Fig Newtons
1 lb. dried figs or 2 lbs. fresh figs
1 cup sugar
1/2 or 1 cup water (1 cup for dried figs; 1/2 cup for fresh)
1/2 cup butter, room temp.
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbl. cream or milk
1/2 teas. vanilla
1/2 teas. salt
1 teas. baking powder
1 3/4 cup flour
Dice figs, soak in water 1 hour. Add sugar & cook on medium heat until
of thin jam consistency. Beat sugar, butter, egg, milk & vanilla until
well blended. Add dry ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Place 1/2 on well floured dough cloth; knead about 6 times.
Roll out to 1/4" thick. Line 13 x 9" glass dish; cover with figs.
Roll remaining dough, cover figs. Cook at 350' 30 minutes.
Let cool and cut into squares.
Frango Chocolate Mints
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1 & 1/8 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 teas. vanilla
2 teas. peppermint extract, or to taste
Melt chips in double-boiler, cool. Beat butter and sugar together.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, into sugar mix. Add vanilla.
Now beat in cooled chocolate and peppermint, the longer you
beat the mixture at this point the lighter and fluffier the mints are.
Drop by half teaspoons onto wax paper or use a pastry bag
for decorative mints. Keep refrigerated.
Did you know that batteries, diapers, cheese, peanut butter, Coco-cola, Motrin, vanilla extract, baking powder, white vinegar, saccharin, Sweet and Low, charcoal, a slew of household cleaners, drinking alcohol, condiments, toothpaste, dental floss, toilet paper, iodide salt, finger paint, crayons, and margarine all have corn products in them? This list is in addition to the obvious corn products that you are already no doubt familiar with. Corn is in a slew of food additives as well such as maltodextrin, pumaric acid, di-glycerides, Ethel acetate, xanathan gum, semolina, absorbic acid, gluten, citrus cloud emulsion, saccharin, calcium stearate, xylitol, and sorbitol as well as a litany of other “ides, ites, and tols.” Did you also know that fish, meat, poultry, and pork usually contain corn and have been fed the cheap food of corn? In fact, it’s nearly impossible for anyone to completely avoid contact with CORN nowadays! Corn starch is dusted on your frozen vegetables, corn wax is coated on your fresh vegetables, fish is washed in a corn-derived citric acid, and even when you make that homemade bread from scratch, you’ve still got corn because the baking yeasts often feed on corn based ethanol. (As a bigger eye opener, you may want to view the movie “King Corn” or enjoy blogs authored by Chris Ellis at culinate.com)
So, OK. Our life is permeated with corn. It’s come to be such thanks to the fact that corn has historically been a cheap commodity. But what happens when corn stops becoming cheap but we find ourselves in a society that’s wholly dependent on corn? You see, the price of your diapers are what they are today based in part on the easy and cheap access to corn. What happens when the price of corn goes way up or corn becomes hard to come by?
Corn crops: 2009. Too wet to plant until late in the season. Too wet to properly fertilize to get a greater yield. Too wet to harvest. Harvested corn repeatedly tested as too wet for dietary corn and storage. And finally there’s also the demand to meet the standard ethanol productions. While drying portions of the crop is possible, it’s also very costly. Corn is typically sold at 10-15% moisture. However this year some of the largest corn growing areas are harvesting it at an average of 22% moisture. (Remember, the more moisture, the more expense to either dry it, or the faster it will go rancid, thus causing a loss of product. Ironically, there have also been some spotty bouts of shortages on propane which is necessary for the drying process. Hmmm…*note to me, get more propane tanks filled.*) All of this following a 2008 growing season that experienced dramatic rise and drops in harvest prices and expensive fuel prices making harvesting nearly 12% more expensive than previous years. In the first week of January, USDA estimated that 29% of the Midwestern corn crops were STILL in the fields. That is the demise of our nation’s corn crops this year resulting in anticipated high prices with high demand. http://www.commodityonline.com/crops-weather/IowaIllinois-corn-harvests-extend-to-December-2009-12-03-23491-3-1.html The domino effect continues as late corn and soybean harvests delay winter planting as well.
So, how does all of this translate into for your preparedness efforts? Understand how your food production is reliant on a system as equally tenable as a tightrope act. Pay attention to how the key players are affected so that you can strategically acquire necessary goods before the price hikes come into affect. Attempt to eliminate any food scenarios in which you’re wholly reliant on what is given to you as opposed to what you really want for your family. Become as self-reliant for your nutrition and medical needs as possible. It’s primarily a matter of education and planning.
