Sprouting

Are you a sprouter? I have sprouted some, experimented with different seeds and tasted various kinds of sprouts. I'm sporadic at best, but could grow sprouts as an addition to our diet as a way of supplementing our preparedness and nutrition. That is the beauty of sprouting: anyone can do it.

Sprouting is an easy project but the uses and variations are very complex. For that reason, this is just a basic tutorial on the reasons and methods of sprouting. More information on the basics of growing sprouts will be provided later on. First we have to know the answer to a very important question: Why grow sprouts?

One of the best reasons to sprout seeds is for the Nutrition. Seeds are loaded with nutrients and sprouted seeds are even better, up to 50 times better. As the sprouts grow, proteins, enzymes, vitamins and other nutrients increase while becoming more easily available for absorption in the body. At the same time toxins and enzyme inhibitors are reduced, increasing digestibility. This would be a particular advantage in the case of unavailability of fresh grown produce or vegetables.

Another big advantage is the freshness of the sprouts you grow at home. Sprouts grown at home and harvested at the dinner table are the freshest food you’ll ever eat. They won’t have lost vitamins like store bought vegetables or have traveled round the world. They will be organically grown, full of life and energy.

Sprouting is ridiculously economical! You can get pounds of greens for pennies.

Sprouting is extremely easy. It all comes down to "just add water." With few resources and very little time or effort, you can supply yourself an abundance of live food, in your home, all year round.

For a varied diet, you can grow many more young plants than you would find in a store; your salads and recipes will always have something new and flavorful!

I have listed some of the common seeds that are sprouted and nutrition benefits of each. There are other varieties that are also flavorful and delicious; these are some of the most commonly sprouted.

Alfalfa Sprouts – Antioxidant, helpful in prevention of menopausal symptoms, prostate and other cancer and heart disease. Use in sandwiches, salads and omelets. Broccoli sprouts have up to 50 times the nutritional compounds found in raw broccoli heads.

Broccoli Sprouts – Mild peppery flavor. Broccoli sprouts are one of the most nutritious sprouts you can grow. These sprouts may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, add valuable nutrition and are a known healer. The sprouts themselves are up to 50 times more nutritious than the fresh broccoli heads themselves. Broccoli sprouts are great for use in salads or juice the sprouts and drink the juice.

Red Clover Sprouts – Considered to be a natural cancer fighter and helpful in menopause symptoms. Use on sandwiches or in salads.

Lentil Sprouts – are 26% protein. They can be cooked or eaten raw and are a nutritious addition to steamed veggies or soups.

Radish Sprouts - 29 times more vitamin c than milk and 4 times the vitamin A. These sprouts are spicy and have 10 more times calcium than a potato. These sprouts are generally used to spice up salads or sandwiches.

Sunflower Seed Sprouts - rich in lecithin and vitamin D. These are known for their crispness and nutty flavor. They break down fatty acids into an easily digestible, water soluble form. Use as a great addition to salads or juice them for a great addition to green drinks.

Mustard seed sprouts – very tiny and very spicy. They can be used in everything from eggs to sandwiches and salads.

Onion seed sprouts – These have a distinct onion flavor and are 20% protein and a good source of Vitamins A, C and D. They are great in a salad or on a sandwich.

Mung Bean Sprouts - These are a good source of protein, fiber and Vitamin C. They are great lightly cooked and used in Asian dishes or mixed with other vegetables for added fiber without the added calories.

Soy Bean Sprouts – High in protein and in Vitamin C, foliate and fiber. They are great used in casseroles or stews.

Wheat Sprouts - a very nutritious and digestible way to use wheat. Sprouted wheat contains four times the amount of niacin and nearly twice the amount of vitamin B6 and foliate as unsprouted wheat; moreover, it contains more protein and fewer starches than non-sprouted grain and as a further boon, it is lower on the glycemic index making it more suitable for those suffering from blood sugar issues.It is great used to make sprouted wheat bread, mixing the sprouts into the dough or the sprouts can be dried (use a dehydrator or spread on a baking sheet in your oven) and dry until no moisture remains. Grind and use the flour to make bread.

