Come Learn with me

Beans in the Sun Oven

2009-05-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who told me how to cook beans in the sun oven. We are not bean eaters so I filed it in the back of my mind to try one day. Today was that day! What becky told me to do was put the beans in a pot (black), rinse and sort. Fill pot twice as high as the beans and put it out to cook. EASY RIGHT? Yep!

Hard to believe beans could be that easy. No soaking or anything. I put them in at 11AM pointed them towards the sun and left. I was gone for a while and returned at 1:30 ad turned the oven. Left again, came home and checked the beans, they were soft. I added some onion (dried), garlic (fresh) and salt and pepper. Left again and just took them out at 5:45pm. No worrying about boiling over or if they are cooking long enough. Stick them in and move the oven around a bit and wah-la you're done.

In the oven

Close up. I used black beans and some northern beans.

Below is my bread I like to make in the Sun Oven

I LOVE MY GLOBAL SUN OVEN. :)

Life Caps 72hr Challenge

2009-03-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have heard about LIFE CAPS. They have been talked about on Good Morning Utah. They are the worlds first Survival Capsule. I have decided to try the 72 hour challenge. I will go without food for 3 days and use the Life Caps only with water, to simulate an emergency. I have 72hr kits in my house, but what if something happens while I am out? And my kids can take these, well eat the powder (sweet fruity flavored).

Life Caps are taken with water and are 100% absorbed in the blood stream in 20 minutes giving you a full feeling. I will be blogging my experience over the next few days.

You can find more info at . If all goes well and I like the results, I have survived, I will do a group order.

Downloads and files

2009-03-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

About a month ago I started a GOOGLE GROUP. I post files and send out emails through it. You can find dozens of great files that range from Alcohol stoves to homemade cheese. I am finding new things and adding them. If you are interested in getting emails, you can join the group or you can just book mark and come back regularly. More the merrier!

http://groups.google.com/group/learn-with-me?hl=en&pli=1

Hope to see you there.

Great video

2009-01-26T17:42:00.000-08:00

Be sure to turn off the music below so you can watch this video.

Silly Silly People

2009-01-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

Silly Silly People

Noah told the people that the rain was going to fall
Noah told the people they better get on the ball
Noah told the people to repent and turn to God
Cause God had, had it up to here and the wicked He would trod

Those Silly Silly People, why were they all so blind?
We certainly, would never be, a people of that kind!

Lehi told the people that Jerusalem would fall
Lehi told the people, but all they did was stall
Lehi told the people, to repent and turn to God
Cause God had, had it up to here and the wicked he would trod

Those Silly Silly People, why were they all so blind?
We certainly, would never be, a people of that kind!

Samuel told the people as he stood upon the wall
that Christ would come in five short years and save them from the fall
Samuel told the people to repent and turn to God
Cause God had, had it up to here and the wicked he would trod.

Those Silly Silly People, why were they all so blind?
We certainly, would never be, a people of that kind!

Our prophet tells the people that there's not much time at all
Our prophet tells the people, they better get on the ball
Our prophet tells the people to repent and turn to God
Cause God has had it up to here and the wicked he will trod.

So if we look into our pantry's and find that they are bare
and if our scriptures on the shelf, show not wear or tear.
Could we be silly people? Are we possibly that kind?
That we refuse to hear our God, could we be "Oh So Blind?"

Copyright 2009 Susan Edwards and Roweena Rymer

THREE more banks failed on Friday

2008-11-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

Three more banks failed on Friday with a combined 214 branches.

The total is now at 22 for the year. Wondering how this rates for the past 8yrs? check out this list.

Here are the number break downs:

2000 - 2 banks
2001 - 4 banks
2002 - 10 banks
2003 - 3 banks
2004 - 3 banks
2005 - 0 banks
2006 - 0 banks
2007 - 3 banks
2008 - 22 banks

Check out http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/.../banklist.html (sorry the embedded link isn't working) to see the banks that have failed since 2000.

Don't forget about CITIBANK who is going under as of today (I believe). Will the Fed bail them out? Tomorrow should be interesting! I hope everyone has been preparing for hard times. They are HERE!

Apple Box Ovens in Payson

2008-11-15T16:37:00.000-08:00

Today we had the opportunity to go to another ward and give a presentation. Scott gives a monthly preparedness class and a gal comes from Payson. She was impressed by Scott's Emergency Heating and Cooking one and asked him to give the presentation to her ward. She asked me to give a presentation on the apple box ovens . We were delighted! If we can help one person get moving on emergency prep stuff our time is well worth spent.

I asked my SIL to babysit and my mom to help with the apple box direction and food prep. Thank you! We couldn't have done it without you! We showed up at the church at 8:30 and got the charcoal started and ready for the food. Kathleen, prepared a pizza(her stone was too big for the oven, so she improvised!), two loaves of bread and cinnamon rolls. YUM! Carb heaven! My mom and I had never tried cooking in an apple box oven in November. It was 29* when we got there...brrr! Luckily it warmed up to almost 50* before noon! (today * means degrees)

We first gave the demo of HOW you cook in it. Showed them all the pieces parts and got the ovens preheated. AS we got the food in Scott began his presentation. Scott, goes through so much work for his presentations. He researches untill he is blue in the face and can't see straight. Lucky for him, this was the second time for this presentation.

