Pork

You don't see canned pork in the store, but it works great. I love making BBQ sandwiches, carnitas, and for those who know what Cafe Rio pork, its great!

There are 2 process that you can do, raw pack or hot pack. To do both you will need a pressure canner, jars and their lids. As a general rule you can fit approximately 1 pound of pork per a pint jar. To prepare the jars and canner, wash both out thoroughly. To keep the jars hot they can be put in the oven on a cookie sheet to stay warm. Put the lids in hot water to keep them warm as well. To prepare the canner, wash it and add 2.5 qts of water and a tablespoon of vinegar. Heat the water if doing the hot pack method.

Raw Pack:
Pack the meat into hot jars. Ladle hot water or broth over the meat. Leave a 1-inch head space. Remove any air bubbles, clean the top, and adjust the lids. Place the jars in the canner, use a rack if necessary. Put the lid on and start building the pressure. The pressure gage will have a consistent giggle when it is up to full pressure. Once this is reached, let it stand for 10 minutes. Lower the heat a little as to not put to much pressure and then let it process. They will need to process for 75 minutes. at 10 lbs of pressure for pint size jars. For quart size jars they need to process for 90 minutes at 10 lbs of pressure. Let it cool for at least 45 minutes before removing the lid of the canner. Place the jars on a towel to finish cooling. If the lids do not seal you have 24 hours to repeat the process to see if they will seal that time.

Hot Pack:
Prepare your pork by searing, boiling, smoking (which ever you prefer). The pork should be about to 2/3 done. Pack meat into hot jars, ladle in hot water or broth leaving an inch of head space. Remove the air bubbles, clean the tops, and adjusts the lids. Place the jars in the canner, use a rack if necessary. Put the lid on and start building the pressure. The pressure gauge will have a consistent giggle when it is up to full pressure. Once this is reached, let it stand for 10 minutes. Lower the heat a little as to not put to much pressure and then let it process. They will need to process for 75 minutes. at 10 lbs of pressure for pint size jars. For quart size jars they need to process for 90 minutes at 10 lbs of pressure. Let it cool for at least 45 minutes before removing the lid of the canner. Place the jars on a towel to finish cooling. If the lids do not seal you have 24 hours to repeat the process to see if they will seal that time.

Apple Sauce

Apple Sauce! I love this stuff, but only when it is home made.

3 to 3-1/2 pounds of apples per quart jar

Ingredients:
Apples
Water
Sugar (optional)
Cinnamon (optional)

Utensils:
Blender
Hot bath canner
Large Pot
Canning jar lids and rims
Jar lifter
Ladle

Wash and sterilize your and jars. Put the lids in hot water to soften the seal. Fill your hot water bath canner about halfway with water and start heating the water on low heat.

Wash, peel, core, and slice your apples. Thinner slices will soften/cook down faster. Place slices in a large pot, add 1 cup water to prevent sticking. Do not over fill a pot or it will cause problems like burning on bottom, not being able to stir properly, etc. Cook the apple slice until tender, stirring often. Next put the apples into a blender. You can puree it or leave some chunks if that is what you prefer. Once everything is blended put it back into the pot and taste. If it needs sugar add it. If you want to put cinnamon in it, nows your chance. Stir until it is completely smooth. Taste it one more time to verify it is what you want.

Bring the sauce up to a boil making sure to stirring frequently. Fill your jars with the hot applesauce leaving 1 inch of head space at the top. Wipe the tops, and adjusts the lids. Place the jars on the rack and lower them into the hot water bath. Bring the bath to a rolling boil and put the lid on. Once the lid is on, let it boil for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 more minutes. Remove the jars with your jar grabbers and place them on a towel to cool and to dry. Give them 24 hours, if they did not seal repeat the process.

Grape Juice

Grape juice can be so yummy, but sometimes I found it to be a bit too strong. I love a mild flavored grape juice. Here is one way to do it!

Makes 7 Quarts

Ingredients:
4 pounds Grapes
1 3/4 cups Sugar
Water

Utensils:
Quart canning jars
Measuring cups
Hot bath canner
Large Pot
Canning jar lids and rims
Jar lifter
Cheesecloth and strainer


Wash and sterilize your and jars. I like to just put them in the dishwasher on a quick wash cycle. Put the lids in hot water to soften the seal. Fill your hot water bath canner about halfway with water and start heating the water on low heat. While that is heating, also heat a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. There will need to be enough water to fill the jars leaving an inch head space. Prepare your grapes by rinsing them, removing the stems, and removing any bad grapes.

