Make Your Own Tortillas!

Several months ago I tried making my own tortillas in an effort to expand our food storage menu. They stank. Actually, the dough itself wasn't all that bad, but the flattening process took forever and yielded tortillas with roughly the same thickness as a thin pancake. Yeah, real great for burritos. What did this "flattening process" entail? Basically it meant me rolling each ball of dough for 2-3 minutes with my rolling pin in a vain attempt to reach the thickness of a real tortilla. Multiply that by twenty or so tortillas and it took a whole hour just to roll them out. And they were bad! Have I talked enough about how much I disliked this method?

After that experience I started shopping for a tortilla press. Since I didn't have a lot of knowledge of what to look for, I turned to online reviews. And I didn't really learn anything. So I ended up buying this one, which was the cheapest one I could find:
It's the Norpro Tortilladora and I bought it at Kitchen Kneads in West Jordan for somewhere around $15 (sorry I can't remember exactly how much). Amazon.com also sells it. It's so slick! I'm glad I didn't spend any more money than I did. The mechanism is very basic, but it smashes those tortillas down in just seconds. It's easy to use and easy to clean. My only beef is that it only makes 6-inch tortillas, which I found to be the case with most tortilla presses. I think traditionally only corn tortillas--which I hope to someday attempt--are pressed that way and they are usually a lot smaller.

I also wanted to mention this electric press, theVillaware V5955 Grand Wrap Tortilla and Flatbread Maker:
I've seen this one in action and it's pretty impressive. It actually works kinda like a waffle iron, flattening the tortillas and toasting them as well and it makes 10-inch tortillas. It is significantly more expensive than the manual ones and I read some reviews from people who had problems with theirs, so I decided to go with El Cheapo instead, but if I ever have money coming out of my ears it would be a fun splurge.

Now for the recipes. I've tried a few different whole wheat ones and they're all pretty similar, but if I had to choose one I like best it would be this one:

Wheat Tortillas

Ingredients:
4 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. shortening
1/2 c. olive oil
2 c. warm water

Thoroughly mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Stir in oil until mixture resembles sand. Add water and knead. Dough should be soft but clean the sides of the bowl. Pinch off balls 2-3 inches in diameter [or smaller if you're using a 6-inch press] and knead into a smooth ball. Place balls in a bowl. Cover and let rest for one hour. Flatten each ball and toast on a hot skillet. If you want to store them for later use, flatten each ball and cook slightly to prevent them from sticking to each other. Cool completely and store in large freezer bag. Will keep in fridge for 2 weeks. [This recipe made about three dozen 6-inch tortillas. I think from now on I'll just make a half batch.]


And for those of you who are not hard-core whole wheat flour users,

Flour Tortillas

Ingredients:
6 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. shortening
1-2/3 c. warm water

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Add water and knead. Pinch off balls 2-3 inches in diameter. Knead each one in smooth ball. Place balls in bowl. Cover and let rest for one hour. Flatten each ball and toast on hot griddle. Tortillas can be cooked later by refrigerating them after they have been flattened and cooked slightly. Store in large freezer bag.

Incredible, Semi-Edible Egg Powder

This post turned out to be kind of long. If you want to just know what I concluded from testing two different powdered egg products, just scroll to the bottom.

For starters, let's just get this out on the table: I have spent a somewhat significant amount of time and money on the emergency preparedness/food storage resources available at Macey's. The main reasons for this are that 1) they are the easiest to obtain where I live, 2) they seem to be the most reasonably priced, especially compared to internet vendors, and 3) they carry a pretty decent variety. I also buy a lot of food storage from the LDS cannery, but they carry a pretty limited number of products. Anyway, a while ago I bought a #10 can of powdered eggs from Macey's to see if they could be useful in my food storage. Here is the verdict:

First I used them in one of these Betty Crocker cookies-in-a-pouch things:


I didn't take a picture of the cookies, but I couldn't tell any difference in the appearance or the taste from when I had made the exact same cookies before. Score! That means that you don't have to axe any favorite baking recipes from your year's supply because they call for fresh eggs. All you have to do is add one tablespoon of egg powder to your dry ingredients and two tablespoons of water to the wet for each egg and voila! In fact, if you wanted to create your own cookies-in-a-pouch mixes, you could put all of your dry ingredients in a ziploc bag with some egg powder for the eggs and all you would have to do is add water and oil (or butter or shortening or whatever). Just like Betty!

