Freezer Sloppy Joe Recipe

Freezer Sloppy Joes Recipe

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

3/4 cup ketchup

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. onion powser

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and drain off fat.  Add remaining ingredients and stir well.  Package in quart size freezer bag.

Notes:  This recipe lends itself well to being doubled or tripled.  I have actually made this in 10 lb. batches for parties.   If you press the meat flat in the freezer bags and indent with your hands you can break off a chunk without thawing the whole bag.  Another option is to scoop into buns and wrap individually for quick meals on the go.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

If you are looking for a whole wheat bread recipe that is soft and easy to chew, than this is the recipe for you!



Honey Whole Wheat Bread

2 C. warm water (between 110-115 degrees)
1 Tbsp. yeast (I like SAF instant yeast)
1/3 C. honey (raw, local honey is best)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
4 C. wheat berries (I use prairie gold by Montana Wheat) ground to approx. 5 1/2 – 6 C. flour
1 heaping Tbsp. dough enhancer (see recipe)


In large bowl (or mixer) sprinkle yeast over warm water.  Stir until dissolved and let sit 5 min. (If you use SAF yeast, you can skip this step and just mix in the water and yeast).  Add honey, salt and oil.  Add in 2 C. flour and dough enhancer.  Incorporate in as much of the remaining flour as necessary to make a stiff, smooth dough.

Knead dough for 5-10 min or until smooth and elastic.  Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and cover with a towel.  Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hrs).

Punch dough down and divide into 2 loaves.  Place in greased loaf pans.  Cover and let rise (about 45 min.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake 30-35 min. or until loaves sound hollow when tapped.  Cool, slice and enjoy.

Notes:  This dough also makes excellent buns for burgers or hot dogs.  Just shape dough into flat disks or a log and let rise.  Flatten slightly with your hand before baking.  You can also make cinnamon rolls with this dough for a yummy breakfast.  If you shape the cinnamon rolls the night before, you can place in the refrigerator overnight to rise and bake in the morning.

dough before rising

bread after rising

Fresh loaf of bread

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough Enhancer:

2 C. vital wheat gluten (I found it at Walmart or any health food store)
1 C. dry milk powder (I use a non dairy milk powder substitute)
1/4 C. dry pectin (like sure-jell for canning)
1/4 C. unflavored gelatin
1/4 C. lecithin granules (found at health food stores)
1 T. powdered ginger
1 T. ascorbic acid (try Fruit Fresh from the grocery store)

Mix together and store in airtight container.  Use 1 Tbsp. for approx. 4 C. whole wheat flour.

Notes:  Don’t worry, you won’t taste the ginger, and boy does it ever activate the yeast.  This will help your whole wheat bread bake up nice and light and slightly extend the shelf life.  I tried many variations of dough conditioners and this is the one that really seems to make a noticeable difference in the end product.  The initial investment may be a bit, but I feel it is really worth it!

jar of dough enhancer

Homemade Laundry Detergent

This is an updated tutorial of one of my all-time most requested homemade cleaner recipes!

There are a several different recipes for homemade laundry detergent on the internet, most of them involve giant buckets of thick, gloppy liquid--which is what I used for several years, but when we had to down size into a tiny townhouse we just didn't have room for a bucket anymore.  I didn't want to give up the cost savings of homemade detergent for the convenience of the tiny bottles of concentrated detergent, so I came up with a way to concentrate the homemade detergent to fit my space.

Depending on the cost of your ingredients, this detergent only cost between $.01 and $.03 a load! Compare that with even the cheapest detergents on the market and you can really save.  We find it is not necessary to use fabric softener with this detergent, except occasionally in the winter.  You can find my tutorials for homemade fabric softener/dry sheets here.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

You only need 3 ingredients and 10 minutes!

1. 1/3 bar of soap (I prefer fels-naptha, but I know others have had success with ivory, dreft and even dollar store soap, so choose something you like the scent of that doesn’t bother your skin) (cost. approx. 33 cents)

2. Borax-1/2 Cup (this is available at just about any department or grocery store in the detergent aisle)(cost. approx. 7 cents per 1/2 cup)

3. Washing Soda-1/2 Cup (this is a little harder to find, but check your local grocery-again in the detergent aisle) (cost. approx. 10 cents per 1/2 cup)

4. Water -1 gallon (plain ole tap water is just fine–I would avoid pond water, smelly lake water, etc… :0) (cost. approx 5 cents per gallon using tap water)

 Total cost:  Approx. 55 cents per gallon.  64 loads per gallon. 

