More experiments...

After attending some great presentations and some great classes, I decided to experiment with what I was being taught. I mean, it doesn't do anyone any good to just hear about cool stuff - you actually have to do it!

So, I bought 2 dozen eggs and some food grade mineral oil and went to work. I had my kids carefully rub the oil over each egg (they loved it!) and then we put the eggs back in their styrofoam container and put it on our shelf in our food storage room. I tried to forget about them for a while, but I couldn't help but steal a peak every now and then. About 2 months later I was making cookies or something that called for eggs. I don't remember the exact recipe but I remember thinking that I needed real eggs this time instead of the powdered ones I usually use in a pinch. I brought the eggs up and they were as fresh as if I had just bought them - they mixed up well and were as fluffy as ever. After that, I was brave enough to try them in omelets and scrambled eggs (ok, if the truth be known, they always start out as omelets and always end up as scrambled eggs). They tasted GREAT! Oh, and the added bonus was a few weeks after I had prepared my eggs, one of my children had horrible stomach pain from constipation. I was able to give them a spoonful of mineral oil to help things pass a bit easier - good thing I had it on hand.

Ok - my other experiment was with cheese. We were taught in one of our classes that we could purchase a block of Tillamook cheese and leave it on our shelves, unopened for several months. We were warned that the cheese will sharpen over time but that was the only "issue". So I went to Costco (if I'm going to do it, I might as well do it up big, right) and looked at the Tillamook cheese, it was medium cheddar. I thought that if it was going to sharpen over time, I wanted to start out with mild. Right next to the Tillamook was the Kirkland brand, same 5 lb brick and wrapped the same way, so I bought it and brought it home. To be extra safe (since the packaging was supposed to be the key) I vacuum sealed it and then stuck in on my shelf. 2 months later I was making a Sunday dinner for my inlaws and I was planning on a plethora of soups. I had planned on Taco soup (that calls for cheddar cheese as a garnish) and Broccoli cheese soup. I had everything bubbling along and I asked one of my kids to go downstairs and get some cheese out of the freezer. They came up and told me that we were all out. No - that couldn't be! I couldn't go to the store and the soups were ready for the cheese. So, I decided that this was as good of a time as any to try my experiment (hoping beyond hope that I wouldn't mortally mame my inlaws). I opened up the package and smelled it - it smelled like cheese. It tasted like cheese - It was wonderful cheddar cheese. The soup tasted wonderful and we have continued to use the cheese on tortillas, cheese sandwiches, cold cut sandwiches, etc.

Just thought I would share my results so you won't be afraid to try it. Great to know that when the power goes out - not all my food will be lost :)

Where has the time gone???

It seems like I have been going from one type of produce to another during this harvest season. I was able to can and freeze peaches, applesauce, apple pie filling, apple butter, tomatoes (my first time for this!!!), chicken - yes I said chicken, and grape juice. My goal is eventually to have all of my canned goods in my food storage to be things that I have canned myself.

I went to a class about food storage recently and learned things that I never considered before. I learned how to can my own meat (chicken, beef, fish, hamburger), how to can my own beans, how to store fresh eggs on my food storage shelves, how to store cheese on my food storage shelves, how to cook using solar energy - I've just been exposed to so many wonderful ideas! Instead of trying to write it all in one big post, I wanted to let you in on a little secret. Starting in January, I will be starting "Prepare to Prevent" - a one year program with baby steps to help everyone become prepared in the following areas: Food Storage, 72 hour kits, Financial, First Aid, and various skills. Each month will have specific goals to complete and by the end of the year, we will all be prepared to prevent personal disaster, distress, and disease.

I hope this will help everyone on their journey to become more prepared. More information to follow...

Garden, canning, and preparedness...

So my garden didn't quite turn out the way I envisioned it. We got 1/4 of the amount of peaches that we typically get, only a handful of edible tomatoes, carrots, onions, basil, and 4 pumpkins - just in time for Halloween! Thankfully, I have many friends who had an abundance of apples, peaches and tomatoes to keep me busy this fall and to keep my shelves stocked! I've learned how to make and can applesauce, apple butter, and apple pie filling, and how to can tomatoes - an unfounded long time fear of mine. It is rewarding to see my shelves full and to know that we'll enjoy these fruits of our labor all year long.

As for gardening, I am a bit discouraged but I know that it is a long process of trial and error and work all year long. I'm starting now by adding TONS of compost and organic matter to our garden areas - leaves, as they start to fall, will be great additions. Hopefully my soil will be better and with some tweaks to our watering system - we'll have have a grand, productive garden next year (or maybe the year after that). The most important thing is that I'm trying and learning.

In the coming months, I will be posting more about a 1 year plan I intend to impliment in my area - all about becoming prepared. Each month will have specific goals and tasks as well as workshops available to anyone who is interested. I hope this becomes a valuable resource for everyone so be watching!

Peaches

I love peaches and I usually freeze or can mine. My tree will be ready toward the end of September and if you would like to learn how to can or freeze peaches, comment on this post and I'll set up a time to demonstrate it. I also have a friend who has access to grapes and apples and I will be making grape juice, frozen apples, and apple sauce. This is a fun time of year and I would love to know if anyone else has access to large quantities of produce that needs to be preserved. Comment away!

Storing the "right kind" of food

I was changing my car battery yesterday and I noticed the cavity around my battery filled with rice, wheat, and D-con (rodent poison). Apparently the mice in our house have caught the vision of food storage! I've thought about this in regards to what we store. Are we storing the "right" kind of food for our family. We don't want to be like the poor mouse who was storing the very thing that was killing him. So, what is the "right" kind of food?
1. Food that your family eats. Don't store food that you have no intention of ever trying to incorporate into your diet - except of an emergency. If you suddenly try to eat only wheat and beans, your body will revolt and it may very well kill you. Your body would not be able to absorb the nutrients from these amazing foods unless you have incorporated them into your normal diet over a period of time. Now, this is not an excuse not to store these items - just a warning to make them a part of your diet now!

2. A balanced diet full of various nutrients. You have heard the saying, "Man cannot live on bread alone" - well this is true in more than just the spiritual meaning. You would not thrive and would be susceptible to various illnesses if your "emergency" diet lacked a variety of nutrients. Make sure you are storing those items that add color and nutrition to your diet. Also - it doesn't help much if you store wheat but none of the other ingredients for what you want to use the wheat for. Research recipes and make sure you have all of the ingredients.

3. Comfort foods. As I have written before, most likely the need to use your food storage will not come in the form of a major earthquake. It may be a prolonged illness in the family that makes getting to the store difficult, it may be employment issues that makes budgets extremely tight, it may come in the form of a drought halfway around the world that kills off a major crop and spirals the price of certain staples out of control. Whatever the cause, you will want to make your meal times a time of comfort and peace for your family. Store ingredients for a family favorite, desserts, or those foods that help in the time of illness. Having those types of things in your storehouse will take that stress away from an already stressful situation.

4. Rotate Foods. I've learned the hard way that chips, oils, shortenings, etc. don't store forever. Things can go rancid if they have any oil in them. (You will know this has happened when you open the bag of beloved chips and the smell of paint thinner over comes you.) Also, canned foods do have a shelf live and the product can begin eating through the cans after an extended period of time. If you can your own foods, make sure you have canned the foods correctly and that the date is labeled on the jar. Eat what you store - it is a pity to invest so much money into food just to have to throw it away from not using it.

Don't be like my poor mouse friend, storing up poison for his future. The beauty of your food storage is that it is yours. Make your storehouse full of the good food that your family loves!

Cannery opportunity

I just wanted to let everyone know about this great opportunity - please make sure you take advantage of this!

