Bread Making Class

There is a bread making class at the stake center in the kitchen on Sat. Oct. 15 from 9-10 a.m.  We will be learning how to use wheat from your food storage to make bread.  Hope you can join us!

Women's General Conference

Join us for a wonderful and uplifting experience at the stake center on Sept. 24 at 5:30.  Dinner will be served before the broadcast.  Please bring two cans of food to donate to a worthy cause.  See you there!

The Prudent Homemaker

I glimpsed through a blog about a sister that feeds her family of eight for less than five dollars a day (her blog was recently featured in the BYU alumni magazine).  She highly recommends food storage and shows you how to use it effectively.  I'm looking forward to learning more about what she has to share.  The blog is here:  The prudent homemaker.

President Benson taught the basics of food storage

"From the standpoint of food production, storage, handling, and the Lord’s counsel, wheat should have high priority. Water, of course, is essential. Other basics could include honey or sugar, legumes, milk products or substitutes, and salt or its equivalent." – President Ezra Taft Benson

Canning Chicken

Midland 2nd ward recently held a meat canning class.  Good idea!   If you'd like to learn about canning chicken you might like to check out an online tutorial posted on the hugs and giggles blog and her chicken canning post found here.  Canned chicken can be used in any recipe that calls for cooked chicken.

More Information on Long Term Food Storage

I found another website that offers some great information on long term food storage.  Utah State University offers an extension service that includes great info on storing food.  The website is here.

Storing Water

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has a web page with information on how to correctly store water.  For more information click here

The following information (found at the website named above) may be helpful for those storing water in pop bottles:

If storing water in plastic soda bottles, follow these steps


Thoroughly clean the bottles with dishwashing soap and water, and rinse completely so there is no residual soap.Sanitize the bottles by adding a solution of 1 teaspoon of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to a quart of water. Swish the sanitizing solution in the bottle so that it touches all surfaces. After sanitizing the bottle, thoroughly rinse out the sanitizing solution with clean water.


Filling Water Containers


Fill the bottle to the top with regular tap water. If the tap water has been commercially treated from a water utility with chlorine, you do not need to add anything else to the water to keep it clean. If the water you are using comes from a well or water source that is not treated with chlorine, add two drops of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to the water.Tightly close the container using the original cap. Be careful not to contaminate the cap by touching the inside of it with your finger. Place a date on the outside of the container so that you know when you filled it. Store in a cool, dark place.Replace the water every six months if not using commercially bottled water.

Relief Society & their history of storing wheat

For a very interesting short story about how Brigham Young put the Relief Society in charge of storing wheat (and why there are stalks of wheat on the RS seal) click here.

Food Storage Starter Kit & Water Purification Bottle

If you are interested in purchasing a food storage starter kit ($31 includes shipping )  click here.

If you are interested in purchasing a water purification bottle that will clean 100 gallons of water- removing 99.99 % of all pollutants and contaminates ($22 includes shipping)   click here.  

Long term food storage by the month

 

Sister Penny Brown, from Midland 2nd ward,  has come up with a way to get her long term food storage organized.  She has broken down her year supply into the amounts she will need for one month. 

She found some boxes that will hold her long term storage (she kept her oils and vitamins out where she can rotate them more frequently).  Then she put what she needs for one month into each box. 

I tried to copy and paste Penny's list of products here- but I wasn't able to get that to work. Penny has graciously included the products she stored, the amount she stored for the month and the cost of the product- thanks Penny!

Oops- having trouble linking to her list- I'll try to get that up tomorrow- :0)

6/25/2011  I'm still having trouble getting a working link- so, I'll type out the highlights for you.  Penny suggests that you will need:

5 lbs. pinto beans        grocery store $3.25 

                                   Bishop's storehouse  $4.25

5 lbs. of honey            grocery store $ 16.00

     or sugar                 grocery store $2.50 

1/2 lb. salt                   grocery store $ .50

25 lbs. of white wheat            Emergency Essentials $20.00

8 lbs. or nonfat powdered milk

Items to store separately- need regular rotation to prevent spoiling:

2 lbs.  Oil or Crisco   grocery store    $2.50

Multivitamin 30 count  grocery store  $8.50

Yeast, 6 (3 pack)       grocery store    $7.20

If you'd like to purchase boxes to store each months worth of supplies:

10  boxes costs about $14.00

 



The Importance of Getting Out of Debt

The Church News recently published an article on the importance of getting out of debt (and staying out).  The link is here.  There are many inspiring quotes.  One from President Monson states:

"Perhaps no counsel has been repeated more often than how to manage wisely our income.  Consumer debt in some nations of the world is at staggering levels. Too many in the Church have failed to avoid unnecessary debt. They have little, if any, financial reserve. The solution is to budget, to live within our means, and to save some for the future" ("Guiding Principles of Personal and Family Welfare," September 1986).

