Well, as promised, we purchased some Keystone meat products to try.  I have been doing a little research on them and like what I see.  Here is a little breakdown on the five we got.

Beef - 14.5oz, Ingredients: Beef, Sea Salt.  0 trans fats. Sodium 120mg. 0 Carbs. 0 sugar.  11g protein.

Ground beef - 14.5oz. Ingredients:  Same as the Beef.

Chicken - Ingredients: Chicken, Sea Salt.  The rest is the same as the beef but sodium is 100mg.

Pork -  Ingredients:  Pork, Salt.  Sodium 180mg, the rest the same as the beef, sodium 180mg.

Turkey - Ingredients: Turkey, Salt. Sodium 180mg, the rest the same as the beef, sodium 180mg.

All five of the meats we purchased have "0" trans fats which are the "bad" fats.  That's a good thing.

They must sell quickly because all the manufacture dates were in the last 90 days of this year.  The way you can tell the manufacture date is on the bottom of the can.  There are two lines of numbers, one of them has a letter in front of it, the other doesn't  For instance, on the can of Turkey, the numbers are T3258 with the number 15828 under that.  The top number is coded this way:
T = Turkey,
3 is the last number of the year it was made (2013)
258, the last three numbers are the day of the year it was made, in my case, the 258th day of the year.  The other number with out the letter in front of it is their USDA establishment number.

Now lets talk about shelf life.  Here is what the company has to say.

Thank you for purchasing our Keystone Heat and Serve Meats.



Shelf Life and Production Code



The USDA recommends a shelf life of 5 years, provided the integrity of the can is not compromised in any way. Once opened, the meat should be treated the same as any other fresh meat. The USDA does not require a use by date on the can due to the extended shelf life. The numbers you need are on the bottom of each can.

15826 is our USDA establishment number and the other set of numbers is the date of production.

For instance, if your production code was B9174, it would be:

B = beef

9 = 2009 (the first number after the letter is the last number of the production year) (0 = 2010, 1 = 2011)

174 = the 174th day of the year according to the Julian calendar. These 3 numbers are always the day of the year. All of our Keystone Heat and Serve canned meats can be read in this manner.
Read more at http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=179799#vwtHcjcHheemiQGY.99

 "Thank you for purchasing our Heat and Serve Meats.  The USDA recommends a shelf life of 5 years, provided the integrity of the can is not compromised in any way.  Once opened, the meat should be treated the same way as any fresh meat.  The USDA does not require a use by date on the can due to the extended shelf life."

We will open a couple of them this coming week and give you a report back.

Have fun with your food storage.
Bob and LouAnn Singer



1/2/2014

We had a question on the Keystone products so I sent an Email off to them to find out if the livestock that the products are made from were hormone free and grain fed.  Here is their response.

"Joanie Tharp <contact@keystonemeats.com>	7:31 AM (2 hours ago)
to me

Hello Bob,

Thank you for considering Keystone Heat and Serve Meats.  All natural meats there is meat and 1 tablet of sea salt with no additives of any kind including flavoring and coloring.  We do not guarantee whether or not the animals are grain fed or grass fed as we do not raise them ourselves.  We also do not import any meat and use only federally inspected meat.  Any animal in the United States must be hormone and residue free at the time of slaughter. The USDA oversees this and tests for these things at every federal facility in the country.

Thank you,
Joanie Tharp
Keystone Meats
419-225-9600 ext. 105
contact@keystonemeats.com"

Hope this helps.

Have fun with your food storage.
Bob and LouAnn Singer


UPDATE 1/12/2014

We have tried all of the Keystone meats now and they are, as Tony the Tiger would say, GRRRRRRREAT!  5 Stars on these products.  We will be buying more now for our long term food storage.

Bob and LouAnn Singer

Thank you for purchasing our Keystone Heat and Serve Meats.



