Author of How to Prep When Youre Brokeand Bloom Where Youre Planted online courseThere are tons of charts out there that will tell you how many calories your family might need when you rely on your food pantry‚ and they can be very helpful. But sometimes‚ translating that into actual meals is a little bit tricky. After all‚ you dont want to end up eating canned peaches‚ tuna fish‚ and french-fried onions for dinner. Its important to create meals‚ not just stash food.Heres a way to work on building your food supply so that youre sure to have balanced meals that your family will enjoy.I like to create mealsThis may not sound exactly groundbreaking‚ but my favorite way to build and maintain my food supply is by building MEALS‚ not simply stockpiling random foods.Heres an example.A favorite meal of ours is a pot of chili with a loaf of homemade bread. The basic ingredients fresh are:Ground beefCan of crushed tomatoesCan of pinto beans or kidney beansBell pepperOnionSpicesFlourYeastSugarSaltWaterSo‚ if I wanted to make the same meal shelf-stable‚ Id replace the ground beef‚ the bell pepper‚ and the onions with freeze-dried versions. These can be acquired already freeze-dried you can get ground beef‚ bell pepper‚ and onion in #10 cans. But to save more money and still get the same great flavor‚ I generally use dehydrated peppers and onions. I either dehydrate it myself or buy it already dehydrated. You can also pressure-can ground beef to use in recipes the instructions are in this book.Obviously‚ the ingredients above can be used in more than just chili theyre also prime ingredients for spaghetti sauce‚ sloppy joes‚ and many more meals.Plan an emergency food menuYou can plan a menu to base your stockpile around using your familys favorite meals as inspiration. When youre cooking‚ think about how you could translate what youre making into a shelf-stable meal.Could you make it ahead of time and pressure can it? (I explain how to safely can your own recipes here.)Could you substitute the perishable ingredients for shelf-stable ones using freeze-dried or canned goods?Are there any meals that highlight beans as the protein source that your family loves? Thats a thrifty way to make a shelf-stable meal. Think about baked beans‚ black bean enchiladas‚ minestrone‚ Cajun red beans and rice‚ lentil casserole‚ chickpea curries‚ and more.Try to come up with 10-20 favorites that you can use in a rotation at a time youre relying on your pantry.Now‚ break it all down.Write down your favorite recipes‚ including quantities‚ and note how many servings YOUR family gets from this meal. I never go by what the cookbooks say for the number of servings I base it on what my family actually eats.Next‚ review the recipe and determine how to make it shelf-stable. Canned goods (either home or storebought)‚ alternative proteins (like beans instead of meat)‚ freeze-dried food‚ and dehydrated goods are all options.Calculate the ingredients you need‚ then break it down into the number of meals it will provide for your family.Remember‚ you wont be using an entire #10 can of freeze-dried beef for one meal. Freeze-dried beef in a #10 can will make the equivalent of 22 four-ounce servings of ground beef. So that can will be able to be used for multiple meals.When you put your goods away‚ you can group them into ingredients for meals or put them into categories. But if youre building your pantry by creating meals‚ its very important to keep a running inventory and replenish as needed. You dont want to use up all your canned crushed tomatoes during good times and leave yourself lacking during bad times.Heres what it might look like if you were grouping it by meals. Using a cardboard box‚ add:#10 can of ground beef12 cans of pinto or kidney beans6 cans of crushed tomatoesPackets of dehydrated onions and bell peppersWith that‚ youve got approximately six pots of chili. If you want‚ you can write the name of the meal and the number of servings on the outside‚ and you can even print off the recipe.Create meals to organize your existing suppliesBefore you drop huge amounts of cash‚ go through your existing supplies and group them into meals. Youll probably find that youre missing some important ingredients for most meals‚ but by grouping things together ahead of time‚ youll be able to easily fill in those gaps just a little bit at a time.Maybe you need some freeze-dried or canned chicken to go into your famous chicken-rice casserole.You might not have enough split peas to go with your shelf-stable smoked pork for multiple batches of soup.Are you short on seasonings? Veggies? Protein?By breaking things down into meals it will be very clear what you need.There are a lot of different ways to build a pantry.You may have a different theory for pantry building‚ and thats absolutely fine we should all do what works for us. I dont rely solely on creating meals‚ but its a big part of my strategy. I love that it provides some comfort and continuity and it also helps me to focus my dollars and efforts in a way that I know my family will enjoy. If youre looking for more pantry-building ideas‚ check out this article.Do you have any shelf-stable meal ideas to share in the comments? Do you build your pantry meal by meal‚ or do you go about it differently?Lets discuss it in the comments section.About DaisyDaisy Luther is a coffee-swigging‚ adventure-seeking‚ globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites. 1)The Organic Prepper‚ which is about current events‚ preparedness‚ self-reliance‚ and the pursuit of liberty; 2)The Frugalite‚ a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived; and 3)PreppersDailyNews.com‚an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. Her work is widely republished across alternative media and she has appeared in many interviews.Daisy is the best-selling author of5 traditionally published books‚12 self-published books‚ and runsa small digital publishing company with PDF guides‚ printables‚ and coursesat SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her onFacebook‚ Pinterest‚ Instagram‚ andTwitter.The post PANTRY STRATEGY: Create Meals to Build a Food Supply Your Family Will Love appeared first on The Organic Prepper.

