Five Things That Changed The Way I Do Food Storage

*This is a repost from 2011
There are so many topics to cover when it comes to Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness.  So when I attended a great class Tuesday at Honeyville Grain called "Five Things That Will Change Your Mind About Food Storage", taught by the store manager Lisa Barker, it got me thinking about how to narrow down the list of all the topics of preparedness to just 5.  Lisa's 5 things are very similar to the 5 things that changed the way I do food storage and also how it has simplified my food storage. (I'll list her ideas at the end of the post) My food storage journey really began on September 11, 2001.  I remember the panicked feeling after watching the Twin Towers fall and then watching the other planes crashing into the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania, and thinking this is it!  The world is ending!  The reason I felt so panicked was I had a 6 month old, 22 month old and a 4 year old and I didn't have more than a week's worth of anything.  My baby was strictly on formula and I only had the one can of formula we were using. I grabbed the kids and went to the grocery store and bought food, paper goods, formula, you name it and I probably bought it.  

As time went by and life looked like it was going to continue I really felt the need to start and continue a food storage program.  I started with basics and had things like flour, but I really didn't know how to store it and rotate it.  I went through several ways of storing my long-term items like a Rubbermaid container, buckets etc.  What I didn't realize was I needed to have a meal plan to create my 3-month supply and at that time I was still cooking whatever sounded good that day for dinner.  I wasted so much food and was really frustrated.  Contemplating what I should do; I know that I was inspired by the Spirit when an idea came to me one Sunday afternoon, and that was to create a menu plan with an ingredient list.  I wrote down every meal that my family ate and then I made an ingredient list of all the items from those meals.  That ingredient list became a built in shopping list. I could buy my ingredients when they went on sale and have a pantry full of food that I used on a daily basis.  This is all kept in a binder with sheet protectors and there’s one for each meal.  This plan has worked for my family for several years now.  What’s great is I can tweak it as I go and add or subtract recipes when we need a change.

My ingredient list that goes with my dinner meal plan.

The ingredient list helps me to see exactly what I need to have in my storage room for a 3-month supply.  I just multiply the item by 3 (which is more than a 3-month supply, but more is better, right?)  and I purchase that quantity.  The CASE LOT sales that are a PERFECT time to purchase items for your pantry!!!  (Because if your food storage plan is to come to my house in an emergency you will probably be disappointed to find that I make you work for free food)  hahaha :)  All kidding aside you really do need a plan for your family!!


Here is my list of the 5 things that changed my mind about food storage:

1. Making a meal plan, ingredient list and shopping for items when they are on sale!!
2. Using the Food Saver to preserve my dehydrated food, spices, chocolate chips, candy, etc. 
3. Gamma Lids!!  These lids have made my life sooooo much easier!  I can open a bucket of wheat just by unscrewing the gamma lid and the resealing it without having to pry open those lids that come with the buckets. 
4. Canning and dehydrating my own food at home!  I never knew how easy it was to can your own meat!  Click HERE to view a previous post on canning meat.  I have also learned to dehydrate almost anything I can get my hands on and then sealing the food in a mason jar with the food saver.  
5. Wheat!  I have loved learning about all the things that wheat can do!  You can grind it into flour, cook it into a cereal, sprout it into a vegetable, crack it and cook it, even ice cream. I am continually amazed at what wheat can do! Making my own bread has been such a fun learning experiment.  Click HERE to see the recipe I use. 

There you have it!  The five things that changed my mind about food storage. These are Lisa's 5 things:

1. Store what you eat...eat what you store!
2. Canning my own foods.
3. Freeze Dried Foods
4. FoodSaver, Meals in a jar
5. I Dare You To Eat It, and It's In the Bag Plans 

EDUCATION IS POWER!!!!

Field Trip-- A Visit To The LDS Cannery

One of the best places to buy your food storage is at the LDS Cannery.  It is clean, organized, and inexpensive compared with other food storage retailers. The Cannery is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for the use and benefit of its members, but if you aren't a member of the Church find a friend who is and they will gladly take you to purchase food from the cannery. The volunteers that work in the cannery are happy and always willing to help you.  There are two ways to purchase your food storage from the cannery.  One is to take a few hours and can your bulk purchase in #10 cans, or you may purchase the food in bulk and can it at home.  I didn't have time in my day to stay and can my food so I purchased a few things and used my foodsaver to can them at home. 

