GETTING STARTED PART ONE

I am sure a lot of you will be surprised how much food you have on hand. If you are the type of person who sees something on special at the groccery store and purchase more than 1 to use at a later time and put it in your pantry. then you have begun your food storage! It can be as simple as that. What you do have to do is try and keep that food separate from your everyday food pantry/cupboard.

WHERE DO I STORE IT?

Store it where ever can! Start by decluttering:) I cleaned out my kitchen cupboards and threw away a lot of plasitc containers that didn't have lids or lids that didn't have containers, and I am ashamed to admit I had ALOT!! Now I have space for some of my food storage. I also have inherited a couple of ikea storage cupboards from my parents, which I have to admit have not be put where I want them to be, so are not in use. When it is though, it will be another food storage space, I just hope I get it sorted out soon:) Basically, my message is simple, store it where you can! It can go in storage containers under the bed, a spare shelf in the linen cupboard, under the stairs, in a spare room/study/nursery, don't forget to utilise your freezer, deep freezer, and fridge. It is best not to store in the garage if it can be avoided.

A 3 month food storage plan is made up of food that is not for long term. Long term items are food items that can last up to 30 years or more like wheat. You need long term items, but lets just start with the basics! Your 3 month food items can last up to 2 years or so. You want to make sure the 3 month food storage items are items that can be rotated and used throughout the year. It is not a situation of, I have 3 months food sitting there and now we wait and see if 'something' comes up and we need to use it. If you do this, then you may never 'have' to use it and the food can go to waste. Having food on hand can be helpful not just for difficult times but also when you can't get to the store, or an unexpected bill comes up or you are saving for a holiday. There are range of situations where food storage can come in handy. When you use one of your food storage items, you should replace that item as soon as it is possible.

If you are not the kind of person that purchases 2 or more of a particular item when it goes on special, then you need to become one!! This is the best way to start, make sure though, you are purchasing items you know your family will eat.

STEP 1

Sit down and think about all the kinds of foods you or your family love to eat and beverages they like to drink. Start with one week of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, snacks, and drinks. Work out how much you will need. Check out the specials for the stores that a near you and keep your list close by so that it will remind you of the things you want to purchase to add to your food storage. REMEMBER when you are purchasing things on special or discount to check the expiration dates. Store your items of longer expiry dates at the back of your cupboards and shorter at the front. You will also need to consider storing items like toothpaste, toothbrushes,floss, toilet paper, sanitary items, shampoo and conditioner, mouth wash, nappies/diapers etc.

Here is a list of some of the items I have stored to give you an idea on where you can start:

Two Minute noodles

Campbells Soup in a can

Tins of diced tomatoes

tins of corn

tins of fruit

Kraft processed cheese

UHT Milk

Jar of semi dried tomatoes

Jar of roasted capsicum

Macaroni and cheese

Evaporated Milk

sweeten condensed milk

Red lentils

Rice

Tin Chickpeas

Tin lentils

Pasta

Pasta sauce

Ritz plain crackers

Bottles of Juice

Bottles of soft drink

Sweet biscuits

Tin of tuna

Flour

Sugar

Chocolate buttons

Oils

Vinegar

Frozen veges

frozen pastry

frozen meat

Betty Crocker cake/brownie/muffin/cookie mixes

Tomato sauce

Mustard

Mayonaise

Wow! When I list it all down, its seems like I have more than I thought I did! I have achieved this by adding a little extra each week and I have been doing this for a little over 6 months. I check out the specials each week at the groccery stores. When the government suppliment payments were going out earlier this year, we decided to put a bit of that money into our food storage which gave us a boost . So you could consider putting some of your tax return money to getting your storage supply kick started. You may find you have a lot of these items on hand already, just go through your cupboards, see what you have, throw out anything out of date and think about what you and the people in your house like to eat.

Do you camp? If you camp, and store a 3month supply of food, you will find that your 3 months supply can be used when you go camping. We don't take a fridge when we camp, just an esky, so its as much non-perishable food as possible. This is how you need to think when it comes to storing your food at home.

Well good luck with step 1. Don't think you have to do step 1 in a day. Take your time, plan and do what you can within your budget. Once you get started and have it on your mind, you will find opportunities coming up all the time to help build up your food storage. Keep coming back here for tips on recipes and if you want help with suggested menus, I can help you with that. I also will also have product reviews on certian items that are perfect for food storage and recipes that you can use with them. I will also be planning a bulk purchase soon so stay tuned for that. Any questions, leave me a comment or e-mail me renrut22@hotmail.com.

