Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
[found this by accident]
http://healinghouseteas.blogspot.com/
Saturday, May 9, 2009
The Natural Pet - Flea Control (reposted and revised for 2009)
There are many fairly simple and natural ways to eliminate and prevent parasites. Fleas, worms and mites are at the top of the list and can also lead to much worse things. Today I’ll focus on fleas.
** To start any natural flea control, a good bath should come first if at all possible. A gentle child’s soap is fine but follow with a diluted vinegar rinse (a couple of tablespoons vinegar to a gallon of warm water) to remove any residue. Furred creatures have natural occurring oils which they need for a healthy coat and to say cool in summer and warm in winter. A good bath never hurts but to much bathing could actually cause fleas to be worse and weaken the natural system.
** Tea Tree oil can be diluted and used in a rinse after the vinegar rinse or as a stand alone rinse instead of bathing. A Tea Tree oil rinse (1 tablespoon Tea Tree oil per one gallon warm water) can be used like a flea dip in the summer, if fleas and tick are very bad, or before a long hike in the forest. You can also make up a batch and keep it in a spray bottle to lightly mist the coat when it’s warm out (always be careful to avoid the eyes! and don’t over use)
** Diatomaceous Earth (DE) can be used outside with great effect and is fairly safe to use (everything should be used with respect and care). It can be sprinkled along foundations of buildings and in animal pens under a layer of straw or raked into a layer of pebbles. I would not recommend using it indoors because the dust is harmful if breathed but a small amount will likely be tracked in by the pets anyway.
** Cedar has long been used for it’s ability to deter fleas. Cedar chips make an excellent bedding and leaves the coat smelling like cedar as well. Cedar can also be used as a filler for pet beds indoors and in small cedar pillows kept in closets and under furniture.
To make a soft pet bed with a refillable cedar pocket, just sew a pillow whatever size your pet needs and, stuff as usual. But, when you’re ready to close the opening sew a long sock or open weave pouch inside the pillow. That way the stuffing stays in but the pouch can be filled and refilled with cedar chips.
** Garlic can be fed to cats and dogs to help eliminate fleas and keep them at bay. It also has the added benefits of deworming, helping to strengthen the immune system, good for the heart and circulatory systems. However, to much garlic can irritate the stomach lining, to much of anything, no matter how good, usually turns into a bad thing.
I recommend 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder per 10 pounds of body weight, fed at least twice a week.
******* NEVER use garlic salt, it can dangerously thin the blood.
** Brewers Yeast is a great addition for natural flea control. It can be added to wet food or given daily in tablet form. Most dogs and cats love it and gobble it right up. The general recommended dose is about 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight.
Brewers Yeast can also be rubbed into the coat to repel fleas instantly. This should be done outside to keep the fleas out of your home and be careful they don’t jump on you. This is only a temporary fix but can be used to jump start a natural flea routine.
** Pennyroyal is a good flea deterrent. It can be grown around animal enclosures and dried to use in natural, temporary, flea collars. But, should always be used with caution!
********* Although Pennyroyal is of the mint family it is poisonous if ingested and should never be taken internally. If you’re pregnant or even might be, you shouldn’t handle it at all!
If growing around enclosures be sure to keep it out of the animals reach. Grow it along the outsides of fences or near the backs of houses where the animals can’t get.
For a natural, temporary, flea collar ... take about a teaspoon of dried herb and roll it in a cotton bandana and tie loosely around the neck. You can also add it dried to a removable pouch that can be secured inside a dog bed or the like.
** Borax powder can be used on carpets and floors and is very effective in killing fleas. Sprinkle a good layer on, leave it for at least 1 hour, then vacuum thoroughly. When leaving anything on the carpets or floors remove pets and children to a safe area until properly cleaned.
** Vacuum carpets often and immediately empty the canister or bag and throw outside.
** Wash bedding regularly and thoroughly. Yours and theirs.
Please remember to consult your Vet or animal care provider, before trying anything new :)
Recipes .....
~ Cat Yum ~
2/3 to 1 c wet food (store or homemade)
1 beaten egg
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (never garlic salt or raw garlic)
1 Tablespoon brewers yeast (or distillers yeast)
very warm water ** but not hot
Mix all ingredients except water and store in airtight container in fridge. When ready to feed, mix 1 teaspoon warm water per Tablespoon of Yum. cats rarely like to eat cold things so the very warm water warms to Yum and most cats love it.
