Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick
Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.
At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."
Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.
A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."
[snipped]
She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.
"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Online-Baking/message/115
Molasses Nut Bread
2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
2 cup buttermilk
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour loaf pan. In a large
bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Carefully stir in remaining
ingredients until just combined. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake in
center oven rack for about 1 hour or until tester comes out clean. Cool
before turning out and slicing.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Online-Baking/message/113
Old Fashion Nut Bread
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup molasses
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 - 2 Tablespoon butter OR margarine
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside. Place
Molasses in a medium size bowl add eggs and milk, one egg at a time, a
few Tablespoons of milk then the other egg while beating. Beat at medium
speed for 2 to 3 minute. Alternate adding flour mixture while beating on
low speed until all is combined then turn to medium speed to make sure
all is combined. Fold in nuts by hand. Pour into greased loaf pan and
bake in a 350 degree oven for 60 - 65 minutes. Rub butter over the top of
the hot loaf. If making in (4) mini loaf pans, reduce baking time to
30-35 minutes.
It’s been so cold and rainy up here, my artyritous is getting too much to bare!
I need SUN!!!
Still shaking out the new kitchen... bought my first convection oven and a new big crock pot to go with the bread maker!
You bettcha when the old bod craves something, you better feed it what it wants! There’s a reason it does that, and to ignore it is bad medicine!
Glad to see your still cranking out all the good stuff on this thread!!!
Take care of yourself my FRiend!
http://www.survival-center.com/dl-list/dl13-sta.htm
Staying Alive
by Bill Revill
Published in American Surival Guide, November 1994
Permanently leave the following in a vehicle
* Water bottle (2 pints)
* Canned/dried food
* Nylon shelter (hootch)
* Machete
* Torch
* 12 volt light
* Toilet tissue
* Leather gloves
* Nylon rope (30 feet)
* Silva compass
* Sun screen cream
* Canvas water filter
* Tomahawk
* Hunting Knife
* Candles
* Fire starter kit
* Small frying pan
* Folding stove
* Solid fuel tablets
* .22 Rifle (single shot)
* Ammo
* Space blanket
* Folding shovel
* Roll of thin wire
Knapsack Survival Kit
No matter what the destination or reason for the trip, my knapsack survival kit travels with me whenever I venture beyond the blacktop. It’s the very first item thrown on board. No exceptions.
If I happen to be taking off as navigator in a friend’s vehicle, the knapsack is still mandatory equipment. Survival is a personal responsibility so it’s unwise to count on someone else being sufficiently prepared.
This entire kit is contained in a robust, canvas knapsack that, when full, weighs just under 7 pounds and takes no more space than two six-packs.
Here are some examples of what’s in it:
* Water purifiers
* Wind/waterproof matches
* Water filter
* Candle stub
* Plastic zip-lock bags
* Solid fuel
* Compass
* Survival blanket
* Notebook and pencil
* Nylon para cord
* Fishing kit
* Small tent pegs
* Dried stew mix
* Plastic eyelets
* Dried soups
* Cotton gloves
* Biscuits
* Toilet tissue
* Tea and coffee
* Soap
* Sugar
* Repellent
* Tube milk
* Field dressings
* Breakfast cereal
* Mosquito coils
* Pocket knife
* Sewing kit
In all, there are 122 items randomly packed into the kit, all of which directly or indirectly contribute to the six basic survival requirements. But here too, food items require rotation at least annually.
http://www.survival-center.com/dl-list/dl17-bdo.htm
Fast Food For You Bug-Out Bag
Submitted by Brian Dolge
As I work my way through the process of making up a 72 hour kit/ bug-out bag I thought I would post parts of my work here for others to use as they see fit. As there has been a bit of talk here lately about what to do for long-term compact food I thought I’d start with this part.
Brian’s High-Density High-Calorie Easy-to-Prepare Exceptionally Yummy Infinite(almost)Shelf-Life Readily-Available Food Packets
What more could you ask for? The ingredients are:
Item Number Used Calories/Item Cost/Unit Notes
Hard Candy 160 20/piece $1.30/bag 33/bag, indiv wrapped, assorted
Power Bars 9 230/each $1.35/each Available at sports stores
Granola Bars 20 110 each $2.20/box 2/foil pouch, hard, el cheapo
Slim Jims 20 50/each $3.40/box 12/box
Drink Mix Pouch 4 65/each $5.25/4 Do It Yourself Mix
Further Notes
Hard candy is one of the most compact forms of calories available, is stable under most conditions, but provides no vitamins or other nutrients and no feeling of fullness;
Power bars also provide lots of calories in a compact form as well as a decent supply of vitamins, etc. however, they are expensive and taste like condensed peanut butter, I like them, but they get old fast;
Granola bars are bulky but light and provide plenty of roughage for fullness and to keep your lower GI tract in working order;
Slim Jims are my least favorite item, they provide protein, but way too much fat, while fat also adds to the feeling of fullness I worry about it going rancid despite all the preservatives;
The drink mix is half orange Koolaid (with sugar) and half orange Gatorade, enough for 2 quarts of each, mixed well, about 3 fl.oz of powder in each of 4 1 qt. zip-lock bags, this provides calories, electrolytes, and reminds you to drink your fluids. I did not use a protein drink/instant breakfast mix because I have had trouble getting them to mix up properly from powder and I really don’t like the taste/texture or the bowel problems they give me. I used all dry stuff to save weight/volume and to reduce the chance of messy accidents. Obviously you will need H2O to go with this, but that’s another letter.