The above stock photo is from the Church website and gives you a glimpse of how to put food into #10 cans using the canning facility. It is actually fun to do and even more so when you have a group of friends to go with you. 

The day I visited the cannery no one was canning, but I wanted to let you know what the downtown Welfare Square cannery in Salt Lake City looks like.

 I loved the quote on the wall from Harold B. Lee..." Why should the grain elevator be built?  To me there is only one answer.  The elevator stands as a prophecy of a time when we will need wheat; of a time when, perhaps, money cannot buy food."  That's a very sobering thought!

 The food storage basics for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints were also displayed on the wall.  They are plain and simple to follow.  Get the basics....store what you eat...eat what you store...store water....get your finances in order....then work on longer-term storage.  

I bought a 15lb box of dehydrated apples for $69.  These are my favorite dehydrated apples from any food storage retailer.  They are crispy and taste like dessert.  It's really hard to keep them stocked at my house.  

 I "canned" them using my foodsaver and I don't want to admit it, but it may have taken a long time to finish this project. (click HERE to see how I use my foodsaver to dry can) But I shouldn't have complained because I had no idea how long a 35lb box of dehydrated onions would take. 

If you ever want adults to look at you like you are crazy buy a 35lb box of dehydrated onions like you do it everyday.  I got the funniest comments from the volunteers at the cannery when I said I wanted the whole box.  I assured them that I had a plan for them and I knew what I was doing.  The 35lb box cost $72.00 and I think I'm set for onions in my long-term storage :)  

 It took FOREVER it seemed to get them all canned, but it was so worth it to see the final product.  Being prepared gives me peace of mind.

If you don't live near a cannery you can order a few staples, like wheat, sugar, oats, dehydrated apples, a few pastas, and pinto beans, online HERE and also download an order form there as well.  I am truly blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and some of those blessings come from continually working on my food storage.  And I love a Church that will help me accomplish this goal by providing a Cannery for my use.     

Back-To-Basics: 3-Month Supply Part 2

Part one of the back-to-basics 3-month supply was all about WHY and HOW to begin a 3-month supply.  Click HERE if you missed that post.  Today we are going to learn....

So, how do you acquire all of this food storage??

After you have planned out your meals, made an ingredient list, and know how much to buy, you will need to go shopping.  

-Unless you have the budget, DO NOT go out and buy everything you need at once and put it on a credit card!  Slow and steady wins the race. But DO put aside a little every month for your food storage.  Or put off your wants until you have fulfilled your needs. Will that fancy vacation or fun new boat feed you in rough times? Priorities!

-Peruse the local grocery ads weekly and keep your eyes peeled for the items you need for your family.  Shopping when items are on sale will save you money!!  Purchase only the amount of items that your budget allows! Even if you only buy a couple of extra items each time you shop, you'll have food storage.  Remember.... "A Case of food is you can...A Can if you can't."  Coupons can also help tremendously, if you want to go that route.

-The grocery store sales cycle about every 3 months, so if  you missed a good deal this time, it will most likely be back in 3 months.  Plan ahead when to spend your money and save up for bigger purchases.

-In Utah we are lucky to have Case Lot sales at our local grocery stores.  Food is sold in cases at a discounted price. Check with your local grocery manager, they might be able to order cases for you if you don't have case lot sales.

-Group orders and buying in bulk.  Plan with friends, family, or neighbors and split the cost and bulk. Most food storage retailers have an online store.  Sign up for emails and you'll get a heads up on sales! Black Friday, last November, had some amazing online food storage deals.

-When buying dehydrated or freeze-dried food/meals, make sure you have tried them first before buying in bulk.  Every manufacturer is slightly different and you don't want a room full of dehydrated apples that no one wants to eat because the peeling is still on them. (guess how I know :) 

-Plant a garden to save money and also to learn.  Gardening is hard work and definitely has a learning curve.  Practice now while mistakes won't cause hunger. Store seeds!!

