Emergency Meal Kit Challenge!

The first three days of any emergency crisis are always the most critical. It's not that problems can't or won't occur after the initial event, but psychologically, people are dealing with the trauma of the moment and it can be difficult to think about something as simple as preparing a meal. Especially if one has the added challenge of the grid being down... no electricity, no gas, no water.

Imagine for a minute... a hurricane, earthquake, flood, or tornado has hit your town (one of these scenarios should cover just about everyone). Most of the town's infrastructure has been destroyed and mass casualties have traumatized the citizens. Thankfully, your family is safe and your home intact, but the power is down and water isn't coming out of the faucets. The damage is so widespread that you quickly realize help is not coming anytime soon. (Think Katrina and you're on the right track). However, kids are still growing bodies and they're telling you that they're really hungry. You have a lot of food storage, but you mind is a blur right now. You just need time to process it all. If only the world would stop for a few hours...

Are you tracking with me? Three days. That's what the average person needs to process all this and start thinking beyond the immediate catastrophe. Therefore, you need to have an easy to follow protocol for the first 72 hours. A plan that will allow you to take care of basic needs without really thinking a lot. Food that your family finds nourishing, tasty, and is comforting. (And, of course it would be an extra bonus if it were healthy, too.)

Having three days worth of meals ready to prepare would be wise, would it not? I'm not talking about your regular food storage. I'm talking about everything you need for one meal... in a box. A meal that doesn't require anything but a manual can opener and perhaps a bowl and spoon to mix. Also, it would be ideal if the meal did not require cooking over a heat source (since you might not have one right away due to ongoing weather issues or some other reason) nor would it require a lot of water (pasta requires a lot of precious water that may be scarce). And it would be healthy in that it is as free from additives and sugars as possible, but still packaged for long term storage (say 6 months to a year).

Here's an example for a lunch or dinner idea based around tuna:

• canned tuna
• small jar of mayo
• small jar of pickle relish
• jar or bag of spices for tuna
• canned fruit
• a box of crackers
• cans of V-8 or similar vegetable drink
• trail mix packets

Everything would be placed in a box and labeled "Tuna Meal". Once every 6 months to a year, you would actually eat this meal and replace it's ingredients immediately in order to keep it fresh. (Be sure to label it with a "consume by..." date.) Store it in a cool place in your pantry up off the floor for maximum freshness.

Now imagine that you had 3 days worth of these meals, each in their own box, ready to go! Three breakfasts, three lunches, and three dinners. It would give you time to get back on your feet. And the preparation would be simple. Just add one meal to each shopping trip over the next few months until you have what you need.

Meet the Challenge!

For the remainder of the month of October, I am leaving a linky open on this post for you to create one Emergency Meal Kit to share with others; and you can gather ideas for your own meal kits as well. You do not have to have photos, just write up what you would put in the box, add a link to this post, and then come back here and link up. Remember, this is an entire meal not just an entree!

Here's some tips to help you:

• include all ingredients needed to make the meal
• recipes for anything that needs additional preparation
• try to include protein of some kind
• be sure to add a fruit or vegetable of some kind
• note if the meal is gluten free, nut free, dairy free, etc.
• if the meal requires water to prepare, be sure to included it the box
• if it requires a heat source to prepare, please note any alternatives that might work, such as a solar oven, wood stove, dutch oven on a campfire, etc. (and stick some matches inside!)

You might want to purchase a second can opener that is stored in the first box at all times!! That way, you don't have to hunt it down during your hour of greatest need.

I can't wait to see all the creative ideas each of you comes up with!

Barn Hop #32

Welcome, friends!

Join The Barn Hop!

Jill @ The Prairie Homestead

Kendra @ New Life on a Homestead

Megan @ A Blossoming Homestead

and Amy @ Homestead Revival...

...invite you to link up and share your homesteading adventures!

1. Write a blog post about what's going on at your homestead or a post on something you're learning or an item of interest that will benefit the homesteading community. Be sure to add the red barn button and link back here so others can join in the fun.

2. Come back here and enter your information in the Linky. Please be sure to link to your actual post (click your title and then copy the URL above) and not your home page so those participating later in the week can find your post easily.

3. If you don't have a blog, leave a comment and tell us what's going on at your homestead!

Please Note: As hostesses of the Homestead Barn Hop, please understand that we reserve the right to remove any links that are not family friendly. While this may be subjective, we will err on the side of caution in order to keep our blogs appropriate for all readers. Thank you for your understanding!