How to Sprout

Air - as any small plant, sprouts need air to breathe, without it they will succumb to mold and rot more easily. Don’t put them in sealed containers and make sure that they get enough air.

Water - after a good soaking, sprouts need water every 12 hours at least and more if it’s hot. Regularity is key; if they are even slightly deprived in their first few days of life they will be permanently setback. In your efforts to keep them watered don’t drown them, they must be allowed to freely drain, else they will soon rot. If you let them dry they’ll die. If you let them soak they’ll choke.

Warmth - sprouts need to be kept warm to germinate and grow. Optimum temperatures vary but 70 to 75 f is a good start. Don’t let them get too hot or they’ll wilt, lose vitality and die. Colder temperatures will slow growth and are good for storage, but don’t freeze them.

Space - for best results, give your sprouts some room. Some sprouts can increase up to 30 times their size. Cramming them in a jar or overfilling a tray or bag will force them to compete for light and air, with inevitable casualties. Spread only a thin layer of seeds in trays, keep them mobile in bags and jars and remember they get bigger!

Light - most sprouts can’t use light in the first few days of growth, and many never need it. However, any that produce leaves will eventually need light to ‘green up’. Direct sunlight should be avoided unless it’s cold, as it can overheat your crop. Most sprouts will be fine if they get indirect natural light, there is no need to keep them dark.

Nutrients - adding liquid plant nutrients to the soak water will give the sprouts an extra boost that you will later enjoy. It is not necessary, but will increase their health, longevity and nutritional value. You can also mist the sprouts with a diluted solution after rinsing. Use a few drops of liquid kelp in water, or another organic plant feed.

You can grow sprouts in Jars or Trays or specifically designed sprouting trays. Here is a fun recipe for a sprouting mix made with several varieties of seeds sprouted and mixed with nuts.

Sprouting Mix
"The mix consists of the first 6 ingredients"
Green peas
Lentils
Garbanzo Beans
Black eyed Peas
Pumpkin
Soybeans
Almonds
Raw Spanish Peanuts
Wheat
1/2 c. mix, handful of almonds & peanuts, 2-3 Tb of Wheat. Mix is equal parts of above list (except wheat, almonds & peanuts) as you try it out you can add or subtract what you like and don’t like.

Fill jar with water and put it in the fridge for 24 hours. Put it in a sprouting jar or tray & rinse well (this can also be done in a glass jar). Remember to rinse well) Put them back in fridge & sprout for 48 hours. Rinse them a couple of times a day after this they are ready to eat. Rinse and enjoy

Sauces and Gravies

One of my favorite parts of any meal, food storage based or otherwise, are the sauces or condiments that accompany any meal. I love sauce or gravy with most of my food. One thing I have learned as I have worked on food storage is that you can totally raise almost any food storage item to the next level if it is accompanied by a good sauce or gravy. Not only that, but you can make a meal of good whole wheat bread covered with gravy. Or pancakes and waffles covered with jelly or syrup.

Gravy, Sauces, syrups & dressings add delicious flavors to meals made from basic food storage and food from your garden. Making sauces from scratch can also save you lots of money as you won't have to rely on prepared food or sauce mixes! Here are some basic sauce and gravy recipes. I know you all have your favorite homemade sauce too. Feel free to share it with the rest of us so we can all have a good assortment of recipes in our files.

Meat Drippings Gravy
8 T. fat or meat dripping
4 c. Milk
6 T. Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fry the meat and drain off the fat. Use an ample amount of the fat and drippings. Add the flour and brown it slightly. Add the milk and stir until well blended. Season and cook to desired thickness.

Milk Gravy
1 c. Powdered Milk mixed with 3 c. Water
1 T. Margarine
3 Heaping T. Flour
½ t. salt
Mix the water and powdered milk together. Add the flour and salt. Cook over medium heat until the gravy is thickened. Add the margarine and stir until smooth.