BLog This Challenge - My Wish List

This if my first Blog This challenge. I love to buy/make gifts for others and I am the kind of person that really thinks about who the person is and what they would like. As for me, I don't always feel like I desperately want something. I like things and I do ask for things, but they are usually things I need for the house, or kitchen, or clothes, craft, basically useful things. However, for this challenge, I am going all out. I am going to list all the things I would really like to have if money was not an issue, basically a fantasy list!!!

1. A mortgage free house - nothing fancy just 4 bedrooms, a rumpus, a good sized kitchen and a bit of backyard.

2. A Thermomixer. These things are amazing but soooo expensive, but as this is a list with no financial boundaries, I want one!

3. A holiday for me and hubby to Hawaii - no kids!

4. A house cleaner

5. Free petrol!

I know I will think of things later that I wish I had put down, but these are what I came up with. I am sure at least one thing on this list is attainable!

DID YOU KNOW??

That weevels and other microspoic animals can be present in your flours and sugars that you purchase at the store? This is FACT! The best way to get rid of these is to put your flours and sugar packets into your freezer after your purchase them for up to 6 hours or overnight if you prefer before you store them. Since I was told this I have done it everytime. Even if this was a fable, I feel better knowing I have done it. It doesn't alter your flour or sugar in anyway and you can sift the flour before you store it. Just a tip I feel necessary to share!

SO WHAT IS FOOD STORAGE?

I have grown up being part of a LDS/Mormon family and still an active mormon today taking care of my own family. For as long as I can remember we have been councelled at church to be prepared by storing food and water that we can use in times of need. This could be a natural disaster, or if a spouse has lost their job or unable to work for a period of time. We are encouraged to do this so we can become self-reliant.

I'd like to share a personal experience that has shaped my understanding of why having food storage is important.

When I was about 10 or 11 my father lost his job and there was a period of time where he was not employed. My parents had some savings, but most of it covered the mortage and other living expenses that came with rasing 5 children. What I remember most of those times was my mother taking items from the store cupboard everynight and making things like chopped up spam in tomato sauce and rolled in pastry. Now you might read this and think yuck! But I loved it, we all did!! I also learned to love franks and beans! But my mum basically told me later in life that her food storage as simple as she thought it was back then, was what made the difference for them in their time of need, it was one less thing she had to concern herself with when things seemed so uncertain.

I have other friends whose parents relied heavily on their food storage to make sure food was on the table. It is their stories and my own that have inspired me to make this blog and share the spirit of self-reliance.

When I began looking into this I found some very helpful information. What I found was that I was extremely overwhelmed with how much food one would need to purchase and store to survive for 12 weeks. For example, I obtained a list from an Australian university site that said a single adult would need approx 10.5kg of flour to last at least 10wks. When you calculate what I would need for my whole family (2 adults and 4 kids) I approximately need to store around 40kg of flour!!!! That's a lot of flour! There are a lot of other things you need in much larger amounts. Basically, the point is the whole concept is rather daunting but it is achieveable because many people do it. I have decided to break this down for me and you, so that we can achieve the goal of storing food that we can have as our backup when we need it.

Traditionally, the kinds of food people have been storing have been rather plain, and most people buy things because they have been advised to but once they have it, they are not sure what to do with it. I will be helping you with this. I plan to provide helpful recipes that are easy to follow and easy to achieve and encompass a wide variety of modern/contempory foods but also keeping up with traditional storage items that are timeless, like wheat. Wheat can be stored for up to 30 years, and somtimes longer depending on where you store it. When you use it, it will need to be milled into flour. I will talk more about milling at another time.

Due to cultural diversity, we have become exposed to some amazing tastes and textures. As a result, what we and our families like have evolved so much over the decades. What was outlined traditionally as what we should have stored, is nolonger desired by the masses. I strongly advise you store what you know your family love and will eat. Image being in a situation where you have to eat what is in your cupboard and all it is sardines and ketchup!! Gross!!! Maybe a little exaggerated, but you get my drift?

The other important point is storing water. Water is so easy to store. It is good to have drinking water and also water for cleaning stored. You could be a situation where there has been a burst water pipe or main in your street and you won't have water for a day or two. If you have your water stored then it won't cause you panic. There could be a natural disaster of flooding or drought. If you have your water stored, again you can feel assured that your family can be provided for.

