Chicken Noodle Soup in a Jar

If summer doesn't feel like the best time for soup, stick with me!  This soup is something special.  It's pantry-friendly.  That means it's shelf-stable, so you can put together the mix now and eat it come fall!  Or gift it.  

Soups are one of my favorite meals to just pull out of the pantry and make.  And this one is a great one because it's something you can gift to someone else, too!

As I mentioned in May, I'll be sharing jar mixes each month from now (May, really) through December to give you some great ideas for gift-giving to neighbors and friends.  I love the idea of giving a meal in a jar because it's such a time-saver for the recipient during a busy time of year.  I have had more than one friend tell me how perfect the meal in a jar was!

Plus, these are easy to make ahead for yourself, too.  Pull out a jar for a quick meal or a quick treat, or even in an emergency. 

And, hey, this is also a great thing to have on hand to make IN 15 MINUTES! to take to a sick friend, too.  There's something healing about chicken noodle soup.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THIS JAR MIX:  

• Jar mixes should be used within about a year unless you seal them (like with a FoodSaver and the jar attachment) or use oxygen absorbers.  
• You can purchase many of the ingredients in this Chicken Noodle Soup at your local grocery store.  
• You can purchase the dehydrated (or freeze-dried) ingredients at Thrive Life (where I get a little discount if you do) or at Honeyville or at Augason Farms, OR you can dry some of them yourself using a food dehydrator.  That link is to the dehydrator I use--I love it, but I know there are fancier ones out there, too. I dried my own celery and carrots for this recipe.  (And, to be honest, I can't believe how amazing they turned out!  They rehydrate just like fresh in this recipe.)
• If you decide to gift this the way I have pictured, use a piece of fabric about 6"x6".

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

PREP TIME (making the jar mix):  10 minutes
COOK TIME:  15 minutes

JAR MIX INGREDIENTS

In a wide-mouth quart jar, layer in order, tamping down to help the ingredients settle (as needed):

• 2 Tbsp. dried onion
• 3 Tbsp. chicken bouillon
• 1 Tbsp. parsley
• 3 Tbsp. non-dairy creamer (coffee creamer)
• 3 Tbsp. dehydrated celery (See notes above for purchase options for the freeze-dried and dehydrated ingredients in this recipe.)
• 1/4 c. dehydrated carrots
• 3/4 c. freeze-dried chicken
• 2  1/2 - 3 c. wide egg noodles

See below for updated directions.

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Attach to the jar using a sticker or tag:

Bring 10 c. water to a boil over high heat.  Add jar mix, then lower heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  

Try this recipe, then comment and let me know how you like it!  And Pin it to Pinterest to save and share using the image below.

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by Estelle from Homemade on a Weeknight

Hearty Breakfast in a Jar

Breakfast from a jar?  Yep!  In fact, this hearty breakfast is full of protein, too.  Make several jars to have on hand any time--whether during an emergency or just in a pinch--or do what I love to do:  gift it!  

As I mentioned in May, I'll be sharing jar mixes each month from now (May, really) through December to give you some great ideas for gift-giving to neighbors and friends.  I love the idea of giving a meal in a jar because it's such a time-saver for the recipient during a busy time of year.  I have had more than one friend tell me how perfect the meal in a jar was when trying to grab something quick for dinner!

Plus, these are easy to make ahead for yourself, too.  Pull out a jar for a quick meal or a quick treat (coming soon), or even in an emergency. 

This recipe is courtesy Chef Tess from Honeyville, though I did make a few slight adjustments.  You can get all the ingredients from Honeyville, and you'll find links in her original blog post there.  You can also get the ingredients here (where I get a little discount if you do).  

I appreciated that Chef Tess pointed out there in her blog post that sometimes when you buy cans of freeze-dried food, they can seem a little spendy, but when you really look at how many pounds of meat or how many dozen eggs are in the can, it makes a lot more sense!

This was a delicious meal!  I'm so glad I tried it.  You'll notice in the photo below that the cooked eggs come out a little green with all the herbs added, but they're yummy.  And you might also notice that the little cooked sausage bits are hard to see among the potatoes (which look like meat, I think).  They're a little easier to recognize in the jar.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THIS JAR MIX:  

• Jar mixes should be used within about a year unless you seal them (like with a FoodSaver and the jar attachment) or use oxygen absorbers.  
• If you decide to gift this the way I have pictured, use a piece of fabric about 6"x6".

