UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 4 of 8

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By Kellene Bishop

Here’s one simple tip so you never have to worry about HOW to cook what’s in your food storage. 

Many folks just plain don’t know how to cook with their food storage.  When I hear this, I ask people why they’re storing foods that are unfamiliar to them or their family?  Sure there are ideal lists which include long lasting grains and legumes, but if you’re not using such ingredients now to feed your family with, it’s not going to be helpful to them in an emergency.

Think for just a moment what kind of chaos a financial collapse, an earthquake, an act of war, or some other kind of disaster could bring into your life.  Do you really want to complicate things by adding more stress into your life by consuming “foreign foods”?  You and your family are going to crave as much “normalcy” as possible.  Unless you’re already serving your family “Boston Baked Wheat” you don’t want to try it out on them while they are being quarantined for 90 days as the result of a flu pandemic.  In fact, it is exactly these kinds of times that you will want to provide the most comforting favorites for your family.  But…yes, there is a but…

Part of being prepared is being ready to live off of foods which are most nourishing and longer lasting than what your diet may currently consist of in your household.  (To this end I implore parents of picky eaters—or spouses of such—to do all they can to get them to embrace more nourishing foods.)  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are great now.  But how will they be when you have to make the bread from scratch?  Will your family even touch them?  Don’t panic.  Just start learning the lost art of bread making now.  I can tell you from experience that it’s a heck of a lot more rewarding than besting someone at an online game of Scrabble.  

Try sprouts on a meat sandwich! Photo c/o scanwiches.com

Slowly introduce your family to new things.  For example, my husband, who I can’t get to eat a vegetable unless it’s on a slab of beef, has agreed to try and start putting sprouts on his meat sandwiches.  Why?  Because I am trying to get him used to eating this easy and widely accessible source of nutrition so when we are in the midst of an emergency, he can handle it—not only emotionally, but physically as well.  Being ready to live off those foods doesn’t involve just having the appetite for them.  We need to be prepared to use them and work with them as well.  If you’ve never tried sprouting, don’t think that the sprouter you’ve got in the basement is going to do much for you in a time of crisis.  Using it under such circumstances will only cause you more stress due to its unfamiliarity and you’ll avoid it at all costs. 

You also need to get your body accustomed to eating such foods.  In fact, if most people attempted to go from their existing diet to one containing whole wheat at the majority of their meals, they would actually DIE inside of 30 days due to the dehydration and diarrhea their body would experience in so drastic a dietary change.  This is one reason why I counsel people to store what they eat—at least a 90 day supply—and then work on introducing other, more stable storage foods, into their diet along the way.  Yes, it’s a lot less expensive to store a year’s supply of wheat, legumes, honey, and powdered milk as opposed to the ingredients for your favorite casseroles, Navajo Tacos, and brownie mixes.  But I assure you that those items won’t get used for much of anything if you haven’t already familiarized your family with them prior to a disaster.  So be sure to have at least 90 days of the familiar and then work on familiarizing your family with other foods that will have a great shelf-life in your home.  Remember, stress alters the mind.  It races the heart.  It breaks down the immune system.  If you’re in a quarantine situation, for example, can you really afford to expose anyone in your family to any of these physical stresses simply because you weren’t prepared with a realistic menu for them?  Perhaps now you may better understand why I go to great lengths to learn how to make bread, sprout, store M&Ms, make sour cream out of powdered milk, wax my own cheese, store eggs long-term, and create recipes out of what’s on my shelves, etc.  I do it in anticipation of a situation in which food and nourishment will be a comfort to the mind and the spirit, not just sustain life.  (And yes, there are indeed those times in which M&Ms sustain me. :))

I’ve been asked how I remember where all of my food storage is since it’s scattered all around the house.  I remember because I’m always in it—except when I’m on that blasted diet.  I’m always using what I store.  I’m rotating it.  (In fact I have a Mason jar full—er, half full—of almond M&Ms next to me on my desk as I write this.)  Other than the years supply of MREs we have stored in the back of the basement, there’s not a single nutritional item in my home that is “uncommon” to me.  If you have anything that’s uncommon to you in your food storage, it’s nearly useless.

