For the 36th Week (Sept 6 - Sept 12)

Week # 36: 15 lbs Kidney Beans
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in steps.)

Kidney Beans:
Kidney beans come in various colors (mainly red) but are kidney-shaped beans. Their firm, creamy, white flesh and full-bodied flavor make these beans a popular choice for chili, soups, and salads because they absorb the flavors of seasonings and the other foods with which they are cooked with. Both dried and canned kidney beans are available throughout the year. Dried beans are generally available in prepackaged containers as well as in bulk bins.

Health Benefits:
Kidney beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other beans. In addition to lowering cholesterol, kidney beans’ high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains such as rice, kidney beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein. But this is far from all kidney beans have to offer. Kidney beans are an excellent source of the trace mineral, molybdenum, an integral component of the enzyme sulfite oxidase, which is responsible for detoxifying sulfites. Just one cup of cooked kidney beans supplies 177.0% of the daily value for molybdenum. Sulfites are a type of preservative commonly added to prepared foods like delicatessen salads and salad bars. Persons who are sensitive to sulfites in these foods may experience rapid heartbeat, headache or disorientation if sulfites are unwittingly consumed. If you have ever reacted to sulfites, it may be because your molybdenum stores are insufficient to detoxify them.

Great Fiber!
A cup of cooked kidney beans provides 45.3% of the recommended daily intake for fiber. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that binds with bile (which contains cholesterol)and ferries it out of the body. Research studies have shown that insoluble fiber not only helps to increase stool bulk and prevent constipation, but also helps prevent digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis.

Lower Your Heart Attack Risk
In a study that examined food intake patterns and risk of death from coronary heart disease, researchers followed more than 16,000 middle-aged men in the U.S., Finland, The Netherlands, Italy, former Yugoslavia, Greece and Japan for 25 years. Typical food patterns were: higher consumption of dairy products in Northern Europe; higher consumption of meat in the U.S.; higher consumption of vegetables, legumes, fish, and wine in Southern Europe; and higher consumption of cereals, soy products, and fish in Japan. When researchers analyzed this data in relation to the risk of death from heart disease, they found that higher legume consumption was associated with a whopping 82% reduction in risk!
A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirms that eating high fiber foods, such as kidney beans, helps prevent heart disease. Almost 10,000 American adults participated in this study and were followed for 19 years.
Kidney beans’ contribution to heart health lies not just in their fiber, but in the significant amounts of folate and magnesium these beans supply. Folate helps lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is an intermediate product in an important metabolic process called the methylation cycle.
Kidney beans’ good supply of magnesium puts yet another plus in the column of its beneficial cardiovascular effects. Magnesium is Nature’s own calcium channel blocker. Studies show that a deficiency of magnesium is not only associated with heart attack but that immediately following a heart attack, lack of sufficient magnesium promotes free radical injury to the heart. Want to literally keep your heart happy? Eat kidney beans–a one cup serving provides 19.9% of your daily needs for magnesium.

Calories:
There are 218 calories in 1 cup of Red Kidney Beans (Canned).
Calorie break-down: 3% fat, 75% carbs, 22% protein.

Choosing dry beans:
Choose dried beans that look plump, unwrinkled and evenly colored. Pick over dried beans before using to remove any small pebbles. Whether purchasing kidney beans in bulk or in a packaged container, make sure there is no evidence of moisture or insect damage and that the beans are whole and not cracked.

Choosing canned beans:
Canned kidney beans can be found in most markets. Unlike canned vegetables, which have lost much of their nutritional value, there is little difference in the nutritional value of canned kidney beans and those you cook yourself. If enjoying canned beans is more convenient for you, by all means go ahead and enjoy them. We would suggest looking for those that do not contain extra salt or additives. (One concern about canned foods is the potential for the can to include a liner made from bisphenol A/BPA.

Storage:
Canned beans have a shelf life of 2 to 3 years. Store dried beans in a covered container for up to 1 year. You can precook kidney beans and store them, refrigerated, in their cooking liquid in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Preparation:
1 cup of dried beans makes approximately 3 cups of cooked beans.
Canned kidney beans should be thoroughly rinsed before using. Dried kidney beans should be soaked before cooking, both to speed cooking time and to reduce any gas-causing tendencies. There are two ways to soak dried beans:

Overnight soak: Rinse the beans, then cover with an inch of cold water and let soak at room temperature for at least four hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the beans before cooking them.

Quick-soak method: Rinse the beans, then put in a saucepan, cover with an inch of water, and bring to a boil. Boil for a few minutes and then let them soak for an hour off the heat, drain, and then add fresh water and continue cooking.

Soaked kidney beans will cook in about 60 minutes. Use 3 cups of water for each cup of uncooked beans, and you may wish to season the beans by adding bay leaves, herb sprigs, or garlic cloves to the cooking water. There’s a persistent myth that adding salt to beans while they cook will toughen their skins. This is not true, however, and salting the cooking water gives the beans better flavor.

