Food Storage Ordering

Good Morning:

I just received an email from Amy regarding Shelf Reliance Food Storage 4th of July sale. Please see below to contact her regarding this sale!

Additionally, I am still taking orders for the organic whole kernel yellow corn until mid-July. Please see below for those details.

If you have any gardening information and/or pics that you would like to share, please let me know. I will post them for others to look at.

Shelf Reliance Summer Sales

Good Morning!

Carol's daughter, Amy B., who sells products through Shelf Reliance has given me a list of the summer sales items. They are as follow:

Pineapple Chunks (FD): 33.99

Mangos (FD): 20.39

Colby Cheese (FD): 44.29

Tomato Powder: 29.99

Butter Powder: 20.39

Cheese Blend: 22.79

Chopped Chicken (FD): 33.79

Broccoli Cheese Soup: 33.59

Two Person Survival Pack: 79.10

Consolidator Pantry: 21.49

Harvest 72" shelves: 264.99

Contact Information: 964-7832

A Master Gardener in our Midst?

Two last notes:

We have a master gardener in training in our very own ward, Amber M. I have asked her if we can utilize her for questions about gardening, and she has, very graciously, agreed to do so!

Also, remember, this blog is not an official site for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter, and is not sponsored or endorsed by the church.

Thanks!

Gardening ABCs Continued

As the Master Gardener stated, compost is very important for your garden. It helps your soil to retain moisture, reduces weeds, makes your soil more loam-like, and adds nutrients for healthy plants. The Gardener stated that she places approximately 4" to the top of her soil each February or March. If you soil is hard, you can work the compost in, and then place a layer on top of the soil. This will filter down into the soil as time goes by. Our instructor stated that she does not have to fertilize when she composts. Compost will not burn your plants. A friend of mine, Sherry H., uses compost twice each year, and says that this works out really well. She actually has a composter in her back yard which you can turn by a handle, making it easier than having to hoe and shovel around....

If you choose to use fertilizer, here are some notes on what the different ingredients do for you:

Nitrogen encourages leafy growth and green color.

Phosphorus encourages healthy roots

Potassium is good over-all.

Next few blogs will address home remedies for garden ills, and I will post some pics from my gardens and those of a few of my friends.

Remember to order your corn soon! It is a great deal, and we will be able to dry can it in August!

Gardening ABCs

Debbie B., Renee S., and I attended the Master Gardeners of Fresno County class at Garden of the Sun last week. We learned a lot about how to create beautiful gardens, but also how to create functional gardens. I will post a few of the points that I feel will be of most interest.

1. The number one problem gardeners face is over- or under-watering.

2. Soil is the big deal in gardening. If you have clay or hardened soil, you can use containers, above-ground gardens, or you can work good soil or compost into your native soil.

3. Fresno is in Climate Zones 8 and 9. Look for plants that grow best in this area.

4. When using a planting mix, add to your container, then add water and stir. After soil is damp, plant your flowers, vegys, etc. Use a screen or something like this to cover your water holes.

5. Pests: use insecticidal soap for white flies. Spray aphids really hard with water; they will drop off and their suckers stay, but they die. The hot season will also kill aphids. Ants in fruit trees: use vaseline or Tangle Foot around the trunk.

6. Weeds: Use pre-emergent. This will not kill existing plants. Newspaper topped with compost keeps the sunlight out and will kill off the weeds. Do not use color or glossy print paper.

7. Cayenne pepper around gardens will keep cats away.

Huge Tip: Gallo Winery, corner of Olive and Clovis, sells compost year-round at a very low cost. 1,200 pounds will fill a regular pick-up truck and sells for only $14.00. You can bring a smaller pick-up and obtain a half-load. Simply follow the signs to the "Green Facility", park, walk to the "small window", purchase a ticket, and personnel will show you where to pick up your compost. Phone: 458-2565

Hummus - yum yum

Good Morning!

