All around Preparedness

This is just a short list of things that I have found helpful to do to be prepared in the event of an emergency on the road or in a 72 hour situation. We are encouraged by church, government and Red Cross leaders to keep a 72 hour kit handy in the event of an emergency that forces us to leave our home. Here are some tips:

• The weekend that we set our clocks for daylight savings time is a great time to check your 72 hour kits, car kits, and smoke detector baterries. If you did not do it then – DO IT NOW! Change your batteries in your flashlight in your 72 hour kits and your smoke detectors every time whether you think they are fine or not. You’re better off safe than sorry.
• You should have a ziplock bag with a change of clothing (at least a fresh work shirt or T-shirt and change of undies and 3 pair of socks. Check the sizes in your kids packs to make sure they have what they need. Keeping feet and privates clean and dry during these situations is very important for your health.
• Speaking of dry feet - store a pair of good sneakers for each family member near your kits. The coat closet in the hall is a great place so that you can grab everything as you go out the door.
• Check your food for expiration dates. Change out any food that will expire before the next daylight savings time. Below is a list of handy foods that can easily be stored a 2 gallon ziplock within your 72 hour kits. You should be able to fill your kit with variety, decent nutrition and caloric intake for around $10 per person. Remember to pack as light as you can. Canned foods are good – but weigh down a pack. They also require and opener. Your pack should be easily portable.
• Place a laminated photo of each family member on a lanyard and attach it to their 72-hour kit. Write all pertinent information on the back of the photo including the name of the person, cell numbers for the parents or spouse, allergies to drugs, ect. In the event of an emergency – each family member should remove the lanyard from the pack and wear it around their neck. That way- if you are separated from your children – they can be identified and you can be more easily located. You and your medical issues can also be identified with this information if you are found unconscious.

72 Hour Kit Foods List

Breakfast Items: pop-tarts, carnation instant breakfast bars or slim-fast bars; tang, apple cider or cocoa packets;
Lunch & Dinner Items: canned tuna, Vienna sausages, chicken or deviled ham; jerky and cheese sticks; canned chili, raviolis, or soups; freeze-dried veggies; individual cans of tomato or V-8 juice, Capri sun drink pouches
Snacks: gum, hard candy, peanuts, granola, cracker packs, fruit leather, apple sauce, pudding cups & fruit cups
WATER: You should have at least a 2 one liter water bottles for everyone stored right next to your packs or in pockets on your packs in case you have to evacuate.
Don’t forget to put plastic spoons & forks, napkins and individually packaged wet wipes, small bottle hand sanitizer, toothbrush and trial sized toothpaste in each pack. I put these items into a small Rubbermaid sandwich box container with lid so that I have the container to eat from if needed.

Car Safety checklist

cell phone and charger
kitty litter for traction or to clean up oil leaks
small can of lock antifreeze
small basic first aid kit
rope or twine to tie down trunk
umbrella and rain poncho
wipes & sanitizer to clean hands
roll of paper towels for spills
plastic trash bags in case of wet clothing
flares, triangles and safety matches
jumper cables and flashlight
thermal blanket (s)
small hand shovel
packs of dried fruit, granola bars, or nuts
spare tire and work gloves
tow chain or strap
pen, paper, and emergency contact numbers
at least $20 CASH (you just never know)

Organize smaller items into a duffle and keep secured under or behind your seat, in a closed compartment or in a trunk. In the event of an accident – you don’t want loose abjects flying around to hit you in the head.

Sunshine ~ Coladas

I was talking to a family from my church the other day when the subject of food storage came up. In the course of the conversation, I relayed how our family was grateful that we had food storage last winter when my husband was unemployed for 3 1/2 months.

The father of the family said - something to the effect of 'oh- yes. Lots of beans and rice for your family during that time I bet.'

To which I replied, "No - We had great meals including desserts and my favorite pina-colada type drinks."

He looked surprised and then I explained to him how food storage was more to my family than just wheat, rice, beans, oil and honey. It was having a great deal of shelf stable everyday foods and a freezer full of meat, cheese and butter.

In rethinking that conversation, it occurred to me that I had not shared my favorite mixed-drink recipe with you all. So here it is. I created this concoction myself through trial and error. It is much better with the Coco-Real brand coconut cream, but the coconut powder is a good substitute if you don't have the Coco-Real, which can be difficult to find (it is only in one grocer around here that I have found) and it is a bit pricey to store a large amount in your food storage. I like to make this stuff up in little zip-lock type packets, store the packets in a Tupperware, and just add the water and ice when I'm ready for a treat.

For those of you from Utah, I found the Coco-Real at Smith's grocery store in the mixed drinks section. It is $2.80 per bottle. I believe it is a 20 oz. size. The Strawberry Tang, I found at Reams grocery store. I keep a large supply of that on hand at all times. It comes in a pouch that makes 6 liquid quarts. I stock up on it when it is put on sale @ 2 for $5.

Sunshine~Coladas
2 Tbs. strawberry powdered drink mix (Tang-type)
1 Tbs. orange powdered drink mix (Tang-type)
1 once Coco-Real or 1 Tbs. coconut syrup (recipe below)
2 Tbs. powdered milk
1 cup water
1 ¼ cups crushed ice

Mix with water in mini-blender mug (Magic Bullet brand type of blender) and then add crushed ice. Blend for 30 seconds until smooth.


Coconut syrup for Sunshine~Coladas
¼ cup coconut
2 Tbs. powdered milk
2 Tbs. powdered sugar

Blend together in a mini-blender approximately 30 seconds or until coconut is pulverized. mix with a few teaspoons of water at a time until it is thick like sweetened condensed milk.

Make this treat with caution, because it is so refreshing during the summer - you will want one everyday.

5 Minute Chocolate Cake

A recipe from my dear 'old' Dad~

Many of you who know my father will also know that he is not a particularly fabulous cook. He gets by and does a decent job considering he is all alone and has not always had to cook for himself. He has learned alot over the years since his and my mother's divorce. Much like a fine wine, he has gotten better with the passing of time. My father and I are alot alike. We both love the internet for all it's resources and we both love to learn. My father recently sent me a recipe that he got from the internet and I loved it so much that I had to share it. It's called 5 Minute Chocolate Cake - and yes - it really does only take 5 minutes from beginning to end. I love this recipe because I am often alone with the girls while my dear husband is on the road with his job. Making a big chocolate cake for dessert will only lead to me becoming fat because I have no self control around chocolate. This recipe is wonderful because it only serves 2 people and is super fast. I have made it several times since receiving my father's email last month and my college-aged duaghter has made it for late night snacks as well when she had a friend over to watch a movie. It is the perfect way to be a good hostess without all the time and mess of a traditional cake. Here's the recipe and directions:

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg

3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug (microwave safe), a tablespoon measure & a fork to mix it all.


Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

(This can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

Frugality Cubed

~Creative ways with ice cube trays~
In a recent article from MSN, the writer said that a friend of hers pours leftover coffee into ice-cube trays. The caffeinated cubes make first-rate iced coffee because they chill the beverage without diluting it. That got me thinking about other creative ways to use ice cube trays. I have used trays for multiple purposes in the past, but had not thought of using them to freeze those ‘little bit of leftovers.’ Here are a few suggestions to help you save some money with the oft overlooked and lowly ice cube tray.

