Tasty Flaky Biscuits

I modified this recipe from my favorite fresh biscuit recipe into a food storage hunger fighter.  This tasty recipe should be a comfort food staple in any food storage program.  They bake up as soft and lofty as the fresh variety.  I know, because I made a batch with food storage and with fresh ingredients in the same night.  My family actually preferred the golden color and taste of the food storage biscuit over the fresh counterpart.  Quite a testament to the tastiness of this wonderful recipe.

BISCUIT

3 c. Flour

1 Tbs Baking Powder

1 Tbs Sugar

3/4 tsp Cream of Tarter

1 tsp Salt

1 Tbs Whole Egg

1/4 c. Butter Powder

8 tsp Milk Powder

1 c. Water.

Mix dry ingredients together.  Create a small well in the center and pour in the 1 c. water.  Mix and knead until evenly moist. 

Place on lightly floured surface and fold over kneading lightly about 6 times.  Press to 1/2 thick and cut with a large circle cutter.  One batch makes about 6 large biscuits.

Bake on greased cookie sheet, 450º for about 10 minutes or until golden colored and done.

Potato Dill Soup

I found this original recipe in a girlfriend's cute little cook book.  I modified it to be food storage worthy, and it is amazing.
The original recipe is from Lemon Poppy Cake and this recipe is here.  If you would like to check it out, she has some recipes available on her page and all the books available to purchase.  There are many wonderful recipes in these books and I would recommend having a look and buying some, but I digress.  Back to Potato Dill.

Potato Dill Soup

6 c. Chicken Broth (can use water and bouillon)

7 oz or 4 c. Dry Potato Slices

1/4 c. Dry Onion

2 tsp Dill Weed

2 tsp Basil

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

1/2 c. Gravy Mix

2 c. Water

Add the gravy mix and water and chicken broth, whisking together till smooth.  Throw in the Potato Slices and spices and cook until potatoes are tender and soup is the consistency desired.

I made mine in a crock pot, cooked on high for about 3 hours then turned down to keep warm until dinner.  At one point, it cooked down too far and so I added more water.  No big deal.

She says to blend it, but I just broke up the slices with the spoon and it was delicious.

Some of my family liked a little more flavor, adding garlic or tobasco or cayenne.  I liked it just as it was, with just a little extra salt.

Soup in crock pot, just before serving.  If you
stir it, there is a small layer of broth floating
on the surface of a very hearty potato soup.

Dry Potato Slices

Tomato Soup

I made homemade tomato soup with my crushed tomatoes.  One year, I lost all my tomato starts due to a late freeze and having been busy and not putting the wall-o-water up yet.  So we bought plants at the local Walmart, and they were ALL grape tomatoes.  Go figure.

Obviously they were not useful or practical to can whole tomatoes, so that year all we made was crushed tomatoes (blended with skins on) and salsa (also with skins on).  Crushed tomatoes are easy to use, but I do not like them as much as whole tomatoes.  I usually dice my whole tomatoes before adding them to any recipe, but whole tomatoes can be cut in half, thirds or fourths (useful in hearty soups or bean and pasta salads) or smashed (for soup bases or sauces or 'fresh' salsa).  Crushed tomatoes are just smashed...no options.  Period.

Back to tomato soup.  This is the BEST EVER soup.  It is thick and hearty with a texture you can almost sink your teeth into.  It makes a meal, not a broth to go with a sandwich like the canned soups.  Unfortunately, since it was an experiment, I did not take pictures.  I figured I would have to make it a few times to get it just right.  I figured wrong.  By the time I realized it, everyone had gobbled it all up.  There was barely one bowl left over for the hubby to take for lunch the next day along with the baked on ring you get in the pot you make it in.  Not very picture worthy. 

I promise to make it again soon and add pictures at that time.  Until then, the recipe is too good to make you wait.

Tomato Soup

2 pints (4 c.) crushed tomatoes

1 c. Gravy Mix

6 c. Water

1 Tbs Celery, dry

2 Tbs Onion, dry

1 tsp Parsley

1/8 tsp Lemon Pepper

1/8 tsp Pepper

1 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Basil

1/4 c. Tomato Powder

Mix together in pot and cook until warmed through and thickened to desired texture.

(I prepped in advance and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours.  I of course had to add a little extra water because of the length of time.)

This would make a GREAT crock pot soup.  If you like your soup a little less tomato with a little more cream..... remove the 1/4 c. tomato powder.