Recipes:

Honey Bean Salad Kidney beans are dressed with a honey and cider vinegar dre…

Italian Vegetable Soup A vegan main dish soup that is hearty and tastes great with…

Quick Chili II This quick ground beef and bean chili features green chiles…

Steak Chili Browned cubes of steak are sauteed with chopped onions, gar…

Quick Chili I Easy chili with beans can be made as mild or spicy as desir…

Information has been aggregated from the following sites here in order to provide useful information about Kidney Beans: Finecooking.com, FatSecret.com, TrueStarHealth.com, WHFoods.com

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Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.

For the 35th week (August 30 - September 5)

Week # 35: 50 lbs of Wheat (white or red)
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in baby steps.)

Hard Red Wheat

Hard White Wheat

Baby Steps:

1. Choose location for storage
2. Purchase containers (#10 Cans, Buckets, Jars, Bottles…) for wheat or purchase pre-packaged wheat.
3. Purchase your wheat for containers.
4. Fill and date your wheat containers. (Leave some extra wheat out in order to test it some recipes.)

10 Reasons to love Whole Wheat:

1. It’s more nutritious, providing several more minerals, vitamins (18 more to be exact!), and natural photochemicals than white flour.
2. Relax! It has More B Vitamins which are known to help with nerves & stress.
3. Get cleaned out. Whole wheat provides more fiber, preventing constipation & diverticulosis. The American Dietetic Association recommends 20-35 grams daily, the average American consumes only 12 grams.
4. Lose weight and keep it off! Whole wheat has a lot of fiber which has almost no calories, keeps you fuller for longer, absorbs 3x it’s weight in water, cuts absorption of calories, cleans out impurities, requires more chewing, and takes 1/2 as much to fill you up and takes longer to digest.
5. Reduces your risk of colon cancer & other diseases.
6. Lowers blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and risk of adult on set Diabetes.
7. Cheaper! It will lower your food costs by at least 30% to 50%!
8. Lowers doctor visits, bills, & medications.
9. Lowers Dentist Bills by cutting down on tooth decay.
10. Eating Whole Wheat keeps your body both emotionally and physically used to wheat.

Click here to read the 1st post on why you need wheat, how to store it and what to do with it.

If you’d like to learn more about Wheat Grinders before you make your purchase we have a great comparison chart. Click the image below to zoom in or Click here to download the PDF.

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Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.

For the 34th week Aug 23rd - Aug 29th

Week # 34: 1 (#10) can Powdered Eggs & 1 (#10) can Powdered Butter
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in steps.)

Powdered Butter:
Butter powder was originally developed for the processed foods industry. As it is mostly butter, the flavor really comes through in your baked goods. Butter powder is extremely handy in mixes. Being in a powdered form, it blends easily with the other dry ingredients in a mix. Add butter powder to your cooked vegetables, macaroni and cheese, instant rice or in any cooked dish calling for butter.

Here’s what it looks like as you add water to reconstitute it. Just like the “room temp” kind of butter!

Storage:
Requires no refrigeration and is ideal for camping, travel, and long-term food storage. This product may be stored for up to 12 months opened, and 3 to 5 years in airtight sealed cans. Once the powdered butter is rehydrated it should be refrigerated and used within 4 days.

Uses:
Powdered Butter can be used in a variety of applications including: baked goods, breads, cookies, cakes, muffins, sauces, toppings and more.

How can you Dehydrate fat?
You can’t dehydrate fat as dehydrate literally means to ‘remove the water’ and fat has none. The small amount of water in butter is removed, however. Then, the powder is made by cleverly processing milk solids with the butter. Reconstituted butter powder looks much like whipped butter and tastes like butter with an added milky flavor to it. Because it does have a milky taste, some people find it takes just a bit of getting used to as a spread on bread. However, the mouth ‘feel’ is the same as butter and it looks and spreads much like butter after it has been reconstituted. It will even melt into hot toast and pancakes almost as fast as regular butter. Butter powder’s big advantage over regular butter is it’s non-perishable qualities. Butter powder also has an antioxidant added to help keep it fresh. The antioxidants coupled with USA Emergency Supplies’ packaging technology gives you a product that remains fresh and wholesome for years after purchasing it.

Purchase:
You can purchase Powdered Butter and Powdered Eggs in your local grocery stores or even online. Just do a simple search for the name of the ingredient you’re looking for and you’ll get a lot of results.

Information and images have been aggregated from the following sites here in order to provide useful information about Powdered Butter: USAEmergencySupply, Honeyvillegrain, EmergencyEssentials and CafeJohnSonia.

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Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.

For the 34th week Aug 23 - Aug 29

Week # 34: 1 (#10) can Powdered Eggs & 1 (#10) can Powdered Butter
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in steps.)

