Provident Living-Inventory

Moving along....we need to come up with a way to keep track of what you have, and what you use. If you don't, you're likely to have groceries that expire. And when you're ready to make your shopping list, if you're organized, it should only take a couple minutes. Yes, you heard me right, no more than 5 minutes!!

I'm not sure why inventory is the hardest part for a lot of people. Maybe it's because we don't take the time before we run to the store to take stock of what we have, and then by the time we get home with screaming kids, we throw the groceries into any cabinet that has room, hoping it will close, and not even thinking twice about "rotating".

But I know there has to be some method out there that will work for you, in your situation. So I've been scouring the internet to find out how others do theirs. Here is what I have found....

How to Rotate Food - Sticky Note Method

Welcome to our series on how to rotate food! For the next 4-5 weeks, we'll dedicate Thursday's posts to showing you some different ways to keep your food up-to-date and ready to eat!


All the methods are easy - it's just a matter of choosing the one (or a few) that works best for you. This first method is very straightforward.



I keep most of my food storage in cupboards, and on some shelves in my guest room closet, and I have posted small pads of sticky notes on the inside of my cupboards (and on the sides of the shelves, not shown). Whenever I pull something out of my food storage to make a recipe (this happens all the time, for many different recipes), I write the item on the sticky pad. Then, whenever I go grocery shopping, I peel the top sheet off the pad and add those items to my list. If my budget won't allow me to buy everything that week, I just keep the items on my grocery list and buy the food when I can (especially when it's on sale!).

This method can work very well for anyone - whether you have your entire 3-month supply, or if you are building it now. I used to have a habit of getting lots of food in my food storage (1-2 month's worth or so), but then we would eat though it, which is GREAT, but I wouldn't be replenishing it as we went along. Using this method has allowed me to stay on top of the game, and I feel a lot more secure knowing what I have. Plus, since I have my three-month supply all planned out, I know I can make the meals I need to if the opportunity arises!



TIP: Don't forget to put your new food in the back of your storage, so you are always eating the food you've had the longest.

How to Rotate Food: Sticker Method

We pooled our family and friends for ideas to share for this series, so thanks to all of you who contributed. Food storage is not something that any of us can do alone, we all need support and LOTS of information to do it.

No one method will work for everyone, so keep looking for the method that works for you, and if you have any methods, ideas or tips, please share with us via email or comment so we can share with all our readers.

This was one of my favorite methods that came in.

Buy colored circle stickers for a couple of bucks at the grocery store/office supply store.


Assign a color to each year (make a chart for easy comparison) and label your food according to its expiration date. Then when you are looking in your closet/under your bed/on top of....whatever, all you have to do is look for the sticker to tell you the current year, or earliest expiration, you don't have to keep peering at the tiny date on the boxes/jars.




After I go through all my current storage, I am going to keep my stickers in a kitchen drawer, so as soon as my groceries come home they get a sticker before being put away.

When you label, think about where the food will be stored, and which part of the food item will be visible, and attach the sticker to that side. You want to be able to look in your "food storage area" and see at a glance when your food expires.

You would only have to do this for the 3-Month supply, because longer-term storage should last more than 10 years. When 2008 is over, the green sticker will then be for 2012.

As I was typing this up I had an idea. (I love it when that happens.) The circle stickers come in two color schemes, so you could buy both and then have two stickers for every year. One denoting the first six month, and the second the last six. That would be an even more accurate system. Well, I'm off to the store for more stickers!

How to Rotate Food: The Two-Column Method

Please hang in with me on the pictures, I'm on vacation and had to raid my mother-in-law's pantry for the "photo shoot." Please pretend that all of these items are the same.

So we can all get on the same page, we have six boxes of "pasta." Obviously the number of items and the type would depend on you and your needs. I would probably not do this method with pasta because we have so many boxes on hand, but for items of which you need 6-10 total, this would be a great method.



I put them in two columns. Earliest expiration dates in the righthand column. When I need a box of pasta I will take it from the right hand column, first box first. Notice there are only two boxes on the righthand side. That's because I made Mac and Cheese for dinner. Hypothetically speaking of course.


One box left.


When the right hand column is empty, I move the lefthand column into the right hand column spot, and restock into the lefthand column.



Then we begin all over again. This way, items are rotated in the order in which they came in, and it's also easy to tell how many you have on hand.

How to Rotate Food: The Rubber Band Method

My cousin tipped me off on this idea which is from this book by Marie Ricks. Funny that I didn't pick up on it while I was reading the book, it's a great idea.

