What's in your pantry?

I adore this post about stocking a pantry.  A friend recently introduced me to Lindsay's blog at www.theleangreenbean.com.  In her article, she lets us peak into her kitchen pantry, describes her inventory, shares her ideas, and posts pictures for those of us (like me) that think a picture is worth a thousand words.  At Everyday Providence, we talk a lot about stocking a pantry.  But the benefits of a well stocked pantry are often overlooked, and the getting started can seem overwhelming.  Check out these basic benefits and motivations for keeping a pantry in your kitchen.

Is this safe to eat?

I found this bottle of tea in the fridge at work. The manufacturer's date is June 2009. Now, I don't make a habit of drinking long abandoned beverages from the kitchen at work, but... wait maybe I do. (This isn't the first time this has happened.) Anyway, it's fine and delicious.

In other times and places, far from our air conditioned and refrigerated world of grocery stores, shipped produce, fresh meat and plastic bottles... in those times and places people understood how to keep food for a long time. They also knew which foods would not keep. Our modern conveniences have eliminated the need to understand those things, but as we have lost that knowledge, we have become fearful.

Some foods expire (like fresh milk), others are just better by a certain date (a jar of peaches), and some are ok to eat for years and years (like whole beans and grains). Most store bought canned and bottled goods are fine to eat or drink as long as they were stored appropriately (in a cool, dark, dry place) and as long as the container is undamaged. Canned fruits and veggies could last 50 years! Really! If you open it and it looks good and it smells good... it's probably fine to eat.

You need to rotate through the items in your pantry.  Use the oldest (or soonest to "expire") first. As you stock up on your family's favorite foods in your pantry, take a minute to remember which items will last longest, prepare easiest, and taste delicious to everyone at your house.  Keep a little extra of those on hand... just in case.

Oatmeal: Pantry Staple, Survival Food, or Decadent Indulgence?

Oatmeal by: Spencer Ritenour via Park Slope Lens

Did you know this is National Oatmeal Month?  Apparently more oatmeal is consumed in January than any other month.  And no wonder!  Oatmeal is versatile, so start your oatmeal to-do list with a warm bowl of hot cereal but don't stop there.  (It's ok if you don't actually have an oatmeal to do list.)  Oatmeal is cost effective, and we all need that after countless holiday splurges.  Oatmeal is whole grain, so we can get more mileage out of our New Year's resolution to get healthier. Oatmeal lowers your cholesterol and may reduce your risk of heat disease, no really!

Emergency Sack Lunches (for grown ups, too!)

When lunch plans take last minute or unexpected turns, you can be ready to throw together a kid-friendly or sophisticated sack lunch. Maybe your kid needs a quick lunch to take to the zoo with his class. Perhaps you need a grab and go lunch for a last minute bike ride with friends. Or your friends just invited you to a picnic dinner and outdoor theater. Selecting delicious and favorite foods ensures everyone enjoys a filling meal. Choosing the right food items and storage protects everyone from serious food borne illnesses. Stocking the right foods in your pantry can turn a dilemma into a dream. Here are a few suggestions for stocking up this fall:

Power Outage Day Two and The Great Generator Search

Everyday Providence blogger, Jennifer, shares her experiences and insight from last week's storm.

Chocolate! After a hot night of hearing every airplane fly over, every emergency vehicle whiz by, and the neighbor’s coveted generator, we were a little crabby.  I opened up a Hershey’s bar and gave everyone a piece before we headed out for breakfast from McDonald’s.  It helped.


We got word from the power company that our projected recovery time was 2-3 days (upgraded from 4-5), so I started seriously calling around to see if we could find a generator.  The refrigerator would already have to be dumped, and we were unsure about the contents of the freezer part, but a full deep freeze keeps food frozen and safe for up to 48 hours.  As we approached 36 hours, if we wanted to save that freezer (and we did!), we needed to figure something out fast.

Gross! Where did these pests come from?

We agree that bugs, lizards, snakes, and rats are bothersome as uninvited house guests.  But even sweet, furry woodland creatures are a catastrophe in your home.  There are a host of creatures that seem to be creeping into residences all over the US right now.  What's going on?