-Share and glean fruits and veggies from neighbors, family, and friends.  This is a great way to have extra food for canning and dehydrating.  And who doesn't love getting homemade jam from a friend!

 -Learn how to dehydrate and can.  Saving money sometimes requires buying something in bulk that may have an expiration date.  You can dehydrate almost anything and store it for use later. Click HERE to see how I store my dehydrated foods using a foodsaver. Canning also allows food such as meats and veggies a much longer shelf life in storage.

-The LDS Cannery is a great place to buy bulk items.  If you have a friend that is LDS they can go with you to purchase items.  There are also several staples that can be ordered online and shipped to your home for a very reasonable cost.  Check out lds.org for more info. 

-In the western United States there is a store called Winco.  They have amazing prices on food.  I especially love their bulk bin area for spices, cocoa powder, couscous, orzo, etc.  Spices are really affordable in bulk and I highly recommend checking this store out if you live near one.  

-Be on the lookout for stores that are closing.  There was a store this week in my town that was discounting everything 20-40% off.  I got medicine, feminine products, paper goods, trash bags, and deodorant for less than shopping with coupons!  There are also great savings at closeout stores, and dollar stores.  Just being aware of what is around me, I am able to save money and stock up!

 -Walking around the grocery store today I noticed many closeout prices on medicine and personal hygiene.  The stores don't like to keep inventory around when it isn't selling. Keep a look out for sales that aren't advertised. 

It really is quite easy to accomplish a goal of having food in your home that will last three months.  It will take a minute of your time to organize your recipes and shop but, if you commit to doing this, and do all you can, you will be blessed.

My Food Storage Week In Review

I thought that I would share a few things that I did this week that either used my food storage, or added to my food storage.  

There was a situation this week in my neighborhood that was highly inconvenient, but also a great lesson for all of us.  Thursday night I received this note on my front porch.

 

What!?!?! No water!?!?! We got this notice at 8 p.m. the night before the water was going to be shut off for 8 hours.  I was really aggravated that I would not have water for that long with 5 kids, my sister, and her 2 children.  What a fun vacation for her! It was my sister's last day visiting at my home and she was planning on doing her laundry all day Friday before leaving.  Plans changed and she madly did her laundry that night.  My brilliant sister also suggested we fill up all the tubs with water so we would be able to flush the toilets the next day.  So we did this.....

All the kids took showers and we filled all the tubs.  My sister lived through Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and is a pro at not having water.  This experience also reminded me that I need to fill up my 55-gallon water barrels.  We emptied them to move and I haven't gotten around to filling them.  I see a project for this weekend!

While my sister was visiting we also did a little experiment.  My neighbor gave us an abundant supply of garden lettuce.  We couldn't eat it all and, using my foodsaver, sealed the extra in a mason jar.  I took a picture today of the jar in the fridge and as you can see, 2 weeks later, it is still edible.  I see only a small amount of browning starting on some of the white edges.

I have seen lettuce stored this way, but I have never tried it myself, and I am sold on it!!  It is a great way to extend the life of your garden and have fresh salads all the time.  Think of all the combinations you could make for lunches at work or school.  Just take some dressing on the side and shake to mix before eating!  I would place carrots and other veggies on the bottom of the jar before the lettuce and then seal.  Fast, healthy lunch options!!

Here are a few other random things that I did this week:

I made "fruit" snacks out of some very large zucchinis that my sister gave me from her garden.  Click HERE to see the post and recipe on making fruit snacks out of zucchinis.

 

For the most part, I like to make my own household cleaners and I needed to make more of my granite/glass cleaner.  We clean almost everything with this solution.

 

Whenever I need spices I head to Winco and purchase them from the bulk section.  They are so affordable and I have never doubted the quality!  I spent $28 and refilled my garlic powder, cinnamon, onion powder, cumin, ginger, curry powder, huge bag of dutch processed cocoa powder, and chili powder. To keep them all fresh I used my foodsaver and sealed them in glass jars.  And since I had my foodsaver out I sealed my freeze dried cheese in jars as well.  I had opened the #10 can and I didn't want the cheese to spoil.

