Hello! We've been hearing all sorts of good things from "baggers" around the country. Here's some of the blips!
"Finally! After pre-ordering your book and waiting, and then checking on the order only to have to reorder, I finally have it! It is wonderful!...My attempts at food storage in the past have been, well, sad to say the least. I tried to stock items that we use frequently, but then I just ended up with an over stuffed pantry full of food that won't go together to make a meal. With J. going away to college next year how easy will it be to send supplies back with her to make sure she eats right while she is on her own. I will just grab a few bags and she will be set! Awesome! Thank you for sharing your wisdom in a way that is so accessible. I can't wait to try all of the recipes."
-Nancy, Redding CA
"I just received my book in today's mail and I love it!!!"
-Susan, Rockwall TX
"I love the book! I bought it a week ago here in Sacramento and I have been gathering supplies for the last week and today will start assembling the bag meals. I'm very excited!"
-Sandie, Orangevale CA
"I went through and read about Michelle's new and very smart way of doing food storage. I was going to give this book to my good friend who is our Emergency Preparedness and Canning Specialist in my ward, but I believe I will keep it and have my two caregivers (who are both LDS) help me prepare a week or two of meals based on this simple and easy way...I thought this would be a great way to prepare meals ahead of time for me...I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to cook or that has a very busy schedule. The family's input [will] make it fun and educational. It is more economical in the end."
-Forever Friends Rating 5 Stars by Teri Rodeman, Benton City WA
Read the full review here
Drop us a line, we'd love to hear from you too!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Howdy Y'All
That's right folks! We're headed to the Utah State Fair! Here's the low down:
Michelle and Trent Snow authors of "It's in the Bag: a New, Easy, Affordable, and Doable Approach to Food Storage" will be sharing their skills and knowledge at the Utah State Fair on September 9th and 17th.
Septemeber 9th:
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Michelle will demonstrate the revolutionary method of food storage bag meals and home canning sausage, beef, and chicken.
2:30- 3:30 p.m. Trent will demonstrate how to build a sprouter, a hands free emergency washing station, and a how to make a homemade cheese press.
Please join Michelle and Trent next door at the country store for a book signing immediately following each demonstration.
September 17th:
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Michelle will demonstrate the revolutionary food storage method of bag meals and how to make delicious and inexpensive homemade yogurt and soft cheese.
2:30- 3:30 p.m. Trent will demonstrate how to build a sprouter, a hands free emergency washing station, and how to make a homemade cheese press.
Please join Michelle and Trent next door at the country store for a book signing immediately following each demonstration.
Grab yer boots and we'll see ya there!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Guest "Bagger!"
Hello readers! I realize that I took a bit of a blogging sabbatical, but I'm back in full force today with a guest reader. This is Sandie.
Sandie hails from Northern California and we're thrilled to have her on the blog today. (Think of this post as a cyber interview)
Sandie: Can you substitute dehydrated meat for bottled?
The Bag Lady: Yes, you can use dehydrated meats; however, you will need to increase the amount of bottled water in each bag meal. I don't use dehydrated foods because we actually eat our bag meals for most breakfasts and dinners.
Sandie: Where did you find canned ham and bags?
The Bag Lady: I could only find the ham at Walmart. And as far as the bags go, I purchased mine at Xpedex and got a deal because I bought 500 of them. I asked if I bought 500 bags would they discount the price and they did. I ended up paying 0.18 cents/bag which is good because the original price was 0.25/bag.
Sandie: Where do I find canned cheese and butter?
The Bag Lady: I tried different butters and cheeses and decided on Bega brand for the cheese. To me it tastes less salty. I would definitely taste test before you spend money on a case. It is manufactured in Austrailia. I like the Red Feather brand of butter. It is manufactured in New Zealand. You can buy these from emergency preparedness stores or on-line but would suggest comparing prices as it is spendy. Because of the long shelf life I take the canned butter and cheese out of the bag meal that I am preparing and recycle it back into a newly made bag meal rather than use it. After all, we aren't in a crisis so why not use the fresh and save money too!
And Finally, Sandie's Testimonial:
Today I put together nine bag meals. It was so fun. I need to run back to Winco to get more canned roast beef and Costco to get more canned chicken. Also, I went ahead and ordered bags online from Uline in Los Angeles. I had to get a case of 250 and they came out to 22 cents each.
