Tuesday, July 26, 2011

July Recipes

Johnny Cake
Oil Cooking Spray 1 cup flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal 1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder 3/4 tsp salt
1 egg                 1 cup milk
2 – 3 tbsp butter melted
Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray a square 8 inch baking pan with oil and set aside. Mix all dry ingredients together. Whisk together wet ingredients in another bowl. Combine together with dry ingredients with a few strokes just until mixed, and transfer to greased pan. Bake until golden brown about 20 – 25 minutes. Serve with hot soup, chili, stew, etc.

Lentil Soup
1 1/2 cup lentils rinsed 8 cups water
3 – 4 tbsp cooking oil         1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic peeled 2 carrots sliced
1 rib celery sliced salt and pepper
1/4 cup beef bouillon         other vegetables as desired
Saute onion, garlic and celery in cooking oil for 2 – 3 minutes soft. Place all ingredients into large cooking pot and bring to boil and boil gently
for about 45 minutes until lentils and vegetables are tender. You can scoop out a good ladle full of this soup and blend it, then return to soup to
give a creamy thickened texture. Add salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot with Johnny Cake or your favorite cornbread recipe.

FYI: Corn is the second most plentiful cereal grown on earth for human consumption. The husks are used for making tamales, the kernels for food, the stalks for cattle,
the silks for medicinal tea. You can fry in corn oil, bake with corn meal, snack on popcorn, sweeten with corn syrup, thicken with cornstarch, and much more. One cup
white corn has about 130 calories, 2 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein, 29 grams of carbs, and 4 grams of fibre with no cholesterol. It is rich in antioxidants lutein and
zeaxanthin, and high in linoleic acid, and vitamin E.

COTTAGE CHEESE BEEF STROGANOFF
Serves 4 - 6
1 lb. ground beef Or 1 (15 oz can ground beef )
dash of pepper
1/2 tsp. sweet basil
5 slices bacon, diced
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 Cup chopped onion
1 can crm mushroom soup
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 Cup cottage cheese
Hot, buttered noodles
In skillet, brown ground beef with bacon (if using canned ground beef, simply heat with bacon). Add onion (rehydrated dried onion may be used, reconstituting to fresh equivalent, but add when you begin to heat with bacon) and cook until tender but not brown. Drain off excess fat. Add salt, basil, paprika, garlic and pepper. Stir in soup and cook slowly, uncovered, 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Blend cottage cheese in blender until smooth. Stir into stroganoff sauce and heat, but do not boil. Serve meat sauce over hot, buttered noodles.
CHICKEN (OR TURKEY) FRICASSEE FOR 1
Makes 1 Cup Broth and 2 Cups Potatoes
1 tsp. Chicken Soup Base
3/4 Cup dry Potato Pearls
1 tsp. dried onion
1/8 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
3 Tbsp. flour
2 oz. Chicken (1/4 cup)
3 Cups water, divided
Cook soup base, chicken, onions, salt and pepper in 1 cup of water. Thicken with as much flour as needed. Boil the other 2 cups of water and stir in the Potato Pearls. Make a "bowl" of the mashed potatoes and spoon broth mixture into it. Increase the recipe according to number of persons to be served.

Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 C vegetable oil 1 C brown sugar or honey
1/2 C peanut butter         1 egg, beaten
1 T sour cream         1 tsp soda
1 1/2 C whole-wheat flour
Cream oil and honey or sugar. Add peanut butter, egg and mix well. Add sour cream, soda & flour and beat well. Form into balls, the size of marbles and place on greased cooking sheet. Press with a fork. Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes.


Peanut Butter Crackle Balls

3/4 Cup powdered sugar 1 Cup peanut butter
1/2 Cup dry milk powder 1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 Cup Rice Krispies

Mix powdered sugar and dry milk powder thoroughly. Add peanut butter and melted butter or margarine. Stir in Rice Krispies. Form into walnut-sized pieces. For an added treat, dip in chocolate.


