Last month I bought some freeze-dried ice cream (fdic). I bought it at the the Learning is Fun store in the space section. I thought it would be fun to try some and put some in our 72-hour kits. I bought three and opened the one. It was the one that had the best if used by date as the previous month. It was very different. I thought I was being very creative in adding these things to my food storage. A few weeks later I received my new catalog from Emergency Essentials. In it they had fdic by Mountain House. I couldn't believe, now everyone was going to have my idea. The feeling of being really cool and having thought of something awesome dissipated quite quickly. I was no longer the only one with the idea. Of course, I'm sure others had the idea too, but now I knew they did. Oh well, I thought, the prices were cheaper. So, I bought some yesterday from Wal-Mart. Did you know they sell some Mountain House products in the camping section? Yup, they do. They had the fdic and for less than a dollar. So, I bought two and as soon as I get the house clean I will try and review them on the Chocolate Parlor.
In the mean time I am still working on food storage. It is kind of difficult with the increasing food prices and the fact that we are getting paid any extra. Something has to give somewhere in our budget and so I must be careful just how much I purchase. I do not intend to stop buying food storage all-together. If I stop I may never get going again.
My goal is to get something each month from supplier of freeze-dried foods. I will also keep getting little extras as often as I can when I go shopping. For instance, yesterday I bought some more shampoo to restock what I had taken last week to use. My big goal is to replenish what I take, with the exception of freezer food. With a move coming up, date yet unknown, I don't want to have any food go to waste, so I will use it up as much as possible and hopefully we will have used all the food in our tiny freezer by the time we do move.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Can Opener
While trying to put these blogs together I sometimes reread some of my posts. I was reminded, while reading looking at the picture I took of the Roast Beef in its can, that I sure had a hard time opening that thing. I have two can openers. The first one I got after getting married, I think, and it just the metal one, no plastic or fancy stuff to it. Plain and simple, not to mention cheap. The second one has nice plastic handles and opens cans a little bit better then the other, I think. It at least takes less effort than the other. However, neither can opener could open the FDRB can. I switched between the two, banging at times, and using quite a lot of force.
Bottom line is that I need to quit being so cheap. If I want to store these bigs cans of food I will have to invest in a much better opening equipment. If I stick to the small cans I am spared the trouble. Cans now come with their own pull-top. Something that used to be reserved for little individual sized cans of fruit. No one can be stuck underground in their shelter, while bombs go off, with tons of food with no can opener anymore. It just isn't so. No more going hiking and forgetting, the can remembers for you. Thank you Cambell's for provided a superior product and helping us on our way to eliminating the ever-helpful can opener.
By the way, not all can openers are the same. Not all open cans the same. Some fail quite well at the job they were designed and born to do.
Bottom line is that I need to quit being so cheap. If I want to store these bigs cans of food I will have to invest in a much better opening equipment. If I stick to the small cans I am spared the trouble. Cans now come with their own pull-top. Something that used to be reserved for little individual sized cans of fruit. No one can be stuck underground in their shelter, while bombs go off, with tons of food with no can opener anymore. It just isn't so. No more going hiking and forgetting, the can remembers for you. Thank you Cambell's for provided a superior product and helping us on our way to eliminating the ever-helpful can opener.
By the way, not all can openers are the same. Not all open cans the same. Some fail quite well at the job they were designed and born to do.
Cannery
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has food canneries. There are several throughout the United States and I am unsure of where in other countries, if at all. I should check that part out.Anyhow, I have yet to go, but have ordered when others have gone. I only wish I could go. If they had daycare available on-site or if there was someone I knew in that same town I would go in a heart beat. Of course, I think if I lived in the same city as one I would be going at least twice a month. I could only imagine the possibilities. If only.
I only have one other problem with the LDS cannery. I don't have enough money. I would buy it all if I could. I would spend a few hundred a month on it, but cannot. I just have to do it a little at a time. So, I bought some, and now have a few more things for my food storage, especially the all important powdered milk.
Now I will have to eat more pancakes and waffles. I didn't know that the case of pancake mix I was purchasing was not packaged for long-term storage, which explains the nice price. Perhaps I will have to find some other recipes that use pancake mixes or, well, just eat lots and lots of waffles. Anyone want to come for breakfast?
I only have one other problem with the LDS cannery. I don't have enough money. I would buy it all if I could. I would spend a few hundred a month on it, but cannot. I just have to do it a little at a time. So, I bought some, and now have a few more things for my food storage, especially the all important powdered milk.
Now I will have to eat more pancakes and waffles. I didn't know that the case of pancake mix I was purchasing was not packaged for long-term storage, which explains the nice price. Perhaps I will have to find some other recipes that use pancake mixes or, well, just eat lots and lots of waffles. Anyone want to come for breakfast?
