How Can You Be Prepared For The Swine Flu?

By Kellene Bishop, Preparedness Pro

Photo by AP Photo/Miguel Tovar

Being prepared independently to handle such a crisis as a Swine flu epidemic is critical. Believing that life will always be “normal enough” for you to plan on having access to the “anti-virus” or vaccination shortly after the time of exposure is truly a gamble of Russian roulette proportions.

Hopefully the news as of late regarding the spread of Swine flu has you concerned to some degree of your own exposure. Or perhaps the news has at least made you aware that your emergency preparedness supplies aren’t presently sufficient for such a crisis. If you’re becoming aware of such a situation, that’s actually the best thing that can result from the news of this epidemic. Because the good news is that you can be prepared for this and other like ailments by taking some proactive steps now.

First let’s look at some supplies that you will want to have on hand for external physical benefits.
1) Breathing mask: A great deal of flu diseases are spread airborne. As such, being sure to protect your nose and your mouth from inhaling the disease or even from spreading it should you have been exposed to it is critical. Breathing masks are much like what you see on the doctors or nurses faces during a surgery. They do not have to be a heavy plastic. (In fact, if you do end up having to wear them for an extended period of time, you’ll wish that they aren’t heavy.) Instead, you can purchase lightweight version at your bulk wholesale stores. You will need to anticipate needed one per person in your home for each day that you may have to ride out an epidemic.

2) Hand Sanitizer: While washing your hands with hot soap and water frequently is preferable, it’s not realistic should you have to endure a bio-crisis such as this. So be sure that you have a quality hand sanitizer on hand. Again, you want to be sure that you do not underestimate the quantity of this item to have readily accessible. Not only will it prove useful for spreading a disease, but it’s ideal for everyday use as you ride out any other type of emergency which requires you to live off of your supplies.

3) Homeopathic Remedies: It’s important that you familiarize yourself with herbal or other types of remedies that can assist individuals who are exposed to something like the Swine flu. The more universal the remedy is, the better so that you don’t have to become a “pharmacy” of remedies. Storage space is valuable, right? I’ve researched a great deal of remedies and my first advice to you is to partake of something regularly now which truly strengthens your immune system. Use a quality nutrition supplement now in order to ensure your health later when such a disaster may affect you. I strongly recommend products such as Reliv or Essiac tea to be made a part of your daily regime now as if you wait until you’re exposed to an airborne illness such as the Swine flu to imbibe, your symptoms will be drawn out, and your body will also have to struggle with the introduction to healthy materials in addition to fighting the flu. To clarify, when you ingest a product which is effective in fighting such a virus, and strengthening your immune system, there will inevitably be some “cleansing” of your body. Cleansing toxins from your body can actually stir things up and make you a bit ill initially. So it’s important that you focus on your health now, so that if you have to step up your natural remedies, the cure doesn’t harm you, so to speak.

In addition to these remedies to begin ingesting now, (you can also use them for crisis remedies as well) here is a list of other alternative remedies you may want to have on hand:

Zinc Lozenges
Echinacea
Goldenseal
Oil of Oregano (a dose of two drops tastes nasty, but it will kill most any virus.)
Oscillococcinum
Gelsemium
Bryonia
Rhus Tox

4) Knowledge: Yes, it’s true. You don’t want to bet your life on the utilizations of methods that you aren’t familiar with. So obtaining the knowledge you need to properly use such alternative methods is critical. The good news is that finding the right homeopathic medicine for the flu is actually relatively straightforward because the symptoms are easy to identify and universally evident in most flu strains. (Fever, body aches, sore throat, cough, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy.) Additionally, you can take comfort in the fact that homeopaths have treated viral illnesses, including the flu as early as the 1918 flu pandemic. A report from the American Institute of Homeopathy in 1921 documented the dramatic success of homeopathy in the worst flu pandemic in history. The death rate of 24,000 flu cases under conventional medical care in that study was 28.2 percent, while the death rate of 26,000 cases treated with homeopathy was a nearly miraculous 1.05 percent. Similarly, many homeopathic physicians each reported treating thousands of patients with very few deaths. So get armed with the necessary knowledge, and you will truly be prepared.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.
You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Preparedness Pro Note: If you would like Kellene Bishop to present an Emergency Preparedness message for your community or church group, please contact us at 801-788-4133. Ms. Bishop is an experienced speaker on Emergency Preparedness topics and also has created a great “Preparedness Party” platform which makes the learning of such a topic more enjoyable for all.