Many of you asked for the hummus recipe that we served at church yesterday. Keep in mind that I have altered the recipe to suit my taste. As you are adding your ingredients, do a taste test yourself and see what works best for you and your family. The hummus yesterday was plain, but you can add things like sun-dried tomato or red pepper - whatever you think sounds good will generally work.

Hummus:

Two 15.5 oz cans of garbanzo beans, drained (Costco)

1-1/2 cups tahini paste [Fresno Deli; Southwest corner of Fresno and Gettysburg]

2/3 cup lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

1/8 cup olive oil

1 heaping Tbls kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 can water (add as needed)

Place all ingredients in food processor; run until smooth. If too stiff, add water until the hummus is the consistency you want.

If you like garlic, add more, especially as the original recipe calls for 4 cloves. If you want to cut down on fat, use only 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. If you want low salt, the recipe actually calls for 1 tablespoon. Again, do what tastes best to you.

Hummus is actually a good protein source, and you can keep all of the ingredients in your short-term storage. The garbanzo beans that I purchased about 6 months ago are good until 2014. Tahini paste stores for approximately one year (per Fresno Deli), but remember after you open the jar, you must refrigerate!

Good Morning! I have heard from quite a few of you. Most have not become followers, which allows you to post comments and ideas of your own. It is simple. Just sign up!

I recently purchased a book entitled "A Gardener's Companion for the San Joaquin Valley". It is presented by the Master Gardeners of Fresno County, and gives information on a month to month basis. For instance, in June a few tips include how to mow your lawn to avoid weeds, what to prune and what to fertilize, and also what to plant. Flowers, shrubs, trees and garden vegetables are all included. The book is available through the Master Gardener Assoc of Fresno County located at 1720 South Maple (by the fairgrounds); phone #456-7285. I believe that I paid around $20-25. It is full of great information!!

Speaking of master gardeners, I am still planning on attending the Gardening ABCs class this Wednesday evening. It starts at 6:30 and ends at 8:00 and the cost is $15.00 per person, payable at the door. I have room for two more in my car. If you are interested, call me on my cell or leave a message on my home phone. I will get back to you on Wednesday afternoon.

Don't forget to let me know if you want to purchase corn. Corn is a hot commodity right now, especially in view of its use for a variety of things, including alternate energy. I found the 25# bags at what I consider a great price. Your food storage should include corn!

Next week I will work on posting pictures of my friend's garden. She has attended many of the lectures in the County and uses the book I mentioned above as one of her gardening favorites. She has a garden bursting with bounty, and has many ideas for those who do not have a lot of room.

Have a great week!

Corn Order

Good morning everyone. I am going to be purchasing organic whole yellow corn to dry pack. It is available in 25 pound sacks at a cost of .75/#. If we order greater than 500#, the cost goes down to .65/#. I would like to have our order amount and monies by July 10th as supplies will become limited as people outside of our group order.

I have reserved the dry pack canner from the cannery for the week of August 23rd so that we can dry pack the corn. I have also reserved the canner in October, and will try to reserve it every two to three months so that members can come and utilize it as needed.

I was advised yesterday that if you are a jasmine rice fan, the best price right now is at FoodMax.

Let me know asap if you would like to order corn.

Gardening ABCs Class

There is a class scheduled through County Extension/University of California entitled Gardening ABCs. The class is at the old Discovery Center, now called (I believe) Garden of the Sun located at 1750 N. Winery. The class cost is $15.00, and the date and time are: Wednesday, June 22 at 6:30 until 8:00 p.m. You can pay at the door. I am going. If anyone wants to car pool, let me know!

New Blog for Living Providently

Let's try this again. I look forward to your input and ideas as I try to disseminate information to you regarding ways to live providently.

First message.... The cannery is NOT closing. However, in the coming months, the personnel at the cannery will no longer be able to can your food for you. You will need to buy in bulk from the cannery or other source, check out the canner, and then can your food yourself. So, if you want food already canned, get in touch with me asap so that I can order it for you!