FOOD IS FUN!

I love eating. I do it pretty much all day long. (those of you who know me know that I'm not exaggerating on this point).

So, thinking about food storage food gave me more than a little sadness. Food storage food tastes nasty and takes a lot of work to prepare. (are you with me on this one?)



My biggest issue with food storage: I wasn't looking forward to eating it. Once I realized that (and it took me more than a few nights of headaches and stress to admit that was my real problem with food storage) I decided, "Heck! I'm planning the thing. I'm in charge here Food. I don't have to store anything I don't want to." With that, I started looking at what food is out there in number 10 cans.

There's the standard fare--rice, beans, wheat, sugar. But the internet revealed more food in number 10 cans than I knew was possible. Shredded cheese? Yes please. Raspberries? Peaches? Broccoli and Sweet Corn? Thank you, I would like that on my shelf.



Even in my state of joy (and I was dancing little dances, and singing little songs, and saying things in an excited voice like "CHEESE!! WE WILL HAVE CHEESE!")
I knew, deep down, that the bulk of my storage foods would be staples, like wheat, beans, rice...fine. All of that is manageable when I know I can have a few "normal" food items as well.

So, want to give yourself the equivalent of a food storage pep talk? Raspberries. Shredded cheese. Meat. Milk. Butter. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes. All of those and more can be in your pantry (or shelving unit) in a number 10 can. Done and done. My most recent purchases:


So, with our food storage forecast looking distinctly more sunny, here is one of my favorite web sites: USA Emergency Supply.
I like USAEmergency because they sell just about everything for either the same or lower price than other places, they have a small can option on many products, they ship when they say they will, and they have helpful explanation/information pages for just about every kind of food they sell. (see the information tab at the top of the web site or try this link to the dairy page).

Another place I've ordered from is: Emergency Essentials. They have a GREAT selection of freeze dried foods and they guarantee their freeze dried foods for 25 years (under proper storage conditions). Their freeze dried cheese and the sweet corn are my favorite so far.

In coming posts I'll put up taste test reviews, a practical example of a 3 month supply, how I've dealt with water storage, cooking beans tutorial and recipe comparisons, and my attempt at cooking wheat bread (that's a winner, so look forward to it.)

Excuses Beware

The beginning:...no. Wait. Maybe I shouldn't start there. Perhaps you've been there. That place where you dread food storage, and you can't wrap your head around a staring place. Not with your budget, not with your space, not with your sloppy shopping habits. That's an adequate description to take you through the last four and a half years of my food storage career (and a dismal, unemployed sort of career it was).

So that's where I started. Somehow, though, about eight months ago, I reached a different sort of place. One that has some hope, one that sees possibilities. One that actually has a closet with water and cans of food in it. That kind of place. I suppose the next step is to have another closet stocked with desserts, but...we'll get to that.

The real, true blue starting place: I decided that I would have food storage. It was as simple as that. I kicked the complaints, the excuses, the fear, the "I don't know how to do it" comments out the door and sat down at my computer and started looking for solutions. (and by kicked them out the door, I mean we had a long, brawl in the parking lot of my apartment complex. Yeah. One of those.)


I remembered my friend Marge. She lived in a one bedroom apartment. In her bedroom was a bed, a sweet walk-in closet, and...what was that?! along the wall opposite her bed? A tall shelving unit full of...food storage.

With that mental picture in mind (and with her awesome attitude of: The prophet said to have food storage, so I have it, also in mind), I decided that I could do it too.

As for doubts, excuses, frustration...all of those things didn't go away. But instead of focusing on all the reasons not to, and all the scary things that could lead to me needing food storage, where to put it all, how much to get...you know the list by heart too... I kept my mental picture of Marge's food storage shelf in mind and started planning. [Aside to Marge: Hi Marge!]

Starting Point

I started my food storage while living in a one bedroom apartment that was full of the furniture that comes with a furnished apartment (70's plaid), a bunch of mountain bikes and all the other things that go along with regular living (clothes, food, monkey carved from a coconut).

My husband was a full time student and I worked full time.

We didn't have a lot of money.
We didn't have a lot of space.
We didn't have a lot of time.

We did want some food storage.
And thus begins the chronicles of Lu's food storage.