HOW DO I STORE WATER

This is the best way to start your food storage. Collect your emptied bottles of juice or soft drink, bigger is better. Wash them out and then fill them up with tap water. Drop in a teaspoon or two of plain(don't use lemon scented or anything like that) bleach. Cap the bottle and shake it around a little and store in a cupboard or garage, somewhere out of direct sunlight and doesn't get too hot. These bottles can be stored for up to a year. The bleach kills bacteria and as only a small amount is used, it is safe to consume. The water could also be used to water the garden. You can also store bottled water if you prefer this, but the other method saves you money. You can also purchase larger water containers from camping stores or even BigW. Wash them out and then do the same, but this time add a cup of bleach.

HOW LONG CAN FOODS BE STORED?

This does vary but I will outline the main foods that last the longest. These amounts are appoximates and will need to be stored at room temperature or 24C in air tight containers or vacuum pouches. I have been told by some people that their parents have stored their wheat for longer than 30 years and it is still good to use. The best way to know if your wheat is still good is to put some in dirt and see if sprouts. If it sprouts, its good. If it doesn't then its best to dispose of it. You need to make sure your wheat as been packed properly so that weevels don't attack it.

Food Shelf-Life Estimate in Years

Wheat 30+
White Rice 30+
Corn 30+
Pinto Beans 30
Dried Aple Slices 30
Macaroni 30
Rolled Oats 30
Potato Flakes 30
Powdered Milk 20

Honey can also be stored for beyond 30 years. It is best stored in a glass jar. It will crystalise but heating in boiled water will soften the honey back to being runny.

In my next post I will outline ways to begin planning for food storage and we will start with a plan for one month. This way you will see that it is achievable. Even if you stop at one month, you will know that you can do it again. If you have any questions, leave me a comment and I will be happy to help.

Baked Meatballs

I like to try and time my shopping as best I can so that I can pick up some great discount items. I find that earlier in the morning after the older kids have been dropped off to school works well. I tend to shop at Woolies/Woolworths which is the same as Safeway for Melbournites. I find I can get really good discounts on the meat and dairy for items that are going out of date. I ALWAYS check the used by date when I purchase these items and also check the meat as sometimes they put a discount sticker without checking it and I have seen some disgusting things! I won't go into any details. Anyway, when I get home I usually put all the discounted meat into the freezer unless I know I will be using it that night. I have also picked up some yoghurt, custard, fresh juice and other dairy products that have a best before at least 5 or 6 days to go. So don't be weary of the discounted items, check the dates and if you think your family can consume them, buy them especially when they can be so much cheaper.

The other day I picked up some pork and veal mince which had been discounted by almost $3 to only $4 and this is what I used this evening for our baked meatballs. It was super easy to make and I used my dried herbs(not the ones I have done myself, which I will post later) and what I had on hand. So this could easily be used for a food storage recipe. If you can't find pork and veal, you can usually get pork, veal, or lamb only mince and all these varieties are fairly inexpensive.

Ingredients

600g Pork or Pork and Veal mince

2 eggs beaten

2 tablespoons of uncooked rice

dried herbs of choice

Whole jar of Passata(usually 750ml) or 2 jars of tomato pasta sauce (500ml/g)

Salt and pepper

1 - 2 Cups of cheese (could mix tasty and parmasen)

Oven to 180 degrees C

Procedure

1.Mix the mince and herbs together

2. Beat eggs in a seperate bowl and add to mince

3. Add rice and mix through

4. Season with salt and pepper

5. Grease baking dish with oil spray

6. Roll mince into meatballs and line on dish

7. Pour Passata or sauce all over meatballs so they are all covered

8. Put into oven and bake for 25mins

9. Take out and sprinkle cheese over meatballs

10. Back into the oven until cheese has melted and browned approx 15-20mins.

Makes 11 medium sized meatballs.

I served ours with mashed potato but you can easily put with pasta, rice, salad, steamed veges, whatever you like or have! The whole meal cost about $10 at the most. I love oregano so sprinkled a little on the cheese before I put it in the oven.

I find Passata can be bitter or bland, which is why I used the two jars of pasta sauce as they hold more flavour. If you do use Passata, which is just crushed and pureed tomatoes, check if the seeds are present in the jar, tomato seeds are bitter and will make your sauce bitter too. If using passata I would suggest you add some onion flakes, garlic granules (or fresh if your prefer) and herbs to taste and even a little bit of sugar to balance out the flavours. Be sure to check the sauce when you take it out of the oven and see if you need to add anything else before you add the cheese.

