Benefits of Milk
The majority of us probably grew up with our parents telling us at the dinner table to drink our milk so we could get strong bones! And they were right. Milk is a great source of calcium and with many other nutrients.

The National Dairy Council has found that milk is a significant source of:

Calcium: Maintains and builds strong bone structure
Protein: Builds and repairs muscle tissue
Potassium: Helps maintain a healthy blood pressure
Phosphorus: Helps strengthen bones and generate energy
Vitamin D: Helps maintain bones
Vitamin B12: Maintains healthy red blood cells and nerve tissue
Vitamin A: Maintains the immune system; helps maintain normal vision and skin
Riboflavin (B2): Converts food into energy
Niacin: Metabolizes sugars and fatty acids

- How much dairy do I need in my food storage? - 

In fact, many sports programs encourage their athletes to drink chocolate milk right after games and workouts. The Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that when compared to energy drinks, sports drinks or regular milk – chocolate milk had double the carbohydrates, protein. It’s high water content also benefited the athlete in replacing sweat and fluid dehydration.

The Different Food Storage Milks
Fortified Instant Milk. The Fortified Instant Milk is prepared by just adding cold water. It has a 20-year shelf life and can be used in any recipe that requires milk.

Non-Fat Milk. Non-Fat Milk is prepared with hot water and a whisk. The mixture will need to use hot water in order to prepare properly.

Chocolate Milk. Chocolate Milk can also be prepared quickly like Fortified Instant Milk. All you have to do is add cold water and stir.

You might also be interested in:
8 Unconventional Uses for Milk

With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, you better be prepared! We thought we’d have some fun and we prepared this graphic about what men think women want for Mother’s Day. Then we asked around to see what women actually want for Mother’s Day.

What do you want for Mother’s Day? Let us know your thoughts below!

So what do you think?
What other recommendations do you have for Mother’s Day?

Self-defense is an essential part of being ready and prepared for any situation that may be foolish enough to face you!

There are so many myths floating around the Internet about self-defense, that we decided to create this graphic about some common self-defense myths! Take a look and comment so let us know what you think!

So what else? Share your knowledge below!

Preparing for the end of the world as we know it … and finding love along the way!

It sounds like the tagline of an epic movie but that’s actually the goal of some new dating sites that are specifically targeted toward the emergency preparation community.

“For people who spend every day preparing for disaster — whether it’s a 2012 apocalypse, a nuclear meltdown, an economic collapse, a hurricane or a tsunami — it can be hard to find a compatible partner.

Canning venison, shooting firearms, living off the grid and creating manure from human waste just aren’t traditional interests many people look for when browsing mainstream dating sites like eHarmony or Match.com. That’s why a site called Survivalist Singles has entered the online dating scene, catering specifically to this niche community of “preppers,” “survivalists” and “doomsdayers.” “(Read the CNN article.)

The site is free at the moment (owners plan on charging a $5 monthly membership in the near future). However, that hasn’t stopped the growth of hundreds of members to the site.

Survivalist Singles, which officially launched in 2010, boasts the slogan, “Don’t face the future alone.” Its ranks are growing — quadrupling to about 1,640 members from around 400 at the end of 2010. …

For female preppers interested in finding a man, the site is a dating goldmine. There are currently about two men for every woman on the site (which is a big disparity compared to a site like Match.com, where there’s a roughly even split), and the average member is over 50. (Read the CNN article.)

Members, like Mtexplorer2, list hobbies such as hiking, camping and eating Mexican food in their profile. They also include items like “extensive background in firearms for defense and hunting.” He also mentions that he has a large water supply, likes gadgets that don’t use electricity and cans his own venison.

“It’s hard to connect with someone who doesn’t have a similar mindset. You can’t explain why your truck is packed like you’re always ready for an expedition — they don’t get it,” Mtexplorer2 told CNN. “But when you meet another survivalist, you start talking about all this stuff and the women look at you like you have a million dollars in the bank.”

Distance between members is one of the large issues.

Nwredhead, a 42-year old female on the site, mentions that she’ll get requests from men who live halfway across the country. However, this hasn’t stopped some people who have found their true love.

Nate Tammaro, whose screenname was Iron Ranger, found his soul mate, or “twin flame,” only two days after joining Survivalist Singles. They live six hours away from each other so they have only met in person twice, but Tammaro plans to move to Missouri to be with her this summer. (Read the CNN article.)

There are also sites popping up like PrepperDating.com. There are also current dating sites that are offering searches based on niche interests like “Republican,” “healthnut,” or “doomsday prepper.”

• Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself. -Woodrow Wilson
• We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we may always be free. -Ronald Reagan
• In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. -Dwight Eisenhower
• There is no limit to what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit. -Ronald Reagan
• There is nothing wrong in America that can’t be fixed with what is right in America. -Bill Clinton
• Pessimism never won any battle. -Dwight Eisenhower
• Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples’ liberty’s teeth. -George Washington
• Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation. -George Washington
• My country owes me nothing. It gave me, as it gives every boy and girl, a chance. -Herbert Hoover
• How far would Moses have gone if he had taken a poll in Egypt? -Harry Truman
• Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the democrats believe every day is April 15. -Ronald Reagan
• How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg. -Abraham Lincoln
• Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought. Let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith let us; to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it. -Abraham Lincoln
• You cannot become thorough Americans if you think of yourselves in groups. America does not consist of groups. A man who thinks of himself as belonging to a particular national group in America has not yet become an American. -Woodrow Wilson
• Whenever you are to do a thing, though it can never be known but to yourself, ask yourself how you would act were all the world looking at you, and act accordingly. -Thomas Jefferson
• What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog. -Dwight Eisenhower

So there you go. We hope that you have a great President’s Day today!

Are you a last-minute shopper? Do you still not know what to get that special someone? Well, you’ve come to the right place this Valentine’s Day! (Seriously though? It’s Valentine’s Day morning. I’m sure they’ve realized you’re not ready yet. You need to plan better next year…)

The Ready Store has all the romantic items that you’ll need to make this day something special. Choose from the classic V-Day gifts like the following:

Chocolates
Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without a supply of rich, wonderful chocolates. Of course you can always buy them Saratoga Farms Chocolate Instant Breakfast mix. What says “I love you” more than 20% of their daily Dietary Fiber, 130 calories per serving, and 50% of their daily Vitamin C.

You can also consider some Saratoga Farms Instant Premium Hot Cocoa Mix or an MRE Fudge Brownie!

Strawberries
Freeze-dried strawberries are a favorite snack in our office. (No, I’m not hinting at anything … unless you want to.) This #10 can will allow you and your loved one to share over a pound of strawberry slices after a romantic meal. Plus, these heart-shaped fruits are aphrodisiacs.

Flowers Flours
Guys, don’t forget to get your wife a nice set of flowers. Woops, I mean flours.

Why not get your loved one a set of flours that lasts for 20 years or more. While a bouquet of flowers will last a few days, Saratoga Farm’s flours will last for a couple decades. This is the Valentine’s Day gift that will continue to show your love for a long time to come.

Consider Whole Wheat Flour, White Flour, or Peanut Flour for your Valentine’s Day gift.

And now a Valentine’s Day video:
(The commercial isn’t loading lately but the video will play after a short wait;)

By The Ready Store

Here are The Ready Store, we stand by our claim that we have the best customers in the world! Our customers are dedicated, knowledgeable and loyal. And now, we want to return the favor.

We wanted to announce the ReadyRewards program. This program will allow you to earn points towards your purchases by doing thing you’re probably already doing.

You can earn points by purchasing products at TheReadyStore.com, registering an account, signing up for our ReadyNation newsletter, leaving product reviews, answering poll questions and other things.

Once you’ve earned 2,000 points, you can start using them toward your purchases. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you can accrue those points too. For example, signing up for our newsletter gives you 300 points.

We’re excited about the new program as we begin to find new ways that we can help you and your family prepare.

If you have any questions about the program, please visit our FAQ page or contact us at 1-800-773-5331.

By The Ready Store

By The Ready Store

Happy Groundhogs Day everyone! Here is a fun post to highlight some of the festivities:

By The Ready Store

Collecting enough food storage can be a daunting task for many younger families. We have some advice for them: Stick with it! You can do it!

When you find a good deal on something that you normally eat, buy a case of it. Store it and use it. It won’t take long before you’re only eating on sale items. Now you only need to buy the fresh stuff. Keep building your food storage by looking for food that is on sale. You’re now saving 30%-60% on your groceries. Use that money to reinvest in your food storage. (Read the original article.)

I know one family put #10 cans in cases on their sides behind the couch. The couches were a generous distance from the wall, but they did not worry about that.  You can also make bedside tables, end tables beside the couches and a coffee table with cases of food and cover them with a cloth to match your decor. You could buy an inexpensive tablecloth or sheets and cut them up to fit over these.  Also in closets, if you hang all the short clothes like pants and shirts on one side, you can fit some food storage underneath.  Put a board on top if you need to put shoes also in that space. (Read more of Leslie Probert’s articles.)