Animal Finger Puppets - a great gift!

Here is a quick and inexpensive homemade gift idea for young kids on your list. This idea comes from the March 1989 edition of the LDS Friend magazine. I came across an old copy of it years ago before the wonderful joy of the internet.

For the pattern template and easy to read instructions click here.

I can't tell you how many times we have used this pattern. I made a set of puppets for my oldest kids when they were young. They have been in my diaper bag through all the kids! We have also made copies of the pattern and put "kits" together to give to young friends for their birthdays or other special occasions. One year we also put "kits" together to give to the pediatric ward at the hospital to give the kids something fun to do.

It just takes some felt scraps, a package of wiggly eyes and a few tiny pom-poms. Everything is glued together - no sewing needed. Feel free to be creative. Use the pictures from the original article as a guide and then just have fun with it.

We used the alligator pattern to make a big, bad wolf and then we did 3 little pigs. You get the idea -

I always like to make sure some of our gifts are homemade each Christmas. I just have learned the gifts that you invest more time in are much more fun to give and I want my kids to learn this important lesson.

Happy Giving!

Preparing for the Holidays

October is an excellent time of year to PREPARE for the Holidays. Preparing means to be prepared for
anything. We don’t always expect the unexpected, but what if our source of income was suddenly lost, or a
family emergency or illness, or a local emergency was to befall us. What if we could only pull the Holidays
together with what we had stored? The First Presidency has counseled each of us to be prepared to sustain
our family for three months with storable meals on hand. Suppose those three months when we needed to
rely on our personal storage was the last 3 months of the year, would we be prepared?

One way to get ready for the Holidays is to do an inventory of what you have in your food storage. Then call
your family together and discuss: What are your favorite holiday meals and goodies? What traditions make
our holidays special, that we wouldn’t want to do without? What are you going to need if you want to make
them? How much can I purchase now, in October, to lighten the load for when it comes time for the big
Holiday rush? What do I have in my 3 month supply that I could use? What could I add to my supply, to
make sure I was prepared in all things? (Using what you have purchased at the next holiday and then
replacing it will help you cycle through your storage so nothing gets too old or goes bad.)

FHE: NEXT Monday gather as a family and enjoy talking about your favorite Thanksgiving and
Christmas traditions. Tell your favorite stories and reminisce. Talk about your favorite foods at this
wonderful time of year. Write down those dinners or desserts that you hope to have this year as you
celebrate. Talk about being prepared for the holidays and make a list of things you will need. According to
your budget and needs, purchase what you don’t have and stock up. Include things specific to your families
traditions. If you always have pumpkin pie, be sure to have canned pumpkin (whether store bought or you
canned it yourself) evaporated milk, spices, and ingredients for pie crust in your storage. Without being over
extravagant, evaluate your families basic needs to make the holidays fun and simple with what you would be
able to store. This will bring peace to your family, even if you suddenly were facing great turmoil.

CRAFT IDEAS FROM YOUR FOOD STORAGE:

NOODLE SNOWFLAKES
Use any kind of noodle you can find in your food storage. Like elbow macaroni, wagon wheels, rotini, and
bowties. First, lay a piece of wax paper down wherever you are working because you will need a generous
amount of glue to keep your masterpiece together. The wax paper will protect your table and will make it
easy to tear off once it is dry. Glue each pasta piece together to create your one of a kind snowflake. No two snowflakes are the same, right? Make sure you let it completely dry before you pick it up. When dry, use a piece of thread to hang up your snowflake.

SUGAR COOKIE NAME TAGS
To create these confectionery name tags, follow our recipe for sugar cookie dough. Form the cookies with a
tag-shaped cutter, then use a plastic straw to punch a hole in the pointed end of each treat before baking.
Customize each cookie by piping names and decorative edging with icing.
Yields: 16 cookies
Total Time: 2 hr 45 min Prep Time: 35 min Oven Temp: 400
Sugar cookie dough
2 stick(s) Softened Unsalted Butter
1 cup(s) Sugar
3 large Eggs
1 1/2teaspoon(s) Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon(s) Salt
3 1/4cup(s) All-Purpose Flour
Directions
1. In a large bowl, using a mixer set on medium-high, beat together softened unsalted butter and sugar
until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract and salt. Reduce mixer speed to low and
gradually add all-purpose flour, beating until ingredients are combined. (Dough will be slightly
sticky.)
2. Divide dough into 4 equal portions and cover each in plastic wrap, patting into 1/2-inch-thick
squares. Chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a floured surface, roll out dough, a square at a time, to 1/3 inch
thick. Cut out cookies using ornament- or tag-shaped cutters. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking
sheet and chill for 10 minutes.
4. Bake until lightly golden, about 12 minutes. Cool completely on pan or wire rack before decorating.