Peanut Butter Bites

Spread peanut butter on a Cheese Nips cracker. Top with another cracker, making a sandwich. Dip into melted chocolate Slide coated sandwich onto wax paper and let harden.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Bean recipes

Grinding Beans into Flour
When added to boiling water, bean flour thickens in only one minute, and in three minutes is ready to eat. Bean Flours added to baked goods increase vitamins and minerals and provide a source of complete protein. Bean flours store well and are great to have on hand for "instant" soups, sauces, dips, and gravies. You can add bean flour to almost anything you bake. They can be stored at room temperature, but by refrigerating or freezing the flour, more
nutrients are retained. You can grind beans in almost any grinder. Mills with grinding stones cannot, however, grind soybeans, and must be cleaned after each 2 cups of beans. You can do this by grinding one cup of hard wheat after grinding the beans.

Pinto Bean Dip
1/2 med. Onion, minced
1/2 t cumin
1 T beef bouillon
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup picante sauce
2 cups cooked mashed beans
Mix and heat thoroughly. Add 1 cup grated cheese, if desired. Serve hot, topped with chopped green onions and tomatoes.

Quick and EZ Burritos
1/4 cup each black bean flour, pinto bean flour, kidney bean flour
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t chili powder
2 1/2 cup warm water
3/4 t salt
1/2 c picante sauce
Whisk dry ingredients into warm water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir until mixture boils, then reduce heat and cover pan. Cook an
additional four minutes, stirring once. Remove from heat. Add Picante Sauce. Spoon into tortillas and eat as burritos. Can be used as a bean dip as well.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Security and Defense Notes from May 26th workshop



These are my notes that were summarized in the June Ward newsletter:

Stake Emergency Preparedness
Self Defense and Security 
5-26-11
Chief Dean Petterson
The #1 crime in Mapleton is theft. Light and locks will decrease the opportunity for criminals. Keep the doors of your home (front, back and windows), your car and the garage locked, even during the day. Leaving the garage door open even a little can allow someone to slip in. Get a timer for your lights if you will be out of town and install motion sensor lights outside your home. 

Keep track of serial #’s for your possessions that have them especially guns. Keep a a list on the computer as well a printed list in case the computer is stolen. Take a few hours and video the contents of your home, then keep a copy at your home and someone else's or in a safety deposit box.

Be aware of e-mail and or phone scams. If it sounds too good to be true, it is! If you get an e-mail from someone claiming to be a family member on vacation and in trouble and asking for your financial help, check it out before responding. Call the family member and find out if it is legitimate.

Door to door salespeople need to register with the city and will be issued a picture ID with the Mapleton City logo printed on the top. If someone comes to your door without this ID, don’t interact with them. Call the police immediately with a description of the person, the vehicle and the direction they were heading. Most of the door to door people are actually criminals from other communities. The policies the city has enacted has cut down on the number of these types of people.

A couple of other things Chief Petterson talked about were traffic and home security. Wear your seat belt, and slow down when driving. If you are driving on the streets after midnight, expect to be pulled over. The view of the police department is #1 - you are either coming or going to a job or #2 you are trouble. As far as home security, have frequent fire drills in your home and have a meeting place arranged that your entire family is aware of. Repetition helps us react quickly.

If you are going out of town, leave your name, address, what vehicles will be at the house, who will be coming and going from your home to water, pick up mail, etc. so they can check your home from time to time while you are gone. The best watchers are your neighbors, let them know the same info and have them keep an eye on things for you. As neighbors, we can let the police know when something doesn’t look right by calling them immediately with descriptions, not waiting because we’re not sure if there is a problem. You should also put a hold on your mail and papers. A pile of papers in your driveway is a sign to criminals that no one is home.

Richard Davis is a black belt who has 30 years experience. His suggestions for personal safety are:
-Notice the whole person, not just their face
-Be aware of your surroundings especially if you are using a cell phone, ipod, etc. and may  
  be distracted by them
-Keep your distance in a dispute
-Keep an “I am not a victim” mentality
-Carry a kubaton weapon (about $6 from Richard’s business) and/or pepper spray, wasp   
  spray or taser. Pepper spray needs to be replaced yearly as it loses it’s strength over time.
-Walk in pairs to school, to jog
-Walk with your head up and eyes alert
-Scream FIRE instead of help - more people will respond 
-Be confident
-Dogs are a good deterrent
-Visualize yourself in different situations and “what if” scenarios
-Take a self defense class 

Richard is willing to come to YW, RS groups and teach some basic skills for protecting ourselves.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

New Recipes

Rhubarb Cake

1 1/2 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup butter
2 eggs 1 cup sour milk – add 2 tbsp 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt vinegar or lemon into milk
2 1/4 cup flour 1 tsp vanilla
2 cups rhubarb
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Bake in a 9 x 13 greased and floured pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Serve with ice cream! Add raspberries or blueberries to replace some or all of the rhubarb. The will combine nicely together for a great dessert!