This is the coolest idea, the bag meals. Without a basement I'm having to convert linen closet space, etc. but it wil be so great to have these meals ready to go and I'm very excited about the idea of rotating the storage. Here's one of our family favorite recipes that I converted into a bag meal by substituting real chicken breasts for canned chicken:
Sandie's South of the Border Chicken
2 cans chicken meat
1 can black beans
1 jar/can picante sauce
Seasoning Packet:
1 cup instant rice
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
Pantry Item:
grated cheddar cheese
Drain black beans and corn. Mix all ingredients together in saucepan on stove until hot. Pour into baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 min. until bubbly.
We would love to feature more of our readers on the blog! If any of you have questions, comments, stories, or recipes (We LOVE recipes), please send them to m_snow61@hotmail.com We would also appreciate a picture!
Happy Bagging!
Sandie hails from Northern California and we're thrilled to have her on the blog today. (Think of this post as a cyber interview)
Sandie: Can you substitute dehydrated meat for bottled?
The Bag Lady: Yes, you can use dehydrated meats; however, you will need to increase the amount of bottled water in each bag meal. I don't use dehydrated foods because we actually eat our bag meals for most breakfasts and dinners.
Sandie: Where did you find canned ham and bags?
The Bag Lady: I could only find the ham at Walmart. And as far as the bags go, I purchased mine at Xpedex and got a deal because I bought 500 of them. I asked if I bought 500 bags would they discount the price and they did. I ended up paying 0.18 cents/bag which is good because the original price was 0.25/bag.
Sandie: Where do I find canned cheese and butter?
The Bag Lady: I tried different butters and cheeses and decided on Bega brand for the cheese. To me it tastes less salty. I would definitely taste test before you spend money on a case. It is manufactured in Austrailia. I like the Red Feather brand of butter. It is manufactured in New Zealand. You can buy these from emergency preparedness stores or on-line but would suggest comparing prices as it is spendy. Because of the long shelf life I take the canned butter and cheese out of the bag meal that I am preparing and recycle it back into a newly made bag meal rather than use it. After all, we aren't in a crisis so why not use the fresh and save money too!
And Finally, Sandie's Testimonial:
Today I put together nine bag meals. It was so fun. I need to run back to Winco to get more canned roast beef and Costco to get more canned chicken. Also, I went ahead and ordered bags online from Uline in Los Angeles. I had to get a case of 250 and they came out to 22 cents each.
This is the coolest idea, the bag meals. Without a basement I'm having to convert linen closet space, etc. but it wil be so great to have these meals ready to go and I'm very excited about the idea of rotating the storage. Here's one of our family favorite recipes that I converted into a bag meal by substituting real chicken breasts for canned chicken:
Sandie's South of the Border Chicken
2 cans chicken meat
1 can black beans
1 jar/can picante sauce
Seasoning Packet:
1 cup instant rice
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
Pantry Item:
grated cheddar cheese
Drain black beans and corn. Mix all ingredients together in saucepan on stove until hot. Pour into baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 min. until bubbly.
We would love to feature more of our readers on the blog! If any of you have questions, comments, stories, or recipes (We LOVE recipes), please send them to m_snow61@hotmail.com We would also appreciate a picture!
Happy Bagging!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Snow Vineyard
Does anybody know what time it is? It's jelly time! Now, I know what you're thinking, "Bagette, you're mistaken. Everyone knows you make jelly in the fall, when the FRUIT is on." The masses may make jelly in the fall, but around here that's not how we roll. The explanation is simple. By the time traditional jelly time rolls around, The Bag Lady is tired from canning everything she can get her hands on (we've had to rescue the cat a few times.) So, in a miraculous feat of defying mother nature, AND rotating our food storage, we jelly-ize in the early summer.
You see, jams are made with fresh or frozen fruits, but jellies are made from juice. Hence, you can make jelly whenever the mood strikes. In our humble backyard, we have a small vineyard. "Snow Vineyard" consists of 7 vines. We have Concord, Zinfandel, and lovely little white grapes. The juice from the white grapes has a pink blush to it, and is our favorite to drink, it's not as sweet as the Concord. Sadly, we've all forgotten the name. If you're interested in starting your own vineyard, leave a comment and we'll do some research. Our vines grow up the fence, so they don't take much space. The first year yields no harvest. You have to pluck the baby grapes off, or the weight will break the vine. Juice output increases each year. Last year our vines were 4 years old and we averaged 11 quarts of juice per vine.
"Snow Vineyard"
Awww, how cute! This bunch of baby grapes is about 2 inches long.
