Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Wheat 101: Wheat Nuts

Thanks to all who made it to our Wheat 101 class last night! Here is one of the things that we did:

Wheat Nuts

What are wheat nuts? They are like corn nuts, but made out of wheat. So, one thing you can do with all that wheat sitting in your pantry. : )


I had these for the first time last summer and have made them several times since. It is so easy and they are a yummy snack. Here's how to make them:


I use 3 cups of wheat (red or white) and about 8 cups of water. Put them in a pan on the stove and simmer for 1 hour. (Alternative: Put it in a crockpot on low before you go to bed and they will be ready in the morning)


When they're done, drain any excess water. This is what you get:




I take a medium sized pot and fill it with oil (about 2 inches from the top). I use a metal strainer ($2.50 at Wal-Mart) to create my deep fryer. Fry no more then 1/2 cup of wheat at a time. When the oil gets hot (this is tricky because I don't know what temperature my oil is at. I warm it up on medium-high (7-8 on my knobs) and then move the heat down to medium (6). Put 1/2 cup of wheat for 2 minutes. I then dump the kernels onto a paper plate to let dry and start another batch for 2 minutes. You have to fry them twice to get them crunchy, so after my second batch is done, I put them on a second paper plate and then put the kernels on the first paper plate back into the pot for another 2 minutes. Because life is kind of hectic, I put the lid over the wheat when it is the first time in the fryer so I can keep track of which fry time it is--first or second. . .



And the second time in the fryer, I leave the lid off. That way, whatever I do in the two minute increments I don't have to remember how many times the wheat has been fried.






This is what it looks like after one fry:




Ater the second time frying, I put them ont a large cookie sheet covered with paper towels and then sprinkle them with some seasoning. Our two favorites are garlic salt, and cinnamon and sugar. They are a great snack (don't eat too many at first. . . it's a shock to the body if you haven't been eating whole wheat . . . and whole wheat bread doesn't count. Trust me). I like to sprinkle the garlic ones on salads to give them a little crunch or add it to trail mix or granola.


It sounds kind of times consuming, having to be at the stove every two minutes, but I tend to do a lot of organizing in my kitchen while I'm waiting for the timer to go off. It's amazing how much you can accomplish in those two minute increments while you're waiting for the wheat to fry.

So, here's the bottom line in case you've gotten lost in my explanation:

Cook your wheat either on the stove or in the crockpot. Fry it twice for 2 minutes each. If they are not crunchy still, fry them a third time and maybe turn up your heat. Then season and eat. Good luck!


Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Coupons, Coupons, Coupons!

We had a great coupon class tonight at my house! Thanks so much for those who came and those who shared their knowledge about saving money with coupons!

I have added on several websites and blogs about couponing that should help You all get started. If you every need help getting started, I am more than willing to help, and I am sure the other ladies who shared their tips and tricks!

We will be having another class on Thursday morning at 10AM at my house. Whether you are new to coupons or a pro, please come!

Food Storage 411

Here is a great article to read about what you need to know about food storage!

http://www.ldsliving.com/magazine/show/2059/Food-Storage-411

It is well worth the read.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

I've heard a rumer. . .

. . . that the cannery will be lowering their prices! The new prices will go into effect on June 20th. I do not know what they are, but everything will be lower except potato pearls and flour. So, that will effect our dry pack canning this month, but I do not know exactly how yet. I will keep you posted. This will be great for our monthly canning, won't it?

Here's the link to the order form: http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,8133-1-4352-1,00.html

One more note about the cannery--when I was there last month, I saw that they have small mouth canning lids for $.99 a box!! That is the best price I have seen! So, when you start canning, get your lids there! (If you are really interested and not wanting to drive over there--for those in the ward, let me know and I can totally pick some up for you when I go to get the stuff for canning).

WinCo Bulk Bins


So, some of you may know this, but at Winco in the bulk bin section, you can actually order 25# bags of food. They usually have some bags out on a shelf in that section like rice, beans, oats, birdseed. . . . But, you can special order anything! If you look closely on the label (towards the top left), it tells you what size of bag it comes in (for example, 25# bag) and down on the right, there is a price for the 25# bag.

Why is this so great? Winco has a much wider variety of grains and legumes than what the cannery offers. If there is something that your family eats a lot of you can get a big bag or if it's something that you want to learn how to cook with, you can try out a little and then get a 25# bag. Then order extra cans for our monthly canning session and can it! :) Most grains and legumes are okay to can in the #10 cans. It will give more variety to your food storage. So don't be afraid to try something new. I bought some pearled barley today and that is what I am going to learn how to use. I'll keep you posted on what I do with it.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Powdered Milk

Since we have been canning powdered milk for the past couple months, I thought some of you might be interested in this incredible packet I found through an LDS Food Storage Yahoo group that I belong to. It has TONS of information about powered milk, including many recipes. If you have time, please look through this!! It is amazing!!

http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/oIckSrgZwLRTbwn5USW_c7BqCnUMqcQh69a0kPCmE1YZ0KFbv1pgJevTWxYKgF3GspWN_4-SKuY2xRH4OLYH5LdePlf-xQJWKw/Food%20Storage%20Recipes/Powdered%20Milk/POWDERED%20MILK%20Book.pdf

Pandemic Preparedness

Here's a good article I just read. I have been reading about the pandemics in the past and how they each started out mild and then came back for a second wave much stronger. Whether or not the swine flu is going to become a major pandemic or not, it would be a great thing to be prepared for one!

http://www.ldsmag.com/emergency/090513flu.html


The church has a whole bunch of information that has been on the Provident Living website for quite awhile now about pandemic preparedness. It's pretty tricky to find. Here is the link:

http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,8041-1-4414-1,00.html

It is just another way that we can work on being prepared for things to come. I remember around a year ago there was an article in the Ensign (sorry I can't properly reference it, I'll have to look it up) about some sort of preparedness topic. Anyway, there was a picture along with the article that had all sorts of preparedness items in it, such as a flashlight, food, etc. Also in that picture, there was a mask (a surgical mask, or N95 respirator is what the church recommends). Anyway, part of being prepared for any kind of pandemic that could happen.

Going right a long with this is building up your 3 month supply of foods that you normally eat. As you do your grocery shopping just keep this little rule in the back of you head: Need 1, Buy 2, Need 2, Buy 4. Doing this, your pantry will become stocked with those food that your family eats. In case of any emergency where we might not be able get to the store, or in case store shelves are not able to be stocked.

Just some food for thought!

Strawberries on Sale



Strawberries are on sale at WinCo right now 4lbs for $2.98. One per purchase. Go and make some jam!!