At this website, http://www.longevity-and-antiaging-secrets.com/benefits-of-honey.html, I found a lot of interesting information on the benefits of raw honey. Here are a few:
Honey, historically in the form of raw honey (and by circumstance also organic) has been used both as a food and a medicine. It has natural antibacterial and antiseptic properties and even forms hydrogen peroxide when in contact with the body, killing bacteria.
Some of the historical medicinal uses of raw honey are:
Wound dressings for healing infections and burns
Treatment for coughs and sore throats
Can be used as a sweetener for diabetics
Treatment of stomach ulcers
Taken for its antioxidant properties
Used as a oral antibacterial
Tonic for the immune system
Used to promote sound sleep
The above list does not come close to covering all the potential benefits of honey, and we are still discovering, or perhaps “rediscovering” new ones.
I suggest you go to this site and read more information. There is also a copy of an article about how raw honey is better for coughs, especially in children, than cough medicine. Very interesting information.
FYI-The processed honey you buy in the store isn't always just honey. Many times they add stuff to it to "stretch the dollar". Though you really shouldn't get processed honey from the store, at least read the label to be sure you're getting 100% honey.
Do some homework and see how much better raw honey is for you. Honey is one of the few things I'm snobby about. I figure if you're going to spend that kind of money on something, it should at least be the best you can get.
I wondered if anyone would like to contribute any recipes they may have using potatoes, wheat or oats. I'll be posting some soon, but wanted to get your input, too. To get a recipe to me, you can either make a comment here, or email me at sunrisemeadows1@live.com. I know there are some great recipes out there you all use on a regular basis that your families love. If you to be anonymous that's fine, just send in those recipes. Michelle
Free gardening classes for Relief Society Sisters in the Saratoga Springs Stake!
The instructor, Gordon Wells, is the author of Successful Home Gardening, a 120 page textbook, which is free to all students. He has a Masters Degree in Agriculture from the University of California and has taught home gardening for many years. He is considered an expert in Utah climate gardening.
When: Wednesday, Sept 23- Oct. 28, 2009 6 Week course, DIFFERENT INFORMATION AT EVERY CLASS
Time: 7 – 9 pm
Locations: September 23rd and 30th classes will be at the Saratoga Springs South Stake Ctr. 2947 Swainson Avenue, Saratoga Springs
October 7th and 14th classes will be held at the Lake Mountain Building 88 West Harbor Parkway, Saratoga Springs
October 21st and 28th classes will be at the Jacobs Ranch Building 267 West Weatherby Drive, Saratoga Springs
In this six week (2 hrs a week) course you will learn all of the basic principles and practical gardening methods which make home gardening easy, enjoyable and productive. Since we are meeting in the chapel, please wear Sunday casual dress. Unfortunately we are unable to provide a nursery so please plan accordingly. Children would be a large distraction and are discouraged from attending.
Here are some great wheat recipes you don't have to use a grinder for. I hope you enjoy them.
This first one comes from www.everydayfoodstorage.net. It's a great blender wheat recipe. I've also included a recipe for caramel syrup that is fabulous. You can also use the recipe for waffles.
Blender Wheat Pancakes
1 Cup Milk (translation for powdered milk is 3 T. Milk and 1 C. Water) 1 Cup Wheat Kernels, whole & uncooked 2 Eggs (2 T. powdered eggs 1/4 C. Water) 2 tsp Baking Powder 1-1/2 tsp Salt 2 Tbs. Oil 2 Tbs. Honey or Sugar
Put milk and wheat kernels in blender.Blend on highest speed for 4 or 5 minutes or until batter is smooth. Add eggs, oil, baking powder, salt and honey or sugar to above batter. Blend on low. Pour out batter into pancakes from the actual blender jar (only one thing to wash!) onto a hot greased or Pam prepared griddle or large frying pan.Cook; flipping pancakes when bubbles pop and create holes.
Caramel Syrup
3/4 C. Butter
1-1/2 C. Sugar
2 T. Light Corn Syrup
3/4 C. Buttermilk
1 t. Baking Soda
2 t. Vanilla
Combine ingredients in sauce pan (it gets frothy so make sure and use a large enough pan so it doesn’t spill over). Stirring constantly, heat sauce until boiling and then boil for 5 minutes.
Cracked Wheat recipes from everydayfoodstorage.net
Did you know that you can use cracked wheat to extend your ground beef, to substitute for nuts or RICE? The nice thing about using it as rice is that it is MUCH FASTER to cook than brown rice. (15-20 minutes MAX!) You can crack wheat in your blender. Coffee grinders are the best for cracking wheat so if you find yourself needing to crack a lot of it I would pay the $10 bucks to buy a coffee grinder. Make sure when you’re cracking wheat in the blender that your blender is completely (and when I say completely I mean COMPLETELY) dry or it won’t crack the wheat. Also, make sure to use small amounts like no more than a little over 1/4 cup at a time.
Practice using cracked wheat as nuts I tried this Strawberry “Nut” Jell-O salad. This is my ULTIMATE FAVORITE Jell-O salad in the WHOLE WORLD. (Have I convinced it tastes awesome yet?) It is different from anything else you’ve seen at a potluck and the cracked wheat in the salad gives a really great texture. It almost tastes like little bits of strawberries in the salad. You’ve got to try this, you’re family will LOVE it and no one NOT NO ONE will guess there is wheat in it!!! Strawberry Nut (Wheat) Molded Salad
1 small pkg. strawberry Jello (I cheated and used raspberry and it was still DELICIOUS) 1 C boiling water
Combine Jell-O and Water & refrigerate until syrupy, then add to the rest (word to the wise-you have to watch this like a hawk. It goes from syrupy to jelled very quickly. I would check it between 15-20 minutes after you put it in the fridge)
1 C cooked cracked wheat for mock nuts 1 C whipped cream or Cool Whip Whipped Topping 1/2 C sugar 2 C mashed fresh strawberries Refrigerate until firm or over night. Serve on a bed of lettuce with a dollop of whipped cream/topping sprinkled with cooked cracked wheat as your mock nuts.These whole kernels need soaking or steam cooking to become tender. When cooked, they have a sweet, nut-like flavor and a slightly chewy texture. There are many ways to prepare dishes with wheat berries, - so experiment!
In using as meat extender, cook cracked wheat, drain, add to ground beef while cooking. It will take on the flavor of the beef and spices as it cooks.
