Part 2 of this thread had in excess of 50 posts and was beginning to slow down.
This begins part 3 of this discussion. Please feel free share.
Easy Tomato Mac n’ Cheese
[Since many of us are looking at SIP (sheltering in place) with kids, a couple of tried-and-true fallbacks will be welcome to deal with the stress of changing diets.]
MIX soup, pasta sauce, milk and pasta in saucepan. Heat through. Top with grated cheese.
Cheesy Chicken Chowder
[Super quick and easy if you are trying to conserve fuel or have only limited time to prepare meals.]
MIX soup, milk, picante sauce, pepper and onions in saucepan. Heat to a boil. Cook over low heat 5 min. ADD chicken and heat through.
Goldfish Casserole
[Again, thinking of the kids on this one … but it is actually not much different from any other casserole, just looks more kid friendly. <grin>]
MIX vegetables, tuna, rice, soup and milk in bowl. Spoon into 1 1/2-qt. microwave-safe casserole. COVER and microwave on HIGH 6 min. Stir. Cover and microwave on HIGH 6- to 8-min. more or until rice is tender. Stir and sprinkle with crackers.
IF your microwave is down - or you don’t have one - just heat through and then top with the crackers. Same difference.
Quite a while ago I said I was trying to start something at our church to get people to think about stocking food. We had a “preparedness party”. I told them to bring a dish made from dry or canned foods, a copy of the recipe, and some of the ingredients to share. It’s hard to start something unprecedented (sp?) around here, but we did have 4 people and enjoyed a very pleasant meal of salmon cakes, garlic mashed potatoes, sourdough sprouted wheat bread, sauerkraut and someone cheated and brought a chocolate mousse(sp?) cake. I played them the song I wrote (words on another thread) and got feedback and suggestions. It is a small start, and I know those few will talk to others. Someone has quietly been storing canned things in the church pantry.
Well, then some young ladies called to ask if they could learn how to make the sprouted wheat bread. They came over, and as we were making the bread it turns out one of them lived in a commune for years and has lots of food skills. She had also made kimchi recently with beets in it! Amazing to run into folks who are already into living sustainable food, regardless of pandemic or not.
Lorelle: Thanks, my friend. Your quiet patience and determination are inspiring. I hope many of us will follow your lead.
Ok, now I’m gonning to add condensed cheese soup to my preps! These are great recipies!
Kathy, You rock! I love the goldfish casserole idea — but I might try it with chicken — dh is leery of tuna for inexplicable reasons. Will report back!
Kathy in FL, a big thank you for all your work. I’ve gotten a lot of good ideas from you and others at this site. I wanted to share a meal that we had the other day made from our preps.
Place chips (I used baked multi grain) on a plate for each individual Top with re-fried beans that have been heated and mixed with spicy bean dip Add some drained diced tomatoes, a sprinkle of drained whole corn, a smattering of diced green chiles and some sliced olives (if you like them). Top this off with cheese. Velveeta, canned cheese chip dip, Kraft canned cheese are ideas if you are out of power, otherwise use grated cheese. Down the road if power is out and the chips are past their pull date I’m thinking one could play around with seasoned flat bread.
Kathy in OR – at 16:09
I love “Sun Chips” which is the brand of multi-grain chips that is most common in my neck of the woods. Prefer them over regular corn chips.
Other thing you could do is if you have flour tortillas that are just about out of date, bake them or fry them after cutting into eighths and use them as “chips.”
anonymous – at 13:49
Yep, canned condensed soups are very versatile. The Campbells company has a website and I’ve been playing with some of their recipes.
I’m going to buy a case or two of condensed cheddar cheese soup to add to my cheese alternatives in my pantry. Its a little rich, but if you are using it for cooking you can always thin it out a bit with the other dish ingredients.
[Light bread with no eggs! You’ll need buttermilk … either by making your own using whole milk and lemon juice, or powdered buttermilk that you can find in the baking supplies section in the grocery store.]
Corn Light Bread
Put sugar, salt, soda, and baking powder in a bowl and add buttermilk. Stir well. Then add cornmeal and flour alternately. Melt shortening (or lard) in a loaf pan and ad to mixture. Sprinkle a little cornmeal in loaf pan. Heat pan, and pour batter into the hot pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 60 minutes.
