Last Installment

I have to admit that I have been less diligent in my food storage stocking of late. I began saving up list items until I had a trip to Traverse City where I could just pick everything up in bulk at Sam's. This led to some negligence when it came to the weekly shopping scene. Nonetheless, it has been remarkably easy chipping away at this project a bit at a time. We use and restock from our stash all the time. I think we are to our goal of having 3 months worth for all of us when it comes to most items. We definitely need more water storage. But there are still a couple of months left in the year to get it all done.

Here are the rest of the weekly lists:

October

Week 1

One or more gallons of vinegar. Great for cooking, canning and cleaning.

Week 2

Wraps and bags…aluminum foil, garbage bags, freezer bags, saran wrap, wax paper.

Week 3

Do something with all those apples. Pie filling, applesauce, juice, apple butter…

Week 4

Hard candy, candy bars on sale after Halloween.

November

Week 1

Vitamins: get extra C, D, E and calcium

Week 2

Treats for baking. Cocoa, coconut, nuts, butter (freeze it), chocolate chips..get it all.

Week 3

Rolled oats, corn meal, cream of wheat, oatmeal. Stock up on boxed cereal.

Week 4

Vegetable and/or Canola oil. Get a good quality.

December

Week 1

Candles and matches. Put in a sturdy box that you can locate in the dark.

Week 2

Popcorn. Go for the big 12 pound bag or buy the kernels. (I recommend kernels!)

Week 3

MERRY CHRISTMAS! You've given yourself a great gift—security! Keep it up.

Week 4

Watch for after Christmas sales. Nuts go on sale. Dry roasted ones keep the best. Freeze bagged ones.

Food Storage Find

My lovely SIL Megan sent me a link to a fabulously useful blog all about cooking from food storage. It has lots of pictures, recipes, tips, ideas and how to videos.

Check it out!

Everyday Food Storage

A brief interuption

in the scheduled postage for this week.

It was recently brought to my attention that I haven't posted the food storage shopping schedule for the next few months. And here we are at the end of July. Tells you how much I've worked on it this month...But really, up through the end of June, I've been pretty diligent about stocking up and it has added up fast. I love having our little mini mart downstairs. It has saved my bacon more than a few times in the last months. It is really nice not having to run to the store for little things. Even if it has been a while since our last trip to the grocery store, I can always make due with what we have--a dear luxury as there is no such thing as a quick run to the store when one has two kiddo's in tow.

July

Week 1

Sure-Jell, Certo, Paraffin wax, etc., or buy some jams and jellies. Watch for sales.
Week 2

Fill those water jugs! Or buy some bottled water.
Week 3

72 hour kit week; start it, update it, or complete it…but get it done!
Week 4

Canned goods. Buy what your family likes and will eat. Chili, soups, canned meats, kidney beans, etc.

August

Week 1

Back to school sales. Paper, pencils, envelopes, stamps, and journals.
Week 2

Baking powder, soda, corn starch, vanilla, bullion cubes, cooking spray
Week 3

Tomato week. Can or buy…salsa, juice, sauce, whole, whopped, paste, pizza and spaghetti sauce.
Week 4

Do some fruit canning or drying. Or, buy it. Watch for sales.

September

Week 1

Vegetable week. Can or freeze lots of vegetables. Or buy some canned. Green beans, mushrooms, corn.
Week 2

Get dry beans, peas, legumes, etc.
Week 3

Sweeteners. Honey, Karo, Molasses, brown and powdered sugars.
Week 4

Iodized salt. It seasons, it preserves, it’s a toothpaste and a de-icer.

3 out of 4 three lists! We're half way done with a year of food storage stock ups! Now I need to learn more about canning so I can make use of our farmland location while we are here...

Food Storage Find

Maybe you're like me and have less-than-fond memories of your mom rotating her powdered milk storage. I don't really care for the real stuff to begin with. So when it popped up on my shopping list I found myself staring at my options (huge boxes that would make like 50 gallons) thinking what in the world am I going to do with that much powdered milk?

So I waited. Then, at Walmart I found a box of powdered milk packets. The box has 10 packets that make a quart each of milk. It was a bit more expensive ($7.24) at the onset to buy it this way, but perhaps cheaper than opening a huge box and not using it before it expires. I know I need more in our food storage with a toddler and baby on board. But this is a start.

