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

Yeah, you heard me right.  Isn’t that so exciting?  It’s sort of reminiscent of the Great Food Storage Cookie Extravaganza (download that food storage handout if you missed it)  Why am I doing this?  Well, let’s be honest we all eat cake now and  wouldn’t you like to know how to do it healthier, for less money, and with your food storage?  Let’s be honest, if and when it all hits the fan-comfort food will still be necessary!  And, I think we’ve all been over come with boring old cake mixes.  There are GREAT cake recipes out there that will dazzle your taste buds and amaze you with their simplicity!….Enter Chocolate Molten Cake…

Have any of you eaten at Chili’s and had their chocolate molten cake?  It’s so delicious and is all the rage to make at home.  I’ve seen a lot of recipes all involving special little bundt pans for individual cakes and a lot of time and effort.  Well this recipe that I’m going to share with you was big in the 50′s and tastes JUST LIKE Chili’s Chocolate Molten Cake but you can make it in one 8×8 cake pan, use your food storage, and make it in the same amount of time it would take you to whip up a cake mix.  You may have heard it under names like Magic Cake, Pudding Cake, Hot Fudge Cake, or Surprise Cake.  Why?  Because it is really magic, it makes it’s own sauce or pudding if you will-so of course this is a great cake to serve warm with ice cream.  Honestly, my husband ate half the cake (and that is saying a lot for him!)

Food Storage Chocolate Molten Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour (1/2 C. whole wheat flour + 1/2 C. All-purpouse flour)
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons baking cocoa, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup 2% milk (3 T. dry non-instant powder milk or 1/3 C. instant powder milk + 1/2 C. water)
2 tablespoons canola oil (2 T. bean puree)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup packed brown sugar
1-3/4 cups hot water
Whipped cream or ice cream, optional

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in the milk, oil and vanilla until smooth.

Spread in an ungreased 9-in. square baking pan. Combine brown sugar and remaining cocoa; sprinkle over batter. Pour hot water over all; do not stir.

Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm. Top with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

Crystal’s Tip: If you’re using a glass pan, decrease your cooking temperature to 325. Why? Glass bakes hotter than metal and you won’t get that burnt chocolate taste.

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.

Okay, whether you’re routing for the Packers or the Giants-this weekend is a great excuse to use some food storage!  If you know me, I love chili dogs-it’s one of those guilty pleasures I have. The only problem with chili dogs is that they are SO messy!  (And anyone who knows me, also knows I have a problem with messy foods…in that I tend to make them messier!)  So I thought, how perfect to encase the chili like a pig in a blanket type idea….and it worked out wonderfully!  I think this is a PERFECT dish for any football parties you may be having this weekend…or any basketball games you may be watching  plus it uses food storage!

It would be easily served with Tator Tots or potato chips and then a vegetable tray where they can pick their own veggies.  (Notice I filled half my plate with them to try and make up for my chili dog creation!

Chili Dogs in a Blanket
1 can Chili (or homemade chili)
2 T. dehydrated onion
1/2 C. Shredded Cheese (optional)
2 oz. Cream Cheese (optional)
4-6 Hot Dogs (cut into thirds-lenth wise)
EZ Bread Dough (Click HERE for the recipe)

Mix bread dough according to directions and let rise until doubled.  In the mean time, combine chili, dehydrated onion, and cream cheese and heat until the cream cheese is melted.  Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick and using something circular (about 5 inches in diameter), cut out circles from dough.  Keep rolling dough out and cutting until dough is gone (like you would for biscuits).  Put a thin layer of chili mixture on dough circles, followed by cheese, and a hot dog piece.  Fold side pieces together and pinch all edges together.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

© 2012, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Do you ever sort of cringe thinking of all that flour you’ll have to slop on your counters when it’s time to do gingerbread cookies with your kids? I know I do, I still don’t have a great way of cleaning flour off of my counters (btw, if you have a good trick, leave a comment below). So, lucky for me I have a wonderful mother who gave me the recipe she would do with my brothers when they were little-can you imagine trying to do gingerbread cookies+flour+FOUR boys under the age of FIVE? Yeah…you know she had to find a better way. Now I’m sharing it with you, all food storage style, so you can have a much easier Christmas and a better time making cookies with your kids this year! (This recipe is very similar to the Cookie Clay Dough, I’ve posted about before)

KID FRIENDLY GINGERBREAD COOKIES

1 Cup Butter
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
2/3 Cup Molasses
In a small saucepan, combine the above 3 ingredients. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Let stand 10 minutes.

