I love ingenuity – how cool is this improvised tent lamp? Really cool, right? It reminded me of this video, Plastic Bottles Light Up Homes in Manilla Slums, which really moved me. I love invention. It’s so great when someone comes up with a money and resource-saving device.

I tried it myself, with variations:

• 16 oz plastic water bottle. I took the label off. It’s pretty directional and not much better than the headlamp on its own. Apart from the pretty effect of dappled light on the wall.

• 12 oz glass water bottle. Even more directional than the 16 oz plastic bottle.

• 2 liter plastic soda bottle (label off). Better than the 16 oz, but the spread of light was not as amazing as expected.

• Snapware 15.9 Cup Square Grip Airtight Storage Container. Works great! I was impressed with how much light this gave me. I could read a spray bottle about 9 feet away. Sure, I had to squint, but I could read it.

• Emergency Essentials Mixer Pitcher. (See picture below.) I think this was my fave. The opaque container diffuses the light nicely and leaves enough light for a decent reach.

If you don’t want to DIY, check out our emergency lighting options. (Our 100 Hour Candles are especially awesome.) But if you do want to build one on your own, all you need is a headlamp (or other light like a flashlight or glowstick) and a plastic water bottle or jug.

Step One: Fill a plastic bottle or jug with water.

Step Two: Pour in bleach (optional).

Step Three: Adjust headlamp to fit securely around container. Or if you’re using a flashlight, place it on the ground next to the container. I aimed the headlamp up, rather than down, because I figured I didn’t need light on the ground.

Step Four: Bring people over to admire your creation!

From what I can figure out, the water diffracts and diffuses the light (or spreads out the beam). These guys agree with me. I read that it works better if you add bleach (but I also read that the bleach is just there to kill bacteria).

My conclusion is, the more you can diffuse the light, the more of a “lamp” effect you get. A plastic milk jug works really well because it’s large, stable, and portable. Think of all the possible variations…

Ooh! A five-gallon water storage jug would be awesome!!! You could put one of these big flashlights next to it.

Quick, somebody try putting a flashlight in a SuperPail (without water) and see if that works. Is it too opaque?

Here’s to unique, innovative lighting solutions! You never know what you’ll be able to invent in a pinch. Go preppers!

~ Steph

Hi, friends!

Is it Spring where you live yet? Or are you getting Summer weather already? Mother Nature hasn't quite decided what she’s up to here in Utah—we had record-breaking heat for several days, then an almost-constant drizzle with overcast skies. Now it's high 70's, low 80's for the next little while. So we’re teetering between Spring and Summer-like weather around here.

Have you been saving your spare change this month? I’ve added $36.00 to my Prep Jar so far this month, so in addition to the $2.65 I had leftover last month that means I’ve got $38.65 to work with. Here’s what I’m going to buy:

One can of Freeze Dried Miniature Meatballs. I’m really looking forward to experimenting with these—I think they could be great in sandwiches, pasta dishes, casseroles, and on pizza. We’ll be testing them in the Emergency Essentials Test Kitchen pretty soon, but I’m staking my claim on a can now, since they’re a limited-time item—once they sell out, they’re gone without a guarantee of coming back. They’re on Group Special this month for $23 per can if you (or you + any number of other people together) buy 6 cans. And don't forget that you get free shipping when you meet the minimum on even a single group sale item. If you aren't part of a group, find one in your area or start your own! You don't even have to technically be a "group" as long as you meet that minimum purchase amount in a single order. Click here for info about the Group Program.

You’ve probably caught on that I’m a big fan of BurnFree® Pain Relieving Gel. It’s also on Group Special this month—for $3! Total steal. I’m going to try not to hoard all of it—I want to leave some for the rest of you, after all— so I’m sticking to 2 bottles.

The last thing I’m going to grab this month is a MyChoice™ can of Vanilla Instant Pudding. Because it’s good. And easy to make. And did I mention good? Mmmmm… (It may not even make it into my long-term storage, if I’m going to be honest with you. I’m a total sucker for pudding. So easy. So tasty.)

If I had some extra money this month, here are a few additional things I would snag:

Peach Fortified Drink Mix. Because sometimes plain water is just boring, so this would add a little boost of flavor and nutrients I could use in an emergency.

A can (or, if I had even more extra money this month, a SuperPail) of lentils. I think lentils are delicious, and they can be used in so many ways (I love making quinoa and lentil "burgers", making curried lentils over rice, or adding them to soups).