Pot Likker Dumplings
[OK, this came out of my grandmother’s recipe file and is a really, really old way of doing things.]
Make your basic dumpling dough … either kosher, potato, cornmeal, flour, bean, etc. Then you are going to cook the dumplings in the “likker” (pronounced liquor) of the big pot of whatever you have cooking on the stove top.
For example:
I’ve done this some while camping and just when I needed to “bulk up” a meal here at home. You can even do this with plain ol’ tomato soup.
Just bring whatever liquid you are cooking to a good boil, then drop you dumplings in, leaving room for them to plump up. Continue cooking until the dumplings are cooked through.
The dumplings absorb some of the flavor of what they are being cooked so you can get creative.
[Another really old recipe.]
Molasses Muffins
Put flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and ginger (or other spice) into bowl. Drop shortening onto flour at one side. Add egg, molasses, and milk. Cut shortening into small pieces (size of pea) with fork. Stir all contents until flour is moistened, ingredients just mixed. Batter will be lumpy. Fill muffin tines 2/3 full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
O, that tortilla idea is a good one! I do that all of the time. Try putting a little sprinkle of cayenne over them before baking… yum. Also, you can brush them with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and/or Italian seasoning. Good stuff.
I don’t have many “canned food only” recipes but I’ve been going through the recipes I do have with substitutions, etc, in mind… here’s what I’ve got so far…
~BANNOCK (Irish)~ (not really “canned food” but long-storage items nonetheless. You may need to can your butter as mentioned in other threads, and “sour” your reconstituted dry milk with a little vinegar. But no yeast or starter involved!) 2 c all-purpose flour 2 tbs sugar 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbs butter 1 c buttermilk 1/2 c dried currants (or raisins, if you like)
Combine flour, sugar, soda, baking podwer, and salt. Cut in butter. Add milk until dough is soft. Stir in currants. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface; knead 5 minutes, or until smooth. Form dough into 7-inch round. Place on lightly oiled cake pan or cookie sheet. Cut a 1/2-inch deep cross or x across top. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. (Of course, if TS really HTF, there won’t be any temperature-controlled ovens. In that case, experiment with what you’ve got! solar, earth oven, etc.)
~WHITE BEANS WITH CHEESE AND BASIL~ 1.5 cans cannellini or other white beans, drained, 1/3c liquid reserved 1 tbs olive oil 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp ground black pepper 1 1/2 tbs chopped fresh basil (You’ll have it fresh if you grow it… if not, substitute with dried, and use less.) 3 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
Place beans and liquid in bowl and partially mash beans against side of bowl with wooden spoon. Stir on oil, salt, garlic, and pepper. Mix in basil. Place in shallow 2–3c baking dish and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 425 until bubbling (15–20 minutes). Serve hot or warm.
~HONEY BUTTER~ 1/2 c butter, softened 1/3 c honey
Beat until creamy. Sure to make your first attempts at baking in an alternative oven palatable!
~CINNAMON HONEY BUTTER~ 1/2 c butter, softened 1/2 c confectioner’s sugar 1/2 c honey 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Beat until light and fluffy. Yummy.
~EASY PIZZA SAUCE~ 1 (15oz) can tomato sauce 1 (6oz) can tomato paste 1 tbs ground oregano 1 1/2 tsp dried minced garlic 1 tsp ground paprika
Mix paste and sauce. Stir in seasonings. Enough for 4 pizzas. (maybe try adapting the bannock recipe for pizza crust? Let me know if you figure something out. I am far from figuring out an entire pizza based on long-term storage goods!)
Most of these depend on you canning butter for long-term storage. I haven’t done it yet but it doesn’t look hard! Famous last words, eh?
Honey Wafers
Mix well and spread on greased cookie sheet about 1/8 inch deep. Bake at 350 degree F. When done cut into squares and roll on handle of a wooden spoon while still warm. Dust with powdered sugar and store to ripen.
Molasses Crisps
Sift the dry ingredients. In a sauce pan bring molasses and shortening to a boil. Cool slightly. Add flour mixture. Mix well. Chill thoroughly as possible. Cut in desire shapes after rolling out thin. Arrange on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degree F until done (about 8 to 10 minutes). Yield, depending on size of shape, equals about 2 dozen.