This is a really tasty and simple dish.  I really think this breakfast in a jar meal would make a perfect gift!

HEARTY BREAKFAST IN A JAR

PREP TIME (making the jar mix):  10 minutes
COOK TIME:  30 minutes

JAR MIX INGREDIENTS

In a wide-mouth quart jar, layer in order, tamping down to help the ingredients settle (as needed):

• 2 c. dehydrated diced potatoes (see notes above for ingredient purchase options)
• 1 c. freeze-dried sausage 

Then in a small baggie, combine:

• 1/2 c. freeze-dried scrambled eggs
• 1/3 c. freeze-dried cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp. parsley
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Place the baggie in the jar on top of the potatoes and sausage.

Word to the wise: make sure your hole punch doesn't cut out the instructions.  ;)
Also, I updated the directions below, so be sure you use those instead of what you see above. 

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Attach to the jar using a sticker or tag:

Place potatoes and sausage in a large bowl.  Pour 4 c. boiling water over.  Cover to allow rehydration for 15 minutes.  Mix baggie contents with 3/4 c. cold water, whisking well.  Let sit at least 5 minutes.  Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Drain potatoes and sausage, then place in the large skillet.  Cook for 5 minutes without stirring.  Cook 10 more minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium-low, then place egg-cheese mixture in.  Cook several minutes until done.  Serve eggs over the potato mixture.

Try this recipe, then comment and let me know how you like it!  And Pin it to Pinterest to save and share using the image below.

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Peachy Oat Bread (jar mix)

I only make recipes that I think will taste good, but to be honest with you, this recipe blew me away.  The nuts and oats make it hearty and filling, and I just love the peach flavor.  So you're in for a treat!

This delicious peachy oat bread is the second in the Jar Mix series I'm running here from now through December.  This recipe was adapted from Natalie's Peach Crisp Bread over at Super Healthy Kids.  This recipe is shelf-stable, including the ingredients you add for baking!  Woot!

As I mentioned in May, I'll be sharing jar mixes each month from now (last month, really) through December to give you some great ideas for gift-giving to neighbors and friends.  I love the idea of giving a meal in a jar because it's such a time-saver for the recipient during a busy time of year.  I have had more than one friend tell me how perfect the meal in a jar was!  I'm sure this bread in a jar will be no different.

Plus, these are easy to make ahead for yourself, too.  Pull out a jar for a quick meal or a quick treat, or even in an emergency.  (Snow days seems so far away!)

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THIS JAR MIX:  

• Jar mixes should be used within about a year unless you seal them (like with a FoodSaver and the jar attachment) or use oxygen absorbers.  
• You can purchase all of the ingredients in this Peachy Oat Bread at your local grocery store. 
• If you decide to gift this the way I have pictured, use a piece of fabric about 6"x6".
• Eggs, butter, and milk will be mixed in to the jar mix when making this bread.  You can find suggestions for pantry-friendly substitutions for these fresh ingredients here if you want a fully shelf-stable version of this recipe.  I made this recipe that way (using shelf-stable ingredients only) and it was delicious.

PEACHY OAT BREAD

PREP TIME (making the jar mix):  10 minutes
COOK TIME:  45-50 minutes

JAR MIX INGREDIENTS

In a wide-mouth quart jar, layer in order, tamping down to help the ingredients settle (as needed):

• 1 c. wheat flour
• 1/2 c. white flour
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 c. diced dried peaches
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 c. rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
• 1/2 c. pecans (optional)

Directions have been adjusted slightly from those shown here.  See directions below.

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Attach to the jar using a sticker or tag:

In a mixing bowl, cream together 1/2 c. softened butter, 2 eggs, and 1 tsp. vanilla.  Add jar ingredients and 1  1/4 c. milk, mixing on low until well-blended.  Spray an 8x4 loaf pan with cooking spray.  Pour batter in loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Try this recipe, then comment and let me know how you like it!  And Pin it to Pinterest to save and share using the image below.

To print this recipe, hit the "print" button below.  If you don't see the print button, scroll back up and click on the title of this blog post, then scroll back down and you'll find the button below.

