I think you will first have to assess you and your spouse's tastes and preferences then decide. For us, it would be: 1) Canning. If you're fearful of botulism, stick with tomato products and fruits, which aren't botulism risks (the fruit) or as long as current guidelines are followed (the tomatoes). These products also are good for beginners and don't require the purchase of a pressure canner. 2) Freezing. I find we like foods like corn much better frozen than we ever would dehydrated. For us dehydrating would be a waste as we'd never eat them. But see my comments on the other thread regarding freezing. Also, some dried products are probably cheaper or as cheap purchased in bulk and stored air-tight than being dried at home. There are many stores, co-ops and online bulk suppliers who provide a vast range of beans, grains, dehydrated vegetables, dried fruits, etc. While the price per pound in some cases might seem quite high, when you consider you're not buying the water and you're not paying for the electricity, it really puts the cost in perspective. 3) Dehydration. I can and do dry foods, though not very often any more. Again, it's personal preference. The freezer also has other uses beyond the obvious. You save huge amounts of money making home "mixes" (i.e. pancake mix or baking mix - that is "Bisquik") and they're healthier. If I make a quick bread or cake, I normally mix up additional ziploc bags of the dry ingredients, label and put in the freezer for long-term freshness. Freeze cookies baked or as dough. You can freeze chocolate chip cookies dolloped on a cookie sheet, frozen raw and then bagged up for later baking in whatever amount you want. Same with scones or even cinnamon rolls. If you can get into the baking habit and focus on homemade granola, homemade cereal mixes, baking mixes, breads, you'll save huge amounts. Above all, it will keep you out of the stores. That's the biggest saver of all. Carol

Thanks everyone! Annie, I looked at Stanley's site and found many different sizes to choose from. Not sure about shipping outside the US though. Amazon.com won't do it and Amazon.ca only carries things that I don't care for. None of the retail/hardware stores listed on Stanley's homepage are available in Canada, but Wal-Mart. Of course, the Wal-Mart stores here in Canada are very different than the ones in the US. AM, I completely agree with you about the fact that Wal-Mart stores don't carry high quality stuff especially the ones in Canada. Anyway, after searching for an hour I finally found one local store: Home Hardware, that carries Stanley Thermal bottles. They are small, 1-L and 24 Oz are all they have. Maybe the 1-liter will work. Compare to what he eats right now (basically nothing), 1-liter of hot food will seem like a huge meal to him. Mara, I don't believe we have Chick-Fil-A in Canada, at least not in our city. Even if we did DH probably wouldn't bother to go look for Chick-Fil-A for a meal. A chocolate bar from the vending machine and a cup of coffee at the office lobby would be much easier to him. Jessica, I could never get angry with people who try to help me. I will consider the Bento box idea once the weather is less brutal. Definitely would try sushi because DH loves sushi. A salad is good too as long as the box has lot of compartment so the greens, protein, and dressing won't mix until he's ready to eat. Will off to Home Hardware next week to see if I can find the Stanley bottle. They have it listed on a national site doesn't always mean they have it in a certain store. Thanks again, everyone! I will continue to try. Al

Another positive endorsement for OvaEasy egg crystals. I've used regular powdered eggs for many years when they were less expensive per egg than fresh shell eggs (normally each winter when egg production goes down), but I loved OvaEasy so well when I tried them I donated the powdered whole eggs I had in storage to a local mission who feeds the homeless, and replaced them with cans of OvaEasy. OvaEasy last longer in storage than traditional powdered eggs, mix up easier (powdered eggs tend to clump and you have to sift it before measuring it) and taste better. The #10 cans contain 6 packets and each packet contains a dozen eggs. Once opened, the egg crystals will last a long time if kept air-tight. I wish they would have been available when my mother-in-law was alive because she wasted more eggs.... But back to freeze-dried fruit... If you have a Sam's Club membership, go to their web site and check prices for Augason Farms freeze-dried fruit if you are in the pricing stage. They will delivered to your door. It's usually less expensive through Sam's Club than through Augason Farms. Honeyville Grain just had a 20% off sale, and have them several times a year (get on their e-newsletter list to receive notice when they have a sale). They also ship your entire order for $4.49, something else to consider. I order #10 cans of vital wheat gluten to use for making "wheat meat" (aka seitan or gluten to use as a high-protein meat extender), 5# bags of almond flour and hi-maize resistant starch, along with freeze-dried fruit, veggies and meat from Honeyville Grain. -Grainlady

Oh my, i was thinking a few dozen in and out of the home and garden. : ) I've hosted a couple weddings for friends on my farm and did simple, as you are thinking... One was October but unseasonably warm, Hot!. I stuck with the veggie plan but had to put ice in baggies under the platters and dip stuff. (the meal and party moved on to an event place later). I hid the ice under fabric. I also was making spring rolls for every event at the time and that took way too much time the morning of. But great for the wedding party 'girls' prepping in the second floor of the barn. Healthy and fresh and the brides favorite so i made them for her and the rest went out on the table. I'm terrible with recipes because i want to fuss and take a bit from this and that and take out the sugars... And use what i have that is available without too much shopping. If i needed to make one today?...in the freezer i have pecans, dates, a big bag of raw shredded coconut and a big hunk of ginger in the fridge. And a bag of chick peas...and some wasabi in powder form. I made candied ginger last month and it was amazing but can be bought. So using a few recipe ideas, some can be combined. Like this list, i'll give the link... I have some puffed rice cereal from the health food store. Some pepitas, (hulless pumpkin seed), and if i toast the coconut, whizz some of it to coat the chopped dates...toss with roasted chick peas, (not the sweet recipe but the savory one) ...toss what seems good and back in the oven on low 200 heat for an hour... You may just invent your own mix by tasting and adding a bit more spice, etc. (a bit of warmed coconut oil, just a couple tbsp, is amazing flavor that helps give good toasted flavor and give some binder glue for any powdered spices). Of course make a mix you are comfortable with that is not a stressful new one, but my crowd likes my 'adventures', lol. -and, yeah, my amount per person is way high for a big event. And probably not much help with the mixes...but if you have time to experiment and have fun in the process...big win in the appreciation game. -if any oils or butters are in your mix, you have 4-5 days in fridge, any longer do freeze for freshness... Here is a link that might be useful: snack mixes