Small Batch Preserving

 

I arrived home from our family reunion to find that the produce in my fridge needed some attention. We all have times when what we purchased at the grocery store begins to languish and the plan for it being eaten has changed.  This week we are unexpectedly down a few family members to help eat the fresh produce, so rather than have it spoil, I spent a few minutes to process it.

It really was a few minutes.  I had a head of cauliflower, a 1/2 pound of bacon, a bunch of asparagus and a red pepper to process. With just a little effort, all of those things are in my freezer, saved for another day's use. We always think of canning, drying or freezing when the harvest is on and the abundance flows in, but this can be done throughout the year. If you try it, you will be surprised at how easy it is.

To freeze the cauliflower and the asparagus (and most other vegetables), you need to blanch it.  Set a pot of water boiling while you wash and  cut your veggies, then pop them into the boiling water for a minute or two. You are not cooking it, you blanch to kill bacteria that deteriorate your produce while in the freezer. After the couple of minutes are up, you plunge the veggies into a cold water bath to stop the cooking process. Drain well, pack into freezer bags, label and freeze. I used my saucepan for this, since it was such a small batch. (When I have large batches--although it sounds kooky--my favorite tool for blanching is my wok; with the large surface area you can get a lot of peaches or tomatoes done quickly.) Different vegetables are blanched for different amounts of time. There are online tables for blanching times, or you can refer to a Ball Blue Book.

To freeze the bacon, Brown and drain on a paper towel, let it cool, then crumble and put it into a freezer bag. Squeeze out all the air. It is super handy having cooked bacon in the freezer! This same method is used for most meats. You can read more on this here.

To freeze the pepper: Wash, slice, put them in a freezer bag and place in the freezer. Peppers and onions don't need blanching before freezing. I slice mine for ease of use. It allows me to take out the amount I want, and further dicing is really easy when they are frozen, you can even break them into cubes for cooking. Use these from a frozen state.

General guidelines: berries can be frozen like the pepper, wash and freeze. Here is a how-to for freezing zucchini and one for winter squash. There are a some other small batch preservation recipes on the blog, here are a few: 

Refrigerator Pickles, Freezing Tomato Paste, Family Spaghetti

Once you start thinking this way, you could even have a double-preserve situation, like stashing a bag of cranberries in the freezer, and later using them to make Cranberry Orange Butter! So smart and yummy!

Jenny

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

These will remind you of the ones you get at Red Lobster.  If you don't have Bisquick on hand, you can mix up your own with this recipe: Quick Mix

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits
3 1/2 c. Bisquick or Quick Mix
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/3 c. cool water
In a bowl, combine Bisquick and cheddar and stir to coat cheese in flour.  Add garlic powder and water and stir to mix (dough will be sticky).  On a greased baking sheet, spread the batter, leaving it about 1/2 inch thick.  It doesn't matter if it is just a mass in the middle, just make it an even thickness.  Cut through dough with a pizza cutter into squares.  Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10-12 min.  While the biscuits bake, combine the ingredients for Garlic Spread.

Garlic Spread
1/4 c. melted butter, or margarine
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. dried parsley

Remove biscuits from the oven and immediately brush with Garlic Spread. Redefine cut spaces with tip of a knife if needed, break apart to serve.
Jenny

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

This is a blast from my past.  All the cookbooks from my mom's era had a handful of entries of this particular muffin and I remember my mother making them.  The recipe is nice because it makes a big batch, but the batter can sit in your fridge for a week.  Makes mornings so easy, and this is a good-for-you muffin as far as they go.  I like them with jam or jelly.

Refrigerator Bran Muffins
2 c. boiling water
5 tsp. baking soda
In a bowl, stir baking soda into water until dissolved.  Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, cream together:
1 c. shortening
2 c. sugar
4 eggs

Combine:
5 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
and add to shortening mixture alternately with
1 qt. buttermilk
Mix well.  Beat in the baking soda/water mixture.

