Lunch Has Arrived

Welcome to September! I could not be more excited for this beautiful month to arrive (August was long and hot for us at the Spjute household). To celebrate the new month, I thought we could move on to a new mealtime to focus on for food storage. So, here is this week's food storage lunch idea:

Sandwiches
Fruit*
Chips/Crackers**

This week, I recommend you buy the fixings to make your family's favorite kind of sandwiches, and a few sides to go along with them.

Here's the recommendations:

• 1 jar peanut butter (the bigger jar), which should be enough for about 14 sandwiches (enough for 2 for a week)
• 1-2 jars jam/jelly (flavor of your choice - quantity depends on what you prefer)
• 1-2 loaves bread, to freeze in the freezer until you are ready to use them (but don't forget they're there - I can vouch for the fact that year old, freeze-dried bread is not a tasty find)

Here's some other suggestions if you're not PB&J fans:

• If you like fish, you may want to consider purchasing some tuna fish and mayonnaise for tuna sandwiches. I recommend 1 jar mayonnaise per two people (the bigger size, but not the GIANT size) and about 4 cans of tuna for two people.
• Or, if you have little kids that won't eat either of the above, another option might be to purchase 1 package hotdogs (per person) and some hotdog buns, both of which you can freeze.

 *To make the sandwich idea more of a meal, you might want to consider buying fruit to eat on the side. If you have kids, applesauce is usually a winner, especially when a little red food coloring is added to make it pink (I ate it every time my mom did that for me when I was a little girl obsessed with pink - in fact I didn't know applesauce wasn't pink until I was an adult). Now, I generally eat about half a can of fruit at a meal. So, for one person, you will probably want to buy about 3-4 cans of fruit. Winco usually has the cheapest deals on canned goods, but this is not always the case with fruit so you may want to shop around a bit.

**You can also consider purchasing some chips/crackers to go along with things. Vons and SaveMart are both having sales on certain potato chips and Nabisco crackers this week, so those might be good places to look this weekend.

In all of this, please remember that the goal is to purchase items your family consumes regularly enough that you will not have to worry, "Hmmm, will these go bad before I use them?" The purpose is to buy extras little by little, then when you open the extras to eat, to buy more to replace the food storage. This will eventually keep a constant supply of food storage items that your family likes, on hand, for your daily use.

Recipe of the Week

Now, in case you aren't already aware, I must confess that I'm a bit of a food snob: I pretty much only eat food that is homemade or home grown. So (in case you feel the same), if you wish to you can buy the ingredients to make your own homemade bread (rather than buying the premade loaves), here's a link to Aaron's and my FAVORITE white bread recipe (yum, yum, yum):

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/amish-white-bread/detail.aspx

As a special note: This harvesty month is also a good time to put in a plug to get your winter gardens in. Fresh food cannot be stored long term, but it can be grown and it will add tremendously to your daily diet AND your three month supply.

Money Saving Tips

Sales I noticed this week include the following:

• Von's is having a sale on Safeway Kitchens Wheat Breads (great for sandwiches!) 22 oz. Crushed or 100% Whole Wheat for $1.49 each when you buy 2.
• SaveMart is having a super sale on corn: $0.98 for 7 cobs (Sept 2-5). Also, they are having a sale on 12.25 oz. boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios: $1.77 each when you buy 3.
• Also remember, FoodMaxx will price match sales going on at other stores. You take in the ads and show them at the checkout, and they will do a price match - provided they are the same brands as in the ad.

Additionally, Aaron and I have been on the hunt to find the cheapest gas in Fresno. Our latest find: Von's Gas. I was surprised because I believed that Von's was expensive, but when I went to fill up my tank the other day - using my Von's Club Card, which is free and doesn't require a yearly fee - it cost me $0.10 - $0.20 less per gallon than Bad Bud's (which normally has pretty cheap gas). This may not be cheaper than Costco (I don't know), but it was the cheapest non-Costco gas I've seen, costing me $3.53/gallon one week, then $3.43/gallon the next. It only added up to a savings of about $1.80 each time I filled the tank, but that adds up over time and, as I mentioned above, could have then been used to purchase a loaf of bread or a box of cereal for food storage. So, I wanted to pass along our little find in case it helped at all.

