Mmmmm! This Couldn’t Be Food Storage!

When you’re eating from your food storage, breakfast doesn’t have to be a steady diet of whole-wheat mush. You can make a tasty, ready-to-eat cereal from whole wheat flour. But even better, this cereal is versatile. When you grind it finely, it can be used in recipes in place of graham cracker crumbs, and by adding different spices you can make it into snack foods, stuffing mix, or even dog or cat food.

To make the basic dough, combine in a large bowl 6 cups (1 1/2 pounds) whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) brown sugar (more or less to taste), 1 teaspoon (or less) salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 2 cups (16 fluid ounces) sour milk or buttermilk. Note: You can make buttermilk from powdered milk by mixing 2/3 cups (2 1/2 ounces) powdered milk in 2 cups (16 fluid ounces) of water, then adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly to make a stiff, sticky dough. Divide the dough in half and press evenly to the edges of two ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C, or moderate heat, such as gas mark 4) until golden brown around the edges—about thirty minutes. Turn the oven off and remove the baking sheets. With a spatula, lift the cooked dough from the pans and tear it into 1/2-inch (1-1/2 centimeter) chunks. Return the pan of dough pieces to the oven and allow the remaining heat to dry them completely. If necessary, heat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C, or very cool, such as gas mark 1/2) to complete the drying. Using a coarse setting on a food or meat chopper, grind the dry dough chunks, then put the resulting coarse flour in a strainer and sift out the small pieces to use as cracker crumbs for pie crusts or other desserts. The larger pieces remaining in the strainer can be used as crunchy wheat cereal. Top these with milk and eat cold, or heat them with a little milk or water to serve hot. This recipe makes approximately 6 cups (1 1/2 pounds) cereal and 2/3 cups (2 1/2 ounces) crumbs.

For a different flavor, add cinnamon or nutmeg to the dough before baking. If you add nutmeg, the milk poured on the cereal takes on the flavor of eggnog or egg custard.

Make stuffing mix by omitting the sugar and adding sage, poultry seasoning, celery salt, onion salt, or powdered beef or chicken bouillon to the dough before baking. After the dough is baked and ground, moisten the large pieces with broth or warm milk for stuffing; use the finer pieces as toppings for casseroles or noodles.

You can also make dog or cat food for short-term use by omitting the sugar and adding powdered beef or chicken bouillon for flavoring. After the initial baking, break chunks into sizes suitable for your pets. Dry the chunks in the oven and store them. Soften them with water or broth before use.—Relief Society General Board