Thursday, January 29, 2009

fooood stuuurage


Food storage is rad.

um so I decided to play in my food storage last Saturday. Oh we had a blast. I would open up my sealed buckets and take handfuls of wheat and just throw it all over the room...you know, like confetti. "Isn't this fun Kenzie?" Just throwing wheat and rice kernels up in the air in celebration of the wonders of foooood stuuurage.

Kenzie never believed me that working on building up a food storage could be so fun...until now. "What, you thought we were going to actually eat this stuff Kenz?"

ok so last Saturday I decided to do an inventory on my food storage. Now this is my theory on the whole food storage business: We are easy to be obedient to the things we choose to pay attention to. Sometimes people feel inspired to work extra hard on one thing/commandment in their life while another person feels inspired to work extra hard on something else. But in the end- commandments are commandments and the prepared shall not fear- and line upon line, precept upon precept (go ahead and sing the Saturday Warrior's song with me) we will gravitate upon those things which are good. So- if you aren't gun ho about food storage yet or you still live in a 700 sq foot apartment- the time will come...it will all work out. Just do your best...always do your best. So- I feel however that Heavenly Father has lead me in a certain direction to pay attention to what the prophets have warned us to do for 60+ years: Store your food. I have been motivated by others who have listened to the prophet's council- and maybe someone else will be motivated by me- and so it becomes one big happy obedient food storage circle of joy joy.

ok so I have 800 lbs of wheat in my basement...and I have never made a loaf of bread in my life. Nor have I ever grounded wheat before, nor do I have a mixer...it gets worse...my body doesn't even respond well to wheat- and it makes me constipated and very tired and bloated (too much information?)...but um...I have made cinnamon rolls before...and I knead the dough all by hand. When I start to complain about kneading the dough by hand, I just start speaking Portuguese and I pretend I am some humble poor Brazilian, out in some village, whose greatest gift to the community and family is my making of cinnamon rolls. The village people would starve without the cinnamon rolls- and I am ever so grateful to have the essential sugar, flour and oil on hand. - and I hum a song while kneading because there is such serenity in the simple things of life...lol

fooood stuuurage can be such a drag- but I'm telling you- I think it is a commandment we should take seriously. Are you paying attention to what is going on in this country and the world??? holy crud- it is getting worse by the day...

Ezra Taft Benson, "The revelation to store food may be as essential to our temporal salvation today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah." (October Conference,1973) and he also said, "There is more salvation and security in wheat, than in all the political schemes of the world..." (JD 2:207)


Here is a website that is a wonder when it comes to tracking your food storage- stockupfood.com it is very easy to use and helps you see what areas you need to improve on. Oh and let me tell you- I am so grateful, so incredibly grateful for Chay's family. This family has been a miracle in my life. They seem to be so focused on what is good- and they all support and help each other. Thank you.

so according to the website I have about 40% of my food storage done for a year's worth of food. That is for 4 adults and 1 child.(I'd rather have too much than too little) I am so proud of myself. Good job April. I have a long way to go- but at least I know I am trying.

oh and I have more than just wheat in my basement- I'm not that stupid to store only wheat...I would be the first to die if that was the case. I can always sprout the wheat...which turns wheat into a miracle fountain of nutrients! Soo good for you...and you can flavor the sprouts and use it as a meat subsitute...so much work dang it-.

Anyway I think I'll go to the cannery today and get some more beans beans...the magical fruit.

How is your food storage coming?

11 comments:

The Pyper Fam said...

Thanks for the inspiration! Food Storage is one of those things that I put on the back burner, but KNOW that I need to start working on for our little familY! Thanks for the link- I really had no idea even how to start! Add that to your list of affirmations at the top--on top of the food storage! :) I am really impressed, now I know who to go to when I have questions! :)

The Pyper Fam said...

I do have a question-do you just get a little extra every time you go to the grocery store, or did you get all of that food in one specific trip to the store for food storage? I'm totally lost when it comes to this kind of thing!

Mothership said...

I have such a testimony of food storage. As students with a lot of children, there have been times when our monthly food budget ran out early and I have had to feed my family on our stored food. I have been very careful, over the years, to only accumulate the foods that we eat normally. I can make literally dozens of meals and desserts with the food in my basement. I do not have wheat because I don't have a grinder and wouldn't know what to do with it. I do, instead, store flour and yeast. I am good at rotating regularly because I use it as a kind of store.

