Reconstituting Dehydrated Foods

Here is a list of items and what they yield after reconstitution. Of course this list is not complete, but once you try some of these you can experiment with your own product. Prepping is not easy and no one (not even my husband) will ever know everything they need to know.

Each situation and place is different. So your best bit is to practice and practice some more.It has been my experience that vegetables rehydrate better with boiling water and fruit warm water. Don’t rush it give it a chance to soak.

Preparedness Mom

Dried food	Amount	Water	Yields
Apple slices	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	3 cups
Apricot slices	1 cup	2 cups	1 1/2 cups
Beets	1 cup	3 cups	2 1/2 cups
Bell Peppers	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	2 cups
Buttermilk	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	2 1/2 cups
Cabbage	1 cup	2 1/2 cups	2 cups
Carrots	1 cup	2 cups	2 cups
Celery	1 cup	1 cup	1 cup
Cheese	1 cup	1/3 cup	2/3 cup
Corn (Sweet)	1 cup	3 cups	2 cups
Dates	1 cup	1 cups	1 1/3 cup
Fruit Blend /td>	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	1 1/2 cups
Gelatin	1 cup	4 cups	4 cups
Green Beans	1 cup	2 cups	2 cups
Green onions	½ cup	1 cup	1 cup
Margarine	1 cut	2 tbsp	¾ cup
Milk	1 cup	4 cups	4 cups
Onions	1 cup	1 cup	1 1/2 cups
Onions (Minced)	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	2 cups
Peach Slices	1 cup	2 cups	2 cups
Peanut Butter	5 tbsp.	4 t. oil + 1/3 t. salt	½ cup
Peas	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	2 1/2 cups
Potato Dices	1 cup	3 cups	2 cups
Potato Granules	1 cup	5 cups	5 cups
Potato Sliced	1 cup	2 cups	1 cup
Sour Cream	1 cup	6 tbsp	¾ cups
Spinach Flakes	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	1 cup
Tomato Powder	1 cup	1 1/2 cups	1 3/4 cups

Pizza Balls

Ingredients:

3 cans Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits (10 per can)

56 pepperoni slices

block of Colby cheese

1 beaten egg

Parmesan

Italian seasoning

Garlic powder

1 jar pizza sauce

Preparation

Cut the block of cheese into 28 squares. Flatten a biscuit out and stack pepperoni and cheese on top. Gather up the edges of the
biscuit. Line up the rolls in a greased 9x13 in. pan. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with parmesan, Italian seasoning and
garlic powder. Bake at 425°F for 18-20 minutes.

**Use the pizza sauce for dipping

Make a Bean Teepee

A bean teepee creates a wonderful hiding hole for young kids during the summer months at the same time as providing a perfect support for growing pole beans!

You can locate your bean teepee either in the vegetable patch or in a spare corner of the garden - it adds the dimension of height and is not only useful and fun, but quite ornamental too. Just bear in mind that the teepee will cast a fair bit of shade once the beans have grown.

How to Make a Bean Teepee

You will need: 7 - 9 long bamboo poles, some twine, string or even masking tape, and runner or pole beans.

Start off by finding a suitable spot in your garden and dig the earth over in a circular shape. A circle with a diameter of 3-4 foot is usually perfectly adequate.

Beans like well-drained soil, so add some compost and fertiliser if needed - like in this example!

Firmly push the ends of the bamboo poles into the ground by about 3 inches on the outside of the circle.

Leave a gap between two of the poles to act as the entrance to the bean teepee.

Tie the bamboo poles together firmly near the top using twine, string, a bit of old rope or even masking tape.

There is absolutely no fine art in tieing the poles together - the main and only aim is to ensure they are all VERY firmly held in place, as no matter how careful kids are, they are likely to knock the poles when going in and out of the teepee!

Plant the runner or pole beans about 2 inches deep. Plant them on the inside of the teepee rather than the outside, as this makes it easier to hoe and keep weeds down - anything growing on the outside of the bamboo poles are weeds!

It is usual to plant two beans per pole. That should ensure at least one healthy plant per pole.

Water generously.

Beans usually take between 7 to 14 days to germinate. Once the seedlings appear, protect them from slug attacks.

When the beans are a few inches high, loosely tie them to the poles. From then on, they should find their own way up.

When the plants reach the top of the teepee after about 7-8 weeks, nip the growing ends off. Keep them well watered during a dry patch, especially once the pods have started forming.

Once the dense foliage of the runner or pole beans has climbed up the bamboo poles and provides a cover, your bean teepee is ready for it's inhabitants. Pop a blanket inside for the perfect private hide-away!

Tips

Once the first bean pods are ready to be harvested, keep picking them every few days to ensure the plants keep flowering and producing more pods. Once a pod reaches full maturity, the flowering process is shut down.

Beans can be planted outside once the risk of frost is over, usually late May or the beginning of June in the more northern areas.

For an even more colourful display, interplant climbing flowering plants too, such as climbing nasturtiums or black-eyed Susan.

Cats love these shady hide-aways too!

*Orginally Found on Kiddie Garden (the link is now broken but was http://www.kiddiegardens.com/bean_teepee.html)

Homemade Mozzarella Cheese

1 gallon whole milk (just be sure that it is not Ultra-pasteurized, any other kind will work, store bought, fresh from the cow (or goat))

1 tsp. citric acid*

1/4 rennet tablet*

2 tsp. cheese salt*

A big pot

Thermometer

Slotted spoon

1) Place milk in large pot with thermometer.

