Food Storage Recipes and Food Storage Videos

Ready For Spring Planting?

2012-02-28T05:43:00.003-08:00

Ready to get planting? We've got a SPECIAL BONUS for you! Purchase your Non-hybrid Garden Seeds this week and you'll receive FREE REGISTRATION to our online gardening class coming up March 5th. That's a $13 Value...FREE! (This is to help offset our price increase on the seeds since this video was released 2 years ago.)

You'll enjoy 25 packets of Non-Hybrid gardening seeds that are ready for planting.
So many varieties, and only the top quality seeds! What's great is you can even freeze your excess seeds for next year!

To order your GARDEN SEEDS, CLICK HERE.

A Quick Tip on Avocados...

2012-02-27T07:09:00.004-08:00

Hope you'll enjoy this delicious recipe for homemade Guacamole!

Chunky Guacamole

3 avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Coconut Oil...The New Fountain of Youth?

2012-02-24T07:48:00.001-08:00

Coconut Oil is getting more and more attention these days, and there are many reasons why...

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength.

See how all of these areas can benefit from using Coconut Oil regularly...

Hair Care:

Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shiny complexion. Regular massage of the head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry. Coconut oil is extensively used in the Indian sub-continent for hair care. Most of the people in these countries apply coconut oil on their hair daily after bath. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged hair. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. It is therefore used as hair care oil and used in manufacturing various conditioners, and dandruff relief creams. Coconut oil is normally applied topically for hair care.

Skin Care:

Coconut oil is excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin. The benefit of coconut oil on the skin is comparable to that of mineral oil. Further, unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having any adverse side effects on the skin with the application of coconut oil. Coconut oil therefore is a safe solution for preventing dryness and flaking of skin. It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin which normally become prominent with age. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. Therefore coconut oil forms the basic ingredient of various body care products such as soaps, lotions, creams, etc., used for skin care. Coconut oil also helps in preventing premature aging and degenerative diseases due to its antioxidant properties.
Heart Diseases:

There is a misconception spread among many people that coconut oil is not good for the heart. This is because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats. However, coconut oil is beneficial for the heart. It contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in preventing various heart problems including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. The saturated fats present in coconut oil are not harmful as it happens in case of other vegetables oils. It does not lead to increase in LDL levels. It also reduces the incidence of injury in arteries and therefore helps in preventing atherosclerosis.

Weight Loss

Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thereby burning out more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who eat coconut oil daily as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.

Digestion

Internal use of coconut oil occurs primarily as cooking oil. Coconut oil helps in improving the digestive system and thus prevents various stomach and digestion related problems including irritable bowel syndrome. The saturated fats present in coconut oil have anti microbial properties and help in dealing with various bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc., that cause indigestion. Coconut oil also helps in absorption of other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Immunity:

Coconut oil is also good for the immune system. It strengthens the immune system as it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia.

Healing and Infections

When applied on infections, it forms a chemical layer which protects the infected body part from external dust, air, fungi, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil is most effective on bruises as it speeds up the healing process by repairing damaged tissues.

Infections: Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of infections due to its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. According to the Coconut Research Center, coconut oil kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, etc. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, etc. Coconut oil is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, etc.
Other:

Liver: The presence of medium chain triglycerides and fatty acids helps in preventing liver diseases as they substances are easily converted into energy when they reach the liver, thus reducing work load on the liver and also preventing accumulation of fat.

Kidney: Coconut oil helps in preventing kidney and gall bladder diseases. It also helps in dissolving kidney stones.

Pancreatitis: Coconut oil is also believed to be useful in treating pancreatitis.

Stress Relief: Coconut oil is very soothing and hence it helps in removing stress. Applying coconut oil to the head followed with a gentle massage helps in removing mental fatigue.

Diabetes: Coconut oil helps in controlling blood sugar, and improves the secretion of insulin. It also helps in effective utilization of blood glucose, thereby preventing and treating diabetes.

Bones: As mentioned earlier, coconut oil improves the ability of our body to absorb important minerals. These include calcium and magnesium which are necessary for development of bones. Thus coconut oil is very useful to women who are prone to osteoporosis after middle age.

