EXCITING NEWS!!!

(Image from the church's website)

Sister Havel found an AWESOME link in the church's on-line store! For those of you who don't have the time or anyway to can ... you can order your food storage on-line! It does come out to be a bit more pricey ($6.25 more for the oats per case), but it's a great alternative if you are looking for an easy way to get your food storage! YEAH!!!

Here's the link to the store. This month we are encouraging all of you to pick up your year's supply of oats. They will last 30 years if stored in proper conditions (not too hot or cold) and you only need 10 cans per person (25 lbs.) to meet your goal!

Order here if interested.

Water Comparison Chart

This month as we gather our 2 week supply of water, Sister Havel & I have spent a lot of time trying to find the best deals out there for the ward. Here's what we have found:

Water Barrels (55 gallon) - (a single drum is a 2 week supply of water for 4 people)

• Pros - HUGE supply of water in one location Cons - Very bulky & difficult to move in a worst case scenario, can be difficult to store because of their large size, can be costly depending on method for pick up.


• $15 - Sister Havel found this *AMAZING* site where you can get used 55 gallon drums (food grade) for only $15! They say for $5 you can have them pre-washed out for you. Great deal! Not necessarily what I want all my water in, but a great way to start! Check out the site to schedule a pick up (located in Longmont, CO).


• $38 - Unused water drums at the best price you'll find! Industrial Container (located in SLC) has a HUGE variety of different sized water containers (55, 30, 15, and 5). They also have a large selection of 5 gallon containers (for food storage) and a non-breathable plastic container that when used with the metal lid creates an air-tight seal perfect for food storage! They are in SLC though, so we always pick up some on a visit to the area. Here is their site. I can only vouch for the water containers, drums & food storage containers being a good deal (here's the link for those prices). Also, they have a $50 water drum that has a removable top so you can stack it full of other things if you're moving, etc. :) Doesn't come with the siphon though - that you'll have to get at an additional price.


• $98/$99 Delivered - Emergency Essentials or Costco- Both are offering home delivery, Costco even had a deal where you order 8 and you would save $6 per barrel.

25 Gallon Boxed Water Kit - $34.95 found here (plus shipping & handling)

• Pros - Smaller, easier to find storage possibilities for in your home. Cons - Not as sturdy as the hard plastic containers, so in a worst case scenario can be damaged. Not sure as to the possibility of punctures/breaking them in everyday scenarios. Very expensive for the size.

5/6 Gallon Containers

• Pros - Easier to transport, get water from a "water line" in the worst case scenario. Stackable, easier to put into smaller cars and drain and refill on a regular basis. Cons - Can be expensive compared to the larger drums.


• $10 - Wal-Mart has a 6 gallon container in the hunting/camping section (teal green, thin & stands upright)


• 
  
  There are a lot of other options, but none as cheap as Wal-Mart (unless you are interested in picking them up at Industrial Container in SLC - then they are about $7)

Water Bottles/Hard Plastic Juice Containers

• 
  
  Pros - Creates an easy system for rotation, packages already sealed up so makes it easy to take them for emergency situations. Cons - Constant rotation = paying over & over again for bottled water bottles, creates more garbage.


• Prices are constantly changing, but anytime you can get a 16.9 oz. bottle of water for less than 13 cents a bottle, it's a good deal and you should stock up!


• The best price found in town this past weekend was Sam's Club, $3.98 for a 32 pack of Nestle Water. I know that we get it cheaper at Costco though.

How to Store it???

We are starting a new section on this blog ... how to store your food storage! So first here is a link to some food storage videos of how two ladies store their food storage ... a HUGE shout-out to my friend Holly & the awesome Lisa (who works so hard on that site!) for letting us use so much of their information and blog for our ward!!! :)

Enjoy!

Water Storage - Be Careful!!!-

There are lots of options available for our water storage, but REMEMBER, be careful that no matter what you don't use milk jug containers for your water supply! They will deteriorate in just a few month's time, contaminating your water supply & possibly even leaking!!!
**Spoken from personal experience - we bought $30 worth before we that out. Oops.**

Food Storage Suggestions #2

I found another link at about.com with suggestions for the year supply of food & thought I would post these as well. Then you decide which of the two you would personally like to follow. I know that I have been getting a lot of questions about this lately & thought it would be helpful. Remember these are merely suggestions, adjust the plan as your family needs & personal tastes dictate.

