Emergency Preparedness

We are not hardcore "preppers" but we've always tried to have some fundamental emergency planning in place, which has been especially reassuring during the current pandemic. 

Insurance

Extremely important. Work with a good agent to understand your coverage options.

Supply chain disruptions

With the panic-buying and shortages during the lock-down phase of the pandemic earlier this year we've been especially grateful of our inventory of food, medications and supplies on hand. We have a pantry in our basement, and we keep at least one in reserve of most of our regular food items, including canned goods, oatmeal, baking goods (flour, sugar), plus an emergency stock of long-viable food, such as rice, dried beans, canned soups, etc. When the stores were selling out of flour, we had our 25 lb bag to last us a long time. We had the 50 pack of toilet paper. We had extra dog food, over-the-counter medications, and extra insulin.

First Aid

I've been trained in CPR since college and actually had to perform it once while traveling in Germany in 1993. We've run drills for what I should do if Andy's blood sugar gets too low, and I have notes in my phone to remind me of the main steps. We've learned never to go anywhere without a granola bar or two. We keep basic OTC meds and supplies on hand. We each have an ICE (in case of emergency) lock screen on our phones with the other's phone number listed prominently so we can be contacted by someone else in an emergency (or when Andy loses his phone, as in the time I was once called by the person who'd found it at a sandwich shop).

Fire

Our home's previous owners installed a LARGE number of smoke detectors. We do need to do a better job of testing them two times per year, though. We have a fire extinguisher just off the kitchen. Appliances are one of the biggest sources of fires- I never run the dryer when we're not home and we empty the lint screen each time. Every couple of years I take pictures of the contents of the house, and we keep digital copies of these and other important documents from an annual computer backup in a safety deposit box at the bank.

Gases

We've done radon testing in both our houses. Our current house has a radon pump that the former owners had to pay to install after we insisted on a radon test for the sale.  We recently tested for radon again to ensure the pump is working. We have carbon monoxide detectors on each level of the house. We don't run the cars in the garage for more than a few seconds.

Flooding

This emergency happened to us several years ago when we had the wettest June on record and our sump pump system failed to keep up (our sump system drainage pipes were too narrow and were insufficient to the task), flooding our basement. Fortunately, we had both a sump pump rider on our home insurance policy, as well as a federal flood insurance policy, and our repairs were covered. Again, having the right insurance is a very important emergency management approach. We upgraded our sump pump and pipe sizes, and we installed an emergency battery backup so the sump can function during power outages.

We are also in the habit of turning off the water supply to the house when we leave on vacations. We had a friend who was on vacation when her shower curtain pole fell, turning on the shower. The shower ran for days, ultimately flooding much of the house. It was a disaster- the house was essentially totally ruined.

Power outages

Andy's insulin must be refrigerated, so we bought a used generator that could be used periodically for the refrigerator in case of long term power outages. According to a recent news article about people using generators after a hurricane, there was a large spike in carbon monoxide deaths from trying to use the generator in a garage or too close to the house, so I picked up a chain and lock to secure the generator to a large tree or structure well away from the house. We've got rechargeable and wind-up flashlights.

If a power outage persist for several days, household water delivery will begin to fail, so we have an emergency water filtration unit if we would need to get water from another source. Serious preppers have emergency water storage- this is something we could potentially improve.

My Mom's Italian Sausage Soup

 My mom would make this for Christmas Eve dinner, with garlic bread.

1 to 1.5 lb mild Italian sausage, either links cut in 1" chunks or bulk

1-2 onions, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Start browning the sausage, then add the vegetables to sauté, about 10 min. Drain any fat.

Add: 

4 c (1 qt) beef broth

1 3/4 c red wine

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

Simmer these for about 1 hour. Bring to boil, then add 

8 oz farfelle (bow tie) pasta, boil for time listed on pasta package, then serve with grated parmesan.

Grandma Johnson's Rice Pudding

 Both of Andy's Swedish grandmas made rice pudding. Grandma Johnson made a milk-based version, and Grandma Snyder made a custard/egg based version.  While both versions are often served during Andy's family's Christmas festivities, the milk version is preferred by the majority. I've tried the custard version a number of times, and I just can't seem to cultivate a taste for what seems like sweet loose scrambled eggs with rice in them. 

The long-standing tradition is for a whole almond to be hidden in the big bowl of rice pudding, and whoever finds the almond (in the serving on your plate- no fair hunting through the big bowl as you scoop a serving, or third) wins a prize, usually a bag of M&Ms wrapped in foil. Not sure why foil, but that's the tradition. Andy is legendary in his family for eating a ridiculous quantity of rice pudding in search of the almond, and has a pretty good historical winning average, at least before the lactose intolerance set in. Will has come on strong in the last few years.

Here is the recipe as written by Pam and given to us in a collection of recipes for our wedding. 

Note from personal experience- use a large saucepot for this- if not the milk has a real tendency to foam over and create a sticky mess on your range. The Snyder Christmas serving amount is 2-3 times this recipe.