Chicken Gravy
1½ T. Butter or Margarine
1½ T. chicken bouillon
½ t. garlic powder
1¼ c. Water
¼ c. Dried Milk (Instant)
1 t. onion powder
¼ t. turmeric
1 T. Flour

Onion Gravy
¼ c. Butter or margarine
1 T. Beef Bouillon
2 T. Cornstarch
3 c. Chopped Onions
2 c. Boiling Water
¼ c. Cold Water
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Beef Gravy
1½ T. Butter or Margarine
1 t. Minced Onion or powder
1 t. Worcestershire Sauce
1¼ c. Water
1½ T. Beef Bouillon
1 T. Flour

Herb Gravy
1 Can Regular Strength Chicken or Beef Broth
3½ - 4 T. Flour
1 T. Parsley
Pinch of Thyme
Drops of Kitchen Bouquet
½ t. salt
Pepper to taste
1 t. chives
Brown the onions if using. Add all other ingredients except cornstarch (or flour) and cold water together in a pan. Cook until dissolved. Add the cornstarch (or flour) and water together. Pour them into the gravy base. Continue cooking until thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Basic White Sauce
Prepare Ahead Mix:
1 c. Flour
1 c. Margarine
4 t. salt
2½ c. Nonfat Dry Milk
Blend ingredients with a fork until resembles a crumbly coarse meal. Store in the refrigerator. To prepare: Blend 1/3 c. Mix with 1 c. Cold Water or Broth. Add liquid slowly. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly until thick.

White Sauce--thin, medium, thick
Thin
1 T. butter
1 T. flour
1 c. Milk
¼ t. salt

Medium
2 T. Butter
2 T. Flour
1 c. Milk
¼ t. salt

Thick
3 T. Butter
3 T. Flour
1 c. Milk
¼ t. salt
Over low heat, melt butter in sauce pan. Add flour. Blend until smooth. Add milk at once and cook until thick. Stir constantly so it won't burn. Add salt. To make a cheese sauce, add ½ c. grated cheddar cheese.

Cheese Sauce
½ c. Cheese powder
3 T. powdered milk
1 t. dried onions
1½ t. corn starch
1¼ t. salt
1 c. Water
Prepare the above recipe, stirring until thickened.

Mayonnaise
1 whole egg
2 t. sugar
¼ t. salt
1½ T. Vinegar
dash of pepper
1 c. oil
Put all ingredients in the blender, except for ¾ c. of the oil. Blend together well. While blending slowly, add the remaining oil until the mayonnaise is thick.

Tomato Sauce
2 c. chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
3 T. oil
3 ½ c. Bottled Tomatoes
2 small cans tomato paste
2 c. water
1 bay leaf
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
¼ t. oregano
¼ t. basil
Sauté onion and garlic in oil. Add tomatoes, paste, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer 2 hours. Add more water if necessary. Add oregano and basil. Cook another 15 minutes until thick.

Tomato Sauce (from Dried Foods)
1 c. Tomato Powder
3 c. Water
½ t. salt
1 t. sugar
1 T. oil
1 T. margarine powder
¼ c. onion flakes
¼ t. garlic powder
1 bay leaf
pepper to taste
Simmer the tomato powder, water, sugar and salt on low heat for 20 minutes. Sauté onions in oil and margarine powder until tender. Add onions and remaining ingredients to the tomatoes and simmer another 15 minutes. Stir often, until thick.

Tomato Catsup
1 c. Tomato Powder
2 t. Sugar
¼ t. vegetable oil
½ t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
Dash of onion powder
1½ c. Water
Combine all ingredients. Boil; then simmer for 10 minutes until thick.

Mustard Sauce
1/2 c. tomato soup
1/2 c. vinegar
1/2 c. prepared mustard
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. salad oil
3 egg yolks
Stir together till smooth and cook till thick. Delicious on meat loaf or ham. Keeps well for a long time in the refrigerator.

Quick and Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. Catsup
Mix in saucepan and bring to a boil. It will clear and thicken.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
2 c. pineapple juice
3 T. vinegar
1 c. Water
¼ c. Honey
¼ c Tamari
2 - 3 T. Corn Starch
1 t. ginger
1 large tomato, cut in eighths
1 pineapple, cut in chunks (3 c.)
1 large green bell pepper, sliced
Put juice and vinegar in a large sauce pan and heat. Add honey, tamari, and ginger. Remove some of the juice, add cornstarch to it. Mix to a smooth paste; add to sauce. When sauce thickens, add tomato, pineapple, and bell peppers. Cook one minute, remove from heat.* Serve with fried rice, egg rolls or vegetables. * If sauce is too sour, add a little more pineapple juice and honey. Yield: 4 c.

