Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

I was looking through a cookbook and found a couple of recipes that I thought looked good. I love having healthy (okay..somewhat healthy) after school snacks for the kids--or else they ransack the pantry looking for granola bars and fruit snacks. These muffins seemed like they would be worth trying. I have to admit, they were pretty good! My husband did say that he thought they were a little too healthy (I tend to do that--hey, at least I didn't put pureed beans in them!) They have a VERY dense texture, but I feel like they would fill the kids up and would be great in lunches. We have three friends over and they all came back for seconds :)

I happened to have flax seed on hand, so these muffins worked great to get rid of those. If you don't, I would assume you could use more flour or oats in it's place.

Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins
1 egg
1/4 c. canola oil
1/2 c. applesauce
4 bananas
3 T. sour cream
1 t. vanilla

Mix above ingredients together.

1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. flax (if you have flax in seed form, put in a blender with the wet mixture above for 1 minute until well blended)
1 1/4 c. quick oats
1/3 c. brown sugar or honey
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 c. raisins or craisins
1/2 c. chocolate chips (optional)

Mix together the wet ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Put muffins in a greased muffin tin and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes (until they are browned on top and have a cake-like texture). You could use all raisins or all chocolate chips--personally I think chocolate makes everything taste better!

Another great recipe to use up that food storage!

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Money Saving Tip

I was making a recipe the other day that called for 3 cans of chicken broth. I couldn't remember if I have shared my chicken broth tip with you or not? There are several items in my kitchen that are 'must haves'--for example: lime juice (we go through this like water in our kitchen), Montreal Steak Seasoning, Costco's Garlic Spread, etc. The list could go on and on. One must have in my kitchen though is Chicken and Beef Base or Bouillon.

Many recipes call for chicken/beef broth or chicken bouillon in recipes and to buy it by the can is extremely expensive. I was just at Walmart the other day and their Great Value can of chicken broth was almost $1--ugh! If you add 3-4 cans in a recipe that is an expensive addition.

So, the tip: Keep your kitchen well stocked with Chicken and Beef Base (this is least at Costco or Sam's Club-McCormick or Tone's makes are good brands) and large #10 cans of Chicken and Beef Bouillon (you can get this online, Maceys, or most Walmarts).

I keep a glass mason jar in my spice cabinet filled with the chicken and beef bouillon so I can easily measure out a tablespoon or teaspoon, add with water and use in my favorite recipes. The chicken and beef base needs to be kept in the fridge once it is open, but will last at least a year once it is opened. The base is a little more expensive but has an awesome flavor, so I ration that on my 'high end meals' and use the powdered bouillon for large soups, stews, etc.

These are also great items to have in your food storage in the event we had to live out of our storage and eat all of our dried beans, rice, noodles, etc. we would want some flavor!

That is probably the longest post in history about bouillon, but it really is one of my FAVE items in my kitchen! Have fun cooking!

**One other benefit is they are MSG free!

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Beans...the options are limitless!

The other day I was making White Bean Chicken Chili and decided to use some of the dried white beans from my storage (SO much less expensive than canned beans!). I put 3 lbs. of beans in my large roaster oven and had them simmer in the water for 4-5 hours. By the end of the day the beans were perfectly soft and ready for my chili. Needless to say, out of 3 lbs. of beans, I had LOTS of left overs and wondered what to do with them. I have read several blogs and books where they say you can substitute white beans pureed for fat/butter in recipes. I decided to give this method a try. I was over all quite pleased with the results! Here are a few of my cooking adventures with pureed white beans.




My first attempt was pretty terrible. I don't know if it was the recipe I used or the fact I used 100% whole wheat and 100% beans-with no butter or fat. The cookies turned out dry and crumbly and NOT worth posting about. When I perfect a chocolate chip cookie recipe with white beans I will post about it.


I then decided to try white bean puree in some muffins I was making for an after school snack for the kids. These actually turned out pretty good! I think if you used all white flour you wouldn't even be able to tell the difference of the butter or beans. However, I tend to go over board with the wheat flour in hopes of being healthy, and usually do too much. Try this recipe with half wheat flour and half white flour and I think it will be perfect! I have tried all bean puree and no butter and they just turn out too crumbly and dry. Having some fat in the recipe helps the item stay moist and soft. Sorry...these are 'healthier' not 100% healthy :)
*I liked the lemon butter/sugar topping of these muffins, but I think a traditional streusel would actually taste even better.