EDIBLE PUZZLE COOKIES
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup unsulfured molasses

Royal Icing 
1 pound confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons meringue powder
Scant 1/2 cup water
Directions:
Beat ingredients in a mixer bowl on low speed until smooth, about 7 minutes. If icing is too thick, add more
water; if too thin, beat 2 to 3 minutes more.Cook's Note: Don't add all the water at first; test on parchment
with the stencil to determine the best consistency.

For Cookies:
Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into a medium bowl; set aside.Mix butter and sugar with an
electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes; mix in spices and salt. Mix in egg and
molasses, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Add flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
Divide dough in half; pat into two disks. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.

To make puzzles:
Cut rolled dough into six rectangles, each 6 by 9 inches (reroll scraps once). Transfer to a
parchment-lined baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, 20 to 30 minutes. Bake until cookies are set and edges
are just starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. While cookies are hot, use a pizza cutter or paring knife to cut
out desired puzzle shapes. Carefully lift edges of parchment to keep puzzle pieces together; transfer to a wire
rack. Let cool completely.
Fit a pastry bag with a 5/16-inch plain round tip (such as Ateco #3); fill with 1/2 cup untinted royal icing. Tie
end with a rubber band; to prevent icing from drying out, stand bag, tip down, in a glass with a damp paper
towel in the bottom. Tint remaining icing as desired; fill another pastry bag the same way.
Outline each puzzle piece with tinted icing; fill outlined area with more icing, smoothing with an offset
spatula to make a thin layer. Let dry completely, about 1 hour. Keeping pieces together, use untinted icing to
outline the shape of a tree (design should overlap all pieces); decorate area inside outline as desired. One at a time, lift each piece; sprinkle with sanding sugar, tapping off any excess. Let dry 1 hour; package in boxes,
or store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

CHRISTMAS CRAYON GIFTS FOR KIDS:
You will need silicone bakeware & crayons – either use all of those broken up crayons or buy some cheap
ones at the dollar store. Peel all of the wrappings off of the crayons. Break the crayons into small pieces, the
smaller they are the better they will blend), You can use the same color of crayons or mix to make your own
color. For thick crayons fill to the top of the shape, for skinnier ones only fill half way in the shape. Place in
the oven at 200 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes. Half way through cooking stir them. Once they are
completely melted, remove them from the oven and let them completely cool down before taking them out.

RECIPES FROM YOUR FOOD STORAGE:

COCOA MIX: 
15 Cups instant powdered milk
1 ½ Cups sugar
1 Cup dry cocoa
1 ½ tsp. salt
Makes enough for 10 quarts or 40 1-cup servings.
TO USE THE MIX: Add ½ cup of mix to 1 cup hot water for a warm drink or ice cold water for chocolate milk.

BUTTERMILK: To 1 Cup milk add 1 Tbsp. vinegar OR lemon juice and let stand for five minutes.

“EAGLE BRAND” SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK:
1 Cup HOT water, 4 Cups powdered milk, 2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup butter
Blend very well in a blender. May be stored in the refrigerator or frozen.

WHIPPED TOPPING:
6 Tbsp. instant dry milk (3 ½ Tbsp. non-instant dry milk), 1 Cup boiling water, 2 Tbsp cold water, 1 tsp.
vanilla, 2 tsp. unflavored gelatin, 2-4 Tbsp. sugar
Dissolve the milk in the cup of water and scald. Soak the gelatin in cold water. Combine the scalded milk,
dissolved gelatin and sugar. Stir and chill in the refrigerator until it jells. Now beat the mixture until it
acquires the consistency of whipped cream. Add the vanilla and whip again.

