Recipes

You Will Need:

• ½ cup elderberries, dried
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves
• 1 TBSP freshly grated ginger
• 2 cups clean water
• 1 cup RAW, unfiltered honey

Directions:

1. Put all in a saucepan EXCEPT honey.
2. Bring to a boil, then turn it down to simmer.
3. Simmer, covered, until liquid reduces by one-half (about 20-30 minutes).
4. Strain liquid into a glass bowl.
5. Squish all the good juice out of berries through sieve/strainer.
6. Gently whisk in your honey.

You can make this with fresh or frozen berries, but use a full cup of berries, rather than the half cup dried. Store in a closed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. This only keeps for a couple of weeks, so make a small batch at a time from your stored ingredients.

Elderberries have been a folk remedy for centuries in North America, Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa, hence the medicinal benefits of elderberries are being investigated and rediscovered. Bioflavonoids and other proteins in the juice destroy the ability of cold and flu viruses to infect a cell.

Used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis. Elderberry juice was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 1995.

People with the flu who took elderberry juice reported less severe symptoms and felt better much faster than those who did not.

Elderberries contain organic pigments, tannin, amino acids, carotenoids, flavonoids, sugar, rutin, viburnic acid, vitamin A and B and a large amount of vitamin C. They are also mildly laxative, a diuretic, and diaphoretic. Flavonoids, including quercetin, are believed to account for the therapeutic actions of the elderberry flowers and berries.

This post was previously published here on SCP. Figured many of you have not seen it as it is buried deep within the archives. To see it in its original form click HERE.

Food is my major concern when looking at my preps. I feel like I could just never have enough. At this point I have a large variety of types of food including common grocery store items as well as dehydrated, Mountain House meals and freeze dried. The best survival food is always up for debate. 

I stopped by a local Sunbeam Bread Outlet store and saw a display of different bread mixes. What caught my eye was these were “Just add water“.

I picked up a few for $1.29 each and just tried the Country Biscuit Mix Sunday morning. Super simple to make. Like I said – “just add water” and then cook.

For the prepper this is a simple food prep that can be put back inexpensively requiring few supplies to prepare. The expiration date listed on the package was March of 2013. Like most things – the true date which the product could not be eaten is likely well beyond that date.

Anyways – the biscuits turned out great. My wife cut the dough a little thin but they tasted very good.

There are many simple and cheap preps out there that can make a world of difference when the time comes.

Rourke

No, we don’t have any colds or flu, but I usually make up several quarts of my “Flu Soup” just to keep on hand. It’s worked so good for years to relieve any type of sinus/cold/flu or congestion etc. Be sure to add your honey and lemon.  This recipe usually makes 4 1/2 quarts, and I add more water to the cooked veggies, add more ginger & cinnamon and boil it down again for 2 or 3 more quarts. The 2nd batch isn’t as strong, but still useful.

You Will Need

• 1 large head of cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 5-6 large carrots, coarsely chopped
• 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, whole
• 8-10 cinnamon sticks
• 1 small container of ginger root (I buy from Mennonite store) or you can slice a whole root.
• 2 Tablespoons of course black pepper
• 5-6 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
• 3 or 4 small onions, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Add enough hot tap water to cover all the “stuff”.
2. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 3 or 4 hours.
3. Stain into another smaller stock pot
4. Pour into your canning jars, quarts are my preference. I use “self-seal” lids, but you can process them with your canner according to carrots etc.

You can also just jar it up & keep it in your fridge. I keep a jar or two in there.

Do we have the flu? Nope…but it’s there for colds, sniffles, sinus problems, whatever you want to use it for.

I’m betting on a lot of you on SCP are bread makers. So I thought I’d share my absolutely MOST favorite bread that I make up. I use the basic recipe of the YouTuber called artisanbreadwithsteve… if you’d like to find him.

I’ve used it for several different types of breads, but I don’t have one of his fancy ceramic crockpots, so I use either my Corningware crock with it’s lid, my small cast iron skillet (if I’m camping), my mini-bread loaf pans, my regular sized loaf pans or my larger sized loaf pans.

This recipe works almost flawlessly… unless you alter the type of flour you use. I’d suggest getting used to the “basic” recipe before you step into the designer-type breads.

Either way, I’m just sure you’ll love it as much as I do. One of the main reasons I love it is that I put the dough together in about 5 minutes or less, follow his directions of covering it with plastic wrap & forgetting about it for 8-12 hours. You let your yeast do the work for you. I usually put it together after supper and then get it ready for the 2nd rise just before I start breakfast.

Cleanup is a breeze. Just a bit ago though (before lunch) I mixed up a batch of dough because I planned to make some hoagie buns for our sandwiches etc. I love being able to take the same dough, make a few minor adjustments (raisins, cinnamon, sugar or ground flax, ground sesame seeds, oatmeal, you name it!) and having scruuumptous and easy artisan breads… be they round, square, oblong or whatever shape I want them to be in, even braided!)

You Will Need:

• 3 cups sifted flour
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. instant yeast
• 12 oz. room temp. water

Directions:

1. In a glass bowl, mix all dry ingredients with a wisk. Add water & use the HANDLE of a wooden spoon or plastic spoon.
2. Starting at the outer edge of  your bowl, work your way inward until the dough begins to pull away from the bowl (It will be a somewhat “sticky” bowl)
3. Cover with plastic wrap & set in a safe place and leave for 8 to 12 hours to rise (about double).
4. When risen, set your oven to 450.
5. Grab you favorite 8″ skillet (I like my cast iron one) and oil it GENEROUSLY.
6. Gently push your dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface.
7. Flour your hands and gently flatten your dough to about 2 or 3 inches and then FOLD gently the ends inward, then the sides inward.
8. Place the dough in your oiled skillet & then turn it over to make sure both sides are oiled.
9. Place in your pre-heated, 450 oven, and bake for 30-35 minutes (until golden brown).
10. If you “tap” on the top of your bread, it should “thump” and this should mean it’s done.
11. Remove it from your skillet, let cool on a rack, and when thoroughly cool, place in a bread bag.

(DO NOT KNEAD THIS DOUGH!!!!)