Store Unused Mason Jars With Water

This is our family's easy way to have water on hand when the power goes out. 

Store your unused mason jars with water!

 As you eat your canned cherries, peaches, beans or such from a quart or pint mason jar, wash it, then fill it back up with tap water, put the rubber side of the lid on upside down and put it back into your storage for emergency use. 

My Mother always said that we needed to have water on hand for when the power goes out and you need to wash your  hands, or need water to help the toilet flush, or even take a bath!  I can personally attest to the fact that having that water on hand comes in handy!

After, dutifully filling empty mason jars for years, and carrying them to our basement storage to the "fruit room" as we called it, the power went out!  Do you ever stop to realize how many times you want to wash your hands, when you can't run the water from the faucet? 

I remember one time when the power was out and my Dad, our ward's Bishop at the time, needed to go into town for a church meeting.  He was a farmer and needed to bathe before he could go.  So, I dutifully carried those mason jars filled with water back upstairs to the bath tub.  It took several quarts, but we had enough for him to bathe in!

 

So, as we began putting away the unused extra mason jars from the canning my husband and our sons did while my daughter and I were on vacation, my husband commented, 

"We should refill them with water like you grew up doing."  So, we did!  I have done this over our married years and also used it for hand washing, etc. but we were out.  

So, as I thought about his reminder, all the 650,000 who were out of power because of Hurricane Isaac,  and the current plethora of uses for mason jars--we filled our empty mason jars a.k.a. Kerr or Ball with water, turned the rubber side of the lid upside down and carried them downstairs to our "fruit room".  It's what I grew up doing, what I've done with my own family and it's something simple you can do too.  You'll thank me when when the power goes out and you can wash your hands.  And your power will go out sometime!

Note: This isn't drinking water although it could be used if treated correctly. 

Casserole of Rice and Beef

I had a pound of hamburger thawing out in the refrigerator and with a green pepper from my neighbor's garden, and some food storage, I made a casserole dish my Mother often made us growing up. 

She got it from Joyce, her neighbor during their Army days, and it's one I've always liked and that kids usually like as well.  

Casserole of Rice and Beef

1/2 cup dry rice

2 cups tomatoes or tomato sauce

3/4 to 1 lb. ground beef

1/2 green pepper, diced

1 medium onion, chopped

dash of pepper

1 tsp. salt

2 cups water from tomato sauce 

Sort rice, but do not wash.  (I love these older directions).  Melt butter (I still use this even in this Pam or EEOV era) in frying pan.  Add dry rice, chopped onion, diced green pepper, salt, pepper and hamburger.  Brown to a rich golden brown.  Add tomatoes and water.  Let simmer in the covered frying pan (I only use cast iron nowadays) for 30 minutes.  Watch it so it doesn't dry out.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream.  

It also goes nicely with corn I think and/or green salad.

I given this recipe with canned goods when it is "food storage" bridal shower.  I give rice, canned tomatoes or tomato sauce with the recipe for their food storage.  Often I buy tomatoes that have diced green peppers in them so I can make it without buying a fresh green pepper. I've even given them canned corn too, so they'll have a side.  

Calculate your own family size's food storage needs

Prompted by Sunday's RS lesson on self-reliance, here is a link to a calculatorhttp://lds.about.com/library/bl/faq/blcalculator.htm where you can instantly calculate your own family size's food storage needs.

Another good site is http://www.providentliving.org/content/list/0,11664,2003-1,00.html where you can learn about Three-Month Supply, Drinking Water,Financial Reserve and Longer-Term Supply.

Are we prepared? The blessing of a supply of food, drinking water, money, clothing, etc. comes in handy not only in a disaster (unless it's destroyed), but in times of illness or unemployment, in otherwards when cash flow is interrupted, but needs to eat drink and pay bills are not.