When I first got married and visited my husband’s family home for the first time, I was most nervous about eating meals together. I admit, I’m a picky eater, scared to try anything new. At least I used to be. But I needn’t have feared. Tom’s mother, Darlene, is an excellent cook and, as the head cook at the Culdesac Elementary/Middle/High School for years (yes, one school to house all the kids from this tiny Idaho town!), she spoiled students and teachers alike with her soups, homemade breads and cinnamon rolls.  I don’t know if this recipe was ever part of her school lunch program — if not, it should have been, for it is one of her most requested recipes.

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

1½ packages graham crackers, crushed (approximately 15 rectangles)

1 (6-ounce) package lemon JELL-O

2 cups boiling water

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 teaspoons vanilla

1. In a large bowl, mix JELL-O with boiling water; stir until completely dissolved. Allow     to cool to room temperature.

2. Spread all but ¼ cup of the crushed graham crackers in a 9 x 12-inch pan.

3. In a large bowl, whip cream cheese until smooth and creamy.

4. Add JELL-O, sugar and vanilla; mix well.

5. Fold in the whipped topping (1/3 at a time) until well blended.

6. Spread lemon mixture on graham cracker crumbs.

7. Sprinkle ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs on top of dessert.

8. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

*If the JELL-O starts to firm, place the bowl in a sink filled with hot water or microwave JELL-O for a few seconds on medium power.

Makes 15 servings.

Taking Baby Steps

Take baby steps

When you walk into your pantry, do you hear an echo? You’ve barely got enough food to make it through the week, let alone several days should you not be able to make it to the grocery store during a winter snow storm. Take baby steps to fill your cupboard shelves. Consider this:

·         1 matinee movie ticket is $7.50. For that price you could purchase 10 boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese—easy peasy to make and kids of all ages love to eat the stuff.

·         1 vanilla frappuccino is around $5. For that price you could purchase a couple of canisters of oatmeal (and maybe even a box of granola bars if everything’s on sale!)

·         1 lipstick in the latest, greatest color is around $8 (for the cheap stuff!) For that price you could purchase a 25 lb. sack of flour to make all sorts of treats for your family.

·         One meal at your favorite restaurant probably runs around $15 plus a tip. For that price you could pick up 8 pounds of boneless chicken breasts (at $1.99 a pound) to store in your freezer.

·         A round of golf is $37. Tack on another $13 for the golf cart. That’s $50 you could have spent on a 25 lb. bag of sugar (around $18), 2 cake mixes ($1.50 ea.), 2 tubs of frosting ($2 ea.), 7 cans of fruit ($2 ea.), 5 pounds of pasta ($1 lb.), 3 cans of spaghetti sauce ($1 ea. on sale), and 6 cans of vegetables (50 cents ea.)

·         A manicure is $10-$15. For that price, you could purchase several cans of soup.

Most of us have little luxuries that eat up our paychecks—why not hold off on a luxury or two each week and use the money saved to purchase a few staples for the pantry or freezer? A day of fun in the sun on the golf course or a girls’ day out for pedicures is great, but hungry kids during a crisis—trust me, you don’t want to experience it.

What the Food Storage Mafia is all about

The Food Storage Mafia is equivalent to:

A.   Paramilitary operation with cookies.

B.   Menu Mavericks.

C.   Noncomformist Betty Crocker Society.

D.   All of the above.

                                              

If you value amazing food at a delicious price. If you value eating hot-cooked meals during a power outage. If you value having food in your pantry should you someday not be able to afford groceries. If you value feeding your family should (heaven forbid) disaster strike. If you simply want to learn to cook healthy meals and avoid a fast-food downfall…become part of the mafia. The Food Storage Mafia.

·         No cost.

·         No sign-up.

·         No need to share confidential information, remember a password or carry a plastic card to redeem points.

·         Only a commitment to give food storage a try.

Keep checking back…the Food Storage Mafia is ready to strike!

And remember…

Keep your friends close, but your recipes closer.