Emergency Preparedness

(Image found on Google Images from here)

I mentioned  a week or 2 ago about this Emergency Preparedness Experiment we agreed to participate in. Basically starting at the moment we were asked, we could not shop for a whole week (unless absolutely positively necessary). I'll admit that I was willing, just not necessarily thrilled to do it.  I will also admit that I did go to the store the very next day to buy milk (yes, just milk!) for my son.  I do, however have powdered milk in case of an emergency, but I just didn't find it fair to have to make him suffer like that (or me, for that matter...I really didn't want to deal with a VERY cranky boy who didn't get his milk...yes, he knows the difference!).  

I thought it might be fun to share with you what we ate over the past week, so maybe it might help you stock up your pantry or freezer, I don't know.  I found that I had more of a challenge then I normally would, because we were out of town for a week and were only home for 3 days before we were put up to the challenge (in which I did NOT go shopping!), so I really had to go 3 weeks or more without shopping!  Well I guess I know we'll be okay for a couple weeks in case of a disaster, right?  Here are a few of the things that we ate.  We had leftovers 1 night and a free for all, choose what you want another night.  

• Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwiches - We had T.J.'s Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup (a great alternative to canned, but unfortunately doesn't last as long in your pantry!).  We already had bread, but I always keep a loaf in the freezer - when I run out, I take the frozen loaf out and buy a new loaf and put it in the freezer, that way I'm always rotating and never out!)
• Spaghetti & broccoli (frozen) - I always keep extra pasta in the pantry, as well as a can or more of spaghetti sauce.  I used Trader Joe's sauce, which I added seasoned cooked ground beef to, as well as some other seasonings including cayenne pepper (which really made it yummy!).  I also almost always have fresh, frozen broccoli on hand in my freezer.
• Taco Soup & Corn Bread - This is a great pantry soup that makes a ton and is a great way to use up (or rather rotate) your beans.  For the corn bread, I used a box of Jiffy corn bread mix I had in the freezer.
• Frozen Pizza (the yummy Margarita kind from Costco) with spinach salad.
• Chicken Nuggets with mashed potatoes (the powdered kind) and frozen (or canned) corn.

Two key things that I always make sure that I do with my food storage is rotate and replenish.  Make sure that you store only food that you'll actually eat.  There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to eat much different then you do normally.  Utilize your freezer and pantry (if you're like me and don't have a real pantry, make one!  Put up a shelf in your laundry room or a closet designated only for food.)  I almost never am without my non-perishable or freezable food items.  I always have one in my pantry while one is being used.  When the one being used runs out, I buy a new one as if there wasn't any in storage, then place the new one in storage and use the one that was already there (hopefully that made sense).  It doesn't cost any more than your normal grocery visits (except of course the very first time you buy an extra one, but do things one at a time if needed!), in fact you would be replenishing them anyway.  Make sure that you do the same thing with non-food items such as toilet paper, fem. supplies, diapers, wipers, toothpaste, deo., soap, laundry soup, etc.  For example I buy my diapers in big boxes from Costco.  When I am 1/2 way through the box, I buy a new box, so I never even get close to running out.  

Why should YOU prepare?  So many people think that they don't need to prepare because "there hasn't ever been a natural disaster here!"  Well being prepared is more than just for natural disasters (which by the way you never do know if one might hit!).  With our country being in the financial trouble that it is in right now, I believe everyone should prepare for hard times!  Who knows when we will have to dig into our food supply.  Hard times doesn't just mean financial trouble....what if there is a transportation strike and no food can be shipped into your area...I'll tell ya what, I don't want to be the one who's family starves because there is no food in the stores! Or what if we become unemployed and have no money coming in?  The list really could go on and on.  My husband and I have lived off of food storage MANY times - thankfully we had it.  So that, my friends, is why emergency preparedness is important!

You don't have to start big, just start with what you have.  Good luck!  

One last thing, then I'll be done going off on my tangent.  I don't know if I would necessarily recommend doing this, but I would recommend maybe going through your pantry and freezer and make a mock menu to see if you actually have the right kinds of foods needed to live off of for a week or weeks at a time.

I'm done...lets get back to REAL food now! :)

Tasty Soups

I have been slacking off again in the cooking department these past 2 weeks.  I was out of town, then since I've been back I've been cooking, just nothing out of the ordinary that I haven't already posted.  I did make some yummy spaghetti last night, but the sauce was just T.J.'s with some added ground beef and seasonings.  

To add some sizzle to the griddle, at church on Sunday we were asked to participate in a little emergency preparedness experiment.  They asked that we would not shop from that point on until next Monday.  So in other words, don't shop for a whole week and see how you do with whats in your kitchen (of course if we can't we don't have to starve ourselves or anything and if there is an emergency we can go...its just an experiment!).  So we've been trying that out.  So far so good.  Luckily canning, freezing, and food storage is important to me, so we definitely won't starve (I don't know how good the meals will be though).

