April 2011

Okay sisters, I am not very good at this. I know I need to be better, please forgive me. I get really excited about doing things, and then I revert back to what I was doing before. It's kind of like going on a diet. You are full of good intentions, but they don't always last! Anyway, I will try to do better.

First off, here's some information from the cannery that we were asked to pass along.

1-POUCHES...when using the mylar pouches you MUST USE A PROFESSIONAL POUCH SEALER!!! Contrary to the internet which state you may use an iron or a food saver/seal a meal machine to seal the pouches, this is incorrect. The pouches are too thick for a true seal to happen when not using a POUCH SEALER like the ones we loan out at the cannery. We don't want to waste the product we purchase by bugs getting inside or the product going rancid because of an improper seal. Often times the seal looks good but may have microscopic holes in it.

2-Sometimes some of the products have a TIN/METAL flavor and smell when you open the cans. This happens most often with oats, flour and milk. DON'T THROW THE PRODUCT AWAY! Open the can and allow the product to AIR OUT for 3-4 days. I always give it a stir when I walk by the opened can. 99% of the time the flavor goes away. I also suggest putting the open product in another container if you want.

3-The WET PACK ONLY will be closed June and July for some electrical improvements. The HOME STORAGE CENTER/DRYPACK CANNERY WILL BE OPEN FOR BUSINESS IN JUNE AND JULY!

May 24, is the dry pack day. Orders are due by May 1. Please note that some of the pricing has changed and I have a current price list/order form if you need one.

There are only 6 more classes at the cannery before the summer break. They are on Monday mornings at the wet pack cannery from 9:30 to 11:00.

Women's conference is on May 7, 9-4. Sister Ellen Burgoyne, our stake preparedness leader, will be teaching a class on a 3 month supply. She is only teaching it once, so if you are interested in that particular one, be sure to set aside that time frame for it. It is supposed to be at 1:00 in the Nursery Room.

I am working on starting a monthly preparedness class. I would like to teach it one night and one day each month so that people can attend according to their schedule. As soon as I resolve some personal time conflicts, I will post that schedule so you can mark your calendars.

I may not have all the answers, but if you have any questions, ask them. If I don't know, I will find out. As always, you can contact me by phone 480-292-4128 or email jedandtraci@yahoo.com

Thanks,

Traci

The class at the cannery this week was on Breakfast. It was a great class and we got to try a lot of different things. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun. This next week is about using yeast. She said that she is going to demonstrate bread and a fast and easy recipe for cinnamon rolls! YUMMY!!! The class is Monday from 9:30 to 11:00 am. I am happy to take anyone who wants to go. I have room for 6 more! Call me 480-292-4128

As I sent a questionaire around Relief Society to find out what people want to learn about, I thought I would get a great variety of responses. I was wrong. There was a couple different things mentioned, but one thing was mentioned the most. Building and using your food supply. There were a lot of variations in that same subject, but that's what it all boiled down to. So, I am really excited to help with this.

To start with, I want to ask you all to do a homework project. I want you to write down the things you like to eat. Four different columns labeled: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snacks.
After you list as much as you can, try to come up with a menu plan based on these things. Whether it be a 1 week, 2 week, or month, it doesn't matter. I like to leave 1 day a week for leftovers, and 1 day a week to try something new or eat out. So, when I work on my menus, I have breakfast, lunch and snacks for 7 days in the week, but dinners for 5.

When you have your menu plan, multiply it to get to one month. Then work on getting things into your storage to fulfill those menus for the month. Then, up it to two months and then to three. It makes no sense to put something in your storage that you don't eat, even if it is good for you. This is how to get your three month supply. Remember the poem: Store what you eat, eat what you store! Using this plan, it doesn't matter whether you are a single person or a family of ten. This method works for everyone!

Long term storage is different than short term. I'll talk more on that next week!

Cannery Class

This next week's class is a cooking class. The subject is cooking with baking powder and baking soda. Class is at the cannery from 9:30-11:00am on Monday the 14th.

What do you need help with?

Just starting out with this calling. It has quite a large scope of things we can cover for preparedness. Whether it be temporal, mental, physical or spiritual there's about a million things we can talk about. I would like to know in what areas there is the most need or desire to pursue. Please leave a comment about what you would like to focus on with "Preparedness" in mind.

Just a few things to remember. There is a class being taught at the cannery on Mondays from 9:30 to 11:00. The course follows the church pamphlet "All is safely gathered in". Next week is on Finance. If you need a ride, let me know. I will try to update the blog with info from each class, and I will have any handouts from the class available at church. Also, look for more info on dry pack coming soon.

This last class was on building and using a 3 month supply. If you do not have your supply at this time, I encourage you to work on it. It can be done a little at a time. If you need to buy peanut butter, pick up an extra jar. Or, if you find something on sale and you use it all the time, pick up some extra. Before long, you will have the supply you need. Points to remember: Store what you eat, and eat what you store. No sense in buying canned peas if you won't eat them, no matter how good a deal they are! In class this last week, they stressed that Menu Planning is a key factor in building your supply. I encourage all of you to start with menu planning, and see how fast a 3 month supply becomes a reality!!!

My favorite website for shopping is www.pinchingyourpennies.com They do all the hard work. They find all the sales, and also the coupons. They let you know if it's a good deal or a great deal. If you have some time, go browse around their site and have fun.

Let me know if you have any questions. You can comment on the blog, email me, facebook me, or call me. I will look into creating a group for preparedness on facebook as well. Look for it soon.

Traci Tolman

jedandtraci@yahoo.com

480-292-4128