Prepare Today Homemade- Pumpkin Oatmeal

Fall is in the air!  The mornings are cooler and my children want something warm to eat for breakfast.  One of my favorite blogs to get kid friendly recipes from is called Super Healthy Kids and that is where I found a few great pumpkin recipes.  Nothing says fall like pumpkin, and with all the super food nutrients in pumpkin, I am always looking for new ways to use it. 

I made pumpkin oatmeal today and it was delicious.  I really like oatmeal but it can get monotonous eating it the same way everyday, but with oatmeal that tastes like pumpkin pie, I couldn't wait to try it!!

 This recipe couldn't be easier!  Add all ingredients go into the pan, heat until thickened, and eat!  I had all the ingredients on hand in my storage so I know we will be eating this for breakfast a lot this fall.  

 Pumpkin Oatmeal  (from blog.superhealthykids.com)
1/2 C oats (I used quick oats)
1 C milk (1 C water + 3 T non-instant powdered milk)
1/3 C pumpkin puree (canned or dehydrated pumpkin)
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1-2 t honey

Add all ingredients into a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat around 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and oatmeal is thickened.  Makes about 2 servings. 

Amy and Natalie, from Super Healthy Kids, have several other pumpkin recipes that are healthy and delicious.

High Protein Pumpkin  Pancakes

Pumpkin Pie Shakes

Pumpkin is healthy, delicious, and not just for Thanksgiving pies.  Try adding pumpkin to your breakfast and see how yummy it can be!

Prepare Today Homemade- Easiest Muffins EVER!

Self-Reliant Saturday Recipe

 We are a family that loves a good muffin.  We eat them for dinner about 3 times per week.  Muffins are pretty simple to make, but sometimes getting all the ingredients out on a busy night is just too much for me.  I do try to bake a double batch to freeze but I don't always remember to do that.  I think I have found my secret weapon to make muffins quick and SO easy!!  I thought cake mix cookies were easy to make, this recipe is even easier!

You may have heard of the 2 ingredient pumpkin cookies, which include a box of spice cake mix and a small can of pumpkin.  You mix and bake, so easy!  Well, I thought why couldn't that dough also be made into pumpkin muffins??  And guess what?  It worked and the whole family loved them!

  In the fall the grocery stores will generally have spice cake mix for a great price.  Last year I stocked up on them because we really like pumpkin cookies made out of it.  Having all the ingredients on hand added to the simplicity of this recipe. In the picture I used only half of that can of pumpkin because it is the bigger can.  The recipe only calls for a 15oz can of pumpkin. 

 Mix the cake mix, pumpkin, and a few chocolate chips and you have muffin batter!!!  And with no oil or eggs, these muffins are a low-fat option for dinner.  They do have sugar from the cake mix, but not nearly as much as when I make muffins from scratch.

Pumpkin Cake Mix Muffins {or Cookies}
1 box spice cake mix
1 15oz can pumpkin
1 C chocolate chips

Mix the cake mix and pumpkin together with a hand mixer, add the chocolate chips and divide into 12 muffin cups.  (I had extra batter and I made about 8 mini muffins too)  **Bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes.   They could also be baked in a sun oven or volcano stove in a situation without electricity.
**I live at an altitude that I need to follow the high altitude directions and my cake mix said to bake the cake mix at 375°.  If you are below 5000ft you might need to adjust the temperature to 350°.

To make cookies:  Mix as directed above and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Let cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to a cooling rack.

And if you need a dessert idea, we made these tonight and they were so good and again....only 2 ingredients!!!  Click here for Pumpkin Brownies!!

Prepare Today Homemade- Chickpea Nuggets

This is a recipe re-post from 2011 and it is still one of my favorite ways to use Garbanzo beans!! Enjoy!