Point being, no one should have trouble cooking with their food storage, because their food storage should contain what they are already consuming and thus what they are already familiar in preparing.  Practice making your food in a Dutch Oven, or in a pressure cooker over a small butane stove, or in a solar oven.  Go to classes to learn how to make the essentials.  They are usually free.  Go through cook books and experiment with “less than fresh” items as substitutes in recipes, such as canned chicken for frozen, canned green beans for fresh, etc.  Find out from your family what their absolute favorite meals are and then find the most efficient way to stock the items for those meals.  We’re not in the dark ages here, folks.  Cooking with your food storage doesn’t have to involve an Indian dance and an archaic tool for grinding your flour.  Even without the luxury of electricity, we still will have the benefit of the luxury of knowledge and technology galore. 

Keep in mind that in a previous article I wrote, I recommended that folks start their food storage by storing their food in “meals” as opposed to “pounds of items.”  In other words, if your family loves waffles, then be sure you have the makings for waffles.  If you have such ingredients sufficient to make them 12 times, then you only have to come up with 29 other meals.  (Or less, depending on how often you want to eat waffles.  I recommend coming up with a great variety for your family though so that they don’t suffer from “appetite fatigue.”)

It all boils down to this: Store what you eat and eat what you store.

• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 1 of 8
• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 2 of 8
• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 3 of 8
• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 4 of 8
• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 5 of 8
• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 6 of 8
• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 7 of 8
• UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage Part 8 of 8

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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Fuel for an Emergency

This blog has moved. Please visit us at www.preparednesspro.com.

By Kellene Bishop

Fuel photo c/o pgdb.co.nz

One of the ten areas of emergency preparedness is fuel.  Fuel brings us the much needed light that we will require not only to see, but also to feel good.  It includes any fuel we’ll need for cooking, and the fuel we’ll need for keeping warm.

Before you elect to get a years supply of fuel for these purposes, consider the most basic rules of thumb.

1)     Think safety first

2)     Conserve energy—including yours

3)     Conserve body heat

4)     Confine the heat appropriately

Isopropyl Alcohol photo c/o chemistryland.com

When considering what fuel to store, the safety of it should be your primary concern.  Why store gasoline when you can safely store isopropyl alcohol outside in 55 gallon drums for a lot less money and little risk of combustibility?  (You can usually get free delivery of this alcohol too.)  A few cans of propane is much safer than gasoline, and so is kerosene if stored in a cool, dry place.  Check with your local fire department for maximum storage abilities of these fuels.

Keep in mind that if you store kerosene, Home Depot has a program in which they will buy back your old kerosene after you’ve stored it several years.  They turn around and sell it to the farmers whose diesel engines will still run on it.  To dramatically extend the life of the fuel can, be sure to add a fuel preservative to your gasoline and your kerosene.

If you’re planning on surviving off of firewood, be sure that it’s already cut up—for two reasons.  One reason is to conserve your physical energy.  The last thing you need is to be expending your own energy in the midst of an emergency.  Two, be sure that you don’t have to needlessly use dangerous tools when you’re not fully functional, especially those who may not be familiar with the use of such a tool.  That’s how tragic accidents occur.  What if you are the only one who can chop the wood and you get sick?  What will your family do for fuel?  Try a task that they aren’t as experienced at as you when they’ve had just as much stress and as little nutrition as you?  Definitely not a good idea.

Whatever alternatives of fuel you elect to use, be sure you share the wealth of knowledge on how to use those tools.  One of the most foolish things I see households do is place the majority of the lifesaving information in the hands of one individual.  This is a dangerous supposition that that person will always be around.  Every responsible person in the family should know how to use the propane heater, the pressure cooker, and the alcohol lights, etc.  

Volcano Stove photo c/o barbequelovers.com

When you are considering what tools you’ll use to cook, light, and heat with, consider the cost and accessibility of the fuel the tools will use.  Recently my husband and I purchased a small, collapsible Volcano Stove.  We have lots of means to cook with if necessary, but the price was only $99 and it was a multi-fueled tool.  It will cook off of charcoal, wood, and propane (which also means tightly rolled newspapers, too).  That made it very attractive so that we don’t have to rely on just one fuel for our cooking.  Another cooking tool we have is a kerosene heater that has a grid on the top so while we’re heating our surroundings (with ventilation, of course), we can also be boiling water, or cooking on the same component.  We also have some Joy Cook stoves that are commonly used in Korea.  With only one can of butane and my pressure cooker, I have been able to cook three meals a day on my Joy Cook stove for an entire three weeks.  

