Week 28: 10 lbs. of Beans or More!

Last Week to stock up on beans!

*August*

"For the moment we live in a day of peace and prosperity, but it shall not ever be thus. Great trials lie ahead...and we must prepare ourselves temporally and spiritually..." Bruce R. McConkie

Spiritual Goal---Have Family Home Evenings with family every Monday.
Make sure at least one Monday is set aside for doing something really fun for the whole family.

Provident Living Goal---Learn to preserve food in a way you haven't tried before.

72 hour kit:
battery powered radio
battery powered light
batteries

Week 27: 10 lbs. of Beans or more!

There are so many different kinds of beans to store. Mix it up, so you have a nice variety. Kidney beans are the easiest and quickest to cook when you are in a hurry. Beans are an important part of the diet to build iron, fiber and protien.


Spicy Black Bean Soup With Cajun Sausage

Ingredients:
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•12 to 16 ounces Andouille or spicy sausage, thinly sliced
•1 large onion, diced
•2 ribs celery, diced
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 small red bell pepper, diced, about 1/2 cup
•2 tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers
•4 cups beef broth
•1/2 lb. dried black beans, (prepare in crockpot and add rest of ingredients)
•1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
•2 tablespoons lemon juice
•1/4 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
•1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
•Salt, to taste
•1/4 teaspoon pepper
Preparation:
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add sausage and cook over medium heat until browned. Add onion, celery, red bell pepper, and jalapeno peppers; sauté for about 3 minutes, until tender. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer. Add all to crock pot, along with the beef broth,tomatoes, lemon juice, and remaining seasonings. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for a few hours.
Serve with cornbread or crusty rolls.

Week 26:10 lbs. of Beans or More!

Campbell's® Slow Cooker Hearty Beef & Bean Chili
From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 8 hours

Serves: 6

INGREDIANTS:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup (Regular or 25% Less Sodium)
1 can (about 14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 lb precooked red kidney beans,rinsed and drained (cook in crockpot in a few hours)
1/4 cup chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin

Directions:
Cook the beef in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it's well browned, stirring often. Pour off any fat.

Stir the beef, onion, garlic, soup, tomatoes, water, beans, chili powder and cumin in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours.*
*Or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

SUMMER IS HERE!
> THE SUN IS SHINING!
> UTAH FRUIT IS RIPENING!
>
> SWEET BING CHERRIES............Amazingly, I WILL have cherries this year. The farmer called me, all excited! No freeze...... and a good crop.
> THEY WILL ARRIVE ON JULY 10th. (one shipment only)
> A 20 POUND BOX IS $27.00 (that works out to $1.35 a pound)
> .
>
> APRICOTS............................There is a good crop. Depending on when they ripen, I will either have them the same time as the cherries, or the following week, July 17th.
> (one shipment only)
> A 24 pound box is $25.00. (that is $1.05 a pound) These are big, bright orange, sweet apricots.
> ...............................................................................................................................
> Please check your calendar to make sure you will be in town, or arrange with someone to pick up the fruit for you. The fruit comes perfectly ripe and needs to be in your home. I so appreciate it.
> ORDERING................. THE CHERRIES AND APRICOTS MUST BE PRE-ORDERED. I ORDER EXACTLY WHAT YOU ORDER.
>
> TO ORDER.........Please call or email. 480 844-9953 azfruitlady@yahoo.com
>
> ................................................................................................................................
>I WILL HAVE
>
> PEACHES, TOMATOES, BLACKBERRIES, AND RASPBERRIES................................
> They will begin August 19th
>
> PEARS AND NECTARINES.......................................................................................
> Will begin in September
>
> APPLES.................................................................................................................
> (one shipment) Fall apples will arrive a few days before Halloween.
>
> ******************* (All prices will remain the same as last year)
>
> *******************
> I will send an email out soon on the peaches, tomatoes, berries, pears, nectarines, and apples with dates and prices.
> ....................................................................................................................................
> I WILL BE COLLECTING CLOTHES AGAIN THIS YEAR. The Mesa School District children are in need of gently used clothing and shoes. Due to budget cuts this year the the school nurses, who act as liaisons for the children and their families, are unable to help provide clothing and shoes for those in need. IF YOU ARE CLEANING OUT YOUR CLOSETS............ANY DONATED CLOTHING AND SHOES WOULD BE APPRECIATED. All sizes accepted. The children attend elementary, junior high and high schools in the District. I am working with Barbara Hientz who is helping me coordinate the program. Please bring any donated items to my doorstep any time.
> The clothing donated last year blessed so many on the Navaho Indian reservation. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
>
>
> Barbie VanCott - Utah fruit
> 2248 East Leonora St.
> Mesa, AZ, 85213
> North of McKellips Rd., between Lindsey and Gilbert Rd.
> 480-844-9953
>

Week 25: 10 lbs. of Beans or More!

