Storable Dinner - Meatloaf, meatballs, or hamburger patties

Having a few meals in the freezer is always nice.  I love having a night off every now and then.  This is one of our favorite meals to make ahead.  I always shape the meat mixture into mini-meatloaves, meatballs, and some hamburger patties so I have a few choices in the freezer.

I froze the meatloaves in individual size portions this time.  They cook faster and the kids have fun getting their very own.

Squirt a little ketchup on them just before serving. You can also top with a little tomato sauce if you don't have ketchup.

We served canned green beans and wild rice pilaf along side.  I'll post the easy mix for the rice pilaf here soon.  It was my daughter's requested birthday night meal.  So easy and so delicious!

Meatloaf, Meatballs, or Hamburgers
3 lbs hamburger, thawed	½ cup dehydrated carrots, rehydrated
1 ½–2 cups quick oats	3 eggs
3 Tbsp dried, minced onion, rehydrated	Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp dried, minced garlic, rehydrated
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. You can use 2 carrots, grated to replace the dehydrated carrots. You can also use bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, or pretzel crumbs to replace the oatmeal. Choose hamburger with 15% fat for the best tasting option. For meatloaf: Shape into large loaf and cook in loaf pan at 350° F for 40–50 minutes or until cooked through. Make individual size meatloaves for a quicker dinner. Place side by side in rectangular baking dish and cook at 350° F for 20–25 minutes or until cooked through. We always top our meatloaf with a thin layer of tomato sauce just before serving. You can freeze before cooking for later use. To use frozen meatloaf, thaw and then bake as above. For meatballs: Shape into balls and place side by side on baking sheet. Bake at 350° F for 15–20 minutes or until cooked through. Cool, package in ziplock bags and freeze for later use. For hamburger patties: Shape into patties and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. When frozen transfer to a ziplock bag and freeze for later use. When ready to cook, thaw slightly and then grill or cook as usual. You can cook before freezing if you need to be able to heat and eat quickly.

Storable Lunch - Boxed Mixes

Don't forget about boxed mixes when you are considering which lunches to add to your meal plan. Macaroni and Cheese or Hamburger Helper are simple enough that many kids could make them on their own if you needed them to. That was something we had to consider with our family. Use reconstituted powdered milk in place of milk and oil in place of butter if you need to. Remember that Hamburger or Chicken Helper can be eaten without meat if you had to as well.

My husband adds hot dogs when he's home with the kids for lunch. They took this picture without my knowing one Saturday - I just found it when I downloaded pictures from the camera! I don't know that you can consider it the healthiest of meals, but what kid isn't going to love it? I'll just make up for it by putting wheat flour in their muffins and beans in their cookies the rest of the week.

What Should You Prepare For?

It has been difficult these last few weeks as I have been watching the news reports about the flooding along the Mississippi River and the tornadoes ripping through the South. I've thought some about the effects it is having on personal lives and families. I have also realized that it is important to research and understand the kinds of emergencies that could happen within your own area. Floods and tornadoes are not common here in the Boise area where we live.  The number one reason that families are forced to evacuate is personal home fire. The next likely problem would be a severe winter storm that may take power out for a certain amount of time. We really are blessed to live in an area pretty safe from natural disaster. This doesn't mean we don't need to prepare though. Knowing this,helps me to focus my preparedness efforts to be ready for what is more likely to happen here.

We have a fire-proof safe that holds our important insurance and financial papers. (Writing this makes me think that I need to update the family pictures that are stored in there.) We also regularly hold fire drills at the house so we all know the fastest way out of different rooms. The other preparation we have made is to insure that we have fire extinguishers in the garage and the kitchen which are the two most likely places for fires to start.

To prepare for the winter storms, we have a generator with fuel so we could keep our fridge and freezer going. We also have a kerosene heater to provide heat if our furnace were not working. Our food storage and other preparedness items here at the house would help us live out the storm and be OK until power was restored.

Take some time to research what disasters are most common in your area and let this be your starting point for preparedness.

Storable Lunch - Leftovers

As you plan your meal plan for your 3-month supply, don't forget to think about what leftovers you may have from the dinners you will be making. At our home, we eat leftovers for lunch 3-4 days each week. I send leftovers in a thermos with my kids to school for lunch and my husband also takes leftovers in to work. Sometimes we freeze the leftovers to use in the next few weeks to rotate them and give us more variety in a week.

