Three Month Food Supply

In this section we are not talking about super pails of rice and wheat, but rather having on hand ingredients that you normally use in everyday cooking and recipes. The easiest way to accomplish this is to create a simple weekly or 10-day meal schedule you would feel comfortable repeating throughout a three month time span and then acquire the necessary ingredients for those meals. These should be meals you enjoy and should not drastically change your normal diet. For example, let’s say you choose spaghetti dinner as one of your meals. For a 10 meal schedule you will need to store 10 boxes of spaghetti, 10 jars of sauce, 10 cans of green beans (or ten portions of frozen broccoli, or whatever vegetable you choose), and the ingredients to make rolls 10 times. I know 10X10 isn’t 90 so we will actually have more than three months of normal meals stored, but who wants to store 9 of everything? If you do a weekly schedule, you will need to store 12 of everything. I just thought 10 and 10 was nicer and easier to remember (and more variety!). I know. I'm a dork.

Below is a sample schedule assuming three normal meals a day. We chose 7 different breakfasts, 10 lunches, and 10 dinners, which we will eat on a cycle throughout the three month-period. If you don't need as much variety in your life, you could choose fewer meals and focus on building up the ingredients for those meals. To rotate the food for these meals, I incorporated 1 or 2 of them a week into my 6 week rotating dinner calendar. (I know. I’m insane. =o] But it takes the stress out of making dinner! The worst part is deciding what to make, so I just have it all planned out so I don’t even have to think about it.)

The sample schedule assumes that there is electricity; in other words, it assumes freezers, stoves, and ovens are readily available. The schedule would need a drastic overhaul if this were not true. The basic operating assumption here is that this three month supply would be used under normal circumstances at home, and not under the extreme conditions assumed for a year supply storage plan. So you can't replenish anything fresh by going to the store, but the food you already have at home isn't in immediate danger of spoiling.

Breakfast:

In this list we have given a suggestion for each day of the week. Or if your family doesn’t need variety like we do, just store one or two of the ideas. The main thing again is to choose meals you enjoy that don't require a lot of ingredients or a big time investment to cook. For example, for the muffins, pancakes and biscuits, consider finding a "just add water" mix. We also assumed all breakfasts to include milk, juice, and dried fruit (although you can certainly tailor this to suit your own meal preferences and dietary needs).

Day	Meal Suggestion
Sunday:	Pop Tarts (or substitute Cream of Wheat or smoothies)
Monday:	Cereal
Tuesday:	Sausage & Biscuits
Wednesday:	Oatmeal
Thursday:	Muffins
Friday:	Granola Bars
Saturday:	Pancakes/Waffles

Lunch:

Below are ten suggestions for easy lunches. As always, choose meals that your family likes. We assumed all lunches to include canned fruit and frozen vegetables.

Meal
1	PB&J Sandwiches
2	Couscous
3	Rice-a-roni
4	Burritos
5	Soup
6	Chicken Salad Sandwiches
7	Chicken Nuggets & Tater Tots
8	Pasta
9	Turkey & Cheese Sandwiches
10	Chips & Salsa

Dinner:

Lastly, here are ten suggestions for dinner. The same recommendations for rotating meals given above apply here as well.

Meal
1	Tuna Fish Casserole and Veggies
2	Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
3	Chili Dinner (Chili, Corn, Corn Bread)
4	Tacos
5	Meat Pie
6	Hawaiian Haystacks
7	Spaghetti Dinner (Spaghetti with Sauce, Green Beans, Rolls)
8	Chicken Divan
9	Shepherd's Pie
10	Fettuccini with Black Bean Sauce

·         We also store ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies on Family Home Evening night. J

The following recipes are the ones our family currently uses for our three month supply meal. In general, try to simplify your recipes so that you do not have to store so many ingredients. Wherever possible, try to find "just add water" mixes. We know some families who only eat the meals planned for in their three month storage except on special occasions, however we enjoy a bit more variety than that! Besides we like to cook and try new recipes, which means this is subject to change if we find a recipe we like more.

Breakfast:

·         Sausage and Biscuits

The cheap pre-cooked frozen sausage actually tastes pretty good, but we recommend cooking on a griddle or frying pan versus the microwave. Of course if you have more gourmet tastes, feel free to go with something of higher quality.

Country Style Biscuits

2 1/4 c. Flour

1/4 c. Corn Starch

1/2 t. Salt

2 T. Sugar

2 T. Baking Powder

1 c. Milk

1/3 c. Vegetable Oil

Preheat oven to 450. Sift together dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Form a well in the center. Combine milk and vegetable oil and add all at once to dry ingredients. Stir gently with a rubber scrapper, incorporating dry ingredients and forming a very soft dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat to 1/2 in thickness. Cut into 2 1/2 in rounds and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes until lightly browned.  Serve with butter and honey or jam.

