I Dare You To Eat It

Have you heard of this project? I want to share the message because Eliza Dawson is one of my dearest friends and she’s produced a brilliant plan that offers real help to children and their parents. PROVIDENT LIVING!

I LOVE THIS RECIPE!

With only 10 minutes of preparation, we’ve got an easy food storage dinner that’s a hit with all ages. Leftovers reheat beautifully or can be enjoyed as a yummy chilled salad. Be thinking about those summer gatherings!

Fresh Ingredients

7 cups fresh broccoli, florets only

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano

Storage Ingredients

2 cups dry macaroni

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup dry powdered milk

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

Bring to boil a large pot of salted water and add pasta. Cook for approximately 3-4 minutes, or about half of the normally suggested cooking time. Add broccoli florets and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente. Remove 1 cup of cooking liquid and set aside. Drain pasta and broccoli. Return the empty pot to heat and saute minced garlic in olive oil until just slightly golden. Reduce heat to low and add reserved 1 cup of cooking liquid, powdered milk, and red pepper flakes. Stir. Pour broccoli and pasta back into the pot and top with Parmesan cheese. Mix until well combine. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tonight, Lizzie was in a huge hurry to get to a babysitting job but she nevertheless took time to eat two big bowls full of this broccoli pasta. Mike and I enjoyed ours as a lightly creamy, double-whammy, side with fish. Such a refreshing, and nutritious, break from plain ol’ rice or potatoes.

Remember when I told you about the easy wheat and brown rice pilaf recipe? Thanks to my friend, Paula, we’ve discovered a new way of enjoying this food storage basic. The picture looks a little weird but believe me the salad isn’t. First time I served it to my crew the 15 yr old kept saying, “MOM! This is SOOOO good!” A married daughter has phoned three times, asking me to please get the recipe posted so that she can give it a crack.

So, to give credit where credit is due, it all began when dear Paula explained that one of her simple dinners is an Asian salad. She combines shredded green cabbage, shredded carrots, edamame, and chopped grilled chicken breasts for a dinner salad that has become a family favorite. When ready to serve, she mixes everything with a ginger salad dressing and tops it off with crunchy chow mien noodles.

My version has Paula’s shredded green cabbage, carrots,  and edamame, but then I added (because I had these on hand) some fresh cilantro, diced cucumbers, purple cabbage, pot stickers instead of grilled chicken, and the wheat and brown rice pilaf instead of chow mien noodles. Basically, anything goes. The key might be the Asian dressing. Paula told me that her family’s fav is the one from Pampered Chef. Our salad dressing recipe came from Judy, a friend I originally met when we lived in New York. Judy is a talented, brilliant, sometimes professional caterer and we think her Asian ginger dressing is MONEY!

Asian Ginger Dressing

Fresh Ingredients

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 green onions, chopped

Storage Ingredients

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon sesame oil

To be quick about it, I measure all the ingredients straight into my blender, tossing in a large teaspoon looking whole clove of garlic with an abundant chunk of peeled fresh ginger. Buzzed for less than a minute, I transfer the dressing to a serving dish and top with the sliced green onions. Everyone builds their own salad, as they like it, and then we drizzle on the ginger glaze dressing. Oh my.

Who says that you have to sacrifice all fresh ingredients when using your food storage? I beg to differ.

THAT

is the question.

Meet my darling friend, Pam. She’s one of my awesome visiting teachers and such a good sport, sharing a bit of her inner Vanna for this shot. Thank you, Pam!

Months ago, when Pam began organizing her three month supply, she found these trick little bins at the dollar store and then attached her own menu labels. I think it’s a great idea and totally economical. Pam likes knowing that for some of their family favorites, the dried, canned, or bottled ingredients are grouped together, by recipe, and in one contained spot.

In all of my vaaaaaast food storage (jk) I use exactly five bins and only when I give food storage presentation or do book signings. People ask me about these stainless steel mesh numbers all the time.

They’re from Office Max and no I don’t actually use them in my own home. I just needed something extra sturdy and easy to carry while trucking miscellaneous canned goods to and from my car. Because they’re part of a display, I justified the high cost. (gulp) In my own home, I simply group all the ingredients for a given recipe, together on a shelf, right inside my kitchen cupboards. No bins or bags required.

Especially when it comes to food storage, I’m a “less is more” kind ‘a gal. I prefer to spend my limited food storage dollars on FOOD, and not storage systems. Provident living isn’t my hobby or creative outlet. It’s a financial investment I make in order to be more efficient on a daily basis, prepared for future challenges, and better equipped to help others.

Recently, I’ve started to save the bottom section of empty orange boxes that come from what I’m already purchasing at Costco.

I like that this bin is free, readily available, relatively sturdy, won’t scratch shelves, and has handle cut-outs on each end. I’m gearing up to experiment with Pam’s example, seeing if food storage bins help to simplify my shelves.