Powdered Eggs:
Eggs are extremely perishable. Eggs must be kept refrigerated and have a relatively short shelf life. Powdered, dried eggs provide a convenient alternative to fresh eggs and add quality and consistent performance to the list of attributes.
Powdered eggs are fully dehydrated eggs. The major advantages of them over fresh eggs are the price, reduced weight per volume of whole egg equivalent, and the shelf life. The risk of bacterial contamination due to improper handling is significantly reduced and the clean up time is reduced as well. For camping and hiking excursions there is no better way to carry eggs than in powdered form. Just add water and cook up scrambled eggs in no time. The ease and benefits of Powdered, Dried Egg Products are tough to beat.

Appearance:
pale or yellowish powder, without strange particles.

Smell:
pleasant, typical mild, free of strange smells.

Taste:
typical to egg.

Storage:
Environmental temperature, keep in dry and dark place.

Shelf life:
Dry egg products can be stored up to a year or longer under proper storage conditions.

Nutritional Value:
Eggs are low in saturated fat and are one of the best sources of vitamin D, a nutrient that is essential to the development of strong bones. In fact, eggs are a nutritional powerhouse. For only 75 calories you get high quality protein and varying amounts of 13 essential vitamins and minerals, including A, B12 and folate.

For Baking:
For bakers, powdered egg products provide consistency from batch to batch and are always ready. Egg solids blend well with other dry ingredients and can be used immediately without cracking or thawing. Or for those of us (me) who are clumsy, you could keep that piece of shell out of your favorite cookie dough.

How egg products are made:
Egg products are processed in sanitary facilities under rigorous inspection by the United States Department of Agriculture. The first step in making egg products is breaking the eggs and separating the yolks and whites from the unwanted shells. Eggs are processed by automated equipment that move the eggs from flats, wash and sanitize the shells, break the eggs and separate the whites and the yolks or keeps them together for whole egg products. The liquid egg products is filtered, mixed, and then chilled prior to additional processing. This liquid egg product (in a pasteurized format) is what you get when you re-hydrate your powdered egg product. Powdered Eggs provide all the natural goodness of an egg in a convenient, non-perishable package. From here the egg product is pasteurized. The law requires that all egg products distributed for consumption be pasteurized. This means they must be rapidly heated and held at a minimum required temperature for a specified time. This process destroys Salmonella and any other bacteria, but does not cook the egg or affect the color, flavor, or nutritional value. Dried egg products are powdered by spraying the liquid egg into a heated drying room. The powder is left in the drying room for a specified time to get the desired consistency.

Information has been aggregated from the following sites: Honeyvillegrain and Emergency Essentials.

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Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.

For the 33rd week Aug 16-22

Week # 33: 8-10 lbs Masa Harina or other
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in steps.)

Masa Harina:
Masa is Spanish for dough. The dried and powdered form is called masa de harina or maseca (which is actually a commercial brand); it is reconstituted with water. Made from corn that has been dried, cooked, ground up and dried again. It has a soft texture and reconstitutes very easily with water, so it is ideal for making easy-to-shape doughs. Although the masa harina can be reconstituted with many other liquids - from water to eggs to oil - water is generally the most common.

What can I make with Masa Harina?
The most widely seen use of masa is in making corn tortillas. To make them, masa is simply mixed with water and salt, then mixture is rolled out and steamed or fried. Other uses for masa harina include masatortillas, sopes and empanadas, enchiladas, pupusas, guaraches, arepas and atole.

Taste:
It has a nutty slightly minerally flavour that unsurprisingly tastes like corn.

Nutritional Value:
Gluten Free! Masa differs from Corn Meal nutritionally as well. The lime water used to treat the maize adds calcium and releases niacin from the niacytin which greatly increases the nutritional value of the corn and there is actually more available or usable protein.

Substitutions:
It is important to avoid confusing masa harina with cornmeal or corn flour. Cornmeal is made by grinding corn, either dry or wet, but the corn is not treated with lime first. As a result, cornmeals and flours behave different than masa harina in baking and cooking. Do not substitute corn meal or regular corn flour, however; they’re produced from different types of corn and are processed differently. They will not produce the same results. Regular wheat flour also cannot be substituted.

Purchase:
Grocery stores in North America that have a Latin American food section should carry it. Otherwise go to a Latin American specialty food store. It typically comes in bags that look like a bag of flour. Or even get it online. Just do a simple search for Masa Harina and you’ll get several results of where to buy it. Even Amazon.com has some!

Recipes:

Corn Tortillas:
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 1 3/4 cups masa harina
* 1 1/8 cups water

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, mix together masa harina and hot water until thoroughly combined. Turn dough onto a clean surface and knead until pliable and smooth. If dough is too sticky, add more masa harina; if it begins to dry out, sprinkle with water. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium-high.
3. Divide dough into 15 equal-size balls. Using a tortilla press, a rolling pin, or your hands, press each ball of dough flat between two sheets of plastic wrap.
4. Immediately place tortilla in preheated pan and allow to cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until browned and slightly puffy. Turn tortilla over to brown on second side for approximately 30 seconds more, then transfer to a plate. Repeat process with each ball of dough. Keep tortillas covered with a towel to stay warm and moist until ready to serve.