Bugs and other animals are influenced by many of the same weather disasters we have been facing here in the US.  Over the past few months, flooding and wildfires have forced many bugs and animals out of their natural habitat, often into residential and suburban areas that are build above flood plains.  Drought in other areas pushes wildlife to travel great distances seeking water that is often found in parks, fountains, pools, well watered lawns and possibly your bathtub.  Severe heat creates desperate situations for insects and animals that must seek any shelter, and some smaller creatures may find your home a comfortable fit.

Help! How Do I Keep 90 Days of Supplies at Home?

We get it.  Trying something new is difficult.  We're just regular people like you, and we stumble and falter at this storage stuff, too.  If you're not sure why you need 90 days of 'stuff' in your house, click here.  Start small.  Here are three ways that we, at Everyday Providence, keep everyday supplies on our shelves at home.

#1 Buy an extra one.  If you have items that you don't purchase frequently,  try buying one extra to keep on hand.  If you have room, just keep it with or close to the package that's in use.  My shampoo lasts me about two months, so I keep an extra new bottle in the bathroom linen closet. Bam! I have 3+ months stored.  I buy a new bottle when the first one is low or gone.  (Or when it's on sale!) 90 day goal achieved! Other ideas: household cleaners, over the counter medication, some cooking items (baking soda, etc.) or school supplies.

#2 Keep a back-stock.  In order to keep a 90 day supply of some household items, I need to store several packages somewhere.  I have shelves in the basement, but a closet or some other nook in your house will do.  (We don't have a garage, but that works well for some items.)  There are some items that I buy every time I shop, until I get a large (pre-determined) number on my shelves. Batteries, toilet paper, paper towels, laundry and dishwasher detergent are a few items I store this way.  You can also take advantage of coupons, good sales and bulk pricing using this model.


#3 Auto-ship!  Amazon.com* now has a "Subscribe & Save" functionality to receive regular shipments of an item. Diapers? Soap? Trash bags? Most of these household items can be set up on subscription to arrive at your door at regular intervals. Check your local pricing, consider the cost of gas, and the add in value of convenience.  You should continue to keep a 90 day stock of these items at home.  (Remember a materials shortage or transportation delay could still leave you short and desperate.)  And you can still use sales and coupons locally to save money on these items.  As we juggle our insanely busy lives, a few gimmes just might save us if we're 'in a pickle.'

Related Posts
The Ant and the Grasshopper and Preparing for "Winter"
Is all of this for real?
Food Storage in 87 Easy Steps
Your Emergency Framework

*Other retailers may offer automatic shipments.  Amazon.com is the one we happen to use.  We receive no consideration from Amazon.com.

Functional Friday: 10 Things - Where Was Moses When the Lights Went Out?

Everyone knows he was down in the cellar eating sauerkraut. But he could have been enjoying something a bit tastier if he had planned a little.

Did the earthquake and tsunami in Japan make you take a second look at your emergency supplies? Does the thought of storing a full 90 days of food, water and household supplies seem to be too much? Start Small! Here are my top 10 picks of food to keep in your pantry. (And when the "lights go out", you won’t be forced to eat sauerkraut.)

Water. Adequate water is so important. Everyone in your household needs 1 gallon/day. Store, at a minimum, 3 days worth. When you have that, strive for 7 days, then 21, and so on. You can go a long time without food. Not so much on the water. You can buy a gallon of drinking water for about $1. So for a family of four people, for way less than $20, you can store over 3 days of water.

Nutrition Bars. Individual snack pouches of crackers are nice, but many aren’t very nutritious. Have a look at the nutritional information. Nutrition bars are portable, and yummy. My favorites are the all-natural Zone Perfect Bars.

Fortified Breakfast Cereals. These require no preparation and have a significant shelf-life. Many have protein, and are fortified with vitamins and minerals. They’re mostly portable, lightweight if nothing else, most people are accustomed to the taste. My favorite is Kashi Go Lean. Cereals are often found on sale any given week at the grocery store. Sometimes you can get a box of something substantial for less than $2. If you eat cereal regularly, then this is just planning ahead for normal use.