Again, please forgive me for using snack size raisin boxes. I would never employ this method on these. Vacation, vacation.


The basic idea is that you have a certain number of the same items.



As you use them...


...You will come across the last one which is rubber-banded. This means: "Hey! Go to the store, I'm out of raisins!" Or whatever it is. Great reminder, especially for spices, bouillon and smaller items that are used up at a slower rate.

I've used a method similar to this for my craft paints. I just put a black dot on the top of my last bottle of each paint color. Someone suggested putting the rubberband on the second to last box. That way you have one extra on hand, and then the one you intend to open.

What I've done in the past....

Ok, so there were five ways that others do theirs. Here are an additional two ways that I have used (depending on where I was living and where our food was located)

Labeling Shelf/Bin

Wipe Off Inventory

Provident Living-Shelves

 

We're on a roll....We've learned the principles behind the guidance. We've talked about water storage. Now it's time to discuss where we are going to store our three month supply and long term storage.

Here are a couple amateur videos of my food storage room...

Food Storage Room-Part 1 (Location, Fridge/Freezer, Rotation Shelves)
 

 

 
Food Storage Room Part 2-(Short Term Storage)

 

 

Food Storage Room Part 3-(Long Term Storage)

 

 

Food Storage Room Part 4-(Mylar sealer, Cleaning/Personal products)

 

 

 

This isn't rocket science. But here are a couple tips to keep in mind:

• Food is suppose to be stored in a dry, cool, environment-less than 75 degrees. This means that you should not use your attic or garage.


• If you can't get to the food, you'll never rotate it. Now, this could be an ok thing, or a not so good thing. I'll come back to this...


• No matter what your home size, you can store something-be creative!


• You don't have to go purchase a room full of shelves at once. Start small, and purchase your shelves as your storage grows.


• Adjustable shelves are nice if you're storing a variety of different sizes of foods and cans.


• Do what fits your needs and budget!!

If you do not have a specific room, or basement for your storage, you'll need to seriously consider where you want to store your food. Believe me, the food gets very heavy when you're carrying it from room to room, trying to decide the best place to store it. I've moved mine way too many times!!! lol

Here is a handout to get you started, if you're dealing with small spaces. It's from www.foodstoragemadeeasy.net . Download Smallspaces (click here for the handout)

Basically if you're working with small areas, you need to decide how you want to break up your food. Do you want to put all of one food item in one location, or store a one month supply of the basics in one location? Make sense? You can line up your bags or cans in such a way that you can rotate them, even if they are under the beds. Fill from the right, and take from the left.

If you're using the mylar bags, and you have an animal problem (ie. mice, etc) you're going to want to store them on shelves, off the ground, or place in rubber bins (with lids). When we first started, we purchased large rubbermaid bins and filled them, and then stored in the back of a closet. Worked great if we didn't want to get to the food. But it was a hassle unstacking the bins (which are HEAVY when filled) and getting what we needed.

If you have a lot of cans, and want to rotate them easily, and have the money, a rotating system works great. But the are EXPENSIVE! You can make your own though, or scale it down some. If you want to invest in the large systems, www.shelfreliance.com is who makes them. I purchased two of these for all my cans, and the best deal was at Costco (online-free shipping). There are several different heights, widths, and can size configuration so make sure you're buying what you need.

If you don't have the money for those, you can build your own if you have the space. Here are some simple plans to get you started...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCnXfO7YMfk Totally love how she did this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wadjAWcR5M&feature=related Similar to the one above but you can see more detail to the shelves.

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Rotating-Canned-Food-Shelf

If you're serious about building your own, take a couple minutes and google it and you'll find several sets of plans-or make up your own.

If you already have shelves, but want to do something to help you rotate your cans, you can make or purchase plastic or cardboard units that will rotate your cans.

http://www.thecanorganizer.com/pantry.html These are small cardboard organizers that you purchase and fold together really easy to make the rotator.

If you have cardboard and want to take the time to build your own, here are detailed instructions:

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/02/16/build-your-own-can-rotating-rack/

I believe that www.shelfreliance.com and others have plastic ones that you can purchase also. Here again, google it and you'll find a lot of choices.

One last thing, if you don't love the location where you're storing your food, you can change it. Don't stress. I've moved mine lots of times. Right now you may not have the time to use your long term storage, so put it under the beds for a couple years. Then, when your kids are in school and you can devote time to using it, you can always find a better place. Don't give up and store nothing because you don't have the "perfect" food storage room-none of us would ever store anything!

