1. Offer to present a free mini-class in your area on preparing food storage recipes, or planning your year-supply.  You can even do this in your home with a few friends.  You may be surprised how many people would love to learn what you know!
2. Take a few jars of your prized peaches and leave them on the doorsteps of friends with a note that encourages them to share their bounty with someone else in the area.
3. Help a friend build a few shelves in her storage room to hold more food storage.
4. Teach your kids frugality by inviting them to help you cut coupons and shop for toothpaste, shampoo, and soap to replenish your supply. (The blessing of teaching your children the value of a dollar will always come back around.)
5. Bake something using food storage ingredients and take it to a neighbor who could use a pick-me-up (include the recipe).

I’d love to hear your creative ideas too!

Click HERE for a link to the Pay It Forward Day website, where you can download free printable tags to introduce others to the idea of paying it forward. Enjoy your day!

Too much rain in the corn areas has delayed planting, so only a record corn crop will keep the supply from being depleted next year. Watch for case-lot sales on canned and frozen corn if your family enjoys this vegetable.  I also store freeze-dried corn, which is compact and light-weight, retains the most nutrition, and rehydrates with sweet flavor. 

With steadily increasing fuel prices, we are starting to see people  cut back on their miles driven and some companies are charging higher delivery fees.  It’s a good time to inventory your food storage supplies, see where items may be lacking and search for the best prices to replenish your supply.  Consider whether your inventory has all of the ingredients for meals your family enjoys.  Higher fuel costs will lead to rising food prices in general.

Be prepared, not fearful!

And this is why I started this site.   Storing the basics shown above is a great place to start, but I don’t think many of us want to channel our pioneer ancestry to this extent. I believe in knowing how to use these staples to make healthy foods, but also in storing the ingredients that enhance them and make them enjoyable to eat.  Every edible thing in your house will be considered “food storage” in the event of an emergency!  Store a well-rounded supply of what YOUR family will eat!

This Christmas, my neighbors are getting homemade bread with jam or honey butter.  (The photo is actually one from a previous year when I used a similar idea in gift baskets.  This year, I’m just using gift sacks and I’m giving some homemade Strawberry Peach freezer jam and some Me ‘ N Stan’s Honey Butter with the loaves.) Many of my neighbors don’t have the time to bake for themselves, so they enjoy receiving fresh bread and it’s an economical gift I can give using food storage ingredients. I also made up simple tags with the following scripture to tie this gift into the true reason for the season.
“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger.”
(John 6:35)

Here is the file for my “bread of life” tags: Bread gift tags

I think the simplest method for putting one foot in front of the other to build a supply of food and gear for emergencies is found at Food Storage Made Easy.  These lovely ladies have compiled a very practical, organized system of ”baby-steps” in easy-to-complete checklists. It’s a great place to start!

Celebrate National Preparedness Month by inventorying your current food storage, and making a plan to improve and rotate your food storage every month.  Then come back to All About Food Storage often, and I’ll help you enjoy all of the foods with which you’re filling your pantry!

I’m joining in on the fun!  Check back September 1st to learn more about how to win a great prize package from All About Food Storage as part of the Parade of Giveaways hosted by Food Storage Made Easy. Just a week away…

I’ll post photos and recipes soon!

Look what you'll be missing if your oats run out!

My #1 favorite thing about the internet is the opportunity it gives us to share good ideas! I have been so grateful for the ideas I have found online to help me in nearly every aspect of my life.  I’m currently serving as the Emergency Preparedness Specialist for my LDS ward, so I thought I would post the ideas I’m sharing with our group to hopefully remind and enthuse people about recommiting to food storage and preparedness goals for 2010. Hopefully it will be helpful to others serving in the same capacity.  Today I passed out this year-at-a-glance list of suggestions to build your food storage with their weekly grocery shopping. I also handed out a copy of the current LDS Cannery prices.  (As a side note, Cannery prices are increasing on January 16th so now is a good time to inventory and restock things you’ve used up.)  Then, on the first Sunday of every month (as a reminder), I am going to hand out a little printout of the month’s suggestions and the cannery dates, so they’re in a size that will fit easily in a wallet. There are a ton of great ideas online that you can use for your group. I was going for simplicity and something that wouldn’t strain budgets.

Click to view and print the page here: Weekly Food Storage 

I had been offering a monthly food storage cooking class, but with the changes in the Relief Society program (as far as Enrichment activities), I may just use those ideas as mini classes for a ward preparedness activity sometime during the year.

I would love to hear the ideas you are using to help your church or community group become more self-sufficient and prepared for emergencies.  Please share!

Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet in the shape of either a tree or a wreath.  Bake, then decorate and wrap for gift giving.  So easy!

THRIVE food storage company has recalled nearly 3,800 cans of freeze dried meats that were not USDA inspected.  No illness has been reported, but if you have purchased THRIVE meat products and want to learn more about the recall you can CLICK HERE.