14 replies to this topic

[HSmom]

Last weeks's discussion of food storage, archived here ran most of the scheduled time. The group decided to devote an entire chat the the companion topic Stretching food to fill hungry bellies, so that's our topic this week.

This promises to be a lively discussion with lots of practical ideas; I do hope you can join us.

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If you participate in a saved chat, you should review the posted log and make sure you haven’t divulged any personal information. If you find something that you said that you would like edited, please PM me. If I do not reply in a timely manner, you may PM Darlene.

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[HSmom]

[MomM]

Darn, I missed chat again. Hopefully, my life will slow down eventually. Oh well, I may be tired, but never bored.

[HSmom]

Well lucky for you, I'm archiving the chat, so you won't have missed out. Here goes...

[HSmom]

[Leah] 7:08 am: Is there a topic, today?
[] 7:08 am: Stretching food to fill hungry bellies
[] 7:09 am: I bough a pressure canner this week
[HSmom] 7:09 am: We haven't started yet, though.
[HSmom] 7:09 am: That's great Joan!!! You must be so excited?
[Leah] 7:09 am: All right, canners are wonderful
[HSmom] 7:09 am: What's the first thing you did/are going to do?
[] 7:09 am: I'm to nervous to use it though
[] 7:09 am: I don't know yet. I've never canned anything
[HSmom] 7:09 am: i was too, the first couple of times.
[Leah] 7:10 am: The new one's have safety valves, unlike the old ones.
[HSmom] 7:10 am: You could do what Vic303 did, she used her pressure canner to
can something that was safe to water bath can - tomatoes I believe. That way if
she goofed it up, she was covered.
[Leah] 7:10 am: They hiss in a scarey manner though.
[] 7:10 am: can apple sauce be pressure canned?
[Leah] 7:11 am: Almost anything can be canned.
[HSmom] 7:11 am: Apple sauce is safe for waterbath canning, so pressure canning
it is a bit of overkill, but safe.
[Leah] 7:11 am: For applesauce you don't need a pressure canner, but you can use
one.
[HSmom] 7:11 am: That would be a good place to start.
[] 7:12 am: Now all I have to do is wait for apples to go onsale
[HSmom] 7:12 am: The things that cannot be canned are: flour based, such as
noodles, flour or cornstarch thickeners, rice, dairy... what else?
[HSmom] 7:13 am: Pumpkin puree, you must can pumpkin in chunks.
[Leah] 7:13 am: Some say not to can meat, but many people do.
[Leah] 7:14 am: Pumpkins don't get hot enough in the middle if a puree.
[HSmom] 7:14 am: USDA guidelines approve meats for pressure canning. Who says
not to?
[Leah] 7:14 am: Do you have the Ball Blue Book?
[] 7:14 am: not yet, but I plan on getting it in the next week or two
[Leah] 7:14 am: Did they change the guidelines? They used to say not to do it.
[HSmom] 7:15 am: let me grab a link... hang on
[Leah] 7:15 am: That book will be your best friend. It's almost as good as
having gramma there next to you.
[HSmom] 7:15 am: Here you go: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.html
[HSmom] 7:16 am: And for meat: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can5_meat.html
[Leah] 7:16 am: Oh, excellent!
[HSmom] 7:17 am: Pressure canning, of course - for meats - but safe. I do it all
the time for 'homemade convenience foods'
[Leah] 7:17 am: Back in the 70s I think it was, they started telling you not to
can meats.
[HSmom] 7:18 am: I didn't hear that, probably because I was watching Sesame
Street.
[Leah] 7:18 am: I haven't canned for a few years now, but I'll be getting
grandchildren soon.
[Leah] 7:18 am: I like to can fried deer meat in gravy.
[HSmom] 7:18 am: Gravy is a no-no, sorry. It's thickened with flour.
[HSmom] 7:19 am: Have to use boiling water or broth/stock.
[Leah] 7:19 am: I never used flour, just boiled down the broth. I'm not sure
what you would call that?
[HSmom] 7:20 am: Oh, that should be fine then. I'd call it a concentrated broth.
[Leah] 7:20 am: Going to grab some coffee, brb.
[HSmom] 7:20 am: Okay, I think we lost Joan to the canning website.
[] 7:22 am: sorry no you lost me to my book
[HSmom] 7:22 am: Oh, lol.
[HSmom] 7:23 am: brb
[] 7:23 am: I acually already had that site bookmarked
[The Lounge]: MtRider has entered at 7:23 am
[] 7:23 am: hi MtRider
[HSmom] 7:23 am: MtRider!!!!!!!!!! Good morning!
[Leah] 7:24 am: Have my coffee. Morning mt_Rider!
[HSmom] 7:24 am: It's a good one Joan. I suspect it's just as good as owning
your own blue book.
[MtRider] 7:24 am: Hey y'all, I made it ....till dh comes home
[HSmom] 7:24 am: Well, let's get started on our topic: Stretching food to fill
hungry bellies.
[HSmom] 7:24 am: This is information that we can apply both before and after
TSHTF.
[Leah] 7:24 am: I bookmarked the meat section. I want to see what is said about
canning meat, these days.
[HSmom] 7:25 am: Beforehand, stretching food allows us to stretch dollars, which
allows us to buy more preps. ;0
[MtRider] 7:25 am: can't do low carb -- carb is all 'filler' things
[HSmom] 7:25 am:
[Leah] 7:25 am: Well, my mother used to use flour and gravy to fill up the empty
