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

Emergency Survival Rations - Pemmican Recipe

Pemmican, which was originally a food of Native Americans, has become a very nutritious food item that works well as an emergency survival ration. It is generally made from several different types of foods that can be combined to suit the personal tastes of almost everyone. Here is a simple recipe that can be used to make pemmican.

Pemmican Recipe

1/2 cup Fruit (raisins, apples, apricots, etc.)

1/2 cup Cereal (wheat germ, graham crackers, granola etc.)

1/2 cup Seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.)

1/2 cup Nuts (walnuts, peanuts, cashews, etc.)

1/2 cup Powdered milk

1/4 cup Honey

2 teaspoons Lemon juice

Option: Add shredded jerky or dried sausage to make a meat pemmican. You will need to make sure that the sausage or jerky has a very low fat content.

Use at least one item from each of the different kinds of food. Coarse grind the dry ingredients and then combine with the dried milk, lemon juice, and honey. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together and shape your pemmican mixture into small rolls about the size of your finger. Wrap each individual roll of pemmican separately using either foil or plastic wrap to make your own emergency survival rations.

The choice of ingredients can be varied to suit the individual tastes of your family members.

You can also find an excellent recipe for making pemmican here:

http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/how-to-make-pemmican/

Got DIY emergency survival rations?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Turnin' Up the Heat on Your Smoker Barrel - Fast Cookin' A Brisket

Got any refugees from their lastest BBQ disaster showing up this holiday weekend without your knowledge. Wondering how you're going to feed everybody in such a short time? Here's a great way to feed a bunch of unexpected guests or refugees from the nearest disaster.

Since I had some time off recently, I dropped in on my son-in-law, Steve the Chef, and on short notice he decided to quick cook a brisket. He planned to use me as a guinea pig for his taste test knowing I'll consume most any type of food cooked on a smoker barrel. Here's how he did it!

Keeping the basic preparartions the same, Steve the Chef rubbed down a 13 1/2 pound brisket and throwed it in his smoker barrel. The next thing he did was turn up the heat to 300 degrees. This is supposed to be the ideal temperature to cook a brisket and he decided to put it to the test. He needed to keep two air intakes open most of the time in order for the heat to stay around 300 degrees but it wasn't too difficult to maintain and didn't require any extra attention on his part. You won't save any charcoal though, as the higher temps take a little more charcoal. This is in spite of the shorter cooking times.

Putting the brisket on at 1 PM when I called started it off and it was pulled from the smoker barrel at 6:30 PM when I got there. I was already hungry and really couldn't wait much longer to eat. The results turned out great! Being the Official Brisket Taster is one of my more important titles that I readily subscribe to whenever the chance prevails.

The flat of the brisket came out really tender and juicy. A quick taste test on my part was all that was needed. The point was fully cooked and turned out great also but could've been a little more tender if given slightly more time but it tasted great also. Steve the Chef sliced it up and we ate it up. A portion of the point was thrown back in the smoker barrel to keep it warm and give it a little more cooking time.

The only thing that you could probably do to make a quick-cooked brisket any better would be to used a well-trimmed brisket to start, trim your brisket yourself to cut down on the thickness of the point or make sure RW isn't coming over to eat so there would be a little more time for cooking. Figure 30 minutes for each pound of brisket when fast cooking at the higher 300 degree temperatures instead of the usual 1 hour per pound for a slow cook. If you didn't invite RW there might even be a few left-overs for somebody else.

Steve the Chef is also going to be in a BBQ Cook-Off coming up soon in my area and we want to wish him luck!

Have a great holiday weekend!

Stay safe and keep them barrels smokin'!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Riverwalker’s Food Storage Recipe - Rice Rolls

Many times it is difficult to find simple recipes that allow you to use the various food items in your food storage. Here is a quick and simple recipe that allows you to use a number of food storage items to make a healthy snack or side dish that can be served with almost any meal.

Rice Rolls Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Rice

1 Pint of Water

1 Pint of Milk (you can use powdered milk)

2 Teaspoons of Butter

2 Teaspoons of Lemon Juice

2 Teaspoons of Sugar

2 Eggs (uncooked)

Instructions:

Cook rice as normal in water and milk. When done, remove from burner. Thoroughly mix butter, lemon juice, sugar and eggs into rice mixture.

Form mixture into finger-size rolls or small patties. Dip rolls or patties in egg wash (additional eggs required) and then coat with cornbread.

Fry coated rolls or patties in butter till golden brown. Serve hot as a side with any meal or by themselves as a snack.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Dehydrated Food Recipe - Veggie Beef Soup

Hi everyone! Dean in Arizona here with a recipe for Veggie Beef Soup using dehydrated food items. I recently got an email regarding this, and SciFi asked for a recipe, so here we go!

Veggie Beef Soup

2 cups dried beef

1 cup dried tomatoes

1/2 cup dried carrots

1 cup dried beans

1/2 cup dried celery

1/2 cup dried peas

2 beef bouillon cubes

Parsley, bay leaf, pepper to taste

Cover veggies and beef with 12 cups water, bring to boil. Cover and simmer 2 hours, or till meat is tender .Add bouillon cubes and simmer 30 minutes. Season to taste and serve. Serves 8.

I've also discovered that canned soup can be dehydrated! I'll update that later!

Thanks again RW!

Dean in AZ

Survival Skills - Trapping Pesky Critters

One of the biggest threats to gardens everywhere is the common gopher. The threat of gophers eating your plants is a real and everyday hazard to gardeners everywhere. Learning to trap these little critters takes some patience, skill and a good trap.

Mrs. RW prefers to use the Victor “EasySet” Model #0610 gopher traps. She is excellent at trapping gophers and is a very dangerous threat to all gophers who invade her territory. She has an extreme dislike for these pesky little critters with their little, beady eyes, large teeth, and sharp claws. Make sure your trap is well anchored. A good metal stake with a chain attached should usually be sufficient.

A word of caution is in order. Some Texas gophers (i.e., Texas maximus) can get very large. There are rumors that some have even dragged large concrete blocks that were used to anchor gopher traps completely underground. It may even be necessary to use your Mossberg maximus if you encounter one.

Trapping is a very useful survival skill.

If you’re successful in your gopher trapping efforts, you can even enjoy some gopher stew.

Gophers beware!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Storage Food Recipe - Stock Pot Stew

Here’s a great recipe for some stew that will give you a perfect reason to use that stock pot or your cast iron Dutch oven. This is the stew I make for large family gatherings and is a favorite when served with cornbread. It’s simple enough that even I can make it.

Stock Pot Stew - Ingredients

1 Boneless beef chuck roast - 3 to 4 lbs. (cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces)

1 Tablespoon of salt (or 1 Teaspoon if on a low salt diet)

1 Teaspoon of pepper

1 Bay leaf

6 Cups of water (more or less water may be needed depending upon pot size)

4 Potatoes (peeled, cleaned and cut into quarters)

6 Carrots (peeled, cleaned and cut into 1/2 to1 inch chunks)

2 Yellow onions (peeled and cut into quarters)


Stock Pot Stew - Cooking Instructions

Place meat chunks in large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add salt, pepper, bay leaf and water.
Cover stock pot or Dutch oven and heat on burner or stove on medium to high heat until boiling. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Add potatoes, carrots and onions to the pot and simmer an additional 45 minutes to an hour longer until meat and vegetables are tender.

This stew is made in my turkey fryer outside during the holidays for our large family gatherings. It’s a family favorite and goes well with warm cornbread or home-made bread.


Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Food Storage Recipe - Texas Style Crock Pot Chili

Here’s a quick and easy recipe for your crock pot. Chili is a great “one dish” item that makes a complete meal with the addition of a few simple ingredients to make a variety of different combinations. So put that crock pot to some good use, make some chili!

Crock Pot Chili - Texas Style

Ingredients

2 to 3 lbs. 1/2 inch thick round or sirloin steak (Use whichever fits your budget!)

2 Tablespoons of bacon grease

1 Large onion (chopped)

3 Garlic cloves

1 Teaspoon of salt

1 Teaspoon of pepper

3 to 4 Fresh Jalapeno peppers (chopped & seeded)

Note: Green bell pepper may be used as a substitute for a milder version or you can use Habenero peppers for a really hot & spicy chili.

1/4 Cup chili powder

2 Teaspoons ground cumin

1 Cup of beer

1/2 Cup of water

1/4 Cup of cornmeal (or masa)


Instructions for Cooking

De-bone and trim excess fat from steaks and then cut steak into 1/2 inch cubes.

Using a heavy skillet (A cast iron pan works great!), lightly brown beef in bacon grease with half of your chopped onion. Drain excess fat, add garlic cloves and stir over medium heat for another minute. Place the browned beef cubes and onions and chopped jalapeño peppers (fresh) in crockpot. Add salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, beer and water.

Note: Additional salt or pepper may be added after chili is done to suit individual tastes.

Edit: If using processed jalapeños from can or jar add in the last 45 minutes.

Place cover on crock pot and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours.

Use cornmeal (or masa) with enough water to make a paste (Try not to have any lumps in your paste!). Add paste to crock pot and stir into chili. Turn your crock pot to its high setting and cook for an additional 45 minutes to an hour.

Serve plain with hot cornbread or over corn chips.

Top corn chips with chili and remaining chopped onions and shredded cheese for a more traditional Texas favorite - “frito pie”!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Food Storage Recipes - Steamed Kraut

If you are in a hurry you don't have to rush out to a fast food restaurant, for some quick fixin's to go with that link of sausage. Try some steamed kraut. It only takes 5 minutes and goes great with a lot of main dishes.

Mrs. RW has given me the green light to post another kraut recipe for everyone and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do. Since her father is full-blooded German, she grew up on kraut and sausage. This makes it a staple around the Riverwalker household.

Steamed Kraut

Ingredients:

1/3 Head of cabbage (shredded)

2 teaspoons of bacon grease (You do save your bacon grease I hope!)

1/2 Cup of water

2 to 3 Pieces of fried bacon (crumbled into small pieces)

1 teaspoon of sugar (optional - may be left out if you are diabetic)

Salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions:

In a medium size frying pan, place 1/2 cup of water and 2 teaspoons of bacon grease. Set on medium low heat. Place shredded cabbage in pan. Cover with lid (Mrs. RW uses a glass lid) and let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Don't worry if it looks like the pan is too full, as it cooks down quickly. After a couple of minutes, toss the cabbage in the pan, replace the lid and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer a couple of additional minutes. Turn heat off, then remove lid and sprinkle with crumbled bacon pieces, sugar and salt and pepper to taste.

Mrs. RW serves it straight from the frying pan to the plate! There is nothing better than some fresh cooked kraut. Enjoy!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Storage Food Recipe - Southern Style Cole Slaw

Here is one of Mrs. RW’s recipes for cole slaw. This is a quick and simple recipe that you can fix ahead of time for lunch or dinner. The fifty pounds of cabbage I recently brought home doesn’t last long around our place with the way Mrs. RW cooks.

1 Large Head of Cabbage (shredded)

1/2 Large White Onion (chopped)

1 Green Bell Pepper (chopped and seeds removed)

1 Cup of Sugar (may use less as an option)

1 Cup of Oil

1 Cup of Vinegar

Combine the cabbage, onion and bell peppers in a large glass bowl. Combine the sugar with the oil and vinegar and pour over salad mixture. DO NOT STIR. DO NOT ADD SALT. Place in refrigerator for several hours or overnight and it's ready to eat. It's great with smoked brisket.

I personally insure that it has a very short shelf life. I try to eat as much as I can!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

A Healthy Marinade for Grilling Meats

Grilled meats are a favorite of most everyone. Most everyone loves to Bar-B-Que! There is a risk factor that goes with grilled food. Grilled meats often contain high levels of carcinogenic compounds called HCAs (heterocyclic amines). There is a special marinade that has been found to limit the amount of HCAs formed when grilling meats. This special marinade will keep HCAs to very minimal levels.

Healthy Marinade Recipe

6 Tablespoons of olive oil
4 Tablespoons of cider vinegar
4 Tablespoons of lemon juice
1/2 Cup of brown sugar (packed)
3 Tablespoons of grainy mustard
3 Medium garlic cloves (crushed)
1 1/2 Teaspoons of salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and then place meat and enough marinade to keep it covered in a re-sealable plastic bag. Allow to marinate for a minimum of 4 hours, being careful to keep the meat covered. Grill as you would normally.

The researches are not quite sure as to “how” this special marinade works but it does. Although it works well for other meats, this marinade is especially effective when used to grill chicken.

Source: J. Felton, PhD, Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA.


Got grill?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Simple Survival Foods - Make Your Own White Sauce

One of the ways to economize in your food storage preparations is learning how to make your own gravy and sauce mixes. Here is a recipe for a white sauce that you can bag up in advance and have ready to use in your recipe or meal. This is a home-made mixture without additional food additives that can be seasoned to your own tastes.

A white sauce can create a very satisfying one-dish meal when combined with your meat, vegetables, pasta, or rice. The dry ingredients may be combined in advance and stored separately in any moisture-proof food container ahead of time ready for use.

White Sauce Mix

Ingredients

3/4 Cup Flour

4 Cups Dried Milk Powder

1 Cup Butter

1 Tablespoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Yield: 5 3/4 cups white sauce mix

Combine all dry ingredients. Mix in butter until coarse texture is achieved.
Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preparation

To prepare 1 cup of sauce, combine 1/2 cup mixture with 2/3 cup of water and stir over medium heat until it starts to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly for an additional minute.

Variations

Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese to make a cheese sauce.

Add 4 teaspoons of seasoned salt to make a seasoned sauce.

You can add additional spices and seasonings to suit your tastes.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Simple Survival Foods - Making Your Own Sauces

You can insure the quality of your food items and avoid food additives that may be harmful to your health with a very simple process. Learn to make your own sauces.
Here are a couple of recipes for making your own sauces. They require a little time and preparation but will be a lot healthier for you!


Worcestershire Sauce Recipe

Consider making your own Worcestershire sauce at home. It does contain a lot of ingredients, but the method is very simple and easy.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large sweet onions, roughly chopped
1/2 cup tamarind paste
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 jalapenos, seeds removed and minced
1/4 cup chopped canned anchovies
1/4 cup tomato paste2 whole cloves
2 tablespoons freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup molasses
3 cups white vinegar
1 cup dark beer
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups water
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 lime, thinly sliced

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the chopped sweet onion until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the tamarind paste, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos. Cook over medium-low heat for another 5 minutes. Add anchovies, tomato paste, cloves, pepper, corn syrup, molasses, white vinegar, dark beer, orange juice, water, lemon, and lime. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 3 hours until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain Worcestershire sauce into a glass bottle and refrigerate.

Yield: 6 cups

Source: http://projectavalon.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8968


GOOD OLD PEANUT SAUCE

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 garlic cloves, minced (1 Tablespoon)
12 chiles de arbol or chiles Japones, softened in hot water, dried, seeded, and minced
1 Tablespoon minced galangal or ginger
1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer layers and green parts removed, minced (1/4 cup)
2 shallots, minced (1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon red miso
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup tamarind juice

Preparation:

Pound the salt and garlic in a mortar with a pestle into a fine paste. Add the chiles and pound to a puree. One at a time, add the galangal or ginger, lemongrass, shallots, and red miso, in sequence, adding each one only after the previous ingredient has been completely pureed and incorporated into the paste. Transfer to a bowl or to a glass jar with a right-fitting lid. Refrigerate, the seasoning paste will keep for a month.

Or, if using a blender, add all the above ingredients plus the vegetable oil and puree.

Sauté the chile paste in the oil (or the chile paste-oil mixture) in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it exudes a pleasant aroma, about 2 to 3 minutes. Lower the heat and add the sugar, peanut butter, coconut cream, and tamarind juice. Stir to mix and heat until the mixture boils and thickens, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool before serving. Stored in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator, the sauce will keep for a couple of weeks. If it congeals and thickens, dilute with 2 to 3 tablespoons water and cook over low heat in a saucepan, stirring until smooth.

Yield: 1 cup

Source: http://projectavalon.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8968

This also gives you another reason to keep beer on hand as an ingredient for your sauce.

Got home-made sauce?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Simple Survival Tips - Left-Over Turkey Recipe

Be prepared this Thanksgiving. Here’s a recipe to help you spice up that leftover turkey. It’s simple and easy to prepare and only takes a few minutes. Wipe out that left-over turkey before it wipes you out. Being prepared will help you survive left-over turkey.


Turkey Tacos

Ingredients for Turkey Tacos

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 onion (chopped)

1 or 2 chopped jalapenos (optional)

1 pound cooked turkey (shredded)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 large fresh tomato (chopped)

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (chopped)

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions

1.) Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion and jalapeno until tender.

2.) Mix in the shredded turkey and season with garlic powder.

3.) Stir in the chopped tomato.

4.) Add water, sprinkle with cilantro, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

5.) Cover skillet, and simmer 5 minutes, or until mixture is heated throughout.


Use this mixture as a filling for tacos, burritos or tostadas, etc.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Preppin' 101 - Part 6 - Education

An essential part of being prepared is having the right knowledge in order to reach your goals of being prepared. Information is vital to everyone's survival. Proper food storage methods, food storage recipes, and food preservation techniques are an essential part of a recipe for survival success. Here are some informational links with storage food recipes, food canning techniques and other valuable food storage information.

Food Storage - Use It or Lose It

Food Storage in the Home

Home Drying of Foods

Vegetable Freezing Methods

Fruit Freezing Methods

Getting Crisp Home Pickled Vegetables

Reduced Sugar Food Preservation

Tips on Vegetables

Knowlege is power and having the right knowledge will help you and your family to survive!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Food Storage Recipes - Skippin Jenny Cakes

Leftovers can be a curse or a blessing depending upon how you view them. Variety is the spice of life and eating leftovers can sometimes leave you “burnt out” on a particular dish in your menu plans. Most basic food storage items can create this problem. Try this quick and easy recipe to create a great tasting meal from your leftovers.

Hoppin John is a great addition to your food storage recipes, but like all meals there is always the problem of what to do with the leftovers. Leftover Hoppin John is also known as Skippin’ Jenny and can be a great way to add a little variety to your leftovers. You can also make use of leftover tomato sauce or paste with this recipe. Depending upon the amount of leftovers you have, you can make a quick and easy meal that will have your family wanting more.

1.) Take your leftover Hoppin John and add a little tomato sauce (use your leftover tomato sauce, if you like). The amount of sauce will vary depending upon the amount of leftovers. Be careful, you don’t want to use too much and wind up with an excess amount of liquid. And yes, for those of you with kids who are in love with the ketchup bottle, you could use ketchup as a substitute.

2.) After mixing some tomato sauce in your leftover Hoppin John, form it into patties and gently squeeze any excess liquid out. The size of the patties should be similar to those when making hamburger patties.

3.) Dip your patties in an egg wash and then coat with cornmeal.

4.) Fry your patties for one to two minutes on each side, until a golden brown.

5.) Serve with a salad and a big glass of iced tea!

The best part of this recipe is the fact that any leftover Skippin’ Jenny cakes can be refrigerated and eaten later. Hurray! More leftovers. They also make a great little snack item for the lunch box. You can also add a little hot sauce for those that like it hot!

Using your food storage items doesn’t have to leave you with boring meals. Try something different and new!

Got leftovers?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Using Olive Oil to Preserve Herbs

Olive oil should be selected depending upon your cooking needs or its planned use as a condiment or as a preservative. You really can’t go wrong if you stick to olive oil labeled "virgin" or "extra-virgin”. These are usually the best quality of olive oil. They last longer before they go bad and are easier to digest than the refined olive oils.

Through the years, olive oil has been valued for its cooking uses and its medicinal value.

Olive oil contains approximately 85% unsaturated fatty acids. This means good nutrition and low cholesterol. In modern medicine, olive oil is also used to help treat cases of moderate hypertension and is a recommended dietary change to avoid unhealthy fats. It’s common knowledge that heart disease was almost unknown in many places before the advent of many refined and processed oils. A healthy and natural diet high in vegetables and herbs and plenty of olive oil were some of the reasons modern day health risks were almost unknown.

Even soap may contain olive oil as an important ingredient. The famous Palmolive detergent is named after the two main vegetable oils which made up its original formula.

It’s also quite easy to preserve many herbs, which lose their essential oils upon drying, in a good quality olive oil. If you have herbs which you would like to preserve for future use, you can do so by using olive oil.

Basil is a seasonal herb that will benefit by being preserved in olive oil. Basil is not always readily available when you may want to use it or need it for a recipe.

You can preserve basil by using the following method:

1.) Wash and dry the leaves of your fresh basil carefully. Make sure you allow the leaves to dry fully, any moisture left on the leaves can cause your olive oil to turn rancid very quickly.

2.) Place your fresh basil leaves into clean, dry glass jars and cover with your olive oil. Leaving a small amount of room at the top (this is called headspace for the uninformed).

3.) Store in the refrigerator. It should last till more fresh basil is available for use.

When keeping your fresh basil in this manner, you will have fresh basil available for your recipes when needed. The olive oil will not detract from the flavor or nutritional value of your herbs.

Chives, sage, etc. can also be preserved in olive oil in a similar manner. However, do not attempt to preserve garlic in this manner. There is an additional step that is absolutely necessary. Garlic cloves must be soaked in vinegar for at least a 24 hour period prior to being preserved in olive oil. This will destroy any botulism spores that may be present on the garlic cloves. Afterwards, you will also get the added benefit of garlic flavored vinegar that you can use on your salads and other dishes.


The shelf life can vary depending upon the quality of the olive oil that you use, the cleanliness of your canning jars, and the level of moisture of your fresh herbs. The best part is that there is no cooking involved. Merely a little prep time for the ingredients!


BTW, I forgot to mention that goat’s milk cheese can also be preserved in olive oil.

Here’s a link with pictures. Just mouse over the picture for a description.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/liuiae/1544703266/


Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Pancakes, Pasta, and Potatoes - Perfect Palate Pleasers

Do you want to cook a full day’s meals without a lot of effort and add a little zip to the flavor? With just a few minutes and a little extra effort, this simple little cooking tip will allow you to add some variety to your storage food meals. The best thing is you can avoid the hot sauce and the heartburn!


Brown Butter – The Simple Solution to Tastier Meals

Brown butter is an ideal flavor enhancer and condiment that can be used on a variety of vegetable, pasta, fruits and pastries to add a little extra to the taste. Brown butter takes only takes a few minutes to make but will add a special flavor to otherwise fairly common meals.

How to Make Brown Butter

1. Use 1 stick of unsalted butter for immediate use or 2 sticks to have extra to place in the refrigerator (it will lasts several weeks in an airtight container) for future use. It can also be frozen and thawed for later use.

2. Cut the stick of butter into about 8 to 10 pieces (smaller pieces melt easier due to more exposed surface area) and place in a medium size saucepan at medium heat.

3. Stir the butter constantly (this will prevent residue from sticking to the bottom of the pan) and as the butter cooks, it will start to foam and rise. When the butter stops foaming and rising, continue to cook until amber in color (1 or 2 minutes). It will have a caramel color and a slightly nutty aroma.

4. Turn off the heat, remove the saucepan from the burner and allow any sediment settle to the bottom.

5. Pour the brown butter through a strainer or coffee filter into a small bowl. Be careful not to disturb the residue at the bottom of the pan. The brown butter is now ready for use.

A Simple Menu Plan for the Day

Breakfast – Mix a dash of cinnamon in some of your brown butter and drizzle on your pancakes. Add a little sugar and you could even skip the syrup!

Lunch – Add some chopped parsley to your brown butter, a dash of garlic powder or oregano, and drizzle over a bowl of pasta (noodles, spaghetti, etc.).

Dinner – Add a little sea salt, a dash of pepper, and some chopped shallots to your brown butter and pour it over a nice, hot, baked potato.

Taste really does matter!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Food Storage Recipes - Hoppin' John

Tired of the same old rice and beans? Try something a little different for tonight's menu! An old legend, among many, says a Southern land owner's one-legged slave, whose name happened to be John, hopped around the dinner table as he served a meal of rice and black-eyed peas. For a change of pace in your diet, make some Hoppin’ John for a tasty way to use rice from your food storage supplies. An added bonus is that black-eyed peas generally don’t require pre-soaking prior to cooking.

You can find more information about Hoppin’ John here:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HoppinJohn.htm

You can find a couple of quick and simple recipes here:

Hoppin' John Recipe

Hoppin' John Recipe II

Enjoy a change of pace in your meals or as John would say, " Hop to it! "

BTW, left-over Hoppin' John is known as "Skipping Jenny" and tastes just as good!

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker

Tuesday's Tips for Preppers - Food Tips

Food Tip #1 - Make Your Own Baby Formula


Combine 6 tablespoons of nonfat dry milk, 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in one (1) cup of water (boiled water is safest). Thoroughly mix all the ingredients and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before use if using boiled water.

WARNING: Do not substitute honey or corn syrup for the sugar as they contain bacteria which can cause serious side effects and quite possibly death due to the lack of a fully developed immune system in young babies.


Food Tip # 2 - Make Your Own Electrolyte Beverage (Gatorade, Pedialyte, etc.)

To one quart of water add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 8 teaspoons of granulated sugar. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together.This will replace electrolytes lost by the body due to dehydration caused by diarrhea, vomiting, excessive sweating, etc. A package of Kool-Aid, Crystal Light, etc. may be added to enhance the flavor and color.


Food Tip # 3 - Make Your own Baking Powder

Take a 1/2 tsp. of cream of tartar, add 1/4 tsp. of baking soda and 1/4 tsp. of cornstarch. Blend all ingredients and measure as normal for your cooking needs. (Special Note: If you don't have cornstarch then you will need to increase the baking soda to 1/3 tsp.)


Food Tip # 4 - Make Your Own Self-Rising Flour

Take 1 cup of flour, add 1/2 tsp. of salt and 1/2 tbsp. of baking powder. Mix all ingredients. This can be used in any recipe that specifies self-rising flour.


While you’re thinking about food, please take some time and visit Hannah or Abs at Safely Gathered In . They have a great site with some really good ideas on using long term storage foods in your recipes. They also have a lot of nice pics to go along with their great recipes. Check out their recipes at Food Storage Recipes.

You can also find Safely Gathered In on Riverwalker’s Blog Roll.

Check out the article on my Storage Containers at Riverwalker’s Gear Page.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker