Three Month Supply

So, I know that it has been a looooong time since I posted. All I can say is that once I got pregnant all my energy, time and motivation completely hit rock bottom. Then the holidays came. Now I am trying to get back on the ball. :)

For those of you who came (or did not come) to our Relief Society meeting a couple weeks ago, I thought I'd post the highlights of the short presentation that I did on getting a three months supply of food.

Providentliving.org: (on 3 month supply)

"Build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet. One way to do this is to purchase a few extra items each week to build a one-week supply of food. Then you can gradually increase your supply until it is sufficient for three months. These items should be rotated regularly to avoid spoilage."

A three month supply isn’t necessarily all of your wheat, beans, oats, powdered milk, etc.. It is simply a well-stocked pantry of foods that you use on a daily basis that will keep your family fed if for some reason you could not get to a store to do your regular grocery shopping for about three months.

I found this great blog as I was researching this topic: Foodstoragelady.blogspot.com.

This is some of what she had to share:

Where can you start? What can you buy? This is all about you. What I buy, your family might not eat! Make a list of meals you normally eat. Which of them have a basis of frozen or shelf-stable foods?

Some ideas:
Pastas and sauce or ingredients for sauce,
chili (canned or homemade from dried beans) and cornbread (from a mix or grind your own corn),
Rice and chicken with frozen veggies.

There may be items you can't store for three months. Ask yourself if you could still eat the meal without those items (sour cream, fresh veggies) if there was an emergency where fresh food wasn't available. If the answer is yes, store it!

So when I make my plan to store food for 3 months, I plan foods that will last at least a year. I plan 6 each of 14 dinners, but we eat those meals over the course of a year. You might want to plan to eat your meals every night. In this case, your foods need only last 3 months. (clarify)

I also store basic pantry items in three month quantities.

I store oatmeal and pancake mix and syrup, and cold cereals for breakfast. We don't eat this every day, but we could if we needed. The kids like them.

The problem is how to remember to replace what you have used. I determine a number of units, 1 unit higher than I actually need, and replace the unit when 1 is empty. For instance: I store 8 jars of peanut butter, because I need 7. Before I throw out the empty PB container, I write it on my list for the store. I always have nearly 7 full jars on the shelf.

What it requires (that many people don't want to invest) is time and thought. (foodstoragelady.blogspot.com)


Here are some tips that I got from Survival.com:

1. Buy what you can afford
2. Buy what you’re familiar with
3. Buy foods from warehouse stores (this can depend on pricing. . . sometimes there are better values and sometimes not).
4. Organize your buying for three-month increments (once you have your three month supply, start working on another three months, then you will have your 6 month supply, etc. until you get up to a full 12 months.

And lastly, here is some info from Thefoodstorageshopper.net:

1 - Know What you Need!
Make a recipe list for two weeks- including breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks. Write it down. Think of EVERY ingredient you will need to make those meals.

2- Shop Smart!

-Couponing!
-Case Lot Sales
-Only buy meat when it is on sale.
-I would not recommend buying a lot of things at Wholesale centers (Sams/Costco) - however - their prices on cheese cannot be beat. I have also found yeast, and most baking supplies to be the cheapest here as well.

3- Rotate Through your Meals


Now that you have a great supply of food that you know you will actually eat - Eat it!!
-Go through your list and make your recipes. I always buy my produce when it is on sale. When you check your newspaper for deals - check out the produce section.
-Be sure to add in fresh fruits and vegetables to your meals. You will be doing it, knowing that you saved money!
-Whenever you take something out of your 3 month food supply - write it on a sheet of paper that you have near your storage area. This way you have a general idea of what you need to replenish when the next sale comes. You will be eating your food, and nothing will spoil.
-Don’t feel like you can only eat what is on your recipe list - now that you have a ton of food - get creative. Share different recipes with family and friends.
-Don’t forget to add in everyday essentials like soap, toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, shampoo etc… You can get these items for great deals as well!

Best of luck to you all!!!

Sweet & Sour Sauce

I had a few requests for the recipe that I used to make Sweet & Sour sauce that I canned. Thanks to Jenn and Pep, I have been using this recipe:


8 c tomatoes

4 c onions

4 c green pepper

1 (20 oz.) cans pineapple chunks (do not drain) **I used crushed pineapple

6 c. sugar

8 T. soy sauce

3 c vinegar

1 1/2 c ULTRA GEL


Prepare tomatoes: Wash and remove stems. Dip briefly (30 seconds to 1 minutes according to ripeness) in large pan of boiling water, then in cold water until cool enough to handle. She skins should slip off. Remove cores and chop coarsely.


Cut onions and green peppers in chunks the size of a quarter. Combine tomatoes, pineapple with juice, onions, and green pepper in an 8-10 quart pan. Add sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar, and bring to a boil. Gradually add ULTRA GEL, stirring until thickened.


Spoon into pint jars, leaving 1/2" headspace, and process immediately in water bath canner for 35 minutes.