Dental Care: Calcium is an important element present in teeth. Since coconut oil facilitates absorption of calcium by the body, it helps in getting strong teeth. Coconut oil also stops tooth decay.

HIV and Cancer: It is believed that coconut oil plays an instrumental role in reducing viral susceptibility of HIV and cancer patients. Preliminary research has shown indications of the effect of coconut oil on reducing the viral load of HIV patients (Reference).

Finally, coconut oil is often preferred by athletes and body builders and by those who are dieting. The reason behind this being that coconut oil contains lesser calories than other oils, its fat content is easily converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. Coconut oil helps in boosting energy and endurance, and enhances the performance of athletes.

Coconut Oil and Alzheimer's Disease: There are reports of research conducted by Dr. Newport stating that coconut oil is useful for treating Alzheimer's disease. Apart from this there is no scientific evidence or traditional knowledge or coconut oil being used for treating Alzheimer's. It was also not known traditionally that coconut oil helps in the brain function.

Why is Coconut Oil Solid?: Unlike most other oils, coconut oil has a high melting point - about 24 to 25 degress Celcius or 76-78 Farenheit. Therefore it is solid at room temperature and melts only when the temperatures go high. Hence, if you buy a bottle of coconut oil and find it solid, don't think that there is some problem with it. Coconut oil is like this only. And of course, don't keep it in your refrigerator.

How to Use Coconut Oil?: If you are using coconut oil for topical purposes, especially hair care, just melt the oil (if it is solid) by keeping the bottle in the sun or warm water. You can also take some coconut oil out and put it in a small bowl and heat the bowl over a flame (do not use microwave). Then take the oil on your palm and apply it to your hair. If you want to use it for internal consumption, simply replace butter or vegetable oils with coconut oil in your recipes. Remember, you need not switch to coconut oil completely, as you will miss the benefits of other oils and dairy products.

Ants On a Log

2012-02-22T15:16:00.003-08:00

Looking for a clever way to add some fun to your kids' snack time routine?

Try these "Ants on a Log" and infuse a little fiber!

If you're out of raisins, just use cream cheese or peanut butter, and call them
"Ants on Vacation"!

Making snack time fun for kids helps them enjoy healthier alternatives everyday.

These Are Great Tools!

2012-02-22T08:51:00.002-08:00

Linda Dunahoo sais...

"These can openers are the BEST!!! I am still using the one I got in 1979. In case any one wants to know if they are sturdy. :)"

Thanks, Linda! Glad you're still enjoying your can opener. Nothing like a great reliable tool in the kitchen!

An Organizing Tip For the Bedroom...

2012-02-21T05:47:00.004-08:00

Linen closets can often become cluttered and messy, and trying to find matching sheet sets can turn into a literal fiasco in the closet. Well, why not make it a little easier by bundling sheet sets together? This not only saves time, but keeps the sheets cleaner as well.

Simply fold your flat sheet and fitted sheet and bundle them inside the matching pillow case. I like to store my sheet sets and towel sets inside the bedrooms or bathrooms to which they belong. This opens up my linen closet so that I can have a gift wrapping station, and arts and crafts section, and filing cabinets for important documents .

For more practical ideas on organizing Your home, check out my book on organization...
Simply Living Smart...Everyday solutions for a more Organized You.

Clever Storage Solutions at Home

2012-02-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

Looking for a clever way to store your food and other long-term household supplies?
See how Tricia has transformed an unused space under a bedroom into a food storage
and emergency preparedness masterpiece.

While you may not have this exact space in your home, you may think about using
under-the-bed storage space that often gets overlooked. By simply using bed risers,
you too could double or triple your storage space in no time.

Pay close attention to Tricia's whiteboard idea. I think it's brilliant!

Herbal Ice Cubes

2012-02-20T10:35:00.000-08:00

Add a little pizazz to your drink routine. By just adding delicate sprigs of herbs, you can turn your ice cubes into floating pieces of art! Make sure you use purified water the ice cubes come out crystal clear. These are great to use in large punch bowls or just in individual dinner glasses!

