Cooking with Basic Food Storage: Wheat Salad

I saw this picture on the blog, "Preparedness Brings Peace" and it looked so good I had to post it. I can't wait to try making it! Enjoy. . .


WHEAT SALAD

5 cups cooled cracked wheat cereal or cooked whole wheat or bulgar

1/4 cup diced green pepper

1 cup finely diced celery

1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise (or Ranch Dressing)

1/2 cup diced green onion

1 cup chicken, crab meat, shrimp, tuna, or turkey

Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients and chill well before serving. Serves 8 to 10. This salad does not taste like you are eating wheat. It has a good "meaty" taste to it.

Source: http://preparednessnibblesandbits.blogspot.com/

Cooking with Basic Food Storage: Reviving crystalized honey

Honey has the tendency to crystalize in the bottle and become hard. But, did you know that it doesn’t mean the honey has gone bad? It is quite easy to revive your crystalized honey so you can use it once again.

1. Get a bowl or measuring cup that is larger than the size of your honey container.


2. Fill the bowl or cup with hot water, and then place the container of honey (make sure it is shut tight!) into the hot water.


3. It will take about half an hour, but the honey will turn into liquid again, and the crystals will be gone.
   

Note: it is not recommended that you microwave honey containers, as they are not microwave safe, and can even cause sparks. And it is also very easy to overheat honey in the microwave, so we recommend you heat your honey using the hot water method instead.

Source: http://www.momsbudget.com/blog/

Cooking with Basic Food Storage: Orange Juice Muffins using Whole Wheat Flour

Orange Juice Muffins
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoons sugar
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine all-purpose flour and next 5 ingredients (all-purpose flour through cinnamon) in a medium bowl; stir well. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine juice, oil, rind and egg with a whisk; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in raisins. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Source: http://wholewheatcookbook.blogspot.com/

Emergency Preparedness: video

Here is a great video from the U.S. government that explains how to prepare for an emergency:

http://www.ready.gov/america/about/_flash/movie15.html

Provident Living: Make your own household cleaners

In today's economically challenged times, every penny counts. One way to save money is by making your own cleaning supplies. These homemade cleaning formulas are non-toxic and cost about 1/10th the price of commercial cleaners.

SUPPLIES

Baking soda

Washing soda

White distilled vinegar

A good liquid soap or detergent

Tea tree oil

6 clean spray bottles

2 glass jars

CREAMY SOFT SCRUBBER

Simply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn’t leave grit.
Note: Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to the mixture and store in a sealed glass jar, to keep the product moist. Otherwise just make as much as you need at a time.

WINDOW CLEANER

1/4-1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent

3 tablespoons vinegar

2 cups water

Spray bottle

Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.

OVEN CLEANER

1 cup or more baking soda

Water

A squirt or two of liquid detergent

Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven, then cover the grime with enough baking soda that the surface is totally white. Sprinkle some more water over the top. Let the mixture set overnight. You can easily wipe up the grease the next morning because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven. If this recipe doesn’t work for you it is probably because you didn’t use enough baking soda and/or water.

ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY CLEANER

1/2 teaspoon washing soda

A dab of liquid soap

2 cups hot tap water

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.

FURNITURE POLISH

1/2 teaspoon oil, such as olive (or jojoba, a liquid wax)

1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Mix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces. Cover the glass jar and store indefinitely.

VINEGAR DEODORIZER

Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board and in your bathroom and use them for cleaning. I often spray the vinegar on our cutting board before going to bed at night, and don’t even rinse but let it set overnight. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours. Straight vinegar is also great for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off.

MOLD KILLERS
Tea Tree Treasure

Nothing natural works for mold and mildew as well as this spray. I’ve used it successfully on a moldy ceiling from a leaking roof, on a musty bureau, a musty rug, and a moldy shower curtain. Tea tree oil is expensive, but a little goes a very long way. Note that the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will dissipate in a few days.

2 teaspoons tea tree oil

2 cups water

Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse. Makes two cups.

Vinegar Spray

Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour some white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on the moldy area, and let set without rinsing if you can put up with the smell. It will dissipate in a few hours.

Source: Annie B. Bond, http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html

Financial Preparedness: 10 Ways to Beat the Recession

My husband e-mailed me this article and I thought it was worth sharing with the rest of you. If you're like me, you're concerned about the effects of a recession on you and your family. Many people feel like they are powerless to change the economic situation and that adds to their feelings of anxiety. The author of this article, Brian Reeder, did some research and found some simple things you can do to beat the recession.

1. Network - Networking is a great tool to maintain a large group of people that can help you if need be. It keeps potential income options open, and by consistently expanding your network, you’re consistently expanding your income opportunities. Plus, if you’re in a crunch and need some cash, it’s better to be able to ask 50 people than 5. The Key: Be yourself! Get to know the people you meet, show them who you are. Someone who knows you and is interested in who you are is much more likely to help you out than someone you met once and exchanged business cards with.