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Taco Soup (jar mix)

I'm so excited to share with you a different style of pantry-friendly, shelf stable meals and goodies for the next several months!  These are commonly known as jar meals or meals in a jar.

From now through December, my monthly blog post will follow this same great theme:  jar mixes!  If you've never heard of jar mixes, they are both tasty and fun.  Dry ingredients are layered in a quart jar and then mixed with wet ingredients and cooked.  There are jar mixes for bread, soup, meals, cookie mixes, and more.  

There are two big reasons I love jar mixes.

First, you can create them similar to the "cook once a month" method of meal planning and freezing meals.  The idea there is to dedicate one whole day to assembling many meals, then freezing them for use all month long.  The idea here with jar meals is to spend a little time assembling several jars that you can just keep on hand for months, using them whenever you're in a pinch.  

Second, these make the best gifts!  I love giving these out at Christmastime when people are often inundated with treats.  For soups and meals, it provides a ready-made meal at a busy time of year.  For something like cookie mixes, it provides a treat that doesn't have to be eaten right away--the recipient can whip it up at the end of January or the middle of March instead.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THIS JAR MIX:  

• Jar mixes should be used within about a year unless you seal them (like with a FoodSaver and the jar attachment) or use oxygen absorbers.  
• You can purchase many of the ingredients in this Taco Soup at your local grocery store.  
• You can purchase the dehydrated (or freeze-dried) ingredients at Thrive Life (where I get a little discount if you do), or you can dry them yourself using a food dehydrator (which is what I did for this recipe).  That link is to the dehydrator I use--I love it, but I know there are fancier ones out there, too.  Be aware that the beans in this recipe must be cooked first and then dehydrated; do not use uncooked beans.  Thrive Life calls these "quick beans."  I just cooked and then dehydrated the beans myself, but you could drain and rinse a can of beans, then dehydrate them.  To dehydrate the corn myself, I literally just drained a can of corn then put it in the Food Saver dehydrator.  Soooo easy.
• If you decide to gift this the way I have pictured, use a piece of fabric about 6"x6".
• Last note:  You  may notice that the order in which I originally layered this Taco Soup jar mix as shown in the photo differs from the directions shown below.  That's because the tomato powder hardens like nobody's business when it's all together like that.  (I had to use a sharp knife to cut it in pieces and get it out--and it had only been in the jar a few days.)  So definitely follow the directions for jar mix assembly, not the photo.

TACO SOUP

PREP TIME (making the jar mix):  10 minutes
COOK TIME:  25 minutes

JAR MIX INGREDIENTS

In a wide-mouth quart jar, layer in order, tamping down to help the ingredients settle (as needed):

• 1/2 c. rice
• 1 c. dehydrated corn
• 1/2 c. dried onion 
• 1  1/2 c. quick beans (meaning: cooked then dehydrated or freeze-dried), either black or pinto or half & half (see notes above)
• 1/2 c. tomato powder (available here and here)
• 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
• 1 Tbsp. dried cilantro
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp salt

note: directions shown here are incorrect; consult the directions below

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Attach to the jar using a sticker or tag:

Place contents of jar in a large soup pot with 12 c. water.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until beans, corn, and rice are tender.

Try this recipe, then comment and let me know how you like it!  And Pin it to Pinterest to save and share using the image below.

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Quick Cakes Recipes - makes a great gift!

Most of the recipes I post here are for meals, but you've probably noticed I sprinkle in a few sweet treats now and then, too.  I've got another idea that makes not only a yummy little individual dessert that's made in a minute or two in the microwave, but a great gift idea as well!  It's called:

Quick Cakes!

All the ingredients are pantry-friendly (shelf-stable), of course!

These make great little birthday, Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduation, and Christmas holiday gifts.  I gave these away at Christmastime (as you can see by the poinsettia bow), and they were a HUGE hit!

Plus, they make a fun option for individual cakes at a birthday party!  Just imagine everyone getting to mix up their own.

2023 NOTE:  I made these cute Quick Cakes recipe cards a few years ago with a company that has changed its platform and no longer facilitates this kind of flexible creativity.  So you can either just write the recipes I'll share here on a little index card for gifting, or order the new set I've made using my favorite digital scrapbooking program at this link for professional printing! 