Fold in:
6 c. bran flakes cereal
1 c. chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 min. Yield: about 5 dozen

Notes:  You can add raisins to this, or it even works to make this with raisin bran cereal.  Last time I made it, I used 5 c. bran flakes and 1 c. wheat germ.  Next time I make it, I think I'm going to try using brown sugar instead of white.  I make 2 dozen for my family at a time, and usually I get about 4 dozen total.  I grease my muffin cups, and the yield may be higher with paper-lined cups, as they tend to hold a bit less.

You can also bake all the muffins at once and freeze them.  This is great for on-the-go mornings, as a frozen muffin takes only about a minute in the microwave to be hot.  True fast food. :)

Jenny

Meatballs for Freezing

With the holidays in full swing, I wanted to post this recipe which is helpful as a quick dinner item or nice to have on hand for making appetizers for company or to take to the holiday parties.  The meatballs take very little time for the payback. Ideas for using them are listed after the recipe.

Meatballs for Freezing
4 lbs of ground beef
2 eggs
2 c. dry bread crumbs or rolled oats
1 onion, chopped very fine
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 c. milk

In a large bowl, with a strong wooden spoon, or using clean hands, mix all ingredients together until evenly combined.  Using a scoop or your hands, form meatballs about the size of a walnut and place on a baking sheets.  You can crowd on as many meatball as you can, they actually shrink a little as they bake. Bake meatballs in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 25-30 min. until browned.  Let meatballs cool.  Remove from pan with a spatula and transfer to large freezer bags in groups of about 20 meatballs.  I usually get about 4 bags. Squeeze out the air and freeze for up to 3 months.

To Use Meatballs:  You can thaw meatballs in the fridge or in the microwave.  They are ready to add to marinara for spaghetti, or for meatball sandwiches.  You can use them for Swedish meatballs or sweet and sour.  I like to add a package of meatballs to Mandarin Sauce and serve it over rice.  For appetizer meatballs, try one of these combinations in a crock pot:

My friend Emily buys a Smucker's Red Currant Jelly, empties the jar into the crock pot, fills the jar with yellow mustard, and dumps that in too.  Heat and stir to combine.  When the jelly is melted and everything is an even color, add meatballs and heat on low for an hour or two. Yum!

A similar method but different taste is accomplished by using equal parts grape jelly and barbecue sauce.

Notes:  Your meatballs will look much better than mine because you will pay attention to what you are doing and chop your onions very fine.... :) Don't stress about any grease that accumulates in the bottom of your pan, you are going to lift the meatballs out of that.  You can use lean ground beef if you like.

Jenny

Hot Cocoa Mix

We have snow! Really, it is almost the first time this whole winter!  The cold reminded me that I intended to share all my favorite warm drinks here.  These are the things the kids go for when they come in from playing in the snow. This post is followed by Cinnamon Milk Mix and Russian Refresher Mix. I try to keep them on hand all winter, they are so nice to have!

My mother made cocoa mix when I was a kid, my kids just think this is how cocoa is done.  The original recipe for this came from Make a Mix, but this is my own version, tweaked to my taste. 

Hot Cocoa Mix
10 2/3 c. instant  nonfat dry milk (a 25.6 oz. package)
2 1/2 c. powdered non-dairy creamer
2 c. powdered sugar
1 (20 oz.) container Nestle Quik or other instant chocolate drink mix

Combine all ingredients in a very large bowl and whisk together until it is uniform in color.  Store in an airtight, labeled container and use within 6 months.

To Make Hot Cocoa: Place 1/3 c. cocoa mix in an 8 oz. cup and fill with hot water.  Stir.

Notes:  We have gone through 4 batches of this since Halloween!  I have used all kinds of chocolate drink mixes for this, and although they all work, I really prefer Nestle. 

Jenny

Cinnamon Milk Mix

This is my favorite warm drink.  This picture is the dry mix.