Provident Living-Water!

Let's face it-most bodies cannot sustain life after a couple days without water, plain and simple. Yes, I have heard of people going for a week or longer, but what kind of state are they in by then. I'm not willing to try it and find out. If you do nothing else, store some water!

Here are some quick tips:

• Most sites recommend that you store at least 1 gallon of water, per person, per day, for 14 days.**


• If water comes directly from a good, pretreated source, no additional purification needed.


• Store in sturdy, leak-proof, breakage-resistant containers. Consider using plastic bottles commonly used for juices and sodas. (Do NOT use Milk containers as they will break!)


• Be sure to clean, rinse, and sanitize any containers that previously stored food products.


• Do not store your water on concrete-it eventually will start tasting like concrete. Put cardboard or wooden pallets under it to keep it off the floor.


• Keep water containers away from heat sources and direct sunlight.


• If you're storing it in your garage and you have cold winters, make sure you do not fill the container completely-to allow for expansion when the water freezes.


• Rotate your water at least every year (6 months is better). We do it General Conf. weekend so we remember.

 

Additional information:

***I've read several blogs of families that had to use their water after natural disasters. The one resounding comment was that the 1 gallon, per person, per day, was NOT enough. Yes, it will be enough to drink/cook a little, but you won't have any for sanitation/bathing, etc. They all recommended storing more.

Vary the containers that you store your water in so at least some is portable. A 55 gallon barrel is great if you're in your home the entire time, but you aren't going to be able to move it if you have to evacuate. There are several different options out there. I'm attaching a worksheet that discusses several of them. We have enough room to store water in our garage, so for our family of 4, we have 2-55 gallon barrels, several 5 gallon containers (think we got them at Walmart-they have a spigot on them), and then our 72 hour kits have the juice bottles that we've filled up. We also have some containers in our freezer, in case we loose power, we will use them to help keep the freezer cold.

If you need to treat your water, use 1/8 teaspoon (about 8 drops) of liquid chlorine bleach (5-6% sodium hypochlorite).  Let it sit for 30 minutes. If there isn't a slight smell of chlorine, retreat.Make sure that it does not have any scents, colorings, or additives in it. It's recommended that you have at least a gallon of bleach on hand in your storage. However, because liquid bleach is bulk and has instibility over time, many are turning to the chlorine used in hot tubs. See the attached sheet for more information.

Boiling is the safest way to purify water.

If you have to, you can use the water in your toilet tank (not the bowl) and your water heater. If you want more information on getting it out of your water heater, let me know.

Plan ahead. I live in Ohio and a couple years ago we felt the force on a hurricane that hit the coast. Yep, all the way up here we got it and hundreds of thousands lost power, some for a couple weeks. If I know that something like this is on the way, I fill my tubs. I do the same if I know there is an ice storm on the way, or a blizzard that's knocking out power.

Water Barrels

If you're in the Dayton area, you have two choices for water barrels. Our local Pepsi Bottling Company gives them away for free, if you contact them and let them know you're interested. I've read that many other bottling companies have stopped doing this, but I just picked up a load at ours, and I'll be going back for more! ***UPDATE-Experts are saying that the syrup in these used bottles eventually leaches into the plastic and provides a breeding ground for bacteria-so they DO NOT recommend using used ones. We have a used one that we have as our non-potable water-ie. cleaning, washing, etc.

We also have a local drum company that sales 55 gallon NEW drums for $50. They have smaller sizes, but they aren't much cheaper.

I know there are several emergency preparedness companies online that sale them, but they are pricy, especially with shipping. So check your local area first before you drop $100 for one barrel that you may have been able to get for FREE!

If nothing else, plan a trip up here to see me and we'll go get barrels for you!!!!

FYI-barrels come in different colors-blue, gray, white. Which is better you say? Blue. Why? Blue stands for water so it will let everyone know that water is stored in that barrel. Second, the blue is opaque so it keeps the sunlight out, thus reducing your chance of microorganisms growing in your water. If you have white, don't throw them out. If you're worried, just grab a large black lawn garbage bag and throw it over the top to block out the sun. Problem solved!

If you have questions about water storage, please comment or email me. I have a ton other information about different ways to treat water, but I don't want to post it all and overwhelm you.

