Food Storage Recipe perfect for this cold weather

Here is a different twist on chili, that tastes nothing like chili:) It is a good way to cook with the beans in your food storage to keep them rotated.

White Bean Chicken Chili

(from http://www.myfoodstoragedeals.blogspot.com/)

6 cans of white navy beans, drained (or about 1 lb. dried white beans--soak them overnight or boil for 1 hour or until tender)
2 c. water or chicken broth (or more depending how thick you want it)
1 jar of salsa
1 can green chilies
2-4 chicken breasts
1/2 onion, diced (or you can use dried)
1 c. shredded colby or cheddar cheese
1-2 cloves garlic (or you can use powdered)
1 T. cumin (or more, I like a lot of cumin)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 T. McCormick Chicken Base (or you can use chicken bouillon)
Cayenne Pepper if you like more of a spicy soup

Garnish with fresh cilantro, sour cream, diced avocados, fresh lime squeezed & more shredded cheese.
Put all of the above ingredients into a large pot. Simmer until beans and chicken are tender and cooked through (I just throw my chicken breasts in raw and let them cook in the water. When they are cooked I take them out and chop them up. They give the broth more of a chicken flavor). Garnish with the above ingredients.


Be superwoman(man) and makes some homemade bread to go with it!

Lunch for 72 hrs

You can use a lot of the breakfast ideas for your lunch meals as well. Go for lightweight, tasty, convenient and familiar food. It is not as important to have balanced meals as it is to have high calories and nutrition. When it comes to food for your kits it is completely up to what your family prefers and what you can carry. Here are some ideas: -Granola bars, cereal bars, pop tarts, dried fruit , fruit cups, oatmeal to go, fruit leather, Energy bars , cup of noodles+ water+ cooking equipment+ utensils , tuna fish, tuna to go pack , pb and jam sandwich, instant soups+ water+ cooking equipment, vienna sausages ,MRE (meals ready to eat) found at Emergency Essentials ,freeze dried meals+ water+ cooking equipment+ dishes. Keep in mind if you choose things such as freeze dried meals, you will need to include the water and any dishes and cooking equipment needed. I had these previously and it weighed down my pack quite a bit. I had MRE'S(meals ready to eat) in my pack when I was married and it was fine just for me, but having 3 kids with those meals weighed more than I could carry. Also MRE's really gross me out personally and I am pretty sure my kids wouldn't go for chicken in a pouch. Canned items are really convenient but it adds up quickly. It was determined that if you used canned foods for your kit for 2 people it would be 55 lbs. I have to carry the bulk of the weight for 5 people, so I eliminated all cans from my pack. Water is essential and heavy, so you need to plan on the bulk of the weight for the water. Here is my lunch plan if it gives you ideas: Day 1:

Energy Bar and Applesauce cup-Energy bars can be found at Emergency Essentials for $1 or in the nutrition aisles of most grocery stores. Applesauce cups are sold in packs of 6 for $2.

Day 2:

Peanut Butter and jam sandwich with dry fruit-These slices of bread are typically sold with MRE packs but can be bought at Emergency Essentials for less than $1. They last for about 5 years. The peanut butter and jam packs are less than $.50 a pack. I bought a 24 pack of dried fruit at Costco for $13, but they are found at most grocery stores individually for about $1.

Day 3:

Poptart and fruit leather- Poptarts can be found at most grocery stores for about $2 for a 4 pack. To avoid crushing put it a tupperware. All a dollar has a 2 pack of tupperware for $1. Fruit leathers are found at Costco, or sold by the fruit snacks at Walmart for $3.

Food Storage for 3mth supply

There aren't any amazing long term food storage deals at the stores this week. There are good deals on food like milk and cheese and meat. This would be part of your 3 mth supply.

