Week 8

FOOD STORAGE TIP OF THE WEEK

Food Storage: 30 lbs. of Wheat

Extra Item: 30 lbs. of Beans

If you have been following this blog, you've probably guessed by now we won't miss this opportunity to promote the Cannery! Of course the Cannery provides an excellent option for your long-term food storage needs. Here are the Cannery prices for Wheat and Beans:

Wheat (Hard Red or White) - #10 Can - 5.8 lbs. @ $2.80 (48 cents/lb.)
Beans, Black - #10 Can - 5.5 lbs. @ $3.95 (72 cents/lb.)
Beans, Pinto - #10 Can - 5.2 lbs. @ $4.65 (89 cents/lb.)
Beans, White - #10 Can - 5.3 lbs. @ $3.70 (70 cents/lb.)

The #10 cans are sealed to last 30+ years. The above items are also available in bulk if you wish to do your own canning or packaging. See the Cannery Price Sheet from Week 6 for more info.

The Kanarra Ward visits the Cannery on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 5:00 pm. Our next scheduled date is Thursday, March 10. If you haven't been to the Cannery yet, we encourage you to give it a try - it's a lot of fun!

Prepared Canned Beans are also great for short-term food storage. As usual, we poked around and came up with some great local bargains for you to take advantage of...

Lin's
Western Family (assorted) - 15 oz. @ $0.99 (6.6 cents/oz.)
Natural Directions Organic (assorted) - 15 oz. @ $1.19 (7.9 cents/oz.)
Van Camps or Western Family Pork & Beans - 15 oz. @ $.89 (5.9 cents/oz.)
Western Family Pork & Beans - 6 lb. 14 oz. (#10 can) @ $6.99 (6.4 cents/oz.)
Western Family (assorted) - 30 oz. @ $1.79 (6.0 cents/oz.)

Dollar Tree
King Cole Black or Kidney Beans - 19 oz. @ $1.00 (5.3 cents/oz.)
Hartford House Chili - 15 oz. @ $1.00 (6.7 cents/oz.)

Smiths
Kroger (assorted) - 15 oz. @ $0.68 (4.5 cents/oz.)
Private Selection Organic (assorted) - 15 oz. @ $0.99 (6.6 cents/oz.) - ***FAVORITE FIND*** (great price for organic!)

Family Dollar
Van Camps Baked Beans - 28 oz. @ $1.25 (4.5 cents/oz.)
Van Camps Pork & Beans - 15 oz. @ $0.75 (5.0 cents/oz.)

Big Lots
Teasdale Pinto Beans - 29 oz. @ $1.40 (4.8 cents/oz.)

Wal Mart
Great Values Black Beans - 15.25 oz. @ $0.56 (3.7 cents/oz.) ***BEST VALUE***
Great Values (other assorted) - 15.25 oz. @ $0.66 (4.3 cents/oz.)
S&W (assorted) - 15.25 oz. @ $.72 (4.7 cents/oz.)
Bush's (assorted) - 15 oz. prices vary from $0.83 to $1.00 (5.5 to 6.7 cents/oz.)

72 Hour Kit: Food for 72 hours - non perishable and easily prepared (refer to Essentials of Home Production and Storage Booklet for ideas).

Family Preparation: Check all windows around the house and make sure they work properly to use as an exit, in case of emergency. Teach all family members how to operate these windows and give specific permission to break their window if it will not open in a TRUE emergency.

Spiritual Preparation: Read Ephesians 6:13-18
Study what the "Whole Armour of God" stands for and ways that you can apply it in your life today. Strive to avoid the temptations that come your way.

Food For Thought:

Many people have lots of basic staple-type food storage sitting in a closet or garage that they don't use or rotate through their pantry because it's just too much extra work and they don't have the time to mess with it, or don't know what to do with it. It sits there because it would help them survive in an emergency but on a day to day basis it's just plain too inconvenient.