Quick and Easy Teriyaki Sauce
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. Soy Sauce
3 T. rice wine vinegar
Heat till sugar is dissolved and mixture boils. Cool It will thicken slightly as it cools. Double or triple recipe as desired.

Quick and Easy Enchilada Sauce
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 T. flour
1/4 c. chili powder
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. water
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion salt
salt to taste
Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Stir in flour and chili powder; reduce heat to medium and cook until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning flour. Gradually stir in tomato sauce, water, cumin, garlic powder and onion salt into the flour and chili powder until smooth. Continue cooking over medium heat about 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt.

Basic Dessert Sauce and Variations
Prepare ahead mix:
½ c. corn starch
1 c. Margarine
4 c. Sugar
½ t. salt
Blend until mixture is uniform and crumbly. Store this in a jar in the refrigerator. Label it. Pack the mix as you would brown sugar. Blend 1/3 c. mix with 2/3 c. cold liquid. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.

Variations:
Cherry Sauce: Add juice from red sour cherries and water to make 2/3 c. Add ½ c. red cherries and red food coloring after mixture has thickened (optional: add ¼ t. almond extract)

Orange Sauce: Use orange juice to replace the cold liquid

Lemon Sauce: 3 T. lemon juice and water to make 2/3 C liquid

Raisin Sauce: Water and ¼ c. raisins

Chocolate Sauce: Melt ½ square of unsweetened chocolate

Pineapple Sauce: Juice from crushed pineapple and water to make 2/3 c. Add ½ c. Crushed pineapple.

Strawberry Sauce: Add ½ c. Fresh Strawberries and a few drops of red food coloring.

Barbecue Sauce
4 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. mustard
1 c. vinegar
1 c. water
½ c. Sugar
1 c. Catsup
4 t. chili powder
2 t. accent
4 t. minced onion
1 t. seasoned salt
Heat to dissolve all ingredients. Simmer 15 minutes.

Taco Sauce (dried foods)
2 c. Tomato Powder
4 c. Water
¼ c. Minced Onion
½ t. garlic powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
¼ t. nutmeg
2 T. vinegar
1 T brown sugar
dash of salt
1 T. salad oil
¼ t. pepper
Combine all ingredients and simmer until done.

French Dressing
1/8 t. onion powder
1 t. dry mustard
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. vinegar
1½ t. salt
1 ½ t. paprika
¾ c. vegetable oil
Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Chill before serving.

Ranch Dressing
1 T. parsley flakes
1/8 t. garlic powder
1 c. buttermilk or sour cream
2 t. minced onion
½ t. salt
1 c. mayonnaise
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Blend until smooth. This can also be used as a dip for vegetables.

Thousand Island Dressing
1 c. mayo (or Miracle Whip)
3 T. ketchup
1 boiled egg, chopped fine
1 1/2 T. finely chopped onion
1/2 t. salt
2 T. sweet pickle relish
2 T. finely chopped tomato (Optional)
Mix together well and chill to blend flavors.

Dehydrating Canned Fruit

One of the interesting new concepts that is fascinating to me is to dehydrate canned fruit; specifically canned pineapple.

I’m sure one of the first things that comes to mind when you first hear about this is the question, “Why?” I know that is what I asked when I first heard this idea.

There are several reasons why dehydrating canned pineapple or other fruits might be a good option:

First is the reason of rotation. If you have pineapple that you are not using up fast enough, you can always dehydrate some of you pineapple storage to make room for fresher pineapple. One pound of canned pineapple chunks will dry to about 2 – 3 oz of dried fruit.

Second is because of space concerns. Most of us only have a limited amount of storage space for canned goods, but still want the option of having fruit in our storage. Storing dried pineapple takes up little space and enables us to use the room for other things.

Third is because dried pineapple is an awesome snack and it is expensive and time consuming to dehydrate fresh pineapple, which can take many, many hours to dry, not to mention the time it takes to cut it up and prepare it for drying. The dried canned pineapple is very sweet and makes a delicious treat which is healthy and readily available. Remember, as the fruit dries the flavor intensifies and becomes even sweeter.