My new set is on a thick, glossy 8.5x11 scrap page, 
so you'll just cut them apart like this.  Punch holes
in the corners, then put a clasp right through them all.

If you're going to gift them, gifting with a cake mix is perfect!

All right, now we're ready to have a look at these easy recipes!

First, the Helpful Hints:

• Use Betty Crocker cake mixes for best results.
• Stir batter for 1 minute until smooth.
• All recipes can be made in cereal-size bowls.  20-oz. plastic, paper, and foam bowls are great for easy clean-up.   They can also be made in large (microwaveable) mugs.
• Microwave cooking times can vary.  Adjust time 5-10 seconds if necessary.

M&M FROSTED CAKE

Mix together in a cereal-size bowl 1/2 c. white cake mix, 1/3 c. water, 1/2 tsp. powdered sugar.  Stir for 1 minute.  Microwave about 90 seconds.  Top with prepared chocolate or vanilla frosting and M&Ms.

CARAMEL TURTLE CAKE

Mix together in a cereal-size bowl 1/2 c. yellow cake mix, 1/3 c. water, 1/2 tsp. powdered sugar.  Stir for 1 minute.  Microwave about 90 seconds.  Top with chopped pecans, chocolate chips, and warmed caramel topping.

ROCKY ROAD CAKE

Mix together in a cereal-size bowl 1/2 c. chocolate cake mix and 1/3 c. water.  Stir for 1 minute.  Microwave about 90 seconds.  Top with marshmallows, chocolate chips, and chopped almonds.  Microwave an additional 10 seconds to soften the chocolate chips.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Mix together in a cereal-size bowl 1/2 c. white or yellow cake mix, 1/3 c. water, 1/2 tsp. powdered sugar.  Stir for 1 minute.  Microwave about 95 seconds.  Top with strawberry jam (or fresh sliced strawberries).

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Mix together in a cereal-size bowl 1/2 c. chocolate cake mix and 1/3 c. water.  Stir for 1 minute.  Microwave about 90 seconds.  Top with coconut, chocolate chips, and chopped pecans.  Microwave an additional 10 seconds to soften the chocolate chips.

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

Mix together in a cereal-size bowl 1/2 c. chocolate cake mix and 1/3 c. water.  Stir for 1 minute.  Microwave about 90 seconds.  Top with mint chocolate chips.

CARROT CAKE

Mix together in a cereal-size bowl 1/2 c. carrot cake mix and 1/3 c. water.  Stir for 1 minute.  Microwave about 90 seconds.  Cool slightly, then frost with prepared cream cheese frosting.

MOLTEN LAVA CAKE

Mix together in a cereal-size bowl 1/2 c. chocolate cake mix and 1/3 c. water.  Stir for 1 minute. Place 5 generous teaspoons of hot fudge topping on top.  Microwave about 90 seconds.  Increase cooking time if fudge topping is cold.

OREO COOKIE CAKE

Mix together in a cereal-size bowl 1/2 c. white cake mix and 1/3 c. water, and 1 crushed Oreo cookie.  Stir for 1 minute.  Microwave about 95 seconds.  Sprinkle with another crushed Oreo and prepared whipped topping (or prepared Dream Whip for pantry-friendly version).

LEMON CAKE

Mix together in a cereal-size bowl 1/2 c. lemon cake mix and 1/3 c. water.  Stir for 1 minute.  Microwave about 90 seconds.  Dust warm cake with powdered sugar.

These little recipes are great for parties, too, where everyone makes their own individual cakes.  

And I love having them on hand just in case anyone I know needs a little treat.  :) 

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My Canned Food Rotation System

Canned food is a great thing to have on hand for everyday situations as well as emergency ones.  After learning that canned goods last about 3-6 years beyond the date stamp on the can, you're probably realizing--like I have--that keeping as many extras on hand as possible is a pretty wise thing to do.

From impassable snow-packed roads to pre-hurricane panic buying and even a worldwide pandemic, you just never know when having some ready-to-prepare meals stored might come in pretty handy.

It's important, though, to keep track of what you have and by when it should be used.  I started doing this years ago by first buying a separate storage cabinet and then filling it with canned goods.  I had dry soup mixes and cans of tomatoes, beans, corn, peaches, pears, soup, tuna, chicken, etc.  (This certainly doesn't have to be stored in a special cabinet like mine, especially if you have a large pantry.  However, this is what works for me.  I've heard of boxfuls under beds, so do whatever works for you.)