My Top 7 Handy Dandy Preparedness “Tools”

You may think that my top 7 handy dandy preparedness “tools” are an unusual list for emergency preparedness supplies, but I’m quite certain that you will find them invaluable under the right set of circumstances. I love discovering and using items that serve a dual-purpose, especially when those purposes are compounded substantially. If I have something in storage, chances are it serves more than one purpose. Whether it be medical supplies, seeds, a heater or wood, virtually everything I relegate space to store has multiple uses that I familiarize myself with so I get the most use out of my space. Without further ado, here is my Seven Handy Dandy “Tool” list.

1) Duct Tape: We have an entire case of duct tape in our basement. You can use it medically as well as to fix leaking or broken items. It’s even viable to use to mend clothing or shoe, too. It’s also affectionately called the “100 mile per hour tape.” When I was in my early 20’s I was in a car accident and “needed” the insurance money to live off of. Consequently, I used duct tape to reattach the bumper and away I rode… for another year and a half until I bought a new car. While I never went 100 miles per hour—not that I’m willing to admit, anyway—it worked just fine in keeping my car together.
2) Super Glue: Yet another case of supplies occupying our storage area. This can also be used in lieu of minor stitches as well as prolonging the life of items that may break down. In an emergency, you may very well have to rely on yourself for such instances as opposed to a professional “fix-it man” or medical personnel.
3) Bounce Dryer Sheets: Ah hah. I knew I’d get raised eyebrows on that one. Here’s just a few ways that your dryer sheets will be useful to you. They repel insects, including yellow jackets, bees, ants, and mosquitoes. All you have to do is loop it through a belt loop, and voila, you are a walking citronella candle. They also repel mice. Simply lay them down around an area that you are trying to protect, and you’ve scared little Mickey away. You can also use them to dissolve soap scum (just wet and scrub), prevent sewing thread from tangling (rub on a strip of thread prior to use) and removing baked-on foods from kitchen items (simply soak with a sheet in it and it comes off). Not to mention the everyday uses it provides you with such as cleaning blinds, eliminating static from your computer and TV screens, deodorizing shoes, books, and photo albums. It will truly serve as a duplicitous ally when you’re “roughing it.”
4) Tarp, Tarp, and More Tarp: We buy the blue tarps from Costco and have a small stack of them in the basement. They are sturdy, water proof, and priced much better than even one good quality tarp elsewhere. In the event of nuclear fall out, roof damage, window damage, freezing temperatures, and a myriad of other instances, I find that this is one product that makes sense to have on hand. In fact, even if my tents were to fail to provide me with shelter, I can always combine the tarps with my duct tape supply and have suitable protection from the elements. *wink*
5) Foil: In addition to the regular, everyday uses of foil, you can also use it for emergency signaling, cooking and insulating. You can even put water in a well made foil and duct tape “pan,” let it sit in the sun during a warm day and have distilled water at the end of the day.
6) Lemon Juice: We’ve got a great supply list for this, too. Lemon juice is great as a:
a. Deodorizer
b. Sanitizer
c. Antiseptic
d. Disinfectant (even for medical uses)
e. Dandruff treatment (add 1 T. prior to shampooing, then 2 T. diluted with water after rinsing)
f. Laxative—without the usual side-effects
g. Relief for a sore throat or hacking cough
h. Itch and pain reliever from poison ivy
i. Yummy flavoring
j. Blemish treatment (when mixed with honey)
k. Substitute for buttermilk (mix 1 T. with 1 cup of milk)
l. Tarnish remover
m. Bleach substitute in laundry.
I could share more with you, but since I’m certain I’m listed as a “right wing extremist”, I won’t egg anyone on talking about the self-defense measures that can be realized with lemon juice as well *wink*
7) Salt: You’ve heard biblically of salt being a critical component. Perhaps after seeing all of these uses you’ll understand why I always take advantage of sales on simple table salt. In addition to all of the ways salt can be used, it’s also a necessary nutrient that many underestimate. Salt can also help:
a. Prevent lettuce from wilting
b. Repel ants
c. Prevent food from sticking to your griddle (just rub it in)
d. As a wood preservative (boil your clothespins in them and they will last a LOT longer)
e. A boiling water accelerator (faster boiling means using less fuel)
f. Remove mildew (when used with lemon juice)
g. Remove stains (even works on grape juice in your carpet—but hey, who’s going to really care about the carpet in an emergency, right?)
h. Kill weeds
i. Prevent your laundry from freezing when you hang them out to dry in cold weather
j. Make your milk last longer with a dash of salt
k. As a plaster substitute (when mixed equally with starch)
l. Substitute for toothpaste (with equal parts of baking soda)
m. Relieve sore eyes (when rinsed with salt water)
A pinch of salt also improves the flavor of a lot of items that may taste stale otherwise such as cocoa, gelatin (it sets more quickly as well), fruits (when putting them in also water—this also prevents them from turning yellow), tea, cooking apples and warm milk (makes it more relaxing as well). Also, egg whites and whipping cream whip up faster with a pinch. And last but not least, when you soak your shelled nuts in salt water overnight, all you have to do is gently tap the edge gently and they will easily come open, providing a whole nut instead of crumbles that you have to hunt to find among the shells!

