Is Recession Preparing a New Breed of Survivalist? [Survival Today

Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training

I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood

http://web.archive.org/web/20020615105737/www.mrssurvival.com/kitchen/washington.html

Martha Washington’s Recipes

INDIAN HOE CAKES

Water-ground white cornmeal
Melted lard or other shortening
Salt
Boiling water

Combine the cornmeal (1 cup) with ½ teaspoon salt. Add 1 tablespoon lard and enough boiling water to make a dough that is solid enough to hold a shape. Form the dough into 2 thing oblong cakes and place them in a hot well-greased heavy pan (not a hoe today). Bake in a preheated (375 degrees F.) Oven for about 25 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 4 to 6.

TO SOUSE A ROCK

Picturesque names were a commonplace in Colonial cookbooks and are today a source of delight to cooks. “To souse a rock” we discovered means to salt a fish. Washington loved salt fish, so it is natural to find a recipe for salting it in the leaves of Martha’s Rules for Cooking.

This book is a compilation of recipes Martha Washington evolved or collected from neighbors and friends. In those days, Virginia was just one big neighborhood, and recipes were freely exchanged from house to house. Mrs. Washington would send her receipt for her latest dish to Mrs. Thomas Jefferson, who would add it to her collection and send a copy along to Mrs. James Monroe. The name of the source would be duly noted in each ladies collection.

These instructions for “sousing a rock” are Mrs. Washington’s own:

Cut a rock fish into pieces and put it down into a kettle with water only sufficient to cover; tie a small bunch of sage and put it in the bottom of the kettle to prevent it from mixing with the fish. Put a large handful of salt, some whole white pepper, a tablespoon of allspice, a few cloves and mace. When the fish is nearly done add a quart of vinegar, or to your taste. In packing away, put as much liquor as will cover it. Cast away the sage. The solution will not jell for three days.

HARTY CHOAK PIE

Translation: Artichoke pie. This old English recipe came from an old recipe book in Martha Washington’s family. The coffin used, lest you become alarmed, was a pastry-lined dish or pan shaped like a (you guessed it!) coffin. The verges mentioned is verjuice or green juice—any sour juice of green fruit used in place of vinegar. Grape juice was commonly used this way.

Artichokes
Sugar
Pastry
Verges (green Juice)
Butter
Cinnamon
Marrow bones
Ginger

Take 12 harty choak (artichoke) bottoms, good and large and boil them. Discard the leaves and core, and place the bottoms on a coffin of pastry, with 1 pound butter and the marrow of 2 bones in big pieces, then close up the coffin, and bake it in the oven.

Meanwhile, boil together ½ pound sugar, ½ pint verges, and a touch of cinnamon and ginger. When the pie is half-baked, put the liquor into it, replace it in the oven until it is fully baked.

LETTUCE TART

This most unusual and interesting dish was served at Mount Vernon. Today it is hard for us to conceive of lettuce as a dessert. The sugar and spices may be omitted though Martha Washington would never approve. It is a tasty combination even without the beef marrow.

Pastry
Butter
Sugar
Cinnamon
Ginger
Romaine lettuce
Salt
Water
Large prunes
Beef marrow

Line a deep pie dish with pastry. Dot all over it with bits of butter and sprinkle with sugar, a little cinnamon and ginger. Cool 4 heads of Romaine lettuce in boiling salted water until tender. Drain thoroughly and spread in the pastry shell. On top of the lettuce arrange 1 ½ dozen large prunes that have been soaked, pitted, and cooked until tender. Dot with cubes of beef marrow a little sugar and cinnamon. Cover with upper pie crust, bake 3/4 hour in the oven at the usual temperature for pies. (About 400 Degrees F.).

RICH BLACK CAKE

In Martha Washington’s day, there were of course no mixes and no short cuts in baking. It was a long labor of love to make a cake, with emphasis on the labor. Fruit extract, ground spices, seedless raisins, gelatine, baking powder—such conveniences of modern cooking did not exist.

Nor did that basic tool of cooking (or so we would think), an eggbeater! The actual baking was hard work, too. The oven had to be heated with a fire made from certain types of wood; red or white oak, spruce or gum, sassafras or hickory logs, depending on whether a slow, moderate, or hot oven was required. The fire had to be brushed out of the oven before the cakes or breads were to be inserted. Only experienced bakers could guess by feel about oven temperature.

Butter
Eggs
Powered sugar
Flour
Fruit
Mace
Nutmeg
Wine
French brandy

Cream 2 pounds of butter. Beat 20 egg whites until fairly stiff, then spoon them into the butter. Spoon 2 pounds of powdered sugar the same way. Add the 20 egg yolks; slightly beaten, 2 ½ pounds flour, 5 pounds flour, 5 pounds mixed candied fruits, 1/4 ounce mace, 1 ounce nutmeg, ½ pint wine, and a little French brandy. Mix well. Bake slowly in a warm (325 degrees F.) Oven for 2 hours or until done.

MARTHA WASHINGTON’S FAMOUS GREAT CAKE

The day after Christmas 1776 General Washington won the Battle of Trenton. That same day he received a Mount Vernon fruit cake from his wife.

Reading about this, at this point in time, we might naturally assume fruit cake was the traditional Christmas cake in Colonial times. Not so. Fruit cake was THE cake ANYTIME. Loaded with spices and “currants and raisins of ye sun”, fruit cake was immensely popular all year round for any festive occasion, from state dinners to dinners en famille. But at this time, fruit cake was called Great Cake (its other name was a Victorian innovation). And a great cake it was, as this recipe from an old Mount Vernon manuscript (dated 1781) indicates:

Eggs
Butter
Powdered sugar
Flour
Fruit
Mace
Nutmeg
Wine
French brandy

Take 40 eggs and divide the whites from the yolks, then beat them to a froth. Then work 4 pounds butter to a creamy state, and put the egg whites into it, a tablespoon at a time, until it is well worked. Then add 4 pounds (8 cups) sugar, finely powdered, to the butter mixture. Then add the egg yolks, 5 pounds flour, and 5 pounds fruit. Add ½ ounce (1 tablespoon mace, one of nutmeg, ½ pint of wine and some French brandy. Two hours will bake it.

Next time you have 40 eggs on hand, you might try it. Speaking more practically, this recipe can be cut in half successfully or even quartered.

P.S. “Some French brandy” can be translated into 1 cup.

MAIDS OF HONOR

These delicious tartlets supposedly goes back to 1480, when King Henry VIII of England found Anne Boleyn and her maids eating these cakes. They were very popular throughout Virginia. Martha had her own interpretation:

Milk
Rennet
Egg yolks
Whipped cream
Sugar
Currants
Cinnamon
Ground almonds
Grated lemon rind
Brandy
Nutmeg
Pastry

Warm 1 pint milk slightly, add 1 teaspoon rennet; allow to stand until a curd forms. Drain through cheesecloth overnight. Next day press the curds lightly; turn into a bowl. Add 2 egg yolks, 4 tablespoons whipped cream, 2 ounces sugar, currants, ½ cup ground almonds, 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind, a pinch of cinnamon, a wineglass of brandy, grated nutmeg, and then mix well. Line tartlet tins with pastry and fill with the mixture. Makes 6 small tartlets

Washington’s Recipes

George Washington was an early riser, usually up by 5 or 6 A.M.

He would occupy himself with a ride or a book until breakfast was served, usually about 7 A.M.

A favorite breakfast was “three small Indian hoe cakes, and many dishes of tea”.

Hoe cakes, a favorite in the South during Colonial times, were originally baked right on a hoe in the open hearth.

They were commonly served as accompaniment to vegetable soup.

Soup was a typical breakfast dish of the times, as was meat.

http://web.archive.org/web/20020211051342/www.mrssurvival.com/kitchen/gifts.html

“Gifts From The Kitchen”

I made these for Christmas presents for all of my children’s teachers and for family members. The recipe was better than I thought it would be!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a Jar

Ingredients:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups all-purpose flour
1t salt
1t baking soda

Directions:

1. Mix the salt and baking soda in with the flour and layer above ingredients in a quart jar, packing layers tightly as they are built up the canning jar. Place a 9 inch diameter circle of a material of your choice over the lid of the jar, securing it with a rubber band. Tie on a raffia or ribbon bow to cover the rubber band.

2. Enclose a card with the following directions:

3. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pour contents of jar into a medium sized bowl and add 1 cup of butter or Crisco, mixing until well blended. Add 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Drop by teaspoonfuls, spaced well apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.

Nutty Popcorn:

Here is a Fun and Easy Gift ... Perfect when presented in a Decorative Tin.

12 cups popped corn, unsalted
1 cup whole almond, toasted
1 cup pecan halves, toasted
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Combine popped corn, almonds, and pecans in a large bowl; set aside. Melt butter in a small pan; add sugar and salt. Cook until butter is melted and all is mixed together well. Pour over popcorn mixture until coated evenly. Spread mixture on a 15x10-inch baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring only once. Let cool, store in an air-tight container. Makes 14 cups.

Fall Apple Jelly:
1 quart apple juice
5-1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 to 6 drops red or green food coloring
1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin (surejell)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg

In a large pan, combine apple juice, sugar, lemon juice and food coloring; bring to a rolling boil; stirring constantly. Quickly stir in pectin; return to a full rolling boil, boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; skim off foam (save foam to add to homemade bird snacks). Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into hot jars, leaving 1/4 to ½ inch at the top of each jar. Melt wax and seal jars or put on jar lids and process for 5 minutes in boiling water bath.

Fresh Herb Rub:

2 tablespoons minced fresh Parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh Oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh Rosemary
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh Thyme
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Cayenne pepper to taste, optional

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
Package in a pretty little glass jar. Attach a note that it is to be used as a rub for salmon steaks, chicken or lightly oiled vegetables. About 1 tablespoon per serving. Best if used on grilled or broiled foods.

Makes 1/3 cup

CINNAMON ORNAMENTS

Make these fragrant ornaments with almost everything you have in the pantry, except ribbon and the wire loops. Hang them on the tree, tie them on packages, trim a wreath or just give as gifts.

3/4 cup ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons ground cloves
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 cup applesauce
Copper wire
1/8 or 1/4-inch satin ribbon.

Combine spices, blending well. (Mixture will be stiff.) Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with small to medium cookie cutters in desired shape. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cut wire into 2-inch lengths. Bend it to form a horseshoe shape, and insert the ends into the tops of the ornament, leaving the circle end sticking out of the ornament. That makes the hanger to hang the ornament on the tree. Let ornaments dry uncovered for 4 to 5 days. To hang, cut ribbon into 10-12-inch pieces. Tie it to the loop on the ornament. Use additional ribbon to tie a bow on the ornament. After the ornaments have dried store in a plastic bag to keep fresh, until you are ready to use them. The flavor fills your home when they are hung on the tree.

Pumpkin Bread in Pots:
10 ounces pumpkin
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
3 cups self-rising flour
3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into well-greased 3” (inch) clay pots. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. or until toothpick comes out clean. Tie a pretty bow around each pot to make an attractive party favor.

French Market Soup Mix:
A jar containing 9 kinds of beans to be used for French Market Soup makes a colorful gift. Use any kind of container that will hold 2 cups for the bean mix, and attach the recipe to the container for a much appreciated gift. For a more meaningful gift put the container in a basket and add fresh garlic, onions, chili peppers, and a can of tomatoes. You could also add a soup mug, garlic press and a loaf of French bread, tie it up with colorful see-through paper, add a bow and you have it.

Basic Soup Mix:
1 pound dried navy beans
1 pound dried pinto beans
1 pound dried Great Northern beans
1 pound dried split peas
1 pound dried yellow split peas
1 pound dried black-eyed peas
1 pound dried lentils
1 pound dried baby lima beans
1 pound dried large limas
1 pound dried black beans
1 pound dried red beans
1 pound dried soybeans
1 pound barley pearls

Combine all beans. Mix well, divide into 14 (2-cup) gift packages; present with the following recipe for French Market Soup. Makes 28 cup-—14 (2 cup) gifts.

French Market Soup:
2 cups French Market Soup Mix
2 quarts water
1 ham hock
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 chili pepper, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice

Sort and wash bean mix; place in a Dutch oven and cover with water 2 inches above beans and soak overnight. Next morning drain water off beans: add the 2 quarts water, ham hock, salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Add remaining ingredients; simmer 30 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Remove the ham hock from the soup, take the meat off the bone. Chop the meat and return it to the soup. Makes 2 1/2 quarts soup.

http://web.archive.org/web/19991003085223/members.tripod.com/~beardall/y2k/n-garden.html

[snipped] [old post, links not checked]

GREENHOUSES: Greenhouses For Under $100

You can download instructions for building a greenhouse for under $100.

http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/postharv/green/green.htm

GREENHOUSES: Quick & Easy Greenhouse

You get 16’ concrete rebar, stick one end into the ground, and bend it over and stick it into the ground 12’ away... make these hoops until you have it long enough for the size greenhouse you want, cover with clear plastic, and VOILA! Instant greenhouse!

IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO STOCK UP ON BOTH CLEAR PLASTIC AND BLACK PLASTIC, FOR GARDENING PURPOSES POST-Y2K.

INSECTS: If Your Garden Has Had Serious Bug Problems

For the bugs boring into the stems, they may be one of the two types I had. They may be cutworms, which are easily controlled by placing a little sleeve around the plant at ground level, or they may be a bug like a squash borer. Those you can’t control from the soil, you have to apply something to the plant itself. The reason is that they fly in, not crawl in.

As far as what to apply...a good mixture of onion, garlic, and marigold blended down to a liquid in water then applied to the plants may well help. It wont kill the bugs, but will make the plants less appealing in the first place.

If you have them available, you can wrap the stems in leek leaves, which fools the bug into thinking it’s a leek! Of course, a good population of insect-eating birds will help tremendously. too.

If you’ve been WIPED OUT by bugs, try treating the ground by solarizing the soil in midsummer. Till, wet the ground, cover with clear plastic for a couple of weeks. Kills destructive nematodes and other pests, as well as many diseases. Also, try treating the soil with *beneficial* nematodes to kill larvae of many pests

MULCH: Mulch Gardening

I have never had access to that much cheap or free hay. What I do is try to always lay newspapers(which are free) or pieces of cardboard down around the plants and then put grass clippings as I get them, on top of the paper.

I put rocks or hunks of dirt on top of the papers so they don’t blow away. Don’t try this on a windy day! Put at least 6 or 7 layers - I usually use a thick section of newspaper. I make new beds by sheet composting, which the above is too. Just lay down papers or cardboard on top of the grass or weeds the year, before, and shovel manure, hay, grass, or what have you, on top to about 10” thick.(no firm rules here). Then the next spring, make little holes in the stuff and put your plants in with a little dirt tucked around their roots. This is my version of bio-intensive/Ruth stout/whatever else I’ve read A lot easier than digging, double-digging, or tilling! I have lupus and fibromyalgia too and it’s amazing what we’ve accomplished!

MULCH: Mulching With Hay

We have been mulching ALL garden beds with hay for approximately 3 years now. The hay we use is old and partly rotten, as it had been sitting on a neighboring farmers land, in bales, for some time.

This has been very successful in retaining moisture, stifling weeds and -dah dah - encouraging earthworms!

What we do is lay thick newspapers (not glossy prints) over the area for the bed, add manure of any kind (chicken is good - TURKEY is better!), or, if you don’t have manure, (we have not always had chickens) - we use blood and bone, then we add the hay.

We lay the hay in ‘biscuits’ across the area, carefully overlapping each other, somewhat like a shingled roof. We break the biscuits up around existing plants.

So far - so good. Perhaps the seed is dead when we lay the hay? We have, in the past, used ‘commercial’, finely chopped hay for mulching. However, we have experienced weed seeds in this and prefer the plain, semi-rotted bales for this reason. Furthermore, it is far easier to spread in “biscuits.”

MULCH: Planting In Leaf Mulch

I read this book not long ago about a man who owns a shredder, and instead of shredding Little Rock papers, he shreds leaves. And instead of merely using the shredded leaves for mulch, he uses them for his soil. That’s right. He makes them about a foot deep and uses no dirt. He lets the leaves rot into a soil-like product. Each year he adds a new layer of leaves. He says he gets fantastic results because the moisture is retained very well by this method. He furthermore states that he gets no weeds, diseases, and/or bugs. He had a screen on top, to keep the leaves from blowing away. I think the idea has merit because the last thing you want in an emergency situation is a failed garden due to bugs or disease.

continued....

http://web.archive.org/web/20050218131555/members.tripod.com/~beardall/y2k/n-cookre.html

[Note: these cakes must be stored in the freezer or refrigerator, they do not keep as well as was thought in the beginning of the craze....granny]

Cooking Ideas: Recipes

BANANA BREAD: Banana Bread In A Jar

2-2/3 c. white sugar
3-1/2 c. white flour
2/3 c. veg. shortening
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
4 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 c. buttermilk
2 tsp. baking soda
2c. mashed ripe bananas
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs-mix well. Add buttermilk and vanilla-mix well. place dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add creamed ingredients to the dry and mix. Stir in bananas. Prepare seven one-pint wide-mouth canning jars with vegetable shortening. Place one cup of batter in each jar.( do not use more than one cup or batter will overflow and jar will not seal) Place jars evenly spaced on a cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Working quickly, wipe rim, place lid and ring on jar and secure. Jars will seal quickly. Repeat with remaining jars. When ready to serve, bread will side out. A properly sealed quick bread will stay fresh for one year.

BEANS: Famous Puerto Rican Pinto Beans

To 1 pound soaked & cooked beans - add 1 envelope Sazon (sason) seasoning ( sold at some supermarkets - it’s a Caribbean dry seasoning), a small can of tomato sauce ( any will work) 1 tablespoon Sofrito ( a wet herb mixture or make your own recipe follows) and there you have basic Puerto Rican Beans to go with rice. Sofrito is a great mixture to have on hand in the fridge - does anyone know if this could be canned?

A quick word about the peppers used in soft, apices ( ah hee says - is the way my Mother in Law taught me to say it) are not hot! they are a small softer pepper with a wonderful earthly taste and a bit more “bite” than a sweet green pepper, never use hot peppers in this as it can really burn your mouth. And I had it explained to me by my in laws “adding heat to the food is done by the person eating it” that’s one of the differences between Tex-Mex ( we love it as a change) and Puerto Rican cooking, Equal weight of each - fresh cilantro, ajices ( or hajicito ) peppers (ah-HEE-says - is the way my Mother in Law taught me to say it) green peppers garlic and onion. Coarse chop all of the above and put in a food processor (or add water and puree in a blender - you will need to use more as it will be weaker but it works the same) I put my Sofrito in freezer tubs and freeze. Thaw in fridge before using it and it will keep about 2 weeks in fridge.

AND FAMOUS LOUISIANA BEANS

Instead of pinto beans use red pinto beans and Add 1 tablespoon of roux ( you can find powdered instant roux now days), some Tony’s Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, some tasso and sausage and you’ve got our famous “Louisiana Red Beans and Rice”!:

BREAD: Bread & Flour

—Sam’s Club sells 25 lb. containers of baker’s flour in heavy paper bags for about $4.50. This amounts to 18 cents a pound or 18 cents a loaf for theflour. Shelf life is shorter under these packaging conditions though. You can store white flour in a galvanized garbage can with bay leaves in it to discourage the 6-legged brethren ‘n sistren. You may also want to consider adding some soy flour to your bread and instant nonfat dried milk. By doing this you are providing a protein/carbo complete meal! Especially with little kids this is so important. I’ve begun baking this “Cornell” Bread and we are eating this exclusively for two weeks now. I have six kids (2-15) and they all love it. The aroma is incredible. French toast is yummy!! I also am adding wheat germ or a proportion of whole wheat flour.

Here is the recipe.

Place in a large mixing bowl and let stand:

3 cups of warm water
2 pkges or 2 Tbs. of active dry yeast
2 Tbs. honey
2 Tbs. oil
3 tsp. sea salt

In separate container ( I use a big Tupperware, measure then shake!)
6 cups unbleached flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup full-fat soy flour
1 cup non-fat dry milk

Stir the liquids and add 1/2 to 3/4 of flour mixture. Beat vigorously. Add remaining flour. Work with hands till its ready to knead. Knead for 5 minutes or so. Place in an oiled bowl and rub little oil on top. Let rise in a warm place till double in size (1-3 hours - test by seeing if fingerprint remains in dough). Punch down, fold over edges, turn upsidedown to rise for another 20-30 min. (test again). Turn onto board, divide into 3 portions. Let rest 10 minutes. Make 3 loaves. Place in oiled pans. (81/2 x 41/2 x 21/2). Let rise till double (45 min). Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. Check doneness by tapping bottom of loaf - if it sounds hollow its done.

Now....about the Dutch Oven baking.

This recipe will work in two 12” ovens. Just form into two round loaves and place in greased oven for final rising. When it “ALMOST” doubles its time to bake. Bake with both top and bottom heat for 2/3’s of the time and finish with only top heat. So for 350 degrees that’s 17 coals on the top and 8 on the bottom. Since it takes about 45 minutes, after 30 minute take oven off bottom heat and continue with only top heat. Rotate oven every 15 min 1/4 turn for that first 30 minutes and for the final 15 minutes check to see if bread is evenly browning. Adjust coal position accordingly.

For more detailed info and recipes there are two books I’m using for help.

The Cornell Bread Book (I got this from Lehmans) by Clive M. McCay and JeanetteB. McCay

Lovin’ Dutch Ovens by Joan Larsen.
I got this book from Chuckwagon Supply (along with my ovens)
http://chuckwagonsupply.com/

For the outdoor brickoven plans see:
http://shell10.ba.best.com/~ovncraft/
Also The Bread Book by Thom Leonard

Both The Bread Book and The Cornell Bread Book can be gotten from Lehmans. Lehmans 330-857-5757.

CAKE: Canning Cakes!

Applesauce Cake in Jars Yield: 1 Servings

2/3 c Shortening
2 2/3 c Granulated sugar
4 ea Large eggs
2 c Applesauce
2/3 c Water
3 1/3 c All-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp. Baking powder
2 tsp. Baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
2 tsp. Ground cloves
2/3 c Nuts; chopped, optional

Sterilize 8 (12 oz Ball Quilted Crystal - #14400-81400) canning jars, lids and rings by boiling for 10 minutes. Remove the jars and allow to = air-dry and cool. Leave the lids and rings in the hot water until ready to use.

Once the jars are cool enough to handle, grease them (use a pastry = brush) with shortening (DO NOT use Pam or Baker’s Secret); set aside. Cream together the shortening and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, = until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the applesauce and water; set aside.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Blend dry ingredients into the applesauce mixture. Fold in the nuts. Pour batter into the jars, filling them about 1/2 full. Place jars onto a cookie sheet or they’ll fall over. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until a pick inserted deep into the center of each cake comes out clean. Remove jars from the oven, one-at-a-time (use HEAVY-DUTY MITTS, the jars ARE HOT!); place a lid, then a ring on top and screw down tightly. Place jars onto your counter top to cool. You’ll know when the jars have sealed, you’ll hear a “plinking” sound. If you missed the sound, test them by pressing down on the lids once the jars have cooled—they shouldn’t = move at all. Store jars in a cool, dry place. They should keep for about a year. I’ve only been able to keep them for a few weeks, they don’t last that long around here. They’re wonderful for last minute gifts, especially for single friends.

Gingerbread Baked in Jars

Yield: 5 Servings
2 1/4 c Flour (all-purpose)
3/4 c Sugar
1 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. Baking powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Ginger (ground)
1 tsp. Cinnamon (ground)
1/2 tsp. Cloves (ground)
3/4 c Margarine (softened)
3/4 c Water
1/2 c Molasses

Preheat oven to 325-degrees (NO higher). Sterilize 5 (12 oz) Ball Quilted Crystal (#14400-81400) jam/jelly = canning jars, lids and rings by boiling them for 15 minutes. Remove the jars from water and allow to air-dry on your counter top; leave the lidsand rings in the hot water until you’re ready to use them.

Once the jars are cool enough to handle, use a pastry brush to grease = them with shortening (DO NOT use butter, margarine, PAM or Baker’s Secret); set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Stir in margarine, water and molasses until well blended. Divide batter among the 5 jars (they should be about 1/2 full). Place jars onto a cookie sheet or they’ll tip over.

Bake in preheated 325-degree oven for 35 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Move the jars around in the oven = while they’re baking, so they’ll bake evenly. Have your HOT lids ready. Using HEAVY-DUTY MITTS (the jars ARE HOT!) = Take one jar at a time from the oven and place a lid on, then the ring. = Tightly screw on lids—do it FAST because the lid gets REAL hot! Allow jars to cool on your countertop.

Once the jars are cool, decorate with round pieces of cloth. Unscrew the ring (the lid should be sealed by now) and place a few cotton balls or a wad of batting on top of the lid (makes it poof-y on top), then a piece = of cloth (about 3” larger than the lid) on top and screw the ring back on.

Decorate as desired. I used pinking shears to cut the cloth rounds out, otherwise some material will start to unravel. —glue on dried flowers, bows, ribbons, etc....

Apple Cake in a Jar

Yield: 1 Servings
2/3 c Shortening
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
2 2/3 c Sugar
3 c Flour
4 ea Eggs
2/3 c Water
1 tsp. Cinnamon
3 c Apples; grated
2 tsp. Baking soda
2/3 c Raisins
1/2 tsp. Baking powder
2/3 c Chopped nuts

Mix the ingredients together in the order given. sterilize 7 to 9 wide = mouth pint jars and lids. Grease them with shortening. Fill the jars half full and bake on the middle wire rack in the = oven.

Bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees. as soon as the cake is done, remove the bottles from the oven one at a time. Wipe the rim of the bottle clean with cloth and put on the hot sterilized Lids. Screw down the bands and let cool.

