Are You More Prepared than You Were 1 Year Ago?

Many people have good intentions when it comes to being prepared with food storage and emergency equipment.  The fact is however, that most of us have good intentions and never get around to doing anything about it.  All of the good intentions in the world will not help you in an emergency situation.  So, what can you do?

1. Identify your needs

• Take an inventory of what you have
• Find out how much food and what equipment you need for your family

     2.  Set a budget - how much can you afford weekly or monthly? 

• Be realistic, don't stretch your budget to the point you can't stick with your plan
• Even a small budget spent on food storage or emergency equipment adds up over time.  Most people can afford a few dollars each month.

     3.  Make a plan

• Set a day each week or each month that you will purchase your food storage or emergency equipment.
• Plan to take advantage of sales

     4.  BE CONSISTENT

• This is the hard part but if you are determine, soon you will for a habit and it will be easier to continue

NEED HELP BEING CONSISTENT?

May I suggest The "Q"?  It is a great way of painlessly committing yourself to building food storage.  You control everything yourself.  You set your own budget, choose the foods you want and choose a monthly shipping date.  You can continue on this plan as long as you like or cancel at anytime after 3 months of being on the program.  It is also a great way to get the best prices on our quality products.  For more information click the "Q" tab above and visit my Shelf Reliance website at:

susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

 

Our company has recently changed its name to "Thrive Life".  In the beginning, our company sold food storage shelving, thus the name "Shelf Reliance".  However, with the introduction of food storage and emergency products along with shelving units, the Shelf Reliance name did not reflect the scope of our offerings.  Thus the name change.



Freeze-dried Foods, A Tool to Help Boost Your Immune System

Cold season is now upon us and there seems to be a proliferation of viruses.  On average, an adult has 2 colds per year.  While they are not usually life threatening, they cause a great deal of suffering and lost days of work.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could decrease our chances of catching colds and flu or even lessen the effects or duration of these viruses?   Doctors and nutritionists tell us that by eating a balanced diet, including at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, we can do just that.

Why Are Fruits and Vegetables So Important in Boosting our Immune System?

Many fruits and vegetables are rich in Vitamin A, C, E and flavonoids.

What are Flavonoids?

Flavonoids are chemical substances in food that act as Antioxidants.  Antioxidants stop free radicals from damaging healthy cells.  Free radicals come from the body’s natural use of oxygen, as well as environmental elements such as pollution and smoking.  They tend to weaken our body’s defense system.

We all know it is important to have a balanced diet, but more often than not, we just do not eat the right foods.  People tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables in the winter because there are less fresh fruits and vegetables available.  Often they are expensive, lacking in quality or just not available.  Unfortunately, this is just the opposite of what we should be doing.  Cold weather, pollution, lack of sun light etc. take a tole on our immune systems.  If we are not careful, our immune system suffers.  This is just the type of situation that those nasty little viruses are looking for.

How Can Freeze-Dried Foods Help Us Get the Nutrition Needed to Build a Healthy Immune System?

1.   They maintain the same vitamin, mineral and antioxidant content as fresh foods

2.   They are very appealing to the taste, maintain the same color and aroma as fresh foods

3.   They are edible just as they are and make healthy, nutritious snacks

4.   They are lightweight and easy to store in a handbag or backpack, making them easy to eat on the go

5.   They can easily be reconstituted and used in your own recipes.  They are lifesavers when you haven’t had time to shop for fresh ingredients

6.   They have a shelf live of 25 years when the can is unopened

7.   No preservatives are added

8.   They are available in a great variety at all times of the year

There is nothing more valuable to you than good health.  Let Shelf Reliance Thrive Foods help you and your family boost your immune systems.  It is a great way to get those important fruits and vegetables into your diet.  Please click the link below to go to my Shelf Reliance website where you can shop for your favorite foods and have them shipped directly to your home. 

susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

Shelf Reliance Black Friday Sale

If you are thinking of purchasing food storage, emergency preparedness items or shelving for yourself or as a gift, now is a great time to do so.  Shelf Reliance is holding a terrific Black Friday Sale on Nov. 23rd through the 26th.  All of our products are discounted up to 50%.  Please take a moment to look over our flyer and price list.  These are the best prices of the year.

If you do decide to purchase, please order through my Shelf Reliance website.  You can find the link just below.  If you have any questions, just send an e-mail to me at utsusieq@shelfreliance.com.  I will be happy to help you.

susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

Click the link below to go to the Black Friday Sale Flyer

http://susansakurai.shelfreliance.com/files/materials/price-lists/Flyer:-Black-Friday-2012.pdf

Click the link below to go to the Black Friday Sale Price List

http://susansakurai.shelfreliance.com/files/materials/price-lists/Price-List:-Black-Friday-2012.pdf

Unique and Useful Christmas Gift Ideas

The Christmas season is nearly upon us and everyone is starting to think about gift giving.  We all want to give unique gifts that will be useful and pleasing to our friends and loved ones.  The only trouble is that many times it is difficult to think of something new and useful.  If you are tired of giving sweaters, ties, candy, perfume, jewelry, etc., here is a list of items that would make wonderful, useful gifts. 

