Author Archives: Robin

How are YOU doing?

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Did you pick a recipe and commit to store it last week? If you did. Good for you! For those of you who didn’t. . . What’s holding you back? I’ve heard from some who are uncertain what recipes CAN be stored. So let’s take things a little slower. Let’s go back to your list of what you eat. Making a list is truly your first step. What will your family eat? Pick something you really like. Pick something easy or pick something cheap to store –but pick something that will be eaten by your family without a lot of complaining.

If you don’t have a recipe that can be made from food storage as is, we can help! Leave us a comment, and we’ll help you find shelf-stable options for your recipes. If you’re still in the exploration phase of finding recipes the family will eat, then just stay with us. Over the next few weeks we have some great recipes, with great ingredients, that will really open your eyes to the world of food storage.

While you’re exploring, keep notes. Write in your binder. What was good? What was bad?Keep track of it all until you find a meal to start with.

When you look at a recipe, try to see it with “food storage eyes.” As you read it ask yourself, “How can I make this totally with food storage?” Look at each ingredient and consider the food storage option. “Is making homemade tortillas easy for me?” “Will I take the time to grind my beans into flour? Or should I just store Canola Oil?” “Do I want to have a #10 can of powdered cheese? Or would I rather have the convenience of Kraft Mac and Cheese on my shelf?”

Don’t worry. There isn’t a wrong answer to any of these questions. I’ve personally answered all of these questions differently depending on my stage of life. When I’m pregnant and/or nursing ’round the clock, cold cereal is high on my food storage breakfast list. Before a move, I often regret the convenience foods I stocked in my freezer. (My son still won’t eat chicken pot pie with out going on and on about the freezer full we ate once before a move!) My answers change and so will yours. The way you food storage and what you food storage will change over the years, and this is a good thing.

Don’t worry about making the “best” choice or the “right” choice. Make “a” choice. Pick a recipe and let’s get started.  Choose to store, and we’ll guide you through it.


					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Cheesy Apple Muffins

			
						

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Going without cheese is no option for our family.  My grandfather loved cheese so much he would put it in his morning oatmeal.  I guess you could say grandpa was the inspiration for these muffins.  They are full of apples, but the cheese makes them awesome and adds variety to the kinds of things my food storage brings to my breakfast table.  Yes, I spend the extra money on freeze-dried cheeses, but I shop the sales and stock up when I find it for $15-$20 a #10 can.  I also feel $40 a can is too much, but when things are on sale, I can justify a lot.


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Don’t Forget Lunch!

			
						

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Sometimes I get caught up in planning dinner and I overlook lunch.  But when noon rolls around, lunch never seems to get overlooked by the toddlers in our house.  They know before anyone that lunch must come and SOON.  Planning a lunch recipe might seem silly when slapping PB&J on bread is a natural reaction to the toddler tug on the pant leg, but having the recipe in your plan ensures that you will have enough in your storage when the need is there.


					

		
		
	


				
					
	

				
					
	

		

						
An Apple A Day

			
						

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This is more than an old saying in our house.  We eat apples.  They come in so many different food storable forms.  There is apple juice, apple sauce, apple butter, apple pie filling. . . the list goes on.  This week I am going to focus my recipes on meals you can make with Dried Apple Slices.  These can be made yourself out of fresh apples with a dehydrator, or can be purchased in many kinds of packaging.  One very popular to the LDS community is the #10 can of dried apple slices found at all Dry Pack Family Canneries.  Whether I make my own or pop open a can,  apple slices add vitamin C and smiles to all of my children’s diets.

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

				
					
	

				
					
	

		

						
Pumpkin Scones

			
						

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 Now that my eyes are open to the many things that can be done with pumpkin, I’m excited to try more and more recipes.  Unfortunately, many call for fresh ingredients.  Sometimes making them out of food storage works well (with a little tweeking); sometimes it doesn’t.  I was happy when I got this butter spread to work.  The sugar really enhances the cranberries, and it was spreadable and yummy.  


					

		
		
	


				
					
	

				
					
	

		

						
Pumpkin Oatmeal

			
						

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 One cool, fall evening I was craving pumpkin.  Up until then I usually filled my pumpkin cravings by making pumpkin cookies or pumpkin roll.  A friend mentioned this healthier option for pumpkin, and I was hooked.  This recipe is a great way to fill your kitchen and your mornings with the smell of the fall season.  It also inspired me to look at pumpkin as a healthy food — not just dessert. 

From: Valerie

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

			
						

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You really don’t need a lot of chocolate chips in these muffins to give you the chocolate you crave.  Mellyn taught me that if you reserve a few from the recipe to sprinkle on top it really makes a huge difference.  Not only do they look more chocolate packed, they actually taste it too!

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Orange You Glad this Pumpkin is Not Another Dried Banana?

			
						

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Fresh pumpkins may be good for Peter to keep his wife in, but most of us don’t enjoy the consumption of fresh pumpkin. 


That’s one reason canned pumpkin is a great option to add to our food stores. We’re already used to eating things made from canned pumpkin, and it’s not just for pie. It’s great in baking, casseroles, soups and stews. Many things will benefit from a boost of pumpkin — including our nutrition! Pumpkin has an enormous amount of Vitamin A, lots of fiber, and decent levels of iron and vitamin C, too. Pumpkin is a power food, and should definitely be part of our year’s supply.