Since I am working on lists for myself and my Mother who is making a cookbook for my brother, here are some of the resources I have found for essential food lists:

Essential Ingredients to Have on Hand 

Teri's Kitchen 

The Rachael Ray Way 

Living a Better Life List 

 

thank you so much

 my favorite was living a better life.  Thanks-

better life was a good one.   actually have most of those items minus a couple that don't work for us because of allergies. coconut etc.  Some things I had like evaporated milk but never used it so gave the couple of cans I had to my mom (uses them in coffee) because they were going to expire.  at almost $2 a can now it is too expensive to keep and not use.

Mom started a cookbook when my brother got married recently. She then made me a copy as it has the old family recipes and I can insert all my own stuff in it.

She went from there to creating lists of helpful things like food terms and descriptions, ingredient substitutes, common household solutions for cleaning and laundry issues, homemade cleaners and master pantry lists.

This should be a fantastic resource when she is done.

 

Martha, if you keep powdered milk on hand, just make an extra-strong batch to use as evaporated milk.  That's what I do for pumpkin pies over the holidays; I don't normally stock evap milk, either, it's too expensive and the home-made works just as well...Liz

I think there is also a recipe for sweetened condensed milk in A Family Raised on Sunshine by Beverly Nye.  I haven't looked at it in awhile so my memory is a bit rusty, but she mixes it, adds sugar, and I'm sure she cans it, then keeps turning the cans every so often.  I will put it on my to do list to look up and report back when I am able to use a computer again.

That is a good idea.  I have powdered milk for the bread machine. powdered milk is as expensive as reg milk here so I don't buy much.   I have never cooked with evaporated milk.   I don't make pumpkin pies because I am the only one who likes them.  so I pick them up cheap to split with my fil from safeway.

I don't know about you, but my food storage includes a lot of powdered milk. Here are a bunch of recipes I've collected for using it.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 1/3 cups instant dry milk
1/2 cup hot water
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar

Pour water into blender, add milk, and sugar. Blend. Add butter and blend
Thoroughly. Chill for later use. 1 1/4 cups homemade mixture equals 1 can regular sweetened condensed milk.

Evaporated Milk

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry powdered milk
1/2 cup warm water

Whisk together all ingredients.

Whipped Topping

6 tablespoons powdered milk
1 cup water
2 teaspoons gelatin
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Dissolve the milk and gelatin in boiling water. Add sugar, stir, and chill in the refrigerator until it gels. Beat the mixture until it looks like whipped cream. Add vanilla and whip again.

Milk Gravy

1 cup powdered milk, mixed with 3 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
3 heaping tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the water and powdered milk together. Add the flour and salt. Cook over medium heat until the gravy is thickened. Add the butter and stir until smooth.

 

Thanks for the recipes!   the condensed milk one will be handy at xmas.

what do you use milk gravy for? or it is a southern thing?