1. First Aid Kit
2. Emergency Kit
3. Battery Power Radio
4. Solar Radio w/ Cell Phone Charger
5. Stove In A Can
6. Volcano Cooking Kit
7. Butane Stove
8. Solar Oven
9. Solar Crank Lantern
10. Flashlight
11. Water Purification Pens or Filters
12. Emergency tools – Pocket Knife, Ax, Shovel
13. MREs
14. Food Storage Items – Freeze-Dried or Dehydrated Foods

As you will notice all of these items are centered on the theme of emergency preparedness.  In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, wouldn’t we all be better off to be prepared.  Shelf Reliance carries high quality famous maker gear and supplies along with their very own Shelf Reliance Thrive Foods.  You can find all of the above items along with a wide selection of others at my Shelf Reliance website. I invite you to visit to find the perfect Christmas gifts for those on your list.  Just click the link below.

susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

Food Storage As Convenience Food



How do you think of your food storage? 

Over time, the way I have thought of my food storage has evolved.  In the beginning, when I was building my food storage, it never entered my mind that I should rotate it.  In my mind it was an insurance policy for the future and not to be used until the time of need actually came.  I remember purchasing 100 lbs. of powdered milk and sealing it up in 5 gallon plastic buckets feeling very comfortable that it would provide for me and my family if we needed it.  Fortunately, no major time of need came.  However, at the end of the 20 years I realized that the milk along with many of the other items I had stored for so long had lost their nutritive value and in essence had been wasted.  This filled me with guilt.

I began to realize that if I was going to have food storage it needed to be rotated and managed.  At that point, I began to learn how to use my food storage in the everyday meals that I made for my family.  At that point, I learned to purchase only the items I would actually use.  I also learned how to manage the items so that they would be used before they reached their expiration date.  I wasn’t always successful, but I greatly decreased the food that was wasted.

When freeze-dried foods became available, I found that they were not only good for long term food storage, but that they were also great for convenience foods.  Freeze-dried foods with their vivid taste and aroma are very desirable.  They can easily be substituted in your own recipes without loss of taste, aroma, nutrition, texture or color.  The fact that they are fast and easy to rehydrate and require no slicing or chopping speeds up the cooking process.  They make the task of rotating all of my food storage easier and more convenient.  I find that they are great time savers, giving me more time to spend with my family.   I stock my pantry with the following items to use as convenience food:

1. Freeze-dried meats
2.      Freeze-dried cheese
3.      Freeze-dried onions
4.      Freeze-dried celery
5.      Freeze-dried mushrooms
6.      Freeze-dried spinach
7.      Freeze-dried strawberries

 A large variety of freeze-dried foods are available, making it easy to find the items you use most often.

Why I find using freeze-dried foods convenient.

1. Fast and easy to use.
2. Easy to use in my own recipes
3. Always available, even when the fresh item is out of season
4. Have vivid delicious tastes and aromas
5. Allow me to use only the amount I need (no waste)
6. They are always in my pantry ready to be used even if I haven’t had time to shop for fresh items
7. Long shelf life
8. They make great healthy snacks for children just as they are
9. My family loves them  

I enjoy cooking meals from scratch.  I find that freeze-dried foods used in combination with my regular food storage items make it possible to make a large variety of very desirable meals that my family loves.  This makes it easy to continually rotate my food storage and prevent waste.  If you don’t enjoy cooking or don’t have the time to cook from scratch, freeze-dried foods can be a great convenience food for you.  You will be surprised at the amount of time you can save by using them.  They can make it possible for you to actually keep and rotate a viable food storage for your family. 

If you are interested in more information about freeze-dried foods or would like to purchase freeze-dried foods, please click the link below to go to my Shelf Reliance website.

susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

Managing Your Food Storage - Waste Not, Want Not

Shortly after I was married, my husband and I thought that it would be a good idea to have some emergency food storage.  So, we purchased 100lbs. of non-instant powdered milk.  Of Course, I had no idea of how to use it, but somehow it gave me a secure feeling just knowing it was there in case of emergency.  Well, as newly weds often do, we moved 6 times in the first 6 years that we were married and the powdered milk, along with other storage items were carted from house to house from Utah to California and back never being used once.  About that time I opened the first plastic bucket of powdered milk and over the next few years used less than a cup full about 10 times.  Three houses and 20 years later, we finally decided that the milk probably had lost all of its nutrients and we threw it out.  We felt guilty and wasteful for throwing it out.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only thing that we wasted.  It had provided us with a sense of security over those years, but we could have gotten so much more benefit out of it if we had just managed it better.   I decided that I must follow a few simple rules to better manage my food storage and the money I would put into it:

Rule #1:  Store only what you eat and eat what you store.

