Self Reliance Tip # 7...What to do With All This Wheat?

Hello Hello Hello :)


A question I get a lot is: "So, I have all this wheat...what do I do with it?"


Well, I was talking with my friend Marie the other day. She told me that a few years ago her grandparents served a mission in Adam-ondi-ahman. They decided as a couple that they were going to eat SUPER healthy. They made cracked wheat cereal, whole wheat bread, etc etc. They were so happy to be eating healthy...until...about a week into it, for the sake of the squeamish lets just say that her grandfather had some SERIOUS digestive trouble.


Poor Marie...she didn't know why in the world he was sharing this information with her. Well, Marie, it is because our "Tip-of-the-week" readers needed something to...chew on.


One of the big mistakes that Grandma & Grandpa made was that this much wheat is not something they normally eat. Their digestive systems weren't ready for all that. Our society is beginning to see many food allergies to wheat, soy, eggs, milk etc. I won't get into the hows and whys now, but if we HAVE to eat things that we aren't used to eating, some tummies might not be ready for that. So...lets plan ahead.


Suggestion #1: Plan several meals that you usually eat and have those items on hand...say, 3 months worth :).


Suggestion #2: Have at least one meal a week that is strictly food storage items. Pancakes are a good start :).


If you're going to be making Whole Wheat Bread, it is a good idea to also get "vital wheat gluten" found currently in the "emergency food isle" at Walmart. After many tries and failures, Sister Noelle told me that her husband uses the "vital wheat gluten" and 2 T to my 2 loaf batch turned out awesome!!! Thanks Noelle!


What if you have allergies to wheat? What if you want to cut gluten down in the things you currently eat in an effort to avoid gluten intolerance later? I have a tool for you! Check out Chef Brad


http://www.chefbrad.com/grain/articles.php?article=Wonder-Flour&qid=5

He has a natural "white flour" recipe and a gluten free flour recipe. I haven't tried them yet, but I'll let you know when I do.


And another thing....


While many are working this month on getting a hand crank wheat grinder, when you are first beginning to work with wheat use 1/4 wheat flour to 3/4 white flour. Then work it up to 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white etc. You can usually get about 1 1/2 C of flour out of 1 C of wheat berries.


I can get 6 bags of unbleached flour in a 5 gallon bucket from Walmart. The total cost for that is about $23. If you can find the flour for cheaper somewhere else GO FOR IT! I put a few bay leaves on top because WEAVLES hate bay leaves...and peppermint leaves...and lavender leaves or about 4 oxygen absorbers. You can get these at the cannery by calling Brother Estes @ 651-4681!

Pure Love of Christ

"The pure love of Christ is expressed as we give selfless service. Helping one another is a sanctifying experience which exalts the receiver and humbles the giver. It helps us become true disciples of Christ."

Silvia H. Allred "Essance of Discipleship", April Conference 2011

"Dear to the heart of the Shepherd" hymn #221

John 13:35

Information about the Church Cannery

Hello you little tamales!!


I wanted to get some information to you about the church cannery. There were some things I learned this week that I think you might find interesting.


Last week I received an email from "LDS Living Magazine" that the commodities (that usually rise annually), have risen in this month since January's adjustment. The prices have risen 11% to 49% with wheat being the highest rise. This is meant for information purposes only. A 25 pound bag of wheat is still inexpensive: $11.45, however, I do not know when they will be adjusting prices again.


So, for those of us (including me until this morning) who are unfamiliar with the workings of the cannery details will be able to order with confidence and have no fear in making full use of this awesome tool, here ya go:


This is a link from the Church's website to the updated order form. If you cannot print it and you want a copy, visit me (Marsha) or Sister Loi Gibbs' - we will give you a copy for only $19.95...just kidding.


http://providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/123091_BSS_HCS_OrderForm_Mar_2011_US_ENG_pdf.pdf


OK - so how to order.
1. Decide what you want
2. Fill out the order form
3. Get your form to Sister Gibbs by the 23rd of the month. (So, in todays case, if you wanted to order something, get it to her by this Saturday).
4. In about 4 weeks your order is shipped and arrives at the cannery. Sister Gibbs will call you when it gets there for you to pick up.
5. Pick up your order
6. Call brother Lonnie Estes @ 651-4681 and schedule a time to come and can. Safford stake has Wednesday afternoons and Saturdays reserved at the cannery. The last time I was there, it went really quickly, he is a very efficient helper and very nice.


