Taste Test Tuesday: 60 Minute Rolls

Mmm...homemade rolls.  Today's recipe I got from a sister at Relief Society back more than a few years ago.  I have made it many times, each time loving it.  I have other roll recipes that turn out delicious too, but this one from start to finish is only about 1 hour, so less than the other roll recipes that require more rising time and such.  Also this recipe calls for a mixer to do the kneading, rather than by hand.  I'm sure it could be hand-kneaded, but that is one thing I like about this recipe is the ease in making it.

The milk in this recipe can be made using dry milk powder, either premade or to make just one cup of milk using dry milk powder thoroughly mix 1 cup of water with 3 T of dry milk.  I've used all purpose flour almost every time I've made this and never had a problem, so even though it states that bread or high gluten flour is best I've not found that it is necessary to have a delicious roll when all is said and done.

Enjoy!

Taste Test Tuesday: I Can't Believe It's Food Storage recipes

Yesterday I shared my review of the food storage cookbook:  I Can't Believe It's Food Storage by Crystal Godfrey.  Today I want to list &/or link a couple of my favorite recipes from the book and/or her website:  www.everydayfoodstorage.net.

Easy No-bake Blender Cheesecake:  find here on her website, I also posted about it here.  This recipe uses dry milk to make sweetened condensed milk, you can also use dry milk in this recipe to make yogurt cheese to replace cream cheese.
Cheeseburger Meat Loaf:  this is one recipe I have only found in her book--not on her website, I have altered it to fit my family's tastes & to use more food storage items--maybe I'll share my altered version sometime.  This recipe uses dry milk to make evaporated milk.
Whole Wheat EZ Bread:  find here on her website, I've also posted about it before and made pull-apart breads with it--see apple cinnamon pull apart bread, or pull-apart bread in recipe index.
Cheeseburger Mac n Cheese:  find here on her website, or the post I did on it here.  This recipe uses Magic Mix and dried onion
Magic Mix, Magic Mix Fudgsicles and other things made with Magic Mix (these are also found in the New Ideas for Cooking with Basic Food Storage cookbooklet I posted about before at different times) 

These are just a few of the recipes my family has enjoyed from this cookbook and the website:  www.everydayfoodstorage.net, there are many other great recipes!!!  I highly recommend this food storage cookbook, along with the New Ideas for Cooking with Basic Food Storage cookbooklet for those just starting out with using food storage--the recipes are great and easy.  But even if you are a food storage guru, you may find some things you haven't tried and like.

Taste Test Tuesday: Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Mmm...pancakes.  We like our pancakes, particularly when they can be made a little healthier.  These greek yogurt pancakes replace the usual oil used in pancakes with greek yogurt, they also use whole wheat flour, so I like to think they are healthier than your run of the mill pancake mix pancakes.  This recipe works great to use dry milk both for making the greek yogurt as well as the milk needed.

Enjoy!

Thrifty Thursday: Homemade Ricotta Cheese Cost Effectiveness

On Tuesday I shared a homemade ricotta recipe that uses dry milk.  So is it cost effective to make your own ricotta cheese?  Yes.  When I was at the store I priced 15 oz containers of ricotta to be around $1.80 on up in price.  According to my calculations, to make the equivalent amount at home costs around $1.25, give or take a few cents.  Using the current pricing of a can of dry milk from the LDS Home Storage Center ($8.60) the dry milk used in this recipe is about 67 cents according to my calculations, heavy cream is about 50 cents, salt 1 penny at most, vinegar about 6 cents.  So a total of:  $1.24.

Taste Test Tuesday: Dry Milk Ricotta Cheese

I adapted a recipe I found to make ricotta cheese, but to use dry milk instead.  I prefer to use the crockpot to heat the water, dry milk, cream and salt so I don't have to stand at the stove stirring and stirring while it heats.   If you like a drier ricotta, strain longer, whereas if you prefer it wetter, strain it for less time.

