My absence from blogging....and a few other things

Just wanted to post a quick note that I hope to have some time to start posting again soon.  I started a new part time job on December 2nd & the last few months have flown by for me and The Fam.

I've still been trying out new recipes with the Thrive & have discovered that the freeze dried fruit makes some really tasty jam.  I just bought some instant fruit pectin from the store and am going to try using it next time. Stay tuned for some more pics & reviews out of the Thrive Cookbook.

I don't know how many of you have seasonal allergies but I know this time of year affects alot of people.  I've been doing some research on herbal remedies for tree pollen and there's not much out there.  I did find a website that listed some herbs that had antihistamine affects.  Check out http://www.home-remedies-haven.com/natural-antihistamines.html for a list of herbs that could help.  I plan on adding them to my shelf since they also have other health benefits.

Dad, with the help of Frank T., started on the aquaponics greenhouse dome a few weeks ago. They finished the frame & will be working on putting the cover on it soon.  I've posted pics of the progress below.

 

Well, it's now 1:42 a.m. & I have to be back at work in the a.m., so I better get some rest.  I promise to be back soon with more recipe reviews and pics.

Have a great Monday! Happy Prepping,
KD

Recipe Challenge #7: Sour Cream & Cheese Potatoes

I decided to grill Filet Mignon for dinner tonight, so I wanted to make a recipe that would go well as a side.  The THRIVE Sour Cream & Cheese Potatoes looked like the perfect solution.

As I was making this recipe, there were a couple of things that stood out:  First, I'm SO glad that I bought 3 sets of mixing bowls.  There is no way that I could easily make most of these recipes without them.  I'm sure that is typical with most recipes, I just never cooked much before now.  

Second, the recommended soaking (i.e., rehydration) times are WAY off.  The cookbook recommended soaking the THRIVE Potato Chunks in very hot (or pour in boiling) water for 15 minutes.  Based on previous experience with rehydrating some of the THRIVE foods, I decided to add 10 more minutes to the time.  I should have added about 30 minutes. I have no doubt that the food would be perfect with the appropriate soaking time though. 

Ok, back to recipe...this one was relatively simple, just took alot of bowls & utensils.  Basically, all I had to do was soak the THRIVE Cheddar Cheese, THRIVE Potato Chunks, & THRIVE Chopped Onions in hot water until rehydrated.  Then I whipped up some THRIVE Sour Cream, which was pretty good.  I love sour cream, so I'm going to make some more and try it once it's cooled in the fridge. 

The recipe called for cream of chicken soup but I was out, so I used some cream of onion soup instead.  I didn't want to have an overwhelming onion taste, so I cut the THRIVE Chopped Onions from 1 cup to 3/4 of a cup. 

The next step was to mix the onions, sour cream, soup, 2 tbs butter & 1 1/2 c of the cheese in a sauce pan & warm it on med-high.  The cheese was sort of clumped together and there was no way I was going to be able to "top with remaining cheese", so I used the full 2 cups of the cheese in the sauce pan and then sprinkled some of my "regular" shredded cheese on top.  I know that was sort of cheating but the point of trying these recipes is to see how they work in real life, not just in an emergency situation.  It also saved me from using all of my $6.00 Whole Foods bag of shredded cheese, so I saved money by just using a small handful on top of the dish.

From there, I combined the potatoes with the mix from the sauce pan and then spread it out in a 9x9 cake pan, sprinkled with a little shredded cheese and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. 

It was really very good but more like a slightly firm potato cheese casserole than cheesy mashed potatoes, which is what I was expecting.  I think if I had let the potatoes soak a while longer, it would have turned out closer to my expectations.  I'm taking it to work tomorrow so it will "marinate" overnight in the fridge, which might soften the potatoes a bit more. 

Overall, it went very well with my steak and tomato and I plan on making the potatoes for our upcoming family dinner this weekend... I'll just be sure to start the potato soaking early.  :-)

On another note, I'm making some crockpot chili to take for lunch tomorrow and used the THRIVE Red Kidney Beans in it.  I also decided to try the THRIVE Fudge Brownies again, but this time adding an egg for a "more cake like" brownie.  I'll let you know how they turn out.