In parting, I just had another thought. What if 90% of our corn crop were infiltrated solely with genetically modified seed like the soy crops have been? Hmm…
Copyright 2010 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to www.PreparednessPro.com & Kellene Bishop.
* 5 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided I use less…diet you know!
* 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided
* 1 large or 2 small to medium onions, finely chopped, divided
* 1 small carrot, finely chopped or grated
* Salt and pepper
* 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano or marjoram, half a palmful
* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1/3 palmful
* 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed by pressing under flat of your knife
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, 5 to 6 sprigs
* 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup dry white or red wine (or chicken stock, but the alcohol cooks out anyway)
* 2 cups chicken stock
* 2 28-ounce cans Italian crushed tomatoes
* 1 pound medium or large shell pasta (not extra-large stuffing shells, I used corkscrew, worked great!)
* 2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in clean towel
* Freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/4 teaspoon
* 2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
* 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus some to pass at table
* 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten (I used egg beaters, no difference except calories and it was cheaper because of sales)
Yields: Serves 4-6
Preparation
In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add 4 cloves of chopped garlic, 3/4 of finely chopped onion and the carrot. Season with salt, pepper, oregano or marjoram, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds and thyme, and gently sauté 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in parsley, stir, then add wine and reduce a minute. Add stock and tomatoes, bring sauce up to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer sauce 45 minutes.
After sauce has been simmering for 30 minutes, preheat oven to 375˚F.
Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt water and cook pasta 5 minutes.
While pasta water comes to a boil, heat remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO in a small skillet over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and onion and sauté to soften, 5 minutes. Add spinach, pulling it apart and separating it as you add it to pan. Stir to combine well and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Turn off heat.
Drain undercooked pasta and return it to the hot pot. Add spinach mixture to pot along with ricotta and grated Parm. Stir to combine, adjust salt and pepper then add eggs and stir.
Pour a thin layer of marinara sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish. Fill dish with pasta then top with another thin layer of red sauce. Save remaining sauce to pass at table. Bake 30 minutes until bubbly.
Serve casserole directly from casserole dish, passing extra sauce and cheese at the table.
This is a great, figure-friendly substitute for eggplant parm. The flavors are all there, but the fat is not!
To roast the eggplant: Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut eggplants in half, drizzle with a little EVOO (I brush it on with a brush to use less) and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place eggplants on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven for about 45 minutes, until tender and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound penne rigate pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus additional for drizzling I USE LESS!
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 6 leaves basil, torn or chopped
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Yields: 6 servings
Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add salt and the penne and cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions.
Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
While the onions and garlic are cooking, scoop the eggplant flesh from the skin and mash with a fork in a bowl. Add the mashed eggplant to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Add the crushed tomatoes and the torn basil. Add the penne to the skillet along with the Parmigiano Reggiano and mix thoroughly to combine.
Here is an absolute family favorite milk shake recipe using dried milk. My kids LOVE IT! It’s a lot like a Wendy’s frosty. Some say make it chocolatier, but if you add more cocoa powder, you have to add LOTS more sugar, so get ready for that. The great thing about this recipe is that the milk is fat free and so you can add your favorite sweetner, whether it be natural sugar, stevia or whatever and you can have a healthy shake, using your food storage and have ICE CREAM like stuff for family night without having to buy it and with saving TONS of money. So many of you have tried this recipe and RAVED over it, try it! Also try adding things like frozen banana or other fruits to make it even yummier, healthier-also, use flax seed oil for your emulsifier and you have just fed your family omega 3’s-important stuff!
Dry Milk MILKSHAKES
- 1-1/2 to 2 cups ice water
- 1-1/2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 to 1-1/2 trays of ice cubes, as much as you can spare
- 2 tablespoons corn oil plus a 5-second squirt of non-stick spray for emulsification purposes
Place all of the ingredients into the blender, including the oil and the non-stick spray. Use less water for thicker milk shakes and more water for shakes that are easy on your blender motor. The blender should be about 3/4's full. Place the lid on. Process for a full 2 minutes. Pour into cups and serve. Makes 4 - 12oz servings. For preparation tips please see below.
I love this recipe because it makes very rich milk shakes without any ice cream. I don't always have ice cream in the house because the kids eat it so fast. With this recipe we can have delicious frosty milk shakes for a fraction of the cost of those using ice cream. And all the ingredients are on the pantry shelf.
Reader's Tip: A reader named Chris made these with Splenda replacing the sugar measure for measure and said they turned out perfectly. If you like Splenda, then this tip would be a great way to reduce the calories and make them sugar-free. Thanks for sharing Chris!
