Archive | February, 2009

Danielle asked: When you buy the 25 pound containers what do you have to
store them in?

I am a big fan of buying our grains in larger quantities to help save money on our food budget and keep things simple and organized. I find it especially useful to find a nearby friend to split these purchases as well, as our garage is rather small in our condo. Recently, my friend Samara and I split a 50 pound bag of Montana Prairie Gold wheat (which we highly recommend as one of the best whole wheat grain choices!) and it cost each of us just $15! We keep several large 5 gallon paint buckets in our garage for various grain and sweetener purchases (including whole wheat – hard and soft wheat, kamut, oats, sucanat, and spelt grains).

In the kitchen, we keep glass gallon jars which we refill regularly from our outside storage supply. This is Karis’ favorite task – refilling the glass jars with a measuring cup!

These five paint gallon buckets can be purchased new at your local Home Depot or home improvement store for around $5 each. You may be able to aquire them used at a more frugal cost from a local deli or bakery. Best to find ones that have a strong seal (o-ring) to keep as fresh as possible. Grain should be stored in a cool dark place.

It works for me!

I have made some additions to this recipe to add some further wonderful flavors! This is one of my favorite nutritious winter meals for any size family. A great way to stretch your meat for a frugal well balanced meal. You can even throw in some rice or quinoa as desired. It freezes remarkably well!

Shepherd’s Pie

8 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
8 medium carrots, cut into small chunks
1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
20 ou. can tomato sauce, diced or stewed tomatoes
2 1/2 tsp. sweet basil leaves
1-2 Tbsp natural sweetener (honey, rapadura or sucanat)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp garlic powder or more fresh garlic
1 bay leaf or 1 tsp chopped bay leaf
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)
3-4 cups total veggies – mushrooms, green beans, peas & corn, fresh or frozen
milk, butter & salt to season mashed potatoes, as desired (our favorite combination: 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 Tbsp mayonaise, and 1 garlic clove)
1/2 – 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Boil and cook potatoes and carrots. Carrots take longer then potatoes, so I encourage starting with carrots and then adding potatoes after 10 minutes or so. While cooking, brown ground turkey/beef in a skillet adding onion and garlic when about half browned. Add remaining ingredients, except vegetables. Season as desired. Allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add mushrooms, green beans, peas and corn, as desired in the last 5-10 minutes. Mash the potatoes and carrots once they are soft with a mixer and add milk, salt and butter to flavor. Layer the meat mixture in a 9×13 pan (or two 8×8 pans), followed by the mashed potatoes. Top with cheese and a dash of paprika (if desired). Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

For the Freezer:

Combine and assemble all the cooked ingredients as instructed but refrain from baking. Cover and freeze as desired. When ready to serve, thaw and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. For our smaller family, I divide this into two 8×8 pans and freeze one for later. Yum!