I know that title sounds a little weird, but go with me on this one!  They are really good!  For those that don't know I am a vegetarian and I am always looking for more ways to incorporate beans into my family's diet.  This recipe made great "chicken" nuggets for my kids and a great salad topper for me.  You have to try the honey mustard dipping sauce (or as a salad dressing, yummmmmy!!), from a previous post HERE, with your nuggets!  We have been dipping everything in this sauce, from these nuggets to sweet potato fries, and as a salad dressing.  (my next experiment is to make it with yogurt to try to cut the fat out)

Chickpea Nuggets 

(from blog.superhealthykids.com)  Makes 15-18 nuggets depending on how large you make them

1 can chickpea (garbanzo beans) rinsed and drained
1/2 onion
1 t parsley
1 clove garlic
1 egg
1 t cumin
1 t salt
dash pepper
1 t lemon juice
1 t baking powder
1 C bread crumbs
1 T oil
To be honest I threw it all in a food processor and gave it a whirl until it was smooth.  (my kids won't eat chunks of onion so it had to be pretty smooth)  

There are two ways to bake these:
Stove top:  heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan.  Shape the "dough" into nuggets shapes and pan fry until golden brown on each side. We cooked them this way and loved them!

Oven method:  Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes, turning over half way through the baking time. I would have baked them this way, but my oven isn't working right now.  :)

My older kids ate them up, but my 3yo (being totally truthful here) gagged on them :D  She does not like the texture of beans and so I guess this was too much for her.  I whipped up a salad using greens from my garden, some craisins,strawberries, the honey mustard sauce, and the chickpea nuggets on top.  My kids asked for this two nights in a row for dinner!
  

Prepare Today Homemade- Applesauce in the Saratoga Jacks

This is a yummy recipe re-post from 2012....it's easy and smells sooooo good....I hope you enjoy it!

Applesauce in the Saratoga Jacks Thermal Cooker is simply delicious!  I have made it several times and my kids love it!  I also made it for a class I taught at Honeyville Grain and they loved it too!

 Cutting up the apples is the hardest part of this super easy recipe.  The spices and sugar slow cook with the apples and it smells like Christmas.  My kids kept thinking I was baking something for them and it was the applesauce.

 Just like all the other Saratoga Jacks recipes I boiled the apples for 2 minutes and also had the smaller pan boiling.  The apples didn't quite fill the larger pan enough, so the smaller pan used up the air space.

 After slow cooking for several hours the apples were ready to be mashed.  I wish you could smell this picture because it smelled just like the holidays.

My daughter used a potato masher and smashed the apples into applesauce.  You could also use an immersion blender.

 Applesauce
3lbs (8-9) apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 1/2" chunks (dehydrated or freeze dried also works!!!)
1 C apple juice or apple cider
2 T sugar, plus more to taste
pinch salt
2  (3") cinnamon sticks or 1/4 t ground cinnamon- optional but so good!  (remove sticks before mashing)

Combine all ingredients in the larger Saratoga Jacks pan.  Bring to a boil with the lid on for 2 minutes.  Also fill the smaller pan with water and bring it to a boil.  After 2 minutes place the pans together and put into the cooker base.  Cook for 2 or more hours.  When apples are soft, mash using a potato masher or immersion blender.  Add more sugar or apple juice if desired.  Serve warm, room temp or chilled.  Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

*This recipe was originally for a slow cooker and would work just as well.

Baked Cheesecake in the Thermal Cooker

You're going to think I am obsessed with cheesecake but I came across a recipe for cheesecake in a slow cooker and I wanted to try it out in my Saratoga Jacks Thermal Cooker ( Click HERE to see what a thermal cooker is.) using the smaller cake pan insert for the cooker.  I haven't had the best of luck baking cake in the cake pan so I was hoping this cheesecake recipe would break my losing streak.  

All good cheesecakes start off with a graham cracker crust.  I used homemade graham crackers from this recipe HERE.  Melt 3 T butter and mix with the graham cracker crumbs.  I mushed it all together in the bag...less mess...easy clean up.

