Hash Brown Potatoes

Save leftover baked potatoes in the fridge and grate them the next morning. Heat butter or margarine in frying pan and add grated potatoes. Cook one side. Turn with spatula and cook other side.

Make sure the butter is good and hot when you put in your grated potatoes. Don't turn them until they are golden brown. When ever I bake potatoes for dinner I always try to have leftovers so I can have hash browns for breakfast. Sometimes I serve hash browns with sloppy joe for dinner.

Waffles

2 eggs separated
1 1/2 cups milk (I change to 1 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I change to 1/4 cup)
1 3/4 cups flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Beat egg whites until stiff and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks until thick. Beating, add milk and oil. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Fold in egg whites. Cook in waffle iron.

This recipe is from my sister-in-law, Christy. I double the recipe and freeze the leftovers for toaster waffles. It is a Magnusson family tradition to have waffles every Saturday.

Maple Syrup

4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups water
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maple flavoring

Combine white and brown sugar and water in pot. Stir. Put on stove and bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid turns clear. Don’t stir the syrup while it is boiling. Then turn off heat and add vanilla and maple flavoring and stir.

I got this recipe from my Roommate Charlayne VanRy over 30 years ago and it is the only syrup we serve at the Mag Pad.

Buttermilk Pancakes

2 eggs
2 cups plus buttermilk
2 TBS cooking oil
1 tsp salt
2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Beat first five ingredients with wire whip until smooth.
Sift in flour and beat adding buttermilk until it is consistency of thick syrup.
Fry on hot skillet.
For wheat pancakes use honey for sugar and add 1 tsp. vanilla

I've been on the look-out for a good "made from scratch" pancake recipe and this one won. I got it from the Little family recipe book. I don't have buttermilk on hand, so I add 1 TBS vinegar to each cup of milk when the recipe calls for buttermilk.

White Chicken Chili

1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 TBS oil
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies, drained
3 TBS flour
2 tsp cumin
2 cans Great Northern Beans
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken breast
OPTIONAL:
shredded cheese
sour cream
salsa

In a big pot, saute onion. Add chilies, flour and cumin, cook and stir. Add beans and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes, or until thickened. Add chicken; cook until hot. Serve with cheese, sour cream and salsa, if desired. Serves 4-ish.

My roommate, Heather, would make this a lot. SOOO yummy and SOOO easy. Double everything to feed a larger family.

Fudge

3 cups sugar
3 TBS Hershey cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup whipping cream

In heavy pot, mix sugar and cocoa really good. Add cream and mix again. Cook over stove and stir until it reaches boiling point. Have it continue to boil. Stir occasionally until it forms a soft ball in cold water. (this process usually takes around 20 minutes to get to the soft ball stage)

Put a piece of butter (about 1 TBS) and 1 tsp vanilla on a large platter. (I use a 9 x 13 glass pan.) Pour on fudge when it has reached the soft ball stage. Do not scrape pan. Let stand until cool. Then beat with a fork for several minutes as it thickens. If it thickens too fast while beating add just a little more cream.

Fold in miniature marshmallows. (Amount desired)

Roll into a long roll using wax paper to roll it in
Roll in nuts and let stand for awhile.
Save by wrapping in wax paper.
Do not put in fridge.

This recipe is from my Grandma Buchanan. My mom would make it every Christmas. I use a candy thermometer to make sure I have the correct soft ball stage. It will have to boil somewhere about 10 - 15 minutes to get there. (240 degrees F) This fudge is so good!

Pretzels

1/8 cup hot water
1 TBS dry yeast
1 1/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 1/2 cups flour
5 TBS baking soda
Coarse kosher salt (table salt works, too)
Egg whites (optional--makes pretzels shiny when cooked)

Mix hot water and yeast.  Add in warm water and brown sugar.  Stir in flour. Knead dough (with extra flour as needed) for 8-10 minutes. Set aside.  (Dough will not be moist and fluffy like bread dough.  It is more dry and rubbery.)

Grease cookie sheets. (Use your old ugly ones. They will get stained.) Fill a pot with water (about 5 cups). Add 1 TBS of baking soda for every cup of water. Bring water to a gentle boil.

Pinch off golf-ball size pieces of dough and shape as desired. (Dense shapes like a ball don't work well.  If you want traditional shaped pretzels, watch this tutorial.)  Lower pretzels into boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and place on greased cookie sheets. Brush with egg whites, if desired, and sprinkle with salt.

Bake at 450 for 8 minutes.  Best eaten warm with cream cheese--try some fun flavors!