Also, consider conserving your fuel as much as possible, especially when you’re cooking.  Once you bring a pressure cooker up to high, you can remove it from the heat, turn off your heat source, and wrap the pressure cooker in towels—it will continue to cook for up to an hour.  That’s a whole lot of fuel-free cooking.  The solar oven is even more fuel-friendly in that regard.  If you have sunshine, you have an oven that will cook anything that you can cook in your regular oven, with the exception of frying.  Better yet, nothing will scorch or burn in your solar oven and the clean up is also a breeze, thus conserving your own physical energy.  This way I’m conserving the majority of my fuel for light and heat instead of just cooking.  I use my pressure cooker and my solar oven on a very regular basis so that I’m familiar with it even in the midst of a crisis, and so that it brings comfort to my family and friends. 

Dutch Oven photo c/o cityweekly.net

This leads me to my final reminder in this area of preparedness.  USE that which you are planning on using to survive a crisis.  Use it now when it’s convenient.  Don’t buy it and then stash it away until a crisis hits.  What if it’s not in working order?  What if it’s missing a part?  Also, waiting to use something until the crisis hits will only use up more of your vital physical fuel as you expend a lot of it through stress.  Remember, prepare in comfort of panic in chaos.  For example, if you have a Dutch oven that you’re planning on using in a crisis, great.  But be sure you’ve used it enough before a crisis so that you’re comfortable with it.  Besides, Dutch oven cooking is yummy.  So if you enjoy it now, when it comes time to having to use it, it will feel more like a comfort to your family rather than a science-fiction survival mode.  The more you use these items, the more you can truly be prepared because you will notice parts and components that will make your job easier that you may not have thought of previously.  For example, I use my pressure cooker all the time.  As such, I notice that the rubber seal that goes in the lid of the pan eventually gets old and thus doesn’t seal as well.  So, in the interest of truly being prepared, I’ve stocked up on a surplus of those rubber seals so that when my life is reliant on the proper function of my pressure cookers, I’m not left starving.  

Fuel doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.  Ways to keep your family warm and cook for them are usually one-time purchases that will ensure you’ve got a full life beyond, even in the midst of an emergency.  

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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Cooking With Your Food Storage

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By Kellene Bishop

Over the weekend I canned about 15 pounds of ground beef and about 20 pounds of some pork roast.  They both turned out marvelous.  I’ve heard of some myths that canned meats don’t have a great texture or don’t taste as well.  That’s just hogwash, folks!  Remember, I LOVE to eat, and I refuse to eat garbage, even in an emergency.  So for today’s post, here are some of my favorite food storage recipes.  I use these in my everyday cooking and I use them as well in my “UNDERwhelmed in Food Storage” classes.  They taste the exact same whether I’m using bottled butter, my own preserved cheese, my own preserved eggs, and my canned meat or the “fresh” stuff from the store.  They are essentially my comfort foods and I’m sure they will be yours, too–even in the midst of a crisis.

Solar Oven photo c/o democraticunderground.com

Keep in mind that I frequently use a solar oven to make my casseroles.  Mind you, I’m not a miser by any stretch of the imagination, I just like having the choice of where my money goes.  So, especially in the summer, I love using my solar oven so that I don’t have to pay to heat up my oven and then pay to cool down my house.  All of these recipes can be made in your own conventional oven, in a solar oven, or even in your Dutch oven.  They are super easy to create and they will disappear FAST on even the most persnickety dinner table.

Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole

1 box of Rice-a-Roni (or generic brand) fried rice, prepare as directed

4 chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless, cooked and shredded OR 4 cups of canned chicken, drained

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 ½ c sour cream

1 “sleeve” of Ritz crackers, crushed

1 stick butter or margarine, melted

1 tbsp poppy seeds

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole photo c/o everydayfare.blogspot.com

Layer the bottom of the large casserole dish with the rice mixture.