Everything except the drink mix is ready to unwrap and eat (please don’t litter!). My own kit also contains 1 multi-vitamin per day and 3 fiber laxative/diet pills because I like to keep my vitamins up and I get hungry a lot. All these items were bought in a suburban supermarket (except the Power Bars, which came from a 7-11(or an outdoor store)) at the normal prices. You can probably get them cheaper by the usual methods. I am assuming you have qt. and gal. zip-lock bags and a cup of sugar. If not add the price of those to the following calculations.
Total cost
6 bags candy $1.30 ea= $6.50
9 Power Bars $1.35 ea=$12.50
2 boxes Granola $2.20 ea =$4.40
2 boxes Slim Jims $3.40 ea =$6.80
1 Drink mix $5.25 ea =$5.25 (with leftover Gatorade)
Total cost of food for 4 days = $35.10 or $8.77 per day (less than a pizza with everything!)
Calories
* Total Calories=9540
* Calories/day over 4 days=2435 (plenty for hard work/on-the-run/Disaster clean-up)
* Calories/day over 7 days=1391 (enough to wait out most anything)
Packing and Transportation
The ingredients are spread out among four 1-gal. zip-lock bags:
* 40 pieces candy
* 2 power bars
* 2 pouches granola bars
* 5 Slim Jims
* 1 pouch drink mix in each bag
1 bag gets an extra power bar, 2 get extra granola.
With the air squeezed out each bag weighs about 1.5 lbs. and is about 9 in. long and 3.5 in across. Total: 6 lbs. in a 9x7 squishy rectangle. Very portable.
I would like to hear any comments anyone has on this set-up. I have put in a lot of work/experiment/testing on this, but I’m always eager to learn more.
http://www.survival-center.com/dl-list/dl14-asg.htm
Inventory for Basic Survival Kit
by Daniel C. Friend
Originally published in American Survival Guide, March 1990
Shelter and Warmth
* “Emergency” space blanket or bag
* Heavy duty plastic trash bag (2.5 mil)
* 550 parachute cord 25’
* 9’ transparent vinyl mending tape (wrap around flashlight)
Water
* Heavy-duty plastic water bag (large heavy-duty ziplock bag will do)
* Iodine-based water tablets
* Large cotton bandana or triangular bandage
Heat, Light, and Signalling
* 9-hour candle
* Waterproof match case
* Waterproof strike-anywhere matches
* 2 bithday candles
* Disposable lighter
* Mmagnesuim firestarter
* Ccard-type magnifying lens [fresnel?]
* Police whistle on lanyard [beware of metal whistles they freeze to lips in cold]
* Stainless steel double-surface signal mirror
* AA or AAA flashlight with fresh batteries
* 50’ surveyor’s tape
* 3”x5” cards and pen
Knives and Tools
* Swiss ary knife or leathermean tool
* Knife sharpener (opposed tungsten carbide tips)
* Hemostats
* Small “ignition point” file
* 6” sharpened piece of hacksaw blade
* 4” extra-heavy duty sewing needle
* 6 heavy duty rubber bands
Direction Finding
* Good quality liquid-filled luminous compass
First Aid
* Clean cotton bandana or triangular bandage (see WATER)
* Hemostats (see KNIVES and TOOLS)
* Flexible fabric band-aids of various sizes
* Handiwipes
* Insect repellant
* Aspirins or Tylenol
* Moleskin or mole foam
* Pepto Bismol
General
* Mosquito headnet (for fishing or insects)
* Safety pins, 2 large 4 medium
* Telephone change
* Snare wire, brass or copper
* Survival cards
In Addition to the Basic Survival Kit Always Include the Following Items in Your Pack
* Individual ready-to-eat canned food (sardines, etc)
* Detailed map
* Separate first-aid kit, including prescription medications
* Small transistor radio
* Extra pair eyeglasses in unbreakable case
Inventory for Augmentation Kit
First Aid
* 4 3”x3” sterile pads
* 1 roll 2” cling bandage
* Trial size pack Coricidin D decongestant tablets
* Blister pack of 9 Cepacol throat lozenges
* Blister pack Pepto Bismol tablets
* Neosporin antibiotic ointment
* Extra sefety pins
* 6 flexible fabric band-aids
Shelter and Warmth
* 4’x7’ poly blanket or extra space blanket
* 9-hour candle
* 25’ 550 parachute cord
* Small disposable lighter
Food and Water
* 2 tins sardines
* Heavy duty nylon spoon
* Snare wire
* Mosquito head net
* Iodine water purification tablets
* Plastic water bag
Signalling
* Spare batteries for flashlight
http://www.survival-center.com/dl-list/dl21-fft.htm
Food For Thought
by Chris Janowsky
Whether it be a natural disaster or one that’s manmade, being prepared can mean the difference between life or death. Many of you readers know me as a writer and a wilderness survival instructor. This is World Survival Institute’s 25th Anniversary year of teaching people the skills and knowledge they need to stay alive in most any emergency. We constantly emphasize to our students the value of being prepared.
