what's for dinner?

this question is bad enough present day when we have all the resources we could possibly need to make a great meal for our families. imagine how you will dread this same question if there comes a time when you are relying solely on your own food storage and preparedness items! scary thought, but it doesn't have to be!

my ward had such a great enrichment last night! it was all about food storage and cooking methods. we were asked to each bring a dish for everyone to sample that was made using food storage items. I was surprised how delicious all the food was! I got lots of great new ideas/recipes for how to use/rotate my food.

I shared ideas about bottling butter, ground beef, chicken, pork, etc. and also sealing in jars other items (dried fruit, dry pasta, chocolate chips, granola bars...endless possibilities!) that don't require a pressure canner, just a Food Saver jar saver attachment. it's so great to have these foods on a shelf, ready to use for years-- no refrigeration required.

I also demonstrated my new favorite emergency item--my sun oven. if the sun is shining, which it mostly is here in CA, then you can cook almost anything! I've made rice, oatmeal, pinto beans, banana bread, whole wheat bread, beef stew, cracked wheat cereal, and I plan to experiment with a lot more. the sun oven is like having an outdoor crockpot. the temperature can only reach about 325*, so everything takes about twice as long to cook. that's okay, because you're not wasting a ton of precious fuel, propane, wood, charcoal, etc. just to get a pot of water boiling! it's so easy to use and there are so many great reasons to have one. I highly recommend getting one...or two!

I baked this loaf of wheat bread in the round roaster that came with my sun oven using just the sunshine as a heat source! amazing! it was delicious. thanks Melinda, for sharing your awesome recipe with me.

what are your favorite food storage/emergency preparedness items or tips? please comment...