Rotating my pantry foods is a big problem for me. I'm just not really the organized type, nor am I the "professional chef" type. No one would ever pay me to cook. In fact, many people would probably pay me not to cook.
Nonetheless, rotating pantry foods requires cooking. But my family gets sick of the same ol' meals day after day. However, I recently heard about the website SuperCook.com. After registering, you enter in all the foods in your house into your personal database, like canned tuna, cheddar cheese and spaghetti. (I only entered foods I typically keep in my house, rather than things that I don't usually stock, so I don't have to worry about updating my database.) The website generates a list of recipes based on what you have on hand! I haven't yet entered everything in my kitchen, but I already have a list of 2000 recipes I can make. And the recipes come from popular food websites like AllRecipes.com and Food.com.
Overall, I'm thrilled with this resource. Sure, it's not complete pantry cooking since I included fresh items like chicken breasts, eggs, and ground meat (although you could only enter pantry items if you wanted). But I'm really hoping it helps me rotate some of my pantry foods and experiment with new recipes.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Focused On The Wrong Things...
Last night I realized that I have 160 rolls of toilet paper.
This would last Hubby a lifetime.
I, on the other hand, act like a Rockefeller of Toilet Paper when I go potty (according to Hubby). I also have 2 daughters. Even so, I think that 160 rolls is probably a year's supply for my family... maybe longer if we're really rationing.
On the other hand, I probably only have 3 months of food stored.
Methinks I may be focusing on the wrong things.
This would last Hubby a lifetime.
I, on the other hand, act like a Rockefeller of Toilet Paper when I go potty (according to Hubby). I also have 2 daughters. Even so, I think that 160 rolls is probably a year's supply for my family... maybe longer if we're really rationing.
On the other hand, I probably only have 3 months of food stored.
Methinks I may be focusing on the wrong things.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Self-Sustaining? Not With 9 Eggs Per Week
I have always had the dream of self-sustainability. Hubby and I live on a 1-acre lot in a rural community. And though my father owns the surrounding 200 acres of farmland, it's not land that I can count on to use (since one day it may be dotted with an urban development). So if I want to create a self-sustaining household, then I need to do it on just one single acre.
According to the book The Backyard Homestead: Produce All The Food You Need on Just A Quarter Acre, it is possible for me to at least fill my family's tummies with food produced on my own land. And that's one of the reasons I wanted chickens for my birthday. Sure, the benefit of fresh eggs is nice. But mostly I wanted to get one step closer to self-sustainability. My four chickens are probably going to average about 9 eggs a week. This wouldn't even feed my kids, much less me and Hubby. But I'll be learning a bit about how to care for a chicken and how to tend to animals, which is a valuable lesson.
I have also planted a very small vegetable garden. It's my first real foray into gardening. Again, I kind of look at it as a learning experience. Hopefully I'll grow a couple of tomatoes to add to a salad, but mostly I just wanted the hands-on experience of growing my own food. In addition, Hubby is planting me a few raspberry bushes, apple trees and pear trees. They won't produce for at least a few years, but they're a step in the right direction.
The other day, out of the blue, Hubby said to me: "I'd love to be a farmer, and just go out and tend to my animals and crops every day, instead of dealing with people." (Hubby works in the medical field.) Now, I'm a farmer's daughter, and I have an inkling how hard farm work actually is. But I was thrilled to hear him express this sentiment. At least some part of him might be willing to help me work toward my own dream of self-sustainability.
According to the book The Backyard Homestead: Produce All The Food You Need on Just A Quarter Acre, it is possible for me to at least fill my family's tummies with food produced on my own land. And that's one of the reasons I wanted chickens for my birthday. Sure, the benefit of fresh eggs is nice. But mostly I wanted to get one step closer to self-sustainability. My four chickens are probably going to average about 9 eggs a week. This wouldn't even feed my kids, much less me and Hubby. But I'll be learning a bit about how to care for a chicken and how to tend to animals, which is a valuable lesson.
I have also planted a very small vegetable garden. It's my first real foray into gardening. Again, I kind of look at it as a learning experience. Hopefully I'll grow a couple of tomatoes to add to a salad, but mostly I just wanted the hands-on experience of growing my own food. In addition, Hubby is planting me a few raspberry bushes, apple trees and pear trees. They won't produce for at least a few years, but they're a step in the right direction.
The other day, out of the blue, Hubby said to me: "I'd love to be a farmer, and just go out and tend to my animals and crops every day, instead of dealing with people." (Hubby works in the medical field.) Now, I'm a farmer's daughter, and I have an inkling how hard farm work actually is. But I was thrilled to hear him express this sentiment. At least some part of him might be willing to help me work toward my own dream of self-sustainability.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
A Magic Solution
I stumbled upon a solution to two separate food problems I've encountered.
Problem #1: I have kids who love milk (and milk is also an ingredient in a LOT of recipes). I wanted to store some dried milk, but its shelf-life is very short (unless you buy it canned, in which case it's very expensive). And I knew I'd never rotate it into my daily use if regular milk is available. So although I wanted and needed to store dried milk, it didn't make sense to store something that expired quickly and that I would never use except in a shit+fan situation.
Problem #2: Casseroles are a fairly common meal in my home for a variety of reasons. First, they allow me to use up leftovers in a way that most of my family will eat. Second, they're easy for me to make ahead of time. I can throw one together and then keep it in the fridge (or even freezer) until I want to bake it. This makes it the perfect dish for busy nights. Unfortunately, most casserole recipes call for cream-of-something soup, which is expensive, loaded with chemicals/preservatives, and kind of gross.
Solution: Magic Mix!
Magic Mix is a mix made with dried powdered milk, butter and flour. You basically mix this together until it reaches the consistency of coarse cornmeal. Stored in the refrigerator, this stuff will last a very long time.
