Food Storage Options...Cheap Ones!

Recently I was asked on a forum I frequent how I manage to store food. I responded with the usual "budget your food dollar carefully, etc", but that was not the question...What they (patiently explained) meant was:
"What storage methods do you use that don't break the bank?"
Not everyone can afford to buy #10 cans of wheat and rice or 5 gallon buckets of beans from a friendly internet operation or an LDS cannery. Some folks don't have a food saver sealer and can't afford one.

Well, for a very long time, I have used *found* items to store food in. I recycle almost every container I get!
Pickle jars, Mayo jars, Salad Dressing bottles, 2 liter bottles, buckets from a local bakery, etc.

Although I have explained some of this before, I am going to go over it again for those that haven't been reading my blog for too long.

Two liter soda bottles. They are EVERYWHERE! If your household does not drink soda, ask friends or neighbors to save them for you.
Preparing the bottle:
First, scald out your bottles. Run your house tap water as hot as it will get, or heat up water on the stove until it is too hot to touch. Put about 2 cups of the very hot water in the bottle, shake up the bottle and then pour out water. You may have to do this 2 or 3 times if there is dried soda residue in the bottom of the bottle. Scald the screw on tops as well and set them aside to dry! After you scald out the bottles, drain out all the water from them you can and then set them somewhere to dry. Be patient...drying can take 2 to 4 days, depending on the humidity and temperature.
After bottles are dry, you will need Bay Leaves. These lovely leaves are necessary to prevent an invasion of mites, bug larvae, etc in your stored food. Just buy a few bags or a large bottle of them in the spice section of your local grocery. Dried bay leaves are fairly inexpensive and well worth the investment!
Put one or two bay leaves in the bottle, then commence filling the bottle with what you plan to store. I have used this method to store: Rice, Beans, Flour, Salt (bay leaves not necessary for salt), wheat, instant potato flakes and dried/powdered milk.
A funnel is a good idea. I make my own from poster board or heavy paper so they will fit snugly in the bottle.
Fill the bottle to within about and inch from the top, drop in another one or two bay leaves and then fill all the way to the top and CAP VERY TIGHTLY. You may even want to dip the top of the bottle in melted bees wax to get a complete seal, or tightly wrap some duct tape around the cap to ensure there is no way air or humidity can leak in and ruin your efforts.
Store bottles in a cool dry place.
I have had rice and beans stored this way for 15 years and they tasted just fine!

Ziplock Storage method.
Ziplock bags are a great way to store some foods, especially if you do not have a Food Saver sealing unit.
I normally use the quart size or bigger FREEZER bags as they are sturdy...and sturdy is good, for our purposes.
For flour, again, drop in a couple of bay leaves, put in the amount of flour that can be comfortably stored in the bag that will allow you to close it and seal it.As you seal, make sure you get out as much air as possible. NOW, put that bag inside another one and seal the second bag (I know, I know, seems wasteful to use two bags, but I am overly cautious!) Using duct tape (I loves me some duct tape!) seal the second bag with that.
I also use Ziplock bags to store sugar, pasta, and other dried goods.I usually line a cardboard box with a white unscented trash bag , put my bags in there, fold the trash bag over them and then seal the box up.
Again, store in a cool dry place.

I LOVE all the little *odds and ends* jars I end up with! Pickle and mayo jars, jelly and jam jars...glass jars with good lids are such a good thing!
I store spices in them, homemade mixes for 15 bean soup, my chicken fry breading, my homemade hot chocolate mixes, popcorn (I buy the unpopped old fashioned stuff in a bag), dry pasta, odds and ends of various dry goods when it is too much to toss to the chickens but not quite enough to do anything with. I just add to the jar until it is enough to do something with!
I have a few 1 gallon picle jars that I use to make kim-chi. They work just great!

