FEBRUARY IS “LET THEM EAT (FOOD STORAGE) CAKE!” MONTH!

Alright, February is in high swing with wonderful food storage filled cakes!  They don’t use cake mixes, but are just as easy to make.  The recipes are packed with flavor (just look at the Chocolate Molten Lava Cake if you’re wondering) as well as fiber and protein-which of course, means the calories have been C-U-T!  Who doesn’t love a piece of cake that tastes great, has half the calories, and leaves you feeling satisfied and full!  So what is my next awesome recipe?  Well I’ll tell you…

WHOLE WHEAT BANANA DREAM CAKE

Oh, man-this cake was so good, I was honestly surprised because I can remember not really liking banana cake as a child and I didn’t know if I’d like this one.  It was in one word-incredible!  It’s entirely chalk full of fiber with whole wheat, oats, nuts, and beans but you’d never know it by the wonderful taste and texture.

Food Storage Whole Wheat Banana Dream Cake Recipe

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Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 60 mins

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

This whole wheat Banana Dream Cake is incredible and no one would ever guess it is chalk full of food storage!

Ingredients

• 1/2 C. Butter (or beans)
• 1 C. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 eggs (2 T. dry egg powder + 1/4 C. water)
• 1 1/4 C. flour (I used whole wheat)
• 3/4 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3/4 C. oatmeal
• 1/3 C. butter milk (1 T. dry non-instant milk powder or 2 T. dry instant milk powder + 1/3 C. water + 1 t. vinegar or lemon juice)
• 1 C. mashed bananas (about 3)
• whole pecans

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Beat well. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk mix well. Blend oats bananas and nuts and add to batter. Pour batter into greased 9×13 pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Notes

This is a thin snack cake. If you want to be thick like a regular cake, either double the recipe or put this sized recipe in a 8×8 pan.

Fresh Banana Frosting
1/4 C. butter
1/2 t. vanilla
1 T. lemon juice
2-3 small bananas
3/4 – 1 pkg (1 lb.) powdered sugar

Mix creamed butter with mashed bananas. Add enough sugar to make a nice spreading consistency. Then add vanilla and spread on cake.

{I didn’t use this frosting when I made it. I just topped it with some whipped cream and it was delicious!}

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2.2.1

BEANS?

If you’re confused why I’m saying to use beans in place of butter get my instructions for successfully using beans for butter and/or oil.

Help Spread the Word!

I love it when you share my tips and recipes for food storage!  Do me a quick favor, if you like what you see please share it on facebook, pinterest, or blog about it!  And make sure you link either the word “food storage” or “Everyday Food Storage” back to me.  Thanks-it makes all the hard work worth it!

© 2012, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Alright, it’s my favorite time of the year!  Neighborhood gift ideas, featuring food storage.  What better way to sneak a little food storage into your neighbors diet than a cookie mix?  After all, cookies are the best way to start loving your food storage!  Below are two WONDERFUL cookie mix recipes that are easy, won’t create oodles of dishes to do, and won’t leave you baking in the kitchen all day!

Makes 1 (1-Quart) Jar
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 T. dry egg powder
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. butterscotch chips
1 c. dried apples, chopped

1. Pour flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and egg powder into quart jar. Mix together in jar (saves a dish-who wants to do this in a separate bowl? I’m all about assembly lines and no dishes to wash at the end) with a spoon. Then add the rest of the ingredients in the following order: brown sugar, chips and apples. Close jar.
2. Decorate jar and attach gift tag/recipe card. (Which of course, I designed for you and you can download below!)

3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 T. dry egg powder
1/3 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. oats

1/2 c. Craisins
1/3 c. white chocolate chips

1. Pour flour, baking soda, salt, and egg powder into quart jar. Mix together in jar (saves a dish-who wants to do this in a separate bowl? I’m all about assembly lines and no dishes to wash at the end) with a spoon. Then add the rest of the ingredients in the following order: oats, brown sugar, chips and craisins. Close jar.
2. Decorate jar and attach gift tag/recipe card. (Which of course, I designed for you and you can download below!)

