Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

1 Tablespoon freeze dried onion rehydrate in 1½ tablespoons water

6 cloves garlic, minced (or use 1/4 tsp dried minced for each clove)

Olive oil

½ cup tomato powder

1 cup Water

32 oz bottle fire roasted (or sun-dried) tomatoes  (Costco has them reasonably priced in larger quantities, or roast your own during the summer and freeze for later use)

8 cups water

 8 tsp chicken bouillon

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 cups milk or cream (more if you like a thinner soup)

In a large soup kettle sauté onion in olive oil until almost translucent. Add garlic and continue to sauté a few minutes more. Add water, tomato powder, tomatoes bouillon. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Using a stick blender puree.  Season with salt and pepper. Add milk. Serve.

Blueberry Crumb Cake-Easy Cake Mix

This east cake is a great reason to have dessert for breakfast.  You can also make it with strawberries, pears or apples. You can double the recipe and make it in a traditional cake pan as I did in this photo.
 For a printable recipe click here:  Blueberry Crumb Cake-Easy Cake Mix



2 1/2 c easy cake mix

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1 egg (1 Tablespoon dry eggs plus 2 tablespoons water)
1 teaspoon almond extract

Topping
1 1/2 cups solidly frozen blueberries
1/2 cup Easy Cake mix
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 8x8 square baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk dry ingredient. Create a well and add wet ingredients.
3. Fold gently do not beat using a large rubber spatula until thick and uniform. It will be stiff and lumpy.
4. Spread into pan. Sprinkle frozen blueberries over the top.
5. Mix topping ingredients (except blueberries). Sprinkle over the top.
6. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes.

Dense Dark Chocolate Cake from Easy Cake Mix

For a printable recipe click here: Dense Dark Chocolate Cake from Easy Cake Mix
The texture of this cake is much like pound cake but it is much faster to make and a few less calories.  I like to serve with whipped cream or icecream.
1 cup butermilk *see note
1 extra large egg (or 1 Tablespoon egg powder plus 2 Tablespoons water)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups quick Cake mix
1 /4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 6 cup bunt pan (not a regular bunt but a small one) with cooking spray.
2. Whisk dry ingredient. Create a well and add wet ingredients.
3. Fold gently do not beat using a large rubber spatula until thick and uniform. It will be stiff and lumpy.
4. Spread into pan. Bake 45 minutes. Cool and enjoy.

*A note about buttermilk.  I used to never have buttermilk, and then my Mom, who is amazingly smart. Told me to buy a large container and freeze it in 1 cup paper cups. To do this put the paper cups on a cookie sheet and fill with a cup of buttermilk each.  Freeze upright. When frozen place all the cups in a freezer bag and store until ready to use.  When ready to use defrost and add to recipe.   The other option is to use clabbared milk. To make clabbered milk add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Allow to sit for 10 minutes and use according to recipe.

Other Recipes that use easy cake mix:
Easy Cake Mix-Using Powdered Butter
Blueberry Crumb Cake 

Tomato Powder

Recently I have had a few questions about tomato powder and how to use it.  Here is what I do.

For tomato sauce: For 1 cup of tomato sauce add ½ cup tomato powder and 1 cup water. Mix together.

For tomato paste:  ½ cup tomato powder to ½ cup water

Form tomato juice: 1/2 cup tomato powder to 5 cups water. 

Remember that there is no salt in the tomato powder but in most prepared tomato products there is a lot, so make sure to taste and adjust your recipe accordingly.

I think the recipe on the can is ridiculous.  It calls for a tiny amount of tomato powder and a ton of other tomato products.   Don't waste your time on it. But do try these ideas:

·  Sprinkle this over hot pasta with butter for a quick sauce.

·  Add it to foccacia and sprinkle some on top.

·  Add it to homemade salad dressings.

·  Mix it with mayonnaise for a great tomato mayo dip.

·  Thicken sauces, stews and gumbos with it.*this is my favorite I hate opening a can of tomato paste to just use a tablespoon to thicken a soup. 

-add to baked products such as bread or tortillas.

Easy Cake Mix-Using Butter Powder

 Photo Source:  KSDigital

Many of the cake mixes widely available in the grocery stores are a great time saver.  The problem with adding them to your food storage is that they go bad.  And I hate that.  A while back cake mixes were on sale at the local grocery store, so I bought a bunch (maybe 10) mixes.  All was good, but by the time I used the last few they are no longer good.  They don’t raise appropriately and they are off tasting. 

Consequently I have started making my own but the break though moment was when I decided to use powdered butter in the mix.  Now it is super easy to make, store and use.