I like to buy cheese and milk on good deals and freeze it since we go through it so fast here. You can basically freeze anything, although I have never tried eggs:) It grossed me out when I was a kid and my mom froze everything but really it is nice to know that when I run out of something I have a supply in my freezer.
-You can get milk for $1.50 this week at Smiths---Pour a little out so it has room to expand in the freezer.
-Cheese is $3.99 for 2 lbs this week at Maceys (you can also ad match at walmart)With the cheese I grate it and put in freeezer bags. Cheese can get really expensive so it is great to stock up when you get it cheap. If you freeze it in the block it has to defrost competely in the fridge and it will not crumble. It tastes and has the same texture as before!

It is a good idea to have a good suppply of meat in your freezer as well. It saves in the end when you buy it at a great price and get extra for other meals. -lean ground beef at Albertsons for $1.99
-Alberstsons has a lot of meat choices for $1.88 that is a great deal to stock up on: boneless pork loin chops/roast, beef roast, boneless chicken breasts, pork country style ribs.

If you need ideas on great meals check out http://www.dealstomeals.com/ She takes all of the sales for this week and turns them into meals. I have tried 3 new meals from last week and they were awesome- carne asada tacos and tonight a mock Kneaders turkey avocado sandwich. Sometimes I don't buy the meat on good deals because I am not sure what I can make with it, so this adds some variety to our menu.

Recipe Tuesday!

I learned something new about wheat last week that I thought was important to share. There are 2 really important reasons why we should get used to cooking with wheat now.

1- Wheat can be tricky to cook with. Whole wheat bread is not like ordianry dough and takes some practice. In my case it would help if I didn't half everything in the recipe except for the sugar:) It was sweet and moist but heavy. I was annoyed becasue it took me 30 minutes to grind the wheat and then I end up messing up the recipe:) Anyways, if we had to rely on cooking all of our food ourselves by using our food storage, we need to know how. I will try again using the right measurements...

2- Apparently wheat is something your digestive system needs to get used too. I also learned this after my wheat bread experience last week. My kids and husband liked it despite my ingredient mishap:) Rob ate several pieces to my one piece but I had some stomach pain the rest of the night. I was told a few days later by an expert that it would not be a good situation if we went from eating no wheat in our diets to relying on it daily. I seem to be one of those who needs to break in gradually. I have added half wheat to my white flour but never tried whole wheat until lst week.

So here are a couple options to try this week. If you have a grinder for your wheat you can try that or straight wheat flour from the store. If you don't have a grinder (I bought my first last week at Macey's for $60) you can still use the wheat whole in the chili recipe. I will try it later next week as well.

Makes 2 8/4 inch loaves.
Whole Wheat Bread

3 c. whole wheat flour



1/3 c. vital wheat gluten (helps retain moisture, extends shelf life)



1 1/4 T. instant yeast



2 1/2 c. steaming hot water (120-130 F)



1 T. salt



1/3 c. oil



1/3 c. honey or 1/2 c. sugar



1 1/4 T. bottled lemon juice (acts as a dough enhancer)or 3T dough enhancer



2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

Mix together the first three ingredients in your mixer with a dough hook. Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute; cover and let rest for 10 minutes (this is called sponging). Add salt, oil, honey or sugar, and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute. Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup. Beat for about 6-10 minutes until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This makes very soft dough.Pre-heat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off. Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide, shape into loaves place in oiled bread pans. Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 minutes until dough reaches top of pan. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 F and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks.



Wheat Chili-

I assume you could just do your regular chili recipe and just add the wheat portion to it, or to other casseroles, tacos, soups, etc.

4-6 cups steamed wheat

1 lb ground beef

1 qt. whole tomatoes

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 clove garlic, diced

1 qt tomato juice

1 large onion

2 cups tomato sauce


Brown meat, onion, garlic, and drain. Drain excess water from wheat and combine all ingredients in crock pot. simmer for at least 2 1/2 hours.


Steamed wheat-add 2 cups wheat in 6 cups water. bring to a boil for 5 miuntes then turn off heat and let sit overnight. Drain and rinse or





2 cups wheat and 4 cups water in crock pot 2-3 hours on low until wheat is tender.

