Homemade Fruit by the Foot

Here is a great family experiment that turned out fabulously!

I mixed sugar free jello with applesauce. I did about one quart of applesauce to one small box of jello, but really you can just do it to taste.

I then spread the mixture onto parchment paper as thin and uniform as I could get it right on my dehydrator racks. (I have a huge, old dehydrator that takes a while to get things done, but lets me do huge batches.)

I fit three quarts of applesauce in. We did three different flavors - raspberry, peach, and strawberry-banana.

Here is my big, behemoth! Without a thermostat, it doesn't do as well with evenly drying so I have to rotate the racks, but I can sure get a lot done. I had to leave these in all day and over night.

Here is my more common sized dehydrator with a thermostat. It probably would have dried a batch in about 6 hours so I could have completed just as much in the same amount of time I just would have had to refill it a few times - and worry about getting up after only 6 hours of sleep to turn it off. It also has round trays so the parchment paper would have had to be trimmed and it wouldn't do the long "fruit by the foot" I was imagining. I opted for the big behemoth.

When it was thoroughly dry and leathery, I cut it in long strips.

Rolled them up.

And packaged them all ready for school lunches. So easy, no sugar added, rolls of sweet goodness - 

The kids have been loving them!

Homemade Kettle Corn

Who doesn't love the kettle corn you can buy at the fair or other sporting events? It's just a little sweet and a bit salty - a combination we all go for. It is also very simple and inexpensive to make. It costs $5 around here for a bag of it from one of the food booths. I can make it for mere pennies and in a matter of minutes. It is an often requested snack around here.

It takes 1/4 cup hot oil, 1/4 cup brown or white sugar, and 1/2 cup popcorn seed.

It's helpful to have a Whirley-pop pan, but not necessary. (We found ours at the thrift store for $3.) You can just use a large pot with a lid and shake it over the burner until all the popcorn is popped.

When it is done popping, transfer to a bowl and sprinkle in a little salt while it is still warm. Stir to make sure the popcorn doesn't stick together as it cools. 

We use this as a snack often. We have also made batches to share with teachers or friends for gifts. It is great to give those who need a gluten-free snack or dessert. It is inexpensive,easy, and loved by all - what are you waiting for? Give it a try this week.

Homemade Kettle Corn
¼ cup oil	½ cup popcorn seed
¼ cup brown sugar, packed	Salt
Heat oil in bottom of a large, covered pan. We use a special Whirley-pop pan made for doing popcorn on the stove, but you can use a regular pan. Drop in 3 popcorn kernels. When the kernels pop, the oil is ready. Quickly add the brown sugar and popcorn seed. Replace the lid. If using a Whirley-pop pan, twist the handle until all popcorn is popped. If using a regular pan, shake the pan back and forth on the burner until all kernels are popped. Pour popcorn into a large bowl and add a little salt. Mix the popcorn with your hands as it cools so it doesn't stick together. You can use white sugar in place of the brown sugar. It gives it more of a popcorn ball flavor instead of a caramel flavor.

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!

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

Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

Everyone has their own loves during the holiday season. We're all about the Homemade Country Christmas at our house. We love popcorn garlands, gingerbread cookies, homemade candies, and singing carols together. The kids love to get in on some of the homemade fun. This is a very easy and low-cost activity. The ornaments turn out darling and they look great hung on the tree or tied to a jar or gift bag of goodies to give away.

This project only takes two ingredients - Applesauce and cinnamon. (I buy cinnamon in bulk at our local grocery store and keep it in pint jars.)

Start with 3/4 cup of applesauce or so. It's all a bit of a guess with this recipe. Mix in enough cinnamon to make a stiff cookie dough consistency. (Be careful when young children are helping you. Too much cinnamon can be harsh on young skin. I try to do most of the mixing with a spoon to avoid any issues.)

Here is our dough.

Roll out between two sheets of plastic wrap to about 1/4 inch thickness.

