When the power goes out, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed—especially when hungry kids are staring at you like you’re the generator. In this episode, Wendi shares:

• What to do in the first 10 minutes of a power outage
• No-cook and minimal-cook emergency meal ideas
• Cozy ways to make a stressful moment feel like a family adventure
• Her favorite tools, gear, and prep-ahead tips
• Why progress matters more than perfection in preparedness
• A gentle mindset shift for navigating storms with grace

Plus, she shares how to turn this experience into a confidence builder for the next time. You’ll leave feeling encouraged, empowered, and ready for whatever comes next (even if it’s just snack board dinner by lantern light).

👉 Mentioned in this episode:

Printable- No Power Meal Checklist

Wendi’s free Facebook group: Joyfully Prepared

Freeze Dried Food Basics

Meal Planning Worksheet

Butane Stove

Butane Fuel

In This Episode, Wendi Shares:

A personal birthday reflection filled with joy, tenderness, and encouragement

A message to her younger self—and to every woman feeling stretched too thin

Why joy isn’t always loud, and how to find it in quiet moments

How to redirect your thoughts toward peace and abundance

The spiritual heart of true self-reliance (and the trap of entitlement)

How to gently model accountability for your children

One simple practice you can start this week to shift from fear to joy

Takeaway Quote:
“Take a few minutes each day to put your face to the sunshine and breathe. You are a joy. Period.”

Mentioned in This Episode:

The book Stop Believing Everything You Think

Wendi’s favorite grounding practices for emotional and spiritual preparedness

Connect with Wendi:

Website: joyfullyprepared.com

Free Facebook Group: Joyfully Prepared Community

Instagram: @joyfullyprepper

In this episode, you’ll learn:

What companion planting is (and why it’s not just for garden nerds)

Why herbs are the ultimate multitaskers in your garden

How to place herbs like basil, rosemary, and mint to support your fruits and vegetables

The best culinary and medicinal uses for 9 powerhouse herbs

Wendi’s favorite tips and fun analogies that make gardening feel doable and delightful

Herbs covered in this episode:
Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Dill, Sage, Oregano, Lavender, Bay Laurel, Parsley

Mentioned in this episode:

Download the Printable Herb Companion Guide

Container Gardening Course for Beginners

More resources at joyfullyprepared.com

Key Points:

Insanely Long Shelf Life: Lasts 5–10 years when stored properly—no more tossing forgotten eggs.

Always in Stock: Your emergency stash of kitchen gold—never run out of eggs for recipes.

No Refrigeration Needed: Store them in your pantry, perfect for power outages or camping.

Versatile Use: Works well in scrambled eggs, omelets, quiches, bread, pancakes, and more.

Eliminates Food Waste: Avoid cracked or forgotten eggs—just scoop and go.

Great for Preparedness: Perfect for long-term food storage and meal prepping.

Safe to Eat Raw: Great for homemade mayo, salad dressings, and safe cookie dough indulgence.

Budget-Friendly Over Time: Saves money through zero waste, long shelf life, and fewer trips to the store.

Travel-Friendly: Lightweight, easy to pack, and no risk of breaking.

Bulk Buy Convenience: Stock up and forget about weekly egg runs.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Website: www.joyfullyprepared.com

Facebook Group:  www.joyfulprepgroup.com

Thrive Life Freeze-dried egg powder: http://joyfulprep.thrivelife.com/dried-egg.html

Egg Powder Info Guide: Essential Guide to Freeze-dried Powdered Eggs

Intro: A gentle reminder that preparedness is about progress, not perfection.

The Myth of Perfection in Preparedness: Letting go of unrealistic expectations and appreciating the power of taking small steps.

Small Steps = Big Empowerment: Inspired by The Gap and The Gain, recognizing the progress you’ve made and celebrating those gains.

Letting Go of Perfection: Embracing preparedness as a mindset and living with intention.

Conclusion: You’re already doing so much good. Keep going, keep giving yourself grace, and celebrate every step you take. 💕

Website:  www.joyfullyprepared.com

🍽️ Why wheat, beans, oil, salt & sugar aren’t “enough” on their own
😬 How food fatigue & digestion issues make long-term survival harder
🌾 How to store and actually cook with wheat, beans, oil, salt & sugar
🥦 What to add to your food storage for a well-balanced pantry

✔️ Wheat can be sprouted for fresh nutrients & cooked whole for variety.
✔️ Beans are great, but they take time to cook & can cause digestive issues.
✔️ Oil is essential for cooking & nutrition but has a short shelf life.
✔️ Salt isn’t just for flavor—it’s critical for health & food preservation.
✔️ Sugar is useful for more than sweets—it helps with fermentation & morale.

💡 What’s one food storage item you think people overlook? Drop a comment or hit reply—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

🎧 Listen Now: [Insert Link]

📌 Join My Membership! → [Insert Link]
📌 Follow me on Instagram for more tips! → [Insert Link]

📖 Food Neophobia (Fear of New Foods)

• Kids are wired to resist new foods—it’s a survival instinct!
• Taste buds are more sensitive, making new flavors overwhelming.
• Stress makes picky eating worse. If they won’t eat it now, they won’t eat it in an emergency.