Step 1:
Grate 1/3 bar of soap.  I like to use the fine side of a hand grater.  You don’t want powder, just small shreds.

Step 2:
Dissolve soap shreds into 1 qt. warm water over low heat.  Stir until completely dissolved.

Step 3:
Add 1/2 cup EACH of borax and washing soda.  Continue stirring over low heat until powders are dissolved and mixture becomes thickened (only take a couple of minutes) –sorta like a soft-set pudding.  Don’t worry if it doesn’t thicken up too much, it still is effective.

 
Step 4:
Pour thickened mixture into 3 quarts of cool (not cold)water in container.  Stir thoroughly.  This will fairly quickly become a giant mass of jelly like substance.  You can stir as it cools for a few minutes to thoroughly mix the gel.

That’s it- you have made homemade laundry soap!   You can store your soap in whatever you find convenient.   A bucket works well, especially if you have a loose fitting lid to keep stuff from falling into the bucket.  Also, you could reuse a laundry detergent container you already have.

To use the detergent you only need to add 1/4 C. to each load.  Your laundry will come out clean and fresh smelling!  The bonus to this detergent is that I have been able to virtually eliminate the need for fabric softener.  Occasionally in the winter I find the need for some fabric softener.

This laundry detergent does NOT produce a lot of suds and is safe to use in the new HE washers and front loaders!  It does not look like it is doing much, but it really does work.

If you feel your soap is too thick and gloppy, you can add an extra gallon of water (be sure to use a 2 gallon bucket) when you are mixing it up and then use 1/2 cup per load.  You might have to let it sit overnight to really set up if you use this much water.

Homemade Hand Sanitizer

Cold and flu season is in full swing around here, and everywhere you go there are bottles of hand sanitizer sitting around–in the stores, at church, even some restaurants, not to mention all the little portable bottles stuffed in purses, diaper bags and glove compartments.  While I am a fan of the protection from germs that hand sanitizer can offer, I am not a big fan of the dryness and sometimes funky scent it leaves behind, not to mention the price!

Here is a handy homemade version that is inexpensive, less drying and you can choose your scent.

Ingredients:
Aloe Vera Gel (make sure you get gel and not juice or it will be way too thin!)
Isopropyl Alcohol (70%)
Essential oil
Small pump or flip top bottles



Mix equal parts of aloe vera gel and alcohol.  I just eyeball it, but you can measure if you feel more comfortable.  Then add essential oil to desired strength.  I use 8-10 drops depending on what scent I am using.

 

You can also make this using glycerine in place of the aloe vera gel, but it can be pretty thin.  Use Tea Tree or Lavender oil for extra anti-bacterial protection.  Pour into your favorite containers and you are ready to go.



This only cost pennies to make and you can use your favorite scent.  Try lemon for a light, clean scent, orange for a fruitier scent or peppermint for a scent kids love!

*Notes: There are some articles out there that say unless it is 60 percent alcohol it is not effective, so you can add more alcohol.  I use tea tree oil which has anti-bacterial properties, so I leave mine at half and half.  Nothing is guaranteed to protect you from all germs, so use what you are comfortable with for your family.

Homemade Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets

Liquid Fabric Softener

The easiest alternative is to buy yourself a gallon of vinegar and then add 10-20 drops of your favorite essential oils.  DO NOT use fagrance oils as they may contain artificial colors or scents that could damage your clothes!  I personally like lavender, peppermint or eucalyptus.  You can put this in your fabric softener ball and it does not leave a residue on your machine.

Fresh Lemon Fabric Softener

You will need 2 C. water, 5 C. white vinegar, 1 C. baking soda, 20 drops lemon essential oil



Mix vinegar and water in 1/2 gallon jar, THEN slowly add the baking soda.  DO NOT try and add the vinegar to the baking soda or you end up with this:



Finally, add your lemon essential oil.  You use 1/2 – 1 C. per load of laundry.  Again, I like to stick it in the fabric softener ball.

