Welcome Africa!

I know I am weird but every time I look at the map of the visitors I wonder why Africa never visits:) Today I noticed that we have a visitor from South Africa! Little things like that get me excited:) Now I am wondering where all of our South American visitors went:)

Food Storage Recipe

Chocolate Pudding Mix

3/4 c. powdered milk

7/8 c. cornstarch

1 1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. cocoa

1/4 t. salt, rounded



Combine dry ingredients and store in airtight container.



To make the pudding:

Add 2/3 c. mix to a saucepan. Add 2 cups of milk and stir until blended. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer while stirring constantly until thickened. Cool and serve.

72 hr kit

Add some more cash to your kit. Remember to keep it in small bills.In a disaster ATMS, bank service and credit cards will not work. Stores will not have the ability to give change either in that situation. I heard that $200 is a good amount to have. Work gradually and add $5, $10, $20 at a time. Keep it safe in plastic bag and/or accessible safe. Don't keep all of you money in one members kit, in case one get lost or stolen.

Food Storage Recipe

Recipe taken from www.dealstomeals.com

Crescent Rolls
Makes 2 cookie sheets,
48 rolls, 24 on each pan-
(Recipe can be halved to only make 1 cookie sheet (24 rolls)
4 T. yeast
½ c. + 2 T. warm Water

Mix together and allow sitting for 10 minutes. While yeast is growing, mix together very well

in separate bowl: 6 eggs
1 c. oil
1 c. sugar

Also warm milk in the microwave only until warm NOT scalding.
2 c. warm milk
Add egg mixture and warm milk to the yeast mixture. Mix all together until combined.

10-11 c. flour
4 tsp. salt
Add 1 cup of flour at a time until combined together.
Continue to mix/knead for 5 minutes on med-high speed. Dough will be sticky to the touch. Allow to raise 2-3 hours. Separate dough into 6 even balls. Roll out each ball until the size of a dinner plate. Cut into 8 pizza wedge slices. With each wedge, roll down ward wrapping bottom skinnybottom piece down and around to make pretty crescent shape. Place 3 rolls across and 8 down, 24 on each cookie sheet. Allow to double in size while covered with clean dish towel. While raising on top of oven, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake one sheet at a time. Bake 6 minutes on bottom rack and then 5 minutes on middle shelf until light golden brown. Brush tops with melted butter once removed.

72 hr kit

Put a small sewing kit in your kit this week. You can creat your own or even find a simple one at the dollar store. I don't plan on sewing matching outfits for my family in an emergency so I kept it simple. Maybe to patch up small holes in clothes, fix buttons or blankets or maybe medical stitching. Emergency Essentials has one for $.95 that comes with 8 spools of thread, scissors, needle, thimble, pins, pin cushion, 2 buttons and safety pins. In my non-sewing world I think the safety pin is essential--that and a glue gun:)

Food Storage recipe

If you have cornmeal in your food storage and not sure what to do with it....I only touch it for cornbread, here is a fun idea.

I like this recipe for homemade corn dogs because you can buy hot dogs with less fat. My kids love corn dogs but I don't buy them often because I feel guilty for feeding them something so unhealthy:)


Homemade Corn Dog Batter
hot dogs of choice
popsicle sticks or similar
1 c. corn meal
¼ c. sugar
1 ½ c. milk
¾ T. oil
1 egg
1 ¾ c. flour (I am going to try doing half wheat flour as well and add some honey to sweeten)
1 T. baking powder
Pinch of salt
Place franks on stick and dip in combined batter. Deep fry until brown.

72 hr kit

This week add rope to your 72 hour kit. I found some thin rope that fits perfectly in my pack, at the dollar store. I got a few of them. There are plenty of reasons why you would use them: tie water bottles around your waste to carry, leash for your pet, first aid, line to dry your laundry(pick up some clothespins at the dollar store to for convenience), tie things down, etc.

Pizza on the Grill

Pizza on the grill

2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1 c cake flour (or omit and use 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour instead of 2 1/4 cup)
1 T kosher salt
2 T olive oil
1 c warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 package yeast
1 tsp sugar
Add yeast and sugar to warm water. Mix flours and salt together. Add oil to yeast mixture after it is proofed then pour into flour mixture. Knead 10 minutes on low speed. (Or by hand about the same amount of time.) Let rise till double (1 hour). punch down then separate into 4 equal parts. Let rise again till double. Roll each part out to 12" circle. Heat up a grill with one side on medium high heat and the other on low. place the dough directly on the grill and cook till the bottom is starting to get crisp. Flip the crust over and move it to the cooler side of the grill. Brush with oil and add toppings. Cook til cheese is melted.

72 Hr kit

Add a utility knife, or pocket knife this week. You can just get a simple knife or one that has all of those fancy tools in it.

This one at Emergency Essentials is only $2.95 and includes:
This pocket knife includes
-2" stainless steel blade,
-phillips and standard screwdrivers,
-reamer punch,
-nail file and nail cleaner,
-sewing eye, 2"
-double-cut saw,
-spring-loaded scissors,
-can opener,
-bottle opener,
-corkscrew,
- scaler and hook remover,
-and key ring.

A lot of things that would be great in your kit, but saves you the room.