Three ingredients...that's it...three!  That's all this recipe needs. 

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and eggs, pour over the crust and it's all ready for the boiling stage. 

 The thermal cooker is all about the hard boil.  Bring the food to a hard boil, place in the thermal base, and it will slow "cook" for hours.  

1. Fill the larger pot with water to about 1 cm above the trivet (it comes with the cake pan).
2. Place the covered cake pan on top of the trivet and bring the water to a hard boil.
3. Lower the heat but keep the water boiling and boil for 20 minutes. 
4. Place the pot into the thermal base.

The directions I used were given to me by Amy from Saratoga Jackes for baking a cake in the thermal cooker, but I felt a cheesecake was close enough to a cake and needed similar instructions.  If that rings true the cheesecake should've been done in about an hour and a half, and I put the cake pan in the cooker at 9:30 am. What is really cool is that I wasn't home all day and the cheesecake didn't get taken out until 4:40 pm and it was not overcooked.  The thermal cooker will keep your food warm and ready to eat, even when the "done" time was hours before. 

  This cheesecake was DELICIOUS!!!  It was creamy and had just enough sweetness!  My husband and kids loved it!  It's a keeper!!

Thermal Cooker Cheesecake

3 packages cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat)

3/4 C white sugar

3 Eggs

6 graham crackers, crushed

3 T melted butter

Mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter and press into the bottom of a greased Saratoga Jacks cake pan.  Blend the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl using a hand mixer.  Mix in each egg one at a time, blending well after each egg.  Pour mixture over graham cracker crust. Place the cover on the cake pan and lock.  Put the cake pan into the larger cooking pot with the trivet in place and water filled to just 1 cm above the trivet.  Cover the cooking pot and bring to a boil.  Keep boiling for 20 minutes.  Remove pot from heat and place in thermal cooker base and close the lid.  Let sit for at least 1 1/2 hours or up to 8 hours.  Remove the cheesecake from the large cooking pot and let cool on the counter for 30-60 minutes.  Then cool for several hours in the fridge.  Slice and serve with fruit toppings. 

My next challenge will be making this with shelf stable cream cheese powder, butter, and eggs :)

For the slow cooker recipe click HERE. 

Prepare Today Homemade-- Graham Crackers & Graham Cracker Crust Recipes

If we all looked as good as we portray ourselves on social media most people have perfect lives, with perfect children, and perfect recipes that bake up perfect every time.  Well, I'm here to keep it real.  A lot of what comes out of my kitchen is not blog worthy, but this oops deserved to blogged about.

It didn't quite set up.

 On Tuesday night I am helping out with a preparedness class at church and I volunteered to bring a food storage related dessert.  I thought a no-bake cheesecake would be perfect. I have wanted to try cream cheese powder forever! Thank goodness I decided to try it out on my family first!  That liquid mess in the pie dish above is suppose to be cheesecake.  It never set up.  It sat in the fridge and then the freezer for hours and never set up.  You can see we ate the crust from under it, which was yummy, but the cheesecake part was a total flop.  I may be panicking just a little if I can't figure this out by tomorrow. 

So I am going to share with you my graham cracker recipe and also the recipe for the graham cracker crust.  I did find a cheesecake recipe that worked, thank goodness, and I'll share that later this week.

Homemade Graham Crackers

2 C whole wheat flour
1 C white flour (can use all whole wheat)
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 C butter softened (1/2 C butter powder + 1 1/2 T water)
1/2 C brown sugar
1/3 C honey
1 t vanilla
1/4-1/2 C milk  
extra flour for dusting and rolling out
 Cream the butter, sugar, and honey until fluffy.  In another bowl mix the flours, baking powder, baking soda and slowly add to the creamed butter mixture, alternating with the milk and vanilla.  Only add enough milk for the dough to come together. The dough will be sticky and not quite like a bread dough when you have added enough milk.  (I had to add about 1/2 C more flour to be able to get it out of the bowl) Cover the dough and place in the fridge for an hour or up to overnight. 

