We try and grab a few things to add to our food storage every time we go to the grocery store. This picture is from a couple of months ago--we stopped by the grocery store after a date to grab a few things, and ended up with some extras for the food storage room. I'm so glad that I have a hubby that values preparedness as well. I think we make a pretty good team.The best is that my darling friend Crystal has the same bug. She thought up this great idea to start up "Food Storage Friday." So we kicked it off last Friday at her house.
We started off by pulling our all of our recipes that we use a lot, and making a list of "pantry" recipes. In other words, recipes that we generally have all of the main ingredients on hand, and could buy in bulk so we'd have enough on hand to make the recipe 12 times.
We printed up a basic 12-month calendar. Our goal is to plan out menus for an entire year.
After we had a good list of "pantry recipes" that our family likes, we figured out how to make some adjustments to make them "food storage recipes."
Cute adorable Mimi entertained herself while we worked by taking pictures of us. Isn't she a doll?
And whenever we needed inspiration, we just gazed at Crystal's little guy.
Isn't he adorable? This is why we're so motivated to get our food storage in order (obedience to our prophet--of course), but also because we love our children, and want to be able to take good care of them in case of an emergency.
We plugged away for a couple of hours, and once we got started, we were on a roll. We have all of our menu planning and shopping done for the entire month of November. Crystal wanted to keep going into December, but I had to call it quits for the day.
We had to snap silly shots of ourselves, to document our first "Food Storage Friday."
We did it--Food Storage Friday, and lots of great menu-planning, recipe exchanging, and inspiration. 4 Real! (I don't know what it is with me and the gangsta thing. I guess I secretly think I'm a homie. Thanks for humoring me.)
Our next challenge: take a good inventory of everything we have, shop for the ingredients that we'll need to finish these meals for a year, get wheat grinders, and figure out how to safely store everything, and rotate it so it gets used and replenished.
I was at Macey's today, and they had their "gamma lids" and buckets on sale, so I got 7 of them to keep up in my pantry--they fit perfectly under my bottom shelf. Now I need to get food to fill them up. Those of you who do food storage--what do you suggest I keep in them? Flour, sugar, rice.....what else? I have always stored a lot of my food storage downstairs, but think it will help me rotate now by adding buckets upstairs.
- Do you have a food storage plan?
- How do you store all of your flour, pasta, etc. so it is safe from water, bugs, air, etc.? Are these buckets a good way, or do you have other suggestions for me?
- Do you have a favorite "pantry meal" you would be willing to share with me? Especially if it's an easy one.
39 comments:
way to go ladies! that is awesome . i bow down.
great idea to get the big buckets and lids.they have those at Macy's seriously? is this a UT thing?
rad. totally.
and so fun to have ya on facebook too!
I have an old fashioned (70's) lazy susan in my corner cupboard. The cans from the cannery fit perfectly on it, so I've been really good about rotating my cannery food storage. I have some large buckets in my cupboard where I dump things that we buy in 25 lb. bags. I have pinto beans, pancake mix, powdered sugar, sugar, flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, cornbread mix, pizza crust mix, biscuit mix, rice, etc. in them. I admit, some are rather random (cornbread, brown sugar, and powdered sugar) and I don't use them much, but my husband likes to shop. My favorite has to be the pancake mix. We use it all the time! (It makes waffles too. We have a store that sells IHOP pancake mix in giant bags, so we pick it up whenever we can.)
WOW!!!!!!!! Can you come fly to Washington and help me? hehehehehehehhe. Friday i will be at cannery working on my food storage.
Crazy Mama--Sorry, it's Macey's the grocery store, not the department store. Sorry for the confusion!
Who needs food storage when I can just LIVE OFF MY FAT ROLLS like a camel.
Those pictures are seriously so sad. Time to get my post-pregnancy butt on the move.
4 Real.
See you are so inspiring!! I definitely need help in this department. I don't know why it is so hard for me. I do have buckets (in the basement though and I fill up my canisters upstairs) with flour, rice, and sugar. I need to get the wheat figured out.
