A generous donation of "expensive" cheese blend

A generous donation of "expensive" cheese blend powder has come my
way. (Thanks Lori A.!)

It is enough and to share. I have divided it into two-cup portions
and will bring it to Church today. This is a fantastic and free food
storage opportunity for the first 20 people that want a sample.

The powder is similar to what comes in the Kraft macaroni and cheese
box, but with less scary ingredients and of a much higher quality.
You can use it with your food storage macaroni or make spreads/sauces,
cheesey potato casserole or soup, dips, ... I experimented and made
cheesey popcorn last night---yumbola!

Here are the reconstituting instructions---because I'm not going to
write it out 20 times:

Combine cheese blend powder with hot water. Stir together until
smooth and creamy.
Spread = 3/4 cup powder and 3/4 cup hot water for 1 cup spread
Sauce = 1 cup powder and 1/2 cup hot water for 1 cup sauce

Ingredients: whey, modified food-starch, cheddar cheese, pasteurized
milk, salt, annatto extract, cheese culture (enzymes), non-fat milk,
partially hydrogenated soybean oil, lactic acide, disodium phosphate,
and yellow dye 5 and 6.

1/4 cup serving containes 55 calories 1 gram fat, 2 grams protein, 8
grams carbohydrates and 18% calcium.

Dry Packing Nov 6th

Our ward has reserved the Groveport Home Storage facility
for dry packing food storage items on:

November 6, 2010 from 8:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

Prices for these bulk products through the Church are locked
in through December 31, 2010. Today's Dispatch and other
business indicators project grain product prices to increase
dramatically---as much as 70%.

Don't delay, check your finances today and plan to participate
in this blessing and opportunity afforded us by inspired Church
leaders to feed our families healthy and nourishing food at
affordable prices!

Go to the www.providentliving.org website to download a blank order
form or fill in the blanks and it will total the items for you!

Questions? Call Sister Dragoo or e-mai

New Store House Business hours

Groveport Home Storage
Hours of Operation

Monday 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
and 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Wednesday/Thursday BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Friday CLOSED ALL DAY

Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

For reservations call Brother Larry Lewis

MAY- BEANS

MAY - Beans/Legumes

Week 18/May 2 Inventory
Read Genesis 25:29-34. Claim your LDS birthright by obtaining your basic food storage as directed by our Prophets and Apostles lo, these many years.

Take time this week to accurately inventory and assess your current bean/legume storage. Determine if existing supplies are stored correctly. Beans have an indefinite shelf life in cans that are kept dry and cool. Beans purchased and stored in bulk paper bags or store packaging are more susceptible to mold and dampness. Any damaged food storage items should be destroyed, discarded or properly composted out of the reach of people and animals.

On the first Monday of each month: do this only if physically able and make sure children are excluded from the area: Carefully drain two gallons of water from your water heater into a strong bucket with a handle---it will be dangerously hot. Let the water in the bucket cool down in a closed area away from children, then discard. By doing this each month you set the stage for emergency water storage. (Refer to February water storage guidelines for information/instructions.)

Week 19/May 9 Storage
A total of 60 pounds of legumes should be stored for every person/age group in the basic food storage plan. That’s 10 pounds per month for our newlywed couple.

Dry beans store indefinitely in a cool, dry location. Take advantage of our wonderful storehouse facilities obtain smaller, pantry size cans or pouches to make it convenient to use beans every week. (Storing dry beans in the refrigerator or freezer is not recommended.)

Week 20/May 16 Nutrition
Besides being a recommended for our basic food storage, buying beans is a food budget bargain! Remember the "magic beans" in the children's story, Jack and the Beanstalk? Selling the cow wasn't such a bad idea (high cholesterol, high fat, high maintenance, etc.)

Here’s the scoop on the usable protein in steak versus cooked beans---Three ounces of steak is about 350 calories and provides 15 grams of usable protein while 1 1/4 cups of beans is 350 calories but provides 22.5 grams of usable protein! Beans provide soluble fiber which has a cleansing effect on the arteries!

