Abundance

“Abundance: A great or plentiful amount. Fullness to overflowing.”

This is one of my favorite words. I am so grateful for the abundance all around me. Much of what has led me to be so involved in preserving and preparing stems from the abundance around me. I think my grandma said the same thing in another way, “Waste not, want not!” It is true. It is so very easy to overlook the abundance around us and want more.

Let me share with you some of the abundance I’ve seen lately:

A sweet girl sharing her extra garden produce with friends and neighbors (and even a stranger).

An elderly lady picking the small, seemingly useless apples off her tree to make jelly.

A kind couple sharing their extra garden produce with friends and neighbors.

A girl freezing just a few ears of corn that would have ordinarily gone to waste, to enjoy as part of a meal later on.

We live in a world of great abundance but also in a world of much waste. It is so easy to throw out leftovers or let the last few veggies freeze on the vine rather than preserve what we can, even if it is a small amount. A little of this and a little of that adds up to something to be grateful for later on.

If you have extra garden produce this year don’t let it go to waste. Turn your green tomatoes into green tomato relish, your last few ears of corn into corn relish or maybe those last few beets into a few jars of pickled beets. Every jar you preserve adds up to something you didn’t have before. Remember that dehydrating extra produce is also a great way to preserve your abundance.

Today I want to share some of my favorite recipes; most have been handed down to me, to use things that might otherwise go to waste. Check for the abundances around you, whether it’s small amounts of produce from your garden or a neighbor, good sales of things that need to be used quickly or just something for fun. You’ll be amazed when you start looking at all the abundance around you, just how much there really is.

Green Tomato Relish – My mother-in-law
3 quarts Green tomatoes, ground or chopped fine
6 onions
3 cucumbers
3 red peppers
3 green peppers
1 t. turmeric
1 t. ginger
1 t. allspice
1 t. cloves
1 t. cinnamon
2 T. salt
5 c. sugar
4 c. vinegar
Grind tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and peppers or process in a food processor until fine chunks remain.
Combine spices, sugar, salt and vinegar. Stir over med heat until sugar is melted and syrup is hot. Pour syrup over vegetable mixture and boil until thick. Ladle mixture into hot jars and seal. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Pickled Beets – My mother-in-law
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. vinegar
1 c. beet juice (water the beets were cooked in)
Beets
Top beets and scrub well with a vegetable brush until clean. (Small beets are the best but any size works well. Cook beets in a large pan until tender. The peeling will slip right off when the top is removed. Pack small beets in jars whole or cut in chunks or slices as you wish. Combine sugar, vinegar and beet juice (enough for the number of jars you are making) and bring to a boil. Fill hot jars with beets and finish filling with hot syrup. Put on new lids and add rims. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
*I have tried lots of pickled beets in my time and Never tried any that I like as well as these!

Chili Sauce – My sister-in-law Jan
*This makes a very large batch but recipe can easily be cut in half. This is a sweet chili sauce great mixed in meatloaf, any casserole or served with chips!
36 Tomatoes
5 green peppers
4 red peppers
12 small onions
4 ½ t. salt
4 ½ c. sugar
3 c. cider vinegar
3 t. cinnamon
2 t. celery seed
3 t. paprika
1 pkg. whole pickling spice in a spice bag or cheesecloth
Scald tomatoes and peel and chop. Peel onions, core peppers and grind in grinder or food processor. Mix together all ingredients in a large kettle. Cook 2-3 hours until thick, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Ladle into hot jars and seal. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. YUM!

Corn Relish – A family favorite
10 cups corn
1 c. chopped green pepper
1 c. chopped sweet red pepper
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
1 T. salt
1 ½ c. sugar
2 ½ T. mustard seed
1 t. celery seed
½ t. turmeric
2 ½ c. white vinegar
2 c. water
Drop ears of corn in boiling water. Boil 5 minutes. Dip in cold water. Cut from cob; measure. Combine corn with remaining ingredients and boil 15 minutes. Pack into sterilized canning jars to within ½”of top. Put on cap, screw band tight. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Y: 5-6 pints.


Glazed Carrots – Ball Blue Book
6 ½ - 7 lbs. carrots
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. cold water
1 c. orange juice
Wash and peel carrots. Wash again. Cut carrots into 3” pieces. Slice thicker ends in half lengthwise. Combine brown sugar, water and orange juice in a saucepot. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Keep syrup hot. Pack carrots tightly into hot jars, leaving 1” headspace. Ladle hot syrup over carrots, leaving 1” headspace. Remove e air bubbles. Adjust 2 piece caps. Process in a pressure canner - pints and quarts 30 minutes at 13 lbs. pressure (dial gauge canner) or 15 lbs. pressure (weighted gauge canner).

Whole Wheat Wednesday - Cornbread

It is interesting how everyone’s appetite seems to pick up when the temperatures drop a bit. It must be an instinctual thing, like your body preparing for winter. Food just seems to taste a bit better and cravings for healthier food seem to increase.

It is also interesting that when it starts to feel like fall, that desire to cook (and try new dishes) returns. I love making soups this time of the year, even though technically it is still probably too warm, but they still taste good. I always try to serve soup with some kind of bread accompaniment, and corn bread with honey or honey butter or even jelly is one of our favorites.

Using whole wheat to make corn bread is another good way to introduce your family to more whole wheat in your meals. I have only made this recipe using ground hard white wheat but it works wonderfully and I bet hard red wheat would be good too. This is definitely one of those recipes that my grandma would have referred to as “Moorish”; it leaves you wanting more; and soon.

Try this recipe with whole wheat flour and grind your own corn into meal if you have dried corn; if not use any cornmeal for this bread. You can also adapt this recipe to use powdered eggs and powdered milk if you like.

So-Good Cornbread
½ c. cornmeal (fresh ground is awesome)
1 ½ c. whole wheat flour
2/3 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
½ t. salt
1/3 c. oil
3 T. butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ c. milk
Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat eggs; combine with milk, oil, and melted butter. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Add egg mixture in the center and using a fork, stir into dry ingredients, ONLY until mixed. Pour batter into an 8” square baking pan and bake at 350º for about 35 minutes. For a 9x13” pan, double ingredients.

First-Aid Kits

Having a well stocked first-aid kit in your home is an essential part of preparedness. It is also important to have personal first-aid kits in your 72-hour kits as well as your cars, campers and etc.

Basic list of suggested first-aid kit items vary but you can put together a kit that is as simple or complex as you want. It is imperative that you are prepared to handle serious first-aid emergencies that might accompany a disaster or any emergency that might occur.

Below is a pretty comprehensive list of suggested items for assembling your kits as well as some suggestions to making your kits complete, useable and keeping them up to date. You can customize them to fit your personal situation. Be sure that you include enough items to make sure you can handle any crisis that might arise if medical help is unavailable.

1.Update your first aid kit every six months (put a note in your calendar/planner) to replenish and check all supplies. Expired or contaminated items should be replaced.
2.Check with your family doctor for any specific medicines and first aid supplies your family might require for an emergency.
3.Some items may leak or break open. Using tubes, plastic bottles, or Ziploc bags can help prevent contamination.
4.All first aid supplies should be labeled and organized for quick and easy use.
5.Supplies may be divided and organized into compartments or sections for easier access when using your first aid kit.
6.You may include any other first aid items you feel would be useful or necessary.
7.A condensed version of this first aid kit should also be included in your 72 hour kit.