Cinnamon Milk Mix
2 c. powdered milk
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 c. powdered non-dairy creamer
1 1/4 c. sugar

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring until mix is uniform in color.  Store in an airtight container, labeled with contents.  Use within six months.

To Make Cinnamon Milk: Place 1/3 c. mix in an 8 oz. cup,  fill with hot water and stir.  You may add a drop of vanilla if you like. (I do.)

Notes: Use instant non-fat dry milk.  I double the recipe.

Jenny

Russian Refresher Mix

This warm and spicy citrus drink mix comes from Make-a-Mix Cookbook.  It is my husband's favorite.

Russian Refresher Mix
2 c. powdered orange drink mix (I use Tang)
1 (3 oz.) package pre-sweetened powdered lemonade mix
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well (a whisk works great for this).  Store in an airtight container, labeled with contents.  Use within 6 months.

To make Russian Refresher: Place 2-3 tsp. mix in a cup, add 1 c. hot water and stir.

Notes: I double the recipe.

Jenny

Easy Microwave White Sauce

I have used this recipe since our college days, I just have to make a bigger batch in a bigger bowl now. This is for my friend Sherri, who asked on the Mushroom Soup if you could use it as a substitute for canned mushroom soup in casseroles.  Usually the idea in a casserole is to get the ingredients clingy and creamy, I just use a white sauce, seasoned to suit what ever I am making.  You can add cheese or herbs or about anything to this.   The recipe comes from my friend Kristen.
Easy Microwave White Sauce
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk

In a microwave safe bowl, combine butter, flour and salt, microwave about 30 seconds (melting the butter).  Stir in the milk and microwave for 3 min. Stirring each minute. (Until the sauce is thick.) This much will substitute for 1 can of cream soup in a casserole.

Notes:  I make this using reconstituted dry milk which I make up with warm water.  The sauce thickens faster stirring in warm milk than with milk straight from the fridge.  I am usually doubling the recipe at least.  Use a big enough bowl that you won't have boil overs in the microwave.  I like to add garlic salt, onion powder and any herbs that seem promising.  You can also stir in 1/2 c. cheese at the end of cooking for an easy cheese sauce.

Jenny

Whole Wheat Waffles

This recipe is one for all my fellow whole wheat/food storage-loving friends.  This yummy batch of waffles makes up fast from an economical homemade mix.   Store your mix in a freezer if possible, as whole wheat flour can turn rancid on your shelf.  I like these best with a warm syrup, here are a few to try: Buttermilk Syrup, Cinnamon Syrup, or Milk Syrup.

Whole Wheat Waffle Mix:
8 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. sugar
4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. powdered milk
5 Tbsp. baking powder

Stir together with a whisk.  Store mix in an airtight container in the freezer.

Whole Wheat Waffles (from mix)
1 1/2 c. mix
1 egg
3/4 c. water
1 Tbsp. oil

Combine ingredients and cook in a preheated waffle iron.

Notes:  I double the waffle recipe to feed my crew.

Jenny

Mandarin Sauce

I tried this recipe two years ago, while facing a huge crop of tomatoes that I had bottled until I was out of ideas--then my aunt posted this recipe on our family web site.  I have found it a handy thing to have on the shelf.  See notes after the recipe for ideas on using this.

Mandarin Sauce
9 c. tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained
4 c. onion chunks
4 c. green pepper, chopped
2 (20 oz.) cans chunk pineapple and juice
6 c. sugar
8 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 c. vinegar
1 c. water
1 1/4 c. cornstarch

Peel tomatoes, squeeze them to remove some of the juice and seeds, coarsely chop.  Cut onions and green peppers into chunks.  Mix sugar with cornstarch in a bowl and stir together. Combine tomatoes, pineapple and juice, onions, and peppers in a large pot.  Add soy sauce, vinegar, water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Slowly add sugar/cornstarch mix while stirring and boil until thickened.  Put in pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space and process immediately in a boiling water bath for 35 min.  Makes 12 pints.
To serve: Brown boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pour sauce over and bake in 350 oven for about 45 min.  or put this in a crock pot.  Serve over rice.

