food Archives - Page 3 of 3

Stocking a pioneer pantry

February 10, 2014 by Jana 8 Comments

If you’ve ever read a Little House on the Prairie book, then you know how much (especially in the earlier books) of them are devoted to describing food. Everything from recipes to what they gardened to how they used animal organs as toys is covered. And one of the most descriptive parts is when Laura discusses how they stocked their pantry for the winter.

This is not my actual pantry closet. Mine is too disorganized to put on display.

It’s pretty amazing how much food they were able to stuff into that small house. I mean, I suppose they had to if they didn’t want to starve to death, but given the fact that Laura’s description of her home implies that her family’s entire house could fit in my living room, the volume is impressive. Pretty widely varied, too, with their meat and fruit and vegetables and grains. (Although the variety puzzles me because it didn’t really seem like they cared much about mixing it up back then. Survival was important. Eating something different every day was not.)

So, like all good books do, the discussion of creating their stores for the winter got me thinking. Specifically about what my own pantry looks like. As in, what are the staples I need so that I could feed my family for a substantial time without having to go to the grocery store (this also prompted me to start thinking about what we’re going to plant in our garden but we’ll cover that another day) in the event that we are stuck or short on money or we decide to do a pantry challenge.

In other words, I asked myself this question–what do I need do have on hand in my pantry to make us more self-sufficient both in the long run and to prepare for any short term problems?

I started to assemble my list. I based my staples list not only price but on shelf life and stability (in case we lose power), usefulness in numerous recipes, likelihood of being eaten, nutrition content, and taste. I’m not stocking my pantry with vile tasting foods and spices just because they’re inexpensive, last a long time, and can be used in several recipes (yes, oregano, I’m looking at you. I don’t care what you say. You’re disgusting and you ruin food). I also used a number of my family’s favorite recipes as a guide because I want to stock my pantry in a way that will not only provide my family with food, but food that they enjoy (as much as possible).

Having said all of that, here’s the list:

Flour–whole wheat and all purpose white
Baking soda and baking power
Yeast
Peanut butter
Oatmeal
Pasta and rice
Canned tomatoes
Beans–dried and canned
Potatoes
Honey
White and brown sugar
Tea bags
Spices–salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, Old Bay, cinnamon sugar, Italian seasoning
Raisins
Olive oil and vegetable oil
Chicken and vegetable broth
Chocolate chips
Vinegar–white and apple cider
Canned fruits and vegetables

Added to that list is fresh fruits and vegetables that do not require refrigeration (apples, tomatoes, bananas, etc). I wish I could add milk, butter, and eggs but I’m sure that there are shelf-stable substitutions for the refrigerated stuff that I can investigate.

I’m pretty sure with those ingredients in my pantry, my family could eat for at least an entire week without having to set foot in a grocery store or farmer’s market. And, lucky for us, in the event we lose power, we have a wood burning fireplace and a barbecue that we can use to cook. That’s nice and reassuring. (We’ll discuss methods to make your home more pioneer friendly/energy efficient without major construction or spending a fortune in an upcoming post)

Let me also add this. I am lucky that I have a home with a pantry large enough to accommodate this kind of stockpile and I can plan my list accordingly. If you live in a small home, or a large home with small storage, you might not be able to have as large of a stockpile. That is totally fine. To create yours, look at the space you have, assess what will fit, and make the necessary adjustments. Maybe instead of canned beans, you buy bags of dried beans and stack them on top of each other (they take up less room). Maybe you pour your sugar (note: it’s okay to sing Def Leppard along with that phrase. I did) into gallon sized plastic bags and then stack those on top of each other. You can do that with flour, too. Or perhaps you buy a large storage bin and put everything in there and then put the whole bin in a closet or under your bed, saving your pantry for your every day, non-emergency stuff. Or maybe you cover the bin with an old sheet you turned into a tablecloth and use it as a coffee table.

That last one might be stretching things a bit too far but it sounds like something a pioneer family would do.

Anyway.

It’s really up to you how creative you want to be based on space, time, and money as well as your family’s needs and dietary preferences. But this is one small task that anyone, no matter the size of your home, can complete to take one step closer towards feeling like a pioneer.

What does your pioneer pantry look like?

Let’s do the Thanksgiving shuffle!

November 19, 2013 by Jana 10 Comments

Back in my personal finance blogging days, I would play a game that I totally ripped off from my favorite morning show. I called it “Money Shuffle” and I would go through my iPod, pick the first 5 songs that came up and then relate a personal finance story to each song.

I have decided to resurrect that game. It might have something to do with the fact that I heard it on the radio this morning.

For this version, though, we’re talking about Thanksgiving. Because it’s next week. Also, it coincides with Hanukkah for the first time in about 47,000 years and won’t happen again for another 86,000 years. Or something like that.

I might be off a bit on the numbers.