Breakfast for 72 hrs

Anyway, when it comes to food for you kits it is completely up to what your family prefers and what you can carry. I actually exchanged a lot of stuff a few months ago because I realized the weight of the packs would be too much for my kids and for me since I was carrying the bulk of the stuff. I also has stuff that I wondered if my kids would eat. I don't want to chance that in emergency. I went for lightweight, tasty and familiar food.

Here are some ideas: Granola bars, cereal bars, box cereals(serving size) ,instant oatmeal+ water, freeze dried foods + water, trail mix, pop tarts, dried fruit, fruit cups, oatmeal to go, fruit leather, Energy bars.

Keep in mind if you choose things such as freeze dried breakfasts, instant oatmeal, you will need to include the water and any dishes and cooking equipment needed. I had these previously and it weighed down my pack quite a bit. Can fruits will also be heavier. If you have those mini cereal boxes you may decide if you need milk to go with it and will need a instant milk pack plus water as well. I assumed that in a disaster I will be stressed and my children will be scared. I want the flexibility to reach into my pack and grab their breakfast instead of setting up a hot plate, waiting for it to boil and making a freeze dried meal that was foreign to them. I have a hard enough time cooking dinner now without them getting impatient and cranky:) Here is my breakfast plan if it gives you ideas:

Breakfast: Day one: Granola bar with fruit leather -both can be found at Walmart. Granola bars average $3 a box. Fruit leathers are $3 a box as well an found by fruit snacks.I get the big box at Costco which has all flavors. Approximately $6 to feed my family of 5 for breakfast. I also put in a extra granola bar for my husband since it will take more to fill him. Day 2: Energy Bar and Applesauce cup -I bought this meal bar at Emergency Essentials for $1. I have seen bars similar to this as well in the grocery stores. They have a selection of different flavors and provide all of the calories you need for a meal. Applesauce cups are $2 for 6 cups. It cost $7 for my family of 5 for this breakfast.

Day 3:Oatmeal-to-Go and Dried fruit

-I bought both of these at Walmart. The oatmeal-to-go has tons of fiber and a lot easier and less mess than cooking instant oatmeal. They are also very filling. They cost about $3-$4 for 6. The dried fruit comes in a box of 12 for $3, so I had extra for other meals as well. Cost $7 for my family of 5.

*I use these items for lunch ideas as well, because they are so convenient and lightweight. You will spend less of course if you are only doing a kit for 1. You could buy a pack of granola bars and use it for all 3 days instead of buying these other food items. If your kids won't eat these foods then try one of the other options. It is important they eat these foods not only too avoid pickiness in a disaster, but in a year you need to rotate these foods. After 1 year these were still in good condition and we rotated them with new ones and put the old stuff in the "snack drawer" that the kids can pick from once a day.

Recipe Tuesday

This recipe was taken from www.myfoodstoragedeals.blogspot.com. I made it with my kids and they thought it was so much fun. It is a great snack or good with milk for breakfast.

All of the items for granola can be found in your food storage, so it is a great recipe to have on hand to use up and rotate items in your food storage.


Homemade Granola:
1 c. sliced almonds (or any nut you prefer-I tried whole almonds)
5 c. oats (quick or old fashioned)
1 c. shredded coconut
1 c. raisins (I used a mix of dried blueberries, cranberries)
1/4 c. sesame seeds (optional)
1/4 c. sunflower seeds (optional)
1/2 c. flaxseed (optional--good for you and you can't even tell it is there)
1/2 c. REAL maple syrup(This is about $5 for a small bottle but you can use it for 2 batches of granola. I have not tried but I bet you could use regular syrup too)
1/2 c. honey
1/3 c. canola oil


