Showing posts with label Dry Mixes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dry Mixes. Show all posts

Monday, March 25, 2013

Camping Oatmeal Mix



Last June, my sister and I took all of our combined kids camping. It was an adventure of no small magnitude and included extreme amounts of planning and organizing. Planning for the feeding of a small basketball team in the primitive campground area with water a half mile away is..... shall we say, interesting.

So everything is made with the idea that it be simple, filling, and that it taste good. The cook in me wants things to be better than hot dogs on the grill or cold cereal in the morning. So we planned and made amazing yumminess for most of the meals.

 The biggest food hit with the troops was the Camping Oatmeal Mix. While I was pinning camping recipes like a woman writing a book, I came across this site and was instantly sold on the oatmeal recipe. I wasn't even sure we would use it but with all the hiking and swimming kids get hungry. Really Hungry. All. The. Time. So I thought maybe it would make a great quick snack.

 We broke it out after a morning hike that became THE HIKE THAT NEVER ENDED and needed to instantly feed the ornery boys who were literally wasting away from possible starvation and crying toddlers that had been in a child carrier backpack for the last 3 and 1/2 hours. Not to mention, that after 3 and 1/2 hours of carrying a 25 lb toddler on your back, you may never be able to bend over again so having an easy meal in a no microwave zone is a good thing.

Whilst they were wolfing down warm and filling cooked oatmeal decorated with their choice of toppings and a drizzle of maple syrup, I decided we should eat this at home. All year round. Even if we have a microwave.





















Helping Mix.

Peek.


My tweaked version:

Camping Oatmeal Mix
6-8 cups of quick cook oats
3 cups powdered milk *
6 Tablespoon brown sugar
Optional mix-ins
Place in a large seal-able container or ice cream pail with a lid. Place lid on top and shake it till it is thoroughly mixed.

Use 1 cup of oatmeal mix to 1/3 -1/2 cup of  boiling water.

We offer toppings separate because there are too many taste buds in my crew to contend with. 
Some topping ideas: Raisins, Coconut, Dried Cranberries, Sunflower Seeds, Walnuts, Chocolate Chips, Maple Syrup, etc.

If you are blessed with less fussy taste buds:) then here are some options for the mix-ins  :

Raisin mix
1 1/2 cups of raisins
1-2 Tablespoons of cinnamon 

Mixed Nuts mix
1 cup chopped mixed nuts

Brotherhood mix
1/2 cup peanuts chopped
1/2 cup yogurt covered raisins    
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Apple Pie mix
1 cup dried apple slices, chopped
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
(serve cooked Apple Pie mix with milk or cream)

Tropical Mix
1 cup dried tropical fruit mix
1/4 cup dried shaved coconut   
(serve cooked Tropical mix with a drizzle of coconut milk)   
  
Tell me how it goes!

 Always Blessed,
Gretchen :)

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Friday, February 15, 2013

Hot Cocoa Mix *Recipe


I am sharing the most amazing Hot Cocoa recipe. It is my all time favorite!

I have some very bad memories of hot cocoa mixes my mom made when we were kids. They always seemed kind of.... thin and unchocolately. It tasted like watered down chocolate pudding made with powdered milk. Nasty. Those bad cocoa consumptions left a bad taste in my mouth (bahahaha) when it came to hot cocoa mixes and I became a cocoa snob. Gasp!

As we began to create 'make it yourself' items in our kitchen one of the first things I tackled was a homemade cocoa recipe. I did not want a 'just okay' cocoa. I wanted a childhood toasty toes by the heater while drinking some warm marshmallowed cocoa after playing outside in the snow kind of memory in a cup. I searched everywhere! With milk and without. I added shaved chocolate (what a mess) and chocolate chips (impossible to clean out of tall coffee cup). There were organic versions and carob versions. I tried probably 10 different variations of cocoa mix before settling on this one!

We have some very big cocoa drinkers here and although it isn't the purest and most 'green' recipe it is far better then the preservative laden name brand cocoa mix. It is easy. It is inexpensive and I generally have everything I need right here. It passes the Princess Petunia (not too sugary) and the Princess Peony (very chocolaty) test. The best part of all is that it makes a huge recipe thanks to Kimberly, a mom of many over at Raising Olives.

Princess Petunia loves her Cocoa and I don't feel so bad offering it before bed or as a snack in the afternoon. I have even been known to offer it as milk when we have run out.(Does anyone else run out of milk?) It does have powdered milk in it so that has to count, right?
Amazing Hot Cocoa




Amazing Hot Cocoa
4 cups powdered sugar
5 to 6 cups powdered milk 
2 cups of baking cocoa
2 scant teaspoons sea salt
4 teaspoons of corn starch* 
2 pinches of ground cayenne pepper 

Mix all together in a large mixing bowl. I also like to use my hand blender to pulverize the powdered milk. Just cover the bowl with a drying towel and then blend away. Please don't skip this. Use a blender or a food processor if you can. It is important for the smoothness of the cocoa. Place in a glass storage container. I had cocoa mix enough for a 2 quart jar and half of a one quart jar.
 
