Self-Reliant Saturdays

Saturday is the one day of the week where I feel like I can catch up on life, and maybe have a minute or two to focus on finishing up the many projects I have.  It is also a great day to take a few moments and accomplish a food storage related task.  I was inspired by the Mormon Channels January of Self-Reliant Saturdays.  I am going to run with this idea and post a Self-Reliant Saturday idea/goal/quote, every weekend here on Prepare Today.  I will also link you to the Mormon Channels posts every week. Sometimes the larger goals that we make can overwhelm us and we don't ever complete them. My hope is that by sharing a few of the smaller self-reliant goals and ideas that I have, maybe you will feel inspired to accomplish them, and then feel motivated to move onto the larger goals.  

Today's Goal

 Gather a change of clothing (winter clothing if necessary), including underwear, shoes, and socks, for each family member.  Include winter coats, boots, gloves, hats, etc. Store them in your 72-hour kits, or in an accessible plastic bin that is ready to go at a moments notice.  (Remember that it's easier to turn winter clothing into summer clothing. ie: cutting pants into shorts and longer sleeved shirts into short sleeved t-shirts. You can store clothing for both summer and winter, but if you're short on space go with winter clothing only.)

Here is the link for week 2 of the Mormon Channel's Self-Reliant Saturday post.  Click HERE

Complete Proteins and More!

This month we are storing grains.  As a vegetarian I love grains, but I also need to make sure I get enough protein in my diet.  I am sure that many of you know that if you eat beans and rice together you are eating a complete protein. Longer term storage is kind of tricky when you need to store meats and dairy products.  In the event we don't have meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and fresh milk products you can eat grains along with a complementing protein, and have a protein equivalent to meat!

From peaceofpreparedness.com:

"Planning meals around these complementary food combinations will provide the complete proteins needed by the body.  In many cases it will be better than a meat protein.  Complementing proteins should be eaten withing the same day."
WHEAT + BEANS                         RICE + LEGUMES
WHEAT + MILK                            RICE + MILK
BEANS + MILK               
CEREAL + MILK                         

WATER STORAGE GOALS: 
Have you stored any water this week?

3-MONTH STORAGE GOAL: 

Store  your water in different containers as well as in different locations.  If you keep all your water in your basement and your house collapses, where are you going to get your water from.  Keep water in your car, basement, kitchen, backyard, under the stairs, etc.

I found a great recipe this week for Creamy Chicken Taquitos and it uses mostly items that you would have in your 3-month storage.  Remember that your 3-month storage includes the food in your refrigerator and freezer.  Items like green onions and cilantro would be in my fridge because I use them quite often.  Don't think of your 3-month storage as only items in a can or box!!
Click HERE To see this yummy recipe from Our Best Bites! 

 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS GOAL:

How are your car kits coming along?  Have you thought of how you would stay warm?  I made a #10 can heater to keep in my car.  It is VERY easy to put together and requires just some household ingredients.  CLICK HERE to see the instructions from Food Storage Made Easy!! Just a note, they use a hot cocoa can in the picture and that won't work for a heater as the can in not made out of metal.  You need a metal can like a #10 can.  For a more advanced heater check out their post HERE.  


FINANCIAL GOAL:

Did you put away a few extra dollars this week?  Keep your money in your 72-hour kits or another safe place.  Have your money in small bills only.  You don't want to have to pay for something with a $20 because you don't have a smaller bill, assume you won't be able to get change. 

Click HERE to view the complete list of goals for January.  You can get most of them accomplished by shopping at the case lot sales!! Grains, water, and 3-month supply items are all on sale!!!
 



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

Live Your Best Self-Reliant Life in 2011!!

Live Your Best Self-Reliant Life in 2011!!!