✅ How to Make Food Storage Work for Kids:
✔️ Store what they already eat
✔️ Introduce food storage meals now
✔️ Keep familiar seasonings & comfort foods

📖 Aging & Taste Research (2014)

• Taste buds fade, making food bland or unappealing
• Loss of smell changes how food tastes
• Dry, chewy, or high-fiber foods are harder to eat & digest
• Stress & illness reduce appetite

✅ How to Make Food Storage Work for Elderly Adults:
✔️ Store soft, easy-to-digest foods
✔️ Use natural flavor boosters
✔️ Rotate familiar meals into their routine

💡 Join My Membership! → https://joyfulprep.kartra.com/page/mealplan
📌 Follow me on Instagram for more tips! → https://www.instagram.com/joyfulprepper/

Website:  www.joyfullyprepared.com

🔹 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ Why the Minnesota Starvation Experiment proves food fatigue is real
✔️ How Survivor contestants struggle with hunger, yet still refuse certain foods
✔️ Why kids and elderly adults are the most likely to reject unfamiliar food
✔️ How food storage can fail if it’s built around “survival foods” instead of real meals
✔️ Simple ways to make sure your food storage is actually usable

🔹 Key Takeaways:

✅ Food fatigue is real—people lose their appetite if they eat the same food repeatedly.
✅ Even starving people refuse food—history and research prove it!
✅ Sudden diet changes can cause digestive distress—your body isn’t used to new foods overnight.
✅ Your family’s food storage should match what they already eat—store what you eat and eat what you store!

🔹 Resources & Links:

📖 Join my Meal Planning Membership! → Meal Planning Membership
📖 Free Food Storage Meal Planning Worksheet → Meal Planning Worksheet
📖 Join my Facebook Group: Easy Meal Planning for Busy Moms → www.joyfulprepgroup.com 

🎙️ Want More? Subscribe & Review!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who could use some meal planning and food storage tips! Your support helps more people find the podcast.

#FoodStorage #MealPlanning #SurvivalFood #SurvivorTVShow #FoodFatigue #EmergencyPreparedness #StockYourPantry #BusyMomLife

Have you ever opened your fridge or pantry, seen random ingredients, and thought, "There’s nothing to eat!"? You’re not alone! Meal planning and food storage go hand in hand, and in this episode, I’m sharing my simple, stress-free approach to making meal planning work for your real life—even on your busiest days.

You'll learn:
✔️ Why meal planning and food storage are the perfect pair (and how they make your life easier).
✔️ The Top 10 Meals Method—the easiest way to simplify meal planning.
✔️ How to stock your pantry with the right ingredients (without wasting food or money).
✔️ How to keep meal planning flexible—so it works for picky eaters, food allergies, or busy schedules.

Join My NEW Meal Planning Membership! 🎉

If you need extra support and a simple system that actually works, I’ve got exciting news! I’ve just launched a brand-new, low-cost membership for busy moms who want meal planning to feel easy, flexible, and stress-free.

For just $9/month, you’ll get:
📌 One LIVE monthly community call to plan meals together & get your questions answered.
📌 Printable templates & pantry guides to help you stay organized.
📌 A private Facebook group for support, ideas, and motivation.

Join now at → JoyfullyPrepared.com 

Resources & Links:

📌 Join the Meal Planning Membership → JoyfullyPrepared.com
📌 Download my FREE Meal Planning Worksheet → https://joyfulprep.kartra.com/page/planning
📌 Website: https://www.joyfullyprepared.com

Podcast: https://www.joyfullyprepared.com/podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyfulprepper

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/wendi-bergin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wenbergin

Email: [email protected]

💬 Have a question or topic request? Email me at [email protected]
🎙️ Loved this episode? Please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!

#MealPlanning #FoodStorage #BusyMomLife #StressFreeDinners #JoyfullyPrepared

✅ Why elderberries are a must-have plant for your garden
✅ How Wendi started making her own elderberry syrup (and now sells DIY syrup kits!)
✅ The health benefits of elderberries and elderflowers
✅ Best practices for growing and caring for elderberries
✅ Tips for harvesting elderflowers and berries
✅ How to use elderberries for syrup, tea, gummies, and more
✅ Ideas for selling elderberry products—from cuttings to syrup kits
✅ What you need to know about cottage food laws for selling homemade products

🌿 Get Wendi’s DIY Elderberry Syrup Kit → https://joyfulprep.kartra.com/page/elderberry
🌱 Learn More About Growing Elderberries → 
💬 Connect with Wendi on Social Media → www.joyfulprepgroup.com

🟢 00:00 – Introduction: Why Elderberries?
🟢 04:15 – How Wendi Got Started with Elderberries
🟢 08:30 – The Health Benefits of Elderberries & Elderflowers
🟢 14:45 – How to Grow Elderberries (Planting & Companion Plants)
🟢 22:10 – Best Tips for Harvesting & Processing Elderberries
🟢 30:05 – What to Make: Syrup, Gummies, Tea & More
🟢 38:40 – Selling Elderberry Products & Cottage Laws
🟢 45:00 – Final Thoughts & Encouragement

👉 If you loved this episode, subscribe & leave a review to help more people discover the power of elderberries!
👉 Share this episode with a friend who loves gardening or herbal remedies!