It's A Matter of .....A Patriotic Dessert From Your Pantry!

Happy 4th of July everyone!  I hope you had time to see a parade, grill out, and spend time with loved ones. I also hope that you make it a point to remember why we have this holiday and thank those who protect us.  Take a moment to thank someone personally.  I have a loved one who has served us all.

Well, I decided to make a twist on a family favorite.....Strawberry Pie.

Prepare your favorite Graham Cracker Crust!

Since it is Strawberry Season, slice your berries and place them in your prepared shell.

I decided to add some Blueberries to make it look a little more "Patriotic"

You may ask why I am using a valved sippy cup.  The recipe calls for Cornstarch and water to be mixed evenly.  I put them in here and shake hard!

Look how smooth is it mixed together!

Add the Sugar and bring to a boil. When the mixture is thick and clear, turn off the heat.  Let the mixture cool a bit and add the Jello packet.

Pour the mixture over the fruit in the pie.

Place the pie in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Add whipped cream!  Dive in!

Happy Independence Day!

Sunday Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken and Rice from your Food Storage!

Too often, I hear that folks shy away from using Food Storage Staples as they have this perception that it somehow substandard.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  

Teriyaki Chicken and Rice....a Sunday Dinner!

I want to show you how you can prepare a wonderful meal using items in your Food Storage. For heaven's sake....who doesn't love Teriyaki Chicken?  

Before I left for Church this morning I decided that we were going to have Teriyaki Chicken so, I took out my trusty Crock pot.  I put in Chicken Breasts that I had frozen in pairs and coated them with Teriyaki Sauce.  (See the link to learn how simple it is to prepare your own and have it on hand).  I turned on the Crock pot and got ready for Choir Practice. Hours later, I entered my home to that magnificent aroma of Teriyaki.  It filled the entire house.

I wanted to have rice with my amazing chicken....so we did.  I pulled out my the Minute Rice that I dehydrated myself.  Now, just to clarify I didn't set out to make my own Minute Rice the first time that I placed it in the dehydrator.  The fact of the matter is that I had a lot left over from a family gathering.  This rice had butter on it too. I have frozen rice before, but I never have wanted to wait for it to unthaw. (Yes, I am very impatient.....).  I decided to try to dehydrate it.  I took out my dehydrator and the fruit leather inserts.  When it was finished, I dry packed it into jars and vacuum sealed it with my Food Saver.  

Today, I opened my jar and poured in the desired amount of rice.  (By the way, I always check to see if it is rancid when I break the vacuum seal.  I am happy to report that it never has been).

When I add water, I just barely cover the rice.  I then bring it to a boil and cook it until it is the consistency I desire.  I literally takes a couple of minutes once the water starts to boil.  Just for your information, the rice still tasted of butter and it was delicious!

So far, we have discussed using Frozen, Canned, Dry Packed, and Dehydrated foods for this meal.  In my Cold Storage (my 2nd refrigerator), I retrieved apples and sliced them with this handy device that most people think is only for canning.  Not around here!

Once we got home, I had dinner on the table in about 15 minutes....that's right....15 minutes.  I LOVE THAT!

Take Home Message:

• Food Storage is vibrant and delicious!  You can have a wide variety of meals if you plan and prepare for them.
• Food Storage meals can sometimes be a great convenience as it was today. I made this meal in a less time that it would have taken to go to the Drive-through at a restaurant.
• I know the quality of my ingredients....because I chose them all!  I am not dependent on someone in a back room choosing the ingredients and putting it all together for me.  If I have special dietary requirements, I can management them by stocking up on items that fit with my limitations.
• I believe I made this meal for 2 for under $4.00 today.  Take that big box restaurants!
• I am rotating my staples and trying out recipes at a time when I could always make something else if this didn't work out.
• I am gaining skill sets by thinking of meals that could use any of the following types of foods:  Canned, Frozen, Dehydrated, Dry Packed, and in Cold Storage.

By The Way....IT WAS GREAT!

Convenience Cooking for a Crowd......From Food Storage Staples

I had a crowd over for dinner around Christmas time.  I have a 3 burner device that can cook or keep 3 shiny pots/kettles going on individual controls. I decided to offer our guests a choice of 3 different soups along with other things.  One of the soups I offered is a crowd favorite....and is very delicious!

(The pots that come with this device are very shiny and made every picture I attempted to take a little challenging!)

How to make Taco Soup from Food Storage Staples

I love Taco Soup.  Pair it with some corn ships and you have a delicious and filling meal.  For this soup, I used only items from my Food Storage, yet the soup was fresh and delicious.

