Feeling Thankful

Recently I started reading a blog titled 

"Your Own Home Store". 

 I am a believer in emergency food storage and preparation.  No, I'm not a "Prepper" like I see on television shows.  I do have extra food stored for an emergency and just like my grandmothers would have had in a pantry or basement cellar to use on a regular basis.  I actually remember well my Grandma Pearls chilly and dank cellar and I only went there once. I can still see Grandpa bowing his head so the low beams didn't bonk him and those spider webs.  The webs kept me from return trips.

 This is Misty who blogs at Your Own Home Store.

I've liked her organization and encouragement to put aside some basics in case of an emergency.

She does it in a way that doesn't break the bank either. I got brave and made a comment on her blog and I won the weekly drawing of $50.00 of Shelf Reliance, freeze dried product.  I like knowing this has approximately a 25 year shelf life unopened.  Here's the link with my name way at the bottom.  It's a good blog post and I'd recommend a few minutes reading.  

Tell me, wouldn't you love knowing you had extra t.p.on hand for an emergency!!!  There are emergencies popping up all around and yet I think most of us have the idea it won't happen to us.  When I read of such emergencies the news always includes how the store shelves are empty in no time.  

What about a trucking strike.

Natural disaster that makes roads unusable.
Nothing would be coming into our stores under such circumstances.
Job layoff...comfort knowing you have supplies set aside.

Thank you Misty.  I'm excited about my Monterrey Jack cheese, 

sausage crumbles and diced ham to add to my storage.

My Great, Big Plans

Yesterday to took many photographs of what's blooming in the AZ heat- at least in my backyard. I didn't know what else to blog about.


I'm not trying new recipes.


I'm not doing much at all.


Wake up msk and get to doing something. Accomplish something.


Yes, keeping anything alive and blooming is July and August in Phoenix is an accomplishment...really.


And you would probably see all those pics if my computer weren't sooooooo slow.


Instead, my great, big plan is to organize the food storage "room". In this heat you cannot use the garage to store food due to...it's toooooo HOT. My "room" is the little cubby under the stairs. You may remember when Kathy helped me get it in order and she even built shelving for me. I was an assistant but she rocked the project. Well, I just got a hand-me-down shelf from her and I'm tucking it also in my food storage cubby today. I'm about half-way through the project. It's a good plan.


Then I'll go to the garage...we don't talk about the garage...for my next big plan and unload a tall bookshelf 1/2 full of "stuff" and get it over to MTN's for the grands to use in one of their rooms. Their move has gone so well and I just love being in their new home. A blessing!


I saw this music video of Mindy Gledhill on my blogfriend Theresa's blog recently. Love. It.
I'm really enjoying her blog. Maybe I'm a bit funny but as I read your blogs I feel that I've gained new friends. Do any of you feel that way?

Hope you take a moment and watch this. I'm now singing along with it.

P.S. I ask you, have you ever wanted to go out and chop your hair off very short?
Happy day, msk

Springing

Is there anyone who doesn't love spring?

Here's my first spring tomato and it tasted

soooo good on my salad.

The sun is shining.

Flowers are just about in full, radiant bloom. Just the lobelia

is behind schedule and that's due

to it's late planting...I couldn't find any, any 6 packs or

single pots and I wasn't going to

buy a half flat.

I just planted some lobelia a couple of weeks ago

and their vibrant purplish hue is just showing itself

to my delight.

The bird songs are as glorious as can be.

Thanks to Trevlyn I've learned to identify many bird species

and their songs which make it even more enjoyable.

Thanks Mary Trevlyn.

And this weekend SLK and I transplanted

one of my potted lemons, the Lisbon lemon.

It was really hard work and just about put SLK out of commission.

Lemon blossoms slightly scenting

if you get your nose up close.

Soon the neighbor's big citrus trees will perfume the air

and make me giddy with aromatic delight.

You will find me standing in the backyard

doing my deep breathing...usually in the evening.

Also this weekend I planted

4 more tomato plants,

4 zucchini plants,

7 foot long row of sunflower seeds that grow

to a height of 6 feet-seeds from friend Michelle A. thanks,

3 dahlias,

5 feet of poppy seeds I brought home from Jody's

garden last summer

and lettuce and spinach seeds.

Wish me luck. I'm hopeful and will

keep you posted. I know, you didn't ask to be

kept posted but I just assume you do

since you're here reading.

Okay, anyone here reading???