Preheat oven to 350°. Divide the dough into fourths. Working with only one section, leave remaining dough in the fridge, roll out onto the bottom of an ungreased jelly roll pan.  Don't be afraid to use a lot of flour to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and your hands.  It's a really sticky dough!

Roll as thin as possible, almost paper thin, using your hands to flatten if necessary.  Prick with a fork and score into graham cracker shapes. Bake 11-14 minutes.  Watch the crackers at the 11 minute mark, the edges tend to burn quickly.  Once done score the crackers immediately after taking out of the oven and remove to a cooling rack.  If they cool on the cookie sheet they will stick.

Repeat with the remaining quarters of dough.

 

These are a hit at my house, even my husband loves them!  They would be really good with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top before baking them. A great use for graham crackers is to make a super simple crust with them.  I needed to make a few crusts for my preparedness class and this was the best part of this whole process.

 It was kind of therapeuticec to bang all those crackers into crumbs.  They broke easily and then I was ready to make a few graham cracker crusts.

 Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 C finely ground graham crackers

1/3 C sugar

6 T butter melted (6 T butter powder + 1 1/2 T water)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  (if using butter powder don't use all the water at first.  Pour about half and stir the mixture and add more as necessary until the crumbs start sticking together.) Don't be afraid to use your hands to incorporate all the crumbs and butter.  Press into pie pan or 13x9 pan.  Chill for 1 hour, or if the recipe calls for a baked crust bake at 375°for 7 minutes. 

Stay tuned later this week for the recipe for the cheesecake that filled this delicious crust!  I found two great ways to make a no-bake cheesecake that use all shelf stable ingredients!!!

Easy No Knead Artisan Bread

Say you're in a situation where you have no electricity and you want to make bread.  Well, first you'll need to manually grind your wheat, then mix it all up, knead it by hand, (have you kneaded bread for 15 minutes?....not the easiest job) let rise, and then bake the bread over the fire, in a Volcano stove, or in a Sun Oven.  This is quite labor intensive! Kneading alone would have me making flatbread a couple times a week.  Have you ever tried out your manual wheat grinder?  It takes quite a bit of energy for a small amount of wheat flour. The girls over at foodstoragemadeeasy.net shared a really cool bread recipe.  It makes a loaf of artisan style bread with no grinding of flour, no kneading, and needs no electricity to bake.  I wasn't sure I  believed their claims. So I HAD to try it out!!  

Look what the final product was!! I don't know why I was so shocked that it worked, but I was.  I couldn't believe how easy this was to make.  Here's how I did it.....

First of all I followed the recipe from foodstoragemadeeasy.net exactly as they explained it.  Click HERE to see the recipe.  

The first step takes the longest, but doesn't involve any work on your part.  Crazy, right?!  

 The night before you want your bread baked, you need to mix up the ingredients.  It takes 12-18 hours for the dough to rise.  That's the longest part of this recipe, but it just sits on the counter and does it's thing.  Here's what you do:  stir together 3 cups of white flour, 1/2 t yeast, 1 3/4 t salt, and 1 1/2 cups of cool water.  It should be a sticky clump of dough.  Stir it well and then cover with plastic wrap. 

Then let the dough sit for 12-18 hours to rise.  This picture was taken in the morning after sitting for around 12 hours.  

Once the dough has risen for 12-18 hours turn it out onto a floured surface and let rest, covered, for 30 minutes. You may have to scrape the dough out of the bowl to get it into a ball shape.  I folded the dough into itself a few times to get it to stick into a ball shape. 

 Once it's fully rested, place the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and then into a round Sun Oven pan, that was heating up in the Sun Oven.  You can see my bread baking in the Sun Oven out in my yard.  