Variations:
I love this recipe because it makes very rich milk shakes without any ice cream. I don't always have ice cream in the house because the kids eat it so fast. With this recipe we can have delicious frosty milk shakes for a fraction of the cost of those using ice cream. And all the ingredients are on the pantry shelf.
Reader's Tip: A reader named Chris made these with Splenda replacing the sugar measure for measure and said they turned out perfectly. If you like Splenda, then this tip would be a great way to reduce the calories and make them sugar-free. Thanks for sharing Chris!
Variations:
- Add 1 tablespoon of instant postum for a mocha shake
- Add 1 very ripe banana for a chocolate banana shake
- Add a big spoonful of peanut butter for a decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake.
- Add a few broken red and white candy mints for a refreshing Chocolate Mint shake.
- To make Vanilla Milk Shakes, omit the cocoa powder, reduce the sugar to 1/2-cup and add 1 tablespoon (yes a full tablespoon) of vanilla flavoring. For a french vanilla milk shake crack in an egg too.
And finally, I know you all have grateful hearts for our service men and women, so here is an easy way to demonstrate it and give a lift to some battle weary soldiers. If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq . You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services. Thank you XEROX!
There's an old saying by Mark Twain that says...
"If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is eat a live frog, then nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day!"
An excerpt from Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy
Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now. (Alan Lakein)
Here is a great rule for success: (For getting your Preparedness Pantry/Storage started and completed!)
Think on paper.
Only about 3% of adults have clear, written goals. These people accomplish five or ten times as much as people of equal or better education and ability but who, for whatever reason, have never taken the time to write out exactly what they want.
Step one: Decide exactly what you want. Decide for yourself which goals and objectives you want and in what order of priority.
Step two: Write it down. Think on paper. When you write down a goal, you crystallize it and give it tangible form. You create something that you can touch and see. If it is not written it is only a wish and has no energy behind it.
Step three: Set a deadline on your goal; set sub deadlines if necessary. A goal or decision without a deadline has no urgency. Without a definite deadline, you will naturally procrastinate and get very little done.
Step four: Make a list of everything that you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal. As you think of new activities, add them to your list. A list gives you a visual picture of the larger task or objective.
Step five: Organize the list into a plan. Organize your list by priority and sequence. What do you need to do first.
Step six: Take action on your plan immediately. Do something. Do anything. An average plan vigorously executed is far better than a brilliant plan on which nothing is done.
Step seven: Resolve to do something every single day that moves you toward your major goal. You may decide to read about the project. You may decide to make worksheets to help with the project. Whatever it is, don't miss a day.
Keep pushing forward. Once you start moving, keep moving. Don't stop. this decision can dramatically increase your speed of accomplishing your goal and boost your productivity.
Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement. The bigger your goals and the clearer they are, the more excited you become about achieving them. The more you think about your goals, the greater your desire to accomplish them.
As we have heard before... "Just Do It"
So What Do We Do?
In 2007, the First Presidency said, "We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances.”
At the most recent General Conference, the voice of warning was notably apparent. President Thomas S. Monson said, “We live at a time when many in the world have slipped from the moorings of safety…” President Deiter F. Uchtdorf referred to “these challenging times.” Elder Todd Christofferson spoke of “a disintegrating society” and “perilous times”.
How much more warning to we need? A favorite verse of modern day scripture, for me, is Doctrine & Covenants 88:119. Though speaking of a temple, it may hold special relevance to each of us for our own house: “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.”
There are a host of actions we each should be taking to establish houses of order, but these seem especially urgent:
- Pay careful heed to the Prophet and Apostles!
- Immediately begin to live below your present income. Get serious. Spend less than you make.
- Do not make purchases with debt.
- Reduce debt as quickly as possible, paying off highest interest-rate obligations first.
- Spend wisely and only for necessities.
- Set aside something every month into a rainy day fund.
- Rejoice in your progress.
- Get involved in your community, state, and nation. Become knowledgeable about government spending proposals, and speak up.
© 1999-2009 Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
And last but not least,
put together at least a three month to a year’s supply of preparedness materials. God is no less absent from our own preparedness efforts than he was with Joseph in Egypt, Moses, or Noah. Can any of us truly doubt that He has no interest in our own well being, safety and survival today than He did in days past? At least our “ark making activities” today are aided by YouTube, Google, e-mail, blogs, and enormous libraries everywhere. We don’t exactly have to hike 100 miles to obtain “seed of every kind.” We certainly have a lot more conveniences in taking care of our stewardships today than any man or woman before us. So, let’s stop making excuses of ANY kind, and just get it done. Time, food prices, world conditions, weather, reality, etc. are definitely NOT on our side folks. But we can still be victorious over the Pharaohs and floods in our life if we’ll just kick it in gear and get it done. Of this I am certain.