The pizza was done first. Kathleen, Elaine, and I were in the kitchen chatting and my mom came in and told me the pizza temp was down at 200*, The look on Kathleen's face was priceless! She said "but it is supposed cook at 385*. Five minutes later I brought in a perfectly cooked pizza. She breathed a breath of fresh air. She had not wittnessed the cooking. She didn't see it was doing fine at the 200*. Yes, it lost heat which is not optimal, but it cooked well at a lower temp, just longer. It was so worth the excitement I witnessed today on her face alone.

Next were the loaves of bread. I wish I had taken pictures of the food, as proof you can bake in a box. The bread was BEAUTIFUL! Kathleen, can really make bread! Yes, it took longer than the kitchen oven, but it was delish! The cinnamon rolls, were beautiful too. After the pizza, I believe everyone believed.

It is such a great feeling knowing you can cook with something so simple. Store some charcoal and your good to go. It is rewarding to see eyes light up in understanding.

Thank you Kathleen! Today was a great day!

President Packer and a gentle reminder

2008-10-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

Recently President Packer spoke in his home ward. It has made the rounds in email, message boards, you name it. Apparently a sister took notes shorthand. She wrote the whole talk down. Below is a letter that was read in Sacrament meetings a little over four years ago. It is still valid today, just as it was then. Please, take care not to pass on things the General Authorites have asked us not to. Things get out of hand and changed etc.

Please don't send on this email (Pres. Packer's talk), even if you think it has not been changed. It is a matter of obedience. We were not there for the meeting. This was a message for his home ward. Not the world.

If you doubt this, feel free to call his receptionist at 801-240-1000 she will send you to a recorded message about this email that is circulating.

The First Presidency letter is below.
*************************************

May 13, 2004

To: General Authorities; Area Authority Seventies; Stake, Mission, and District Presidents; Bishops and Branch Presidents

(To be read in sacrament meeting)

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Statements Attributed to Church Leaders

From time to time statements are circulated among members which are inaccurately attributed to the leaders of the Church. Many such statements distort current Church teachings and are often based on rumors and innuendos. They are never transmitted officially, but by word of mouth, e-mail, or other informal means.

We encourage members of the Church to never teach or pass on such statements without verifying that they are from approved sources, such as official statements, communications, and publications. Any notes made when General Authorities, Area Authority Seventies, or other general Church officers speak at regional and stake conferences or other meetings should not be distributed without the consent of the speaker. Personal notes are for individual use only.

True spiritual growth is based on studying the scriptures, the teachings of the Brethren, and Church publications.

Sincerely your brethren,

Gordon B. Hinckley
Thomas S. Monson
James E. Faust
The First Presidency

Upcoming classes

2008-09-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

Classes are held at my house (please contact me for address) at 10AM and 7PM

October 1 Basic Soap making

October 15 What to do with beans

If you have any bean recipes to share, please email them to me. You can use the "drop me a line" button. I will put them together and send them out as a handout.

PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGE ON THE BEANS...I forgot I had a previous engagement then.

Did Pres. Hinckley prophesy the housing crisis?

2008-09-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

A gentleman I know posted this on a board I am on. I asked if I could share it, he agreed. He actually said "share it with EVERYONE".

*****************************
President Hinckley prophesied the Mortgage Crisis?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay gang, bear with me here. I was preparing a lesson for church last weekend on Helaman 6-12, which is known to many as a lesson on the Pride Cycle. It was very timely in light of it being the same week that wall street almost crashed, and we know this is in large part due to the sub-prime mortgage crisis we are still feeling the effects of. People either bought homes way beyond their price range, or people who had no right buying homes in the first place (based on income) got into mortgages they shouldn't have been granted.

So anyhow, I'm thinking about all of this, and the words from President Hinckley came to mind "buy a modest home and pay it off as quickly as you can" (paraphrased). I knew I'd heard him talk about it a few times in the past, so out of curousity I went to lds.org to see when he spoke of this.

I searched for talks containing the phrase "modest home" by President Hinckley. I got hits in the following years: May 1998, 2000, and 2001. So a little more than 10 years ago Pres. Hinckley started talking about the importance of buying a "modest home".

So then I wondered when the housing boom began. If I could find a graph showing the historical inflation-adjusted median home price in the US, I could see quite easily exactly when people started the frenzy of buying homes they couldn't afford. I finally found such a chart, and I was floored at the data. Take alook and see if you get the chills that I felt:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeqrguz/...ited_states.png

Aren't you glad we have a living Prophet on the Earth? I am! If more had listened to his words, I doubt we would be bailing out all the banks.

Soap making

2008-09-19T14:56:00.001-07:00

I posted this on my personal blog and wanted to share this here. It is more on a personal side. You you don't mind.

I went to a soap making class last night. It was SO exciting! I bought a kit on Ebay about two and a half years ago. I never used it. I was afraid of the lye. If you go read about it, it makes you a wee bit weary. Like, I have five kids and that stuff could KILL them. I was put at ease last night. She demo-ed TWO batches and I got to help with one batch. WOHOOO! It seems SO fun! I am an instant gratification type gal though. You HAVE to let it cure for atleast TWO WEEKS if not longer! Oh man!

I went to Skinetics in Payson. http://www.skinetics.biz/index.htm Kim, the owner is such a great lady. I like essential oils and had wanted to go in. Everytime I would drive by I would try to remember the link she had on her sign. I always forgot. At Scott's September class a lady told me I should go in. I made a point to go in. I took my two youngest. I must have stayed about an hour. Her place is small, yet the company is wonderful! We talked EO, soap and makeup. She knows her stuff and wants to share her knowledge.