Can't wait to learn more from you and Crystal. I DO have that cook book...What's for Dinner? Thanks to my MOM. It is great. I like your idea about the pantry recipes.
I need to make a trip to the cannery and learn what I can do/buy there.
SO great! Make sure you share what you learn! I am stuck on the making sure you store it right, part. I want to make sure I have the sugar and flour, rice etc in the big containers like I need to! GREAT work- girls!
PS Crystal- you are TOO funny! You are BEAUTIFUL- please!!
I'm mostly fascinated with the tile in your pantry. So beautiful!
(Food storage is good too...)
I have no food storage. It's not something that people do where I am from. I guess we will all die before you all and when you run out of stuff you can come here and plunder through our things. tee hee. I do have full intentions of putting together a flu kit. Enough stuff for us incase they have to shut down things due to the flu. We have already had our flu shots too.
I LOVE food storage. It gives me a crazy sense of peace to have it all lined up there. I also like having stored all the household items for at least three months as well. Like Laundry soap, shampoo, soap, "girl stuff" etc.
The Lindon cannery just decided to let you come in and can and buy on a walk in basis. Which is great..because before you had to wait and sign up when your Stake had an assignment.
I have all the basics (flour, sugar, rice, potatos, dry milk etc) from the cannery. I love the nice tidy cans and they last longer all sealed up. I'm planning on getting my wheat, which I've never stored before, however, in the big white buckets from Lehi Rolling Mills.
I like your ideas to organize it out on the calendars. That will really help you focus on exactly what you need. I should do that. I tend to just stock up on what it on sale that week or what we are running low on.
p.s. Just discovered that I still have your book I borrowed. Completely horrified. Totally thought I sent it with Jim to his office a month ago. Actually, I think I did, but it somehow never made it there.
It will be there starting tomorrow. SO very sorry.
You go! We have bought a lot of things this year. We only use buckets and gamma lids. I store everything in them. I found this ward blog on preparedness...I really enjoy their can plan...http://preparednessmatters.blogspot.com/2008/03/cooking-with-basic-food-storage.html
I think the hommie look is to show off those pretty nails;)
Please come live by me and invite me to food storage friday. I think we could live for maybe a month here on what we've got. I need to get in gear.
I've been bit by the bug too for the last year! How awesome to be doing it with a friend.
You guys rock!
What a great idea to do it together. Can you imagine doing all of that alone? Much more fun with a friend.
I would NOT recommend storing flour in the big buckets, unless you really go through flour alot. Flour goes rancid in about 3 months (at least here in TX) I use my big buckets for rice, beans, sugar and wheat. Those never go bad.
Did you see that the church has updated expiration dates? Things last much longer then previously thought.
Hmmm. What are we supposed to store flour in?
That's a great idea! I need to get busy...
Way to go girls and how fun that you have someone to help you with your project. It's always nice when you have extra motivation from a friend.
Storage is my big problem. Where is the best place? And then easy to get to so that I will rotate it. I like your idea of the buckets in the pantry. I think I would use it more if I could get to it easy. Keep us posted on all the wonderful things you learn.
Ahem. Where's your SPT???
Wow, that is a lot of work! I am so intimidated by food storage...I really need to get going on it. It looks like you had a blast, I love the pictures. You are so not a hoomey though...LOL, but nice try!
Wow, that is a lot of work! I am so intimidated by food storage...I really need to get going on it. It looks like you had a blast, I love the pictures. You are so not a hoomey though...LOL, but nice try!
Great job Wendi! I need to up-date my food storage too! Don't forget about women products and germ-x (it doesn't require water to wash your hands). Thanks for being such a wonderful example always!
You. are. amazing.
Seriously, with all you have on your plate...you still find time to devote an afternoon to food storage?
I have some, but certainly not all I need.
It truly overwhelms me.
I store flour in those #10 cans w/ oxygen packets that can be sealed.
Thanks for the inspiration and ideas...keep them coming!
Bravo to you!!!!! That is so wonderful!!
I love those pictures :)
I just might have to institute a food storage Friday...I need to re-motivate myself...food storage overwhelms me.