I have Hamburger frozen in 1 pound packages.  I thawed it and broke it up into pieces and then put it in the microwave. Yes, I really did say the microwave.  I timed the microwave for every 30 seconds and stopped to chop and stir. After about a couple of minutes, the Hamburger was cooked and in small pieces.  At this point, you can rinse your hamburger under running water to reduce the fat content, or leave it as is.

I went to my Food Storage room and got a can of canned corn, a few jars of canned black beans (you can use a variety of beans in this recipe), and a can of tomato dices.  

The recipe calls for a package of Ranch Dressing.  No Problem! I have Ranch Dressing Mix on hand that I put together myself.  It is so easy and convenient!

I put in the Ranch dressing mix, along with all the other seasoning as well as the cooked hamburger.  I put the lid on, turned up the burner, and let it simmer until our guests arrived.

Just for your information, I also made Pumpkin Soup, and Chicken Noodle Soup. All of these were made from Food Storage Staples.  Again, it was all so convenient!.  I just turned the burners on and went about my business before my company arrived.

Well, after dinner the gifts were the actual star of the show.  However, I loved being in a position to provide my guests with a nutritious and hearty soups.......all from my food storage staples.

Take home points:

• Having Food Storage Staples actually is having convenience foods available to you.  
• I believe this Hearty Taco Soup cost about $2.00 total to feed this crowd.  
• The cost of the Pumpkin Soup and Chicken soup were nominal as well.  Several folks went back twice for more soup...so it was welcome on a cold winter day.
• Efforts made in the summer and fall bear fruit during the winter.
• The peace-of-mind that comes from having food stuffs on hand is priceless.
• Food Storage Staples are not just for emergencies, it is for everyday living.  In this case, it was for a holiday celebration.
• Gaining skill sets brings successes in many ways.  It's not just about the food, it is the knowledge and preparation that makes this possible.

Taco Soup:

(I got this recipe from a group called "Organized Christmas" a number of years ago.)

Taco Soup

• 1 lb hamburger
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Combine these ingredients, cook and drain. Add the following to the pot:

• 1 can whole kernel corn
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 1 Large can diced, stewed tomatoes
• 1 can Ro-tell tomatoes (if you can't find these, look for tomatoes with diced chillies, or in a pinch a good hot salsa or picante sauce will do).
• 1 pkg Taco Seasoning Mix (1 Tblsp)
• 1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (I have actually poured in an amount from a my dressing bottle before)

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for an hour (or keep the water to a minimum and put it in the crock pot for all day)

Serve over tortilla chips or tamales. Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheeses, and or cubed avocado. 

Try it!

Super Easy Black Bean Salsa Soup....on a cold winter day!

It is a December day, and although there is no snow outside (yet), a warm and hearty soup is always so very welcome.

Black Bean Salsa Soup:

I have had this recipe for a long time.  I just forgot about it for some reason. However, today I pulled it out and made it really fast.  It uses Food Storage Staples and is almost a convenience food straight from your pantry.

1. I used Black Beans from my Storage.  I cooked them in my Electric Pressure Cooker.  It takes about 30 minutes.

2. The recipe calls for chicken broth.  I used my First Street Chicken Flavored Soup Base.

3.  It also calls for Salsa. Well, I happened to have some of that on hand!  I can my own.

That's it!  Would you like the recipe?  Those who follow the South Beach diet plan may recognize this wonderful little gem.  

Black Bean Salsa Soup (SouthBeachDiet.com)

Ingredients

2 cans black beans, rinsed (I used beans that I have canned or use my pressure cooker)

2 cans of chicken broth (as noted above, I use a soup base)

1-1/2 cups of chunky salsa (I use my canned salsa)

1 can of green chillies (from my pantry)

Directions:

In a blender of food processor place 1 can of black beans, chicken broth, and salsa.  Blend until smooth.  Place mixture into a saucepan with the rest of the beans and chilies.  Mixture will develop into a wonderful creamy soup. Warm on your stove.  Makes about 6 servings.

Top with a dollop of Sour cream and green onion if 'permitted'.  (I broke the rules and put just a little shredded cheddar on top). 

Take away points:

• Use beans from your storage....either ones you have canned or dry beans that can be cooked in either your pressure cooker or in a pan after soaking.  It makes use of of your food storage staples.
• I keep a soup base on hand to use in place of chicken or beef broth.  It is less expensive and takes up a fraction of the space in your pantry.
• Using your canned salsa is a great because you are able to benefit from your efforts at harvest time.
• I figure I made this meal for under $3.00.

Try it!

