Healthy BBQ Bean soup!

Bean Soup
3 c. beans (one kind of bean, or a mixture of several types of beans, peas and lentils.)
7 c. water
1/2-1 c. molasses
1/4-1/2 c. balsamic or apple cider vinegar
1 1/2-2 T. salt
3-4 bell peppers, red, yellow and orange look best
2-3 C green beans sliced

Cook beans, water, molasses, vinegar and salt in a crock pot on high for 6 hours. Add peppers, green beans. Warm thoroughly. Serve. Nice with shredded cheese, sour cream, chips, or bread.

Courtesy of Mom.

Raw Foods

Blog about Whole Raw Foods.

http://wholerawfoodnow.com/

Yay for nutrition!

(Courtesy of Sherie)

Simple 72-Hour Kit and 1 Year Food Supply

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Preparedness is common sense. There are two types of emergency preparedness: 1) Short-term evacuation
with a possible no return (wildfire, chemical spill, flood, weather,) 2) Long-term sustaining of needs 1-2 yrs. (job loss, economic difficulty, strikes, large disasters, famine.)
-------------------------------------
72 hour emergency evacuation plan  (See Red Cross and FEMA web sites)
Important family and legal documents like insurance info, identification, bank acct, immunizations, SS #, cash/
traveler's checks—in waterproof, portable container (take documents you need if you cannot return)
Prescriptions/glasses/infant formula/diapers/feminine supplies/personal hygiene
Maps/family emergency contact phone numbers/books/games/activities
Water 1 gal/person/3-4 days (can bleach/filter, but don’t depend completely on other sources)
Household chlorine bleach (do not use scent/color safe/added cleaners bleach) and medicine dropper 9:1 water: bleach disinfect. 16 drops/gal. purify water or ½ t./5 gal. clear, 1 t./5 g cloudy water. Good water filter.
No cook food 3-4 days/person (and pets) can opener, plate/bowl/cup/ utensils (small camp stove, optional)
Complete change of clothing, sturdy shoes (very warm if in cold areas)
Sleeping bag/person and/or extra bedding (enough to keep warm without heat)
Battery flash light, radio and extra batteries, matches, water proof container/lighter; whistle to signal help
First aid kit for injuries and family health issues, Moist towellettes, TP, garbage bags, plastic ties for sanitation
Duct tape/plastic/dust masks to shelter in place, home or away, opt
Wrenches/pliers to turn off utilities—know how (off in emergencies only: some only utilities co. can turn back on)
*Pre-plan emergency contacts/meeting locations both local and out of area incase family is separated
(work/school/church.) Keep gas ½ tank in car. Plan what you need to self-sustain 3-4 days with no electricity/heat/gas/food/water, and needed documents if unable to return. Every 6 months rotate food and resize children's clothing/diapers. Be prepared to leave in 5-10 minutes notice. Scan or send copies of special mementos/pictures to trusted family/friends in other areas so you don’t need to worry in an emergency. What you take should be easily portable. (Save money by grouping items, buy only needed things you don’t have.)

Minimal 1 year storage plan TOP PRIORITY before ALL other types of long-term food storage get:
Wheat, Beans, Salt, Water because it 1) stores 30+ yrs; 2) is least expensive; 3) contains all nutrients (sprout wheat periodically for certain vitamins), 4) can be eaten just soaked hrs in water if cooking is not available.
Once obtained, feel peace 30+ yrs! Famine insurance only: $254.50/30+yrs = $8.48/yr. Protect your family.

Wheat 300 lbs/person/year minimum, canned at cannery costs
$180/person
$15.00/mo
Beans 60 lbs/person/year minimum, canned at cannery costs
$ 55/person
$ 4.58/mo
Salt 5 lbs/person/year, purchased bulk
$ 2/person
$ .25/mo
Water 14 gal/person (abt $1.25/gal buy containers, or reuse bottles free ) $17.50/person $ 1.46/mo
To acquire a yr supply for 1 person within 1 yr (1/2013 prices):
$254.50/person $21.21/mo
These amounts supply 1-2 cupcake portions/day/person/1 year—alive, but not much food. Once you have the above amounts, double them. Good water filters or bleach (non-fragrant/non-additives) is also recommended.