spots.
[MtRider] 7:25 am: hey, I'm changing colors.....I'm 'red'
[HSmom] 7:25 am: After TSHTF... well it's obvious why stretching would be
beneficial
[MtRider] 7:26 am: testing 123 RED
[HSmom] 7:26 am: Actually carbs are GREAT food stretchers.
[MtRider] 7:26 am: Not red....
[HSmom] 7:26 am: Those who are low carb might have difficulty stretching food.
[MtRider] 7:26 am: OK, got it
[Leah] 7:26 am: Most Americans eat too much protein now.
[HSmom] 7:26 am: ARe you settled now, MtR? I can have the class wait, if you'd
like.
[Leah] 7:26 am: Doctors say it causes a lot of problems.
[HSmom] 7:27 am: A lot of protein is fatty and that's not good either. And
expensive.
[Leah] 7:27 am: Is teacher tapping the podium?
[MtRider] 7:27 am: But the point of low carb diet *mostly* is to lose weight...
In major crisis, CALORIES are our friend
[MtRider] 7:27 am: HS heehee yes, I'm settled now...
[HSmom] 7:27 am: So, I'll start with an example of a meal I fed my kids last
week.
[MtRider] 7:29 am: we're waiting with great anticipation........drum rolll......
[HSmom] 7:29 am: The fridge had bits and pieces of this an that, but not much of
anything. Each child got: 1/4 cup baked beans, 1 hard boiled egg, 8 snow pea
pods, 1/2 a carrot cut into sticks, 1/4 of an orange cut in two slices, a
homemade biscuit with butter and honey, and a 1/2 cup of milk.
[HSmom] 7:29 am: They are 6 and 8 and typically out-eat me. They are not picky
toddlers.
[MtRider] 7:29 am: Good variety to hit all vitamin/nutritional areas....
[Leah] 7:30 am: Pretty, too. That can be important.
[HSmom] 7:30 am: Part of what stretched that meal was the variety. Another
component was the presentation in small pieces.
[MtRider] 7:30 am: One big load of mashed potatoes may fill but your 'nutrition
meter' will still be 'hungry'
[HSmom] 7:30 am: Yes! In fact my 6 year old said something about it being
colorful.
[HSmom] 7:30 am: That meal also required a fair bit of chewing.
[MtRider] 7:31 am: nutritional hunger can lead to snacking
[Leah] 7:31 am: If you have topping for that potato you're doing good.
[HSmom] 7:31 am: And it included something sweet.
[MtRider] 7:31 am: hmmmm chewing is a good point...... not bolting down food
will make a small amount seem 'longer' -- if not 'more
[Leah] 7:31 am: A little gravy some shredded meat, dollop of sour cream,
tablespoon of chives, etc.
[The Lounge]: westbrook has entered at 7:31 am
[MtRider] 7:32 am: Hi West
[] 7:32 am: hi westbrook
[westbrook] 7:32 am: waving
[Leah] 7:32 am: Morning Westbrook!
[HSmom] 7:32 am: And considering that many Americans overeat, taking time to
chew is a good way to slow us down until we realize we've had enought.
[HSmom] 7:32 am: Good morning Westbrook!
[Leah] 7:33 am: Traditional ethnic foods usually is based on stretching a little
food for a lot of people.
[westbrook] 7:33 am: sipping my tea and trying to wake up.
[HSmom] 7:33 am: Can you share an example of a meal you serve Leah?
[Leah] 7:33 am: Think stir fry, soup, casserole, pasties...
[MtRider] 7:33 am: Having the meal time a GOOD time will be important....time
for anxiety to slow down, digestion to be efficient... esp. if the meal is
meager....
[] 7:34 am: i'll be back in a few min, have to bring my sister to work
[HSmom] 7:34 am: See you soon Joan.
[MtRider] 7:34 am: Come right back!!
[Leah] 7:34 am: Oh well... Let's see. I start with a whole chicken. Cut it into
pieces. Cook the main ones in the oven for the first meal.
[westbrook] 7:35 am: turning off TV, music, and actually setting the table and
eating at the dining/kitchen table. Exchanging conversation, helps give the body
time to feel full.
[MtRider] 7:35 am: We do a lot of rice/stir fry cuz of Asian influence of dds
Can store a LOT of rice...but store the stuff with nutrition
[Leah] 7:35 am: Everyone gives me back the bones. Those are used with the skin,
most of the innards, etc to stew.
[MtRider] 7:35 am: good one L
[Leah] 7:35 am: (After all remaining meat is removed.)
[westbrook] 7:36 am: Leah, I too save the bones to use in the broth.
[MtRider] 7:36 am: How 'bout using smaller serving spoon so you don't just take
a huge dollop by habit...
[HSmom] 7:36 am: I take a three pound chuck roast, cut it with kitchen shears
into cubes less than 1 inch square and make beef stew with lots of carrots and
potatoes. I end up canning 12 quarts of stew. Each quart contains about 1/4
pound of meat. A quart isn't really enough for the four of us, but it's perfect
for two kids and adult. We can stretch it with homemade bread or biscuits, and
maybe a salad or fruit.
[Leah] 7:36 am: If you want a delicate broth, you boil for 30 - 45 minutes NOT
using the skin. Drain.
[Leah] 7:37 am: Is this the sort of thing you're looking for - cause I do
more...
[HSmom] 7:37 am: Keep 'em coming.
[HSmom] 7:37 am: I like the spoon idea MtR.
[MtRider] 7:37 am: if phooey hits fan....no delicate. heehee you want the oils
and fats to keep warm on this mountain!
[Leah] 7:38 am: Strain the delicate broth. This is good as chicken noodle or
chicken rice soup (with thimly- sliced carrots and celery added.
[HSmom] 7:38 am: Oh and btw, if you have specific recipes to share, like with