Let's make that simpler to understand----beans are cheaper and healthier and we can eat more so we'll be fuller but consume fewer calories at less cost! So, store, prepare and celebrate all beans everywhere! Try eating fewer cows and eat more beans this month and every month to lower your cholesterol.




Week 21/May 23
Companies spend thousands of dollars developing recipes that showcase their products and beans are no exception. Start out your excellent bean adventures by buying one to two pound packages of dry beans or canned beans at the grocery store. Packages will state the general nutrition information, basic cooking instructions and usually a recipe featuring their the beans purchased. Most canned beans are better if you rinse and drain them before using in recipes.

After your comfort level increases, branch out with bulk buying and try different kinds of beans. Then, experiment with your favorite recipes; add up to ¼ cup bean flour (fancy name for ground dried beans) to baked products without changing your recipes. Substitute bean butter (a fancy name for cooked, mashed, unseasoned beans) cup for cup instead of butter in casseroles, instead of cream cheese in appetizers, and a gazillion other things! You can even sneak bean butter into your kid’s macaroni and cheese instead of using the butter or margarine that the box or recipe calls for (just make sure you use the white or navy beans for this trick!)

There is no limit to the bean tricksters in our ward. Beans have been tucked in your brownies and cookies at ward dessert nights. They’ve been baked into muffins, breads and rolls. White navy beans have displaced the more expensive garbanzo beans, dips and lots of other yummy dishes.

Week 22/May 30 Purchase
Now that you know the rest of the story about magic beans---call Brother Lewis at the Bishops Storehouse (936-2627). Schedule a personal dry pack session with your family members over 12 years old or grab a food storage buddy and go get some beans as your personal finances permit. Label and date all additions to your food storage. Record all purchases in your food storage binder.

Use the Internet to discover bountiful bunches of bean recipes! Share your success with using beans and other food storage items during the Relief Society “good news” moment.

Get the recipe for bean butter from your ward food storage specialists. Grind some beans into flour this week! What have you “bean” waiting for!

FUDGE (crazy but good!)
one 12 - 16 ounce bag chocolate chips
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup navy, pinto or great northern beans---cooked, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped nuts

Combine beans and condensed milk in blender or food processor. Blend until it forms a smooth paste. In saucepan combine milk and bean paste with chocolate chips. Heat on low stirring constantly until chips melt. Stir in nuts and turn into foil lined 8 inch square pan. Refrigerate overnight, cut into squares and peel off foil. (Fudge is soft, but great!)

April Food Storage Focus - Dry Milk

APRIL - Dry Milk Storage

April 4 Come listen to a Prophet’s voice. Review and ponder this week’s General Conference talks about preparedness, provident living and food storage. Consider the latest counsel of inspired Church leaders in your quest to protect and provide for your family. Accurately inventory and assess your current dry milk storage. Store correctly in a cool, dry location to protect and preserve this invaluable calcium and protein source.

On the first Monday of each month: do this only if physically able and make sure children are excluded from the area: Carefully drain two gallons of water from your water heater into a strong bucket with a handle---it will be dangerously hot. Let the water in the bucket cool down in a closed area away from children, then discard. By doing this each month you set the stage for emergency water storage. (Refer to February water storage guidelines for information/instructions.)

April 11 Gather as a family and read Exodus 3:7-9. Using your food storage might be your “land of (dry) milk and honey” that could help deliver you from stress and bondage by freeing up grocery money to pay those unexpected car repairs, medical bills, or other financial emergencies.

No specific amount of dry milk is recommended per person. However, 16 pounds per adult is considered a basic supply. (That equals 4 cans if you dry pack it yourself at the Bishops Storehouse at a cost of less than $29.) Make sure you label, date and store any dry milk in a cool, dry location. Remember that the hot chocolate mix available from the storehouse counts as dry milk storage too! Yummy and a “premium” popular Utah brand!