EGGNOG: Makes about 3 cups
Combine in blender or large bowl:
3 eggs, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup non-instant dry milk powder OR a shy cup of instant milk powder, ½ cup sugar, 2 cups water, 1 TBSP rum flavoring, nutmeg to taste.
Beat or blend until foamy. Chill before serving. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

MAPLE SYRUP:
1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup water, 1 tsp maple flavoring, 1 tsp vanilla

“ALMOND JOY” Candy bar:
¾ cup mashed potatoes, (potato pearls already mixed with water will do), Whole almonds, 2 Cups dry
powdered milk, 1 tsp. vanilla, 4 cups coconut, 2 Boxes bakers or dipping chocolate, your choice

Mix mashed potatoes and powdered milk until well blended, set aside. Mix together vanilla and coconut.
Add with potato mixture and mix well. Shape into balls or whatever shape you desire. Top with almonds
and cover with melted sweet chocolate. Let set and serve.

“OH HARRY” Bars: 1/2 Cup melted butter or margarine, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 Cup Karo syrup, 1/2 Cup
peanut butter, 1 Cup brown sugar, 4 Cups oats, 1 (6 oz) package chocolate chips

In heavy saucepan, mix together butter or margarine, peanut butter, vanilla, brown sugar and Karo syrup.
Heat until dissolved. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Press into greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 375
degrees F for 15 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Cut into bars.

Storable Breakfast Ideas

We all know we need to start our day off with a good breakfast. Here are a few recipes to try that could be added to your 3 month menu plan.

Good Morning Cookies
I used to make these many eons ago when my children were small. They are made with lots of healthy ingredients and can be refrigerated or frozen. I always freeze them because they never get really hard and thaw quickly. It is fun to have some of these cookies to pull out for a quick breakfast. The recipe calls for them to be sandwiched with peanut butter or cream cheese but this time I tried a couple of different fillings and loved them. I used raisins in the cookies (which I didn’t always do years ago and added some mini chocolate chips to some – which was a fun change.) For the filling I used homemade strawberry cream cheese on some and Nutella on the rest. Peanut butter is good too.

Here is the recipe for the cookies. It makes 8-10 sandwich cookies and I doubled the recipe since I was freezing them anyway.
¼ c. butter 

½ c. brown sugar
¾ c. applesauce
1 egg
½ c. rolled oats
1/3 c. bran
¼ c. dry milk
¾ c. whole wheat flour (use any flour combo you want to)
½ t. soda
½ t. cinnamon
¼ t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
¼ t. ground cloves
½ c. raisins (opt.)
¼ c. chopped nuts
Mini chocolate chips (optional)

Combine butter and sugar, mixing till creamy. Mix in egg and applesauce until well blended. Add remaining ingredients. Stir in raisins and nuts. Spray a baking sheet with Pam or use a Silicon baking mat. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2-3” apart. Spread dough so each cookie is about 2” across. Bake at 375º for 10 minutes or until set. Cool on rack. Use flavored cream cheese, peanut butter or Nutella to make “sandwiches”. Refrigerate or freeze. Y: 8 large sandwich cookies.

Source: preparedness365.blogspot.com

BAKED OATMEAL

Ingredients:
2 c. quick oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. raisins
1 T. chopped pecans
1 t. baking powder
1-1/2 c. skim milk (or 4-1/2 T non-instant, non-fat dry milk and 1-1/2 c. water)
1/2 c. applesauce
2 T butter, melted (or Red Feather Canned Butter or butter powder)
1 large egg, beaten (or 2 T dry egg powder and 4 T water)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the first five ingredients in a medium bowl. If using dry milk and dry eggs, add those powders to the dry ingredients. Combine the milk (or water), applesauce, butter, and egg (or water) in a separate bowl. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients; stir well. Pour into a greased 8″ square baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until just set. Makes 4-5 servings.

