Earthquakes, Fire and Recipes

EAT-N-GO BARS

½ c margarine                        3 c mini marshmallows

¼ c dry milk                            ¼ c tang

½ c peanut butter                   1 c raisins

4 c cheerios                            ¼ c wheat germ (opt)

In large pan, melt margarine and marshmallows over low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in peanut butter until melted. Mix in milk and tang powder and wheat germ. Remove from heat. Fold in raisins and cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pat evenly into a buttered pan, 9x9 inches. Cool. Cut into bars about 3 inches by 1 inch.

PINTO BEAN PIE (MOCK PECAN)

½ c sugar                                1 c brown sugar

½ c butter                                1 heaping c mashed pinto beans

2 eggs, beaten                         unbaked pie shell

Blend sugars, eggs and butter until creamy. Add pinto beans and blend well. Pour into 9 inch unbaked pie shell. Bake at 375 for 20 min and then 350 for 25 minutes or until done. Tastes like a pecan pie. Pecans can be added also before cooking. Can be served with whipped cream or ice cream.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

4 c water                                           1 c powder cheese

1 tsp parsley                                      ¼ tsp dry mustard

2 c potato slices (can be dehydrated)

1 c cubed ham or 1 can ham

In 4 quart casserole dish, mix all ingredients. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 – 60 minutes. Variation: Bring to boil in pan, simmer for 3 minutes with lid on. Put in wonder cooker for 3 – 4 hours.

Peanut Butter Pasta

10 oz rotini or other spiral pasta           ½ c peanut butter

¾ c water or veg stock                         3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp vinegar                                     1 tbsp honey

½ tsp ground ginger                            ½ tsp chili powder

1 ½ cups frozen peas, thawed

chili oil or tabasco sauce optional

Cook pasta. Combine all other ingredients in blender except peas. Process until smooth. Toss peas into cooked drained warm pasta. Add sauce and toss well. Serve warm, or cold as a salad.

Ice Cream in a Bag

½ c milk                    1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp vanilla              pinch salt

3 c crushed ice           6 tbsp rock (pickling) salt

Put ice and rock salt in gallon freezer bag. Combine rest of ingredients in a quart size bag. Put quart bag in big bag and squish 5 minutes.

I received a copy of this email and thought it worth sharing. We can learn from the real life experiences of those who have recently had to live through the Japan earthquake and it’s aftermath.  I underlined some of the things that I felt were  relevant  to what we would be dealing with in the same situation. 

Email from LDS military family in Japan with advice to us all 

Hi Everyone, 

We're doing "fine" here. Considering what is going on around us. When the first big quake hit, around 2:45 in the afternoon on Friday, I ran to ***** room and grabbed him out of his crib. We've had plenty of earthquakes in the 2.5 years we've been here, but this one was huge. ***** started crying and calling for me --I got him too and we huddled on the stairs away from windows and light fixtures. The two boys were walking home from school and came in while the house was still shaking. They thought it was exciting. I yelled at them to "GET BACK OUTSIDE!" because I'd just been told if you're 

outside, you're supposed to stay outside! I sat on the stairs praying: "Please protect my kids, please protect my kids, please protect my kids..." It seemed to last forever (around 5 minutes I've heard) and then the aftershocks just kept coming and coming. They're still coming. 

They evacuated the hospital and **** was able to come home around 4. [I can't tell you what a relief it was to have my whole entire family safe and together. And how upsetting it was/is to think of people all over Japan who have family unaccounted for. 

Since then, the power has been out and we haven't had any heat or access to phones (to the states) or Internet (except ***** getting one e-mail out from the hospital.) Friday evening we moved our friends in with us (**** and **** and three kids) since they just shipped all of their stuff to the states in preparation for their move in two weeks. It's been nice to have them around because everyone is on edge and extremely stressed. 

Yesterday (Saturday) they opened the commissary (No lights, cash only) and we grabbed some extra food, water and diapers. Since we have the standard Mormon "food storage" I wasn't too worried about running out of food or water, but I didn't have any spare diapers so was happy to buy three big boxes yesterday for *****. (And yes, I bought two big cans of hot chocolate. Priorities, people!) 

The power is now back on off-base which is how I have Internet access right now. We're at ***** house. Hopefully it stays on. 

We were asked at church to see what extra coats, blankets, food and water we can round up to donate to the Japanese people nearby. I feel heart sick thinking of those who've lost homes and loved ones. Although you probably know much more than me, I hear the devastation is extremely great. We were lucky to be so safe on base and grateful our off-base friends and neighbors were okay. 

The earthquakes (aftershocks) haven't stopped and I spent all night last night having nightmares about running from collapsing and buckling buildings. The kids are on edge and tantrums are at an all time high. They keep busy playing during the day, but when it gets dark and we have to ration flashlights and candles it gets extra hard to keep the peace. 

A few things I've been wanting to tell people and note for the future: 

*Get an old-school, corded phone. If the power goes out, your cordless won't work. We were lucky to have a corded phone upstairs which helped ***** (The phones have worked on-base off and on, but we were never able to get a call through to the states.) 

