Saturday, May 5, 2012

Daily Update for Saturday, May 5, 2012

Update on Freeze Dried Ground Beef

I'm blogging as I eat lunch, a concoction I mixed up on my own.  My self-inflicted recipe came with no adult supervision (Kendel and Tox are at the beach this weekend, leaving me free to get ready for the State Representative Paul Workman meet and greet at our house on Tuesday evening), so I knew it would be interesting to see if I would actually like what I made.

Cheesy Beef and Rice

  1. Heat 2.5 cups of water in the solar oven.
  2. Pour one cup of freeze dried beef and one half cup of uncooked parboiled rice into the hot water.
  3. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring only once.
  4. Drain off the excess water with a colander.
  5. Sprinkle cheese powder (I use the formulation from Ready Reserve foods - good stuff) and Tabasco to taste.

Result?   Pretty good, actually.  The rice, cheese and Tabasco take the ever so mild edge off of the freeze dried ground beef.  Would I eat this in normal circumstances?  Sure would - it's rather tasty.  Lots of protein, and the parboiled rice is low on the glycemic index.  I could have/should have added some dehydrated broccoli as well.  Next time I will know to do so.

The lesson here: don't be afraid to experiment with your food supplies and cooking methods.  Even if you make something and it's awful, you've learned something.  That experience can be invaluable when you are using stored foods and alternative energy cooking methods to prepare meals.

Overheard at The Gun Store Today

Before I forget - those of you who are Glockheads (that's GLOCKheads....get your minds out of the gutter) like me, if you haven't joined the Glock Sport Shooting Foundation, do it today.  Get at least a two year membership, because if you do, Glock will send you a coupon to allow you to buy a Glock at essentially law enforcement prices.  It literally pays for the membership three times over.  Do it!

So I take my newly acquired Got-Me-A-Rick-James-Kind-Of-Deal-On-A-Glock card to GT Distributors, which is the Bed, Bath and Beyond of the gun community.  I'm looking to add a Glock 26 Gen4 to my collection, as I really need a back up gun.  While I am waiting to be served, I overhear a conversation between a woman from Houston, her adult son, and a local sheriff's deputy talking about preparedness. 

Their discussion catches my ear because they are talking about a) preparedness in general, b) the possibility and likelihood of some sort of emergency requiring preparedness skills and supplies, c) what might cause such of an emergency, and d) water collection, solar energy and building techniques that would allow someone to live grid down for a period of time.

While I didn't hear the whole conversation (and I didn't want to eavesdrop.  At least not too much, anyway), it was clear these folks were tuned in, to say the least.  They had a good understanding of the utility of solar power, the usefulness of concrete and geothermal heating/cooling, and the uncertainties in society and the economy which might create rather unpleasant times.  And the fact that the deputy was clearly on the same page with them confirms what I've thought for some time now - our local law enforcement folks know far, far more about the risks we face and the need to prepare for them than their leadership will admit publicly. 

Take heart.  Stay focused.  People are beginning to get it.

Hsoi Shares A Link Which Could Literally Change the Way You Think About Preparedness

My fellow KR Instructor John Daub, aka the Mighty Hsoi, found this brilliant piece at the Personal Defense Network.  As Hsoi notes on his blog, the advice is unconventional yet sound.  The guidance on first aid and physical fitness is spot on.  Don't be an armchair survivalist.  Train and get your butt in shape. 

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