Download Water storage (click here for water storage handout)

One last thing, for anyone who gets paranoid easily (yes, I do sometimes, I admit it). As I've done my research on water storage, I started finding articles that said if I used my garden hose to fill up my water containers, I was poisoning my family with lead. Additionally, if I used PETE containers (those that hold juices, etc), that chemicals from the plastic leak into the water and can be toxic. My poor husband probably thought I had gone insane. I was calling him up at work telling him that we needed a new hose, and that our garden was being filled with lead water, etc. I read and read (probably read way more than I needed) and this is what we have decided. Yes, some water hoses are made with stuff that has lead in them. And the water in the hoses has been tested by companies like Consumer Reports, and shows that after the water has sat in the hoses for extended periods of time, the lead does leak out. But I feel, #1-if I'm using new water, and just filling a barrel, the water isn't sitting in the hose long enough to get the lead. And #2-this is emergency water. When all is said and done, I may end up drinking water that is a lot worse off then a little leaded water, if I really need to use it. If you're worried about the lead in your hoses, go online and you can purchase "unleaded" hoses. As far as the chemicals leaking from the plastic bottles, well, if it's really leaking, I'm probably getting a higher dose from things I do in my "daily living" than with what I'd get if I had to use this water in an EMERGENCY.

If I sit around and wait for the perfect water storage containers, stored in the perfect location, etc, I'll never get it done. We live in an imperfect world and we need to do the best with what we have. If you ONLY have milk jugs, fill them up. (Just store them somewhere where they won't harm stuff if they burst). But it's better than nothing.  

***UPDATE-I have posted more information on water storage under my 72 hour class post-I have notes attached there with more water storage information. The link to that post is:

http://fourinohio.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/04/emergency-preparedness-classwater-storage-and-shelteringinplacepart-2.html

Project Thursday-Burp Clothes

I saw these about a year or so ago and thought they'd make cute, inexpensive baby shower gifts, as a set of three. I seriously thought about selling them, but if you've looked on etsy.com lately, you'll see that everyone else had the same idea. And they are selling for $15.00 for the set!! You could easily whip out 4 sets in an hour and have your baby shower gifts all done and ready...

What you'll need:

1/4 yard fabric each of three coordinating fabrics (If your fabric has a pattern that needs to be cut the other way, you'll need 2/3 yard) (1/4 yard will be enough for two-so you might as well make at least two sets)

3 cloth diapers (I purchased mine in a large package from Wal-mart)

Cutting tools

Thread

Sewing machine

Ribbon (optional) to tie set together

Pins

 

Instructions:

The hardest part will be picking your fabric because there are so many cute sets out there right now. I'm liking the patterns that don't scream "baby" but you can pick whatever. Here are a couple sets I got at HL.

I don't think all diapers are exactly the same size so you're going to want to measure the area where it's thickest (in the middle). That's what we're covering up. Then add 1 inch to both your length and width to give you some to turn under.

I cut mine 5 1/2" wide and 20 1/2 " long.

Next, grab your iron and with the right side down, fold your edges over 1/2" and iron. Do this on all four sides. I don't do anything fancy in the corners-it won't matter.

Now you'll want to pin your fabric to your diaper, overlaying the fabric down the middle, on top of the thick part of the diaper.

Then, sew around the edge. I sew about 1/8" in from the edge of the fabric.

That's it, you're done. 

  

 

If I want to make it an even cuter gift, I'll add a blanket. I like to make flannel receiving blankets (and buy a little extra fabric), and then make coordinating burp clothes this same way. Because it's flannel, it's a little harder to sew through all the layers but it's not bad.

 

Happy crafting! 
  

Provident Living-Being Prepared

"Members of the Church have been counseled for many years to be prepared for adversity. Preparation, both spiritual and temporal, can dispel fear. With the guidance of Church leaders, individual members and families should prepare to be self-reliant in times of personal or widespread emergency." (www.providentliving.org)

Emergency preparedness includes being prepared in the following areas:
- Family home storage
- Family finances
- Family emergency planning
- Ward and Stake emergency plans

President Gordon B. Hinckley gave us the following counsel in 2002:

"I wish to urge again the importance of self-reliance on the part of every individual Church member and family.

"None of us knows when a catastrophe might strike. Sickness, injury, unemployment may affect any of us.

"We have a great welfare program with facilities for such things as grain storage in various areas. It is important that we do this. But the best place to have some food set aside is within our homes, together with a little money in savings. The best welfare program is our own welfare program. Five or six cans of wheat in the home are better than a bushel in the welfare granary.

"I do not predict any impending disaster. I hope that there will not be one. But prudence should govern our lives. Everyone who owns a home recognizes the need for fire insurance. We hope and pray that there will never be a fire. Nevertheless, we pay for insurance to cover such a catastrophe, should it occur.