Meals under $10 Curtis Stone Eat Your Heart Out!!!

It seems to be the trend at the moment to see supermarkets advertise budget meals and meals under $10. Coles has hired celebrity chef Curtis Stone to advertise the family meals for $10. Howver most meals are directed to families with 2 adults and 2 children. So what do the other families do that have 3,4, or more children!!! As we have 4 kids (3 that eat dinner) I have been thinking alot about this lately because of the price of grocceries creeping,creeping higher and higher. So I decided to pass on some cheap meal ideas that I have used and come across. Some of these ideas can easily be used with ingredients from your food storage.

I have posted two ideas already so take a look at those if you want. This next recipe is a food storage idea. I made this meal for my family on Saturday mainly because I didn't feel like cooking anything special. My hubby and I love our indian food and in particular we love butter chicken. When I saw Heinz Chunky Butter Chicken soup I was VERY skeptical about giving it a try because I can't stand the chunky beef, and ham soups they do. But, my sister in law made it for lunch one winters day and I was very surprised to find it not bad tasting. So when it goes on special I buy at least 6 cans because 3 cans usually covers our family. My kids totally love it, even my very fussy son, Chris. I microwave my rice and heat the butter chicken on the stove and add it to the cooked rice and Voila! A very cheap and very easy meal to feed the family when you can't be bothered cooking!!

For dessert I made crepes which are super easy and super cheap as well. I worked it out to be less than $10 for dinner and desert for my whole family(two adults and 3 kids who eat, we have a 7mnth old as well) and I used all ingredients I had on hand. Good on Me!!

Provident Living

A lot of good and helpful information for your food storage can be found at the church website. The site will outline ways to store your food, how to store water, what are the average shelf life estimates for certian foods when stored properly. Just click on the link for food storage and the booklet is available in PDF format and is a wonderful resource. Any other questions, just leave me a comment:)

The next welfare enrichment will be held on Tuesday 25th August at Natalie Riley's house. She will be demonstrating how to used food storage products for your meals. This will be a great and informative activity. I will be happy to do a car pool, so talk to me if you want a lift.

It was Just a Whole Lotta Fun!!!!

I made this cute little canvas which was inspired by a good friend Sam. She made her daughter these cute canvas of a butterfly,flowers, and I think a dragonfly?? Anyway, they were just cute as and I thought, since I have something like 10,000 or more buttons sitting(I shall one day relate the story of why I have so many!!) in my cupboard that this would be a great project that could utilise my buttons and other craft items that I have held onto for situations like these, you know, when you don't want to chuck it out or give it away, you know it will come to use one day!!! Anyway I made it with about an hour to spare before the party was to begin, which I think is a record for me!!! I wanted it to look like a lollie tree, but it could be intrepeted as many different things. At the bottom is the name of my daughter's friend who had the birthday party last night. I had so much fun designing and making it I can't wait to make another! This is a low cost project that is great as a present, because its homemade with attention and love!

Most of my pictures are taken at night when I remember to do it so please excuse the poor lighting.

Mandies 49c/kg

I was at Harris Farm at Stockland Mall today and I scored mini Mandarins for 49c/kg. They are small and you do have to search a little for good ones but they are the perfect size for my kids and if you have a juicer, these would be perfect. I also went to Coles and got Extra Juicy fruit juice 2L for $1.69 which is a great price and is basically 85c/L. My favourite juice is red grape so I bought up on that, as I usually think $2.5o for 2L is a good price when it goes on special.

This weeks bargains part one

I am starting with a part one, because I know I will come across more. First off, Lenard Poultry at Castle Towers is selling skin on chicken breasts for $5.99/kg. This is an absolute bargain. The skins are super easy to remove yourself so don't worry about that. The limit is 3 kg per customer, but its the best deal I have seen in a while.

Woolworths

24 pack Kleenex toilet tissue is 2 for $24 (save$9.96)

Campbells Chunky and Country Ladle is $2 each (save up to $1.11)

Betty Crocker cake mixtures are $4 each ( save up to $1.90)

Spam 340g $3.49 (save $1.21)

Greenseas tuna 95g 5 for $6 (save $2.95)

Gold'n Canola Oil 4L $12.98 (save $4.01)

300ml Dove shampoo and conditioner is 50% off at $2.99 each.