Can you tell I’ve been experimenting with alternative sweeteners (other than granulated white sugar)? <grin>
Molasses Candy
Boil briskly and constantly for about 20 minutes, stirring all the time to keep it from sticking. When cool enough, pull it quickly (as in taffy) until it is whitish in color.
Honey Taffy
Boil honey, salt, and sugar to hard ball stage (265 - 270 degrees F). Add butter. Pour into well buttered pan. Cool. Pull until white and porous. Cut into one-inch pieces.
Planning to plant a little plot of lettuce/edible greens to supplement your emergency pantry items? Here’s a simple, honey-based dressing to go with it.
Honey Salad Dressing
Combine dry ingredients. Blend in honey and add vinegar slowly. Add oil slowly and beat well. Shake well just before serving.
Old Cough Syrup Recipe
[This is an old family recipe.]
Plut flax seed in a bag; pout over it 1 1/2 pints of water. Let simmer dow to half that amount. Remove from heat and add other ingredients while still hot.
Give teaspoonful as often as necessary.
Yield: between 1 and 2 pints
Kathy - how do you do it? You must ahve teh higest number of posts on this site - and they are almost all recipes! You need to put together your own survival cookbook
Tomato Fritters
Mix dry ingredients into tomatoes and fry brow in a hot pan of grease. Yields about 8 fritters.
~Peanut Butter Rolls~
Blend pb, milk, and honey (using your hands works well). Roll into balls the size of large marbles. Place on plate or tray lines with wax paper. sprinkle generously with sugar and refrigerate at least 1 hr (or, cover and set outside on your chilly doorstep in cool months)
lauraB – at 14:26
<grin> Well, basically it just that well … I have 5 kids. <laughing> I’ve always been interested in a more basic lifestyle.
I also enjoy cooking. I did great in highschool economics and girl scouting … got a little over confident and when we got married realized that my cooking skills were on par with barely surviving. <grin> From that day to this … 18 years … I’ve wanted to make things better for my family.
And I am putting together a survival cookbook of sorts. Not to sell, but to share. I keep finding things to add to it and indexing it is a real pain and a bit time consuming, but it is coming along. I’m putting it together in Microsoft Word and then am going to convert it to Adobe Acrobat if it works right.
~Hot Fudge Sauce~
In heavy saucepan, combine milk, chocolate, and butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until chocolate is melted; remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 1 1/2 c. (from Taste of Home 2003)
~Applesauce Oatmeal~
Heat milk in heavy saucepan until hot.
Stir on oats; cook 5 mins or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
Add sauce and remaining ingredients. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.
2 servings (164 calories per 3/4 c serving)(also 7.5 grams protein, and 3 grams fiber)
Kathy - Was just copying some of your other recipes from “canned 2″ thread and discovered the whole section on yogurt. Thank you so much for the brain storm. I have three munchkins myself and am concerned about their lack of dairy if SIP. They go thru tons of the store-bought yogurt everyday. I was already thinking about getting a yogurt maker (my in-laws are the live-off-the-land types and make their own all the time as well). I figured I could sweeten it a bit and add rehydrated fruit. I also got plenty of chocolate syrup to make the powdered milk taste a bit better. What’s some extra calories and sugar for a few months if it keeps them healthier? Thanks again!
Energy Chews
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and roll into balls. Makes about 14 one inch diameter balls.
“Magic” Lemon Pudding
Mix sweetened condensed milk with the lemon juice. [The juice conjeals the milk.] After the lemon juice has done its work, add the crumbs.
For an energy efficient way to make tea don’t forget about “Solar Tea.”
I can remember my mom, when I was still living at home, putting “x” number of tea bags in a gallon glass jug, screwing on the lid, and then sitting it out in the sun in the morning.
Usually by lunch time or mid afternoon there was fresh brewed tea to be had without having to heat up the kitchen.
Lorelle – at 21:33 “Someone has quietly been storing canned things in the church pantry.”