Shelf Life and Production Code



The USDA recommends a shelf life of 5 years, provided the integrity of the can is not compromised in any way. Once opened, the meat should be treated the same as any other fresh meat. The USDA does not require a use by date on the can due to the extended shelf life. The numbers you need are on the bottom of each can.

15826 is our USDA establishment number and the other set of numbers is the date of production.

For instance, if your production code was B9174, it would be:

B = beef

9 = 2009 (the first number after the letter is the last number of the production year) (0 = 2010, 1 = 2011)

174 = the 174th day of the year according to the Julian calendar. These 3 numbers are always the day of the year. All of our Keystone Heat and Serve canned meats can be read in this manner.



Thank you,

Joanie Tharp

Keystone Meats

419-225-9600 #105
Read more at http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=179799#vwtHcjcHheemiQGY.99

Thank you for purchasing our Keystone Heat and Serve Meats.



Shelf Life and Production Code



The USDA recommends a shelf life of 5 years, provided the integrity of the can is not compromised in any way. Once opened, the meat should be treated the same as any other fresh meat. The USDA does not require a use by date on the can due to the extended shelf life. The numbers you need are on the bottom of each can.

15826 is our USDA establishment number and the other set of numbers is the date of production.

For instance, if your production code was B9174, it would be:

B = beef

9 = 2009 (the first number after the letter is the last number of the production year) (0 = 2010, 1 = 2011)

174 = the 174th day of the year according to the Julian calendar. These 3 numbers are always the day of the year. All of our Keystone Heat and Serve canned meats can be read in this manner.



Thank you,

Joanie Tharp

Keystone Meats

419-225-9600 #105
Read more at http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=179799#vwtHcjcHheemiQGY.99

Here it is already the middle of December and I haven't added any food storage recipes yet.  So....here are some recipes for Decembers food storage items, Meat and Vegetables. 

Ok, so there are not a whole lot of veggies that I like but here are several of my favs rolled up into one nice casserole.  BACON, Onions, Bell Peppers and Tater Tots (potatoes are a veggie, right?

Bacon Breakfast Bake
3/4 – 1 bag TATER TOTS
salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion or 1/2 large onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 lb bacon crisp, crumbled
8 eggs
2 cups milk
3 cups cheddar jack or colby jack cheese, shredded

In a 9×13 casserole dish
add the TATER TOTS, salt and pepper to taste. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until TATER TOTS are golden brown.

Remove from oven and set aside.   Lower oven temp to 350.
In a mixing bowl, add 8 eggs, 2 cups milk, and 3 cups shredded cheese.  Mix well and set aside.
In a frying pan, fry bacon until crisp, then crumble.  Discard all bacon grease except 1 tablespoon for sautéing the onion and peppers.  In the same fry pan as the bacon, sauté the diced onion and peppers until soft.  Layer the onions and peppers on top of the pre cooked TATER TOTS.  Layer the bacon crumbles on top of the onions and peppers.  Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the bacon layer.
COVER with aluminum foil and bake in a pre heated  350 oven for 45 minutes. UNCOVER and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
Enjoy!!

Since it is close to Christmas, We have a tradition that we started years ago.  We have Mexican food for our Christmas and what would it be without TAMALES?  I love making tamales.  It took me several years to get it right, at least in my humble opinion, so I thought I would pass along my method of making them.  It qualifies because the Pork is meat and the black olives, onions and garlic are veggies....right?

Bob’s Tamales

1  large pork butt roast

2  28oz cans Las Palmas red chili sauce

¾ cup Valentina sauce

4.4lb package Quaker Masa Harina De Maiz

8 oz Morrell Lard

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp minced dried onion

1 Can whole black olives

Corn husks

Remove the bone from the pork butt roast and cut roast into sections to fit in a crock pot.  Add water to just below the top and add minced garlic and onion.  Turn crock pot on high and let cook approximately 6-8 hours until it shreds easily with a fork. 

Remove roast from the crock saving the water.  Put the water into a separate container and save it for making the Masa. 

