Keeping it long term...

Potatoes...  Why can't I pass up a deal on potatoes...

If I can get three pounds extra for less than double a two pound bag why the fuck do I feel like I need to get it?

Because after I get it it sits until I never get to it then I watch them either sprout or rot.

So I needed a solution...

Enter a new girlfriend and a food dehydrator.

It seems that if you dehydrate potatoes they turn to a black goopy bitter mess.  Dogs won't eat them.  So how does Betty Fucking Crocker do it?

Here is how.

Peel the little bastards as the potatoes begin to get a bit mushy.  Slice them to the same thickness and put them in cold water to soak for a bit.  Take a big assed pot of water and bring it to a boil.  Add a little salt to the water and toss in the slices for about one minute.  Remove them and put them back into cold fresh water. This cools them.  Then place them in a single layer on the dehydrator trays and run the sucker overnight.

Blanching the potatoes stops the enzymes that decay the starches when exposed to air.  The salt adds flavor and changes the PH just enough to prevent bacteria from grabbing a foot hold on the dried wafers.

What can you do with this?

How about Au Gratin potatoes?

Ingredients required:

3 cups sliced dehydrated potatoes
6 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation of recipe:

1. Place potatoes in a shallow baking dish.
2. In a small saucepan over a low heat melt 6 tablespoons of butter.
3. Take the butter and add the flour to it. Stir well in order to blend together.
4. Gradually add the milk.
5. Continue cooking and stirring continuously until a thick sauce is formed.
6. Add the cheese and stir until the cheese melts.
7. Pour the sauce over the potatoes that are in the baking dish and mix them gently.
8. Bake potatoes at 400° for 30 to 40 minutes. Final product should be golden brown.

We added leftover ham steak.  Everyone loved the meal and we decided that drying out the remaining taters was going to happen.  

The Basics and a New Reality

Money is tight.  It is for just about anyone these days. 

In an effort to reduce my cash expenditures for food I have been looking online for deals that might help defray the costs of food.  One of them is a blog called The Money Saving Mom.  Upon first glance some of the ideas that she has are good.  Buy in bulk when you can and take full advantage of coupons.  However, looking at the deals that she lists there is almost nothing on her list of deals that I would ever eat. 

I don't like biscuits in a can, I do not like packaged dinners that require less than four steps to complete and I do not like pre-packaged pastries that will have a shelf life of up to 3 years.

I have previously waxed poetically about beans and rice.  I have said that oatmeal is better than no meal.  And I have stated that soup about the best thing since sliced bread.  (I don't like most store bought breads either.)

So what is a guy supposed to do with limited resources and a dislike for pre-packaged bullshit that will kill a person if it is consumed even in moderation?

Here are some of my thoughts.

I could shop at the local food co-op with the dirty fucking hippies and pay too much for still questionable items on the shelves.  Yes they are locally produced but unless I can actually talk to the farmer that made the item or see the factory that the packaged stuff produces I will be far too skeptical.

I am less skeptical about beans and rice.  Because they ingredients listed are "Beans" and "Rice."

My solution is this:  Get my food from as close to the farmer or farm as I can get.  Any processing of the food that needs to be done I will do myself if possible.  And preserve my finds as much as I possibly can in order to have a pantry that is well stocked and ready for the lean times.

There are several tools necessary for this to happen. 

First, I need to know a farmer.  Now the local farmers markets will have this and I will take advantage of the produce that they have.  The only thing that would improve that is if I was in a position to have my own garden.  Until that happens the farmers markets will definitely do the job.

I am in the position of not only knowing a farmer but I also work on this farm almost every weekend.  I do not generally get cash for my labor but I do get food.  This is a Grazing dairy farm but they also have chickens and pigs.  There is also beef available at the end of the year when the bulls are subject to their final fate and turned into food.  All of this is done locally and the processor is also local.  As a matter of fact they slaughter the animals on the farm premises so if I am on the farm the day of the slaughter and purchase said animal I can see the health of the animal from the inside out.  These are free range animals so the worst day that they have is their last day.

Eggs are also available from the chickens.  Because they are not stuck in a cage and force fed nasty feed they are free to roam and find the food they chose to find.  It makes for better than best eggs in terms of flavor and color.  Also, I see white eggs as being abnormal.  If they are short on eggs there are several Amish homesteads that sell eggs by the bucket load cheaper than any grocery store.

Now that I have accurately described some of the sourcing of food that I would like to do I have three means of preservation that I would like to achieve.