Remove the top piece of plastic and cut into desired shapes.

Place on a waxed paper lined baking sheet.

Use a drinking straw to cut a small hole in the top of each shape. Bake at 200 degrees for about an hour. After an hour or so, I just turn the oven off and leave the tray inside. The remaining heat helps dry out the ornaments completely. I'm sure you could make them in a dehydrator also. You just want to have them dry all the way through.

When done, you can paint with glitter glue to give them a shiny, glittery appearance. They also look fun with a small gingham ribbon glued on them. String a piece of yarn or thread through the hole to hang them on your tree or decorate up a package.

Food Storage and Provident Living Gift Ideas

Giving Food Storage gifts can be an inexpensive and fun way to show you care and help someone else be more prepared.  Since many gifts of this type are homemade it is often one of the best gifts we can give.  Below are a handful of fun gifts ideas for the holidays.  Enjoy!

Storable Baking Mixes Recipes

Storable baking mixes are a fun inexpensive gift that everyone loves.  You can package them up in jars with ribbons or ziplock bags inside fabric or paper gift bags.  Below are some recipes that you may enjoy or you might consider creating mixes from your own favorite recipes. 

Useful conversions:

1 cup fresh milk = 3 TBSP Non-instant powdered milk + 1 cup water

1 egg=2 TBSP dried egg powder + ¼ cup water

Add dry ingredients to your baking mix and wet ingredients to your baking directions

Delightful Apple Spice Muffins by Lisa T. (Allrecipes)

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground allspice

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

Directions:  Mix dry ingredients together in a ziplock bag. Include baking directions on the bag or on a cute festive notecard.

Baking Directions:

Mix 1/6 cup margarine, 4 eggs, and 2 cups applesauce with muffin mix, place in muffin tins and bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 17-20 minutes.  Makes approximately 24-28 muffins.

Pumpkin Muffin Mix (All Things Provident by Tamara Price)

Dry Ingredients: 

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 ½ TBSP dry milk powder

Directions:  Mix dry ingredients together in a ziplock bag. Include baking directions on the bag or on a cute festive notecard.

Baking Directions:

Add ½ cup water, ½ cup pumpkin puree, 2 TBS oil, and 1 egg to muffin mix.  [Pumpkin puree can be replaced by applesauce, mashed sweet potatoes, or butternut squash.]  Place in muffin tins and bake in preheated 375 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes. 

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes by Brosette Lewis (Allrecipes)

Dry Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

3 TBSP non-instant powdered milk

1/2 tsp salt

2 TBSP Sugar

Frozen Ingredient:

1 cup frozen blueberries

Directions:  Mix dry ingredients together in a ziplock bag.  Package the frozen blueberries in a separate bag or container.  (Be sure to leave frozen blueberries in clear packaging so they can be frozen immediately.)  Include baking directions on the bag or on a cute festive notecard.

Baking Directions:

Add 1 cup water, 1 egg, and 1 TBSP oil to pancake mix.  Gently mix in blueberries last.  (Blueberries do not need to be defrosted prior to cooking.)  Cook pancakes on hot griddle.  Enjoy!

White Sauce Mix (All Things Provident by Tamara Price)

Dry Ingredients:

3 cups non-instant dry milk powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp salt

Directions:  Mix together all three ingredients into a ziplock bag.  Include baking directions on the bag or on a cute festive notecard.

Baking Directions:

Whisk 5 Tbsp white sauce mix with 1 cup hot tap water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick. Use in any recipe calling for 1 cup white sauce. Many recipes ask for 1 cup of milk, some flour and a little butter. You can use this white sauce in any of those recipes. It is a completely fat free alternative and tastes great!  It will store for up to 5 years on the pantry shelf!

Cinnamon Apple Pie Topping Mix by Kate Patten

Dry Ingredients: 

1 cup lightly spooned flour

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:  Mix dry ingredients together in a ziplock bag.  Include baking directions on the bag or on a cute festive notecard.