(Click here to view all recipes with Masa Harina from AllRecipes.com)

The information above has been compiled and found on the following sites: HowStuffWorks, BakingBites, Wikipedia and WiseGeek.

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Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.

This is a suggestion for Emergency Preparedness Coordinators or leaders to do within wards or neighborhoods. You can follow this outline or use bits and pieces to create your own custom Pandemic Flu Activity.

Title: Pandemic Flu & You
Purpose: To provide background information about the pandemic flu and get people prepared for a pandemic by providing handouts and possibly even a small starter kit.
Information: Read over then share some key points found in the following document from the CDC. Just 6 Pages.

Videos: Show a short video during the class. The one on the bottom of the page in the link is only 28 min. Pandemic Flu Videos

Map: Print and show the following map of how the current pandemic is spreading. Map found on WHO.int Click the image below to save the PDF map and print it.

Pandemic Flu Starter Kit:

Have these items on display or make the kits and have them for sale. To make the kits, you’ll need to price out these items from your local super stores or dollar stores then have a sign up sheet going around which people can sign up to purchase the kits from you. Everyone can come and listen to the mini class and at the end everyone can put the kits together. Kits could include the following items…

• Alcohol-based hand cleaners
• Face mask/respirator (N95 or better)
• Bar of Soap in Zip Lock Bag
• Tissues
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Advil)
• Pepto Bismol (or generic brand because diarrhea is one of the symptoms)
• Vitamins, such as Zinc lozenges or Vitamin C
• Latex Free Gloves
• Disinfectant wipes
• Cough syrup containing Dextromethorphan
• Thermometer
• Gallon of Water
• Fluids with electrolytes, like Gatorade and Pedialyte.
• …more. Obviously you could include more than these items. But these are just suggestions which we have come up with after looking over different information.

Handout:
The following document is just 2 pages and can be printed double sided and folded in thirds. Or click here for more handouts.

Treats or Refreshments: A few people could sign up to bring desserts which start with the letters F L or U, cookies in the shape of those letters. Or even have people sign up to bring desserts made from food storage items.

Hope this works for you. Please comment if you have any suggestions or ideas on how to make this better or how you did your activity. We’d love to know how it went.

This info is from the newsletter I just received from ShelfReliance.com. It’s a really great article, sign up for their newsletter on their site if you’d like. “When I think of preparing for an emergency, I typically think of first aid kits, flashlights, and food storage. In the aftermath of a disaster, it’s hard to imagine that money matters will be a top priority, but as things begin to settle down and get back to normal, you may find that the financial side of things is a significant source of stress and concern. The government might be there to help if the disaster is serious enough, but even if you can secure a little assistance from Uncle Sam, this assistance typically comes in the form of loans that must be paid back (with interest). Any grants you receive would only be enough to meet immediate needs, not to repair or recover your possessions. The good news is that, as always, you can make things easier on yourself and your family by planning ahead.”

* Legal Documents: birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce papers, child custody papers, passports, driver’s licenses, social security cards, naturalization papers and residency documents, military/veteran’s papers, powers of attorney (including healthcare powers of attorney), will or trust documents
* Medical Information: records of past procedures, allergies, pre-existing conditions
* Financial Documents: cash (as ATM or bank services may be disrupted), bank statements, insurance policies, credit card numbers, a list of phone numbers for financial institutions and credit card companies where you have accounts
* Residential Items: an inventory of household possessions, appraisals of valuable items (jewelry, art, antiques, heirlooms), home improvement records, deeds/titles and other ownership records for property such as homes and automobiles
* Critical Computer Files: multiple backup copies of important documents from your personal and work computers
* Contact Information: a list of names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of family members, friends, business contacts, and emergency assistance agencies in your area, such as the Red Cross

*Information taken from ShelfReliance.com which they quoted from the 2008 pamphlet “Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country: Your Handbook for Earthquakes in Utah,” distributed by the Utah Seismic Safety Commission. This report and any updates are available at:
http://geology.utah.gov/online/pdf/eq_handbook.pdf

For the 32nd week Aug 9-15

Week # 32: 5 cans Evaporated Milk
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in steps.)

Evaporated Milk:
Evaporated milk comes in canned form, and is evaporated due to the process of removing water from the milk. When you open a can of evaporated milk, you’ll notice the milk is much thicker than ordinary milk you’d buy at a grocery store. This method of storing milk became popular because the cans of milk could keep far longer than fresh milk, and didn’t require refrigeration until after they were opened. About 60% of the water is removed from evaporated milk, accounting for its thickness. So, evaporated milk is fresh whole milk, with a little over half the water taken out. It has vitamin D added to it and has been canned to make it keep longer.