Putting food up for the future is a very important aspect of being prepared and is usually one of the first things most of us think about. There are a number of good companies out there that sell M.R.E.’s, freeze-dried, or dehydrated food for backpackers and for storage. You may well choose to have some of their products as part of your overall emergency preparedness inventory. However, it is just as important that you know how to preserve food yourself, especially meat.
Meat is a significant part of most people’s diet. From it, our bodies receive vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, and precious muscle-regenerating protein. In most wilderness survival situations, wild game and fish are very easy to procure if you know how. This makes meat and fish a natural way to go.
Whether you are in the wilderness or in the city, putting up meat is a wise idea. However, there are certain considerations that we have to think about when dealing with meat or fish. Depending upon the ambient temperature, meat can spoil very quickly. Meat by its nature is very heavy and if it has to be transported in the future, this should be of great concern, Especially if you have to pack it on your back.
There are many ways to overcome these problems either in the field or at home. First of all we have to know why meat spoils and what to do about it. We will address this issue soon but for now let’s take a good look at the logistics and solution of the meat/weight problem.
Your first concern is your plan. What I’m talking about here is a complete plan. Nobody knows what is going to happen tomorrow but we should plan for the most likely emergencies. Your plan could make the difference between life or death for you and your family.
As mentioned above, many people are stocking up on M.R.E.’s, or cases of freeze-dried/dehydrated meals. These, plus water and whatever you normally keep in your kitchen cupboards should be the first part of your plan. Having extra food and water at home during and after a disaster means you don’t have to worry about battling the mob down at the supermarket-if it is open. Let’s call this plan “A.” But you and I both know that whenever you have a single good plan some SOB will probably mess it up. This is why you need plan “B.”
Depending on the circumstances your plan “B” may have to be initiated. This plan would be implemented if you chose or were forced to move from your dwelling. Many people believe they will be able to use their trucks and cars to transport all their stuff to a safe haven. But what if the roads are closed? What if a natural disaster has destroyed bridges and covered highways with debris? I believe that it is a good idea to have your vehicles set up but don’t depend on it. You may end up only being able to take what you can carry on your back, and folks, that ain’t much. Remember that flies can easily get into the ole ointment.
The next plan is plan “C.” This plan should be a part of all the other plans. And that is having the KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS to make these plans work, maybe even to having a plan “D” in reserve. This plan I don’t even want to think about but I-and you-must. You may have to take off with what is only on your person, no bags, no backpacks. Knowledge at this time is worth far more than gold. You’ll have to find your food as you go and be able to transport it (with reduced weight) for tomorrow.
When you are in a wilderness survival situation and on the move, you must procure food wherever and whenever you find it. Let’s say you come across a nice lake abundant with fish. Naturally you are going to take some fish for dinner, but what about tomorrow and the next week? If you are on the move, you may not find another good food source for days. If the fishing is good, you’ll want to catch as many as you can NOW. Let’s say you take in 44 nice fish averaging 1 pound each. You cook and eat 4 fish during that day. There are still 40 fish left, which equals 40 pounds. This is far too much weight to transport on your back, and if freezing conditions do not exist, they will spoil rapidly.
You are going to have to dehydrate (dry) and smoke the fish. When you are done your 40 pounds of fish will weigh only 6-8 pounds. This you can easily carry and it’s a 10 day supply of food for one person. Also, any part of the dry smoked fish you would normally discard like skin and bones will become bait for small animals.
Once you trap or snare a small animal, you will do the same with them as you did with the fish, cook and eat what you can and dry the rest. You can see at this point that you are not only eating well but you have also created variety. This couldn’t happen without the drying process. Even animals like squirrels deliberately gather and spread out food to dry, like mushrooms. When putting up meat for the future at home you will be cooking, drying, and packaging it. You may want to smoke some for the taste it gives the meat. Most important will be the different ways you will be packaging the meat for your back up plans.
Canning
The meat you stock in your residence is to stay there. You can cook, dry and smoke the meat if you like. You can simply can the meat in canning jars. The weight of the jars is not important for this plan. If canned properly, meat will keep for many years. I’ve eaten meat that I’ve canned ten years before.
The weakest part of this system is the lids. All lids are not equal! Over the years I’ve done a lot of canning. When I use my fish wheel to take in sockeye salmon, it’s not uncommon to catch several hundred 5 to 8 pound fish in a night. And that represents a lot of jars and lids.
Once the jars are filled, they are placed in a pressure canner and cooked at the proper heat, pressure, and length of time. Afterward, the pressure is relieved from the cooker and the jars are left to cool slowly. As they cool, the center of the lids will be sucked down toward the contents of the jar. At this point the screw rings that held the lids in place can be removed. The jars of meat are ready for storage.
Any lids that are not sucked down warn you that there is no vacuum in that jar and you DO NOT have a seal. The contents in these jars will spoil. This situation is called a “failure.” I’ve found over the years that the best lids with the least amount of failures are Ball lids. If you have a failure it’s usually because of a inferior brand of lid, a defective mouth on the jar, or you didn’t clean the rim of the jar well enough after adding the contents. Stick with Ball lids and you will be in good shape.
When you pull a jar from the shelf later, always check the lid. The center of the lid should still be sucked down very solidly. Tap it with your finger: it should sound solid and not move. If the lid sounds hollow and moves up and down, you have a failure. DO NOT eat the contents.