Mix ingredients all together until all ingredients are covered in the honey, maple syrup and oil. If you need to add a little more honey you can do that. You don't want it very sticky, just enough to keep the granola together. Place granola on a baking sheet (don't spray) and put in the oven at 150-170 degrees and bake for approx 2 hours (or until COMPLETELY dry and crunchy). Every 30-40 minutes take the granola out of the oven and stir around to make sure all of the granola is evenly cooked. You can also put the granola in a dehydrator for 3-4 hours on medium heat until dry. By not cooking the granola at a high temperature you are keeping all of the nutrients and healthy enzymes in tact--it is the healthiest way to eat your grains. Let granola cool and then store in ziploc bags, Tupperwares or canisters. Will last for several months in your pantry (as long as it is completely dry).

Family Idea

There is this great site that I link to this blog that had family night ideas for families the 3rd monday each month. It could be adapted for all faiths. Check it out and see if it works for your family and helps you get prepared! Check out www.safelygatheredin.blogspot.com

Thursdays deals

Maceys is still having their case lot and emergency prep sale this week. So look at last weeks post here for those great deals that are good for one more week.

Also Smiths is having an amazing deal on American Beauty pasta this week. Usually it is a great deal when it is $1 for a 16 oz bag. But if you buy 10 bags they are only .50 each!!! You need 25 lbs of grains per person for a month of food storage. Look here for more suggested amounts.If you eat a lot of pasta this would be as low as you will see it for a very long time. They have a big variety as well. I keep my pasta in those rubbermaid totes and stack them in my storage room. Pasta is good for 2 years and can be easily rotated. Just make sure you date them. I have my kids put labels with the dates on them to keep track, or when they are feeling less helpful:) I use the magic marker.

Recipe Tuesday!

This recipe idea is taken from www.myfoodstoragedeals.blogspot.com There are tons of great tips for emergency preparedness, deals, recipes and of course food storage!

Wheat is intimidating to me. I bought 50 lbs at the cannery for $6 each and now I wonder what am I going to do with it! It stores for over 30 years, but I would like to incorporate it into our meals now. The other problem is that you need a grinder to make it into flour. Those are pretty pricey if you can't find one to borrow.So I was excited to run across this idea:


Put 2 c. of wheat in a crock pot with 4 c. water. Turn on medium heat for 2-3 hours, or until wheat is tender and soft. Watch to make sure the crock pot does not run out of water. Add a little extra water if the wheat absorbs the water more quickly than is expected.

When wheat is soft and tender, serve with milk and honey for cereal or add to several of your recipes. Wheat is great to help many recipes stretch. Add a 1/2 c. to your meatloaf, taco meat, meatballs, etc. and you will NEVER know it is there. Not only will the wheat help your recipes stretch but it will add extra nutrients to your meals as well. Keep a tupperware full of cooked wheat in your fridge and you will be surprised at how many recipes you can throw it into.

Life Caps and Toilets

These two topics don't go together except for the fact they are both useful in your 72 hr kit:)

I mentioned in my first container post that it is important for each family to have at least one 5-gallon bucket in their 72 hr supply. It can be used to hold your 72 hr kit supplies for now and also can be used for a toilet in an emergency. A bucket can be transformed by simply putting a garbage bag inside and securing it with a large rubberband. There is a also a enzyme you can buy that breaks up waste and helps eliminate odor. The tiny bag of enzymes is $1.50.

These buckets are at a great price at Macey's right now for $3.99 including the lid. These buckets are also perfect for holding food storage. A bucket can hold a 25 lb bag of flour, sugar, wheat, etc. and keep it protected from moisture, rodents and and gettign stale. A toilet can be found at Emergency Essentials for $17 as well and it comes with the toilet seat, enzyme packet, and a 5 gallon bucket. It is $10 more but would be worth it if you used it for other purposes such as camping, hunting trips, etc.


