Store what you will use, use what you store

Latter Day Saints have been counseled for years to have a food storage. I've made attempts, but never really been very good at it. When I decided to try harder was when I decided to start baking bread. The first thing I needed to make bread was, of course, the wheat. I went to my sister in law, Heather, to get some advice on where to buy it. I won't go into all the details, if you want to know more, you should go visit her blog. She has lots of posts about subjects like this. I'm also sure she would be willing to answer an questions. I then needed a way to grind the wheat into flour. I'm lucky in that my parents have a grain mill and allow me to come and use it anytime. I usually grind enough to make around 6-8 loaves of bread. I would say that's around 10-15 cups of wheat. I've never measured exactly how much I do. Once the wheat is ground, it starts to lose its nutritional value and you can only store it for a couple of weeks. However, if you put it into freezer bags and then store it in the freezer, you can extend it's shelf life. That's what I do. This is a link to the grain mill Heather has. I plan on getting one of my own someday, but will keep using my parents for now. It's the first necessary tool to be able to use the wheat you have stored.

This is the recipe, in its original form, I've been using to make whole wheat bread. I had to tweak it a little bit because I have a smaller mixer and the amount of bread dough this makes doesn't really fit. In Utah, you can purchase the dough enhancer and vital wheat gluten from Harmons, or from Kitchen Kneads in West Jordan. I found the lecithin at Kitchen Kneads. Outside of Utah, I'm not sure where you would go. I've been using Fleischmann's Bread Machine Yeast because it works well for rapid rising recipes. That's exactly what this recipe is.

Whole Wheat Bread

4 cups lukewarm water
1 T salt
2 T dough enhancer
1/2 C vital wheat gluten
1/2 C honey
3 T yeast
2 T lecithin
3 T lemon juice
1/2 C oil
8-10 C whole wheat flour

Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. You can remove the dough and knead by hand for 5 minutes, or allow it to continue mixing and knead in the mixer. Separate into 3 sections. Roll out each into a ball to remove bubbles. Roll balls into loaves and place in greased loaf pans. This is a link to the type of pans I've been using. I have a larger size than the 8 inch ones shown. I think that mine are 10.5 in. long. They're great because they force your bread to have height. I let it rise for a couple of hours, while sitting on my stove top above the oven that has been preheated. The heat from the oven keeps the bread warm enough and encourages it to rise. If you are using the rapid rise yeast, it will be ready really fast. I still just like to give it some time. Place into a preheated 350 oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.

These are the changes I've made to the recipe. They work for my size mixer and for the area I live in. Bread is kind of a fickle thing and environment seems to play a big part in how well a recipe works.

2 1/2 C lukewarm water
1 T salt
2 T dough enhancer
1/2 C vital wheat gluten
1/2 C honey
4 T sugar
1 1/2 - 2 T yeast
1 T lecithin
1 1/2 - 2 T lemon juice
1/2 C oil
6 cups whole wheat flour

You'll notice that I didn't cut all of the ingredients in half. I tried that and it didn't work very well. The bread was really bland and flat. So, I kept the salt, dough enhancer, vital wheat gluten, honey and oil the same. I also added the sugar. It helps a lot. I get two large loaves out of this recipe. I hope this has been helpful.

Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Bears

This past Christmas, the Deyoung family gave us the traditional good neighbor basket/plate of goodies. Included were some chocolate covered cinnamon bears. I didn't know what they were. (When the bears are covered in chocolate, it's kind of hard to tell.) They looked good and I intended to eat them even though I didn't recognize them. No matter what. Chocolate was involved and I never pass it up. I just thought that they must be chocolate covered nuts. I bit into one expecting a crunch and instead encountered a chewy, cinnamony goodness. I nearly squealed with delight and said to Ryan, "Oh, these aren't nuts, they're cinnamon bears!!!" Gobble. Gobble. Gobble. His response was kind of "Huh. Whatever." I loved them and had to keep myself from eating the whole bag right then and there. I determined that I would make more for myself. I wanted to be able to enjoy this treat all throughout the year. Well, thus began a long, eight month journey. Since Christmas, I have been searching for cinnamon bears. Nobody seemed to carry them. Why are they so hard to find? Why did everyone want to make me sad?

