3-Month Menu Ideas

Recently I have received some great feedback from those of you who are actively preparing.  This makes me so happy to hear!!!  One of the questions I have heard is that many of you just don't know what to have on your 3-month menu.  It is great to have the meals that you eat everyday, but sometimes these meals require many fresh ingredients and it can be hard to substitute a canned or dehydrated ingredient. 

I have some great recipes that I'll share in this post, but there are also great websites that have food storage menus.

• Check out a very informative website called Peace Of Preparedness,  {Click HERE to read a 30 day menu plan by Peace of Preparedness.}

• Everyday Food Storage is a wonderful website to get easy and useful information.  {everydayfoodstorage.net}

• Or you could order "100 Day Pantry"  {100daypantry.com}and have EASY, delicious recipes using only canned food storage.

Onto the recipes!  I hope these help you in putting together your 3-month menu plan.

Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas (from All You magazine)

2 T oil
1 t cinnamon
1 t cumin
1 t allspice
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained, thoroughly patted dry (for maximum crunchiness)  

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.  In a large bowl, combine oil and spices.  Add the chickpeas and toss to coat.  Turn chickpeas out onto baking sheet and roast, stirring and shaking baking sheet often, until chickpeas are browned and crunchy, 45-50 minutes.  Let cool before eating.

Basil Tomato Soup (from 100 Day Pantry cookbook)
serves 4
1 can tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
1/4 C Parmesan cheese

1/2 C corkscrew pasta
1 1/2 t basil
1 T sugar

Combine all ingredients except Parmesan.  Simmer until pasta is done.  Sprinkle Parmesan on each serving.  (How easy is that AND it's delicious!!)

Mashed Cauliflower  (from All You magazine)
This recipe is also a great alternative to carb filled mashed potatoes.

 picture from foodnetwork.com

4 cloves garlic
salt & pepper
2 large heads cauliflower (using dehydrated cauliflower would work well!!)
3 T oil
1 C low fat buttermilk (add 1 T lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 C milk and let stand-you've now made buttermilk!!)
2 T parsley for garnish

Place garlic in a large of pot of salted water and bring to a boil.  Separate cauliflower and add to water.  Bring back to a boil and cook until cauliflower is very tender, 10-12 minutes.  Drain well and return to pot and cook over med-high, stirring constantly until dry, about 3 minutes.  Combine the garlic, cauliflower, oil, and buttermilk and mash with a potato masher until thick and pulpy.  Simmer over med-high heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

Pinto Bean Burgers (from safelygatheredin.blogspot.com)

picture from foodnetwork.com

 makes 4 small burgers
1 can pinto beans
1 T whole wheat flour
1 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce 
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the beans and mash with all the ingredients.  Form into patties and cook in oil in a skillet 3-4 minutes each side.  These are great with a slice of cheese on each patty!  Serve on buns with all the fixins' for hamburgers.

  
 December Goals:

1. This month we are storing FLOUR (75lbs per person) and SUGAR/HONEY (60lbs per person).  Make sure to include brown sugar and powdered sugar, molasses, flavored gelatin, corn syrup, etc. in your supply.  These are longer term storage items and the amount needed reflects the need for a year supply.  Purchase enough for 3 months and then work your way to a year supply.
2. The non-food goal for December is to have a good stock of BATTERIES.  There will be many deals this month with all the Christmas gifts that require batteries.  Watch for sales and stock the size of batteries that you use.  Place extra batteries by all flashlights, in 72-hour kits and make sure to buy 9-v batteries for your smoke detectors! 

Enjoy the journey!
Enjoy the blessings!
Feel the peace!