1. You can save a lot of money by making your own baby food. Steam and puree vegetables (which you can mix with meat and/or rice or other grains if you like), or puree soft fresh fruits. Frankly – I just used to put the leftovers from the dinner table into a bullet blender and make Ashley’s baby food. As your baby gets older you can chop things a little more coarsely with just a fork. If necessary, thin these foods with a little of the cooking water from vegetables. That way there are even move vitamins being utilized instead of being tossed down the drain. Freeze this mashed goodness in ice cube trays and store in Ziploc style freezer bags. To save more money – you can re-use your zip-loc style bags. Unless the bags are greasy with meat residue, they're easy to wash and reuse.
2. Speaking of that veggie cooking water: Even people without babies should save those nutrients. Freeze the liquid for use in homemade soups. If you have younger kids, freeze some of the cubes extra-small and add one or two to a toddler's soup to cool the soup without diluting it.
3. Freeze herbal teas, lemonade or fruit juices for use in summertime drinks. Then, when you need an ice cube for a drink – it doesn’t get that watered down taste.
4. When a recipe calls for just a partial can of tomato paste, or sauce or juice don't leave the rest of the can in the fridge to grow fuzz. Freeze it for future meals.
5. If you can’t finish the milk or yogurt before it goes bad, freeze it. Then thaw a couple of cubes at a time for cooling morning oatmeal or coffee. It also makes great smoothies. My own version of a Strawberry Colada smoothie is made by tossing the following into a blender: 6 oz. milk, 1 ½ TBS. strawberry flavored Tang and a splash of Coco-Real. I then fill the magic bullet blender mug the rest of the way with crushed ice and give it a whirl. It’s VERY GOOD STUFF!!!
6. Bananas, strawberries or other fresh fruit getting too ripe? Puree and freeze them. Then add the cubes to your smoothies (or thaw them for baby's dessert).
7. Freeze homemade pesto: It's easy to pull out just a couple of cubes for appetizers or to brighten up a jar of store-bought spaghetti sauce.
8. Freeze white vinegar in ice cubes and put them in a large zip lock bag in freezer. Once a week, grab 2-3 vinegar cubes and put down garbage disposal to clean and freshen it.
9. Freeze leftover chicken stock. Each cube is about a tablespoon. When sautéing meats or veggies, throw a couple of cubes in the pan. You can then use less oil and it adds a little flavor.
10. Soda that has gone flat can be frozen into cubes and then used either as a mini-popsicle or to cool down other soda drinks. Ginger ale frozen into cubes is good added to iced tea.
11. The ice cube trick also works for fresh herbs. Cut them up into water and freeze in the ice cube trays. Use for soups etc.
12. Another great idea to use those little bits of leftover dinner (like the last of the gravy, a few bits of roast, a few peas or a little corn) is to put one of those large empty ice cream containers in your freezer. When your meal is over, put the leftovers into the container. When it's full, get out the crock pot, add a can of tomatoes and get yourself the best soup you've had in a long time.
13. It's more efficient to keep one's freezer full than it is to keep it half-empty anyway, so those bags of frozen cubes may help save on the electric bill, as long as you allow space for proper circulation. The more your freezer is filled with frozen goods (such as ice), the less energy it takes to keep cool.
14. Don't rule out non-food uses. Crafters have always known that ice cube trays are good for organizing beads and small hardware. You can use them to hold small amounts of paint for crafts and even mix some of the colors in an empty compartment. Use in the bedroom to sort small pieces of jewelry: pins, rings, earrings.

Store what you Use & Use what you store. Never throw away useable food or other non-food products! If you have something usable but don’t think you personally are going to use it – give it away or donate it to a local charity. Someone will be thankful to have what you don’t want. One man’s trash really is another man’s treasure.

Emergency Preparedness Tips

10 Tips on Preparing for Emergency Situations
These are just my own suggestions. I am sure there are plenty of other good suggestions out there, but these are a good place to start.

1. Go through your 72 hour kits every 6 months on a specific weekend. Since I write to a mostly LDS audience and I myself am LDS, I choosse to do this task each General Conference weekend (in April and October). I put my kits in the floor as I am watching the Saturday sessions and go through them. Anything that is out of date is replaced. If I do not have stock on hand to do this – I go to the store that very evening after conference and get whatever is needed.

2. These weekends are also a great time to go through all the flashlights and check the batteries. Make sure you have extra batteries on hand for them just in case they die before the next conference. ALWAYS – replace the batteries (at conference time or every 6 months on your own schedule) in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. If the battery is still good – replace it anyway with a new one and use the old one for a less important purpose.

3. Candles – Use decorative candle sconces in your home. That way – in the event of a power outage – you can have hands-free light in every room that you need. NEVER – leave a candle burning in an unattended room. Store matches in a place where every adult has access and knows where to find them. I choose to put them on the top shelf of the medicine cabinet in each bathroom as well as on top of the fridge.

4. Put a small flashlight in the nightstand of each bedroom. The self-generating kind are great – then you don’t have to worry about battery life.

5. Generators – having a small portable one on hand can save your freezer and refrigerator in a summertime prolonged power outage. A good small generator can be purchased for as little as $300 – $400. (I know I have a lot more food than that in my freezer!) Make sure that you have at least 5 gallons of fuel stored and designated especially for the generator. Check with city officials about ordinances regarding fuel storage in residential neighborhoods if you want to store more than that. A 2000 watt portable generator will provide enough juice to power you fridge, freezer and the blower for your furnace. (You must have your furnace blower wired with an accessory plug in order to connect to a generator in the event of a power outage.)

6. If you have an alternative heat source (wood burning stove – fireplace – propane or kerosene heaters) make sure that all the adults in your house know how to properly and safely use it. Make sure that you have plenty of ‘fuel’ or wood stored for these sources.

7. Alternative cooking sources should be stored for an emergency as well. A solar oven is great, but expensive. A good, portable and cheap alternative for those just getting started is a butane stove (about $25 – canisters of fuel are about $2). A folding stove with fuel cell cans for a 72 hour kit is good as well and will only run you about $15 with 2 cans of fuel. Propane stoves that fit the small propane canisters are also relatively cheap and easy to use for a beginner. Again – whatever you chose – practice cooking with it and learn how to use it ahead of time!

8. Keep a pair of comfortable shoes in the same location as your 72 hour kit, in case you have to evacuate in a hurry and do not have time to go hunting for your good hikers or tennis shoes.

9. Place a laminated photo of each family member on a lanyard and attach it to their 72-hour kit. Write all pertinent information on the back of the photo including the name of the person, cell numbers for the parents or spouse, allergies to drugs, ect. In the event of an emergency – each family member should remove the lanyard from the pack and wear it around their neck. That way- if you are separated from your children – they can be identified and you can be more easily located. You and your medical issues can also be identified with this information if you are found unconscious.

10. Put a small set of scriptures in your 72 hour kits. This will be a great source of comfort in any emergency. (For a small child – have a favorite story book and/or a stuffed toy or card game like old maid, Uno, ect)

Just get prepared! You never know when an emergency will strike.

Word-of-Mouth Cures That Really Work!

I found this article on MSN today and thought it was worth reprinting in it's entirity here. This is some good information on home remedies. Enjoy.....

Word-of-Mouth Cures That Really Work!
Seven homespun remedies that have solid research behind them.
By Quick & Simple Staff

It's amazing how many traditional cures actually have evidence to support them, says Francesca J. Fusco, M.D., of Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Here are seven that have solid research—not just someone's grandma!—behind them.

Zap nail fungus with bleach
Why: "We're not sure why, but there is something in bleach that slows down the growth of nail fungi," says Dr. Fusco.
How: Combine one teaspoon of bleach with one cup of water.
(Note: Always dilute the mixture—applying pure bleach will burn skin.) Then, use a dropper to place this mixture under the affected nail. Repeat twice a day until the infection disappears; this could take up to three weeks.

Prevent blisters on your feet with deodorant
Why: Blisters are caused by skin rubbing against your shoes, and are made worse by sweating. "Deodorant works on your feet just like it does under your arms: It stops sweat glands from producing sweat," says Ranella J. Hirsch, M.D., president of the American Society for Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery.
How: Before heading out, roll deodorant—any kind will do—on your soles.

Soothe burns with tomato
Why: "The tomato contains lycopene, which is a natural anti-inflammatory, so it calms inflamed skin. And the wetness of the tomato juice helps draw some of the liquid out of the burn, reducing swelling," says Dr. Fusco.
How: Slice a large tomato and apply pieces to damaged skin. Leave on for five minutes, then remove, letting the remaining juices fully dry on skin. Once dry, rinse skin with cool water. Repeat twice daily until discomfort ends.

Calm insect bites with aspirin
Why: "Aspirin is made of salicylic acid, a potent anti-inflammatory that can reduce pain and itching," says Dr. Hirsch.
How: Crush three aspirin and add a few drops of water—enough to make a paste, Dr. Hirsch says. Apply mixture to the bite. Leave on for two minutes, then rinse with cool water. Repeat twice daily until pain and itching stop.

Stop small cuts from bleeding with used tea bags
Why: "The tannic acid in tea has an astringent effect, prompting blood vessels to constrict more quickly, which slows the flow of blood," explains Dr. Fusco.
How: Using light pressure, hold a cool (not warm) tea bag against the cut for one minute. Rinse, then cover with a bandage.