Feed 1 Tablespoons per 10 pounds per day
~ Flea Biscuits ~
2 c flour (whole wheat is best but all purpose is fine too)
1 c cornmeal
2/3 c brewers yeast (or distillers yeast)
2 t garlic powder (never garlic salt or fresh garlic, both are very harmful to dogs)
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 c boiling chicken broth ( I make my own by boiling the leftover chicken bones) (you can also use beef broth)
Put the broth to boil. Mix all the dry ingredients together then add the egg yolks and work in with a heavy spoon. Add the broth to the mix and mix well with heavy spoon. Set aside and allow to cool. When it’s cool enough to handle use a little flour/cornmeal mix to dust hands and form into a large ball. Add more flour/cornmeal if it’s to sticky. Now you can either pinch off pieces and flatten or roll out and cut like biscuits. Any shape will do (bones, circles, stars ...) but they shouldn’t be more then 1/4 inch thick. Bake at 375 for 15 mins then turn and bake 15 mins more. Allow to cool fully and store in an airtight container. Makes about 70 medium biscuits.
I make 2 inch circles, between 1/8 and 1/4 in. thick, and give them for fleas and ticks, 1 cookie for every 50 pounds. You can break them in half for 25 pounds or make smaller biscuits.
It may not seem like enough at first but the garlic and yeast build up and work wonderfully.
**Can be stored on the counter but last longer if stored in the fridge. To make them stay better stored on the counter, leave them out to dry very well for 24 hours or dry in a very low oven with door cracked open for 2 or so hours.
LOL, and I thank you for the photos, for when one looks at them, it is possible to believe that the dog really did see to the cats bath.
I know the instructions have been reprinted many times, but if these two photos were used, I missed them.
That dog is laughing and the cat is very very angry.
Shout out to you, granny !!!
Have a good Sunday.
Hugs,
That’s a good candidate for a ZOT-kitty picture... :-)
And..., survival might also include protecting oneself from the A/H1N1 Flu Pandemic (first one in 41 years...).
See...
A/H1N1 pandemic spreads at unprecedented speed, says WHO
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2296007/posts
Imminent Erosion of USDollar Seawall
by Jim Willie, CB. Editor, Hat Trick Letter | July 16, 2009
Print
The globe is losing patience with leadership and management of the USGovt ship at sea. They simple refuse to offer a credible solution to the primary keynote crack in the hull, falling housing prices and cratered mortgages, each of which work their destructive magic to wreck the banks. The home loan modifications are a farce, a travesty not designed to modify but rather to frame a series of loan forbearances. The motive for not fixing the mortgage mess is mysterious to the masses, but not here. Jackass claims have been consistent, that effective loan modifications would alter the underlying mortgage bonds drastically. The Powerz wanted enough time delay to rejigger as many mortgage bonds as possible into new securities, thus rendering impossible any legal challenges to the original mortgage package process that was loaded with fraud to the hilt. Any drastic alteration of mortgage bonds would reveal vast fraud of two types. Many mortgage bonds did not have clearly certificate property titles with careful registrations. And then the coyote ugly part, that many mortgage bonds were simply counterfeits sold into a frenzy filled credit market designed to process the most vile vermin on paper. The USDollar is vulnerable here and now, as a new wave of bank losses is imminent from numerous types of mortgages along with some basic types. Let’s see if the grapevine is correct, that the USDollar will begin to see a trashing initiative starting this weekend, out of Asia. They must be impatient beyond description. This autumn is expected to see some rather tumultuous events unfold, as the US financial structures are breaking across most of its ramparts even as loyalty to it is fading like a mist. There will be no return to the US of yesteryear, only a tragic march.
One surely struggles mightily where to begin to describe the incredible weakness, confusion, corruption, and lopsided interests when it comes to managing the USEconomy and US banking system. The recovery is a hobbled man taking a rest on a couch in the morgue waiting room. The nonsensical Green Shoots of recovery are recognized as a painted mirage at worst and error due to faulty information at best. More like a congame to sell bank stocks at inflated prices, an act difficult to repeat. The Stimulus Plan apparently has very little stimulus inside it, and 75% of its ummph is planned for next year. The US Federal Reserve is fighting disclosure of not only its balance sheet but its disbursement of TARP Funds. Imagine a silly setup where Congress cannot find out what its central bank is doing, when acting as its own contractor, how ludicrous! Perhaps claims for independence should really be packaged in executive privilege like Nixon did, to conceal crimes. Appeal to the US Supreme Court might take a long long time, since they enjoy three months vacation in summer. When a Constitutional challenge of the USFed as Congressional contractor does find its way to the august high court, we will find out how compromised they are also. Images of “The Pelican Brief” by John Grisham come to mind, violence upon bench justices in the winds.
http://www.financialsense.com/fsu/editorials/willie/2009/0716.html
Fight for Swine Flu Vaccine Could Get Ugly
July 16, 2009
By Maria Cheng
AP
LONDON — An ugly scramble is brewing over the swine flu vaccine - and when it becomes available, Britain, the United States and other nations could find that the contracts they signed with pharmaceutical companies are easily broken.