Kim, holds monthly classes. Obviously I decided to go to the soap making class. It was AWESOME! I went back today and bought some supplies to make soap. This might be a new addiction. UH OH!

Tonight, my mom and I are going to make soap. Lavender and Rosemary mint. Oh my house will smell so good!

Check out her site. She will have classes monthly...aromatherapy, soap making and tinctures. She is a VERY sweet lady and fun to work with.

More than you ever wanted to know about Rice.

2008-09-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

I am gathering some info about Rice. With my research, you can make a better choice in your rice storage. I personally know very little about rice and decided to include some basic info that we probably know nothing about.

Rice Anatomy
Rice is similar to wheat where it has a hull, which must be removed. All rice has bran layers. Most of the common rice we use has the bran and germ removed, what is left is the soft endosperm. This would be similar to white flour (the bran is removed). What is left is the white rice that is commonly used throughout the world.

The bran and germ are high in vitamins, minerals, oil and various phytonutrients. Rice at this stage is a whole grain. We commonly call this BROWN RICE.

To replace some of the nutrients lost in milling, most North American processors apply a thin coat of thiamine, niacin, iron and folic acid to milled rice to produce what is known as enriched rice.

To recap:
Whole-grain rice (sometimes called brown rice): longer cooking time; more fiber; high in vitamins, minerals, oil and various phytonutrients; shorter shelf life which can be extended using cool storage temperatures.

Milled rice: shorter cooking time; enriched to restore nutrient value; longer shelf life.
Below are a few rice varieties, their qualities and some other info. I found these at http://www.foodsubs.com/Rice.html

Glutinous Rice = sticky rice = sushi rice = sweet rice = Chinese sweet rice = waxy rice = botan rice = mochi rice = Japanese rice = pearl rice Equivalents: One cup dried rice yields two cups cooked rice. Notes: Despite its name, this rice isn't sweet and it doesn't contain gluten. Instead, it's a very sticky, short-grain rice that is widely used by Asians, who use it to make sushi and various desserts. You can buy this as either white or black (actually a rust color) rice. Substitutes: risotto rice (works well in sushi) OR short-grain rice (This also works well in sushi, as long as you use white rice. Brown short-grain rice doesn't stick together as well.) OR medium-grain rice (Also good for sushi)

Jasmine Rice = Thai basmati rice = Thai jasmine rice Equivalents: One cup dried rice yields three cups cooked rice. Notes: Jasmine rice is a long-grain rice produced in Thailand that's sometimes used as a cheap substitute for basmati rice. It has a subtle floral aroma. It's sold as both a brown and white rice. Substitutes: basmati rice (Basmati rice has a longer grain, isn't as sticky, and takes slightly longer to cook.) OR popcorn rice OR patna rice OR other long-grain rice

White Rice= lacks the bran and germ, but is more tender and delicate. It's less nutritious than brown rice, but you can partially compensate for that by getting enriched white rice. Brown rice takes about twice as long to cook as white rice.

Brown rice = whole grain rice Notes: Many rice varieties come as either brown rice or white rice. Brown rice isn't milled as much as white, so it retains the bran and germ. That makes brown rice more fiber-rich, nutritious, and chewy. Unfortunately, it doesn't perform as well as white rice in many recipes. Long grains of brown rice aren't as fluffy and tender, and short grains aren't as sticky. Brown rice also takes about twice as long to cook and has a much shorter shelf life (because of the oil in the germ). Keep it in a cool, dark place for not more than three months. Refrigeration can extend shelf life. Substitutes: converted rice (less chewy, takes less time to cook) OR wild pecan rice OR white rice (Enriched white rich has less fiber, but many of the same nutrients.)

instant rice = precooked rice Notes: This is white rice that's been precooked and dehydrated so that it cooks quickly. It's relatively expensive, though, and you sacrifice both flavor and texture. White instant rice cooks in about five minutes, brown in about ten. Minute Rice is a well-known brand. Substitutes: long-grain rice (less expensive, more nutritious, takes longer to cook)

Converted rice = parboiled rice Notes: This is a good compromise between nutritious brown rice and tender, fast-cooking white rice. Converted rice is steamed before it's husked, a process that causes the grains to absorb many of the nutrients from the husk. When cooked, the grains are more nutritious, firmer, and less clingy than white rice grains. Uncle Ben's is a well-known brand. Substitutes: brown rice (more nutritious, takes longer to cook) OR white rice (less nutritious, stickier, takes less time to cook)

Below is a table I found http://www.pechsiam.com/allabout_nutrition.htm . It shows a few common rice varieties and the nutrients found. I was surprised even with the bran and germ removed the difference in caloric content was not much different. The dietary fiber was. **Blogger is not allowing me to insert this table so please see the link. HTML is not working properly with the table.

As found at http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7798-1-4224-1,00.html White rice will store 30+ years.

Longer-Term Storage—30 Years or More

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 according to findings of recent scientific studies. Estimated shelf life for many products has increased 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.