Not exactly a cliff-hanger. Just something to consider.

I’m trying to make sure that my family is eating cooked whole wheat berries, every week. This simple recipe for an oven baked rice pilaf helps me accomplish that goal. The fact that ALL the ingredients come from my food storage, is a bonus.

Storage Ingredients

3 cups brown rice

4 2/3 cups water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon dehydrated sliced garlic

3 chicken bouillon cubes

3 cups precooked wheat berries

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray or oil 9 x 13″ cake pan and add the brown rice. Microwave 4 2/3 cups water to almost boiling and stir in sugar, garlic, and bouillon cubes. Pour hot liquid over rice and tightly cover with two layers of tin foil. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and add desired amount of wheat berries. Keep warm until ready to serve. (For a Mexican meal, consider adding at least a half bunch of fresh chopped cilantro plus the zest and juice of 1 lime right before serving. Mmmmm)

I cook my wheat berries ahead of time and then store them in the freezer.

While the brown rice is baking, I zap one of the little baggies in the microwave to quickly thaw and warm up the wheat berries.

As soon as the rice has finished baking the wheat berries are ready to be added. I learned this trick years ago, from a Japanese woman. She told me that she added wheat to their rice, every Sunday.

If you’re wondering how to break into the wheat you’ve got stored in the basement, this might be the easiest place to start!

Oh baby.

THIS has become our VERY favorite “roll” recipe. I make the dough up into these round braids just because I like the lovely presentation. It’s something a little different, maybe fancier, than a typical knot or crescent roll, and in less time. Just over a year ago, I shared the original recipe here. But I’ve made a few changes that have improved the texture so that now each bite is

a      pillow     soft      morsel      of      heaven.

Too much? Hey, survey says! The less romantic detail is that now the recipe uses a bit more of my food storage and I swear they taste better. And speaking of taste, most people are not aware that there is corn meal in the mix. They just love the richness of the flavor, and don’t know why. Are you drooling yet?

Last thing, before I get into the recipe, and this may be the most important detail of all, is that this recipe is idiot proof. You know me and my many sad baking adventures. A big big part of why I love this recipe is that it works EVERY TIME. Even I can’t seem to ruin it! Children can make them.

These specific gorgeous wreaths were made by Lizzie (15) and her chum, Sarah, to be served a few days later at a special YW dinner. In spite of Lizzie being on a ridiculous whining and complaining jag that day, the two teenagers were able to knock out the whole production and get the formed dough into the freezer in no time. Our plan was that we/they in the teaching-moment-jungle (as it turned out) would get the wreaths prepared ahead of time. Regardless of my schedule, I could manage pulling the dough out of the freezer, late morning, on the day of the event, so that the dough would have plenty of time to thaw and rise. In spite of a crazy busy day, we were able to share piping-hot-beautiful-yummy-wonderfulness with no mess, no dishes, and no hassle. Hallelujah!

Fresh Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

*extra butter for brushing on the dough, before and after baking, and you would be dumb not to:)

2 eggs, whisked

Storage Ingredients

6 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 cup powdered milk

1 cup instant potato flakes

5 cups flour

1 cup cornmeal

2 tablespoons instant yeast

1. Heat 2 1/4 cups of water in a pot on the stove.  (Microwave would probably work.) Add the sugar, salt, powdered milk, and butter. When the mixture is almost ready to boil stir in the instant potato flakes. As soon as the potatoes have rehydrate, pour them into your mixer and allow to cool completely. This is when you can work on preparing the other ingredients…and changing the laundry…and emptying the dishwasher…while the teenagers waste time on Face Book. You know.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients: flour, corn meal, and instant yeast.

4. When the potato mixture has cooled, stir in the 2 whisked eggs. Then add the flour/cornmeal/yeast combination and knead for 15 minutes. Form as you prefer and brush with melted butter.

5. Allow to rise for about 90 minutes, or cover with plastic and freeze for later use.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, depending on how the dough has been formed. Brush with additional melted butter (or frost*) before serving.

*Just thought I would mention that this dough makes a bangin’ cinnamon roll.

And here we have the frozen wreaths,

and after they’ve been thawing and rising in a nice warm spot for about 4-6 hours,

and straight from the oven, ready to be brushed with butter, and then off to our event.

When Lizzie came home that night she seemed genuinely surprised that the girls and adult leaders had enjoyed the wreaths as much as they did. She said they went a little nuts. Respectfully. Isn’t that what we’re after, after all? Bread that just makes people SUPER HAPPY!

Peace out

The name doesn’t sound very exciting but these little sliders have become our family’s favorites. In the past week I’ve shared them with friends visiting from out of state and my visiting teachers. Both have asked for the recipe, so here you go.

