Summer Reading Programs

Here are a few more FREE summer things to do! Here are 3 summer reading programs that are great to participate in!

Barnes and Noble (grades 1-6 only) - 1. Read any 8 books. 2. Kids use the Summer Reading Journal to tell us their favorite part of each book. A parent/guardian signs it when it's complete. 3. Children bring their completed journal to a Barnes & Nobel Store between May 29th & September 2nd, 2008. 4. We'll give them a coupon for a FREE book! They choose from a list of exceptional paperback titles. **If you don't like the books they have to choose from, donate it to your school library!

Henderson Library (all ages) - Sign up online or in the library. You get cool prizes for reading!

Green Valley Library (youth & teens) - Teen Reading Program or Club Read for kids. Download your reading guide online and earn cool prizes!

Cooking from Storage? Let's Eat!

I just found these great recipes from Emergency Essentials using your food storage items. I haven't tried any yet, so let me know if you do!

Here is one to try: Easy Lasagna Casserole

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cup Freeze Dried Ground Beef*
1/4 Cup Freeze Dried Chopped Onion*
1 3/4 Cup Chunky Salsa Tomato Sauce
1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
2/3 Cup Dehydrated Fat-Free Milk*
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Fat-Free Cream Cheese
1/4 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley Flakes
2 Cup Cooked Medium-Width Noodles
1/2 Cup Plus 1 Tablespoon Freeze Dried Shredded Mozzarella Cheese*
*Reconstitute before using

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Coat a large saucepan with olive oil flavored cooking spray and brown meat and onions in it.
3. Stir in tomato sauce and italian seasoning. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.
4. In a medium saucepan, combine milk, water, and cream cheese. Add garlic and parsley flakes.
5. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until cream cheese melts. Stir in cooked noodles.
6. Pour noodle mixture into 8"x 8" baking dish sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.
7. Spread meat mixture evenly over noodle mixture. Sprinkle mozzarella.
8. Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Food Storage Cooking School "Use It or Lose It"

Utah State University has complied an excellent book concerning food storage called Food Storage Cooking School "Use It or Lose It". Food Storage is broken down into very simple steps that makes food storage seem very possible. There are great recipes at the end of the book so you can use your food storage (now) and not lose it (later). It is a 124 page booklet that you are free to print copies of as long as you site your source. Thanks to Kira and her Greenway Self-Reliant Sisters blog for finding this great book!

Food Storage Shelf Life

What is the shelf life of my food storage?

Recent scientific studies have shown that food stored properly can last for a much longer period of time than previously thought!

Click Here to read more from this insightful article.

(This is taken from an email that I received from Emergency Essentials)

Grocery Savings Every Week!!

Each Tuesday Night I will be posting the best deals* on groceries for the week.

Wal-Mart will price match (most stores) so you do not need to travel all over town to get these special prices. There are some restrictions so talk to Holly or Lisa about all the details.

Just a note - Los Comprades, Mariana's and Super King Ranch Market ads run from Tuesday to Monday. Sunflower Market runs from Wednesday to Wednesday. Other stores from from Wednesday to Tuesday.

*Disclaimer: I am only able to inform us of great deals on things that I normally buys for my family. There may be other great deals in your ad, so please keep an eye out for great prices on the things that you normally buy.

Food Storage on $5.00 a Week

We are going to feature a new weekly Food Storage plan. It is called "A Complete Year's Supply Purchased Within One Year on Five Dollars a Week". However due to increasing high food prices it might be "Ten Dollars a Week" on some weeks. At the end of the year you will have:

500 pounds of wheat
180 pounds of sugar
40 pounds of powdered milk
12 pounds of salt
10 pounds of honey
5 pounds of peanut butter
45 cans of tomato soup
15 cans of cream of mushroom soup
15 cans of cream of chicken soup
24 cans of tuna
21 boxes of macaroni and cheese
500 aspirin
1000 multi-vitamins
6 pounds of yeast
6 pounds of shortening
12 pounds of macaroni

This should be enough to sustain 2 people for 1 year. For every 2 people in your family, add $5.00 more and double or triple the amount of the item you are buying for that week.

I am including a PDF & Excel File* of the entire year (52 weeks) so that you can look ahead and buy items as they go on sale. Hopefully that way we can keep it to $5.00 a week. Each week I will update the sidebar for the new "Item of the Week" to purchase. Holly suggested to add TVP somewhere on this list also.

Some weeks you will have leftover change. Save the change each week in a kitty to be used for the weeks you may exceed $5.00 (for example, as when purchasing wheat or milk)

Just another note... I didn't come up with this plan on my own. Another ward in our Stake started this plan and I thought it would be a great feature on our blog.

*for some reason the excel files uploads with a blank page before the 52 weeks.  Not sure why, but if this bugs you then download the PDF version :)

TVP Tacos

1 1/3 cup TVP
¼ cup Taco Seasoning (1 pkg)
1 (14 oz.) can low sodium beef broth

In a large skillet, heat the broth over medium heat. Add TVP and stir well. Allow the TVP to reconstitute for 2-3 minutes. Add taco seasoning & stir well. Allow to cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve in place of ground beef in your tacos. Garnish tacos with refried beans, sour cream, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, olives and cheese.

Self Reliant Challenges

The "Self-Reliant Challenges" are officially over, but if you would still like to do them and get started on your 72 Hour Kits and Food Storage. Here they are in PDF form.

Self-Reliant Challenges