Mixes save you money!

Last meeting everyone was challenged to try a recipe with a super healthy, food storage secret ingredient. This time I want everyone to prepare for those “everyday” food storage emergencies and try to make one of these money saving mixes. Not only will they be kind to your wallet but they will also save you time and of course they are food storage!

Bisquick - type Mix
4 c. all-purpose flour
2 T baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 c. shortening (can also use butter, but you need to keep it in the fridge or freezer)
Blend all ingredients until completely mixed. Transfer to vacuum seal bag or container, seal and store up 6 months. Use in any recipe specifying "Bake it all mix, Impossible Mix, Quick Mix or Bisquick"

Extra Light Quick Mix
Makes 7 c. mix
4 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. nonfat dry milk powder
2-1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oil
Blend well until mixture resembles corn meal. Store in fridge.

Dry Onion Soup Mix
2 C. powdered milk
3/4 C. cornstarch
1/4 C. beef bouillon crystals
2 T. dried onion flakes
1 tsp. dried basil leaves, crushed

Measure all ingredients into a Ziploc Bag. Shake well, transfer to vacuum seal bag, seal and store up to a year.

To Use:
1/3 c. Onion Mix per recipe. Blend with water for soup, sour cream for dip, etc.

Soup or Sauce Mix (SOS)
(This mix has about 1/3 the calories and sodium as purchased condensed soup. )
Ingredients:
2 cups powdered non-fat dry milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup instant chicken bouillon
2 Tbs. dried onion flakes
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a re-closeable plastic bag,
mixing well.
Yield: Equal to 9 cans of cream soup.

To substitute for 1 can of cream soup:
1. Combine 1/3 cup of dry SOS mix with 1 1/4 cups of cold water.
2. Cook and stir on stove top or in microwave until thickened.
3. Add thickened mixture to casseroles as you would a can of soup.
Storage
Store in closed plastic bag or air-tight container until ready to use. It does not have to be refrigerated.

Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients:
1/3 cup *SOS
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1 1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
In a small bowl combine all ingredients, mix well and cook
until thick. Serve sauce over cooked noodles or on pizza
Yield: 1 1/2 cups sauce

Pudding Mix
8 C. nonfat dry milk powder
4 C. sugar
1 vanilla bean, cut into pieces (with seeds) or just add vanilla into recipe later
3 C. cornstarch (1 lb.)
1 tsp. salt

Measure all ingredients into a large bowl, blend well until thoroughly combined. Measure into 12 separate Ziploc bags, placing 1 c. in each bag. Seal & Store.

To use:
1 c. Mix
3 c. boiling water
Stir constantly over low heat until thickened.

Chocolate Pudding:
Add 1 square chocolate to above recipe

Coconut Pudding:
Add 1/2 cup coconut to above recipe

Lemon Pudding:
Add 1 T lemon juice
1 T butter to above recipe

Check out these websites!

http://budget101.com/convenience_mixes.htm
http://prepareeveryneedful.blogspot.com
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FNP_101.pdf

Words of Wisdom

In preparing for this week’s class, I was a little discouraged thinking that I have been putting together these recipes and making this food thinking that the 20+ people who signed up would come, but that last few meetings have had only a handful of sisters in attendance. I really wanted to do this midweek enrichment group because I wanted to challenge myself to “prepare every needful thing”. I began to think maybe everyone else has a year’s supply of food and basic essentials, a full menu of delicious and nutritious recipes, and a handle on food storage, which must be why they haven’t been coming. I turned to Heavenly Father this week during a trip to the Mount Timpanogos Temple to know what I was supposed to do to get my house in order and be a resource for others wanting to do the same. The response I got was “turn to the words of the Latter-day prophets.” I found some great quotes that keep me going in my quest to prepare every needful thing:

Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) Fifteenth President of the Church
“The best place to have some food set aside is within our homes,
together with a little money in savings. The best welfare program is our own
welfare program. Five or six cans of wheat in the home are better than a bushel
in the welfare granary. … “We can begin with a one week’s food
supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. I am
speaking now of food to cover basic needs” (“To Men of the Priesthood,” Ensign,
Nov. 2002, 58).

Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) Thirteenth President of the Church
“The revelation to store food may be as essential to our temporal
salvation today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah”
(“Prepare Ye,” Ensign, Jan. 1974, 69).

Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) Twelfth President of the Church
“We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your
own property. Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees—plant them if your climate
is right for their growth. Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard. Even
those residing in apartments or condominiums can generally grow a little food in
pots and planters. … Make your garden as neat and attractive as well as
productive. If there are children in your home, involve them in the process with
assigned responsibilities” (“Family Preparedness,” Ensign, May 1976, 124).

Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) Eleventh President of the Church
“We expect the individual to do all he can to help himself, whether
it be an emergency for a single family or for a whole community, that the
relatives will do all they can to help, then the Church steps in with
commodities from the storehouse, with fast offerings to meet their needs that
commodities from the storehouse will not supply, and finally, the Relief Society
and the priesthood quorums will assist with rehabilitation” (Teachings of
Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee [2000], 171).

Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) Tenth President of the Church
“[The pioneers] were taught by their leaders to produce, as far as
possible, all that they consumed, and to be frugal and not wasteful of their
substance. This is still excellent counsel” (“The Pioneer Spirit,” Improvement
Era, July 1970, 3).

Wilford Woodruff (1807–98) Fourth President of the Church
“We
feel led to caution the Latter-day Saints against forming the bad habit of
incurring debt and taking upon themselves obligations which frequently burden
them heavier than they can bear, and lead to the loss of their homes and other
possessions. … Our business should be done, as much as possible, on the
principle of paying for that which we purchase, and our needs should be brought
within the limit of our resources” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church:
Wilford Woodruff [2004], 232–33).

George Albert Smith (1870–1951) Eighth President of the Church
“How on the face of the earth could a man enjoy his religion when he
had been told by the Lord how to prepare for a day of famine, when instead of
doing so he had fooled away that which would have sustained him and his family”
(Deseret News, Mar. 4, 1868, 26).

Brigham Young (1801–77) Second President of the Church
“If you are without bread, how much wisdom can you boast and of what real utility
are your talents, if you cannot procure for yourselves and save against a day of
scarcity those substances designed to sustain your natural lives?” (Deseret
News, July 18, 1860, 153).

Shh….it’s a secret ingredient!

This month in the spirit of using everything and not wasting, I put forth a challenge to the club to try to smuggle some super healthy, super easy, super fun food storage into a food that their families might eat. Try some of these super secret ingredients in your next family meal.

Super Secret Ingredient Mac & Cheese

Pinto Bean Fudge

1 cup cooked drained pinto beans

1/4-1/2 cup milk
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon vanilla
2 lbs confectioners' sugar

nuts (optional)
raisins (optional)
Mash 1 cup cooked and drained pinto beans. Add milk. Melt unsweetened chocolate with butter. Add chocolate and butter mixture and vanilla to bean and milk mixture. Stir until slightly thickened.
Work 2 pounds of powdered sugar into above mixture, you may have to work with your hands. Spread in a buttered pan and refrigerate. May add nuts and raisins. Makes about 3 1/2 pounds.

Chocolate Fudge Pumpkin Cake

Using a store-bought mix (or you can experiment with your favorite cake recipe), take one box of chocolate cake mix, one can of pumpkin-not pumpkin pie mix-just pumpkin, and a ½ can of water. Mix together gently until just combined, then mix for two minutes on medium speed. Pour into a greased and floured cake pan, 9 x 13 works well. Bake according to cake mix directions. Allow to cool. Top with frosting, or whipped cream, or eat it just plain. So yummy and moist, no one will ever know your secret!

Zucchini Crisp (Apple Crisp)

Zucchini Mixture
8 cups peeled seeded diced zucchini (about the size of canned pineapple chunks)
2/3 cup lemon juice

1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Crust Mixture
3 cups flour, I use at least half of it as wheat flour

1 cup oats, you can use old-fashioned or quick

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups cold buter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
ZUCCHINI MIXTURE:.
In a large saucepan, over medium-low heat, cook zucchini and lemon juice for 15-20 minutes until zucchini is tender.
Add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and cook for a minute more.
Remove from heat and let sit.
CRUST MIXTURE:.
For crust, mix flour, and sugar in a large bowl.
Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles pea size coarse crumbs.
Stir 1/2 cup of the flour mixture into zucchini and mix well.
Press 1/2 of remaining crust mixture into a greased 15x10 jelly roll pan.
Spread zucchini mixture over crust in pan.
Crumble remaining crumb mix over zucchini and sprinkle with the 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
Bake at 375°F for 35-40 minutes.

“Use it up, Wear it out, Make it Do, or Do without!”

Brigham Young was often quoted as saying, “Use it up, Wear it out, Make it Do, or Do without!” Moreover he taught the Saints to be resourceful and self-reliant.

“Never consider that you have bread enough around you to suffer your children to
waste a crust or a crumb of it. If a man is worth millions of bushels of wheat
and corn, he is not wealthy enough to … sweep a single kernel of it into the
fire; let it be eaten by something and pass again into the earth, and thus
fulfill the purpose for which it grew. Remember it, do not waste anything, but
take care of everything.” (DBY, 292).

It is as true today as it was over 150 years ago, We must be resourceful. Now is the time of year when, if you planted a garden you are getting a harvest coming on, and if you are lucky, your neighbors' gardens are ready too! Take some time to try a few new things, don't let this summer of plenty go to waste. Can, dehydrate, preserve, and use that harvest. Check out some great recipes from the food storage club and be a little daring, after all it is much better to try a recipe and have it not work out, than to wait until you have to use it someday and find out it is not a winner.