This left me with a few challenges: 

• Finding a way to use the items I already had in my storage in a way that I could use them regularly in meals that my family would enjoy.
• Purchasing bulk storage items that I would actually use.
• Adding freeze-dried fruits, vegetables and meats to my storage to give variety

Rule #2:  Purchase wisely and don’t put your food storage dollars into one basket.

Buy a variety of food types:

• Buy case lots of canned goods when they are on sale
• Take advantage of sales on staple foods and buy in quantity
• Buy freeze-dried fruits, vegetables, meats, and cheeses to supplement your canned goods.  Especially ones that don’t usually come in cans.  They have a long shelf life and are convenient, fast and easy to use

Rule #3:  Manage what you have.

• Don’t buy more than you can use in one year
• Organize your food storage pantry as if it were a home store
• Label each item with the date it was purchased
• Organize them so that the oldest items are near the front of the shelves
• Keep a food storage inventory sheet on the door of your pantry or food storage room
• Keep track of what you have used, how much you have on hand and what you need to buy, what you need to use
• Plan ahead, watch for sales on the items you need
• Replenish your supply before it runs out

Rule #4:  Learn all you can about cooking

• Take the time to cook items from scratch several times a week
• Learn to substitute freeze-dried foods, whole egg powder, and instant milk powder into recipes that your family likes.
• Introduce your family to new recipes
• Try to cook only with food storage items
• Use the internet to learn more about foods
• Make sure that your are eating a balanced diet

Don’t get discouraged.  It is not an easy thing to manage a years worth of food.  Just keep trying.  If you hate to cook or you work long hours, it is OK to store lots of mixes and partially prepared foods.  Don’t feel like you have to be Susie Homemaker.  However, if you enjoy cooking, have fun and get into it.  Your family will be happy with the delicious meals that you make and you can be proud of how you are managing your food budget.

If you don’t have any food storage, there is no better time that the present to start.

• Set a monthly food storage budget
• Get a few extra items every week
• Save money by watch the grocery ads
• Plan ahead for spring and fall case lot sales
• Be consistent

Once you have your food storage up and running, you can enjoy the extra time you will save by not having to go to the store so often.  You will enjoy the extra money you will save from not eating out so much.  Best of all you will enjoy better health.

Please visit my Shelf Reliance website where you can see a large variety of food storage items, emergency items and shelving.  Our products are of the finest quality and can be purchased directly from my website.  Go to my Shelf Reliance website by clicking the link below.

  

 susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

Strawberry Swirl Sweet Rolls From Your Food Storage Pantry

If you have been reading my blog, you know that strawberries are one of my favorites.  Freeze-dried strawberries are so easy to use and taste delicious.  I love to experiment with them.  I decided to change up my favorite cinnamon roll recipe.  It actually turned out better than I had hoped.  Considering the red strawberry filling and the white frosting on top, they would make a great Christmas treat.  Your family will love them anytime.  It is very likely that you will be able to make them entirely from items in your food storage pantry.  I hope that you will give this recipe a try.

Note:  Freeze-dried raspberries, blueberries, mangos, peaches and pineapple can be substituted.

Strawberry Swirl Sweet Rolls

Mix the following ingredients and let yeast develop for about 10 to 15 minutes.

2 C. warm water

½ C. oil

½ C. sugar

2 pkgs. or 2 T. yeast

Add:

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs or 2 T. whole egg powder + 4T. water

Knead the dough and let it rise until double in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap.  Roll out until it is about 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick.  Spread Strawberry filling over the dough evenly.  Roll up as if it were a cinnamon roll.  Seal the edges.  Cut into 1 ½ inch slices using a piece of thread.  Place on a greased baking sheet.  Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise until double.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven.  While slightly warm, drizzle with vanilla frosting.

Strawberry Filling

In a saucepan mix the following ingredients.  Bring to a boil and continue to cook until mixture becomes very thick (like jam).

2 C. freeze-dried strawberries

¾ C. water

1/3 C. sugar

Add:

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Continue cooking for 1 minute.

These rolls are delicious and can be made on the spur of the moment when using ingredients from your food storage pantry.  If you have never used freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, I recommend giving them a try.  You will be surprised and how fast and easy they are to use and how convenient they are.  They make cooking quick and easy because they are already chopped and ready to rehydrate in your favorite recipe.  I recommend trying Shelf Reliance Thrive freeze-dried foods.  They are of the highest quality and give you the piece of mind knowing they are in your pantry and ready to use.  Most Thrive freeze-dried foods have a shelf life of 25 years unopened and up to a year after opened.  Give them a try.  You will love them!

Please click below to go to my Shelf Reliance website.  While there you can learn more about Shelf Reliance products, use our food planner, get recipes from Chef Todd Leonard or purchase any of our line of Thrive foods, emergency equipment or shelving.

susansakurai.shelfreliance.com