April 18 Church leaders recommend that you store what you eat and eat what you store. Why store dry milk if you hate it? Money, money, money---that’s three good reasons. Think of dry milk storage like money in the bank; some for every day and some for emergencies. How about no more last minute trips to the store to get a gallon of milk? That saves time, energy and gasoline because when was the last time you left the store with just the gallon of milk you went for?

Keep a pitcher of milk made up and ice cold in your refrigerator at all times. Use it in all your recipes that call for fresh milk like mac & cheese, cream sauces and gravies, cream soups, breakfast casseroles, scrambled eggs and more. Make your own evaporated milk for marshmallow fudge and other recipes that call for it---great for a family night treat or rare indulgence on the cheap!


April 25 Read and consider Isaiah 55:1 and 2 Nephi 9:50. Having dry milk stored is like having money in your nutrition bank too! You can boost the nutritional value of almost any recipe that call for flour just by adding ¼ cup of dry milk---you don’t need to add any extra liquid for this small amount. Doing this adds a terrific punch of calcium and protein for your children’s growth and development. Good calcium for those worried about osteoporosis too!

Take a second look at your family’s favorite recipes. Without compromising taste, you can add dry milk to the dry ingredients in your baking recipes and add the equivalent water where the recipe calls for fresh milk for cornbread, muffins, wheat bread, and more.

Serve reconstituted milk in a sippy cup to transition older babies to table food. They’ll grow up never knowing the difference. Tell your toddlers and older children they can drink as much reconstituted milk as they want to---no limit! You’ll still save substantially on your grocery bill while filling them up with good stuff!

Still nervous? Still hate dry milk? Contact your food storage specialists; we’re waiting and ready to make you a dry milk believer!

Food storage containers

Hello Brothers and Sisters,

When you finally get excited, and decide to get your food storage, there are usually some thoughts that begin to dawn on you...like what is a practical way to store 200lbs. of steel cut oat groats? This is very important to consider, because you cannot store any grains for a long period of time in their original bags. Some small insect or larvae will eventually find its way into it. So, when you return home with your supplies be prepared with FOOD GRADE airtight containers to store your items in.

My suggestion is to dry pack them at home in the #10 cans from the storehouse if they are items you have not purchased from the storehouse directly, or have large 5 gallon buckets with a good seal on them, for long term storage. You can borrow a dry pack canner from the Bishops storehouse, and you can also purchase the #10 cans, lids, and oxygen packets there as well. (The process is much more efficient, and fun if you have at least two other people helping you! :) ) Invite your neighbors to be prepared as well!

I found a resource for reasonably priced storage containers that I would encourage you to look into if you want buckets, and that is www.containerandpac kaging.com . If anyone else knows of some other sources of reasonably priced food grade storage containers, please pass that information on to the rest of us!

The weather is beautiful... enjoy it and have a great day!

~Lori

Hello Brothers and Sisters,

There is so much talk going on about our financial crisis, and what we can do. We are so blessed to have Prophets and inspired Church leaders that have been urging us for over 60 years, to be prepared, to set aside a year's supply of food and to have water. So many struggle to heed this wise council, and so they are encouraging us in an all out effort to do all in our power, without going into debt, to secure a 3 month supply of foods we regularly eat, and some water in case of natural or other personal disasters. In May 2004, Elder Dallin Oaks gave a talk entitled "Preparation for the Second Coming"; I encourage you to read and ponder his reminder to all of us to prepare both spiritually and with our food storage.

So, consider a trip to the storehouse, to acquire rice, or oats,or refried beans at a very inexpensive price..and incorporate them into your diet. If not that, try buying one extra can of food and put it in a box that you will eventually fill with a month's supply of food that you eat all the time. How exciting it will be as you see your preparations grow, and your peace of mind along with it!

God bless you in your efforts to Follow the Prophet, and look with an eye of faith to the Coming of our Lord.

~Sister Lori A. (Assistant Food Storage Specialist)

P.S. Jennie and I are very eager to assist you in any way we can.
__._,_.___

Beans and Rice Class Reminder 02/27/10

DOn't forget tomorrow!

