Provident Pantry-Homemade Mixes

One of the biggest tips when you are trying to save money is to make your own mixes from scratch instead of buying the prepackaged ones from the store.  Just the other night I needed a white sauce for a cream of broccoli soup I was making and I remembered a book that I have called "MixA-Meal" by Deanna Bean & Lorna Shute.  This book is full of mixes like the white sauce mix, a roll mix, banana bread, biscuits mixes, etc.  Having these on hand will save you time and money.  You can find the book at amazon.com, Honeyville (SLC store), and other retailers.  I think it is really worth the little extra time to buy flour, sugar, powdered milk, etc. in bulk and put a few mixes together. 

This is the white sauce mix that I made the other night.

This is all you need to make a white sauce mix.

White Sauce Mix
4 C powdered milk (non-instant from the cannery, if you use the instant from the grocery store you need double the amount of non-instant so 8 C in this recipe)
4 C flour
4 C dehydrated butter or margarine powder
2 t salt

Mix all and store in an airtight container.  To use:  1/2 C of white sauce mix and 1 C hot water and whisk over medium heat until thick.  Stir constantly to prevent scorching.  

Use this mix for soups, chowders, scalloped potatoes, white gravy, creamed veggies, chicken a la king, etc.  

I found a great blog that has many recipes for making mixes.  Everything from seasonings and soup mixes to pancake mixes.  Click HERE to see it! Find which ones work for you and try one out.  I recommend you try a half batch first in case you don't care for it.  I made a tortilla mix once and it didn't turn out so well and I had made a whole #10 can of it!  What a waste of money!  So definitely try it out in a small batch first. 

Interchangeable Pantry~Part 2

This is part 2 of the interchangeable pantry. Check out the first post HERE. I had so much information that I decided to break it all up into two posts. This post will focus on baking substitutions and then a list of ideas that you could make if you only had certain ingredients on hand in your long term storage. 

 Remember to keep buying at least one extra of the items on your shopping list this week. You should have a list of ingredients that form your 3 month supply. 
  (remember all the dinners that you put together and wrote out and made an ingredient list with, good, I thought you remembered. If you didn't do that, then you have some homework to do :)  

Then I am sharing a few recipes that we enjoy at our dinner table. They are not gourmet dinners, but keep us from starving and usually everyone will eat it. 

Basic baking supplies are a must if you want your food supply to feed anyone. You will be able to make bread, tortillas, English muffins (recipe to follow), pizza dough, biscuits, pita pockets, and many more. Without yeast, salt, baking soda, and baking powder your breads will be a disaster. I have been short on ingredients before and there are substitutions that are out there to save you in a bind.

Baking Supply Substitutions

(information from Betty Crocker cookbook and everydayfoodstorage.net)

Baking powder 1 teaspoon=1/2 t cream of tartar plus a 1/4 t baking soda

Broth 1 cup=1 t or 1 cube instant bouillon plus 1 C water

Buttermilk 1 C=1 T lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 C, let stand 5 min. or use 1 C plain yogurt

Chocolate sweet baking 4 oz=1/4 C cocoa powder + 1/3 white sugar

Cornstarch 1 T (for thickening)= 2 T all-purpose flour

Corn Syrup 1 C=1 C white sugar + 1/4 C water

Egg 1=1 T egg powder + 2 T water or 1 t gelatin (non flavored) +3 T cold water+ 3 T hot water= 1 egg

Lemon juice 1 t=1/2 t vinegar

Evaporated milk 1 12oz can= 1 1/2 C water +1/2 C + 1 T dry powder milk blended very well in blender

Milk whole 1 C=1/2 C evaporated milk plus 1/2 C water or 1 C water plus 1/3 C nonfat dry milk powder

Molasses 1 C= 1 C honey

Powdered sugar 1 C= 1 C white sugar in blender on high for 3 min. + 1 T cornstarch

Sour Cream 1 C= 1 C plain yogurt

Sugar white 1 C= 1/2 C packed brown sugar or 2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Sweetened condensed milk 1 14oz can= 1/2 C hot water+1 C dry powder milk+1 C sugar+ 1 T butter, blend all WELL in blender

Tomato juice 1 C= 1/2 C tomato sauce + 1/2 C water

Tomato Sauce 2 C=3/4 C tomato paste + 1 C water
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Did you know.............(FROM FOODSTORAGEMADEEASY.NET)

IF YOU ONLY HAD: WATER, WHEAT, SALT, SHORTENING(OR OIL)
YOU COULD MAKE:

SPROUTED WHEAT

• COOKED CRACKED WHEAT
• COOKED WHOLE WHEAT
• WHEAT GRASS
• GLUTEN(FAKE MEAT CAN BE MADE OUT OF THIS)
• TORTILLAS

JUST ADD: POWDERED MILK, POWDERED EGGS, HONEY OR SUGAR,FLOUR. YOU CAN MAKE THE ITEMS ABOVE PLUS:

