August 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter

 

Click here for a complete copy of the August 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter.

August is the month the dog days of summer start to wrap up, school starts in many areas, and we fit in those last swim days before fall arrives. The garden is in full production but slows a bit in the heat. The days begin to shorten enough that, if it’s not too hot, sitting in the backyard to star gaze is the perfect way to end a day. August is a great time, amidst the back-to-school shopping sales and excursions, to keep your eyes out for ways to add to your food storage. If you are growing your own, there are a lot of items to bottle, freeze, or dry. Or try one of the many local farms selling fruits, vegetables, and beef. We can take advantage of the opportunities to add to our preparedness this month. Like the song says, “Today while the sun shines, work with a will…(and) your duty fulfill.” A little work today will pay when the storms of life arrive. It is our duty to care for our loved ones! Let us Be Prepared!

Included in this month's newsletter:

Refueling -  tips for storing fuel for emergencies. There are laws on amounts you can store, and standard colors of containers for different types. Read more tips to be safe.

Provident Living - A penny saved is a penny earned - recipes for homemade ice packs, and tips for removing wax, crayon and ink.

Spiritual Preparedness: Words for the Wise - a quote from President Benson to encourage us to be prepared.

In the Southern Utah Garden -  tips for planting, getting rid of garden pests, and picking pears.

Using the Harvest -  instructions and recipes for tomato powder, hot pepper mix, refrigerator pickles, and Salsa.

Dress Ups! - Expanded Secondary Storage -  Dress up basic storage items with supplemental foods. A list of items to enhance the quality and variety of you meals.

The Golden Rule of Food Storage - store what you eat and eat what you store.

QR code -  for easy online access to newsletters.

 Click here for a complete copy of the August 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter.

July 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter

 Click here for a complete copy of the July 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter.

July is the month we celebrate our heritage. The founding fathers of this nation and our pioneer ancestors made many sacrifices for us to have the life we enjoy today. Someone else tamed the land, harnessed the water, and built the roads. Our forefathers exerted great faith as they left their homelands across the sea or joined in a wagon train headed for unchartered territory. Their faith is an example for us to follow. Do you have the faith to follow in their footsteps? It took faith for the children of Israel to have a “Sabbatical Year” when every 7 years they let the land rest – which meant no crops! They must have set aside plenty of supplies to make it through that year. It took faith to board a ship and cross an ocean, or to pack up a wagon with supplies to last over 1000 miles and hope it was enough to feed a family. And it takes faith today to line your storage shelves with food and supplies to be prepared for unknown storms to come. Is your faith sufficient to trust in the Lord and follow his counsel to Be Prepared? Let us celebrate this patriotic and heritage filled month by having the faith to Be Prepared!

Included in this month's newsletter: 

USA 250 - Provident Living and Heritage Activities - ideas to find out about your revolutionary war and pioneer ancestors, and what skills they had that you can implement today to help be prepared!

Disaster Prep - Summer Power Outages!  A list of things to help you be prepared for any power outages over the hot summer months, and with wildfire rolling outages a strong possibility.

In the Southern Utah Garden - tips for planting, watering and caring for your July garden.

Using the Harvest - Everything's Peachy!  Ideas of ways to preserve and use the peach harvest, including recipes for jam, peach cobblers and peach crisp.

Preparedness Counsel - from the Past - A quote from Elder L Tom Perry with counsel on obtaining a reserve of food, supplies, clothing, and savings - to prepare for the future.

Spiritual Preparedness -  in honor of a patriotic month - a focus on a patriotic God centered scripture!

QR code - An easy quick link to the online newsletters.

Click here for a complete copy of the July 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter.

June 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter

 Click here for a complete copy of the June 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter.

The month of June is famous for weddings, no school, flag day, lots of missionaries heading out, and pretty comfortable temperatures! We are picking garden veggies, the fruit trees are beginning to produce, and there are plenty of evening hours to fit in lots of adventures. It is also a great month to fit in some preparedness planning as you make your adventures fit in with preparedness goals. The garden and orchard provide meals – and we can bottle or freeze for the storms ahead. Those camping and hiking trips can provide family togetherness – and some real time practice to see how we do with our outdoor cooking, no power nights, and conserving water. Let us use this wonderful month to add to our preparedness. Use TODAY to prepare for TOMORROW – with no regrets in how we used our time – to PREPARE!

Included in this month's newsletter:

Practical Preparedness Practice -  a list of things to do this summer that will help you work on the twelve basic preparedness skills!

Disaster Preparedness - Looking Ahead -  what would you do TODAY if tomorrow there was a disaster?

Spiritual Preparedness -  Quote from President Oaks on simple practices to protect and strengthen you.

Looking for summer ideas? - Three references to other Back to Basics Newsletter issues for summertime ideas.

In the Southern Utah Garden -Busy June! -  tips for things to do in June. 