Wheat Berries from positivelyprepared.blogspot.com
The versatility of wheat berries is demonstrated in recipes from cereals to breads, to casserole and to stuffing for chicken or turkey. These recipes call for cooked wheat berries. Wheat berries can be prepared ahead of time and the ready-to-use cooked wheat may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 1 week. They can also be frozen.
Wheat berries are probably the easiest whole wheat food to prepare, and certainly ranks as one of the most versatile foods in use. None of the measurements are critical, and there’s no worry about with stirring, continual watching, etc.
Wheat berries can be made from whole wheat kernels or cracked wheat and can be used to replace rice in most dishes; they can also be substituted for mashed potatoes.
To make wheat berries: In a pot with a fairly tight lid, combine 3 cups of water, and 1 cup of wheat. Bring to a boil. Allow to simmer ½ hour. Turn off the heat and allow the wheat to stand 8-12 hours. Drain any remaining liquid. Use or store in refrigerator, tightly covered, for no more than one week.
Thermos cooked: Put wheat and 2½ cups boiling water in a quart-sized thermos. Screw the top lightly and leave until morning.
Slow cooker method: Simmer ingredients on high for approximately 2-3 hours. Turn off the slow cooker and let it sit overnight untouched.
This brings back memories of growing up. Quite often my mom would have cooked wheat in the crockpot ready for breakfast. Sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar, and top with milk. It makes a delicious hot breakfast.
I know I said that in my next post I would share some wheat recipes, and they are coming soon, but I found out some information today I wanted to share with you. On the site blog.totallyready.com, today, she talked about how there is going to probably be a spike in the price of sugar. I would suggest you read her article and also, so that you are well informed, read the sites she lists to show where she got her information. It's very interesting. Also, pass this information along to your family and friends. I think we all need to be informed about what is going on in the world, at least to some degree, so that we can be sure to be prepared for things that may adversely affect us. I'd love to hear what your thoughts are about the article and information presented. Personally, though I think I probably have plenty of sugar, I'll probably be getting a little bit more. Michelle P.S. Recipes coming asap
Many have said that they don't get any wheat because they don't have a grinder or that they don't make bread. Let me give you some information that may help you realize that wheat is a good thing to have and that you don't need to have a grinder to use it and benefit from it's goodness.
I'm sure you've heard that wheat is the staff of life. This is because wheat has many nutrients to sustain life. The leaders of the Church have been telling us for years to store wheat. Wheat is the basis for many food items such as breads, pasta, cookies (mmm), pie crust, cake just to name a few. Yes, you could store white flour, but white flour only has a short storage life, where wheat will last, if properly stored, for almost ever. Wheat flour has better nutritional value than white flour as well. There is more protein and less carbohydrates in wheat flour than in white flour. Not to mention the vitamin and minerals that is lost when wheat flour is processed and made shelf stable. I'm not saying not to store any white flour, I'm just saying that wheat is a great way to not only sustain life, but to live a healthier life.
Okay, so now that we have the nutritional and storage life out of the way let's talk about how to use the wheat. Of course you can make bread. Now let me say about bread making that I think every one should at least try to make bread. I mean really try, not just try it once, have it not quite work like you think it should and give up. Give it a few tries. Be sure you have a good recipe and good ingredients to begin with. Don't think you are going to make great bread with old, out dated ingredients. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Okay, with that said, I also believe we all have talents. Some of us are good at some things and some of us are good at other things. If you've really put your heart into trying to make bread and it just doesn't turn out as an edible product, I firmly believe in the barter system. Store your own wheat and other bread making necessities, find a friend who does make good bread and make a deal with her (or him, not to discriminate) that you will do something in exchange for their bread making abilities. Does this idea make anyone feel any better? Good.
What else can you use wheat for, especially if you don't have a grinder? You can make the most delicious blender pancakes and waffles. All you need is a blender. You can also make popped wheat, which is kind of like making popcorn. You can turn it into bulgar wheat, which is really a pretty easy process, and use it as a meat extender.
If you don't have a grinder and really want to start using wheat as part of your diet, I'm sure you know someone who does have a grinder who would be happy to let you go to their house, and grind up a bunch of wheat for you to store for use. Keeping fresh ground wheat flour in the fridge or freezer will help maintain its nutritional value as well as keep it from going rancid since the wheat germ has a lot of fat, the flour will go rancid if not kept cool.
Once you get some wheat ground, you can begin to introduce it into your families diet a little at a time. Whole grains and beans are items you want to begin feeding your family a little at a time. The reason is because in a colon that isn't used to a lot of bulky fiber, those foods can cause gas. If there is a lot of gas, there is a lot of pain. You don't want to do this to your family. Even small amounts once or twice a week is a good start.
Be sure to store spices and leavening ingredients, too. You can't do much without leavening, unless you don't mind flat breads, cakes, cookies, etc.
In the next post I'll post some great recipes you can use with and without ground wheat. Be brave. Try some new things. If you have a good attitude about your basic storage items, the more likely your children and hopefully spouse, will too. Keep up the great work, Michelle
I found out recently that there are lower prices at the cannery as of late. If you want to know what the prices are at the cannery just go to providentliving.org, click on "Home storage order form download" on the right of the screen. Call me if you have issues. Michelle
I don't think I've mentioned before about how to not have a barf bowl. If I spelled barf wrong, sorry, I don't like that word anyway. Okay, so what do if you have a child who is sick if you don't give them a bowl to be sick in? Here is a trick I learned years ago when my oldest daughter would get car sick if we went more than 10 miles in a car. You get a paper bag and you fold down the top about an inch to give it some stability. Then you put it in a plastic grocery bag. When the child gets sick they throw up in the paper bag. When they are done throwing up, you simply roll up the paper bag, tie up the plastic bag, and throw it all away. No muss, no fuss. The germs, as well as othe mess, is all contained in the bags. For a small child, suggest keeping on hand the large grocery bags so it's easier for them to get it all into the bag. Older children can use a smaller lunch bag, if you're concerned they might not quite get to the toilet in time. Better safe than sorry. If you're like me, you'll love this idea, because I would rather clean up almost anything but throw up. But, unfortunately if you have children, it's going to happen. Happy no cleaning! Michelle
Do you know how the flu is spread? According to the CDC "the main way that flu viruses are thought to spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. This can happen when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled through the air and deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby" (eeewww). "Influenza viruses may also be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose (or someone else's mouth or nose) before washing their hands"(again eeewww).