Rhubarb Crumble

1/2 cup melted butter 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats 1 1/2 tbsp flour
2/3 cup brown sugar 3 cups raw rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar

Combine melted butter, rolled oats, first amount of flour and brown sugar. Firmly press ? mixture into a 9 inch baking dish. Cover with rhubarb. Combine sugar and second amount of flour. Sprinkle over rhubarb. Cover with remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 – 40 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

HAVING FUN WITH DRIED APPLES

Dried apples are an excellent snack right out of the can.
To reconstitute them, use equal parts of Dried Apples to boiling water. For example:
2 Cups dried apples 2 Cups boiling water

Let this stand at least 5 minutes. If you put this mixture through the blender, you will have applesauce. For variety, you may add 3 Tbsp. Cinnamon Heart Candy (or "Red Hots") to the mixture before you let it stand, or try some cinnamon and sugar mix in it.

HAVING FUN WITH DRIED APPLES

Dried apples are an excellent snack right out of the can.
To reconstitute them, use equal parts of Dried Apples to boiling water. For example:
2 Cups dried apples 2 Cups boiling water
Let this stand at least 5 minutes. If you put this mixture through the blender, you will have applesauce. For variety, you may add 3 Tbsp. Cinnamon Heart Candy (or "Red Hots") to the mixture before you let it stand, or try some cinnamon and sugar mix in it.

APPLE CRISP
6 peeled apples 1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup sugar 1 Cup rolled oats
2 Tbsp. water 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
4 Tbsp. butter or marg. 1/2 Cup chopped nuts,
1 tsp. grated lemon peel 
optional

Slice 6 peeled apples (or you may use the equivalent dried apple slices reconstituted) and spread in greased 8x8 inch baking pan. Sprinkle water and ? cup sugar onto apples. Mix the remaining ingredients and spread over apples. Bake at 350' F. for 45 minutes or until tender. Serve warm or cold. You may top with ice cream or whipped cream. You may also substitute hydrated dried apples, but cut down baking time 10 minutes.

APPLE BROWN BETTY
Pour 2 Cups boiling water over 4 Cups dried apples. Let stand 5 min.
TOPPING: Mix the following ingredients well.
1/2 Cup flour 1/4 Cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 Cup brown sugar firmly packed

Then cut in 1/4 Cup butter. Place the apples and liquid remaining in a greased 9x9-inch pan. Sprinkle topping over the apples. Bake at 350' F. for 55 minutes.

MEAT PIE USING DRY SOUP MIX
Serves 20 - 25
6 Quarts water
1 (10 oz) can condensed tomato souop
2 Cups dry soup mix
2 lbs. frozen hash browns
1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can tomatoes
2 lbs. ground beef
6-7 (9-inch) unbaked pie shells 

If desired add left over vegetables, frozen carrots, corn, etc. Fry hamburger (if using fresh ground beef, or warm if using canned ground beef) until well done and break into tiny pieces. Add to above ingredients, place in unbaked pastry pie shells. Add top crust and seal edges well. Bake in oven at 450'F. for 25 minutes or cover with foil and freeze for future baking.

