Week 25

FOOD STORAGE TIP OF THE WEEK

Food Storage:  8 Cans of Tomato Sauce

Extra Item:  8 Rolls of Toilet Paper


Some Local Bargains:

Lin's
Western Family Tomato Sauce - 29 oz. @ $1.49 (5.1 cents/oz.)
Western Family Tomato Sauce - 8 oz. @ 3/$1.00 (4.2 cents/oz.)
ShurSavings Toilet Paper - 4 regular rolls @ $0.89 ***Best Value***

Dollar Tree
Sofitelle Toilet Paper - 4 regular rolls @ $1.00

Family Dollar
Stokely's Tomato Sauce - 8 oz. @ $0.50

Smith's
Kroger Tomato Sauce - 29 oz. @ $1.39 (4.8 cents/oz.)
Kroger Tomato Sauce - 15 oz. @ $0.69 (4.6 cents/oz.)
Kroger Tomato Sauce - 8 oz. @ $0.33 (4.1 cents/oz.)
Kroger Value Tomato Sauce - 8 oz. @ $0.32 (4.0 cents/oz.)
Angel Soft Toilet Paper - 16 Big Rolls @ $6.99 (when you buy 5)
Kroger Toilet Paper - 12 Double Rolls @ $4.57

Big Lots
Hunts Tomato Sauce - 15 oz. @ $0.65 (4.3 cents/oz.)

Wal Mart
Great Values Tomato Sauce - 14.5 oz. @ $0.52 (3.6 cents/oz.) ***BEST VALUE and FAVORITE FIND***
Great Values Tomato Sauce - 28 oz. @ $1.18 (4.2 cents/oz.)
Great Values Tomato Sauce - 8 oz. @ $0.32 (4.0 cents/oz.)
White Cloud Toilet Paper - 12 Double Rolls @ $5.37
Generic Toilet Paper - 4 Regular Rolls @ $0.97

Car Kits:  Battery powered radio and extra batteries, small shovel, WD-40

Family Preparation:   Locate the shut-off valve for teh water line that enters your house.  Make sure this valve can be completely shut off.  Your valve may be rusted open, or it may only partially close.  Replace if necessary.  Label this valve with a tag for easy identification, and make sure all household members know where it is located and how to shut it off.

Spiritual Preparation:  Read the First Presidency Message in the July 2007 Ensign; "The Peril of Hidden Wedges" by President Thomas S. Monson.  Try to renew a friendship this week.


Food For Thought:

With the extremely wet spring we experienced this year in this area, you, like us, may have been swatting bugs and scratching bites lately.  Having personally gotten some really painful bites up on the mountain, and being sensitive to chemical bug repellents, we recently researched and found the following non-toxic herbal version which so far seems to be working well:

1/2 cup witch hazel
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
10 drops eucalyptus oil

Pour all the above into a spray bottle and shake.  This is a great item to have in your storage and 72-hour kits!

Here are a few sites that have their own slightly different versions of the above:

http://www.natural-soap-making.com/natural-bug-repellents.html
http://www.familyherbalremedies.com/herbal_insect_repellant.html
http://www.greenlifepages.com/green-tips/item/342-how-to-make-your-own-non-toxic

An added benefit to this recipe, believe it or not, is that it is also a natural remedy for the pain and itch of the bites you may already have.  Go to the site below to see this and a few other helpful remedies:

http://www.greenlifepages.com/m-n/item/315-mosquito-bites

Week 24

FOOD STORAGE TIP OF THE WEEK

Food Storage:  2 Lbs. Bouillon Cubes

Extra Item:  30 Lbs. of Beans


Some Local Bargains:

Lin's
Western Family Beef or Chicken Bouillon - 4 oz. @ $1.89 (47.3 cents/oz.)
C&F Pinto Beans - 1 lb. @ $1.19
Western Family Pinto Beans - 10 lbs. @ $10.99 ($1.10/lb.)

Dollar Tree
Chicken Bouillon - 4.16 oz. @ $1.00 (24.0 cents/oz.) ***Best Value***
Red Kidney Beans - 1 lb. @ $1.00

Dixie Nutrition
They carry the following good quality dry bulk items:
Organic Garbanzo Beans - $1.59/lb.
White Beans - $1.35/lb.
Lima Beans - $1.40/lb.
Instant Black Beans - $4.50/lb.
Instant Refried Beans - $4.20/lb.
Pinto Beans - $1.20/lb.
Mung Beans - $1.59/lb.
Soybeans - $1.31/lb.
Black Beans - $1.29/lb.
Blackeye Peas - $1.18/lb.