First and foremost, using the technology that is on hand I can freeze all of the meat that I get.  Unfortunately I am stuck with a small freezer at the moment but I hope to get the chest freezer that my ex-wife has at the house that I currently still own but do not live in.  Once a chest freezer is procured then I can preserve in bulk several pounds of meat.  The freezer will also work for various veggies that have been blanched.

Second thing that I would like to have is a dehydrator.  This can be used to dry vegetables that can then be stored in a dark dry place and used quickly without much effort.  It can also be used to make several types of jerky and dry fruit for long term storage as well.  This is something that can be purchased or I figure I can build one that will also act as a piece of furniture when not in use.

Third is to get a pressure canner and a water bath canner and get into some serious canning.  This can be anything from vegetables, jams and jellies we well as soups and stews.  Hell I can even pickle eggs to have as a fast source of protein when needed.  This will be key because in the event of a long term power outage I will be able to can the frozen foods thawing in the freezer.  If I prepare for a huge canning run I can produce a ton of meals in a short period of time that will last for a very long time.  Also the canning jars will be reusable and therefore there will be little wasted.

I am guessing that after the initial investment that the savings over time will be recouped quickly.  And as I make this type of preparation a regular activity it will reduce my stress load as well.

Oatmeal is Better than No Meal

So here you are ready to leave for the day.  The options for breakfast are bleak.  The initial cup of coffee is no longer sufficient to get you through to the PB and J at lunch and the shitty breakfast burrito at the little store sucks ass and is not worth the expense or the flavor.

My solution:  Oatmeal.

Yes, the round box with the old man in the funky hat is my preferred brand but the generic store brands are a bit cheaper and pretty much the same stuff.

My preparation is easy even on the most sleep deprived morning.

1 cup of oatmeal in a large enough container.
1/4 cup of dried fruit (I like raisins and papaya)
1 heaping tablespoon of non-fat dry milk
1 heaping tablespoon of flax meal.

Add enough water to my liking and 2 minutes in the nukerowave and I am set for the day.

If I am not hungry first thing I make it to go to work.  I also have one at work if I get hungry or forget to pack one some morning.

I figure that the fruit and the non-fat dry milk will give me 2 servings of fruit and one (maybe more) of protein.

The Flax meal will add fiber and the Omega - 3's that everyone is claiming will lead to better cholesterol and such.  As long as it does not spoil the flavor will not be "off" and keeping the personal plumbing clean and moving is a good thing as well.

My friend Michael says "Oatmeal is better than no meal!"  He has seen some rough times in his life and is able to articulate his struggles quite well.  In his his quote of few words says a lot about day to day life.  Work to get what you have and do the best with what you have got.

Besides, I am actually liking the breakfasts that I am eating these days.  I am a bit stunned that I would claim to like oatmeal.  Maybe it is that I am grateful to have it on my plate today.

Legumes

Beans, peas and lentils.  Members of the legume family.  Peanuts are also legumes but that is for another day.

Generally beans are considered less of a food group and more of a cause for flatulent fun.  I have made them a staple in my kitchen as they are high in amino acids and fiber.  When paired with a starchy food like rice, potatoes and squashes a complete protein is created and the body does quite well eating such things.

The latest foray into legumes has been this:

A Hummus Recipe

Photo credit: Heart foundation of South Africa

YIELD: About four cups, or six-to-eight servings
1 cup dried chickpeas
1 cup tahina
1/2 cup lemon juice, or to taste
 2 cloves garlic, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, or to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Dash of paprika or sumac
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
1. Put the raw chickpeas in a bowl with cold water to cover and soak overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then place them in a heavy pot with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer, partially covered, for about an hour or until the chickpeas are soft and the skin begins to separate. Add more water as needed.
3. Drain the chickpeas, reserving about 1-1/2cups of the cooking liquid. Set aside 1/4cup of the cooked chickpeas for garnish. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, process the remaining chickpeas with the tahina, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and at least 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. If the hummus is too thick, add more reserved cooking liquid or water until you have a paste-like consistency.
4. Heat a frying pan and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Spread the pine nuts in the pan and stir-fry, browning on all sides.
5. To serve, transfer the hummus to a large, flat plate, and with the back of a spoon make a slight depression in the center. Drizzle the remaining olive oil on top and sprinkle the reserved chickpeas, pine nuts, paprika or sumac, and parsley or cilantro over the surface.
6. Serve with cut-up raw vegetables and warm pita cut into wedges
Note: You can also add cayenne pepper to the hummus. Sometimes leftover hummus tends to thicken just add some water to make it the right consistency.