Everything In Its Place...Organizing The Storage Room

How are all of your January resolutions going? Did you read my last post on my food storage goal for 2015?  Click HERE is you missed it. Since it's still January, I'm going to continue with the organizing theme.  Remember...

A house of order can transcend to all aspects of our lives, but let's start with our food storage.  I hope you were all able to accomplish the organizing assignment in the last post.  The assignment was to inventory your food storage pantry or storage room.  This may seem monumental but I promise it will help in the long run of having a useable food storage system.  (Scroll down the page to see a picture of how I keep an inventory on a white board of all my #10 cans.)

After inventorying your food and supplies the next step is to organize your food into a system that functions for you.  

I am going to show you what works for me and what keeps my food rotated and useable, but there are many other ways to organize your food storage and I'll mention those at the end of the post. 

I have been blessed with a large storage room where I keep all of my extra smaller cans, #10 cans, bulk foods, paper goods, etc.  This is the room that I go to when I need to refill the containers in my kitchen pantry.  The pictures in this post are going to be dark, I apologize but there isn't any natural lighting in this room. Which is a good thing for food storage!  Remember that light, temperature, moisture and bugs/pests all need to be considered when you pick an area for your food storage. 

In my storage room I try to group "like" items together.  That way I usually know where everything is and goes.  I group my #10 cans in a different area then my smaller cans.  The smaller cans are stored in my kitchen and I only keep them out in the storage room when I have too many to fit in the kitchen. 

This is a small sampling of how I organize my #10 cans of dehydrated and freeze-dried foods. 

I have most of my fruits and veggies grouped together.  This helps with knowing how much I have, but it also helps my kids know where things are when they are sent out to the storage room to grab something for me.  The powdered milk and other dairy items like sour cream powder, buttermilk powder, powdered eggs, freeze-dried cheese, powdered shortening, and powdered butter all get stored together.  I also have baking supplies like baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder on that shelf.  There is actually a shelf below the milk shelf and it holds my salt, oils, cornstarch and any other baking items that I might buy in bulk.  

How do you store oddly shaped containers, like condiments?

I use the free boxes I get from case lot sales and food storage retailers to group them all together on a shelf.  I also live in earthquake territory and I feel this gives me added protection if the room started shaking.  I really need to instal a small lip on my shelves so things don't go sliding off, but that is on the to-do list :)

All of my bulk items like wheat, oats, rice, sugar, etc. are stored in buckets around the perimeter of my storage room.

I love gamma lids!!  They make it so easy to open and close, and it doesn't feel like such a chore when I need to refill my kitchen pantry containers.  It is very dry where I live so I don't use the mylar bags inside of my bulk buckets.  I pour the bulk bags directly into my buckets.  And I am also comfortable resting them directly on the concrete.  Some may not feel comfortable doing that, but my room doesn't fluctuate in temperature too much and the concrete doesn't get wet.  I feel the chemicals from the concrete are not leaching into my buckets.  This is one of those examples of what works for me may not work for you ;)

And finally, this is how I keep track of all those #10 cans of food.

In all honesty here....this is my goal....to update this white board.  Notice I didn't take the picture too close...haha.  This proves I'm not perfect and I need a food storage refresher too.  The cans that get used the most are the fruits and veggies, so they need to be updated first.  But this is how I keep a visual of what I have.  Some cans are things that I won't use unless I absolutely have too, like the canned cheese and butter.  But having it listed on the board with hash marks allows me to know at a glance what I have in my storage room.  

Other Food Storage Options

 Some people may like using the commercial can rotater systems, but I don't have the room for them.  I have found that I can easily add newer cans to the back of my shelf without having a rotating shelf.  But you can decide if that will work for you.  You can also store like items together or groups of ingredients into complete meals.  Like the meal in a bag idea. Or maybe you like to make meals in a jar. Or maybe storing your food like the grocery store, with different types of food together, like Italian, Mexican.  I know of some people who like to store their food according to breakfast, lunch, or dinner meals.  It's all up to you!! It is really up to what works for you so you will USE your food storage!

Remember this rule with any food storage system....

F.I.F.O

This is how you rotate your food!  Always place the newer foods in the back.  This may seem tedious and hard to do but knowing you are using the oldest food first will save you a lot of $$.  Take the few minutes when you buy your food to put them in the proper place...behind the older food! 

Food Storage in Smaller Homes 

Many of us may live in smaller homes or apartments.  How is is possible to have food storage....and to store the larger amounts of food needed?