This is just a sampling of how a typical week at my house is.   I really wanted to cook in my sun oven for my sister, but we had crazy thunderstorms roll in almost every afternoon. There is always a small part of preparedness going on in my home. From small beginnings come great things. - Proverb

Food Storage Gadgets

I love finding new (new to me)  food storage gadgets.  This latest find is probably not new to most of you, but I was so excited to order them.

 Canning jar lids!!!  My home bottled chicken doesn't always get used all at once and I keep it in the fridge.  (I am a vegetarian, my kids are lucky they get the amount of chicken that they do)  Many times I bend the jar lids when I pry them off so having another lid that twists on so simply, is a great thing to have!!  I also use them when I make yogurt and on the jars of canned maple syrup. No more sticky canning rings.  The canning jar fits so great in my thermal cooker and the plastic lids are perfect!!

 I bought my lids on amazon and I got 8 for around $6.  Click HERE to see them.  So you see it doesn't take much to excite me :)  But I figured if I didn't know about these, then maybe some of you could use them too!

Gimme Somethin' Good To Eat!!

I don't know about you, but chocolate has a place in my home food storage.  We have been counseled to store familiar food, comfort food, food that will keep us sane in an emergency.  So maybe I took that literally :) and I found a great way to store chocolate and candy for long term storage!!

There are only a few things that you will need to be able to store candy on your pantry shelf long term.  I have talked about using a FoodSaver before and it is essential to long term candy storage.  You will also need mason jars, lids, and of course candy.  This time of year is a great time to find candy on sale.  Look for sales after Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and stock up for a great price.

The process is simple:  buy candy, place in a mason jar, and seal with your FoodSaver.  Easy, almost too easy to have candy preserved!!

I keep my FoodSaver plugged in so it's ready to use.

 There are two ways to seal your jars with the FoodSaver. The first way, and the way I like to do it, is to use a FoodSaver canister (I got mine on Amazon.com). I place the lid and ring on my jar and set it in the FoodSaver canister and put the lid on the canister and plug in the hose.  

If you use the FoodSaver canister you have to put a ring on the jar first or it won't seal.

 Then I press the button and the FoodSaver  does all the work.  The machine will stop on its own and you will need to hit cancel, release the air with the button on top of the canister, and then check to see if your lid sealed.  You can take the ring off and if it sealed, place on your pantry shelf!  I do this with all kinds of candy;  chocolate bars, suckers, M&M's, candy canes, candy corn (leave in bag and seal the bag in the jar), Werther's, Tootsie Pops, etc. 

Another way to seal is to use the FoodSaver jar attachments to seal your jar.  In the picture of my FoodSaver above you can see one leaning against the canister.  They are a lid that fits over the mason jar (don't put a ring on your mason jar, only the lid) and you attach the hose to the top of it.  I haven't had consistent luck in sealing jars with the attachments, but sealing with the canister I rarely have a jar not seal.  And if it doesn't seal it is usually because I need a new jar lid, not because of the canister. 

What a lovely picture :)

Just at note though ***Don't store chocolate with any other kind of candy.  The chocolate will absorb the taste of other items. ***   You don't want fruity tasting Butterfinger bars, at least I don't.  This goes for chocolate chips as well.  I put my chocolate chips in mason jars and seal them up.  Ace Hardware sells the 2 gallon jars and they hold A LOT of chocolate chips!!

The 2 gallon mason jar from Ace Hardware.

After Halloween this year save some of the kiddies candy and store it for a later date.  It would be a great way to make the candy stretch so your children don't eat it all at once.  You may wonder how long the candy will last, and I know it's at least a year.  I just used some M&M's to make cookies and they tasted as fresh at when we got them on Halloween in 2010.  

"Be faithful.
Unecomber your life.
Lay up in store."  Keith B. McMullin

Shelf-Stable & Edible

I know many people think of food storage as food they would only eat if they had too.  Well, it's 2011 and food storage has come a loooong way since the days of mysterious #10 cans in the basement.  When I talk to people I almost cringe when I say the word food storage because of their most likely expression, ewww.  So I like to use the words "home store" or "filled pantry" because that just sounds like you have lots of yummy food in your house.  :)  One of the goals this month is to have at least 5 shelf-stable recipes that your family will eat.  This may seem difficult, but it is actually easy to create a meal without refrigeration. It's also easy to convert almost any recipe to a shelf-stable version...AND it is yummy!