Notes:  This is a bit of an old-fashioned recipe for canning, as it calls for cornstarch.  Most new publications will not publish recipes with cornstarch because the resulting food product deteriorates in appearance over time.  It is perfectly safe to use, it will just separate, causing a clear liquid to gather on top of the food in the jar.  This may not happen for a year or more, but if it does, don't be alarmed, just use as is.  Alternately, you could make this without the cornstarch and thicken it before you use it each time.

I use the food processor to coarsely chop my vegetables.  To peel tomatoes, cut a small x in the bottom of the tomato. Put tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds then plunge into cold water.  The skins will begin to curl and you can pull them off easily with your hands.

My favorite way to use this sauce is over a pork roast in the crock pot.  When the meat is tender, I shred it back into the sauce and serve over rice.  This is also yummy over meatballs.

Jenny

Lessons Learned: Food Storage and Unemployment

I think it is wise to record lessons we have learned, so we can remember them.  Our family has been struggling with unemployment or under-employment for 3 years now.  During this time, I have relied heavily on our food storage to sustain us through financial reversals.  Today I write some of the things I have learned in hopes that they will be of use to you or me in the future.
First, I believe in having a supply of food on hand.  It is a useful principle for every day living as well as protection against emergencies. When our first job loss came, we were emotionally unprepared, but not physically--there was plenty of food. These are a few things I have learned about the food:

People like to eat what they are used to eating.  It is a good thing that I have always cooked from my storage so that it wasn't completely foreign to my family to eat what was there. Seasonings of various kinds have helped make the basic foods taste like they are "supposed to" in our minds.  I have still struggled to keep all the people happy all the time.

We are not living on this storage exclusively.  I have been to the store for milk and fresh produce and eggs. It has been important to our emotional health to have this little representation of 'normal'. Whenever a little money comes in, I evaluate what is depleted and try to replace necessities first.

Though I buy milk to drink and for cereal, I have been diligent in using powdered milk in baked goods and canned milk in casseroles and soups to help stretch what we have.  I buy only the tiniest container of buttermilk and use this tip to make it from powdered milk as well.

Knowledge and creativity are my friends.  Cookbooks and a continual open-minded looking for good substitutes has helped a lot.  You can blend a can of diced tomatoes and use it as a reasonable substitute for tomato sauce.  Mayonnaise and sour cream and even buttermilk can be interchanged in lots of salads and casseroles.  Bread bags are food grade plastic, therefore they are easily reused to cover leftovers instead of using plastic wrap.  Most beans can be substituted for other beans (kidney beans for black beans in chili etc.).  Oatmeal, wheat berries and mashed beans all work as meat extenders in casseroles.

The toughest thing to replace on a constant basis has been snack foods.  We are really used to packaged pretzels, crackers, cookies, cake and brownie mixes, and even microwave popcorn.  Making all of these things from scratch takes time and effort, plus basic ingredients--but we have done a lot of it.  One of the things I have learned is that when you are baking more, you need more of the basics.  Oil and baking powder are the baking items I have found I need to replace most often.  Cornstarch and baking soda are other items that seem small but are important. I have learned that in the future, my food storage should contain more of these goods, especially those dry goods which store well. (Note to self: store a bunch of baking powder--it goes in everything!)

I have learned that I prefer a bit of whole wheat flour in most muffin recipes and many cookie recipes.  It imparts a deeper, nutty flavor that is pleasant.

Applesauce is very useful stuff: making muffins, cookies, cakes, and as an instant side dish.  It can also be used to replace part of the fat/oil in baked goods.

Plums can be juiced and the leftover pulp used to make a delicious jam!  Cherries too, but you won't get near as much juice.  Cherry juice is best made into syrup.

People are wonderful!  We have been given food of all kinds.  It has been a blessing to see how kind and generous concerned family, friends and neighbors have been about our welfare.  It has also been fun to challenge myself to learn to cook something new that just showed up.