Standard First Aid Kit Supplies*
•ABD Pads (large absorbent sterile pads to stop bleeding for larger wounds)
•Ace bandage
•Adhesive bandages
•Adhesive spots
•Alcohol wipes
•Allergy medication
•Ammonia inhalant
•Antibacterial wipes
•Antibiotic ointment
•Antiseptic toweletts
•Antiseptic ointment
•Any critical medical family histories
•Band-aids
•Bicarbonate of soda
•Burn bandages
•Burn ointment/spray/gel
•Butterfly bandages
•Calamine lotion (sunburn/insect bites)
•Consecrated oil
•Container (metal, wood, or plastic) with a fitted cover (Watertight)
•Cotton balls
•Cough syrup/cough drops
•Diarrhea remedy
•Disposable blanket
•Elastic bandages
•Extra large plastic bandages
•Eye drops/eye wash (Sterile)
•Eye pads
•Feminine Hygiene (Pads will double as compresses)
•Fever reducing medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen
•Fingertip bandages
•First Aid Booklet (including CPR)
•First aid cream
•Gauze
•Gauze bandages
•Gloves/ latex
•Hand sanitizer
•Hemostats – for stitching
•Hot and cold instant packs
•Hot-water bottle
•Hydrocortisone cream
•Hydrogen peroxide
•Immunization records
•Instant ice packs
•Iodine prep pads
•Ipecac syrup (induces vomiting)
•Knife
•Knuckle bandages
•Lip ointment (chap stick)
•Matches
•Measuring cup
•Medical tape (waterproof & regular)
•Medications for children (if applicable)
•Medicine dropper
•Micropore tape
•Nail clippers
•Needle and thread
•Needles
•Pain reliever
•Paper bags
•Plastic bandages
•Prescribed Medications
•Prescriptions
•Razor blades
•Rubbing alcohol
•Safety pins
•Scissors
•Snake bite kit
•Soap
•Sponge packs
•Sterile strips and pads/ Extra large too
•Sunscreen/lotion
•Surgical tape
•Thermometer
•Tourniquet kit
•Transpore tape
•Triangular bandages
•Tweezers
•Vaseline
•Water purification tablets

Case Lot Sales - A tip and A Recipe

I love shopping the case lot sales for 2 reasons; the obvious is that it makes me feel like I am doing something really tangible and visible for my preparedness; it is kind of a feel-good thing. Second and more obvious it helps me to stock up on things I may be low on at a better price.

Actually shopping the case lot sales does several things. It gives you an opportunity to buy what you need at a lower price. You can probably purchase most of your canned goods at a dime or more cheaper for each can. With a box of 20 cans, you've already saved $2, just on one item you use regularly.

You are also making things easier on yourself. You have the cans of the things you use most in stock without having to run to the store. It gives you a kind of head start if you remember to keep a list of the things you used and replace them regularly so you always have at least a case of those items on sale. It is harder to catch up if you wait until you have used the whole case before replacing those items and it seems harder to spend the money for another case than it would a can or two at a time.

Peace of mind is a valuable thing. It is hard to put a price on it. With the economy in a terrible state, we all know how hard it is to shop these days and not be so discouraged at the rising prices. If you have ever known anyone –especially yourself – who has had to live off their food storage because of job loss or another setback in family income, you understand what tremendous asset food storage is. You just might be able to buy some peace of mind after all.

One thing that is the hardest for me when I am able to shop the case lot sales is that when I know I have X amount of money to spend on cases, it does go really fast. It is so important to sit down and make a list of the cases you really want to spend your money on. I used to always buy a case of cream of chicken soup and, aside from cases of meat, the soup was probably one of the biggest chunks of my case sale budget. Ouch! Now that I know I can make cream of soup substitutes for just pennies, I don’t waste my money on that any more.

I love having good quality canned meats in my storage and fruits and vegetables. Tomato sauce is also wonderful but if you are now converted to tomato powder, you are saving money there. Making my own gravy and spice mixes also saved me money. Canning jams, jellies and syrups helps too.

Before shopping the sales, if possible, obtain copies of the sale circulars, these are usually posted online. It’s a good idea to pour over these and be very selective as you make your shopping lists. If you make up a list of 15-20 of your favorite meals that you make the most often and then purchase only the case good times that you use the most it helps so much. I found that when I get in the store I am tempted by many “cheap” deals on convenience foods that promise time saving meals. It’s so much better to make them from scratch and save your money for other things. A good comprehensive list of not only your favorite meals but also canned items you use the most cross-referenced with the sale ads will save you time and money as you shop.

Watch for things that are not that much cheaper by the case. For instance a case of cooking oil may be a great deal but if you won’t use 12 bottles of oil in the next year, just buy 6 instead. A case of cake mixes may be a really good deal, but knowing that cake mixes come on sale pretty often may cause you to just buy a couple or even make your cakes from scratch.

Don’t be afraid to make a list of your most important items that you want to buy cases of. Go through the store and purchase and pay for those first then make another trip getting your second most important items next. Sometimes shopping in shifts helps you to not be tempted to purchase things you don’t really need a case of. If you have money left at the end of your shopping trip then you can go back again and pick up some things you may have passed over before.

One more thing that has helped me many times when I shop case lot sales is to make a list of all the meals I could make from the items that I have in my house without buying any other items. Survey your list and see how many meals you can make. Then make a list of meals you can make with just picking up an item or two to enable you to make a complete meal. Add those few items you are out of to your list.

I think the best advice I ever got was to make a list of 15 meals that I could make using canned or shelf stable items. Write down all the ingredients to make those meals. I did this on a spread sheet. Then I times those meals by 2 and have enough meals for a month. If I multiply by 3, I have a 3 month supply. List all of the ingredients you need to make those meals that many times. This is not necessarily your shopping list but it is your planning list. If you know that you are going to need 12 cans of black beans for instance, you can work at acquiring 12 cans of black beans. Once you get those 12 cans, make sure you always have 12 cans on hand.

I made a list like this for a 3 month supply, including just the dinner meals for 3 months. I carried the list in my purse for some time before I was able to cross everything off the list; once I did, I had enough food stored for 3 months of dinner meals. Then you can work on breakfasts and lunches. It is surprising when you make your shopping spread sheet for your 3 month supply, just how much you can actually find and cross off your list without too much trouble. It is just getting it done that is the hardest.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on cases. Every little bit helps if you are wise in your choice. Planning your shopping trip is as much work as the trip itself. Set your goals and make your list and carry it with you till you accomplish your goals.

Tip of the week
I have always struggle with hard water buildup in my dishwasher and it seemed I just couldn’t get on head of it. I’d clean it with white vinegar periodically but it was not long before that nasty buildup was there again.

I tried a new tip this week that I think is a keeper. Just fill you soap cups in your dishwasher with Tang Orange Drink Powder (I used the generic brand that I bought in bulk for just a few cents at Winco) and set your dishwasher to run through the regular cycle with an empty dishwasher. I am going to do this on a regular basis.

I am happy to have my computer up and running again with all my preparedness info and documents still intact – thank you PC’s Unlimited! I have been canning like crazy all week and am a little behind in – well, everything. I just wanted to share a recipe I tried this week and loved. It is for Peach-Raspberry jam. It was easy and I love it. If you are still doing peaches you may want to try this one. I think it’s a keeper.

Peach-Raspberry Jam
5 cups peeled and mashed peaches
5 c. sugar
1 ½ c. raspberries, fresh or frozen or use a 10 oz. pkg. frozen raspberries, thawed
1 package (3 oz.) raspberry Jell-O
Mix sugar, peaches and raspberries in a large saucepan. Stir and bring to a rolling boil. Stirring constantly, boil for 15 minutes. Thoroughly stir in raspberry Jell-O. Pour into hot, sterilized jars. Wipe rims and add new lids and screw on bands. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Y: 8 half-pint jars

Whole Wheat Wednesday - Wheat Meat "Beef Steak"

We’ve been discussing the methods for using gluten to make wheat meat. Today I will pass on the instructions for making “beef Steak” using gluten.

The first thing to remember when attempting this is that this is wheat gluten, not beef steak. However, with a little practice you can make a satisfactory beef steak substitute.

Wheat Meat Beef Steak
Follow the methods for making wheat gluten we have already discussed. Beef steak is made by rolling and stretching the gluten as thin as you can. It is very springy and bouncy, but keep rolling and stretching as you go and eventually you will be able to stretch it thin enough.

Use a very sharp knife to cut into steak shaped pieces; drop these pieces into a pot of boiling broth made from 4 Tablespoons beef soup base and 2 quarts water. Simmer for 2-3 hours until the texture resembles that of beef.

The texture of the “beef steak” may be improved by patting the steaks dry with paper toweling and drying in a 300º oven for a few minutes. They should resemble thin beef steaks, or cube steaks.

One way to serve these “steaks” is to serve with beef gravy, or a seasoned sauce such as if you were making Swiss Steak with a tomato base. Just remember not to simmer the “meat” in the gravy or sauce, but rather to just serve the sauce over the meat.

One thing about making wheat meat is that if you have your wheat already, you don’t have a big investment to try making the wheat meat and experimenting. You can see what you come up with and how you like it or if your family likes it. Could be very interesting and definitely a good learning experience. You’ll never know what you can do with wheat until you try!

Clear Jel

What is Clear Jel?
Clear Jel is a corn starch derivative, a commercial thickening product used by bakeries and for frozen food. This product is used the same as flour or corn starch. There are two types of Clear Jel available, "instant" and "regular".

