I found this today and thought it would be a nice thing to include for this month.  With Thanksgiving coming up and then Christmas, we all need to remember to be thankful for who we are, what unique talents we have, what opportunities we have to repent and renew our commitments to be better, that we will have to face hardships but we do have a Father in Heaven who loves us and will never give us anything we can't handle.  We also have a Savior, Jesus Christ who suffered everything, even the shedding of his own blood and giving his life so that we might call on him and his atonement and be comforted and forgiven and someday return to He and the Father.

A PENCIL MAKER TOLD THE PENCIL 5 IMPORTANT LESSONS JUST BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE BOX:

1.) EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL ALWAYS LEAVE A MARK.

2.) YOU CAN ALWAYS CORRECT THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE.

3.) WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU.

4.) IN LIFE , YOU WILL UNDERGO PAINFUL SHARPENINGS, WHICH WILL ONLY MAKE YOU BETTER.

5.) TO BE THE BEST PENCIL, YOU MUST ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE HELD AND GUIDED BY THE HAND THAT HOLDS YOU. 

We all need to be constantly sharpened.  This parable may encourage you to know that you are a special person, with unique talents and abilities.  Only you can fulfill the purpose which you were born to accomplish.  Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot be changed and, like the pencil, always remember that the most important part of who you are, is what's inside of you.

Bob and LouAnn

Ok, so, what would a "Prepper" blog be with out some interesting "Prepper" information on it, right?  I found these two You Tube videos interesting.  The first is how you can open a can of food, or for that matter, any tin can, by just using a spoon or concrete.  Of course, I have my trusty P-38 military issue small lightweight can opener and a pocket knife with a can opener on it but lets just say you don't have either of those and you have some tin cans of food you need to open.  Here is the first video.

Opening a can with a spoon or concrete

Now, if you don't have matches or any other fire source, here is a way you can start a fire using just a 12 ounce soda can, a bar of chocolate and a paper towel.  Ok, if you have attended my Bug Out Bag class, you know that I have several different ways to be able to start a fire, even in wet weather, but if you only had those three items, here is a perfectly good way to waste a chocolate bar but start a fire.  LOL.  WARNING  Do NOT eat the chocolate bar after you rub it on the aluminum can. 

How to start a fire with a bar of chocolate, soda can and paper towel.

Have fun with your food storage.

Bob and LouAnn

OK, I know, it isn't fruit............well, wait a minute, actually, it does have raisins in it.  haha.  It is the season though so I thought I would post this recipe for the best tasting Pumpkin bread ever.  My friends at Honeyville Farms posted this on the Honeyville Farms Cookin Cousins blog.  Yum Yum is all I can say.  Try it for pre-Thanksgiving.  I LOVE home made bread.

Pumpkin Swirled Bread Recipe

 

It's Pumpkin season! Don't you just love all the delicious pumpkin recipes that pop up every time the leaves change and the days get a bit cooler? Whether it's pumpkin pies, cookies, cakes, muffins, treats, or even candy (yes, you've all seen them at the grocery store) the taste of pumpkin always get's me in the mood for a warm sweater, a mug of hot apple cider, and relaxing day on the couch!

Warm pumpkin filling, the sweet smell of cinnamon, sugar, and spice -Yes, this recipe has everything you'd ever want in a delicious pumpkin treat! And best of all, it only takes two hours to prepare and bake up three loaves of this delicious bread. How many bread recipes can say that! Get the Bosch mixer ready, and let's start baking some Pumpkin Swirled Bread!

Ingredients (Bread):
6-7 cups Honeyville Alta Artisan Bread Flour
4 cups milled Honeyville Hard White Wheat
2/3 cups packed Brown Sugar
2 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
3 cups Hot Water
1 cup Pumpkin Puree
1/3 cup Agave Nectar or Honey
1/4 cup Olive Oil
3 Eggs
1 cup Raisins
4 Tbsp SAF Instant Yeast

(Filling):
1/4 cup Butter, melted
1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Yields: 3 loaves

 

 Directions:
First, you need to create your whole grain flour.

To do this, mill your hard white wheat in your mill. You will end up with more than 4 cups of flour, but 4 cups is all you'll need for the recipe, so just store the rest in a resealable bag.

 

In your Bosch Mixer combine pumpkin puree and water.
  

Mix together until you get a thick, orange liquid.

Next, add oil, agave nectar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, and whole grain flour. Place the yeast on top and start kneading.

Add the alta artisan flour 1 cup at a time as the dough is kneading until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Once this occurs, let the dough knead an additional 2-3 minutes, then add the raisins. Once the raisins have fully combined with the dough, stop kneading, remove the dough and place on a hard counter surface.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 Divide the dough into three 2 pound dough balls. spread out each ball of dough until it is a flat rectangle.

Brush your melted butter on top of the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon/brown sugar combination on top.

 Roll the dough, jelly roll style, tuck under the sides, and pinch the seams. Repeat for each loaf.

Place each loaf in a greased 9x5 bread pan and let rise for 30-45 minutes.

You're bread will be ready to bake when your loaves have risen to double their size.

Place in your pre-heated oven of 400 degrees, then knock it down to 350 degrees and bake for 50-55 minutes.

When the bread has baked for 20 minutes, place a piece of foil on the top, to keep the tops from burning, and continue to bake.