Blueberry Muffins
2 c. wheat flour
2 c. white flour
1 cup sugar
6 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
zest of two lemons
2 egg
2 cup water
6 T. dry powdered milk
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. white bean puree
2 cup frozen blueberries

Topping (this makes extra - you can try cutting it down if you want):
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tb lemon juice
lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar

Beat eggs, bean puree, butter, water, powdered milk, and sugar. Stir in blueberries. Add dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Combine butter and lemon juice. While the muffins are still warm, dip the tops in the butter and lemon juice, then dip in sugar. Makes 24 muffins.


This afternoon I decided to try another recipe with white beans (I had lots to get rid of!) and this one is my favorite so far. This Oatmeal Raisin cookie recipe was one I adapted from Mrs. Fields Cookbook into a healthier version. Again, you need some of the fat, so use 1/2 beans and 1/2 butter and they will be delicious! This recipe makes a TON! You can freeze the extra dough for later or give some away to your neighbors.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies (Okay...healthier)
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. white sugar
1 c. butter
1 c. pureed white beans
Beat top ingredients and then add:
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
Add dry ingredients and beat together:
1/4 c. powdered dry milk
2 c. white flour
2-3 c. wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
5 c. oatmeal (quick or regular)
2 t. soda
1 t. salt
2 c. raisins or chocolate chips
3 c. nuts (optional)

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes on greased cookie sheet. Don’t over bake.

**GREAT TIP: Make extra white beans and puree them into separate portions for later. Label your bags with how much beans you put in the bag and keep them in the freezer until you need them. When you are baking, pull out a bag, thaw them in the microwave, and add them to your recipe as desired. It works great!

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An easy way to store water

This is one of the easiest ways to store water in your home. When you are through with your plastic 2 liter pop bottles or juice containers that are CLEAR, rinse them out with water and then fill them up for your emergency water supply. If you have bottles that have colored plastic, use that water for washing and NOT drinking. The die in the bottle can supposedly seep into the water and can be bad for you. I have these stored in my basement, at the bottom of my pantry, under my children's beds, and even in my car. If you live in a place that has treated water (check with your local city), you no longer need to put bleach in your water when you are storing it. If your water is not treated, you can use the measurements below to help ensure your water is safe to drink.

*Boil water vigurously for 3-5 minutes.
*Put 8 drops of Chlorine Bleach (unscented) for every gallon of CLEAR water & wait for 30 minutes before drinking
*Put 24 drops of Chlorine Bleach (unscented) for every gallon of CLOUDY water and wait for 60 minutes before drinking

If when you open the water and it tastes stale, you can flavor the water with Kool Aid, Hot Cocoa Powder, Fruit Drink Mix (you can get from the LDS Cannery for cheap!), etc. These items are good to store to help your children drink the water in an emergency if it didn't taste as fresh as normal. If you are worried about the flavor or purity of the water you can always get a water filter to guarantee the cleanliness of your water (my favorite is the Katadyne Filter). Having a water filter can ease your mind about safe water--many of them can turn muddy water into clean/safe drinking water.

You can't have enough water! Even if you didn't use this water for drinking, it would make good cleaning, washing, and cooking water! Another great tips someone told me that I have now incorporated into our storage is to fill up your empty plastic laundry detergent bottles with water. Don't rinse them out, the left over soap in the container will be great for cleaning or clothes washing in an emergency.

Each of our storage spaces are different, so just store as much water as your home is capable of and you will feel peace knowing you have water in an emergency!

The following are some websites with information on purifying and storing water if you would like more information:

www.providentliving.org
www.redcross.org
www.fema.gov

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Food for thought

I was sent an email from a friend that showed what a ONE year supply of the basic necessities looked like. They had put this together for an Enrichment night to show how little a one year supply really is. I thought it was worth sharing. As I go around and teach classes on food storage I have found, just as these sisters have found in their wards, that people can come up with ALL sorts of excuses to why they can't get their year supply. In this email they talked about the common reasons why people put off getting their food storage (I taught a class last night and these comments were EXACTLY what the women mentioned!).."I don't have anywhere to store the food. What would I do with ALL that food. I won't store a year supply, I just want to store a few extras and that will do. I don't have extra money to buy food storage. I will do it someday, but not now. I don't have time. I don't like wheat and I wouldn't know what to do with wheat. I will get my food storage when I have the right shelves. And so on, and so on!"