The bumbly bees seem to single out my pot of

French lavender, so much so that I am thinking

about moving it away from the Arcadia door (okay...sliding

glass door. Soon I will not have to tell you, right?)

And a very, very familiar but unusual spring sound

is still the constant neighborhood re-roofing noise.

I'm grateful for my new roof.

I'm grateful for my home.

I'm praying for all the people in Japan and especially those

who have been impacted by the earthquake and tsunami.

Let us not under estimate the power of prayer.

Wishing you a day of gratitude...

...regardless of springing or blustering.

Wishing you a day or week of adding to your

food storage and

emergency preparation items.

No matter how small.

Remember:

store what you use.

Finally finished.

Over

and

out.

Happy day, msk

Welcome to my laboratory

I've found some rather outdated items in my storage...baking powder with an expiration date of 2003 and 2005. Yikes, I forgot some of this hidden "stuff". I called the 800 number listed on the container and asked if there was a way to test for viability. My CSA had to put me on hold and look it up. She came back with this info I think I should pass along:

Mix 1 t. baking powder in 1/3 c. hot water. If it bubbles vigorously you're okay. Of course I had to test several containers and then test my "current" b.p. to see just how vigorous it bubbled. I'll tell you that a vigorous bubble will rise up in the measuring cup.

I'm tossing out several containers of b.p. and grateful it's not a pricey item to replace. I'm trying harder to be "on top" of my storage. I'm one of those BAKE FROM SCRATCH gals so I do need my b.p. and soda. I will add that I used a can of diced tomatoes in a soup last week with an expiration date of 2008 and they were just fine so be careful what you pitch too.

Thanks Jake for picking lemons for me. The bowl content is getting lower. Yesterday was our Great to be Eight event at church and several lemons were sliced into the water crock. I also baked the Para*dise Bakery sugar cookie recipe with a bit of a change and will post that soon. Gladly I used the "good" b.p. and they all turned out well.

And here's a morning photo I took last week of my pretty sunrise. Just wanted to share some of my Arizona Winterness.

Happy day, MS

I tied on a sturdy apron today and went to work with the box of Utah peaches I told you I was going to get.

They are so sweet and juicy. Best eaten fresh in my opinion but it's so nice to have jam and bottled fruit on the selves also for later use.

In the Beavercreek, 6 kiddos days I canned more peaches ( and pears, plums and grape juice) than I could ever count. Mom was not a canner but I learned from a sister at church when we lived in Joseph. I love the way sisters mentor and love one another.

Getting all the equipment cleaned and ready.

Blanch the peaches.

Plunge into an ice bath.

Afterward the skins just slip right off so quickly leaving very slippery peaches.

Cut open and remove the pits (stones). At this stage you can put into bottles for canning but most of my efforts went into making jam. Many more steps in the heat. Boy were the old timers smart to build canning or summer kitchens.

I next chopped my peaches in the food processor, added the lemon juice, pectin and sugar then cooked it. I filled the jars, wiped the tops, added lids and rings and they're ready for the bath. Bring the water 1 to 2 inches above the jars, bring to gentle boil and boil only 10 minutes for the jam. The pints of peaches I had to boil (process) for 20 minutes (quarts take 25 min.)

Here are my little jewels. This is really a rather meager amount but at least it's a start.

Are you doing any canning. Any freezer jam? I really, really prefer frozen jam but I love that cooked jam has a long self life and my freezer space is used for more "important" food storage.

Happy day, msk

Flowers for Family

I don't have fancy "guest rooms", just vacated kids rooms-still full of kids stuff. Sometimes they are just presentable but the sheets are always freshly washed, room vacuumed and dusted. I put spare hangers in the closet and if the season is flowering...fresh bouquets on the bedside table.

Roses in the "red room" today.

Floating Gardenias in the "blue room".

I really had to be careful of camera angle so you don't see the stacks of food storage lining the walls in this room.

The girls left very early this friday a.m. and will be here in good time.

So happy.

So fun.

So love family here.

So love family anywhere but especially HERE.

Out Shopping

I'm at a loss for a clever title. And I need to add a correction that it was my parents birthday, not their anniversary on my Wednesday post. Thanks Cindy for keeping me accurate. You know what an incredible week this is for food shopping don't you!!! It's especially great for finding "food storage" foods at great savings. I usually stock up on canned pineapple, green beans, corn, cranberry, canned milk and don't forget spices...all are on sale at good prices. Nuts, an extra turkey or ham for the freezer.

