#8 What If . . . EGGS---when the grocery shelves are empty!

Continuing the series to prepare you for a time when the store
shelves are empty and you have to get by on what you have on hand.

EGGS: SAFETY----SUBSTITUTES----POWDERED


Safety: Eggs are among the most nutritious foods and should be part of a healthy diet. However they are perishable and some unbroken, clean, fresh shell eggs may contain Salmonella, a bacteria that can cause food-borne illness. While the number of eggs affected is quite small, the incidences seem to be increasing.

It is highly recommended that foods that contain raw eggs should not be eaten uncooked. This includes "health food" milk shakes made with raw eggs, Caesar salad, Hollandaise sauce, and any other foods like homemade mayonnaise, ice cream, or eggnog made from recipes in which the egg ingredients are not cooked----as well as cookie dough! and cake batters!

To make a recipe safe that specifies using uncooked eggs, heat the eggs in a liquid from the recipe over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees. Then combine it with the other ingredients and complete the recipe.

Substitutes: Many common pantry items can be used in place of eggs in baked goods, even though the nutritional value of the eggs will be lost.  It is a good idea to experiment now, before need arises and a variety of items are available, to see which you prefer. Each recipe equals one egg. If two or three eggs are called for, increase the recipe accordingly. Do not make up a batch to keep on hand. 


FLAX: For each egg needed, place 1 heaping Tablespoon whole flax seed in a blender and blend until it becomes a fine meal. Add 1/4 cup cold water and blend 2 to 3 minutes until thickened and has the consistency of eggs.

UN-FLAVORED GELATIN: For each egg needed, combine 1 teaspoon un-flavored gelatin (like Knox) with 3 Tablespoons cold water and 2 Tablespoons+1 teaspoon boiling water.

The following information was taken from pioneerthinking.com. For each egg called for, replace with one of the following combinations:

• 1 heaping Tablespoon soy powder + 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 Tablespoon soy milk powder + 1 Tablespoon cornstarch + 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 ripe banana replaces an egg in cakes
• 1 Tablespoon milled flax seed + 3 Tablespoons water for light, fluffy cakes

Homemade egg substitutes are less expensive and just as satisfactory (as commercial products). They also have few calories.  

Low Cholesterol Egg Substitute

1 Tablespoon non fat dry milk powder
2 eggs whites from large fresh eggs
4 drops yellow food coloring
Sprinkle powdered milk over egg whites, then beat them with a fork until smooth. Add food coloring and beat until blended. This makes 1/4 cup which is equal to one large  egg. If you use this for scrambled eggs, cook it in vegetable oil or margarine so the eggs won't be too dry.

POWDERED EGGS
Eggs are an inexpensive source of high quality protein but to store long-term they need to be in powdered form. They are a welcome addition to a pantry and in a rotated, well-rounded food storage. Store in a cool room of your home, powdered eggs in unopened cans will store for up to 10 years. Once they are opened
you should try to use them within 12 months.

If you make any baked goods from a mix, you are likely already using powdered eggs. Once you try using them, you'll find they aren't just for emergencies. They are less messy than fresh eggs and the possibility of the Salmonella bacteria is eliminated.

Commercial bakeries use them to get consistent results from their baked goods.

To use them in your favorite recipes, just add the appropriate amount of egg powder to the dry ingredients, and then add the additional water to your liquid ingredients. Since powdered eggs are pasteurized, they can be used to make your own mixes without worrying about spoilage. They are perfect for camping also.

1 egg = 1 T whole egg powder + 2 T water
2 eggs = 2 T whole egg powder + 1/4 cup water
3 eggs = 3 T whole egg powder + 1/3 cups water
4 eggs = 1/2 cup whole egg powder + 1/2 cup water
6 eggs = 1/3 cup whole egg powder + 2/3 cup water
8 eggs - 1/2 cup whole egg powder + 1 cup water

Powdered egg whites are also available. They are great for meringues and decorating icing.

Remember, it is good to experiment and learn which works best for you before the time of actual need.

Keeping a Journal in a Recipe Box or . . .

GRAB A PENCIL AND TAKE A MINUTE!

Mom's are busy!
Time is precious!
Memories are jogged randomly!
And, unfortunately, unrecorded memories fade!


Journal-ing in a box allows you to write a journal----
a minute at a time.

Using 3x5 or 4x6 "index" cards allows thoughts or memories to be recorded as they occur without needing to find an effective way to fit them into a journal or getting a journal out of chronological order.

File cards can easily become permanent inhabitants of your purse, immediately at the ready for jotting down something one of your children said or did, a quote, an idea, a memory from the past, or notes from an inspirational talk.