I can not find a definitive answer on how long brown rice will store. I have read 6 months. I have a 6 gallon bucket of brown rice that has been opened in my pantry for about three years. I HAVE NOT found anything wrong with the taste. There are a variety of ways you can store it but the shelf life is by far much shorter than white rice. The issue is in the oils in it. This issue confuses me since wheat has oils in it found in the germ. It lasts for 30+ years also. I would follow the spirit on this. Also, I have heard the rancidity is only on the outside of the grain. It can be rinsed off. I have not had to try that. I do, however, rinse my rice, before boiling, maybe mine is rancid and I don’t know it.
I did find this:

http://www.survival-center.com/foodfaq/ff1-toc.htm
Brown Rice This is whole grain rice with only the hull removed. It retains all of the nutrition to be found in rice and has a pleasant nutty flavor when boiled. From a nutrition standpoint it is by far the best of the rices to put into storage, but it has one flaw: The essential oil in the germ of the rice is very susceptible to oxidation and soon goes rancid. As a result, brown rice has a shelf life of only about six months from the date of purchase unless given special packaging or storage processing. Freezing or refrigeration will greatly extend its storage life. It's also possible to purchase brown rice from long term food suppliers specially packaged in air tight containers with an inert nitrogen atmosphere. In this kind of packaging, (if properly done), the storage life of brown rice can be extended for years.

Making A rocket Stove

2008-09-14T15:28:00.000-07:00

This is a GREAt way to cook with very little fuel. It seems like a simple design and fairly easy to build. I hope to make one for my family's use soon. You can boil water with a few twigs, no need for a full blown camp fire.

Do we share with those who aren't prepared? (Ensign 1976)

2008-09-05T07:00:00.001-07:00

“I Have a Question,” Ensign, Oct 1976, 31–33

Questions of general gospel interest answered for guidance, not as official statements of Church policy.

Are the Saints advised to share their food storage items with unprepared households during crises of indeterminable length? The parable of the ten virgins seems to indicate not.

Vaughn J. Featherstone, “I Have a Question,” Ensign, Oct. 1976, 31–32

Bishop Vaughn J. Featherstone, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric In the general conference welfare meeting on Saturday morning, April 3, 1976, I discussed this subject. My exact quote regarding that statement is as follows:

“I should like to address a few remarks to those who ask, ‘Do I share with my neighbors who have not followed the counsel? And what about the nonmembers who do not have a year’s supply? Do we have to share with them?’ No, we don’t have to share—we get to share! Let us not be concerned about silly thoughts of whether we would share or not. Of course we would share! What would Jesus do? I could not possibly eat food and see my neighbors starving. And if you starve after sharing, ‘greater love hath no man than this …’ (John 15:13.)

“Now, what about those who would plunder and break in and take that which we have stored for our families’ needs? Don’t give this one more idle thought. There is a God in heaven whom we have obeyed. Do you suppose he would abandon those who have kept his commandments? He said, ‘If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.’ (D&C 38:30.) Prepare, O men of Zion, and fear not.” (Ensign, May 1976, pp. 117–18.)

These are very strong personal feelings. They have come to me over the years as I have read the scriptures. In my humble opinion, the second greatest discourse ever was given by King Benjamin. In that discourse he discussed what our attitude should be.

“And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

“Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just.” (Mosiah 4:16–17.)

You can see from the first two verses that the punishments of those who have not put away a year’s supply of food may be just. And so in our minds we may rationalize and suggest to ourselves that we have no need to share, but King Benjamin goes on to say:

“But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

“For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

“And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceeding great was your joy.” (Mosiah 4:18–20; italics added.)

What brother in the priesthood or sister in the gospel could possibly see a nearby family starving to death and feel that they were justified in withholding their substance? As I mentioned in my talk, I believe the question that we must all ask ourselves is “What would Jesus do if he were here and faced with this problem?” In his ministry, you will recall that he spent most of his time with those in poverty, the grief-stricken, the poor, the poor in spirit, the leperous, the blind, the maimed, etc. He said: “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” (Matt. 9:12.)

I think herein we find the answer to the question posed above.

The part of the question relating to the five wise and the five foolish virgins may not refer to substance and physical wants—I think it rather refers to spiritual preparedness. I think the measure of whether we have sufficient oil in our lamps or not will not be determined by how much wheat we have in our basement, but rather, if we are keeping all the commandments of God. Are we paying our tithes and offerings? Are we loving our fellowman in that Christlike way the Savior would have us do? Are we filling our assignments in the Church and exercising our stewardship in that way which is appropriate and pleasing to the Lord? Are we pure in heart? Do we follow the prophet? Are we exercising righteous dominion in our homes? Are we actually committed and converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and living those standards and principles? These are the questions I think we need to ask ourselves regarding whether our lamps have sufficient oil or not. I do not think it refers to the substance we have in our basements for a year’s supply.

Let me here conclude by repeating a challenge I offered in that same talk that we ought to have a year’s supply of food by April 1977. I mentioned that the Lord would open up the way to help us achieve that goal. Let us then recommit ourselves to reducing or eliminating our vacation if we do not at present have a year’s supply of food and use that money to buy our year’s supply. Let us spend part or all of our Christmas money on a year’s supply. Let us cut our recreation budget in half. Let us be very frugal and store the basics: wheat or grains of your community, salt, sugar or honey, dry milk, and water—these are the basics.

It is thrilling to live in a Church with vision, with charity and love, a Church that has a modern prophet to guide us. In his talk at the general conference welfare meeting, President Kimball referred several times to the statement by the Lord, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46.) It was very impressive and powerful as he said this over and over again. Why, indeed? May the Lord bless us to call him Lord, Lord, but also to do what he asks us to do.

