2013 Challenge Update - Jan Accountability

I've been trying to keep track of my progress on this year's goals by keeping a draft form of the monthly updates on blogger.

*Increase our families preparedness food supply to 6 months of long term storage.

We have added these items into buckets and stored them for the long term:
2# Brown sugar
4# Powdered sugar
2# Mung Beans
20ct Earl Grey ind. teabags &  48 Family size teabags
10# parboiled rice
5#Great Northern beans
1.5# Garbanzo beans
1.75# lentils
35 # white sugar

We also scored 10 bags of dried black eyed peas(20 oz) for 25 cents each. They were a close out special from New Years Day at Kroger.

China-mart also had  Alaskan Skinless Boneless Pink Salmon for $1.88 each and we bought 12 cans for salmon croquettes. The expiration date is August 2017, so plenty of time to enjoy them. I'll post a picture recipe at a later date.

With the Super Bowl and special deals, we also purchased 10 cans of Rotel for .48 each. We plan on purchasing more this week.


*Get into better physical shape - diet and exercise.

Jan 1st : 182.2 lbs.
Feb 1st: 179.4 lbs

I did one exercise routine with the TV. I am walking more around campus instead of riding the bus, except for cold and rainy days. I'm also decreasing my intake of Coca-Cola.

Diet AND exercise to lose weight. Dang it. My goal is to lose one pound per month.

I started at 182.2 pounds and will update tomorrow morning with my Feb 1 weight.

*Get better organized in the home.

We have organized the kitchen and got Row's room cleaned out and storage bins labeled for all of his toys. He has done a good job on keeping it cleaner, but we have also been more strict. He'll be getting a small bonus on his allowance.

The trick is to keep the rooms organized and to stay on top of them.

*Complete some long standing projects - Kitchen and downstairs bathroom.

I thought about it, but no action.

*Reorganize our food storage into a better logical format.

We reorganized the downstairs pantry - now to tackle the "stack-it-in-the-back-room-storage-area"

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

*Get better grades in school ( 3 A's 3 B's last semester ).

I'm been spending more time studying this semester, but I think it has more to do with an added online course that takes up more time than a conventional classroom course. I have taken one test and scored an 88% and have 2 tests tomorrow.

I am spending at least 15 hours a week studying, and hopefully it will allow me to get ahead in all of my classes. A few Saturdays will be devoted to family, and no school books will be opened. I'm trying to maintain some sense of balance between the two.

*Go to the range more often with Sweetheart.

We went to wilderness once this month and shot pistols and rifles. Sweetheart needs more pistol time and liked the rifle better than she thought she would. Ammo has been hard to find, otherwise we might have gone out more. The plan is to buy 3 boxes of ammo and shoot one, while storing the other two away for a rainy day.

*Teach the kids new practical survival skills : outdoors skills, common sense camping

On the way back from wilderness, we taught the boys about getting lost and the use of a plastic whistle. We demonstrated that we could whistle louder and longer than yelling.  We also played a game of repeat whistle. I blow the whistle and they blow back in response. I talked to them about the importance of  staying in one location if they get lost, and to have a whistle so that they can be found quicker.

In the same area, we explored shoreline, and touched on the area of fishing and food. What do you think fish eat? Where would you look for fish? Those types of questions and answers.


*Learn to bake better bread.

I finally broke out the Kitchen Aid mixer that Father-in-law bought for us a while ago. My wife was been great about not pushing the subject since I tend to be very Spartan in my furnishings. Heck, I didn't even own a microwave or many kitchen appliances, maybe just a cheap coffee maker. I'm just too stubborn sometimes. It has made a fine addition to the kitchen. The homestead will have more counter space than this house. Ideally, we would like to host our families on the holidays.

I've made many loaves of bread, baguettes, pizza dough, and cinnamon rolls since we opened the box. I need to find more recipes that can be made from the food storage. I also scored a metal recipe box for my index cards for 99 cents at a thrift shop. The new cheapo plastic ones are about $5.00, and not even worth it.

I do need to research how to store and acquire leavening agent during a SHTF scenario. I've lightly researched it, but I'd like to get some real hands on learning.


*Pick three skills to work on with wife.

1- shooting.


*Be more consistent with the MRE Monday reviews.

100% this month. I did all of them this month and have one ready to flesh out for this Monday.

