Rice Pudding

• 2 cups water
• pinch salt
• 1 cup brown rice, rinsed (short or sweet)or 3 - 4 cups leftover cooked brown rice
• 1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup brown rice syrup or maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
  

In medium saucepan, place water and salt and bring to boil. Add rinsed rice, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 35 minutes or until all water has been absorbed. Add remaining ingredients, except vanilla, stir well and continue to cook over medium heat until desired consistency (most liquid has been absorbed). Remove from heat stir in vanilla and transfer to bowl(s) and refrigerate to chill. Serve garnished with additional cinnamon, if desired.

adapted from http://www.veganchef.com/

Bucket Storage and Gamma Lids

follow this link for more great tips http://www.tammysrecipes.com/node

When you store you 5 or 6 gallon buckets remember to stagger stack (pyramid style) your buckets. Over the years, if buckets are stacked directly on top of each other the lid weakens and caves in - just ask me how I know!

Gamma Seal Lids are also a great way to use your product directly from the bucket keeping things fresh and bug free. The gamma lids have a rubber seal that spins on and off making it airtight, waterproof seal that is easy to get into.

I purchase mine at Emergency Essentials. They have a flat shipping rate, so check with your friends and combine your orders!

http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_MS%20L702_A_name_E_GAMMA+SEAL%99+Lid+-+Red

If you have any questions, just let me know

Favorite Hummus

• 3 cups cooked garbanzo beans
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1 large or 2 small lemons, juiced
• 2 cloves garlic, coursly chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil - or oil of choice or water to consistency
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• for garnishing: few garbanzo beans, parsley and paprika

Cooking your own beans makes for a much better flavor, canned can be substituted (rinsed very well).

1 cup dry garbanzo beans equal approximately 3 cups cooked. Soak beans in fresh water for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight. Rinse and cook soft and tender. I cook my beans in my pressure cooker. Follow this link for soaking and pressure cooking times.

http://missvickie.com/howto/beans/beanframe.html

Place beans, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, cumin, coriander and salt in food processor or high powered blender and process. Add water as needed to get things moving nicely.

Add tahini and continue to process until smooth and creamy

Note: When I cook beans, I always cook as much as my pressure cooker will hold. When they are done, rinse and let cool. Lay on cookie sheets and freeze then place in ziplock bags to use for other recipes and salads. "Individually frozen" and bagged makes them easy to measure and store.

Shortcut - Free Coupons

I came across this website for Free Grocery Coupons. Check it out. They are linked to your grocery card, so no carrying coupons or clipping. They have a section to save your grocery lists too. It's not much, but little things help and it's so easy!

Here is the link: http://shortcuts.com/home

Moist Cornbread

2/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup plain soymilk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix first three ingredients together
3. Combine dry ingredients in another bowl
4. Mix wet and dry ingredients together and pour into a greased 9x9 square pan. Bake 35 minutes, until tester comes out clean. (Bake muffins for about 25 minutes)

Wheat is not Created Equal!

Okay, so now you know, wheat is not created equal. So many factors come into play when looking for a good bakery quality wheat, i.e. baking breads, rolls anything that would use yeast or making seitan (gluten).

The crop currently available is probably from 2007. Most hard wheat is harvested in the summer months. Here is the question that you need to ask before purchasing your wheat for food storage or baking - Very Important!

What is the gluten content?

Anything less than 13% will not make bread. I won't purchase anything less than 15%. If I am going to spend my time making breads for my family I want it to turn out well without any additives or conditioners. The 2007 year crop has not been the best. My favorite Hard White Wheat - Golden 86 came in at only 10%. In years past I have gotten some at above 17%. Prairie Gold came in at 15% - which is what we purchased to replace what we have used to keep our food storage supply replenished.

Here are to links to purchase bakery quality wheats - keeping in mind that you still need to do your homework before putting in an order......I am waiting on this years harvest of Golden 86 from Walton Feed. Hopefully is will be in the 17-18% area.

http://waltonfeed.com/

http://wheatmontana.com/

Hope this information is helpful. Check back often, we will be adding more tips and information soon.

Blender Pancakes

• 2 cups soy milk (or milk of choice or water)
• 1 cup soft white wheat berries
• 3 Tbs. fresh ground flax
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbs. olive/canola oil
• 1 Tbs. honey or sweetener of choice
• 1 Tbs. baking powder

1. Place milk and wheat berries in blender and blend for 1 min. - decrease time if using a high powered blender.
2. Add salt, oil, flax and honey and blender until mixed well.
3. Add baking powder, pulse 3 times.
4. Bake on non-stick pan.

I had some blueberries that I needed to use! You can add things such as nuts, fruits or chips when you bake them for everyone's favorites!