Distribute the 4 pounds of grapes among the 7 jars. It should be about a cup a jar. Next, if you want to add sugar, add a 1/4 cup to each jar. Now fill the jars with boiling water. Leave 1 inch of head space at the top. Wipe the tops off and adjusts the lids.

Place the jars on the rack and lower into the hot water bath canner. Make sure the tops of the jars are covered in water, if not add more water. There should be at least 1 inch of water above the lids. Bring the water to a rolling boil and put the lid on. Once the lid is on let them boil for 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes are up turn the heat off. Let the jars remain in the water bath an additional 5 minutes. Then remove them with your jar grabbers and place them on a towel to cool and dry off. Give them 24 hours to seal. If they do not, repeat the process. The jars need to cure for 2-3 weeks. They will need to be checked every now and then to see if any sugar crystal are forming, if they do gently shake to get them dissolved back into the water/juice.

To drink the juice you will need to strain them with a cheesecloth and a strainer.

Canning Chicken

Canning Chicken can seem daunting, but I promise it is not. You can do both bone in and boneless. I personally prefer boneless. I also like to do whole breasts, cubed, and shredded to have a variety in my pantry.

*this also works for duck, goose, turkey, and other game birds*

There are 2 process that you can do, raw pack or hot pack. To do both you will need a pressure canner, jars and their lids. As a general rule you can fit approximately 1 pound of chicken per a pint jar. To prepare the jars and canner, wash both out thoroughly. To keep the jars hot they can be put in the oven on a cookie sheet to stay warm. Put the lids in hot water to keep them warm as well. To prepare the canner, wash it and add 2 qts of water and a tablespoon of vinegar. Heat the water if doing the hot pack method.

Raw Pack:
Pack the meat into hot jars. Ladle hot water or broth over the meat. Leave a 1-inch head space. Remove any air bubbles, clean the top, and adjust the lids. Place the jars in the canner, use a rack if necessary. Put the lid on and start building the pressure. The pressure gage will have a consistent giggle when it is up to full pressure. Once this is reached, let it stand for 10 minutes. Lower the heat a little as to not put to much pressure and then let it process. They will need to process for 75 minutes. at 10 lbs of pressure for pint size jars. For quart size jars they need to process for 90 minutes at 10 lbs of pressure. Let it cool for at least 45 minutes before removing the lid of the canner. Place the jars on a towel to finish cooling. If the lids do not seal you have 24 hours to repeat the process to see if they will seal that time.

Hot Pack:
Prepare your chicken by, boiling, steaming, baking, or shredding it. The chicken should be about to 2/3 done. Pack meat into hot jars, ladle in hot water or broth leaving an inch of head space. Remove the air bubbles, clean the tops, and adjusts the lids. Place the jars in the canner, use a rack if necessary. Put the lid on and start building the pressure. The pressure gage will have a consistent giggle when it is up to full pressure. Once this is reached, let it stand for 10 minutes. Lower the heat a little as to not put to much pressure and then let it process. They will need to process for 75 minutes. at 10 lbs of pressure for pint size jars. For quart size jars they need to process for 90 minutes at 10 lbs of pressure. Let it cool for at least 45 minutes before removing the lid of the canner. Place the jars on a towel to finish cooling. If the lids do not seal you have 24 hours to repeat the process to see if they will seal that time.

Canning Butter

I have heard of this but have never done it. I plan to as soon as butter goes on sale!

1. Use any butter that is on sale. Lesser quality butter requires more shaking (see #5 below), but the results are the same as with the expensive brands.

2. Heat pint jars in a 250 degree oven for 20 minutes, without rings or seals. One pound of butter slightly more than fills one pint jar, so if you melt 11 pounds of butter, heat 12 pint jars. A roasting pan works well for holding the pint jars while in the oven.

3. While the jars are heating, melt butter slowly until it comes to a slow boil. Using a large spatula, stir the bottom of the pot often to keep the butter from scorching. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes at least: a good simmer time will lessen the amount of shaking required (see #5 below). Place the lids in a small pot and bring to a boil, leaving the lids in simmering water until needed.

4. Stirring the melted butter from the bottom to the top with a soup ladle or small pot with a handle, pour the melted butter carefully into heated jars through a canning jar funnel. Leave 3/4" of head space in the jar, which allows room for the shaking process.

