Hmmmm...but did you think about planting your rice? Just kidding really but... ECHO in Ft. Myers had some info a while back about "dryland" rice planting. It seems that one one the main reasons rice is planted in wet fields is for weed suppression and that it is possible to grow it in drier conditions. Just food for thought.

so it fits on just one side of it? i'll be getting a corner cab in the upcoming yr - so i don't have to get the LS put in if i can find a good / different use for it... can you tell me what your 'fold' doors measure - each one? my sister's measure 8" each... if it's about that, then i can go to her house and do better measuring for my container. thx so much!

caavonldy- That's a great plan... It took me 18-months to get a full year of food in storage on a $200/month food budget, plus I have 3-years worth of the "Seven Survival Foods". Now my food budget is $125/month, so that's one of the benefits from having home food storage (this amount is for two adults). I talked with my best friend about this very subject just last night because she's diabetic and very carb sensitive and can't eat soy either. These are sources of protein I have in storage. You probably already have many of them. 1. Protein powders, especially whey protein. Whey has the highest BV (Biological Value) and you will assimilate more protein from whey than any other source of protein. The next highest are eggs, then beef, chicken, fish and legumes - on down the scale. 2. Powdered whole eggs. I get mine from Honeyville Grain in #10 cans. When powdered eggs are less expensive per egg than shell eggs I use powdered eggs. About the only shell eggs I use these days are when the store sends me a coupon for a dozen eggs - free. There are approximately 80-90 eggs per #10 can. I love powdered eggs when I want to make 6-muffins and I need 1/2 an egg. Many foods we make don't need a whole egg, so using 1/2 an egg in pancakes, for instance, it also saves some money. 3. If you have a pressure canner you can home-can all kinds of meat. (see link below) 4. Canned meat from the store. When I was a child back in the mid-50's we had a refrigerator that had a freezer about 12-inches square, and for a family of 6 who only got groceries once-a-month, there wasn't enough room for much meat in it, so mom served all kinds of canned salmon, tuna, Chicken A la King, Spam, Ham Spread, Chunk Ham, Roast Beef, Chicken, Dried Beef for you-know-what on a shingle....;-) I remember whole stewed chickens coming in cans and made wonderful chicken noodle soup. Now I make White Chili with a 10-oz. can of chicken, can of white beans (or home-cooked beans), cup of water and some McCormick White Chicken Chili Seasoning Mix - all are pantry foods. I have many of those same foods in storage and most of them have very long storage times. When you start looking at the store you'll find a good assortment of meat in cans. I even have Yoder Bacon in cans. 5. Most expensive... Freeze-dried meats which reconstitute in a few minutes in hot water. I have freeze-dried ground beef, sausage crumbles, white turkey, chicken, beef roast, and diced ham (I've also noticed freeze-dried shrimp and pork chops recently...). Check Mountain House, Emergency Essentials, Honeyville Grain, Nitro-Pak, Augason Farms. There is freeze-dried cheese and cheese powder in storage. Shredded Colby or Mozzarella will rehydrate in a few minutes in warm water and will feel, taste, and melt just like freshly-grated cheese. 6. I also keep Vital Wheat Gluten in #10 cans in storage to use as a meat extender or meat substitute and make "wheat meat" (aka fake meat, seitan or gluten) with it. There is nearly as much protein in ground "wheat meat" as there is in ground beef. I mix it 50/50 with any kind of ground meat I'm using to get more protein for my money - I also cut fat and cholesterol. I can make this from whole wheat flour, but it's easier to make it from Vital Wheat Gluten. Ground gluten can also be used as a high-protein granola-like "cereal". For more information: "The Amazing Wheat Book" by LeArta Moulton or http://www.livingwithbasics.com/documents/awb-recipes/pdf/wheatgluten.pdf 7. Lesser amounts of protein from powdered milk, peanut butter, beans/seeds/grains/nuts. The bulk of the milk in storage is a whey-based milk substitute - Morning Moo's - www.augasonfarms.com. And I also use another non-fat dry milk product - Country Cream - http://www.grandmascountryfoods.com/ Morning Moo's is less expensive and makes 22-quarts per #10 can while Country Cream makes 20-quarts. Both of these milk products come in bulk amounts for a real savings on milk if you are going to use it on a regular basis, or for storage - #10 cans. Both taste as good as regular store bought milk. We only use powdered milk. Good luck. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: National Center for Home Food Preservation

When I redid my kitchen this spring, I wanted a different solution to the dog kibble storage; it had lived in an old popcorn tin I spray painted black on the outside, for the last 32 years. Storing in the basement or garage attracted mice BIG TIME. So, I found the wonderful company on eBay and had a drawer liner custom built to hold the dog kibble. <http://www.kennedyhardware.com/custom-bread-drawer-liner.html?cat=89> I have a drawer (shallow drawer on top, same size as middle, on bottom) that holds this wonderful thing and it holds 30 lbs of PurinaOne Lamb & Rice kibble. Oh the joy of opening a drawer, sliding back the top, and using the measuring cup that lives in the drawer with the kibble, to fill their bowls! No smell, no rodents or insects, just perfection! One of my FAVORITE things in my new kitchen.