This is our goal for 2011, to live our lives without having to rely on others.  Every month we will have goals to help us get closer to becoming self-reliant!  "When we accept the responsibility for our own and our family's well-being, we are better able to sustain ourselves in our everyday lives.  We are better prepared to endure times of adversity without becoming dependent upon others." (Providing In The Lord's Way p. 5) 

When we become self-reliant it enables us to help others!!  I know that food storage and emergency preparedness can seem daunting and overwhelming, but "we can not be self-reliant without being willing to work.  Work is physical, mental, or spiritual effort.  The Lord has commanded us to work (see Genesis 3:17-19), for work is the source of happiness, self-esteem, and prosperity"

I challenge all of you to commit to the goals we have set for 2011 and provide your family with a feeling of peace.  Knowing that you have provided a way for your family to be prepared will ease your mind and allow you to help others.

3-Month Goals:  

Have you inventoried your pantry to see what grains you need to purchase? There are many types of grains to choose from!!

• Wheat 25lbs $7.65 at the LDS Cannery
• Store your wheat in 5 gallon buckets with Gamma Lids.  Gamma Lids are on sale in January for $5.99 ea at Emergency Essentials (33rd S. West Temple)
• Pasta is on sale at Harmons during the case lot sale!
• Flour is also on sale at Harmons for $3.00 for 10lbs!
• Check out all the grocery deals HERE!!

Water  

• Get 24 packs of Kroger water for $2.50 during the case lot sale!
• One 24 pack of water=3 gallons (1 gallon per person per day for storage)

Financial Goals  

• Have you saved a few dollars this week?  
• You can save for a rainy day or save to buy food storage.  

Emergency Preparedness Goal:   

• Do you have water in your car?
• What about food?  Granola bars are a great food item to store in your car.  
• Make sure to have blankets and gloves in your car kits!!

Click HERE to view the January goals.

Enjoy the Journey!
Enjoy the blessings!
Feel the Peace!!

Welcome to 2011!!

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2011!!  A new year means time to organize, set goals, get healthy, and get prepared!!!

This year we will have long-term food storage goals along with emergency preparedness goals, water storage goals, 3-month supply goals, and financial reserve goals.  I am following the plan from the First Presidency (LDS church leaders) and the information from the Family Home Storage pamphlet. {click HERE to read the pamphlet}

We will have goals in all five areas each month!  Don't get scared :)  They are relatively easy and only take some effort on your part to accomplish them each month.  I will list the long-term goals on the side of the blog for reference. All the other goals will come out in the monthly newsletter at church and the first Saturday of every month on the blog.


Gather a 3-Month Supply

• Build a small supply of food and supplies that are part of your everyday, normal diet!
• Our goal for January is to buy extra items (you decide if you buy 1 or more) EVERY TIME you run to the store!
• Watch for sales on soups, vitamins and health food.
• Stock up when items are on SALE!!

Store Water 

•  Store 14 gallons of water per person.
• This is an approximate 2 week supply. I would recommend you store as much as you can.
• The goal for January is to store at least 1 gallon per person every week of the month.

Financial Reserve 

• Establish a financial reserve by saving a little money each week and gradually increasing it to a reasonable amount.
• Read the advice from the Church HERE.
• The goal for January is to set aside a few dollars each week in the month.

Emergency Preparedness

• Although this category is not listed on the Home Storage pamphlet, it is really important and we will have a goal each month.
• The goal for January is to have a fully stocked car kit in every vehicle you own.  
• Include blankets, water, food, flashlights, folding shovel, candle, matches, gloves, hats, boots (for those who wear work shoes), toilet paper, extra cash, baby items, etc! Customize it to your family's needs.

Not to add more to this months goals, but I would recommend having a family night and establishing your family plan.  Click HERE to see a wonderful outline on what to have in your family plan.


I know the importance of preparing and we will all be blessed when we follow the Lord's commandments!  This will be a year full of learning and preparing! 

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

Preparedness 101

With all of the news coming from the disaster stricken Haiti, I am consumed with thinking "what if this had happened in our state?". The last 2 weeks I have pondered daily of how prepared my family is for an earthquake or other disaster. Having our 72-hour kits in order and in a place that is easily accessible and making sure we have plenty of water are top of the priority list for me.

I am pretty much begging all of you to store water. Money has no currency in Haiti, they only wanted water those first days after the earthquake. So I am pleading with all of you to have several sources of water in your home. Under the stairs, under your bed, in the car, a 55 gallon container, or any soda or juice bottle (that has been sanitized-click here to learn more) will work. This week you all need to store at least a couple of gallons per person.