Copyright 2010 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.
Self-Reliance - the Lord’s Way
By Carolyn Nicolaysen
By Carolyn Nicolaysen
Down through the ages, prophets have called us to action – to prepare ourselves and our families both spiritually and temporally for tests and opposition. While Noah called the world to repent, he and his family followed God’s command to build an Ark. And Joseph with his coat of many colors was first betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery, then became a ruler of Egypt - eventually ruling over his brothers, and saving their families temporally through his provident leadership.
While protestors today still chant “Give Peace a Chance!”, few in the world are willing to follow the counsel of modern prophets that real peace can be found through preparing ourselves spiritually to rely on God, and working temporally to be self-reliant. As President Ezra Taft Benson said, the world has it backward – advocating that man should be independent of God, while making a claim on government for temporal support.
For the past year I have encouraged readers of my blog to look at their home inventory of food and supplies as a kind of “General Store”. Why a General Store? A couple generations ago, a General Store was the source of all the basic goods required to care for and sustain a family. A General Store stocked food, clothing, fabric, gardening tools, seeds, medications, shoes - everything you needed. There was a post office tucked in one corner and often a bank in another.
You too can create a General Store in your home and become ready for whatever may come. What can you do to get started?
1. Think of this project as self-reliance, not just emergency preparedness or food storage. It is only through being self-reliant that we are truly prepared to care for our families, and sometimes others as well.
2. Self-Reliance is more than food storage. Think back to our General Store. It is food, camping supplies in case of a disaster which drives us from our home, car kits in case we become stranded while traveling, 72 hour kits in case we need to flee quickly, stamps, cash, first aid, and medical supplies. If you are currently serving in Scouting, you may want to begin with items you can use while on scout outings, such as a camp stove. Camp stoves are a must have during any power outage, and part of a great General Store.
3. It doesn't matter where or how you begin, just begin. The Lord will bless your efforts if you will just show your commitment by taking a first step, then a second. Purchase just two or three extra cans of food each week. Ask for camping supplies or a Dutch oven for your birthday or anniversary.
4. You are the best judge of what to stock. No one knows better than you how your family eats, what your job situation is, or what natural disasters may occur in your area. If your family loves peaches and doesn't like apricots, don't store apricots. I have seen charts that tell you to store 5 gallons of oil per person. I wouldn't use that much oil in ten years, no less one, but you may. Make a list of the foods your family likes and start there to build a three month supply. Don't forget spices and condiments which make an ordinary meal extraordinary.
5. Once you have decided which foods you want to store, begin stocking your store with a three month supply of those foods. Think about your storage in terms of the food pyramid. Store foods from each food group: fruit and vegetables, meat (proteins), dairy, and grains. If you don't know how to cook with wheat don't store wheat, at least not until you learn how to use it, but store other grains. The Church has never told us what we need to store, they have only made suggestions based on foods that are inexpensive, nutritious, and have a long shelf life. You must consider for yourself such issues as food allergies, food preferences and your ability to prepare items – thus, which foods to store. A dairy farmer would probably not store much powdered milk. You can have an excellent food store plan without a bean in sight.
6. Complete a three month supply of the foods you eat before beginning on your long term storage. Having three months of foodstuffs stored allows you time to plant and harvest fruits and veggies to supplement your long term storage. Remember the seeds I mentioned that you could always purchase at a General Store? Three months also allows you time to begin incorporating more of your long term storage items into your everyday diet.
7. Avoid debt. You should not go into debt for food storage or other items needed for your General Store. There are many ways to reduce spending and shop wisely to get everything you may need. Once self-reliance becomes a priority, the possibilities will begin to be obvious.
8. It is important to have some cash on hand. During a true emergency, banks may close and credit cards may become useless without the electricity to run card processing equipment. Again, start small and avoid the temptation to spend that pocket change. Do you realize if you began saving just $10.00 per week, right now, by Thanksgiving you would have enough money to pay for your Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve parties in cash! Every time you skip a meal out and eat at home instead, place the money you would have spent in a special jar and don't touch it!
9. Educate yourself. There are many great books, forums, websites and blogs which can help. There are experts in your own ward and stake - ask them for help.