There is a basic tool out there that would help everyone start putting those aging supplies to work - a tool that was recommended in a recent BYU TV Preparedness Seminar as one that should be in every LDS home. That tool is a pressure cooker. Most people remember the old ones their parents (or grandparents) had that seemed to always be in danger of blowing up. I had one when my kids were little and used to go into the other room when it was on the stove hissing and steaming and watch it from a distance! But, unbeknownst to me, in the time it took for my kids to become parents themselves, pressure cookers also grew up and the new models are now considered very safe and amazingly efficient. Do you know that you can put potatoes in the bottom, meatloaf in a basket strainer in the middle, and carrots wrapped in foil on top and have a whole dinner that will cook in 5 to 10 minutes? Not only that, but my own vague memories of the old pressure cookers were that you couldn't cook things that foam like rice or beans but no, not only can you cook beans wonderfully, you don't even have to soak them! Do you have cases of dried beans in your food storage getting old because it's just so much easier to open a can of already prepared beans?

Pressure cooking is such a way of life in India that most kitchens have multiple pressure cookers in different sizes for different uses. They are also very common in Europe.

Because they cook under high pressure they also solve the problem of high-altitude cooking which means no more waiting two hours for those potatoes to get soft! The Sherpas often use them at Base Camp on climbing expeditions.

Here is a wonderful short article to introduce you to this new/old way of cooking - "Pressure Cooking: Fast, Healthy Eating". And to help you on your journey are two wonderful pressure cooking divas with their own separate websites: Lorna Sass and Miss Vickie.

Lorna Sass had a Ph.D in Medieval Literature when she got interested in pressure cooking and wrote her first cookbook. Her emphasis is on healthy ingredients as well as the basic how-tos and one of her books is specifically for vegetarian dishes.

Miss Vickie will tell you everything possibly known about the art of pressure cooking, answer questions, as well as sell products (she is connected to Amazon.com and gets a small sum from them for anything ordered on her website). She has many meat-oriented recipes and gets great reviews with the exception that she sometimes calls for the addition of prepared foods such as "add one can of cream of mushroom soup" or "one package gravy mix" instead of just using basic ingredients.

Depending on your preferences, both ladies' how-to books are considered "pressure cooker bibles" in the industry.

Here are a few things to consider when purchasing a pressure cooker:

1. Buy a bigger one than you think you will need because you cannot fill it more than 1/2 to 2/3 full to leave room at the top for the steam to build up the pressure (especially for things that foam like rice and beans) and it's great to have leftovers to freeze.

2. The most popular sizes are 4 quart, 6 quart and 8 quart. The 8 quart models say you can use them for canning but that is not terribly practical because they would only hold a few jars at a time. The extremely large models that are specifically made for canning are too large to be practical for making dinner.

3. To decide on an electric versus a stovetop model, remember that although some feel that the electric is more automatic or a "no-brainer", they cook at 9 lbs. pressure as opposed to the 13-15 lbs. pressure of a stovetop model. As a result it takes about 20% longer with an electric model. Also because more can go wrong with them (as a self-contained cooking unit) they generally have very limited warranties whereas a good quality stovetop model will have a guarantee of at least 10 years or more. Also, both the two major pressure cooking online experts (Lorna Sass and Miss Vickie) use stovetop models for the recipes in their wonderful cookbooks. And lastly, if the electricity goes out you can haul the stovetop model out to the backyard and put it on the campfire and still have dinner! And yes, you can take it camping.

4. Presto brand pressure cookers are inexpensive, readily available (Wal-Mart if I remember correctly) and have been around for years. They are made in China.

5. The Kuhn-Rikon brand seems to be considered the "Cadillac" (it's made in Switzerland) while Miss Vickie and Lorna Sass both like the Fagor line as a less-expensive and high-quality alternative. It is made in Spain.

6. Aluminum pressure cookers are less expensive than stainless steel but are not recommended because of the aluminum pitting over time, staining and/or changing the taste of the food, etc. A good quality stainless steel cooker can be inherited by your kids! Cookers with non-stick coatings are also not recommended because no matter what the manufacturers say the coating is just not going to hold up long term under high pressure cooking.