measurements, don't list them here in chat. After I archive the chat, you can
reply to that thread and post your recipes in the reply.
[Leah] 7:38 am: Add more water and the skin. Now this batch will stay on the
fire for a while.
[Leah] 7:39 am: It can be drained and more water added for hours. I can get
literally gallons of stock from one chicken. And it's GOOD!
[HSmom] 7:39 am: Leah, you still have more chicken pieces held back, too right?
You started by saying "cook the main pieces in the oven" Does that mean you held
out backs or wings?
[HSmom] 7:40 am: I've never tried that Leah, but I think I'll call it Endless
Broth. It would be nice to add some flavor to rice, used in place of water.
[westbrook] 7:40 am: as the broth starts to thin down, I will add a bit of
bullion to help strengthen the flavor
[Leah] 7:40 am: At the very end, the broth will start to get cloudy. You want
this, it's the calcium releasing from the bones. You can add a little lemon
juice or some vinegar to help.It's also the geletin)
[MtRider] 7:41 am: One poverty-year we began each week with roasted meat and
potatoe/veggie whatever. Then the meat, bones, stuff turned into soup. Then
(adding a bit here and there) it turned into thicker stew. By the end of the
week, if anything was left...it resembled a sort of hot dish. Then I'd start
over. Not much meat by the end. That was a loooong winter...
[HSmom] 7:41 am: Do you have a proportion on the vinegar? I tried that once with
a beef bone, and had WAY to much vinegar.
[Leah] 7:42 am: I use the wings as drumettes. Save them in the freezer until you
have enough for a meal. They love them here either with BBQ or as honey-
roasted. The backs are cooked just like the rest at the beginning - Dad likes
those.
[] 7:43 am: back
[MtRider] 7:43 am: Hi Joan
[Leah] 7:43 am: I just use a dollop, maybe 2 Tablespoons.
[Leah] 7:44 am: My gramma taught me all this, about 45 years ago. She was a
pinch of this and that type cook.
[Leah] 7:44 am: Hi Joan!
[HSmom] 7:44 am: I've changed how I use chicken. I buy marked down chicken
usually, so the other day I had three whole chix, and two packages of four
thighs each. I needed to get them in the freezer. Part of me wanted to cut them
up into pieces for BBQ, but I do enjoy roast chicken too. What to do? I removed
all the wings (6) and bagged them together for chicken wings or soup. I removed
all the drumsticks (6) and bagged them together for BBQ. I removed the thighs
(6) plus un-packed the purchased thighs (8) ,,,
[HSmom] 7:45 am: oops that 8 thighs, so 14 total.
[MtRider] 7:46 am: I was recently taking care of df with severe athsma attack.
[role reversal for us!] I cut up some beef into small cubes and fried it. Then
keep simmering it all day and draining off the broth. She's too allergic for
store-bought broth. Only thing she could eat that day but high nutrition. She
did use that meat later in some dish of something.
[HSmom] 7:46 am: I packed them in baggies containing 6, 4 and 4. The 4 are for
my family, the 6 for when I have my mom over. The breasts I left whole with bone
and skin one. Those can be roasted just like a whole chicken (only faster) and
provide more than enough for the family, with maybe lunch leftovers.
[HSmom] 7:47 am: The backs, necks and gizzards went into the soup pot. I canned
four quarts of broth.
[HSmom] 7:47 am: Plus, when we eat those meals, I can toss the bones in the
freezer until I have enough to make a good sized batch of broth.
[MtRider] 7:47 am: sounds like an efficient plan, HS
[HSmom] 7:48 am: 8 meals to start, but more soupy ones to follow.
[Leah] 7:49 am: Any wilting veg can be put in the pot as well. Old potatoes,
soft carrots - just nothing like broccoli.
[westbrook] 7:49 am: now this is where broccoli stems come in handy. Dice the
stems and toss in.
[MtRider] 7:50 am: freeze the broc and put it in different soup...not so long
cooked
[Leah] 7:50 am: I've even used apples etc. As long as you don't get carried
away, they never know.
[HSmom] 7:50 am: The stems are less 'cruciferous' IIRC?
[Leah] 7:50 am: You can peel broccoli stems and use in stir fry.
[MtRider] 7:50 am: My dog has claim to all broc stems....loves them.....
[Leah] 7:50 am: Good for them.
[HSmom] 7:51 am: Oh! Apples! Three shrivled apples, plus some flour oats and
brown sugar = apple crisp!
[MtRider] 7:51 am: shriveled appples or whatever in OATMEAL!
[Leah] 7:51 am: Yum!
[HSmom] 7:52 am: We rarely eat dessert (dh & I don't need it!) but I think in a
SHTF situation something sweet will provide satiety and improve moral.
[HSmom] 7:52 am: morale.
[Leah] 7:52 am: Food makes a lot of situations bearable.
[MtRider] 7:53 am: I put lots of things into scrambled eggs..... stretches it
and I plan to have eggs [BF notwithstanding] during phooey-hit-fan
[HSmom] 7:53 am: Other good extenders are the carbs... bread, biscuits, dinner
rolls, rice, potatoes and so on.
[Leah] 7:53 am: One of the survival sites I belong to has a saying "Survival is
all about a good cup of tea"
[Leah] 7:54 am: Shepards pie - leftovers in gravy with a biscuit crust.