Free Class: Beans and Rice

10 a.m. to 12 noon

Gateway Building

Relief Society Room

Website with Abundant Amount of Bean Recipes

Sometimes I come across a few websites that have abundant recipes for great bean, rice, and other healthy food stuffs...but none So IMPRESSIVE as these two. I will be featuring a couple of the recipes I found today, in my Cooking with Beans and Rice class on Saturday February 27th from 10-12 noon at the Gateway Bldg. Relief Society room. But I would encourage you to explore the recipes on these sites and get excited about some new and healthy cooking ideas!

Here they are:
For the food network, punch in search term, bean recipes.
www.foodnetwork. com/food/ cda/recipe and http://cheaphealthy good.blogspot. com/2008/ 01/italian- white-bean- and-spinach- soup.html and while you are there, click on the recipes button and there you will find a whole host of other ideas you may like! ~Lori

Snow Day, Now What???!!!!???

Snow days can be magical, but also pose the threat of power outages,
heart attacks and close encounters with snowplows, mailboxes and ditches!


What is the first thing you do when your children (or you) have a snow
day? Besides big plans for a neighborhood snowball tournament, making
snowmen and sipping hot chocolate--- take a minute to:

Throw something yummy like a roast or chicken breasts in the crockpot, or
a meatloaf or casserole in the oven or a big pot of soup or stew on the
stovetop now! If you lose power you'll still have some warm food for the
energy you'll need to dig out, bail out, help out or hunker down!
If you don't lose power, then dinner for today and tomorrow are already
made!

Check all your flashlights. Know where they are and if they work.

Put a shovel, blanket, jumper cables, boots/sturdy shoes & socks and
other recommended winter car kit items in your vehicle if you plan to
travel. Take your cell phone. Let a family member know your destination,
route and what time you expect to arrive or return.

Shovel two or three times. Don't wait until the snow stops to get
started with the shoveling. It is healthier on your heart to shovel two
inches of snow twice than four inches once if you are out of shape, older
or have heart problems. (Everyone is running out of places to stack the
snow, but remember it is illegal to throw it back into the streets or to
block the public sidewalks.)

Now that you're better prepared---get that pot of hot chocolate simmering
and go check the snow to see if it is snowman snow! If not, bundle up
anyway and check on your neighbors. Make a few snow angels with the
earth angels in your life! Taste snowflakes! Take pictures to send to the
warm weather relatives in California, Arizona, Hawaii or Florida! Don't
think about global warming; at least for today! Wash your face with snow
(or someone else's!) Look for and try to identify animal tracks in the
snow!

Today I see the glass as half full;with hot chocolate! Enjoy the day!

SNOWMAN SOUP makes 1 cup

2-3 tablespoons instant hot chocolate mix
1 tablespoon chocolate chips
2 large marshmallows (or lots of little ones)
1 tablespoon crushed candy cane (or cinnamon red hots, butterscotch or
other hard candy)

Combine all ingredients in a mug. Add one cup hot water. Stir until
chocolate chips are melted.

Great after sledding since you did all that walking back up the hill!
Serve with peanut butter toast or a muffin.

Websites on Foodstorage

foodstoragemadeeasy .net is a great site to get you started with almost any question you might have addressed--regardin g a three month supply of food. They have spreadsheets and recipes, and even video clips you can watch to get you excited and informed. Check it out! ~Lori

Building Three Month Supply

With all the economic discussions that now seem to be a part of everyone's life...my mind turns to the counsel of our inspired leaders to PREPARE in case of an emergency or economic downturn in our lives. The words "food storage" can be overwhelming to many. The church has a fantastic way to make this so much less intimidating; they tell us to begin by storing extra of what we already eat little by little until we have a three month supply.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Make a list of regular meals you enjoy eating. Include everything, like your vegetable side, or canned fruit, etc.

2. Decide on 5-7 different meals if you can. Then, the next time you go to buy those items or if they are on sale, buy an extra meals worth and put it in your new food storage area.

