January 2024 Back to Basics Newsletter

 

Click here for a complete copy of the January 2024 Back to Basics Newsletter.

“Out with the old, and in with the new!” It is surprising how one day can usher in such big changes and goals for an entire upcoming year. It presents a wonderful opportunity to jump on the bandwagon as we say goodbye to “Old Man Time” and hello to “Baby New Year.” The cold days and long nights of winter, provide just the right setting for retrospection and planning! It is the perfect time to take inventory and make plans for our preparedness! How will you improve your food storage to keep your family healthy and happy? What can you add to emergency supplies to make your family more comfortable in hard times? What have you been meaning to get around to, but the time slips away? This is YOUR time. January is a gift of time to make the changes necessary to bring ourselves and families “Back to the Basics” of Provident Living and responsibility with the resources we are blessed with. “This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it” (Ralph Waldo Emerson.) Let’s use our time to Be Prepared! Truly, if we are prepared, there will be no need to fear!

Included in this month's newsletter:

New Year - Old Lists! A list of amounts needed per person for a one year supply and ideas to include for your three month supply.

Wintering Chickens - Live Storage - Ideas for keeping your flock healthy and laying this winter.

Spiritual Preparedness - Two quotes on the oil of spiritual preparedness, and on being ready for the Lords protection in the last days.

In the Southern Utah Garden - Winter chores as you Prune, Prevent, Plan, Plant and Prepare.

Cooking with Food Storage - Recipes for five different winter soups using items from a food storage.

Disaster Prep - Ideas to add a tub of camping items to your 72 hour kit - to be ready to grab in a disaster, or take camping.

Provident Living - Money Saving Tips - Make your own cleaners and save money with these recipes.

Click here for a complete copy of the January 2024 Back to Basics Newsletter.

December 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter

 

Click here for a complete copy of the December 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! It truly is “The most wonderful time of year!” There’s always a greater spirit of kindness and giving in December, that we all wish would carry on throughout the upcoming year. We have been asked to share the Light of Christ at this special time of year. What a wonderful opportunity this gives to us to bless our fellowmen. A part of that service opportunity and sharing the light is also needful among our own family members. We can help our immediate and extended families in their preparedness efforts. The Christmas season is also a wonderful time to strengthen our spiritual preparedness. Jesus Christ is the “reason for the season”, and all temporal and spiritual preparedness are ultimately acquired so we will be ready to welcome Him in a coming day, when He Comes Again! Let us use our Christmas celebrations as a time to be prepared for such a day! If we are prepared we shall not fear! Let this year’s best “presents,” be our seeking to be in His “presence!”

Included in this month's newsletter: 

A Preparedness Christmas - a list of preparedness gift ideas for your family and friends.

Disaster Prep - Where were you when the lights went out? - ideas for short and long term preparedness for power outages.

Disaster Prep - Solar Cooking - an inexpensive way to have a solar cooker.

In the Southern Utah Garden - garden tips for December.

Cooking With Food Storage - Christmas Goodies - recipes for Pecan Brittle, Easy Caramel Corn, and Rolled Sugar Cookies (all with ingredients you can store) and a link to other Christmas goodies from a past newsletter.

Spiritual Preparedness - two quotes on our spiritual preparedness needs.

Emergency Prep - Heat in a Can - "how to" instructions to make a can for a small amount of heat and to cook on in emergencies.

Home Storage Order Form - a list of items from Home Storage Centers with prices for 2023, and a link to find a center across the United States and Canada.

 Click here for a complete copy of the December 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

November 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter

 Click here for a complete copy of the November 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

November is our month of “Gratitude.” This is the month that the glow of autumn settles on the world around us. The days are still pleasant, and the nights cool enough to encourage a cozy fire to gather round. It is that time of year when we are thankful “all is safely gathered in” so we can say, “let the winter storms begin.” Being grateful helps us recognize the blessings that God sends to us, and in turn encourages us to use wisely the resources that are ours. Let us each use this Thanksgiving month to show our gratitude for all we are blessed with, by being sure we have put aside “every needful thing,” and can care for our families. What better way to show our gratitude to the Lord for his bounty, than to be good stewards over it, and follow His admonition that “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” As Ralph Emerson once said, “This time – like all times -is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.”  Let us use this time of Thanksgiving, to Be Prepared!