TAMALE PIE
Serves 8 to 10
1 lb. hamburger
1 Cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 onion, chopped
1 (15 oz) can sliced ripe olives (optional)
1 (15 oz) can tomatoes
1 tsp. salt , dash of pepper
1 (12 oz) can corn, drained
1 1/2 Cups sharp cheese, grated
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 Cup yellow corn meal
2 - 3 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 Cups cold milk
1/2 tsp. salt

Brown the ground beef, green pepper, onion and garlic together. Drain the fat and add tomatoes, tomato paste, corn, olives, sugar, salt, chili powder, and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes until thick. Add cheese and stir until melted. Pour into 9x13-inch baking dish.  Make corn meal topping by heating milk in double boiler; add salt and slowly stir in corn meal. Cook and stir until thick (about 20 minutes), add butter and spread over top of meat mixture. Bake at 375' F. for 40 minutes.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Self Defense, Security and Recipes



Surprise Chocolate Cake
2/3 c dry lentils                                 2 squares baking chocolate
2 c boiling water                               2 c flour
1 ½ c sugar                                      1 tsp baking soda
1 c oil                                               2 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs                                     ½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Rinse, drain, and cook lentils and water for 40 minutes. Drain again and reserve liquid. Puree the lentils and ¼ c liquid. In bowl combine sugar, eggs, and oil. Add vanilla and 1 ¾ c lentil puree. Mix well. Melt chocolate and add to mixture. Add flour, soda, baking powder and salt, to mixture and blend completely. Pour into greased and floured 9x12 pan. Bake in preheated 350 oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Frost when cool.


Lentil and Apple Muffins
½ c dry lentils rinse and drain
1 egg                                                   ½ c oil
1 c milk                                                1 c canned apple pie filling
¾ c ww flour                                        ¾ c white flour
1/3 c brown sugar                                2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda                                1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt                                             ¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp nutmeg
Cover lentils with water and boil for about 40 minutes until tender. Drain and puree in food processor. Preheat oven to 400. Line muffin tins with paper baking cups. Cut any large pieces of pie filling into small pieces. In large bow, beat egg. Stir in oil and milk. Add 1 cup of the puree and the pie filling. In a separate bowl combine flours, sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice and nutmeg. Stir dry mixture into puree just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake 15 minutes or until toothpick comes clean. Makes 8 – 10 muffins.


Stake Emergency Preparedness
Self Defense and Security
5-26-11
Chief Dean Petterson
The #1 crime in Mapleton is theft. Light and locks will decrease the opportunity for criminals. Keep the doors of your home (front, back and windows), your car and the garage locked, even during the day. Leaving the garage door open even a little can allow someone to slip in. Get a timer for your lights if you will be out of town and install motion sensor lights outside your home. 

Keep track of serial #’s for your possessions that have them especially guns. Keep a a list on the computer as well a printed list in case the computer is stolen. Take a few hours and video the contents of your home, then keep a copy at your home and someone else's or in a safety deposit box.

Be aware of e-mail and or phone scams. If it sounds too good to be true, it is! If you get an e-mail from someone claiming to be a family member on vacation and in trouble and asking for your financial help, check it out before responding. Call the family member and find out if it is legitimate.

Door to door salespeople need to register with the city and will be issued a picture ID with the Mapleton City logo printed on the top. If someone comes to your door without this ID, don’t interact with them. Call the police immediately with a description of the person, the vehicle and the direction they were heading. Most of the door to door people are actually criminals from other communities. The policies the city has enacted has cut down on the number of these types of people.

A couple of other things Chief Petterson talked about were traffic and home security. Wear your seat belt, and slow down when driving. If you are driving on the streets after midnight, expect to be pulled over. The view of the police department is #1 - you are either coming or going to a job or #2 you are trouble. As far as home security, have frequent fire drills in your home and have a meeting place arranged that your entire family is aware of. Repetition helps us react quickly.

If you are going out of town, leave your name, address, what vehicles will be at the house, who will be coming and going from your home to water, pick up mail, etc. so they can check your home from time to time while you are gone. The best watchers are your neighbors, let them know the same info and have them keep an eye on things for you. As neighbors, we can let the police know when something doesn’t look right by calling them immediately with descriptions, not waiting because we’re not sure if there is a problem. You should also put a hold on your mail and papers. A pile of papers in your driveway is a sign to criminals that no one is home.