I finally found some on Friday at Super Saver of all places. They're the Albertson's brand, they own Super Saver. I don't go there very often. I usually only go when they have a sale on some type of meat and I want to stock up. They were in the candy and cracker/cookie aisle. Strange that they would be in the candy aisle. When I saw them I had the same reaction I did when I had my first taste of a chocolate covered one. I screamed and yelled "CINNAMON BEARS!" My kids thought that I was crazy. I ran the 3 feet over to them and practically ripped the bag getting it off the hanger thingy. I immediately marched to the baking aisle and bought milk chocolate chips and the rest is history. I melted half a bag of chips in the microwave at 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until it was melted and smooth. I then dumped in a few bears at a time, stirring to evenly coat them and then placed them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. (I only used about half of the bag of bears as well. So half a bag of chips will pretty generously cover half a bag of bears.) I then put them in the refrigerator until they set up. It only took about 20 minutes. They are so good. I didn't realize until I started searching for a picture of these little yummies that they are probably a Utah exclusive thing. BYU exclusive to be exact. (This makes sense because the Deyoung's are big BYU fans.) I found a blog of someone who now lives out of state, but told of her discovery of them while at BYU and how sad she feels that she can't get them where she is now. Well, here's the answer. Just make them yourself.

More "Mexican"

I have no idea if I make these correctly, but this is how I've always made cheese enchiladas. As a side note, Cameron actually ate these without complaining tonight. What a shocker.

Cheese Enchiladas

About 3 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, colby, whatever you want. You can purchase bags of a "Mexican"blend.)
1 28 oz. can of enchilada sauce or red sauce
1/2 cup chopped onion
8 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350. Reserve about 1/2 cup of cheese. Mix with remaining cheese about 1/4 of the can of sauce and about half of the onions. Just enough sauce to hold the filling together. Spoon about 1/4-1/3 cup of the filling into a tortilla. Roll and place into a 9x13 glass baking dish that has been sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray. This should make about 8 enchiladas. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Top with the remaining cheese and onions. Cover lightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese is melted.

The incredible, edible cake mix!

You can make pretty much any cookie using a cake mix. I never thought of this until a couple of years ago. I was on the Enrichment committee and we put together a ward cookbook. (I use it all the time, by the way.) Jillene submitted a couple of recipes, like peanut butter brownies and candy bar cookie squares. They both use cake mixes as the "base" or "cookie". I thought, why not use the basic method for other cookies. I tried it the first time when I was in a time crunch, but really wanted to have some chocolate chip cookies for a get together. It worked like a charm. I've mixed up the mix-in ingredient and I've found that if you just stick to this basic formula, pretty much anything will work.

1 cake mix (whatever flavor you want)
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
baking chips, etc.

I like to make one like this:

1 white cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup Heath toffee bits
1 cup Kraft caramel bits

Last night, for enrichment, I did this:

1 chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 bag Andes mint baking chips

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish. You'll have to smoosh and flatten the cookie dough into the dish. It will be thick. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

I thought that the mint ones were good and I hope they were. Try this and try "mixing" it up. It seems to me that the possibilities are endless. Happy baking!