3. If you even begin with adding one meal a week to your three month supply, in a month and a half you will have a whole weeks' worth of food in your storage,AND a growing sense of peace that you can sustain yourself and your family "come what may"!


For Example:

When spaghetti sauce goes on sale for 1.00, you could buy that, and pasta for 1.29, and pick up some corn or green beans at Aldi for .49 cents, and add a dry bread mix to the meal and for less than a Wendy's Combo meal you can feed a family of five!

God bless you in your efforts to be self-reliant! ! Jenny and I are more than eager to help you if you would like ideas or encouragement in this very important area of our lives. Have a great day. ~Lori

Three Bears Porrage Info

The source for the Three Bears Porridge was WHOLE FOODS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY: Le Leche League International Cookbook, which is a great resource for nutritious recipes and will give you many ideas for using long term food storage, or incorporating a more healthy lifestyle with food. This book can be found through Latter-Day Family Resources if you are interested in it. Have an awesome day! ~Lori

Crockpot Class Notes

HAYDEN RUN WARD
SLOW COOKER KITCHEN CLASS
January 29, 2010
Jennie Dragoo

BASICS
Don’t re-invent the wheel! An instruction manual/recipe book came with
your slow cooker; use it! The manufacturer put a lot of time and money
into developing recipes that will make their slow cooker the star of the
show. If someone upgraded and gave you their older/smaller/no-frills slow
cooker without a manual/recipe book---thank them profusely, then get to
the library and check out one or two crockpot cookbooks out of the
gazillion available! Then, use it!


This is about as low tech as good cooking gets; OFF/ON and HIGH/LOW/WARM,
those are the usual options. If you were fortunate and for a wedding
gift got a programmable, thermometer/probe model, yippee---you still need
to read the book, and you still need to take it out of the box or
cupboard and actually use it. Or, you could give it away to someone
that loves slow cookers who doesn’t think one is enough.

BUDGET
Everyone needs a budget; a budget teaches you how to spend wisely and
save wisely. Even the Queen of England only has so much money to spend.
I’m not saying she has a slow cooker, but if she gets in a pinch for time
or money, then she should get one and use it! How does cooking once and
eating twice sound for your budget? Some people have money and no time,
some people have time and no money---a slow cooker can serve either or
both circumstances.

A slow cooker uses about the same electricity as a 100 watt light bulb.
They can keep your kitchen cooler in the summer, free up the oven or
stovetop on holidays, give you time to enjoy your family, visitors or
guests, make the cheapest meats a tasty (even gourmet) meal or provide
the base for many different meals.

SECRETS
No offense Stephen Covey, but the slow cooker is the best time-management
device on the planet---as long as the LUCKY owner takes it out of the box
or cupboard and actually uses it! If dinner is practically cooking
itself with just a little bit of planning and prep; what are you going to
do with your spare time? Will you read "just one more story" to your
toddler at nap time? Take a nap yourself? Read a fun book? Some say time
is money; I say time is TIME!

TIPS
Don’t peek! Every time you lift the lid, the slow cooker takes 10-20
minutes to recover and return to temperature. That’s why the lids are
glass or clear plastic now! Only lift to stir and only stir when/if the
recipe calls for it.

Put the vegetables on the bottom and then the meat. Vegetables take
longer to cook than meat in stews, roasts and other dishes. Don’t ask me
why---it is probably some technical, scientific, whoop-de-do reason. You
can probably find out why by reading the slow cooker manual, cookbooks,
or the hard way.

Try to keep your vegetables diced or sliced more uniformly for the same
reason. Promptly refrigerate leftovers. Promptly divide into smaller
portions and freeze or refrigerate when cooking large quantities of beans
or meats to use in other recipes. (I cook "big" in the slow cooker
overnight and repackage into smaller portions in the morning.)

