Flood Waters 2011

The Bear River is starting to rise again.  At my house the water is just a inch or two from the top of the bank on the West side.  We have had record rain fall in May and that is not going to help with the run off at all.  On the news today they said that they had more rain in May of 2011 than they did in May 1993.  I am starting to wonder if even our the property our home is on will be seeing some flood water here in a few short weeks.  Sulfur Creek is completely full and water is spilling over the spill way so there will be no buffer there.  Brian and I have made plans to protect the buildings on our property and we pray that our efforts will be enough.  I hope everyone else is doing the same if they have any thought that water might get to your homestead.  Please start preparing now if you already haven't done so.  There is a lot of snow to melt off up high and it only has one place to go an that is down.  I don't think we can hope for a slow warm up at this point.  June is just a little over 24 hours away and the warm temperatures are getting closer and closer.  Be wise and diligent and prepare for the worst case scenario.  Get your 72 hour kits ready.  DON'T WAIT!  Get things up and stored away from low areas of your property (i.e. books, papers, clothing, furniture, etc).  I pray that everyone will stay safe and that no harm will come to any of use. 

If you still have questions about flooding, please contact Brian Woodward at 307.679.1191.

52 Week Food Storage - Week #22

Week # 22: 2 - (5 lb) tubs of Honey & 6 lbs Corn Syrup

HONEY


This wonderfully rich golden liquid is the miraculous product of honey bees and a naturally delicious alternative to white sugar. In addition to its reputation as Nature’s nutritive sweetener, research also indicates that honey’s unique composition makes it useful as an antimicrobial agent and antioxidant.
Selection:
Raw honey that has not been pasteurized, clarified, or filtered - provided it is of the highest organic quality - is your best choice. Look for honey that states “100% pure.” While regular honey is translucent, creamy honey is usually opaque and is made by adding finely crystallized honey back into liquid honey. Specialty honeys, made from the nectar of different flowers, such as thyme and lavender, are also available. Remember that the darker the color, the deeper the flavor.

WARNING:
Remember that the quality of “raw” honey is a function of the plants and environment from which pollen, saps, nectar's and resins were gathered. Other substances found in the environment - including traces of heavy metals, pesticides, and antibiotics - have been shown to appear in honey. The amount varies greatly.

Do not feed honey-containing products or use honey as a flavoring for infants under one year of age. Honey is safe for children older than 12 months and adults.

By The Way: Rice’s Lucky Clover Honey (The Bear which we buy at Walmart) is packing only 100% pure raw unfiltered honey.

Benefits:

• Kosher approved
• Helps control allergies
• Good for replacing sugar
• A good sweetener that can be used in coffee, tea, and smoothies
• Honey is composed primarily of carbohydrates and water, and also contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins and minerals
• Carbohydrate ingestion prior to, during, and after exercise enhances athletic performance and speeds recovery

Storage:
It is important to keep honey stored in an airtight container so that it doesn’t absorb moisture from the air. Honey stored this way in a cool dry place will keep almost indefinitely. One reason for this is that its high sugar content and acidic pH help to inhibit microorganism growth. Honey that is kept at colder temperatures tends to thicken, while honey that is kept at higher temperatures has a tendency to darken and have an altered flavor.

Cooking with Honey:
If your honey has crystallized, placing the container in hot water for 15 minutes will help return it to its liquid state. Do not heat honey in the microwave as this alters its taste by increasing its hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content. To prevent honey from sticking to measuring cups and spoons, use honey that is in its liquid form.

Conversions:
Honey makes a good replacement for sugar in most recipes. Since honey is sweeter than sugar, you need to use less, one-half to three-quarters of a cup for each cup of sugar. For each cup of sugar replaced, you should also reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by one-quarter of a cup. In addition, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF since honey causes foods to brown more easily.
1 teaspoon regular sugar = 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon honey or molasses
1 cup Corn Syrup = 1 cup Honey
1 cup honey (decrease liquid called for in recipe by 1/4 cup. In baked goods, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of honey substituted and lower baking temperature 25 degrees. In cookie recipes using eggs and no additional liquid, increase the flour by about 2 tablespoons per cup of honey. Chill before shaping and baking. Half of the sugar in cakes, can be replaced with honey. Two-thirds of the sugar can be replaced in fruit bars, but replace no more than a third of the sugar in ginger snaps with honey. When making cakes or cookies, first mix honey with the fat or the liquid, then mix with other ingredients. If this is not done, a soggy layer may form on top of the baked product.)