Powdered Sour Cream, Canned Chicken, & Butter Powder

One of the ingredients that a lot of people shy away from is canned meats.  Don't be scared!! (if I can do it you ALL can do it!!)  Canned meat makes cooking so easy, just open and add to any meal you are making. You can throw together a soup or casserole in minutes.  There are many varieties available and this is one area of food storage that you must purchase and sample for yourself to see what you prefer.  I personally don't eat meat (fish only) so I can't tell you what to buy, but I do know that many people prefer the canned meats from Costco (chicken and roast beef).  I like to can my own chicken because my kids think store canned chicken tastes like tuna.  Which is fine, but when it is suppose to taste like chicken a tuna flavor really doesn't cut it.  Check around and see what brand you like. {Click HERE & HERE to view previous posts on canning chicken}  Another great option is to have freeze-dried chicken on hand.  When it is re-hydrated it looks EXACTLY like cubed chicken!! I know Honeyville sells it and if you go into their store they will let you sample it!!  That is a great way to see if you will like it!

There are other ingredients that make food taste so good, like cheese, sour cream, butter, and eggs.  These are all foods that must be refrigerated, so how do you make shelf-stable recipes without them?  I have been using powdered eggs, sour cream, and butter, and they honestly work just like the real thing.  I have added powdered sour cream to enchiladas and white chicken chili and not one person said it tasted funny.  Powdered eggs work so well in all my baking that I rarely have real eggs on hand.  I will buy real eggs when they are on sale for hard boiled eggs, but other than that we use powdered eggs.  Honeyville Grain has a really cool product called Ova Eggs and they are fabulous for making scrambled eggs.

Cheese is probably the one food that I don't want to be out of.  My kids will eat cheese with everything and it really makes a casserole edible :)  Being able to make a cheese sauce,  pizza, or even a topping for a baked potato in an emergency, would make my kids feel there was some sense of normalcy.  Having foods that we are comfortable with will help a bad situation not seem as bad.  I also think about food prices going higher and higher, and just knowing that I have some alternate ways of making the food we love is so comforting.  There are several ways to store cheese.  One way is to purchase freeze-dried cheese in #10 cans.  When re-hydrated, with cool water, it looks, tastes, and bakes just like real cheese....I promise!!!!  You can also store Tillamook cheese (the orange shrink wrapped blocks) on a shelf in a dark, cool place for about 7 months.  It gets sharper with time so start with a mild cheese. There is also a canned cheese from New Zealand, but it's pricey.  It does have a place though because you can slice it, spread it and it melts really good.  I like to store cheese in several different ways so I have options.  (Emergency Essentials sells the canned cheese.)

Red Feather Canned Butter

Butter can also be found in a powder form and in a can.  The powder form is cheaper than the canned version, so start with that if you want to experiment.  I use it a lot in baking because you can't tell the difference!  Butter is also getting so expensive, so I like to save my real butter for important baking and cooking, and use the powdered form in everything else.  The one con in using powdered butter is that it really can't be used for spreading on toast, or in a cube-of-butter kind of way, but it's great for baking!!  The canned version, which you can spread, can be bought at Emergency Essentials or online.  It is upwards of $7 for 12oz., but you can spread it and it tastes really good. 

Gossners Milk

We are really lucky here in Utah because we have a great company called Gossners up in Logan.  They make shelf-stable milk and whipping cream (and lots of cheese, not shelf-stable, but so good).  We are also lucky because we can purchase the milk at the Dollar Store!!  I buy a few every time I go to the Dollar Store. The whipping cream is available from Gossners or Honeyville Grain, and I love to have a few of them on hand to add to soups.  The Hershey's brand of milk and the Horizon brand also make shelf stable milk in juice box form.  You can find those at the grocery store.  And if you think boxed milk tastes gross, ask my kids, they all drink it and eat it on cereal.  It is actually very good milk!!

