Blog - Strategic Living

Packaging Food for Long Term Storage Using Mylar Bags and O2 Absorbers

October 24, 2020 Gaye Levy 13 Comments

I have always taken food storage seriously, doing my best to preserve the quality of my stored food using a combination of good packaging and proper temperature control. Over the years I have learned a few things.

First of all, packing dried foods in huge, 5-gallon buckets or bags is a non-starter. Second, storing food in a moderate climate such as Washington State is a whole lot different than storing food in super hot Arizona. That means that if food is not carefully packaged, it will go bad rather quickly. And by bad I mean inedible.

I have also learned over the years that practices for storing bulk foods vary widely, with some methods being both cumbersome and confusing. After all, with only two hands and two arms, there is just so much juggling of potentially heavy bags, buckets, and beans that a person can do without struggling and making a big mess. Been there, done that.

Today I am going to show you how I currently package bulk foods using dog food, a highly perishable item, as an example.

Create a CBD Rollerball for Joint & Arthritis Pain Relief

October 2, 2020 Gaye Levy 6 Comments

Last week I was asked about how I am currently using CBD and specifically, how my husband was using CBD to conquer arthritis and joint pain. This was a timely question given that I recently developed a simple to make and simple to use rollerball/roller-ball formula using CBD oil, essential oils, and fractionated coconut oil.

Why a roll-on formula?

As much as I love using all manner of salves, including CBD salve, a rollerball bottle is super portable. Furthermore, concocting a rollerball is as easy as adding CBD and essential oils to an empty bottle then topping with a carrier oil. There is nothing to melt, mix, or dissolve. Not only that, chances are the CBD you already have on hand is an oil and not a powdered concentrate or isolate. That means there is one less thing to buy.

I am thrilled to share my rollerball and essential oil formula with you and if it helps just one person get relief, the effort will have been worth it.

Opinion: The Elephant in Our Room

September 23, 2020 Gaye Levy 23 Comments

I am normally a happy person that likes to think of myself as peaceful and loving with a kind heart and gentle soul. Alas, current events have me questioning myself, suspecting everyone, and trusting almost no one. I hate that I am accused of being systemically racist and living a life of white privilege even though nothing could be further from the truth.

There are many elephants in my room.

Sadness, boredom, and even a bit of depression lurk in the recesses of my daily life. I say this with the knowledge that I was mostly prepared for the multiple SHTF events that have occurred this year. That said, I was not and am not immune to the long-lasting effect of being locked down in social isolation.

This is not the way I want to live this chapter of my life and I suspect many of you do not as well.

A popular podcaster that I follow likes to remind us that if things are not right in your world, do something. Don’t sit on your bum fretting, but act. Talk. Open yourself to discussion and, like I said, do something.

And that, my friends, is the topic for today.

An Open Letter to Backdoor Survival

September 5, 2020 Gaye Levy 19 Comments

Those of you that follow my Strategic Living Facebook page are aware that my former website, Backdoor Survival was recently resold to an entity in the Philippines. For now, I will refrain from lambasting prepping and survival sites owned by investors and not preppers. Instead, I wish to publicly make you aware of a grievance I have with the new owners.

In brief, they are misusing my name and personal story by claiming they belong to the founder, a so-called Mary Johnson. This is a lie.

Because they have failed to respond to my numerous emails and attempts to content them via social media, I will frame this as an “Open Letter” and hope they see it and respond.

Eating Old and Expired Food

July 27, 2020 Gaye Levy Leave a Comment

Is the outdated food in my cupboard safe to eat? Do I really need to throw away food that is past it’s “best buy” date? These are age-old questions that are further aggravated by the fact the most food pantries and food banks will not accept outdated canned and packaged goods.

I first wrote about this dilemma back in 2015 (link below) and to the best of my knowledge, nothing much has changed. I still stand by my premise that best-buy and sell-by dates are mostly a CYA imposed by food producers.

There are some exceptions of course: meats, deli products, certain dairy products, and tomato-based canned goods to name just a few. I also know from personal experience that packaged dry goods such as cereals and crackers can easily become rancid and inedible over time. All the more reason why proper food storage conditions and proper re-packaging are necessary if you want your food to be viable for years if not decades.

All of this and more is covered in my eBook, Prepper’s Guide to Food Storage which, for a limited time, you can get for free on Amazon.