5. Carefully wipe off the top of the jars, then get a hot lid from the simmering water, add the lid and ring and tighten securely. Lids will seal as they cool. Once a few lids "ping," shake while the jars are still warm, but cool enough to handle easily, because the butter will separate and become foamy on top and white on the bottom. In a few minutes, shake again, and repeat until the butter retains the same consistency throughout the jar.

6. At this point, while still slightly warm, put the jars into a refrigerator. While cooling and hardening, shake again, and the melted butter will then look like butter and become firm. This final shaking is very important! Check every 5 minutes and give the jars a little shake until they are hardened in the jar! Leave in the refrigerator for an hour.

7. Canned butter should store for 3 years or longer on a cool, dark shelf. Canned butter does not "melt" again when opened, so it does not need to be refrigerated upon opening, provided it is used within a reasonable length of time.

Tomatoes

This is one of the most handy methods. I love tomatoes and have done this several times now. It works great!

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs tomatoes per a quart size jar
Bottled lemon Juice

Utensils:
Water Bath Boiler
Jars and Lids
Large Sauce Pan
Ladle

To prepare the jars and lids, put the lids in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Wash the jars and put in hot water, or boiling water if you prefer to sterilize them as well. Fill the water bath half way full and bring the water to a boil.

To prepare the tomatoes to be canned, they need to be washed and peeled. The easiest way to peel them is to dip them in boiling water for 30-60 seconds (their skin will crack) and then place them in cold water. The peel should come off fairly easily. If you want them halved or quartered, do that now. To prevent browning in each jar add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice for a quart size jar or 1 tablespoon for a pint size jars.

Raw-Pack Method:
Place the tomatoes into the jars (they should be warm). Fill in as best as you can leaving a 1/2 inch space at the top. Ladle in hot water to cover the tomatoes, still leaving a 1/2 inch space at the top. Get out the air bubbles by using the handle of the ladle. Push down the side of the jar between the glass and the tomatoes, it will make the tomatoes move a little and hopefully allow any bubbles to rise. Add more hot water if necessary. Wipe the top of the jar clean and place the lids on top.

Put the jars in the water bath for 40 minutes if using pints and 45 minutes if using quarts. Take the lid of the boiler and let stand for 5 minutes. Then remove and place on a towel or a heat proof spot. Let cool completely before storing. The top of the jar should no longer move up and down. Repeat the water bath boiler process if it still moves.

Peaches

Peaches Peaches Peaches! I'm weird I don't like fresh peaches, but I loved them canned. Here is one of many ways to do it.

Makes 8 Pint jars or 4 Quart Jars

Ingredients:
8-12 lbs of of fresh, ripe peaches
5 Cups water
3 1/4 Cups Granulated Sugar

Utensils:
Water Bath Boiler
Jars and Lids
Paring Knife
Large Sauce Pan
Ladle

To prepare the jars and lids, put the lids in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Wash the jars and put in hot water, or boiling water if you prefer to sterilize them as well. Fill the water bath half way full and bring the water to a boil.

To prepare the peaches to be canned, they need to be washed, peeled and pitted. The easiest way to peel them is to dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then place them in cold water. The peel should come off fairly easily. Using a paring knife cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Make sure you scrape the fibrous inside out as well. Once the peaches are peeled and pitted they need to be treated to prevent browning. There are several ways to do it. I find it is easiest to use Fresh Fruit (it is found in the supermarket) There is also ascorbic acid, lemon juice and water, and a salt/vinegar combination that can be used. All will keep the fruit from turning brown.

To make the syrup the peaches are in, (in the jars) bring the 5 cups of water to a boil. Add the sugar and stir until it is completely dissolved. Make sure the syrup does not boil down.

Hot-Pack Method:
Take the peaches and layer them into the hot syrup over medium-low heat until they are heated through. Add a minute per a layer of peaches. Place the peaches into the jars (they should be warm) with the cavity facing down. Fill in as best as you can leaving a 1/2 inch space at the top. Ladle in the syrup to cover the peaches, still leaving a 1/2 inch space at the top. Get out the air bubbles by using the handle of the ladle. Push down the side of the jar between the glass and the fruit, it will make the fruit move a little and hopefully allow any bubble to rise. Add more syrup if necessary. Wipe the top of the jar clean and place the lids on top.