Quick Cooking Ideas:

• Use honey in place of table sugar as a sweetener in your tea.
• Drizzle apple slices with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon.
• To enjoy sweetened yogurt without excess sugar, mix a little honey into plain yogurt.
• A delicious sandwich that is enjoyed by kids of all ages is a combination of peanut (or almond) butter, with bananas and honey.
• In a saucepan over low heat, combine soymilk, honey and unsweetened dark chocolate to make a deliciously nutritious chocolate “milk” drink.

Here’s a detailed PDF document full of info about crystallization. http://www.honey.com/downloads/crystallization.pdf

Corn Syrup

Corn syrup is a liquid sweetener. Corn syrup is a mildly sweet, concentrated solution of dextrose and other sugars derived from corn starch. It is naturally sweet. Corn syrup contains between 15% to 20% dextrose (glucose) and a mixture of various other types of sugar. Available in both a light and a dark form, the darker variety has a flavor similar to molasses and contains refiners syrup (a byproduct of sugar refining). Both types often contain flavorings and preservatives. They are commonly used in baking and candy making because they do not crystallize when heated. Corn syrup is very common in the U.S., but less so in the rest of the world.

Storage
Before or after opening, corn syrup may be stored at room temperature. Storage conditions affect product quality. Light corn syrup may turn slightly yellow with age, but this is normal and not harmful. It should be stored in its original bottle, tightly capped, in a cool, dry place. New unopened bottles keep about six months from the date on the label. After opening, keep the corn syrup four to six months. These syrups are very prone to mold and to fermentation so be on the lookout for bubbling or a mold haze. If these present themselves, throw the syrup out. You should always be certain to wipe off any drips from the bottle after every use.
However…Karo syrup is safe to eat for an indefinite period of time whether it has been opened or not opened. Bottles may be refrigerated after opening, however, the syrup will be thicker and slower to pour.

Cooking & Preparation
Corn syrup serves different functions in different types of recipes and in products you purchase. It controls sugar crystallization in candy, prevents the formation of ice crystals in frozen desserts, enhances fresh fruit flavor in jams and preserves, sweetens and thickens relishes. Corn syrup balances sweet and sour flavor profiles, and is therefore a key ingredient in many Asian dishes.
When brushed onto baked ham, barbecued meats, baked vegetables or fresh fruit, it is an ideal glaze. In baked goods, corn syrup holds moisture and maintains freshness longer. Karo light and dark corn syrups can also be poured over waffles, hot cereal and pancakes. It may be used in any recipes that calls for light or dark corn syrups. Pancake syrup will give the finished recipe a delicate maple flavor. Some recipes include Pecan Pie, Baked Beans, and Frosting.

Dark vs. Light (Can they be interchanged? Yes)
Both types have the same number of calories. Karo light and dark corn syrups perform similarly in recipes and can usually be used interchangeably. Recipes usually specify which type to use but the choice may be guided by personal preference. Typically, light corn syrup is used when a delicately sweet flavor is desired, such as in fruit sauces and jams. Karo light corn syrup is made with real vanilla.
Dark corn syrup is made with refiners’ syrup, a type of molasses. With its more robust flavor and color, it is ideal for many baked goods.
Both Karo light and dark corn syrups, along with Karo pancake syrup, are ideal toppings for pancakes, waffles, French toast, and biscuits.

Not a Substitute for Sugar or Brown Sugar
Because corn syrup is a liquid, it cannot be substituted for granulated sugar without adjusting other ingredients, particularly in baked goods. For best results, follow recipes developed especially for corn syrup. In sugar-sweetened beverages, however, it’s easy to experiment with corn syrup as a ready-blending substitute.

Great Substitute for Honey or Molasses
An equal amount of Karo corn syrup can be substituted for honey or molasses in most recipes, and when used as a topping. Recipes using corn syrup will be less sweet, and the finished products will have different flavor characteristics.

52 Week Food Storage - Week #21

Week # 21: 25 lbs White Beans

White Beans:

Similar to other beans, the common bean is high in starch, protein and dietary fiber and is an excellent source of iron, potassium, selenium, molybdenum, thiamine, vitamin B6, and folic acid. The small, white navy bean, also called pea bean or haricot, is particularly popular in Britain and the US, featured in such dishes as baked beans and even pies, as well as in various soups

Kinds of White Beans: (Navy bean varieties include)
* Great northern beans
* Rainy River
* Robust
* Michelite
* Sanilac
Other white beans are Cannellini (a quite popular variety in Central and Southern Italy) and Great Northern.

Storage:
Dry beans will keep indefinitely if stored in a cool, dry place, but as time passes, their nutritive value and flavor degrade and cooking times lengthen.

