ThinMint

As mentioned in another post last week, be sure to add some comfort foods! Teas, coffees, sweets –things like this. I make homemade cookies, doubling even tripling the recipe then freeze the cookies.

If you plan to purchase meats for the freezer, and you don’t have one, I highly recommend getting the vacuum/sealer, FoodSaver. I have pulled meats out of the deep freezer that were 4 and 5 years-old then prepped, cooked and ate them without any issues. Air is a food’s enemy so protect your investment! https://www.foodsaver.com/

A few other online bulk food companies (for the record, I do not receive any kickbacks 🙂 ) 👇🏻

There are LDS pantries throughout the United States that sell bulk items to non-LDS members: https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations-map?lang=eng https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations?lang=eng

To make sure you store enough food, use a food storage calculator to help guide your purchases. Using one is just a guideline; adjust based on food preferences. Keep in mind that a 10# pound can once opened, will have an expiration date so make sure you can/will eat it once opened, and can refrigerate leftovers if necessary. The LDS church is well known for their prepping skills, and they help the outside community benefit from their expertise. Here is a good calculator to figure out your supplies. Plug in the number of weeks, number of adults and number of children you need supplies for: https://providentliving.com/preparedness/food-storage/foodcalc/

Speaking of needing to buy in bulk… A conversation with family last evening prompted this post about prepping 🙂 When adding to your storage, be sure to have a variety of foods. You don’t want all MREs or all freeze dried foods (or just a few emergency food buckets). These are all fine, of course, but your body, which will be under tremendous stress requires more. MREs and freeze dried foods in particular are hard on your digestive system. While it’s tempting to buy 10 cans of artichoke hearts because they were on sale for 9 cents each, does your family really enjoy artichoke hearts? Stock your pantry mainly with food your family will eat then add in other long term food items. Water, oils and butter are essential for cooking your food stuffs. Be sure to keep plenty on hand, and rotate the butter and oils to avoid products going rancid before using. Your favorite seasonings will be priceless making long-term food more palatable. Another point to consider is stocking up on nutritional supplements. In a crisis when food may need to be rationed or hard to come by, your caloric and high-density nutrient intake will be restricted.

👇🏻 Looky what I found at Costco the other day 😃

America, all of it, is under ferocious and persistent attacks because evil seeks to destroy all that is beautiful, worthy and God-given. It will not prevail. Let’s stand tall Patriot, and take heart. We are surrounded by Americans who are our friends, who are our family. Let’s fight for all that is good, all that is worthy, all that makes us the land of the free and the home of the brave. For God and for Country we shall triumph.

Perhaps the better question is, “What is America?” America is a land that provides a cornucopian bounty for its inhabitants. The land provides us with so many picturesque scenes, and is teeming with an array of wildlife, plant life and varying terrains. In America you can stand at the edge of the country on one end to watch the sunrise; then stand on the other end of the country to watch the sunset. America is the idea that, “… all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness…” America means liberty, it means progress, it means blessings. America means hope. America is a spirit that can be profoundly felt. It’s a kindhearted feeling that connects us, makes us neighbors, unifies us. Our hearts break over the losses our fellow Americans endure because of this great connection. We want to see our fellow Americans succeed, we want to live in harmony, we want to appreciate our differences and celebrate the things that unite us.

We’ve seen the TV interviews where Americans are stopped on the street and asked, “What does it mean to be an American?” In almost every instance, the person being asked this pauses a few beats before answering. Some reply with confidence, some answer with hesitancy. I think I know why some of us struggle to define what it means to be an American. It’s because we inherently know that we cannot answer that question on behalf of someone else. We can only define it for ourselves. Yet remarkably, we clearly know what isn’t American. We see the havoc, the damage, the vile words and the horror some of our fellow Americans have inflicted and we feel betrayed because we know that is not what Americans do. It hurts to call these thugs, criminals, socialists and communists Americans. We know what an American isn’t.

On the 4th we went outside to set off our own fireworks, and enjoy the ones our neighbors were lighting up as well. As twilight faded into dusk and dusk gave way to the starry dark sky, I felt myself become more solemn amidst the noise, reflecting on the birth of our nation. I humbly submit that at the core of all holidays there is a spirit of gratitude. We are grateful for God’s continuing provisions, for His gifts, for His guiding hand. We are grateful for the sacrifices others have made for our benefit. We are grateful for our families, our friends, our neighbors. We are grateful for our faith, for traditions, for harvests. Gratitude allows us to ponder what it means to be an American.

Celebrating “Independence” is about recognizing that no nation, no leader, no expert, no king, no bureaucrat has the right to control your thoughts, your beliefs, your speech or your body! You are a “Sovren”

My daughter made this just to share with y'all on the Telegram channel ❤️