Grains - 300 lbs.

• Wheat - 150 lbs.


• Flour - 25 lbs.


• Corn Meal - 25 lbs.


• Oats - 25 lbs.


• Rice - 50 lbs.


• Pasta - 25 lbs.

Fats & Oils - 13 lbs.

• Shortening - 4 lbs.


• Vegetable Oil - 2 gallons


• Mayonnaise - 2 qts.


• Salad Dressing - 1 qts.


• Peanut Butter - 4 lbs.

Legumes - 60 lbs.

• Beans (dry - such as black, pinto & white) - 30 lbs.


• Lima Beans - 5 lbs.


• Soy Beans - 10 lbs.


• Split Peas - 5 lbs.


• Lentils - 5 lbs.


• Dry Soup Mix - 5 lbs.

Sugars - 60 lbs.

• White Sugar - 40 lbs.


• Honey - 3 lbs.


• Brown Sugar - 3 lbs.


• Molasses - 1 lbs.


• Corn Syrup - 3 lbs.


• Jams - 3 lbs.


• Fruit Drink, powdered - 6 lbs.


• Flavored Gelatin - 1 lbs.

Milk - 75 lbs.

• Dry Milk - 60 lbs. (which equals about 15 #10 cans)


• Evaporated Milk - 12 cans


• Other - 13 lbs. (such as sweetened condensed milk)

Cooking Essentials

• Baking Powder - 1 lb.


• Baking Soda - 1 lbs.


• Yeast - .5 lbs.


• Salt - 5 lbs.


• Vinegar - .5 gallons

Miscellaneous

• Water - 14 gallons


• Bleach - 1 gallon

Food Storage Suggestions #1

If you go to the church's website, it gives a very general idea of what to store in your food storage. I came across two different sets of ideas of how much to store of each item. Here's option #1:

Grains - 400 lbs. total

• Wheat - 175 lbs.


• Flour - 20 lbs.


• Corn Meal - 30 lbs.


• Oats - 50 lbs.


• Rice - 80 lbs.


• Barley - 5 lbs.


• Pasta - 40 lbs.

Legumes - 60 lbs. total

• Beans, Dry - 45 lbs.


• Lima, Soy, Split Peas & Lentils - 2 lbs. each


• Soup Mix - 7 lbs.

Fat & Oils

• Oil - 5 qt.


• Shortening - 2 lbs.


• Mayo - 1 lb.


• Salad Dressing - 1 qt.


• Peanut Butter - 1 lb.

Milk

• Dry Milk - 14 lbs.


• Evaporated Milk - 12 cans

Sugar - 62 lbs.

• White - 40 lbs.


• Brown Sugar - 3 lbs.


• Molasses - 1 lb.


• Honey - 3 lbs.


• Corn Syrup - 3 lbs.


• Jam - 5 lbs.


• Fruit Drink - 6 lbs.


• Jello - 1 lb.

They say kids should only get a 50% allotment, I personally know of many women who just count each kid as a full person(we do that); since there is such a large shelf life on so many items. Also, these are just suggestions, it’s important to personalize these to the needs and likes of each individual family.

Emergency Preparedness

This month we are asking each of you to join us and gather up our 72 hour kits by the end of the year. If you want to work ahead, by all means, go for it(here's a GREAT resource)! If you'd prefer to just buy a kit, there are several ways to do this (here's a link that I found of just one site).
For this month we are asking everyone to gather up their 2 week supply of water. You can survive for quite a while without food, but without water, you're done for! Lots of great links & ideas will be posted in the next few weeks.
Also, an idea we came across A LOT was for an emergency binder. In that worst case scenario, fire, flood, tornado, evacuating your town ... many of those times you will need to re-build your life in one way or another. By having a binder with all the necessary documents, you can easily manage your life and take care of yourself.
Here is a fantastic link with a perfectly detailed list for that emergency binder. There was LOTS of great feedback in the comments section for ideas. It had the most complete list I found of any other site.