May I make a suggestion to possibly help us all fair better in the fall and winter with the flu virus, whether it's the swine flu or seasonal flu. Start now encouraging your little children to cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze with their upper arm. Also, for those of us who were taught as children to cover our mouths with our hand, change to covering with a tissue, which you would not ever reuse, or your upper arm. Then as quickly after the sneeze or cough as possible, clean hands with either hand sanitizer or soap and water. Obsession is not always a bad thing. Also, don't forget to wash hands after being at the store. You don't know what kind of people have been touching anything at the store.
Let me tell you a story to prove my point. I was at Target one day, in the book area. I was looking down an aisle when I saw a woman holding a book, which she proceded to cough several times on, using the book to "cover the cough"and then put it back on the shelf. If someone were to come along within even 24 hours later and tough that book, what ever germs this woman had that caused her to cough, would then get on the other person's hands and then on any thing they touched.
Okay, I think you get the point. Now really is the time to start planning for the fall and winter season. The easiest way to prepare is to make a list and then get a couple of things a week until the list is finished. Have fun getting prepared! Michelle
Hey everyone, I've been getting some comments from people about how they are having a hard time making a menu plan for their storage because they don't know what meals to plan. So, I thought it would be a good idea to do some brain storming together to not only share ideas on meals, but to also see how really not hard it is to do. And just in time for the fall case lot sales. Anyone, including those not in our ward are invited, and men too, are invited to come to the church on Tuesday, July 28th at 7:00. I hope you will plan to come, invite friends and family and a notebook to write everything down. I think it will be a very helpful activity.
FYI: SMITH'S IN AMERICAN FORK IS CLOSING! 20% OFF THE WHOLE STORE-EVEN IT IS ALREADY ON SALE!
I have always been a person that like to find the best deals. I have spent my time online an pouring over the paper to ensure I get the greatest value for my dollar, but now I have found an easier way...
I log onto http://www.grocerysmarts.com/. When you put in the password g84ckc you can pull up grocery lists for all the local stores. The grocery lists have information on how good of a deal an item is and where to find coupons. (In many cases there are links to online coupons.)
I know many of you probably found this site long ago, but in case any of you are still spending your time pouring over ads instead of spending time with your family...there is an easier way!
Every day you need to do each of the items below. For each one you do, you get 1 point. You can earn up to 11 points a day for a total of 77 points a week.
POINTS: 1.Eat 5 servings of fruits & vegetables. A serving can be a fruit or vegetable, a half cup of cooked vegetables or 2 cups of leafy green vegetables.
2.Drink 5-8 glasses of water a day. You can add Crystal Light if you want to make it easier, but make sure half of it is plain water. (Minimum 40 oz)
3.Get 7 hours of sleep a night. If you come up short, you can nap during the day- the 7 hours do not have to be consecutive.
4.Exercise 30 minutes a day. Make sure it is more than a leisurely walk. (You always get the exercise point on Sunday as long as you go to church.)
5.No soft drinks or alcohol. None.
6.No sweets. No cookies, candy, cake etc. (A little brown sugar or honey in oatmeal is fine.)
7.No unhealthy food choices; fries, chips, Cheezits, Ritz and other snack crackers and processed cheese. (Baked chips and Wheat Thins/Triscuits are okay, but try snacking on fruits, vegetables or nuts.)
8.No eating after 8:00 p.m.- unless you work out for 2 hours or burn 1500 calories.
9.Eat 2 servings of whole grains or legumes per day.
10.One-on-one family connection. Spend quality one-on-one time with your spouse, child or other family member.
11.Study your scriptures for at least 15 minutes.
During the week you get 3 free points. For example, one day you can use a free point for one normal size dessert or use another free point for missing exercise one day. These points do not accumulate. Use it or lose it.
Report your points every Monday to Danielle Cahoon at sdcahoon@hotmail.com or (801) 768-8125. You get one extra point if you report before 1:00 p.m.
If you are the weekly winner, you get 1 extra free point the following week. All 6 weekly winners and the 4 people with the top total points will be entered in a drawing for a grand prize.
You have 1 free day during the 6 week period where you can get all 11 points without having to follow any of the rules. Use it wisely!
If you would like some wheat at a good price, here's you chance. I will be picking it up Monday, July 6th and I need your order before then.
DETAILS: 50 lb bag of Hard Red Wheat- $11.00, harvested last fall (You could use our stake's drypack canner to package this wheat) or 45 lb bucket of Hard Red Wheat- $18.50, harvested last fall
I have always started my canning in the fall. I love having a variety of apple, pear and peach items in my pantry along with the homemade salsa.
This summer I have activity looked for places to get free or very inexpensive fruits to preserve. One of the fruits people just give away are mulberries. Mulberries grow on trees and are not hard to harvest; you just set tarps on the ground and shake the branches of the tree. I have never seen anything like it! Pie cherries (sour cherries) are also ready to be picked right now. Perhaps you know someone that will not be using the fruit on their trees, please let me know and we will see if anyone in the ward could use it.
This has resulted in many jars of jams, syrups and preserves in the past couple weeks. You can find a lot of recipes online at www.fooddownunder.com or at the local extension office. If you have not canned before or are not an experienced canner, Michelle or I would be happy to show you the basics. (Since we are at a high elevation, remember to process your jars for long enough.)
This week I will be using pie cherries to make canned cherries and cherry pie filling. I will also be trying a vegetable Antipasto recipe soon. (I have made canned bing cherries, cherry syrup, bing cherry jam, cherry raspberry jam, mulberry syrup, mulberry apple syrup, mulberry cherry apple syrup, mulberry jam, raspberry mulberry apricot jam, mulberry peach jam and raspberry apricot jam.) If any of these recipes interest you, let me know!
Those of you who were at the Provident Living Fair in March may have picked up information on building a water storage unit to store water barrels on their side. I recently got an email from Phil Bruick about the use of those units. Here it is.
Michelle, Your email about the barrels reminded me that I was going to contact you after your ward preparedness saturday presentation a few months ago. Bro. Johnson had on his table plans for stacking two of the barrels on their sides one above another. My brother and I had thought of that but when we talked to a bunch of people about such a project, we were informed that the barrels were never made to lay on their sides and that the seams would not hold eventually. Based on that information we abandoned the idea but I'm concerned that some may try that and find themselves with a great deal of water in their garage or basement. We have since found a source for 250 gallon barrels that are only 21" in diameter. A little pricy but can store much more water in the same footprint. Phil I emailed Phil back and asked for the source of the larger barrels which I will post for your information. I take full responsibility for that information being available, as it was my suggestion. It was a good idea, but unfortunately not practical. Thanks for your understanding.