In addition to all of these items, I would also recommend you Google multiple uses for vinegar, wheat, rope, isopropyl and rubbing alcohol and apricot seeds, among other things. Obviously it doesn’t cost you any money to at least gain this knowledge. And you may end up being a real, live MacGyver in the end.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Preparedness Pro Note: If you would like Kellene Bishop to present an Emergency Preparedness message for your community or church group, please contact us at 801-788-4133. Ms. Bishop is an experienced speaker on Emergency Preparedness topics and also has created a great “Preparedness Party” platform which makes the learning of such a topic more enjoyable for all.

Bread! Glorious Bread!

Alright. You keep being told to store wheat right? But I bet that you’re wondering what the heck to do with it. I do address different ways you can use wheat in a previous article, and one of those ways is obviously bread. Let’s face it. Bread making in our homes is a lost art. I forced myself to learn for three reasons.

1) I knew that if there was an emergency which required me to live off of my food storage, I darn well better learn how to make bread out of all of this wheat I was storing.

2) I needed to find some way to introduce hearty wheat into my diet so that I didn’t put my digestive system into shock when I did start living off of it.

3) Even though I could get away with paying only 99 cents for a loaf of bread occasionally, I knew that if I could make it fresh, it would be sooo much better for me and therefore worth it.

As it turns out, my decision to learn how to make bread was a good choice for other reasons as well.

1) My husband LOVES it, as do the neighbors, my employees, and even me! (Plus, it makes for great gifts)

2) I now have the confidence I need to make it and know that we’ll be just fine surviving on it.

3) I now have a more accurate understanding of what OTHER items I need to have on hand in my food storage. (Go figure. You can’t just make wheat bread with just wheat.)

4) My quest for learning how to make it has led me to develop a KICK BUTT-No-Fail recipe! (I never thought I’d be saying that when it came to bread making?!)

So, I’m going to share the recipe with you today. For those of you who are already pros, I dare say that you’ll find some twists that I incorporate that may be helpful to you. And at the very least, you will LOVE the breadsticks idea. For the record, this bread turns out nice and soft even though it’s 100% whole wheat. It’s often been mistaken as “store bought” bread. (When feeding kids that can be a good thing.)

