Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Submitted by Heather Adams (1st person to win a prize for submitting a recipe)

1 box spice cake mix
1 15 oz can pumpkin
chocolate chips (as many as you'd like)

Stir together and bake @ 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

(In abundant times...you can also add 1 egg to make muffins instead. ;)

Cooking Class at Macey's

Little Theater Class at Macey's in Pleasant Grove:
COOKING WITH FOOD STORAGE
When: Friday, Oct. 3, at 10 am
This class is free. You need to sign up at the service desk or call 796-6601.

GOT WATER?

Drinking Water
Store drinking water for circumstances in which the water supply may be polluted or disrupted.
If water comes directly from a good, pretreated source, then no additional purification is needed; otherwise, pretreat water before use. Store water in sturdy, leak-proof, breakage-resistant containers. Consider using plastic bottles commonly used for juices and soft drinks.
Keep water containers away from heat sources and direct sunlight.


How Much?
14 gallons per person (two weeks supply)

Water Storage Guidelines
Commercially bottled water in PETE (or PET) plastic containers may be purchased. Follow the container’s “best if used by” dates as a rotation guideline. Avoid plastic containers that are not PETE plastic.
If you choose to package water yourself, consider the following guidelines:
Containers
* Use only food-grade containers. Smaller containers made of PETE plastic or heavier plastic buckets or drums work well.
* Clean, sanitize, and thoroughly rinse all containers prior to use. A sanitizing solution can be prepared by adding 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to one quart (1 liter) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.
* Do not use plastic milk jugs, because they do not seal well and tend to become brittle over time.
* Do not use containers previously used to store non-food products.
Water Pretreatment
* Water from a chlorinated municipal water supply does not need further treatment when stored in clean, food-grade containers.
* Non-chlorinated water should be treated with bleach. Add 1/8 of a teaspoon (8 drops) of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) for every gallon (4 liters) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.
Storage
* Containers should be emptied and refilled regularly.
* Store water only where potential leakage would not damage your home or apartment.
* Protect stored water from light and heat. Some containers may also require protection from freezing.
* The taste of stored water can be improved by pouring it back and forth between two containers before use.

Source: Provident Living Website

Sales Alert

Albertson's has their cream of chicken & mushroom soups on sale for 50 cents a piece right now! That's an incredible price!!!

Grapes

Brother Garth Taylor has green grapes to give away. Please contact him for further information. Thank you Garth!

Sales Alert

Macey's case lot sale starts Wednesday, Sept. 17. This is a great way to stock up on items your family uses. Sugar, soups, fruit, chili, is all available at a great price.
Under the family emergency preparedness title they are also selling all sorts of great food storage goods. The water drums and jugs are a great way to start your water storage. Also check out the emergency candles. These are 100 hour candles for $3.99.
When you buy storage pails/buckets I suggest you buy the Gamma Seals. They are much easier to open than the regular lids, esp. for items you use regularly. I realize that they are an initial investment, but you'll be glad you have them.
I also heard that they will be selling skinless, boneless chicken for $1.39 per pound. I have not seen chicken this low in ages. Canning chicken is VERY easy and it tastes great! When the power goes out and the freezer stops working it would be great to have canned meats. We will show you how to can meats next week at the announced stake preparedness canning class.

Water Bath and Pressure Canning Demonstration

Announcing
American Fork West Stake
Home Storage and Preparedness Workshop
Water Bath and Pressure Canning Demonstration
Thursday Sept. 25, 2008
7:00 - 8:00 pm
- Learn how to prepare product
(blanch, remove skins and pits etc.),
pack jars, place lids and rings and
process product in water bath or pressure canner.
Learn how to can fruit, vegetables and meats.

Book Recommendation

Lacy Bentley suggests the booklet "12 Steps to build your own personal ARK" by Emily Freeman, available at LDS book stores.
This book contains a complete guide to family preparedness. Just follow the three simple steps listed every month and you will acquire the items your family needs to survive for a year including food and household items and the knowledge required to use these items.

Two Great Websites To Add To Our List

Check out sistersavings.net and Emergency Essentials (check esp. the many recipes provided). The links are on the right side bar under important links.

STORAGE HOW-TO'S

WHERE
Your food items should always be stored in a cool, dark, dry place for maximum storage time. A basement is preferable. Food should be kept as airtight as possible. Fill storage containers as full as you can to give them less airspace.