Richard Davis is a black belt who has 30 years experience. His suggestions for personal safety are:
-Notice the whole person, not just their face
-Be aware of your surroundings especially if you are using a cell phone, ipod, etc. and may  
  be distracted by them
-Keep your distance in a dispute
-Keep an “I am not a victim” mentality
-Carry a kubaton weapon (about $6 from Richard’s business) and/or pepper spray, wasp   
  spray or taser. Pepper spray needs to be replaced yearly as it loses it’s strength over time.
-Walk in pairs to school, to jog
-Walk with your head up and eyes alert
-Scream FIRE instead of help - more people will respond 
-Be confident
-Dogs are a good deterrent
-Visualize yourself in different situations and “what if” scenarios
-Take a self defense class 

Richard is willing to come to YW, RS groups and teach some basic skills for protecting ourselves.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Weekly Wisdom & Recipe

Weekly Wisdom
Ever thought of how much toilet paper your family would go through in one year? Here are a couple of ways you can figure it out. Start today, and either have a small paper and pen beside your toilet, checking off a mark every time you change the roll, or have a bag somewhere in your bathroom where you can place all of the empty rolls for one month. Count them up and multiply by 12, then you will know how many rolls your family will need for one year. I personally would rather use toilet paper, than newsprint, or old magazines. Start storing your toilet paper, every time you buy one package for your house, buy one to tuck away for storage purposes, and don't touch it. Soon you will have a nice little stash! Your family will thank you.

CREAM OF POTATO SOUP
Serves 6

2 1/2 Cups cubed potatoes 1 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. chopped onion (Or 2 Tbsp. butter Or margarine
     dry onion, reconstituted) 4 Cups liquid (cooking liquid
1 1/2 tsp. salt                from potatoes), plus water
1 Cup nonfat dry milk powder or milk

Cover potatoes and onion with boiling water. Add salt and cook until tender. Drain and save the liquid. Mash potatoes, or put them through sieve, set aside. Add dry milk and flour to liquid. Beat until smooth. Add butter. Cook over low heat, or boiling water until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes, stirring as necessary to prevent sticking and lumping. Combine with potatoes, and reheat.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Family Drills and recipes

Practice drills for your family are a good way to remind your family what to do in case of emergencies. Today for your family time, take a bit of time to review what your family would do if there were a fire in the house. Go through each room in the house and point our two exits for each room. Then have the kids go and act as if they are doing something they would do each day, when all of a sudden someone yells fire! Have them go through the mock emergency, and their escape routes. You might also want to pair up your kids so that they have a buddy system to ensure that the younger ones have an older one responsible to help them. Or one adult to one or two children as a buddy system. This way you know who you are each responsible for and then the parent is responsible to check in with each of the older ones. Practicing for emergencies will help us to keep calmer in emergencies. It is a well known fact that when in emergencies we all tend to not think clearly, so if we have practiced, then we won't have to think too hard, it will be a natural reaction of what we should do. Preparedness is not living in fear. Preparedness is being aware of things that could happen, so we know how to act responsibly, and confidently, with clear minds. Preparedness is peace of mind!

FOCACCIA BREAD
2 cups warm water 1 tbsp yeast
1/4 cup olive oil         3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp salt         6 cups flour
1 cup fine diced onion 2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup oil         other spices or herbs as you desire. 

Combine water and yeast; add oil, flour, salt, and sugar to the water and mix. Knead in the onion, garlic and other spices. Spread the dough on a cookie sheet, or in a dutch oven, and let rise. Brush dough with oil and seasonings.
Bake in oven at 350 for 30 minutes or until done. For dutch oven, bake with 8 – 10 coals under and 14 – 16 on top for 35 – 45 min.
During the last 5 min of the baking brush the top of the loaf with oil again. The bread should be golden brown and sound hollow to tap.

PIONEER STEW
Makes 8 servings
1 1/4 Cups dried pinto beans (Or kidney beans)
1 (15 oz) can undrained whole kernel corn
1 tsp. salt 1 (15 oz) can undrained tomatoes
1/2 -1lb. ground beef 
1/2 Cup chopped onion 
1/2 Cup minced green pepper
1/2 Cup shredded sharp American cheese
6 - 8 Cups cold water 
1/2 tsp. chili powder 
3/4 tsp. salt

In large saucepan place washed and drained beans, cold water and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. Return to heat and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes. In skillet cook ground beef, chopped onion, and green pepper until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat. Add meat mixture, corn, tomatoes, chili powder and salt to beans. Simmer 20 minutes. Combine 1 Tbsp flour with 2 Tbsp water. Stir into stew. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in cheese.

