Pantries and Preparedness. Jar mixes.

I love jars, as you must know! Many times I have looked at mixes in a jar that you can make up and have on hand. I love the idea. But usually I have considered the mixtures I have seen and felt we would not necessarily use that recipe.

Thanks to Teri I had a lightbulb moment about this!
Teri wrote me this lovely letter...

"...I never really thought about my pantry in all the ways mentioned in your posts or on other blogs.  I just call it my "food room" and use it daily to feed my family.  lol  Anyway, I make lots of dry mixes and store them in glass jars or #10 cans. Since it is just my husband and me now, I don't do quite as much, but when I make corn bread I just measure all the dry ingredients into pint jars and when I want to make corn bread for dinner, I just pull out a jar, add the wet ingredients.  It's my way of "boxed convenience" so to speak.  :)  I make my own onion soup mix, "bisquick", pancake/waffle mix, rice mix, dry salad dressings mixes (like Italian and ranch) etc. All these things I've been making and using for years.  Cooking from scratch is the only way I know how to cook. lol

I make lots of things like spaghetti sauce, chili, baked beans, taco soup, split pea soup, beef broth, chicken broth, etc. but I can them in jars so they are shelf stable.  I do use my freezer for many baked goods, like you do, and fruit, veggies and casseroles.  It's just nice to have a bit of both...."

This letter made my day! Thank you so much Teri. 

And it hit me. I have been looking at other peoples recipes and mixes and thinking I would not use this or that as it is not really what we eat or like. I haven't thought of them as a potential way to have my own trusted recipes ready to go in record time! 

We all know the production line principal... it is so much faster to repeat one action over and over and mass produce things than repeat the whole process many times and on different days, having to get everything out again over and over.

So I thought of all the things I do often bake, that are useful and we like, that I could pre prepare and have ready to go. Like my own "boxed convinience" as Teri said. How handy would that be on a busy night?! 

It is as simple as placing the dry ingredients in your jars and noting the additions you need to add. For a gift I would write the steps clearly out on a label. For myself I am keeping a master list inside the pantry door... ie Cornbread... "add one egg. one can creamed corn..." and then I know what to do (until it becomes automatic anyhow!)

We love cornbread. When I am serving soups this is the nicest side to soup and I have made it for years. I serve it warm. I still make it for the girls and give them a tray. It can be made as a loaf but I find it easier and neater and also better to freeze individual portions if I make it in as muffins.

This is my recipe...

2 cups polenta,
1 and 3/4 cups SR flour,
1/2 cup sugar,
100grams butter or oil, (3.5 ounces)
1 1/2 cups milk,
2 eggs.
I can creamed corn. Optional.

Mix wet eggs and sugar, add milk and oil then dry ing.  If you use the creamed corn you will need to add more polenta. It is a thick but slightly runny mix. Bake until lightly golden and a tester comes out clean. You could also add cheese to this recipe.
Serve warm with hot soup. Delicious! 

You can see the layers are cornmeal (polenta) flour and sugar. 

The recipe makes two dozen muffin sized, two loaves or a baking tray that you could cut into squares. Pop heaps in the freezer for with soups or stews.

Now my plan is to have heaps of these lined up ready to make and then move on to another useful ready mix.

Teri let me know this is her trusted mix she always has on hand..

SOS Mix (Soup or Sauce mix)  Equal to about 9 cans of cream soup)

2 Cups powdered non-fat dry milk

3/4 Cup cornstarch

1/4 Cup instant chicken bouillon (granules or powder)

2 Tablespoons dried onion flakes (I crush mine a bit)

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

a little ground pepper, garlic powder, oregano and basil (use those or other spices/herbs that you like)

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and store in a jar.  (I double or triple this recipe and store in a clean

#10 can (tin) with a tight lid. It sits in my food room and I fill a quart jar for the pantry)

To use:  Combine 1/3 Cup of dry mix with 1 1/4 Cups of cold water.  Cook and stir on stove top or in microwave until thickened. Stir in some sautéed mushrooms, cook chicken, or sautéed celery/onion.  Add mixture to casseroles as you would a can of soup. (if additional liquid is needed in your recipe, just mix a bit more water to the cooked mixture to desired consistency).

* Notes:  This does not have to be refrigerated. The herbs you add can vary, I don't add salt to this as the bouillon has enough, I use my own dried onions if I have them and my own dried parsley and other herbs. You could also use a beef or veggie bouillon.  This is such a handy mix!

Now I am both collecting jars and working out the best mixes that are handy for me to have ready to go. They can also be made up in snap lock bags and labelled with a sharpie. 

This recipe is also used in scalloped potatoes, Broccoli cheese soup, tomato soup and many more. The full list of recipes can be found at Utah state university website where Teri found it. I found it   and here there is a free printable booklet of all the things you can use it to make. What a money saver! I am making this and printing the booklet and sticking it inside my cupboard doors.

Helen makes something similar, if yours is different Helen could you please let us know the recipe and how you use it?

Teri could you possibly add your Bisquick recipe and the ways that you use it if you have time? I think that will be my next project!

This is another way to add to our pantries, make life easier, reduce takeaways, save money and reduce the chemicals found in most packet mixes and cans. A massive win /win all around!

If you have any trusted mixes please share. It's huge help to us all is to be able to make something up quickly and easily and and reduce costs. 

I must have had a mental block with this. I knew it was a great idea but I never thought just to use my own often used recipes! So thanks to Teri for this post and all the possibilities it opens up!

I hope everyone is having a great week. Here we are mid week... I hope to get lots more done by Friday! xxx