Cooking With Food Storage - ideas and recipes for summertime treats.

What does Cooking with Food Storage mean? Tips to make your food storage be the ingredients you need for your own recipes.

Provident Living - Double Duty - make the items stored on your shelves, the ones to make your own recipes.

Making Ends Meet -  five principles of Economic Constancy to help you with your finances.

 Click here for a complete copy of the June 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter. 

May 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter

Click here for a complete copy of the May 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter.

The “Merry Month of May” has been celebrated with poetry, song, May Day Celebrations, Maypole Braiding, and even more parties when another school year ends! It has been said that “May is proof that change can be beautiful,” and that May is “Blossoming one day at a time.” Truly those “April showers” brought “May flowers.” Just as the world explodes with color and fragrance this month as all the blossoming occurs, we can also plan for how our preparedness can continue to “blossom.” We plan now for harvests, prepare for canning, freezing, or drying, look for ways we can add to our preparedness, and teach others around us. Our preparedness is always “blossoming one day at a time.” We are never finished! It is an ongoing endeavor. Preparedness is not a destination, but rather a way of life. May your month of May be filled with blossoms all around – both in the yard and in the food storage room!

Included in this month's newsletter: 

Spice it up - Avoid Diet Fatigue - ideas for adding expanded storage items to basic storage to give a greater variety for your family meals.

Planning for Canning -  now is the time to get equipment ready for summer canning. This list gives suggestions of things you might need.

In the Southern Utah Garden - tips for the may yard and garden

Spiritual Preparedness -  a quote from Dieter F Uchtdorf on how Christ can help us in our lives.

Cooking with Food Storage: Mother's Day Treats -  recipes from your storage shelves for Old Bottled Fruit Cake, Breakfast Cake, and Mom's Best Brownies.

Spring Weeds - Using the Dandelion - ideas of things to do with dandelions and a recipe for Dandelion Jelly.

Lilac Pruning Tips (and other flowering bushes) - lilacs are pruned after they have finished blooming. This gives you a series of tips to help keep your bush healthy and flowering next year!

Click here for a complete copy of the May 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter.

April 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter

 

Click here for a complete copy of the April 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter.

April has arrived bringing with it Easter celebrations and the new life of spring. Flowers are greeting us everywhere, and for some of us they are a little early! But spring is always a welcome season as we plant our gardens and tend to the blooms. Spring is the season we “begin with the end in mind,” especially when we plant our future harvest! All areas of preparedness benefit by looking forward to what you hope to accomplish - that final hopeful outcome. Do you want to be ready to keep the lights on, drink water, feed a family, and keep them safe? Then begin with that end in mind. This is the perfect month to start anew or continue on. It is the perfect month to be prepared!

Included in this month's newsletter:

Disaster Prep - general guidelines for all emergencies and specific things to do BEFORE an earthquake!

Practice Makes Perfect - Drills baby drills! Tips and info for holding disaster drills.

In the Southern Utah Garden - planting and growing tips for April.

Provident Living - Money Saving Easter Eggs - recipes and ideas for coloring eggs this year.

Spring Chickens! Chores for the hen house - a list of "spring cleaning" items for your chickens.

Cooking with Food Storage - Easter Picnic Style - recipes for salads and cakes that are from ingredients that can be on your storage shelves.

Spiritual Preparedness - quote from Dallin H Oaks to help us listen to the Holy Ghost and draw closer to Jesus Christ.

Click here for a complete copy of the April 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter.

March 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter

 

Click here for a complete copy of the March 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter.

Spring has sprung – and in the west it seems like winter only made a short visit! As we “March” right into the new month- there are plenty of preparedness tasks to be mindful of. March celebrates St Patrick’s Day – and we can tap into that “luck ‘o the Irish” as we plant seeds and plan for a summer harvest. Now is the time we lay the foundation as we prepare the soil, plant the seeds, and prepare for the summer harvest and eventual winter storms. This applies to our gardens, but also to all temporal and spiritual preparedness. Take the opportunity of today to prepare for tomorrow. Take stock of your food and emergency supplies. Plant a garden. Plan for preserving the harvest. Include daily prayers and scripture study in your routine. Attend the temple regularly. Whatever that “preparation” looks like for you and your family - just Be Prepared!

 Included in this month's newsletter: 

Got Milk? - Amounts and tips for storing a basic milk supply.

Disaster Prep: Today While the Sun Shines! -  Thoughts and a suggestion list - of "daily tasks" that could be a game changer in case of a disaster. 

Spiritual Preparedness -  Quotes from President Russel M Nelson and President Ezra Taft Benson that encourage us in our gospel living and spiritual preparedness.

In the Southern Utah Garden -  Planting and garden/yard chores for this month.

Cooking with Food Storage - What's for Breakfast? - Recipes for Breakfast Peach Crisp, Biscuits, and Wheat Berry Cereal.