"Instant" clear jel does not require heat to thicken. The product will thicken once the liquid is added. "Regular" clear jel, on the other hand, must be heated. This is generally the preferred type to use in products to be canned. To use Clear Jel in a hot dish such as gravy, first mix a small amount in cold water, then add gradually to the hot liquid, mixing constantly. Or, mix everything together while cold, and then heat and stir to thicken.

Instant clear jel is the most widely used and stored. However, if you wish to use clear jel to replace pectin in your canning recipes that are cooked, you should use the regular clear jel. It should be noted here that canning recipes that use regular cornstarch are not considered safe. This is a great alternative.

Advantages to using Clear Jel:
• It is clear in color when cooked.
• It has excellent stability.
• It remains smooth.
• It prevents liquid separation and curdling after foods have been frozen.
• Cream sauces, custard, and puddings may be frozen with excellent results
• It is less expensive than pectin.
• The amount of sugar may be adjusted without losing the jelling capacity.
• Recipes may be doubled, tripled or halved.
• The jam may be frozen or processed in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
• It stores relatively well if stored properly.

Hints for using Clear Jel:
• Any fruit jam or jelly recipe may be used as long as the product is processed for 10 minutes or frozen. Substitute 7 tbsp of Clear Jel for the pectin in cooked jams and jellies and 3-4 tbsp of Clear Jel for the pectin in freezer jam recipes. • For freezer jam follow the jam recipes on this sheet.
• Clear Jel does not dissolve easily in liquid. To help dissolve the product, mix the Clear Jel with a little sugar before adding to the fruit or juice. Here are some recipes using Clear Jel. Also included are a recipe for homemade Karo Syrup and a recipe for Homemade Cool Whip.

Homemade Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
Substitute with this for any recipe calling for a 3.5 oz box of instant pudding.
For chocolate, add extra sugar with the cocoa: use 1/2 cup cocoa and 3/4 cup sugar. Add an extra 1/4 cup of milk or so because of the extra dry ingredients.
1/3 cup instant dry milk*
2 cups cold milk*
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup Instant Clear Jel
1/4 tsp salt, optional
Combine dry ingredients.
Add 2 cups cold milk and 1-2 t. vanilla; mix well.
*Note: A secret of using instant clear jel is to mix it with the dry ingredients first before adding liquid; it’s less likely to clump. You can just shake it, or use a mixer, blender, stick blender.

Cherry Jam
4 cups pitted chopped cherries
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 tablespoons Clear Jel
Sugar to taste (approximately 1 cup)
Add lemon juice to cherries. Combine Clear Jel with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to cherries. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze.

Apricot and Pineapple Jam
5 cups ground apricots
1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 tablespoons Clear Jel
Sugar to taste (approximately 3 cups)
Add lemon juice to apricots. Combine Clear Jel with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to apricots. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add rest of sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze.

Apricot Jam
3 1/2 cups apricots
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 1/2 tablespoons Clear Jel
Sugar to taste (approximately 2 cups)
Add lemon juice to apricots. Combine Clear Jel with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to apricots. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add rest of sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze.

Peach Jam
3 3/4 cups peaches
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 tablespoons Clear Jel
Sugar to taste (approx. 1 1/2 cups)
Add lemon juice to peaches. Combine Clear Jel with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to peaches. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add rest of sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze.

Berry Jam
4 cups crushed berries or juiced
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 tablespoons Clear Jel
Sugar to taste (approximately 1 1/2 cup)
Add lemon juice to berries. Combine Clear Jel with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to berries. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add rest of sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour into jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath or freeze

Canned Blackberry Pie Filling
6 quarts fresh blackberries
7c sugar*
1 3/4 c. Clear jel
1 t cinnamon*
9 1/3 c water or juice
1/2 c. lemon juice
Combine Clear jel, sugar, cinnamon in large pan. Add water and juice and mix until smooth. Heat till mixture bubbles stirring constantly. Add berries and fold in. Remove from heat. Fill 7 quart jars leaving 1" headspace. Process in boiling water bath for 35 minutes.

Karo Corn Syrup Substitute
A corn syrup substitute without the high fructose!
Servings: Makes almost 2 cups
2 c. white sugar
3/4 c. water
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
Dash of salt
Combine all ingredients in a heavy, large pan. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and put cover on it for 3 minutes to get sugar crystals off the sides of the pan. Uncover and cook until it reaches soft ball stage. Stir often. Cool syrup and store in a covered container at room temperature. It will keep for about 2 months. Y: 2 cups

Homemade cool whip
1 t. gelatin
2 t. cold water
3 T. boiling water
½ c. ice water
½ c. nonfat dry milk
3 T. sugar
3 T. oil
Chill a small mixing bowl. Soften gelatin with 2 teaspoons cold water, then add boiling water, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cool until tepid. Place ice water and nonfat dry milk in the chilled bowl. Beat at high speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Add sugar, still beating, then oil and gelatin. Place in freezer about 15 minutes; transfer to refrigerator until ready for use. Stir before using to retain creamy texture. Y: 2 cups.

Food Storage Friendly Friday - Condiments

If you are a honey connoisseur, you are familiar with not only regular honey but also creamed honey. What you may not have tried is flavored creamed honey.

This is a special treat that you can make yourself. This makes such a fun treat to serve on hot rolls or bread or a great gift to give to neighbors and friends. Here are the instructions to make it.

I’ve also included a recipe for homemade ketchup and homemade mustard. If you have never made them, you should try. It’s a fun experiment.

Raspberry or Orange Creamed Honey
Melt 2 quarts honey and cool to room temperature. Add ½ pint (1 cup) creamed honey. Stir well to combine. Let this mixture sit until it turns to creamed honey – about 2 weeks.

Take out 1 cup and set aside. (This is your starter. You will save 1 cup of the mixture – before you flavor it – to use in your next batch of creamed honey in place of the ½ cup of creamed honey you used the first time.)

Pour the honey you mixed, minus the 1 cup you set aside to save, into separate containers and flavor each according to your taste, using flavored extracts; start with a small amount of extract until you get the flavor you like. We like Raspberry and orange the best. I want to try some chocolate honey but I have not done it yet. I also think almond honey would be very good. Experiment and see what your favorite is!

Homemade Mustard
½ c. dry mustard
½ c. white vinegar
1 t. salt
½ t. pepper
2 T. white sugar
3 egg yolks, beaten
In a heavy saucepan combine mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. Simmer over low heat for 3 hours. Beat egg yolks into mixture and stir until thickened. Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal. Cool at room temperature and store in the refrigerator.

Homemade Ketchup
1 28-oz. can tomato puree
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
2 T. brown sugar
½ c. cider vinegar
1 c. water
Pinch cayenne
Pinch celery salt
Pinch dry mustard
Pinch ground allspice
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch ground ginger
Pinch ground cinnamon
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 of a fresh jalapeno, stemmed and seeded (Optional)
Yield: about 4 cups of ketchup
In a blender or food processor, blend tomato puree, garlic, onion, and brown sugar. If you like a spicier ketchup add the jalapeno pepper. Blend until smooth. When mixture is smooth, add vinegar and water. Blend again until smooth. Pour into a heavy kettle. Whisk in spices, adjusting the spices you use to your personal preferences. As the ketchup cooks, taste periodically to adjust the seasonings. Remember the ketchup will “cook down” and the spices will become stronger as it cooks. Cook over medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. When it starts to boil, lower the heat to about medium, just until it will hold a simmer. Simmer, uncovered about 1 hour stirring occasionally. You have to be the judge of when your ketchup is ready.

To test what your ketchup will be like when it’s chilled, stick a small plate in the freezer for about 15 minutes. When you think your ketchup is done, put about a teaspoon on the cold plate. Stick it back in the freezer until the ketchup is cold. Then, taste it and see if you’re happy. The consistency of the ketchup on your plate represents about how the entire pot would be once it’s chilled. If you like it, take the pot off the heat. If you want it thicker, simmer it for another 5-10 minutes, then do the cold plate test again. When you’re happy with your ketchup, take it off the stove. Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Cool it to room temp on the counter, then bottle and refrigerate. This can be bottled and sealed in jars if you wish.

Whole Wheat Wednesday - Wheat Meat Roast Beef

The more I read and study about the possibilities of wheat meat, the more thankful I am for this amazing grain. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful and useful things in nature that are not only versatile but also healthy. Wheat in and of itself is an amazing thing.

I am also very grateful for those who have gone before me and studied and perfected some of these methods of using basic grains in so many different ways. This is not only a wonderful thing for anyone who may at some point have to live for a time off their food storage, this is also an awesome thing for those who for one reason or another cannot use or eat much meat but still like the taste and idea of eating meat and all those things which go with it.

