Because our group leader, Vickie, was out of commission with health problems in October, we did not have an official meeting as planned. So here is an article from the LDS Church about frugality (cheapness, provident living - whatever you call it, we like it).
(When you see words in dark green, they are links to other sites. Just click on the links for more information.)
Provident Living Stretches the Family Food Budget
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina 17 September 2008 Rough economic times are prompting more people to stretch their incomes and make food go further. Cydne Watterson, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was featured recently by the Charlotte Observer showing how to can peaches.
And she’s not alone in her efforts to store food in case of an emergency. Last month Church Public Affairs asked members to share their experiences with maintaining food storage. Members responded enthusiastically by e-mailing links to their personal blogs and videos where they posted menus and favorite recipes such as “low fat wheat banana bread” and “sneaky creamy oatmeal mix.” There were cooking demonstrations and tips on how to store food properly as well as how to make the most of small budgets.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long encouraged its members to store extra food to provide for possible future needs caused by economic hardship, disasters or other emergencies. Encouraging individual members to be prepared is part of the Church’s overall welfare plan.
The First Presidency — the highest governing body of the Church — has asked that members be prepared “so that, should adversity come, we may care for ourselves and our neighbors.”
The Church provides resources, including a Web site that teaches people how to select the right food and non-food items, as well as how to prepare for emergency situations. Information is also available on long-term food storage.
In addition, the Church has distributed ten million copies worldwide of the pamphlet Family Home Storage to teach food storage principles. Available in 23 languages, the Family Home Storage pamphlet suggests that families “store drinking water for circumstances in which the water supply may be polluted or disrupted.” It also recommends “using plastic bottles commonly used for juices and soda.”
“The pamphlet offers hope by showing it is possible for families to prepare for adversity, starting modestly by storing a few items of food, filling some leak-proof containers of water and saving a few coins each week” said Jeff Newey of the Church’s Welfare Services Department.
Latter-day Saint leaders, from the faith’s founder, Joseph Smith, to its current president, Thomas S. Monson, have been teaching principles of provident living and self-reliance since the 1800s. Some of these relate to education, work, thrift, saving, helping others by serving and making charitable donations and storing supplies for unforeseen difficult times.
At the recent semiannual world conference of the Church, Bishop Keith B. McMullin of the Presiding Bishopric quoted then-Church president Gordon B. Hinckley:
“The best place to have some food set aside is within our homes. ...
“We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with a one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. ... I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all.
“Begin in a small way ... and gradually build toward a reasonable objective.”
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Fun With Grains
At our September 25 meeting, we "Cheap Chicks" had fun learning how easy and inexpensive it could be to make dinner from scratch. As we arrived, we found Vickie had set up a table full of books about cooking with grains that we could peruse while waiting for everyone else to get there (and while the beans were cooking).
Next we moved to the kitchen where Jan taught us how to make whole wheat tortillas. (See recipe below.) Roll a fist-sized ball of dough out paper thin (it will puff up). Cook on a hot griddle until you see your tortilla bubbling up, then flip it over and cook the other side about the same amount of time. Everyone had a chance to make her own. While we were playing in the dough, Jan told us she uses flour ground from soft wheat for anything made with baking powder, like cakes and cookies and tortillas, and flour from hard wheat for anything made with yeast, like bread.
Once we had a stack of tortillas, we needed something to wrap them around. Vickie had pinto beans cooking on the stove, and demonstrated how to turn them into refried beans. While the beans cooked, she had added salt, pepper, and onion. She explained that it is an old wive's tale that adding salt will make the beans hard. It's tomatoes that do that. That's why when you cook chili, you add the tomatoes last. She dumped the cooked beans into a strainer to get the liquid out, then whirled them in a blender for the smooth consistency of refried beans.
To top our tortillas and beans, Jennifer had brought homemade yogurt with most of the liquid drained off. (Recipe will be posted soon.) It's a good substitute for sour cream. Unfortunately, Jennifer had a little crisis to deal with (three or four of them) and had to leave before we sat down to eat, but her yogurt was a hit. (Next time we meet, we promise to have someone over the age of 6 running the nursery.) Vickie also brought chives fresh from her garden as a garnish.
Glenda brought delicious buckwheat rolls and buckwheat-apple muffins for everyone to try. She didn't want the temptation of all that bread at home and begged us to take all the leftovers home, which we were very happy to do.
Jan brought plum butter, apricot butter, apricot cream, and grape conserve to try on our extra tortillas. The fruit butters she makes by slow cooking fruit purees. A conserve is a fruit butter with nuts in it. A fruit cream is something Jan discovered when she experimented with the pulp left over from juicing grapes. She ran the pulp through a juicer (the kind you juice vegetables with) and the result was the consistency of cool whip and tasted like "ambrosia."
Jan also brought kefir for us to try. Kefir is made with grain and milk and is sort of reminiscent of yogurt drinks.
By the time we had finished our dinner, we were all stuffed! As we discovered, whole grains are very filling. We all have plenty of new things to experiment with until our next meeting, which will be a FIELD TRIP TO A BREAD BAKERY!