(As a side note, I think those cookies mixes are pretty good. In the past I've been kind of a cookie snob and thought that all cookies must be made from scratch, but they tasted good and it made way more cookies than I would have thought a bag that size could.)

After I tried them in the cookies, I thought I'd put them to the ultimate test and make scrambled eggs out of them, as I had read in a couple of different places about other people doing it. Here is what they looked like reconstituted in the frying pan:

And here is what they looked like cooked:


And here is how they tasted in one word: blech.

I will definitely store these for baking. They are undetectable in baked goods, have a storage life of 5-10 years, and are relatively cheap (if you buy them on sale this week at Macey's, a can costs $14.99, which is about 80 cents for a dozen). But if I ever have to feed my family exclusively from our food storage, we're going without scrambled eggs. I could definitely gag them down with enough hot sauce or ketchup, but they're definitely the "if it was scrambled powdered eggs or starvation" kind of option.

Also, when I went to take a picture of the can, I noticed that I had two different products:













At first I wasn't sure if there was any difference between whole eggs and egg mix, so I checked the ingredients, which are as follows:

whole eggs: 100% pasteurized whole egg solids

egg mix: pasteurized whole eggs, non-fat dry milk, vegetable oil (may contain soybean oil or corn oil), salt.

I had done my previous testing with the whole eggs, so to be thorough I tried scrambling the egg mix. The end product from the egg mix was a tiny bit better; it looked and tasted a little more like fresh scrambled eggs. But given the choice between eggs made from egg mix and no eggs, I would probably still choose no eggs.

Another key difference between the whole eggs and the egg mix is that it takes only 1 tablespoon of whole eggs to make an egg and 2 tablespoons of egg mix for the same. And according to the can info, a can of whole eggs will reconstitute into 226 eggs, while a can of egg mix makes only 96 for the same amount of money.

Conclusion: Powdered "whole eggs" are great for adding baked goods that call for eggs into your year's supply. But reconstituted and scrambled, they taste... pretty bad. Powdered "egg mix" is a lot more expensive than powdered "whole eggs" and doesn't taste much better.

Month-by-Month 72-Hour Kit

A couple weeks ago, this information was handed out in Relief Society. I personally might have prioritized some of the items on this list a little differently, but if your goal for the new year is to prepare yourself and your family (a good one, I'd say) this is a great way to get started:

72-Hour Kit Essentials

A 72-hour kit should contain the essentials needed for survival for a 72-hour period. It should be portable enough to take in a car or even the more essential portions on foot. Store it in an accessible place where it can be picked up at a moment's notice. Keep an index of the items in your kit with expiration dates where appropriate. Once your 72-hour kit is assembled, reassess the kit every six months to replace expired items. General Conference is a good time to help you remember. Some emergencies may require tents, tarps, boots, coats, etc. Keep these and other possible useful items accessible. Think and plan ahead. Remember, "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30).

This is a Week-by-Week List of Items to Put into Your 72-Hour Kit

January
-Obtain 72-hour kit container (backpack, duffel bag, plastic bin).
-Check the batteries in your smoke detector.
-Place a flashlight next to your bed and one in an alternate location; check batteries.
-Add 1-1/2 gallons of water per person.*
-Add $10 cash.**

February
-Add a can opener.
-Add 2 cans of tuna fish/canned meat.
-Add 1 large roll of paper towels.
-Add 1 blanket.

