July Week 4: Canned goods: chili, beans, etc, and manual can opener

This week's food storage items are:

July Week 4: Canned goods: chili, beans, etc, as well as a manual can opener

This week sortof captures all of the canned goods that aren't already included on another week in the Week-By-Week Food Storage Plan. For my family's needs, it boils down to basically canned beans --like black beans, kidney beans, chili, refried beans, white beans and baked beans. Also, be sure to buy a manual can opener and keep it very near your cans so that you will always have that close by in case of an emergency. That seems very obvious, but some people don't even have manual can openers any more, and if they do, they aren't always easy to locate.

I keep all of my food storage canned goods in my basement food storage room on Shelf Reliance shelves. 

Once a month or so, I go down to my basement and I "shop" for more canned goods and bring some up to my pantry in my kitchen. That leaves some empty spaces in my can racks, which I'll refill once every quarter or so... just to keep up on my canned goods. 

My ingenious, sweetie-pie husband came up with a shopping list for each of the canned good items in our Shelf Reliance shelves. 

It has them listed in the order that they are on the shelves, so I can quickly go down the shelves and mark how many cans I need of each item. Then I tuck that list into my purse, and when I'm at the grocery, I pull that out and pick up the needed items. For canned goods, I love shopping the case lot sales. I'll pick up a case of each of the canned goods that we really use. Then I keep the case down at the end of my Shelf Reliance shelves, and I can refill from my own cases of canned goods. 

If you don't quite have a "system" yet, just do a simple version of the above. Decide which canned goods you eat regularly and would benefit from keeping a good supply of them on hand. Figure out how many of each of the items you might need in a year's time, and subtract whatever you already have on hand. Then, use that number, and write it down on a grocery list of the items. If you have loads of canned goods you want to have in storage, break it down to acquiring one different type each week for several weeks. That way you won't "break the bank" by getting them all at once.

If you would like the full info on the Week-By-Week Food Storage Plan, just click on the tab at the top of the page. You can then click on any single week and it will take you to the most up-to-date post that featured that week's items. It also has the information as to how you can get a copy of the weekly schedule as well as the complete inventory sheets.

Christmas in July Sale!!!

Grass Roots Home is having a Christmas in July sale!

Today only, save 25% on any purchase.

To shop in the Etsy store (and get the coupon code), click here.

Merry Christmas in July!!!

July Week 3: Vinegar

This week's food storage item is:

July Week 3: Vinegar - white distilled, apple cider, rice, etc.

This is a pretty simple, straight-forward week. Decide how much vinegar you might use in the coming year. If you use rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar or any other vinegar in your cooking, then be sure to take those into account. Also, remember the uses for vinegar as a cleanser. The Reader's Digest has 150+ Household Uses for Vinegar. I've included just the first part of the list here....

150+ Household Uses for Vinegar

With so many different uses around the house, this super item deserves a reserved space in your cabinet.

from Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things

-Clear dirt off PCs and peripherals

-Clean your computer mouse

-Clean your window blinds

-Unclog and deodorize drains

-Get rid of smoke odor

-Wipe away mildew

-Clean chrome and stainless steel

-Shine your silver

-Polish brass and copper items

-Unglue stickers, decals, and price tags

-Burnish your scissors

-Clean your piano keys

-Deodorize lunch boxes, footlockers, and car trunks

-Freshen a musty closet

-Brighten up brickwork

-Revitalize wood paneling

-Restore your rugs

-Remove carpet stains

-Remove candle wax

-Give grease stains the slip

-Conceal scratches in wood furniture

-Get rid of water rings on furniture

-Wipe off wax or polish buildup

-Revitalize leather furniture
Read how to do each item on the list, and also get the rest of the list by clicking on: The Reader's Digest

Vinegar is very inexpensive, so it doesn't hurt to have an extra jug or two on the shelves. If there was a long-term emergency, this would be the perfect thing to have around as a cleanser and a "do-all". (Sortof like the Windex in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding") After you have decided how much you need, add the items to your shopping list, and in the next day or two, purchase them. Then, get them on your shelves, update your Inventory Sheets, and sit back and enjoy the rest of your week!