Another little trick is if your jars are stored in your freezer, or are stored where they are subject to being frozen in the winter, always leave at least 1 inch of head space at the top of the jar. If you do this, the jars will not break when frozen. I’ve had jars that were packed in this fashion that experienced ambient temperatures of 70 degrees below zero and none broke.
When I can meat it may be in chunks or in other forms. My store house does have meat in chunks but it also has many jars of my favorite homemade chili, Moose stew, and sausages in sauce. This way you can open a jar and your meal is already prepared for you. All you have to do is heat it up.
This whole operation only requires reusable mason jars, lids, screw rings, a good pressure cooker, and a 1,200 pound moose. The type of pressure cooker you purchase is important. I’ve used many and feel the ones made by American Canner are without a doubt superior in every way except weight. They are heavy but they are built to last.
They also have many safety features that the others don’t have. The best thing is that they use no rubber O-ring. It’s a metal-to-metal seal that will never wear out. Let’s say you are set up at your wilderness home and it’s two years from now. The rubber seal goes bad on your cheaper cooker. Where are you going to buy a new O-ring? The scary part is right then you’ll need this cooker to put up more food, or you and your family could be in dire straits. It’s something to think about now!
The next way to go is to preserve the same food in metal cans like those you see in the supermarket. It’s easy to do and you have the advantage of lighter weight and no glass to break. This is a good way to go if you have vehicle transport. You will need cans, lids, a pressure cooker and a mechanical can canner. I put up a lot of food this way each year. Also you can seal up most anything from ammunition to medical supplies (You won’t be using the pressure cooker for these items, especially the ammo!).
The difference between canning in jars and in cans is the procedure. With jars you add heat and pressure and then the sealing happens. With cans you mechanically make the seal then add heat and pressure. The lids on the cans will suck down, just like the canning jars.
Your next step is to put up the light weight stuff. This is the food that you can carry on your back. Also, if you have a storage problem as far as space goes, cooked dried meat is the way to go. Not only does the meat lose weight, but there is a considerable reduction in its size. These are all plus factors for you.
One way that I do this is to take some very lean meat; game meat like deer is the best. You can use beef, but make sure that it’s lean. Usually the more inexpensive cuts are the leanest. That’s good news! Take the meat and trim off any fat you can find. Put the meat in a pan on the cooker rack in a pressure cooker. Add about 1 inch of water to the cooker, put the top on, and you are ready to go.
You’ll want to cook the meat until well done. Once you’ve gotten the water boiling and the steam gauge has risen to the right amount of pressure, you will be cooking 12 to 15 minutes for each pound of meat. You should keep the pressure at 15 p.s.i. during the entire cooking time. When the cooking process is over, the meat, no matter how tough it was, should easily flake into small slivers with the use of a fork. Next spread these flaked pieces of meat out on a cookie sheet or sheets. All you have to do now is to dry it completely. This can be done in many ovens at very low temperature with the door cracked open for ventilation and to get rid of moisture. This can also be done in a food dryer or a small smoker oven (The Sausage Maker company in Buffalo, NY makes several different size smokers, all of them excellent.).
As soon as the meat is completely dry, take it out and put it in containers that exclude all moisture. Vacuum sealers work very well for this purpose, and can be applied to canning jars and plastic resealable bags like M.R.E. packages. You can dry vegetables and add your favorite spices, mix it all together and then package it. When you need it, just add hot water and you have a meal ready to eat. You will want to cook the veggies before you dry them or they may be too tough for your liking. Pre-cooked dried rice or beans are a good addition also. Remember: cook it, dry it, keep it dry and it will last.
When putting up any meat for long-term storage, start with fresh meat, keep it cold, and process it as soon as possible. Bacteria like the C. Botulinum need a nice moist environment that lacks oxygen in order to grow. When we are canning meat we are creating this very environment. Luckily, the bacterium needs one more thing in order to survive, and that is the proper temperature. So when we can, we do it in a pressure cooker at 15 lbs. p.s.i. This creates a temperature of 250 degrees F., much too hot for the bacterium to live. This procedure is similar to sterilizing medical instruments in an autoclave.
The C. Botulinum bacterium cannot survive jerky making either, because in making jerky you take away the moisture and fully expose the meat to the air. As an added precaution, if you wish, you can also add a cure such as Prague Powder #1 to the marinade. This cure destroys the bacterium.
Jerky
Let’s make some jerky! Jerky is easy to make and it’s delicious. It’s something you may want to always keep on hand. Because of it’s nature, it’s light in weight and easy to transport. It’s a nutritious snack and good emergency food.
Start out with some nice lean meat. Beef works well but, again, wild game is by far the best. Next, slice the meat in strips 1/4 of an inch thick by 3/4 to 1 inch wide. I make these about 4 inches long. Make sure any fat or gristle is trimmed off. This is the secret to good jerky with a long shelf life. Fat can cause the meat to become rancid.
The meat is then mixed in a marinade of your choice. I will give you the recipe that I use. I’m sure that you will like it, but remember that it can be easily altered to your taste. Let the meat soak for no more than 24 hours in the refrigerator. Stir it around several times while it’s soaking.
Next day, blot the excess liquid off the meat and place on drying racks. The meat can be dried in many different ways so long as you can hold the temperature somewhere between 95 and 115 degrees F. Make sure there is good air circulation so moisture can escape. Depending on what type of drying system you use, the jerky will be ready in 8-10 hrs.