Please let me know of any other deals you may become aware of this week, and let me know if you have any questions or concerns about food storage. I'm always happy to help where I can! You can e-mail me at peachwoodpantry@gmail.com.

Happy Storing!

Diana Spjute

Notes:
As ever, if you wish to receive our weekly e-mails, please contact me with your e-mail address and I will be happy to add you to the list.

The opinions expressed in this blog are the sole opinion of the author and are not meant to promote sales for any institution, nor to represent the opinions of any church, business, or institution.

Week 3 - Breakfasts

I had a personal experience that happened to me this morning, which I hope you will not mind me relating here. It went as follows:

By the end of this weekend, Washington, D.C., will have experienced two natural disasters in a week: an unprecidented earthquake and a sizeable hurricane. My sister is living there with her husband and four young children, so I called her this morning panicked about the upcoming storm. Her words were so reassuring as she said, "Diana, we are prepared." She then continued to outline their food and water storage, their backup batteries, the gas she had put in the car last night, and all of the preparations she had undergone to make sure she and her family would be ready for the upcoming disaster, which they are told could leave them without power and water for up to two weeks. I cannot stress enough how important those words are when facing a disaster, not only for me to hear (as her worried sister in Cali), but for my sister, her husband, and their young children to know: "We are prepared."

Now, my question to you is this: Are you prepared? Are you doing what you can to prepare? Could you calm the fears of your extended family when they called, and say to them, "It's okay. We are prepared," like my sister did to me?

If you are and do and could, then THAT'S AWESOME! I'm super excited and would love to hear about your successes so I can cheer with you!

If not, then you are not alone, but do what you can now - today, this weekend, or this week - to begin. After all, it is never too late to start preparing!


In light of these thoughts, I wanted to share this week's food storage purchase idea:

1 box (2 lbs.) of Pancake Mix (add water only mixes are easiest)**
You may also want to consider purchasing maple syrup or other, storeable pancake toppers.

Regarding the pancakes:

One mix = 28 pancakes (give or take, depending on the size).
According to the box (and my husband), one serving = 3 pancakes.
But, for me (and for survival purposes) one serving = 2 pancakes.

If you prefer to eat 3 pancakes for breakfast, one box would last one person for 9.33 days.
If you prefer to eat 2 pancakes for breakfast, one box would last two people for 7 days.

So, if you are a family who likes 3 pancakes each, you will want to purchase 1 box per person in your family. If you are a family who likes 2 pancakes each, you will want to purchase 1 box for every 2 people in the family.

**As a side note, if you are interested in a coupon and you want to buy Krusteaz brand, I discovered this morning that you can register your e-mail information on the Krusteaz website (http://www.krusteaz.com/) to get a coupon for $1.00 any two Krusteaz products.

If you wish to make pancakes from scratch (I admit, I'm a bit of a food snob and prefer the homemade ones), here is my favorite family recipe for homemade pancakes:

Laurel's Pancakes

2 c. flour
5 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 TBSP. sugar
2-3 eggs
2/3 c. powdered milk + 2 c. water (or, just 2 c. milk)
1/3 c. shortening, melted until liquid

Blend together in order mentioned above. Cook in a nonstick frying pan on the stove. This recipe makes about 18-24 pancakes (which may be thin, but they are very filling and tasty).

If you do choose to plan for the above recipe, you will want to make sure you have the appropriate ingredients on hand. Personally, I like the recipe not only because it's yummy, but it's a great way to use up powdered milk without your kids or spouse knowing! As an added bonus, the recipe requires shortening and not butter, which makes it easier to keep the ingredients on hand for longer since they do not need to be refrigerated.


