Real Food Homestead

Grow. Raise. Cook. Preserve.

Preparedness

5 Ways to Prepare for Death or Disability Now

by

No one wants to think about death (or disability). It seems morbid to worry about those things when you are perfectly healthy.

But if you have ever had a close friend or family member pass away suddenly, you know how hard it can be on the people that are left behind.

Not only are they upset about losing that person, but they can be overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done after that person is gone.

Cleaning out their things.

Selling a home.

Paying bills or debts.

Funeral services and arrangements.

Who gets what after they are gone.

And while we can’t completely alleviate these burdens, there are some things we can do to make it easier on those we leave behind.

I believe this is an important part of emergency preparedness and should not be put off until it’s too late. We never know when that time will be.

So today, I want to talk about some things you can do to help your friends and family when it is your time to go. After all, you never know when your “last minute” will be.

older couple sitting on couch looking at laptop

5 Ways to Prepare for Death or Disability Now

1. Make your wishes known

The best thing you can do to make things easier on the loved ones you leave behind is to make your wishes known now. Sit down and have a discussion about the things you feel are important. These could include (but aren’t limited to):

  • Where you want to be buried.
  • What you would like to the service to look like.
  • The contents of your will (we will discuss that next)
  • What to do with social media accounts
  • What are your medical wishes if you are in a coma or on life support.

2. Make a will

Making a will can be frustrating and time consuming, but it will make things easier for your family in the end. Wills should be clear and concise. They also need to be updated often to account for changes in your family or property.

I am not an attorney, so this is not legal advice. I suggest you consult an attorney to get your will taken care of. Here are a few things you might think about including:

  • Who will be the executor of your will?
  • Who will take care of your children if you die?
  • Who will take care of your animals if you die?
  • Who will inherit your home and other property?
  • Who you would like to leave certain personal items to?
  • Who will take care of your finances (pay off debt, pay bills, etc)?

3. Life Insurance

If you or a spouse (or both) die, your family finances would take a major hit. It doesn’t really matter if the person was a wage earner or not.

So while it would be financially devastating to have the primary provider pass away, it would be just as financially devastating for the stay at home spouse to pass away. Both contribute to the family finances in different ways.

When thinking about life insurance, it is important that both parents be insured. If either spouse dies, the other could use the money to keep the family a float.

If both parents die together, life insurance would ensure the children would be looked after financially and will help whomever is a thrust into the caregiver position on their behalf.

4. Keep good records

Good record keeping can be crucial to settling your estate and finances once you are gone.

We discuss in this post how to keep your personal documents stored for emergencies —> How to Gather Important Family Documents for Emergencies.

It is important that someone can easily find what they need if you aren’t there to guide them.

But more than that, they need to know how you conduct the business of your household. Here are some items you might want to organize and document just in case:

  • What bills you pay? How do you pay them?
  • Passwords to online websites for banking and paying bills.
  • Insurance documents
  • Property deeds
  • Family budget

If you have a spouse and he/she doesn’t know these things, you need to show them. Should accident, injury or death occur to you, do they know how to keep things running at home?

5. Don’t leave a mess

Are you a hoarder? Do you have so much stuff that you don’t even know what all of it is or why you have it?

Leaving behind a mess for loved ones to clean up once your gone is not thoughtful or helpful.

Are you getting up in age? Maybe it’s time to pair down your belongings and start sharing with your family members while you can see the joy it gives them now.

Do you need to keep all of their old toys and childhood things? Maybe you should give them a chance to go through them with you and relive the memories together. And then, if they don’t want to keep them, give them away to someone who will really enjoy them.

Have a large garage sale and use the money earned to go on a family trip together. Memories are much more priceless than tons of stuff just laying around and catching dust.

Wouldn’t it be great to know that your passing won’t put an undo burden on your family? That you have things organized and designed to help them in their time of grief.

I encourage you to take these steps to prepare for death or disability now, no matter what your age. It will help you be more organized and aware of what you have, and it will help those that live on after you to take care of things for you. It is a win-win for everyone.

death or disability pin

Do you have your life in order to prepare for death or disability? Let us know in the comments below. And if you found this post helpful, please share. Thanks!

Click here to subscribe

10 Tips For What To Do When The Power Goes Out

by

It can be a scary time when the power goes out.