Source: foodstoragemadeeasy.net

Potato Pancakes/Latkes
Quick and easy–we love them for breakfast or dinner.
3 cups dehydrated hash browns	Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup dried, minced onion	¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ cup flour
Place hash browns and onions in a pan. Cover with water so the water comes above the potatoes 2–3 inches. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat. Allow to sit for 15–20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain off any extra water. Place potatoes in a bowl and mix in flour and seasonings. Shape into patties and fry in a frying pan with about ¼-inch of oil in the bottom. Flip when potatoes begin turning brown on the edge and cook until done. Drain on a paper towel. Enjoy! Leftovers freeze well. Reheat in the oven to keep them crispy. Source: All Things Provident by Tamara Price

Surprise Pancakes
When we sit down to the table for breakfast, the kids always try to guess the "secret" ingredient. It makes for a fun and healthy breakfast.
Pancake mix	Cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Fruit puree or yogurt
Use your favorite pancake mix. Before adding the water, pour in some fruit puree or yogurt. Add the water you need to make the right consistency. Sprinkle in a little spice. To help you know how much, we use about 3 cups of mix and I pour in ½–¾ cup fruit puree. Cook on a hot griddle. Source: All Things Provident by Tamara Price
Whole Grain Pancakes
1 cup whole wheat flour	1 Tbsp baking powder
1 cup rolled oats	1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup corn meal	5 Tbsp dry milk powder
1/4 cup sugar	Approx. 1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp cinnamon	2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the water and mix well. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes to soften the oats. Stir in the vinegar just before baking and add more water if needed to give you the right consistency. Cook on a hot griddle. This recipe can easily be turned into a large mix. Just multiply the recipe of the dry ingredients by 6 or more and store in an air tight container. To use: Measure out 3 cups of mix and then add the water and vinegar as in the recipe above. Source: allthingsprovident.blogspot.com

Easy Snacks for Summer or School Lunches

Summer is upon us and is a great time to prepare for the next school year.

Work with your kids to make a list of favorite snacks and treats. During the summer experiment with new recipes. Near the end of summer, make batches of your favorites with your kids. Wrap them individually or bag them. Put them in storage bags or containers and into the freezer. You have just simplified your morning routine and hopefully made some memorable summer moments. Time in the kitchen with my kids is always memorable!! By making  the snacks ahead of time you can plan healthy and  money saving snacks for the lunches.

Ideas for snacks

Peanut butter in a cup with pretzels, apples or celery to dip

Make our own lunchables: crackers, cheese slices and ham or pepperoni

Dried fruit or fruit leather                             mini muffins

Homemade granola bars                                 breadsticks

Most anything made at home can be sent in a lunch. Some children thrive on taking the most unordinary to lunch with them. Involve the kids and let your imagination work for you. Keep it simple and keep it fun. While preparing, you might also find how easy it is to keep it healthy.

Recipes can be found from kid cookbooks or online. Here are a few to try. Enjoy your summer and when those dog days come, get ready for school in the kitchen.

Curveball Crunch – makes six servings

8 cups popped popcorn            

3 cups miniature pretzels

1 cup dry-roasted peanuts

2 tbsp  butter

½ cup brown sugar

1 tbsp maple syrup

Have your kids measure popcorn, pretzels, and peanuts into large mixing bowl.

Make toffee syrup by melting butter in saucepan over low heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir in brown sugar. Stir continuously until mixture bubbles.

Remove from heat and add in maple syrup to form smooth toffee syrup.

Drizzle syrup over popcorn mixture slowly tossing ingredients as you go to coat evenly.

Cool mixture and place serving portions in plastic bags. Roll the mixture to form a ball.

Cream Puffs

1 cup boiling water

1 cup flour

4 eggs

½ cup butter

½ tsp salt

 Melt butter in boiling water. Add flour and salt all at once. Stir until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each one.  Drop batter by tablespoons on greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Make round as possible. Size can range from bite size to individual roll size.

Bake 15 minutes at 450*. Then lower heat to 300* baking for 25 minutes. When cool, cut and fill with pudding, salad, cream cheese mixture.

