Butane lighters

The best types of butane lighters to purchase are the long necked fire starting kind. Smaller lighters designed for lighting cigarettes aren’t as good for starting fires since they can easily burn you and don‘t work as well tipped over. Also, the long necked lighters contain more butane and will therefore last longer. They are so inexpensive that any home should have at least a dozen on hand. Don’t bother investing in high powered pseudo torches – for the price of one of these you can probably buy a case of lighters.

Week # 49: 10 lbs of Barley

Week # 49: 10 lbs of Barley (If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in steps.)

Barley:

 Why do I store it? 

Barley is popular as a staple food, used in soups, as an extender for vegetable proteins and occasionally milled into flour. Barley flour, a by-product of pearling, is used in the United States for baby foods and other specialties. Barley as flatbread or porridge is widely consumed in North Africa and parts of Asia.

Barley’s Fiber for Regularity, Lower Cholesterol, & Intestinal Protection. Wish you were more regular? Let barley give your intestinal health a boost. Because of its neutral flavor, it’s easy to blend barley’s nutrition and texture into a variety of foods: soups, sausages, crackers, casseroles, hot and cold ready-to-eat cereals, snacks, breads, cookies, bagels, side dishes, main dishes and granola.

Nutrition:
Barley is a very good source of fiber and selenium. It also serves as a good source of the minerals phosphorus, copper and manganese.

Livelyhood:

Though the United States produces only 3-5 percent of the 200 million metric tons (7-8 billion bushels) of world barley output, the U.S. is consistently one of the top 10 world barley exporters.

Storage: If possible store unhulled barley.  Stores longer and is more nutritious!

]Barley is generally available in its pearled, hulled and flaked form. It is available prepackaged as well as in bulk containers. Just as with any other food that you may purchase in the bulk section, make sure that the bins containing the barley are covered and that the store has a good product turnover so as to ensure its maximal freshness. Whether purchasing barley in bulk or in a packaged container, make sure that there is no evidence of moisture.

Store barley in a tightly covered container in a cool, dry place. Barley can also be stored in the refrigerator during periods of warmer weather.

Shelf life - The shelf life of Barley is only 2-3 years due to the higher oil content of the grain.  Store only what you need and use on a regular bases.  You can extend the shelf

life by 3 to 5 times by putting it in a canning mason jar and use a Food Savor and jar sealer lids and suck out all the oxygen which breaks down oils over time.

Recipes:

• Curried Turkey and Barley Casserole
• Orange Barley Pilaf and Ham Sauté
• Barley, Berries and Chicken Salad
• Stacked Ham ‘n Barley Supper Salad
• Easy Greek Barley Salad
• Barley Fruit Scones
• Barley Fruit Muffins
• Barley Swiss Muffins
• Cheesy Barley Fritatta
• Barley Breakfast Hash
• Curried Fruit & Barley Salad

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Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.

 

Easy Home Remedies for the Cold and Flu Season 2012

5 Easy Home Remedies for the Cold and Flu Season 2012

Easy home remedys for the cold and flu season



10+ Natural Cold Remedies

President Benson Videos

Prepare yourself for the great day of the Lord part 1




Prepare yourself the the great day of the Lord part 2

Week # 48: 50 lbs of Wheat (white or red) (our ward owns a wheat grinder:see below)

Week # 35: 50 lbs of Wheat (white or red) (our ward owns a wheat grinder:see below)
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in baby steps.)

Baby Steps:

1. Choose location for storage
2. Purchase containers (#10 Cans, Buckets) for wheat or purchase pre-packaged wheat.
3. Purchase your wheat for containers.
4. Fill and date your wheat containers. (Leave some extra wheat out in order to test it some recipes.)

10 Reasons to love Whole Wheat:

1. It’s more nutritious, providing several more minerals, vitamins (18 more to be exact!), and natural photochemicals than white flour.
2. Relax! It has More B Vitamins which are known to help with nerves & stress.
3. Get cleaned out. Whole wheat provides more fiber, preventing constipation & diverticulosis. The American Dietetic Association recommends 20-35 grams daily, the average American consumes only 12 grams.
4. Lose weight and keep it off! Whole wheat has a lot of fiber which has almost no calories, keeps you fuller for longer, absorbs 3x it’s weight in water, cuts absorption of calories, cleans out impurities, requires more chewing, and takes 1/2 as much to fill you up and takes longer to digest.
5. Reduces your risk of colon cancer & other diseases.
6. Lowers blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and risk of adult on set Diabetes.
7. Cheaper! It will lower your food costs by at 30% to 50%!
8. Lowers doctor visits, bills, & medications.
9. Lowers Dentist Bills by cutting down on tooth decay.
10. Eating Whole Wheat keeps your body both emotionally and physically used to wheat.

