Dehydrating carrots and making sauerkraut

Carrots and Cabbage

Carrots and cabbage—I love them both.  Since we do not have a greenhouse, we wanted to preserve what food surplus we had now to get us through the winter.  Carrots dehydrate so nicely and are great for soups, stews and casseroles.  Cabbage is high in Vitamin C, ferments so easily and stores very well in the form of sauerkraut. 

 

 

A Polish friend recommended this recipe to us, and it is now one of our go-to-cannot-possibly-fail standards: take some sausage and potatoes and cook them in a cast iron skillet.  Then add sauerkraut and applesauce at the end.  Simmer for ten minutes and you have a complete meal.  On a cold winter night, this is pretty tough to beat! 

 

Sauerkraut is a great source of probiotics, which are great for the health of your gastrointestinal tract.  Sauerkraut is such a simple way to store cabbage and the probiotics that are created naturally from the bacteria found in cabbage make this a great addition to your pantry.  Here is a great article on some of the history and benefits of lacto-fermented “super foods.” 

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Acorn SquashIngredients

2 acorn squash, halved

1 chopped onion

2-3 garlic cloves

Butter or Olive Oil

1 lb sausage

Thyme

Rosemary

Sage (optional, depending on the strength of sausage used)

                   Sour Cream, optional

 

1.   Either microwave or roast (in water) acorn squash halves until tender.

 

2.   For filling, sauté onions and garlic in butter or olive oil.  Add sausage, thyme, rosemary, and sage to taste (I’m not going to tell you how much of each to add, some of it depends on your recipe size, but my suggestion is that you use 2x the thyme than you do rosemary  or sage).  Add a “swirl” of maple syrup and 1 cup walnuts when it is nearly completely cooked.

3.  Add the filling to the softened squash and roast in the oven to just broil…

 

 4. Serve with a dollop of sour cream onto each one, and serve with creamy (or cheesy) broccoli soup and bread sticks

Cheesy Broccoli Soup and Stuffed Acorn SquashStuffed Acorn Squash

 

Picture of Squash used from: The Cook’s Thesaurus

Chaya’s Video Review: free online movie, “Back to Eden”

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”  Genesis 2:15 (NIV)  We see that God made everything perfect, man freely chose sin and the consequences have been very bad—exactly the opposite of what God described His creation (Genesis 1:31).

 

Before ever watching Back to Eden, I took the time to read the reviews for it here, on Permies.com.  This site is devoted to permaculture, the practice of growing your garden in a productive and natural way, and certainly represents individuals from all walks of life and from a variety of world views.  They seemed impressed with the video, saying that the gardens and the science in the video were excellent, and they did not feel “proselytized”, as one forum member put it. 

 

I was in awe.  This video was absolutely amazing.  Where to start?

Carrots from Back to Eden

 

Price:  The generosity of Paul Gautschi comes through—this full length movie can be viewed freely here, on the movie’s website! They simply ask that if you were inspired by this movie, that you would consider purchasing copies for yourself or others as gifts (that makes Christmas shopping easy this year).   

Update: We were so moved by this movie that we have requested the ability to retail it, and we now have it in stock.  Please consider purchasing the movie directly from Pantry Paratus.  

 

The production and design: The movie was brilliantly done in a simple way that allowed the gardens to speak.  The music was all original and fitting, the sections were divided in a very clever way that brought giggles (yes, never sit by me in a movie).  And the overall movie quality and content was such that I sat there watching every line of the credits afterward.

 New Growth from Back to Eden

Content: Paul Gautschi’s gardening techniques are simple yet brilliant.  His theories are proven true by his garden and the gardens of others featured in this video, and no one can deny that the man knows what he is talking about.  He is passionate in his speech, gentle in his actions, and motivational to those who meet him personally and to those of us who have only had the pleasure of watching him on screen.  He stresses the Biblical concept of  Matthew 11: 28-30, and Paul explains that Jesus was saying “I don’t do things like the world.” What does the world use a yoke for? To plow the ground, and it’s a lot of work.  Jesus said that his yoke is easy, his burden light.  And to quote Paul Gautschi: “We work hard to fail.”  There is a better way.

 

The connection to God:  Paul’s knowledge of Scripture was quite humbling to me.  He does not preach (the Permies crowd agreed), but he weaves the Word of God into his gardening—or is it the other way around?—in such a seamless way that you begin to understand the nature of the God of the Bible. 

Beets from Back to Eden

 

Overall effect: This movie calmed my spirit to the core and yet reignited a passion for both gardening and God’s Word!  I left the movie believing that I could replicate what I saw because the techniques were simple.  I also left in a prayerful attitude and in repentance.  A garden cannot be rushed—and neither can God’s timing, which is something for which I am notorious (on both counts). 

 *****

 A note to believers: Can others see your garden and see the glory of God?  I can only laugh a nervous kind of laugh in reply.  Fewer things bring me closer to cussing than the weeds in mine!  Could my garden be a reflection of my Savior?  For that matter, are there other areas of my life that need “tended” to reflect the glory of God?

 “Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,” – 2 Corinthians 9:10

 

I’d also like to direct Christians to one more website.  God has given us a mandate to care for the earth but yet Christians aren’t necessarily characterized by leadership in the cause for good stewardship.  Take the time to check out this site: http://www.creationcare.org/

 

 Here is a length to the full length movie.

Wilson’s Book Review: Michael Smith’s Killer Elite

“Wow!”  That may be the one word to use to sum up my reaction to reading Michael Smith’s fascinating work of America’s most elite Special Operations Forces.  If I were to expand my commentary into say, three words, I would pick: Complexity, Creativity and Resistance.

 

Starting with the failure of the EAGLE CLAW mission of 1980 and running right up to the present day (2006-2007 when the book was published), this book is a page-turner.  It is a chronicle of all of the major world conflicts that feature threats to American citizens and her interests abroad.  Take any conflict that we see today, and the chances are good that the root causes for them reach back to the 1970’s when the cast of usual suspects set things into motion.  The book covers in equal parts the fascinating job of “the shooters” and the teams that are tasked with providing the intelligence for the men executing the plan and the decision makers. 

 

The guys keeping everyone in-the-know are referred to the book as “the Activity” which is an innocuous enough sounding name for a very small team of people tasked with such an enormous, undefined and life-threatening job.  Yet despite the name, their work is truly one of a kind and can never be underestimated even though you probably never heard about them. 

 

Based largely on the successful model of the British SAS and SBS models, these American counterparts are to be commended for dealing with the enormous complexity of world conflicts, their creativity to find solutions and their diligence in meeting the resistance that they faced from the brass at home.  If you were to think of a short list of world conflicts from 1980 until now and then wonder if these guys had anything to do with the outcome of those conflicts, all your questions would be answered in shocking detail in this book.  Taking down narco drug lords?  Somali war lords?  Bringing the butchers of the Eastern Europe ethnic cleansing massacres to justice?  Finding Saddam Hussein? Yes, yes, yes and yes—but you would be floored at how the complexities of doing any of these tasks weaves a labyrinth of possibilities for failure; however these guys always get the job done.  Most notably in the more recent news (that post-dates the publishing of the book) would be the successful capture of Captain Richard Phillips at sea (with three head shots [simultaneously] from a moving ship mind you) or the successful capture of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan—none of these scenarios mentioned are anything like each other, and yet a very small group of guys get these impossible missions done in spades. 

 

The creativity that these men show in their solutions to intractable problems is worthy of mention all on its own.  Michael Smith does not give away the store, but there are certainly things that made me pucker at how some of those details ever made it to print.  If you are someone who cheers when the good guys win, then this is a book for you.  This book most clearly shows that the conflicts are truly a battle of ideas—more on that in future blogs. 

Book CoverThe resistance that these teams had to face from the entrenched bureaucracy structure is a story all on its own.  These men were certainly not rogue come-and-go-as-they-pleased teams.  Their tradecraft and professional manner were top notch quality and yet somehow the enigma of the resistance to America having a special operations capability is very hard to believe if it were not so well documented in the book.  The specific resistance came in many ways such as putting up bureaucratic road blocks, to denying funding, to not allowing air lift assets to be released or flat out prohibiting the capability for the job to be done in an outside-the-box manner.  My summary would not be nearly as good as this first person quote (from the author) on page 130 regarding the debriefing from Beirut:

“Gentleman, we should all be embarrassed by the failure we have just struggled through.  In my mind, the consequences of failure of this nature are just as devastating as losing a major battle, especially politically.  We ought to be able to figure out that the terrorists understand better than we do the timing of the decision-making process here in Washington and the time required for launching and getting to where they have perpetrated their action.  We are the most powerful nation in the world and if we cannot give this mission the adequate priority—with dedicated lift assets—then we ought to get out of this business and quit wasting the taxpayer’s money (Smith, 2007).”

 

And less than four months later the world watched Leon Klinghofer, an American wheelchair bound passenger on the Achille Lauro, be thrown over board by terrorists as America’s best solution stood by waiting for a ride.  Fortunately the situation changed for the much better, separate systems were worked out for funding and oversight and the rest is a heroic history captured so well in this book.  The quote from President George W. Bush on page 241 highlights this paradigm shift so clearly, “The president did not talk specifically about Iraq but he did warn that the War on Terror was about to get more difficult.  ‘Inaction is not an option,’ he said.  ‘Men with no respect for life must never be allowed to control the ultimate instruments of death.’  No one had any doubt who he had in mind (Smith, 2007).”

 

Well done Gentlemen!  We salute you.

 

Wilson

 

-Pro Deo et Patria

 

Smith, M. (2007). Killer elite. (p. 130). New York: St Marten’s Press.

 

Smith, M. (2007). Killer elite. (p. 241). New York: St Marten’s Press.

 

 

 

 

 

Notes on Veteran’s Day

19 Dec 2003, I was on a plane home to the United States of America from my duty assignment in Germany.  I separated from the US Army with an honorable discharge realizing that I was entering a whole new chapter of my life.  For the better part of the last 30 days I had spent countless hours and trips to and fro playing “signature bingo” and “insomnia proofing” (attending briefings) which is collectively known as the abstract activity called “out processing.” 

 

That plane trip across the pond was a blur to me.  I believe that I chatted with a young lady about overlaps in our music collections, pets and Harry Potter for the better part of six hours as I could hardly wait to get back to the US.  My final destination was Columbus, Ohio and the airport there is relatively small.  You may know it better as the kind of airport where you exit the aircraft descend down a set of movable stairs and walk across terra firma to the terminal building.  I was back in the land of the free and the home of the brave again and I could not believe how many blessings I had yet to count. 

 

We were in a post-911 world, so Chaya (my loving wife) was waiting for me near baggage pickup as greeting someone at the gate was no longer an option.  I had been waiting for that kiss and hug from her for months! 

 

That reunion was special because I was home for Christmas.  The snow on the ground, the green lush conifers, the biting cold humidity of the Midwest—it was all so familiar and most welcome because prior to “out-processing” in Germany I was in Baghdad, Iraq. 

 Winter in Ohio after time in Iraq

Among the times in my life that were perhaps the hardest to endure, I would cite OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) as a threshold for a new level of difficult.  What is down in the well certainly comes up in the bucket in good times.  However in bad times that bucket goes down deeper and you really see what is on the inside of yourself.  This level of self-discovery is only possible when you are stuck without contact via internet or reliable phone communication with loved ones, mail is slower than Christmas, food is pre-packaged and certainly not plentiful, water is hot enough at room temperature to cook Top Ramen® Noodles, the weather redefines any definition you ever knew of the word “hot” (~140° F in the shade) and the routine is monotonous to put it succinctly.  But the people that I spent all those months with are to this day some of the best people I know.  I take them with me as the souvenirs of military life.  The deep level to which I admire their character is directly proportional to the harshness of the circumstances which revealed that character.  These good friends to this day collectively make up “what I miss” when I think about the Army years. 

 

Not all service members have to go to war, and so special decorations are awarded for those who do.  Anyone who raises a right hand in oath is signing a blank check to our country. This check is payable up to (and possibly including) their life.  The proper reciprocation for that transaction is respect.  This bears repeating, but we shake their hand and say, “Thank you,” stand up and put your hand over your heart when the National Anthem plays or when the flag passes you in a parade, help out spouse or family member when their loved one is deployed, etc. 

 

America is blessed with an all volunteer Armed Forces and today we honor all of them.  The men and women of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard serve (or have served) because they chose to do so on our behalf.  We owe them respect for their sacrifice. 

 

So to all of our veterans currently serving to include my cousin who just returned home from Iraq, to those who have been separated and are back in civvies as a permanent uniform—we salute you.

 

Pantry Paratus offers free shipping to all APO/FPO addresses not as a gimmick or a sale, rather as a permanent policy to say, “thank you.”

 

 

Wilson

 

Pro Deo et Patria

Sausage-Stuffed Apples

Sausage Stuffed Apples

yummy version of this back-to-basics easy recipe

 

Whenever a baked apple is part of the main course, invite me over!  This is an easy recipe I have made many  times over—I use the term “recipe” loosely.  Think of this sausage and apples recipe as more as a “guide.”

 

 For a recipe like this one, you will need the handy-dandy tool like this one: 

 

 Apple Corer

 

 

                                              Ingredients:

                                              8 apples, cored and halved into the top and bottom

                                              1 lb pork sausage

                                             2 tbs ground sage

                                             ½ cup maple syrup (approximately, to taste)

                                             1 cup chopped walnuts

                                             Olive oil

–Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

-Place apples cut-side-up in a greased baking pan.

-In separate bowl, mix the sausage, sage, maple syrup, and walnuts.

-Stuff the apples with the sausage mixture.

-Drizzle olive oil on top.

 

 Bake for approximately 45 minutes. 

 

sausage stuffed apples

 

As for side dishes that you could serve here to along with the sausage and apples, I like to either include fried red cabbage, sliced potatoes or carrots. 

 

These sausage stuffed apples are a hit with the children, so give them a try and let me know what you thought of them by leaving a comment at the bottom.

 

Chaya

 

Recipe: Apple “Oatmeal Cookie” Granola

Apple Oatmeal Cookie Granola

Easier than a “no bake” oatmeal cookie

 

I named this recipe “oatmeal cookie” because that is the closest I can come to the emotion that overcame me as I bit into this granola.   

 

Oatmeal Cookie

 

This is made in your Excalibur dehydrator, using Paraflexx sheets.  You will set the temperature to approximately 125° F and allow it to run overnight.  At least, that is what I did but it was so perfectly crisp that I do believe less time or lower heat might be possible.  If you prefer “living foods” closer to raw, try a lower temperature—either way you will still end up with a healthy oatmeal cookie like product. 

 

The yield for this recipe was three trays. Play with the ingredients.  For instance I did not use all raisins, I combined them with dehydrated berries from my pantry.  I also mixed walnuts and pecans because I could not decide between the two. 

 

 

recipe for oatmeal cookie

 

5 medium apples, sliced and peeled

6 cups rolled oats

1 cup nuts

1 cup raisins

Dehydrated crumbled raspberries, to taste (optional)

1 cup maple syrup

2 cups warm-hot water

 

 

In a separate bowl, mix the maple syrup with water.  Set aside.

 

 

 Maple Syrup Mixture

 

 

In a large bowl, mix all of the other dry ingredients for this no bake oatmeal cookie.  Stir in maple syrup mixture. 

 

Mix Dry Ingredients

 

Dump mixture onto dehydrator trays.  Turn on the dehydrator and forget about them until morning, and then enjoy your chewy oatmeal cookie with your yogurt!

 

This is a great snack recipe for kids.  Give this recipe a try and tell me what you think below in the comments section. 

 

Chaya

 

 

Wilson’s Book Review — “Survivors: A Novel of the Coming Collapse”

Wilson’s Book Review: “Survivors, A Novel of the Coming Collapse”

by James Wesley Rawles

 

I was highly anticipating this fiction novel because I enjoyed the first fiction novel Patriots by James Wesley Rawles so much.  If you are unfamiliar with James Wesley Rawles, he is the author of several books but is also perhaps more notably the editor of SurvivalBlog.com.  SurvivalBlog is chock full of practical insight, how-to’s, practical homesteading content and Godly wisdom for living the self-sufficient lifestyle. 

 

All of the James Wesley Rawles books share the same characteristic writing style which is very unique for three reasons: (1) it is highly instructive, (2) it is very descriptive of plausible fictional scenarios written in story form in the past tense, (3) and the deliberate references to faith in God.  It is important to note that Survivors was written with a contemporaneous timeline (both plots occur simultaneously) to the book Patriots.   You do not have to read (or re-read) Patriots to follow along with this book, but it would definitely help. 

 

Patriots by James Wesley, Rawles

 

 

Survivors will not disappoint on any of the three pillars of Rawles’ writing style.  There is a list in the beginning of the book of characters that appear throughout the book as the plot weaves past and present happenings into one coherent tale of the protagonist’s (Captain Andrew Laine) anything-but serendipitous journey home to New Mexico from Afghanistan.  On a personal note, the book picked up on an interesting thread in my own life as the character travels back from Afghanistan to Germany (a trip I have made personally many times). 

 

 

 

 

My top priorities for a James Bond movie always include making sure justice prevails, that the new gadget is sufficiently cool, gawking at the car and ensuring that James gets the girl at the end of the movie.  No spoilers here, but in Survivors rest assured the main character Andy does get the girl.  The plot moves along nicely and the book does cast the net wide to include a bigger audience.  For example, those who are not familiar with military colloquialisms will not get a lot of the humor and turn of phrase used in parlance; likewise the detailed love story between reappearing characters from Patriots (Ian and Blanca Doyle) in chapter 24 (“Down in Hondo”) was not geared toward me—but Chaya would like it a lot.  Other internet critics of Rawles have said that he is focused on “white Christians” (whatever that means) to the point of violating some diversity ordinance somewhere.  Survivors includes a whole range of characters, orphans, disabled veterans, widows, poor, women, children and people who are definitely not “white” (sorry but my lack of a PC vocabulary does not leave you with a better working definition of that group).  It includes all looking to live in the face of this fictional adversity as depicted in the book or on SurvivalBlog.

Survivors by James Wesley, Rawles

 

One other criticism that I heard or James Wesley Rawles Books was that it was the post-apocalyptic life of people (none of whom had children!) who must have had quite the check book to afford all of that gear before the crunch.  In Patriots when Todd Gray and his wife pick their retreat in Idaho it mentions that “they paid cash.”  That makes for a great story, but the book did lose some of its voice with me as that is just not part of my reality.  Survivors is the story of much more real people without the benefit of a trust fund who make due with ingenuity in a true “skills trumps stuff” fashion.  For example, on p. 82 you read about the recently widowed character Shelia Randall open up a small trading post/store in rural Kentucky after she and her family “bugged out.”  James Wesley Rawles also handily weaves the value of the free market throughout the book.

 

The characters in the book are believable.  For example, the brief mention of Chambers Clarke who was the undersecretary of information in the new ProvGov has this written of him, “Before the Crunch, Clarke had been a fertilizer and pesticide salesman for Mansanto Company” (Rawles, 2011).  Not that anyone is going to be a big fan of the ProvGov, but that short resume is just not helping me like Chambers Clarke one bit.  One character that I really liked (and not mentioned in the early list of characters) is the “super horse” Prieto who is indispensible in Andy’s return to New Mexico.  What I know about horses might fill up a 3” X 5” index card.  Again, here is one more of the examples of the style we see in James Wesley Rawles books of unobtrusively instructing the reader throughout the story.  The reader if he/she was not implicitly paying attention would learn a lot about morse code, firearms, horses, electronics, bartering items and even human nature erstwhile reading a great fictional novel.  For Example, p. 83 mentions the “All-American Five” shortwave radio being operated on either DC or AC, p. 124-126 is a crash course in morse code and ham radio protocol, p. 146-148 is a great treatise on the true value of silver lovingly written in a letter format from a father to his sons, p. 153-154 is a condensed retreat rules poster, p. 300 deals very truthfully with the realities of using lethal force in self defense, etc. 

 

If you are not planning on buying the book, but do pass by it in a library or pick up a friend’s copy please read chapter 20 “Tentacles,” especially if it is the only chapter you read.  Pay attention to the conversation on pp. 159-168 between Lars Laine (Andy’s brother) and L. Roy Martin.  I read that chapter four times because the truths expressed in that conversation between those two men are an absolutely fundamental treatise on human nature.  On p. 162 is my favorite quote from the whole book:

 

 

“But storage is no more than limited capital to allow people the time to grow more food” (Rawles, 2011).

 

Survivors unashamedly points to the sustaining power of faith in God summed up in the William Penn quote on p. 77, “If man is not governed by God, he will be ruled by tyrants.”  The book drives home the point that the Christian faith is fundamental for maintaining a moral compass and a sense of hope—two things that every one can use now and if things go really badly in the future.  I was very pleased to see that there are both Anabaptists and Messianic Jewish families mentioned in the story as those two faiths are represented where we live in Montana; both of which have both personally helped Chaya and I a great deal to get acclimated here.  The cadre of writers who make up the small body of preparedness catalog of literature is not very big at all, and there are differences of opinions in that group to be sure.  You are not going to get a monolithic cannon of rationality from any group of people.  For example I disagree with James Wesley Rawles on the Reformed view of free will and the elect (reference p. 300).  However, the topic of faith is so critical to me that I have to high-light this point once more by saying that those writers (like Rawles) who do mention this inescapable logic of the need for faith in their craft really are paving the right road for many reasons.  Rawles even has a page on SurvivalBlog about the importance of prayer. 

 

The book does close with loose ends, and I have read negative criticism elsewhere on the internet about Survivors regarding this point.  Not to worry Rawlesian readers!  JWR does plan on writing a third contemporaneous novel to form a trifecta when he releases Founders which will feature a cross country trek of two people.  I would expect all of the story’s business to be wrapped up then. 

 

Final thoughts: I liked the book by James Wesley Rawles a lot.  It is not the page-turner preparedness primer that Patriots was, but it is well worth the read and has something for everyone.  Mind the provisos and disclaimers at the beginning with a strong dose of “do not try this at home” especially when it comes to “borrowing” an F-16 to pick up a stranded loved one . . . I’m just sayin’ . . .  

 

 

Wilson

 

Pro Deo et Patria

 

 

Rawles, A. W. (2011). Survivors, a novel of the coming collapse. (p. 267). Beyond Words/Atria Books.

 

Rawles, A. W. (2011). Survivors, a novel of the coming collapse. (p. 162). Beyond Words/Atria Books.

 

Apple Butternut Squash Soup

Apple Butternut Squash Soup

Autumn in a bowl!

 

Apple Butternut Squash

 

Apple Butternut Squash anything makes me excited it is autumn.  Oooh, am I ever excited about leftovers for lunch!

I served this apple butternut squash soup with my bread—with one main exception!  When I was ready to bake bread this week, I realized all-too-late that I did not have enough honey.  Without time to run to the store, I substituted ½ cup molasses instead.  My bread was rich, dark, and moist.  It has a complex flavor that any true bread-lover would savor.  It was a perfect pairing (with real butter) to this warming and filling soup.

 

 

Notes:

* This butternut squash apple soup can easily be vegan—substitute vegetarian broth and a nut milk for the cream.

* I love the rich flavors of the spices and so I am personally heavy-handed.  I add more than what I listed for you.  You will need to use your discretion on the amount of the spices.

* This apple butternut squash soup recipe is creamy, rich, and more filling than most.  Hubby and myself only ate one bowl and were full.  If you are forever looking for a meatless meal that actually fills you, this is it!

 

Apple Butternut Squash Soup

1 yellow onion, chopped

5 small apples, chopped (no need to peel)

2 butternut squash, steamed or boiled

1 quart liquid broth (I used home-canned turkey broth)

½ cup water

1 quart half-and-half or thick cream (ideally cream from raw milk where it is legal)

½ stick butter

1 tsp lemon juice

3 bay leaves

1-2 tsp dried nutmeg, to taste

3 tsp dried sage

1-2 pinches salt, to taste

Pepper to taste

 

Directions:

 

Sauté onion and apples in butter.  Add chunks of squash to a cast iron skillet, along with the lemon juice, bay leaves, nutmeg, sage, salt, and pepper.  Sauté the butternut squash and apple mixture only a few minutes with all of the spices, and then add ½ cup water to simmer for 5 minutes.

Transfer to a pot, add broth and cream.  Simmer for approximately 15 minutes.  Add additional seasoning to taste. 

 

Put portions in a blender to create a creamy finished product. 

 

Serve with fresh bread and butter!

 

I hope that you enjoy this Apple Butternut Squash treat as much as we do.  It is even better on the second day!  Give this a shot and leave a comment below to let us know what you thought of it.

 

Chaya

 

 

Reloading large game rounds with the Troubled Shooter

Reloading Large Game Rounds

 

A Video Blog with the Troubled Shooter

 

 

Here in Montana “going out to get food” may also include taking a hunting implement into the woods to retrieve large game.  We got the basics in this video blog from the Troubled Shooter here on reloading:


 

To get your reloading done safely and properly be sure to have the proper reloading data, a reloading manual, properly sized reloading dies and your requisite reloading supplies.  Follow your instruction manual or ask an experienced person to help you. 

 

Wilson

 

Pro Deo et Patria

 

Proviso: Hunting and/or shooting sports have inherient danger.  There is nothing here that suggest that you ought to try this.  If you do choose to reload (in accordance with the laws governing your area) do so at your own risk. 

 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Oat Bars (or Oat Muffins)

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Oat Bars (or Oat Muffins)

 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese . . . let’s get to baking!

 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Oat Bars, I literally invented this one as I went, not even basing it upon or adapting from another recipe.  It was a fantastic surprise!

 

          Pumpkin Cream Cheese

 

I started out baking these in my go-to cake pan, and then I ended up with a muffin tin full as well.  It was very good both ways, so I suppose you can just do what suits your fancy.  Pumpkin and cream cheese were both on sale, so I started with what I had on hand.  I think that the topping makes these as delicious as they are—please do not skimp here!

 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Oat Muffins

 

Also, I used half of a box of cream cheese and the flavor was light.  I could envision these being even more decadent though, so if you try it with more cream cheese, would you please leave a comment below and let us know how it turns out?  One other note, I used hard red flour and they were great—but next time I will try soft white, as it is the best choice for a quick bread.  In either case the cream cheese pumpkin combo yield a moist but firm overall product that my kids love with milk as a snack.

 

Do not be intimidated by the seemingly long list of ingredients—the topping and batter ingredients overlap and these are mostly basics you already have on hand.  You could simplify with “pumpkin pie spice”—if you do, let me know what you think of it!

 

I have cut the recipe in half, so this should give you either a dozen muffins or a cake pan’s worth.

Topping:

2/3 cup old fashioned oats

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2-3 tsp butter, melted

 

 Pumpkin Cream Cheese Oat Bars

 

Batter:

1 ½ cups fresh-milled flour

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cloves

1 cup sour cream

3 cups pumpkin puree

4 oz (half box) of cream cheese, softened

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup olive oil

1 egg

 

 Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Stir topping ingredients and set aside.
  3. Combine dry ingredients (flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, spices).
  4. In a separate bowl, add sour cream, pumpkin, cream cheese, brown sugar, oil, and egg.  Beat for approximately 2 minutes to ensure blending of the cream cheese and to get air into the egg.
  5. Pour one bowl into the other, stirring lightly.
  6. Pour into cake pan or muffin tins. 

 

If a cake pan, it will take 30-40 minutes.  If muffins, 30 minutes. 

 

This pumpkin cream cheese recipe is delicious and easy.  I usually try to make one other baked good item on my bread baking day to get my family through the week with snacks and quick healthy breakfast choices—so this works well either as pumpkin cream cheese bars or muffins!

 

Cream cheese and pumpkin

 

Give this pumpkin cream cheese recipe a try and let me know how you like it.  This may be my new favorite take-along finger food for get-togethers! 

 

Chaya

 

Photo Credits:

All photos by Pantry Paratus

Use It Up , Wear It Out, Make Do, or Do Without!

The inflation rate, even according to the government (who often tries to dissuade fears by downplay), is inevitable even within the year.  Now is the time to reevaluate our shopping habits and how we can get the most for our dollar ahead of food inflation.  We need to plan ahead.  We must …

 

WWII propaganda poster

Would you like a breakdown of the upcoming inflation of food?  Coming to a pocket book near you . . . 

http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/cpifoodandexpenditures/data/cpiforecasts.htm

SOURCE

 

Changes in Food Price Indexes, 2009 through 2012 September 23, 2011
Item
Relative importance1
 Month-
to-
Month		 Year-
over-
Year
Annual
Annual
Forecast
Forecast
Jul2011 to Aug2011
Aug2010 to Aug2011
2009
2010
20112
2012
Consumer Price Indexes Percent Percent change
All food
100.0
0.5
4.6
1.8
0.8
3.0 to 4.0
2.5 to 3.5
Food away from home
43.1
0.4
2.7
3.5
1.3
3.0 to 4.0
2.0 to 3.0
Food at home
56.9
0.6
6.0
0.5
0.3
3.5 to 4.5
3.0 to 4.0
Meats, poultry, and fish
12.5
0.3
7.7
0.5
1.9
5.5 to 6.5
3.5 to 4.5
Meats
7.9
0.7
8.9
-0.6
2.8
6.5 to 7.5
3.5 to 4.5
Beef and veal
3.7
0.4
10.4
-1.0
2.9
8.0 to 9.0
4.5 to 5.5
Pork
2.5
0.7
7.5
-2.0
4.7
6.5 to 7.5
3.0 to 4.0
Other meats
1.7
1.2
7.7
2.3
-0.1
3.0 to 4.0
2.5 to 3.5
Poultry
2.4
-0.1
3.4
1.7
-0.1
2.5 to 3.5
3.0 to 4.0
Fish and seafood
2.2
-0.4
8.3
3.6
1.1
5.5 to 6.5
4.0 to 5.0
Eggs
0.7
4.9
14.5
-14.7
1.5
5.0 to 6.0
3.5 to 4.5
Dairy products
6.1
0.9
9.1
-6.4
1.1
5.0 to 6.0
3.0 to 4.0
Fats and oils
1.7
1.0
10.8
2.3
-0.3
6.5 to 7.5
2.5 to 3.5
Fruits and vegetables
8.4
0.2
6.3
-2.1
0.2
3.5 to 4.5
3.0 to 4.0
Fresh fruits and
vegetables
6.4
0.4
7.5
-4.6
0.6
3.5 to 4.5
3.0 to 4.0
Fresh fruits
3.3
0.7
9.1
-6.1
-0.6
2.0 to 3.0
3.0 to 4.0
Fresh vegetables
3.2
0.0
6.0
-3.4
2.0
4.5 to 5.5
3.5 to 4.5
Processed fruits and
vegetables
1.9
-0.4
2.4
6.6
-1.3
1.5 to 2.5
3.0 to 4.0
Sugar and sweets
2.2
1.2
4.7
5.6
2.2
2.5 to 3.5
2.0 to 3.0
Cereals and bakery
products
7.9
0.8
5.3
3.2
-0.8
4.0 to 5.0
4.5 to 5.5
Nonalcoholic beverages
6.7
0.3
4.0
1.9
-0.9
2.0 to 3.0
1.5 to 2.5
Other foods
10.7
0.9
3.0
3.7
-0.5
2.5 to 3.5
2.0 to 3.0
Note: Bolded entries reflect changes from the previous month’s forecast. Green arrows indicate an increase and red arrows indicate a decrease in the forecast from the previous month’s forecast.

1BLS-estimated expenditure shares, December 2010. Food prices represent approximately 14 percent of the total CPI.

2Forecasts updated by the 25th of each month.

Sources: Historical data from Bureau of Labor Statistics; forecasts by Economic Research Service.

 

 

What is food inflation?  Basically, it is the worth of everything you eat going up except the money that you use to buy the food.  Classically the funny money inflation metrics do not include inflation on fuel or food.  I know, I know, you are thinking, “but those are the things that cost the most,” exactly.  This is what keeps the numbers looking so good.  Factor in that the Farm Bill commodities float on a sea of oil and subsidies and the real costs start to hit very close to home. 

 

You already know how serious the inflation on food is.  Have you priced bacon lately?  May be it is that the real paradigm was there all along right in front of us:

 

Food Pyramid

 

The USDA Food Pyramid?  Yes, the widest part at the base is what you are “supposed” to be eating more of—which is why we call it the Farm Bill Pyramid:

 

Food Pyramid Annotated

 

The commodities are based on cheap oil (artificial fertilizers, fuel for farming implements, trucking and transportation, etc.).  As there is an inflation in oil prices there follows an inflation in food prices as well. 

 

Let me illustrate further: try to find something in the grocery store that does not have corn syrup in it.  Actually, you would be very hard pressed to find foods without corn or soy derivatives in the food.  Since corn and soy are row crop commodities, which depend on oil to fuel the production you will naturally see inflation on food when you see inflation on oil. 

 

The food inflation markers are there—I hope that you are thumbing through your seed catalog for this spring. 

 

Chaya

 

Photo Credits:

WWII Propaganda Poster by http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

 Food Pyramid from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/19836.htm

Clipart from www.cliparts101.com

Canning Ground Beef

Canning Ground Beef

Canning Meat ? Yes!

Using Tattler Lids for meat canning

 

Home canning meat, especially ground beef, is a simple process.  The canning of meat is unlike acidic tomatoes because you will need to use pressure canner.  Pressure canning beef is the only safe way to do it, since water bath canning does not get to a high enough temperature to keep meat (and other nonacidic foods) safe.  

 We had a meat sale here at the local grocery store, and I wanted to try to duplicate the results from Patrice Lewis’ post about Tattler reuseable canning lids on her blog on meat canning.  I highly recommend getting grass fed meat where you can, but for this post I am just using the prepackaged grocery store fare.

ground beef sale

 

In full disclosure, I used 6 lbs ground beef because it was what was on sale—Patrice Lewis used ground beef because,

 “ . . . it’s meat, so it requires a high processing time in a pressure canner. And, it’s greasy and nasty and would thus put the maximum amount of stress on the lids.”

Agreed!  Since onions were also on sale (“genius!”) I chopped up two onions into chunks and put them right into the pot.  The onion outer skin (along with any other vegetable scraps in our house) goes out to the compost bin.  

 

chopped onions

 

I added salt and pepper to taste as well as parsley.  How much parsley?  Well to quote my Italian aunt, “There is no such thing as too much parsley.” 

 

seasoned for browning

There are many canning recipes for meat, but I prefer to keep this one simple especially when I am trying to get everything prepared for winter.  After browning the meat, I load it into the canning jars with 1 ½” head space.  It is best to use the hot pack method when home canning meat and fill any remaining space with boiling water up to the 11/2” head space mark.. 

meat packed in jars

 

In the interest of saving time, I am also prepping the All-American pressure canner with the lid off by warming up the water in the bottom of it.  We personally use the venerable All American Model 921 pressure canner/cooker.  It has the all metal seal and is built to be used for years and years.  Anyone who is apprehensive about the rubber bullet (aka “pressure bomb” canners) that make up the bulk of the horror stories/urban legends revolving around pressure canner mishaps will be amazed at the engineering, craftsmanship and ease of use of the All American brand pressure canners.  I fully intend to leave mine to my children as an heirloom because it is built that well.  Did I mention that it is made in America?

For home meat canning, I recommend the Tattler Reusable Canning Lids.  They work just as well as the lids that you can buy at the grocery or hardware store, but these are reusable and are American made.   They stay in place well and the grease does not prevent a seal under the lids quite like it does with the metal ones.   I put them in hot water for a few minutes before use.  One question we get about the Tattler lids is, “Do I have to heat them up before I use them?”  My answer remains the same, “I can with everything hot.”  My lids, gaskets, canner, water, jars and what I am canning are all hot for safety reasons.

 

 The instructions are printed right on the box and are easy to follow.  Here is a pictorial:

 Tattler lids and rings

 

 I religiously wipe off the rims of the jars before putting the lids on the canning jar.

  wipe off the rim

 

Apply the lids and rings.  Following the directions on the box, the Tattler lids new instructions call for you to screw the lids finger tight—that is it.  If you have any problems with these lids, it will be from omitting this step.  If you screw them on too tightly, it does not allow air to escape.

finger tight

 

Then put the jars into the canner—simple.  Note: the spacer at the bottom of the canner.  The All American pressure canners come with a very good manual that Chaya and I have read and re-read a dozen times and have out on hand whenever we can (or “jar” if you will). 

 

Jars in the Canner

 

 

Follow the directions for your pressure canner and bring the unit up to boiling.  For our All American Model 921 we wait seven minutes then apply the weight on the top spout.  Note: without the weight, the canner is an “open system” and is not any different from any other pot with a tight fitting lid that you may already own.  We live just over 2000’ altitude and can everything at 15 lbs of pressure. 

 

Safety tip: When putting the weight on top, please use an oven mitt;

the steam emitted from the canner can burn you.

 

put weight on with an oven mit

 

After processing for 90 minutes we now have four jars or just slightly short of 6 lbs of ground beef  perfectly sealed under the Tattler lids.  Since these are made of BPA free plastic they do not have the quintessential “ping” sound as they seal under the ambient atmospheric pressure.  However, if you look at them from the side you can see if they are sealed or not.  Chaya applies the “wiggle test”.  She uses her thumb on the lid to see if it will push or give.  If it does not budge, it is sealed.   I have very few failures with Tattler lids.  And I can pinpoint them to user error—either over-screwing on the ring, or failing to screw the ring on tightly afterwards, etc.  If the lids are good enough for meat canning, then they are certainly good enough to can your other foods as well.

 

Jars of Properly Canned Beef

 

Once the jars are removed from the canner I prefer to let them set undisturbed.  An old tip from days gone by is to flip the jars upside down; this seems to be controversial to some.  I have done it both ways with success both ways.

 Before I called this done, I removed the rings and washed the jars gently with dish soap because they will likely be greasy to the touch and have grease especially around the ring . 

 If you are new to canning, or just like to watch someone who really knows what they are doing with canning please visit SimplyCanning.com.  It is run by Sharon who is a good friend to Pantry Paratus.  Whether you have been canning for a day or a decade you can get some very good information from her website. 

 Regarding the finished product: “Oh look at the fat, isn’t that gross?” 

 My answer—“Not really.”  What is in the jar, is what was with the ground beef (20% fat as packaged—I did not add any oil during the process); after the temperature cooled with the cooked product in a clear jar you can now see it. 

 Despite the typical body composition of today’s average process food fed person, if food becomes hard to get, one of the hardest items to get into your diet will be fat. Having your own animals to produce this resource that every healthy body metabolism needs may be the only reliable way to get this into your regular diet.  Store bought industrial processed seed ois wil not last long, go rancid after awhile depending on temperature and humidity and are horrible for you.  JWR has had great results deep freezing olive oil for up to five years.  

Canning meat at home is not hard, anyone can do it.  I recommend having the right tools, and for that it starts with the right pressure canner and quality lids.  Leave a comment if you like on canning meat at your place–we would love to hear from you. 

 Wilson

Pro Deo et Patria


Proviso:

 Pressure canning done in the proper way is safe, but if you do not follow the instructions of your canner, then you will run the risk of serious injury.  We sell, personally use and recommend the All-American pressure canner because it is very well constructed, reliable and very safe—when used properly.