I love my Wonder Mill Electric Whisper Mill . I’ve been using it for nearly 10 years now, and grinding beautiful fine flours for all of my baking.  Nothing beats using freshly ground warm wheat flour for a batch of homemade whole wheat bread.  The results are mouthwatering!

Lately, I’ve been considering which manual grain mill to purchase. Clearly, my many buckets of wheat will not yield the breads my family loves if we were without power. I need a grinder that will work without electricity.  One common complaint with manual grain mills is that they don’t easily grind grains into fine flour. The new Victorio Deluxe Grain Mill seems to be a great solution for grinding grains into fine flours before and after an apocalypse. This grain mill provides home cooks with the ability to use an attached hand crank, or to add an electric drive motor (sold separately) to grind grains with or without electricity.  It features a large hopper for the grains, and grinds better than previous models. The Victorio Deluxe Grain Mill with electric motor also makes it possible to store only one, more compact mill, versus a hand mill and an electric mill. It’s a nice option, especially those who don’t grind wheat frequently, but want to have all of the necessary tools to use their food storage.

I will likely still use my WhisperMill for most grinding, because of its speed and ease, since I grind wheat on a regular basis. However, I like that the Victorio model has evolved into this nice compact mill that works great for manual use.  The best price on this item is through Alison’s Pantry (at just $86.99 this month) , if you have a Representative in your area.   If you don’t, I’ve linked to this product on Amazon.com from this post so you can purchase one for yourself no matter where you live.

Now bake a batch of heavenly homemade bread and you’ll easily convince your husband that the purchase of a new grain mill is a much better investment than a new iPad 3!

I get a lot of my food storage products through Alison’s Pantry, a foods company based in Pleasant Grove, UT that delivers products through local Reps in 10 states.  They sell bulk grains, fresh spices in 1 lb. bags, and a delicious line of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables (Achieve), plus buckets and other food storage containers to organize everything.  (I’m not only the AP Sales Manager, I’m also a client…” ) If you live in one of the states below, this month you can earn a chance to win a $100 Alison’s Pantry gift certificate just by signing up to receive e-mail updates on AP sales and special product offers.

• Utah
• Arizona
• Colorado
• Idaho
• New Mexico
• Wyoming
• Montana
• Nebraska
• North Dakota
• South Dakota

Just click HERE to join the mailing list. The winner will be drawn on July 11th, and posted to the Alison’s Pantry Facebook page.

Lemon zest and allspice set this recipe apart!

It’s zucchini harvest time, and if you’re tired of your standard zucchini bread recipe, this is the recipe to pull you from your rut.  I love zucchini bread and I have tried recipes that include everything from bananas to chocolate, but this zucchini bread recipe (from my friend, Tammy) is my definitive favorite. Even with the addition of healthier whole wheat flour, this bread stays moist and the flavor from the lemon zest and spices is unbeatable! I’m including the original recipe, and then my notes to make it even healthier.

BEST ZUCCHINI BREAD

1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour

1 1/4 c. all-purpose (white) flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. clove

2 1/2 c. zucchini, shredded (about 3 medium zucchini)

1 c. pecans, chopped

4 eggs (or 1/4 c. powdered eggs + 1/2 c. water)

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 c. oil

1 tsp. lemon zest

Measure and sift together the first eight dry ingredients and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, sugars and oil. Blend thoroughly. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture while stirring. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold in zucchini, pecans and lemon zest. Pour batter into two greased 8 or 9 inch loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

NOTES: To make this recipe healthier (but just as tasty!), I cut the oil measurement in half with applesauce (1/2 c. oil + 1/2 c. applesauce), leave out 1/2 cup of the white sugar, and use 1 cup liquid eggs (like Eggbeaters). To save time, sometimes I substitute 1 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice in place of the ginger, allspice and clove. If your garden produced more yellow squash than zucchini, you can subsitute part or all of the zucchini with shredded yellow squash (I cut the squash in fourths, length-wise, and remove the seeds before shredding.) with virtually no difference in taste. I like to use my food processor to shred the zucchini because it keeps the zucchini from getting soggy the way it does when grated by hand.

I had some Granny Smith apples that were slightly past their prime, so I thought it was a perfect excuse to use some of my food storage oats for something other than oatmeal.  I found this simple Oatmeal Apple Crisp recipe and “voila!” the apples were transformed.  I couldn’t snap the picture fast enough before it was being served with scoops of vanilla ice cream.  Since oats will store for 30+ years, in proper conditions, I don’t think we can have too many ways to use them!

I love that this recipe is fast and easy!  The only change I would make next time  is to add chopped pecans to the topping. 

OATMEAL APPLE CRISP

3 C. sliced apples

3 Tbsp. flour

1/4 C. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon (I think Apple Pie Spice is even better)

1/8 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. water

1/2 C. rolled oats

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 C. butter (I used Smart Balance)

1/3 C. brown sugar

Combine apples, flour, 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. salt and water. Place in a greased casserole dish (I doubled the recipe to fill the 9 x 13 pan).