The lowest turkey price I found in Phx. was 37 cents per pound. What are the good deals in your neighborhood?

I bought 3 bags of potatoes, 58 cents for 5 lbs., and will store them in our chilly garage, a.k.a. the black hole. Brown and powdered sugar is also a great sale item now but thanks to Kathy's help with my food storage cubby hole I know I have over a year supply of both.

While shopping I was thrilled to find these-
And yes, you are not surprised to know I talked to the store person stocking the veggies and told him I was born in Walla2. I am Benita (Ben's daughter).

No, I have not made a minced meat pie for about 6-8 years. I always made just 1 and it was the one that was always the last to be eaten. None of us really liked it, including me but I kept making one. Silly. You can buy a can of mince filling for $7-$8. Anyone want to share a comment on mince or pies?

No, I don't care that fellow shoppers might think me silly for photographing onions and mince filling with my cell phone. It's all for you :)

Duck!!!!

If you don't keep on top of your food storage, rotating the old forward, using it and storing the newly purchased in the back of your row...this is what you will find.
I swallowed my pride and revealed my food storage cubby hole to Kathy yesterday. I felt

sick

with shame. Kathy, on the other hand is

sick

with desire to organize...even other's out of control disorganization. Yesterday we pulled everything out and I really am sad at how much was expired or had been a thanks*giving feast for weevils.


Kathy came back this morning so we could finish the job of shelving and replenishing. Would anyone be surprised (that know Kathy) that she also brought paint and supplies to freshen the walls. She really is something. That would be something special!!!

Have saw will travel!!!

Cutting new shelving for a custom fit.

I'll show you the finished project shortly. I have to run back to work on it. Oozed cans and weevil are nothing fun. It actually is a grimmy job. Feeling thankful for the help Kathy!

Stuff

There have been some fun things going on here-last Saturday, after a wonderful opportunity to clean the church building for Sundays stake conference, I drove my good friend Kay home and we stopped along the way a 4 garage sales. I found an adorable half chair for Tessa, and pair of earrings for me (at $1 who could pass them up) and wished I could have purchase the patio table and chairs I saw. What is it with me and patio tables.

Sunday was a great conference and then SLK and I spent time visiting with David G. (and wife Carmen) who is in a rehab facility recouping from his broken hip. Visiting the sick and shut-ins is such an important thing to me. We all end up feeling better afterward.

Monday was another great day at the Mesa Cannery and I was on the "line" that canned dried refried bean flakes. I wanted a lightweight food since the old arthritis is flaring a bit. I was able to bring home 8 cases of winter white wheat and 2 cases of white flour...you know that unhealthy stuff that I also want to have on hand. Working at the cannery and adding to my food storage always makes me so happy. Thanks to Bob W. for driving our little group and the loading and unloading of many heavy boxes. I am grateful.

I'm in a bit of a hurry to finished some housework and making ready my "guest" room for my wonderful sister Cindy who arrives from cold Oregon in 2 hours. What a treat it will be to have her here. We are going to be adding to our smile wrinkles big time.

I can't wait to make some corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread. It's getting really warm here but I think we can still eat outside. Happy day wishes.

1.14.09

I hope we are all trying to keep updated on food storage and do all we can to add to our supply. Wishing you a great day!

New Findings for Longer-Term Food Storage

Findings of recent scientific studies conducted by a team of researchers at Brigham Young University show that properly packaged, low-moisture foods stored at room temperature or cooler (75°F/24°C or lower) remain nutritious and edible much longer than previously thought. The studies, which are the first of their kind, increase the estimated shelf life for many products to 30 years or more (see chart for new estimates of shelf life). Previous estimates of longevity were based on "best-if-used-by" recommendations and experience. Though not studied, sugar, salt, baking soda (essential for soaking beans), and vitamin C in tablet form also store well long-term. Some basic foods do need more frequent rotation, such as vegetable oil every 1 to 2 years.
While there is a decline in nutritional quality and taste over time, depending on the original quality of food and how it was processed, packaged, and stored, the studies show that even after being stored long-term, the food will help sustain life in an emergency.
For tips on how to best preserve longer-term food storage products, see Longer-Term Supply.
Food

New "Life Sustaining" Shelf-Life Estimates (In Years)
Wheat 30+
White rice 30+
Pinto beans 30
Apple slices 30
Macaroni 30
Rolled oats 30
Potato flakes 30
Powdered milk 20