Don’t go into debt, be systematic, prioritize, make sacrifices, save and buy. Protect your investment: Food
needs insect, rodent, & moisture protection. Store as dry & cool as possible, sealed with an oxygen absorber or dry ice treatment. (Stored properly—wheat, salt, sugar store forever. Beans, white rice store 30+ yrs. Unused basics can be passed to next generation.) Prepare for all utilities to be out--warm clothes, bedding, sleeping bags, fuel, heat sources, etc. Once wheat, beans and salt is stored, one can add/person 60-120 lbs sugar/jam/honey, 37-74 lbs dry milk, 20-40 lbs fats/oil/butter, garden needs, and daily foods like canned or dried fruit, vegetables, meats, spices, candy. (These items should be rotated every 2-10 yrs.) Prepare for hygiene needs: TP, feminine supplies, diapers, soaps, tooth brushes/paste/floss, medicine. Think of what you need to independently manage 1-2 years, with no other food/utilities/supplies/fuel. (One yr supply/person fits under a queen bed, in the space of a washer/dryer, along a wall, or one can even walk on a layer of #10 can food cases, if necessary.) Water: store in barrels with a little siphon pump, and/or portable containers like 5 gal. water coolers or empty canning jars. Make sure storage containers are food grade and designed to last (some plastic is designed to deteriorate—like milk containers), See twoyearpreparednessplan.blogspot.com, or providentliving.org. We have been told that food storage is as essential to our day as getting on the ark in Noah’s day. ..

Set goals. Move forward. Become prepared.


(Courtesy of Mom)

Sherie's Pear Lemon Green Drink--my new favorite!

I have been branching out lately, trying new green drink options since I'm drinking a minimum of a quart of green drinks a day. I stumbled on a recipe at a smoothie shop but didn't love it--the idea sounded good though so I went home, played with it and made some changes. We're moving soon so I pulled out the individual serving coconut water and threw one in. I tossed in chia seeds because they're AMAZING, I used Doterra Essential Lemon instead of fresh lemon juice because of the concentrated power, and I omitted the apple because I don't like the texture in green drinks. Voila, I my new favorite green drink! This one is a great powerhouse greendrink for several reasons:

All raw to keep ph low and bodies happy and healthy

Uses Doterra Lemon essential oil (don't use another brand, Doterra is the only one that can be taken internally) to help strengthen the liver and cleanse it of toxins

Lots of spinach for iron

Chia seeds for Omega3s and LOTS more benefits

Coconut water for electrolyte boost


Sherie's Pear Lemon Green Drink

6 cups lightly packed spinach
1 pear
1 banana
1/4 cup chia seeds (that is an estimate...I just dump)
1-2 dates (remember to take out the seeds)
12 oz coconut water
5-8 drops of Doterra Lemon essential oil

Blend and enjoy!

Note: use a frozen banana/pear and either refrigerate or freeze the coconut water if you want it to be a cool smoothie (during the winter I prefer my green drinks room temperature because I freeze. That's one of the great things about this green drink--it's actually REALLY good at room temperature!! Yey!)

Create a Food Storage Plan

CREATE A FOOD STORAGE PLAN

“See that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.  And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent…” Mosiah 4:27.  Food storage is a commandment, but wisdom and order are also commandments. Make a food storage plan—see info below, multiply by number of persons in your family. Decide what you can spend/month and how long to take. Pray for confirmation. Systematically follow the plan. Make sacrifices. Succeed in food storage.

Sometimes we don’t start because we feel overwhelmed—this time you can succeed.

Minimal 1 year storage plan TOP PRIORITY:  Wheat, Beans, Salt, Water  because 1) stores 30+ yrs; 2) contains all needed nutrients; 3) most inexpensive. Once obtained, feel peace 30+ yrs! Famine insurance: $254.50/30+yrs = $8.48/yr

Wheat 300 lbs/person/year minimum, canned at cannery costs     $180/person      $15.00/mo.

Beans 60 lbs/person/year minimum, canned at cannery costs       $ 55/person       $ 4.58/mo

Salt 5 lbs/person/year                                                                $  2/person        $   .25/mo

Water (abt $1.25/gal to buy containers, or wash used ones free)     $17.50/person  $ 1.46/mo

            To acquire a yr supply for 1 person within 1 yr:                             $254.50/person  $21.21/mo

            Don’t go into debt, be systematic, prioritize, make sacrifices, save and buy. For cannery purchases see provident living specialist/RS sign up.