• Think of the space under the beds in your homes.  For long-term foods (#10 cans that lasts 20+ years) they can be stored in their boxes under a bed.  Think about taking the bed off the frame and using the food storage as the base.  The food from the cannery like rice, wheat, oats, powdered milk, would all work great for this option.  They don't need used as often. 
• Do you have extra space above your kitchen cabinets?  This unused space could easily store cans of food.  
• Instead of end tables, place stacked cans under a tablecloth and use a wood or glass topper to create a small table.  
• The space behind your sofa and the wall can hold food storage as well.  It can be covered with a cloth or if you know someone handy, they could build a cover for it out of wood. 
• Do you use all that extra closet space on the shelf above your clothes?  Think of how high you could stack #10 cans if they went all the way to the ceiling of the closet.  
• Buy several over the door pocket hangers, that are made for shoes, and you'll have a great area for smaller items. Think of all the doors and closets that you have and think if an over the door organizer would work there.  

**All of the above ideas take organization to a new level.  You will need to have a record of what you have stored and where you put it.  Keep a notebook with every item listed, where you put it, how much you have stored, and the expiration date.

It takes a little creativity and thinking outside of the box, but I know if you make it a priority to have your food storage you will be blessed.  Thoughts and ideas will come to your mind as you pray to know how to prepare for your family.  

Prepare Today Homemade- Italian Herbed Chicken

Today I had one child at soccer practice, one at cheer practice, one child at scouts then football practice, and the finale was a football game.  Here's the kicker....my husband is out of town and I have been up since 4:45 AM.  I will be driving from 3:55 PM until 8:00 PM tonight and I knew I would be exhausted.  Everything just seemed to fall on Tuesday and I needed a plan for dinner.  I had heard of Amy & Jack from Saratoga Jacks Thermal Cookers taking their thermal cooker on the road and today was my chance to have "fast food" for dinner with mine.  I made an Italian Chicken with Rice in my Saratoga Jacks thermal cooker (Wonderbox and Slow Cooker instructions below) and it will feed my children whenever they end up in the car tonight.  Having 2 pans in the thermal cooker allows me to cook a complete meal ready-to-go when I am on-the-go.

A great shelf stable recipe too!

Italian-Herbed Chicken
 2-2 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, thighs,and/or legs, skinned (or home canned chicken)  (if using the Saratoga Jacks thermal cooker cut up the chicken into bite sized pieces so they will cook faster)
2 C sliced fresh mushrooms (I used 2 cans of mushrooms)
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 can artichoke hearts, cut into bite sized pieces *see tip*
1/2 C sliced olives

Clear Gel for thickening.

3 T quick cooking tapioca (I used 3 T or more of Clear Gel to thicken the dish)
1 can chicken broth
1 T dried Italian seasoning

Rice or Pasta for serving. 

 *Tip* Don't drain your canned veggies and use that water instead of the broth.  That will conserve your canned broth in an emergency.  

Saratoga Jacks directions for cooking rice:  

• 4 C water brought to boil with salt

• Add 2 1/2 C rice and boil 2 minutes and place in cooker.

Saratoga Jacks Directions:
Combine all ingredients in large pot and bring to a boil for 4 minutes with the lid on.  Boil water for rice in smaller pan, stir in rice, boil 2 minutes, after boiling large pot for 4 minutes place smaller rice pan on top and close in the cooker.  Cook for 4-8 hours in the base without opening the lid.  (If you use canned chicken you can serve dinner whenever you are ready but with raw chicken you'll want to cook at least 2 hours before serving. Use a meat thermometer test if done)  If you want a thicker sauce add the clear gel until you reach desired consistency. Serve with rice or pasta.

It was good with rice, but it was really good with fettuccine.

WonderBox Directions:
In a pan that fits the amount of food you have, boil all ingredients for 10 minutes.  Place in wonderbox.  Cook rice or pasta to serve with it.

Slow Cooker Directions:
Combine mushrooms, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Sprinkle with tapioca or clear gel.  Place chicken on top the veggies.  Combine the broth and Italian seasoning and pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3 1/2-4 hours.  Serve over pasta or rice.  

(Please ignore the crazy hair and outfits, it was a run around sports day.)

Can you tell which child doesn't like my food :)

Now I can serve a fast and healthy dinner even if we are on the road.  As Amy of Saratoga Jacks says "It's not what's for dinner, it's where is dinner tonight".  Having a Saratoga Jacks Thermal Cooker gives me freedom as a mom to have home cooked meals for my children anywhere we happen to be. 