Mountain House Pouches to fill every nook and cranny of my storage area.

What about you? How much did you save this month? What are you planning or saving up to buy next?

Happy prepping (and have a great weekend)!

Urban Girl

Today, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center stated that “there is a 70 percent likelihood” that there will be three to six major hurricanes this year with winds above 111 mph. Forecasters suggest that “A year after Superstorm Sandy, residents along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts should prepare for ‘an extremely active’" 2013 hurricane season.

With this forecast in mind, Kathryn Sullivan, NOAA acting administrator, stated Thursday, "Take time to refresh your hurricane preparedness plan . . . bottom line is become weather-ready now—that means starting today."

Since 2013’s Hurricane season begins on June 1^st, now is the time to prepare for a Hurricane. Here are some basic items that you should consider collecting to prepare you for the upcoming storm season:

Hurricane Kit Supplies:

Emergency Kit

First Aid Kit

Food Storage (have enough for several weeks)

Water Storage Supply

Radio (include extra batteries)

Tools

Rain Ponchos

Sanitation Supplies

For a more comprehensive list of items to include in your Hurricane Kit, take a look at our Hurricane Checklists for before, during, and after the storm.

Our 5-part mini-series on Hurricane preparedness also provides additional information on things to consider while preparing for a hurricane.

It’s time for a giveaway here on the Preparedness Pantry Blog, don’tcha think?

The giveaway prize is two cans of Provident Pantry™ Whole Egg Powder—a #10 can and a MyChoice™ can. So, if you win you’ll have a smaller can to experiment with now, plus a large can to keep in your long-term food storage for the future!

Whole Egg Powder is a versatile product—you can use it to make scrambled eggs, frittata, or quiche (we suggest adding powdered milk for better results when you’re using the Whole Egg Powder instead of Scrambled Egg Mix), plus you can add it to baked goods in place of fresh eggs. Anywhere you would use fresh whole eggs, these make a great substitute—and they’re stable on the shelf much longer than fresh eggs, too!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling us what recipe(s) you’d like to try if you win. If you came to this post from Facebook, be sure to comment here on the blog, not just on FB.

That’s it, folks! Good luck.

--Sarah

P.S. We'll pick a winner next Tuesday, so you've got the long weekend to think about what you want to make and spread the word about the giveaway.

The winner will be contacted via email. If you are the winner and do not respond to our email within 3 business days, you will forfeit your right to the prize and another winner will be chosen.

All entries will be verified. Contest is open to all customers with a US shipping address; however, free shipping of the Weekly Wednesday Giveaway is included for the winner to the 48 contiguous United States only. For any locations outside this area, the winner is responsible for arranging and paying their own shipping costs. If you purchase a Weekly Wednesday Giveaway item during the giveaway and win, we will send you an additional item or issue you a refund for the product you purchased—whichever you prefer.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress or Pinterest. Your entries are going to Emergency Essentials and not to Facebook, Twitter, blogger or Pinterest. Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress, or Pinterest is in no way responsible for any part of this giveaway.

Employees of Emergency Essentials, Inc. and their immediate family members are not eligible for the giveaway.

Our hearts go out to all of the people affected by the recent tornado devastation in Oklahoma  and Texas. We share your grief.

Here are a few sites that provide meaningful information on the aftermath of the tornado in Oklahoma.

• Oklahoma City Channel 4 – live news feed (include press conferences and news coverage).  
• Oklahoma City Channel 4 Live Updates
• The Lede – live updates from multiple sources.
• The Norman Transcript – live blog from Norman, Oklahoma.

To help survivors, follow the instructions on these sites:

• The Salvation Army
• The American Red Cross
• The City of Moore Recovers

However you choose to help, don’t forget to verify that the organization you are donating to is legitimate. It is reprehensible that anyone would take advantage of the suffering of others, but it does happens. Click on the link to read suggestions for safe giving as well as links to websites that will run a check on organizations.

Click on the following links to see how tornadoes are created,  and to read what you can do to prepare, or what to do during a tornado.

What to Do During a Tornado

If at home:

• If you have a tornado safe room or engineered shelter, go there immediately.
• Go at once to a windowless, interior room; storm cellar; basement; or lowest level of the building.
• If there is no basement, go to an inner hallway or a smaller inner room without windows, such as a bathroom or closet.
• Get away from the windows.
• Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.
• If in a mobile home, get out and find shelter elsewhere.

