Powdered Cheese sauce Update

 So, as you know I ordered some Powdered cheese sauce to try it out. Tastes like Cheese. We mixed some up, its a 1 to 4 ratio. One part cheese to four parts hot water.  The more (extra) cheese you add the thicker it gets. It tastes a lot like Cheese-whiz or that canned Nacho cheese that you can buy. Its not exactly what I was hoping for. I really wanted something not as "Saucy" and more solid. I used my Googe-Fu and found this. I was Unaware that dehydrating cheese was even an option. It sounds like I have a new project in the coming months. I'll keep you informed!

Powdered Butter (Update)

Well I had a chance to open the can of butter and try it out. The basic recipe is 3 TBL of the powder to 1 TBL of warm water. It works well. The "butter" has the same feel and taste as real butter. I used it for making Grilled Cheese and had good results. One note, if you are chilling it to make large amounts of butter use a little more water than the recipe calls for.

Buying Wheat From the LDS (Latter-Day-Saints)

 Like all Disaster Preparers we feel that LTS (long term storage) should consist of things like grains and beans. The LDS church sells some of these foods on their website and from the canneries. It seems to be a really good deal. We had never ordered from them before so we tried it out. To start we ordered a case of wheat (6- #10 cans) and 100 oxygen absorbers. Shipping was FREE!, and it shipped Fed Ex.

 

What I like about these cans is this; they are already sealed, they have a shelf life of 20-30 years, and we know that the quality is good. It also takes the expense and time of doing it ourselves out of our hands. We intend to track down the "local" cannery and see what they have, but the online was a good experience.

Links to check out    Online Catalog and Your Local Cannery

Free Survival Books and Info

I just came across this site it for FREE survival PDF's. Lots of good Info that covers gardening, Canning, EMP, NBC, Foxfire books, communications, etc. You get the idea. Check it Out Here

Honeyville Food Products

Last week we placed an order with Honeyville for some of their LTS (Long term Storage) products. We ordered a TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) variety pack, some powdered butter, and cheese powder. We chose Honeyville because of their Flat rate of postage. $4.99 for your entire shipment! Its a deal. Fast shipping too, about a week.

Like a lot of folks I have read about the butter, but have never tried it. This weekend I will. If anything I can use it in cooking. The cheese powder is a little like the stuff that comes with instant mac-n-cheese. We will see. I've cooked with TVP before. Its fairly easy. There are literally thousands of Vegetarian recipes that call for it. I'll dig out a few and post them here.

Our seeds Came Today!!

We got our seeds in the mail today. Pretty quick service for both the Baker Creek company and for Seed savers. As I posted earlier we ordered seed collections. From Baker we ordered two, the large collection and the small collection.

 A nice thing about the Baker seeds is they are grouped for both Southern and Northern Climates. I called to make sure of the Northern climate pack for the St Louis area. The Northern Small package is 30 packets with 15 types of Veggies.

 

The Northern Large package is 60 packets with 25 types of veggies. 

 

Both seed collections came packed in nifty metal Paint cans. As a bonus they included 1 package of Heirloom Tomato seeds. It looks a really good bargain for the price. As a plus we know for a fact that the seeds will grow in our area.

From the Seed savers exchange company we ordered two packages of their Heirloom Favorites collection. We have ordered seeds from them before, but we noticed this year that their collections were kind of small. this collection is not as fun as the others but does cover the basics. These came packaged in a padded manila envelope with came in the mail, today.  

 

All that is left for us is to finish working on the gardens, wait for the snow to melt and start planting. I'll post progress pictures as I go.

Easy Brown Bread Recipe

• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 2 Tbl shortening
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 Pkg of active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup Brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup Molasses
• 5 - 5 1/2 cups of AP flour
• Melted butter or Margarine

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl
2. allow to cool to warm (110-115 degrees)
3. Dissolve the yeast in warm water (separate bowl)
4. Add the sugar, then add the oat mixture, molasses, and 3 cups of flour
5. add enough flour to make a soft dough
6. turn the dough onto a flat surface and knead until smooth (6-8 min)
7. place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat both sides
8. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place, 1 hour
9. Punch the dough down and divide in half; shape into loaves
10. Put the loaves into greased loaf pans, cover and allow to rise until doubled (30-45min)
11. bake at 375 degrees for 30 -45 minutes or until golden brown
12. Cool on a wire rack

Vegetable Cassarole

Here is a good one for those of us that Garden. We are always looking to use as much of our Homegrown Veggies as possible.