Peanut Butter. Unless you have an allergy in the family, peanut butter is a great shelf-stable item full of protein, fat, and flavor. It goes well with lots of other snacks you might have, or just from a spoon. My favorite is Smuckers Natural in the glass jar.

Crackers. Crackers can serve as a great substitute for bread. If you happen to have cheese and ham, make a tiny sandwich, same for peanut butter or nutella. I’m a fan of good old Ritz, and if you find them on sale, you can store a few boxes of them.

“Canned” soup. It requires minimal preparation, and feels like a homecooked meal. (crumble some crackers on top!) My pick is a carton of Trader Joe’s Red Pepper Bisque or TJ’s Latin Black Bean (spicy!).

Pouched tuna. It’s a great source of protein, the pouches require no can opener, so it’s very portable. Make yourself a little tuna sandwich out of the crackers or add tuna to your soup.

Dried Fruit. An easy, portable snack full of energy, kid friendly, and it stores well. My pick is prunes and apricots.

A treat. Whatever that means to you and your family: a 2 liter bottle of soda, big bag of M&M’s, Little Debbie Snack Cakes, Chocolate bars, Starbuck’s via instant coffee, pudding cups, chips, gummi worms. It’s going to raise your spirits to have a little indulgence when the lights go out.

Multivitamins. This should probably be part of your normal routine anyway. There are numerous studies showing that people who regularly take a multivitamin have a lower incidence of cancer and other diseases. But if you don’t eat an adequate variety of foods, a multivitamin will fill in the gaps.

Avoiding the (Practically) Unavoidable - BPA

After reading Jennifer's post about food safety and BPA, I started looking around and paying attention to this issue.  And what I've found is amazing.  BPA is absolutely everywhere.

A trip to Whole Foods yielded the three tomato items pictured, but they are only potentially in BPA free packaging.  (I have found none but pasta sauce elsewhere.)  I was not able to find  confirmation of BPA testing for any of these products.  Despite BPA free packaging and labeling, many food products still contain measurable amounts of BPA, perhaps from being stored, shipped, and processed in containers that may contain BPA. 

I've also learned that the "BPA free" labeling on many products only includes the raw materials.  These items may contain BPA that leached into the product from the manufacturing equipment that did contain BPA.

And if you mother told you once, she told you a thousand times, "Wash your hands before you eat."  Here's one more reason why.  Those quick and convenient thermal receipts are often coated in BPA.  BPA has been proven to absorb through the skin, but handling a receipt and eating would significantly increase exposure.

Good news from SC Johnson!  Ziplock bags and plastic containers do not contain BPA, according to their website.

I've begun avoiding canned goods altogether, which is a huge jump from where I started.  As I originally collected a pantry full of "inventory," a good portion of that was canned goods.  I've begun looking for tetra-pak and pouched foods.  I've also purchased a lot more frozen foods, especially vegetables.  And I'm buying everything I can in glass.  (Although most lids still contain BPA, it's obviously less area and in less contact.)

According to the Environmental Working Group, plastics #1, #2, and #4 are BPA free.  I'm checking the package before I buy products now.

I also just invested in more glass storage-ware.  And I'm looking at purchasing some canning jars for food storage, as well.  (Although those lids also contain BPA.)

Beans, Beans, the Wonderful Fruit...

Photo Credit: Mats Heyman

I cannot help smile as I recall this rhyme that my cousin taught me when were in elementary school.  It must have been ghastly listening to the two of us chanting this amusing verse, but we were right.  Common beans just might be magical as Jack (of legendary beanstalk fame) thought they were.  I've recently fallen in love with these wonderful legumes for their nutritive and "clean eating" properties.  Beans are economical, versatile, shelf stable and SUPER good for you.  When we use dried beans, we also avoid additives like sodium and BPA, and we reduce our carbon footprint by reducing packaging, processing, and shipping.  My kids love them, but my husband doesn't, so I've been carefully collecting varieties of beans and interesting recipes, hoping to come away with a winning combination of meals that my whole family can enjoy while I (silently and inconspicuously) bask in the glory of the money I've saved and food additives I've avoided.  I made a simple lentil dish this week that everyone at my house loved.  I've included that recipe and a few links to other bean-y recipes that we all enjoyed. 