MY CANNED FOOD ROTATION SYSTEM
If you search "food storage system" on Pinterest, there are a lot of cool things you can build (or buy) that will automatically rotate your canned goods.  There isn't one "right way," so just be sure you find something that works for you.  My method is just the one that works for me without a lot of effort.

First of all, I rotate all my canned food every two years.  So everything I buy in 2020 will be used in 2022.  Everything I'm using in 2020 was purchased in 2018.  To keep track of all this, I put stickers on the cans.  Like this.

Each sticker is for a different year.  You can see 3 here--one I'll be using this year (2020), one I'll be using next year (2021), and one I'll be using in 2022.  I've used star and heart stickers before, too.  :)  And I even have a master sheet letting me know which stickers I used for which year so I don't forget.  My brain has a lot of things in it, so sometimes the small ones fall out.

I keep the different years on different shelves.  I use that year's cans throughout the year, restocking my regular pantry with them until they're gone.  (Then I have room on the shelf to buy this year's food.)  Buying a few extra cans each shopping trip just about does it.

I definitely recommend some longer-term canned goods, too, that you don't have to rotate as often.  Dry canned goods in bigger #10 cans like oatmeal and rice and dried apples can stay in a dark, cool place for 20 years or more!  I just write the purchase dates on the labels on these.  I only use the sticker method for the ones I'm rotating every few years.  I really like having a few things I can buy and just forget about for a decade or two.

ONE BIG THING I LEARNED
I learned a few things about my canned food storage during COVID-19 isolation.  The pandemic (and questioning whether I really wanted to go out to go to the store or not) made me consider my stored food for actual daily use instead of just in theory.  I discovered that my method could use a little bit of improvement.  It was pretty good, and I'd been doing this for 15 or 20 years, but one thing I could do a little better would be to have a solid plan.

I'd heard the advice "store what you eat," which is great advice, and that's what I'd been doing.  But I realized I didn't have an end goal.  So we have extra peanut butter and jam, but do I have a plan to be able to make bread?  I have tomatoes and pasta sauce, but is it in the right ratio to the noodles?  What would I do with a can of evaporated milk?  I've heard it's a good substitution for milk, but have I tried it in a recipe?

So I have made some notes about how to improve what I store.  I started experimenting with recipe substitutions, as you know from reading this blog.  :)  But I also realized what I could use more of or didn't need as much of.

I have decided that to make my canned food storage more efficient, I would make a meal plan with enough meals for 3 weeks--all made just from my canned food storage.  I can do that from a lot of the recipes I have here, in fact.  (And canned soup does the trick, too.  So does a bowl of oatmeal.)  And that's how my 21-Day Meal Plan was born.  You can head over to that link for a (free) printable, too.

Having an actual plan means that when I buy those extra canned goods for my storage cabinet, I will be making sure I'm not left with a cake mix and a can of pinto beans at the end of the day.

Have you found a good method for rotating your canned goods?  Do you have a good plan for using them?  I'd love to hear about them--let me know in the comments below.  

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No-Yeast Sourdough Bread with Starter

For a while now, I've been on the hunt for a bread recipe that doesn't require yeast.  Yeast is the easiest way to make bread dough rise, of course, but when COVID-19 began, I couldn't find it for months.  So I decided that part of my pantry-friendly, in-an-emergency, shelf-stable recipes really needed to include a bread that didn't rely on yeast.  

This is the third recipe I tried.  Sourdough can be finicky, and I really wanted one that would just WORK without being crazy complicated and over-sensitive.  This one was my winner!  And I definitely want to acknowledge Michelle at Souly Rested for this excellent recipe!  I've simplified it a little here, but it's all thanks to Michelle.  And if you missed my post where I mentioned the health benefits of sourdough, check them out here.  I've also posted a lot of tips and information about sourdough for beginners there.

This bread has more of a sourdough taste than the Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread (with starter) recipe I posted last year, and I think it would be ideal with soup.  Mmm!  One of the other things I love about this recipe is that there isn't any discard.  Usually, when you make a sourdough starter, you have to throw some of it away so that you don't end up with SO. MUCH. starter.  This one is a much smarter recipe, I think, because it's less wasteful.  That's a big deal to me, actually--especially in an emergency.