Sorry for being off-topic but I felt the need to add emphasis to this idea. If your church has a food pantry, try to get it energized. If it doesn’t have one, volunteer to manage it if the pastor gives the OK. When/if the bad times come, it will be safer for your church members to come to the church to get supplies than to go to the store. You can keep this low-key, have a resource for the community, but mostly have supplies for your church family. We are all in this together.
Little Nothings
[These things are “sinful.” I save the crusts to crumble up for crumbs or for making croutons.]
Cut the crusts off of the bread slices. Spread with jelly and roll up. When ready to cook, heat oil in a pan, Dutch oven, etc. Prepare pancake mix according to package directions. Dip each Little Nothing in pancake mix and deep fry in oil until golden brown. Put powdered sugar in a paper bag, and after each Little Nothing is cooked, put in paper bag and shake.
CBC Stew
[From my scouting days. And yes, it actually tastes good though the looks are deceiving. <grin>]
Mix in a pot. Heat and serve.
Scout Tetrazini
Heat soup and water, stirring until blended. Bring to a boil and add the noodles, stirring continuously to separate (about 3 minutes). Add one of the two flavor packets from the noodles and canned meat of your choice. Heat until warmed through. Serves 2 to 5, depending on appetites.
~Vanilla Sauce~
In small saucepan, combine sugar and starch. Stir in water. Simmer, stirring constantly, 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients; blend well. Serve warm… over anything… a sweet bread or a canned cake, etc
~Simple Stovetop Baked Beans~
Drain soaking waterfrom beans and place them in heavy pot. Cover with boiling water and cook until tender, about 2 hours.
When beans are tender, saute onions in a little olive oil until golden. Add onions and other ingredients to beans and simmer 1 hours. 4–6 servings
~Whipped Topping~ In the absence of power, and, therefore, refrigeration, this could obviously only be done during the winter. ;)
Chill small bowl and beaters. Combine milk powder with water in bowl. Beat until stiff, adding sugar gradually. Add vanilla. Serve
Makes about 2 c.
Pizza Pancakes
In a large bowl, combine the biscuit mix and Italian seasoning. Combine eggs and milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the cheese, pepperoni, tomatoes and green pepper.
Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle. Cook as you would any pancake. Serve with pizza sauce. Yield: about 14 pancakes.
Caribbean Shrimp Salsa
[Chicken of the Sea sent me this recipe. It was good, just a tad on the different side.]
In a large bowl, combine pineapple, Chicken of the Sea® Shrimp, apple, mango and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar and red pepper flakes. Pour vinegar over fruit; tossing well to coat. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes 4 cups.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Hillbilly Bill – at 15:55 Yes, that was my idea at first. Everyone did not agree, because of the trouble it might cause if word gets out there is food in the church. We have already had break-ins. But a few people agreed with me that it might not hurt to have a few items like powdered milk stored in mouse-proof buckets. If nothing else, we can deliver it to families with children.
Kathy in FL, you really SHOULD publish and get something for all your labors. Lots of young moms and dads today have no idea what can be done with simple easy-to-find ingredients, and how to feed a family well on a modest budget.
Easy Spicy Minestrone - Lower Sodium Version
1 can 14.5 oz diced no salt tomatoes (175 mg sodium per can) 1 can 14.5 oz S&W Stewed Italian Recipe Tomatoes with oregano & basil (945 mg sodium per can) 1 can 6 oz tomato paste (Contadina is 100 mg sodium per can) 1 to 1 1/2 7 oz can(s) diced green chilies, depending on how hot you like it. (Macayo is 175 mg sodium per can) 1 can 14.5 oz no salt Veg All (87.5 mg sodium per can) 1 can 14.5 oz S & W black beans 50% less sodium (840 mg sodium per can) 1/2 cup frozen or canned peas and corn, or other leftover veggies 1 teaspoon pepper Italian Seasoning to taste Dehydrated onions to taste 1/2 - 1 cup water 1/2 a chopped onion (sorry, I cheated)
Optional: Add 1/2 lb ground beef, garnish with grated cheese and/or croutons.
Throw all of the above in a soup pot. Heat and serve. It comes out to approximately 300 mg sodium per 8 oz serving without the optional items. Good for diabetics, heart patients, or anybody who likes a hearty soup without all the added salt.