Catch the whey in a bowl if you want to save it for using in bread or soups or something, but also so that you don't get whey all over the counter.  You can line a strainer with the cloth or hang it like I did.

Enjoy!

Taste Test Tuesday: Banana Cream Pie

Well, it was that time again when I had bananas that needed to be used, but I didn't want to fall back on ye old banana bread, so I made banana cream pie instead.  But I also wanted to try it using dry milk to see if it worked and tasted the same or at least similar.  It did--yeah!  I wasn't ready to try egg powder in this recipe yet, but the dry milk did work out.  Here is the recipe:

I often have a hard time with homemade graham crusts, but other than that this recipe turned out great.  And I got to use up some bananas.  Enjoy!

Thrifty Thursday: Using dry milk to make yogurt

Milky May...

What is the cost effectiveness of making homemade yogurt using dry milk?  One #10 can of dry milk can make about 48 c of yogurt ($0.18 per cup), about 21 c of greek yogurt ($0.41 per cup) or 15 c of yogurt cheese ($0.57 per cup).  What a savings!  Store bought yogurt can range from 40 cents (store brands) to 75 cents (name brands) regular price.  Greek yogurt is even costlier, coming on sale for $1 or regular price at Sams Club for about $0.81 and up per container.  And cream cheese regular price for store brand is about 1.30 up to about $2 for name brand cream cheese.  As far as sour cream, homemade yogurt or greek yogurt can be used in recipes calling for sour cream, thus saving money as sour cream can be anywhere from $1 on sale to $2 regular price.

The amounts listed above are based on my calculations when I made yogurt, greek yogurt and yogurt cheese using dry milk, using the recipe below & using the pricing for a can of dry milk from the LDS home storage centers March 2013 (about $8.60 a can).

Wednesday Why: Milky May Q&A

Milky May Q & A:

Is there a difference between the instant powdered milk from the store and the powdered dry milk from LDS home storage centers?  Yes.  There is a difference in recipe amounts, and ease of use.  If a recipe calls for 1 cup of powdered dry milk, if using instant the amount will need to be doubled to 2 cups.  Or vise versa if a recipe calls for 1 cup of instant powdered milk, use only 1/2 c regular dry milk.   Instant dry milk mixes up quicker and easier than regular dry milk.

What is the storage life of dry milk, both instant and regular?  When stored in cool or cold dark places and sealed in mylar bags or #10 cans (or other container that limits light, air and moisture), both instant and non-instant dry milk store up to 20-25 years and still sustain life, but for best taste & nutritional value use within 3-7 years. Once opened, if still stored in a cool/cold place they can store for up to 2 years.  If stored in higher temps and humidity whether sealed or opened, the storage life drops dramatically (even as low as 3 months).

How much milk does one #10 can of dry milk powder make?  A #10 can of dry milk from the LDS Home Storage Center can make between 4 and 5 1/2 gallons worth of milk.  The difference comes from how much you can into a can and how much you are using to make a gallon of milk--more or less than the directions say.  For the cans of dry milk I have canned at home, I measured and got 5 1/2 gallons worth of milk.

Can I use powdered milk in recipes that call for milk?  Yes!  You can either make the milk and have it ready or simply add the dry milk powder to the dry ingredients and the water to the liquid ingredients.

How can I make drinking milk made from dry milk taste better?  Adding a little vanilla to the milk may help it taste better--I've done this multiple times and have liked the taste.  I’ve also heard of people adding both vanilla and a little sugar.  Some people also use more or less powdered milk than the directions say to get the taste they like--I like it when making 3 qt adding only 2 c of dry milk instead of the 2 1/4 it would normally call for.  Another option is to mix it with store bought milk--in whatever proportions you like.  Whatever you add or don’t add, chill the milk!  Freshly made warm milk does NOT taste good.

