Monthly Archives: March 2013

Baking without Eggs

One notable item that people are running out of in the stockpile challenge is eggs.

For those who have chickens, it won’t be a concern, but for the rest of us, the possibility of running out of eggs is very likely in a long-term scenario.

There are a few things that you can do.

You can purchase freeze-dried eggs.  This is one way to have a supply that will be viable for a long time.  There are a few egg substitutes on the market that do not require refrigeration.  Some of the substitutes, though, read like a high school chemistry project and are not really part of an organic lifestyle.

Or….

…you can just learn to bake without eggs.

I don’t bake with eggs because my daughter is highly allergic to them. The only reason we ever have eggs in the house is for use as a breakfast item for me.  I’ve learned to make pretty much anything we want minus the eggs.  Frequently, I use the following items as substitutes in recipes that call for eggs.  I choose which substitute to use based on the flavor of the item.  For example, apple sauce in a chocolate cake isn’t the greatest flavor, but in oatmeal raisin cookies it’s great!

A great place to find egg-free recipes is on vegan websites.  I generally use the recipes as a jumping off point and tweak them according to what I have available.

Each of the following is the equivalent to one whole egg.

  • 1 tbsp of organic soy flour to 1 tbsp of water
  • 2 tbsp of milk to 1 tsp of white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup of applesauce
  • 1/4 cup of plain yogurt

We made all sorts of eggless cookies for Christmas this year.  You can find those recipes HERE.


This recipe was in the Christmas cookie post but it’s so good that it bears repeating.

Basic “Chip” Cookie Recipe

We have used all sorts of goodies in this recipe – for Christmas baking this year we used  white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.  This recipe makes the best light, soft chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had, too!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of muscavado or other brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1- 3/4 cups  flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups of chips (chocolate, white chocolate, Skor – whatever!)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. Grease cookie sheets (I use coconut oil for this)
  3. With a fork, mix the sugar, vanilla, coconut oil and yogurt until light and fluffy.
  4. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and then stir into the creamed mixture until incorporated.
  5. then mix in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
  6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges begin to brown. Cool for a minute on the cookie sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Blondies:

Ingredients

  • ½ cup of oil (I use coconut oil)
  • ½ cup apple sauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup of Skor or butterscotch chips

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix together oil, apple sauce, sugar and vanilla.
  3. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
  4. Pour/scoop batter into a well-greased pan and Spread it with a spatula.
  5. Sprinkle Skor or butterscotch chips on top of the batter, covering evenly.
  6. Bake  for 25-30 minutes, until the top feels firm when gently pressed.
  7. Cut into squares and remove from the pan to a cooling rack.

Cornbread

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups of milk
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
  • 1 cup organic cornmeal
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Combine milk and vinegar and let it stand for a couple of minutes.
  3. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  4. Stir in the milk mixture and the oil – you will have a lumpy batter.
  5. Spread the batter into a greased pan and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
  6. Serve hot with butter.

Pancake/Waffle Batter

Ingredients

  • 1-3/4 cup  flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp turbinado sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1-1/2 cups  milk
  • 3 tbsp apple sauce
  • 6 tbsp coconut oil

Directions

  1. Mix dry ingredients together, then stir in the wet ingredients.  This will result in a lumpy batter.
  2. Make waffles or pancakes as you normally would.
  3. Top with butter and maple syrup or fruit.

Peanut Butter Cookies

(Note:  you can’t taste the apple sauce in these cookies at all)

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup of muscovado or brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup apple sauce
  • 1 cup flour

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Combine peanut butter, apple sauce, and sugar together in bowl.
  3. Stir in flour.
  4. Place by spoonfuls onto baking sheets.
  5. Make crisscross pattern on each cooking using a fork.
  6. Sprinkle cookies with granulated sugar
  7. Bake for 15 minutes.
  8. Place the cookies on a rack to cool.

Via: theorganicprepper

Indoor Emergency Cooking

The first thing you need to take into consideration is the heating source. If a power outage occurs, you can use a propane stove, NEVER something based on charcoal. Why? Because burnt charcoal releases a great amount of carbon monoxide that could poison you and your family.

But here`s the #1 safety rule: whatever you use for cooking, always keep a window cracked open all throughout the process, so you make sure no toxic gas harms you or your kids. Always cook in well-ventilated areas, only with indoor cooking tools (never on outdoor grills or camp stoves). Open doors and windows when you`re finished at let the air circulate for at least 30 minutes.

To get familiar with cooking without electricity, you can even replace your electric cook top with a gas unit, so as long as you have gas, you can cook. 

It`s not very complicated, but you have to keep one thing in mind: if a major disaster crashes buildings down, gas will most likely be shut down, to avoid any leakage. So the best solution is to get a regulator that also handles propane and stock some alternative fuel to use when there`s no gas.

You can also use Sterno Fuel, which is made of jellied petroleum. It`s perfectly safe to use indoors and it`s easily ignited with a match. So make sure you`ve always got matches around, preferably kept in an airtight bag. 

Now let`s move on to the next thing on the list: how do you keep items fresh after the power outage begins?

First of all, try to keep your fridge and freezer closed as much as you can. Make a list with everything you need for cooking and get everything out at once. If you don`t open the fridge more than once, it can keep food cold for up to 6 hours. Afterwards, you`ve got just 2-4 hours left to cook everything… or move the items into a cooler, with lots of ice.

A freezer can normally keep food cold for up to 48 hours. But keep some towels under it, as the ice will start to melt and leak on the floor. Also, you can wrap your fridge and freezer in blankets to keep it cold longer. Sounds weird, I know, but it actually works.

My advice is to get an instant read food thermometer, to make sure the food is still safe for eating. If the thermometer shows above 40 degrees, you should seriously question whether you should eat the food or not.

But it`s better to always be extra cautious and throw out what`s not perfectly safe. A ride to the hospital isn`t worth all the food in the world. Also, when power comes back, clean your fridge and your freezer thoroughly to keep away bacteria. 

One last tip: write down easy emergency cooking recipes and keep them in your pantry, close to your stockpile. Keep your cooking tools in there, too. This will make things easy for you, cause you`ll know exactly what foods and tools you need while you`re in the pantry.

So come back for a collection of the simplest, tastiest recipes you can make with your survival food.

Via: myfamilysurvivalplan