10. Be prayerful. Heavenly Father has always helped those who have made the sacrifice and commitment to live his counsel. He will help you too.
11. Never give up. If you get discouraged, ask for help. If money runs low, adjust your purchasing and/or re-examine your spending habits.
This Christmas we had a group of Young Single Adults in our home for an evening of gift wrapping. The YSA branch provides Christmas gifts for a few families in need every year, and this year we had seven families. We gathered in our home to wrap the gifts. As we proceeded, we realized some children in one family received great gifts while others might feel overlooked. As we began to make a list of things we would have to purchase, I retrieved a few boxes of new gifts stored in my attic. These were items I purchased at 60-90% off and stored for just such an occasion. By the time we finished, we had fabulous gifts for all and were left with just two gift cards to purchase to fill in the gaps. As we cleaned up the wrapping paper, one of the young men looked at me and said, "This is what preparedness really means, isn't it?"
Those gifts I had stored had nothing to do with a natural disaster or emergency, but they were of great value in caring for the needs of others who were experiencing stress in their lives. I did not need to write a big check or do last minute shopping, my General Store met the need.
As Heavenly Father's children, those who live provident lives are among the most blessed. Ancient and modern prophets have warned that tough times will come. Surely, they will. Yet, we can live with a feeling of peace in our homes during such times if we take care to follow the steps that lead to self-reliance in temporal matters, and reliance upon God for spiritual understanding and comfort. The choices are up to us, for he trusts us to choose well.
While protestors today still chant “Give Peace a Chance!”, few in the world are willing to follow the counsel of modern prophets that real peace can be found through preparing ourselves spiritually to rely on God, and working temporally to be self-reliant. As President Ezra Taft Benson said, the world has it backward – advocating that man should be independent of God, while making a claim on government for temporal support.
For the past year I have encouraged readers of my blog to look at their home inventory of food and supplies as a kind of “General Store”. Why a General Store? A couple generations ago, a General Store was the source of all the basic goods required to care for and sustain a family. A General Store stocked food, clothing, fabric, gardening tools, seeds, medications, shoes - everything you needed. There was a post office tucked in one corner and often a bank in another.
You too can create a General Store in your home and become ready for whatever may come. What can you do to get started?
1. Think of this project as self-reliance, not just emergency preparedness or food storage. It is only through being self-reliant that we are truly prepared to care for our families, and sometimes others as well.
2. Self-Reliance is more than food storage. Think back to our General Store. It is food, camping supplies in case of a disaster which drives us from our home, car kits in case we become stranded while traveling, 72 hour kits in case we need to flee quickly, stamps, cash, first aid, and medical supplies. If you are currently serving in Scouting, you may want to begin with items you can use while on scout outings, such as a camp stove. Camp stoves are a must have during any power outage, and part of a great General Store.
3. It doesn't matter where or how you begin, just begin. The Lord will bless your efforts if you will just show your commitment by taking a first step, then a second. Purchase just two or three extra cans of food each week. Ask for camping supplies or a Dutch oven for your birthday or anniversary.
4. You are the best judge of what to stock. No one knows better than you how your family eats, what your job situation is, or what natural disasters may occur in your area. If your family loves peaches and doesn't like apricots, don't store apricots. I have seen charts that tell you to store 5 gallons of oil per person. I wouldn't use that much oil in ten years, no less one, but you may. Make a list of the foods your family likes and start there to build a three month supply. Don't forget spices and condiments which make an ordinary meal extraordinary.
5. Once you have decided which foods you want to store, begin stocking your store with a three month supply of those foods. Think about your storage in terms of the food pyramid. Store foods from each food group: fruit and vegetables, meat (proteins), dairy, and grains. If you don't know how to cook with wheat don't store wheat, at least not until you learn how to use it, but store other grains. The Church has never told us what we need to store, they have only made suggestions based on foods that are inexpensive, nutritious, and have a long shelf life. You must consider for yourself such issues as food allergies, food preferences and your ability to prepare items – thus, which foods to store. A dairy farmer would probably not store much powdered milk. You can have an excellent food store plan without a bean in sight.
6. Complete a three month supply of the foods you eat before beginning on your long term storage. Having three months of foodstuffs stored allows you time to plant and harvest fruits and veggies to supplement your long term storage. Remember the seeds I mentioned that you could always purchase at a General Store? Three months also allows you time to begin incorporating more of your long term storage items into your everyday diet.
7. Avoid debt. You should not go into debt for food storage or other items needed for your General Store. There are many ways to reduce spending and shop wisely to get everything you may need. Once self-reliance becomes a priority, the possibilities will begin to be obvious.