Another great idea, that came out of the unthinkable situation where children were being claimed by the wrong parents, is to have ID cards with pictures in every one's 72-hour kits. You need to have one ID card with all your information and also a family photo that shows everyone together. This could also be copied and put in your child's school backpack. Your children may vary well be at school when an earthquake hits. Keep all the information in Zip lock bags to avoid getting wet. 

Click HERE to print out some great information sheets that the Pleasant Grove Ward has put together. You just need to print out one copy per person in your family. So now that all the work is done for you, what are you waiting for?




Get your 72-hour kits together today! The pictures to the right give 2 examples of a 72-hour kit in a backpack and in a 5 gallon bucket. Pick what works for you and make sure that the kit can be carried. Have a first aid kit, and shoes near your bed in case of an emergency at night, and have water stored.

Please don't delay any longer. The disaster in Haiti should have given us all a BIG wake up call as to what we could experience here in Utah. Click HERE to view information on earthquakes in Utah.

Click HERE to view a previous post on water and 72-hour kits.

January Self-Reliant Goals:

Powdered Milk 16lbs PP: Purchase milk at the LDS cannery for the best price. If you can only go down and buy the 25lb bags that is great, it is a start.

Non-Food Storage Goal: Bleach 1 gallon per person. This will be used for cleaning and water purification.

72-Hour Kit Goal: Gather a change of clothes including underwear and shoes for every family member. Include warm coats and boots or have them immediately accessible. Also put $20 in cash in small bills in your kits.

Enjoy the journey!

Enjoy the blessings!

Feel the peace!!

Powdered Milk As A Sugar Substitute

As we continue our powdered milk journey this month I came across an interesting idea. Powdered milk can replace the white sugar in baking. I had to try this out. I tried out my favorite chocolate chip recipe and replaced all sorts of ingredients for the naughty stuff in them. I will write the recipe as it should be and in the parenthesis I will list the replacement I used. Just a note, the cookies won't brown as much as usual because there is no butter or white sugar in them and you have to spray your cookie sheet since the fat will be removed. (I learned that the hard way :)

After the cookie recipe I came across a recipe for a sugar free frosting recipe using Splenda and powdered sugar. I am not big on using "fake" (meaning I would rather use white sugar than a replacement that is fake) food but if you have diabetes and need to eliminate sugar this may work for you.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (the healthy way)

2 C flour (substitute 2 c wheat flour)

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

3/4 C butter, melted (substitute 3/4 C applesauce)

1 C brown sugar

1/2 C white sugar (substitute 1/2 C powdered milk)

1 T vanilla

1 egg (use powdered egg 1 T powder + 2 T water just added don't need to premix)

1 egg yolk (I used 1 T egg powder and only 1 T water)

2 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. Cream the butter (applesauce) and sugars (powdered milk). It won't really cream like real butter just mix well. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and then add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Take 1/4 C dough and place on cookie sheet 3" apart. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Remember they won't brown like real cookies so don't go by color when you think they are done. Mine took about 16 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet.

Confectioners Sugar Replacement

2 C powdered milk

2 C cornstarch

1 C Splenda (sugar substitute)

Combine all in a blender or food processor and whip until well blended and powdered. Use as a frosting, baking, etc.

January Self-Reliant Goals:
Storage Goal: Powdered Milk 16lbs PP: Powdered milk at the cannery now costs $34.80 for a $25lb bag. If you can only go down and buy the 25lb bags that is great, it is a start.
Non-Food Storage Goal: Bleach 1 gallon per person. This will be used for cleaning and water purification.
72-Hour Kit Goal: Gather a change of clothes including underwear and shoes for every family member. Include warm coats and boots or have them immediately accessible. Also put $20 in cash in small bills in your kits.

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

Powdered Milk Continued.......

Today's post comes from a friend of mine who knows everything there is to know about powdered milk. Keep an open mind as you read through the recipes and don't think that it is too difficult to make yogurt or cottage cheese. 