After about two hours, I took the lid off of the pan and let the bread "brown" for about a half hour.  I did mist it with water to help it brown a little.  Bread cooked in the Sun Oven doesn't get brown like in a conventional oven.  My oven hovered around 300° the whole baking time.  When the half hour was up, I took the bread out and was a little worried.  It almost looked like it wasn't cooked, but it was, and it did have a slightly hardened crust. 

 

I sliced up the loaf for dinner and was very excited that it worked so well.  It had a definite sourdough taste to it, so be prepared for that.  It isn't a strong sourdough flavor but definitely not a typical white loaf of bread.  It is great to know that even in a stressful, emergency situation that I could make bread for dinner without having to grind flour and then knead it by hand.  Now my next goal is to make this with wheat flour!

Prepare Today Homemade- Dry Ranch Dressing Mix

A great way to save money and to eat healthier is to make your own mixes at home.  Many premade mixes and boxed food at the grocery store are filled with chemicals. Making the same mixes at  home is healthier but it also helps to use some of those food storage ingredients.  

My kids love ranch flavored wheat thin crackers, but they are pricey and seem to disappear so fast.  I decided to try and recreate ranch wheat thins and it worked.  I had the cracker recipe, but now I needed a ranch dressing mix that tasted good. I have tried to make ranch dressing mixes before but they seemed to be missing something.  I searched online and the recipe that I found uses dried mushrooms, of all things, as added flavor, in place of the MSG found in the commercially packaged ranch dressing mixes.  I thought I would try it out, and I'm glad I did.  It tastes great!  But the true test was going to be if the crackers tasted like ranch flavored wheat thins, and I am pretty sure they passed the test!  They were by far my kids favorite cracker that I have made. 

 {click HERE to view my wheat thin cracker recipe} I added 2 T of the ranch dressing mix to my cracker dough and continued baking according to the recipe. 

For the ranch mix, I used Honeyville's freeze-dried mushrooms.  You'll only need a tiny amount for the recipe,  but I find them useful in so many other recipes. Soups, quiches, and casseroles are easy to throw together with freeze-dried mushrooms on hand. They look just like mushrooms and reconstitute so easily.  I highly recommend them!

The other main ingredient that you'll need for this recipe is buttermilk powder.  I bought mine at Honeyville, but it is also sold in most grocery stores in the baking aisle.  I have used the grocery store brand and it is also a great product.  Stored in the fridge, the buttermilk powder lasts a long time.

Dry Ranch Dressing Mix

adapted from HERE

1/2 C buttermilk powder

1 T dried parsley

1/2 t dry dill weed

1 t onion powder

1t dehydrated onion

1 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1 t garlic powder & 1 t garlic salt

2 T finely chopped freeze-dried mushrooms 

(dehydrated will also work)

 1/2 t sugar

Pulse the mushrooms in a blender once or twice, just to break the bigger pieces up.  Add in the remaining ingredients and pulse until smooth and blended. It should only take a few seconds. Pour the mix into a mason jar and stir in 1 t parsley and 1/2 t dill.  This will add a little color to your final product. Cover and store in mason jar in the pantry for 2-3 months, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. 2 T of mix = 1 envelope of store bought ranch dressing mix.

This mix can be used for dips, salad dressings, and any other recipe that a dry ranch dressing mix is called for.  This would be delicious in mashed potatoes.  

To make ranch dip:

2 T of ranch mix + 1 C sour cream (mix and chill)

To make ranch salad dressing:

3 T mix + 1 C mayo + 2/3 C buttermilk (mix all and shake well)

Prepare Today Homemade - Homemade Fruit Snacks

Who has an abundance of zucchini right now?  Are neighbors leaving them on your porch in the middle of the night?  If so, I have a recipe for you!  Enjoy this popular post from a few years ago.  It is still a favorite of mine!!