Baking Directions:

In small bowl cut ½ cup softened (not melted) butter (1 stick) into this mix until crumbly and use as the top crust for your apple or other flavored pie.  Sprinkle with white sugar for looks if desired. (Covers one 8” pie top.)

Christmas Ornaments Made from Food Storage

Cinnamon Ornaments (All Things Provident by Tamara Price)

Ingredients:  Cinnamon and Applesauce

Directions:  Combine equal parts cinnamon and applesauce.  Work with your hands until you have a dough ball that is not too sticky.  You may have to add extra cinnamon depending on how thick your applesauce is.  Roll out the dough and then cut with cookie cutters. Use a straw to make a hole at the top so you can thread ribbon through later or poke a thin piece of wire through the top of each ornament that you can use to hang it once it is dry.  Allow to air dry for a few days, turning as needed, to allow it to dry on all sides.  To speed up the drying process, you can place items on a baking sheet and bake at 200 degrees F until dry.  Again, flip items over, if needed to dry completely. Once the ornaments are dry, they can be painted with acrylic paints.  It is also fun to paint them with glitter glue.  Heating from the Christmas tree lights really helps the cinnamon smell comes out.

Dough Ornaments by ehow.com/ essortment.com

Ingredients:  1 cup salt, 4 cups all-purpose flour, and 1 ½ cup warm water

Directions:    Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Mix salt and flour together. Add water slowly and kneed until dough is stiff. Roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut desired shapes from dough using cookie cutters or similar objects. Make a hole in the top of each ornament using a pencil, straw, toothpick or similar object. Bake ornaments for 1 hour in 200 degree oven.

Allow to cool.  Then decorate with watercolors, acrylic, tempera or other type of paint or use colored markers.  Coat ornaments when dry with a clear protective coating if desired.  Put ornament hanger or ribbon through hole and hang.

Other Food Storage Gift Ideas

Homemade Jam

Homemade Wheat Bread

Bottled Fruit

Bottled Pie Filling, with pie instructions (really make it a hit and add the cinnamon apple pie topping mix)

Dehydrated fruits (peaches, pears and apples) or vegetables

Sprouting trays with seeds and instructions

Bulk spices and bullion in decorated pint jars

Recipes for food storage items and binders

Long-Term Food Storage Items (such as cans of wheat, beans, etc.)

Other Provident Living Gift Ideas

First aid kits

Emergency candles

72 hour kits

Hand wheat-grinder

Back packs

Alternative cooking stoves

Solar ovens and buddy burners

Propane Stove and Gas

Water filtration bottles and pumps

Water storage containers

Labeler machine

Storable Snack - Snack Mixes

Snack mixes are a great snack, but they can be spendy per ounce. The kids and I make up a bunch of baggies every few months using things we have at the house. They are then in the pantry for them to grab for school lunch or a snack when they need one. I also love to store some in the van for when the kids get hungry when we are out and about. They also work great to take on trips. I don't have to worry about the entire box of crackers being dumped out as they pass it around in the car.

Go through your pantry or food storage areas and pick some items that would go good together.

Here we have pretzels and gold fish, pretzels and M&Ms, and small bags of cereal. Popcorn works great as a filler in snack mixes. Dried fruit and nuts are another good option. Get them in the bulk section to save money. 

With school about to start, fill your pantry now so you can be ready to make lunches in a snap or the kids have something easy to grab for that after school snack.

Storable Snack - Honey Graham Crackers

When it comes to food storage, I am a HUGE believer in needing to know what I can actually make with what I am storing.  With 5 kids, snacks are a BIG part of everyday.  Here is one of my favorite, healthy snacks.  I've been playing with this recipe for a little while and I think I have finally come up with a winner that has been taste tested and approved by over 100 people who have attended my most recent classes on food storage.  It makes a large batch, but the dough freezes very well so I can roll them out another day.  Enjoy!

