March Food Storage Madness: This month I hope to share ideas on many different aspects of food storage from getting and storing it, to using it and more.
Today's March Food Storage Madness: Spring cleaning--getting some of that food storage out and actually using it! If we store food and never use it, it wastes money, time & space. So below are some ideas on incorporating different food items into what you may already be making/eating:
Wheat: wheat can be cooked whole or cracked, or it can be ground into flour. Got recipes that use flour? Most recipes do well switching out white for wheat flour--either a complete switcheroo or partial. Cooked whole or cracked wheat isn't just for cereal anymore! Are you having meals with ground meats? Cooked whole or cracked, wheat is wonderful to add to ground meat dishes. Having rice? Again cooked whole or cracked wheat can be added to rice dishes. Salads--yep, same thing! You can also make wheat meat (wheat gluten) and flavor it to taste like beef, chicken, sausage and more.
Dry milk: besides simply making up a gallon and using it in cereal or for drinking (I suggest adding a little vanilla to it though for taste), dry milk can be used in baking or making sauces, puddings, cream soups and more. Got a recipe that requires cream of ... soup? Instead of buying a can from the store, you can make your own using dry milk using S.O.S mix or Magic Mix. Need to make a white or cheese sauce, dry milk can be used--Magic Mix again to the rescue!
Dried fruits: great for adding to cereal, yogurt, making fruit sauces & pies. They are also great by themselves as a snack.
Dried veggies: great for soups, adding to egg dishes (like casseroles or quiche), rehydrate and add to other casseroles or stir fries.
Beans: Cooked beans can be added to meat dishes, casseroles, rice dishes and more, simply add with the meat or in place of the meat. Cooked beans can also be pureed and used to replace the oil/butter in baked goods like cake or brownies!
Canned meats: great for soups, chilis or even salad sandwiches (like chicken salad or tuna). Great for casseroles too.
Dry Egg Powder: most dry egg powders are made for use in baking--so if baking and the recipe calls for eggs, dry egg powder can be used. If using for making scrambled eggs or omelets, the taste may not be to your liking. There are products that claim to taste better for these types of uses (like egg crystals). Also, dry egg white powder is great for when you only need whites.
I hope these ideas help in using your food storage. It is so much better to learn how to use these things in tasteful ways now, than during an emergency. Have fun, enjoy using your food storage!
