Fast Food In a Bag

The idea of "Fast Food in a Bag" is very simple, though it takes a little bit of work to get it set up:

1. Choose a family favorite recipe (or see the cookbook below for ideas), gather all the ingredients that do not require refrigeration and place them in a bag.
2.  Attach the recipe to the bag.

The idea is so simple and yet it takes the work out of deciding what to fix for dinner every night.  The following website is from a church group that put together a cookbook of  "Fast Food in a Bag" recipes. 

Take a look at their cookbook and see their blog for additional insights!

http://www.cookingfrommypantry.org/ 

A FREE Getting Started or Refresher Course

Just saw the link for this FREE course on Everyday Food Storage.net and wanted to share!

Just click on the link below.  The course link is located on the main page, top right where it says...

Welcome!  I'm Crystal, your personal food storage trainer! Let me help you figure out your food storage!

Just click on the READ MORE link. 

http://everydayfoodstorage.net/

Make Any Recipe a FOOD STORAGE RECIPE

This information was taken from the All About Food Storage Site 
(http://allaboutfoodstorage.com/2009/08/food-storage-recipes/)

Using food storage on a daily basis is simple, convenient, and economical.  (And, every meal doesn’t have to include wheat or beans!)  Here are some easy ways to incorporate food storage into your family’s diet and convert any recipe to a food storage recipe.
1. Use whole grains. Use wheat flour, oats, or other grains in your cooking.   They add much more flavor and nutrition to your recipes.  If this is new for your family, start slow.  Begin by swapping out part of the white flour in recipes for whole wheat flour and work up to using more.  Flour made from hard white wheat works great this way and the change is rarely noticed. Oats add nutrition and work just as well as bread crumbs in meatloaf. Cooked wheat can be added to ground beef to stretch a recipe for tacos.  The wheat takes on the taco flavoring, and generally goes without detection, while making the meal healthier.
2. Use powdered milk.  The pricey smoothie shops do it all the time!  Powdered milk has fewer calories and less cholesterol than whole milk products and adds protein.  Try it in soups, casseroles, bread recipes…and smoothies. I also love to have powdered buttermilk on hand.
3. Convert eggs.  I love having powdered eggs on hand.  They are convenient and easy to use.  They are even great for camping…no more cracked eggs in the cooler. Just add the egg powder with your dry ingredients and the required water with your liquid ingredients.  Click here for my post on using powdered eggs. It includes a handy conversion chart.
4. Use dry beans instead of canned. The savings is significant.  To make them more convenient to use in your cooking, soak and cook a big batch of beans and freeze them in can-size portions. Place 1 2/3 cup portions of cooked beans in zippered sandwich bags and freeze. Then when your recipe calls for a 15.5 oz. can of beans, you just have to pull a bag from the freezer.
5. Throw in dehydrated vegetables or fruits.  Dehydrated or freeze-dried fruits and vegetables retain much more nutrients than do canned vegetables. Once you start using them, the convenience will win you over.  No washing, peeling, or chopping.  Dehydrated potatoes, onions, carrots, corn, bell peppers and celery are ready to go in soups and casseroles. Dehydrated apples are fantastic in oatmeal, or reconstituted and chopped for baked goods.  They’re also wonderful straight from the can as a snack.
There are several benefits from incorporating your long-term food storage ingredients into your everyday cooking.

• You’ll rotate your products and retain freshness.
• No waste. With dehydrated foods, you just reconstitiute what you need. 
• You learn how to use these food staples in a way that your family will enjoy them before there is a crisis. 
• You have a healthier family.  Whole grains, fruits and vegetables make for satisfying meals that boost nutrition.

Using Canned Pork and Beef

Many of us have purchased canned meat in the last year.  Two recipes I love use the Pork Chunks and Beef Chunks.

R. LeBaron shared this recipe with me and I love to use it when I am in a hurry:  We like this pulled pork better than any of the pre-prepared BBQ pork from the supermarket.

Quick Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1.  Open a can (or 2) of pork chunks.  (I like to rinse off the fat)  

2.  Pull apart with a fork.  

3.  Add your favorite BBQ sauce.  

4.  Heat or serve cold, alone or on bread. 

I adapted this recipe from one I found on the internet.  I love how quick cooks in the pressure cooker, but you could easily adapt it to the stove top.