To make roast beef from wheat meat, we use the same exact method of making wheat meat (gluten) that we have used in the past posts to make ground beef. There are three different methods for making roast beef. I will explain all of those today and you can file them away to experiment with when you have the time.

Roast beef made from gluten needs to be sliced paper thin and served with a sauce. When cut in strips it can be added in casseroles or Stroganoff, just before servings. Cubes can be cut and heated in barbecue sauce; for best results make sure they are no larger than a pair of dice. Here are the three methods:

1.Cloth Sack Method: Make sacks or tubes of clean muslin 2½” in diameter and 5” long. Pack full of washed, raw gluten and tie the ends securely. Place in a pan and cover with a broth made of 4 T. beef soup base to each 2 quarts of water. This involves a long, slow simmering process. You can do this on the stove top or use a crock-pot if you wish, or even in the oven at 350º. You will need to simmer it for 6-8 hours or overnight. When this is cooked well, it will have the chewy texture of beef. To achieve a chewier texture, it can be placed on a greased cookie sheet and dried somewhat in a 300º oven for about 30 minutes. You can experiment to see how you like it best.

2.Foil Method: Form the washed raw gluten into 2½” x 5” rolls. Roll tightly in foil. Simmer in water to cover for 2 hours. Unwrap and drop into boiling broth made from 4 Tablespoons beef soup base to 2 quarts water. Simmer 6-8 hours, or overnight.


3.Greased Tin Method: Fill a well-greased 1 lb. can half full with raw washed gluten. Make a broth of 4 tablespoons beef soup base to 2 quarts water and cover the gluten to a depth of 2”. Lift the ball of gluten to assure the broth reaches all sides. Place in a 350º oven for 3-4 hours until broth is nearly all gone. Remove from tin.

Here are my personal thoughts on these methods. The cloth sack method is the easiest. It may seem like more work to make the muslin bags but they are easy to make and can be washed and reused. Plus it is easy to make up several bags at one time for future use. They can be tied with string which makes for a simple way to wrap the beef.

To make roast beef in one of these ways, it is important to have plenty of beef soup base or beef bouillon stored as well as muslin, string, ingredients to make gravy or other sauces that you might want to serve with it. Lots of spices will make your serving possibilities more innumerable.

Experimenting with wheat meat is relatively inexpensive. Try some and see if you can make it an season it to your liking. I'd love to hear of any experiences in making wheat meat roast beef. Give it a try and see what you come up with!

Food Storage Friendly Friday

I love this time of year. I love visiting the farmers markets when I can, the fruit stands and the grocers who carry local fresh produce. I only have one problem and that is that there is so much fresh goodness available that it is hard to do everything I want to do at once. I have found a few ideas that help to get everything done at once; dry some while you are canning the rest or blend some to make jam, jelly or salsa. Whatever you do, don't let the season pass without preserving some for the winter months ahead.

I'm not a great advocate of freezing fresh fruit unless you can use it up fairly rapidly because after about 3 months you loose some of that fresh goodness. I do like to freeze some peaches occasionally in small containers for lunches or to heat for ice cream toppings, smoothies or cobblers. I like having some canned peaches on the shelf as well as some of my favorite peach jam, which is quick and easy to make.

I also like canned pears but many people don't. One of my favorite things to do with canned pears (because I had children who had texture issues) was to open them and blend them to make pear sauce or chop them to make pear bread. I also loved using the canned pears in my favorite set salad, "Hidden Pear Salad". I'll post the recipes for these below.

I've been drying strawberries for snacking or to add to cereals, snack mixes and even muffins. They are even great chopped into pancake or waffle batter. I also freeze some in 1 c. portions for smoothies and my favorite fruit pie. I also freeze raspberries and some blueberries the same way, but just enough that I can use up. Many fruits can be frozen using the ICF (individual quick frozen) method if you plan to use them in jams or jellies or even some pie filling recipes. This makes it easy to wash, remove stems and spread them on wax paper and freeze, then measure and put in baggies until you are ready to can them.

Twice in the last month I've needed a quick dessert to take to a friend with a birthday, a new baby or the loss of a loved one. I have loved having frozen fruit in my freezer to throw a pie together in no time. I'll share the recipe for this delicious pie.

Tomatoes are in abundance right now. I love making the chili sauce I recently posted but even more I love slicing and drying the tomatoes. This is a quick way to preserve them. They are great in recipes or just plain. Try them with a dip served like a chip. They have so much flavor. I also love canning stewed tomatoes. They can be eaten straight from the bottle with a little salt and pepper or sugar, used to make a fresh salsa or added to any soup or stew. They are so delicious.

Corn is just starting to come on here. I freeze enough for a few meals but general use the rest in fresh corn salads, eaten off the cob or bottle some corn relish which I have posted before. I want to first share the easy pie that I love to make (AND EAT) and is a great way to share your fruit with friends and neighbors. I'm including some of my other recipes that use these fresh fruits in different ways.

Take advantage of all the harvest goodness that you can. It's a shame to let it go to waste.

Berry Cheesecake Pie
2 vanilla wafer pie crusts
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. cool whip
1 pkg. raspberry or strawberry Danish Dessert
1¾ c. cold water
1 c. frozen sliced strawberries
1 c. frozen blueberries
1 c. frozen raspberries
Whipped cream
Blend cream cheese powdered sugar until smooth; stir in cool whip. Divide evenly and spread over the bottom of the two shells. Combine Danish Dessert and cold water. Bring to a full boil and boil 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in frozen berries. Cool slightly; Pour over cream cheese layer. Chill. Garnish with whipped cream around the edges (looks very pretty) or on individual slices of pie.

Frozen Peaches
Put peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds then into cold water. Peel and remove pit. Slice into solution of 1 quart water, 3 c. sugar and 4 t. fruit fresh, (1 t. per cup of water). Pack fruit into bottles or Ziploc bags. Fill with syrup (juice they were sliced into), to within ½” of top of jars. Freeze. These are good frozen in baby food jars and packed in lunches, or to use as ice cream topping or for peach pie or cobbler.

Peach Jam
15 c. peaches, crushed
15 c. sugar
5 packages orange jell-o
Boil peaches and sugar 10-15 minutes. Add jell-o. Stir until completely dissolved. While mixture is boiling, bottle and seal. Water bath 10 minutes.

Hidden Pear Salad
1 can or bottle (16 oz.) pears, liquid drained and reserved
1 pkg. (3 oz.) lime jell-o
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ t. lemon juice
8 oz. cool whip (or 1 envelope dream whip mix)
In a saucepan, bring reserved pear liquid to a boil. Stir in jell-o until dissolved. Remove from heat and cool at room temperature till syrupy. Puree pears in a blender. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and lemon juice until fluffy and smooth. Add pureed pears and mix well. Prepare whipped topping (if using Dream Whip mix) or use cool whip and fold in cooled Jell-o. Pour into a jell-o mold or a quart dish. Chill overnight. Y: 6-8 servings

Pecan Pear Bread
1 c. sugar
½ c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
¼ c. sour cream
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. soda
½ t. salt
¼ - ½ t. cardamom
½ - ½ t. cinnamon
1 ½ c. chopped peeled pears
2/3 c. chopped pecans
½ t. grated lemon peel
Combine sugar and oil. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; add to sour cream mixture and mix well. Stir in pears, pecans and lemon peel. Spread batter into a greased 8x4x2” loaf pan. Bake at 350º for 65-75 minutes or till toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool completely. Y: 1 loaf.

Stewed Tomatoes
10 c. chopped tomatoes (about 18 medium)
1¼ c. chopped celery
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
½ c. sugar
2 cans (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 T. salt
Scald and peel tomatoes and chop as fine as desired. Put onion, celery and peppers in small pan with a little juice from tomatoes. Boil about 10 minutes and add to tomatoes along with sugar, tomato sauce and salt. Bring to a good boil and boil about 5 minutes. Put into hot bottles and seal. Process pints and quarts in boiling water bath.


Tomato Sauce from dried tomatoes
1 c. tomato pieces
1 c. water
In a pot, combine tomato pieces and water. Let sit for about 15 minutes until dehydrated. Use in any recipe calling for tomato sauce. Y: 1 1/3 c. tomato sauce

Whole Wheat Wednesday - Wheat Meat Ground Beef

Last Wednesday we talked about making the basic wheat meat recipe. We have mixed up the dough and washed it and it is now sitting in a bowl of clean water. We have now decided to use this gluten to make Ground beef, one of many different possibilities.

