I just went to a Shelf Reliance home party! Thrive foods is the brand. Maybe you've seen this website before? I didn't know they did home parties or that they had independent consultants in the area. There were all sorts of food to taste that was super yummy. I was very surprised at how good the freeze dried fruits and foods were. I would definitely recommend the Instant milk.... it tasted like milk! Nothing like powdered milk.
The independent consultant that ran the party was Michelle Parker 214-9904. Or you can check out www.shelfreliance.com
I was really impressed with their product. The catalog also had lots of emergency 72-hr stuff if you wanted to supplement your 72-hr. kits.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Water Challenge
Get one weeks worth of water for your family.
1 gallon per person per day = drinking amount
if you want to sponge bathe, brush your teeth.. you'll need more.
So a family of 4 minimally needs:
4 gallons x 7 days = 28 gallons for just one week.
1 gallon per person per day = drinking amount
if you want to sponge bathe, brush your teeth.. you'll need more.
So a family of 4 minimally needs:
4 gallons x 7 days = 28 gallons for just one week.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Preparedness Talk
This is a talk my sister gave in Sacrament Meeting about being prepared. I thought it was pretty good and wanted to share.
If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear
If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear. That scripture brings me great comfort.
Last fall we had a lesson in church about being prepared for times of trouble. My husband and I have always tried to be prepared, and we have our food storage. As Troy and I talked about the lesson and how well we were prepared, we decided we had a pretty good year supply, at least the basics and a few other things, but it was hard to actually know how effective our food storage was since we'd never actually had to live off of it.
As we talked, we decided the most responsible thing would be to try out our food storage and see if it really was good enough to live on. If you're not going to really eat it, why store it? So we called up a few people and issued the Thanksgiving Challenge, to live off of what we had on hand and in our storage until Thanksgiving Dinner. This was back on November 1st, and Thanksgiving was on the 26th, so 26 days without going to the store.
Day one of the challenge was a Sunday so we hadn't gone to the store first or anything, it was as much a surprised to us as it was to everyone else. Four families in total accepted the challenge. The first family found out they really didn't have as much food storage as they thought, they'd somehow forgotten to store wheat and milk. They had a lot of other things, including a bag of pre-ground wheat flour, but by week two, they were done. The second family also didn't have a lot of basics, but she is a coupon shopper and they did have two giant freezers full of frozen pizza and TV dinners. They made it two and a half weeks on frozen pizza and TV dinners. They said they could have gone on, but frozen pizza for breakfast lunch and dinner was wreaking havoc on their systems. Of the four families who started, two made it to the end, our family and my sister Christina's family. My sister lives on 10 acres and has a cow and chickens, and claimed through the whole challenge that it wasn't really much of a challenge. I admit by week three, her cow and chickens were a source of envy at our house, but milk and eggs aside, we did fairly well--- and the experience we gained was invaluable.
Day 1 of the challenge we were nervous, but ready for the adventure.
By Day 3, we were starting to incorporate food storage basics like dried peas and beans into our meals by Day 12 we had pretty much cleaned out what was in the fridge and were getting creative.
Throughout the experience I kept daily track of what we did and how it was going.
By Day 16, the rationed store milk ran out, and we broke out the powdered milk. The kids and I had actually been drinking powdered milk for a few days, but Troy is the ultimate milk critic. He likes milk from only one store, and it has to always be cold, never left out or he can tell, even the next day by the taste. You might say that for Troy, the Thanksgiving Challenge started on day 16.
On Day 17 I wrote in my journal: “I think personally that we were foolish to wait so long to start the powdered milk. I'd much rather have powdered milk than NO milk. Saving the store milk was mostly like having no milk.”
This is what I wrote on Day 19: “We are making bread daily and powdered milk daily also. We are eating more rice and beans, but it is all do-able. It is surprising to me how little we actually need to survive. More than just surviving, we're actually thriving. The memory of store milk is fading and the kids are happy with the powdered milk.”
By the end of the challenge, an interesting thing had happened. We found we had made the transition from one lifestyle to another, and once the transition was made, it was almost as if we'd always lived that way. It stopped being a contest of who could hold out the longest and became just another day.
Attitudes in our house changed. Food was no longer an unlimited resource to be wasted and taken for granted, it was valued and respected. The kids didn't pour lakes of syrup on the pancakes anymore, and the cheese block was never left out to dry. Not only are we not afraid to use our food storage anymore, but those basics have become like friends. I know that no matter what happens, I have the skills and the resources to feed my family food they will eat. Not only that but we totaled the money we saved at the end of the month, and it came to over a thousand dollars. It was such an eye opening experience to us that by simply changing a few things, we could have an extra thousand dollars a month any time we needed it. That is liberating.
It has been six months since we started the Thanksgiving Challenge, and we have yet to buy a loaf of bread. Some changes we made that month stayed with us, and home made bread is one of them. We also eat a lot more home made chili--- it turned out to be a great family favorite. Because food takes longer to prepare when you are cooking with basics, we spent a lot more time together as a family, working together in the kitchen and as a result, my kids also know how to cook with basics. If you have never lived on a shoestring budget, if you've never had whole wheat home made bread, or powdered milk, the mental torture involved at the prospect is much greater. This experience liberated us from that fear. We KNOW that we are prepared. We KNOW that we can do it, and WE KNOW the blessings that come from obedience to that principle.
Now I'm going to change gears a bit on this subject of preparedness and tell you another experience I had recently.
15 years ago as a student at BYU, I helped my great grandmother, Mary Olson Almond, write her life history. Two books of about 200 pages each. Her life, her challenges, her walk with the Lord and her testimony of him.
Last month I finished helping her daughter, my grandmother, Dixie Almond Smith, write her life history. 200 pages of stories and experiences. Her life, her challenges, her walk with the Lord and her testimony of him.
For a while now I've felt impressed that I ought to write the history, my history, of the last ten years of my life. For those of you who have known us in this ward, you may be aware that the last ten years, and the last five especially have been full of exceedingly sore trials. I've felt impressed to write that history, that chapter of my life--- my trials, my challenges, my own walk with the Lord and my testimony of him.
