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?
13 comments:
you are so great! i need to take serious lessons from you and just get going on that stuff, i keep putting it off until... there's always something. my favorite item we have right now is a bucket with a toilet seat as the lid, you're own port-a-potty so i'll never be without one. and probably a little water purifier to we can always drink something.
Thanks tang, but I have more to do still. Slowly but surely collecting food & the 55 gallon water drums to fill. a little frustrating for me because it's such a slow process to get everything. will be worth it if we ever need it!
You are going to have to come here and teach me all you know! Good for you for staying on top of the food storage thing. I feel inspired now.... thanks Michelle!!
That last comment was from Shannon Young. I'm at my sister in laws house doing a workout and her babysitter was signed in... sorry!
Honey, that food saver item to store choc. chips and whatever else, could you give me the info on that. Also, on the solar oven, would it make sense here in Wa State?
Let me know, and I am so proud of you for tackling all of this and applying it to your active lifestyle. How do I go about getting that non electric washing machine?
Off subject here, is there anyway you can bring up Lds Newsroom from the very bottom right to the top right somehow?
thanks for sharing..lots of great information here. I need to get my act together and get going on this!
Wow reading this really makes me nervous... You are amazing Michelle. At least you motivated us to get going on it!!!!
Love you
The cannery powered milk (affectionately termed) "bebe milk" around here is so worth it's weight. Aside from using at as milk selfreliantsisters and mormonfoodstorage have got me using it on a regular basis.
We should all be better at this...I wish I had more space (that's no excuse):) Hope your pregnancy and everything else for you guys is going well. Yea for getting your house in cello sold! Hope we see you guys at Andy's wedding at the end of May!...I don't know, u will be really close to having your baby!
Wow! That sun oven sounds great. I think it's awesome that you not only have preparedness items but are using them!
That sun oven is so cool! So is the washing Machine. It sounds like you will not be missing any valuable items. ;) Where did you find that oven?
Fantastic Michelle! You have inspired me to start praciticing using my food storage and experimenting with electricity free cooking methods. I love that oven!
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