Meals in a Box

I ran across this blog and thought what a wonderful idea. This makes a lot of sense for anyone who works outside the home, volunteers, raises children, takes care of parents, or can't think of what to make for dinner yet again. I am spending this weekend making my menu, purchasing what I must and creating at least two weeks worth of meals to try this out. I'll let you know how this works for our family of 3. 

Before you ask, I don't know where to get these types of boxes, but there are alternatives mentioned and I will personally be using something different.

Optimize your Pantry space by using same sized boxes (instead of bags) that will stack evenly on your shelf. Inside the lid of the box, tape the recipe. (use clear shipping tape to completely cover the recipe to keep it clean and neat as you cook.) This insures that the recipe will never get separated from the ingredients. On the outside of the box, tape a list of ingredients - divided into 2 columns. The left column lists the ingredients that are in the box while the right column lists the ingredients that are stored elsewhere in the kitchen such as the freezer or fridge or water!  When you make out your grocery list it's easy to look at the ingredients listed on the box ends and see what you need to add to your list.

Of course labels can be taken one step further and color code them. You can see that the BLUE labels are Beef dishes and the YELLOW are Chicken. The GREEN are Fish and the PINK are "Other" (which would include Ham, Beans, Pasta, etc.)

Another step is to list your seasonings as a group on the label and pre-fill packets to be stored in the box. Little zip top bags can be purchased at the craft store to hold the seasonings. They are VERY inexpensive and if you label them according to the recipe they belong to they can be used over and over again. (They are approx. 2"X3")

When filling your seasoning packets, place a glass dish on the table beneath where you are working. After you've finished filling the packets you have quite a little combination of seasonings that had spilled over so pour them into a zip lock baggy and label it as Seasoning Surprise. Whenever you make a soup just pour some of the Surprise into the pot. Now you don't have to feel guilty about wasting anything!

Although the boxes that are pictured are still the #1 preference, a shoe box can work just as well (but doesn't hold up as long) and an even better choice is the plastic shoe box sized containers that can be bought at the dollar stores or Walmart, etc. Because the boxes are see through,  tape the labels to the inside of the box facing out. This seemed to work best.

NOW HERE'S THE SECRET:
If you have $20 - 
BUY FOOD, 
not shelves or containers!
BUY FOOD!

Stacking stuff on the floor might not be pretty but if you're ever in a situation where your family is truly hungry...who cares how nice things look. The pretty stuff will come along in time. Just keep your eyes open and add as you go.

http://www.cookingfrommypantry.blogspot.com/

Fast Food In A Bag

The idea of "Fast Food in a Bag" is very simple:
Choose a family favorite recipe, gather all the ingredients that do not require refrigeration and place them in a bag.

Attach the recipe to the bag. The idea is so simple and yet it takes the work out of deciding what to fix for dinner every night.

A poly-gift-bag (like the one shown in the picture) is the sturdiest bag for holding the heavy weight of the cans and other ingredients. The handle is a convenient place to attach the recipe and makes it easy to transport. The bag can be used over and over again. You can buy these types of bags online or at a paper store. 

http://www.cookingfrommypantry.blogspot.com/

Preparedness Christmas gift ideas

When and if the turmoil of the world changes our lives (think of natural disasters, economic problems, unemployment, war, or disease), won't we be thankful to have food and supplies which can help us?

Giving these items for Christmas is a great idea, because if you are going to give them something anyway, why not make it something that might save their lives or enable them to live through a disaster?

Here are some great ideas to give for Christmas:

Food storage of any type.

Equipment to help them use food storage: Wheat grinder, dehydrator, pressure canner, food processor.

Camping equipment: Tent, sleeping bag, hammock tent, flashlight, lantern, water filter, Noah's Tarp for shelter.

72 hour kit: back pack, mess kit, cookstove, fuel for cookstove, emergency blanket, compass, flashlight, glowstick, water filter, individual packs of food such as MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat), ramen, spaghettios, instand oatmeal, poptarts, etc (they need to rotate those after 6 months).

For heat: an indoor propane heater (like a Big Buddy)

Items to help them start a garden: "The New Square Foot Gardening" book, shovel, hoe, kneeling pad, order seeds from a seed supplier, coupons for helping them in the garden in the spring,

Car emergency kit: warm blanket or sleeping bag, flashlight, glowsticks, bottles of water, phone recharger,

Communication: wind-up or solar radio, solar cell phone charger,

A recipe book of the food storage recipes you love.

These were just things I thought of off the top of my head, I'm sure you can think of a lot more very useful gifts which can help your loved ones be more prepared.

from Gotta Wanna Needa Getta