This is Lisa...I got this fantastic recipe from my college roommate, Jess. It's become an informal family tradition to make them on New Years Eve. They're also great for group dates, game nights, and YSA FHE activities. Little kids love to make them, too!

Raisin Squares

Boil 1 cup raisins in 1 1/2 cup water for 8 minutes. There should be 3/4 c. liquid left.

Beat with beaters: 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup shortening, 2 eggs

Add: 2 cups plus 2 Tbs flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Liquid from raisins
Raisins

Put on greased 10 x 15 jelly roll pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes.


Glaze:

1 TBS margarine. Melt on stove top. Put in 2 Tbs milk. Add enough powdered sugar to desired consistency. Add vanilla or almond or lemon flavoring. Pour glaze over raisin squares immediately after they come out of the oven.

This is a recipe my mom got 30+ years ago from Rhea Rader. It is one of my favorite. I often make raisin squares when it is Scott's turn to bring treats for their morning administrator meeting.

Cooked Wheat Cereal*

1 cup wheat
3 cups water
1/2 tsp salt

Use one of the following cooking methods:

Slow Cooker: Combine the ingredients. Cook six to eight hours or overnight on low setting

Stovetop: Combine the ingredients. Cook about one hour, or soak overnight and cook for 30 minutes.

Thermos: Bring the water to boil in a pan. Put the wheat and salt into a one-quart thermos. Add the bliling water to the thermos, and screw the top on lightly. Allow to stand overnight.


Oven: Combine the ingredients. Cook overnight at 150 degrees F

This recipe is from providentliving.org


Early on in our marriage, Scott would occasionally have this for breakfast. He would eat it with honey, milk, and raisins. Since I came from a home where I loved to eat Captain Crunch, and Lucky Charm cereal, I thought this was a most unusual thing to eat for breakfast. This cereal will defiantly fill you up!

*This recipe is obviously a food storage recipe. Why else would you eat wheat for breakfast than to use up all that wheat stored in the crawl space under your house?

Angel Delight

1 angel food cake (home made or store bought)

1 8 oz. tub cool whip
2 lg. pkg. of cooked chocolate pudding

1 sm. chocolate bar.

Tear up angel food cake into bite size chunks and place in a 9” x 13”. Prepare 2 boxes of chocolate cooked pudding as directed on the package. Cool slightly and pour over cake. Refrigerate until cool; cover with cool whip or whipped cream. Garnish with a shaved chocolate bar. (Sugar free cooked pudding and light cool whip may be used for a lower calorie dessert.

This is Roberta Priestley's recipe. I enjoyed this recipe when Roberta's sister, Adelaide Linford, served this at a meeting with the Temple City Ward bishopric. It was so good I could hardly wait to make it! I did make it using instant pudding, and it just wasn't the same as when Adelaide made it. So, I would suggest that you do make this recipe, use the cooked pudding.

B-B-Q Sauce

1 cup ketchup
1 small can tomato sauce
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 TBS prepared mustard
1/4 tsp Lowry season salt
1/4 tsp Lowry season pepper

Mix well

Side note. Instead of the Lowry's seasonings I have used the seasoning -Mrs. Dash.

This Harris family recipe goes back to my childhood. It is a sweet BBQ sauce. I like to use it when I cook chicken in the crock pot and then serve the chicken and broth with rice. Add a few stir fry vegetables to your leftovers and you have a nice stir fry dish.

Seven Major Mistakes in Food Storage

Seven Major Mistakes in Food Storage
Printed in the Nov/Dec 1995 issue of The Preparedness Journal

By Vickie Tate
Used by Permission


A month or two ago I met a cute little gal who was talking to me about her newly begun food storage. "You know," she began, "I've dreaded doing my storage for years, it seems so blah, but the way national events are going my husband and I decided we couldn't put it off anymore. And do you know, it really hasn't been so hard. We just bought 20 bags of wheat, my husband found a place to get 60 pound cans of honey, and now all we have to do is get a couple of cases of powdered milk. Could you tell me where to get the milk?"

After I suggested several distributors, I asked, "Do you know how to cook with your wheat?

"Oh," she laughed, "if we ever need it I'll learn how. My kids only like white bread and I don't have a wheat grinder."

