Pickling

I think it would be fun to try pickling someday!

food storage recipes

I need to make all of these. See a video here.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Fat-Free Nutri Grain Energy Bars
Ingredients:

1 cup cooked white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs (1/4 c. dry egg powder and NO water)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup coarse oat flour (take quick oats and pulse in blender until a coarse flour)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (make sure it's fresh!)
1½ cups chopped almonds, optional
3/4 cup raspberry (or other fruit) jam

Method:

Heat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9"x13" baking pan.

Place the beans and sugars in a large bowl, and cream them until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs (egg powder).

In a small bowl, combine the flours, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, then mix or stir in the almonds.

Use your fingers to press half of the dough into the bottom of the baking pan. (You may need to grease your fingers with non-stick spray to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers.)

Put the jam in a small bowl and loosen it up with a small whisk or a fork (this will make it spread easier). Spread the jam evenly over the dough, leaving about a 1/4-inch border around the edges.

Sprinkle the remaining dough over the jam, all the way to the edges of the pan, and then press on it gently to form the top layer.

Bake until the top is golden and the edges are starting to brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan, and then cut into whatever size bars you like and serve. The bars will keep for at least three or four days at room temperature, or you can freeze them.

Homemade Pop Tarts
Ingredients:

Easy Pie Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk ( 1 T. dry non-instant powdered milk or 2 T. instant milk + 1/3 cup water)
½ tsp. salt
Filling:
Use anything you would normally find in a Pop Tart. Jams and jellys are great for fruit
filling. I also love honey and chopped nuts inside.

Method:

Mix flour, salt, and dry milk powder together. Add oil and mix until mixture is crumble, then add water (or fresh milk if that is what you are using). Stir until mixture forms a ball of dough. Roll dough between two sheets of parchment paper to form a rectangle.

Cut dough into rectangles 6 inches wide by 5 inches high. Place filling on one half of the dough leaving ½ inch around sides. Fold over and pinch sides together with a fork to close.

Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Homemade Fruit Roll Ups
Ingredients:

2 cups freeze dried fruit (I like to do 1 c. strawberries and a ½ c. each of raspberries and
blueberries)
1/3 cup warm water

Method:

Place fruit and water in blender and blend until very smooth. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick spray. Pour fruit mixture onto aluminum foil and spread evenly and thin on top of aluminum foil. Bake at 250 degrees for 25 minutes. WITH OUT OPENING YOUR OVEN DOOR, turn the oven off and let sit for 8 hours. After 8 hours, peel fruit leather off aluminum foil and place on wax, parchment or cling wrap. Cut into long strips with scissors and roll up.

Homemade Fat-Free Granola Bars
Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup bean puree (blend white beans and enough water to form a puree-the
consistency should be that of a smoothie-in your blender)
5 T. honey
3 T. cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup rice krispies
1/2 cup toasted shredded coconut, optional
½ cup chopped almonds, optional
1 cup craisins*
1 cup white chocolate chips*

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F . Lightly grease one 9x13 inch pan. In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, baking soda, vanilla, bean puree, honey and brown sugar. Stir in the coconut, rice krispies, craisins, white chocolate chips and nuts.

Lightly press mixture into the prepared pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes then cut into bars. Let bars cool completely in pan before removing or serving.

*You can use any combination of add-ins you would like just make sure it equals 2 cups. Some ideas may be raisins, chocolate chips, etc.

Homemade Yogurt

Homemade yogurt? I've been skeptical but this video clip shows how and it looks good! Make your own cream cheese even? I think this is great to know for food storage. If I ever get my year supply--I'll be trying this out!

A little of everything

XO Smores! How cute is that--I love this fun idea, found at The Idea Room.


I've been wanting to make these since we moved into our house. I also love the idea of putting them next to your child's bed so they can read before going to sleep at night, or just relax on their bed reading. :)


The following recipes from Studio 5 look good to me. :) I am also trying to obtain a three month supply of food for our family--here is a great resource you might want to check out!

