Great advice from a Great site...

After my long and rambling post last night, I didn't want to leave you with the impression that there is nothing you can do to prepare so not to do it. Quite the contrary! This morning I came across a post on a favorite site of mine that summarized a perfect list of things you can do to prepare for an earthquake. Enjoy!

http://everydayfoodstorage.net/2011/03/12/lessons-to-learn-from-japans-earthquake/food-storage-recipes

Reflections on Japan - Thoughts about Preparedness

So I'm sure that many of you, like me, have been glued to the news stations and internet updates about Japan today. So many thoughts swirl around in my head as I watch the videos and hear the news reports. There are family members locally that don't know the status of their loved ones in Japan, there are images of homes and cars being tossed around like a child's discarded toys, and there are the "other" disasters that just keep piling on top of one that should have been a stand alone tragedy. With my passion of helping others help themselves become more prepared - I'm at a loss here. I know that we are due for a BIG earthquake soon and have made sure that I am aware of the risks that I need to prepare for - make sure things are bolted to the wall, know where to go in our home that is a structurally sound place, know how to shut off the gas, have food and water on hand as well as ways to stay warm in the event of this type of disaster. From what I've heard, Japan, unlike many countries that have recently experienced earthquakes, was structurally prepared for an earthquake. Their buildings were somewhat still in tact and we probably wouldn't have seen the desolation that we've seen in other countries following earthquakes of lesser magnitude. What was far more devastating was the tsunami that hit as well as the nuclear power plants that pose a very serious risk to the survivors in the area. The question that comes to mind is how could these people have possibly been better prepared for this 1-2-3 punch? How can we be physically prepared for what we know will come in addition to the unknown?

I think the answer is that we can't. There is absolutely no way to physically be prepared for every unknown detail that can be thrown at us. I'm sure it is possible for those people in Japan to have lived on top of the mountains in the most structurally sound buildings and just not have power and then this disaster would not have been quite so devastating, but at some point you have to live your life and not be controlled by fear of the what ifs. So, what do we do? We prepare for life. We make good choices with the time we've been blessed with. We love and cherish our families. We develop talents and educate our minds. We develop a strong relationship with our Savior and share His love with all those we meet. Beyond that, we do what we can to meet our physical needs.

Here is what I've learned in the last few months. The concepts of preparedness actually help me live a simpler life where I can focus on the BIG things such as my kids and husband, developing the talents of the members of our family, being able to serve others as Jesus Christ would have me do, etc. Because I have a grocery store in my basement, I can whip up a dinner in 10 minutes after dance lessons. I can bring a treat to a friend having a hard day. I can nourish my family with very little effort. We are healthier and happier and are actually saving money. Learning how to communicate with alternate ways will allow me to comfort family members from all over the country regardless of what is going on. 72 hour kits, alternative cooking, etc, etc - this all allows me the ability to focus on the important things and not the menial needs. I have felt that being prepared is all about being prepared to live - now - not just in the event of an emergency. If we aren't applying and using these skills, we are really missing out on the blessings of this program.

When we are faced with our BIG one, whether it be an earthquake, loss of a spouse or family member, loss of a job, fire, flood, etc. - if we have been able to focus on family and our spiritual preparedness, we'll be more prepared than any amount of food or clothing could prepare us. So, I'm just throwing this thought out there: Maybe all of the physical preparedness is actually a means for us to be able to be spiritually and mentally prepared. It has become a lifestyle for me and it has brought a peace into my life. I have time and resources to focus on my family and service that I didn't have before. Maybe that is what it is actually all about.

As a side note, I opened a couple of cans of Freeze dried meat this week that I had stored for only 5 of the 25 years it is good for. Unfortunately - it was not edible. To purchase food just to store it does you NO good. Use it. Rotate it. Enjoy the blessings now!

Wheat..

Each month we will have a spotlight of sorts - this spotlight can be found on the Food Storage spotlight tab so just in case the blog post gets buried, you know how to find the spotlight of the month quickly.

February Spotlight: Wheat!!!

When considering Food storage, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is Wheat. There is good reason for this because it is a versatile food and because it stores for so long. The downside to this is that many people store wheat and then do nothing with it - thinking that in the event of an emergency, they will be just fine. Unfortunately, eating whole grains, like wheat may take some adjustment. Your body may have "issues" with going from a refined, easy to digest diet to a more complex food. That is exactly why we need to store what we eat and eat what we store.

