Wednesday, January 27, 2010

B... IS FOR BEANS

Beans, beans, the magical fruit...
Sorry I'm late with this week's pantry stuffer!

So many kinds of beans...there's sure to be one or two that your family likes. Dozens of ways to eat them and almost as many ways to store them.

For a whole meal in a can...chili and beans can't be beat! Fry's has them on special this week for 79 cents a can if you purchase 10. So for under $8 you can add a few more cans to your pantry.

Plain canned beans are also a great item to store. Pinto, black, navy...all perfect to make a soup or burrito.

Dried beans are a little bit more labor intensive but store almost forever. The church cannery is a great source for dried beans. The cost in the store seems to be going up a little right now. Dried beans can be purchased in bulk and stored in #10 cans with oxygen packs, mylar bags, or PET(E) containers.

I like to can my own beans because it is a lot more cost effective...especially because I've had those big 50 pound buckets of beans in my food storage for almost 20years and I purchased them for about 10 cents a pound. I also don't plan very far ahead (like the night before or even a couple of hours before) and beans need to be soaked to rid them of the gas process. Now some people will tell you they never soak their beans, but I'm not willing to suffer the after effects. For me it is more convenient to have several jars on hand and just be able to take them from the pantry and use them right away.

Hint: I like to add a little taco seasoning to the pintos before I process them. They make awesome refried beans!

IF YOU HAVE BULK BEANS AND WOULD LIKE TO LEARN HOW TO CAN THEM, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND WE CAN SET UP A TIME. YOU HAVE TO USE A PRESSURE CANNER TO BE SAFE.

So...this week, B is for BEANS!

Oh....and don't forget green beans, too!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

A is for AGAVE


What is agave? I had never heard of agave (except for the tour of the tequila farm I didn't go on in Mexico) until I was watching the food channel the other day and Giada de Laurentiis was using it in a recipe for grilled salmon. Agave is a natural sweetener with all kinds of health benefits!

I love my sugar and am not a big fan of artificial sweeteners of any kind, so although this is a "natural" sweetener, I was a little hesitant to try it. But when I was in Fry's last week, there it was in the middle of the aisle with the baking products so I picked some up. When I got home, I peeled the lid off and hesitantly took a little taste. Yummy! It was delicious!

Just a brief overview of AGAVE
-AGAVE is a unique blend of the nectars derived from the Agave Plant
-AGAVE is 1.4 times sweeter than sugar...so you use less
-AGAVE saves 25-40% in carbohydrate calories (low on the glycemic index)
-AGAVE contains inulin, a prebiotic fiber
-AGAVE contains naturally occurring vitamins and minerals,including calcium
-AGAVE is diabetic friendly
-AGAVE has a long shelf life
For more information, go to http://www.xagave.com/agave-quickfacts.html

Perfect substitute for sugar and honey (and doesn't crystallize like honey!)

*note...Xagave is a brand name. There are other agave nectars available, but this is the one I tried.

FOOD STORAGE FROM A TO Z

How full is your pantry? Are you a newbie to food storage? Have you got most of the basics? Are you completely stocked and ready for anything? If any of these describe you, we are here to help you and let you help others be prepared. The whole preparedness process is huge and can be overwhelming so we are going to take it one step at a time.

Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas that have worked or not worked for you. I've always felt like I was pretty prepared! We purchased a year's supply of dehydrated food for a family of 6 when our children were small, but that was 20 years ago...before oxygen packets and PETE containers. (If you don't know what these are, we'll get to that soon.)

So...yesterday, I started going thru the plethora of #10 cans...stored in my garage (which we all should know is a big no-no in Arizona.) Hmmmm....some are bulging...throw them out! Some might be bulging...can't quite tell...but the rice and wheat are good! So now I have to really take inventory and see what I have and what I don't have. What I do know is that I don't have all that I thought I had.

What is easier or more basic than the ABC's? We have 26 letters in the alphabet and 52 weeks in a year so we will be able to go through the alphabet twice. Each week we will list a new alphabetical item for you to add to your storage. This system may not be for everyone...or you may have all the applesauce or agave you could ever eat. If that's the case, just substitute a different item that week. Please use whatever method works best for you. The purpose of the alphabetical list is to give your mind a little jog...to help you think of something you haven't already thought of.

So....A is for......

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Hang On!

More to come soon!