Tea

Chlorine Bleach

Cool Mist Humidifier (it’s better if you have more than one)

Extra Humidifier Filters

Expectorant Cough Syrup (this is the “Tussin” type)

Face Masks (whichever kind you decide to stock up on)

Hand Sanitizer

Heating Pad

Hydrogen Peroxide (disinfectant)

Ibuprofen

Isopropyl Alcohol (disinfectant and can be used to cool down patient)

Kleenex

Latex Gloves

Lip Balm

Listerine

Lubricating Eye Drops

Mucinex

Oscillococcinum

Disposable Shower Cap (can be worn multiple times)

Trash Bags

Vitamin C (stock up on chewable and powder also, sick people sometimes can’t swallow pills)

You may also want to keep some of the following around as they are very effective antivirals, with little side effects:

Apple Juice - Fresh apple juice is best.

Cranberry Juice - Research shows this makes viruses less able to multiply.

Garlic - Best if crushed raw and consumed within 1 hour.  2-3 cloves per day and then cut back until no body odor occurs.

Green Tea - May have antiviral activity similar to Tamiflu.

St. John’s Wort - Has shown effectiveness in Vietnamese flocks infected with Bird Flu.

Tea Tree Oil - When used as a steam inhalation will relieve congestion and fight infections.

Vitamin E - Acts as an immune system booster.  Very effective when taken with Vitamin C.

Please remember to consult with your doctor before trying any of these remedies.  Also, although they appear relatively safe, natural remedies may interfere with medications, so use caution.  Adult dosages are not safe for children, so stock up appropriate medications for your kids too.

Keep in mind that Bleach, Hydrogen Peroxide and Isopropyl Alcohol deteriorate rapidly.  You will not be able to store these for longer than a couple months.  So, if you won’t use it in rotation, stock up a minimal amount.  A good defense is always soap and water, which both have longer shelf lives.  Also keep in mind that regular aspirin taken in large doses is not good for influenza patients.

This list does not include everything you should stock up on for first aid in your home, but it’s a good list of items that can be used when nursing those with the flu.  Think about preventative measure also, good nutrition, hydration and adequate rest.  Keep yourself and your family away from others as much as possible.  The best cure is prevention and preparation.

There may come a time when your only option for helping sick loved ones is to nurse them at home yourself.  Unfortunately all predictions for a modern flu pandemic include the precaution that there will not be enough hospital beds, doctors, nurses and respirators to accommodate those likely to contract a deadly influenza.  I’ve researched several different ways to set up a quarantine room and I’d like to share my plans with you.  Hopefully this will inspire you to have a plan yourself!  For the purpose of this plan, let’s assume that your husband contracts the deadly influenza, and you’re the only one available to care for him.  To me, thinking about my kids contracting it is too scary, so we’ll start with spouses.

Most houses have a master bedroom or suite with an attached bathroom.  This is the best set up for a quarantine room.  The best first prevention of spreading a deadly virus is staying away from those that have it.  Do not allow infected family members to roam the house, touching the fridge and faucets with their germs.  So, if you have a master bedroom with a bath, you’re almost set.  Otherwise, pick a room that is close to a bathroom that can be used exclusively by the sick person.  You also want this room to have a window or sliding doorway for ventilation.  Fresh air is your friend - you don’t want to close sick people off in a room with no air circulation.  Even better, have a fan ready to blow out contaminated air while you’re tending to your loved one.

I have purchased five large sheets of plastic drop cloth from the hardware store.  You could also use old plastic shower curtains.  With duct tape, secure this plastic sheet a few feet from the door leading from your hallway into the quarantine room.  Leave the bottom half loose so you can easily lift and fit into the space between the plastic and the door.  This will hopefully stop airborne germs from entering the main part of your home.  The other plastic sheeting should be used to section off an area of the room for the caregiver to change clothes.  This is where you can put on your sick room clothes.  You should not care for a sick one and then wear the same shirt, pants and socks to walk around the rest of your house. 

I’ve been thinking that I want my sick room clothes to be long sleeved, long pants, socks and maybe a shower cap.  That way the exposed areas (hands and face) are easy-to-clean and you don’t have to shower every time.  You also want a box of gloves and disposable masks.

One note about masks:  I think I’ve decided to stock up on as many painter’s masks as I can.  I know that the N95 respirators are the only masks thought to effectively filter the flu virus, they’re just too expensive for me to stock up any quantity.  These masks are not reusable.  Think about it, if your husband does get ill, you’ll be in the room several times a day.  At around $13 per filter, that’s pretty expensive.  So, I’ve decided that for myself, I’ll use whatever precaution that is readily available to me.

On a table in your sectioned off change area you should keep hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, kleenex, and a spray bottle with bleach.  It’s been said that if you mix 1 gallon of water with 1 cup bleach and 1 cup vinegar, you have a very potent bleach that will kill a deadly influenza virus.  I can’t find any factual documentation about this, but it did kill the black fungi in my shower that nothing else would remove.  I’ve heard this mixture is recommended for killing anthrax - so I guess it’s worth a try.

You also want to keep dishwashing liquid, towels and washcloths near the sink as you should not wash the sick patient’s dishes and utensils in the kitchen.  Everything the patient uses should be kept in the quarantine room.  Think about any personal comfort items that you might need - lip balm, lotion, a heating pad, books and magazines and even a television, oh and you definately want a cool mist humidifier.  In fact, you should have several humidifiers and a large stock of filters.  Do not use the humidifier in the sick room for any other purpose.  Once your husband is well, throw that one out!  I guess you could disinfect it, but to me, it’s not worth risking contamination - that’s why I have several stocked up!

You’ll also want to keep two large trash cans and plastic liners in the sick room.  One is for soiled linens and clothing and the other is for trash.  Always use gloves when taking out the trash from the quarantine room, and preferably take it out through an outside door rather than walking it through the house.  You can launder items as usual in your washer, using plenty of bleach.  Only real chlorine bleach is effective at killing the influenza virus in the washing machine.  Hang sick room wash outside in the sun if you can, otherwise set your dryer on the hottest setting.

You will need to wash your hands probably a couple hundred times per day, wear a mask and keep yourself well rested and hydrated. 

So, there you have a basic quarantine room set up.  Now, what types of medications and first aid items should you stock up on?  My list tomorrow.

Did you know close to 20 million people died of the influenza between 1917 - 1919?  To put that in perspective, that’s more than died during World War I.  I was reading an article a few days ago that stated the threat of Bird Flu becoming a pandemic has decreased this year, down drastically from 2005.  This is reassuring, but doesn’t mean we should stop being diligent about our preparations. 

The earliest records of flu like symptoms dates back to 400 B.C. - that’s Hippocrates’ time.  In more recent history, flu pandemics and epidemics occured in 1957, 1968 and 1976.  Back in 400 B.C., most people didn’t know how the flu virus spread, so didn’t take simple precautions that could prevent the spread; washing hands, covering coughs and wearing protective equipment when treating infected people. 

There are many interesting articles about the Spanish Influenza, including first hand accounts of survivors.  Here’s a link to the amazing stories of some survivors:

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/storybook/index.html

Knowledge is power in this day and age.  The government has published more information in the last 3 years regarding flu pandemics, than we’ve ever seen before.  This should act as a warning to us to prepare for the inevitable.  Hopefully, it won’t happen in our lifetime, but if it does some of us will be ready. 

Do you have a plan for your family in case of a flu pandemic?  Do you know how to care for an ill family member?  Tomorrow I’ll post my plan for our home sick room and share what items I feel would be beneficial to stock up on now.