Last week I had the rare opportunity (if you could call it that) to watch my neighbor's house go down in flames. It was a crazy sight. At first, I was unsuspecting. I was walking my babysitter (not MY babysitter...but for my kids :) ) to her car and smelled something kind of like garbage burning, but it had a different smell. As I kept walking around the house, there it was. Flames were reaching at least 15 to 20 feet above the house. Tires on their brand new car swelled and burst sounding like a gun going off. Their neighbor's house and tree also caught fire, but luckily the Fire Department was able to put that out before it got too far into it. I haven't been able to get any solid answers as to what caused the fire. I haven't read any official report. I'm not trying to start a rumor here; however, it seemed to start in their small laundry room. It looked like the greatest damage happened by the hot water tank where I saw a pile of clothes. They lost everything, but no one was hurt and that is something to be thankful for.
I think now is a good time to remind our readers of the importance of fire prevention and evacuation. So... with the tradition in self-reliance, we need to plan ahead before we may be faced with a situation like this.
•When was the last time you checked the smoke detector's batteries in your home? •Are they working properly?
•Is there more than one way your family can escape your home?
•Do you have a family evacuation plan?
Here is a checklist that can help you in your efforts to be aware of potential fire hazards:
http://www.sparky.org/pdf/sparkychecklist.pdf
Here is an article on things that should be added to your evacuation plan: http://blog.oregonlive.com/themombeat/2011/12/do_you_have_a_fire_safety_plan.html
These are excellent things to talk about at a Family Home Evening or Family Night. They are just as important as any other topic to consider preparing for in implementing self-reliance.
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... And another thing....
One of the best ways (I have found) to try and make our preparedness menu more enjoyable by the family is to take family favorite meals and alter them with "food storage friendly" ingredients. For instance lets take one of our favorite recipes:
Chicken Casserole (original recipe)
1 whole chicken
1 1/2 C rice
3 C Celery sliced
1 C chopped onions
1/2 C butter
1 C Mayo
3 cans Cr. of Chicken Soup
3 T lemon juice
Corn flakes
Boil whole chicken in salted water until inside temp reads 180 degrees. Debone, dice and save broth. Boil rice in broth. Mix all ingredients except butter and cornflakes. Place in 9x13 pan and top with cornflakes and melted butter (to make the cornflakes crunchy!! Yumm!) Best when refrigerated over night (minus the cornflakes...unless you like them soggy). Take out two hours before baking and bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes.
Chicken Casserole (food storage friendly)
1 pint jar canned chicken
1 1/2 C rice cooked
1/4 C dehydrated/freeze dried celery
1/8 C dehydrated onions
1 C Mayo
3 T lemon juice
1 tsp chicken bouillon (I use MSG free)
3 C water (divided)
2 T dehydrated milk
3 T flour
1/2 C butter canned
Cornflakes
Dice canned chicken
Heat 1 1/2 C water to boiling. Add bouillon, celery and onion- let boil for a minute or so. Pour other 1 1/2 C in pint jar with flour and milk. Put the lid on and shake until all lumps are gone. Slowly add to boiling water to make a gravy. Add salt to desired flavor. Mix rest of ingredients except butter and cornflakes into a bowl. Spread mixture in 9x13 pan and cover with cornflakes and melted butter. Bake 350 for 30 - 45 min. They are slightly different, as is the flavor. The more I play with it the better I get.
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