[HSmom] 7:54 am: Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, hot apple cider. A warm beverage is
satisfying!
[MtRider] 7:54 am: Basic grain dishes...lo-tech cooking. Just making some grits,
boiled grains, etc..... side dishes like potatoes
[MtRider] 7:55 am: Gotta be able to cook easily without using more calories than
the meal with pay back!!!
[westbrook] 7:55 am: most people won't have fresh chicken or beef, they will be
eating out of cans!
[Leah] 7:55 am: Thermos bottle cooking.
[MtRider] 7:56 am: Remember to 'count' your calories used...only they are a good
thing now.
[MtRider] 7:56 am: Leah! Yesssss
[Leah] 7:56 am: You can stretch cans too, westbrook.
[Leah] 7:57 am: A big change for most I think, will be not wasting anything.
Even a spoon of peas.
[HSmom] 7:57 am: True Westbrook, but before you came in, I said something about
stretching food now, in order to stretch money for more preps. So we are
discussing food stretching for both before and after SHTF.
[MtRider] 7:57 am: gonna be learning to 'can' meat!
[westbrook] 7:57 am: of course... can of chicken soup.. in raw rice to cook, a
can of peas including liquid taking into consideration the amount of liiquid.
[Leah] 7:58 am: MSmom gave a link for that.
[MtRider] 7:58 am: nearly have 'Sherman' [the tank....pressure canner] ready!
[westbrook] 7:58 am: HSMom, many people are living out of cans now or jars.
[westbrook] 7:59 am: called rotation.
[Leah] 7:59 am: You can add extra water and thicken it. Will fill bellies better
than a thin broth.
[HSmom] 7:59 am: Again I think variety is your friend. If it's post-SHTF and
dinner is a pint of chicken, I'm also going to open a pint of green beans, get
out a handful of dried fruit, make biscuits and probably rice too.
[HSmom] 7:59 am: Or pre-SHTF and rotating.
[HSmom] 7:59 am:
[MtRider] 8:00 am: Can put all that into a dutch oven too....indoor or outdoor
[Leah] 8:00 am: Cooked dry beans can be mashed and added to many dishes made
from those cans
[Leah] 8:01 am: I dry berries, fruit, etc to a crisp and powder them to add to
breads, soups, etc.Adds nutrition without the kids knowing.
[Leah] 8:01 am: Sometimes you must be sneaky.
[MtRider] 8:01 am: I make a few basic meals but the ingredients change so I'm
able to put in whatever needs usin' up....no waste is important. Variety is
important. But rote action will be important [vital for me already] when you
don't think with much creativity cuz of fatigue
[Leah] 8:02 am: If you can your meals already put together, stews, soups, etc.
you won't need to think about it much.
[HSmom] 8:03 am: Westie, I recall a cooking with canned foods thread a while
back. Let's do a bit of that brainstorming now. Think of canned (home or store)
foods and how you'd stretch them.
[MtRider] 8:03 am: Like: Eggs with...... Stew with...... Stir fry with...... We
all do it but might make a list to be able to have it right in front of our
noses when we aren't at our best.
[Leah] 8:03 am: Open your can , add a starch a sweet and there you are.
[HSmom] 8:03 am: For example, chili. Cook up some macaroni and stir it in.
[HSmom] 8:04 am: Can of chicken, are you just going to put pieces of chicken on
the plates or make it into a casserole or stir fry or.... what else?
[MtRider] 8:04 am: I am sooo wanting to do that. Gotta order one more part for
'Sherman' [yes, I named my pressure canner] and get just a bit more energy and
I'm gonna get to canning.
[Leah] 8:04 am: Lets see, we learned to add height. Put something on top of
something on top of something else.For example :Toast, the hash, then egg.
[HSmom] 8:05 am: Height? I've never thought about that! That's a great idea.
[Leah] 8:05 am: I like to add rice to chili. Beans and grains add up to a
complete protein.
[MtRider] 8:05 am: meatloaf topped with mashed potatoes then gravy...bake and
slice the layers to eat
[HSmom] 8:05 am: MtR, you could be working with store bought chicken. Either
way, what would you do?
[HSmom] 8:06 am: Clarify for me, if you will, beans and grains = complete
protein - does it need to be a whole grain?
[MtRider] 8:06 am: poison dh....gotta be turkey in this house....
[HSmom] 8:06 am: lol
[MtRider] 8:06 am: brb
[Leah] 8:06 am: Chicken shreds, white sauce, carrots over a starch.
[HSmom] 8:06 am: Fine, store bought canned turkey - ack, she ran away!
[Leah] 8:07 am: I haven't thought of some of this stuff for 30 years - trying to
remember.
[HSmom] 8:08 am: I'll post a recipe for basic white sauce (alternate for canned
cream of whatever soup).
[Leah] 8:08 am: You are matching amino acids. The egg has an almost perfect
protein for the human body...
[Leah] 8:08 am: Hold on I'm going to see if I can locate a book...
[HSmom] 8:09 am: Thanks Leah.
[MtRider] 8:09 am: OK, HS -- turkey and NOODLES But my mom's homemade kind.
Soooo easy. Like 3 ingredients. Really stretches the storage space cuz bought
pasta takes so much room.
[HSmom] 8:10 am: Okay, 6 oz can of turkey, couple cups of flour. What else for
variety and satiety?
[MtRider] 8:11 am: oh, sorry folks. dh just pulled up and he's late. Gotta help
him eat and get back outta here.... If y'all dally long, I might come back.