But I’m not off on the fact that Thanksgiving is next week. It’s my favorite holiday, and it’s particularly my favorite holiday to host. I love cooking Thanksgiving foods, having my family in my house is delightful (I swear, there’s no sarcasm there. I really do like having them), and in my house, Thanksgiving remains the official start to the Christmas season. No buying anything Christmas in my house until Thanksgiving has passed.

Insert angry rant about too much focus on shopping and the fact that Thanksgiving is all but erased. Definitely a soapbox issue for me.

However, much like my family on Thanksgiving day, you’re here for the food. So we’ll focus on that. And the fact that we’re going to play a fun game. Thanksgiving shuffle.

I’ve selected 4 songs at random from my iPod and assigned a Thanksgiving food to each. I don’t necessarily have a recipe for all of them, but if you do, please share in the comments.

Here we go:

I Hate Everything About You by Three Days Grace–I give this honor to canned cranberry sauce. It has no business being on my Thanksgiving table except for the fact that one of my in-laws prefers it to my homemade kind and gets sort of upset when it’s not there. But it grosses me out. The solid, ringed, gelatinous mass screams “I’m vile! Please don’t touch me!” yet there it sits, a revolting blob among the deliciousness of everything else. All for one person. You’re welcome.

Burn It To the Ground by Nickelback–Fine. Judge me for having Canada’s other shame on my iPod but any song that can work in the phrase “bat shit crazy” is okay by me. The epicurean honor for this song goes to deep fried turkey. Or, more accurately, the reason I will not let my husband deep fry a turkey. He’s accident prone. Even more so than me. And I’m pretty sure that if he attempted to deep fry a turkey, something would catch fire and burn completely to the ground. Even the fire department deserves a day off, husband. So no deep fried turkey for you.

Get Stoned by Hinder–Okay. PSA. Don’t get stoned before Thanksgiving dinner. You will probably eat everything at the table and therefore anger everyone else since there will be nothing left. That said, I totally get high off of stuffing. It’s my favorite Thanksgiving food, particularly the way I make it, which is my own version of Rachael Ray’s stuffin’ muffins. These are the reason I immediately change into yoga pants after dinner and also maybe just thinking about them is making me a little hungry. I swear I’m not really stoned.

Goodbye Earl by by the Dixie Chicks–A song about two women poisoning one of their abusive husbands and then hiding his body. I got nothing. But here’s my recipe for sweet potatoes. It’s my Nanny’s recipe and it’s delicious. Warning: it makes a tremendous amount of food. If you’re not hosting 75 people or an NFL team, half it:

Nanny’s Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

6 large cans Bruce’s yams or sweet potatoes
1 package dark brown sugar
2 jars marshmallow fluff
4 tsp cinnamon
2 sticks sweet butter or unsalted margarine
2 20 oz cans crushed pineapple in juice
1 package mini-marshmallows

Directions:

Drain and mash the yams or sweet potatoes, first by hand then with an electric mixer (I use my Kitchen Aid stand-up mixer).
Melt the butter or margarine, and combine with sugar and cinnamon.
Mix butter, sugar and cinnamon with the fluff. Add to mashed yams and mix well with electric mixture to make it creamy in texture.
Add the crushed pineapple with some of the juice. Mix well by hand.
Spray a 13×9 inch pan with cooking spray and pour the mixture in (leave a little room for expansion).
Bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes, until the top begins to look slightly solid and the rest is bubbling.
Add the mini-marshmallows to the top and cook until the marshmallow melt slightly and brown, but are not burned.

31 Steps for Feeling Happier, Step 8: Cook from scratch

October 8, 2013 by Jana 8 Comments

Did you create your motivational playlist yesterday? If you did, please share it on Facebook. Also, get ready to groove along to it while you work on today’s task of cooking from scratch.

Why cooking from scratch, especially during the week when we’re even more pressed for time? It’s simple–if you can pull off cooking a meal from scratch in the middle of the week than everything else will seem easy in comparison. When you’re planning a weeknight meal, you have to be focused, organized, and time efficient. All of those skills are extremely helpful when you’re trying to feel happier about yourself and life.

Also–and this is coming from a former disaster in the kitchen (don’t believe me? Read about the time I melted my kitchen floor)–it is such as sense of accomplishment when you can pull off a healthy, tasty and easy meal on a weeknight. There is just something about taking raw ingredients and turning them into a delicious meal that doesn’t give anyone food poisoning that feels so good. It’s even better when the people you’re feeding tell you how tasty it is! (If you live alone, I recommend sharing your culinary feat with a friend or co-workers.)

Finally, I’ve learned that when I eat better, it helps with my depression. I know there’s science behind this but I hate science so we won’t talk about it but I will say that when I’m eating a balanced diet and cooking most of my food myself, I have more energy. I can stay focused. I can remain motivated. I sleep better (is that weird?). And because I’m saving money, that helps alleviate stress.