Grandma Johnson's Rice Pudding

1/2-3/4 c white rice (I use 3/4 c)

6 c milk (whole milk is best)

1 cinnamon stick, or some ground cinnamon (to taste, about 1-2 tsp)

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c raisins

About a Tbsp butter

Do not rinse rice- place it in saucepot and barely cover with water. Place on medium or med-high heat for a couple of minutes until the water boils off but the rice is still wet and not sticking to the pot. Reduce heat to low or med-low and add the milk and cinnamon stick or powder and cook slowly, stirring often, until it is quite thick, like the consistency of oatmeal. Watch closely, as it's prone to foaming over. As it's thickening, add the raisins so they have time to get plump and soften. At the end, add the sugar and stir well to combine, then remove from heat and add a "spoon" of butter (when I make it, about 1 Tbsp or so). Place in your serving dish and sprinkle with cinnamon. Hide the almond. Serve warm (although it can also be served chilled). Chilled leftovers are yummy.

Chilled leftover pudding for breakfast

Grandma Jeanne's Mustard Potatoes

 This recipe has been in the family a long time- my grandma Jeanne made these. They go great with ham.

Mustard potatoes

2 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed in about 3/4-1 inch cubes
1 med onion, chopped
5 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt, pepper to taste
1 can undiluted consommé (for example, Campbell's brand)
1/4 prepared yellow mustard

Boil cubed potatoes until tender, about 15 min. Drain. Meanwhile, sauté onions in butter until tender, then add flour and cook a few minutes. Whisk in undiluted soup, mustard, salt and pepper, then add potatoes. Place in a greased casserole dish and bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes.

Great Grandma Clara's Cookie Recipes

My great grandma Clara, born in Renville MN in 1896, was a phenomenal cook and baker. She baked a batch of cookies almost daily, and the neighborhood kids called her "the Cookie Lady" and regularly visited to reach into the cookie jar. She was the one great grandparent I got to know- I was 14 when she died. 

Clara and Dallas Cornelison, date unknown

Grandma Clara's recipes live on in our family. Her cinnamon sticks are a must for Christmas.

Grandma Clara's Cinnamon Sticks

1 c shortening (I make them with 1/2 c shortening and 1/2 c butter, softened)

5 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 c sifted flour

1/2 tsp salt (not in original recipe but add it)

cinnamon sugar mixture

Preheat oven to 300. Cream shortening and butter with the sugar. Add salt and vanilla, then add in flour. Dough will be pretty stiff. Roll in "sticks" about the diameter of your thumb and about 2" long. Bake 35 min, or sometimes a bit longer, until lightly browned. Pour some cinnamon sugar on a plate and roll the cookies in it while they're still warm. Makes 3-5 dozen, depending on size of cookies.

Grandma Clara's Lemon Drop Cookies

1/2 c plus 2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 Tbsp lemon rind
1 1/3 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c shortening
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375. Mix the 2 Tbsp sugar and lemon rind together, set aside. Mix flour, soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, cream shortening with the 1/2 c sugar, then add egg and vanilla and lemon juice. Add in dry ingredients. Drop teaspoon scoops on creased cookie sheets, press flat to 1/3 inch with the bottom of a sugared glass. Sprinkle with the lemon-sugar mixture. Bake 13-15 minutes until golden.

Grandma Clara's Ginger Cookies

These are soft and delicious

3/4 c lard or shortening
3/4 c brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 c molasses
3 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 375. Cream shortening with sugar, gradually add in egg and molasses continuing to beat. Combine then add in dry ingredients, mix well. Chill dough well before baking. Form dough into balls about 1" in diameter and roll in sugar then place 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 min.

Grandma Clara's Lemon Bars

1 c flour
1/4 c powdered sugar
1/2 c butter
Mix these like a pie crust and pat into a 9"X9" pan. Bake at 325 about 25 min

1 c sugar
2 eggs
4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c shredded coconut

Mix these ingredients and pour over baked crust, then bake 25 min at 325. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, or spread with this frosting:

1 c powdered sugar
1/4 c softened butter
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice

Ranch Holiday Pretzels

 A great savory holiday snack to go with all of the cookies and sweets.

We buy the Old Dutch holiday pretzels that come out around Thanksgiving, buy early as they are a limited run and can sell out earlier than you think. 

Original recipe:

1 c vegetable oil

1 (1 oz) packet ranch salad dressing mix, such as Hidden Valley (2 Tbsp)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste (I often either omit, or use a shake or two, about 1/8 tsp)

2 bags (15 oz each) thin pretzels

The Old Dutch bags are 24 oz each, so the recipe for two 24 oz bags (1.5 times recipe)

1.5 c oil

3 Tbsp ranch powder (1.5 packets)

1.5 tsp garlic powder

Dash cayenne pepper

2 bags (24 oz each) Old Dutch holiday pretzels

Preheat oven to 200. Place pretzels in a large bowl (for this, the monster cookie bowl makes another appearance.) Mix oil and spices in a large glass measuring cup and drizzle over pretzels as you stir well to coat all of the pretzels. Spread pretzels into baking sheets (2 pans for original, 3 for the 1.5 times version). Bake 90 min, stirring every 20 min or so. Remove pans from the oven and let cool completely, at least 30 min, then store in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.