Marti’s Corner – 07

Hi Everyone,
Being prepared means trying to plan for a variety of contingencies. Having no power is one of those possibilities. I’m sure that most Texans could NEVER have foreseen having no power in the middle of freezing weather. In Texas!!!! Now is a good time to ask, “What if that happened here?” My Indiana peeps are saying, “And your point is….????” California peeps—– could you stay warm? Could you cook dinner? As our hearts reach out to friends and family who are experiencing these extreme difficulties, just keep in mind that you could be next, whatever the disaster may be. THAT’S why we prepare.  This woman’s wet hair froze as soon as she stepped outside | Your Morning – YouTube

NOTES:

* Garden Update. I have planted some of my broccoli seedlings and cauliflower seedlings into the ground. My other plants are just hanging out, waiting for March 1. I’ve been leaving them outside at night unless the temps are in the low 40’s, then I bring them in. They are actually okay as long as it doesn’t freeze. But I’m still babying them along.

* Facebook Page: Our Prepared Community also has a ton of information. If you click on the videos button, you will see about 25 videos covering everything from natural remedies to evacuation plans. It’s a great resource! Here is a link to the Water Sanitation Class.

LONG TERM FOCUS: Lentils

Lentils are legumes – cousins to beans. Lentils can be green, red, yellow, black or brown. They are full of nutrients with no fat and lots of fiber and protein. Lentils cook much faster than dry beans and don’t need to be soaked. To cook, just rinse and boil 3 cups of water to 1 cup of lentils. They are tender in 15-20 minutes.

SHORT TERM FOCUS

Think about all the extra ingredients that you would need to make your beans, or lentils, or split peas taste NOT blah. You can dehydrate carrots and celery quite easily. Just wait until they go on sale. You can get 25 pounds of carrots for about $7. And if you watch, you can get celery for 3 or 4 stalks for $1. I almost never use fresh celery. I’m not a fan of fresh celery, so after I put two or three stalks in the dinner, the rest just spoils in the fridge. Instead, I just keep a pint jar of dehydrated celery on my shelf and sprinkle in 1-2 TB. Same with bell peppers. Watch for sales – 4 peppers for $1 then buy a lot and dehydrate!!!

The recipes below call for:

• Carrots: Emergency Essentials® Carrot Dices Large Can – Be Prepared – Emergency Essentials
• Onions: McCormick Culinary Minced Onion, 17 oz
• Celery: Augason Farms Dehydrated Cross Cut Celery 1 lb 2 oz No. 10 Can
• Garlic, tomato paste, thyme, cumin, salt, pepper, parsley, barley, chicken broth: Knorr Bouillon Powder Chicken 2.0 Lb, 32 Oz

Next time you go to the store, just get something on this list. Maybe it will be something you use often. Stick it aside and rotate it in.

You can dehydrate carrots and celery quite easily. Just wait until they go on sale. You can get 25 pounds of carrots for about $7. And if you watch, you can get celery for 3 or 4 stalks for $1. I almost never use fresh celery. I’m not a fan of fresh celery, so after I put two or three stalks in the dinner, the rest just spoils in the fridge. Instead, I just keep a pint jar of dehydrated celery on my shelf and sprinkle in 1-2 TB. Same with bell peppers. Watch for sales – 4 peppers for $1 then buy a lot and dehydrate!!!

72 HOUR KIT FOCUS: 

These are really handy to have in your kit. Seychelle 28oz Flip Top Water Filter Bottle StandardThis bottle treats up to 100 gallons of water. It eliminates viruses and bacteria 99.999%. AND, the filter is replaceable. In terms of your pack, it will allow you to gather water from anyplace, then transport that water and filter it for use. Even if you didn’t get one for each pack, but had one per family, you would be able to give everyone a cup of purified water from any source.

FOOD STORAGE RECIPES

Perfect Pot of Lentils
From the webpage: Cooking Light. https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/a-perfect-pot-of-lentils

Heat a medium saucepan.
Add 2 TB oil and swirl to coat. Add
3/4 c. sliced carrots
3/4 c. chopped shallot
4 cloves minced garlic
2 TB tomato paste
Cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add:
2 c. green or brown lentils
1 TB chopped fresh thyme
4 c. water
Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 – 35 minutes or until lentils are tender. Remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir in:
2 TB soy sauce
1 TB Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Lentil Soup
This soup is really delicious – and hearty. It makes a ton, so I usually freeze the leftovers or share it with someone.

Rinse 1 lb. lentils. Put lentils in a pot and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 15 minutes. Drain and remove from the pan.
Using the same pan, sauté:
3 large onions diced
4 c. leeks
1 TB chopped garlic
1 TB fresh thyme
1 tsp cumin
1 TB salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
When onions are tender, add:
4 diced carrots
3 stalks celery diced
Saute with the onions for a few minutes to let them absorb some of the flavors.

Then add:
2 quarts chicken stock
1/4 c. tomato paste
drained lentils
2 Kielbasa sausage sliced
splash red wine (optional)
Simmer 1 hour.
To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

Lentil Barley Stew

1 medium carrot sliced
1 medium onion diced
1 medium parsnip peeled and sliced
3/4 c. lentils, rinsed
1/2 c. barley, rinsed
28 oz. vegetable (or chicken) broth
2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp pepper
Bring to boil and reduce to simmer for 25 minutes until done.

That’s all for this week.  
Marti