Remove warts with duct tape
Why: Experts at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash., found this remedy could clear warts in two months. There are a few theories about how it works. One is that duct tape irritates warts, causing an immune system reaction that attacks them. "Another is that the tape removes the virus-laden skin cells," says Anthony Mancini, M.D., professor of dermatology at Northwestern University.
How: Apply a piece of tape that's the same size as the wart and leave on for six days. (If tape falls off, replace ASAP.) Remove tape after the six days and clean area with soap and water; leave tape off overnight. In the morning, reapply tape, keep on for five days and repeat until wart disappears. It may take up to two months, says Dr. Mancini, but it's less painful and less expensive than repeated doctor visits.

Nix dandruff with apple cider vinegar
Why: "The vinegar's acidity reduces the natural pH of the scalp," explains Dr. Fusco. "And this creates an unfriendly environment for yeast that tend to overpopulate the head and cause dandruff."
How: Mix 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar with one quart of water and use as a final rinse after shampooing, twice weekly.

More Home Made Household Cleaning Products

Although I'd like to take credit for all the following - I can't. The first part of this post came from The Dollar Stretcher website at http://www.stretcher.com. It is an article written by Amy Allen Clark. She is a stay-at-home mother of two wonderful children. She is founder and creator of http://www.momadvice.com. Her website is geared towards mothers who are seeking advice on staying organized, living on a budget, and those seeking work-at-home employments. Please visit her money-saving blog where she offers even more tips for ways you can save your family money. The other part of this article is cut and pasted cleaning recipes from the Dollar Stretcher website. Just read - enjoy and then try the cleaner recipes. I have tried several of them before and they work. I did not know about the furniture polish though. I'm going to try that tomorrow or maybe the next day - or whenever I have time to dust...... LOL. I'm just too busy planting spring flowers and blogging for my wonderful readers to care about a dusty house right now. Here's Amy's article and the recipes:

I am not going to launch into a preachy prose about how bad commercial cleaning products are today when it comes to cleaning your home. It is common knowledge that a healthy home is not doused in heavy-duty bleach and preserving our environment should be tops on our priority list. The truth is, if you peeked inside of my caddy of cleaners, you would see some of these harmful products in there. The fact is that I am trying to rely less on these cleaners and rely more on homemade cleaners. I am in the process of making the transition over to using only healthy homemade cleaners and feel a lot of pride when I take the time to do this.

Making cleaners does not mean that you need to purchase a ton of items; in fact, most cleaners can be made from things you already have in your house. The main components that I like to work with are white vinegar, baking soda, liquid dish washing soap, and lemon juice. To get started, however, you may need to purchase a few spray bottles. I pick these spray bottles up from our local dollar store. These clear spray bottles will make it easy to measure and label your new cleaners in your house.

If you do decide to use these types of cleaners regularly, I would suggest making a trip to your wholesale club to buy the ingredients. A small box of baking soda can cost around fifty cents at your local grocery store. The same baking soda, in a twelve-pound bag, from Sam's Club costs about $5.42. What a savings! All of these products can be purchased in bulk, and once you begin using them regularly, you will go through them quickly.

While you are at the warehouse store, be sure to swing by the automotive section and pick up a bag of microfiber cloths. The cloths sold at the warehouse store are larger and thicker than the ones you can get in other stores, and these are great for all of the jobs around your house. You can use these wet or dry. You can also use these just using water and not even bothering with a cleaner because they are that amazing.

Be sure when you launder your microfiber cloths that you do not use any type of fabric softener and use a very little amount of soap or cleaner on them. If you overload them with cleaning products, they will become less and less effective, particularly when you are trying to attract dust towards them. Because these cleaners are homemade and use less harsh ingredients, they will require a little more elbow grease than your commercial products. Here are some of my tried-and-true recipes that we use in our house:
All-Purpose Cleaner - Mix together two tablespoons of mild dish washing soap and two cups of water in a spray bottle and give it a shake. Use this anywhere that you would use a commercial all-purpose spray. This cleaner is particularly great for counter tops, bathroom surfaces, and high chairs.

Glass Cleaner - Mix together one part white vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle. Spray this solution on your mirrors and windows and dry your windows with newspaper. The newspaper is great for lint-free drying.
Homemade Oven Cleaner/Deep Kitchen Cleaner - Mix a paste of three parts warm water to one part baking soda to clean away kitchen stains or to clean your oven.
Bathroom Cleaner - Mix dish washing liquid with baking soda until you have a thick paste and use this throughout your bathroom.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner - No measuring is required with this recipe. Sprinkle a little baking soda into your toilet bowl and then pour a little vinegar in and watch it fizz it up. Give it a swish with your toilet brush and then flush.
Floor Cleaner - Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to a gallon of water. The scent of the vinegar will fade in approximately an hour, but you can also add a couple of drops of essential oil to help with the scent.
Furniture Polish - Mix 1/4 cup olive oil with four tablespoons of vinegar and two teaspoons of lemon juice. Pour into a spray bottle and shake well before using. If you do not use all of it in one cleaning session, store the remainder in the fridge, as the lemon juice can go sour.
Silver Cleaner - Although I don't polish silver very frequently, this is a great to have in your bag of tricks. In a large bowl (or you can use your kitchen sink), place strips of aluminum foil and place the silver pieces on top. Cover the silver with boiling water and then add three tablespoons of baking soda and soak for ten minutes.

By making your own cleaners, you will save hundreds of dollars over the course of the year. What a difference that will make to your grocery budget and helping the environment is a wonderful benefit of your fabulous frugalness.

More frugal cleaning product ideas:

From a reader named Layne -

I, too, thought the price on the clean-up wipes was way too expensive at $3.99 for a package of 28 in my area, so I modified my homemade baby wipes to make my own clean-ups.

Cleaning Wipes: Cut a roll of Bounty paper towels in half, and remove cardboard tube. In an airtight container add 1 1/2 cups water and 1/2 cup of cleaner (bleach or pine Sol or whatever kind you want). I use an old 5-quart ice cream bucket and Mr. Clean Anti-Bacterial. Place roll of paper towels in and seal with lid. Turn upside down until all liquid is absorbed in paper towels. To use, pull each piece of paper towel out of the center. I figured I spent about 75¢ for 100 wipes. Quite a savings! They work great for wiping down the bathroom and kitchen.

From a reader named Bridgett -

Baby Wipes: I use Bounty Select-A-Size paper towels and fold them into thirds. Put them in an old Huggie wipee box. Mix 2 cups warm water, 2 tablespoons baby lotion, and 2 tablespoons baby bath. Pour over the paper towels. You can adjust the recipe if you like your wipees' wetter or drier.

For each of the following, I use Bounty or Viva paper towels, because neither one of these turns to mush. I take a roll of paper towels, cut it in half, and take out the cardboard inside. You won't need it for anything. You'll pull out the sheets from the center. I keep each of the following in a Rubbermaid container big enough to hold half a roll of paper towels:
Kitchen Face Wipe: 2 tablespoons Johnson & Johnson Baby Bath and 2 cups water

Bathroom disinfectant wipes: 2 cups Pine Cleaner (your choice) and 2 cups water.

Bug Wipe: 1 cup Avon Skin so Soft and 1 cup water

Window Wipe: 1 1/2 cups Glass Cleaner (your choice) and 1/2 cup water

All of the above save me some time and money, and they get used a lot here! I've marked the tops of each with exactly what is inside, and the same container gets used over and over again for even more savings.

Room Deodorizers from several readers:

The Fake Febreeze Recipe
2 C. Fabric Softener
2 C. Baking Soda
4 C. warm water
Mix and place in a spritzing bottle. Use just like you would the expensive Febreeze from the store. If you want, you can use the unscented fabric softener and then add a few drops of essential oil to make it a scent that you prefer. I just use Snuggle. Tina

Easy Deodorizer
The best deodorizer that I make is plain tap water with several drops of essential oil in it. I normally use lavender. About 15 drops for a 32-ounce spray bottle. When needed, I simply mist the air. I use lavender because it's so relaxing! Katrina
Good Use for Vodka
I own a business which styles and sells wigs, falls, and other synthetic hairpieces, and the best trick I've learned for getting smells out of those fibers works just as well on other fibers and fabrics. Just mix water and vodka in a 1:1 ratio and spritz it right on. Works as well as commercial products like Febreeze. It evaporates quickly, leaving no alcohol-scent behind. Penny
Less Expensive Substitute
Sam's club has a product called OdoBan. It comes in a gallon jug as a concentrate. You may make the scent as light or strong as you wish by adding water to a very small amount in a spray bottle. The scent isn't as flowery as Febreeze but pleasant, very effective, and very affordable. I have had my gallon for over a year and it's still almost a gallon. My daughter uses this product at her pet grooming shops. The scent of wet dog isn't so noticeable. I have also read you may add fabric softener diluted with water as a spray, but would worry about furniture because product stains clothes if not used right. Dian

Home Made Laundry Soap - and yes it is easy and worth it!!