Below is a note from our Stake Family Preparedness specialist - it emphasizes the importance of being prepared at all times - I remember a few years ago when grain and rice went sky high. Being a little emotional in my preparation, I "stocked up" for fear of prices going even higher. Looking back (after prices fell in HALF!) I should have just been consistent in my supply, regardless of the world market. Lesson learned, right??? So, as you read the information below, keep in mind that this may be a good time, financially speaking, to "catch up" on where you are lacking in your storage, before prices escalate - but don't over do it! :)

Tuesday - August 17, 2010 - 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Since Russia has imposed an export ban (from August 15 until Dec 31) imposed because of the shortage of grain due to drought and the fires in that country, other countries are quickly buying up commodities. It seems the stability of the world food supply cost to the consumer could go either way depending much on the weather. So far our Family Home Storage Center products pricing has not changed since January. However it is thought that due to the probable shortage of grain that the prices of food overall will increase this fall. I still feel that the price of wheat, for instance, is still a very good buy at the Sandy Store Dry Pack Center. We should encourage our Ward members to continually rotate and replentish their 90 day and long term (1 year) supply of food. Do let them know that if they cannot make the 9 to 1:00 p.m. time slot on Tuesday 17th they can take their chances at the Dry Pack Cannery by walking in any time when they are open; to can and purchase. Sometimes cans that have been filled by previous groups will be on the shelf and can be purchased. I walked in yesterday and purchased dried apples and quick oatmeal.

Recipes...

Thanks so much to everyone who gave positive feedback on the food storage items we sampled today! It is good to know that I'm not too wierd in my food tastes!

Brownies in a Pinch

1 box brownie mix
1 can of black beans
Chocolate chips

You can either puree the beans (juice and all) or rinse the beans and then fill the can with the beans in it with new water and puree that. Add the pureed beans to the brownie mix, mix in about 1 cup or so of chocoate chips, and follow the directions for baking.

Benefits: An excellent way to get more fiber into your families diet without them knowing. Also, since eggs and oil are hard to store - this is a perfect way to make brownies any time reguardless of your "fresh" storage items.

AMAZING Hummus
I got this recipee from the cookbook that I got with my Blend Tec Blender:

1 can of Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) - I've used the equivalent of reconstituted and sprouted dried chickpeas with more water added
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup sesame seeds
2-3 TBS olive oil
Add ins - fresh basil, roasted red peppers, pickled artichokes, ect.

Place all items in a blender and blend to desired consistency. You may need to add more water and/or olive oil to have enough liquid to continue blending.

We use this as a spread on crackers, a vegetable dip, a spread on sandwiches and wraps (in place of mayo)

Powdered Milk Yogurt
2 quarts of powdered milk made up (I use warm water to make it) - for thicker yogurt, add more powder to the water than it calls for (mine calls for 3/4 cup per quart of water, I add about 1 cup powder per quart of water for the yogurt)
1/4 cup of plain yogurt with active cultures

I fill a thermos with hot water and set aside. I make up the powdered milk, add the yogurt and gently mix it. I pour the hot water out of the thermos and then pour the milk/yogurt into the thermos. I put the lid on and let it sit out on the counter over night. In the morning you can put the yogurt into the fridge. I mixed mine with homemade strawberry freezer jam - the sky is the limit on the flavors you can create!

Enjoy!

The prophet said to plant a garden...

How many of you remember that primary song? I used to love to sing it! Well, in the spirit of trying to learn new (and yet old) skills I attempted a garden this year. I've always used the excuse that I was pregnant or had young babies so tending to a garden was not possible. With my youngest 2 1/2 now, I figure I don't have an excuse anymore. Leave it to me to pick a year with absolutely horrible gardening weather (Hello, snow in JUNE???), and mix in a lack of soil knowledge (and well just a basic lack of any green thumb) - and well - it has been a learning adventure.

The first thing I learned is that you can plant many plants/seeds early in the spring. Things such as lettuces, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, peas, and beets can be planted in EARLY spring. If you wait, some of these plants will wilt and die in the heat (see my front yard if you are wondering...) I was really sad that I missed the window for spinach - but I can plant again in the late summer/early fall and have another window for these cool weather plants.

I learned that broccoli "bolts" or sends up its shoot of broccoli, fans out and goes to flower when it gets too hot. You can try to avoid this by keeping the soil cool (watering it frequently) during a hot spell.

I learned that my soil is very sandy and doesn't hold water very well. It defiately qualifies as "well drained" but I can't skip a day of watering my tomatoes even though they supposidly only like to be watered every few days. I also started a compost pile up in my wild hillside so that hopefully next year I'll have some nutrient rich compost to add to my soil. I'm not a huge fan of fertilizers and pesticides so I'm trying to figure out this the al natural way!

I learned that a trumpet vine attracts hummingbirds and wasps. Wasps don't eat nectar, they eat tiny bugs. Hummingbirds are VERY territorial and they guard their territory from other birds. By having this HUGE vine right by my peach tree, the hummingbirds take care of the birds that may want to eat my peaches and the wasps take care of the bugs - my peaches have been perfect and bug free (now if the frost didn't kill off 1/2 of my blossoms, we would be in good shape).

I had to replant all of my peas, carrots, and onions after the unusually cold weather we had - they just didn't germinate.

I still need to learn why people think tomatoes are so easy - mine have yet to ripen and look "healthy" but I did see some new growth today, so maybe we are finally on our way. I still need to figure out why none of my pea plants have produced a pea - I'm guessing that the deer eating the tops off of all of them is not a good thing. I've got some cantalope plants and pepper plants that aren't dead but arent' growning - I'm not sure I understand that at all - my tomatoes did that last year.

Now, for using what I am growing... I learned that you can use beet greens just like any other salad greens - and then you have the beets also. You can let carrots "winter over" in the ground and pick them in the spring - so you only have to pick what you are going to use. Onions are the same, I believe. I hope to freeze a lot of what I grow - it just tastes better that way (did you know that if you are making smoothies with greens, you can freeze your spinach and other greens - even those huge costco bags - and use them that way - your greens never need to go bad again.) I planted some zucchini - I figured this would produce something, right??? You can shred it up into a chocolate cake and it is YUMMY! I was hoping to can some tomatoes - but so far it isn't looking like a bumper crop. We ate the strawberries as we picked them. We will freeze or can our peaches. We didn't get any apricots this year (stupid weather). Our pumpkin plant will hopefully provide our jack-o-lanterns this year. There are a few other straggling plants that I'm waiting to see if they will produce.

One of my tomato plants - I bought it HUGE from Craig Fisher who started them from seed - I'm sure his look much better than mine do!

This is right behind my house (we only have 15 feet from our door to our rock wall. We are trying to make the most of every inch of space!) Here I have several tomato plants, a lavendar plant (have you ever had lavendar lemonade or lavendar sugar cookies??), cucumber seedlings and a couple of pepper plants that aren't doing much. There is also an apple tree in the background that did NOTHING this year - stupid weather.

This is carrots, onions, peas, and a huge pumpkin plant.

Some of our carrots are next to our stawberries

This is our strawberry patch.

This is Korabi (I have no idea - I'll let you know what it is and how it tastes :) ), cauliflower, broccoli, and some more tomatoes. The cauliflower doesn't look great and the broccoli keeps bolting.

This is our peach tree with the zuccini plant under it and tomatoes next to it. The trumpet vine is just to the left of the picture (I don't think you can see it)

This is down at the other end of the yard. This is our apricot tree that has no fruit on it this year, a couple of basil plants and some raspberries that aren't doing very well this year...

Interspersed, we also have some grape vines that aren't doing much, another apple tree, 2 cherry trees (that produce pit sized bitter fruit) and some various herbs.

Like I said, I'm learning and in a few years, I expect to be much better at this! :)

Food Storage experiments...

In the time that I have been silent on this blog - I have been experimenting with food storage. I got an awesome recipe for yogurt from Cassie Jacobsen and tried using powdered milk - guess what - we couldn't tell the difference!!! Here is the recipe I use:
2 quarts of milk - bring to a boil and then turn off and cool in a sink of ice until it reaches 100 degrees.
1/2 cup or so of plain yogurt (make sure you get plain - not vanilla) - after the first time, just save about 1/2 cup at the end of your yogurt to make more.

When the milk cools to 100 degrees, stir in the yogurt (it does not need to be totally smooth) and then pour into one of those 1/2 gallon thermos jugs. We've had one for years in our camping stuff and NEVER used it. After you fill the jug, screw the lid on and let it sit for about 24 hours on your counter. After that you can put it in the fridge and enjoy.