Experts warn that during a global epidemic, which the world is in now, governments may be under tremendous pressure to protect their own citizens first before allowing companies to ship doses of vaccine out of the country.
That does not bode well for many countries, including the United States, which makes only 20 percent of the flu vaccines it uses, or Britain, where all of its flu vaccines are produced abroad.
“This isn’t rocket science,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. “If there is severe disease, countries will want to hang onto the vaccine for their own citizens.”
Experts say politicians would not be able to withstand the pressure.
“The consequences of shipping vaccine to another country when your own people don’t have it would be devastating,” added David Fedson, a retired vaccine industry executive.
About 70 percent of the world’s flu vaccines are made in Europe, and only a handful of countries are self-sufficient in vaccines. The U.S. has limited flu vaccine facilities, and because factories can’t be built overnight, there is no quick fix to boost vaccine supplies.
Last week, the World Health Organization reported nearly 95,000 cases of swine flu including 429 deaths worldwide. If swine flu turns deadlier in the winter, the main flu season in the Northern Hemisphere, countries will likely be clamoring for any available vaccines.
“Pandemic vaccine will be a valuable and scarce resource, like oil or food during a famine,” said David Fidler, a professor of law at Indiana University who has consulted for WHO. “We’ve seen how countries behave in those situations, and it’s not encouraging.”
Britain claims it will start vaccinating people in August, Italy says it will begin by the end of the year, and many other countries have similar strategies. Those mass vaccination plans could be derailed by problems making the vaccine and by other countries’ refusal to ship it abroad.
If the virus remains mild, this could all be moot. Experts estimate swine flu to be about as dangerous as seasonal flu, and there usually isn’t a high demand for those vaccines. Still, regular flu kills up to 500,000 people a year.
In past pandemics, or global epidemics, vaccines were never exported before the country that produced them got enough for its own population first.
Unlike the last two pandemics in 1957 and 1968, however, many more countries this time around have struck deals with companies which they say guarantees them first access to vaccine. Yet in a global health emergency, those contracts may ultimately be meaningless.
Countries with flu vaccine plants might decide to seize all vaccines and ban their export, thus breaking the pharmaceutical contracts promising other countries vaccine supplies. These private contracts are not binding international law between two countries, according to Fidler.
He said most vaccine contracts include a clause allowing them to be broken under extraordinary circumstances, such as a health emergency. That would leave the countries who had brokered such deals not only without vaccine, but without legal recourse.
“There’s nothing in international law that helps you resolve this, it’s just a political nightmare happening in the midst of an epidemiological nightmare,” Fidler said.
Britain has ordered 60 million doses, enough to cover its entire population. But those doses are being manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Baxter International Inc., whose production plants are in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. Neither Britain’s department of health or the vaccine manufacturers would comment on delivery plans.
Osterholm said about 80 percent of the United States’ pandemic vaccine supply will be coming from abroad and he is very concerned about when it might arrive. Timing could be everything to avoid a vaccine spat.
“It’s easy to move vaccine around if the disease is relatively mild. But if it is more severe, countries may not be willing to let it go,” he said.
So far, swine flu remains a relatively mild disease, and most people don’t need medical treatment to get better. But experts fear the virus could mutate into a more dangerous form. And during the flu season, when the virus spreads more easily, more people will probably fall sick and die.
Public health officials are aware that so-called “vaccine wars” might break out if the swine flu outbreak worsens, but are loathe to even discuss the topic.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, an agency of the European Union, said it had no mandate to advise countries in such circumstances. WHO said it was not aware of any countries planning to block the shipment of vaccines and said they would work to ensure all countries get enough doses to protect their health workers.
Questions also remain about when a swine flu vaccine will even be available, as WHO reported this week that a fully licensed vaccine might not be ready until the end of the year.
With little or no safety data about a swine flu vaccine, governments that are planning to roll out mass campaigns are taking a gamble, since any rare side effects won’t show up until millions of people start getting the shots.
Experts say government promises about when vaccines will arrive should be taken with a huge grain of salt.
“Many pieces of the puzzle are missing,” Osterholm said. “Anyone who pretends to have a well-defined schedule of vaccine delivery is obviously very poorly informed.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/16/AR2009071601608.html
Brace yourself...
Sit down...
Try to relax...
THEN - Click on this link.
Sorry for ruining your weekend.