Italian Chicken Rice Soup
In a soup kettle, dutch oven, or similar large pot combine the broth, spaghetti sauce, chicken, parsley, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in rice and sugar. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 more minutes or until heated through.
Yields about 2 1/2 quarts or about 10 servings.
Littl off topic, but not much if you are going to SIP with kids. At http://www.cheerios.com/recipes/recipes.aspx the Cheerio company (General Mills) has a list of snack recipes for using Cheerio cereal. And, Cheerios are one of the few cereals that I don’t have problems with storing … they keep well in my experience.
Oodles of Noodles Soup
Note: Save the drained liquid from the canned chicken and carrots and use it as part of the five cups of water.
Place chicken, carrots, onion, celery, and garlic in a large saucepan. Add water, pepper, and contents of seasoning packets from noodles. Bring to a boil. Break noodles into pieces and add to soup; cover and cook for 3 minutes or until tender. Yield: approximately 4 to 6 servings.
I know this is not a recipe but we have to haul water and conserve every chance we get. So with all this great cooking going on. What about cleaning your pots and pans? I think I have come up with a low water useage solution. I use a spray bottle and heat the dirty pan and spray it with water. then wipe it out with a paper towel. The drawback to this is paper towel waste, we save a ton of water.
Gingerbread Pancakes: Pretend to make: …. Molasses Muffins
2 c. sifted flour 3 t. baking powder 3 T. sugar ½ t. salt ½ t. ginger (or other spice) 1 egg ¼ c. dark molasses ¾ c. milk some cinnamon
Put flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and ginger (or other spice)including cinnamon into bowl. Drop shortening onto flour at one side. Add egg, molasses, and milk. Cut shortening into small pieces (size of pea) with fork. Stir all contents until flour is moistened, ingredients just mixed. Batter will be lumpy.
Don’t Fill muffin tines 2/3 full, or Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead, bake on hot griddle as for pancakes. Serve with applesauce on top.
Faster method: Use Krusteaz complete, add cinnamon, ginger, and molasses, and griddle as for pancakes. Insist you made them from scratch, hide Krusteaz bag.
jon c – at 15:26
One of the reasons that the old timers used to have a bread at every meal was to “sop up” the juices and gravies from the meal … this included those that the frugal housewife didn’t scrap out of the pain.
You will be amazed at how much “juice” a slice of bread will absorb. Some folks won’t eat this and use it as “slop” for animals that eat table scraps. In a worst case scenario, if you are worried about water, you are probably worried about food and this “slop” may be the ummm-ummm-good last drop of a meal.
Once the pot as been well scrapped, it won’t take much water at all to clean it … unless something has burned in the bottom.
Also meant to add that if you are cooking on a open fire, coating the bottom of the pan/pot (fire side) with liquid dish detergent makes cleaning the soot a lot easier … a lot easier.
Pinto Bean Turnovers
In a bowl, combine bean dip and onion; sett aside. Prepare the crusts following the directions on the box. Cut into 3 inch circles. Spread a little of the cheese on each circle of pastry.
Place about 2 t. of bean mixture in the center of each circle. Fold over; press edges with a fork to seal. Sprinkle with chili powder. Place on lightly greased baking sheet(s). Bake at 350 degree F oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with salsa if you like.
ACAPULCO CORN CHOWDER
Melt butter in saucepan; blend in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Stir in undrained corn; mix well. Add remaining ingredients; heat through. No need to boil.
AMERICA’S GARDEN SOUP
Drain liquid from all vegetables, except zucchini and tomatoes. Combine all ingredients in 5-qt. soup pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes.
BLACK BEAN CHILE CHOWDER
Combine soup, tomatoes, corn, onions, and salsa in large saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 3 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
CHICKEN TARRAGON SOUP
Sauté onion, celery and garlic in butter 5 minutes. Add broth, mixed vegetables, tomatoes, chicken, parsley and tarragon. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
EARLY GARDEN PEA SOUP (low sodium)
Saute onion and garlic in butter until soft in large saucepan. Place in blender container with 1 can peas and milk. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour into saucepan; place remaining 1 can peas and remaining ingredients in blender container. Cover and blend until smooth. Add to saucepan; simmer 15 minutes. DO NOT BOIL. May be served hot or cold.