Differences between White & Red Wheat:
“The main difference between hard red wheat and hard white wheat is color genes. Both have similar fiber and protein levels. But whole-grain bread from hard white wheat is less bitter–some say sweeter–than whole-grain bread from hard red wheat. That’s because white wheat’s outer kernel contains fewer tannins and phenolic compounds.” (Scientists redesign white wheat Agricultural Research, June, 1994 by Linda Cooke)

They also taste different. Red wheat has a more “nutty” flavor while white wheat’s mild flavor makes it easier hidden in bakery items.

Hard Red Wheat

Hard White Wheat

Recipes with wheat:

If You ONLY Have: Water, Wheat, Salt, Shortening or Oil You Can Make:

• Sprouted wheat
• Cooked cracked wheat
• Cooked whole wheat
• Wheat grass
• Gluten (a strange bread-type food that has a very high protein content)
• Tortillas

Just Add: Powdered Milk, Powdered Eggs, Honey or Sugar, Flour And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:

• Wheat pudding
• German pancakes
• Crepes
• Pasta

Just Add: Yeast, Baking Powder, Baking Soda And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:

• Puddings/custards
• Pancakes
• Some varieties of cookies
• Waffles
• Muffins/English muffins
• Breads
• Biscuits
• Some varieties of crackers

Just Add: Tomatoes, Powdered Butter and Cheese, Unflavored Gelatin, Canned Milk, Canned FruitsAnd You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:

• Meatless dinners
• Meatless casseroles
• Cream sauces
• Jello salads
• Whipped cream desserts
• Baby formula

Just Add: Rice, Legumes, Beef/Chicken Broth, Canned Meats, Dried Potatoes, Dehydrated VegetablesAnd You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:

• Lots of great chunky soups
• Chili
• Refried beans
• Rice dinners
• Rice puddings
• Sandwiches
• Many different dinners and casseroles

Just Add: Extras such as Oats, Raisins, Nuts, Spices, Juice, Peanut Butter, Cream of Tarter, etc.And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:

• A wide variety of almost any type of food you would want to cook

As you can see, with a bit of planning (and a fabulous food storage recipe book on hand - Victoria's how much is enough? Food Storage Cookbook), you can be confident that you will be able to create healthy, filling, comforting meals for your family should a true emergency occur. It will also be helpful to start using and rotating through these foods in your every day cooking so that you can find the recipes your family likes, get them used to eating these foods, and ensure that all of your storage retains its maximum freshness.

Shelf life of wheat?
30+ years if low-moisture foods are properly packaged and stored at room temperature or cooler (75°F/24°C or lower) remain nutritious and edible.

How can I store Wheat?
Recommended containers for longer-term storage include the following

• # 10 cans (available at Church home storage centers)
• Foil pouches (available through Church Distribution Services)

These containers, used with oxygen absorber packets, eliminate food-borne insects and help preserve nutritional quality and taste. Oxygen absorber packets are available at Church home storage centers or through Church Distribution Services.

Under certain conditions, you can also use plastic buckets for longer-term storage of wheat, dry beans, and other dry products.

Types of Wheat Grinders:  

Prices of Wheat Grinders

Manual Wheat Grinders

Low: $20-30 models will not grind flour, only coarse corn meal, etc. Not very useful.

Medium: $75-$175 is a good price range. Back to Basics Grain Mill is $75. It can grind fine enough for bread flour but not for very fine cake flour. Wonder Junior is higher-priced at $169 but it can grind into cake flour.

High: Up to $400 for the Country Living Grain Mill. It is quicker than other manual grinders and is able to grind a fine cake flour.

KitchenAid Attachments

$100-120, some may be used on any stand mixer.Electric Wheat Grinders

Low: Under $200 for grinders such as the Blendtec Grain Mill. Its drawbacks are it is very noisy and cannot do very coarse grinds.

Medium: $200-$300 can get you a great grinder. The two most popular electric grinders are the WonderMill and the NutriMill. In my tests I found the WonderMill to be faster, quieter, cleaner, and easier to store. And priced at $239 it is even cheaper than the NutriMill which is $269.

High: Over $300 is an unnecessary amount to spend in my opinion. There are heavy duty models out there but you can get the job done with the mid-range models.

Sample Wheat Grinders:
Click here to see sample wheat grinders or here to view a detailed comparison chart.

One not included in the above comparison which is actually my favorite can be viewed here.

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Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.

 

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Week # 47: 4 Gallons of Bleach

Week # 47: 4 Gallons of Bleach
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in baby steps.)

Bleach 
For this purpose we are suggesting bleach here for water purification and as a disinfectant. So if you need more for other uses then please by all means store more.

Shelf life- one years so please rotate!

To Purify Water:
If your water supply is not known to be safe or has become polluted, it should be purified before use. Water purification is generally a two-step process.

