Monday Message

Are you working up you binder of food storage-friendly recipes?

The Time to Disregard This Counsel is Over
"As long as I can remember, we have been taught to prepare for the future and to obtain a year's supply of necessities...I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over. With the events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness.... Create a plan if you didn't already have one, or update your present plan.... We are not in a situation that requires panic buying, but we do need to be careful in purchasing and rotating the storage that we're putting away." (L. Tom Perry, in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 47; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 36)

Great info on powder milk: http://www.honeybeepantry.com/topics/view/51cbfc74f702fc2ba812928a/

How much powder milk to make a cup (this is excellent): http://www.honeybeepantry.com/topics/view/51cbfc94f702fc2ba812e28b/


Ideas for the family...
30 days of gratitude - This is a great idea (could even start a tradition and do for it for Thanksgiving): http://www.writeshop.com/blog/2010/11/04/30-days-of-gratitude/

101 Almost free things to do with kids this summer (go for #8. We did this before and ambushed dad for family night...got him good too!): http://pinterest.com/pin/331085010076401697/


How are you doing on learning new skills?
(mixing them up this month...)

Canning
http://www.sbcanning.com/2012/05/how-to-get-started-canning.html  
http://www.sbcanning.com/2012/07/water-bath-canning-step-by-step.html  http://www.sbcanning.com/2012/12/pressure-canning-step-by-step.html
Note: To get up-to-date times and pressures and such, call the extension help line at 1-800-262-3804 during the weekdays. They can answer any question even if you are not asking a canning question. This is a wonderful number to have on your frig!


Dehydrating
http://preparednesspantry.blogspot.com/search/label/dehydrating%20foods
Haunt your local Goodwill and yardsales. I have never bought a new dehydrator. Mine was actually new from Goodwill but it had a chip in it and actually looks like the dehydrator on this site. It cost me $6. Usually you can find them for $3 but anything under $20 is a pretty good deal. A note to the wise - plug it in if you are at Goodwill or a yardsale; turn it on if it has a switch and see if the motor runs. I prefer dehydrators with motors.

Other dehydrating tips:
-You can wash, dry and slice mushrooms right on a plate, same for celery
-You can dry spinach and store in a jar so you can add to soups and such (I always do this)
-Look at your garden and see what you have; If you do not have a garden, check out the Farmer's Market or pick out other places

Here is a link where I show how to use a dehydrator tray to take off the stems of oregano - http://www.beckysbacktobasics.com/aboutthehouse.php?search.x=34&search.y=16&File=1273501476 


Vacuum sealing
http://selfreliancebyjamie.blogspot.com/search/label/granola 
(Scroll down to the little girl using the sealer) http://preparetodaywardnewsletter.blogspot.com/2011/10/gimme-somethin-good-to-eat.html
(This is how I do it and I got my sealer at a yard sale, occasionally you can find them at Goodwill too. Vacuum sealing is a great way to save money. I have a jar of candy bars vacuum-sealed just in case some day we want them...okay, we would have eaten them but I can't remember where I put them, but when I do find them it will be a chocolate eating feast!)


Right now is a good time to be looking for these items to help you in your storage of food. Go to yardsales. If you want to buy them new, by all means do it. But if you are haunting your Goodwill, Salvation Army and yardsales REMEMBER to plug them in before you buy to make sure they work. The Food Saver vacuum sealer you need to press down on the lid to hear the motor, some have little locks on the sides you must press in and then press down.

Also look for canister and tubing. If you can't get those, you can get the jar attachments shown in the last site. Still need the tubing attachment? Sometimes you're lucky and get it with the machine. I paid $10 and it was brand new and had what I needed with it, so keep those eyes peeled.

A point about freeze dried or other items you may have in large cans - once you open them all you have to do is put the unused in a jar and vacuum seal, it saves a lot of money.

I hope this switch will let you to see there are many skills to learn that would help our families. Right now is the time to be searching for these supplies while the summer yardsales are going.

I am so proud of you all when I hear what you are doing with your storage. Keep going and don't ever stop. As long as we need to eat, we must keep replacing our storage.