Home Store Planning

My husband and I are gearing up to make a big order of food storage.  Once we do, we will hopefully have at least 6 solid months of food for storage/rotating.  I'm very excited about this, mostly because we live far away from the store, so it will be nice to "go shopping" in my own home when I find we're running low on food, but it's not quite time for the next shopping trip.  Produce is the main thing we run out of.  I try to only go shopping every 1.5-2 weeks in order to keep the budget under control and to save on gas.  Produce just doesn't last that long, and especially in our desert house which we keep at a cool 78 degrees at best, so it will be so nice to have our freeze dried fruits and veggies to tide us over to the next shopping trip.  That's one thing I love about freeze dried, and even some dehydrated fruits and vegetables--I feel completely comfortable substituting them for fresh produce because I know we are getting the same nutrients and taste as if we are using fresh.  It's also a lot quicker to prepare since I don't have to clean and chop the food myself :) 

Anyway, there is a great printable planning guide, or "shopping list", for buying food storage that Shelf Reliance just came out with.  This is different than their also cool Food Storage Calculator.  The shopping list is actually quite simple, but it is really helping me to organize my thoughts and figure out exactly what I should buy.  Before discovering the helpful tools that are out there, specifically Shelf Reliance's planning tools, I had a hard time deciding what to buy and ended up buying a lot of random food storage products I would never actually use.  This "shopping list" helps you take a look at what food you normally eat and buy food storage that coordinates with it.  This way, you are only buying food you will actually use, and therefore, not throwing away your money!  It is based off the common food storage motto:

Store what you eat, eat what you store!

So, if you check out the link you will find it has 5 main boxes for you to write lists in.  I will list it below as well as an example of what my list looks like.  

THRIVE Foods my family could snack on

Freeze dried fruit (strawberries, bananas, raspberries, blueberries, mangoes)

Freeze dried yogurt bites

Freeze dried corn (seriously, it's delicious!) and peas

Freeze dried ice cream

Foods that take a long time to prepare (defrosting, chopping, cooking, etc.)

Chicken

Ground beef

Roast beef

celery

onion

carrots

potatoes

Foods I commonly throw away

Spoiled fruits and veggies

Unused/spoiled/left over meat

Expired canned fruits, veggies, beans

Eggs

Foods I commonly run out of

Fruits

Veggies

Milk

Butter

Eggs (I know I just said I sometimes throw them away.  It depends on my menu at a given time)

Cheese 

Meat

My Family's Favorite Meals (Foods available through Thrive marked with *)

The format is much nicer on the link, FYI

• Chicken Salad:  celery*, onions*, grapes*, chicken*, mayo, salt*/pepper
• Pot pie:  flour*, corn*, peas*, green beans*, carrots*, potatoes*, onions*, milk*, butter*, bouillon*, seasoning
• Chicken Noodle Soup:  Egg noodles*, corn*, peas*, green beans*, onions*, carrots*, chicken*, bouillon*, seasonings
• Beef Stew:  flour*, celery*, carrots*, onions*, potatoes*, beef*, bouillon*, spices
• Pizza:  flour*, peppers*, tomato powder*, pineapple*, cheese*, sausage*, spices
• Hamburger soup:  rice*, corn*, peas*, beans*, onions*, potato*, carrots*, cheese*, ground beef*, bouillon*, spices
• Beef Stroganoff:  egg noodles*, mushrooms*, onions*, milk*, sour cream*, flour*, bouillon*, spices
• Cereal/oatmeal:  9 grain cereal* or oats*, sugar*, strawberries*, raspberries*, peaches*, blueberries*, salt*, milk*
• Pancakes:  pancake mix*, blueberries*, butter*, sugar*

So, there is just a sampling of the list I made to plan my purchase(s).  Once I have finished my meal list, I plan on going to the food storage calculator to help me figure out a general idea of how much of each item to get and make sure it is enough for the time period I decide on.  

I encourage you to sit down and take a look at what you would benefit from when it comes to food storage so you can be confident that it will benefit you no matter your circumstances.  I am all about being prepared for disaster, but hopefully we won't need it for that and can simply use it to supplement/replace what we usually eat and make life a little easier.  