Frugal Wardrobe Tips for Children

It's Saturday morning and I finally have a moment to relax and breathe! If you're a mom, you know things don't always go as we plan. A month ago, I thought my two younger girls were all set for fall and winter in terms of clothing. Who knew they'd grow so much in the span of just a few weeks? It didn't exactly fit into my agenda, but we found ourselves trying to pull together a bit of a wardrobe for the two young ladies and thus my blogging absence for a few days.

Photo Credit

Scanning clearance racks, scouring through bins, hitting as many stores as possible takes time, but we managed to find some cute solutions to fill in where hand-me-downs left gaps. And thankfully, the timing couldn't have been better. I had some time in a larger city due to an appointment for my oldest daughter and we hit some excellent sales while waiting on her. Apparently retailers are needing to move merchandise in this sluggish economy and we were able to benefit from this.

Originally my goal had been to sew more clothing for the girls, however, I've been very discouraged by fabric costs! $9 for a yard of fabric? Fine for my youngest daughter, but not so great for a 5'4" teenager with long legs. Years ago, I knew of a couple of $1 fabric stores, but both of those are gone. 

Thrift stores are another option, especially if you are building a wardrobe of basics. But if you need to fill in gaps with specific items, it can be a bit tricky. For example, my 13 year old was blessed with three wonderful wool skirts from a friend (for free!), but one needed a gold sweater to match. Not exactly a common item and typically not easy to find even in a store. Thankfully, JC Penney's seems to focus on a lot of quality basics in every imaginable color - 22 to be exact. And usually they have deep sales. SCORE! We paid only $12.72 for this sweater in the perfect color. So the entire outfit cost us less than $13, probably around $16 or so when we add some tights since thankfully, her boots from last year still fit.

We had to get creative a time or two as well. My 9 year old wears a size 7 or 8 in girls. Skirts off the rack tend to be mid-thigh in length (which frustrates our family to no end!). However, with the trend in girls clothing to add those great elastic bands with button holes inside the waist band, one can go up a size, or two, or even THREE, for added length and just cinch up the waist. (I wish they did that with adult skirts sometimes.) We found two size 14 corduroy skirts for LESS than $10 each at Gap Kids! Each had a lovely little tulle hem underneath and hung down below her knees.  (Interesting that the on-line price is only discounted to $25, but the store sold this for $8.39!)

These are just two examples of great deals we found, but it takes time. Whether you're going to go through several thrift stores or shop sales racks, you need to wear your most comfortable shoes and be willing to spend several hours on the hunt. But the payoff can be big. 

Here are some tips that help me when clothes shopping for frugal purchases...

• Access your wardrobe before you hit the street looking. Be sure to try on clothing and know what fits and what doesn't, writing down needs as you go through the closet. Know exactly what you're looking for and try to stick to your list within reason. And don't forget to note accessory items you might need such as tights, cami's, slips, etc.

• Decide how many outfits are sufficient. It's easy to go overboard if you find a really good sale. You can reason in your mind that it's a great buy so get more, but sometimes an extra skirt or two are just too many to wear. Growing kids are going to grow MORE, so don't over purchase. If there are too many outfits hanging in the closet, they won't be able to manage them and things won't get hung up. Before long, the closet is a mess. Beware of purchasing things a size or two larger with the plan that you'll put it back for later when they grow into it. Children don't always grow proportionally and it might not work later for that particular child. With three daughters, none of them are built the same, so sometimes what worked for one child, didn't work for the other. On the other hand, if you're sure something's going to work later and you have the cash, go for it!

• Make room for the new. Either pack the off season items away or be generous with clothes that no longer fit. Pass them off to a friend or a charity. Throw away or repurpose worn, stained items. For storing hand-me-downs, we use large plastic containers to prevent moths and mice from damaging the clothes or we hang them up high in the closet. With 10' ceilings, we were able to install a third rack up near the ceiling. This allows items that will be used in the next season to be close at hand, but out of the way. You can purchase a long handled hook like they use in the departments stores to access the clothes.

• Gather coupons before hand. Stash them in a zip lock back or something, but make sure you take them with you and stick them in your purse! I know this seems obvious, but it's frustrating to be at the check out and know you had a coupon at home!

• Go straight to the sales racks! There's a reason the sale items are in the back. The stores are hoping that you'll see the newer, in-season styles first and opt for these since they make more profit on the full retail price. They display these lovelies, all coordinated for a great fashion "look", but resist the urge! It's fine to get some ideas in this section, but only if your will-power is steel. If you can't find the sales rack, ask a sales clerk to direct you. 