Adapt your favorite recipes to slow cooker recipes. This works great for
soups, stews, mashed potatoes, oatmeal or porridge, and casseroles. You
have to reduce the liquid when adapting because moisture doesn’t
evaporate in a slow cooker like a bubbling pot of soup or stew on the
stovetop or a casserole that thickens in the oven. If you "bake" bread,
cheesecakes, regular cakes, etc. in your slow cooker, you’ll need to
absorb the moisture by placing a folded dish towel or two between the lid
and the slow cooker---the books explain the process---I’ve never tried
"baking" in the slow cooker, but you can bet your brownies I will be!

The "BASE RECIPES" times are more exact. The "POSSIBILITIES" are general
so tweak to suit your style and tastes!

SAUCY CHICKEN
BASE: Combine 4 to 6 (frozen or thawed) boneless, skinless chicken
breasts and 1 - 2 cans or jars of *spaghetti sauce in slow cooker and
cook on low for 7 - 8 hours.

POSSIBILITIES: 1. Serve as is with a vegetable and salad
2. Serve over cooked spaghetti, top with grated parmesan or chopped
fresh basil
3. Serve with sautéed polenta slices topped with shredded cheddar
cheese
4. Serve with or over cooked rice (stir in a few tablespoons of
butter and cilantro)
5. Serve over sautéed baby eggplant or zucchini
6. Serve over cooked California Mix (frozen bags of cauliflower,
broccoli and carrots)
7. Dice and mix into cooked bowtie pasta with seasoned green beans
on the side

*Or Substitute 2 16 oz. jars of salsa instead:
1. Serve with cornbread and a salad or vegetable
2. Serve with polenta (fancy name for cold, sliced cornmeal
mush) and shredded cheddar cheese
3. Dice and serve over any combination of black beans, corn and
rice on a bed of lettuce
4. Remove from sauce, shred for tacos, burritos or tortilla
wraps---use sauce on the side
5. Dice or shred, sauté in skillet with a little olive oil,
onion, bell pepper & garlic clove, 1 teaspoon cumin, and a cup of
cooked rice. Heat through before serving.
6. Dice/ add 1 can chicken broth, 1 can rinsed and drained black
beans, 1 can drained corn and 1 cup salsa for a Southwestern Soup.
Top with cheese & tortilla chips.

VEGETARIAN BROWN BEANS
BASE: Rinse 2 to 3 cups pinto beans in a colander. Put rinsed beans in
large pan, add ½ to 1 gallon water to cover and soak overnight. Drain
and rinse beans again in a colander. Place rinsed beans in slow cooker.
Fill cooker almost full---about 2 to 3 inches from the top rim. Stir in
one or two packages of dry onion soup mix and one chopped onion. Cook on
low 7 - 8 hours.

POSSIBILITIES: 1. Serve as is with cornbread on the side and garnish
with chopped onions.
2. Add a cup of cooked rice and a jar of salsa for Spicy Bean
Soup.
3. Use as a base for your favorite chili recipe.
4. Add uncooked macaroni the last half hour, cook on high for
20-30 minutes or until done.
5. Add a cup of diced ham and 1 - 2 large diced potatoes the
second time around.
6. Puree the amount your family will eat in one meal for a
cream soup. Garnish with green onion, sour cream, cheddar cheese or
other toppings.

Expand the possibilities by using any kind of bean; navy, white, kidney,
pink, black, etc. If you want to use the beans in dessert recipes, leave
out the onion soup mix. White beans are more like tofu and take on the
personality of what they are paired with. Black or brown beans are great
when making brownies or chocolate desserts---I’m not kidding!

PLAIN CHICKEN BREASTS
BASE: Combine 4 to 5 chicken breasts (thawed or frozen) and ½ to 1 cup
water in slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 - 8 hours. They will look quite
anemic, don’t be alarmed!