Step 1: Clarify
Cloudy or dirty water must first be made clear. It may be passed through filter paper, fine cloth, or other filter. It may be allowed to settle and the clear water on top carefully drawn. Filtered or clear settled water should always be disinfected before use.

Step 2: Disinfect

Boiling Method
Bringing water to a rolling boil for 3 to 5 minutes will kill most water-borne microorganisms. However, prolonged boiling of small quantities of water may concentrate toxic contaminants if present.

Bleach Method
Adding 1/8 of a teaspoon (8 drops) of fresh liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to every gallon (4 liters) of water will kill most microorganisms. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used. The use of bleach does not address toxic contamination.
EMERGENCY WATER PURIFICATION VOLUME CALCULATOR here.

Print the following chart and keep it next to your Bleach.

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site provides additional information about water purification.

[Source: ProvidentLiving.org]

For General Disinfecting:
Bleach emits potentially lethal fumes, so it should never be used full-strength. When using bleach as a disinfectant, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend using a 1:10 solution. Follow these steps to make a 1:10 bleach solution safely.

Use the following method to disinfect hard, nonporous surfaces at home:

1. Create bleach solution using ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach per gallon of water. (use spray bottle or bucket)
2. Wash, wipe or rinse items/area with water, then apply solution.
3. Let stand 5 minutes.
4. Rinse thoroughly and air dry.
5. Discard any unused Solution
Chlorine bleach solution begins to lose its disinfectant power quickly when exposed to heat, sunlight, and evaporation. In order to be sure your solution is still strong enough to kill germs, you should mix a fresh batch each day and discard whatever amount you don’t use at the end of the day.

Print this chart and keep next to your bleach too.

[Source: Clorox.com]
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Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.

 

Food Storage Friday #13: Ideal Conditions for my Food Storage

Honeyville Farms - Cookin' Cousins

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Food Storage Friday #13: Ideal Conditions for my Food Storage Posted: 09 Nov 2012 03:11 PM PST One of the most frequent questions we get here at Honeyville about our products is their shelf life. When you offer a large amount of products geared towards long term storage, it only makes sense. While many of our great products (including our entire line of foods sealed in #10 cans) have the shelf life printed on them, that shelf life can depend on where and how you store that product. Because of this, we thought that for today's Food Storage Friday post, we'll discuss what the best conditions are to ensure extended shelf life of your food storage, and also what we should do after we open a sealed product. Where should I store my food? If you're like me, the first thing you think of when you hear of food storage is a large basement with shelves to the ceiling stocked perfectly with #10 cans, 6-gallon buckets, and sealed mason jars. While this is probably the food storage set up we all dream about, most of us may never get to that point. So for the rest of us, when it comes to our food storage needs, taking maximum advantage of minimal space is key. Some ways to find an ideal food storage pantry (when you don't have a basement) is to take a quick survey of your home and how space is used. Is there a coat closet full of old clothes or boxes not being used? How about that extra space under the bed? What about that space in the garage just in front of the cars? Places like these, with the addition of a few shelves or shelving units, can make an ideal food storage spot. What are the best food storage conditions? What you need for food to store properly can be summed up in two words: Dry and Cool. Nothing helps shelf life more than a dry, cool location away from direct sunlight. This is the reason why (besides space) we always see those photos of amazing food storage pantries located in people's basements. What is more dry, cool, and away from direct sunlight than a basement? Not only does dry, cool, and out of the sun apply to the pantry location, but also whatever the food is sealed in. Are you a fan of our 50 lb bags of wheat, rice, or grains? We are too, but throwing a few bags on the bottom shelf of your food storage pantry will only give you a year or two of storage life, and that's if the bag itself doesn't get moist or break open. Taking them from the bag and sealing them in one of our 6-gallon buckets, with oxygen absorbers, extends your shelf life for grain from 1-year in the bag to 15-20 years in the bucket. Placing a Mylar bag in the 6 gallon bucket and sealing your rice and beans in the bag, in addition to the bucket, helps give you some added security. What do I do after I open my product? One big question we get, especially in regards to our products sealed in our #10 cans, is what to do after the product has been opened. Once the can is open, the seal is broken, and oxygen is now in the container. When it comes to food storage, nothing kills your shelf life quicker than oxygen, so the thing to remember is the quicker you can seal up that product, the longer the shelf life will be. One thing to do would be to put the remaining product in a few 1/2 gallon mason jars, then placing an oxygen absorber in each jar. This will allow the shelf life of your food to stay strong even after it's been open. Use a canning funnel to pour the remaining product from the package into the jar. Pour as much product you can in each jar. This will eliminate room for oxygen. Remember to keep a little room at the top for the Oxygen absorber. Once the jar is full, drop the oxygen absorber in and screw the lid on. The oxygen absorber will not only seal the jar, but also absorb any remaining oxygen left in the container. Remember that oxygen absorbers begin to work as soon as they come in contact with oxygen, so make sure that your jars are full and ready to be sealed before you open up a pack. Oxygen absorbers are also not reusable, so once you open up a jar, the absorber is done! Check the lid a day after to make sure it sealed. If the middle of the lid doesn't push down, you'll know the oxygen absorber did it's job and sealed the lid tight. Remember to use the proper size and number of oxygen absorbers for the container. One 100cc oxygen absorber can be used towards 1/2 gallon of Grains, Flours, or Rice, or a 1 quart of Pasta and Beans. We offer oxygen absorbers in 100cc, 300cc, and500cc packets. Another great way to store your Grains, Rice, and Beans, as we mentioned above, would be in a 6 gallon bucket with a Gamma Lid. Just remember with all products, the more you open them, the more time you lose off of the shelf life of that product. Though we may not all have our dream Food Storage Pantry, we can all take the steps needed to better our own food storage and extend its shelf life by taking the steps to store it correctly.