If you haven't read through "It's in the Bag" by Michelle and Trent snow, you need to!!   Every recipe is shelf-stable and really good.  Their system of food storage is quite clever.  You store every item needed to make an entire meal and store it in a bag.  This is great for food storage, but also for an easy way for kids or even your husband to make dinner.  I have made several of the recipes from their book and they have all been delicious, but we really enjoyed the White Chicken Chili.


White Chicken Chili
2 (13 oz)cans chicken, drained, or 1 quart home-canned chicken
4 C water
2 cans Great Northern Beans, drained
1 (4oz) can diced green chilies
1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1/3 C dried onions
1 1/2 t garlic powder
1 t salt
1 t cumin
1 t oregano
1/2 t black pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
**If available add 1 C sour cream and 1 pint whipping cream (I used 1/2 C sour cream powder 1/2 C water and 1 small box of Gossner's whipping cream)
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and simmer over medium heat until hot.  Serve hot. 

Prepare Today Homemade-Canning Maple Flavored Pancake Syrup

I have a tip for you, don't buy maple syrup at the grocery store (unless it is the real thing), it is a rip off!!  You are paying for sugar and water, and it is so easy to make.  I used to make syrup on a need-to-use basis, but it kept me from making fun breakfast items because I didn't want to make the syrup right then.  I found a great recipe for canning maple syrup, it tastes great, and doesn't crystallize!!

First you are going to boil 2 C of sugar, 1 C water, and 2 T Karo syrup.  

Sorry it is blurry but I was hurrying :)

 When is comes to a boil you will add 1/2 t maple flavoring and stir.

 Have your jars and lids ready to go (heated and clean) and using a funnel, fill to a 1/2" head space.  Wipe off the rims, add your lids and tighten your rings.

 Process pints for 7 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

So pretty and so easy to grab one off the shelf for breakfast.  I keep them in the fridge once opened with the canning ring to close them.  The recipe below is for a regular batch of syrup, but I needed enough for 10 pint jars so I multiplied by 7 to get enough syrup.


Bottled Maple Syrup
(originally from Prepared Not Scared)
2 C white sugar
1 C water
2 T Karo syrup
1/2 t maple flavoring
Bring the sugars and water to a boil.  Add maple flavoring and stir.  Pour into clean, sterilized jars, leaving about 1/2" head space.  Wipe the rims and place lids on.  Process in a boiling water bath canner for pints 7 minutes. Remember to start your timing when the water has started boiling again. Remove jars to a cooking rack or towel and let cool before storing.  

Now you have syrup ready to go!  If you made up a pancake or waffle mix you could have your kids make you breakfast :)  

Mix-A-Meal Cookbook

Do you want to spend less time in the kitchen and still make delicious meals for your family?  I know I do, especially in this July heat.  I attended another great class at Honeyville Grain today that was taught by the Mix-A-Meal ladies.  If you haven't heard of Mix-A-Meal, it is a cookbook with recipes for mixes that you make in bulk and then incorporate them into your daily cooking.

With Mix-A-Meal you will:

• Save up to 90% of the cost of commercial mixes by making your own delicious and tasty mixes! 
• Spend less time in the kitchen and enjoy that good old-fashioned taste.
• Lower the preservative content in your foods.
• Adjust mixes as necessary to fit special dietary needs.
• Make a shelf-stable mix for traveling, camping trips or unexpected company.
• Enjoy no-nonsense cleanup.  Just add water or a few simple ingredients.
• Give fun and useful gifts for any occasion (Baby & Wedding showers, Christmas, Neighbor gifts,etc)

The Mix-A-Meal Ladies

I know I wouldn't use a mix for everything I make, but there are several mixes I feel would be handy to have on hand.  The ladies showed us the onion soup mix and then they made a dip and Swedish meatballs with a white sauce with the onion soup mix.  I am not an onion dip fan, but this tasted really good! It didn't have that processed, fake food taste to it.  
Onion Soup Mix 
Combine:
2/3 C dehydrated chopped onions
1/2 C beef bouillon
1/2 C dehydrated butter or margarine
2 T cornstarch
2 t onion powder
2 t parsley flakes
Mix well and store in a quart jar.  Use in any dry onion soup recipe. 1/3-1/4 C of the mix equals one package dry onion soup mix.