Protect investment: Store properly, sealed, dry & cool as possible. Need insect, rodent, & moisture protection. Cans protect best. (Compare prices: Wheat--cannery .60/lb; sacks .46/lb; online pre-packed cans .85/lb. Pinto Beans--cannery .90/lb; sacks .74/lb.; online pre-packed cans $1.30/lb. Cannery you can your own. Sacks from cannery you pack in containers or buckets, sometimes inferior seals. Online is already canned & shipped to you in cans/cases. Salt $1.70 4lbs at Cash & Carry, iodized best. Water containers: Walmart, Winco, or order barrels online (good to have a cheap siphon pump, order with barrels), hard plastic/glass wash and fill (don’t use milk type soft plastic containers—they leak in time). Wheat must be HARD white or red, other wheat has too much oil/moisture to store well. Wheat available in buckets at Walmart. Above food storage amounts provide only 1-2 cupcake size portions of food/day (alive but skinny and hungry—better than nothing.) Increase wheat to 400+ lbs and beans to 120+ lbs ASAP. Get any other storage items after the top priority wheat/beans/salt/water. Only 10% of our ward has a year supply. Let’s not all starve sharing. Let’s ALL be prepared through quiet, steady diligence. Start by increasing your supply by 3 mo.—set a goal and date. Start saving. 

(Also reference "Be Prepared" Post)

(Courtesy of Mom)

Provident Living Site

http://providentliving.org/self-reliance?lang=eng

The Provident Living page of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Includes tips on Home Food Storage, Finances, etc.

Be Prepared!

Check out our stake PL website that my cochair and I did. It has everything you'd ever need to help you for food storage to wills to 72 hr kits to gardening:

Www.twoyearpreparednessplan.blogspot.com

Little things are interesting and helpful like:
Wheat and beans together have every nutrient you need for survival. (The vitamins that come from perishable food can be obtained by sprouting the wheat). Also raw honey also has all needed nutrients.
If using the number 10 cans in their boxes from the cannery, you can fit 1 year of food storage for 1 person under a queen bed in one layer.
If you save $11 per person per month for 2 years you will have enough for 1 year supply of food for everyone.

--Sherie

Food Storage Made Easy

FOOD STORAGE MADE EASY

Two theories for food storage: 1) Store extra of what you eat. Tasty but hard to store, hard to inventory, more expensive. 2) Store what lasts 30+ years as much as possible. Not as tasty but when starving, tastes good. Costs less, easy to inventory, easy to store.

Easy/cheapest food storage: Wheat, sugar, honey, salt stored properly lasts forever. Do not rotate. Store out of the way, don’t touch.  Buy more for daily use, so no need to open or re-inventory. Beans/legumes/other grains/rice last 30+ years. Decide if rotate, or if just famine insurance—no rotate/replace when too old. Don’t throw away even after 30 years—often lasts much longer. If replace, give old food to someone for storage.  Milk, fats must be rotated. (Switch to powdered milk—can get used to it.) Put date on everything you buy. Use oldest first on rotated foods. Don’t touch non-rotated foods. Store all food in coolest place available, especially Milk and fats.

Age of Food:  Most food lasts years, even decades, longer than expiration dates. Nutrition value will decline in time. DO NOT use food in bulged cans, bulged lids on bottles, etc. Throw away cans unopened. Empty and wash home canning bottles, be careful about contamination, cover as open lids to prevent contents spraying out. Good way to rotate older canned goods: donate to Christmas food banks or as gifts to struggling families—benefit you and them.