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After 130 years of absence‚ Tulare Lake briefly remerged from the San Joaquin Valley last year. Now‚ however‚ the indecisive ";phantom lake"; has disappeared into obscurity once again‚ leaving an uncertain future for the residents and farmers of California';s Central Valley.Tulare Lake was once the largest lake west of the Mississippi River‚ holding a vast quality of water stretching over 160 kilometers (100 miles) long and 48 kilometers (30 miles) wide.Known as Paashi to the Indigenous Tachi Yokut tribe‚ it had served as a traditional hunting and fishing site for centuries. Things drastically changed in the 19th century when the state of California carried out a series of land grabs and put the region under private ownership in the 1850s and 60s.The lake was drained of water and turned into arable farmland. By the 1890s‚ it had totally disappeared. Its waters briefly reappeared a handful of times over the past century‚ gaining a reputation of being a ghost lake‚ but Tulare Lake was effectively considered done and dusted.Then‚ in early spring 2023‚ it returned once again in the wake of weather events in southern California. The body of water is fed by the Sierra Nevada mountains‚ which were struck by several snowstorms in the winter of 2023‚ causing a flood of water to pour into the San Joaquin Valley.The rebirth of Tulare Lake seen in satellite images between March 2 to April 28‚ 2023Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey and MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/WorldviewIts rebirth was both a blessing and a curse. While the rising waters destroyed swathes of farmland and property‚ it also saw the return of native wildlife‚ plus the Tachi Yokut tribe regained their ancestral lake.Most of the news coverage about this time talked about it as catastrophic flooding. And I dont want to disregard the personal and property losses that people experienced‚ but what was not talked about so much is that it wasnt only an experience of loss‚ it was also an experience of resurgence‚ Vivian Underhill‚ formerly a postdoctoral research fellow at Northeastern University with the Social Science and Environmental Health Research Institute‚ said in a statement to Northeastern Global News.The return of the lake has been just an incredibly powerful and spiritual experience [for the Tachi Yokuts]. Theyve been holding ceremonies on the side of the lake. Theyve been able to practice their traditional hunting and fishing practices again‚ Underhill says.In early February‚ Underhill predicted the lake would remain here for at least two years but within weeks it had almost disappeared.Theres no lake anymore. Theres some wet ground but nothing major‚ Doug Verboon‚ Kings County Supervisor and farmer‚ told the San Francisco Chronicle.While its goodbye for now‚ scientists at Northeastern University believe the lake is likely to make more reappearances in the future as climate change will continue to drive intense weather over the Sierra Nevada mountains and fuel flooding in the downstream region.This landscape has always been one of lakes and wetlands‚ and our current irrigated agriculture is just a century-long blip in this larger geologic history‚ Underhill explained.This was not actually a flood. This is a lake returning.