First, let me just share with you—don’t be discouraged by the methods that I use for making my bread just because you may not have them on hand. I have had ALL of my new-fangled luxuries break down at some point and thus have had to make due with good old fashioned elbow grease. I use a Bosch Universal Mixer and a Nutrimill to make this easy bread making. The Bosch does all of my kneading for me, however, I have used my Kitchen Aid mixer instead of my Bosch, but it seemed to be awfully hard on the motor. You’ve got to have one of the heavy-duty Kitchen Aid mixers if you’re going to make bread in it. Otherwise you’ll have to knead the bread the good old fashioned way—by hand. Also, keep in mind that I’m giving you my recipe based on the use of electricity and such. Obviously, that won’t do you much good if your power is out and you’re camping for a while. Don’t worry. If you begin making bread more regularly “in comfort”, then when it comes time to do it under “less than desirable circumstances” you’ll be able to easily adapt, much better than had you never mastered it.

Kellene’s Kick-Butt Wheat Bread (and her famous breadsticks)

Ingredients:

6 cups of warm water (How do you know it’s warm enough or not too hot? If it’s warm enough to bathe a baby in without scolding it, then it’s just fine.)
2 T. “Real Salt”
3 T. of Lecithin Granules
2/3 C of Vegetable oil (you can use apple sauce as a substitute)
2/3 C Honey
2 ½ T. of Dough Enhancer (I use the Magic Mill brand which you can usually find in the grocery stores, but definitely locate in your specialty kitchen stores. You can also use lemon juice as a dough enhancer)
12 to 16 C of wheat flour (I grind my own flour for this recipe each time with my Nutrimill—Yes, you can use white flour if you’d like, but you only need to knead the bread about ½ as long)
2 ½ T of Instant Yeast (I use SAF brand and I store the open package in the freezer or the fridge for years)
2 T. Vital Wheat Gluten (Note: ONLY use wheat gluten if your flour is old or a lesser quality wheat. If you’re using fresh ground wheat or a good quality flour, then you won’t need the wheat gluten.)

Place 9 cups of freshly ground flour in the mixing bowl with the dough hook attached. Then add 6 cups of warm water. Mix on speed level 1 until you’ve got a paste consistency. Turn off the machine and add the yeast, salt, honey, oil, and lecithin granules (and wheat gluten if you’re going to use it). Turn machine back on to speed 1. Begin adding additional cups of flour one cup at a time. As the machine bears down, increase the speed to 2. Continue adding additional flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. I usually use a total of 15 ½ cups of flour.

Note: Here’s the trick. You want to make sure that you do not add too much flour. I like to add just enough so that the dough starts pulling away and that I can handle the dough. This approach, as well as the lecithin granules and dough enhancer, is the reason why my bread turns out so soft. Most folks who make homemade wheat bread add too much flour.

Set your timer and let the Bosch knead the dough for 7 to 8 minutes. Stop the mixer. Add the dough enhancer. Then let the Bosch knead the dough for another 2 minutes (still on Speed 2). Grease your hands and then gently remove all of the dough from the bowl and place it on a greased cutting board in an even rectangular shape. Using a knife, score your dough into 5 evenly spaced sections. Then pinch off each section, form it into an oblong loaf.

Note: Pinch your bread dough, not tear it. Only score your bread so that you can see the 5 sections. Don’t use the knife to actually cut the sections.

Place the loaf in 4 to 5 greased bread pans or you can use non-stick bread pans, depending on the size of loaves you desire. (I use 5 non-stick bread pans, but I still spray them with “Pam.” They should be about ½ to 2/3 full.)

Place the loaves where they will not be blown on by the air conditioning so that they can rise at room temperature. Cover the pans with Saran Wrap to keep them moist as they rise. (I spray the Saran Wrap with “Pam” on the sides that will be on top of the bread to prevent the dough from sticking to the wrap.) Let the dough rise until doubled. This should be approximately 1 ½ inches above the top of the pan.

When finished rising, place them in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes. When the bread is finished baking, you will be able to tap it lightly on top and have it sound “hollow.” Take the pans out and place them on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes. Then remove the loaves from the pans and cool sufficiently prior to storing.

Special Note: This recipe makes great rolls as well! As a special little trick when I’m hosting a party, I take the dough and roll them into small breadsticks (about 4 -5 inches long). Then I dip the “breadstick dough” into melted butter. Then I place them on a big cookie sheet about an inch apart from each other. I then sprinkle McCormick’s Salad Supreme seasoning generously on top of them and bake them at 350 degrees for 13 to 18 minutes. You will LOVE the taste of these bread sticks!

