66Only, now there's an antidote to your fear and apathy about cans of wheat in the basement. Earlier this year, four Utah moms set out to change the way that people think about food storage by launching The Fun with Food Storage Network, a Web portal -- funwithfoodstorage.net -- they hope will provide a hefty dose of encouragement and education.

There's a ready-made audience for information about food storage in Utah among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Fun with Food Storage moms, however, think their message can be of benefit to anyone who believes in being prepared. "Food storage is for anybody and everybody who eats," said Crystal Godfrey.

Sisters-in-law Jodi Moore and Julie Weiss met Godfrey last year via the Internet, then connected with Shauntell Ottley the same way. All four women have individual food storage blogs, but Moore and Weiss are focused on how to get started with food storage, while Godfrey emphasizes cooking everyday meals to rotate your stored food, and Ottley is a bargain hunter who provides sales and shopping tips.

After the foursome realized how much they have in common, Moore said, it felt natural to join forces. And to start spreading the word. You can follow all four blogs at The Fun with Food Storage Network, sign up for a newsletter, print handouts, share your own idea and get some positive feedback.

Moore said she wants food storers to be able to do something they can be proud of, and then tell somebody who's excited about it. "Your husband is like, 'Great, you spent $100 on wheat,' " she said.

"We want to keep people motivated and keep the ideas flowing," said Weiss.

Pssst! Pass it on: Food storage is fun!

Meet the bloggers

Food Storage Made Easy

foodstoragemadeeasy.net

Jodi Moore

• Age: 26

• Family: Married mother of two

• Lives in: Taylorsville

• Occupation: Stay-at-home mom and freelance Web designer

• Favorite food-storage food: Dried beans -- "Probably the one that I've used the most is pinto beans. I have a lot of chili recipes."

• No. 1 hobby that's not storing food: Playing hockey

• Favorite recreational activity: Hockey, reading

Favorite TV show: NBC's "Deal or No Deal"

• What makes food storage fun: "Honestly, by myself it was boring and hard. But being able to talk to somebody about it who's my age and is learning it too makes it fun."

Julie Weiss

• Age: 26

• Family: Married mother of one

• Lives in: South Jordan

• Occupation: Stay-at-home mom and home-based real estate agent

• Favorite food-storage food: Wheat -- "You can use it in so many things: pizza dough, bread, pancakes, cookies."

• No. 1 hobby that's not storing food: Playing hockey

• Favorite recreational activity: Hockey, working out

• Favorite TV show: FOX TV's "24" and NBC's "The Office"

• What makes food storage fun: "For me, it's being capable of being self-reliant. It makes me feel confident and prepared."

The Obsessive Shopper

theobsessiveshopper.net

Shauntell Ottley

• Age: 32

• Family: Married mother of three

• Lives in: Logan

• Occupation: Stay-at-home mom

• Favorite food-storage food: Chocolate chips -- "They make everything taste better."

• No. 1 hobby that's not storing food: Anything with my computer

• Favorite recreational activity: Running

• Favorite TV show: NBC's "The Office"

• What makes food storage fun: "Saving money is fun for me. When you go to the register and all your prices come in and you see how much you've saved -- I leave feeling totally thrilled."

Everyday Food Storage

everydayfoodstorage.net

Crystal Godfrey

• Age: 25

• Family: Married mother of one

• Lives in: Lehi

• Occupation: Stay-at-home mom

• Favorite food-storage food: Powdered milk -- "It's the least understood and the least liked, but it's the easiest to use and will save you the most money. And it's not as bad as everybody thinks."

• No. 1 hobby that's not storing food: Blogging about storing food

• Favorite recreational activity: Running

• Favorite TV show: TLC's "Jon & Kate Plus Eight"

• What makes food storage fun: "You can save money, eat better and know that you're prepared."

Top tips for food storage

Shopping for Food Storage -- Shauntell's Top Three Tips

1) If you live in Utah or Las Vegas, check in with The Obsessive Shopper (Shauntell's blog: theobsessiveshopper.net) each week to find out what's on sale.

2) Look at store ads and be creative: What's on sale this week that could be used as food storage?

3) Use the Internet to compare store ads and find out who has the best deals.

Where to keep your food storage -- Julie's Top Three Tips

1) Use leftover space in closets, especially clothes closets.

2) Use buckets and cans to create furniture or shelving.

3) Use the space underneath beds. Take cinderblocks and raise your bed, then use an extra-long bed skirt to disguise the storage area underneath.

Starting out your food storage -- Jodi's Top Three Tips

1) Don't put off getting started just because you don't have all the answers. Don't ask, "What if it's an emergency and there's no electricity to cook anything," when you're just starting out. There will be time for those questions later.

2) Don't store it if you've never cooked with it, or eaten it. Make sure that you know how to use what you store.

3) Start small. Pick one thing to store and work on it until you have a supply, then move on to the next thing.

Cooking with food storage -- Crystal's Top Three Tips

1) Dessert first. Break down resistance to food storage by learning to make foods you know people will like.

2) Start with one food storage item at a time. Learn how to use your wheat first, for example, then learn to use powdered milk.

3) Figure out what foods your family will eat and store those foods.

Q&A

Q: What if I just can't get excited about storing food?

Jodi: "Get a partner to work on it with you. It will be much more fun if you can talk with someone about it."

Q: What if I don't know anything about canning or bottling?

Julie: "Give yourself time to learn. Now, the thought of canning food doesn't scare me at all, but eight months ago I found it very intimidating."

Q: Where am I going to get the money for this?

Shauntell: "This is a personal decision. Look at your budget and figure out a weekly amount that you can spend on food storage. Then stick to it. When I was starting out, it was $10. Each week I would just spend $10 on whatever was available. You're doing something and that's the most important part."

Q: Know any good recipes?

Crystal: "Blender wheat pancakes. No grinding flour. You just do it all in your blender, so it's really easy to clean up."

Blender Wheat Pancakes

Serves 12 pancakes

• 1 cup milk (3 tablespoons dry powdered milk with 1 cup water)

• 1 cup wheat kernels, whole and uncooked

• 2 eggs (2 tablespoons dry egg powder with ¼ cup water)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1½ teaspoons salt

• 2 tablespoons oil

• 2 tablespoons honey or sugar

Combine milk and wheat kernels in blender. Blend on highest speed for 4 or 5 minutes, or until mixture is smooth. Add eggs, oil, baking powder, salt and honey or sugar. Blend on low. Pour batter onto a hot griddle or large frying pan to cook.

BOOK IT

If you hate reading stuff on the Internet, or you just don't find it convenient to keep the laptop on the kitchen counter, then you may be interested to get your hands on a copy of "I Can't Believe It's Food Storage." The all-in-one food storage cookbook is the brainchild of Crystal Godfrey, the Fun with Food Storage blogger who writes Everyday Food Storage.

You can order "I Can't Believe It's Food Storage" online at amazon.com and deseretbook.com, or check for copies at Deseret Book stores.

"I Can't Believe It's Food Storage"

Author: Crystal Godfrey

Distributor: Brigham Distributing

Date of publication: March 15, 2009

Length: 182 pages