Hello Readers! Welcome to Food Storage and Beyond! This site is a journey to total preparedness and self-reliance. We’re not just talking food storage! Okay… it’s mostly food storage, but there are so many aspects beyond that as well!
If you are new to this site CLICK HERE to learn more about what we do and where to start. If you are here again for the second, third, or gazillionth time, welcome back! At this point, I am not actively writing posts (I need to dedicate my time to my family), however this site is FULL of great information regarding all aspects of preparedness… so use the category buttons above to browse around and work on your preparedness efforts at your own pace.
I do occasionally drop back in to add something new that I’ve learned, or a food storage recipe I’d like to share, and those will be posted below as they come (as well as added to appropriate categories above) so feel free to check back regularly for anything new and to keep your preparedness ambitions up and running! 
My best and warmest wishes to you all as you strive to keep your families safe and prepared in these crazy times in which we live!
Hey y’all! Just poppin in to say hi and share some fun frugal finds I’ve come across in the DIY department. Today we’re taking care of our bodies… and more specifically the face.
Is it just me, or does anyone else still battle with zit breakouts in their adult life. I mean… seriously???? Haven’t I paid my acne dues?? My teenage years of embarrassment weren’t enough? *sigh*. Thankfully I only have occasional breakouts, but still! The cruelty. I’ve listed this post under physical prep because it’s part of taking care of our bodies, but really, it should probably be under emotional prep since… let’s face it… an acne breakout is at the very least an emotional emergency!
Anyway, I’ve been looking into more natural products in all different aspects of my life lately (particularly diet) and I’ve come across a lot of DIY beauty/skin care products lately as well. I started collecting (read: pinning) a bunch of different DIY face mask options to deal with breakouts, and have finally gotten around to compiling them into a list I can print out and stick in my bathroom (you know… so I can just grab it out and pick something I want to try when I’m in the mood to deal with my face.)
Of course, I thought I’d share the list with y’all as well (just cuz I love ya). Even if you don’t battle breakouts, these are still great for the general cleansing and beautification (big word… I went to college) of your face. And not only are they cheap (in some cases DIRT cheap!) because they’re DIY, they’re also all natural! No yucky chemicals and toxins needed for these baby faces!
Download: DIY Natural Face Masks
There are 7 different types of natural masks/remedies in the list to try. The one I’m most excited about is the sea salt treatments. Have you ever been swimming in the ocean and later realized how nice your skin felt afterwards? Between the salty sea water and the healthy effects of the sun, the beach is a natural beautifier. I grew up right next to the beach and now I can’t believe I didn’t take advantage of that more while I had the chance! But the other masks sound fun as well and I look forward to trying them too. And just a side note: Everyone’s skin is different and has different sensitivities. These are all proven to work for some people, but likely won’t work for all. If you find something that agitates your skin, don’t use it anymore and try a different one. However, keep in mind that some remedies have to pull all the yucky stuff out of your pores first, making it appear your problem is getting worse instead of better. So give them a fair chance (unless you can tell that it’s obviously a bad reaction).
Anyway… I’m off to give them a try. I hope you enjoy!
Oh goodness do I have a treat for all the LDS parents out there. I’m gonna keep this short and sweet cuz I’m brain fried from staring at my computer screen for so long… but I have created a great little packet for the youngins to keep their attention a little more focused and their bodies a little less wiggly during General Conference. (Can you believe that’s already here again??) I call it the ULTIMATE packet because this bad boy is HUGE. 35 pages huge. Ya. (Did I mention I’ve been staring at my screen for a little while??)
This packet is FULL of activities that touch on different Gospel topics (and I tried to keep them related to Conference as well) from A all the way to Z! And yes… I know there are only 26 letters in the alphabet, but some of the activities take up two pages, so yes… this got a bit on the long side. But that’s good! Because there are FOUR sessions of Conference and we don’t want the kiddos running out of things to do in the middle of the first session, right??
Download: The ULTIMATE LDS General Conference Activity Packet
Okay, well, you know the drill. Download, print, give it to the munchkins with a bunch of crayons, scissors, glue, and snacks (for goodness sakes, DON’T forget the snacks). Dress it up, dress it down, make it as fun and fancy as you like, or just chuck it at them as you turn on Conference (okay… please don’t actually CHUCK it at them) and hopefully you’ll be set to enjoy a few peaceful moments of Conference yourself.