© 2010 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

I would be remiss if I left out a really great apple pie recipe.  And this is a GREAT apple pie recipe. What better way to end pie week than with the pie Del would make on Thanksgiving!  (If you missed her pie class on Monday, click HERE!)  This is Del’s mother’s recipe and her favorite kind of apple pie. We brought it to a recipe swap at Relief Society and come home with a completely empty plate…not even crumbs! Give it a try…and of course we changed it to include food storage.

Sour Cream Apple Pie

Preheat oven to 375
1 pie crust for 9” pie
2 eggs (2 T. Dry Egg Powder + 1/4 C. Water)
1 cup sour Cream
1 cup sugar
4 TBS all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt

3 – 4 cups peeled, chopped and cooked apples (*note from Crystal, it is faster to re-hydrate dried apples. Place 2 1/2 dehydrated apple slices in 3 1/2 C. boiling water and let stand for five minutes, discard excess water )

In a large bowl beat eggs then add sour cream and sugar. Put in 4 TBS flour, vanilla, & salt and mix well. Stir in apples, and then pour into pie shell. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes

Crumb Topping

3 TBS butter – melted
¼ cup brown sugar
6 TBS all purpose flour

Mean while combine brown sugar, flour, & butter with wire whisk or whisk on mixer until crumbly (should look like small peas)  After 20 minutes cooking take pie out and top with crumb topping, then return to oven and continue cooking for 20 – 25 minutes.  Cool, cover and store leftovers in fridge.

Make sure you check back for more great pie recipes…and DEFINITELY enter this giveaway!

© 2010 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

While experimenting with freeze dried berries, I HAD to try it in a pie. I’ve always been confused why pies are so big in the Summer when it’s ridiculous to bake a pie in 100 degree weather. I mean I understand that is when the fruit is in season…but wouldn’t it be so much better to make the berry pie in the winter/spring when you’re itching for something to remind you that Summer WILL come? Yeah, that is what I thought. So if you’re itching for confirmation that Summer is coming, you’ve got to try this sweet and tart, ultra-easy berry pie-with some ice cream on top, of course!

Taste of Summer Apple Berry Pie

Crust
1 prepared pie crust

Filling
2 1/2 C. dehydrated apple slices, hydrated
1 C. freeze dried blueberries, hydrated
1 C. freeze dried raspberries, hydrated
1 T. lemon juice
1/3 C. granulated sugar
3 T. cornstarch

Topping
1 C. oats
1/2 C. whole wheat flour
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 C. butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans, if desired
Vanilla ice cream, if desired (but let’s be honest, we all know you desire it!)

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 425°F. Place crust in 9-inch glass pie plate; flute edges (that means you crimp the edges around the top of the pan). Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until crust is set. Cover edge of crust with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Bake 6 to 7 minutes longer or until crust is golden. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 15 minutes.
2. In large bowl, gently toss filling ingredients, making sure to drain any excess water from hydrating berries. Spoon filling into pastry-lined pie plate.
3. In large bowl, beat topping ingredients with electric mixer on medium-low speed until crumbly. Sprinkle topping evenly over filling.
4. Line cookie sheet with foil. Place pie plate on foil-lined cookie sheet (this is essential because sometimes the filling can bubble over and if it does it will burn on the bottom of your oven….which is no bueno). Cover pie with foil; bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F; bake 45 to 50 minutes longer or until bubbly. Remove foil from pie; bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until topping is golden brown. Cool completely on cooling rack, 2 to 3 hours. (I actually didn’t have mine cool all the way because I like my pie warm with ice cream.)

© 2010 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Okay, I have this feeling that most of you (at least if you’re female) feel entirely overwhelmed with everything you have to do in the day what with taking kids to school, laundry (YUCK!), preparing meals, soccer practice, and on top of it all spending time together as a family….oh yeah and that HUGE project of getting prepared. Well, you all probably know by now that I’m a HUGE fan of multi-tasking so I figured why couldn’t you make getting prepared a family event?! I asked my good friends at www.foodstoragemadeeasy.net to help me (since they have all the WONDERFUL information on getting your food storage gathered and basic emergency preparedness) with some Family Home Evening Tidbits. They are quick ideas that will help you on the road to becoming prepared! At the end there is also a treat you can make using your food storage. So all in a night, you’ll have spent time together as a family, taken a step towards being prepared, and practiced using your food storage! AWESOME!