Yes, some of these concerns will need to be dealt with, but I am here to tell you that they can be overcome! Here is the picture that was sent with this email to show just how LITTLE and easy it is to orgaanize and obtain your year supply.


ONE YEAR SUPPLY OF THE BASICS FOR ONE PERSON


A year supply of food does sound like a lot of food. However, this picture shows how LITTLE you would be able to eat with your 'one year supply' of food. It sure wouldn't hurt to have a little extra :)

**They did figure you would store yeast to use for making bread. Homemade bread uses all of the basic food storage ingredients (oil, flour (wheat), sugar, salt, water). Yeast can be bought at Costco for very inexpensive and if you store it in the freezer it can last over a year. (SAF instant yeast is my favorite brand)

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Commonly asked question on storing your food storage

Hi, I have a quick question for you. Your food storage lists says that oats and milk, flour and things will last 20-30 yrs if stored correctly. What exactly does that mean? Do I have to store oats in 10# cans? Can I buy oats and flour from the cannery and then put them in a 5gallon bucket and have them last that long? I am just not sure the best methods. I would appreciate some advice. Also, do you know if the cannery oats are even good? This process can be overwhelming!

Yes! Everything I have tried from the Cannery is excellent quality :) Buy the items at the Cannery in BULK 25lb. bags and you will save! They have awesome prices!!

As far as storing..here are my thoughts:

Don’t be overwhelmed!! Getting started is the hardest part, I promise!! You will find it really is fun and you will get great satisfaction as you see your storage room take shape and shelves stocked.

This is the deal with how long food lasts…I don’t worry about it!!! If you are only stocking up for a one year supply, even if you don’t rotate through the food in over five years, it will still be FINE! People get so worried about having their food ‘go bad’ that they frustrate themselves. The study that was done from the Cannery showed that food stored in #10 cans were PERFECTLY fine after 30 years. They came to the conclusion that many of these long term storage items can last even longer than 30 years, and MUCH longer than they ever thought they would.

I don’t can my food in #10 cans because it almost doubles the price. The only item I have in #10 cans is powdered milk from the Cannery. I don't rotate through this as quickly and I want to make sure it lasts and is fresh. All other items I put in the 5 gallon buckets or plastic containers, and I figure they will last as long as I need them to (5-10 years). If you are not rotating through your items in less than 10 years, you are most likely buying too much, or don’t need to restock as often. I have oats in my pantry that I bought right after I was married (nearly 10 years ago) and they are perfectly fine! I also have powdered milk that is almost that old and is still good.

The only exception is if you live in an area where you have to worry about moisture, mold, flooding, or rodents. If you do have these issues, then it may be wise to can as much of your food as you can in the #10 cans. If not, just rotate your long term food storage items once a year, check to make sure there is no weevil, and you will be set!

Hopefully that helps!

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Pantry Basics

Having a well stocked pantry helps make meal planning and cooking MUCH easier! One of the most frustrating parts of cooking is not having all of the ingredients you need at your fingertips. Having a well stocked pantry and food storage makes all of this EASY and fun!

I get several questions a week from people wondering how I organize my pantry. Lets just say it is not as organized as my food storage, but it works :)


Here are a few commonly asked questions:

#1--Where do I store the 25lb. bags of wheat, flour, sugar, etc. that I bring up to my pantry from my food storage room?

*I bring the bulk bags upstairs and keep them in the bottom of my pantry in a 5 gallon bucket, or on the bottom shelf. I fill the canisters I have on my counter of sugar, flour, oats, and salt for easy access, and then keep the rest of these items in the bucket in my pantry. Unless your home has a problem with rodents/bugs, this should be fine.

#2--What items do you keep stocked in your pantry?

