Whole Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

In the fall, freshly roasted pumpkin seeds provide a nutritious seasonal treat. Pumpkin Seeds have many health benefits. Pumpkin seeds are a highly concentrated source of energy,  so you should eat them in small amounts to avoid weight gain. They do offer heart-healthy fats, protein, fiber, zinc, potassium and iron. Eating pumpkin seed kernels can help you meet your requirements for these essential nutrients. One oz. of pumpkin seed kernels contains 8 g of protein, 4 g of total carbohydrate and 2 g of fiber, according to the USDA. Whole roasted pumpkin seeds provide more than twice the amount of fiber as the kernel alone, 5 g per oz. The fiber in pumpkin seeds can help regulate digestive activity and bowel function. Because they are an energy dense food and highly nutritious, pumpkin seeds would make a great addition to your food storage and would also be a great item for your 72 hour kits. 

Whole Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

 Whole Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
 

Scoop the seeds out of the pumpkin and soak in a mixture of about 1 cup water to ½  tsp. salt. This helps remove any leftover pulp. Rinse and dry off seeds. Toss seeds with olive oil and season as desired. We like ours salted, kosher salt is really good. Roast in a 400 degree oven until golden brown.

Updating Our 72 Hour Kits

 I am embarrassed to admit that we have been in Texas for 2 years now and this is the first I have updated our 72 hour kits.  It was definitely time to take care of them.

The first thing that always needs updating is the food. For breakfast I use instant oatmeal and hot chocolate mix.  Our dinners consist of instant mashed potatoes and a can of meat (tuna, turkey, ham, etc.) For lunch I usually just include some protein bars. This time I got a box of peanut granola bars. Plus I have some additional snacks like beef jerky, pretzels, crackers for the kids, etc.

Whatever you decide to include, you should have enough food to last 72 hours for each member of your family.  When I updated this time I also included some other snacks with the intention of keeping the kit in my closet where we go to wait out a tornado. Three small children being confined to a closet for an extended period without snacks would be scarier than the tornado. You also need to remember to pack some water as well, as much as possible.

The next thing that is important to update is clothing, especially if you have growing children. I include a change of clothing for each child. I usually just put in something that is a size bigger than what they are wearing now so that way I can just rotate them out as they grow and I don't have a pair of clothes that don't get worn. It is also a good idea to have a pair of shoes for everyone and you can do the same thing, throw in the next size up and just keep rotating them when you need to buy new shoes. You also want to pack toiletries and first aid items, as well as medications. I have sunscreen, bug spray, soap, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, brushes, etc. Even if you don't have a baby, diapers and wet wipes are great items to have. Diapers are great first aid items (feminine napkins are also good) and wipes are great for sanitation. We also have flashlights and lightsticks. Other important items: matches, can opener, utensils, something to heat water in, copies of important documents, some money (I have a couple rolls of quarters in mine). A battery powered radio would also be very nice and I threw in some games for the kids. There are many things you could include and each time we update ours we add a few things that might come in handy.

I also updated my container this time because we have added a child to our family and there is no way I can carry four back packs.  So I put all of the kids stuff in a plastic tote, that I could easily carry if I needed to or my plan if I need to leave my house and can't take my vehicle is to load our stuff in the wheel barrow (just like the handcart pioneers). 

Jacob and I still have our stuff in backpacks. They are nothing fancy, just some that we had from before we got married.

I feel so much better now that this job is accomplished. It was way overdue and hopefully I can keep up on it better from here on out.