[HSmom] 8:11 am: Okay! See you!
[MtRider] 8:11 am: btw...we're expecting a big snow storm
tonite/tomorroww.....sigh....
[] 8:11 am: bye mt rider
[HSmom] 8:12 am: Oh, isn't it a bit late for that?
[Leah] 8:12 am: Found it - Cooking with love and wheat germ ; it does NOT need
to be whole grain, as the rice, flour et al has been enriched.
[HSmom] 8:12 am: Okay... I thought it was enriched with vitamins, not protein,
though.
[The Lounge]: pauline has entered at 8:13 am
[The Lounge]: westbrook has left at 8:13 am
[HSmom] 8:13 am: Pauline! I'm so glad you came! I've been missing you.
[] 8:13 am: Hi Pauline
[pauline] 8:13 am: morning everyone
[HSmom] 8:13 am: We're stretching food today, and I'll bet you have some good
ideas.
[Leah] 8:14 am: Well according to this, the white rice and flour are good enough
for an incomplete protein, the beans add the other part. There is a chart, I
could scan it in somewhere if anyone is interested.
[HSmom] 8:15 am: No, don't go to that trouble, I could probably find something
similar with a search engine. I was just curious.
[Leah] 8:15 am: Morning, pauline!
[pauline] 8:15 am: morning Leah
[Leah] 8:15 am: They are the Rodale books. About being vegetarian.
[HSmom] 8:16 am: We do typically eat whole grain. Our macaroni is whole wheat,
mixed half-and-half with white. Our spaghetti is whole brown rice spaghetti.
[HSmom] 8:16 am: I love Rodale Books!!
[HSmom] 8:17 am: Unfortunately, we don't like real brown rice, so our rice is
white. I use whole wheat pastry flour and whole wheat flour for most everything.
But do use some white flour.
[pauline] 8:17 am: Hsmom have we mentioned making lots of soups, stews, chili
dishes. or adding oatmeal or ground/mushed beans to meatloafs hamburger etc, or
casseroles as a way to cook a little but feed alot ?
[Leah] 8:17 am: They say white will work.
[HSmom] 8:17 am: Good to know.
[HSmom] 8:17 am: We've pretty much covered soups and stews. But not so much the
others.
[The Lounge]: Vic303 has entered at 8:17 am
[Vic303] 8:18 am: HI!
[] 8:18 am: Hi Vic303
[pauline] 8:18 am: hello vic
[Leah] 8:18 am: Morning, Vic
[HSmom] 8:18 am: I wanted to aske about meatloaf. My recipe calls for 2/3 cup
bread crumbs to 1 pound of meat. I think it could stand more bread and I'm
wondering how much you use.
[HSmom] 8:18 am: Good morning Vic!
[HSmom] 8:19 am: Mt Rider mentioned adding mushed beans to something, but we
didn't really explore that. And I haven't added oatmeal to much of anything, so
would love soem tips.
[Vic303] 8:19 am: Mornin' all!
[Vic303] 8:19 am: I don't remember, HS. I have not made meatloaf in a LONG time.
[pauline] 8:20 am: i eyeball it and it is almost half and half of oatmeal/bread
crumbs or mushed beans depending on the meatloaf i am making just remeber the
more dry ingredients you add the more wet you need to add also adding in an egg
or two will help the meatloaf form together better
[Leah] 8:21 am: Hubby makes the meatloaf around here. Saves my hands...
[HSmom] 8:21 am: Whole rolled oats? Quick oats? Steel cut?
[Vic303] 8:22 am: I thinkyou are supposed to use quickoats so they break down
easier in the mix.
[Vic303] 8:22 am: You could always add refried bean flakes...
[HSmom] 8:22 am: Could you buzz whole rolled oats in the food processor first?
[Vic303] 8:23 am: Ack...gotta go monkeywrangle. Will try to drop back in
later.--Vic
[HSmom] 8:23 am: See ya Vic!
[pauline] 8:24 am: i have used both rolled or quick in mine , yes you could buzz
them to make them a finer texture and not so obvios
[pauline] 8:24 am: bye vic
[HSmom] 8:24 am: What else do you add oatmeal to? Waht else do you add beans to?
[Leah] 8:24 am: Bread
[The Lounge]: Vic303 has left at 8:24 am
[HSmom] 8:25 am: Post SHTF, I'll bet you could run the oats through your wheat
grinder.
[Leah] 8:25 am: Left over cooked beans, dried and crumbled into flour.
[HSmom] 8:25 am: Do you use a recipe Leah or just add a handful or so?
[Leah] 8:25 am: Handful.
[HSmom] 8:26 am: And by dried you mean dried to a crisp and powdered, right?
[Leah] 8:26 am: Yes.
[pauline] 8:26 am: beans are added to any meat that is cooked as a casserole
type dish if i have some that are opened and in need of being used i also make