Making Ravioli from Food Storage Staples.....

I got a bit adventurous today.  I actually (all by myself), made.....Ravioli!

Last fall, I bought this Ravioli Form when I went shopping in an Amish Community.  I have looked at this device over and over again, but today just decided to get it out and try it.  

I made the dough from scratch.  The directions were to place 3 cups of flour either on a board or in a bowl.  I decided to play it safe and put it in a bowl.  I made a well in the middle of the flour to accept the eggs.

Next, I placed 3 eggs (at room temperature) in the well.

I slowly began to incorporate the flour and the egg mixture together.

The mixture gets to the point that you have to begin to use your hands to knead the flour in.  The recipe calls for up to 1/2 Cup of water if needed.

I put most of the water in and made this lovely ball of dough.  Let the dough rest in a covered bowl for 30 minutes.  If you push your finger into the dough, it should return relatively quickly after the 30 minute time period.  

Slice the dough ball.

Begin using your pasta roller.  Start at the widest setting and gradually reduce it down with each pass of the dough.  Notice how I am catching the dough with the back of my hand. This helps prevent tearing.  If you grasp it with fingers, there is a higher probability that the dough will get rips or tears.

Flour the metal part of the form very generously.

Although this sheet isn't 'lovely', it is functional.  Cover the metal part of the form.

Take the plastic part of the form and gently press indentions into the dough.  Remove the plastic tray.

Because there is a certain 3-year-old that will not eat meat at the moment, I decided to add Mozzarella Cheese.  I decided to make it easy on me and cut string cheese sticks into small disks. 

I put 2 small disks and a little spaghetti sauce into each indention.

Next I put a second sheet of pasta on the tip.

Use a Rolling Pin and roll in many directions across the top of the form.  You can see the 'zig-zag' of the metal form emerge as you use the rolling pin.

Again, not lovely but functional. Turn the form over. If you floured the metal form well, the Ravioli's should fall out.  You may have to coax a few though.

Put the fresh Ravioli pouches into boiling water.  When they float, they are finished.

Add the sauce, garnish with Parmesan Cheese ( I grated it myself!), and add a sprig of Parsley if you like (it was straight out of my herb garden!).  

What was the verdict?  Everyone from the 3-year-old to the Silver Fox liked it. The Silver Fox said he couldn't taste the meat.....I had to inform him that there wasn't any this time.  I will try different fillings in the future.

Take Home Message:

• This device costs less than going out to dinner to a sit-down restaurant.  It is called a Grandpa Dante's Ravioli Form.  This one costs just under $15.00.
• I literally made this entire dish out of food storage (with the exception being the Mozzarella Cheese.  However, I often have this type of cheese in my freezer, so it could have been totally made from food storage staples).
• I need to practice this again. I know I can get faster each time I do this.
• I can put in a variety of fillings.  If you have meat left over from a meal, dice it into small pieces and combine it with cheese or sauce.  That way, one meal help make a second meal.
• It gives my family a variety.  I can make pasta noodles, but the Ravioli is a nice change.
• It costs very little to make this pasta.  

Try it !

Using Jello to make Play Dough at home....for about 1/3rd the cost of the Brand name!

No, that is not the "Great Brain"...it's Play Dough that my little Grandson is playing with.  He is busy making monsters, cutting sea horses, and trying to keep his dog away because she likes to eat it!

Why did I make this Play Dough?  Because, a lesson that I taught to the 7-year-olds last Sunday called for some.  Soooo, I thought I would again use my Food Storage Staples and voila!  It turned out really great!

Start with 1 Cup of flour.

Add 1/2 Cup of Salt.

Add 2 Tablespoons of Oil and Cream of Tarter. Then add 1 Cup of Water.

Add a 3 ounce package of Jello. I decided to try Watermelon today....it smelled so good!

Heat over Medium Heat.

Until it begins to come together and pull away from the sides of the pan.

The instructions recommend you kneed the dough.  I decided to put it into a bag and kneed it in this way. I didn't want a 'mess' on my counter.

Let it cool...then make fun things!

Jello Play Dough comes from this recipe. 

What is the Take Home Message?
Cost:

• Flour:  $.72
• Salt:  $.84
• Cream of Tarter: $1.44
• Vegetable Oil: $0.7
• Water:  Free!
• Jello:  $1.45

Total cost is  $4.52 for  one pound of Play Dough!  On Amazon.com, it traditionally retails for $10.00 to $16.00 for one pound of Play Doh.  This home made version costs just under 30% of the national brand. It took minutes to make and uses staples from your Food Storage.

Try It!