Two new minerals made from titanium and oxygen have been found in lunar material brought back by the Change-5 Moon mission. These are the seventh and eighth minerals to be found on the Moon and have never been seen naturally on Earth‚ or anywhere else.Recent research has revealed the importance of titanium to the geology and history of the Moon. As on Earth‚ this titanium often comes bonded with oxygen to form titanium dioxide (TiO2). Yet the new discovery reveals these two elements can also bond in the reverse ratio‚ but apparently only on the Moon.The shock produced by meteorite impacts leaves a lot of glass on the lunar surface‚ and the team studied a glass bead brought back by Change-5. Using a transmission electron microscope‚ they found the same elements structured in three different ways. One of these‚ rutile‚ is the most common natural form of titanium dioxide on Earth‚ heavily used in optical equipment for its ability to bend light.Titanium dioxide is found in other crystal structures on Earth. But instead of these‚ the team found Ti2O crystals. Referred to by the authors as trigonal and triclinic Ti2O until official names are given‚ the two testify to the changes wrought when there is nothing to protect titanium-rich minerals from bombardment from space.After the Apollo astronauts returned with several minerals never found on Earth‚ geologists have put considerable effort into attempting to work out how they were formed. Samples were exposed to hydrogen and helium ions to replicate the solar wind and bombarded with lasers. This produces new phases of iron and silicon-rich minerals‚ but despite the abundance of titanium on the near side of the Moon‚ no new forms of titanium-bearing minerals were found‚ either in lunar samples or the simulations.The problem may have been neglecting micrometeorites.As their names suggest‚ micrometeorites are very small. Those thought responsible for the effects the researchers studied are 1-100 m across‚ or from 0.000004 inches to a hundred times smaller. Small as they are‚ they can pack a punch‚ traveling at speeds greater than 20 km/s (45‚000 mph) with no atmosphere to slow them down. On impact‚ they can melt the rocks they strike‚ even if only a tiny segment‚ or even vaporize them. What solidifies may be quite different from the previous material.The bead the researchers studied‚ itself formed by meteorite impact‚ has a micrometeorite crater on it with four irregularly shaped grains that combine titanium and oxygen around its rim. All contain crystal lattices. In some cases‚ there are two oxygen atoms for every titanium‚ as expected‚ but the others show the reverse.How micrometeorites turn titanium dioxide to di-titanium oxide crystalsImage Credit: Zeng et al. background image‚ Lunar and Planetary Data Release SystemThe trigonal and triclinic Ti2O have the same elemental ratios‚ but differ in the way the atoms are put together.The grains are so tiny as to seem insignificant‚ but the authors note that titanium oxides in general act as catalysts for many reactions in the presence of sunlight. Ti2O absorbs more ultraviolet and visible light than TiO2‚ and is therefore likely to be an even stronger photocatalyst‚ potentially causing significant changes in the dust around it. Indeed‚ while Ti2O does not exist naturally in any structure on Earth‚ it has been produced in labs to make photocatalytic films.One previous lunar mineral unknown on Earth was discovered in Change-5s samples. The other five came from the Apollo and Luna missions.The study is published in the journal Nature Astronomy.[H/T South China Morning Post]

In a move that aligns with a global trend‚ the Australian government has made public a dossier of files related to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs)‚ following a request under the Freedom of Information Act.This release adds Australia to a growing list of countries‚ including the United States‚ UK‚ Canada‚ and Sweden‚ that have disclosed their investigations into the enigmatic UFO phenomenon.The 10-page dossier‚ released by Australias Department of Defence‚ encompasses notes and investigations up to May 2023. Despite the publics keen interest in the subject‚ the dossier reveals a palpable lack of enthusiasm from Australian officials regarding UFOs. The documents detail that the Department of Defence does not have a specific policy in place for the reporting of UFO sightings. Furthermore‚ it is noted that the Australian Air Force ceased recording and investigating UFO reports as far back as 1996‚ citing an absence of scientific or other compelling reason to continue such inquiries.The dossier also acknowledges the existence of the US-based All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) and confirms that Australian officials are keeping a watchful eye on its reports. However‚ as of April 19th‚ 2023‚ the examination of several cases has yielded no credible evidence to support the existence of extraterrestrial activity‚ technology‚ or objects.The stance of the Australian Air Force remains firm‚ as stated in the dossier: there is no scientific or compelling rationale to allocate Defence resources to the recording and investigation of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. This position is in line with the Defences priorities‚ mission‚ and objectives‚ indicating a strategic choice to focus on more grounded concerns.Regardless of perspective‚ this development marks another chapter in the global narrative of UFOs and their mysterious presence.You can read the full dossier for yourself here.The post Australia joins global trend by releasing UFO files appeared first on Anomalien.com.