Important— do not use small mouth jars. do not add any other = ingredients.

As the cake cools in the sealed jar, it will pull away from the sides of the jar and come out easily when ready to serve. Slice and serve with lemon sauce.

LEMON SAUCE

2 Tbs.. cornstarch
2 Tbs.. butter
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 tsp. Finely grated lemon rind
pinch of salt
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 cup boiling water in a pan, thoroughly stir together the corn starch, sugar, and salt.

Gradually stir in the boiling water, stirring constantly to keep it = smooth. Continue stirring and cook over moderate heat until boiling. Boil gently for 20 minutes. remove from heat, add butter, lemon rind and = juice. Stir thoroughly. Serve hot over apple cake in a jar. Makes about 1 1/4 cups. This sauce is thicker and more tart than the usual lemon sauce.

Cake in a Jar 1 Servings

ANY quick bread-type cake can be baked in canning jars. I usually bake one jar first — you have to know how high the batter rises. I usually fill ONE jar 1/2 full then bake it to see how high it rises, then go from there. You don’t want the cake to come out of the = top of the jar, only to within 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the lip of the jar. = Write it down on your recipe (how far you filled the jars)! Once you’ve established how high the cake rises, you can go from there. The first time is tricky because you won’t know how many jars you’ll need. MOST of the recipes I’ve tried I end up using around 8. Sterilize as many jars as = you think you’ll need and go from there. Make sure your LIDS are new, the = rings don’t have to be As the jars do seal, the cakes are as moist as the day you put them into the jars—sometimes MORESO.

The baking times will vary — the moistness of each cake recipe will determine the time. MOST of the recipes I’ve tried bake in 35-40 = minutes.

Start checking the cakes at 25- 30 minutes and go from there. YES, the cakes DO slide easily out of the jars IF you use the jars I’ve listed. They’re Ball 12-oz Quilted Crystal Canning Jars (#14400-81400). They can be found at most grocery stores next to the pectin and other canning supplies. Also, I’ve seen the 12 oz straight-sided (plain) jars (# ?) at Smart & Final. The plain jars work fine too but they’re not as pretty and you have to make your own labels—the jars I use come with decorative labels.

One IMPORTANT tip—get your jars NOW! Once summer’s over with they’re = very hard to find. Also, when you can, ask for the jars back, they’re NOT cheap. Most folks don’t mind returning them though, they usually want refills!

There will be a little condensation on the lids and some in the jars so when you seal them it’s trapped inside. Don’t worry about getting the = water off of the lids before placing them onto the jars, the added moisture doesn’t hurt the cakes in the slightest. Quick bread-type cakes work = best, I’ve found that lighter cakes tend to fall when the jars seal.

I’m trying to address every question that’s been asked of me before, I = hope I’ve done that. If I’ve missed anything or if anyone has any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. These make WONDERFUL gifts and you can start NOW! Single friends really appreciate these because each jar = makes enough for one or two people. I’ll post the recipes I’ve made in my next notes. Try them, they’re FUN and delicious to boot! Be right back = with a few more tips...

Several folks have asked me how long the cakes can be safely = stored...I’m not sure. The longest I’ve been able to keep them (without getting eaten) is 6 months. The jars DO seal, like any canned good. No need to refrigerate the jars, just keep them in a COOL, dark, dry place. I’ve only had 6 jars go bad on me: my fault...I put them in a cupboard that got too hot and the seals broke. I now check the jars at least once a week by pushing down on the lid (in the middle); if the lid moves up and down, that means the seal has broken. If you’ve checked the jars frequently, they’re safe to eat; otherwise, toss the cake. I’ve been = making cakes in canning jars for over 3 years and haven’t poisoned anyone.

If you give the jars away, be sure to tell the person to check the jar periodically (if they plan on storing it for any length of time).

Not only are the cakes tasty, they’re very pretty to decorate. You can = glue on dried flowers, ribbons, dough-art ...you name it, it can be glued = onto the lid, ring and side of the jar. I usually cut out a piece of cloth (about 3 inches larger in circumference than = the lid), using pinking shears (so the cloth doesn’t unravel), place a wad of cotton or batting in the center of the lid (take the ring off — the jar lid should be sealed by now), then place the piece of cloth on top and = replace the ring. Decorate to your heart’s desire!

There are probably a few more tips I’ve forgotten...if anyone has any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Don’t limit yourself to the recipes = I’ve given you...ANY quick-bread type cake can be baked in canning jars. = Lighter cakes tend to fall once the jar seals.

Pumpkin Spice Cake in Jars Yield: 8 Servings

1 c SEEDLESS RAISINS
1 c WALNUTS
2 c ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
2 tsp. BAKING SODA
1/4 tsp. BAKING POWDER
1/2 tsp. SALT
2 tsp. GROUND CLOVES
2 tsp. GROUND CINNAMON
1 tsp. GROUND GINGER
4 EGGS
2 c GRANULATED SUGAR
1 c SALAD OIL
16 oz Canned PUMPKIN

Preheat oven to 325-degrees.

Sterilize 8 (12 oz) Ball Quilted Crystal Canning Jars (14400-81400), = lids and rings by boiling them for 10 minutes. Leave the lids and rings in the hot water until you’re ready to use them; remove jars and allow the jars to air-dry and cool. Prepare batter in the meantime. Using a pastry brush, brush the inside of the cooled jars with shortening (DO NOT use Pam or Baker’s Secret); set aside.

Coarsely chop the raisins and walnuts; set aside. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cloves, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl. Add raisins and walnuts; toss to lightly combine.

In another large bowl, beat eggs at high speed until thick and yellow = (2-3 minutes). Gradually beat in the sugar until thick and light. At low = speed, beat in the oil and pumpkin; blend well. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until well blended.

Divide among the 8 canning jars (should be slightly less than 1/2 full. Wipe the sides of the jar off (inside/ outside) in case you slop or = it’ll burn. Place jars onto a cookie sheet or they’ll tip over. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center of each jar comes out clean.

Have your lids and rings ready. Take one jar at a time from the oven; place a lid and ring on and screw down tightly. Use HEAVY-DUTY mitts—the jars are HOT! Place the jars onto your counter top too cool. You’ll know when they’ve sealed, you’ll hear a “plinking sound”.

CAKE: More Cake-In-Jar Canning Recipes

The web-site is http://realfood.hypermart.net

Woooo! Going out to the flea market to buy up all the straight-sided canning jars right now!

FASTING (EZEKIEL) BREAD

“Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them together ...and make them into bread for yourself.” Ezekiel 4:9 Ezekiel Fasting Bread #1

1. Combine the following whole grains:

2 1/2 cups hard red wheat
1 1/2 cups spelt or rye
1/2 cup barley (hulled barley)
1/2 cup millet
1/2 cup green lentils
2 Tablespoons great northern beans
2 Tablespoons red kidney beans
2 Tablespoons pinto beans

Stir the above ingredients very well, then grind in grain mill. Use in place of 7 cups of flour in your favorite bread recipe.

Ezekiel Fasting Bread #2

1. Grind the above grain combination. Set aside.

2. Measure the following into a large bowl:

4 cups lukewarm water
1 cup honey
1/4 cup oil
2 Tablespoons yeast

Set aside for 3-5 minutes to allow yeast to grow.

3. Add to yeast mixture: 2 teaspoons salt Fresh milled flour (about 9 cups) from above mixture of grains

4. Stir or knead until well kneaded. This is a batter type bread and will not form into a smooth ball.

5. Pour dough into 2 large loaf pans (10x5x3), or 3 medium loaf pans, or 2 9x13 brownie pans.

6. Let rise in a warm place about an hour, or until the dough is almost to the top of the pan. If it rises too much, it will overflow the pan while baking.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes for loaf pans, and 35-40 minutes for brownie pans.

NOTE: The flour from step one can also be used in any basic bread recipe ...................

Ezekiel Fasting Bread #3

1. Sprout grain by placing 1 cup whole wheat (or spelt) grain in two cups water and allow to soak overnight. In the morning, drain the water and save (in the fridge) for use in the bread recipe. Allow the grain to sprout for one day (keeping well drained but damp and watering twice) until it’s about 1/16” to 1/8” long.

2. On baking day, dissolve yeast with honey in water and let stand 5-10 minutes until it bubbles up:

1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 teaspoon honey
1 1/2 Tablespoons active dry yeast

3. Blend together in blender until sprouts are well pulverized:

2 cups hot water (water from soaking the grain may be used)
2 cups moist wheat (or spelt) sprouts

4. Blend together in mixing bowl:

Pulverized sprouts
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vitamin C crystals, or 500mg Vitamin C tablet, crushed (aids in rising)
2 teaspoons salt

5. Blend flours together in separate bowl; add half to the moist ingredients:

1 1/2 cups barley flour
1/2 cup lentil flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup soy flour, toasted
3 cups whole wheat flour (or 3 - 3 1/2 cups spelt flour)

6. Blend in proofed yeast (from step two) and remaining flour.

7. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding 1/2 cup or more whole wheat or spelt flour.

8. Divide dough, shape, and place in greased pans.

9. Let rise in a warm place until doubled. (You may brush with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds before baking, if desired).

10. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until done.

HOE CAKES

(You can also use ground popcorn)

IN honor of freshly ground dried corn, a Y2k recipe:

1-1/2 cups cornmeal
3 tablespoons self-rising flour (or 3 tablespoons regular flour and a half teaspoon of baking powder) 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
hot water
oil

Combine the salt, flour, and cornmeal in a bowl, add enough hot water to make a batter. Pour a little oil on the griddle. When it sizzles, add half the batter. Allow the cake to brown on one side. then flip to the other side (adding a little more oil first. An easy way to flip the cake is to put a plate on top of it, then lift the griddle and turn it upside down, holding the plate with the other hand. Slide the hoe cake, uncooked side down, back onto the re-oiled griddle. When done, repeat with the other half of the batter.

Traditionally, you’re not supposed to cut this, rather, just break it off in pieces. Best cooked on a cast iron griddle that is quite black from use.

JELLY: Corn Cob Jelly

This jelly is very similar in flavor and color to apple jelly, with a honey overtone. During the depression...families might sell their apples, if they had any, and since corncobs were plentiful, after the kernels were used...this recipe was developed. No waste!!!

12 sweet corn cobs 4 c. water 4 c. sugar l box fruit pectin

Bring water with cobs, to a boil; boil for l0 mins. Measure 3 c. liquid & strain through a cheesecloth. Put strained fluid into a large saucepan, add pectin. Bring to rolling boil. Add sugar; bring mixture back to a boil. Simmer for 3 mins., then skim. Add food coloring, if desired. Pour into scalded jars & seal. Jelly will be clear & taste like apple-honey.

http://web.archive.org/web/20050218131555/members.tripod.com/~beardall/y2k/n-cookre.html

PASTA: Odd Grains/Make Noodles

Here is my recipe for Noodles...

4 med eggs 4 half eggshells water 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt flour (can be white, wheat, amaranth, spelt, triticale, rice, bean, etc.)

Mix eggs, water, baking powder and salt thoroughly. Add enough flour to form stiff dough. (I’m not saying how much flour, because different flours have different absorbency and will require different amounts. Just add til it “feels” like a stiff dough.) Roll out thin and cut into strips. Let dry. Drop into boiling chicken, ham, or beef broth. Stir lightly. Then cover and boil, without stirring, until tender (approx.. 10 minutes).

PASTA: Pasta FAQs And Recipes

1. Tips on forming the dough
2. Tips on cooking the noodles
3. Tips on drying noodles
4. Tips on storage
5. “Is it time-consuming? Is it worth doing yourself?”
6. “EGGS!!!! YIKES!!!! What about cholesterol???”
7. “What kind of machine do you have?”
8. “Please, please!!! Just a few recipes!!” Black Pepper, Herb, Orange Zest, Lemon and Grain-free pasta recipes

1. Tips on forming the dough: a. I find it helps if I wet my palms with cold water and form the dough mixture into balls.

b. You may need to adjust the liquid to get the right consistency of the dough. It should be firm and not sticky.

c. When adding liquids, start with half of the listed measure. Add additional water, one tablespoonful at a time until dough is at a workable consistency. You may have to do a trial run with your pasta machine to see if it is OK. Err on the too dry side - too wet will be sticky-icky!!!!! You can always add a drop or two more to get the dough “just right”. Amount of water depends on the relative humidity and temperature in your kitchen.

2. Tips on cooking the noodles: a. Cook in wide pot, thus allowing lots of room to expand.

b. Use boiling water - a good rolling boil! You want the noodles to cook quickly.

c. Keep in mind that fresh pasta cooks very quickly. You drop it in boiling water, wait for it to re-boil, and set a timer for no longer than 3 minutes. Then test for doneness.

d. The pasta that I will save for later I allow to dry pretty thoroughly on the rack after cutting. After a few hours drying time you can place it in a Ziploc freezer bag and throw into the freezer. Do not thaw before cooking, just throw frozen pasta into boiling water. Again, check for doneness after about 3 minutes.