These are the mixes that I am going to put together:

• Banana bread mix (I just canned 20 pints of bananas and this will make banana bread a snap to make!!!) 
• Onion Soup Mix
• Waffle Mix (my kids use this all the time by themselves to make breakfast)
• Tortilla Mix (again, don't ask about the first time :) 
• Hot Roll Mix

There are many more in the book, but these are the mixes I feel I would use. You can purchase the book on amazon.com  OR support your local business' and buy it at Honeyville Grain!!  

Honeyville does not compensate me for saying all the good things I do, I just honestly feel they are a wonderful company and they offer amazing products.  Honeyville is having the most incredible Prepare Your Ark Preparedness Fair on August 5th & 6th!!  They will have classes, giveaways (a Sun Oven, Volcano Stove, just to name a few!!), demonstrations, food & more!!  On Saturday there will be a free breakfast that includes, eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns, & drinks-all using food storage items!!

Honeyville Classes are taught by the experts in home storage and emergency preparedness.  I encourage you all the attend those that interest you!  They are FREE and so informative (plus we have fun and eat yummy food)!!  I have met some amazing friends in these classes along with learning useful information. 

Tuesday, July 19, 11 AM – “I Dare You to Eat It!” by Liesa Card.  You love her Wheat Fiesta Salad and now come and find out how easy it is to understand food storage and how it works best for your family.

Tuesday, July 26, 11 AM – “Pressure Cooking – Perfect Under Pressure!” with Lisa Barker.  Wouldn’t we all love to have a little more time in our day?  With an electric pressure cooker you can cut down on the time spent in the kitchen so that you can spend more time OUT of the kitchen.

Upcoming class during August - "Replacing the Five White Deaths", "All About Oats", "Dehydrating", "Coconut Oil-It's A Must", "Canning Basics"

Watch for our Preparedness Fair August 5 – 6th - Classes, Demo’s, Fabulous Prizes - You really shouldn’t miss this event!  Some of the Teachers are: Chef Tess, professional chef and nationally known blogger, Debbie Kent, presenter at BYU-Idaho Education Week, Glen Weeks, Leisa Card & Michelle Snow among others.

Call the store for more information about the classes & fair  801-972-2168
Honeyville Grain
635 No. Billy Mitchell Rd.
Salt Lake City

Check out the goals for July and get your water storage!!

Enjoy the journey!
Enjoy the blessings!
Feel the PEACE!!

Cooking Without Power

I thought living in Utah meant sunny days and warm weather, but I guess Mother Nature is in control and she hasn't received that message yet this year.  When I received my Sun Oven I thought I would be able to cook in it about 85% of the year.  Yeah...I think there is some kind of weird connection between the clouds coming out and me using my Sun Oven.  It was sunny all morning today and I decided to get out my Sun Oven to make some brownies.  Within minutes the clouds rolled in and the sun only peeked out every half hour or so.  I did leave the brownies in the oven and it did reach a temperature of 220 degrees, but the clouds are here to stay and so I'll finish the brownies inside.  





Photo credit:  Utahpreppers.com

I have been noting the sunny days lately and I would probably only have been able to cook my family a meal in the sun oven about 4 times in the last 3 weeks.  This got me thinking about how I would prepare food for my family if I couldn't solely use my sun oven.  I have been trying out some of my recipes with home canned chicken and American Beauty Quick Cook pasta. Guess what?  I can get a meal cooked and served in 10 minutes!!  Those quick cook noodles are a food storage addicts dream!  If you had to use a camp stove or propane stove, conserving  fuel will be a concern.  So I boil my water and cook the noodles in 3 minutes, open a bottle of chicken and throw a quick sauce together, dinner is done!

To add variety to my meals I would need to plan on baking quite a bit in my sun oven when the sun is actually out.  This way I could have muffins or bread for those days I couldn't use the sun oven.  It all takes a little planning but I can see how I would get a system down of baking and cooking with the sun oven and having bread for my weekly meals. 

