I just tried a yummy new whole wheat waffle recipe. This one uses both whole wheat flour and nonfat dry milk from your food storage. (I’m always looking for ways to rotate that powdered milk!) We topped these with a berry topping and whipped cream, but they are just as good with maple syrup.
WHOLE WHEAT WAFFLES
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (I like hard white wheat flour)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. nonfat dry powdered milk (non-instant)
1/4 c. oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp. sugar
Enough water to make the right consistency
Stir dry ingredients together, then stir wet ingredients together and combine. Add water last until the batter is the right consistency for waffles. Cook on hot waffle iron.
Tags: Food Storage Recipes, nonfat dry milk, powdered milk, whole wheat
Adding fruits and vegetables to your food storage is like choosing your elective classes in school. They enhance and round out your supply, but the choices are up to you. A common question regarding produce in #10 cans is, “Does it retain its nutritional content?” I often address this when I give a class on food storage, but until a recent comment on this site, I hadn’t realized I’d overlooked it here.
Dehydrated (freeze-dried) foods are very nutritious. In contrast to their water-packed, canned counterparts, these foods retain much more vitamins and nutritional content. They are excellent for everyday cooking as well as long-term food storage. Freeze dried foods have 98% of their moisture removed, but they retain nearly all of their fresh-food flavor, vitamins and nutrients. Dehydrated foods keep their nutritional value because the vitamins have not been cooked out in the initial process.
Aside from nutrition, dehydrated foods are desirable for food storage because they are so light weight. With pits, peelings, and nearly all of the water removed from these foods, they are very light and convenient to store or take with you in an emergency. They are also economical. Generally, dehydrated foods have double the yield of regular canned food, which makes them a smart buy.
Dried foods, however, do lose nutrients due to the use of heat to dry them. They also become concentrated calories. For example, one cup of fresh apricots contains about 74 calories, while one cup of dehydrated apricots contains more than 4 times that amount: 313 calories! The good news is, dried fruits do retain all of their fiber and iron. Drying foods slowly with a home dehydrator is the best method to retain the most nutrients during drying (much healthier than commercial drying).
Tags: dehydrated foods
You can still enjoy fettuccine alfredo, with a few minor adjustments.
I had the opportunity to present a class today on simple changes we can make to improve our diets. I love teaching this type of class because I always learn something new from the discussion with those who attend. Thank you to all of the lovely ladies who attended the three sessions today. I appreciate all of your comments and am anxious to try out some of your ideas. It is fun to discuss the common goal of better health.
Although this presentation wasn’t on my typical preparedness theme, we did touch on several food storage items including grains, oils, sweeteners, and dehydrated fruits and vegetables. Since freeze dried and dehydrated foods retain much more of their nutrients than their canned counterparts, these fruits and vegetables add beneficial nutrients to soups, casseroles, and many other recipes. For any class attendees, I realized that I forgot to mention one of my favorite benefits of storing and using agave nectar! It has a nice 2-3 year shelf life, and doesn’t crystallize like honey.
Anyway, if you missed the class but would like a copy of my handout, you can download it by clicking here: Stake Relief Society Healthy Foods Handout. This file includes the recipe alterations on the Pumpkin Sheet Cake.
I was just introduced to a fabulous food storage resource based on the bygone principle of making the most of what we have. The author of Grandma’s Modern Inflation Fighters, Cherrie Sorenson, states in the book’s dedication: “Our Grandmother’s knew how to preserve, dry and stretch a little to feed a lot. This book is based on the same concept, using what we have in our refrigerators, pantries, cupboards and food storage to stretch what we have.” Unlike many books in this genre, Grandma’s Modern Inflation Fighters is not a disorganized manual of varied homegrown tips. It’s clean, organized design invited me to peruse the great recipes and how-to ideas inside. The recipes are simple and sound delicious, and they conjure up the memories of smells from your grandmother’s kitchen. Molasses Cookies, Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls, and Tangy Tamale Pie are three recipes I am anxious to try. The cookbook has great information on using food storage products, and also features a nice section on homemade mixes, canning, sprouting and even using soy in your cooking. I am grateful to have this little gem in my collection and excited to recommend it to you. I know you’ll find it a great resource too.
Tags: Food Storage Recipes
I love bananas on my oatmeal, as you can tell from the photos in my prior posts, but I am very particular about their freshness. So, when the bananas are past their prime, they become banana bread, that is quickly gobbled up by hungry children (and parents!). My favorite banana bread recipe called for 2 cubes of butter, so I searched for a healthier option and found this recipe. I am EXTREMELY pleased to have found a low-fat recipe that doesn’t taste low-fat. It’s moist and flavorful, and is now my new favorite! I am posting it with the changes I made to use food storage and increase nutrition. I hope you enjoy it!
LOW-FAT BANANA BREAD
4 very ripe bananas
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I always use hard white wheat for milder flavor)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
2 Tbsp. butter, softened (I used Smart Balance)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
2 Tbsp. applesauce
Mash bananas thoroughly in mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Pour into two greased loaf pans (not minis, but smaller loaf pans). Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Tags: Food Storage Recipes