As always, stay safe & may you & yours be Blessed,
KD

Recipe Challenge #3: Homemade Cornbread

Update on THE CHICKEN SALAD: While it was really tasty (especially if I had some pickle relish for it) the night before, it was incredible the next day and needed nothing at all.  I took the leftovers to work for lunch and 3 others tried it.  They couldn't believe it was made with THRIVE freeze dried ingredients.  In fact, I am bringing a double recipe to work tomorrow for everyone for lunch.... It's THAT good. :-)  So, if you make the Chicken Salad Sandwich recipe, make it the night before and people will RAVE about it!

My first observation while making tonight's recipe was that I need a bigger kitchen.  AND more mixing bowls. AND a set of actual measuring spoons.  But aside from that, it was a breeze.  If you can follow directions (having the right kind of mixing bowls & measuring spoons will make it easier), then you can make this recipe.  I tend to burn bread, so I was a little apprehensive about attempting this one.  But since the other ingredients I ordered haven't been delivered yet, it was one of the few options available. 


Side Note: I know I make it sound like I am missing a huge amount of THRIVE products, but in reality, it's only a few staple items that are called for in a good deal of the recipes in the THRIVE Cookbook.  Once those arrive (I received the shipping notice today), I'll be all set for the whole book! :-)

Back to the recipe:  The only two things I substituted tonight were the salt & the sugar.  The recipe called for a cup of THRIVE sugar and a 1/2 teaspoon of THRIVE salt.  I figured sugar is sugar & table salt is table salt, so I opted not to open my cans of these two items and used my regular Publix brand of both.

Although this recipe had more ingredients than my first two recipes, it really wasn't difficult.  It called for some buttermilk, which I didn't have, so I followed the simple recipe in the cookbook for homemade buttermilk: 3 tbs THRIVE powdered milk, 1 c water, 1 tbs lemon juice and it was perfect. Be sure to mix it THOROUGHLY if you make your own.

After making my own buttermilk (which I thought was really very cool considering my lack of aptitude for cooking), I continued with the recipe as described.  After mixing everything together, I popped it in the oven for 30 minutes (max recommended time).  When the timer went off, I felt it wasn't quite as done as I would like, so I added 5 more minutes to the cook time. 

I pulled it out of the oven after a total of 35 minutes.  I thought it needed more browning on the top but I was afraid to bake it any longer than 35 minutes, so I went ahead and let the cornbread cool for about 20 minutes.  I cut a small piece to try and it was just moist enough that, with it still being warm, it almost melted in my mouth.  I thought it a bit sweet but then I'm one of those people that likes coffee black - no sugar, no cream - and unsweetened tea (a huge faux pas as a born Southerner).  Basically, most things with any noticeable amount of sugar taste a little too sweet to me. 

My son came home shortly after and I asked him to check it out for me.   He agreed that it was too sweet for cornbread - almost dessert like.  That may be why the top didn't brown as much as I thought it should.  I'm going to try again using less sugar.  Although the recipe calls for 1c sugar, I think that 1/2 c or even 1/3 c would be enough.  That should make the end result a little lighter and not near as sweet.

Bottom Line: If you like your cornbread sweet and moist, this recipe as is would be perfect for you.  If you like it a little fluffier & more bread-like, try cutting the sugar.  I'll attempt this one again and post a revised review soon.

Goodnight and have a great weekend!
KD

Recipe Challenge #2: Chicken Salad (Sandwich)

FIRST: FOLLOW UP ON THE BROWNIES!  I was afraid that I would wake up to dry, hard brownies that crumbled when I took them out of the pan to take to work.  I am happy to report that this was not the case!  They were still perfectly chewy & moist.  Everyone that tried one commented on how great they tasted!