Beef Stew 

1 TBS vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cans beef chunks
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 cubes beef bouillon
3 cups water
salt to taste

1.  Heat oil in pressure cooker over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook until browned on the outside.
2.  Stir in water, bouillon cubes, carrots and potatoes.  Close the lid and bring to 10 lbs of pressure (standard if you don't have a regulator).
3.  Cook for 4 minutes.
4. COOL AT ONCE.
5.  Add beef chunks and salt and pepper to taste. 

Balsamic Black Beans

Just ate this for lunch and we all loved it!  You could definitely use your dried beans from storage and just prepare them in advance.

Balsamic Black Beans

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves, garlic
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, undrained
2 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

In a deep skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic.  Cook until onion is soft.  Add both cans of beans.  Add the oregano and balsamic vinegar.  Stir to mix well.  Raise the heat to medium-high.  Cook until the mixture begins to thicken (about 3-5) minutes.  Serve alone or with corn tortilla chips, sour cream, salsa, cheese, etc.

Healthy Eating with Food Storage

Want to work on making healthy meals from your food storage?  Below are some reasons to start cooking from your food storage and to think healthy!

• Reasons to cook from food storage-You can control what is in your food!  You have the ability to control quantities of salts and sugar or honey in homemade foods. You have the ability to use food that has not been processed (or at least choose what processed food to use). You can make the switch to eating healthier...yes...even living on food storage!

      --- At Natural Family Recipes.com, http://www.naturalfamilyrecipes.com/,  you can find reasons to switch to healthier eating, how to make the switch, and lots of simple recipes.
      ---The Mayo Clinic has hundreds of healthy recipes to browse and try http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/RecipeIndex
      ---Try typing "healthy recipes" into an internet search engine (like Google) and see what you find =)

• Whole Grains- Among other things, whole grains have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and the risk of many types of cancer. Check out the following site for a list of the benefits of whole grain foods and how to determine the amount of whole grain in packaged products http://www.healthcastle.com/whole-grains.shtml  (Did you know that many products that claim to be “Whole Grain” really aren’t, or are merely sprinkled with a little bit of whole grain?)
• Beans- are inexpensive, easy to store and prepare and are a great source of protein.  You would be surprised at the many different varieties and uses of beans.  Check out this link for lots of information http://www.recipenet.org/health/articles/beans.htm  (Did you know you can use white beans in place of shortening in most recipes?  See post under the "Beans" category)
• Sprouting- Sprouts are a great idea anytime, but are a must for times when fresh produce may not be available.  Check out this link for a primer on what you need to know http://www.primalseeds.org/sprouting.htm
• Gardening-  A 2008 survey of gardeners found that the #1 reason to garden was to have safe and healthy food and the #2 reason was for exercise (1 hour of moderate gardening burns 300 calories).  Following is a list of just 3 of the many informative sites on gardening:    

           http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net      http://backyardgardener.com   
           http://www.gardenguiedes.com 

• Packaged Food- Packaged foods are convenient and easy to store.  The following link allows you to compare popular packaged food items and read a review by a registered dietitian so that you can make informed and healthier choices   http://www.healthcastle.com/product-review.shtml#

Check out the links below for more ideas:

• Food Pyramid-  designed by the USDA, MyPyramid.gov can help you choose the foods and amounts that are right for you. For a quick estimate of what and how much you need to eat, enter your age, sex, and activity level.   http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx 

• Check out this information on home canning and preserving:   http://www.freshpreserving.com/,
 http://youcancan.blogspot.com/

• Shelf-life Chart-  This link is to the North Dakota State University's chart which lists foods and tells how long you can store items on the shelf, in the refrigerator and in the freezer.  http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/fn579-1.htm

• "A World Of Wisdom" cookbook by Amy Cox Jones http://wowcookbook.homestead.com/  is a cookbook full of recipes organized seasonally! She goes through each season, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring (and has a year round section) and gives you recipes for meals that use foods that are in season. Not only is this cost effective, but it also is good for you – did you know that a lot of foods provide you with certain nutrients that are needed for that time of year. She also gives you tips on how to start eating healthier. What I liked most about this cook book is that I actually know what the ingredients are! Often times healthy cookbooks have all these ingredients that intimidate me. She also uses wheat berries in some of the recipes – which is great for people without grinders. Oh and there is a section on basics with milks, sauces, and dressings that are healthy and easy to make!  Reviewed by Julie of Fun With Food Storage

Easy White Bean Dip

 If you like hummus, I think you will like this.  It is really good served with chips or raw veggies.

1 can white beans
1 TBS lemon juice
1 TBS olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with a blade.  Blend until very smooth.  Chill and serve with fresh veggies, crackers, or chips.