I want to mention here that if you plan on making wheat meat on a regular basis or having the tools and supplies to do it, there are a few things you need to include in your preparedness plan. First of all, you need a good food grinder. A wheat grinder grinds too small, but you can invest in a good non-electric food grinder, such as a hand-crank type. These can be found at places like Lehmans Non-Electric, Smithfield Implement and possibly some hardware stores. These are also useful for grinding pepper and onions and other vegetables in canning. I use mine mostly for grinding raisins to make raisin filled cookies or for grinding vegetables for relishes.

Also because you need a filler or binder to hold the ground meat together in making patties or meat loaf or meat balls, the recipes usually call for eggs. It’s a good idea to have powdered eggs in your storage or unflavored gelatin. This is a good way to use your flax seed if you are storing it.

Spices and flavorings are also important ingredients. If you have followed me for any time at all, you know I am a big supporter of beef bouillon for cooking; to my way of thinking, one of the most important flavorings you can store along with other flavors of bouillon.
Ground Beef is probably the most universally and conveniently used form of beef so it just might be the most popular way to use wheat meat.

There are two main ways to use ground beef; as an addition to casseroles as fillings and anywhere you would normally add fried, crumbled ground beef. Also it can be used in recipes where raw hamburger would be shaped and formed into meatballs, meat loaf or hamburger patties.

To make cooked, crumbled “ground beef”, take the raw, washed gluten and form it into balls the size of an orange. Place them on greased cookie sheets and bake in a 350º oven for 45 minutes until firm and leathery. The tough leathery texture helps to give the meaty texture when it is ground.

Remove from the oven and let it cool. Tear into pieces and put through a food or meat grinder. When ground, it has the appearance of ground beef. A food processor may be used, but the texture will not be quite the same. This is where your food grinder will come in handy.

Ground Beef Wheat Meat
2½ c. moderately packed ground gluten
2 T. beef soup base (depending on brand you use)
2 T. white flour
2 large eggs
2 T. vegetable oil
¼ t. garlic powder
¼ c. finely minced onion OR 2½ T. dehydrated onion flakes
Mix all ingredients together I a large bowl and press onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 300º Oven for 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are set. Cool and tear into small bits to resemble cooked hamburger. Add to soups, stews, and casseroles, etc., just before serving. If you allow it to cook in a dish as you would regular beef, too much liquid is absorbed and the texture is lost.

To become proficient at making wheat meat only requires a little practice. The more you practice, the easier it will be to figure out the texture and seasonings you want to use. Pretty soon, you will be able to adapt it to most of your favorite recipes, with good success.

To begin with, choose a recipe where you can disguise the meat such as sloppy Joes, enchiladas or a casserole containing ground beef with noodles, rice or other fillers. This helps to disguise the beef a bit in case your first attempts don’t “look” like meat. The most important thing is to not tell your family or those you are feeding what the meat is. If you do, you can bet they will pick it apart and no one will like it. Here is a recipe for you to try:

Wheat Meat Sloppy Joes
2 c. wheat meat Ground Beef
¾ c. onion, chopped
¼ t. pepper
Salt to taste
1 T. vinegar
1 T. brown sugar
1 ½ c. tomato sauce or homemade ketchup
1 T. mustard
6 Homemade Hamburger buns
In a large skillet, heat together all the ingredients except the wheat meat ground beef. Simmer, uncovered for one minute. Stir in the wheat meat and serve immediately over the hamburger buns which have been split and toasted. Y: 6 servings.

Stocking Up (How to "Hunker Down" for Winter)

How was your weekend? Everyone safe? It was a wild and crazy one here. Lots of strong thunder storms rolled through Saturday night and again on Sunday night wreaking havoc. We were not only without power for quite awhile on Saturday night, I also lost my computer and my recent work that I had not yet backed up. Bummer. On top of that I lost several recipes and other information I had saved for future blog posts so I have my work cut out for me.

It was a rough day on Sunday as my husband worked on Saturday, through the night Saturday night and all day on Sunday as well. I was up until 4 am trying to get my computer up and running but to no avail. So we are sleep deprived and I’m a bit grouchy…mostly at myself for not being more diligent about not saving important info on the desktop without backing it up.

I was happy to have an oil lamp ready to go when the power went out that night. I was home alone and a little spooked but thoroughly enjoyed having an oil lamp to keep me company.

I’ve mentioned before how a power outage gets my mind working about preparedness. In hearing about the power outages in the wake of “Irene” and the damage she left behind, I feel so bad for those who will be without power for possibly several weeks. Yikes! If that doesn’t make you think about preparedness, nothing will.

I am constantly amazed at how quickly we forget about preparedness when things are running smoothly. Every time something goes wrong with the electricity or water, I mentally make a list of the things I need to do to be better prepared and as soon as things are back to normal, I forget all about it.

I was visiting with one of the readers here about food storage and getting it done. We both agree that the hardest part about it is often just the commitment to do it. Sometimes I think we look at the whole big picture and let it overwhelm us instead of breaking it down into manageable segments.

I do have a little ritual that I do every fall though that I’d like to share with you. I always do canning every summer/fall and though I often put it off or think it is going to be worse than it is, by the time I finish I find myself wishing I had done more. I have something inside me that makes me want to “gather the harvest’, “stock up” and “hunker down” for the winter. Here are some things that I do in the area where I live that help me feel more prepared for the long winter ahead. Maybe you can share what things you do in the areas where you live to “gather & prepare”.

1.Stock up on potatoes or other fresh vegetables when possible. I live in an area where potatoes are harvested in the fall and sold in 50 lb. bags. I gather enough bags to get me through the winter…hopefully to last until at least April or May. This year I hope to get extra and dehydrate some again. I loved doing that last year.

2.Onions are sold in many grocery stores in the fall for under $5 for 25 lbs. Two bags are just about right for me. They last me through the winter and are great to have on hand.

3.Squash and carrots are often harvested and stored for several months to be used in the winter months. Carrots can be stored in boxes or buckets of sand to keep them fresh for a long time. Sweet fresh carrots are wonderful to have on hand in the winter.

4.Toilet Paper is a must. I know how much I need to store per month. I make sure that I have at least 6 months worth going into winter. This is on top of additional years supply toilet paper. It’s great to know you won’t run out if you happen to be snow bound and stuck at home.

5.Flour and Sugar are other items I like to buy in the fall because they are usually cheaper. I can grind wheat for wheat flour but I like having 100 pounds of white flour in my basement, as well as 50 pounds of sugar, more if I’m canning.

6.Matches and lamp oil are a must. I also make sure we have fresh flashlight batteries on hand.

7.Plastic or extra blankets make a great room divider if you are without power in the cold and need to close of part of the rooms in your house to keep a smaller area warm. Do you have a way to heat your home and cook your food if you are without power for a week?

8.Soups or non-refrigerated convenience foods are a great way to be prepared if you lose power and need a minimal preparation meal. So much easier to heat up a can of soup than try to make a meal from scratch in a tough situation. I stock up on bouillon for broths and simple soups too.

9.I try to take inventory of any cold or flu remedies that we might need in the months ahead. Vitamin C and essential oils are usually our go-to home remedies.

10.I can’t always do it, but If possible I like to shop the case lot sales and try and stock up on things I might be short on. I always feel better knowing I have a little extra on hand.

11.Water is something we don’t think about as much when it’s cold as we do in the summer, but it is just as important to have a few cases stored for a winter emergency as it is in the summer time.

12.When the weather starts getting cold I like to really concentrate on dehydrating anything that I can find. I don’t have to worry about it heating up the house and I don’t feel the pressure to do it when there is gardening and canning to get done. If I have extra meat in the freezer that I want to can, this is a great time to do it. It is my favorite time to can homemade soups and other non-seasonal foods.

I know everyone probably has their own rituals that they do to get ready for winter. I think as the economy worsens and money gets tighter it is even more important to take inventory and see what essentials we need to have on hand. I read a statement the other day that said, “I don’t look at my short term food storage as an expense, I think of it as my family savings account.” I loved that!

I want to re-post the recipe for the canned cheese sauce that I have canned a few times since I first posted it. I LOVE this cheese sauce. It is so convenient and is absolutely delicious. If you are looking for something fun to can this could be an option for you. I’m doing another batch next week.

Also, each fall I try to find at least 3 or 4 new canning recipes to try to add some variety to what I usually do. Last year I canned a peach marmalade with almonds, coconuts and cherries that I love. I also did a rhubarb jam with cherry pie filling that we have really enjoyed. I believe I posted the recipes last fall. If not I can send them to anyone who is interested.

