Well, the week got away from me too quickly.  We have a new recipe coming up for those of you who are gluten intollerant or experience problems with gluten.  We found several that we will be posting but to wet your appetite, the first will be Gluten Free Almond Flour Corn Bread.

To end this week though, I borrowed this from another blogger.  Something to think about.



“Let us be in a position so we are able to not only feed ourselves through the home production and storage, but others as well.”
-Ezra Taft Benson, ‘Prepare for the Days of Tribulation,’ Ensign, Nov 1980, 32


Sharing is such a tricky and often sensitive topic when it comes to our food storage. Many people may feel they have spent too much time, hard work and money putting together their food storage to share it with those who have idled away their time and resources. After all, they’ve been warned, right? And that neighbor who maybe is not a member of your faith and hasn’t been given the same warnings, well… they should have listened when missionaries came knocking at their door. Too bad for them, huh?
What silly, un-Christian talk! Brothers and sisters, ladies and gentlemen… be prepared to share! Be prepared in your heart, be prepared in your mind, and be prepared with your resources if possible.
There is a great talk by Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone entitled Food Storage (click HERE for the full talk), in which he says the following:
“I should like to address a few remarks to those who ask, “Do I share with my neighbors who have not followed the counsel? And what about the nonmembers who do not have a year’s supply? Do we have to share with them?” No, we don’t have to share—we get to share! Let us not be concerned about silly thoughts of whether we would share or not. Of course we would share! What would Jesus do? I could not possibly eat food and see my neighbors starving. And if you starve to death after sharing, “greater love hath no man than this …” (John 15:13.)
Now what about those who would plunder and break in and take that which we have stored for our families’ needs? Don’t give this one more idle thought. There is a God in heaven whom we have obeyed. Do you suppose he would abandon those who have kept his commandments? He said, “If ye are prepared, ye need not fear.” (D&C 38:30.)”
I’m so grateful for these messages from President Benson and Elder Featherstone. They are some of the reasons that in my Ultimate Food Storage Goal I have listed extra quantities of wheat, rice, oats, and other survival foods that can last a long time. It is not realistic for me to think that I can store enough of my ‘everyday food’ to take care of everyone and anyone I would like. But I can be prepared with extra survival foods that are inexpensive and have a long shelf life to help others. And my recipes that create more than my family can eat? I do not reduce them for my food storage menus. Instead, I plan to share my meals with my neighbors. (Won’t you be my neighbor? )
Well, this post has gotten long enough, but I want to say that how you choose to handle this subject is a completely personal matter. It’s between you (your family) and the Lord. Everyone is in a different situation and has different limitations, so you do what is right for you. But as for me and my house, we plan to share.
And may we all be blessed in our efforts!"

Thank you Debbie and your blog Food for Thought.

 LouAnn and I echo these same thoughts.  When we do what our Heavenly Father asks us to do, we will be blessed.

Bob and LouAnn

Here is an official release from the Church about the canneries.  I am so thankful for revealed knowledge and inspiration rather than the fear and government conspiracy theories that others have written about.  Our Heavenly Father knows the beginning from the end and will always win over the evil designs of Satin and evil men.

News Release —  17 June 2013

Concern Over Changes to

Home Storage Centers Unnecessary

Salt Lake City — 

Over the past several weeks, misinformation and unnecessary concern has been circulating on blogs, over social media channels and by email regarding changes in operations at the Church’s home storage centers, which are located in the U.S. and Canada. No home storage centers are being closed, but the Church is making welcomed modifications in its operations at most of these centers that will help to better serve the needs of members of the Church, as well as significantly improve efficiency.

In all but 12 of the Church’s 101 home storage centers in the U.S. and Canada, patrons will no longer self-can products, but they may purchase these same items pre-canned or  

These changes have been considered for some time as the Church has looked at the best way to provide home storage goods to Church members efficiently. Much of the discussion regarding this issue has suggested that this change is due to food safety regulation. While it has been a factor, the concern expressed regarding that issue has been overstated.