Included in this newsletter:

Food Storage: A Place for Everything - ideas for organization, inventory, and rotation to help make your food storage program be a little more successful.

Provident Living - A Penny Saved - ideas to save money with grocery shopping, cleaning supplies, and thrifty choices.

Spiritual Preparedness - several quotes and scriptures that inspire out preparedness.

In the Southern Utah Garden - tips for our November Garden.

Using the Fall Harvest - ideas for your pumpkins and green tomatoes.

Disaster Prep - Building Unity - points on how unity with those around can help in a disaster and tips on how to build unity.

A Food Storage Thanksgiving - items you can have ready for Thanksgiving Dinner you store on your shelf, in the freezer, or a cold storage location. Put on a dinner without a trip to the store.

Cooking with Food Storage - Traditional Thanksgiving Recipes - No fail pie crust, Dixie Salad, and Cranberry Relish.

 Click here for a complete copy of the November 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

October 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter

 

Click here for a complete copy of the October 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

Fall has arrived! Autumn brings the wonderful aromas of apples, wood stoves, and changing leaves. Even the glow of an autumn day is different. Fall brings harvests to a close, and says goodbye to leftover summer days. It is a favorite season – filled with the tranquility that autumn brings. With our harvest time closing, it is a great time to be sure we have stored for the “rainy day” that always comes. Let us be sure our store room and freezer shelves are lined with the goodness of the summer bounty. Fall is a great time to check up on emergency preparations as well. No one plans on a disaster or even a bump in the road. Truly – “Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance!” We can use this wonderful season of fall – to be sure our preparedness plans “fall” into place. We can say, as Elder Joseph B Wirthlin did – “Come what may and love it.” We can “Be Prepared!”

Included in this month's issue:

The Harvest - a list of ways to extend the harvest and store fresh vegetables and fruit.

Winter Ready - Let the "storms" begin -  a few chores to be ready for whatever future "storms" may bring.

Provident Living - three tips for saving money - boiling socks to make matched, freezer leftovers and meals, and a Halloween makeup recipe.

Spiritual Preparedness -  a quote from Elder Evan A Schmutz on the certainty of storms in our lives and the only way we can survive.

In the Southern Utah Garden - a list of things to do for the October yard and garden.

Prophetic Provident Preparedness Pointers - two quotes about why we need a home storage by Presidents Spencer W Kimball and Gordon B Hinckley.

Cooking with Food Storage - Apples! - recipes for Apple Peel Jelly, Applets Candy, and Best Caramel Apple Dip.

How Much Should I Store?  a web site link you can go to that will calculate the amounts of various long and shorter term food storage specifically for the size and ages of your family.

Disaster Prep - Tips for a Winter Power Outage - ideas for things to buy and have on hand in advance, what to do if you lose water when you lose power, and helpful preparation tips.

Click here for a complete copy of the October 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

September 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter

 Click here for a complete copy of the September 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

September is known for many things: back to school, apple harvesting, pleasant weather, fall festivals, rodeos, and porch sitting. It is also the “National Preparedness Month.” What a perfect time for us to wrap up our summer with an extra effort to address our preparedness. As we end a glorious summer – we have hopefully set aside some of the harvest for a rainy day. That “Ounce of Prevention” of stocking shelves and a 72-hour kit today, is truly worth a “Pound of Cure” when emergencies arrive. Those preparedness efforts will pay off in times of emergencies, but they also help us in living providently. We eat food bought at good prices, instead of scrambling when supplies are low. We are able to care for our loved ones and not wonder each day what we will put on the table. The storms of life will certainly arrive, and in a variety of forms; but the greatest reward for preparedness may just be the peace of mind that comes when you know that you are ready to provide for those you love. If we are prepared we will not fear, and better yet- we can feel the same peace and calm as… a September Day!