Put the jars in the water bath for 20 minutes if using pints and 25 minutes if using quarts. Take the lid of the boiler and let stand for 5 minutes. Then remove and place on a towel or a heat proof spot. Let cool completely before storing. The top of the jar should no longer move up and down. Repeat the water bath boiler process if it still moves.

Whole Fruits

Canning whole fruits is really easy, some fruits require more time and effort, but it is still very doable!

When it comes to canning fruits, they are either done as a "Hot-Packed" or a "Raw Packed" method.
I'll post an entry for each of the methods. I will describe using peaches for the "Hot-Packed" method and tomatoes for the "Raw Packed" method. Almost all fruit fall into either of these categories. If it does not, then it probably needs to be dehydrated and vacuum packed.

Magic mix

Magic mix

4 cups nonfat dry milk
1 cup flour
1/2 cup oil

Mix with blender until it reaches a corn meal texture
Lasts 1 week in the refrigerate

This is great because it can be used to make condensed soups, popsicles, practically anything!

everydayfoodstorage.net has lots of useful recipes with the magic mix. Just do a search for magic mix!

Grape Jelly

Grape Jelly so easy and so tasty. It is my daughter's favorite. Makes 5 Cups.

Ingredients:
3 Cups of unsweetened Grape Juice
1 package of powdered pectin
4 1/2 Cups Sugar

Utensils:
Jars
Sauce Pan
Mixing Spoon
Water Bath Canner

Wash the jars with hot water. Boil the lid to soften the seal, leave it in the water until it is needed. Fill the water boiler half full and bring to a boil. In a sauce pan bring the grape juice to a boil. Add the pectin. Once dissolved, add the sugar, and stir until it dissolves. It should come back up to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat. If foam developed skim off with a spoon. Put the jelly into each of the jars leaving 1/2 inch space at the top. Wipe the top of the jar clean and place the top on. Place the rack for the canner inside and place the jars on the rack. The jars should be covered by water by at least an inch. Add boiling water if necessary. Place the canner lid and let boil for 10 minutes. (aka process for 10 minutes) Then turn the heat off and take the lid off of the canner. Let cool for 5 minutes than remove the jars. Place them on a towel at least 1 inch apart and let cool completely 12-24 hours. The canning process will have been successful if the lid does not pop up and down anymore.

Freezer Raspberry Jam

I love freezer jams. They are tasty! Makes 7 Cups.

Ingredients:
3 Pints Raspberries
5 1/4 Cups Sugar
1 Box of Pectin
3/4 Cup water

Utensils:
Jars
Potato Masher
Mixing Bowl
Sauce Pan

Make sure the jars are clean and ready for when they are needed.

To prepare the raspberries, mash them with a potato mashers. It is easiest to add it cup by cup at a time. Once mashed, add the sugar and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes. In a sauce pan bring the water to a boil and add the pectin, stir for 1 minute while it is boiling. Then add the water solution to the fruit mixture. Stir until everything is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Then place the jam into the jars. Leave 1/2 inch space at the top (head-space). Let the jam stand for 24 hours until it sets. It will refrigerate up to 3 weeks and will store in the freezer for 1 year.

Strawberry Jam

I have made this jam and liked how simple it was.
Yields about 4 pints

Ingredients:
6 Cups Sugar
2 Quarts Strawberries

Utensils:
Water Bath Canner
Mason Jars and Lids
Sauce Pan
Potato Masher
Large Bowl
Mixing Spoon


Wash and drain the strawberries. Remove the stems. Cut the strawberries in half or into fourth (easier to crush). Then place them in a bowl and crush. It is easiest to add a small amount of the strawberries at a time to crush them. Combine the strawberries and the sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil until all the sugar has dissolved. Then let it cook until it reaches the gelling point. Make sure to stir frequently the enter time. Once the gelling point is reached, remove it from the stove. If any foam developed skim it from the top with a spoon.

While the jam is cooking down make sure the jars are washed with hot water. Boil the lid to soften the seal, leave it in the water until it is needed. Fill the water boiler half full and bring to a boil. Put the jam into each of the jars leaving about a 1/2 of an inch in the top. (1/2 in head-space). Wipe the top of the jar clean and place the lid on top. Place the rack for the canner inside and place the jars on the rack. The jars should be covered by water by at least an inch.. Add boiling water if necessary. Place the canner lid and let boil for 15 minutes. (aka process for 15 minutes) Then turn the heat off and take the lid off of the canner. Let cool for 5 minutes than remove the jars. Place them on a towel at least 1 inch apart and let cool completely 12-24 hours. The canning process will have been successful if the lid does not pop up and down anymore.