Shred roast with a fork and then add one and a half cans of Las Palmas red chili sauce and ¾ cup of Valentina sauce over the shredded pork stirring until all the meat is coated.  Put shredded meat back into the crock pot and turn on warm for 4 hours. 

Mix Masa per instructions on the package using the water (heated) the roast was cooked in, lard and the other half can of chili sauce.  Salt to taste.  Masa should be easily spreadable.

Soak corn husks in hot water until pliable then spread masa on husk (smooth side), add meat, one black olive and roll up.

Steam tamales standing on end for 45 minutes then remove to cool.

Enjoy.

Have fun with your food storage

Bob and LouAnn Singer

Here it is the 1st of December and time for the next month of our Stake Food Storage Plan.  First, I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving.  I know that we did as we gathered at my sisters house, enjoyed each others company and the great food.  We have had a lot to be thankful for this year.

I hope everyone is working on each month's food storage in the goal to have a one year supply by next October.  Here is this month's items.

December food storage tips:
Vegetables: the cannery offers dried chopped onions, dried carrots, potato flakes, (also potato pearls: these have a short storage life). Consider other basic vegetables such as canned or bottled green beans, etc. (remember that dried beans and lentils are vegetables, and they store very well).
Meat/ Fish/ Jerky:  good to use sparingly to flavor your supply of grains, dry beans, and lentils. Meats contain essential vitamins and minerals, though lacking in necessary fiber.

The Christmas project.  We would like every family to bake 4 loaves of bread before Christmas to be given to your neighbors on each side of you.  If one of them is an active member, take it to the next house.  Tell them you made it from your food storage and can give them more information if they want it.  A great way to break the ice and do some missionary work and give a great Christmas present.  Recipes are available.  Bob and LouAnn Singer, Ward Welfare Specialists and supported by the Bishop.

I have some great recipes and ideas for this month and going to try a product I just found.  These meat products are manufactured by Keystone Meats out of Ohio.  Here is what they say about the beef:

• Beef and Sea Salt
• Fully cooked--Ready to eat; All Natural--No MSG or other preservatives; No water added; Chunk style--Maintains texture and flavor; Gluten Free; Low in Sodium/Fat; Shelf stable
• Ideal for chefs (home and restaurant), campers, boaters, survivalists, etc.

They make Beef, Pork, Chicken, Turkey, Hash along with broths and soup bases.  They have long shelf lives and have very good ratings.  We are going to get some to try and pass along our review.  The best place I have found to get them is Amazon.com.  Just go to Amazon.com and do a search for Keystone Meat.

Remember, food storage items are still available at the Cannery and now it is already canned for you so you can get in and out quickly.

Have fun with your food storage.

Bob and LouAnn Singer
 

I found this today and thought it would be a nice thing to include for this month.  With Thanksgiving coming up and then Christmas, we all need to remember to be thankful for who we are, what unique talents we have, what opportunities we have to repent and renew our commitments to be better, that we will have to face hardships but we do have a Father in Heaven who loves us and will never give us anything we can't handle.  We also have a Savior, Jesus Christ who suffered everything, even the shedding of his own blood and giving his life so that we might call on him and his atonement and be comforted and forgiven and someday return to He and the Father.

A PENCIL MAKER TOLD THE PENCIL 5 IMPORTANT LESSONS JUST BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE BOX:

1.) EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL ALWAYS LEAVE A MARK.

2.) YOU CAN ALWAYS CORRECT THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE.

3.) WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU.

4.) IN LIFE , YOU WILL UNDERGO PAINFUL SHARPENINGS, WHICH WILL ONLY MAKE YOU BETTER.

5.) TO BE THE BEST PENCIL, YOU MUST ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE HELD AND GUIDED BY THE HAND THAT HOLDS YOU. 