• 2 large potatoes, sliced thin
• 2 Tbl vegetable oil
• 1 Red onion, cut in half, thin slices
• 1 leek, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 3 1/2 oz  Broccoli Florets
• 3 1//2 oz Cauliflower Florets
• 2 small turnips, quartered
• 1 Tbl AP flour
• 3 1/2 cups Vegetable stock
• 2/3 cup Hard cider
• 1 apple, sliced
• 2 Tbl sage, chopped
• 1/2 cup of cheese
• salt and pepper
• (optional) pinch of Cayenne

1. In a sauce pan of boiling water cook the Potatoes for 10 minutes, drain
2. saute the onion, leek, and garlic in the oil (2-3 minutes) 
3. add the remaining veggies and cook 3-4 minutes
4. stir in the flour and cook 1 minute, Gradually add the stock and cider. Bring to a Boil.
5. Add the apple, sage, cayenne, and season to taste
6. remove from heat and add to a cassarole dish
7. arrange the potato slices on top to cover
8. sprinkle with cheese
9. cook 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown

Very Easy White Bread

• 2 pkg Active dry yeast (1/4 oz)
• 2 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/2 cup dry milk powder
• 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
• 2 Tbl Sugar
• 1 Tbl Salt
• 8 1/2 - 9 Cups of AP flour
• 1 Tbl butter or Margarine, Melted

1. Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of water in a mixing bowl
2. Add remaining water, milk, oil, sugar, salt, and 3 cups of flour
3. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes or until smooth. ( By hand mix with a Spoon)
4. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough
5. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic( about 8 minutes) Don't know How? Watch this Video. 
6. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turn it once to grease the top
7. Let it rise in a warm place until it doubles, about 1 hour
8. Punch the dough down and shape it into 2 loaves
9. Place it into 2 loaf pans, cover, and allow to rise about 1 hour
10. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until done. 
11. Cool on a wire rack then brush with butter

Getting ready for Spring, Seed Catalogs are In!

  Well, its time to start planning the early growing season. Seed catalogs are now available! There are two companies that we use. One is "Local" (Missouri) the other is Western. We like Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and The Seed Savers Exchange.
 Both companies have an Excellent product. This year we are going to purchase The Heritage Farm Favorite collection from Seed savers. Its $13.50 for 6 Vegetable varieties: Beets, cucumbers, carrots, Dragons tongue beans, Tomato, and a lettuce mix. From Baker creek we are ordering  the $55.00 seed collection . This is 30 packets of seeds, that is its 15 types of veggie with 30 varieties. We are also ordering the $ $99.00 seed collection. Its a little bigger with 25 types of veggie and 60 varieties. It contains 60 packets of seeds. Our plan is to use some of the seeds, save the rest. I am going to double our growing area this spring, plus my wife Heathers uncle Ernie is putting in a Large garden. Some seeds will go to him, but he is most likely growing hybrids this year. When the packages show up I'll post the pictures.

Making GORP

Gorp. It sounds like something an Alien would say just before he Probed you. Its a familiar term for the Hiking and Backpacking crowd. According to Wikipedia its short for "good old raisins and peanuts". To those from New Zealand and Austrailia its called Scroggin. Author Jack Kerouac wrote about Gorp in his book "Dharma Bums" (get a free ebook copy HERE). The Idea is very simple. Easy snack food that is both high in energy and high in Fiber. Its something that will give you that added long term boost that candy alone won't do. The recipe is Easy. Its all up to your tasted and creativity. Here's some Ideas.

• Granola
• Nuts
• sunflower seeds
• soynuts
• corn flakes
• raisins
• M & M's 
• Chocolate chips
• Flax seed
• Dried fruit

What I like to do is this. I buy Granola cereal from the grocery store. If you watch for sales you can get it cheaper that way. I put the granola in a gallon sized ziploc bag. I then add nut, raisins, and chocolate chips that i buy at the dollar store. Depending on what I have on hand I add other things. Every batch I make is a little different. I made some this morning with granola, raisins, chocolate chips, corn flakes, assorted nuts, and chocolate covered soy nuts. When its mixed well, I portion it out into sandwich bags. This makes a nice sized snack good for most anything. Be creative and Have Fun!

Easy Homemade Pancake syrup

Now that you have your pancakes, you need some syrup. Try these two easy recipes.

Pancake Syrup

• 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
• 1 Tbl of butter
• 1/4 tsp of Vanilla
• 1/4 tsp of Maple flavoring (optional)

1. Mix brown sugar with 1 cup of water in a small saucepan, Boil for 1 minute
2. Add Butter, Vanilla, and Flavoring

 

 

Easy Fruit Syrup

• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 Tbl of Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Fruit Jam or Preserves (your choice)

1. Combine water, sugar, and lemon juice
2. Heat until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool.
3. Add the Jam/Preserves
4. Add more lemon juice to taste

Homemade Pancake Mix

This is very easy to make. Recipe makes 18 cups

• 10 cups of flour
• 5 tsp of baking powder
• '1 Tbl of baking soda
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 3 tsp of salt (optional)
• 3 cups of corn flakes, crushed into crumbs
• 2 cups of Rolled Oats
• 3 cups of Whole wheat Flour

Combine all of the ingredients for storage in an airtight container.

