How to Cook Pasta Quickly and Conserve Fuel

Here's one of those "life-hack" skills we can apply right now and be all practiced when it's TEOTWAWKI "go-time." 

Raw, dry pasta--the spaghetti, macaroni, rotini, and such--that we store in buckets for years, can be cooked much quicker and with far less fuel than indicated on the package directions. Curious?  I was too.

Dry pasta (the following does not apply to fresh) needs to both hydrate and cook.  However, these don't have to occur at the same time.  Completely hydrating the pasta first significantly reduces the time necessary for cooking.

Here's how to do it for best results:

• Put 8 ounces (by weight) of pasta in 2 quarts of cool or cold tap water in a medium-sized pan. (Do not use hot water.)  
• Rehydrate pasta for 20-90 minutes, depending on pasta shape/size.  Thin pasta like angel hair or spaghettini takes less time than ziti.   Hydration is complete when the pasta is no longer crunchy inside.  It is ok if the pasta soaks longer.  
• If you are putting the pasta into a sauce, the soaked pasta can simply be added to the simmering sauce to heat it.  One and one-half to two minutes is all you need for thin pasta.  If you're not adding the pasta to a sauce, drop the soaked and drained pasta into a pot of boiling water, cook for 1-2 minutes, and drain.  Interestingly, soaked pasta is soft but firms up with cooking.  Make sure you cook it for at least one minute or it may be mushy.

Links to related posts:
Pasta
Dehydrating Pasta for Instant Meals

For further reading:
https://www.seriouseats.com/2013/05/ask-the-food-lab-can-i-start-pasta-in-cold-water.html  (This article also addresses the physics of boiling water and cooking food in large pots and small pots and which is more efficient and why.)
https://blog.ideasinfood.com/ideas_in_food/2009/08/one-minute-pasta.html
https://www.seriouseats.com/2010/05/how-to-cook-pasta-salt-water-boiling-tips-the-food-lab.html

Hardtack--There's a Reason Why Soldiers Don't Love It

My first somewhat personal connection to hardtack occurred as I perused some documents pertaining to my second-great-grandfather Samuel Jarvis who lived to be nearly 80 years old.  As a Union soldier in the Civil War, he quickly consumed some hardtack during a forced march which had some kind of negative effect on his body.  This allegedly affected him so much that he claimed, and was granted, a disability and received compensation for it.  I'm not too sure how disabled he was to have been able to father 18 children.

Hardtack fed many a soldier up until the 20th century.  Loads of references to its consumption omit any mention of fondness for it.  That should be the first clue that it's not something you want to rely on in a crisis.  Accordingly, I've never had any interest in making hardtack.  It just seemed kinda pointless.  I mean, if life has gotten so bad that you're relegated to eating hardtack, it would mean you hadn't prepared well, that you hadn't gathered a good supply of food in advance of the crisis.  It would be so embarrassing.  I think I would actually rather die.

But I thought I should read up on the subject.  And I came across some suggestions for eating it that didn't sound quite so sorry as "soak it for 15 minutes in milk or coffee."  I mean, that just sounds sad. 
However, someone suggested soaking it in water or milk for 15 minutes and then frying it in a buttered skillet.  Personally, I think bacon grease would be better.  Maybe top it with a little cheese.  Or break it up and put it in soup.  All of those ideas sound way more palatable than plain hardtack.

Also, I conceded that hardtack may have its place in an emergency kit (kinda like what those soldiers were carrying on their forced marches), and it could do really nicely in some just-add-water soup mixes.  So I decided to give it a try.

Hardtack
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Mix the flour, water, and salt together, and make sure the mixture is fairly dry.

Roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thick and shape it into a rectangle. Cut it into 2x2 inch squares, and poke holes in both sides.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake 30 minutes per side at 375 degrees.
 
Let the hardtack cool for a few hours and then store it in an airtight container.

To prepare for eating, soak the hardtack in water or milk for about 15 minutes, and then fry in a skillet with butter or bacon grease.  It could also be crumbled and used to top soup.

Family reviews:  It's ok.  It doesn't taste bad, but it is really hard.  People would eat it if there was nothing else to eat.  It's fine in an instant soup.  But there are hundreds of other, better ways to use flour.  I doubt I will ever make this again.  But I'm glad to know what it is, what it tastes like, and know that I don't want to make it again.

Is This Egg Still Good? Testing Your Eggs for Freshness and Preserving Them for Future Use

A good friend called me a while back, wanting to know if there was some trick or something special about using home-raised eggs, as opposed to store-bought.  Her neighbor would give her some of his excess every once in a while, but she wasn't impressed with their strong smell.  I finally asked if she had ever done the float test.
??

This woman knows just about everything when it comes to cooking and baking, and she'd never heard of such a thing.  So I explained it to her, and she conducted her test as we chatted on the phone.  The eggs from the neighbor, who was so generous as to share his bounty, were floating.

To conduct your own float test, place the eggs in a bowl of cool water, with enough water to cover the eggs by about two inches.  If they sink, they're good.  If they stand on end, they are probably still good.  Eat them very soon.  If they float, they're bad.  Treat as if you are handling an extremely fragile container of hazardous waste. 


As sometimes happens when you have your own chickens, the hens produce more than you can reasonably consume.  And then they decide to go through a molt or take the winter off, and you're left scrambling to get some eggs for breakfast.

As luck would have it, there are a few ways to preserve an overabundance of eggs.

The first is one we've been using for nearly a century now, good old refrigeration.  Keeping eggs nice and cool will keep them fresh for months.  As the saying goes, you can eat an egg at Easter that was laid on Christmas.

Freezing is another option that works extremely well.  You can freeze whole eggs, just the white, or just the yolk.  They can be frozen in freezer bags, canning jars, plastic containers, or ice cube trays.  Freezing eggs individually in ice cube trays makes it super easy to thaw and use the exact number of eggs necessary, rather than having to thaw and measure them out if they're frozen in the other types of containers.

Here's a general guide for using frozen eggs:

• 1 egg cube equals 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons frozen egg, thawed, equals 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons frozen egg white, thawed, equals the white of 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon of frozen yolk, thawed, equals the yolk of 1 egg

Then we have the dehydrating option.  Some people caution that dehydrating eggs is not something that should be done at home, that they should only be purchased commercially.  You'll have to decide for yourself here.  Life is full of risks.  Personally, I don't understand the fuss.  Eggs are really easy to dehydrate.  First, decide whether to beat the yolks and whites together, or keep them separate.  Run them through the blender and then pour onto dehydrator trays.  Dehydrate at 135 degrees for 6-8 hours, turning once halfway through dehydrating.  When the eggs are fully dehydrated, let them cool.  Then crumble them up in a blender and blend to a fine powder.  One dozen dehydrated eggs will fit in a pint jar.

Believe it or not, dehydrated eggs can be reconstituted and used the same as fresh.  No, they will not taste exactly the same, but they'll work for baking at the very least.  To reconstitute your eggs, use 1 tablespoon of egg powder and 1 tablespoon of water to substitute for one fresh egg.

These three options all require electricity, something our forebearers did not have.  And yet, they also preserved eggs for future use.  Following are a couple of off-grid methods.  They begin with using farm-fresh eggs.  Do not try this with store-bought eggs.

Eggs are covered by a substance commonly referred to as bloom.  This bloom extends the shelf life somewhat, but it is not as effective as a coating of oil.  To preserve your eggs with oil, first wash them well and pat them dry.  Then dip them in a food-grade liquid oil or rub them with a solid oil.  Stored in an egg carton in a cool, dry place, they will keep for up to 6-9 months.  Food-grade mineral oil yields the best results and longest shelf life.  However, eggs preserved this way do not work so well in baking cakes--the leavening action of the eggs in this situation is diminished. 

To further extend the shelf life of your oiled eggs, pack them in salt.  Pour about two inches of salt in a food-grade bucket.  Stand the eggs in the salt with the narrow end down.  Do not let the egg touch the sides or bottom of the bucket or any other eggs.  Add salt to cover the eggs and begin another layer.  Continue until the bucket is full or you run out of eggs.  Flip the eggs monthly and then store again, with the narrow side always down.  Stored this way in a cool dry place, they will keep for 9-24 months.

Another method is to use hydrated lime.  This substance is available in places like Lowe's or Home Depot or through Amazon.  Mix a solution of 1 ounce (by weight) of hydrated lime to 1 quart of distilled or boiled water.  Scale this mixture up or down as needed.  Pour the solution into a wide-mouth canning jar.  Add the clean, unwashed, farm-fresh eggs and cover to prevent evaporation of the solution.  Store in a cool, dark place.  While eggs preserved this way are best used within nine months, there are reports of the eggs being perfectly acceptable for use up to two years later. 

Do You Really Need Potassium Iodide Tablets?

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.

Dr. Cynthia Koelker addresses nuclear fallout and preventing radiation poisoning and thyroid cancer quite thoroughly in her book Armageddon Medicine, and I'd highly recommend acquiring a copy if it is at all possible.  What follows is a summary of the most critical points of information.


For those who wonder, potassium iodide tablets are recommended for preventing radiation sickness and future thyroid cancer in the wake of a nuclear event, whether that situation arises due to human error or faulty construction, like Chernobyl, or terrorist actions, or a natural disaster.  The radiation contaminates the entire atmosphere locally and then prevailing winds carry the radiation downwind, and it is radioactive iodine that is the most common component in fallout outside the immediate area of a nuclear event. People and animals then inhale and ingest the radioactive iodine, about one-third of which will accumulate in the thyroid.  This, in turn, may cause thyroid cancer years down the road.  Young children are at greatest risk.

Potassium iodide, also known as KI, when taken 30 minutes to 24 hours before exposure, saturates the thyroid with regular iodine and thus prevents it from taking up any radioactive iodine.  The radioactive iodine is then excreted from the body.  Using potassium iodide post-exposure (like what the Russian government told their citizens to do following their 2019 disaster) is pointless.  Keep in mind that potassium iodide can't prevent radioactive iodine from entering the body; it only prevents radioactive iodine from staying in the body, and only when it is taken before exposure.  Also, potassium iodide does nothing to prevent radiation sickness due to radioactive strontium or radioactive cesium.


The people at the Centers for Disease Control say to only take potassium iodide when directed to do so by a physician or the government.  And that will work just fine as long as communication channels are open.  But if such is not the case, you might be on your own, and having your own Geiger counter might be a good idea. 

Still, without a Geiger counter, and if there is no information forthcoming from the government, it's hard to know when to take your tablets.  Dr. Koelker feels that since a single dose of potassium iodide has very little risk of harm, and not taking it could lead to thyroid cancer, especially in children, it's better to be safe than sorry and take the pill.

And that brings up a somewhat related point that is only briefly alluded to by physicians and vendors.  While not incredibly expensive, those tablets smell horrible.  I don't have personal experience taking one, but based on what they smell like while still sealed in the foil packets, I know it's going to be really bad. The smell permeates through just about everything.  We keep our tablets in a metal tin in the closet, far away from any food.  You definitely don't want to take them if you don't have to.  If you have got to get a child to take these tablets, you should probably have some really good treats to wash it down with--chocolate milk, soda, and loads of candy would probably be a good idea. Might not be a bad idea for adults, either. 

The FDA recommendations for potassium iodide (KI) dosage are based on cases of thyroid cancer that developed in children exposed to radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Age and weight	Predicted Thyroid Exposure (centiGrays)	Dose of potassium iodide (KI)
Birth through 1 month	>5	16 mg
1 month through 3 years	>5	32 mg
3 years through 18 years, but under 150 lbs	>5	65 mg
12 years through 18 years, and over 150 lbs	>5	130 mg
Pregnant or nursing women	>5	130 mg
18 years through 40 years	>10	130 mg
Over 40 years	>500	130 mg

As with every medication, there are side effects, but in this case they're considered mild and clinically insignificant.  Two percent of children had some gastrointestinal distress, which was attributed to the bad taste of potassium iodide.  (When you smell it, you'll understand.)  One percent of children and adults developed a rash.  Only two people out of seventeen million had an allergic reaction, and both of those were known to have an iodine sensitivity.  The risk of reaction from a single dose is very small.

If there is a nuclear event, pregnant women, nursing mothers, those with thyroid conditions are advised to take a single initial dose, and then work with their physician to determine the best course of treatment.


So what do you do if you don't have potassium iodide?  What if your group suddenly expanded and there isn't enough for all?  Remember, children are at greatest risk, so they get treated first.  Thyroid cancer takes years to develop.  The middle-aged and elderly will likely be just fine without any treatment.

However, there is another option, if you start quickly enough.  Apply Betadine (povidone iodine) to the abdomen or forearm 2-12 hours prior to radiation exposure and reapply each day in the following amounts:

• Adults--8 ml 
• Children three years and up (but under 150 pounds)--4 ml
• Toddlers--2 ml
• Infants--1 ml

Continue for at least three days or until radiation levels drop.  Oh, and if you can't measure milliliters, a teaspoon measuring spoon contains 5 milliliters. 

Betadine is often recommended because it is more likely that families will have it rather than tincture of iodine, which can also be used.  

An adult could get a blocking dose of stable iodine by painting 8 ml of a 2 percent tincture of iodine on the abdomen or forearm approximately 2 hours prior to I-131 contamination. The abstract of his study titled "Effectiveness of Skin Absorption of Tincture of I in Blocking Radioiodine from the Human Thyroid Gland" from Health Physics, June 1989, Vol. 56, No. 6, pages 911-914, states:

• "Although there were large variations within each subject group in regard to serum-I levels and thyroid uptakes, the increase in serum-I concentration after topical-I application was effective in reducing the thyroid uptake of I131. The authors conclude that in the absence of KI, most humans would benefit from topical application of tincture of-I, and that in some the effectiveness would equal that of oral KI."

Keep in mind that because radioactive iodine can be inhaled and ingested, contaminated plants should not be used for food for at least 2-3 months. 

Cautions.  Do not drink Betadine.  Adverse reactions may occur in those taking diuretics and/or lithium.   Do not attempt ingesting iodized salt to get enough iodine.  You'd have to eat over five cups of iodized salt to equal one potassium tablet.  And that much salt would likely be fatal in and of itself.


Links to related posts:
Betadine
Armageddon Medicine book review
The Survival Medicine Handbook book review 
Salt  

For further reading:
Dr. Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine, p 473.
Dr. Joseph Alton, The Survival Medicine Handbook, pp 255-260.
https://www.backdoorsurvival.com/using-potassium-iodide/
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/emergencies/ki.htm?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Femergency.cdc.gov%2Fradiation%2Fki.asp
https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/potassium-iodide-thyroid-blocking-agent-radiation-emergencies
https://www.fda.gov/media/72510/download
http://www.oism.org/nwss/s73p904.htm

 08.27.19

Preparing for Biological Warfare

History repeats.  Biological warfare has been used in the past; it will be used again.  Bodies of plague victims were catapulted over the walls of besieged cities as late as the eighteenth century in Europe.  Native Americans were killed with smallpox through gifts of infected blankets.  Anthrax weapons were used in WWI.  Some believe COVID-19 was engineered by the Chinese.  While the casualty rate when factoring in all persons exposed and asymptomatic cases is perhaps a bit low as far as bioweapons go, the effect on the economy was huge.

The prudent recognize patterns of history and will prepare for such.  (While most focus on the lethality of weapons to sicken and kill people, bioweapons can also be engineered to destroy crops and cause famine.)

An effective bioweapon possesses the following qualities:

• It's very infectious.  The debate rages between whether a short incubation period or a long one is better.  A long incubation period during which people are contagious but asymptomatic, as seen with COVID-19, spreads the disease that much farther before people are even aware of the threat.
• It causes high numbers of casualties, whether by death, long course of illness, or serious complications that drain resources like medical personnel and supplies.
• It disperses well--it can easily be spread over a wide area.
• Antidotes or treatments are expensive, rare, unavailable, or very time- and labor-intensive.  Pharmaceuticals like hydroxychloroquine were very inexpensive and readily available until it was discovered that they could treat COVID-19, and then they became totally unavailable as people and governments stockpiled them.

The usual bioweapons, those most commonly researched in top-level facilities funded by world governments include the following:

• Bacterial
• Anthrax
• Botulism
• Brucellosis
• Plague
• Tularemia
• Typhus
• Viral
• Encephalomyelitis (Eastern, Western, Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis)
• Smallpox
• Viral hemorrhagic fevers (Ebola, yellow fever)

Prevention of illnesses associated with bioweapons is the same as for any other disease--good hygiene and sanitation practices for everyone in the family all the time.  Teach your children good hygiene habits now.  Keep current on vaccines that are available.  Some diseases are making a comeback due to falling vaccination rates and could become weaponized.  Measles is among the most highly contagious diseases and is a good candidate for being used as a bioweapon.  Additional measures to slow or prevent the spread of a bioweapon include social distancing, or better yet, totally avoiding going out in public, creating isolation rooms at home for those who are sick, and instituting quarantine quarters for those who have been exposed.

Standard treatment for almost all of the bacterial bioweapons (except botulism) is doxycycline, sometimes as a standalone, sometimes combined with other drugs.  Conventional treatment for the viral diseases is supportive care.  There are some herbs that have been used historically to treat these viral diseases.  See links to those diseases to learn more about the herbs to treat them.

Links to related posts:
Botulism
Plague
Tularemia
Typhus
Yellow Fever
Isolation rooms
Quarantine rooms
Doxycycline

References:
"Bioterrorism Agents," Centers for Disease Control, https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/agentlist.asp?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Femergency.cdc.gov%2Fbioterrorism%2Ffactsheets.asp (accessed 16 June 2020).
Joseph Alton, The Survival Medicine Handbook, 261-64.
"Diagnosis and Management of Foodborne Illnesses, A Primer for Physicians and Other Health Care Professionals," https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5304a1.htm (accessed 16 June 2020).

Stopping Seriously Gushing Nosebleeds

Now you might be thinking that information on stopping nosebleeds in TEOTWAWKI really isn't all that essential.  I'd be totally with you on that.  I've had exactly one nosebleed in my life, one little drip that would have dried before it got to my lips when I was pregnant with my second child.

However, it's a totally different situation with my husband and two of our children.  They get absolute gushers several times per year, and I'm sure it's hereditary for them.  My husband's grandmother actually ended up in the ER once or twice due to nosebleeds that they couldn't stop at home, and that's why I think a little info on stopping nosebleeds during TEOTWAWKI should be mentioned.

In the ER, when Grandma went to the hospital 30-40 years ago, a tiny amount of cocaine was often used when all other attempts failed.  I'm pretty sure cocaine is going to be hard to come by, and regardless, it would just be a bad idea for untrained people to attempt.  So let's look at some other, more feasible options.

First, consider the cause of the nosebleed.  In younger people, nosebleeds often occur due to trauma (a fight and getting punched in the nose), a minor infection, dry air, or nose-picking.  The bleeding is usually from the front of the nose.

In older people, the bleeding more likely a result of high blood pressure.  It issues from the back of the nose, and as such is more difficult to treat.

Treatment  

• For all nosebleeds:
• Blow all clots out of the nose.  This is only at the beginning of treatment.  Blowing them out after treatment may cause the nose to start bleeding again.
• Have the patient lean forward, breathe through the mouth, and sit quietly until the bleeding stops.[1]
• Have the patient hold a cork or similar object between the teeth to prevent the patient from swallowing and give the blood a chance to clot.[2]  Blood in the stomach may irritate the stomach and cause nausea and vomiting.[3]
• For younger patients and those likely bleeding from the front of the nose:
• Spray Afrin up the nose.[4]
• Apply direct pressure by pinching the nose firmly, just below the bone, for 15 minutes.
• Apply an ice pack to the side that is bleeding.  The cold may constrict the blood vessels enough to reduce bleeding.[5]
• For older patients and those with heavy bleeding, especially from the back of the nose:
• Pack the nose with one of the following:
• Specially-designed Quikclot or Celox for nosebleeds.  It is expensive and unnecessary, as regular gauze will work fine.
• Ribbon gauze packed in.  Leave the packing material in for 48 hours.[6]
• Vaseline gauze.  DIY is fine, like what is made for burns.  Leave the packing material in for 48 hours.[7]
• A little bit of gauze soaked in epinephrine (like from an Epi-pen) and packed in the nose (use blunt-tipped tweezers to insert packing material).[8]
• A few drops of geranium essential oil on gauze packed into the nostril. [9]
• Powdered yarrow leaves[9.1]
  
• Administer an antibiotic like amoxicillin, if available, for three days to cover the risk of infection from the packing material.[10]

Prevention. The following suggestions may help in preventing future nosebleeds:

• Spread a little Vaseline inside the nostrils twice per day
• Eat more oranges or tomatoes, or other foods high in vitamin C, regularly to strengthen veins so that nosebleeds occur less frequently
• Use bugleweed  (Lycopus americanus) to reduce the frequency of chronic nosebleeds.[11]

Links to related posts:
DIY vaseline gauze
Epinephrine
Afrin
Amoxicillin

References:
[1] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 83; Joseph Alton, The Survival Medicine Handbook, 434.
[2] Where There Is No Doctor, 83.
[3] The Survival Medicine Handbook, 434.
[4] Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition, 184; The Survival Medicine Handbook, 434.
[5] The Survival Medicine Handbook, 434.
[6] Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition, 184.
[7] Ibid.
[8] The Survival Medicine Handbook, 434.
[9] Ibid.

[9.1] https://www.doomandbloom.net/treating-nosebleeds/
[10]  Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition, 184.
[11] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States, 99-100.

8 july 2020

Homemade Marshmallows

Fact:  Marshmallows are essential to making Rice Krispie treats.
Fact:  Dehydrated marshmallows don't work to make Rice Krispie treats.

Fact:  Vacuum-sealing marshmallows doesn't work, either.  They get the air sucked out of them and turn into a gooey mess at the bottom of the jar.

Fact:  You can make your own marshmallows, so that you can have Rice Krispie treats when our socialist paradise blossoms and everyone else is eating cake, or dirt, or whatever else our leaders deem fit for those in flyover country.

Marshmallows

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup warm water
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Thoroughly mix the cornstarch and powdered sugar in a small bowl.  Grease an 8x8" pan and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch sugar mixture into it.  Tap to coat the entire bottom and sides of the pan.  Leave any excess in the pan.

Sprinkle gelatin into the warm water in a small pan and let soak for 5 minutes.  Add granulated sugar and stir over low heat until gelatin and sugar dissolve.

Preferably with a standing mixer, but this can be done with a hand mixer, combine the gelatin mixture, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla and beat for 15 minutes on high, until peaks form.

Spread the fluffy mixture in the greased pan and smooth to level the marshmallows.  Let set for 2 hours.

With a wet knife, cut the marshmallow mixture into 36 cubes and loosen the edges.  Sprinkle the remaining cornstarch and sugar mixture onto a cookie sheet and invert marshmallows onto it.  Roll each marshmallow in the cornstarch and sugar mixture.

Let dry overnight on a cake rack.  Store in airtight container for up to one month.

Links to related posts:
Homemade Rice Krispies?
Breakfast Cereal Shelf Life    

3 august 2019

Homemade Grape-Nuts

You know, I've admitted it previously on this blog, and I freely admit it to all I know in real life:  I am really not a morning person.  I mean, really-really not a morning person.  My husband had a sinking suspicion of that dark side of me when we were dating, and it became a little more obvious after we were married.  But the true horror of such a tremendous character flaw didn't really smack him upside the head until our oldest child started kindergarten, and I didn't make him a hot breakfast before sending him to school.  I think my dear husband is still bothered by that.  And to his credit, he says nothing at all, but if he's home, he gets up and makes a hot breakfast most days.

So naturally, I think one of mankind's greatest achievements has been creating cold cereal.  Of course, not the sugar-laden GMO stuff, but just regular cold cereal.  Some so-called nutritionists go off on ridiculous rants about the violence done to grains in processing (sorry, but these grains come from plants, plants that get eaten for food--our world has enough to deal with without idiots getting all snowflake-y about how a grain is processed), but everything in this blog is done with a minimum of equipment, so there's no violence here. 

Today's focus is something known in old-timey food storage circles as Crunchy Wheat Cereal.  Basically, it's Grape-Nuts.  And because I have actually made this, and not just copied from someone somewhere else, I also have some tips in here for making it work, as well as actual baking times.

Homemade Grape Nuts
6 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk (2/3 cup dry milk, 2 cups water, 2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice and let sit for 5 minutes)

Mix dry ingredients thoroughly and then stir in the buttermilk.  Divide the dough in half and roll each half to fit on an ungreased cookie sheet. (Do not worry.  This will not stick to the pan.)  This is most easily done by placing some waxed paper on top of the dough and using a rolling pin to roll the dough out to the edges of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes.  Remove the cereal from the oven, turn it over with a spatula, and break the cereal into small pieces.  Lower the oven temperature to 200 degrees, and return the cereal to the oven to dry out thoroughly, about one hour.  Grind chunks in a food processor or blender if smaller chunks are desired. Cereal may be finely ground to substitute for graham cracker crumbs in making pies and other desserts.

Family reviews:  All agree that this tastes way better than the store-bought version.  It is not quite so hard and crunchy (I'm not afraid it will break my teeth) and softens up a bit in milk.


Variations:
For flavored breakfast cereal, add 2 teaspoons cinnamon or 1 teaspoon nutmeg.
For poultry stuffing, omit sugar and add in 2 teaspoons bouillon, and 1 teaspoon each sage, poultry seasoning, and celery salt.
For a salad topping, add 1 teaspoon each garlic salt and onion powder.


Links to related posts:
Wheat
Dry Milk
DIY Chicken Bouillon   08.23.19

Making Jam Without Added Pectin

A few weeks back the differences between the various types of commercial pectin were covered.  Today it's all about making jam without added pectin.

We say "without added" pectin because most fruits naturally contain pectin, which is what causes jams to thicken.  "Added" pectin helps make jam more quickly by reducing the time for cooking and firming the jam.

Making jam without added pectin has its pros and cons.  The pros are that, hey, no commercial pectin is needed, so there is that savings.  And you don't need an exact quantity of fruit; it doesn't matter if you have two cups of fruit or eight.  The cons are that making jam without added pectin takes more time and fuel.  And while many no-added-pectin recipes call for a lot of sugar, you can use less, a lot less.  However, it will take longer to cook, there will be some loss of flavor and color, and as sugar is also a preservative, it will not last as long.

Making jam without added pectin is not without its challenges, especially when the exact cooking time isn't provided.  How do you know when it is ready?  There are a couple of tests to help you out.

• Freezer test.   Remove jam from heat.  Put a teaspoon of jam on a cold plate in the freezer.  If it gels within a few minutes, the jam is fully cooked and ready for processing.
• Spoon test.  Dribble a teaspoon of jam onto a frozen spoon and let it sit for one minute.  Now run your finger through the jam on the spoon.  If it doesn't fill in immediately, the jam is ready. 
• Sheet test.  As the jam nears the end of cooking, periodically dip a cool metal spoon into the mixture and immediately lift it out above the bubbling pot so that the jam runs off.  As the mixture cooks, it will become thicker and the drops will become heavier.  The jam "sheets" when two drops run together before dropping off the spoon. 

The following recipe for strawberry jam can be scaled up or down for the exact quantity of fruit you have.  Just be sure to maintain the same ratio of ingredients.  

Strawberry Jam
4 cups mashed strawberries (or other berries like blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Put all ingredients in a large pan and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce slightly to maintain a constant boil.  Boil for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour into prepared canning jars, leaving 1/2" headspace.

Refrigerate and use within six weeks, or freeze and use within 2-3 months. This jam can also be processed in a boiling water bath for 10-20 minutes, depending on your altitude.

Apricot Jam
4 cups mashed apricots
4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Put all ingredients in a large pan and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce slightly to maintain a constant boil.  Boil for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour into prepared canning jars, leaving 1/2" headspace.

Refrigerate and use within six weeks, or freeze and use within 2-3 months. 

For long-term storage, process in a boiling water bath for ten minutes or more, depending on altitude.

Low-pectin fruits will require more cooking time to set than high-pectin fruits.  Low-pectin fruits include:

• Apricots
• Cherries
• Most berries (blueberries, elderberries, raspberries, strawberries)
• Peaches
• Pears
• Pineapple

High-pectin fruits include:

• Apples
• Blackberries 
• Crabapples
• Currants
• Gooseberries
• Grapes
• Plums
• Quinces

Some people choose to combine low- and high-pectin fruits to make no-added-pectin jams without increasing the cooking time too much.  Popular combinations are strawberry-plum, apricot-plum, and cherry-plum.  Another strategy is to use these high-pectin fruits to make your own pectin, which we'll cover in the future.

Links to related posts:
All about Commercial Pectin

For further reading:
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-basic-fruit-jam-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-193560 
https://preparednessmama.com/jam-without-pectin/
https://www.pickyourown.org/makeyourownpectin.htm
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/how-to-make-jam-without-using-added-pectin/
https://butterwithasideofbread.com/strawberry-jam-without-pectin/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/263781/raspberry-jam-without-pectin/

 06.06.20

Basic Food Storage Happiness--Sugar Cream Pie

As happened last year, I'm deep into gardening season and there is so much to do--that has to be done with the way the food situation is in this country--that I don't have the time for researching and writing as I would like.  I just have to run a few articles from a couple of years ago.  And I don't even have time to update them.  But as I reviewed the article posted below, I was reminded of the situation back then.  What wouldn't we all give for the grocery store prices from back then!

 

I stopped by my local Grocery Outlet store yesterday on the way home from the storage unit where Lydia and I had just taken a load of boxes from the house in anticipation of our next move.  We're trying to eat through all the food in the house, but I still wanted to pick up some fresh items like milk, eggs, and produce.  Thankfully, those were easy to come by, and prices weren't too inflated yet.  But there were some serious holes there, more than I'd seen ever before.  (Mind you, I did not visit any grocery stores as the panic shopping began in earnest.)

Of course, I wanted to check out all the aisles to get a true sense for myself of what is going on.  I think there was more empty shelf space than food among the cereal, cookies, crackers, condiments, and baking staples.  Perhaps food is selling so well in regular stores that there's little left for the outlets.  The meats were pretty thin and the prices were higher.  All the cheese was priced about 15% higher than it was just two weeks ago.  The food situation in this country looks to be getting a little sporty.  I'm thinking the country's newfound interest in baking is not going to be just a passing fancy.

Yesterday, one of the threads on a forum I frequent daily focused on historic dishes born of tough times.  Some I can't ever imagine eating.  Peanut butter and mayo sandwich?  No, thank you, even if you do add in bacon and pickles.

Sugar cream pie sounded a bit more palatable, and several people on the thread commented on how much they or their grandparents had enjoyed this simple dessert.  It was a Depression-era staple made so easily from food storage basics, so I thought I'd give it a try for my family. 

Sugar Cream Pie
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup non-instant dry milk
2 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 9-inch pie shell, baked

In a small bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch.  In a medium saucepan, combine dry milk and water and whisk until smooth.   Bring mixture nearly to a boil while adding in vanilla, butter, and cinnamon.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.  Immediately pour into baked pie shell and sprinkle with additional cinnamon.  Serve chilled.

Family reviews:  This was actually pretty good, much to our surprise.  It's really pretty close to a pudding pie, and it would be super easy to throw some fresh fruit or flavoring in to mix things up.  We'll be making this again.

Essential Minor Surgery Instruments and Other Supplies for Wound Cleaning

Before we get into the specifics of surgery here, let's make sure we're all on the same page regarding the understanding of minor surgery.  True minor surgery involves only cutting and stitching.  Anesthetic, if any is used, is only local.  No respiratory assistance is required.  Minor surgery pertains to medical issues such as lacerations, abscesses, and ingrown toenails. 

As with any job, having the right tools makes the task easier, faster, and more pleasant for all.  Yes, you can sometimes improvise a tool, if necessary.  I have been known to improvise a flathead screwdriver for a Phillips on occasion.  It usually doesn't work as well.  I've also been known to improvise a butter knife for a flathead screwdriver, and it doesn't work as well, either.  But both of them save me a trip to the garage.  I also only make these substitutions for little, temporary jobs.  If I want to do the job right, I get the right tool.

When you're dealing with medical issues with your family, you want the right tools for yourself or the doctor doing the work for you.  You don't want the absolute cheapest instruments, but you don't need surgical suite quality, either.

Ideally, you'd find a doctor to help you out with specific purchases.  Dr. Steve brought tools to the class and we were able to buy what we wanted as sets or singly.  Most of the instruments he offered were actually made in India.  Even though they were very inexpensive, he was impressed with the quality and felt they were on par with much more expensive tools.  Unfortunately, I can't really offer any recommendations.  The pre-assembled kits retailers offer may have good quality items.  Like every kit marketed towards the preparedness community, these pre-assembled kits will most certainly cost more than what you'd pay by putting your own together. 

As far as the actual instruments go, this is what most doctors have and use:

• Hemostats (look like clamps)
• mosquito, curved (2)
• Kelly, straight (2)
• Hagar needle driver (also known as needle holder), 5", (1).  These look like clamps but are not.  They are strictly for holding the suture needle.
• Scissors
• bandage scissors (1)
• Metzenbaum, dissecting scissors, curved, 6" (1)
• suture.  These have a curved, blunt blade on the bottom to prevent injuring the patient.
• trauma shears for cutting away clothing (1)
• Scalpels
• disposable units or the handles (#3 scalpel handle) with replacement blades
• scalpel blades, at least a dozen each of #10, #11, and #15
• Forceps (tweezers to non-doctors)
• splinter forceps, ultra-fine tip with tip protector (1)
• smooth pick-ups, holding dressings (1)
• toothed pick-ups (Adson's forceps/tissue forceps.  Especially useful in pulling the skin together so that skin staples can be well placed.)

And you can ask a doctor, and he'll tell you these instruments are not really interchangeable.  They're the bare basics for most minor surgeries.  When a patient needs minor surgery, you want to have everything necessary for the job to be done well and safely, without introducing infection.  So you'll also want in your supplies a good number of sterile towels and drapes.  These are placed around the wound to be sutured so that the suture thread does not come into contact with dirty skin or clothing and risk dragging contaminants into the wound.  These can be sterilized and reused as needed.  And the surgeon should also have sterile gloves.  These run about a dollar a pair, and the surgeon really wants the right size for his hand, so you'll want a few sizes.

And finally, a couple of other items for cleaning wounds:

• a baby brush.  The soft little baby brushes that are sent home from the hospital are ideal for gently cleaning out debris from abrasions.  
• razors.  If the laceration is within a hairy part of the body, the skin needs to be shaved clean before suturing begins.  Otherwise, the risk of contaminating the underlying tissue is too great. 

 9 june 2020

Common Commercial Landscaping Plants for Herbal Medicine

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on items you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.


So much of writing about herbal medicine in a collapsed society revolves around finding plants in the wild.  However, as the current pandemic has demonstrated, none of us had to bug out.  We're all at home.  We also found some medicines became a little more difficult to obtain.  Fortunately, with social distancing, far fewer people are getting sick.  But what will the next crisis bring?  While food shortages and riots seem baked in, beyond that it's difficult to guess. 

Still, illnesses can and will happen.  What if you can't get the pharmaceuticals you want?  What if you live in the city, or you're a student or apartment dweller? What if you can't grow your own herbal medicine?

While many lack the ability to grow herbs for medicine due to constraints of property location or personal situation, it's critical to be as self-reliant as possible, even in a city.  Happily, there are dozens of common commercial landscaping plants that are also medicinal.

Because commercial landscaping plants are more likely to have pesticides applied, you may not wish to use them except in an emergency.  When you do have to use them, keep in mind that plants used in commercial landscaping are chosen partially for being low maintenance, so there really shouldn't be much sprayed on them.  Just wash them well.

Be judicious and stealthy in harvesting. Picking a few honeysuckle blooms or snipping off a bit of rosemary for a tea probably won't get you in trouble, but digging out half a Japanese barberry to make a tincture will likely be frowned upon.  Remember, this is for a time when society has completely collapsed and you have no other options.  As long as there is still a functioning community, don't break the law and don't violate the property of others.

The following is a short list of common commercial landscaping plants that also have medicinal qualities and are used in my area.  There are blog articles on most of these.  Just click on the links.  Take a look at what is used in your area and do a little research to see what medicinal qualities those plants hold.

• Cinquefoil
• Japanese barberry
• Japanese honeysuckle
• Juniper
• Lavender
• Oak
• Pine
• Rosemary

At the same time, consider the weeds and trees in your public parks.  Budget cuts often mean the weeds aren't being sprayed and the grass isn't being fertilized.  Of course, there are all the dogs to deal with, but if you go off the beaten path, you may find some good stuff.

• Dandelion
• Mallow
• Plantain
• Purslane 
• Red clover
• Usnea
• Yarrow

Using herbs for medicine doesn't require tromping about in the wild.  You can probably find what you need growing right in your neighborhood.  Pick one new herb to learn about each week, and within three months you'll have a really good variety to choose from.


Links to related posts:
Click on the herbs in the lists above.

 20 july 2020