Marti’s Corner – 123

NOTES:

This site offers 150 fall recipes for the crockpot.  I’m going to see if I can adapt any to canning:

150 Best Fall Crockpot Recipes – Prudent Penny Pincher

Last week, I had the unique opportunity to be involved in helping a few residents in Southern California who had been flooded by Hurricane Hillary, and were not able to get food.  The Salvation Army stepped in to provide and Team Rubicon was asked to deliver.  One of the residents called me the next day to express her extreme thanks for my help.  I explained that many people had been involved in providing help and that I would pass on her thanks.  THEN I reminded her that this could all have been prevented if she had had even one week of food set aside for just such an emergency.  She promised that she would get a supply of food as recommended by EVERY government agency – local and national!!!

This site has a lot of good ideas for preparedness if you are pregnant, or taking care of a newborn.  Natural Disaster Safety for Expecting and New Parents | CDC

Have you stored beans?  Black beans, white beans, red beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans?  Well look what I found: Bean Institute | Beans: Simply Delicious. Naturally Nutritious.

A Bean Institute??  Who knew there was such a thing???

And… they have recipes…..lots of them!  68 recipes for black beans, 39 recipes for pinto beans, cranberry bean recipes (6) and much more!

GARDEN HAPPENINGS

My first one this year:

THIS is a tomato hornworm.

They do this:

So much damage if you don’t get them off!!!

My two ways to recognize hornworms is

1) stripped branches

2) little black dots on the leaves (caterpillar poop)

Also, you can take a black light into the garden at night and the hornworms will glow!!!

You can pick them off.  I usually do this and put them in the middle of the sidewalk for the crows.  OR you can spray with Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew or another organic spray.

THIS WEEK’S PURCHASE – spices

     Some spices you can grow yourself.  I’ve had really good luck this year with oregano.  When it gets about 6 inches high, I give it a good haircut and lay the branches on my dehydrator shelves.  I let it dry overnight and the leaves just crumble off.  I’ve also done basil, although it doesn’t crumble as easily. I have to put it in a baggie and crush the leaves with a rolling pin.  Our entire side fence has rosemary growing along it.  It is so easy to grow in this heat.  

But if you look at the recipes below, you’ll see that it takes a lot of spice to make bland beans taste good!

• cumin, cayenne, chili powder, garlic powder, thyme, chicken broth (bouillon), coriander, salt and pepper

Also onions (dehydrated) and bell peppers, which you can dehydrate yourself, or buy already dehydrated.

This 1 pound bag is $22 on Amazon.  It’s A LOT of pepper and will last an entire year at least.  Just put about 1/4 c. into whatever you are cooking and they will plump right up!

Don’t forget cocoa and cinnamon.  It’s worth a trip to Winco to get them in the bulk section.  

Make it your goal to get all the way to Spring without having to buy any spices.

MISC. PURCHASE: vitamins

    Are you taking vitamins?  If not, you should!  Get a BIG bottle of vitamins for you and your whole family.  The goal is a 6 month supply.  Vitamins can be pricey.  Start small and just pick up another one here and there.  You can store them upstairs under the bathroom sink.  And throw in a bottle of Vitamin C while you’re at it!

FOOD STORAGE RECIPES:

Vegetarian Three Bean Chili

From The Bean Institute

In a large, heavy pot, heat

• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 2 c. onions, peeled and diced
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and diced
• 2 TB garlic, minced
• 2 serrano peppers, stemmed and seeded, minced fine

     Cook and stir until soft, about 3 minutes

• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 c. corn

     Cook and stir until soft and the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around the edges, about 6 min.

• 2 TB chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cocoa
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 can 14 oz. tomato puree

    Stir well. and cook about 30 seconds

• 1 can (1 3/4 c.) black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can (1 3/4 c.) pinto beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can (1 3/4 c.) kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 3 c. vegetable stock

    Add and bring to a boil.

• 1 c. red bell peppers, roasted, pureed
• 2 tomatoes, roasted whole and pureed

    Add and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 min.

Remove from the heat and stir in 

• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 c. cilantro, chopped

White Bean, Bacon and Corn Chowder 

6 servings

From The Bean Institute

• 1/4 lb. red pepper
• 1/4 lb. carrots
• 1/4 lb. onion

     Dice into small diced pieces

• 4 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced and keep covered with cold water until needed

Heat a kettle to medium high heat.  

• 1 TB butter, unsalted – heat and sauté the diced peppers, carrots and onions.
• 3/4 tsp garlic
• 3/4 tsp  thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt

    Add garlic, thyme, and salt.  Stir and cook 2 more minutes.

• 1 c. milk milk
• 1 1/2 c, chicken broth

     Stir in.  Bring to a simmer.  DO NOT BOIL.

Add potatoes,

• 6 oz. corn
• 1/2 lb. white beans, drained and rinsed

    Simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through.

• 1/4 c. cornmeal – whisk to dissolve in the soup.  Cook soup for 15 additional minutes, stirring occasionally to allow soup to thicken.  

Put 1 c. soup in a bowl and sprinkle with bacon

Chicken and Rice

from Lanascooking.com

In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt

• 4 TB butter
• 1 large onion diced (or 1/4 c. reconstituted dehydrated onion)
• 3 ribs celery diced (or 2 TB reconstituted dehydrated celery)

    Add onion and celery to butter and cook until 3-4 minutes

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or 2 breasts), cut into uniform bite-size pieces

   Add and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken has stiffened and starts to brown.  (if you are using canned chicken, just add and stir to coat)

• 3 c. chicken stock
• 1 1/2 c. rice (long grain white, basmati, or brown)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 TB butter

parsley (2 TB fresh, or 1 tsp dried)

   Bring to a boil.  Reduce, cover, and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender.  Check cooking time for the type of rice you are using.

    Let the pan sit covered and off the heat for about 10 minutes at the end of cooking for fluffier rice.

    Can store leftovers in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.  Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating and serving.

Marti