"Fruitful in the Land of my Afflictions"

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Homemade Instant Oatmeal Recipes

Homemade Instant Oatmeal recipe

I love the convenience of the instant oatmeal packets sold in grocery stores, but I do not like the cost. My children also love the instant oatmeal packets, and so I researched until I came up with this recipe for making them ourselves. Make these up as a family project, and have the children help to choose which extra ingredients to add to the basic oatmeal packets. This is not only fun, but keeps them excited about eating them later, because they helped to make them. I hope you find them useful.

Instant Oatmeal ala-Home

• 3 cups Quick-Cooking Oats

• Salt (optional)

• Small sized Zip Baggies

Put 1/2 cup oats in a blender and blend on high until powdery. Set aside in a small bowl, and repeat procedure with an additional 1/2 cup oats. If you're using a food processor, you can do the 1 cup of oats in one batch. Put the following ingredients into each zip baggie: 1/4 cup un-powdered oats, 2 Tbsp. powdered oats, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Store in an airtight container.

To serve: Empty packet into a bowl. Add 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir and let stand for 2 minutes. For thicker oatmeal, use less water - for thinner oatmeal, use more water.

Variations:

Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal- To each packet add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp. chopped dried apples.

Brown Sugar/Cinnamon Oatmeal - To each packet add 1 Tbsp. brown sugar & 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Oatmeal w/Raisins & Brown Sugar - To each packet add 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. raisins.

Health Nut Oatmeal - To each packet add 2 Tbsp. any kind of wheat germ, flax seed, chia seed...

Fruit & Cream Oatmeal - To each packet add 1 Tbsp. non-dairy coffee creamer and 2 Tbsp. dried fruit or any freezed dried fruit

Confetti Oatmeal - To each packet, add 1 tsp. decorative cake/cookie sprinkles. (I know, I know, not healthy, but fun on a birthday.)

S'More Oatmeal - add a few miniature marshmallows and 1 tsp. Milk Chocolate Chips to each packet. (Fun on a camp out.)

Cookies n Cream Oatmeal - add 1 crushed Oreo cookie and 1 Tbsp. non-dairy coffee creamer to each packet. (Well there’s no justification for this one, only that my hubby loves oreos.)

Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” It might just be time to bring this mantra out and dust it off for a new generation. We live in a time where we have more “stuff” than ever before, but less savings and less security. Maybe it’s time to recommit to being frugal and waste not.

Use it up! Melissa Lawson can scrape every microscopic ounce of peanut butter out of a jar. I’ve seen it done. It’s amazing how long we can stretch what we already have. Every penny we save adds up over time.

Wear it out! Our fridge is 15 years old, the light hasn’t work for at least ten years, and every shelf is duct taped or super glued together. It is barely hanging on, but it still keeps our food cold, so we carry on.

Make it do! With most of our kids approaching teenage-hood, we often run out of food long before it’s time for another grocery run. We’ve decided to just get creative and make do with what we have in our pantry or food storage. And surprisingly enough, we have all survived our “creative” dinners. And we have even duct taped a few pairs of shoes together to insure they finish the season.

Do without! I think this can have the biggest impact if we are willing to make the sacrifice. Maybe it’s time we reevaluate what are needs and wants are. If our grandparents were able to live a happy life without it, maybe we can too. We have been a one car family most of our married life and believe it or not we have never felt like Cable was luxury we could afford. Everyone’s situation is different, but I do believe we all can find things to cut out and by so doing, gives us the ability to put a little extra into our food storage.

My grandma was a widow and lived in Rose Park, a small house filled with furniture that she bought second hand. Honestly I don’t think anything she owned was new. Her clothes, books, furniture were all second hand. I remember she always bought plain yogurt, because it was cheaper than the ones with the fruit on the bottom. She would flavor the yogurt with a teaspoon of orange juice concentrate. She lived off her Social Security, which gave her very little. But she had a basement full of food storage. She lived that mantra, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without”. And because she did, she was able to be prepared and live with the peace and security that comes from obedience to the counsel of the prophets.

Doctrine and Covenants 59:21 says, “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.”

I believe that gratitude is the key. Being grateful for what the the Lord has blessed us with, as little as it may seem, will guide our choices. If we are truly grateful we will not waste what we have and we will not be so focused on unnecessary “stuff”. It’s the start of a new year, so let’s be a little more grateful, a little more obedient and we will be closer to our self-reliant goals, be prepared and at peace.