Nutrition Information
Evaporated milk is part of the milk group. Foods from the milk group provide important nutrients like calcium. Based on MyPyramid, ½ cup of evaporated milk provides 1 cup from the milk group. A typical person should try to eat/drink 3 cups of milk or foods that are equal to one cup of milk each day.

Taste
Some argue that milk from cans has a metallic taste. Still, if you need milk around but lack refrigeration, as in the case of emergencies where you might lose power, evaporated milk is an excellent choice. Do note that if you lack refrigeration, you cannot keep evaporated milk out without spoiling it.

Storage
Store unopened cans in a cool, dry place off the floor. It can have a shelf life of months or even years, depending upon the brand, so check the expiration date on the can before you buy it. Store opened evaporated milk in a tightly covered plastic container in the refrigerator. Use within 4-7 days! Do not use evaporated milk if can is rusted, bulging, or dented. Throw it away!

Uses
Evaporated milk can be used straight from the can in coffee and tea, on cereal or for mashed potatoes, gravies and sauces.
It can also be used in creamed vegetables, creamed soups, cheese sauces, meat loaf, ice cream, cookies, casseroles, chicken coating, scrambled eggs, french toast, puddings, desserts and salads.
To use evaporated milk in place of milk in recipes or for drinking, mix with equal amounts of water. Directions: Wash top of can before opening. Punch two holes in the top of can. Mix one can of evaporated milk with one can of water. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before using. Use within 7 days!
Evaporated milk can be used for sour milk, or buttermilk. For each cup needed, stir in one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into one cup diluted evaporated milk.

Difference between Evaporated & Condensed Milk?
Dairy farmers developed evaporated milk over 100 years ago. The company Borden was first on the market with condensed milk, to which sugar was added to produce a very sweet product. The main difference between evaporated and condensed milk in the US is that no sugar is added to the evaporated form. It is merely whole milk from which water has been removed. This is not the case in other countries, where you’ll find many brands of evaporated milk that contain sugar.
Sugar acts as an excellent preservative, extending the life of condensed milk, but it’s important to note this distinction between condensed and evaporated milk, especially when you are baking. While some recipes call specifically for condensed milk, like quick fudge recipes, other recipes, like many for pumpkin pie require evaporated milk. You can’t substitute one for the other unless you want to add or take away from the total sugar in your end product. Most pumpkin pie recipes, for instance, are made too sweet by adding condensed instead of evaporated milk; while fudge recipes may not be sweet enough if they’re made with evaporated milk.

Recipes

Flan Cake (Recipe 1, Recipe 2)

Chocolate Flan Cake (Recipe)

Weight Watchers Sweet Potato Soup (Recipe)

Crissi’s Sweet Potato Biscuits (Recipe)

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Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.

For the 32nd week Aug 9-15

Week # 32: 12 lbs of Powdered Milk (you’ll thank us later!)
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in steps.)

Powdered Milk:

Is a manufactured dairy product made by evaporating milk to dryness. One purpose of drying milk is to preserve it; milk powder has a far longer shelf life than liquid milk and does not need to be refrigerated, due to its low moisture content. There are 3 different kinds to choose from.

Nonfat Dry Milk
This is pasteurized skim milk reduced to a powdered concentrate. It can be found in two forms, regular and instant. They are both made from milk in a spray-drying process, but the instant variety has been given further processing to make it more easily soluble in water than regular dry milk. Both types have the same nutrient composition. The regular variety is more compact and requires less storage space than the instantized variety, but it is more difficult to reconstitute. The most easily found variety is the instant, available in nearly any grocery store. The regular variety has to be sought out from baking and restaurant suppliers and storage food dealers.

It takes about 3 tablespoons of instant nonfat dry milk added to 8 ozs of water to make 1 cup of milk you can drink or cook with just like fresh milk, albeit with a considerable flavor difference. Combine the dry milk with water at least several hours before you plan to use it to give it time to dissolve fully and to develop a fresher flavor. Shaking the fluid milk vigorously will incorporate air and will also help to improve flavor. I don’t care for the stuff to drink, but instead add the powder to baked goods, gravies, smoothies, hot cereals, casseroles and meat loaf as a nutrition booster. It can also be used to make yogurt, cheese and most any cultured dairy product that does not require a high fat content.

Flavored Nonfat Dry Milk
This may be found packaged in a variety of forms from a low calorie diet drink (artificially sweetened) to the other end of the scale, as cocoa mix or malted milk. The key ingredient is the dry milk so buy and store these products accordingly.

Dry Whole Milk
This dry milk has a higher fat content and therefore a shorter shelf life than nonfat. Other than that, it can be used in exactly the same way. Dry whole milk is difficult to find, but can sometimes be found where camping and outback supplies are sold.