Anyhow, I hope the above information is helpful. Please let me know if you have questions, thoughts, or know of any special deals going on right now regarding these (or other) breakfast food storage ideas. You can e-mail them to me at peachwoodpantry@gmail.com.

As always, I will post any coupons/deals I find out about here, on the blog.

I look forward to hearing and cheering about your food storage successes! Happy storing!

-D. Spjute-


Notes:
The opinions expressed in this blog are the sole opinion of the author and are not meant to promote sales for any institution, nor to represent the opinions of any church, business, or institution.

Week 2 - Breakfasts

Following on from last week's message about the weekly food storage reminders, here's this week's suggested purchase item(s):

• 1 box instant oatmeal packets per member of the family. There are 8 packets per box, however, so if you have 7 family members then you really only need to purchase 6 boxes as the remaining family member can use the extra packet per box per day.
• Because these are instant, you can mix them with just water. If you do not have any water storage, it might be a good idea to consider getting some to go along with these. About 1 water bottle per box should be sufficient as it doesn't take much water per packet.

If you wish for a more homemade option because you like to cook from scratch or you have sugar/salt concerns due to health, you may want to consider buying a tube of ROLLED oats - probably about 1 tube for every 2 people in the family because in an 18 oz tube you will have 6 cups of oats (or so).

If you choose to purchase the tube of oats, you may also want to purchase some of the following to help you cook it/to add flavor:

• canned milk
• brown sugar
• cinnamon
• salt

If you've never made homemade oatmeal before, but you want to give it a try, let me suggest two starter recipes:

1. Butterscotch Oatmeal - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/butterscotch-oatmeal/detail.aspx
(I recommend you cut the sugar by half in this recipe or it is too sweet - and it may need more milk. Reading the reviews on this recipe is very helpful.)

Or, if you're someone who doesn't have time to sit down for breakfast in the morning, consider cooking your breakfasts on Sunday night and cutting it out into portions to eat in the car on the way to work. Here's a recipe, then, for such an idea -

2. Baked Oatmeal - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-oatmeal-ii/detail.aspx
(This recipe is particularly good because it works well with dried fruits, so it helps to rotate through any food storage dried fruit you may have in your homes).

As a cooking note: The above recipes both require eggs and butter, which can be difficult to store long term. But, if you really, really want to be able to cook it from scratch instead of buying the instant, you can purchase canned butter and dried eggs from various online sources.

When deciding which option to choose,

please remember that whatever works best for your family's needs will be the better option.

If your family doesn't enjoy oatmeal, but you are a cereal eater, then you may want to consider purchasing more cereal this week. Many of the major grocery stores are having sales on namebrand cereals right now. Just check out their ads in the Wednesday mailer/paper to see a few. For example, SaveMart is having a sale on cereal and granola bars - $1.80 each if you purchase 5 at once. I know it is not the only store to have such a sale, and many stores will price match, so be sure to check the ads before you go out and buy! I will post any additional sale info I become aware of on the blog throughout the weekend, so you can always check that out as well if it is more convenient.

I hope all this information helps you and your family as you work towards the worthy goal of getting a useable 3-month supply of food storage in place.

Happy Storing!

Note: The opinions expressed in this e-mail are the sole opinion of the author and are not meant to promote sales for any institution, nor to represent the opinions of any church, business, or institution.

More Cereal Coupon Info

I got the following information in an e-mail and wanted to pass it along:

"Also, Vallarta has general mills cereals on sale for $2.16 plus a coupon for $4 off when you buy 8.  That makes them about $1.60/box.  That's a FANTASTIC sale!  Plus, if you save box tops for your school, each of the cereals have 2 box tops on them and along with the coupon is a voucher to send off to get 40 additional box tops."

Happy cereal storing this week!