This year I got a couple of recipes from a friend that I am going to try; blueberry butter made with blueberries and apples, as well as a canned peach salsa. I’m also going to try making homemade taco sauce and canning a praline syrup just for fun. I’ll post these recipes here just for fun. I’ve never made these before. Looking forward to trying them.

What are you canning this year? Anyone care to share?

Homemade Canned “Cheese Whiz”
2 lbs. Velveeta cheese (or any other brand)
10 ounces of evaporated milk
2 T. vinegar
1 t. salt
1 t. dry mustard
Melt milk and cheese in double boiler. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Fill hot jars about 1” from top of jar and add hot lids and rims. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. So good as a dip or on pasta or served over vegetables or baked potatoes.Y: about 5 half pint jars

Blueberry Butter
4 c. Blueberries
4 c. Granny Smith Apples, (6 Large). Peeled And Chopped.
2 c. White Sugar
1 c. Firmly Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 t. Ground Cinnamon
¼ t. Ground Allspice
¼ t. Ground Mace
¼ t. Ground Nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves, stirring as needed. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Pour the butter into sterilized canning jars, filling to within ¼”of the rims. Wipe the rims clean with a clean damp cloth and seal the jars with the lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. cool completely, store in a cool, dark, dry place. Serve on pancakes or waffles too.

Canned Peach Salsa – 8 pints
3 ½ lbs chopped Roma tomatoes
2 ½ lbs. peeled and chopped hard, unripe peaches
4 c. diced yellow onion
2 ½ c. chopped peppers, red, green or yellow
1 ½ T. canning salt
1 ½ T. crushed red pepper flakes or 1-2 chopped jalapeños if desired
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 ½ T. cumin
½ T. black pepper
1¼ c. sugar
3 c. cider vinegar (5%)
Place all of the ingredients into one large pot. Bring to boiling, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the peaches have softened. With a slotted spoon, fill salsa solids into hot, sanitized jars, leaving 1¼” headspace. Cover with cooking liquid, which then should leave ½” headspace. Wipe rim and screw threads with a clean damp cloth. Add lid, screw band and tighten firmly and evenly. Process the jars in a boiling water bath, 25 minutes for quart jars and 15 minutes for pint jars. Y: 4 quarts or 8 pints (Can be doubled)

Taco Sauce—Ball Blue Book
3 c. tomato paste
2 T. chili powder
1 T. salt
1 t. cayenne pepper
½ t. hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)
5 c. water
1 c. cider vinegar
½ c. corn syrup
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thick. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking and scorching. Ladle hot sauce into jars, leaving ¼ inch head-space. Wipe rims of jars clean. Process 40 minutes in boiling water bath.

Praline Syrup – Ball Blue Book
2 c. dark corn syrup
1/3 c. dark brown sugar
½ c. water
1 c. pecan pieces
½ t. vanilla
Combine syrup, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in pecans and vanilla. Pour hot into hot jars, leaving ½” headspace. Adjust caps. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Y: about 4 half pints.

Food Storage Friendly - Friday Meal Idea and Tip of the Week

I just want to take a minute and thank those of you who have emailed me about the blog. I have received awesome emails from some of you and it really helps give me inspiration for the posts I do here.

Preparedness isn’t an easy thing. It really complicates our lives sometimes. I find myself looking at friends and others who don’t do food storage or preparedness and at how uncomplicated their lives seem. Then I come back to reality and think about how sad they will be someday when the availability of food isn’t there or the price becomes restrictive to them. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have not only of how to do a few things with food storage items but also knowing that someday I am going to be really glad to have it and thankful to use it now and in the future.

My tip this week is to can or preserve everything you are able to. Sometimes cost or availability is restrictive, but if these aren’t a problem, look at the abundance around you and make every effort to preserve it. I even dehydrated a watermelon yesterday just because I didn’t want to waste it and I wanted to see how it works. I’ll keep you posted on that one. Gather what you can and find a way to preserve it, even if it is not something you usually can or dry. You’ll find things that you have never preserved before sometimes turn out to be some of your favorites. I make it a goal to try at least 2 or 3 new things each year. I’ll share some of my new favorites next week.

Every summer I go through a time when I just don’t want to cook. Nothing sounds good, it heats up the house and I just plain have a hard time remembering how to actually make anything nutritious. I might note here that I don’t seem to forget how to make desserts and treats, hmmm. Fresh veggies and fruit are the only things that really sound good; well something wet and cold to drink always sounds good.
Thank goodness some of you are still sending in your food storage friendly recipes. It gives me something new to try and a reason to cook. I’d like to share a recipe for Turkey (or chicken) Cottage pie sent to me by a reader. This is a fun variation on a basic pot pie – very food storage friendly. Thanks, Jeri.

Turkey (or chicken) Cottage Pie
Jeri B. - Arizona
1 C. finely chopped celery
1 C. finely chopped carrot
1 C. finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 T. unsalted butter
3 T. flour
1 C. turkey gravy
1 C. chicken stock or broth
2 1/2 C. bite-sized cooked turkey pieces or chicken
1/2 C. cooked peas
1/2 C. cooked carrots
1/2 C. cooked pearl onions
salt and pepper
2 C. turkey stuffing
Melted unsalted butter, as needed
In a saucepan sweat the celery, carrot, onion and garlic in the butter, covered with a buttered round of waxed paper and the lid, over moderately low heat for 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring for 3 minutes. Add the gravy, stock or broth and cook over moderate heat, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the turkey, peas, carrots, pearl onions, salt and pepper to taste, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Transfer the mixture to a flameproof 1 1/2-quart baking dish, and with a spatula spread the stuffing over it. Drizzle the stuffing with some melted butter. Bake the pie in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes, or until bubbling, and put it under a preheated boiler until the top is golden brown.

I may or may not have mentioned that for Christmas last year my husband bought me an Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. I have loved it. It has been so fun to make genuine Dutch oven potatoes in my house. I have cooked so many different things in it and the results have been wonderful every time – no fault of my own. It’s a lot like cooking in the crock-pot only quicker; the results are much the same.

Just for fun, I want to share a couple of my favorite summertime recipes today. The recipe for Layered Potatoes is originally a crock-pot recipe that I adapted to cook in the Dutch oven. It is wonderful either way. So if you are looking for a great easy no-heat-up-the-house crock-pot recipe or you have a Dutch oven you want to use, this is a great one.

I’m also including a favorite recipe for Green Beans. We love this and have made it many times. You don’t need a crock-pot or a Dutch oven for this one, just your stove top. It’s great for summertime so you don’t heat up your kitchen and especially if you have an excess of fresh Green Beans.

Layered potatoes (Crock-Pot or Dutch Oven)
2-4 T. butter (depending on the amount of potatoes you are using
Thinly sliced (1/8”) red potatoes – peeled or unpeeled (russets work too)
Thin sliced packaged ham (Land-of-frost honey ham is great)
I onion sliced fairly thin
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheese
1 can Sprite OR 1 can cream of chicken soup
Melt butter in bottom of Dutch oven. (If using crock pot spray bottom and sides of pot with cooking spray. Add a little butter to the bottom of your pot (optional).) Spread a layer of sliced potatoes in the bottom of your pot (2 or 3 slices deep). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. *Note: when using ham the potatoes don’t need as much salt. If adding cream of chicken soup, it is quite salty as well; salt the potatoes accordingly. Add a single layer of the sliced ham. Top with a layer of separated onion rings. Sprinkle lightly with grated cheese. Repeat layers, using as many potatoes as you wish. The original recipe called for spreading the cream of chicken soup over the top and spreading it like frosting, then topping with a final layer of cheese. When I made these in the Dutch oven I made as many layers as I wanted and then poured a can of sprite over the whole pot, and topped with a final layer of cheese. They were so good. I have also since used this method in the crock-pot and it worked well. You choose which kind of topping you want. Both are great. For Dutch oven – Bake at 350º for about an hour – they cook quickly. For Crock-Pot – Cook on high about 4 hours and turn to low to keep warm. This is a half-full crock-pot. If you are filling your crock-pot with potatoes, adjust time accordingly. These can also be cooked on low for a longer time. To check for doneness, test potatoes in the center of the pot.

The following recipe for Green Beans originally came from Our Best Bites. I altered it a bit by adding a few sliced almonds and using thick sliced peppered bacon; I also adapted a couple other ingredients and upped the cooking time a bit – we don’t care for our beans to be crunchy. These are now one of our favorite summertime veggies.