Hot cocoa Sticky Bundt
Ingredients:

• 24 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold
• 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup Stephen's Gourmet Hot Cocoa mix
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 2/3 cup toffee bits
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Method:

Cut rolls in half. Wrap each half around 1 teaspoon chocolate chips and completely enclose. Dip each roll half in gourmet cocoa mix until well coated. Place in a large sprayed bundt pan, alternately with pecans and toffee bits. Sprinkle any remaining cocoa mix over rolls. Combine butter and brown sugar in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds. Stir until completely combined and pour over rolls.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until almost to the top of the pan. Remove wrap and bake at 350°F 35 minutes. Cover with foil last 10 minutes of baking. Invert immediately onto serving platter.

Korean Tacos with Cucumber Cilantro Lime Salsa

Korean BBQ Meat

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 - 3 pounds short ribs or chuck roast
• 1 Bartlett Pear peeled, and diced
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 3 tbsp Rice Vinegar Dressing
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup Ginger Flavored Soy Sauce, or regular soy sauce
• 1/2 cup pear nectar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tsp minced garlic
• 3 tsp minced ginger
• 2 tsp coarse ground pepper
• 3 tbsp sesame oil

Method:

Whisk together all the above ingredients. Place trimmed meat into slow cooker and pour the blended ingredients over meat.

Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 8-10 hours, until meat is tender, and easily pulls apart.

Cucumber Cilantro Lime Salsa

Ingredients:

• 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1/4 red bell pepper diced
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup snipped cilantro leaves
• 1 tbsp minced jalapeño, if desired
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar dressing
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1-2 tsp fresh minced ginger

Method:

In a medium sized bowl, toss together, cucumbers, peppers, scallions, and cilantro.

In a separate bowl, whisk vinegar, oil, lime juice, sugar and ginger together.

Pour over cucumber mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups


To assemble Tacos:
Warm tortillas on on griddle, or wrap in foil and heat in the oven.
Place desired amount of meat on heated tortilla.
Top with lettuce and Salsa. Drizzle with additional Ginger Soy Sauce if desired.

Makes 6-8 servings

Condensed Milk

Do you know that part on the Winnie the Pooh where he gets stuck in Rabbit's house? Rabbit asks him "Would you like condensed milk or honey with your bread?" Writing this post reminded me of that...hehehe. :)

I recently tried this recipe for homemade sweetened condensed milk and was really skeptical because powdered milk is gross. I used this recipe in a Brazilian Lemonade recipe and couldn't tell a difference whatsoever in the taste. It was amazing. I think I will be making my condensed milk from now on considering how expensive it is at the store! I also love that it makes it so much more likely that I will know how to use my food storage!

You've got to try it for yourself!

* 1/2 C. hot water
* 1 C. sugar
* 1 C. non-instant dry milk powder* or 2 C. instant dry milk powder*
* 1 T. butter

Method:

Blend in blender very well. Use in any recipe calling for sweetened condensed milk.

*Must be REAL powdered milk not a milk alternative!

this recipe is from Crystal Godfrey:everydayfoodstorage.net

You can save leftovers in the fridge or freezer...sorry I don't know how much this recipe makes exactly!

Jelly and Jam

Last summer I made jam with my mom...it didn't turn out the way I expected. It's still good...but not amazing. Well, after seeing this clip, I'm very excited to try jam again! For the recipes in the video clip, click here.

Food Storage: How much?

One of my friends commented last week on how she isn't sure about the amounts of food storage needed. Well last year, one of the many responsibilities I had as a new counselor in the Relief Society was to prepare a monthly food storage goal and spotlight. We stopped doing that this year, but I was able to find some great resources for food storage! Especially this food storage calculator.
For a one month's supply of food for one adult it is recommended that you store 25 pounds of wheat, white rice, corn, and other grains. Also 5 pounds of dry beans and other legumes.

So...I would suggest start small. Maybe made it a goal to have enough food stored for a three month supply--and maybe it will take you three months or longer to work that into your budget, but that's okay. Just start somewhere, and probably try to store foods you will actually use and like.

Also--make sure you have variety--don't buy all 25 pounds of rice or wheat. Make sure you have some of everything and consider how much you like those foods now. If you don't like corn now, you're not going to like it in your food storage either!

I hope this is helpful! And thanks for the suggestion Ashley! I am going to try and keep doing food storage posts more frequently!

Food Storage is Fun!

Today I found a new cookbook that I think would be a wonderful addition to my cookbook library. It gives recipes that you use everyday and shows how to use your food storage in those recipes, how great is that! You can find a great recipe for gingerbread pancakes and buttermilk syrup here or you can check the entire book out here.