These Cinnamon Rolls are a General Conference tradition. They’re not as healthy as I like most things to be, but occasionally things are worth the indulgence and this is one of them.

Dough:

2 T. instant yeast
½ cup warm water
1 T. sugar
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/2- 4 cups flour (half wheat)
¼ cup margarine, not butter

1. Dissolve dry yeast in warm water for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon sugar.

2. Scald milk. Transfer milk to another bowl and add ¼ cup margarine (can be frozen) into bowl to melt.

3. Add sugar, eggs and salt to milk mixture and cool. Add to the dissolved yeast.

4. Stir in enough flour until dough leaves sides of bowl clean (if using a bread mixer). If making by hand, stir in flour for as long as your arm can stand in, then knead until dough reaches a bread-like consistency (not sticky).

5. Put in greased bowl. Cover. Let rise about ½ hour.

6. Punch down dough and roll into a rectangle. Spread with:

¼ cup soft butter

½ cup brown sugar

1 T. cinnamon

7. Roll up and slice with dental floss. Place in greased pans and cover with plastic wrap for about ½ hour. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

8. Remove from pans on wire racks and spread with frosting and sliced almonds if desired.

Frosting:
¼ cup soft butter
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbsp. milk

This spreadsheet has been an excellent way to track our food storage and identify what we need to focus on. You input how many adults, children and infants and it adjusts the amounts based on typical servings. It’s easy to then adjust based on your family’s actual usage. And getting an inventory of our food wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it would be!

Simply Living Smart Food Storage Calculator

This Granola is so good that I can’t keep even a double batch around for more than a few days. It makes the perfect snack any time of the day and disappears fast! Good thing it’s so easy to make.

This is a very basic recipe adapted from one my sister-in-law shared. It can be made in no time, and has room for lots of variations to suit your pantry and your tastes.

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My good friend Angie shared these with me years ago. I recently rediscovered the recipe, and what a find! These work great in the freezer for lunches on the days that there are no leftovers! I knew these were a winner with both my little sister and my husband were really excited about them.

We had them for dinner before I packaged them up and froze them, that way I could add some more corn and tomatoes to suit my husband’s tastes.

2 cups brown rice, cooked
4 cans (15 oz) black beans*
2 cans (15 oz) pinto beans*
1 can (10 oz) corn
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies
16-20 10 inch flour tortillas
1 lb pepper jack cheese, shredded

1. Place beans in a colander and rinse. Add corn and diced tomatoes. Toss to mix. Transfer to large bowl and mix in rice and cheese.

2. Divide the mixture evenly among the tortillas and roll up. Wrap individually in plastic wrap, place into a large Ziploc freezer bag and freeze.

Reheat as needed in the microwave for lunch or snacks.

*To use dry beans:
1 can beans equals about 1 1/2 cup cooked dry beans.
1 cup dry beans yields about 2 cups cooked beans
Cook about 3/4 cup dry beans for every can of beans you want to replace.

You can buy all kinds of flavored diced tomatoes these days – you may want to experiment with roasted garlic and onion, italian, olive oil and garlic.

Food storage is one area where cooking Vegetarian meals are a great choice. Regardless of whether you’re committed to being meat-free or whether you really enjoy a good steak, learning to cook Vegetarian is an important skill to have, particularly when comes to being prepared for the worst. Meat is not only expensive, but it’s also difficult to store–either you have three freezers with a year’s supply, a cabinet full of Spam, or a closet full of jerky. Being able to reduce the amount of meat your family eats will allow you to stretch your budget and eat more nutritious foods that are easier to store.

Making Vegetarian Meals Satisfying
Perhaps a non-vegetarian’s biggest complaint with Vegetarian Cooking is that they don’t feel satisfied. Here are a couple of ways to make Vegetarian meals more filling.

1. Protein. Skimp on the meat, but not the protein. Beans and nuts are great meat-free sources of protein, but whole grains are as well. I love to accompany a Vegetarian soup or stew with whole wheat biscuits or whole wheat cornbread.

2. Fat. Fat not only enhances flavor, but is also digested more slowly, causing you to feel full longer. Although fat has gotten a bad rap in past years, we are understanding now that it’s important to have healthy fats, such as those found in Olive Oil and Canola Oil. I have found that when I don’t skimp on the fat in my meals, I am satisfied longer and don’t end up coming back to the kitchen for more snacking later on.

3. Variety and Flavor. Vegetarian recipes don’t need to be bland. Vegetarians are some of the best at integrating a variety of produce and flavorings to make truly exquisite dishes. Try experimenting with various spices and flavorings to see what you can create. I recommend Sally Schneider’s book, The Improvisational Cook for understanding how to develop and coordinate flavor.

Favorite Vegetarian Recipes
Pizza Recipes
Bean Recipes
Soup Recipes
Whole Wheat Recipes

If Whole Wheat Bagels sound like too much work, or if you need something to go with your Vegetarian meal in 10 minutes, then whole wheat biscuits are the answer. I love to whip up a batch of these to accompany any soup or other meal that needs completing. With just a few ingredients and a short baking time–they are must for the food storage cook. These also work well as a topping over pot pie in an 8 inch square baking dish.

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