In a separate bowl, mix together the chicken, soup, and sour cream.

Place the chicken mixture over the rice mixture in the casserole dish

Mix together the crushed Ritz crackers and the butter. Top the casserole with this mixture.

Sprinkle poppy seeds on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until dish is hot and bubbly.

10 Minute Soup

1 pound of ground beef, browned and drained

2 cans of regular sized Italian stewed tomatoes

2 cans of beef broth

1 can of mixed vegetables. ( I don’t know why exactly, but I prefer the Veg-All brand)

1 cup of mini, dry noodles

Heat beef, tomatoes, vegetables, and beef broth and bring to a boil.  When boiling add the noodles and cook for about 10 minutes.  Having some yummy bread to dip in the broth is a great idea.  Enjoy!

Frito Pie photo c/o photobucket.com

Frito Pie

Line the bottom of a casserole dish with Fritos (not flavored in any particular manner).  The depth of the Fritos should be about an inch.  Top the Fritos completely with your favorite brand of chili con carne(usually about 2-3 cans).  Top with grated cheddar cheese.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until cheese is bubbling (about 20 to 30 minutes).  This dish is YUMMY. (I like to serve this up with a sprouted salad to make sure that I’ve got a lot of nutrition in the meal as well.)

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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Food Storage Dishes Fit for a King

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By Kellene Bishop

Many are reluctant to take food storage preparations seriously due to a fear that they will have to live merely on beans and rice.  While I do enjoy a good meal of beans and rice, I’ll admit the thought of it makes me somewhat depressed.  As a professional preparedness consultant, I can assure you that your meals need not be any less enjoyable during an emergency that they are now.  You can truly anticipate meals that are fit for a king, even when you’re living off of your storable commodities.  Perhaps the only downside to these meals is that you’ll have to do the cooking.  A little bit of preparation now will go a long ways in preserving your own physical energy and warding off the blues in the event of a crisis.  Bring on the succulent feast!  

My primary suggestion for the preparation in the future is to begin to embrace freeze dried and canned foods in your everyday cooking now so that you can enjoy dishes fit for a king.  (Photo care of http://www.logoi.com/)

Photo c/o bluechipgroup.net

Freeze dried products have come a LONG ways.  I am very partial to the Blue Chip products as they are SO tasty, and even come with an 18 month guarantee that’s effective AFTER you open the #10 cans.  Now when I use freeze dried veggies and such, I don’t throw away or waste produce, I only use as much as I need, I don’t have to sacrifice taste or nutrition and I also save a great deal of time.  For example, I have several food storage recipes which call for a part of a can of tomato paste.  By using the freeze dried version, I only use exactly what I need and the rest will be there for me over the next 18 months.  When I want a little bell pepper and spinach for an omelet (how’s that for dishes fit for a king?), I don’t have to take the time to dice the produce.  I just add in what I want and the put the rest away for later.  Easy, right?  I’ve tried over 35 of the Blue Chip products (also recognized under the name “Morning Moos”) and have never been dissatisfied.  In fact, I have enjoyed some of the products so much, that they’ve definitely made their way into my everyday cooking!  

So enjoy these recipes fit for a king today and know that they will taste just as yummy in the future!

Turkey Tetrazzini

(Serves 4)

2 10 oz. cans of turkey or chicken

14 oz. of spaghetti noodles, broken into thirds, cooked and drained

1 6 oz. can of sliced mushrooms, or the equivalent of freeze dried mushrooms

1 T of minced onion

1 T of minced garlic

1 t. of fresh parsley (fresh is best so consider keeping an herb garden)

1 16 oz. can of chicken broth

1 12 oz. can evaporated milk

½ cup flour

1 t. salt

½ t. pepper

½ C of butter (or dried equivalent)

½ C grated parmesan cheese

Make a white sauce by mixing the butter, flour, chicken broth and 1 C of evaporated milk in a pot on medium heat, stirring constantly until creamy.

Stir in the mushrooms (if dried, allow them to rehydrate before adding in any other ingredients) and then the turkey/chicken.  Add onion and garlic and parsley.

Add in the cooked pasta.

Stir the sauce and pasta together well and place in a baking dish.

Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  This can be baked in a Dutch oven easily or a solar oven.  It can also be baked in a covered grill at a low heat.  Be sure that the casserole dish can withstand direct fire contact. 

Photo c/o lapetitechinoise.com

Shepherds Pie

 (Serves 4)

1 40 oz. can beef stew

1 12 oz. can vegetables (peas, corn, or green beans)

1 C of “potato pearls”, “potato gems” (made by Blue Chip), or “potato buds”

½ C grated cheese (optional.  You can easily keep cheese in your food storage by waxing your own cheese)

1 C very hot water

Combine stew and vegetables and pour into a 9×9 baking dish. 

Combine potato pearls with water. Stir briefly. Cover and let stand for 5- 10 minutes.

Spread potatoes over the stew mixture, top with grated cheese if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

This can also be cooked in a Dutch Oven or a solar oven very easily. You can also put the mixture into individual ramekins and cook them in the solar oven as well.

Beef Stroganoff

(Serves 4)

1 10 oz. can of beef chunks of cooked ground beef

1 4 oz. can of sliced mushrooms (or equivalent of dried mushrooms)

1 10 oz. can of cream of mushroom soup

2 T of dehydrated onion

8 oz. of egg noodles, prepared according to directions

OR

1 C of rice prepared according to directions

1 C of yogurt or sour cream (this can easily be prepared from your powdered milk)

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, combine all ingredients except for the yogurt or sour cream and noodles/rice.  Heat through.  Stir in the yogurt or sour cream and heat through.  Serve mixture over noodles/rice.

Notes: You can also add some fresh parsley to this dish or a can of peas, drained.

Swiss Steak

(Serves 4)

1 1.25 oz. package of dry, brown gravy mix

1 15 oz. can diced or pureed tomatoes (depending on your texture preference)

1 12 oz. can roast beef chunks

1 C potato pearls, gems, or buds

2 T dehydrated carrots

1 T diced dehydrated green pepper

2 T minced dehydrated onion

1 ¾ C water for gravy

1 C very hot water

2 C of boiling water to mix with potatoes

First hydrate the carrots, green peppers and onions by placing them in a bowl and covering them with the very hot water. Set them aside for about 10 to 30 minutes, adding more water if necessary.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, mix together the water and gravy with a whisk.  Stir until lumps have been dissipated.

Stir in the hydrated carrots, peppers, onions, and the tomatoes. Bring to a boil while stirring. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add beef and continue to simmer until heated through.

In a separate container mix together the potatoes and 2 cups of boiling water. (Water previously used for cooking pasta, rice or vegetables is ideal)

Enjoy your new food storage dishes, fit for a king! 

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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EZ Preparedness Recipes

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I thought I’d give you a break today from all of the preparedness “thinking.”  So today I’m simply providing you with two yummy recipes – Spam Friend Rice and Mexi-Cincy Chili – that you can easily make from what’s in your cupboards right now.  Hopefully, knowing that you can make use of what you’ve got on hand (or can at least easily have on hand) will lessen any anxiety you may have in surviving a disruption to your regular way of life.   

Spam Fried Rice

This recipe is an ideal use of Spam, the meat that seems to store as long as a Twinkie.  And it’s an easy “dump” kind of recipe.  Don’t shy away from this recipe just because it has Spam in it.  If you don’t tell anyone, I’m certain they will never crinkle their nose to the Spam notion. J

Note: If you elect to make it as a non-food storage meal, you can use 8 to 10 ounces of boneless, diced pork chops and add a couple of stalks of sliced green onions (white and green portion) and use frozen peas instead. 

 

As a food-storage meal, you can also substitute the Spam for canned chicken or canned baby shrimp too, if you prefer.

1 12 oz can of Spam, cut into small square pieces
2 teaspoons of olive oil
1 package (6.2 oz.) of Rice-A-Roni Fried Rice flavor (The store brands work just as well for this recipe) 2 cups of water
1 can of peas – drained

Soy sauce for serving (optional)  

• Place the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven.  And heat it over medium-high heat.  Add the Spam pieces and cook, stirring until the Spam is browned a bit, 2-3 minutes.
• Add the Rice-a-Roni including the seasoning contents.  Pour in 2 cups of water and stir to loosen the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover.  Let simmer for 15 minutes. 
• Add the peas and warm a bit longer, 3-5 minutes.  Serve at once with soy sauce as desired. 