All of the sudden, you need to know where things are in your house that can provide light.

You need to be prepared to cook and heat your home without electricity.

If you know it’s just going to be for a couple of hours, no big deal, right?

You play games with your kids or just ignore it if it’s during the day in the spring or fall.

You can live a couple of hours without power, right? No problem.

But what if you have an extended outage? Bad weather or a car accident has disrupted service.

Maybe you live out in the country, so your lines are the last ones to be fixed after a storm.

You could be out of electricity for several days. Add on to the fact that it is the middle of summer or winter, and you could have a problem on your hands.

But don’t panic. Today, I am going to give you 10 tips to help you get organized and ready for just such an emergency.

That way you can make better decisions and find things faster in this kinds of emergency.

10 Tips For What To Do When The Power Goes Out

1. Have many types of light sources together in one place.

You probably have flashlights, candles and even glow sticks laying around your house. These things and other light sources can help you during a power outage. But do you know where they are? If the power went out, could you find them quickly in the dark?

Making a power outage kit could help you gather these things so that when they are needed, you will know right where to go.

Here are a couple of resources to get you prepared with light sources during a power outage:

Power Outage Kit @ Baby to Boomer

11 Ways to Light Your Home When the Power Goes Out @ Urban Survival Site

2. Have a backup fuel source for heating.

If your power goes out in the winter time, you are going to want a backup source of heat.

If you a have a fireplace or wood stove, of course you would start there. You just want to make sure they are cleaned out and in working order each year, especially if you don’t use them often.

Other options are propane heaters, solar heaters and gas for a generator.

I discuss storing fuel in this post —> 7 Types of Fuel You Should Store For Emergency Preparedness

3. Get a generator for backup power.

The #1 rule when using a generator is: don’t use it in the house.

A generator is nice to have to back up things like medical equipment, refrigerator and heating systems.

Try to streamline the devices you need to have power for so you don’t have a web of cords running thru your house.

You will need to store gasoline to use the generator in an emergency.

If you are new to generators, this post can help —> Generators for Beginners @ An Off Grid Life

4. Know where blankets and sleeping bags are for warmth.

One way to stay warm in a power outage is to use extra blankets and sleeping bags. You can even set up a tent in your living room and have everyone sleep together for warmth.

couple sitting by the fire

5. Consolidate cooled food into one place.

As mentioned above, you don’t want your generator to work harder than it has to.

So when the power goes out, you want to consolidate your food cooling needs to one place.

If your deep freeze is only half full, see if you can thaw the food to eat or move it to your refrigerator’s freezer so you only have to power one appliance.

If not, if your deep freeze is full, don’t open it and most things will stay frozen for several hours without backup power.

6. Know how to seal off doors and windows.

Insulation is good anytime you want to keep your home warm/cool. It will keep your electricity costs down and make for a more even temperature around your house.

But when the power is out, you want to make sure your heating efforts are working like you want them too.

This may include:

  • Closing off rooms you aren’t using.
  • Closing blinds and curtains.
  • Putting towels under doorways to keep from losing heat.
  • Put plastic on windows to keep the warmth in.

Whatever you can do to make your home more efficient before a power outage, the better.

7. Make sure you have enough water.

Water is something many people forget about when they think of emergency preparedness.

You should have emergency water stored for whatever emergencies your family might have.

Atleast 1 gallon per person, per day is recommended.

Here is a post I wrote on emergency water that might be helpful —> Emergency Water Storage for Prepared Families.

8. Have a plan for using the bathroom.

Do you know what to do to make your toilet ready to use in an emergency?

Of course, the boys can go outside, but that isn’t ideal for some of us.

Here are some ideas that can help you when you need to go in an emergency:

7 Steps to Maintaining Proper Sanitation During Power Outage @ Modern Self-Reliance

Make Your Own Emergency Toilet @ Mom with a Prep

9. Use clothing to regulate body temperature.

Clothing can help you regulate your body temperature in an emergency situation.

If you are out of heat in the winter, put on more layers of clothing to stay warm.

If you are hot in the summer, put on less or lighter clothing to keep you cool.

These seem like simple ideas, but we tend to forget simple things when an emergency strikes.

10. Take advantage of family time.

From my prospective as a parent, a power outage could be a great time to reconnect as a family.