just bean dishes to stretch the food budget such as enchilada casserole
[Leah] 8:26 am: You can use it to thicken sauces and stews.
[HSmom] 8:27 am: We have a bean dish called Pizza Beans (yes I'll post the
recipe). I take a bit of leftover beans and mix them in with spaghetti sauce.
[HSmom] 8:27 am: That adds a lot of nutrition Leah. Again, an idea that will
satisfy the bellies.
[Leah] 8:27 am: I do that with BBQ sauce serve on buns
[pauline] 8:29 am: oatmeal is added to breads , stuffing and chicken casserole
after whirling in the blender
[Leah] 8:29 am: Do any of you make frozen garbage?
[HSmom] 8:29 am: Westbook mentioned that a lot of folks are probably eating a
lot of canned foods now, to rotate their stock, and requested that we talk about
stretching those.
[pauline] 8:30 am: yes Leah i have done that as well
[HSmom] 8:30 am: She mentioned using the water from a can of meat and a can of
vegetables to cook the rice to go with them.
[HSmom] 8:30 am: Frozen garbage? I have an idea what you mean, but please
explain for all who will read this archive later.
[pauline] 8:32 am: yep, that works but i usually have to add a little more water
to it to cook my rice the way i like then i like to mix the meat (especially
chicken) in with the rice and veggies to make a hash type of meal
[HSmom] 8:32 am: Any other canned food tips to share?
[Leah] 8:34 am: Sure. When fixing fresh vegetables, wash them well. When
stripping off all the leaves, stems, potato skins,etc; set them aside. Do NOT
use onion skins or broccoli stems, they are bitter. Put the scraps in the
freezer. When you are stewing your meat bones, add the frozen garbage to the pot
[pauline] 8:34 am: frozen garbage is using leftover bits that you have saved in
a specified container to make soup,goulash etc. i keep meat in a seperate
container and veggies in another fruit goes into a third and is used with cakes
to make a dessert
[HSmom] 8:34 am: lol - two different types of frozen garbage! I thought that
might happen.
[pauline] 8:35 am: on the canned items was it just regular canned or dried foods
she wanted ideas for
[Leah] 8:35 am: I like to put them in the water first and then strain them out
before adding the bones. they are then fed to chickens and then the compost
heap.
[HSmom] 8:35 am: I've done it paulines way. Leah, I do your way fresh, but if I
don't make them into stock that day, i feed them to the poultry and/or compost
them.
[HSmom] 8:36 am: Pauline, canned or dried, I think. Basically stored foods, not
stuff like freezing fresh chicken.
[HSmom] 8:36 am: I'll try your method Leah.
[pauline] 8:36 am: hsmom they are very similiar as i add the fresh items to my
bucket i also add the broccoli stems but i peel them first still it is all the
same theory of waste not want not
[Leah] 8:37 am: I use broccoli stems in stir fry
[HSmom] 8:37 am: Can you blanch & freeze broccoli stems just like the florets?
[pauline] 8:38 am: yes
[HSmom] 8:38 am: Thanks.
[Leah] 8:38 am: Save cake crumbs in the freezer as well. Add a little liquer or
buttercream, chill, make into small balls and dip into chocolate-- YUM!
[pauline] 8:38 am: i just peel them as i don't like the flavor of the peel
[Leah] 8:39 am: Broccoli stem peels are too tough.
[pauline] 8:41 am: for the canned goods alot of mine is home canned except
things like enchilada sauce,and peas, and creamed soups or tuna so i make lots
of casseroles to rotate them out and stretch them as i just need to add rice or
pasta and cheese to have a good filling meal
[HSmom] 8:41 am: This is a bit off topic, but I read an article in Countryside
magazine where I guy had a system for freezing his own stir fry mix from the
garden. He started with a supply of a certain sized baggie. As each vegetable
matured, it was cut, blanched & added to the baggies. By the end of the season,
he had a dozen (or whatever) baggies of mixed vegetables.
[Leah] 8:42 am: Excellent idea!
[pauline] 8:43 am: not to far off topic as it was a way for him to stretch his
food budget and a great way to have everything prepped like that for a quick
meal or two
[HSmom] 8:43 am: Yeah it was neat and it's so much easier to know what to do