As part of that effort, I've spent the last month typing my journals into the computer. First because I value them like scriptures. Every priesthood blessing I receive, every inspiration from the Lord to me is recorded there, as well as my struggles and growth. My journals are precious to me, having only one copy is not enough. Second, because ten years is a long time, and I want to get the story right when I write it.
Brothers and sisters, there is nothing like systematically going through your life in fast forward. I relive these experiences as I type them, only this time, I know the end from the beginning. All my struggles, all my hardships, all my hopes and my blessings fly by as if they were just minutes and hours instead of years.
Four weeks ago I transcribed the journal where we discovered that we could not have more children biologically. Three weeks ago I transcribed the journal where we found out Troy had multiple sclerosis, and then cancer. Two weeks ago I transcribed the journal that detailed the adoption of our three sons, and the two year long struggle and blessing that was. Last week I transcribed the journals from the years we were foster parents, and this week begins the hardest one of all, the journal of finding our daughters and losing them again.
The last time I spoke in this ward was to bear my testimony. It was in Relief Society, in January of 2007. Things were going well for us, We were nearing the finalization of the adoption of four little girls and it appeared that at last our family was complete. We had struggled so long, but though we suffered and struggled, great were the blessings. I remember that day because I wrote about it later, and it is recorded in my journal. I don't usually stand and bear testimony, I am a great writer, but when it comes to speaking, I tend to get a little shy. That day I felt the spirit so strongly that I could not keep my seat, but stood, with my littlest, Carolyn, asleep over my shoulder and bore my testimony of the blessing of going through hard things. How the trials in my life had blessed me, and how my walk with the Lord had become sweeter and my faith strengthened from going through the hard things.
A little more than a month after that our littlest daughter, our Carolyn died of SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, returning to her father in heaven in her sleep, and as my family was ripped apart in the aftermath of that experience, the testimony I bore that day was severely tried.
Brothers and Sisters, there is a reason why preparedness has two sides, the temporal and the spiritual. Temporal preparedness will keep you and your family from physical death, which is a valuable thing, but spiritual preparedness can save you and your family from spiritual death. You may or may not ever need to live off of your year supply of food, but you WILL need your testimony because HARD TIMES COME TO ALL OF US.
During the sorest part of my time of trial, one of the hardest things for me was feeling like these trials were not what I had agreed to. The Lord had asked us, inspired us to grow our family, and here it was torn apart, turned upside down and inside out. This was not what I thought I signed up for.
As we went through this trial, our families went through it too. It affected all of us, and we all struggled. My mother, knowing my heartache, sent me a good talk from April 2002 called “For Thy Good” and there's one great quote I like:
“There are few of us, if any, who don't walk the refiner's fire of adversity and despair, sometimes known to others but for many, quietly hidden and privately endured. Most of the heartache pain and suffering we would not choose today. But we did choose. We chose when we could see the complete plan. We chose when we had a clear vision of the Savior's rescue of us. And if our faith and understanding were as clear today as it was when we first made that choice, I believe we would choose again.”
“Therefore, perhaps the challenge is to have the kind of faith during the hard times that we exercised when we first chose. The kind of faith that turns questioning and even anger into acknowledging the power, blessings and hope that can come only from Him who is the source of all power, blessings and hope. The kind of faith that brings the knowledge and assurances that we all experience is part of the gospel plan, and that for the righteous all that appears wrong will eventually be made right. The peace and understanding to endure with dignity and clarity of purpose can be the sweet reward. This kind of faith can help us see the good, even when life's path seems to be layered only with thorns, thistles and craggy rocks.
The last three years have been the hardest struggle and trial of my life. We had been directed by the Lord to continue to grow our family and it seemed that all those efforts had been destroyed, and our hearts with it, but today I stand to bear you that same testimony, that I KNOW the trials in my life have blessed me. My walk with the Lord has become impossibly sweeter, and my faith strengthened from going through the hard things.
It has taken me three years to fully get to this point, but I KNOW the Lord walks with me, he weeps when I weep. He does not forget me or leave me to flounder alone. As the scripture says, I am engraven upon the palms of His hands.
So many times during the last three years there have come the Lord's tender mercies to me to bear me up and give me understanding. One came in the summer of 2008. Julie Brian gave a Relief Society lesson where she referenced a talk she'd heard from President Holland on the incredible blessings that can come only through hard trials. It wasn't a conference address or Ensign article, but was only available in video form. He gave it at a CES fireside just a month or two before her lesson and she felt impressed to use it in her lesson. I am so glad she did. This talk spoke to my soul. It was one of the things I clung to. It made such an impression on me, that I made a word for word transcription of the entire talk, going line by line through the video, so that I could have it, and digest every word. It took me six hours, but was unavailable in any other format, so I did it. Since then it's been printed in the Ensign, so you may remember it.
In the talk, Elder Holland was speaking of the experience Joseph Smith had in Liberty Jail, and how those severe trials were a temple experience to him:
Liberty Jail –Holland CES fireside 2008
So in what sense could Liberty Jail be called a “temple,” and what does such a title tell us about God’s love and teachings, including where and when that love and those teachings are made manifest? In precisely this sense: that you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in any situation you are in. Indeed, you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in the most miserable experiences of your life—in the worst settings, while enduring the most painful injustices, when facing the most insurmountable odds and opposition you have ever faced.
In one way or another, great or small, dramatic or incidental, every one of us is going to spend a little time in Liberty Jail—spiritually speaking. We will face things we do not want to face for reasons that may not be our fault. Indeed, we may face difficult circumstances for reasons that were absolutely right and proper, reasons that came because we were trying to keep the commandments of the Lord. We may face persecution, we may endure heartache and separation from loved ones, we may be hungry and cold and forlorn. Yes, before our lives are over we may all be given a little taste of what the prophets faced often in their lives.
But the lessons of the winter of 1838–39 teach us that every experience can become a redemptive experience if we remain bonded to our Father in Heaven through it. These difficult lessons teach us that man’s extremity is God’s opportunity, and if we will be humble and faithful, if we will be believing and not curse God for our problems, He can turn the unfair and inhumane and debilitating prisons of our lives into temples—or at least into a circumstance that can bring comfort and revelation, divine companionship and peace.
. . .
