EVERYDAY FOOD STORAGE » Everyday Emergency

Emergency Cooking with Shelf Stable Items:Food Storage Recipes

Crystal — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 04:41:29 +0000

You know me, I like to EASE my way into things and I think the best way to start emergency cooking is to see what you ALREADY have that can be made with shelf stable items in case of emergency. (Keep in mind that I only see this as a FIRST step, we’ll be covering other things like dutch ovens and solar ovens….but let’s just EASE into this! Now, please keep in mind that the first few days of a natural disaster you will be busily cooking and using the food in your fridge and freezer before it goes bad. But, of course, after your fresh and frozen food as been used up you’ll want to have shelf stable food (meaning the food that doesn’t need to be refrigerated) to eat. As I was thinking about this I realized that a lot of people spend a lot of money on food like this, but if you don’t have the money you can buy shelf stable meals at any grocery store (and when it’s on sale some times it’s as cheap as 88 cents!). Chicken helper is one of the easiest to make from shelf stable items because it even says on the box that you can substitute a can of chicken in place of the fresh chicken. (Which also, if you think about it is a good idea because you’d use less fuel cooking the meal if you don’t need to first cook the chicken.) Obviously, the milk you can use powdered milk but you may be perplexed about what to do about the margarine. This may not be the best thing to try putting beans in. However, I did discover that olive oil (or any oil) works just as well and that you don’t have to use as much oil as it calls for margarine. So not only are these meals great to keep on hand for an “everyday emergency” or when a baby-sitter or husband who doesn’t like to cook needs to cook but also for a natural disaster. I love it!

Here is what I did to make it work:

The recipe originally calls for:
1 lb. uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 T. margarine or butter
1/2 c. hot water
2 c. milk

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Melt margarine in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until outsides turn white.

Stir in hot water, milk, Sauce Mix and uncooked pasta. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. Remove from heat and uncover (sauce will thicken as it stands)

Here is what I did:
1 12.5 oz. can cooked chicken, undrained (undrained there will be about a 1/2 c. of broth)
1 1/2 t. olive oil
1/2 c. of broth (from the can-why throw it out? It just adds more flavor)
2 c. milk (2 c. water + 1/3 c. powdered milk)

Combine chicken, broth, oil, water, dry milk powder, and sauce mix in skillet (you’ll need to use a whisk to combine everything). Add in uncooked pasta and stir. Heat until boiling, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. Remove from heat and uncover (sauce will thicken as it stands).

*You could also use a can of peas for some color or add in other spices (garlic, lemon pepper, etc.) to flavor it differently.

Fanatic Fridays Contestant #3

Crystal — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:05:36 +0000

Our third contestant in the “What in the world should Crystal’s family eat for Halloween” is Heidi, this is what she had to say…”Since you like spaghetti and your husband likes chili bake, I thought it would be perfect to share a recipe from my grandma called Chili Ghetti. It hasn’t been a yearly Halloween dinner, but I think it would be great to start making it a tradition. I always loved when my mom made this growing up. Enjoy!”

Chili Ghetti

1 lb. hamburger, browned and drained
2 15 oz. cans chili
3 1/2 c. tomatoes, chopped (or 2 15 oz. cans stewed tomatoes, chopped)
8 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained
3 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 c. sour cream
3/4 c. chopped onion ( or slightly less than 1/4 c. dry onion)

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a 9×13″ pan. (You could also just mix them together in the pan to save a bowl.) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. or until warmed through.

Want to enter the Fanatic Friday recipe contest? November will be all about Thanksgiving favorites. Did you know that even the Pilgrims were counseled to have a year supply of food? There’s no better way to celebrate them than to make things for Thanksgiving that use items from OUR one year supply. Have a food storage recipe that would be perfect to serve on Thanksgiving? Please share it with us at fanaticfridays@gmail.com! For more information on the contest click HERE.

Ode to Pizza-Hot Pockets (aka Pizza Pockets): Whole Wheat Food Storage Recipes

Crystal — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:32:00 +0000

I’m so happy so many of you remember this recipe! With all this talk of pizza, I’ve had a lot of people asking for this post so I’ll put it up again, either to introduce you to pizza pockets or to jog your memory! This recipe is SO great & suprisingly EASY (so easy I made a video to prove it)! There is so much for your kids to help with in this recipe. They can knead the dough, help you roll it out, help fill them (I love giving kids options of what they put inside the pockets), and of course EAT them! You can do Hot Pocket flavors like Pepperoni Pizza, Ham & Cheese, Broccoli Cheese and others or you can make up your own! These also freeze great and re-heat in the microwave well. (So great for lunches on the go or for your hubbie to take to work) Or you can make them for a dinner party and let everyone choose what they put inside. It’s so fun!