Included in this month's newsletter - 

A Three Month Supply - the first step to build a year's supply: ideas to included as you stock your pantry for 3 months.

No Time Like the Present: Ideas to help you get your food storage. Includes a quote from Elder David Bednar on the importance of preparedness.

In the Southern Utah Garden: a list of garden tips for September. 

Disaster Prep - Family Disaster Plan: a list of suggestions and important things to include in your family plan.

Using Your Grape Harvest: recipes and ideas for using grapes.

Testing One- Two- Three: ways to test stored items

Click here for a complete copy of the September 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

August 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter

 Click here for a complete copy of the August 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

The dog days of summer are upon us! It’s that hot, sultry time of year that can be – well a bit hot and sultry! But it is also a wonderful time of star gazing since the sun is setting a bit earlier, and eating juicy peaches right off the orchard trees, or fitting in a float down the river to cool off and enjoy the tranquil peace of the lazy summer water. This is the month that families try to fit those last activities in before school starts again, and school shoppers look for sales. It is also a time of harvesting. Summer gardens and orchards are producing and the bounty is ready to set aside for a rainy day. Bottles of fruits and veggies begin to line the storage shelves, and before we know it, we are surprised how fast those steamy kitchens with canners boiling have filled the shelf. In the midst of the dog days with plenty, we can put away for those winter days when storms may blow.

Included in this newsletter:

Storing Tips for "Basic" Long Term Storage - tells ideas for storing items, and includes the year amounts per person.

Disaster Prep - Be Ready at all Times - a list of things to include in a prep plan to be prepared for any surprises!

Spiritual Preparedness - a great quote from Boyd K. Pacher about industry, thrift and self reliance spiritually as well as temporally.

In the Southern Utah Garden - tips for the August Garden.

Using the Harvest: Peach Season - recipes for bottled, frozen, and dried peaches, peach jams and jelly, and fresh peach cobbler.

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness - a list for personal hygiene preparedness and includes hygiene tops to survive disasters.

Click here for a complete copy of the August 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

July 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter

 Click here for a complete copy of the July 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

“Freedom isn’t free!” Those song lyrics from long ago are true - and a great reason to celebrate freedom and learn from our past! This July 4th as we celebrate, let us reflect on the many privileges afforded us from living in a free country. Even when things seem to close in on us – the freedom to stand for what is right and support the constitution, is still ours. We are also free in America to be able to worship God, have a garden, store food and money for a rainy day, and set aside supplies for surprise disasters. In some countries it is illegal to “hoard” food (which is really having food storage.) We are truly a blessed nation. We also celebrate our pioneers this month. This offers us another opportunity to learn from those who have gone before us and emulate their example in our preparedness efforts. The patriots and pioneers who paved the way for our way of life today, should never be forgotten. And a great way we can remember, is to use our freedom to Be Prepared!

Included in this month's newsletter:

Preparedness and Self-Reliance - Pioneer Style - a list of skills our pioneers had that can help us in our preparedness.

Why home Food Preservation? Because we CAN! Points on why canning is such a great way to help with food storage, and a link to a "how to" list.

Spiritual Preparedness - a quote from Elder Henry B Eyring on choosing the right in the midst of storms.

Blast from the Past - Four quotes from the past to give incentive for our preparedness.

In the Southern Utah Garden - a list of things to do in your garden during July.

Using the Harvest - Summer  Squash - recipes for brownies, pickle relish, and supper dishes.

Disaster Prep: Summer First Aid Tips - a few home remedies for summer burns, bites and rashes.

Stocking up: Money Saving Option - information about the LDS Church Home Storage Centers and food you can purchase there for your storage!