Storage/inventory: Church cans in cases can be stacked floor to ceiling—tight on space, pull furniture from the wall and make a wall of food behind, (paint box side or cover with curtain/fabric for cute wall.) Put boxes/buckets under bed, mattress on top. If necessary stack higher and use a step stool to get into bed (like the plush, expensive beds). Layer of cans/boxes/buckets bottom of closets, etc. Use cases for end tables or benches and put cute cloth over. Make a “play house/fort” in a “play room” out of food cases—tape cases any where there may be danger of falling, especially on children. Layer of cases across the entire floor of a room with wood and area rug on top. Buckets can only be stored 2-3 high—in time weight cracks lids, put on shelves, keep out of sunlight. Church canned goods or commercial #10 cans store best, keep exterior of cans dry. Buckets sealed properly next best, sometimes don’t seal as well when refilled, but usually fine and easier for big families, cheaper as refilled. Easy inventory: non-rotated foods, don’t touch. Rotated foods, set aside a space big enough for amount needed. Get 1 ½ year supply. Inventory only 2x/year—don’t count lbs and oz. just fill the empty space. Develop a system so oldest used first. General conference is a good time to inventory. Save a little each month to replace food 2x/year.  Then don’t think about food storage the rest of the year—easy! Store water barrels outside on shaded side, or cover if in sun, don’t fill completely full if chance of freezing. Have little plastic pump or a siphon to remove water. Rotate water every 1-2 years if chlorinated—add bleach as needed, ½ t./5 gal clear water, 1 t./5 gal cloudy water. Easiest to rotate water if you can just dump water into the yard. Also store a gal. of water under household sinks. Don’t store water in cheap “gal. milk” type plastic—designed to deteriorate in landfill and will leak within a couple of years. Heavy juice plastic okay. Have a way to catch water from roof or other ways to gather in a long-time emergency. Rotate cans: 4’ shelf, length-wise slats, put cans/bottles in one side, take out the other—automatically rotates. When have food, consider TP, feminine supplies, diapers, toothpaste, soap….

Miscellaneous: Store the right type food the right way, for example: hard red/white wheat and white rice store well, other wheat and rice doesn’t store as long. Brands of powdered milk taste different-- buy 1 of available brands, compare price and taste before buying bulk—good RS activityJ. We are promised that if we are diligent we can get our storage within a year. We are also told that food storage is as important in our day as boarding the ark in Noah’s day.  Many things we spend money on will seem foolish if we are hungry. Give food storage and warm clothing for Christmas. Be diligent. Follow the Spirit. START!

(Courtesy of Mom)

Beans Greens Blog

I think most my favorite sites are linked to on
http://beansgreens.blogspot.com/

--Emilie

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup

2 lb dried beans

Water to cover for soaking

4 tsp salt for bringing beans while soaking overnight

2 tsp salt

2 Tb chili powder

¼ tsp cinnamon (optional)

1 tsp smoke (optional)

¼ cup oil

4 medium onions

2 Tb minced garlic

8 cups water

4 tsp lime juice

Sour cream for garnish

Minced fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Soak dried beans overnight (optional). Drain and cover with fresh water. Bring to boil, then cook slowly for about 60 minutes, until soft, not crunchy. The time varies.

Saute onions in oil until soft—about five minutes. Stir in garlic, 2 tsp salt, and chili powder and cook, stirring, another minute.

Add beans with enough cooking water to cover. Save surplus cooking water. Turn heat to medium high and bring soup just about to a boil. Turn heat to medium low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.

Remove the beans you don’t want to mash and puree the remainder in a food processor, food mill, or mash with potato masher. Mix in whole beans.

You can refrigerate or freeze soup at this stage.

Just before serving, stir in lime juice and adjust seasoning. Serve, garnished with sour cream and optional cilantro.

(Courtesy of Sherie)

Halloween Tricks...uh tips...

Halloween--find a dentist who will pay the kids for their candy (if you do it then its still in the house and you'll eat it). Or have the great pumpkin like the tooth fairy come and they can leave their candy out in exchange for a gift or something. Donate candy to a shelter or send to troops. Or just tell the kids that's why they are going trick or treating--to have fun and collect candy for a shelter. 

--Sherie

Sherie's Granola

My granola recipe. This is a very flexible recipe. Use what you have, exclude what you don't, add something new if desired. 

