“The future is ahead of us,” said that great American philosopher Yogi Berra. Some make plans for it, and others just go along day to day without any forethought. “We wouldn’t have lost if they hadn’t beaten us,” Berra went on to say. Sounds like as good an excuse as any, if you plan to run out of response abilities any time in the first hours of an emergency. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Think about…
Growing up I never knew that maple syrup came ready made in a 24 oz. bottle. Mom raised me right and I watched her make all our syrup from a small bottle of Mapleine imitation maple flavoring. One 2 fluid oz bottle makes 24 pints of syrup along with nothing more than water and sugar. Adding corn syrup can thicken this pancake and waffle topping as thick as you want. One cup water over two cups any kind of sugar,…
When times are tough, making gluten breads that require kneading and oven baking may prove to be beyond energy capabilities. Quick breads or batter breads are simple substitutes. There is not much difference between pancakes, waffles, and tortillas, except wheat flour in the first two and corn flour in the last – both being easy to hand mix and fry cook. Check this recipe: (*tortilla ingredients) 1 ½ cups wheat (*corn) flour 1 T. baking powder ¾ tsp. Salt 3…
Remember how important (and easy) Thermos Bottle cooking is as an emergency or daily way to overnight cook grains and legumes? Well, a Wide Mouth Thermos is still an essential use item. Here is all you have to remember about Thermos cooking: If cooking grains, use two parts water to one part grain – 2:1 water to grain ratio. If cooking legumes, use three parts water to one-part beans, lentils, etc. – 3:1 ratio. Don’t forget to add salt and/or…
Nightly weathercasts always tell you what the barometric pressure is. The standard pressure is 29.92 inches of mercury. Higher surface readings mean sunny days, while lower readings mean denser air at higher atmospheric levels, usually causing cooling, condensation (clouds) and precipitation. Pilots like to know this stuff because an altimeter is a barometer and must be reset continuously for altitude accuracy. Honolulu (motto: welcome to paradise) and San Diego have the least variation in barometric pressure – about…
Helen Free VanderBeck of Idaho Falls, Idaho, said it best in her article in the March, 1983, issue of the Ensign, entitled The Reason for Toasters: “There was a time when it took a father and mother and all their children an entire spring, summer, and fall to provide food and shelter for the family until the next harvest. Then the Lord said, ‘Be a missionary. Store a year’s supply of food. Search out your genealogy and write…
Just in case you loose your job, the house burns down, your ARM skyrockets, and/or gas prices or other normal budget items suddenly get abnormal, you need to have some money storage. With monthly house payments, car payments, food and utilities, any loss of income will be quite disturbing. “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.” Being debt free is it’s own best dividend. Today’s employees can expect at least 3-5 job changes before retirement. That…
Qualified retirement plans are as simple to understand as a chicken farm. “Qualified” means that the IRS fox is kept away from layer hens and eggs during the working years because you commit to build this flock as a replacement for you for income earning when you retire from the workplace. Now, think like a chicken farmer. Do you want a big flock or a little flock in the henhouse when you retire? Additionally, in retirement do you…
All pensions are annuities, but not all annuities are pensions. What’s the difference? Pensions offer retirees life income and benefits can be shared with a spouse only. At retirement most employer plans will offer a single choice from “six standard payout options.” Option one pays the most money monthly, but only to the participant until death; options two through six pay less, with the spouse getting a continuing fractional amount until death. Live long, get a lot. Die…
“Buy this one,” the wife said. “It’s only $30 more, but it has a lifetime guarantee.” “Whose lifetime,” her husband questioned? “I’m 78 and have lived 3 years more than I was suppose to.” A lifetime guarantee is generally considered to be no longer than 10 years for any manufactured product. Of course, certificates with fine print can exclude important components, and unless you retain sales slips mere possession may not be sufficient to prove ownership. Warrantees…