Whenever these moments of our extremity come, we must not succumb to the fear that God has abandoned us or that He does not hear our prayers. He does hear us. He does see us. He does love us. When we are in dire circumstances and want to cry, “Where art Thou?” it is imperative that we remember He is right there with us—where He has always been! We must continue to believe, continue to have faith, continue to pray and plead with heaven, even if we feel for a time our prayers are not heard and that God has somehow gone away. He is there. Our prayers are heard. And when we weep He and the angels of heaven weep with us.
Looking back, I see the end from the beginning. I know the end of the book, or at least the end of this chapter. In a small measure, reading through these histories, I can see as the Lord sees. As I transcribe these journals and watch myself go through these pages full of struggle and questioning, I feel like telling myself “Don't worry! It's all going to turn out ok!” “Look, just 10 more pages until THIS happens. You can do it!”
When we lived in Boston ten years ago, I went in for a temple recommend interview, and the member of the stake presidency giving me the interview asked me if I requested priesthood blessings. I didn't remember this question being one of the ones on the list, but I told him no I hadn't really, unless I was very sick. He gave me counsel then that has blessed my life ever since, that I should ask for blessings of comfort and counsel, on a regular basis, and treasure them--- and if I did, it would bless my life. I have done that, and because I have been obedient to that counsel I have a written record of every blessing I've received in the last ten years. Reading those blessings now, I KNOW the Lord sees the end from the beginning.
As I was thinking this the other day, reading about some particularly difficult time we were going through, trying to understand and make sense of what had happened to us, I realized that my priesthood blessings echoed that sentiment. “Don't worry! It's all going to turn out ok, just a little longer, you can do it!” The Lord sees the end from the beginning. He knows what lies ahead for us if we keep on being faithful. No matter who the voice was delivering the blessing, the Lord's encouragement was the same, and the promises for enduring well were everything I'd ever wanted. Four priesthood blessings by four different mouths promised our family would continue to grow. Many other blessings and promises have also been given us, many of which we have already realized and some are still to come. Some blessings were obvious at the time, and some obvious only later.
We've had witnesses and experiences we treasure as a result of these trials in our lives.
Being spiritually prepared is being prepared to act as if we too could see the end from the beginning as the Lord does, even when we don't. It is believing him when he says to follow him, and things will work out. Being spiritually prepared means being willing to see your trials and earthly hardships with one eye in mortality and one in eternity.
The Lord has helped me see my life and my trials with one eye in mortality and one in eternity. And for me, that makes all the difference. It turns tragedy to hope, hope to promise, and promise to reality if we endure it well.
The other day I had the opportunity to go to the temple, to be close to the spirit and the Lord and I felt close to my little Carolyn there. I was able to bring her the news that after these three years, we will finally be able to have her sealed to us. Because her adoption wasn't completely finalized before she died, we had to get special permission to have her sealed, but we have that permission now and will be going in the next few weeks to have her sealed to us. The Lord knows the ending is good.
I know that the Lord walks with me. He weeps when I weep, and he will turn our most heartbreaking trials into precious eternal treasures.
Be obedient. Lean on him. Rely on him. He will comfort you. He will sustain you, and he will bless you beyond what we can now imagine. I know this by my own experience. Heaven is near, and our time here to grow is so short and so valuable. I pray we can prepare now to make the most of those experiences when they come. For if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.
And I bear my testimony of these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen
If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear
If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear. That scripture brings me great comfort.
Last fall we had a lesson in church about being prepared for times of trouble. My husband and I have always tried to be prepared, and we have our food storage. As Troy and I talked about the lesson and how well we were prepared, we decided we had a pretty good year supply, at least the basics and a few other things, but it was hard to actually know how effective our food storage was since we'd never actually had to live off of it.
As we talked, we decided the most responsible thing would be to try out our food storage and see if it really was good enough to live on. If you're not going to really eat it, why store it? So we called up a few people and issued the Thanksgiving Challenge, to live off of what we had on hand and in our storage until Thanksgiving Dinner. This was back on November 1st, and Thanksgiving was on the 26th, so 26 days without going to the store.
Day one of the challenge was a Sunday so we hadn't gone to the store first or anything, it was as much a surprised to us as it was to everyone else. Four families in total accepted the challenge. The first family found out they really didn't have as much food storage as they thought, they'd somehow forgotten to store wheat and milk. They had a lot of other things, including a bag of pre-ground wheat flour, but by week two, they were done. The second family also didn't have a lot of basics, but she is a coupon shopper and they did have two giant freezers full of frozen pizza and TV dinners. They made it two and a half weeks on frozen pizza and TV dinners. They said they could have gone on, but frozen pizza for breakfast lunch and dinner was wreaking havoc on their systems. Of the four families who started, two made it to the end, our family and my sister Christina's family. My sister lives on 10 acres and has a cow and chickens, and claimed through the whole challenge that it wasn't really much of a challenge. I admit by week three, her cow and chickens were a source of envy at our house, but milk and eggs aside, we did fairly well--- and the experience we gained was invaluable.
Day 1 of the challenge we were nervous, but ready for the adventure.
By Day 3, we were starting to incorporate food storage basics like dried peas and beans into our meals by Day 12 we had pretty much cleaned out what was in the fridge and were getting creative.
Throughout the experience I kept daily track of what we did and how it was going.
By Day 16, the rationed store milk ran out, and we broke out the powdered milk. The kids and I had actually been drinking powdered milk for a few days, but Troy is the ultimate milk critic. He likes milk from only one store, and it has to always be cold, never left out or he can tell, even the next day by the taste. You might say that for Troy, the Thanksgiving Challenge started on day 16.
On Day 17 I wrote in my journal: “I think personally that we were foolish to wait so long to start the powdered milk. I'd much rather have powdered milk than NO milk. Saving the store milk was mostly like having no milk.”
This is what I wrote on Day 19: “We are making bread daily and powdered milk daily also. We are eating more rice and beans, but it is all do-able. It is surprising to me how little we actually need to survive. More than just surviving, we're actually thriving. The memory of store milk is fading and the kids are happy with the powdered milk.”
By the end of the challenge, an interesting thing had happened. We found we had made the transition from one lifestyle to another, and once the transition was made, it was almost as if we'd always lived that way. It stopped being a contest of who could hold out the longest and became just another day.