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm172714.htm
Sweet Superior Fruit LTD Recalls Cilantro (Coriander)
Because Of Possible Health Risk
Contact:
Francisco Cantu
956-687-6683
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 18, 2009 - Sweet Superior Fruit LTD. Co. of McAllen, Texas, is recalling 104 crates of fresh cilantro (coriander) because the product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonellaoften experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
The recalled fresh cilantro (coriander) was sold July 13-16, 2009 in 15 pound, black plastic crates to individuals and companies through cash sales at Sweet Superior Fruit LTD. Co., 2501 W. Military Hwy., Suite #A-5 and A-6, McAllen, Texas. The product may have been further sold through direct retail sales in McAllen, Texas and surrounding areas or used as an ingredient to manufacture additional products.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.
The potential for contamination was revealed through testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which found the presence of Salmonella in the product.
Individuals and companies who purchased fresh cilantro (coriander) from Sweet Superior Fruit LTD. Co., July 13-16, 2009, should immediately discontinue use of the product. Companies should make efforts to recall the product from customers and consumers who may have purchased the product and ask them to return or throw it away.
Consumers who have purchased fresh cilantro (coriander) in McAllen, Texas and surrounding areas since July 13, 2009 should determine from the store they purchased the product whether or not the fresh cilantro (coriander) they purchased is involved in this recall.
[Big smile on my face]
Have a blessed weekend wishes to you.
A/H1N1 pandemic spreads at unprecedented speed, says WHO
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2296007/posts
<<<
The map in your post #6, is an eye opener.
It has followed the illegal trail and it has covered half the world all ready.
I listen to the police scanners on the radio and Las Vegas is the closest to me, a 100 miles away, some days the people are falling over with flu like symptoms and they are busy hauling them in.
It is bigger in America and the world than we realize.
Thanks for sharing the link with us, as I had missed the thread.
Appeal to the US Supreme Court might take a long long time, since they enjoy three months vacation in summer. When a Constitutional challenge of the USFed as Congressional contractor does find its way to the august high court, we will find out how compromised they are also. Images of “The Pelican Brief” by John Grisham come to mind, violence upon bench justices in the winds.<<<
I think we are already seeing the insanity come out, it is sure showing up on the police scanner.
When the day comes that ALL the crooked politicians and their connections are exposed, we might feel hopeful again.
Until that time, we are being led by insane meglo maniacs and they do not care what the world suffers, as long as they get rich and can rule.
My opinion of course....
THEN - Click on this link.
http://www.usdebtclock.org/
<<<
Sorry, it moved so fast that I couldn’t count the dollars.
Why isn’t this meter a big wall display in the office of every politician and the President.
Please stock up on Vitamin D and start taking it as soon as possible. You need at least 5000 international units per day or more. If you can get 20 minutes of sunshine each day without sunscreen, your body will make 20,000 IU per day (and no more). In the wintertime at most latitudes in North America you must supplement with cod liver oil or vitamin D capsules.
Flu causes a runaway reaction in your body in which the antibodies that fight the virus go on and also destroy your lungs. Vitamin D regulates the antibodies and keeps them under control. If you are on dialysis you need extra vitamin d because if your kidneys don’t work, they don’t send out the vitamin d you need, when you need it.
>>>When the day comes that ALL the crooked politicians and their connections are exposed, we might feel hopeful again.<<<
The day of reckoning may be getting close.
People are rising up and speaking out. Our lone RINO Congressman Mike Castle had a town meeting in Georgetown - in out southernmost county (a more conservative area)- usually only 20 or 30 (mostly politicos) usually are the only attendees. Well, he was totally shocked when over 200 vocal constituents filled the room to overflowing.
The following is a youtube from that meeting. The clip is about Obama’s birth certificate. All Castle could say was ‘ he is a citizen ‘ - of course that is not the Constitutional sole requirement - Natural Born Citizen is what he couldn’t say.
I know that others are bandwidth challenged, but I loaded it while I went to bed. Oh, Castle on the next day went to a rally in Wilmington (The liberal bastion in our state) and he was given an earful there too.
http://www.freerepublic.com/%5Ehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V1nmn2zRMc
>>>You need at least 5000 international units per day or more.<<<
Geesh, I thought I had that covered with a half million units. But at 5,000 daily X3 people only equals a months coverage. Maybe I will just have to put on shorts and spend some time in the sun in January... Brrr.
Personal peace and self confidence grow with each new level of family preparedness we achieve. Through careful preparation we can free ourselves from concern over the impact of world situations or personal problems such as economic collapse, drought, famine, energy crisis, illness, reduced standard of living, unemployment, war, death, or natural disasters.
In this choice land we have the greatest asset in the world in preparing for the future. We have the freedom to think, create and develop new ideas to solve the problems of an uncertain future.