I know that, by now, you’re probably thinking that there’s no way you can pull of a complete meal from scratch on a Tuesday on such short notice. You’re probably right. But, if you have 30 minutes to run to the supermarket, you can pull of any one of these three meals:

Lemonade chicken

I got this recipe from my mom. I actually wrote about it once so if you’re interested, check out that post. It involves breaded chicken and a can of frozen lemonade concentrate. That is all. It’s super easy to make and if you serve it with a side of rice and broccoli (or vegetable of your choosing), it’s even better.

Slow cooker barbecue chicken

Buy a 3 lb chicken or use chicken breasts. Pour a bottle of barbecue sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker. Cook on high for about 3-4 hours. Shred chicken when fully cooked. Serve on rolls as sandwiches, or over rice (we’re big rice fans in our house. Is it obvious?), with a salad or carrot sticks or corn on the cob or cole slaw (easy bonus recipe: combine a bag of shredded cole slaw mix with a 1/2 to full bottle of honey mustard salad dressing and 1 tsp of black pepper. Chill for about 30 minutes. Voila! Homemade cole slaw).

Pasta with chick peas, zucchini, and tomatoes

I totally stole this recipe from a Weight Watchers cookbook. Here’e what you do:

Cook pasta according to directions
While that’s going on, heat 1 tbsp olive oil, chopped zucchini, can of diced tomatoes (or fresh chopped tomatoes. I used canned because I’m lazy), and a can of drained and rinsed chick peas. Add some seasoning like Italian seasoning, basil, oregano (about 1-2 tsp worth. You want the flavor but not overpowering). You can also use a can of Italian seasoned tomatoes if you’re afraid of overseasoning the food.
When the pasta is done, drain and combine with zucchini, chick peas and tomatoes. Top with grated Parmesan cheese or sliced black olives or both or none.

All of these recipes are relatively inexpensive, provide leftovers, and don’t take that much time to make. Plus, while the food is marinating or in the slow cooker, you can do other things like go back and work on any tasks in the this series you haven’t yet completed. Or help your kids with homework. Or watch more Friday Night Lights or Sons of Anarchy. Or read. Or fold laundry. Or nap.

It’s really up to you what else you do with your time. But please, take a few minutes and cook a meal from scratch and see the difference it makes.

If you plan on following this task today, what are you going to cook? Leave a link or recipe instructions in the comments!

Pinterest Project Tuesday: Homemade dog ice cream

July 30, 2013 by Jana 8 Comments

I love Pinterest. There are ideas and projects on there that I never thought I could do and some that I knew I could do if only I had the right directions. And all the creative people out there provide just that. So, beginning this week, I’m going to have a regular post, on Tuesdays, documenting the a different craft projects or recipe I try each week.

Up first: homemade dog ice cream.

I have 2 dogs. Here they are. Please bear in mind that while they look similar, they are actually 2 different breeds. Barkley is a Bichon Frise and Dobie is a Bichon/Poodle/we’re not sure what else. This information is completely irrelevant to anything except my clear need to overshare:

They like to eat treats, particularly doggie ice cream. But when we’ve bought it there have been two problems: 1) that shit is expensive and 2) they fight over it like mad men. Also they eat the cups when it’s done and maybe get a little crazy when we take it away. To rectify all the issues, I had the brilliant idea to make my own. After all, how hard could it be?

So, like I always do, I took to Pinterest and found this recipe. Here’s photo evidence of me actually bringing it to life:

The procedure: 1) All the ingredients: banana, 32 oz container of plain yogurt, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 2 tbsp honey. Not pictured: the cooking spray I used on the measuring spoon so the peanut butter and honey didn’t stick. 2) Mixing bowl, masher, measuring spoon, and ice tray. 3) A mashed banana. I think it looks gross, too. 4) Everything mixed together plus my electric mixer because a spoon just wasn’t doing a good enough job.

When everything was done, it looked like this (and note I had to add an extra ice cube tray because I grossly underestimated just how much this would make and I wound up throwing some out anyway because it was too much and I angered the husband beast by using up two ice cube trays already. The man loves his ice):

Fortunately, the ice cream was a success. I kind of figured it would be because my dogs aren’t exactly that picky about what they eat (seriously, they eat garbage and socks. And one poor oven mitt). Also, though, and slightly more disturbing, is that my husband and daughter ate it, too. And enjoyed it! (I do have a picture of that but I’m not posting it because I feel that is better suited for private shame.)

The best part about this is that there’s no fighting due to individual servings and we don’t have to wrestle a plastic cup away from them. However, should you choose to make this, I recommend you have your dog or dogs eat the ice cream on a hard, easy to clean surface because that shit is messy!

Not including freezing time, this took me maybe 10 minutes to make. Completely worth it.

Stocking a pioneer pantry

Let’s do the Thanksgiving shuffle!

31 Steps for Feeling Happier, Step 8: Cook from scratch

Pinterest Project Tuesday: Homemade dog ice cream

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