Self-Reliant Challenges - 2010 to 2011

September – I Dare You to Build It

• 72-Hour Kit Challenge: Find or buy a container for your 72-hour kit. (Backpacks on sale this month)
• H2O Challenge: Purchase one case or gallon of water for your storage. Rotate and revaluate current storage.
• Document Challenge: Photocopy your family’s birth certificates. Laminate them or place them in a zip-loc bag.

October – I Dare You to Eat It

• 72-Hour Kit Challenge: Purchase three small cans of food or three 1200-Calorie energy bars. (May be purchased at: be prepared.com)
• Cook wheat berries in your crock pot overnight
• Eat with milk & sugar for breakfast.
• Prepare spaghetti or sloppy Joes. Substitute half of your ground beef with wheat berries.
• Prepare blender pancakes.
• Document Challenge: Photocopy social security cards and immunization records. Laminate them or place them in a zip-loc bag.
• Visit the Provident Living website. Select the “New: Family Home Storage Pamphlet,” and read about each of the four categories. http://www.providentliving.org.

November – I Dare You to Pack It

• 72-Hour Kit Challenge: Having money on hand is very important in case of an emergency. Place five dollars or a roll of quarters ($10) in your kit.
• Add one item to your 72-hour kits from the “72-hour Top Ten List”.
• Document Challenge: Visit Ready.gov and download or create your own “Family Emergency Plan”. This should include meeting places and contact numbers. Great idea for family night! Remember to laminate or place in a zip-loc bag.
• Practice your emergency plan in Family Home Evening.

December - I Dare You to Milk It/Fake It

• Recipe Challenge: Select & prepare a recipe using powdered milk or an egg substitute.
• Accept one of the following challenges for your Christmas gift giving:
• Give a gift from the heart that you have created. Examples: Family recipe book, quilt, family history, food storage, etc….
• Change a family gift giving tradition that will save money and create memories.

January – I Dare You to Bag It

• Plan & purchase 4 recipes your family will enjoy that can be made from pantry items.
• Purchase 5 lbs. of your family’s favorite pasta.
• Recipe Challenge: Prepare 1 meal using only pantry items.
• Document Challenge: Take a snapshot of each family member and one family photo. Laminate them or place them in a zip-loc bag.

February – I Dare You To Grind It

• Call one of the following sisters and arrange a time to grind wheat. (Rachelle, Amy, Holly, Melanie & Robyn)
• Bake whole wheat bread using a recipe on the blog or a family favorite.
• 72-Hour Kit Challenge: Add one additional item to your 72-hour kits from the “72-Hour Top Ten List “.
• Document Challenge: Document each family member’s medical history. This should include: prescriptions, allergies, blood type, medical and insurance cards, and doctor & hospital information. Remember to laminate or place in a zip-loc bag.

March – I Dare You to Buy It

• Check out the Self-Reliant Sisters website. Select an area for your family to focus on.
• Price match one item using another store’s ads at Wal-Mart.
• Recipe Challenge: Use the item purchased above to plan your dinner.
• Document Challenge: Gather the information for your credit cards, bank, brokerage, mortgage, and savings account. Jot down all of the account numbers, the branch locations, the websites, the phone numbers, and the passwords (kept secure).

April – I Dare You to Grow It/Dry It

• Dehydrate a food item or prepare a meal using a dehydrated item. (Example: potato flakes)
• Recipe Challenge: Sprout the item of your choice in a bottle. Use your sprouts in a meal.
• Document Challenge: Compile all of your Insurance/recovery information. Include homeowners’, auto, life, and disability policies and cards; blank claim forms and contact information; and a list of local adjusters.

In addition to the monthly challenges listed above you must complete a "Prepare & Share Challenge". Prepare & Share Challenge is: Once during the next eight months, take a recipe from the basket. Prepare and share it in our monthly class. For those of you wanting to complete these challenges that live out of state, take a recipe listed on our blog and share it with your friend or family to pass off this challenge.

Click here to download the yearly schedule of challenges. All challenges must be completed by April 30th!