More budgeting & food storage :)

I have been taking inventory of my food storage. Although it's not all raw stuff (I stocked up on popcorn, beans, peanut butter, etc. for my son), it's stuff that would keep us alive if we didn't have anything else to eat. We have enough food for my son & me to last about four months, calorie-wise. :)

I have also been working on a plan of what to buy to even things out a little better - like having oil to go on the popcorn, etc. :P I have made a plan of what to buy so I can keep my supply at the four-month level while gradually evening out the calorie distribution (I'm getting pretty low on oils & seeds, not to mention that we'd probably get scurvy if I don't add some dried fruits, at least) and then gradually get it to contain more of what we regularly like to eat after that. I'll do it by stocking up on cheaper raw stuff (sunflower seeds, flax, etc.) at first and then gradually "branch out" to include more variety (dried fruits, more kinds of nuts, cacao, agave instead of just the bucket of honey we already have, etc.) It's feeling really good, and it will help me with the budgeting challenge, too, because I'm paying attention to what gives me the most calories for my money! I'm hoping to be able to save enough money by gardening this summer to save up & buy another 5-gallon bucket of olive oil by the end of August - it's about $17 per liter that way, rather than $23 per liter if I buy it in one-liter bottles...that makes a big difference when you use it as much as we do! :)

What's in your budget &/or food storage plan?

Raw Food Storage

If you're a raw foodie or even if you just like healthy food around, you may have wondered how to be prepared for an emergency/disaster situation when access to fresh produce may be limited or unavailable. This could mean anything from an earthquake or a bad storm to loss of employment or temporary lack of transportation keeping you from getting to the grocery store as soon or often as you'd like. That's when storing food can be extremely helpful if not downright life-saving!

You can store things to eat right away, like nuts & dried fruit (raw nuts can be kept in the freezer to keep them good longer). You can store ingredients for recipes (oils, sweeteners, spices, etc.). You can also store seeds for sprouting (learn to sprout & use them BEFORE a disaster hits), so you can have fresh foods even when you don't have access to fresh fruits & vegetables. I buy a lot of non-perishable things in bulk (see http://www.azurestandard.com/ for one option), which saves money and forces me stock up, so I usually have most of these on hand:

Walnuts
Almonds
Cashews
Brazilnuts
Pine nuts
Pistachios
Pecans
Hazelnuts
Shredded coconut
Sunfower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Flaxseed
Sesame seeds
Hemp seeds
Alfalfa seeds
Chia seeds
Lentils
Mung beans
Garbanzo beans
Garden seeds
Sunflower seeds in the shell (for growing sunflower sprouts)
Quinoa
Buckwheat
Sweet brown rice (it sprouts!)
Barley
Wheat
Rye
Raw dried fruits (I like http://www.therawchoice.com/ for these)
Cacao powder
Cacao nibs
Carob powder
Lucuma
Mesquite
Maca
Sun-dried tomatoes
Honey
Agave nectar
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Basil
Cayenne
Cinnamon
Cloves
Cumin
Ginger
Italian herbs
Mustard powder
Parsley
Turmeric
Sea salt

In the event of a natural disaster, you will also want to have several gallons of water - more if you'll be soaking & sprouting things. :)