What You Should Have in Your Pantry

Here in West Tennessee a major disaster could be an earthquake.  Since we sit on The New Madrid fault line and there hasn't been a major tremble in over 100 years, it is a very realistic idea that we are due for a major rumble beneath our feet.  This is not to mention the turmoil our economy is in lately. It is eminent that the dollar will crash and if you haven't been following the money, you really don't have a clue of how close a collapse really is.

Many people are saying you probably only need three (3) months worth of food and supplies in your pantry in case of a major disaster.  We feel it needs to be more like one (1) year worth of food and supplies, so we are preparing for at least a year for our family, including parents and other close loved ones.  You may find that you will have to prepare for some family members because they just aren't going to wake up and they will be depending on you to feed them.

Preparing, or prepping really shouldn't be an expensive chore, unless you wait until the last minute when the sledge hammer has already dropped on your head and you along with all the other people who haven't prepared are scrambling to the grocery stores. Waiting until the SHTF (Sh*T Hits the Fan) has happened will be the biggest handicap anyone can inflict on themselves.  Every day is another day to prepare and you must take action..NOW.

The most basic thing every Muslim should have who is able to do so is a garden.  To totally be depending on the system to get your food is simply foolish and will only make it harder for you to resist the Dajjal (Antichrist).  With an even minimal garden, you can at least have something to eat when the grocery stores and market shelves go bare.  Of course, there are some foodstuff you will need to stock because it is impossible or impractical to grow yourself.  These foods include: flour, rice, oats, corn, barley, kamut, couscous, bulgur and other grains.  If you have a Sam's Club or Costco membership, some of these items are available in bulk at a reasonable price.  You can even find better prices at your local feed store. Also, try searching "Bulk Items" online for more variety of foods.

One thing you must get out of your head is eating processed or prepared foods.  These foods cost too much money, money you could be using to get more food or supplies.  Not to mention, the vast major of the processed foods are no good for you anyway.  If you cannot cook, which should be a shame for any Muslim to say, you need to learn because running to Taco Bell or McDonald's will not be an option.  When I say learn to cook, I mean learn to cook from scratch, not Hamburger Helper.  You will find that if you actually start cooking this way now, when everything is way less stressful, it will be an easier transition once SHTF and you will actually save more money on your grocery bill which will in turn allow you to buy extra to put away for that rainy day.

Keep in mind that if and when the utilities grid goes down, you will not have a working refrigerator or freezer, so you have to be creative in what your store and how you store.  Such as dry milk or shelf stable milk over regular refrigerated milk, dry foods in general over fresh foods.  However, if you own or can purchase a dehydrator, you can purchase fresh foods or canned food and dehydrate them.  Dehydrating not only extends shelf live up to a year or more, it allows you more space to store.  We have actually cooked food we have dehydrated and it comes out very nicely when cooked.  Anything you can think of with water content will dehydrate very well.  For more detail on successful dehydrating, please view this video.


You also will need some first aid supplies which you can put together a very basic kit for about $50 which is explained here by ThePatriotNurse:


Or, you can go for a more extensive medical supply explained here. (Video is in 2 parts):


And, ahem, Sisters, here's something just for you...


Here's another video from ThePatriotNurse which can also give you some insight on what to prepare for as well.  It is very serious, but a reality we must all face.


This will get you started on preparing your family and always think of your personal needs and a incorporate these into your plans.