Drying canned pineapple is easy to do. The only stipulation really, is that you cut your pineapple in small enough pieces that they dry evenly and don’t take quite as long to dry as larger chunks. The ideal pineapple for drying is the tidbit size as opposed to the chunks. The chunks or slices can be easily cut into uniform chunks however, which will dry quicker and more thoroughly. When cutting pineapple for drying, remember that ¼” thickness is about right. Any less and your pieces will be too small, as it does shrink quite a bit.

Just drain the pineapple well. The juice can be used immediately for drinking or frozen for later use in cooking if you wish. If you have a temperature control on your dehydrator, dry at 135º. Spread the pineapple on your drying trays and dry for between 8 and 16 hours, or even longer depending on the size of your chunks, how juicy the pineapple pieces are, how many trays you are drying at one time and how thinly the pineapple is spread. It may be a good idea to try a can or two first so you can see how your dryer will work and how much time it will take. Watch your first batch carefully and dry only until the pieces are bendable and no juice remains.

I am so grateful that I found this idea because we love pineapple and, other than canned, have never stored any. I’m drying a couple of cases for our storage which I know will become a favorite snack. I understand that fruit cocktail and mandarin oranges also dry well. Has anyone tried these?

Whole Wheat Wednesday - Zucchini Bread

A good way to introduce your family to whole wheat is to use it in things they already like and then DON'T tell them. That sounds funny but the minute you mention you are serving something that is new or unusual to them, you may have already lost them.

This recipe is a great variety of Zucchini Bread from my Aunt Pearl. She was such a good cook and I loved everything she made. You can add nuts, chocolate chips or raisins depending on what your family likes. If they don't like any of those, leave them out. This bread is made more moist with the addition of crushed pineapple. People who won't eat zucchini will eat this bread. Try it with whole wheat and enjoy!

Zucchini Bread
2 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 c. grated zucchini, unpeeled
1 small can (8.5 oz.) crushed pineapple, well-drained
3 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. salt
1 ½ t. cinnamon
½ t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
½ t. nutmeg (optional)
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1 c. raisins (optional)
1 c. chocolate chips (optional)
Combine sugar, eggs and oil in a large bowl; beat well to combine. Mix in vanilla. Fold in zucchini (drained if frozen), and well-drained crushed pineapple. Combine all dry ingredients together. Add to sugar and oil mixture and blend thoroughly. Fold in nuts, raisins or chocolate chips if desired and mix until well incorporated. Pour mixture into 2 greased and floured 4½” x 8½” bread pans and bake for 60 minutes at 350º or until toothpick comes out clean.

Establishing a Family Medicine Cabinet

There are many “home Remedies” which can be used to prevent or assist in treating illnesses and sickness. These may be used as a preventative or for relief of symptoms from the common cold to the flu to stomach aches and other simple annoyances.

Part of being self-sufficient is learning how to treat symptoms and provide relief from aches and pains without having to rely on a doctor for every little thing. Being prepared to take care of our family in an emergency is paramount to being successfully prepared for whatever kind of emergency may arise. Do you have a medicine chest that is filled with things that help your family’s personal needs?

I’m not talking about drugs or necessarily prescription medicines I am talking about home remedies or other substances that will help you treat minor sickness or the symptoms that arise from being sick or even injured. Such things might include a good quality Vitamin C, Kelp for radiation protection, Digestive Enzymes, Emergen-C packets, Air Bourne, decongestants, melatonin as a sleep aid on occasion, peppermint oil for sinus problems and many others. Take stock and see what really helps you when you don’t feel well. It’s important to experiment and find some things that work for you.

Let me give you an example; for years our family struggled with pneumonia or other lung infections and were forced to be treated by a medical professional. Now there are some things we do to prevent sicknesses from getting to that point and treat the symptoms ourselves. I have mentioned before how rubbing oregano oil rubbed on the chest over the lungs causes the lungs to expel any mucus and reduces the chances of pneumonia. Peppermint oil dabbed on the sinuses helps to prevent excess sinus drainage and relieve sinus pressure. There are many other home remedies which we have tried; some worked and some didn’t. Regardless, we know what basic things we need to have on hand to do our best to stay healthy. Because we have family members who are allergic to penicillin and other antibiotics, we don’t rely on that as a basic treatment for illness.

