How to Cook Summer Squash

There is no need to pare or remove the seeds if the squash is young. One pound of zucchini (three medium about seven inches) equals 3 cups sliced or 2 ½ cups chopped

1. Steam whole, cut in half, diced, sliced or cubed.
2. Blanch whole, cut in half, sliced, diced, cubed.
3. Butter-steam sliced, diced, cubed or grated, covered over high heat – watch carefully!
4. Simmer whole, cut in half lengthwise, diced, sliced (rounds or strips), or cubed in boiling salted water.
5. Sauté in margarine or oil diced, sliced, cubed, grated or halved.
6. Halve lengthwise; scoop out pulp and combine with stuffing mixture.  Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
7. Steam, blanch or swimmer whole till almost tender.  Slice in half lengthwise and scoop out pulp.  Combine with cooked ingredients for filling.
8. For deep-frying, heat fat 360-375 degrees F.  Cut squash into strips or rounds; dredge in flour and fry till golden.
9. For stir-frying, heat oil in wok and stir strips or slices 2-3 minutes.
10. Bake, thinly sliced, in baking dish with other ingredients at 350 degrees F.

Gardening, Zucchini & Salsa

Come to 
the Park Ward Relief Society Activity
Tuesday, May 24th
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Childcare is provided

Learn how to garden

Learn how to make salsa (and sample some salsa)

Learn the wonders of Zucchini- the easiest vegetable to grow!

 Check out this link if you are new to using zucchini-
How-to: Zucchini

Cardboard Box Oven

I found these instructions on a new blog that I just found.  We will be trying this soon, but looks easy enough...

How to: Make a Cardboard Box Oven

Did you know that you can make a cardboard box into an oven that works just as well as your oven at home? You can! And with this type of oven, you never have to worry about what to eat when the electricity goes out.



You need:
1 cardboard box (for this method, it needs to have a slide-on top, like a box that holds reams of paper. See pictures)
charcoal
matches (or a lighter)
aluminum foil
1 round aluminum pie plate (or anything to place your charcoals in)
3 wire hangers
scissors or a knife
pliers
tongs
whatever food you want to bake



Line the inside of your box and lid with aluminum foil. If you'd like, use a sponge and dab some Elmer's glue around the inside and cover to hold the foil in place (this is especially useful if you plan to keep your box oven, and not just make a new one in an emergency).
Once that's done, use some scissors or a knife to poke three holes in a straight line on each end of the box, about halfway down from the top. You'll see what these are for in just a minute.
Meanwhile, straighten out your three hangers.

Put the three straightened hangers through the holes. These will act as a shelf to place your food on.

Next, bend your wires so that they will remain taut inside the oven. We don't want heavy food bending the wires and sitting directly on the charcoals.
This step might be kind of difficult, so you may want an extra pair of hands and some pliers.

It doesn't have to look pretty, it just has to work! Next, poke some other holes in your box so that oxygen can get in and gases can get out. Now, we actually did NOT poke extra holes in this particular oven, because by the time we finished making our wires taut, our three holes we poked in each side had become fairly large, so we figured they were enough. If your holes on the side remain small, use your knife or scissors and poke a few holes on the top of the box, and maybe one or two on each side.

Next, let's turn up the heat!
Place some charcoals in your round aluminum plate. Each charcoal briquette supplies 40 degrees of heat, so 9 briquettes will give us a 360 degree oven.

Light your briquettes with the matches or a lighter (it will probably take a few matches. Be sure that each briquette burns).

Let the briquettes burn for a while...

Until they look like this! Then you're ready to go.

With your tongs, pick up the hot plate of charcoal


And slide it carefully between your wire shelf onto the bottom of your box.


Carefully..
There! Use the tongs to straighten out the charcoals and spread them out a bit.
Meanwhile, put together whatever you want to bake. We're making an apple spice cake that my mother-in-law had in her pantry - just add water!

Place your food on the wire racks
And cover with your oven top.
Now just set the timer like normal, or watch the clock. Note: If your recipe calls for a longer baking time (more than 45 minutes to an hour), you will probably have to switch out your charcoals around the 45-minute mark.

Do not use your oven on a wooden deck or on grass, or anything flammable. We are cooking in a concrete deck. Never use this oven indoors.
Time's up! Let's see how it looks:

And..... It's done! Carefully life the pan out of your oven (use hot pads!) and enjoy!


If your three-month supply consists solely of pantry items like we suggest, you truly can live comfortably with no electricity. Just prepare the (baking) recipes we've provided on our site, use this oven, and you're set! You can bake anything in this oven. My mother-in-law has even baked an entire turkey in one. Be creative! And don't forget, you can store this oven along with your food storage so you don't have to keep making one every time you need one.  Making a cardboard box oven would be a great family activity, or even something that your youth group could do.