Anyways, back to how we make jelly in the early summer. After the first fall frost, we harvest the grapes and The Bag Lady begins juicing. Through the winter and spring, we have a good stock of red juice for cooking (it's a good substitute for red wine) and white juice for drinking (thank you little mystery grape.) Come March-May, The Bag Lady bottles rhubarb, and makes strawberry freezer jam. Most people would then come to a canning lull. How does one fill this lull? Grape jelly.
The Bag Lady launches into grape jelly, with the juice that was canned last fall. It's super quick and easy, about 20 minutes a batch. I believe we're on batch 12 today, and she's only been at it for 1.5 hours yesterday and 4.5 today. The house is filled with the rich, luxurious, robust, earthy aroma of simmering juice. The jelly is lovely as well, in fact, it seems to stimulate the appetite.
Summer Grape Jelly
3 1/2 cup grape juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package MCP powdered pectin (the pectin camp is fiercely divided between MCP and Sure Gel, but we fall in the MCP camp)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon butter (This is TOP SECRET. It cuts down on the foam, besides, butter makes everything better)
5 1/3 cup sugar
In a stainless steel stock pot, combine everything EXCEPT sugar. On high heat, whisk continuously until boiling. Add sugar. Continue whisking, when the mixture comes to a full boil whisk another 2 minutes. Pour the boiling mixture directly into prepared canning jars. Wipe lip of jar clean, and secure with lid and ring. Now, the USDA extension service suggests a boiling water bath to seal jars...However, sources we will not mention simply tip the jars over (lid side down) for 5 minutes, then right the jar, and allow to cool. The heat from the boiling jelly should seal the jar. You'll hear a nice little "ping" when the jar seals. Be sure to check your lids and make sure the lid does not compress. If it does, the jar is not sealed, and it should be refrigerated and eaten. Oh darn. Label your jars and store!
"Would you like to come to my quarters for some toast?"
You see, jams are made with fresh or frozen fruits, but jellies are made from juice. Hence, you can make jelly whenever the mood strikes. In our humble backyard, we have a small vineyard. "Snow Vineyard" consists of 7 vines. We have Concord, Zinfandel, and lovely little white grapes. The juice from the white grapes has a pink blush to it, and is our favorite to drink, it's not as sweet as the Concord. Sadly, we've all forgotten the name. If you're interested in starting your own vineyard, leave a comment and we'll do some research. Our vines grow up the fence, so they don't take much space. The first year yields no harvest. You have to pluck the baby grapes off, or the weight will break the vine. Juice output increases each year. Last year our vines were 4 years old and we averaged 11 quarts of juice per vine.
"Snow Vineyard"
Awww, how cute! This bunch of baby grapes is about 2 inches long.
Anyways, back to how we make jelly in the early summer. After the first fall frost, we harvest the grapes and The Bag Lady begins juicing. Through the winter and spring, we have a good stock of red juice for cooking (it's a good substitute for red wine) and white juice for drinking (thank you little mystery grape.) Come March-May, The Bag Lady bottles rhubarb, and makes strawberry freezer jam. Most people would then come to a canning lull. How does one fill this lull? Grape jelly.
The Bag Lady launches into grape jelly, with the juice that was canned last fall. It's super quick and easy, about 20 minutes a batch. I believe we're on batch 12 today, and she's only been at it for 1.5 hours yesterday and 4.5 today. The house is filled with the rich, luxurious, robust, earthy aroma of simmering juice. The jelly is lovely as well, in fact, it seems to stimulate the appetite.
Summer Grape Jelly
3 1/2 cup grape juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package MCP powdered pectin (the pectin camp is fiercely divided between MCP and Sure Gel, but we fall in the MCP camp)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon butter (This is TOP SECRET. It cuts down on the foam, besides, butter makes everything better)
5 1/3 cup sugar
In a stainless steel stock pot, combine everything EXCEPT sugar. On high heat, whisk continuously until boiling. Add sugar. Continue whisking, when the mixture comes to a full boil whisk another 2 minutes. Pour the boiling mixture directly into prepared canning jars. Wipe lip of jar clean, and secure with lid and ring. Now, the USDA extension service suggests a boiling water bath to seal jars...However, sources we will not mention simply tip the jars over (lid side down) for 5 minutes, then right the jar, and allow to cool. The heat from the boiling jelly should seal the jar. You'll hear a nice little "ping" when the jar seals. Be sure to check your lids and make sure the lid does not compress. If it does, the jar is not sealed, and it should be refrigerated and eaten. Oh darn. Label your jars and store!