Taste & Cooking

• Once reconstituted, powdered milk tastes a lot better than it used to. If you haven’t tried it in the past few years, it’s worth another taste. When mixed correctly and chilled overnight, it has a pleasant, sweet flavor that tastes especially good with homemade cookies. Reconstituted milk doesn’t taste the same as fresh whole milk. If you are already used to skim milk though, you won’t notice much difference in the flavor of reconstituted milk. In cooking, powdered milk performs flawlessly. It can be substituted for fresh milk in almost any recipe with excellent results. Many budget conscious women cook with powdered milk exclusively. This is smart use of resources because the results are so good. Drinking powdered milk is another kettle of fish. Some folks find the flavor objectionable even after chilling it because they are accustomed to fresh whole milk.
• You cannot fool anyone into thinking that reconstituted dry milk is the same as fresh milk when used as a beverage. There are things you can do to make powdered milk taste better. Mixing it with fresh whole milk for body and flavor is a good alternative.
• To get good tasting powdered milk make sure you start with fresh dry milk. If your box of dry milk is a year old, then buy a new one and use the old one for cooking exclusively.
• Use cool water when possible. The powder tends to dissolve more readily in cool water.
• Stir the milk a lot, to dissolve the milk powder. Then let the milk sit for a little while and stir again. The protein in the milk powder blends most easily if it gets a chance to stand after mixing.
• Powdered milk may be used immediately after mixing if desired. For the best flavor chill the milk for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  Store the milk in a refrigerator if you have one. If you don’t, then wrap the milk in a wet towel. As the water evaporates, the milk will cool. If you have a root cellar or basement, you may want to keep the milk there, or even outside in the fall and winter.
• If you store the milk outside be sure that it is protected from critters who may be thirsty. A box with a large rock on top is sufficient to keep out most animals.
  If you do not have refrigeration, then only prepare enough milk to last the day. I prepare it the night before, so it has a chance to blend and chill overnight. About 2 quarts will be enough to last a family of 4 for most of the day. If you continually find you have some left over, then prepare less the next day. If you find yourself running out, then prepare more.
• Some people add a drop or two of vanilla to their milk to improve the flavor.
• Other people add a spoonful or two of sugar for the same purpose. I don’t use either of these ideas, because we are accustomed to reconstituted milk, and prefer it plain.
• Pitchers and wide-mouthed jars are the easiest to use for mixing and storing reconstituted milk.

Recipes

Sweet Vanilla Milk: Run a little hot water into a 2-quart pitcher. Add 1/4-cup each powdered coffee creamer and sugar. Stir well to dissolve. Add 1/2-teaspoon vanilla. Fill the pitcher half full with cold tap water. Add 2-2/3 cups of instant nonfat dry milk powder. Stir well. Fill the pitcher the rest of the way full. Stir again. Chill and serve. This milk is more palatable to some folks than straight reconstituted milk. The powdered coffee creamer gives the milk a rich fullness, while the sugar and vanilla make it taste sweet and almost dessert-like. If you must switch to powdered milk, and are having trouble with the flavor, this recipe can make the transition easier. For a gallon of milk use: 1/2-cup each powdered coffee cream & sugar and 1-teaspoon of vanilla flavoring. Add a dash of salt too if desired. Be sure to dissolve the creamer and sugar in hot tap water first. They do not dissolve readily in cold water.

A Very Rich Gallon of Milk: Measure 3-1/2 quarts (14 cups) of water into a gallon size pitcher. Add 5-cups of dry milk powder and a 12-ounce can of undiluted evaporated whole milk. Mix all together. Chill and serve. This makes about a gallon. It is richer than plain reconstituted milk. If you must use powdered milk, but prefer a richer product, this is the recipe for you. Children will sometimes tolerate it better than straight reconstituted milk, especially if they are already used to fresh 1% or 2%.

To Mix with Whole Milk: Powdered milk is easily mixed half-and-half with whole milk. When combined and well chilled, it’s nearly impossible to tell the difference between fresh milk and mixed milk. To do this, use an extra, clean milk jug and two 2-quart sized pitchers. First reconstitute 2 quarts of milk in each of the pitchers, using the chart above. Then, using a funnel, pour half of the whole milk into the clean empty milk jug. Using the same funnel, pour the reconstituted milk from one pitcher into each jug, making a gallon of mixed milk in each jug. Both empty pitchers then have to be washed, but they are pretty easy to keep clean. I used to try to reconstitute the powdered milk in the milk jug, with the whole milk, but it never worked as well as I’d hoped. Now I find it much easier to reconstitute the powdered milk in the pitcher first, and then pour the liquid milk into the jug with the whole milk. Like regular powdered milk, mixed milk tastes best if well chilled.

Sour Milk: To sour reconstituted milk, just add a little vinegar to it and stir it up. For instance, if a recipe calls for 1-cup of sour milk or buttermilk, then measure a tablespoon of vinegar into a measuring cup. Add reconstituted milk to reach the 1-cup mark. Stir the milk gently. In a moment or two, it will sour. This can replace soured milk or buttermilk in baking recipes.