Incidentally, I made some pudding last night. A large Jello pudding mix uses three cups (just a little shy of a quart) of milk. I think I'll use pudding to rotate our stock. :)

Like Joseph of Egypt

The first 3 months of executing 'the plan' has made an impressive addition to our food storage collection. I have to admit that I've spent more money on it than I planned (between $50-$70 a month- which works out to only $10-$20 a week. I was planning for no more than $10 a week, but there are sales. And Sam's Club). I could have pared back and spent less. Although I have the occasional thought of how many Gracie shoes/new clothes/house stuffs/kitchen gadgets/other things I could have bought with the money, I'm really happy about the investment. I feel an unexpected rush of accomplishment when I look at it all. I sleep better on stormy nights.

Here's the next installment:

April

Week 1

Pasta. 5 or 10 pounds. Don't forget the mac and cheese

Week 2

Dry milk. 40 oz. will make 5 gallons. (And, any self-respecting recipe for white bread will use at least a tablespoon.)

Week 3

Assemble an emergency sewing kit: thread, pins, needles, buttons, snaps, zippers, tape measure, etc.

Week 4

Ready Dinners: ravioli, pasta, oriental, boxed or frozen. Get what your family will eat.

May

Week 1

10 lbs. of flour.

Week 2

Dry soups and soup mixes. Boxes of crackers: saltines, graham, etc.

Week 3

Jello gelatin

pudding mixes

Week 4

Garden seeds: Radishes are great in an emergency. They grow fast, are full of vitamins and minerals, and are full of water. (I totally just included that only because it was in the booklet. Even in a disastrous emergency, I cannot see myself being willing to live on radishes. I hope I never have to prove that)

June

Week 1

Safety Items: rope or twine, flashlight, dated batteries

Week 2

Grate and bag 5 pounds of cheese. Use in casseroles and soups (or everything if you are in our family). Also, buy Parmesan.

Week 3

Condiments: mustard, ketchup, relish, mayo, Worcestershire, pickles, olives, soy sauce, salad dressings.

Week 4

White sales! Buy a new thermo blanket, some new pillows...

The Plan

Food storage hasn't been a terribly practical thing for us to work on until we moved into this house. Our little apartment in CA couldn't even permit the unpacking of all our boxes let alone lots of extra space for a year's worth of anything. We had a few nice sets of 72 hour kits and 21 gallons of water that we kept stashed under our bed. We feel strongly about following the counsel we've been given in this area.

Now that we have the space we've been stocking up. My mom recently sent me a little booklet that she used for years to build up food storage. Its called 'The Plan'. I'll post the details and then if you're working on food storage, we can do it together.

The Plan

1. Add the weekly item to your shopping list.


2. Buy the largest amount of each week's item you can sensibly afford.


3. Replace items as you use them.


4. If you miss a week, skip to the next week. Don't get behind.


5. Share your hot buys with the rest of us.


6. If your family loves something not listed, buy it and store it.

January

Week 1

Watch for and buy 50% off on Christmas items, cards, paper, ribbons, etc.

Week 2

Detergents, bleach, cleansers. Laundry detergent, dish detergent, bathroom, window & toilet cleaners.

Week 3

Medical supplies: Aspirin, Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, Vicks, cough drops. Whatever your family needs.

Week 4

Paper supplies: Paper towels, plates, cups, Kleenex, toilet paper, napkins, utensils.

February

Week 1
Juices: lemon, orange, grapefruit, or powdered juices-like Tang, etc.

Week 2

Peanut butter- get your creamy and/or crunchy

Week 3

Solid vegetable shortening and/or oil. Buy both if you prefer, shortening is usually less expensive

Week 4

Personal products: Soap, deodorant, shampoo, lotions, shaving supplies, feminine products.

March

Week 1

First aid kit: Gauze patches, Q-tips, cotton balls, band-aids, Neosporin, Calamine...

Week 2

Mixes: Cake, pancake, muffin, Bisquick. Purchase or make your own.

Week 3

Spices and Herbs: Pepper, salt, cinnamon, bay leaves, oregano, taco seasonings, chili powder...

Week 4

Rice- buy 10, 15, 20 pounds. White, brown, instant

I know that January has already come and gone. My plan is to go back and hit those items (though we definitely made a dent in the after Christmas sale venue already--check) when I come across a weekly item that we already have in storage.

I'll post more monthly lists in March!