I really only needed to plan 6 new recipes for lunch on my meal plan. This helped me fill it in so much faster! It also cut down on the cost of collecting it all.

Storable Lunch - Soup and Grilled cheese

 Canned soup always makes for a quick and easy storable meal. A favorite around here is just plain tomato. We always serve it along side a grilled cheese sandwich. Since cheese can store in the fridge or freezer for at least 3 months it is easy to always have some on hand. If only a few of the meals in your meal plan include cheese, you'll have room to store what you need.

My mom taught me this trick growing up - sprinkle just a little celery salt into canned tomato soup for an amazing flavor. My husband used to think I was crazy, but he finally tried it and now will only eat his tomato soup this way! My kids are the same way. I have to include celery salt in my list of spices I keep at the house so we'll want to eat those three cases of tomato soup! We make our soup with water, but it's easy to use powdered milk if your family prefers a creamy tomato soup version.

Food Storage Family Night

Here is a Family Night Idea shared by Megan Roylance from the Edinburgh Ward

Family Home Evening on Food Storage

A great way to start family preparedness is by enlisting the help of your whole family. Becoming prepared, really, is a whole family endeavor. Preparedness projects such as stacking food storage, cooking, picking and canning produce, and growing a garden are much more fun as a family. Plus you get the added benefit of modeling preparedness and teaching your children as you go.

Family Home Evening is an ideal place to start implementing preparedness projects and teaching your children.

President Hinckley said, "We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month and then to three months. I am speaking now of food to cover basic needs. As all of you recognize, this counsel is not new. But 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, my brethren, and gradually build toward a reasonable objective" (in Conference Report, Oct. 2002, 65; or Ensign, Nov. 2002, 58).

Song: “Follow the Prophet”

Scripture: “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear” D&C 38:30

Lesson:  Read the following story.

“Make thee an ark of gopher wood; … And of every living thing … shalt thou bring into the ark, … And take … of all food that is eaten … ; and it shall be … for thee, and for them” (Gen. 6:14, 19, 21).

“Hey, Mom, I’m home!” I yelled, closing the door.

I hung up my coat (but it fell to the floor).

“Hello, dear,” Mom answered. “Come in here and see.”

And—like every day—I knew where she’d be.

Hands sticky with dough, flour dusting her cheek,

She looked at her bread loaves—enough for a week!

“All ready for baking,” she said with a smile.

“It’s good to make bread, though it does take a while.”

“Then why do you bother?” I asked, op’ning the door

Of the oven. “Why don’t we buy bread at the store?”

“Now, that would be easy,” Mom said with a sigh.

“No wheat to be ground, no yeast cakes to buy,

“No mixing the flour, no bread dough to knead—

All that takes much effort, and hard work, indeed.

“But if we don’t use what we keep stored away

In our food storage room, it will spoil and decay.”

“So why do we store all the food that we do,”

I questioned my mom, “when it’s so hard for you?”

“For years now,” Mom answered, “the Church leaders say

To keep one year’s food saved for a rainy day.

“In fact, you might think—and not just as a lark—

Our food storage room’s like our own Noah’s ark!

“We do as we’re told, just as Noah did back then.

Remember, he built it before the rain came!”

“But an ark?” I asked Mother. “I don’t understand

How an animal boat is like food, dried or canned?”

“Oh, you’d be surprised!” Mother said with a grin.

“Would you take this flour back to its storage bin?”

So down to the basement and into the dark

I hurried to board our own “Andersons’ Ark.”

There weren’t any lions there roaring aloud,

But I saw all the fruit we had canned, and felt proud.

I didn’t see bears, either growling or funny,

But I thought of the sweetness we get from our honey.

Though nary a glimpse of even one otter,

We’d never go thirsty—we’d jugfuls of water!

No rabbits were hopping about to and fro,

But canned garden veggies were neat in each row.

No cow was there to moo or to wink;

However, we’d powdered milk our family could drink.

No elephant stood there to trumpet a call,

But I saw our wheat stored—a half ton in all!

I looked everywhere, but there wasn’t a trace

Of one single animal found in that place.

I saw enough food for my parents to feed

The whole Anderson family if there’s ever a need.

We don’t know what problem, if any, we’ll face.

It’s good to be ready, prepared, just in case.

I went back upstairs to where Mom was still cooking.

“So how is our storage? You spent quite some time looking.”

“I know it’s important; I just can’t deny it.

And without all those animals, our ark’s much more quiet!”