If you are currently working on your storage and looking to buy food or emergency supplies in the near future, then check back in the next day or so to learn about my Birthday Giveaway (no purchases necessary) as well as my awesome "Birthday Party", which I am so excited to share with all of you!  Those who participate in the party will get THE best deals possible.  If you find a better one let me know, because I'll be all over it, but I really doubt you will!

Lessons from Alabama

If you watch the news at all, then you probably heard about the devastating tornadoes that hit Alabama recently. If you don't know what I'm talking about, see some pictures of the after math here. Things like this always scare me, but this particular natural disaster really hit home for me because my brother, his wife, and two children live in the Huntsville area.

The evening of the first day of tornadoes, my brother reported on Facebook that their house sustained damage (downed fence, broken window, and having their shingles torn off the roof), and the power was out, but they were alive and doing okay. However, the tornadoes continued through the night and due to communications being down we had no further contact with him for the next 24 hours. Thankfully, he did finally contact us and everything was still okay considering. However, they did have to go into survival mode due to the fact that there were no utilities for about a week. This is the first time someone close to me has actually had to deal with this type of situation, so I was really interested to hear what advice my brother had when all was said and done. He has a lot of great insights, so I thought I would share them with all of you.

Lesson #1 Know what natural disasters could occur in your area, then make a plan. (If you don't know the risks in your area check out http://www.ready.gov/ and you can get all the info you need.) You should consider what you would do if something did happen and you were at work, school, home, etc. In my brother's case, he was at work, so he was herded into the tornado shelter on site until it was safe to go home and survey the damage. My sister in law was at home with her two kids plus their son's friend. Once she knew of the tornado danger, she spent the next few hours in the closet on the ground floor of their house, which they had determined beforehand was probably the safest place to be, with the three kids listening to windows break and destruction ensue. She had a plan, and thankfully, it kept them safe.

Lesson #2 Be prepared for looters. Hide valuables, arm yourself if possible, have materials to make signs to deter the looters, and if you are leaving, ask a neighbor you trust to watch your house. Within hours of the end of the actual tornadoes, people who had someplace better to go left, and some of them were smart enough to ask my brother to keep an eye on their house. It had only been over for a few hours when looters arrived. My brother lives in a suburb far from any area he considers dangerous. It was broad daylight, kids were outside riding their bikes, neighbors were chatting, etc. yet the looters still came! Two threatening looking men approached and began trying to enter one of the houses my brother was keeping his eye on even while my brother and some other men stood in the street talking 2 doors down. My brother approached them and asked what they were doing while the other men he was with were ready with guns to back him up if need be. The men said the house was theirs and they were going to take what was in it. Somehow, my brother talked them down and they left once they heard that police were going to be getting involved (although that part was a bluff). His advice in confronting looters, if you must, is to speak with authority, but don't do anything to escalate the situation such as yelling or visibly pulling out a weapon. Chances are they are armed as well and probably more willing to use their weapons on another human being than you are. Try your best to reason with them and show them how they will be better off just leaving. Pretending you are the owner helped a little as well, although not as well as mentioning law enforcement. After this incident, the people who were left in the area then formed a neighborhood watch and posted this sign, which my sister in law made with a sheet and some paint:

The sign says, "Neighborhood watch in effect. Looters NOT Tolerated!"

It seemed to do the trick, so be sure to have supplies to make such a sign in an emergency. This could also be useful if you need to summon emergency help from helicopters overhead as many did during Hurricane Katrina.

Lesson #3 Know your neighbors. Part of the reason for this is apparent in Lesson #2. Luckily my brother has good neighbors. You'll want to know if there is anyone to watch out for in this type of situation as well though. Another reason to know your neighbors is so that you know who to look for and rescue if needed (or so people know to look for and rescue you!). In the neighborhood of my brother's friend they were hit hard. Most houses were leveled and it was up to the safe neighbors to be the first responders/search and rescue for the neighbors who were hurt or trapped. Yet another reason is so that you can work together and pool resources until life gets back to normal. Having friendly neighbors helped my brother because they were able to share food and shelter, make calls for one another when they were headed to one of the few phones that worked, and help return the neighborhood to a livable area.

Lesson #4 Keep a good emergency food and water supply. My sister in law works at a grocery store and the lines there were long and the selection was sparse. Don't count on anyone but yourself for food and water and then you can avoid that whole situation. As soon as you know you are in trouble, fill every single thing in your house with water--bathtubs, sinks, cups, pitchers, etc. Hopefully you also have water stored, but the more water you have, the better off you will be.


