If there was only one aspect of the Principle of Financial Preparedness that everyone could do perfectly, I would hope it would be that they could clearly see the TRUTH about how money works, how it’s manipulated all over the world, what the agendas are, and who’s really pulling the strings.
There’s a whole lot of shaking going on throughout the U.S. lately with all of the earthquakes. (Oklahoma having the largest one at 5.9 just this past Saturday and a swarm of over 700 earthquakes in the Sierra County, CA since August). And I have to say, it feels like there’s LOTS going on with Preparedness Pro nowadays too.
BETTER GET YOUR PEANUT BUTTER THIS WEEKEND. IT WILL BE UP 40% ON MONDAY DUE TO CROP DAMAGE. THAT EXPLAINS WHY SAMS CLUB WAS OUT OF MY FAVORED JIF PEANUT BUTTER ALL WEEK LONG. PASS IT ON. OK. So now it’s Monday and you’re wondering what’s all the hoopla? First Read more…
Let’s talk about this whole “gourmet food storage” phrase that I keep seeing all over the place. I’m really having a hard time accepting that anyone is falling for the concept of “gourmet food storage.” Doesn’t anyone else see the oxymoron in calling something “gourmet food storage?” Has someone figured out a way to freeze-dry roasted asparagus with a rum pear spinach salad served alongside roasted pork in a pear butter barbeque sauce? What exactly is it that qualifies a freeze-dried or dehydrated entrée as “gourmet food”? [caption id="attachment_9154" align="alignleft" width="160" caption="Chef Robert Irvine--Chef to the Queen--Knows Gourmet"]
[/caption] If you look up the meaning of gourmet in any dictionary you’ll see that the term is referring to a person who’s a connoisseur of food and drink. I suspect that chefs such as Robert Irvine, Scott Conant, Judy Joo, and Simon Majumdar could arguably be referred to as gourmet chefs. Clearly they are connoisseurs, and as such I really have a hard time picturing any of them lauding the taste, textures, and balance of any food made by Wise Foods or Daily Bread—or anyone else who claims to have “gourmet food storage.” I looked and looked but didn’t find a single episode in which the “secret ingredient” of Kitchen Stadium was freeze-dried food storage let alone “freeze-dried peach flavored apple pieces.” I just can’t even imagine the Chairman dramatically whipping back the red silk cover as the dramatic music plays only to see that the Secret Ingredient is freeze-dried whole eggs.
Tonight I made the most delicious Chicken Parmigianino. It was plump, juicy, and just plain perfect and I’m suitably convinced that it had a lot to do with the chicken that I had to work with. The chicken was only $1.49 a pound—natural, boneless, skinless chicken breast that has never been frozen. Why? Because it’s FRESH, really fresh. In fact, chances are my chicken was clucking away the week before I received it. They must have been chickens from Beverly Hills, though, because these chicken breasts were gargantuan! I made FOUR pieces of Chicken Parmigianino using a single chicken
[caption id="attachment_9158" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Zaycon Chicken Breasts are HUGE"]
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breast!
Frequently I’ve written on this blog as to how simple it is to make delightful dairy indulgences such as yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, ice cream, 
cream cheese and other cheeses. So today I’ve decided to share with you just one of the many scrumptious dishes you can make—preferably from whole milk. After trying this yourself you might catch the same bug that pesters me—the one which entices me to move to big, green pastures where I can drink all of the raw milk I want, enjoy fresh eggs, and thick slices of ham knowing completely what Frankenstein-ian chemical additives are lurking behind my meals.
I am NOT a fan of underground bunkers in the name of preparing against a 
nuclear fall-out scenario. In my opinion, it’s just plain overkill in light of what I believe to be practical. I recently watched a cast member of National Geographic’s “Doomsday Preppers” show who spent at least six figures just to install an empty underground bunker, located an hour and a half away from his home—which also means that he had to drop a pretty penny for the land as well.
I realize I’m not apt to win any popularity contests when I suggest that a person really needs to store enough water to provide each member of the family with one gallon per day for an entire year. Yes, I realize that’s a lot when it’s just one person let alone 5, 10, 20 plus unexpected. But keep in mind that that’s what preparedness is about. I don’t really believe there is a “finish line” so to speak, when it comes to living a more self-reliant life. No one family, person, etc. can do it all; but if they are teachable and earnest in their endeavors to be independent in order to assure comfort and safety for their loved ones, they will gradually discover more vulnerabilities based upon sound information and will strive to make appropriate “course corrections” along the way. We need to remember that the magnitude of work that may be involved in a task does not mitigate the reality of the need for that task. I mean if you really think about it, compared to reclaiming our freedoms in our nation as beautifully intended by the founding fathers (and God Himself, I believe) getting sufficient water supplies for the realistic “what if” scenarios in life is not such a big task. 
Yes, I admit. I harp about water, water, water virtually non-stop. But I realize that perhaps I haven’t provided you with a thorough foundation as to why I’m so seriously convinced that a self-reliant water scenario is a serious issue for families of any and every size, regardless of what your water source is. Municipal, river, spring, well, etc. They all have some realistic vulnerabilities for which we should prepare in an effort of self-reliance.
“If you don’t like the information about freeze-dried food that’s out there, then all you have to do is dig deep enough or pay steep enough to find information which refutes your information”, right?* Now, what does this have to do with preparedness? Well, another ridiculous preparedness myth has come across my desk recently, and I found it to be so misleading in its information that I just had to offer up some well-known facts and science to set the record straight. So, for the record, dehydrated produce, i.e. vegetables and fruits, DEFINITELY have an inferior nutritional value than freeze-dried produce.