7. The magazine "Cooks Illustrated" did a test of four electric pressure cookers compared to their favorite "Fagor Duo 8-Quart Stove Top Model" and rated the Fagor Stove Top still their favorite.

Good luck and good cooking!

Week 7

FOOD STORAGE TIP OF THE WEEK


Food Storage: 8 Cans of Vegetables

Extra Item: 30 Lbs. of Rice

Some local bargains:

Wal Mart

Great Value Green Beans - 14.5 oz. @ $.67 (4.6 cents/oz.)
Great Value Green Beans - 28 oz. @ $1.16 (4.1 cents/oz.)
Great Value Corn - 15.25 oz. @ $.67 (4.4 cents/oz.)
Great Value Corn - 29 oz. @ $1.16 (4.0 cents/oz.)
Great Value Carrots - 14.5 oz. @ $.67 (4.6 cents/oz.)
Great Value Sauerkraut - 14.5 oz. @ $.64 (4.4 cents/oz.)
Princella Sweet Potatoes - 40 oz. @ $1.84 (4.6 cents/oz.)
Imperial Dragon Rice - 20 Lbs. @ $15.18 (75.9 cents/lb.)

Family Dollar
Stokelys Corn - 15 oz. @ $.60 (4.0 cents/oz.)
Stokelys Green Beans - 14.5 oz. @ .60 (4.1 cents/oz.)
Margaret Holmes Spinach or Collard Greens - 27 oz. @ $1.35 (5.0 cents/oz.)**
** Note: The spinach ingredients are just spinach, water and salt but the collard greens are loaded with all kinds of icky stuff!

Smith's
Kroger Peas - 15 oz. @ $.67 (4.5 cents/oz.)
Kroger Corn - 14.25 oz. @ $.67 (4.7 cents/oz.)
Kroger Green Beans - 14.5 oz. @ $.67 (4.6 cents/oz.)
Kroger Potatoes, Beets or Mixed Vegetables - 15 oz. @ $.70 (4.7 cents/oz.)
Kroger Wax Beans - 14.5 oz. @ $.70 (4.8 cents/oz.)
Kroger Long Grain Rice - 20 lbs. @ $12.59 (63 cents/lb.)
Note: if you've never tried the Kroger brand, you may be interested that it seems to be much better quality than most other generic brands. We've had really good luck with them and most of their stuff is very good!

Dollar Tree
Assorted Libby's Vegetables @ $.79/can (average 5.2 - 5.4 cents/oz.)
Lady Liberty Asparagus Spears - 15 oz. @ $1.00 (6.7 cents/oz.) ***FAVORITE FIND!***

Lin's
Green Giant Green Beans - 14.5 oz. @ $.79 (5.4 cents/oz.)
Green Giant Creamed Corn - 14.75 oz. @ $.79 (5.4 cents/oz.)
Bruce's Yams - 29 oz. @ $1.00 (3.4 cents/oz.) ***BEST VALUE!*** (yams, water, corn syrup, sugar, salt)

Big Lots
Sorry, they struck out this week - didn't find any good values there!

Cannery
As always, don't forget the Cannery for your rice.
White Rice - #10 can - 5.7 lbs. @ $3.30 (58 cents/lb.)
By far the best bargain on rice and it's packaged to last 30 years!

Remember our next Cannery date is Thursday, March 10 at 5:00 pm. Mark your calendars now and we'll see you there!

Starting this week we will be highlighting our BEST VALUE and FAVORITE FIND. The "Best Value" will be the lowest price (per oz., lb.) we find on the Food Storage Item of the Week. The "Favorite Find" is our personal favorite (not necessarily the lowest price but usually the one we buy for our own food storage). You never know where you will find these treasures and they are often hidden in a corner somewhere and in short supply (picked over, on closeout, etc.) so get-em before they disappear!