"We ought to do the same with reference to family welfare.

"We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with a one week’s food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. I am speaking now of food to cover basic needs. As all of you recognize, this counsel is not new. But I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all.

"Begin in a small way, my brethren, and gradually build toward a reasonable objective. Save a little money regularly, and you will be surprised how it accumulates." ("To the Men of the Priesthood", Ensign, November 2002)

We had a great RS Meeting last night on budgeting and taxes. If you struggle with a budget and family finances, I recommend two pamphlets put out by the church, "All is Safely Gathered In" and "One for the Money". The basics of family finances are: pay tithes and offerings, avoid debt, use a budget, build a reserve and teach family members.

Over the last twenty years, the church has changed the plan for food storage. The ultimate goal is still the same-to have a year's supply, but they have broken it down into smaller steps and made it more individualized. In the "All is Safely Gathered in-Family Home Storage" pamphlet, we see that the basics of home storage are: drinking water, three-month short-term supply, financial reserve, and one-year long-term supply. This will be our focus and guide from here on out.

Provident Living-Catch the vision

We're going to talk a little more over the next little bit about the why's of emergency preparedness and food storage, in hopes of helping you catch the vision of what this is all about and why it is so important. I know that the thought of emergency preparedness, and especially food storage, can be overwhelming - there is so much involved that it is hard to know where to start!

My hope is to put together a series of weekly assignments that are small, easy-to-do steps that will help us slowly but surely reach our goal of preparing every needful thing. The best way to climb any mountain is just by taking one small step at a time. (Or better put, the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time...) If you can't tackle the assignments right now, please still be a part of our group.

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." D&C 130:20

Probably one of the single most important things you can do to prepare yourself and your family for difficult times, whatever they may be, is to keep the Lord's commandments.

Tithing is a commandment from God, and when we obey His law, He is bound to bless us. We will need His blessings on our efforts to prepare every needful thing for ourselves and our families.

Elder Marvin J. Ashton counseled, "Successful financial management in every LDS home begins with the payment of an honest tithe. If our tithing and fast offerings are the first obligations met following the receipt of each paycheck, our commitment to this important gospel principle will be strengthened and the likelihood of financial mismanagement will be reduced." When we pay an honest tithe, we receive blessings from the Lord.

Elder Sheldon F. Child of the Seventy said, "As we faithfully pay our tithes, the Lord will indeed open the windows of heaven and pour us out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. I want each of you to know...that I know...that if you always pay an honest tithing, the Lord will bless you. It will be the best investment you will ever make."

Your assignment this week is to read the following talk, "The Blessings of an Honest Tithe" by Elder Marion G. Romney, and then take stock of where you are at in paying your tithing, and make any necessary changes so that you are in full compliance with this commandment. It is such an important commandment, and in these troubled times, we need all of the blessings we can get!

Part two of your assignment: Sometime during this next week, purchase enough new 9V batteries for every smoke detector in your home.

Don't worry about changing them out yet - that's for next week. If money will allow, buy twice as many as you need, so you'll have extras on hand.

Provident Living

One of my goals this year is to work on our provident living. I don't know about you, but as I read the papers and watch the news, I can't help but wonder what's soon to come. It gives me the chills sometimes, just to think about how quickly our society could go "down hill" if there was a national disaster, or other break in the food chain.

I know there are many people out that that believe that food storage isn't worth the effort, for a variety of reasons. Some reasons include:

1. I don't have room (everyone can do something)

2. It's only for just before the Second Coming and that's not any time soon (I wish this were the case!)

3. When the prophet tells me "it's time", I will go get it (They have been telling us to for decades)

4. It's too costly (You'll actually save money)

5. I have no idea how to use it (Let''s learn together)

6. I'll share with my neighbor (your neighbor probably doesn't have theirs either)

7. My family doesn't eat that kind of food (you store what you do eat!)

8. I'm just plain lazy (turn off that t.v. and set your priorities!)

9. I have no interest (can't help you there-all I can promise is that if you will try, you will develop a testimony of this principle)

10. It's so overwhelming, I don't know where to begin (We'll start at the beginning and do this in baby steps)

Do any of these excuses sound familiar to you? If so, you're not alone. The whole concept of "food storage" may be a totally foreign concept to you.

