Shells Famous Bean Burrito Mix!

Shell's Famous Bean Burrito Mix!  Can be made entirely from food storage if necessary! Freezes well too!

2 cups cooked rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 can of green chiles - Optional 
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1 can (15 oz. each) pinto beans with liquid  (Or prepare from dry beans first)
1 can (15 oz.) Black Beans, drained and rinsed  (Or prepare from dry beans first)
1 1/2 cups water
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn, drained 
6 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped - optional
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
16 burrito-sized (10-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese


(If using dry beans, pressure cook, or crockpot SEPARATELY, the day before) Cook rice; set aside.  Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, being careful not to let the garlic burn.   Add can of pinto beans with juice and mash gently in the pan (a potato masher or fork works great here). Add the can of black beans and the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10-12 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pot. Add diced tomatoes and corn; cook to heat through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic powders. Remove from heat; stir in green onions (if using) and cooked rice.

Heat tortillas in microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until all are warmed through. 

If eating fresh, layer burrito mix, shredded cheese, avocado, and even lettuce and tomatoes if desired.

This recipe works great prepared ahead and made into freezer burritos.  Just be sure to use the small fajita size tortillas, otherwise it is hard to reheat them.  They are cold in the middle if you make them too big.


Recipe adapted from Mel'sKitchenCafe.com

Preparing a 72 hour kit - Do you have one?

Many preppers begin the journey by focusing on food storage.  While this is a worthwhile pursuit, I would say its almost MORE important to have a well-stocked 72 hour kit FIRST.  When emergencies or even regional disasters strike many people are unable to get to their food storage and other preparations as quickly as they would like to either due to building collapses (earthquakes), or in the case of an evacuation for fire or flood.  For these reasons, it is necessary to have a 72 hour kit within easy access that you can grab on your way out.  This food and other necessities will sustain you during the most stressful time of an incident, which is thought to be during the first 72 hours.

There are many different kinds of kits you can make, and also several available for purchase in emergency supply stores, warehouse stores, and even online.  The 2 I choose to have are as follows:  1) A large Emergency Kit with enough supplies for the whole family, tucked into a rolling garbage can for portability.    2) Several small individual kits in backpacks kept in garage or cars.

What items should I have in my 72 hour kit? Below is a list I've compiled of many different things.  You may consider some of these things optional, I am just including a comprehensive list of ideas for things you may possibly need.

9 meals for each person.  Ideas include:
Soups, canned or dehydrated
Instant Oatmeal packets
Applesauce/Fruit Cups
Canned pastas in sauce
Hot Cocoa Mixes
Granola Bars
Protein bars
Cereals/Crackers
Trail Mix
Dried Fruits
Candy/Gum
Canned Tuna, Beans
Beef Jerky
Water for 3 days

Dishes/ Untensils, and Napkins
Can Opener if your food requires it
Pocket Knife
Rope
Duct Tape
First Aid Kit
Emergency Radio
Medications, inhalers, etc.
Portable Stove & Fuel
Fire starter (Matches or Flint and Steel, lighter)
Flashlight & Extra Batteries
Change of Clothing
Blankets/Sleeping Bags
Tarp or Tube Tent
Sanitary Supplies for Women
Toiletries, soap, shampoo, razor, brush etc.
Roll of Toilet paper (Can be flattened and put in a zip loc)
Extra diapers for Infants
Formula for Infants
Toothbrushes/Toothpaste
Notebook & Pen
Coloring book & Crayons for young children
Personal Documents - Copies of Drivers license, Marriage & Birth Certificates, Insurance Policies, etc.
Cash and Emergency Credit Card
Recent Family photo
Emergency Rain Poncho

For more ideas, see:
FEMA Disaster Supplies List
2 Person 72 Hour Kit in Backpack
Augason Farms 11 Day Grab and Go Emergency Food Supply

Just so you can see, the outside of my can was pretty dirty from hanging around the yard for several years.   But everything inside was clean and dry because I vacuum sealed most things, and Packed clothing and blankets in "Space Bags."