I would like to recommend you think about heirloom (non-hybrid) vegi's when you purchase your plants this year. If you don't know why that is important, I'll tell you. The plants and seeds you get from the store are what is called Hybrids. The problem is that hybrid vegetables can not be used to get seeds for the next years plantings. They are made this way on purpose, so you have to buy new every year. Right now that isn't so much of a problem, but in trying to live even more providently, or in the event that for some reason we don't have seeds or plants or money for that matter to purchase, we would already have seed available to us for free if we had heirloom seeds. Heirloom vegetables, unlike hybrids, do have the ability to produce useable seed for the next years planting. They are a little bit more expensive, like by a dollar or two per plant, but in the long run so much more frugal than buying new seeds or plants every year. I have information from a couple who grow and sell organic heirloom plants. I have the info. in an email, and since I'm pretty computer iliterate, you will need to email me if you want the info. Email me at getyourstorage@hotmail.com and I will forward you the email I got from them. It has a list of all their plants. Just to give you an idea, they have 65 different kinds of tomato plants and I believe about 100 types of plants to choose from. Imagine the variety you could have in your garden and then on your table for your family to eat. I will give info. on saving seeds in the fall. It's not hard at all. Happy gardening. Michelle
If you remember me telling you a few months ago about the pasta deals in Lehi, which closed, and you didn't get there in time. You're in luck. They're doing it again. Here is the ad from ksl.com.
Pasta blowout continues...
Lehi, UT 84043 - May 12, 2009
On Friday May 15th from 11am to 7pm and Saturday May 16th from 10am to 3pm we will have our pasta for sale at incredible prices. We will also be selling spices, flavors and more. We are back this week at Emmett's and Ethel's at 90 East Main Street in Lehi.
We encourage large groups to order to get the best price possible. You can get your bulk boxed pasta product as low as $.55 a pound based on the volume of your order! We also want to introduce more of our product line for Flavors Gourmet, which includes over 75 spices and flavors. What a perfect way to add to your food storage.
If you have any questions or for a list of available pasta send me an e-mail at steve@flavorsgourmet.com.
On May 23rd we will be in Logan, Utah. On May 30th we will be selling in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Details for our locations will be announced weekly.
I would get in on this if you can. I personally think their spices are a bit expensive, but it would be your choice to purchase or not.
I was wondering if any of you would like to share, besides with your circle of friends, what you have been doing over the last few months to help get your family prepared? I know we can all learn from each other. Even if you have only done small things, you might inspire someone. Many times it's the small things that make the biggest difference. Next week I will be posting more things for you to work on. Sorry it's taken so long for me to post anything. We also will be doing some group buys and making some useful kits and things. Keep an eye and ear out. Let's hear from you. I know you're doing something, share it with everyone.
Some of you were probably waiting to see if and when I would say something about the swine flu. I hate to disappoint, so here you go. First, I would suggest that you visit the utahpreppers.com site for some good info on preparing for the possibility of a pandemic. You can also go to the providentliving.org site to find info. on preparing and handling pandemic issues.
When my V.T's visited me today, (give them some slack, I was recuperating from surgery last week, and the week before was spring break) I was asked what my thoughts are about the swine flu. I, of course, told them not to panic, we never want to panic, though many times we'd like to. Just use the panic energy to move us into action. I was also asked to give my 5 most important things would be to do right now. It was hard, but if I remember right, girls correct me if I'm wrong, but I told them these would be my suggestions and in this order: 1. water-we can live a long time with water, but not long without it. Remember, minimum of 1 gal. per day enough for 2 weeks, and this is just for drinking. Since there will most likely be a lot of people staying home because either they are sick or family members are sick, there may not be electricity to pump our water, so be prepared. 2.Food-making sure we have easily preparable (is that a word, apparently not but I like it) to get us through the most stressful time, which in my opinion is the first week or so, but please make sure you have at least your 3 month supply. 3.sanitation supplies-there are several things in this category. For over all germ cleaning, you bleach is good to kill the flu germs. Also, for when you need to care for the sick, face masks and gloves are good. It might be a good idea too, to get some hand sanitizer, for extra measures. These are just some basics, I could go on a bit longer, but don't want to over whelm you. Also, if you don't like to use bleach, there are other things you could use, like tea tree or lemon oils to kill germs. 4.light, cooking and heat-you will need to see at night, cook food and keep your family warm because if no one is working, there possibly won't be any electricity. 5.symptom control-to help make those in your family who do unfortunately come down with the flu, you will want some items to help them feel better. Items to help with chest congestion, coughing, vomit control, etc. May I suggest that instead of using a vomit bowl, keep paper bags (grocery sized for those who are small and would have a hard time getting to a smaller bag, start asking for paper instead of plastic where possible), put a paper bag inside a plastic bag. When someone vomits, they do it in the paper bag, you roll up the paper bag inside the plastic and take it out side. I don't know about you, but I don't like cleaning up after vomit. Those are my top 5 tips for pandemic prepping. These are really basic and can for sure be added to, but if you have these things, you'll be better off than most, and will hopefully fair pretty well. Think about the fact that if you're ready for a pandemic, you're going to be ready for just about any situation. It would be great if you would leave your thoughts and suggestions in the comment box. Let's do this together. Michelle
I just found this table for using flax meal as an egg substitute I thought some might be interested in. I got it from www.livingprovidently.blogspot.com. There is a slight difference in our name and theirs. You should check out the blog, it has some pretty good info and recipes. Here's the table
I'm always looking for easy recipes that don't use too many ingredients (I like to cook, but am a simplistic chef, okay, lazy) I had this recipe for granola bars as a R.S. activity a few years ago, and loved it. As granola bars goes, this is pretty easy and nothing too fancy. Try it and let me know how you liked it.
4 C. toasted oats* 1/2 c. raisins 1/2 c. nuts 1/2 c. coconut 2/3 c. margarine, melted 1/2 c. brown sugar 1/3 c. honey 1 egg, beaten 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. salt
Combine all ingredients and press into a well greased cookie or jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool and cut into bars
*To toast oats, spread rolled oats on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 15-20 min., stirring halfway through.
Make it fun by adding chocolate chips or m&ms in place of, or added to, the raisins. Sprinkles in them would be fun too. Have fun with it.
Do you love finding new ways to use your cake mixes? I have the perfect roll recipe for you. It's quick (relatively), easy and really good.