Many kitchen ovens will do a good job drying jerky if the heat can be kept low enough and the door is left cracked open to allow the moisture to vent. A food dehydrator or a small smoker also can be used. You’ll know when the jerky is ready. It will be dry around the edges and rubbery in the center. It will smell wonderful and have taken on a pretty reddish color. At this point you’ll probably be getting “ Old Betsy “ out to guard your precious prize, `cause if there’s other people around, it’ll disappear as fast as you can make it. And nobody’ll fess up!
At our survival school, the students make jerky in several different ways, and they also add smoke to it. If you like the smoke flavor, liquid smoke can be added to the marinate. There is a liquid smoke available that is very concentrated and all natural smoke. Or, if you use the small smoker, you can smoke the meat while you are drying it.
Jerky that is properly made will have a moisture loss of 70-80%. You should store the jerky in glass jars, like mason jars with lids. These lids should have several holes punched or drilled in them to promote good air circulation and prevent mold. If all the guidelines are followed and it is kept in a dry environment, your jerky will last for months. Here are two good recipes for the marinade. This will do 5-6 pounds of meat, reducing it in 8-10 hours to delicious jerky weighing only 1-1/2 pounds.
Mild
* 1 tbs. salt
* 1 tsp. Prague Powder No. 1
* 2 tsp. garlic powder
* 2 tsp. ground black pepper
* 2 tsp. onion powder
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
* 4 cups water
Hot
* 1 tbs salt
* 1 tsp. Prague Powder No. 1
* 2 tbs. ginger
* 2 tbs. garlic powder
* 1/8 cup (1-1/2 tbs.) ground red pepper
* 1/4 cup sage
* 1/4 cup onion powder
* 1/4 cup chili powder
* 1/4 cup black pepper
* 1 cup soy sauce
* 4 cups water
As you start out, I would suggest you get some good books on food preservation. One I particularly recommend is called, “Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing,” by Rytek Kutas. It’s the best reference book on the subject I have ever seen. It is available from the Sausage Maker Company listed below, and I know it will be a welcome addition to your survival library. Whether you decide to buy the proper provisions or put them up yourself, you should at least learn how to do it. These are important skills you may need in the future, and learning them can be a lot of fun for you and your family right now. Remember, knowledge and skills are your best insurance for an unpredictable future.
Chris Janowsky is the founder of the highly respected World Survival Institute, which offers courses in outdoor survival and self-reliance. These folks also carry a full series of video tapes which makes it possible to learn many of these skills from home. For further information you can write the author at P.O. Box 394, Tok, AK. 99780; or call (907) 883-4243.
http://www.survival-center.com/dl-list/dl1-toc.htm
[the other lists]
The BIG List
Collected Wisdom - Survival Lists
v3.0
Last Updated: August 1996
Anyone who’s spent time on misc.survivalism has probably seen this huge list maintained by David Lee. Now, it’s available in a new, hypertexted version for easier downloading and on-line reading.
Captain Dave offers a special tip of his hat and a hearty thanks to David Lee for the time and effort he puts in maintaining and updating this list. We’re also appreciates the opportunity to include it in Captain Dave’s Survival Center.
So, if you’ve ever thought about preparing a bugout bag or survival kit, here’s a feast of information.
But first a disclaimer from David Lee:
“The following lists were culled from the best survival books on the market. Each book is worth a place in your library! Any errors/ommissions are mine. Please refer to the listed book for more information.”
Contents:
* Introduction
* The SAS Survival Handbook
* The Urban Survival Handbook
* Survival: A Manual that Could Save Your Life
* Camping and Woodcraft
* The Backpacker’s Handbook
* Backpacker Magazine
* Common Sense Survival for Outdoor Enthusiasts
* Backpacking One Step at a Time
* Ten Essentials
* Sports Afield Outdoor Skills
* Staying Alive
* Basic Survival Kit
* Advanced Crisis Pack
* Auxillary Crisis Pack
* Fast Food For Your Bug Out Bag
* Basic Crisis Pack
* Short Survival List
* Blue Ridge Mountain Rescue List
* Food for Thought
* An Abstract List
* A Compact Kit
* Disaster Supplies
* Greybeard
* FEMA
* Retail Kits
* Backpacker Magazine
* Survival Kit Contents
* 10 Packs for Survival
http://www.captaindaves.com/guide/index.htm
Survival Guide
Introduction
For too long, the term “survivalist” has called to mind paranoid separatists or white supremacists who give up the conveniences of modern society, drop out of the government’s databases and live in one-room backwoods cabins like the Unabomber.
Well, Captain Dave and the good folks at the Survival Center know survivalists are much more likely to be Floridians buying hurricane shutters a few months before the next hurricane season, Californians preparing a three-day cache of food and water in case the next big one rocks their town or a Minnesota resident who keeps a few blankets, a pair of old boots, warm socks and a few candy bars in the car during winter. This isn’t paranoia, it’s just good planning. Like carrying a spare tire, even if you never need it.
But there are plenty of online resources for people who just want to prepare a three-day kit. Captain Dave’s Survival Guide is designed to take you to the next level. Because in a true emergency, three days may not be long enough. We want you to be mentally, physically and financially prepared for any emergency on any scale.
Some
Common
Terms
* We define survival as emerging from a natural or manmade disaster in a better position than the average person. In other words, you get to keep on keeping on, while others may not.