It has been a hectic two weeks and I have not posted to either of my blogs because I have been so busy. First of all I had to make an unexpected trip to tow my nephew home to Utah from Baker California. I had 3 hours notice from the time we decided to go pick him up until I left. A few days later I went on an impromptu short trip with my man to Las Vegas (which would have been much more fun without the two year old - but at this point I will take what I can get). I now have house guest for another week and I am trying desperately to get organized enough again to post regularly to my blogs.......

I was very happy to have easy everyday food storage after a few weeks like this. My daughter that is a senior in high school, stayed home alone during my recent trips. She is so responsible!! I am so thankful to have a good daughter like her that I can trust to take care of the dogs and the house while I am away. I did not have to worry about going to the store before of after my trips and I did not have to worry about her eating junk food while I was gone. Before I walked out the door on my first trip, I put a casserole from my freezer in the oven for her to eat on while I was gone. She had plenty of things in 'the store' in the basement to eat for lunches and snacks. I did not have to worry about laundry soap or toilet paper or anything of that nature and it certainly makes it easier to just pick up and go when you have an organized 'store' of food and supplies. Speaking of laundry soap - that is what I want to share with you today.

I have not bought laundry soap in over 6 months now. I have been making my own and I am so pleased with the results that I now feel confident enough to tell you about it. Homemade laundry soap is not the old fashioned lye soap that grandma used to make - so there is no worry about having toxic fumes fill your kitchen. It is very economical too. I priced Tide at my local Walmart this week in preparation to share this with you. Where I live - it was $19.96 for a 96 load size of liquid Tide. That's about 21 cents per load. In contrast - making your own laundry soap is only about couple of pennies per load (depending on how much you use and which brand of bar soap you use to make it). You can get all three ingredients needed at your local grocery store. That's right - I said only 3 measly little ingredients and about 20 minutes on your stove top. It's super simple. Here's how to do it:

Home Made Laundry Soap

Ingredients:
1 bar Fel Naptha (you may also use Ivory soap (large sized bar) if this laundry bar is not available at your local store. In Utah - Fels Naptha can be found at your local Reams or Maceys in the laundry section.)
1 Cup Twenty Mule Team Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda (this is not the same as regular baking soda even though it is made by Arm and Hammer as well. It can be found in the laundry section of your super market. It is a detergent booster. it is also found in Reams here in Utah and Publix markets back East.)

Use your cheese grater to grate the Fel Naptha or Ivory soap into a bowl. Since these are non-toxic - you can grate them with your kitchen grater and not worry about using it on your food later. Use the smallest grate setting so the bar will melt easier later. Add the soda and borax and mix. You may use this detergent just as any other powdered detergent. Only use 2 TBS per load. In hard water areas try 3 TBS per load.

To make a liquid detergent (this is what I like to do), put 3 pints of water into a large stock pot. Add the grated bar, borax and soda. Stir over medium heat until the bar is completely dissolved and the mixture is thickened. Take your pot to the sink and add more warm water nearly to the top of the pot. Continue stirring. When it has cooled a little, pour mixture into a five gallon bucket and add more water to make approximately 4 1/2 gallons. Use a long handle wooden spoon to stir. (I have an attachment for my drill to stir paint that I bought at my local hardware store. That is how I stir my mixture, but I know not everyone will have this and a wooden spoon works just fine as well.) When all is done and the mixture is cooled enough to work with, use a funnel and 5 well cleaned milk jugs to store your product. I would use a two cup measure to pour from instead of trying to pour the mixture straight from the bucket into the funnel and milk jugs. Use only 1/2 cup per regular load. (1 cup if you have hard water)

Some people using well water might find that the mixture does not get clothes white enough in water with heavy minerals. If you're using very hard water, you might consider mixing the homemade version 50/50 with your expensive commercial detergent. We have very hard water in our town, but I have a water softener in my home and only have to use 1/2 cup per regular sized laundry load. I cannot say what your individual results may be. I think I would try using more of your homemade soap first before mixing it 50/50. Either way - it is still a significant savings. A five gallon bucket will yield 160 loads at 1/2 cup per load and only cost $2 per bucket to make. That's a far cry better than $20 for 96 loads of Tide and I can't notice a difference.

I spent $3.99 each on the box of borax and washing soda. Each box is enough for me to make 8 recipes of this detergent. The Fels Naptha is $1.26 locally here but Ivory soap is only $3.99 for an 8 bar pack of the larger sized bars. So basically for $12, I can make enough laundry soap to last my family for two years. That's 1280 loads at $12 bucks - so that's not even a penny per load if I use Ivory soap. Can you say WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tide is 21 times that expensive.

I also use this same mixture as a stain fighter and have not bought Spray-N-wash in over 6 months either. You can mix 2 parts of your homemade liquid soap with 1 part water and put it into a spray bottle to pre-treat stains. I also rub out particularly tough stains with liquid dish soap if needed. At $3 a bottle, Spray-N-Wash is just too expensive when I can do this.

When traveling on road trips, pack individual packets of the powdered version in plastic baggies to use at the laundry mat so you don't spend a fortune on those little one use boxes in the vending machine.

Additionally, use 1/4 cup of plain white vinegar in the rinse cycle as a fabric softener. This removes excess soap residue if you have that problem with your current brand. I do not have that problem with homemade detergent. Vinegar is much cheaper if purchased by the gallon, and pricing varies greatly. I use the cheapest store brand I can find and it works very well. Vinegar also has so many other uses such as in your dishwasher as a spot remover (no more expensive rinse agents!!) and as a window cleaner to remove hard water stains. For more tips and tricks on homemade cleaning products go to the Dollar Stretcher website at: http://www.stretcher.com/

30 minute Cheesey Italitan breadsticks

This recipe was originally posted as a video from YouTube last month (April 3rd if you want to look up the original video). Since then I have personally made it several times and tweaked it to my personal taste. My family begs for it now. I hope you will like it as well.

PS* - I just got a note from a friend of mine - Jolene McQueen - and she says she has experimented and made a similar recipe leaving off the cheeses and using cinnamon and sugar instead of the italian seasonings and garlic and that it is fabulous for breakfast and brunch. I am definatley gonna try that and I will let you know the amounts that I used to get it perfect (at least to my taste) later.

30 Minute Bread Sticks
Yummy delicious breadsticks your family will love and they truly only take 30 minutes from the moment you start to assemble your ingredients until they are out of your oven.

Utensils:

Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
A 9 X 13 baking pan or large cookie sheet if recipe is doubled
Measuring cup and spoons

Ingredients:

1 ¼ Cup really warm tap water
1 TBS yeast
¼ Cup butter or margarine (1/2 stick)
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 ½ TBS oil (olive oil taste best – but regular vegetable oil is just fine too)
3 Cups flour (I use half white and half wheat)
1 – 8 oz. package shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese
More garlic salt to sprinkle on top to your taste

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in water right in your mixer bowl and let stand 2 minutes. Meanwhile – set your oven to preheat to 400*. Put the cold butter in your pan and put it in the oven to melt while you mix the other ingredients. Add sugar, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and oil to yeast mixture in bowl. Mix on low speed just until blended. Add flour slowly – one cup at a time. After last cup, lock your mixer (if it has that option) and just let the mixer work the dough by itself on medium speed for about 2 minutes until it has formed a ball around your hook. Take the pan with melted butter from oven with hot pads. Remove dough ball from mixer and spread directly into buttered pan with your fingers. Be careful not to touch the sides of the pan since they will be hot. Some of the butter will ooze up over the top of your dough as you press it into the pan. Just use your fingers to spread it over the whole dough mass when you finish spreading the dough out to all the edges of the pan.

Let dough rest for 10 minutes to rise a bit. It won’t rise much – but it will get a little fluffy. Sprinkle dough with garlic salt. Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Bake at 400* for 10 – to 12 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Slice bread with pizza cutter if on a shallow sided cookie sheet. If it is in a regular baking pan slice with a knife while still warm. A 9 X 13 pan makes about 16 bread sticks. These are soooooo yummy you’ll be making them all the time.