Cereal Coupons and Deals - Good through August 16

Regarding breakfast cereal purchases this week, I received the following e-mail (see below) about possible coupons and sales that are good through August 16. Remember, though these sales are on namebrand options, you have no obligation to purchase namebrand foods, nor do you need to shop at the stores mentioned below. I merely hope it may help save a little money if you do wish to buy the name brand products and/or shop at the applicable stores.

Date: Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 8:28 AM
Subject: Re: Food Storage
To: D Spjute peachwoodpantry@gmail.com

Good morning

There is currently a coupon on coupons.com for a $1.00 off 3 general mills cereals (cheerios, trix, lucky charms...etc).  You can print it off twice per computer.

Vons has a coupon in the current add ( inside the insert ad)  for 1.99 with vons card general mills lucky charms, kix, or cookie crisp...both coupons can be stacked together. (vons and coupon.com)

Also this week at Vons the general mills cereals  have a buy 4 save $4 again both coupons above can be used with this promotion as well.

This is the best deal I have seen this week for cereal.

Foods co has kellogg's cereals 2 for $5

These prices are good through Tuesday Aug. 16



Special Note: The opinions expressed in this blog are the sole opinion of the author and are not meant to represent the opinions of any specific group or institution.

Sorry I have been a bit MIA regarding e-mail and the blog the last couple months. Things have been crazy in the Spjute household and we are just now getting our feet underneath us a bit more.

 

However, several things lately have re-emphasized the growing need for food storage, and I have felt a strong push to do what I can, once again, to remind everyone that food storage is more than an option - it is a necessity.

 

Our lovely bishop has asked that we all have at least 3 months of food storage in our pantries by December 31, 2011. Are you doing this? Have you started working towards it? If asked now, could you say you have done all you could to follow his counsel so far?

 

If not, you are not alone!

 

I want to do all I can to help you get your food storage in by the end of the year, which is only 20 weeks away. However, because everyone has different food needs and interests, I thought it best to help encourage you to purchase a little extra of the everyday food stuffs your own individual family consumes.

 

To do this, each week I will send out an e-mail suggesting generic items to purchase that week. We will spend about six weeks focusing on each meal - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If I see items on sale somewhere, I will try to suggest those. If you see items on sale, please let me know so I can consider suggesting them.

 

This week when you go shopping, start off by purchasing a single breakfast item for one week of food storage. For this week, I suggest the following:

• 1 box of cereal per person in the family. Or, 1 of the giant generic bags for every 2 people. This will provide 1 week of food storage breakfasts for your family.
• Milk alternatives to go with your cereal - dried or canned milk, for example. For dry milk, usually the package indicates how much you will want. For canned milk, we have found that 1 can, mixed with water because it is too strong otherwise, is usually enough for 3 bowls of cereal. So, for 1 week you would want about 2-3 cans per person, give or take.

I hope this helps get you thinking about food storage. Remember, it doesn't have to be overwhelming. Start small, focus on one thing at a time, and move forward with faith. After all, "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass." The Lord will help to provide a way as we move forward and do what He has asked us to do.

 

Let me know if you have any questions, thoughts, or concerns about this.

 

Happy Storing!!

 

Best wishes,

D. Spjute

 

NOTE: The opinions expressed in this blog are the sole opinion of the author and are not meant to represent the opinions of any church or institution.

Blessings of Preparation in Missouri

Check out this website to learn about how the saints in Joplin, Missouri, were protected because they were prepared.

Just click here to read this inspirational story.

Remember that preparation now is key to surviving through a disaster later. Even the smallest bit of preparation can bless not only our own family members, but also the members of our wards and stakes!!

Relief Society & Coupon Deals

Last night there was a Relief Society meeting about alternative fuel sources, cooking with alternative fuel, and getting the three month food supply in place. Because of busy schedules this weekend, I won't be able to post any of this information on the blog until Sunday at the earliest. Don't worry, though, it will be coming.

