Busy day!

Sorry I didn't post at all yesterday.  I had a busy day.  I put up 7 lbs of rice, 6 lbs of flour, 2 bottles (basically equals 4 boxes) of Bisquick mix, 2 lbs of Oatmeal, 2 bottles (5 servings each) raisin cinnamon oatmeal, and rearranged the cabinet all my dry food storage goes in and then I canned 1 quart of carrots, 1 pint of carrot stock, 2 quarts of vegetable stew, and 1/2 a pint of  vegetable stock.  On top of all that I made pot roast for dinner and not in the crock pot.  I was busy.   Now I am going to rearrange/organize  my canned food cabinet. But I thought I would stop in and post really quick.  

Bisquick mix

• ·         3 1/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
• ·         1/3 cup sugar
• ·         1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• ·         1/2 cup cornstarch
• ·         1 tablespoon baking powder
• ·         1 teaspoon baking soda
• ·         2  teaspoons salt

Directions:

Mix together.

Cover tightly and store.

Use water, buttermilk or skim milk to moisten.

They were perfect last night to sop up the pot roast juice.

Just in case you are wondering how I do my bulk dry storage, I will tell you. 

I use 2 liter bottles washed and left to dry for 2-3 days upside down on a towel.  Make sure they are completely dry before use otherwise the moisture will ruin your food and make it unsafe.

I use a funnel (bought mine in the automotive section because they are cheaper than kitchen wares) to place ingredients in the bottle.  Then I place 3 100cc oxygen absorbers in or 1 Hot Hands hand warmer.Make sure you don't bust either one because you will have metal filings in you food, good for iron but bad for taste.  Screw the lid on tightly.  I lay all the bottles on their sides in a cabinet under my kitchen island.  

This picture is from a couple of weeks ago.  It is completely full now.  And the #10 can at the top has found a new home.  The white in the bottom is borax to discourage pest. 

Toilet Paper Tube Firestarters

Firestarters from items you have in your house right now.  So they are basically free and you are saving it all from the landfill.

You need:

• Toilet paper/paper towel tubes 
• Lint from the dryer
• Wadded up paper (junk mailings work great)
• Left over wood pieces or saw dust (if you have it)
• Paraffin (optional)
• Wax paper or aluminium foil To protect your surface and make clean up easier.

Stuff the toilet paper tubes with the lint, paper, and wood.  If you have it melt some paraffin (doesn't take much) drop a couple of drops in each end.  It is really that easy.

What to do with left over holiday candy.

If you are anything like me, you ration out holiday candy and then end up with tons left over.  What to do with it?  Well here is your answer.  Old spaghetti sauce jars washed out and dried.  Place the can in them and save the candy for later.

The Smarties will get used fastest since we use them when S is having blood glucose lows.  But the rest will last a while and this takes up far less room than gallon baggies in the cabinet.  

Why store candy in your food storage?  Well there are 3 reasons:

1. Comfort and normalcy is important in rough or stressful times.  Remember if we as adults find it stressful, the kids will too.  A little piece of candy every once and a while will go a long way to soothe a stressed out child.
2. Sugar is a quick energy boost although short term.
3. If there is widespread problems, SHTF situations, you can use candy and especially chocolate for bartering.  Think about it.  Sometimes couldn't you just kill for some chocolate?

There you go recycle jars and store some candy in them.