Lesson #5 Have the right supplies to deal with all of the aftermath. My brother had some particularly interesting insights in this area. Below is a list of items that he thinks are important to have. If you don't learn something new from this list, I'll be surprised. You should have:

• Everything you need to go on an extended camping trip (because that's what it feels like living in the aftermath of a disaster):
• water (see FEMA's water storage guidelines here)
• non-perishable, high calorie food that tastes good, and that you are used to (this prevents indigestion and ensures that kids and elderly will actually eat.)
• medication -- I forgot to mention my nephew is diabetic. Thankfully they had enough to get him through and were able to keep it at an acceptable temperature. Having some instant ice packs would be a good way to keep certain medications cold once ice melts.
• flashlights/lanterns
• blankets/sleeping bags
• tent
• first aid kit
• Things to fix up your home until it can be done the right way. Anticipate what damage the natural disasters you are at risk for could cause and prepare accordingly.  In their case they needed to cover their roof as much as possible and secure their broken window, since another storm was coming.  His list of essential supplies is:
• staple gun and staples
• tarps
• duct tape
• extra shingles
• tall ladder
• boards
• hammer and nails
• Means of communication
• Walkie Talkies -- these were useful because cell phone service was nonexistent to spotty.
• Ham Radio--There was one man that was having a heart attack, but the phones were down. Someone used a ham radio to call out that there was an emergency and give their location. Someone in a totally different region was able to contact 911 and the man got the help he needed before it was too late.
• battery operated, solar, or hand crank radio to stay updated on what is happening
• 10-15 gallons of gasoline--just like groceries, people will line up and wait for hours to get some and for some the wait is in vain because the gas stations run out. Keeping your tank at least half full will be helpful as well.
• Sunscreen and hats-- he was surprised how much they needed these things
• Charcoal grill, emergency stove, sun oven, or something you can cook with using wood like this camp grill. In an emergency one thing you can most likely count on is wood to burn.
• lighter, matches, fire starter
• A lot of batteries! He suggests about 40 of each kind that you will need. Make an inventory of what type of battery all of your emergency supplies take and stock up! Or you can get rechargeable batteries and a solar battery charger like this one.
• Solar garden lights-- you know, the ones people line their driveway with or use to accent their yard. This one caught me off gaurd, but if you think about it they make total sense. You just stick them out all day and bring them in at night so you don't have to waste all of your flashlight batteries. They also stuck them in windows of abandoned houses at night to make them look lived in and hopefully deter looters. Plus, this isn't a waste of money because it's something that you can use all the time, not just an emergency.
• Solar phone charger--my brother used his Blackberry to update us all on Facebook (he only got reception in the middle of the night or he would have called). You can keep your phones and other devices charged with one of these solar chargers. I'm adding it to my wish list. Here are links to a few options from all price ranges:

• Goal Zero Nomad 7m

• Goal Zero Scout 150
• Crank LED Flashlight w/ Cell Charger
• In house home security system:  I'm not talking the kind that links up to a monitoring company, but one that you put in your doors and windows that alarms when they are opened.  This will help you relax a little, especially at night, by alerting you to a break in/looters in time to hopefully stop them.  It might just scare the criminal away as well.
• Cash! You need a good supply of money on hand. When the power is out stores do not deal with credit and probably won't trust checks. Make sure a good amount of that money is in smaller bills because you never know if someone will give you change or not.

So there are the lessons learned in Alabama.  Thank you Jonathan for letting us all learn from your experience.  I hope to hear my sister in law's point of view in the future, so I will add a follow up post once I've been able to talk to her.  

Making Educated Comparisons

One thing I have learned while in the process of deciding what company to buy my food storage from and then whether or not to become a Shelf Reliance consultant is the best way to compare companies and determine which one is giving you the best value.  At first I was comparing strictly prices and weight.  Shelf Reliance fared extremely well in that comparison.  I even made a detailed list with all of the major competitors.  Sadly that was all in vain because I soon realized that weight is not the best consideration in comparing food storage.  Why?  Well,  for one thing, not all companies' weights are determined in the same way.  Some give just the weight of the food and others give the total shipping weight (including the weight of the can) and there is no way of knowing which method they are using.  Also, in freeze dried food especially, weight can vary greatly depending on how much water any given distributor manages to get out of the food during the freeze drying process.  One distributor's 6 ounces can fill a can while another company's 6 ounces doesn't really come close.