Frugal Food Tip- Leftover Reincarnation

Don't waste money by throwing away your food!!

Last week I talked about using all of your produce so it doesn't go to waste. This week is all about using your leftovers in a new way. Honestly I am really not a fan of leftovers.  They just seem to lose that fresh, just-prepared look and taste, but if you use them in a new dish they won't feel like leftovers!
  
Leftovers--Made Over (some ideas from allyou.com)

RICE:  Warm rice with cinnamon, brown sugar, milk and raisins for a delicious breakfast or make into rice pudding.  Adding a little rice to soups/stews will add texture and volume to extend your soup farther. Fried rice is always a favorite in my house. 

JARRED PASTA SAUCE:  When only a few spoonfuls are left heat up and use as a dipping sauce for grilled cheese.

NOODLES:  Toss extra noodles (even with sauce) into a frittata.


GROUND MEAT:  Saute with onions and garlic, add it to jarred tomato sauce and try as a pizza topping.  Or wrap well, label and freeze.  When you've saved up to 1lb make meatballs or meat loaf.  

POTATOES:  Stir mashed potatoes into soup to add body; chop boiled or roasted spuds and saute for a breakfast hash.  Make potato pancakes and fry in a little oil for a yummy side dish.  

VEGETABLES:  Use the extra veggies and turn into leftover soup.  Keep leftover veggies in the freezer until you have enough for a meal. A pot pie is another easy dinner that will use up extra veggies. I keep my veggies in the freezer and then dehydrate them and seal them in a mason jar to save for another meal.

MEATS:  Soups, stews, sandwiches, omelets, casseroles, stir fry, enchiladas, toss into spaghetti sauce, tacos, lasagna, etc.

BREAD:  Store ends in the freezer to use as bread crumbs.  Croutons, toast, and french toast will use up those last few dry bread slices too.

Think outside of the box to save time and money.  Take advantage of leftovers and stop tossing away your food...and money!!

Saratoga Jacks Thermal Cooker

I love Honeyville Grain!!  I have mentioned them quite a few times here on the blog, but they really are a great resource for food storage and emergency preparedness.  They have started carrying a new product in their retail stores called The Saratoga Jacks Thermal Cooker. I have found a new favorite gadget!!

The whole idea behind a thermal cooker is the heat from a short, rapid boil will keep your food cooking in an insulated cooker for up to 8 hours. Think of a cordless Crock Pot!  The Pioneers that crossed the plains in the 1800's used the same concept called a hay box.  They would cook their soups or stews in the morning, place the pot in a box surrounded by hay and the food would slow cook all day long while they walked. 

The modern day idea for the hay box is called a Wonder Box and is used by food storage enthusiasts all over the world.  The Wonder Box is also a life saving cooker for women in third world countries.  

 They are relatively easy to make and only around $30 to put together.  If you would like instructions click HERE to view them.  I have wanted to make one for quite a while now but now that I have a Saratoga Jacks cooker I may not need one.  The only reason I would probably make one is there isn't a size restriction on the pan you put in it.  With the Saratoga Jacks you are limited to their pan size for cooking.  You can cook bread in a Wonder Box using 42oz juice cans but that size juice can barely fit in the Saratoga Jack, but that is the only downside to the Saratoga Jack that I have found. The selling point for me was that I can conserve my fuel in an emergency by only having to bring my food to a boil for a few minutes, and letting the cooker do all the work without electricity.

I made dinner for my family in my Saratoga Jack the other night and it turned out really good!!

The thermal cooker comes with a large pan with a smaller insert that sits right on top to cook things like rice or veggies.  I made a recipe off of the Saratoga Jacks website called Mexican Chicken Delight with Rice.

 This recipe couldn't be any easier.  In the large stock pot that came with the cooker add chicken, cover with 1" of water, then add the black beans, corn, pineapple and a large container of salsa.  Place the pan on a heat source, bring to a rapid boil with the lid on for 4 mintues, then place in the SJ base and close the lid.  When cooking with a thermal cooker you need to bring your food to a hard rolling boil for 4 minutes for raw meat and only 2 minutes for non-meat dishes.  I made rice in the smaller pan and it only needed a 2 minute boil before being stacked onto the larger pan.  Once the lid is closed, don't peek, it will let all the heat escape. It almost feels like magic because the food will cook and the heat will be retained for up to 8 hours!! Nothing will burn or overcook.  Meats will be fall-off-the-bone tender and rice cooks up moist and fluffy.  