So to re-cap ... get water, and get your important documents (and put them in a safe place)!

Your 2 Week Supply of Water

14 gallons of water, per person is the general rule of thumb for your water supply.

A 2 week supply of water is suggested per person in your family.

Some storage ideas we found were 55 gallon drums (every deal we have found so far is $90 - $100 delivered to Cheyenne), using soda pop 2-liter bottles & re-filling them with water, hard water bottle containers.

We are currently researching to find a great deal for the ward group. But a few deals that we found in town are:

Wal-Mart

• 
  
  Sam's Club Water (20 oz./12 bottles) - $2.50 - you'll need 7.5 packs per person if you choose this.


• 
  
  Aqua-Trainer (7 gallons) water containers - $10.97 each


• 
  
  Ozark Trail (6 gallons) water containers - $9.97 each

Why money? And why small bills???

Imagine this, a tornado tears thru town. Your home is unsafe to stay in and you need to find shelter for your family. Or they are evacuating the whole town and you need to fill up your tank with gas. How would you pay? If there is prior warning at all, the ATM machines will be cleaned out by the companies (to prevent theft & money loss). By the time you are aware of what is happening, there won't be time to find loose change.
I will never forget the most heartbreaking story from the evacuation in Houston, TX a few years ago. The night before the hurricane was to hit, the ATM's were cleaned out, the credit card/debit card machines weren't working. NPR was interviewing people waiting in line to buy gas, and the man next in line had RUN OUT OF GAS while waiting to get some. He had no money on-hand, and no way to pay. He sold his ROLEX watch for $20 for gas money to help his family escape.
If a worst case scenario is happening (which is the point of 72 hour kits), there will be no money. And no one will be offering you change for your $20. I know people who gather $10 - $15 a paycheck and put it aside, either a $5 & (5) $1's or a $10 and (5) $1's. So they have free cash for hotels, gas, or other necessities as they arrive.
If you are able to place a larger amount of money aside, please do until you feel you have sufficient for the 72 hour kits. But $10 - $15 seemed like a great, feasible way to gather your money for your 72 hour kits.

Water Guidelines from the Church

Here is a link with helpful information about how to store & treat your water for your 14 day supply.

We've decided to extend the water & important documents together thru February! There will be a handout and more information posted soon about what documents to put together & the cost of water. :)

Grocery Deals 1/25 - 1/31

This week there are a few items I am REALLY excited about (I know I say that every week, but still!). I plan on stocking up on tomatoes at King Sooper’s and then fun snack stuff (the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl are always a great deal!).

King Soopers’

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts -$1.99 each
Armour Lunch makers - $0.88 each
Braeburn or Cameo Apples - $0.99/lb.
Colorado Proud Milk - $1.97 each – Awesome deal!!!

Buy 10, Save $5
Pepsi Soft Drinks - $0.99 (you can get the generic cheaper, but it’s still a decent price)
Philadelphia Cream Cheese - $1.49 each (sometimes I find them at Wal-Mart for $1.25 and try to stock up then on the generic, but this is a good price compared to the regular price of $1.98 at Wal-Mart)
Lay’s Potato Chips & Kettle Cooked Potato Chips - $1.99 each
Ritz Crackers & Nabisco Snack Crackers - $1.99 each
Hunt’s Tomato Paste & Diced - $0.49 each
--- THIS IS MY STOCK UP PRICE!!! I ask King Sooper’s if they will order 100 for me & then call me as soon as they are in & have them at the service counter! Stock up on this item this week if you can!!!
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers - $0.99 each
Sunny D - $0.99 each
Capri Sun or Kool-Aid Jammers - $1.67 each
Johnson’s Baby Care - $2.49 each


Albertson’s
All Manufacturer Coupons are being rounded up to $1 this week!!!