Attitudes in our house changed. Food was no longer an unlimited resource to be wasted and taken for granted, it was valued and respected. The kids didn't pour lakes of syrup on the pancakes anymore, and the cheese block was never left out to dry. Not only are we not afraid to use our food storage anymore, but those basics have become like friends. I know that no matter what happens, I have the skills and the resources to feed my family food they will eat. Not only that but we totaled the money we saved at the end of the month, and it came to over a thousand dollars. It was such an eye opening experience to us that by simply changing a few things, we could have an extra thousand dollars a month any time we needed it. That is liberating.
It has been six months since we started the Thanksgiving Challenge, and we have yet to buy a loaf of bread. Some changes we made that month stayed with us, and home made bread is one of them. We also eat a lot more home made chili--- it turned out to be a great family favorite. Because food takes longer to prepare when you are cooking with basics, we spent a lot more time together as a family, working together in the kitchen and as a result, my kids also know how to cook with basics. If you have never lived on a shoestring budget, if you've never had whole wheat home made bread, or powdered milk, the mental torture involved at the prospect is much greater. This experience liberated us from that fear. We KNOW that we are prepared. We KNOW that we can do it, and WE KNOW the blessings that come from obedience to that principle.
Now I'm going to change gears a bit on this subject of preparedness and tell you another experience I had recently.
15 years ago as a student at BYU, I helped my great grandmother, Mary Olson Almond, write her life history. Two books of about 200 pages each. Her life, her challenges, her walk with the Lord and her testimony of him.
Last month I finished helping her daughter, my grandmother, Dixie Almond Smith, write her life history. 200 pages of stories and experiences. Her life, her challenges, her walk with the Lord and her testimony of him.
For a while now I've felt impressed that I ought to write the history, my history, of the last ten years of my life. For those of you who have known us in this ward, you may be aware that the last ten years, and the last five especially have been full of exceedingly sore trials. I've felt impressed to write that history, that chapter of my life--- my trials, my challenges, my own walk with the Lord and my testimony of him.
As part of that effort, I've spent the last month typing my journals into the computer. First because I value them like scriptures. Every priesthood blessing I receive, every inspiration from the Lord to me is recorded there, as well as my struggles and growth. My journals are precious to me, having only one copy is not enough. Second, because ten years is a long time, and I want to get the story right when I write it.
Brothers and sisters, there is nothing like systematically going through your life in fast forward. I relive these experiences as I type them, only this time, I know the end from the beginning. All my struggles, all my hardships, all my hopes and my blessings fly by as if they were just minutes and hours instead of years.
Four weeks ago I transcribed the journal where we discovered that we could not have more children biologically. Three weeks ago I transcribed the journal where we found out Troy had multiple sclerosis, and then cancer. Two weeks ago I transcribed the journal that detailed the adoption of our three sons, and the two year long struggle and blessing that was. Last week I transcribed the journals from the years we were foster parents, and this week begins the hardest one of all, the journal of finding our daughters and losing them again.
The last time I spoke in this ward was to bear my testimony. It was in Relief Society, in January of 2007. Things were going well for us, We were nearing the finalization of the adoption of four little girls and it appeared that at last our family was complete. We had struggled so long, but though we suffered and struggled, great were the blessings. I remember that day because I wrote about it later, and it is recorded in my journal. I don't usually stand and bear testimony, I am a great writer, but when it comes to speaking, I tend to get a little shy. That day I felt the spirit so strongly that I could not keep my seat, but stood, with my littlest, Carolyn, asleep over my shoulder and bore my testimony of the blessing of going through hard things. How the trials in my life had blessed me, and how my walk with the Lord had become sweeter and my faith strengthened from going through the hard things.
A little more than a month after that our littlest daughter, our Carolyn died of SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, returning to her father in heaven in her sleep, and as my family was ripped apart in the aftermath of that experience, the testimony I bore that day was severely tried.
Brothers and Sisters, there is a reason why preparedness has two sides, the temporal and the spiritual. Temporal preparedness will keep you and your family from physical death, which is a valuable thing, but spiritual preparedness can save you and your family from spiritual death. You may or may not ever need to live off of your year supply of food, but you WILL need your testimony because HARD TIMES COME TO ALL OF US.
During the sorest part of my time of trial, one of the hardest things for me was feeling like these trials were not what I had agreed to. The Lord had asked us, inspired us to grow our family, and here it was torn apart, turned upside down and inside out. This was not what I thought I signed up for.
As we went through this trial, our families went through it too. It affected all of us, and we all struggled. My mother, knowing my heartache, sent me a good talk from April 2002 called “For Thy Good” and there's one great quote I like:
“There are few of us, if any, who don't walk the refiner's fire of adversity and despair, sometimes known to others but for many, quietly hidden and privately endured. Most of the heartache pain and suffering we would not choose today. But we did choose. We chose when we could see the complete plan. We chose when we had a clear vision of the Savior's rescue of us. And if our faith and understanding were as clear today as it was when we first made that choice, I believe we would choose again.”
“Therefore, perhaps the challenge is to have the kind of faith during the hard times that we exercised when we first chose. The kind of faith that turns questioning and even anger into acknowledging the power, blessings and hope that can come only from Him who is the source of all power, blessings and hope. The kind of faith that brings the knowledge and assurances that we all experience is part of the gospel plan, and that for the righteous all that appears wrong will eventually be made right. The peace and understanding to endure with dignity and clarity of purpose can be the sweet reward. This kind of faith can help us see the good, even when life's path seems to be layered only with thorns, thistles and craggy rocks.
The last three years have been the hardest struggle and trial of my life. We had been directed by the Lord to continue to grow our family and it seemed that all those efforts had been destroyed, and our hearts with it, but today I stand to bear you that same testimony, that I KNOW the trials in my life have blessed me. My walk with the Lord has become impossibly sweeter, and my faith strengthened from going through the hard things.
It has taken me three years to fully get to this point, but I KNOW the Lord walks with me, he weeps when I weep. He does not forget me or leave me to flounder alone. As the scripture says, I am engraven upon the palms of His hands.