Usually one card will hold your thoughts but if you occasionally need more room,
just number a card #2 and keep going.

If more than one of you are using this system, each can use a specific color card
for personal entries and white to record general items or happenings of the family
and children.

We kept our cards in one inexpensive plastic file box (like the type you use to hold
recipe cards), although separate boxes could be used.

We labeled blank index file dividers with a variety of topics, and filed the cards under the appropriate topics.  At the end of this post, to give you some ideas, are categories we had in our box.

NOW . . . and LATER
These journal cards are ready to be enjoyed at any time just as they are. Or ideally, at a later date when time commitments are less hectic, they can serve as effective memory-joggers for writing your life or family history.

Possibilities for DIVIDER LABELS

• My birth
• Early childhood
• Brothers and sisters
• Baptisms and confirmations
• School Experiences
• High School activities
• Dating days
• Employment
• Military service
• College activities
• Courtship
• Marriage
• Early marriage experiences
• Our children
• Fun times with family and friends
• Accomplishments
• Church involvement
• Community involvement
• Vacations
• Holidays
• Traditions
• Goals
• Retirement
• Family vital statistics (birth weight, length, time, illnesses and injuries)
• Relatives and ancestors
• Grandchildren
• Favorite books and authors

And, maybe even a section labeled "memory joggers" where you can write one or two lines on something that comes to mind at a time when you don't even have 3 to 5 minutes to get it all down. Warning: If you use this category be very careful not to let too much time pass or let this section get too full!)

Please don't let your memories pass you by.  

#9 What If . . . BEANS-- when the grocery shelves are empty!

Continuing the series to prepare you for a time when the store
shelves are empty and you have to get by on what you have on hand.

oops! I goofed on the series numbering. So, there is not a #7


BEANS (or legumes) are an inexpensive and nutritious protein food.

They are high in fiber, low in fat, a good source of protein, carbohydrates, folate, and many trace minerals. There are many different beans in the legume family. The different types can be interchanged in most recipes. Often their names are also interchanged.

Beans store well, cost little, and provide a punch for the nutrition dollar.

Varieties and Suggested Uses

Baby Lima - Mild flavored. Serve as a vegetable or in casseroles.
Large Lima - Rich, buttery flavor. Cook with smoked meat or cheese.
Light Red Kidney - Excellent in any recipe calling for cooked beans.
Dark Red Kidney - Colorful salad bean, mainly sold in canned form.
Split Peas - Dried peas are produced by drying pea pods that have been harvested when fully mature. Once they are dried and the skins removed, they split naturally. Generally green, but also available in a more delicately-flavored yellow.
Black-eye Peas - Also called black-eyed bean, it is a subspecies of the cow-pea, grown around the world for its medium-sized edible bean. They are pale colored with a prominent black spot. Cook with pork or chicken.
Small White - Their firm texture holds up under long, slow baking.
Navy - Medium-sized white pea-bean. Great for baked beans and soups.
Great Northern - Larger than small white or navy beans. Good for baking.
Pink - Great barbecue style or cooked with other spicy seasonings.
Red - Dark red, and pea-shaped. Use in any colored bean recipe.
Black Bean or Turtle Bean - A favorite in southern Mexico and the Caribbean. Great with rice.
Pinto - Popular in chili, refried beans, and other Mexican dishes.
Garbanzo or Chickpeas - Nut-like flavor. Ideal for salads and appetizers. Hummus, a dip or spread, is made from these. They were used quite frequently over 7,000 years ago and Hummus is one of the oldest foods dating back to ancient Egypt.
Anasazi or Ancient Ones - Cook in about half the time, sweeter flavor, mealier and cause less gas.
Lentils - a cousin of the bean. Relatively quick and easy to prepare. Readily absorb a variety of flavors from other foods and seasonings. Great boiled just until crunchy, and sprinkled on salads or as a snack.
Very nutritional.

Dried vs. Cooked Equivalents
There is a significant difference in the cooked yield from one pound of the different beans.
Great Northern: 2-1/3 cups = 1 pound = 6 cups cooked beans
Kidney: - 1-1/2 cups = 1 pound = 9 cups cooked beans
Lentils: 2-1/2 cups = 1 pound = 5 cups cooked
Large Lima: - 2-1/2 cups = 1 pound = 6 cups cooked