Ok, onto tonight's challenge:

I know I'm starting my THRIVE Recipe Challenge off with ridiculously easy recipes but there is a reason (besides the fact that I like easy recipes): I took inventory and realized that I didn't have all of the THRIVE products that I needed to complete many of the recipes without using outside resources.  So, I ordered the remaining items I needed to complete every recipe in the cookbook last night.  In the meantime, I'll have to stick with the really simple stuff.

Getting home a little later than usual tonight, an easy recipe was just what I was looking forward to "tackling".  After making it, I honestly think my 8 year old nephew could have done just as well.  It was super easy and required very little effort.

Basically, the recipe called for 3 c water, 1 1/2 c chopped THRIVE chicken, 1/2 c diced THRIVE celery, and 1/3 c of THRIVE chopped onions.  I brought everything to a boil, reduced the heat to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes.  Draining the mixture was as simple as pouring it into a strainer & then placing the strainer on top of the empty pot for 10 more minutes. 

While all of this didn't take very long at all, (just over 22 min), the recipe called for placing the mixture into the fridge "until cooled".  My thought was, "Umm, No. I'm hungry now". 

So, I sped up the process by placing it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.  This cooled the mixture enough to add in the 1/2 c Vegenaise.  We don't use mayonnaise (which is what the recipe used), so anything that calls for mayo gets Grapeseed Vegenaise instead.  It is MUCH healthier for you and we like it better than the taste of mayo.

I did a quick taste test and determined that it needed something else.  So, I added a little himalayan pink salt & ground black pepper.  While this made it almost just right, I still felt that it needed either chopped pickles or sweet relish to round it out.  Since I didn't have either of these items, I cut up some fresh tomatoes and added some tortilla chips to the dish.  If my diet wasn't sans gluten, a butter croissant would have been perfect with it.

Bottom line: I was pleasantly surprised that freeze dried chicken could be this tasty but next time I make the recipe, I'll have some pickles or relish on hand to try with it. :)

BTW, almost all Thrive products contain 100% NO GMO ingredients!

What is the Q-Club and how does it work?

This is a FANTASTIC way to build a 3 month - 24 month food supply for your family ON A BUDGET! If you set up a new Q shipment of at least $50 per month, via my website: http://readyoutdoors.shelfreliance.com/, I will send you a FREE Thrive Cookbook!

Recipe Challenge #1: Thrive Fudge Brownies

I left work fairly late tonight, so I wanted to make something quick & easy for my first recipe challenge.  In all fairness, this one really wasn't a challenge - even for a culinary novice like me. 

I decided on the THRIVE Desserts: Fudge Brownies.  This was just about as easy as it could get.  Just the Thrive mix, water & my oven.  The instructions said to use 1/2 c of hot water & 3 c of the brownie mix.  This took almost all of my pantry can contents.  Brownie lovers would definitely need the #10 can and at just $14.39 per can (makes 60+ brownies), it's very affordable.

The recipe said to mix the water & brownie mix for 1 minute but I used a small handheld electric mixer, so it only took about 20 seconds.  I turned the oven on and set it to 360 degrees, then let the mix "rest" for 10 minutes, per the recipe.

Ready to Bake

Although the recipe said to use a non-stick pan, I used one of my natural stone dishes and lightly sprayed it with a little Publix brand spray butter.  When the timers went off, almost at the same time, I popped the dish in the oven and set the timer for 22 minutes.

After 22 minutes, the center still looked a tad soft, so I reset the timer for another 3 minutes and then texted my son to ask him to come down for a taste test.

Baking for the full 25 minutes did the trick.  I let it cool for a couple of minutes and cut a piece.  It came right out of the dish with no sticking at all.  Brandon looked it over like it was a foreign object (yes, it looked like a brownie) and asked me "where did you get it?"  I told him it was a Thrive product as he took the first bite.  Nodding he said, "It tastes like the real thing" (yes, it is the real thing).  He commented that the texture was just right, chewy but still a really good consistency.  His rating: a big thumbs up.

Ready to Eat!