1 Egg, large and beaten (1 T. dry egg powder + 2 T. water)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Beat together in a large mixing bowl and add the butter mixture. Mix together.

4 Cups Flour (2 Cups wheat and 2 Cups white)
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
Combine all of the above dry ingredients. Gradually add to wet mixture above and mix well.
Cover and chill for about two hours.

Form or mold into balls, ropes, or animals, etc.
This recipe can also be rolled out and cut out with cookie cutters. Usually no flour is needed on the counter or rolling pin. A spatula is all that is needed for the transfer to the cookie sheet. However, I do dip the cookie cutters in flour for easy removal from the cutters. This dough works especially well for cookie cutters that imprint a design as the design holds up well in baking.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.

To make 8 Gingerbread Teddy Bears:
Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Have each of 8 children make from their piece of dough; one 2 inch ball for body, one one inch ball for head, four 1/2 inch balls for hands and feet, two 3/8 inch balls for ears. Place the 2 inch ball on a foil-lined baking sheets for the bear body; flatten to 1/2 inch thickness. Position the 1 inch balls for the head; flatten to 1/2 inch thickness. Attach four 1/2 inch balls to the bear for arms and legs. Attach two 3/8 inch balls for bear ears. Add chocolate chips for eyes, noses and buttons.

OR Shape dough into eight balls, 2 inches each; eight balls, 1 inch each; 32 balls 1/2 inch each; and 16 3/8 in each. Place the 2 inch balls on three foil-lined baking sheets for bodies of 8 bears; flatten to 1/2 inch thickness. Position the 1 inch balls for heads; flatten to 1/2 inch thickness. Attach four 1/2 inch balls to each bear for arms and legs. Attach two 3/8 inch balls for ears. Add chocolate chips for eyes, noses and buttons.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until set.
Cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing to wire racks to cool completely.
Frost bows on bear necks with red frosting/piping tubes.

© 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Okay, Diana get’s total food storage brownie points.  Not only does this recipe use great food storage ingredients, it  was also baked in the Sun Oven! Diana got this recipe from http://sunoven.com where they have a lot of great Sun Oven Recipes for you to try.

Sun Oven Applesauce Muffins

Ingredients

Topping:

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Muffins:

2 cups all-purpose flour (whole wheat would work great as well!)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg, at room temperature (1 T. dry egg powder with 2 T. water)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (1/2 cup white sugar with 1/2 TBS
molasses mixed in)
1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce (made from my food storage
dehydrated apples then blended in blender)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup milk (1 1/2 TBS powdered milk plus 1/4 cup water)

Equipment

Two muffin pans with six indentations each with cooking spray,
silicone muffin molds and a baking pan, or a combination.

Preparation

Set Global Sun Oven out to preheat. Spray muffin tins or molds with
cooking spray.

Topping:

Mix together sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir in butter until
blended.

Muffins:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking
powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well combined. Set
aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and the egg
until thick and pale brown, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the applesauce,
melted butter, and milk, until blended. Use a wooden spoon to stir
the flour mixture into the liquid ingredients until moistened.

Fill the prepared tins three-quarters full. Sprinkle topping over
each muffin. Bake in Sun Oven until muffins are lightly browned,
about 40 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of one muffin
should come out with a crumb or two attached.

Makes 12 to 18 muffins.

© 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Have you ever had the deliciousness that is Great Harvest Pumpkin Bread? Have you ever wished you could re-create it….at home…using your food storage? Well maybe I’m the only one that wishes for making it at home AND food storage but at any rate, I found a great recipe (from extreme dinner makeover) that solves both problems and tastes just like Great Harvest pumpkin bread. (Please excuse the lack of the cool recipe feature…working on getting it to work with the new layout)

FOOD STORAGE GREAT HARVEST PUMPKIN BREAD

2 1/2 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
16 oz cooked or canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 cup oil (or 1 cup bean puree)
4 eggs, beaten lightly (1/4 cup dry egg powder + 1/2 cup water)
2/3 cup water
1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips ( I did mine with out, not a huge fan of pumpkin and chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two (9×5 inch) loaf pans or three (8×4 inch) loaf pans.
Mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl; set aside.
Mix pumpkin, oil, eggs, and 2/3 cup water together and stir into dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Place batter in prepared pans.
Bake 60 or 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

© 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Many of you may have seen my homemade food storage tortillas post and watched the video that is included with the post to show you how to make them.  Since then I’ve had a lot of questions about turning it into a whole wheat recipe.  Lucky for me, Yolanda sent me a recipe from the Lean and Free 200 Plus Book.  She said, “I went to your class  - really enjoyed it.  I love the bean substitution idea.  My kids don’t even know. Thank you for your time and energy!