Fuji or Gala Apples - $0.78/lb.
Albertson’s Whole Fryer Chicken - $0.88/lb.
Celery - $0.88 each
Yellow Onions -$0.59/lb.
Green Bell Peppers - $0.69 each
Aim, Close-Up & Aquafresh toothpaste - $0.99 each
Suave deodorant, shampoo & kids shampoo - $1.67 each

Buy 10, Save $5
Lay’s potato chips - $1.99
Pepsi Soft Drinks - $1
Bull’s eye bbq sauce - $1
Wish Bone Salad Dressing - $1
Nabisco Snack Crackers - $1.99


Safeway

Green Bell Peppers - $0.50
Safeway Bread - $2
Yoplait Yogurt - $0.60
Apple Juice - $1.99
Some 7-up brand sodas - $0.99 each (only shows a & w and 7-up though)

Website Highlight - I Dare you to eat it -

I think we as members overly complicate our food storage. We sit back and say we can't do this or that, because of the "what if the worst case scenario happens"? While we ignore the fact that we can use our food storage for our everyday lives and emergencies.
The website I Dare You to Eat It is fabulous for this reason. She says she hates to cook, she makes some simple ways to implement and use your wheat (which DON'T include wheat bread!). Her cookbook is on-line, she's not in it to make money, but to make people stop being scared of food storage and to use it. This site and her example completely changed the way I viewed food storage and use it. Check it out!

I Dare You to Eat It

This Month's Challenge!!!

We are challenging everyone to work a little bit on their food storage each week to slowly gather a fantastic food supply by the end of the year! If you just stock up as much as possible on the *best* deal of the week, you will have a great food storage by the end of the year!!!
This week I plan on buying my year's supply (enough to get me back to 100 cans) of the spaghetti sauce at Albertson's. The price doesn't get much lower than $0.75 a can! Figure out how much you think your family needs & buy as much as possible. If you just purchase one item each week at the best price possible, you will have a fantastic food storage of items your family will actually EAT in your food storage.
Also we are making monthly goals to meet to help with the 72 hour kits. This month, it's to gather a 2 week supply of water for your family. There are many ways to do this & I am gathering up links to post here for you all to see. Also, try and gather up the various important documents that your family would need in case of an emergency & put them into a 3 ring binder, so you can quickly grab it in case of an emergency. More posts to come!!! :)

Grocery Deals 1/18 - 1/25

THIS MONTH WE ARE CHALLENGING THE WARD TO:
Gather a 2 week supply of water & make photocopies of important documents to have in a 2 ring binder to have on-hand in case of emergency!

There are some great deals on produce this week! Also the buy 10, save $5 at Albertson's has some great items that I plan on stocking up on! All the items I plan on stocking up on this week are in red & bold. Happy Shopping this week!

Albertson’s
Albertson’s White or Wheat Bread - $1.25 a loaf
Red or Golden Delicious Apples - $0.99 a lb.
Gerber 2nd Foods - $1.11 each

Buy 10, Save $5 Instantly
Hunt’s BBQ Sauce - $0.75 each
Hunt’s Pasta Sauce - $0.75 each
Snack Pudding - $0.75 each
Pepperidge Farm Bagged Goldfish - $1 each
Van Camp’s Pork & Beans - $0.99
Hershey’s Syrup - $1.50 each
Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon - $2.49 each

Buy 5, Save $3 Instantly
Quaker Cereals - $1.88 (only if you can find a printable coupon to make it less than $0.10 an ounce)

King Soopers’

Bell Peppers - $1.25 each
Roma Tomatoes - $0.99/lb.
Eggplant - $0.99 each
Broccoli Crowns or Cauliflower - $1.49/lb.
Navel Oranges (8 lb. bag) - $4.99 (or $0.62/lb.)
Organic Anjou Pears - $0.99/lb.
Kroger Frozen Vegetables- $1 each
Hamburger, Chicken or Tuna Helper - $1 each
King Soopers’ Buns - $1 each
Progresso Vegetable Classics Soup - $1 each
Arm & Hammer Ultramax or Essentials Deodorant - $1 each
Gum Crayola Toothbrushes or Kroger All-Pro or Angle Toothbrush - $1 each
Angel Soft 4 pk. Toilet Paper - $1
Brawny Paper Towels - $1
King Soopers Milk - $1 (half gallon)
Diced Pork - $1.99/lb.
Cheetos or Fritos - $2
Hunt’s Pasta Sauce - $1 each
Kroger Saltines - $1
King Soopers Chicken Drumksticks, Thighs or whole chicken - $0.98/lb.
Kroger Tomatoes (14.5 oz.) - $0.67 each
Kroger Cottage Cheese, Sour Cream or Dip - $1.34 each