Caramelized Green Beans – Original recipe from Our Best Bites
1 1/8 lb. fresh green beans, washed and ends snipped off & snapped in half
½ lb. thick sliced peppered bacon
½ red onion, sliced
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil or bacon grease
2 T. sugar
2 T. soy sauce
½ t. kosher salt
Lots of freshly-ground pepper
Slivered almonds for garnish
Fry the bacon in a large skillet. Start boiling a large pot of water. Prepare the sauce by mixing sugar, soy sauce, and salt in a small bowl. Halve and slice onions, mince garlic. Remove bacon from pan; drain on a paper towel; crumble. Save a couple T. bacon drippings unless you prefer to use olive oil. Place beans in boiling water. Boil 7-8 minutes or until they reach your desired tenderness. If you like them crispy, remove after a couple of minutes and drain in a colander.

Add onions and garlic to heated bacon grease or olive oil. Stir a minute or so. Add drained beans to pan with onions and garlic. Stir fry 2-3 minutes. Stir sauce and pour on top of beans. Keep stir-frying until the beans get kind of glazed. Stir fry for another 2 minutes. –Add crumbled bacon and lots of freshly-ground pepper to the beans. Keep stir frying until the sauce sticks to the beans and the bacon. Transfer to a serving dish and let stand a few minutes so the beans cool down a bit and the glaze thickens up a little. Top with sliced Almonds if desired. *Note: My husband who claims he has never liked green beans can’t get enough of these.

Whole Wheat Wednesday - Wheat Meat

This post is definitely the one that I have put off doing the longest. Not because I don’t think it is important and a wonderful option, but because I have worried about how to present the concept and do it justice. In a class I helped teach on making wheat meat years ago, so many of the people turned up their noses and weren’t even interested in trying it. I was disappointed but not surprised. I firmly believe that even though you may not make wheat meat and eat it as a main staple in your diet, someday, if you learn how to do it, you will be glad you can make it.

I’m a firm believer in storing meat. I have always cooked with meat and nearly all my main dish recipes call for some kind of meat. However, being the realist that I am, I know that no matter how much meat you store, you will someday run out. Then what? I’m not sure I’d go out and shoot something and prepare it and eat it. I’d rather be able to prepare wheat meat and make it taste good; and you can!

I hope that those of you who have not made it or eaten it, will at least copy these instructions or other instructions for making wheat meat and file it away, just in case. I just don’t believe you can be too prepared. I can also tell you that those who do this regularly and have practiced and perfected the methods they use, say it is very good. Many have eaten wheat meat not knowing that is what they were eating.

Wheat meat is also called wheat gluten. It is made through a process using simple flour and water which extracts the gluten from the flour. There are many benefits to having the know-how to make wheat meat. Some of these benefits are as follows:
1) Money – I just paid $2.99 a pound for ground beef this last weekend – on sale. We know it’s only going to get worse. Considering the price of 50 lbs of wheat, it’s pretty obvious how much you can save.
2) Storage life – As mentioned before, meat will only last so long but wheat has a very long shelf life.
3) Nutrition – I know as well as anyone that the meat I buy at the grocery store is probably full of pesticides, fertilizer, antibiotics, steroids, dyes and a certain amount of bacteria. I still buy it and eat it but it is a no-brainer that the wheat is going to be better for me. It contains essential vitamins and minerals is more easily absorbed and digested by the body.
4) Preparation time – In an emergency, time will be of the essence and it is much quicker and easier to prepare wheat meat than real meat.
5) Digestion – The human body has to use 80% of its energy to digest meat. Wheat meat requires much less energy, giving you more energy reserves for use in an actual emergency.
6) Versatility – There are so many ways to use wheat meat that it becomes as versatile as regular meat; the only difference is that from one batch of wheat meat, you can make many different kinds of “meat”.
7) Peace of mind – There is a certain sense of security and peace of mind that comes from knowing that because I can make wheat meat or gluten I have endless possibilities with that wheat on my shelf aside from just baking bread. I don’t need to worry about keeping it refrigerated or having it spoil if it isn’t used up quickly.
8) Bran – An awesome byproduct of making wheat meat is Bran. You should end up with about 1 cup of bran for every pound of wheat meat you make. You can use the bran to make bran muffins or cereal. How cool is that?!
9) Nutritious water – the water left over from the process of making wheat meat is packed with nutrition and can be used in several ways which will be listed later.

There are many resources out there that teach you how to make wheat meat but I’m going to tell you about just a couple and try to simplify it as much as possible. There is a book called “Feed a Family of Four for as Low as $10 Per Week and enjoy a nibble of independence” by Marlynn, Jenny and Venecia Phipps and Jan Woollery.

A whole chapter in this book is dedicated to making wheat meat and they do such a good job. There are different recipes depending on what kind of meat you want to make; ground beef, hamburgers, hot dogs, roast chicken, roast beef, meatballs, chicken nuggets or even shrimp.

Whole wheat flour varies a bit from one type to the next, depending on the quality of your wheat and its protein content. Hard red wheat produces the most gluten but hard white wheat is also great for making chicken and other lighter color meats. The equivalents vary a bit but here are the basics.

Today I’ll post the recipe for basic wheat meat then share some variations in later posts. The basic recipe will yield about 3-4 cups of raw gluten. This can then be baked into about 8-9 cups of ground gluten and will be equal to about 2 ½ to 3 lbs. of ground meat. This can also be used to make about 12 dozen meatballs, “beef” roasts, chicken nuggets, beef steak, roast chicken, shrimp or tuna, hamburger patties, or sausage. The possibilities are endless.

WHEAT MEAT
12 c Flour
6 c Cold water (about)
Use wheat flour for beef and other red meats; white flour for chicken, shrimp, or other light meats.

Mixing (Mixer Method)
Combine flour and water in mixer. Using dough hook, knead for 5 minutes. It should be the consistency of bread dough; add more flour or water as needed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a towel to keep the dough from drying out and let rest in the fridge for a minimum of 20 minutes. If desired it can be covered with cool water and left in the fridge overnight. Proceed with the washing instructions.

Mixing (Hand Mixing Method)
Start with 7 c. flour and 3 ½ c. Cold water
Mix together in a large mixing bowl adding more water, if needed to achieve a bread dough consistency. The consistency you want to end up with is flexible. It should look a lot like your bread dough does before being completely kneaded. You don’t want dry, or watery. You want it to look a bit rubbery. You can adjust the amounts of flour or water after your initial mixing in order to get the consistency you need. It will not require kneading if it is covered with plastic or a cloth and allowed to rest for at least 30 minutes. If desired it can be covered with cool water and left in the fridge overnight. Proceed with the instructions for washing.

Washing
After the dough has rested, divide into 1/4ths and work with one portion at a time, keeping the remainder covered as you work. Place a piece of the dough in a strainer which is placed in a large bowl of cold water. While keeping the dough immersed at all times, stretch and compress the dough to wash out the bran and starch. The volume of the dough will diminish considerably during this process but keep your dough in one lump. In a few minutes of working your dough, it will begin to resemble over chewed bubblegum in texture. Kind of like pulling apart a well chewed piece of bubble gum.
Rinse the now rubbery glob of gluten in a fresh bowl of clean water and leave it under water while you repeat the process with the remaining 3 pieces of dough.

DO NOT throw out the water you used to wash your dough. Instead, pour it into a gallon jug or pitcher and place in the fridge overnight. If it is allowed to sit it will divide into 3 distinct layers. The top layer of clear water can then be poured off and used to water houseplants, pets, or used to mix your powdered milk, or make bread with it, etc. It has much nutrition in it.

The second layer is starch. It can be used to thicken gravies, stews, sauces, etc. Just use 4-7 T. of raw starch for every 2 c. of liquid in your recipe. Warning: the starch will only stay good for about 2 days in your fridge. To store it longer, place in the freezer.

The final layer is bran. Rinse the bran using a strainer and cheese cloth. It will stay good, when well rinsed, 4-6 days in the fridge. To keep it longer you need to freeze it or powder it. You can use it to make bran muffins, or to make bran flakes for cold cereal.

In your bowl with clean water, you now have your raw wheat meat, or gluten, which can be used to make ground beef, roasts, chicken chunks, shrimp, etc. depending on how you prepare it.

Next time we will talk about making Ground Beef from your gluten or wheat meat.

Canning Taco Meat

One of the fun things about canning is canning convenience foods. I love having meat canned and ready to use. Canning taco meat is a great convenience. When jars are opened all you have to do is heat the meat and assemble tacos or taco salad. It doesn’t get any easier than that. These also make great burritos or any favorite Mexican casserole. Not only that, it just makes for good food storage!