This recipe is going to sound bizarre, weird, and totally gross, BUT stay with me because they are really yummy!!  I have been trying to find a way to make fruit snacks at home.  My kids really like them, but to get 6 little pouches in a box at the grocery store seems like a waste of money.  So I was really excited to find this recipe for making fruit snacks out of ZUCCHINI?!?!?!   I know exactly what you are thinking because I thought the same thing.  How on earth can you make fruit snacks out of a zucchini??  I'll show you :)

 First you will need those big zucchinis that you found in the garden, after going on vacation, and you don't know what to do with them. 

 Peel, core, and dice into about 1" pieces.  Don't make them too small because we are going to dehydrate them and they will shrink.  

 In the recipe that I found the author used Kool-Aid and 1 1/2 C of sugar to "season" her zucchini but I already had a #10 can of strawberry flavored gelatin and I wanted to see if it would work.  I only used the gelatin for the flavor and color, it didn't thicken or make the fruit snack any different then using koolaid.  In my first batch I didn't add enough of the gelatin and they weren't very sweet, so I added 3 C of the gelatin to about 3 C of water.  I also added about a cup of sugar to the second batch to sweeten it up.  {I never said these were healthy :) Look at the ingredients on a package of fruit snacks}  You could experiment with sweeteners and find one that will make these a little bit healthier, you could use Splenda. Fruit Juice is also another great option when trying these.
 
My friend Lisa loves using koolaid and mixing up all the flavors.  My other friend Linda uses organic fruit juice and no sugar, and it works great for both!!

Bring 3-4 C of water and the gelatin, or kool-aid, to a boil and stir in your chopped zucchini.  

Bring to a boil and then let simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes.  When they are finished boiling drain the liquid into a bowl because you can boil a second batch in the same liquid.  Let the zucchini drain for about 10 minutes so they aren't so saturated when you dehydrate them.

 Spread the zucchini in your dehydrator or oven.  If you are using your oven you will need the lowest temperature, or crack open your oven door to lower the heat.  I dehydrated the zucchini at about 130 degrees for about 8 hours.  This is the cool part....when they are done they have a kind of crisp edge with a chewy center, JUST like a fruit snack.  I really couldn't believe it and my child who hates everything actually ate them and has asked me to make more!!  

I want to experiment with other flavors, but this is definitely a recipe I am making again. I am letting my zucchini grow big on purpose now :)

Homemade Zucchini Fruit Snacks
2-3 medium to large zucchinis about 4 C (mine were about 8-10" long)
3-4 C water (just enough to cover the zucchini in the pan)*
3 C flavored gelatin OR 2 packages any flavor Kool-Aid
1 1/2 C sugar if using Kool-Aid, OR sugar to taste if using gelatin or fruit juice


Wash, peel and core the zucchini.  Chop into 1" pieces.  Boil your water, sugar, gelatin or kool-aide.  Stir in zucchini and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Drain, saving the liquid for another batch, and let sit for 10 minutes.  Spread zucchini onto dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 130 degrees for 8-10 hours or until slightly pliable.  They will harden as they cool so don't over dry them or they will be hard as a rock.  If you are using your oven, spread zucchini onto cookie sheets and dry on the lowest setting your oven will go. 

*Juice can be substituted for the water, koolaid, and sugar. Use just enough juice to cover the zucchini and boil.   

Here is how my friend Lisa makes her zucchini snacks :) She's my go-to food storage professional friend :)

 After making the snacks many, many, many times now, I have changed ours to be the following, especially when I use the huge zukes! 12 c. water, 6 packets of KoolAid and 5 cups of sugar. I cut my zucchini in 1 inch by 8 inch strips so that they are more like Twizzlers. We have found that they don't disappear quite so quickly. I bring my liquid to a boil and then put about 12 cups or so of the zucchini in and bring it to a boil again, at which point I put the lid on and turn down the heat to about a 3 and allow it to simmer for about 20-25 minutes and then dehydrate on the racks. I've also found that it works best if I add an extra packet of just the KoolAid for the second batch but not any extra sugar. It keeps the flavor bright when I'm making so much. With my Excalibur I end up making 2 batches of 2 different flavors (so 4 different batches) that it takes to fill my dehydrator. Yum!