To serve: Mix 1/4 to 1/3 cup of mix to hot water. Stir well and enjoy

*arrowroot powder would probably work

 Bit of Cocoa with a dollop of coconut milk.

Always Blessed, 
Gretchen

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

~Simple Christmas~ DIY Gift Ideas:Food


Do It Yourself Gift Ideas!

 I love doing all kinds of crafty whatnots. 
I'm not especially precise or even all that creative when it comes to crafting... anything... but my heart sure is in the right place. 
In an effort to keep costs down and put a bit more love into our Christmas
we are making some gifts!
I especially like the thought of getting the kids involved in making a gift instead of just buying something for the person they are giving Cheer to.  
I have no problem buying gifts, but isn't it nice to receive a special something that someone made for you?

I remember getting the most beautiful book marker from a friend that she had hand crocheted.
I have received a beautifully wrapped box of cookies from a friend for quite a few years and the kids and I can hardly wait till she delivers it bearing smiles and a great visit! I so appreciate it!
Once, a teacher made us little ice skate ornaments out of paper clips!

These are the things people can connect with. It takes some thought. Shouldn't all gifting be like that?


Food!  
A box of your homemade cookies would be a wonderful gift. Trust me!
Source
Here is a neat way to package those cookies in smaller batches.
source

We have made mix-in-jar gifts before. Easy to make. Fun to include the kids in and always appreciated by the recipient!  
This site has both these recipes!
Check out Budget 101 for over 30 different mix in jar recipes.

These look like clean recyclables being used for storing mixes! Source



 How about some of your canned goods from last summer's bounty? This could look pretty with a ribbon and bow.
Homemade salsa.

Fruit Basket Season! Don't buy one! Make one! For a quick and simple present pick some choice fruit and place in a pretty container, or basket, and throw in a few peppermint candies. Especially good for the elderly. You can tailor it for a large family or just a single couple.

source
I like how this one looks.
source

My other favorite is coffee, hot cocoa, and tea gifts. If you have a lover of one or all you can make a very inexpensive gift. Just remember (because I don't always) to go simple. You are giving a little sample taste of coffee or tea not and entire year's worth. 

This is lovely! You can pick up mugs for a buck at the dollar store.
source
Minus the slightly cheesy sticker this looks yummy.
source


I love tea. How nice receive a pretty china tea cup (check the thrift stores for vintage cups) with a few fun tea bags to try out!
source

And this is just so very cool! Please, anyone, I would like this from my children so please tell them!
Ice Cream Social Kit from here.

More to come next time!


Always Blessed,
Gretchen :)


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Saturday, November 17, 2012

A Day In the Life....

Today we spent time making bread, baking buns, and assembling quick mix meal kits. It was so warm and cozy in my kitchen working alongside my children. Measuring and mixing. Kneading and rolling. Waiting. It is so very hard to wait for that first slice of warm bread out of the oven! There were many misshapen hamburger buns but the outcome was still a lovely tasting concoction just begging to be cracked open and buttered. What a fine day inside.
Mixing the dough.
Kneading.
Princess Petunia helping knead some dough.

Beautiful!


Sir Bean adding raisins for a loaf of cinnamon bread.

Making some soup mixes.


We got to be a little creative making our 'fast food' mixes. 


This became Beef Noodle Mix.

A worthy days work!

Bow-tie Helper, Veggie Soup Mix, Lentil soup mix

And the reward for all the hard work! Nom!

While we were toiling away inside in our smallish, toasty-warm kitchen, outside it was windy and damp. The trees are all quite bare and there is such a starkness in the air. It smells of dirt and snow all mixed up together and we just wait for those thin bits of sunlight to break through the gray skies that permeate our November days.
"Have you ever noticed a tree standing naked against the sky,
How beautiful it is? 
All its branches are outlined, and in its nakedness
There is a poem, there is a song. 
Every leaf is gone and it is waiting for the spring. 
When the spring comes, it again fills the tree with
The music of many leaves,
Which in due season fall and are blown away.
And this is the way of life."
-   Krishnamurti 


I'm reminded that there is a season for everything and that we are called to appreciate it for what it is. Even dark and dreary days are beautiful to our LORD. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
1 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,

How was your Saturday? 

Always Blessed,
Gretchen :)

Princess Peony, the Photographer.
 

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