(Debbie Davidson, “The Andersons’ Ark,” Friend, Nov 1990, 9–10)

Activity: Begin making a menu plan of what you eat regularly to help decide what food you need in your storage. Work on inventory and tracking sheets. Find and designate a place for your food storage. For younger children, have them help color a sign listing your family food storage goals, and hang in a regularly viewed place to remind you of your goals.

Treat: Find a recipe that uses only food storage items, or use the one below.

Camille's Granola Bars

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups oats

2 1/2 cups rice krispie cereal

optional: chocolate chips, almonds, raisins, etc.

Start by putting the brown sugar and corn syrup on the stove to boil. While you're waiting, mix the oats and cereal together in a bowl and line a 9x13 pan with wax paper. When your mixture boils, remove from heat and add peanut butter and vanilla, stirring until combined. Add to the cereal and oats and stir until the oats and cereal are covered by the peanut butter mixture. If you are adding any extras, wait a few minutes until it's not so hot to stir them in. Dump the mixture into the pan and spread out evenly with your fingers. Wait 15-20 minutes, and then slice with a pizza cutter.

Should I Even Worry About a Garden?

I found this question and response printed way back in 1977. I seem to hear this same question being asked today. I thought it appropriate to share these thoughts with the gardening season upon us. Even if you plant just a few items in pots or containers, you will be teaching these very important principles to your children or grandchildren and giving yourself an opportunity to strengthen your own testimony.

Why is there so much emphasis on home gardening and production? These things are so time-consuming and troublesome. Hasn’t mass production proved to be cheaper and much more efficient?

There are several reasons. First, from the time that the early Saints moved West right down to the present, home production has been encouraged in the spirit of our knowing how to be self-reliant. The issue is not purely economics or preparation for emergencies, either; it reaches deeper into life than that. There are a great many satisfactions in self-reliance and provident living.

Second, although it may cost more in terms of time, effort, and sometimes even money to produce certain necessities, it is cheaper in the long run because it is the beginning of self-reliance and independence. It will enable us to help ourselves and our neighbors during times of trouble.

Third, these activities keep alive the skills necessary for our survival in times of emergency. By and large we are no longer an agrarian society that could turn back to the soil and begin right away to make a living for ourselves. Many, many beginners in home gardening, for example, can testify to that! Learning these skills once again is very reassuring, as well as satisfying.

Finally, President Kimball recently said, “I remember when the sisters used to say, ‘Well, but we could buy it at the store a lot cheaper than we can put it up.’ But that isn’t quite the answer, is it? … Because there will come a time when there isn’t any store.” (April 1974 Welfare Session.)

Source: August 1977 Ensign

Storable Lunch - Sandwich Ideas

Once you know that you are storing all you need to make bread, sandwiches become a very fast storable lunch option. You'll find my favorite bread recipe here. Today I want to share a few ideas that are easy to store the ingredients for as part of your 3 month (or longer term) supply.

1. Peanut butter and jelly 

2. Peanut butter and honey

3. Peanut butter and marshmallow cream

4. Nutella on bread

5. Tuna salad
6. Salmon salad using canned salmon

7. Chicken salad using canned or frozen chicken

8. BBQ beef using canned or frozen beef

9. Sloppy Joes using canned or frozen meat

10. Pulled pork using frozen meat
11. Grilled cheese (cheese stores at least 3 months in the fridge or freezer)
12. Lunch meat and cheese using frozen lunch meat

Really your options are only limited by your imagination. Fill in a few of your lunch openings on your meal plan with different sandwiches your family enjoys and you will be set to provide a delicious meal for your family even if you are eating from your food storage. You also have the added bonus that you can send sandwiches to school or work as a cold lunch during a "food storage" time and know that your kids or those working outside the home will be fed for the day.

Fabulous Homemade Bread

Making your own bread is delicious and easier than you think. It will also save your family money since it costs less than $.50 a loaf to make 100% whole wheat bread.

Fabulous Homemade Bread
This is my favorite recipe that we use on a regular basis. It also makes amazing French toast.
1 cup quick oats or flax meal	⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
3 cups whole wheat flour	1 ½ Tbsp yeast
3–4 cups white bread flour (or additional whole wheat flour)	¼ cup dry milk powder 1 Tbsp white vinegar
6 Tbsp gluten flour	⅓ cup oil
2 tsp salt	3 ½ cups hot water
Mix according to basic bread making instructions (found here). Bake at 350° F for 30–35 minutes or until golden brown. Turn loaves out onto cooling rack. With the oatmeal and all whole wheat flour, each loaf has about 50 grams of fiber. With the flax meal, each loaf has about 60 grams of fiber. Makes 2 loaves.