with a quart of mixed vegetables than a quart of cabbage.
[HSmom] 8:43 am: Yup, saves on prep work at meal time.
[Leah] 8:44 am: Hey "I'm down with that !"
[pauline] 8:44 am: anything to make meal times faster and easier is "a good
thing" to me
[HSmom] 8:45 am: I think that's the best benefit I've derived from homecanning -
less work at meal time. Sure it's work to get it canned, but I can do that when
it's convenient for me. Then at meal time, when time is short, I grab this and
that.
[Leah] 8:45 am: Cheaper, too and you know what you're eating.
[HSmom] 8:46 am: Amen and amen!
[HSmom] 8:46 am: Are our stretching ideas winding down? Any more to share?
[pauline] 8:46 am: exactly i put up beans and flavor them the way i want and
don't have to worry about all the chemical preservitives or having a reaction to
them
[Leah] 8:47 am: A old way was to always have bread and butter on the table at
mealtimes.
[Leah] 8:48 am: We used to set the table saying" salt, pepper, bread and butter,
stuff to eat and stuff to drink"
[pauline] 8:48 am: i think we probably have hit most of them as far as basics
that everyone is able to do , ooo i like that idea Leah and forgot about it my
grandparents always had fresh bread/biscuits with a meal to help fill up bellies
[HSmom] 8:48 am: My uncle had 4 boys; they went through a loaf of bread at every
meal.
[HSmom] 8:49 am: I like to use bread and biscuits to stretch soups or vegetarian
meals. My dh is a meat & potatoes guy, but he's also a carb-lover. So I can keep
him happy either way.
[Leah] 8:50 am: That's why they used to make yorkshire pudding. Stretch that
meat!
[Leah] 8:51 am: Gravy makes everything taste like meat.
[pauline] 8:51 am: my hubby prefers pasta to potatoes when he is home and pasta
is an easy way to stretch a meal as long as he gets enough meat on his plate
that he can see it we are fine he is too used to truckstop meals and having a
slab of meat
[HSmom] 8:51 am: Can you make good gravy without pan drippings?
[HSmom] 8:52 am: I can make great gravy from roasted turkey or chicken, but
without that, I'm kind of stuck. Any suggestons?
[pauline] 8:52 am: only if i use a mix which is cheating i am still trying to
make a good gravy, and my mom is no help we used to call her gravy wallpaper
paste
[HSmom] 8:53 am: lol
[Leah] 8:53 am: Post SHTF? Meat grease, flour, make a dark roux. Add water,
simmer 'til thick.
[HSmom] 8:53 am: The stuff out of the packets is rarely worth the trouble - for
me.
[Leah] 8:53 am: Onions roasted very dark helps also.
[HSmom] 8:54 am: Where are you getting meat grease? Like skimming the top of
your stock pot?
[HSmom] 8:54 am: And how do you roast onions?
[Leah] 8:54 am: Yes.
[Leah] 8:55 am: Also when you fry bacon. Strain into a can to keep.
[HSmom] 8:56 am: I do! I use it to fry potatoes. Yum!
[Leah] 8:56 am: I keep the different types seperate. Onions can be roasted in
the coals or in your oven.
[pauline] 8:56 am: i have bacon grease and saute onions in it but always end up
with lumpy or pastey gravy i will have to keep practicing
[HSmom] 8:56 am: But how? Wrapped in foil? Oil? In a bit of broth?
[Leah] 8:57 am: It took me 17 years to learn good gravy. Keep trying it'll come.
[HSmom] 8:58 am: Add the liquid in very small amounts and really work it in
before adding more. If i just dump in a bunch I end up with lumps. If it's not
lumpy, but is pasty in texture and flavor, you may be using too much flour.
Flour and fat should be about equal.
[Leah] 8:58 am: I grease onions just like baking potatoes. Chunk them up -you
have to watch them though, they have more sugar
[Leah] 8:58 am: and will burn easily.
[HSmom] 8:59 am: Thanks Leah!
[Leah] 9:00 am: Pauline, have you tried using cornstarch? It seems to be a
little more forgiving.
[pauline] 9:00 am: i have noy will try it next time
[pauline] 9:01 am: noy - not
[HSmom] 9:01 am: Anything else to say before I archive?
[Leah] 9:02 am: Think that's all. I hope I didn't run my mouth too much...
[HSmom] 9:02 am: Not at all Leah! It was a good discussion.
[pauline] 9:02 am: not from me go ahead and archive
[HSmom] 9:03 am: Okay dokey. See you guys later!