So many times during the last three years there have come the Lord's tender mercies to me to bear me up and give me understanding. One came in the summer of 2008. Julie Brian gave a Relief Society lesson where she referenced a talk she'd heard from President Holland on the incredible blessings that can come only through hard trials. It wasn't a conference address or Ensign article, but was only available in video form. He gave it at a CES fireside just a month or two before her lesson and she felt impressed to use it in her lesson. I am so glad she did. This talk spoke to my soul. It was one of the things I clung to. It made such an impression on me, that I made a word for word transcription of the entire talk, going line by line through the video, so that I could have it, and digest every word. It took me six hours, but was unavailable in any other format, so I did it. Since then it's been printed in the Ensign, so you may remember it.
In the talk, Elder Holland was speaking of the experience Joseph Smith had in Liberty Jail, and how those severe trials were a temple experience to him:
Liberty Jail –Holland CES fireside 2008
So in what sense could Liberty Jail be called a “temple,” and what does such a title tell us about God’s love and teachings, including where and when that love and those teachings are made manifest? In precisely this sense: that you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in any situation you are in. Indeed, you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in the most miserable experiences of your life—in the worst settings, while enduring the most painful injustices, when facing the most insurmountable odds and opposition you have ever faced.
In one way or another, great or small, dramatic or incidental, every one of us is going to spend a little time in Liberty Jail—spiritually speaking. We will face things we do not want to face for reasons that may not be our fault. Indeed, we may face difficult circumstances for reasons that were absolutely right and proper, reasons that came because we were trying to keep the commandments of the Lord. We may face persecution, we may endure heartache and separation from loved ones, we may be hungry and cold and forlorn. Yes, before our lives are over we may all be given a little taste of what the prophets faced often in their lives.
But the lessons of the winter of 1838–39 teach us that every experience can become a redemptive experience if we remain bonded to our Father in Heaven through it. These difficult lessons teach us that man’s extremity is God’s opportunity, and if we will be humble and faithful, if we will be believing and not curse God for our problems, He can turn the unfair and inhumane and debilitating prisons of our lives into temples—or at least into a circumstance that can bring comfort and revelation, divine companionship and peace.
. . .
Whenever these moments of our extremity come, we must not succumb to the fear that God has abandoned us or that He does not hear our prayers. He does hear us. He does see us. He does love us. When we are in dire circumstances and want to cry, “Where art Thou?” it is imperative that we remember He is right there with us—where He has always been! We must continue to believe, continue to have faith, continue to pray and plead with heaven, even if we feel for a time our prayers are not heard and that God has somehow gone away. He is there. Our prayers are heard. And when we weep He and the angels of heaven weep with us.
Looking back, I see the end from the beginning. I know the end of the book, or at least the end of this chapter. In a small measure, reading through these histories, I can see as the Lord sees. As I transcribe these journals and watch myself go through these pages full of struggle and questioning, I feel like telling myself “Don't worry! It's all going to turn out ok!” “Look, just 10 more pages until THIS happens. You can do it!”
When we lived in Boston ten years ago, I went in for a temple recommend interview, and the member of the stake presidency giving me the interview asked me if I requested priesthood blessings. I didn't remember this question being one of the ones on the list, but I told him no I hadn't really, unless I was very sick. He gave me counsel then that has blessed my life ever since, that I should ask for blessings of comfort and counsel, on a regular basis, and treasure them--- and if I did, it would bless my life. I have done that, and because I have been obedient to that counsel I have a written record of every blessing I've received in the last ten years. Reading those blessings now, I KNOW the Lord sees the end from the beginning.
As I was thinking this the other day, reading about some particularly difficult time we were going through, trying to understand and make sense of what had happened to us, I realized that my priesthood blessings echoed that sentiment. “Don't worry! It's all going to turn out ok, just a little longer, you can do it!” The Lord sees the end from the beginning. He knows what lies ahead for us if we keep on being faithful. No matter who the voice was delivering the blessing, the Lord's encouragement was the same, and the promises for enduring well were everything I'd ever wanted. Four priesthood blessings by four different mouths promised our family would continue to grow. Many other blessings and promises have also been given us, many of which we have already realized and some are still to come. Some blessings were obvious at the time, and some obvious only later.
We've had witnesses and experiences we treasure as a result of these trials in our lives.
Being spiritually prepared is being prepared to act as if we too could see the end from the beginning as the Lord does, even when we don't. It is believing him when he says to follow him, and things will work out. Being spiritually prepared means being willing to see your trials and earthly hardships with one eye in mortality and one in eternity.
The Lord has helped me see my life and my trials with one eye in mortality and one in eternity. And for me, that makes all the difference. It turns tragedy to hope, hope to promise, and promise to reality if we endure it well.
The other day I had the opportunity to go to the temple, to be close to the spirit and the Lord and I felt close to my little Carolyn there. I was able to bring her the news that after these three years, we will finally be able to have her sealed to us. Because her adoption wasn't completely finalized before she died, we had to get special permission to have her sealed, but we have that permission now and will be going in the next few weeks to have her sealed to us. The Lord knows the ending is good.
I know that the Lord walks with me. He weeps when I weep, and he will turn our most heartbreaking trials into precious eternal treasures.
Be obedient. Lean on him. Rely on him. He will comfort you. He will sustain you, and he will bless you beyond what we can now imagine. I know this by my own experience. Heaven is near, and our time here to grow is so short and so valuable. I pray we can prepare now to make the most of those experiences when they come. For if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.
And I bear my testimony of these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Challenge!
I would like to challenge each family in our ward (without going into debt) to have in place a month's supply of food for their family to use in event of emergency where no more food could be obtained outside this month's supply.
December 31, 2009 is the target date to have this goal accomplished!
Also, do you know how to turn off your water or gas, have a 72-hr kit ready or where to go in an emergency? These things are all important. Having a plan and moving forward is the best way to accomplish your goals!
December 31, 2009 is the target date to have this goal accomplished!
Also, do you know how to turn off your water or gas, have a 72-hr kit ready or where to go in an emergency? These things are all important. Having a plan and moving forward is the best way to accomplish your goals!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Wonder Box
I finally have a picture of the wonder box or wonder oven. It cooks with retained heat. This green one is a standard size wonder box.
This is a picture of a wonder box put inside a duffle bag type thing, for a more portable version. See how the pot is placed inside?
Wonder boxes are good for hot and cold as seen here with the ice cream.
