One Every Once in a While

So, they say that once you have your basics in food storage like wheat, rice, beans, and oats (which you could technically survive on, but which are not fun to eat for long periods of time in and of themselves) you can begin to add a few items that will expand your storage and add variety and flavor. Can you imagine the comfort and relief chocolate chip cookies will deliver if you are quarantined within the walls of your home during a global pandemic? Three must- haves for food storage baking are:

powdered eggs, ...

powdered butter,...

...and of course, my home-sealed Chocolate Chips!

Use your own favorite cookie recipes. You don't have to reconstitute the eggs or the butter, just add them to your dry ingredients and then increase the liquids according to directions on the can.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (FOOD STORAGE STYLE)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup butter flavored shortening

1/3 cup powdered butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup water

1 1/2 cups flour

2 Tbsp. whole powdered eggs

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1-2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside. Cream sugars, shortening and butter, add vanilla and water. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop by tablespoon onto foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or until beginning to brown around the edges. Cool slightly before taking from cookie sheet. Enjoy warm with an ice cold glass of milk. :)

One Every Wednesday

So, I'm thinking I should maybe call it "One Every Once in a While" instead. :)

One Every Wednesday

I made this dish yesterday--pulled it out of the oven just as I was heading out the door to a meeting. Later, when I got  home, half (I'm not exaggerating here, folks--we're talkin' a full 50%) of it was gone. No one had been home except for my husband! When I asked him what happened to the Shepherd's Pie, he simply responded, "I was hungry." You know what that means? DING! DING! DING! WE HAVE A WINNER!

SHEPHERD'S PIE (FOOD STORAGE STYLE)

Ingredients:

2 cups ground beef, drained (I canned this myself in pint-sized mason jars.  See:  Canning Meat.  Who knew you could do this?  It's perfect for tacos, sloppy joes, casseroles, and recipes like this one.  It's good for up to three years on the shelf and tastes great!)

1/2 cup dry minced onion 

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 cup canned carrots

1/4 cup canned peas

1/4 cup canned grean beans

1/4 cup canned corn

1 package brown gravy mix prepared with 1 cup water

2 cups mashed potatoes (made from 1 cup potato pearls and 2 cups water)

1/2 cup freeze dried shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  (This recipe can also be warmed in a solar oven if no power is available.) Make gravy according to package directions. Combine all ingredients except potatoes and put in baking dish. Prepare mashed potatoes by adding pearls to boiling water.  Plop servings of mashed potatoes on top of meat and vegetable mixture (I use a Pampered Chef's "Easy Accent Decorator" 'cause it looks pretty!). Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

Cooks Note:

If you have a can of mixed vegetables, that would definitely be better than 1/4 cup out of four different cans (corn, green beans, carrots, and peas).  I didn't have any on hand so I'll be adding a case of that to my food storage specifically for this recipe. 

  This is a pic of some ground beef I have canned.  I know...it looks like some kind of science experiment, but I'm telling you...it's AWESOME!  Just to know that we can have REAL MEAT in our food storage instead of some funky TVP stuff makes me giddy!  It's so easy to do too.  You gotta' try it!

One Every Wednesday

My girlfriend, Becky, makes this stinkin' good cake with oatmeal.  Trust me, the photo doesn't do it justice; it is gooey, warm, and delicious!  I thought it would be just the thing to lift our spirits in times of disaster.  So, of course, I had to create a food storage version.  I made it with white flour, but I'm sure you could do half wheat as well.  Enjoy!

OATMEAL FREAKIN' CAKE (FOOD STORAGE STYLE)

Ingredients:

1 cup oats

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup vegetable oil or shortening (I store both; shortening has a longer shelf life)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

4 Tbsp. dried egg powder

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Combine oats with boiling water.  Let stand.  In the meantime, cream shortening and sugars in mixing bowl.  Add powdered eggs, water and oatmeal mixture.  Blend well. Add all dry ingredients.  Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees in 9 x 13 pan.  Pull out of oven and poke with holes.  Pour topping over warm cake and let seep into holes. Serve warm.

