30 Day Preparedness Challenge - Week 6

While we are not deserted on a tropical island like the Swiss Family Robinson, we are still able to look over our supplies and be prepared for whatever may come. This is something that our grandparents and grandparents did, although they managed to get by with a lot less than we do today! It is such a classic thing to be prepared. The books and quotes that I have shared during this series are only a fraction of books that talk about preparedness. We can't always predict what will be waiting for us around the corner, but we can ensure that our we, and our loved ones, are as prepared as we possibly can be. Shortages, job loss, sickness, strikes and more all a part of our daily life, and while many of these things are out of our control, to live a refined and simple life, is one of intelligence and preparedness. We need to be formed by reliable sources and make intelligent purchases that will benefit our family and not waste our money. By having a little bit extra we can help those who may not have anything. 

So let's dive into our final post in the 30 Day Preparedness Challenge, courtesy of Annabel at The Bluebirds are Nesting on The Farm. Thanks for reading along!

 Day 25: How to Make Bone Broth

Annabel shares Glenda's recipe for beef bone broth on her blog. Now, last year I took the time to make a whole batch of beef bone broth and when I finally sat down to taste I was not impressed! I am not a big beef fan at the best of times, but this broth just seemed to me to taste of all the beef bits that I don't like. However, instead of being a "negative Nancy", I thought I could add my chicken broth recipe. I use this everytime we have a roast chicken. It won't make as many pints or litres as Glenda's generous recipe, but it makes enough for us to then make soup the following day or later in the week. I'm sure everyone has their own recipes, but I thought I could share my recipe too!!

Place the following ingredients into an 8 Litre stock pot:

•  a chicken carcass
•  one onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
•  two carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
•  two potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
•  1 teaspoon of salt (or more if you prefer)
•  2 teaspoons of dried parsley
•  2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon of dried marjoram
•  2 cloves of garlic

Cover everything with water, approximately 3 litres worth. Again, I don't make a big batch for storing but use this stock straight away in soups. I simmer for 4-6 hours. Then strain, the vegetables and bone carcasses leaving only the stock behind. I syphon out a mug or two, just to drink on its own and the rest is used for the basis of soup (pumpkin usually, but also good for chicken and vegetable, potato and leek or broth with tortellini).

Day 26: Shoes and Clothing

Annabel talked about this last year during the first wave of the COVID pandemic, and with three children who grow like weeds every year, I took heed of her advice and ordered the children's summer clothes online at the end of winter. I did it again this year, and even with the postage delays they have arrived in time for the hot weather. I feel good and prepared now, although I am a bit concerned about school shoes. We have been home learning since July and if the children are allowed back to school in November I'm not sure their school shoes will still fit! We will have to see how we go there because I am hesitant ordering leather school shoes online. Any ideas?

Every season I also reassess my own clothes. By the end of winter I am so sick of my winter clothes and look forward to bringing out my spring and summer clothes! This year, perhaps from the stress of lockdown, I ordered a few new-to-me (ebay) dresses for the warmer weather. They are beautiful linen Trenery dresses of very good quality which will last several years. So now I too am ready for the warmer weather. Good quality leather shoes are a must for me in spring and autumn, and I now know my sizes in brands that I like so I can order them online, either second hand, or when they are on sale. I am not afraid of ordering second hand clothing or shoes for any of us, though I know many people are! I think it's a great way to buy quality clothing at a fraction of the price. 

Day 27: The Bathroom and Laundry Pantry

My grandfather, a Greek gentleman, would wash every morning with Palmolive Gold soap and brush his teeth with extra strength toothpaste. In summer, he would wash again after his afternoon nap or swim at the beach. This fresh, clean smell has stayed with me, more than ten years after his death and the smell of Gold soap still brings him to my mind. I thought it was unique to him, but after reading Eddie Jaku's experience in Auschwitz and how important it was to him to have a little bar of soap to wash with, I did wonder. My grandfather also spent time in German work camps. This small dignity, of being clean and fresh, is something that we take for granted these days. 

I always love looking at Annabel's laundry liquid and cleaning supplies! So pretty and pink! And by decanting it into attractive bottles makes it even better!