Yield: 12 pints


Just an added note: I'm not into the big chunks, so I actually blend up my tomatoes, onions and peppers to my desired chunky-ness. You can do what you want.


We like to eat this with chicken and rice. Yum!


Enjoy!

Refrigerator Pickles!

I got this recipe from Jenn in my ward and they are amazing! So simple and fast to make and very good!! If you like dill pickles, you have to try these!

Here's the recipe:

Refrigerator dill pickles

15 small pickling cucumbers
40 fresh dill sprigs
2 large onions, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, sliced
1 qt. water
1qt. white vinegar
1/2 to 3/4 cup canning salt
Cut each cucumber lengthwise into four spears. In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, dill, onions and garlic; set aside. In a large pan, combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir just until salt is dissolved. Pour over cucmber mixture; cool.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Divide and put into quart jars with a lid. Keep refridgerated. make sure you date the jars.

Food Storage Class

Tonight for our Self-Reliance class, we watched a great food storage presentation on DVD given by Wendy DeWitt. She had lots of great ideas and ways to make food storage easier and delicious! I think you can watch the whole presentation on YouTube. Here are the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhGaTlwYs-s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUaFMEyLXOM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4woLOnURFiw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Drrd2wt8k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE5WVOqLp2k&feature=PlayList&p=1D85A9200E2A30D1&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33bovjbt8nk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vigcycRhWs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0XWoeWRDdI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoYHLW8HR7Y&feature=PlayList&p=21CC9E08DA561704&index=0&playnext=1

I hope the links work for you. If not, just go to http://www.youtube.com/ and search for "Wendy DeWitt." Her videos come right up.

Also, she refers to a "book" in the videos. Here is the link to her book. It is a 26 page PDF document and you can print it out. It has some awesome information in it: http://www.theideadoor.com/PDF%20Files/RS/EverythingUnderTheSun.pdf

ENJOY!!!

More Wheat Recipes

I am behind on posting the recipes from our recent classes, so I am going to catch up on a few of those now.



Whole Wheat Tortillas:


1 c wheat flour

2 c bread or all purpose flour

1 t salt


Combine in a mixer or with bowl and spoon.


Add 1/3 c oil or shortening


Stir or cut into flour. Add 1 cup warm water. Stir with a spoon, or in a mixer with dough hook on speed 2 for 3 minutes. If not using a mixer, knead for 3 minutes on a floured surface. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Cut dough into 12 golf-ball sized pieces.. Flatten into discs and dip in flour. Roll out to 10" diameter on a well-floured countertop. Heat a 10-12" saute pan on medium heat. No grease needed. Place tortilla on pan and heat each side for 1-2 minutes. These may be frozen till needed or refrigerated for a couple of weeks.

They are so yummy, I don't know how I can every eat store bought ones again!





Wheatberry Pineapple Chicken Salad

1 can (15-1/4 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can (10 to12-1/2 ounces) chicken, drained

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 cup cooked whole wheat

Mix together the pineapple, mayonnaise, and salt. Add chicken, almonds and wheat. Stir well. Chill several hours before serving. It is delicious!!!





Wheat Cinnamon Rolls


3 c hot water

2 cubes butter

1 c honey

6 eggs

1 1/2 t salt

2/3 c powdered milk

3 T yeast

15 c wheat flour


Combine all ingredients and just 2 cups of wheat flour and mix on low speed until moist. Continue adding flour one cup at a time until dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Increase speed to medium on mixer and let knead for 10 minutes. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and let rise until doubled. Punch it down and divide in two equal pieces. Roll out each piece in a rectangle and heavily spread with butter, sprinkle with brown or white sugar and cinnamon. Roll into a long roll and but into about 1 inch pieces. Place them on a greased baking sheet and let rise again. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until done. (I don't think I baked them for a full twenty minutes, they were about done by 10).


Caramel Frosting


2/3 c butter

1 c brown sugar

1/2 c evaporated milk


Heat all ingredents in saucepan until it comes to a boil. Turn heat to low and cook for 2 minutes. Removed from heat and cool for 10 minutes. Beat in 3 cups of powdered sugar.






These turned out surprisingly light and fluffy for being made from all wheat flour. Yummy!






Enjoy!!

Beans, beans, the musical fruit. . .

So, we had a great class on beans the other night! Thanks to all those who came! I promised I'd post the recipes for the things I made for it. So, here they are:


Black Bean Brownies




1 15.5 oz can black beans rinsed and drained (I just used some that I had previously cooked in a pressure cooker)


3 eggs


3 T oil

1/4 c cocoa (I put a little more than this in)

1 pinch salt

1 t vanilla (I put a little extra of this in, too)

3/4 c sugar

1/2 c milk chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients (EXCEPT chocolate chips), pour into 8x8 pan and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.


They really were delicious--see, they are half gone already!!!







Fast Refried Beans


1 1/2 c boiling water

3/4 c pinto or black bean flour (I grinded up pinto beans)

1/4 t cumin

1/2 t chili powder

Mix dry ingredients and whisk into water. Cook for 1 minute over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce to low. Cook 4 minutes.