72 Hour Kit: Flashlight and AM/FM Radio & Extra Batteries. Here's a handy gadget for every well-stocked 72 Hour Kit: Hand Crank Radio and Light. There are dozens of manufacturers out there so search and find the best one to suit your needs!

Family Preparation: If your family uses a wood stove, remember to check it out periodically and clean it out. When cleaning the wood stove, use a metal bucket, not a plastic one, as a plastic bucket will melt. Place the bucket outside away from the house, not on the porch.

Spiritual Preparedness: Read John 3:16. President Hinckley has said, "Love is the only force that can erase the differences between people - that can bridge chasms of bitterness."

Food For Thought:

When my daughter was expecting and went through a scary period when she could keep almost NO food down, this recipe came to me as literally an answer to prayer. I gave her this the first thing every morning for weeks until she was finally able to tolerate other foods and now I look at my 6 year-old healthy grandson and feel so very grateful for it.

Rice Smoothie Instant Breakfast Drink

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice (I used whole grain brown Basmati)
1 to 2 Tbls Molasses (Unsulfered Blackstrap Molasses preferable)
1 Handful Raw Sunflower Seeds (be sure to get good quality whole silver seeds - not rancid or a lot of broken pieces with dark spots)
Enough water for a "milkshake" consistency

Blend all in the blender until smooth. This is actually good either warm or cold.

The rice is mild, hypoallergenic and easy to digest. It provides vitamins, minerals, fat, protein and sustaining carbohydrates. The molasses "sweetens the pot" and is rich with necessary minerals. The sunflower seeds add much needed protein and essential fats.

Here's another way to use your rice for breakfast, or this can actually be made in larger amounts and served like mashed potatoes at dinner:

Cream of Rice Cereal

Ingredients:

3 Tbls Rice Flour
1 Cup Water
1 Tbls Butter (optional)
1/4 tsp Salt (optional)

Yield: 1 cup hot rice cereal

Bring water to a boil, then add rice slowly while stirring to avoid lumps. Continue stirring until thickened - if too thick just add more water. Butter or salt are optional as are other additions such as raisins, honey, molasses, milk or yogurt.

To make rice flour, just grind up some rice (use whatever kind of rice you like or have available). Remember to just do small amounts at a time when using a home blender - no more than 2 cups raw rice at a time.

Here's a hearty winter meat dish which will also help you use some of the canned corn on your preparedness shelf. When I made this recently and my husband came in and saw what we were having for dinner he actually picked me up and twirled me around!

Corn-Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients:

1 Can (7 oz.) Corn
1 Cup Soft Bread Cubes
1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Onion
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Sage
6 Pork Rib Chops - 1 in. thick with pockets cut into chops from bone side. (I used thick boneless pork chops that I cut horizontally into the thickest part on the side to make a pocket).
2 Tbls Oil or Shortening

Mix corn (with liquid), bread cubes, onion, salt and sage.
Stuff pork chop pockets with corn mixture (I didn't have a lot of pocket room so I really packed it in there).
Melt shortening or heat oil in large skillet; brown chops about 15 minutes on either side. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer for 1 hour until done. (I added a little water from time to time to keep them from getting too dry and also to make a little sauce).

Week 6

FOOD STORAGE TIP OF THE WEEK


Food Storage: 6 lbs of Jam



Some local bargains:

Lin's
Western Family Grape Jelly - 32 oz @ $2.39 (7.5 cents/oz.)

Dollar Tree
Apricot Jam - 12 oz. @ $1.00 (8.3 cents/oz.)
Orange Marmalade - 12 oz. @ $1.00 (8.3 cents/oz.)
Grape Jelly - 20 oz. @ $1.00 (5 cents/oz.)

Big Lots
Algood Grape Jelly - 32 oz. @ $2.30 (7.2 cents/oz.)

Smiths
Welches Grape Jelly - 32 oz. @ $1.88 (5.9 cents/oz.)