Cooking Beans and Legumes - Facts and/or Folklore

• Rinse all beans and legumes in cold water. Remove all dirt, pebbles, or bad beans.
• Soak the beans in 3 times as much water as beans. They can be soaked overnight. Discard soaking water before cooking. Lentils and split peas do not need to be soaked.
• Quick soaking method: For each pound of beans, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add the washed beans to the boiling water and boil for 1 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and soak for 1 hour. Discard soaking water.
• Add 1/8 tsp baking soda and 1 T cooking oil to each cup of beans while soaking. This will shorten the cooking time and decrease foaming.
• If you need to add liquid to your beans while cooking, use boiling water or the beans will be tough.
• The slower the beans are cooked, the easier they are to digest.
• Add meat, onions, celery and herbs during cooking to add more flavor. Add tomatoes, catsup, vinegar and other acid foods after the beans are tender, as the acid prevents softening of the beans.
• beans will increase double to triple during soaking and cooking.
• Cooked beans freeze well and will keep up to 6 months in the freezer.
• Stored beans should be rotated if possible. They continue to lose moisture and will not reconstitute satisfactorily if kept too long.
• Beans can be cooked in the crock pot. Because temperatures of crock pots differ, you may need to experiment with yours for exact cooking times.
• Soybeans can be used as a meat substitute.

Protein Compliments

Animal protein contains all the essential amino acids and can stand alone as a protein choice. Due to the lack of one or more amino acids in plant proteins they need to be paired with either an animal protein or another plant protein to improve their nutritional quality. For example: Legumes or dry beans may be paired with seeds and nuts or with a grain (wheat, cornmeal, rice, oats, etc.). This combination of a grain with the beans provides a complete protein.

Digestive Distress is an undesirable side effect of eating beans. The body lacks enzymes t digest some sugars int he beans. Since the sugars are not digested, they ferment in the digestive tract, creating gas. Following are ways to help alleviate this.

• Soak beans a minimum of 3 hours (8-12 hours is better) and discard soaking water.
• Sprout beans by soaking them 2 to 3 days, changing water 3 to 4 times, until beans begin to sprout. Then proceed to cook them.
• Add the lacking enzyme to the diet in the form of tablets or liquid; one commercial product is called "Beano."

Increase the Consumption of Beans by adding whole or mashed beans to meatloaf, soups, stews, and casseroles. Do this is small amounts to begin with and increase over time. Also, you can used cooked and pureed beans in baked goods.

Beans as a Fat Substitute

Cooked beans may be pureed and used in place of part of the fat in baked goods. They help provide moisture to the recipe but since the pureed beans will not act the same way as fat in baking, the final product will be changed. Do not replace all fat with pureed beans. Begin by replacing 1/4 to 1/2 and test the quality of the product.

Quick and Easy Hummus

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained with liquid reserved

1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 to 2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1 T olive oil

1/2 tsp lemon juice, or to taste

Combine all in a blender or food processor. Blend on low speed, gradually adding a little reserved bean liquid, until desired consistency is achieved. Refrigerate to meld flavors. Serve with pita or other chips, crackers, cucumber slices, pepper strips, etc. Refrigerate leftovers.

Bean and Bacon Soup

2 strips bacon, browned

1 medium onion, chopped

1 T flour

2 cups bean puree

2 cups milk or meat stock

salt and pepper

Fry bacon, remove from pan and drain on paper. Cook onion in bacon drippings until golden color. Blend flour with onions and fat. Add puree and milk or stock gradually. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Cook 2-3 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Crumble bacon; sprinkle on top of soup before serving.

Black Bean Brownies

1 brownie mix that requires eggs and oil

1 (about 15 ounce) can of black beans

Rinse the black beans; add just enough water to cover the beans that are in the can. Pour the water and beans into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add the pureed beans to the brownie mix instead of the eggs and oil. Bake according to directions on brownie mix.

Apple Spice Pinto Bean Cake

2 cups cooked pinto beans, mashed

1 egg

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup oil

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp each cinnamon, cloves and allspice

2 cups applesauce

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped nuts

2 tsp vanilla

Cream honey, egg, oil and beans together. Mix with dry ingredients. Add applesauce, raisins, nuts and vanilla. Bake in greased 9x13 pan at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Celebrating the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

O come let us adore Him

If only...                           we would keep the Spirit of Christmas in our hearts all 365 days!
     
     Times and circumstances of our growing and spreading (distance-wise) family, have naturally brought about changes in some of the ways we carry out the following but most are constants being carried on one way or another, according to our individual and family circumstances. 
     Following are ways our family celebrates this most wonderful time of the year. There are never too many ways to honor Him and the season, I'd love to have you e-mail me so I can share with others the way you celebrate.

• We rejoice in the birth of our Savior and the blessings that come to us as a result of this most wonderful of all gifts.