I also wanted to mention a product I ran into recently. Another alternate to food in your 72 hr kit are "Lifecaps".
It is a pill that you take for each meal and it provides the same nutrients to keep your body satisfied for up to 10 days. It must be taken with your emergency water for survival. It can be swallowed or chewed and can be for adults or children. It states that it can eliminate hunger pains within 20minutes. I think these would be great in car kits in case of emergency as well as 72 hr kits becasue they are light and easy to store. I plan on getting a 72 hr supply for all members of my family to add to their current 72 hr kit. 72 hrs is just an estimate between the time the disaster strikes and when Red cross can establish help and resources. There is no guarantee it won't be longer, so I figure if we run out of food after 3 days we will still have another 3 days of nutrients to keep my family satisfied.It is all natural. Packing more food is also an option, but my bags are already pretty heavy. Check out the site www.lifecaps.net if you are interested. There is a short clip from Good Things Utah about it. They are typically sold for $1 a pill and can be sold in 72 hr packs for $10, or a container of 30 for $30. Right now the small packs are $6 at Maceys. You can get a raincheck for later if they are out. Deseret book also sells them for $10. If there is a big interest I am able to order a large quantity of the bottles online for $15 each(for 30 pills).

Water containers

If any of you still want to sign up for 55 gallon water containers, it is always open for additions. I have found another source who has agreed to sell them to me in large quantities for $11. They previously held propylene glycol:

Propylene glycol is a clear, colorless, slightly syrupy liquid at room temperature. Propylene glycol is practically odorless and tasteless.

Propylene glycol is used to make biodegradable antifreeze and de-icing solutions for cars, airplanes, and boats; as an ingredient in termite control; to make polyester compounds; and as solvents in the paint and plastics industries.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified propylene glycol as an additive that is "generally recognized as safe" for use in food. It is also used to absorb extra water and maintain moisture in certain medicines, cosmetics, or food products. It is a solvent for food colors and flavors.

The seller assured me it is safe and non toxic and he has stored and used water in it personally. He said it is cleaned just like the other juice ones and leaves no taste or odor.

So here is the info. I personally would have no problem storing my water in these and feel good about it. If you want a guaranteed water source and don't want to wait for the other ones, please pay $11 instead of the $10 and as soon as I have all of the money I will call him. I am still collecting them from the other source as well but feel it will take a long time to get everyone set. I don't know his demand for these 20 so let me know if this is what you want. I would love to get them right now, but I don't want to pay $$$ out of my pocket and have 20 barrels in my yard:) He says he has 40 each month to sell. If you need to know where to drop off payment email me at tiffsterzer@hotmail.com If you are not in my neighborhood I am happy to help you out as well, but will not drive around the valley to deliver them:) I will have them delivered to my house and we can make arrangements.

Recipe Tuesday!

All of these items can be found in your food storage. This recipe is just one of many you can find on www.myfoodstoragedeals.com. You can try her program free for 2 weeks and then it is $4.95 after that. She gives you a menu for the week using the sales in the weekly ads. She has a system that tells you the best deals at every store so you don't have to do the work. You just print off the sheet and ad match it at walmart or go to the other 5 grocery stores. She tells you how much of each item you should buy to get your year supply. I give her the credit for getting me excited and building up my storage.She has a family of six and lives in the same city as me, and she has a goal to help as many people as she can. She was recently featured on the local news as well! She also has a blog at www.myfoodstoragedeals.blogpspot.com (Both of these sites are linked on the right)

Tortilla White Bean Soup

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (you can use your storage in the freezer or even canned chicken added later. I think it may get to soft if it is in the crockpot too long)
24 oz Great Northern Beans (white beans)
8 oz Pace picante salsa
2 c shredded cheese (can use powdered cheese if you didn't have any in the freezer)
2 t. cumin
2 cans chicken broth

Throw all into your slow cooker and simmer for at least an hour. Add just before you serve:

1/4 cup cilantro (from garden, store or dried)
1/2 cup fresh lime, squeezed (or lime juice from food storage)

Garnish with:
corn chips
sour cream (powdered or fresh)
guacamole (don't think this can be in food storage but it is only optional