·         Muffins

We buy the Betty Crocker "just add water" mix which is cheap and still good. But you could also do sweet breads instead on this day.

·         Pancakes

We buy a mix and use the ratio of one rounded cup (a little more than) of mix and one scant cup (a little less than) of water.

Lunch:

·         Bread for sandwiches:

Miracle Method Bread

1. Miracle Riser:

Soften 3 pgs active dry yeast in large mixing bowl (there are 2 1/4 t of yeast in each packet) in 2 c. warm water. Let stand 5 min.

Add 4 T. Sugar, 2 t. Salt, 1 c. Flour

Mix until smooth

Cover and let stand in warm place for 12-15 min. Mixture will bump up and become foamy.

2. Mix the Dough - To the Starter Add:

2 1/3 c. Warm Water

1/2 c. Dry Milk

4 T Sugar

4 t Salt

4 c. Flour

4 T Shortening

Beat for 2 min.

Work in additional flour, about 8 c., or until dough is moderately stiff. Turn out dough onto floured board, shape into round balls. Cover and let rest 10 min.

3. Fold 'n Roll

Roll dough to 1/2" thickness, fold over, roll and fold a total of 5 times. Divide dough with knife, form into 4 balls. Cover and let rest 10 min.

4. Shape Loaves

On lightly floured board, roll each ball into a rectangle, turn dough over twice during rolling. Place long edge in front of you. Fold 1/3 of dough toward you; seal. Flatten to remove large gas bubbles, take hold of both ends; lengthen by slapping gently against board.

Fold each end over to the center so that ends overlap then seal with heel of your hand. Roll dough toward you, jelly-roll fashion. Seal edge with heel of your hand; seal ends with sides of your hand. Place seam down in greased pan, against one side of pan. Grease top lightly.

5. Rise and Bake

Cover shaped loaves and let rise in warm place for 40-45 minutes or until double in size. Bake at 375 for 35-40 min or until loaves sound hollow when tapped.

Remove loaves from pan immediately and place on a wire rack to cool. For a shiny crust, brush with softened butter while loaves are still hot.

·         Burritos

We make burritos out of Costco tortillas, or you can make your own if you have a recipe you like. To the tortilla, we add refried beans, corn, cheese and salsa. You could also buy the frozen kind.

·         Pasta

Add butter or olive oil and herbs to any pasta. Our favorites are sage, oregano, or the "Italian herbs" mix we have. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.   

Dinner:

·         Tuna Fish Casserole

Tuna Fish Casserole

2 1/2 c. Rotini Noodles

1 Can Tuna Fish

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 c. Crushed Saltine Crackers (Any other cracker or bread crumb product may be substituted)

2 c. Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile in a bowl mix tuna and cream of chicken soup. When pasta is ready, drain off water and put into an 8" x 8" glass baking pan. Mix in soup mixture. Top with shredded cheese and then crumbs. Bake until topping browns. Serves 4.

·         Shepherd's Pie           

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb Ground Beef

1 Can Tomato Sauce

1 Can Green Beans

2-3 c. Mashed Potatoes

1 c. Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix beef and tomato sauce; pour into 8"x8" glass baking pan. Then pour on a layer of green beans. Cover with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese browns. Serves 4.

·         Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

2 1/2 c. Penne Noodles

1-2 Chicken Breasts (cooked and cubed)

1 Jar Alfredo Sauce (we use sun-dried tomato Alfredo)

2 c. Broccoli (any style blanched and drained)

1 c. Bread Crumbs

2 c. Mozzarella  Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile in a bowl mix chicken and sauce. When pasta is ready, drain off water and put into an 8" x 8" glass baking pan. Place broccoli on top, then pour over the sauce mixture. Top with shredded cheese and then crumbs. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the topping browns. Serves 4.

·          Chili Dinner

            We use canned chili and corn for this meal. We use a corn bread mix. Left over corn bread isn't good, so we only make one small loaf using one cup of mix and half a cup of water. Serve with margarine or butter and honey.