Make Your Own Buttermilk Pancake Mix

Pancakes from scratch just taste better than most of the mixes in the stores but when you're in a hurry, who has time for scratch? Here's how to make a buttermilk pancake mix so that you can have great “from scratch” pancakes when you are in a hurry. It's storable and since it has everything included but eggs and butter, it's a great mix to stick in the RV or take camping. You can make this mix as large or as small as you like just keep the same ratio of ingredients to make it any size.

12 C All Purpose Flour
3/4 C Sugar
1 1/2 C Dry Buttermilk Powder
6 tsp Baking Soda
12 tsp Baking Powder
3 tsp Salt
Makes Approx 5 lbs. For easier measurement, remember that one tablespoon equals three teaspoons. I just listed it as tsp to make the division easier if you want to make a smaller batch.

Combine all the ingredients and whisk together to distribute evenly. Store your buttermilk pancake mix in a sealed container in a cool place and use it within three months. If you would like to keep the mix longer, store it in the freezer. You can buy buttermilk powder in your grocery store in the section with dry milk. To use your mix:

1. Measure the desired amount of mix into a large bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl, whisk one egg for every one to 1 1/2 cups of mix.
3. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter or oil to the egg for every one cup of mix.
4. Add 2/3 cup water to the egg mixture for every one cup of mix. Add the liquid mixture to the mix and stir until just combined. The batter will probably be too dry so add more water to reach the desired consistency.

Sunflower Wheat Bread

Over the years I have experimented with several bread recipes. Some I liked and some I did not, but until now - I had not come across one that I thought I would use as a regular staple. My girls and I are not quite as choosy about wheat bread recipes, but my husband likes a certain sunflower bread that cost almost $3 a loaf at the store. I have tried to replicate it - but still have not been able to get it quite right. However, I now have a sunflower bread recipe that even my finicky husband will eat. It may not be the same as his favorite brand at the store - but it is pretty darn good if I do say so myself. I make my dough in my bread maker and then put it into the loaf pan to rise the final time and bake in my oven. I just like the shape of an oven baked loaf better than the bread maker pan. If you chose to do this recipe without a bread maker, use the same steps - except put it in a stand mixer (like a Kitchen Aid) and let it mix for about 10 minutes. Then put it into a well oiled bowl and let rise until doubled. Punch it down, shape into loaf and then place into pan until doubled again before baking. Here's the recipe:

Put the following in your bread maker pan (or mixer) in this order:
1 1/2 C warm tap water

2 C white flour

2 C wheat flour

1/2 C unsalted sunflower nuts

2 TBS margarine or butter

2 TBS sugar

2 TBS dry milk powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 TBS rapid rise yeast

Set the bread maker for 'Basic Dough' setting. As soon as bread maker is done, remove dough, shape into a loaf and place in pan. Let rise until doubled. I like to rapid raise my dough in a warm oven. To do this - preheat your oven to 150* - 170* (which ever is as low as yours will go -mine only goes to 170*). Then turn it off and set your pan in there. Make sure and cover you dough with a towel or it will dry out the top. After dough has risen, remove it from oven and preheat oven again - this time to 375*. Bake bread at 375* for 20 - 25 minutes until top is a light golden brown. This bread is great for all basic sandwich making. I also like to make an herbed version for use with chicken sandwiches or serving with Italian themed dinners. Use the same recipe - except add the following after the salt:

2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dries oregano

Now that's a really good sunflower bread!!!!

Yogurt and herbal tea part 2 of 2

This is more awesome information from Tammy at Dehydrate2store on Youtube. She has many awesome videos on how to dehydrate and store everything under the sun.

Yogurt and Herbal Tea part 1 of 2

This is an excellent video on how to make yogurt. I have made my own homemade yogurt and my kids love it. It is much cheaper than buying the 'Yoplait' as I used to do and it taste even better. I put my yogurt in jars to initially make it just as she shows here. My dehydrator is one of those round ones - not as nice as hers and I cannot put my jars in it. You can incubate your yogurt other ways though. I put mine in my large electric roasting pan (you know - the type you use to cook a turkey in) and set the temperature just as she does. You can also use a crock pot set on the 'warm' setting. You can also set your yogurt on a heating pad and invert a small box over it to hold in the heat. That is how I made it the first time, before I remembered my roaster. It worked but took a lot longer to set the yogurt. The longer the yogurt incubates, the more sour it becomes - so shorter, more precise incubation temperatures make a better yogurt. After it is done and has been refridgerated overnight, I put mine into seperate little 'Glad' brand mini-round containers. They are the perfect size (4 oz. each), reusable, and they only cost me $3 at the Walmart for an 8 pack. You may sweeten your yogurt as she describes in the video or as I do with my home-made strawberry, peach, and raspberry jams. Using jams will make your yogurt thinner - but my kids love it and it only takes 1 tsp per 4 oz container.
Homemade yogurt is great to eat alone, use plain as a sour cream substitute or to mix into your oatmeal. When I make a packet of fruit oatmeal, (you can use store bought or see my recipe at the bottom of this blog) I use 1/2 cup of yougurt instead water or milk and then I microwave it for 1 min. 30 sec. It makes the most intensely fruity oatmeal and it is a staple breakfast at our house all winter long. Making yogurt is easy and you should give it a try. I know once you do - you will be hooked on it and will never go back to store bought again!

I.O.U.S.A.: The 30 Minute Version

This non-partisan video will explain the best reason for food storage in my view. "It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark" - Well folks - we are on the verge of 'the BIGGEST flood of all time' now. You best start packing your ark.

NON-Food Storage

A year supply of food is a great start - but what about all those non-food items that pad our monthly grocery bill? How do we get along in times of financial crisis if we have not also stored the non-food things we use on a daily basis? To get started storing your non-food items, go around your home and make a list of the items you use on a daily basis. Decide if you need to store brand names or if your family is fine with generic versions. Since many non-food items are not readily available through warehouse or specialty orders, keep track of local sales and coupons. Many non-food items can be found at the dollar store. They can also be gotten for FREE after rebate at Walgreen's Rite-Aid and CVS pharmacies. Personally - I found it cheaper to get my year's supply of non-food than I thought. I actually had a year's supply of non-food before I got my year's supply of food stored. The list below is what I store for my family of four. Compute your needs according to your own family size. Some people will use different amounts of the same items because of personal usage patterns or children’s ages and sex.

The Basics:
trash bags (6 - 80 count boxes)
paper napkins (12 - 400 count packs)
toilet paper (13 - 24 roll packs)
Kleenex (48 - 200 count boxes)
paper towels (13 - 8 roll packs)
dish soap (6 - 64 oz bottles)
dishwasher soap (6 - 85 oz bottles)
toothbrushes (4 per person/year = 16)
mouthwash (12 - 48 oz. bottles)
toothpaste (12 - 6.4 oz tubes)
bath soap (75 bars)
laundry soap (12 - 90 load sized jugs)
fabric softener (24 - 55 count boxes)
spray-N-wash (6 bottles)
bleach (12 gallons)
Lysol (12 cans)
sanitary pads (12 - 32 count packs)
alcohol & peroxide (6 bottles each)
band-aids (3 boxes)
hydrocortisone cream (2 tubes)
antibiotic ointment (2 tubes)
ibuprofen (200 tablets)
aspirin (1000 tablets)
acetaminophen (500 tablets)
shampoo & conditioner (12 each - 16oz)
lotion (24 - 4 oz. tubes)
deodorant (24 sticks)
shave cream (12 cans)
disposable razors (150 total)
lip balm (36 tubes)
wet wipes (6 - 400 count refill boxes)
Ajax cleanser (6 cans)
soft scrub type cleaners (6 bottles)
toilet cleaner (12 bottles)
600 paper plates, 100 paper bowls, & 2 - 500 count boxes plastic utensils - (2 wk. supply)

EXTRAS:
Foundation make-up, mascarra, lipstick and moisturizers are nice items to have on hand. These things can get very pricey depending on your brand of choice and every woman wants to look and feel her best even when times are hard.

If you have a baby or toddler that is still in diapers - I would also store 24 to 36 cloth diapers and waterproof cover pants plus extra bleach and detergent for them. You may choose to try to store disposable diapers - but I think it is best to simply keep cloth on hand in case of an economic emergency.

If you have growing children - please try to have a few things in their closets that are a size up. If you have children of the same sex, keep the hand-me downs for the younger children and then you will only have to store a size up for the oldest child. Personally - I buy all my girls clothes for the next year off the clearnace rack at the end of each season. I usually come out as cheap as and sometimes cheaper than going to a thrift store shopping clearnace racks at K-Mart and Wal-Mart.

