Corn Meal Mix - Raid the Pantry

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow corn meal
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 2/3 cup white sugar (optional - if you like sweet cornbread)

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients and sift/mix well. May be stored in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

To make Cornbread or Muffins:

Mix with:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons melted shortening or butter.

Directions: 

1. Beat the egg, milk and melted shortening together, then add the dry ingredients.
2. Bake at 425 F in a well-greased 9x9 pan for 20-25 minutes for in well-greased muffin pans for 15-20 minutes.

Adapted from: Cheap Cooking.com - Corn Meal Mix

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Onion Soup Mix - MSG-Free

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup dried, minced onion
• 3 teaspoons parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• 2 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Store in an air tight container in a cool dry place. If you have a vacuum food storage system (FoodSaver or equiv) that would be ideal. 
3. 4 tbsp of Mix equals 1 packet of onion soup mix.   

Adapted from Heavenly Homemakers

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How to Make Self-Rising Flour

This may sound ridiculously self-explanatory if you've been cooking for a while. But if you are a newbie to baking at all, tragedy may strike when a recipe calls for self-rising flour and Oh no! You're out! The only thing in the pantry is all-purpose flour, and trust me, they are not the same. Never fear! This is one of those handy tricks you can bring out if you're in an ingredient bind.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking POWDER (not soda)

Directions:

1. Either stir or sift ingredients together and Presto! - Self-Rising Flour. Time to Bake!

Courtesy of conrouss at allrecipes.com

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How to Freeze Fresh Herbs - Ice Cube Tray Method

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On my last encounter with a fresh herb (see my Chicken Tortilla Soup), I was determined not to waste so much perfectly good cilantro. It is very frustrating to me to have to buy such a large bundle of fresh herbs from the grocery store, only to have it go bad before it gets completely used. I remember seeing ways to freeze herbs on Pinterest, so I was thinking, why not give it a whirl? I chose the Ice Cube Tray Method.

Directions:

• Wash herbs, picking out the undesirables. Remove the stems if needed, depending on the herb.
• Place on cutting board.
• Chop to desired size. 

•  Place teaspoonful amounts into ice cube trays.

•  Carefully fill with water. Depending on how full the compartments are of herbs/buoyancy of the herb, you may want to freeze in 2 stages. Fill halfway with water, freeze, then top off compartment with water and freezes again.  

• After freezing, place cubes into a freezer bag or vacuum storage bag.
• Pop out a teaspoonful at a time for soups and other recipes as you need them!

 Courtesy of About.com -Herb Gardening - Preserving Herbs by Freezing and the Cheap Vegetable Gardener

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Homemade Chicken Stock

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So easy, and so much more healthy than store bought! The only thing it takes is time!
 
Ingredients:

• 2 bone-in, skins on, "fryer" chicken breasts
• stock pot full of Water (I use a 7 QT pot)
• 1/2 large onion
• 3 stalks celery
• 3 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, halved
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp whole peppercorns 
• salt to taste (the less you use, the lower the sodium!)

Stock strained through a coffee filter Pin It 

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into large stock pot.
2. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for at least 2 hours or longer if you have the time. 
3. Remove from heat.
4. Retrieve the meat with large fork/spoon and reserve to use for soups, chicken salad, etc.
5. Obtain another large stock pot/container and fine strainer/colander. Place strainer/colander into the 2nd stock pot/container. Slowly pour stock through colander( you may want to use a large measuring cup to scoop stock out of original pot) to strain the vegetables/spices out. Careful! It will be hot!
6. To separate the fat:
1. Either store the stock in refrigerator and let the fat separate out naturally. Skim the fat off the top once cooled OR
2. Place coffee filter in strainer and slowly pour stock through, leaving the majority of fat in the coffee filter. I had to change the filter for every 2 cups that I poured through.  
7. Keep refrigerated to use within the next day or two or freeze what you don't need immediately. I placed mine in 1 cup intervals into containers for the freezer. The next day, I removed from the stock from the containers and placed in vacuum bags for future use. Saves space in the freezer by placing into bags.
8. My batch yielded 14 cups of stock.

Recipe adapted from Chicken Stock by Margaret Price at Allrecipes
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Cream of "Something" Soup - MSG-Free

10 reasons why this is one of the best substitutions ever:

1. ore ECONOMICAL - lower cost per serving than store bought
2. LESS WASTE - only need 1/2 a can of condensed soup for a recipe? Reconstitute what you need!
3. YOU are controlling what goes into your soup - fewer preservatives/stuff you don't know what it is on the label.
4. It's GLUTEN-FREE.
5. It can be MSG-FREE depending on what bouillon you choose.
6. It can be LOW SODIUM if you replace the bouillon AND water with low-sodium chicken/beef/vegetable broth - your choice. 
7. It's LOW-FAT.
8. FLAVOR how you like it: 
1. Cream of Chicken equivalent: use Chicken Bouillon
2. Cream of Celery equivalent: 1 stalk finely chopped (or throw it in the food processor) sauteed celery or 1/8 tsp celery salt per 2 cups dry milk
3. Cream of Mushroom: Add ~1/4 cup finely chopped (or food processed) sauteed mushrooms 
4. Cream of Potato: Add 1/2 cups mashed potato flakes per 2 cups dry milk
• ** The celery, mushroom and potato equivalent's I have not personally experimented with yet. I have found these suggestions on other websites (Taste of Cooking - Homeade Cream Style Soup Mix).
9. If you are a CANNER: I've read on other websites where people prep this ahead of time, then can it to save on prep per meal time.
10. If you like to FREEZE ahead of time: To save space, use 1/2 the amount of liquid, cook until thickens to the consistency of a typical condensed soup, then freeze. (I would freeze, then vacuum-pack and return to freezer for longer term/fresher storage.) Add the remaining liquid when you are ready to use. 

Ingredients:

To Make 1 Can Equivalent of Condensed Soup:

• 2/3 cup non-fat dried milk
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 4 tsp bouillon - you choose the flavor
• 4 tsp freeze dried minced onions
• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp dried basil (to equal 1/3 tsp)
• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp dried thyme or parsley (to equal 1/3 tsp)
• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp pepper (to equal 1/3 tsp)

• Mix with 1 1/4 cup hot water (almost boiling) when ready to reconstitute 

 To Make the Original Recipe - makes 3 Cans of Condensed Soup:

• 2 cup non-fat dried milk
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup bouillon
• 4 Tablespoons freeze dried minced onions
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon pepper

•  Mix with 3 3/4 cups hot water (almost boiling) when ready to reconstitute

Directions to Mix:

1. Combine Dry Ingredients into an airtight container. Either store in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.

Directions for Use:

1. Mix in a small sauce pan dry mix with appropriate amount of water, depending on which serving size you choose above.
2. Cook on low/medium heat until sauce thickens. When you first reconstitute the mixture, the herbs float to the top of the liquid. As the soup thickens, the herbs will start to distribute more evenly in the soup.  Keep in mind to constantly stir, especially if you have the heat closer to medium. The cornstarch will thicken faster and will form "globs" in the bottom if you aren't careful. 
3. Use in whatever recipe calls for condensed soup!
4. Enjoy! 

Nutritional Info

Inspired from One Orange Giraffe

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