"Would you like to come to my quarters for some toast?" Tuesday, June 1, 2010
French Bread
Hello friends! Sorry it's been awhile since the last post. I've been running around San Francisco eating sourdough bread and award winning Japanese cream puffs. I also saw the sights. Now I'm back and you are first on my priority list. As you've been reading It's In the Bag, you've probably noticed a lack of recipes for breads or desserts, this was due to a limited page allotment. Today we are remedying the problem!
The Bag Lady's french bread is absolutely superb. The perfectly crisp crust is complimented by the chewy inside. Hot from the oven, slathered with butter, creamy swiss, or dipped in balsamic vinegar and oil--it is heavenly. Bread probably shouldn't be the main focus of a meal, but this tends to be the show stopper. The biggest perk? It's amazingly simple to make. The recipe makes 2 loaves. We usually eat a whole loaf the first day, and use the 2nd to make bruschetta when it gets a little drier.
French Bread
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 teas salt
1 Tbl sugar
2 1/4 teas (1 packet) yeast
3-4 cups flour
Combine warm water, salt, and sugar, stir until dissolved. Add yeast and give it a stir. Stir in 3 cups of flour. Gradually add more flour until the dough is no longer sticky, but remains soft and pliable. Do not add too much flour.
Knead for 3 minutes on a lightly floured counter. Place dough in an oiled bowl and roll it about until lightly covered. Seal bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise for approximately 1-1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size. Remove dough from bowl and shape into loaves. Place in a french bread pan, or on a cookie sheet dusted with corn meal. If you desire decorative cuts, lightly score top of loaf with a sharp knife/razor blade. Allow loaves to rise for another 30 minutes.
Place an empty metal pie pan on the bottom oven rack. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place pan with loaves on middle rack and pour one cup of boiling water into the pie pan(good steam clouds produce a crisp crust.) Bake for 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when golden brown and produces a hollow sound when thumped. Let loaves cool 20-30 minutes before slicing.
Don't forget, if you're in Provo/Orem this week stop by and see us at Barnes & Noble or Costco! Please see the side bar for exact times and addresses.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Lemon Sour Cream Pie
The Bag Lady has been baking up a storm this week. Sunday was her dad's b-day, so we all made the journey for a surprise party. It was fun, this surprise actually worked, he jumped about a foot in the air! The Bag Lady's papa is a master baker, well known throughout the baking industry, so when we were asked to bring dessert it was no small task. Ironically enough, Grampy doesn't eat sweets, but he does enjoy tart flavors.
This pie is delectable. The sour cream makes it smooth and creamy without being heavy. It's a custardy delight with a satin finish. The lemon gives a refreshing zing, perfect for a spring or summer gathering. In fact, it was so good, that Grampy had TWO slices. Now that's saying something.
Lemon Sour Cream Pie
One pre-baked pie crust
1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbl corn starch
1 cup milk
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup sour cream
In a medium sauce pan mix sugar and corn starch. Add milk and stir until smooth. Add egg yolks and whisk over medium heat, bringing to a slow boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and lemon. Cool to room temperature. When cool stir in sour cream. Pour custard into baked pie shell and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Book Debut Report
A big THANK YOU to all of the friends, family, and passersby that stopped by the bookstore last Saturday! It was a joy to see you there. We would also like to thank the wonderful manager and the staff of Deseret Book in Bountiful. The book debut was a huge success! Upon entering the store, you were greeted not only by the classic scent of Lion House Rolls, but also Caribbean Chicken, Garbanzo Beans in Coconut Milk, and MUFFINS! Radiating charm, The Bag Lady roamed the floor, disbursing bag meal knowledge, and signing copies of her book. Father and myself manned the tasting table, where we were able to help over 100 people have a yummier afternoon. The air was a buzz with excitement. Shoppers sat at tables to taste the food as they perused the recipes and tips in the book, excitedly sharing their new-found treasure. Oh, and don't forget the giveaway! The first round of entries is in (the mill won't be given away until the end of the book tour in Aug.) It was a fun afternoon, in fact, it can be summed up in a few words: "Yummy, yummy, yummy, yummy, Super FABULOSO!"
If you missed the book debut, we would still love to see you at a later signing. Please check the side bar for The Bag Lady's touring schedule.
The Bag Lady in all her glory.
Awww, isn't he cute in his apron?
Working the tasting table.
Smile! You're on Bag Meal Camera!
The Bag Lady in action!
If you missed the book debut, we would still love to see you at a later signing. Please check the side bar for The Bag Lady's touring schedule.
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