For the speghitti sauce leather... just dry it on the commerically avilable leather trays like the ones found here
http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-American-Harvest-Fruit-Sheets/dp/B00004W4V9/ref=pd_sim_k_4 I have found them everywhere from Walmart to ACE hardware, yes they may get stained red (or green with Pesto) but who cares, not like you are going to show them off. After washing, I have not noticed a transfer of flavors when using a chilli stained tray to make fruit leather.
As for the prepardness comment... sadly most the population is not prepared if something bad was to happen. But it is for a variaty of differnt issues. 10% plus simply do not have jobs. Others do not have the spare funds/ resources/ etc to start. Others do not see a need or worry. And a small percent but finally starting to shrink thinks the government is here to help you if and when something happens. Not saying one needs to run out and buy $4K worth of a years supply of product X or Y. But next time your in the store, pick up a few extra cans of Chilli, spam, beef stew, veggies, and 2-4 cases of water. Next month, do the same, but instead of the water, get a few pounds of Rice, pasta or grains. Next month again but switch to your needs. And it does not need to be expenisve, $20-$40 a month will get you going quickly. Think how much the average joe spends going to the movies twice a month, or just getting that candy bar from the gedunk machine at work every day after lunch... or the big shocker. The ones who get a starbucks coffee every day on the way to work, my girlfriend never understood that the $5.00 coffee every morning turned out to cost her $100 a month with an average 20 days working... sad, after 4 years of this, it was hard for her to stop. But stop she did when I showed her the numbers and it was averaged at $4800 for 4 years at starbucks (there were days she did not get one, but then some days she got 2, so it worked out okay), my car I have been driving the last 6 years cost 2/3 that total! You should see what it cost for people who smoke.
But you need ways to cook the food (solar oven, propane grill, coleman camp stove)- FYI check your local classified for the coleman stoves, these thing sell weekly for $15-30 used, which is 1/6 to 1/3 retail new, look for the dual fuel versions that run on gasoline if needed, the ads pick up after camping season (when snow starts to fall) and after the hunts and some foods (FD dehydated, rice, PASTA etc) requires alot of extra water. One who camps already has the basis- camp stove, sleeping bags, skills/ experiance, etc.
Best of luck to you friend.. its usually not easy to get the spouce/ significate (SP?) other on board with preparing for something bad. A coworker had similar issues with getting a basis for his family, we had a long 18 hour test at work that day so I gave him my USB stick drive with this story and said, read this
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=20&t=635155 ... it changed his mind, yes its extreme... surivival fiction, but it is a great story. Halffast the author also has a online book for free download called "lights out", another forum go'er "Tom Sherry" has Deep Winter, Shatter, and Remnant (still in work, posts the chapters on his blog every week or so), all also free and great reads (you can buy Deep Winter and Shatter in print if you want, lulu or amazon carry it).
