Strawberry n’ Cream Instant Oatmeal (bulk) (my family thought both oatmeal recipes needed a bit more salt, do what your family likes best!)

1 box (a whole one) of quick oats
1 1/2 c. dry milk
1 1/2 c. creamer
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1-2 c. freeze dried strawberries, blueberries, whatever you want

Mix it all together. Put back in container. For use, 1/2 c. of mix and 3/4-1 c. hot water.

Cinnamon Spice Instant Oatmeal (bulk)
1 box quick oats
1 1/2 c. dry milk
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8-1/4 tsp. ground cloves.
1 tsp. salt

Same directions as above.

Ranch Dressing

1 teaspoon dried parsley
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

Mix together. Add to 1 c. milk and 1 c. mayonnaise

If you want buttermilk ranch dressing add some buttermilk powder or use buttermilk in place of the milk.

Italian Dressing Mix
12/2007 Cook’s Country

Each batch of dressing makes about 1/2 cup, enough to dress 16 cups of greens and serve 6 to 8 people. Leftover dressing can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Makes 1 cup of mix, or 10 batches of dressing
1/4 cup powdered lemonade mix
3 tablespoons dehydrated minced onion
3 tablespoons dehydrated minced garlic
3 tablespoons pectin (Sure-Jell)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon salt

Whisk all ingredients in bowl until well combined. Store in airtight container for up to 3 months. To make salad dressing, whisk 1 1/2 tablespoons mix, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon water in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until garlic and onion are just softened, about 15 seconds. Cool to room temperature, then slowly whisk in 6 tablespoons olive oil.

Freezer Chicken Pot Pies
2/2007

To preserve their color, don’t thaw the peas before using. Each box of pie dough contains 2 crusts; you will use all 4 crusts for this recipe.

Serves 6
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used a quart of home canned chicken breast)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (left out because I didn’t brown the chicken)
5 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion , chopped fine
3 medium carrots , peeled and chopped
1 celery rib, chopped fine
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 (15-ounce) boxes Pillsbury Ready to Roll Pie Crust
1 large egg , plus one large egg, beaten, for baking
1 1/2 cups frozen peas

1. To make ahead: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large Dutch oven over high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until well browned, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Add broth and bring to boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until chicken is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate and strain broth into bowl.

2. Melt butter with remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onion, carrots, celery, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until lightly browned and softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add flour, and cook 1 minute. Whisk in reserved broth, milk, and thyme and simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces. Off heat, add chicken and lemon juice to sauce and season with salt and pepper. Transfer filling to medium bowl and cool until just warm. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour.

4. Unwrap and unroll pie crusts onto lightly floured counter. Following photos at left, glue 2 crusts together using 1 beaten egg. Repeat with remaining 2 crusts. Cut out 6 pastry toppings. Stir frozen peas into cold filling and divide mixture among six 2-cup disposable aluminum loaf pans. Top with pastry and use fork to seal edges. Using paring knife, make 3 steam vents in each crust. Tightly wrap each loaf pan in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.

5. When ready to serve: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Unwrap frozen pot pies and arrange on rimmed baking sheet. Brush crusts with egg, cover with foil, and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until crusts are golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let pot pies rest 10 minutes before serving.

Pancake Syrup

2 pounds brown sugar
3 c. water
2 Tsp. vanilla
4 Tsp. butter flavoring
2 tsp. maple extract

Bring brown sugar and water to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn off burner, but leave pot on burner until bubbling stops. Add extracts and flavoring.

Pancake Mix
9 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 c. honey
¼ c. molasses
1/3 c. baking powder
1 c. dry milk or buttermilk powder
1 T. salt
1 c. oil or vegetable shortening

Combine all dry ingredients, mix well. Using a hand mixer cut in shortening or oil so the mix looks crumbly. To make pancakes, 2 c. mix, 1 egg, 1-1 ½ c. water (depends on how thick you like your pancakes). Cook on hot griddle.

Burritos/Baked Chimichangas

http://www.idareyoutoeatit.com/2008/12/burritos-a-go-go/

Spanish Rice
2 T. oil
2 c. rice
1 medium onion, chopped
1 8oz. Can tomato sauce
4 c. water (brown rice)(3 ½ cups when using white rice)
2 t. cumin
2 t. salt
Heat oil in pan, add rice and cook until opaque. Add onion, tomato sauce, water and seasonings. Heat to boil. Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes (white rice), 1 hour (brown rice).

EASY GRANOLA BARS
FOUND AT ALLRECIPES.COM

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed
milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup flaked coconut 1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate
chips
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sweetened condensed milk, butter, coconut, almonds, chocolate chips and cranberries with your hands until well blended. Press flat into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, depending on how crunchy you want them. Lightly browned just around the edges will give you moist, chewy bars. Let cool for 5 minutes, cut into squares then let cool completely before serving.

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars (found at Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1/4 cup sunflower kernels
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Stir in the oats, sunflower kernels, raisins, wheat germ and sesame seeds. Fold in chocolate chips.
2. Press into an 8-in. square baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until set and edges are browned. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars.
If you remember, I didn’t put all the ingredients in this recipe. Due to some family allergies, I left out the wheat germ, sunflower kernels and sesame seeds. Personalize it to your family’s preferences!

February 17—–Food Storage Convenience Foods-how to make your own convenience foods using your pantry items
April 21—–Gardening-Inside and out, starting seeds cancelled
May 19—–Dehydrating-how to dehydrate foods and how to use them
October 20—-Inventory, Food Rotation and Storage-where do I put all this stuff? how do I organize it? AND Alternative Cooking Methods-solar, kerosene, tuna can
November 17—–Storing and Using Food Storage Milk Products (i.e., dry milk, evaporated milk)

All classes held at 525 East Woodland Drive, Saline, Michigan.