EASY HAM CHOWDER
Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan. Stir in 1–1/2 cups water or milk. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through. Serve with warm biscuits or bread.
jonC at 15:26, great idea. When camping, it’s always best to use a pinecone, stiff grasses, etc to first clean out every speck of food you can get off that pan or plate. Soap is NOT needed to clean dishes, hot water works just fine. No food residue = no bacteria. If you’re worried about bacteria, a final spray with bleach water before air-drying should allay your fears. There’s probably more bacteria on a dish towel used to dry your dishes (which you’ll then transfer to your dishes as you wipe) than there is on a pot or plate cleaned with this method.
HOMEMADE ITALIAN GARDEN SOUP
Combine all ingredients in large pot. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
For an even heartier meal, add cooked pasta, diced cooked chicken, beef or sausage (from canned). For a change, substitute other vegetables such as canned Asparagus or Whole New Potatoes, cubed. Just add one more can each of broth and tomatoes for every 2 cups of additional ingredients.
CHICKEN & VEGETABLE ALFREDO
Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Combine chicken, sauce and vegetables in saucepan while pasta is cooking. Cook over low heat 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through; stirring occasionally. Toss with hot noodles and serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
For easy variety, try canned shrimp or canned turkey instead of chicken. Or, try other vegetables, such as Asparagus, Chopped Spinach or Mixed Vegetables.
bumped
~Peanut Butter Sauce~
Mix sugar, syrup, salt, and milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Add pb; mix well. Remove from heat; let cool; add vanilla.
Golly gals, I am trying so HARD to diet right now. I have to remember to keep some veggies around the keyboard while reading this thread!! Thank you taking the time to pass along these delicious sounding recipes
1mother – at 01:40 Some here have found that eating their preps, (i.e. more rice, beans, whole grains, canned vegetables), have produced results that years of dieting failed to bring about.
Hillbilly Bill – at 07:58
It hasn’t done my waist line any good but it has helped with the budget’s bottom line. <grin> Has also helped with my points … both cholesterol and blood pressure.
So, there is obviously an UP side to prepping. <big grin>
Lemon Strawberry Flip
[Another kid pleasing way to work in some fruit servings into the prep diet.]
Mix everything together. If too think for your liking, add a little water or seltzer water for some bubbles to thin it out.
Gingered Lemonade
[May be just the ticket if the power goes off. Try and keep at least some of your drinking supply coolish by keeping it in a cool, dark place … under a bed, in a closet, in the basement, etc. This way, if it is hot outside, at least you can have something better than just lukewarm water to drink.]
In a saucepan, bring 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger to a boil. Reduce heat and briskly simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 3½ cups cold water and lemon juice. Chill several hours or overnight in a covered container. Makes 6 servings
Note: if your fridge is down when you are making this, then allow the syrup to cool before adding the cold water to it, then serve immediately.
Hot Spiced Lemon Appleade
[This one can be served hot, or chilled.]
In saucepan, combine water, sugar and spices. Bring to boil; simmer 10 minutes. Add juices; heat. Makes 4 servings
Some input from my oldest daughter …
“It might be fun if we are are all going to be stuck together for maybe weeks on end to set aside some special/fun nights and meals. We could box together the makings of an international meal, along with some games from that country that don’t need electricity … or maybe a craft we could make during the day to dress up the table for the meal. It would give us something to look forward to and work together on.”
Which I thought was a great suggestion. Can you see my mother’s pride coming through?
So to that end I will be getting some smaller tubs and putting together some international meals.
Chinese:
Mexican:
Thai:
You could go on and on with this … I’d like to hit every continent. It should be a fun experience for the kids.
This was a brilliant idea on your daughter’s part, and good for you running with it.
Thanks Melanie. I’ve got great kids, but my 16 year old has definitely been more skeptical than her 13 year old brother when it comes to all the prepping mom is doing. <grin> At least I know she is thinking about it and isn’t totally resistant to the idea of prepping for such an eventuality.
Its not like it is a tough sell, I think she just doesn’t want it to happen so badly that she may not be thinking of it seriously … like many other adults I know.
Me backing up her idea may get a reciprocal response from her on future planning/work that needs to be done.