Cake Mix Dinner Rolls
2 1/2 c. warm water 1 1/2 Tbl. yeast (or 2 packages, but I hope you aren't wasting your money that way) 1 package yellow cake mix (or 1 recipe of your home made cake mix) 5 c. flour (appx.)
Pour warm water into a large bowl and add yeast-stir until dissolved. Blend in cake mix. Then mix in flour until dough is smooth (you can add more flour as you knead if you need to). Cover bowl and put in warm place. Let rise for 1 hour. Punch down. Spread dough in greased 10x15x1 jelly roll pan, or cookie sheet. Cut dough into squares (a pizza cutter works great for this), cover and let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min. or until golden. Enjoy
You may or may not have noticed the sale on SAF yeast at Macey's. That is actually a pretty good deal. There are a few more days of that sale, until Tuesday, and you should seriously think about stocking up on that sale price. Why you may ask, first, SAF yeast is a type of yeast you don't have to "proof", which means you don't have to put it in warm water with a sweetener and wait for 10-15 min. for it to start working. SAF is "instant yeast", no proofing. Second, it takes 5 lbs. of yeast to make a loaf of bread a day for a year. When we can't run to the store and buy bread, because of either money issues, or lack of product on store shelves (remember the pandemic class at the provident living fair?), or trying to stretch a meal, bread is a great filler, we'll need to be making at least a loaf a day. SAF yeast is said to last for at least 5 years, unopened. So, even if you don't use it right away, though you should use it so you know what you're doing before you need to, it will be when you need it. Don't try to buy all 5 now, get a couple (it's 5.00 for 2) put the date on it, and put it in your storage. Then the next time it's on sale, get a couple more. Before you know it, you'll have enough to make a loaf of bread for you family for every day of the year. And as long as you have at least the amounts of the items below, along with the yeast you 'll have a years worth of storage to make a loaf of bread a day. 354 lbs. of wheat 23 gal. of water 5 1/4 lbs. or 4 2/3 containers of salt 19 lbs. of oil 35 lbs. of honey This info. was adapted from the information gathered from this site http://ourldsfamily.com/madsengarden/EverythingUnderTheSun.pdf Check it out, and make a print out for yourself, you'll be really happy you did. Then, check out the you tube videos under Wendy DeWitt. They will change your way of thinking about food storage. Also, in case you didn't see the signs, Smiths is starting their case lot sale on April 1. Michelle
"As we go through life, even through very rough waters, a father's instinctive impulse to cling tightly to his wife or to his children may not be the best way to accomplish his objective. Instead, if he will lovingly cling to the Savior and the iron rod of the gospel, his family will want to cling to him and to the Savior.
"This lesson is surely not limited to fathers. Regardless of gender, marital status, or age, individuals can choose to link themselves directly to the Savior, hold fast to the rod of His truth, and lead by the light of that truth. By so doing, they become examples of righteousness to whom others will want to cling."
Elder Russell M. Nelson, "Set in Order Thy House," Ensign, Nov. 2001, 69
I'm sure many of you have heard about using beans as a thickener. I looked up some information, for those of us who aren't sure how to do it and here is what I found. You can grind your beans (white beans work best for this because of the color) and use 2 Tbl. spoons of bean flour in 1/3 c. of water, mix. I haven't found anything about this suggestion, and haven't tried it yet, but I would think that if you don't have a grinder to grind the beans, you could cook them and mash them really well either in a blender or with a potato masher, and mix in your food. Try it out, if you haven't yet. Let us know about your experiences. Michelle
"We . . . must be careful not to hinder, disregard, or quench the Spirit in our lives.
"The beckoning invitations of the world attempt to divert our attention from the strait and narrow path. The adversary labors to dull our sensitivity to the promptings of the Spirit,whether we are teenagers, young adults, or mature men and women. The role of the Spirit, the Holy Ghost, is essential in every season of our mortal lives."
Keith K. Hilbig, "Quench Not the Spirit Which Quickens the Inner Man," Ensign, Nov. 2007, 37
Someone mentioned to me today they had heard that water shouldn't be stored in used containers, even if the container had previously contained food and is a food grade container. It was also mentioned that the information had come from the Utah Extension office. So, I thought I would check the source, this time, and see what I could come up with. I found no information stating that it is unsafe to store water in used containers. I also am including the site from the extension with all the water storage info. I would love it if someone would let me know if they find any info. that it isn't safe. Here's the site http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FN_Food_Safety_2006-01pr.pdf Michelle
"With all the strength of my soul I testify that our Heavenly Father loves each one of us. He hears the prayers of humble hearts; He hears our cries for help. . . . His Son, our Savior and Redeemer, speaks to each of us today: 'Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him' (Revelation3:20).
"Will we listen for that knock? Will we hear that voice?Will we open that door to the Lord, that we may receive the help He is so ready to provide? I pray that we will."
Thomas S. Monson, "Mrs. Patton--the Story Continues," Ensign, Nov. 2007, 24
No, it is NOT 4 a.m. However, I was awake at that time this morning, unfortunately, thinking about how really prepared my family is and my ward family members are (and of course those of you who aren't in either of those categories, whom hopefully we're helping here). I don't want this post to be gloomy, I just felt I needed to share some thoughts I was having. I think that beyond if we have enough money or food, etc. to care for our families, are we prepared mentally and emotionally? Have we taught our children to only take as much food as they will eat, portion control, to eat everything on their plates? Turn off lights, use water wisely, living without electricity or running water or enough heat to really keep us warm? Can we take care of a minor sickness without going to the doctor? There are so many things like this that I think we all probably have become complacent about because of the abundance we've all enjoyed in this country for so many years. Please don't think that I'm pointing a finger, because I know that many more would be pointing at me if I did. I'm not a gloom and doom person, which I've mentioned before, but I am a "what if" person. The kind of person who would rather plan for the worse and hope for the best. Be prepared for anything. Or at least as much as I can be prepared for. One could make themselves crazy trying to plan for every teeny tiny thing, but I also know that if we do our best, the rest will work it self out, with the help of the Lord. Thanks for letting me share these thoughts with you. Please remember that what is written here is not meant to scare, offend or facilitate any negative feelings. Only to give encouragement and food for thought. Sorry if anyone has any negative feelings. Next post has recipes I hope you enjoy. Michelle
Now that we're all a little bit farther into our preparing progress, I thought I would put another shout out for recipes. Everyone loves new recipes, especially the tried and true recipes. It would be great if we would share our recipes with each other, to help each other in our efforts of preparedness. Just to kick things off, I'll post one of my favorite recipes. Sorry, I don't know how to put pics. on for you to see it. This is my favorite whole wheat bread recipe. It comes from Anitra Kerr, from the Simply Living Smart website. If you were at the Provident Living Fair and tasted the bread there, this is the recipe. I hope you like it.
