Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training
I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood
Yes I have them all bookmarked. I was really intrigued by the Courgette balls. Will try them first!
Vinegar is an amazing product.
For insect bites, I mix about half with water and add an essential oil, Peppermint or Spearmint, about a quarter teaspoon to the cup of vinegar/water.
Granny’s the thread queen so I will let her decide what to do. It might be worth trying.
Granny, what do you think?<<<
I think that someone who has an interest in only the eat bugs survival type posts should start a thread of their own.
There is no way that I can take on another thread and some of us want to know about surviving the recession as well as the nuclear bombs that will go off one of these days.
I would have plenty to keep me active, if I did not post here at all and maybe getting out the truth about the terrorists, will in time be worth more than seeing folks eat and are healthy.
I won’t be changing this thread, I will still post what I find that is interesting to all or part of us.
Do you grind the grains yourself?<<<
My old grinder wore out and now I only do a little in the blender.
Fresh ground grains are better and better for you, they loose vitamins the longer they sit.
Chard is a warm weather plant, but if protected, it will grow for a couple seasons.
It is not too late to plant it I would think.
I would say the taste is medium to mild, not like turnip greens and it is good for you.
Indian Peacepipe style Midiwevan <<<
Maybe we should pray that the Peacepipe grows, you can send it to Washington.
From the sounds of all the seeds, you will need a double curing shed.
I am hoping it works for you.
Granny, Did you tell me on the last thread that you had cut the roots off onions from the store and planted just the roots?<<<
Yes, that is what I have read a couple times, and I had a root, so put it in a plastic bag and it did show green growing in the center, just a commons brown store onion.
There might have been a quarter of an inch of onion on the root.
The half onion in the refrig also was growing green leaves, after being in their for a month or so.
I didn’t get to plant them, as the oxygen hose does not reach and I can’t bend over to mess with dirt and pots, too difficult to breathe.
I once had a page that said you could do the same with celery and I never had a chance to try it.
I get a kick out of the fact that you can put zuc. in a pie and make folks think they are eating apple pie, or in jam and make them think it tastes like apricots.
Of course, I like it any way it comes, cooked or raw.
I have no problem with your thread except the title.
If it’s a thread that 99% of it is recipes, then it’s not a “survival” thread, it’s a recipe thread.
I started an edible plants thread. That, in my opinion, is way more about “survival”.
Carry on!
Well, along the lines of ‘If the Lord gives you a lemon, make lemonade’ I therefore enclose the following recipes for your situation.
More recipes may be found at Rivenrock Gardens’ Web site.
Cactus Leaf Preparation
One should harvest the nopal cactus when the individual leaf is young and fresh. The leaves will generally be hand sized, they must have a glossy green sheen and be of minimum thickness, about 3/8” thick. When the leaf has grown too thick and has lost it’s sheen it will be pithy inside. The leaves are best separated from the main plant with a knife by slicing through the leaf approximately 1” above the junction point from which it grows from the leaf below. The stub left on the older mature leaf below will grow a new leaf from it’s surface, generally the next year.
The harvested leaf must now be rid of spines if any, glochids if any (the hair-like tiny spines that still get in the skin), or the green nubs that grow on the areoles of the spineless varieties. These green nubs will remove easily with a green scrubbing pad or cloth. The spines and glochids must be cut off with a knife by slicing through the skin under the areole from which the spines and glochids grow, this process is known as ‘skinning’. Once the leaf is safe to handle it is generally sliced french-fry style, or diced into 3/8” dimensions. The leaves are then most often boiled for approximately 10 minutes, and then mixed into some other food that has been already cooked, the ingredients are then cooked some more to blend flavors and eaten.
Nopalitos Con Chile (Cactus Chile)
# 2 lbs cleaned Nopales
# 1 Onion — sliced 1/8” thick
# 1/8 cup Corn Oil or Olive Oil
# 2 jalapeno chiles
# 2 Chili Serrano
# 1/2 bulb garlic
# 1 Cup cilantro
# Salt to taste
Clean and dice nopales. Chop onion into similar sized pieces and place in a large oiled skillet and begin to fry. Add garlic and chiles and salt. Cover and simmer until tender. Serve over diced and toasted tortillas or bed of rice.
