Mixes Are Easy—With your own mixes you save almost three-fourths the time you spend preparing food. This is because you prepare for several meals at one time. Whether your family has 2 or 22 members, you can make the right amount for each meal. Dinners are better planned, delicious and nutritious—even when there’s little time. Children can make most of the recipes.
Mixes Are Economical—Commercial mixes are generally advertised as time-savers rather than money-savers. Their prices increase regularly with rising labor and packaging costs. Why not save those extra dollars by providing the labor and packaging yourself? Compare the cost per cup of commercial mixes with homemade mixes and you’ll discover your mixes cost less than half. Save more by watching for specials on items such as flour, sugar and shortening.
Mixes Are Nutritious—There’s a special satisfaction in choosing your own ingredients to cook with and knowing what is in your foods. If you want to reduce the preservatives and additives you consume, making your own mixes is the way to start. You can also reduce the fat and substitute other ingredients as you wish.
When you make meals from your own mixes, you’ll notice the fresher flavor. Most of the mix recipes in this book contain ingredients chosen for their health value as well as taste appeal.
Mixes Are Versatile—The extent to which mixes can be used is almost limitless. QUICK MIX, which makes dozens of different recipes can be substituted for any recipe that calls for commercially prepared biscuit mixes.
Depending on the type of storage space available, you can keep COOKIE MIX on your pantry shelf or SLICE & BAKE COOKIES in your freezer. Both can be used to make a variety of cookies. Pies are quick and easy when you keep FREEZER PIE-CRUST MIX on hand.
Some mixes are seasonings to complement specific recipes. Make individual packets of TACO SEASONING MIX, HOME-STYLE DRESSING MIX, CHILI SEASONING MIX and our other “special” mixes and you’re ready for any occasion! They’re better than those you can buy. Some are so unusual you can’t even buy them in stores.
Mixes Can Be Personalized—Use a salt or sugar substitute or whole grains, eliminate MSG or reduce fats and sugars, thus meeting your own personal preferences and needs.
Ingredients
THE INGREDIENTS
Always use fresh, high-quality products when you’re making your own mixes. The foods you prepare are only as good as their contents.
It is important to know what each ingredient offers to a recipe. Here are some tips to help you make mixes and meals everyone will remember.
Flours—All-purpose flour is best in most dry mixes. It is a blend of hard and soft wheat flours. Either bleached or unbleached flour can be used, but unbleached flour has higher nutritional value. There are also flours milled specifically for baking breads. Check the labels. Because moisture content varies in wheat flours, some yeast-bread recipes indicate an approximate measurement. Always begin with a small amount of flour and add more until the desired texture is reached.
Whole-wheat flour can be used instead of all-purpose flour. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons less per cup of flour called for in the recipe and increase the leavening (yeast almost doubled, baking powder and baking soda increased by one-third). Whole-wheat flour mixes should be refrigerated to retain maximum nutrition.
Fats—Butter and margarine are used interchangeably in most recipes. However, butter produces a different texture and flavor than margarine and should be used in those recipes where specified. Mixes containing either butter or margarine must be refrigerated.
Vegetable oils are pressed from seeds, fruits and nuts. Canola oil and olive oil are preferred because they are lower in saturated fat. Hydrogenated vegetable shortening is used in some recipes because of its storage properties. (Mixes containing vegetable shortening may be covered and stored in a cool, dry place for 3 months or more.) You may use vegetable oils in all your mixes by omitting the shortening from the dry ingredients and adding the vegetable oil when you prepare the recipe. Of course, there will be a slight change in texture and taste. Caution: Vegetable oils do not store for extended periods of time so DO NOT include them in the mix. Add the oil when you make the recipe using the mix.
Fresh eggs are a boost to every recipe because they have a much better texture and taste than eggs that have been stored a while. Use large eggs, about 2 ounces in weight. Eggs at room temperature produce more volume. Replacing fresh eggs with egg substitutes works well in most recipes. Or use 2 egg whites in place of 1 whole egg for lower fat and cholesterol.
Leavening Agents—We want to stress the importance of using fresh baking ingredients. Active dry yeast is convenient for mixing purposes. Yeast is comprised of living organisms that feed on sugars and produce alcohol and carbon dioxide. Be certain the liquid you add to the yeast is lukewarm, about 110F (45C)—not any hotter. To eliminate guesswork, instant-read thermometers are now available. If you plan to make yeast breads and rolls on a regular basis, buy yeast in bulk rather than in individual packets. After opening the yeast, store it in the refrigerator or freezer, otherwise it loses its strength—giving poor results.
Baking powder generally starts to work when it is combined with liquid, but its impact on a product is increased when the product is heated. Double-action baking powder is preferred for its availability and consistency. Do not use baking powder that is older than the expiration date on
