The Survival Wire

Less expensive: Grains, wheat, legumes in bulk. Ethiopians eat nothing but wheat. That is because it is so inexpensive to buy as an impoverished country. If you go from a diet with no whole wheat to a diet of a lot of wheat – you can end up in the hospital. Wheat is very strong on the system. I know how to make wheatmeat, pasta, wheatgrass, and sprouts from grains and legumes. This can be time consuming and not always user friendly, especially in a stressful situation. Learn to do it before you need it! Some poor 3rd world countries have people eating nothing but rice and beans (a complete protein). I use super pails (6 gallons each) of rice and beans, and other grains, to supplement and extend my food storage.

Dehydrated foods: Butter powder, powdered eggs, cake and brownie mixes, muffins, pasta, powdered milk. I use these for baking when I cannot get to the grocery store. Products with fats (butter, shortening, etc) will last 3-5 years. Most other food items last 6 to 8 years.

Freeze-Dried foods: real meats, fruits and vegetables. Just add water. Delicious! It will last 20+ years on the shelf when kept cool and dry off of the cement. Freeze dried products do not need to be rotated as often, and hold some of the delicate vitamins and minerals.

There is a freeze-dried product called Mountain House that is made in Oregon. This company makes freeze-dried Chicken a la King, Beef Stroganoff, Lasagna, Spaghetti, etc. It is really delicious! Even if I had to re-hydrate with cold water, I would be happier not to have to cook in power outage situation. I call it restaurant food at fast food prices. It costs about $5-$7 a serving.

A stocked pantry: remember that expiration dates are SELL BY dates and not necessarily USE BY dates. I do not throw anything away until I know it is bad. I do not count on it after the expiration date, but use it to “pad” my storage. A local grocery store advertises “buy a case if you can and a can if you can’t.” That means when you find a canned food that you use and it is on sale, buy a case of it if you can afford it. If you cannot afford a case, at least buy a couple of extra cans. Then I Rotate, Rotate, Rotate the food to keep it staying fresh.

Call or email me if you would like an extended comfortable list for a year supply. You can use that list for shopping in any category. I personally have food stored from all of the categories! I have a shopping list for a one-year supply, a six-month supply and a three-month supply for one person. Remember that a year supply for one will also serve four people for three months or three people for four months. Print it out as a guide, cross off what you do not like and replace it with what you would like.

Now you will know exactly what you have, exactly how long it will last, and you will be eating what you like!

www.preparednessplus.net This website has some glitches. The shipping is totally off, but they are VERY user friendly. Call them at 1-800-588-5412. They have MANY more products than on the website. They are also very good at helping with food allergies. This is the source for my shopping lists for a comfort supply.

http://www.beprepared.com/rtimes

Look at the different options for a year supply. They are usually based upon calories or servings per day, and the various combinations of foods. They are SURVIVAL amounts, not necessarily COMFORT amounts. Product comes in buckets (5-6 gal.) or #10 cans (a gallon of product). If I were buying a year supply for myself, I would get just a little extra as people eat more in a stressful situation and I do not want to ration my food by calories. OR email me for a shopping list and use that to order individual cans.

Email me at your72hrkitlady@yahoo.com if you are interested in buying bulk wheat, oats, rice, etc. I can send you a chart with year supply amounts. Most people find it easier to order a year supply and then add a little extra in pantry items and buckets of rice and beans, etc.

I will be happy to walk you through the websites, help you find your family factor, make suggestions on where to find good deals, make helpful hints, etc. Call me at 1-801-225-0948. Most people get an idea of what they want to do and then run it by me before ordering.

Call or email me with any good deal you may find so I can pass them along to others. I set up discounts for Howard Ruff readers. I am a free consultant. I do not sell anything. I make suggestions to help you store in a way that will be user friendly and affordable for you.

Whole-food Nutrition

Where do you find food storage for vegetarians, people with food allergies or people who want organic and/or whole-food nutrition? I’ve found a company called Nuriche; their products can benefit everyone.

They offer two products. LiVE gives you the benefits of 70 live, whole foods in the convenience of a great tasting powder. Just add water.

ReVIVE offers an energy-enhancing combination of over 175 natural ingredients — including 70+ live whole food and fresh raw juice concentrates—condensed into a vegetable gelatin capsule for easy digestion. ReVIVE provides a natural pick-me-up by giving your body what it really needs.

Visit www.mynuriche.com/41245 to learn more. It has a shelf life of 100% for two years and of 85% for eight years, so it would be a nice addition to your food storage as well as daily use. I do have a financial interest in this company; I have become a distributor. It is a great addition to the food-storage companies I already work with.

Karen Varner: 801-225-0948 email: your72hrkitlady@yahoo.com