Week 37 Food StorageChallenge

10 Cans cream soups/Pest control items

10 cans cream soups not only can you eat these you can also use them in recipes. You can also make your own, make the base and make it as you need it.

Pest control items mouse traps, fly strips we don't have roaches here so I am not sure what to use for them,and all the other little critters that are trying to move in this time of year (or any time) where it is warm. If you can get a handle on them when they first start to move in you won't have as big of an issue with them. They are a health hazard and carry all kinds of germs. If you do have to get rid of them remember when you start to clean up after them to use bleach or Lysol to kill the germs.

Put back more water.

Add some more to your money stash.

You should also think about sanitation and hygiene issues. If there is no water you will still need bathroom faculty's. Some of the options are porta potties, a bucket with a toilet seat and kitty litter ,or an out house. If you live in an area that doesn't allow out houses you could always tuck on inside a potting shed in the back yard to use just for emergency's.If it is hid in a potting shed or shed nobody would be the wiser. If you use the porta pottie or the bucket you will need a way to dispose of the waste and in a long term situation that could be a problem. If you are on a septic system you can use a bucket of water to flush with(a good use for gray water).

Week 36 Food Storage Challenge

25 pounds sugar/ Bullion Cubes

More sugar.

Bullion cubes in chicken and beef these are handy to have you can make a hot cup of broth or add to noddles or rice for a little flavor.

Keep addding water.

Put a little more in your money stash.

Week 35 Food Storage Challenge

25 pounds Wheat or Flour/ Cornmeal

25 pounds wheat or flour. If you have  wheat grinder wheat stores a lot longer then flour, if stored correctly in an air tight container.

Cornmeal if you store cornmeal you need to store in a cool place and be sure to rotate. An alternative is to buy whole corn and cracked corn and grind your own. If you do this you will need a corn grinder most wheat grinders will not grind corn.
I buy my whole corn and cracked corn at the feed store just make sure it is just corn with nothing added. I use the whole corn to make masa for tortillas with. The cracked corn I use to grind for cornmeal. Storing your corn this way it will last a very long time.
I also like to buy  a little roasted blue cornmeal I like the roasted taste. You can do this with yellow cornmeal. Just put on a cookie sheet then put in the oven at about 375 degrees stir occasional till it smells roasted and has browned a little be careful not to burn. Adds a very good flavor to your cornmeal.

Keep putting back water.

Add a little more to your money stash.

If you are not already in good physical shape now is the time to start working on that. I know I have let my extra 10 pounds turn into 20 or so.
When things get bad we will be doing a lot more physical stuff like chopping wood maybe hauling water working in the garden or maybe we will have to walk home from where ever we are, just a lot of stuff we don't normally do now.
We may not have access to health care so if we are in shape we won't have as may health issues to contend with.
So if we are in shape and prepared now it will not be to hard to transition to a more physically way of life.
If you need to lose those extra pound start on that now.

Start exercising try for at least three times a week more if you can.Even if you just start at 10 minutes a day.

Eat a more healthy diet stop the sodas and junk food even diet sodas are very bad for you just drink water. Diet Dr. Pepper is my weakness I am trying to stop but hasn't been easy. Guess I just need to tell myself no more and stop (That will power thing that I am very short on ha ha )

Stop the bad habits tobacco, alcohol,drugs. When things get bad you may not have access to these and with hard times you don't want to be trying to come off of these things.

Take your vitamins and supplements, contrary to what some will tell you you can not get all your vitamins from the food that we eat. They are  so over processed that  there are not many nutrients left in them, not to mention the soils are so depleted of minerals.

These things will help you survive a crises situation a lot easier, not to mention the added benefit from feeling so much better.
I will be starting on this now and hopefully by the holidays I am in much better shape.

Week 34 Food Storage Challenge

10 Cans of soup/ More Tomato stuff

10 Cans of soup get what your family likes to eat.

More Tomato stuff,  Tomato sauce,paste,whole tomatoes,crushed tomatoes,paste, pasta sauce if you don't make your own. All the tomato products that you use. We use a lot of tomato products so I can as much as I can but sometimes I still need to buy some from the store. You can figure out how much you use in  a month then times that by 12 then you will have an idea of how much you use in a year. I buy tomato sauce in the big number 10 cans since I make my own pasta sauces and enchilada sauces. We use a lot of rotel, stewed and crushed tomato's so I try to can enough of these to last all year. If you don't can them, try to find them on sale then buy as much as you can or just pick up a few extra every time you go to the store.

Put back more water.

Add some more to your money stash.

This months auction item is to get a few pairs of larger sized clothes in storage for you kids. Kids grow out of their clothes so fast.You can go to a second hand store to get inexpensive children's clothes (my kids practically grew up in second hand clothes) You can get long pants and long sleeves then you have for cold weather, and if it is in the summer that you need them you can always make shorts and short sleeves out of them. Don't forget under clothes.