Norwest Woolworths has strawberries 2 for $3

Its good to remember that we need to get our food storage in order but when and where possible we should also have other household items in storage like toilet paper, toothpase and toothbrushes, shampoo and conditioner, laundry powder, bandaids, panadol etc.

SWEET SENSATIONS!!!!

Ok, this one is more of a welfare food storage kind of recipe. All the ingredients you should be able to find on hand if you store basic ingredients like sugar and honey. I love my macadamias! They are a good source of fibre and are healthy when eaten raw. However, after having them raw for so long, I had a packet in my storage cupboard and thought I would spruce them up a bit for a healthy/naughty treat!!! Its funny how we can justify these kinds of things to ourselves! But macadamias are so good for you, it just so happens they are smothered in delectable sugarlicious toffee!!! Anyway, its a good thing to make when you want something sweet, or need something quick to give as a visiting teaching treat.

One more thing before I start, I tend not to measure things when I am making it up as I go, so I have done my best to give an estimate on the amounts, you may want to add more/less if you think it needs it.

Ingredients

1 Cup white sugar (i have made up my own vanilla sugar and used this)

120g butter

1/4 cup honey

500g macadamias (or whatever you like)

Icing mixture to dust

Iced water handy so you can check for soft/hard ball stage

Baking tray with aluminum foil on base and sprayed very lightly with oil.

Procedure

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan.

2. Add sugar and stir until dissolved

3.Keep stirring and add honey

4. When all the ingredients are melt and mixed together keep stirring and add nuts.

5.You will need to keep stirring for a good 10-15mins, if you don't the mixture will stick and burn to your saucepan and its a killer to clean off!!

6. The mixture will turn a caramel colour and thicken. After about 10-12mins use your spoon to take a little mixture and drop into iced water. Taste it to see if it crunches in your mouth, even if its a hard on the outside but still a little chewy on the inside its ready. If you have a thermometer its hard crack stage and whatever that is in degrees.

7. Pour mixture onto foil and spread the nuts apart a little with a fork.

8. I put mine into the freezer so it could set straight away, otherwise put it in the fridge until set, this could take up to half an hour.

9. Dust some icing mixture into a container and crack piece of toffee into the container. It will be a little sticky so when all the pieces are in, put the lid on and shake it about! The icing sugar stops the stickyness.

10. Enjoy your macadamia toffee!!

Easy Peesy 2 Egg Omelette Recipe!!

So I have been thinking about adding some recipes which may not necessarily be just with welfare ingredients, but are budget and user friendly. Please be kind with my pictures and my directions, while I am not quite up to Natalie's standards, a girl can dream!!!! So the first recipe is a tres easy 2 egg omelette. I make these at least once a week as a quick and nutrious meal for my family, and they take little time. For the Weight Watches ladies, this could be done with one egg and one egg white and all low fat ingredient or nil/one point veges etc ykwim!!!!

Ingredients

2 Eggs

Fillings

Basically whatever takes your fancy, but for the purpose of the pictures I have chosen:

Sliced mushrooms - half a handful

1/4 red onion

grated cheese

small handful of baby spinach and rocket mix (from groccery store in a bag)

As a side note I am very much in love with rocket at the moment. I love the taste of it and I add it to as many dishes as I can. I will be looking into growing it!!

Procedure

1. Heat small frypan add a little bit of olive oil. Fry up slice onion until soft and add mushrooms until tender.
2. Crack eggs in a bowl and whisk until combined. Pour into empty fry pan that has been sprayed with oil.
3. You need to bring the omelette away from the edges of the pan as it cooks a little bit at a time so that the runny bits cook. This may seem tricky at first but you'll get the hang of it. Do this until most of the egg is cooked and there is just a little bit of runny egg on top.
4. Now add your ingredients to one half of the omelette, you need to be quick. You can also add some dried herbs and a dash of salt and pepper.
5.Fold the unpacked side onto the packed side of the omelette and cook for another 30 seconds
6. Holding the handle use your spatular to carefully turn the omelette over so the other side can cook for around a minute or until cheese runs/oozes out the sides.
7.Plate your masterpiece and enjoy by itself or with some salad.

This is a perfect meal for left overs or when you need a healthy meal but don't want to put too much thought and effort into it. Also don't be put off if it doesn't work out the first time. I actually do have a step by step visual but I can't work out how to load them on here as step by step, when I work it out I can edit the post!!!