What's for dinner?

This question is bad enough in the present day when we have all the resources we could possibly need to make a great meal for our families. Imagine how you would dread this same question if there came a time when you are relying solely on your own food storage and preparedness items! scary thought, but it doesn't have to be!
Last month my ward had a prepardness enrichment class and our prepardness leader showed us all kinds of ways to use powdered milk in your meals. I got lots of great new ideas and a recipe packet and she even made a delicious chocolate decadent dessert.
I shared ideas about sealing in jars items (such as dried fruit, dry pasta, chocolate chips, granola bars...endless possibilities!) that don't require a pressure canner, just a Food Saver jar saver attachment. It's so great to have these foods on a shelf, ready to use for years-- no refrigeration required. I also brought my manual washing machine, which uses the same technique a washing machine does only manually.
My favorite emergency item is my sun oven. If the sun is shining, which it is 99% of the time here, then you can cook almost anything! I've made a chicken and rice casserole and other dishes and plan to experiment with a lot more. the sun oven is like having an outdoor crockpot. the temperature can only reach about 325 degrees, so everything takes about twice as long to cook. that's okay, because you're not wasting a ton of electricity, precious fuel, propane, wood, or charcoal, just to get a pot of water boiling! it's so easy to use and there are so many great reasons to have one.
Pictured below is a dinner that I made in January -65 degrees, with the round roaster that came with my sun oven using just the sunshine as a heat source! You can add whatever vegetables(freeze dried too) to make it a well rounded meal. You can see that the chicken is fully cooked. I removed the chicken and arranged it on top of a bed of rice & veggies. Next time I will have to snap a picture of homemade bread in there!
what are your favorite food storage/emergency preparedness items or tips?

Monticello House SOLD

We celebrated by spending the afternoon looking at homes for sale and eating out...

Thanks Quinn for all of your help in getting it sold. You are an excellent realtor!

4 years old...finally!

Kyle has been waiting for his birthday to come since Thanksgiving! We went out to eat with our friends and then to his favorite place in the whole world-HOME. He was dying to open and play with his birthday presents! Kyle is our happy-go-lucky, laughing wiggly boy. He loves to joke and wrestle around with his dad. He enjoys singing and has a talent for it. He really can carry a perfect tune! He's always asking me to sing songs to him so he can learn the words and sing them himself. He is very athletic, coordinated & agile. I believe he can already run faster than Braden. The boy cannot sit still either. He is so pumped with energy, he's constantly jumpy. His voice is naturally high like a chipmunk so he likes to put his church tie on & speak in a low voice so he feels like a big boy. He is our ray of light. He brings so much joy in our home and lives!

Kyle's first years...

I love his cute face and goofy/sweet personality! Happy birthday Ky-bug!