• With addition of a little meat, dairy, eggs, and produce, living basically off food storage is comfortable and healthful, e.g. great home-made bread. Huge amounts can be saved on the cost of groceries.

• Some suggest stocking up on the foods you ordinarily eat, to be sure you will use it. Other than a minimum supply, that approach is expensive, takes large amounts of space, and mostly won’t keep.

• Many items, except wheat, are cheaper in stores than the Church storehouse. Bulk stores and Costco have economical restaurant-size packages of food, spices, etc. Use “Short Term Storage” food continuously, to rotate it on a regular basis. Update with periodic inventories.

• Even if conditions get really bad, there no doubt will be some food available—it will just be limited and extremely expensive. So if you run out of something it should be obtainable.

• Plan to limit breakfast to a simple rotation such as pancakes and several hot cereals, with accessories to make them good. Have a similar approach for lunch and dinner, with great home-made bread at most meals.

• Powdered milk [0.8lb:1gal.] is the most expensive item. Some don’t use milk at all [and it isn’t good for you], so get a limited supply. You can augment it with cocoa mix to drink and milk substitute for cooking.

• Pancake mix is versatile, with eggs and milk already in it, so it’s good to stock plenty. Add up to 50% whole wheat flour or buckwheat, to make it more healthful and to stretch it. Bisquick is just a rip-off.

• White flour lasts at least 7 years, and it can be thrown out and replaced, if unused, as it’s not expensive [though getting more so]. 50% flour, 50% fresh-ground wheat makes a great bread, and saves some grinding.

• The Church has a brochure on an electric and a manual grinder. A blender will work in a pinch. Simple bread can be made by sprouting wheat [no grinding] and combining with 50% flour.

• For personal comfort, soak beans overnight then pour off the water. Beans can be sprouted, as can grains.

• Water can be stored in empty heavy-plastic juice bottles. If stored on a concrete floor it may taste bad. Tap water is generally chlorinated, for purity, which is good. Hot water tanks are an emergency supply source.

• Sea salt is actually good for you—real sea salt. It is brown, grey, pink, or black, and full of minerals.

• Food not stored properly can spoil, be contaminated, or become inedible from the container or liner. To maximize storage time, reduce temperature, humidity, air, and light. Pack food down. The Church has packets to absorb oxygen, or get dry ice.

• Food-grade containers are polycarbonate, polyester, or polyethylene [most common]. Bakeries have them, if you can talk them into saving some. Five gallon paint buckets, cleaned, make good storage containers [check for “HDPE” on the bottom]. In a pinch, 25 lb bags of wheat can be wrapped in individual plastic bags and placed in large plastic tubs. These tubs will hold four.

• The Church provides mylar bags or #10 cans, and the equipment for dry packing. With lids, it costs about 70 cents per can, which gets a little expensive!—almost more for the cans than for some foods.

• Also needed is a supply of non-food items, and some provision for staying warm and cooking if power goes out. [Non-vented space heaters can kill, so be careful.] A thermos can be used to cook grains, by adding boiling water to the grain and allowing to stand overnight, with the thermos on its side.

• Hopefully this info is helpful. Passports to Survival, by Dickey, is a little bizarre, but a good resource. Utah State University Extension Service has info. The LDS website, providentliving.org, has little info. It is frustrating to try to do as counseled and find no information on a subject that has been emphasized, for many years. Making the Best of Basics, by James Stevens, has a lot of info on a lot of topics, but it claims 3 lbs of dry food is required per adult per day [4800 calories!]. Read The China Study, by Campbell.

Sources [Based on best prices. Also check these stores for other items, and comparison shop carefully.]

LDS Storehouse [253.852.8552]: Wheat, Oatmeal, Dry milk, Cocoa mix, Beans, Sugar, Spaghetti.

Cash&Carry [Bulk Store]: Beans, Rice, Sugar, Pancake mix, Olive oil, Spices [large], Bouillon, Dry Potatoes, Canned goods, Vanilla, Flavorings, Sea Salt, Yeast, B. Powder, B. Soda.

Costco: Rice, Pancake mix, Peanut butter, Ramen, Canned goods [#10], Honey, Catsup, Mustard, Spices.

Dollar Store or Big Lots: Syrup, Bottled Juices, Jam, Oil, Vanilla, Catsup, Mustard, Cookies.

Honeyville Foods [Online or 888.810.3212]: TVP [$63/50lb], Dry Eggs [$20/can=7doz], Dry Milk Substitute [$57/25lb]. $5 shipping on any purchase.

Sea Salt Superstore [seasaltsuperstore.com]: Salt [$2.00/lb].

Wisemen Trading [Online or 888-891-8411]: Marga manual wheat grinder [$77.50 delivered].

LDS Storehouse Prices [3/08]

Sample Meals and Recipes [Really basic! Breakfast and lunch from food storage are O.K.; dinners are, well, edible. Water, Cocoa, Powdered drink, or Lemonade for beverages. Bread or toast with most meals.]

Whole Wheat Bread [TJ’s recipe]

4½ c very warm water, 2 tbsp yeast, ½c sweetener (honey, molasses, or sugar), 1 tbsp salt, ¼c oil (optional), 9-11c fresh whole wheat flour [or substitute part white flour or other grains].

