Food Storage - Where do I begin?

Do you grow food in a garden? Do you have an extra jar of peanut butter or an extra can of diced tomatoes somewhere in your house? Do you have food in your 72 Hour Kit? If you said yes to any of these questions, you’ve already begun your food storage!

To me, there are two sides to food storage: “insurance” food storage and “to live” food storage. Both ways are good.

What is “insurance” food storage? “Insurance” food storage is buying a three month supply of food for your family from an emergency preparedness type store (think MREs--Meals Ready to Eat) and calling it good. You have your three months of food in case something crazy happens and you are following the prophet. All is well.

How to start “insurance” food storage?

· Look for Deals: Some of the stores have newsletters or emails announcing upcoming sales. Sign up for them.

· Try them: If it tastes nasty, don’t buy a 3 month supply of it!

· Make sure you have a way to eat them: Do the meals need water? Do they need to be heated? Will you need/want utensils?

“To live” food storage is incorporating the bulk (rice, beans, and grains) and canned foods you already use in your normal meals into your three month supply. This method is more time consuming than “insurance” food storage, but it usually costs less.

How to start “to live” food storage?

· Start Small: Build up a week supply of meals, then a month, two months, etc. Or build up one meal at a time. Work on having all the ingredients to make spaghetti six times in three months. When you finish that, then work on having all the ingredients to make tacos six times in three months, etc. Until you have a three month supply of meals.

· Buy in Bulk/Look for Deals: If something you normally eat is on sale, buy a case of it!

· Learn how to cook from scratch: If you are not familiar with cooking rice, grains, and beans, learn how! Cooking or baking with whole grains takes a little practice, but it is much healthier than processed foods. Did you know you can make your own yogurt, evaporated milk, sour cream, etc. from powdered milk? You can! There are so many areas to improve and become more self-reliant.

Don’t forget there is more to food storage than just food! It’s also important to store other things you use all the time.

· Water: Are you relying on your water heater as part of your water reserve supply in a crisis? Do you have a way to get the water out of your water heater? Have you practiced getting the water out of there?

· Financial Reserve: We all can see the wisdom in having some money set aside.

· Health and Hygiene Products: soap, baby diapers, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, dental care, etc.

· Health Care: First-Aid, medications, etc.

· Fuel: candles, matches, wood, coal, kerosene, propane, diesel, etc.

· Clothing: cold/warm weather, children’s clothing, sturdy shoes, etc.

· Tools: food mills, generators, camping gear, etc.

· Essential Records: birth certificates, marriage license, social security cards, bank account numbers, etc.

There is no wrong place to start. The important part is to start! Keep it simple and work on your food storage a little every week.

Freezer to Crockpot Creamy Chicken and Noodles

It's basketball season at our house which means weeknights are a little more hectic as we try to get our boys to and from all their practices. Weekends are also crazy as we watch 3-4 ball games every Saturday. I am relying on my crockpot a lot to have a meal ready when we make it home, hungry and tired after it all. This freezer to crockpot creamy chicken and noodles is a new favorite.


I pre-cook the noodles during the week when I have a little time. When they are done cooking, I drain and rinse them with cool water. Then I place them in a container and stir in a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil. The oil keeps them from sticking together while they are stored in the fridge. I store them unitl the night they are needed.

I get the crockpot going before we leave. When we get home, I pop the noodles in the microwave while I cut the chicken up and add the sour cream. The kids set the table and dinner is ready in about five minutes. Serve with a side salad and some crusty bread. Another side dish that works well is sliced, fresh fruit. It's simple, comfort food at it's best!

Freezer to Crockpot Creamy Chicken and Noodles

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 ½ lbs frozen mixed vegetables

½ cup sour cream, plain yogurt, or cream cheese - add just before serving

1 lb wide egg noodles, cooked

Mix the cream soup and seasonings in a gallon freezer ziplock bag. Add the chicken and vegetables. Write directions on the bag and freeze. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge. Pour into slow cooker and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low. Pull the chicken out and dice it. Add it back to the slow cooker. Stir in the sour cream, plain yogurt, or cream cheese. Spoon over cooked egg noodles to serve.

Home Generators

Even though a generator appears on our Emergency supply list, its value seems to drop to the bottom of the list of needed purchases after we have survived a power outage without loss of our freezer foods; the furnace motor is still intact after the power surge; and we seemed to have kept warm by layering with clothes and blankets as it was a short power outage. We may look on this survival experience as luck, but this is not true preparation. Being prepared is important, comforting , and long-term. Home generators can be one of the most useful tools for our home and family security as a temporary (or long-term) power source.

NEEDS
Our needs determine the size, price and complexity of the generator required for
our home. Our first requirement is to assess the needs of our family in the home. 1. Does our home have an alternate heat source – fireplace (wood or pellet supply) and cooking source?

2. Do we have infants, small children, elderly needing power for oxygen, or other medical or technical devices requiring electricity?

3. Is air conditioning important or necessary for the family?

4. Have we spent our time and money on our freezer food storage and want to protect it?

WHICH GENERATOR DO WE NEED? How much power do we need? How soon do you need to use it? How often do you expect to use it and for what duration of time? Are you able to move around a few hundred pound device?

SIZE
A. How many watts do we need? Three general areas to address in an emergency are Security, Food, and Information. - What appliances or devices (home office, computers, medical) support is needed. A basic home requires about 5,000 running watts (5 Kilowatts) Most appliance tags or the owner’s manual or brand’s website will give wattage requirements.

B. Portable Generators - quick way for power back up. 1. Less expensive than standby (stationary) generators, and newer ones are quieter, more efficient and safer for sensitive electronics like computers, TVs, cell phones, etc. 2 2. Can be stored in garage but must be used outside (never indoors) and then connected to the appliances with extension cords.

C. Home Standby (Stationary) Generators are 24 hour protection 1. Will run immediately within 10 seconds of power outage. 2. Heavy, permanent units sit outside on concrete pads and run on your home’s natural gas or propane lines. 3. Require licensed electrician to install and also a licensed plumber to meet code. 4. More expensive than portable generators (much of the added expense is in installation costs) but long-term advantages provide safe and immediate power.

PRICE After determining your family’s requirements which somewhat determine the size of the generator of your choice and your budget, there are many options and prices available to select the generator best for your needs.

Consumer Report Buying Guide 2015, pg. 59-6 gives a quick overview of the portable and large and small stationary (standby) generators by brand, price & other features. Figure on paying $600 to $1,500 for most 5,000 to 7,000-watt portables. $1,800 to $3,200 for similar-wattage stationary models, $3,500-plus for higher-wattage models.

NEW OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR GENERATORS - Additional costs

A. Smart switches recognize overloads and will turn unit off

B. Mobile Link – remote monitoring system for Honeywell from cell phones and devices

C. Solar power generators are becoming more popular

D. Smaller back-up generators are battery powered providing uninterruptible power supply backup and surge protection throughout the year. Multiple connection ports to power up various devices including computers cable modems, etc.

HINTS

A. Gas is not available at the service station during a power outage if the station does not have generators for their pumps and very few do. (We found that out the hard way – long lines and then no gas. Lesson learned)

B. Generators must be placed outside during use. Fifteen feet from home, windows, & doors.

C. Many generators can be very loud.

D. SAFETY FIRST IN USING A GENERATOR. QUESTIONS –CALL A PROFESSIONAL