While many individuals have enjoyed self-canning at the Church’s home storage centers, the advantages of providing pre-canned or prepackaged goods include:

·         It’s more efficient and cost effective for the Church to produce and ship high-quality, pre-canned or prepackaged goods in bulk rather than ship the same goods and empty cans to a location where individuals can them on their own.

·         By offering the goods pre-canned or prepackaged, the Church utilizes less warehouse space.

·         Pre-canned and prepackaged operations allow for higher quality and safer preparation of home storage food.

·         It is much more costly to maintain and upgrade facilities that must meet food production standards (such as in a self-canning operation) than it is to maintain a facility that simply distributes pre-canned and prepackaged food. 

·         Volunteer personnel time can be used more efficiently.

The following 12 home storage centers will continue to offer self-canning for the time being as the Church continues to monitor the goods and services offered at home storage centers and makes adjustments as needed:

·         Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

·         Mesa, Arizona

·         Carrollton, Texas                                                      

·         Lindon, Utah

·         Logan, Utah

·         Ogden, Utah

·         Salt Lake City, Utah (Welfare Square)

·         Sandy, Utah

·         Springville, Utah

·         St. George, Utah

·         Idaho Falls, Idaho

·         Boise, Idaho

The remaining 89 centers will provide pre-canned goods. A list of all home storage centers is available here. <http://providentliving.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations?lang=eng>



Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 6:36)

Bob and LouAnn

Here we go again.  I was given a challenge at work to come up with a recipe of anything made with our Honeyville Powdered Egg Whites.  After looking around on the web, I found Lemon Meringue Cookies.  OH BOY.  I made them today at work and they are wonderful melt in your mouth delicious morsels of delight with a light lemon flavor.  You can't eat just one of these so here we go with the recipe and is it so so easy.

Lemon Meringue Cookies

Ingredients

3 egg whites, this is 6 tsp powdered egg whites and 6 Tbsp hot water.

¼ tsp cream of tarter

6 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp grated lemon zest

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.  Add cream of tarter, beat on high speed until soft peaks form.  Gently fold lemon rind into beaten egg whites.

Drop mix by tablespoon on 2 buttered and floured baking pans.  Bake in preheated 250 degree oven for 1 hour.

Turn oven off, do not open oven door, leave in oven 1 hour then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

                                                                          

I whipped them up in the Bosch.  I doubled the recipe using 12 tsp of Honeyville egg white powder, 12 Tbsp of hot water, 1/2 tsp cream of tarter, 12 Tbsp sugar and 2 Tbsp of lemon zest (4 lemons).  I ran the Bosch with the whisks on high for a couple of minutes until the egg whites were peaking then sprinkled in the cream of tarter, still on high.  I then slowly added in the sugar sprinkling it in abound the Bosch bowl with it on high.  I let it run about a minute after sprinkling in the sugar until you can take a little of the meringue and rub it between your fingers with a smooth feeling.  Turn the Bosch off and then put the meringue into a bakers bag with a large star tip or do what I did, I cut the corner off of a plastic bag, scooped the meringue into it and then twisted the bag and squeezed the meringue out of the cut off corner.  Make about quarter coin size cookies.  These are so good and fat free.  haha.  You can get dried lemon zest at http://www.firehousepantrystore.com/ to put in your food storage.

Enjoy

Bob and LouAnn

Sorry this is a little late for Memorial Day but it is in time for EVERY OTHER SUMMER HOLIDAY!!!!

This is the BEST tasting BBQ sauce I have ever had, and I made it myself.  WOW.  I am a fan of KC Masterpiece but this has it beat hands down.  Make it per the recipe and then if you want to add a little more heat, do it later.  I made it per the recipe, cooked it for about three hours, let it cool and then put it in the refrigerator.  The next day I sampled it and I was like the cartoon dog that got the bone.  Went up in the air about two feet and then slowly came back down to earth.  It is THAT good.  When it cooled down before putting it in the frig, I put it back into the empty ketchup bottle and that's what I store it in.  You have just got to try it.