Money does ebb and flow.  It is important when there is a little money to invest in re-stocking the pantry, because tomorrow you will be glad you did.

Dried beans are so much more useful when you cook a big bunch and freeze them, or when you take the time to bottle them.  Then you can use them instantly like the canned beans from the store.

Making my own mixes saves time, and helps with the mental strain that comes with kids who want snacks.

I make good granola bars.  We prefer them.  (Who knew?)

A good attitude helps.  (My attitude often needs help.)  If I can look at this as a challenge to be met with a bit of spunk I do so much better than if I pity myself.  I have so much!  I am not facing starvation, others probably are, but I am temporarily tight on funds, that is all.  In exchange for this trial, I have learned so much!  I am thankful for prophets of God that counsel us to put food aside against just such a time as this.

Jenny

Vanilla Pudding and Pie Filling Mix

This is from the Make a Mix cookbook.  It makes a velvety white pudding that is elegant for desserts.  Easy peasy too!  The mix will sit on your shelf for 4 months if you keep it tightly covered. 

Vanilla Pudding and Pie Filling Mix
2 1/3 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, mix all ingredient with a wire whisk until blended.  Store in a 4 cup container with a tight-fitting lid.

To make pudding:
2/3 c. pudding mix
2 1/2 c. milk
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine pudding mix and milk in a small saucepan.  Heat over medium heat, stirring until mixture thickens and begins to bubble.  Remove from heat.  Stir in butter and vanilla until blended.  Cover with plastic wrap, cool.
To use for a pie filling: Pour into baked crust and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.

 Notes: The photo shows warm pudding poured over pound cake and topped with strawberries.
Jenny

Mint Punch

This is a refreshing, grown up sort of lemonade.  It makes a concentrate syrup which will last in your fridge for a couple of weeks.  My kids like this, but I make it as a personal treat for me.  I have to tell a sad tale however about photographing this.  I do not own a glass for lemonade.  My friend Molly always teases me about my "fancy" glasses.  She is referring to the vast assortment of plastic, child friendly drinking vessels that cannot actually be considered a "glass" which make up my entire collection.  Therefore, I really have nothing to photograph to suggest to you how nice a tall glass of this can be.  Someone pour a glassful and send me a photo!  Molly?

Mint Punch

for the syrup:
2 1/2 c. water
2 c. sugar
Combine in a sauce pan and boil for 10 min.  In a separate bowl combine:
2 c. fresh mint leaves and stems (washed, roughly chopped)
juice of 6 lemons
zest from 2 lemons
zest and juice from 2 oranges
Pour boiling syrup over the mint leaves mixture.  Cover and let cool.  Strain syrup through a mesh sieve.  To serve, add 2-3 Tbsp. of syrup to a glass and fill with Sprite or ginger ale.  Add ice.  You can adjust the syrup ratio to your taste, but start small, as it is pretty strong.  Store this in the refrigerator.

Pull a chair under a shady tree, sit down with a book and your punch and enjoy summer!
Jenny

The Fierce Pantry

Old Mother Hubbard went to her cupboard to fetch her poor dog a bone.

When she got there, the cupboard was bare and so her poor dog had none.

I want to write today and in the near future addressing the topic of saving money by staying home to eat.  Eating out is a money and peace sneak.  (Mostly it sneaks our peace by sneaking our money.)  It can also lead to health problems and steal away family togetherness at meals. Let me be clear that I do not feel eating out is in any way morally wrong, just in our culture we have come to rely on it heavily and now as we face recession and tighter belts, we need to remember how to cut back on what is really a luxury.

The first idea I have on this is to avoid Mother Hubbard's predicament: an empty cupboard.  If you look at your eating habits and you are ordering pizza on the day before the big grocery shop is scheduled, you are facing a bare pantry.  What to do? You want a pantry that is dedicated!  You want it to be 100% on your side! Lets talk about stocking your pantry boldly in layers so it is your favorite ally in the dinner-time decision war.