Very versatile. May freeze. Or store in airtight container unfilled.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 ½ cup flour

¼ tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup chocolate chips

½ tsp salt

½ tsp vanilla

Mix  all wet ingredients, then add the dry. Spoon cookie dough onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350* for 10 -12 minutes. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

No Bake Granola Bars

2 ½ cups Rice Krispies cereal

2 cups quick cook oats

½ cup raisins or craisins

½ cup brown sugar, packed

½ cup  light corn syrup

½ cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup chocolate chips

Combine first three ingredients in a large bowl. Bring brown sugar, syrup to a boil in small pan. Remove from heat add peanut butter, vanilla. Pour over cereal. Cool 10 minutes add chips. Press into 9x13 pan. Cool and cut into bars.

Water Storage

“Store drinking water for circumstances in which the water supply may be polluted or disrupted.” –providentliving.org

How much: An average adult should plan for 1 gallon per day. A baby needs 1-2 ½ gallons per day. Nursing mothers, ill people, hot environment and intense physical activity can double the minimum amount. Remember you will need water for drinking, cooking, personal cleanliness and cleaning. It is wise to have at least 14 gallons of water per person for a 2-week supply.

Containers: Use only food grade containers with a tight fitting lid. Plastic containers should be made of PETE plastic. Do not use empty bleach containers, plastic milk jugs or containers previously used to store non-food items. Supply sources for larger containers such as 55 gallon drums can be found by searching the internet. Bottled water in various sizes can be purchased at most grocery stores.

Bottled water: There is no established shelf life from the FDA. Most are stamped with a recommended “best if used by” date. If stored properly, bottled water can be safe for consumption for a number of years.

Preparing containers: First, thoroughly wash container with hot soapy water and rinse with plain water. Sanitize by rinsing with a solution of 1 tsp. of regular chlorine bleach per quart of water. Finally, rinse with clean water.

Filling containers: Use a safe water supply. Water from chlorinated water supply does not need further treatment. Non-chlorinated water should be treated by adding 1/8 tsp. regular bleach for every gallon of water. Cap tightly and label with current date and “Drinking Water”.

Storage: Store in a cool, dry environment away from chemicals and solvents. Store only where potential leakage would not damage your home. Protect from light, heat and freezing. Containers should be emptied and refilled regularly (6 months to a year would be an ideal goal). The taste of stored water can be improved by pouring it back and forth between two containers before use. A bottle of regular chlorine bleach should be included as part of your storage items. *Household bleach has a limited shelf life so it should be rotated each year.*

Other informational web sites:

www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/water      www.redcross.org/services/prepare

Storable Dinner - Scalloped Potatoes

This recipe relies on my white sauce mix that speeds up the preparation of many meals.  They are my Sarah's favorite potatoes! Fresh potatoes can store for many months so can easily be part of your 3 month menu plan. Just put them in a box out in your garage during the cold winter months. Keep them away from light as much as possible and if you can store the box up off the cement floor, your potatoes will last longer. Whisk sauce ingredients together in a pan. Stir and heat until thick. Layer sliced potatoes, dried, minced onions and chopped ham (optional) in 9x13 pan. Pour sauce over the top. Make sure potatoes are evenly coated. Cover with foil. Bake at 325° for about 2 hours or until potatoes are tender. Remove foil and serve. We cooked up some frozen veggies to serve on the side. Scalloped Potatoes
Creamy and delicious—great as a side dish or add some chopped ham to make it a meal.
7–8 large potatoes, peeled and sliced	3 Tbsp mayonnaise
½ cup dried, minced onion	1 tsp salt
¾ cup white sauce mix	¼ tsp pepper
3 cups hot water	Paprika, optional
1 Tbsp chicken bouillon	Cooked ham, optional
Layer potatoes and onions in a greased 9x13-inch pan. You can use dehydrated potato slices that you have soaked in boiling water for 15–20 minutes. You can also add precooked ham pieces if you'd like. Whisk white sauce mix, water, bouillon, and mayonnaise together in a saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Stir in salt and pepper. Pour sauce over potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Cover and bake at 325° F for 2 hours or until potatoes are tender. I also cook this in the microwave. It always cooks faster on the edges so you have to stir it a few times when you use the microwave. You can also do it in the crockpot. Cook on high for 3–4 hours or on low for 6–8 hours. Recipe source: All Things Provident by Tamara Price

PASTA

This newsletter was prepared by Deliece Fasteband of the Hickories Ward.