 Here are my pots coming to a boil.  They will stack together and cook in the thermal cooker at the same time. Dinner was as simple as opening the thermal cooker and setting the table.

 Remember the lid must go on the pot as it is boiling so it will heat up too.  You want as much heat as possible to be in the thermal cooker when you close the lid.  Adding a cold lid to the pot would cool down your food and it wouldn't cook properly.

 Here are the pots stacked with the lid on and then I closed the top of the Saratoga Jacks and let it sit for about 6 hours.  

 Dinner was hot, cooked through, and ready to eat when we were.  Click HERE for the complete recipe.  I have fallen in love with this gadget!!  I can't wait to try out other recipes.  I made bread in it yesterday, but that is for another post :)  

If you want more information check out their website at saratogajacks.com and also the Honeyville Grain store in Salt Lake City can help you with any questions you may have. 

"Have Faith, Unencomber Your Life, Lay Up In Store" -Keith B. McMullen

Recipes Using Grains

It's the end of the month and I hope you were all able to complete this month's goals of grains, school supplies and recipes containing grains. I thought I would share some recipes with you that use the ingredients from our goals this month. I am always on the lookout for new recipes and I found all of these recipes at allrecipes.com. All Recipes has a way to search the recipes by a certain ingredient at the top of their home page. I found all of these recipes by typing in the ingredient word like cornmeal, and pasta and then rice, and every recipe with those ingredients were found. (there are a lot!) These are the recipes that I found and thought would work good with food storage.

image from food.com

Low-Fat Alfredo Sauce
 8oz Fettuccine pasta cooked
1 C milk
2 T flour
1 C cottage cheese (I use low fat)
1/2 t garlic powder
3 t minced onion
salt and pepper
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
2 C cooked, diced chicken

In a food processor blend all but the chicken and pasta. Heat sauce in pan and add chicken and pasta. This recipe is a great base recipe and you can add many other spices to fit your taste buds. The sauce also doesn't get as creamy as real Alfredo sauce since it is a lighter version.

Berry Cornmeal Muffins
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 C cornmeal
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1 T baking powder
1 C milk
1/2 C butter melted (can substitute 1/2 C white bean puree)
1 egg
1 C berries (frozen, fresh, or dehydrated)

Mix all ingredients together. If you use frozen berries you will need to dredge the berries in the flour so they don't bleed while cooking. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Let the muffins sit for 10 minutes before taking them out of the pan.

Salsa Chicken and Rice
1lb chicken cubed
taco seasoning
1 T oil
1/4 t salt and pepper
1 can chicken broth
1 8oz jar salsa (any hotness you prefer)
2 C instant rice
8oz shredded cheddar

Dip the diced chicken into the taco seasoning and brown in the oil, salt, and pepper until juices run clear. Add the broth, salsa, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn off heat and add rice. Sprinkle cheese on top and cover. Let sit 5 minutes.
(I use regular rice so I let it simmer longer and I also add 1 can of black beans and 1 can of corn. I serve this with tortillas and sometimes with tortilla chips)
August Goals:

GRAINS: 300lbs per person per year (that is a minimum amount) We added oats in Feb. and wheat in June so in Aug. we are adding pasta, rice, cereals, corn (cornmeal), and granola bars (they happen to be on sale in Aug. for school time).

cereal: 10 boxes per person per year
cornmeal: 10lbs per person per year
pasta: 40lbs per person per year
rice: 40lbs per person per year

**Remember that the amounts are only recommended amounts and you need to store what your family will use.

Non-Food Goal: Purchase school supplies to have on hand. Having extra scissors, paper, and pens will come in handy.

This month you will need to collect RECIPES that use pasta, rice, cornmeal, wheat, and oats. Keep the recipes in a box or notebook and try them out before you decided they are a keeper. This is also a great way to rotate and use your food storage.

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

On a side note: I found the funniest post on why you should have a Mormon friend-Hoarder Edition. Click HERE to read the funny post. It is food storage related and lets us laugh at ourselves. :)

Rice

Rice, I love rice, my kids love rice, and since it is one food that everyone at my table will eat, we eat it a lot.

Click HERE to view a very good post on rice written by the Pleasant Grove stake.

They define rice and also have some great recipes to go along with it.