If you don't want to go by yourself, give me a call and we'll work out a time for others to be there too. Old Chinese proverb say: "Many hands make light work."


For Plannning Purposes:
It takes about 5 pounds of wheat/ beans/ rice per #10 can. So you would be using about 5 cans for a 25 pound bag of wheat/beans/rice etc.
You do not need to order cans, lids or oxygen absorbers on your order sheet. Those are already at the cannery. For all three of those items plan on $1.16 per set.
You can also order boxes that fit [ 6 ] #10 cans for .95 cents each. I am finding that all these cans don't stack on each other too well. I plan on getting some boxes for cans I already have.


When I spoke with Brother Lonnie Estes this morning he said that the best LOCAL places to get beans is at:
Eastern Arizona Ag in Thatcher aka the Case dealer (right across the street from EA Glass). He said they are clean and fresh. The beans from the Church are going to be a year or so old.
Thriftee
Kansas Settlement near Willcox - here is a link to directions on how to get there. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=kansas+settlement+willcox&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Kansas+Settlement,+Willcox,+AZ&gl=us&ei=6WSwTbfzDuXiiAKFrcWvBg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBwQ8gEwAA
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! YOU ARE AMAZING!
Marsha

Stake Conference

This is a reminder that this weekend is stake Conference.
Saturday
Priesthood - 4p.m.
Adult Meeting - 7 p.m.
Sunday
Special Meeting for new converts - 8:30 a.m. at the Mt. Graham Chapel
Session for everyone - 10:00 a.m.

Remember the overflow will be held at the Safford Center For The Arts. (next to Safford High School)

Hold On

"If ever you are tempted to become discouraged or to lose faith, remember those faithful Saints who remained true in Kirtland. Hold on a little longer. You can do this! You are part of a special generation. You were prepared and preserved to live at this important time in the existence of our beautiful planet earth. You have a celestial pedigree and therefore have all the necessary talents to make your life an eternal success story."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf "Hold on a little longer", Ensign, January 2010

The Iron Rod Hymn # 274

1 Corintians 2:9

Living in the Present

" Sometimes we let our thoughts of tomorrow take up too much of today. Daydreaming of the past and longing for the future may provide comfort but will not take the place of living in the present. This is the day of our opportunity, and we must grasp it."

Thomas S. Monson "Treasure of Eternal Value", Liahona, April 2008

"Today While the Sun Shines" Hymn # 229

D&C 64: 23-25, 33

Self Reliance tip # 6 What about Bob.... I Mean Butter!!!

What about butter? Its like...buuutta....Did you ever see the movie "What About Bob?" Sometimes, I think that's how butter feels. The BOTULISM scare.


Butter, always left out of long term storage...poor thing. If you do a search on the internet you will find all kinds of information about "Its Good", "Its Bad", "The FDA says this...", "The Department of Agriculture says that", "I have an Aunt that's been doing it for years...." etc etc etc.


But what if...???


Have you ever seen canned butter at the grocery store? If you do find it, it is like MEGGA expensive...I'm talkin' like $7 for 8 oz. Who's gonna wanna rotate that?


I have never had problems with the butter I have canned. I have canned my own butter for a few years, but still was a little nervous because of the information I had read. Well, this site answered many questions for me so that I could can butter with confidence and let Bob...I mean butter affordably become part of my storage without having a cow (a cow over the store's price or literally have an animal called a cow :) ). When you can your own butter, it is more like $3.50 for 16 oz. That includes a new jar. If you use it over and over, it becomes less and less. If you get the butter on sale...ta da!!

http://preparednesspro.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/to-bottle-or-not-to-bottle-butter/

When I make mine, I don't boil the butter. I melt it, put it in clean sterile jars and then hot water bath it for 30 min. The taste is a little bit different than fresh butter...more of a sharp taste, like cheddar.


An alternative is also this...I have heard great reports about this, but haven't tried it myself.
http://www.shelfreliance.com/butter-powder-1.html

I Can't Believe It's Food Storage

Good Morning Sol-o-mon!!!!


I hope you're enjoying our tips! Please let me know if there is something you'd like to learn about or tips you would like to share with all of us!!


Sometimes our (Sister Brandi, Sister Leiah, Sister Amanda and myself) greatest challenge is knowing how to help the vast levels of preparedness that each sister is at. We are also personally working at different paces getting our own homes in order. It can seem overwhelming, undaunting, and ultimately undo-able at times. When/ If you begin to feel that way, take a step back, take a breath in and let it out. Sit Indian style and say, "Llama, llama, llama...." ok, not really, but... Discouragement is one of Satan's greatest tools. Heavenly Father has so many tools available to us. I'm going to share one of those tools with you.