ANITRA'S WHOLE WHEAT BREAD This recipe works great in a mixer, not sure about by hand
In a heavy mixing bowl, combine the following ingredients
3 3/4 c. hot water 4 c. whole wheat flour 1/2 c. oil 1/2 c. honey 1/2 c. rolled oats (reg. or instant) 1/2 c. dry milk 3 crushed 500 mil. vitamin C tabs. as dough enhancer
mix on low for 4 min. then add
2 Tbl. yeast (SAF is best, no proofing) 1/2 c. gluten flour 1 1/2 tsp. salt
Gradually add enough wheat flour until you can see the bottom of the bowl when it's mixing, about 3-4 cups. Knead for 10 minutes more on medium until the dough pulls away from the bowl, and is soft and elastic. You'll know that your dough is perfect when the whole bowl is clean and the dough is soft and stretchy. Remember the kneading is the most important step, so give it time. Turn dough onto a lightly oiled counter, and turn a few times. Cover and allow to rest 1/2 hour. Meanwhile turn oven to 140, or lowest temp. possible, and after forming into 4 loaves, turn off the oven, and put pans in the oven, uncovered. After dough has doubled in size, turn oven to 350 and bake until golden brown, about 45 min. Cool in pans 15 min., and remove!! If you want to see a tutorial video, check out simplylivingsmart.com. The difference between the video and the above recipe, is that she doesn't let it rest for a half hour, but the resting time does make a difference if you have the extra time for it. Good luck
"Prayer endows us with the power to draw near to our Eternal Father.How important it is, then, that one of our fundamental teachings to our children is how to pray."
L. Tom Perry, "Our Father Which Art in Heaven," Ensign, Nov. 1983, 12
"[The] devastated and displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina .. were hungry, frightened people who had lost everything and needed food,medical attention, and help of all kinds, but what they wanted and needed most was their families.
"Crisis or transition of any kind reminds us of what matters most. In the routine of life, we often take our families--our parents and children and siblings--for granted. But in times of danger and need and change, there is no question that what we care about most is our families! It will be even more so when we leave this life and enter into the spirit world. Surely the first people we will seek to find there will be father, mother, spouse, children, and siblings."
M. Russell Ballard, "What Matters Most Is What Lasts Longest," Ensign, Nov. 2005, 41
BTW, I heard that Smiths is supposed to be starting their case lot sale next week, starting on the 18th. Sorry, if the info. is wrong. I should have checked my source first, but...
I found this great article at this site http://theprudenthomemaker.com/LivingonourFoodStorage.aspx It is the story about the woman and her family and how they have lived, the last almost 2 years, strictly on storage. The whole site is great, but I especially like the story. She has a lot of little tidbits of information, along with practical recipes for cooking on a small budget. Check it out, I think you'll like it.
Also, for those of you who missed the video at the provident living fair, take a look at the you tube video series of Wendy Dewitt. She's from Arizona and has been going around teaching people how to get their storage for years. I've personally been to one of her classes and it's really great. It's where I got the first real information about how to get a storage that my family will eat. Also, not to be afraid of canning my own meat. Take a look.
One last thing. Next week I will start posting my personal favorite recipes. I hope you try some of them and hopefully enjoy them. The first one I'll post, is the bread recipe I use and had samples of at the fair. Hopefully this will inspire some of you to share as well.
President James E. Faust: Some have said, "We have followed this counsel in the past and have never had need to use our year's supply, so we have difficulty keeping this in mind as a major priority." Perhaps following this counsel could be the reason why they have not needed to use their reserve. (Ensign, May 1986, p.22).
"You have a choice. You can wring your hands and be consumed with concern for the future or choose to use the counsel the Lord has given to live with peace and happiness in a world awash with evil. If you choose to concentrate on the dark side, this is what you will see. . . . Now the brighter side. Despite pockets of evil, the world overall is majestically beautiful, filled with many good and sincere people. God has provided a way to live in this world and not be contaminated by the degrading pressures evil agents spread throughout it. You can live a virtuous, productive, righteous life by following the plan of protection created by your Father in Heaven: His plan of happiness."
Richard G. Scott, "How to Live Well amid Increasing Evil," Ensign, May 2004, 100
This is the quote that made it's way to my inbox last year on the day that my daughter passed away. Every time I read this...I feel a confirmation of importance and reality of our eternal bonds. Danielle
"We can have eternal life if we want it, but only if there is nothing else we want more."
Bruce C. Hafen, "The Atonement: All for All," Ensign, May 2004, 98
I spoke with the City of Saratoga Springs today, and the spring clean up dumpsters were just approved for this year. We do not have an exact date, but they are thinking ours will be in front of the park in May.
Start cleaning now... WE WILL HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD YARD SALE ON SATURDAY, APRIL 25th from 8 a.m to 1 p.m.
In our everyday quest to fortify ourselves and our families against the storms of life, we must not forget to nourish our spirit and do everything in our power to strengthen our faith.
I hope to add a few inspirational thoughts now and then; to lift our spirits and inspire our hearts. If you come across any profound thoughts or quotes that have touched your life, please share them by emailing them to sunrisemeadows1@live.com.
Thank you, Danielle
"At . . . moments of crisis and challenge, some choose to abandon faith just at the time when it most needs to be embraced. Prayer is ignored at the very hour when it needs to be intensified. Virtue is carelessly tossed aside when it needs to be cherished. God is forsaken in the all-too-human yet mistaken fear that He has forsaken us.
"The truth is that our only safety, our only security, our only hope is to hold fast to that which is good. As the mists of darkness gather around us, we are only lost if we choose to let go of the iron rod, which is the word of God."
David S. Baxter, "Faith, Service, Constancy," Ensign, Nov. 2006, 14
This is the month to really start working on your 3 month supply. There is a case lot sale at not only Maceys, but also Kohls going on right now. I know you've already made up your 2 week menu, and your shopping list, so now is the time to really start stocking those shelves you built. You will be so excited to see your shelves getting filled up, and knowing you don't have to go back to buy any of the items that are there until the next case lot sale, when those items are at a really good price. Good luck, have fun and HAPPY SHOPPING!