There is increasing evidence today of the need to prepare for a changed way of life. Most of the last two generations in this country have never known “want.” It isn’t easy to prepare until we are convinced of the need or benefits to us personally.
Sure, to be prepared for possible emergencies we need foodstuffs basic to the preservation of life. We need wheat, powdered milk, honey or sugar, salt, maybe some peanut butter or raw peanuts, tomato juice, food supplements, seeds to plant, some beans, a little rice, corn and perhaps other grains, a little meat, dehydrated foods, candles, work clothes, and soap and water. We can go out tomorrow and buy all these things, if we have the money; and if we don’t, maybe we could sell something, or borrow the money.
However, at this point, I’m as concerned about emotional preparedness as I am about temporal preparedness. How we think about the future will have a great deal to do with how we act and feel physically. “As a man thinketh, so is he” is not a new concept.
In order to cope with the future and not be depressed, we will need all the latest tools of mind control we can get. These training techniques have come forth at a time when the world needs them most, and are being taught across the nation to businesses, colleges, industries, athletic teams, and in prisons.
I feel that if disasters and hard times come, the ones that survive will be the “elite command”-and there will be a separation of wheat and tares! Calm assurance comes from being ready to accept what comes. I have made a bold definite commitment that I, Esther Dickey, am going to be ready, if necessary, to give birth to a new way of life in dignity and peace. How? Besides the things I have stored, I have a bright mental picture of living as my grandparents did:
-Getting water from other sources than from my five domestic water faucets.
-Wearing darker clothes with white collars and accessories to keep clean easier.
-Walking, walking, walking-to church, school, music lessons, etc. (in walking shoes, not high heels or sandals).
-Raising a little meat-rabbits, chickens, a goat or calf.
-Planting food crops, harvesting them, and preserving the surplus.
-Gathering greens from the fields and ditch banks in the spring.
-Keeping warm in the winter and cool in the summer the way old timers did-in the shade of a big tree or around the stove.
-Burying our dead.
-Waging a war against rats and mice.
-Staying close to home.
But we need to envision the possibility of serious events which can result if man allows civilization to abandon its reason and balance:
-Nuclear fallout, explosions, fires, burns, hair falling out, nausea, weakness for some.
-Famine in many parts of the world.
-More people banding together for safety-some gravitating to urban areas; others leaving for a place of refuge they have prepared.
-Widespread death and destruction-of people, animals, and plants.
-Violence such as our ancestors could never conceive.
-Degradation of the human race.
With these possibilities growing more real each year, it is becoming increasingly obvious that we must truly be a prepared people.
Someone said we have grasped the mysteries of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than about peace. We know more about killing than we do about freedom-personal freedom as well as political.
I’m always thankful for the support of my husband, family and friends. With them I feel confident I can have comfort, peace, beauty, dignity and order before, during and after these experiences if they occur. Learning is not without anxiety, fears and efforts. We need to help each other learn. I want to put my arms around many people in thankfulness for their great contribution to the cause of family preparedness.
Like a duck, I seem to be paddling furiously under water in order to be calm and undisturbed on the surface when my lifestyle may change-not by choice. I’ve tried to “tell it like it is.” Hopefully my readers can get the vision of what is ahead in some areas. With additional research and preparation, none of us need fear the future. We can be a prepared people.
http://www.horizonpublishersbookstore.com/books/1219.htm
Emergency Food and Water Supplies
If an earthquake, hurricane, winter storm or other disaster ever strikes your community, you might not have access to food, water and electricity for days, or even weeks. By taking a little time now to store emergency food and water supplies, you can provide for your entire family.
This brochure was developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Community and Family Preparedness Programs which provides information to help families prepare for all types of disasters.
WATER: THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITY
Stocking water reserves and learning how to purify contaminated water should be among your top priorities in preparing for an emergency. You should store at least a two-week supply of water for each member of your family. Everyone’s needs will differ, depending upon age, physical condition, activity, diet and climate. A normally active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot environments can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers and ill people will need more. You will need additional water for food preparation and hygiene. Store a total of at least one gallon per person, per day.
If your supplies begin to run low, remember: Never ration water. Drink the amount you need today, and try to find more for tomorrow. You can minimize the amount of water your body needs by reducing activity and staying cool.
How to Store Emergency Water Supplies
You can store your water in thoroughly washed plastic, glass, fiberglass or enamel-lined metal containers. Never use a container that has held toxic substances, because tiny amounts may remain in the container’s pores. Sound plastic containers, such as soft drink bottles, are best. You can also purchase food-grade plastic buckets or drums.