* Preparedness means making preparations before disaster strikes to improve your chances of survival. Surely you remember the old saw about closing the barn door...
* Survivalists have a self-reliant bent and choose to prepare on their own or in a small group rather than rely on the government to help them survive.
So, how can you prepare to survive? What can you do to prepare, to become a “survivalist?” The Survival Center has developed this eight step program to help you get started. While designed as a guide for the new survivalist, it has plenty of information for the hard-core preparedness expert as well.
A warning: Captain Dave’s Survival Guide contains some lengthy chapters (although we’ve kept graphics to a minimum to speed loading and designed each page so the text loads first). You may wish to save each chapter or print it out for reading at your leisure. And remember, in many emergencies, your computer will be inaccessable, so a hard copy of any chapters you find especially helpful isn’t a bad thing to have on hand.
Contents
1. OK, What do I Prepare For?
2. Bug Out or Batten Down?
3. The Basics
* Food
* Water
* Shelter
4. Beyond the Basics
5. Survival First Aid
6. Protecting What You Have
7. How can I Afford all this?
8. Adding Others to Your Plan
It is June, we are not supposed to be hurting.
If I use the cooler, I hurt, if I don’t the computer over heats.
You are going to need to start over and read this thread again, as it has all kinds of crockpot recipes, none for your new conv. oven that I recall.
All you need to know for the crockpot, is a can of beer and lots of spices, if you don’t have the beer, then use tomatoes and I have always tried to save the last cup of strong coffee for cooking, any meats that are to be sealed or slow cooked.
When we had our own pork and did not have it smoked, I used lots of garlic, coffee and the drops of liquid smoke, the stuff in the brown square bottle, a drop or two is all you need.
Still like a drop or two of the smoke in my beans and meats.
When my sister was here in March, she cooked a corned beef, threw in the potatoes, onions, carrots and meat, opened the season packet, dumped it on top, put the lid on and said she would be back before it was done.
I asked if she wanted beer or coffee for the pot and she said no, she never added liquid to the meat in a crockpot......
It was the best corned beef that I have ever eaten.
Diana, says she cooks beef and pork with out the added liquid.
There was a time that I kept all 4 of mine going, during the summer or when I needed to cook and fill the freezer.
When the crockpot begin to be sold in all stores in the 1970’s, I worked in the variety store at Wellton, Az.
Wellton a farm/ranch town and there were many Mexican families that lived there......I listened to one of the women as she bragged that she had gotten one for Mother’s Day.
“It is heaven, you put the beans in the pot, just like you do on the stove, start it to cooking, go to sleep and when you wake up, breakfast is ready”. LOL, in my words, as my spell checker couldn’t handle hers.
At that time, it was luxury that I could not afford, but we sold 2 or 3 every couple weeks, to the ladies, who honestly knew how valuable they were, after a lifetime of cooking beans.
And those ladies are good cooks.
Have fun, there is a lot to learn, wish I could still use all the information that I have posted.
Blessings to you and your loved ones, stay safe.
FRiends are priceless.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080604/ap_on_he_me/med_salmonella_tomatoes
CDC: Tomatoes eyed in salmonella cases in 9 states
By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer 49 minutes ago
An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning first linked to uncooked tomatoes has now been reported in nine states, U.S. health officials said Tuesday.
Lab tests have confirmed 40 illnesses in Texas and New Mexico as the same type of salmonella, right down to the genetic fingerprint. An investigation by Texas and New Mexico health authorities and the Indian Health Service tied those cases to uncooked, raw, large tomatoes.
At least 17 people in Texas and New Mexico have been hospitalized. None have died, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Another 30 people have become sick with the same Salmonella Saintpaul infection in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, Illinois and Indiana. CDC investigators are looking into whether tomatoes were culprits there, too.
In Texas and New Mexico, raw large tomatoes — including Roma and red round tomatoes — were found to be a common factor in the 40 illnesses. But no farm, distributor or grocery chain has been identified as the main source, said Casey Barton Behravesh, a CDC epidemiologist working on the investigation.
continued.
Oh, no it cannot! Sorry, had a "Grandma" flashback. Whenever she opened up one of her quart jars of pickled beets, in went the eggs! That beet flavor makes them really yummy (and much prettier...LOL).
I was reading about the Penn. Deutsch (ancestors on Grandma's side)...they considered the pink eggs good luck; they were a wedding treat.
Nez Perce Venison Sausage
3 lbs. Deer meat
1/4 cup bacon drippings
1 cup minced onion
1 cup parsley; chopped
1 teaspoon marjoram
3/4 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne (or less)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Salt to taste
Grind venison with coarse blade.
Add parsley and onion; mix well.
Add remaining ingredients and blend well; re-grind mixture.
Divide the mixture into twelve parts.
Shape each section into 2¼ inch by 5 inch sausage patties.
Broil or barbecue until brown; be sure meat is well done.
Serve with frybread.
From: whitewolf3
To: ABM-recipes@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 2:11 PM
Subject: Converting Bread Recipes for Breadmaker
Title: Converting Bread Recipes for Breadmaker
Categories: Abm
Yield: 1 hints
1. Calculate the number of “loaves” in a non-ABM recipe by allowing
3
cups of flour per “loaf” (or 2 cups flour for a 1-lb machine).