Some people have mentioned about good prices on meat. I get the Macey's ad in the mail (you can too by signing up at the store, they'll send one right to your mail box every week. Just remember that even though it comes early, that their sale goes Wed. - Wed. now) and they have some great chicken deals if you're looking to stock up. I'll list the prices, but of course you can go to their site, which is listed to your left. I actually like to do both. By the way, did you know that you can make a print out of your shopping list for Maceys, Smiths and Albertson's? It's great. Okay, here are the prices. 10# box-breaded chicken breast $9.99 That's a dollar a pound, in case you don't do math. ( I like to use these sliced to make a chicken potato bowl like at KFC, but way cheaper) 20# box-frozen boneless, skinless chicken-breasts or tenders $29.99 this is only $1.25 per lb. Cheap!(I'll take these boxes home and divide into meal size freezer bags, you could also cook and then freeze for ease. Of course you could can it, too.) Super Saver Pack-fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts $1.49lb. If you don't, or can't buy a 20 lb. box, this is the next best thing. Stock up on as much as you can. Happy shopping! Michelle
I got this email from Lisa Gibby. Call her quickly if you're interested in anything listed so she can get them out of her house. We all know how the DI stuff goes. Michelle
*I was just cleaning out kid closets and was wondering if you would post on the provident living blog that I have a bunch of girls sizes 6x-8 stuff and boys sizes 12-14 clothes. I thought I 'd see if anyone in the ward wants to go through them before I take them to DI. Thanks. Lisa
I got to thinking that maybe some of you don't know (because you don't live in my ward and or haven't read the Feb. ward newsletter) that water storage is your assignment for February. If you have read the blog I posted earlier in the month, you will know a lot of details for storing water. I'm working on finding a great deal on water barrels. If anyone has any tips, let me know. Be sure to have water stored in as many different ways as you feel would be helpful to you. Personally, I have a lot of water bottles as well as a 10 gallon water container for drinking/cooking. I also have 2 55 gal. barrels for storing cleaning and sanitation. We also, are going to be making some rain water barrels to get roof runoff. If you're interested in an efficient way to store your water barrels, look on www.theideadoor.com for a pdf with diagram, instructions and a picture. It's very cool. Keep up the great work Michelle
I was at an extended family dinner on Sunday, and was talking to my cousin and her son about what my "new obsession" (preparedness) is. My cousin proceeded to tell me that she is confused about what she's preparing for. Is she preparing for a "get out of the house fast" emergency, or is she preparing for a "stay at home" emergency. My response was, of course, "yes". In other words, we need to be preparing for any kind of emergency that may be coming our way. In D&C 88:119 it says to "Organize yourselves and prepare every needful thing". I take that as a call to not do either or, but to do all you can do. We don't need to work out of fear, but out of obedience and foresight. In this day and age, there are many things out there we might consider preparing for, from weather related to biological. However, to clarify a bit, and make things not sound quite so overwhelming, keep in mind that if you're prepared for a pandemic, you're probably prepared for a biological emergency. You'll probably have masks, gloves, plastic to cover windows and doorways, etc. If you're prepared for a fire, you're probably prepared for an earthquake. You'll probably have what you would need for each of your family members to be away from home for at least 3 days. If you're prepared for a financial collapse, you're prepared for a long term job loss. I hope this maybe clarifies things for someone. I also hope I didn't make things harder on others. For me, and I think for many others, if I know what to do, somehow I can make it happen, of course with the Lords help. Sometimes it can get hard or overwhelming to think of what we need to do, but if we pray to be inspired and directed, we will be. I've seen it happen over and over. Maybe you'll become like me and have it be an obsession. Of course I have to admit I have a bit of an obsessive personally, so maybe you won't get as bad as me. Good luck, and have FUN for heavens sake!!! Michelle
I found this great blog today with a lot of good info. on water storage. The blog is run by the Pleasant Grove 1st ward. I would really suggest you check it out, not just for water storage info. but for other things also. Here's the link http://pgward.org/ep/archives/category/water. TIP: When you're looking at blogs like these, look at the other sites they suggest, I've found a lot of great sites that way. Michelle
I was looking at one of my favorite sites www.utahpreppers.com, and found a new post that I thought was really interesting. It's about how a 1/4 measuring cup can make a difference. It is also linked to another site that looks promising, with the original thought posted. I hope you check them both out. I thought they were very eye opening. Have a great day. Michelle
I know some of you get as crazy excited as I do when I find a great deal somewhere, I won't mention names 'cuz I'll forget someone and don't like to offend. Anyway, I'm sure most, if not all, of you have seen the sign on Main St. in Lehi about the pasta sale, and thought "oh, I wonder". Well me too, so I went ahead and stopped in. WoW, what a deal they have going there. The people who are selling the pasta (and some spices) will be there until about the middle of Feb. selling all kinds of pasta for .75 lb. If you buy 10 boxes, no matter the poundage, they will sell it to you for .65 lb. You can also just buy it by the pound for a bit higher price. It's fun pasta, not just spaghetti and macaroni. Don't ask me how much I got. They get the pasta from a well known pasta company, don't ask which one I forget things like that. It is pasta that for one reason or another has been denied from the different food making companies (reasons like it didn't get cut the right size, etc) and the pasta has to do something with it, so sometimes, like in cases like this, they sell it for a good price and someone sells it for a good price. Okay, so you get the idea. If you want to know what kinds they have without actually going in to the store (which is open 1-7 week days, and I can't remember Saturday, sorry, I know I'm lame, but give me a break, please) you can to on to KSL under the classifides under food storage and there is information there, not just about what kind of pasta, but their hours, too. Have fun Michelle
I stumbled upon this website today http://grandpappy.info/hfood1yr.htm and thought it had some pretty useful info. in it. I always want to know what you think about what I blog, so leave me a message about what you think of it. Michelle
I plan to start a list of sites to use for "food storage" type meals. This means the recipes contain at least one item of food storage items. Please again remember that food storage isn't just wheat, beans and honey. Though I feel these types of items are best to be a starter for a meal, one has to add other things, like sauces, meat and cheese and spices, to make them edible. I will be adding to this particular post as I find good recipe sites, so check back occasionally. And as always, your input is always gladly accepted. So, here goes. Some of these sites I've mentioned in past posts, but will put them here anyway, to make it easier. Wish me luck Michelle