Fuel conservation note: If you merely heat up the pan enough to bring the water to boiling, you needn’t continue to cook it on your fuel source.  You can merely let the dish set for a while (about 30 – 45 minutes) and let it naturally absorb the water.  The Spam is safe to eat whether it’s heated or not.

Mexi-Cincy Chili

This “chili” dish is actually served on top of cooked spaghetti.  It’s commonly served this way in Cincinnati, OH.  The chocolate ingredient is a take-off of Mexican mole’ cooking.  It is often served with black beans instead of or in addition to beef, and is usually accompanied by shredded cheddar cheese on top.  If you don’t have real cheese on hand in your food storage, you can also use Velveeta on top for serving.

1 can of canned beef (about 16 ounces)

1 tablespoon of granulated onion

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

2 cans of diced tomatoes. (You can use stewed tomatoes as well)

1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce

1 cup of water

2 tablespoons of chili powder

1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon of ground allspice

8 – 10 oz. of cooked and drained spaghetti

• Sautee the beef, onion and garlic in your intended cooking pan (pressure cooker or Dutch oven).  Cook and stir with a wooden spoon to break up the lumps and until the beef is heated through (about 4-5 minutes).  Add the tomatoes and their liquid, water, tomato sauce, chili powder, cinnamon, cocoa, and all spice.  If you’re cooking this in a Dutch oven, simply cook it low and slow for about 8 hours stirring occasionally. 
• If you’re cooking this in a pressure cooker, cover and bring the pressure cooker to low pressure.  Cook for about 30 minutes for maximum flavor.  You can use the quick release method when the time is up.
• Top the spaghetti with your cooked mixture and enjoy!

Be Safe and Be Prepared—Kellene

 

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.

You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

 

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How to Prepare for an Emergency on a Tight Budget?

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Another message and another recipe.

 

This time I’m going to start with the recipe.  It’s called Chicken a la Queen, and it’s great whether you find yourself in an emergency survival situation and living off of your food storage or not.

 

Chicken a la Queen

 

2 5-ounce cans of boneless chicken or turkey meat

2 cups of uncooked elbow macaroni

½ cup of minced onion

1/3 cup cooking oil

2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce

1 ¼ cups of water

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup of grated cheddar cheese. (Of COURSE I use more than that. You can also substitute Velvetta cheese if necessary.

 

Dice the meat if it is in large chunks.  Set aside chicken in natural juices from the cans.  Be sure the oil is hot before you sauté UNCOOKED macaroni and onion in large skillet, stirring frequently, until macaroni turns slightly yellow.  Add tomato sauce, water, salt, and pepper.  Bring to boil; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Mix in chicken and juices; simmer 5 minutes more. Sprinkle the top with cheese. 

 

For those of you who I’ve heard from constantly that claim you aren’t able to afford to be prepared, this one is for you. 

 

First of all, I’ve discovered http://PinchingYourPennies.com.  It’s really, really great and replaces all of the time that you would have to spend pouring over coupons. And it’s FREE membership, unlike many sites.  A large troupe of women volunteer their time every day to make sure you’ve got the best deals available.  You can even end up spending a 10^th of the price of groceries with their help.

 

More importantly, I have this message to those of you who aren’t able to afford to stock up on food and other supplies in order to be ready in an emergency.  If you are short money, you need to make up for it in time…time in the library, time on the internet, and time in classes. You need to posses the knowledge which is available freely so that you can sew, make soap, start a fire (preferably outside J), repair shoes, sprout seeds, garden, cooking with a Dutch Oven, and so many other life skills that will truly save your life if you’re having living off of only what you can garner.  Not having money in this day and age is no excuse for not being ready.  If you have these kinds of skills you will be able to trade for what you need and you will be an asset to your community rather than a liability.  If you’re not building up the Kingdom of heaven, then you’re sucking it dry. So get as much knowledge as possible in this regard.  There are no excuses to not be ready for a disaster.  Just poor choices.