A book was introduced to me by my friend Peggy:


"I Can't Believe Its Food Storage" By Crystal Godfrey


This is what it looks like:
http://www.amazon.com/Cant-Believe-Its-Food-Storage/dp/1935217178


Crystal gives step-by-step helps for getting started, Family Home Evening ideas on involving your families in the importance of self-reliance, recipes, her own "aha" moment when she finally "got it" - and so much more.


I have personally tried the carrot cake and it was AWESOME.

Feta Cheese From Powdered Milk Recipe

Feta Cheese Recipe


3 C powdered milk
6 C water
1 C vinegar
1 tsp salt


Combine powdered milk and water. Wisk well. Slowly warm to 120 degrees. Remove from heat. Stir in vinegar. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Milk will separate into curds and whey. In a large bowl set a pasta strainer and line with flour sack towel or cheese cloth and let strain. Place curd in a medium sized bowl and add salt. Use wisk break up curd and to mix salt well. Use as you would feta, ricotta or cottage cheese (it works great for lasagna!!!).

Just a Reminder...

This is just a reminder about how AWESOME you are!!!

Self Reliance Tip #5 Every Needful Thing... Even Eggs

(Please read my update on wax dipping eggs found here Tip #21 on August 5, 2011: http://www.solomonvillereliefsociety.blogspot.com/search/label/self%20reliance?updated-max=2011-09-20T15:39:00-07:00&max-results=20&start=46&by-date=false)

Top O' the Mornin' to ya all my little Irish girls!!!

This week's tip is so SO so neat! A few months ago we had a Relief Society lesson on "Preparing Every Needful Thing". One of the points was a shelter.

President Julie Beck of the Relief Society General Presidency gave this talk April 2010 for a leadership training meeting. Please, please take the time to watch this 5 minute video. There is so much peace and wisdom in her words.

If you are running short on time, here is the short version, but please come back to this email and watch the video when time permits for you.

This piece of her talk was taken from the blog GottaWannaNeedaGettaPrepared.blogspot.com
http://gottawannaneedagettaprepared.blogspot.com/2011/01/own-tent-says-julie-beck.html

"I have a sense and a feeling as we have watched some of these disasters in the world, that this is a time for us to learn and prepare from these experiences. Sister Thompson gave an testimony of that, and the preparation happens in our own homes. There are not enough tents in the world to furnish every person with a tent unless the members of the church have a tent in their own homes...a simple thing like that. And then the storehouse is pressed down, heaped over and running over in our own homes.

Those are the kind of the things we need to be thinking about in our day and time, the Lord expects us to do our little part and then He can bring on the miracles and then we don't need to fear."

Spiritual preparedness is just as necessary (if not more so than) as temporal preparedness! If you have trouble getting the video to load, follow this link and scroll down and open the video "self reliance" directly from the church's website.
http://lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,8731-1,00.html

And Another Thing.....
What are your thoughts on egg storage? The best way to have eggs is fresh from chickens. Have you thought about it? Some of our sisters cannot do the chicken thing. You could do powdered eggs...but what if????

My brother-in-law's Uncle Jimmy (everyone has one :) ) was stationed in a kitchen on a naval ship during WWII. They would be at sea for months at a time without refrigeration. Eggs were kept fresh by having them dipped in beeswax and kept from light.

Well, I've been experimenting for close to a year and this is what I've found.... it works. If you seal the eggs from air, they stay good.

I had two sets of several dozen eggs dipped in beeswax. One set was totally set away from light in a plastic storage bin, the others were stored in a plastic storage bin under my bedroom window. I did these last September. One thing about eggs...you know RIGHT away if they're bad.

With the eggs under the window, one out of three were bad. None had gone bad in the ones hidden from light.

What if you don't want to mess with the wax? Come on...you can scrape it off and make a candle :) Seriously though, my sister has done the same thing with mineral oil. Make sure the eggs are dry, apply mineral oil to a paper towel and make sure you cover the egg completely with the oil - if any egg pores are left uncovered, oxygen will seep in allowing the eggs to go bad. Keep in a cool dark place. Eggs can last for a few years stored correctly. Uncle Jimmy said up to five years. Everybody needs an Uncle Jimmy.