Hot Pocket Dough- makes six 6 inch pockets

1 C. Luke Warm Water
2 T. Olive Oil or Canola Oil

1 t. Sugar

1/2 t. Salt

3 C. Flour (I usually do Half all-purpose and half whole wheat or all whole wheat flour)

1 1/2 t. Yeast

Dough by Hand:

Dissolve Yeast in warm water. Add Oil, Sugar, and salt. Slowly mix in flour and knead. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.

Dough in Bread Machine: (this is my favorite because you can throw all the ingredients in and set the dough cycle and get some other things done while it’s doing the work for you!)

Add ingredients in order your bread machine specifys (for example: for mine I need to add the liquid first, then dry ingredients, and then form a well and pour my yeast in). You don’t want your dough to raise for more than one hour. Most bread machine dough cycles will “beat” down the dough and you’ll want to take the dough out before it does that. Consult your users manual for timing and instructions on how to put the ingredients in.

1. Pre-heat oven to 375

2. When dough is ready, separate it in to 6 portions. If you want to be really exact, you can weigh the dough. I usually just eye ball it.

3. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick circles.

4. Let dough rest for 5 minutes.

5. Put 1/4-1/2 cup worth of filling. If you’re making all the same kind of hot pockets mix all your filling items together and use a scoop to fill the pockets.

6. Fold dough in half over the filling and clamp edges with fork.

7. You can brush the tops with an egg white wash (1 egg white beaten with 1-2 T. water) if you want them to look really professional! (I usually don’t because I think they look delicious with out the hassle. Besides I can’t ever figure out anything to use that one egg yolk in and I hate to waste it!)

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375.

Garden Vegetable Garlic Pizza-Food Storage Recipes (my ode to pizza!)

Crystal — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 05:54:02 +0000

Okay, so you may or may not know this about my family but we LOVE pizza. I don’t know if I should admit this or not but we eat it probably once a week….which before I made our own pizza was expensive (very, very expensive…even with coupons). When I first started making pizzas I stuck with the originals (Hawaiian, Mushroom & Olive, etc.) but as I’ve branched out, I’ve discovered some really fun things you can do with pizza….and food storage! Now, obviously if you’re making your own pizza crust you’re using your food storage, and why not try it with whole wheat?! I noticed over the summer that Papa John’s is now marketing a whole wheat pizza (which of course costs more). So if Papa John’s sells it…there is no reason why you can’t make it! Personally for a pizza crust, I either do the 30 Minute Pizza Crust, or the EZ Bread Dough Recipe. But enough about the crust..that is the boring part…let’s talk toppings (other than pepperoni). Papa Murphy’s has this pizza that I LOVE. It has this white garlic sauce, mozerella cheese, fresh vegetables and chicken. I had always wondered what that oh so delicious secret sauce was…until it dawned on me…it’s a WHITE SAUCE with GARLIC. Well…good grief…I know how to make a white sauce (and pretty easily I might add), thanks to magic mix. So yes, I was very pleased with myself when I could make that Papa Murphy’s pizza, just how I liked it, at a fraction of the cost…and so can you! Here’s how…

Garden Vegetable Garlic Pizza

1 Pizza Crust
1 Grilled Chicken Breast (optional)
Fresh Vegetables (which ever your family likes, if you choose to do broccoli like I do, you’ll need to slightly cook the broccoli before adding it to your pizza or it will be too crunchy)
Mozarella Cheese
1 C. Garlic White Sauce (2/3 C. magic mix, 1 C. water, and 2 T. fresh, minced garlic-garlic should be done to taste, mix over medium high heat until it thickens)
Asiago Cheese (optional) I just like to put a little on top

Place garlic white sauce on top of crust, then cheese, then toppings and bake.

Make Ahead Milk Shakes: Powdered Milk Food Storage Recipes

Crystal — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:00:01 +0000

If you’ve every tried to serve milk shakes as a fun treat with dinner then you know the problem with them. You have a SERIOUS timing issue because they need to be served RIGHT AWAY or they get soupie and then the whole experience is ruined! So why not make the shakes ahead of time? Sounds good to you? Well it sounded good to me. This recipe was delicious and LOW-CALORIE! Since it is made out of pudding and not ice cream! This milk shake is actually kind of healthy! It just takes pudding (which can be the of the sugar-free variety), milk (powdered milk to make it a food storage recipes), and fruit. EXCELLENT!

Make Ahead Milk Shake

3-1/2 cups milk (1/2 C. + 2- 1/2 T. Dry Powdered Milk + 3-1/2 C. Water)

1 pkg. (4-serving size) Vanilla Instant Pudding (can be sugar-free)

1 medium ripe banana, cut into chunks

1/2 cup strawberries

Place all ingredients in blender and blend for 1 minute. Refridgerate until ready to serve.

(If you’re wondering why mine is orange, it’s because I drained a can of peaches and made ours a peach shake. That way it all comes from food storage….AWESOME!!!)

Chili Dogs: Bean Food Storage Recipes

Crystal — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:11:09 +0000

My family LOVES watching baseball games (especially when they involve the Angels and we love to eat chili dogs (one of those great food storage recipes!) To save money, we make our own chili dogs and watch baseball on TV while we pretend we’re at the game. It’s also much cheaper than traveling to watch a game, buying tickets, buying six dollar chili dogs…and my favorite part…no line at the bathrooms! It is always a perfect night. Try it at your home for a cheap, entertaining evening with good food and good fun!

Chili Dogs

Hot Dog Buns
Hot Dogs
Chili*
Cheese
Chopped Onions (or hydrated onions)-optional

Layer cheese on top of bun. Place hot dog inside bun on top of cheese, top with chili and chopped onions.

*This is a great way to use chili from your 3 mos. supply or if you have a large crowd over make some chili up in your crock pot and let it cook all day. If you need a good chili recipe, I like to use this one (Kids love it and it is more sweet than hot).

Homemade Chili

3 C. Dry Red Beans*
6 C. Water

In a large pot, combine and soak overnight. Cook 1 ½ hours, adding more water as needed to cover beans. Drain beans and combine with:
1 Can (16 oz.) Tomato Sauce
1 Can (16 oz.) Stewed Tomatoes
1 ½ C. Ketchup
¼ C. Lemon Juice
¼ C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Coarsely Chopped Celery
1 C. Coarsely Chopped Onion
1 Small Bay Leaf
1 T. Chili Powder
1 ½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Dry Mustard
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce

Brown and drain 2 lbs. lean ground hamburger. Add to chili. Cover on low in a crockpot. ( The longer it cooks, the thicker it becomes and the better it tastes – add water as needed.)…and please, for the love of Pete, use a Reynolds Crock pot liner…they are worth the money!

*2-15 ¼ oz. cans red kidney beans may be substituted for the dry beans. Remember to drain these beans.

Grilled Pineapple
If you ever need an easy side dish, go to your 3 mos. supply and pull out pineapple slices. Throw them on your grill until you get the grill lines and serve warm. DELICIOUS!!!

*Also, I just found out that Costcos in Utah are also carrying my book (more than just on the days I’m there in addition to Seagull Book, Deseret Book, and Amazon.com. You can find my book with the other books in the middle of the store near the cookbooks. The price can NOT be beat (only $10.99…a savings of almost $6.00!). This is a great time to stock up for gifts for Christmas or birthdays or if you don’t live in Utah, a great time to find a friend or relative who can pick you up a copy (or two)! And don’t forget, I’d love to meet you! Click HERE to find out when I’ll be at a Costco near you!

Thai Peanut Chicken Noodle Salad-Pasta Food Storage Recipes

Crystal — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:00:02 +0000

If you think spaghetti noodles are only for spaghetti…think again! This is honestly my new favorite summer “salad” recipe and I plan on bringing it to potlucks, family events, friend events…well you get my drift. It is so different (and by different I don’t mean disgusting, I mean different as in not the same old thing you see at family get togethers). It is good warm or cold…so you know, perfect for leftovers. You’ve got to give this try it’s one of my favorite food storage recipes! It has a little zip, a little zang, and a lot of taste!

Thai Peanut Chicken Noodle Salad

1 C. Asian Sesame Dressing (I use Ken’s Steakhouse light version)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 Tbsp. crunchy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 pkg. (1 lb.) thin spaghetti
4 green onions, sliced
1 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

Cook spaghetti as directed on package. Toss cooked chicken chunks with 1/4 c. Asian Sesame Dressing. Mix remaining dressing mixture, peanut butter, honey and crushed red pepper.

Drain spaghetti. Add to chicken mixture with peanut butter mixture and all remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Serve warm or chill in fridge for 4 hours before serving.

Fresh Homemade Tortillas! Food Storage Recipes

Crystal — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:00:48 +0000

A lot of people think tortillas aren’t worth the effort…but wait until you try this recipe! It’s easy and tastes delicious…so much better than those store bought ones. Of course they are, everything is so much better freshly made. I don’t know why but it amazes me every time! Of course I have some tutorial videos for you to watch as well so you can SEE just how easy it is! Now this recipe won’t make corn tortillas this is a FLOUR tortilla recipe.

Flour Tortillas
2 c. flour
½ t. salt
1 heaping ¼ t. baking powder
¼ c. oil
2/3 c. hot water

Mix all ingredients in food processor. Mix until it forms a ball of dough. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Uncover and form until balls of dough just larger than a golf ball. Cover with damp cloth and allow to rest for 15 minutes – 1 hour. Flatten and roll out. Cook on hot skillet flipping when bubbles form.

Live From the Request Line: Slow Cooker Pot Roast (One of my Favorite Food Storage Recipes!)

Crystal — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:00:00 +0000

This is the pot roast my mom made growing up. To me there is NOTHING BETTER than walking into my house and smelling the smells of my childhood, not to mention this food storage recipe is EASY and has LITTLE mess! It didn’t always include as much food storage but you know me…I think almost any recipe can become a food storage recipe! Try it for yourself…

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

1 Pot Roast, thawed (remember you can’t put frozen meat in a slow cooker)
1 Potato for EACH person, cut into quarters
1-2 Onions, cut into eighths
1/4 C. Carrots for EACH person, cut into chunks (or use baby carrots)
1 packet Dry Onion Soup Mix
1-2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup (which I of course made with my magic mix…so delicious! Click HERE for the recipe)
1 bag frozen peas

Directions:
Place meat in bottom center of slow cooker. Place cut potatoes, onions, and carrots around meat and along edges. Combine soup and dry onion soup mix and pour over meat and vegetables. (Make sure that your potatoes are covered or they’ll be purple!) Cook on low heat 6-8 hours. During last hour of cooking pour frozen peas on top (if you do it before the last hour they tend to get mushy). After it is finished cooking and depending on how thick you like your gravy you can empty the meat and vegetables and thicken the gravy with more magic mix (pretty great, huh?), corn starch, or flour in a pan/pot over the stove.

Are you a Fanatic?

Share your successes! E-mail me at everydayfoodstorage@gmail.com with a picture (don’t we all eat with our eyes first?) and recipe of your food storage successes to be highlighted on Fanatic Fridays!

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For more tips and tricks for using your food storage in everyday ways, please visit www.everydayfoodstorage.NET

Fanatic Friday Food Storage Recipe Rewind: Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Crystal — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:09:41 +0000

You’ll never guess what this cookie DOESN’T have in it! I’ll give you one guess…if you guessed a fat you are right! There is no butter or shortening in this cookie. Instead you have the protein, fiber and health benefits of….yep…BEANS! To make the deal even sweeter this low calorie cookie only has 1 cup of sugar and is full of even more fiber when you use whole wheat flour. The cookie has a great cake-like consistency and of course no bad flavor or after taste! I served them to my brother, nephew and husband and no one knew there was anything different about the cookie, in fact to quote them: “These are AWESOME!!” I think this may be one of my favorite food storage recipes yet!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

(Made with white beans)

½ cup cooked white beans

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs (1/4 C. Egg Powder + 1/2 C. Water)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 ¼ cups wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup pecans (or walnuts) chopped

Beat beans and sugar together. Add eggs, vanilla. In separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add flour moisture to bean/sugar mixture. Stir until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips, and nuts. Cover and refrigerate dough for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°F. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes depending on size of cookies. Makes 4 dozen.

Are you a Fanatic?

Or…proclaim it to the world that you are an Everyday Food Storage fanatic! Simple copy the entire text in the box below and place it in a text widget on your blog.

For more tips and tricks for using your food storage in everyday ways, please visit www.everydayfoodstorage.NET