Prepping Mini Style Part 3

Can you tell that this is a series that could go on and on?  No matter how prepared I attempt to be, I think I will always find more items that I want/need to feel comfortable.  I guess I should be considering who should come in and retrieve the stash if I suffer some sort of untimely death.  I sure would not want this all to go to waste.  For now I will not think about that and just keep making my list, sharing my list and stock pile as much as I can towards my goal. 

As I have posted before, I am only planning on a basis of 30 days for 10 people and a few dogs.  There's not 10 people living at my home but I have a daughter who lives fairly close by, with a house full of kids and a few dogs.  I am planning, loosely, for *10.

I covered breakfast type foods in my last post, so I thought I would go to other meals.  I really want to call it lunch, just to keep my mind organized, but I realize that it would be just a joke to attempt to separate what people eat during a lunch or dinner type time.  So, this is going to be a some what longer list, that would cover both of these type meal situations.  I guess the list isn't going to be a lot longer, just more items required.  And in this post, I am only going to cover
protein. 

When watching shows like The Colony, which I found entertaining, interesting, and somewhat educational, it seemed that the groups were always in search of protein.  You will find a variety of proteins on my list that I would never eat on a daily basis.  I rarely eat meat and when I do, it will be fish or occasionally chicken.  We will all have a huge diet change when things get desperate.  Believe me, I will go as long as possible maintaining my regular diet.  A huge change would only case a person's health to be compromised.  Keep that in mind when you are making your own list.

Meats -

30 cans of tuna - since I eat a lot of tuna, I just
     keep this on my shelf and rotate with use.
 30 cans of chicken or turkey - again, I keep this
     on my shelf so that it is rotated and does not
     expire.  costco has a great deal on canned
     meats.  If you get close to your expiration
     date, you can always use these to make tacos
     or exchiladas.   
10 cans of sardines - assorted flavors. 
20 cans of beef - I also keep this on the shelf
     tho I only use it when I have company over.
     With the veggies I have in the freezer, I can
     always throw together a little beef stew in
     just minutes.  

10 jars of dried meat - I have very little use for this but I know that
     when push comes to shove, this will be nice for those who are in
     need of a protein kick.  I would go with jerky but the shelf life is
     longer.
10 packages of jerky - I know I just said that I use dried meat in
     place of the jerky but I have one grandson who loves jerky and
     keeps this rotating for me.  10 packages is safe for me.
10 packages of shelf bacon - this is not an inexpensive item. The only
     time I ever use this is when I vacation with my grand daughters
     (I do a lot of this and on a budget too!).  A couple of them love
     the bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches and  this travels well.
     Again, it is useful if you have people drop by unexpectedly. If you
     are a lover of bacon, you may check you local stores for canned
     bacon.  I believe it can be found and the drippings will be nice for
     a pot of beans.
5  packages of real bacon bits - Again, Costco has a great deal on
     these.  It is real bacon and you uses are endless; beans, salads,
     sandwiches, in eggs, etc.

Other proteins for meals -

30 pounds of beans - think I am crazy?  A pound a day is not too
     much for 10 people.  And - if things got too desperate, I would
     feed beans, with some rice, to any of the dogs.  Yeah - it may
     be a good idea to have the dogs sleeping outside, but it will fill
     their bellies.
     There are so many ways to fix your beans that you will feel like it
     is a different meal each day.  You can add in salsa, veggies, rice,
     potatoes, and the list goes on and on.  And, there are ways to fix
     your beans to make them a bit less 'gassy' for those who worry
     about that situation.   Click here to check out that little tip.
     Back to the beans - I have 20 pounds of pinto. They are available
     in bulk in many 'healthy eating' type stores and discount stores.
     Costco has large bags that will keep you at just pennies a pot.
     I also have a variety of other beans.  Great White Northerns are
     nice and also the packages of 'mixed beans' will make a well
     rounded assortment.
10 packages of instant beans - now you are thinking that this is 'bean
     over kill'.  Possibly so.  I have to take into account that  I may not
     have additional people show up.  If that were to happen, then
     having these small packages will be perfect.  I also use these when
     I go camping.  No refrigeration needed and simple and quick.
1  package of powdered soy milk - this is not the easiest thing to find
     but well worth the search.
5 cans of soy beans (edamame beans). This is not an item you will
    always find in you local grocery store.  But, it can be found in
    stores such as Sprouts and Trader Joe's.
1 pound of powdered yogurt - this is a great item for protein but
     the main reason I have this is for health reasons.  If, which is
     bound to happen, someone gets sick and just can't get their
     stomach back in shape, it could be that a little yogurt is going
     to be perfect to aid in that.  When finances allows, I may invest
     in a couple more packages of this.  It is always good to use when
     making  salad dressings and puddings.