Food Storage - Quantity for each Family Member -  A list according to a variety of ages for amounts to store for a one year supply.

Food Storage Helps - Includes a link to "The Food Guys" online food calculator to figure storage amounts specific to  YOUR family!

A Blast from the Past! -  Two quotes from President Ezra Taft Benson to help us take a hard look at ourselves and where we are in our food storage endeavors.

Click here for a complete copy of the March 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter.

February 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter

 

Click here for a complete copy of the February 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter.

February is the month of love! They say love is spelled T-I-M-E. The time we spend with loved ones does show our love! But love could also be spelled P.R.E.P.A.R.E.D.N.E.S.S. This valentine giving time of year is a great time to consider how each of us are caring for our loved ones. So many disasters and unexpected life events can catch us off guard. The world is filled with uncertainty and evil seems to be growing. But we have long been warned to Be Prepared! When the sudden winter storms arrive, an earthquake, or even a lost job – we do not have to scramble at the last minute! We can follow the prophetic counsel of over 100 years – and be ready for whatever life hands to us! Let us “show the love” for our families and prepare every needful thing!

Included in this month's newsletter:

Legumes: Use Your Bean! - Info for storing beans as a long term storage item, and ideas of things to make.

Provident Living - ideas to help save money!

Spiritual Preparedness - Quote from Elder Mark D Eddy on being spiritually prepared.

Words of the Wise - a Quote from Elder L Tom Perry on the seriousness of being prepared.

In the Southern Utah Garden - tips for the Feb to March garden. Includes planting times, and references to previous Back to Basics Newsletters.

Fuel Storage - tips to help you store fuel for heating and cooking.

Cooking with Food Storage - Valentine Treats from your shelves! Recipes for Rolled sugar cookies, three variations of pudding, and a Pinto Cream Pie.

Disaster Prep - Groover. Portable Emergency Toilet instructions.

Click here for a complete copy of the February 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter.

January 2026 Back to Basics Newsletter

 Click here for a complete copy of the January 2026 back to Basics Newsletter.

It’s a new Year – filled with all the opportunities New Beginnings bring! We set New Year Resolutions, and plan for the upcoming year activities and projects. SO why not make this THE YEAR you also get prepared? Maybe you have been saying you wanted to get more prepared. That you wanted a better food storage and needed to update those emergency supplies. Make this THAT year! Every month there are ideas in the Back to Basic Newsletters to keep you informed and encouraged! There is no time like the present! As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.”

Let us make 2026 a Year of Preparedness!

Included in this month's newsletter:

• New Year - Old List. Ideas for a three month supply, and a basic food list for one person for one year.
• Disaster Prep - Food, Power, Light, Water. Things to remember so we can prepare "every needful thing."
• Spiritual Preparedness - a quote from President Russell M Nelson to remind us to do whatever it takes to increase our spiritual capacity to receive personal revelation.
• In the Southern Utah Garden - time to Prevent, Plan, Plant, Prepare, and Prune. Reference to a second newsletter for pruning instructions.
• New Year Resolutions - Preparedness Habits. a list of tasks and habits to help you be prepared for any disaster.
• Cooking with Food Storage - recipes for hot cocoa, flour tortillas, and bottled beans. Reference to a second newsletter for winter soup recipes included.
• Wintering Chickens - Live Storage. Tips to keep the flock healthy and laying this winter. includes a list of of four favorite /recommended breeds.

   Click here for a complete copy of the January 2026 back to Basics Newsletter.

December 2025 Back to Basics Newsletter

Click here for a complete copy of the December 2025 Back to Basics Newsletter.

December ushers in “the most wonderful time of the year!” Carols proclaim it and children of all ages agree. The garden has gone to sleep, and the cozy fires inside draw us near. The harvest has been gathered in - so the winter storms can begin! Those winter storms may be literal, or just the trials life brings. Either way we can endure, and maybe even enjoy the storms, as we are prepared. This month’s Christmas celebrations and gift giving provide a great time for us to help those we love and live near to add to their preparedness. May your Christmas giving help your family and others have a Preparedness  Christmas! Making extra efforts today will pay off with the peace of preparedness tomorrow!

Included in this month's Back to Basics Newsletter:

Preparedness Tomorrows - What If? If tomorrow all you had to eat for the near future was what you had in the house today - how would your family do? Heres a list to consider.

A Preparedness Christmas: Ideas for the Gift of Preparedness in emergency, food and first aid categories.

The Southern Utah Garden: Things to do in December for your garden

Cooking with Food Storage - Old Fashioned Christmas Treats: Recipes with items that can be on your storage shelves for Molasses Candy, Carmel Corn, Pecan Brittle and Christmas Bran Muffins. 

Basic Grain Storage - Wheat: A list to help you in your wheat storage.