Wal Mart
Snickers Strawberry Jam - 32 oz @ $2.50 (7.8 cents/oz.)
Great Value Strawberry Jam - 32 oz. @ $2.44 (7.6 cents/oz.)
Great Value Grape Jelly - 32 oz. @ $1.93 (6 cents/oz.)
Smuckers Grape Jelly - 32 oz. @ $2.23 (6 cents/oz.)
They also have a variety of others under 10 cents/oz.

Extra Item: 20 lbs of Oats

Get-em at the Cannery! Remember our cannery day is the second Thursday of each month at 5:00 pm, which means THIS THURSDAY! We look forward to seeing you there.

Cannery prices:

Quick Oats - $2.05 (#10 can) - weighs 2.6 lbs.
Regular Oats - $2.10 (#10 can) - weighs 2.7 lbs.


Click below to pull up the new Cannery Price Sheet, effective January 1, 2011:










72 Hour Kit: Personal Hygiene Kit: travel-size shampoo, bar of soap, chap stick, lotion, razor, comb, brush, nail clipper, tooth brush, toothpaste, floss, handy wipes, hand sanitizer, 1 roll of toilet paper, small package of tissue, feminine items. Place all items in a gallon zip lock bag.



Family Preparation: For communication during a power outage, make sure you have a corded phone. Cordless phones don't work when the power is off.



Spiritual Preparation: Read D&C 63:33-34 and "The Atonement Can Secure Your Peace and Happiness" by Richard G. Scott, Ensign Nov. 2006 pp 40-42. True, enduring happiness, with the accompanying strength, courage and capacity to overcome the greatest difficulties, will come as you center your life in Jesus Christ.


Food For Thought:

Oats are one of the foods richest in Silicon, which among other things helps renew bones, connective tissue, hair and nails (some nutritionists call it the "beauty mineral"). Oats also contain Phosphorus, which is required for brain and nerve formation during youth. When you think about it, they are perhaps the only whole-grain cereal that some people eat.

Oat flakes are nearly as nutritious as whole oat groats, as they have been only lightly processed by rolling and steaming. Oats can be used in soups, puddings, breads, crusts, toppings and desserts. Oat flakes are very soft and easily grind up into flour in the blender which makes a wonderful and delicious thickener in gravies, soups and stews. Try making a gravy using your own oat flour instead of store-bought white flour. It's better for you and really good!

Externally, oats can be used as a poultice to relieve itching and is considered healing and beautifying to the skin when used as a pack.

Instead of buying instant oatmeal packages, why not make up your own personalized packets for your individual family members? They would be great to have in everyone's 72 hour kit.

INSTANT OATMEAL PACKETS:

Makes 10 packets of instant oatmeal

To make individual instant packets:

Blend 1/2 cup of oats until powdery (flour).

Into each of the 10 packets (perhaps individual ziplock sandwich bags), combine the following ingredients:

1/4 cup unpowdered oats
1/8 tsp salt (optional)
2 Tbs powdered oats (oat flour)
1 tsp sugar (optional)

To individualize packets, see what your family likes and add their favorites such as raisins, dried cranberries, dried apples and/or powdered milk (from the Cannery, of course!), cinnamon, brown sugar, and whatever other creative ideas you come up with!

Close the top, pressing out the air as you go, label with name, contents and date, and store in a dry place.

Microwave directions for cooking:

Empty packet into mirowaveable bowl.
Add 2/3 cup water or milk.
Microwave on high about 1-1/2 minutes; stir.

Conventional directions for cooking:

Empty packet into pan.
Add 1/2 cup boiling water;
Cook and stir over heat until thickened.

OATMEAL RAISIN MUFFINS

One egg
3/4 cup milk or water
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white or whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar (see Week 3 blog if you want to substitute honey for sugar and remember to lower the cooking temperature!)
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease bottoms only of about 12 medium muffin cups or line with cupcake liners (or use silicone cupcake sheet).
Beat egg; stir in milk, raisins and oil.
Mix dry ingredients separately then stir into liquid mixture all at once just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy).
Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full.
Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Remove from pan immediately.

