A few weeks ago, we had a pumpkin that was starting to go moldy. (Lesson learned on better preservation for pumpkins than in freezing temperatures on the porch for Halloween before bringing them in the house.) Not wanting to waste the whole pumpkin, we decided to cut it up and take the majority of it that was good and prepare it for pies and cookies.
Needing to get this done on a very busy weekend, I pulled out our Global Sun Oven, cut it up into large pieces, placed them into a large roasting pan and put it in the oven before going to church. It was a cold (36 degrees) and partly cloudy day. After getting home from church three hours later, it was over 275 degrees and the whole oven cover was covered in condensation from the moisture the pumpkin was letting off as it cooked.
I let it go another hour to be sure it was done, but I needn't have done so. The pumpkin was perfectly cooked, if not a little overdone and was easily peeled and mashed.
My point is that if it had been an emergency, it would have been just as easy to cook a stew, make some biscuits, or cook some potatoes despite the cold weather. On warm spring days, I have gotten the oven up to over 400 degrees. As long as there is sun, it will cook or bake.
Having multiple methods with which you can cook is very important. I'll discuss other options later. Just rest assured that a solar oven makes the best baked potatoes. They're my favorites.
- Mark
Value is based on perception.
Showing posts with label emergency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emergency. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Beggars Can't Be Choosers, But They May Die
Dinner conversation yesterday turned to my youngest son who was decrying the menu. He is a rather picky eater and can be a real challenge. My daughter recommended this topic for a post. I know how he feels as I was awful as a kid. I'm not sure how I survived to adulthood. One thing that I learned as I entered adulthood was that beggars can't be choosers. It was a hard lesson, but one that I took seriously.
No, I am not talking about living on ramen in college. I had never heard of ramen my freshman year in the dorms. What changed for me? I lived in South Korea for two years, eating with and living with Koreans. I couldn't handle SpaghettiOs as a kid because it was too spicy. (Yes, I was bad!) Well, those who know anything about Korea cuisine know that spicy doesn't quite cover it in describing the food.
How did I learn to eat strange food in Korea? Two things made a difference for me. First, I was taught to be polite. When I was offered something that I "knew" I would hate, I ate it anyway. (OK, I did refuse green tomatoes, but the host did too.) Funny thing about it was that I found I liked most of it. That which was less than palatable was choked down with a smile. I ate better than I ever had in the States and I learned valuable lessons about courtesy and trying new things. The second thing was that I was often hungry and was willing to try something I wasn't used to in order fill my gullet.
Sounds great, doesn't it? The big problem is that most people when confronted with an emergency will not try eating something with which they are not familiar. I have watched my son leave a full plate of beans or salad because he, "didn't like it," and go to bed hungry. Some days he will eat it, others he won't. Reason will not get him to eat when he isn't stressed out. There is no way any argument will get him to eat when he is stressed. The end result will be that if he doesn't have food he likes in an emergency, he will starve rather than eat something he thinks he doesn't like. Older folks often have the same reaction, and picky adults do too.
So, when packing a 72-hour kit, remember that you need food that your family will eat. We pack granola bars and MREs that are likable by each individual in the family. My wife and I get the least desirable packs among our kids. My wife and I have eaten a lot of MREs and though a few were less than what I'd normally eat, I never had one I wouldn't eat, so I'm fine with the dregs for myself.
The same will apply to longer term food storage. If you don't have foods that your family will eat normally, meals may turn into real trials. Boredom with the menu may also affect how your family eats, so there needs to be something to break up the monotony. I'll discuss this in greater depth later. Just remember that the idea that they'll eat if they are hungry enough is not true.
- Mark
Value is based on perception.
No, I am not talking about living on ramen in college. I had never heard of ramen my freshman year in the dorms. What changed for me? I lived in South Korea for two years, eating with and living with Koreans. I couldn't handle SpaghettiOs as a kid because it was too spicy. (Yes, I was bad!) Well, those who know anything about Korea cuisine know that spicy doesn't quite cover it in describing the food.
How did I learn to eat strange food in Korea? Two things made a difference for me. First, I was taught to be polite. When I was offered something that I "knew" I would hate, I ate it anyway. (OK, I did refuse green tomatoes, but the host did too.) Funny thing about it was that I found I liked most of it. That which was less than palatable was choked down with a smile. I ate better than I ever had in the States and I learned valuable lessons about courtesy and trying new things. The second thing was that I was often hungry and was willing to try something I wasn't used to in order fill my gullet.
Sounds great, doesn't it? The big problem is that most people when confronted with an emergency will not try eating something with which they are not familiar. I have watched my son leave a full plate of beans or salad because he, "didn't like it," and go to bed hungry. Some days he will eat it, others he won't. Reason will not get him to eat when he isn't stressed out. There is no way any argument will get him to eat when he is stressed. The end result will be that if he doesn't have food he likes in an emergency, he will starve rather than eat something he thinks he doesn't like. Older folks often have the same reaction, and picky adults do too.