Safeway
Rancher’s Reserve 7-Bone Chuck Pot Roast - $2.49/lb.
Roma Tomatoes - $0.99/lb.
Fresh Express Spinach, Lettuce, etc. Salads - $1 each
5 lb. bag of apples - $4.99 each
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers (must buy 3) - $1 each
Sanderson Farms Whole Chicken - $0.99/lb. (not a stock up price, but if you want it it’s okay)
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks - $0.99 each

Ideas to Store your Food - Website Link -

My good friends in Vegas have a fantastic site that is so informative and such great ideas! I love this particular link that shows different alternatives for storing your food storage in your home. Make sure to check it out for good ideas, as you collect more & more food storage, you will find plenty of new creative ways to store it in your own home! :)

Website Highlight - Personal Finance Classes-

Another great tool as we learn to become more self-reliant, self-sufficient and gather up our food storage is this BYU education course (free on-line too!) to help us all with learning more about our money and our finances. I hope you take the time to check this site out and consider taking the classes with your spouse, and perhaps even older children. :)

Grocery Deals 1/11 - 1/17

The deals that I am the most excited about are in bold and there are quite a few great deals to stock up at. Happy Shopping Everyone!

Albertson's

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts - $1.99/lb.
Albertson's Yogurt - $0.44 each
Farm Stand Russett Potatoes (5 lb. bag) - $1.69
Green Bell Peppers - $0.79 each
Yellow Onions - 3 lb. bag - $1.49 (makes them $0.50 a lb!)

**Must buy in quantities of 3**
Campbell's Chicken Noodle & Tomato Soup - $0.53 each
Super Chill Soft Drinks - $0.67 each
Pillsbury Cake Mix - $1 each
Pillsbury Plain Brownies - $1 each (I usually buy them at $0.50 each, but if you need one this is a good price)
S & W Beans - $0.86 each
Albertson's Mac & Cheese - $0.53 each
Albertson's Cranberry Juice Blends - $1.93 each
Albertson's Tomatoes - $0.66 each
Albertson's Pitted Olives - $1 each

Safeway

Gala Apples - $0.98/lb.
Safeway Frozen Potatoes (tater tots, etc.) - $1.99

King Soopers

Kroger Spiral Hams - $0.99/lb.
Large Avocados - $1 each
Kiwi Fruit - $0.20 each
Mangoes- $1 each
Kroger Frozen Vegetables - $1 each
Hunt's Pasta Sauce - $1 each
Rotel Tomatoes - $0.94 each
Manwich - $1
Driscoll's Blackberries - $1.25 each
Yoplait Yogurt - $0.60 each
Bush's Beans - $0.69 each
Kuner's Vegetables - $0.59 each
Purex Laundry Detergent - $2.74 each

**Buy 4, Save $4**
Old Spice or Secret Deodorant - $0.99 each - this is my stock up HUGE price!!!
Herbal Essences or Aussie Shampooe, Conditioner or Styler - $1.79
Always Infinity or Tampax - $6.49

Blogs of Note - Provident Living -

This isn't technically a blog, but it would be wrong to highlight information without highlighting the church's website itself! This site has soooo many wonderful tools, information and guidance.
Food storage is a commandment from the Lord, but it encompasses so much more to me, it is about becoming more self-sufficient and self-reliant. And perhaps our own lives will never be touched by tragedy or hard economic times, but perhaps it will be one of our children.
And those tools that you implement in your own life, will be passed on to your children thru example and un-intended (as well as intended) lessons in your home.
Please take some time this weekend to learn from this site and discover more of what we all should be doing to help the cause, Provident Living.

Cookie Dough

Another great food storage idea for desserts is to pre-make a double batch of cookie dough and free half of it. Pretty much every cookie dough seems to freeze well. So, I've been randomly making a double batch of cookies, and freezing half of it. I usually only use half the recommended amount of chocolate chips, so a double batch means that I use up a whole bag, but don't have a million cookies sitting around to tempt me. I freeze them in rolls. And having random chocolate cookies waiting for me on a bad day is so, so good.