 

I wanted to let you all know, however, that there are a couple really good deals on this weekend at local grocery stores. After all, part of food storage is saving money on weekly budgets so there's more to spend on storing up.  Remember, you certainly do not have to shop at these stores as many stores will price-match if you take the opposing store's advertisement in. This means that, regardless of where you shop, if you pick up the ad from these stores (they come in the mail for us) then you can get a price match anywhere you go shopping over the next three days. 

 

Anyhow, here are this weekend's deals:

 

SaveMart

- Roma Tomatoes are only $0.47 a lb.

- SunWorld Red Seedless Grapes are only $0.77 a lb.

- Chunky Ragu is $1.25 each, limited purchase of 4.

 

Vons (*with use of ClubCard)

- Foster Farms Fresh Whole Chicken is only $0.69 a lb. They limit you to 3 per person, so you may want more than one adult there if you're going to stock up on it.

- Lucky Charms are only $1.88 for an 11.5 oz. box.

- They're having a buy 1, get 1 free offer on Blueberries and Driscoll's Red Raspberries. YUM!

 

I hope these help some of you save a litttle cash this weekend!

 

Also, if anyone has any tips about ways that people can save money or improve their gardening and food storage, please e-mail me and I'll be happy to share them on the blog!

 

Best wishes,

Diana Spjute

Cannery Orders

Just a friendly reminder, tomorrow is the last day to order from the Fresno Cannery if you wish to guarantee you will receive your order before they are shut down (see previous post on the cannery).

To see what is available to order, visit here to view the order forms. You do not have to fax the form in - you can just call during their business hours. The phone number to the Fresno Cannery is 559-255-2377. The lady there is very helpful if you have any questions for her. Also, they are open from 8:30-about 1:30, with a 1 hour lunch break in there.

E-mail me if you have questions about this! peachwoodpantry@gmail.com

Happy Storing!

55 Gallon Drums

I have just received the final bid information on the water drums from Containers, Here's how it breaks down:

• For an order of only 25 barrels, the cost is higher because it requires shipping ground with an external carrier (like UPS). So, for 25 barrels it's $67 per barrel, which includes tax and shipping, but is super pricey.

However, Containers, Unltd., sends shipments to Fresno regularly on their own big freight truck, so if we order more than the 25 we don't have to pay for the external shipping. So...the price goes down if we order more and ship it on their truck. I am determined to do it this way, so if there is not enough interest from our ward then I will open it up to others who might be interested.

• If we get an order of at least 50 barrels, the cost is only $48.50 per barrel, which includes tax and shipping.
• If we get an order of at least 75 barrels, the cost is $45.50 per barrel, which includes tax and shipping.
• Thus, the more barrels we order, the more the price decreases.

This is a good price. The cheapest I have been able to find these elsewhere is $60 per barrel + taxes & shipping = ouch. Several people have recently told me they were only able to find new drums in the last year for about $69 a piece. So, even the higher rate of $48.50 is an excellent buy.

 

If you are interested, please let me know. I will be sending around a sign up sheet during Primary, RS, & Priesthood this Sunday. Or, I will place a sign-up sheet on the Peachwood Ward bulletin board (under food storage info) if you do not get a chance to sign up during RS or priesthood.

 

Additionally, if you did not already get your water filters, please contact me so we can arrange for you to pick them up!!

 

Best wishes for happy storing!

Water Filters

I just got news today that the water filters have shipped by UPS ground. I'll let you know when they arrive!

HOORAY!!

Cannery Concerns

I just went to pick up my own personal order from the Cannery today, and I was given some bad news: the church is probably going to close down a major part of the Cannery. According to the people I spoke with there, activists have pushed to require that all Canneries (even dry pack) be retro-fitted with the same requirements as Wet Pack Canneries (even though they are not susceptible to the same bacteria, etc.). Unfortunately, to do this would require approx. $100k-$200k for EACH Cannery. Because this is so expensive, the church is planning to shut down much of its dry pack canning options.