Until next time...my little lassies!
Marsha

Self Reliance Tip #4 Vegetable Fermentation?

I am so SO so proud of all of you ladies. I have received many reports that more and more of our sisters are bumping up their efforts to become more self reliant!!! You will thank yourself and Heavenly Father over and over that you obeyed!!


In General Conference 1974 President Spencer W. Kimball said:


The little gardens and a few trees are very valuable. I remember when the sisters used to say, `well, but we could buy it at the store a lot cheaper than we could put it up.' But that isn't quite the answer, is it, Sister Spafford? Because there will become a time when there isn't a store.”


[please insert your name for "Sister Spafford" because she isn't the only one :) He really said Sister Spafford, I promise! ]


So what does that have to do with the price of cabbage?


Well, today we'll be taking about fermentation of fruits and vegetables. You may be thinking "Well, Sister Petitt, didn't we just have a lesson on the dangers of strong drink and other Word of Wisdom points?"


When fruits and vegetables are mashed and jarred on the counter for a few days (it is called lacto-fermentation) it is more of a vinegar flavor like sauerkraut. It is a way of preserving goodies from your garden. You get the full benefits of the vitamins, minerals and enzymes without high heat and pressure. Soy sauce is lacto-fermented. Pickles and sauerkraut used to be made this way. Now they just add vinegar to them and ship them out. ITS JUST NOT THE SAME GINA!!!


Other benefits include: easier digestion, promotes the growth of the good bacteria in your intestines (which in turn builds your immune system), the enzymes produce antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances. The best benefit is that ITS EASY!!!!


When I was a kid my dad told me that if I did something he didn't want me to do, I'd be in "deep kimchi". I always associated that with "deep doo-doo". I did not want to be in deep kimchi. I laughed a hearty "ho ho ho" when I realized it was pickled cabbage. So that is the recipe that I will share with you!


Kimchi


1 head Napa cabbage (also called chinese cabbage) cored and shreaded
1 bunch green onions chopped
1 C grated carrots
1 T freshly grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp dried chile flakes
1 T sea salt


Place vegetables, ginger, garlic, red chile flakes and sea salt in a bowl and pound with a wooden pounder, meat hammer, tortilla roller or rock (hey whatever it takes...ok not really) to release juices. place in a quart sized wide mouth mason jar and press down on the top of the cabbage. The top of the vegetables should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.


After making this recipe, and pounding for some time, I usually get about a quart and a pint of vegetable mush. Now is the time of the year to do it. It doesn't work so well in the winter because warm temperature works better. Cold storage can be your fridge or a basement.


Until next time...I'm going to get myself into deep kimchi!!


Marsha

April Gardening tips in the Gila Valley

April is the perfect month when it comes to getting your garden on it’s way. It is “perfect” because it is not too late to plant anything (except maybe cool weather crops such as head lettuce and perhaps members of the cabbage family), and it is not too early to plant anything! Wherever you find yourself today in regard to “planting” your garden, now is the time to “Just Do It”! Even if you haven’t prepared your garden plot, it is not too late. Just make up your mind that you are going to find the time to do some gardening. Start your “savings account” today in order to reap the harvest of your investment throughout the summer!

Despite the advantages pointed out in earlier writings pertaining to planting tomatoes and chili peppers early to avoid problems with these plants being able to “set” fruit once the temperatures reach summer highs, it is still not too late to plant these crops. The commercial growers in our area generally plant these crops for market around the 20th of March, so there is plenty of time to still reap the rewards of a good harvest with these crops. Summer squash and cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and other winter squash can definitely be planted now, whether you are transplanting or sowing seeds directly in the garden. Follow the planting recommendations regarding the number of seeds, depth of planting, and spacing between plants that can be found on your seed packets.

The need to protect young tender plants from the cold nights has passed, however, some protection may still be a consideration because of the significant winds we see here in our valley through the Spring months. Unless the plants are new transplants, or just emerging from seed plantings, they should be fine in the winds we have, however you may need to increase you watering slightly because the wind dries everything out faster, including the plants.

As promised, this month we will be discussing watering and weeding tips. First, in regards to watering, there are only two rules for watering the garden properly: water at the proper time and water deeply. Too often we tend to water too often. Plants should only be watered when they really need it. A tip for determining this is to look at your plants first thing in the morning. If they are wilted in the early morning hours, then this is a sure sign that the soil has very little moisture in it and it is time to water!

