Friday, August 21, 2009

Kristin's preparedness corner

Here are the recipes from this month’s preparedness class
Laundry Soap
This should do about 80 loads
1 5 gallon bucket with a lid
1 bar Fels Naptha soap
½ cup Borax
1 cup washing soda
In a med. sized pan grate or cut into small chunks the bar of Fels Naptha soap. Add water to the pan to barely cover the soap. Let this cook watching and stirring until melted. Pour this into the 5 gallon bucket.
Add the washing soda and the Borax. Stir. Add enough hot water to fill the bucket. Stir with a yard stick or long paint stick. Let this sit overnight before using. Then use 1 cup per load.

Granola
8 cups oats (old fashion)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup each sesame seeds; sunflower seeds; almonds; pecans; walnuts; flaked coconut; pumpkin seeds; or whatever you like.
Mix well in a large bowl.
In a sauce pan heat
1 cube butter
1 can coconut milk
1 cup peanut butter
1-2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
Heat until bubbly pour over granola spread on a cookie sheet. Bake at 2000 for 2 hours. Cool put back in the bowlYou may add dried fruit if desired, such as craisins, blueberries, apples, raisins, date

Monday, August 3, 2009

Pumpkin Spice Muffins
2 c sugar (you can use less or honey or sucanet)
½ c oil
3 eggs
1 ½ c pumpkin
½ c water
3 c flour (wheat or ½ white ½ wheat)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cloves
1 ½ chocolate chips or carob
1 c nuts or ground flaxseeds
Mix sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin and water. Add dry ingredients, add chocolate chips and nuts. Put into muffin tins and bake at 375o for 15-20 min.
Lemon Drink
5 quarts water
1 c sugar
1 Tbs citric acid
1 ½ tsp lemon extract
Mix all ingredients the night before so flavors can blend. Add ice and lemon slices (optional) before serving.

Flour Tortillas (makes 8)
(This recipe doubles well)
2 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
Optional: 1 Tbs lecithin or 1 Tbs ground flaxseed
4 Tbs oil
¾ c hot water plus 2-3 Tbs
Combine dry ingredients in bowl. If mixing in a kneading machine, drizzle the water and oil in slowly. The dough should be moist and not a tight ball. Mix for 2-3 min. If mixing by hand, put wet ingredients Knead by hand 3-4 min.
Let dough rest for 8-10 min. covered with plastic wrap. Divide into 8 pieces. Shape into golf size or slightly larger balls, then flatten and roll one at time with white flour sprinkled on rolling surface and rolling pin. (if you use whole wheat flour to roll them out, brush away the bran after each tortilla or it will make the tortillas heavier.) Roll and press hard so they’re quite thin. Cook on a very hot pan with out oil, about 1 min each side. As they cook random bubbles should form. If they don’t then your pan is not hot enough or the tortilla isn’t thin enough. The bubbles allow the tortilla to cook from within, making them less dense and more pliable. As they come off the grill place them inside a towel that is wet or in a plastic bag. They need to stay moist so that they will wrap without tearing.
It’s fun to add seasonings such as basil, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and ground flaxseed or anything else you like to the dough.
Baked Oatmeal
Mix the night before:
4 c milk
4 whole eggs (just whites works well)
2 c oatmeal
1 Tbs. Baking powder
¾ tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp salt
¾ c brown sugar
1/3 c melted butter
2 apples chopped (or other fruit)
In the morning pour into greased 9 x13 pan. Bake at 3500 for 45 min. This is great as breakfast or a dessert.

Homemade Chocolate Milk Mix
3 1/3 c dry milk
3 1/3 c non-dairy creamer
2 ½ c sugar
1 2/3 c cocoa powder (hersheys)
Mix well, store in an air-tight container

For one serving
3 Tbs of mix
¾ c water
Serve hot or cold

Italian Snack Mix

6 cups Quaker Toasted Oatmeal Squares
1 ½ cups mini pretzels
1 ½ cups Cheetos
½ cup butter, melted
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon onion salt
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In large bowl, combine cereal, pretzels, and Cheetos. Combine the butter, cheese and seasonings in a small bowl. Pour over cereal mixture and stir to coat. Spread to an ungreased 15x10x1 inch pan. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container.