Way To Go!! It is expensive if done all at once, but builds up quickly if you work at it every month. You are doing GREAT!!!

(Now you have to figure out a way to store the special foods that you need to fight MS.)

April said...

Taraka- I am not an expert at this- I was just fortunate enough to marry into a family that is really on top of food storage- so I have been learning from them through the years- my mother in law even bought us wheat for our birthdays last year-

The church is now saying we need a 3 month supply and also 1 year long term- so the majority of my 3 month supply is basically just buying a few extra things when I go to the store. So right now in my three month food storage there is a lot of pasta, speghetti sauce, canned vegetables & fruit, soups, tuna, oatmeal, cereal, oil, baking supplies, cake mixes, hamburger helper, boxed stuff, pancake mixes, flour, brown rice (freezer), you know- all the stuff you eat often- that is stuff I usually buy at the store- my sister-n-laws have taught me a lot about couponing and hitting really good sales at the grocery stores- so a couple weeks ago I stocked up big time on the Albertson's sale-

Long term food storage is a slow process too- Last year's tax return I saved $250 and put it all towards wheat, milk, rice, beans- I just went to the cannery and stocked up- but here in Utah the grocery stores and even costco will sell 45 lb sealed buckets of wheat, rice, oats, milk- so whenever there is a good sale I will pick up one here and there-

Taraka- it can be so overwhelming- just start little- go to lds.org and read up on what the church has to say- it will all make sense.

LOL- I can't believe how much I am writing- I really don't know much- I just ask around all the time- lately I have felt really prompted to set aside the little things that don't matter and really put any extra money towards debt and food storage- I just don't want to be stuck with a really nice rug someday and yet not enough food for the kids...love you Taraka- I miss you.

April said...

Emily, I wish we were neighbors and so we can grind wheat together. Why buy an expensive wheat grinder when the neighbor has one! I actually don't have an official grinder either- but I have a mega amazing blender that grinds wheat- and whole wheat pancakes in the blender are so hearty and good- I think this week I will make a loaf of bread out of my wheat-

I always think about living off food storage and having MS. I think I am going to vacuum pack seeds- and sprout everything I can. My neighbor sprouted alfalfa seeds last week that were 20 years old!

I think you should seriously post your recipes you use from your food storage- these are the most helpful to me when I stare at my buckets and wonder what else could I make for dinner other than beans and rice.

Heather said...

well - before moving to utah we had about zilch food storage. i just wasn't sure how to go about it and we absolutely had no storage for it. but here we are in food storage mecca-land and so i've been figuring it out slowly.

i have a wheat grinder and some wheat - but i've never made bread from it.

we have rice
we have powdered milk (and hot chocolate powder of course)...

and i try to stock up on caselot sales for normal canned goods.

but i thought are seriously only eating from what i have stored, i realize i would need a few other items. it's just so hard when fresh fruits and veggies and meat can't be stored very easily. i would love to get a freezer in my garage someday to help in that area.

thanks for the fun reminder about working on food storage. i too would rather have food than a fancy rug... or a million tiny dolls/toys.

oh - and your comment on my blog was funny - about the classical music post. it made me laugh. yes, i occasionally blog about my bread that never turns out... i talk way too much about my children sometimes, and i love digital scrapbooking - but there is more to life than those 3 things. i guess during january i'm trying to broaden my horizons and think of fun things to focus on.... music is one of those for me.

sorry about this eternal comment from a near-stranger.

Heather said...

just forget some of my grammar in my last comment. i reread it and one sentence makes no sense at all. welcome to my brain at 8:30 p.m. after the kids are in bed... it's obviously fried.

Calie said...

Go April! You know who is smiling down on you for this dont you? Yes I believe you do. She would be so proud!

Marne said...

Awesome April! I am so covetous of your basement. I would love one someday. You have a ton of food for your family. Isn't that such a good feeling?

Heather said...

Have you moved to throwing rice and wheat instead of beans????? hmmmmmm hahahahah

Tiffani said...

Way to go April - I can just see you throwing the wheat into the air! You have a lot of food stored - keep it up girl!