Boston Baked Beans (Here's where I mentioned these before.)
Curried Ham and Mayacoba Bean Salad
Red Beans and Rice

Easy Lentils (serves 6-8)

6 rashers bacon - optional (I call them slices, but was recently informed they are rashers.)
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2-3 ribs celery, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil, If you didn't fry the bacon.
2 c lentils (rinsed and sorted - Lentil do not have to be soaked.)
4 c chicken, beef or other broth
2-3 carrots, peeled or sliced (or frozen carrot slices)

Fry bacon until crispy, remove from pan.  Saute onions and celery in bacon grease or olive oil on medium heat for five minutes.  Add lentils and saute an additional five minutes, stirring constantly.  (Add additional olive oil as needed.) Slowly and carefully add broth.  (Lentils may "pop" as you add the liquid.)  Reduce heat and allow beans to simmer for 30 minutes.  Stir in carrots and bacon crumbles and simmer an additional 30 minutes.  Serve with cornbread.

Easy Cornbread (serves 6-8)

1 1/2 cup flour (I use unbleached or whole grain white.)
1 cup corn meal (I use Hodgson Mill, which is whole grain.)
1/4 cup (I sometimes add 1/2 cup to make it very sweet.)
2 teaspoons baking powder (I use aluminum free.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 c milk
1/4 cup oil
1 egg (or two egg whites)
1/2 cup frozen corn (optional)

Mix dry ingredients, add wet ingredients, stir in corn kernels.  Pour into greased 8 inch pan.  Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Soup!

Everywhere I look are magazines, books, and products for home organization. Whether it's new year's resolutions or the end to the holiday chaos, everyone seems to be organizing.


One thing I want to do is "organize" my freezer and pantry. Using the foods that I bought, rotating stock, replacing what I've used. I want to do more meal planning and cooking. I also want to do more enjoying of foods that I want to eat. And in wintertime, nothing beats a great hot and hearty soup. Pair it with a sandwich, and that is my perfect meal, especially on a cold, snowy day.

This is a favorite soup that, to me,
goes very nicely with a grilled cheese
sandwich. And most of the ingredients
are ones you probably already have
stored in your pantry and freezer.




Tomato & Chicken Florentine Soup


1 carton of chicken broth (28 oz)

2 baked chicken breasts, cubed

6-8 ounces small shell pasta (I use a half box of whole wheat)

1/2 of a 10 ounce box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 carton of chopped tomatoes (23 oz)

1 T of olive or canola oil

1 small onion, chopped

spices of your choice (I have a jar of "italian" seasoning that is just perfect)

salt



Heat oil in a large pot, cook onion until translucent. Add in chicken chunks, reduce heat.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and spinach.

Boil and drain the pasta until it's al dente (it will do more cooking in the soup).

Add pasta to chicken broth mixture. Add water to achieve desired soup consistency.

Add spices and salt to taste.

Simmer until flavors are well mixed.



Have a cup or two with a shake of parmesan on top, if desired. Serve with a tasty sandwich.

A drink to warm you from the inside out!

We keep teasing you with the necessity of a well-stocked pantry and a few long-term "survival" supplies.  Hopefully, we are piquing your interest and building a knowledge base that helps you prepare to survive your jungle - storms, family, school, travel, unemployment, holidays, expectations, whatever.

Today, I'm touting the virtually unending benefits of a hot drink, which ties perfectly to the well-stocked pantry... and to winter warming and celebrating. 

Most of these ingredients are shelf-stable for many months, which makes them perfect additions to your pantry plan.  Stock up on the ones you are most likely to use (rotate your supply) and try a few new ones as well.