Fortunately, I was blessed with parents who taught me while I was very young, about this concept. My mom was the "food storage specialist" in our ward and stake for a ton of years and we had the chance to help with the monthly orders from the cannery. Back in the days (I'm dating myself), they didn't have oxygen absorbers. We had to use a C02 tank and blow it into the cans. Just imagine trying to do this with flour or powdered milk. Oh the mess! We'd have white hair by the time we were done. But it was a bonding experience for my family. When we were older, we were allowed to go to the cannery and do the wet pack canning. We'd do tomatoes, peaches, chicken, stew, pototes, etc. (I miss this as we don't have wet pack close by us now). I learned that food storage wasn't just for the "end of the world". We lived on ours when times were rough. I remember complaining about the bland soup mix! (Sorry mom, I know you tried to make it taste good!) I know that we were able to "stretch" our grocery budget because we purchased our staples (flour, sugar, oatmeal, etc) in bulk.

Food storage doesn't have to be costly, or overwhelming. It's not meant to be stored in the basement and never touched. And if you think that your neighbors are going to want to share when times get rough, think again, lol.

I think the biggest thing that hit home for me was when I had kids. I remember my dad talking to me about food storage and he told me that he never wanted to be in the situation where his grandchild would come to him and tell him that he/she was hungry. Now that I have kids, I don't want to hear my kids say that either (and really mean it).

G and I talked about it, and we've developed our plan and monthly goals. To help motivate me to keep moving forward, I emailed the sisters in my ward and asked if anyone wanted to join in. I was amazed at how many families wanted to join in. We have some families that have been storing food for years and others that no nothing about it.

So, I've decided that I'd start blogging about our experience. I pondered whether or not I should start another blog about food storage, but I opted not to. So please be patient with me if you don't care to follow along. I'm going to try and see if I can put links on the side of my blog so you can find the food storage blog posts easier. Just be patient as I'm not proficient in web design.

I'm hoping that anyone out there with experience with join in and post your ideas and knowledge. I know that we can learn from each other. I've been searching the web for many months, trying to find ideas, tips, and recipes. There is so much out there! But I know not all of you have the time to do the searching. So I'm going to try and post the "best" of the best.

Please also keep in mind that food storage isn't an exact science, and that there are a lot of opinions out there on what's best. I'm going to try and post a variety of options, and let you choose what works for you. However, I'll be following the church's guidance on anything that they have posted about.

My goal is to post at least once a month (I'm really hoping it's more), covering topics such as 72 hour kits, water storage, short term storage, long term storage, cooking with food storage, etc.

How's that sound? Are you willing to toss out all your excuses and give it a try? I have to say, I'm pretty excited about working on this. So let's get started...

Project Thursday

It's craft day! Ok, maybe you don't know that. Let me start at the beginning...All my crafting friends have left the state, or are too busy these days to craft with me. So, I was kind of in a slump, that was, until about a month ago. While I was chatting with my friend, Karen, on the phone, we got the idea to craft with each other via webcam. So she sits in her craft room in DC and I sit in mine and we turn on our webcams and craft on Thursday mornings (when I can remember, lol). It's kind of the best of both worlds because I get to craft with someone, but I don't have to pack up all my supplies and drag them somewhere.

So I thought I'd start another project (or post), about what I work on for the week. Or I might share other projects that I've found online that I'd like to try some day. The point is, I want to blog about crafts. I'm hoping it will fuel my fire and desire to start crafting again. I was in a slump for awhile when I was working. But my pictures that need to be scrapbooked are increasing my desire to get back into the game.

Here's a craft that's perfect for the upcoming holiday:

 

They are Valentine Candy holders made from transparencies. I don't usually give out Valentines to anyone but my hubby and kids. However, when I saw this idea, I decided that I was going to give them out this year! (The picture doesn't do them justice-they are a lot cuter in person!)

The original pattern called for 12 x 12 transparencies. I didn't want to go buy any as they can be kind of expensive and I have a couple boxes of 8 1/2 x 11 sitting here.

Also, I thought this was the perfect chance to use my new Cricut. Oh, can I tell you, I think it's going to be my new best friend!!

So here's what I did. I took the paper pattern that I found online, and redrew/redesigned it in Corel so it would fit on the smaller transparency. Then I was able to export that to the Cricut and it cut it out for me, including the slits, punches and all. So all I had to do then was score it and fold and glue. Totally simple!

Now, I have the small scallop and circle punch, but I don't have the larger one. BUT, here again, I have a Cricut. So I designed a scallop (it's not perfect but it works) and had the Cricut cut the scallop and then the circle out of the centers. I printed the "hugs & kisses" on the center circle and stamped the hearts. Took a gel pen and made the little silver and gold dots and put it all together.