Semi-Mexican Christa Style

Taco Soup
2 14 1/2 oz. cans diced stewed tomatoes (I like to use the "no salt added" variety)
1 can of black beans (drained of most liquid, but not rinsed and the same for all the beans)
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of pinto beans
1 can of corn (drained)
1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 medium to large white onion chopped in a small to medium dice
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1 lb. lean ground beef
I've made this with taco seasoning. If you do, I wouldn't use the entire package. Maybe 1/2-3/4. I think that it tends to be too much if you use all of it. What I prefer to use is cumin and paprika. Cumin has a smoky flavor that's similar to the packaged stuff, but not as salty or overpowering. If you use cumin and paprika, I would use about a tablespoon of each, or do it to your taste. I think they are the best combo.
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan that you will be making the soup in. Add the onion to the hot pan and saute for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Break up the ground beef into the pan and brown. (Season it with salt and pepper at this point.) Use lean ground beef so that you don't really have to drain. If there's a lot, then by all means drain it. Add the garlic when the meat is almost browned. If you add it before it will burn and not taste good. Add all the canned items and whatever seasoning you choose. There should be enough liquid in the tomatoes, tomato sauce and what's left in the beans, that you won't have to add any other. If it seems to thick, or there's not enough, add some water. You be the judge as to how much. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve over corn chips. I've also made tortilla strips from flour tortillas. Stack up 3-4 tortillas on a cutting board and using a pizza cutter, cut into thin strips. About 1/2 inch. Heat vegetable oil in a pan, about a quarter of an inch in the bottom. Enough so that they will float and deep fry. It will only take a couple of minutes. Take them out when they start to turn golden brown. Put them on paper towels to drain and sprinkle with salt while they are still hot. Sprinkle them over the top or at the bottom of the bowl and serve the soup on top. Top with cheese.

Mexican Pie
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 package taco seasoning
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
1 14 1/2 oz. can diced stewed tomatoes (no salt added)
1 large can black olives, chop them

Brown the ground beef and onions. Add the taco seasoning. When thoroughly browned, add the green chilies, can of tomatoes and chopped olives. Bring to a boil and them simmer for about 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid cooks off. You don't want it to be too runny.

Topping
1 1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cup Bisquick or other baking mix, like Jiffy
3 eggs
1/8 tsp. red pepper sauce (if you like a little heat)

Mix all together with an electric mixer until smooth.

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 9x13 baking dish. Pour in ground beef mixture. Top with cheese. Pour over topping. Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. About 25-30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Garnish with peppers and shredded cheese if desired.

Snack Time

Pretty much every woman in Ryan's family loves this snack: apple slices and peanut butter. I've had it many times, but lately I've been eating it a lot. I've had 1 apple everyday for the past week. I can't get enough. I love Pink Lady, also known as Pink Crisps, apples and Adam's Natural Peanut Butter. I have to have cold apples. I can't stand them even at room temperature. So I keep them in the fridge and now, cutting them is a breeze. Thanks to Ryan and my new knives. :] It's so delicious. In fact, I'm enjoying it right now. So, if you want to try something yummy and nutritious, try apples and peanut butter.

Visit Adam's Natual Peanut Butter for great recipes:
http://www.adamspeanutbutter.com/

Restaurant Recommendation

Ryan took me out to lunch at the Red Iguana on Saturday afternoon for Mother's Day. I LOVED IT! I highly recommend it. They have a huge menu and it was kind of hard to decide, but I finally settled on the Cochinita Pibil. (Pork) It was served with corn tortillas, rice and black beans. Delicious. Peyton came along for the ride. He enjoyed all of my food as well, but especially the guacamole. Try it sometime. You'll be glad you did.

Visit their website. You can peruse the menu, get hungry and then maybe want to go.
http://www.rediguana.com/

One of my favorite recipes

Tomato and Basil Spaghetti

1 pkg. thin spaghetti

2 cloves of garlic, minced

6-8 medium to large tomatoes

8 oz. ball of fresh mozzarella (Use the soft fresh variety. Preferably the balls of mozzarella packed in water. The low moisture type tends to be oily when in melts.)

fresh basil (about 2 tablespoons and that's about 10 large leaves)

olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Chop the tomatoes in a small to medium dice, tear/shred the basil leaves and cheese and put all into a large bowl. Add the minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes so that the tomato juices will start to run (macerate). While doing this, cook the spaghetti until it is al dente. Drain and pour immediately into the bowl of other ingredients. Pour in olive oil (about 1/4-1/3 cup) toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately.

It's one of my favorites. I think that Kristen said once, that it was something Landen really liked too. Don't worry. I'll be making it for you when your baby is born. You just might have to wait until we get back from London.

Organic. Is it really the best? I don't know.