*Basically I have one or two of everything I keep in my food storage room. The list would be quite lengthy if I were to list everything in my pantry, but here are a few of the basics that I can not do with out:
*Basic grains; wheat, flour, oats, pasta, rice, flax seed (I like to put it in a lot of breads & pancakes), cereal.
*Oils; olive oil, vegetable/canola oil, shortening, and peanut butter.
*Legumes; dried beans, canned beans (kidney, black, great northern, refried beans, etc.)
*Vegetables & Fruit; corn, green beans, mandarin oranges, pineapple, pears, peaches, etc.
*Cooking Basics; white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar ( I use vinegars in TONS of recipes and buy them in the large gallon size), soy sauce (couldn't live without that!), sesame seed oil (I LOVE Thai food!), balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, jam, coconut milk, taco shells, etc.
*Baking goods; coconut, chocolate chips, raisins, craisins, chocolate & almond bark,
*Misc.; croutons, tortilla chips (great to have on hand for soups, dips, salads, hot cocoa, etc. **TIP: If you have leftover USED #10 cans from the Cannery, use them to help organize your pantry. You can also buy them at the cannery for around .15 each**
*Keep a well stocked spice rack/cabinet so you have all of your favorite spices on hand for a variety of meals. Some basic spices to have on hand are: chili powder, taco seasoning, cumin, Montreal Steak Seasoning (my personal favorite!!), garlic powder/salt, parsley, oregano, basil, Italian Seasoning, cajun seasoning, dry mustard, sage, ginger powder, dill weed, rosemary, poppyseeds, vanilla, baking powder & soda, cocoa, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, etc. I try to keep a year supply of these spices on hand at all times. Many of them you can buy at Costco in bulk for great prices. **TIP: If you have extra mason jars lying around, use them to store spices, dried goods, or baking goods. They are easy to see what's inside, and help your pantry stay clean**
*My wheat grinder for EASY access..making it so I can pull it out, grind wheat into flour, and have homemade bread in about an hour!

Think of your food storage as an extension of your pantry. When you keep a well stocked food storage, you will have nearly everything you need for meal planning at your finger tips. Cooking is FUN when you have all of the ingredients on hand. Keeping pantry basics on hand will make your life more simple and cooking a breeze!

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Three Easy Steps to Getting Your Food Storage

**Clarification: 14 gallons of water for a TWO WEEK supply..NOT 14 gallons per day :) It is recommended to have 28 gallons for two weeks of drinking, washing, & cleaning water per person.

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Simply Living Smart-- an AMAZING food storage resource!

I am excited to introduce to you an amazing food storage website that I have grown to love! There are several food storage websites out there, but this website is the most thorough and professional website I have seen. This website has the same ideas and philosophy as I do for food storage--buy items your family eats, stock up in case of an emergency, learn to cook and eat out of your food storage, become self reliant and prepare for the future. They teach, as well as I do, that your food storage should be a continuation of your pantry and should be used and rotated on a regular basis. I LOVE http://www.simplylivingsmart.com/ because they have simple and valuable information that will benefit everyone. The only problem is as soon as you start browsing their website, you won't be able to stop :) Check it out--you will love it as much as I do!!

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Dried Beans...a GREAT item to have in your food storage!

So...if you are like me and LOVE to cook, you know how many cans of black/white/navy/kidney beans you go through! I am always using my canned beans in TONS of delicious recipes, like Taco Soup, Creamy White Chicken Chili, BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad, Cafe Rio Salad/Burritos, Chili's, Taco Salad, etc. The other day I had a panic attack that my year supply of canned beans was not enough (if you know me, that's funny because I store A LOT of beans :0). So, I have done a lot of research to find where you can buy your dried beans for less. I figure that my canned beans are great when I need them for quick meals or salads, but for when I am making a soup, chili or stew, I can sacifice a few hours and soak my beans and cook them from dry form. Why you ask? Because they are SOOO much less expensive! The cheapest place I have been able to find dried beans are at the LDS Cannery. They sell their black beans, pinto beans and white navy beans for MUCH less than you can find anywhere!! I LOVE the cannery! Buy the beans in BULK for only $12-$14 for a 25 lb. bag. If you don't feel like you will ever use 25lbs. in 30 years, buy your beans at Walmart for only .98 for a 1 lb. bag. This is more than the cannery, but is still a good price for dried beans! These will last for 30 years and are an important part of your food storage. Beans have a lot of protein and nutrients and are great for you! Another added benefit of using dried beans instead of canned beans is that you save yourself all of the sodium that comes from canned beans. All around, beans are a fabulous item to have in your storage!!

Here is one of my ALL TIME favorite soups! It is SO easy to make (with or without dried beans) and tastes delicious on a cold winter night. This recipe is also a great food storage recipe because everything can be found in your food storage (if the chicken in your freezer was gone you could use the TVP Chicken or canned chicken as a substitute)--of course you probably wouldn't be able to get avocados or sour cream, but it would still be great!!