TOPPING:

2 Tbsp. powdered buttermilk (can buy this at Walmart)

1 cup powdered butter

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbsp. Karo syrup

Combine ingredients and warm in sauce pan.  Pour over cake while still hot.

One Every Wednesday

Chicken Biscuit Stew is one of our family favorites.  I got the recipe years ago out of one of those Pillsbury paperback cookbooks you can get at checkout. Daniel requests this dish often in the fall/winter months.  I figured I could tweak it a little and make it food storage friendly. So here's the converted version: 

 

CHICKEN BISCUIT STEW (FOOD STORAGE STYLE)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup powdered butter; 1/4 cup non-fat dry milk; 1/3 cup flour; dash of pepper; 2 1/2 cups warm water (including liquid from canned chicken); 1-2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules; 2 10-oz. cans chicken; 1 cup freeze dried peas (reconstituted according to package directions); 1 cup dehydrated carrots (reconstituted according to package directions); 1/3 cup dry minced onions; 10 biscuits (see recipe below); Poppy seed, if desired.

 

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  In 10-inch skillet, combine powdered butter, powdered milk, flour, and pepper.  Open canned chicken and drain, saving liquid.  Add enough warm water to liquid to total  2 1/2 cups. With a whisk, gradually stir in water/liquid.  Add chicken bouillon granules. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring  constantly. Add chicken, hydrated peas, hydrated carrots, and minced onion; cook until hot and bubbly.   Arrange biscuits over hot chicken mixture in skillet; sprinkle with poppy seed.  Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

 

QUICK BISCUITS:

Ingredients:  

2 1/4 cups biscuit mix (I store Walmart Brand); 1/4 cup non-fat dry milk; 2/3 cup water; bit of flour (if desired)

Directions:  

In a small bowl, mix together first three ingredients until dough forms.  If dough is too sticky, add a little more biscuit mix. Dust smooth surface with biscuit mix (or flour) and lightly coat dough. Shape into ball.  Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness and cut with 2 1/2 inch round biscuit cutter dipped in biscuit mix (or flour).  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

One Every Wednesday

So, I'm kind of on a new food storage 

kick!  Not that we're completely new to food storage. Our family has been pretty good about following the counsel to store food, water, and other necessities for several years.  We use our food storage on a regular basis--basically treat it like an extended pantry.  Instead of running to the store, we run to the basement for a box of brownie mix, some more rice, oats, or a can of tomato paste.  I keep it pretty well stocked replacing used items regularly.  It's all stored in the perfect cool, dark place allowing for longer shelf life.

But lately I'm feeling this urgency to be

 better prepared--like someday we may actually have to LIVE on this stuff.  It's not unlikely that situations could occur in the future proving our food storage more valuable...things like abnormal weather patterns (extreme temperatures, floods, or droughts), natural disasters (most likely tornadoes in our neck of the woods), regional crop failures or infestations, loss of employment (which we experienced AGAIN this past year), extended illness or personal disability (you never know!) transportation or other labor strikes, world economic fluctuations, national turmoil (WAR), or even increased inflation and high food prices.  I'm thinking in today's times of economic uncertainty, this is one thing I can do to bring added peace to my family.  "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

  

This is a partial view of our storage shelves.  They are stocked with non-perishable foods, paper goods, and toiletries.  My most recent addition was 16 pounds of chocolate chips (enough to bake cookies twice a month for a year) that I sealed in mason jars with a Foodsaver.  Click here for a cool video about how to do it:  

FOODSAVER JARS

Here you see about twelve of our 33 cases of long-term storage (#10 cans of wheat, oats, beans, powdered milk, dried fruits and vegetables, macaroni, powdered eggs, powdered butter, etc).  It's not the best set up for rotation, but we don't pull from this stack very often, and for now I'd rather spend my budget on food than on expensive shelving.  Sorry, Shelf Reliance!  