Victoria’s French-Fried Cactus
This is one recipe in which we don’t boil the plants first, in this one the fresh cactus are cut into french fry style strips 3/8” wide and rolled in a batter of milk and eggs then rolled through flour, cornmeal or a combination of both. Frying in a skillet or deep fryer will give a deep gold/green color. They are great fresh out of the oil.
Seems I remember somewhere from my survival training that it was best to ‘flame’ cactus to singe the small spines.
You may have noticed that we have an archivist who is putting together the postings so they can be searched - I would suggest downloading those files - the problem as I see it now is that we are gathering way too much info for individual file searches.
I think the solution to your and our problem is going to be for our archivist to save those files as PDF files. That way they can be put on a CD or saved on a thumb drive. When you open the PDF you can search not only that file, but all files in the thread for your word or phrase. I would even be willing to put the pdf’s online for easy permanent download. Hope that solution would help.
I have the Jackie Clay Anthology from Backwoods Home Magazine, they are all pdf files - I have it on a CD and have copied it to a thumb drive so I can take it easily to just about any computer I need to read it on. I think it works great. Would be interested in your thoughts.
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/country-ham-and-redeye-gravy.html
Country Ham and Red-Eye Gravy
Country ham and red-eye gravy is a traditional part of a Southern breakfast, often served with biscuits and grits. This red-eye gravy served with ham has been a favorite breakfast food for over a hundred years.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
1/2 tablespoon bacon drippings
3 slices country ham
Pinch or two of sugar
1/3 cup brewed black coffee
1/2 cup water
Hot biscuits or grits, for serving
1.
Heat the bacon drippings in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
2.
Add the ham slices and fry until brown, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
3.
Remove to a platter and keep warm in a low-temperature oven.
4.
Add the sugar and coffee to skillet to deglaze.
Stir and scrape any brown bits from the skillet.
5.
Increase the heat to medium-high.
6.
Add the water.
7.
Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes to reduce.
8.
Place servings of hot biscuits or grits on three plates.
9.
Ladle the gravy over the biscuits or grits.
10.
Place a slice of ham on each plate.
Per serving (without biscuits or grits): Calories 396 (From fat 168); Fat 19g (Saturated 6g); Cholesterol 63mg; Sodium 2,671mg; Carbohydrate 27g (Dietary fiber 1g); Protein 28g.
Cooking & Recipes Glossary
cast iron
Iron that’s been melted and formed in pan-shaped molds (or casts).
Cooking & Recipes Glossary
cholesterol
A waxy substance the body produces naturally. It collects on the walls of arteries, making it difficult for blood to flow.
Cooking & Recipes Glossary
deglaze
To add liquid, usually wine or broth, to a hot skillet or roasting pan that has browned bits of cooked foods clinging to the bottom of the pan. These browned bits are then scraped up, and the liquid reduced and seasoned to create a pan sauce.
Cooking & Recipes Glossary
ladle
A long, one-piece, stainless steel tool that has a kind of cup on the end that allows you to transfer or skim liquids easily; as a verb, to use a ladle.
Cooking & Recipes Glossary
reduce
The technique of rapidly boiling a liquid mixture, such as wine, stock, or sauce, to decrease its original volume so that it thickens and concentrates in flavor.
Cooking & Recipes Glossary
tablespoon
A spoon used as a measuring unit in cooking; equal to about half a fluid ounce or three teaspoons.
Copyright © 2009 & Trademark by Wiley Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/chocolate-custard.html
Chocolate Custard
Creamier than traditional chocolate pudding, this chocolate custard is smooth on the tongue and rich in taste! Making chocolate custard in your slow cooker makes for a rich pudding experience.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: High 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Yield: 6 servings
2 cups water
2 cups milk
1 square unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla, or 1 teaspoon dark rum
1.
Bring the water to a bowl in a small saucepan.
2.
Place a metal cake rack or trivet in the slow cooker.
3.
Add the boiling water to the slow cooker.
4.
Heat the milk in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat.
5.
When the milk begins to simmer, add the chocolate.
6.
Remove from heat and stir until the chocolate melts.
7.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla.