For the men - keep extra work gloves and boots on hand. Also make sure he has his favorite brand of shaving cream, razors and aftershave lotion in storage. Our men are creatures of habit and want to be comfortable too.

Here's one that escapes many people - - Christmas presents. If you have little ones - they won't understand why Santa can't get them a toy just because daddy or mommy lost a job - so I have always tried to get inexpensive Christmas presents a little along throughout the year and have a few things tucked away in the coolers in the basement. Older children are perfectly capable of understanding financial crisis and should be 'kept in the loop' so they know what to expect - but little ones will not understand. If you have gotten a few things all along - they will be happy at Christmas or their birthday even if you are in a financial or other crisis.

Cracking Wheat in Your Blender

Using Cracked Wheat

Did you know that you can use cracked wheat to extend your ground beef, to substitute for nuts or RICE? The nice thing about using it as rice is that it is MUCH FASTER to cook than brown rice. (15-20 minutes MAX!) Watch the short video above to learn how to crack wheat in your blender. Coffee grinders are the best for cracking wheat so if you find yourself needing to crack a lot of it I would pay the $10 bucks to buy a coffee grinder. Make sure when you’re cracking wheat in the blender that your blender is completely (and when I say completely I mean COMPLETELY) dry or it won’t crack the wheat. Also, make sure to use small amounts like no more than a little over 1/4 cup at a time. Also -you can practice using cracked wheat as nuts. This Strawberry “Nut” Jell-O salad is from the Everyday Food Storage website. She writes:

This is my ULTIMATE FAVORITE Jell-O salad in the WHOLE WORLD. (Have I convinced it tastes awesome yet?) It is different from anything else you’ve seen at a potluck and the cracked wheat in the salad gives a really great texture. It almost tastes like little bits of strawberries in the salad. You’ve got to try this, you’re family will LOVE it and no one NOT NO ONE will guess there is wheat in it!!!

Strawberry Nut (Wheat) Molded Salad

1 small pkg. strawberry Jello (or use raspberry if you like)
1 C boiling water

Combine Jell-O and Water & refrigerate until syrupy, then add to the rest (word to the wise-you have to watch this like a hawk. It goes from syrupy to jelled very quickly. I would check it between 15-20 minutes after you put it in the fridge)

1 C cooked cracked wheat for mock nuts
1 C whipped cream or Cool Whip Whipped Topping
1/2 C sugar
2 C mashed fresh strawberries

Refrigerate until firm or over night. Serve on a bed of lettuce with a dollop of whipped cream/topping sprinkled with cooked cracked wheat as your mock nuts.
For more tips and tricks for using food storage in your everyday recipes, please visit http://www.everydayfoodstorage.net/

How to Shape Hamburger Buns

Perfectly Shaped Rolls

30 Minute Breadsticks or Deep Dish Pizza Crust

Making Bread: Part 2 (More Food Storage Recipes)

Making Bread: Part 1 (More Food Storage Recipes)

Here's the recipe for the bread in the videos above:
EZ Wheat Bread recipe (she doubled this recipe in the video you watched)
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 Tblsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup honey or 1/3 cup sugar
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (or whatever combination white/wheat you like..I use 100% hard white wheat)
1/4 cup wheat gluten1 tsp salt
2 Tblsp nonfat non instant dry milk
1 Tblsp butter/margarine/oil
1 Tblsp vinegar
1/4 cup potato flakes (NOT potato pearls)

Mix ingredients in order listed in mixing bowl of mixer with dough hook attachment (like kitchen-aid) for 12-15 minutes. Let rise until double, 1- 1 1/2 hours. Punch down, and shape into loaf or rolls. Let rise again until double and bake 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.If you are making this recipe in a bread machine, follow your bread machine’s directions for wheat or whole grain selection and add the ingredients in the order listed for their recommendations. (only one loaf will fit in a bread maker)

EZ White Bread
1 1/8 cups warm water
1 3/4 - 2 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tblsp sugar (you can use a little more sugar if you like your dough a little sweeter)
3 cups flour
1 Tblsp vital wheat gluten (remember you don’t need as much gluten if you’re not using whole wheat flour)
1 tsp salt
2 Tblsp nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 Tblsp butter/margarine or oil
1/4 cup potato flakes(you don’t really need vinegar for white bread, remember the dough enhancers are primarily needed for whole wheat bread)

Add the ingredients in the order listed into a mixer bowl (like a kitchen-aid) with a dough hook attachment and mix on low for 10-12 minutes. Or mix it on the dough cycle in your bread machine.After all the mixing is complete, if the dough still seems too gooey and you are unable to handle it, add 1 Tblsp flour at a time, and mix after each addition until the dough is manageable with your hands.Let rise 45 mins -1 hour, punch down and use to make bread, cinnamon rolls, cookie sheet pizza, rolls, or anything else you can think of! Let rise after you have made your creation and bake according to the direction of the recipe you are making.If you are making it into bread, form into a loaf at this time, place in a loaf pan, let rise in a warm place 45 min -1 hour and bake 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.If you are making this recipe in a bread machine. Follow your bread machine’s directions and add the ingredients in the order listed in their recommendations. (only one loaf will fit in a bread maker)

Dough Enhancer for making Homemade Bread

This is very informative.

How-to Make French Bread part 2

How-to Make French Bread Part 1

Here's the recipe for the French Bread straight from her site http://www.everydayfoodstorage.net/ :

French Bread (3-4 Loaves)
2 T. yeast
2 1/2 c. warm water
7 c. flour
2 T. sugar
1 T. salt (remember this is for 3-4 loaves…so it’s not really alot)

Dissolve yeast in water. Then add sugar, salt and 2 c. flour. Beat. Add rest of flour and knead on floured board (or in standing kitchen mixer) for about 5 minutes. Let rise about 30-45 minutes. Grease 1-2 cookie sheets and sprinkle lightly with corn meal. Punch down bread and knead one minute. Divide into thirds or fourths. Let rest 10 minutes. Roll each piece into ropes as long as the cookie sheet. Place on cookie sheet being sure there is ample space between each rope or loaf. make several evenly spaced shallow cuts diagonally in the top of each loaf; brush with water or egg wash, then brush again and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let raise until double (about 30 minutes). Place pan of hot water on lower shelf of oven. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 for 20-30 minutes or until bread gives a hollow sound when tapped. Remove from pans and cool and wrap in plastic bags.
NOTE: This is EXTREMELY delicious warm and the next day but after that it starts to dry out and isn’t very tasty. However - it will freeze for later use.

Freezer Meals

Most of the information in this post came from my friend, Rosie Jameson, who regularly does freezer meal cooking and is rarely without a month's supply of ready made meals in her freezer. She suggests the book, ‘Dinner Is Ready’ by Deann Buxton, for those of you that want to really put this principle to work for yourselves. The book or computer software for making 30 meals in one day can be purchased from Deseret Book or at www.dinnerisready.com

Food storage for me is about both long and short term preparedness. A lot of my post will deal with log term preparedness, but today I wanted to talk about short term preparedness. When I was pregnant with Ahsley, I had lots of complications. During my last month, I had some difficulties at work one day. Long story short - I ended up having the nurse at work take me to the hospital where I was told that I would have to be put on bed rest until I could be delivered safely via C-section - in another 3 to 4 weeks! UHHHHGGGGG! I am not a good patient. I like to do things for myself and the thought of the good sisters at my church having to bring me dinner or help with other household duties for 3 to 4 weeks was just too much. At the time, Charolett was 15. Ron was not working on the road at the time, so lucky me - they were my cook and maid. The sisters brought in a few dinners, but Ron told them to take it easy and help others that were in greater need, because he and Charolett could handle it. That was kind of true. My house was very clean. I am very lucky that Ron is a real neat-freak. But... the meals left a little something to be desired. The title of this post is 'freezer meals' but that does not mean frozen burritos, as my lovely well-meaning daughter made me several times during my bed rest. It means a real homemade meal. If you think it sounds like a lot of time and effort - not really. You'd be surprised how fast you can fill a freezer with good quality meals for use on sick days - or days that you just don't have much time and you really don't have the money to go out to eat. Before my pregnancy, I had put a few meals in the freezer simply by doubling the recipe that I was making on a particular night and freezing the extra in a disposable foil pan. I was planning on adding to the few that I already had for after the baby's birth, but I was not counting on bed rest with a month left to go - so all my normal nesting activity was greatly curtailed. Here's some suggestions to help you keep from getting caught unprepared like I was for your life's little emergencies as you embark on your freezer meal adventures.