Buy it:  Pasta is very inexpensive to buy and when dry packed it can be stored for up to 30 years.   It is one of the easiest items to add to your food storage. Making your own pasta is lots of fun and tastes delicious, but it is far more difficult to store all the ingredients to do so.

Store it: Pasta can be stored in almost any airtight container.  My pasta was purchased on sale and is still in original packaging.  It is part of my 3 months to a year supply. It will store this way for 2-3 years. You may want to place the packages of pasta into another airtight container such as a bucket or Rubbermaid bin to keep rodents out.

Use it: Pasta is very versatile and can be used as part of many main dishes, as well as great side dishes.

Preparing and Storing Pasta

Getting Started
Use a large pot.   For each pound of pasta, you will need at least four quarts of water.  A bit of  salt can be added after the water comes to a boil.

Preventing Sticking
Plenty of water and frequent stirring will keep pasta from sticking. Do not add oil to the water – this prevents sauces from clinging to the pasta.  Always cook pasta uncovered.

When is it done?
Pasta should be al dente (firm to the bite). If undercooked, it will have a chalky core and floury taste. If overcooked, it will be limp and soggy. When cooking pasta for baking later, it is especially important that it is al dente as it will continue to cook in the oven. Start tasting the pasta two to three minutes before the end of the cooking time given on the package.

Draining
Before draining the pasta, reserve one to two cups of the cooking water; it contains starch from the pasta that can add body to sauces.  After draining, shake the colander a few times.  It is not necessary to rinse pasta unless you want it to cool.

Cooling and Drying

Drain and toss pasta with a little olive oil. To cool pasta for salad or manicotti, run under cold water while draining.  To dry pasta,  arrange it on a sheet pan and pat with a paper towel.

Storing Cooked Pasta
Refrigerate cooked pasta in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. You may add a little oil (1-2 teaspoons) for each pound of cooked pasta to help keep it from sticking.  Cooked pasta will continue to absorb flavors and oils from sauces so it is best to store cooked pasta separately from sauce.

To save time, you can cook extra pasta and freeze for up to 8 weeks. To reheat, drop frozen pasta into boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain and serve.

Freezing Pasta Dishes
The best pasta shapes for freezing are those that are used in baked recipes, such as lasagna, jumbo shells, ziti and manicotti.  You’ll have better results if you prepare the recipe and freeze it before the final baking.  To bake, thaw the dish  at room temperature and bake as the recipe directs.

If you don’t want to tie up your baking pans in the freezer, line them with plastic wrap before filing.  Once food has frozen, lift out, remove plastic wrap, and transfer to  freezer bags (label & date)and  place in freezer. When ready to bake, remove from plastic bag and place in pan to reheat.

Classic Italian Pasta Salad  from AllRecipes.com

8 oz spiral pasta, cooked and drained
2 ½ cups assorted cut-up fresh vegetables (broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers,

cauliflower, onions, mushrooms, etc)
½ cup cubed mozzarella or cheddar cheese
1/3 cups sliced pitted ripe olives
1 cup Italian dressing
Pepperoni or chicken (optional)

Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss well. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Pantry Posse Stew by Becky G.

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dehydrated onion flakes
1/2 tsp oregano
1 TBSP parsley flakes
1 can bean with bacon soup
1 can vegetable soup
1 can vegetable beef soup
1 can ranch style beans
1 can corn
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 soup can of water

Combine all ingredients and simmer until the macaroni is tender & the soup is very hot. If the soup is too thick, add a little water. Serve with scones or corn bread. This makes a hearty soup.

Alfredo Sauce

4 cups fettuccine, cooked

1   1/3 cups hot water

½  cup instant powdered milk to mix with the hot water

1 small clove of garlic

1 Tbsp flour

2  Tbsp fat free or regular cream cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1  ½ Tbsp of butter or  Molly McButter flavoring

Place water, dry milk, garlic, flour, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and butter in sauce pan and blend  well.  Heat on stove stirring constantly until just before boiling point.  Pour over cooked and drained noodles and toss until coated.   Cooked chicken can be added.

