Food Storage makes tasty pudding cups!

It's funny how you send your kids to school and they come home begging to have things like the other kids have, such is the case with pudding cups. 

I have been making pudding cups for lunches for the past 2 years, when one spring afternoon in 2009 when Ethan got off the bus and came running into the house to tell me about something yummy that he shared with one of his friends at lunch!

The thing that I love about these recipes is that they use Evaporated Milk and Powdered Milk and so once again, you can take your basic food storage ingredients and make
yummy, tasty treats for your family. 

I purchased 4oz. containers (Glad brand) these are sturdy and work really well. 

I love that you can keep reusing the containers for future pudding so you don’t throw away containers.

SO, I make the pudding up,
let it cool a little
and then put the pudding in these containers
and chill them in the fridge.

The kids feel special having their own
homemade pudding cups
to pull out of their lunches at school!!
*****************
Really easy,
Really yummy
and really FUN for kids
that is for sure to put a
SMILE :-)
on their faces!!

(these are also great to make up and take on a summer picnic...as it is a way to have a treat and not have to heat up your house) 

Vanilla Pudding
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 can evaporated milk
1-1/3 cup water
4 Tbsp powdered milk
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine dry ingredients in a saucepan. Gradually stir in evaporated milk and water. Over medium heat, bring to boil, stirring constantly. Let boil one minute. Beat egg yolk in a small bowl and stir in a small amount of hot mixture. Pour into pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Let cool slightly, fill containers and chill.  

This tastes great warm or cold. (makes six (4 oz) containers of pudding)

Dark Chocolate Pudding
1 egg
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 can evaporated milk
1-1/3 c. warm water
4 Tbsp. powdered milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

In a small bowl, beat egg and set aside. Combine cocoa, powdered milk, and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Whisk 1 cup evaporated milk into cocoa mixture until completely smooth. In a large saucepan, combine remaining milk, sugar, water, and salt. Mix well. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, whisking constantly. Remove pan from heat. Whisk cocoa mixture into hot milk mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove pan from heat. Gradually whisk 1 c. of hot cocoa mixture into the egg. Pour mixture back into pan. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Do not boil. Remove pan from heat. Add butter and vanilla, blend well. Cool slightly, fill containers and chill at least an hour. 

Makes six (4 oz) containers of pudding.  

Homemade treats make HAPPY kids!
Try making some today and see the faces of your kids and family light up with a smile!

Food Storage makes delicious yogurt!

Okay, so I have entered the realm of making homemade yogurt

and not just any homemade yogurt...

yogurt made from DRY Milk powder (aka Powdered Milk).

Who would have ever known that you could take powdered milk and turn it into delicious tasting yogurt!

While the texture is nothing like it is in store bought yogurt, it is very tasty and if you make a lot of smoothies, or, your family enjoys eating yogurt with fresh fruit mixed in this recipe is perfect for those.
AND it's such an added benefit that you made it yourself as it is SO easy,
PLUS,

you don't have to worry about all the added sugar, high fructose corn syrup
and artificial ingredients that are in store bought yogurt...
homemade yogurt is definitely a "Win-Win"!

This really reminds me of the texture/taste of Greek Yogurt.

Everything is from food storage except for the plain yogurt start you use, but after you have made your first batch, you can use your own yogurt for starts.

The yogurt really tastes much better after it has aged for a few days.

I made it on Tuesday and it tasted okay the first afternoon, but it was AMAZING and really good on Sunday when we finished it up.

Tracy and I topped ours with fresh pineapple, cantaloupe, frozen blueberries and since we didn't have any granola, we crumbled part of a homemade Gingersnap cookie and put it on the top and WOW was it ever yummy!

The first day we made it,

we made the most delicious smoothie I think we have ever made.

The kids asked me if it was a milkshake and if we used ice cream. NOPE...just homemade yogurt, banana, mangoes, pineapple, vanilla and ice!

Homemade Vanilla Yogurt

(turn on oven to 200 degrees)

3-3/4 cups water

1-1/2 cups dry milk powder

1/3 cup plain yogurt with live active cultures

1 envelope plain gelatine

1/4 cup REAL maple syrup (OR you can use 1/4 cup RAW honey)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together water and powdered milk in large saucepan over medium heat. Heat to 180 degrees F just below boiling point. (I just put in my candy thermometer and when it reached 180 degrees pulled it off the heat). Do not allow milk to boil!!

Remove milk from heat and let cool to lukewarm (110 degrees)

Take out 1/4 cup milk and put in separate bowl

Add gelatin to the smaller portion of milk and completely dissolve.

Add maple syrup, vanilla, and gelatin to larger pan of milk and stir to combine

Add in plain yogurt and stir until blended.

Put into clean containers and put on lid (I just used a glass pickle jar)

Turn off oven

Put jar in oven and turn on OVEN light and let sit 10-12 hours.

I put mine in the oven at 6:30 at night and pulled it out the next morning at 5:00 when I got up to go to work. It was still a little runny looking when I put it in the fridge, but when I pulled it out that afternoon it was all set up nicely. Keep in mind that it THICKENS after it cools and has chilled, so don't panic if it is not perfectly set up when you pull it out of the oven.

Delicious!

Can't wait for the next batch to be done to enjoy

another week of YUMMY yogurt snacks and smoothies!

What a wonderful feeling of accomplishment to not have to rely on the store to enjoy yogurt!

Powdered Milk plus Cocoa Powder makes yummy treats!

Just because we're not spending money for 3 months doesn't mean you can't have YUMMY treats for your kids to enjoy during the hot summer months!

Who would have ever known that you can make the most amazing

Fudge Pops 

AND 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshakes 

with FOOD storage ingredients!!

Well, you can 

 and they taste just as good or even BETTER than anything 

you can purchase at a store and you can make them anytime you want as they use 

basic food storage ingredients 

that you always have on hand!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshakes 

1-1/2 cups COLD water

1-1/2 cups dry milk powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder 

1 large spoonful peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

(2 cups of ice or more)

Place all ingredients (but ice) in blender and blend on high for one minute.  

Then add in 2 cups of ice and blend well.

Do a taste test to see if it is "icy and thick" and then if not, add in more ice to make the desired consistency of milk shake.   

It is SO yummy 

and you will never know it isn't made of real ice cream!

Homemade Fudge Pops
(tastes just as good or better than store bought)

 4 cups water
¾ cup sugar
1 heaping Tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup cocoa powder
3 heaping Tablespoons flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups dry milk powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

In medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to boil.
Mix together all dry ingredients in a bowl and add all at once to boiling water.
Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  

Add in vanilla and cover top with plastic wrap and let cool 30 minutes.
Stir well, pour into Popsicle containers (I used a funnel to fill my molds so I didn't make such a mess) and freeze at least 3 hours. (PS...I purchased my Popsicle molds at TARGET)

If you don’t have Popsicle molds, you can just
pour the mixture in 2 oz. paper cups and put a Popsicle stick in each. 

After freezing, peel away the paper cup, OR, run Popsicle molds under very hot water, pull out the Popsicle and enjoy, while watching the faces of young and old smile as they eat them!

Dr. Seuss says it best...

"Try them you will like them you see"! 

Enjoy!