Food Storage BOOT CAMP

I'm so excited to be organizing this Awesome event!

How many of you TALK about getting started on your food storage, but never really do anything about it?  Maybe you buy a few cans here and there but never accumulate ENOUGH to last for more than a few weeks or months?  Maybe you have a lot of the basics but just don't feel completely satisfied that you've got it taken care of?  Maybe the thought of using food storage is overwhelming or you just don't know what to do with it if you had to use it?

I've been working with people on their food storage for almost 6 years now and I'm tired of hearing all these EXCUSES!!  As a result, I developed a 2-hour program to prove just how easy this really is!  Here's the solution to any of you who think you can't do it or would just like to get it DONE and out of the way!  Who's up for the challenge?!

This INTENSE 2-hour event will provide you with EVERYTHING you need to completely FINISH your hassle with food storage and give you the peace of mind you so deserve!  From calculating what you need to converting your favorite recipes to all food storage ingredients.  I'll be sitting down with you one-on-one to find out exactly what your family needs, which foods you prefer, where to buy them,  and make a customized plan that will not only save you hundreds of dollars on your purchases but cut down on most of the hassle that goes into completing your long-term food supply.  We'll be using several resources that I've found to be extremely helpful and cost-efficient--and I'll be walking you through, every step of the way!

I can't wait to tell you MORE!  Registration will begin mid-March for April Boot Camp.  Because of the one-on-one attention, space will be limited.

NEW Products

are Now Available 

myfamilythrives.shelfreliance.com

 

Among some of my Favorites are:

Green Chili Peppers

Whole Strawberries

Cherries

Granny Smith Apples

Red Bell Peppers

Seasoned Chicken Slices

BLACK FRIDAY

Are You PREPARED

For This AWESOME SALE???

Friday, Nov. 25 - Monday Nov. 28

 

See the full list of Items Here
SUPER GIFT Ideas!!

HARVEST 72" 
on SALE for 
Only $249!!!
(reg. $460)

 Freeze-Dried Food 
25-50% OFF

Cansolidator Pantry 
Only $18.99 
(reg. $45)

New Cookbook 
Just $12.19

(reg. $25)

For a Complete List

Click Here

TO ORDER
Contact me or visit my website!

myfamilythrives.shelfreliance.com

1 Year-Supply SALE

GREAT NEWS!!!  The 1-person 1-year supply of food storage is ON SALE NOW thru Oct 9th!!!

Regularly:  $945.84
SALE Price:  $756.19
(item #25342; must order through me)

CONTENTS:

Grains:

• 8 Cans of Instant White Rice (48 servings per can)
• 12 Cans of Hard White Winter Wheat (44 servings per can)
• 3 Cans of 6 Grain Pancake Mix (46 servings per can)
• 2 Cans of Elbow Macaroni (25 servings per can)

Vegetables:

• 6 Cans of Dehydrated Potato Chunks (42 servings per can)
• 1 Can of Freeze-Dried Sweet Corn (46 servings per can)
• 1 Can of Freeze-Dried Green Peas (41 servings per can)
• 1 Can of Dehydrated Chopped Onions (45 servings per can)
• 1 Can of Freeze-Dried Chopped Onions (45 servings per can)
• 1 Can of Freeze-Dried Broccoli (52 servings per can)  

Fruits:

• 2 Cans of Organic Apple Slices (48 servings per can)
• 2 Cans of Freeze-Dried Strawberries (45 servings per can)
• 1 Can of Freeze-Dried Blueberries (50 servings per can)
• 1 Can of Freeze-Dried Blackberries (49 servings per can)
• 2 Cans of Freeze-Dried Raspberries (48 servings per can)

Dairy:

• 6 Cans of Powdered Milk (43 servings per can)
• 3 Cans of Chocolate Drink Mix (48 servings per can) 

Proteins/Beans:

• 3 Cans of Bacon TVP (47 servings per can)
• 3 Cans of Beef TVP (44 servings per can)
• 3 Cans of Chicken TVP (45 servings per can)
• 2 Cans of Taco TVP (42 servings per can)
• 6 Cans of Pinto Beans (49 servings per can)
• 1 Can of Black Beans (49 servings per can)
• 2 Cans of Lima Beans (49 servings per can)
• 3 Cans of Lentils (51 servings per can)
• 6 Cans of Whole Eggs (236 servings per can) 

Cooking Basics:

• 2 Cans of White Sugar

Cooking with Food Storage

Every week I'll be featuring in detail an ingredient from food storage.  Since I'm so excited about the new buckets being sold by Shelf Reliance, I couldn't resist beginning with Spelt!  You'll know why when you watch this video.  Not only did I drool, but I'm ready to get online and order some now!

Spelt is highly nutritious and is an EXCELLENT source of manganese. It is also a good source of niacin, copper, phosphorus, protein, and fiber.  It is very similar to wheat, but is in fact higher in protein than wheat and has a nutty and slightly sweeter flavor.  It is a common wheat replacement and DOES contain gluten.  Grind it as flour, toss in a salad, or cook in soups and hot cereal.

The video below highlights some of the awesome things you can make with Spelt:

Watch Chef Brad cook with Spelt on BYUtv

Spelt can be purchased in a variety of sizes from Shelf Reliance.  The largest bucket contains 42 pounds!  For information, go here.

Ingredients List

How's everyone doing on their list of ingredients for meals?  If 5 is too many, pick one.  Just do it!  Write down the ingredients to your favorite breakfast or dinner recipe.  Be sure to pick one that uses canned, dry or frozen foods.  If you're really struggling with a recipe, feel free to use mine below.

My Favorite Mexican Soup:
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can cooked chicken
1 can chicken broth
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato dices
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 tsp Chili Powder (or more)
dash of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp Garlic
1/8 tsp Cumin

Combine in a pot and heat until warm (crock pot for a few hours).

Step 3 will be posted on Monday.

Short-Term Storage: Step 2

Using your list of meals, write down the ingredients for each recipe.  Do this for the entire list, or only pick a few meals out of the day. 

Here's mine.  Notice the recipes are simple and made from shelf- or frozen- food that will stay good for at least a year.  In fact, all of the recipes can even be made ahead of time and frozen.*


DINNER

• Spaghetti:  1 lb. spag. noodles, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can diced tomatoes, 3/4 C **FD beef, 1/2 C FD broccoli, seasonings.
• Mexican Soup:  1 can chicken broth, 1 C instant black beans, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can corn, 1-1/2 C diced FD chicken, spices.
• Minestrone Soup:  1 C instant red beans, 1/2-lb mac. noodles, 2 C potato dices, 1 C FD sausage, 1 can tomato sauce, spices.
• Penne Casserole:  3/4 pkg penne noodles, 1 can tomato sauce, 2 C mozzarella cheese, 1/2 C FD gr. beef; seasonings
• Chicken Pot Pie:  2 frozen pie crusts, 1 can cream-potato soup, 1 can mixed veggies, 1 C FD chicken, 1 can corn, seasonings.

Click here to see Step 1

*note:  when freezing pre-made meals, do not cook noodles, potatoes, or pie crust ahead of time.  They'll be soggy when thawed and re-heated.  I'll spend more time on freezer meals another day.

**FD = freeze-dried.  The benefit of this over frozen is that you don't have to cook it and it doesn't get that awful freezer burn flavor.  Plus it has a 25-yr unopened shelf-life and doesn't take up freezer space.

Baby Steps!

Let's face it.  We all have good intentions of getting prepared for emergencies and starting -- or finishing -- our food storage.  But when it comes down to it, life gets in the way and we get side-tracked.  Others might feel overwhelmed by the task and not know where to start entirely.

For those who need that little nudge and some guidance, I'll be posting a monthly goal with weekly "to-do" lists to complete it.  They will be SHORT and EASY.  And I'll be doing them with you.