·         Fettuccini with Black Bean Sauce

           

Fettuccini with Black Bean Sauce

8 oz Fettuccini

1 Small Green Pepper, Chopped (obviously you can't store this, so omit unless it's harvest time

1 T Olive Oil

2 C. Garden-Style Pasta Sauce or 1 can of stewed tomatoes

1 Can Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained

2 T Minced Fresh Basil or 2 t Dried Basil

1 t Dried Oregano

1/2 t Fennel Seed

1/4 t Garlic Salt (I use garlic powder)

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Cook fettuccini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté green pepper and onion in oil until tender. Stir in the pasta sauce (or stewed tomatoes), black beans, and seasonings. (Sometimes I add a little milk at this point.) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Drain fettuccini. Top with sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

·         Chicken Divan

There are many ways to make chicken divan ('divan' just means 'with broccoli') but here's the recipe we use:

           

Chicken Divan

3-4 Chicken Breasts, Cooked and Quartered

3 c. Broccoli, Blanched (steam for 5-7 minutes to "blanch")

Sauce:

2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup

2 t. Curry Powder (or more to taste)

1/2 c. Mayonnaise (optional)

1 t. Lemon Juice

Topping:

1 c. Cheddar Cheese, Grated

Bread Crumbs

Arrange broccoli on bottom of a glass baking dish. Cover with chunks of chicken. Combine sauce ingredients and pour over the chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle on the cheese and crumbs. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Serve over white rice.

·         Meat Pie

This classic recipe of beef stew in a pie crust is possible for three month storage because we use canned stew. If it is harvest time you can make a vegetarian version from your garden. Here is our favorite pie crust recipe (you will need to double it for the bottom and top layers):

Pie Crust

1/3 c. Plus 1 T Shortening

1 c. Flour

1/2 t. Salt

2-3 T Ice Water

Cut shortening into flour mixture until particles are pea sized. Sprinkle in water, incorporating it with your hands until sides of the bowl are clean. Gather pastry into a ball; shape into a flattened round on a lightly floured surface. Roll with a floured pin until 2 inches wider than your pie plate. Roll onto pin and ease into pie plate.

Fill with stew. Place second pie crust on top. Pinch layers shut and cut vents in the top. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Serve with milk to drink.

           

·         Hawaiian Haystacks

There are so many ways to do this, here is ours:

           

Hawaiian Haystacks

Rice

Chicken, Cooked and Cubed

Cream of Chicken Soup

Paprika

Cheese

Frozen Mixed Veggies

Any Salad Toppings we Have (Cucumbers, Tomato, Green Pepper, etc.)

Pineapple

Chow Mein Noodles

Slivered Almonds

Raisins and/or Crasins

Coconut

Ham

Mandarin Oranges

Just about anything else you like!

Cook rice. Make sauce by heating up the cream of chicken soup with cubed chicken and 1 tsp (or more to taste) of paprika (I also add a little milk). Prepare toppings and set everything up buffet style. Then make a 'haystack' with rice on the bottom, sauce next and then adding whatever toppings suit you!

Also, we make rice in a pot on the stove. Here is the method:

Ratio of rice : water is 1:2, with a pinch of salt and pat of butter. Boil water with salt and butter. Add rice and bring just to a boil again. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook about 20 min until steam holes appear in the surface of the rice. Turn off heat and let stand about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

·         Spaghetti Dinner

Make spaghetti the way you like. Here is our favorite roll recipe to go with pasta:

Sixty Minute Rolls

1/2 c. Cold Water

1 c. Scalded Milk (heat milk just to boiling to "scald" it)

2 T. yeast

1/4 c. Margarine or Butter

3 T. Sugar

1 t. Salt

3 1/2- 4 c. Bread Flour

Combine water and milk in a large bowl. Add yeast, butter, sugar, salt, and 2 c. flour and beat well with a mixer. Stir in additional flour by hand to make a soft dough. Knead well. Let rest for 10 minutes then shape as desired. Let rise until double (about 30 minutes). Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 3 dozen rolls. (I always make these into braids. Divide the dough in two, and then divide each half into three parts. Make 'snakes' and then braid them together, tucking the ends under so they don't burn. Just before baking gently brush each braid with a mixture of butter, garlic and herbs.)

·         Tacos

Again, use the tortillas of your choice.

Tacos

1 lb Ground Hamburger

1/2 c. Rice

1/4 c. Taco Seasoning (or one packet)

1 Can Black Beans

1 Can Corn

1 c. Cheddar Cheese

Ketchup or Salsa to taste

And obviously you can't store these fresh items but we also put on avocado, lettuce, and tomato.

Brown hamburger and drain off fat. Add rice, 2 cups of water and seasonings and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium, stirring occasionally. Once the rice is done, remove the lid and increase heat to high to get rid of excess moisture. Prepare the other ingredients and serve buffet style.

To prevent tracking our inventory of ingredients from becoming overwhelming, we use a simple spreadsheet to help us keep organized (my idea, but Kent's creation =o]). You can find a template for a great one here: http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2009/03/09/long-term-food-storage-calculator/. Or you can make a master list by hand and tape it to your pantry door; whatever works for you!

So our assignment is, decide what meals you want to store, make lists of ingredients and gather recipes, and then in 2 weeks we’ll talk about inventory, rotation, price checking, and couponing! (I'm going to my parent's house next week- hooray! And besides that it is the week before General Conference so I'm doing a media-fast!) Good luck to us all!