Once they are finished baking, remove immediately from the baking pans and let cool on a wire rack.

This bread is probably the best smelling bread I've ever baked! Talk about a sensory overload! The rich aroma of sugar and spices, along with the smell of baking pumpkin and bread will fill your kitchen, your home, and even your heart! This is what fall is all about!

Once you slice into this bread and have a taste you won't know how you ever lived without it! It's perfect right out of the oven with a little butter spread right on top. The cinnamon/brown sugar swirl in the middle not only gives it a gorgeous design, but adds just the right amount of sweetness you're looking for. Even if you're not a huge pumpkin fan, you're going to love this bread!

Yes, pumpkin season is officially here, and with bread like this, you'll wish it could stay around longer! 

Have fun with your food storage.

Bob and LouAnn

While I was at it, I found a recipe for Prickly Pear Cactus Jam.  I have tried this from one of those Arizona tourist traps before but that was a long time ago.  I do remember that I liked it.  Since they are a native plant, you just can't go out and pick them unless they are on your own property for your use so check with the Arizona Department of Agriculture website to find out more information.  You have to be very careful in harvesting these little beauties.  Here is a great website on gathering the prickly pear fruit or "tuna" as they are called.  Tuna Wrangling  Go through the whole blog site for the complete "how to" on making this.  I'm going to make some this spring.

Prickly Pear Jelly, inspired by Fruits of the Desert
Makes six 8 oz jars & one 4 oz jar of jelly.

3 cups of prickly pear fruit juice
1/2 cup of lemon juice (I used Meyer lemon juice from my freezer stash.)
2 boxes of powdered pectin
5 cups of organic cane sugar

Prep canning equipment and begin sterilizing jars.
Heat prickly pear fruit juice and lemon juice in a large pot.
Sprinkle pectin over juice, whisking it in to dissolve evenly.
Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add sugar. Whisk it in to dissolve evenly.
Bring to a rapid boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Ladle into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2" head space.
Wipe rims thoroughly, cap to finger tightness, and place jars in boiling water bath.
Process in boiling water bath, with lid on, for 10 minutes.
Turn off heat, remove lid, and let jars sit for 5 minutes.
Remove to a towel to sit for 24 hours.
Refrigerate any jars that did not seal.

Enjoy your food storage.

Bob and LouAnn

I had some inspiration this morning about this month's recipes using fruit.  We have talked about it and are going to make some home made jams and jellies for our daughters and their families for Christmas presents.  How much more love can you put into a gift than something you have made yourself?  I'm going to include some recipes using fresh and freeze dried berries and some using frozen juices.  We are going to be making these through out the month and hope you will try them also.  The first jam recipe comes from one of our dearest friends, Chef Tess.  Check out her blog at Chef Tess Bakeresse

Spiced Blueberry-Amaretto Jam
2 1/2 pints ripe blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1tsp high grade cinnamon (or Wise Woman of The East Spice Blend)
5 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 box (1 3/4 ounces) powdered pectin
1 tsp almond extract

Wash and thoroughly crush blueberries, one layer at a time, in a saucepan(or for smoother jam, puree in a food processor). Add lemon juice, spice and water. Stir in pectin and bring to a full, rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add the sugar and return to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract, quickly skim off foam and fill hot, sterile jars, leaving - 1/2 inch head space. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids and process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath. In case you missed the long speech on this subject, check it out Home Canning Safety 101

Makes 5 half-pint jars (it is not a good idea to double batches-- just make several in a row)

OK, so here is your start on using your fruits from your food storage.  More to come.  

Have fun using your food storage.

Bob and LouAnn

Here it is the 1st of November.  We are in our 4th month of our Stake goal to obtain at least a one year supply of food storage by October 2014 General Conference.  Here is the November items we will concentrate on.


November food storage tips:
Fruits: choose from a variety of canned, bottled, dried: low moisture or freeze-dried.  Start with one basic kind, such as raisins, as they will last up to 20 years, though eventually will go 'sugary'.  One tablespoon of raisins is one serving. Another easy start is to buy a few #10 cans of freeze dried apples.   With the fall fruits in season, now would be a good time to find some bulk deals on apples and can some applesauce.  Add a little cinnamon to give it that great flavor.  Try mixing several different varieties to get that just right taste of sweetness and tartness.   My Uncle Lavern in Michigan had an apple orchard and used to send us a case of apples every year.  My mother would make the BEST apple pies using Northern Spy's.  We also loved his Idared apples.  Pears are another great fall fruit to pressure can.  Here is a great link to a variety of different apples with information on each one.  http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/a
Also check out Honeyville Farms for the huge variety of freeze dried fruits they have there.   I especially love their freeze dried pineapple and freeze dried grapes.  YUMMMMMMMMMMMM.  

 















Find at least one kind of sprouting seeds you are willing to use and store, such as alfalfa or broccoli seeds; both have vitamins/minerals that add value to storage meals. (Do remember your stored wheat and legumes can also be sprouted.....must cook the sprouted beans....but lentil sprouts are okay to eat raw).  Did you know that if you sprout your wheat grain, the sprouts have the highest source of vitamin C there is.  More than orange juice and you don't have to worry about shelf life.  Just sprout and eat.  



This is going to be a fun month for recipes.


Have fun with your food storage.


Bob and LouAnn