How to Get Started With Your Food Storage

Food storage is not just tupperware and freezer bags,storage is basically just basic cooking ingredients that
it is an emergency preparedness concept of puttingyou would use in any recipe. So all I do is I just take
aside some extra food in case of a natural disaster ormy favorite recipes and then start substituting out you
time of economic difficulty. Many people understandknow say milk instead of milk put in powdered milk,
the concept of storing these life-sustaining foods, buteggs I put in powdered eggs, and onions I put in my
few people know how to actually use them. If you haddehydrated onions. So I'm not really always coming up
a time where you needed to depend on your foodwith new recipes but I feel like in my experience
storage to live, it would be so important to know howpeople are less likely to try it in their own recipes. They
to use it and to have your family be used to that typewant to see someone who has already tried it and
of cooking.know that it's good.
This is the transcript of an interview I conducted withJodi: That's how we are.
Crystal Godfrey from the blog Everyday FoodCrystal: So I just put on the recipes that I try for my
Storage regarding how to start using your long termown family that I know my family already likes and
food storage in everyday ways. She is an expert atswitch it out for food storage ingredients and then I put
using food storage in her everyday cooking and postsit on my blog for people to see look this one DOES
numerous recipe ideas on her blog every week sowork. So hopefully it will builds confidence that then
she was an excellent resource to talk to about it.they can try it with their own recipes.
Jodi: Hi Crystal, we just have a few questions for youJodi: That's a really good idea. That's good to know. So
today. To start out, what made you start using yourI'm going to have to do that with mine now.
food storage for your everyday cooking?Crystal: Ya so don't stress!
Crystal: Well, I got my food storage and I didn't want itJodi: But I like to use yours better! So how often do
to just be sitting there on my shelves all the time. Soyou cook with your food storage?
what I did was I thought, well my mom actually, when ICrystal: Every day!
grew up, used food storage ... so I knew the basics ofJodi: Every single day? Every meal of the day? Or
it. I knew it could be gross so I was a little timid in tryingjust you try to do something? is it conscious or is it just
it. So I just started trying a little bit at a time and I justnatural?
started using it. And as I started using one thing andCrystal: Now it's natural. But i would say I mean it
being successful at it then it gave me encouragementdepends. But I would say every meal. I mean I make
to try other things. And it just kind of snowballed until Imy own bread so at lunch we have it, breakfast if we
was using it every day. And then I noticed that not onlyhave cereal or something then it has the powdered
was I prepared in knowing that if there WAS anmilk. And then dinner would have usually you know like
emergency that my family would eat what I made, butmilk or onions or something. I mean I use it all the time.
that I was also saving money, saving time, and makingJodi: All the time. I don't yet! So with bread, can you
fewer messes while I was at it.make good sandwiches with your bread?
Jodi: So kind of the key is starting small? And workingCrystal: Oh yes! Oh gosh yes!
your way up?Jodi: Ok I'll have to get your bread recipe.
Crystal: Yes, definitely. Which you guys know all about!Crystal: You need a bread maker.
Jodi: Ya ... right. We're at the small part right now. NowJodi: I know! Julie has one but I don't have one yet.
where do you buy most of your food storageCrystal: You need to look at my tips for making good
ingredients?bread machine bread.
Crystal: Now when you say food storage ingredientsJodi: Alright we'll check it out. What aspects of food
your talking not the three month supply?storage would you like to learn more about? Or do
Jodi: Yes, like the long term food ... the wheat, stuff likeyou just know everything?
that.Crystal: No I DON'T know everything! No. I think you
Crystal: I buy most of mine at the LDS cannery. Whichcan always be learning, so I think the next thing I'm
if you don't have one just research, I'm sure there'sgoing to try tackling is powdered milk yogurt. Because I
one near you, or you can buy it online. But that's wherereceived a recipe from one of my blog readers where
I buy most of my items.you can make fat free frosting.