2) Turn heat on med-low and heat milk to 90 degrees, stirring occasionally.

3) While you are heating the milk, dissolve 1/4 rennet tablet in 1/4 C. cool water.

4) When milk has reached 90 degrees, turn off heat. Pour rennet over slotted spoon into milk and stir for 20-30 seconds.

5) Remove thermometer and let milk sit undisturbed for 8-10 minutes.

6) Milk should be like a thick gelatin. Cut the curd into a grid pattern.

7) Stir gently for a minute and then remove the curd using your slotted spoon into a microwave safe bowl, trying to leave as much of the whey (the yellowish liquid) behind.

8) Pour off as much liquid as you can without losing any curds. Heat in microwave for 1 minute. Stir, pour off liquid and heat for 35-40 seconds more. Stir and pour off any liquid. Cheese should start to stick together and look stringy. If the curds are not sticking together you can heat for 35-40 seconds more.

9) Once your curds are sticking together and you have removed most of the liquid, add your cheese salt. I usually sprinkle a little on, knead, and sprinkle more on until all the salt is incorporated.

10) After your salt is incorporated, heat the cheese for 35-45 seconds more until it is stretchy like taffy. The cheese will be really hot, so it helps to wear gloves to work with the cheese.

11) Pull and stretch cheese until it is shiny and smooth.

12) Shape cheese into a log by kneading on counter top.

* Also, I took the whey, brought it to 200 degrees, added 1/2 cup of vinegar and got about a cup of ricotta. I kept almost all of the whey and froze it to use in soups. I've also heard that whey is very good for your skin.*

From the Home Remedies Stove

Chicken soup.
Take some advice from your grandma: Sip a bowl of chicken soup. It doesn't matter if it's homemade or canned; chicken soup is calming for coughs associated with colds. While scientists can't put a finger on why this comfort food benefits the cold sufferer, they do believe chicken soup contains anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent a cold's miserable side effects, one being the cough. Plus, chicken soup contains cysteine, which thins phlegm. The broth, chock-full of electrolytes, keeps you hydrated -- although for hydration, homemade soup is best. (Commercially prepared chicken soup is loaded with salt, which may actually dehydrate you.) The steam helps soothe irritated mucous membranes and air passageways. Last, but not least, it tastes yummy.

Steam.
One of the kitchen's best remedies for a cough is also one of the easiest. Inhaling steam helps flush out mucus, and it moisturizes dry, irritated air passageways. Fill a cooking pot one-quarter full with water. Boil, turn off the heat, and if available, add a couple drops essential oil of eucalyptus or a scoop of Mentholatum or Vicks VapoRub. (These work as decongestants and expectorants.) Carefully remove the pot from the stove, and place it on a protected counter or table. Drape a towel over your head, lean over the pot, and breathe gently for 10 to 15 minutes. Don't stick your face too far into the pot or you'll get a poached nose.

Raw honey and lemon for sore throats

A mixture of fresh lemon juice and raw honey provides soothing relief for sore throats and helps stop the tickle that stimulates coughing. Raw honey -- with all its components including royal jelly, propolis and bee pollen -- is high in nutrients and enzymes which kill bacteria and viruses. The vitamin C and antioxidants found in fresh lemons boost the immune system, speeding healing. Together these two home remedies are a powerhouse for getting over a cold and sore throat. Mix the juice of 1/2 the lemon with 2 to 3 tablespoons of honey and sip throughout the day as needed.

Learn more:
http://www.naturalnews.com/035323_home_remedies_colds_coughs.html#ixzz2I3WZV4uv

Also, Thyme.
Store-bought cough syrups are often so medicinal tasting that it's hard to get them down without gagging. Here's a sweet, herbal version, made of thyme, peppermint, mullein, licorice, and honey, that's guaranteed to go down the hatch easily. Thyme and peppermint help clear congested air passages and have antimicrobial and antispasmodic properties to relieve the hacking. Mullein and licorice soothe irritated membranes and help reduce inflammation.
To make the syrup, combine 2 teaspoons each, dried thyme, peppermint, mullein, and licorice root into 1 cup boiling water. Cover and steep for half an hour. Strain and add 1/2 cup honey. If the honey doesn't dissolve, heat the tea gently and stir. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to three months. Take 1 teaspoon as needed.

Winter Weather Got You Down?

Here is something fun to do...

"On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Jan. 21, 2013) admission will be FREE for everyone.(Please note that there will still be a $7 parking fee per car)

Worried about the cold? Don’t be. There are a variety of indoor attractions where guests can take a tropical vacation at Discovery Reef and Manatee Coast, say G’Day to some animals from down under at Bob & Evelyn’s Roadhouse, meet the gorillas in the Expedition Congo, slither on over to the reptile building, and explore Asia Quest including a visit with the Hank "The Tank" and our other elephants. Many animals thrive in the cold weather including polar bears Nanuq, Aurora and Anana who can be seen swimming year round in pool water maintained with geothermal energy at a comfortable 40-65 degrees.

Keep in mind that the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is open every day through February from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The winter months are always a great time to visit the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, especially with 50% off regular admission this January and February."

Our family just loves going to the Zoo, and let us not forget C.O.S.I.