Before storing your water, treat it with a preservative, such as chlorine bleach, to prevent the growth of microorganisms. Use liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite and no soap. Some containers warn, “Not For Personal Use.” You can disregard these warnings if the label states sodium hypochlorite is the only active ingredient and if you use only the small quantities in these instructions.
Add four drops of bleach per quart of water (or two scant teaspoons per 10 gallons), and stir. Seal your water containers tightly, label them and store them in a cool, dark place.
Hidden Water Sources in Your Home
If a disaster catches you without a stored supply of clean water, you can use water in your hot-water tank, in your plumbing and in ice cubes. As a last resort, you can use water in the reservoir tank of your toilet (not the bowl), but purify it first (described later).
Water beds hold up to 400 gallons, but some water beds contain toxic chemicals that are not fully removed by many purifiers. If you designate a water bed in your home as an emergency resource, drain it yearly and refill it with fresh water containing two ounces of bleach per 120 gallons.
To use the water in your pipes, let air into the plumbing by turning on the highest faucet in your house and draining the water from the lowest one.
To use the water in your hot-water tank, be sure the electricity or gas is off, and open the drain at the bottom of the tank. Start the water flowing by turning off the water intake valve and turning on a hot-water faucet. Do not turn on the gas or electricity when the tank is empty.
Do you know the location of your incoming water valve? You’ll need to shut if off to stop contaminated water from entering your home if you hear reports of broken water or sewage lines.
Emergency Outdoor Water Sources
If you need to seek water outside your home, you can use these sources. But purify the water before drinking it.
* Rainwater
* Streams, rivers and other moving bodies of water
* Ponds and lakes
* Natural springs
Avoid water with floating material, an odor or dark color. Use saltwater only if you distill it first (described later).
Three Easy Ways to Purify Water
In addition to having a bad odor and taste, contaminated water can contain microorganisms that cause diseases such as dysentery, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis. You should therefore purify all water of uncertain purity before using it for drinking, food preparation or hygiene.
There are many ways to purify water. None are perfect. Often the best solution is a combination of methods. Before purifying, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom, or strain them through layers of paper towel or clean cloth.
Three easy purification methods are outlined below. These measures will kill microbes but will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts, most other chemicals and radioactive fallout.
Boiling is the safest method of purifying water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 10 minutes, keeping in mind that some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking.
Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring it back and forth between two containers. This will also improve the taste of stored water.
Chlorination uses liquid chlorine bleach to kill microorganisms. (See page 1 for bleach safety information.) Add two drops of bleach per quart of water (four drops if the water is cloudy), stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not taste and smell of chlorine at that point, add another dose and let stand another 15 minutes.
If you do not have a dropper, use a spoon and a square-ended strip of paper or thin cloth about 1/4 inch by 2 inches. Put the strip in the spoon with an end hanging down about 1/2 inch below the scoop of the spoon. Place bleach in the spoon and carefully tip it. Drops the size of those from a medicine dropper will drip off the end of the strip.
Purification tablets release chlorine or iodine. They are inexpensive and available at most sporting goods stores and some drugstores. Follow the package directions. Usually one tablet is enough for one quart of water. Double the dose for cloudy water.
More Rigorous Purification Methods
While the three methods described above will remove only microbes from water, the following two purification methods will remove other contaminants. Distillation will remove microbes, heavy metals, salts, most other chemicals, and radioactive dust and dirt, called radioactive fallout. Filtering will also remove radioactive fallout. (Water itself cannot become radioactive, but it can be contaminated by radioactive fallout. It is unsafe to drink water that contains radioactive fallout.)
Distillation involves boiling water and then collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed vapor will not include salt and other impurities. To distill, fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot’s lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water) and boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.
To make a fallout filter, punch holes in the bottom of a large bucket, and put a layer of gravel in the bucket about 1-1/2 inches high. Cover the gravel with a towel cut in a circle slightly larger than the bucket. Cover soil with a towel, place the filter over a large container, and pour contaminated water through. Then, disinfect the filtered water using one of the methods described above. Change the soil in your filter after every 50 quarts of water.
Family Disaster Supply Kit
It’s 2:00 a.m. and a flash flood forces you to evacuate your home—fast. There’s no time to gather food from the kitchen, fill bottles with water, grab a first-aid kit from the closet and snatch a flashlight and a portable radio from the bedroom. You need to have these items packed and ready in one place before disaster hits.