WHEAT PUDDING

• GERMAN PANCAKES
• CREPES AND PASTA

JUST ADD: YEAST, BAKING POWDER, BAKING SODA. AND YOU CAN MAKE THE ITEMS ABOVE PLUS:

PUDDING/CUSTARDS

• PANCAKES
• SOME VARIETIES OF COOKIES
• WAFFLES
• MUFFINS/ENGLISH MUFFINS
• BREADS
• BISCUITS
• SOME VARIETIES OF CRACKERS

JUST ADD: TOMATOES, POWDERED BUTTER & CHEESE, UNFLAVORED GELATIN, CANNED MILK, CANNED FRUITS. AND YOU CAN MAKE ALL OF THE ABOVE PLUS:

MEATLESS DINNERS

• MEATLESS CASSEROLES
• CREAM SAUCES
• JELLO SALADS
• WHIPPED CREAM DESSERTS
• BABY FORMULA

JUST ADD: RICE, LEGUMES, BEEF/CHICKEN BROTH, CANNED MEATS, DRIED POTATOES, DEHYDRATED VEGETABLES. YOU CAN MAKE ALL OF THE ABOVE PLUS:

LOTS OF GREAT CHUNKY SOUPS

• CHILI
• RE FRIED BEANS
• RICE DINNERS
• RICE PUDDINGS
• SANDWICHES
• MANY DIFFERENT DINNERS AND CASSEROLES

ADD THESE EXTRAS AND THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS: OATS, RAISINS, NUTS, SPICES, JUICE, PEANUT BUTTER, CREAM OF TARTAR, ETC!!!!

I promised some recipes from the interchangeable ingredients. Here they are, and keep in mind they aren't gourmet, just family friendly.

Stuffed Pasta Shells

1 box of stuffing (60z) cooked

2 C diced cooked chicken (or 1 can chicken)

1/2 C peas (frozen, canned, dehydrated)

1/2 C mayo

18 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained

1 can cream of chicken soup

2/3 C water

Combine the stuffing, chicken, peas & mayo in a bowl. Spoon into shells and place in 13x9 pan. Combine soup and water and pour over shells. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with dried parsley and serve. Makes 6 servings. Serve with fruit (fresh or

canned) and a green salad.

Black Bean Flautas

1 15 oz black beans undrained

1 C broth

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t chili powder

Boil all ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and mash with potato masher until as smooth as desired. (we like it kind of chunky)

ADD to bean mixture:

1/3 C fresh cilantro (can used dry, 1 T)

1 lime, juiced (I use bottled, 1 T)

Place 2 T of mixture onto one tortilla (makes 12 tortillas)

Sprinkle with:

cheddar cheese (3 C shredded)

tomato (2 large diced)

green onion (6 cut)

Roll up and place in 13x9 pan. Cook at 450 for 10 minutes.

Serve with salsa and sour cream.

(from safelygatheredin.blogspot.com)

Homemade English Muffins

1 C hot water

1/2 C water+half of 1/3 C powdered milk

2 t honey

2 t salt

4 C flour (2 c white+2 C wheat)

2 t instant yeast

2 T oil

cornmeal

Add water, powdered milk mixture, honey, salt to a mixing bowl, combine. Add 2 C flour, yeast, and stir until combined. Cover with towel and let rise 1 hour. Add remaining 2 C of flour, oil and stir to combine. Roll out onto a cornmeal covered surface and use a round biscuit cutter or cup and but our round shapes. Let muffins rise, covered, for 1 hour. Heat a griddle to med/high heat and grease with a little oil. Grill muffins until brown on both sides and cooked in the middle. Can freeze for later use.

Chicken Macaroni Bake

2 C elbow macaroni cooked and drained

1 C cooked, chopped chicken (or 1 Can)

2 T dried onion reconstituted in 1/4 C hot water (or fresh)

salt and pepper to taste

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/4 C broth

1 C shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients together (except cheese) in an 8x8 sprayed pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with muffins and a vegetable.

I know this was a lot of information at once, but it all kind of fit together as I was thinking about my pantry. If you haven't made a menu yet, get going and write down as many recipes as you can think of that your family likes to eat. Then you must make a master list of all ingredients and how much you need of each one. Slowly we will stock up on these ingredients as the sales happen. It took me a couple of months to really remember the ingredients that I need and now I know when an item is on sale how much I need of it. Just be patient and go slowly!

72-Hour Kit:

Since summer is obviously over, take any extra sunscreen and add it to your 72-hour kits. I would seal it in a resealable bag to avoid any messes. Remember that sunscreen looses its sun blocking ability rather quickly so next summer you'll need to rotate the sunscreen.