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Self-reliance and selflessness

Last month's Visiting Teaching message fits in perfectly with what I have been feeling lately about Self-reliance. So I'm going to share parts of it with you, in case you didn't get a chance to read it.

Self-reliance is the ability, commitment, and effort to provide for the spiritual and temporal well-being of ourselves and of our families.¹

As we learn and apply the principles of self-reliance in our homes and communities, we have opportunities to care for the poor and needy and to help others become self-reliant so they can endure times of adversity.

We have the privilege and duty to use our agency to become self-reliant spiritually and temporally. Speaking of spiritual self-reliance and our dependence on Heavenly Father, Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has taught: “We become converted and spiritually self-reliant as we prayerfully live our covenants—through worthily partaking of the sacrament, being worthy of a temple recommend, and sacrificing to serve others.”²

Elder Hales counseled us to become self-reliant temporally, “which includes getting a postsecondary education or vocational training, learning to work, and living within our means. By avoiding debt and saving money now, we are prepared for full-time Church service in the years to come. The purpose of both temporal and spiritual self-reliance is to get ourselves on higher ground so that we can lift others in need.”³

President Young had great trust in the capacities, talents, faithfulness, and willingness of the women, and he encouraged them in specific temporal duties. While the specific duties of Relief Society sisters are often different today, the principles remain constant:

Learn to love work and avoid idleness.
Acquire a spirit of self-sacrifice.
Accept personal responsibility for spiritual strength, health, education, employment, finances, food, and other life-sustaining necessities.
Pray for faith and courage to meet challenges.
Strengthen others who need assistance.⁴

The world shouts the exact opposite message, so loudly that we can be easily swept up in it's selfish, idle, material mantra. And that is exactly what the the adversary wants. Self-reliance is empowering and selfless. Being able to take care of ourself and family puts us in the position of being able to help others in need. But if we are swallowed up in debt, and are dependent on others we really can't help those in greater need. The same goes for our spiritual self-reliance.

It makes me think of the parable of the ten virgins. Half were wise and prepared, half were foolish and were not prepared. Be wise and add the necessary oil to your lamps, both temporally and spiritually. Be persistant and patient in your efforts to become self-reliant. As you do, line upon line, drop by drop, you will be ready and prepare for the coming of the Bridegroom.

Winter Food Storage Tips:

For long storage life, when harvesting winter squash it's important to leave some of the stem attached to the fruit. After harvesting, let your squash cure in a warm place (75 to 80 degrees F.) for 10 days or so. When ready for storage the outer skin should be very firm. Store winter squash in a cool (to to 60 degree F) place that’s well ventilated. Check your stored squash monthly to make sure you use it up before it shows sign of decay.

Your potatoes can be dug and “cured” for storage. Curing toughens up a potato’s skin and extends its storage life. Cure the tubers by laying them out on newspaper in a well-ventilated place that’s cool (50 to 60 degrees F.) and dark (so they don’t turn green). After about two weeks, the skins will have toughened up. Rub off any large clumps of dirt (potatoes should never be washed before storage). Store your spuds into ventilated bins, bushel baskets, or a cardboard box with perforated sides. Completely cover the boxes or baskets with newspaper or cardboard to eliminate any light. Even a little light will cause potatoes to turn green and be rendered inedible. The ideal storage temperature for potatoes is 35 to 40 degrees, though they will usually keep for several months at 45 to 50 degrees.

For carrots, because of our cold climate, you can store them right in the ground and have garden fresh carrots all winter long! Be sure to cover the carrots with 12" of straw, leaves, even grass clippings. Be sure to dig them all up before the soil begins to warm up in early spring.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Homemade Fruit Leather Recipe

Yield: 2 pans of fruit leather-about 20 fruit roll-ups

Homemade fruit leather is so easy to make and is a great healthy snack! Feel free to use your favorite fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, peaches, plums are all great options.

3 cups ripe chopped fruit
Tablespoon or 2 of lemon juice to keep it from browning
Sweeten to taste with agave, honey or sugar (most times I opt out) 
Directions:
Preheat oven to the lowest temperature your oven will go. Line a 11 x 17 baking sheet with parchment paper, plastic wrap or a Silpat baking mat. Set aside.

Puree the fruit, lemon juice and sweetener in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour fruit mixture onto prepared baking sheet and spread to about a 1/8″- 1/16” thick, depending on your preference. I usually spread it pretty thin. An off-set spatula is the perfect tool to spread it out evenly. The thinner it is, the faster it will cook. I always pound the baking sheet on the counter a few times to make sure the fruit mixture is evenly distributed.

Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 3-8 hours (depending on thickness), until pan is set and the center is not tacky. You can cook two pans at a time as long as you rotate every hour. I also stick a knife in the door of the oven, so that it is a little ajar, since my oven doesn’t cook as low as others.

Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Gently peel off the fruit leather from the Silpat, or remove with the plastic wrap or parchment paper. Cut into squares or strips with scissors or pizza cutter. I cut them into 2 inch strips the short way. Then I simply roll them up. Store in an air-tight container.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Freezer Jam Recipes

Strawberry Freezer Jam

3-1/4 cups prepared fruit (buy about 2 qt. fully ripe strawberries)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 box MCP Pectin

1 cup corn syrup

4-1/2 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

CRUSH strawberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. Measure exactly 3-1/4 cups crushed strawberries into large bowl. Stir in lemon juice. Stir in pectin; let stand 30 min., stirring every 5 min. Stir in corn syrup. Gradually add sugar, stirring until well blended. Stir an additional 3 min. or until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

FILL all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using. Makes about 7 (1-cup) containers.

Apricot Freezer Jam
3 cups prepared fruit (buy about 3 lb. fully ripe apricots)

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 box MCP Pectin

1 cup light corn syrup

4-1/2 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

PIT and finely chop unpeeled apricots. Measure exactly 3 cups fruit into large bowl. Stir in lemon juice.

STIR pectin into prepared fruit in bowl. Let stand 30 min., stirring every 5 min. Stir in corn syrup. Gradually add sugar, stirring until well blended. Stir an additional 3 min. or until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

Plum and Grape (Glum) Freezer Jam

2 cups plums and 1 cup grape juice (I just use frozen grape concentrate)

1 box Pectin (boil in 1 cup water)

1 t butter or margrine to prevent foaming (optional)

5 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

PIT and finely chop or grind peeled plums. Measure exactly 3 cups prepared fruit/ juice into large bowl.

Add the sugar, mix well, and let stand for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

DISSOLVE powdered pectin in one cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil for one minute. Add pectin solution to the fruit and sugar mixture. Stir vigorously for two minutes.

POUR the jam into clean freezer containers or canning jars, leaving one-half inch headspace. Cover the container and let stand for 24 hours, or until the jam has set and is firm. Store in freezer until ready to use. Makes about 7 (1-cup) containers.

Cherry Freezer Jam

3 cups prepared fruit (buy about 3 lb. fully ripe sweet cherries)

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 box MCP Pectin

1 cup corn syrup

4-1/2 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

STEM and pit cherries. Finely chop or grind fruit. Measure exactly 3 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Stir in lemon juice.

ADD pectin; stir. Let stand 30 min., stirring every 5 min. Stir in corn syrup. Gradually add sugar, stirring until well blended. Stir an additional 3 min. or until sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy.

Makes about 7 (1-cup) containers.

Raspberry-Peach Freezer Jam

3-1/4 cups prepared fruit (buy about 2 pt. fully ripe raspberries and 1-1/2 lb. fully ripe peaches)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 box MCP Pectin

1 cup light corn syrup

4-1/2 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

CRUSH raspberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. Press half of pulp through a sieve to remove seeds, if desired. Measure exactly 1-1/4 cups prepared raspberries into large bowl. Peel and pit peaches. Finely chop or grind fruit. Measure exactly 2 cups prepared peaches into bowl with raspberries. Stir in lemon juice.

STIR pectin into prepared fruit in bowl. Let stand 30 min., stirring every 5 min. Stir in corn syrup. Gradually add sugar, stirring until well blended or until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy.

Makes about 7 (1-cup) containers.

Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam

2 cups sliced rhubarb

1 1/2 cups crushed strawberries

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 box MCP Pectin

1 cup corn syrup

4-1/2 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

COOK rhubarb in water for 5 to 6 minutes until rhubarb is tender. Strain and add to crushed strawberries. Stir in lemon juice.

STIR in pectin; let stand 30 min., stirring every 5 min. Stir in corn syrup. Gradually add sugar, stirring until well blended.

Freezer Jam Made Easy

Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apricots, nectarines, peaches, cherries and plums everywhere! Making jam can be an ambitious undertaking. Who wants to stand over a boiling water bath for hours on end? For times like this, there's freezer jam ! Canning purists may cry "sacrilege!" at the very mention of freezer jam, but there are good reasons for its growing popularity: it's easy, safe, and, since the jam is never cooked, it tastes like fresh fruit.