Coconut Oil

     You may have noticed that in the few recipes that I've put up so far I have Coconut as my oil of choice.  I use it for pretty much everything.  We fry our eggs, potatoes and other veggies in it, and I substitute it for butter, shortening, or oil in most recipes for cakes, cookies and breads.  We also rub it into our dry skin, cuts, abrasions, and more.  I do occasionally choose a 1/2 butter 1/2 coconut oil mix for some recipes just to get some of that butter flavor and consistency.
      Because of its many uses and the fact that it is not affected by heat, it is also my oil of choice for long term storage.  Coconut oil is basically a solid at any temperature from 75º F and below. Above that temperature it melts and becomes liquid.  It is much like shortening in consistency at the mid temperatures, and hardens the cooler it becomes.   I keep mine in a 1 qt crock near the stove so that in the winter, I can warm and melt the oil before using it in recipes.  To fry an egg, I simply spoon the hardened oil into the hot pan and it melts quickly.
     Coconut oil is a highly saturated fat.  But it is a healthy fat, similar to that of an Avocado.  The health benefits of coconut oil range from hair care, skin care, boosting the immune system, assisting proper digestion, increases metabolism and more.  Many of the benefits are attributed to the high Lauric acid content of the oil which properties include antimicrobial, antioxidants, anti-fungal and antibacterial.
     Coconut oil is also helpful when trying to lose weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in reducing excessive weight.  It is also easy to digest and helps increase healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on the pancrease, and burning more calories.  --When I was on the HCG diet a few years ago, I read about a special "treat" that diet participants could use to boost weight loss.   You simply mix 1C. powdered cocoa, 1 C. Coconut Oil, melted, 8 packages Stevia or some Agave Nectar (P3 Only) and combine until well blended, then you can have 1-2 T. of it per day.  And it actually increased the weight loss because it was giving the body a tool for increasing metabolism as well as giving needed nutrients.

     Coconut oil has been said to help dissolve kidney stones, support the liver, kidneys and gallbladder, and even treat Pancreatitis.  Coconut Oil is a natural anti-inflammatory and can help heal and soothe a sunburn.  Coconut oil helps in controlling blood sugar, and improves the secretion of insulin. It also helps in effective utilization of blood glucose, thereby preventing and treating diabetes.

   I have very dry skin, and I have found that if I  rub Coconut oil into my dry scalp at night before bed, and then wear a cloth cap or wrap my head in a towel, it relieves the dryness and itching.  In the morning I wash it out and enjoy the soothing effects for hours.   I have even used fractionated coconut oil as a base for several essential oils in creating a natural Lice Killer for a child who came home from school with head lice.  We used it once, and it worked amazingly.   It didn't spread to anyone else in the house, and we didn't have ongoing battles with it as many people do.   And I avoided using the harsh, dangerous chemicals available in the drugstore for battling head lice.

     Coconut Oil is also preferred by athletes and body builders and by those who are dieting. The reason behind this being that coconut oil contains lesser calories than other oils, its fat content is easily converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. Coconut oil helps in boosting energy and endurance, and enhances the performance of athletes.

   I'm sure the list goes on and on, but those are some of the most common uses.   I order it by the 5 Gallon pail from a very natural, organic, non GMO source --Tropical Traditions.  I order the flavorless coconut oil that has been steam distilled (Expeller pressed) because I believe it has all of the same benefits without affecting the flavor of my foods.  Also it is much less expensive even though it is produced in the same place and essentially the same way as their other products so I am confident I am getting a healthy clean oil.

Tropical Traditions Weekly Sales

And while I'm on the coconut bandwagon, I love to use Coconut flour in all my recipes as well.   I usually ad about 1/2 c. to most average size recipes as it increases the protein content by leaps and bounds.  It also ads a sweet subtle addition to the flavor of cookies and sweet breads.

If you order by clicking on any of my links, and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.

Now just to cover my @$&  I need to say that these statements have not be evaulated by the FDA and that this information is not intended to be used as medical advice as the author is not a physician.  Elderberry has not been proven to treat, diagnose, prevent, or cure any diseases or the above mentioned ailments.  Blah blah blah, yadda yadda... :-)