Cassie does hers in a gallon jug - I use the 1/2 gallon because that is what I already have. You can also pour it into canning jars and then put them in a warmed oven to sit overnight (warmed oven means heat it to about 200 degrees and then turn it off)

But wait - that isn't all! Did you know you can sprout any grain or dry bean you've been storing? Wheat (love the wheat grass, right) tends to like dirt if you want the actual grass. Did you ever wonder how people lived off of just grains??? If you spout them, you now have living plants (i.e. GREENS). To sprout beans, fill a quart jar 1/3 full with the beans and then fill it up with water. Let them soak overnight, drain the water, rinse the beans, and then turn the jar on its side. Every time you walk past it, turn the jar a little. The next day, rinse the beans again and then continue to turn the jar on its side. You shouldn't need to turn it after that and within a few days you'll see the sprouts. You can then use them in salads, eat them plain as snacks, ect. For a lid, I use a piece of cheese cloth held on by a canning ring.

Finally, I've been continuing to make my own bread (and loving not having to go to the store for something so simple.) Instead of copying the recipe down hear, I'll just send you to this great recipe site where I got my recipe. It is really the best recipe I've found and the bread is so light and fluffy you would swear you are eating store bought bread (but it is soooo much better for you). Word of warning though, this recipe makes 4-5 loaves. If you are not going to finish it all within about 4 days, put a few of the loaves in the freezer because without preservatives, it will go bad rather quickly.

Save the date...

The next opportunity to go to the Sandy Home Storage Dry Pack Cannery is:

Thursday, July 8, 2010 - 5:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M.

This is a great time to gather the family and can food for family home storage. Let us encourage and enthuse our ward members to become prepared for any situation that would find us in need of self reliance. Friends and extended family are welcome to come as well.

For those of you new to food storage, here are some FAQ for you about the Cannery:

1. Can I bring my children? If the children are older than 8 years old, they can help you can. Younger children are not allowed in for safety reasons.

2. Do I have to go during the stake's appointed time? No, you are welcome to stop by anytime during the operational hours - BUT - the stake with the assigned time gets first presidence. To go during our assigned time assures you a spot inside the cannery instead of waiting to see if there is any room.

3. Can I purchase bulk goods? You can purchase bulk goods at the cannery, but it will not have as good of a shelf life if it is not properly stored. You can purchase the cans and oxygen packs and then check out the canner if you would like to can your items at home. This is a good option for those with young children that have a hard time finding sitters. To be honest, though, it is much easier to operate the canners at the cannery and the cans done at the cannery tend to stack better.

If you are interested in checking out a canner and setting it up at the church or someone's home to have multiple people use, let me know and I can arrange that.

THIS JUST IN...

I received this information from the stake...

Macey's has wheat at 50 pounds for $6.78 or less than half the Bishop's store house prices. Blue Chip brand has been sold and this is apparently the clearance of their inventory. {While you are there check out all the other Blue Chip products on sale. You can get cans of dehydrtated vegetables at half price too, in the storage center} This is a wonderful opportunity to introduce cookies and pancakes made with whole wheat flour and get everyone's body used to the healthy and/or survival type diet. ..depends on how you look at it! :)

This means you can make a loaf of bread for about 15 cents a loaf! Now you can get enough to extend or complete your 12 week supply or even your one year supply of survival food, at about $14 per 100 pounds or $56 for a years supply for one person. Would you spend $14 now to give your child or yourself a loaf of bread every day for 3 months when things are not so prosperous? A years supply for a family of 5 for survival is only $280!

If you have followed the prophets and already have your years supply, this is an easy way to put a little aside to share in troubled times when others may be very needy.

What will 100 pounds of wheat make?

What can be produced with 100 pounds of wheat. Measurements are approximate.

100 #'s wheat = 17 #10 cans

1 # 10 can of wheat = 6 #'s or 14 cups of wheat
1 # 10 can wheat = 21 cups of flour
1 # 10 can wheat = 7 large loaves of raised bread (7x17=119 Loaves!) Make 90 loaves and this leaves 4 cans for the other things below.
1 # 10 can wheat = 10-12 loaves of "quick" bread
1 # 10 can wheat = 10 batches of pancakes (15-4" size pancakes per batch)
1 # 10 can wheat = 10 batches of biscuits
1 # 10 can wheat = 10 batches of chocolate chip cookies
Just multiply 17 by the number of loaves of bread, pancakes, cookies, etc. and that is what can be produced with 100 pounds of wheat.
Or multiply by 67 to see what you can make with the 400 pounds of wheat ( $56 ) the church recommends for survival.

Below is a site listing all of the good buys this week. If you like to save money the Savvy Shopper site is one to subscribe to. It is free of course.

Shopping Wizard on Savvy Shopper Deals

Dry Pack Canning Date!!!!

The next opportunity to go to the Sandy Dry Pack Cannery for personal canning and purchase of dry pack product is:

Wednesday, June 2, 2010 - 9:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.

Price List available @ www.providentliving.org
Bring a filled out order form and a check for payment.

Now is the time to advertise this opportunity in your ward. We had two wards represented in April and there is not a scheduled day in May.

May 2010 prices include:
Sandy Home Storage Center (Dry Pack Cannery)
25 lbs of Hard White Wheat = $5.80 bulk = $.24 per lb
5.8 lbs Hard White Wheat = $2.60 #10 Can = $.45 per lb

Emergency Essentials
45 lbs Hard White Wheat = $21.95 = $.49 per lb

As you can see from the comparison that Sandy Home Storage Center products are of good value as well as being the best in product. Gather your friends and family and join us, it really is a fun way to socialize while being productive. Wheat stored properly will last 30 years - don't allow wheat to freeze and never store food or water on cement.

Dessert anyone?

I saw a discussion somewhere where people were talking about what "comfort" food they went for in a crisis. Overwhelmingly it was desserts. Now I'm not talking about a massive earthquake where you are happy to have crackers and water - notice the water :). I'm talking more about a stress crisis. In building up your food storage, desserts definately don't rank highly when it comes to nutritional value - but say you lost your income - wouldn't it be nice to have all the ingredients to make a birthday cake for your child - already in your storage? Like I've said before, my food storage is my grocery store for everyday use. I love to have a stock of cake mixes, brownie mixes, ect. for that last minute compassionate service dinner or the "home teaching" treats my husband wants to bring to someone on a Sunday. Anyway - I like to stock up when there is a good deal so when the need arises, it is already there.

That being said, Judy Watt passed this advertisement on to me. If you don't have desserts in your storage, this may be something you want to look at!!!

Strawberries

I'm sorry I dropped the ball last week about letting you know about the awesome deal on strawberries - but I'm here to redeem myself. Winco has them for .78/lb. For those that don't know where Winco is - it is off of the Freeway at 7200 South (on the west side). They are a no memebership warehouse type store (like Food 4 Less) and they only accept cash or check - no credit cards.

Let me know if you need a good, EASY jam recipe!

Food Storage buys THIS WEEK

So I have to admit that I love to copy great ideas from other sites. If you haven't checked out Pinching your Pennies - it is a great site. On that site they have a Utah Shopping Secrets and if you have a facebook account, great shopping deals will come up on your home page. For example, last week I learned that the Walmart off of 11400S had strawberries for $.77/lb. Can you say GREAT DEAL??? My freezer is now stocked with jam and frozen berries!

Here is what they have listed for this week. For the items that need an "in ad coupon" Just look for the extra ads as you walk in the store. If there is a limit on the number you can buy, ask the cashier to ring up several orders. I just went to Harmons and got 15 boxes of the instant oatmeal - I may get more. My kids love the stuff and it is so easy for them to make for themselves!