8. It is important to have some cash on hand. During a true emergency, banks may close and credit cards may become useless without the electricity to run card processing equipment. Again, start small and avoid the temptation to spend that pocket change. Do you realize if you began saving just $10.00 per week, right now, by Thanksgiving you would have enough money to pay for your Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve parties in cash! Every time you skip a meal out and eat at home instead, place the money you would have spent in a special jar and don't touch it!
9. Educate yourself. There are many great books, forums, websites and blogs which can help. There are experts in your own ward and stake - ask them for help.
10. Be prayerful. Heavenly Father has always helped those who have made the sacrifice and commitment to live his counsel. He will help you too.
11. Never give up. If you get discouraged, ask for help. If money runs low, adjust your purchasing and/or re-examine your spending habits.
This Christmas we had a group of Young Single Adults in our home for an evening of gift wrapping. The YSA branch provides Christmas gifts for a few families in need every year, and this year we had seven families. We gathered in our home to wrap the gifts. As we proceeded, we realized some children in one family received great gifts while others might feel overlooked. As we began to make a list of things we would have to purchase, I retrieved a few boxes of new gifts stored in my attic. These were items I purchased at 60-90% off and stored for just such an occasion. By the time we finished, we had fabulous gifts for all and were left with just two gift cards to purchase to fill in the gaps. As we cleaned up the wrapping paper, one of the young men looked at me and said, "This is what preparedness really means, isn't it?"
Those gifts I had stored had nothing to do with a natural disaster or emergency, but they were of great value in caring for the needs of others who were experiencing stress in their lives. I did not need to write a big check or do last minute shopping, my General Store met the need.
As Heavenly Father's children, those who live provident lives are among the most blessed. Ancient and modern prophets have warned that tough times will come. Surely, they will. Yet, we can live with a feeling of peace in our homes during such times if we take care to follow the steps that lead to self-reliance in temporal matters, and reliance upon God for spiritual understanding and comfort. The choices are up to us, for he trusts us to choose well.
For help in meeting your self reliance goals join Carolyn on her blog at: blog.TotallyReady.com and her discussion group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady
Have a question? Contact Carolyn at: Carolyn@TotallyReady.com
Have a question? Contact Carolyn at: Carolyn@TotallyReady.com
© 1999-2008 Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
The Importance of Commitment in Achieving Success with New Year’s Resolutions and Other Goals
Ok, so you turn the calendar to a New Year and suddenly you think something should change. You’ll get those pesky 20 pounds off once and for all! Or you’ll definitely get promoted or change jobs this year. Or perhaps this is the year you will have a better relationship with your spouse – or your kids – or your parents… OR This is the year I will be prepared as directed by the Lord!
The list goes on and on. But, as we all know, even with the best intentions, New Years Resolutions fade after a few short weeks – if not a few days!
There are several reasons for this.
- Most of the resolutions we make for ourselves at New Years are not real goals but rather they are “shoulds”. You “should” lose those few pounds. You “should” be promoted. You “should” make amends with your mother. You “should” treat your husband or wife better. You “should” quit smoking. You "should" get started on your 3 month supply.
But you don’t really want to.
- Perhaps you’re really not clear about what it will actually take for you to succeed at the resolution. This means you don’t have a clear plan of action outlining the necessary steps required.
If you don’t know what to do, how can you expect to follow through?
- Change requires effort. It requires that you change something about yourself, not just your circumstance. You generally have to improve and develop yourself in order to make the change happen.
And you don’t want to do the work. Not a bad thing – this is not about judging you. The reality is simply that you are not yet willing to do the work required to make the change. It’s much easier to accept this about yourself rather than give yourself a hard time.
- Many goals - especially New Year’s resolutions - are often made abruptly, without much thought or visioning.
Setting a goal or making a New Year’s Resolution needs to be done with thought and consideration. Choosing the wrong goal based on someone else’s ideas of who you should be or made out of guilt or shame will not be enough of a motivator to get you off your duff to do the work needed to accomplish your goal.
So what DOES it take to achieve success with your New Year’s Resolutions? Well, with any goal there is ONE KEY INGREDIENT that can make or break your success.
COMMITMENT.
If you are committed, then you will take the necessary steps to achieve success.
With commitment, it’s easy to give up the junk food.
With commitment, you are willing to learn and practice using empathy with your spouse or your mother. With commitment, you are willing to learn what it takes to get promoted – even return to college for additional educate if needed. You’ll do whatever it takes.