Variation: if you want to use some of the jam you bought this week (hint, hint), leave out the raisins, fill the muffin cups about 1/2 full and drop in a big dollup of jam then finish filling the cups up to 3/4 full and bake as directed above. This way you'll use your oats and get a yummy surprise as well!

Week 5

FOOD STORAGE TIP OF THE WEEK


Food Storage: 8 Cans of Fruit

Extra Item: 8 Rolls of Toilet Paper

Some local bargains:

Wal Mart
Great Value Pineapple (20 oz.) - 4.6 cents/oz.

Great Value Apple Sauce (46 oz.) - 3.0 cents/oz.

Quilted Northern Toilet Tissue (24 pack) - 54 cents/roll

White Cloud Toilet Tissue (24 pack) - 46 cents/roll

Big Lots

Del Monte Pineapple (20 oz.) - 4.5 cents/oz.

Smith's

Kroger Pears (15.25 oz.) - 4.8 cents/oz.
Kroger Pears - no added sugar (15.25 oz.) - 6.6 cents/oz.

Kroger Apple Sauce (46 oz.) - 4.1 cents/oz.

72 Hour Kit: Outer gear - correct for the season (winter coat, rain gear, hat, gloves) per person


If you like to crochet, here's a quick easy winter hat pattern that can be adjusted for a child all the way up to an adult size:
Crocheted Hat with Brim
The flower on the side of the hat is the flower from the following pattern: White Twinkle Choker

This Ribbed Ski Mask is a crochet pattern that can be done for a man or a woman and would be great to have with your cold weather gear.

Family Preparation: Provide a safe alternative heat source for your home. This could be a fireplace, wood stove, and propane or kerosene space heater. A year's supply of fuel is preferable, but for emergency purposes, a two-week supply would be acceptable. Any time an alternative heating system is operating, have at least one carbon monoxide detector in use and ventilation must be provided to prevent Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

Spiritual Preparation: Begin working on your family history. Read the Ensign November 2003, p 52 "The Phenomenon That is You", by James E Faust. As President Boyd K. Packer has said, "If you don't know where to start, start with yourself. If you don't know what records to get and how to get them, start with what you have." You will learn about the phenomenon that is you. Tell your children and grandchildren about their grandparents and other ancestors.


Food For Thought:

As the year progresses, we'll be talking more about storing fruit and vegetables but with bananas available fresh year round, if you have a dehydrator, here's a fun idea that's really easy with only two ingredients. Make sure your bananas are fully ripe (no green on skin) or they will be starchy and not sweet as the natural sugars won't be developed yet. Also, my personal preference is to use organic bananas. I have found that when I take fruit and vegetables down to a dehydrated state and compare organic produce with non organic, that the organic makes a superior-tasting product virtually every time. However, organic produce is generally more expensive.

Recipe: Dehydrator Banana Cookies

Mash 4 ripe bananas (or more if you want a bigger batch) in a large bowl then mix in several cups of puffed millet which you can find at the local health food store (Sunshine Nutrition in Cedar City) in the cereal section.

When it's all mixed up there should seem to be a little more banana than cereal in the mix to keep things wet and sweet enough - you can add more of one or the other ingredient to adjust accordingly.

Spoon mixture onto dehydrator sheets or mesh trays in rounds the size of cookies. I just put them right on the mesh sheets but you can also put them on butchers wrap or parchment paper but NEVER freezer wrap or waxed paper. Put in the dehydrator and turn on.

Time varies depending upon the temperature you use - I set mine at 115 degrees in the late afternoon and they were done the next morning. "Done" is when they will pop off the tray and are chewy/crunchy in texture. If you leave them in a lot longer, they get more brittle and are harder to chew. If you use a higher temperature they will be done a lot sooner so check every couple of hours until they are the consistency you like.

These should keep for at least 6 months if everybody doesn't eat them first!

Variations:

- Bananas and WIDE Coconut Shreds (quality of the coconut is crucial here - I got mine also at the health food store and they were so good it was amazing!)

- Bananas and Puffed Rice Cereal

- Bananas and Chopped Nuts