I have found that my bread fails miserably when I use the hard red wheat so I try to store more hard white wheat. When stocking up on wheat, I find that the Hard wheat is more readily available than the Soft wheat.

To use my wheat I:

• Make my own bread
• Use wheat flour instead of white flour in cookies, waffles, pancakes, crepes, etc.
• Sprout wheat for use in smoothies, salads or just to eat by the handful
• Cook the wheat for a warm breakfast cereal.

Below is some information about wheat from various sources. There is a lot of information available on the web if you would like to search for some more!

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 are harvested the next summer.

Spring: Planted in early spring and are harvested in the fall

Hard: Kernels 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 kernels, plumper and softer in texture. They have less gluten content and are often used in pasties, 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 even better. The hard white spring wheats are still relatively new but have the same excellent storage characteristics as the hard red wheats.

Source: South Mountain Emergency Preparedness newsletter September 2008

Whole wheat is one of the most wholesome food items that ensure consumers a diet rich innutrients. The best aspect about whole wheat is that it retains all the parts of the grain kernel (i.e. bran, germ, and endosperm) during the flour making process, in contrast to the white refined grains, which retains only endosperm. Talking about the various health benefits of whole wheat consumption, the grain is extremely beneficial for healthy living. This low-calorie food reduces the risk of heart diseases and also helps in regulating blood glucose in people with diabetes. To get detailed information about the health benefits of eating whole grain, read through the following lines. In addition to this, we have also provided handy cooking tips and some concerns that you need to look out for.

Health Benefits Of Eating Whole Wheat

• Whole wheat reduces the risk of heart disease by decreasing cholesterol level, blood pressure, and blood coagulation.
• A diet that is rich in whole wheat consumption reduces the risk of cancer amongst people. The dietary fiber present in it plays an important role in the prevention of cancer.
• Whole wheat products prove to be an extremely rich source of the mineral, selenium.
• Daily intake of whole wheat products ensures an overall increase in health and decrease in obesity.
• Rich in nutrients, whole wheat provides consumers a feeling of fullness, thereby reducing the risk of overeating.
• For figure-conscious folks, whole wheat comes as a boon. Gaining weight is inversely proportional to consuming whole wheat. As per a study conducted, women who consumed whole wheat products are less likely to gain weight than those who consumed refined grains.
• Consumption of whole wheat reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome, thereby preventing visceral obesity or the "apple shaped" body, low levels of protective HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides and high blood pressure.
• In contrast to the refined grains, whole wheat consumption does not have harmful effects on your body, i.e. no weight gain and no risk of insulin resistance.

Caution

• For those people who are prone to allergic reactions, whole wheat consumption can lead to allergies, such as skin rash, hives, itching, and eczema. Swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat or tingling sensation in the mouth can also be seen.
• Another concern is the presence of oxalate in whole wheat. These are the naturally-occurring substances found in plants, animals and human beings. High concentration of oxalates in body fluids can crystallize, thereby causing health problems.

Cooking Tips

• The simplest yet tasteful whole wheat preparation comprises of sandwiches of the whole wheat bread. They are good for health and also taste delicious.
• Another delicious and appetizing breakfast choice is to have wheat flakes. They are similar to rolled oats and can be prepared as hot breakfast cereal.
• You can opt for sprouted wheat berries in vegetable and grain salads. This would make way for yummy eating option.
• Instead of using refined grain, you can opt for whole wheat pita breads as the crust for making pizzas.
• For those who are in love with pasta, try the whole wheat pasta treat. They are available in different types, such as spaghetti, spirals and penne and would suit your recipe needs perfectly.

Source: Lifestyle website

The latest research is clearly supporting this vital distinction. Refined grains and the foods made from them (e.g., white breads, cookies, pastries, pasta and rice) are now being linked not only to weight gain but to increased risk of insulin resistance (the precursor of type 2 diabetes) and the metabolic syndrome (a strong predictor of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease), while eating more wholegrain foods is being shown to protect against all these ills. Common features of the metabolic syndrome include visceral obesity (the "apple shaped" body), low levels of protective HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure. (Source Whole foods website)

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 :)

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!

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!!!

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

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!

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.

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!

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!