So, when packing a 72-hour kit, remember that you need food that your family will eat. We pack granola bars and MREs that are likable by each individual in the family. My wife and I get the least desirable packs among our kids. My wife and I have eaten a lot of MREs and though a few were less than what I'd normally eat, I never had one I wouldn't eat, so I'm fine with the dregs for myself.
The same will apply to longer term food storage. If you don't have foods that your family will eat normally, meals may turn into real trials. Boredom with the menu may also affect how your family eats, so there needs to be something to break up the monotony. I'll discuss this in greater depth later. Just remember that the idea that they'll eat if they are hungry enough is not true.
- Mark
Value is based on perception.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
And the Beating Goes On...
Wow, I don't like rotaviruses. The whole family was down for a while. It seems to be going around the neighborhood.
After being up until 3:30 in the morning washing soiled linens, I was thinking to myself that being calm in a stressful situation really helps to mitigate the potential problems. Though tired, I managed to get a little sleep, take care of the wife and kids, prepare a Sunday School lesson and teach it.
How to stay calm in an emergency has a lot to do with how you deal with day to day life. If every little thing bothers you, you won't be able to deal with the stress and uncertainty of the emergency. Work at calming yourself. Find routines that can help. Prayer can only help you in finding peace and is one of the best routines that you can still do when in an emergency. Reading to kids can not only help bring you back to the ground, but it will help your kids feel a piece of home during uncertainty. Don't forget to pack some small books in your 72 hour kit. The distraction alone may save your sanity if you are stuck in a situation where you have little to do.
- Mark
Value is based on perception.
After being up until 3:30 in the morning washing soiled linens, I was thinking to myself that being calm in a stressful situation really helps to mitigate the potential problems. Though tired, I managed to get a little sleep, take care of the wife and kids, prepare a Sunday School lesson and teach it.
How to stay calm in an emergency has a lot to do with how you deal with day to day life. If every little thing bothers you, you won't be able to deal with the stress and uncertainty of the emergency. Work at calming yourself. Find routines that can help. Prayer can only help you in finding peace and is one of the best routines that you can still do when in an emergency. Reading to kids can not only help bring you back to the ground, but it will help your kids feel a piece of home during uncertainty. Don't forget to pack some small books in your 72 hour kit. The distraction alone may save your sanity if you are stuck in a situation where you have little to do.
- Mark
Value is based on perception.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
72 Hours of Fun and Excitement
It is often said that everyone should have a 72-hour emergency kit. "Why 72 hours?" you might ask. The general rule is that it takes about 72 hours, or three days, for services to begin to be restored. If services such as water, gas, electricity and cable TV are missing from your life for more than a day, how excited will you be?
Are you willing to leave your children without food and clean water for that long? Do you think that the government will be there to save the day when it happens? After hurricane Katrina, probably not. If many of the people who sat at the Super Dome for three days had possessed a 72-hour kit, their experience would have been vastly different. I believe that two main factors kept them from being prepared, namely ignorance and apathy.
I hope to help provide information to remedy the first problem, but the only person who can resolve the last is yourself. Tomorrow I will go through some of the things I have learned in creating 72-hour kits for my family. Note that it is a plural noun, not singular.
- Mark
Value is based on perception.
Are you willing to leave your children without food and clean water for that long? Do you think that the government will be there to save the day when it happens? After hurricane Katrina, probably not. If many of the people who sat at the Super Dome for three days had possessed a 72-hour kit, their experience would have been vastly different. I believe that two main factors kept them from being prepared, namely ignorance and apathy.
I hope to help provide information to remedy the first problem, but the only person who can resolve the last is yourself. Tomorrow I will go through some of the things I have learned in creating 72-hour kits for my family. Note that it is a plural noun, not singular.
- Mark
Value is based on perception.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Definitions of Preparedness
Some might wonder what preparedness is about. It might help to define what it means.
Preparedness applies to many things, and I try to make it as broad as possible for my family. You can prepare for emergency situations caused by natural disasters. Preparing for hard times caused by job loss is another important effort. Preparation for unexpected illness can save you and your family a lot of heartache when trying to deal with the stress of the illness.
What will you do if the economy tanks? How will you deal with emotional loss? Do you know what to do in case of civil unrest? How do you deal with unexpected changes in government or politics? Will you retreat from society at the loss of a loved one?
Over the next few days, I will start to explain some things that we can all do to prepare for emergency situations. We'll see where things go from there.
Preparedness applies to many things, and I try to make it as broad as possible for my family. You can prepare for emergency situations caused by natural disasters. Preparing for hard times caused by job loss is another important effort. Preparation for unexpected illness can save you and your family a lot of heartache when trying to deal with the stress of the illness.
What will you do if the economy tanks? How will you deal with emotional loss? Do you know what to do in case of civil unrest? How do you deal with unexpected changes in government or politics? Will you retreat from society at the loss of a loved one?
Over the next few days, I will start to explain some things that we can all do to prepare for emergency situations. We'll see where things go from there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