3. Tips on drying the noodles. a. If you don’t have a pasta drying rack, use a folding laundry one. The little pasta racks aren’t big enough anyway! :) I use a mix (half and half) of whole wheat and unbleached white flour, but my sister has used all whole wheat pastry flour and the noodles turned out fine.

b. Once you have pressed out your noodles, gently transfer them to a drying rack. Separate them without stretching them or they will get “tough”.

c. I most times now, lay a clean towel on the dining room table and place the long sheets of pasta over them as I roll out the whole batch, then I go back and start cutting the ones that I laid down first, (they are slightly drier now) and then place the cut noodles in mounds back on those towels on the DR table until I¹m ready to either cook or bag for freezing. I don¹t like the spindle drying rack either, it holds about 1 serving of pasta and I make BATCHES :-) I have used the backs of chairs, and I have used the wooden laundry racks, and I MUCH prefer the towels on the dining room table. I have had too many beautiful long sheets and soft fresh made pasta ended up on the floor because they stretched and broke on the rack or chair...so now I play it safe!

4. Tips on storage. a. I let the noodles air dry slightly before placing them in a Ziploc baggie and in the freezer, you know I¹m not sure how long they last...a good while I believe...at our house, we eat pasta so often, it doesn¹t last more than 1 week!! Usually, recipes say to refrigerate the fresh pasta and use within 3 days or freeze and use within 3 months.

b. I usually make 2-4 batches of pasta when I make it since we eat so much of it. I set the rolled or extruded pasta out to air dry a bit, until just dry but not brittle, then I place it in a clean gallon Ziploc baggie and pop it in the freezer. To use frozen pasta...do not thaw...just drop the frozen pasta into boiling water or stock...stir a minute to break up any clumps and cook as usual. It takes a minute or two longer when it¹s frozen. TEST FREQUENTLY!

5. “Is it time-consuming? Is it worth doing yourself?” a. It takes me about 10 minutes to mix and knead my pasta dough in the Bosch. Then I wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes (I skip this step if I’m in a hurry) to help the dough roll out better. Sometimes I’ll make pasta dough in the morning and refrigerate it until the afternoon when I’m ready to roll it out. The rolling and cutting goes very quickly with the Atlas, the rest of the time depends on whether I let the pasta dry some. Drying is optional, but if your noodles are sticking together it will help them not to stick to each other while cooking. The actual cooking takes only about 3 minutes for fresh pasta. I like to make a double or triple batch of pasta, let the extra dry a bit, then bag and freeze it for a quick, healthy meal on another day. The frozen pasta can be plopped straight into boiling water. Easy!

b. When I made pasta, I remember it being somewhat time-consuming, and definitely not an activity I wanted to try with little ones under foot. Now that my kids are older, I let them help me. They can make the balls of dough to drop in the extruder. They can also take the extruded noodles and spread them to dry. (NOTE: LOTS of “sampling” happens!” :D) I like to make them and serve sautéed fresh veggies over them in the summer. A great no-heat kitchen recipe for those hot, hot summers. I don’t mean to make it sound like an ordeal to make your own pasta. You just have to get with it and DO it, and my time in the kitchen these days seems to get interrupted a lot (or my big cooking schemes are occurring after the kids are in bed...)

c. Pasta is a time-consuming process, and sometimes it seems like you’ll never get done with the dough - BUT - if you make it, is it’s cheaper. It has healthier ingredients. You can use whole eggs, egg whites only or egg substitutes. There are no preservatives or “dough stabilizers” in it...

d. I like the texture of fresh ground Kamut but we like the Durum too. Was the durum flour ground it fine enough? Remember also, whole grain flours are not like refined flours and you’ll need to work the dough a bit to get a satiny feel. Yes, more liquid might make it softer and easier to roll. Yes, I can’t roll my dough think enough with just my strength, that’s why I got the Atlas roller and it rolls them beautifully. yes, it really does get faster the more you do it. What I do is divide up the parts like this: Early in the morning or the night before I want pasta, I make up the dough in the Bosch, kneading it until smooth. I dust it with flour and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in fridge. Later I take it out, let come to room temp, divide in 4ths, dust again with flour and roll out into wide, long sheets. I lay these on the dining room table on a clean towel until all are rolled out. Then I start w/ the first I rolled and place the long sheets in the cutter. This is really the time consuming part, but only takes me about 20-30 per batch. I then leave the cut noodles on my kitchen table, dust w/ flour to keep from sticking and don’t bother with it again until later when I boil the water and throw them in!!!

6. “EGGS!!!! YIKES!!!! What about cholesterol???” a. if you have a “cholesterol-conscious” family member, you can use egg whites or the powdered egg whites you can find in the grocery store. However, since two whole eggs makes a LOT of noodles, it isn’t really that much cholesterol per serving when you come down to it, (unless of course you eat the whole recipe yourself VBG !!!

b. You can control whether or not you use whole eggs or egg whites. c. I tried making them with the flax seed egg substitute and they turned out pretty well (a little grainy, though.)

7. “What kind of machine do you have?” a. I have an attachment that goes on my Kitchen Aid large stand mixer. The pasta attachment is a separate purchase. It actually came with the grinder attachment in a Kitchen Aid accessories kit. I think if was purchased from one of those kitchen stores like you see in the malls. If you get on the right mailing lists you may see it in catalogues, too.

b. My daughter saw Mr. Rogers (on TV) make noodles using an Atlas when she was 3 1/2 (she’s now almost 10). She decided right then she had to have one! To her, it was like playdough fun factory, with a product you’re supposed to eat! :-) For her fourth birthday grandma came through with her pasta roller (only it is a Pasta Queen, not an Atlas). She loved it - and so do I!

c. We tried something new the last time we made noodles - we dried them in our food dehydrator. They dried very quickly, dust free, toddler-free, without taking up a lot of space. We made noodles in the eve., went to bed, and they were ready to put in the jar in the morning. Eggs noodles will be fresh for about a month that way.

d. Pasta machines: I like my Atlas hand crank and for the price of about $35.00, you can’t beat it. It does *only* roll out flat noodles, but it is sturdy and I have had mine for more than 12 years. I have trouble with my joints and muscles so I cannot crank it very often, but my children can do this for me. You also can do flat spaghetti, ravioli and lasagna with it.

e. As far an a pasta extruder, I have a Cuisinart DPM -3. It is actually made by Simac, a very good name. It retails in the Chef’s Catalogue for $299.00 (I think) I bought the extra die set as well for an additional $25.00. It makes spaghetti (round not flat) small tube macaroni, larger tube ribbed ziti, breadsticks, gnocchi, shells and some more. It does NOT make the rotini (twists) I wish it did :-(. The reason I bought it is because as I was researching extruders, I found that even though some other machines’ ads said they could handle semolina or whole grain pasta, when I spoke to customers who used those machines, and in some cases the companies themselves, I was told that those machines would not hold up and each had high repair rates especially with dies, and housing. The dies were all plastic, except the Cuisinart which has brass reinforcing the plastic. Another reason, the other machines advertised 1 and 1/2 pound capacity, so I thought “Great”. But when I looked further, I found the 1 1/2 pound batches were only using white flour, the whole grains were *twice* as heavy therefore, the machine could only handle 3/4 pound per batch. For our big family, that meant a lot of batches. The Cuisinart advertises 3 pound capacity, again that is for white flour, so with my 100% Kamut or Durum, I make 1 1/2 pounds at a time, which is perfect for us. If the reason you want to make pasta is for whole grains, I’d use the Atlas or the Cuisinart. For the $$, I found them to be the best buys for what I wanted.

f. The Simac MX700 is a good machine. The capacity is only the 1 1/2 pounds. It’s fine for my small family (only 5.) Keep in mind 1 1/2 pounds means all-purpose flour for the dough, if you use 100% Kamut, it will be 3/4 pounds per batch. It has a rotelle die (something I REALLY wanted!) and the Cuisinart doesn’t have it with theirs.

g. One more pasta machine is the Popeios Automatic Pasta Maker Deluxe. This is a machine that is sold through one of those info-mercials (plus various retail outlets). It comes with 39 dies. A lady in our homeschool coop has one and just loves it. She uses it 3-4 times/week and thinks it’s great. Retails for around $150. She said her only concern is about its longevity because it has a lot of plastic parts.

8. “Please, please!!! Just a few recipes!!”

Directions for mixing all recipes: 1) sift dry ingredients together and make a “well” in the middle. 2) add oil and eggs and any other ingredients EXCEPT water/juice to the “well”; mix with fork until well blended. 3) add water/juice, starting with half of the listed measure. Add additional water, one tablespoonful at a time until dough is at a workable consistency.

Black Pepper Pasta
2 c flour 2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
4 Tbs. water
1 heaping teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Herb Pasta
2 1/4 c flour
3 eggs, room temperature
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. lukewarm water or milk
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. marjoram
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. thyme
(NOTE: if using fresh spices, use 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh spice instead of 1 tsp. dried)

Orange Zest Pasta
3 c flour 3 eggs, room temperature, slightly beaten
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. orange zest
3-4 Tbs. strained orange juice
1/2 tsp. salt

Lemon Pasta
2 1/3 c flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 Tbs. lemon zest
3 Tbs. strained lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
3-4 Tbs. warm water

Grain Free Pasta - Serves 2
1 2/3 cups amaranth flour
1/3 cup arrowroot or tapioca-starch flour
2 eggs

Mix flours in a small bowl. Measure out 1 cup of the flour and set the rest aside. In another small bowl, beat eggs lightly with a fork. Gradually beat in the 1 cup flour mixture until it forms a ball.

Use the remaining flour to knead the dough until a good pasta consistency . Cover and let rest at least 30 minutes before rolling. Roll out by hand or with Atlas and cut into noodles. Dust with flour if dough is sticky while rolling. ***You can use buckwheat flour if this is tolerated in place of the amaranth.

http://web.archive.org/web/20050218131555/members.tripod.com/~beardall/y2k/n-cookre.html

ROOTBEER: Rootbeer Recipe

Here’s the recipe:

4 gal. water
4 lbs. sugar
1/2 tsp.. yeast
1 PKT OLD HICKORY BRAND ROOTBEER EXTRACT

Mix water and sugar together til dissolved. Put yeast in 1 pint of warm water to dissolve. Pour in with water and sugar. Add contents of one bottle of Rootbeer extract. Mix well and bottle immediately.

Keep out of sun and let sit 2-3 days.

Here are the amendments we make: NO YEAST - we like it better without it. We don’t bottle it, we just let it sit in a cool place overnight in a stoneware crock.

SOURDOUGH

Sourdough Starter and Sponge

Sourdough starter: Mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup water, 1/2 to 1 package (or cake) of yeast in a pint jar. Let stand in a warm place overnight. Sponge: Empty starter into a bowl. Fill the pint jar with war water (2 cups), empty it into the bowl, add 2 cups flour and eat to a smooth batter. let bowl stand in a warm place overnight. Batter should be thin enough to pour,. If too thick add a little warm water.

In the morning, take out 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the sponge, put in clean pint jar, and place in refrigerator or cool place for the next sponge.

A sourdough starter will be good for many years if kept in a cool place and used every week. never add anything to the starter except flour and water.

To carry the starter, or keep it longer than a week, thicken it with flour to form a ball and keep it in the flour or in a covered container.

To activate it, thin it out with water.

Sourdough Brown Bread

1 cup sourdough sponge
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons fat
2 cups coarse graham flour

To the sourdough sponge add the salt, molasses and fat. Mix well. Add the 2 cups graham flour, or enough to make a stiff dough. Knead lightly. Place in warm greased loaf tin, let stand 1/2 hour, then bake at 375 degrees F. until lightly browned, about 40 minutes. This is a coarse, heavy bread with a good flavor.

BEER SOURDOUGH FOR BREAD

Mix one can of beer with one cup of flour. Stir and cover lightly and let sit on the counter for few days till its got that great sour smell. Stir it a few times a day while its sitting. Then refrigerate and use in any recipe.

SOURDOUGH: Sourdough Bread In Dutch Oven

Step 1: Culture prep

1) Remove culture from refrigerator. 2) Add 1/2 cup of white flour and 1/2 cup warm water to the culture jar and mix briefly. Total mixture =about 2 1/4 cups. It need not be lump free. 3) Proof at 85 deg. F. for about 6 to 12 hours until actively fermenting (as shown by bubbles on the surface). Always use plastic or glass or ceramic utensils and bowls with sourdough—— not metal.

Step 2 The First Proof 1) Mix all of the active culture with 3 cups of white flour and 2 cups of warm water in a 4 quart mixing bowl. It need not be lump free. 2) Proof at 85 deg. for 12 hours. 3) Return 1 cup of culture to the culture jar. Add 1/3 cup of white flour and 1/3 cup of warm water and proof at 85 deg. for one hour. Then refrigerate immediately. This is your new starter for the next batch!

Step 3 The Second Proof

INGREDIENTS 4 cups of culture from the first proof (if there is more use it all) 2 TBLS butter, or oil 1 cup milk (or water) 2 tsp. salt 2 TBLS honey or sugar 6 cups flour (white OR 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat)

Melt the butter over moderate heat, add the milk, warm briefly, add salt and sugar, stir until dissolved. Add to the culture and mix well.

2) Add the flour a cup at a time until dough is too stiff to mix by hand. Then turn onto a floured board and knead in remaining flour until the dough is smooth and satiny. (about 15 minutes) 3) divide dough in half. and form two balls. (one slightly larger than the other - read on to see why)

4) flatten ball slightly and place in lightly oiled Dutch Ovens ( one 10” and one 12”)

If you use so much dough that it rises above the lip of the Dutch Oven, you have trouble. This takes experience to know how much dough to use. This recipe can make 3 loaves for a 10” oven or one for a 10” and one for a 12”. If it isn’t quite warm enough, place one or two coals on the lid of the oven to let the bread rise.

5) Put 4 coals on the bottom and 9 on the top of the 10” oven. Cook for about 35 minutes. Put 5 coals on the bottom and 11 on the top of the 12” oven. Same bake time. If it is very cold out it may take more time and your may need more coals.

6) When done just turn the oven over and the bread falls out onto the wire rack for cooling.

Also — if you decrease the flour in recipe by 1 1/2 cups and add one cup of soy flour instead and 1/3 cup of wheat germ, and one cup of dried milk you have drastically improved the nutritional quality of the bread.

HOW MANY BRIQUETS TO BAKE BREAD? We put the dough in the Dutch oven, and calculated the number of briquettes to use by the following formula:

DESIRED TEMP/75 = # briquettes on bottom of Dutch oven ea. 1/2 hour Double that number is put on top. each 1/2 hour. Round up all fractions.

For instance, if the desired temp is 375 deg., then there should be 5 coals

put on the bottom each 1/2 hour, and 10 coals on top each 1/2 hour. =============================

SOURDOUGH STARTER RECIPE

Starter # 1: 2 cups unbleached flour 1 cup water Mix to make thick batter. Let stand uncovered for 4 or 5 days or until it begins working. (little bubbles rising) This basic recipe requires a carefully scalded container.

Starter # 2: 2 cups unbleached flour 1 cup warm milk Same instructions as above.

Starter # 3: 1 x unbleached flour 1 x potato water (left from boiling potatoes - waste not want not!) Boil some potatoes for supper, save the water, use it lukewarm with enough flour to make a thick batter. This is how farm girls made it in the olden days. Let it stand a day or so until it smells right. Mmmm... Sourdough smell.

Starter # 4: 4 cups unbleached flour 2 T sugar 2 T salt 4 cups lukewarm potato water Put all ingredients in a crock or large and let stand in a warm place uncovered several days.

Starter # 5: 1 cup milk 1 cup unbleached flour Let milk stand for a day or so in an uncovered container at room temperature. Add flour to milk and let stand for another couple of days. When it starts working well and smells right it is ready to use.

Starter #6: 1 bottle of beer 1 cup of flour Mix in scalded container let stand for a few days till it smells right (sourdough) and its working (little bubbles rising). This particular starter separates and a liquid (hooch) rises to the top. Just stir it in with a non-metal, scalded utensil.

I have had the most success with this starter. Could this be the ol’ Irish in me? Who knows. I tend to think its because the alcohol in the mixture makes for a very sterile place for the yeast to grow.

In the past I have grown a nasty smelling batch of stuff that went down the sink. If it smells bad it is bad. A good smell is very yeasty, earthy. Anything that smells nauseating is probably a nasty bacteria that has grown instead. This has only happened to me once. It is VERY obvious. In the morning the whole kitchen smelled -— ugh, yucky.

When all works well the fragrance of sourdough bread baking is one of life’s simple pleasures!!! ENJOY!!!!

******all starters must be prepared in a non-metal container using non-metal utensils and the containers must be scalded or the starter will fail************

SOURDOUGH: Two Great Sites!

http://www.ajlc.waterloo.on.ca/Recipies/Sourdough.html

http://members.aol.com/hleelewis/Sourdough.html

SOY: And More Soy

SOYNUTS

1 cup dried soybeans
2 cups water
1/4 olive oil (I’d use less)
Salt or garlic salt

Soak beans in water overnight in refrigerator (if you can’t refrigerate, do the quick method: cover beans with 3 cups of water, bring to a boil, boil for a few minutes, remove from heat and let stand an hour). Pour off water and dry the beans with a paper towel. Spread in a large flat pan and bake at 200 degrees, stirring occasionally until dry (3 hours.) Add olive oil, salt or garlic salt to taste and cook another 15 minutes. Store in airtight container. If they’re not dry enough, or if they collect moisture from the air, bake at 300 degrees for another half hour.

SOY SPREAD

Cooked soybeans
Diced onion
Diced celery
Mayonnaise

Above in proportions to suit you taste. Smoosh it all together and use as a dip or spread on toast or crackers.

SOYBEAN MEDLEY

1 clove garlic
1 large onion
4 large stalks celery
2 T. oil or butter
1/2 large green pepper
1 cup canned tomatoes or 2 large ripe tomatoes, cut up
salt to taste
1/2 t. savory
3 cups soybeans, cooked

Chop coarsely the garlic, onion, celery and green pepper. Simmer in covered pan in the oil or butter for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cut up. Cook 5 minutes. Add salt to taste and 1/2 teaspoon savory. Add to 3 cups cooked soybeans, heat and serve. Serves 4 to 6.

COOKED SOYBEANS :

2 cups soybeans
2 bay leaves
hot water
1 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup celery, diced

Cover soybeans with hot water and soak overnight. Drain, rinse, and cover with water. Add all other ingredients. Bring to boil in a covered pan, lower heat, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours. Makes 6 cups cooked beans.

SOY CAKES: ( using cooked beans or soy paste)

3 cups cooked soy beans, chopped or mashed
1 T soy sauce
1/4 Cup onion chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. parsley, minced
1/4 t. basil or oregano
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 bouillon cube
1/2 bran flakes
1/4 cup cooking water from soy beans, stock or water

Combine all ingredients well. Shape into 8 small or 6 large patties. Coat with fine bread crumbs or additional wheat germ or bran flakes. Sauté gently in vegetable oil until brown.

SOYBEAN PASTE: BASIC

Many uses for this pulp from the bean: mix with minced onion and mayonnaise for sandwich filling, or use in soups, meatloaf, etc.

2 cups cooked soy beans

Drain cooked soybeans through a strainer or colander. Put drained beans though a food press, sieve or strainer, or mash thoroughly into a paste. Store in the refrigerator for use as needed. Makes 2 cups.

SOFTENED SOYA GRITS

Super as a meat extender. Use in scrambled eggs, casseroles, soufflés, meat patties, breads, muffins, cookies. If you want them nut-like, as in cookies, let them soak only 15 minutes.

1 cup boiling water or stock
1 cup soy grits

Pour boiling water over soy grits and soak until moisture is absorbed, about 1 hour. Store in covered container in refrigerator to use as needed.

TOFU

Tofu is a soybean curd. It has a bland flavor and texture similar to soft cheese. it is easy to make and has many uses. This version is firm enough to cut up and use like cheese in hot dishes or casseroles. Crumble it in a salad, sauté it, or use in any of gluten recipe.

1 cup soy beans
4 T. lemon juice
4 cups water

Soak beans in water to cover overnight. drain beans and rinse well. Place one cup soaked soy beans with 2 cups water in a bender for 2 minutes. Strain this mixture through a fine sieve into a large pan. Repeat until all beans are ground. (Save the drained, ground soy bean pulp for soups, casseroles or breads). to the strained liquid add enough water t make 8 cups of soy milk. Bring this mixture to a boil over low heat to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and stir. Place in a bowl covered with cheesecloth and allow to stand several hours in a warm place until mixture separates and cheese coagulates. Strain through cheesecloth. remove the cheese-like curd from the cheesecloth and store covered with water in a container in the fridge. This bean curd may be used in recipes calling for tofu or soy cheese.

SOY CHEESE:

Soy cheese is similar in taste to Tofu but is softer, more like cottage cheese. Serve it seasoned with vegetable salt and chives. The remaining liquid may be used in soups or breads.

1 cup soy powder (full fat)
2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup lemon juice

Combine soy powder with cold water to a smooth paste. Add to boiling water, stirring thoroughly. Cook for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice, stir. Remove from heat and cool. When mixture separates into curds, strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Drain well. Store in refrigerator up to 3/4 days.

SYRUP: Nutritious Pancake Syrup

We mix a container of cottage cheese in the food processor with just a little sour cream, a bit of sugar and a little vanilla. Mix till smooth, and then use as a topping with fresh strawberries, blackberries, etc. We also still top with syrups, but having the cheese topping, too, makes a better meal.

VENISON: Recipes

Venison Jerky makes enough marinade for 3 pounds boneless meat cut in thin strips

1/2 cup Each soy & teriyaki sauce 2 Tablespoons either brown sugar or steamed cane syrup garlic powder and onion powder to taste fresh ground black pepper Do Not Add Salt & add just enough spice to a bit less than what you like As the jerky dries out the flavors intensify. Just mix all ingredients together marinate over nite. I use meat that has been soaked and cleaned before marinating it ( cuz hubby said to)

Venison & Beans ( serve with cornbread or biscuits) Soak venison meat ( cut for stew) in a beer & water or vinegar and water mix for a couple hours ( this helps remove “gamey strong taste”) in a crock pot ( or Dutch oven) place meat that’s been browned well, onions ( or onion soup mix don’t add any more salt) carrots in big chunks, and 1 pound of either Lima, Pinto, Roman or Great Northern beans that have been soaked for at least 7 hours ( my family thinks changing the beans radically changes the flavor they call it variety) add 1/4 cup cooked roux**( rue? roo?) and water to cover, cook 8 hours on low ( while you sleep) or 4 hours on high & then 2 hours on low( if I cook it during the day) You can add in potatoes if you like Too - I almost forgot.

** To make Roux ( or rue or roo) Measure equal parts fat ( butter is our favorite - but you can use olive oil, or any fat your family likes) and flour. Melt the fat over medium heat till really warm ( butter just starts to brown) add flour and reduce heat, stir while cooking till as browned as you like. I make a batch light for fish and poultry and a darker brown ( not black though”) for beef, and game.

WHEAT: Basic Wheat Cereal Recipe

Simmer a cup of wheat in about one and a half cups of water (from your stored water supply, for a little realism) until some of the kernels start to burst. If the cooked cereal is too strong for your taste, discard the cooking water and rinse wheat kernels; a little sugar, butter or margarine will make them more enjoyable. If you soak the wheat kernels in the water overnight, they will start to burst after about forty minutes of simmering.

If you soak them for a few days, they will soften to the point where you can even eat them without cooking them. But remember that a given quantity of seeds will expand to about double its original volume after absorbing water, so don’t soak them in a too-small container. Although I have never had a problem eating whole kernels of wheat, there have been experiments where people ate nothing but boiled whole kernels of wheat for 2 days and wound up with loose bowels. Further experimentation revealed that cracking the wheat into small pieces before boiling it got rid of the problem. A pepper mill or even stones can be used to crack wheat if necessary.

YEAST: Make-Your-Own Yeast Recipe

From: Maurice Smith

Any one can get hops at any health food store or herb farm.

Boil 12 potatoes in 4 qts of water. Till reduced to 3 qts. Then take out and mash the potatoes and throw into the water 3 handfuls of hops. When the hops have boiled to a good tea- strain the water over the potatoes, a small quantity at a time, mixing them well together.

Add
1 teacup of brown sugar
1 teacup of salt
1 tablespoon of ground ginger

When mixture is warm add your yeast of the same sort to make it rise. Put it in bottles or a jug, leaving it uncorked for a day. Set in a cool place.

Put 2 large tablespoonfuls of it to a qt. of flour and when making up. Peel a potato and mix with it. This yeast never will sour and is good as long as it lasts.

Hints: the best flour is worthless without a good yeast. Yeast made up in the morning ought to be fit for use at night. It should be foamy and frothy with a scent of slightly like ammonia. flour should always be sunned and aired before being used. Sift it in a tray and put it out in the sun or near a kitchen fire.

Recipe for Leaven
2tblsp of flour
1 Tbs. of lard or butter
2 Tbs. of yeast
2 eggs
1 potato
2 tsp. of sugar

Make the leaven soon after breakfast. in winter and at one o’clock p.m. in summer. Let it be of the consistency of batter. Put it in a small bucket in a warn place, to rise till four o’clock p.m. This amount of leaven is sufficient for two qts of flour

http://web.archive.org/web/19991003032607/members.tripod.com/~beardall/y2k/n-cookmi.html

Cooking Ideas: Misc

DANDELIONS: Eating Dandelions

1. Did we eat the flowers....YES, the bigger the flower the better. You want to get them early in the spring.
2. I did not eat the greens but my neighbor did and says the fresh tender spring greens are best....they get bitter the longer they grow.
3. I don’t know about using the leaves for tea....all the medicinal herb books I have say to use the fresh or dried root for tea.
4. Yes, you can cook the greens. The Southern way is to wilt them in bacon grease...I would just sauté them in butter or oil and garlic.