I get used 5 gallon buckets (for free!) from a local bakery. They even save the lids for me! These are great for bulk food storage of beans, rice and wheat. Most people advocate using dry ice to evacuate the oxygen, but I just never have the transportation or funds to scamper around town looking for dry ice!
I scrub those suckers out very well. First a rinse with scalding water to get any and all food debris out. Then a soapy wash. Then I put in 1/4 cup of bleach and fill to the top with scalding water, let set about 2 hours and then rinse it like crazy with hot water. Finally, I dry it out and let it set overnight to make sure it is dry.
My method is (wait for it...), I get some bay leaves (you knew that was coming, didn't you?), drop 5 or 6 in the bottom of the bucket, fill it halfway with the item I am storing, drop in a few more bay leaves, fill it to the top and drop a few more bay leaves on top. I then put the top on and seal it with (here it comes again!) duct tape.

My main expenses for food storage materials are Bay leaves, Duct Tape and Ziplock Freezer Bags. And the scalding hot water, too, I guess!

Food storage does not require exotic supplies or unlimited funds. Using what you already have access to, you can start and maintain a good food storage system. All these containers will fit quite nicely in the bottom of a closet, under a bed, where-ever, so it doesn't require a massive *food bunker* to have a decent amount of food stored.
Remember to rotate your food storage, too. Store what you eat and eat what you store, people!

Unemployed? Looking for Work?

I see a lot in the news about unemployment and people desperately looking for work.
I have "been there, done that".
I have no magic solution for everyone, but I do have some ideas, some of which worked for me in years past.
So, if you are currently looking for employment, or have family or friends that are, keep reading!
First, if you are in the proper age range and in decent physical shape, check out the military.
ESPECIALLY if you have a college degree! A college degree will put you on the fast track to "officers country". The military can provide you with housing, medical care and many other perks. If you are fluent in more than one language, they will definitely want to speak to you!
I know, I know...a lot of people are whining about "What if I get deployed?" Suck it up. With reward comes some risk!
In the military you can learn skills that will help you in the *civvie* world, get benefits that will help you get more schooling and even help you purchase a home.

If you smoke marijuana or use other drugs, stop 30 days before your physical. Drugs are bad, mmmmmm-kay? You can live without them!

Next option:
Farm Work.
Check out the classifieds on agriculture.com . You can even place an ad on there for free! Other places to look are: Agriseek  ,  AgriCareersInc and Farm&Ranch Jobs .
I quickly scanned ads at all three of those and WOW, some of the pay is darn good! $35k a year may not sound like much....but it includes a house AND utilities! Most farms also include giving the workers a side of beef or a pig every year. So...no housing costs...no utility bills, plus plenty of meat on the table...that makes up for a lot right there!
The work is hard. Cows don't care if it's your birthday, crops don't care when you want to take a day off!
You have to work in all kinds of weather. You may have to move far away (Lots of jobs in the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, etc) If you love bright lights and big cities, you will most likely hate these jobs!
But the perks are amazing....I worked on a cattle branding crew in Montana...and I have to tell you, waking up and saddling a horse as the sun was just casting a few glimmers on the sky, then riding up in the pasture as the sun rose over the mountains....just exhilarating and beautiful! Sitting on the cabin porch at night and listening to coyotes yip on the hillside and seeing the brightest stars ever was incredible!
Yes, I went to bed with sore muscles and cramping hands more than once. But the trade offs were most definitely worth it!

You can also look into property caretaking jobs. You live on site (usually) and are responsible for the care and maintenance of a property for an absent owner, OR sometimes they caretake properties where the owner is in residence, but doesn't want to deal with day to day issues.
Check Caretaking Jobs or the ever popular Caretaker Gazette . There is also Craigslist which you can search, as I have frequently found jobs for caretakers on there.
You need good personal references to be a caretaker! SQUEAKY CLEAN. If you have a criminal record, fuggidaboutit. I have worked as a caretaker, and the reference checks and criminal background checks are VERY thorough. If you pass....the opportunities are amazing...private islands, multi-million dollar country estates, vacation homes in the mountains or luxury apartments in the city. OR...dude ranches out west, secluded island home off the coast of Alaska (a job I almost took once!), *hobby* farms in the northeast. You have to be able to put up with what I consider *spoiled* people and very demanding owners. They may call at 2 a.m. and say they are on the way...could you please make all the beds in the house and set out a small buffet for a breakfast at 6 a.m? Oh...and while you are at it, be a dear and make sure there are fresh cut flowers in the foyer and dining room. Yes, they CAN be like that.
Another way is to contact local real estate companies and banks and let them know of your availability to caretake empty homes. With all the foreclosures going on, empty properties are being vandalized, etc. and banks are willing to pay for someone to live in some of the higher-ticket properties to keep them safe. You have to be willing to live with almost no privacy as showings can happen at any time! You also need to be able to pick up and move immediately if a sale happens!

