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

After trimming and packaging up 40 lbs of raw chicken, I was ready to give up meat completely. And although I don’t plan on ever completely adopting a vegetarian lifestyle, I have been looking for ways integrate more vegetarian fare into our meals. I love it–it’s less expensive, healthier, and often easier–a big winner in my book!

Continue Reading »

Well after an extended holiday hiatus, I think we’re finally back to work.  I guess that’s real life for you, isn’t it?  Part of the reason for my hiatus was that I was putting together some food storage gifts, and although they may have been inspirational to some of our faithful readers, I was nervous that the recipients would see them here and the surprise would be ruined.  Never mind the fact that I didn’t get them totally figured out until it the almost last minute and was running around quite crazy as I’m sure you can relate . . . .

Anyway . . . between my husband and I, we had four college-age single siblings to find Christmas gifts for.  One common theme among this demographic is the deep appreciation for a “Real Meal”.  It is amusing to observe comments, particularly from my 21 year old brother, “oh, they’re having dinner at this thing, ALLLL RIGHT!!!!” And probably most of us can relate–when you’re busy with work, school and both, cooking up a balanced meal for one just doesn’t seem worth the time, money or effort.  But it isn’t long before PBJ, Top Ramen and Totino’s Pizzas just aren’t hitting the spot.

So we opted to create a “Real Meal” in a bag. 

Continue Reading »

I developed this recipe from my Energy Bars recipe to make for a semi-sweet treat that could be a satisfying snack at the same time. Just right for those busy students in our “Real Meal” gift. I made a half recipe for each gift (yield 1 dozen)

Continue Reading »

With the holidays fast approaching and economic gloom and doom covering the news, one great way to make both the giver and the receiver’s dollars stretch is food storage for Christmas.

Receiving a one month supply of food storage for Christmas a couple of years ago was one of the best gifts I could have received. It felt good to have at least a little food stored and to begin experimenting with it. It can be pretty overwhelming to get started, when you have no idea what you’ll need or how to use it.

We received a variety of items–about a one month supply for one person in #10 cans. 1 can Dry beans (5.5 lbs), 2 cans white rice (11 lbs), 3 cans whole wheat kernels (18 lbs), 1 can macaroni (3.4 lbs), 1 can powdered milk (4.1), 1 can sugar (6.1 lbs) 1 small bottle oil (16 oz), and 4 salt shakers.

If you’re thinking you would like to receive food storage for Christmas, now is the time to let people know! There is a good chance your mother would be happy to buy you some food storage items for Christmas, but she may not be thinking of it.

As always, turn to www.reallifefoodstorage.com for recipes and tips on how to use these items, especially dry beans, whole wheat, and powdered milk.