Emergency Preparedness -- Your Pantry, part 3

  Hesitant to buy large amounts of cheese powder to try a recipe, I compromised on getting a generic mac and cheese dinner for 34 cents. The macaroni can go into a different dinner. Cheese powder isn't available at the grocery stores in the largest town nearby (60 miles).

Anyone have a good source for cheese powder in less than a 10# size?

 Taco Rice

In quart jar place:

3 TBS. Taco Seasoning from Your Pantry, part 1
1 c uncooked rice
1 packet dry cheese sauce from Mac and Cheese dinner

To cook:
In medium pan add 3 cups water, rice and Taco Seasoning, bring to boil, and simmer 10 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir in 2 TBS. butter (optional), and contents of cheese packet. Carnivores add meat. Top with crushed corn chips.

Serve as casserole or in tortillas with refried beans.

variations: decrease water to 2 c and add 8 oz. diced tomatoes  
                           decrease water to 2 c and add 8 oz tomato sauce

Creole Rice
In 1-1/2 cup jar or bag
1-1/2 tsp Creole seasoning (Your Pantry, Page 1- add more to
                                              taste later, if needed -- HOT!)
1 c  rice
from your shelves : 8 oz can tomato sauce
Tomato sauce can be sealed in a baggie (more hygenic) and placed with rice/ seasonings in 1 qt. widemouth jar, instead.

To prepare:

In medium saucepan add 2 c water, tomato sauce, and rice/ sesonings. Bring to boil and simmer 15- 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

additions: chopped celery, diced sweet peppers, fresh onions, grated cheese
Carnivores add  cooked sausage, chicken/rabbit, meat, seafood (shrimp is very tasty) after rice is done. Allow to heat through.
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Check it out! Rooster tracks in the last snowstorm!  Antonio is getting stealthier since my post "The Night Before Christmas--Art  vs. The Rooster! Or maybe it's just too cold to go out chasing  Antonio Banty-Deras.



Warm spell due! Huzzah! Next Blog on Preparedness -- Rabbits.

Emergency Preparedness -- Garden : Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is one of the best vegetables you can plant for emergency preparedness. Once started from seed, it is tolerant to a variety of weather conditions with a bit of help from you. Swiss chard plants can produce for two years from your first seeding. Best results come from direct seeding in your garden, then thinning and replanting the seedlings you carefully lifted out. It can be started inside; be aware it needs much light to keep it from growing spindly. Grow it in large pots or containers if you don't have garden space.

Keep your chard production uninterrupted by seeding more in the spring of your first crop's second year. When it goes to seed, the second crop will be producing. Plant every year.

It doesn't take much room. The upright, bushy habit of growth makes it good for interplanting with shorter season plants such as lettuce. Once the lettuce is gone, the chard spreads out to take over the empty spaces.

Here in Texas, chard will grow year round, even through our blistering summers. Adequate water is key, and light shading during the worst of the afternoon heat helps keep leaves succulent. Plant them to the east of taller, bushy plants, or use row cover. Pick younger leaves in the morning for the best salad greens.

Winter temperatures below 32 degrees require sturdier covering. We use old sheets which allow some passage of light. Our chard has been covered for up to a week at a time with no problems. When the weather warms, uncover it. Toss the sheet back on it when it turns cold. In snow prone areas grow it in a cold frame or mini-greenhouse. Pick chard for greens, or to include in recipes, in the afternoon when the leaves have less moisture.

Swiss chard contains vitamins K and E, folic acid and niacin, calcium, beta-carotene, and as much vitamin C as an orange. Chlorophyll content helps with wound healing, ulcers and inflammation.

The mild taste combines well with a number of foods or with sauces. Add it when preparing soups or casseroles stored in your pantry to boost  nutrition.

It's in high demand from our veggie customers, and we sell out every time we bring it to town. We feed it to our small farm animals, too, helping cut the feed bills to save more $$$. It improves egg quality in winter months.

Not recipes for shelf storage, but yummy none-the-less:

Swiss Chard with Hot Bacon Dressing
Everythings better with bacon, right?Remove ribs and tear leaves of approx. 1 gallon container full of chard
Dice 4 slices of bacon; fry until crisp.
Drain off all but 1 TBS. bacon fat
Add:
1 TBS vinegar
2 TBS water
salt, pepper and sugar to taste
stir in torn chard leaves, continue stirring until leaves are covered with dressing and slightly wilted. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Meatballs with Chard and Cheese

Use your favorite meatball recipe using 1 pound of meat (beef, venison, turkey, pork, etc.)

Remove ribs from 1 1/2 c raw chard
Use scissors to snip chard into small strips -- 1/2" x 3/4"
Place chard into  heatproof bowl, pour 3/4 c simmering water over chard and cover for 2 minutes.
Drain chard (freeze water for soup later), squeeze out gently
Mix into meatball mixture with 1/2 to 3/4 c. cheddar or parmesan cheese. Cook as usual.

The chard is very mild, nigh unto tastless, if you're hesitant to try it. It makes the meatballs "prettier" and more nutritious.

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  I have a thing about chard ribs. I read they could be stuffed and substituted for celery ribs. I don't think so!!! GACK! Ptooi! I removed the stuffing and fed the stems to the chickens.

I've also read the stems can be cooked and served buttered like asparagus. When I work up the courage, I'll let you know how that goes.

Next Blog: Back to "Your Pantry, Page 3"

Emergency Preparedness -- Your Pantry, Part 2

A special thanks to my husband, Art, the hoarder of jars!
                                             
Before I list dinner mix recipes, let's look at general storage time for selected dry foods/ingredients at room temperature (85 degrees max) :

white rice -- 1 year                  pasta -- 2 years
brown rice -- 6 months            whole wheat pasta -- 9 months
                       (whole grain requires longer cooking)
herb/spice mixes -- 1 year       ground spices -- 6 months
dry milk -- 1 year                    cornstarch -- 18 months
soup mixes -- 1 year                boullion -- 1 year

Your dinners will last a minimum of 6 months (ground spices), or longer with some decrease in flavor due to the spices.

Suppose you work through the supply of jars the hoarder has...what to do? Pack dinners in freezer weight baggies and collect in gallon glass jars. Iced tea jars appear in resale shops in the winter for around $2.00 a jar, or you might find some on sale. Deoderize glass pickle jars if available. Ball makes gallon storage jars for $12.99 + shipping. Draw your own conclusions.

Label each jar or bag with the dinner name, date, added ingredients needed, and cooking directions.

Seasoned Rice n' Pasta -- Beef or Chicken

 1--1 1/2 cup jar or sandwich size freezer baggie per recipe 
3/4 c rice                                      
1/4 c. small pasta ( broken vermicelli, estrella, etc.) 
1 TBS beef or chicken boullion
1 tsp mixed herbs                        
3/8 tsp garlic powder
3/8 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried parsley

Combine rice and pasta into container, add seasonings.
To cook:  pour jar into 1 3/4 c. water, bring to boil, then simmer 10 minutes. May add 2 TBS butter. Makes about 3+ cups.
Add cooked meat and veggies to make a one pot meal.

Chicken/Rabbit Assistant

Combine the following ingredients in a medium bowl:

1-1/2 TBS black or white pepper
2 tsp. mixed herbs
2 TBS dried parsley
1/3 c dried minced onion
3 TBS onion powder
1-2/3 c. dry milk powder
2 TBS coffee creamer powder
4 TBS chicken boullion
( change to Beef/Vennison Assistant by omitting chicken boullion and substituting beef boullion)

Combine ingredients well.  Measure 1/2 cup of seasoning mixture into each of five  3 cup or quart glass jars. Add 1 cup uncooked
macaroni to each jar. Cooking directions follow.

Brown 1# boned chicken or rabbit meat cut into small pieces, or use leftover meat. Add 1 cup water, 16 oz chopped tomatoes, pour in macaroni and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then simmer 20 to 25 minutes (covered, stir occasionally) until pasta is tender.

Variations, add:
1 TBS chili powder, or
3/4 c. chopped celery,
 or 1 c. mushrooms, or
omit tomatoes, increase liquid,stir in cheese 
add a variety of veggies
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Still working on the rice pudding recipe, the texture is about right, but flavor needs improvement.
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Blast it! The hot water pipes froze despite efforts to drip them. Maybe they'll thaw starting on the weekend. Just collected the eggs -- half were frozen! Wed. 3:00 PM

Emergency Preparedness -- Your Pantry, Part 1

 I found something that's revolutionizing our pantry here at HomePlace.  Making our own convenience mixes as preparedness planning takes a bit of time, but is well worth it. Why buy boxed and bagged dinners at steadily increasing prices when you can do your own and control your ingredients?

The idea took hold when I discovered Dinner's In the Jar by Kathy Clark. She explains how to create a 90 day supply of dinners stored in Mason jars. This book is not available at our library and Barnes and Noble doesn't carry it either. Drat!

What to do? I wanted to start immediately, not make an order to Amazon and wait. I searched further and found budget101.com and recipelion.com which have extensive lists of convenience mixes. I began with making seasoning mixes.

Understand I can't leave well enough alone  and have to mess with recipes to suit our tastes. I read the ingredient lists and went to the local discount warehouse to stock up on onion powder, garlic powder, dried onion, chili powder, assorted boullions and parlsey in larger sizes. Other spices and herbs were in our spice box already, but I'd need to replenish them soon.

Secondly, you don't need to trot out and stock up on canning jars. Use what you have at home first! Chip dip jars, olive jars, salsa jars and the like are wide mouth jars with rubber where the jar meets the lid. Even freezer type baggies will do.

None of the following recipes contain sugar; if you want it, have at it!

Here's  two spice mix recipes I modified:

Creole Seasoning
2TBS + 1 tsp paprika          Mix and store in air-tight
2TBS  garlic powder           container. Use on seafood
2TBS  onion powder           chicken, fish, beans, or on rice.
1TBS  chicken boullion       Can be used in other mix recipes.
1TBS  Italian seasoning
1TBS  dried thyme
1TBS  cayenne pepper        ( HOT - may want to modify more)
1TBS  pepper

 Taco Seasoning Mix

1TBS   dried minced onion          Combine in air-tight container.
2TBS   chili powder
2 TBS   paprika                            
 41/2 tsp  cumin                            
3 tsp    onion powder                   
2 1/2 tsp garlic                              
1/8 tsp cayenne or red pepper 

Add 3 TBS to1# browned  ground beef,chicken or turkey. Add 1/2 c water or 1/2 c salsa for extra zip. Use in other convenience mixes to follow in future blogs.          
Stay tuned for more recipes and hints for preparing your emergency pantry supplies. 

I've made up 37 dinner mixes in jars and bags in two "sittings" of 1 to 2 hours each. The project will continue for some time, complete with culinary experiments. The rice pudding dessert mix recipe needs a lot of tweaking, for instance!

 Hope to live off these during the summer with the garden, home raised rabbits, venison,chickens, eggs and some purchased meat added in. Almost forgot the home cannned fruit and jams, too!     

Crunchy Snacks

Folks love crunchy snacks -- chips, pretzels, pita chips, bagel crisps. To keep them crunchy you can use chip bag clips, jars, or even the humble baggie. The contents of a baggie would be self evident, wouldn't you think?

Roll back to my daughter's teen years, and her boyfriends, the demolishers of crunchy snacks in quantity. Wow, those boys could eat!

One day a boyfriend was rummaging through the pantry and found a bag with crunchy bites in shades of brown. Curious soul opened the bag, grasped a handful and chowed down. He choked out, "What's in this baggie? Tastes sort of weird!"

No kidding, guy. That baggie was full of cat food.

Embarrassing Memories of January Past

   The officer pulled me over for driving five miles over the speed limit ( in a famous name day care van)  on my first day employed  as a director, over 25 years ago. 

 I drove that puppy, emblazoned with company name, logo, address and phone number, downhill into a school zone too fast. I saw the school zone sign too late, and Officer Friendly saw me. I couldn't deny it; so face burning, I begged mercy.

He sent me back up the hill in the van, and watched as I came down the hill at proper speed. He smiled broadly at me and waved as I went on my way.

Some teacher in his past must have yelled, "WALK!" one two many times, and sent him back up the hall to try again.

That guy was a great teacher himself.

Annual Letter

Greetings from Central Texas!



2010 was another action-packed year on the farm. We know you’re anxious for the details, so here’s our annual letter.
January began with the 2009 taxes. We brought our usual large box of assorted receipts, oddball explanations, and a jumbo bottle of antacids with a bow for Jeanne. An experienced tax preparer makes all the difference when filing taxes for the farm.


An e-mail from the hatchery sent us into poultry fever in February. Assorted ducks on sale!!! We can save nearly two dollars per bird! Are we prepared? No! Off to town for feed, bedding, hay, heat lamp and new waterers; then across town for a wading pool to use as a brooder. Don’t forget the mileage to town - 52 miles, another 50 to the hatchery, and 45 miles back home. The first receipts drifted into the 2010 tax box.


March dawned with duckling escape. We heard the splat of ducky feet exploring their new world, the porch bathroom. Something else went splat on the floor as a by-product of duckling exploration. It was followed by the anguished shriek of our son, Matthew, who had designed and built the extra bathroom on the porch. The very floor he laid on all fours in 100 degree heat was now defiled, he ranted. Brood the ducklings at your house again, we suggested. Recalling last year’s experience, suddenly the floor was less of an issue. Baby duck odor is as breathtaking as skunk essence.


Who else but Art could borrow a bulldozer? As April drew to a close, the rumble of the diesel could be tracked as it crunched over small trees and dodged the larger ones around the property. Testosterone levels rose as the menfolk regarded the driveway. “Needs scraping,” Matthew said. He roared down the drive and back, blade lowered. “You left bumps!” Art pointed out. “Let me do it the right way!” Good thing the headlights didn’t work. They’d have spent the evening turning the drive into a canyon.


In May one of the porch cats had eye problems and needed a vet. My soft-hearted hubby packed it up and took it to the land of gross indignities. Its temperature was taken, and the nurses laughed when it weighed nothing. It changed from a half wild farm cat to a clinging baby in one traumatic visit. Vet visit, meds, special food and a toy (for trauma) made that kitten as expensive as the ducks of February, so it moved inside. Art’s beard was Momma, and Momma got to itching. Surprise again! Tiny kitten; tiny fleas! Flea shampoo for two happened in the kitchen sink, and Brighty’s trauma was nothing compared to Art’s.


First cat, Ock, was appalled at our decision to add a junior cats to his kingdom when their Momma disappeared. Kitten chow was tasty though, and he became plumper and sleeker daily. Explosive hissing declined, and Ock began to lick the babies. Watching a particularly blissful grooming session I had a horrid thought: do you suppose Ock is tasting them? How many licks before he decides to go for the chewy center?


July’s scorching heat saw Art out in the duck pasture planting excess pumpkins. “I have an idea!” He said. My right eye twitched for the next hour. I wasn’t soothed by the strains of music from the duck pasture / pumpkin patch either. The ducks had become addicted to the country music we used to chase off night predators. If you turned off the music, they squawked and quacked mightily. They also stopped laying eggs as a form of feathered protest. “No music? No eggs! Turn up the volume, too. We can’t enjoy it unless you can hear it clearly from your bedroom!” I hope that jumbo bottles of aspirins are on sale this week. I’m nearly out.

I found something disturbing during a raid on the new workshop in August. You might recall how Art blew up the old one in 2007 making “Ethanol”? The plans for a catapult lay half-hidden on his desk. ”Surprise!” he said, “Think of it as an easy, fun way to spread fertilizer,” he explained. “Enough fertilizer spreading is happening right now,” I retorted. I am frequently accused of being no fun.


September’s gardens were lush and the chickens were laying well, even in the heat. Art noticed agitated chickens, and moved the plywood sunshade from the nest in an isolated pen. He was surprised for a change. No chicken, but a furry, black and white striped critter lounged on an ice bottle we’d left for chicken comfort. Eggshells were scattered about. Empty. “#$%*%#!” Art yelped, and fell backward into a water bucket. He threw everything loose in the pen he could find, including the eggs from the basket he was carrying. The skunk, startled, began to dance his special dance, then considered the madman before it, and ran for the woods and the highway beyond. I can’t believe he didn’t get sprayed. I’m grateful; tomato juice is getting pricey these days.


I woke up one October morn to the gleeful shouts of men and loud thuds. Peering out the window I flinched as a pumpkin flew by. Men clustered around the completed catapult; my husband, son, friends and a few strangers were toting pumpkins. “Remember you wanted to explore value-added produce?” Art yelled. “Buy a pumpkin and launch it free! You can’t believe how many we’ve sold! Now the catapult is tax deductible!” I chewed two antacids from the bottle I was saving for next tax season.


November first I threatened to take a chainsaw to the catapult, fearful of frozen turkey launching following a special we’d watched on satellite TV. Art turned it over to the custody of our local historical museum instead. I recognized the curator as an enthusiastic pumpkin flinger. I don’t think we’ve seen the end of this latest manly scheme.


Art started his letter to Santa early in December. A better lock for the workshop topped the list. If he thinks a lock will keep me out, he’s mistaken. He also wants two tiny flight suits, a book on the Hindenburg, seven cylinders of helium, a remote control, and a do-it-yourself crop dusting DVD.


Remember you have a standing invitation to visit. Bring a set of lock picks, and crowbar in case the picks don’t work. I didn’t like the list Art wrote to Santa, and my gear from Spy, Inc. is on back order. Anyone have a source for bulk antacids?

Love,


Helene and Arthur Burnett