And if you love this recipe, go thank Michelle by commenting.  I happen to know that bloggers appreciate comments!  :) 

NO-YEAST SOURDOUGH BREAD WITH STARTER

PREP TIME:  10-12 days for the first starter, then roughly 24 hours for the bread dough
COOK TIME:  20-30 minutes

INGREDIENTS for the NO-YEAST SOURDOUGH STARTER

• wheat flour
• white flour (optional)
• water

DIRECTIONS for the NO-YEAST SOURDOUGH STARTER

In a quart glass jar, mix together 1/2 c. wheat flour and 1/2 c. warm water.  Use wheat flour because it ferments and bubbles better.  Leave it on the counter with a lid sitting on top on but not screwed on.  For the next 5 or 6 days, add about 1/4 c. flour and 1/4 c. warm water.  You can use all wheat flour if you want, but I like adding white flour most of the time, with the wheat flour used maybe every third "feeding" of the starter.  Stir well each time you feed the starter.  After about 5 or 6 days, feed your starter with 2 Tbsp. flour and 2 Tbsp. warm water and stir well, feeding this amount each day until your starter is about 10-12 days old.  

Michelle says to err on the side of too much flour, not too much water, because a starter that's too thin won't rise.  She also advises not worrying too much if you miss feeding the starter one day.  Also, don't worry if your starter gets a clear or light-brown liquid on top.  That's normal.  Just stir it back in every time you feed it. 

INGREDIENTS for the NO-YEAST SOURDOUGH BREAD

• 1  1/2 c. warm water
• 1 c. sourdough starter
• 3 c. flour, half white & half whole wheat
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2  1/2 tsp. salt
• 1  1/2 - 3 c. flour (either white or whole wheat)

DIRECTIONS for the NO-YEAST SOURDOUGH BREAD

In the evening, mix together with a wooden spoon the warm water, sourdough starter, and 3 c. flour in a non-metallic bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap.  The next morning or afternoon, place the mixture in a mixing bowl and mix in the sugar, salt, and 1 1/2 c. flour, using a dough hook if possible.  Add more flour as needed to make a soft dough that pulls away from the edges of the bowl.  Move the dough to a non-metallic bowl sprayed with cooking spray.  Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. Let rise until double in size, about 2 hours.  

Place two glass loaf pans in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.  Place dough on a rolling mat and divide in half.  Flatten one half with your hands.  Stretch it out to a rectangle.  Fold in each corner to the middle, then fold in corners again, a little like an envelope.  Shape into a loaf.  Repeat with the other dough half.  Cover with a towel for a 10-minute "bench rest."  Once the oven is preheated and the dough has rested at least 10 minutes, remove the hot pans and spray them with cooking spray.  Place the dough loaves in hot pans.  Cover with a towel and let rise another 30 minutes.  Score (cut) the dough along the top to let the air escape during baking.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Wait at least 20 minutes to slice the bread so it won't be gummy.

Refrigerate the starter after this first use.  To make future loaves, take the starter out of the fridge the morning you'll be making the first part of the dough.  Let it come to room temperature at least an hour, then stir in equal amounts flour and warm water (probably about 1/2 c. each).  Leave on the counter all day until you begin making the dough in the evening.

Try this recipe, then comment and let me know how you like it!  And Pin it to Pinterest to save and share using the image below.

To print this recipe, hit the "print" button below.  If you don't see the print button, scroll back up and click on the title of this blog post, then scroll back down and you'll find the button below.

Pantry-Friendly Snacks to Have on Hand

Most snacks are pantry-friendly anyway, it's true, but as I created my 21-Day Pantry Friendly Meal Plan, I allowed for 3 meals a day plus dessert every 3 days.  This is great for me, but as I made the plan I quickly recognized that it doesn't account for all the snacking my sons do, not unlike many teenagers and growing kiddos.

Because the 21-Day Pantry-Friendly Meal Plan is designed to be used either in case of emergency or as easy, last-minute meals, I wanted it to be a healthier version of a freezer full of pizza or a pantry full of mac-n-cheese.  Now that I'm thinking about snacks I'd also like to have on hand, I'd like them to be a healthier step up from Cheez-its.  They are still things my family will eat of course (no dried kale chips or anything), but they have more nutritional value than your average bag of chips.