 

Be safe and be prepared,

 

Kellene

 

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.

You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

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The Magic Number 12

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Friday before last I decided to throw a party at my home. I wanted it to be an enjoyable night for the girlfriends in my life, so I threw in some paraffin hand treatments and made tons of food from my food storage supplies.  We had 3 main dishes, 2 side dishes, an appetizer and 2 desserts.  Would you believe, the food disappeared rapidly with countless requests for recipes? 

 

After everyone had enjoyed their fill of yummy food – yes, I did say “yummy” and yes, it was all made from what I had on hand – we then all sat down and discussed the 9 key areas of emergency preparedness.  So many additional ideas and insights were added to my own and we all benefited substantially.  So in addition to sharing the recipes with all of my blog readers, I’m also going to break down various components that were discussed for practical application in your emergency preparedness activities.  So here’s a great tip followed by a recipe of ingredients from your food storage:

 

The Magic Number 12

 

This is a great tip for novices and pros alike when it comes to accumulating your food storage. As I’ve shared previously, it’s important to “store what you eat and know how to prepare what you store.”  This particular tip addresses an effective way to store what you eat.

 

The other day I was reading a cookbook — I do that frequently — and I happened upon a recipe that I realized I could adapt to make from cans, jars, and food storage items.  So I purchased the items from the grocery, tested the recipe out on my hubby, and discovered we had a new yummy recipe that he would eat for a nice dinner, let alone in an emergency situation (He assures me that he won’t be as picky of an eater in an emergency as he is now…but I’m not planning on counting on that promise).  So I watched the coupons and ads for the local grocery stores and then went out and purchased enough ingredients to make that dish 12 times.  Why?

 

The objective is to store a year’s supply of food storage, right?  I’m also sensitive to avoiding “appetite fatigue” and ensuring that my husband actually enjoys the meals I create.  In an emergency, it’s not likely that you will be cooking 3 meals a day, rather one meal of substance, and the rest would be meals of convenience such as instant oats, cold cereal, peanut butter and jelly, canned chicken on crackers, etc.  As long as you have a plan for one main meal every day, then you’ll be far ahead.  To recap, if you have 30 different meals in your repertoire each month, then you are likely to not meet any appetite fatigue issues or stress because you’re attempting to introduce something new to your family when they are already under a great deal of stress as the result of an emergency. 

 

This is why I purchase my grocery items in increments of twelve.  If 12 is too much to handle due to space or financial restraints, then take it down to 6 or 4 or 3. But if you get yourself in the habit of buying this way when you have a recipe that works for you and your family, you will have your year’s supply of meals in a short period of time.  Now that’s what I call “eating the elephant one bite at a time.”

 

Here’s one of the recipe’s which I created for this event.  It’s just an open, dump, stir, and warm kind of recipe. Thus not only does it use a minimal amount of your physical energy, it will require a minimal amount of precious fuel as well to warm up.

 

Southern Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

 

• 4 cups of canned chicken, drained
• 1 package (6 ounces) of Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice Original Recipe
• 1 can of cream of celery soup
• 2/3 cup of Miracle Whip (don’t substitute any different mayonnaise)
• 1 can (8 oz) of diced water chestnuts, drained (I like to chop mine a bit smaller than they come in the “diced” can)
• 1 2 oz. jar of sliced pimento peppers. (diced is fine also)
• 1 regular sized can of French cut green beans, drained
• 1 ½ cups of chicken broth OR water
• 2 Tablespoons of pre-grated Parmesan cheese (the stuff in the green can is just fine.)

 

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well with a spoon.  Transfer to a Dutch oven, or a pre-greased baking dish if you’re cooking in a solar oven. Top the dish with the Parmesan Cheese. If using a solar oven, be sure to cover the dish with foil.  If using the Dutch Oven, simply put on the lid.

 

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until it’s bubbling and the rice has cooked.  Let cool about 5 minutes and then serve.

 

You can also cook this most expeditiously and economically in a pressure cooker. Simply bring the cooker to full pressure with the ingredients mixed together inside, then once it’s come to full pressure, remove from heat, wrap in towels and continue to cook for about 15 minutes.

 

Enjoy!  Let me know what you think!

 

 

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.

You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

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