Our LDS Welfare Program

This is what I was up to last Friday! Our neighbour Joe had called me over to his home to show me the huge boxes of tomatoes he had bought and what he and his wife were planning to do with them. They are Italian and love getting their pasta sauces and their semi-dried tomatoes organised for the coming year.
Well, I have had a bottling outfit for many, many years. My first one was an 'on the top of the stove' type and I used to sit up all night slowly preserving bottles and bottles of fruit. Then I progressed to an electric one which is so much quicker. However, it has been sitting in it's box doing nothing for over 10yrs.
Now the sight of all those tomatoes got me going to buy my own supply. A seventeen kilo box for $18 of roma tomatoes is fantastic.
I have boxes and boxes of vacola bottles and lids and rings........so I DID IT!!!
I now have 18 bottles of crushed tomatoes. And of course now I'm going to check out fruits to buy so I can bottle them too.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) we are constantly encouraged to become self sufficient and have food storage in the way of basic needs (flour, honey, water, oats, canned foods etc.etc.) for at least 3months. Not an easy task but a worthwhile one. We never know when times of hardship may arise and that can be anything from transport strikes to loss of employment.

We are also encouraged to have a 72hr pack ready at all times. Something most people would kind of scoff at and wonder what the heck we need that for, and what's in it.
What's in it? = enough food for 72hrs, torch, batteries, battery operated small radio, first aid kit, water, small tent (attached on outside of a hiking back pack) copies of important documents in waterproof packing, medications. And more.
What do we need it for? = in case we need to leave our homes at a moments notice. This has happened right on our doorstep this past weekend.
If we have our packs ready......and that means rotating food regularly etc., we can at least be self sufficient for 72hrs.
Of course putting essential documents on a disc is a wonderful idea...less weight etc. And can do the same with photos.

Unfortunately Scrapbook Albums are not going to fit!!!

We call all of this program our Welfare Program and has served many people very well in times of hardship. And I for one am more aware than at any other time how important it is do follow all the guidelines to accomplish this.

Did I enjoy bottling tomatoes?? Not particularly....but I LOVE the result!!!