• We bask in the warmth and love that surrounds all aspects of this season -- regardless of the temperature.

• We delight in the jolly rotund man in the bright red suit.

• We display a handmade Santa kneeling before the infant Jesus.

• We soak up the beauty of this time of year---the music, the programs, the decorations and the beautiful lighting displays---and try to avoid the harsh commercialism that threatens to engulf it.

• We bake (and devour) the baked goods and candies that are so abundant.

• We renew friendships and acquaintances through visits and correspondence.

• We draw names for family gift-giving, and stay within a designated budget.

• We scurry in search of the perfect gifts.

• We seek those that are less fortunate and offer our help.

• We gather together with family members.

• We read the Scriptures surrounding His birth, and Christmas stories.

• We celebrate Christmas eve, with our children and grandchildren, reenacting the story of Christ's birth while the Biblical account is read.

• We bake a birthday cake for the baby Jesus, and sing Happy Birthday to Him.

• We leave cookies for Santa.

• We open our gifts Christmas morning, taking turns and taking time to watch one another.

• We respect the beliefs of others and their methods of worship, knowing that we are all sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.

Another Version of When I am Old. . .

There are a variety of poems that address the basic theme of When I am Old I will wear a purple dress and a red hat and learn to spit and do as I wish. Since I am probably officially old, here is the Simply, Gail version.

I am a mature woman and I can do as I please (mostly)
I can wear colors that don't quite match and shoes that are comfortable, rather than stylish.
I can do somewhat odd things, maybe even outlandish
Like eat cookies for breakfast and breakfast for dinner
And read all night if I wish -- and then sleep all the next day.

I can plant plastic flowers in my garden beds and people them with clay critters
And eat microwave meals at home or enjoy senior discounts out
I have time to read the entire newspaper without interruption and clip articles to send
     to my kids (who have no time to read them).

My time is more free than it used to be
And I will use it as it suits me (usually)
There is less to do and I've more time to do it
But I'm so slow this new math doesn't add up.

I've been there and done that and need no more stuff
New crafts and dust catchers are a thing of my past
I can attend Enrichment Night and feel I get all the enrichment
     I need simply by visiting with my friends
But maybe I'll quilt or help others learn the things I have already learned.

I have done my growing but does a mature plant ever stop giving
It continues to give of itself---the strength it develops, the roots it sinks deep
     makes it ever more valuable.

I have found peace within myself, and confidence and know-how and how-to
     through the years (even if just a little)
I can be as the plant giving my growth and my gain to nourish and enrich those that
     are struggling along the same paths I've already trod.

I can punch the buttons of my many time-and-labor saving devices with the best of
     the young (and I love them---both the devices and the young)                                                                                                                                                            
But I also know how to do and make do without these conveniences (while many do not)
And we are told the time will come when we will need to know how to do these things again.
 
The years have taught me much and I have much I can give----
If I will.

A Few More Simple Suggestions

I didn't start out to do this, but. . . 

this week's M-W-F posts have sorta built on one another. Maybe, kinda in the same way the ideas/practices/habits/traditions came about and/or build on one another, usually one at a time.

Hopefully you can or have gleaned at least one something from these three posts.

Life happens one day at a time. When we are living it, everything is vivid. As time passes,
trust me on this, images and memories fade. It is very important to write at least dates on
the back of all your photos. Identifying those in the picture is also a great idea because, believe
it or not, down the road you may not remember everyone in the photo, or the whens and
whys of the event. The messages on the back of pictures become a photo journal.

That said, if I am fairly close at guessing their ages, this photo was taken about 1983.

Some of the following may increase happiness in the family---
Others may help you maintain your sanity---
A few prepare for the future--- (it is not as far away as it may seem!)