Safely Gathered In - Blog 

Home Inventory: A Hedge against Disaster

By Carolyn Nicolaysen

Tornadoes and flooding in the past month have brought enormous loss of life and property throughout the United States. More distress is on the way as snow melt begins to accelerate. Since May is National Home Inventory month, is it time to consider why you ought to have one?

Why is a home inventory important?
Natural disasters do happen. Hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and floods destroy property and can cost the lives and health of those in their path. A household inventory will move you to the front of the line when applying for government aid or filing an insurance claim.

Home fires are a fact of life. Many may feel they do not need to worry about a natural disaster, but a home fire can affect anyone. Your chance of experiencing a home fire is 1 in 309. We have several friends who have lost homes, cabins, businesses, or ranches due to fire. One was told they would have one opportunity to submit a list of the items they lost, but if they remembered something else later – “too bad”. Another friend was told they would have to replace their goods with their own money and submit a receipt which would then be reimbursed. Both were nightmares which could have been made easier with a home inventory.

Burglaries in many communities are on the rise. In 2009 there were 2,196,971 burglaries in the United States. As economic times get tougher, thefts become more frequent. We are already hearing of more thefts of gas from parked cars and more muggings for cash. A home inventory will help you identify items which have been taken and will also help the police identify those items if they turn up at a pawn shop or swap meet.
An inventory will help you determine if you have the insurance coverage you really need. As you discover antiques and jewelry you own, you may discover you need separate coverage for those items. You may also discover you can no longer replace your possessions with the coverage you now have. If you live outside of Utah how many insurance agents will believe you have $1,000 in canning supplies or $5,000 worth of food storage - at least I hope you do!

Verify losses when you are filing your tax returns. You can claim a loss even if you do not have receipts or photos to back up your claim. But, if you are audited and cannot prove your claims, that claim may be disallowed.

Discover buried treasure. An inventory is a great way to rediscover those possessions you may have forgotten about. I recently committed to organize my home and simplify. I have been sorting through cupboards and closets and discovered items I had completely forgotten. Some have come out of hiding and are now displayed where I can enjoy them while others are in a pile for a garage sale. I hate garage sales, but I want a new pressure canner, so I am motivated to clear the space!

A home inventory is an important part of estate planning. Some time ago a family member passed away. How I wish there had been an inventory which told us our relatives’ desires for their things. An inventory will remind you of the items you want to pass along and the stories behind those items. This is an important part of family history. Not everyone can possess the pearls your mom wore on her wedding day, but everyone can possess a photo and a copy of the story that makes those pearls important.

Then there is food storage. We all know food storage should not be kept in a hot garage, attic, or shed. As you open up space in better areas, relocate your food storage to cool, dry locations. Maybe you will discover items that you use only once or twice a year. There is no reason for these to be taking up valuable food storage space, when the less-used and less-essential stuff can go out to the garage or up to the attic.
Divorce can happen. None of us like to believe this will happen to us, but what about other family members? I was recently having lunch with a man curious about my new venture into offering third party home inventories. He asked me why anyone would need one and I was explaining that they are priceless in divorce court if a spouse should clean out a home and then claim the items never existed. His eyes got big as he explained he got home from a 16 hour shift and his house was empty.

College students should inventory their possessions. Be sure your children who attend college have an inventory of their things. There is always a parade of friends-of-roommates through student apartments - most are trustworthy, some are not. Student renters need a home inventory in case of fire just as much as the landlord. A landlord's insurance will not cover the renter’s possessions.

Funerals.
Yes, there are thieves out there who love to read obituaries and then burglarize homes while families are at the funeral. Awful, yes, but true. Would you know what was in a family member's home  if this happen to you?

How do you conduct a home inventory?
Keep it simple.
Ideally, an inventory would be a list of everything in the house, but realistically most of us will never do that. Food storage, unlike other possessions, is perishable, and as soon as you open the next can of green beans, your inventory is outdated, and needs to be updated. Some hard data once or twice a year can help you to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your food storage, and bring focus to your efforts to acquire, can, and store the things that are most needed.

The simplest way to establish and record your home inventory – at least for insurance purposes – is to get out your video recorder and start rolling. If you do not have a camcorder, then take lots of digital photos.
Now that you are ready, begin. Start in the attic and work your way down. As you proceed open every drawer and take a picture of the contents. Open all closets and take pictures. Be sure to remove the items at the front of the shelf so you can also record the items at the back. Look under every bed and bring everything out to create a record.

Create an inventory chart or spread sheet. You will want a column to record the item, a brief description, serial number, price paid, where it is stored, where receipts and appraisals for those items are kept, and notes for family history. If you are recording your inventory, as you discover family heirlooms make a verbal commentary on the items as you tape them. If you are taking still photos, list items on your inventory sheet so you can write a history later.