I had already mentioned, in the earlier post called Mini Preparedness #2, that we should have a stock of powdered milk, powdered eggs and pancake mix.  All of these are also great for protein.

At this point, that kind of covers the proteins.  I will be back to fill in the gaps next week, if not sooner.  Even if you are a person who avoids carbs in your diet, you may need some of these if in an emergency situation.

* In the beginning of this post, I mentioned that I am planning for 10.  I feel I need to mention this one thing here.   Most serious preppers say that when an emergency hits, you should stay where you are, with the exception of an act of Mother Nature heading in your direction, that you could avoid by moving.  But, if there is ever another 911 or other such event, peoples reactions will be very unpredictable.  Many may panic and act irrationally.  The roads may not be a safe place to be.

Then there are people, like one of my daughters, who believes that there is safety in numbers.  She said she can be out of her house in less than 10 minutes and to my home in less than 30.  As long as she acts quick, she should be safe.  And I do live in a fairly safe area when it comes to almost every situation.

The moving thing is not what I would recommend for everyone.  Every situation will be different.  You, as a family, need to make a plan on what you would do for every possible situation.  That way, if something happens, you are not attempting to make these important decisions in a panic.

Make a plan - share with your family - write it down if it helps.

Mini Prepping - The Beginning for Me - Part One

Being prepared is a great thing.  But to what degree is a big question.  I know those who are looking at the possibility of a world wide dooms day, sort of like what you see on the television shows like The Colony.  How long could you live off the land?  How rotten is too rotten when it comes to the meat you can eat?  Would you shoot your neighbor if it meant saving your food supply?  For myself, I have to look at it a bit different.

I think about Mother Nature and the moods that she may be in.  And just how that may effect me, and my family.  If she is mildly to moderately irritated, just maybe she will throw a huge storm my way that include a tornado or two.  Leaving me without power and easy access to the outside world for many days.  I have food and water to cover me for that.  I also have a way to keep my cell phone and lap top charged for those days.  But, if Mother Nature decides to throw a huge hissy fit and, at that very moment she has a grudge on the way California is being governed, and she believes that Yuma Arizona would make for some nice beach front property, then that could be a whole other story.  Even several hundred miles inland (the new inland) could be effected for many weeks.  The later is the situation that I will prepare myself for.  Not just because I believe that there is a true possibility that California may be in trouble some day due to it's fault system, but because there are so many situations that could cause us to be in desperate times for several weeks or a month.

I call it my mini preparation.  The way my mind works, it is the only thing that I can truly grasp.  And it is a situation that I can mentally and financially deal with.  Let me share with you how I am doing this.

My first task was to ensure that I can have contact with my family and friends when necessary.  Mentally, I will need to know that their situation to function well.  I have a small power converter for my car.  So long as I keep an adequate amount of fuel in the vehicle, I can hook up my cell phone charger and my lap top to this and do the little bit of charging for minimal use.  This will work for me.  My brother has approached this a bit differently.  He has put his knowledge of solar power and his 'handy man' abilities to work and built a small recharge station.  With a solar panel built on a wooden box, he can maintain his cell phone, lap tops and other small items with the aid of the sun.  And as long as good ole' Mother Nature doesn't take that away, he  has got it made.

Next, I have made a list of items that I feel I would need for 30 days.  This is not a list just for myself, it is for the number of people who just may show up and want to be under my roof.   It is generally recommended that everyone should sit tight where they live and survive the best they can right in their homes.  I don't see that.   happening in my families situations.  So I take a random number of 10 people and a few dogs.  Yep - animals count.  Who could be comfortable leaving a family pet behind, if they didn't absolutely have to?  No one in my family.  Pets are family too. And I have about 10 family members who live some what close by.

That's how I started with my Mini Preparation.  Make a list.  Think about it a lot.  Come back in a few days and I will share the beginning of my list.