Starting the New Year off right with your Food Storage

The New Year is a great time to do a full inventory of your Food Storage – especially your rotating day to day storage – to make sure you know what you have. By doing this you’re able to make a list of things you need to get to re-stock everything and start the year with a fully year’s supply of food.

Once a month I glance through our storage areas and make notes of what has been depleted. As a general rule, I buy twice what is needed to replenish used stock. In this way we are constantly growing our supply and adding to the amount of time it can support us.

To start the New Year I did a full inventory and then spent several hours shopping to get full replenishment (and then some) for all the food items we store. Not only do I include the food items, but I include many other things, toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels, batteries, matches, etc.

If your storage isn’t far enough along to be able to just make a list and go buy everything, at least go through what you have and work with your master list to make a list of what you need! Now is the perfect time to make a little effort to make sure you have a list to work from this year. Trust me, there is great satisfaction in looking at a fully crossed off list, and then looking at what you built from it.

With the New Year I thought I might give you more menu ideas.  I always have a hard time planning my menus so this is a big help to me! 

Creating food storage menus is a simple way to help you decide what to store. Consider the counsel to “Gradually build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet until it is sufficient for three months.” (Family Home Storage: A New Message, Ensign, March 2009.)

Below are 90 Food Storage Menu Ideas. Adjust to suit the needs of your family. The x indicates how many times you serve the menu. These menus use a combination of small canned, packaged and long-term foods. Some bread may be stored in your freezer; however it may also be homemade. Menus have homemade spaghetti sauce, AND spaghetti sauce in a jar for times when you need simple preparation or emergency cooking. You decide. Snacks are included as many of us need to eat something between meals. Many of these meals are simple enough for teens or a spouse to prepare. Include a few freezer foods, but don’t depend on your freezer unless you have a generator. Menus that require freezer foods are italicized. Most menus use shelf-stable products.

90 BREAKFAST MENUS3 x Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins, water
3 x Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins, water
6 x Applesauce Spice Muffins, water
12 x Blender wheat pancakes, water
12 x Wheat waffles, butter/syrup milk
24 x Oatmeal w/raisins, water
30 x Cold cereal, powdered milk, water

90 LUNCH MENUS12 x PB & J sandwich, fruit cup, boxed drink or Tang
12 x PB & J sandwich, pears or mandarin oranges, water
12 x Chicken salad sandwich, applesauce cup, water or Gatorade
12 x Tuna sandwich, baked beans or applesauce cup, apple juice or water
6 x Chili w/beans, saltine crackers, water
6 x Tomato soup, saltine crackers, water
6 x Ravioli's, banana chips, water
6 x Spaghettios, saltine crackers, Gatorade
6 x Canned Stew, Ritz crackers, applesauce, milk
6 x Cup o’noodle soup, V8 juice
6 x Macaroni & cheese, fruit cocktail, Gatorade

90 DINNER MENUS
6 x Clam Chowder 19 oz., bread/butter
6 x Chicken Noodle soup 19 oz., bread/butter
6 x Vegetable Soup 19 oz., bread/butter
6 x Chicken, Vegetable, Pasta Soup 19 oz., saltine crackers
6 x Spaghetti w/jar sauce, canned corn, milk
6 x Spaghetti w/homemade sauce, canned green beans, milk
6 x Quick Chili w/corn, Biscuits
3 x Pineapple Chicken*, rice
3 x Italian Pasta Salad*, Biscuits
3 x Chicken & Rice Casserole*, Biscuits
3 x Chicken w/ Egg Noodles and DH peas*, canned corn, milk
3 x Chicken w/ Egg Noodles and DH broccoli*, canned corn, milk
3 x Chicken a la King*, rice, canned green beans
3 x Creamy Chicken*, mashed potatoes
3 x Chicken, Noodles and peas*, canned pears
3 x Teriyaki Pineapple Beef*, rice w/broth
3 x Bisquick Vegetable pot pie*, canned peaches, milk
3 x BBQ Beef Casserole*, canned peaches
3 x BBQ chicken on hamburger buns, canned peaches milk
3 x Sloppy Joe's with canned meat* on hamburger buns, applesauce
3 x Enchilada Casserole w/corn*, canned peaches
3 x Beef Nacho Casserole*, Spanish rice*
3 x Roast gravy w/mashed potatoes, canned green beans, milk

90 SNACK MENUS
18 x Food bar
3 x Pretzels
6 X Fruit snack
6 X Graham crackers
6 X M & M's or taffy
6 X Hot cocoa drink(has milk)
3 X Corn Chips w/homemade salsa
3 X Chips w/refried beans & homemade salsa
12 X Homemade popcorn
3 X Simple Scones*
3 X Caramel Popcorn*
3 X Cake w/frosting
3 X Brownies*
3 X Snicker doodles*
3 X Chocolate Chip Cookies*
3 X Chewy Oatmeal Cookies*
3 X Apple Crisp* w/shelf whip topping
3 X Easy Peach Cobbler*

Here is a simple and easy Quick Beef Chili with Corn recipe made from 100% food storage items. Perfect meal for a fall or winter day. Adapted from "Emergency Food in a Nutshell."

Serves 4 – 6

2 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained OR
3 ½ c. soaked and cooked dry kidney beans
1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (12 oz.) can beef chunks, undrained and broken up
1 ½ c. water
1 c. chunky salsa
½ t. cumin
½ t. chili powder
1 t. sugar

Directions:
1. Combine ingredients in pan and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (I put in a small slow cooker and heated until warm.)