Mediterranean Chicken and Lemon Soup

2008-09-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

I have downloaded a 215pg cooking with food storage book. I decided to try a few recipes out of it. The first one I made tonight was

Mediterranean Chicken and Lemon Soup
2 cans chicken broth (I used 2cups per can)
1/2c. long-grain white rice
4 T. dehydrated carrot
1 can chicken chunks, drain
4 T. dehydrated peppers
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 can evaporated milk, divided
1 T. cornstarch
1 t. basil

BOIL broth in medium saucepan. Add rice, carrot and peppers; cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in chicken, lemon juice and garlic. COMBINE 1 tablespoon evaporated milk and cornstarch in small bowl; stir into soup. Gradually stir in remaining evaporated milk. Bring to just a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in basil before serving.

I used boullion instead of broth. I also used fresh carrots and peppers (I have a garden silly to use dehydrated). I also substituted garlic powder for two cloves of fresh garlic. OH, I used calrose rice too, that could be why it is a thick soup.

I was impressed, my kids were not though. If you are interested in the cook book, drop me a line. It is in WORD format.

Pinching pennies like your grandparents (MSNBC)

2008-08-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

Allison Linn
Senior writer
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26349819/

In today’s fast-paced society, the Hillbilly Housewife Web site ( http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index.htm ) — with its traditional recipes for making cornmeal mush and tips for turning leftover rice into breakfast pancakes — would seem to be a relic of a bygone era.

But with food and gas prices rising at a faster pace than most paychecks, the site devoted to frugal ways to feed a family has recently seen traffic increase by a third, to about 300,000 unique visitors a month. Susanne Myers, who took over the site from a friend about a year ago, says she’s been deluged with e-mails from people looking for cheap ways to fill their families’ stomachs.

“Especially toward the end of the month I get a lot of e-mails from women, (and) they’re pretty desperate,” Myers said.

They come from all walks of life, she said. One day, it might be a woman who has $20 left to feed her five kids; the next, a woman who was able to give up her pricey Starbucks habit after stumbling on Myers’ recipe for homemade mocha drinks. When milk prices surged, she got a lot of questions about using powdered milk, a cheaper alternative that the site advocates in many recipes.

Until recently, food was considered so cheap in the United States that many families rarely bothered with the type of serious, cost-saving home economics common a generation or two ago. Now the skyrocketing cost of everything from cereal to eggs is prompting some Americans to turn to traditional techniques for stretching a dollar or a meal.

The change comes as overall food and beverage prices have risen 5.8 percent over the past 12 months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and some household staples have notched even bigger gains. Americans paid a whopping 12.1 percent more for cereal and bakery products this past July than they did a year ago. Fruits and vegetables are up 10.1 percent over the same period.

Many expect grocery prices to continue to rise as global demand increases and farmers and ranchers pass on higher costs for everything from chicken feed to fertilizer.

The food inflation is clearly affecting American lifestyles. An April survey by market researchers NPD Group found that more than half of adults who described themselves as “financially challenged” were trying to use up leftovers more often and prepare more meals at home than they did a year ago.

Harry Balzer, a vice president at NPD who long has followed U.S. eating habits, said Americans are still eating out but are choosing cheaper restaurants or skipping desserts and side dishes. To save money at home, he said, more people are choosing grain-based foods, such as pizza and pasta, over meat-based meals.

He doesn't think they will spend a larger percentage of their paycheck on food.

Grocery chains are reporting similar trends.

Supervalu Inc., whose brands include Albertsons, Cub Foods and Save-A-Lot, is seeing more customers redeeming coupons, taking advantage of sales and buying store brands as they grapple with rising food prices. Spokeswoman Haley Meyer said the retailer also has noticed more shoppers swapping out pricier items for cheaper alternatives, such as ground beef instead of steak.

“We’re seeing consistent customer numbers — we’re just seeing a shift in what they’re buying,” she said.

At Wal-Mart Stores Inc., spokeswoman Melissa O’Brien said customers appear to be substituting chicken for red meat and buying more pasta.

Wal-Mart also is seeing a brisker business in its ready-to-eat items, perhaps because people are choosing to buy items like a pizza from Wal-Mart rather than going out. Aiming to capitalize on that switch, the company recently launched a television commercial promoting its take-and-bake pizza.

Still, don't expect all Americans to start baking their own bread and preparing bean dishes from scratch. While the price spikes have prompted some people to try their hand at those things, and to say they will give up restaurant visits, Balzer said most Americans just aren’t willing to give up the time savings and convenience of prepared food.

“We love eating,” he said. “It’s the shopping, the preparing, the storing and the cleaning up. You’ll have a hard time convincing me that Americans will be willing to do this more.”

For those people who are trying to shop and eat more like their grandparents did, the change in behavior isn’t just a matter of time management. Accustomed to years of drive-through restaurants and pasta in a box, many simply don’t know how to cook from scratch.

The Hillbilly Housewife site assumes that its readers have only basic knowledge and offers detailed instructions including recipes, grocery lists and a step-by-step strategy for feeding a family on $45 or $70 per week. Another menu is specifically geared to families who are receiving a subsidized food box from the nonprofit Angel Food Ministries.

The site also recommends scouring grocery ads for sale items and planning meals based on what you can buy cheaply. And it counsels its readers to avoid items that might be marked up during high demand times, such as cranberries around Thanksgiving or condiments before the Fourth of July.