12 cups old fashioned oats or other rolled grain (oats works best but a 9 grain mix also works well)
4 1/2 cups nuts (pecans, almonds, or walnuts work best, put in plastic bag and go over it with a rolling pin to crush them a bit)
1 cup sunflower seeds

1/2-1 cup of flax seeds

1 cup or less Organic Whole Grain Sugar (Rapunzel brand on Amazon.com)
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
3/4 cup coconut or Extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup honey
3 t. vanilla

2 1/2 cups of raisins

Combine dry ingredients except raisins.  Heat oil and honey but do not boil.  Remove from heat, add the vanilla and mix well.  Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and toss together for a few minutes.  Spread a quarter of the mixture at a time on a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan and bake at 350 degrees beginning at 5-6 minutes--I like crunchier granola so mine is double the time.  Take the pan out of the oven, use a pancake turner and spread the granola around and bake again for similar minutes (watch that it doesn't get too brown but start with the lower time and then keep flipping and adding minutes until it is your desired crispness). Add raisins after granola cools.

--Sherie

PS.  I don't know why it formatted this way.  Sorry.  

Green Smoothie Queen site

Sherie recommended this site.  It has a ton of great resources!  I was blown away!

http://www.terawarner.com/blog/tag/green-smoothie-queen/

Lentils recipe--fast

lentils, tomato soup can, red beans and taco seasoning type spices.

You could use red lentils or regular. You have to cook the lentils-- they're like rice to cook 2-1 ratio, 15-20 min on simmer after boiling water. there should be instructions on the pkg. 

This of course is less healthy since you have the soup can--but it's an easy storage item. Eat like a goulash or use as a taco base instead of meat.  Now you could also just add some crushed tomatoes instead of the soup can. 

--Sherie

Mexican Bean and Squash Soup

One of my all time favs--substitute acorn squash or pumpkin squash (not canned) if desired.
--Sherie

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/mexican-bean-and-squash-soup/detail.aspx

Butternut Squash Creamy Soup

This is an AMAZING soup recipe that I just found on BHG.com and adjusted for me/food storage.

 

 

Butternut Squash Creamy Soup (any winter squash or pumpkin would work)

 

2 cups cooked butternut squash (I microwaved it in water for about 25 min, but you could also do it in the oven or on the stove--it ends up being about 3/4 a squash)

1 cup half and half or cream (or I just used 1 cup hot water and 1/3 cup milk powder)

1 can chicken broth

1/4 - 1/3 cup maple syrup (to taste)

1 TB butter

2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

 

Blend in blender until creamy.  If you use hot water/cream and hot squash...or a blendtec blender...you don't have to warm, if not, warm.

 

Makes about 5 cups of soup...so you might want to double it since I guarantee you'll go through it really fast!

 

Ultra fast, ultra YUMMY!  I have to make more right now!

 

(Courtesy of Sherie)

2 Home Storage Soups

Home storage bean soups

2 C. beans
4 1/2 C. water
optional: onions, meat, salt/pepper, spices--endless variety of soups by
beans combined with other ingredients.
slow cook to tender 4-6 hours

















2 C. Brown or variety of color rice
4 1/2 C water
optional: onions, meat, spices, canned soups (not as healthy, but yummy)
slow cook 2 hrs

(Courtesy of Mom)

Smoothie (Green)

Smoothie

2 bananas
1/2 c blue berries frozen
1/2 c other fruit/berry
optional 1-2 heaping frozen 100% juice concentrate (OJ, apple etc)
water 1/2 full
blend (thaw unless have a heavy duty blender,
cut in half for smaller size blenders)

(Courtesy of Mom)

Greek Quinoa and Avocados

I got some requests for this recipe this evening, so I thought I would send it out. It is a hearty salad that works well as a side dish, or you can add chicken to make it more of a meal I also
sometimes add parsley or other fresh herbs.

Greek Quinoa and Avocados
from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, 14th edition, with my modifications

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1 cup shredded spinach
1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ripe avocados, peeled and diced
1/2 cup crubled feta cheese
optional:
about 1 cup chicken, cooked and diced
1. Combine quinoa and water in a saucepan, bring to boiling and simmer
for about 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. (I do this in a rice
cooker.)
2. In a medium bowl, combine quinoa, tomatos, spinach, onion, and
chicken, if using, and stir to combine.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil and salt,
then pour over quinoa mixture and toss to coat. At this stage, the
salad can be stored for about a day in the refrigerator.
4. Before serving, add diced avocados and feta cheese and toss together gently.

Tonja Bowen
(Courtesy of Sherie who says it's a good summer recipe)

White Bean and Homini Chili Recipe

Wonderful beans site!

http://www.beansbeansbeans.com/white-bean-hominy-chili