• Store in cool, dry area.
• After opening, store the dried beans in an airtight container or place original package in a resealable plastic bag.
• Storage time shown is for best quality only — after that, the beans’ texture, color or flavor may change, but in most cases, they will still be safe to consume if they have been stored properly.
• If beans develop an off odor, flavor or appearance, they should be discarded.
• “Best By,” “Best if Used By,” and “Use By” dates on commercially packaged foods sold in the United States represent the manufacturer’s estimate of how long the product will remain at peak quality — in most cases, the beans will still be safe to consume after that date, as long they have been stored properly and the package is not damaged.

Cooking:
Dried beans are almost always cooked by boiling, often after having been soaked for several hours. While the soaking is not strictly necessary, it shortens cooking time and results in more evenly textured beans. In addition, discarding one or more batches of soaking water leaches out hard-to-digest complex sugars that can cause flatulence, though those who eat beans regularly rarely have difficulties with flatulence as intestinal microbes adjust. There are several methods including overnight soaking, and the power soak method, which is to boil beans for three minutes, then set them aside for 2-4 hours, then drain and discard the water and proceed with cooking. Common beans take longer to cook than most pulses: cooking times vary from one to four hours but are substantially reduced with pressure cooking.

52 Week Food Storage - Week #20

Week # 20: 50 lbs of Wheat (white or red)

Baby Steps:

1. Choose location for storage
2. Purchase containers (#10 Cans, Buckets, Jars, Bottles…) for wheat or purchase pre-packaged wheat.
3. Purchase your wheat for containers.
4. Fill and date your wheat containers. (Leave some extra wheat out in order to test it some recipes.)

10 Reasons to love Whole Wheat:

1. It’s more nutritious, providing several more minerals, vitamins (18 more to be exact!), and natural photochemicals than white flour.
2. Relax! It has More B Vitamins which are known to help with nerves & stress.
3. Get cleaned out. Whole wheat provides more fiber, preventing constipation & diverticulosis. The American Dietetic Association recommends 20-35 grams daily, the average American consumes only 12 grams.
4. Lose weight and keep it off! Whole wheat has a lot of fiber which has almost no calories, keeps you fuller for longer, absorbs 3x it’s weight in water, cuts absorption of calories, cleans out impurities, requires more chewing, and takes 1/2 as much to fill you up and takes longer to digest.
5. Reduces your risk of colon cancer & other diseases.
6. Lowers blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and risk of adult on set Diabetes.
7. Cheaper! It will lower your food costs by at 30% to 50%!
8. Lowers doctor visits, bills, & medications.
9. Lowers Dentist Bills by cutting down on tooth decay.
10. Eating Whole Wheat keeps your body both emotionally and physically used to wheat.

Differences between White & Red Wheat:

“The main difference between hard red wheat and hard white wheat is color genes. Both have similar fiber and protein levels. But whole-grain bread from hard white wheat is less bitter–some say sweeter–than whole-grain bread from hard red wheat. That’s because white wheat’s outer kernel contains fewer tannins and phenolic compounds.” (Scientists redesign white wheat Agricultural Research, June, 1994 by Linda Cooke)

They also taste different. Red wheat has a more “nutty” flavor while white wheat’s mild flavor makes it easier hidden in bakery items.

Hard Red Wheat

Hard White Wheat 

Recipes with wheat: 

If You ONLY Have: Water, Wheat, Salt, Shortening or Oil You Can Make:

• Sprouted wheat
• Cooked cracked wheat
• Cooked whole wheat
• Wheat grass
• Gluten (a strange bread-type food that has a very high protein content)
• Tortillas

Just Add: Powdered Milk, Powdered Eggs, Honey or Sugar, Flour And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:

• Wheat pudding
• German pancakes
• Crepes
• Pasta

Just Add: Yeast, Baking Powder, Baking Soda And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:

• Puddings/custards
• Pancakes
• Some varieties of cookies
• Waffles
• Muffins/English muffins
• Breads
• Biscuits
• Some varieties of crackers

Just Add: Tomatoes, Powdered Butter and Cheese, Unflavored Gelatin, Canned Milk, Canned Fruits And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:

• Meatless dinners
• Meatless casseroles
• Cream sauces
• Jello salads
• Whipped cream desserts
• Baby formula

Just Add: Rice, Legumes, Beef/Chicken Broth, Canned Meats, Dried Potatoes, Dehydrated VegetablesAnd You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:

• Lots of great chunky soups
• Chili
• Refried beans
• Rice dinners
• Rice puddings
• Sandwiches
• Many different dinners and casseroles

Just Add: Extras such as Oats, Raisins, Nuts, Spices, Juice, Peanut Butter, Cream of Tarter, etc.And You Can Make the Items Above PLUS:

• A wide variety of almost any type of food you would want to cook

As you can see, with a bit of planning (and a fabulous food storage recipe book on hand - Marlene’s Magic with Food Storage), you can be confident that you will be able to create healthy, filling, comforting meals for your family should a true emergency occur. It will also be helpful to start using and rotating through these foods in your every day cooking so that you can find the recipes your family likes, get them used to eating these foods, and ensure that all of your storage retains its maximum freshness.