Mix water, yeast, and sweetener. Let stand 5 minutes, and add salt, oil, and 6 cups flour. Knead thoroughly for 10 min., or pound or mix for 5 minutes, adding flour until dough is not sticky. Shape into four loaves and place in greased bread pans. Slice ¼” deep along each side. Keep warm, covered with a damp towel, and let rise 1 hour. Bake at 350° ±40 min. Remove from pans to cool. Lightly coat with butter and cover with a damp cloth to cool if a soft crust is desired.

Sourdough Starter [Useful if baking bread regularly, and also good for pancakes and other recipes.]

Mix ½c whole wheat flour, 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar, and ½c water. Use nothing metal. Cover, but do not seal, keep warm, and stir twice a day for 5 days, then feed with ½c water, ½c flour, and 1 tsp honey or sugar, well mixed. Cover and keep warm 1 more day. When lots of bubbles and foam develop, the starter is ready. Mix well before using or feeding. Use half in recipes, and feed the remaining half as above. Keep refrigerated to store. If the starter is not used for 10 days, stir in 1 tsp sweetener. To delete the sour tste, if desired, mix ½ tsp baking soda in the dough.

Biscuits

2c flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar, 1/3c shortening, oil, or mayo, 2/3-1c milk or water. Mix dry ingredients, cut in shortening, stir in milk, knead well. Roll out 2”x ½” biscuits. Bake 13-20 min. @ 375°.

Pancakes

1c whole wheat flour. 1 egg, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp B. powder, ½ tsp salt,1 tbsp B. sugar or honey, ¾c milk, or

½-¾c pancake mix, ½-¼c wheat flour, oatmeal, sourdough, or buckwheat, 1 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp vanilla, ¼ tsp b. powder. Add minimum water, minimum stirring.

Cornbread

Stir 2c boiling water into 1c flour and 1c cornmeal. Stir in 2 tbsp shortening or oil and 2 tbsp honey. Cool 20 min. Stir in 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp b. powder. Shape in balls and bake in a muffin tin 20-25 min. @ 400°.

Tortillas

4c flour or cornmeal, ½c shortening or oil, 1 tsp salt, 1c warm water.

Mix 2c flour or cornmeal, all the shortening or oil, and salt until the mixture has the consistency of small crumbles. Add the water [Mixture will be sticky]. Add flour and knead until dough is pliable and springy [May not need all the flour]. Let stand covered for at least an hour. Form balls, roll out thin, and cook on a skillet over medium heat until brown spots form. Corn tortillas may be baked crisp and broken into chips.

Pizza

3c flour [preferably sourdough], 1c warm water, ¾ tsp yeast, 1/8c sugar, 1 tsp salt. 1c tomato sauce, 1c TVP, 1 tbsp “Sausage” Spice Mix [below], ½ tsp oregano and basil, 1 tbsp cornmeal, Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, other toppings.

Add water, yeast, sugar, and salt to mixing bowl and let sit 10 minutes till it bubbles. Gradually mix in flour until dough can be kneaded, and knead well until smooth. Let rise 30-60 min. [Preferably leave 24 hours in refrigerator.] Pre-heat oven to 500° degrees. Press out dough. Sprinkle corn meal onto pan and place dough. Spread TVP sauce and other spices onto dough. Sprinkle cheese, and add toppings as desired. Bake 8-12 minutes until fully cooked.

Sausage Spice Mix

[Pre-make a supply of mix, using any or all of these spices, for pizza, pasta, etc. To use, marinate 1c TVP in 1c tomato sauce and 1c water, 1 tbsp spice mix, ½ tsp salt, and [optional] ¼c honey, 2 tbsp olive oil, ½ tbsp vinegar or lemon juice. Add red and cayenne pepper as desired. TVP soaks up the liquid.]

Italian Dip [For bread, as a substitute for butter]

1 cup olive or grapeseed oil, 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar [optional], clove minced garlic [if you insist], 1½ tbsp basil, 1 tbsp oregano, 1 tsp thyme, 1½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, red pepper to taste. Refrigerate 8 hours.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Mix 2c sugar, ½c milk, ½c margarine, shortening or oil, ¼ tsp salt, and bring to boil. Add 1 tbsp vanilla, 1c P.B., 3c rolled oats, [coconut if desired], stir thoroughly, form into cookies, and allow to cool.

Wacky Cake [A great cake, with no eggs or milk]

Mix, in a baking pan, 3c flour, 2c sugar, 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt. Make 3 wells in the mixture and add 2 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp vinegar, 2/3c vegetable oil. Pour in 2c cold water and stir. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350°, or until it springs back when touched lightly.

Ginger Ale and Root Beer

Sample Commercial Food Storage System [$750 from Emergency Essentials® Orem UT]

This is provided as a comparison, or a way to go for those with more money than time, who don’t care to put their own food storage plan together. All are in #10 cans. It would not seem to be even close to one year’s supply [e.g. 140lb of wheat products and 14lb of rice], so additional items are not only a good idea, but even necessary.

Sample Food Storage Program for two [This is not necessarily a recommendation, just an example. It exceeds one year. Indicated prices are going up fast.]
Basic Food Supply [Subject to partial *substitutions below]

Tot: 865lb, $500

Basic Food Accessories [To make Basic Foods palatable]

Tot: $200+

Basic Food Additions and *Substitutions

Tot: 400+lb, $325