About Mixes

When you are stocking up, you may want to buy some mixes such as PastaRoni or others similar to it. Most of these mixes are way too high in sodium, so if I do get a mix, I always add an extra cup of noodles to it (I try to match the shape of the noodle) or an extra cup of rice to it (like in Rice-a-roni)and then 2 extra cups of water and cook as directed. You get more servings and a more palatable meal. Hamburger Helper is also very high in sodium so if you have some, do the same as above...
you can also cut the salt by adding some complementary cooked vegetable to the dish.

Macaroni and Cheese mixes are a good comfort food, especially for kids.
I do not add any extra salt and I reduce the amount of butter it calls for. In emergency situation, you can use the boxed soy milk, or canned milk. I like to put
a small can of diced green chilis into our macaroni and cheese. Or you can add a half cup of salsa from a jar...yummy.

Imagine

Imagine that you go to your regular grocery store and most of the shelves are empty.
This could happen. It has happened. Will you, when it happens to you, be able to just smile and turn around and go back home, knowing that you have plenty of food in your home storage system to last you at least a few months? I hope so!

We have been advised by church leaders and government leaders to "be prepared" ! The advice concerning food is this: Have at least a 3 months' supply of foods you like and normally eat. After that, have at least a one year (or more) supply of foods to sustain life.

I say...let's work on one month's worth of food and accompanying menus. Then you would just triple it for 3 months worth. How to pay for it?
Cut expenses in other areas. What can keep you motivated to follow through? Imagining empty grocery store shelves. That is what motivates me.

Keep working on your 30 evening meals for your family..because when you are done with that, we will work on 30 breakfasts, and then 30 lunches...and, of course, 30 snacks.

30 Evening Meals Project

In an earlier post, I challenged you to make a list of 30 evening meals you could fix with your food storage items (foods that you have not stored in your fridge). If the electricity goes out in an emergency, and you have an electric stove, you better have a camp stove to back you up or somebody is going to get grumpy from not having access to warm comfort foods, expecially in winter. They say food can be cooked on your gas stove if the electricity is out, you just have to light it with a match because the electric ticking thing that ignites the stove by itself will not work.

So...how is your project coming? Let me tell you, it will take a while. It is not something I could just sit down and write out. At first, I had 4 meals and thought that was it...but as each day passes, I get more ideas...or I see a recipe somewhere that uses all canned/packaged foods and herbs and spices...and that inspires me. I now have 30 different meals! The next step is to make a little cook book -just print it off on the computer- to put in with my stored food (I am keeping this new project's items in a separate containers so they do not get lost in my cupboards and so I can point to these containers and say: There are 30 meals in there!

My list of meals, when I publish it on this blog, is NOT labor intensive. You do not have to make tortillas from scratch or grind wheat to make your own bread. Yet, these meals will be satisfying and nutritious and will keep everyone in my household happy and healthy during an emergency situation. Your list of meals will be quite different form mine, because your people will probably prefer different foods than us. Stay tuned...I am tweaking my list and my recipes and will publish it soon.

Deal on Apples! (and popcorn)

Calling all apple lovers!

The labels on these apples say that they are Braeburn apples, grown in the USA. Also printed on it is the producer's website www.superfreshgrowers.com

Even Winco can't beat this price now! The store? KING RANCH on 7th Street. 25 cents a pound, people! This is historic!!!


I ate one of those apples this morning. What a delicious and healthful 10 cent treat.
An interesting aside for you all: Long long ago, I read an intriguing book I found at the Brigham Young University library. The title was: "How Not To Kill Your Husband". It said that if you make sure your husband eats 2 apples a day, he will NEVER have clogged arteries! It is the pectin in the skin that works its magic thus.

I like to put chopped apples in plain or vanilla yogurt, with raisins, nuts and celery. Sometimes I put chopped apples in our tossed salad. Yum!

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Now for the popcorn deal. We have popcorn a lot at our house. Sometimes I pop some for dessert (because we may still feel like munching on something after supper..and we do not usually eat sweets...only at Christmas parties.) This is at Grocery Outlet. They are on shelves against the far opposite wall when you walk in. This big bag (it measures almost 16 inches long..you can't tell that by looking at the picture.) is $3.49. And it is Orville Redenbacher popcorn! I heartily recommend learing how to pop corn on top of your stove, instead of the microwave. That way you can control the amount of salt, if any. Hot air poppers are good, but then that is another appliance to find space for in your kitchen. I do our popcorn in an iron skillet with a lid.