The site, one of many similar homegrown communities that have popped up on the Web, also is rife with tips for substituting traditional ingredients with cheaper ones, such as margarine instead of butter or beans instead of meat. Families are counseled to stretch orange juice by heaping glasses with ice cubes and to cut hot dogs into thin strips so they last longer.

Leftovers, which in many homes are forgotten in the back of the fridge, are assiduously incorporated into future meals under the Hillbilly Housewife’s guidelines. Myers, who lives in Rock Hill, S.C. and has a 5-year-old daughter, can stretch a whole chicken into several meals.

“I call it the rubber chicken,” she said.

Carol McManus remembers well the strategies for making a chicken into dinner one night, sandwiches the next and then a soup stock. Years ago, when her five children were young, she made a game out of seeing how much money she could save at the store while still making good family dinners, she said.

Spaghetti and meatballs might be repurposed the next night for pizza sauce, while pot roast might show up one night with potatoes and the next night with vegetables. She tried to shop as infrequently as every two weeks, since multiple trips to the grocery store often translate into higher bills.

McManus, whose children are now grown, runs a restaurant on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard and recently completed a cookbook, “Table Talk,” focused on easy recipes for family meals. If there is an upside to the down economy, she said, it might be that people will re-embrace things like sitting down together for a meal each night.

She said she learned the value of a family dinner — as well as some of her frugal strategies — from her mother, who was a child during the Depression.

“Putting a meal on the table every night was like the most important thing to my mother and I think a lot of people growing up during the Depression,” she said. “That showed love, doing that.”

Mozzarella cheese with powdered milk

2008-08-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

When I made Mozzarella a few weeks back I took a few pictures. Above are the main ingredients. Powdered milk (note the date (1999), oil (pretty much any kind), rennet, and Citric Acid (not pictured).

This is a picture of the curds after putting in the citric acid and the rennet. No whey seen yet.

The seperation of the whey and curd...tasty!

Finally the curd.

The recipe? Okay.....

CRUD! Apparently my computer isn't letting me copy it...I will add it later. ARGH!

When, not if....

2008-08-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

I recieved this in my inbox this morning and thought it was very thought provoking. Many quarentine periods are THREE MONTHS. The First Presidency has asked us to obtain a three month supply of foods we normally eat (that we can store). I think it was revelation, personally.

U.S. Cities Would be Locked Down, Quarantined Under Pandemic Flu Response Plan
Sunday, August 10, 2008
by: David Gutierrez |

Key concepts: pandemic, quarantine and natural health

(NaturalNews) The federal government would need to quarantine infected households and ban public gatherings to contain pandemic flu, according to a computer simulation study conducted by researchers from Virginia Tech and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"You wouldn't go out to the movies. You wouldn't congregate with people," said researcher Stephen Eubank. "You'd pretty much be staying home with the doors and windows battened down."

The consensus among health experts is that a pandemic, or global epidemic, of influenza is inevitable. The last such pandemic, in 1918, killed between 40 and 100 million people.

Because of the belief that a pandemic cannot be avoided, researchers are instead looking into ways to limit its effects. In the current study, researchers used a computer to model the hypothetical spread of flu pandemic in the city of Chicago under various containment scenarios. They found that a vigorous early response could reduce the infection rate by 80 percent.

"Depending on how fast it is spreading, it seems as though you really need to throw everything you can at it," Eubank said.

Under the containment scenario, people infected with or exposed to the disease would be confined to their homes, and schools and day-care centers would be shut down, as would places of public gathering like bars, restaurants and theaters. Offices and factories would remain open but would operate at reduced capacity due to quarantines.

The extreme measures would need to continue for months, until a vaccine was developed.

"We are not talking about simply shutting things down for a day or two like a snow day," Eubank said. "It's a sustained period for weeks or months."

The computer model assumed widespread compliance with the response plan, but Eubank says he doesn't anticipate that as a problem.

"In the context of a very infectious disease that is killing a large number of the people, I think large fractions of the population won't have a problem with these recommendations," he said.

I only hope he is right about the last paragraph. I worry that meny won't be properly prepared or will expect the gov't to "save" them. Many have forgotten how to take care of themselves and want the government to step in. I doubt they could at this point. We need to be ready. Are you?

You can find all the churches pandemic information at http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,8041-1-4414-1,00.html there are EIGHT PDFs. You can download all 8 by clicking on a link to the right under the circle of people.

Wonderbox bread...

2008-08-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

First, what is a wonderbox? A wonderbox is an insulated "box" that uses the heat in the item to finish cooking it. You can make rice, stew, cooked wheat, roast (so I have heard) and even BREAD. The gist of this is you heat the item , say RICE to a boil then cover it and put it in the wonder box and let it cook.

SINCE HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY PICTURES ON BLOGSPOT I MADE A WEB ALBUM you can view
http://picasaweb.google.com/brghtii/Wonderbox

To make wonderbox bread you first need to make a bread dough like you would normally. On the second Rise or 1st if there is only one, you put the dough in a cereal bag that has been greased. Twist tie it so it is closed. Put the cereal bagged dough in a Oven bag (Renyolds). twist tie it with a loop so the water doesnt' get in it. Put warm water (about 1/4 pan full) in pan and set the bread dough (in bags) in it to let rise. The warm water will make it rise fast. Once risen bring the water to a boil (with the bread dough in it) keep covered. Quickly place in wonderbox, pan and all. ***You will want to be sure that the lid doesnt' come off. On my second try the air in the bag expanded so much it popped the lid up and it lost a lot of heat. I had to reheat it. It works but not as well as doing it right the first time.

