Provident Living: Food Storage... Use It Like a Pro!

Yesterday, I shared a couple of guidelines on how, why, and what to include in a food storage program, both an essentials list and guidelines for expanding your food storage.

But acquiring the food is really the easy part. The important part is learning to use it—in everyday life, not just in times of hardship.

There are a couple of books I like that have great ideas on the subject, and both are available on amazon.com. One is “Cooking with Food Storage Made Easy,” by Debbie G. Harman, and the other is “Simple Recipes Using Basic Food Storage,” by Karen Keenan. These books are great and I highly recommend them—you’ll learn how to store your food for maximum nutrition and shelf life, the most versatile basics to stock up on (for example, cream of chicken soup can be used in tons of storage recipes, from yummy enchiladas to chicken pot pies), and even canning and gardening suggestions for the adventurous.

For example, here’s a really simple, healthy, easy recipe that can be made almost entirely from your basics food storage:

Basic Whole Wheat Muffins

2 C. wheat flour

1/2 t. salt

1/4 C. oil

1 C. milk (1/3 C. powdered milk plus 1 C. water)

1/4 C. sugar

3 t. baking powder

1 egg

Combine dry ingredients, including powdered milk. In a separate bowl, combine liquid ingredients. Pour over dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy. Spoon batter into greased muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Makes one dozen.

If you’re ready to start “building your ark,” you can have a ton of fun doing it—it’s even more fun when you have a blueprint and a plan to use what you buy. Making food storage tasty on your table can be the best reward of the entire process, and I’d highly recommend you purchase a book you like that complements your style and goals for your project. There are many on the market (I think I have them all!), and they can help you stock your pantry, set your table, and still spare your wallet. Enjoy and stay tuned for more provident living ideas. I’ll be showing you how I make my homemade wheat bread!