It's Apple time once again. If you want a good recipe for

Apple Pie Filling, look under canning and find the

Apple Pie recipe using Clear Jel A. It's a

yummy one.

Basic Disaster Kit

Here is the list recommended by FEMA for your 72 hour kit.

* 3 day supply of non-perishable food

* 3 day supply of water-one gallon of water per person per day

* portable, battery powered radio or television and extra batteries

* flashlight and extra batteries

* first aid kit and manual

* sanitation and hygiene items (moist towelettes and toilet paper)

* matches and waterproof container

* whistle

* extra clothing

* kitchen accessories and cooking utensils, including a can opener

* photo copy of credit and identification cards

* cash and coins

* special needs items such as, prescriptions, eye glasses, contact solution

hearing aid batteries

* other items to meet your unique family needs

If you live in a cold climate, you must think about warmth.

It is possible that you will not have heat. Think about your

clothing and bedding supplies. Be sure to include one complete

change of clothing and shoes per person. Including:

* jacket or coat

* long pants

* long sleeve shirt

* sturdy shoes

* hat, mittens, and scarf

* sleeping bag or warm blanket (per person)

Be sure to account for growing children and other family changes.

Change stored food and water every six months and replace them

with fresh supplies. Keep items in airtight plastic bags and place in

an easy to carry container: back pack, duffel bag,, etc. Keep in a place

where temperature is cool. Re-think your needs every year.

****************************************************

This list will need to be adapted to your own family needs.

Remember you have to carry it or pull it, so go light as possible.

If it is winter you will most likely already have a jacket or coat

on when you leave your house. It's a good idea to keep a pair

of gloves or mittens in your coat pocket.

A little time preparing now, saves many hours of worry, later.

Happy preparing!

It's Tomato Time

For all of you who love to do your own spaghetti sauce,

here is some important information for you.

ALL SPAGHETTI SAUCE NEEDS TO BE PROCESSED

IN A PRESSURE CANNER NOT WATER-BATH. The FDA

has removed all recipes for spaghetti sauce from the water-bath

way of canning due to the acidic level of the tomatoes. I realize that

you may have done your favorite recipe for many years without any

issues but we have been told that the tomatoes we are able to get are

much lower in acid than they used to be. It's best not to take a chance.

Also, there shouldn't be more than one cup of cooking oil to 30 pounds

of tomatoes. Here is one safe recipe for this area:

30 lbs tomatoes, peeled quartered, cored (15 quarts)

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped celery OR green peppers

1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)

2 Tablespoons oregano

4 Tablespoons minced parsley

2 teaspoons black pepper

4 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Boil tomatoes for 20 minutes, uncovered in a large

saucepan. Stir as needed to prevent sticking. Press

through a food mill or sieve. Saute onions, celery or

green pepper and mushrooms (if desired) in vegetable

oil until tender. Combine with tomatoes, spices, salt,

and sugar; bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, stirring

frequently, until thick enough for serving. (The volume

should be reduced by nearly one half.) Pour into hot jars,

leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Place lids and rings. Process

in PRESSURE CANNER at 12 1/2 pounds pressure.

20 minutes for pints

25 minutes for quarts

Makes about 9 pints.

CAUTION: Do not increase the proportion of onions,

peppers, or mushrooms.

for Spaghetti sauce with meat add 2 1/2 pounds

of sauteed ground beef or sausage to above recipe

leaving 1 inch head space.

Process pints: for 60 minutes, quarts for 70 minutes

*Tomato helps:

53 pounds tomatoes to a bushel

1 quart cut up tomatoes =2 pounds

1 pint cut up tomatoes = 1 pound

*Stewed Tomatoes also need to be processed in a Pressure canner.

Happy and safe canning.

What kind of wheat is best to store?

I heard someone ask what the difference was between hard and soft wheat. Hard wheat is what you want for your

long-term storage, it stores much longer. Hard wheat also has a higher gluten and is best for bread

Variety	Protein	Best Use(s)
Hard red spring , Hard red winter & Hard white spring	11-15%	bread flour (high gluten)
Soft red winter, Soft white winter & Soft white spring	9-12%	pasta, cake, biscuit, cracker, and pastry flours (low gluten)

Green drinks

Green fruit smoothies seem to be a big hit right now.

You can make many kinds. A good basic is 2-3

cups water and ice, 2-3 cups greens (spinach,chard,

kale, beet greens, etc.) one thin slice lemon, half an

orange, peeled, and anything else you want to put

in it. I usually add 1/2 cup yogurt, any flavor to

it as well. Sometimes a couple of strawberries, fresh peach

or whatever is on hand. Blend on high.

If you are not used

to seeing "Green" in your glass, don't worry. They really

can taste good. Remember that it doesn't have to be

sweet to be good for you and still taste good. Be creative

and see what you like best. This is a lot of fiber and so

you may need to start with a cup a day and work up to

as much as a quart a day. Spinach and chard seem to be

the mildest, in my opinion. If you have a touchy stomach,

try bringing your greens to a boil, boil gently for 60 seconds,

drain and then blend them. Some folks have a tough time

with the acid that is in spinach. This will help. Happy drinking!

Vita Mix and Blend Tech blenders are definitely the best,

but you can do it still in a regular one on high for a couple of

minutes. It may be a little chunkier, but that's ok too.

Gardening

Summer is finally here! Cherries are just about gone and apricots will be on soon.

Just a note. If you haven't already figured out, the birds are back again this year.

To save what's left of your strawberries and the raspberries, blackberries,etc.,

make sure you put a net over them. It's a pain for us sometimes, but sure saves

a headache in the long run. Remember to keep your plants watered (strawberries etc)

even when they are finished producing so they will stay alive for next year. A good

garden fertilizer is good as well. A fertilizer that is good for your garden is: 16-16-8.

Happy gardening and canning. Leave me a comment or question if you have one and

I will post the answer here.

Emergency Preparedness Fair

Just a note to let you all know that there is going to be a tri-city Emergency Preparedness Fair. Sponsored by: Farr West, Plain City, and Marriot/Slaterville Place: Farr West Elementary-Farr West, Utah Date: April 30, 2011 Time: 9:am - 12:00 noon This is free to the public. Bring your family, friends, and neighbors! There will be many vendors, 5-minute mini-classes, 911 helps for kids, burning station with Weber County Fire dept., earthquake tips, and many more. Come join in the fun!!! See you there.

Spring planting

Hope you all have your gardens ready. Now is a good time to get these items planted Broccoli, cabbage, onions, beets. turnups, parsnips, carrots. peas and greens: lettuce, spinach,etc. Being prepared and self sufficient is important. Have fun and involve your family at the same time. Happy planting!

Time to Plant

Yes it's still winter, but if any of you are wanting to start your
own garden plants, now is the time; things like broccoli, tomatoes,
peppers and all those good things. You can put them in little starter
kits or egg cartons or whatever works for you.

Also, if you have fruit trees, now is the time to prune them, before
the sap starts heading out into the branches.