While they will continue to provide pre-packaged goods at the canneries, and the materials to borrow/buy so you can do dry pack canning at home, the option to purchase Cannery packed goods will no longer be available. And, apparently, this isn't just the one here in Fresno, but at most of the dry pack canneries throughout the USA. I was also told that Fresno's operation has been shortlisted to be shut down sooner rather than later.

The good news in all of this, though, is that they said they will complete any orders that are already in BEFORE they are limited down/shut down.

So, this is my call to each of you to get your orders into the Cannery SOON. If at all possible, do what you can to get your orders in by the end of the month of May. The packers are going on vacation in June (so they will not be taking orders then) and she could not promise that Fresno's orders will be available in July. Please do not panic about this, but just prayerfully consider your options and do what you can for your own families right now. Of course you will be able to rent things to pack at home later, but that will be more difficult. So, where at all possible, order now what you feel you can comfortably afford.

The Cannery has some unusual hours of operation. They are only open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-11:45am and then 12:45-2:30pm. You need to call during those hours to place your order. To contact them, call 559-255-2377. Right now they are a month out on orders, which is good if you need time to save up and pay for your order (you pay when you pick it up). However, you will need to pick up your orders during their unusual opening hours. If, for any reason, you have a hard time getting to them during that time to place an order or to pick it up once it has come in, please let me know and I'll do what I can to help you get your orders in & picked up.

If you wish to see what the cannery has to sell, and its prices, you can look at the order forms by visiting the church's welfare website here: http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,8133-1-4352-1,00.html.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about this, or you can always call and speak with the Cannery (they're super nice and helpful).

Happy Storing!

Water Filters Ordered

Good news! The water filters and water bottles have been ordered. I expect to receive them sometime in the next week or two. I will let you know when they arrive so you can come and pick your order up from me!

Also, the 2-filter water filtration device from PWP has one small alteration: we got a BETTER water filter (the SUPER Sterasyl Ceramic Candle) for the same price. Apparently, they ran out of the regular one, so the orders would have been backlogged until May. Instead of leaving us in the lurch, they are replacing it with an even better, more expensive ceramic filter for the same price. I couldn't be happier with how it has all worked out and I am pleased there will be benefits for everyone else, too!

In the meantime, keep working on finding 55 gallon drums and getting the water storage into place. If you find anything amazing, be sure to pass it on to me so I can share the info. I'll let you know as soon as those beautiful filters arrive!

Happy Storing!

Last Day for Orders & Money

Just a friendly reminder that if you wish to place an order for the 2-Filter Water Filtration Device or for the Water Bottle with Filter, you need to let me know TODAY or TOMORROW. Orders and money are due on Sunday, 17 April 2011.

As a reminder, the 2-filter device is $41.90 each, including taxes & shipping.

The water bottle with filter is $24.20 each, including taxes & shipping.

If you have questions about these products, check out information about them by clicking here. And, of course, email me with any additional questions, to place an order, or to arrange payment.

Happy ordering!!

Water Filtration Buckets

At the fireside on Sunday night, Bro. D. presented us with a lot of great information about water cleanliness and filtration.

One of the ideas he mentioned was creating a bucket system whereby you put one bucket on top of the other, insert a water filter and then let gravity do the work. You can use any ceramic water filter, like the one you can order right now through me - click here to go to the information about that order. Remember money needs to be in by Sunday, April 17, 2011.

Here's a picture of the sort of contraption you can make to let gravity do all the work:

This is a great solution for long-term water filtration because it is economical and saves a lot of time (because gravity is working for you so you don't have to). Anyhow, one of our ward members tipped me off to the website where you can find directions to make these lovelies. You can either click on the picture above, or click here.

Additionally, it was mentioned to me that right now you can find 55 Gallon Water Barrels for sale secondhand on Craigslist. To check out the posting mentioned, click here. I e-mailed the owner of these barrels, and will find out ASAP what was in them beforehand so we can be sure they will be suitable to use for long-term water storage.