[HSmom]

Here is the recipe I promised for basic white sauce/sub for cream of whatever soup.

Cream-Soup mix

2 cups dry milk
1¼ cup cornstarch OR 2 ½ cups flour
¼ cup chicken bouillon pwdr
2 Tbsp dried onion flakes
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme (opt)
1 tsp basil (opt)

Mix all together and store in airtight container.

To use:
If made with cornstarch, add 1/3 cup mix to 1 ¼ cup water.
If made with flour, add ½ cup mix to 1 ¼ cup water.

Whisk together over medium heat until thickened.

This is concentrated for casserole making. Double the water for soup.

[HSmom]

And the bean recipe I mentioned

Pizza Beans
Yields 4 or 5 pints

1 lb navy beans
6 cups water
1 onion, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp salt
½ tsp oregano leaves
¼ tsp rosemary
1 cup shredded mozzarella
¼ cup Grated Romano, Parmesan or asiago cheese


Soak beans in water in crock-pot overnight.

Cook on high for about one hour, until tender but not mushy. Drain, saving liquid.

Combine beans, onion, tomato sauce, garlic, salt, oregano and rosemary in crock-pot, adding 2 cups of that bean cooking liquid.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Garnish with grated cheeses. Serve with or over garlic toast.

Options: Add 1/4 c. chopped bell pepper before cooking beans on low.

Cross referenced to Canning (reserve cheese until serving time)

- - - - - -

If I'm in a hurry, I do a quick soak and cook this on the stove, not in the crock pot, adjusting times accordingly.

If you're going to can it, HOLD THE CHEESE! Do not can it with cheese. Just add the cheese when you open the jar to eat.

[dogmom4]

That looked like a great chat you had! Do you think we could have a thread in the Kitchen about this where folks could post recipes? I liked what someone called poverty cooking.
Stacy

[Leah]

Regarding the 'frozen garbage' and 'making broth'...
You need to make sure that the liquid comes to a rolling boil for 15 minutes before eating to kill any evil little buggies... We want everyone to stay safe.

[HSmom]

Why do don't you start one Dogmom4? I think that'd be great! And I'll be sure to reply to it.

[preparing]

I have a friend who lived in Germany during WWII and she said her mother could feed the family on 1 potato a day. Cutting the potato up and putting in a pot of water and boiling and seasoning. Sounds like starvation to me, but if it got that bad then I guess this is something that could be done.

[Amishway Homesteaders]

wow! another good chat !

[Leah]

Thermos bottle cooking for those who asked about it...
http://www.kurtsaxon.com/foods005.htm

[Nett]

sorry to have missed the chat but loved the info

[Leah]

thought this might be good posted here.
A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes -1852
found here - http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22114/22114-h/22114-h.htm
Everything from making broth, to beer, to how to make the most of a pig including Black Puddings...