TEMPERATURE
Heat is the worst enemy to keeping food good. Food should be stored below 70 degrees, with 40-60 degrees being optimal. For every 10 degree increase in temperature above 70, the shelf life is cut by one quarter.

CONTAINERS
Keep all food stored in tight, clean, metal, plastic or glass insect-proof containers with tight-fitting lids and no open seams. Do not store in plastic or paper bags, and if you keep items in their original plastic they should be put inside another more durable container. Rats can go through the heavy plastic buckets, while mice cannot, and insects can invade any paper, or plastic covering, or anything with even the most minute opening.

CEMENT WALLS AND FLOORING
Do not store any items directly on cement or against cement walls. Always put a barrier of cardboard, plywood, or some other wood between concrete and food. Metal will rust from the cement moisture, and it, as well as other packaging, will absorb moisture and flavors from the cement.

MARKING YOUR ITEMS
Keep a permanent marker handy, and if an item does not already have a pre-stamped expiration date on it, indicate the date of purchase.

SIZE
Do not store items in containers so large that it becomes impossible to rotate them, or the food inside. Rotation is an important part of any food storage.

CANNED GOODS
Canned foods are usable as long as they are unopened and not bulging, but there is a 2 to 5% loss of food value every year. Throw away bulging or leaking cans. These foods are spoiled and are unsafe to eat. Do not buy cans with dents, esp. along the seams or rim. There is a chance a small open crack may have developed, allowing air to enter.

Sales Alert

Macey's has canning supplies on sale right now (30% off)!

Recipes from Enrichment Night (all made from food storage items)

Wheat Bread (Lacy Bentley)
3 T yeast and 1 t sugar - dissolved in 1 C water
In large bowl mix:
3/4 C honey
3/4 C oil
2 T salt
3 3/4 C hot water
5 T lemon juice or vinegar (the acid tenderizes the gluten & makes the bread rise higher)
6 C whole-wheat flour

Add the dissolved yeast to the bread mixture and mix for 7-10 minutes to get the gluten working. Add gradually 6 C whole-wheat flour. Knead for 5 minutes (if kneading by hand, mix all ingredients and knead by hand for 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic). If dough seems too sticky, add enough flour to get past the sticky point. (Too much flour causes bread failure.) Let stand for 10 minutes. Divide and shape into 3 loaves. Place in greased bread pans. Rise until doubles in size. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Cream Cheese Braid (Heather Adams)
This dough is also fabulous bread dough!! One recipe makes 4 loaves of bread or 4 braids, or cinnamon rolls, or pizza, or bread sticks, etc. The possibilities are endless.

10 ½ C whole-wheat flour, or bread flour, or a mix of both
½ C sugar
1 T salt
3 rounded T saf-Instant yeast
4 T liquid liquid lecithin ( this is a dough enhancer with a long shelf life, available at health food stores or some grocery stores)
4 C very hot tap water
Mix dry ingredients. Add lecithin and water. Mix for 10 minutes if wheat bread, about 5 minutes for white bread.
Spray counter, pans and hands with Pam. Shape loaves, put in pans, cover and let rise for 25 minutes. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Cream Cheese Filling (for one loaf)
4 oz. Softened cream cheese
½ C powdered sugar
½ t Vanilla
Can add fresh fruit or jam
Frosting
2 C powdered sugar
1/4 C softened butter
½ t Vanilla
2 T water


Homemade Butter (Emily Challis)
Ingredient: Heavy Cream
You can either put the cream in a mixer and mix until it separates (it will look like curd, or cottage cheese) - this will take about 15-20 minutes. You can also put the cream in a quart size canning jar with the lid securely fastened, and shake it until it hardens and separates (this will take quite a while).
After you get it to this point, you need to drain the excess buttermilk off, and then rinse the butter a few times with cold water, until the “milky” excess is gone. Then salt to taste and chill.

Wheat Pops - A Yummy Snack From the Stake Preparedness Workshop
These are great eaten plain, or sprinkled on a salad.
2 T Oil, 1 C cooked wheat, dried off, seasoning (salt, cinnamon sugar, seasoned salt)
Add wheat and oil to a small saucepan and cover. Cook over high heat, shaking as you would for popcorn, until lightly browned and crispy. Spread out on paper towel and sprinkle with your choice of seasoning.

To cook wheat, stir together 6 C water, 1 ½ C wheat, and ½ t salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour, until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.