I am still tracking down the pattern, but I have the information of a gal down in Elk Grove that makes and sells them for $35.
This is a picture of a wonder box put inside a duffle bag type thing, for a more portable version. See how the pot is placed inside?
Wonder boxes are good for hot and cold as seen here with the ice cream.
I am still tracking down the pattern, but I have the information of a gal down in Elk Grove that makes and sells them for $35. Monday, March 23, 2009
Seminar for Emergency Preparedness
Last week I attended a seminar for Emergency Preparedness. The speaker was Becky Pritt who came all the way from Utah. She and her husband outlined several interesting ways to conserve energy during everyday life as well as in an emergency.
One of the main things demonstrated was the different ways to store energy. We saw a variety of lamps, flashlights and battery generators in action. The most versitile of them was of course the battery generator. It had enough energy (300-600 watts) to jump start a car, charge a cell phone and still light up a campsite at night. Xantrex.com has a variety of battery generators for a variety of uses-- see portable and back up power section. The generator was useful in so many situations such as camping, picnics or more predictably, in power outage situations.
Other forms of storeable energy included wood, charcoal, propane (gas stoves) and butane.
One of the most exciting things demonstrated was the Wonderbox. The concept is quite like a crockpot, but with no power cord! It's basically an insulated box that cooks with retained heat. Food is brought to boil in a pot and the pot is placed inside the Wonderbox where the food can continue to cook for another 2 or more hours. It usually takes 4 times the normal cooking time, but takes no extra fuel and will keep the food HOT until ready to eat without burning! Sister Pritt had made 3 different foods for us to try: Stew, ham and bean soup and BREAD! They were all delicious and all cooked in the wonderbox. This is such a neat idea, with many applications. As soon as I can get some pictures i'll post them.
One of the main things demonstrated was the different ways to store energy. We saw a variety of lamps, flashlights and battery generators in action. The most versitile of them was of course the battery generator. It had enough energy (300-600 watts) to jump start a car, charge a cell phone and still light up a campsite at night. Xantrex.com has a variety of battery generators for a variety of uses-- see portable and back up power section. The generator was useful in so many situations such as camping, picnics or more predictably, in power outage situations.
Other forms of storeable energy included wood, charcoal, propane (gas stoves) and butane.
One of the most exciting things demonstrated was the Wonderbox. The concept is quite like a crockpot, but with no power cord! It's basically an insulated box that cooks with retained heat. Food is brought to boil in a pot and the pot is placed inside the Wonderbox where the food can continue to cook for another 2 or more hours. It usually takes 4 times the normal cooking time, but takes no extra fuel and will keep the food HOT until ready to eat without burning! Sister Pritt had made 3 different foods for us to try: Stew, ham and bean soup and BREAD! They were all delicious and all cooked in the wonderbox. This is such a neat idea, with many applications. As soon as I can get some pictures i'll post them.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Ideas?
I am in charge of a RS activity in June. Does anyone have any project ideas that would be good for us to do? My ideas are: Emergency binder, checking out the dry pack canner or a garden class...
I'd love some imput.
I'd love some imput.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Dry pack Cannery Dates
Do you need to start your food storage?
Never been to the cannery and would like to go?
Need to bulk up your supplies?
Well here's your chance! We have two cannery dates. Up to 6 people per date and time, so sign up quick!
March 11th 10:00am-Noon
March 16th 10:00am- Noon
If you would like to sign up, you can leave your info in a comment, email me or sign up on a clipboard at church.
please note: you can only can things that are bought from the cannery that day. You can't bring items from home, even if they were purchased from the cannery on a previous occasion.
Never been to the cannery and would like to go?
Need to bulk up your supplies?
Well here's your chance! We have two cannery dates. Up to 6 people per date and time, so sign up quick!
March 11th 10:00am-Noon
March 16th 10:00am- Noon
If you would like to sign up, you can leave your info in a comment, email me or sign up on a clipboard at church.
please note: you can only can things that are bought from the cannery that day. You can't bring items from home, even if they were purchased from the cannery on a previous occasion.
Nonfat Dry Milk Price Amazingly affordable!
One year ago the price for of nonfat dry milk per #10 can from the cannery was $13.50-ish. The price today for a #10 size can from the cannery is $7.60 !! I suggest stocking up a bit at this super cheap price.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Have You Noticed?
Recently I've been paying attention to prices as I shop. I've especially noticed how Bumblebee Tuna had reduced it's price slightly so that it was more comparable to the generic brand that I sometimes buy, so I end up choosing the Bumblebee brand for a few more cents. Then I was made aware that the can size had been REDUCED from 6 oz to 5 oz! I was paying the same amount of money for a smaller size. Next time you buy tuna, notice that the cans are thinner in size and that you are being charged almost the same as when they were larger. I've noticed the same change with the 2 lb. cottage cheese being reduced to 1 1/2 lbs for the same price as well. Has anyone else noticed this?
Monday, February 2, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
How to make your own can storage bins
Have you seen those food can rotators that help you with rotation? Where you put your most recently purchased cans in the top and when you need one you pull it out of the bottom and all the cans adjust down, leaving a space at the top for more cans. Check out this blog article link. It is a really good idea if you can't afford the commercial shelf rotating can systems.
http://mormonfoodstorage.blogspot.com/2008/09/pantry-paragon-or-how-to-make-your-own.html
Side note: Check out Costco for the commercial shelf rotating systems right now... I've heard they have them now for a great deal at about $20 for a set, though I haven't been down there yet myself to check it out. Update 1/27: Costco has them now. $23, holds 40 cans of adjustable sizes, isle 106 - midway down.
http://mormonfoodstorage.blogspot.com/2008/09/pantry-paragon-or-how-to-make-your-own.html
Side note: Check out Costco for the commercial shelf rotating systems right now... I've heard they have them now for a great deal at about $20 for a set, though I haven't been down there yet myself to check it out. Update 1/27: Costco has them now. $23, holds 40 cans of adjustable sizes, isle 106 - midway down.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Recipes
I would like to put together a cook book filled with easy recipes. It would be great if they didn't use a ton of ingredients, and if they used food storage items it's a bonus!! Please send along any recipes that your family loves and wouldn't mind sharing. Thanks!