Rose petals also add a nice pop of color and are easy to freeze in ice cube trays.

For more ideas on how to use your fresh herbs everyday, including how to make a deliciously creamy herb butter, pick up a copy of my new e-book, The Essence of Herbs.

Anitra's Favorite...Chicken & Mango Salad

2012-02-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

Salad:

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

3 tomatoes, diced

2 mangos, or 2 cans mandarin oranges

1/2 C feta cheese

1 T sesame seeds

1 bag tortilla chips

5 chicken breasts (cooked and seasoned with lemon pepper and salt)

Brown Rice, cooked and kept warm

Dressing:

1/4 C Dijon Mustard

2 T lime juice

1 t chili powder

3/4 C Mayo

1/2 C white sugar

1/4 C soy sauce

1/2 C white vinegar

2 T minced garlic

2 T ginger powder

1. To make the dressing place all ingredients in a jar and shake. Or, if you have a small food processor, put all ingredients in and mix well. You could also use a blender.

2. When serving, set out all of the ingredients and let each person layer his or her own. Top with chips and dressing and serve immediately.

Hamburger Soup

2012-02-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

by Lorie Thomsen, one of our fans here at Simply Living Smart. Thank You!

(Adapted for food storage ingredients)

Dissolve 6 beef bouillon cubes or granules (or 5 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon)

In 5 cups hot water

Add:

1 - 16 oz can tomatoes or 1 quart home bottled tomatoes

1 large onion chopped or 2 Tablespoons dehydrated or freeze dried onions

2 sliced carrots or 2 Tablespoons dehydrated or freeze dried carrots

¾ cup diced celery or ¼ cup dehydrated or freeze dried celery

1 or 2 small peeled potatoes or ½ cup dehydrated or freeze dried potatoes or ¼ cup macaroni or spaghetti pieces

Cover and simmer over low for at least 15 minutes or until vegetables are done.

While soup simmers:

Brown ½ pound hamburger until done. Or use ½ can canned hamburger .

Add the cooked or canned hamburger to the soup and any of the following as desired:

½ cup fresh or canned string beans, ¼ cup frozen, fresh corn or canned corn or any leftover vegetables you have.**

Salt & Pepper to taste

Warm another 10 minutes. Serve with homemade bread or crusty French bread.

*To remove fat from canned put meat in a colander and run hot water over it.

**If using any fresh vegetables from your garden, add at the beginning.

How to Store Your Celery for Optimum Freshness...

2012-02-16T10:18:00.000-08:00

How do you keep your celery fresher longer?

Wrap it in aluminum foil. Wash it, place it on a paper towel and wrap it in foil, it will keep for two or three weeks. It is amazing.

Scroll down for a great tip on berries...

Saving Berries...

2012-02-16T10:17:00.001-08:00

Berries are delicious, but they're also kind of delicate. Raspberries in particular seem like they can mold before you even get them home from the market. There's nothing more tragic than paying $4 for a pint of local raspberries, only to look in the fridge the next day and find that fuzzy mold growing on their insides.

Well, with fresh berries just starting to hit farmers markets, we can tell you how to keep them fresh! Here’s a tip I’m sharing on how to prevent them from getting there in the first place:

Wash them with vinegar.

When you get your berries home, prepare a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider probably work best) and ten parts water. Dump the berries into the mixture and swirl around. Drain, rinse if you want (though the mixture is so diluted you can't taste the vinegar,) and pop in the fridge. The vinegar kills any mold spores and other bacteria that might be on the surface of the fruit, and voila! Raspberries will last a week or more, and strawberries go almost two weeks without getting moldy and soft. So go forth and stock up on those pricey little gems, knowing they'll stay fresh as long as it takes you to eat them.

You're so berry welcome!

Mmm...Quick Sweet Potato Soup

2012-02-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

Steaming your vegetables is the greatest way to cook with zero fat, plus

steaming helps to lock in the nutrition of your food.

Watch as we turn steamed sweet potatoes into a fast and flavorful soup.