Smith's
Wyler's Chicken or Beef Bouillon - 5.89 oz. @ $3.03 (51.4 cents/oz.)
Caldo de Res Chicken, Beef or Tomato Bouillon - 7.9 oz. @ $2.39 (30.3 cents/oz.) ***Favorite Find***
Pinto Beans - 4 lbs. @ $3.19 ($0.80/lb.) ***Best Value***

Wal Mart
Wyler's Beef or Chicken Bouillon - 3 oz. @ $1.96 (63.3 cents/oz.)
"Better Than Bouillon" Beef or Chicken Bouillon - 8 oz. @ $3.44 (43 cents/oz.)
Casserole Pinto Beans - 10 lbs. @ $10.48 ($1.05/lb.)
Great Values Pinto Beans - 8 lbs. @ $7.42 ($0.93/lb.)

Car Kits:  Tools, be sure to include large screwdriver, pair of pliers, wheel chock and rubber hammer.

Family Preparation:  Make a record of your personal property, for insurance purposes.  Take photos or a video of the interior and exterior of your home.  Include personal belongings in your inventory.  You may want to download the free Household and Personal Property Inventory Book for the University of Illinois at http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/abstracts/ahouseinv.html to help you.

Spiritual Preparation:  Read "The Father Who Cares", by James E. Faust, September 2006 Ensign.  Thank the fathers in your life for the blessing they have been in your life.  Give them love, understanding and appreciation.  Be sure to thank your Heavenly Father also.


Food For Thought:

I bet you didn't know that beans can be a healthful and nutritious addition to certain baked goods.  Up in the state of Washington where we are from, apparently the Washington State University serves a really good chocolate lentil cake to its staff and students.  The school is located in Pullman, Washington, which is a part of a region called the Palouse.  One third of our nation's lentils are grown in this area and since 1989 Pullman has hosted the National Lentil Festival.

Moist Cocoa Lentil Cake

2 cups boiling water
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup washed lentils
1 cup oil
4 large eggs or powdered eggs equivalent
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 Tbl cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
Creamy chocolate frosting (recipe follows)

1.  Add lentils and 1/4 tsp salt to boiling water.  Cover and simmer for 40 minutes.  Drain, reserving liquid.
2.  Add 1/4 cup liquid back to the lentils and make a puree in blender or food processor.
3.  Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a 9x12 in. pan.
4.  Mix sugar, oil and eggs and beat well for 2 minutes.
5.  Add vanilla and pureed lentils to creamed mixture.  Sift and add remaining ingredients.
6.  Beat for an additional 2 minutes.
7.  Pour into prepared cake pan.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.  Cool and frost.

Creamy Chocolate Frosting

9 Tbl butter or margarine, softened
7 Tbl cocoa, sifted
3 Tbl light corn syrup or honey
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbl milk

In small mixer bowl, beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla until blended.  Add powdered sugar and milk.  Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.  Add additional milk, 1/2 tsp at a time if needed.

Bean Cookies  (thanks to Anita Doskas for this recipe)

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup white beans, drained
1/4 cup butter or applesauce (Tip:  applesauce can be used in many cases as a substitute for fat in a recipe)
1 cup brown sugar (cut to 3/4 cup if you add 1/2 cup chocolate chips)
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Blend oats into a coarse flour in blender.  Mix together all dry ingredients.  In blender, blend beans, egg and vanilla (wet ingredients).  Add wet to dry and fold in chips or raisins and drop dough in dollups on greased baking sheet (or ungreased silicone sheet).  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Week 23

FOOD STORAGE TIP OF THE WEEK

Food Storage:  Fruit Drink (to make 30 qts.)

Extra Item:  20 Lbs. of Oats


The Cedar City LDS Cannery is closed for the summer but bulk items are available to pick up by appointment only.  Contact Keith Lasson at (435) 586-3382 or (435) 590-1458.

Some Local Bargains:

Lin's
Gatorade Powder (8 - 1 oz. pkgs. which make 16 oz. each) - $2.99 (37.3 cents/oz.)
Country Time Lemonade - 19 oz. @ $2.99 (15.7 cents/oz.)
Tang - 20 oz. @ $2.99 (14.5 cents/oz.)
Tang - 72 oz. @ $9.69 (13.5 cents/oz.)
Western Family Oats - 42 oz. @ $3.49 (8.3 cents/oz.)

Smith's
Kroger Lemonade - 30 oz. @ $3.49 (11.6 cents/oz.)
Country Time Lemonade - 19 oz. @ $2.00 (10.5 cents/oz.)
Koolaid - 19 oz. @ $2.00 (10.5 cents/oz.)
Kroger Oats - 42 oz. @ $3.99 (9.5 cents/oz.)