*Improve our family's water plan.

Sadly, nothing done here except for research. Research wouldn't be much good in a bad situation.

*Do a monthly review of each for the blog to hold myself accountable.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Keep Right On Prepping - K

How to Select A Backpacking Sleeping Bag

I've been actively backpacking for over 20 years, and it is my opinion that your selection of a sleeping bag is the most important one that you will make concerning your gear. There are numerous factors in deciding which one to buy. I will not be focusing on car camping sleeping bags since the option to bring blankets or leave is always an option.

There are usually several features that you will have to weigh when selecting your own sleeping bag.

DOWN VS SYNTHETIC:

I have always considered my sleeping bag my last line of defense against hypothermia. Hypothermia is when the body core is lower than the ideal range. The three biggest factors are moisture, wind, and air temperature. I have had small degrees of hypothermia in my wanders, and it can easily escalate into a life threatening situation if you do not take the proper steps to reverse it. Your sleeping bag can mitigate all three of these factors.

I prefer synthetic because it still insulates when it is wet. The tradeoff with synthetic is that it doesn't compress as much as down filled bags, but technological changes have made huge strides in recent years. I would consider carrying a down bag if I was absolutely certain that the bag would stay dry.
Also realize that your body will add moisture inside the sleeping bag, so allowing it to dry out is considered trail maintenance. This could be hard on very humid days.

TEMPERATURE RATING:

I try to buy the best bag for the most extreme temperature ratings for your main area of backpacking. If in doubt, buy a lower rating than normal because you can always unzip it a little, if you get too hot.

In the south, I have always been comfortable in a 0 degree mummy bag. If I was making regular  trips to the alpine regions of Colorado, then I would purchase a lower temperature rating sleeping bag.

SIZE AND WEIGHT:

The "Big Three" of backpacking are the three items that contribute the most weight to your backpack. These are the pack, tent, and sleeping bag.  I learned a new saying early in my hobby, "Ounces make pounds". Needless to say, if you are of average height, don't buy the extra long sleeping bag.  I've found that around six inches distance between your foot and the bottom of the bag leaves plenty of room to stash your clothes. TIP: Keeping your clothes in the bottom of the sleeping bag makes it much more pleasant to get dressed on those cold cold mornings.

VOLUME:

This is an often overlooked factor in determining the sleeping bag that is right for you. Sleeping bags do take up a lot of real estate in your backpack.

DESIGN:

I would only consider mummy bags.

*A well designed bag will have draft tubes behind the zippers. These draft tubes block air from creeping inside the bag.

*A collar is another great design feature. The collar is situated under the chin and performs the same function as the draft tubes.

* The hood should have a drawstring opening so you can cinch it down around your face when it gets cold. TIP: Larry Williams, my backpacking mentor, showed me how to stuff my sleeping bag's stuff sack with clothes to form a pillow.

SHELL AND LINING:

Water proof is not the same as water resistant. Keep this in mind when looking at sleeping bags.

I highly recommend visiting a local outdoors shop that has a knowledgeable staff, and have your list of priorities. For example: I would say that "I'm definitely looking a mummy bag with these features: synthetic, lightweight, and zero degrees rating. It would also be nice if it packed small (compressibility)."

The store clerk can then guide you to what they have in stock. Your job will be to examine each bag for their features and price. One last word, there are some great bags out there for reasonable prices. I am still using the same bag I purchased over 15 years ago at $200.00, and the same comparable bag can now be purchased for around $75.00.

BONUS TIPS:

When you wake up in the middle of the night or early morning, and have to urinate. Go! The amount of body heat to keep the urine warm is considerable, and you'll sleep much warmer with an empty bladder.

A quick way to warm up when you first get into the sleeping bag is to repeatedly relax and contract the muscles. I've found that I'm fairly comfortable in less than a minute.

MRE Monday - Crackers

 One of the newer items from Emergency Essentials was the side dish of crackers. I ordered them, and here is the review.

 Nutritional Information:

Serving Size: 1.33 oz.
Calories: 180
Calories from fat: 50
Total Fat: 6g or 9% DV
Cholesterol: 0mg or 0% DV
Sodium: 115mg or 5% DV
Total Carbohydrates: 29g or 10% DV
Dietary Fiber: 0g or 0% DV
Sugars: 0g
Protein: 4g
Vitamin A: 0% DV
Vitamin C: 0% DV
Calcium:  25% DV
Iron: 10%

Expectations:
Okay, crackers really aren't that special, but some saltines sure would be nice after spending a few weeks on the trail. Especially if you combined it with one of the MRE soups or stews.

 

Realities:

Row, who had a recent birthday, and is now the seven year old in our house, thought that the crackers were too thick. He took small bites and was generally disinterested in the crackers.

Red Ant, the four year old, paired his cracker sample with his salad, and relished the crackers in ranch dressing. He didn't have to be prodded or bribed into eating them, and was happy to eat another cracker, or two.

Mother-in-law was over for dinner, so you'll get a bonus review. She thought that they looked like they wouldn't have any flavor, but after sampling thought that they were the perfect cracker to serve something on. She thought this because it had such a light taste.

Sweetheart wasn't impressed and thought that it had a generic taste with no real flavor. She did comment that these would be a great crunch factor when all of the saltines have gone stale.

I thought it would have been nice to have some salt on the top of the crackers. They were a bit thicker than regular saltines which gave it a hefty crunch. I had thought that I'd miss the salt, but after a few bites thought that it was a nice change.

Final Thoughts:

They are a bit on the pricy side with 8 sized saltines going for $.95. This wouldn't be a good value for a retreat, but I might consider adding a few to a week long backpacking trip. I does score 3 stars with Red Ant, Sweetheart, and myself giving it the thumbs up.

Stars: * * *  (3)

Pinewood Derby Day Results

Row was a pretty good sport about things, which is the most important lesson from today. I did a little prepping going into the Derby, and explained to him that we may not win. The light clicked and he understood that this was our first year, and next year would be better.

 

Red Ant with Pincers and Row had their picture taken here. This is a photo of Row that can go onto the blog since it doesn't show his entire face.

Once the cars were entered and weighed, they were put on display behind the track. Each car raced three times and each time on a different track. I weighed our car  on a scale at our house and had it close to 5 ounces, but once we went to the post office, it weighed 5.9 ounces. Assuming the post office scales were calibrated, we dropped too much weight. I'll know better next year, and hopefully have a scale that I'll be using for reloading.

 

There were 64 cars and almost all of them looked great. I was selected as a judge and the five of us picked out the best original car, funniest, and best representation of Cub Scouts. Row's car is #48 which is the lower right one. He finished 2nd on track 3, second on track 2 and first on track 1. His car averaged about 3.4 seconds per race. He was so excited to finish first, and I'm thankful that he did so well on the last race. It was a great way to end his circuit. He also got to race against his best friend on the last race too, and it was cool to see them both excited.

The race results were projected on a big screen behind the track and display case. It was also electronically timed to 5 digits. The fastest car this year had a time of 3.0812 - and it was burning up the track! Incidentally, the father of the cub scout car happened to be a coworker that I worked with at my very first job. We are going to catch up at one of the later pack meetings. He kinda took me under his wings so to speak, and we hung out at work and after work too. I think I got my first beer buzz with him.

These guys catch the cars at the end of the track.

I do have a few ideas for next year :-)

Keep Right On Prepping - K

Secret Weapons & A Block of Pine

Tomorrow is our Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby. Row and I, with a little help from Granddad, crafted this beauty.

We took it to the post office and put it on the scales. A little over 5 ounces , but we can make some modifications at the weigh in.

Real metal duct tape on the bottom for a few grams

Rear View

I'll just happen to have a Phillips screwdriver in my back pocket to lighten the car to the legal limit (141.7 g) and a little Graphite Powder in the front pocket to help reduce friction at the wheels.

After Row heads to bed, I'll do some touching up on the paint and maybe add something Star Wars related.

Keep Right On Prepping - K

Print logo and add tape.

UPDATE:

Thanks TinCan Assassin!!!

Because It Is Important...

Repost

Ruger has set up a quick and easy action step for gun owners to let ALL of your representatives in the United States of America know how you feel about new gun legislation. Don't let Mrs Frankenstein weaken OUR 2nd Amendment Rights. She needs to be brought up on charges of treason for failing to protect the Constitution.

It's not about needing an AR-15. It's not about the children. It is about keeping wanna-be tyrants in check, like our Founding Fathers had the wisdom to foresee.

Just Label Me

Our class logo to Fenstein

For the overly sensitive, I apologize. Now, go do your civic duty and use the link below.

Click Here.


Let's see if we can make it a million emails to our representatives.

Total 1-13....138,199 people
         1-16....439,282 people
         1-24.... 725,441 people
          1-25.... 772,158 people

Keep Right On Prepping - K

U-Verse Lessons

U-verse is currently reporting that 1% of their 47,000,000 customers are having connectivity issues. So 47,000 people, though I suspect that the total number is higher. Remember how BP initially lied about the flow rate of the oil from the Gulf spill? They want to gradually give you the truth in small increments. It makes it much more palatable. I digress...

One of my classmates is affected by the outage because he bundled his services through AT&T, which means no phone, no television, no internet. I suggested that he take his laptop to a hotspot and do his homework there. He doesn't have a laptop. While it's not a big issue, he has computers are that available on campus for schoolwork.

I did talk to a few IT guys today about the outage, and they assured me that it is NOT just a "server going down" like they are self reporting. They have redundant systems in place for just such scenarios. So what would cause spot outages? Cyber warfare, a demonstration perhaps? Their Wall Street earnings are being released this Thursday. I doubt it, but within the realms of possibility. The most likely cause is some new program that isn't "playing nice" with the other programs. Anyone heard of the Six Strikes? I've provided a link for the curious. I'm placing my bets on this reason.

So...how can all of this fit into prepping?  Communications. Do you have a laptop to find an active wi-fi hotspot? Various methods to gather information in a wider event? Radio, battery powered of course.

How would you gather information?

-Car radio, battery powered radio, newspaper,cell phones, and TV w/ antenna & digital converter are a few ways that we can do it at our household. Oh, and can't forget the rumor mill neighbors.

How would you send information to your spouse/children/retreat members?

Sadly, we have even fewer ways to send information. Cell phone and land line are the most common ways. We also have a preset gathering point for one of our retreat members with a communication system already discussed. A ham radio operator would be a big benefit to our group. CB radios in shorter distances would be another option, as well as handheld radios.

What are your ways to give/receive information? The comment board is open.

Keep Right On Prepping - K

MRE Monday - LRP Beef Stroganoff

A few months ago I ordered a sample package of the Long Range Patrol ( "LuRP" ) MREs. The original Lurp dates back to 1964. It was designed for Special Operation troops that patrolled deep into VietCong territory when C-rations were too heavy for extended missions while on foot.

The Lurp has gone through several variations since it's first introduction. In 1994, this newest version of the Lurp was designed to allow the soldier to carry more food at a lower weight. This is the main advantage of the Lurp. The Lurp does have it's disadvantages in arid dry climates when water is not readily available versus the standard MRE which requires water only for the beverage.

The full title on the package reads "Freeze Dried Stroganoff with Beef & Noodles".

Roughly 5 oz dry weight

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size: 4.59 oz.(dry) Add 16 oz Hot water and wait ten minutes
Calories: 590
Calories from fat: 200
Total Fat: 22g or 34% DV
Cholesterol: 95mg or 32% DV
Sodium: 1540mg or 64% DV
Total Carbohydrates: 70g or 23% DV
Dietary Fiber: 11g or 44% DV
Sugars: 14g
Protein: 27g
Vitamin A: 10% DV
Vitamin C: 20% DV
Calcium:  30% DV
Iron: 20%

Expectations:

I have never been a fan of Beef Stroganoff, but approached this with an open mind. Sweetheart likes pasta and was enthusiastic about trying this one.

A look inside of the pouch without water.

Realities:

Row, the almost seven year old, turned his nose up at the small dish and thought that they didn't look good. After a small bite, he said that " They don't taste good." I asked him to take another bite to make sure, but he couldn't comprehend why I would want him to take another when he didn't like the first one. I didn't press the issue, and told him it was okay to set it aside. I don't want to alienate one of my food critics.

Red Ant, the soon to be four year old, also commented that he didn't like it even before it made it into his mouth. He took a bite, and that was it for the Beef Stroganoff.

Sweetheart, the soon to be,  liked the thin noodles and said that the flavor was "not bad". She took a few more bites and noted that the noodles had a good consistency. She did say that the freeze dried Beef Stroganoff was better than the freeze dried scrambled eggs that we had tried last year. The bits of beef could have a better texture, was another observation that she noted. She finished her sample and said that she would eat this again.

Mother-in-law was having dinner with us, soon she was included in this review. She immediately noticed the freeze dried flavor and thought it was a bit overwhelming. I was a little puzzled because I had never really noticed a "freeze dried" flavor, and thought it was curious. She did finish her sample, and made the note that some things [MREs] she had tried with us, "She would eat everyday, while others she would eat if circumstances  dictated it." The Beef Stroganoff fell into the circumstance category. Overall, she liked it and would eat it without reservation.

I thought that it had a creamy texture and the noodles were plentiful. The beef bits were a nice change in texture, and the sauce ended up being a pleasant surprise. While it was still a freeze dried meal, it was a big meal in contrast to the usual MRE sizes. This pouch does make a hefty meal, and it's dry weight is only five ounces.

 

Final Thoughts:

The size and calories of this Lurp is greater than the standard MRE. This is a good design feature for this meal as it was intended - long patrols with a lot of calories to be burned and replaced. The sodium content is high, but needs to be replaced in a strenuous situation. The portion is also hefty and would satisfy a big hunger.

After trying this freeze dried meal, we will be putting a #10 can on our wish list for long term food storage. The great thing about freeze dried meals is that if the kids don't like it, we can fix them something else easily. Theoretically, we could have four different freeze dried meals and only have to worry about boiling water for everyone.

Two stars, but we are ordering a big can for home storage and more of these Lurps for our backpacking trips.

Stars: * * ( 2 )

The Nerd in Me and Ammo Trends

I like to nerd out, and research topics that interest me. So, I present to you a new tool for your research bag. Google trends.

One of my newer posts has had a steady hit, and climbed into the top ten most popular posts. The Ammunition Availability Poll 2013 has had about 14 to 20 hits per day. Plug in "ammo", which was a more popular search request than "ammunition", and you get this graph.

You can zoom into a closer time frame, here is the same graph over 12 months.

Be sure to set the regional interest to the United States for a state by state guide.

.223 graph - Look at that spike and the American Redoubt.

The 2nd Amendment? Wyoming wins first prize in the search index while Hawaii is last. California near the bottom too.

The graph shows the last ammo shortage of 2009, and compares them based on search engine key words.

Draw your own conclusions. Insert different search words and see what you find.

You can also overlay 5 different key words to the graph to make your own relationships between them.

The forecast option on the graph is also quite interesting. But I'd like to know more about how they forecast these trends. I'm sure it is an algorithm, patented of course.

Comments?

Keep Right On Prepping - K

For my Blogging Friends - Ammunition Depot still has some good deals. No .223/5.56 but some other ammo I haven't seen available elsewhere. 9mm,.45,.40, and

				Wolf 7.62mm x 39mm 123 Grain FMJ WOLF76239 Ammunition - a - 20 Round Box
				Price / Box: $9.97

Getting There

Repost

Ruger has set up a quick and easy action step for gun owners to let ALL of your representatives in the United States of America know how you feel about new gun legislation.

Click Here.


Let's see if we can make it a million emails to our representatives.

Total 1-13 @ 6:04 : 138,199 people
         1-13 @11:04 164,200 people
         1-16 @9:03  439,282

Keep Right On Prepping - K

MRE Monday - Kreamsicle Cookie

Today's MRE is a new one available at Emergency Essentials. In my two years of ordering through E.E. , this is the first time that I can recall seeing it. This is another dessert MRE.

I'd like to apologize for the poor quality of pictures. The camera was running on low batteries, and the lighting was terrible.

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size: 1 cookie is a little over 2 oz.
Calories: 270
Calories from fat: 120
Total Fat: 13g or 20% DV
Cholesterol: 10mg or 3% DV
Sodium: 190mg or 8% DV
Total Carbohydrates: 34g or 11% DV
Dietary Fiber: 0g or 0% DV
Sugars: 18g
Protein: 2g
Vitamin A: 0% DV
Vitamin C: 0% DV
Calcium:  8% DV
Iron: 6%

Expectations:
I haven't been overly impressed with any of the MRE cookies. I have found them hard, and lacking in taste. I did approach this sample with an open mind, as I really didn't have a clue as what was meant by "Kreamsicle".

Realities:
Red Ant with Pincers, who has his fourth birthday this week, took a bite and said that "I like it!".  I even bribed him into finishing his rice with soy sauce to get the rest of my cookie. This is actually a big deal since he is rather stubborn about food. After he got my cookie, he had this big grin on his face and giggled with delight. Sweetheart and I asked him what he liked about it and he said, "It's not spicy and taste yummy!"  One Star.

Row, who has his seventh birthday this week, took his usual small bite, then another. He quickly said, "I like it". I asked him what he thought about it and he gave me the thumbs up. Two stars. I was unable to persuade him to finish his green beans for my cookie though.

Sweetheart thought that it tasted like a orange version of the lemon Girl Scout cookie. She made sure to note that anything compared to a Girl Scout cookie is a good thing. She also added that it had a good citrusy flavor. Three stars.

I took a small bite, and was pleasantly surprised by the excellent flavor and texture. I was hard, but not being the usual tooth breaker like most MRE cookies. I finally nailed the flavor description as "tastes like they put orange sherbert in a cookie" Four Stars.

Final Thoughts:
I had another MRE ready to be published, but bumped this one into it's slot. Each cookie is priced at $1.25, which I think is a fair price considering the four star rating and long term packaging. We are ordering at least 20-30 on our next Emergency Essentials order. If you like Orange Sherbert, then you'll love these cookies.

Stars: * * * * (4)


Keep Right On Prepping - K

Use It or Lose It

Ruger has set up a quick and easy action step for gun owners to let ALL of your representatives in the United States of America know how you feel about new gun legislation.

Click Here.


Let's see if we can make it a million emails to our representatives.

Total 1-13 @ 6:04 : 138,199 people
                   @11:04 164,200 people


Keep Right On Prepping - K

My Conversation at China-mart about Ammo

We had to go to the store today, and I ran by the sporting section to look at ammunition. There wasn't much left, and I had this conversation with a sales associate placing an electronic order.

K - What's the deal with the ammo? Is there going to be any more or is it getting bought as soon as it comes in?

Associate (with order gun) - I'm trying to order it, but it won't accept it. All the pistol ammo and 223 can't be ordered.

K - Are they waiting for the gun control meeting in Washington or what?

Associate - I don't know.

K - When do you think Wal-mart will get some more? Is it that hard to get ammo?

Associate - (shows me the screen from the ordering system) It reads "No orders allowed from the home office"

So, it looks like the home office has taken all the .223 ammo and pistol ammo out of circulation for Wal-mart. Politics? Backlogged?  Since Sam Walton's death, Wal-mart has been against main street America. It has been against the worker, America manufacturer, and solely about the bottom line. Just another reason to get your preps in order - Corporate America is not on your side. Really, it not that surprising? Any other blog readers have some inside information about Wal-mart and ammunition sales? Anyone asked the associates?


Comments are always welcome.

Keep Right On Prepping - K

Back on the Track & Pictures

I started school two days ago, so the goal is to post every other day. Of course that goes without saying, that if I've got some killer test in Radiation Exposure Class, then I'm studying and not blogging.

And a little humor:

Take Care and Keep Right On Prepping - K

Another New Page

I've added another "How to" pictorial on the top tabs about storing food in canning jars with oxygen eaters.

Check it out, and feel free to leave a comment.

Keep Right On Prepping - K

Warm Bread

Unbox this from a few years back...

Combine with This Recipe

.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, approximately

Preparation:

1. In large bowl, add the warm water. Slowly stir in dry yeast. Continue to stir until yeast is dissolved.
   
   
2. Add salt, sugar, shortening, and milk to bowl. Stir.
   
   
3. Mix in the first 2 cups of flour.
   
   
4. If needed, begin adding more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough chases the spoon around the bowl.
   
   
5. You do not need to use up all the flour called for in this recipe, or you may need more flour than called for. The amounts vary depending on many factors, including weather, which is why most bread recipes only give an approximate amount of flour needed.
   
   
6. Turn dough out onto floured board and knead, adding small spoonfuls of flour as needed, until the dough is soft and smooth, not sticky to the touch.
   
   
7. Put dough in buttered bowl, turn dough over so that the top of dough is greased. Cover and let rise in warm spot for 1 hour.
   
   
8. Punch down dough. Turn out onto floured board and knead.
   
   
9. Preheat oven at 375 degrees F.
   
   
10. Form dough into loaf and set in buttered bread pan. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.
    
    
11. Score dough by cutting three slashes across the top with a sharp knife. Put in oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.
    
    
12. Turn out bread and let cool on a rack or clean dishtowel.

Equals this...

Please excuse me, I have a warm loaf of homemade bread screaming at me. I'll have to silence it with some butter.

Take Care and Keep Right On Prepping - K

Uncommon Calibers for Uncommon Times

My wife has said that I have been focused on guns lately, which is true,but given the current climate I think that it is wise to really be thinking about self defense.

If you've spent any amount of time prepping, and own guns. Then you have heard the conventional wisdom of buying a gun in the most common calibers. While this is still excellent advice in being able to find ammunition in a SHTF scenario, I'd like to present another argument.

During this latest spike in ammunition demand, the most common calibers have been wiped out.

If I had my weapon(s) squared away, then I would consider adding a less common caliber into the storeroom. Here is my reasoning, if you are out shopping for a coming crisis, you would still be able to buy ammo that everyone else doesn't need. Go look at your current supply that is available, and see what caliber of ammo is still available and make your decision on a comparable caliber for your needs/wants. I guess this would only apply if you don't currently have enough ammo stockpiled, which could be an entirely new post.

Maybe a 303, 30-30 or 38 Special, 357 Sig, or 7.62x54R?

Just Sayin' and comments/debates/discussions are always welcomed.

Keep Right On Prepping - K

An Unexpected Package

I got home from the grocery store and picking up the kids, when I saw this unexpected package by the door.

What could it be?

Kelly sent this package for our family!!!

Sorry for the blurry picture, but it is strike anywhere matches in a pint jar with the strike paper on top.  Along with the package was a nice note...and yes, preppers do love strike anywhere matches. Sweetheart has been on a "we must stockpile more matches" kick. I agree with her, and think we should include more Bic lighters.

Thanks and Keep Right On Prepping - K

MRE Monday - Mexican Style Rice

The first MRE to be reviewed this year is the Mexican Style Rice.

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size: 142 g (5oz)
Calories: 370
Calories from fat: 45
Total Fat: 5g or 8% DV
Cholesterol: 0mg or 0% DV
Sodium: 580mg or 24% DV
Total Carbohydrates: 71g or 24% DV
Dietary Fiber: 3g or 12% DV
Sugars: 1g
Protein: 8g
Vitamin A: 15% DV
Vitamin C: 6% DV
Calcium:  6% DV
Iron: 30%

 Expectations:

After another MRE Fried Rice dish, I wasn't very hopeful about this side dish. We were having Mexican food that night, so it made sense to give this one a review.

The usual heating method.

Realities:

Row, the soon to be seven year old, was pretty funny and put two small grains of rice on a spoon and carefully put it into his mouth. After which, he said, "I don't like it." This seems to be the typical response to any MRE that we have tried recently. I asked for a further explanation and he said that it was spicy.

Red Ant with Pincers, the soon to be four year old, immediately said that he didn't like it, but didn't spit it out.

Sweetheart, the food critic extraordinaire, sampled her dish and noticed that it was "heavy on one of the flavors". It was immediately narrowed down to chili powder, which looking at the photo is now obvious. She thought it was a nice touch to be able to see small bits of real bell pepper. After a few more bites, she commented again that the chili powder was still way too heavy for the side dish, but salt did improve the overall taste. She said that "I would eat it again, as long as I had salt." It wasn't on the top of her list, but wouldn't go out of her way to buy it either.

My first observation was that it had little bits of corn in it. The second one was that I had the same thoughts on the chili powder, it was too much. They probably could have halved the amount of chili powder and still produced a spicy rice dish.

   
 Final Thoughts:

Overall, only one person would buy this product again, but it wasn't on the A list either. If you like spicy and rice, then by all means order one and see what you think about it yourself. Personally, I would rather pack in a precooked pouch of rice that has a greater quantity and quality for about the same price. On the other hand, MRE's main advantage is they are precooked, and have any extremely long shelf life. You'll need to determine your balance between the two: shelf life and portability versus cost and taste.

Stars: * ( 1) 

Keep Right On Prepping - K