(information below from Jodee Packer)

There are several varieties of powdered milk (of course, there are flavored ones as well -- like chocolate!). Storage temperature is very critical in the long term keeping of powdered milks. The cooler, the longer it will keep the flavor on the palatable end (of course, using nitrogen pack/oxygen absorbers as well). Using a bucket or very large container for storage does work -- but it must be used more rapidly than that quantity in smaller containers due to exposure to oxygen upon opening. Mylar pouches or cans are ideal for most people. Keep sealed tight once opened -- moisture in the air will cause clumping. 

Regular nonfat (non-instant):

• more expensive, but you use less product
• averages about .80 cents per gallon of skim milk when reconstituted

This is the product sold by the LDS Cannery and several other companies. It is a dense dairy dehydrated milk powder that generally takes a bit of good mixing to get it to dissolve back into water without lumps -- using a blender or a whisk. It is milk that is basically spray-dried and put through one pass in the dehydration process. For the best flavor, shelf life is 3-5 years. After that, the flavor can start to definitely go down hill, although it is still usable for up to 10+ depending on storage environment. It can be used in all cooking. Do make sure it is well blended into dry ingredients when added in as a powder, or you can get powdered milk lumps. This can be sold as fortified and not fortified with vitamins A and D. Be sure and get one fortified, as these vitamins help with proper nutrient absorption.

Non-Instant Milk /Instant Store Milk

(picture from Adventures in Self Reliance)

Instant nonfat:

• cheaper to buy, but you use about twice as much in the long run

There is large crystallized versus small crystallized that is more of a powder in appearance. The product sold by the grocery stores is mostly large crystallized granules (Carnation, Smiths brand, etc.) and milk purchased this way is the most expensive per pound. In large bulk bags, like Maple Island, Country Cream, Country Pride, Best Pack, and Walton (Humboldt) brands -- these are just dehydrated like the regular, but run through the process a second time in order to make a slightly larger size of the powder than the regular -- so it is lighter and airier and thus dissolves into water more readily than the regular. For the best flavor, shelf life is 3-5 years, after that, the flavor does start to change, but just as with the regular, it still can be used for years even if the flavor is off. Can be used in all cooking. Same as with regular nonfat milk, this can be sold as fortified and not fortified with vitamins A and D. Be sure and get one fortified, as these vitamins help with proper nutrient absorption. 

Whole: This is powdered milk with the milk-fats left in and usually runs around 4% milk fat when reconstituted. Because of this fat, it has a very short shelf life -- closer to 3 years nitrogen packed. Several sources recommend storing this powder refrigerated. Maple Island does make a whole milk powdered product in addition to their nonfat products (www.maple-island.com). This would be an excellent item to have on hand with younger children or children with health concerns requiring higher caloric intake.

Whey based: Morning Moo is an example of this type of product. They use the sweet dairy whey as the base and then add in vitamins A & D to fortify the product to come up with a milk alternative drink. This is dissolved into tepid hot water and then cold water can be added. Shelf life usually runs about 5 + years based on temperature stored. It can be used in recipes that call for fluid milk except puddings, ice cream and yogurt (note: Morning Moos milk contains less fat than whole milk and will not set up in products that need fat as a thickener). Although Morning Moos milk takes hot water to mix the ingredients, a very small amount of hot water is needed, only one cup to dissolve the ingredients for 8 c of milk. During freezing temps and if you don't have ready access to warm water -- you might want to consider a solar cooker set up to warm up your water to dissolve this product.

Soy and rice based: For those allergic to milk from cows, soy based and rice based products are available. Generally, they are very expensive and hard to come by in the powdered form. It is most often readily available only in the fluid fortified form -- not the powder for making up yourself. However, it is possible to get the powdered product, but it is pricey and hard to come by. You can also just make your own milk from rice or soybeans, but it will not be fortified (directions located in several cookbooks and websites). Alternate sources for calcium intake need to be evaluated. Sources for those with allergies or concerns: Dixie's Soy Milk : 1-800-233-3668 ext. 300, www.dixiediner.com; Better Than Milk : Rice or Soy 1-800-227-2320 by Fuller Life Company; Soy Quick by Ener-G 1-800-331-5222; Trophic's Best (Tofu Delight) by the Blue Chip Group 1-801-263-6667. These can be made yourself, but again, evaluate for calcium levels and supplementation. Foods made with low fat powdered milk will have fewer calories and less cholesterol than those made from whole milk. Adding additional powdered milk to the recipe will enhance the nutritive value of the recipe without increasing fat content. So, for children struggling to eat enough calories, adding extra powdered milk in with the dry ingredients is definitely a great alternative.