Week # 46: 11 lbs or more variety of Pasta

Week # 46: 11 lbs or more variety of Pasta (last bit for our basic needs!)
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in steps.)
Pasta:
Pasta is one of the more popular and versatile foods you will find on the dinner table. It comes in many forms and can be made at home, purchased fresh, or purchased dried for long term use. We’ll obviously be going over the “long term storage” pasta. Pasta is great in hot or cold salads, italian entrees, casseroles, or even mac & cheese! If you have more reasons let us know!
Storage:
Uncooked Pasta
Store uncooked, dry pasta in your cupboard for up to one year. Keep in a cool, dry place. Follow the “first-in, first-out” rule: Use up packages you’ve had the longest before opening new packages.
Cooked Pasta
Refrigerate cooked pasta in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. You may add a little oil (1-2 tsp. for each pound of cooked pasta) to help keep it from sticking. Because cooked pasta will continue to absorb flavors and oils from sauces, store cooked pasta separately from sauce.
Freezing Pasta
The best pasta shapes for freezing are those that are used in baked recipes, such as: lasagne, jumbo shells, ziti and manicotti. You’ll have better results if you prepare the recipe and freeze it before baking. To bake, thaw the dish to room temperature and bake as the recipe directs.
If you keep things like pasta or boxed pasta mixes in the original package for longer than the expiration date it can go bad. But when you take them out and put them in buckets, foil pouches or your own vacuum sealed bags they can last for decades.
Measuring Pasta: Learn how to measure pasta like a pro with this chart that includes correct amounts for every pasta shape. Go>>

Cook Pasta Perfectly
1. Boil 4 to 6 quarts of water for one pound of dry pasta. (You can divide this recipe depending on how much pasta you are cooking.)
2. Add the pasta with a stir and return the water to a boil.
3. Stir the pasta occasionally during cooking.
4. Follow the package directions for cooking times. If the pasta is to be used as part of a dish that requires further cooking, undercook the pasta by 1/3 of the cooking time specified on the package.
5. Taste the pasta to determine if it is done. Perfectly cooked pasta should be “al dente,” or firm to the bite, yet cooked through.
6. Drain pasta immediately and follow the rest of the recipe.
Nutrition
Busy families continue to search for foods that are healthy, satisfying and economical - and they do not need to look further than the pasta aisle. Pasta is very low in sodium and non-egg varieties are cholesterol-free. Per cup, enriched pastas provide an excellent source of folic acid and a good source of other essential nutrients, including iron and several B-vitamins. Also, as a food that is low on the Glycemic Index (GI) - low GI foods are digested more slowly - pasta provides a slow release of energy without spiking blood sugar levels. A 1/2 cup serving of cooked pasta (spaghetti) contains a mere 99 calories, less than half a gram of fat, and less than 5 milligrams of sodium. Pasta is high in complex carbohydrates, which provide a “time release” of energy rather than a quick boost. (Read more here.)
Recipes
There are probably millions of pasta recipes out there to meet your needs. One could probably eat pasta every day! We found 1,855 recipes (with photos) in 200 pages at AllRecipes.com

• Asian Noodles
• Egg Noodles
• Fettuccini
• Lasagna
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Ravioli and Tortellini
• Spaghetti
• Pasta Sauces
• Appetizers
• Pasta Salads
• Desserts
• Pasta by Shape
• Homemade Pasta

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Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.
 

Week # 45: 50 lbs of Wheat (white or red)

Week # 45: 50 lbs of Wheat (white or red) 

(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in baby steps.)

Hard Red Wheat

Hard White Wheat

Baby Steps:

1. Choose location for storage
2. Purchase containers (#10 Cans, Buckets, Jars, Bottles…) for wheat or purchase pre-packaged wheat.
3. Purchase your wheat for containers.
4. Fill and date your wheat containers. (Leave some extra wheat out in order to test it some recipes.)

