Winter Weather in the South (part Two) - Food and Water...an article I wrote 2010

For this article I was paid $2.05 upfront.


http://voices.yahoo.com/winter-weather-south-part-two-5374119.html?cat=7



Winter Weather in the South (part Two) - Food and Water



Preparing for winter in the south, is a little different than if you live in the north. In the south you don't have to prepare weeks or months in advance for bad weather. Although doing so may reduce the urge to panic if a severe winter advisory comes into effect.



Now in my first article I touched on the need for light and heat. Things like flashlights, extra batteries, candle's, kerosene lamps, kerosene heaters, matches or lighters.



These are items that everyone should have on hand regardless of whether or not they live in the south or the north. Because of the fact being bad weather can happen anywhere.



It is very important to have a reliable source of light in case the power goes out. It is also wise and advisable to keep all pathways clean and clear. To avoid falls.



Instead of rushing into a panic about a winter weather storm, you should be prepared ahead of time. Preparing ahead of time will save you a lot of stress and wasted energy. Maybe even save you a few dollars.



So what can you do, first off you need to go through your kitchen cabinets, at least once a month, throughout the year take inventory of what you have. Keeping a supply of food staples will give you a sense of security if you happen to end up without a way to go to the store for a few days, due to road conditions.



Some food items you may find helpful, will be crackers, of various kinds, peanut butter, gingersnaps, or other cookies, canned pork and beans, canned fruits, shelf stable puddings, *the kind that does not need refrigeration, dried fruit, canned milk, dried milk, bottle water, juice, sugar, kool-aid, canned soups, canned fish, and other meats, dry cereal, individual packages of noodles. These along with any of your own favorite shelf stable food items, or beverages. It is a good idea to even have some favorite candies or sweets put back.



You want a variety of foods put back, including comfort type foods. You will also want to make sure that you have foods that do not require a lot of preparation, especially if there is a possibility that you could lose power.



You can cook even if you have no power but if you are used to using an electric stove this is going to be a little more involved than you may like.



For instance you can cook on top of a kerosene heater, but you must be extra careful, as you can also get burnt very badly if you are not careful. Cast iron pans are what we have used to cook on top of kerosene heaters. If you have a wood stove you can also cook on top of that, using cast iron pans is best in my personal opinion.



You can even bake cakes on top of a woodstove in a cast iron Dutch oven. Just use caution. This takes a little more practice. Than just heating up water, or frying meats.



The first thing that you need to do as you prepare yourself for bad weather is to make sure your house is clean top to bottom, especially laundry. At the same time as that you need to make sure you have a source of light available, working flashlights, batteries, candles, and or kerosene lamps, lamp oil, and matches. Then second a source of heat.



After that you have the first part done you need to make sure you have enough food setback for several day including water. You can do this gradually over a period of several weeks, if you think ahead to possible bad weather later on in the year. This will reduce your level of stress when you do hear of bad weather coming, if you can look into your pantry area and see you have enough food for several days.



If you have a convenient place outside to store extra water for flushing the toilet this may also be something you want to do. Especially if you know from past experience you have lost water when bad weather comes through. You can flush a toilet by adding water to the tank that is in the back of the toilet.



With careful preparation throughout the year you can be ready for adverse weather. And be confident you will have what you need available to you and your family.



My next article in this series will focus on some things to do while you're snowed in or iced in whichever the case may be.