Enjoy the Journey!
Enjoy the Blessings!
Feel the PEACE!!

Back-To-Basics Frugal Food Storage Part 3: Bread Recipes

One of the ways that I am able to save money is to make my own breads at home.  The ingredients used for making bread are dirt cheap, have you noticed how much they charge you in the grocery store for artisan breads, even french bread.  It's outrageous to pay that much for flour and water. 

Here are a few of my favorite bread recipes.  Don't be scared of yeast, some people think it's tricky, but after using it a few times you'll get the hang of it.

Click HERE to view my all-time favorite bread recipe. 

Click HERE to see my favorite french bread recipe.

After you've made your bread, try this yummy french toast recipe.

Don't spend money on bagels either....click HERE for a bagel recipe that works for me.

If you try a new recipe give yourself time to learn it.  I remember trying to make bread the first time without a Bosch mixer and hand kneading.  It.took.forever.!!  And the final result was less than appetizing.  It took me almost 2 years, I'm a slow learner, to get my bread to a point of looking and tasting the way we like it.  Don't get frustrated and give up if it doesn't work the first time. Make a goal of trying a new bread recipe this week!

Prepare Today Homemade: Chia Millet Granola

I am always on the lookout for a great granola recipe and I have found a new favorite!  Breakfast foods have sounded so blah to me lately and nothing has sounded good to eat.  Well, I have a new favorite breakfast and have been eating this deliciousness everyday for the last 2 weeks.

It's chock full of seeds, oats and flax.  One of my favorite parts of this granola is that is has chia and millet in it.  Yes, millet is in bird food, but it really is produced for people too!  Both are gluten-free as well.  Millet is easy to digest, has a high fiber content, b-vitamins, thiamine, riboflavin, and more!  Chia is a seed that has a really high omega-3 content, lots of protein, and is rich in calcium.  This is great nutritional information for vegetarians, like myself.  Chia also absorbs more than 7 times it's weight in water and can be used as an egg substitute.  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chia Eggs:
2 t. ground chia seeds
1/4 C. water
Mix together and let stand for 5 minutes.  This will equal 1 egg. 
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Both of these "grains" are packed full of nutrition, but they taste great too.  You almost can't even tell they are in the granola.  

Chia Millet Granola
4 C. quick oats
1 C. uncooked millet
1/4 C. ground flax seed
2 T. chia seed
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon

Mix ingredients above in a large bowl. Stir to combine.

In a microwaveable bowl, combine:
heaping 1/4 C applesauce
1/2 C. brown rice syrup
6 T. peanut butter

Microwave for 1 minute and stir well.  

Add in: 
2 t vanilla

Add the wet ingredients into the oat mixture.  Stir until combined.  It may take a minute to get all the mixture moistened, but it will get there.  Place on a greased jelly roll pan and pat down slightly.

Heat the oven to 325° and bake for 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through.  Stir the granola after cooking so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.  Let cool in the pan for a few minutes.  Once cool, store in an airtight container.  Makes about 10 cups.

Add in any dried fruit, nuts, seeds, etc.  I really like to add freeze dried fruit to mine.  It's also really good mixed in with the cereal I posted about last week.

It is crunchy, sweet, and delicious!  AND it uses many ingredients from my food storage.  Chia has a shelf life of at least 5 years!  I love that!  And I have been noticing it in more and more stores lately.  The brown rice syrup in the recipe is also found right in your grocery store. A few years ago I couldn't find that stuff anywhere local!

This is an example of  how yummy food storage is, and that it doesn't need to contain wheat and powdered milk to be considered food storage ;)  

Eat what you store......store what you eat!!!