Reconstituting Powdered Milk

This is a table I Use for replacing powdered milk for regular milk in my recipes.
 
*1/4 cup milk = 1/4 cup water & 1 1/2 Tablespoons Powder Milk

*1/3 cup milk = 1/3 cup water & 2 Tablespoons + 1 Tsp. Powder Milk

*1/2 cup milk = 1/2 cup water & 3 Tablespoons Powder Milk

*1 cup milk = 1 cup water & 1/3 cup Powder Milk

*1 quart milk = 3 3/4 cup water & 1 1/3 cups Powder Milk

*2 quarts milk = 7 2/3 cups water & 2 2/3 cups Powder Milk

*1 gallon milk = 15 1/2 cups water & 5 1/3 cups 

Powdered Milk
The table above will help you work out the amount of powdered milk you will need to prepare a specific measurement of liquid milk. 

Here are some tips to help the milk turn out as fresh tasting as possible: Fill your pitcher or container with half the amount of water you will be using. Measure in the appropriate amount of dry milk powder. Stir to dissolve. Fill the pitcher with the balance of the water called for above. Stir again and chill. Use cool water when possible. The powder tends to dissolve more readily in cool water. Stir the milk a lot, to dissolve the milk powder. Then let the milk sit for a little while and stir again. The protein in the milk powder blends most easily if it gets a chance to stand after mixing. Powdered milk may be used immediately after mixing if desired. For the best flavor chill the milk for at least 4 hours or overnight.


Homemade Cottage Cheese

This is the best and easiest recipe. Tastes just like the stuff you get in the store for a fraction of the cost. The best part - it only takes 5 minutes or less to make!
2 cups water
3 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar (vinegar is cheaper and stores better, either one is fine to use, the taste isn't affected either way)
3/4 cup dry milk powder (non-instant like from LDS cannery)
OR 1 1/2 cups instant (country pride or stuff from grocery store)
If using dry milk powder, blend water and dry milk together and heat in a saucepan until it starts to steam, stirring constantly, then remove from heat; or place in microwave and heat until it foams and rises to top of bowl. If using instant milk, bring water to a boil and remove from heat, then stir in milk with a wire whisk. DRIP juice/vinegar around the edge of the pan and gently stir, milk will immediately start to curdle, separating into curds and whey. Let rest 1 minute. Pour into a colander, rinse with HOT water, then rinse with cold water and break apart into as small of curds as you want. (do this for about 1 minute until no whey drips.) Makes about 1 1/2 cups curds. Add sour cream or yogurt to cream. Add salt to taste. Use non-instant dry milk powder for ricotta and instant for table use or when you are in a hurry.



Broccoli Soup
Serves 8 cups
3 cups broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups milk (4 C. water + 1 C Powdered milk reconstituted)
4 T cornstarch
1/2 t salt
2 pinch pepper
2 pinch thyme, ground (I skipped this and it tasted great)
1/2 cup cheese, cheddar or swiss, grated (I used about 1 cup)
Place veggies and broth in saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook until veggies are tender, about 8 minutes. Mix milk, cornstarch, salt, pepper and thyme; add to cooked vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly (or it will scorch pan), until soup is slightly thickened and mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat, add cheese and stir until melted.