This is in preparation for National Preparedness Month in September where I'm going to have some really fun and exciting activities for you and your family to participate in to put your preparedness skills to the test! (Did I mention, fun?)

Here's the schedule for the next 3 months: 

• July:  Short-term food storage 

• August:  Emergency Kits 

• September:  How well would you do in an emergency?

Be sure to "like" the facebook page on the right for quick and easy updates

Freeze Dried Foods

I recently found several articles focusing on the health effects of freeze dried foods -- this is really amazing!  Many of the benefits I already listed in my previous post, but here are some others:

• concentrated antioxidants
• high in fiber 
• color, shape, flavor and nutrients are maintained
• diets high in fruit and vegetables reduce risk of disease
• long shelf life
• convenient for backpacking, camping and traveling
• a healthy, fun and nutritional snack for kids
• no extra flavors, additives or sugars -- ALL Natural!!

For an interesting read on Freeze-dried foods:

1. Nutritional Effects of Freeze-Drying Foods
2. Health Effects of Freeze-Dried Food 
3. Ever wonder how Freeze-Dried Ice Cream is made?
   

What's the Difference?

Many people ask me:  What's the difference between Grocery Store, Dehydrated and Freeze-Dried foods?  Here's the answer:

GROCERY STORE:

Fresh tastes great!  And when you cook it yourself you know what's going into it.  But unless you purchase your fresh foods from a local farmer's market, most grocery store foods are picked early and ripens during shipping.  This results in decreased nutritional value compared to foods picked at peak ripeness.


DEHYDRATED:

Dehydrated foods are processed by heating the food to a level that the moisture will evaporate.  The heating process breaks down nutrients, changes the color, flavor, shape and texture of the food.  Because dehydration doesn't take out the moisture entirely, they have a shelf life of about 5-10 years.  Dehydrated fruits do contain fiber, some vitamins and minerals, but many companies add sulfur and sugar to enhance flavor and shelf life. 


FREEZE-DRIED:

Freeze-dried foods are flash-frozen, a process that drops temperatures immediately; then in a vacuum chamber, 98% of the moisture is removed.   These foods are picked at peak ripeness, so they also have a higher nutritional content than those picked early.  Because they are frozen rather than heated, when water is replaced, these foods maintain their shape, color, flavor and nutrients.   Also, because 98% of the moisture content is removed, freeze-dried foods have a much longer shelf-life, usually up to 25 years.  No flavors, additives or sugars are added to freeze-dried food.  You are eating quality all-natural food -- and it TASTES GREAT!

See for yourself!   Both are samples of Green Beans:  

Dehydrated on the left; Freeze-Dried on the right.

Getting Started!!

Being prepared for any emergency or crisis can be overwhelming if you're just getting started -- and when the next crisis or disaster comes, the time for preparedness is over.  If you're not sure where to start or what to do next, pick an item below and focus on it for a week or a month, until you feel adequately prepared in that field.


DO YOU HAVE:

• Home & Vehicle First Aid Kits?
• 3-months worth of income in Savings?
• Credit card, vehicle, and other debt paid off?
• An emergency escape Plan? (from the house, city, etc.)
• A list of Emergency Contact Names & Numbers
• 3-day Emergency Kit (ready to take with you if you have to leave)?
• 3-month Food Supply (shelf food you regularly eat)?
• Long-term Food Supply (6-12 months or more) stored in a cool place?
• Tools and other household items (shovel, garbage bags, bleach, etc.) in the event you can't get to the store.
• 2-weeks worth of water (minimum 1 gal. per person per day)?

DO YOU KNOW:

• Which disasters are likely to occur in your area and how to prepare for them?
• Who your family "contact person" is (in the event of a disaster)?
• Where you will meet family members should you become separated?
• How to treat for Shock? (emotional and physical)
• Basic First Aid?
• How to communicate with out of town Family Members?
• How to protect yourself from the elements (heat/cold)?
• How to prepare food without electricity?

This is just a list to get you started -- feel free to add topics of your own.  I'll be visiting these topics over the next several weeks.