As long as no one’s hurt, time without electronic devices, video games and tv could be a great time to bond.

Also, shared experiences become great memories if you treat them right.

So grab some candles, a board game and have a good time together.

You could read (or tell) a story, play cards or warm yourselves by the fire together.

Make the most of the situation and enjoy the peacefulness until the power comes back on.

When the power goes out, it can be a scary time. You forget about what you were doing and bring things back to basics.

By keeping these 10 things in mind, you can make it a good experience for you and your family. It could even make a good memory for later.

power outage pin

Do you have anything to add to this list? Let us know in the comments below. And if you found this post helpful, please share. Thanks!

Click here to subscribe

How to Preserve Fruits and Vegetables with Cold Storage This Winter

by

By now you are probably starting to harvest some food from your garden.

Depending on where you live, you might have a lot or a little. It’s the end of July and here in Colorado my harvest has only just started.

But I know that come October, I will have more fresh food in my house than I know what to do with.

So today I want to talk about preserving your food with the cold storage method.

Growing up in Texas, I didn’t even know this was possible. We didn’t have a basement and it was warm most of the year.

And while this isn’t a method to preserve all foods, many fruits and vegetables can be preserved with this method.

baskets of potatoes

What is cold storage of food?

Cold food storage is a basic food preservation method. If you live in a climate with true winters (freezing temperatures), you have what you need to keep many vegetables and fruits in good condition for months after harvesting.

Cold storage won’t work for climates where it is warm all year round or where it doesn’t stay cold most of the winter.

Cold storage uses cool, moderately humid areas of your home to keep some kinds of food fresh for several months without modern day methods of freezing, refrigeration, or canning.

This is the way people kept food good through the winter for centuries before modern techniques were available.

What types of fruits and vegetables can be preserved with cold storage?

Fruits: Apple, Pear

Vegetables: Dry beans, corn, garlic, onion, potato, sweet potato, winter squash, shallot, beet, cabbage, carrot, celery, leek, parsnip, rutabaga, turnip

For a complete list and how to harvest them, you can check out Mother Earth News.

How do you preserve using the cold storage method?

Garlic, onion, pumpkin, shallot: store in boxes or mesh bags in a cool place with moderate humidity

Dry beans: store in airtight jars in cool, dark place

Parsnip, turnip, rutabaga: Refrigerate or pack in damp sand in a sealed container and store in a cold basement, garage or root cellar.

Potato: Store in closed boxes or cloth-covered baskets in a cool place with moderate humidity, or store in buried containers.

Pumpkin, winter squash, sweet potatoes: Store in bushel baskets or on shelves in a cool place with moderate humidity.

Carrot, celery: Refrigerate or pack in damp sand in a sealed container and store in a cold basement, garage or root cellar.

Apple, pear: Store in refrigerator or very cold place, below 40 degrees, in perforated plastic bags or waxed boxes to maintain high humidity. Check weekly.

baskets of apples

How long will my food last with these methods?

I love this chart from Better Hens and Gardens that shows how long these foods will be good for in cold storage:

How can I make a cold storage system (root cellar) in my home?

There are several ways to incorporate a cold storage system in your home.

Here are a few bloggers that have done this very well, so I will refer you to their blogs to learn more:

Set Up A Root Cellar In A Closet @ Simple Bites

Build Your Own Root Cellar Using An Old Refrigerator @ The Owner-Builder Network

Building An Underground Root Cellar @ Robert’s Projects

Root Cellar Storage Shelving @ Handimania

Why Is Cold Storage Important?

Cold storage is a great option for food preservation because it doesn’t require electricity or technology. All you need is a cool, dark place in your house with some humidity. You don’t need any fancy equipment and it doesn’t cost money to put into place.

Cold Storage Tips To Make Food Last Longer:

  1. Store the best versions of each vegetable. Pick the best looking options of your food to store and use the other ones first because they won’t last as long.
  2. Follow the harvest and storage rules. Use the link for Mother Earth News above to find out how to harvest and store each fruit or vegetable.
  3. Keep the fruit and vegetables away from each other. Fruits that give off high levels of ethylene (the ripening agent) can prematurely ripen and spoil surrounding vegetables.
  4. Check on the food monthly and use or throw away the ones that are going bad. Try to incorporate this food you have saved in your weekly meals so you don’t let them store over their ripeness.