Easy Cake Mix with Powdered Butter

for a printable recipe click here: Easy Cake Mix with Powdered Butter

*I often double this, I mix and store cake mix in an clean empty #10 can

4 cups all purpose flour  (I don’t sift but I do give the flour, in my canister a brief stir with my whisk)

2 cups sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup butter powder

1.       Place all  ingredients in container (I use an clean empty #10 can)

2.       Stir with a large whisk until well mixed.

3.       Store tightly covered

Basic Yellow Cake

* this makes a small cake use either a square 8 x 8 x 2 or a 6 cup bunt pan 

2 1/2 cups Easy Cake mix 

1/2 cup milk (1 1/2 tablespoons dry milk plus 1/2 cup water) 

2 eggs (2 tablespoons dry milk plus 4 Tablespoons water) 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Add all dry ingredients
Make a well and add all wet.
Mix well (I use a wisk)
Place in well greased pan (either a square 8 x 8 x 2 or a 6 cup bunt pan)
Bake at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes

Apricot Walnut Cake   

For a Printable Recipe Click Here:   Apricot Walnut Cake

This is a very versatile recipe. Use any jam and nut combination you have.  This makes a small cake, either a square 8 x 8 x 2 or a 6 cup bunt pan.

2 cups easy cake mix

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chopped walnuts

½ cup apricot jam plus extra for serving

½ cup apricot nectar (or other fruit juice or water)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg (1 tablespoon dry eggs plus 2 tbsp water)

1.        Add all dry ingredients

2.       Make a well and add all wet.

3.       Mix well (I use a wisk)

4.       Place in well greased pan (either a square 8 x 8 x 2 or a 6 cup bunt pan)

5.       Bake at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes

6.       To serve top with  jam heated till  runny.

Other Posts Using Easy Cake Mix:
Blueberry Crumb Cake
Dense Dark Chocolate Cake

November Menu

Every month I make a menu that includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner.  Today when I was picking up my kindergartner a friend asked what we were having for dinner tonight, so Melissa tonight we are having turkey rollups.  And here is what we are having every night this month.  *I got the idea from http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/ so check out her menu and great home school ideas*

November 2010 Menu

Turkey Rollups

1 lb deli turkey

1 box stove top stuffing

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cranberry sauce or 1 recipe of Kneaders Cranberry Sauce

Make stuffing mix according to package directions.  On each piece of turkey place a large spoonful of stuffing then roll up like a burrito. Place in pan. Mix soup with ½ can water to for gravy and pour over the top of the turkey rolls. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated thoroughly.  Serve with cranberry sauce if desired.

Kneaders Cranberry Sauce
1 quart fresh cranberries
1 cup white sugar
2 to 3 oranges to equal 1 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves


Squeeze oranges to equal 1cup fresh orange juice.
In a large saucepan with a heavy bottom combine cranberries, sugar and orange juice.
 Add orange zest.
 Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until cranberries begin to pop. This will take 15 to 18 minutes.  Do not over cook
 Remove from heat  
 Let cool.  Blend to desired consistency.
For option #1, blend spices into sugar before cooking.
For option #2 add pecans after blending.
This recipe can be make 2 days ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator.
Nothing tastes as good as fresh.

50 Pounds of Potatoes

Potatoes are a staple in our food storage.  I store potatoes in several forms.  

1.  Fresh potatoes-I buy two fifty pound bags in the fall and we eat them until spring. 

2.  Dehydrated Potatoes-in #10 cans from Shelf Reliance.  I love these for soup, it is so easy!

3.  Potato Pearls (or you might know them by the name potato pearls) in #10 cans from Shelf Reliance

I just bough my potatoes for the year. One bag of russets and one bag of Yukon Gold.  Where I live they are $12.00 a bag for 50 lbs. So if my math is right that make them  $0.24 a pound.  I think that is a pretty good deal.

How do we store all those potatoes so they don't go bad?    I store them in the brown paper bags they come in. on a well ventelated shelf (not on the flour or next to a wall) in the coldest part of my basement. I am lucky to have a cold storage room in my house, but if you don't you could store them in the garage, or in some other cold dry enironment. 

How are we (a small family) going to eat all those potatoes?  Over the next few days I’ll share our favorite potato recipes for using our 50 pound sacks of potaotes. Here is a glimpse of what is to come.

Mashed Potatoes

Garlic Oven Fries

Roasted Potatoes

Parsley Dill Potatoes

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

Mom’s Potato Salad

  For a Printable Recipe: https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=1QZznKh0TvCICfVA10RTBRMuFskvu1PtqryHdpDdY6SU&hl=en&authkey=CMPhwOwC

Garlic Oven Fries 

This recipe is from my sister Crystal, who is a fabulous cook, who modified it from a Cooking Light recipe. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time these fries need to be in the oven for quite a long time. 

• 4 teaspoons canola oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 medium potatoes, washed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 tsp  garlic salt (I really like McCormick California Style Garlic Salt with parsley)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°.  Combine first oil, salt, and potatoes in a large plastic bag, tossing to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning after 20 minutes.  Combine butter, garlic, and Parmesan cheese.  Brush butter mixture over potatoes.  Broil potatoes for 1-3  minutes being careful not to burn them.  Serve immediately.

**From www.cookingwithmyfoodstorage.blogspot.com  In return for providing you with free food storage recipes.  I request that you add comments on your experience to assist others. Recipes evolve over times, I would love to hear how this recipe works for you and any improvements you have made. ***All rights reserved. Private use only. Recipes  from this page are not to be used for commercial purposes or republished without the express written consent of the publisher, Heather Lorimer, Cooking With My Food Storage.