Wheat Berries Recipe: (as found on SafelyGatheredIn.blogspot.com)

1 cup wheat kernels
4 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
Rinse wheat kernels. Combine ingredients and boil for 1 - 1.5 hours. Be sure to keep checking on them to make sure your water doesn’t boil out. Some people soak them overnight first but that is not necessary.



Things you can do with wheat berries:
* eat them freshly hot and cooked (great breakfast food). Many people add honey to sweeten it up, or you can add a little brown sugar and milk. Be as creative as you want! I know people also like to add dried fruit (like raisins or craisins). I’ve even heard of people adding a little bit of peanut butter for added protein and flavor.
* if you’ve tried wheat berries and you (or your kids) don’t love them, try mixing them in with oatmeal to disguise the flavor. That way, you can still get the nutrition benefits.
* you can add wheat berries to soups and stew for extra nutrition and heartiness
* wheat berries are great in bread! Just add them to your dough for added nutrition
* add them cold to salads
* try using wheat berries in a recipe that calls for rice.

Shelf life of wheat?

30+ years if low-moisture foods are properly packaged and stored at room temperature or cooler (75°F/24°C or lower) remain nutritious and edible.
How can I store Wheat?
Recommended containers for longer-term storage include the following

• # 10 cans (available at Church home storage centers)
• Foil pouches (available through Church Distribution Services)
• PETE bottles (for dry products such as wheat, corn, and beans)

These containers, used with oxygen absorber packets, eliminate food-borne insects and help preserve nutritional quality and taste. Oxygen absorber packets are available at Church home storage centers or through Church Distribution Services.
Under certain conditions, you can also use plastic buckets for longer-term storage of wheat, dry beans, and other dry products.


Types of Wheat Grinders:

Manual Wheat Grinders
Pros

·  Inexpensive

·  Can be used with no power source

·  Small to store

Cons

·  SLOW to grind (mine took 6 minutes to grind one cup of flour)

·  Except for the very high-end models, you cannot grind a fine flour

·  Inconvenient (messy and hard to fit a large bowl underneath)

KitchenAid Attachments
Pros

·  Less expensive than an electric grinder

·  Small to store

·  Convenient to use and then mix bread in the same machine

Cons

·  I have heard from multiple sources that these units will BREAK your KitchenAid mixer

·  Not as fast at grinding as electric grinders 

Electric Wheat Grinders
Pros

·  Grinds very fast

·  Useful for many types of grains, beans, nuts, etc.

·  Easy to select how coarse or fine to grind, and has a large range

Cons

·  Fairly expensive, even for the lower-end models

·  Must have a generator or battery pack to use with no electricity (unless you buy a high end model that comes with a manual crank)

·  A large appliance to store in your kitchen 

(This is the wheat grinder I use and I LOVE IT!)

Prices of Wheat Grinders

Manual Wheat Grinders

·  Low: $20-30 models will not grind flour, only coarse corn meal, etc. Not very useful.

·  Medium: $75-$175 is a good price range. Back to Basics Grain Mill is $75. It can grind fine enough for bread flour but not for very fine cake flour. Wonder Junior is higher-priced at $169 but it can grind into cake flour.

·  High: Up to $400 for the Country Living Grain Mill. It is quicker than other manual grinders and is able to grind a fine cake flour. 

KitchenAid Attachments

·  $100-120, some may be used on any stand mixer.Electric Wheat Grinders

·  Low: Under $200 for grinders such as the Blendtec Grain Mill. Its drawbacks are it is very noisy and cannot do very coarse grinds.

·  Medium: $200-$300 can get you a great grinder. The two most popular electric grinders are the WonderMill and the NutriMill. In my tests I found the WonderMill to be faster, quieter, cleaner, and easier to store. And priced at $239 it is even cheaper than the NutriMill which is $269.

·  High: Over $300 is an unnecessary amount to spend in my opinion. There are heavy duty models out there but you can get the job done with the mid-range models. 

Wheat Grinder Comparison Charts:

Click the chart below to view a full size chart comparison which we created. Also click here to see sample wheat grinders or here to view a detailed comparison chart.