Wendi- You are so awesome! I was inspired. You need to teach a class on this- how to store and how to plan. I loved the calendar idea- the menu thing is so great! In a disaster, there are so many things to worry about, but if you take away the stress of what you will be feeding your family by having a menu planned...
Awesome! thank you. I am going to try to do the same thing. :)
Lori
Forgot to send the book again today.....what is my problem. For sure will tomorrow.
I do my flour in the #10 cans from the cannery sealed. Which has 3-4 year shelf life (actually longer it just smells a little funny, but cooks up fine). But I know my mom just buys the little paper bags of flour and then puts a bunch of them in the white buckets. That way you can rotate better and just open one little bag at a time.
Way to go Sista! (trying to do the homie thing too--I fail miserably!)
We do good at food storage because:
A...we do 99% of our regular grocery shoppin at Costco (only buy about 4 items at a regular grocery store).
B...the way our family eats is very simple and basic, which makes storing food way easy--if you want to know more about the way we eat, email or call me.
GOOD LUCK and congrats on a good year!
Great job! I think more of us are getting bitten by the bug. I am totally proud of my 120 hour emergency kit. I will post my menu's, etc soon.
Thanks for the push
Hey--I noticed www.shelfreliance.com is having a sale on their Thrive line of food storage products. I think it is up to 30% off and goes through the 15th. These are great products to include in a long term food storage plan and I hear they taste really good as well!
Thanks for sharing! I have been doing something similar, by compiling recipes my family likes and will eat, that are food storage friendly, so I have more of a focus on what I need to be buying.
Share some of your recipes that you have come up with on your recipe blog! We have been doing that with a local recipe blog we have in our community! So helpful!
www.cookingmycravings.blogspot.com
You two ladies are such an inspiration for me...I better get started with my food storage soon. I do use the shelf reliance shelves to rotate my cans and I love them.
I have a few extra things but nothing I could make a meal out of it...LOL
I'll be looking forward to your tips!!!
PS-It's fun to have you on facebook!!
How fun to do it with a friend. Great idea!
that is amazing!!! great job! are some of these favorite recipes on your recipe blog?
and response to the Phillipa Gregory question. i really really love her books. i'm a big historical fiction fan and especially enjoy the era with Henry VIII and Elizabeth etc. but they are racy. and some of them are VERY racy. i don't feel like that is necessary and i tend to skip over it so i can get back to the story line. just fyi!
Hi-
I found your blog when I was googling food storage. That's SO awesome that you did all that work!! It can be overwhelming but it looks like you made it fun. :)
Anyway, if you are ever looking for any food storage tips or ideas, feel free to check out our blog. We also share TONS of recipes that are made from food storage (non-perishable) foods only, just like you did. Hopefully we can help you out!
Good luck with your food storage!
Hannah @
safelygatheredin.blogspot.com
Ack! I'm so excited that Hannah visited you & commented! I LOVE HER BLOG!!!!! I've been reading it for a while.
Please share your recipe list. I am always looking for recipes that are good/easy and everyone will eat. Also, I definitely need help on the food storage.
Awesome! Thanks for the motivation. I'll have to email you a few recipes I think are great for food storage. I also put ALL of my food storage in storage containers like mac and cheese boxes, cereal, EVERYTHING. I like the clear ones in different sizes that fit on my storage shelves. I also keep all of my paper goods like, paper plates and plastic silverware. I do this just in case of a flood, a pipe leaking or breaking, or even a mouse breaking into my food storage. This way everything is protected from these few things.
I would like to work on mine a bit more. But with one final move coming in May. In the same area. I don't really want to be moving a ton of wheat just yet. I buy extra of things I use a lot of. I have a small storage area down stairs where I keep these items. When cereal goes on sale i will buy it by the cases. Recently I bought a case of canned chili.
Awesome. I REALLY need to get my ducks in a row and get going on food storage. Since you are doing yours....just do mine too, okay?!?!
At the least keep sharing your ideas and recipes! Anything helps!
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