8.
Slowly add the hot milk, stirring constantly.
9.
Pour into a 1-quart baking dish.
10.
Cover the dish with foil.
11.
Place in the slow cooker on a trivet.
12.
Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the custard is set.
13.
Remove and cool to room temperature.
14.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.
Per serving: Calories 130 (From fat 60); Fat 7g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 117mg; Sodium 123mg; Carbohydrate 13g (Dietary fiber 0g); Protein 6g.
Cooking & Recipes Glossary
Copyright © 2009 & Trademark by Wiley Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
We still have those in Texas too. They gotta farm it and then process it and that's their meals. Seems fitting to me.
I'm with you - Actually, Delaware was the last State to still have the public whipping post on the books - and I support that coming back too.
Excellent, an edible plants thread will be very important to all people.
Feel free, if you want to post the link here for our readers.
Good luck with your thread.
Hi, TAC!
Yup, Goodwill Stores are cool! Unfortunately, the ones I’ve been to in the East Valley are cheap, too!
When we go up to Oregon for the summer to visit our son and his family, I always hit Goodwill. Stuff is amazing and they have the best garage sales there, too.
Ya know what? I was so depressed and angry last night that I wanted to put my fist through the wall! Got a good night’s sleep and feel soooo much better today.
Went to my dad’s gravesite with my mom and promised him that we will take the country back. I’ll do whatever I can to make that a reality. He was a WWWII Vet and in no way am I going to let him down.
BRING IT ON!
Am curious to get your opinion on saving them as pdf files. That way they can be searched even through all the files in a directory where they are saved. Does that sound like a workable solution?
I have one of BHM’s Jackie Clay Anthologies (actually won it free from sending info to others on my email list) Anyway, they are in pdf format and you can search all of them on the CD with one single search.
Well, along the lines of ‘If the Lord gives you a lemon, make lemonade’ I therefore enclose the following recipes for your situation.
***Brought a smile to my face! If you could see our lemon tree...I swear if I sold them I could pay off the house!
Thanks for the recipes. I’ve had cactus jelly but never made it. It’s very good.
Oh, yes you certainly want to singe the needles. On some of them, the needles are so fine they look like velvet. Touch them, and you need a strong magnifying glass to get them out.
You learn very fast what not to touch!
I’ve only skimmed through this thread today. Hopefully will read more tonight. Gotta go start dinner.
Take care.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/index.html
Fruits of Warm Climates
Julia F. Morton
Published by
Julia F. Morton
20534 SW 92 Ct.
Miami, FL. 33189
ISBN: 0-9610184-1-0
Distributed by
Creative Resource Systems, Inc.
Box 890, Winterville, N.C. 28590
[The book is here/on line and has many fruits we rarely hear of, as well as the common ones.
granny]
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/pineapple.html
[A tiny snippet, of the huge amount of information here, mainly due to the fact that you can start plants from the tops of pineapple....granny]
Propagation
Crowns (or “tops”), slips (called nlbs or robbers in New South Wales), suckers and ratoons have all been commonly utilized for vegetative multiplication of the pineapple. To a lesser degree, some growers have used “stumps”, that is, mother plant suckers that have already fruited. Seeds are desired only in breeding programs and are usually the result of hand pollination. The seeds are hard and slow to germinate. Treatment with sulfuric acid achieves germination in 10 days, but higher rates of germination (75-90 % ) and more vigorous growth of seedlings results from planting untreated seeds under intermittent mist.
The seedlings are planted when 15-18 months old and will bear fruit 16-30 months later. Vegetatively propagated plants fruit in 15-22 months.
In Queensland, tops and slips from the summer crop of ‘Smooth Cayenne’ are stored upside down, close together, in semi-shade, for planting in the fall. Some producers salvage the crowns from the largest grades of fruits going through the processing factory to be assured of high quality planting material.
continued.
For bee stings I have always found that teaspoon of baking soda and vinegar immediately kills the sting. I put a bit of baking soda in my hand, pour some vinegar in it and as it bubbles, slap it on the sting - I was always the one the kids who had bee stings came running to - I carried a prescription bottle with baking soda and an old vanilla bottle with vinegar in my first aid kit.
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