Farmington West Provident Living

It's that time off year again when we get the opportunity to listen to the prophet and apostles and hear the guidance the Lord has set forth for us.  It is always an exciting time.  What new temples will be announced, what changes might be happening, and best of all what words of comfort and encouragement are we going to receive?   When we prepare for conference we always get more out of it than if we just sit down and listen.  If we come with questions, it is amazing how many speakers will actually speak about the answers we seek. For some ideas and activities visit our General Conference page .    Another way that I have found helps to prepare my family for conference is by learning about the prophet and apostles.  When my oldest was younger we did a little activity to help him get to know more about the apostles and when he found out that he and Boyd K. Packer shared the same birthday he thought that was so cool and always made sure that he was list...

Not only is September Preparedness month but it is also National Family Meals Month. Who doesn't want to make life easier especially when it comes to dinner on busy days so that you can spend quality time together as a family?! One of the best ways to do that is to plan your week of meals, but let's be honest that doesn't always happen or something happens and throws our best laid plans to the side. For those instances it is always nice to have "pre-packaged" quick meals on hand.  No I don't mean ones in a box from the store. You probably have the better alternatives right there in your pantry, you just need to combine them into a meal bag/bucket.      So how do you make meals in a bucket/bag? Well first off, the point of them is to make them an easy meal that ANYONE and I mean anyone can make (even a 10 year old if they are willing). Make sure it is an easy to follow recipe or instructions so that even the kitchen novices can make it. We have some great ideas...

September is National Preparedness Month.  It's the time designated for everyone to take a look at just how prepared they are for any emergency that may arise.  Let's be honest, this whole year has pretty much tested our readiness and resilience.  I sincerely hope it has given all of you an opportunity to seriously evaluate your family's readiness and helped you find the areas you can improve on. With that said let's talk about long term solutions.  Up to this point we have mostly talked about 3 day to 3-6 month supply and a few longer term solutions, i.e. dehydrated and freeze dried foods.      What is the difference? Well, most things we buy at case lot sales or grow in our gardens are short term solutions unless they are dehydrated or freeze dried and then packaged for longer term storage. In order to make the things we buy for our storage last as long as possible they all need to be packaged in a way that will ensure the longest shelf life.  J...

Shopping case lot sales is a great way to bulk up your food storage, but be careful when doing it.  Not everything is a great deal just because it is included in the case lot sale.  Here are some tips to get the most bang for your buck and appropriately stock your pantry and food storage shelves. 1. PLAN AHEAD AND MAKE A LIST: Look in your food storage and pantry and make a list of what you are low on, how many you need, what you have realized you need and don't have and make sure to not replace anything you haven't actually used.  Sometimes we probably get caught up in the idea of it's a good price and forget to think about whether or not your family is actually going to eat it. If you bought something and it has been sitting on your shelves untouched for a year or more-don't buy it again. If you haven't already, it might be a good idea to get a food storage inventory sheet going. For that click here  or here . It makes this part quick and easy. 2. HAVE A BUDGET: I...

That seems to be the eternal question when all the kids go back to school. If your kids are anything like mine they always want something more than just a PB and J sandwich. So for those of you that need alternate ideas here are some that have been very successful with my kids and others. Most of the ideas are easy and make ahead (night before), because if your mornings are anything like mine you generally don't have a ton of time to make lunches in the morning. Bonus; the majority of the ideas will work great for adult at work lunches too.     ROLL-UPS- There are a variety of roll-ups you can do, it will all depend on what your kids like and will eat. The basics of all roll ups are: the "bread" typically a tortilla, naan, or pita bread. The sauce-hummus, cream cheese spread(flavored or plain), marinara, pesto, etc. Finally the insides. Some fan favorites are:       Veggie delights - take a "bread" of any variety, add cream cheese spread-garden veggie is...

School is quite the hot button topic right now, but regardless of feelings all our kids will be returning to school in one capacity or another and we need to make sure they are prepared. Why exactly do you need a school emergency kit? Essentially it is a way for your kid to have some useful and comforting things with them should an emergency arise while they are at school and it takes a while before you can get to them.      Here are a couple of questions you should consider before buying the stuff and packing it up all nice and neat. 1. Where is your kid going to keep it at school? They will need easy access to it, so try to keep it small-no bigger than a pencil bag or box. They should be able to keep it either in their desk cubby, locker, or backpack. 2. What items are allowed at school? Make sure you know the school's policy on certain items before packing them. Even some seemingly harmless items might be banned.    With all of this in mind here are some goo...

We all spend a lot of time in our cars, maybe not as much as we used to, but still we spend enough time that we really need to make sure we are prepared for whatever may come our way or even someone else's way. I basically have a car 72 hr. kit in my vehicle and it gets used quite often, just not ever for me. The things I use in it most often are the gloves, shovel, axe and portable jump starter. It's amazing how many people get stuck in the winter or have dead batteries. I think the most embarrassing moment was when I was helping a man out with a dead battery and I went to get my big portable jump starter (similar to this one , before I had my handy little one) and it's battery was too dead to jump start his truck. So lesson learned. Just because you have it, it does no good if you don't maintain it and make sure it is good to go when you need it.    You can find several pre-assembled car kits out there that will work in a pinch and are a great starting point, b...

Do you ever find yourself in a rut when it comes to meals?  Are you always trying to figure out what to make with potatoes, pasta, or rice for dinner or even oatmeal for breakfast? Well switch it up.  Most grains out there are interchangeable with others and will add a little extra flair and flavor to your meals instead of all the "boring usuals".  In this post we will be covering grains and all their magnificent uses and health benefits.    Most grains, but especially whole grains, have oil in them that will eventually make the grains go rancid. This makes them tricky to store unless you know how. Moisture, air, and heat are the enemies of whole grains.   This chart gives you an idea of how long you can store them in the pantry, fridge or freezer.  These are good to know if you are only buying small amounts and won't use it real quick.  Just make sure that it has a good seal on it so no moisture will get in. If you buy them in bulk the best way ...