Remember, you cannot store water in containers that previously held juice, milk, glycerin, or gasoline (or like substances). So always be sure to ask about what was stored in them prior to your purchase if you are buying them secondhand. A good rule of thumb is this: when in doubt about what was stored inside, DON'T USE IT. After all, better safe than sorry, sick, or (worst of all) dead. Sorry to be so morbid, but the point is hopefully clear that water storage is not something worth taking risks with.

Anyhow, I'll let you know as soon as I do about whether or not these barrels are going to work out. In the meantime, if anyone happens across a great, local water barrel deal (less than $50 is a good deal, usually), please let me know so I can pass it along!

Fireside Review

Tonight, several people asked me for my whole wheat bread recipe. Originally, I got the recipe from www.allrecipes.com. But, to save you time and effort searching for it, here's a copy for you:

Simple Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients

·         3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

·         2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

·         1/3 cup honey

·         5 cups bread flour

·         3 tablespoons butter, melted

·         1/3 cup honey

·         1 tablespoon salt

·         3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

·         2 tablespoons butter, melted

·        

Directions

1.       In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.

2.       Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.

3.       Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.

4.       Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard.

Additionally, for those who were interested in reading the articles that I quoted from in tonight's discussion, please check them out here:

"How Beautiful to Live in These Times and Be Prepared!" by Elder F. Enzio Busche, June 1982

"Preparation for the Second Coming," by Dallin H. Oaks, April 2004 General Conference

"Prepare Ye," by President Ezra Taft Benson, January 1974 Ensign

"Prepare for the Days of Tribulation," by President Ezra Taft Benson, November 1980 Ensign

Sunday Fireside

This Sunday, April 10, 2011, there is going to be a Food Storage Fireside at the Stake Center. It will run from 6-7pm, and will be located in the Relief Society Room.

The plan is to provide individuals with a sense of why food storage is important, as well as an idea of what the ward plan will be regarding food storage. Information will also be provided about water storage and how to make food storage work for your individual family.

This fireside is being hosted by the Elder's Quorum, but all are invited to attend. If you have any questions about this, you can contact the Elder's Quorum President, or you can contact me by email at peachwoodpantry@gmail.com.

I hope to see you all there!!

Note: I tried to send out an email, but several bounced back to me as undeliverable or filtered as Spam. If you did not get the email, first check your Spam folder. If it's still not there, please contact me ASAP so I can make the appropriate changes on my contacts list.

The Starting Line: A Disaster Kit & Water

I just received an interesting link to an article titled, "Preparing a Disaster Kit." It doesn't go too in depth, but it gives a great overview of the basic needs to start storing. Check it out by clicking here.

The article cites sources like FEMA and the American Red Cross, so while their information doesn't go into much depth, it's at least from valid sources and gives you a great jumping point. If you wish to go straight to the in-depth source, you can find more information about FEMA's recommendations about water storage by clicking here. And, if you are interested in learning more about what the American Red Cross suggests for disaster kit storage, please click here.

Of particular note in the article is the initial emphasis on the need for water. Since the average person can only live about 2-4 days without water, this is of the utmost necessity. If you wish to start preparing your kit by increasing water storage options, you can do so by joining in the ordering fun this month and getting a water filter. You can view the options available to order by clicking here.

If you wish to participate in the bulk order, and have not already signed up at church or by phone, please e-mail me at peachwoodpantry@gmail.com.

Happy Storing!

Survival Supply Website

I received a great website tip today that I wanted to pass along.

If you are looking to put together a 72-hour kit and you don't know where to start, you may want to consider just purchasing one. You can purchase 72-hour kit buckets at Costco locally, or you can also get bucket/backpack versions here.

I recommend the Deluxe Emergency Backpack Kit (pictured on the left), which costs $54.95 right now (for the 1-person version, though you can buy packs for up to 4 people). There is a bulk discount offered on the website, but it doesn't take any more money off of that discounted price.