Fresh Market
• The Red Barn apple juice, 64oz $2.00 Use in-ad store coupon: $3 off when you buy 3, limit 1 coupon per customer Final price $1.00
• Prevacid 24HR, 14ct $10.95 Use Prevacid 24HR, any 14 or 28 count product $6/1 (4-24-10) EyemasterSS-3/28 or (5-8-10) SS-4/11 Final price $4.95
• Western Family AA batteries, 24pk $4.88 no coupon available

Harmons
• Quaker 15-15 oz. Capn Crunch, 16 oz. Oatmeal Squares, or 14-15.5 oz. Life
LIMIT 5 WITH COUPON $1.60 Use in-ad Harmons coupon: $3.00 off when you buy five Final price $1.00
• Quaker 10 ct. Chewy Granola Bars Chocolate Chip, Variety, Smores, or Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
LIMIT 5 WITH COUPON $1.60 Use in-ad Harmons coupon: $3.00 off when you buy five Final price $1.00
• Quaker 10 ct. Instant Oatmeal Apple Cinnamon, Maple and Brown Sugar, Variety or Fruit and Cream
LIMIT 5 WITH COUPON $1.60 Use in-ad Harmons coupon: $3.00 off when you buy five Final price $1.00

Reams
• Western Family Rubbing Alcohol or Hydrogen Peroxide 16 oz. $.69 no coupon available

Smiths
• Kroger Broth, Chicken, Beef or Vegetable, 14 oz
24 count case. .50 ea (Limit 2) $11.99/case
• Kroger Mandarin Oranges, 11 oz
24 count case .33 ea (Limit 2) $7.99/case
• Kroger Water, 16.9 oz
24 count case $2.50
• Smiths Evaporated Milk, 12 oz
24 count case .65 ea (Limit 4) $15.60/case
• *Quaker Cereal, 14-16 oz, Cap'n Crunch Original, Crunchberry or Peanut Butter or Life Original or Cinnamon $2.00 no coupon available Final price $1.00
• *Quaker Instant Oatmeal, Select Varieties, 11.2.-15.1 oz $2.00 no coupon available Final price $1.00
Smith’s is having their second week of their case lot sale. Be sure to pick up items you need! They are also running a Quaker promo, buy 5 get $5 off instantly. Items are marked with a * above and final price reflects the $5 discount.

Macey’s
• Morning Moos Red or White Hard Wheat, 45 lb. pail $12.98 no coupon available
• Western Family Pasta, 48 oz. thin, long spaghetti or elbow macaroni
Case of 8: $14.24 $1.78 each no coupon available
• Wheat EZ, 50 lb. bag Hard White $12.98 no coupon available

Water - what else is there?

For those of you who know me, I am a water FANATIC! A bit of background - My husband works as a civil engineer designing all types of water projects for cities all over the west. Because of his experience in serving a mission in Brazil, he jumped at the chance to become involved with Water For People - a charity that was formed by water professionals here in the United States. As I organized all the information he was given when he became the Utah chairperson, I read the stories of families in developing countries and how their lives revolved around water. In our blessed circumstances, we don't realize how lucky we are to have a seemingly endless supply of water - clean water - in our home... that is, until a disaster strikes.

Craig Fisher (let's see if he reads this - hahaha) is our ward's Emergency Preparedness Chairperson. He has a unique perspective because he has worked with FEMA during many of our countries largest natural disasters. He was in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina and gained some very insightful observations about water during a crisis.
1. Water may be everywhere - but none of it is suitable for drinking. During a catastrophe - most infastructure such as water pipes, electricity, gas, ect. are completely gone or rendered useless. The water that has flooded streets or running in our rivers and streams - is not suitable for drinking - it can compound an emergency situation by making you very sick.

2. The human body can go for up to 2 weeks without food, but it can not survive but a couple of days without water. That is expedited if the weather is hot and people are left exposed to the elements.

3. People get to a point, during a crisis, that the need for water is so dire that they would do ANYTHING and PAY ANYTHING just for a drink of water. Craig couldn't stress this urgency enough as he shared this observation. Just think - as a parent you are thirsty, but you are watching your young children dry up and die before your eyes - it is heart wrenching.

4. Water is used for more than just drinking. If you were to keep track of all the different times and ways you use water in a day, you would be suprised. In the short time my husband works on a leaky toilet, I'm shocked at how inconvienced I am when I constantly need to use water.

So, what do we do to prepare??? First of all, how many of you have those blue barrels sitting in your garage - empty. The reasons for this may be many - such as, "I'm not sure where I want them and I don't want to have them filled and then want to move them." Or "I'm not sure how to treat the water properly and I don't what barrels of bad water in an emergency." What ever your reasons or excuses - When a crisis hits - they are all going to sound pretty trivial. FILL YOUR BARRELLS NOW - WHERE EVER THEY ARE. We have chlorine in our water and as long as you fill it up to the top and put a lid on it, you are fine. You can always empty out your barrells if and when you decide to move them. Rotating the water every year is optimal, but if you go longer between rotations, you will be ok.

After you have filled the containers you already have - you can move on to additional containers and/or purifying methods. Below are several links that our stake has researched for us that have good information. After the links, I will post a water storage option that was sent to me from the stake. Please don't ignore this VERY IMPORTANT - if not VITAL element of preparation.

http://www.ldsmag.com/churchupdate/100303chile.html
Chile – Lord’s Earthquake Warning

http://connorboyack.com/drop/water.pdf
Water Storage/Purification


http://www.provident-living-today.com/Methods-of-Water-Purification.html
YouTube Video Presentation: #1 Gravity Water Filter
#2 Giant Water Sock
#3 Boiling
#4 Iodine
#5 Chlorine

http://grandpappy.info/wwater.htm
How to Find Water
How to Make Water Safe to Drink
Drinking Water Available Immediately

http://www.nationalterroralert.com/safewater/
Hidden Water Sources in Your Home
When and How to Treat Water for Storage

http://everythingunderthesunblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/here-are-pictures-of-some-great-water.html
Water barrel holders by Wendy Dewitt

http://www.utahpreppers.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/fson_the_path_to_preparedness-handout.pdf
Food Storage – the Path to Preparedness by Debbie Kent

http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,8207-1-4531-1,00.html
www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/water
www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/emerg.html

http://www.seychelle.com/ $$$

http://www.ldscatalog.org/ - Online at the LDS catalog site
Welfare Services
Home Storage
08381000 Water Filtration Bottle (2 filters included) $22.00
08381951 Water Filtration Bottle (1 filter included) 16.50
08381952 Replacement Water Filter 9.00


Ongoing is a sale until April 17th for a 100 Gallon Water Tank: FYI

Honeyville Farms
635 North Billy Mitchell Road
Salt Lake City
801-972-2168

Recently this company placed an ad for:

100 Gallon Water Tank (26" diameter X 47" tall) for $88.19 Sale price - regular price $99.95

It comes in clear or black LLDPE plastic. Black plastic could be stored outside because lack of light discourages algae growth.

They also carry:

30 gallon Corner (14.5" wide X 14" deep) $69.95 for clear or black - These are not sale prices.
$78.95 for granite

Available in three standard colors: natural so that you can see the liquid level, black to reduce light penetration, and grey granite for a more aesthetically pleasing look. Stores in a corner of a room.

Each of the above tanks includes a plastic faucet located for easy dispensing into a secondary container. A plastic ball valve with hose thread provides an easy complete drainage solution for further water dispensing and quick rotation (every year please).

They also carry 55 gallon blue barrels - 3X thickness - UV is 20 years FDA approved for $42.75
Macy's price is $39.95 this week.

Canning opportunities

The following is an e-mail I received about the opportunity to serve and purchase at the Murray Wet pack cannery. Spaces fill up fast so if you are interested - sign up ASAP!
MURRAY CANNERY -- FAMILY CANNING


Sign up now for:

Friday April 30th BEEF CHUNKS - $66.00
(2 cases per person)

Reminder: As always, meat products can be picked up after 10 days.
Beef Chunks Can be picked up between May 10th and May 31st.


Friday May 28th
Help with Bishops’ Storehouse - Chili

Volunteers who work the 2 1/4 hour shift will be able to purchase
a Maximum of 4 cases per person.


* Chili $27.60

* Cream of Chicken Soup $27.60

* Ground Beef $54.00
OR (1case per person)
* Chicken Chunks $46.80


Don't procrastinate shifts will fill up FAST!

Shifts start at 7:00 am, 9:00 am, 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm
Each shift is 2 1/4 hours long.


Reservations can be taken in person or by phone.
Starting Monday April 12th between 8:00am and 3:30pm

Call 801-266-1460 Please DO NOT leave phone messages.
Reservation request left on voice messaging CANNOT be honored.