Continue your inventory going room to room taking pictures and recording important information. Do not forget the bathroom. You may think a guest bath with no cupboards does not need your attention. Wrong. In the event of a fire, you will need to replace the fixtures, towels, soap dishes, trash cans, and moldings, when you rebuild and you will want those items paid for by the insurance. Take pictures of everything!

I know the garage can be a problem as, unfortunately, this is too often just a storage unit where your car used to sleep. Garages are too often piled high with all kinds of stuff. Be brave and tackle the mess. When you consider the cost of tools and auto supplies, you realize you cannot afford to skip this area.
Don't forget to video your food storage, too. Food is expensive and you want a good record of what you have. Even if you only have a small shelf of food storage, take a good inventory. This will also help in your planning as you accumulate your three month supply.

A video inventory is a great start but a paper record should also be created with thumbnail versions of your photos. This is the form an insurance company will look at and quickly get processed.
In other columns, I have written about the wisdom of choosing a contact person who lives at least seventy miles away as the person who will hold an envelope with copies of your important papers and phone numbers, who is a person you would trust in a crisis to provide you with a place of refuge. Once your inventory is complete, send a copy to this contact. You may also want a copy in a safe deposit box, but be aware that after a community disaster the banks may be closed for several days or weeks. Place a copy in your 72 hour kit. Fireproof safes are wonderful but during a house fire the temperatures will destroy recorded discs and negatives. Always have a backup plan, and that means one or more backups of each important document. An inventory represents your work and property, and you do not want to lose these.

Third party inventories
Third party inventories offer an added degree of protection as you now have a person, completely unrelated to you, who can confirm your inventory is a true representation of what you really owned. An inventory of your own possessions is difficult as you have an emotional attachment. An inventory professional knows what is important to document in detail and when it is sufficient to simply take a photo.

There is still one more thing to do.
A home inventory is never complete. Each week we add to our possessions: there are important mementos from loved ones, a new purchase of food storage, some new clothes as the children grow, and some replacements for items which have worn out. Add these items to your chart or spread sheet and take a picture. Every six months, maybe at General Conference time, update your previous inventory and send a copy to your contact. Inventories need backup, the same as computers need backup.

We do not know the challenges ahead. Well, not exactly. But we have a pretty good idea from prophetic counsel that preparation is overdue, and we must catch up. A home inventory is a great way to assess our situation – to arrive at conclusions, set goals, simplify, verify, and move forward. It is also one of the most valuable things to have in the event of loss due to a major event like a house fire or natural disaster.

For more detailed information about Home Inventories listen to Carolyn's archived radio show: Home Inventory Awareness. Plan to tune in to her radio show every Tuesday night on the Preparedness Radio Network. With question about disaster preparations or any aspect of self reliance contact Carolyn at: Carolyn@TotallyReady.com.

Black Bean Recipes

We are so lucky to have the LDS Sacramento Cannery close by so that we can take advantage of canning fruits and vegetables as they become available.

Last week we canned "Black Beans"- here are a few recipes to help you with ideas for using those black beans...

Best Ever Black Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans 
• 1 small onion, chopped 
• 1 clove garlic, chopped 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro 
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine beans, onion, and garlic, and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low.
3. Season with cilantro, cayenne, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, and serve. 

Mango Tango Black Bean Salsa 

Ingredients:

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,191,139163-224203,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) mango slices, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 can (7 ounces) corn with peppers, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup coarsely chopped, fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:

1.       Combine beans, mango, corn, onion and cilantro in a medium bowl.

2.       Stir in lime juice, garlic salt and cumin.

 

Black Bean Breakfast Burrito

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs 
• 2 tablespoons milk 
• salt and pepper, to taste 
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, rinsed and chopped 
• 1 – 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
•  3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled 
• 1 avocado, diced 
• salsa, your choice of heat 
• 6 soft taco sized flour tortillas, warmed

Directions:

1.       In a large bowl combine the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.

2.       Hand beat the eggs using a whisk or fork until yolk and white are evenly mixed and the eggs are frothy, about 1-2 minutes. (or use an electric hand mixer)

3.       Grease a nonstick sauté pan and set it over medium-high heat.

4.       Add eggs to the pan. After the eggs begin to set, gently move them around in the pan with a spatula or wooded spoon.

5.       Move the eggs to the center while tilting your pan to redistribute the unset parts.

6.       Break apart large pieces with your spoon or spatula. Turn the eggs as needed until they are cooked through. Stir in the chopped cilantro.

7.       To assemble the burrito: divide the egg and black bean evenly among the tortillas.

8.       Garnish each burrito with feta, avocado, and salsa.

Top with additional cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately.

Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, thoroughly rinsed, and drained (or 1 1/2 cup of freshly cooked black beans) 
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, defrosted (or fresh corn, parboiled, drained and cooled) 
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions   
• 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced, or 1 whole pickled jalapeño pepper, minced (not seeded) 
• 3 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped 
• 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks 
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro 
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil 
• 2 Tbsp lime juice (about the amount of juice from one lime) 
• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sugar (to taste) 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.       Make sure to rinse and drain the beans

2.       In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, onions, jalapeno chili peppers, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, basil, lime juice and olive oil.

3.       Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste. (The sugar will help balance the acidity from the tomatoes and lime juice.)

4.       Chill before serving

Black Bean Dip 

Ingredients:

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1615,134180-246193,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

1 can black beans
1 med ripe tomato, diced
1/4 cup jalapeno slices (pickled are best for this dip)
1/3 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 bunch green onion - diced
sour cream
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
salt

Directions:

1.  Heat beans over the stove; add cumin, chili powder, and just a pinch of salt.
2. Once the beans are heated through, move to an oven-safe bowl.
3. Top with cheese.
4. Use broiler setting in the oven to melt the cheese.
5. Once the cheese has melted, top with salsa, fresh tomatoes, jalapeno, and sour cream.
6. Garnish with diced green onions.

Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Mango Tango Black Bean Salsa 

Ingredients:

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,191,139163-224203,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) mango slices, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 can (7 ounces) corn with peppers, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup coarsely chopped, fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:

1.       Combine beans, mango, corn, onion and cilantro in a medium bowl.

2.       Stir in lime juice, garlic salt and cumin.

Santa Fe Black Bean Salad 

Ingredients:

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1743,152163-245207,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained
1 med. onion, finely chopped
1 lg. tomato, finely chopped
1 c. dry extra-fine pasta, crumbled (Ramen noodles)
1/2 c. cilantro leaves, torn
1/2 c. fresh hot salsa
Dollop of plain yogurt (garnish)
Black olive to top the yogurt
Tortilla chips to serve alongside

Directions:

1. Open can and rinse the beans under cold, running water. Drain
2. In a medium bowl combine the beans, chopped onion and tomato.
3. Crumble dry noodles into this mixture, and toss to mix.
4. Add cilantro and salsa and toss again.
5. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
6. Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt topped with a black olives and a sprig of cilantro.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Earthquake Preparations

Earthquakes can be very dangerous and can occur at any time of the year. Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the chances of death, serious injury, or property damage.
When preparing for an earthquake, plan on having enough food, water, clothing, medical supplies and other necessary equipment for you and your family for at least 72 hours. Assistance from local fire and police departments may not be available immediately following an earthquake.
This checklist will help you get started on the essentials. (This information is taken from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/faq/?faqID=77 ): 1. Fire extinguisher 2. Adequate supplies of medications that you or your family are taking 3. Crescent and pipe wrenches to turn off gas and water supplies 4. First aid kit and handbook 5. Flashlights with extra bulbs and batteries 6. Portable radio with extra batteries 7. Water for each family member for at least 3 days (allow at least 1 gallon per person per day) and purification tablets or chlorine bleach to purify drinking water from other sources 8. Canned and packaged foods, enough for several days and a mechanical can opener. Extra food for pets if necessary. 9. Camp stove or barbecue to cook on outdoors (store fuel out of reach of children) 10. Waterproof, heavy-duty plastic bags for waste disposal. Link to "Emergency Essentials" I am sorry this looks and feels like an advertisement - when you click on all the underlined links it will take you to the "Emergency Essentials" website.  They carry many preparedness items that  may be of interest to you.

Two Cans of Corn: Home Storage for Newlyweds

By Allie Schulte

Welfare Services

By starting small, wisely using storage space, saving money, and gradually increasing their efforts, newly married couples can experience the blessings of peace and security that come from home storage.

04209_000_016

When Ron Shiflet’s wedding was about a month away, he received some unexpected advice from his bishop, who encouraged him to begin storing food. The bishop explained that there was a simple and inexpensive way for his small family to succeed in home storage—even as poor college students.

“He told me to watch what was on sale each week. When we went shopping, we were to buy a couple of extra cans of food,” Ron explains. “He said the expense was so small that we would not notice it, … but that over time our food storage would add up.”

Following their wedding, Ron shared the advice he had received with his wife, Lorene, and the couple decided to give it a try. On their first shopping trip together, they purchased their regular groceries and two cans of corn, which they stored in the closet of their one-room apartment. “Those two cans became a good source of humor for us,” Ron says. “Each week the joke continued as we added two more cans.”

They soon discovered that their home storage was not a laughing matter, when six months later, Ron found himself without a job—and without money for food. He and Lorene relied on the supply in the closet to sustain them, and they immediately recognized the blessings of the principle of preparation.