POSSIBILITIES: 1. Season with Montreal Steak seasoning. Sear or
pan-fry in a little olive oil in a skillet to brown.
2. Use as a starter for your favorite "slow cooker" white
chili recipe.
3. Use as a starter for slow cooker chicken and rice soup
(carrots, onion, raw rice, broth, chicken)
4. Dice or cube, combine a box of stuffing mix and 1 1/2
cups of the broth. Put mixture into greased crockpot. Top with jar
of chicken gravy, cook on low about 1 - 1/12 hours. You can sneak in
some extra vegetables too!
5. Spread honey mustard on one side, grill lightly, turn and
do the same to the other side.
6. Dice small. Combine one can cream of chicken soup, 1 cup
milk, frozen mixed vegetables in a greased casserole dish. Spread or
drop dollops of prepared Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix on top. Bake according
to muffin temperature, just add 15 minutes to baking time or until
cornbread
is done. Can make this in the crockpot and try the folded towel
trick.
7. Chill/Cube, add celery, chopped pecans, seedless grapes
and Miracle Whip. Serve on lettuce.
8. Shred into bite-sized pieces. Add cream of chicken soup or
chicken gravy, a cup of broth and a few tablespoons of raw oatmeal
(this is the thickener). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook
on high in crockpot about 1 hour. Serve on toasted bun.
9. Cube, place in skillet with some olive oil. Brown slightly.
Add one chopped bell pepper & ½ onion, chopped. Drain can of
pineapple tidbits reserving liquid. Stir 2 tablespoons cornstarch
into liquid. Add pineapple and cornstarch mixture to skillet.
Cook/stir until bubbly. Serve over seasoned or buttered rice.

Cooking with Lori : Beans, and Rice

Brothers and Sisters,

The Cooking with Beans and Rice class is scheduled for February 27th from 10am-12noon in the Relief Society room. This is open to anyone male or female who is interested in learning about and tasting things made with beans and rice....not necessarily in the same dish. If you want to utilize your food storage, save money, add fiber to your diet, or maximize your nutrition... .this may be of interest to you!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Sister Adkins
__._,_.___

PEA RECIPES

With the new year coming we often make goals to improve our health or diet...how about a new resolution to work increasing your 3 month supply of foods you already eat on a regular basis, or incorporate more beans and whole grains into your meals to promote a healthy lifestyle? Help is on the way....we have ideas to assist you in incorporating these changes into your life! Here are some recipes to get you started!

Instead of chips try having these on hand: ROASTED CHICK-PEAS

2 cups cooked chick-peas(garbanzo beans) You can also use drained ,rinsed,canned beans.

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F.
Spray cookie sheet with no stick spray. Spread chick-peas evenly on cookie sheet. Bake for about 11/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Chick-peas should be dried throughout. Store in an airtight container. Makes 1 cup.

Variations: Toss with any of the following before baking, 1 to 2 teaspoons per 2 cups chick-peas:
*chili powder
*Italian seasoning mix
*no salt herb mixes(like Mrs. Dash)
*ground cinnamon,nutmeg, or allspice
*garlic or onion powder
*curry powder


Tomato, Chick-pea And Olive salad with Fresh Mint

1 1/2 pounds medium tomatoes
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup canned or cooked chick-peas, rinsed and drained well
3/4 cup pitted black olives(like Nicoise or kalamata)
5 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup fresh mint leaves torn into pieces

Stem the tomatoes, then halve them length-wise. Cut each half into 1/2 inch wedges and place in a serving bowl. Add the onion, chick-peas, and olives. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the tomato mixture. Toss gently to coat all ingredients with the dressing. Let salad marinate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 hours at room temperature. At serving time taste the salad, if needed add more salt and pepper, and an extra squeeze of lemon. Then add the torn mint leaves and mix gently.

* I got this from the Columbus Dispatch years ago. ~Enjoy! Lori
__._,_.___

DOLLAR STRETCHING IDEAS!!!

Check out www.hillbillyhousewife.com for an abundance of recipes using beans, rice, eggs. powdered milk, making your own convenience foods, Crockpot cooking etc....CHECK IT OUT...you will be overflowing with frugal, healthful,and time saving ideas!! Have an awesome day! ~Lori

SOAP SALE!!!!

FYI:

Meijer has 10 count packages/four ounces each of bars of Ivory Soap on
sale for $3.79 this
week. It is not the soap we usually use, but since we don't have any
soap allergies, I'm up for saving money on an item we will use everyday
while adding to our extended storage!