Here's the recipe:

Sweet Potato Soup

2 cups sweet potatoes or yams, steamed
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
drizzle of olive oil
pumpkin seeds (optional)

Blend all ingredients in a blender, except seeds, and then sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the soup just before serving. Tastes great cold in the summer, or hot in the winter. To your health!

Happy Valentines Day! A Gift For You...

2012-02-14T04:28:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends of Simply Living Smart,

In celebration of Valentines Day, I've got something special for you...

CLICK HERE to download your complimentary copy of my newest e-book, "Mad About Muffins",and enjoy handfuls of delicious Muffin Recipes in YOUR kitchen.

Spread the Love--Share, share, share!

Clever Long Term Storage Solutions for Food

2012-02-13T07:40:00.001-08:00

See how Trisha has transformed an unused garage space into a long term food storage paradise! Good for you, Trisha.

Just a note: Food storage should typically NEVER be stored in a garage, as the temperatures can rise in the summer and be harmful to your food. In this instance, however, this space sits underneath an air conditioned bedroom, so it stays about 65 degrees year round.

The Wonder Mill Grinder Part One

2012-02-10T07:10:00.000-08:00

Introducing the greatest mill on the market. Quiet, reliable, easy to store and to clean, it's no wonder the Wonder Mill is the number one rated electric mill on the market today!

Meet Chef Brad as we visit in my kitchen!

Get to know the Wonder Mill.and enjoy 2 new features: the flour guide and the new cleaning brush!

The Wonder Mill Grinder Part Two

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Introducing Chef Brad as he joins me in my kitchen to discuss the incredible Wonder Mill Grinder.
If you store grains, you should also have a reliable grinder to grind those grains into wholesome nutritious flour.

CLICK HERE to order your Wonder Mill Today!

Gardening: Homemade Seed Pots Part 2

2012-02-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

Now that you have made your homemade seed pots, learn how to raise seedlings into sprouts for spring gardening.

We're back in the greenhouse with Sheryl, as she teaches us how to plant our little seeds to give them a jump start for spring planting.

Small Pantry Makeover...

2012-02-08T05:21:00.000-08:00

Ready to see another before and after Organization Project? This one was with my cute friend, the cupcake lady, Wendy Paul!

Well this one is just a tiny pantry space, but you'll see that in only 3 hours, it's possible to transform even the smallest pantry into something beautiful and functional.

Remember, you can shop for all of these containers in our Online Store!

Have fun with your pantry organization project, and let me know how I can help...I'm eager to see your before and after pictures and answer any questions you may have.

Rexann's Stuffed Green Peppers

2012-02-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

Just the other day, I received a special visit from Rexann, one of our long time fans who drove down to my home in Salt Lake City from Wyoming with her husband. It was so fun to visit with both of them and share the morning together.

Here we are in my kitchen! Rexann is also a big fan of the Digital Pressure Cooker, and wanted to share this recipe with us. Enjoy!

Stuffed Green Peppers
4 Green Peppers
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup cooked rice
1 t. salt
dash pepper
1 egg
1/4 milk
3 Tbsp. chopped onion
1 10 1/2 oz. can tomato soup
3/4 C water

Remove seeds and rinse peppers. Combine
rice, salt, pepper, ground beef, egg, milk, and onion.
Stuff peppers lightly and place in pressure cooker on rack.
Add tomato soup and water. Cover the pan. Pressure cook on high
for 15 minutes and enjoy. The peppers are bitter, so don't eat them. I like extra sauce just add more soup and water.

Recipe by Rexann

Smart Steaming Trick...

2012-02-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

Steaming your vegetables and fish is a great way to lock in the nutrition of your food while also cutting down on fat. No more butter or oil, just cook your foods naturally.

Watch for this sneaky penny tip that will help you know if your water runs out of the pan!

Happy steaming!

Making Your Own Seed Pots

2012-02-06T08:29:00.000-08:00

Seed pots are critical in preparing for a healthy and happy garden. This simple trick will have you ready with seedlings you can plant directly into the ground without having to disturb the root system.