75 Years of Self Reliance and Service

This month the Ensign has a section celebrating 75 years of self reliance and service.  There is a link here if you'd like to view it online.

Ideas for your 72 hour kit

Having a 72 hour kit packed and ready to use is a great idea! Suggestions for what to put in your 72 hour kit can be found here Another list is here Try not to get discouraged at the length of the list- pull together what you already have and make a plan to add to your kit as you can. There is no need to wait until you can afford the perfect backpack or fancy foods- just start with what you have on hand and build your kit from there!

Tip: One blog I read said that the pop top cans they had stored in their 72 hour kit popped open unexpectedly and they opened their backpacks to a sticky mess. You may want to store traditionally sealed cans and a can opener in your kit instead....

Make a Small Emergency/ First Aid Kit

In the provident living section of lds.org, under emergency preparedness it is recommended that you gather together and store some medical supplies- as well as any needed medications.

Here is a cute project for those of you who like to make things:

It is a homemade emergency kit made out of a potholder and ziplock bags. Very cute!The directions are here. Honestly, though, I'd never actually get it made. My first aid kit is more like a gallon sized zip lock bag, with stuff tossed in (don't knock it- it's quick and easy!).

If you'd like to do something a bit more permanent just buy a shoe box sized storage container with a snap on lid. If this is to be kept in your car you may want to place a few items (like ointments) that can melt- into individual ziplock bags to keep them from melting onto everything else.... shouldn't be a problem- but just in case....

Don't worry about making it fancy!! Just gather together some first aid items- make a few kits and store them in your home, car and 72 hour kits.

Need a few ideas of what to put into your kit?

The Red Cross has a list here
Another list is available at kaboose- scroll down a bit

Don't freak out if you don't have or can't afford everything on the list- just put together what you can- and add to it as you get the chance.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Need some tips for planting a successful garden in Texas? The Midland Master Gardeners are offering some classes and free workshops. Here is a summary of what is available:

Located at the Midland County library
March 21- mid April- get a free tomato plant if you check out a book on gardening April 12- Home Vegetable Gardening Workshop 6-7:30 p.m. Discussing soil prep, planting, fertilization and care

For information about free Master Gardener Classes Call 498-4071
Beginning April 9 from 9 am to 1 pm on the second Saturday of each month there will be an information table at the Midland Downtown Farmer's Market. Gardeners will be available to answer question and provide information.

Emergency Preparedness

The great tragedy in Japan has given us each extra incentive to take a personal & famiy inventory. How is your family doing with emergency preparation?

At lds.org it states:

Family Emergency Planning

Church members are encouraged to prepare a simple emergency plan. Items to consider may include:

Three-month supply of food that is part of your normal daily diet.
Drinking water.
Financial reserves.
Longer-term supply of basic food items.
Medication and first aid supplies.
Clothing and bedding.
Important documents.
Ways to communicate with family following a disaster.

Lds.org

You may want to check out the product recommendations on the new lds.org website. The link is here. You may notice that the first two long term storage items that they list are grains and legumes. Those are followed by this quote:

You may also want to add other items to your longer-term storage such as sugar, nonfat dry milk, salt, baking soda, and cooking oil. To meet nutritional needs, also store foods containing Vitamin C and other essential nutrients.



There are many websites and philosophies of "experts" giving you a large list of items that "you should store" --- but I feel that there is safety in following the modern day prophets and what they recommend. Prayerfully consider the many quotes found on lds.org about why the prophets recommend wheat and the importance of purchasing basics first- then when you have those basics feel free to add other items to your long term storage.

Wonderful Water Filter Bottles

After our stake women's conference many of you were interested in the water bottle that filters out impurities. You can find it here. Remember to store water with your water bottles so that you will have something to filter :0)

Some of you are STILL waiting for me to email out the handout- sorry I've been so slow- after spring break I hope to be able to catch up on a few things. Thanks for your patience!

Why Store Grains and Legumes?

Mormon Times has an article today about four reasons for storing grains and legumes in our long term food storage- she missed the main reason though- the main reason we should store grains (especially wheat) and legumes is because that is what our modern day prophets have asked us to do :0)

Stake Women's Conference

This Saturday is our stake women's conference- the theme is "It's About Time". It is from 10-1 at the stake center- and a delicious lunch will be served. I hope you can all come! The class I'm teaching involves white chocolate and macadamia nuts- and that's all I'm saying-

I'm looking forward to it!

Food Storage orders

Sister Norma Wren has graciously planned another trip to El Paso to pick up orders from the bishop's storehouse. If you'd like to place an order please contact her asap-