Now, more than 20 years later, Ron says it’s a principle that has blessed his family in numerous ways. “I am thankful for an inspired bishop who counseled us from the beginning to save food—and who showed us how to do it even with little money,” he recalls. “It has protected us many times.”

Beginning Now

For many young couples, home storage falls at the bottom of a long to-do list, behind the demands of work, education, finances, church assignments, and more. For some, it may seem too time-consuming and expensive. Some assume that food storage is something they will get to later in their married life. Others may not see it as necessary at all. But like the Shiflets, couples can enjoy the blessings of choosing to obey the counsel of Church leaders and doing what they can to begin a home storage program now.

In the pamphlet All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage (Item 04008000, available in the U.S. and Canada from Distribution Services) couples can find simplified guidelines on how to prepare for adversity by having a supply of food and water and money in savings. The First Presidency encourages all Church members to follow these guidelines, even those on a limited budget. “We realize that some of you may not have financial resources or space for such storage,” the First Presidency says. “We encourage you to store as much as circumstances allow.”  

Starting Small

Members should begin their home storage by gradually building a short-term food supply of basic foods that are part of their normal, daily diet. By regularly purchasing a few extra items they would normally eat, couples can rotate their home storage into meals so that nothing is wasted. They should also store some water that is safe to drink. Purchasing bottled water or washing and filling used plastic beverage bottles with clean water will help members have a supply of drinking water should water supplies be disrupted or polluted.

Carly Dunlop and her husband, Anthony, were married in 2006, and they have obeyed the counsel of gradually building a supply of food and water ever since. By purchasing a few extra items while grocery shopping each week, they have already experienced the blessings that come from home storage.

“There have been several times when something comes up—such as our car breaking down—when it becomes financially difficult to buy food,” Carly says. “We have never needed to worry, though, because our shelves always have at least a few canned goods or something to make meals out of.”

By taking small steps to follow the First Presidency’s counsel, Carly and Anthony have experienced the blessings of home storage. “We don’t need to get overwhelmed and feel like we need to have a large supply of food in our pantries,” she says.

Using Your Space

Like many young married couples, Daniel and Julie Tucker live in a small, rented basement with barely enough space for the living essentials. So when Daniel took an institute class focused on provident living and decided to start gathering home storage, he and his wife were not sure where to store the extra food they purchased.

“I learned from the class that we needed to at least make an effort to store what we physically could,” Daniel says. “Anyone can do it; it’s simply a matter of taking the counsel of our prophets to heart.” After discussing their options, Daniel and Julie bought a storage cabinet that fit in their small kitchen to create more space for food. Additionally, they raised their bed and began storing items under it.

Other couples have discovered that if they look at their living situation and use a little creativity, they can find the space necessary for home storage. Food can be stored under furniture or in closets. Items can even be boxed up and covered with a tablecloth and used as furniture for a television, radio, or other household appliances. Bookcases or shelves can be placed in the kitchen or other rooms and used for storage.

Saving More than Just Food

The First Presidency encourages Church members to build a financial reserve, along with a supply of food and water, as part of their home storage efforts. Like storing food, saving money is a gradual process. Couples can begin building their reserve by paying their tithes, giving a generous fast offering, and setting aside a small amount of money each week (or month) for savings. Doing so demonstrates faith in the Lord and His ability to bless His children. By saving a little money on a consistent basis, couples will be amazed at how quickly their reserve grows.

After Natalie and Robbie Bartlett were married, they decided to begin saving money gradually by spending less on material items and they made paying tithing and fast offerings a priority. “Paying tithing and fast offerings helps me understand how to manage my money,” she said. “I learned a lot from my parents’ example, and it has blessed my life with my husband.” Natalie believes that any increase is from the Lord, and she can see that obedience to the counsel of the prophets helps her and her husband grow closer by working together. “I have saved money my whole life by not going out to eat and putting that money into my savings account instead,” Natalie explains. “Now that I am married, my husband and I save money by cutting back in other ways, like buying clothes and groceries on sale or at discount stores.” As couples find ways to cut spending and save money, they will discover the blessings of building a financial reserve.

Increasing Your Supply

After preparing a short-term food supply, having some drinking water on hand, and having a financial reserve, couples can increase their home storage by gradually building a longer-term supply of basic foods such as wheat, white rice, beans, and other staples that will keep them alive in case they do not have anything else to eat. Most of these items can be stored up to 30 years when packaged and stored properly. 

 

Increasing home storage may take some time, so couples should not become discouraged or try to do everything at once. Instead, they can make a goal to gradually build a longer-term food supply, depending on their needs and circumstances. They can take advantage of the resources the Church offers, including the welfare Web site, providentliving.org. Ward or stake home storage specialists can also be great resources.

Gaining a Testimony

As a young wife, Kolene Mills struggled with the principle of home storage. Although she wanted to obey the counsel of Church leaders, she was overwhelmed by the task and lacked motivation to learn how to store food.