10 Reasons to love Whole Wheat:

1. It’s more nutritious, providing several more minerals, vitamins (18 more to be exact!), and natural photochemicals than white flour.
2. Relax! It has More B Vitamins which are known to help with nerves & stress.
3. Get cleaned out. Whole wheat provides more fiber, preventing constipation & diverticulosis. The American Dietetic Association recommends 20-35 grams daily, the average American consumes only 12 grams.
4. Lose weight and keep it off! Whole wheat has a lot of fiber which has low in calories, keeps you fuller for longer, absorbs 3x it’s weight in water, cuts absorption of calories, cleans out impurities, requires more chewing, and takes 1/2 as much to fill you up and takes longer to digest.
5. Reduces your risk of colon cancer & other diseases.
6. Lowers blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and risk of adult on set Diabetes.
7. Cheaper! It will lower your food costs by at least 30% to 50%!
8. Lowers doctor visits, bills, & medications.
9. Lowers Dentist Bills by cutting down on tooth decay.
10. Eating Whole Wheat keeps your body both emotionally and physically used to wheat.

Shelf life of wheat?
30+ years if low-moisture foods are properly packaged and stored at room temperature or cooler (75°F/24°C or lower) remain nutritious and edible.

How can I store Wheat?
Recommended containers for longer-term storage include the following

• # 10 cans (available at Church home storage centers)
• Foil pouches (available through Church Distribution Services)
• PETE bottles (for dry products such as wheat, corn, and beans)

These containers, used with oxygen absorber packets, eliminate food-borne insects and help preserve nutritional quality and taste. Oxygen absorber packets are available at Church home storage centers, through Church Distribution Services or Winco.

Under certain conditions, you can also use plastic buckets for longer-term storage of wheat, dry beans, and other dry products.

Types of Wheat Grinders:  

DO NOT FORGET TO HAVE A WHEAT GRINDER TO GRIND YOUR WHEAT.   

Prices of Wheat Grinders

Manual Wheat Grinders

Low: $20-30 models will not grind flour, only coarse corn meal, etc. Not very useful.

Medium: $75-$175 is a good price range. Back to Basics Grain Mill is $75. It can grind fine enough for bread flour but not for very fine cake flour. Wonder Junior is higher-priced at $169 but it can grind into cake flour.

High: Up to $400 for the Country Living Grain Mill. It is quicker than other manual grinders and is able to grind a fine cake flour.

KitchenAid Attachments

$100-120, some may be used on any stand mixer.Electric Wheat Grinders

Low: Under $200 for grinders such as the Blendtec Grain Mill. Its drawbacks are it is very noisy and cannot do very coarse grinds.

Medium: $200-$300 can get you a great grinder. The two most popular electric grinders are the WonderMill and the NutriMill. In my tests I found the WonderMill to be faster, quieter, cleaner, and easier to store. And priced at $239 it is even cheaper than the NutriMill which is $269.

High: Over $300 is an unnecessary amount to spend in my opinion. There are heavy duty models out there but you can get the job done with the mid-range models.

Sample Wheat Grinders:
Click here to see sample wheat grinders or here to view a detailed comparison chart.

One not included in the above comparison which is actually my favorite can be viewed here.

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Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.

 

Week 44: 20 lbs Black Beans

Week 44: 20 lbs Black Beans
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in steps.)

Black Beans:
They are just what they say they are, beans that are black. Black beans are one of the best foods for your health, your budget, and your waistline.

Nutrition:
Black beans are packed with fiber and protein. That means they’ll satisfy even the most intense hunger, and will keep you feeling full and energetic for hours. But that’s not all. Recent research also shows that Black Beans are rich in antioxidants as well. Antioxidants destroy free radicals, and when eaten regularly, have been shown to offer protection against heart disease, cancer and aging. Black beans have more antioxidant activity, gram for gram, than other beans, followed by red, brown, yellow and white beans, in that order. [source] Black beans are also good for warding off heart disease. There are lots of ways to sneak the magical bean into your diet.

Dried vs. Canned
There are two basic forms of black beans: raw, dried beans, and pre-cooked, canned beans. Each type has its advantages.
Dried
Dried black beans are easy on your budget, and many cooks feel that black beans cooked at home are superior in taste and texture. If you use dried black beans, you’ll have to pre-soak them and cook them on the stovetop. Dried black beans are better for longer cooking times. (pre-soaking has been found to reduce the raffinose-type oligosaccharides, sugars associated with causing flatulence.)
Canned
Canned beans make meal preparation a snap, and are a great choice when you only have a short amount of time to get food from pantry to table. The moister texture makes canned black beans preferable when you’re planning to puree your beans, as you would for dips or spreads. But it’s still great to use canned black beans in your longer cooking recipes if you’re ok with the beans being a little mushier.
Unlike canned vegetables, which have lost much of their nutritional value, there is little difference in the nutritional value of canned black beans and those you cook yourself.
Canned beans need to only be heated briefly for hot recipes while they can be used as is for salads or prepared cold dishes like black bean salad.