It's wise to have a 72-hour kit in case of emergency as well, and I keep many of these snacks in my 72-hour kit.  They can serve as small meals if you're desperate (such as if the power goes out for an extended period and you can't cook).  We actually rotate ours every year to keep them fresh.

Here are some ideas for pantry-friendly snacks that have some nutritional value that are great to have on hand in case of emergency.

• granola bars or protein bars
• dried apple slices or pear slices or strawberry slices  (You can get individual packs at Target or Walmart, but if you want apple slices in bulk, you can get them here [my favorite] or here.  I get my apple slices here because the price is good, though they're not as crunchy as the freeze-dried varieties.  They're perfect for my Pantry-Cooked Apple Crisp, though!)
• jerky
• instant nutritional drinks (such as Ensure or Carnation; I also like Ruvi which is just fruits and vegetables; so is V-8)
• trail mix
• freeze-dried cheese (I've seen this as Moon Cheese at Target, but you can also get them as Snackies; Snackies also come in other combinations of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables and nuts and yogurt bites--it may seem funny to see freeze-dried corn as a snack, but it's SO good!)
• fruit leather (Joray have always been my favorite.)
• individual drinkable soups (Campbell's makes easy-to-eat ones.)
• nuts
• tuna salad or chicken salad with crackers (from Bumble Bee)
• individual milk boxes or bottles (From my grocery store I usually just get Nestle chocolate milk bottles or Lala white milk [in the Mexican food section], but the shelf-stable milk from Gossner Foods comes in quite a few flavors, all of which I've tried, so I order those a couple of times a year.  Fair warning:  shipping isn't cheap, but it's good, shelf-stable milk.  You can sometimes find Gossner milk at Dollar Tree, which is awesome.)
• peanut butter and crackers
• popcorn (high in fiber)
• applesauce pouches
• specialty olives and tapas spreads with crackers
• crunchy wheat snacks
• tuna salad and chicken salad (Bumble Bee makes them in snack sizes, pre-made)
• MREs (Meal Ready to Eat--just Google to find availability at food storage companies or even on Amazon)

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What nutritional pantry-friendly snacks do you like to have on hand?  Or do you have great ideas for a 72-hour kit?  Comment below and let me know!  I'll add them to this list.  

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Crunchy Wheat Snacks

My kids like these crunchy wheat snacks.  They assumed they wouldn't because this snack is basically just wheat, but they came back for more.  And more.  And said things to me like, "I can't believe it's just wheat, but it's really good."  And "I can't stop eating this."

Whole wheat berries are a great thing to store (because they can store about 30 years!) and because they're packed with nutrition in their whole-grain state.  (I wrote about that here.)

These simple snacks can be made savory or sweet, and to me the savory ones resemble tiny corn nuts.  Give this a try with different seasonings and see what's your favorite.  My sons like the version with salt and ranch dressing mix, and my daughter and my husband like the plain salt ones.  I'm partial to the cinnamon-sugar ones.

The savory flavors would also make great a salad topping.  Like "think outside the box" croutons.

CRUNCHY WHEAT SNACKS

pictured here:  salt and ranch dressing mix
pictured below:  cinnamon-sugar

PREP TIME:  about 1 hour
COOK TIME:  4-5 minutes (repeated 3 times)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c. wheat berries (Wheat berries are just wheat in whole grain form.  Find them in the bulk foods section of a health food store, or order online here or here or here.)
• 3 c. water
• 6 Tbsp. oil
• seasonings of your choice, such as salt, dry ranch dressing mix, garlic salt, seasoned salt, or cinnamon-sugar

DIRECTIONS
Place wheat berries and water in a medium pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 45-50 minutes.  Drain off excess water.  In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium heat for 3 minutes.  Add 1 c. cooked wheat berries to the hot oil.  Cover with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes, shaking the covered skillet every 30 seconds so the wheat will fry evenly.  Drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil.  Sprinkle with your choice of seasonings.  Repeat twice more (using the remaining 2 cups of cooked wheat berries).  Store in an airtight container.

Try this recipe, then comment and let me know how you like it!  And Pin it to Pinterest to save and share using the image below.

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