Here’s a thought …
Just found out that the brand named Rice-a-Roni/Pasta-roni company has a website and it has a good number of recipes on it.
After looking at the recipes, many of them look super easy to convert over to canned-goods only. The ones that call for chicken breasts can be substituted with canned chicken. You may have to play around with the cooking times a bit, but that shouldn’t be too difficult.
And, if you are even more budget minded, there are store-brand substitutes for the Rice-a-roni type boxes.
The plus side to this is that most of the seasonings will already be in the box of rice mixture rather than having to start from the scratch/beginning.
Also - Vigo (Hispanic rices) has a line of Rice and Beans, already with spices. They only need one pot to cook it in and wouldn’t require any soaking beans, etc. Good if you need something really quick and it has 8g protein. I’m going to stockpile some as well to give to people if needed.
Pizza Style Pasta
[This is a quick fix as you use a boxed angel hair pasta side dish as the basis for the rest of the ingredients.]
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large skillet. Stir in the pasta and special seasonings. Reduce to medium heat. Gently boil uncovered 4 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except mozzarella. Let stand 3 minutes. Before serving, top each serving with mozzarella cheese.
Kathy in FL – at 13:50 “there are store-brand substitutes for the Rice-a-roni type boxes.”
I get the Aldi’s brand for $0.59 a box, they have 3 flavors, chicken, beef and spanish rice. It is easy to add a can of chicken or beef to these and have a one skillet meal.
Olympic Oatmeal
[Caution: contains peanut butter]
Bring water and salt to boiling in a medium saucepan. Add oats and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, peanut butter and butter or margarine. Makes 3 to 4 servings
OLD BAY Bloody Mary
(includes both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions)
[Actually, what I’ve been looking for is some simple pick-me-up energy boosts … or meal replacements perhaps under some circumstances. I like V8, but it can get a tad expensive so I thought I’d try dressing up plain tomato juice. For those who prefer to keep this a “recreational” drink, you can add vodka. Also, on part 2 or 1 of this thread I have a recipe for bloody mary bread that was really good … didn’t last out the day as a matter of fact which I found surprising since it was something new to the kids.]
Makes 1 (4 ounce) serving
Combine all ingredients and add ice.
[I’m not sure exactly what I should categorize the following as. Its a beverage, but I wouldn’t call it your average prep recipe either. Could be fun, but it is also some work and requires stocking a lot of extra sugar and water if you are going to do this more than once. But heck, could be a project to keep the family occuped if you SIP for any length of time.]
Homemade Rootbeer
1. Clean and sanitize all bottling equipment according to information below. Shake Root Beer Concentrate well and mix with sugar in a large container. (DO NOT USE ALUMINUM). Stir in spring water.
2. Dissolve yeast in 1 cup pre-boiled water. Allow yeast to dissolve undisturbed 10–15 minutes. Add to sugar mixture and stir well.
3. Bottle immediately into plastic bottles, leaving 2-inch space at top of bottle. Cap tightly. Store each bottle on its side in a warm place (70–80°F) for 1–2 days, then store upright in refrigerator at 40–45°F for 3–4 days more. Keep chilled and consume within 7–8 days.
CLEANING INFORMATION: Before using, sanitize bottles and equipment in mild bleach solution, 2 ounces per 5 gallons cold water. Rinse several times with tap water inside and out.
CAUTIONS: Contents of bottles are under pressure and can overflow or explode.
Keep refrigerated (40–50°F) until ready to serve and not longer than 7–8 days after the brewing process is completed.
Plastic bottles are highly recommended for bottling homemade root beer. They are easily checked during fermentation to determine the firmness of the bottle. We recommend that you NOT use glass bottles.
Check plastic bottles periodically for pressure during fermentation. Those which show firmness indicate complete carbonation.
[If you don’t want to go to all the fuss and bother of the previous recipe for homemade rootbeer, here is an easier version.]
Easy Rootbeer
1. Combine sugar and boiling water; stir until dissolved. Add root beer concentrate. Chill.
2. When ready to serve, combine root beer mixture with soda water. Stir slowly to mix. Serve immediately.
Kathy in FL – at 14:02 It is really fun to make and bottle the root beer, the kids will enjoy it almost as much as drinking the finished product. It tastes better than anything from the store.