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.
You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Preparedness Pro Note: If you would like Kellene Bishop to present an Emergency Preparedness message for your community or church group, please contact us at 801-788-4133. Ms. Bishop is an experienced speaker on Emergency Preparedness topics and also has created a great “Preparedness Party” platform which makes the learning of such a topic more enjoyable for all.

The Virtue of Powdered Milk

Ok, I admit it. I used to hate powdered milk as a kid. But I have to admit, it's come a long ways in 30 years, thank goodness. With the cost of milk nowadays, if you've got more than 2 mouths to feed, it can cost as much for milk as it does to fill up your car with gas. And if you're a "dairy freak" like I am, you'll wonder what in the world you'll do in the event of an emergency when you may be FORCED to use powdered milk regularly.

Other than the fact that I always type the word “powdered” incorrectly, I truly do value this storage staple. It will indulge my every dairy craving in a pinch, including buttermilk, cream cheese, sour cream, yogurt, and cottage cheese. Just a little bit of culturing and it turns into whatever dairy product I desire. In fact, I can even combine it with an equal amount of ice water and some flavoring and turn it into a yummy fluffy dessert topping. And it’s great in all of my recipes. It costs half as much as “fresh” milk, has zero cholesterol, zero fat, and is high in calcium, vitamin D and protein. And hey, it even comes in an easy to store box which I can neatly stack on my shelves. I have found no problem using it as a milk substitute in every recipe with just a bit of water added to it. I can also make dry baked mixes or beverage mixes ahead of time with it with no need for anything else but water. Ironically, the only thing I don’t care for powdered milk is as a substitute for just plain milk. However, I have discovered the trick of adding in a ½ teaspoon of vanilla per half gallon of powdered milk mixture to make it taste a lot better. I find that powdered milk tastes just fine when mixed equally with whole milk as well. Plus, I’ve never had kids complain when I mix chocolate syrup or strawberry syrup in it straight.

Powdered milk tastes best if it is mixed up and allowed to chill overnight before serving, or for at least 4 hours. Chilling actually aids in dissolving the powdered milk completely and gives it a fresher flavor.

OK. To use powdered milk for just about anything, you first need to learn to reconstitute it. So let’s start with that.

Reconstituted Powdered Milk:
Take a 2 quart pitcher and fill it just over half with very cold tap water. Then add 2 and 2/3 cup of powdered milk. Using a long whisk, whisk the milk until it appears to be well mixed and the milk appears to be mostly dissolved. Then fill the pitcher to full with additional cold water. It’s best to have a lid on the pitcher and then place it in the refrigerator overnight or at least 4 hours.

To make buttermilk from reconstituted milk, you’re going to need some “starter.” But don’t worry. You can buy the small pints of buttermilk and store them in your freezer until you’re ready to use them.

Cultured Buttermilk: You won’t believe how easy this is! Take 3 and ¾ cups of reconstituted milk and add it to ½ cup of commercial buttermilk. Allow it to sit on the counter overnight (8 to 10 hours at room temperature) and Voila! You’ve got buttermilk! (I store it refrigerated thereafter, just so you know.) I have to have buttermilk to make my all time favorite syrup recipe (Sorry, I’m going to save that for another post).

Here’s another idea that I have loved to use with powdered milk. It’s called “molasses milk.” All you do is warm up about ¾ cup of reconstituted milk and then stir in a regular spoonful of molasses (double and triple accordingly). It’s yummy. It kind of tastes like caramel toffee. And here you thought that molasses was just for cookies.

Hopefully from reading this you’ve thought about the importance of having powdered milk in your supplies, along with molasses, chocolate syrup, and vanilla extract in your storage items. For future reference I would also add that you’ll want lemon juice and cocoa as well.