Spiritual and Temporal Preparedness: Quotes from Elder L Tom Perry and President Spencer W Kimball to inspire and encourage our preparedness.

Click here for a complete copy of the December 2025 Back to Basics Newsletter. 

November 2025 Back to Basics Newsletter

 

Click here for a complete copy of the November 2025 Back to Basics Newsletter.

November is here! The southern Utah views are filled with beautiful fall leaves that seem to make the air glow golden! A flannel shirt feels cozy, and the smell of fall leaves, a morning fire, and the cool air fill each day. This is the month we can fill our thoughts and words with gratitude! We have been so blessed with a bounteous harvest, fall rains, and the opportunity to fill our shelves. Hopefully, we have been working diligently, so – as our thanksgiving month progresses - we can say, “All is safely gathered in, let the winter storms begin!” May each of us have a wonderful Thanksgiving season as we fill our lives with provident living and make preparedness a way of life!

Included in this month's newsletter:

Basic Grain Storage - Rice! Tips to use this great addition to food storage.

Provident Living - Small and Simple Things - a few items that are inexpensive that will make a big difference in your storage.

Questions Answered and Peace Promised - Elder Vaughn J Featherstone answers questions about sharing food storage, and the "what if" of someone breaking in to steal it!

In the Southern Utah Garden - Chores for your November yard and garden.

A Preparedness Thanksgiving Dinner - A list of items to store so your Thanksgiving dinner (and others like it) are already on the shelf! Included is a reference for Thanksgiving dinner recipes from food storage.

Using the Harvest: The Awesome Pomegranate -  tips and recipes for your fall pomegranate harvest.

Getting Your Food Storage Now - In 1976, Elder Featherstone challenged members to get their food storage within one year. These are the tips he gave to be able to accomplish his challenge. Have we had "time" yet?

Click here for a complete copy of the November 2025 Back to Basics Newsletter.

October 2025 Back to Basics Newsletter

 Click here for a complete copy of the October 2025 Back to Basics Newsletter.

October is the month we can smell fall in the air! The wood stoves fire up, leaves show up in color and begin to fall, days are shorter, and nights are cold. It is the month we can relax a bit as the harvest is in, and gardens are put to rest. We can enjoy the fruits of our summer labors in the “bottled up garden” and other stored items. It is the perfect time to be sure we rotate our storage, so all that hard work does not spoil! And it is the perfect time to polish up any areas of preparedness that we can see needs improving. Preparedness is not a destination! It is just a way of life. It is always growing and resupplying. It is a self-reliant happiness! May you fill your autumn with the joys of your provident living endeavors!

Included in this month's Back to Basics Newsletter:

Provident Living - Winter Ready - a list of chores and ideas to help you be ready for winter!

Spiritual Preparedness - Honoring President Nelson - quotes from President Russell M. Nelson.

Basic Preparedness - Self-check questions for your family, so you are ready for any disaster!

In the Southern Utah Garden  - tips for the October garden and yard.

Fall Pumpkins, Apples and Halloween! - ideas to use Jack-o-lanterns and recipes for Dinner in a pumpkin, Pumpkin cake, Caramel Apple Dip, and Halloween Makeup.

Disaster Prep - Active Shooter - instructions from Homeland Security on good practices for coping with an active shooter situation.

Click here for a complete copy of the October 2025 Back to Basics Newsletter.

September 2025 Back to Basics Newsletter

 

Click here for a complete copy of the September 2025 Back to Basics Newsletter.

September brings so many wonderful things. Apples and fall harvests, back to school excitement, Friday night lights for the sports fan, pleasant weather, and shortened days. It is also the National Preparedness Month – which is designed to encourage and remind us all to be prepared for emergencies and disasters. It is the perfect time to take stock of our emergency preparedness, as well as our longer-term food storage. There are lots of fruits and veggies to still bottle, and case lot sales happening in local grocery stores. This month check your 72-hour kits, take the preparedness survey, make a plan with your family, and finish filling your storage shelves. There is no time like the present! Being prepared brings a great sense of satisfaction and provides peace for the family. This month is a great month to Be Prepared!

Included in this month's newsletter:

Family Preparedness Survey -  a list of questions to give yourself a checkup on your personal level of emergency preparedness.

Disaster Prep Tips -  ideas that are helpful in any disaster.

Spiritual Preparedness - a quote from President Russell M Nelson in 2020 on the importance of preparedness, especially spiritual and emotional.

In the Southern Utah Garden -  a to-do list for September!

Cooking with Food Storage -Back to School Treats for the kids -  recipes and ideas for yummy things to feed the kids (and grownups too!)

The 72-Hour (or more) kit - a list of things to include in your emergency bag. You might use this to bug out - or shelter in place!

Quotes -  two short thoughts to encourage us to Be Prepared!

 Click here for a complete copy of the September 2025 Back to Basics Newsletter.