• Ask for help finding what you're looking for. While checking out at the Gap, I struck up a conversation with a kind sales clerk who obviously had great fashion sense by the way she was dressed. I asked her where she recommended we shop for boots (since that was on our list). She immediately directed us to a nearby store that proved to be a gold mine of styles at very modest prices. Since it was a small off-brand store, I would have never sought it out and most likely would have easily passed it by unless recommended. 

• Avoid cheap trendy pieces. While it's fun to have a couple of fashion pieces, don't build your child's wardrobe strictly from the latest fad. Usually trendy items are not always made to last beyond the season at hand and younger children will find them unappealing in years to come if handed down (should they even last that long!). Also, trendy items typically aren't appropriate for any occasion. Items with "characters" on them may seem cute on the rack, but are very limiting in the overall wardrobe.

• Buy quality basics when possible. Basics in solid colors are easy to mix and match allowing you to change up your child's wardrobe without getting too bored. And the cheapest item is not always the best choice. Spending an extra $5 on an item that will hold up through repeated washings is cheaper in the long run than paying less for an item but having to repurchase mid-season because it didn't hold up. An exception might be dress shoes that are worn only for a couple of hours each Sunday. Paying top dollar for something they will seldom wear and out grow quickly doesn't make sense unless you think another child in the family can wear it (provided their foot is the correct size for that particular season's shoes). When kids are older and growing has all but ceased, you can start to think about purchasing investment pieces, but look for great deals in case they have a last minute growth spurt.

• Think outside box! Like our skirt example above, it can really pay to look beyond your child's immediate size on the rack. HOWEVER, be sure the item really does work and not look frumpy. Sometimes an added ruffle or an inexpensive cami can transform a great skirt or dress (this doesn't really work for the boys I'm afraid, but then again, they're clothing is typically easier to deal with from the beginning.)

• Purchase some items slightly larger. Coats are a good example of an item that should be purchased a tad bigger. The cost of a coat is often pricy, so plan on your child wearing it for at least two years. If you have to, roll the sleeves up the first year. Have you ever noticed that fashion magazines often do this to create a "look" anyway? Pick a basic solid color and your child should be set for any occasion.

• Talk with your children before you shop! This is so important... especially for families with girls. Talk about your shopping goals before you EVER leave the house! Make sure that they have an understanding of your family's policy on modesty (and that Dad is on board!), that they know the budget, and they understand what the goal is for the trip. Discuss before hand if they will be using any of their own allowance or work money to make any purchases and if they will be allowed to make any impulse buys (such as a DARLING pair of earrings that she thinks she can't pass up!). You'll be glad you did this when you're tired near the end of the day and the goal shifts to getting done! Not to mention the fact that we've all heard another mother-daughter duo duke it out in the dressing rooms. We don't want things to get ugly, but rather we want to set an example and shine like jewels before others. 

I'd love to hear additional tips, especially from those who have boys! What does your family do when shopping for clothes that is frugal and helpful?

Beef & Barley Soup

I first had this soup many years ago when a friend hosted a party (it's that good; you can serve it at a gathering!). In the years since, I've made it countless times and never had anyone not like it. Hearty and delicious for a fall evening at home...

Beef & Barley Soup

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
6 C. water
1/4 C. ketchup
28 oz chopped tomatoes (I usually used crushed tomatoes)
8 oz. tomato sauce
2 C. sliced carrots
1 1/2 C. chopped onion
1 1/2 C. chopped celery
1/2 C. chopped bell pepper
1/3 C. barley
garlic to taste
1 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 bay leaves

In a large stock pot, brown meat and drain if needed.

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about an hour or until the vegetables are tender.

Notes:
• Originally this recipe called for beef bouillon, but since I don't use these kinds of products, I just leave it out. You could substitute beef broth for the water if you have any on hand.
• This freezes well if you want to make batches ahead of time.
• You can adjust the vegetables, but the key ingredient is the ketchup, homemade or store bought. Don't skip it!

Enjoy!

Barn Hop #31

Welcome back, friends! Several of you have asked if I plan to continue hosting the monday link up. And for those who missed the post, the answer is YES! The Barn Hop marches on...

But before everyone starts linking up, I'd like to take a moment to let you know something new about one of our own... Kelly Morris from The Morris Tribe, and faithful Homestead Barn Hopper. Before my little announcement about the advertising, we had been cooking up a little intro to her new adventure. (Or rather, she's been hard at work and I had agreed to advertise for her. Then I flaked on her.) But enough about me... I want to shine the spotlight on HER!