Make sure you write the date on the lid and they will be good in the jar for 5-10 years.
**Never eat anything that the lid has not be sealed the whole time. If it pops up and down just throw it away.

Gelling Test

When canning jams or jellies you need to learn what the sheeting or gelling point is. When stirring, lift the spoon out of the mix, the syrup should slide off as a sheet. It should not drip off. Once it seems to be at the sheeting or gelling point. Put a small amount of it on a chilled plate and put it in the fridge. Once it is at room temperature, check it consistency. If it is as thick as you want, then you are done. If not, let it cook some more and repeat the process the checking process.

This is not at gelling point.


This is at gelling point. The drops are coming off in a sheet together.

Fruits and Veggies

The summer is ending and that means fruits and vegetables are going on sale. Sometimes really on sale! That also means if you have a garden you have probably accumulated like 30 tomatoes that will start to spoil soon if you don't do something with the,The other day I saw strawberries a dollar a pound. When fruits and veggies go on sale that means canning time. I will start with some jams and go through to canning whole fruits.

Lets begin canning!

To start canning there are a couples of things you will need depending on what you decided to can. These are just some pictures they are not the exact brands you need to buy:

To do fruits and jams you need a water bath canner.




To do vegetables and meat you need a pressure canner.




To do something that needs to stay dry like nuts, you need a vacuum sealer.




You will also need the jars you plan on putting the items you process in.




Also needed will be Mason Jar lifters. They will keep you from burning your hands.




There are lots of other handy gadgets but they are technically not needed. One that I like and use a lot is a large funnel. Its practical but not mandatory.

Do the Math

Once you have your recipe book it's time to do the math!

The basic process is to multiple each recipe's ingredients by how many times you will eat it in a year.
For instance, say I have 7 items for breakfast I would multiple each recipe's ingredients by 52 to cover a full year's food supply.
I would repeat this for each of the other recipes.

When I did this I put it all in a spreadsheet to make sure the math was correct and to keep up with duplicate ingredients.
Some useful equivalencies to know are:

3 Teaspoons = 1 Tablespoon
16 Tablespoons = 1 Cup
2 Cups = 1 Pint
2 Pints = 1 Quart
4 Quarts = 1 Gallon

Doing the math takes a while, but it helps keep things accurate so that you don't end up with twice the amount of flour and not enough yeast for your year supply of food.

This is a great FHE activity (hint hint to get the men involved)!

Recipe Book

Once everyone has their list of meals it is easiest to put them in a book so you can physically see what each recipe requires and what you will need to buy for food storage. I made one for my family. This is just what our cover page looks like:

Breakfast
• Granola pg. 2
• Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal pg. 2
• Plain Oatmeal pg. 2
• Malt-O-Meal pg. 3
• Eggs and Toast pg. 3
• Jam and Toast pg. 3
• Cereal pg. 3
• Biscuits and Gravy pg. 3
• Pancakes pg. 4
Lunch
• Beans and Rice pg. 5
• Shepherds Pie pg. 5
• Cottage Pie pg. 5
• Tuna Casserole pg. 6
• Alfredo pg. 6
• Roast and Potatoes pg. 6
• Spaghetti pg. 7
• Chicken Pot Pie pg. 7
• Salmon and Rice pg. 8
Dinner
• Peanut Butter Sandwiches pg. 9
• Tuna Salad Sandwiches pg. 9
• Chicken Salad Sandwiches pg. 9
• Chicken and Rice Soup pg. 9
• Lentil Soup pg. 10
• Chili pg. 10
• Taco Soup pg. 11
Desserts
• Chocolate Chip Cookies pg. 12
• Brownies pg. 12
• Chocolate Lava Cake pg. 12
• Cake/Cupcakes pg. 13
Misc.
• Kool-Aid pg. 14
• Milk pg. 14
• Butter Milk pg. 14
• Bread pg. 14
• Egg Substitute pg. 14
• Instant Potatoes pg. 15
• Traditional Frosting pg. 15
• Chocolate Frosting pg. 15

I then proceeded to have a copy of each recipe.
I keep it all in a folder to keep it all in one spot.