How much should I store?  The general guidelines suggest 16 lbs of dry milk powder per person per year.  This is the equivalent to 1 cup of milk a day for that person.  If pregnant, nursing or young child you will want to store more to meet the nutritional needs.

Are there any alternatives to dry milk?  Yes.  But, the downside to most of the milk alternatives, besides being expensive, is that they don’t have the storage life of regular dry milk, so you will need to be sure to rotate through it faster.  But here are some options:  soy milk powder, canned/liquid soy milk (I’ve seen some that is shelf stable until it is opened) or you could learn about how to store soy and making your own soy milk, evaporated goat milk.

What does dry milk look like?  Instant dry milk looks more like little balls, while powdered dry milk is powder.

Left:  instant powdered milk

Right:  non-instant powdered milk

(lighting isn't very good, but pics show the difference in texture)

Milky May Monday: Dry milk recipe resources

Milky May...

Dry milk can be used in many recipes.  Some of my favorite recipes using dry milk include:  Mock Egg Nog, No Bake Cheesecake, Homemade Yogurt, & EZ Whole Wheat Bread (and variations of it like Pull Apart Bread).  Today I want to share some resources for recipes using dry milk.   The Basic Food Storage cookbooklet is a great resource for the items sold at the LDS Home Storage Centers, but in addition to this wonderful booklet of recipes, I have loved recipes I have tried from other resources as well.  Like www.everydayfoodstorage.net and www.peaceofprepared.com.  I think I use these 3 resources the most when it comes to using my dry milk in specific ways, other than simply making drinking milk out of it and using it as I would store bought milk.

Other resources I have used & would recommend for food storage recipes, other than simply adapting recipes on my own:

www.foodstoragemadeeasy.net

www.safelygatheredin.blogspot.com
http://www.theideadoorfiles.com/index.php/self-reliance-food-storage-prepardness

Taste Test Tuesday: 3 Dry Milk recipes

Today I will be sharing 2 dry milk recipes that I got from www.everydayfoodstorage.net.  The first is a main dish, the second a dessert recipe.  The 3rd recipe I have shared before (see this post), but will share again because it is used in the dessert recipe.  I have really liked the recipes I've gotten and tried from www.everydayfoodstorage.net and highly recommend them.

Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese  http://everydayfoodstorage.net/2008/05/21/the-magic-of-magic-mix-recipes-perfect-for-kids/food-storage-recipes

2 C. White Sauce from Magic Mix 2 C. Uncooked Macaroni 

2 C. Cheese 1-2 tsp. salt or garlic salt (optional)
1/2 C. Ketchup 1 T. Yellow Mustard

1 lb. Cooked Ground Beef (I also like to add cooked cracked wheat to this)
1/4 C. Dehydrated Onion hydrated in 1/2 C. Warm Water, drained (optional)

1 Bag Frozen Mixed Vegetables or fresh tomatoes to top

Directions:  Cook Macaroni. Cook hamburger while macaroni cooks. Drain macaroni and make white sauce in empty pot. Combine all ingredients and heat through. 

**My notes:  This isn’t your store bought mac & cheese, but it IS yummy and a great way to use food storage including adding cooked wheat to the ground beef after it is browned.  MMM....

Ice cream Cups  http://everydayfoodstorage.net/2008/06/09/food-storage-ice-cream-cups-powdered-milk-food-storage-recipes/food-storage-recipes

2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips (or white chocolate chips or PB chips)

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (can use homemade)

1 c finely chopped nuts, pecans, oreos, cookie pieces, etc.

In heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chips with sweet milk (can make own sweetened condensed milk), remove from heat and stir.  Stir in pecans.  In individual paper lined muffin cups, spread about 2 T of mixture.  With lightly greased spoon spread on bottom and up sides of each cup.  Freeze 2 or more hours.  Before serving, remove paper liners--it is easier to remove if allow to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes first.  Serve with icecream.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/2 c hot water 1 c dry milk

1 c sugar 1 T butter (optional)

Blend in blender, until thoroughly blended (a few minutes).  Can use immediately or freeze or put in fridge.   In the post I did before sharing this recipe, I also shared a couple other recipes using dry milk--like no bake cheesecake, and homemade yogurt.