Hot drinks are social.  People tend to gather at the coffee pot or at the coffee shop.  Hot drinks are a ritual.  We start our morning or follow our dinner with a cup of coffee.  Anyone serve afternoon tea? Hot drinks are an indulgence.  Whether you're having a grande latte from Starbucks or a mug of spiced cider at home, you feel special drinking your cozy signature beverage.  Hot drinks are healthy. Did you know Americans' number one source of antioxidants is coffee?  And along with tea, chocolate, and fruit juice drinks, it provides a host of other possible benefits as well.  Hot drinks are therapeutic.  Hot drinks have traditionally been used to treat a host of problems, illnesses, and symptoms.  Although any diagnosis or treatment recommendation should come from a doctor, I did find a few references that certainly support this claim: treatment for cold and flu, first aid for hypothermia, and providing psychological benefits.  Hot drinks are a survival necessity.  Beyond the emotional benefits of a fire and a warm drink, heating water can become a necessity for killing bacteria, cooking foods, and extracting nutrients in 'teas' made of wild plants.

Here are a few ideas and recipes to get you thinking about what items to add to your pantry.

Christmas Tea (My Family Recipe)

• 2 cups Tang orange drink mix
• 1 package Wyler's sweetened lemonade
• 1/2 cup Nestea instant Tea
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix and store in airtight container.  Add 3 teaspoons to 1 cup hot water.  Stir and serve.

Hot Cocoa
Hot Buttered Rum
Hot Toddy
Irish Coffee
Spiced Cider
Mulled Wine
Wassail - There are 1,000 variations.  I've included my favorite explanation which quotes Shakespeare.
Chai Tea from India is revered for its restorative qualities.
Coffee - ground coffee in the original sealed can stores the longest (check the date)
Black/Green/Oolong Tea
Herbal Teas
Hot water with lemon or honey
Warm milk (with a shot of vanilla syrup)
Vegetable or Chicken Broth or Bouillon

Food Storage in 87 Easy Steps

If you haven't read Monday's post, start there.  We live in a very different world than our grandparents, and most of us don't have the time, resources, or knowledge (not to mention the desire) to "put up" all of our own food.  But that doesn't mean that we don't need a stock of food and other household supplies to help us "weather" tough times. 

First Step is to Plan: 

Think about your needs, your potential “winter”, your potential emergencies - times when you might have to scale back. Prioritize what is most important to you. 

Lists! I love making lists, and the computer is key for this.

Household Items: Make a list of all the consumable items that you use on a daily basis: shampoo, paper towels, Q-tips, laundry detergent, pet food. Think about how much you’d use in 90 days. Then think about things you might only use weekly: cleaning supplies, stamps, cat litter. Then monthly: vacuum bags, furnace filters. Finally seasonally: yard waste bags, for instance. Work out the numbers to 90 days -- try not to be overwhelmed.  Just start the list and work on a few items.  Once you've found a rhythm, you can add items easily and "catch up."

Food: Make a menu for your family of 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 7 dinners. Try to come up with meals that aren’t heavily dependent on fresh ingredients. If you like a salad every night, that’s great, but it won’t last long. Consider planning with a frozen bag of vegetables or a canned item. Write down the ingredients needed. (An excel spreadsheet is good for this.) Make sure that these meals are ones that your family enjoys and will eat. One on my list is spaghetti dinner: 1 lb pasta, 1 jar of pasta sauce, 1 lb of ground beef, onions, California blend vegetables, bread, butter, and garlic powder (for garlic bread), etc. Then I multiplied by 12. That’s right, twelve jars of pasta sauce, 12 pounds of ground beef, etc.

I’ve been buying these items as they are on sale. Not long ago, I found our favorite pasta sauce on sale for $0.99/jar. I also found our favorite pasta on sale for $0.99/box. Could I have found something cheaper? Maybe, but I’m filling our pantry with the food that we like. I’ll be looking out for a sale on ground beef to put in the freezer.

Water: It’s going to be hard for anyone to store 90 days of water, but storing water is a good idea. A reasonable plan is to plan to store at least 7 days for your family (at least 1 gallon/person/day).

Second Step is to identify a Space: 

If you’re lucky enough to have a pantry, then this a no-brainer. But if not, consider underneath the stairs, in the basement, in the spare bedroom, the upstairs bedroom, a heated garage, a large cabinet. You may have to find more than one place to store your food. This can also be a work in progress as you realize what, where, and how large you need exactly.