If at work or school:

• Go to the area designated in your tornado plan.
• Avoid places with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums, cafeterias, large hallways, or shopping malls.
• Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.

If outdoors:

• If possible, get inside a building.
• If shelter is not available or there is no time to get indoors, lie in a ditch or low-lying area or crouch near a strong building. Be aware of the potential for flooding.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.

If in a car:

• Never try to out-drive a tornado in a car or truck.
• Get out of the car immediately and take shelter in a nearby building.
• If there is no time to get indoors, get out of the car and lie in a ditch or low-lying area away from the vehicle. Be aware of the potential for flooding.

This week’s feature product is the Provident Pantry®Whole Egg Powder. Ideal for baking and cooking, and including in dry ingredient mixes, our Whole Egg Powder is a wonderful addition to your food storage. This product is easy to rotate and can be used in your favorite family recipes. It is packaged and preserved for long-term storage so that you can use it now or years from now.

We’re not the only ones who think it’s great. One of our customers left this product review of the Provident Pantry™ Whole Egg Powder on our website:

I have used this product in baking and have made egg drop soup without any family members commenting about "something being different". In the long run, it seems to cost less and it is certainly more convenient than having to run to the store for a carton of eggs before I can make a cake or a batch of cookies. ~ Granny

Like Granny says, cooking with whole egg powder won’t have your family commenting on “something being different” or refusing to eat! Here are a couple of recipes from the book Cookin’ with Dried Eggs, that you can make using Provident Pantry®Whole Egg Powder.

The book includes an excellent chart on how to convert recipes that use fresh eggs into the equivalent measurements for Whole Egg Powder, so you can still cook your favorite recipes. Pick up your copy today and start cookin’!

Hootenanny Pancakes (German Pancake)

Mix water, dried eggs, dried milk, and salt in a blender until fluffy. Tap in the flour a little at a time, beat until well blended. Melt margarine in 9x13 pan at 425°F. When butter is bubbly, pour in batter and return to oven immediately. Bake 25 minutes. Serve with jam, syrup, or powdered sugar.

Macaroni and Cheese Casserole                                                 

Cook the macaroni in the boiling, salted water until tender. Drain and combine the macaroni, green pepper, parsley, and onion. Mix together cheese, egg, milk, and warm water; blend well. Pour over the macaroni mixture. Place in a greased pan, bake at 350°F. for 50 minutes. This recipe makes 2 servings.

If you are interested in finding more ways to cook with the Provident Pantry® Whole Egg Powder, check out our recipe for Scrambled Egg and Veggie Wraps. You can purchase a copy of Cookin’ with Dried Eggs from our website or in our stores.

Pick up a can of our Whole Egg Powder and try out a couple of recipes. They’ll taste just the same as using eggs fresh from the carton!

While you are updating your emergency kits during your spring cleaning, don’t forget to clear out some space to store your food and emergency supplies. But we know that's easier said than done . . . Have you ever felt like no matter what size home you live in—big or small—that there is never enough space to store your personal belongings, let alone your food storage and other emergency supplies?

If you have limited space to store your emergency items, all is not lost! This just means that you may have to get a little more creative with the places that you store your food and other supplies. Use your spring cleaning as an opportunity to clean out spaces in your home for your food and supply storage. (Spring cleaning is also a great time to rotate your food storage if it's not a part of your regular food rotation.) When looking for unique places around your home, remember that you want to store food items in cool, dry places. Here are some tips and tricks to find space for your storage supplies.

Organize that Closet

-          Create an inventory of all of your storage items and attach it to the door or wall inside your storage closet.

-          Label and organize your items in groups so you can grab what you need quickly.

-          Store and stack up items on the floor and sides of your closet walls.

-          Use the top shelves in the closets in your guest room, bedroom, or hallway closet to store items.

Put it Behind the Couch

-         Pull your couch out from the wall and store several #10 cans in the space between the wall and your couch (only if the space will remain cool enough).

-         Store items underneath or behind any furniture that you already have in your home that has enough space to fit items.

Use a Book Shelf or Cabinet

Afraid that bookshelves lined with cans will throw off the decorative theme of your home? Revamp your shelves to match the theme of your room.

-          Add decorative fabric on the back panel of each shelf to create a decorative backdrop for your cans. Check out how to do this DIY project at redouxinteriors.com. (We   originally found this idea on Pinterest; click here to follow our boards).