Pack at least a three-day supply of food and water, and store it in a handy place. Choose foods that are easy to carry, nutritious and ready-to-eat. In addition, pack these emergency items:
* Medical supplies and first aid manual
* Hygiene supplies
* Portable radio, flashlights and extra batteries
* Shovel and other useful tools
* Money and matches in a waterproof container
* Fire extinguisher
* Blanket and extra clothing
* Infant and small children’s needs (if appropriate)
FOOD: PREPARING AN EMERGENCY STOCKPILE
If activity is reduced, healthy people can survive on half their usual food intake for an extended period and without any food for many days. Food, unlike water, may be rationed safely, except for children and pregnant women.
If your water supply is limited, try to avoid foods that are high in fat and protein, and don’t stock salty foods, since they will make you thirsty. Try to eat salt-free crackers, whole grain cereals and canned foods with high liquid content.
You don’t need to go out and buy unfamiliar foods to prepare an emergency food supply. You can use the canned foods, dry mixes and other staples on your cupboard shelves. In fact, familiar foods are important. They can lift morale and give a feeling of security in time of stress. Also, canned foods won’t require cooking, water or special preparation. Following are recommended short-term and long-term food storage plans.
Storage Tips
* Keep food in the driest and coolest spot in the house—a dark area if possible.
* Keep food covered at all times.
* Open food boxes or cans carefully so that you can close them tightly after each use.
* Wrap cookies and crackers in plastic bags, and keep them in tight containers.
* Empty opened packages of sugar, dried fruits and nuts into screw-top jars or air-tight cans to protect them from pests.
* Inspect all food containers for signs of spoilage before use.
Short-Term Food Supplies
Even though it is unlikely that an emergency would cut off your food supply for two weeks, you should prepare a supply that will last that long. A two-week supply can relieve a great deal of inconvenience and uncertainty until services are restored.
The easiest way to develop a two-week stockpile is to increase the amount of basic foods you normally keep on your shelves. Remember to compensate for the amount you eat from other sources (such as restaurants) during an average two-week period.
You may already have a two-week supply of food on hand. Keeping it fresh is simple. Just rotate your supply once or twice a year.
Special Considerations to Keep in Mind
As you stock food, take into account your family’s unique needs and tastes. Try to include foods that they will enjoy and that are also high in calories and nutrition. Foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking are best.
Individuals with special diets and allergies will need particular attention, as will babies, toddlers and the elderly. Nursing mothers may need liquid formula, in case they are unable to nurse. Canned dietetic foods, juices and soups may be helpful for the ill or elderly.
Make sure you have a can opener and disposable utensils. And don’t forget nonperishable foods for your pets.
How to Store Your Short-Term Stockpile
Keep canned foods in a dry place where the temperature is fairly cool—not above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and not below freezing. To protect boxed foods from pests and extend their shelf life, store the boxes in tightly closed cans or metal containers.
Rotate your food supply. Use foods before they go bad, and replace them with fresh supplies, dated with ink or marker. Place new items at the back of the storage area and older ones in front.
Your emergency food supply should be of the highest quality possible. Inspect your reserves periodically to make sure there are no broken seals or dented containers.
How to Cook if the Power Goes Out
For emergency cooking you can use a fireplace, or a charcoal grill or camp stove outdoors only. You can also heat food with candle warmers, chafing dishes and fondue pots. Canned food can be eaten right out of the can. If you heat it in the can, be sure to open the can and remove the label first.
Long-Term Food Supplies
In the unlikely event of a military attack or some other national disaster, you may need long-term emergency food supplies. The best approach is to store large amounts of staples along with a variety of canned and dried foods. Bulk quantities of wheat, corn, beans and salt are inexpensive and have nearly unlimited shelf life. If necessary, you could survive for years on small daily amounts of these staples. Stock the following amounts per person, per month: Wheat—20 pounds Powdered Milk (for babies and infants)*— 20 pounds Corn—20 pounds Iodized Salt—1 pound Soybeans—10 pounds Vitamin C**—15 grams
* Buy in nitrogen-packed cans ** Rotate every two years
Storage and Preparation of Food Supplies
Store wheat, corn and beans in sealed cans or plastic buckets. Buy powdered milk in nitrogen-packed cans. And leave salt and vitamin C in their original packages.
If these staples comprise your entire menu, you must eat all of them together to stay healthy. To avoid serious digestive problems, you’ll need to grind the corn and wheat into flour and cook them, as well as boil the beans, before eating. Many health food stores sell hand-cranked grain mills or can tell you where you can get one. Make sure you buy one that can grind corn. If you are caught without a mill, you can grind your grain by filling a large can with whole grain one inch deep, holding the can on the ground between your feet and pounding the grain with a pipe.
Nutrition Tips
In a crisis, it will be vital that you maintain your strength. So remember:
* Eat at least one well-balanced meal each day.
* Drink enough liquid to enable your body to function properly (two quarts a day).