Daddy’s BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 quarts Heinz ketchup, and
• 1 cup Heinz ketchup
• 3 (6 ounce) cans Heinz tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 4 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 1 tablespoon chicken base
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1/3 cup garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 3 teaspoons celery seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 4 bay leaves (remove after cooking)
• 2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons granulated onion

Directions

METHOD 

1. combine ingredients.
2. Cook on low heat (in a nonstick pan), COVERED, for a couple of hours.
3. Stir occasionally.
4. This part of the recipe has a lot of flavor and just a little bit of heat. It is fine for those of you that cannot handle the heat.
5. Add more Crushed Red Pepper for more heat.
6. For more of a honey flavor add 1/2 CP honey.
7. You can add these ingredients after the sauce has been cooked. I would cook up the sauce as is then adjust for heat and or honey flavor.
8. On a side note If you want this to be truly vegetarian, replace the chicken base with Worcestershire sauce. Use an 1/8 of a cup of Worcestershire sauce total. 
9. Cool in the refrigerator over night.                                                   

Enjoy
Bob and LouAnn

A 100 year old woman came into Honeyville Farms today and asked me about food storage.  She bought some Honeyville powdered peanut butter, A number 10 can of Mountain House Rasberry Crumble, some of our new InstaTopping and three 2 serving pouches of Mountain House meals.  She said she wanted to buy one of everything after I gave her some samples but could only afford those items this time.  She said she would be back on her 101st birthday to buy more.  She wants to get her food storage started.  What a sweet lady.  Got around on her own two feet and looked like she was only 90.  Now if she can see the importance of having food storage on hand, why can't you.  I hope she does come back in next year on her 101st birthday.

Keep storing
Bob and LouAnn

Melt in Your mouth 7UP Butter Biscuits

I tried a new recipe last night.  After taking it out of the oven, I turned by back for just a few moments and when I came back into the kitchen, five of the biscuits were already gone.  I have biscuit ghosts in the house.  That's why the pan is minus some of the biscuits in the picture. 

If you like buttery tasting fluffy biscuits, these are to die for.  I made them with Bisquick but for those who like to make everything from food storage items, I have included a recipe for making your own Bisquick, but first the bisquets.  The recipe is VERY easy.

4 1/2 cups Bisquick
1 cup Sour Cream or Honeyville Sour Cream Powder
1 cup 7UP or other Lemon Lime type soft drink
1 stick of Unsalted Butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the Bisquick, Sour Cream and 7UP and mix well.  The consistency should be a little sticky.

Melt the stick of Butter in a metal or glass 7"X11" casserole pan.

Pinch off a just bigger than golf ball size piece of the dough and roll it in your hand and place it into the pan.  Mine made 15 biscuits.

Place in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes.  Mine came out at 23 minutes and were perfect.

Let them cool for about 5 minutes and then enjoy.  The butter cooks into the bottom of the biscuit and gives a wonderful buttery flavor throughout the whole biscuit. 


As I said in the beginning, here is the recipe for making your own Bisquik.

Homemade Bisquick Mix

Ingredients

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable shortening/Butter

Directions

1. Sift flour, baking powder and salt three times into a large bowl.
2. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
3. Store mixture in airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 months.
4. Use whenever your recipe calls for "Bisquick mix".

Enjoy your food storage
Bob and LouAnn

Our heart felt condolences go out to President Monson and his family with the passing of his beloved wife.  It is our prayer that our Heavenly Father will wrap his arms around them and comfort them during this hour of their lives.

What a sense of humor Sister Monson had and a what a support she was to President Monson in all of his callings.  Read the story from the link below.

http://www.deseretnews.com/top/1511/0/The-life-and-service-of-Sister-Frances-B-Monson.html

We are so thankful for the fullness of the Gospel on the earth today with the restoration of the Priesthood, sealing keys and the truths it brings.  The reality of a Heavenly Father who lives and loves us and his Son, Jesus Christ who gave his life so we could repent and return someday to be reunited with them and live with our eternal family is real.

Our prayers go out to the Monson family for comfort.

Bob and LouAnn