Hi Everyone,

It’s been 4 years since COVID shut everything down.  Do you remember?  Were you panicked that the stores had empty shelves?  Do you remember how long it was before you could find everything you were looking for at the stores?  

Time to rethink your situation.  You should have at LEAST 3 months of food to feed your family.  

3 MONTHS  

(This is a minimum!)

Stock up while the shelves are full.

NOTES:

I’m finally getting around to checking out my lantern situation.  Here’s the good and bad:

1. We have 2 propane lanterns and 3 oil lanterns
2. We have extra wicks, but I can’t find them, of course!  New plan is to store the wicks WITH the lanterns.  (I bought a few at Army/Navy Store)
3. We don’t have any oil.  They don’t have any at Walmart (probably a seasonal thing).  (They had “1” quart of oil left at the Tractor Supply)
4. I don’t know how to work a Coleman lantern.  We’ve looked all over for Coleman fuel for the lanterns.  Can’t find any.  Amazon won’t deliver to my house.  Thanks, California, for keeping me safe from my dangerous lanterns.

SOOOO, the first and obvious thing is to watch a YouTube video.  I found this to be the most helpful for me:

https://youtube.com/shorts/W19le1jPOoY?si=diVx37UYHmtzDXGL As soon as I get fuel, I’ll be able to use my lanterns.

My new plan includes practicing more often:  once a week?  once a month?  Just like a fire drill.  THIS is a skill I know I will need some day.  

Success:

Success with the oil lanterns.  We put in new wicks, filled the oil (the quart of oil only filled two of them), let them soak overnight so the wick would soak up the oil. And…..voila!!!!

** Let’s talk about carrots.  For a while now, I’ve been dehydrating my own carrots.  This involves peeling, slicing, blanching, and dehydrating.  It’s a chore, but I really like the results.  However, the cost is about the same as buying a can of carrots from the Home Storage Center.  So this week, that’s just what I did.  I was beyond surprised when I opened the can.  I was expecting to see small dehydrated carrot slices.  Oh no, mon ami, not so.  They were like baby carrots chips.  About 1/4 in long, tiny, flat squares.  NOT appealing at all!  So I rehydrated them, along with a few of my own to show you the difference.

I’ve decided to use the small carrot “chips” in recipes that call for diced carrots, which for me includes spaghetti sauce and maybe chicken noodle soup.  Then I can use my dehydrated carrots in recipes where I’d prefer that carrots look like carrots:  chicken tortellini soup, chicken pot pie, beef stew, etc.

GARDEN HAPPENINGS:

Something is eating my carrots!!!  How rude!

The leafy greens are being stripped clean.  I can’t see what is eating them.  But I sprayed with BT and hopefully it will halt the destruction.

I’ve also planted celery inside, and a bunch of herbs.

No planting this week.  Next seeds will get planted later this month:  broccoli, cauliflower, and tomatoes.

THIS MONTH’S PURCHASE: Potatoes

I like potatoes.  Not only that, they are gluten free for those who have that allergy.  There are many ways to store potatoes.  

1. I used to have these:

These are “add water only”, and they are delicious.  But I finally ran out and went to buy some on Amazon only to find it was $27 for these two bags.  Sheesh.

These are also “add water only” and are under $15 a can from Amazon.

2.  You can get potato flakes from the grocery store or in #10 cans from the Home Storage Center. (I paid $7.83 per can at the Home Storage Center).  BUT, you have to add butter and milk.  HOWEVER, the shelf life is longer because “fats” will go rancid after a few years.

3. You can buy canned potato dices, slices, and whole potatoes.  But the shelf life is short, and when I opened my cans after 5-6 years, they were almost black.  Ewwww.
4. You can get dehydrated potato slices from Augason Farms.  They make delicious scalloped potatoes.  You CAN dehydrate your own potato slices, but it involves peeling, slicing and blanching.  
5. You can get dehydrated milk-carton size shredded potatoes from Costco.  We bought some, took them camping, and they were delicious.  Just fill the container with water, let sit, drain and fry.  You can dehydrate your own hash browns by just buying them frozen, spreading them out on the trays and turning on the dehydrator.  Presto!

14 Ways to Use Instant Mashed Potatoes

MISC. PURCHASE:  tomato sauce.  Winco had 8-oz. cans of tomato sauce for only $.27.  I bought a flat of 24.  $4.80.  Really?  Do you know how much work goes into making your own tomato sauce?  I’ve got a pretty good rotation system going with my cans of sauce.  I can get through them and rotate them in about 3 years.  I’ve never opened a “bad” can if I can keep it under 5 years.

FOOD STORAGE RECIPES

Idaho Potato Chili

Taken from “Great-Tasting Potatoes”

(I’m not sure about this one.  But, in a pinch, I might like something different)

1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 2 1/2 cups).  This is the equivalent of 2 cans of diced potatoes,

1 TB vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped (can use dehydrated)

1 green bell pepper, diced (can use dehydrated)

1 clove garlic (can use dehydrated)

     Sauté vegetables in oil.  If using dehydrated, then soak in water for about 20 minutes to rehydrate first.

8 oz. ground turkey (or ground beef)

     Add and cook and stir until no longer pink.

2 TB chili powder

     Add in and cook for 1 minute

1 28 oz. can undrained diced tomatoes

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Potatoes from above

1 c. water

1/2 tsp salt

     Add all and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer for 30 min, stirring occasionally.  

Toppings optional:  fresh cilantro, sour cream, sliced green onions, chopped tomato.

Corn and Potato Chowder

1 TB vegetable oil

1 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. sliced green bell pepper

1/2 c. sliced red bell pepper

1 large clove garlic, minced

     Sauté vegetables in oil until tender.

2 cans chicken broth

1 can no-salt cream style corn

1 can whole kernel corn drained

1 can diced potatoes drained

1/4 tsp cumin

     Simmer uncovered 15-20 minutes.  Add 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 4 dashes hot pepper sauce if desired.

Toppings:   cheese; cook, drained and crumbled bacon; green onions, parsley

Cheesy Beef and Bean Bake​ (with potato flakes)

A great recipe for those days when you want a tasty main dish without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

Recipe by Maggie Bomis 

​Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can vegetarian baked beans
• 6 cups prepared instant mashed potatoes
• 6 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a large skillet over medium high heat, combine the ground beef and salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 10 minutes, or until well browned. Add the tomato sauce, onion and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Prepare potatoes according to package directions. Place beef mixture into a casserole dish. Layer the beans over the beef and smooth prepared potatoes over the beans.
• Sprinkle the cheese over the potatoes and bake uncovered at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes.

Marti Shelley