NOTE TO PARENTS: This is definitely NOT a diet drink!
On May 15 2006 at 13:50 Kathy posted a recipe for
Molasses Muffins
and on May 16th at 15:41 wetDirt posted a recipe for
Gingerbread Pancakes
neither recipe lists shortening as an ingredient, but yet both give directions for cutting in shorteing in the instructions.
Could the two of you please list the amt of shortening to be used? I started to use one of these this A.M. and found no amount listed. An amount would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Sorry about the blank post above, but this is my firt post, but I have been lurking for about a month and thanks for all the great information. I knew bird flu would be a problem, but you have really made me realize just how big a problem this will be for all of us.
Suzyinaz – at 14:03
Oops, my bad. About 1 heaped up tablespoon per cup, for the 2 cups, that’s 2 fat tablespoons. Or you can use the same amount of cooking oil. Add a couple teaspoons to the Krusteaz recipe, it already has some in it, but pancakes without enough fat will stick like crazy.
Also, watch these like a hawk. They will burn in an instant, even if you are staring right at them.
Suayinaz,
Welcome and add to the gathered wisdom.
I saw this recipe in an old slow cooker recipe book and thought it would fit here…… havn’t tried it yet but plan to.
Emergency Shelf Casserole
2 cans (28 oz. ea) baked beans, partially drained 1 can Vienna sausage, drained 1 can luncheon meat, cubed 1/4 lb. dry salami, sliced (optional) 1 tbsp minced onion 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp leaf thyme
Combine all ingredients in Crock-Pot; stir well. Cover and cook on Low setting for 7–9 hrs. Remove cover and cook on High setting to reduce excess liquid.
Suzyinaz – at 14:03
Whoops, you are certainly right. Let me go back and look in my grandmother’s file to find the amount. I don’t know if I can get it today, but I’ll get it as soon as possible.
Life has been hectic in the property management business for the last couple of days (our family business) and we are dealing with other things as well.
I’m a bit behind posting some of the recipes that I’ve been experimenting wth. Will get back on it this week. I wish life would slow down enough for me to get back to a comfort level with our family preps … but there you go, if it slowed down then we wouldn’t actually have the money to prep with. Catch-22.
For some of us, cooking an average or 2 to 3 full meals per day may be beyond what we can handle if we are also having to be teacher, home repair expert, nurse, doctor, etc. I’ve been thinking in terms of how to cut down on some of the work if worse comes to worse and we have one or more member of the family down sick (even if it isn’t with H5N1). The dynamics of who does what work in the house is going to change.
So in the interest of making things easier I thought about fixing a double or triple batch of flatbread at a time and have on hand the makings for “dips” …. preferrably the hearty kind that can take the place or a meal.
I’ll start posting some of the recipes that I’m trying out for that.
[There are plenty more than the ones below, but that should help get you started if you like the idea of changing one full meal for a snack-type set up.]
Cheesy Crab Dip
Combine all ingredients andheat until cheese melts. Keep warm while serving with flatbread, chips, crackers, etc.
Fiesta Dip
Mash tamales with fork. In saucepan, combine all ingredients and heat to mix. Serve hot with crackers or chips or flat bread or tortillas, etc.
Hot Rich Crab Dip
Combine soup and processed cheese. Heat until the two cheses melt together. Add crabmeat and salsa and mix well. Serve with flat bread, tortillas, chips, etc.
Indian Corn Dip
Optional: 1 pint or so of canned, cooked ground beef
In skillet, mix corn, taco sauce, and water. (Also add the canned ground beef at this point). Simmer mixture for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with flat bread, chips, etc.
Mexican Cheese Dip
Melt cheese with evaporated milk. Add remaining ingredients to the cheese mixture. Mix well and heat through. Serve with flat bread, tortillas, etc.
Kathy, We haul water and have been trying to find ways to use less in case of BF. I know this sounds silly but have you seen those Pasta express cookers on TV? Normally I would heat up a whole pot of water to make pasta. I bought one last weekend and I only had to use a small teapot of water to cook our pasta. I was surprised to see it at target and even more surprised it worked. I usually don’t go for those As seen on TV stuff.
will start new thread… popular topic!