It was my turn to try it out - Now, what you have to understand is that I'm allergic to chocolate (and perfume.... it's a good thing I'm not allergic to flowers or jewelry!).  My allergy to chocolate is not in that send me to the hospital kind of way, but it does create an unpleasant allergic reaction for several days after ingesting it.

I have to admit, I considered not trying the brownies.  But after Brandon's review - and since I want to be able to give my personal opinion on the Thrive products & recipes - I decided to go ahead and have a very small piece.  It was just as Brandon described, perfectly chewy and delish.

This would make a perfect dessert to take to a party or whip up when you are in a pinch for time and ingredients.  I'm definitely going to keep a #10 can of this on hand for guests and party treats!

My first Thrive Recipe Challenge recipe was a great success and now I have a tasty treat for everyone at work tomorrow! :)  Coming up - Recipe Challenge #2: Chicken Salad Sandwich.

Thrive Recipe Challenge

I recently received my THRIVE COOKBOOK from Shelf Reliance.  Because I signed up as a consultant, I received some nifty pantry cans (quart sizes of all of the #10 can products) so that I could demonstrate the food at "Parties".

Now, I wasn't born a good cook.  In fact, I've been known to burn water...more than once.  So, while I was excited to receive my new cookbook and try it out, my family was very apprehensive about the whole thing.

I decided that if I was going to make a serious "go" at this business, I better learn to cook with it and actually become good at it.

So, this is my personal challenge to myself:  I'm going to make at least one recipe, if not two or three, each week and blog about my experience with it.  I figure, if I can make it work then I'll be able to show others how to make it work for them.

I'll attempt my first recipe tonight, so check back later this evening for the start of my "Thrive Recipe Challenge!"

Blessings and Sleep Well,
KD

Aquaponics Project

We have started another project, a really cool one in our opinion, at Ready Outdoors.  It's called Hydroponics. Aquaponics (pronounced: /ˈækwəˈpɒnɨks/) is a sustainable food production system that combines a traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment.    If you've never seen one, check out the link above.

We picked up our first base recently and will be working on putting it together for "show and tell".  Wayne has also discovered a really great "greenhouse" for it.  He will be making a dome shape "cap" that will act as a greenhouse for the system.  

If anyone is familiar with this, we would love some input!

DIY – How to Make Your Own MREs At Home

REPOST - Thanks to "Jarhead Survivor" for this great idea!  I'm going to try my hand at this next week and will post my results!

This topic is hardly new among survivalists and campers, but when I sat down the other day to make some MRE’s for summer camping I thought I’d take a few pictures and share with you how I make mine.   I’m going to put a few of these in my bug-out-bag too, because at the moment I’ve just got some loose food items floating around in there and this method will help keep my pack organized.

For those of you who may not know MREs are handed out in the military and stands for Meal Ready to Eat.  Military MREs come with many different entrees and you can make yours the same way.  You’re limited only by your imagination.

The ones I put together here are pretty basic, but should give you a good idea of how to go about making your own.  To keep things neat and help them stay fresh for a long time I vacuum seal mine.  Some people will calculate the amount of calories for each meal and figure out exactly what they’re getting for protein, carbs, etc.  I don’t get that precise with my meals although it’s not a bad idea if you’re trying to figure out how much you should take on an extended trip.

For this set I used protein bars, crackers, Ramen Noodles, trail mix bars, fruit cups, coffee singles (2 per MRE), and I also put in a spoon, matches and a few paper towels to use as toilet paper or whatever.

Step 1 is to assemble the items you’d like to put in your MRE.  (Below)

Below you can see the device I use to vacuum pack my MREs.  This is a Seal a Meal that I bought at Target in the $60 range, if I remember correctly.

The bags I use are the continuous feed kind, so you have to seal one end first.  (Below)  You can buy individual bags too, but I vacuum seal meat and other things to freeze and like to have this kind of bag so that I don’t waste any more than I have to.

Put the end of the bag in the sealer (above), close the lid and hold it down until the “Sealing” light comes on and then turns off.  (Below.)  This becomes the bottom of the bag.