Plants will almost always look like they are wilting or drooping in the hot afternoon sun. This means that they are losing more water than they are absorbing. However, there is no need to rush to their aide with your garden hose. Hold off a while. Plants usually recover in the cooler evening and overnight hours when the sun is not beating directly on them. However, if your plants still look wilted the next morning, get busy and water them. Watering in the morning probably is most preferable because this is when you can tell if plants need it. Watering midday or in the afternoon is least preferable because of the evaporation factor. The sun and the heat being generated will cause you to “lose” a significant amount of your water to evaporation. Watering at night is fine, but it is preferable to avoid “sprinkling” your plants at this time since the increased duration of time when the leaves are damp tenders to increase the chances of diseases harmful to your plants. Even though normal dew that gathers on the leaves most morning hours causes the leaves to be wet for a time, it is not too significant an amount of time since the sun dries the leaves quickly. It also helps to cultivate around your plant to loosen the soil around them prior to watering.

Sprinkling your plants is probably the least preferable. This again encourages disease and it increases dramatically the amount of water lost to evaporation. The heavy mineral content in most of the water here in this area is also a good reason to not deposit any more of it on the plant’s leaves than is necessary. Drip system watering is only a fair alternative since you must have a dripper for every plant and again the local water’s mineral content can play havoc with the emitters. Flooding the rows works very well if you have access to a well. If you flood irrigate, make sure no water actually get on the plant itself. Plants need to be positioned on your rows so that they are watered by the ground being soaked rather than by the water coming into contact with them. If you are using water from a public utility water system, cost can be a major factor. For this reason, if your garden water comes from a water faucet, I recommend a soaker hose. You can purchase a fifty-foot hose for under $10, and you can connect several of these together as they are laid out back and forth throughout the garden. A final comment about watering is that using mulches in your garden makes the process most efficient because mulches help hold in the moisture and they cool the soil around the plant which is of benefit her in the valley in the hot summer months. Use a thick enough mulch to prevent the sun from even hitting the ground. Mulches also give a significant benefit of preventing weeds from coming up in your garden. And of course, this provides a perfect lead into our second major topic this month of “weeding” the garden.

My father always taught me …“you hoe the garden, you don’t hoe the weeds in the garden.” He said that the weeds are everywhere, not just where you can see them and besides loosening the soil throughout the garden is a great way to be kind to the plants because it makes it easier for them to grow and to get the most from the water when irrigating. I always hated to hear that because it meant having to hoe every square inch of the garden instead of just hunting for weeds that needed to be whacked! Here are a few weeding tips: 1) Use shallow cultivation (*no more than an inch or 2” deep) so you get the weeds you see as well as those just below the surface. This also prevents you from bringing any new weed seeds up into the germination zone from deeper layers of soil. This also prevents you from disturbing the roots of you plants in the garden. 2) Work the weeds into the soil or throw them on a compost pile to gain the benefit of having them help to feed your plants. 3) Weed after you harvest to keep annual weeds from maturing and producing new seeds that will become the weeds you will be dealing with the following growing season.

Good luck with your garden. Remember, April is the “perfect month” to get it done in the garden. Tasty nutritious eating is just around the corner unless you are already eating asparagus, radishes, lettuce, and cabbage! Boy are they good too!

Temple trip

We will be attending the Temple tomorrow April 6th at 11 a.m. We hope you will come!!!

The Price WAS Right!!!!

Everyone had soo much fun last night at our "The Price is Right" Relief Society birthday celebration!! We missed those of you who couldn't come, we hope you will be able to make it to our next activity! Here is what you missed....

there were cupcakes of deliciousness......

superb soups and rolls....

a demonstration on how to make your own Feta Cheese by our very own "Betty Barker"

a taste test......

after all of that excitement, Betty got down to business with the game!

with lots of support.....

the craziness began!!!!!!!

and it kept on going for the rest of the night!!!

models # 1 and # 2 were true professionals!

The games were tough.......

but the prizes were awesome!!!!

A special thanks goes out to the lovely ladies in the relief society presidency for putting this on for us AND to those who worked in the nursery for our little ones!!

Relief Society Birthday Party!

We will be having a lot of fun celebrating the Relief Society's Birthday and we would like everyone to " Come On Down"!! On April 5th, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. At the church.. Betty Barker would love to see group or individual t-shirts ( oh so fun, but not required ) Remember dress is 'Price is Right' casual and nursery will be provided. *** Also next Thursday April 7th is our Relief Society Temple Trip, we will be doing the 11 a.m. session.. hope to see you there! ***