White Bean Chicken Chili

6 cans of white navy beans, drained (or about 1 lb. dried white beans--soak them overnight or boil for 1 hour or until tender)

2 c. water or chicken broth (or more depending how thick you want it)

1 jar of salsa

1 can green chilies

2-4 chicken breasts

1/2 onion, diced (or you can use dried)

1 c. shredded colby or cheddar cheese

1-2 cloves garlic (or you can use powdered)

1 T. cumin (or more, I like a lot of cumin)

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 T. McCormick Chicken Base (or you can use chicken bouillon)

Cayenne Pepper if you like more of a spicy soup

Garnish with fresh cilantro, sour cream, diced avocados, fresh lime squeezed & more shredded cheese.

Put all of the above ingredients into a large pot. Simmer until beans and chicken are tender and cooked through (I just throw my chicken breasts in raw and let them cook in the water. When they are cooked I take them out and chop them up. They give the broth more of a chicken flavor). Garnish with the above ingredients. Yum!!

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Blog Share

Thanks to all of you who have mentioned us on your blogs--I appreciate the kind words and you helping us get the word out about My Food Storage Deals. I want to show you I appreciate your gesture by emailing you my top ten favorite salad recipes (like: Cafe Rio Pork Salad, Wingers Salad, California Pizza Kitchen Chopped BBQ Salad, Golden Gate Chicken Salad, etc.). Just email me a link to your blog where you have talked about My Food Storage Deals, or if you have added our blog or website as a link, and I will send you the recipes (Shandra@myfoodstoragedeals.com). Thanks ;)

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A QUESTION WORTH DISCUSSING:

"I can understand stocking up on food when you get a good deal. I even understand having enough food in case of an emergency. But, to keep a year’s worth of canned and boxed food seems extreme.I’ve become increasingly aware of eating well and living a healthy lifestyle. I eat much more fresh foods than canned and boxed. The FDA agrees that the food we eat today doesn’t have all the nutrition we need. A lot of that is processed out, especially in things like white flour and sugar.Wouldn’t it be healthier to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, cut back on the processed foods and chemicals, and take a better vitamins?"~Marilyn

MY REPLY:

You have some great points! A year supply is an individual/families decision and should be thoughtfully discussed and prayed about—it may not feel right or even be an option for some people to store a year suply. However, a year supply is NOT an excessive amount of food. It seems like it would be, but it really isn't when you have it. It really is just an economical way to live and eat. By storing the items your family eats on a regular basis, and buying them when they are on sale, you are saving SO much money, as well as preparing for an emergency or hard time that may come to your family. Whether you are obtaining a year supply of food for spiritual reasons, or just to save money, you will find it is the smart way to live. Items generally only go on sale one to two times a year. If you stock up when they do, and buy enough to get you through until they go on sale again, you are saving money & time.

So what do we store? I agree with you on the processed foods. I buy VERY little preprocessed foods. Food storage does not need to be only items in a can or box, this is a common myth! The items I have in my storage are the basics..wheat, grains, barley, oats, dry beans, flour, honey, sugar, powdered milk, pastas, baking items, fruit (low sugar), vegetables, olive oil, salt, canola oil, dried fruit, I bottle my own fruit and meat as well to cut back on chemicals and processed items. These are basic, healthy food storage items, and that is what we have been asked to store (along with any other items your family eats on a regular basis). It is also important, like you said, to also eat what is in season. Definitely eating lots of fruits and vegetables is an important part of your diet. When you eat what is in season (which is usually on sale, and those foods you can grow in your own backyard) you do get added vitamins and nutrients that your body needs. Not all families can eat this way, but for me I have found that making nearly everything from scratch (from items in my food storage and freezer) and supplementing with fresh fruits and vegetables, it not only saves money, but helps my family eat and live more healthy.

In a world where life can be so busy and overwhelming, it is easy to see though why families have navigated to eating more of the quick and easy meals, along with the processed foods. It does take time and patience to find what will work for your individual family. With a little preperation and perhaps a few good recipes, you too can begin to live a more simplified and healthy life. I know I could use more of that, and am grateful we are not asked to be perfect, but are just asked to do our best! ;)

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SPICE IT UP!

An important element to your food storage is to make sure you have enough spices to last you for a year supply. We don't know if we will ever need to live soley off of what is in our storage, but I do know if we ever needed to, I would need A LOT of spices to make my hundreds of pounds of wheat, pinto beans, rice, oats, pasta, etc. taste good! I LOVE to cook and LOVE buying new spices! The more spices and flavor, the better for me! So...what spices do we need in our food storage to make sure we have enough flavoring to make our food taste good? Besides being able to make our food storage food taste good, having a stocked pantry and food storage filled with a large variety of spices will make cooking and meal planning fun! If you have a good supply of spices in your pantry, you will be able to make nearly ALL recipes.

