Stored Food Comes In Handy

While not a disaster, much anguish was averted this Sunday night thanks to my food storage preps.

The family and I were late getting home from our weekend adventures, and had to grab take-out Chinese food on the way home. We ate dinner, let the kids play for a bit, and then it was time for bed.

I went to the kitchen to prepare two sippy cups of milk and to my horror, there was no milk in the fridge. When I pointed this out to my wife, she gave me a silent look that let me know that this was my fault, I had to fix it, and if the kids wound up hysterical, I'd have to deal with that too. (Come on guys, you know that look.)

There was no way I was making it back out to the grocery store and back without the kids suffering a meltdown. It was past their bedtimes already. And those of you with kids know that you vary the bedtime ritual at your peril. (My sons are 3-years and 16-months old, and they drink milk before bed.)

Into the pantry I went, where I pulled out a carton of Parmalat shelf-stable milk. Was it the "fresh", organic milk we usually feed the kids? No. Was the crisis of crying kids averted? Yes.

Did I get thanks and praise from my wife for having the foresight to store shelf-stable supplies for the future? Not really, but every time my preps make our lives easier, it makes it easier for me to make my next purchase.

Moral of the story: Food storage is not only for major disasters. Sometimes it averts the minor ones, too.

Have a great week, everyone!

Yes.
We used to be able to buy milk like that here but the stores quit selling it because they didn't sell enough.

Ain't that great when you just walk into the storage and pull out the immediate need item?

Good job.

Well done! I had a similar episode this weekend. Was doing a 24-hr shift at the hospital, and the subway closed at 5pm! Seriously, who closes that early?

Anyway, since no dinner places were open, to my "MRE" (nasty civilian version) for Chix noodle soup and a power bar. Tasty.

Yes, one by one my new co-workers are realizing that my food stash is pretty handy.

Ask for it often at your favorite store. I've asked 3 times at my local Costco (like "do you have it?"). They've started to sell it by the big buckets just 2 month later. Or you can always shop online.

I keep a big box of powdered milk in with my supplies. I guess it's about time I try it out.

I just bought some powdered milk last weekend for the stockpile. i have enough now for many, many gallons.

I'm always dipping into the emergency chocolate stash in our food storage!

If you've got chocolate, it's always an emergency!

Sue

I had a similar "save" by using our stored powdered milk... the wife was in the middle of making a German Chocolate Cake for me, and realized that she did not have the Evaporated Milk for the icing.

With a little online research, I was able to find out how to "make" the Evaporated Milk from powdered milk.
The cake turned out great!

Others might find this web page useful... Hillbilly Housewife ... lots of recipes/substitutions for powdered milk.

You've got it backwards, Sue: it's not an emergency until you are out of chocolate.

Slaps forehead and adds "chocolate" to list.

More seriously: I haven't had powdered milk since about the 60's/70's. Is it any better nowadays?

I have some of the "Provident Pantry" brand that's available online from Emergency Essentials (beprepared.com), and I have been very pleased with that product.
I like the taste/texture as good as (or better than) store-bought milk.

Lon: What do you normally buy at the store? Non-fat there, too?

Since Milkman Brand powdered milk went out of business, I have been unable to find a store that carries anything other than non-fat. Non-fat is a lot more shelf stable than milk with any milkfat in it, so it appears that only nonfat milk is what anyone is willing to carry. I liked the Milkman brand because it had just enough fat content to reconsitute into a suitable drinking milk. The non-fat stuff leaves a bit of an aftertaste that I never got used to. The stuff we used to get at the DFAC in Iraq was about like liquid latex.

I dislike non-fat milk too!
What I store and drink is Nido powdered whole milk (or as the British say, full cream milk). An Indian grocer in my neighborhood has it, but I get it on Amazon for a better price. It's a Nestle product. Made in Mexico is good; made in England or Holland is really good!

I didn't know whole milk was even available powdered.

Thanks!

A little old school but anyone wanting long storing milk (milk?) might think of giving evaporated milk a try. Some people love the stuff. Others can't stand it. It is cheap, typically about $.75 a can, and AFAIK remains at least nominally drinkable as long as the can remains intact. I have used it five, or more, years old and didn't notice any change.

I find it pretty handy for cooking straight as a substitute for cream or mixed with water as milk. Mixed with water kids seem to find it acceptable.

I use Nido powered whole milk, too. I like to keep my morning coffee hot as long as possible, so using a powder is better than pouring some cold liquid into the coffee. I use it as a subsitute for non-dairy creamer powder. Funny, come to think of it, I don't think I've ever tried drinking it just as milk before.

Although I buy mine at a Chinese food store, it often comes with a Spanish label on it, so there are probably many ethnic grocers who carry it.

Yes, just bear in mind that whole milk is not as shelf stable, even in powdered form, because of the fat content compared to non-fat milk. If you are rotating stock, then it shouldn't be a problem, but if you sequester it for long term storage, look out.

Benjammin, yes, you're right. Judging from the dates on the can I've got in front of me, the shelf life of Nido is two years.

At the grocery store, we don't get fat-free (Skim) milk; we buy the 2% or 1% milk. I can't even remember the last time I drank Whole milk; so, I guess that's why the powdered milk is not objectionable to me.

When I mix the milk from powder, I usually add an extra scoop ... to me, that tastes a little "richer" than the store-bought (1% or 2%) milk, even though my mix is fat-free.

Others might disagree, that's just what suits me.

We drink raw, whole milk almost exclusively. I've had powdered milk, I'd rather just have water and leave that crud on the shelf.