Long Term Storage:

October is wheat month for this blog (and all who are reading and following along). Don't forget to buy at least 50lbs of wheat sometime this month. (If you already have your wheat storage, Yay! and you don't have to read any further). A one year supply of wheat for one person is 100lbs. The cannery is a great place to start. There are no excuses this month, get your wheat and have the peace of mind that you are the right path to becoming self-reliant!

Interchangeable Pantry~ Week 3

 Have you noticed that a lot of items in your menus are interchangeable? When I made my ingredient list for my 3 month supply menu I noticed quite a few of the same ingredients were used for different recipes. I love being able to stock up on one item and use it for 3 different meals. It makes buying and rotating your food supply much easier.

Beans are very versatile in your food storage. Think of tortilla soup, chili, taco salad, bean enchiladas, black bean flautas, red beans and rice, bean dips, three-bean salad, etc. Beans can also be used as a meat extender and you can used mashed beans to replace the fat in baked goods. I use mashed black beans instead of oil in my brownies (1 C of bean puree= 1 C oil, ) I buy cases of canned beans and love knowing I will use them for multiple meals. You will need 60lbs per person person per year.

Creamed Soups are a casserole staple. I love a warm casserole on a cold winter night. I also love the ease of casseroles, just throw all the ingredients in a baking dish, bake and dinner is done. Many casseroles can be interchangeable and be so different at the same time. Think of all the recipes that you like to make that have creamed soups and stock up.

Pasta is probably loved by everyone. It is easy to store and can be used in so many different ways. Along with pasta are the sauces. The same pasta can be totally different when a red sauce or white sauce is used. From spaghetti to stroganoff to stuffed shells, the ideas are endless. You will need 40lbs per person per year of pastas.

Baking supplies are a must for your 3 month supply. You will need yeast (2lbs per person per year), baking soda (1 lb pp per year), baking powder (2lbs pp per year), flour (75lbs pp per year), and salt (8lbs pp per year). These supplies allow you to make bread, but then also you can make tortillas, English muffins, pita bread, pizza dough, biscuits, muffins, pretty much any bread. Watch November and December for excellent sales on baking supplies. I will let you know for sure when they are stock up prices.
I have often been baking and realized that I was out of an ingredient. I found some substitutions that work great.

Baking Substitutions (I've included the yearly amounts needed per person)
Baking powder (2lbs pp per year) 1 t= 1/2 t cream of tartar and 1/4 t baking soda
Buttermilk 1 C=1 T lemon juice or vinegar to 1 C milk and let sit
Chocolate sweet baking 4 oz=1/4 C cocoa powder+1/3 C white sugar+ 3 T shortening (cocoa powder has an indefinite shelf life)
Cornstarch 1 T (as a thickener)=2 T all purpose flour
Egg 1= 1 T powdered egg+2 T water OR 1 t unflavored gelatin+ 3 T cold water to dissolve and add 2 T hot water
Evaporated milk 140z can (3 cans pp per year)= 1 C water + 2/3 C powdered milk (powdered milk 12lbs pp per year)
Powdered Sugar(3 bags pp per year) 1 C= 1 C white sugar blended for 3 min. in a blender+add 1 T cornstarch (35lbs white sugar pp per year)

Spices: Don't forget to store spices. I don't know what I would do without garlic powder and cinnamon (not together, just in general) Here are 2 recipes using spices that act just like the manufactured counterpart.

Taco Seasoning (makes one package)

• 4-6 t instant mined onion
• 2 t salt
• 1 t chili powder
• 1 t cornstarch
• 1/2 t cayenne
• 1/8 t garlic powder
• 1/4 t oregano
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/8 t black pepper

Mix all and store in tightly in ziploc bag. Make several at a time to keep on hand.

Onion Soup Mix (5 T of mix=1 11 1/4 oz package)

• 3/4 instant minced onion
• 1/3 C. beef bullion powder
• 4 t onion powder
• 1/4 t crushed celery seed
• 1/4 t sugar

Combine all ingredients in an airtight container. Use 5 T of mix to = 1 onion soup mix package.


I hope you have all made your 3 month menu plan and have an ingredient list. Getting to know your ingredients will make shopping and storing so much easier. Take is slowly and make sure you are cooking at least once a week from your 3 month supply menu. (I use every meal as my food storage meal. We eat what we store.)  

Your challenge this week is to cook at least one meal from your pantry, and to have your menu ingredient list written out. Shopping for your 3 month supply will be difficult if you don't know what you need :)

Remember to keep adding water to your storage. Everyone needs 14 gallons per person. Make sure your 72-hour kits have a first aid kit and a sewing kit. One per person is recommended but it depends on the size of your sewing and first aid kits. (If anyone needs backpacks, check out DI. I found some brand new and gently used heavy duty rolling backpacks for $2!)