March
-Add $10 cash.
-Add 4 rolls of toilet paper.
-Add 1 bar of soap.
-Add stress relief items (books, games).

April
-Add pocket/utility knife.
-Add $10 cash.
-Add 1 container of baby wipes.
-Add 1-2 changes of clothing.

May
-Add 48 oz. non-carbonated canned juice.
-Add 1 can of fruit and 1 can of vegetables.
-Add $10 cash.
-Add 1 box of matches.
-Add hard candy (jolly ranchers, lifesavers).

June
Add 1-1/2 lbs. peanut butter.
Add Ziploc bags (varied sizes).
Add $10 cash.
Check batteries in smoke detectors. Practice escape routes.

July
Add 1 box of crackers.
Add plastic utensils.
Add large candle and matches.
Add $10 cash.
Add 1 lb. graham crackers.

August
Add flashlight; check batteries.
Add disinfectant (beta dine, bleach sterile wipes, hand sanitizer).
Add paper cups.
Add $10 cash.

September
Add basic first-aid kit.
Add 1 lb. dried fruit (date for rotation).
Add 1/2 lb. non-fate dried milk.
Add battery-powered radio; check batteries.

October
Add $10 cash.
Add diapers and/or feminine hygiene supplies.
Add toothbrush and toothpaste.
Add hand shovel.

November
Add $10 cash.
Verify that each family member's immunizations are up to date.
Add 1 large roll of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Add 1 axe.

December
Add paper plates.
Add $10 cash.
Add 1-2 boxes pre-sweetened cereal.
Add photocopies of personal documents (insurance info, medical records, birth certificates, social security cards, photos, etc.) and send copies to a family member or friend in a separate location.

Though many of the items on the list can be shared among family members, each person should have their own individual kit containing their clothes, food, personal items, etc.


*I've heard a pretty wide range of amounts for short-term water storage and I think this is a little on the low end of the spectrum. It's enough water to keep you alive, but it may be wise to store more depending on what you plan to use it for, the kinds of food you hope to be able to prepare, etc.

**When you save cash for an emergency, it's always best to save small bills, as you may not be able to get change in some emergency situations.

Cheese Powder

One thing that makes a lot of my favorite recipes not so food storage friendly is that they call for cheese. I had heard of canned cheese powder before but didn't really know what it could do, so I decided to buy this can from Macey's and find out.


When I first opened it, I was not really impressed. It looked like someone had opened about a hundred boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese and emptied the contents of the sauce packets into the can. That's because that is basically what cheese powder is (at least this variety is). On the back of the can there are three different sets of directions for mixing the stuff: sauce, spread, and macaroni and cheese. So first I decided to try the sauce. Here is what it looked like:


It wasn't really bad, but it was nothing really special, either. Prepared according to package directions, I can't think of any dish I might make that it would really improve by its addition. And it was pretty thick, too. I can't imagine that I would ever mix it using the spread proportions which would make it even thicker. From there I thinned it out with a little milk and mixed in some salsa and a little bit of tabasco sauce and came out with something that was pretty close to bowling alley nachos.


Finally, I made some macaroni and cheese by the directions on the can. I ended up having to add a lot more milk than it called for to get it to a reasonably smooth consistency. I think it tasted okay, nothing to get really excited about, but Samantha gobbled it up. So I guess if I had a lot of macaroni stored and didn't really know what I was going to do with it, cheese powder would probably be the answer. I guess I will keep a little bit of it on hand to make nachos or macaroni and cheese and it would probably do okay in something like cheese soup. But I think I will keep looking for other ways to get cheese into our year's supply...