Whole Wheat Tortilla Recipe

Print

Recipe type: Dinner

Prep time: 7 mins

Cook time: 2 mins

Total time: 9 mins

Serves: 20

A yummy whole wheat tortilla recipe to use your food storage!

Ingredients

• 4 c whole wheat flour
• 1/4 t. baking powder
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 c oil
• 1 c warm water
• I actually use more water to form the dough and I like to add 1 t. of Mrs. Dash Seasoning Blend to give it a small kick. )

Instructions

1. Knead 5 min.
2. Dough should be stiff.
3. Shape into about 20 balls and roll out thin.
4. Cook on hot, non-stick griddle.
5. Cook 1 -2 minutes on each side.

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© 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Pumpkin is a great for whole wheat recipes….and tummies.  And since this is the season for pumpkin, I figured it would be a great time to mix it with some food storage.  Why is pumpkin so great for food storage and whole wheat recipes?  Well, it’s simple really:  The five ingredients that make for great whole wheat recipes are

1. vegetable or fruit puree (like pumpkin, banana, zucchini)
2. strong spices (like cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin pie spice)
3. chocolate (lets be honest, everything tastes a little better with some chocolate)
4. oats and/or nuts(lends itself very well to the taste of whole wheat)
5. equal amounts of brown sugar and white sugar

And the best thing about most pumpkin recipes is that they will ask for one or more of the ingredients that make your recipe awesome as a whole wheat recipe!

Here is the recipe I made for Food Storage Cooking Club: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls.  It’s a recipe I got from my aunt and I couldn’t get it out of my head.  Luckily, it was just as delicious (if not more so) as it sounded!

PUMPKIN CARAMEL ROLLS

Food Storage Pumpkin Caramel Rolls

Print

Recipe type: Breakfast

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 12 mins

Total time: 42 mins

Serves: 12+

This recipe is great for whole wheat and for taste buds. It’s actually quite amazing and fast to make!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 Tblsp yeast
• 1/2 cup oil (I used 1/4 cup)
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 eggs (2 T. dry egg powder and NO WATER)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 5 – 5 1/2 cups flour (Use at least 1 1/2 C. whole wheat flour)
• 1/4 melted or softened butter, to spread on the dough
• 2 Tblsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar
• Caramel Topping:
• Make this while Cinnamon Rolls are resting or baking.
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 packed Brown Sugar
• 3 Tblsp milk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup powdered Sugar
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Mix sugar, yeast, oil, water and pumpkin. Let stand 15 minutes while getting your other ingredients Add eggs, salt, cloves, cinnamon, flour and knead 5 minutes. (Dough maybe sticky make sure you don’t add too much flour, a good test is to dip your fingers in flour and touch the dough. If it sticks you need more flour, if it doesn’t then it is good. Make sure you spray your hands and countertop with a non-stick spray when you are getting the dough out of your bowl)
2. Roll to rectangle 1/4″ thick
3. Spread butter on dough
4. Combine cinnamon and brown sugar and sprinkle on top of butter
5. Roll up the cinnamon rolls and cut in 1″ thick slices with string or knife.
6. Place on greased (I use reynolds quick release foil or parchment and don’t grease the pan or have any clean up) cookie sheet and let rest 15 minutes, or more.
7. Bake 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Meanwhile, make your Caramel Topping by melting the butter in a saucepan. Stir in Brown sugar plus milk and cook on low for 1 minute. Cool slightly (just so it is not HOT) and add vanilla, sugar, and salt. Stir with Wisk until well blended. Drizzle/spread rolls with frosting when they come out of the oven.
9. Frost, and eat warm. Rolls may be re-warmed in the microwave for 10 seconds.

Notes

If you want to make the dough entirely whole wheat, simply replace the white sugar with brown sugar and add in 1/4 C. gluten to the dough.

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WANT MORE FOOD STORAGE PUMPKIN RECIPES?

Low-Fat Pumpkin Brownies
Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkin Pie
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Fall Harvest Alfredo
Out of this World Pumpkin Cookies
Blender Pumpkin Waffles with Caramel Syrup
Impossible Blender Pumpkin Pie
Classic Pumpkin Pie

SHARE WITH US!

