Free computer!

This really isn't about food storage, but you can win a free HP TouchSmart 600 at the following sites:

http://boomama.net/hp-touchsmart-600-giveaway/
http://kellyskornerreviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/hey-who-wants-to-win-free-computer.html
http://totallytogetherreviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/hp-touchsmart-computer-review-and-give.html
http://mckgiveaways.blogspot.com/2009/12/hp-touchsmart-giveaway.html
http://nienie-reviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/hp-touchsmart-giveaway_09.html

Go check it out!

Discounts and Freebies!

Shelf Reliance, a company that sells #10 cans of food storage and the Shelf Reliance storage system, is having a birthday celebration this week. Every day (M-F), they will be posting an item on their blog for 50% off. The sale only goes from 5:00 p.m. to midnight, so you'll have to check their blog (http://www.shelfreliance.com/blog/) and order during those times to get the discount. I don't know if they charge shipping, but I assume they do. But, at 50% off, it could be a great opportunity to stock up on some fruit or other item that tends to be more expensive.

Also, each day this week they will be giving away a bunch of items, some of which are very pricey! So, check in daily and enter to win some great items for your food storage!

For the full post on these discounts and giveaways, go to http://www.shelfreliance.com/blog/index.php/2009/11/16/birthday-bash-kicking-celebration/#more-629.

November's Order

The food storage order this month is a MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) Emergency Backup Meal. From the BePrepared.com website: "These convenient, prepackaged meals include all the components to make a complete meal. One of the most important benefits of meals-ready-to-eat is that MRE entrees and side dishes don't require water or a can opener for preparation. They can also be eaten straight from the pouch either cold or warmed up, which allow you to conserve fuel and supplies during an emergency. Our custom-made EBMs come with everything you need for a complete meal: an MRE heater, MRE main dish entree, MRE side dish, cracker or bread, jam, peanut butter, drink mix, dessert, utensil, wet wipe, and hard candy." These meals can be heated up by placing in the sun for 15-20 minutes, boiling, removing wrapper and placing food in a microwave, or even using body heat. MREs maintain most of their nutritional value and flavor if eaten within 5 years (assuming they are stored in a cool, dry place during this time).

The MREs we are ordering will be varied; you won't be able to pick your entree or side dish. Here are the list of potential entrees:

BBQ Sauce with Chicken, Black Beans and Potato
Beef Brisket
Beef Enchilada
Beef Ravioli in Meat Sauce
Beef Stew
Buffalo Chicken
Cheddar Potato Soup
Cheese Tortellini in Marinara Sauce
Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken Fajitas
Chicken Pesto
Chicken Salsa
Chicken Tetrazzini
Chicken, Noodles, and Vegetables in Sauce
Chili Macaroni
Grilled Chicken Breast
Maple Sausage Patty
Marinara Sauce with Meatballs
Meatloaf with Gravy
Omelet with Cheese
Pasta Marinara with Vegetables
Penne Pasta with Spicy Vegetable Sausage
Pork Rib Entree
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Vegetable Lasagna
Vegetable Patty
Vegetarian Chili with Beans

Here are the list of potential side dishes:

Cheese Spread
Clam Chowder
Mexican Corn
Peanut Butter
Refried Black Beans
Wheat Snack Bread

I'm thinking what I want to try and do is get a list from anyone who orders of side dishes or entrees that you will NOT eat (ones that no one in your household will eat), because it won't do you any good to buy these if you won't eat them. I'll then do my best to pick up orders that don't have these items in it. As for delivery, I'll just send out an email or make phone calls letting everyone know that the items are in, and selections will be first come first serve. I think that's the best I can do. So, hopefully you will all still order. I've had these MREs before, and they're actually really good. The full meal is $5.40 (entree, side dish, etc.). Money is due November 30th.

October's Order

This month's food storage order is as follows:

#10 Freeze-dried Apricot Slices $25.35
#10 Freeze-dried Zucchini $14.40

All orders (including money) are due no later than Nov 1st! Please make checks out to Chris Juvenal, or you can pay with cash.

Food Storage Analyzer

One of the most commonly-asked questions regarding food storage is, "How much do I need to store?" Emergency Essentials has created a Food Storage Analyzer that will take into consideration your family dynamics (number of people, number of males, number of females, and ages) and help you identify what you have and what you still need. Click here to view their site.