Start time is 7:00 p.m.

What if? we lost power for 3 or more days? we had tornadoes come through the area? an ice storm or blizzard leaves us snowed in? there was a fire in our home? How are your kids going to respond? What if there is a bomb threat at one of the schools and the other schools are evacuated? Where is everyone going to meet? How are they going to check in?

Just as the bishop has an emergency response plan, we have a family response plan. Remember the tornadoes that came through this past summer? We don’t have TV with broadcast networks so my mom (she lives one county to the west of us) usually texts me that there is a tornado warning. Once we get that information I initiate the family action plan. School stops. It takes about a half hour to do.

Our plan includes:
-filling 5 gallon buckets with water in each bathroom (for flushing)
-doing every single dirty dish and scrap of laundry (cause being without power means no dishwasher or washer/dryer and being without clean undies is uncomfortable)(there are always dishes and laundry to do here)
-the house is picked up (tripping over stuff in the dark=sprained ankles)
-flashlight batteries are checked and flashlights are placed strategically
-generator is started
-supply of gas for generator is checked and gas cans are filled if needed

After I run through this list, I relax. I can relax because my kids know about the evacuation plan that if we have to get out of the house we meet at the boulder at the end of the driveway. I can relax because they know they have a buddy to care for in case something happens (each big kid has a little kid). I can relax because I have enough food to feed us. I can relax because I have methods to heat food. I can relax because we have enough blankets if we lost our furnace we would be warm enough. I can relax because we have enough non-electric entertainment that we can sit around and have fun! I can relax because if something happened to our neighbors I could help care for them.

Think about your family emergency response plan. What is it?

The bishop asked I find family home evening ideas related to this topic. Below are links to others ideas and plans for family home evening on the topic.

Preparing Children for Emergencies
Mock Disaster Family Home Evening
Emergency Supplies
Protecting your home against fire
Coping with a Blackout
The Oil of Preparedness
Making a survival kit
How to turn off the gas to your home
How to turn off electricity to your home
How to turn off water to your home

Preparedness Class will be held on the third Thursday in February, April, May, October and November.

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, grated
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 15 oz. can kidney beans (with liquid)
2 15 oz. can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 32 oz. bottle V-8
1 T. white vinegar
1 ½ t. salt
1 t. oregano
1 t. basil
½ t. pepper
½ t. thyme
1 pound small pasta

Brown the ground beef. Drain and rinse. Add onions, carrot, celery and garlic, saute for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta and simmer for 1 hour. Cook pasta in 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat. Cook until pasta is al dente. Drain. Add pasta to pot of soup. Simmer 5-10 minutes and serve.

This soup can be frozen if the pasta is not added. The pasta will go mushy if frozen in the soup.

Drain and rinse the black beans. Spoon beans back into can and cover with fresh water. Pour beans and water into blender and puree. Combine brownie mix and black bean puree. Bake as directed on box.

Thermos Wheat

Popped Wheat

Bulghur

Yogurt Breakfast Bowls
This is the original recipe. I served the wheat berry breakfast bowls with honey greek yogurt and rehydrated apple slices (cooked with water and a tablespoon of brown sugar).

Vegetable Grain Casserole

Bulghur Pilaf

Cracked Wheat Cereal and Cream of Wheat

Wheat Sprouts and Wheat Grass This site has lots of info. You don’t have to purchase anything-just use the info!

Blender Pancakes

The basic premise of the method is you
-create a weed free garden space,
-mounds that are leveled to put the plants in,
-a preplant mix (lime, epsom salts and boron mixture)
-weekly fertilizer mix
-regular consistent watering
-make the plants as healthy as they can be. Healthy plants fight off disease and pests more successfully and make wonderful vegetables.

You can google Mittleider method. You will find much information on the internet about the method. You will find old information that hasn’t been purged mixed in with new information. I completely support this method but finding the newest information has been a challenge for me. I like clear, concise directions. Some of the materials have been less than clear or concise.

If you are very interested in this method of gardening, sign up for the Yahoo group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MittleiderMethodGardening/). This is the space where the latest info is shared and Jim Kennard, the owner of the group, is very knowledgable and generous with the information on this method of gardening.

If you are interested in looking at the manuals, I have a copy that you may borrow to see if the purchase is worthwhile to you. Much of the information can be found on the Yahoo group. You just have to start reading the archives.

Suitable Location, sunshine 6 hours minimum, 14-16 best, can it be easily watered? drainage?

Layout, height of plants

Prep soil

Decide what to plant-pick things you will eat and will suit climate-no banana trees in MI

When to plant what, cool vs. hot weather veggies

Grow the right amount

Perennial veggies, asparagus, rhubarb, globe artichokes, Jerusalem artichokes, strawberries

Edible ornamentals

What does a plant need? Soil (minerals), Sun, Water

Start Seeds, plan backwards! paper pots, Dixie cups, seed starters, difference in seed catalogs, use catalogs as reference materials, info on packets, seeds from the produce aisle

Choosing seedlings, don’t be afraid to take them out and handle them

Frost date Oct 15-April 28=risk of frost
Oct 30-April 17=will receive frost
May 9-Sep 30=will not receive frost (170 days)

What to plant? What do you and your family like? Do you want to preserve any produce?

Tomatoes-inderminate, determinate

Mineral Deficiencies

Fertilizer, Miracle Grow vs. homemade

Pesticides, fungicides, herbicides-if you grow it, they will come! and another
good bugs and bad bugs-a chart

Internet as a tool

Container Gardening

Pick a containerNC State University article includes listing of recommended container plant varieties

Homemade self irrigated planters #1

Homemade self irrigated planters #2

Gardening tips from Earthbox.com
Picking soil
Casters
Smaller fast producing veggies
Pick plants with compact growth habit