Back to School Food Storage Basics

Crystal from Everyday Food Storage is hosting a Back to School week for Food Storage. She will be going over uses and info for basic long term food storage items. I started really working on my food storage last year and I have mostly been getting canned goods etc. This year my church took up an order for powdered milk and powdered eggs. We ordered from Emergency Essentials and I just love the powdered milk. So, anyways I really need to learn more about food storage so I am planning to go to the site each day to learn more. I plan to write up what I learn, more questions that I still have etc. Kind of like my school notes. lol. Come along with me and learn something new about food storage.

Using Beans in Desserts

Beans are a great thing to have in your food storage. They can be substituted for oil in your favorite cake and brownie mixes. You just have to match the color of the bean with the cake mix.
Black Bean Brownies

1 Box Betty Crocker Low Fat Fudge Brownie Mix

1 (15 oz) can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup Water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Puree the beans and water together until smooth in a blender or food processor. Stir into the brownie mix until combined. Spray a 9 X 13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 25-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted 2 inches from the side of the pan comes out clean. Cool completely and cut in to 24 pieces. Serve with whipped topping.

Food Storage Brownies

3/4 cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2/3 cup bean paste

1/2 cup boiling water

2 cups sugar

2 eggs (2 TBSP dry eggs + 1/4 cup water)

1 1/3 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Pregheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine cocoa and baking soda in mixing bowl. Blend in 1/3 cup bean puree. Add boiling water and stir until thickened. Stir in sugar, eggs, and remaining 1/3 cup bean puree until smooth. Stir in flour, salt, and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Fold in chopped nuts and chocolate chips. Pour into greased 9 X 13 pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.

REALLY GOOD PINTO BEAN PIE
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, beaten (or use dry eggs)

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 heaping cup mashed, cooked pinto beans
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
Whipped cream, whipped topping, or scoop of ice cream
Beat until creamy the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and
butter. Add pinto beans, blend well. Pour into unbaked pie shell and
bake at 375o for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350o and bake an
additional 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out
clean. Serve with whipped cream, whipped topping, or scoop of ice
cream.

PINTO BEAN FUDGE
1 cup cooked soft pinto beans (drained and mashed)
1/4 cup milk

1 tbsp. vanilla
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate

6 tbsp. butter or margarine
2 lbs. powdered sugar

Nuts (optional)
In large bowl stir beans and milk together, adding enough milk to
resemble mashed potatoes; stir in vanilla. Melt chocolate and butter
or margarine and stir into bean mixture. Gradually stir in powdered
sugar. Knead with hands until well blended. Spread into lightly
greased 9-inch baking dish or form into two 1-1/2 inch rolls. Chill 1-2
hours.

Got Bananas? Make Banana Bread!

Recently I was at the grocery store and they had a ton of bananas reduced and I decided I wanted to make some banana bread. I only paid $1.00 for all of those over ripe bananas. I had a Weight Watchers recipe I wanted to try and decided to also try a whole wheat banana bread while I was at it. I love banana bread and this one is low fat and made with whole wheat flour. That is good because it will keep you fuller longer. I got this recipe from Everyday Food Storage, I love that site! This was pretty good. Super easy recipe. I also made some mini loafs. So cute and I plan to freeze those to use for visiting teaching gifts.

Low-Fat Whole Wheat Banana Bread
4 T margarine (or butter), softened

¼ C applesauce

2 eggs (2 T. Dehydrated Eggs +1/4 C. Water)

2 T skim milk or water

¾ C packed light brown sugar

1 C mashed banana (2-3 medium bananas)

1 ¾ C Whole Wheat Flour

2 t baking powder

½ t baking soda

¼ t salt (optional)

¼ C coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans(optional)
Beat margarine, applesauce, eggs, milk, and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until smooth. Add banana and blend at low speed; beat at high speed 1 to 2 minutes. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix into batter. Mix in nuts. Pour batter into greased loaf pan, . Bake at 350º F until bread is golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (55 to 60 minutes). Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool to room temperature.

Powdered Milk...Will They Notice?

Yesterday, my kids ran out of the 2% milk they use and since I will not be able to buy anymore for the next couple of days, I decided to mix up some powdered and pour it back in the milk carton. I had an Enrichment Activity group meeting so I left them as they were eating dinner. When I came home, I ask dh if he gave them milk and he said yes. So, they will drink powdered milk without knowing that's what it is. Now since powdered milk is nonfat, I won't be doing that all of the time, but it is cheaper and can get me through some tight spots.

Dry Powdered Milk and Mexican Chocolate Drink

We recently had an Enrichment Meeting in our branch on Cooking With Food Storage and we used dry milk in several recipes. I have been using some powdered milk in some recipes that I bought at Save-a-Lot. It really was not seeming to dissolve and actually looked like little balls. I bought some recently from Emergency Essentials when my church did a group order, but had not opened any because I was trying to get rid of the other box first. At the meeting they made a Mexican Chocolate drink. It was bought at Big Lots on clearance for $1.00. (I bought a bunch.) I was really shocked to see how well the powdered milk from Emergency Essentials dissolved so well and tasted so good in the Mexican Drink. The Mexican Chocolate Drink tasted like hot chocolate with a hint of cinnamon. I made it yesterday because I have a chest cold and my kids and dh loved it. My dh and oldest kid were shocked when I told them it was made with powdered milk. So, now I know 2 things.
1. My family will drink powdered milk.
and
2. I must buy a better brand of powder milk than I was buying.

With the savings you get from using powdered milk, I know I will be using it more in my baking and sometimes as our regular milk.

Mexican Chocolate Drink
2/3 cup powdered milk
1 quart water
1 capsule of Nestle Abuelita (Mexican Chocolate Drink Mix)
sugar to taste
Add powdered milk to water and stir until dissolved. Microwave until hot. Add 1 capsule of chocolate to blender and sugar (I used 1/4 cup) and then add milk. Pulse until chocolate is broken up and blend until chocolate blended well.

Note: A friend of mine said she got the Chocolate mix at United Grocery Outlet for 50 cents each.

Weekly Food Storage Stock Up

He are some items I have added to my food storage in the past few weeks.
1- A case of tomato soup
2- A box of Bisquick (had a coupon and it was on sale)
3- A #10 can of Whole Egg Powder (My church did a group order)
4- 2 boxes of Carnation Dry Milk (found at a store that was discontinuing them)

Edible Play Dough From Food Storage

I have been watching a lot of reruns of Jon and Kate plus 8 and I saw the Valentine's Day one where she made edible play dough and I knew I wanted to try that out with my kids. We have played with lots of other homemade play dough and the kids love it. So, I knew they would love this and we would also have a snack! I did not tell my kids that it was edible, but they figured out. Actually my 2 year old figured it out first. This lasted about an hour and half of playing with and eating. Make sure you get your kids to wash their hands before playing with the edible play dough. My kids also loved helping make it! This recipe uses 3 ingredients, all things found in my food storage.

Here's the recipe:

Jon and Kate plus 8 Edible Play Dough

Mix equal parts of powdered milk, honey, and peanut butter.

Add flour to reach play dough consistency.

Play and enjoy!