I hope this works better this time. I noticed that blogger wouldn't let me ad more than 4 pictures, I just kept adding and copy and pasting them into my edit window. I guess it didn't like that. I thought I was being smart. I was wrong.

Happy Sunday!

2008-08-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

You can help the Church....

2008-08-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

Sharing Food Storage Preparedness Stories With New Media

SALT LAKE CITY 14 August 2008 Church Public Affairs is asking Church members to share their experiences with maintaining food storage by posting video, text or other content on personal blogs, video-sharing sites like YouTube, social media sites like Facebook, or other Internet sites. Members can then e-mail a link to their story to publicaffairs-slc@ldschurch.org. The Newsroom site may link to some of them in an upcoming Web package on the Church welfare program, but in any case the stories may be beneficial to others who read them on the Web.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long encouraged its members to store extra food to provide for possible future needs caused by economic hardship, disasters or other emergencies. Encouraging individual members to be prepared is part of the Church’s overall welfare plan.

"All is Safely Gathered in"

2008-08-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

“ALL IS SAFELY GATHERED IN”
Family home storage plan 4/07

Quote: President Hinckley “Occasions of this kind [9/11] pull us up sharply to a realization that life is fragile, peace is fragile, civilization itself is fragile. The economy is particularly vulnerable. We have been counseled again and again concerning self-reliance, concerning thrift….As we have been continuously counseled for more than 60 years, let us have some food set aside that would sustain us for a time in case of need.” Oct.2001, “The Times in Which we Live”

Quote: L. Tom Perry Nov. 1995 “I believe it is time, and perhaps with some urgency, to review the counsel we have received in dealing with our personal and family preparedness. …With events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness. We are not in a situation that requires panic buying but the instability in the world today makes it imperative that we take heed of this counsel and prepare for the future.” This was said 13yrs ago. Lots of things have happened since.

Quote: Bishop Keith McMullin, April 2007 “A cardinal principle of the gospel is to prepare for the day of scarcity. Work, industry, frugality are part of the royal order of life. Remember these words from Paul: "If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." (1 Timothy 5:8)

What Is The NEW Food Storage Plan?
3 Months Regular Food PLUS Longer Term Food Storage
“All is Safely Gathered In” (providentliving.org)
Why the Change?
“Brethren, I wish to urge again the importance of self-reliance on the part of every individual Church member and family. None of us knows when a catastrophe might strike…the best place to have some food set aside is within our homes … Five or six cans of wheat in the home are better than a bushel in the welfare granary. I do not predict any impending disaster. I hope that there will not be one. But prudence should govern our lives…We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with a one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. I am speaking now of food to cover basic needs. As all of you recognize, this counsel is not new. But I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all.” (Pres. Hinckley, “If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear” Oct “05, Priesthood)

3-Month Supply (get first)
“Build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet. One way to do this is to purchase a few extra items each week to build a one-week supply of food. Then you can gradually increase your supply until it is sufficient for three months. These items should be rotated regularly to avoid spoilage.” providentliving.org
Consider: Things you regularly eat but not fresh/frozen: may have no power, no shopping
Think SOS : (mixes are great for this)
Simple (in case sick/busy)
One Pot (less dishes)
Storable ( less rotating)
GOAL: 90 day supply of: breakfasts, lunches and dinners, snacks

To Do this: Make a list of meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks for 30 days then x3 for 90 days. If you will eat once a week, multiply ingredients by 12, if 2 times a month, multiply by 6, etc.(chart) Make a list of what you need for each meal. (chart) Make a shopping list (chart)

For instance for a family of 5
Pancakes/1x per week= 1-5 lb bag makes enough for 6 weeks= buy 2 + bags plus syrup
Chili w/crackers/2x per month=(3 cans chili/2 tubes saltines per meal) x6=18 cans chili/12 crackers
Spaghetti/2x per month (1 jar sauce/1 lb pasta/ ¼ c. parmesan cheese)= 6 jars/6lb pasta/1-jar cheese
(if you want canned vegetables or bread for this, plan for those too)
Brownies/1x per week= (1 box brownie/ 1/3c. oil/ 2 eggs)= 12 box brownies/4 c. oil/ 24 T. egg powder

Long Term Food Storage

“For longer-term needs, and where permitted, gradually build a supply of food that will last a long time and that you can use to stay alive, such as wheat, white rice, and beans. These items can last 30 years or more when properly packaged and stored in a cool, dry place. A portion of these items may be rotated in your three-month supply.” (providentliving.org)
Start with the basics:
* 300lbs Grains (wheat, rice, oats, pasta, barley, popcorn, cornmeal, rye, millet, etc)

* 60lbs Beans (pinto, black, navy, split peas, lentils, soy, navy, lima, northern) (beans plus whole grain=complete protein) or store canned meat (lb for lb)

Then Add:
* 60 lbs Sugar (white, brown, powdered, honey, jello, fruit drinks, corn syrup, jelly)
* 8lb Salt (at least ½ iodized)
Then Add:
o 16 lb (4-#10 cans) Powdered Milk (triple amount for small children)
o 3 gal. Oil (vegetable, canola, olive, shortening, mayo, peanut butter)
o 3 pounds: Yeast, baking powder, baking soda

Why do we start with these?
Long Shelf Life (30+ years if stored properly)
Most Nutrition for the volume (2200 calories, 13 buckets)
Least Expensive ($500)
Provide all vitamins but A & C (tomatoes contain these)
Basis of a Healthy Diet

What will this provide per day? (Think Survival)
Wheat (9 oz) Rice (3.5 oz) Oats (2.2 oz)
Pasta (2 oz) Popcorn (1.3 oz) Beans/Meat (2.5 oz)
Sugar (3 oz) salt (1 3/4 t.) Milk (1 c.) Oil (1 T.)