2. Establish a personal budget - This is something that seems like common sense, but a surprising number of people have never done it. Once you get all your expenditures on paper (or the screen), it’s much easier to see where your money is going and where you need to cut back. The Key: Find a system that works for you. Having a spreadsheet may work for someone, but may be a headache to others. The biggest reason people don’t establish a budget is because it’s time consuming - us a free program like expensr to eliminate this time waste.


3. Understand what a recession is - What is a recession? How about a depression? Aside from the depr v. rec, I had no idea. Now I know that “The economy will typically expand steadily for six to 10 years and then enter a recession for six months to two years. The point where the recession begins is known as a peak, and the point where it ends as known as a trough. Following the trough, the economy expands again toward another peak.” (howstuffworks) So the recession is really a healthy phase in the economic cycle, it's just awful being in one. A depression on the other hand, is a long-term economic state characterized by unemployment and low prices and low levels of trade and investment.


4. Get out of debt - this is easier said than done, but the first key is to eliminate credit card debt. If you have thousands in credit card debt and have money in the bank to cover it (and still have a healthy buffer), pay it off. Your savings in interest payments every month will justify this pay-off within months, not years. If you don’t have the cash on hand to pay off that debt, pick up a part-time job solely to make payments on it. I know that some people can’t do this, but they may be able to use the next tool.


5. Consolidate your debt - The best way to consolidate your debt is not through some shady website that just wants your information. It’s going to your financial institution and asking them how. They will be more than willing to help - they want you to be able to make the payments every month. If you find someone that won’t help, go to another branch, or another bank. Smaller credit unions are usually the best to deal with - they act like real people. For the most part.


6. Find part-time work to supplement income - Find an industry that doesn’t require prior experience or education, and minimal training. Also find an industry that isn’t going anywhere, and will survive through the recession. My advice: get a job in the service industry. You can find a job in practically any industry on craiglist. Find something you enjoy doing and don’t have to go to school for. Plus, tips are NOT a bad thing.


7. Have a back-up fund - One of the biggest hurdles people will have to leap over is losing their job. It is (usually) an unexpected problem, and never a welcome one. The best thing to do is plan for it. Make sure you have a minimum 3 month buffer in your bank account so that you can survive after it happens. Unemployment will only cover part of your expenses, and the problem people get into is getting multiple credit cards to cover the remaining expense. Then, even if you find a job, you have a mountain of debt to get over, immediately putting you in the red and stressing you out.


8. Focus on the basics - Frivolity has to be the first to go if your budget is tight. If it’s the difference between paying rent and going out to dinner, hopefully the decision isn’t a difficult one. But, this is dependent on making a budget - if you don’t know where you stand, how can you know what you have to spend? This isn’t to say you shouldn’t have fun though - you just need to find alternative ways to have it (see below)!


9. Have a secure place to keep your money - Both in your bank, and in your pocket. I would suggest carrying your wallet in your front pocket, and keeping minimum cash on you. If I have cash I will spend it. I know that, so I make it a point to only take with my what I can spend. Also, make sure you have all the necessary phone numbers and account numbers written down in one place, outside of your wallet. That way if your wallet gets stolen, you can easily call and cancel your credit cards.


10. Be happy - Find cheap/free ways to find happiness. Go to the park, take a walk, get books/movies from the library, have a “cooking night” with your friends where you all pitch in. Their are a lot of ways to enjoy life without spending money. As the quote says, “the best things in life are free”…

Source: brainfeeder.com

Cooking with Basic Food Storage: Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

WHOLE WHEAT CINNAMON ROLLS

1 package active dry yeast or quick-rise yeast

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/8 cup warm water (105° to 115°F)\

1 cup fat-free milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons shortening

1 large egg

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Smear:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup margarine

1/4 cup flour or cake crumbs

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons fat-free milk

2-3 teaspoons cinnamon or to taste

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and ½ teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add milk, 1/4 cup sugar, salt and shortening to the yeast mixture. Stir in egg and whole wheat flour; beat 2 minutes. Gradually add bread flour. Dough will be soft and slightly sticky. Knead until smooth and elastic, 10 to 15 minutes by hand or 10 minutes with dough hook. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to coat. Cover; let rise in a warm (95° to 100°F) place until double in size. Punch down dough; cover and let rise again. Punch down dough again; cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Mix smear ingredients together until smooth. Roll dough into a 12 x 16-inch rectangle and spread a thin layer of smear on the dough piece, leaving a 1-inch strip along one of the short edges uncovered. Brush the uncovered 1-inch dough strip with water. Beginning with the short, smeared edge, roll up, pinch to seal the un-smeared edge and cut into 12 rolls.Place rolls in a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Cover with a warm, damp towel; let rise in a warm (85°F) place until doubled in size. Bake in 375°F pre-heated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden.

Servings: 12 rolls
Calories/Serving: 274
Nutrition: Each roll provides approximately: 274 calories; 6 g protein; 51 g carbohydrates; 6 g fat (2 g saturated); 3 g fiber; 19 mg cholesterol; 30 mcg folate; 2 mg iron; 268 mg sodium.

Source: Wheat Foods Council