Powdered Milk Yogurt Recipe

There are many uses for yogurt beyond the obvious. Here are some of the ways we use it: mixed with granola, as a sour cream substitute, to make smoothies, to make fruity yogurt Popsicle, to make salad dressings, to make yogurt cheese, etc. Times do not reflect the incubation period.
10 min 10 min prep

SERVES 6 -8 , 1 quart

• 3 3/4 cups warm tap water
• 1 cup powdered milk (non-instant)
• 2-4 tablespoons Dannon plain yogurt (LIVE CULTURES REQUIRED)

1. Combine the warm water with the powdered milk and place in a medium saucepan. (I sometimes blend some of the water with the powdered milk in my electric blender to make it smooth or use an emulsion blender.)
2. (You could add 1/3 C sugar and 1 T vanilla extract at this point for vanilla yogurt. Try other flavorings too.).
3. Heat the milk mixture to 180 degrees or until small bubbles form on the side of the pan and the milk begins to rise up (about 5 minutes.).
4. Pour the scalded milk into a pitcher and allow to cool to 100 degrees (about 50 minutes). When the milk mixture has cooled to 100 degrees, stir in the yogurt starter (Dannon yogurt).
5. Pour the yogurt into a clean quart canning jar and cover with the lid. Wrap the jar in a towel or blanket and place in a Styrofoam cooler. Be sure it is wrapped tight without any room for air to circulate around the jars. Pack it snug. Let the yogurt incubate in the box for 9 hours.
6. Remove the jars from the hay box and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
7. Note: You can add a couple T of your favorite fruit jam in the bottom of the glass jars before pouring the unset yogurt mixture into the jars.
8. Save a bit of the yogurt from this batch (before adding any sugar or flavoring or it won't set) to use as the starter for your next batch - so you don’t have to buy the Dannon Yogurt again. Well, at least not for a while. Eventually you might want to start with a fresh starter as the taste will get stronger with each batch (about every third or fourth time).
9. You can buy a large container of Dannon Yogurt and freeze the unused portion in ice cube trays to use for later yogurt batches.
10. Chill.

Cream Cheese/Yogurt Cheese: Line a colander with a clean, damp piece of cloth. Pour prepared yogurt into the cloth. (Remember not to add sugar or vanilla if making sour cream or cream cheese.) Allow the yogurt to drain overnight. In the morning the remaining solids will be yogurt cheese. They can be used anywhere you would use cream cheese or thick sour cream.

With practice you can also make Ricotta or Cottage cheese and with more practice and a Rennet tablet you can make mozzarella.
**These recipes may seem time consuming and maybe even intimidating, but they are so useful. You don't want to wait for an emergency to have to learn these skills so please challenge yourself to try at least to make yogurt. I have a yogurt maker that the yogurt mixture goes in to incubate. I love it and the yogurt is so much better than store bought. (Check the instructions that come with your maker because my recipe is slightly different than the one above) If I can make yogurt then anyone can!! I am not a great cook but I figured it out and it is easier than making bread :)

January Self-Reliant Goals:

Storage Goal: Powdered Milk 16lbs PP

Non-Food Storage Goal: Bleach 1 gallon per person. This will be used for cleaning and water purification.

72-Hour Kit Goal:Gather a change of clothes including underwear and shoes for every family member. Include warm coats and boots or have them immediately accessible. Also put $20 in cash in small bills in your kits.

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

January Goals~ Powdered Milk

We are starting a new year and a whole year of food storage fun! Month by month we are going gather our storage and become self-reliant. This is the year that we are all going to commit to have on hand the items that our families needs to survive. We are not going to count on our neighbors to be ready and prepared. No more excuses of it costing too much or that the food expires before it gets used. (The Church has done studies to show that #10 cans of oats, pasta, rice, wheat, & cornmeal in the proper environment lasts 30+ years- powdered milk lasts 20+ years) With all this in mind we are starting January off with powdered milk. I know what you are thinking, yuck, but stay with me and follow along.

* There are many things that can be done with powdered milk other than just drinking it straight.

Foods made with powdered milk will have fewer calories and less cholesterol that those made from whole milk. Adding additional milk to the recipe will enhance the nutritive value of the recipe. In any recipe calling for milk, simply add the dry milk to the other dry ingredients. Sift to blend, then add the water to the wet ingredients. 