There are several great advantages to this site:
1.) It helps you calculate what you need based on your current family; so, if you have young children, you can prepare for their food intake now and not what you'd need to prepare for if they were adults.
2.) You can easily update your family and instantly see what you need, so every year you can add to your food storage appropriately as your family grows.
3.) Your inventory is all saved online, so no need to worry about tracking your food storage on paper, then losing it (as I did) Just make you sure you update it if you are using your food storage, so you keep track of what you use (unless, of course, you replace it).

The only disadvantage to this site is that they list their products, so you have to enter everything according to their product line. But, it's pretty easy to substitute what you have in terms of their product line.

Sales!

Macey's Grocery is having a sale on their food storage items. Here are a few prices:

1.) 50 pound bags on hard red or hard white wheat for $11.99. This is slightly higher than the cannery's prices, but still a good deal and perhaps more convenient than going to Lindon.
2.) #10 can banana slices for $5.99
3.) #10 can scone mix: $7.99
4.) #10 can blueberry or buttermilk pancake mix: $6.99
5.) #10 can blueberry or chocolate muffin mix: $6.99
6.) #10 can cornmeal: $5.99

And so on. To see their ad, click here: http://maceys.mywebgrocer.com/Circular.aspx?c=45701&n=11&s=58113271&g=16f3bddf-7f6c-46b7-b35b-dc3a0d937d1c&uc=6E0A438 (food storage items are on pages 10-12).

Prices good through 9/22/09.

Leftover Casserole

2 Cup Cooked Freeze Dried Roast Beef* or Freeze Dried Chicken*
2 Cup Noodles or Macaroni
2 Cup Freeze Dried Cheddar Cheese*
1 Cup Dehydrated Fat-Free Milk*
10-3/4 Ounce Cream of Chicken Soup
*Reconstitute before using

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine meat, macaroni, cheese, milk, soup; mix well.
3. Spread mixture into a lightly greased 9"x 13" baking dish.
4. Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly hot.

September's order

Here are this month's orders:

#10 can Egg Bowtie Noodles $5
100 Hour Emergency Candle $3

Orders are going through the stake rep again, so checks need to be made out to Chris Juvenal. Money is due to me by October 4th.

This really isn't food storage related, but it is a good lead on free stuff! Check out GiveAwayToday every weekday for a new giveaway. Today's giveaways include:

Free jeans
Free jewelry
A scripture tote
A basic of homemade crafts
A paint job for your car
A spa package
Circus tickets
A photography photo shoot
A month of gymnastics lessons for kids

It's a great site!

Homemade Laundry Soap

I got the following from a friend I grew up with in California. The rest of this is in her words:

4 cups hot water
1 Fels-Naptha bar of laundry soap $1.09/ bar
1 cup Arm and Hammer washing soda $3.19/ 3 lbs 7 oz box
1/2 cup Borax $3.99/ 4 lbs 12 oz box

Grate Fels-Naptha bar (small grater side). Dissolve in 4 cups hot water over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, till completely dissolved (about 10 min). Fill a 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full with warm/hot tap water. Stir in dissolved soap mixture, 1 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup borax. Stir till completely dissolved. Fill bucket the rest of the way with more warm/hot tap water. Stir. Cover and let sit overnight so it can gel. Next morning, stir, fill an empty Costco liquid soap dispenser carton half way with newly made laundry soap and fill the rest of the way with water. Shake to mix. All done! Save the 5 gallon bucket to refill Costco container about 4 more times with same half and half method.

When you add up the cost, it's about $2 for the 10 gallon mixture - about a 6 month supply for my family of 8. To buy the equivalent Kirkland brand at about $15 a carton, that's $75. Spending about 20 minutes to save yourself like 90% is worth it in my book. So try it. Try it and you may, I say.

I got the recipe from googling "Duggars". They have a show on the discovery channel called "17 kids and counting." It's a documentary style program that shows how they make things work for a family of that size; making their own laundry detergent is one of their staples to financial freedom.


**Update: I realized that this is missing a key note: Once you mix the soap and water, each at 50%, into your Costco container, use 1/2 c. per load of the mixture for regular loads and up to 1 cup for large loads. I use 1/2 cup for all loads with my and my husband's clothes, and 1 cup if I'm washing my kids' clothes. For added stink-remover, put up to 1/2 cup white vinegar in a Downy ball (or add during the rinse cycle). You will not believe how well it works until you try it, and I guarantee no vinegar smell can be detected on the clothes!