* Take in enough calories to enable you to do any necessary work.
* Include vitamin, mineral and protein supplements in your stockpile to assure adequate nutrition.
Shelf Life of Foods for Storage
Here are some general guidelines for rotating common emergency foods.
Use within six months:
Powdered milk (boxed)
Dried fruit (in metal container)
Dry, crisp crackers (in metal container)
Potatoes
Use within one year:
Canned condensed meat and vegetable soups
Canned fruits, fruit juices and vegetables
Ready-to-eat cereals and uncooked instant cereals (in metal containers)
Peanut butter
Jelly
Hard candy, chocolate bars and canned nuts
May be stored indefinitely (in proper containers and conditions):
Wheat
Vegetable oils
Corn
Baking powder
Soybeans
Instant coffee, tea
Vitamin C
and cocoa
Salt
Noncarbonated soft drinks
White rice
Bouillon products
Dry pasta
Powdered milk (in nitrogen-packed cans)
Ways to Supplement Your Long-Term Stockpile
The above staples offer a limited menu, but you can supplement them with commercially packed air-dried or freeze-dried foods and supermarket goods. Rice, popcorn and varieties of beans are nutritious and long-lasting. The more supplements you include, the more expensive your stockpile will be.
Following is an easy approach to long-term food storage:
* Buy a supply of the bulk staples listed above.
* Build up your everyday stock of canned goods until you have a two-week to one-month surplus. Rotate it periodically to maintain a supply of common foods that will not require special preparation, water or cooking.
* From a sporting or camping equipment store, buy commercially packaged, freeze-dried or air-dried foods. Although costly, this will be your best form of stored meat, so buy accordingly.
If the Electricity Goes Off... FIRST, use perishable food and foods from the refrigerator.
THEN use the foods from the freezer. To minimize the number of times you open the freezer door, post a list of freezer contents on it. In a well-filled, well-insulated freezer, foods will usually still have ice crystals in their centers (meaning foods are safe to eat) for at least three days.
FINALLY, begin to use non-perishable foods and staples.
http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/preparedness_foodwater.html
Home Flour Milling
Grinding or milling various types of flour in the home can be accomplished with only a few basic tools. Some tools make the job easier and some types of flour are easier to create depending on the type of grain or other substance that is used.
Some of the tools that can be used for home flour milling include: mortar and pestle, manually and electrically operated coffee mills, spice mills, seed grinders, small electric grinders, food blenders, and food processors as well as almost any type of homemade device that will pound or grind grain into a powder. Because most types of flour are readily available it may seem pointless to grind flour at home, but the advantage is that only what is needed is produced. The resulting flour is fresh and full of flavor and none of the nutritional qualities are lost since all of the components of the grain or seed are included in the flour.
http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t—1034/home-flour-milling.asp
Topping off a steak.
FRENCH BUTTER
Two tablespoons of finely chopped chives,
One tablespoon of finely chopped leeks,
One tablespoon of finely chopped tarragon,
Juice of one-half lemon,
Two tablespoons of melted butter,
One-half teaspoon of salt,
One-half teaspoon of paprika.
Work to a smooth paste.
French and Italian and Swiss cooks frequently serve a vegetable garnish with steaks. It is prepared as follows:
One green pepper, chopped fine,
Two leeks, chopped fine,
Eight branches of parsley, chopped fine,
Two onions, chopped fine,
Ten branches of tarragon, chopped fine,
One-half cup of chives, chopped fine.
Place four tablespoonfuls of shortening or vegetable oil in a frying pan and add the herbs and cook very slowly until soft, taking care not to brown. Now season with salt, pepper and dress on a hot platter in a little mound at the bottom of the steak. Garnish with a slice of lemon.
[pg 297]
ENGLISH BUTTER
One tablespoon of butter,
One-quarter teaspoon of white pepper,
One-quarter teaspoon of mustard,
One-half teaspoon of salt.
Work to a paste and then spread on a steak as soon as you place it on the platter.
LONDON BUTTER
One tablespoon of melted butter,
One tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce,
One-half teaspoon of salt,
One-half teaspoon of pepper,
One tablespoon of lemon juice.
Mix and then pour over the steak.
SWISS BUTTER
One tablespoon of grated onion,
One tablespoon of finely minced parsley,
One-half teaspoon of salt,
One-quarter teaspoon of paprika,
One and one-half tablespoons of butter.
Work to a smooth paste.
ITALIAN BUTTER
One green pepper, chopped very fine,
One teaspoon of paprika,
One-half teaspoon of salt,
Two tablespoons of butter.
Work to a smooth paste and then spread on the meat.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17438/17438-h/17438-h.htm
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