The Layers: basic food stuffs; seasonings and condiments; canned/bottled goods that your family likes; convenience foods (both homemade and store purchased); snacks and treats; perishables; frozen foods.

Basic Food Stuffs: Flour, sugar, rice, pasta, potatoes (dried), oil and shortening, peanut butter and oatmeal.  This is the basis of what you make.  Most are dry ingredients that store well and are the staples of your pantry.  Do not run low on these, and do not underestimate their value.

Seasonings and Condiments:  How bland life would be without ketchup and her cousins!  I find that barbecue sauce, mustard, flavored vinegar, good olive oil, dried herbs, ground spices and various cultural seasoning sauces are many times the key to making the basic food stuffs work.  Salsa makes anything nice.  Worcestershire sauce and oyster sauce are all happily co-existing in my fridge.  Stock your favorites!  Be bold.

Canned/bottled goods that your family likes: Fruits and veggies stored this way are so useful in so many recipes!  I stock canned corn, beans, pineapple, tomatoes and tomato sauce, mandarin oranges and mushrooms.  Soups and chili too. In my bottles are applesauce, fruit pie fillings, peaches, pears, jams and syrups and juice.  Don't stock something that you don't like.  This should go without saying, but we have all had the sad realization after bringing home something new that it is unwelcome.  Give it to your local food bank.  Otherwise it taunts you from your shelves when you are hungry.  You automatically think, "Nothing here but that old sauerkraut again."

Convenience foods: This is what you need when you are physically and emotionally tired.  It can be boxes of cold cereal, a box of corn dogs or a casserole that you made a month ago and stashed smugly in the freezer for just such a rainy day.  This is a very important layer in your pantry.  We tend to go through these items fast in stressful times, so keep up on this one!  Pre-cooked meats are excellent here.  Cook a chicken and shred it off the bones and freeze in two cup portions.  Do the same with hamburger, brown 3 lbs. at a time, use one in tonight's meal and freeze two of them. You will thank yourself for this gift each time you are able to make a casserole in minutes.

Snacks and Treats: When my husband opens my pantry and stares into it, he wants snacks to answer.  If there are no treats, his mind tells him there is no food.  Plain and simple. Some ideas for this one are crackers, popcorn, pretzels, yogurt, carrot sticks and Popsicles. Treats are a bit like snacks, only sweeter.  Cake and brownie mixes or cookies stashed in the freezer are all in this category.  This is one area I find coupons very helpful, I watch for the sales and then I hide goodies ninja fashion until they are "needed".  Keep basics for making treats on hand too: chocolate chips, coconut, raisins and cocoa powder.  I like to store sweetened condensed milk and graham cracker crusts in my stash too.

Perishables: When you go to the grocery store, try to stock up on enough of these items to last you until your next planned trip.  Milk, bread, eggs, butter/margarine, fresh fruits and veggies and root vegetables with a little longer storage life are all part of this layer.  Yogurt and buttermilk and sour cream are nice to have on hand as well.

Frozen Foods: If a dog is man's best friend, a freezer is a cook's.  Stash just everything you can here.  An assortment of meats (especially when you find them on sale), vegetables and fruits, sauces, frozen potatoes and other convenience foods as well as left overs or planned overs should all appear when you open your freezer.

When you have built this layered supply in your kitchen and couple it with a menu plan, you are well prepared to take on whatever may come in feeding your family.  You don't need to stock your pantry overnight, but if you can look at your finances and take a bit of what you are spending to eat out and put it toward your pantry each week, you will soon have that fierce friend.

Notes: If you are a new reader, and this is an important topic to you, you might find these posts useful:
Cheater Pants Meals
Crockpots and Friends

Jenny

Basic Granola (cereal type)

This is a very basic recipe, but you can add what you like, just substitute another grain for part of the oatmeal.  Add raisins or other dried fruits when you serve it.  We love this in milk or with a dollop of yogurt for breakfast.