Purchasing and Storage
Whether purchasing black beans in bulk or in packaged containers, make sure that there is no evidence of moisture or insect damage and that they are whole and not cracked. Store dried black beans in an airtight container in a cool, dry and dark place where they will keep up to 5 years. If you purchase black beans at different times, store them separately since they may feature varying stages of dryness and therefore will require different cooking times. Cooked black beans will keep fresh in the refrigerator for about three days if placed in a covered container.

Packaging. Like most stored foods, beans are best stored in the absence of oxygen and light. Oxygen can lead to rancidity of bean oils and light will quickly fade bean color. The packaging choices are #10 cans or Mylar-type bags. Canning jars are suitable for smaller quantities providing the jars are stored in a dark place. Oxygen absorbers should be used to remove oxygen from the packages to extend shelf life and minimize off-flavors.

Storing  at a high temperature can significantly increase the speed that calories and vitamins will degrade over time. In the correct storage container, low-moisture foods such as beans can be stored at room temperature or cooler (75 degrees Fahrenheit or lower) and remain nutritious and edible for years. A 30 year shelf life assumes that the product will be stored in optimal conditions.

Recipes made from Black Beans
Breakfast & Brunch
Appetizers & Snacks
Entrees
Pasta
Soups, Stews & Chili
Mexican Food
Healthy

Full info about Black Beans can be found here.

We’re sure you all know that Black Beans and Rice can be a quick, easy and obviously a very healthy meal.

FREE! All about Bean Booklet PDF

by: Kim Henke from http://www.allaboutfoodstorage.com

Click on the image above to download the PDF.

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Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.

 

23 Things You Need When the Power Goes Out

Could You be Next? 23 Things You Need When the Power Goes Out

By Carolyn Nicolaysen

The first 72 hours after a natural disaster are the calm before the second storm. Residents assume the government and relief agencies will soon arrive with emergency supplies. Most remain calm and polite.

After a few days, social norms begin to disappear, the second storm has arrived, residents remain hungry, thirsty, cold and out of touch with family and friends. They begin to feel desperate and abandoned as they are helpless to help themselves. As anger builds those who would never consider bad behavior under normal circumstances are now capable of behaviors that are completely out of character. We see this happening this week in New York and New Jersey. Who will be next? Where will the next disaster occur? Will you be ready or will you be forced to stand in food lines and wait for gasoline with those who are angry and out of control?

During a weather disaster power failure is the greatest concern. No power means no food, water and gasoline to purchase. Once generators are brought in and limited supplies are available there will be no ATMs and no charge card transactions. No power means no hot food. No power means water treatment plants are not able to operate and clean water is at a minimum or not available at all. Just last night there was a death in New York from hypothermia, no power, no heat. 

There are many scenarios which may cause a power outage during the winter months. No matter what the cause, some planning is needed to keep family life somewhat normal. Remember the 2003 power blackout? It was the largest outage in North American history, affecting 10-million people in Canada, and 40-million people in 8-states of the USA. All due to the failure of the electrical grid. Ice storms sometimes paralyze cities as far south as the Carolinas. Blizzard are common and often deadly in many parts of the country. Your home might survive the ravages of the storm, but still be without power for extended periods. Earthquakes can occur any season of the year and imagine if the big one that is expected in Seattle, San Francisco, Utah or along the New Madrid fault happened during the coldest week of the year. If a disaster has happened even once in your area it can happen again. 

Years ago I wrote an article for Meridian Magazine describing my memories of a hurricane in New Jersey when I was a very little girl. I received a letter from a man telling me hurricanes did not happen in New Jersey. I thought a lot about that man this week. I repeat, if a weather disaster has ever happened in your area it can happen again, even if it's been 50 or 100 or 500 years.

Will you be prepared or will you be left wishing you had taken steps to protect your family? If you are still unmotivated turn on the TV and watch the suffering on the east coast and ask yourself if you are willing for your family to face the same fate. Read and study the following suggestions, make a hard copy to keep in a safe place for reference when the power is out, and take steps now to prepare what you will need. 

When the power fails in winter:          

1.Stay indoors as much as possible. If you need to leave the house, open and close the door quickly, and keep it closed, not propped open while you carry something in or out.

2.Close interior doors to rooms you will not use during the outage.