She had just made every major mistake in storing food (other than not storing anything at all). But she's not alone, through 14 years of helping people prepare, I found most people's storage starts looking just like hers. So what's wrong with this storage plan? There are seven serious problems that may occur trying to live on these basics:

Variety - Most people don't have enough variety in their storage. Ninety five percent of the people I've worked with have only stored the four basic items we mentioned earlier: wheat, milk, honey, and salt. Statistics show most of us won't survive on such a diet for several reasons.

a. Many people are allergic to wheat and may not be aware of it until they are eating it meal after meal.b. Wheat is too harsh for young children. They can tolerate it in small amounts but not as their main staple.c. We get tired of eating the same foods over and over and many times prefer to not eat, than to sample that particular food again. This is called appetite fatigue. Young children and older people are particularly susceptible to it. Store less wheat than is generally suggested and put the difference into a variety of other grains, particular ones your family likes to eat. Also store a variety of beans. This will add variety of color, texture and flavor. Variety is the key to a successful storage program. It is essential that you store flavorings such as tomato, bouillon, cheese, and onion.

Also, include a good supply of the spices you like to cook with. These flavorings and spices allow you to do many creative things with your grains and beans. Without them you are severely limited. One of the best suggestions I can give you is buy a good food storage cookbook, go through it, and see what your family would really eat. Notice the ingredients as you do it. This will help you more than anything else to know what items to store.

Extended Staples - Few people get beyond storing the four basic items but it's extremely important that you do so. Never put "all your eggs in one basket." Store dehydrated and/or freeze dried foods as well as home canned and "store bought" canned goods. Make sure you add cooking oil, shortening, baking powder, soda, yeast and powdered eggs. You can't cook even the most basic recipes without these items. Because of limited space I won't list all the items that should be included in a well-balanced storage program. They are included in the "The New Cookin With Home Storage" cookbook, as well as information on how much to store, and where to purchase it.

Vitamins - Vitamins are important, especially if you have children, since children do not store body reserves of nutrients as adults do. A good quality multi-vitamin and vitamin C are the most vital. Others might be added as your budget permits.

Quick and Easy and "Psychological Foods" - Quick and easy foods help you through times when you are psychologically or physically unable to prepare your basic storage items. "No cook" foods such as freeze-dried are wonderful since they require little preparation, MRE's (Meal Ready to Eat), such as many preparedness outlets carry, canned goods, etc. are also very good. "Psychological Foods" are the 'goodies' - Jello, pudding, candy, etc. - you should add to your storage.

These may sound frivolous, but through the years I've talked with many people who have lived entirely on their storage for extended periods of time. Nearly all of them say these were the most helpful items in their storage to "normalize" their situations and make it more bearable. These are especially important if you have children.

Balance - Time and time again I've seen families buy all of their wheat, then buy all of another item and so on. Don't do that. It's important to keep well-balanced as you build your storage. Buy several items, rather than a large quantity of one item. If something happens and your have to live on your present storage, you'll fare much better having one month supply of a variety of items than a year's supply of two or three items.

Containers - Always store your bulk foods in food storage containers. I have seen literally tons and tons of food thrown away because they were left in sacks, where they became highly susceptible to moisture, insects, and rodents. If you are using plastic buckets make sure they are lined with a food grade plastic liner available from companies that carry packaging supplies. Never use trash can liners as these are treated with pesticides. Don't stack them too high. In an earthquake they may topple, the lids pop open, or they may crack. A better container is the #10 tin can which most preparedness companies use when they package their foods.

Use Your Storage - In all the years I've worked with preparedness, one of the biggest problems I've seen is people storing food and not knowing what to do with it. It's vital that you and your family become familiar with the things you are storing. You need to know how to prepare these foods. This is not something you want to have to learn under stress. Your family needs to be used to eating these foods.

A stressful period is not a good time to totally change your diet. Get a good food storage cookbook and learn to use these foods!

It's easy to solve the food storage problems once you know what they are. The lady I talked about at the beginning of the article left realizing what she had stored was a good beginning but not enough as she said, "It's better to find out the mistakes I've made now while there's still time to make corrections. This makes a lot more sense."

If you're one who needs to make some adjustments, that is OK. Look at these suggestions and add the things you're needing. It's easy to take a basic storage and add the essential items to make it livable, but it needs to be done. As I did the research for my cookbook, I wanted to include recipes that gave help to families no matter what they stored. As I put the material together it was fascinating for me to learn what the pioneers ate are the type of things we store. If you have stored only the basics, there's very, very little you can do with it. By adding even just a few things it greatly increases your options, and the prospect of your family surviving on it. As I studied how the pioneers lived and ate, my whole feeling for food storage changed. I realized our "storage" is what most of the world has always lived on. If it's put together the right way we will be returning to good basic foods with a few goodies thrown in.

