4 Quick fix MRCs

I have 4 new recipes for long term storage for you.  Some quicker fix MRCs (meals ready to cook) from 3 pounds of Hamburger meat( the cheap 73%) and 2 lbs frozen vegetables with a few seasonings and noodles or rice thrown in.  These are great for the budget minded prepper/homesteader.  Meals for 6 at around $1.25 each.

I got my frozen vegetables on sale at a 10 for $10 sale at the local grocery store.  I get at least 10 when they have these sales.  Then I dehydrate the frozen vegetables for soups and meal mixes.  It is easy if you have a dehydrator, you just spread them out while still frozen in a single layer.  And run it until all vegetables are dry enough to pop when you crush them in your fingers or with a spoon.

To make hamburger rocks (dehydrate hamburger meat)

http://www.endtimesreport.com/hamburger_rocks.html

To make Cream of anything soup mix:

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/cream-of-anything-soup-mix.htm

The first one will remind you of an everyday staple of broke parents everyday.  SOS, ____ on a Shingle.  Well I made it have veggies and pasta and rice for the shingle.  I also added a bit of ranch flavor to it to help the taste.

Ranch SOS

• 1 cup Hamburger rocks (dehydrated hamburger meat)
• 3/4 c dehydrated mixed vegetables
• 1/4 c cream of anything soup mix
• 1 tbsp dried minced onion
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1/3 c mini alphabet noodles (any small pasta will work)
• 1/2 c rice
• 1 tsp salt (can be omitted for diet)
• 1 tsp pepper (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp garlic
• 1 tbsp ranch dressing mix
• 1 tsp beef boullion

Layer ingredients in a bottle, mason jar, or mylar bag. Don't forget an oxygen absorber.
To make:
Bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil and dump ingredients in stir until done.

Vegetable Beef stoup

• 3/4 c hamburger rocks
• 1 cup dehydrated mixed vegetables
• 1/4 c minced onion
• 3/4 c mini alphabet noodles
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1 tsp tomato boullion
• 1 tbsp beef boullion
• salt and pepper to taste (about a tsp each)

Layer ingredients in a bottle, mason jar, or mylar bag. Don't forget an oxygen absorber.
To make:
Bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil and dump ingredients in stir until done.

Creamy vegetable beef stoup

• 3/4 c hamburger rocks
• 1 cup dehydrated mixed vegetables
• 1/4 c minced onion
• 3/4 c mini alphabet noodles
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1/4 c cream of anything soup
• 1 tbsp beef boullion
• salt and pepper to taste (about a tsp each)

Layer ingredients in a bottle, mason jar, or mylar bag. Don't forget an oxygen absorber.
To make:
Bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil and dump ingredients in stir until done.



Chicken Vegetable soup

• 1 1/4 cup dehydrated mixed vegetables
• 1/4 c minced onion
• 3/4 c mini alphabet noodles
• 1/4 c  parsley
• 1 tbsp Chicken boullion
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/2 tsp sage
• salt and pepper to taste (about a tsp each)

Layer ingredients in a bottle, mason jar, or mylar bag. Don't forget an oxygen absorber.
To make:
Bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil and dump ingredients in stir until done.

These are easy, hearty, lower carb when divided up in to 5 or more servings, and good for you.

3 MRCs (meals ready to cook) with Potato flakes

When I find real potato flakes (pearls or buds) on sale I stock up.  I know I can repackage them for Long term storage.   Potatoes are a great hearty filling meal or side dish.  My family with the exception of Miss S loves them in all shapes and forms.  Miss S who can't really do with a bunch of potatoes to begin with hates them in all form.  She doesn't even like french fries.  Yep a little odd for a 4 yr old.  She would rather have fresh carrots and ranch dressing.  I am not complaining, at least she takes a healthy substitute right?  I thought I would share 3 of my recipes for long term storage MRCs.  

First:
Hearty Ranch Potatoes 

1 1/2 cup dried mashed potatoes
2 tablespoon Ranch dressing mix

1/2 cup Dry evaporated milk

2 tbsp dried chives

In a 20 oz bottle or a mason jarl, layer above ingredients.

to make

Hearty Ranch Potato Mix
1 cup  water
2 tablespoon butter or margarine

cheese 

bacon bits

In small saucepan over medium heat, place water and butter. Bring to a low simmer and pour over ingredients in mug. Mix well, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff lightly with fork.

Second:

Fiesta Ranch Potatoes

1 1/2 cup dried mashed potatoes
1 package of Fiesta Ranch mix 

1/2 cup Dry evaporated milk

In a 20 oz bottle or a mason jarl, layer above ingredients.

to make

Fiesta Potato Mix
1 cup  water
2 tablespoon butter or margarine

Cheddar cheese 

In small saucepan over medium heat, place water and butter. Bring to a low simmer and pour over ingredients in mug. Mix well, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff lightly with fork.

Third:

Hearty Potato Soup

1-3/4 cups instant potato flakes
1-1/2 cups dry milk powder
2 tablespoons chicken broth powder
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1-1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt (like Lawry’s)

Combine all ingredients, mixing well to make sure everything is combined.  A quart canning jar with a screw top lid makes a good storage container.

To use:  Put a 1/2 cup of the mix in a soup bowl.  Add 1 cup boiling water and stir to mix.

All 3 are simple and all 3 are yummy.

Recycle, reuse, and Pea soup.

I read an article yesterday about the Amish.  It is not uncommon to find an Amish millionaire.  Well, I am impressed.  In the article it talks about they buy things with multiple purposes, and they reuse things that most of us throw away.

I got to thinking about it.  I do this quite a bit, I use soda and food bottles for food storage.  I have read some articles and blogs that say things like, "soda bottles are okay if you are on a budget, but.."  I don't see it that way.  They are made to be water tight, air tight, and to hold food and drink.  Gee in my book that makes them more than okay for food storage.  And the big plus for me, they are free.  I mean I am reusing what I would have thrown away.  So I get my soda, I get a place to store food, and I am saving it out of the landfill.  I think that is a win, win, win situation.

This morning I got to work bottling up some meals in a bottle.  These are cheap and easy.  I made french onion pea soup.  When you get ready to prepare it, boil water and dump.  That is easy in a stressful situation, like a storm and no power, or worse.  Anyways, here is the recipe to feed 5:

French onion pea soup:
1 1/4 c split peas (you can use whole peas if you want)
1 package of onion soup (not brand specific)
1 packet of ham flavoring
1 oxygen absorber

Combine in a bottle (I used a 12 oz bottle)

To make bring 5 c water to a boil and dump the bottle and cook until peas are the desired softness (personal taste)

There are 24g carbs per serving in this.  So it is fairly low carb.  If you have a diabetic this is a great meal.

Enjoy!

Tomato Barley Soup

Yesterday I was packing meal bottles.  When I was done I had just a little bit of barley left, I hate that.  I want to have all done and neat.  So I started searching the internet for a barley recipe that could be converted for food storage.  I wasn't thinking I would find anything low carb, it is barley.  I found a recipe for Tomato Barley Soup, and when I got it made for food storage, I crunched the numbers so I could write the carbs on the bottle.  WOW, 6 carbs per serving Seriously only 6 carbs.  For those of you that are diabetic that isn't even enough to give S a shot being her scale is 1/20.  That would cut down on the amount of insulin use in hard times.

Tomato Barley Soup

1 c pearled barley
1 c chopped dried onion
1 cup tomato boulion (4 cubes) 
salt and pepper to taste
2 cubes of chicken boullion
I added a 1/4 c of lentils but you can do dried carrots

To cook 4 c water, and it serves 6 with 6 carbs each.