-          create a curtain to go over your book shelf to hide your cans.

-          In addition to book shelves, you can also store your cans in cabinets, armoires, cube storage units, or dresser drawers.

Take the extra few minutes to mount these cabinets or book shelves to the wall so they don’t fall over in an earthquake.

Make an End Table

-          Stack up boxes filled with emergency supplies, or stack up cans to create a foundation for an end table. Place a wood board or circle on top to create a table top and add a table cloth to cover the base.

Hide it under the bed

-          Keeping food storage under the bed will provide a cool, dry area to keep your food storage.

Store it in the Car

-          Storing items in your car can help you and your family in both large and small emergency situations. Check out our tips for creating a car emergency kit for ideas on what items to include.

Stock Up Your Medicine Cabinet

-          Check the expiration dates on the medicine in your cabinet. Replace items and consider stocking your cabinet with any over-the-counter medications that may be helpful in an emergency. Replace items in your first-aid kit as well.

Stash it in the “Usual Places”

-          Basements are great storage areas because they are usually cool and dry if sealed properly or fitted with a dehumidifier. If your basement floods or has a tendency to be damp, you probably don’t want to store your supplies there.

-          Attics and Sheds are also good storage areas, but make sure that they are insulated well. These might be best for stashing non-food items like tents, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, tools, and the like.

-          Trunks/Chests are good places to store both non-food item storage needs as well as food storage.

-          Beneath the Sink is a great area to store cleaning supplies.

-          Kitchen Cabinets clean out one or more of your kitchen cabinets and designate it as the “emergency supply cabinet.” Store only food storage essentials or other emergency supplies in it. Make sure to rotate these items regularly.

If you live in an urban area, and you're dealing with extra-tight quarters, there are more tips for urban prepping here.

What do you think? Have you put any of these ideas to use?

What’s affordable, hearty, nutritious, and delicious? A grain salad from your food storage, of course!

General Instructions for Preparing Grain Berries for Salad  

My favorite method, which just happens to be perfect when you don’t have  electricity, cooking fuels, or time to spend over the stove (like in emergency situations), is to let the berries soak overnight in a thermos of hot water. Bring your water to a boil and add it to the thermos. But, if you don’t want to wait overnight, bring water to a boil, add grain, boil until the berries are soft. Depending on what type of grain you’re using, it could take 30 to 60 minutes to soften. You could also use your crockpot.

I got so excited about using our Provident Pantry food storage grains that I couldn’t stick to just wheat berries. We’ve created four delicious recipes from hard red wheat, hard white wheat, spelt, and oat groats. I'm pretty sure that you’re going to love these salads, but don’t take my word for it. Try them out and let us know what you think!

Mediterranean Spelt Berry Salad

1 cup Provident Pantry Spelt

3 cups salted water

1 cup Provident Pantry FD Zucchini

½ cup Provident Pantry FD Carrots

1 cup Provident Pantry FD Tomatoes

½ cup Provident Pantry FD Green Onions

For the dressing:

½ cup olive oil

3-4 TBS Balsamic vinegar

¼ tsp Provident Pantry Italian seasoning

¼ tsp Provident Pantry Salt

¼ tsp Provident PantryPepper

¼ tsp Provident Pantry Garlic powder

2 tsp Provident Pantry Brown sugar (more to taste)

Fruity Wheat Berry Salad

1 cup Provident Pantry hard red wheat berries

2 TBS Provident Pantry Chicken Flavored Broth

3 cups water (added an additional 2 ¼ cups)

1 cup Provident Pantry FD Apple Dices (We used Emergency Essentials' Provident Pantry Fuji Apple Slices because that's what we had on hand.)