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Apple released its new M3 MacBook Air laptop lineup last month after making the announcement quietly with nothing but a press release. Honestly‚ a big event would';ve been a mistake for sure‚ because the M3 model is not a big upgrade at all. Sure‚ it';s a little faster‚ but the M2 MacBook Air offers the same 18-hour battery life and almost the same performance. With that in mind‚ the M2 MacBook Air model is definitely the only Apple laptop I would personally buy right now‚ and that';s because it has huge discounts until it';s sold out.Since Apple discontinued it when it announced the M3 version‚ the M2 MacBook Air with Apple';s powerful M2 chip is on sale right now at the best prices I';ve seen. You can get the M2 MacBook Air 13-inch for just $849 at Amazon‚ and the larger M2 MacBook Air 15-inch starts at $999 at Best Buy.Apple 2022 MacBook Air Laptop with M2 chip: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display‚ 8GB RAM‚ 256GB SSDPrice: $849 (reg. $999)You Save: $150.00 (15%)Buy NowApple - MacBook Air 15-inch Laptop - M2 chip - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSDPrice: $999 (reg. $1‚299)Buy NowRead our M2 MacBook Air review‚ and you';ll see how impressive Apple';s previous-generation laptops are. It';s not quite as powerful as Apple';s M3 MacBook Air models‚ but it';s closer than you think.New generations of Apple laptops typically offer huge performance increases‚ but that';s not the case this time around. This is from Apple';s own press releases:Last year‚ Apple noted that the M2 MacBook Air is ";up to 12x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air.";This week‚ Apple said in its announcement that the new M3 MacBook Air is ";up to 13x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air.";Really? A difference of 1%?! I';d rather save some money‚ thank you very much.And what about the MacBook Pro‚ you ask? Personally‚ I';d skip it.Unless you need to do some very heavy-duty work that requires tons of processing power‚ the M2 MacBook Air will definitely suit your needs. I';ve used several different MacBook Air models over the years myself‚ and I have never been disappointed. That';s especially true with the M2 MacBook Air‚ which might just be my favorite laptop that Apple has ever released.I have an M2 MacBook Air 15-inch‚ and I love it. To be honest‚ however‚ sometimes I wish I had opted for the 13-inch version instead. It';s just as fast‚ but it';s more compact and even lighter. I think I would probably have appreciated the portability more than the extra screen real estate.Apple';s M2 MacBook Air has a gorgeous 13.6-inch 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina Display. It also has Apple';s updated screen design with a notch at the top for the FaceTime HD camera. This is Apple';s new signature look‚ and I really like it. It';s unique‚ and it lets Apple keep the bezels very narrow around the rest of the screen.The M2 chipset makes big strides in terms of both power and efficiency. You get all-day battery life‚ as well as an 8-core CPU‚ an 8-core GPU‚ and a 16-core neural engine.Apple';s M2 MacBook Air is sleek‚ thin‚ powerful‚ and nearly as powerful as the newer M3 model. Image source: Christian de Looper for BGRApple discontinued the M2 MacBook Air when it announced the M3 upgrade. That makes sense‚ of course‚ since they';re basically the same laptop unless you';re 1% of users who REALLY care about ray tracing.Since it';s been discontinued‚ Amazon is clearing out its remaining inventory‚ and you can get one for just $849.Apple 2022 MacBook Air Laptop with M2 chip: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display‚ 8GB RAM‚ 256GB SSDPrice: $849 (reg. $999)You Save: $150.00 (15%)Buy NowThat';s the lowest price ever for this model‚ and it';s an incredible value. It';s not every day that you see a powerful Apple laptop on sale for less than $900.Or‚ if you want the larger M2 MacBook Air with a 15-inch display‚ that version is down to $999 at Best Buy.Apple - MacBook Air 15-inch Laptop - M2 chip - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSDPrice: $999 (reg. $1‚299)Buy NowAs I said earlier‚ that';s the only Apple laptop I would personally buy right now. Not everyone feels the same way‚ though.If you want the latest and greatest MacBook Air models and don';t mind spending some extra cash‚ both versions of the M3 MacBook Air are also discounted right now. The M3 MacBook Air 13-inch starts at $1‚024 instead of $1‚099‚ and the M3 MacBook Air 15-inch model is on sale with prices from $1‚149.99‚ which is a $149 discount.Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display‚ 8GB UnifiePrice: $1‚024 (reg. $1‚099)You Save: $75.00 (7%)Buy NowApple 2024 MacBook Air 15-inch Laptop with M3 chip: 15.3-inch Liquid Retina Display‚ 8GB UnifiePrice: $1‚149.99 (reg. $1‚299)You Save: $100.00 (8%)Buy NowDon';t Miss: Todays deals: $189 AirPods Pro‚ $6 Kasa smart bulbs‚ Samsung foldables from $899‚ Hersheys candy‚ moreThe post Why you should get Apples M2 MacBook Air instead of the new M3 model appeared first on BGR.Today';s Top DealsBest Echo Dot deals for April 2024Amazon gift card deals‚ offers &;amp; coupons 2024: Get $425+ freeTodays deals: $4 smart plugs‚ HP laptops‚ Duracell batteries‚ $23 Echo Pop‚ Under Armour sale‚ moreTodays deals: HP &;amp; Lenovo laptops‚ $18 Echo Pop‚ Lexar memory sale‚ Funko Pop toys‚ Shark vacuums‚ more