The leaner the ground beef, the better. Plan on one pound of ground beef for each pint of taco meat. (It helps to know how many pints your canner holds and use enough meat to fill your canner if possible. Mine holds 10 pints so I do 10 pounds of hamburger at a time.)

When meat is cooked, drained and spices added, you may be tempted to put less meat in each jar than one pound, but fill it pretty good as the meat will shrink a little when processed. Prepare ground beef, by browning it, draining fat and adding spices. This recipe uses dried spices. Feel free to add fresh onions or garlic if you wish; the dried spices make it super quick and easy to do. Use the following spices, or any spices of your choice. These spice amounts are for each pound of beef. Multiply them by the number of pounds you are canning. This is not a real spicy meat mixture, adjust amounts of any of the spices to your liking. DO NOT add cornstarch or any other thickening agent. Wash and sterilize jars and heat in oven or hot water. Put lids (bands and flats) in a saucepan and bring them to a simmer. Here are the suggested spices and amounts for each pound of beef you are canning:

2 t. dried instant minced onion
1 T. onion powder
½ t. instant minced garlic
1 t. chili powder
½ t. crushed dried red pepper
½ tsp. dried oregano
½ t. dried cumin
1 tsp. salt

Mix well...Now it's time to fill the hot jars with the beef mixture! Fill the jars, leaving an inch of headspace (I usually stop about where the threading on the jar starts). Next wipe the rim of the jar with a damp cloth to remove any and all residue (Tip: dampening the cloth with a little vinegar helps to remove grease). Next, put the lids on the jars and tighten. When all the jars are filled it's time to process them. Put jars in pressure canner and process according to your pressure canner instructions.

Process the pint jars, (again use the directions in your brand of pressure canner's instruction booklet), at 13 pounds of pressure (for a dial gauge canner – 15 lbs. for a weighted gauge canner) for 75 minutes (this is for 4000-6000 feet above sea level) Quarts would be processed for 90 minutes.

After processing, allow the pressure to drop completely on canner (don't force it down by cooling it, let it cool on its own or you could cause the glass jars inside to break), then removed the canner lid carefully, it was still very hot and steam is released when the lid is removed. Remove the jars with a jar lifter and place them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool. Wait for the beautiful sound of jar lids “pinging” to make sure they are sealed.

I leave the jars sitting undisturbed for about 12-24 hours, and then recheck the seals... if they're still sealed, I label and date the jars, then store them in a cool dark place.

Food Storage Friendly Friday - Pickling

Are you all canning your fool heads off? I know that sometimes at this time of year, that is what it seems like. It seems to me that the hotter the weather, the more canning going on in my house. Not exactly sure why that it but it sure seems that way.

Speaking of canning, I want to post a couple of links that I’ve been hanging on to for awhile now. One is for the re-useable canning lids – I’ve posted it before but someone asked for a repost so here it is. http://www.reusablecanninglids.com/

The other link is for a home canning system, using actual cans. This is the same principle as the canners that do #10 cans, if you have used those before. This link however, is for the machine to can small cans. If you are so inclined you can actually buy a canner and can your fruits and vegetables in tin cans instead of bottles - at home. I have talked to several people who are putting some of their home canned food storage in cans, so that in the event of an earthquake, not all their preserved foods would be in glass jars. If you are interested in checking this out, here is the link for that. https://www.wellscan.ca/home.php

The way I see it, the problem with canning is that, unfortunately, so many things ripen at the same time of year that it seems impossible to get everything canned and preserved that we’d like to. I know that every year I always look back and wish I’d done more or maybe tried a new variety of this or that but somehow it always seems like a race against time to get everything done. I always promise that I’ll do it next year.

Jams and jellies are easy to can and quick to do. Many vegetables ripen at the same time and need to be taken care of. I love canned beans, fruits and tomatoes and all the rest but occasionally I want to try something different.

Pickling is a big thing. You either love to pickle things and do all kinds of varieties or maybe you stay away from it all together. I especially love sweet pickles and sweet pickle relish and try to keep these on my shelves when I can but I also like pickling other things. Most pickled vegetables are great and if you have extra beans that you don’t want to can, it’s fun to make dilly beans. If you make these, you probably have your own special recipe. These can be made as mild or as spicy as you wish. For spicier beans, just up the amount of garlic and cayenne in each jar or you may wish to throw in some jalapeño to really spice it up. If you really like hot and spice, try the Thunder and Lightening Pickles.

I’m posting some of my favorite pickling and relish recipes. Some are spicy, some sweet. Some you can and preserve for another time of year and some you just refrigerate and eat now. Some use vegetables as well as cucumbers and all are just a little different. These recipes are all fun but different. I love them all and like the fact that they use different vegetables and spices and each has its own unique flavor and texture.

Dilly Beans
2 lbs. trimmed green beans (leave whole) (yellow wax beans are wonderful too)
¼ c. salt (non-iodized)
4 heads dill
4 garlic cloves or less (optional)
1 t. cayenne pepper (optional)
2 ½ c. vinegar
2 ½ c. water
Pack beans lengthwise into hot jars, leaving ¼” headspace. To each pint add ¼ t. cayenne pepper and 1 clove garlic or less and 1 head dill. Combine salt, vinegar and water and bring to a boil. Pour boiling hot over beans, leaving ¼” head space. Remove air bubbles and adjust caps. Process pints and quarts 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

Thunder and Lightning Pickles
In each quart jar put:
1 t. dill seed
1 t. crushed red pepper
1 clove garlic, minced (use canned if desired)
1 t. powdered alum
1 t. horseradish
Use large fat cucumbers. Peel and slice lengthwise (about ½” thick slices) and remove seeds. Place standing in bottles and fill with as many as you can get in. Bring to a boil:
1 ½ quart vinegar
2 ½ qt. water
1 c. salt
Pour over cucumbers and seal. Cold pack for 5 minutes. (Boiling water bath)

Sweet Bread and Butter Pickles
2 quarts pickling onions (2-3 lbs.)
2 quarts cauliflower florets (2 heads)
4 quarts medium size cucumbers, unpeeled and cut in pieces (about 7-9 large cucumbers)
Prepare above vegetables. Soak overnight in this mixture:
4 quarts water
1 c. salt (Not iodized)
Drain.
Boil 15 minutes in:
1 pint of vinegar
2 t. turmeric
2 quarts water
Drain and rinse good in cold water. Pack vegetables into pint jars and make the syrup below and boil for 5 minutes:
10 c. sugar
5 c. vinegar
4 c. water
2 handfuls of pickling spices
After syrup has boiled, pour over pickles in jars. Add a pinch of alum in each bottle and seal.

Chow-chow pickles
4 c. cabbage, chopped (1 small head)
3 c. cauliflower, chopped (1 medium head)
2 c. onions, chopped
2 c. green tomatoes, chopped (about 4)
2 c. sweet green peppers, chopped (2)
3 T. salt
2 ½ c. vinegar
1 ½ c. sugar
2 t. dry mustard
2 t. celery seed
1 t. turmeric
1 t. mustard seed
½ t. ginger
Combine vegetables. Sprinkle with salt. Let stand 4-6 hours. Drain well. Combine vinegar, sugar and spices in a 6-8 quart pan. Simmer 10 minutes. Bring to a boil and ladle hot relish into hot jars leaving ½” headspace. Adjust caps and lids. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Y: 4 pint jars.

Yellow Squash Pickles – (a delicious refrigerated instead of canned pickle)
3 small yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped or sliced thin
1 large sweet red or green pepper cut into ¼” strips
1 T. salt
1 c. sugar
¾ c. white vinegar
¾ t. mustard seed
¾ t. celery seed
¼ t. ground mustard
In large bowl, combine squash, onion, peppers and salt. Cover and chill 1 hour; drain. In a large saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Add squash mixture; return to a boil. Remove from heat. Cool. Store in airtight container in fridge for at least 4 days before eating. May be stored in fridge up to 1 month.

Cucumber Relish
12 large cucumbers
4 green peppers
1 red pepper
4 large onions
3 c. vinegar
5 c. sugar
2 T. salt
4 t. celery seed
4 t. mustard seed
3 t. turmeric
¼ t. cloves
Grind cucumbers, peppers and onions; sprinkle 2 T. salt over mixture and let set overnight. Add 1 qt. water. Boil 15 minutes. Drain and wash. Add vinegar, sugar, seeds and turmeric. Cook 20 minutes. Seal in jars. Y: about 8 pints.