Which recipe are you planning on doing with your friends? Let us all know over at my facebook page! or send an email to efsshowoffs(at)gmail(dot)com

© 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Okay, if you’ve been following my blog for more than a year (or two or three…) you know that every year around Halloween I open it up for debate on what I should eat Halloween night because my husband and I have never been able to agree on what we should eat. He grew up eating chili, I grew up eating spaghetti and over the years we’ve done a myriad of “compromises” We’ve done chili bake, chili spaghetti, plain spaghetti, etc. And last year, I think we finally settled on our tradition! I didn’t make it in time to post it last year (obviously, since I made in on Halloween) but I’ve been saving it to share with you. It’s actually quite simple and rotates around our preschooler who L-O-V-E-S olives and even more loves olive pizza. Leave it to the kids to help get things done!

FOOD STORAGE HALLOWEEN BUG PIZZA

Do you see them? All of those tarantulas crawling around on the pizza?  I also added green peppers (you know, grasshoppers), mushrooms (worms), and onions (okay, I couldn’t think of one for the onions-I just like onions on my pizza).  I, of course, used my famous 30 minute pizza dough recipe for the pizza dough and a can of tomato paste with some seasonings.  To turn your olives into spiders simply cut a whole, pitted olive lengthwise (hole to hole) use one half for the body and then cut the other half (and actually one more to get all 8 legs) into legs.  Place on your pizza and then bake!

BUG JUICE

We also drank Bug Juice.  A tradition from my family.  See, we wouldn’t drink rootbeer with our pizza we drank Bug Juice, titled by my dad.  It’s very simple to make.  You just need 2 liters of your favorite lemon lime soda and a bottle of Cran Raspberry drink.  Make sure you add the soda TO the cranraspberry (it mixes better that way).

HAPPY (FOOD STORAGE) HALLOWEEN!

© 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Who doesn’t love a good brownie recipe that also includes food storage? I was so happy to receive this recipe for all of us to try. It has beans, wheat, and honey. Sounds great! This recipe is from Sade and she says…

“Hey Crystal,
You inspired me to try these and I’m so glad you did!! These little morsels of heaven were fantastic!! And as you said we wouldn’t be able to taste the beans at all! Thanks so much, I’ll send along the picture and the recipe in case anyone else would like to make these, they are truly food storage brownies!!”

Food Storage Pioneer Brownies: Food Storage Dessert Recipe

Print

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

This is truly a food storage brownie!

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. butter (1/4 C. black bean puree and ¼ c. oil)
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2/3 c. honey
• 2 Lg. Eggs ( I used powdered)
• 1/2 C. wheat flour
• 1/2 C. cocoa
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients and mix well. Put in 9×9 pan and bake at 350 degrees for
2. -30 min.

Notes

**Tip** Cut brownies with a plastic knife and they cut nicer…I have NO
idea why but it does work!

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SHARE WITH US!

Do you have a great idea, recipe or food storage tip you’d love to share?! Email me at efsshowoffs(at)gmail(dot)com! We’d all love to hear from you!

© 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

Alright, so if any of you are tired of buying cold cereal and would like to know how to use more of your food storage to have as cereal (outside of the obvious oatmeal) this is the post for you! I have a new favorite cereal and it comes straight from my food storage. Now, I’m not going to lie to you when I was younger (like 5) and we were living off of food storage out of necessity I hated eating this cereal and in fact it was one of the biggest things that scared me about food storage when I first began. However, I’m very happy to report I’ve figured out how to make whole wheat cereal absolutely delicious…you heard me….delicious!

First you need to catch up on how to cook whole wheat kernels. I like to do mine in my pressure cooker (see video below) because it takes half the time of the stove top method…

STOVE TOP METHOD FOR COOKING WHEAT KERNELS (OR BERRIES)

1. Measure 1 cup and place in a strainer. Wash the wheat berries thoroughly under running water, even if they were packaged.
2. Place them in a medium saucepan and cover with about 2 inches of water. Cover and let them soak overnight.
3. Drain the water in the morning and rinse the wheat berries once more.
4. Add the 3 cups of water and salt to the wheat berries and bring to a vigorous boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, or until they split open and turn chewy.

PRESSURE COOKING YOUR WHEAT KERNELS (OR BERRIES)

Once you’ve cooked up your wheat kernels, the cereal is very easy to do. But it must be done in this order (this was my mistake as a 5 year old)

WHOLE WHEAT CEREAL

1. Put warm wheat kernels in your bowl.
2. Pour a little bit of honey on top and stir to coat. (This is the important step, if you wait to put the honey in after you’ve put in the milk the honey just swims around in the milk and you lose the wonderful taste of honey mixed with the wheat.)
3. Pour in milk (get brave and try some powdered milk).
4. Add in freeze dried strawberries or any other freeze dried fruit.

Oh my! It’s so delicious. Everyone go try it and let me know how you like it!

© 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.