I look forward to sharing more with you later.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.
You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Preparedness Pro Note: If you would like Kellene Bishop to present an Emergency Preparedness message for your community or church group, please contact us at 801-788-4133. Ms. Bishop is an experienced speaker on Emergency Preparedness topics and also has created a great “Preparedness Party” platform which makes the learning of such a topic more enjoyable for all.

Pressure Cooking Pot Roast

Last Friday I elected to nurture an injury with some real, home cooked food. I was really craving a pot roast, but didn’t want to put the traditional time and energy into it. So what did I do? I talked my assistant through the step-by-step process of making a yummy pot roast in under an hour! And it was so good, my husband finished it off before I had a chance to have seconds (darn it).

So how did I accomplish such a feat? I used my pressure cooker. So in the event that you’re still waffling around about purchasing one, I’m going to share the wealth with you (Just as a reminder, I recommend the Kuhn Rikon brand – aka Duromatic).

1. In your pressure cooker, put two tablespoons of oil. On med-high heat, sear your pot roast (about 2 to 4 pounds) on all sides. Once it’s nicely seared, remove the pot roast from the pressure cooker and add 1 cup of red cooking wine.
2. Scrape the bottom of the pressure cooker with a wooden spoon, being sure to loosen all of the flavorful bits from the bottom.
3. Add the pot roast back to the pressure cooker along with 2 cups of water and one envelope of Lipton Onion Soup mix.
4. Bring the water to a boil, and then cover the pressure cooker. Allow the pressure to come up to high, then turn the heat down sufficient to maintain the high pressure. Cook the pot roast for 20 minutes per pound.
5. Once roast is finished cooking, release the pressure completely.
6. Add 2 heaping cups of potato wedges (because you don’t have to cut them small with a pressure cooker), 2 cups of baby carrots and a couple stalks of chopped celery. Be sure to add the potatoes first to make room for the smaller items, and be sure that you do not fill your pressure cooker more than two-thirds full.
7. Add an additional cup of water.
8. Bring the water to a boil and recover the pressure cooker.
9. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes.
10. Release the pressure and enjoy a yummy, tender pot roast and perfectly seasoned vegetables!

Again, I wholeheartedly recommend a pressure cooker so that you can preserve your own physical energy, your fuel, and water. It cooks faster and more nutrient rich than any other method available. The new models that have been made as of late are much safer than what you might remember your grandmother using. They really, really are an asset to any kitchen now, or in an emergency.


Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.
You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Preparedness Pro Note: If you would like Kellene Bishop to present an Emergency Preparedness message for your community or church group, please contact us at 801-788-4133. Ms. Bishop is an experienced speaker on Emergency Preparedness topics and also has created a great “Preparedness Party” platform which makes the learning of such a topic more enjoyable for all.

Cheese Wax Will Save Us All

Well, at least those of us who are addicted to cheese anyway.

Can you name at least 10 different kinds of cheese that you love?
Do you believe that cheese should be its own food group?
Are you helpless to abide by your diet unless it involves huge amounts of melted cheese?
Then this article is for you!

So picture this. It’s a bona fide emergency survival situation. You are holed up in your home and living off of the emergency preparedness supplies you stored. And you’ve got one heck of a hankering for some yummy melted cheese. But you’re just not in the mood for the Velveeta, that nasty powdered stuff, or the “squirt” kind of cheese. You want a good solid bite of a yummy Monterey Jack, or Swiss, or sharp cheddar. (I’m making myself drool even as I write this.) But hey, cheese doesn’t store for a very long time, right? Well, in this case, I’m happy to tell you that you’re wrong. And if you’re a true cheese addict, then you’ll be happy to hear me tell you that you’re wrong for once, right?

So here’s the good news. You CAN have your favorite cheese on hand, even in an emergency, and even though no stores are open and you have no access to electricity. All you have to do is buy the blocks of cheese that you want now in order to have them stored for up to the next 25 years. Cheese wax prevents your cheese from developing mold or bacteria and it keeps the moisture in. Simply use a natural boars hair brush to apply the melted cheese wax liberally to your block of cheese, let it harden, and then, VOILA, you’ve got your wish. Cheese treated with cheese wax will store for up to 25 years at a mild to cool temperature. Sure, it will continue to age. But it sure won’t get moldy! Be sure that you select block sizes of cheese that you and your family can easily consume within a 3 to 5 day period in order to avoid it going bad once you’ve cut into it.