3.A radio: You should already have one in your 72-hour kit. You will want to keep informed, so a radio is an absolute must. A hand crank/solar powered radio is a good choice, as it requires no batteries, although it will probably operate on batteries, too. These are available with a built in flashlight, which is also handy. After winding the crank for 30 seconds, the radio will play and the flashlight stay lit for a surprisingly long time. If you choose a battery-powered radio make sure you have batteries stored long term with the radio, but not in it. Also, be sure your radio has both AM and FM bands, since emergency broadcasts are limited and may be on either band for your area.

4.Flashlights: You should have several on hand, and again I recommend a solar/crank or battery operated flashlight. I do not recommend the flashlights that you shake. They have a very low beam of light and have to be shaken every 2-3 minutes to maintain power. Having experimented with several brands and having been dissatisfied with all of them, I have not seen one I recommend. Others have told me the same… A couple last thoughts about flashlights: Except for flashlights in regular service, I suggest storing batteries separate from your flashlight. I recently had a battery explode in a flashlight completely destroying it. It literally did a melt down. Usually, however, battery failure leads to leaked acid that destroys the flashlight or radio, rendering it useless when you need it. For everyday safety, store a flashlight next to every bed in the house in case of a nighttime emergency.

5.Glow Stick: Raid your 72-hour kit for glow sticks. They are so much safer than candles. You simply snap and shake the stick and it glows for hours. Always purchase the white or yellow varieties for the brightest light. Glow sticks come in several sizes and will glow for 30 minutes to 12 hours. Be sure to check when purchasing that you have the 12-hour variety. These can be hung in restrooms and hallways as nightlights providing light all night long without running down batteries. Glow sticks can be hung around the neck of a child to quickly see them in a crowd or to check on them in the middle of the night.

6.Candles: These should be available for use during a power outage but should never be used after a natural disaster. Gas leaks occur frequently after destructive disasters and many, many homes and lives have been lost in fires caused by gas explosions from lighting a candle. Candles sold in glass jars or bottles, such as religious candles, are by far the safest to use in appropriate situations.

7.Battery Clock: During an emergency, time seems to crawl by. Move your clock to a common area where everyone can check the time. Every home should have at least one clock that is battery operated.

8.Your Emergency Kitchen: You will want to plan for your cooking needs. This may include a barbeque grill, fire pit, camp stove, solar oven or your gas range. Each method will need additional preparation and caution. You will need charcoal, propane tanks, wood, aluminum foil, and special pots, pans and griddles. Remember to NEVER use a barbeque in the house either for heat or for cooking.In an extreme emergency such as a blizzard, when there is no other option for heating food and water, place a barbeque in the garage, OPEN the garage door and remove the car before starting the grill, keeping the door open the entire time. You will need to cook in your down coat but you will keep your family safe from toxic fumes. You cannot use a household pan on an open fire or grill but a griddle will act like a frying pan if you are using either of these methods to cook. Remember to eat the food in the freezer first. If your outage may be long cook everything. Once cooked food will keep for a few days packed in snow or ice you chip from the yard. If you temperatures are below freezing place some small containers of water in the yard and wait for them to freeze. Once frozen place them in a cooler to keep food preserved.

9.Think Hot: It is important to eat and drink hot foods.

10.This is also the time to raid your 72-hour kit, and use your body warmers. If you have purchased “the good ones” they will help keep you warm for up to 20 hours. Remember 50% of body heat is lost through the head, so wear a hat. Warm socks and shoes (or insulated slippers) are also very important, as extremities are the second area of heat loss from theConsider using your body warmers in your footwear only if it is getting extremely cold and frostbite is a possibility. For cold hands, dry mittens that are tight at the wrist are better than gloves for keeping your hands warm.

11.Dress in loose fitting layers. Trapped air between layers helps to insulate thus keeping you warm. As it gets dark it will get colder. Layer your clothing to maintain as constant a body temperature as possible. If you don’t over dress early in the day you can avoid overheating and then being chilled as the temperatures fall. Protect your internal organs by keeping your core, chest area, warm.

12.Generators: If you can afford to purchase a generator, do it now. They will be gone in about 10 minutes after a natural disaster warning or after the earth stops quaking. If you cannot afford a generator, consider purchasing one with a relative or neighbor. The key here is that someone will have to house it, and of course, that is where neighbors, family, and friends will come to in an emergency.

13.Store fuel for your generator. To store gasoline for an emergency generator it's important to follow simple safety rules. Fire codes typically restrict gas storage to no more than 25 gallons. Store the gas in approved containers of 5 gallons or less. Approved containers will include a label directly on the container confirming it meets specifications for portable containers for gasoline products. Never store gas in unapproved or glass containers. Fill the containers no more than 95 percent full to allow for expansion. Keep the container tightly capped.

Store the container at least 50 ft. away from pilot lights and ignition sources such as water heaters, space heater, furnace or barbecue grill. If storing on concrete place a piece of wood under the container. Store out of reach of children. Store in a garage or shed and never in your home. Store out of direct sunlight.