So how should you compare?
1.  Number of servings:  not every company has the same serving size, so I figure out how many cups of product is in each can and go off of that.

2.  Quality:  To determine this you really have to see it and taste it.  That is exactly why Shelf Reliance does home parties. I have seen a comparison of SR freeze dried broccoli with a competitor's and at least for that product it was a night and day difference in quality.  If you want to know where a party is near you I can help you with that or you could even host your own.  If you want to taste the competitor's products, most of them do sell the items in pouches for a reasonable price.  You might consider buying a few and comparing if you want to make sure you are getting food you actually like.

3.  Shelf Life  There is an industry standard of shelf life, so there's not much competition there.  However you need to be aware that if you are buying food in pouches or buckets, the shelf life for most food is significantly less than in a #10 can.  For example the shelf life of freeze dried strawberries in a pouch is 5 years while those same strawberries last up to 25 years in a #10 can.

It's pretty obvious that I decided that Shelf Reliance seemed the best to me.  That is something we all have to decide for ourselves though and I truly respect that.  That is a big part of why I decided to do parties--if we are going to store a ton of food, we need to know we will eat it and that it is what we feel is the best possible option.   So, if you are interested in why I came to this conclusion, read on.

Comparing strictly on the best bargain is very difficult because there are so many variables.  Above I explained a little about number of servings being the best comparison tool though.  When I was first comparing weights, SR was the clear winner for price.  However, once I compared apples to apples by just looking at servings I found the playing field was pretty much level.  Each of the major companies had the best price about the same percentage of the time with a couple of exceptions who were consistently more expensive than everyone else on most things, (Shelf Reliance was one of the competitive ones).  Add to that the ever changing sales and specials at the various companies and it got even more impossible to compare.  So, to my frustration as a bargain shopper, price comparisons didn't end up being extremely helpful for me in choosing what company to buy from.  Then I found out that Shelf Reliance's top priority is giving consumers full cans no matter what (which they can do because they pack the cans themselves, while others have the distributors pack their cans), even if that means adding more product after the given weight is put into the can.  Because of that, Shelf Reliance was in the lead when it came to value, but I still wanted to research the quality of each company's products.  (Note:  I was not yet taking into consideration host benefits and the benefits of becoming a consultant when doing this first comparison.  I'll talk about that at the end because that is the real clincher, making Shelf Reliance the best value by far.)

When it comes to quality, I wasn't able to actually taste and compare everything.  So the reason I feel the most confident about Shelf Reliance's quality is based on what I could taste, seeing comparisons, and also learning about the company's high standards of quality.  I thought the food was great and it was also important to me that my kids liked it..  To say they do is an understatement.  They just kept asking for more and now are always trying to sneak in and swipe my party supply.  As for the company's quality standards, there are some items consumers are begging for, such as peanut butter powder, but SR won't sell it yet because they haven't found a distributor with quality that meets their standards (they are looking into though).  I think that shows a lot of integrity and it gives me confidence in buying what  they do sell.  They also pack their product themselves and have their own FDA and HACCP certified quality control to ensure the best product possible is going out.  They are actually known for sending back unsatisfactory inventory, while others do not pack their own food so chances are they wouldn't know if there was a problem or not.  Shelf Reliance has samples of their food tested in scientific labs monthly and also has 3rd party inspections on manufacturing facilities to ensure that they have the highest level of safety and quality possible.  Others just trust the distributor to do all this.  The paranoid part of  me loves that the quality is inspected so thoroughly.   So, for quality SR was the winner.  I'm sure the other company's foods are safe, but I don't have the confidence that they are the best tasting and highest quality and if I'm going to spend the money on it and depend on it to last, that is important to me.

Finally, Shelf Life was a consideration.  At first I was tempted by the large buckets of food I saw at other companies, but not at Shelf Reliance.  However, once I realized how the shelf life was affected by not being sealed in a #10 can, I decided to limit my purchases to those.  Other than that, Shelf Life is an industry standard, so there's not much else to say there.