As always, please sign up for just one shift per Product.
No one under 16 years old.


Also - Our Dry Pack Stake day is April 24 1-5pm - This is a SATURDAY so it should work with everyone's schedule. Let me know if you would like some items but are unable to attend.

Happy canning!

Along with the batteries in the smoke detectors - there is a few other things that we can do during conference time to help us be prepared. The church has moved away from focusing on the food factor of the 72 hour kits (that doesn't mean you can't have food in yours) - and wants you to think of what your specific family needs would be during a crisis. Conference would be a good time to check the sizes of the clothes you have in your kits (and diapers!!!). Also - WATER. The stake has a strong focus on WATER and I will be posting on this topic shortly. Do you have portable water for a 72 hour kit AND how fresh is your water in your 55 gallon barrells? (By the way, if you have the barrells and they are empty, what are you waiting for - fill them right now - just with tap water - you will be so glad that you did.) Also, we are toying around with the idea of having people post any old clothes that they would be willing to donate to 72 hour kits. For example, I might have an infant sleeper that would be perfect for someone's 72 hour kit... Just an idea.
Have fun!

I was sent a great blog entry that got my creative juices flowing, and in looking at the other posts - wow - what a tremendous resource. Click here to see the specific blog post and I will set up a link to the entire blog on the side bar. Happy preparing!

Food Storage SPECIALS!!!!

This info was sent to me from the stake - Please take advantage of this GREAT opportunity!

http://www.augasonfarms.com/conferencesale

Conference Specials
March 29 through April 3

Meet Doug Wright Friday morning during The Movie Show-broadcasting Live from our store 9 AM to Noon!
Outlet Store:
3431 South 500 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
801-869-1021 Sale Hours:
Monday - Thursday 9am to 6pm
Friday 8am to 7pm
Saturday 9am to 4pm

Buy One Get One Free
On Selected Items
DEEP DISCOUNTS
40 items under $10
Special deals at $5, $7, $9

Free Samples every day Free Product with every order
Cooking classes daily
Starting at 5pm
Free Continental Breakfast
Friday 8am-11am
Hard Red & White Wheat 6 Gallon Pails - $12.99

Order Early!

Organizations and church groups welcome!




http://lds.about.com/library/bl/faq/blcalculator.htm This a a very easy to use food calculator I have found that you might want to check out.

How long will food stay "good"

This is a resource that was sent to me - ENJOY!

How long can that bottle of ketchup stay in your fridge before it goes bad? I'm thinking 5 or 10 years. But if you want an expert opinion, go to the web site below. This site lists all kind of foodstuffs and how to keep them fresher, longer: As well as when to get rid of them. If you have a question, just click on the particular picture, and a whole list of great things appears!! WHAT A GREAT SITE THIS IS!!

http://www.stilltasty.com/

Sandy Cannery

Ok - you lucky ones - Our next date at the sandy cannery is Friday March 19th from 5-9pm (yes - that is TOMORROW!!!) Please take advantage of this opportunity- the food is actually quite a good price and it will last a very long time when preserved in this way!
Let me know if any of you need help with this process!

Deal on Wheat!

Thanks, Judy, for letting me know about this deal. Lehi Roller Mills is having a sale on their wheat and some of their other products. I'll post the flyer that Judy sent me. This advertisement is good from March 15th to April 15th.





For those of you new to buying and using wheat (and even for those of us that are just starting to use wheat and are figuring things out the hard way) - here is some good information about Wheat. This is from the September 2008 South Mountain Emergency Preparation Newsletter that went out from Amber Edmunds in our ward (oh I have so much to live up to :) )

Different Types of Wheat
Wheat comes in a number of different varieties. Each variety is more or less suitable for a given purpose based on its characteristics. The most common classifications for wheat varieties are spring or winter, hard or soft, red or white.

Winter: Planted in fall, over winter in the field and harvested the next summer
Spring: Planted in early spring and harvested in the fall
Hard: Kernals tend to be small, very hard, and have a high gluten content. As a general rule, hard varieties have more protein than soft.
Soft: Tend to be larger kernals, plumper and softer in texture. They have less gluten content and are often used in pastries, quick breads, pastas, and breakfast cereals.
Red: Comprise most of the hard varieties
White: Comprised most of the soft varieties
Recently, hard white wheats have been developed that are suitable for raised bread making. Some feel the hard white varieties make a better tasting whole wheat bread than the hard red.
The most commonly stored are the hard red varieties, either spring or winter, because of their high protein. They should have a protein content of no less than 12%, with higher the better. The hard white spring wheats are still relatively new and are not yet widespread. They have the same excellent storage characteristices as the hard wheats.

Ok, it is me again. In my experience, with my bread recipe that we LOVE - the white wheat works better. It seems not quite as dense and it makes higher, prettier loaves for me. When I use the White wheat, the bread turns out closer to the kind of bread that you typically buy at the store. Also, we have noticed that it works better for making a puffed wheat cereal, (that is when you soak the wheat kernals overnight and then warm them in the oven the next morning - drizzle honey over them and YUM). This is just my experience but I sure wish someone had shared it with me before I stocked up on wheat!

Group Orders!!!

I am going to attempt to organize some group orders. If you see any bulk deals or know where to look for group items, let me know. For now, I am going to start with this month's special at Emergency essentials. You can go online to see what it is that I'm talking about, but the prices are even better than listed!


Our items this month will be:
Large Red Backpack (for 72 hour kits) - $7


4.2 oz water pouches -30 cents/piece (great for stuffing in kids bags)





You can order anything else you see on the website in the same order and save on shipping - just let me know!

Now - here is the catch - you must get me your order and a check made out to me by Sunday March 20th. If I don't have your money by that date, I can't order it for you (I wish I could float money over for people, but I just need to make it a policy that I don't).

If you have any requests for group orders, let me know. I will be looking for Gas turn off keys, pry bars, and I would love to find a good portable water filter for a great price.

72- Hour Kits - What should you have in one?

I saw a great article today on the Pinching Your Pennies website. I'll post it below and then after that, I'm posting images of 2 different checklists I picked up at the Emergency Preparedness Vendor Demonstration a week or so ago. The key point is to be prepared. I read another article about how the missionaries serving in the Santiago East Chile Mission had been prepared by an inspired mission president. The mission president visited each one in the 2 weeks prior to the quake and made sure they had emergency kits, ways to contact leaders (with and without phone service) and checked their apartments to make sure they were safe. Every one of the missionaries escaped that tremendous quake without harm and were able to help others because they had their immediate needs met through preparation. One simple thing to think about is keeping a pair of shoes and some sweats just under your bed. If there was a fire or earthquake in the middle of the night and you needed to escape, how many of you would be less than thrilled to end up in the middle of the street wearing what you sleep in and no shoes? Just a thought.

Here is the article:
With four major earthquakes occurring around the world in the last two months (three of them just in the last 2 weeks, and one of those just yesterday), emergency preparation has probably been on quite a few minds recently. I even heard a spot from our state's governor on the radio yesterday letting everyone know of our state's preparedness web site and other resources.

One of the main things that is suggested on most of the government and community preparation web sites is to have an emergency "kit" (sometimes called a 72-hour kit or a bug-out bag) for each member of the family, that contains items that would be useful in possible emergency situations.

There are many options for kits out there - you can purchase pre-assembled kits, you can make your own, or you can do a combination of both. As an aspiring "frugalista", I really wanted to make my own because I was pretty sure I could do it for pretty cheap, and doing my own meant I could customize it for my family's needs.

As I've done research on this, I've found so many lists of suggested items, and so many ideas. But I also found that it's easy to get bogged down in trying to plan for every possible scenario. It can become overwhelming, and it's hard to not get stalled in our efforts or abandon our plans all together because of the perceived complexity of the whole endeavor.

I'm a firm believer in the idea that ANY preparation is better than no preparation at all. So I wanted to find a way to put together a bare-bones, bare-basics kit that wouldn't cost much money and could be thrown together in a matter of a few minutes so that it would be done and ready should the need ever arise.

In an emergency situation, the top priorities are water, wound care and sanitation/hygiene. You can go a few days without food. You can go for weeks without a shower or brushing your teeth or shampooing your hair if you had to (no, it wouldn't be pretty, and it might be downright miserable, but you'd at least survive).

