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More tips for when you are having to ‘make-do’.

Homemade Bisquick Mix

8 cups flour
1 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1/4 cup baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups shortening

Combine flour, milk, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening. Store in tightly closed container in cool place. Use anywhere Bisquick or other biscuit baking mix is called for.
Shake and Bake

2 c. Bisquick
4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika

Good for chicken or pork chops. Dredge meat and bake uncovered at 325.
Recipe from a 2001 Cedar County Catholic Schools Cookbook
Make Your Own Cake Flour

To turn all purpose flour into cake flour:
Use —
2 c. minus 2 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Sift together. This is a great cake flour.
Sweetened Condensed Milk #1

1/2 cup boiling water
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of powdered milk

Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over 3/4 cup sugar. Mix well. Add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of powdered milk. Stir until dissolved. Let stand in fridge for a couple of hours.
Sweetened Condensed Milk #2

1 cup nonfat dry milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
3 tablsp melted margarine

Combine all ingredients in a blender, process till smooth.
Recipe from a Classic Creations cookbook
Whipped Cream Substitute

1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 pound butter or margarine softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cook flour and milk until thick; cool. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in flour mixture
Recipe from 1974 Family Circle Cookbook
Blender Sour Cream Substitute

1/4 cup water or milk
8 oz creamed cottage cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Put all ingredients in the blender. Cover. Press button 8 for 30 seconds, flash blend until creamy. Use this just as you would regular sour cream. Add a sprig of parsley while blending if you plan on using it for baked potatoes. (Low Calorie)
Recipe from 1970 Cookbook
Blender Made Butter

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup ice water

Put cream into blender, cover. Press button 2 and blend until thickened around the blades. Keep motor running and pour ice water through opening in top. Press button 6, and blend 1 to 2 minutes longer until butter forms. Turn into a strainer to drain. Pack butter into mold or squares and chill. The secret to success is using cream that is a couple of days old and watching the blender at work.
Recipe from 1970 Cookbook
Seasoned Salt

1 cup salt
2 tblsp. celery salt
2 tblsp. garlic salt
2 tblsp. paprika,
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed for 20 seconds. Also see Homemade Taco Seasoning
How to Make Worcestershire Sauce

3 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup plum jam
1 small crushed clove garlic
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/3 cup molasses
1 small chopped onion
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. dry mustard

Combine all ingredients in large saucepan. Stir over heat until mixture boils. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour stirring occasionally. Strain mixture into hot sterilized jars. Seal when cold. Makes 2 cups.
Summer Sausage

17 lbs ground beef
3 lbs ground pork
6 T. mustard seed
4 T. garlic powder
4 tsp. mace

Mix well and let stand for 2 days, then grind again. Stuff in bags and cook 25 minutes, then smoke for about 3 hours.
Make Your Own Jerky

5 lbs. beef, venison, or turkey
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. Liquid Smoke
1 T. onion salt
1 T. garlic salt
1/2 T. black pepper

Slice meat 1/4 to 1/2 inches thick and trim off fat. Mix all ingredients and pour over meat, making sure it is evenly coated. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hrs or overnight is best. Drain meat. Put in single layer in food dehydrator and dry 3 to 4 hrs, more or less depending on your dehydrator. Can’t really overdry it, but it tastes best if meat is still flexible when cooled. Store meat in tightly sealed container in refrigerator.

Recipe Note: Don’t know how long it will keep for sure since container always seems to be empty in a hurry. You can also freeze some to keep it longer. Other variations - add brown sugar, molasses, cracked pepper, seasoning salt, Mrs. Dash, barbeque sauce or jerky seasoning spices from the store.
Recipe from a 2001 Cedar County Catholic School in Hartington, North Nebraska
Bologna

100 lbs ground beef
3oz pepper (scant)
1 lb sugar
8 lbs hot water
4 lbs Tender-Quick
1oz salt peter
2 oz accent

Grind beef once, then add salt mixture and water and grind again. Let set 4 days, then grind again. Stuff in bags and smoke. Boil 30 minutes, then put in cans and cold pack for 3 hours.
How to Clean Leftover Grease

Do you save your leftover grease in a can? You don’t have to throw leftover grease from bacon, sausage, hamburgers etc. away. Reuse it by making your own lard, or add birdseed to make your own bird fat.

Back when we couldn’t afford to buy shortening, we retified (cleaned) our leftover grease. Here’s how:

1.Melt the grease that is in the can till it is loose enough to pour into a pot.
2. Add twice as much water as you have grease.
3. For each cup of smelly fat, add two table spoons of vinegar or lemon juice in half a cup of water and boil.
4. Boil the grease and water for about a half hour.
5. Let cool then refrigerate.

Once it cools the grease will float to the top and harden. Run a knife around the edge of the hardened grease and flip it out of the pot onto your hand. Some scum will be on the bottom, scrape it off with a knife. Now the grease is clean and reuseable.

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Homemade Recipes

When I was little I remember my mother used to use a mix of vinegar and water to clean the windows, and we dried them with newspaper. Below are some other household cleaners you can make.
Make Your Own Window Wash

1/2 c. sudsy ammonia
1 pint 70% alcohol
1 T. liquid detergent
Water to make 1 gallon

Mix and store in a gallon plastic milk jug.