So if you are a popcorn lover, stop by at grocery outlet soon!

WINCO

Winco is great!

I have been comparison shopping and most grocery items are cheaper at Winco.

There are exceptions, though. You have to know your prices. Del Monte canned pineapple is $1.29 there right now, so if you buy it at Longs, you save 50 cents a can. Since I bought 12 cans at Longs, I saved $6.00! Yet, most things at Winco are cheaper.
My husband loves V8 Juice. The large bottle is $2.00 less than at Stater Brothers. Right now their Green Giant label of green beans and corn go for 48 cents a can! Did I stock up? You bet. Mostly on the corn. Their yams are 48 cents a pound. Swansons low sodium chicken broth, which has been a dollar (or more) a can all year everywhere before Thanksgiving season is 50 cents a can . They still have tons of it left. I did a taste test recently of all available chicken broths including my own homemade, and the kind you make from boullion cubes. Swanson was the closest to mine! I could site many more examples, but you can go yourself and check on your favorite items. When you go, take note of how nice, clean, buffed and shiny their floors are!

Winco also gives you 6 cents credit for each cloth bag you use at check out. Their magazines are all 10% off. I love the bins...found bulgar there, and polenta(Italian corn meal)and bought some.

Mark my words, though..the very best time to go is early in the morning before 8. I like to go around 6:15. You practically have the store to yourself. Some folks say it is just too big. I say if you go often enough, you will become very familiar with where everything is and you can get a good work out as you walk quickly up and down the aisles finding the items you want! Check it out!

Buy Canned Pineapple Now at Long's Drug

The price for the Del Monte 20 oz. Pineapple Slices in its own juices,
20 oz. Crushed Pineapple in itsown juices
20 oz. Pineapple Chunks in its own juice

is 79 cents each.
This is at Long's Drugs. I was there today at 2:00pm and they have stacks of boxes of canned pineapple!!!


I use pineapple in my chicken curry dish or just for eating from a bowl for dessert. You can mix it with other canned fruits.
You can mix crushed pineapple into jello. You can blend pineapple into your shakes
(If you have electricity to run your blender.)

The "Best by" date for these cans is 02 23 11

(I have found out that you can safely eat canned food that is past the "Best by" dates. BYU is doing a lot of research in this area. One lady doing the research ate food from a can that had expired 13 years earlier and it was fine: totally edible although the taste and nutrtious value had faded a little. Just make sure the can is not bulging.)

This pineapple is a great buy. You will never see this product cheaper. I love Del Monte, having worked at a Del Monte string bean processing plant several summers (this was in the late 60's). It was a wonderful place to work at!

These pineapples were grown and processed in the Phillipines. I heartily recommend getting some for your storage. I plan to go back there and get some more. I am going to buy 12 cans of sliced pineapple shrink wrapped onto a cardboard tray (That is how they are stacked in the aisle.) and put a bright red Christmas ribbon around it to give to our son Tommy's family for Christmas. Giving food storage items as gifts is a great idea if I do say so myself. Maybe I will see you at Long's this weekend! Happy shopping! Long's is at the Von's Center on the corner of Hesperia Rd. and Bear Valley Rd.

While you are there, they have some other great deals;

Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth 44 cents/can (Walnut Grove brand)

Libby's canned corn, string beans, peas 50 cents/can

Planter's peanuts $3.00/ 16 oz. can (they have unsalted ones too!)
("Best by" date is 31 Oct 09)
Peanuts are a great source of protein and fat (hence...calories). A handful of peanuts with a big drink of water will satisfy hunger. (This is a popular trick among dieters.)

Their dark chocolate bars are all on sale also. Duncan Hines Cake Mix 79 cents/box
If you use cake mix, this is the best!

Stater Brother's Best Deal This Week

For those of us living here in Victorville, or anywhere in California near a Stater Brothers Grocery store, the best deal this week is the Ragu Spaghetti Sauce. I always keep an eye out for Ragu because I love it and because it is bottled in glass which is healthier.(Recent research shows some canned goods may have certain resins in the liner that leach out into the food.)To get a jar of Ragu for a dollar is the best deal you can ever get. This week at Stater Brothers Ragu is $1.00 a jar but you need to get a flyer and rip or cut out the coupon for it...and you have to buy 10 items of either Ragu or some boxed mixes or mix and match. I bought 10 glass jars full of beautiful red Ragu
sauce.
One of my favorite things to do with Ragu beside using it in spaghetti, is to make Tomato Rice Soup. MMMmmm.