Based on all of this, I had decided Shelf Reliance was the best for me at this time.  As an added bonus, my sister got me interested in the Home Party program after attending a party herself, and my decision was solidified.  Shelf Reliance is the only food storage company to do home parties.  I really liked that they had the confidence to let consumers try the food before buying it.  Also, if you do a party, the host benefits make it so you are definitely getting the most for your money as compared to other companies.  You can even do an online party through a consultant if you already know people who are interested and get the same benefits.  At the same time, I am always leery of home parties because in my mind they equal jacked up prices.  So I looked into it and found that is not the case with Shelf Reliance.  If you are interested in knowing what led me to this conclusion see the business model and benefits of being a consultant pages.  I discussed this opportunity with my husband and extended family and we all felt it would be to the benefit of our entire family if one of us was a consultant, so I decided to be the one to do it!  I'm so glad I did.

I hope this information is helpful and saves you time.  Believe it or not there is a lot more I could have told you.  If you want to know more, please feel free to contact me with questions or, just follow the blog because that is why I created it--to share all of the things I have been learning with others.

Hug a Trucker Day

Okay, it's not really Hug a Trucker Day, but you should anyway.  Do you realize how much your everyday life depends on whether or not truckers are able to do their job?  The American Trucking Associations (ATA) put out a report in 2006 about what would happen in the event that trucks became unable to deliver supplies to a given area.  There are many reasons why trucks might be unable to make their deliveries in an emergency, whether it is because of actions by the government halting or limiting truck traffic or the extreme traffic jams and destruction of roads that can occur in a disaster.  Whatever the reason, the potential consequences are alarming.  Below is a timeline from the ATA giving a brief description of those consequences.  For a more in depth look, check out the whole article entitled "When Trucks Stop, America Stops".

"When Trucks Stop, America Stops 

A Timeline Showing the Deterioration of Major Industries Following a Truck Stoppage 

The first 24 hours
• Delivery of medical supplies to the affected area will cease.
• Hospitals will run out of basic supplies such as syringes and catheters within hours. Radiopharmaceuticals will deteriorate and become unusable.
• Service stations will begin to run out of fuel.
• Manufacturers using just-in-time manufacturing will develop component shortages.
• U.S. mail and other package delivery will cease.


Within one day
• Food shortages will begin to develop.
• Automobile fuel availability and delivery will dwindle, leading to skyrocketing prices and long lines at the gas pumps.
• Without manufacturing components and trucks for product delivery, assembly lines will shut down, putting thousands out of work.

Within two to three days
• Food shortages will escalate, especially in the face of hoarding and consumer panic.
• Supplies of essentials—such as bottled water, powdered milk, and canned meat—at major retailers will disappear.
• ATMs will run out of cash and banks will be unable to process transactions.
• Service stations will completely run out of fuel for autos and trucks.
• Garbage will start piling up in urban and suburban areas.
• Container ships will sit idle in ports and rail transport will be disrupted, eventually coming to a standstill.

Within a week
• Automobile travel will cease due to the lack of fuel.  Without autos and busses, many people will not be able to get to work, shop for groceries, or access medical care.
• Hospitals will begin to exhaust oxygen supplies.

Within two weeks
• The nation’s clean water supply will begin to run dry.

Within four weeks
• The nation will exhaust its clean water supply and water will be safe for drinking only after boiling.  As a result gastrointestinal illnesses will increase, further taxing an already weakened health care system.

This timeline presents only the primary effects of a freeze on truck travel.  Secondary effects must be considered as well, such as inability to maintain telecommunications service, reduced law enforcement, increased crime, increased illness and injury, higher death rates, and likely, civil unrest"


I do not share this to scare, but to help prepare.  Some things this reinforced for me are that I need to:
1.  Become knowledgeable about first aid and have a good first aid kit.
2.  Make sure you keep a good stock of necessary medications on hand.  (If this isn't possible you may consider researching survival methods that can be used for people with your particular health issues).
3.  Always keep your gas tanks at least half full.
4.  Keep an adequate amount of food and water storage in an accessible place.  This will save you money, time, grief, gas, stress, etc. in case of emergency.
5.  Keep an ample supply of money in a safe, yet accessible place.
6.  Make sure you have reliable means of water purification.

Ample water supply is a key component of emergency preparedness.  See FEMA's Water Storage Guidelines here.  For additional information about water storage and purification, this article from the National Terror Alert Response Center is helpful.

Where do I start?