1. Start out with a smaller number of recipes until you feel comfortable, then work up to your goals. Doubling a recipe takes no more time than a single recipe. If you double recipes for 15 days, you’ll have a month’s supply of food in the freezer for virtually the same time commitment as only a two week’s supply.
2. Don’t do a bunch of complicated recipes at once. The suggestion for 30 meals in a day is to double the following: 2 crock pot recipes, 2 oven recipes, 2 stove top recipes, and 9 assembly recipes.
3. Cook soups and foods minimally. Hot foods take a long time to cool and the heat overworks the freezer. Vegetables work well if they are just barely cooked. Adding frozen vegetables at the end of a recipe is great so it doesn't overcook the vegetables and it cools down the dish faster. The vegetables will finish cooking when you remove the dish from the freezer and cook it later.
4. Start preparing the day before by shopping and cooking meats, chopping onions and other veggies, and grating cheeses.
5. Gallon freezer bags lie flatter in the freezer than quart-sized, even with small amounts of food. Generally you can get more food in the freezer using freezer bags than by using freezer ‘Tupperware’ type containers.
6. Disposable foil pans are great and cheap for lasagnas and other casseroles. Check your local dollar store before purchasing them at the grocery store.
7. Use good quality heavy foil to avoid freezer burn on all your hard work.
8. Write food name, cooking times and temperatures directly on foil and freezer bags with permanent marker so that you don’t have a ‘mystery dish’ if a label comes off.
9. Use reduced fat or no fat ingredients (with cream cheese-Neufchatel is fine but fat free doesn't cook well.) Reduced fat sour cream, cream of mushroom or chicken soup, half and half work well in many recipes, but don't use reduced fat margarine.
10. Freezer meals are great for helping someone sick or in need. They can pop it in the oven on their schedule and if you use disposable foil pans – they don’t have to wash dishes or worry about returns.

11. Most modern ovens have a delayed baking feature. If you know you are coming home too late to cook yourself, you can place the frozen meal in your oven in the morning to thaw and set the delayed bake feature for the appropriate time. Your dinner will thaw and bake by the time you come home. Now that's better than fast food any day!

Here's a few freezer meal recipes for you to try:

Cream Cheese Chicken

1 envelope Italian dressing mix

1/2 cup butter

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast

10.75-ounce can cream of chicken soup

8-ounce package cream cheese

Turn crock pot on High. Place butter in bottom of crock pot. When the butter has melted, add one envelope Italian dressing dry mix. Stir into butter until well mixed. Cut chicken breasts into 1" strips. Place in crock pot and stir to coat with butter and dressing mix. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours. Remove chicken to plate to cool. Add cream of chicken soup and cream cheese to crock pot. Stir to melt and mix well until smooth and creamy. Remove sauce from crock pot and allow to cool. Place chicken and sauce into a gallon resealable freezer bag. Label. Freeze.
To serve: Thaw. Heat until piping hot and bubbly. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or hot buttered noodles.

Beef and Broccoli

3/4 cup rice, uncooked

1 lb lean ground beef

1 cup onion, chopped

1 tsp garlic, minced

10 oz pkg frozen broccoli

10.75 oz can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup beef broth

1 TB Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup French fried onions

Cook rice according to package directions. Brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Thaw broccoli and squeeze out water. Combine beef and broccoli. Stir in rice, soup, broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning and cheese. (Do not add French fried onions until baking.) Place in freezer bag. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw and bake in greased baking dish, uncovered for 35 minutes at 375º. Top with 1 cup French fried onions. Bake 10 minutes.

Apple Roast Pork

4 lb pork roast

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup apple juice

1/2 tsp salt

Place roast in dish or pan barely larger than roast. Douse roast on all sides with Worcestershire sauce. Press brown sugar on sides and top of roast. Pour apple juice into the baking pan but not over roast. Cover tightly with extra heavy foil and lid. Place roast in preheated 400° oven. Immediately reduce heat to 275°. Bake for 5 hours. Remove and allow to cool enough to handle. Meat should pull apart easily. Shred meat and sprinkle with salt. Place meat and broth in freezer bag or container. For individual servings, spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Fill muffin cups with meat and broth. Cover and place pan in freezer just until frozen. Pop out and place in gallon freezer bag. Label and freeze.
To serve: Thaw and heat. Spoon meat onto warm onion rolls. Serve with sliced apples or applesauce.

Simple Lasagna

2 cups cottage cheese

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 Tbs dried parsley flakes

2 Tbs Parmesan cheese

1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

3 cups spaghetti sauce12 lasagna noodles, uncooked

1 green bell pepper, chopped1 onion, chopped

2 - 8 ounce packages mushrooms

Combine cottage cheese, egg, dried parsley flakes and Parmesan cheese. Mix spaghetti sauce with the peppers, onion, and mushrooms. Cover the bottom of a greased foil baking pan with spaghetti sauce. Layer uncooked noodles, sauce, and half the Mozzarella and half the Jack cheeses. Top with another layer of noodles, then all the cottage cheese mixture. Top with another layer of noodles, then the remainder of the Mozzarella and Jack cheeses and cover with a thick layer of spaghetti sauce. Cover with extra heavy foil. Label and freeze.

To Serve: Thaw and cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour

Cheesy Ham and Potatoes

1- 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

2- 10.75 oz cans cream of celery soup

1/2 cup onion, minced

1 1/2 cups ham, cubed

1 1/2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

1/4 tsp pepper

24 oz bag frozen shredded hash browns

10 ounce bag frozen broccoli (optional)

Directions:
Combine softened cream cheese and soup. Stir in onions, ham, Jack cheese and pepper. Break apart hash browns (do not thaw). Gently stir into cheese mixture. Place in freezer bag. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw and bake in a greased baking dish, covered, 1 hour at 350º. Uncover, top with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake 5 minutes makes: 12 Servings

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1 10 3/4 oz cream of chicken soup

2 cups chicken, chopped

1 cup carrots, shredded1 cup celery, chopped

2 - 4 ounce packages long grain and wild rice mix with seasoning

5 cups chicken broth

5 cups water

1 package mixed frozen vegetables.

Combine all ingredients in a greased 4 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 4-6 hours or until rice is done. Do not overcook rice. Cool and pour in to gallon Ziploc bags to freeze.
To serve: Put into a large pan on stovetop and cook until hot.

more tips and tricks

My postings have been absent for a few days because my beloved was home and since he travels so much, I always place him as first priority. But now - I am back in the groove - as it were. So .... on with my thoughts of today.
Let me first start by saying thanks to all of you that are reading this blog and have sent me pictures of your own food storage examples and comments to my email. I really appreciate the encouragement. Here are some pictures from a reader in Montana named Lisa. Lisa tried canning her own cheese and it worked beautifully. Thanks for the pictures Lisa!

Today was 'daycare day' at my nephew's Jr. high school so he 'borrowed' my little one for 45 minutes this morning to take to class with him. It was so nice to have a break and be able to shop for Easter goodies without her in tow. The reason I mentioned my nephew is that when I sent Ashley off to class with him this morning, I started thinking about when he and his family first moved to Utah. My sister-in-law, Becky, and her husband, Troy, moved here from California 6 years ago, when Troy got a chance to transfer here with his job. At that time, they put their stuff in storage and moved in with us for what was supposed to be 2 weeks while they got into a house. The 2 weeks turned into 2 months when they found a floor plan with a local development that they liked and were able to get into a newly built home and pick their own colors. The Reynolds house went from a family of 4 (my nephew was living with us at the time) to a family of 9 for almost an entire summer. Having a family of 5 as house guest for 2 months could be stressful for most people, but Becky and Troy are wonderful, easy-going people. Their 3 boys (2 of whom were teenagers at the time) were also very well behaved. It was during this transition time for their family and ours that, out of necessity, Becky and I discovered a few things about food storage. Here's a few tricks to keeping cost down and storing for large crowds.

1. Storage does not have to be pretty. It does have to be organized. I don't care if you only have scrap wood storage shelves in an unfinished basement (as I do) or beautiful finished melamine cabinets - as long as it is organized, it will work.

