I have been obsessed with food storage. OK, just recently obsessed. I have been buying a little here and there to add to it over the last couple of years, and actually started using it within the last year. (Still have no idea what to do with powdered milk, I want to use it, but don't need a quart for each time I make something!) Thinking about it almost always causes anxiety, which causes me to put it on the back burner so I don't freak myself out. Not exactly the best way to build a food storage, right?
I sit here pondering the fate of our "stimulus" check. While many might have visions of big screen televisions, a new sofa set, maybe even a vacation...my visions are of food storage. When is there going to be another time that I get a nice check in the mail, for free, with "no strings attached"? Forget stimulating the economy, I myself with be working on stimulating all aspects of my food storage.
So I sat down and wrote out all that we needed, did the calculations, and was ready to spend a pretty penny on stocking up on food, including cabinetry of some sort to store it all in. (Who am I kidding, to store some of it in...the rest is all strategically placed around my house...bet you didn't know that my furniture is made out of #10 cans, did you?)
Come to find out that you can only by 300 lbs of storage per family per month through the cannery, and the options are limited to about 3 different items. Personally, this is the way to go (buying that the cannery)...I really don't want to can all this stuff myself. Time is money and I would rather pay the few more dollars and have it canned for me then sit and can over 200+ cans. I will probably do some canning of some of the stuff that cannery doesn't have though.
So, *sigh*, it looks like I need to slow down a little. Can't put the cart before the horse. But I now have a plan to get the 300 lbs a month, plus some other items that need to be had anyway. Things for 72 hour kits, like backpacks, maybe a wheat grinder, we are also having someone come out today and give us an estimate on a solar water heater. Heck, I don't know, seriously I have no clue what I am doing!
I hate to watch the news...and it seems lately like there is way too much going on. Too much to just sit back and think that everything is going to be OK.
So, my friends, as you sit and ponder the fate of your "stimulus" check, take inventory of your food storage, your family's basic needs for the next few months, and stock up! Even if you just put a little money into that, it will make a difference. Don't let the thought overwhelm you and keep you from doing anything.
As a Mormon, and I am sure some of you feel the same way, I am convinced that if something were to happen, we would have family and possibly friends congregating at our doorstep. I already get the comments, "If anything happens, I'm going to your house!" (And we are seriously far from a years supply for even one person!) Hmm, how to handle that would be the next step, I guess. I can't store a year supply for everyone. Maybe I should just add a couple more locks to all the doors...
8 years ago
4 comments:
Good luck with all your endeavors. I know the feeling of being anxious about it. We just bought 200 lbs of rice not to mention honey and salt. Can't get it at the cannery. I am quite interested in the solar heater thingy so keep us posted. If you don't want to wait to go the cannery you can use the food savers at home. I have split my salt up in those and am planning on doing the rice the same way. That way I decide more of what size I want instead of one can fits all. If you want some good suggestions check out the provident living website (just add .org) and see what they have to say. We also get these really cool catalogs from emergency essentials (BePrepared.com) to get ideas for things we need and to compare prices. Best of luck and may you be prepared!
Dry milk is super easy to use! Any time a recipe calls for it you put the amount of dry milk (dry!) in with the dry ingredients and then add the water with the wet ingredients. IE: You need a cup of milk for your pancakes...put 1/4 cup of dry milk in with the pancake batter and then add 1 cup of water to mix it up. Reduce or add the amounts as needed and don't worry about being too specific. Too much or too little of the dry milk is like the difference between skim and whole milk. Just be sure you measure the water accurately. Trust me, once you start doing this it is a no-brainer and you will treat your real milk as a precious commodity not ever to be used in baking. It makes good pudding and gravy too.
Oh, good idea about using Bush's money for this.
AND, the cannery dry milk is much better than it used to be if anyone hated that stuff. We actually canned some from the milk plant when Kyra was little since the cannery stuff was disgusting. Now it's not worth the effort since I can't taste the difference.
Way to go Moe! Sounds like you have it all together!
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