My suggestion is to learn how to bottle your own meat. (I know you can buy it at Costco, but my kids think the chicken tastes like tuna)  It is a relatively simple process and if you can find a great deal on meat you are saving a TON of money.  Watch the video below for detailed instructions on how to can chicken.  The only change you will need to make is that we live above 5000 feet and you need to vent the canner for 10 minutes before placing the weight on.  PLEASE read the instructions for your canner!!

May is almost over!! Get those goals accomplished!  Click HERE to see the goals for May!

Check out the blog on Monday's for a new series of posts titled "Prepare Today Homemade"!!  Learn some fun, new recipes using your 3-month and long-term storage.

Enjoy the journey!

Enjoy the blessings!

Feel the peace!! 

Cooking Without Power-Canned Meats

The emergency preparedness goal for May is to be able to cook without power.  There are many different types of stoves to choose from that use fuel to cook with, but have you thought of how much fuel that would take every day to cook food for your family?  I attended a canning class this week and learned so much more about the world of canning.  

Jars of canned meat.  Chicken, ground beef, and London broil.

Afton Baxer taught the class, held at Honeyville Grain, and she focused the class on canning meats.  Knowing how to can your own meat will free up your freezer, and allow you to have dinner on the table in minutes!  When chicken goes on sale I will purchase large quantities and freeze it all.  But what would happen to my precious meat storage if the electricity went out?  If you had canned all of the meat it would be shelf-stable and safe in your storage.  I have tried canning chicken and it went so smoothly and easily!  I love the convenience of opening a jar of chicken that is ready to go for multiple recipes!! Chicken isn't the only meat that works for canning:  roast, bacon, London broil, fish, etc.  You name it and it can probably be canned!

Presto Canner

Canning meat is not complicated at all, it just takes some time.  You will need a canner (not at pressure cooker), mason jars, lids, and meat.  To can chicken you trim the fat, pack into the jars (not to tightly), wipe the rims, place the lids on and stack in your canner. No need to add any liquid to the jars!  The chicken will make it's own juice and you'll end up with delicious broth!  If you have a larger canner make sure to place a can rack in between the layers of jars.  I live above 5000 feet so I would get my canner to 13lbs of pressure for 75 minutes pints and 90 minutes for quarts.  Please read the instructions that came with your canner for the correct times and pressure for your canner!!  And DO NOT leave your canner when it is on the stove.  You have to monitor the pressure gage to make sure it doesn't go to high!

{Afton Baxter will be teaching a series of canning classes at Honeyville Grain on June 14, 21 & 28th.  To attend you will need to pay $25 for food samples and materials.  She is amazing and knows ALL about canning, so bring your questions!  I will be going if anyone would like a ride!}

All-American Canner

I own a Presto canner, which you can find for around $80 on amazon.com, but I would love to own the All-American canner someday.  The All-American canner doesn't have a rubber gasket in the lid and so it won't ever need a replacement part, but they are definitely more expensive to own.  If you find a canner at a garage sale or second hand store snatch it up quick!  You can visit your cities extension services to have the gauge checked.


Salt Lake Extension Services
2100 S. State
801-468-3170 

Now I have a tip that I feel will change the world of canning.  I don't know why more people don't know this but did you know YOU CAN REUSE YOUR CANNING LIDS OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!!  As long as the rubber ring is in tact and the metal parts of the lid aren't dented you can reuse them!  All these years the canning companies have had us buying new lids!!!  So give it a try next time you are canning and save yourself some money!!

Another great idea that I learned is that you can can bacon!!  Cut your bacon into thirds and roll in strips of parchment paper and fit into the jar.  Process in the canner and now you have shelf-stable bacon!  To crisp it up when you open the jar just warm it in a frying pan.  Who knew?  Click HERE to see a great pictorial lesson on canning bacon. They use brown paper, but you could also use parchment paper.  Or click HERE to see how to can bacon after cutting it into pieces.

If you are interested in canning ground beef then CLICK HERE for more information.  I don't eat ground beef so I don't can it :)

Check out the rest of the May goals HERE!  

Enjoy the journey!
Enjoy the blessings!
Feel the peace!