This week I thought “Milk Jug 72 hour kits” would be fun and easy to get people prepared…here is what Jodi from www.foodstoragemadeeasy.net has to say about it:

What a great treat for talking about 72 hour kits! This recipe comes entirely from shelf stable items and happens to be my all time favorite cookie recipe (HONEST!)

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
*a tip before you begin…I always soak my raisins in water & vanilla so that the raisins are plump and juicy and taste like vanilla. If you don’t have a lot of time you can heat the water, vanilla, and raisins in the microwave for 2 minutes. Remember that you can definitely use your leftover water to hydrate your eggs!

Cream together:
1 C shortening
1 C brown sugar
1 C white sugar
2 eggs (2 T. dry egg powder + 1/4 C. Water)
1 tsp. vanilla

Stir into creamed mixture
1 ½ C whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
3 C. oats
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 C. raisins

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls and bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

© 2010 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

I realize most people don’t like meatloaf…but I think it’s just because they’ve never had GOOD meatloaf before!  Trust me, I’ve had my fair share of nasty dried out globs of meat trying to pass as meatloaf (of course all of these were AFTER I moved out of my parent’s house).  I guess this week is turning into a sort of “My Mom’s Favorites….or at least my Favorites that my Mom makes”  It must be because I’m gearing to go home for Thanksgiving and dreaming of all those things I hope she makes while I’m home!  Anyway, the reason why I love this meatloaf reason (besides the fact that it is DELICIOUS, uses a surprising amount of food storage and will leave you wanting more) is that it can turn into an entire oven meal.  One way to be responsible in the oven is to use that energy you’re paying for to cook as many things as possible (not to mention it means little work for you!) I usually serve it with baked potatoes and baked butternut squash (simply cut the butternut squash into 4-6 pieces and place in a 9×13 pan and bake during the meatloaf) I also like it because one of the things I like to do when I buy ground beef is to make “meatloaf packets”  I mix everything together in a ziploc bag (I don’t even bother with dirtying a bowl) and then when it’s time to bake, I simply throw the meat mix (thawed) into the pan and bake.  It’s one of the easiest meals ever and usually the meal I make for others for that exact reason!

Mom’s Meatloaf

1 ½ lb. Hamburger

¾ C. Oatmeal

1-2 Eggs (if you use powdered eggs (3 T. dry egg powder) use an extra can of tomato sauce as the liquid)

1 pkg. onion soup mix

¼ C. non-instant dry milk powder

1 can tomato sauce

(you can also add in dehydrated carrots and dehydrated bell pepper as well-about 1/4 C. each)

Mix together and bake at 350 for 1 hour.  Goes great with potatoes and butternut squash.

*Shopping Tip: Most people, when purchasing a butternut squash, buy one that looks very picturesque (i.e. very large on the bottom and little on top) actually you want to choose a butternut squash that is as close to the same size on the bottom as on top so that you get more vegetable!

© 2009 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

This is such a FUN twist on brownies and it is SO delicious-not kidding! It uses something from every category of food storage (grains, powdered milk, powdered eggs, and beans) It is SO easy to do and, personally, I haven’t seen anyone make this kind of brownie…so you could be the first on your block to start a CRAZE.  I made this recipe when I had some left overs around that I needed to use up, so you can see my creativity at work…jk…my “creativity” doesn’t always turn out as good as this recipe.  

Peanut Butter Granola Brownies

1 pkg. brownie mix (follow directions on back of box substituting powdered eggs and needed water for fresh eggs and bean puree for the oil-for more chewy brownies use 1/2 bean puree and 1/2 oil)

After pouring the brownie batter into baking dish top with Peanut Butter Granola and drizzle with Homemade Caramel Sauce-directions below (the same sauce I use for my Gourmet Blender Wheat Banana Nut Waffles)

Bake brownies according to directions on back of box.

Hot Homemade Caramel Sauce

1/2 Cup buttermilk (1 1/2 T. dry powdered milk + 1/2 C. water then add 1/2 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice)
2 Cups Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter
2 Tbs. Corn Syrup (not essential but it will help your syrup keep longer with out going grainey)
2 t. baking soda
1 tsp. Vanilla (do not add until after removing from heat)

Mix ingredients in a pot and boil for 3 minutes, the sauce will turn to the carmel color towards the end of boiling. (Essential Tip: mix in a pot one size larger than you think you will need. The syrup will be frothy in the beginning and it is awful cleaning up a burnt sugarey mess on your stove…trust me!)