Next , put the items you want on top of the bag to measure how much you need to cut.  (Below.)

Put everything in the bag neatly.  Now put the end of the bag in the sealer and close the lid.  The vacuum sealer starts up and starts sucking the air out of the bag.

Below you can see the air starting to get sucked out.

Now you can see all the air finally removed from the meal.

Once  you have everything assembled it literally just takes minutes to prepare a bunch of meals for later use.

The last thing I do is put a date on the package so I’ll know what date they were prepared on.  I usually give them a two year expiration although I’m pretty sure they’d be good for a long time after that.

Other ideas I’ve had for these were to put in tuna packs and a single serving of mayo, plus nuts, prepackaged rice meals, a single serving of Gatorade or something along those lines.  I’ve also taken nuts and/or GORP and divided them out into baggies and put those in the meal.  I figured with the air removed they’d stay fresh for a long time even after they’ve been removed from the original packaging.

In my post about the Coffee Can Survival Kit I got some terrific feedback from you readers, so I thought I’d push my luck and see what you would put in your MREs.  Be creative, but keep in mind you’ll have to carry these meals when you’re hiking or bugging out, so you’ll want to keep them somewhat light.  In the pictures above you’ll see some canned stuff, which I don’t often do because they add a little extra weight.

So here’s my question:  What would you put in your MREs?
-Jarhead Survivor

Canned Butter?? Canned Cheese? Hmmm.....

A few months ago, I was browsing one of my favorite websites and came across some unique canned food items. Canning is nothing new, but this was the first time I had seen canned cheese and butter.

We tried the Bega Canned Cheddar Cheese, an Australian brand and H.J. Wisjman & Zonen Canned Dutch Salted Butter, hailing from the Netherlands.  Neither of these products needed refrigeration and both were reported to have a long shelf life.

I am a cheese LOVER and giving up cheese in the event of TEOTWAWKI was almost more than I could think about, so this discovery was very exciting!  Creamy real butter from a can sounded too good to be true but I was hopeful that this would be a great addition to my food supply.

My Brother & Sister-in-law came to visit at work today, so along with my parents, we sat down for lunch.  They were all thrilled to know that I intended to include them in the sampling of the cheese and butter.  My Brother, being an avid hiker & mountain climber, gave the first observation:  They are too heavy to carry in a backpack.  But, since my intention was for long-term storage on a shelf, I wasn't too concerned about the weight.  The butter is about the size of a large tuna can & weighs in at 200 grams.  The cheese can is smaller and weighs a total of 113 grams.

The butter was the first to be opened and everyone agreed, it looked like butter.  My Dad immediately stuck his finger in the can for the taste test and announced that it did indeed taste like butter.  Other than being room temperature, we could tell no difference in taste or texture in comparison to the whipped butter you would find in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store.  I would give this product an A+ and plan on stocking at least a few cans for spreading.  Sprinkling powdered butter on bread vs spreading creamy butter on bread; I'll take the creamy butter every time. :-)

Although the cheese was labeled as being from Australia, the writing on it was Middle Eastern.  The ingredients are listed in English as well, so you know exactly what you are getting in the can.  Upon opening up the cheese, a combination of curiosity & a little apprehension was the overall first impression of our little test group.  The cheese was white & almost had a glossy sheen.  It had the look of a spreadable cheese but we were surprised to find that it had a very firm consistency.  When I tried to remove it from the can to "spread" some on a cracker, it only flaked off in small pieces.  The taste was very close to that of "Cheese Whiz" in the can but was firmer in texture.  Overall, I would give this product a B- for ease of use & texture and B+ for taste.  My Brother's review was less forgiving; he said "it's not gourmet cheese but would do if that's all you had to eat" :-).  As for me, if I can't find better canned cheese for the price, I'll probably stick with the Bega. 

Both products can be purchased from http://www.campingsurvival.com.  These items sell out often, so keep checking back with them if they are out of stock.

P.S. TEOTWAWKI = The End Of The World As We Know It