Fire-snow-cooking

Fire, Snow and cooking
Re-Blogging and Linking to two separate articles here. Rogers Blog where he explains how to setup a campfire and a new to Youtuber, a prepper and self reliant buddy of mine who has a done a series of videos to show people how to make a winter shelter and how to build a winter fire. 

This is a skill that anyone who lives in any climate where there is cold and winter should know of. This post will have some of my own info included, some re-blogged info from Roger’s blog along with a re-blogged video series from a ex Canadian Military buddy of mine who lives way out in the flatlands of Canada!

This winter campfire photo was taken in January a couple of years ago. The next photo shows the same fire pit in the summer time.

A great way to build a fire in winter if you have a camping spot for year round use or look for established camping spots along any trail or campground. Remember you do not have to always re-invent the wheel, just keep it simpler and it works.

Same firepit in summer time as the winter shot above.

A blog post by RMACTSC where he explains how to setup a campfire
…. excerpt.. KINDLING is the foundation of any fire. It is made of lightweight materials that are capable of burning quickly and igniting heavier materials. Kindling can be made from a mixture of twigs, tiny sticks, slivers of shaved wood, dried leaves, paper, cardboard, cotton balls, dryer lint, birch bark, dried grass, dried pine needles, etc. You’ll be using small sticks to then form a tepee and get your fire started. …. read more….

http://rmactsc.wordpress.com/2014/01/03/campfire-cooking/

The following link is to the topic of winter fire on the CanAmPreppers.net forum
excerpt … If you are in the bush and had nowhere to make a fire but on the snow, and no rocks were available because they’re all under the snow and ice, what would you do? … read more…
http://canampreppers.net/forum/index.php?topic=1091.0

The new YouTubers in action, building a winter fire and winter shelter heated by fire

Canadian Candle Fire on snow

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5j4M5deU5cC-xt_HYiZgSA/videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-ZZFtEktXE

The next is a series of photos created while I was at Buroak Wilderness Adventures this summer. The owner of the camp a buddy of mine created a stunning all season fireplace/pit. Just look at all the features this cooking camp fire pit has;

• flat rock for use as a warming centre and for putting objects on like the kettle
• lots and I mean lots of hanging hooks all created from hardwood branches
• excellent over the camp stand
• excellent front and back projection areas
• not seen in the photo is a canvas cook’s tent which is close enough to the fire to catch heat from this in the fall/winter/spring making your old bones just a bit more comfortable!

Excellent campfire setup.

This shot shows the ease at which cooking at various heights is accomplished.

Dinner is almost ready, can you not just smell the yummy goodness! Fresh field potatoes, fresh picked corn (non gmo), fresh farm raised free range chicken.

Kinda making me hungry all over again! Plus the smell of freshly brewed coffee all cooked on hard and softwoods.

Remember the old ways, remember this is how Humans have lived for thousands upon thousands of years.

This is one of the reasons your computer screen saver is of the outdoors and not your bosses cubical or office! just saying !

Hopefully these skills will be appeal to you, so get out and learn or get out and practice but above all just get out and have some fun folks!
Until next time Cheers ~wild_E

Come on out to the forums at CanAmPreppers.net where we talk about this stuff and so much more for prepping, self-reliance, homesteading and survival skills.

Recommendation for Chef and Nutritionist Rhoni Speed

Recommendation for Chef and Nutritionist Rhoni Speed This past weekend i was treated to the delightful tastes, smells and presentations of several of Chef and Nutritionist Rhoni Speed culinary arts. Recipes that would have required me to look and measure diligently were whipped out from the top of her head with apparent ease as well as flexibility.

raw organic foods

Chef Rhoni inquired on my allergies, medical history as well as food likes and dislikes to come up with some wondrously tasty meals. All meals were Vegan, so no animal products or dairy of any kind. As I am allergic to Milk some of the delightful tastes and food alternatives were designed to replace foods that I had not been able to eat for at least 4-5 yrs. Cheese, now how do you make Cheese without diary?

Chef Rhoni the specialists whipped up cheese from scratch from some sprouted things and nuts and well just ask her yourself. The taste, well the only thing I can say is WOW, what a taste and delight for the tongue and senses. Chef Rhoni also had the forethought to make two batches of a Pepper flavoured cheese, one the day before so some was in a hardened state and one was in a softer spread state. Although identical the different states of the cheese had different tastes and textures to the palate.

There was also a lovely Pesto flavoured cheese, now since I love the taste of Pesto as well, though it always has dairy in it when store bought, this was yet again another taste sensation from years ago. Freshly cut organic celery as well as home made Chia Bread/crackers were made in a special dehydrator. The celery and Chia crackers upon which we spread the yummy cheeses had wonderful flavours of their own.

Peeking into the Fridge you see many bottles and saucers and other containers, looking into this fridge is definitely not like looking into a Store bought, mass produced, pre processed food fridge, not at all.

Dinnertime was much earlier than I was used to as it was at about 530 ish, while my normal Dinner time is 7-8 pm. This is an important comment as I was wondering about being hungry later in the evening as sometimes with the processed foods which are nutritionally lower, I am sometimes hungry even in as little as an hour later. Well I can honestly say the quality of the foods kept me full right through to Breakfast time, which was also later than my normal timing.

this is what breakfast looked like

Breakfast was another exploration into the realm of taste, textures and sensations for the palate to savour and enjoy! I will not go into it except to say that everything was made from scratch using organic, raw and ultra healthy food as well as food combinations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you wish to know what the ingredients were, contact Chef Rhoni for a more detailed menu and consultation.

caption from Food and You blog

 

As a closing note, most meals that I prepare for myself seem bland in taste and colour compared to the meals that Chef Rhoni whipped up with ease and confidence. I whole heartedly recommend her for Nutritional Consultation, for food preparation as well as food gathering as part of your journey to wellness and a return to Food Health.

Rated 110% out of 100%

The additional 10% was a surprise as her 7 1/2 yr old Son seems to be a Chef in training, full of information as well as food knowledge and skill. It is not often you see an almost 8 yr old boy make a Lunch from Scratch, whole preparation out of the fridge and cupboards with ease and eagerness.

As it was his idea to make the Wholesome and Yummy Lunch I watched closely and was impressed when he asked only two questions for clarification of his Chef Mother, then asked me a question on clarification on which added foods I liked (we both love Avocados).

Nice touch and impressive so when the Chef asks you food allergies as well as what types of food you like then follows up with medical history questions, answer honestly and you will get healthy meals designed to taste great and work for your body towards a healthy food healing result.

Diet got if figured out right?

So, today I was thinking about the Juice Diet, then read the comments by Anita, Hmmmm

Thoughts led me this way and that way then to the store for prices, more hmmm then hmmmpf..

Juicer, Vegan? Paleo? Raw, Lacto Vegan? What’s the best way of eating?

The cost the waste of the pulp and peals, then searching for a Juicer Machine!
Came across some info then searched for more info on types of juicers, vs Magic Bullet vs Hamilton Beach, vs Ninja Food Prep, looked into Kijiji.ca for new and or used machines!

How about adding in there SHFT diets from Canadian Pepper’s forum, damn damn damn… How about adding in Natural Wild Edibles (ok, that was easiest thought actually) need to learn which do which and similar and complimentary tastes, then no worries, beyond identification, location, picking and harvesting. so

Bam..  … So friggin confuzled!

So, mostly Smoothies I have decided, it is so similar to the Juice Diet with all the benefits of the pulps and seeds, that will be mostly my way I think. Both WalMart and Canadian Tire are selling the Ninja Food Preps for $40 this week. The reviews and comments as well as Consumer reports rates the Ninja way above the Bullet for this type of thing. The Hamilton Beach Single serve although cheap at $15 just can not stand up to the torture juicing and smoothies put it through. It has its place with less hard items and the price is great, but for the little bit more, I think it is the Ninja for me.

Now the Ninja comes in two varieties for the ones I am looking at them online;

Ninja Frozen Treat and Drink Maker ->

Ninja Master Prep Food Processor – v

 

 

the Frozen Ninja = 400 watts

The Prep Ninja
= 450 watts and more bases

hhmm what to do, really I do not need a food processor  though I think it looks a bit sturdier than the Frozen Treat version.  Will go and check it out in person then make up my mind. PS.. kijiji.ca almost all of the Bullets where priced as high as buying new, though there were a few cheaper ones. Juicers same thing though better savings there, but do I really want to waste all that yummy goodness? NO..

So, smoothies and thicker juices for me, it is all per the person and per the body really.

The cost of the food, so I will have to do what I hate and go shopping, more than one store! Yukkers.. Almost perfect has some good deals on larger frozen fruits and veggies, good deal there, Price Chopper is cheaper than Food Basics so shop there, they are all cheaper than Sobies! WalMart will need to look at prices there as well, make a list, check it twice gonna find out who is Naughty and who is Cheaper, O so NICE!

Reference Material;
WalMart Online
Canadian Tire Online
Wiki online
Purley Living – http://purelyliving.blogspot.ca/
Living Healthy – http://www.livingintherealworld.net/healthy/
Lacto vegetarianism – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacto_vegetarianism
– (cause me likes fish and eggs, honey and turkey, so sue me, plus the smoked turkey, or hamburger, sigh…)
or. Ovo-lacto vegetarianism it is all so confusing..

plus a host of other sites today including recipes, Yummy Mommy (love that title), Paleo Diet plus about 40 reviews of the different systems, juicers, blenders, bullets, and on and on and on… my head is mush, kinda like my diet will be by the end of the week, he he..

.

Inspirational Documentary

I just watched a truly inspirational documentary entitled;
Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, found ithttp://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/fat_sick_and_nearly_dead_2010/

inspirational documentary

Juice machine and travel around helping people, then he met another with the same condition, that fellow learned and did the same diet reboot. Second fellow lost 200+ pounds by juicing and exercise, watch the transformation and inspirational documentary. It is not cheezy or in your face, laid back documentation of their journeys and the people they help along the way.
My great big smile for the day!

Here are the links to the websites;
http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/fat_sick_and_nearly_dead_2010/
http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com
http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/recipes/

Synopsis;

An Australian fellow who was overweight and had a weird and rare condition thought long and hard about his life and health, the Documentary is his journey. This documentary takes place in Australia and the United States where he travels around chatting with people and trying to help them in their food addictions. Now this sounds in your face but this fellow is easy to like and easy to chat with as well as his genuine sincerity to help others. Half way through his journey across the U.S. he meets another fellow like he used to be, overweight and with the same rare illness.

Your going to smile, you’re going to be sad, you’re going to laugh as well as shed a tear or two, or your just not human at all. This documentary about this part of his life draws you in and you think your there with him it is very intimate and soulful.

Joe the originator of the film is inspirational and Phil the ex-truck driver is amazingly inspirational, your heart melts with his weight loss journey. Watch this little hour-long film and dare to change your life!

Since I have decided to become mostly Vegetarian  this was very opportune for my knowledge base of veggie foods. Now since I have been off sick for the last 4 months with this weird Lung Infection, I need to lose even more weight, I was doing great up to D-day sickness time. The film just makes sense  so much sense that I will be starting this diet as well, they call it a ReBoot. Well reboot me baby here I come. North American Doctors can not find out what is wrong with me, they can not fix me and they can not even help very much, so I am helping MYSELF!

More to follow on my Journey and I believe that updating my blog with my journey will help me more than it help anyone who reads it, but just maybe, someone else out there will find the info useful and the Documentary will change their life!

 

I dedicate this post to the Documentary and helping one person change their life, mine. Everyone else and everything else is a bonus and good luck on your journey as well!

My belief before was that Permaculture and Aquaculture could change the course of the world for the better, this documentary only re-enforces my thoughts and beliefs.

Cheers for now
~Wild_E

 

FarmGal & Anita

FarmGal and Anita both have some great posts today and most anytime they make a post as well. So right now I am working on my own posts, while I am doing this why not go and check out their blogs today?

Anita just posted on her blog an interesting review of the LDS / Mormon Long Term Preparedness Manual. You will also find a link to the download page.
http://adventures-in-country-living.blogspot.ca/2012/07/latest-lds-preparedness-manual-free.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+AdventuresInCountryLiving+(Adventures+in+Country+Living)

I am checking out the Manual right now and I have to say I like it more than the last one as well. Although I am not a Mormon indeed I am spiritual rather than Church centric, the parables and stories presented are very good reading. The imagery is enough to hold the attention of a child as well (so Carbon, go read it >:)…

Recently in another topic someone was hotly debating the followings of the earlier manual for information, I agreed with them on most points, the points I did not agree with have been updated in this newest volume. It now Lists.. Grains over just wheat!

FarmGal has a great post as well about her Farm and food gathering and preparations, not going to read that as it makes me hungry and her recipe for Stuffed Grape Leaves, uses Goad Cheese and well I rather miss being able to eat cheese. http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/goat-stuffed-grape-leaves-in-a-red-pepper-sauce-with-greek-yogurt/ For those who are not hungry and full right now, although after seeing her cuisine you might just get hungry again!

Pork Pot Roast 100 mile diete

So before I forget here is the recipie for the Pork Pot Roast that I did the other day in the crock pot.

Everything, pork, potatoes, onions, veggies, green tea grown in Ontario, even the cherries I put on top where from within the 100 mile radius, all from Ontario.

Pan seared the Pot Roast in my Cast Iron Frying Pan,
Put some Green Tea in the bottom of the Crock Pot
put in the Pork Loin Roast,
added in 5 large Potatoes (Ontario Whites)
– poked them with a fork a few times before putting them in
put Veggies on top
added some cherries on top for a bit of sweetness

Covered the crock pot, cooked on High for 4 hrs,

then on simmer until Dinner time of 7pm

Took it out, cut the string around the pork roast as it just fell off the fork.
Awesome Taste

 

Hearty Omelette vegg or meat

Hearty Omelette vegg or meat

Hearty Omelette Variations

3 eggs beaten

Garlic 5 cloves

Red Onion 1/3

Tomato 1/2

Spinach handful, chopped up / ground up / shredded

Flax Protein Powder/ Hemp Protein Powder

or

Chicken/Beef leftovers

note: need to find some good No Milk Cheese sub)

Use Cast Iron Frying Pan, Large

Pre cook/Blanch

garlic

onions

maybe even the spinach if you want, it changes the taste a lot

remove from pan / or use a smaller pan for this, you are just stirring and pre-cooking

Main large cast iron Frying pan

little oil, up to you (tip from Jamie Oliver; use 1/2 and 1/2 veg oil and extra virgin olive oil, cheaper and great taste )

cast iron fry pan should be on med (6-7)

put in the beaten up eggs

wait a moment for it to solidify on bottom

put in your ingredients

wait a moment, I cover it to keep heat and moisture in

flip up the one side to cover

 

reduce heat to min or 0, remember cast iron holds the heat very well, so it is eco friendly that way, it will also keep cooking it at a temp

now flip it over, quickly! cover, to keep in the moisture (I like it moist not dry)

do not worry if some of it falls out, it is all good, this is not Iron Chef or Chef Ramsie’s show 🙂

wait a moment, use flipper to peek in a moment, it should look and feel done, the bottom side you want golden and not burnt

use flipper put onto plate right away! (or it will still cook)

if you are doing more than one, cover with a lid/tin foil or put into the oven, with it on low temp to keep it hot/warm

wipe out cast iron frying pans completely, dribble some oil in pans, wipe, let sit on hot element to re-season (important)

 

Notes; using cast iron, takes some getting used to, but you will love it

use gloves with the handles, yes it is heavier, but aww so good to cook with, use weight training to get stronger arms (or wave pan at husband a lot, to increase muscle mass, Just kidding!)

 

Cast iron, when seasoned right, non-stick, easy cleanup, useses less electricity/gas, Energy to do the same job and has less chemicals than Teflon to hurt your health in the long run!

Ground Beef recipe with Sauce HOT

Ground Beef recipe with Sauce HOT

I actually wrote down one of my concoctions, this time, normally I make it, eat it, then try to remember what I added or how I did it !

cook in cast iron fry pan, large

1 kg ground beef

water 1 cup

lemon juice – big squirt

Cocoa powder – 4 tbs aprox.

stir till brown

add into this ground beef mixture –

Louisiana hot sauce, Franks brand – big gulp full

plumb sauce – big gulp full

BBQ sauce – big gulp full

smoked paprika, pinch

Chili Peppers – 2 tbs

Sauce / Gravy

water cold – 1 Cup

corn bread mix,

brown flour

baking soda, dash

stir into fry pan, simmer for 5 min

pour over baked potatoes,

and corn added to the top for colour and vegieness

Hot and tasty !!

Writing Excersie

 

Follow UP

It was good, the sauce was very thick and awesome, but not hot enough. I will add more hot sauce into the sauce mix next time, and use Holy Habanera sauce or peppers to spice it up some more >:)

The yellow corn on top was a nice touch, I end…S

Crock Pot Pork Loin Roast

1 pork loin cut in half

crock pot low height, as it will simmer all day

2 very large carrots put on bottom, broken into two pieces each

pork loin on top (this creates a convection process, as the juices and moisture raise up and around)

14 or so garlic cloves

1 cup mandarin oranges, poured over the top

1 handful of cherry raisins

splash of lemon juice

splash of Franks Louisiana hot sauce

sprinkle of smoked paprika

sprinkle of Taco seasoning (thanks Mom)

started at 9am – turned off at 5:30pm, use a spoon to remove as it is that juicy and tender, falling apart

perfectly done

put on plate with spinach leaves

use some of the juice from the crock pot as a tasty seasoning/dressing for the spinach

options – add potatoes to crock pot

options – serve with rice

 

Writing Excersice

Modern Food, Anti-Biotics Dangerous Super Bugs

Modern Food, Anti-Biotics Dangerous Super Bugs

FOOD modern Food Danger Will Robinson!

a couple of days ago, I watched a Marketplace CBC Report on the dangers of the Antibiotics and steroids etc, that they put into chickens, from Eggs to Chicken in cages and afterwards! The report used independent Labs, found that there were up to 8 SuperBugs that could not be treated with Anti-Biotics, including the ones given to pregnant Women! It affects us all, this causes our bodies, and foods to create viruses etc, that Can Never Be Treated! People need to go to Hospital for intensive Intervenes treatments for simple colds and flue’s.

I am now looking for local food growers, who are Organic, do not use Anti-Biotics, and are reasonably priced!

Wish Me and You Luck