Overnight Buttermilk: To make your own buttermilk, you have to start off with 1/2-cup of fresh, store-bought buttermilk and a quart (4-cups) of reconstituted milk. Combine the fresh buttermilk and reconstituted milk in a pitcher or jar. Mix it really well. Allow it to stand at room temperature overnight, or for about 8 hours. The milk will have thickened up and cultured into regular buttermilk. Refrigerate or chill and use anywhere fresh buttermilk is called for.

Easy Evaporated Milk: To make this you only need dry milk powder and water. Measure 1-1/3 cups water into a jar or bowl. Add 1 cup of instant dry milk powder. Stir or shake to combine. This is the equivalent of a 12-ounce can of evaporated skim milk. To make evaporated whole milk, you will need to add some fat to replace the milk fat in whole milk. Do this by preparing evaporated skim milk and then adding 2-tablespoons of vegetable oil to the milk. Stir it up vigorously to emulsify the fat with the milk. It will separate on standing, so mix it really well right before using it. This is best used in cooking and baking. A spritz of nonstick spray will help the emulsification process.

Sweetened Condensed Milk: On the stove, bring to a boil 1/2-cup of water, 1-cup of sugar and 3-tablespoons of margarine or shortening. Add a dash of salt. Stir the mixture every now and then. When it comes to a full rolling boil, remove it from the heat. Allow it to cool slightly. Add a cup of instant dry milk powder. Use a whisk to stir it smooth. A fork or a spoon will not work out all the lumps. You really need a whisk, or egg beaters. There, you are done. This is the equivalent of a can of sweetened condensed milk. This will keep unrefrigerated for a day or two because of the sugar. I have never kept it longer than that without refrigeration. In the fridge it will keep for 2 weeks. For longer storage than that, I freeze it.

Quick Whipped Topping: This recipe is best made if you have electricity. Put 1/2-cup of water into a large bowl and place it in your freezer. Whenice crystals form around the edges remove it from the freezer. Add 1/2-cup instant dry milk powder. Whip the mixture with electric beaters until it is light and fluffy. This will take a couple of minutes. Add 2-tablespoons sugar, 1-teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1/2-teaspoon of vanilla. Beat until thick enough to spoon like whipped topping. Use immediately.

Molasses Milk: High in iron, with a caramel-toffee flavor this hot beverage is quite delicious. Heat 3/4-cup of reconstituted milk in a cup in the microwave. Stir in a spoonful of molasses. Serve hot. My kids love this stuff.

Chocolate Milk: Fill a cup with reconstituted milk. Squeeze in a couple spoonfuls of homemade Chocolate Syrup. Stir to combine. Serve to thirsty children who object to plain reconstituted powdered milk. Cold chocolate milk can be heated in the microwave for hot chocolate. This is also great in lunch boxes. If you want to be really nice to the kids then make up a whole gallon of reconstituted chocolate milk at a time. They will brag to their friends and your reputation will become legendary.

Homemade Yogurt: Reconstitute a quart of milk in a very clean container like a wide mouthed canning jar. Add another 1/2-cup of milk powder for body. Whisk in 1/4-cup of commercial yogurt with active cultures. Read the label to be sure the yogurt has active cultures. Stash the milk in a warm spot, between 80° and 110°. Allow it to sit undisturbed for 6 to 8 hours. It should be thick and creamy, like commercially available yogurt. Chill your yogurt and use anywhere you would regular yogurt. It makes a great substitute for sour cream. Or mix it half and half with prepared mayonnaise for your own homemade low-fat mayo.

Yogurt Cheese: Line a colander with a clean, damp piece of cloth. Pour prepared yogurt into the cloth. Allow the yogurt to drain overnight. In the morning the remaining solids will be yogurt cheese. They can be used anywhere you would use cream cheese or thick sour cream.

Great recipes using powdered milk.

Buying:

• Be sure the dry milk you are buying has been fortified with vitamins A and D. All of the nonfat dry milks I’ve seen come fortified with these two vitamins. The dry buttermilk does not come this way, at least the SACO brand does not. I don’t know if the flavored mixes and the dry whole milk do or not.
• There should be no artificial colors or flavors. I believe it is illegal to add preservatives to any dry milk sold in the U.S. so a claim of “no preservatives” on the label is of no consequence. Other nations may be different, however.
• “Extra Grade” on the label indicates the manufacturer has held to higher processing and quality standards and the milk is somewhat lower in fat, moisture and bacterial content, is more soluble, and has fewer scorched particles.
• There are still some manufacturers of dry milk that sell ordinary Grade A product, but they are becoming fewer. Every brand of instant powdered milk in my local grocery store is the “Extra Grade”, even the generic store brand. This, too, may vary outside of the States.
• Try to buy your dried milk in containers of a size that makes sense for the level of consumption in the household. Once it is opened, powdered milk has a short shelf life before undesirable changes in flavor and nutrient content occurs. If you buy large packages and do not use much at one time, consider breaking it down and repackaging into smaller containers at the time of purchase.