A couple of tips you should know though.
1) Don’t use paraffin wax. It tends to crack. And cheese wax warms at a cooler temperature and thus plies better to your cheese shapes and sizes. Cheese wax is also less crumbly and you can use less of it than paraffin.
2) I have yet to find a cheese that I can’t wax. So long as it’s hard enough to be in a block, you can wax it.
3) You don’t need cheesecloth, but if you desire to use it prior to your wax layers, it may be helpful getting the wax off. I’ve not had any problems without it though.
4) It’s best to melt the cheese wax in a double boiler as opposed to direct heat.
5) The less you handle the cheese with your hands the better.
6) Don’t bother with dipping the cheese. Your natural finger oils may cause cracking of the cheese wax. Use a natural boar’s hair brush instead. The reason why you want to use this kind of brush specifically is because other brushes will apply the cheese wax too thick, or with crevices, etc. This kind of brush is perfect for cheese waxing.
7) You don’t need to use food-grade labels for your cheese since they will go on the outside. However, it’s smart to use a label on the outside of your cheese just prior to the last wax layer. That way you don’t have to worry about it falling off. Be sure to label not only the kind of cheese it is, but when it was waxed as well.
8) Don’t store your waxed cheese in additional containers. Just stack them on top of like cheeses and let them breathe. I like to hang them from the ceiling in a “fishing net” kind of contraption.
9) Be sure to check for pockets or crevices that didn’t get sealed. 3 thin layers of wax is a good practice. There’s no need to do more coats than that.
10) The cheese surface should be clean and dry prior to waxing.
11) If your 2nd and 3rd coats are applied while the prior coat is still a bit warm you will get a better adhesion.
12) Cheese wax can be re-used several times. You can simply wash it in warm water, let it dry and then re-melt it. So when you remove cheese wax from your cheeses, you can simply reheat and reapply. Simply heat the cheese wax to about 110 degrees Celsius. This will also ensure that you’re not transferring any bacteria or unnecessary moisture to your new cheese.
13) You do not need to filter the cheese wax after you melt it. So don’t worry about that step.
14) Your first coat will have some unevenness to it. Don’t worry. The 2nd and 3rd coat will even it out just fine.

Cheese wax can be located at multiple places online or in your local health food stores. You should also have no problem finding a boar bristle brush either. It doesn’t really matter what color of cheese wax you use.

Once you get the hang of this cheese waxing stuff you can progress to making your own cheese from powdered milk in any flavor you decide! Yummy!

Enjoy the recipe below!

Kristen’s Cheesy Roughin’ It Enchiladas

1 can of tomato soup
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 regular sized can of enchilada sauce
2 cups of canned chicken, drained.
About 2 cups of your favorite shredded cheese

Make your sauce by combining the soups and the enchilada sauce.

Use enough flour or corn tortillas to line a large baking dish or Dutch oven with your enchiladas. (About 12 to 15 depending on how big you stuff them) Be sure to spray your dish with some cooking spray.

Lightly coat the bottom of our tortilla with the sauce. Then add about 2 tablespoons of chicken, according to your desire. Then top the chicken with about 2 tablespoons of cheese. Add about 1 tablespoon soup mixture. Then roll up your tortilla and place seam side down in the dish. Continue until you’ve filled the dish a single layer deep. Once you’re finished, pour the remaining sauce over the top and top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until the cheese is completely melted. You can add chopped black olives, black beans, rice, jalapenos, or even green chilies to this recipe as well.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.


Preparedness Pro Note: If you would like Kellene Bishop to present an Emergency Preparedness message for your community or church group, please contact us at 801-788-4133. Ms. Bishop is an experienced speaker on Emergency Preparedness topics and also has created a great “Preparedness Party” platform which makes the learning of such a topic more enjoyable for all.

