Northern Utah Events to put on your calendar
West Jordan, Utah Citizen Corps class for the community-
GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) class by Scott Katsilas Thur. Feb. 27th 7pm MT
West Jordan, UT City Hall in the Community Room on the West side of the building
Free class geared toward those interested in learning how to use a radio, GMRS vs Ham radios, ease of use, advantages for the family and how it fits into your family communication plan. He will also discuss the types of GMRS radios, license requirements, where to get the radios and pricing.
If you cannot attend in person, this will be available on Zoom as well. The Zoom link is HERE:
Launch
Meeting - Zoom
The passcode if needed will be Meeting
ID: 890 5164 7155
Passcode:
295438
Northern Utah, SE Idaho and St. George/ Las Vegas Spring Case Lot Sales
The stores that have case lot sales are, Broulims, Lin's, Petersen's, Ream's, Dan's and Smiths. They are usually held in March and September. Macey's case lot prices will go into effect on Monday March 3rd even though the new add doesn't start until Wed. March 5th. You can go into your local store and ask at Customer Service if they know when their case lot sale will start.
Now is a good time to go through your food storage and take inventory and do a clean-up, reorganize and make your shopping list.
Yard & Garden things to do this month
If you have fruit trees, now is the time to do your yearly pruning. Start by removing any broken or diseased limbs. Then remove any limbs that cross each other or rub on another limb. Finally, trim or thin out branches to increase production. There are a lot of helpful videos available on Youtube and probably some posted by University Extension offices. Do not remove more than 1/3 of the limbs on your tree.
Plan out your garden. Make a map of your garden and where you will plant everything. I keep a spiral notebook just for this purpose. Consider adding another fruit tree, or edible shrubs or berries to your landscape. On the map of your yard, plan where you will put these new plants.
Order your garden seeds for the year. It can take at least 2 weeks for your seeds to arrive. If you want to buy heirloom or non-hybrid seeds, some good suppliers are Seed Savers Exchange Home – SeedSavers, True Leaf Market True Leaf Market | True Leaf Market Seed Company
Baker Creek Seeds, www.rareseeds.com and Anderson Seed and Grain, Organic & Quality Seeds for Every Gardener – Anderson's Seed & Garden
This month the focus will be on storing sweets and other things that we love. If you like this kind of information, I wrote a cookbook in 2024 that has hundreds of recipes for everyday meals and desserts, many different kinds of breads, soups, salads, ethnic recipes, how to make various dairy products from fresh or powdered milk, how to turn butter into ghee, how to vacuum seal foods 3 different ways, dips, dressings, sauces, vinegars and twelve pages of herbal remedies and salves. I also included a lot of food storage information for storing many commonly used foods. The book also includes hints on how to incorporate “food storage” into your everyday meals. My book has 200 pages and the cost is $20 per copy. Shipping IS AVAILABLE. All information you need will be found on the order form HERE: https://forms.gle/hNtPMUi8KVtB5t4X7
How to store chocolate
Chocolate in either chip form or a solid block can be stored for a long time. Simply put in a glass or plastic container with a tightfitting lid. You can add a 100cc size oxygen absorber to each container if desired, but it is not necessary. Store in a cool, dry and dark location. Over time the chocolate will develop a white coating on the outside. That is called a “bloom” and it is harmless. Cocoa powder can be stored in its original container or in glass for many years.
Mint flavored baking chip storage: A few years ago, I bought several pounds of the green mint flavored baking chips in bulk. I did not get around to using a lot of it. They looked fine and I stored them in ideal conditions, but when we tested some, they tasted like soap. I do not recommend storing a lot of these at one time. Buy a bag or two and be sure to use them and rotate them out of your storage. M & M candies and Toffee bits can be stored for several years.
How to store hard candy
Hard candy can be stored for a very long time. You can buy it on clearance sales after major holidays and store in glass or plastic containers. Just be sure to keep it insect-free and dry. Hard candy will be good for several years. There is no need to freeze-dry hard candy as it is not needed for storage and there is almost zero moisture to remove.
How to store sugar
White sugar should be stored in glass or plastic containers. It should be airtight to keep out moisture. Never use oxygen absorbers with sugar! If you do, it will turn into a brick and will not be usable. Sugar is considered a “forever” food as it can be stored for decades.
Brown sugar can be stored for many years. Over time it will become hard, but it can be softened in the microwave. I suggest storing brown sugar in smaller packages to make it easy to soften when ready to use. If you store unwrapped brown sugar in a large bucket and it becomes hard, it will be difficult to break it up to warm and soften it. You can also make brown sugar by adding molasses to white sugar and stir well.
How to store honey
Store honey in a glass or plastic container. It should have a lid to keep it clean. Honey is considered a “forever” food as it will be good to eat for decades. Honey does harden over time. That is normal and it is perfectly good to use. Simply warm the honey in a double boiler to soften it. I suggest storing honey in small containers to make it easier to soften and use once it has hardened. If you have a 5-gallon bucket of hardened honey, it will be difficult to remove some of the honey to use it. You can buy the honey in bulk in a bucket, but I suggest pouring it into smaller containers to put it away for storage.
How to store Stevia
Stevia in liquid, powder or granulated form, if stored where it is cool, dark and dry, has at least a 3 year shelf-life.
Forever Foods- What to store
Would you like to know which foods will last the longest if stored properly? Most foods need to be used or “rotated” before they will go bad. Some foods will only be good for a few months such as nuts, seeds and brown rice. Many foods can be stored for several years. And there are a few that can last for decades if stored properly. Here is a list of those items that can be found nearly anywhere and will last nearly forever.
Raw honey, Real Maple Syrup, whole wheat, white rice, dried beans, salt, white sugar, old fashioned plain popcorn (not microwave type), corn starch, corn syrup, tea bags, vinegar especially the Raw Apple Cider with the Mother, Liquid Aminos by Braggs, ghee or clarified butter, Pure Vanilla extract, whole spices, hard tack, bouillon in cube form, freeze-dried foods, pemmican and hard liquors.
Other forever items to consider for health issues are, activated charcoal powder, Bentonite clay, Food grade diatomaceous earth and herbal tinctures made with 80 proof alcohol.
I have attached 2 very good videos on this topic below. The ladies also give suggestions on how to store these items and why you should have them.
https://youtu.be/Zu5gscdCEjQ?si=W3ETX8MFQNl8zSf9 by The Alaska Granny
https://youtu.be/iYTbhqOBWJA?si=4a0yti3ehBm9JX4_ by Prepsteaders