DANDELIONS: Deep-Fried Dandelion Flowers

Dandelions are not sour when first picked in the spring. My 72 year old neighbor was delighted when we moved in this spring. She asked if I was going to cook my dandelions and could my children help her gather the buttons for dinner. After I got over my initial shock....I had always thought you just sprayed those weeds to get them out of the yard....I said sure. I guess she assumed that because we sort of live off our place a bit....that we of course ate the dandelions too. After eating my first batch of buttons....I’m going to rope off an area that won’t be privy to the dogs for next years crop.

We took the big button....meaning the fully mature flowers....you only want the really big ones say 1 1/2 inches or bigger. The others can be eaten but take more work. Pick a bowl full. Rinse them off. Dip in beaten egg. Then roll in cracker crumbs...Hi-ho kind taste the best. Then sort of deep fry in a hot skillet...they cook fast so you have to stand right over them. They taste a lot like deep fried mushrooms. We got to share with the little lady next door our dipping sauce....we dipped them in Ranch dressing. She promptly went out the next day and bought her own bottle!

GRAIN: Grains For Breakfast

I usually brown all my grains and then bake them in the oven. for instance, amaranth, quinoa, and others. I heat a skillet up and put the dry grains in and “toast/brown” them by moving the skillet around constantly or using a spatula. they will start popping like popcorn too. then I put them and the water in a pan and put in the oven at about 400 until the water is absorbed. This makes a delicious taste to bland things. You can then use them as a base for vegetarian meals or just eat it that way. Great for breakfast in the winter. Use a little honey on the grains or just as they are. I don’t add salt and the browning doesn’t need salt.

NUTRITION: Nutrition Data

The USDA knows! And you can know as well, by checking their searchable database on the Internet, at no charge, paid for by your taxes.

To check on foods in general go to: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/ and search the database. E.g., under “squash,” one cup of boiled zucchini is completely evaluated at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/list_nut.pl

PRACTICE YOUR Y2K EATING

Yesterday I made two nice loaves of Vienna bread, oblong loaves with a dense texture and a chewy, chewy crust. Tonight, I took four slices, brushed them with olive oil (which had cayenne pepper, garlic and onion powder added), and then toasted them on top of the stove on my cast iron griddle (which would just as easily have worked on a wood stove or camp fire). Good eating.

This week, as a drill, I am not buying anything at the grocery store, every meal comes out of what is in the kitchen pantry, as if the stores were already closed. So far, haven’t missed a meal, and haven’t been deprived of anything, particularly, although I am eating a lot less meat and being more creative with it. The one ham hock I put in the big pot of beans added a lot of flavor for tonight’s meal, we’ll finish those beans in enchiladas for supper tomorrow night, so two big meals from one pot of beans, not too bad: that pot of food probably cost less than a dollar, and the two loaves were about 50 cents maximum, and will provide six adult meal serving (”meal serving” defined as Bob and others eat until they are full), plus additional snacks off the bread.

Regarding pets, my cats seem to love macaroni with any kind of highly spiced tomato sauce on it. So while I am buying extra cat food, if push comes to shove they can supplement their diet of mice and whatever with my macaroni, tomato powder, and spices (grin). (I have always wondered why stores don’t sell mouse-flavored cat food.)

PRESSURE COOKER: Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans

Soak 1 cup of beans overnight in a pan. Drain; then add the beans and 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of oil into a 4 qt. pressure cooker. Put them on the stove, medium heat, for 10 minutes. Result: Perfect and soft. Great way to go, and only 10 minutes of cooking

RICE: Cook Brown Rice Like Pasta

Here is something I learned about cooking brown rice so it’s not all gluey and glumpy.

Rinse the brown rice in a strainer while your pot is heating on “medium” on the stove. Put the rinsed rice in the pot and stir it over the heat for a couple of minutes, toasting it until most or all of the “hissing” has stopped (i.e. the rice is dry or nearly so). Then add the water (3 times the amt. of rice), bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Then drain the “extra” water.

Cooking it like this, more like pasta, helps it to stay separate and delicious.....it’s the only way the family likes it :-)

It does take about an hour to cook and about 1/4 cup more water per cup of rice. I just quit buying white rice, and now my kids think brown is best! (Same as I did w/ whole wheat bread) BTW, if anyone’s interested, I experimented and learned that brown rice cooks in the crock pot on high in 5 hrs. YUM!

RICE: Cooking Rice Right

We eat rice with almost every meal, many different kinds of rice. They frequently call for their own cooking style, but we have pretty much simplified it to these steps...for each cup of rice, use 2 1/2 cups of water; soak the rice in the water for 30 minutes in a covered pan, then bring to a boil quickly, then simmer for about 40 minutes. (time varies)

We do this with Jasmine, Basmati, mixed breeds (Texmati, Kasmati, Jasmati, etc.) long grain and short grain, white and brown, ...whatever we have.

RICE: More On Cooking Rice

Put water on to boil - a little more than twice the amount of rice. When it comes to a boil, I stir in the rice (or even just pour), cover the pot tightly, and turn the heat *way* down. Cook for 45 minutes. Nice and fluffy. Never had a problem! Anyone else?

SMELLS IN KITCHEN

Q: I’ve been canning and now can’t get the smell of broccoli out of my kitchen! Help!

A: The Trapper in our area swears by slicing raw onions and leaving them out on a plate to absorb odors. Baking soda will also help. And as a last resort, bake a really spicy cake and maybe that will overpower it. At least your family will appreciate the effort. :)

START ON YOUR NEW Y2K DIET EARLY, AND GRADUALLY

Have you ever eaten an exclusively wheat-based diet? If you’ve been eating the typical North American diet, even if you think you’ve been consuming foods “high” in fiber, you’re going to get diarrhea like you’ve never experienced before. And it will last for days (assuming you continue to eat the wheat). Eventually, your colon will adjust, but in an emergency situation, where water may not be readily available, or may be contaminated, thus adding to the effects of the wheat-induced diarrhea, dehydration is going to be a major, possibly fatal, problem.

Yesterday, I ate three thick slices of whole-wheat bread I made from my wheat. Real whole wheat, not the pseudo-whole-wheat you get at the store. Today, well... lets just say I’m glad the restroom is close by. People who traditionally “live on” tortillas, chapatis:, don’t get diarrhea or so-called “appetite fatigue” because their foods have spices, which the basic food plans lack, and because they eat it from infancy, which our children do not. And their diet typically includes chicken, pork, and other inexpensive meats, such as fowl and dog, which contributes to the variety needed to avoid appetite fatigue. Personally, I’d rather get some beef TVP before I put ole Shep on the grill. Seriously, I would advise people to get the basic food storage, then immediately begin to add to it according to their needs and tastes. This doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive. A jar of chili powder is 89 cents here. Some basic spices, some beef, chicken, and sausage TVP (a #10 can for $7.75 at Walton’s), a little bit each month, and you’ll have a much better food plan.

And I want to remind people that they should try eating from their food storage regularly to avoid unpleasant side-effects.

THERMOS

Did you know you can save lots of energy by cooking many things in a thermos. I have cooked beans, wheat and rice in a thermos very successfully. Some beans require 2 heatings but most things only need the initial heating and more time than usual.

For more information and good instructions go to http://kurtsaxon.com/foods06.html

THERMOS: Saving Money With A Thermos Bottle

By Kurt Saxon

Wheat and rice are the staple foods of billions and, if prepared my way, will fill you up, give you boundless energy; and cost next to nothing.

60 pounds of hard red winter wheat, the highest in protein, minerals and vitamins, averages $8.00 (240 breakfasts at 4 cents each). Brown rice, also higher in nutrition than white, costs $14.00 for 25 pounds. Also 200 servings since rice swells twice as large as wheat. These are bought in bulk at any feed and seed store.

I do not mean that wheat and rice, plain, is what I am asking you to live on. When is the last time you have eaten a potato plain? I am simply suggesting you process all your food in inexpensive, energy-saving ways and eat better than you ever have for less than $10.00 per week.

First the thermos. There are three kinds but only one is practical. Forget the cheap, plastic ones lined with Styrofoam. These might cook oatmeal and white rice but do not have the heat holding power you need. Silvered glass thermoses are fine, but a bump will break them. Also, since you are going to do actual cooking and will use a fork to remove the contents, they will not hold up.

The only practical cooking thermos is the Aladdin Stanley. It is lined with stainless steel, is well insulated and will keep steaming hot for up to 24 hours and holds a quart. It is also unbreakable, with a lifetime warranty. It costs $22.00 at Wal-Mart or can be ordered through any sporting goods store. It would save you its price in a few days. If you have a family, get two or three.

Most foods cook at 180 degrees or more. We are used to boiling, which is 212 degrees, and foods do cook faster, the higher the temperature. But if time is not important, cooking at a lower temperature is even better as most vitamins are not broken down. Thus, if you cook at a minimum heat, you save nutrition.

A great factor in thermos cooking is the saving in the cost of energy. Whereas it would take about two hours to cook whole-grain wheat or nearly an hour to cook brown rice. Thermos cookery takes only five minutes of actual fuel-burning to cook. So you’ll save as much in energy as you spend on the food. imagine the convenience of thermos cookery in camping, which would save on wood, weight of food carried, and no food odors to alert bears or raccoons.

Thermos cookery is also an advantage to anyone living where he is not allowed to cook. There are no cooking odors to tip off the landlord.

First, you need the thermos. Then you need a heat source. If you are in a non-cooking room, buy a cheap, one burner hot plate from your local Wal-Mart, Target, Sears etc. You will need a one quart saucepan. You will also need a special funnel to quickly pour the pan’s contents into the thermos, plus a spoon or fork to help the last of the food into the funnel.

To make the funnel, cut off the bottom four inches from a gallon plastic milk container. If you do not buy milk or cannot find an empty container, go to your nearest Laundromat. You will find in the trash receptacle, an empty gallon bleach bottle. Use that the same as the milk container but wash it until there is no more bleach odor.

The first step in thermos cookery is to fill the thermos with water up to the point reached by the stopper. Empty the water into the saucepan and make a scratch or other indelible mark at the water’s surface inside the saucepan. This will allow you to put just enough water in the saucepan, as too much will leave food out and too little will give you less cooking water.

Just to test how the cooker works, start with four ounces of wheat. You do not need to buy 60 pounds. You can buy two pounds from your health food store for about $.80 This would give you eight meals at 10 cents each.

In the evening, put four ounces in your saucepan, plus a half-teaspoon of salt to prevent flatness, even if you intend to sweeten it. Fill to the mark with water. (If you have hot water, let the tap run until it is hottest. Tests have shown that less energy is used in using hot tap water than in boiling from cold.) Bring the contents to a rolling boil, stirring all the while. This will take from three to five minutes.

Then quickly, but carefully, swirl and pour the contents into the funnel and help any lagging matter from the pan to the funnel and into the thermos. Cap firmly but not tightly, shake and lay the thermos on its side, to keep the contents even.

Next morning open the thermos and pour its contents into the saucepan. With four ounces of dry wheat, you will now have at least 3/4 pound of cooked wheat and about a pint of vitamin and mineral enriched water. It has a pleasant taste. Drink it.

You can now put milk and sweetener on it or margarine, salt and pepper, etc. If you can eat the whole 3/4 of a pound, you will be surprised at how energetic you feel for the next several hours. An added bonus is its high fiber content.

Having tried the four ounce portion, you might next use eight ounces. This will absorb most of the water. It is unlikely that you could eat a pound and a half of cooked whole grain wheat. You can either divide it and eat the other half for supper or if you are a family man, make it the family breakfast food to replace the expensive brand.

If you have children, get them into the act by fantasizing they are Rangers on a jungle patrol.

For lunch, prepare a few ounces of hamburger or other meat chopped finely, plus chopped potatoes and other vegetables the night before. After breakfast, put these and the right amount of water in the saucepan and prepare as usual. At lunchtime you will have a quart of really delicious stew. Since nothing leaves the thermos in cooking, as contrasted to the flavor leaving stew cooking on the stove, you can understand the better tasting, higher vitamin content of thermos stew.

Lunch and possibly supper should not cost you more than 25 cents if you study the article on the dehydrator. Jerky and dried vegetable stew is good and costs little.

The brown rice dishes could also be either a main course or desert. Brown rice has a much greater swelling factor than wheat so four ounces of rice will pretty much fill the thermos. You can put vegetables and meat in it to cook or try a favorite of mine. It is four ounces of brown rice, 9 cents; one ounce of powdered milk, 10 cents in a large box; two ounces of raisins, 22 cents; one teaspoon of salt; some cinnamon and four saccharine tablets. Cook overnight. This is 46 cents for 1 1/2 pounds of desert.

With some experimenting, you can become an expert in thermos cookery. If you are single and live alone, you could, conceivably, eat nothing except what you cooked in a thermos. But if you are married, and especially if you have children, don’t push it. Even with the economy of this system, it’s not worth alienating your family. If your wife doesn’t like it, challenge her to make the food tastier and think up some thermos recipes. You might also tell her the advantages of thermos cookery.

