Apple crisp

6-8 cups dried apples- Soak for 1 hr. Then drain water and arrange in a 9x13 pan.

Sauce:
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg 2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cups water

Bring these to a boil to thicken. Once thick, poor over drained apples.

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup butter
2 tsp cinnamon (opt)
1 tsp nutmeg (opt)

Mix together these ingredients until crumbly w/ a fork. Sprinkle on top of apples and sauce.

Bake at 350 until browned on top and warmed throughout. about 30 min.

Split pea soup

1 lb green split peas
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
3 qts. water
1 lb pork sausage
1 cup minced onion -or- several tsp. dehydrated onions
salt and pepper to taste

Cook peas in enough water to cover them for 15 mins. Pour off water. Cook peas in 3 qts fresh water w/ 2 tsp salt added. Make sausage into 1 inch balls, then roll in flour. Add to the soup and cook until sausage is well done. Add vegis 1-2 hours before serving. Tastes best when cooked slowly for several hours.
*Instead of using sausage, I cook this with a ham-hawk, for flavor. I cook it in a roaster or crock-pot on low all night long.

Hamburger stroganoff

1 lb Hamburger (well salted and peppered)- browned and drained
1 small onion

Saute onion w/ the hamburger. Then add-

1 or 2 can creme of mushroom soup
1/2 to 1 can water
1/2 package creme cheese
1 can mushrooms, if desired

Cook until well mixed and warmed throughout. Then add a large scoop of sour creme. mix well. Serve on rice or noodles

Blender pancakes

1 cup whole wheat

1 cup milk

Put whole wheat and milk in a blender and blend, on a higher setting, until smooth--around 4 minutes.

Add and continue blending:

½ cup milk

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ tsp. salt

4 tsp. baking powder

⅛ tsp. (or a little less) baking soda

2 eggs

Blend just until ingredients are mixed. Pour straight onto a hot griddle. Makes 16 good-sized pancakes.

RICE- a great staple

Chili and Rice

Cooked rice- any kind
Chili- canned or homemade

This is a cheap staple that my family loves! We make whatever kind of rice we have on hand, then mix in some chili. Top with sour creme, fritos, peppers, cheese or anything else. Easy, and yummy!


Rice (or noodle) stroganoff

cooked white rice or any kind of cooked noodles
2 can creme of mushroom soup
1 can beef or pork (I like pork)

Heat meat w/ soup on stove until hot. Pour over rice. Top w/ sour creme or you can mix creme cheese into the meat mixture.


San Antonio Rice- great with grilled chicken or enchiladas

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 jar salsa (12 oz)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup canned corn
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/4 water

Blend all ingredients in rice cooker and cook. Stir when finished cooking, then recover and allow to stand about 10 minutes.
May be done on stove top, but you may need to add more water if rice is not fully covered, cook until tender.


Green chile and Chicken Rice

1 1/2 cups medium-grain rice
3 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp. dehydrated onion
1/2 tsp salt
1 can chicken breast chunks w/ liquid (10 oz)
1 can diced green chiles w/ liquid (4 oz)

Mix all ingredients in rice cooker and cook. Stir and serve.
May also be done on stove.

Chicken biscuits, Hamburger vegi soup

Two great recipes that you can make completely your own.

Chicken biscuits--

bisquick biscuit recipe-
2 1/4 cups bisquick
2/3 cup milk- may substitute w/ powdered milk

canned chicken pieces

sauce of choosing-
mayo, garlic powder, salt, onion powder -or-
bbq sauce -or-
anything else you would like to flavor it with

onions, celery, broccoli, other vegis optional

Mix chicken, sauce, and any extras together in a bowl, set aside.
Mix bisquick and milk in separate bowl.
Layer biscuit mix, then chicken, then more biscuit mix. Can be done either in large ungreased muffin tins, a bread pan, or if you're brave, just on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 450 for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.


Hamburger Vegetable Soup-

1 pound cooked and drained hamburger- Frozen hamburger keeps for a long time

In a big soup pot add-
potatoes, diced
carrots, (if using canned, add a little later)
onion, chopped, or dehydrated
celery
green beans
peppers
diced canned tomatoes
corn
diced summer squash
Anything else you want to add vegi wise

Add vegis to boiling water, cook to desired texture, adding as much water as you want. Add things that need cooked longer first, like potatoes and fresh carrots.
The great thing about this recipe is you can use almost all canned or all fresh vegis. pick and choose the ones you like. Get really creative with it!

I also like to add a lot of spices to mine.
garlic powder
oregano
thyme
onion powder
salt + pepper
fresh lemon juice

Food storage for babies

Creating food storage that will feed a baby but not go to waste if the baby outgrows it can be easy, if you remember that babies eat what we do, just in smaller pieces.

Select items that will double for you and a baby such as:
-rice (cooked rice can be lightly blended with a little water, juice or formula for a good baby cereal)
-oatmeal (quick oats can be pulsed in the blender then cooked)
-canned fruits and vegis (these are great b/c they're already cooked and just need mashed or pureed)
-meats (blended canned meats go a long way when added to rice or oats for great baby food)
-applesauce is great for you or baby

Hope these few ideas help make food storage work for the whole family. Any one else have any ideas?