The Third Step is to slowly build up your supply: 

Budget for your food storage. Before you go to the store, identify what you need, peruse the weekly ads. Start with the basics - a few complete meals, some bottled water. Then go from there. If you’re buying laundry detergent because you need it, throw in an extra to store, especially if it’s on sale or you have a coupon.

The Fourth Step is to use it: 

Rotate your food. Use the oldest stuff first and put the new stuff in the back. Replace what you’re using.  When I grab items from the pantry, I write them down on a list I keep on the fridge.  When I get home from grocery shopping, I put pantry items away in storage (at the back of the shelf).

The Fifth Step is to review: 

Take a look at what you’re truly using and what you’re not. Use up or donate the older stuff. Identify any lifestyle changes that require different supplies. New baby in the house? You need diapers.

Always always remind yourself that you’re taking steps to protect your family in the event of an emergency.

The Ant and the Grasshopper and Preparing for "Winter"

If you’ve ever read the fable of the ant and the grasshopper, you remember that the ant spent his summer working - storing up food and generally preparing for the eminent winter months when food wasn’t plentiful. You’ll also remember that the grasshopper spent the summer playing the violin and ignoring the fact that winter was just around the corner. Whether you read the version where the grasshopper died or a friendlier version where the ant shared with the grasshopper, if it hadn’t been for the ant, everyone would have starved.

Our pioneering grandparents had gardens, used glass jars for home canning, and stored food staples and dry goods for the harsh winters when supply and transportation may have been limited. The whole idea of that first dinner out in Plymouth was to express the sheer gratitude of the pilgrims for the bounty that they had received as they faced the long New England winter. Today, we’ve been spoiled with 24-hour grocery stores, drive-thru restaurants and various methods of food preservation. We rarely plan out our meals beyond a week. Most of us don’t know hunger or scarcity, so it’s impossible to understand the gratitude for having a full pantry in preparation for what was ahead.

We don’t think about it, but protecting our food supply is a serious issue. Recently, in the news, we’ve heard reports of egg recalls due to salmonella and the increase in wheat prices due to the drought in Russia. Don’t feel like this will affect you? What about your ability to buy groceries? Losing a job, facing a health crisis, an unexpected expense can all affect our income and our food supply. We can’t control these events, but we can prepare for them by filling our pantry in the time of excess, because winter might be around the corner.

One of my goals this year was to create an organized storage area and stock 90 days (3 months) of food and household goods. The year has almost come to a close and I have to admit that I haven’t achieved it yet. It was a daunting task when I sat down to it, and it’s been a work in progress all year. Over the next couple of months, I’ll share with you some of the ways that I’m working on my 90-day-supply.

I’d love to hear what things your storing up in preparation for “winter”.

Bread in a Can

I'll admit it, I'm obsessed.  Every time I go shopping I'm always looking for new items to store in my pantry that will serve me in a pinch or a disaster.  I found a fun one this week.  (I know, I'm weird!)  

Brown Bread IN A CAN!  This product originates from colonial New England where they made this whole grain (wheat, rye, and corn) and molasses rich bread.  The bread was traditionally steamed in a mold (can) in a kettle in the fireplace. Colonial cooks could not bake bread since most settlers didn't have an oven in their home.  The sweet bread often contained raisins, since dried fruit would be available year round. (I bought my bread without, though.)

Serve this with some baked beans (My kids love baked beans!) and you have an authentic New England meal whether you're revisiting 1776 or enjoying a 2010 tradition.  The beauty of this meal is that you can make steamed brown bread and Boston baked beans from scratch for a delicious, healthy meal.  Or you can eat in minutes (or in an emergency) with these shelf-stable products.

Do you have ideas for interesting shelf stable meals?

An ounce of prevention...

In this case, I'm using a plastic cup of prevention. We have a chest style deep-freeze in our basement full of meat and fish, fruit and vegetables, and some foods like trays of oven-ready lasagna or frozen tamales. We always store the freezer full, using PETE (#1) plastic bottles of water to make up the empty space. But I was occasionally worried that the power would go out while we were away or that one of the kids would leave the lid open without me knowing (It happened... my kids, my aunt's house, sore subject.) My concern is that it will all thaw and refreeze without me know about it - exposing my family to food-borne illness.