You can email them to me at sherryanne77@sbcglobal.net
You can email them to me at sherryanne77@sbcglobal.net
Monday, January 5, 2009
New Year, New Progress
In this month's Ensign, a Random Sampler article gives us a simple but important step: START! You can't move forward with your food storage if you don't start. It's the beginning of a new year, a perfect time to get moving on your food storage goals.
As a ward we are coming closer to our 6-month goal deadline at the end of February. Check your current status and let's get moving!
Read entire Random Sampler Article:
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=e3b3515e04f5e110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1
As a ward we are coming closer to our 6-month goal deadline at the end of February. Check your current status and let's get moving!
Read entire Random Sampler Article:
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=e3b3515e04f5e110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Emergency Binder
I came across this good site that detailed an emergency binder. It's a good starting place for creating a "binder" of your own.
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/01/03/emergency-binder/
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/01/03/emergency-binder/
Monday, December 15, 2008
Cooking a Turkey for the Freezer
1. Turkey meat is not LEFTOVERS, its good food for many meals. Use turkey meat for casseroles, enchiladas, soup, salads, stir fry, just about anything that calls for chicken meat.
2. Buy your turkeys the 2 weeks before thanksgiving… .28 cents a pound. Buy the BIGGEST turkey you can find. Most turkeys have the same size bones, so the additional pounds are ALL MEAT.
3. Cooking turkey is NOT HARD. DON’T STUFF IT. Total work time for this project is 33 minutes.
4. I use frozen turkey meat to make many FAST MEALS… most take only 30 minutes to prepare. A large turkey gives meat for 8-10 dinners or more depending on family size.
_________________________________________
Step 1…. Heat oven to 425 degrees, unwrap turkey (already defrosted), rinse, place in baking pan and pop in the oven. (5 minutes) I don’t even take out the neck or the pack of giblets. Note: 325 is the best temp for cooking a juicy turkey, but it is NOT hot enough to kill the nasty germs on the skin of the turkey. That is why you MUST brown it at the 425 degree temp first.
Step 2… After about an hour, when the turkey is browned, lower heat to 325 degrees and cook about another 4 hours (until its done, wiggle the leg to see if it comes loose.)
Step 3… After the turkey has cooled, remove all the big chunks of meat that easily come off and freeze in meal-sized bags. (10 minutes)
Step 4…. Put ALL the rest (skin, neck, pan juice, bones) in a big boiling pot, cover with water and simmer for 3-4 hours. (3 minutes)
Step 5… Cool, pour turkey broth into freezer bags or freezer containers. Then pick out the rest of the good meat and freeze in bags (15 minutes) and discard the rest. Note: when filling the containers for the freezer, leave enough empty space at the top for freezer expansion or they will break. I think quart size Ziploc zipper bags work best, easy to pour in/ easy to defrost.
Step 6… After fat has risen to the tops of the broth containers, (several hours in the refrigerator) freeze. To use the broth for a meal, defrost, scrape off and discard the fat at the top of the container and make soup, gravy or use the broth to cook rice. Note: When using the turkey juice, such as for soup, add an equal amount of water. The juice is very concentrated. I usually get about 8 quarts of juice.
Use all this within 4-6 months.
2. Buy your turkeys the 2 weeks before thanksgiving… .28 cents a pound. Buy the BIGGEST turkey you can find. Most turkeys have the same size bones, so the additional pounds are ALL MEAT.
3. Cooking turkey is NOT HARD. DON’T STUFF IT. Total work time for this project is 33 minutes.
4. I use frozen turkey meat to make many FAST MEALS… most take only 30 minutes to prepare. A large turkey gives meat for 8-10 dinners or more depending on family size.
_________________________________________
Step 1…. Heat oven to 425 degrees, unwrap turkey (already defrosted), rinse, place in baking pan and pop in the oven. (5 minutes) I don’t even take out the neck or the pack of giblets. Note: 325 is the best temp for cooking a juicy turkey, but it is NOT hot enough to kill the nasty germs on the skin of the turkey. That is why you MUST brown it at the 425 degree temp first.
Step 2… After about an hour, when the turkey is browned, lower heat to 325 degrees and cook about another 4 hours (until its done, wiggle the leg to see if it comes loose.)
Step 3… After the turkey has cooled, remove all the big chunks of meat that easily come off and freeze in meal-sized bags. (10 minutes)
Step 4…. Put ALL the rest (skin, neck, pan juice, bones) in a big boiling pot, cover with water and simmer for 3-4 hours. (3 minutes)Step 5… Cool, pour turkey broth into freezer bags or freezer containers. Then pick out the rest of the good meat and freeze in bags (15 minutes) and discard the rest. Note: when filling the containers for the freezer, leave enough empty space at the top for freezer expansion or they will break. I think quart size Ziploc zipper bags work best, easy to pour in/ easy to defrost.Step 6… After fat has risen to the tops of the broth containers, (several hours in the refrigerator) freeze. To use the broth for a meal, defrost, scrape off and discard the fat at the top of the container and make soup, gravy or use the broth to cook rice. Note: When using the turkey juice, such as for soup, add an equal amount of water. The juice is very concentrated. I usually get about 8 quarts of juice.
Use all this within 4-6 months.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Checking out the Dry Pack Canner
My grandmother got on the dry pack canner waiting list many months ago. Finally the weekend before Thanksgiving came and we all gathered to do some dry pack canning. After a quick overview of how to use the machine, we got started.
Here I am with all my cans of pinto beans, oatmeal, rice and macaroni before we put on the lids.
Many in our family was able to move forward with their food storage. It was a really good learning experience.
Here I am with all my cans of pinto beans, oatmeal, rice and macaroni before we put on the lids.Here is my Mom and Grandma working together to put the oxygen absorbers in the filled cans and then put on the lids right before sealing them up. You have to work quickly with the oxygen absorbers because they will start sucking up the air the second they are out of their bag and in the can. And if the lid isn't sealed on in a timely manner, they are just absorbing room air which makes them less effective in the can. Bottom line: work quickly with the oxygen absorbers.