Basic Granola

14 c. oatmeal

2 c. wheat germ
2 c. coconut
Combine in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl, stir together:

1 3/4 c. brown sugar

1 c. vegetable oil

1 c. water
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Pour over oatmeal mixture.  Stir to coat evenly.  Spread on two large cookie sheets and bake at 225 degrees for 2 hours.  (I bake both cookie sheets at once, one on the bottom rack and one on the center rack in the oven. At one hour, I stir the mix and switch positions of the cookie sheets.)  Cool and store in an airtight container. 

Notes:  The original recipe calls for 8 c. oatmeal and 6 c. rolled wheat.  I have a tough time finding the rolled wheat, so I have always made it with all oatmeal.  You can substitute all you like.  I have cut it in half before as well. This smells heavenly while you bake it!

post-script:  I found some rolled wheat and used it to make a batch of granola, it makes the granola very tough to chew...so if you like chewy, go for it, but if not, leave it out.

Jenny

Super Simple Cookies

You may have surmised by the number and type of posts in the last few weeks that we are currently in a survival mode.  This happens periodically as change sweeps through our lives, so we do our best for the present and know that life ebbs and flows.  In the meantime, I rely on things I can make with little fuss and using the things I have on hand. This is an easy cookie, great for after school snacks or a quick family treat.  Any child you trust using the oven can make these.

Super Simple Cookies
1 yellow cake mix
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
1/2 c. baking chips (any flavor-the ones in the picture are cinnamon chips)

Mix dry cake mix with sugar, oil and eggs.  Stir in chips.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 for 10 min. Cool.  Yield 2 1/2 dozen.

Jenny

Caramel Sauce

Use this as an ice cream topping or drizzled over desserts.

Caramel Sauce
1 cube butter
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 c. brown sugar

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Do not boil.  Sauce is ready when warmed and sugar is dissolved.  This sauce can be used for monkey bread.
Jenny

Mixes make Cents

I believe the first of this series of cookbooks was created in the 1970's.  I became familiar with it in its second run about 12 years ago.  I still remember cringing at the $20 I spent on the book (in the days before I could shop on-line) and wondering if it would ever pay for itself.  At the beginning, the authors talked about how we already use mixes in our cooking, like cake mixes, brownie and pancake mixes, but that you could make your own.  I was used to making my own everything, and I was looking for something to stretch my time and my dollar.  I was not disappointed.  The way it is set up, the book begins with a series of recipes for basic mixes, and then lists a group of recipes to be made from each mix.  Originally I was discouraged, thinking it was a whole new system and I might be overwhelmed, but I had invested....so I began to try it out. 

I cannot say what a help this has been over the years.  I can take an hour one afternoon a month and make up a batch of mixes. I let the kids help and we make it a sort of party.  Later, the mixes really cut down on time in the kitchen.  I also like knowing all the ingredients my family is eating. You will need canisters, but I had been given a bunch for my wedding, so I was already set.  After that, we use the mixes all month.  Right hand ones are Quick Mix, Muffin Mix, Hot Cocoa Mix, and Russian Refresher (to name a few).  I also love their cookie mix recipe.   Now that I use coupons, I can buy store mixes for about as cheap as making my own, so when I get the chance I do, but I still make many mixes and this little book revolutionized the way I look at cooking!
Jenny

Quick Mix (Bisquick Substitute)

This recipe is a Bisquick look-a-like from the Make a Mix cookbook.  I love this book, and many of the mixes in it have been a staple on my shelf for years! You can substitute this for Bisquick in any recipe.

Quick Mix (Bisquick Substitute)
8 1/2 c. flour
4 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. instant non-fat dry milk powder
2 1/4 c. vegetable shortening

In a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients.  With a pastry blender, cut in shortening until mixture resembles cornmeal in texture.  Store in an air-tight container in a cool place, use within 12 weeks.  Makes about 13 c. mix.

Here is a link to some more mix cooking using ideas from USU Extension services.

Jenny