Click here for a complete copy of the July 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

June 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter

 

Click here for a complete copy of the June 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

The month of June ushers in another wonderful summer season. The days are long and the nights cool off.  The garden grows and begins to produce and we enjoy the first “fruits of our labors.” The yard is beautiful with green grass and colorful flowers. It is a month to truly enjoy. It is also a wonderful month to add to our food storage. We bottle up some summer goodness to extend the harvest into the winter that will surely come. The world is full of incentives to “Be Prepared.” We see wars, food shortages, economy slumps, and sky-high cost of living. And most of all, we have prophets, who for over a hundred years, have admonished us to set aside for a rainy day. “Today while the sun shines,” let us set aside for the day a storm arrives. We can “Be Prepared!” 

Included in this month's newsletter:

Tips to build a Year Supply - ideas to help you fill your shelves.

Disaster Prep- Keep Your Cool - ideas to keep things cool if the power goes out this summer.

Provident Living - Money Saving Tips - ideas to help you save some money in cooking and preparedness.

A Friendly Reminder - One Year Basic Food Storage List - per person amounts of basic long term storage.

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

Using the June Harvest- what to do with June fruits and veggies, and a Fruit Cobbler Recipe.

Spiritual Preparedness - a Quote by Bruce R McConkie.

Preparedness - Education Style - ideas to do this summer to help you and the kids make this a summer of learning, and add to your preparedness skills.

 Click here for a complete copy of the June 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

May 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter

 Click here for a complete copy of the May 2023 Back to Basics.

The Merry Month of May is upon us, and those April Showers have certainly brought May Flowers! Our planting season was postponed a bit with the wonderful winter rain and snow, but gardens are now growing, and the hoped for harvest with them. This is a month of determining. College grads head for their futures, school years wind up and summer plans are made, all determining a future. What you plant today determines what you harvest in the future. It is so with all of our preparedness. “Where preparations are being made there will be little difficulty, but where no preparation has been made, suffering and difficulties will come.” (Welfare Conf 1970.)  Luke 6:46 asks, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?’ One of the things the Lord has told us, is Be Prepared! Let us not waste another moment. Give up some luxuries to become more self-reliant! That “toy” or “activity” will not fill a hungry child’s tummy. Be Prepared! What we do today will determine our tomorrow. The decision is yours!

 Included in this month's newsletter: 

Disaster Prep - Tool Assessment - a list of equipment and tools that would be useful in a post disaster situation - that you inventory as a group to make available to help each other as family and neighbors.

How to Weather a Shortage - a basic reminder of basic preparedness that allows us to be ready for whatever lies ahead.

Five Principles of Economic Constancy - from N Eldon Tanner. These principles will help your money go further and your choices become better!

In the Southern Utah Garden - a list of what to do in the month of May.

Cooking with Food Storage - recipes for using rice, which is a part of basic long term storage.

Disaster Grab-n-Go Folder- a list of documents to gather in one place that is easy to grab in case of an emergency.

Quotable Quote: Provident and Practical - Spencer W Kimball gave us great advice back in 1976 for gardens and skills.

Spiritual Preparedness:  From Russell M Nelson - on the spiritual survival tool we all need.

 Click here for a complete copy of the May 2023 Back to Basics.

April 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter

 Click here for a complete copy of the April 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

April is finally here! Spring has finally sprung, and even sends hints of summer being just around the corner. Winter becomes a memory as we embrace longer and warmer days, celebrate Easter, and rejoice in blooming bulbs and early flowers. This is a great month to begin preparing for the harvest. Planting gardens today allows us to enjoy delicious fruits and veggies all summer, and bottle up “summer goodness” for the rest of the year. It is also a great time to restock 72-hour kits and rotate water storage. A few minutes spent on “preparedness” today will provide our families with necessities in the future. Keeping things rotated & restocked means we can be as comfortable as possible if and when the promised storms arrive. Our preparedness efforts give us peace of mind today for whatever tomorrow may hold. Those “April Shower” preparedness steps will bring “May Flower” preparedness and peace all year long.