Other income opportunites are out there...
If you love to cook and bake (and you are good at it), consider cooking for busy working families. Put up ads at Daycare centers, Lamaze classes, gynecologists offices, etc.(Wouldn't it have been nice to come home from the hospital with a new baby and had a couple dozen meals in the freezer ready to be microwaved?)

If you are *handy* with basic home repairs, advertise on Craigslist locally, or place ads up at local Senior Centers advertising yourself for "Honey-Do" repair and maintenance jobs.

Do you sew, knit, crochet, quilt?  Do you do food prep for storage?
People pay other people to do these things or to teach them how to do these things.

Look at your talents...look at your skills.
You are NOT in a corner...you can work your way out of there...look at yourself and your knowledge and skills. Assess them. Look at jobs that may not fit *precisely* with what you want to do.
Good luck and keep trying!

Still on the health kick here!

So, I cornered the fella and the kids last night and forced them to watch Chow Down on Hulu.
Then we had a family discussion.
The fella said he could give up anything EXCEPT: Real Butter and Salt.
Girl said she could give up everything except: Red Meat and Candy.
Boy said he would eat more salads, but wouldn't give up : Red Meat and Salt and Butter.
...sigh....
See what I am up against?
I have my weaknesses as well. Mine are bread and my beloved Dr. Pepper.
Soooo...no soda for me and we have finished up (last night) the last delicious loaf of crusty home baked bread. I used it to make meatball subs.
Since everyone prefers butter and I absolutely HATE nasty margarine (seriously, it is worse for your health than butter in equal amounts!), we will continue to use real butter.
I am real cautious with salt in my cooking, so I will try to stealthily banish the salt shaker from the table.
Red meat? Well, last night the meatball subs I made were (DON'T TELL THE KIDS!) 1/3 actual lean ground chuck. The other 2/3rds? Tofu, bread crumbs, an egg, chopped onion and celery and grated carrots!
And the fella and the kids LOVED them! (Sneaky sneaky me!)
I baked the meatballs (no fried food is the first major change here!), then soaked and simmered them in a lovely tomato sauce spiced with garlic, oregano, a bit of basil and a touch of cloves.Had a big salad with the subs.
Because I am a "leftover queen" as the fella says, tonight we will have duck wraps and a Korean soba noodle soup.
I have a duck carcass left over from Christmas that I wrapped up and put in the freezer. Took it out this morning and tossed it in the stockpot along with chopped celery, onion and garlic.Later, after it has simmered for a few hours, I will strain out the solids and have a beautiful soup stock to start my soup with. I will pick out the meat and bones, discard the bones and save the meat for my wraps.
Into the stock will go sliced leeks, sliced carrots and soba noodles. I will whirl the cooked celery, garlic and onion in a blender and stir that into the stock, along with some red bean paste and a touch of sesame oil.
The wraps will have duck meat, lettuce, green onion and avocado and a dressing I will make.
I am making the wraps this morning---whole wheat, so I won't have to deal with trying to make them at dinner time.
Here's the recipe I use:

Ingredients

• 4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup warm water

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking powder. Pour in water; stir to combine. Mix in additional water in 1 tablespoon increments, until a soft pliable dough is formed.
2. Knead briefly on a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
3. Flour each ball well, place between two pieces of wax paper and roll out to desired size and thickness.
4. Heat an ungreased skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Peel away wax paper and grill rounds until brown flecks appear underneath. Turn and cook other side. Serve warm or cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.