*Speaking of accountability, in an emergency, if you're going to leave your house--leave a note on the door saying where you are going so when guys from church or work coming looking, they'll know where you are. 

*When the power went out, people off base couldn't get their cars out of their garage. Turns out there is a special crank to use but most of our friends didn't have it or know what it was. Luckily ***** had parked outside and was able to get her kids to our house Friday. 

*We've been cooking with our camping equipment. 

On Base. Estimates have said 24 hours to restore power(we're way past that) to 1 week, to indefinite.) 

*Do you have an extra refill of your prescriptions in your 72 hour kit? It's terrifying to imagine running out of the things you take every day. Also, the thought of my kids getting sick and not having enough Children's Advil and/or Tylenol made me pretty nervous until I verified we had some of each. 

*For ONCE I was glad to be doing Dave Ramsey yesterday when we had plenty of cash on hand to shop at the commissary. But we also have a cash and yen emergency fund hidden in the house for back-up which was very comforting. 

*While I'm making notes to myself: Buy a hand crank wheat grinder and blender! (We have a freezer full of frozen fruit to make smoothies but no way to blend anything.) 

*Flashlights are a pain. All of our Rayovac batteries that I had stored for an emergency, LEAKED! So the flashlights are all slowly dying, being over used by the children, and being misplaced. The best source of light the last two nights has been the pillar candles I've had in the cupboard for fancy table settings. They seem to burn pretty slow and shed a lot of light. I've gone through 3 and have 1 left. Wish I had a 20 pack of those in my 72 hour pack. It would be nice not to worry about running out. Small, light weight, energy efficient lanterns would be nice too. 

*Also, my next house will have a wood burning fire place. This all would have been much easier if we could have been warm. 

*Also, I'm buying all my kids a down comforter. We have one on our bed and we've been fine at night, but the kids need 20 blankets piled up to stay warm. (Actually, the older boys each have a two layer fleece blanket which is pretty warm, but unfortunately, they're not very big.) 

(Poor little ***** had to spend yesterday in his snow suit to stay warm. The poor little guy must be sensing the stress because he's been quite out of sorts. He's always shivering (even when bundled) and very clingy. The kids are all confused and upset but mostly hanging in there. Like I said, it's been nice to have friends to keep us company.) 

Sorry, I'm rambling on and on but I've had all this stress for the last two days and my main way to process is by writing my thoughts down. So I've been going a little nuts feeling so disconnected. 

A few more random thoughts: 

*The last two days this thought kept running through my head "All are safely gathered in.". I can't express enough how glad I was/am to have my family around me. Please say a prayer for our many many friends with deployed spouses. This is a very stressful time here and it's really sucky for them to be apart. Also, please pray for all the Japanese people who are missing or displaced. So sad. 

*We were very blessed on base to have running (freezing cold) water. Off base, sewer lines broke and contaminated the water supply they weren't even supposed to touch it. 

*Today we sang "I Need Thee Every Hour" at church. Has a lot of meaning right now. Please pray for us (us being everyone in Japan) and if you feel so inclined, find a way to send some warm blankets to people who've lost their homes. Don't know when I'll be back on-line again, but hopefully soon. 

Thanks to everyone for your concern. I knew (figured) there were people praying for us back in the states and it helped to think about that.

Earthquake Fix It List 

“True emergencies can be modified by good planning.”

1. Identify potential hazards in your home and begin to fix them.

2. Bolt tall furniture & big screen TV’s to wall studs.

3. Secure free hanging natural gas lines in heater/water heater room so they can not swing wildly in an      

        earthquake and break the soft/flex line.

4. Install water heater earthquake straps to wall studs to prevent the gas and water lines being torn loose in an      

        earthquake.

5. Secure all objects (mirrors, pictures, etc.) over beds.

6. Secure bunk beds together and to the wall. If possible unbunk them.

7. Move heavy objects to lower shelves and light objects to upper shelves.

8. Install power failure lights in halls and children’s bedrooms. (Light dispels fear)

9. Never allow the gas tank to go below the halfway point. (After an earthquake, fuel will be unavailable for 10-15 

        days)

10. Store all emergency fuel and pesticides on the floor of an exterior shed (away from the home)

11. Strap down computers and sewing machines to prevent damages in an earthquake. (buy new keyboards after an  

        earthquake before turning on to prevent damaging the power supply)

12. Add small screws to the “L” brackets of floating bookshelves to keep them and their contents in place in an 

        earthquake.

13. Strap washing machine and dryer to wall stud. (Remember that the laundry 

room and kitchen are the most dangerous rooms to be in during an earthquake)

14. Use earthquake/museum wax to hold valuable vases and collectables in place.

15. Add roping or netting to garage shelves. (During an earthquake things will fall blocking entry into the garage, because all doors  open into the garage and there will be no electricity for a week or two)

Some website with more information:

www.ussc.utah.gov/putting_down_roots.html     (Utah Seismic Safety Commission)

There is and excellent State of Utah publication on the above website

quakekare.com

publicsafety.utah.gov/homelandsecurity/earthquake.html

bereadyutah.gov/EarthquakePreparedness.html

Quakehold.com

www.seis.utah.edu      ( www.seis.utah.edu/lqthreat/threat.shtml)

Remember - An earthquake is not a single event!