Marie's Mexican Pinto Beans
Pinto beans recipe, Mexican-style, for the slow cooker or crockpot.

Ingredients:
1 small bag of dry pinto beans (1 pound)
bacon
onion
cilantro
small jar of salsa, or to taste

Preparation:
Rinse bag of beans and soak overnight. Next day put in crockpot or slow cooker covered with water, almost to the top; cover and cook on LOW heat 5 to 7 hours, until beans are tender. After about 5 hours, when beans are tender, fry up desired amount of bacon, onion and cilantro until bacon is cooked through and onion is clear; drain well. Add to beans, along with some of the drippings from bacon. Add salsa to taste. Cover and cook about 1 to 2 more hours. This could be a main meal with Spanish rice.

Week 24: 10 lbs. beans or more!

Sort and place the beans in a colander and wash under running water under the faucet in the kitchen sink for a minute or so. It’s best to hold with one hand and move the beans around with the other to make sure that they are clean. Washing them under running water will assure that all dirt has been rinsed from them.

Once beans are sorted and washed, it’s time to begin the cooking process. It is very important to note that beans expand at least double when cooked with liquid. Make sure that you use a pan that has plenty of room for this expansion. There is a fast method and a slower method for cooking pinto beans. The fast method takes about four hours. The slower method takes overnight for soaking and about four hours for cooking.

The fast method is to put the pinto beans in a pan. Cover with water at least three inches above the beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover with lid, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the beans sit for one hour with the lid on. The beans will then be plump and ready to cook. Remove the lid after the hour and pour out water. You can put the beans in a colander again if you prefer. Refill beans in pan with clean tap water, covering beans at least one inch above the beans. Bring beans to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer beans with lid on for about four hours, checking every hour to make sure beans continue to have enough water.

The slower method involves covering the pan of beans with water at least three inches above the beans. Soak overnight. The next morning the beans will be plump and ready to cook. Pour out the water and fill with clean tap water, covering beans at least one inch above the beans. Bring beans to boil. Reduce heat and simmer with lid on for about four hours, checking every hour to make sure beans continue to have enough water.

If you have a slow cooker (commonly called a crock-pot), you can cook the pinto beans all day on low. Just make sure that the water level is filled as high as it can be so it won’t go dry.

Some beans cook faster depending on how old they are. Beans are done when tender when poked with a fork or by tasting. If the beans run out of water while cooking, they will be dry and have a burnt taste. It is important for them to always have plenty of water.

Seasoning beans vary with personal preference. Do not add salt until after the beans are cooked. Adding salt before cooking will make the beans less tender. Adding chopped onion or fresh garlic while cooking makes very flavorful beans. Salt and seasonings to taste can be added after a few hours of cooking. Simmer for a short time after adding seasonings.

Pinto beans need to be used within a few days in the refrigerator. They can be frozen to use at a later date. Freeze the juice too as they will dry out. Pinto beans can also be mashed easily with a potato masher or an electric mixer. Start by using little juice and then add juice as desired. Fresh water can be used if you don’t end up with enough juice. Frying hamburger and using chili-seasoning mix make great chili beans. Get creative. Once cooked, pinto beans have many uses in casseroles, dips and Mexican style food. Easy and affordable, not to mention easy to cook, pinto beans are a delight.

July
"Ye Latter-day Saints, learn to sustain yourselves, produce everything you need to eat, drink or wear,..." Pres. Brigham Young

Spiritual Goal---Take the family names you prepared last month to the Temple.

Provident Living Goal---Make a goal to eat healthier. For example: less sweets, more fresh fruits and veggies, less meat, more fiber etc.

72 hour kit:
4 granola bars per person
2 sticks beef jerky per person
1 package chewing gum per person hard candies or lollipops--at least 12 per person
(note these items will be rotated every 6 months)