We all need to be constantly sharpened.  This parable may encourage you to know that you are a special person, with unique talents and abilities.  Only you can fulfill the purpose which you were born to accomplish.  Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot be changed and, like the pencil, always remember that the most important part of who you are, is what's inside of you.

Bob and LouAnn

Ok, so, what would a "Prepper" blog be with out some interesting "Prepper" information on it, right?  I found these two You Tube videos interesting.  The first is how you can open a can of food, or for that matter, any tin can, by just using a spoon or concrete.  Of course, I have my trusty P-38 military issue small lightweight can opener and a pocket knife with a can opener on it but lets just say you don't have either of those and you have some tin cans of food you need to open.  Here is the first video.

Opening a can with a spoon or concrete

Now, if you don't have matches or any other fire source, here is a way you can start a fire using just a 12 ounce soda can, a bar of chocolate and a paper towel.  Ok, if you have attended my Bug Out Bag class, you know that I have several different ways to be able to start a fire, even in wet weather, but if you only had those three items, here is a perfectly good way to waste a chocolate bar but start a fire.  LOL.  WARNING  Do NOT eat the chocolate bar after you rub it on the aluminum can. 

How to start a fire with a bar of chocolate, soda can and paper towel.

Have fun with your food storage.

Bob and LouAnn

OK, I know, it isn't fruit............well, wait a minute, actually, it does have raisins in it.  haha.  It is the season though so I thought I would post this recipe for the best tasting Pumpkin bread ever.  My friends at Honeyville Farms posted this on the Honeyville Farms Cookin Cousins blog.  Yum Yum is all I can say.  Try it for pre-Thanksgiving.  I LOVE home made bread.

Pumpkin Swirled Bread Recipe

 

It's Pumpkin season! Don't you just love all the delicious pumpkin recipes that pop up every time the leaves change and the days get a bit cooler? Whether it's pumpkin pies, cookies, cakes, muffins, treats, or even candy (yes, you've all seen them at the grocery store) the taste of pumpkin always get's me in the mood for a warm sweater, a mug of hot apple cider, and relaxing day on the couch!

Warm pumpkin filling, the sweet smell of cinnamon, sugar, and spice -Yes, this recipe has everything you'd ever want in a delicious pumpkin treat! And best of all, it only takes two hours to prepare and bake up three loaves of this delicious bread. How many bread recipes can say that! Get the Bosch mixer ready, and let's start baking some Pumpkin Swirled Bread!

Ingredients (Bread):
6-7 cups Honeyville Alta Artisan Bread Flour
4 cups milled Honeyville Hard White Wheat
2/3 cups packed Brown Sugar
2 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
3 cups Hot Water
1 cup Pumpkin Puree
1/3 cup Agave Nectar or Honey
1/4 cup Olive Oil
3 Eggs
1 cup Raisins
4 Tbsp SAF Instant Yeast

(Filling):
1/4 cup Butter, melted
1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Yields: 3 loaves

 

 Directions:
First, you need to create your whole grain flour.

To do this, mill your hard white wheat in your mill. You will end up with more than 4 cups of flour, but 4 cups is all you'll need for the recipe, so just store the rest in a resealable bag.

 

In your Bosch Mixer combine pumpkin puree and water.
  

Mix together until you get a thick, orange liquid.

Next, add oil, agave nectar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, and whole grain flour. Place the yeast on top and start kneading.

Add the alta artisan flour 1 cup at a time as the dough is kneading until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Once this occurs, let the dough knead an additional 2-3 minutes, then add the raisins. Once the raisins have fully combined with the dough, stop kneading, remove the dough and place on a hard counter surface.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 Divide the dough into three 2 pound dough balls. spread out each ball of dough until it is a flat rectangle.

Brush your melted butter on top of the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon/brown sugar combination on top.

 Roll the dough, jelly roll style, tuck under the sides, and pinch the seams. Repeat for each loaf.

Place each loaf in a greased 9x5 bread pan and let rise for 30-45 minutes.