Enjoy!

Milky May Monday: General Dry Milk Information

Milky May...For May, inasmuch as I am able to post, I plan on focusing on food storage milk products, particularly dry milk.

So how is dry milk made?  Briefly:  milk is gathered from farms, transported to a creamery where it is put into holding tanks that filter the milk which is then tested to meet quality standards.  The milk is then evaporated some (this pasteurizes it) and then the cream is separated from the milk.  It is now skim milk.  The milk is then standardized, meaning it is mixed to have a consistent product--every batch being the same-whether it is whole, 2% or skim milk being made.  The evaporated & condensed milk that is remaining from this process is then standardized, then dried into a powder-by a spraying/drying process.  It is packaged and sold.  (for more in depth information see http://www.usaemergencysupply.com/information_center/powedered_milk_made.htm) 

   

Milky May Introduction

I've been slack on doing posts recently, but hopefully I'll be able to get back on track and post more often. I'll catch up a little today by sharing some cream soup recipes. This month, Milky May, I will focus on ideas, recipes, information, etc. that deals with dry milk.

So today, being Thrifty Thursday, I will share some costs associated with making homemade cream soups (like cream of chicken or cream of mushroom). I will share 3 cream soup recipes. Version 1 made from SOS Mix, version 2 from Magic Mix and version 3 made from white bean flour. All of these versions work great. The Magic Mix version is the more expensive option (because of the butter), and depending on sales and generic brands at the store you may be able to find a can of cream soup for cheaper at the store. With all of these versions it is great to know exactly what is going into your soup and to have a way to make cream soup quickly and easily at home if you don't have canned soup available. Have fun using your dry milk and food storage!

Now onto the recipes and costs:

Cream Soup using S.O.S Mix: costs about $0.31 to make the equivalent of 1 can of soup plus any meat or veggie addins. SOS Mix comes from the USU cooperative extension. Here is a link to a booklet containing recipes using it: http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FNP_101.pdf

Soup or Sauce Mix (S.O.S) Mix

1 can of soup substitute recipe: 1/3 c SOS mix, 1/4 c cold water. 

Whisk until blended. Stir while cooking on the stovetop or microwave until thickens.

SOS Mix:
2 c dry milk powder, 3/4 c cornstarch, 1/4 c instant chicken bouillon, 2 T dried onion, 2 t Italian seasoning (optional)

Cream Soup using Magic Mix: costs about $1.15 to make the equivalent of 1 can of soup plus any meat or veggie addins. Magic Mix comes from the cooperative extension at USU, here is a handout that has it and recipes using it: http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/pub__3295363.pdf Another extension office at WSU has another handout: http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/em4693/em4693.pdf (this one doesn’t use butter in the mix, but in the recipes)

Magic Mix basic cream soup: 4 c water, 2 c magic mix, 1 cube or 1 t bouillon, chopped/mashed veggies or meat. Combine water and magic mix with bouillon in saucepan, heat over medium until slightly thick, add any veggies or meat.

Magic Mix:
2 1/3 c dry milk 1 c flour or 1/2 c cornstarch 1 c butter or marg softened

Combine until looks like coarse meal. Makes about 5 cups, keep in airtight container in fridge 6-8 months. If using instant dry milk use 4 cups. Using this magic mix, you can make white sauces, puddings, pudding pops, and more.

Cream Soup using White Bean Flour: costs about $0.24 to make the equivalent of 1 can of soup plus any meat or veggie addins. This cost is based on my calculations that 1/4 c of beans would be about 8 cents, and 1 t of bouillon would be about 4 cents. To see a video on how to make this, go to http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/03/29/beans-the-magical-fruit/.