It can easily be turned into cream-of-whatever soup with the addition of liquid. I simply scoop out the Magic Mix from the container I keep in the fridge, put it on the stove in a pot with some liquid and seasonings, and in just a few minutes I have condensed cream soup! (For example, Magic Mix + chicken broth + parsley = cream of chicken soup.)
I LOVE the fact that I can now store some powdered milk and actually use it in my regular meals. I also love the healthier version of cream soup that this mix magically makes for me. It's only one step more than simply opening a can of soup, and avoiding preservatives in canned soup makes it well worth the effort.
Magic Mix can also be used to make alfredo sauce, a white sauce, mac n cheese, pudding, fudgesicles, and a variety of other dishes.
Click here for a link to EverydayFoodStorage.net that shows how to make condensed soup from Magic Mix. And click here for their Magic Mix recipe.
Problem #1: I have kids who love milk (and milk is also an ingredient in a LOT of recipes). I wanted to store some dried milk, but its shelf-life is very short (unless you buy it canned, in which case it's very expensive). And I knew I'd never rotate it into my daily use if regular milk is available. So although I wanted and needed to store dried milk, it didn't make sense to store something that expired quickly and that I would never use except in a shit+fan situation.
Problem #2: Casseroles are a fairly common meal in my home for a variety of reasons. First, they allow me to use up leftovers in a way that most of my family will eat. Second, they're easy for me to make ahead of time. I can throw one together and then keep it in the fridge (or even freezer) until I want to bake it. This makes it the perfect dish for busy nights. Unfortunately, most casserole recipes call for cream-of-something soup, which is expensive, loaded with chemicals/preservatives, and kind of gross.
Solution: Magic Mix!
Magic Mix is a mix made with dried powdered milk, butter and flour. You basically mix this together until it reaches the consistency of coarse cornmeal. Stored in the refrigerator, this stuff will last a very long time.
It can easily be turned into cream-of-whatever soup with the addition of liquid. I simply scoop out the Magic Mix from the container I keep in the fridge, put it on the stove in a pot with some liquid and seasonings, and in just a few minutes I have condensed cream soup! (For example, Magic Mix + chicken broth + parsley = cream of chicken soup.)
I LOVE the fact that I can now store some powdered milk and actually use it in my regular meals. I also love the healthier version of cream soup that this mix magically makes for me. It's only one step more than simply opening a can of soup, and avoiding preservatives in canned soup makes it well worth the effort.
Magic Mix can also be used to make alfredo sauce, a white sauce, mac n cheese, pudding, fudgesicles, and a variety of other dishes.
Click here for a link to EverydayFoodStorage.net that shows how to make condensed soup from Magic Mix. And click here for their Magic Mix recipe.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Introductions
Introducing....
Kentucky Fried
Pot Pie
and Nugget
(I actually ordered four birds, but one poor chickie didn't make it.) Nugget is a Salmon Faverolle, but Kentucky and Pot Pie's breeds are unknown to me. All I know for certain is that they should be brown egg layers. Anyone have any ideas? Here's another shot of the 3 of them together in the brooder:
Pot Pie
and Nugget
Friday, April 8, 2011
Update
Just a few updates about where I am:
- Health: Everyone's on the mend. Not great yet, but getting there.
- Weight: I feel skinnier. Not sure if numbers on scale have budged, but I feel a lot better.
- Preps: All preps are currently on hold. My finances are being flooded into the chickens (which, I suppose, are kind of preps) and things for the house (screened back porch, shed, etc.).
- Chickens: I am expecting peeps next week. Woo hoo!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Free Kit To Teach Kids About Water Purification
I found this via The Krazy Coupon Lady.
Every prepper knows that potable water is an essential part of any household stockpile. And, in a shit+fan situation, we may need to purify water from public or natural sources. So go here to order a free kit from PUR that teaches kids about water purification. It's a great way to get them comfortable with the topic, so it will be familiar to them if a crisis ever strikes.
Every prepper knows that potable water is an essential part of any household stockpile. And, in a shit+fan situation, we may need to purify water from public or natural sources. So go here to order a free kit from PUR that teaches kids about water purification. It's a great way to get them comfortable with the topic, so it will be familiar to them if a crisis ever strikes.
More Than I Can Chew
I fear I may have bitten off more than I can chew this summer.
This will be our first spring/summer in our new house. I am planting my first ever "real" garden (not just a cherry tomato plant in a pot). I have ordered a chicken coop and expect to have pullets in a few weeks. I want to try my hand at a little solar cooking. I intend to plant a few fruit bushes and trees, so harvesting time will be plenty busy. And I hope to dehydrate and root cellar any garden surplus (assuming I grow something other than weeds).
Lemme tell you... all of this is way out of my comfort zone.
I have a history of starting big projects but letting them slide mid-way through. I hope that doesn't happen here, or I'm going to have one seriously expensive small shed with nesting boxes in my backyard.
This will be our first spring/summer in our new house. I am planting my first ever "real" garden (not just a cherry tomato plant in a pot). I have ordered a chicken coop and expect to have pullets in a few weeks. I want to try my hand at a little solar cooking. I intend to plant a few fruit bushes and trees, so harvesting time will be plenty busy. And I hope to dehydrate and root cellar any garden surplus (assuming I grow something other than weeds).
Lemme tell you... all of this is way out of my comfort zone.
I have a history of starting big projects but letting them slide mid-way through. I hope that doesn't happen here, or I'm going to have one seriously expensive small shed with nesting boxes in my backyard.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Sick x 3
I am sick with a sore throat, congestion, etc. Your basic cold. Kids are down with the same thing. Since the three of us rarely get sick, everyone is cranky as hell.
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