Cut the remaining ingredients together with a pastry blender and sprinkle over the top of the apple mixture in pan. Bake 35 minutes in 375 degree oven.

If you rotate your #10 food storage products, like I do, then you may have found yourself looking for creative uses for your collection of empty #10 cans. (You can’t bring yourself to throw them out, can you?  Me neither!)

I found this clever idea from www.ldsactivitydays.blogspot.com for a Family Home Evening lesson (complete with treat) in a can.  I was going to save this idea for my Christmas blogs, but I thought if I share it now, you can be watching for cake or brownie mixes on sale to include.  They sealed the cans, but I’m thinking you can reuse old cans as well. For gift giving, it would be cute to wrap the can in scrapbook paper and ribbons, etc.

Click HERE for the instructions and links for the lesson.  If you try this fun gift idea, I’d love to hear about the lesson and treats you use, or how you decorate your cans.  Please post your ideas!

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.

Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet in the shape of either a tree or a wreath.  Bake, then decorate and wrap for gift giving.  So easy!

It’s just a simple sheet cake, but I love this spicy seasonal recipe.  I stock canned pumpkin in my food storage because it’s a healthy addition to baked goods (and I love its flavor). With the exception of the butter and cream cheese in the frosting, you probably have all of the ingredients on hand to whip up this cake, so why wait?  Here’s the simple recipe:

PUMPKIN SHEET CAKE

1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin

2 c. sugar

1 c. oil (I used half applesauce to reduce fat)

4 eggs

2 c. all-purpose flour (I’m sure you could substitute at least half wheat flour.)

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon (I substituted pumpkin pie spice for more flavor.)

1/2 tsp. salt

FROSTING

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

5 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 3/4 c. powdered sugar

3-4 tsp. milk

chopped nuts (optional)

In a mixing bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar and oil.  Add eggs and mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Add to pumpkin mixture and beat until well blended. Pour into a greased jelly roll pan (15 x 10 x 1).  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cake springs back.  For frosting, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually add sugar and mix well. Add milk until frosting reaches desired spreading consistency. Frost cake and sprinkle with nuts if desired.

My kids are generally less than enthusiastic about pie for dessert, but this new recipe for Swedish Apple Pie was a definite hit.  Instead of a traditional crust, the spiced apples are topped with a buttery, crunchy nut topping that makes the dessert seem more like a cobbler than a pie.  I photographed it with whipped cream and Cinnamon Vanilla French Toast Sugar on top, but I found it’s really stellar with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  If you are still enjoying the apple crop, this recipe is a must.  I’m considering it for Thanksgiving as well. This can easily be made with reconstituted dehydrated apples to utilize it as a food storage recipe.  Try it out and let me know what you think.

SWEDISH APPLE PIE from Dianne Lauffer in Family Fun magazine, November 2009

Filling:

2/3 c. raisins (I left these out)

3 medium apples (about 2 2/3 cups), any baking variety, peeled and sliced–use a spiral apple peeler to really save time)

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Topping:

3/4 c. butter or margarine (I used Smart Balance)

1 c. flour

1 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

1/4 c. chopped walnuts (I used pecans)

Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Soak the raisins in hot water until they plump. Drain, then combine with apple slices. Transfer the fruit to a 9-inch pie pan (it should be no more than 2/3 full). In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg (I used a tsp. of Apple Pie Spice in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg in the recipe). Sprinkle over the fruit.

To make the topping, first melt the butter and set it aside.  In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and egg until they are evenly blended.  Whisk in the butter, then spread the topping over the fruit and sprinkle on the chopped nuts.  Bake the pie until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. 

 The recipe says it feeds 10, but they must have figured on more dainty pieces than we devoured. We got about 8. Enjoy!

Last year, I had several friends who raved about their homemade applesauce, so I vowed to try it this year.  My friends were right, it’s delicious and extremely easy when made in the Crock Pot.  If you use an apple peeler, like the one below, it is even easier and much faster.  Slow cooker applesauce has the aroma and flavor of apple pie, so fresh from the slow cooker it’s quite tasty poured warm over vanilla ice cream.  It’s also delicious as a topping for oatmeal.  I had heard that your first batch of homemade applesauce goes fast, so I didn’t bother trying to pressure can it this time. I am just storing my leftovers in the refrigerator.  Next year, I’ll be canning some for my food storage.  Below are the simple instructions to make your own.

SLOW COOKER APPLESAUCE

4 lbs. tart apples, cored and thinly sliced (about 12 cups)

1/2 cup sugar (I used about 1/4 c.)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon or apple pie spice

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Mix apples with cinnamon and sugar and put into Crock Pot.  Pour water and lemon juice over the apple mixture.  Cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 hours.