I added some salsa, too. I have to say that I didn't really like these. But, I did add more seasoning to them (garlic salt, more chili powder and cumin) and put them in the fridge. I have been afraid to try them, though. . . I need to, just so I can say if they are any better. . .











This is a cream of chicken soup base. It is 5 T white bean flour, 1 3/4 c water and 4 t chicken bullion. Whisk for 3 minutes.

It turned out sooooo yummy! I am definitely going to be making this on a regular basis! (It had been sitting out on my table for awhile before I remembered to take a picture, so sorry about it not looking fresh. :)




I also attempted canning some black beans. I washed and rinsed the beans and put 1/2 c of beans into each pint jar and filled with almost boiling water.

You have to can them in a pressure cooker (thanks, Mylea) for 75 minutes. They are just like a can of beans from the store now! But it only cost me pennies. . .

I guess I forgot to take a picture of my baked chimichangas, but it is my favorite new meal (thanks Nancy)!!! You can put just about anything you like in a tortilla, wrap it up like a burrito and bake it at 375 for 15 minutes. You get a nice crisp chimi without all the fat from the oil (even though they taste so good that way, too!). I put cheese, black beans, Mexican rice, chicken and salsa in mine and loved them!

And, drumroll please...............................................here is the cookie recipe you have been waiting for:



Oatmeal cookies with beans

I think I need a catchy name for these. . . any suggestions are welcome!










This makes a very large batch. You can half it, but I like to make a lot and put them in the freezer or give them away. :)



2 c white beans, cooked and pureed

2 c sugar

2 c brown sugar

-Mix-

4 eggs (I use powdered eggs)

2 t vanilla

-Mix-

4 c oat flour (You can grind up whole oat groats, or blend up rolled oats in your blender until fine--I've done it both ways and they both work great)

5 c quick oats

2 t baking soda

2 t baking powder

1 t salt

2 t cinnamon (opt.)

1 c coconut (opt.)

2 c chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

2 c white chocolate chips--this is my favorite combo. You can do all chocolate chips, or raisin, or half and half, or half white choc. chips and half craisins is super yummy, too. Whatever you like.

-Mix-



Drop on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 min.

They are so yummy. My kids are always asking to make "bean cookies."



Enjoy!

Wheat Meat Class

So, last night we had a great class on how to make gluten out of wheat, or "wheat meat." Gluten is a part of the wheat that is mostly protein. It is a very healthy alternative to meat and our bodies can digest it very easily (unless you are gluten intolerant). Here is what we did:

First, you start out making a dough with whole wheat flour and water. I made a large batch 7 cups of water and 12-15 cups of flour. Mix and then set aside for 20 minutes. (If you will not be getting back to it for longer than 20 minutes, refrigerate).

Here is what my dough looked like:





Next is the rinsing process. I split the dough into small balls for the class so everyone could experience making their own gluten. Doing it myself, I would split the dough into sizes slightly larger than a softball. You need a large bowl filled with room temperature water. Then start kneading your dough ball in the water. Aren't these ladies doing a great job? :)






The dough will pretty much fall completely apart, get stringy, and then start to stick together again. This is the gluten. Once you have a small ball of gluten, the rest will start to cling to it. The bowl of water will be left with bran and starch from the wheat. Good job gals!






This is what your water will look like afterwards. White with bits of bran on the bottom. There is so much you can do with this water! Save it in a glass jar and put it in the fridge. Add the water to just about anything, and you can scoop off the starch for soups, thickenings and other stuff. You can use the bran to make cereal, muffins, cakes, and tons more. That will have to be another post.


Once you have your ball of gluten, take it back to the sink and rinse it off a little more under room temperature water. This is what it looks like when you are done:





Now you have a couple choices of how to cook it. You can steam it. This is my homemade steamer--just a stock pot with a metal colander. Just place your gluten pieces in the steamer for about 30 minutes. I turn them over after 15 minutes.



This is what they look like after they have been steamed:







My favorite thing to do with them is to ground them up. You can use either a food processor or a blender to easily grind up the gluten to look like ground beef.







It makes a great meat extender, or you can just eat it by itself. I made taco meat out of the ground gluten and didn't add any real meat at all. It tasted great!







Another cooking method is to simmer and bake. This is the raw gluten (straight from being rinsed). I rolled it out and cut it into strips.







Then I simmered some in chicken broth and some in beef broth. There are some great seasoning mixture recipes in "The Amazing Wheat Book" by LeArta Moulton. It really is an amazing book. I am looking into make a bulk order of it to get it cheaper, so if you are interested, let me know.









After simmering the gluten (and it absorbes the liquid really fast!) spread it out on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 for 30-60 minutes--until texture is chewy. Turn them over a few times while baking. You can also stick them in your dehydrator. They turn out kind of like jerky.


This really is just a small start as to what you can do to with wheat and gluten. You can make large batches of gluten and prepare it how you would like and it will keep in the freezer. I hope this insipires you!