Mexican Supper Casserole

1/4 c. dehydrated onion
2 cans chili with beans
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can chopped black olives
1 cup shredded processed cheese
1 package or recipe corn muffin mix

In a large skillet mix onion, chili, corn, and olives; bring to boiling. Add cheese and stir to melt. Pour into 8x11 baking pan. Prepare muffin mix according directions. Spoon dough over top of casserole. Bake at 400 for 15 – 20 min. Serves 8.


Thursday, April 14, 2011

Earthquakes, Fire and Recipes

EAT-N-GO BARS

½ c margarine                        3 c mini marshmallows
¼ c dry milk                            ¼ c tang
½ c peanut butter                   1 c raisins
4 c cheerios                            ¼ c wheat germ (opt)
In large pan, melt margarine and marshmallows over low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in peanut butter until melted. Mix in milk and tang powder and wheat germ. Remove from heat. Fold in raisins and cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pat evenly into a buttered pan, 9x9 inches. Cool. Cut into bars about 3 inches by 1 inch.

PINTO BEAN PIE (MOCK PECAN)

½ c sugar                                1 c brown sugar
½ c butter                                1 heaping c mashed pinto beans
2 eggs, beaten                         unbaked pie shell
Blend sugars, eggs and butter until creamy. Add pinto beans and blend well. Pour into 9 inch unbaked pie shell. Bake at 375 for 20 min and then 350 for 25 minutes or until done. Tastes like a pecan pie. Pecans can be added also before cooking. Can be served with whipped cream or ice cream.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
4 c water                                           1 c powder cheese

1 tsp parsley                                      ¼ tsp dry mustard
2 c potato slices (can be dehydrated)
1 c cubed ham or 1 can ham
In 4 quart casserole dish, mix all ingredients. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 – 60 minutes. Variation: Bring to boil in pan, simmer for 3 minutes with lid on. Put in wonder cooker for 3 – 4 hours.

Peanut Butter Pasta
10 oz rotini or other spiral pasta           ½ c peanut butter
¾ c water or veg stock                         3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vinegar                                     1 tbsp honey
½ tsp ground ginger                            ½ tsp chili powder
1 ½ cups frozen peas, thawed
chili oil or tabasco sauce optional
Cook pasta. Combine all other ingredients in blender except peas. Process until smooth. Toss peas into cooked drained warm pasta. Add sauce and toss well. Serve warm, or cold as a salad.

Ice Cream in a Bag
½ c milk                    1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp vanilla              pinch salt
3 c crushed ice           6 tbsp rock (pickling) salt
Put ice and rock salt in gallon freezer bag. Combine rest of ingredients in a quart size bag. Put quart bag in big bag and squish 5 minutes.

I received a copy of this email and thought it worth sharing. We can learn from the real life experiences of those who have recently had to live through the Japan earthquake and it’s aftermath.  I underlined some of the things that I felt were  relevant  to what we would be dealing with in the same situation. 
Email from LDS military family in Japan with advice to us all 
Hi Everyone, 
We're doing "fine" here. Considering what is going on around us. When the first big quake hit, around 2:45 in the afternoon on Friday, I ran to ***** room and grabbed him out of his crib. We've had plenty of earthquakes in the 2.5 years we've been here, but this one was huge. ***** started crying and calling for me --I got him too and we huddled on the stairs away from windows and light fixtures. The two boys were walking home from school and came in while the house was still shaking. They thought it was exciting. I yelled at them to "GET BACK OUTSIDE!" because I'd just been told if you're 
outside, you're supposed to stay outside! I sat on the stairs praying: "Please protect my kids, please protect my kids, please protect my kids..." It seemed to last forever (around 5 minutes I've heard) and then the aftershocks just kept coming and coming. They're still coming. 

They evacuated the hospital and **** was able to come home around 4. [I can't tell you what a relief it was to have my whole entire family safe and together. And how upsetting it was/is to think of people all over Japan who have family unaccounted for. 

Since then, the power has been out and we haven't had any heat or access to phones (to the states) or Internet (except ***** getting one e-mail out from the hospital.) Friday evening we moved our friends in with us (**** and **** and three kids) since they just shipped all of their stuff to the states in preparation for their move in two weeks. It's been nice to have them around because everyone is on edge and extremely stressed. 