Hooray for Moms!

Mother's Day is a day that turns our thoughts to those who have mothered us. We think of women who have been great examples for us. We also realize the HUGE task that is ours to "mother" the children around us whether they are our own or we "mother" other's children in some way. Many days it is overwhelming! It is difficult to see the big picture when we are "down in the trenches."

I think of my mother and grandmother who have been great examples of mothers. I realize they weren't perfect. They made plenty of mistakes that we laugh about now when we visit. But, I see the caliber of people they have for children which is a testament to the kind of mothers they were and still are. I know that as we do the best we can every day, Heavenly Father will fill in the gaps. He will place in our lives the women we need to learn from so we can do better.

As far as provident living goes, even though we know it is a family affair, it often falls on the shoulders of mothers to make sure the food storage is there and the teaching is happening with our children. So, as with every other area of our lives, pick ONE thing you are ready to learn or work on and start there. Our kids will be watching and soaking up more than we realize.

I have a friend who learned who my mother is and she said, "No wonder you are so good at provident living, you were trained by a master!" A little here and a little there, my mom taught me these important principles and you can do the same for your kids. And so today I say, "Hooray for moms. Hooray, hooray, hooray for moms!"

Storable Lunch or Snack - Tortilla Roll-ups

Tortillas keep for a very long time so I always have some on hand.  If we were to ever run out, I know how to make my own and I have the ingredients as part of my meal plan.  I'll do a blog post on making tortillas another time.  Today I want to share a quick and easy storable lunch or snack idea.  

Cream cheese is another ingredient that will store at least 3 months in the refrigerator.  I buy enough when I see them for $.98 each to get me through at least 3 months.  

Spread a little cream cheese on a tortilla.  The kids love the strawberry cream cheese.  Sometimes I add rehydrated onions or green peppers to some softened regular cream cheese before spreading it. Chives are a tasty addition also, but plain cream cheese is great too.  For a sandwich, we spread plain cream cheese and add slices of lunch meat and cheese before rolling. It adds great variety to a picnic or school lunch.  Tortillas give you limitless options!

Roll up the tortilla.

For snacks, slice in 1-inch pieces. For sandwiches, I usually just cut in half.

Dip the plain or onion cream cheese rolls in salsa for an extra tasty treat.

Frugal Food Storage

We really wanted to begin a food storage program, but as newly married full-time college students expecting our first baby, we wondered how we could possibly do it. Discouraged, I said, “Food storage must be one of those things you do after your children are grown up.”

My husband smiled at me and then dashed to our cupboard, opened it, and pulled out every box, package, and can. As he hummed a tune, he began arranging everything into groups. He looked at me, grinned, and pointed to a small stack of food.

“Food storage!” he said. I looked at the stack: two cans of green beans, a bag of rice, a package of spaghetti, and one jar of apricots. “This is our food storage?” I asked.

“Sure,” he answered. “This is our frugal food storage.”

Since then we have followed his frugal food storage theory. Each week we bring home our groceries, go through each bag, and ask, “Can we do without this item this week?” If we can, we set it aside as a food storageitem.

This idea works so well that six years and three children later, we are still using it. Though we have more money now than we did during our first year of marriage, we are still on a budget. Following are a few other tips that help us add to our food storage when money is scarce:

1. 1. 
   Store any storable food that comes from an unexpected source. For example, if friends or family invite you to dinner or bring in a meal to you, store the canned or packaged food items you would have used for that meal.
2. 2. 
   Set aside a small amount of money each week to buy staples such as pasta, baking ingredients, and paper products. You may be surprised at how quickly you can build up a supply of these staples for only a few dollars a week.
3. 3. 
   Learn how to bottle, freeze, and dry fresh foods. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can preserve small amounts of fresh fruits or vegetables when they are on sale at the grocery store.
4. 4. 
   Set goals for your food storage supply. Work toward a one-month supply, then a three-month supply, and so on. Be realistic.

Try new ideas until you find the ones that work for you. The important thing is to start now; don’t wait until you have more money, or you may never start. Next family home evening, go through your cupboards and set some of your food aside for your food storage. You can have a food storage program, even on a modest income.—Colleen Hansen, Marienville, Pennsylvania

Source: January 1993 Ensign