So...this is what I do. The spices I KNOW I go through quickly I buy at Costco in the BIG jars. This way, I know I will use the spice quickly and don't need to worry about the spices losing their flavor over time. Any of the spices I buy at Costco I always make sure I have a backup jar (for when I run out and to make sure I have my year supply). I buy my spices in three quantaties--MOST (the spices I use ALL the time and I make sure I have 2 or 3 extras of each thing), SOMETIMES (the spices I use a lot, but don't rotate through as quickly) and RARELY (spices I use only every now and then and I usually don't have a backup). Here are a list of the spices and flavorings I keep in my storage:

MOST (spices I use ALL of the time and keep in LARGE quantaties!):

*Montreal Seasoning (or Kirkland Steak Seasoning)--absolute favorite!!!

*Chili Powder (Costco)

*Granulated Garlic (Costco)

*Taco Seasoning (Costco)

*Pepper (Costco)

*Salt (I buy salt at Costco in the 25lb. bag for around $2.49--can't beat that!!!) (8 lbs. per person for a year supply)

*Garlic Spread (from Costco--I LOVE it in everything with an Italian flavor)

*Parsley (Costco)

*Basil (Costco)

*Lemon Pepper (Costco)

*Seasoning Salt (Costco)

*Lemon Juice (Costco)

*Lime Juice

*Vanilla

*Cinnamon (Costco)

*Soy Sauce (Costco)

*White Vinegar (Costco)

*Apple Cider Vinegar (Maceys)

*Baking Powder (Maceys Baking Case Lots)

*Baking Soda (Maceys Baking Case Lots)

*Beef and Chicken Base (from Costco--McCormick--I LOVE it, it's WAY cheaper than boulion cubes and tastes better!)

*Lipton Onion Soup Mix

*Yoshidas Sauce (from Costco and is great to have in case you need flavoring for your rice)

*Dehydrated Onions (cannery least expensive)

*Cornstarch (Case Lots)

*Cumin (my new favorite spice!!)

*Cocoa (Case Lots)

SOMETIMES (spices I use often but only buy in smaller quantaties):

*Allspice

*Nutmeg

*Dry Mustard

*Rosemary

*Salad Supreme

*Cayenne

*Red Pepper Flakes

*Curry Powder

*Ginger Powder

*Real Maple Syrup (kind of expensive, but worth it!)

*Cajun Seasoning

*Poppy Seeds

*Sesame Seeds

*Dill

*Sage

*Sesame Oil

RARELY (spices I use rarely and don't keep an extra of):

*Cream of Tartar

*Celery Salt

*Mollasas

*Coconut, orange, mint, peppermint, lemon, butter, almond extracts

*Paprika

The other day I went to Costco and spent around $50 and got TONS of the above spices to make sure I have enough spices in my food storage. Per oz. spices are the least expensive at Costco. If you don't want large quantaties like they sell, you can go to Harmons, Walmart or some Dollar Stores and buy the smaller sizes for only $1. This makes stocking up on spices reasonable and that way if you don't go through it before the spices lose their flavor, you won't feel sad about throwing it out. The really good seasonings like Montreal and Johnny's Seasoning Salt won't be found for $1 :(

Remember to think in 'meals' when you are buying items for your food storage. If one of your food storage meals is 'oatmeal' then you will need ALL of the ingredients (oats, raisins, CINNAMON, brown sugar, powdered milk, SALT, etc.) Spices are an important part of your food storage--so...have fun and spice it up!!

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Catch the Vision!

Your Year Supply One Week at a Time

What's for dinner? Let's see what's in the basement "store"... Many people have asked to come and see my food storage room, so....here's the big unveiling :0) There are probably many more organized and well stocked food storage rooms out there, but here is mine.

My sister talked me into having a blog, so we are dedicating this blog to all of the food storage "nuts" out there like me. We are hoping this blog will inspire you to get your year supply, be a place where we can share helpful tips and a place to post our accomplishments and encourage each other to continue becoming prepared. Everyone will store and organize their food storage differently, but the important thing is that we are all working towards our goals.