Cold storage is a great way to keep some of your garden harvest longer than normal. It does take some thought before hand, but the payoff will be great.

You can use some of the links above to see how you can incorporate cold storage/root cellar at your homestead. Storing food all winter long, whether you use cold storage, canning, freezing or whatever, is a main homesteading ideal. It will help you be more self sufficient and rely on the food you have grown on your own instead of the grocery store.

cold storage pin

Do you use cold storage methods for your homestead? Let us know what you do in the comments below. And if you found this post helpful, please share. Thanks!

Click here to subscribe

25 Easy Tomato Canning Recipes to Preserve Your Summer Harvest

by

Are you growing tomatoes in your garden this year?

They ripen slowly at first, just a few tomatoes a day.

But before you know it, you have baskets full of tomatoes: more than your family could ever eat fresh.

This is where canning comes in. Most tomatoes can beautifully and canning is a great way to keep tomatoes all winter long!

So today, I searched the internet (who are we kidding, Pinterest!) and found these awesome tomato canning recipes to help you preserve all of that tomato goodness for the rest of the year.

woman with blue manicure holding a glass of tomato juice

25 Amazing Tomato Canning Recipes to Preserve Your Harvest


How to Can Diced Tomatoes @ Thrifty Frugal Mom


Canning Barbeque Sauce @ Creative Homemaking


Canning Homemade Ketchup @ Instructables


How to Make Tomato Paste @ The Kitchn


Home Canned Pizza Sauce @ An Oregon Cottage


Basil Garlic Tomato Sauce @ Yesterday on Tuesday


Rotel Style Tomatoes @ Kitchn


Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce @ Cottage at the Crossroads


Simple Roasted Tomato Sauce @ Foodie Crush


Roasted Tomato, Black Bean & Corn Salsa @ PractiGanic


Seasoned Tomato Sauce Recipe for Home Canning @ Grow a Good Life


Sun Dried Tomatoes Packed In Oil @ 52 Ways to Cook


Canning Homemade Chili @ Creative Homemaking


Fire Roasted Salsa Canning Recipe @ The Hungry Bluebird


Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipe @ Mom on Timeout


Home Canned Tomatoes @ Never Enough Thyme


The Best Homemade Salsa @ Mel’s Kitchen Cafe


Tomato Relish Recipe @ Just a Pinch Recipes


V8 Juice Canning Recipe @ Creative Homemaking


Probiotic Pico De Gallo @ Yogi Mami


Summer Tomato Jam @ Healthy Delicious


Green Tomato Salsa Verde Recipe @ Montana Homesteader


Canning Tomato Soup Recipe @ Creative Homemaking


Bourbon, Bacon and Tomato Jam @ Cody Uncorked


Fresh Homemade Salsa for Canning @ Genius Kitchen

Doesn’t that make you just want to get in the kitchen and get started!

I love fresh tomatoes canned for the long winter. I love to see the rows of home canned goods in the pantry.

That is the reward for grueling gardening season!

So collect those fresh tomatoes and make something today that will last all winter long.

tomato canning pin

What is your favorite way to can tomatoes? Let us know in the comments below. And if you found this post helpful, please share. Thanks!

Click here to subscribe

8 Crafty Emergency Preparedness Hacks for Your Family Survival

by

Emergency preparedness is super important.

We always have a possibility of being in an emergency situation, whether it is forest fires, severe weather, power outages or more.

Today, I want to share with you 8 emergency preparedness hacks that might help you get ready for one of these emergencies.

8 Crafty Emergency Preparedness Hacks for Your Family Survival


DIY Power Outage Kit @ Baby to Boomer

I love this idea because you know you can go to one place in your house and find everything you need to get through a power outage.


Make Your Own Emergency Toilet @ Mom With A Prep

This is a great idea to have in the back of your mind if you find yourself without water to run a conventional toilet or even if you are camping.


Emergency Preparedness Candle Kits @ Craft Yourself

This is a great idea for candle storage and gives you somewhere to put your candle when you need to use it.


Make A Candle from Crisco Container @ Survival Life

Crisco isn’t good for the body, but it just might work out great when you need light in an emergency.


Convert AAA Batteries into AA Batteries with Tin Foil @ Lifehacker

Batteries run out quickly, and even though you might be prepared for the short term, this is a great hack to know just in case.