If you can't tell exactly how it's put together, it's a heart that is pointed at the bottom, and then the sides expand to probably about 1" thick on each side so you can stuff candy in it (hugs and kisses). Then it has another transparency strip that connects through the middle so the candies don't fall out!! And a ribbon at the top ties the front and back together.

I'll totally do step by step instructions and photos if anyone wants to make these.

I hope that my friends love them as much as I do, when they get them on Sunday. I stuffed a little tissue paper in tip of the heart to fill the space because a kiss is too large to fit down there. Then I put about 10 chocolate hugs and kisses in them.

The boys gave them to their teachers for Valentines today. Kaden even gave one to the male principal. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when he did that, just to see what the principal thought. I'm sure he thought it was sweet!

Here's my finished stash. I think I made about 30 total. It took a little longer than I expected, but that's because I did the computer designs. But I figured it was worth the time and effort to do that, so I can easily use them in the future, and to save my hands from cutting all these out by hand. I never would have done the project if I had to cut them all out by hand!

  

Chili and cinnamon rolls....

mmmm....can you smell that aroma coming from my kitchen??!?! Ok, I know many of you think I've lost it, grouping these two foods together. And, you may be right...then again, I don't think so. I grew up on eating chili and cinnamon rolls. And I mean, eating them together-not one first, and then the other. We used to have this for school lunch and some way or another it because a staple at our home. You break off a piece of roll and dip it in the chili. Mmmmmm.... Don't knock it till you try it. There is just something with the combination of the spicy chili and sweet roll that makes them perfect for each other. A perfect match!

I still haven't convinced my husband that this is the way to go, so he has his roll after he finishes his chili. But at least it's during the same meal that he has the two together!!

Every Halloween we have a "Trunk-or-treat" at church and they do a chili cookoff, and serve corn bread(yuck!). So I always bring a tray or two of cinnamon rolls. The first year someone had the nerve to move my rolls from the "corn bread" table to the "dessert" table. ARGH!! lol However, after doing this for the past four years, I think they know not to move them! They are a side, not a dessert! ROFL And it never fails that I have a list of ladies asking for the recipe, after the event.

So I thought I'd dedicate a post to making cinnamon rolls. Nope, I'm not an expert. Nope, it's not my recipe. But I LOVE them! And I've learned a couple tips along the way. But before I post the recipe, I need to clarify one thing with my siblings. My mom came up with this recipe some time ago and she's constantly changing it, trying to improve it, making it smaller or larger, etc. So my disclaimer is, this may not be the "latest and greatest" recipe she's done so far. However, this is the one that's in my cookbook and the one I'm using!

 

Mom's Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:

2 cups warm water

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. yeast

2 eggs

1 tsp. salt

5-6 cups flour

Filling:

1 cube margarine (soft-NOT MELTED)

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. cinnamon

Frosting:

1 cube margarine (soft)

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

 

I set my yeast, egg, and margarine out for a little while to warm it to room temp. Don't ask me the chemistry behind doing this. I was just watching a cooking show and they said yeast and eggs should be at room temp when baking. So I do it! lol In a ceramic bowl, I mix the yeast, warm water and sugar. Making it in a ceramic bowl is important because it helps keep the water warm. Stir it gently to just wet the yeast and then let it sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes.  If you didn't kill your yeast with too hot of water, it should look like this...

While your yeast is raising, go ahead and make up the filling. Make sure you don't melt your margarine. Once it's mixed up, set it aside.

Ok, now transfer the yeast mixture to your Kitchen-Aid. Then add your eggs, oil and salt. Then you will slowly add your flour. I use the white paddle attachment to mix it until I've added a couple cups of flour and then I switch to the dough hook. You want to keep adding flour until it starts to pull from the sides and form a ball. It may still be slightly sticky.

I spread a little flour on my cutting mat, and knead the dough by hand until it's no longer sticky-adding tiny bits of flour.

If I'm making the whole recipe (you can 1/2 it), I then divide the dough in half and set 1/2 aside in the bowl. The other 1/2 I start rolling out with my wooden rolling pin (I love the wood better than the plastic one I have), and  I roll it the size of the cutting mat. If the dough sticks to your hands, but you don't want to add more flour because it will make it too stiff, just put a little oil on your hands. That will help keep it from sticking to you.