I've been trying to buy a lot of foods that are organic. I'm not sure if I'm really doing any good, but I think that even if it's psychological at least that's something. I'll trick my mind into thingking that it's better for me. I just figure that since organic things don't have the preservatives, additives and fillers that are found in most everything, that has to be a good thing. Plus, growing organically is supposed to be kinder to the environment. I'm not going crazy environmentalist. I'm just trying to do a small part. I have a vegetarian cousin (Jenny Davis) who says that the cattle and beef industry is bad for the environment. She says that all of the cows flatulence is depleting the ozone layer. There's also the whole cruelty to animals thing, but that's another story altogether and that's not why you came here.

When I don't feel like cooking millet, I eat organic instant oatmeal. I like Nature's Path Oats & Flax. It contains just what it says and is sweetened with cane juice. Better than high fructose corn syrup. I add extra flax for the crunch, my organic vanilla soy milk, honey and a banana. It's delics kids. (Racheal Ray will have to verify I spelled that right.) Costco now also offers their own Kirkland brand of it. There are about 5 different flavors and 45 packets in a box. It costs about $9.50 a box. So, not bad. Only around .21 cents a day for breakfast. I just figure the less man made stuff I put into my body, the better.

http://www.naturespath.com/

The facts about flax

As I've mentioned before, I have been eating flax on my morning cereal. To learn more about it visit my sister-in-law, Heather's blog. She has a post about "The wonderful world of flax". Look under the label of nutrition.

http://www.heatherhen.blogspot.com/

aka Hendriksen Happenings

My Breakfast

I stole this breakfast idea from my sister in-law, Heather. I really like it. In fact, I miss it if I don't have it. I've been eating it almost every morning for the past almost 2 months and it is: millet, flax seed, nuts & banana. Millet is a small, round, yellowish grain. If you leave it whole, it cooks up like rice. You cook it with the same proportions of grain to water as you would rice. I took Heather's advice and bought a coffee grinder. So, I sometimes grind it and then it cooks like a porridge. Think "Cream of Wheat" consistency. It also take less time if you prepare it this way. When you leave the grain whole, it does take longer but no longer than cooking rice I suppose. I also lightly grind up the flax seed. I like the crunch when it's not ground into a powder. I love walnuts or pecans on top also. I buy them shelled & whole and then crush them with my fingers when I put them on top. I also like to pour vanilla flavored soy milk into it and for some of you out there saying ewwww, it's not bad. I lived off the stuff for years when I was a vegetarian. I guess I've never really drank it like milk, just on things, but I survived. I like to drizzle honey over this, not very much. I would say about a tablespoon. I will then slice up a banana on top. I also like to have it sometimes with dried cranberries or dried apricots. It's a great high fiber, high protein, slow release of energy breakfast. You can buy the grain and flax seed at Whole Foods Market. I haven't had any luck finding it in other grocery stores. It's only about &1.50 a pound and you find it in the bulk bins. I bought 2 lbs. 2 months ago and I just ran out yesterday. Another good grain I recommend is quinoa. It's a South American grain similar in looks to millet. It also cooks up the same way. Be brave people and try these things.

I also stole Heather's recipe for hummus. I forgot that I used to love the stuff. I eat it almost everyday also. I don't make it from bean flour because I don't have a grain mill. I use canned chickpeas and I like it just as much. I've changed the recipe slightly.

1 can chickpeas, partially drained
1/2 can of chickpeas totally drained
1 tablespoon of cumin
juice of 1 small lemon or half of one large lemon
1/4 cup tahini (this is just ground sesame seed and I use my coffee grinder to do it. I've found the seeds in the Mexican aisle with the spices. One bag is enough for this recipe.)
1-2 cloves of garlic
salt & pepper to taste (I go light on the salt because I use canned chickpeas and they already contain some, but I would say about 1/2 tsp. of pepper.)
olive oil

Grind the sesame seeds. Place everything in a food processor and process away. Once things start to get smooth, I start to pour in the olive oil. I would say I add a 1/4 of a cup at the most. I just pour until it all comes together and gets really smooth. You can use this in place of creamy, more fattening dips. I use it instead of mayonnaise on sandwiches. I really like it with celery and celery is a great slow release, high fiber food.

When I eat like this, I find that I want to snack less during the day. I feel more satisfied. If I have a snack, it's usually an apple and again, it's a slow release, high fiber food.