Dryer Sheets

The simplest method: Use a clean cloth place 2-3 drops of essential oil on the cloth and toss in the dryer.   Refresh with a drop or two of oil between loads.  Wash cloth after every few loads.  This adds a nice fragrance and does not ruin your dryer like the store bought sheets.

Some combos to try:
cedarwood and patchouli or sandlewood for a masculine scent
orange oil and geranium  for a floral scent
peppermint and eucalyptus for when you have a cold
orange, lemon and grapefruit for a fruity scent

Another option is to mix one gallon water and one cup concentrated liquid fabric softener in a container. Every time you do laundry, dip an old washcloth or 1/2 a sponge into the mix, wring out, and dry with your clothes. Put the lid on the container and don't forget to label.

If you just want fragrance without the extra softener you can mix 1 C. water (distilled or filtered is best), 1/2 C. alcohol (I use isopropyl or vodka) and 20 drops of your favorite essential combo.  Place the wet clothes in the dryer and spritz 4-5 times with softener mix and dry as usual.  This leaves a nice scent on your clothes without being over-powering.

Happy Laundry!

Menu Planning 101

Several people have asked me lately about menu planning and how I make it work with three busy teenagers and a constantly changing schedule.  We all know that planning our menus in advance can save us time and money in the kitchen, but how do we make it work with our lifestyle?

There are many ways to plan your menu.  Some people plan a whole month at a time, some only a week at a time.  Some plan every meal, some only one meal (usually dinner). You have to look at your lifestyle and schedule and decide what works for you.  If you have read my book Shortcut Cooking, then you know that I am a big advocate of freezer cooking.  Freezer cooking allows us to take advantage of sales and put healthy meals in our freezers that are quick and easy to prepare.  Having a stockpile of freezer meals can make menu planning  quicker and easier, but even if you don’t freezer cook you can still save yourself time and stress by planning your meals ahead of time.

One of my favorite ways of planning my menus is to write on 3 x 5 cards some of my family’s favorite meals.  You can make them complete meals with all the sides or just the main dishes.  I make each person choose 4-5 of their favorite meals, that way when I am planning I know that everyone is getting something that they like to eat at least once in a while.  I fill out more with cards with any freezer meals that we may have on hand, crockpot recipes for busy nights and even recipes I want to try out. Also on  separate color cards I write down meals that are used more for special occasions, either because they are more costly or time-consuming to prepare or not as healthy and need to be a treat. You can put cooking directions and preparation times right on the card.  You could also use different colored cards for different protein types (yellow-chicken, blue-meatless, etc….) or preparations (yellow-crockpot, blue-oven, etc…).

 Next, I grab my calendar and I look for any days where I know we might not be eating at home or will need something fast to get us out the door in a timely manner.  I plan those meals first!
Then, keeping in mind what ingredients I have on hand and what is on sale, I fill in the gaps of my menu, trying to alternate by protein type and preferences. I usually do this by using my 3×5 cards on the table, but you could also just fill in a blank calendar or special menu planning page.

Finally, I organize the cards in a 3×5 file box in order, and make a grocery list.  Everyday I just open the box, pull out the card for the day and place it on the fridge.  No one has to ask, “What’s for dinner?”.  When we are done with the card, I file it in the back of the box to be re-used.  If something comes up and we don’t eat the meal or change what we eat, I can just put the card back in the box to use the next day or file it for later use.  The nice thing about this system is that when you make changes, you are not trying to cross out or write over something already written on a page.

Other Menu Planning Ideas:

*Use a dry erase calendar for your menu planning

*Make up 2-3 weekly menu plans with a grocery list and then rotate them.  (By re-using a menu plan you can keep a printed grocery list of everything needed and then just cross out what you may already have on hand)

*Buy a calendar just for menu planning and write your menus in it. (It is nice to go back and look at previous menus, especially if you feel like you are eating the same meals over and over again).

*Try one new meal a month, it is nice to have variety.

*If you are feeling overwhelmed or busy, look online for prepared weekly menu plans.  They can be a great source of inspiration.  There are also several subscription sites that will send you weekly or monthly menu plans with grocery lists for a small fee.  These can be real time savers for people who are super busy.  The down-side to having other people making your menu plan is it does not take into account your preferences or dietary restrictions, so you may still have to make adjustments to the menu.