The Essential Food Storage Cookbook

I recently obtained a copy of The Essential Food Storage Cookbook by Tami Girsberger and Carol Peterson. Unlike Pantry Cooking, many of the recipes do call for fresh ingredients; the authors consider it a good source for helping you to rotate your food storage, not necessarily to live solely on it. Still, there are a decent amount of recipes that only use ingredients with a long shelf life and others that could easily be converted by using things like powdered eggs or milk. I have tried several of the recipes and I love it! I would want it in my collection just for its regular, everyday meal ideas. It also has a lot of great food storage tips and information. The recipes are good and easy, the kind where you already have most of the ingredients you need on hand. I am easily intimidated by recipes where I don't even know what all of the ingredients are. Here are a couple of recipes that my family really likes that can be made entirely from stored items:


Crazy Whole Wheat Muffins

[Whole wheat muffins didn't really sound good to me at all, but I tried these and was amazed. They're so soft, sweet, and moist you would think you were eating a cupcake.]

Ingredients:

-1/2 c. oil
-1 c. brown sugar
-1 c. applesauce
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1-1/2 c. whole what flour
-1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix ingredients together and pour into greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes (8 minutes for mini muffins).


Herb Bread

-1/2 c. milk [fine with powdered milk]
-2 tbsp. sugar
-1 tsp. salt
-1 tbsp. butter
-1 tbsp. dried minced onion
-2-1/2 tsp. yeast
-1/2 c. warm water
-2-1/4 c. whole wheat flour (or 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white flour)
-1/2 tsp. thyme
-1/2 tsp. dill [I left it out; not a dill fan]
-1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

In a small saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until simmering. Add sugar, salt, and butter and stir until dissolved. Add dried minced onion; remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water (about 5 minutes). Add cooled milk mixture, flour, and herbs. Stir well (dough will be very wet) until smooth.

Cover and let rise until triple in bulk (about 45 minutes). Stir down and beat for a few minutes. Turn into a greased 9x5-inch bread pan and let rest for 10 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour. Serve warm.

Wheat Grinder

I don't remember eating much whole wheat bread as a kid. In fact, for most of my life I've been pretty afraid of whole wheat. But I can't imagine how I could store 1200 lbs. of grain and be able to rotate it before it goes bad without storing any wheat. Wheat basically has an indefinite shelf life (30+ years) so you really don't even have to worry about rotating it if you use it even just occasionally.

I did a little research into wheat grinders and found this one, the same one that they have on display at the cannery, at www.blendtec.com. I bought mine at their warehouse in Provo because I was already in the area and didn't want to pay for shipping. If you mention that you saw it at the cannery or enter the promotional code KZ12182 on the website, they give you a $40 discount.

How do I like it? I love it! There are several different coarseness settings, but I always leave mine on the finest. The flour is so fine! I think I could almost substitute it entirely for white flour without my family even noticing. It grinds the wheat very quickly, probably about 3 cups of wheat in a minute. The motor unit can be inverted and stored inside of the cannister, so it stores even more compact than it already is. It is pretty loud, but it gets the job done so fast that that isn't usually a problem. It gives me so much satisfaction to know that my family is now eating healthy whole grains. I've tried a bunch of good whole wheat recipes which I hopefully will be posting sometime in the near future.

Rigatoni with Mushroom Sauce

Here is another one from from Pantry Cooking by Laura Robins which can be prepared using only long-term food storage items:

Rigatoni with Mushroom Sauce

-1 tbsp. olive oil
-1 tbsp. butter-flavored shortening [I used real butter when I made it]
-1 tbsp. dried garlic
-1/2 tsp. red pepper
-4 (4-ounce) cans sliced mushrooms, with liquid
-1/2 c. water
-4 cubes chicken bouillon
-2 tbsp. parsley
-1 tsp. salt
-10 c. water
-1 lb. rigatoni [or whatever small pasta you have; for me it was bowties]
-1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

In a pan on high, heat oil and shortening. Add garlic and red pepper. Cook 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, water, and bouillon. Cook until thickened. [When I made this, it never thickened this way, so I added a couple tablespoons of flour mixed with a few tablespoons of water and brought it to a boil.] Stir in parsley.

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook al dente (until almost tender); drain. Toss pasta with sauce and top with Parmesan cheese. Makes 4-6 servings.