Also, you may notice this website has some great advice as well. There's a right hand column that helps you prepare family evacuation plans, what to do in case of flood, fire, or earthquake, etc. This is a great starting point resource if you are looking for some basic information.

For better information on preparedness topics, however, I recommend you visit the FEMA website here.

Emergency Use Water Purifiers

Starting March 20, there are two options available to order for Emergency Use Water Purifiers through the Peachwood Ward. Payment must be received PRIOR to the order being placed. Money must be in no later than Sunday, April 17, 2011, if you wish to receive the discounted price as part of the bulk rate. E-mail me at peachwoodpantry@gmail.com if you have questions about payment options, who to make checks payable to, etc.

It should be noted that neither of the following water filters provides a long-term solution, but both are suitable for emergency situations.

OPTION 1:


For shorter term water filtration, I recommend you purchase the Water Filtration Bottle Kit from the church Distribution Services. According to their website, “This advanced bottle removes up to 99.99% of pollutants and contaminants found in drinking water. Produces up to 100 gallons of filtered water.”

The kit is particularly good because it comes with two filters, increasing your capacity to 200 gallons. It works by filtering the water as you suck the water through the straw, so it filters only what you will be drinking.

WATER FILTRATION BOTTLE KIT $24.20
Includes one 28 oz. water bottle with insulator sleeve and clip, and two filters.

For more information about this water bottle and/or replacement filters, please go to the LDS Distribution Services store here.

OPTION 2:

Manufactured by Pure Water Products in Texas (pwp@pwgazette.com), this is a two filter purifier, using both a Ceramic filter and a Carbon filter.

Ceramic filter removes up to 99.9% of bacteria and other biological contaminants including (but not limited to) e. Coli, Vibrio Cholerae (Cholera), Shingella, Salmonella Typhi (Typhoid), Crytosporidium, Giardia and many other types of bacteria, making it safe to drink. This is a reusable cartridge that will last as long as it can be re-cleaned. If the water is reasonably particle-free, it should last for many thousands of gallons.

Carbon filter removes chemicals in the water, and improves the taste and odor of the water. It is guaranteed for a capacity of up to 1,500 gallons and is easily replaced for a fraction of the overall cost ($15 or less from PWP).

Both filters are silver-impregnated to prevent bacteria growth within the filters.

Specifications: Both filters measure approximately 10" x 2" in physical size. The siphon tubing is ¼” ID x 48" and comes with the adapter to attach to the ceramic and/or carbon filters. Flow rate is about 3 gallons per hour.

Pictured to the right is the SK103 model. On the right side is the ceramic filter, and on the left the carbon filter.

SK103 TWO-FILTER SYSTEM $41.90
Includes one ceramic and one carbon filter along with adaptors and tubing. (The price above reflects a minimum total bulk order of 50 units)

For more information about the SK103 model (or others like it), replacement filters, and so forth, please visit Pure Water Products' website here.

ALL PRICES INCLUDE TAXES & SHIPPING

Note: Only the SK103 Two-Filter System is on a bulk discounted price (because it normally costs $61+tax). The water bottles can be purchased at any time through the church Distribution Services, located here.

Welcome, Welcome!

Welcome to the Food Storage blog for the Peachwood Ward in Clovis, CA. This blog will strive to provide helpful information about all of the following:

• Provident living principles like those outlined here
• Safe and effective food and water storage (both long and short term)
• Local food sales in California's Central Valley
• Opportunities to purchase food storage in-bulk
• Home cooking with food storage items
• Any other tips, tricks, opportunities, or advice that could help ward members live a fruitful, frugal, and provident lifestyle

If you have any questions, concerns, or tips you want to add to this blog, please contact me at peachwoodpantry@gmail.com. Remember, we are stronger when we work together.
Happy storing!

NOTE: This blog is not directly affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is merely a personal platform to disseminate information to local, interested participants regarding food and water storage.