Hi Everyone,
NOTES:
** We opened a #10 can of Nido – Nestle’s powdered milk. I found it on a baby food aisle at the grocery store. The date is June 2013. The milk looks and tastes fine. Surprisingly good, in fact. My plan is to mix up a quart and add it to my regular gallon of milk when the gallon of milk is about 3/4 gone. I assured Craig he wouldn’t even notice the difference. Hahahaha (my wicked witch cackling laugh).
** Can you make cheese with powdered milk? Check this out: Mozzarella Cheese – My Food Storage Cookbook
GARDEN HAPPENINGS:
** More vegetable plants pulled up to get ready for winter. I still have lettuce, celery, beets, carrots, bell peppers, and a few herbs and medicinal plants growing. We have green oranges waiting to turn. I don’t plan on starting anything new until Spring.
If you DO have a yearning to plant: Check this out –
What to Plant in November in Zone 9 – Complete list
THIS WEEK’S PURCHASE: rice
Rice is considered a “grain” along with wheat, corn or cornmeal, oats, barley, and pasta. Luckily, rice is still fairly inexpensive. One hundred pounds of rice is a good place to start. You can store rice in a food safe 5 gallon bucket (any of the Lowes, Home Depot, or Harbor Freight buckets will work. You can also store rice in empty, clean 2 liter bottles. I vacuum sealed my rice in 5 pound batches. If you have rodents, they WILL eat through plastic. The only safe storage is in a metal can.
MISC. PURCHASE: One of the things mentioned after the hurricanes was loss of power. Specifically, people needed candles, lanterns, etc. You should have several of these:
CandleLife Emergency Survival Candle (Set of 4)
OR a lantern
OR solar garden lights that can be set out during the day and brought in at night.
We bought one of these for each of our children one year for Christmas:
Collapsible Portable LED Camping Lantern
My daughter reported that it worked very well. They set it out during the day and it stayed lit for hours. A pack of four lanterns is only about $30.
FOOD STORAGE RECIPES:
Pasta Fagioli Soup
1 pint hamburger
1/3 c. dry onions (Having cooked with dry onions for a while now, this is A LOT of onions. I usually use about 1 TB for most of my dishes.)
1/3 c. dehydrated carrots
1/3 c. dehydrated celery
Soak the onions, carrots, and celery in 2 c. hot water for 15 minutes, then drain
Sauté onions, carrots, celery in 2 TB vegetable oil. Add
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp pepper
1 TB parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
Continue sauteing for 3-5 minutes. Add
the hamburger, drained
4 c. water + 4 tsp beef bouillon
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 can white beans
1/2 c. dry pasta (This is never enough for me. I always sneak in more)
1 26-oz can Spaghetti sauce
Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer 20 minutes.
Serve with rolls, cornbread, or hush puppies
Arroz Con Pollo
from simplyrecipes.com
Using fresh chicken:
2 1/2 – 3 pounds chicken thighs or breasts (bone in with skins on) rinsed and patted dry
In a shallow pan, or on a plate:
1/2 c. flour
salt and pepper
paprika
Dredge the chicken pieces lightly in the flour mix, and brown in 3 TB olive oil. Use a slotted spoon to remove from pan and set aside.
OR, you can use canned chicken drained.
2 c. medium or long-grain white rice (This is going to make 6 cups when finished, so if that’s too much, you can cut back OR plan on freezing the leftovers.
Add rice to the empty pan and stir to coat with oil. If you need to add 1-2 TB of additional oil, do that. Stir to brown.
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (OR 1-2 TB dehydrated onion that’s been soaking in hot water for 15-20 minutes)
Let onion brown, with the rice, Add
1 clove garlic and continue cooking until onions have softened, about 4 minutes. (If using canned chicken, add here)
Place the chicken pieces, skin side up, on top of the rice.
In a separate bowl mix:
4 c. chicken stock
1 heaping TB tomato paste or 1 c. diced fresh or cooked tomatoes strained
pinch oregano
1 tsp salt
Pour this mix over the rice and chicken
Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to los, and cover. Let cook for 20-25 minutes, until rice and chicken are done.
Fluff with a fork. If you want, you can sprinkle with some peas.
Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet
Cook 1/2 c. rice with 1 c. water and 1/2 tsp salt
1 pound ground beef – OR 1 pint jar canned ground beef
In a large oven-safe skillet (cast iron?)
Brown the beef. Stir in
1 1/2 c. cooked rice
1 15-oz jar chunky salsa
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 c. black beans
1/2 c. pinto beans
1/2 c. corn
Cook 2-3 minutes
Sprinkle cheese over the top and transfer to the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 375˚
Topping: avocado, sour cream, chopped green onion
You can use any leftovers as a filling for burritos.
Marti Shelley