So this whole emergency preparedness thing kind of makes it hard to try some new recipes, but until I do have another one to post (and you are still ALWAYS welcome to post one of your own!) I thought I'd share some recipes I WANT to try.  Hopefully I'll get around to doing so in the next little bit, but until then, feel free to try them yourself and let me know how they turn out!  And I don't know, who knows, maybe I'll post some of my Emergency Preparedness meals!  So here are some yummy soups (since I've been in a soupy mood with all this rain and cold!).

• The Pioneer Woman's French Onion Soup
• Taste & Tell's Clam Chowder
• Taste of Home's Cabbage Sausage Soup
• What Did You Eat's Chicken & Cabbage Chowder
• What Did You Eat's Minnesota Wild Rice Soup
• Everyday Food's Chicken Noodle Soup
• Swap Recipes' Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Taste of Home's After-Thanksgiving Turkey Soup

Okay, I have to stop myself, thats enough for now...I seriously could go on for pages.  There are SO many good soup recipes out there!

Taco Soup

It's been overcast all day today, so what better to have then soup, right?  Here's a very easy recipe that can be pulled together quite easily since most of this may be in your pantry already.  I think this actually tastes best reheated the next day!

(photo courtesy of cherry hill cottage)

• 3 cans beans (I usually use kidney, garbanzo, and black beans, but you can use whatever you choose)
• 2 cans Italian stewed tomatoes
• 1 can corn
• 2-3 large spoonfuls of taco seasoning
• Grated cheese, for garnish (optional)
• Sour cream, for garnish (optional)
• Tortilla chips, for garnish (optional)

Dump everything but the garnishes into a big pot on the stove.  You may rinse the beans first if you want to, then add 2 cans of clean water to the pot for more liquid.  Cook until heated through.  Crunch up some chips in the bottom of a bowl.  Add taco soup.  Top with cheese and sour cream.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Good Food Review: Tastefully Simple

I thought that instead of posting a recipe tonight I'd do a Good Food Review.  If you happen upon some food item that you just can't live without (or just think is good), feel free to write your own Good Food Review.

I don't know if any of you have heard of Tastefully Simple.  Its one of those network marketing kind of companies like Avon or Pampered Chef.  About a year or so ago I went to one of those T.S. parties where they let you sample a bunch of their food, they give you their blurb on how great their stuff is and how and why you want to join their team.  I went in with the only intent of supporting my friend...I came out with a tasty order that I just COULDN'T wait to receive!  So here's what I ordered (and it was ALL awesome!):

Bountiful Beer Bread Mix:  This bread is SO easy to make and so sweet and delicious!  You just add 12 oz. of beer, soda, or carbonated juice and 3 Tbsp of butter (which is optional).  We tried Sprite, 7-Up, and Root Beer, but our favorite by FAR was Sprite.  

Cinnamon Muffin Melt Mix:  The title says it all.  These just melt in your mouth.  They're yet another simple recipe (hence the name "Tastefully Simple" I guess)...simply add butter and water.  Last time I made these, every time I'd walk in the kitchen, there was another muffin missing and crumbs leading right to my little preschooler.

Pomegranate Chipotle Sauce:  This sauce is sweet, but has got a kick to it...not too big of one (my 5 year old ate it just fine), but just enough.  I followed their recipe for Pomegranate Chipotle Pork Roast.  You cover the roast in bacon strips and smother it in sauce.  I could have done without the bacon, but the sauce was wonderful.  In fact we added more to our plates and dipped the roast in it.

Creamy Wild Rice Soup:  So I'm not really sure if thats the name or not.  They only have this at certain times of they year, so I couldn't find it online, but it is so creamy and tasteful.  It is the perfect food for a cold evening.  Just wonderful!

And to save the best for last...Creamy Caramel Sauce:  Oh my goodness!  THIS IS SOOOO GOOD!  Many of you already know that I am somewhat of a caramel "cone sure."  I LOVE good caramel, so if I'm going to have some caramel, it had better be good!   This is GOOD caramel.  At the T.S. party a lady was saying that she would hide it in the back of the fridge so her family couldn't find it...she'd even tell them that it was gone so they wouldn't look for it...and she'd reward herself each day with a spoonful (yes, right from the jar).  I have to say I thought she was a little strange and I was very skeptical of trying it seeing that most people just aren't at the same caramel level as I am.  Yeah, I am SO glad I tried it.  I became one of those people who would reward myself with a spoonful.  I even temporarilly took to eating ice cream so that I could have some.  The sad thing was that my husband loved it just as much as I did, so one sad sad morning I woke up, opened the fridge and found an empty jar with a note from my husband saying "I'm SO sorry I ate your caramel, but it was SOO good and I just couldn't stop!  I'll buy you 2 more jars!  Love You!"  I'm still waiting for those jars.  If you don't try anything else, try this (but I hope you try the other stuff too)...it is heavenly!

So if you like what you've seen, you can check out Tastefully Simple's website and either order online or find a consultant near you (most likely there is a party being hosted near you, so you can go try the food before you buy).  

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more Good Food Reviews in the near future.

(photos courtesy of Tastefully Simple)

Julie R.

AG, CA