A big obstacle many people face when it comes to food storage and emergency preparedness is figuring out exactly what they need and how to store what they have. I know I definitely fit into that category before I learned about Shelf Reliance. Now I can honestly say that I am not stressed about making sure I am getting what I need in the right amounts.

There are three FREE tools Shelf Reliance offers that I find extremely valuable. Not only are they free, but they do not require you to give any personal identifying information or even your email address.

1. Food Storage Calculator

This free tool takes into account the caloric needs of you and each of your family members for a stretch of time that you choose and creates a customized plan, which tells you how much you need of various foods. It includes foods from all of the food groups and allows you to edit the plan to make sure it only includes foods you will actually eat. It also allows you to choose what percentage of your plan you want to be freeze dried foods versus traditional food storage options. Once your plan is complete you can either print it out for free for your own personal reference or you also have the option of purchasing your plan. If you would like to purchase it you can either do so all at once or by joining the Q program in which you can set a monthly budget and build your storage through monthly shipments. (Kind of like Netflix, but for food storage.)

2. Food Rotation System Calculator

Once you have your food storage plan in place you need to start thinking about where to put it and how to rotate it. If you don't have a system in place, it can be challenging making sure you rotate it properly so you use the oldest food first and don't waste any of your investment. That is why Shelf Reliance developed their Food Rotation Systems. They have a wide range of sizes and options from cupboard rotators to the large full size shelves. So how do you know what one to buy? Easy! Just tell this calculator whether you want a free standing system or one that goes on existing shelves. Then type in the dimensions of the space you have available and the calculator will narrow down the many options and show you only the rotation systems that meet your specific needs.

3. Emergency Kit Planner

"Preparing yourself and your family with an emergency kit and plan will reduce anxiety and panic should you find yourself in a disaster situation. Many emergencies don't allow time for people to assemble even the most basic items, which makes it all the more necessary to own the supplies your family requires." Shelf Reliance offers first aid kits and pre-assembled emergency kits for various lengths of time and many different group sizes. If you don't see one that you feel meets your needs or you just want the freedom to assemble it yourself, then the Emergency Planner is a great tool for you. "Simply enter your family's information and select a few personal settings, and the planner will provide you with a list of all the materials you need." (from the Shelf Reliance Website)

So, there you have it! These tools are easy to use and really take the stress out of getting prepared. I am really grateful that Shelf Reliance makes these tools accessible to all and provides this service with no strings attached.

If you like the information in this post and/or think it could benefit people you know, please feel free to share this post using the icons below and help your friends and family have the peace of mind that comes with being prepared.

*all images are from shelfreliance.com

Why Freeze Dry?

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SURPRISE HOST GIVEAWAY POST

Many types of foods can be freeze dried--from fruits and veggies to ice cream, cheese, and meat. Freeze dried food maintains its color and fresh taste making it a tasty addition to anyone's kitchen or storage room. But is it really the healthiest storage method? I found this article about freeze dried food on the LIVESTRONG website that answers that question. It cites information from credible sources about the benefits of preserving food by freeze drying it. Some of the benefits are:

• When food is freeze dried, it maintains its nutritional value.
• Freeze drying removes more water than dehydration. And less water in the stored product leads to less of a chance of bacterial growth.
• Most freeze dried food has a shelf life of 25-30 years vs. a 12 month shelf life for canned foods and only a few years for dehydrated foods.
• Freeze dried foods maintain their antioxidant levels and those antioxidants are processed through the bloodstream in the same way they would if they had been consumed fresh.
• The freeze drying process uses no preservatives or additives in order to maintain an excellent shelf life. Other preservation methods often involve the addition of preservatives and/or high levels of sodium.
• Freeze dried food is light weight, so it is a convenient way to eat healthy on the go.
• Freeze dried berries are thought to protect against cancers of the colon and esophagus (according to this American Institute for Cancer Research link.)

I originally learned most of this information from Shelf Reliance itself, but it's always nice to see it validated by other credible sources too. This information is a big part of what made me really excited to get involved with Shelf Reliance.

Freeze dried food tastes better, lasts longer, and is better for you than canned or dehydrated food. Knowing all this, why wouldn't you want to add freeze dried foods to your food storage? Or eat it now for that matter?

If you want to learn more about the process of freeze drying foods, check out this link in my consultant store.