Rounding off is fine; if a recipe calls for 5 cups flour, I figure
that’s close enough to 2 loaves for government work. Remember to
add
in ALL the flours, if there’s bread flour plus WW flour plus rye
flour plus ... you get the idea. Most handmade bread recipes seem to
make 2 loaves.
2. Have MM resize it to 1 loaf.
3. Manually change the yeast and sugar amounts to whatever suits
your
machine. In my R2D2, 1/2 tb yeast and 1/2 tb sugar are optimum.
(If
you don’t know what works best in your machine, don’t try altering
recipes yet! Try a number of different ABM recipes and start looking
for a pattern. What amounts give the best results?) If the amount
the resized recipe calls for is dramatically different from what you
know works in your machine, don’t worry. Stick with what works in
your machine. (This does not apply to sweet breads; since my R2D2
doesn’t produce usable sweet breads, I’ve not tried to convert sweet
bread recipes and have no guidelines to suggest.)
4. Add the dry ingredients and oil/butter/eggs to the machine.
Measure out the liquid and pour in HALF of the measured amount. (If
your machine calls for putting in the liquid first, and you’re
terrified to use a different ingredient order, put only HALF the
measured amount of liquid in.) Start the machine and let knead a few
minutes. Add remaining liquid, a little at a time, until the dough
is
the right consistency. (Again, if you haven’t used your ABM enough
to
recognize the right consistency when you see/feel it, don’t start
adapting recipes yet.) You may need to add more liquid, or you may
have liquid left over. Make a note of how much liquid you actually
used.
5. When the bread is done, evaluate. Didn’t rise enough? Add
another 1/8 cup liquid next time. Overflowed? Reduce the liquid by
1/8 cup. I don’t remember the last time I had to adjust anything
except the liquid.
Hello and welcome to the thread.
Thank you for sharing, interesting that something as common as an egg, in beet juice, would become a wedding favor.
I cannot recall where I read something along this line, years ago.
There was a time in the 1960’s when we bought something called a sweet dill pickle or something like that and when the pickles were gone, put onions, celery and carrots in the juice and brought them to a boil, then hid then in the refrig, as they did not last long.
I might have even liked the boiled eggs, with pickled beet juice.
Please do share any of the other good idea’s that you have found or know.
This thread was not planned for a me only posting, the others say they will post when the garden work is done.....LOL and I try to have faith.
I found a batch of Amish recipes, but have not had time to post them.
HERBS ‘N SPICES: RECIPES
Recipes to use with your fresh herbs!
Garden Vegetables with Herb Butter
Ingredients:
1 pound small new potatoes, scrubbed
2 1/2 cups fresh peas
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 tsp. chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Cut potatoes into halves or quarters. Place in a
medium saucepan with enough water to cover.
Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until
tender. (8 to 10 minutes) Add peas and cook for
about 5 more minutes. Drain vegetables and set
aside. In the same pan add the butter. Heat till
melted, then add the herbs, salt and pepper.
Return the vegetables to the pan and toss to
coat. Serves 6.
Basil Toner
You’ll need:
3 tsp. dried basil, or handful of fresh, chopped leaves
1 cup boiling water
Pour the boiling water over the basil leaves in a glass or
plastic measuring cup. Steep for 15-30 minutes until cool.
Strain and pour into a glass jar with a lid. To use apply
with a cotton ball to your face and neck after cleansing.
Keep refrigerated for a month or so. This toner is good
for oily skin or acne.
Thyme and Fennel Cleanser
You’ll need:
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 Tbsp. dried
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 fresh lemon
Place the thyme and fennel seed in a bowl and pour over
the boiling water. Squeeze the half lemon into the bowl
and steep all for 15-20 minutes. Strain, and pour into a
jar. Use a cotton pad or cotton ball to cleanse your face
daily. Store in the refrigerator. This is gentle so it’s good
for normal to slightly dry skin.
Herbal Foot Bath
You’ll need:
1 cup sea salt or Epson salts
dried chamomile, sage and mint, tbsp. or so each
Place the herbs in a glass bowl or jar. Pour over 2 cups
of boiling water. Steep for 15-30 minutes. In a tub, basin
or large bowl add the salt with warm water—enough to
cover your feet. Strain the herbs out and add that infusion
to the tub with the salted water. Soak your feet for 10-15
minutes. Pat dry and use a good lotion or salt scrub.
MORE: Tips on growing and using chamomile-—
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/chamomile.html
3.1. Re: bird flu now!
Posted by: “Dennis W.
Date: Wed Jun 4, 2008 4:03 am ((PDT))
In a sense the government learned a lesson with Katrina, they are
quite adamant that the federal government is not making a plan for
everyone, every business or agency. What they are doing is setting
down guidelines and stipulating that the responsibility of developing
operational plans rests on the local government, and the local
government in turn is making it clear that individual entities &
businesses are responsible for their own plans AND that they had
darned well make & have them.
In the most recent seminar I attended we were told that across the
country, the major law firms who specialize in liability & civil
cases have already started writing generic drafts where businesses
will be sued for not giving “due diligence” and not having a viable
plan to ensure business continuity and protection of their employees
and clients. OSHA already has this written into their newest
guidelines.