But you CAN'T go for very long without water. And if you happen to get a wound (which is quite likely in an emergency) and it gets infected and is untreated, you just plain WON'T be able to go for very long - period.

With that in mind, I rummaged through my house to come up with the items that I felt were a bare-minimum for an emergency kit. These are kind of the essentials for sustaining or preserving life. Here's what I came up with:


small backpack
sweatshirt/jacket
bottled water [it's not the recommended 3 gallons, but it's certainly better than nothing, and you can add more if space and weight allow]
assorted adhesive bandages
antiseptic wash (or alcohol wipes or iodine)
antibiotic ointment
otc pain relievers
any prescription meds you take on a daily basis
food for 1 day [I just grabbed 6 granola/nut bars - convenient, no cooking required, and could be easily rationed if needed]
bar of soap
washcloth
roll of toilet paper
(for the gals) feminine hygiene products

[If you have a young child, you might want to include a baby blanket, cloth or disposable diaper(s) and possibly a bottle and formula]

It took me about 15 minutes to gather all these items. There was still about 6 inches of room at the top of the backpack, and even with the water bottle included, the entire pack only weighed 5lb 10oz. It was fast, cheap (all items came from around my house already) and lightweight.

Remember, this is not a deluxe version. This is just a quick put-together kit that you can do on the cheap that will get you started. But even this bare-basics kit will still get you a lot farther in an emergency situation than having no kit at all.

Of course, the idea is that you can then add to and customize your kit as time and finances and circumstances allow. There are many more things you might want to add if space and weight will allow. But even if you don't add anything else, at least you'll have something put together should the need ever arise (but hopefully it won't).

Here's a quick list of other things you might want to add on (and this is by no means an exhaustive list):

flashlight
trash bag/rain poncho
copies of important documents (birth certificates, IDs, contact information, etc.)
additional first aid supplies
change of clothes and additional cold weather items (hat, gloves, etc.)
additional personal hygiene items (shampoo, toothpaste, wet wipes, razor, etc.)
knife or survival tool
additional food
whistle
matches
solar blanket
water purification tablets or water filtering device
hand sanitizer
etc.

I would love to hear your ideas and suggestions on emergency kits or other things you've done to "get prepared".

[For additional resources, check out www.ready.gov or www.fema.gov/areyouready.]


Here are the check lists I picked up. They may end up being impossible to read - I can e-mail you a pdf if you want to comment and give me your e-mail address.

Being Prepared

"Be Prepared" is a term we hear used a lot. I don't think it means "Be afraid" or "Live in Fear until the disaster!" On the contrary - I think it means have your possessions and life in order so that you can enjoy peace today and will be ready in the event anything happens. Being prepared is not necessarily having a stockpile of 30 year old wheat in your basement and commercially made 72 hour kits in your car. It means that you have a surplus of supplies in storage and those supplies are things you use everyday. It means that you have preparedness items in your car so that when you get a flat tire or a dead battery - you know, those everyday things, you are prepared.
That being said, there is always a desire to have a list of items, or a magic kit that you can buy so that you can put it somewhere and feel that you "are prepared." I have tended to look at it differently. What am I preparing for? Let's look at my car. I would like to be prepared for a dead battery, a flat tire, no gas (and having to walk a long distance to get some), hungry/thirsty children if I were to get stranded, and an accident. So, my car kit contains: jumper cables, fix-a-flat (as well as my jack and spare tire), blankets, a winter coat, outdoor shoes for myself, granola bars, bottled water, a small shovel, small first aid kit, a disposable camera and accident report form, and extra diapers and wipes. My husband's car has those things plus rope/chain and work gloves. I feel at peace when I go anywhere in my car - I know that come what may - I can handle it.

A home 72 hour kit is a bit different. My parents had people show up in Tennessee that had been evacuated due to Katrina. They were so grateful for their changes of clothes, toothbrushes, and financial information that they had ready to go when they were told to evacuate. What would we want if the hillside was on fire and we were given 10 minutes to leave? Would we want to waste those precious minutes finding changes of clothing, toothbrushes, hair brushes, diapers/wipes? Having these types of items in a bag ready to go can allow you the time to pack heirlooms, pets, scrapbooks, ect. We keep these items in garbage bags inside our backpacking backpacks. When we need to use these backpacks, we can unload the garbage bag and still have all of our things together. We also have an Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (I will post about this later) that we can grab and take with us that has all of our utility accounts, insurance accounts along with other important information and contact numbers. I can go to sleep at night knowing that if I had to leave quickly - my family would be fine.

For the people who love creativity, we have also stashed changes of clothes and toiletries, ect. at our inlaw's house. If we had to leave here - we know we would have what we needed in Midway. Different - but I'm sure those people from Katrina's devestation would have loved to have a place to go that had some familiar items waiting for them.

I know that a lot of people love to have the "food in a can" 72 hour kit or something like that that is already put together and they can check it off their list of preparedness items. But I think it is more important to have an idea of what you are really preparing for and have those items that you would need - ready to go.

If you are interested, Draper City is hosting a Vendor Demonstration for 72 hour kits. At the very least, they may be ideas to get you started on your own.

UFA is hosting a 72-hour Emergency Kit Demonstration that we would like to invite you to attend. The details are as follows:

What: 72-Hour Emergency Kits - Vendor Demonstration
When: Thursday, February 25, 2010

Time: 12:00 PM-4:00 PM

Where: Draper City Council Room

Food Storage - the BASICS

This is a write up done by Earlene McDonald. It is very interesting in that she goes through how using the basic grains to suppliment your food intake - will help to save money. I know of families who are needing to tighten the belt right now and being able to utilize their BASIC food storage is helping tremendously.



If you have less than a year's supply for your family PLEASE do not dismiss this as not for you without reading further!!! There will be more to come for greater variety, with recipes, how to sprout and how to use them for more nutrition, web and blog sites to help you provide that variety, and heads up on local sales to get fresh fruits and veggies in the diet. BASICS are NOT the only thing you would be eating!!! This is just where we start.

It is possible to acquire a nice supply of food by doing it in increments slowly and steadily. I am going to assume that with our economy the way it is today that most, if not all, are working within a tight budget. If we are not, we probably should be. There is no way to be certain our own personal financial crisis won't occur sometime soon so we need to set food and money aside if we can. We certainly need to eat as well as we can for good health. Illness or an accident makes all vulnerable to income or savings loss.
By being good stewards NOW we can have peace of mind by having enough to feed ourselves and our family under most circumstances.

First, acquire BASIC survival supplies that you are, or will become, familiar with and that give you bulk in your diet to fill your family at dinner time now and later. Learn to use them NOW! I will be giving you some recipe suggestions to add to what you already know and do, and our RS food specialist will show you how to cook even more.

1 pound of rice gives you 10 servings. ( For teens figure 8 servings. ) The cannery sells you 25# of white rice for $8.45 or 3.4 cents per serving. Costco has 50# of white rice for just under $18 so the price per serving is about the same. Macey's also has it for about $9 per 25#. Yes, brown rice costs more and fancier rice does too. We are thinking survival first and will increase to higher nutrition rice as your budget allows.

1 pound of beans gives you 10-16, 3/4 cup cooked servings. The price also varies by type of bean. You can buy 25# bags at the cannery. Black / $14.50, Pinto / $16.30, White / $14.10 If you use 10 servings per pound your price per serving is 5.8, 6.6, or 5.6 cents, respectively. Costco, Sam's and the local grocery stores have good bulk quantity prices also.

1 pound of pasta of any type gives you 8 servings. The cannery sells 20 pounds of macaroni for $12.10 and 25 pounds of spaghetti for $14.55. That is only 7.6 and 7.3 cents per serving,respectively.

1 pound of wheat gives you a large loaf of bread with a little flour left over. 25 pounds of wheat at the cannery is $6.35 for hard red wheat and $5.80 for hard white wheat. That makes a delicious plain whole wheat loaf of bread about 40 cents when you add in the cost of yeast, sugar and oil. Serving size and cost depends on how you slice it! Yes, I know you have to grind the wheat. If your Mom, your best friend or neighbor doesn't have a grinder come on over I'll gladly run it thru mine.