So...here we go with some food storage tips that work for me--hopefully they will help you to. If you have any tips that work for you (or pictures) email me at Shandra@myfoodstoragedeals.com and I will post them for all to see--or just post a comment.

Where do you begin??

First...you need a way to organize your food--wood shelves, metal shelving, rolling storage units, etc. My husband built these shelves-aren't they cute?? I organize my food storage room into categories. I try to keep all like items together-Legumes together, fruits, vegetables, oils etc. It makes it easy to glance and see what I have and keep an accurate inventory. Remember, grains aren't just wheat, grains includes pasta, rice, cornmeal, cereal, oats, flour, cornstarch, etc.
How do you store your grains? It is more expensive to can all of your grains in #10 cans, so I put them in plastic Rubbermaid totes. I go through my food so quickly, I have never had to worry about weavil or food going bad. The plastic tubs also keep your food dry and away from rodents. It works for me and is an inexpensive way to store your food :) You may think 48 bottles of BBQ sauce is excessive? I don't--I know I will use it in the next couple of years, so why not stock up when it goes on sale for .60 (or .05 each with a coupon)--fabulous! Remember, if you don't get funny looks from fellow grocery shoppers, you are shopping the wrong way :) Buy as much of each item on sale--even if people think you're crazy for having 69 bottles of ketchup (okay, so maybe I am a little!), you will save SO much money in the long run!

Since we all know we live in earthquake territory, my brilliant husband came up with the idea to put PVC pipe into the sides of the shelves to keep bottles and food from shaking off the shelves.

Is anyone thristy? The church recommends AT LEAST 14 gallons of drinking water per person for a two week supply. I have our drinking water in the form of water bottles because they are convenient and easy to rotate through. The water in the drums are for washing, cleaning and cooking. I don't think it is possible to have enough water!

Visit our website under the Free Downloads tab and see the recommendations on storing water. One thing that is important is to not have your water bottles or drum directly on cement. We have a piece of plywood under and on the side of our water drums.

Okay..so you have heard me talk about storing your flour, oats, sugar and wheat in large Rubbermaid garbage cans. A friend who was moving gave us these wierd looking large drums that we keep our "bulk" food storage items in. I'm sure you can't find these wierd looking blue containers anywhere--I know you're jealous of them-haha!--so, large plastic garbage cans should do the trick.

FLOUR: APPROX. 75 LBS. PER PERSON

These large drums holds close to my families year supply of wheat, sugar, oats and flour. I only buy these items once a year (because I buy a year supply when it is on sale for "red/great" prices. I label the individual bags with the date I purchased them (ex. 4/08) to help me make sure I use the oldest bags first. I then take out the old bags, put the new bags in the bottom and then put the oldest bags back on top. If you are only buying them once or twice a year, it's pretty slick! These drums keep your food dry and rodent free--it's lovely (and VERY cost effective).

OATS: 20 LBS. PER PERSON

WHEAT: 100 LBS. PER PERSON

SUGAR: 65 LBS. PER PERSON

Besides the long term storage, it is important to have food in your freezer. Having a 1-3 month supply of meat, butter, cheeses, vegetables, bread, tortillas, seafood, etc. make meal planning MUCH easier. When meat goes on sale for "red/great" prices, stock your freezers and save HUNDREDS of dollars! Many of you are probably saying you don't have room in your garage/home for a freezer. Just do what my sister did and use it as an end table :)

You don't need to have a large deep freeze (although I LOVE mine), you can get a smaller 11 cubic feet freezer for around $250. You will save that much in just a couple months.

Wow! How's that for my first post? I promise they won't always be that long--however, by now you all know I can get a little winded when I'm talking about something I am passionate about :0)

So...what works for you?? Share your thoughts, ideas, tips, etc. and hopefully we can all get excited about being prepared. It is a great feeling! Don't get discouraged if you don't have your year supply. The important thing is that you are working towards a goal. Anything will be FAR BETTER than nothing in an emergency or if food prices continue to skyrocket and the economy takes a turn for the worst. I love the quote from President Hinckley, I think it is so encouraging, he said, "We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with a one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. . . . I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all.
"Begin in a small way, . . . and gradually build toward a reasonable objective.
Inspired preparation rests on the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ, obedience, and a provident lifestyle. Members should not go to extremes, but they should begin."

Congratulations on "begining"!

Visit our website for more tips on food storage: http://www.myfoodstoragedeals.com/

Feel free to pass on this blog or our website to friends and family that are interested in food storage :)

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