We were also told that almost every county in Michigan has already
written up generic court orders (worked on jointly by Health Dept
officials, local law enforcement, and local judges) for the closing
of schools, businesses, etc. BTW, the Health Department already has
that ability but this widens their authority. What has the potential
to be shut down is any entity where “social gathering” presents a
risk for spreading the disease. At the top of the list are schools,
shopping malls, pretty much any business open to the public,
churches, you name it. Some will be allowed to remain open IF they
have a written & tested plan on how to remain open, continue
business, etc., where they can eliminate or greatly reduce personal
contact. The standard the health dept has set down is the ability for
a clear radius around every person of a minimum of 6 feet; out to six
feet is what the medical profession has determined an infected person
can transmit the flu virus to others. What they can do & enforce and
how they can do it will come in stages or level of just how bad the
pandemic gets. For a business that is determined vital or necessary,
if you do not have a plan, if it gets bad enough, the government can
come in and take it over.
There were about 75 people at this conference, they split us into
tables of 6 to 8 and tried to have a good blend of different people
at each table. At my table was; the head of from the largest area
hospital, the county liaison between law enforcement & homeland
security (who happens to be the wife of a good friend of mine), the
president of the MMPA (Michigan Milk Producers – more on him in a
moment), the head of a local food distributing co. (third largest in
the country), an official from the local health dept, someone from
the Michigan Dept of Agriculture, and myself. The conference was what
is called a “table-Top Exercise”, where interspersed between several
officials giving talks and answering questions we were given a
pandemic scenario in four stages or modules, the first being early
stages of a global pandemic, second was its arrival in the US, third
was 14 weeks into widespread & local pandemic, forth was recovery &
post-pandemic. In each of those modules we were given a video in the
form of a news broadcast and a series of proposals & questions on how
our business was prepared to handle and deal with what was occurring.
Overall, in general, what we were told we were facing was pretty
standard to what is being told to expect; 30% or greater rate of
infection, 30 to 50% absenteeism at the work place, nation wide run
on stores in the first couple of days it becomes obvious it is
spreading everywhere, supply shortages & outages, varying degree of
civil unrest (riots & looting) – all again depending on just how bad
it gets.
Several notable questions, answers and statements that were given...
Some businesses, the MMPA for example, have in their plan to house
workers on site, not allowing them to go out in public or even to go
home where they could get infected. The stopping of taking milk from
all except the large commercial farms, especially refusing to take
milk from those small farms that also have poultry (Amish farms were
specifically mentioned). All of the health department people and
those representing the hospitals acknowledged that they have been
running drills, testing their plans and several critical things were
discovered. In the tightened economy in recent years pretty much all
of them (most businesses in fact) have trimmed their workforce down
to be as efficient as possible. Concerning the hospitals in
particular; in running these continuity exercises they discovered
they now only have about half of the staff they need to operate under
pandemic conditions – and that does not take into account employee
absenteeism. Their official plan therefore includes making up that
difference with volunteers. (It seems law enforcement is also in the
same situation) What was also told/discussed was the government’s
Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources planning, and some of the
steps that could take place (again, if it gets bad enough to warrant)
to ensure continuity (read continued operations) including mandating
that those people receiving welfare & unemployment, and pretty much
any government assistance, would need to “volunteer” their time &
services to continue that assistance. This could potentially go as
far is conscripting employees from other businesses or entities
deemed not critical or essential. And again, we were told that at the
county level the various needed regulations and court orders are
already being written, ready to be pulled out if & when needed.
One other question asked (that I’ll mention here since it concerns
what we here are about) concerned stockpiling supplies, such as food,
water, medical, etc. Currently the “official” US recommendation is 2
weeks, it was pointed out that some municipalities & counties around
the country are recommending much larger/longer supply stockpiles
(with the government of Australia now saying 10 months). Again a bit
of hemming & hawing with another question being interjected as to how
much he himself (Health Dept official from the state office) was
stockpiling; he replied that he had roughly 6 months himself but
still planned on adding to it.
This is not something that people need to be freaking out about but
its potential danger is certainly cause to be educated about and
prepared for. And knowing how the authorities will act & proceed is a
big part of that education & preparation.
Dennis
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/misc_survivalism_moderated/
I love bean salad.
1 can yellow beans, drained
1 can green beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
As many different types of cooked dried beans as you like, about 1.5
cups each, drained. (I tend to use cans of kidney, pinto, northern,
black, garbanzo, plus as many others as I happen to have.)
1 onion, thinly sliced (I prefer the sweet ones but red ones are
pretty too)
1 green pepper, thinly sliced (I’ve used different colors, depends on
what I have)
Salt & pepper to taste
Dressing:
1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 cup oil
Mix the veggies together. Mix the dressing ingredients together until
the sugar is melted. Pour over the veggies and stir. It’s best if it’s
had time to sit in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
It’s great on a hot summer evening or for a potluck at the beach.
Tex-Mex Pinto Beans
1 lb dried pinto beans (2 cups), sorted, rinsed
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used 2 tsp minced garlic from the
jar)
6 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
In 3 to 4 qt slow cooker, mix all ingredients. Cover; cook on high
heat setting 7 to 9 hours.
Crockpot Lemon Pork Chops
4 bone-in pork loin chops (3/4-in. thick)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-in. slices
1 medium lemon, cut into 1/4-in. slices
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
Place pork chops in a slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top
with onion and lemon. Sprinkle with brown sugar; drizzle with ketchup.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or until meat juices run clear.
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