MRE to freeze dried to other foods comparisons

I thought that this information was very well laid out and meshed nicely with my series on MREs. So here's the link

Or if you want to cut and paste:

http://preparednessadvice.com/food_storage/comparisons-of-mres-to-dehydrated-freeze-dried-and-other-foods-2/#.T3ITStUZdPy

-K

MRE Monday - Chicken, Pulled with Buffalo Sauce (+ Recipe)

My Third MRE is Chicken, Pulled with Buffalo Style Sauce for $2.60.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Calories: 260 Calories for entire package (from fat 70)
Total Fat 8g or 12% Daily Value
Saturated Fat 2.5g or 13% DV
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 80mg or 27% DV
Sodium 1460mg or 61% DV
Total Carbohydrate 20g or 7% DV
Dietary Fiber 0g or 0% DV
Sugars 2g
Protein 28g
Vitamin A 25% DV
Vitamin C 10% DV
Calcium 2% DV
Iron 8% DV

Expectations: I really didn't have any major expectations. They were actually quite low.

Reality: The package once heated and opened didn't look very appetizing. The pulled chicken tasted like a shredded hot wing. The spice was too hot for the boys, so I wouldn't give it to any kids. I didn't care for it, but my wife thought it might be good over rice mixed with cream cheese and ranch as a dip ( I  had to correct this glaring mistake ).

Final Thoughts: I will not be buying this MRE again. In my opinion, this is a lousy product. I might not eat it, even if I didn't have anything else. The MRE did not get any votes from the family, so I would call this one a loser. If you do happen to like this, I have an easy solution to recreate this MRE for about the same cost, but with more yield.

RECIPE: Pulled Chicken with Buffalo Sauce

Favorite Hot Sauce

Butter ( dehydrated butter may be used - hydrate as directed)

Canned Chicken 

Start by mixing 1 oz. Hot sauce to 1 oz. melted butter. Make about  2-4 ounces to your preference. Open can of chicken then dump into mixture. Heat or microwave until it reaches 165 degrees F. Serve.

Prepping Part Two - A new Hobby

 This is a continuation of my prepping series.

My brother-in-law and sister have started to take an interest in emergency preparation or prepping. This is what I would tell them.

I am not advocating spending a ridiculous amount of money on preparing. I am instead advocating spending a little time and money now as insurance...just in case. Prepping items should always be an item that you are going to use, otherwise it is wasting money. I actually consider prepping to be a hobby of mine.

I like to backpack, so all of the gear that I do purchase will be used for family camping trips. It just so happens that if an natural disaster destroys our house. If our gear is available, then we will have a place to stay, and more importantly, know how to use it. We will also have alternative ways to cook in case the electricity goes out: a Coleman Stove and a Propane grill.  I currently have about 2 gallons of Coleman fuel and two full 15 pound Propane tanks. I always seem to run out of propane when I just start cooking some BBQ chicken. These two are more than enough to last an above average power outage. I really need to purchase a new water filter and those Berkey water filters sure look nice.

I also like to save money at the grocery store. I use coupons, track the cyclical prices of groceries, and stockpile excellent deals until the next one rolls around. I recently purchased five 14 oz Frenchs mustard for a final price of 39 cents each ( the usual cost is 2.49 ). This should last us well into the summer until the Labor Day Grilling sales roll around. By using this technique, I am preparing for inflation. I'll only find fools to argue that inflation isn't happening. No wonder the Core Inflation Index does NOT include energy or foods prices. Anybody gotten gasoline lately?

I know that I'm not normal and think that grocery shopping is a game. I try to see how much I can buy for the smallest amount of cash. My waist line can testify that we eat good at our house. I'll buy those T-bone steaks that are on sale this week in a minute. Do you see where I'm going? Moderation in your preparations.

 Actually Old Photo of some of my short term food supply. The buckets have rice,beans, and sugar.

Now that I have gotten completely off on a tangent, back to what I would tell them. Start by looking for sales at the grocery store. They already track the prices. Stockpile food that you use, use it, and rotate it. Buy multiple papers for the coupons.  I strongly recommend storing enough water for at least one week. Our family has a water supply that will last us about 3 weeks. This doesn't include the hot water tank that holds 40 gallons. That is 35 gallons for their family ( 2 adults, 2 kids, and a dog --- 1 gallon per day ). Wally world Megamart has a seven gallon container for around $10.

Action Steps:

• Stockpile water. ( 1 gallon per person per day )
• Expand food and water supplies for 3 days.
• Expand food and water supplies for 7 days.
• Expand food supplies for 2 weeks.
• Expand food supplies for 1 month.
• Expand food supplies for 3 months.
• Use sales and coupons to your advantage!!!

Water and Food. Moderation.

One Skillet Camping Breakfast

Smoked Egg Croissant with Bacon

Ingredients:

Eggs

Butter or Squeeze Margarine

Smoked Cheddar

Croissants

Precooked Bacon

1. Split the croissant in two, butter and brown in skillet.
2. Set the croissant off to the side. Add small amount of butter to the skillet and begin to fry the egg hard.
3. Flip the egg, add sliced smoked cheddar, and top with bacon. Cover to melt cheese and finish cooking the egg.
4. Combine into sandwich. Serve on a paper towel to make clean up easier.

This is a usual backpacking staple when the crew goes out into the woods. Two is average per person per morning.

They Already Tax Stupid

Normally, I'm not a big fan of bumper stickers, but I had to buy this one.

I'm not sure if it is going on my school satchel or my old paid off car. I think that the satchel will get more mileage, plus I like to be the gray man. I can't understand why anyone wants a flashy car. Loaded with an annoying muffler that sounds like a vuvuzela. Just to have the cops look at you while you speed.

New Advertising

I signed up for Adsense to help draw some revenue into the preps. Full time school is rapidly approaching, and I wanted to get another revenue stream going. I was really leaning towards not having advertising because it would distract from my message. However narcissistic that might be. I hate advertising. I'll do away with it once other means become available and I'm exploring those options now.

The commercialism of today's society is rampant. We Americans use way too much, and it seems like we have a throw away society. This is contradictory to being frugal.

(Art taken from groaction.com)

Being frugal is not about being afraid to spend money. It is about buying quality and making what you have last longer. It is about getting the most for your money. It is about enjoying what you already have, rather than what you want. It is about discipline - yes, it is very unpopular in today's society. It is about saving first, then paying with cash. Remember, interest is just another tax. It is about patience, and waiting for that sale to stock up on dry goods. For example, I loaded up on green beans for .39 each, and they regularly sale for almost a dollar. It is about stretching a dollar. It is also about being kind, and making that donation to the food bank or church. It is about giving. A closed fist that is holding onto the money is not open to receive anything either.

Prepping Part One - A baby step

The task of prepping can be an intimidating action. It is too easy to say that, "Oh, it will never happen". Do you have insurance? This is a common form of preparing. Preparing for an accident or just in case. I know that this is a lame example and it is often overused, but it is true.

 My sister and brother-in-law have started to think about preparing. What would I tell them to do? They have two small boys and a pet dog. So basically, five people in the house to be taken care of in case of an emergency.

The first thing that I would recommend is to have an evacuation plan in place. Talk about the steps that would be taken if either parent is at work and the kids are at daycare? What would they do? Who goes and gets the kids? What if the cell phones aren't working? A SOP ( Standard Operating Procedure ) needs to be discussed. Such basics need to be covered:

• Documents should be together with all relevant information. Passports, IDs, Insurance Papers, Account Information, Cash , UBS Thumbdrive with electronic info etc...
• Discuss if each member is at a different place and how the family regroups. Rally point(s).
• Low Tech Communication if cell phones don't work. We use our refrigerator as our message board.
• A quick list of what needs to be taken. Plan ahead with a BOB ( bug out bag ) or be able to get everything in 5 minutes or less. Make a list.
• Where are you going? Plan A and a Plan B, even a Plan C would be better. Does anyone need to know where you will be going?
• Make sure that a vehicle is reliable with a reserve gas stash to make the trip without being dependent on gas stations. 
• Talk about security. If things get bad, the unprepared will want your stuff.
• Water and/or food to get you to your location.

Communication would be my first suggestion.

USS Alabama

On our most recent trip to the beach, we stopped at the USS Alabama in Mobile, Alabama for a sack lunch. We usually bring sandwiches to eat somewhere along the route. They taste better and we can eat a little healthier.

The parking costs $2.00 and is well worth the price for a few picnic tables and a nice gulf breeze. The park area is loaded with a lot of military vehicles, but you can't climb on them. I would have really liked for the boys to be able to climb into and on some of them to get an idea of what our Grandfathers rode in WWII.

You can get the idea of size by the people on the bow and the ramp. 

Lots of equipment around.

An interesting bit of info, the ship also serves as a Hurricane Shelter.

The boys had a great time feeding the seagulls too.