Cream of Chicken Soup
5 T ground white bean flour 1 3/4 c water 4 t chicken bouillon
Combine in saucepan and cook on medium about 3 min or more until thickened and heated through. Add any veggies or meat want and use in recipes calling for cream of chicken soup.

NOTES: set wheat grinder to course setting to grind beans. About 1/4 c of beans will grind into 5 T bean flour. This recipe originally came from Country Beans, a wonderful book about using beans.

Miscellaneous Monday: Ideas on Incorporating Food Storage

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!

Wednesday Why: Adapting Food Storage to Individual Family

What are some ideas on adapting food storage to different dietary needs, whether those needs are simply that more/less of a specific item is needed or the needs are for alternatives if there are allergies? 

Adapting Food Storage to Individual and Family Dietary Needs

When considering what to store, individuals and families should consider their needs and limitations in foods.  Children, pregnant or nursing mothers need more calcium & protein foods like milk.  Are there allergies (wheat, milk, eggs, etc), diabetic or other health needs and concerns?  Below are some ideas on substitutions and additions when considering these types of things.  I am not an expert on these, you will have to follow the advice of your doctor and find things that are shelf stable that meet the type of diet you follow & need.  Whenever there is an allergy or diet restriction you should always check labels carefully--both for the ingredients/nutrition information and for the expiration date.  Things like wheat, nuts, milk, corn, carrots, etc. pop up in places you wouldn’t think--so check the labels.  If you have diet restrictions and concerns it is very wise to keep product labels to refer to in the future for tracking ingredients, sugars, sodium, etc.  Also be aware that the substitutes often cost more and don’t store as long so be sure to budget for them and plan for rotation.   

Wheat Allergies: Other options for whole grains/seeds that can be ground or eaten whole:  rice, oats (check for gluten free), quinoa, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, corn, wild rice, flax seeds and any other grains/seeds that you have tried and liked.  Think of what you already use for flour or grains--can you find it in its whole form?  If not, you can stock up on the flour form, but be aware the shelf-life won’t be as long as that of wheat or even the grain in whole form so you will need to rotate through it much faster.

Milk Allergies:  The downside to most of the milk alternatives, besides being expensive, is that they don’t have the storage life of regular dry milk, so you will need to be sure to rotate through it faster.  But here are some options:  soy milk powder, canned/liquid soy milk (I’ve seen some that is shelf stable until it is opened) or you could learn about how to store soy and making your own soy milk, evaporated goat milk.

Egg allergies:  Some alternatives to egg powder/crystals:  unflavored gelatin or flax meal can be used to substitute eggs in baked goods.  Also for sweeter baked goods like pancakes or muffins, you can use mashed banana or applesauce to replace the egg, but be sure to increase slightly the baking soda/powder amounts as bananas and applesauce don’t help rise the baked good like an egg would.  There are other substitutes as well, commercially made as well as homemade substitutions that you may already be aware of--simply stock up on the ingredients (checking labels and expiration dates of course) and rotate.

Legume allergies:  you can store meats and fish instead of legumes.  Canned or dehydrated/freeze dried.

Low-fat, Low-sugar, Low-sodium diets (diabetic, heart concerns, etc):  Follow Dr recommendations.  When storing foods--check the ingredients and labels!  Many, many canned goods have lots of sugar and/or sodium; but more and more you can find “low-sodium” options or fruits canned in juice not heavy syrup.  As far as storing wheat, beans & oats, these are low fat (and what fat there may be is the good kind of fat), low sodium, high fiber & protein foods that are good for the heart and body, that shouldn’t cause crazy blood glucose changes as long as they are eaten in moderation.  Also, store veggies (dehydrated don’t usually have the added salts/sugars).  