Roll out dough between two pieces of plastic wrap.

Red plastic wrap was on clearance after Christmas so that is why this appears pink.

Cut out with cute shapes or just use a pizza cutter.

The flecks you see are from the ground flax seed.

Place on a greased baking sheet.

Cute and adorable - what kid wouldn't love these!  They taste very similar to Teddy Grahams but are just a little less sweet.

Honey Graham Crackers
1 cup butter or shortening	2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed	2 tsp baking powder
½ cup honey	1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp vanilla	½ tsp salt
4 ½ cups wheat flour	3 Tbsp dry milk powder
1 cup ground flax seed, wheat germ, or oat bran or additional wheat flour	1 cup water 2 tsp cinnamon, optional
Cream together the butter and brown sugar.  You can use a combination of butter and shortening or just one or the other.  Add the honey and vanilla.  Mix until combined.  Add the dry ingredients.  Use a combination of ground flax seed, wheat germ, or oat bran, if desired.  Begin mixing and add the water gradually until it pulls together into a stiffer cookie dough consistency.  Divide dough into 5-6 balls.  Wrap all but one in plastic wrap and flatten into a disk.  Refrigerate or freeze for later.  Roll the remaining ball out between two sheets of plastic wrap.  You want it to be very thin, much like pie crust.  Peel off the top layer of plastic wrap and cut the dough using mini cookie cutters or use a pizza cutter to cut into rectangles.  Prick the rectangles with a fork, if desired, for appearance.  Place crackers on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350° for 4-6 minutes until they are just turning brown along the edge.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.  You can roll them a little thicker and cut with a larger cookie cutter.  Bake for 7-8 minutes and use as a sugar cookie substitute.  The kids love to frost these and they have no idea they are eating a much more healthy treat.  You can store any leftovers in an airtight container or freeze for later.  For a dairy free version, you can substitute powdered soy or rice milk for the dry milk powder or you can omit it all together and use liquid soy or rice milk in place of the water.  You may have to adjust the amount of liquid slightly to make a stiff cookie dough.  For a honey free version, you can substitute brown sugar for the honey and adjust the water amount as needed. Recipe Source: All Things Provident by Tamara Price

Dehydrated Vegetables

Dehydrated carrots, celery, and onions

Dehydrated vegetables are delicious when they are re-hydrated correctly and they expand the meals you can make with storable ingredients. I love to use them in the Fall and Winter because they go so well into soups and stews.  I save hours in the kitchen each week since I don't have to wash and chop all the vegetables. I also find myself using them in the Spring and Summer to add color to salads and to make easy mixes that we can take backpacking or camping.

Potato cheese soup made with dehydrated carrots, celery, and onions.

Nutritionally, dehydrated, canned, and frozen fruits and vegetables contain many vitamins we need.  There has always been an argument about fresh vs. processed foods.  Even health magazines suggest that produce that is processed at its peak of ripeness (in-season) may contain higher amounts of vitamins than produce that is picked green and then shipped to its destination.

With this thought in mind, we eat from our garden all Summer and Fall and then bottle and freeze any extra for the Winter and Spring.  I also store dehydrated fruits and vegetables to give us the variety we are used to.  You can purchase dehydrated carrots and onions from the LDS cannery.  Some local stores carry dehydrated fruits and vegetables in their bulk section or in #10 cans. You can also order from many different places online.

Dehydrated vegetables will double in size after hydrating so keep that in mind as you decide just how much to use.  Soak in warm water for 15-20 minutes.  If making a soup, just drop in a handful while everything else is simmering.  If using just a few onions or peppers for added flavor, just put some in a glass bowl and cover with a little water.  Microwave for 30 seconds and then drain off any excess water.

I love to make mixes for soup and rice pilaf with these dried vegetables.  Then I can have a just add water meal straight from my food storage.

Make room in your pantry so the cans are easily accessible and you will find that you use them a lot more often.