How to Survive with a Sock @ Backpacker

I love these ideas. Who knew a sock could be so versatile?


Fuse Box Light @ Martha Stewart

When the lights go out, having a flashlight right by the fuse box would be super handy to find the right fuse to get the power back on.


Dryer Lint Fire Starter @ Willow Haven Outdoor

Worried about how to start a fire in an emergency? I love these lint balls in a small container that will help you get a fire going anywhere.

These are just a few ideas that can help you be prepared around your house for whatever might come your way.

If you try to do little things each month, over time you will be much more prepared for many different types of emergencies. You don’t have to do everything, all of the time.

emergency preparedness hack pin

Which of these emergency preparedness hacks will you implement in your home? Let us know in the comments below. And if you found this post helpful, please share. Thanks!

Click here to subscribe

10 Things to Remember During An Emergency Evacuation

by

Evacuating from your home can be a scary time.

I have not lived through it personally, but I live in an area that is prone to wildfires, which can cause evacuations at a moments notice.

As I write this, there is a large fire about an hour away that has consumed about 23,000 acres of forest and authorities have called for the evacuation of over 2,000 people. It is in a mountainous, rural area but is only 10% contained.

Click here to subscribe

No one wants to go through an emergency evacuation. They don’t want to leave their home not knowing if it will be standing when they return.

Here are some things to remember when evacuating that may help you if you ever have to do this in the future.

evacuation sign

10 Things to Remember During An Emergency Evacuation

  1. You are told to go, go. No matter if it is a wildfire or a hurricane, if you are told to evacuate, you should do it. You and your family are more important than your home or property. I can say that because I lost my home to a house fire 4 years ago. It is hard. But if you stay, you are putting your life, your family’s life and rescuers lives in danger. It’s not worth it. Trust me.
  2. Listen to the radio and local authorities. Keep your family in the loop of what is going on around you with local radio and tv. Find out where the threat is, when it will get to you and where you should go when evacuated by listening to local radio and authorities.
  3. Protect what is most important. Your family, your pets and your irreplaceable belongings are what you want to worry about most, in that order. If you have time to grab your wedding dress or grandmas wedding ring, do it. But make sure your family and pets are taken care of first.
  4. Important documents. I have another post about collecting your important documents for emergencies, so check that out for a list of things to take. Having these items together ahead of time will make it so much easier when you only have minutes to make decisions.
  5. Secure your animals. This may take some advanced planning if you have many large animals such as cattle and other livestock. Often in an evacuation situation, there are good samaritans that will open up their land for others to bring their animals to in an emergency.
  6. 72 Hour Kits. You should have a 72 hour kit for each family member (and pet) that includes food, water, clothing, and other essentials for 3 days. To find out more about how to make a 72 hour kit, you can read this post—> How to Make 72 Hour Kits to Get Your Family Prepared for Emergencies.
  7. Turn off utilities. You don’t want more damage done in your home than was made by the natural disaster. By turning off the utilities, you can help avoid burst pipes (flooding), gas explosions and other things that might occur. You can find out ahead of time how to turn these things off so you will know what to do in an emergency.
  8. Follow your plan. Take the time now to go over a plan with your family. Where will you meet in an emergency situation? What will you take with you? What will you do with your animals? Where will you go when you leave? These are just a few questions you will want to ask so that you will be prepared if you are asked to evacuate in a short amount of time.
  9. Secure Your Home. Make sure when you leave that you close windows and doors, and lock up your home and outbuildings. Unfortunately, there are people that will take advantage of evacuation situations to steal from you and your family. Don’t give them a free pass.
  10. Communicate with Friends and Family. If you are near the disaster, your friends and family will be worried about you. Let them know you are alright and what your plans are (especially if it means visiting them) via text, phone call, email or social media.

Planning and calm decision making can make a big difference in a stressful emergency evacuation. The more you can plan ahead of time, the easier it will be to grab and go at a moments notice.

After all, things can be replaced but people and pets can’t be. That is what we need to keep in mind when we go through emergency situations. Remember what is most important and how you can protect those things first.

emergency evacuation pin

Do you have an emergency evacuation plan for your family? Let us know in the comments below. And if you found this post helpful, please share. Thanks!
Click here to subscribe

error: Content is protected !!