For all food storage, whether storing regular food items or substitutions/diet specific foods gather a variety of recipes that you like that use the food items you will be storing and meet your dietary needs

Taste Test Tuesday: Chicken Rice Soup and Jello Dessert

The recipes I am sharing today come from my sister-in-law.  The first a chicken rice soup can be adapted to use even more food storage than just the rice and flour by using canned or dried foods, and dry milk, and adding cooked beans.  It was nice and creamy and yummy.  The second recipe uses frozen strawberries, so easy to make year-round without killing the budget trying to spring for fresh strawberries.  If you like sweet and salty, this is a great dessert to have with the salty pretzels and the sweet jello & cream mixtures.

Enjoy!

Taste Test Tuesday: Quickmix Banana Muffins

Banana Muffins, mmm... And now an even quicker way to make them--yeah!  For this recipe I used  whole wheat quickmix.  It made making muffins quick and easy.  So here is the recipe:

Enjoy!

Saturday School: Homemade Cheese using dry milk

Saturday School:  Homemade cheese from dry milk

I got this recipe from the dry milk handout found on peaceofpreparedness (see below).  I thought I’d give it a try.

Here is my experience trying it:  Mixing 3 c of dry milk into 4 cups takes a few minutes to get it all mixed, it also creates a lot of froth on top.  Heating it to 115* didn’t take long at all.  As soon as I added the oil and vinegar, the milk started to curd.  I still waited another 5-10 minutes, but it didn’t seem to curd a whole lot more after I initially added the vinegar/oil.  In fact, it curded so quickly that stirring the oil and vinegar into it left a clump of curd in my whisk that I had to use a knife to cut out.

I used a slotted spoon to scoop out the curds, since my bowl would have been too small for all the liquid at once if I had just poured the curds and whey into the cheesecloth lined strainer.  I twisted the cheesecloth to close it off and squeeze out the excess liquid.  I used dental floss to tie the ball of curds into a hanging position over a bowl to catch more liquid drain-off.

The results:  It was crumbly like the grated parmesan cheese from the store, similar in taste-somewhat.  I couldn’t grate it because it would just crumble.  Best for salads or on top of pasta I think.  I used about 1 T worth of salt when I made it and it wasn't too salty.  Taste wise--as it isn't bursting with flavor, it compliments parmesan cheese and things that are made with it, but by itself, I didn't think it had too much taste of its own.

Here are the pics from my first time making cheese this way:

Making Cheese with dry milk powder:

http://peaceofpreparedness.com/Resource%20Library/Recipies/Got%20Milk%20handout%202011.pdf

http://peaceofpreparedness.com/Resource%20Library/Recipies/Got%20Milk%20Recipes%202011.pdf

Cheese

Mix 4 c. water and 3 c. dry non-instant milk in large saucepan, heat until 115°. Add 2/3 c. oil and 1 3⁄4 c. white vinegar. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes.

When curds (cheese clumps) separate from whey (watery stuff) then pour them into a cheesecloth lined strainer.

Mix salt into curds. Pull up sides of cheesecloth, twist just above cheese, squeezing out water as you twist. Tie with string and hang overnight, hanging over bowl. Unwrap and grate.

Wednesday Why: Shelf-Stable Meals/Menu

What are some shelf stable meals?  And what is an example of a 1 month shelf stable meal menu?  When I say shelf stable I mean food items that can remain on a pantry/cupboard shelf until opened.  Also if using dehydrated foods, will need to store more water to rehydrate these items compared to their canned counterparts.

Some great meals that can be made using shelf stable food items are:  Soups, chilis, noodle dishes, rice dishes, baking mix foods, cereals/grains; all with canned/dehydrated fruits and veggies as sides.