Believe it or not you don't need a machine to make bread. You can relieve a lot of stress just punching the bread. I mean kneading it. Most recipes make two loaves. Plan on grinding at least a few pounds at a time but refrigerate it after grinding.

You will need to introduce whole grains slowly if you haven't been using them already so plan on using just a cup or two in your recipe to begin with and gradually increase the whole wheat to white flour ratio every other time or so. Or start with pancakes or cookies to get your family's digestive system used to it! Again, use at least half white flour to start with.

1 pound of flour is about 3 1/2 cups, or a little more than is needed for a loaf of bread. Flour is considered a short term storage item because it has a flavor change after about four years. We are planning to use it now so there is no problem here. The cannery sells 25 pound bags for $9.35 so making baked items cost you almost twice as much as if you start with wheat. These are still great prices compared to buying at the store or bakery.

1 pound of oatmeal gives 11.4 servings per pound. 25 pounds of regular oatmeal is $7.60 and quick oats are $8.15. This makes 286 servings per bag or 2.7 and 2.8 cents per serving, respectively.

Regular oatmeal has more nutrition than quick oats and takes only 5 minutes to cook. Add some dried fruit, such as raisins or apples, and most who eat oatmeal will like it as well or better than the packets or quick oats the very first time they eat it. Some may take a few servings before they apppreciate the fuller texture versus the gruely instants. This is one meal even a child can learn to cook...and then they are more apt to eat it. It will naturally be hard for many to give up their dry, sugar breakfast cereals, but don't give up!


Use the following computations for ONE PERSON and you will see how the numbers work.

breakfast oatmeal 2.8 cents
lunch 2 slices of bread for sandwich 12 cents
dinner pasta or rice and beans 10 cents

TOTAL 25 cents or about a dollar for a family of four for the BASICS.

Using the highest priced choices consider that the following amounts will put you well on your way to your 3 month supply of every BASIC the first month! At the end of six or seven months you can have a years supply of survival storage, with quantity and variety for your family, and you will have eaten quite well the entire time on minimum dollars. (For an extremely tight budget you could go with only rice or only pasta to save money, and use things from your pantry for variety, and you still would have food left over for storage.)

25# rice $ 9.00
25# beans $16.30
50# wheat $12.70
25# flour $ 9.35
25# oatmeal $ 8.15
25# pasta $14.55

Total $70.05 for 700 main dish servings, 286 oatmeal breakfasts, 60 large loaves of bread, whole wheat and/or white, with enough flour for tortillas, muffins, biscuits, pancakes etc. every day for a month.

For a family of FOUR that leaves 580 main meal BASICS left over to put in storage. If you have a family of SIX that leaves you with 520 servings of beans, rice and/or pasta main dish servings (or almost 3 months of main meal BASICS) left over to put in storage. More than likely you will have some wheat and/or flour left also, along with 106 servings of oatmeal...more if you had pancakes or just toast for breakfast some days. Even families of six (unless four of them are teenagers! ) will not go through two large loaves of whole wheat bread every day if you make other bread type products.

For storage: begin picking up FREE storage buckets with lids at the grocery store bakeries. They are free everywhere except Kohler's, and they charge only a dollar for theirs. There are usually 2-8 buckets emptied everyday at each bakery, so start asking and save them from the recyle or the dump. Costco has more of the larger sizes but take along trash bags to protect your car as theirs still have a little frosting left in them.

THANK YOU FOR PREPARING!!

Earlene

Great article

I saw this article today on one of my favorite websites: Pinching Your Pennies.com

Practicing frugality is becoming more and more necessary for consumers as income remains stagnant or decreases and prices continue to rise. If the thought of stockpiling your groceries and other household needs seems to be a step in the wrong direction, consider the following......
At first glance, the concept of stocking up appears to be at odds with the concept of frugality. After all, by definition frugality means that one should practice economical strategies in the purchase and use of resources, natural and man made. Doesn’t the idea of stocking up seem to be contrary to this concept? Perhaps it does, but nonetheless, if practiced carefully, stocking up can be quite an economical strategy that leads to exceptional frugality. Using the strategy of stocking up on various products can lead to quite a savings on resources and finances.Stocking up on certain types of household, car, garden, personal needs, and other types of supplies or needs is something that should be thought out carefully. It begins with a knowledge of what you need on a regular basis, where you can store these items, and what price range makes it worthwhile to purchase in bulk. Following certain guidelines when making your purchases will circumvent potential problems while maximizing your savings.

Know the Amount of Storage Space You Have

Before stocking up on any type of product whatsoever, it is essential that you know how much space you have available for storing it. Where you keep your items is almost as important as whether or not you have a true need for it. After all, if you store your stockpile items in some out-of-the-way location, you might forget that you have them. If this happens, then the item can go to waste if it has a specific shelf life and you can end up spending even more money than you would have if you hadn’t done any stocking up.The best place to store your extra items is in a place that is easily accessible. A spare shelf in a closet, a built in or stand alone pantry, or even a back room can be used to store your stockpiled items. Plus, you should always store your items in the same location so that you remember where they are. The easier these items are to get to, the more likely it is that you will remember to use them.Categorize Your StockpileOne of the easiest strategies that you can use to stay aware of what you have in your stockpile is to categorize your purchases. Place similar items in the same area. Not only does this allow you to find them easily, but also, it decreases the amount of time needed to search through your stockpile when updating your needs. For example, if you are stocking up on personal hygiene needs such as body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant, they should all be stored in the same general area. Perhaps you can clear a shelf in the linen closet to make room for your stockpile. For food items, a stand alone pantry or a few shelves in the kitchen should be sufficient to hold your stockpile. Again, place similar items together.

Create a List of Needed Items

Whether you store the list in your head or you write it down, you need to maintain a list of items that you are running low on. If you maintain a list of items that need to be replenished, then you don’t miss out on an opportunity to stock up on something that you are running low on. It is too easy to bypass a good sale simply because you think that you don’t need an item. After all, buying too much of a good thing can easily turn into a bad thing if the shelf life of the item isn’t sufficient enough for your use of the product. Take this strategy a bit further and take into consideration the possibility of family gatherings or parties that might necessitate purchases on a slightly larger scale.

Stockpile When the Price is Unbeatable

If you want the best return for your money, paying attention to the price variations on any type of product is essential. If you monitor store sales for several weeks or months, you will be able to get a handle on the price fluctuations so that you know just how low a price might go. Manufacturers like to vary their prices according to their marketing schemes and therefore, different times of the month or year will bring about lower prices. Therefore, if you pay attention to these fluctuations on the market, you can plan your stockpiling strategies more efficiently.Resist the urge to purchase large quantities of items when the price is lower than usual but not a great deal lower. The best time to stockpile is when the price is as low as it is likely to get. The shopping lists provided at PinchingYourPennies.com are a key element in knowing when to stock up an item. Using our shopping lists, you can quickly spot 4 and 5 star deals. 5 star deals on the shopping lists are rock-bottom, stock-up prices. Our deal finders and listmakers have years of experience tracking sales and item prices.If you can avoid becoming brand conscious, then you can take advantage of clearance sales on discontinued brands and products. The savings on clearance items is often as much as 50% to 75% of the original purchase price. For example, after most holiday seasons end, most stores place their holiday items on sale. Even though you might not want any more Christmas candy, the stores often reduce the prices of products that they have overstocked including baking items, canned and candied fruits or nuts, spices, baking pans, and more. This fact makes after holiday sales a perfect time to stockpile a few items.

Don’t Worry about Stockpiling Everything All at Once

It is important to remember that you don’t need to do all of your stockpiling all at once either. If you need something and it isn’t on sale for a good price, then simply purchase one of the item or the quantity that you need. Otherwise, don’t purchase anything that you don’t need until you can obtain it for a good price.After a few months of shopping with a stockpiling strategy, you will discover that you rarely run out of any of the items that you typically stockpile. Your purchasing habits will become cyclical as they begin to follow the cycles of sales that occur on a consistent basis. Additionally, you will begin to see a savings in your monthly expenditure as you reap the benefits of not ever having to purchase any of these items at full price.