Basic Food Storage Plan is Survival: It Isn’t a plan where you are going to be full and it is going to be very boring (appetite fatigue- term started after WWII when it was noticed that people in the war torn areas were dying, even though they had food to eat. They had food, but they only had a few different kinds of food so they ate the same thing, everyday.

Next Level: Being Prepared in All Things (The Others)
Planning for Meals

“Church members are encouraged to prepare for adversity by building a basic supply of food… and, over time, longer-term supply items. Beyond this, Church members may choose to store additional items that could be of use during times of distress." Provident Living.org

Other things to add variety to your Food Storage
Fruits Vegetables Mixes Dairy
Sauces Spices/Seasonings Meats Gardens

Using your Year Supply
It takes 3 months to get used to eating whole grain and beans. Can cause severe side affects. Experiment now: rotate, find out what you like for your 12 month menu plan, add ingredients for meal.
> Canned goods stored indoors will store: 3+ years (except tuna/tomatoes-1 year)

How Do You Store All This Stuff?
There are four things that affect the quality= (flavor, appearance, texture, vitamins), of stored food these are known as HALT: Humidity, Air (O2), Light, Temperature (above 70º cuts storage by ½)
You also want to keep it in bug/rodent proof containers.

Types of Storage Containers DATE all food
Mylar Bags: not puncture or rodent proof, store in other container, re-sealable
#10 Cans: Make sure seal is tight, not re-useable, not airtight once opened, stackable.
Buckets: Food Grade, Stackable, re-useable, re-sealable, better with gamma lids.
PETE bottles: re-useable, not stackable, not rodent proof, store in cool/dark place

Where to Store:
Below 70º if possible:
Store in house: top of closets, under beds, false walls, rotating shelves, etc.
Store off of concrete floors as the concrete will leach into the canisters and change the flavor. A piece of ply wood would work well.
After you have done all you can pray that Heavenly Father will bless and protect your food storage.

Where Do I find Food I need?.
Bishop’s Storehouse- 801-798-5565 Address: 421 South 200 East, Spanish Fork, UT 84660
Other Companies: Walton Feed, Emergency Essentials, Honeyville Grain to name a few.
These companies have a large variety of high quality long term storage items.
Also Local: Costco, Sam’s, Macey’s, Smith’s

How Can I afford to buy all of this Food?
Quote: “The Lord will make it possible, if we make a firm commitment, for every LDS family to have a year’s supply of food reserves…All we have to do is decide, commit to do it, and then keep the commitment. Miracles will take place: the way will be opened and we will have our storage areas filled. Vaughn J. Featherstone, April Conference 1976

When Do I Need to Get my Year Supply?
NOW! Most disasters don’t give notice before they strike. It’s not a matter of IF but WHEN.
Do not panic nor go to extremes but do this in haste. Prices are skyrocketing.
"The time will come that gold will hold no comparison in value to a bushel of wheat." (Discourses of Brigham Young, p.298.)

Class Challenge

ü Inventory what you have
ü Make List of What you Need, Start with Basics, THEN add for comfort and variety
ü Pray, Make a Commitment, DO IT! Your survival will depend on it.

"Peace is fragile, civilization itself is fragile. The economy is particularly vulnerable…I do not know what the future holds. I do not wish to sound negative, but I wish to remind you of the warnings of scripture and the
teachings of the prophets which we have had constantly before us.I cannot forget the great lesson of Pharaoh's dream of the fat and lean kine and of the full and withered stalks of corn. I cannot dismiss from my mind the
grim warnings of the Lord as set forth in the 24th chapter of Matthew. I am familiar, as are you, with the declarations of modern revelation that the time will come when the earth will be cleansed and there will be indescribable distress, with weeping and mourning and lamentation. . . .
Now, I do not wish to be an alarmist. I do not wish to be a prophet of doom.
I am optimistic. I do not believe the time is here when an all-consuming calamity will overtake us. I earnestly pray that it may not. As we have been continuously counseled for more than 60 years, let us have some food set aside that would sustain us for a time in case of need. But let us not panic nor go to extremes. Let us be prudent in every respect. And, above all, my brothers and sisters,
let us move forward with faith in the Living God and His Beloved Son...
(Gordon B. Hinckley, October 2001.)

There is a fabulous promise if we follow the new guidelines. Bishop Keith McMullin in April 2007 in his talk to the Priesthood said, “As we do our very best, we can be confident that "the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail." 1 Kings 17:14 We shall enjoy greater wisdom, security, peace of mind, and personal well-being. We shall be prepared, and because we are prepared, we "shall not fear." D&C 38:30. “

The above is a handout that was prepared by someone else, my friend Debbie Kent. I took it and changed some ofit, removed some and added some things. Thank you Debbie! I used this and the pamphlets in class along with other things. THe pamphlets can be found at http://providentliving.org/fhs/pdf/WE_FamilyResourcesGuide_International_04008_000.pdf