Many in our family was able to move forward with their food storage. It was a really good learning experience. Be aware: To be able to check out the dry pack canner from the cannery, you must first be put on the waiting list. The waiting list can be pretty long, and you may need to wait some months before your assigned time. You should use that time wisely to plan and to purchase your food. Also you'll need to be able to guesstimate the amount of weight of food you'll be canning because you need to buy the cans, lids and oxygen absorbers separately and unused ones can not be returned. Call the cannery to get on the waiting list if you want to dry pack at home.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Sturdy Shoes and a Waterproof Tent
William G. Hartley, “Sturdy Shoes and a Waterproof Tent,” Ensign, Oct 2001, 38
Church history teaches many lessons about personal preparedness.
“If men could learn from history, what lessons it might teach us!” wrote Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1831. 1 While it may sound surprising, a look at Church history can teach us about preparedness for our day.
Lessons from Crossing the Plains
For more than 60,000 Saints who journeyed to Utah during the wagon train period (1846–69), outdoor trail realities tested their preparation and showed what worked and what didn’t.
Lesson 1: When we ignore preparedness counsel, we can expect unhappy consequences.
Before leaving Nauvoo, members had Church-published lists of what to take with them. But when the first companies left in February 1846, several hundred members panicked and crossed the Mississippi River without proper clothes, food, or shelter. As a result, they brought suffering upon themselves, slowed down others, and drained resources from those properly prepared.
Lesson 2: Protect against nature.
Trail death tolls reveal that the highest numbers of deaths were among infants and the elderly. Some pioneers became cold and wet because wagon covers and tents were not waterproof. Others suffered sunburns when they lost their hats. Their lips chapped from the dry air, wind, and sun. Many suffered diarrhea and lacked medicine to stop it. Some travelers, while dressed properly for summer heat, lacked coats and gloves for the cold mountain temperatures experienced before reaching the Salt Lake Valley. In addition, pioneers had to guard against wildlife, particularly snakes and wolves. In many campsites they suffered from swarms of mosquitoes that badly hurt children and angered horses and cattle.
. . . . There is lots more to this article, if you want to read more go to http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=7986759235d0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1
It really has some good information about being prepared. It also gives you some good things to think about to help you decide what is best for your family.
Church history teaches many lessons about personal preparedness.
“If men could learn from history, what lessons it might teach us!” wrote Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1831. 1 While it may sound surprising, a look at Church history can teach us about preparedness for our day.
Lessons from Crossing the Plains
For more than 60,000 Saints who journeyed to Utah during the wagon train period (1846–69), outdoor trail realities tested their preparation and showed what worked and what didn’t.
Lesson 1: When we ignore preparedness counsel, we can expect unhappy consequences.
Before leaving Nauvoo, members had Church-published lists of what to take with them. But when the first companies left in February 1846, several hundred members panicked and crossed the Mississippi River without proper clothes, food, or shelter. As a result, they brought suffering upon themselves, slowed down others, and drained resources from those properly prepared.
Lesson 2: Protect against nature.
Trail death tolls reveal that the highest numbers of deaths were among infants and the elderly. Some pioneers became cold and wet because wagon covers and tents were not waterproof. Others suffered sunburns when they lost their hats. Their lips chapped from the dry air, wind, and sun. Many suffered diarrhea and lacked medicine to stop it. Some travelers, while dressed properly for summer heat, lacked coats and gloves for the cold mountain temperatures experienced before reaching the Salt Lake Valley. In addition, pioneers had to guard against wildlife, particularly snakes and wolves. In many campsites they suffered from swarms of mosquitoes that badly hurt children and angered horses and cattle.
. . . . There is lots more to this article, if you want to read more go to http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=7986759235d0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1
It really has some good information about being prepared. It also gives you some good things to think about to help you decide what is best for your family.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Food Storage-- not a matter of money but of faith!
Having a year's supply of food is not a matter of money, it's a matter of faith. If you are determined to obey the Lord and you ask for His help, the Lord will help provide a way. We just have to do our part.
Monday, September 15, 2008
I've started my food storage... where do I go from here?
~ Food Storage: Achieving your Goals~
Many of you have already started your food storage. You already have a plan, you’ve already made progress…Here are some important points I’d like to make to help you fine tune what you may already be doing.
1) Tracking your food storage. This helps you know how much you have of each item in your food storage, what you’ve used and what you need to buy. A good tracking plan goes hand in hand with rotation.
2) Rotation is the key for a successful food storage plan. Label your containers with the date you purchased it. Learn to cook with the items you store, it makes rotation easy. Rotate as many items as you can by using your food storage at least twice a week. This will allow complete rotation of a years supply about every three to four years and will help your family become accustomed to the items you have stored.
3) Store foods properly. Try to keep a minimum exposure to light, heat, moisture and air. The shelf life can be greatly diminished if foods are not stored properly.
4) Grow a garden so you can have fresh produce.
5) Don’t forget about non-food items. Have an extra supply of vitamins, medications, diapers, toiletries etc...
6) Variety. Adding variety to the items you store will help give you more options as you use your food storage. Psychological foods. Psychological foods are the goodies—Jello, pudding, candy, etc. - These may sound frivolous, but if you needed to live on your storage for an extended amount of time, these items would help normalize the situation. These are especially important if you have children.
Many of you have already started your food storage. You already have a plan, you’ve already made progress…Here are some important points I’d like to make to help you fine tune what you may already be doing.
1) Tracking your food storage. This helps you know how much you have of each item in your food storage, what you’ve used and what you need to buy. A good tracking plan goes hand in hand with rotation.
2) Rotation is the key for a successful food storage plan. Label your containers with the date you purchased it. Learn to cook with the items you store, it makes rotation easy. Rotate as many items as you can by using your food storage at least twice a week. This will allow complete rotation of a years supply about every three to four years and will help your family become accustomed to the items you have stored.
3) Store foods properly. Try to keep a minimum exposure to light, heat, moisture and air. The shelf life can be greatly diminished if foods are not stored properly.
4) Grow a garden so you can have fresh produce.
5) Don’t forget about non-food items. Have an extra supply of vitamins, medications, diapers, toiletries etc...
6) Variety. Adding variety to the items you store will help give you more options as you use your food storage. Psychological foods. Psychological foods are the goodies—Jello, pudding, candy, etc. - These may sound frivolous, but if you needed to live on your storage for an extended amount of time, these items would help normalize the situation. These are especially important if you have children.