• Take lots of pictures-----and consider actually printing some of them and fastening them in a book. Back in the day, before computers, many happy hours were spent pouring over photo albums, again and again.
• Keep a journal (more about that next week)
• Keep a note pad handy where you and family members can jot down items needed when you go shopping---and then remember to take it with you when you do go shopping!
• Keep a note pad, manicure set, book, etc. in your purse or glove compartment to use in the spare minutes that you may have to wait for a doctor's appointment, sports practice or music lesson to end, etc. The wait goes faster, and having something to do helps ward off antsy-ness or grumpy-ness.
• Continue to court your spouse and maintain your friendship. The two of you were more than likely a couple before you became parents and the time will come when it will be just the two of you again.
• As I have said before, intentionally strive to create memories and traditions since the best things in life aren't things.
• Find time or make time to spend with each child individually.
• Don't let children have everything they want or go without chores just because your childhood was financially sparse or heavy on the need-to-help-out. Intentions are good but the results can be disastrous.
• Let children help you with simple chores while they are still young enough to want to help and enjoy helping. Hopefully chores will be habits by the time the "newness" of the activity wears off. Accomplishment charts can be fun for them.
• Also, let boys help mom in the kitchen and girls help dad with car and yard chores.
• Start a "treasure box" for each child---in it they keep special school papers, and stuff. It doesn't have to be fancy, just a decent size. At first our kids wanted to keep everything but learned to be more selective as their apple boxes started to overflow.
• Learn some simple travel games.
• Keep a kid kit in the car --- it's contents will depend on the ages of your kids. Our "auto survival kit"   was a figurative life-saver in the days of having infants and toddlers. Dave and I love to take rides and explore the country and we have been known to start out for the grocery store and return home hours later. Maybe we followed a hot air balloon or found an intriguing back road. Our kit made this easy to do. We kept a bag in the car that held extra diapers, bottles, canned formula or juice, baby food, crackers, toys, sweaters, and a change of clothes for each kid. We had these impulsive adventures often enough that the food items never went bad. It was great spur-of-the-moment fun!

Years Later

When we were back to just the two of us, we were/are really apt to start out on a quick outing and come back hours or maybe even days later. Our first experience with that was several years ago when we helped a son and his wife and their little boys (it took two cars) drive 11 straight freeway hours through three states to their new home. Dave and I then meandered home, checking out the most interesting-looking little back roads, photographing many old barns, stopping at several quaint shops---never once getting on the interstate. It took 38 hours.

Now

Last month we carefully planned for our first long (2+ weeks) "real" vacation in five years. We knew we weren't getting any younger and wanted to make this trip and see new things while we were still able. We were excited to get started. 

And after two days, we both decided independently of each other, that we really didn't want to drive day after day and spend night after night in a different motel. We took back-roads all the way home. It was great and turned out to be just what we needed.

And in closing for today, no matter where you are in your life, please remember these three important things . . .

Simple things from Simply, Gail

Some Simple Suggestions from Simply, Gail

Monday's post was on priorities and how they change. I concluded the post with the following:

"Along the way we have established priorities---individually, as a couple, and as a family. We never thought of them in such a formal way but that is basically what they were."

Today I will list some of them. For most of them, the one or two sentences will speak for themselves.

These suggestions may seem to be written as commands. This is because it is a waste of time and space to keep saying "you might want to" or "consider doing," etc., and I don't want to keep saying "I do this and that. . ."

Confession: If you have been reading The Creative Cheapskate for very long, it probably won't surprise you to learn that an office review when I was a young woman said, "Gail will get along better when she learns to make her suggestions sound less like demands."

And I promise you ----- I am still working on that.

I suggest that you

• Use what you can,
• Modify an idea you basically like, and
• Most importantly, feel totally free, without guilt, to ignore what you don't like.

What has worked for me

Get up, get dressed, brush your hair and put on a little make-up. Then, take five or 10 minutes to quickly straighten up the living room and kitchen. You will feel better and be better prepared for any unforeseen visitor or situation.

Just before your husband comes home, freshen up your hair and make-up, and maybe even dab on a little fragrance.

Confession:   As I was doing the above one day, our two youngest boys were sharing the bathroom with me. The youngest asked if I was going somewhere and the next oldest responded, "No, it is time for Daddy to come home." 

When he comes home, greet him at the door if possible, but don't immediately begin telling him what a horrible day you had or how ornery the kids were. Chances are his day wasn't so great either.

Realize that as unfair as it may seem, the mom's mood seems to set the mood of the home.

Start dinner, as much as possible, early in the day---thus allowing for the inevitable interruptions.           (Or, at least, give some thought as to what you are going to have.)

When making casseroles or sauces, double the recipe and freeze part for a future time. Keep extra cookies or quick breads in the freezer so you are ready for unexpected guests or for delivery to a new neighbor or someone that is ill --- or for your own bad day.

Confession:  It didn't take me long to learn that frozen cookies or cake slices were very good----and that was in the days before microwaves!


If you have the space, find a place for a rocking chair in the kitchen. It was great for quick special moments with a child, or for just a relaxing minute while waiting for water to boil or the microwave time to ding.

Tomorrow is a big day in the USA. And that makes today a busy day!  Have a wonderful and meaningful Thanksgiving Day. No matter what your individual circumstances and/or trials, take time to

". . . count your many blessings -- name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

No matter how much there is that is wrong, there is always something right----something to be grateful for.

"The difference between a truly happy person and a very miserable person is gratitude."
                                                                                                              Joseph B. Wirthlin