This doesn’t mean you will never have to have the help of a Doctor, but it is reassuring to be able to treat the small things ourselves without having to run to the doctor for every little thing.

I want to share a story told by the Paratus Family about their experiences with onions. This was inspiring to me to read of how they were able to treat emergency situations on their own. This is good information to know and retain for similar Emergencies. Here is their story:

“We love onions. We love to sauté them, dice them and use them in onion rings. We like them fresh, we like them dried and we like them in powdered form. But, the humble onion is far more than a tasty addition to your evening meal. An onion can be the difference between a major reaction to a bee sting and a harmless little red bump. An onion can loosen congestion and be the main ingredient in a soothing balm for a hacking cough. Dried onions are the most powerful anti-histamine known.

Many years ago, when our son was a little tyke, he was toddling around the perimeter of our garden as my husband and I were pulling weeds. Suddenly, he fell to the ground, screaming, while yellow jackets, from an underground nest, stung him repeatedly. His dad sprinted, plucked up our son and kept running.

When we got our little boy into the house, he was a mess. He had been stung 17 times on his head alone. Angry red welts dotted his tummy and back and he had more than a few stings on his arms and legs. Wasting no time, we slathered his head with Benadryl cream and then started cutting onions. Over every welt, we placed an onion piece, slimy side down and taped it into place. It took almost an entire onion to place one on every sting, and he looked like something out of a horror show. We watched him very closely for signs of anaphylaxis, but his breathing remained clear. Within 10 minutes, our little boy quit crying, said it didn't hurt, and returned to playing.

After the onions had been in place for about an hour, we tenderly removed each onion piece. Where angry welts had been, there was nothing. No swelling, no redness - nothing. The onions had drawn all of the poison out of our son’s body. We were hooked.

The onion's drawing power is not limited to venom. It works for infections and slivers alike. Onion is also a particularly effective expectorant. Back in the day, onion poultices were used to treat pneumonia and Typhoid fever, with relatively good success.

Our recent illness (Whopping Cough) has caused me to further investigate the onion's medicinal attributes. Before we were aware that we had Pertussis, a friend suggested that I make "Onion Syrup" to help alleviate the cough. Already a great fan of onions, I didn't hesitate to give it a try. The syrup, while effective on the cough in the beginning, wasn't enough to keep the Whooping Cough at bay (apparently, you shouldn't use an expectorant with Pertussis). The short time that we did use, I was very impressed. The kids actually like it (mostly) and it did encourage a very productive cough.

In addition to the onion syrup, I made an onion poultice to use on our son. He was having a really hard time getting goop up with his cough, so I thought he would be a good one to experiment on. Within 15 minutes of putting a poultice on him, he was sitting up expelling large green chunks. He was immediately clearer and slept without coughing for almost 7 hours. The onion poultice was unequivocally an effective expectorant.

As we see the rise in health care costs and the very real potential for limited access to modern medicine, learning to use what we have may well one of our best preparedness assets.”

Onion Syrup (for coughs)
1 C Chopped Onion (fresh)
1/4 C Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Ginger Root (optional - fresh is best, but I used powdered)
Enough honey to cover
Place onion, lemon juice and ginger (a friend used garlic too - I think it was a wonderful addition). Cover with honey. Stir to remove the air bubbles and cover. Let sit overnight or 8 hours.
The honey will suck the juices out of the onion. After sitting overnight, strain out the onion solids (or you can munch on them if you prefer). Dosage: Child (7 - 11 years) 1 tsp. every 3-4 hours & Adult 1 T. Every 3 - 4 hours

Onion Poultice
Cut onion up in rings.
Sauté in cast iron skillet, with a little olive oil, until transparent (not caramelized)
Add enough flour or cornmeal to make a thick paste
Using a clean piece of cloth, cover your patient’s chest with two layers of cloth.
Spread moderately cooled (just cool enough not to burn) onions over the chest.
Cover with another layer of cloth.
Place warm (not hot, to burn) hot water bottle over the poultice.
Let sit until poultice cools.
Repeat if necessary.

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.