Yesterday (Saturday) they opened the commissary (No lights, cash only) and we grabbed some extra food, water and diapers. Since we have the standard Mormon "food storage" I wasn't too worried about running out of food or water, but I didn't have any spare diapers so was happy to buy three big boxes yesterday for *****. (And yes, I bought two big cans of hot chocolate. Priorities, people!) 

The power is now back on off-base which is how I have Internet access right now. We're at ***** house. Hopefully it stays on. 

We were asked at church to see what extra coats, blankets, food and water we can round up to donate to the Japanese people nearby. I feel heart sick thinking of those who've lost homes and loved ones. Although you probably know much more than me, I hear the devastation is extremely great. We were lucky to be so safe on base and grateful our off-base friends and neighbors were okay. 

The earthquakes (aftershocks) haven't stopped and I spent all night last night having nightmares about running from collapsing and buckling buildings. The kids are on edge and tantrums are at an all time high. They keep busy playing during the day, but when it gets dark and we have to ration flashlights and candles it gets extra hard to keep the peace

A few things I've been wanting to tell people and note for the future: 

*Get an old-school, corded phone. If the power goes out, your cordless won't work. We were lucky to have a corded phone upstairs which helped ***** (The phones have worked on-base off and on, but we were never able to get a call through to the states.) 

*Speaking of accountability, in an emergency, if you're going to leave your house--leave a note on the door saying where you are going so when guys from church or work coming looking, they'll know where you are

*When the power went out, people off base couldn't get their cars out of their garage. Turns out there is a special crank to use but most of our friends didn't have it or know what it was. Luckily ***** had parked outside and was able to get her kids to our house Friday. 

*We've been cooking with our camping equipment

On Base. Estimates have said 24 hours to restore power(we're way past that) to 1 week, to indefinite.) 

*Do you have an extra refill of your prescriptions in your 72 hour kit? It's terrifying to imagine running out of the things you take every day. Also, the thought of my kids getting sick and not having enough Children's Advil and/or Tylenol made me pretty nervous until I verified we had some of each. 

*For ONCE I was glad to be doing Dave Ramsey yesterday when we had plenty of cash on hand to shop at the commissary. But we also have a cash and yen emergency fund hidden in the house for back-up which was very comforting. 

*While I'm making notes to myself: Buy a hand crank wheat grinder and blender! (We have a freezer full of frozen fruit to make smoothies but no way to blend anything.) 

*Flashlights are a pain. All of our Rayovac batteries that I had stored for an emergency, LEAKED! So the flashlights are all slowly dying, being over used by the children, and being misplaced. The best source of light the last two nights has been the pillar candles I've had in the cupboard for fancy table settings. They seem to burn pretty slow and shed a lot of light. I've gone through 3 and have 1 left. Wish I had a 20 pack of those in my 72 hour pack. It would be nice not to worry about running out. Small, light weight, energy efficient lanterns would be nice too

*Also, my next house will have a wood burning fire place. This all would have been much easier if we could have been warm

*Also, I'm buying all my kids a down comforter. We have one on our bed and we've been fine at night, but the kids need 20 blankets piled up to stay warm. (Actually, the older boys each have a two layer fleece blanket which is pretty warm, but unfortunately, they're not very big.) 

(Poor little ***** had to spend yesterday in his snow suit to stay warm. The poor little guy must be sensing the stress because he's been quite out of sorts. He's always shivering (even when bundled) and very clingy. The kids are all confused and upset but mostly hanging in there. Like I said, it's been nice to have friends to keep us company.) 

Sorry, I'm rambling on and on but I've had all this stress for the last two days and my main way to process is by writing my thoughts down. So I've been going a little nuts feeling so disconnected. 

A few more random thoughts: 
*The last two days this thought kept running through my head "All are safely gathered in.". I can't express enough how glad I was/am to have my family around me. Please say a prayer for our many many friends with deployed spouses. This is a very stressful time here and it's really sucky for them to be apart. Also, please pray for all the Japanese people who are missing or displaced. So sad. 