IFA
Honeyville Rolled Oats (both regular & quick) - 50 Lb. Bag @ $29.99 (3.7 cents/oz.) ***Best Value***

Wal Mart
Great Values Cherry/Grape/Lemonade - 19 oz. @ $1.94 (10.2 cents/oz.) ***Best Value***
Country Time Lemonade - 19 oz. @ $2.50 (13.2 cents/oz.)
Great Values Oats - 42 oz. @ $2.88 (6.9 cents/oz.)

Car Kits:  First Aid Kit and Manual

Family Preparation:  Learn First Aid and CPR.  Enlist in a class if possible.

Spiritual Preparation:  "When you feel weak, discouraged, depressed or afraid, open the Book of Mormon and read.  Do not let too much time pass before reading a verse, a thought or a chapter."  President Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, May 2005


Food For Thought:

Oatmeal makes such a mild and relatively digestible flour that it is used sometimes to roll dried fruit in.  You can find a good sized sack of date pieces rolled in oatmeal flour at Sunshine Nutrition in Cedar City for $1.99.  They make a great healthy snack or are good on cereal or in baked goods.  Here are two fun oatmeal recipes to try:

OATMEAL BREAD (makes 2 loaves)

1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbl active dry yeast
3/4 cup water (boiling)
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk (or 1/3 cup powdered milk, 1 cup water, 1 Tbl vinegar or lemon juice)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey or molasses
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbl salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 to 3-1/2 cups all purpose flour

In a small bowl, stir yeast into 1/2 cup warm water; allow to stand until yeast dissolves and bubbles up.  In medium saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water to boiling; stir in oatmeal and cook several minutes.  Remove from heat; add buttermilk, oil, and honey or molasses.

Sift flour, salt and soda into large mixing bowl.  Add yeast mixture and oats mixture and beat with wire whip or slotted spoon; let stand 5 minutes.  Gradually add enough of remaining flour until dough is stiff enough for kneading.  Turn out onto floured surface and knead 8-10 minutes or until a soft, elastic ball forms.  Place dough in clean greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours.  Punch down dough and divide into two portions; cover with bowl or towel and allow to rest 10 minutes.

Form into loaves and place in greased 8x4 inch pans.  Cover and let rise until double in bulk.  Bake at 350 to 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until done.  Remove from oven and turn out to cool on wire rack.

DELICIOUS OATMEAL PANCAKES (makes 8-10 pancakes)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbl sugar
1/3 cup nonfat powdered milk
2 eggs, separated
1 cup water
3 Tbl vegetable oil
1 cup rolled oats

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and powdered milk; stir until well blended.  In small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff; set aside.  In large mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, water, oil, and oats; beat slightly and allow to stand 5 minutes, then beat until blended.  Mix in dry ingredients, then fold in beaten egg whites.  For small pancakes, drop 2 Tbl batter onto griddle, or pour 1/4 measuring cup, if larger pancakes are desired.

Bake until cakes are full of bubbles on top and undersides are lightly brown.  Turn with spatula and brown other side.  Serve with applesauce or jam or butter and maple syrup.

Week 22

FOOD STORAGE TIP OF THE WEEK

Food Storage:  8 Cans of Vegetables

Extra Item:  30 Lbs. of Rice

Some Local Bargains:

Cedar City LDS Cannery

Get your rice at the Cannery!  Our next session is coming up next Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 5:00 pm (be there at 4:45).  Here is the pricing:

Rice, White - #10 Can (5.7 lbs.) @ $3.30 ***Favorite Find***

See you there!

Lin's

Western Family Green Beans or Carrots - 14.5 oz. @ $0.99 (6.8 cents/oz.)

Western Family Hominy or Potatoes - 15 oz. @ $0.99 (6.6 cents/oz.)

Dollar Tree

Libby's Assorted Canned Vegetables - 15 oz. @ $0.79 (4.7 cents/oz.)

Libby's Sliced Beets and Whole Potatoes - 15 oz. @ $0.79 (4.7 cents/oz.) ***Favorite Find***

Smith's

Kroger Value Green Beans or Peas - 15 oz. @ $0.57 (3.8 cents/oz.)

Kroger Assorted Canned Vegetables - 15 oz. @ $0.71 (4.7 cents/oz.)

Kroger Green Beans - 50 oz. @ $1.89 (3.8 cents/oz.)