Tomato Soup with Pasta and Basil

1 quart canned tomatoes

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup dried, minced onion

1/2 - 1 tsp dried, minced garlic

1-2 Tbsp dehydrated green peppers

4 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves or 1-2 Tbsp dried basil

1 cup shell pasta

Combine all ingredients except the pasta in a blender and allow to sit until dehydrated items are soft. Once they are soft, blend until smooth. Heat in a pan over medium heat. In a separate pan, cook pasta until done. Drain and add to tomato soup just before serving.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Making Hamburger Buns is quick and easy once you have figured out making bread dough. You'll find one of our favorite recipes here. Really, any basic bread dough will work, you can even use frozen dough if that is how you do things in your kitchen.

When I make bread, I always fill my big mixer so it gives me enough for 3 loaves. This picture shows me dividing the dough into 3 equal portions.

Flatten one portion out to be the height of a wide mouth canning ring.

Use the canning ring as a cookie cutter to cut out the hamburger buns.

Place buns on a greased baking sheet. I always shape the remaining dough into a bun the best I can. You'll notice the "odd" looking one squished in the middle there. Allow enough room between buns for them to rise without touching.

Spray the tops of the buns with Pam and sprinkle with sesame seeds if you want to. I don't usually bother with this step, but I wanted you to see the true result. Let the buns rise until about double in size.

Bake at 350° F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. You can see the "odd" bun quite well here. Oh well, my husband isn't picky. He'll love the little bit bigger bun. Cool on a wire rack. Slice and use for hamburgers, sloppy joes, pulled pork, chicken salad, etc. These freeze very well so don't hesitate to make a large batch one day and be set for quite a few meals. If you  freeze sloppy joe filling or pulled pork, you'll have an entire meal ready to go in 10 minutes or less for a busy night.

Storable Dessert - Chocolate Cream Pie

Pie crusts freeze so well.  I always keep some on hand for a quick dessert or a pot pie for dinner.

When baking an empty crust, place a piece of foil on the crust and fill it with a handful of dry beans.  I used black beans.  They hold the crust down so it isn't full of air bubbles when you take it out of the oven.  Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

Mix a small box of chocolate pudding or any other flavor you would like with 1 1/2 cups of reconstituted powdered milk.  Chill until set.  Fold in 8 oz of frozen whipped topping, thawed. Fill pie crust with pudding mixture. We like to add bananas to our chocolate pie and coconut to vanilla pudding for a coconut cream flavor. Top with additional whipped topping before serving.

The last time I made pie crusts, I did 5X the batch so I ended up with 10 pie crusts. We used some at Thanksgiving and then I have had them ready to go since then.

Pie Crust
This crust recipe freezes very well. Double or triple the batch and freeze in individual crust sizes. It will keep for 6 months or more in the freezer.
2 cups all-purpose flour	1 cup shortening
½ tsp salt	Ice water
Cut the shortening into the flour and salt mixture with a fork until the pieces of shortening are between the size of quarters and nickels (no smaller.) Add ice water a tablespoon at a time. Toss the moistened area with a fork until it begins to pull together into a ball. Set it aside and add more ice water to the dry parts, tossing as you go. When all the dough is moistened, but not sticky, separate it into two parts. Shape into disks about 4 inches across and wrap in plastic wrap. (You can freeze the dough at this point to use later. Thaw and roll out when it is still cold.) Refrigerate the dough for at least 10 minutes, but 2–3 hours is best. (The trick to a crispy crust is larger pieces of fat that are cold so they can create pockets of steam in the crust when it bakes.) Roll out between two pieces of plastic wrap to fit the pan. If baking empty, place a piece of foil over the crust and fill with a hand full of dry beans. This will keep bubbles from forming in the crust. Bake at 400° F for 8–10 minutes until lightly browned. If filling crust, use a precooked filling that is already thickened to speed up the baking process. Top with crust, cut a few vent holes, and bake at 400° F for 30–35 minutes or until golden brown. Check after 25 minutes and cover edges with foil if crust is browning too quickly.