Perhaps some of you are already making your own soap but we are not there yet. We do, however, make our own laundry liquid using this recipe here. This recipe is so good and lasts for months! We also keep several bags of Lectric soda on hand, as well as Lux soap flakes and standard Sunlight bars of soap. I really don't like heavily scented washing detergent, so only add eucalyptus oil to our detergent for a fresh scent. Eucalyptus oil is also great for wiping the sticky labels of glass jars.

Under our bed in a storage box is our supply of bathroom products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap (yes even Gold soap!), shampoo and conditioner. This has gotten low in recent months and could benefit from a replenish!

Day 28: Fuel and Other Necessary Items

This is an area that we have let fall lately as we have been in lockdown and had little need for fuel. Normally we have fuel in both the cars and jerry cans with extra petrol in them. We also have gas bottles ready for outside cooking. So, this weekend my husband will head out to Costco where he can fill up relatively cheaply. As we watch what is happening in the UK and Europe it's another reminder how quickly things can change. We recently had solar panels put on our roof, and I'm glad that we now have another form of power coming in to the house. We also have gas heating and electric heating and cooling. We don't really have any way to stock up on these here and if there is a power outage or a huge rise in power prices then we would all be riding our bikes around town! These, and helmets, we have and know how to use. 

Other necessary items that we like to keep on hand include:

tweezers, hair scissors and clippers (and the skill to use these!) a variety of batteries, hot water bottles, pens that work, paper and notebooks of varying sizes and thicknesses, other stationary supplies such as envelopes, stamps, scissors, glue and sticky tape, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, nice coloured pencils, colouring in or activity books (a variety), extra chargers for the phones, tablets and laptops, and back-ups of all our passwords in paper format.

Day 29: Organisation and Inventory

For me, doing this series and writing everything down has been a great time to organise and is in itself a semi-official inventory list! I now know most of the things we have and have checked and double-checked supplies. Over the last few weeks we have been able to replenish more things, which always feels good.

We have always kept an inventory for our deep freezer, so we don't forget what's right at the bottom! But the rest of the extended pantry is just a look-and-see job. I love Annabel's idea of grouping foods together in freezers and this is what we have done in our pantry too.

I'd like to make a medical and toiletries inventory just so we know how we are going in that area at a quick glance, so that will be a plan for this weekend.

Day 30: Comforts

I'm so glad that we are ending this 30 Day Preparedness Challenge with comforts! (if you've missed the other entries on this topic, you can see them all here).  Sometimes we spend so much time thinking about the necessities and all the little things that we forget how nice it is to have comforts in times of stress and adversity. I'm not terribly good with a crochet hook or knitting needle, but I do like to write, so I always make sure that I have notebooks and pens around (see day 28). I also like to waterpaint and sketch, so I have little collections of these in a pencil case that can be grabbed to go if necessary.

Annabel also suggests:

Tins of cake of biscuits.  Tins of sweets.

Bubble bath.  Lovely soaps.

Perfume.  

Teas, coffee,  chocolates.

New socks, scarf,  warm hat, gloves.

Hand cream,  good books,  sketch book, nice pencils, new notebook or diary.

Face mask,   nice hair products,  yarn,  fabric or threads. 

These are all fantastic ideas and can be used alone or shared around. For our family of five, soap, biscuits, tea, coffee, chocolate, moisturising cream (that everyone can use - the girls both have eczema and can't use scented moisturiser but the rest of us can) and importantly, chewing gum, are all comforts that we could use in an emergency. Knowing this and making sure that these are always in stock and on hand is a comfort in itself. 

Thank you for coming along on this journey with me and Annabel and everybody over at The Bluebirds are Nesting on the Farm. There are so many great ideas there, so please stop by if you haven't already. And please leave a comment here, sharing how you are going in your preparedness journey.

Being prepared is not a new, modern concept invented by doomsday preppers. No, classical novels, poetry, religion, art and folk music all talk about the importance of ensuring that your family and your household is prepared for what may come. By taking little steps each day we can ensure that, like the Ancient Greeks, our survival is ensured by the ability to feed and look after ourselves. Whether this be in the garden and the supplies that we grow and nurture ourselves, or in our pantries and cupboards where we keep supplies that will benefit our families in the future. Look to the past and be wise. Know that when adversity next comes knocking on your door you will be prepared.

Kirsty x