For one thing, she would spend much less time in the kitchen. What with the expected brownouts, she could do all the cooking in five, ten, fifteen minutes, depending on how many thermos bottles she used. Another important factor is that, especially during the heat waves, the home would not suffer the added heat from the kitchen.

I noticed in I believe the Seventh Generation catalog something similar: it’s actually a slow cooker that works on the same principle. You boil the food.... then put it into the cooker. The cooker is non-electric and will keep the food hot up to 14 hours. I may get one to save on my use of propane for those long stewing things. I’ve also come to appreciate my 6 qt stainless steel pressure cooker for fast cooking....especially beans.

http://web.archive.org/web/19991003085223/members.tripod.com/~beardall/y2k/n-garden.html

PLASTIC MILK JUG MINI-DOMES

We have bought new plastic milk jugs directly from the Borden milk plant in Austin, TX. We remove the cap and cut off the bottom. In the spring when we transplant our tender garden plant we put these “Mini-domes” over the just planted seedlings and leave them in place until the little plants poke their heads through the top. This will keep them from light frost and shock. The plastic jugs do degrade in the sun but if taken up and stored in a garden shed right after removal they will last for many years (4 to 5 years) Just another use for used milk jugs.:o)

POISON OAK

There is an article about poison oak and poison ivy in the latest issue of Countryside Magazine, Vol. 82, No. 4, July/August, 1998, p 87. It recommends “digging roots out with a shovel, wearing gloves,” then throwing the gloves away and washing with lye soap or Fels Naptha. Then clean your tools with a solvent to break down the oil—Pine Sol or Simple Green, ammonia, paint thinner, or acetone. Remember that the oils will be on your boots, too, and your clothes. Wash immediately (Bethann). The article also says that if you repeatedly cut it down “with a mower or weedeater the roots will eventually starve and die.” DON’T burn it! You will send the oils airborne in the smoke!

POTATOES: Bury Potato Stem

In the Feb. ‘96 issue of Organic Gardening Mel B. suggests a method of growing potatoes, i.e. digging a foot down and “hilling” in the hole as the plant grows in order to produce a long stem and a high yield.

I tried that this year and was somewhat too successful!

I planted remnants from last year’s Yukon Gold crop in the following pattern:

O O O O
O O O O
O O O O
X X X X

where the X’s are potatoes and the O’s are something else, in this case a mix of salad vegetables.

The vines got *enormous*, so much so that I put in welded wire fencing to get the growth headed upward instead of all over everything else in the bed and in neighboring beds.

The size of the vines surprised me, since here in the Skagit Valley (Northwest Washington State) commercially-grown potatoes (and there are a *lot* of them!) display a much more compact growth habit. They are, I believe, Red Nakotas (sp.?) and Cascade Whites. Previously, I let the vines sprawl on the ground, and their height (if directed upward) wasn’t immediately apparent.

In desperation, I cut the vines at ground level on 7 Aug. although the plants still had plenty of growing to do. By that date almost all of the commercial fields had either been harvested or vine-killed.

I harvested on 21 Aug. The yield was good: much greater percentage of tubers were good-sized with not many “marbles” at all. As usual, among eight plants, there were two tubers which were gooey. I think this may be bacterial soft rot, but I’m not sure.

I may have self-inflicted this problem by planting the entire potato instead of cutting out an eye, treating the cut edges and planting that. Next year I’ll experiment by doing that, and perhaps by devoting one entire bed to potatoes, using welded wire fencing again if required.

POTATOES: Grow Potatoes Vertically!!

In North Carolina, potatoes can be planted in the Fall with this method: loosen the soil; .....lay a car tire on top of it.... put a layer of leaf mulch down on the ground inside the tire, then lay your potato ‘seed’ on top. Then apply another layer of leaf or straw mulch, and then a layer of soil.

Roots will begin to grow before it gets too cold because the mulch breaking down, producing heat, plus the black rubber of the tire absorbs the sun’s heat and protects the ‘seed.’ .

Come spring your above ground growing takes place and you have an early, well-established plant. THEN: you keep adding soil and mulch around the bottom of the plant as it gets taller, covering the bottom inches of the plant but always leaving 7 - 8 inches of green potato leaves growing up top; and you keep stacking more tires on top. Eventually you have a modest

“tower of tires” with the green part of the plant still growing out the top one.

To harvest: just knock over the tire tower. You’ll find many dozens of beautiful big potatoes.

POTATOES: Planting Potatoes In Straw

First-time experiment: mixed results.

Many of the potatoes rotted. We did get a lot of wet weather right away, and with the straw covering the potatoes, I think it created too much humidity. It was always wet (not just damp/cool) under the straw. Next year I would bury the seed potatoes and only begin covering with straw only as the plants grew.

The potatoes took a long time to root. Until the roots found the soil, they were just hanging off the potato. Again, had I planted them in the dirt, I think they’d have gotten a faster start.

Animals got a bunch of seed potatoes. Don’t know if this is directly related to the straw method or to the fact that the electric fence wasn’t up yet :-). If they were buried, they’d smell less, and attract fewer animals?

The straw packed down with time. This is a good thing, but means you need to get out there and replenish the straw. I had 5 3x10 beds, and used about 3 bales. I didn’t have “seed free straw” - is there such a thing, really? - but the wheat seeds that took were easy to pull out, since the soil under the straw was quite moist.

Harvesting is really easy. Just lift the straw. Potatoes are just sitting on top of the soil, or halfway embedded in the ground. You don’t even need tools. We just pulled out the potatoes and left them age a day or two on top of the straw. This, IMO, is the best part about the straw method. You don’t go slicing up your crop with a shovel or fork.

Production for each plant was not much different for us than the standard growing method, though the late start had some negative impact.

Oh, and home grown potatoes are Really Good. But you already knew that.

Learned: plant earlier, plant in the dirt, lay straw later, and keep that electric fence on!

POTATOES: Potatoes In The Mulch

Years and years ago (I’ve just dated myself) in the old Organic Gardening and Farming Magazine, there were many articles about Ruth Stout’s method of no-till gardening. For years, she’d placed heavy mulch of hay over her garden area, then just pulled aside the mulch in a narrow row or area and planted her seed.

I tried this with potatoes by laying the sprouted pieces on the surface of soil I’d loosened and was free of weeds. I covered the potatoes with 6 to 12 inches of hay. The potato sprouts came up through the hay and it seemed there was less trouble with the Colorado Potato Beetle. Handpicking took care of those few.

As summer progressed, I’d pull aside the hay and scrounge the largest potatoes from the clump for eating, then re-cover with mulch and water heavily so they’d continue to grow and the small potatoes would enlarge. When the vines either had dried completely or there was a frost to kill the still-living vines, I’d remove the mulch and harvest all the remaining potatoes.

I’d think in a 9 sq. ft.. bed = 3’x3’, you could plant 5 potato seed:

x x
x
x x

The vines would overrun the bed, but this would be of maximum utilization.

POTATOES: Square Foot Potatoes

We did potatoes by using a 2 ft. x 2 ft. area and 2 plants at the opposing corners:

We placed the sprouting potato just at the soil level and covered with a 3 inch thick layer of mulch. When the plant was @ 8 inches tall. We then used rose collars(2 connected to make a circle @1 1/2 ft diameter) to surround each plant. Then as the plants grew I filled in the collars with shredded bark mulch (leaving at least 4 inches of the plant exposed). When it grew up, I added another collar and more mulch.When this 2nd level was reached I just let the plant grow. After the plant dies back just open the collars. Push out the mulch and the potatoes will tumble loose...We got @ 12 potatoes from each plant.

SEEDS: Non-Hybrid Seeds

I’ve recently ordered from the following two places for non-hybrid seeds, and received my order within 7-10 days. Pinetree has many seeds for shorter growing season in addition to their regular seeds. R.H. Shumway has seeds for southern states and others. PineTree Garden Seeds, Box 300, New Gloucester, Maine 04260 207-926-3400 email orders superseeds@worldnet.att.net website orders superseeds, com fax 1-888-52-seeds(73337) The entire catalogue is available on the website; send your credit number in two separate messages. Almost every seed packet is under a dollar!

I’ve have good seed viability for the last 5 years or so.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (804)973-4703 this is an expensive catalog but it has some incredible stuff you won’t find anywhere else: non-hybrid, open-pollinated, heirloom 18th century European, American, and Indian-era (Hopi, Cherokee) seeds

Shumway Seedsman, PO Box 1, Graniteville, South Carolina 29829-0001 1-803-663-9771 fax 1-888-437-2733 They sell in bulk and wholesale. Also, they carry seed corn etc., hay seed, and the normal items for a gardener. I still haven’t found a non-hybrid sweet corn but may have over-looked it. If you plan on saving the seeds from these non-hybrid, remember carrots are biennial, and also plant certain specie of a plant at a certain distant so they do not cross-pollinate on their own. I think like field corn is 700 feet depending on wind.

Heirloom Vegetable Gardening by William Woys Weaver is probably one of the best books out on preserving your own seed and concern for old varieties that I have seen. It would be very helpful in getting started. It has a lot of wonderful addresses in the back.

I wouldn’t count on being able to go somewhere and buy seeds anytime soon after Y2k. It will be just as important to know how to preserve your seeds as to buy non-hybrid seeds.

SEEDS: Store Your Seeds Underground!

Most of these companies that sell seeds for emergency storage are packaging them in sealed cans to lengthen storage time. You can put them in sealed plastic bags and store them for long periods of time in the freezer or refrigerator. Basically the cooler and dryer you can keep them the better.

I don’t have a basement and I don’t want to be dependent on an electric refrigerator so until I have enough money for a gas fridge, here’s what a survivalist told me for storing things. It makes good sense especially since I have a hill and woods right behind my house (on my property). You can package seeds in sealed plastic bags and put the bags into one of those insulated water jugs like you get from WalMart for $2.50. Seal the lid with flexible caulking (hard caulking is too hard to remove) Dig down in the ground until the earth feels cool (about 45 degrees.) Even on the hottest days, it’s cool underground. Then bury your coolers and make sure you make a record of where you’ve put things. You can also seal things in wide diameter PVC pipe and cap the ends. Things will stay dry and cool.

TIRES: ReUsing Tires Safely

We just bought this place and are discovering the previous owner left several tires of different types. We have several tractor tires, car tires and a couple of tires we coldn’t identify, about the size of a car tire but much narrower, but bigger that a bike tire.

Some of these tires are cracked about an inch or two from the edge. Right now we are trying to collect them all and stack them in one place: I need to at least cover them after getting any standing water out of them, so they don’t provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

I’m trying to use tires for planters that have not had the “seal” damaged. The hermetic seal is actually the normal outside edge of the tire, whether it is the edge that was sealed at the factory by the manufacturing process (inner surface and sides) or the edge that was sealed due to actual friction during road usage (the tread section)

Now, of course, using them as planters you would only be concerned with the inside surface anyway. The outside would not be exposed to water long enough for leaching to EVER become a factor.

If you chip or grind the tires up, as was done for “rubberized asphalt”, you are creating much more surface area, most of which is a freshly cut edge.That edge will not be heat sealed, so has a possibility of leaching chemicals into the soil. In our tests, this is STILL virtually undetectable, if at all. But personally, I would not use ground or chipped tire as, say, a soil amendment. That is just a personal opinion though. They ARE used now in septic drainage systems, and work well in that use.

The steel belting and fiber is a different matter altogether. Those DO cause leachates to appear in soil if they are exposed and buried/submerged. Again, they will be harmless on the outside of a tire if you plant stuff inside of it.

TOMATOES: Flowers But No Tomatoes

You might try mulching heavy or find some way to keep them cooler. Tomato pollen won’t work right over about 92 degrees so you get no tomatoes. If you want a real good crop, just go out and occasionally “thump” the plants when they are blooming. Not hard, just enough to make the pollen dislodge. (Maybe “tapping” is a better word :)

When I do this, the tomatoes line up like grapes in a bunch.

http://web.archive.org/web/20011211133759/www.foodstorage.net/guides20.htm

The One Year
LDS Food Storage Plan
(Original Author Unknown)

THE FOLLOWING QUOTES CAME FROM THE ORIGINAL DISK PROGRAM WHICH HAD NO COPYRIGHT OR AUTHORSHIP INFORMATION & HAS BEEN WIDELY CIRCULATED AS THE “LDS” FOOD STORAGE PROGRAM:

“This program is designed to assist your family in building a food storage program using selected basic storage items.

http://web.archive.org/web/20011211135524/www.foodstorage.net/guides21.htm

Plan #2

A One Year
Food Storage Planner
(Similar to the Revelar Plan)

This plan is much like the Revelar Plan, and in most ways is similar to Food Storage Plan 1, however this plan has considerably more generous allowances per person. It also expands into some vegetables, a fruit item, hygiene and a few other miscellaneous items. We personally think many of the items are far too generous and wonder it might not be wiser to spend the extra money on more variety, especially in the vegetable and fruit areas.