TODAY she is launching her new website and video series "A Year On A Homestead" where she will be teaching monthly homesteading skills to help you move towards self sufficiency FAST. Her passion is to help others learn some of the things she has learned and put into practice on her own homestead. Each 20 minute video will run only $1.99 and should be lots of fun! You'll definitely want to hop over to her new site and check out the big debute!

When you're done, don't forget to come back and visit some more homesteads.

Join The Barn Hop!

Jill @ The Prairie Homestead

Kendra @ New Life on a Homestead

Megan @ A Blossoming Homestead

and Amy @ Homestead Revival...

...invite you to link up and share your homesteading adventures!

1. Write a blog post about what's going on at your homestead or a post on something you're learning or an item of interest that will benefit the homesteading community. Be sure to add the red barn button and link back here so others can join in the fun.

2. Come back here and enter your information in the Linky. Please be sure to link to your actual post (click your title and then copy the URL above) and not your home page so those participating later in the week can find your post easily.

3. If you don't have a blog, leave a comment and tell us what's going on at your homestead!

Please Note: As hostesses of the Homestead Barn Hop, please understand that we reserve the right to remove any links that are not family friendly. While this may be subjective, we will err on the side of caution in order to keep our blogs appropriate for all readers. Thank you for your understanding!

Sunday Blessing

"The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;

you hold my lot.

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

You make known to me the path of life; 

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

~ Psalm 16: 5-6, 11

What is the chief end of man?

Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever!

"... I came that they may have life, 

and have it abundantly."

~ Jesus; John 10:10

REAL Flavored Creamers

One of the last things I gave up on my food journey was flavored creamer. I adore a cup of hot coffee with a hint of vanilla nut, or cinnamon, or my all time favorite... peppermint mocha! Such a little tiny treat. Was it really that bad?

I began to notice that the coffee had a metallic taste to it when using the commercial creamer; a taste that I just couldn't ignore. And it seemed I had to use so much just to get the flavor! When I used just plain half and half, I used a fraction of the amount.  Something didn't seem right; red flags were going off in my mind.

Have you ever actually read the ingredient label on commercial flavored creamer? Cream isn't exactly listed. I noticed on one product's website, Coffee-mate, they don't tell you what's in the bottle except on their new line called "Natural Bliss". Good for them that they are getting the message... "We don't want fake food!".  In the Natural Bliss Caramel flavoring they only have "nonfat milk, heavy cream, sugar, natural flavor". Unfortunately, they only offer the caramel, vanilla, and sweet cream, but it's a start!

Another option was to do it the Starbucks way... add my own cream and an Italian syrup. Torani is the most well-known line in this department. The choices in flavors are endless! Let's look at the ingredients on my bottle of hazelnut (their site doesn't list ingredients either)...

"Pure cane sugar, water, natural and artificial flavors, citric acid, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (to preserve freshness), caramel color."

No thank you!

I went back to my half and half and tried to be content. Except during the holidays. I confess that I treated myself to a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Latta every chance I could get. They only have them for a couple of months a year, I reasoned. I needed to get them while I could. But the problem for me is that their coffee has way too much acid for my stomach (I have a hiatal hernia which means coffee is a no-no unless it's low acid). And the cost! The $3+ dollars per treat is a bit over the top when a cup of coffee from home is a fraction of the price. 

Then... a new day dawned!

Nicole at Pinch My Salt had a post last week that led me to Deliciously Organic where Carrie had a list of homemade flavored coffee creamers! (Please visit her site for the actual recipes). Creamers with ingredients like milk, heavy cream, maple syrup, extracts, and real spices! 

{jumping up and down with joy!!!}

So I tried the cinnamon strudel and it tasted like REAL cinnamon strudel, without the metallic aftertaste! It was easy to whip up in a few minutes because it was made with REAL ingredients I keep on hand (except I substituted half and half for the heavy cream the first time I made it because that's what I had; the second time I used the heavy cream and of course, I liked that, too!).

While I didn't do a break down of the cost per serving, despite the OUTRAGEOUS price I paid for the heavy cream, I'm almost 100% sure it was a lot less than $3 per cup including the coffee!

Win, win, win!!!

So for those of you who dearly enjoy a cup of hot flavored coffee on a cold, foggy morning before the sun is completely up (and the kiddos), may you now be able to indulge with only the guilt of a few added calories!

(I'll just exercise 5 minutes more today and live with it).