Welcome!

These monthly newsletters (from January 2011 to present) are to help us all be more prepared. They are written for the Hurricane Utah Stake (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,) but everyone is welcome to make copies. Many other groups and individuals are using them. (Note: Garden tips are for Southern Utah. You may need to adjust to fit your climate.)

Saturday, June 30, 2018

July 2018 Back to Basics Newsletter

Click here for a complete copy of the July 2018 Back to Basics Newsletter. 


This month we celebrate our freedom. Freedom is a gift from God. In 1776 when this new nation declared its independence – there were no other nations with true freedom! This “land of the free and home of the brave” is a nation truly established as God’s Promised Land. It is a land, “choice above all other lands” that we are blessed to call our home. This freedom is promised to be ours as we are righteous and serve God. This freedom that we cherish gives us many privileges. One of those is the freedom - and privilege - to Be Prepared! Some nations today do not allow this; they call storing food “hoarding” and it is against their law!  We have the freedom to show God the gratitude for our freedom by following his commandments as we cherish this free land. May we use this month to be grateful for the many freedoms we enjoy, and make sure we use our freedom wisely as we prepare “every needful thing.” Our freedom will allow us to keep home and family safe and sound – come what may!

Included in this month's newsletter:
Waste Not Want Not - Provident Living:  Cutting waste is a way we can be prepared! America wastes 40% or 133 billion pounds of food produced in the USA every year. Tips follow to avoid wasting food!
Disaster Prep - Be Ready for the Big One!  Ideas of ways you can help your family be ready for an earthquake.
Quotes from Bishop Keith McMullin and Elder Vaughn J Featherstone.
In the Southern Utah Garden:  tips for your July garden - planting, weeding, watering and spraying for insects.
To can or not to can - that is the question!  Eight reasons that canning your own produce is a good ideas!
If you are ever in a jam.... Summertime Canning! Recipes for 5 kinds of jam: Prickly Pear, Mock Raspberry, Green tomato or zuchinni, Peach Pit Jelly,  and Peach Jam.



Click here for a complete copy of the July 2018 Back to Basics Newsletter. 

Friday, June 1, 2018

June 2018 Back to Basics Newsletter

Click here for a complete copy of the June 2018 Back to Basics Newsletter.


June has arrived and with it all the things we love about summer! There is lush green grass to lie on and watch the clouds go by, or to sleep on under a bright starry night. There are trips to the pool or lake, cookouts, and cool evenings. There are fresh tomatoes, summer jobs, and summer vacations. School is out, and a different kind of learning takes place. Why not make this summer a summer of learning for all of the family? Learn more about preparedness, skills to help you be more prepared, and have fun in the process! “Summertime and the livin’ is easy” (below) gives ideas to add to your preparedness and have fun while you are at it. Preparedness is truly a way of life, not a destination we arrive at. Preparedness is provident living. We take care of our families and are as self-sufficient as we can be. And then, in turn, we are more prepared to serve others, and make their “summertime livin’” easy too!


Included in this months issue:
Summertime and the (Preparedness) Livin' is Easy!  Ideas for fun summertime activities to involve the family in adding to your preparedness and to strengthen families.
The Three Month Supply - Where to Begin:  A list of items to include as you follow the admonition of the prophet to start with a three month supply for your storage program.
In the Southern Utah Garden:  tasks for June - weeds, picking produce, items to plant, thinning fruit and pruning shrubs, spraying fruit trees, stake tomatoes, and controlling squash bugs and grape insects.
Hot Tips and June Challenges: sales on sugar, using clear jel, canners on sale, things to do with apricots, and taking inventory.
Food Storage from the garden: Using Zucchini  recipes to dry or freeze Zucchini, and canning Pineapple Zucchini or Zucchini Pickle Relish, and making fried, baked or Italian Zucchini.
Thoughts on Preparedness:  quotes from Ezra Taft Benson and George Q Cannon on the importance of being prepared.

Click here for a complete copy of the June 2018 Back to Basics Newsletter.