Fill cup.	Here's what I've done. I took an eight ounce plastic cup (I used a kid's cup from a local restaurant.) and filled it with water nearly to the top.  I placed the cup in the freezer until it was frozen solid.  Then I put it upside-down in the basket at the top of the freezer.  In the event of a power outage (or other freezer disaster) the ice will melt as the temperature in the freezer rises, at least the ice will fall out of the cup at worst the cup will be empty. Since the cup of ice is upside-down, I'll know the freezer has been affected even if everything has refrozen.
Freeze water.	During a power outage, keep your freezer closed.  Don't give in to the temptation to open the door even once.  If it lasts more than two hours, you should evaluate the contents of your freezer when the power returns.  You'll need a food thermometer.  Anything that has been at 40 degrees or higher for more than two hours should be thrown away.  If food in the freezer is colder that 40 degrees and has ice crystals, you can refreeze it.  If you are not sure about an item, throw it away.
Place upside-down in freezer.	Food safety is an important issue everyday.  Conveniences like refrigerators and freezers allow us to have little concern for food spoilage.  When our normal routines are altered, however, we need to put a bit of thought and planning into staying safe and healthy.  One resource available to you is the USDA website.  They offer tips on food storage, thawing frozen food, and using dry ice in your freezer.

Thank God, I have never had a major power outage while I was not home to take care of things.  But I do still check that little cup almost every time I get something out of the freezer.

Simple and Artful Beer Bread

I was one of those bakers that bought beer bread mixes.  They were so easy and so delicious, and they cost $6!  After repeated chiding from Meredith, the economist, I decided to give it a go from scratch.  The first few recipes I found called for self rising flour.  Again my "frugal beer bread guide" insisted that I should make it from scratch. So I found a great recipe on Farmgirl Fare that includes many delicious variations.  

When I was buying those $6 mixes, the package did mention that I could use anything from beer to soda, but I never experimented (not at $6 a shot).  Now that I'm making my own beer bread from scratch for pennies a loaf, I'm experimenting!  I generally keep four types of flour on hand: hard red whole wheat, hard white whole wheat, soft white whole wheat, and unbleached white flour.  (That probably deserves a future post.)  Today, I made the whole wheat recipe with hard white wheat flour.  But even better than that -- I used Schlafly Pumpkin Ale, made here in St. Louis.  I've made this bread plenty of times with what I call plain ole' beer, but the flavor really changes as I use different flavors and styles of beverage.  Craft beer, imported beer, draft, light, canned, bottled... I'm planning to try Kasteel Rouge and Woodchuck Granny Smith Cider this week-end; I hope their fruity flavors carry through.  Many stores also offer a mix and match six pack, perfect beer bread fodder!  I'll also be trying soda, as well. Lemon lime, peach, and root beer all sound delicious to me.

(I also know someone who home-brews excellent and interesting beers.  I plan to take advantage of those brews soon!  This week, I also marinated stew meat 24 hours in just a bottle of beer.  The meat was very tender, and you could taste the subtle flavors imparted by the beer even when the stew was done. I can't wait to experiment with more beers as marinade.)

Here's my favorite thing about beer bread.  The ingredients are shelf stable, quick, simple, and inexpensive!  This bread is a delicious item you can literally throw together and serve with a meal or as a meal with just honey, butter or jam.  And granted that you have an oven -- it's ready in an hour.  You can also use beer bread to make french toast for a special breakfast.  (Or breakfast for dinner!)  Chunk it up to make some delicious bread pudding.  Dice, season, and bake it for some extravagant croutons.  I'm certain I'll be trying to make it in a dutch oven this fall. (Maybe I'll try that this week-end, too.)  I'll also start working with my kids to make this bread.  They love cooking and baking.  Serving their own loaf of bread will certainly do wonders for their kitchen confidence.

Maybe you could use a little kitchen confidence, as well.  Or perhaps you are quite experienced in the kitchen.  Either way, I challenge you to stretch out of your comfort zone and experiment with this quick and delicious recipe right away.  Then let me know what you think.