Broth or Stock-updated 10/13

While we are making soups this time of year, you might be reading recipes that call for stock and some that call for broth. Whats the difference?

Stock is made with the bones and vegetables/seasonings while broth is made with only the meat and veg/seasonings. Stock is richer and more flavorful. I prefer stock anytime in a recipe, but you can substitute stock for broth and visa verse. If I want to make a soup go a little farther I can add water to the stock because it is so rich already it wont dilute it too much like the broth.

While this time of year we are cooking big birds, save those bones and make your own stock- it's not that hard and you can "stock" up, because it is more expensive than broth is.
Here is a recipe I use

Garden Seeds

For those of you who are planting gardens- good for you! It's definitely an experiment the first couple years. Here is a link to buy some non-hybrid garden seeds. These seeds will allow you to take the seeds from the harvested vegetable or fruit and re-plant for another years harvest. This is ultimate self-reliance. What if we can't go to the store to buy seeds?

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Tips for using your wheat

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Food Storage Thoughts

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Freezing Bell Peppers

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What Is A Food Grade Container?

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Baking Soda

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Simply Salt

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Vinegar Is Awesome!

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Self -Rising Flour

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Information On Ground Beef

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Seven Major Mistakes in Food Storage

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Making Mixes

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Yipeeeee

So I came across this food storage website and the ladies here have put together an excel spreadsheet to keep track of meal planning, food storage ingredients, and even prices to help watch for sales! It's all I have been doing with my own but on paper, ahhhhh. SO check it out. Watch the tutorial they give about the spread sheet and tell me if you are not so excited that you are going to stay up all night filling it out. Ok, well you might not but I am!

 

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/

It's A Date!

I have found that one of the big ways to keep a handle on three month food storage, your recipes, and all that is to have some consistency in your meal planning. I know some of you hate that word- Planning- but get used to it! Saturday is my cooking date. I for sure make my breads/rolls/ and pizza dough that I shape and freeze so it's ready to go on Friday. Just pull it out, top  and stick in the oven. 

I have all my ingredients for the weekly meals so I'm ready to start cooking. I will make cookies to freeze. The kids love pulling them out and eating a cold cookie! I will make at least 2 meals that I have in the fridge ready to pull out. 

I know this sound totally nuts to take this much time, but it helps me in a couple of ways. First, I am ready for dinner when the monsters come running in ready to devour. Second, it helps me not to waste the food I buy at the store. I so often will buy something (fresh) with every good intention to cook it but don't. Then have to throw it away- ahhh - it's throwing away money. 

I use it all up, cook it all up and have no waste. For me, that's a biggie.

Every Friday night is our Pizza night. Home made of course. But it's a great relief come Friday to know that I have a easy meal to throw in the oven. I also let the kids have soda so that they have their fix! OK, so I can have a fix :)

You can also just buy the pizza dough packets at walmart for like $.59 and keep in your food storage to make up real quick that night. 

Also, a great tip that My friend taught me was to make up your cinnamon rolls, freeze them and when ready to eat stick in the oven- don't even thaw they turn out great. She does this for Sunday mornings. I like this idea for Saturday morning because I hate to make breakfast on the day I will be cooking so much as it is. I bake them in muffin tins-just a little thing I learned at school, gives a fun look.

So Make it a date to PLAN your meals, cook your meals and then eating your meals will be much nicer!

How Long will Food Storage Last?

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Flour With Power

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Fabulous Flax

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Let Us Keep Our Lettuce

Tid Bit To Know:

Keep packaged salad mixes in a new zip lock bag with a couple of paper towels in it.
The paper towels absorb the excess moisture and will help keep the greens fresher longer. (Take them out of the bag they come in.)

Keep A Lemon Longer!

A Little Tid Bit To Know:

Lemons will stay fresh for months if you keep them in a covered
container filled with cold water in the refrigerator. Be sure the
container has a tight fitting lid! Change the water every week or so.

Love it!