One day during her scripture study she was reading in 3 Nephi. The Nephite people were being persecuted by the Gadianton robbers, who threatened to wage war against them if they did not surrender themselves and their land to the robbers. Humbled by this threat, the Nephites obeyed specific instructions from their leaders.

“[They] reserved for themselves provisions, and horses and cattle, and flocks of every kind, that they might subsist for the space of seven years, in the which time they did hope to destroy the robbers from off the face of the land …” (3 Nephi 4:4). Kolene was amazed as she realized that the Nephites had been commanded to prepare home storage.

“While reading these verses, the Spirit bore witness to me that it was important for me to prepare my family against whatever challenges might be ahead,” Kolene says. “I felt a bond with the Nephites, who had righteously listened to the counsel of their leaders in preparing themselves, and my desire to follow their example was strengthened.”

Like Kolene, some Church members may think it might be difficult to apply the principle of preparing for adversity by establishing a home storage supply. But as she found, obedience to the commandments can bring great blessings to families and individuals.

The First Presidency has said that our Heavenly Father’s purpose is “to provide for our needs as we walk in faith and obedience. He has lovingly commanded us to ‘prepare every needful thing’ (see D&C 109:8) so that, should adversity come, we may care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops as they care for others.” 

Couples will be blessed as they prayerfully study the guidelines outlined in All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage, ask the Lord to help them to apply the principles, and then do whatever they can to obey the counsel. What may begin with a few cans in the closet or under the bed can result in blessings of peace and security now and throughout their lives.

For more information on how to get started on your home storage, visit www.providentliving.org.

Helps for Home Evening

Individuals learn through participation (see Teaching, No Greater Call, 161, 187). As you prepare a lesson on home storage, think of ways the whole family could be involved in learning the principles of provident living, such as showing your children food that you have stored, visiting areas in your home where you could store food and supplies, or planning ways to save money as a family. Consider a simple plan of action to begin storing food, like putting two cans of food in a closet or under a bed as suggested in the article.

It doesn’t matter if you start small. The important thing is to start.

Look at your living space with a little imagination and you can find the space necessary for home storage.

 Food Storage for Newlyweds

Storing Fats and Oils

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Anyone who stores cooking oil knows how quickly it can develop “off” odors and flavors, a state called rancidity. An understanding of the causes of rancidity and proper storage conditions can help us enhance the storage life of cooking oil and other foods containing fat.

Some populations throughout the world obtain too many of their calories from fat and are striving to limit dietary fat. Nevertheless, we all need some fat in our diet from the standpoint of nutrition and taste. With respect to nutrition, certain fats are required in the diet for growth and good health, and fat is the “carrier” for certain essential vitamins. Regarding taste, many of the textures and flavors of foods that make eating enjoyable are attributable to, or carried by, the fat.

Storage conditions that affect the deterioration of fats, oils, and food in general are summarized in the acronym HALT: Humidity, Air, Light, and Temperature. Reducing exposure to humidity, air, light, and warm temperatures will prolong storage life. Proper food packaging can reduce or eliminate moisture, air, and light. Newly opened oil should be left in its original container or be placed in a clean container, since even a small amount of old oil mixed with fresh oil will hasten rancidity. Temperature dramatically affects the storage life and quality of fats and oils. Some fats, such as butter or margarine, can be frozen to prolong storage time. All fats, oils, and foods containing fat keep better in a cool area of a house, such as a basement.

Fats and oils vary in their ability to store for prolonged periods. Generally, shortening can be stored for several years, whereas cooking oil must be rotated more frequently. The storage life of fats and oils and foods containing them varies widely for several reasons: (1) storage conditions differ, (2) expiration dates differ, (3) most food products contain a mixture of different kinds of fats that vary in stability, and (4) individual consumers differ in their ability to tolerate rancidity. What may taste acceptable to one person may taste unacceptable to another. However, almost everyone can detect rancidity when only a very small amount of fat or oil has deteriorated. Thus foods containing even less than 1 percent of fat or oil can have a reduced storage life because of rancidity.

Food storage rotation, important in avoiding rancidity, is easier when we buy and store the types of foods we are accustomed to eating. In the United States, an average adult consumes each year the following approximate amounts of dietary fat in these various forms: 24 pounds in cooking and salad oils and mayonnaise-type dressings; 23 pounds in shortening and frying fats; 20 pounds of dietary fat from meat, poultry, fish, and cheese; and 13 pounds in butter, margarine, peanut butter, and other foods.

Obviously an ideal list of what everyone must store does not exist. Differences among countries, cultures, climates, and individual preferences require flexibility in food storage. Still, an understanding of the causes of food deterioration and proper storage conditions is helpful in maintaining quality food storage.—Oscar A. Pike, associate professor of food science, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 

Random Sampler-Storing Fats & Oil

How Beautiful to Live in These Times and Be Prepared!