You're bread will be ready to bake when your loaves have risen to double their size.

Place in your pre-heated oven of 400 degrees, then knock it down to 350 degrees and bake for 50-55 minutes.

When the bread has baked for 20 minutes, place a piece of foil on the top, to keep the tops from burning, and continue to bake.

Once they are finished baking, remove immediately from the baking pans and let cool on a wire rack.

This bread is probably the best smelling bread I've ever baked! Talk about a sensory overload! The rich aroma of sugar and spices, along with the smell of baking pumpkin and bread will fill your kitchen, your home, and even your heart! This is what fall is all about!

Once you slice into this bread and have a taste you won't know how you ever lived without it! It's perfect right out of the oven with a little butter spread right on top. The cinnamon/brown sugar swirl in the middle not only gives it a gorgeous design, but adds just the right amount of sweetness you're looking for. Even if you're not a huge pumpkin fan, you're going to love this bread!

Yes, pumpkin season is officially here, and with bread like this, you'll wish it could stay around longer! 

Have fun with your food storage.

Bob and LouAnn

While I was at it, I found a recipe for Prickly Pear Cactus Jam.  I have tried this from one of those Arizona tourist traps before but that was a long time ago.  I do remember that I liked it.  Since they are a native plant, you just can't go out and pick them unless they are on your own property for your use so check with the Arizona Department of Agriculture website to find out more information.  You have to be very careful in harvesting these little beauties.  Here is a great website on gathering the prickly pear fruit or "tuna" as they are called.  Tuna Wrangling  Go through the whole blog site for the complete "how to" on making this.  I'm going to make some this spring.

Prickly Pear Jelly, inspired by Fruits of the Desert
Makes six 8 oz jars & one 4 oz jar of jelly.

3 cups of prickly pear fruit juice
1/2 cup of lemon juice (I used Meyer lemon juice from my freezer stash.)
2 boxes of powdered pectin
5 cups of organic cane sugar

Prep canning equipment and begin sterilizing jars.
Heat prickly pear fruit juice and lemon juice in a large pot.
Sprinkle pectin over juice, whisking it in to dissolve evenly.
Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add sugar. Whisk it in to dissolve evenly.
Bring to a rapid boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Ladle into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2" head space.
Wipe rims thoroughly, cap to finger tightness, and place jars in boiling water bath.
Process in boiling water bath, with lid on, for 10 minutes.
Turn off heat, remove lid, and let jars sit for 5 minutes.
Remove to a towel to sit for 24 hours.
Refrigerate any jars that did not seal.

Enjoy your food storage.

Bob and LouAnn

I had some inspiration this morning about this month's recipes using fruit.  We have talked about it and are going to make some home made jams and jellies for our daughters and their families for Christmas presents.  How much more love can you put into a gift than something you have made yourself?  I'm going to include some recipes using fresh and freeze dried berries and some using frozen juices.  We are going to be making these through out the month and hope you will try them also.  The first jam recipe comes from one of our dearest friends, Chef Tess.  Check out her blog at Chef Tess Bakeresse

Spiced Blueberry-Amaretto Jam
2 1/2 pints ripe blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1tsp high grade cinnamon (or Wise Woman of The East Spice Blend)
5 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 box (1 3/4 ounces) powdered pectin
1 tsp almond extract

Wash and thoroughly crush blueberries, one layer at a time, in a saucepan(or for smoother jam, puree in a food processor). Add lemon juice, spice and water. Stir in pectin and bring to a full, rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add the sugar and return to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract, quickly skim off foam and fill hot, sterile jars, leaving - 1/2 inch head space. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids and process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath. In case you missed the long speech on this subject, check it out Home Canning Safety 101

Makes 5 half-pint jars (it is not a good idea to double batches-- just make several in a row)

OK, so here is your start on using your fruits from your food storage.  More to come.  

Have fun using your food storage.

Bob and LouAnn