When Trouble Comes, Momma Cooks

Living in Florida, we've had our share of hurricanes and tornadoes. When the weatherman shows those storm fronts circling on his map, you know that soon the power might be off. If it's a bad storm, you could be doing without for days.

You do what you can to be ready. Board up the windows, get batteries and stock up on supplies but waiting for the storm to hit can get frustrating. I have found that if I spend those last hours preparing family meals that taste good cold, it helps to calm my nerves.

At my house, healthful snacks are good anytime but especially appreciated when we are "making do". So even though the kids tease that Mom is cooking up a storm, they can't wait to eat.

I thought I would share a few of our favorites. Rather than try to group them, I'm just going to list some of them and maybe add more later.

Baked Oatmeal - I know it sounds gross but this recipe bakes to a cake like consistency that my kids and grandkids love.

3 cups oats
½ cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup applesauce (1 snackcup works)
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs or egg replacer
1 cup milk (or rice or soy)
½ cup raisins or craisins or blueberries

I mix it all up in my food processor making sure to add the dried fruit last so that it doesn't get too chopped up. Put it into a 9x9 pan that is sprayed with Pam. I sprinkle brown sugar and more cinnamon on top.

Bake 350F for 20 to 30 minutes.

Great Grandma Avonelle's Oatmeal Cookies
Plump moist raisins make these cookies great!
(The secret is in the soaking.)

Mix together and let sit about an hour:
3 eggs
1 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla

Cream together:1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar

Sift together: 2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Add egg mixture and flour mixture to creamed sugars along with 2 cups rolled oats
and ½ cup nuts and/or chocolate chips.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheets

350 F degrees for 10 to 12 min.

Sometimes Momma has to cook because eating out is no longer in the budget. OK, you can still get a baked potato at Wendy's but that is a short term solution. It's time to learn to make budget friendly nutritious meals. Not necessarily a recipe site, the cheap meals part of the cheaplivingtoday.com website is to help with the "what's for dinner" dilemma. The rest of the site is geared toward finding commonsense solutions for today's crazy world. If you are having trouble finding things your kids will eat or even just want someone to lean on for a moment, please visit and we can do some brainstorming over it.

I have never seen an economy like the one we are dealing with. If we join together, it will be easier for all of us. What do you know that will help others? Why not visit and see if our ideas can help you? If you have any insights, share them in a comment so that others can glean from them. Have a lot to say? Contact me and maybe you will get to be a guest writer. There's no reason for us to face the future alone. :0)

Great Grandma Betty's Banana Bread
This holds together well - not like cake

Mix together 1/4 cup soft shortening + 3/4 cup sugar
Beat in 1 egg
Stir in 2/3 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2) + 3 Tablespoons of sour milk (Sour fresh milk with 1 teaspoon of vinegar)

Sift Together 2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt

Mix together wet and dry ingredients with nuts, raisins and or sunflower seeds.

Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees

When we knew Hurricane Frances was going to hit near us, I had some ground beef and thought it would keep better cooked. I really like hot meatloaf with baked potatoes; but in the middle of that storm, we sure enjoyed those cold meatloaf sandwiches.

The easiest one comes from a Lipton Onion Soup recipe that is available all over the internet.

Meatloaf

* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1/3 cup ketchup
* 3/4 cup water
* 1 packet dry onion soup mix
* 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
* 2 pounds lean ground beef

PREPARATION:
Combine eggs, ketchup, water, and soup mix; mix well. Add bread crumbs and beef; mix well. Shape into loaf and place in a shallow pan or loaf pan. Bake at 350° for about 1 1/4 hours.
Serves 8 to 10.

Another meal that is very healthy for you and can be made ahead is soup. It doesn't take much to heat a bowl of it for a quick meal.

In case you were wondering, we live in central Florida. After Hurricane Frances we went about a week without electricity. Fortunately we were able to keep a small generator going throughout the day. It kept our refrigerator running. We could also alternate a light, TV (cable still worked),the coffeepot and microwave. It was hot but we had water so it could have been a lot worse. I couldn't do a lot of complicated cooking but could get by.

Momma's Basic Soup

Put a little olive oil in a pot and add a chopped onion. Start adding thinly sliced carrots, peppers, celery, green beans,etc. You can add whatever veggies you have on hand that your family likes. If you want to add chicken, I usually chop it up and saute it with the onions.

Next add some chicken or beef stock. I don't like the flavor of bullion but I keep beef and chicken base concentrates on hand that do the same thing. You can also use what comes in a can.

Season the soup with what you like - oregano, basil, rosemary, salt, pepper, parsley, red pepper.

Now is the time to add rice or noodles as your family prefers.

If you want to add finely chopped cabbage to your soup, do it the last 15 minutes that it cooks. That way the cabbage will be tender but not produce the strong sulfur that affects so many people.

This is one of those recipes that changes every time you make it but within 30 minutes you can have a nourishing meal. My family likes fresh biscuits with it.

Betty Crocker Stir 'N Roll Biscuits

2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup milk

* If you use self-rising flour, omit baking powder and salt.

Heat oven to 450 F. Measure dry ingredients into bowl. Pour oil and milk into measuring cup. (Do not stir together.) Pour liquid over dry ingredients and stir until mixture cleans side of bowl and forms a ball.

Turn onto wax paper. Lift the paper by one corner and fold dough in half. Press down firmly and pull paper back. Repeat until dough looks smooth. Pat dough 1/2 inch thick and cut with an unfloured biscuit cutter. (I have used a glass in a pinch or you could cut them into squares and pat into circle.)

Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 10 - 12 minutes or until golden brown.