Okay, so my DH & I are going to dinner at a small b&b in Manti, Utah and George Lopez was just sitting on the porch. Weird.

Off to Utah. Maybe I'll find some cheap canning jars at the thrift stores.

Pop Pineapple Quiz

Okay, so you run into the produce store for something, and they have pineapples on sale for $.88 EACH.  What do you do? You forget why you were in the store in the first place and grab the store limit of 4 pineapples.  Then what?  What else, you can them.  Granted the fruits were very small, but I canned 3 pints and (4) 1/2 pints.  I made a very light simple syrup (3 cups water, 3/4 cup sugar) and boiled to dissolve the sugar.  I then took the pineapple cores, chunked them and added to the boiling syrup.  I let that boil for a few minutes to get a bit of pineapple juice. I canned them in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.  Now I know exactly what I'm getting in my canned pineapple.

Guilty Pleasure

Okay, I'll admit I like to go to buffets so I can eat, the 'fluff desserts/salads'. There is something soothing about the light, airy texture of fluff.  I'm addicted to sweets, carbs and good chocolate, not necessarily in that order and I think fluff falls in one of those categories.  I happened to find a recipe called, "Pear Fluff" in a 1974 cookbook Kitchen Magic by Deanna Smith Sudweeks.  The great thing is, I usually have all the ingredients in the pantry or freezer.  Now I don't have to do over-priced buffets anymore!
Pear Fluff

Dissolve:
2 pkgs lime jell-o
2 cups boiling water
Blend in Blender:
1 qt. pears with juice
2 tsp vanilla
Mix all ingredients together and cool in the fridge.
Whip:
2 cups whipping cream
Add the whipped cream to the jell-o and pear mixture. Cool again.
Serves 8-10

I'm thinking 2 small jell-o boxes or one large one would do.  This would also be great with different flavors of jell-o and fresh fruit, in season.  You know it's a Utah recipe when it includes lime jell-o. :)  I also posted an alternate recipe on the Recipes page.

Mango BBQ Sauce

Here's what I did with the leftover mangos.  I'm going to make this:

 Mango BBQ Sauce

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
3 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp Coleman's dry mustard
2 tsp curry powder
1 1/4 tsp powdered ginger
3/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp cumin
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups sorghum or light molasses
3 cups mango puree
1/2 gallon plus 1 cup ketchup (72 ounces total)

Combine vegetable oil, onion and garlic in a large pot set over medium low heat. Cook them, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Raise heat to medium. Add the mustard, curry powder, ginger, chipotle powder, cayenne, crushed red pepper, paprika and cumin. Stir, and cook until the spices are aromatic.
Add vinegar, molasses, puree and ketchup, and stir to combine evenly. Simmer on low heat for 35 to 45 minutes, until the flavors meld and mixture thickens.
Fill prepared pint size jars leaving 1/2” headspace. Process jars in a HWB for 20 minutes.

I pureed the mango and put it in the freezer till we get more tomatoes on.  I think I will also eliminate the curry and cut down on the chili powder.

Sorry...

... but I HAD to go to Disneyland again today.  Family's in town and we met them at the park.  That is probably my last time for the summer.  Too many people and it gets too hot.  I promise I am going to actually do something this week!

Off to eat Chinese Food. Can Chinese food be canned?

Can He Join the CA Gobernatorial Race?

I

Week 12

Our house guest is gone, but family is in town and going to Disneyland tomorrow.  Oh, darn.  We're going to have to go again.  I'm sorry but when you live 10-15 minutes (depending on traffic) away from Disneyland, you are forced to go. ;)

This week is am going back into the basement to pull out some food storage and figure out what I am going to do with it.  I am also going to toss some things I know are way out of date.  How about a large can of Tang from Costco, that I purchased when it was still Price Club.  Or the soda that expanded and exploded on the shelves and basement walls.  When we had the basement built, (yes, they do basements in California if you tell them it's a wine cellar) I  had the heavy block walls painted with white gloss enamel paint.  Good call on my part.  It makes clean ups much easier!

SPOILER ALERT

Okay, and I'm just putting this out there.  I think I had the end of Lost pegged the first season when I told my husband they were all dead and hadn't moved on yet.

Rustic Apples, Sort of

I canned more fruit today.  An apple filling or sauce, whatever you want to do with it. I used the Rustic Apple recipe that I have on the Recipes page.  I used dried cranberries instead of cherries and took the skin off.  I also added 2 more cups of water and a package of Certo Jell. It made 5 pints and 1 quart. I also got Fuji apples on sale.  If the apples are already sweet, you don't need to add as much sugar.  Here's a pic:

Jalapeño Jelly

Does anybody know how to change keys to get a tilde on the 'n'?
It bugs me. (you hold the alt key and type 0241 on the numeric keyboard) Anyway I made Jalapeñno jelly today also.  Note to self: Next time you make the jelly, don't dip a spoon into it to taste it.  Yikes! and I didn't use as many peppers as was suggested in the recipe.  I may have lived in Guatemala for 16 months, but my taste buds are still gringa all the way! I have to post this quick as I am off to church to put together items for a local shelter.

Jalapeño Jelly
Ingredients:

1 large green bell pepper
12 jalapeno peppers
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 pinch salt
4 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 ounces liquid pectin
4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped

Directions:
1.Combine the green bell pepper and 12 jalapeño peppers in the container of a food processor or blender. Process until finely chopped. This can be done in batches, if the peppers do not fit.

2.Transfer the peppers to a large saucepan, and stir in the cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain the mixture through at least 2 layers of cheesecloth, and discard pulp. You should have about 1 cup of liquid.

3.Return the liquid to the saucepan, and stir in the salt and sugar until dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the mixture comes to a rolling boil (one that cannot be stirred down), boil for one minute, then stir in the liquid pectin.

4.Stir in the remaining jalapeño peppers, and ladle into sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Refrigerate jelly after seal is broken.

Cook's Notes:
I used whatever vinegar I had.  I also used part of a red bell pepper and a whole yellow pepper for sweetness and contrast.  I used 6 cups of sugar, and 5 jalapeños with seeds.  I didn't strain it, so maybe it is actually a jam?  Oh, and I added a couple of drops of green food coloring because the color looked like baby poop...not appetizing.

Here's the link to the original:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/jalapeno-jelly/detail.aspx

Mango Salsa Recipe

Mango Salsa
This is the recipe for fresh salsa.

2 cups diced mango

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup diced red onion
2 T vinegar
2 tsp. minced ginger
1 tsp minced jalapeno
2 tsp minced garlic
1 T  lime juice
2 T chopped cilantro
Mix all ingredients together. and refrigerate at least 2-3 hours

I omitted the garlic and cilantro (DH says it tastes like soap.)
To can it, cook the mango, red pepper and jalapeno for 10 minutes on low.  Add mango and cook another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add lime juice, vinegar and ginger.  I also added about 1/3 cup sugar to balance the heat and sour flavors.
Hot pack as usual.  I'm at sea level so I used a BWB for 10 minutes.

This made 3 pints.  I used (2) 1/2 pint jars that I am giving as gifts.

I also learned that green mangos are in the same plant family as poison ivy.  It is recommended that you wear gloves when handling the mango.  I also have a box of surgical gloves handy in the house.  I wore these to cut the mango, onion and jalapeno.  No problems with touching your eyes when wearing these.

Mango Salsa

I am going to try mango salsa in the morning.  I am trying to can items in season and share my knowledge with friends and family.  I checked out the supermarket ads last night, (which I never usually do), and found a super mercado called La Carreta, in my city.  Can you guess it caters to the Latin crowd?  Anyway, on Wednesdays they run some great produce sales.  I picked up 6 mangoes for $1.99, and other great deals on jalapenos, celery, tomatillos and more! 

I found other deals on raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.  I have so much produce in the house right now.  Cherries were also on sale, but I probably will eat them all by tomorrow.  I love summer fruit.  I'll post the recipes and results later.

Zest, el parte dos

Remember a few posts back when I zested all those lemons for the green beans?  The beans were the hit of the party.  In case you are wondering:

Snap the ends off the green beans, clean and steam for three minutes, or to your liking.  Remove beans to a wok and saute in olive oil for 45 seconds. Remove to a bowl and toss with lemon zest and garlic salt. 

Our beans are growing nicely in the garden, so I think we'll be making a lot of this recipe.

I went to the thrift store yesterday to get ice cube trays.  Today I loaded the rest of the zest into the trays to freeze them.  When frozen, I'll pop the zest cubes into a ziploc and use as needed from the freezer.  I will also be doing the same things with other herbs we have growing, basil, dill, etc.

Week 11

I seemed to have gotten off track with the purpose of the blog.  I need to steer it back in the direction of food storage.

I did have a couple of great finds.  I hit a thrift store yesterday and got a box of 9 quart sized jars for $3.50.  I also posted an ad on freecycle for canning jars-wanted, and got some pint size jars for FREE!  If you don't know what freecycle is, it's kind of like craigslist, only everything is free, hence the name.

I don't know how much I will get done today.  I have to go to Disneyland. Oh, darn!  However, I promised a pic of the journals I made, so here they are.

BTW...

My hair is a mess and I usually sew in 6" heels, but other than that, I look ah...pretty much like the photo.

Service Boot Camp

http://beinglds.blogspot.com/2010/05/handmade-journal-tutorial.html

I was checking out this blog I look at and there was a special post about a service project.  If you're a member of the LDS church (http://mormon.org/) you are no stranger to service projects.  This one hit home for me.  It's called 'Write it Out'. The purpose is to give journals to war widows to help them deal with their grief and loss. A war widow herself, began the program.
I am a big journaling fan but another reason is my father, brother and husband were in the service.  Anyway, you sew covers for the journals, (basic composition books), and mail them in.  The above link has the posting I saw and the simple tutorial.

This post is the original:
http://imakestuff4fun.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-crafty-friends-please-help-me.html

I've made 4, and will post pics later. If you can sew a straight stitch, you can make at least one of these.  It's not rocket science, folks!

Dinner Tonight

We had a church anniversary dinner tonight.  People volunteered to sponsor a table with their china and serve as table hosts.  Here is what mine looked like.

Cabbage

Cabbage from 1999.  Would your family eat this?  'Nuff said.

What to do With Crystallized Honey

My DH was at a Farmer's Market yesterday and overhead a question a lady asked the honey man.  She wanted to know what to do with honey that had crystallized.  The honey man said honey never goes bad, so don't throw it out.  What he does is puts the bottle, jar, etc. on his dashboard in the car and lets it slowly heat up.  The crystals will melt away and once again your honey will be free flowing. 

More Magic Mix Recipes

A couple of days ago I gave you a recipe for Magic Mix.  Here are some other recipes that use the mix.

White Sauce
2/3 cup Magic Mix
1 cup water

In a saucepan combine Magic Mix and water.  Stir rapidly over medium heat until it starts to bubble.

Macaroni and Cheese
1 cup white sauce from Magic Mix
1 cup uncooked macaroni
4-5 oz. grated cheese (about 1 cup)
1/2 - 1 tsp. salt or garlic salt

Cook  macaroni in boiling water until tender.  Drain.  Combine macaroni, white sauce, cheese and seasoning.  Heat through.

Pudding
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup Magic Mix
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3 Tbl. cocoa (optional)
2 cups water

Combine Magic Mix, sugar and cocoa in saucepan and mix well.  Add water, stir over medium heat until pudding bubbles.  Add vanilla and beat.  Cover and cool.

Tah Dah!

I canned the lemonade today.  It made 5 quarts.  Which means we'll have 15 quarts of strawberry lemonade.  The ratio is one part concentrate to 2 parts water.

Week 11

That's a lot of lemons!

They all have to be zested and juiced, then on to the Strawberry Lemonade...

What to Do with Powdered Milk

This is taken from from the booklet, New Ideas for Cooking with Basic Food Storage.  Their information is from Utah State University Extension Service.

Using Dry Milk in Any Recipe

Adding additional milk to a recipe will enhance the nutritive value of the recipe.

In any recipe calling for milk, simply add the dry milk to other dry ingredients.  Sift to blend, then add water for the milk called for in the recipe.

For use in meatloaf, hamburgers, etc., use 1/4 to 1/2 cup per pound of meat.

In mashed potatoes; mash cooked potatoes, then add 1/4 cup dry milk for each cup of potatoes.  Use either the water the potatoes were cooked in or fresh milk to give the right consistency.

Cooked cereals; add 1/4 to 1/2 cup dry milk to each cup of cereal before cooking.

The following is a recipe called Magic Mix, which can be used in many recipes to make food prep easy and economical.

Magic Mix
4 cups instant (2 1/3 non-instant) dry milk
1 cup flour OR 1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup margarine

Combine dry milk, flour and margarine into a large bowl and mix until it looks like cornmeal.  Keep mix tightly covered in the fridge. Makes 5 cups of Magic Mix

Cream Soup
4 cups water
1 cube or 1 tsp. bouillon granules
2 cups Magic Mix

Add one or more of the following;
3 cooked carrots, mashed
3 potatoes, cooked and chopped & 1 Tbl. chopped onion
1 can chopped clams
1 package chopped spinach, cooked
1 can cream-style corn and 1 Tbl. chopped onion

Combine water, Magic Mix, and bouillon in saucepan.  Stir over medium heat until slightly thick.  Add desired ingredients.  Heat thoroughly.  Makes 4 servings.

How about that recipe when you find you need a can of cream soup for funeral potatoes.

Recycle Your Lemons

 First off, if you don't have one of these Microplane Zesters, you're working too hard for your zest.  My daughter bought me mine.  Looove it!

Now that you have made your strawberry lemonade, I hope you didn't just throw out the lemons.  Use the zest for all kinds of things.  For example, my DH is in charge of green beans for a church dinner for 175 people, this coming Saturday.  Big deal you say, what's so difficult about green beans?  Well, this has become a project to attain the exact timing to a great green bean.  Let me explain.  The recipe is simple.  Cooked fresh green beans tossed with a bit of olive oil, lemon zest and garlic salt.  I like my green beans lightly steamed and crunchy.  DH said that wouldn't fly with other people, that they would actually want them cooked. Who knew?  Anyway, this week we weighed  out the perfect amount of beans per serving and tried steaming them.  I liked two minutes steamed, quickly sauteed in oil, then tossed with the garlic salt and lemon zest.  DH liked three minutes.  We sampled and decided that boiling them would be faster and they could be batched out without compromising the quality.  We timed two or three batches and decided on 2 minutes, 30 seconds boiled, quick saute and toss.  We were eating a lot of green beans...Wait, I know I was telling you this for a reason...oh yes, the zest. 

The zest from lemons can be done ahead of time and refrigerated until needed.  It can also be frozen or dried for use on the fly.  The rest of the lemon is great to throw in the disposal to clean and give the kitchen a fresh smell.  Be sure to use lots of water when grinding them. 

I was just talking to my daughter who told me a trick they use in her shop.  If a recipe calls for sugar and zest, they take the two and almost knead them together.  It releases that great lemon oil and infuses the sugar with the flavor.

I'm sure everyone knows to roll your lemons on the counter before juicing to release more juice.  You can also microwave lemons for a few seconds to produce the same results. (Quicker with large amounts of lemons.)

Happy Mother's Day to all US Ladies!

Lemonade part dos

My friend has a lemon tree with more fruit than she can use. I live in So. Cal., so the trees are LOADED with citrus. Strawberries are fairly inexpensive at the moment.  I've been buying them on sale.    I purchase my sugar in 25-50 lb bags, so that is a lot less expensive.  Probably the most expensive part of this lemonade is going to be the 1/2 pint or pint jars I'm going to use to can the concentrate.  I figure it is about .25-30 cents per glass.  I'm not a math genius, but that could even be on the high side.  Last time I had strawberry lemonade in a restaurant it was $3.50 a glass.  What a deal!

Thanks to those of you, (all 8) that are following my blog.  I appreciate the feedback!  I never quite know what I am going to write about day to day. I think I am going to try one recipe and then I get sidetracked on to a different one. Keep following me and let's see where this leads us...

Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate

I helped to clean up a park today, so I haven't made it to the grocery store yet.  I have to put the fudge on hold till later.  I came home and made frosted brownies to take to a baptism, later on today.

I ran across this recipe today and it just sounded soooo good.  So here you are:

Strawberry Lemonade Concentrate
12 cups (3 litres or quarts) strawberries
4 cups fresh lemon juice, lime juice or a combination
5 cups sugar

Rinse and drain the strawberries, and hull them.

Squeeze the juice from the lemons and/or limes and measure. You will likely need about 16 lemons or 24 limes, but it does not hurt to have a few extra on hand; they do vary quite a bit in juiciness.

Meanwhile, put the jars on to boil in a large canning kettle, with the water coming up at least an inch over the tops. Boil for 10 minutes before removing them to be filled.

Purée the strawberries. Heat them with the lemon or lime juice and sugar in a large pot, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Bring up to the point where it is about to boil, but do not allow it to boil.

Pour the concentrate into the hot sterilized jars to within 1 cm (1/2") of the tops.

Seal with lids prepared according to the manufacturers directions. (Generally, this means boil them for 5 minutes.) Return the jars to the boiling water bath, and boil for 15 minutes before removing and allowing to cool. Store in a cool, dark spot.

To serve, mix with cold water to taste; about one part concentrate to two parts water, with a few pieces of ice added.

Pinto Bean Fudge

Does that even sound good to you?                                                        

Okay it uses 2 lbs of sugar...

From the book

'New Ideas for Cooking with Basic Food Storage'

Pinto Bean Fudge

1 cup cooked soft pinto beans, (drained and mashed)

1/4 cup milk                                                                   
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 lbs. powdered sugar
1 Tbl. vanilla
6 Tbl. butter
Nuts (optional)

In a large bowl, stir beans and milk together, adding enough milk to resemble mashed potatoes; stir in vanilla.  Melt chocolate and butter and stir into bean mixture.  Gradually stir in powdered sugar.  Knead with hands to get it well blended.  Spread into lightly buttered 9-inch baking dish or form into two 1 1/2 inch rolls.  Chill 1-2 hours.

Forget the Last Post

We have a younger friend (21) staying with us for a couple of weeks.  We went to see Iron Man 2.  Good movie, a bit long, but I enjoy a good action flick. 

Tomorrow I'm going to improve my mood by making some candy.  Like I always say, 'if it's under a 1000 calories, it's not worth eating'.  (just check out my thighs)  I also think if it's something you have to 'acquire a taste for it', it is not worth my time or effort.  Oh, and then there is chocolate which forms the base layer of my food pyramid. Just wanted to let you in on some of my healthy habits...

End of the Week

Do you ever feel just tired, like you could just spend the day in bed?  I have rheumatoid arthritis and that's how it is a lot of the time.  I'm lucky enough that I don't have a full time job, otherwise I don't think I'd make it.  I really try not to complain, but some days it's just enough to get out of bed. 

Reconstituting Non-Fat Instant Milk

Use the amounts below to equal the amount of  milk desired.
First amount is the amount you desire. The second is the amount of fresh water to use.  The third measurement is the amount of instant non-fat milk powder to use.
For example:
If you want 1/4 cup of milk, use 1/4 cup water with 1 1/2  Tbl. of non-fat instant milk.

1/4 cup = 1/4 cup  + 1-1/2 tablespoons                                            

1/3 cup = 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon

1/2 cup = 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons

1 cup =1 cup + 1/3 cup

1 quart = 3-3/4 cup  +1-1/3 cups

2 quarts =7-2/3 cups + 2 -2/3 cups

1 gallon =15-1/2 cups + 5-1/3 cups



The table above will help you work out the amount of powdered milk you will need to prepare a specific measurement of liquid milk. Here are some tips to help the milk turn out as fresh tasting as possible:

•Use cool water when possible. The powder tends to dissolve more readily in cool water.

•Stir the milk a lot, to dissolve the milk powder. Then let the milk sit for a little while and stir again. The protein in the milk powder blends most easily if it gets a chance to stand after mixing.

•Chill the milk whenever possible. Use a refrigerator if you have one. If you don’t, then wrap the milk in a wet towel. As the water evaporates, the milk will cool. If you have a root cellar or basement, you may want to keep the milk there, or even outside in the fall and winter.

•If you store the milk outside be sure that it is protected from critters who may be thirsty. A box with a large rock on top is sufficient to keep out most animals.

•If you do not have refrigeration, then only prepare enough milk to last the day. I prepare it the night before, so it has a chance to blend and chill overnight. About 2 quarts will be enough to last a family of 4 for most of the day. If you continually find you have some left over, then prepare less the next day. If you find yourself running out, then prepare more.

•Some people add a drop or two of vanilla to their milk to improve the flavor. Other people add a spoonful or two of sugar for the same purpose. I don’t use either of these ideas, because we are accustomed to reconstituted milk, and prefer it plain.

•If you have fresh milk available, then it may be mixed half and half with reconstituted milk to improve the flavor. If you use half whole milk and half reconstituted milk, you will end up with a very good tasting milk that is equivalent to 2%.  
Chart is from http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com

Salad Dressings

Sometimes, you just want a good salad and find out you have no dressing.  Here are some that can be made with items usually found in the pantry.

I found these in the book, The New Cookin' with Home Storage by Vicki Tate.

Poppy Seed Dressing
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbl. grated onion
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/3 cup vinegar
1 cup oil
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.  Blend with vinegar and onion.  Add oil slowly, a little at a time, blending after each addition.  Stir in poppy seeds when mixture has formed a homogeneous dressing. ( I sub dry onion for the minced.)

Honey Dressing
2/3 cup oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. crumbled basil
Combine in a jar with a tight lid.  Shake well and chill until needed.

Thousand Island Dressing
1/2 quart mayonnaise
1/2 cup catsup
1/2 cup relish
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Mix all ingredients together and serve.

Creamy Salad Dressing
2 tsp. dried onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbl. parsley
1 cup mayonnaise
Put all ingredients in a jar and mix well.  Store in fridge. (I have a large can of buttermilk powder.  I use what I need and put the rest in the freezer until needed.)

Catalina French Dressing
1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup vinegar
2 Tbl. minced onion
1 Tbl. prepared mustard
1 Tbl. paprika
Mix all ingredients well.  Store in a jar in fridge. (I sub dried onion for the minced.)

Short Gripe

I am hosting a table at church for an anniversary dinner.  It's an adults only affair with china and the like.  The table seats 10 people, but I only have nice china for 8.  I have been meaning to purchase a couple extra settings for years now.  I just did.  The order includes 2 dinner plates, 2 salad plates, and 2 bread and butter plates.  Only problem is, it's a retired Royal Worcester set.  So, my 6 plates cost over $400. Ouch, and they aren't even the fancy ones! I bought 4 settings of a pattern called Marquis and 4 settings of a pattern called Charlotte.  I intersperse the two patterns together and it makes a stunning statement, if I do say so myself.

Good Advice

I copied this from:
http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com/

Monday, May 3, 2010


Items to Stock Up on for Your Food Storage: May

Here is a list of goals for food storage, emergency and general grocery items for the month of May. You may find on sale in conjunction with Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day sales. Take advantage of sales to save money.

Shelf Foods - BBQ sauce, Steak sauce, Mayonnaise, Relish/Pickles, Olives, Refried beans, Baked beans, Enchilada sauce, Green chilies, Taco sauce, Pancake syrup, Soda,

Toiletries - Baby diapers, Baby wipes

Paper & Cleaning - Bleach, Laundry Detergent

Freezer Foods - Strawberry jam or berries, Ground beef, Popsicles

Medical & First Aid - sunscreen, insect repellent, calamine lotion

Family Emergency Kit Supplies (items you share as a family)

5 or 6 gal. bucket or bag, bucket lid, gas shutoff, heavy duty trash bags, family first aid kit, include medicine, sewing kit, scissors, liquid hand soap, work gloves

Equipment & Fuel - Canning jars & lids, Canner, Canning tools

Emergency Prep - Establish a financial reserve, Emergency cash at home in small bills

Banana Update

The 20-year-old can of banana slices I opened in my class yesterday looked good, but were rancid tasting.  Too much oil in the slices.  Looks can be deceiving.

'Srooms, the Legal Kind

Don't you love getting packages?  It's always fun to open them and see if what you got lives up to your expectations.  I got one today (for free even) that exceeded my expectations.  Take a look at this photo.

I received all these mushroom samples for free!  Some I've never even heard of.  They are from Marxfoods.com  When I found out they were giving free samples of dried mushrooms, I contacted Justin Marx to ask about the longevity of the mushrooms.  He quickly got back to me and said they would be shelf stable for several years.  How about that for some high brow storage foods?  I received samples of; Matsutake, Porcini, Lobster, Chanterelle, Black Trumpet, Maitake and Dried Northwest Mix. Some I am familiar with and some not.  I can't wait to try some.

Week 10

I wanted to show you a pic of not only the Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding, but also of the other dishes that were cooked.

72-hr. Car Kit

I gave a lesson at church today about being prepared.  One of the things I talked about was having a 72-hour kit in your car.  Here in California, we live in our cars so it makes sense to have a car kit.  I keep mine in a regular backpack with padded straps.

Here are a some photos of items I've included in my kit.  I also have enough food and water to last me for 3 days.  I have a small wing stove and solid fuel tablets that can be used to cook any of the main dishes.  I filled out a menu, just so I wouldn't eat everything in one sitting.  My DH has MRE's in his kit.  I won't eat an MRE, but I will do high carb foods, like Mac & Cheese.  I need to add some sun screen and a couple other items to fine tune the kit.  I also have small single serving packs of lemonade for the water.  I tend to drink more when water is flavored.  Staying hydrated is very important in a stressful situation.  Also make sure you have extra meds on board.

Since So Cal is very hot, I recommend changing out the food every six months.  Try eating only what is in the food packs for 3 days.  You may want to fine tune what you eat.  If you have kids, let them have it every 6 months, it will be like camping for them.

The small wing stove is from:Wing stove and fuel tablets

If you need more info, let me know.

2 Dozen Krispy Kreme Donuts

This is what 2 dozen Krispy Kreme Donuts look like chopped up.