½ cup Provident Pantry FD Pears

¾ cup Provident Pantry FD White Chicken (hydrated in the broth the wheat berries were cooked in)

For the dressing:

¼ cup crushed Provident Pantry FD Apricot

½ cup vegetable oil

3-4 TBS white wine vinegar

2 tsp Provident Pantry Brown Sugar (more to taste)

Oat Groat Salad with Chicken and Spinach

1 cup Provident Pantry Oat Groats (rinse after softening)

3 cups salted water

1 cup Provident Pantry FD White Chicken Pieces

½ cup Provident Pantry FD Spinach

1 cup Provident Pantry FD Tomatoes

For the dressing:

½ cup olive oil

3-4 TBS red wine vinegar

¼ tsp Provident Pantry Black Pepper

¼ tsp Provident Pantry Salt

2 tsp Provident Pantry Brown Sugar (more to taste)

Wheat Berry Salad with Sesame Dressing

1 cup Provident Pantry hard white wheat

3 cups water, salted

½ cup Provident Pantry FD Celery

1 cup Provident Pantry FD Peas

1/2 cup Provident Pantry FD Green Onions

1 tsp Provident Pantry FD Minced Garlic

Optional:

½ cup Provident Pantry FD Beef TVP or 1 cup Provident Pantry FD Chicken Pieces

For the vinaigrette:

½ cup vegetable oil

2 TBS sesame oil (or to taste)

3-4 TBS apple cider vinegar

¼ tsp Provident Pantry Black Pepper

¼ tsp Provident Pantry Salt

2 tsp Provident Pantry Brown Sugar

¼ tsp Provident Pantry FD Minced Garlic

At the end of 2012, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimated that 22.3 million people were living with type 1 or type 2 Diabetes in the United States. In fact, Dr. John Anderson of the ADA states, “I know of no other disease that is increasing at (about) 8% per year.” The growing rate of Diabetes among Americans is an important issue for emergency preparedness gurus to consider when addressing preparedness needs.

So, what can we do to adequately prepare for our families’ various health needs in an emergency?

 The American College of Endocrinology (ACE) and Lilly Diabetes outlined the importance of emergency planning for people with Diabetes and other health needs at ACE’s annual meeting (on May 1^st). These two programs began collaborating after Hurricane Katrina and led to the creation of the EmPower “My Diabetes Emergency Plan.”

The Emergency Plan

“My Diabetes Emergency Plan” is a comprehensive checklist (available in both English and Spanish) that helps those with diabetes prepare in advance for big and small emergency situations. In addition to blood glucose testing supplies, insulin, and medical records, some other suggested items to include in your emergency kit are:

• Empty plastic bottles for syringes
•  A 2-day supply of non-perishable foods (peanut butter, cheese crackers, meal replacement bars and shakes)
•  Soda, honey, and hard candies for possible hypoglycemic reactions.
• Cooler or insulated fanny pack to store insulin

The purpose of this emergency plan is to prepare users for a range of emergency situations from severe weather to car trouble to power outages. So, you should constantly update the supplies in your emergency kit. Updating medical supplies is especially important for those with Type 1 diabetes that must take insulin regularly.  However, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) suggests that since insulin is a prescribed medication that you cannot store extra supplies of insulin unless your prescription and doctor allows it. But there are general guidelines and precautions that you can take.

Guidelines and Precautions for Insulin Users

According to the FDA, insulin can be stored in a refrigerated area  at approximately 36 to 46 degrees F until the expiration date on the package. If there is no access to refrigeration, “all of the available insulin can be left unrefrigerated (between 59 and 86 degrees F) for up to 28 days and still maintain potency.” The ADA also suggests that if your glucose levels go too low that you do not want to inject insulin, but you can stock up on glucose pills and candies to help raise these levels. For more information on how to use insulin during an emergency situation, check out the websites listed at the end of this post.

Sometimes in emergency situations hospitals provide insulin to patients who have their prescriptions and medical records with them. The FDA suggests that it is ok to use a different brand of insulin if your doctor has discussed and prescribed alternatives to you. This is why it is important to include up to date medical records in your emergency kit and to talk to your physician about these alternatives as the Empower “My Diabetes Emergency Plan” suggests.

Dr. Lawrence Blonde, endocrinologist, member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and fellow of ACE, states, "Our goal is to encourage people with diabetes to take steps in advance of an emergency to protect their health. It only takes a few minutes to prepare an emergency kit, and now with the added download availability of our checklist in Spanish, even more people can be ready." In addition to this comprehensive plan and checklist, there is also a step-by-step video about how to build your emergency kit that you can watch on the Empower website.

Learn more about this exciting press release and the ongoing conversation about Prepping for the various health needs of your family at the Eli Lilly and Company website

Click here to see the “My Diabetes Emergency Plan” checklist

Click here to see information on insulin use during an emergency situation:

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPreparedness/ucm085213.htm

 http://www.diabetes.org/assets/pdfs/ada-emergency-medical-advice.pdf

Additional Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/06/health/diabetes-cost-report