Prep Tip - Gloves in the Spring

This time of year we get to thinking about shorts, swimsuits, and flip flops, but it is a great time of year to be thinking about winter gloves and hats.  Being really prepared for emergencies can be cost-prohibitive, especially for a relatively large family like ours, but being ready for great deals can really improve just how prepared you are when a disaster does strike and this is the time of year when you can find really great deals on winter gear.

Just a week ago I was browsing through Walmart and found these gloves and winter headbands (the kind that go over the ears) for just $0.50 a piece.  Back in April, they were $1.50.  The original Walmart prices for these ranged from $2.00 for the smaller pairs of gloves and $3.00 for the larger gloves and headbands.  Had I purchased this particular pile of winter needs at full winter prices, I would have paid $23.00.  Last week, I paid $4.50.  Next time you're out shopping, see if your local store is still trying to get rid of some winter gear and stock up your go bags.

Creamy Chicken Casserole

This recipe fits right in with our preparedness plans.  First, I have an immune deficiency and a tendency to get sick, so this kind of recipe that results in "cook one, freeze one" is a good deal that I can make easily while I am well and have a hearty meal to simply pop in the oven when I'm not.  Second, I can use the canned chicken from my emergency food stores that need to be rotated out and used before it goes bad.  The original recipe I found over at Tried and Tasty (and have adulterated for my own purposes here) calls for "cooked cubed chicken" and you are welcome to use fresh, bought-from-the-store, or canned.  I think it's a great recipe for rotating out the canned stuff.

My husband, Joseph, found out today that his bad cholesterol is too high and his good cholesterol is too low, so I added a couple of ingredients to the recipe in the hopes of improving his cholesterol levels.  He hates fish and doesn't get much omega-3 fatty acids, so I snuck some tuna into this recipe in the hopes that the rest of the flavors would either cover it up or blend well with it.  I also added chia seeds, which are a healthy addition to any meal.  I was unable to find cream of celery soup at any of the grocery stores in my area, so substituted cream of mushroom, instead. 

The Recipe:
1 bag (16 oz) egg noodles
2 cans (12.5 oz) chicken
1 can (5 oz) tuna
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen peas
1 - 2 cups shredded carrots
2 c. milk
1 large can (26 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 large can (26 oz. each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 c. chopped onion
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. chia seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook the egg noodles according to package directions.  While those are cooking, mix the chicken, tuna, peas, carrots, milk, soups, onion, chia seeds, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl.  When the noodles are finished cooking, drain them and pour them into the bowl on top of the mixture.  Add the butter and mix into the hot noodles to melt.  Stir it all until mixed well.  Scoop evenly into two foil pans or casserole pans.  I used 13"L x 9"W x 2"D foil pans.  Cover both with foil.  Place one in the freezer and the other in the oven on 350 for 30 minutes.

Frozen casserole instructions come directly and unadulterated from Tried and Tasty:
To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Cover and microwave on high for 10-12 minutes (assuming it’s not in the foil pan), or until heated through, stirring twice. Or cover and bake casserole at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer until heated through.


The results:
Joseph tasted the tuna and wouldn't eat it.  The kids liked it and I thought it was great.  Next time, I will have to make it without tuna and see if my dear husband likes it then.  If you're trying to make this to hide some tuna like I did, forget about it and leave the tuna out of the recipe.   If your family likes some mild tuna flavor, feel free to leave it in. 


Added 2014:
When I posted this recipe, I didn't know I had Celiac Disease.  Those noodles were a big reason why I was getting sick a lot.  If you've come here for recipes because you know I eat gluten-free now, please be aware that this is not a gluten-free recipe unless you use gluten-free noodles. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Today, I offer a gift for all of the moms out there.  Amazon has a coupon page!  I've been shopping on Amazon for years and did not know this.

There is a wide variety of coupons, including the sorts of things you might generally find coupons for, such as diapers and razors, but also for electronics, books, and home improvement items.  Here are just a few examples of items that can be purchased with a coupon on Amazon right now:

Save $2.00 Save 20% Save $1.00 Save $3.00 Save $2.00 Save $15.00

Simply add the desired item to your cart and click on the coupon on the coupon page at http://www.amazon.com/coupons to get your savings.

Also, don't forget to check out other deals at Amazon, like daily lightening deals.

Power Outage Freezer Thaw Test

Why is there a cup of ice with a penny in my freezer?  Because I don't like throwing food away unless it is really necessary.  What does that have to do with penny in a cup?  Well, when the food thaws, so does the ice in that cup and the penny sinks.  After the freezer recovers from a power outage, I just have to check the level of that penny in the cup to see if the contents in my freezer thawed enough to toss or if it staid pretty well frozen and I can keep it.

So, lets say I check the freezer and that penny is at the bottom of the cup.  That means items in the freezer thawed and now I have to throw food away, but not necessarily all of my food.  Check this list out to see what you can save:

Refreeze

• Hard cheeses such as cheddar, swiss, and parmesian
• Fruit juices and packaged fruit (home or store packed) - if you notice any mold, slime, or yeast smell, go ahead and toss it.
• Veggie juices and packaged vegetables (home or store packed) - unless they have been thawed for more than 8 hours.
• Flour
• Cornmeal
• Nuts
• Pie crusts
• Rolls, muffins, and cakes that do not contain soft dairy fillings (like custard or cream filling)
• Bread dough (it won't hurt you, but there will be some quality loss)

Discard

• Meat and any frozen prepared foods that contain meat
• Dairy including milk, ice cream, and frozen yogurt
• Soft and semi soft cheeses such as cream cheese and ricotta 
• Out-of-shell eggs and egg products
• Cheesecake
• Cakes, pies, and pastries with custard, cheese filling, or other dairy filling