Tornadoes, brimstone and you

Last Friday I was on my weekly Costco trip getting our usual six gallons of milk and a jillion eggs. As I sat and tried to decide whether to buy some canned chicken I had the oddest feeling come over me; it was a feeling that food would be getting very expensive and I would regret not buying that chicken. This is not my usual imaginings that I experienced. It was from someplace else. Inspiration? I’m not sure. Only that it made me panic a little.

Obviously it’s not a stretch to see how food prices could go up. Gas is a fortune right now, half of the midwest is flooded, and the South is trying to pick up the pieces from a tornado infestation. Locally we are experiencing the driest and hottest spring that Texas has ever seen. Strange, considering just three months ago we had record-setting cold temperatures. What else does Mother Nature have up her sleeve for this summer?

I don’t want to get all Preparedness-Freak on you but I was talking to a pregnant Prepper friend of mine a while ago. She suggested all the turmoil in the world is like Braxton-Hicks contractions to a pregnant lady. Just like Braxton-Hicks are not the real thing, not actual labor, just the body’s way of getting ready for real labor, we keep having incidents that should make us pause and think, “Am I ready? Could I take care of my family if something terrible happened?” Usually these wildfires/toradoes/earthquakes end up not turning into anything serious nearby us, but do we take any action? At some point the time to prepare will be over.

In the last General Conference Jeffrey R. Holland said,
“One way or another God will have His voice heard. “I sent you out to testify and warn the people,” the Lord has said to His prophets. [And] after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, … of thunderings, … lightnings, and … tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds.” . . . Every sermon given is always, by definition, both a testimony of love and a warning, even as nature herself will testify with love and a warning in the last days.”




Since we’re on the subject, today we have a new preparedness item. It’s beans. Yes, beans, the magical fruit. Get some canned, get some dried. Just get some. Beans are cheap so this isn’t going to break the bank for you.

I recommend at least one bag of dried beans per person and 3-5 cans of beans per person in your family. They can be green beans, refried, black, lentils, whatever. This might be a great opportunity to try out some new recipes. If you have a fantastic bean-centric recipe, let me know about it and I’ll link to your blog or publish it here.

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6 thoughts on “Tornadoes, brimstone and you

  1. "Prepper" is a term I was not familiar with; I had presumed that the correct designation was "loony." Too snarky? I hope not: we're revamping our 72-hour kits and have our food storage growing (or shrinking, as we also practice FIFO and store-what-you-eat). I listen to the prophets and consider myself (somewhat) prepared and (clearly) forewarned. But we're not preppers here. (We save all our looniness for the kids. They love it when we're loony in front of their friends.)

    Beans are good food, though. You might look at the recipes on the Rancho Gordo website, which is Mecca for beans.Mmmmm: beans.

  2. Beans! I made the most glorious black bean and crunchy veggie salad tonight, trying to mimic the stuff HEB sells. I got 6 times as much for the same price as HEB, and every bit as good! But a warning for those to whom beans are a digestive menace: buy a big bottle of BEANO as well!

    Hey, is JW Jeffrey Windsor? Tell him to write me!

  3. I'm pretty sure every recipe I have for beans requires fresh vegetables, which I assume won't be available if it comes down to actually eating my storage beans. I guess I'll have to go all Central American and just get used to eating beans and rice every day for every meal. At least I have a good supply of spices.

  4. I just did a black bean crockpot recipe last week – throw in chicken breasts, jar of salsa, can of black beans, can of corn, some garlic salt, and put on low for 4-6 hours. The last half hour throw in a cream cheese bar. Shred the chicken when done and serve over white rice. Delish. I also make homemade black beans in a crockpot all day with a bag of black beans, chicken broth, onions, and garlic…that's it. Be sure to soak them all night the night before to make them less gassy. Also, put the crockpot to cook in the garage so your house won't smell like a cantina for days.
    How's that, Jen?

  5. I just reread my post – there is a lot of "throwing" going on in my cooking, it seems. You should see the kitchen when I'm done.

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