Included in this month's newsletter: 

Sheltering in Place - a list of things to be ready with in case you have to shelter in place.

Disaster Prep - Springtime Flooding - with all our winter storms we need to be ready for flooding. This has a list of things to help you be ready.

In the Southern Utah Garden - a list of things to plant and garden chores for April.

A Healthy Lawn and Garden - a watering chart to follow for your lawn.

Basic One Year Food Storage List - the basics per person.

Cooking with Food Storage - recipes for your oats!

Spiritual Preparedness - Ezra Taft Benson quote which includes his quoting Elder Orson Hyde.

Preparedness Blast from the past - 12 points of preparedness tips and advice - a quote from President J Reuben Clark that lists 12 things to prepare.

Click here for a complete copy of the April 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

March 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter

 

Click here for a complete copy of the March 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

When March arrives, spring comes with it. If it comes in like a lion, it is supposed to go out like a lamb – but the days in between have a rough time making their mind up. It is certainly a month we “spring” back and forth between seasons. It is, however, a wonderful month to spring into action in our garden and yards. New growth shows in flowers and trees, and new seeds begin to sprout in our gardens. We plant a future dinner, and learn the importance of preparing far in advance for hungry days yet to come. It is the same with all levels of preparedness. Our preparation for all situations begins long before anything happens – whether it be empty shelves at the store, sudden flooding or earthquake, or a financial crisis. The Pot of Gold we find at the end of a storm’s rainbow- is really the one we make for ourselves. A little preparation today makes for great peace and satisfaction in our tomorrows! Let’s “spring” into action, put the “luck of the Irish” to work – and Be Prepared!

Included in this month's newsletter:

Disaster Prep: Evacuation - the 72 hour kit Bug out bag and More - a list of things to store and tips for your evacuation prep.

Provident Living - Home Grown Eggs - tips to get your own flock of chickens and some home grown eggs!

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

Cooking With Food Storage - Using Wheat - Recipes for using wheat in Bread, Wheat thins, Cereal and adding to other recipes.

Spiritual Preparedness -  An encouraging quote from Elder Henry B Eyring on being prepared.

Disaster Prep - Be Earthquake Ready - tips to do in your homes before an earthquake hits.

Click here for a complete copy of the March 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

February 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter

Click here for a complete copy of the February 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.

February is known for its celebrations of Groundhog Day, Valentines, and Presidents Day. It still has that winter chill, but the promise of spring is not far away. Daffodils peek through, blossoms may start popping in warmer years, and as the days get a bit longer, the ground begins to thaw. It is a time to plant cold weather veggies in some places, and still dream of a garden in others. But whatever the days may bring – it is also a great month to show love to your family as you take additional steps to get and keep your family prepared. What better way to love them than to care for them?! This is a month for planning AND action. Plan the store trips, the garden, and the storage areas. Make use of this colder month to kick your preparedness plans into gear. Be like Honest Abe who said, "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." February is the perfect month to “sharpen the ax,” and be ready for whatever your future holds!

Included in this month's newsletter:

Family Preparedness Assessment - a list of questions to answer as a family to help you focus on preparedness areas you need to improve.

Preparedness Tools and Equipment - a list of items to consider acquiring to help you today, AND in case of an emergency or disaster.

In the Southern Utah Garden - tops for February to fertilize, prune, spray, plant, and start seeds.

Companion Planting - a chart to help you know which veggies help or hinder each other in the garden.

Cooking with Food Storage - what to do with your freezer meats if the power is off and your meat is defrosting! Ground Beef Jerky or Bottled Meat.

Spiritual Preparedness - Quotes from Elders Henry B Eyring and Spencer W Kimball on preparedness

 Click here for a complete copy of the February 2023 Back to Basics Newsletter.