I you want any of these recipes just let me know and I will email it to you.
Also a great source for food storage recipes is from Wendy Dewitt's book of Everything Under the Sun. (The same one she talks about in the video)

Here is the link:
http://theideadoor.com/Preparedness/everything_under_the_sun.htm

Then click on either the pdf or the word document. (it is 17 pages)

Wendy Dewitt Video

To get started I recommend you watch the Wendy Dewitt video. It is available on you tube. (I embedded them at the bottom in order to watch them.) If anyone would like a copy of the Wendy Dewitt Video let me know. I can either email it to you or burn a copy on to a disk for you to have. This is the process for which I use and what I am basing the blog off of. T
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Some Reason's Why Not

I've had a request for my Top 10 Reasons Why I Don't Have My Food Storage. (Wendy DeWitt)

10. My neighbors have a TWO year supply! No, they don't. They don't have any food. Did you know that 85% of the members of the church don't have any food storage at all? If your idea of food storage is to eat someone else’s food………..this is a really bad plan.

9. I've paid tithing for 20 years...the church can give me a little food. Many members believe that when the times get hard, the church is going to come through like Joseph in Egypt. Absolutely not true. All the church storehouses and welfare farms across the country would only feed 4% of the members of the church. The church has been asking YOU to store food for 75 years. They're NOT storing food for you. Thus, another bad plan.

8. I'm moving in with my children / parents! Really....that’s just a bad plan all by itself. But it points out that most members don't have a year's supply because they're PLANNING on eating someone else's food! Of course, since no one HAS any food, we have yet another bad plan.

7. I have a year's supply...and the bullets to go with it! I've heard time and again, "How dumb is that to go to all the time and expense of getting food...just to have some guy with a gun come and shoot my family to take it away?" Here's a better question. Are you afraid of the guy with the gun? Or are you more afraid of BECOMING the guy with the gun? What would you do if your children were starving to death? Would you lie? Cheat? Steal? Would you shoot your neighbor for his food? I guarantee....if you were watching your child starving to death, you would do anything you had to to keep them alive. If you don't have your year's supply, you are putting yourself in danger of losing not only your temporal salvation, but your spiritual salvation as well.

So far, all the reasons we don't have our food storage involve eating someone else's food. Please, don't put your family's temporal salvation in other people's hands. No one is storing food for you. Not your neighbors, not the government...not even the church.

#6. The boat and the 4 wheelers are taking up all my storage space! (priorities!)

#5. 3 letters....Y2K. Ok, that's 2 letters and a number....but they're always making way too much out of everything! This is never going to happen!” (Every prophecy that has ever been given WILL happen.)

#4. If anything DOES happen, the government will be here within hours! (insert laughter) Did you know the government has been telling us that we need to have food storage? They're actually CALLING it food storage! We now have the government telling us to store food, water, medicines...whatever we will need to be able to stay in our homes for several months.

#3. I can't afford scrap booking AND food storage. The average food storage can cost as little as a dollar a day. We live in the richest society in the history of the world, and while there are cases where money may be a problem, most of the time it is a matter of priorities. We have chosen bigger homes, nicer cars, more tv's, computers, vacations ...everything is more important than our food storage. If I asked, "Who has a cell phone?" most of you would say yes. You pay at least $30 a month to have a cell phone....that's about a dollar a day...the cost of one year's supply of food for your child. Is your cell phone really more important than your child's temporal salvation? You have to make food storage a priority.

2. I'm waiting for the cannery to sell Papa John's dehydrated pizza! Food storage has always had a stigma attached to it. If it's not wheat, beans and powdered milk, it's not food storage. With the system I use, food storage can be sweet and sour chicken, tamale pie, chile and cornbread, beef stew, shepherd's pie, minestrone...even chocolate chip cookies! Your imagination (and your pocketbook) are the only limitations you have.

And the #1 reason why I don't have my year's supply of food? A year?? I thought it was 72 hours!!

You KNOW you should have your food storage. You WANT to have it, but it can be so overwhelming! How much do I buy? Where do I store it? How do I cook it? It seems like an impossible task.... but it's not. It doesn't matter if you use my system or just start buying extra food, the important thing is to do something. Good luck in your efforts! Wendy DeWitt

May's Goal

Why is a year or at least a 3 month supply of food important. A system for creating and sustaining your food storage. Creating a recipe book to use your food storage items. Water, water, water!

I know this seems like a lot for one month so if we need to we can have it extend into June. I know we can do it, we just need to take baby steps!