Sidenote!...My cutting mats are some of my new found favs. We have a couple cutting boards that are stained and bulky, but we spent some money on them so I don't want to throw them out. I found these cutting mats at Wal-Mart, in a package of 2, for only a couple bucks. I love that I can bend them after I've chopped veggies and pour the veggies into my bowl or pan. They are easy clean-up, not bulky, and when they get stained, I'm not going to feel bad tossing them and getting new ones. And it's perfect for rolls because it gives me a measurement for rolling and I can cut my dough on them. (I used to roll the dough on my counter and then I'd have to slip a cutting board under the roll so I could cut them)

 

Next, grab your filling and spread 1/2 the mixture on your dough. Make sure you carry it all the way out to the edges. You don't want to be eating just dough! Then starting with a long end, roll it up! Pinch the edges together to keep it rolled tight. Then, cut your dough into approx. 1/2-3/4" segments. Make a cut down the middle, and then divide those pieces in 1/2 again...and then again. So I get about 16 out of 1/2 of the dough.

You then repeat these steps for the other half of the dough. Let them raise till they are doubled in size and then bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Now I know my mom might chime in here and say that the ORIGINAL recipe is suppose to make 20 rolls and here I am getting 36. And she would be right. It depends on what I'm making them for as to how many I get. If I'm taking these to a party, I don't divide my dough up. I roll the whole thing out at once, and then cut it into 20 rolls. These 20 rolls will fit perfectly on my Sam's baking sheets and will be Texas size rolls! Seriously, they are HUGE!

However, when I'm at home, I try to be really good and control my appetite! I have to admit, I like eating "more than one" (Regardless of the size), and I don't like to reheat them. My brothers will probably say that they are best the next day for breakfast, but I like mine warm and fresh.

So this is what works best for me...I have a family of 4, and we each like to eat two. So I'll put 8 rolls on a baking sheet and set them by the fire to raise. Then, I put the other 24 on two baking sheets that I have lined with wax paper or parchment paper. I slip them in my freezer and flash freeze them (keep them in there till they are just frozen-about 30 min to 1 hour. Here they are, ready for the freezer.

Then, once they are frozen, I pull them out, remove them from the wax paper, and put them in a quart ziploc bag. If they are frozen enough, they won't stick to each other when you put them in the baggie. Theoretically, you could put all the rolls in one gallon freezer baggie and freeze them. I prefer to use 3 quart size, but that's just me.

Here is a set that's ready for the freezer. Now, let's talk about frosting. It's really easy to make. I prefer is the margarine is soft, not melted, for the frosting also. You'll need to add a small amount of warm water as you're mixing to get it to the consistency you want. I like my to have shape, but be spreadable (I'm not into making it pourable)

When the rolls come out of the oven, I immediately put some frosting on them so it melts and drips down inside the rolls, spreading the goodness everywhere! lol Once they are a little cooler, if I have some frosting left over, I put a little on top (that doesn't melt) because there is just something about seeing that white dreamy frosting on top that makes my mouth salivate even more (and I don't have to convince my kids that, yes, mommy really did put frosting on them even if you can't see it).

These are just from the oven, with the first frosting on them. Ok, so look at the previous picture and note the baggie with white stuff in it. Here's my other tip. Divide the remaining frosting up into three sandwich/or snack baggies (make sure it has a ziploc) on them. Now, freeze the frosting with the cinnamon roll dough you just put into baggies. So I end up with one set of baked rolls, and three sets (with frosting) in the freezer. Now I can enjoy rolls without the mess. I just spray my 8x11 glass dish, and put 8 frozen rolls in it. Cover with a thin cloth and let it raise. I think it will take a good 4 hours, but I don't mind as I'm not in the kitchen and there is no cleanup. Bake the same, 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Now, when you take your rolls out of the freezer, remove the frosting and let it sit at room temp. When the rolls come out of the oven, just snip a little (and I mean a little-maybe 1/4"-1/2") off one corner of the baggie. Then just squeeze the frosting onto the rolls and spread with a knife. You've just made your own disposable pastry bag. SOOOO easy!!! No mess!!!

Who wants to be in the kitchen when you're trying to finish costumes, decorate your trunk, finish your chili and get the kids dressed for trick-or-treating? I used to try and make the rolls that night (and it usually ended up being "beggar's night" too) so we'd have people stopping by the house to trick-or-treat and my kitchen would be a disaster with flour everywhere. Not anymore! I'm no longer panicking that my yeast is overflowing because I've already got them done! Yeah!!!

And my kids love it because we have them in the freezer, for easy access, if I need a FHE treat, or something to take to for compassionate service.