Hi Everyone,
NOTES:
* Here is another person who believes that shortages are coming. We should ALL be gearing up: take inventory, determine needs, purchase what you can. Electricity Shortages in China Mean Coming Empty Shelves HERE | The Glenn Beck Program
* Augason Farms, a large supplier of emergency food supplies, has just announced that it is suspending operations for 90 days. They cannot fulfill orders due to critical supply chain failures.
* Time to feed the garden. I give EVERYTHING some of this: Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer. I get it at Lowes.
I also like to give them a little nitrogen (not the beans or peas). If you have a good compost, use that. If not, I use this: Worm Gold Plus 100% Organic Worm Castings 8qt (Approx 13lbs). If you get the worm castings at Armstrong Nursery (or ANY type of worm castings from any store) it is probably a little cheaper than online. If you have never used worm castings, they do NOT look like worms! LOL. It actually looks and feels like rich, black, fine soil. Your plants will love it. If you want your plants to produce for you, you need to feed them!!!
* The Great California ShakeOut is coming up. It will happen on October 21 (always the third Thursday) at 10:21. IF you are NOT participating in this drill with any kind of church or community organization, you may want to consider doing this with YOUR family. At least talk about it!!! What should your kids do if they are at school? How will you reach them and bring them safely home? What if they ARE at home? What should they do? 
The more you talk about it and drill, the less scared they will be. The Great California ShakeOut – Get Ready to ShakeOut!
* I was thinking of purchasing some dehydrated corn. I found this: Augason Farms Freeze Dried Sweet Corn 1 lb No. 10 Can. It is a #10 can (1 pound) for $29.99. (And now you can’t get it anyway) But I also found this: Harmony House Foods Dried Corn, whole (14 oz, Quart Size Jar) This will save you over $.40 per ounce. Then, I just decided I would dehydrate my own. Just buy frozen corn (about $1.29 at Winco I think), and spread it out on the trays. Harmony House corn = $1.43 per oz. Do-it-yourself corn = $.08 per oz.
LONG TERM FOCUS: Dehydrated Apples
Apple slices are currently unavailable through the Church store. BUT, I know that many of you have purchased them in the past, so we will talk about using them. To rehydrate them, add 1 c. apple slices to 1/2-3/4 c. hot water. Let sit for 15 minutes, then drain off excess water.
It looks like cinnamon apples ARE available here: Emergency Essentials® Freeze-Dried Cinnamon Apple Slices Large Can – Be Prepared – Emergency Essentials
If you do some math (who doesn’t want to do math???) The apples above are $2.19 per serving. You can buy fresh apples for MUCH less, even when they are NOT on sale. YOU just have to do the work of dehydrating them. I was gifted an extra dehydrator and so I have one to lend out. Just LMK if you would like to borrow it.
If you watch the sales, you can sometimes find apples for as little as $.50 a pound.
If you are dreading peeling and slicing apples, YOU have never had one of these: Apple Peeler and Corer by Cucina Pro – Long Lasting Chrome Cast Iron with Countertop Suction Cup: Home & Kitchen
It peels, cores, and slices all at once. There are several varieties. I don’t know how I lived without one!
I just opened a pack of dehydrated apples (with cinnamon and sugar on them) that I dehydrated about 4 years ago. They had been vacuum sealed. They tasted wonderful!!!
SHORT TERM FOCUS: Canned Fruit
Fruit is getting expensive, just like everything else. Just get 1-2 cans EVERY time you shop. If you are hungry, cold peaches or pears will taste like candy!!!. Plus, the sugar juice will add needed calories.
72-HOUR FOCUS: Scriptures
Most of us have scriptures on our phones now. (Isn’t that amazing that we can do that?) But if there is no power, and no way to continuously charge your phone, you will not be able to access them. There are very small scriptures you can buy for your 72-hour kit. Frankly, there is no way I could read them even if I had them. One suggestion would be to tuck a set of scriptures in the trunk or glove compartment of the car. OR, if you have a grab-and-go bag in case of evacuations, you can put it there.
Remember in the Book of Mormon, the Lord considered the scriptures so important, that Lehi’s sons risked their lives to go back and get them. Later on, King Benjamin tells his sons, “If it were not for these records and these commandments, we would have suffered in ignorance. For it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it was for the help of these plates.” (Mosiah 1:3-4)
Whatever your faith is, you will want a copy of your holy scriptures if there is a true emergency.
MISC FOCUS: Isopropyl Alcohol
Here is a good site that lists some of the benefits of rubbing alcohol: Rubbing alcohol uses: How to use it, safety, and what to avoid
FOOD STORAGE RECIPES
Today’s recipes are from a document called “CANNERY COOKBOOK“
Dutch Apple Pie
1 c. dried apples firmly packed
2 c. boiling water.
Pour water over apples and let set for about 15 minutes.
Mix together:
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 TB flour
Add to the apple mix and continue cooking until thick. Stir constantly to prevent scorching. Pour mixture into pie shell and dot with 1 TB butter.
Topping:
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
Cut in the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the apple mixture and place in 350˚ oven for 55 minutes.
Apple Filled Cookies
Filling:
Chop or break 2 c. dried apples into small pieces. DO NOT RECONSTITUTE as in other recipes.
Place chopped apples in a saucepan and add:
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1 TB flour
Cook together slowly, stir constantly to prevent scorching until thick. Cool
Cream together
1 c. butter
1 3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c. water
Mix well and add:
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Add: 3 1/2 c. flour (wheat or white)
Drop by teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Make a depression in the middle of each drop and place filling in the depression, then place 1/2 tsp of dough on top of filling.
Bake at 350˚ about 12 minutes.
Applesauce
2 c. dried apples
2 c. boiling water
Pour water over apples and let sit 15 minutes. Put this mix in the blender and you will have applesauce. For variety, add some sugar or cinnamon.
We cannot see the road ahead. But we can read the road signs, and listen to those who have.
Marti