Fruit
Use perfectly ripe fruit for freezer jam. Most fruit contains pectin, a natural jelling agent. Unripe fruit contains a greater quantity of pectin, and the pectin levels diminish, the riper the fruit gets. Jam made with under ripe fruit may jell too much, and jam made with over ripe fruit may not jell enough.

Pectin
Traditional jam recipes call for cooking. This process thickens the jam. Since you don't cook freezer jam, most recipes call for additional pectin to thicken it, giving the mixture that jelled consistency you expect from your preserves. Store-bought pectin comes in two forms - powder and liquid. These are NOT interchangeable - you should use whichever form your recipe calls for.

Sugar
Sugar inhibits the growth of bacteria, keeping your jam fresh and fruity and safe to eat. Jam recipes are formulated to call for a certain ratio of pectin to sugar, and they will not jell properly if you don't use the correct amount of sugar. If you'd like to make jam with less sugar, you'll need to buy a special kind of pectin.

Containers
Use either sturdy plastic containers with tight-fitting lids, or short, wide-mouthed glass jars made especially for the freezer. It's best to choose containers that are no bigger than pint-size; the jam will not set up as well in larger containers. Wash them as you would any other dishes; there's no need to boil them like with traditional jam making.

Making it

Sort and wash fruit. Drain. Remove caps and stems from berries, and crush.

The basic recipe for freezer jam is...

3 cups crushed berries

5 cups sugar

1 package powdered pectin in one cup of water.

You'll need about one and a half quarts of whole berries to make 3 cups crushed berries. For best results refer to the directions that come in the pectin box.

To make the jam, measure three cups of prepared fruit into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, mix well, and let stand for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Dissolve powdered pectin in one cup cold water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Add pectin solution to the fruit and sugar mixture. Stir vigorously for two minutes.

Pour the jam into clean freezer containers or canning jars, leaving one-half inch head space. Cover the container and let stand for 24 hours, or until the jam has set and is firm. This quantity makes about seven half-pint jars or freezer containers.

Thaw jam from the freezer overnight in the refrigerator. If the jam is too firm, soften it by stirring. If it tends to separate, stirring will blend it again. If freezer jam is too soft, bring the jam to a boil in a saucepan for one minute and it will thicken as it cools. Store in the refrigerator.

Tips

*If you are a bit short on fruit, add a can of crushed pineapple. It blends perfectly with all fruit.

*Premeasure ingredients before hand. It makes it run much smoother.

*If doing several batches at a time, use a timer or write down start times for each batch.

*Buy containers from the deli department, much less expensive.

* If your fruit is ready for jam, but you just don't have the time. Freeze it so it doesn't go bad. You can pit, cut and freeze, or smash or puree with lemon juice, premeasured for a later time. Works great!

Try different fruit combinations like...

raspberry peach

strawberry rhubarb

plum grape

apricot pineapple

three different berries

Harvest Time

2 Corinthians 9:6
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

I love this time of year, when you finally get to enjoy the fruits of your labors. Is there anything better than a fresh peach, or a perfectly ripe tomato? It wonderful to be able to enjoy all of the deliciousness of the garden. It's even more wonderful to preserve your harvest for the upcoming winter and add to your three month supply! It's so empowering to fill bottle after bottle with free delicious food, granted it's a lot of work, but so worth it! The next few posts will be dedicated to canning, preserving, dehydrating your bounty. Even if you didn't have the chance to plant a garden this year, there are those around you that will share, especially zucchini.

This week I came across plums and grapes from others that simply had too much. I never turn away free fruit! With the plums I made glum jam, no it's not a typo, glum jam. It's a McBride recipe that has been passed down. It's simply grape and plum jam. Technically it's suppose to be a jelly, but let's face it, most years I'm too lazy to add the extra step of straining, so I opt for jam. It's just as yummy, just not as pretty. With school starting, we are in need of restocking our jam supply for the daily pb & j. Jam is an easy way to preserve just about any fruit you have, especially if they are a bit over ripe and are not being eaten fast enough. I also made fruit leather, enough to supply a healthy, all natural snack for my kids school lunches for several weeks. It is ridiculously easy to make, and so cheap. Any fruit will work, with the exception of watery melons. And I steamed the grapes and made 8 quarts of fresh grape juice. All for free! It takes a bit of planning and a bit of time, and you'll probably acquire a few fruit flies ( I have a remedy for that) but you can save money and add to your food supply so quickly, you'll be amazed!

I'll be posting instructions and recipes the next week so you too can be on a self-sufficient high!