Family Dollar

Margaret Holmes Collard Greens or Spinach - 27 oz. @ $1.50 (5.6 cents/oz.) ***Favorite Find***

Stokely's Peas or Corn - 15 oz. @ $0.50 (3.3 cents/oz.)

Bruce's Yams - 29 oz. @ $1.50 (5.2 cents/oz.)

Stokely's Assorted Canned Vegetables - 15 oz. @ $0.60 (4.0 cents/oz.)

Big Lots

Lady Liberty Asparagus - 15 oz. @ $1.50 (10.0 cents/oz.)

Stokely's Italian Flat Beans - 14.5 oz. @ $0.50 (3.4 cents/oz.)

Double Luck Green Beans - 14.5 oz. @ $0.45 (3.1 cents/oz.) ***Best Value***

Del Monte Stewed Tomatoes - 28 oz. @ $1.00 (3.6 cents/oz.)

Lots of Other 15 oz. Varieties @ $0.60 - $0.80/can

Wal Mart

Great Values Assorted 15 oz. @ $0.68 (4.5 cents/oz.)

Stone Mountain Corn - 15.25 oz. @ $0.50 (3.3 cents/oz.)

Great Values Turnip or Collard Greens - 14.5 oz. @ $0.58 (4.0 cents/oz.)

Princella Yams - 40 oz. @ $4.6 cents/oz.)

Car Kits:  A small quantity of food and water that could survive freezing and warm temperatures without damage or spoiling.

Family Preparation:  Be sure everyone knows how to use a fire extinguisher and where it is kept.  You should have at minimum, an ABC type.

Spiritual Preparation:  "No other activities should involve our family members on Monday night.  This designated time is to be with our families."  Elder L. Tom Perry, Ensign, May 2003.

Food For Thought:

A lot of people have at least some amount of the very basic food storage items like grains, beans, salt, and hopefully some water.  But if you're anything like us, before this year we didn't have a lot of preserved fruit and vegetables which would round out our diet if we actually had to live on our year's supply.

That is what I like about this program.  Since we started in January, we have already gathered a nice little stock of those things that we, at the present time, take for granted that we can eat with any meal we want.  Of course fresh fruit and vegetables are the best, but in hard times any canned, frozen or dehydrated items would be wonderful.

An easy and fun vegetable to dehydrate that packs a big nutritional punch is kale chips.  If you're not a fan of, or familiar with kale, it is one of the greenest of the green leafy vegetables.  Frankly, I can't imagine anyone sitting down and eating a bunch of raw kale (and I'm sure some of you aren't all that excited about eating it cooked either).  But put a little seasoning on it and pop it in the dehydrator for 6 to 8 hours and suddenly it becomes a delicious crunchy treat even your kids might like.

Here is a cute youtube video and recipe on making kale chips in the oven - it only takes 15 to 25 minutes or so that way:

http://www.katheats.com/favorite-foods/kale-chips

I prefer making them in my dehydrator.  Every chip is crispy and crunchy that way and you don't have to worry about burning them.  First I wash the kale in a big bowl, then I rip the leaves off the stems in bite sized pieces (about the size of a potato chip).  You don't want to leave the stems on, trust me, even if you feel you are being wasteful, they are just too tough.

Now you season them.  Almost every online recipe says to put oil on them but I don't.  I actually like to use some no-fat Italian salad dressing sometimes.  Or I will experiment by blending up some herbs and spices out of the cupboard to make my own "sauce" or put Parmesan on them for my husband.  Some people put the kale in a baggie with the seasoning and shake it but I just pour the seasoning sauce over the kale in a bowl and mix it up making sure it all gets coated.

Next lay out some parchment paper on your dehydrator trays (you don't necessarily have to but it makes cleanup easier) and spread out your kale pieces on them.  Now pop them in for about 6 to 8 hours at 125 degrees or so.  If you put them in at a higher temperature they will get done quicker - a lower temp and they will take longer - it's up to you.

An interesting note is that while it has often been said that any cooking temperature over 120 degrees F destroys the naturally occurring enzymes in food - a recent study discovered that food in a dehydrator can tolerate a temperature up to 140 degrees for an hour or two before the enzymes begin to degrade, because the food initially produces a "sweat" on the exterior which protects the enzymes on the interior.  So if you are a person concerned about preserving the enzymes, you can put these in the dehydrator at 140 degrees for an hour and then turn them down to 110 or 115 and they will be done in about 6 hours (just don't forget to turn them down).  They are done when completely dry and crisp.  Store them in airtight bags or containers for the longest shelf life.

Any way you try it, they are a fun experiment and another way to add green vegetables to your food storage!