This photo shows three of our five 55-gallon barrels of drinking water.  We plan to increase our water storage by adding two additional water heaters to our home (not to heat, just to store).  That way, the water will be continually rotated.

The question  is, if we had to completely rely on our food storage to survive, what would I make?  Would there be any variety?  What if that necessity lasted for a year or more? What kinds of meals could we create that would be both tasty and nutritious?   I want to have a plan!  This year,  in order to compile our family's list of food storage emergency meals, I set a goal. Once a week I make my family dinner strictly from food storage (nothing fresh, nothing refrigerated, nothing frozen) and once a month, I prepare our dinner without any electricity. ('Cause let's face it, we may not have all the modern conveniences we're used to in a time of disaster.)  

Then a friend told me about Wendy Dewitt's Food Storage Seminar.  This lady has got it goin' on!  I LOVE her system (although I want much more variety) and found her information inspiring. Click below to see the first of nine segments.  These clips are not long and they are NOT BORING!  

WENDY DEWITT'S SEMINAR

Anyway, several of my friends who have heard what I'm doing have requested recipes, so I decided to post them here ONE EVERY WEDNESDAY. Remember, these are not gourmet meals; they are survival meals.  So, adjust your expectations accordingly. 

BEEF OR CHICKEN AND BEAN ENCHILADAS

Sauce:  2 Tbsp. oil; 3 Tbsp. flour; 2 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce; 1 1/2 cups water (including broth from canned meat). 

Filling:  1 (12-oz.) can beef or chicken chunks, drained and broken up; 1-2 (15 oz.) cans any beans, drained; 12 corn tortillas (see recipe below); 1 (8-oz.) bottle processed cheese sauce; 2 Tbsp. dried minced onion; 1/2 tsp. - 2 Tbsp. chili powder; 1/2 tsp. sugar; 1/2 tsp. vinegar; 1/4 tsp. garlic powder; 1 (4-oz.) can diced green chilies, 1 tsp. onion powder.

Directions:  In sauce pan, combine oil and flour until there are no lumps.  Add rest of sauce ingredients and bring to boil while stirring. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cool while making tortillas.

In a bowl combine beef, beans and chilies.  Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of lightly greased 9 x 3-inch baking dish.  Pour some of sauce in to a pie pan.  Quickly dip tortillas in sauce on both sides and fill with meat mixture.  Roll tortillas and place seam side down in pan. Pack enchiladas tightly and cover with remaining sauce.  Dot with processed cheese sauce and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

My Notes:  I made this recipe with black beans and beef.  It turned out pretty good.  The only problem was the cheese "dots" didn't melt; they just sat on top and burned.  Next time, I'd just leave the cheese off or try adding it for the last five minutes only.  

Family Consensus:  THUMBS UP!

HANDMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Ingredients:  1 cup cornmeal; 1 cup white flour; 3/4 tsp. salt; 1/4 cup shortening; 2/3 cup hot water

Directions:  Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl; roughly cut in shortening.  Stir in water; knead for at least a minute.  Divide dough in to 12 equal pieces.  Heat heavy skillet, wiped with oil.  Roll one dough piece into a 7-inch circle on floured counter.  Cook in hot skillet on medium-high heat about 30 seconds on each side.  If pan is hot enough, little brown spots will appear on each side as tortillas cook. These go fast--so roll tortillas out as you cook them. 

For Corn Chips:  Cut tortillas into quarters and fry in an inch or two of hot oil until crisp.  Drain on a doubled paper towel-lined plate.  Salt and enjoy!

My Notes:  This recipe makes tortillas with a great flavor, but they will not look like commercial tortillas.  I made them for the enchilada recipe above using my electric skillet.  The dough was a little too dry to work with, so I had to add more water.  Otherwise, they were totally fine.

Family Consensus:  THUMBS UP!