1. Mix 1 1/2 cups of dry mix with 1 egg and 1 1/2 cups of milk
2. Bake on a Griddle

Spicy Chickpeas

Here is a great snack food. Something a little different.

• 1 # (2 cups) dried Chickpeas. Soak for 24 hours
• 3 cops soybean oil
• 2 Tbl chili ancho powder
• 2 Tbl ground oregano
• 1 Tbl garlic powder
• 1 Tbl popcorn salt or fine sea salt
• 2 tsp of ground allspice

1. Drain the chickpeas. Fill a large pot with unsalted water and add chickpeas.
2. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes then drain. Spread out on towels or cloths to dry.
3. Using a large skillet or wok heat the oil to 325 degrees. NOT smoking!
4. Fry the chickpeas in 1 cup batches for 3-4 minutes. Cook until they are brown and crunchy.
5. Using a skimmer or slotted spoon remove from oil and place on towels to dry.
6. After all have been cooked toss them in all of the spices.
7. Store in an airtight container

Very Simple Bean Soup

This is a Very easy soup recipe made with basic ingredients.

• 1# (2 cups) of dried navy beans, soaked at least 6 hours
• 2 quarts water
• 1 ham hock*
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced celery, include the leaves
• 2 tsp garlic, chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground clove
• 1/4 cup of Italian Parsley, chopped
• 1 cup Potato, diced

1. Drain the beans. Add to the water and Ham hock and bring to a boil. Reduce Heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.
2. Remove the ham hock. Trim the meat from the bone, discard the bone.
3. Add the meat, vegetables, garlic, and clove to the pot. Return to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes
5. Using a Potato masher or a heavy whisk mash the beans and potatoes until it becomes creamy. 
6. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the Parsley

* In place of the ham hock, use 1 packet of ham flavored stock

Design your own Fruit/Nut Bread

Optional Ingredients

• Apples, chopped
• Applesauce
• Apricots, chopped
• Bananas, mush
• Carrots, shred
• Cherries, chopped (NO pits)
• Dates, chopped
• Lemons, 1/2 cup juice
• Oranges, chopped
• Peaches, chopped (can or fresh)
• Pear, chop
• Pineapple, crushed (drain well)
• Pumpkin, can
• Raisins
• Yogurt, flavored
• Sweet Potato/Yam, Grated

Regular Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 cup whole wheat Flour
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1/2 cup flaxseed, ground
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp  cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 cups your choice
• 1 Tbl Vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 335 degrees
2. Spray 2 loaf pans or 12 muffin cups
3. add together flours, flaxseed, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and baking powder, stir together with a fork to blend and set aside
4. Beat the eggs and egg whites together, add oil, syrup, and sugar. Beat until creamy.
5. Add the dry ingredients and beat until blended
6. spread evenly to Pans
7. Bake 50-60 minutes or until the tester comes out clean
   

Wild Greens Soup

This soup uses Wild greens. Be sure to wash and dry all greens. Avoid those growing near highways.

• 2 tsp Olive oil
• 2 tsp Curry powder
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup Yukon potato, diced
• 2 tsp of Mirin (Japanese cooking Wine)
• 4-5 cups water
• 2 tsp of white miso paste
• 4 cups mixed wild greens (dandelion, watercress, thistle)*
• 1/2 cup Flax seed (or Hempseed)
• 1 red bell pepper, roasted and diced

1. Combine the oil and Curry powder and saute.
2. Add the onion and garlic, salt to taste
3. Stir in the potatoes and mirin, saute for 2 minutes
4. Add the water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer til soft. About 30 minutes
5. Stir in the Miso paste
6. Add the greens and simmer for 3-4 minutes
7. Serve. Top with bell pepper and flax

**Substitute arugula

No-Bake Peanut Butter bars

• 8 x 8 pan
• 1 Tbl butter or Margarine
• 1/2 cup creamy Peanut butter
• 2 cups of Marshmallows (small)
• 1 cup of Granola
• 1 cup of Rice krispies or puffed rice
• Optional - 1/3 cup Ground flax seed

1. Put PB, butter, and marshmallows in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, or until the butter melts. Stir to blend
2. Stir in the Granola, rice, and Flax seed
3. Spread into the pan. Cover with wax paper and allow to cool completely.
4. Cut into bars

Easy No-Knead Bread

•  3 Cups of Bread Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 Packet of Instant yeast (1/4 oz)
• Oil as needed

1. Combine flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Lightly oil a work surface and place dough on it; fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes more.
3. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6-to-8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under dough and put it into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
4. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Do it yourself Bar-B-Que Rub

Once upon a time I was the Kitchen manager of a BBQ Restaurant. Here is a really good BBQ rub that is all purpose. Use it on everything: Chicken, Pork, Burgers, and Fries.

Mix Equal portions of 5 Spices

• Onion Powder
• Salt
• Paprika
• Sugar
• Black Pepper