Vicki Tate is the author of the popular book, "Cooking With Home Storage." She has also lectured for many years on preparedness subjects.

Apple Crisp* (made from food storage apples)

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg (can use up to 1 tsp. nutmeg for more nutmeg flavor)
6 cups water
8 cups dry apple slices

In large cooking pot, mix all dry ingredients together. Add water and mix well. Add dry apple slices and bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Put in a greased 9 x 13 pan. In mixing bowl, mix the following ingredients and spread over top of apple mixture.

1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
2/3 cup softened butter.

Bate at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

*This recipe can be used with ingredients from your food storage items.

*News flash* I just found another recipe for apple crisp made from food storage apples. Click here to see it.

I developed this recipe to serve as a sample of how to use the church's dehydrated apples.

Food Storage

I have been asked to give a food storage enrichment class in Huntington Ward next week. I am going to post some ideas on this blog that pertains to food storage and also mark the recipes that can be made from food storage with an * by the title.

An example would be the Tamale Pie recipe. It will be stored under the label Main Dish and I'll also store it in a new label titled: Food Storage

Poppy Seed Dressing

1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (I use rice vinegar)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp dried mustard
1 TBS minced dry onion
3/4 tep salt
1 cup salad oil (I use canola oil)
1 TBS poppy seeds

Toss with spinach, red leaf lettuce and just about any "add ons" and you have a sweet salad. (I added bacon, mandarin oranges, avocado, boiled eggs, and red onions.)

April Steimle sent me this recipe. She served it at our dinner that was served in between the Saturday stake conference sessions.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

1 3/4 cup boiling water
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup margarine (1 stick)
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup cocoa
1 package chocolate chips (2 cups)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Pour boiling water over oatmeal. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add brown and white sugar and margarine. Stir until margarine melts and add eggs. Mix well. Sift together flour, soda, salt and cocoa. Add flour to sugar mixture. Mix well. Add half of chocolate chips. Pour batter into greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with nuts and remaining chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes Tastes best when warm.

Rachel got this recipe from her Ricks college roommate, Katie Gray. When I serve this cake, I like to say it is healthy for you because it has oatmeal in it.

Stuffed Hard Rolls

1 1/2 lbs hamburger
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp mustard
3 sticks finely shopped celery
1 finely chopped onion
1 can cream mushroom soup (no water)
1/3 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 dozen hard rolls cut length wise and hollow out the centers

Brown hamburger, celery and onions. Add rest of ingredients including centers from the rolls. Wrap in aluminum foil. Store until ready to use

Warm in covered container in oven.

I got this recipe 30 years ago from my college roommate, Mary Ellen Bench. It is a very labor intensive recipe, but well worth the time because everyone loves them. I use half the salt the recipe calls for. I like to use the Francisco International French Rolls from the store Smart and Final. I will often double the recipe when I make this and put half of the rolls in the freezer for a future meal.

Chili

1 chopped onion
1 lb. ground beef cooked with onion and drained of fat
3 - 15 oz. cans pinto beans (don’t drain liquid)
1 - 15 oz. can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 – 15 oz. can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 – 15 oz. can tomatoes (pureed)
1 chili seasoning packet (see recipe below) or chili seasoning packet from store

Mix all ingredients in big pot. Heat to boiling and let simmer for 10 minutes on low.

Chili Seasoning packet

1 TBS. all purpose flour
2 TBS instant minced onion
1 TBS chili powder
1 tsp seasoned salt
½ tsp crushed dried red pepper
½ tsp instant minced garlic
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp ground cumin

Combine all ingredients and put in a snack size Ziploc bag.

*This recipe can be used with ingredients from your food storage items. Instead of using ground beef, you can used canned beef.

I made up this recipe for a PTA chili cook-off many years ago. The chili seasoning packet came from Make a Mix cookbook. It’s a lot cheaper and tastes better than the store packets. You can add or delete any ingredient in this recipe to taste. This is one of Janelle's favorite meals to make along with cornbread.

CornBread

1 cup Yellow corn meal
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg lightly beaten.

Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Combine milk, oil, and egg in small bowl; mix will. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Pour into greased 8 inch square pan. Bake in preheated 400° oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until woken pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm. NOTE: Recipe may be doubled. Use greased 9 x 13 pan; bake as above. For muffins: spoon batter into 10-12 greased or paper lined muffin cups filling 2.3 full. Bake in preheated 400° oven for 15 minutes.

I got this recipe off the conrmeal box and use it all the time. It is so easy and tasty too, just like candy. (Not really, I'm just quoting I Love Lucy.) Serve with chili or soup.