Research into the World of Prepping

I have been doing a lot of research to see how other preppers are doing their thing. It seems like prepping runs the gamut from common sense “let’s store some extra food for a simple three –day emergency” plan to all the way to “retreats in the hills fortress armed compounds.” My research has taken me from meals-ready-to-eat (MRE), to 55 gallon drums of drinking water to hydroponics (now that sounds interesting), and then the multi-mega buck ($$$$$) let us plan your survival needs for you companies. I have eaten MREs and they are ok for filling your gut but I am sort of used to my own cooking, and the same goes for those companies who want to sell me a year’s supply of food for a gazillion dollars. The hydroponics thing about growing my own veggies and stuff inside has possibilities but this topic needs a lot more delving into before I go down that path.

Still not sure for how far out I am planning and then there is the question of just what am I planning for? I am still keeping to my original idea of planning my storage by the meal. Not only can I track what I need to buy for each meal, I can also be conscientious about nutritional requirements. Pretty sure that any disaster which will make me break into my storage plan is going to stress my body and I will need to at least meet recommended daily vitamin and mineral requirements. I am looking for a chart that spells that out clearly…maybe something by age group or whatever.

I have looked at the methods of storage too. Dehydrated, frozen, canned and a combination of all three. Wow, those companies that offer dehydrated stuff sell some pretty exotic stuff; imagine dehydrated beef stew or beef stroganoff. I have a dehydrator but it is a little late in the season to be jumping on board this bus now. Looking into a company that offers dehydrated veggies, powdered eggs and milk for cooking. And of course, the ever popular canned foods. Still thinking that my storage plan is going to work an angle that includes all of these methods.

I put together my first entrée that I am going to include as a meal in my storage plan. Its easy to fix, ingredients can be easily stored, and it is nutritious. My first attempt!! I altered a recipe to include canned products, samples of dehydrated veggies, some frozen ingredients and normal pantry stuff. I made a Tuna Casserole, and here is how I prepared it.

Tuna Noodle Bake
Ingredients
1 small package of noodles, cooked and drained
2 small cans of mushrooms, drained
1/3 cup chopped green peppers (I regularly chop and flash freeze green peppers)
1 ½ cup chopped onions (dehydrated sample) Odd looking critters. Need to be rehydrated!!
2 small cans of tuna, drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice (trust me it adds a special zing to the recipe)
¾ cup mayonnaise (looking into how to make my own)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I regularly freeze shredded cheese, works great)

Instructions
Cook noodles as directed. Saute onions and green pepper until soft, add mushrooms and tuna. Pour lemon juice over primarily the tuna. Drain noodles. Put noodles back into pan, add the onions, peppers, mushrooms, and tuna to the noodles. Feel free to add salt and pepper to your taste. Add mayonnaise to the mixture. Place in a greased 9X 13 pan. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Bought a new sewing machine, nice automatic fancy stitches I am sure I will never use. Gee, they make them with automatic needle threaders too!! Joann’s Fabrics had a great deal on patterns. Have already made two tops, and have material for three trousers for myself. Not sure I see myself making clothes for my blondguy. Just refreshing my sewing skills. Sure glad I learned to sew as a kid. I am thinking about putting aside some material for the future too. Thinking about PJs, quilts and the like.

Oh, worked on another reason everyone should be planning for the future. Actually, this scenario just helps convince me that my prepping is a good thing. This scenario is being faced by more and more people on a daily basis.

Scenario Two:

You are the shift supervisor for a company that produces widgets, and you have just come out of a crisis management meeting. Production of widgets will have to stop until more toggles for the widgets can arrive. The workers at the company which makes the toggles for the widgets have decided to go on strike for more benefits. Employees and management are taking a hard-line on the benefits issue, and it looks like a protracted strike. Behind the scene negotiations are not going well at all. The toggle company is one of a kind; no one else makes any type of toggle that can be substituted. If there are no toggles, there will be no widgets. The production line will shut down, and all employees will be laid off until the strike is resolved. A similar strike ten years ago lasted 16 weeks, and when the strike was over many workers never returned to work at either company.



I see lack of income for the essentials of life. I see bills piling up once the pay checks stop coming. I owe a monthly mortage payment and utilities, and I have these covered for at least six months, and I am working to make this a greater part of my savings plan. And now I am working to have a food storage plan. I use my credit card for gasoline, and pay it off monthly. I am paying ahead on my car insurance. There are just soooo many things to consider.



Give me some input. What is everyone else doing? What key elements am I missing in my planning efforts.