When storing gasoline always add a fuel stabilizer. Stabilizers prevent compounds and microbial growth from forming and degrading the gasoline. A stabilizer will allow you to store the gasoline for a year before rotating it.

14.Firewood: To produce heat effectively, wood must be seasoned. This means it has dried for at least a year after being cut. These stockpiles of wood will disappear quickly. Acquire a supply of firewood now. Hardwoods such as madrone, eucalyptus, almond, oak, etc. are the best for heating. Pines, firs, spruce, and redwoods are soft woods and will burn cooler and more quickly, providing fewer coals and less heat. Storing a little is soft wood makes a great fire starter.

10.Batteries: Make sure you have extra batteries of various sizes for flashlights, radios, clocks, and tools. And, make sure you know where you have stored them.

11.Manual Can Opener: All the food in the world is no good if you can’t get into it.

12.Detergent: Liquid laundry and dish detergent and a large tub or bucket for washing. Remember, good hygiene still counts in an emergency.

13.Matches or Lighters: Long wooden matches are the best to store as they are easier to use and burn longer.

14.Extra Blankets and Sleeping Bags: These will not only be useful at night for sleeping but also to keep warm during the daylight hours. Don’t forget the mylar blanket in your 72-hour kit. Use your resources to their best advantage. Zip two sleeping bags together and sleep two to a bag, if appropriate. The combined body heat will keep you warmer than sleeping alone. Contain your body heat as much as possible. Remember when as children you built forts under a kitchen table covered with a large blanket? This is a great way to contain heat. Drape the table with the survival blanket from your 72-hour kit, blankets, canvas tarps, or bedspreads and then place throw rugs or even a mattress under the table, crawl in, and snuggle under a blanket and you will be surprised how warm you will be. Two and three man tents set up in the living room can achieve the same result. Both of these “tents” are another great place to use your glow sticks.

15.Speaking of tents, bring in your tent and set it up in the room of your home that you are using as the “warm” room in your home. Play games in the tent during the day and sleep in it at night. Two man tents and play tents that you may have for your children also work for containing heat. If you have a fireplace in a bedroom prepare to sleep in that room and if you want to sleep in your bed place your tent on the bed, now you have the comfort of the mattress and the warmth of the tent.

16.If you have a well that supplies your water, it is extremely important that you have ample water stored. Even if you are on a water system you should be storing extra water. Water pipes can freeze, and if they do, turn off your water and do not attempt to unfreeze the pipes. Keep jugs of water stored for flushing toilets. You will also need water to prepare meals, have water for pets, and for cleaning. Most importantly, remember you will want to drink warm drinks so make sure you have water stored that can be used for hot cocoa and other hot drinks. Store wet wipes and liquid hand sanitizer for cleaning hands and conserving water.

17.Do not drink alcohol or eat salty foods. They dehydrates the body and your water supply will be limited.

18.Store canned foods to use during a power outage. They contain water or syrup which can help hydrate and they can be eaten cold if necessary. Never eat dehydrated or freeze dried foods without reconstituting them as this will cause dehydration and can lead to serious health problems.

19.Designate a room or two to be used as the rooms you will gather in during the day and sleep in at night. Close off unneeded rooms. Take personal items from bedrooms and close the doors. What little heat you generate from a fireplace you will want to retain in the rooms where you will live during the outage. The family should gather in one or two rooms and use only one restroom until power is restored.

20.Close off hallways by hanging blankets or other fabrics across them. Remember the draperies between rooms in the 1800s and even into the 1940s? These were closed to seal off rooms. To seal off a hallway use your shower curtain rod hanging it as close to the ceiling as possible.

21.Place rolled up towels and rags under and around doors and windows where weather stripping may not completely seal the area.

22.As soon as the sun goes down cover windows in the rooms in which the family is gathered. Once again, the mylar blankets from your 72-hour kits work great for this. You can also use blankets, sheets, tarps, plastic sheeting and drapery for this purpose. Newspaper in layers is a great insulator, too. At night, wind chill will become a real factor in keeping your home warm. Do all you can to keep the wind outside by using weather strip and caulking where necessary.

23.Games: Make sure games, books, and puzzles are easily accessible, and use them to help pass the time. When the sun goes down place a flashlight, battery-powered lantern, or glow stick in the middle of the floor and huddle around it like a campfire. Drink hot cocoa and tell family stories or appropriate spooky tales (like Ichabod Crane and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow). By appropriate, I mean go easy on the scary stuff with young children if you want a full night's sleep. 

With a little bit of preparation, a power outage can be a memorable adventure for your family, and not a big deal. Without planning, well, you might be on your rooftop trying to flag down a helicopter in your mukluks. Good luck!

Visit Carolyn's facebook page at http://facebook.com/TotallyReady for preparedness tips and answers to your questions. Visit her blog  for frugal living tips.