By Elder F. Enzio Busche

Of the First Quorum of the Seventy

June 1982

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With the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in these latter days there continues to unfold the plan of how the temporal affairs of this earth should be governed. With the gospel restoration, the Lord’s ways have been revealed to help mankind eventually build Zion. Thus, how beautiful is the revelation of the welfare plan, presently established in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a preparatory step toward living the law of consecration.

The magnitude of the idea of serving the many needs of people through Social Services, employment centers, and Deseret Industries causes me to rejoice. But what excites me more is the idea of having work projects and farms in order to produce goods for filling storehouses, for distributing commodities, and for giving work and service opportunities to the needy without any commercial or selfish interest.

Let me tell you why this has such personal meaning for me. With a European heritage and educational background, one readily develops a perspective of how in the last 250 years people have fought, struggled, and hoped for a just society that would overcome the destructiveness of slavery, poverty, and injustice so prevalent through the history of mankind. For example, the doctrines and philosophies of Voltaire and Jean Jacques Rousseau, forerunners of the French Revolution, envisioned establishing a just society founded on their understanding of the principles of liberty, equality, and the brotherhood of man. Similarly, many other philosophers, teachers, poets, and dreamers, mainly from England and Germany, stirred up the minds and expectations of the people. Even Karl Marx, who was the intellectual offspring of Hegel and the constructing architect of communism, had as an initial vision the elimination of poverty and the establishment of a just and free society, developing restless expectations among many people of the world.

No man, however, will ever be able to achieve Zion unless he becomes an instrument in the hands of the Almighty; for only God can reveal the whole picture and process of attaining Zion. Through Joseph Smith this was again given to man, and with the restoration of the priesthood there have been revealed organizational details, necessary steps, and true principles upon which God’s Zion will be established.

To me, the Lord’s plan to bring peace and justice is overwhelming and stirs up hope in the hearts of righteous people throughout the world who hear of it. Evidence of this was just recently given again by a prominent European visitor who toured Salt Lake City’s Welfare Square with me. After learning of the dimensions of the Church’s welfare services today, he said with evidence of deep emotion, “I hope you know what you have. It seems to me that this is the only hope of mankind to master the future.”

Now that I have shared my feelings regarding the overall picture of the Lord’s revealed plan of welfare, let me approach one portion of the plan in which we as individuals are directly involved—the personal and family preparedness plan whereby we are to obtain a year’s supply of food and necessary supplies. 

May I share with you some experiences that I, along with millions of other Europeans, had in the days of devastation, total destruction, and starvation that became a reality for so many survivors of World War II. These experiences helped me to recognize and appreciate the basic necessities of life and to separate true needs from false wants. Since my conversion and because of my World War II experiences, I now have a deep appreciation for the revealed plan of a year’s supply for each member.

Frequently I am asked, “What were the most valuable items in the days of starvation in Germany?” The answer is difficult to believe, because some of the experiences we had seem to be totally illogical and contrary to human nature. The items of highest value were tobacco and alcohol, because people who live in fear and despair, who have not learned principles of self-control, tend to need in times of panic some drug to escape the dreadful awareness of reality. I have seen people give their last loaf of bread and their last meager supply of potatoes just to obtain a bottle of brandy. How fortunate we are as members of the Church that we learn to develop a feeling for the true values of life and the necessity of self-control, so that in times of need there will be no panic, but we will be prepared.

As for what we needed, the food item we relied on most was vegetable oil. With a bottle of vegetable oil, one could acquire nearly every other desirable item. It had such value that with a quart of vegetable oil one could probably trade for three bushels of apples or three hundred pounds of potatoes. Vegetable oil has a high calorie content, is easy to transport, and in cooking can give a tasty flavor to all kinds of food items that one would not normally consider as food—wild flowers, wild plants, and roots from shrubs and trees. For me and my family, a high-quality vegetable oil has the highest priority in our food storage, both in times of daily use and for emergency usage. When vegetable oil is well-packed and stored appropriately, it has a long storage life without the necessity of refrigeration. We found ours to be in very good condition after twenty years of storage, but circumstances may vary in different countries and with different supplies.

The second highest priority item for me and my family is grain in all its forms, preferably wheat and rye. When grain is well-packed and well-preserved, it too is easy to transport, easy to store, and will last for generations.

A third priority item is honey. Its value in daily usage is immeasurable. My family prefers honey rather than sugar because our experience supports some of the research findings regarding the preeminence of honey. Another reason I prefer honey is because during the starvation period in postwar Germany, honey could be traded for three times as much as sugar; its value was considered that much greater.

A fourth important food storage product is powdered milk.