The following items can be stored in a garbage can with handles.

TOP OF THE BARREL

Flashlight         bandage, large triangle

Radio bandages, plastic strips

FIRST AID KIT Q-tips

DRUGS                 sterile absorbent 

Antibiotic ointment Ace bandage

aspirin, tylenol, advil Butterfly bandages

Ipecac (induces vomiting) Gauze pads 4” x 4”

Kaopectate MISC.

Prescription meds Scissors

        Tweezers

DRESSINGS Thermometer

Adhesive tape 2” roll        Petroleum jelly

Sterile bandage 2” & 4” Rubbing alcohol

        Tissues

First Aid Handbook Pocket knife

MIDDLE OF THE BARREL

FOOD

3 day supply of food requiring no refrigeration

Date all food items

WRITE OUT A MENU FOR EACH DAY

Examples:

canned tuna or pork & beans   canned orange or tomato juice

  1/2 lb/person           peanut butter 1/2 lb/person

nonfat dry milk 1/2 lb/person  

graham crackers 1/2 lb/person     

dried apricots 1/2 lb/person   1 gal. water/person

*This supplies 2,000 daily calories and essential nutrients

BOTTOM OF THE BARREL

BEDDING EQUIPMENT

sleeping bag/blankets can opener

plastic sheet/tarp dishpan

CLOTHING               dishes - disposable

one change/person utensils - disposable

personal supplies ax

toiletries         shovel

towel bucket w/plastic bag liners

good book

paper/pencil INFANT NEEDS if applicable

FUEL & LIGHT

 matches         PERSONAL DOCUMENTS

candles 

signal flare CASH

sterno canned heat

WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS   BLEACH    EYE DROPPER

Recipes for the Week

Lentil Shepherds Pie

2 carrots, sliced 2 onions, chopped

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 lb lentils or 1/4 lb lentils and 1/4 lb brown rice

1 cup cooked wheat 

3/4 pint water

2 cans 14 oz tomatoes 

2 oz mushrooms sliced

2 vegetable stock cubes pepper

mashed potatoes

Fry onions, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms with the herbs. Add the lentils and rice. Fry. Add the wheat, tomatoes and water. Fry for 30 – 45 minutes until lentils are soft. Add stock cubes and pepper to taste. Make into a pie with mashed potato topping and brown

under broiler. This can also be served as a stew without the potato topping.

Quick Veggie Shepherds Pie

2 or 3 leeks, chopped into rounds

1/4 lb mushrooms, sliced 

1 15 oz can baked beans

1 cup cooked wheat 

2 tsp basil

1/2  tsp oregano 

2 garlic cloves, crushed

salt and pepper to taste 

mashed potatoes

grated cheese for topping 

paprika

Fry the leeks with the mushrooms, herbs and garlic for a few  minutes until soft, but leeks are still squeaky when tasted. Add wheat, beans, and heat through. Make into a pie, topped with mashed potatoes. Top pie with a little grated cheese and paprika. Brown under broiler.

New Recipes

Delicious Vegetable Curry

1 can garbanzo beans (or other type) rinsed and drained

1 onion finely chopped

2 large potatoes chopped into ¾ inch pieces

3 carrots sliced

1 can baby peas

1 large can roma tomatoes (or other)

1 tbsp curry paste

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Heat oil in a fry pan and add onion. Cook on medium heat until onions are clear. Add curry paste and cook for another minute. Add all vegetables. When the potatoes are cooked, this is ready to serve. This is nice served with rice and Cucumber Raita.

Cucumber Raita

2 slicing cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and grated or chopped

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt

1 tsp chopped fresh mint leaves

¼ tsp ground cumin

Combine all ingredients and serve with your favorite curry as a condiment.

Chicken Spaghetti

1 lb spaghetti

1 can cream chicken soup

1 can nacho cheese or cheddar soup

1 can tomato soup

1 can chicken (like tuna can)

Cook and drain spaghetti and return to large pot. Add canned ingredients, warm and serve.

Recipes and Sanitation notes

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) 

CORN THINS

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons oil

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Combine the first three ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining four ingredients. Combine the two mixtures; stir until the dough forms a ball. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes, adding extra flour if dough is too sticky to handle. Divide dough in half. On ungreased cookie sheets, roll each half into a 10x12-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with salt and cut into 64 crackers (8 to a side). Bake at 350O for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on the pans; remove and store in a loosely covered container. Makes 128 crackers.

AMERICAN HAMBURGER SOUP

1 1/2 lbs. hamburger

3/4 cup diced celery

3/4 cup dry soup mix

2 cups potatoes cubed

1 tbsp. sugar

3 medium carrots diced

2 cups tomato juice

2 tbsp. minced parsley

1 1/2 qts. water

1 bay leaf

1/8 -1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1-3 tsp. worchestershire sauce

2 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

Brown hamburger. Mix all ingredients and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours.