Mrs. RW’s Cooking Tips - The Hard-Boiled Solution

One of the advantages of having chickens is the availability of fresh yard eggs. Since they are a lot fresher, they have a better flavor but can cause you some difficulty if you happen to like hard-boiled eggs. Here’s a simple solution to that problem which should help you.

Fresh yards eggs that have been hard-boiled can be extremely difficult to peel. You can literally destroy your egg when trying to get their shell off. Quite often you find yourself digging the egg out with a spoon. Thankfully, there are two simple things you can do to simplify the egg peeling process.

First you need to add two or three tablespoons of salt to the water in which you will boil the eggs. This doesn’t make your eggs salty. It just makes them easier to peel. The next thing you need to do is peel the eggs while they are still warm. This should make it easier for you to peel your hard-boiled yard eggs with less difficulty.

Got hard-boiled yard eggs?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Conserving Resources - Cooking in a Crisis

In a survival situation, it’s important to use the most effective solution that will create a positive difference in your situation. It’s the positive things you do that will help to offset the negative effects of any crisis. During any crisis, knowing a range of different options will allow you to make the most efficient choice when conserving your available resources. This is quite often a simple combination of the different options that are available which will save time and effort.

Cooking in a crisis can use up valuable resources very quickly. The preparation of meals can be a time consuming activity that can’t be avoided easily. Cooking can make your efforts more productive if you realize that there is a wide range of options to help keep the process simple and efficient by using a combination of cooking methods.

Certain cooking options, such as using solar power, can vary widely depending upon your geographic location but there are several that work great in combination with each other in spite of this fact. Different means of cooking can be integrated into a “cooking system” that will allow you a wider range of choice and additional options for cooking in a crisis. Any “cooking system” you can design using available your available resources will help you in cooking more efficiently. By using different cooking methods in combination, a significant savings in your available resources can be achieved. This can result in a dramatic difference when you are cooking during a crisis.

Does your meal need to be cooked or simply “warmed up”? Perhaps it just needs to be simmered and a “candle powered” stove will do the job. It may be as simple as using an insulated cooker to finish the cooking process that may help to conserve your resources. Always consider your options when cooking in a crisis; it can help you conserve valuable resources when they may be limited.

Got “cooking system” for a crisis?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Simple Survival Meals - The Advantages of Soup for Survival

In a survival situation or during a crisis, making or preparing simple meals can be one of the best ways to conserve time, energy and resources. Being able to prepare simple meals also increases the ability to use limited skill sets for those persons who possess limited culinary skills. Throughout time soups have been the primary type of meal consumed by people with limited resources. Here are just a few of the advantages of using soup as a simple survival meal.

The Advantages of Soup for Survival

1. Soup is a cost effective and economical meal that can be made from just a few simple ingredients.

2. Soup is generally easy to cook and requires only rudimentary skills to prepare. If you can boil water and stir a pot, you can make a decent soup.

3. Soup can be adjusted easily to feed additional persons. Just add water or additional broth to “stretch” the amount of soup available.  

4. Soup can also provide a variety in your diet with the addition of simple spices and flavorings or by merely changing the basic ingredients.

5. Soup requires only basic cooking and eating utensils. If you’ve got a pot, you have the ability to create a decent soup for a meal.

6. Soup is easy to serve to a large number of people. All you really need are a few cups or bowls and a couple of spoons. It can even be drank or sipped from a cup.

7. Soup requires only minimal cleanup when water resources may be limited. With less utensils to clean, you save time, energy and resources.

8. Soup allows you conserve valuable fuel sources when cooking a meal. In little more than the time it takes to boil water, you can make a decent soup.

9. Soup is also one of the easiest food items that can be fed to persons who are suffering from a number of physical ailments. Soup is great for treating persons suffering from the effects of dehydration due to stomach or intestinal disorders.

10. Soup when combined with a slice of bread, a biscuit or a few crackers can be a very filling meal for even the hungriest of persons.

There is one additional benefit of soup that is also beneficial in a survival situation or a crisis. 

Very few things can make you feel better than a simple bowl of soup.

Got soup for survival?

Staying above the watered down soup line!

Riverwalker

DIY Survival Gear - The Hobo Hotplate

Many times things outlive their useful purpose but can be converted into useful items once again with a little imagination and creativity. Resources can be hard to come by in a survival situation and learning to turn broken or obsolete items into things that can still function in a different or similar capacity may be vital for your survival.  Here’s a simple and easy way to make a hobo hotplate and a great way to recycle that old hotplate.

Most everyone at some time in their lives has used a hotplate. Simply put, they are a single-burner cook stove. Most are fairly compact and lightweight and served faithfully to heat up single meals of soup or canned chili. Unfortunately, things wear out, break down or wind up stored in some dark corner. Even though they are not working, you really hate to throw out what is now mostly fond memories of the earlier days when cooking your meals on a hotplate were a daily occurrence.

Why not turn that old hotplate into a useful and practical item? There are only a few basic modifications that need to be made. First you will need to remove the plug-in for the electrical cord and all of the “guts” of the hotplate. The second thing you will need to do is add a metal plate to the inside of the hotplate that covers the bottom section to avoid “burn-out”. Most are made out of lightweight aluminum and burning wood or charcoal directly on the surface will quickly burn through it. The third thing you will need to do is to drill holes (or punch) on the inside to create air flow from the original vents on the side. You could even add a small fan to increase the air flow by utilizing the original opening for the electrical cord.

This old hotplate was 6 inches across and 3 inches high (counting the small legs on the bottom) and will hold a small pot or pan. The extra holes drilled in the top section, along with the original side vents create a good draft for the fire and the three small legs on the bottom make a pretty stable platform for my hobo hotplate. Fortunately, my junk pile had a small metal plate that worked great to cover the bottom to prevent “burn-out” but you could easily use an old can lid  to achieve the desired results. My own experience has shown that just a few charcoal briquettes create sufficient heat for a decent time period that makes this a practical and simple piece of survival gear. 


This survival gear is easy enough to build that you could do it with just an old hotplate, a can lid and a good multi-tool.

Got hobo hotplate?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

DIY Survival Gear - Improvised Cooking Stand

If your pot has a handle, it’s fairly easy to hang over a fire when you’re cooking. The problem comes about when it doesn’t have a handle or when the handle is designed for holding the pot or you’re using a frying pan. Being able to make an improvised cooking stand will help solve this problem. One of the easiest ways to make an improvised cooking stand is to use a set of old metal shelf brackets.

One of the good things about shelf brackets are they can be “nested” together so that they don’t take up a lot of room. This makes it easy to carry them and they come apart easily in order to assemble an improvised cooking stand with just a few small bolts.

How easy is it to make? Well, Lil’ RW, my grandson who is only six years old put one together quite easily. I simply bolted a couple of shelf brackets together to give him an idea of how to connect them and he did the rest. Unfortunately, he wanted to gather some wood and build a fire so he could start cooking...in the house! Not a good idea.

Most shelf brackets come in pairs and have different lengths on each side of the bracket. This allows you to configure the cooking stand for different cookware. One configuration is great for a frying pan while an alternate configuration works well for a stock pot or a large cast iron pot. If the ground is soft enough, you can even push the ends into the ground to add a little stability.

Another option is the triangular configuration for your improvised cooking stand. If you’re missing a shelf bracket, this isn’t a problem. Just assemble your cooking stand with three shelf brackets instead of four. It’ll still hold a frying pan or pot.

Got DIY cooking stand?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Mrs. RW’s Survival Cooking Tips - Tip #3 - Grilling Green Tomatoes

  

Fried green tomatoes are a traditional use for all those extra green tomatoes you may wind up with due to a bumper crop of tomatoes or if you get close to the end of your growing season. Don’t limit your options if this is the case. Green tomatoes can also be used in different recipes to prepare a number of very tasty items.

One of the easiest things you can do with green tomatoes is to cook them on your grill or smoker barrel. This will give you a great way to prepare all those extra green tomatoes. Simply core them and remove the pulp and seeds, stuff them with some cream cheese and then wrap them with bacon. Grill them until the tomatoes are tender and the bacon is slightly crispy. These make a great side dish for your meal or as an appetizer for those that can’t wait for the rest of the meal to be prepared. This is similar to the way jalapenos are quite frequently cooked.

Got grilled green tomatoes?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Mrs. RW's Survival Cooking Tips - Tip #2 - Cleaning With Fire

In any survival situation or crisis, clean water may be a resource that is in short supply. Using water to clean your cooking utensils may create a further shortage of this most valued of all resources. A simple solution to this problem is often overlooked.

Wiping down your cooking utensils and then using the heat of a fire to cleanse them will help you to save water and avoid any possible illness as a result of using contaminated utensils. The heat of a fire will effectively kill all the germs and bacteria on your utensils. This method only works if you are using metal utensils. 

In a survival situation, it is vitally important to avoid wasting your resources.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Survival Cooking - The Non-Volatile Solution

The temperature of water will quite often determine how long it takes to cook your food. Water is also one of the main ingredients used to cook many food items. It is also known as a non-volatile liquid. It is one of the main components when making a solution which can be used for cooking our food.

You need two main components (ingredients) to make a solution.  You will need a solvent and a solute. In the majority of cases, especially when cooking, water in its liquid state is the solvent (but not always) and solid substances like sugar or salt are the solute.

Salt and sugar are both what is commonly known as "non-volatile" solutes and readily dissolve in water to make a solution. In general terms, the volatility of a substance refers to how quickly it turns into a vapor (i.e., changes from a liquid to a gas). In most cases, substances with a boiling point below 212°F or 100 °C (the boiling point of water) are considered volatile and all others substances are referred to as non-volatile. Alcohol (rum, cooking sherry, beer, etc.) is an example of a volatile solute used in cooking, while sugar and salt (sodium chloride) are considered non-volatile solutes.

Essentially, when your water is boiling at a higher temperature whatever you're cooking in that water is going to cook faster. You're simply cooking at a higher temperature. This means that whatever you're cooking in the water will cook faster than it normally would. It is important to remember that the boiling point of water only increases slightly with the addition of salt to your pot of water and this is one of the reasons for adding salt to your pot of water when cooking food items such as pasta or potatoes.

The main purpose for the addition of salt continues to be to enhance the flavor of your food. If you really want it to cook faster, you'll generally need a bigger fire.

                                                

Got cooking solution?

Staying above the water line!

 Riverwalker

Mrs. RW’s Cooking Tips - Tip #1 - Cooking Corn on the Cob

Boiling is a common means of preparing many food items but it can be extremely tough on your food. While many foods are prepared by boiling, a lot of nutrients, especially the soluble vitamins, can be lost in the process of boiling your food items. There can also be a loss in the flavor and texture of your food.

One of the staple food items consumed by many people is corn on the cob. It goes with just about anything or is simply great when eaten by itself, usually with a little butter added. Now the majority of corn on the cob is cooked by boiling which can affect the taste of your corn on the cob. Boiling corn on the cob causes a loss of some of the natural sugars present in your corn. There is a simple solution to help you solve this problem.

Just add a pinch of sugar to your pot of water that you will be using to cook your corn on the cob. This won’t actually sweeten your corn on the cob but it will help prevent the natural sugars in your corn on the cob from being released during boiling. This helps to preserve the natural flavor and sweetness of your corn on the cob.

Got pinch of sugar?

Staying above the “boiling” water line!

Riverwalker

Survival Foods - Turnips

Most survival foods are ones that are readily available most any time of the year, require only the most basic of preparation and that can be eaten raw or uncooked. Turnips are one of the vegetables that should be considered a survival food. Turnips are an excellent source of vitamin C and are one of the oldest root crops known and have been in use for quite some time. Until the introduction of the potato, they were a staple of European diets. They are also a very hardy vegetable that is well suited for growing in colder climates. While turnips are generally available most of the year, the best ones aren’t usually available until later during the fall months. Turnips are also quite easy to grow.

Turnips, which are actually a member of the cabbage family, can be used raw (shredded for use in coleslaw, etc.), in soups or stews or prepared much the same as you would a potato, basically boiled or baked. Smaller, younger turnips have a milder flavor than older, larger turnips. It’s also important to leave the cover off your pot when boiling turnips to prevent that strong “turnipy” taste that is familiar to most people. To help add some flavor to your turnips, just use some butter, cheese and some parsley or thyme.

Turnips actually don’t store well due to their high moisture content and will dehydrate quite rapidly. They will keep for about 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or they can be dehydrated similar to carrots or other root vegetables.

Turnips can also be used as a feed for livestock.

Got turnips?

Riverwalker

Be Prepared for Christmas Package

Solar ovens are becoming increasingly accepted as a preparedness item and many people might want to add a solar oven to their Christmas list. Stealth Survival is teaming up with Sun Ovens International to offer a special value for everyone this Christmas. We are offering a Be Prepared For Christmas Package which offers a savings of $83 on a Sun Oven and a complete set of preparedness cooking necessities. (See details below)

To add even more value to this offer for my readers, you can save an additional $25 on this package if you order by phone at (800) 408-7919 or on line at: http://www.sunoven.com/christmas-package and use the discount code: Stealth. The combined savings is $108, which makes this an outstanding value.

Many families who are into food storage and preparedness are concerned about the issues associated with storing fuel to cook their food in the event of a long term emergency. Solar ovens can be used to bake, boil, and steam foods with the power of the sun and they are a preparedness item which will pay for itself by reducing utility costs for cooking. They can also be used to boil and pasteurize water for drinking and to heat water for doing dishes or bathing.

Be Prepared For Christmas Package

1 GLOBAL SUN OVEN^â (Retail Price $299)

2 Stackable Black Covered Round 3-qt Pots (Retail Price $10.50 each)

1 Set of Two Loaf Pans (Retail Price $11.35)

1 Set of Two Cookie Sheet/Brownie Pans (Retail Price $12.85)

1 Water Pasteurization Indicator - WAPI (Retail Price $8.00)

Free Shipping within Continental U.S. (a $29.85 value)

A CD with over 80 SUN OVEN^â recipes, cooking tips, FAQs, written & video operating instructions, a video on how the SUN OVEN^â works and emergency preparedness tips.

You can save $83 and the total package cost is only $299.

The Be Prepared for Christmas Package is only $274 with Discount Code: Stealth

This discount offer for readers of Stealth Survival will be in effect through December 30, 2010.

Sun Ovens International is involved in solar cooking programs around the world and is committed to decreasing the world's dependence on wood as a primary cooking fuel. This benefits the environment, raises the standard of living, and improves the health of people worldwide. Sun Ovens purchased in the US help to fund their work around the world.

If you have any questions or if there is any additional information you may need, you can contact Paul Munsen at Sun Ovens International.

Contact Information:

Paul M. Munsen

SUN OVENS International, Inc.
39W835 Midan Drive
Elburn, IL 60119
Web site: www.sunoven.com
E-mail: info@sunoven.com
Blog: www.solarcook.net
Phone: 630-208-7273
800-408-7919
Fax: 630-208-7386

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Bushcraft - Central Texas Style - The Dakota Fire Pit

Dakota Fire Pit

Making efficient use of your resources is a good practice when building a fire. The Dakota Fire Pit is one of the most efficient styles around and will help you in making the best use of your available resources. They are less visible and more fuel efficient than other types of fire and can be easily made from the camp tools used by most people.

The major trick in making a Dakota Fire Pit is the chimney. Through the use of a chimney hole fresh air is drawn into the fire pit as the heated air in the main fire pit rises. This makes a very fuel efficient fire. The hard part is digging the chimney hole for the main fire pit. The easiest way I’ve found to dig the chimney hole is to use tent stakes that are normally 8 to 10 inches long to dig out the hole for the chimney and round it out with the handle on your camp shovel to get a pretty uniform shape. I also use the tent stakes to set the depth for my main fire pit at about 8 to 10 inches.

I also like to use a couple of cotton balls coated with Vaseline as tinder to start my fire. Simply pull the cotton balls slightly apart and light your tinder. The kindling catches fire quite easily and in no time you’ve got a decent fire going.

A few pieces of green sapling can then be used to make a grill for your Dakota Fire Pit. Be careful though because the green saplings will eventually catch fire since the Dakota Fire Pit is very efficient and puts out quite a bit of heat. Its design also makes it very easy to put out your fire and leave little or no traces behind when you are finished.

Put on a coffee pot and you’re ready to go!

Got Dakota Fire Pit?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Riverwalker's Pics - Wild Chile Pequin

Chile Pequin

These small but very powerful chile peppers grow wild in numerous areas of South Central Texas. They make an excellent hot sauce that can be used to flavor and add a little spice to numerous food dishes.

Got peppers?

Riverwalker

Survival Recipes - Beer Bread Recipe

Beer can be used to make a pretty tasty loaf of bread. When used in a fairly simple recipe it allows almost anyone, including myself, to make a decent loaf of bread. This recipe also uses no shortening (except that which is used to grease your loaf pan) or salt. You can also use herbs, spices or peppers to enhance the flavor of the beer bread. You can also make a decent loaf of home-made bread in just a little more than an hour!

List of Ingredients:

3 Cups of flour

3 Tablespoons of sugar

1 12 ounce can or bottle of beer

1 Tablespoon of baking powder

If you use self-rising flour no baking powder will be required.

How to Make Beer Bread

Place three cups of flour in mixing bowl.

Add two to three tablespoons of sugar (more makes it slightly sweeter).

Add one tablespoon of baking powder.

Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly.

Add a 12 once can or bottle of beer to your dry ingredients and stir.

Place dough into a greased loaf pan.

Place loaf pan with bread dough in oven.

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.

Allow bread to cool on a rack before slicing.

This recipe makes one small loaf of bread that will generally be enough for two to four people (or one if RW is around!).

This recipe is so easy that even RW can make it!

Got beer bread?

Staying above the beer line!

Riverwalker