Food Storage FHE

Here's a fun Food Storage FHE we put together just for you. 

Preparation: Choose a dessert listed at the end of this post.  Purchase ingredients to make 2 full batches of the dessert. 
Get a paper and pencil for each family member (crayons for kids). 

Lesson: Read 3 Ne. 4:1-4, 18-23
(http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/4.1-4,%2018-23?lang=eng#primary)
Discuss how food storage and preparation blessed the Nephites. 
Although we don’t need to protect ourselves from armies of robbers, we use food storage to protect ourselves in other ways.  Discuss how food storage can ‘protect’ us today and when we would use it.

Begin making a food storage plan by brainstorming things your family likes to eat.  Let each family member write down a few favorite meals, sides, desserts, etc.  Younger children could color a picture of their favorite foods. 

Make a list of ingredients needed for your favorites that you can put in your food storage. 

Choose a 'food storage' dinner to make this week.  Buy ingredients x2.  Use one set of ingredients to make the dinner and store the other set.

Activity: Make one of the food storage desserts listed below.  As a family, take the extra ingredients purchased for a second dessert and put them in your food storage for another time. 

Recipes:

PEANUT BUTTER CHEWS
1 c powdered sugar
2 c instant (1 c non-instant) dry milk
1 c peanut butter
1 c corn syrup or honey
Mix powdered sugar and powdered milk thoroughly. Add peanut butter and syrup mixture. You may need to knead it with your hands. Press into a cake pan or roll into walnut size balls.
Variations: Add nuts or Rice Krispies. Dip in chocolate.
(from preparednessmatters.blogspot.com)

WHOLE WHEAT BROWNIES
1 C Melted Shortening
2 C Whole Wheat Flour
4 Eggs, Beaten
4 Tbsp Cocoa
1 C Sugar
Beat together, spread in greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Frosting:
1/2 c melted butter
2 c powdered sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
Mix above ingredients with a few drops of milk to spreading consistency.
(from preparednessmatters.blogspot.com)

OATMEAL COOKIES WITH WHEAT FLOUR
3 C Oil
6 C Brown Sugar or Honey
4 Eggs
1 C water
4 tsp vanilla
4 C Whole Wheat Flour
4 tsp Salt
2 tsp soda
12 C Rolled Oats
1 C Flour
6 tsp cinnamon
2 C Raisins
Blend oil, sugar or honey, eggs, water, vanilla, whole wheat flour, salt, soda, oats, flour, cinnamon and raisins. Place spoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees.
(from preparednessmatters.blogspot.com)

 

Food Storage Item of the Week - Soup

Stock up on soup with this great deal at Smith's:

Campbell's Chunky Soup $0.99 when you buy 10 participating items.  Add these coupons:
http://www.campbellkitchen.com/coupon.aspx?fbid=Bv8X69nXgUS#chunky and get the soup for as low as $0.59 a can (you may print each coupon twice).

You'll also get a "$3 off your next shopping order" coupon at check-out for each group of 10 participating items that you buy.  Depending on how you look at it, that's $0.30 more off each item.

Other good deals:

Chef Boyardee Pasta $0.69 when you by 10 participating items.

Kraft BBQ Sauce $0.69 when you buy 10 participating items.

For coupon clippers (Sunday paper coupons) go to savvyshopperdeals.com for details on a food storage dinner: $0.29 Ronzoni Pasta and $1.15 Ragu!

Deals on Baking Items for Food Storage

Some of these items fall into the category of non-essential food storage, like brownie mix.  Some are more valuable like cooking oil.  But if you are looking for somthing to add to your food storage this week and can get to Macey's or price match at Walmart before Wednesday, click this link for a few good deals:

http://savvyshopperdeals.com/app/shoppingwizard/?t=products&category=26&store=15&savings=0&rank=0&keyword=&x=25&y=10

Once you do have a base food storage, it really doesn't hurt to add things like brownie mix.  If you need to live on food storage for more than a month, you'll be glad to have a few sweet treats tucked away down there. :)

Food Storage Tips - Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

A few simple food storage tips:

1) Remember to label and rotate your food.  Newest food at the back, oldest at the front to be used.  Label food with a date and put in the back everytime you add food to your storage.

2) Storing Meats - You can store meat a few different ways.  One option is to buy meat in bulk, individually wrap it at home, and store in freezer bags in a freezer chest for up to 2 months (you can wrap 4 lbs of hamburger in 5 or 6 individual packages to make it go further).  A second option is to purchase canned meats and store them in your food storage.  An even more advanced method is to can and store your own meat.  Here is a link to a helpful website if you are experienced with canning and would like to try canning meat: http://www.gopresto.com/recipes/canning/meat.php

3) Storing Flour and Sugar - Kevin and I purchased large buckets with 'gamma seal lids' from Emergency Essentials for flour and sugar.  You can find these on their website (link to site at the right side of page).  I only purchase flour and sugar when it is on a great sale such as a caselot.  Then I pour all flour and sugar into these large buckets for long term storage.  As we have had problems with bugs in our flour in the past, we have found this a great way to store these items in our basment storage without any issues.

Here is a recipe I modified to include some of the food storage items that were on sale last week.  Items with an asterisk are from food storage:

Chicken Enchiladas
1 lb. chicken, cooked and chopped *
2 cans cream of chicken soup *
1 can Rotel (or Hunts) Tomatoes *
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 - 1 cup rice, cooked *
12 flour tortillas
Shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  In large bowl, mix chicken, chicken soup, tomatoes, sour cream, rice, and cheese.  Spread a thick layer of mixture in bottom of  9x13 casserole dish.  Spoon some filling into a tortilla, roll and place in pan.  Continue until pan is full.  Spread remaining mixture over tortillas.  Top with cheese.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.  *Rotel tomatoes give these enchiladas bit of a kick.

If you have any great food storage recipes that you would like to share, please e-mail them to me and I'll put them on the blog!

Home Food Storage - 3 Month Plan

If you haven’t read the post: “Home Food Storage – Start Small”, please begin there.

In that post you were asked to make a plan for beginning or increasing your food storage.  You should know what your weekly budget for food storage is.  You may already have an idea of things you use on a regular basis that you would like to store. 

To assist with your food storage plan, we have an Excel spreadsheet from 'Food Storage Made Easy' that you may use to determine what you would need for a complete 3 month’s worth of food storage.  Click this link and scroll down the page to "3 Month Planning Tools": http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/babysteps/step-3-three-months-of-normal-food/   You will also find a printable spreadsheet further down the page if you do not have Excel.  Fill out the spreadsheet and then compile a shopping list from it.  Watch for sales on items on your list and grab a few extra things each week to gradually build your storage.

Please do not be overwhelmed by the title of ‘3 Month Plan’.  You do not have to buy it all at once.  The spreadsheet is just to help you organize.  If you prefer, start by filling out only 1 week on the spreadsheet.  Or, if you don’t like spreadsheets, get a piece of paper and write down what your family normally eats in one week.  Then plan on purchasing extras of those items next time you go shopping.   The idea is to just do something.

"Our Heavenly Father created this beautiful earth, with all its abundance, for our benefit and use. His purpose is to provide for our needs as we walk in faith and obedience. He has lovingly commanded us to “prepare every needful thing” (see D&C 109:8) so that, should adversity come, we can care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops as they care for others.

"We encourage members world-wide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings.  

(The First Presidency, All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage, Feb. 2007, 1)

Smith’s deals:

(good through Feb. 1^st - prices when you buy 10 participating items)

Del Monte Vegetables $0.49

Hunt’s Tomatoes $0.49

Rotel Tomatoes $0.49

Progresso Soup $0.99

Pace Salsa $1.49

Hormel Chili $0.79

Heinz Ketchup $1.49

Kellogg’s Cereal $1.99

Kleenex $0.99

Langers Apple Juice $1.49

Arrowhead Water (24, 16oz bottles) $2.99

Home Food Storage - Start Small

Our next focus on being prepared is Home Food Storage.  Below you'll find some quotes from church leaders and Ensign articles to get you motivated.  At the very bottom (once you've read everything) you'll find some current deals at Smith's this week to get you started.

"Start small and do the best you can. Begin by purchasing a few extra items to add to your storage each week. Strive to build a one-week supply; then expand it to a one-month supply, then a three-month supply. By building your supply slowly, you can avoid financial strain and start down the path toward self-reliance."

(Family Home Storage: A New Message, Ensign, Mar. 2009, 56–60)

"Build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet. One way to do this is to purchase a few extra items each week to build a one-week supply of food. Then you can gradually increase your supply until it is sufficient for three months. These items should be rotated regularly to avoid spoilage."

(All is Safely Gathered In; Family Home Storage pamphlet, 2007,  2)

"Rotate and use food storage items regularly. Date food items as you purchase or can them, then store new supplies of food at the back of the shelves, moving earlier purchases forward to be used first.

"Do not go into debt. Acquire food items gradually. At the very least, save a few dollars a week for storage items. Using the basic foods in day-to-day menus can cut food costs and allow you to purchase more supplies. Or, as a family, give up some of the nonessentials for a short time until you can accumulate additional foods. Through prayer and concerted effort, you can work out a food storage plan that will provide you with security and peace of mind."

(Home Storage: Build on the Basics, Ensign, June 1989, 39)

No single food storage plan will work for everyone. Each family’s needs differ, as does their financial ability to accumulate the storage items. But by working under the direction of the First Presidency “to concentrate on essential foods,” it can be done. President Ezra Taft Benson has said on at least three different occasions, “The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah.”

(Ensign, Nov. 1980, p. 33.)

Kevin and I challenge you today to make a plan for beginning or increasing your home food storage.  An easy place to start is setting up a budget for food storage.  As mentioned in the Ensign, it can be just a few dollars but it will get you started and will make a difference. 

Here are just a few of the deals at Smith's caselot sale to help you get going.  These are great food storage items and will be on sale until Tuesday, Jan. 18th.  Caselot sales are an easy way to stock up on everyday essentials. 

*Note that Walmart will price match the caselot prices for single items even if you don't purchase an entire case from them (must be same brand).  If you have any trouble, ask for Patti and she will approve the price match.

* Quaker Instant Oatmeal (box of 10 single serve packets) $1.67 a box, $20.00 for case of 12

* Maruchan Ramen Noodles 8 for $1, $3.00 for case of 24 - see, just a few $

* Starkist Tuna 2 for $1, $24.00 for case of 48

* Libby's Vegetables 2 for $1, $6.00 for case of 12

* Hormel Chili $0.88 each, $10.56 for case of 12

* Spaghettios $0.55 each, $13.20 for case of 24

* Kroger 4 lb. Sugar $1.89 each, $18.90 for case of 10

* Link to Smith's full ad: http://smithsfoodanddrug.inserts2online.com/customer_Frame.jsp?divID=706&drpStoreID=00107

We know as you make a plan and move forward as a family the Lord will bless you and provide for you. - Kevin and Kammi

"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." - 1st Nephi 3:7, emphasis added.

 

72-Hour Kits Week 12 - The End

Add to your Kits:

· Baby Diapers/Wipes

· Baby Formula/Bottle/Food

Tips and other Info:

· If you don’t have kids in diapers, then congratulations, you are off the hook this week. Either way, this is the final week of the 12 Weeks to a 72-Hr kit. So everyone gets a high five for completing this course.