2. Break down bulk freezer purchases (meat - cheese - poultry) into meal sized portions before storing. Ex: When block cheese is cheaper - grate your cheese right after you buy it and store it in 1 or 2 cup portions (whatever you usually use for your family size) in sandwich baggies. Then put those baggies into your freezer bag to keep it from getting 'burned'. When a casserole calls for cheese - just pull out a baggie and you are done. I did 40 lbs of cheese (it was on a great sale!!) like this with the meat grinder attachment for my kitchen-aid mixer. It took a few hours on a Saturday afternoon to get it all done - but it was a beautiful thing not to have to grate cheese for a year!!!

3. Buy a kitchen scale and break down packages of chips, Cheetos's, cookies, ect. into proper serving size baggies before putting them into your pantry if they are going to be used for work or school lunches. Then you and your teenagers won't be serving yourselves from a big bag and overeat the junk food. Remember - a serving size of most chips is only 1 once. That's about 1/3 of what you would eat if you just served yourself without the scale.

4. Make your own oatmeal packets! Why pay so much for 10 little packets of pre-packaged oatmeal packets when they are so easy to do yourself. I put each serving into snack sized baggies, and put all the baggies into a 5 gallon bucket. I go to the basement and put 15 or so into a Tupperware in my pantry every week for use. My nephews loved this oatmeal when they lived with me. The recipe for this is at the bottom of this blog.

5. Bisquick and other pre-packaged master mixes are so expensive. Make your own for way cheaper. Check out the video and recipe for 'Master Mix' in my earlier post.

6. Co-cooking is a real blessing! Even if you don't have the opportunity to share a home with another family for a while, you can make this work by sharing the cooking duties with a neighbor. Families of similar size decide on a budget for meals and make a weekly or monthly menu plan. On alternating nights (or alternating weeks if that works for you) each family cooks a double sized meal and brings half to the neighbor. Both families have the same grocery budget as before - but eat more home cooked meals, resulting in fewer nights dining out. This saves on the family budget as well as time and effort for whoever does the cooking in the house. Another plus is that the families will usually shop for the dinner ingredients together. This saves gas money as well as more time.

Spice Up Your Life

So - the mainstays of your spice rack are the salt and pepper shakers. You have a little cinnamon sugar for the kids to sprinkle on their toast. But other than that - your spice rack is pretty much non-existent. Not to worry. Just pay a visit to your local grocery store spice isle and start slowly. You will soon learn that spices are not only flavorful - but good for you. Let's start with trying to cut the salt. Americans use way too much salt. The overuse of this little ingredient helps contribute to the health problems many Americans are already fighting. Salt in and of itself is not bad - but the overuse of it is. But cutting the salt does not mean eating bland diets. It just means that you need to learn how to use the herbs and spices that culinary experts use everyday. It's basically taking the spice in your life from 'McDonald's grade' to gourmet grade. A trip to the spice isle doesn't have to break the bank either. Most common spices can be purchased in a generic version for as little as $1 per jar - and there are even some at my local Walmart that are 2 for $1. The average shelf life for spices is 5 years. So use them to rotate them through your food storage system or toss them after that time period. You can spend less than $30 on the spice isle and have a healthy stock for your food storage. Here's what I suggest to start:

Vanilla: Vanilla is one of the most popular flavorings in the world. It is used in flavoring most desserts, including ice cream, custard, cake, candy, and pudding. Vanilla is also used to enhance the flavor of beverages and sauces. I use a vanilla powder instead of liquid vanilla.

Sesame Seeds: Sesame Seeds are commonly used in stir-fries, Jewish and Chinese confections, and Middle Eastern dishes. It is also used in breads, candies, main dishes, as a garnish on pasta and vegetables, and for its oil content. A simple start in trying sesame seeds is to sprinkle them over green beans. My daughter loves this.

Sage: Sage enhances pork, lamb, meats, and sausages. Chopped leaves flavor salads, pickles, and cheese. It is one of the most popular herbs in the United States. It is a beautiful little soft velvet leafed plant and is a nice accent to your flower beds. Enjoy the looks and aroma in your garden and use it to cook - 2 uses in 1!!

Rosemary: Another great addition to your flower beds! Rosemary is an herb in the mint family. It is a small evergreen shrub whose 1 inch leaves resemble curved pine needles. Rosemary is used primarily in lamb, pork, chicken, and rabbit dishes.

Red Pepper: Some manufacturers use the term Cayenne Pepper to refer to a hotter version of Red Pepper. Red Pepper is used to achieve the characteristically hot flavor of Mexican, Creole, Cajun, Thai, Szechwan, and Indian cooking. It also is used in chili, Spanish rice, and barbecue sauce as well as meats, salads, and casseroles.

Parsley: This is another easy to grow herb for your garden beds. I grow the curly leaf kind because I found it more decorative. Use fresh or dried Parsley as a garnish in soups, salads, meats, vegetables, and sauces. It is also an excellent breath freshener. It is high in vitamins A and C, and contains iron, iodine, and copper.

Paprika: Paprika is the main flavor in Hungarian dishes like Goulash. In the United States, it is often used as a garnish on stuffed eggs, fish, and cheese and vegetable casseroles. Spanish Paprika flavors shellfish, rice, and sausage dishes. In Morocco, Paprika is used in tomato dishes and salads.

Oregano: Since Greek and Roman times it has been used with meats, fish, vegetables, and as a flavoring for wine. Before World War II, Oregano was almost unknown in the United States. However, its popularity skyrocketed with the popularity of pizza. It is also awesome in homemade spaghetti sauces.

Onion: Dry onion is so commonly used at my house that I purchase mine in the big #10 cans instead of the little spice jars. Onions are popular everywhere in the world. Fresh onions are used as both a condiment and a vegetable in almost any savory food. Fresh onions are easy to store for prolonged periods in a cool dry place. Just knot them off in the legs of an old clean pair of pantyhose and hang them from a nail. Cut them off one at a time for use.

Mint: Mint is the dried leaf of a perennial herb. There are two important species, Mentha spicata L. (spearmint) and Mentha piperita L. (peppermint). Fresh mint is easy to grow. Too easy in fact. It will take over your entire garden and is quite a nuisance to get rid of. I suggest growing fresh mint - but do it in a container. Cooking uses include mint jelly served with lamb, sprinkled in peas, or in chocolate desserts. I prefer to use mint for it's medicinal values. Steep 12 -15 fresh mint leaves in a cup of boiling water to make a mint 'tea' for tummy aches. I used this in Ashley's baby bottles when she was fussy with a tummy ache and it worked wonders. For older kids and adults, add a teaspoon of honey to sweeten the mixture. I will also take a fresh spearmint leaf and hold it under my tongue as a natural breath freshener and appetite suppressant. I also use spearmint and peppermint oil in honey cream mint food storage candy recipes. The recipe has been added to the article at the bottom of this blog entitiled 'my food storage favorite recipes'.

Garlic: Garlic is used in cuisines throughout the world. It is indispensable in Chinese, Italian, and Mexican foods. Fresh garlic can be stored the same as onions (ssee above). When purchasing from the spice rack section - be sure to get garlic powder instead of garlic salt - which of corse contains salt and that is what we are trying to cut.

Cumin: Cumin is frequently used in Mexican dishes such as chili con carne and hot tamales.

Cream of Tartar: Cream of Tartar is a natural, pure ingredient left behind after grape juice has fermented to wine. Cream of Tartar is used to stabilize egg white foams. It is also a major ingredient in baking powder.

Cloves: Cloves have been used for thousands of years. One of the earliest references to them says that the Chinese, in order to approach the emperor, had to have a few Cloves in their mouths to sweeten the breath. Cloves are used in spice cookies and cakes.

Cinnamon: Possibly most the common baking spice, Cinnamon is used in cakes, cookies, and desserts throughout the world. Cinnamon is also used in savory chicken and lamb dishes from the Middle East. In American cooking, Cinnamon is often paired with apples and used in other fruit and cereal dishes. Stick Cinnamon is used in pickling and for flavoring hot beverages.

Bay Leaves: Bay Leaves, a staple in American kitchens, are used in soups, stews, meat and vegetable dishes. The leaves also flavor classic French dishes such as bouillabaisse and bouillon.

Basil: Basil is widely used in Italian cuisine and is often paired with tomatoes. It is also used in Thai cooking. The herb complements meat, vegetables, cheese, and egg dishes.

Allspice: It is not a blend of "all spices," but its taste and aroma remind many people of a mix of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Allspice is used in Jamaican jerk seasoning and in Jamaican soups, stews, and curries. It also is used in pickling spice, spiced tea mixes, cakes, cookies, and pies. Food producers use it in ketchup, pickles, and sausages.

So remember - If variety is the spice of life - spices should be the variety in your food storage!!