Jodi: Do you have a website that you would look atJodi: Like for cakes?
maybe?Crystal: Mm hmm. I think it's supposed to taste kind of
Crystal: ldsprovidentliving.orglike a buttercream or something but then it's fat free.
Jodi: And you can order it online from there?Jodi: So it's healthy?
Crystal: Yes, you can order some things online there.Crystal: Well healthier ... I won't necessarily say healthy,
Jodi: Excellent. What is your favorite food storage itembut healthier. If you are going to make a cookie
to cook with?anyway you might as well add in extra nutrition with
Crystal: That one's hard because I have a couple. Canwheat or something like that.
I give you a couple?Jodi: This is true. And you kind of said in the beginning
Jodi: Ok.that it's really good to start small. But is there any other
Crystal: Ok. My favorite time saving one is onions,advice that you'd want to share with beginners?
dehydrated onions. Because I hate cutting onions.Because a lot of our blog readers tend to be people
Jodi: Are they different from the onion flakes from thejust getting started and kind of heading into the long
store? Or is that what they are?term food storage is a hard step. So any other words
Crystal: No that's pretty much what they are butof wisdom?
they're a lot cheaper because you are going to buyCrystal: That's really what I focus on is the beginners.
them in bulk. And so no longer do you have to cutSo what I would say is just pick one thing that you're
them but you just stick them in your spaghetti saucegoing to start with. And one of the things I think is
and then they hydrate in your spaghetti sauce. I meaneasiest to start with is powdered milk. Because you
it saves so much time and I always have onions ondon't need to have a grinder and you don't need to
hand. And I've even done things where I've hydratedhave all these special things to use it. You can just
them and grilled them so they've been like In N Outstart cooking with it right away. And you can start
Burger's have animal-style (California is where it's at)putting it in desserts like sweetened condensed milk or
Jodi: They have one in Utah nowlike evaporated milk. And that way you know it's going
Crystal: Yes they do! But I've even done stuff like thatto taste good because it has the sugar. Your family is
where I've used them as an actual onion substitute notgoing to want to try it because it's a dessert.
in something and they've been delicious as well. AndJodi: That's always key in MY family.
probably my other favorite would be powdered milkCrystal: And then when they see that it's good then
because I think that is the one that people are mostthey'll say "Oh ok well that's good". So then I can try
surprised still taste good even though it has powderedthis and then I can try that. And the more things you
milk in it.try that build your confidence the more you'll be likely
Jodi: So you like to kind of trick people. I've noticed thatto try new things and to keep using what you already
on your site.know. So my motto is to always start with a dessert.
Crystal: I do. I like the wow factor!Because your family will try it. And as long as you
Jodi: So what is your very favorite recipe of all timedon't tell them that there's food storage in it until after
that you've created?and get the "wow" factor, then they'll try it and then
Crystal: Oh that I've created? Probably my Twinkieyou'll see that they like it and that it's possible. Once
surprise cupcakes.you start seeing that it actually IS possible to cook with
Jodi: Oh I love that one. That one was good. That wasyour food storage and that your family will eat it then
the one on the Utah's Own ... What's the contestthat will give you the confidence you need to cook
called?with it on a daily basis.
Crystal: Ya it was a runner up for the Utah's OwnJodi: My kids liked the Cookie Clay Dough.
Downhome Cook-Off.Crystal: Oh yes.
Jodi: We watched it on tv, she was awesome. At theJodi: They thought that was fun and I wrote my name
Utah State Fair. So how do you come up with yourand they were eating all the letters thinking it's fun. So if
recipes? Because this is hard for me, I always like toyou want to have a look at Crystal's recipes at
have a recipe. I can't make them up myself so I'mEveryday Food Storage, check her out at
always impressed with you.everydayfoodstorage.net Thanks for talking with us
Crystal: Well I actually don't MAKE UP most of mytoday Crystal.
recipes. The way I look at food storage is food