One important thing to do as we go through the weeks is to check week's item in your inventory you already have for expiration dates. There is nothing worse than needing to use your apple cider vinegar for a recipe, and realizing it expired months ago. Check your pantry (as well as your food storage room) for the vinegar items you use daily, and be sure they don't need replacing.

If you would like the full info on the Week-By-Week Food Storage Plan, just click on the tab at the top of the page. You can then click on any single week and it will take you to the most up-to-date post that featured that week's items. It also has the information as to how you can get a copy of the weekly schedule as well as the complete inventory sheets.

July Week 2: Water, etc.

This week's food storage item is:

July Week 2: Water: fill jugs or buy bottled water, water filter, solar shower

Water is oh, so important to have in your storage!

We keep large water barrels that we'll be using for hygiene (bathing, cleaning, washing clothes and dishes).

Notice the pump that I keep right with the barrels. If we need to use the water from the barrels, we just screw that pump into the hole, and then we can pump the water out, as needed. If we didn't have that, we would have to figure out how to siphon it out with some sort of food-safe hose.

In smaller containers, we keep the drinking water.

At one point I thought it would be such a smart idea to just buy a gallon or two of water each week when I did my grocery shopping. I began to get a great supply of water on my shelves. Then, one by one, the jugs that the water was in (basically like a milk jug), started leaking on my shelves. At first I thought it was just a random jug that must have had a flaw. So, I cleaned up the water that had leaked out, and forgot about it for a couple of weeks. Soon I had leaks in several of them. Apparently those jugs aren't made to hold liquids for long periods of time.  I ended up emptying the jugs into my flower beds, and then replaced them with good, solid, larger water containers. These will last longer than I'll be around, so I should be good!

We also have a solar shower, which would come in handy in an emergency. We would just use water from our big blue barrels, then put it in the container of the solar shower, and could have a little shower if needed (and I'm sure it would be needed!)

We also have a little filter. The water that I have stored for drinking water shouldn't need a filter, but if we need additional water, and have to use a source that may not be entirely clean, we would use our filter for that.

As far as amounts to store, the rule of thumb is to store one gallon per person per day, for at least three days. Even better is to have enough for 10 days, and the best scenario is to have enough for 30 days. So, for the two members of my family who are living in our home at this time, I would need a total of 60 gallons for a 30 day supply.

There is some good, pertinent information on lds.org about storing water. To read more on that, click here. It goes over containers, water pre-treatment, storage, and purification. Good information to have as you think about your water storage.

If you would like the full info on the Week-By-Week Food Storage Plan, just click on the tab at the top of the page. You can then click on any single week and it will take you to the most up-to-date post that featured that week's items. It also has the information as to how you can get a copy of the weekly schedule as well as the complete inventory sheets.

July Week 1: Jams and Jellies

This week's items are:

July Week 1: Jams and Jellies, or Supplies for Making Your Own

This week should be a no-brainer. Either you make your own jams and jellies, or you don't. If you don't, then buy the jams and/or jellies that you will use in a year's time. Be sure to think about any that you use in recipes.

If you like to make your own (whether bottled or freezer jam), then buy the supplies you will need, and get ready to make your own whenever the fruit you like is in season. Or at least buy everything but the fruit, and when the fruit is in, then all you'll have to do is buy the fruit.

If you and your family don't ever eat jam, then you have a week off! I use these "off weeks" to straighten and organize my food storage room. There is always some organizing to be done in there!

If you are checking out this plan for the first time, there are a few things to remember:

1) You start this plan wherever you happen to be in the calendar year. You do not need to go back and make up time, since there really is no specific week in which the plan begins, and there is no real end to it, either. Just start this week, with this week's items, and you are on your way!

2) It is meant to be a rotating plan. In this way, it is hoped that we will have less items from our food storage shelves that we are tossing into the garbage when they have expired. You will use many of the items you are acquiring in this plan, and that is how it is meant to be.

3) Store what your family will use. Each family is different, and will have different needs and wants. So, you will personalize this plan to your own family's needs.

If you would like the full info on the Week-By-Week Food Storage Plan, just click on the tab at the top of the page. You can then click on any single week and it will take you to the most up-to-date post that featured that week's items. It also has the information as to how you can get a copy of the weekly schedule as well as the complete inventory sheets.

Happy Independence Day!