Basic Wheat Tortillas or Sopapillas
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2-3 tsp. baking powder
2-3 Tbsp. oil
about 3/4 c. water
Combine dry ingredients. Add oil and water and knead briefly into a soft ball. Break into individual balls. Roll out on flour until thin. Fry on DRY skillet 10-15 seconds on each side. Remove and brush with butter cube.
For sopapillas fry in 1-1/2" of hot oil.
Basic Corn Tortillas
2 c. masa harina mix
1 c. + 2 Tbsp. water
Combine ingredients and mix until it forms a ball. If necessary add 1-2 tsp. of water. Break into 14-16 balls and cover so they don't dry out. Shape each ball between plastic to form 6" circle. Peel off bags carefully. Fry on very hot DRY skillet 30 seconds. Turn and cook 1 min. Turn and cook 15-30 seconds. Once cooked the tortillas should be soft and pliable.
Anything But Wheat Flour Tortillas
2/3 c. water
1/2 c. garbanzo flour*
1/4 tsp. salt
Coat hot pan with 1 tsp. oil. Add batter all at once and cover. Cook 2 min. Dribble rest of oil on tortilla and spread it. Cook 5 min. When it looks dry on edges, flip. Lower heat and cook 5 min. uncovered. If you want them crispy, cook 5 min. more flipping every minute or so.
*or use one of the following:
1/2 c. oat flour
1/2 c. buckwheat flour
1/2 c. amaranth flour - use medium heat
1/3 c. brown rice flour
Next we moved to the kitchen where Jan taught us how to make whole wheat tortillas. (See recipe below.) Roll a fist-sized ball of dough out paper thin (it will puff up). Cook on a hot griddle until you see your tortilla bubbling up, then flip it over and cook the other side about the same amount of time. Everyone had a chance to make her own. While we were playing in the dough, Jan told us she uses flour ground from soft wheat for anything made with baking powder, like cakes and cookies and tortillas, and flour from hard wheat for anything made with yeast, like bread.
Once we had a stack of tortillas, we needed something to wrap them around. Vickie had pinto beans cooking on the stove, and demonstrated how to turn them into refried beans. While the beans cooked, she had added salt, pepper, and onion. She explained that it is an old wive's tale that adding salt will make the beans hard. It's tomatoes that do that. That's why when you cook chili, you add the tomatoes last. She dumped the cooked beans into a strainer to get the liquid out, then whirled them in a blender for the smooth consistency of refried beans.
To top our tortillas and beans, Jennifer had brought homemade yogurt with most of the liquid drained off. (Recipe will be posted soon.) It's a good substitute for sour cream. Unfortunately, Jennifer had a little crisis to deal with (three or four of them) and had to leave before we sat down to eat, but her yogurt was a hit. (Next time we meet, we promise to have someone over the age of 6 running the nursery.) Vickie also brought chives fresh from her garden as a garnish.
Glenda brought delicious buckwheat rolls and buckwheat-apple muffins for everyone to try. She didn't want the temptation of all that bread at home and begged us to take all the leftovers home, which we were very happy to do.
Jan brought plum butter, apricot butter, apricot cream, and grape conserve to try on our extra tortillas. The fruit butters she makes by slow cooking fruit purees. A conserve is a fruit butter with nuts in it. A fruit cream is something Jan discovered when she experimented with the pulp left over from juicing grapes. She ran the pulp through a juicer (the kind you juice vegetables with) and the result was the consistency of cool whip and tasted like "ambrosia."
Jan also brought kefir for us to try. Kefir is made with grain and milk and is sort of reminiscent of yogurt drinks.
By the time we had finished our dinner, we were all stuffed! As we discovered, whole grains are very filling. We all have plenty of new things to experiment with until our next meeting, which will be a FIELD TRIP TO A BREAD BAKERY!
Basic Wheat Tortillas or Sopapillas
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2-3 tsp. baking powder
2-3 Tbsp. oil
about 3/4 c. water
Combine dry ingredients. Add oil and water and knead briefly into a soft ball. Break into individual balls. Roll out on flour until thin. Fry on DRY skillet 10-15 seconds on each side. Remove and brush with butter cube.
For sopapillas fry in 1-1/2" of hot oil.
Basic Corn Tortillas
2 c. masa harina mix
1 c. + 2 Tbsp. water
Combine ingredients and mix until it forms a ball. If necessary add 1-2 tsp. of water. Break into 14-16 balls and cover so they don't dry out. Shape each ball between plastic to form 6" circle. Peel off bags carefully. Fry on very hot DRY skillet 30 seconds. Turn and cook 1 min. Turn and cook 15-30 seconds. Once cooked the tortillas should be soft and pliable.
Anything But Wheat Flour Tortillas
2/3 c. water
1/2 c. garbanzo flour*
1/4 tsp. salt
Coat hot pan with 1 tsp. oil. Add batter all at once and cover. Cook 2 min. Dribble rest of oil on tortilla and spread it. Cook 5 min. When it looks dry on edges, flip. Lower heat and cook 5 min. uncovered. If you want them crispy, cook 5 min. more flipping every minute or so.
*or use one of the following:
1/2 c. oat flour
1/2 c. buckwheat flour
1/2 c. amaranth flour - use medium heat
1/3 c. brown rice flour
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