Hi Everyone,
NOTES:
Someone online was talking about a WUSH bag.
“Wake Up, Something’s Happening” – I like it!!
Speaking of which, have you been working on yours?
Fire season is here in my neck of the woods, and you NEVER know when YOU will be the one who has to evacuate. OR when YOU will be stuck on the freeway for hours! OR if YOU will be gone when the earthquake hits that shuts down the highways home. (Ugh, I hate thinking about all this stuff.)
Having a 72 hour kit will bring you peace of mind.
GARDEN HAPPENINGS:
You plant, you transplant, you water, you feed and nurture, and then THIS???? This is a BIG animal!!! I’m thinking possum, or squirrel?? Grrrr. I left these two on the vine hoping that if this critter returns, he will go for the already ruined fruit. Then, I put mesh bags around most of the other tomatoes.
How do you prevent this??? There is not much that you can do. 1) You can pick when they first “blush”. They will continue ripening on your kitchen counter, safe from critters and insects. 2) You can put them in mesh bags.
Mine are similar to this, only white, not green. Still it’s like 100 bags for under $15. 3) You can put metal mesh around the plants (like chicken wire??), but that’s impractical for me because everything is in grow bags.
When I went out today, I couldn’t see any damage to anything else. Evidently whatever it is, can’t open the bags. YAY!
Also, time to feed the garden – again.
I’m starting to have empty bags of dirt where I’ve harvested things. I replanted green beans this morning since mine are almost all lost to spider mites. Days to harvest = 50. I’ve got plenty of time if they’ll grow in this heat!
THIS WEEK’S PURCHASE: Pancake syrup and jam.
Both of these items are part of the “sugar” recommendations. IF you suddenly have no food on the shelves at the stores, cold cereal will disappear fast. We’ll be eating more pancakes, oatmeal, and other hearty breakfast meals. Just get a couple of jars of jam, and maybe 2 large syrups. Date them and stick them in the back of the pantry. The syrup will last a LONG time. The jam for several years.
MISC PURCHASE: Baby, feminine products, pets
Time to think about what you need for special needs people. Think “Three months” and stock up on something – or all three!
If you have a child in diapers, I would seriously consider cloth diapers as a back up.
FOOD STORAGE RECIPES:
Mixed-Berry Coffee Cake
So, every once in a while, I’ll be at the store looking at cereal and I’ll think how much I love granola. And I do love granola. But then I buy it, have it once or twice and it sits on the shelf because Craig would rather have Frosted Cheerios.
So, this recipe uses granola as an ingredient. Win-win.
1/4 c. granola
Place in a zip lock bag and crush with a rolling pin. Set aside.
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 TB vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
Mix all until smooth.
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Add in dry ingredients until just moistened.
1 c. mixed berries: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
Fold in berries and granola
Bake in a greased 8″ or 9″ round pan at 350˚ for 28-30 min or until golden brown and top springs back when touched in the center. Cool 10 min. Serve warm.
Honey-Whole Wheat Bread
I’ve posted a couple of bread recipes before. This one comes from a Whole Grains cookbook by Betty Crocker.
2 packages fast acting yeast
1/2 c. warm water
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
1/3 c. honey
1/4 c. soft butter
2 tsp salt
1 3/4 c. warm water
4 c. whole wheat flour
Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute. Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Stir in enough of the remaining 1 to 1 1/4 c. flour to make dough easy to handle.
Knead dough for about 10 minutes or until smooth and springy. Let rise about 1 hour until dough has doubled.
Grease bottoms and sides of 2 9X5 or 8X4 bread pans. Divide dough in 2. Use a rolling pin to flatten each half into an 18X9 inch rectangle. Fold crosswise into thirds. Flatten or roll dough into a 9 inch square. Foll dough up tightly, beginning at one of the unfolded ends. Press with thumbs to seal. Pinch each end to seal. Fold ends under the loaf. Place seam side down in the pan. Brush with additional butter; sprinkle with whole wheat flour of crushed oats if desired. Cover, let rise about 1 hour until doubled.
Bake 375˚ for 25-30 min or until loaves are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Cool.
Creamy Alfredo-Turkey Skillet Dinner
I’m going to be honest with you. I never use ground turkey. But who knows? I might try it someday. I usually use ground beef because I have it canned and sitting on the shelf.
Cook 2 cups whole wheat rotini pasta. Another confession. I don’t use whole wheat pasta, although the whole purpose of this cookbook is to encourage you to do so. In an emergency situation, I can see me grinding wheat, making a pasta dough, and using my pasta maker to make noodles. BUT, in the meantime, something has to be said for convenience and preference, right???
Brown 1 lb. lean ground turkey.
Add 1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt and cook until turkey is no longer pink; drain
3 c. firmly packed fresh spinach leaves – stir into the turkey. Cook uncovered over medium heat 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted.
1 jar Alfredo pasta sauce
1 can petite diced tomatoes undrained
Stir in sauces and heat until thoroughly warmed. Stir in cooked pasta.
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese – sprinkle. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Marti Shelley