With commitment, you can get your 3 month supply and work it up to a year supply!!!
But without commitment, it’s not a Resolution OR a goal; it’s a wish.
And without commitment, you will torment yourself with negative comments “See, you will never lose those 20 pounds. Your marriage will always be just mediocre – it will never be amazing. You’ll never be able to get that promotion.” "My preparedness plans are no good". Blah blah blah
So if you really want to improve your life in some way this year, take the time to choose what you will commit to. If there is something in your life you really want, then commit to doing whatever it takes.
Do you have the necessary resources – the time, energy, and perhaps finances? Is this worthwhile for you? What will you gain? What will you have to give up? How will this add value to your life?
Be grateful for what you are today and for all you have to enjoy. And when you are ready to commit to a change, go for it with everything you’ve got. And I’ll bet not only will you succeed, but you’ll enjoy the process of getting there.
By Julie Fuimano, Personal Development Expert & Success Coach
Remember to listen to the prophets! They are telling you what the Lord would have us do. If you are prepared, there is no need to fear! Prepare Spiritually as well as Temporally!
If any of you are interested....
From Preparedness Pro website:
You have now been robbed of all of your excuses for not getting better prepared for life’s everyday and future challenges. Your claim of “death by boredom” isn’t valid anymore. You can’t claim that preparedness is irrelevant or simply not necessary. And you can’t blame your lack of preparedness on time, enjoyment, comfort, or attractive aesthetics. And sorry, you simply can no longer exclaim, like they do in Maine, “You can’t get there from here.” How did all of your excuses just get sucked down a cavernous black hole? Preparedness Pro is FINALLY offering the training events to you via webinar! And if you haven’t heard, these classes are actually fun, practical, realistic, flavorful, and simple. These excuses will no longer work, I’m afraid…
1) I’ve been crushed by my year’s supply of wheat and can’t get to the phone
2) I used Diatomaceous earth instead of flour in my pancakes and am now currently indisposed in the bathroom without internet access.
3) I have narcolepsy and Alzheimer’s…I have narcolepsy and Alzheimer’s…
4) My contractions are now 1 minute apart
5) “Oh, Vitamin D3? I thought you suggested Tylenol 3.”
6) I work for FEMA and don’t want to get caught listening to your common sense.
7) I’ve already bailed out of society and thus have no internet or telephone coverage…in fact, I no longer exist.
I’m actually just plain stubborn and bullheaded when it comes to preparedness.
We’ve been trying to meet your requests for training outside of our immediate demographic for some time now. And finally it’s close enough that I can actually announce it. I have been busting at the seams to tell everyone and their psychologist, but I promised myself I would do it the last day of this month. After writing and more writing, coordinating, and…well, never mind all of that…—I finally am able to announce to you that Preparedness Pro will be holding LIVE webinars for you about every other week for the next several months. (More likely to be more frequent as opposed to less.) Each week will be a new topic, so you won’t get any “reruns.”
Preparedness Pro webinars--coming soon to all locations! photo c/o mymangosteen.com
Through webinar technology, you’ll be able to listen to the live class via the speakers on your computer and you’ll also get to see the visuals that go along with it on your computer screen. (For those of you who don’t know, webinars are kind of like a tele-conference, but with pictures and sometimes a videocam.) All you’ll have to do is sign up for the particular webinar you’re interested in when it’s announced to you via e-mail—just follow the directions therein—and then you’ll be sent the access code, URL, and even a phone number too in case you want to listen over the phone instead of through your computer. In my opinion though, the best part will be that you’ll be able to “raise your hand” and ask a question just like you would in one of my classroom environments. The technology that’s available today is pretty darn cool.
The classes offered will be just like the ones that I’ve been offering live—except that I haven’t yet figured out a way to actually feed you my freshly cooked samples in the virtual world. Sorry about that. But hey, perhaps I can finally at least make use of this webcam that’s on my computer. (Dang, now I’ll have to actually shower and put makeup on.) Regardless, I’m confident that all of the participants will enjoy these classes just as much as the others have over the last year—meaning some will love them and keep bringing more friends to the next one, some will feel like they need to take a Xanax, and some will never come back. *grin*
When you attend the webinar, you will also receive the extensive resource guide that we provide to our participants as well. This provides you with additional information that may not have been covered, vendor resources, recipes, and additional helpful URLs. However, keep in mind that the only way you can obtain these resource guides is if you are able to attend the training event.