*We were very blessed on base to have running (freezing cold) water. Off base, sewer lines broke and contaminated the water supply they weren't even supposed to touch it. 

*Today we sang "I Need Thee Every Hour" at church. Has a lot of meaning right now. Please pray for us (us being everyone in Japan) and if you feel so inclined, find a way to send some warm blankets to people who've lost their homes. Don't know when I'll be back on-line again, but hopefully soon. 

Thanks to everyone for your concern. I knew (figured) there were people praying for us back in the states and it helped to think about that.

Earthquake Fix It List 
“True emergencies can be modified by good planning.”

1. Identify potential hazards in your home and begin to fix them.
2. Bolt tall furniture & big screen TV’s to wall studs.
3. Secure free hanging natural gas lines in heater/water heater room so they can not swing wildly in an      
        earthquake and break the soft/flex line.
4. Install water heater earthquake straps to wall studs to prevent the gas and water lines being torn loose in an      
        earthquake.
5. Secure all objects (mirrors, pictures, etc.) over beds.
6. Secure bunk beds together and to the wall. If possible unbunk them.
7. Move heavy objects to lower shelves and light objects to upper shelves.
8. Install power failure lights in halls and children’s bedrooms. (Light dispels fear)
9. Never allow the gas tank to go below the halfway point. (After an earthquake, fuel will be unavailable for 10-15 
        days)
10. Store all emergency fuel and pesticides on the floor of an exterior shed (away from the home)
11. Strap down computers and sewing machines to prevent damages in an earthquake. (buy new keyboards after an  
        earthquake before turning on to prevent damaging the power supply)
12. Add small screws to the “L” brackets of floating bookshelves to keep them and their contents in place in an 
        earthquake.
13. Strap washing machine and dryer to wall stud. (Remember that the laundry 
room and kitchen are the most dangerous rooms to be in during an earthquake)
14. Use earthquake/museum wax to hold valuable vases and collectables in place.
15. Add roping or netting to garage shelves. (During an earthquake things will fall blocking entry into the garage, because all doors  open into the garage and there will be no electricity for a week or two)

Some website with more information:
www.ussc.utah.gov/putting_down_roots.html     (Utah Seismic Safety Commission)
There is and excellent State of Utah publication on the above website
quakekare.com
publicsafety.utah.gov/homelandsecurity/earthquake.html
bereadyutah.gov/EarthquakePreparedness.html
Quakehold.com
www.seis.utah.edu      ( www.seis.utah.edu/lqthreat/threat.shtml)
Remember - An earthquake is not a single event!


The following items can be stored in a garbage can with handles.

TOP OF THE BARREL
Flashlight         bandage, large triangle
Radio bandages, plastic strips
FIRST AID KIT Q-tips
DRUGS                 sterile absorbent 
Antibiotic ointment Ace bandage
aspirin, tylenol, advil Butterfly bandages
Ipecac (induces vomiting) Gauze pads 4” x 4”
Kaopectate MISC.
Prescription meds Scissors
        Tweezers
DRESSINGS Thermometer
Adhesive tape 2” roll        Petroleum jelly
Sterile bandage 2” & 4” Rubbing alcohol
        Tissues
First Aid Handbook Pocket knife

MIDDLE OF THE BARREL
FOOD
3 day supply of food requiring no refrigeration
Date all food items
WRITE OUT A MENU FOR EACH DAY
Examples:
canned tuna or pork & beans   canned orange or tomato juice
  1/2 lb/person           peanut butter 1/2 lb/person
nonfat dry milk 1/2 lb/person  
graham crackers 1/2 lb/person     
dried apricots 1/2 lb/person   1 gal. water/person
*This supplies 2,000 daily calories and essential nutrients

BOTTOM OF THE BARREL
BEDDING EQUIPMENT
sleeping bag/blankets can opener
plastic sheet/tarp dishpan
CLOTHING               dishes - disposable
one change/person utensils - disposable
personal supplies ax
toiletries         shovel
towel bucket w/plastic bag liners
good book
paper/pencil INFANT NEEDS if applicable
FUEL & LIGHT
 matches         PERSONAL DOCUMENTS
candles 
signal flare CASH
sterno canned heat
WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS   BLEACH    EYE DROPPER