  

These four basic items—oil, wheat, honey, and milk (or their equivalents in other cultures)—together with water, salt, and renewable basic foods such as potatoes and other vegetables, can satisfy nutritional requirements in times of emergency and also are valuable and usable in normal daily life.

You might ask, “What about the many other food items and desserts that play an important role in our eating habits?” I shall always treasure the great experience I had in those hard times, when I learned to appreciate food with the most balanced nutrients. When a person is very hungry, the taste of food will change for him. In times of emergency, the Lord seems to provide a way to help our bodies adapt. For instance, I remember well that when I was a child I did not like to eat bacon. I argued with my mother whenever she prepared potatoes fried with bacon instead of fried with vegetable oil or butter, not recognizing in my youth that sometimes this was the only way she could provide fat in our diet. Several years later when we were suffering from the severe food shortage, I remember that after days of being without food, the first edible item I could obtain, ironically, was a piece of bacon. I looked upon it as the best treasure I had ever achieved. I placed the pieces of the bacon between my teeth and my cheek and did not dare to chew it, simply because I wanted to savor and appreciate longer the wonderful taste of bacon. At that moment I could not understand how I could have ever disliked bacon.

In times of real hunger the human body seems to develop a natural craving for the things it needs most. An athlete who is preparing for a marathon has the same experience as he daily runs his ten miles in training. He will eventually develop a feeling for the real needs of his body; he will develop an appetite for the food that his body requires, and he will be repulsed by food items that do not add to his body’s strength. In times of affluence this instinct seems to diminish, and this is one of the reasons for much malnutrition in our modern world. It might also be of interest to know that there seemed to be much less sickness during those hard times. The rapid rise and frequency of heart disease, diseases of the vascular system, and diabetes began after the times of shortage in Germany. In spite of billions of dollars invested in medicines and hospitals for improving medical service, life expectancy rates in Germany are not rising—due, I think, to our modern poor eating habits.

When we think in terms of our own year’s supply of those foods and materials we use on a regular basis, we may feel that every family will have to store everything. This, of course, is not easy and seems to make storage difficult. However, let me offer this comforting idea based on past experience. We need to take into consideration that in difficult times, so long as there survives more than one family, there will be trading of valuable items. A free market will begin immediately to satisfy the needs of people, and items in greatest demand will set the price, bypassing the use of money. The ingeniousness of mankind becomes evident in times of need. When man is presented with a problem or challenge, if he is in a healthy spirit—which hopefully we are—he will find solutions that he never dreamed of. When a person has a good, healthy spirit, is able to adjust and is not afraid to use his imagination, he will find ways to survive.

There is a long way from the point of hunger to actual starvation, and there is much that one can do to stay alive in hard times, especially when one is mentally and physically prepared. A garden, even as small as a window box, is of great value, as is the skill to be able to plant and to grow things. Following the war, in addition to having a small garden, my family was able to obtain the milk we needed by keeping a milk sheep, which gave enough milk for our family for the greater part of the year. (I have not seen this species in America, but it was very common in Germany.) Besides milk, our sheep supplied us with wool to trade or to use for knitting items. During the spring of the year it would give birth to one or two lambs which could also be used for food or trade. Some of our neighbors had goats, but we preferred the sheep because of the wool and because sheep seemed easier to tolerate and to work with. They required very little extra care and were easy to satisfy. Also, all over the country, even the large cities, people began to keep rabbits in small pens, and children had the task of looking for grass, dandelions, and leaves in order to feed their rabbits. In addition, people kept hens, and chicken coops were prevalent in all places. Because grain was too valuable to feed to chickens, other sources of chicken feed had to be found. Children found ways of breeding worms, beetles, and flies to be used for this purpose. People also built small, wooden handcarts which could be used to transport items used for trading, which took place wherever people met.

There are some other observations one could also make: The true nature of people becomes obvious in times of real need. Good people become better; they get close to one another; they learn to share and become united. The strength that develops out of unity of the many good people becomes a real survival factor. On the other hand, people who lack emotional stability become cruel and ruthless under trying circumstances; however, they do not seem to become an overbearing threat because of the closeness and unity of the majority of the people. Therefore, strangely enough, those who have survived hardships look back with fond memories to the awful period of pain and destruction because they recall the closeness that developed as they united themselves to survive by sharing whatever they had.

How blessed we are to be taught in these times of plenty that we might prepare for times of need without undue haste. Even more wonderful is the realization that we can prepare ourselves without fear because we know that God lives, that He knows and loves each one of us, and that He is giving us direction in these latter days through a living prophet.

God loves us so much that He allows us to come to Him at any time with our personal requests for help and direction—that our eyes will be opened and we will learn to live with wisdom and patience in times of austerity, that we might learn by the Lord’s influence to identify our real needs.

What a comfort it is to read His revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.” (D&C 38:30.)

The Lord wants us to be prepared.

Ensign 1982- link to article