Pennington - The preppers cookbook: 300 recipes to turn your emergency food into nutritious, delicious, life-saving meals

Tess Pennington

Copyright text 2013 by Tess Pennington. Design and concept 2013 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All Rights Reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic bulletin boards, and the Internet) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Published by:
Ulysses Press
P.O. Box 3440
Berkeley, CA 94703
www.ulyssespress.com

A Hollan Publishing, Inc. Concept

ISBN: 978-1-61243-158-1

Library of Congress Catalog Number 2012951892

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Acquisitions Editor: Keith Riegert

Managing Editor: Claire Chun

Editor: Phyllis Elving

Proofreader: Elyce Berrigan-Dunlop

Cover design: what!design @ whatweb.com

Interior design and production: Jake Flaherty

Cover photos: chili con carne Ingrid Balabanova/shutterstock.com; jarred peppers Lincoln Rogers/shutterstock.com; peach cobbler Charles Brutlag/shutterstock.com

Interior illustrations: page 5: camping equipment Rusty Letter Images; page 12: propane cooker Zern Liew/shutterstock.com; page 42: glass jars Rusty Letter Images; page 87: waffles Rusty Letter Images; page 98: pot AKaiser/shutterstock.com; page 115: groceries Retro Clip Art/shutterstock.com; page 137: saucepan Rusty Letter Images; page 146: boy Rusty Letter Images; page 154: vegetables bioraven/shutterstock.com; page 167: wheat Rusty Letter Images; page 175: bread Canicula/shutterstock.com; page 187: pie bioraven/shutterstock.com; page 204: kettle AKaiser/shutterstock.com; page 209: cans Oleg Iatsun/shutterstock.com

Distributed by Publishers Group West

NOTE TO READERS: This book is independently authored and published and no sponsorship or endorsement of this book by, and no affiliation with, any trademarked brand of alcoholic beverages or other products mentioned or pictured within is claimed or suggested. All trademarks that appear in ingredient lists, photographs, and elsewhere in this book belong to their respective owners and are used here for informational purposes only. The authors and publishers encourage readers to patronize the quality brands of alcoholic beverages and other products mentioned and pictured in this book.

Throughout my childhood, I heard stories of how my pioneering great-great-grandmother, Lillie May Busby, drove a covered wagon across Oklahoma to Texas with her seventeen children. In these stories, she often set up camp and fed her family. The members of my family knew how to make do with very little, but they were somehow able to generate enough food to feed a hungry family. As my grandmother once said, We were very poor, but our love for each other made us rich.

I come from a generous, loving family, and they have passed down their recipes as gifts to be shared with the younger generations. My family is my inspiration for this book, and it is my firm belief that they would enjoy sharing their gifts with you.

Homesteading, self-reliance, and what many of us call prepping is really neo-pioneerism. When early Americans migrated westward, they had to adapt to a new environment, and their supplies had to become multifunctional. Their wherewithal to live on very little by using the available resources is something to marvel at. Pioneers lived on the food they produced, and a portion of their harvest was put aside for future use.

Dont wait for an emergency to venture back to our pioneering past and to live simply. Start practicing these skills now in order to have them in placealong with the necessary supplieswhen a disaster or unexpected emergency does strike.

As a child, Id watch my grandmother stockpile plastic containers that food came in. This seemed odd to me, but I attributed her behavior to having grown up during the Great Depression. I see it differently today. Theres always another use or a second purpose for an item.

The ability to adapt to situations was another concept that kept our ancestors flourishing. This adaptability carried through to the foods they stored. Their cellars and storage rooms were stocked with versatile yet compatible foods, and they made the most of limited space.

With the increase of natural and man-made disasters, many people feel that its time to get preparations together. Being prepared for emergencies that may directly affect you and your family is like purchasing an insurance policy. When you need those preparations the most, theyll be there for you. How comforting is that?

This book will help you make the most of your preparedness supplies by giving you tips on how to preserve food just as your ancestors did. Youll find a list of foods to have in an emergency food pantry, and I share many favorite recipes for using them. Its my intention to help each and every one of you to thrive during an emergencywith supplies and tools in placeso that it will be more of a minor inconvenience than a major setback.

Weve witnessed first-hand how unprepared our society is to handle disasters, natural or man-made. Sadly, for the majority of us, we will watch as the disasters play out time and again on our televisions. Yet we fail to realize that this is not some distant phenomenon that cant happen in our neighborhoods and communities. We havent yet learned the importance of being prepared.

It is a societal taboo to think in terms of worst-case scenarios. When we do, were likely to be labeled paranoid. But accepting that disasters happen should define us as being prudent, not paranoid. Good planning leads to a good response, and the more planning youve done, the more steadfast youll be in your response to a disaster.

In the midst of an unexpected event, its typical to experience fear, concern, and an overall feeling of being out of control. No one likes to feel this way. Those who have prepared can react quickly rather than sit in a state of shock. In any event, we dont simply want to survive, we want to thrive, and those who prepare for emergenciesmentally, physically, and spirituallyare less likely to experience negative emotions and more likely to be able to adapt.

FEMAthe Federal Emergency Management Agencyand other preparedness organizations suggest that every family have a two-week supply of food, water, and other necessities, in case roads are blocked and supplies cant get through. We witnessed the need for this after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when the impact on the community was devastating.

Learning from past mistakes can be the best way not to repeat history. Having a supply of food and other emergency items can give your family a cushion to fall upon. We know that accidents and unforeseen circumstances can happen; why not prepare for them and be ahead of the game?

Its my hope that this book will show you that thriving in the midst of a personal or widespread disaster is an achievable goal. Understanding what types of foods to keep in your pantry for the best overall health and nutrition, and having an array of recipes on hand for using them, will help keep you thriving.

Like the ancestors who came before us, we are people who will bind together to help those we care for. But we have to start by preparing for our own familys needs.