Marshmallows

So if you aren't having powdered eggs added to your list of food storage items, then you DEFINITELY need to follow the rule on jell-o/gelatin. But, what do you do with that 1 lb. of gelatin for each person? I love the recipe this week. It's so simple, and really it's main key is neglect, with such great results!

The link to the pdf of the basic vanilla marshmallow recipe I use is right here.

Here is another variation that I read somewhere and love!

Peppermint Candy Cane Marshmallows
4 gelatin envelopes

1 1/2 c. water

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

2 1/3 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. corn syrup1/2 tsp. salt
1 box of candy canes (about ten should do a double batch)
Flour & Powdered Sugar
**Additional need: 1 candy thermometor.**
Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray and set aside to hold finished marshmallows. Unwrap all the candy canes and put them in a freezer duty ziploc baggie (if you are using a rolling pin to crush them) or your food processor to puree them.

Now in a large container (that will be safe with 240 degree liquids) pour in 3/4 c. of water & vanilla extract. Set the rest of the water aside for later. Slowly pour each individual gelatin container over the mixture. Set this bowl aside to let the gelatin "bloom".

In a good sized saucepan add the sugar, corn syrup, salt and remaining water. Put the lid on and bring to a boil, do not stir! Once it's at a boil, remove the lid and put in your thermometer. This is the point where I do something else and check on it every couple of minutes. You need the temperature of the sugar mixture to reach between 234-240 degrees. Too low of a temperature & the gelatin never properly will set & will be gooey. Too high of a temperature and then they become a rock candy instead of a soft marshmallow. Be very careful with this step! The syrup is extremely hot!!! Once your mixture reaches the desired temperature (234-240 degrees), slowly pour it into the gelatin water you set aside earlier. If you reached the right temperature, it will bubble up a bit. Mix at a medium speed for 8-10 minutes.

For your final step, add 2/3 c. of crushed candy canes to your fluffy, finished marshmallows. Incorporate them well, and then pour the finished marshmallows into the 9x13" sprayed pan.

Marshmallows will need to set for about 10-12 hours to fully set. Once they are fully set, lightly spray a cookie sheet or whatever you are using to cut your marshmallows on. I then like to use my pizza cutter to cut the pieces of marshmallow. Then I toss the marshmallows in a ziploc baggie of an equal mixture of flour & powdered sugar (usually 1/4 c. each), this helps the marshmallows not be sticky. Shake off excess powder and enjoy with a hot cup of cocoa!
You can keep your marshmallows for several weeks in a air tight container, but I've never had them last long enough to tell you just how long.

Dump Cake

This recipe is from a sister in my previous ward. Super easy & a big hit at the parties when served! I love it for how easy it is and I've used it a lot of times when I've forgotten to make something for a party & need a quick & easy treat to bring! This recipe is easy enough my little ones like to make it on their own, enjoy!

Dump Cake
1 can apple can filling (the big 28-30 oz. can)
1 can crushed pineapple (28-30 oz. can)
1 yellow or white cake mix
1 stick of butter (melted)Pour the can of crushed pineapple into a 9x13 can, then layer over that the apple pie filling. Pour the dry cake mix over the pineapple & apple. Pour melted butter on top. Bake at 350 for about an hour until moist & bubbly. Serve warm with ice cream and with whipped cream.Remember when storing cake mixes as a part of your food storage, that there have been instances where people have gotten sick using out of date pancake & cake mixes.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies

This yummy recipe has so many wonderful food storage items, whole wheat flour, peanut butter, honey, salt & baking soda!

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c Softened Butter
1 c Peanut Butter
1/3 c Honey
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
4 C Whole Wheat Flour
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Baking Soda
Blend butter until smooth. Add peanut butter and blend again. Add honey and blend again. Add eggs one at a time and beat until well mixed. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Roll into balls and put onto un-greased cookie sheet. Use a fork dipped in cold water to flatten and make a criss-cross pattern. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes on the top rack of the oven. Remove from pan immediately and cool.