Tropical Fruit Salsa
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 can mandarin oranges drained and chopped
1 can mangoes, drained and chopped
1 can sliced jalapenos, drained and chopped (6 tbsp)
2 tbsp dried onion
Combine all ingredients and chill several hours. Serve with wheat crackers or tortilla chips or as topping for chicken, tuna, or bean patties. Makes about 3 ½ cups.
Three Bean Salad or Tropical Three Bean Salad
1 can black beans rinsed (1 ¾ cup) cooked
1 can kidney beans rinsed (1 ¾ cup)
1 can pinto beans rinsed (1 ¾ cup)
1 cup picante sauce
2 tbsp dried onion
1 can whole corn drained
Mix together beans, picante sauce, onion, and corn. Chill before serving. Serves 6 – 8 for main dish. You can substitute the picante sauce for the tropical salsa listed above for a great salad also.
These are my notes from the Sanitation meeting.
Sanitation 2-17-11 by Jim Phillips
Study disasters to learn about what happens after the main event has passed.
When we are under stress our immune systems break down
Main diseases that occur after an event are typhoid, cholera and dysentery
Haiti was a country whose people were already living on the edge as far as sanitation and didn’t have that far to fall when the earthquake hit. The U.S. has a higher sanitation standard and if our systems go down we will be at a greater disadvantage and will fall harder. We are used to having our waste disappear without a thought and when the system goes down we won’t know what to do.
Prevention is vital and is up to you. There will be no calvary coming to rescue us.
Infrastructure failure is a major concern and can be caused by a pandemic, a nuclear event or civil unrest & breakdown
We have a taboo about talking about human waste which we need to get over and learn how to deal with it.
In order of least to most hazardous types of waste:
1. Urine - can be useful
2. Garbage
3. Fecal matter (contains parasites and pathogens)
We need to consider where our waste ends up ‘downstream’ and also consider what’s coming from ‘upstream’
We each need to
1. take responsibility for ourselves
2. take immediate action in an event
3. think community - we can do it together
4. help others
When your sewer system fails you don’t want to turn to a pit toilet or outhouse because insects and animals are likely to spread disease.
Your RV will not meet your needs because when the holding tank is full you will not be able to drive down to the RV dump and empty it - you will just end up with 50 gallons of contaminated water.
Chemical toilets and porta potties will need to be emptied as well.
If you live in the city where you have been connected to a sewer system you should use a composting toilet (some brands are Sun-Mar, Envirolet) or you can build your own.
If you are rural and have a septic system you can use that if you can get to it.
There is a device called a female urine separator that collects urine and keeps it separate from the fecal matter. A urinal for men does the same and can made simply with a container filled with a bit of water to weight it down, a tube and a funnel
Sewer-down solution
Keep urine separate from fecal matter - it is disposed of differently
1. It is safe and easy to work with - 97% sterile and UTI pathogens die quickly in soil
2. It is a valuable resource
3. less weight and volume to dispose of
4. creates less contamination
5. reduces odors
For the long-term method of disposing of fecal matter:
1. Fecal matter is very, very dangerous especially after an event
2. You need to prepare in advance for what you will do with waste.
3. If you get it wrong, people will die from disease
4. Practice what you will do and you will have the confidence to know that you can do it.
5. Keep urine from being mixed with fecal matter.
6. Read Deuteronomy 23:13
You need to have the equipment that will serve you best in the long-term - paper products are not reusable so store cotton rags that can be reused after washing.
a supply of cleaners and sanitizers
1. hydrogen peroxide 3%
2. vinegar 5%
3. ammonia
4. clorox
5. baking soda
Store items to control pests and vermin that can spread disease and destroy food supplies and clothing
1. fly swatters
2. mouse traps/d-con
Personal hygiene
1. Bar soap is not a sanitizer and can spread disease
2. Liquid soap in a pump is preferable - bacteria don’t like it
3. Another option is grapefruit seed oil - good fruit and veg cleaner
4. Make a ‘washing machine for clothing with a 5 gal. bucket and an unused plunger. Use liquid, cold water soluble detergents. You will be hanging your clothes to dry so you’ll need the supplies necessary for that; clothespins, clothesline
For your personal protection:
1. latex gloves
2. mosquito netting
3. masks
4. disposable booties
5. overalls
6. scrubs
7. mosquito suppression
Dry system toilet
1. turn water off to toilet
2. remove remaining water from tank and bowl
3. sanitize the bowl
4. plug the hole with a rubber ball ( how do you know what size ball? - practice beforehand
5. line bowl with a heavy duty plastic bag and close seat to hold it in place
6. you’ll also need a 5 gal. bucket filled with dry dirt, sand, sawdust, dry grass clippings, a stick, a tin can and a piece of cardboard that will cover the bowl and act as a lid.
7. this is basically a catbox concept except you don’t have paws so you’ll use the stick
8. Soil is designed to neutralize pathogens. When the bag is full dig a hole 30” deep (not in the vegetable garden and not anywhere where it might erode or can be protected from animals). Don’t carry the bag out by itself in case of leakage. Place it in a sturdy box. You’ll need to have the necessary tools available. Place bag at the edge of the hole and dump the contents; then place bag on top and cover with 2” of dirt. Cover the hole with a sturdy board and place rocks or bricks on top. Don’t use wood ash or lime which are used in outhouses to slow decomp to deter rodents and pests - you want to have quick decomp. When the hole is full, layer newspaper, then lime or wood ash, another layer of newspaper and then dirt. You will be using the dirt from the hole and as it decomposes you will continue to fill the hole with the remaining dirt. If you need a hole in the winter, insulate a spot in the yard that you will be able to dig. If you can’t dig a hole in the winter, use a metal container like a garbage can lined with heavy duty bags and store it on the north side of the home to prevent freeze/thaw. Microbes don’t grow when frozen and there shouldn’t be flies. Secure the lid against animals
9. Learn to think outside the roll - TP substitutes:
newspapers, phone books cut in thirds (crumple to soften), cloth rags (save cotton t-shirts)
