Mess Kits

When I was a Girl Scout, we made mess kits to bring to camp.  A couple of years ago, I decided these would be a perfect addition to our food storage.  The concept is simple: each person needs to have plates, utensils and cups to eat with.  They need to be able to be washed and dried easily, and all without getting dirty again (in the event that you are "camping out."

So, how do you make one?  

1. Take a larger kitchen towel of your choosing (we got ours at the 99 cents store and let each person pick his/her own), and fold each of the shorter ends down about 1.5 to 2 inches.  Sew in place, leaving open the ends. Hint: if you use a thinner kitchen towel, it will allow the dishes to air dry faster. 
2. Then fold your towel in half, so the two new seams are together.  Sew up the sides.  
3. Next, take several feet of ribbon or string and put it through the seams which are now at the open end of your "bag" to make a drawstring.  
4. Now pick out and inexpensive plate, bowl, cup and utensils for each member of the family.  We had fun with this and let the kids each pick out a melamine plate, bowl and cup, since they will not easily break.  

If you put these in your food storage (or 72 hr kit), all you need to do is wash the items and place them in the bag.  If you hang the bag by its drawstring, the dishes will drain and be ready to use for the next meal - plus they will stay free of dust and dirt!

Food Storage Tips

Buying food and storing it for emergencies doesn't have to take years and it doesn't have to cost a fortune. Many people also think that they have to rotate everything. This is not true! Here are some tips to get you started without the headache of rotation or a hole in your pocketbook.

1. DO NOT STORE ANYTHING WITH LIQUID.  liquid canned items or anything soaked in a liquid spoils fast. Usually within 2-3 years. However in your pantry you can store a three month supply of things you actually eat. If you do not eat canned fruit then DO NOT STORE THEM! They will go bad and be useless when you need them.

2. HAVE A THREE MONTH SUPPLY OF FOOD IN YOUR PANTRY THAT YOU DO ROTATE. Only store what you eat! Some examples are: Peanut butter, jams, tuna or other canned meat, canned fruit, canned soups, cereals, pasta sauces, etc. These should be foods that you eat all the time so rotating is easy and a no brainer.

3. BUILD UP A 30+ YEAR STORAGE. Here is a list of items that store well for 30+ years if stored correctly.
1. Powdered milk
2. Wheat
3. Rolled oats
4. Rice
5. Freeze dried fruit
6. Dried eggs or butter
7. Sugars including honey
8. Beans
9. Pasta
10. Many more!

4. DO NOT STORE YOUR FOOD STORAGE IN YOUR GARAGE OR SHED. This is a very bad idea because your food will go bad very quickly in the heat.

5. STORE SEEDS. This is a great idea. Having fresh fruits and veggies are essential for good health even in times of crisis.

6. COLLECT FOOD STORAGE BASIC RECIPES. If you store recipes with your food storage you will know what to do with it when you need it.

7 BUY EXTRA. When filling up your pantry 3 month supply just buy extra at the store. The cost will be minimal and your pantry will soon fill up.

8. HAVE A PLAN. When filling up your 30+ year food storage make a food storage calendar. Every payday allot a certain amount to food storage and plan what to buy.

9. BUY IN BULK. This is especially important when building up your 30+ year supply. And will save loads of money.

These are just a few tips out of hundreds! More tips next week.

72 hr kits

Our family has been working on our food storage for awhile now, and I think we have that idea pretty ingrained in our minds.  Each time we go to the grocery store, we pick out something to add to the food storage.  Our 72 hr kits are a different story: we don't have them!

I think that I am going to try and purchase something each week to go into a 72 hr kit for each member of our family - starting with a backpack for each of us.  OK, well I guess I will have to buy one backpack each paycheck.  They can be costly!  The backpacks will contain a change of clothes, money, books, flashlights, and things to occupy our time (books, crayons, pencils, paper), and food.

I also want to add one medium sized bin for the family that we can put toiletries, first aid kits, batteries, etc. that we will all use as a family.

Anyone have their 72hr kits finished and in your regular food rotation?  Food in the 72 hr kit should be rotated every 6 months...

Great deal!

Lees Marketplace is having a HUGE sale to jumpstart your food storage. If you live in Northern Utah you should take advantage of the low prices on your basic food storage needs.
36 rolls of toiletpaper $6.99
Brown Sugar 4for$5
25lbs flour $7.99
Complete 72 hour kit $49
5 gallon pail 2for$9
4lb sugar $1.79
24pk water 2for$5
and many many more!
Hurry in the sale ends on 3/8/11

Augason Farms

Since we have moved here to Utah, purchasing food storage has become a priority for our family.  After all, it's so much more readily available here!  We have discovered a brand Augason Farms, that is reasonably priced and has a 15 to 30 year shelf life.  They have everthing including dairy, fruits, veggies, breads, meats, grains, drinks, etc, etc, etc.  I love that they have a little space on each can where you can put the open date.  Once opened, each item is good for one year.  Plus, several of the containers have recipes on them using other food storage items, so you can have an easy variety!  Perfect for the food storage beginner.  We have been purchasing ours at Winco, but they are also available online at augusonfarms.com.  Price and shipping are very reasonable!