The Magic Number 12

Friday before last I decided to throw a party at my home. I wanted it to be an enjoyable night for the girlfriends in my life, so I threw in some paraffin hand treatments and made tons of food from my food storage supplies. We had 3 main dishes, 2 side dishes, an appetizer and 2 desserts. Would you believe, the food disappeared rapidly with countless requests for recipes?

After everyone had enjoyed their fill of yummy food – yes, I did say “yummy” and yes, it was all made from what I had on hand – we then all sat down and discussed the 9 key areas of emergency preparedness. So many additional ideas and insights were added to my own and we all benefited substantially. So in addition to sharing the recipes with all of my blog readers, I’m also going to break down various components that were discussed for practical application in your emergency preparedness activities. So here’s a great tip followed by a recipe of ingredients from your food storage:

The Magic Number 12

This is a great tip for novices and pros alike when it comes to accumulating your food storage. As I’ve shared previously, it’s important to “store what you eat and know how to prepare what you store.” This particular tip addresses an effective way to store what you eat.

The other day I was reading a cookbook — I do that frequently — and I happened upon a recipe that I realized I could adapt to make from cans, jars, and food storage items. So I purchased the items from the grocery, tested the recipe out on my hubby, and discovered we had a new yummy recipe that he would eat for a nice dinner, let alone in an emergency situation (He assures me that he won’t be as picky of an eater in an emergency as he is now…but I’m not planning on counting on that promise). So I watched the coupons and ads for the local grocery stores and then went out and purchased enough ingredients to make that dish 12 times. Why?

The objective is to store a year’s supply of food storage, right? I’m also sensitive to avoiding “appetite fatigue” and ensuring that my husband actually enjoys the meals I create. In an emergency, it’s not likely that you will be cooking 3 meals a day, rather one meal of substance, and the rest would be meals of convenience such as instant oats, cold cereal, peanut butter and jelly, canned chicken on crackers, etc. As long as you have a plan for one main meal every day, then you’ll be far ahead. To recap, if you have 30 different meals in your repertoire each month, then you are likely to not meet any appetite fatigue issues or stress because you’re attempting to introduce something new to your family when they are already under a great deal of stress as the result of an emergency.

This is why I purchase my grocery items in increments of twelve. If 12 is too much to handle due to space or financial restraints, then take it down to 6 or 4 or 3. But if you get yourself in the habit of buying this way when you have a recipe that works for you and your family, you will have your year’s supply of meals in a short period of time. Now that’s what I call “eating the elephant one bite at a time.”

Here’s one of the recipe’s which I created for this event. It’s just an open, dump, stir, and warm kind of recipe. Thus not only does it use a minimal amount of your physical energy, it will require a minimal amount of precious fuel as well to warm up.

Southern Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

4 cups of canned chicken, drained
1 package (6 ounces) of Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice Original Recipe
1 can of cream of celery soup
2/3 cup of Miracle Whip (don’t substitute any different mayonnaise)
1 can (8 oz) of diced water chestnuts, drained (I like to chop mine a bit smaller than they come in the “diced” can)
1 2 oz. jar of sliced pimento peppers. (diced is fine also)
1 regular sized can of French cut green beans, drained
1 ½ cups of chicken broth OR water
2 Tablespoons of pre-grated Parmesan cheese (the stuff in the green can is just fine.)

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well with a spoon. Transfer to a Dutch oven, or a pre-greased baking dish if you’re cooking in a solar oven. Top the dish with the Parmesan Cheese. If using a solar oven, be sure to cover the dish with foil. If using the Dutch Oven, simply put on the lid.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until it’s bubbling and the rice has cooked. Let cool about 5 minutes and then serve.

You can also cook this most expeditiously and economically in a pressure cooker. Simply bring the cooker to full pressure with the ingredients mixed together inside, then once it’s come to full pressure, remove from heat, wrap in towels and continue to cook for about 15 minutes.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.


Preparedness Pro Note: If you would like Kellene Bishop to present an Emergency Preparedness message for your community or church group, please contact us at 801-788-4133. Ms. Bishop is an experienced speaker on Emergency Preparedness topics and also has created a great “Preparedness Party” platform which makes the learning of such a topic more enjoyable for all.