Fresh Ingredients

8 egg whites

2 cups Greek yogurt

4 carrots, grated

Storage Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat flour

3 cups oat bran

4 teaspoons baking powder

4 teaspoons basking soda

1 tablespoon instant yeast

4 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups brown sugar

1 can pumpkin (15 oz.)

1 cup applesauce

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup oil

25 dates (pitted!)

2 cups walnuts, chopped

Not exactly my typical recipe, with only 4-6 ingredients, but certainly worth the extra effort.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray or oil muffin tins.

2. Whisk together  the wheat flour, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, instant yeast, and cinnamon.

3. Process the carrots and 25 pitted dates, adding the 2 cups of walnuts at the very end.

4. Add the cup of applesauce to the can of pumpkin…

adding the egg whites, oil, vanilla, brown sugar, and carrot/date/nut mixture, and beat until well combined.

5. Using an extra large mixing bowl, just barely stir together the wet and dry ingredients. Duh, I always forget how much this recipe makes and end up doing a little mixing bowl switch-o change-o before this final step.

6. Fill muffin tins full to slightly mounded. This recipe yields 4 dozen, more or less, depending on how you…mound. They don’t really rise during cooking so you can be aggressive.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. If your muffins are this large you may have to leave them in for another five minutes.

Besides the wonderful carrot cake flavor and super healthy ingredients, these pups freeze really well. It takes time to prepare and cook all four batches, but I love having plenty on hand. Always ready to zap in the microwave, they make an excellent breakfast on the run or nutritious dessert after lunch. Lizzie says that her friends are “obsessed” with them. (You know 15 yr. old girls;)

*If you prefer banana nut bread to carrot cake, try substituting four ripe bananas for the can of pumpkin. Super good!

Finally! An honest, accurate report on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! If you haven’t read this, you should.

The Wall Street Journal did an excellent job explaining our unique and thriving system. Maybe most interesting is the fact that most of the food stocking the shelves of the Bishop’s Storehouse, month after month, year after year, is prepared by volunteers.

Here’s how it works. At the beginning of one portion of the Sunday meetings for the Relief Society (women) and Priesthood (men) clipboards are passed for members to commit to a typical four hour shift. There’s no pressure, there’s no begging. The lists get passed, and people consistently sign up to help with the work.

Our family has loved working at the one and only church owned dairy. I officially know how to weigh and oversee the wrapping of blocks of wonderful, so mild and creamy, cheddar cheese. At the end of the shift, each volunteer is given a single 1 pound brick of cheese. That’s it. No one is allowed to purchase the stuff, even though everyone wants to, because it’s to be saved and distributed to the people in need. The rest of us can use the grocery store. The dairy also produces THE BEST chocolate milk on the planet. There is a 10 minute break in the middle of the four hour shift and all the volunteer workers are invited to enjoy as much as they wish. THE BEST.

I’ve had a few chances to help with the food production in our welfare system. Most recently, I helped to make sure that the right amount of pork was shot into the cans of beans on the assembly line. I’ve also had the opportunity to help with canned corn, applesauce, jams, stewed tomatoes, canned chicken, canned beef chunks, spaghetti sauce, plus many turns at the bakery on Welfare Square.

As a child, I remember going with my parents to the Church owned sugar beet farm. Way too little to work, I could nevertheless feel the importance of the service. I’m thankful that’s part of my life and history.

What about you? Love to hear your adventures in welfare service!

I’m always encouraging (badgering) people to make room for their food storage, even if it means parting with some of the endless craft supplies. But throwing things out can be difficult. Here’s a suggestion for re-purposing and using up some of those miscellaneous odds and ends.

This idea came to me in the grocery store while I was shopping for some wrapping supplies. Can you believe the cost of fancy gift bags and ribbons? Yikes. Completely put off, I headed home, determined to find something that would work just as well.

In the spirit of “brown paper packages tied up with string” I settled on using up a little hem tape, ric-rac, and bias tape to trim this box.

Then I remembered my stash of old buttons. I’m keeping them because “I might really need them later” but really, I’m just keeping them.

These seemed like a close enough match and I found random little felt guys to coordinate. Wrapping angels!

Now, a normal person would KNOW where their 3 glue guns were stored, but I actually had to get out a needle and thread.

Totally insecure about my crafting abilities, the compliments from friends at the baby shower were greatly appreciated.

I’ve been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints my whole life and yet I’ve never seen this before. Very cool, if you ask me.

If you have questions about our temples check out this information from www.mormon.org

This morning, I have a question, well a couple of questions, about Canada.

1. Do you know anyone, relatively near the downtown Toronto area, that would like to have a food storage presentation? I’ll be there during the week of February 6th-11th and I’d like to try adding something to the schedule, if I can. Just tell them to contact me ASAP! (and don’t tell my husband…yet)

2. Do you have any great suggestions for the “must see” while visiting Toronto? I’ve never been to Canada (well, except for one hour at Niagara Falls, 20 years ago) so this is sort of a big deal.