Food Storage (September 2021)
This month, we'll be focusing on gathering a supply of food and other essentials for the first three weeks after a disaster.
Sept. 5: Get a 1-week supply of food.
For more information, read this brochure: Getting Started with Food Storage Sept. 12: Gather a 2-week supply of food and other essentials.
For more information, read this talk: There Was Bread Sept. 19: Find ways to cook without electricity.
Sept. 26: Begin to gather a 1-year supply of life-sustaining items.
For more information, read this 2-page brochure: All is Safely Gathered In |
Social Media Post: Can Openers
Do you have two can openers? Or even three? I have a friend who recently moved overseas and so she worked diligently to use up her food storage before she left. What she discovered is that when used heavily, even manual can openers break, wear out, etc. She and her family of 5 went through 3 different kinds of can openers in about 3 months. I had a similar experience recently—I was able to open small cans with my manual can opener, but the blade on was so dull that it wasn’t sharp enough to open the large #10 cans. Consider investing in at least 1 extra can opener (and store it some place different from your normal one) so you are able to open the food you have stored in an emergency! #getprepared Social Media Post: Home Food Storage App
I came across this food storage app recently and am really liking it so far. It allows you to keep an inventory of what you have purchased, how much it cost, when it expires, and where in your home it is stored. You just scan the bar codes! The app also allows you to say how many people you want to provide for and to set goals for food storage (do you want to work on a 1 month supply? A 6 month supply? A year?). The app tracks your progress toward those goals in each food group. I have only been using it a few days, but it is really satisfying to see my own progress. The downside is that it does cost $2.99–totally worth it in my opinion though! Do any of you have apps that are helping you get more prepared that you really like? Social Media Post: Two in the Queue
“It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark” (Howard Ruff). We don’t have to feel overwhelmed by trying to prepare for every possible emergency. We can (and should) go directly to the Lord and ask Him what we need to do for OUR family. I also have a strong testimony of just thinking about our very next step. We can even ask “What is the very next step I need to take right now in this moment?” He might say, “Hush your fears!” He might say, “Notice the connection between your prayers and your actions” (for me, this meant that if I am going to pray for rain, I also need to do more to use the water I do have more wisely and to take time to thank him when even 2 minutes of rain does happen). He might say, “Make a list off the top of your head of meals you eat regularly.” Then “eat what you store, go to the pantry for meals, and go to the store to restock your pantry.” My aha was that instead of “going to my pantry” for meals, I “go to the store!” That’s why sometimes my food storage goes bad before I eat it all. I need to practice going to my pantry for meals instead! I’d love some ideas for meals you make out of your pantry. For example, taco soup has become one of my favorites! #getprepared Social Media Post: Recipes
I need some good ideas for shelf stable meals besides Sis. Curtis's taco soup (which has become one of my winter favorites). Bonus points for quick and easy. What are some of your favorites? #getprepared Social Media Post: Store a Wide Variety of Foods
It is important to store a wide variety of foods to make sure your family gets the nutrition it needs. See the photos for some options you may not have considered. I've added a lot of yummy new foods to my diet that I discovered while prepping! Captions: Fruits - pro tip--don't assume that Costco is cheapest. I find Winco is my best option for canned fruit. Costco is best for the fruit pouches. #getprepared Social Media Post: Long Term Food Storage
This week's focus is long term food storage. These foods are things that can be safely stored for 15-30 years. Foods like dried beans, dried lentils, honey, molasses, rolled oats, oil, pasta, salt (iodized), spices, sugar, and wheat are perfect for this kind of storage. Notice that is a short list and most of these foods are not super expensive to buy. They are foods that will keep you alive (as opposed to 3- to 6-month storage foods that will keep you comfortable). More info.: See the pictures for some Family Home Evening activities (including this story and coloring page from Scholastic about the Grasshopper and the Ant and this one about Joseph of Egypt and the 7 years of plenty/famine). #getprepared Social Media Post: Preparing for the Holidays
I have had the line "All is safely gathered in ere the winter storms begin" from the hymn "Come Ye Thankful People Come" running through my mind all week. Pray about what your family needs to do, and then do the thing (even if it seems illogical or unnecessary). Pro tip: Save money by buying a few things for the holidays now while prices are lower. (Notice that all these items are shelf stable too!) #getprepared Social Media Post: Preparedness is an Ongoing Process
One of my ahas this month is that emergency preparedness is not a box you can just check off and be done with. It is an ongoing process. Doing it well requires making small, simple changes to your daily habits. For instance, if you try to buy a whole bunch of food at once, and then “save” it for an emergency, it will all expire around the same time. (I will confess, I have made that mistake multiple times!) Instead, you need to continuously be eating your food storage, which means you need to storing the things you normally eat (and adjust your diet so that you eat more of the things that also store well—like beans). Today I came across a great approach called “two in the queue.” Basically, you try to make sure you always have two of each item you use regularly on your shelves. So if I have one jar of pickles in my fridge, I would try to have two more on my shelves. However, one of the “rules” is that it can’t be something that would expire before you would get around to using it up. So for me, having two jars of mayonnaise or salad dressings in my queue is a terrible idea because I would never use all three up before they expire. But having two cans of green beans or peaches in my queue DOES make sense because I go through those quickly. Similarly, having two toothbrushes in my queue makes sense because they don’t expire. I have been trying to figure out how to balance being prepared with not wasting food and I think this approach will really help me make better decisions about how many of each item I store. I also like it because it makes gathering a 3-month supply of food feel much more manageable. #getprepared |