Monday, February 18, 2008
Chocolate Storage
I remember reading about a person who ended up using their food storage. One of the things that came in handy was chocolate because you could barter with it and it was something valuable to others. I didn't need to think about that idea for long and so I have stored up a bit of chocolate. Even if I don't barter with it it will become something valuable to us since we will be able to make some comfort items and eat cookies in times of need.
I don't have a year supply of chocolate. I do have a bit though. Well, I guess you could say we have a year supply if we were other people, but we love chocolate so it goes fast, and that is the problem. I bought M&Ms on sale after Valentines and unless I hide it it will disappear before the end of the week. So, since we are planning on moving soon I packed the chocolate away. The temptation has been removed and it will end up to actually live for what I intended it...storage.
I don't have a year supply of chocolate. I do have a bit though. Well, I guess you could say we have a year supply if we were other people, but we love chocolate so it goes fast, and that is the problem. I bought M&Ms on sale after Valentines and unless I hide it it will disappear before the end of the week. So, since we are planning on moving soon I packed the chocolate away. The temptation has been removed and it will end up to actually live for what I intended it...storage.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
The New Purchase
I can't really fault the store for having a good sale. I can only fault myself and being weak. Abby talked me into getting the soda. I never buy soda but figured it would be ok for storage and then when we go somewhere or have someone over we have something to give them besides water.
I also got a few cans of things. The more I think about freeze-dried and dehydrated foods the more I realize that I cannot put all my eggs in one basket. Those foods require water. I can and will continue to store those foods and use them, but I also will get things in cans which come in their own water so I won't have to 'store' water to reconstitute those items. The water can also be used for other things as well and in times of need it will come in very handy to not have just freeze-dried and dehydrated.
So, I bought some things I don't typically buy but will use from time to time. I think it even gave me enough extra spaghetti sauce (it can be used for lots of stuff) to give me enough for at least 6-months or less if I choose to eat lots of it, but considering we never bought the stuff before and I have a lot already. This is good and I feel I actually got somewhere.
I also got a few cans of things. The more I think about freeze-dried and dehydrated foods the more I realize that I cannot put all my eggs in one basket. Those foods require water. I can and will continue to store those foods and use them, but I also will get things in cans which come in their own water so I won't have to 'store' water to reconstitute those items. The water can also be used for other things as well and in times of need it will come in very handy to not have just freeze-dried and dehydrated.
So, I bought some things I don't typically buy but will use from time to time. I think it even gave me enough extra spaghetti sauce (it can be used for lots of stuff) to give me enough for at least 6-months or less if I choose to eat lots of it, but considering we never bought the stuff before and I have a lot already. This is good and I feel I actually got somewhere.
The Pantry
There are many reasons for me to want to blog about food storage. Part of it is that it has become more of a hobby than a chore. I enjoy finding sales. I enjoy feeling like I got a good deal, and I enjoy feeling the security of having extra food stored. Of course, it doesn't always work. I ran out of eggs and couldn't just run to the store to get eggs since the nearest store is at least an hour away. I thought I had powered eggs and so continued making my cookies. It turns out when I went to get my eggs I couldn't find them. I didn't have them and had to find an different alternative.
One of the other reasons for doing this blog is so that I can have a log of my progress, or lack thereof. I want to be able to see that I am getting somewhere, because at times it can feel like I am making no progress at all.
Another reason for this is to allow myself to think a bit and put things down. Kind of like thinking out loud. I have so many ideas and need somewhere to write them so they won't get lost or misplaced.
I begin this journey with a look at the pantry. I need to have some place to reference and see just how bad my organization is. I need to have something to compare to in future months as I try new things.
My pantry now is all the room I have. I live in a small place and have no other spot to store food. This is it, and it is not ideal. It may be OK size but someone decided that they would put the heat vent at the bottom of the cupboard, just outside it, but still it heats up a lot making it difficult to achieve and cool environment for my food.
My pantry is a mess. I've tried to keep it organized and do first in first out but that never lasts long. The shelves are deep, which is nice, and there is plenty of height, but it isn't ideal. Someday, I will acquire an ideal pantry and food room, as we used to call it when I was young.
One of the other reasons for doing this blog is so that I can have a log of my progress, or lack thereof. I want to be able to see that I am getting somewhere, because at times it can feel like I am making no progress at all.
Another reason for this is to allow myself to think a bit and put things down. Kind of like thinking out loud. I have so many ideas and need somewhere to write them so they won't get lost or misplaced.
I begin this journey with a look at the pantry. I need to have some place to reference and see just how bad my organization is. I need to have something to compare to in future months as I try new things.
My pantry now is all the room I have. I live in a small place and have no other spot to store food. This is it, and it is not ideal. It may be OK size but someone decided that they would put the heat vent at the bottom of the cupboard, just outside it, but still it heats up a lot making it difficult to achieve and cool environment for my food.
My pantry is a mess. I've tried to keep it organized and do first in first out but that never lasts long. The shelves are deep, which is nice, and there is plenty of height, but it isn't ideal. Someday, I will acquire an ideal pantry and food room, as we used to call it when I was young.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)