Specifically:
Soups/Chilis:  canned soups/chilis or homemade using: broths, canned/dehydrated veggies & meats, canned/dry beans, pasta sauces, salsas, tomato sauces, jarred sauces and rice or noodles.
Noodle dishes:  Make casseroles, soups or pasta/sauce dishes.  Simply add canned/dehydrated meats, veggies, condensed soups, jarred sauces/salsas and seasonings to taste.  Like spaghetti or other noodles with pasta sauce, canned noodle dishes (like ravioli, Spaghetti O's, etc.), boxed or homemade Mac & cheese (using jarred cheese sauce or velveeta since these don't have to be refrigerated until opened), ramen noodles.
Rice dishes:  casseroles or soups using rice.  Simply add canned/dehydrated meats, veggies, condensed soups, jarred sauces/salsas and seasonings to taste, just like with noodles.
Potato dishes (using potato flakes):  Make up flakes to mashed potatoes, add canned/dehyrdrated meats/veggies/condensed soups and seasonings to make casseroles--using mashed potatoes as a crust of sorts
Potato dishes (using dehydrated potato dices, slices, shreds, etc):  make casseroles by adding condensed soups, canned/dehydrated meats or veggies and seasonings.
Baking Mix dishes/foods:  pancakes, biscuits, waffles, pot pie/pie/cobbler crusts/topping, cornbread, breads, some cakes and cookies
Cereals/Grains:  using dry milk for drinking milk and thereby the milk in cereals, oatmeals, grits, cracked wheat cereal.  Make wheat cereal with wheat berries or cracked wheat and sweetener/jam.  Crackers are a great 72 hour kit item, but also great for meals at home--use with tuna/canned chicken, PB&J or cheese.

Sample 1 month menu using shelf stable meals:

You may have other favorites that already use or could use shelf stable items in place of fresh.  When you find a meal that your family likes that uses only shelf stable items, then write it down and add it to your rotation.

When making your own menu, you can choose any number of breakfasts, lunches and dinners, I chose 7 different meals to rotate through, you can do more or less.  Then simply stock up on the items needed to make those meals--even though these items are shelf stable, you will want to use and rotate through them before the expiration date.

Hope this helps in giving ideas on meals that can be made when the fridge/freezer isn't working.  All of these meals can be made using an alternative cooking method if the electricity is out.  I originally put this menu together a few years back in preparation for hurricane season, knowing that if one hit, the electric could be out for anywhere between a day to a couple of weeks days.

Tast Test Tuesday: Blueberry Peach Cobbler

Blueberry Peach Cobbler, MMMM!
This was delicious by itself, but even better with whip cream or icecream when it was still warm, but then again whip cream and icecream seem to make everything better.

I did cut up the peaches, both the fresh and the canned to more bite size chunks.

For this recipe, I used homemade cake mix--the mix recipe can be found here on everydayfoodstorage.net, where she has put together a great handout on making your own cake and muffin mixes.  I have tried the chocolate cake mix (see this post for cookies made with that mix), the white cake mix by itself, and making it into strawberry cake.  I personally have liked the chocolate cake mix best when used for cookies, and the white cake mix best when used for cobblers.  If you make your own cake mix, this recipe uses these long-term food storage items: dry milk, flour, sugar.  It also can use dry egg powder.

Enjoy!

Taste Test Recipe catch up: Wheat recipes

The recipes I am sharing today use wheat (or not).  The first, Hamburger Casserole, I didn't include wheat in the recipe but it is the same as the other ground meat recipes, simply add 1/4 c or more of cooked wheat berries or cooked cracked wheat.  The great thing about adding wheat to ground meats, is it doesn't stand out taste wise.

Next is Hamburger Pie, again a great recipe to add wheat to as well as beans and dried veggies.

And now chip dip.

Popped wheat doesn't use ground meat, but I wanted to share it anyway.  Be sure to pop wheat without any oils or butter so that when it starts popping up, it won't hit you and burn you.  Simply add any oils & seasonings after it has been popped.  I noted that this is much harder to chew than popcorn, so I wouldn't recommend giving it to young children or anyone who can't chew hard/crispy foods.  It is a tasty snack otherwise though.