Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas To All!!

More 3-Month Recipes

How is all of your Christmas and holiday baking going?  I love this time of year and baking in the kitchen with my children.  We make gingerbread houses, cookies, pumpkin bread and sometimes candy.  I thought I would add a couple more recipes to the blog so you could expand your 3-month menu. These recipes are from some of my favorite food storage cookbooks. (don't think of food storage cookbooks to be only used on food storage.  They are wonderful, easy and delicious recipes!)

Easy Spanish Rice  (from "The Everyday Gourmet:  Cooking With Long Term Food Storage)
1-2 T oil
2 cups cooked rice
8 T Italian tomato sauce
3 t dried peppers (soaked in hot water and drained)
3t dried chopped onions (soaked in hot water and drained)
1/8t chili powder
dash of cayenne to turn up the heat

In a heavy skillet pour the oil and toss in cooked rice.  Stir well to coat rice.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.  Once the tomato sauce has absorbed, it is ready to serve.

Chicken Capri (from "100 Day Pantry" by Jan Jackson)
1 can chicken, undrained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato juice
1 can mushrooms, undrained
1 can chicken broth
1 C couscous
1/2 C dried bell pepper
1/2 C dried onion
1 T garlic flakes
1/2 t rosemary
salt and pepper
Cook couscous in broth according to the directions on the package.  Combine the remaining ingredients and heat through.  Serve over couscous.
(for everyday cooking replace the dried veggies with double the amount of fresh.  Omit tomato juice)

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (from "The Essential Food Storage Cookbook")
2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 C mashed banana
2/3 C brown sugar
2 large eggs (can use powdered eggs!)
1/4 C oil
1 t vanilla
1/2 C chocolate chips
Preheat oven th 400 degrees.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar in a bowl.  In a small bowl, mix bananas (can use applesauce to make up the difference if you don't have enough bananas) oil, eggs, and vanilla.  Add wet to dry and mix.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake 15 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.

Salsa Chicken and Rice  (not sure where I found this recipe)
1 lb chicken cubed and dipped in taco seasoning
1 T oil
1/4 t salt & pepper
1 can broth
1 8oz jar salsa
2 C instant rice
8 oz. cheddar
Optional:  add one can black beans and corn
Brown the chicken in oil and salt and pepper it.  Add the broth, salsa, and boil.  Turn off the heat and stir in rice.  Sprinkle cheese on top.  Cover and let sit 5 minutes.  Serve with tortillas.


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!


I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!  I will post in 2 weeks.

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!

December Goals: Flour, Sugar & Batteries!

I really can't believe it is December and that means we have concluded a whole year of food storage goals!  If you didn't finish look on the right side of the blog for the monthly goal list.  For our last goal this year we are going to store FLOUR & SUGAR.  

FLOUR:  75LBS PER PERSON (yearly amounts)

• STORES 8-10 YEARS IF KEPT DRY AND BUG PROOF
• USE 5 GALLON BUCKETS WITH GAMMA LIDS 
• EVEN IF YOU WANT TO ONLY COOK WITH WHEAT YOU SHOULD STORE WHITE FLOUR AS WELL. YOU MAY FIND OUT THAT WHEAT DOESN'T AGREE WITH YOU AND YOU MAY NOT FIND OUT UNTIL YOU EAT WHEAT.

SUGAR:  60LBS PER PERSON (yearly amounts)  AND INCLUDES:

• WHITE SUGAR 40LBS PER PERSON
• BROWN SUGAR 3LBS PER PERSON
• MOLASSES 1LB PER PERSON
• HONEY 5LBS PER PERSON
• CORN SYRUP 16OZ PER PERSON
• JAMS OR JELLIES 3LBS PER PERSON
• POWDERED FRUIT DRINK MIX 6LBS PER PERSON
• FLAVORED GELATIN 1LB PER PERSON

 Storing granulated sugar is really easy!  If it is kept dry it will last 30+ years.  If it gets damp and clumps, put it in a blender and blend until sugar again! Honey may crystallize but it is still safe to use.  Warm the honey jar in warm water and use as usual.  To keep brown sugar from hardening, place a small terracotta piece that has been soaked in water in the bottom of your container and the brown sugar will stay fresh!  **We are counseled to have a 3-month supply, but sugar and flour are long lasting and easy to store. The amounts listed for flour and sugar are all yearly amounts.**

The non-food goal for December is to store BATTERIES.  A  good idea would be to go through the batteries you have now and look at the expiration dates on them.  Then watch for sales and purchase enough batteries to last at least a year.  Store extra batteries with all flashlights, radios, and for smoke detectors. 

Emergency Essentials "Bee Prepared" from the Festival of Trees

**Have a Very Merry Preparedness Christmas!** Give the gift of preparedness!!! 

• "100 Day Pantry" by Jan Jackson (100daypantry.com)
• "The Essential Food Storage Cookbook" by Tami Girsberger & Carol Peterson
• buckets & gamma lids
• porta potty: bucket and lid with all the goodies that go with it :)
• water containers
• fun food in #10 cans (dried fruit, veggies, etc.)
• manual wheat grinder
• sleeping bags/tents
• 72-hour & emergency car kits
• shelves for the storage room (check out stevessos.com)
• The Ideas are limitless!!

Enjoy the journey!
Enjoy the blessings!
Feel the PEACE!