© 2009 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

You know how I LOVE themed Family Home Evening lessons and an FHE for Pioneer day (July 24th, the day the Mormon Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley) is no different!  I think it’s so important to teach our heritage to our children so they know the strength of past and present pioneers.

Click HERE for a link to a great Pioneer Day Family Home Evening lesson and read below for a fun dessert!

This dessert is SO delicious and SO easy when you use your apple slices.  Apple slices make any baked apple dessert a BREEZE to make.  Just think…no peeling, slicing, worrying about your apple slices turning brown!  You simply hydrate the apples in hot water for 5 minutes and follow your recipe. A total life saver when you are short on time…although…aren’t we all? Another great reason to turn your baked apple recipes into food storage recipes every time!

Apple Brown Betty

Filling:

2 C. boiling water
4 C. dried apple slices

Topping:
1/2 C. whole wheat flour
1/4 C. oatmeal
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. butter

Pour boiling water over dried apples.  Let stand at least 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix dry topping ingredients together, then cut in butter.  Place apples and any remaining liquid in a greased 9-inch square baking pan.  Sprinkle topping over apples.  Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.

© 2009 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

I’ve spent a long time looking for good granola recipes because a) it’s totally delicious b) it’s totally expensive to buy in the stores and 3) it’s a perfect way to use those oats sitting in your food storage.  Well I have to say that I was literally giddy Saturday morning when I found these delicious recipes posted to my blog by Leslie H.  I knew I had to try them and after I did, I knew I couldn’t wait until a Fanatic Friday to share them all with you.  The recipes are SO easy and SO delicious.  In fact the Crunchy Granola (the one I added dry cranberries to) tastes just like Post’s Cranberry Granola Crunch which runs for $5.00 in the store! Definitely not what I paid to make it myself.  Plus, I like having more control over the ingredients when I make things myself.  Leslie says her daughter eats the granola all the time for breakfast and that they will put the Peanut Butter Granola on top of ice cream and of course you can top your favorite yogurt with either recipe. Anyway, you’ve got to try them!  You’ll be pleasantly surprised…again…that food storage can be so delicious!

Crunchy Granola

1 ½ cups brown sugar
½ cup water
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
8 cups rolled oats
¾ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
¾ cup almonds, coarsely chopped
½ cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
½ cup shredded coconut
dried fruits, if desired (tropical fruit is good, raisins, blueberries, cranberries, cherries are all great.)

Heat oven to 275 degrees.
Combine brown sugar and water in a 4 cup microwave proof cup.
Microwave on high 5 minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Remove from microwave and stir in vanilla and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, mix oats and nuts.
Add the brown sugar mixture.
Mix thoroughly.
Spread onto 2 cookie sheets and bake for a total of 45 minutes or until golden brown.
After 25 minutes, stir and put back in the oven for the rest of the time.
When granola has cooked completely, add dried fruits.

*I added dry cranberries but next I’m going to try dehydrated Pineapple (mine comes from Shelf Reliance)

Peanut Butter Granola

Mix &; heat in 4-cup glass jug for 4 minutes on HIGH:
1-1/2 c white sugar
1-1/3 c margarine
1/2 t vanilla extract
2/3 c peanut butter
1/2 t salt
1 c water

Mix in large bowl:
12 c rolled oats
1 t cinnamon

Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix quickly and well.
Put onto two small greased cookie sheets.
Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.
Exchange cookie sheets in oven, cook 10 minutes.
Turn oven off and let granola dry for several hours.
Store in closed jar on kitchen counter and watch it disappear.

Also, FoodStorageMadeEasy.net just posted a GREAT video about swine flu, which explains what it is and how worried you should be about it. Also…it looks like they have some Mother’s Day fun brewing…so you’ll probably want to keep your eye on that as well.

© 2009 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

This is one of my favorite meals from growin up. As a kid it was delicious because it’s sweet and has the pineapple in it and….well…it’s still completely delicious as an adult. It’s really easy to make and if you don’t have frozen meatballs you can make some, bake them, and then freeze them and always have them on hand. Plus, it sits on rice. I think rice is on of the easiest food storage items.

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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© 2009 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.