Hi Everyone,
NOTES:
**Still on the fence about dehydrated onions? Check this out.
Prep School Daily: Getting the Most from Dehydrated Onions
20 pounds of fresh onions = 2 pounds DH onions = 1 #10 can
1 onion chopped = 1/4 c. DH onion = 1 tsp onion powder
** I ran out of mayonnaise. Actually, I HAD some mayonnaise on the shelf dated 2020, and it was not good. I threw the entire jar in the trash. I started looking online for mayonnaise recipes, and I found several videos. THEN, I found out that homemade mayonnaise only lasts about 2 weeks in the fridge. There is no way two people can use a pint of mayo in 2 weeks. The store-bought stuff is full of preservatives, of course, which is why we can leave it in the fridge for months. Ugh, what to do? I ended up grabbing a jar of mayo at the store. The price just about kills me!
GARDEN HAPPENINGS:
Every day I pick beans, blackberries, and odds and ends of carrots, beets, and zucchini. I love this time of summer. The plants love it too. I’m trying to stay ahead of the spider mites, cabbage worms, and blight.
This is my second year growing beets. I simply can’t get them any bigger, despite thinning and feeding. But, I found if I clean them up, and boil them whole, the skins slip right off and I can quarter them or slice and lather with butter and they are SOOO sweet! I also planted a shorter variety of carrots and have not been disappointed.
There are only three small blackberries because I picked about 3 cups last night, and I found these hiding in the beans.
The cherry tomatoes are ripening. They are first. The larger tomatoes take more time. I have some BIG green ones, so they will ripen soon I hope.
I just remember from past years that once it gets REALLY hot in the summer, nothing does well. So, I’m happy to get most of my harvest in before that time.
And, oh yeah, it’s time to feed the plants again. This week, everything got a healthy dose of compost and a handful of fertilizer.
THIS WEEK’S PURCHASE: canned meat, chicken or beef
The price of beef continues to climb. I was paying about $37 for 10 pounds of 80% meat at Winco. Now it’s $49. But, chicken has stayed pretty low. Canning chicken needs a pressure canner. I bought mine in the 70’s and it still works great. IF you’d like to can, start asking around. I’m sure there is someone you know who has a canner and can help you learn. Otherwise, YouTube is great!!! Same with ground beef. OR you can portion the ground beef into 1 pound packages and freeze it. If you decide to freeze it, you’ll want to vacuum seal it to avoid frost damage. A vacuum sealer is one of the best investments you can get for food storage.
Meat is probably one of the most expensive parts of food storage, but it will be worth it. You can also buy stew with meat, or chili with meat. You want something that will give you protein!! There is a recipe below called Scotch Broth. The beans and rice in this soup will give you a perfect protein as well.
MISC PURCHASE: toilet paper
Time to take stock. Have you worked up to a 6 month supply yet? That should be your next goal.
FOOD STORAGE RECIPES:
Scotch Broth
I made several quarts of this soup and gave it to my family as Christmas gifts. Scotch Broth is a combination of grains and legumes that provide a “perfect protein”. By adding meat and vegetables, and by adding different spices you could easily change it to suit your tastes.
You need a 5 gallon food grade bucket with lid
This bucket could feed a family of 4 one hot meal a day for 2 months.
15 lbs rice – put in gallon bags. Don’t zip shut, just fold over.
This will take about 4 1-gallon bags
4 lbs pearl barley – Put in a 1-gallon bag, and fold top over
12 oz. bouillon (can use the cubes or powdered form)
Put in a quart size zip bag and fold top over
In the bottom of the bucket add
4 lbs kidney beans
4 lbs black beans
2 lbs split peas
2 lbs chickpeas
Mix together in the bottom of the bucket.
Add the zip lock bags of rice and the gallon bag of barley on top of the beans. Place the bouillon in the bucket. Add the recipe “how to cook”. Add 5 300 CC oxygen absorbers in the bucket. Snap on the lid.
How to Cook:
Soak 1 c. of beans for 6-8 hours or overnight. Cover the beans completely with at least 2 inches of additional water.
In the morning, drain and rinse, then add
8 c. water in the pot with the beans. Bring to a boil and simmer 1 1/2 hours.
Add bouillon and any other spices to taste, along with any veggies or meat you may have. After 1 1/2 hours add
3/4 c. rice and
1/3 c. barley to the pot. Cook until rice and barley are tender but not mushy.
Tips:
Winco has a carrot, celery, onion, tomato, spinach soup mix (bulk food #2172) that can be added.
All the ingredients can be found in the bulk section of Winco except the bouillon, which is in the soup section.
Slow Cooker Pasta E Fagioli
(a very fancy way to say pasta and beans)
This makes 10 servings, so be prepared to cut it down, give away leftovers, or feed a bunch of growing boys.
In a skillet, brown 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
When brown add:
1 19-oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, diced (I like to add this to the meat when it is browning)
2 large carrots
2 large celery stalks
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes with liquid
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
2 TB minced garlic
1 TB Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 c. beef stock or reconstituted beef bouillon
Stir gently to mix
1-2 sprigs fresh Rosemary (optional) – lay on top
Simmer 6 hours
30 minutes before serving, add
8 oz. ditalini or other small pasta
White Chicken Skillet Lasagna
(you can use canned chicken OR fresh chicken breasts)
Using canned chicken:
2 1/2 c. chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Stir
10 lasagna noodles, broken into pieces – add to the broth
Bring to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 min until pasta is tender. Stir every few minutes.
When noodles are cooked, add
1-2 cans of chicken or 1 pint jar canned chicken
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Cover and let melt before serving
If you use fresh chicken:
2 TB oil in a skillet – heat
Add chicken breasts and cook for 3-5 minutes until browned on one side. Chicken should release easily from the pan when ready to turn. Flip the chicken and add the broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temp of 165˚. Remove chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before shredding.
To the chicken broth add the cream and Italian seasoning. Add the broken lasagna noodles and stir well. Bring to a low simmer. Cover and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. When noodles are cooked, stir chicken back in with cheese. Cover and let melt.
Marti