Side Note: This packet has been created with the Primary Age youth in mind (roughly age 5-12). That’s not to say that a 3 or 4 year old couldn’t enjoy a lot of it (I’m certainly going to be trying to get my 4 year old to stay busy with it), but they will probably need a lot more coaching and assistance. Just FYI. They can definitely do the ‘poking’ part, which I think more than anything they would have fun with, but just be sure they take care with whatever poking device you give them. I will NOT be held responsible if your 4 year old leaves pins in your carpet that your 11 month old crawls over! (Not saying that happened in my house or anything…)
But truly, I hope this will help aid in allowing the Spirit to be in your homes as you listen to Conference. Try to help your children understand what they are hearing and feeling as they listen and work on the packets as well so they can foster their own testimonies and know for themselves that what they hear is true. What a great time to be living. What a great time to be raising children. Scary, but great. And there is no greater safety net that I’d prefer my children have than to be able to recognize and understand the Spirit in their lives.
Okay, well so much for keeping this short. But just a reminder that General Conference is on April 6th and 7th this year and if you’d like more ideas for things you can do to make this a special time for your family, check out my older conference posts HERE that have links to TONS AND TONS of ideas and other packets as well. (And P.S. one of the beauties of this packet is it’s not specific to any year or season… so you can use it over and over… or at least until your kids have all the answers memorized )
If you are not LDS, but would like to know what in the world we are all so excited about, feel free to listen/watch as well! You can watch the LDS General Conference online by clicking HERE on Saturday, April 6th and Sunday, April 7th at 10 AM and 2 PM on each day (Mountain Standard Time). (That’s 11 AM and 3 PM for us Texans… )
Best Wishes to you all, and as always Keep Prepping!
Healthy? Check. Delicious? Check. Portable? Check.
All the makings for an awesome breakfast-on-the-go that keeps the waistline slim and trim. And OF COURSE! It’s food storage!
Okay. Honestly you guys… you have GOT to try these. These little gals are so tasty and so good for you, that it would almost be a crime NOT to try them. I eat these as a breakfast, a snack, and even as a dessert (if I’ve been naughty the rest of the day). It’s baked oatmeal, yes, but don’t let that deter you. I am actually not a fan of traditional baked oatmeal. And neither is Hubby. But when he tried these, he LOVED them. Now he even requests them!
They’re gluten free (in case that’s an issue for you), chock full of good-for-you ingredients, and have just enough sweetness to keep you coming back for more… and more… and more.
So give ‘em a try! I promise you’ll be happy that you did!
Chocolate Chunk Banana Baked Oatmeal Bites
Download Printable Version
Ingredients:
- 3 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick oats)
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 eggs (or reconstituted egg powder)
- 1¼ cups milk (or reconstituted powdered milk)
- 1 cup mashed bananas* (about 3 medium)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 to 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks (or chips)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 ºF. Lightly grease roughly 18 muffin cups with non-stick spray.
- Combine the oats (note: if using old-fashioned oats, I like to lightly grind mine in a food processor for a bit), brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir together.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, eggs, milk, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and give it a good stir until fully combined. Add the chocolate chunks and stir again. {Note: Use 1 cup of chocolate chunks for a regular amount of chocolate, or up to 1½ cups if you like it really chocolatey.}
- Spoon the oatmeal mixture into the prepared muffin tins. (Note: These will not rise a lot–if at all–so go ahead and fill each cup at least ¾ full.)
- Bake uncovered for about 18-20 minutes, or until oatmeal is lightly browned and starting to turn dark at the edges (and/or a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean).
- Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days, or these are great to throw in the freezer (in a freezer baggie) and have on hand for a quick breakfast/snack/dessert. Just toss one in the microwave (on the defrost setting) for about 1 minute (or about 20 seconds on HIGH) and it’s ready to go!
Yields 16 – 18 oatmeal bites.
*Store bananas in the freezer for food storage. See tips HERE.