The "Old" Dragoos can rest easy if calamities or chaos suddenly befall
all the soap manufacturer' s throughout the world---as long as these
calamities and chaos don't last longer than the 52 bars of soap we now
have tucked away.

Did you know that unwrapping your bars of soap to store them allows them
to cure and harden further? This keeps them from "melting" so quickly in
the shower or soap dish. It's true! Just make sure the unwrapped soap is
stored where little ones can't get to them.

Did you know that President Hinckley's mother once made him "eat" soap
when he used inappropriate language? It's true! Even though Ivory soap
is 99.4% pure, it would leave
a bad taste in anyone's mouth if they had to "eat" it; so watch your
language!

You can also save all your soap scraps in a jar with tight-fitting lid.
Put your soap scraps in the jar and fill it halfway with water. Close
the lid and shake the jar every time you add more soap scraps. When all
the soap melts and the jar is full, you'll have your own free soft
soap/liquid soap! (I use my free soft soap to make Lori Adkins' recipe
for laundry detergent instead of the grated soap it calls for.)

By the way, we're saving a bundle making Lori's detergent recipe. We
call it the beget principle--- the savings we realize by making the
laundry detergent begets the savings/money we need to obtain soap for our
extended storage, which begets the savings/money when we use the soap
scraps to make the laundry detergent; which begets the savings/money
again when we subtract the cost of materials for our low-cost version and
the store's high-priced laundry detergent. I know what you're
thinking---I don't charge myself for the labor it takes to make my own
detergent. It really doesn't take as long as you think! Let me know if
you want to come over the next time I make a batch or if you would like
to try a sample.

Confused about the beget principle? Ask Lori, she'll be glad to explain
how using food storage can save you money---and with better examples than
soap!

Thanks a bunch!
Sister Dragoo

What's for Dinner?

In a conscious effort to use our food storage to prepare economical and
nourishing meals I would like your feedback on how you used your
long-term and short-term food storage this week.

This is how we used ours for dinner (and leftovers for lunch) this week:

Multi-grain Blender Pancakes (utilizing whole wheat, buckwheat,rolled
oats and a little white flour)

Spanish Rice (utilizing rice and dehydrated onions)

Potato Asparagus Soup (utilizing potato pearls, dehydrated onions,
powdered milk)

Macaroni and Cheese (utilizing macaroni, powdered milk, white flour for
roux/thickening)

Chicken and Rice Soup (utilizing rice and dehydrated onions---we used
garden carrots but you could also use the storehouse dehydrated carrots)

Vegetarian Chili (utilizing pinto beans and dehydrated onions)

Homemade bread, rolls or biscuits would have been a nice accompaniment,
but these were 30 minute weekday meals made after work using the pressure
cooker and microwave or planning ahead with the crockpot with no time to
bake. Perhaps Saturday is a good time for that!

Coming up so far for next week:

Shepherd's Pie (utilizing potato pearls for the topping and dehydrated
onions in the filling)

Vegetable Soup (utilizing dehydrated onions and a cup of cooked wheat
berries thrown in the pot for a protein boost---could use cooked macaroni
or rice instead)

Chicken or Beef Burritos (utilizing half whole wheat flour/half white
flour, rice, pinto beans and dehydrated onions)

Sante Fe Pizza (crust - utilizing half whole wheat flour/half white
flour; topping - utilizing refried beans and dehydrated onions)

Thanks in advance for your feedback,
Sister Dragoo

Dry Pack Order for October 10

Today was the day to turn in your preliminary dry pack order if you plan
to participate in our Dry Pack Session on October 10th. I won't be at
Church today due to illness, but still need your preliminary order ASAP.

Hopefully you'll see Steve and can give it to him. If not, you can just
e-mail me a summary of your order, you don't have to attach the form.

Bring your final order form (and cash or a checkbook to pay for your food
storage order) to the Bishops Storehouse on October 10th. See you there
at 8:30 a.m. sharp!

Thanks a bunch,
Jennie