Homemade Ketchup

Homemade ketchup is simple and oh so tasty!

Homemade Ketchup

8 C. peeled, seeded tomatoes
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. pickling spice
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. vinegar
1 tsp. salt

Peel tomatoes by placing in boiling water, when skin splits place in hot water to cool. When tomatoes are cool enough to handle, use knife or tomato corer to remove top and slip off skin. Cut tomato in half and squeeze seeds out.

Place prepared tomatoes, onions and pickling spice(tie pickling spice in a piece of cheesecloth if you don’t want chunks in your ketchup) into saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer stirring occassionally over med-low for about 20 minutes, until onions are tender. Remove from heat.

Puree cooked tomatoes in blender until fine and no onion pieces remain. Place puree in fine mesh strainer over a bowl and drain off tomatoes, leaving a thick pulp in strainer. Set juice aside.

Place puree back into saucepan and add sugar, vinegar and salt. Cook over med. heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, or until desired consistency is reached. Remove from heat.
Store ketchup in a jar in the refrigerator.

*You could also water bath can the ketchup by placing hot ketchup into sterilized jars and boiling for 15 minutes.

*Save the tomato juice that drained off. You can drink it or use it in spaghetti sauce or wherever else you would use tomato juice.

*Freeze or water bath can the leftover juice.

Tomatoes in boiling water

Tomato with split skin

 

Using tomato corer to remove stem

Slipping of tomato skin

onions and pickling spice

Finished Ketchup--bring on the fries!

Freezer Garlic Bread

This is one of my standard freezer cooking recipes, you can use french bread, texas toast, homemade bread or whatever you like!



Freezer Garlic Toast

 Butter or margarine, softened 2 sticks
Olive oil or vegetable oil 1/2 C.
 Garlic powder 1/4 C.
 Italian seasoning 1/4 C.
Parmesan cheese, optional 1 C.
 Italian bread, sliced 1” thick 2 loaves

Assembly Directions: In a medium size bowl, mix together the butter, oil, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning with a spoon. Add Parmesan cheese, if desired. You want the mixture to be a nice spreadable consistency. If it’s too thick, add more oil… maybe a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is spreadable. Spread both sides of the bread slices with the mixture and put them on a cookie sheet.

Freezing Directions: Put the cookie sheet of bread slices in the freezer. When they’re frozen, package the slices in a gallon freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze.

 Serving Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the needed number of garlic toast slices on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. For even toasting, turn the pieces halfway through the baking time.

Comments: Add more or less garlic powder based on your personal taste. Same with the Italian seasoning. This is a tasty and economical alternative to the expensive garlic toast you buy in the freezer section at your local grocery store.

A Godly Kind of Love

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Cor. 13:13

“Be rooted and established in love. Love (true, Godly love) surpasses knowledge and brings all the fullness of God.”
Eph. 3: 17-19


Love is patient.....love is not in a hurry
Love is kind......it is gentle and compassionate
It does not envy......it is not jealous of other's blessings
It does not boast......it does not seek to “promote” itself
It is not proud....love does not see itself as better than others
It is not rude.....it has only good to say
It is not self-seeking......it sees others as most important, it puts their needs first
It is not easily angered.....love holds it's tongue to keep peace
It keeps no record of wrongs......it walks in forgiveness
Love does not delight in evil....it does not want to see bad for others
But rejoices with truth.....love finds joy in having good win
It always protects...it acts as a shield for others
Always trusts.....it believes the best, even when others don't
Always hopes.....it always wants the very best for others, it gives confidence
Always perseveres......love remains when all else is gone.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Whole Wheat and Oatmeal Irish Soda Bread

Comfort food at it’s best!  Pair with a bowl of your favorite soup!

Whole Wheat and Oatmeal Irish Soda Bread

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups oatmeal (or wheat germ or cornmeal)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. molasses or honey
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients together.  Add wet ingredients. (Dough should be dry enough to knead, add more flour if necessary).  Knead a few times and then shape into a round, flat loaf.
Dust loaf with a little flour and slash top with sharp knife.  Bake on cookie sheet for 25 minutes or until nicely browned and cooked through.
NOTES:
*Serve with a little bit of butter and a drizzle of honey!
*Toast the oatmeal for a nuttier taste.