Avoid Stockpiling Items That You Won’t Use

As you begin to look for bargains to stockpile, you will come across great deals on items that you have no real use for or need of. It is so easy to get caught up in the terrific savings that someone would get if they purchased these items. However, there’s no bargain if you purchase something that you aren’t ever going to need simply because it is on sale for 90% off of the original price. For example, quite often seasonal items will go on sale at drastically reduced prices. However, if these items are products that you will never use, then you would waste money with a purchase of them. Buying something because it is ten cents is pointless if you are never going to use the item. However, if you are looking for a charitable donation, you can always purchase such items and donate them to a local shelter or food pantry that can use them.

Avoid Stockpiling Perishable Items

Perishable items such as produce, bakery items, and other items with a short shelf life are not good items to stockpile. Chances are that these items will go bad before you ever get to use all of them should you decide to stockpile them. For items with an expiration date, you can calculate how many you would be able to use before the expiration date arrives and purchase that quantity. In fact, check the expiration dates on a number of the product as this will probably vary by as much as several months. Purchase the ones that have the expiration date that offers the longest shelf life.Maintain Your StockpileOnce you set up a place to store your stockpile, you need to remember to maintain it. Since many of the items will have expiration dates on them, you need to rotate your purchase so that the earliest expiration dates remain in the front of the stockpile. This strategy pertains to both perishable and nonperishable items. One of the strategies that you can use is to take a black marker and label the items in large numbers with their expiration dates on them.

Have Realistic Expectations

One of the most important facets about stocking up that one needs to understand is that the financial benefits are not seen immediately. After all, it is quite possible that initially you will be spending slightly more money than usual. However, after several weeks, you will begin to see savings as you spend less because you already have the item at home. At the very least, you will be able to keep up with the rise in cost as you continue stocking up when the items are on sale.

Wheat, Rice, and Oats - Oh My!

When it comes right down to it -what do we use as a staple in our diets. Things such as flour (from wheat), rice, and oats provide a base for most meals in my house. When I think of what I need to have on hand to feed my family - these items provide a great stretching ability to make expensive items such as meats, dairy and produce go further!

With that in mind - what an awesome opportunity we have to utilize the Sandy Dry Pack Cannery. Here you can pack dry goods available for sale here (at GREAT prices) and then take them home to store them. There are several other products (other than just wheat, rice, and oats) available to preserve also.


Here is a short movie showing how easy the process is!


Ok, so now you are hooked, right? For the Draper South Mountain Stake, our next assigned day is Thursday, February 11, 2010 from 1-5pm. Having an assigned day just means that when you are a member of this stake, you get 1st preference in going in and doing your canning. You can just walk in at any time - but you may have to wait for those who are their for their assigned times to finish up their work.

Here is the order form that you can fill out online and print out and bring with you. You will need to bring a check because they don't take Credit Cards and they most likely won't have change for cash.

A few years ago when we were experiencing the world rice shortage - I STOCKED up! We use rice in a lot of casserolls and as a filler food in a lot of recipees. When I came home with dozens of #10 cans full of rice, the fun part of putting it away presented itself. Then I came up with a BRILLIANT idea (if I do say so myself!) - The space under my kids' beds were always getting packed with junk. Especially way under by the wall! I would find candy wrappers, books, toys, clothes, ect. and to get it out - well I had to think REALLY skinny. So, I took the rice and put a couple of rows of cans up against the wall to about 1/2 way under the bed. This allowed space for storage bins or other under the bed storage items, but kept the unreachable space filled up. See - pure genius. So don't let lack of a grand storage room stop you from storing food that you use - just be creative!

Thought for the Day

As I am preparing other information to share with you, I heard this quote today and thought it fit right in.

"Any idiot can handle a crisis, it is the every day that challenges us"

I'm hoping to be able to be better prepared for the "every day" and then if a crisis comes - it should be a piece of cake!

#1 Get Finances in Order

I've always been a frugal person (that is - until I see a spectacular deal on kids' clothes or something like that). In the past, I have compiled all of my bills/income onto an excel spreadsheet at the end of the year so that we could see where we were spending our money and where we could improve. This was a good tool but it didn't offer much in the form of month to month adjustments. It just took too much time to do it monthly. I've never been able to make a "budget" where I say I will only spend x number of dollars in each category each month. I have always just avoided spending money on anything that wasn't necessary and then taking advantage of good deals to "stock up". So one month I may spend a small fortune on food but the next I may spend next to nothing. This method is a bit hap-hazard and I have wanted to feel like I was more knowlegable about where my money was going and how I could be a better money manager.

So - my mom mentioned an incredible service that I want to pass along. Mint.com is a FREE financial organizer. At the risk of sounding like an info-mercial - here goes. On this website you register all of your bank accounts, credit cards, investments, ect. Then it automatically categorizes all of your expenditures into categories that would be in a typical budget. You can add your own categories and you can change anything they have listed. It then can show you a pie chart so you can see where you are in your spending and it will compare what you are currently spending to what you have spent in the past. You can also plan a budget and you will get e-mail alerts when you are over what you have set for your budget.

I am letting you know about this service because I think it will help me immensly with keeping track of my spending on a month to month basis and it gives my husband and I a way to both track our finances in real time with out having to have a long "back to basics" discussion once a year. We can both be aware of where we are at all times and can make better financial decisions.

When our financial house is in order - we are better able to prepare ourselves for the future by having a surplus of edible food and supplies and being able to create our own "rainy day fund". So - here goes - I've registered myself and am excited to finally feel like this part of my house is in order!

House in Order

To begin my journey, I intend to "get my house in order". Now this is coming from a mother of 5 young children - my house is never really "in order" - so obviously I'm not talking about a grand spring cleaning event. So here is my plan:
1. Get my finances in order
2. Inventory my Food Storage
3. Plan recipes/menus that utilize my food storage and healthy habits
4. Prepare for and plant a Garden.

So - there is a good starting point. I figure that if I take one goal per week to research and report on - I'll be ready to ACT in one month.

Why Gullible Gulls?

I am embarking on a new (and a bit scary I might add) journey. I am from a generation where everything has been handed to us on the proverbial silver platter.

• Our clothing comes from a store - brand new with tags on and not even a hole to mend or a button to replace. We have multiple sizes to pick from so if we happen to grow (or shrink) a size, we can just go purchase a new one.
• Our food is packaged nicely in the freezer section so that all we have to do is warm and serve. I am amazed at how many people of my generations don't truly cook or bake.
• We have learned that the little plastic card in our wallet can purchase anything we need or want and all that we are responsible for are the minimum payments.
• Even our entertainment comes in the form of passive television shows and video games or involves the use of expensive toys - things from outside of ourselves that someone else has prepared for us.

I am reminded of a story in the October 1950 Reader's Digest. In St. Augustine there were great flocks of Sea Gulls that were starving even though the water was full of plenty of food. For many generations, the Gulls had depended on the shrimp fleets to toss them the scraps from their catch. When the fleet moved, the gulls who had never learned how to fish for generations, never taught their children how to fish. They now starve just because they lack those skills. They had depended too long on someone else to do the work for them.

I am not professing to be "better" than my generation in creating this blog - but instead, someone who wants to learn how to... well alot of stuff. I want to learn how to grow and store the food that my family eats, I want to learn how to make and alter clothing for my family, I want to learn how to prepare easy nutritious meals despite my crazy schedule, I want to learn how to be selective with what I purchase and be able to save money for emergencies or large expenses. I want to develop skills that are being lost from generation to generation and teach them to my children. I do not know if I will ever HAVE to utilize these skills, but I hate the thought of the shrimp fleet moving on and leaving me and my children without the skills and resources to even survive.

Now - the purpose of this blog. I want to learn. I want to collect information from those who do have these skill sets. I want to share what I learn and experience with anyone and everyone who wants to learn. I want to try and succeed (although I know that I will most likely fail a good number of times).

So, I plan to post recipes, gardenning tips, sewing tips, family preparedness tips, preserving tips, and of course - my experiences with all of these. I hope to be of some service - if only to my own little circle of influence. I also hope that others will feel free to comment and add to the knowledge pool so that we can all benefit from those that still "know how to fish."