Storing
Dry milk products are especially sensitive to storage conditions, particularly temperature and light. Vitamins A and D are photo sensitive and will break down rapidly if exposed to light.

The area where your dry milk is stored should be kept as cool as possible. If it is possible to do so, air-conditioning or even refrigeration can greatly extend the nutrient shelf life.

If the storage container is transparent or translucent then it should be put into a second container opaque to light or stored in a dark room.

Dry milk will absorb moisture and odors from the air so storage containers should be impervious to both air and moisture. The dryer it can be kept, the better it will keep. Oxygen also speeds decomposition. Powdered milk canned with nitrogen or carbon dioxide to replace air (which contains oxygen) will keep longer than powdered milk exposed to air. Vacuum canning also decreases the available oxygen.

If the dry milk purchased was not packaged for long term storage then it should be repackaged right away.

A method which you can use is to pour the powder into clean, dry half-gallon canning jars. Once the jars are filled add a small desiccant pack and seal. They are dated and stored in the ubiquitous cool, dark place. They must be guarded against breakage, but they offer the advantage of not holding odors, thus allowing for reuse after suitable cleaning. Since they are as transparent the contents must be protected against light. Vacuum sealing and then storing in a dark place may be the best method. Larger jars of 1 gallon size could be used and then re-vacuum sealed after each use. An O2 absorber would take care of any remaining oxygen and would, itself, last longer when used in conjunction with the vacuum sealer. Being glass, the jar can be reused as well as the lid and ring if they’re properly cleaned.

Clean, sound plastic one and two liter soda bottles can also be used, but probably should be used just once since the plastic is somewhat permeable and will hold odors.

If you have access to a can sealer, #10 cans make wonderful storage containers for dry milk, particularly if used in conjunction with O2 absorbers.

Another method used is to remove the paper envelopes of milk powder from the cardboard box they come from the grocery store in and to put them in dated plastic bags. These bags are not sealed. The unsealed bags are then placed in a larger, air tight, opaque container. I’ve heard of plastic buckets, fifty cal and 20 mm ammo cans being used for this purpose. A healthy quantity of desiccant was also placed in the container. This would be another area where O2 absorption packets should serve well. It’s important to remember the containers should be clean and odor-free.
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Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.

For the 31st week (August 2 - August 8, 2009)

Week # 31: 5 lbs Dry Split Peas

Split Peas are the dried peeled and split seeds of a pod. They come in yellow and green varieties. They have been mechanically split so that they will cook faster. Did you know that dried peas have been a staple of the human diet since prehistoric times? Peas have been found in archeological digs in Egypt, Asia, and Rome.

Growing:
They do grow well in cooler high altitude tropical areas. Many cultivars reach maturity about 60 days after planting. Generally, peas are to be grown outdoors during the winter, not in greenhouses. Peas grow best in slightly acidic, well-drained soils. So for all of us in Utah, we’ll for sure need to just buy them. Instead of grow them.

Nutrition:
Split Peas are Chock Full of Fiber and Goodness. Full of soluble fiber, peas help to bind up cholesterol-containing bile and move it out of your body. This can help with conditions like irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis. A single cup of cooked dried peas in your daily diet provides 65.1% of the recommended daily fiber. They also provide a good amount of protein, two B-vitamins, and several important minerals. Peas also include isoflavones, which are helpful in reducing the risk of breast and prostate cancer.
Peas can also reduce the amount of plaque in your blood vessels and help your heart remain healthy. If you are sensitive to sulfites, which are added to most deli foods and salad bars, the mineral molybdenum will help you detoxify them. Peas can provide you with almost twice the recommended daily allowance of this mineral from a single 1-cup serving. Signs of sulfite sensitivity may include rapid heartbeat, headache, or disorientation.

Recipes:
Split peas come in two varieties: green and yellow. Both can be used for most recipes interchangeably. The most common way is split pea soup. This can be made with left over ham or pork, or kept vegetarian. Oh yeah, Soup again? What else can you do with them?

Split pea dip can be made with herbs, a little olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, a few chopped olives, and some cilantro. It can be enjoyed with pita bread, just like hummus. A pilaf can be made combining split peas with brown rice and seasonings that could be a wonderful change of pace as a side dish. Indian cuisine uses a lot of yellow split peas, which they call daal. They are added to their soups, or used to make fava, which is a puree served with fish, salty foods, or dark leafy greens. They also add split peas to buckwheat or quinoa dishes. With added spices, these dishes can be mild or spicy, whichever you prefer. What about in your scrambled eggs?

Click here to view recipes.

Great Gift Idea! Click image below to view ingredient list.

Info found on: Wikipedia.org here and here and ArticleBase.com.

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Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.