So, here’s the upcoming schedule of eight different classes for now. I selected the 8 best ones that are the most packed with info and which can still be effectively taught using the webinar forum. We’ll be holding these webinars over the next 10 weeks. Of course, it is subject to change based on the interference of real life, adding additional classes, or the occasional occurrence of a seismic earthquake.
10 Areas of Preparedness©
UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage©
Water Wisdom©
Lights Out, Now What? ©
The Wonderful World of Wheat©
Fabulous Freeze-Dried Fare©
Survival Sanitation©
Solar Oven Success©
I know that one of the first questions that you folks will be asking is whether or not we’ll be offering a recording of these webinars. At this juncture, no, we won’t. We have other plans for that in the future. You may also want to know whether or not there will be a charge for the webinar. Why yes, yes there will. It will be a whomping $7 for two hours of training with me. And of course, you can have more than one person gathered around your computer for the training. Surely learning this kind of information, live, from a professional consultant (who can even be funny occasionally) is worth at least that–considering that minimum wage is more than twice that amount. I figure that since I’m saving you money on a babysitter, charging less than the cost of going to a movie (which has very little potential to improve your preparedness efforts), as well as saving you a substantial amount of fuel by not having to drive all the way to Utah just to come to one of our events, then it’s well worth it. And besides, you can attend in your PJs! What I wouldn’t pay some days to be able to attend a conference while curled up in my PJs with a bowl of buttered popcorn and Junior Mints. Someone ought to start marketing those kinds of conferences. *grin* Oh, and you won’t have to listen to anybody coughing or screaming, nor will you have to deal with over-sugared kids, sitting by someone who has a difference of opinion about personal hygiene than you do, or even have to endure those uncomfortable folding chairs. Woohoo! Rain, sleet, snow or traffic jams need not deter you in your quest for quality preparedness information
All of the technical gobblety gook of registering for each class and paying your shipping and handling fee (just kidding) will be placed on our website over the weekend so that you can begin registering for the classes of your choice. The first class, “10 Areas of Preparedness” will be held within the week of us finally getting the HTML code loaded, so you won’t have to wait long. I have to say, after all of the e-mails from you folks beating up on me—with love of course—I’m really excited to finally make this a reality!
Copyright 2010 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to www.PreparednessPro.com & Kellene Bishop.
Homemade Hand Sanitizer!
by Barbara Sweet
by Barbara Sweet
With new diseases appearing each day, it’s
important to keep your child’s hands clean and
germ free. As a parent, you want to do everything
possible to ensure your child stays healthy,
especially when a contagious virus spreads. With
the most recent outbreaks of the Swine Flu virus,
you may be rushing to the store to stock up on
hand sanitizer. Instead, try this activity where
you’ll make your very own personal sanitizer! It’s
easy enough for your child to help you with, which
means she’ll be more willing to use it and remain
healthy.
What You Need:
important to keep your child’s hands clean and
germ free. As a parent, you want to do everything
possible to ensure your child stays healthy,
especially when a contagious virus spreads. With
the most recent outbreaks of the Swine Flu virus,
you may be rushing to the store to stock up on
hand sanitizer. Instead, try this activity where
you’ll make your very own personal sanitizer! It’s
easy enough for your child to help you with, which
means she’ll be more willing to use it and remain
healthy.
What You Need:
* 1/3 cup of aloe Vera gel
* 2/3 cup of 99% rubbing alcohol
* 8-10 drops of essential oil (such as
vanilla, lavender, grapefruit, peppermint, etc.)
* One small mixing bowl and spoon
* Recycled liquid soap bottle
* Funnel
* 2/3 cup of 99% rubbing alcohol
* 8-10 drops of essential oil (such as
vanilla, lavender, grapefruit, peppermint, etc.)
* One small mixing bowl and spoon
* Recycled liquid soap bottle
* Funnel
What to Do:
1. Pick out a scented essential oil with your
child. Essential oils can usually be found at
health, beauty product, or aromatherapy stores.
2. Help your child measure out each ingredient
and pour them into the mixing bowl. Hand her a
spoon and invite her to stir carefully.
3. Put the funnel in the opening of the soap
bottle and pour the mixed ingredients into it.
4. Screw the pump back on.
child. Essential oils can usually be found at
health, beauty product, or aromatherapy stores.
2. Help your child measure out each ingredient
and pour them into the mixing bowl. Hand her a
spoon and invite her to stir carefully.
3. Put the funnel in the opening of the soap
bottle and pour the mixed ingredients into it.
4. Screw the pump back on.
Now you’re ready to battle those germs with your
own fragrant hand sanitizer!
own fragrant hand sanitizer!