*There are 2 kinds of powdered milk, instant, and non-instant. The cannery sells NON-Instant milk and that is the kind I use. You find instant milk at the grocery store and it may seem cheaper than non-instant but in the long run the cannery is a better deal. Instant powdered milk is lighter and fluffier because it has been puffed with air. That is what makes it easier to mix. When cooking you need to use twice as much instant milk to equal non-instant. In all the recipes I am using the amount of milk is for non-instant milk. You will need 16lbs per person per year (this quantity allows you one 8oz glass per day for a year), but as always only store what your family uses. If you have small children you may need more and remember there are so many things to make from powdered milk so at least keep 6 #10 cans on hand. 

You can make all of these from powdered milk:

Whole milk

1 C water 1/3 C powdered milk

Evaporated Milk

1 C water 2/3 C powdered milk

Whipped Evaporated Milk

Makes 3 cups

1 c evaporated milk (above) 2 T lemon juice

Thoroughly chill evaporated milk. Add lemon juice and whip until stiff. Sweeten and flavor as desired.

Condensed Milk

1/2 C hot water 1 C sugar 1 C powdered milk

Blend thoroughly in blender. Can be stored in refrigerator or frozen.

"Eagle Brand" sweetened condensed milk

1 C hot water 2 C sugar

4 C powdered milk 1/4 C butter

Blend in blender very well. Can be stored in refrigerator or frozen.

Buttermilk or Sour Milk

1 C water 1/3 C powdered milk 1 T vinegar or lemon juice

Let sit couple minutes to "sour" before using in recipes.

Drinkable Powdered Milk

To improve the flavor of powdered milk, mix it half and half with store milk (I did this and my kids had no idea-they noticed when it was all powdered milk). Another suggestion would be to add a little sugar (1 t at a time) or vanilla to enhance the flavor. Let it chill a couple of hours or overnight before drinking.

Now that you know how to mix it lets get to the fun recipes.

Peanut Butter Chews

1 C powdered sugar 1 C non instant powdered milk (2 c instant)

1 C peanut butter 1 C corn syrup or honey

Mix powdered sugar and powdered milk thoroughly. Add peanut butter and syrup mixture. You may need to knead it with your hands. Press into cake pan or roll into walnut size balls. (Optional: add nuts or rice krispies & dip in chocolate).

Cocoa Mix

7 1/2 C non-instant powdered milk 1 1/2 C sugar

1 C cocoa powder 1 1/2 t salt

Mix well. To use: Mix 1/2 C mix with 1 C hot water.

Fruit Smoothies

2 C bottled fruit with juices

4 T powdered milk to 3/4 C water

1 T lemon juice

Put in blender and blend until smooth. Add 1/2 tray ice cubes and blend until smooth.

Instant Oatmeal Packets-makes 6 packets

3/4 C rolled oats

1 1/2 C quick oats

1/2 C powdered milk

1/2 C sugar (white or brown)

scant teaspoon salt

1/2 t cinnamon

Blend dry rolled oats in blender, pulsing until oats are powdery (not flour). In a mixing bowl, combine powdery oats and the remaining ingredients.

Put 1/2 C of mix into baggies.

To use: combine 1/2 c oat mix and 2/3 C water in bowl and microwave for 2 minutes.

You can add dried fruit to baggies for different flavors.

Creamy Maple Syrup (from The Essential Food Storage Cookbook)

1 C sugar

1 C brown sugar

1 C water

1/3 C powdered milk

1 t maple flavoring

1/2 t vanilla

2 T butter

Bring sugar, brown sugar, water, and powdered milk to a boil stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add maple flavoring, vanilla, and butter stirring to combine and to melt butter.

As you can see there are many ways to use your powdered milk. So even if you aren't going to store powdered milk to drink you will need it to make any of the recipes above. I know a lot of bread recipes call for powdered milk as well. 

January Self-Reliant Goals:

Storage Goal: Powdered Milk 16lbs PP

Non-Food Storage Goal: Bleach 1 gallon per person. This will be used for cleaning and water purification. Write the date of purchase on the container before putting it on your shelf.  It expires in about a year.

72-Hour Kit Goal:

Gather a change of clothes including underwear and shoes for every family member. Include warm coats and boots or have them immediately accessible. Also put $20 in cash in small bills in your kits. 

Enjoy the journey!

Enjoy the blessings!

Feel the peace!!