Revelar’s software program is interactive and gives you the ability to enter product prices, family size, and even other products not shown in their original list. If you would be interested in knowing more about their program you can check into it at their site.

http://web.archive.org/web/20011220141848/www.nursehealer.com/FS17.htm

LDS Monthly Plan to Acquire Food Storage, 72-Hour Kit & First Aid Kit in One Year
by NurseHealer.com

NOTE: If any of the suggested items are not items your family would use, substitute items your family uses.

January

Quotation:
“Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine, and earth quake cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not acquainted with the revelations of the Lord, or they do not believe them. Those who smugly think these calamities will not happen, that they will somehow be set aside because of the righteousness of the Saints, are deceived and will rue the day they harbored such a delusion.” (Ezra Taft Benson - October Conference, 1980 Ensign, Nov 1980:32-33

Spiritual Goal:
Pray continually, fervently, and humbly. Practice personal and family daily prayer. Set aside time to learn about and improve your prayers.

Provident Living Goal:
Learn a new skill or obtain certification by taking a class, correspondence course, lecture, or some other educational experience. This could be a skill related to preparedness, spirituality, or education related to your career or personal interests.

Home Storage Goal:
Pasta – 50 lbs. per person
Oil - 2 gallons per person
Tomatoes (canned, sauce, paste) – 10 cans per person
Water (1 to 2 gallons per person per day) – 30 gallons per person

72 Hour Kit Goal:
cooking stove
fuel
waterproof matches and/or lighter

First Aid Kit Goal:
Triangular bandages – 4 per person

February

Quotation:
“...when we really get into hard times, where food is scarce or there is none at all, and so with clothing and shelter, money may be no good for there may be nothing to buy, and you cannot eat money, you cannot get enough of it together to burn to keep you warm, and you cannot wear it.” (President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. - Church News, November 21, 1953, p.4.)

Spiritual Goal:
Read the Holy Scriptures daily and set aside family time for Scriptures at least weekly. Plan the time and place for your scripture study, and set a goal to study each day.

Provident Living Goal:
Develop a budget that is reasonable and responsible, and live within your budget in order to pay your bills, reduce or eliminate debt, and pay your tithes and offerings.

Home Storage Goal:
Flour – 25 lbs. per person
Sugar – 100 lbs. per person (includes honey, molasses, corn syrup, etc.)
Potatoes – 25 lbs. per person (may include dehydrated flakes, pearls, etc.)
Water (1 to 2 gallons per person per day) – 30 gallons per person

72 Hour Kit Goal:
Cooking & eating utensils

First Aid Kit Goal:
4 x 4 inch bandage pads – 10 per person

March

Quotation:
“We continue to encourage members to store sufficient food, clothing, and, where possible, fuel for at least one year. We have not laid down an exact formula for what should be stored. However, we suggest that members concentrate on essential foods that sustain life, such as grains, legumes, cooking oil, powdered milk, salt, sugar or honey, and water. Most families can achieve and maintain this basic level of preparedness. The decision to do more than this rests with the individual. We encourage you to follow this counsel with the assurance that a people prepared through obedience to the commandments of God need not fear.” The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Ezra Taft Benson, Gordon B. Hinckley, and Thomas S. Monson) June 24, 1988 in a letter to General Authorities and the following Priesthood leaders in the United States and Canada: Area Authorities (formerly Regional Reps.); Stake, Mission, and District Presidents; Bishops and Branch Presidents.

Spiritual Goal:
Hold Family Home Evening every Monday night.

Provident Living Goal:
Learn a new method of food production, preservation, or preparation.

Home Storage Goal:
Beans (dry) – 50 lbs. per person
Milk (dry) – 20 lbs. per person
Spices & herbs
Water (1 to 2 gallons per person per day) – 30 gallons per person

72 Hour Kit Goal:
Canteen; can opener; sewing & repair kit

First Aid Kit Goal:
1-inch bandage roll – 1 per person

April

Quotation:
“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.” (Elder George A. Smith - Journal of Discourses, vol. 12, p. 142.)

Spiritual Goal:
Perform some act of service to family members or others at least once a week.

Provident Living Goal:
Set aside a specific amount of savings for emergencies, and set a goal to add to your savings regularly.

Home Storage Goal:
Canned soup, stew, or chili – 50 cans per person
Jams, jellies, or preserves – 3 lbs. per person
Condiments
Water (1 to 2 gallons per person per day) – 30 gallons per person

72 Hour Kit Goal:
Dishrag; dishwashing liquid; toilet tissue; pocket knife; fishing gear

First Aid Kit Goal:
1-inch adhesive tape roll – 1 per person

May

Quotation:
“The principle of the fat and lean kine is as applicable today as it was in the days when, on the banks of the Nile, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream. Officials now warn us, and warn again, that scant days are coming.” (President Heber J. Grant, J. Reuben Clark, Jr., David O. McKay (First Presidency), Conference Report 1942 as quoted in We Believe, by Rulon T. Burton)

Spiritual Goal:
Repent of wrongdoing at least weekly by asking forgiveness of the Lord and of anyone you may have wronged. Find a way to atone for your wrongdoing by setting things right, making restitution, or doing a good deed.

Provident Living Goal:
Learn how to do basic machine and hand sewing, mending, and clothing remodeling. Set a goal to build a useful sewing kit for your home and place a smaller sewing kit in your 72-hour emergency kit.

Home Storage Goal:
Wheat – 100 lbs. per person
Milk (Evaporated) – 12 cans per person
Ready Dinners – 24 dinners per person (May include cans, packets, etc.; i.e. Ravioli, Chicken & Dumplings)
Water (1 to 2 gallons per person per day) – 30 gallons per person

72 Hour Kit Goal:
Lantern; flashlight; candles; alarm clock; radio

First Aid Kit Goal:
Adhesive bandages (Bandaids) – 10 per person

June

Quotation:
“The time will come that gold will hold no comparison in value to a bushel of wheat.” (Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, p. 250, 1943 ed., p. 298.)

Spiritual Goal:
Attend regularly meetings of a spiritual nature related to Church, family, community, and charity.

Provident Living Goal:
Learn how to plan and prepare nutritious, appetizing meals using the resources available, and foods from home storage shelves.

Home Storage Goal:
Canned meat – 24 cans per person
Shortening – 5 lbs. per person
Cheese (May include powdered cheese) – 10 lbs. per person
Water (1 to 2 gallons per person per day) – 30 gallons per person

72 Hour Kit Goal:
Compass; whistle; games; important documents

First Aid Kit Goal:
Cotton-tipped swabs – 10 per person

July

Quotation:
“Maintain a year’s supply. The Lord has urged that his people save for the rainy days, prepare for the difficult times, and put away for emergencies, a year’s supply or more of bare necessities so that when comes the flood, the earthquake, the famine, the hurricane, the storms of life, our families can be sustained through the dark days. How many of us have complied with this? We strive with the Lord, finding many excuses: We do not have room for storage. The food spoils. We do not have the funds to do it. We do not like these common foods. It is not needed — there will always be someone to help in trouble. The government will come to the rescue. And some intend to obey but procrastinate.” The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.375

Spiritual Goal:
Share the Gospel, or some part of it, with someone at least once a week.

Provident Living Goal:
Learn a new method of natural healing or first aid.

Home Storage Goal:
Corn (dry) – 100 lbs. per person (or cornmeal if you don’t have a corn grinder)
Juice (fruit or vegetable) – 50 quarts per person
Soup Mix (Dry) – 5 lbs. per person
Water (1 to 2 gallons per person per day) – 30 gallons per person

72 Hour Kit Goal:
Camp shower; towel; washcloth; soap; metal mirror; survival manual

First Aid Kit Goal:
Alcohol preps – 10 per person

August

Quotation:
“Let us avoid debt as we would avoid a plague...Let every head of every household see to it that he has on hand enough food and clothing, and, where possible, fuel also, for at least a year ahead...Let every head of household aim to own his own home, free from mortgage. Let us again clothe ourselves with these proved and sterling virtues—honesty, truthfulness, chastity, sobriety, temperance, industry, and thrift; let us discard all covetousness and greed.” (President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. - April 1937 General Conference - Welfare conference address, October 1, 1966).

Spiritual Goal:
Each day this month put on the “whole armour of God”. (Ephesians 6: 10-18)

Provident Living Goal:
Learn and use a method of home repair and maintenance you’ve never tried before.

Home Storage Goal:
Canned vegetables – 100 lbs. per person
Gelatin (flavored) – 1 lb. per person
Fruit drink (powdered) – 6 lbs. per person
Water (1 to 2 gallons per person per day) – 30 gallons per person

72 Hour Kit Goal:
Shampoo; toiletries; sunblock; insect repellant

First Aid Kit Goal:
Antibiotic ointment – 1 tube per person

September

Quotation:
“Should the Lord decide at this time to cleanse the Church — and the need for that cleansing seems to be increasing – a famine in this land of one year’s duration could wipe out a large percentage of slothful members, including some ward and stake officers. Yet we cannot say we have not been warned.” (God, Family, Country, p. 383.)

Spiritual Goal:
Fast in prayer with a purpose at least once a month.

Provident Living Goal:
Prepare and practice an emergency plan for your home and family.

Home Storage Goal:
Oats – 100 lbs. per person
Yeast – 1 lb. per person
Baking soda – 1 lb. per person
Water (1 to 2 gallons per person per day) – 30 gallons per person

72 Hour Kit Goal:
Sleeping bag; bedding; pen; paper

First Aid Kit Goal:
Bandage scissors – 1 per person

October

Quotation:
“We encourage families to have on hand this year’s supply; and we say it over and over and over and repeat over and over the scripture of the Lord where he says, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46.) How empty it is as they put their spirituality, so-called, into action and call him by his important names, but fail to do the things which he says. A man should not only be prepared to protect himself physically, but he should also have on hand sufficient supplies to sustain himself and his family in an emergency. For many years the leaders of the Mormon Church have recommended, with instructions, that every family have on hand at least a year’s supply of basic food, clothing, fuel (where possible), and provisions for shelter. This has been most helpful to families suffering temporary reverses. It can and will be useful in many circumstances in the days ahead. We also need to get out of financial bondage, to be debt-free.” (God, Family, Country, p. 331.)

Spiritual Goal:
Study the scriptures prayerfully, intently, and regularly at least once a week.

Provident Living Goal:
Learn a new survival skill that might be useful in an emergency situation.

Home Storage Goal:
Canned fruit – 100 lbs. per person
Salt – 10 lbs. per person
Baking powder – 2 lbs. per person
Water (1 to 2 gallons per person per day) – 30 gallons per person

72 Hour Kit Goal:
Tent; tarp; backpack

First Aid Kit Goal:
Tweezers; safety pins; penlight

November

Quotation:
“You do not need to go into debt to obtain a year’s supply. Plan to build up your food supply just as you would a savings account. Save a little for storage each paycheck. Can or bottle fruit and vegetables from your gardens and orchards. Learn how to preserve food through drying and possibly freezing. Make your storage a part of your budget. Store seeds and have sufficient tools on hand to do the job. If you are saving and planning for a second car or a television set or some item which merely adds to your comfort or pleasure, you may need to change your priorities. We urge you to do this prayerfully and do it now. I speak with a feeling of great urgency.” (CR October 1980, Ensign 10 [November 1980]

Spiritual Goal:
Change a specific habit or attitude that is keeping you from increased spirituality and keeping your home and family from great joy and peace.

Provident Living Goal:
Learn alternative methods of cleaning, sanitation, and sterilization for environmental quality and sanitation in your home and first aid.

Home Storage Goal:
Rice – 50 lbs. per person
Vinegar – 1 gallon per person
Pudding Mix – 1 lb. per person
Water (1 to 2 gallons per person per day) – 30 gallons per person

72 Hour Kit Goal:
Shovel; tools; gloves

First Aid Kit Goal:
Latex gloves – 2 pair per person

December

Quotation:
“...If we are to be saved in an ark, as Noah and his family were, it will be because we build it… My faith does not lead me to think the Lord will provide us with roast pigs, bread already buttered, etc., He will give us the ability to raise the grain, to obtain the fruits of the earth, to make habitations, to procure a few boards to make a box, and when harvest comes, giving us the grain, it is for us to preserve it—to save the wheat until we have one, two, five or seven years’ provisions on hand, until there is enough of the staff of life saved by the people to bread themselves and those who will come here seeking for safety.”.( Marion G. Romney (Quoting Brigham Young) - April Conference, 1976)

Spiritual Goal:
Study the true meaning of Christmas. Plan to put Christ in the center of the Christmas season.

Provident Living Goal:
Learn a new skill of thriftiness.

Home Storage Goal:
Peanut butter – 10 lbs. per person
Mayonnaise (or salad dressing) – 3 quarts per person
Mixes (cake, muffin, cornbread, etc.) – 30 packets or boxes per person
Water (1 to 2 gallons per person per day) – 30 gallons per person

72 Hour Kit Goal:
Clothing; rain gear; rope or twine

First Aid Kit Goal:
Syrup of Ipecac; activated charcoal

NurseHealer.com

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