Recently I was talking with some sisters in the ward who were telling me that they're having a hard time lowering their food budget and were looking for some suggestions. These are my thoughts. First, make a menu. I've said this before, but I know it really can help. Even if you start out with just a 2 week menu, then you know all the foods you need for the two weeks and can shop the sales for those items, then you don't ever pay full price for anything. SHOP THE SALES. Honestly, I didn't realize what deals I was missing out on for a long time by not even looking at the Smiths and Albertson's ads on a weekly basis. If something is on sale, buy as much extra as you can so you don't run out until it's on sale again. It takes time, but if you stick with it, it works. Again, shop the sales. Let me give you a meal idea I did last year and spent about 5 dollars for a dinner. Macey's had Jenny O 1 lb. ground turkey chubs on sale for 1.25. Then Smiths had canned sloppy joe mix on sale for .50. That's just 1.75 for the meat and the mix. Then even if you bought your buns for 1.50, you could serve a salad and carrot sticks and a glass of milk to cover all the food groups. Or to make it even less expensive, you could just serve either the salad or the carrots and maybe make your own buns with your favorite bread recipe (it's a bit more work than making bread, but not much). Don't assume that Costco, Sams or Walmart, or any one store, have the cheapest prices. To go along with the last thought, you could go to Walmart and price match, or go to the different stores who have the things on sale you need if you have time and energy. Many times it is really worth going a bit further to shop. We're having a class on February 3rd about coupon shopping, which should be very helpful also. Okay, so these are my ideas. What are yours? I know people are looking at this site, because you tell me you are, so leave your comments. You may not know who's life you may change with your small, or big, idea. Next, I plan to try on a weekly basis to go through the ads and posting some ideas for dinner you can purchase specifically from the ads. If I don't do it every week, sorry, sometimes life gets away from me, but I'll try really hard. Again, you're welcome to give your own thoughts. Good luck everyone. Don't forget to get Heavenly Fathers help. Yes, he'll help even with grocery shopping. He cares about everything in your life. Michelle
Here are some great deals you can get from a couple of places:
Macey's Grocery- Canned pumpkin .69 a can, for the big cans. Great price www.alpinefoodstorage.com-is a family run food storage business run out of their home in Highland. They have weekly deals to just pick up or order. Sign up for their email and get at least weekly updates, sometimes multiple times a week. Very nice to work with. Right now they have licorice in different flavors $1.50 per lb. among other things, and are taking orders for pecans, organic coconut and pasta. Michelle
I was just at the Saratoga Springs Smith's and they are closing out many brand of laundry detergent. The closeout price on certain types of Tide, All and generic laundry soap is up to 50% off or more.
What better time to stock up for that year supply? Just head down the detergent isle and look for the purple closeout tags. (They are also closing out various other products, including hair care.)
There has been a request for input from you for your favorite food storage meals. It can be anything you make, that you would have items in it that would sit in your pantry. It doesn't even have to have beans or wheat in it at all. I know all of you have a favorite meal you can just make up from stuff in your pantry. We all need them to help us with our meal planning. Thanks! I'm so excited to see your recipes! Michelle
There are some great ideas on www.everydayfoodstorage.net that was posted today to help everyone get dinner on the table everyday. These ideas are simple, but effective. I know many of you don't have a problem making dinner everyday, but some have a harder time, with their schedules, etc. Check this web out either way, maybe you'll get an idea you haven't tried that might make your life easier. It would be great to hear your ideas, and the things you do to help you get dinner on the table more often than not. Michelle
I know I said I was going to do salt next for our storage item, but I came across this deal for pasta that is time sensitive so needed to do it. As soon as this order is done, we'll do the salt. Some of the specifics of the pasta is that it is coming straight from the producer and isn't produced until ordered. There are several kinds of pasta I've not run across in bulk, including organic and whole wheat organic. If you're interested, email me at crazymama963@msn.com and I'll email the order for to you. The glitch is that the order is due by January 12th. Michelle
Each week you will be given suggestions to help you (us) get better prepared. I will try to put suggestions for beginners, but also for those who aren't such beginners, to help keep everyone going. If I don't have suggestions for the non-beginners sometimes, sorry, but go ahead and do something that will help you that week. You're also welcome to give suggestions, I cant' think of everything. Try to think of your storage space as a grocery store in your home. Be sure, as you're making up your menu list, to include easy meals for those crazy days, when there just isn't as much time, or energy, as you need to make a meal. You will save so much money and feed your family more healthfully over going by a fast food place with just a little bit of planning. Okay, so here goes
January: Week 1-beginner: clear a space for your storage items, get it clean of dirt and make sure it's dry, bug and rodent free. Start a list of meals your family eats on a daily basis. Purchase some bottled water. -non-beginner: Add to your water storage. Make sure what you have is still good. Rotate any foods needing rotating, or get rid of items not used frequently enough or out of date.
Week 2-beginner: get some shelving, either by buying or building some. Figure out how to have extra mandatory medications in your home for long term emergencies. Continue your meals list. Get more water. -non-beginner: Figure out how to have extra mandatory medications in your home for long term emergencies. Try a new menu meal you think your family will love.
Week 3-beginner: make a "grocery list" of foods to go in your storage based on your meals list. If you don't have at least 14 days of meals listed, look for some recipes and try them on your family. This list is to help you get a 3 month supply of food. Use items rarely used out of your pantry to clear space for items more frequently used. -non-beginner: replace items recently purged with up dated items. Add to your grocery list, any new items needed for your new meal.
Week 4-beginner: begin purchasing items from your "grocery list". Purchase in bulk where possible. Purchase a wide of a variety each week as possible with your budget for food. Make dinner at least 6 nights this week. -non-beginner: start filling in where your may be a bit lacking. Make dinner at least 6 nights this week.
For quite a while now, I have had people tell me they would like to have more specific suggested items to purchase for storage and emergency prep. items, like what to buy each week. And for quite a while I've been fighting it. Since the Church put out the new suggested guidelines for storage, suggesting more along the lines of store what you eat, and eat what you store, than concentrating on poundage of grains, etc., I've really had a hard time with specific weekly suggestions. However, I've come to realize and understand, that suggestions can be made which are specific, but not too specific, and if your family doesn't eat what is suggested, you can get something else, or save the money for later. So, if you feel as many others do, that this is the year for your family to get as prepared as possible, and to learn to live a more low cost, more simple life style, then you'll want to keep an eye on this blog. You will be getting not only suggestions on purchases for food storage, be it long or short term, but also emergency preparedness items for your home, car and work. You will also be getting, and hopefully contributing to, recipe ideas to help you use some of the longer term items in everyday eating that your family will love. As well as many other things to help keep us all motivated to get as prepared as we can be, for what ever may come up. Good luck, don't get discouraged, and remember that your input, large or small, is worth something! Michelle
