Anyone else feel the same way about watching the news???
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Friday, February 4, 2011
I Had To Turn Off The News!!!
Every time I turn on the news it is just more bad news. I already know that this world is going to hell in a hand-basket, so I have decided to turn off the news for the weekend. I just cannot watch anymore of what is going on in Egypt, hear anymore about how bad things are here in the USA, the bad weather, and more. Plus, it did not help that the Newscaster on my Roku added LIVE Al Jazeera Television that was just streaming LIVE from Egypt!! I am only going to watch the Super Bowl!!
Anyone else feel the same way about watching the news???
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Anyone else feel the same way about watching the news???
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
MREs
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Water Filters And Water Purifiers For Survival
At the top of everyone's survival and preparedness checklist is drinking water. Pure, refreshing, sweet water. We want it to be clean and free from dangerous bacterias, cysts, and viruses. That is because without water to drink we are dead in just a few days. That is not all though...without clean water, we risk both sickness and death!
You can store water for emergencies...and you should. But what happens if you don't store enough or you have to evacuate your home? How many days worth of water do you think you can carry with you if you are on foot? We each need about 1 gallon of water a day...do you think you can carry 2-3 days worth?
Suppose you don't have to evacuate but the crisis lasts longer than you are prepared for. What are you going to do?
There are several solutions to these problems, but the one that makes the most sense to many people is to invest in either water filters or water purifiers.
Both types of devices come in small portable bottles that are ideal for someone on the move, and larger units designed to take care of an entire household.
Many people don't know the difference between a water filter and a water purifier though. Both use a filter or series of filters to decontaminate the water. They both remove protozoa, bacteria and parasites from the water. They both make water much safer to drink. The difference is that water purifiers also remove viruses from the water.
Removing bacteria is important because even clear water can have salmonella, E. coli and cholera. These bacteria not only cause illness, they kill people that drink contaminated water every year. Both kinds of devices are good at removing them.
The water purifier will also remove dangerous viruses from the water such as the Hepatitis A virus, Rotaviruses, and Norwalk-type viruses. Not usually fatal, these viruses can definitely make your life miserable for a while though.
You can also kill viruses by boiling the water, using iodine tablets, and adding chlorine tablets.
Each of these methods has disadvantages to consider. Boiling water uses fuel that can be used for cooking and is time intensive. Some people are allergic to iodine and it leaves a strong taste in the water. Chlorine tablets take 4 hours after you have added them before you can drink the water.
No matter what, the first step that you should take when disinfecting or purifying water should be to select the cleanest and clearest water that you can find. The clearer the better, because particulates in the water such as clay and silt will reduce the effectiveness of your filters and also make your chemical disinfectants less reliable.
When choosing your water from a still source such as a pond you should take it from the top because you will find less particulates in the water there. The only reason that would cause you not to remove the water from the top would be if it has oil or some other surface contaminate in it. Water that is removed from the top also has the advantage of being disinfected somewhat by the sun's radiation.
The important thing is that you invest in one or more of these lifesaving gadgets. Get a large home model and a smaller portable bottle if you can. You may never need one to save your life, but you will be thankful that you have one if you get caught in a crisis.
Hi, I'm James Sorick and I run a website that teaches about survival gear and preparedness strategies. I invite you to visit my site where I go into greater detail about the water purification bottle and many other topics including the basics of survival food.Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
You can store water for emergencies...and you should. But what happens if you don't store enough or you have to evacuate your home? How many days worth of water do you think you can carry with you if you are on foot? We each need about 1 gallon of water a day...do you think you can carry 2-3 days worth?
Suppose you don't have to evacuate but the crisis lasts longer than you are prepared for. What are you going to do?
There are several solutions to these problems, but the one that makes the most sense to many people is to invest in either water filters or water purifiers.
Both types of devices come in small portable bottles that are ideal for someone on the move, and larger units designed to take care of an entire household.
Many people don't know the difference between a water filter and a water purifier though. Both use a filter or series of filters to decontaminate the water. They both remove protozoa, bacteria and parasites from the water. They both make water much safer to drink. The difference is that water purifiers also remove viruses from the water.
Removing bacteria is important because even clear water can have salmonella, E. coli and cholera. These bacteria not only cause illness, they kill people that drink contaminated water every year. Both kinds of devices are good at removing them.
The water purifier will also remove dangerous viruses from the water such as the Hepatitis A virus, Rotaviruses, and Norwalk-type viruses. Not usually fatal, these viruses can definitely make your life miserable for a while though.
You can also kill viruses by boiling the water, using iodine tablets, and adding chlorine tablets.
Each of these methods has disadvantages to consider. Boiling water uses fuel that can be used for cooking and is time intensive. Some people are allergic to iodine and it leaves a strong taste in the water. Chlorine tablets take 4 hours after you have added them before you can drink the water.
No matter what, the first step that you should take when disinfecting or purifying water should be to select the cleanest and clearest water that you can find. The clearer the better, because particulates in the water such as clay and silt will reduce the effectiveness of your filters and also make your chemical disinfectants less reliable.
When choosing your water from a still source such as a pond you should take it from the top because you will find less particulates in the water there. The only reason that would cause you not to remove the water from the top would be if it has oil or some other surface contaminate in it. Water that is removed from the top also has the advantage of being disinfected somewhat by the sun's radiation.
The important thing is that you invest in one or more of these lifesaving gadgets. Get a large home model and a smaller portable bottle if you can. You may never need one to save your life, but you will be thankful that you have one if you get caught in a crisis.
Hi, I'm James Sorick and I run a website that teaches about survival gear and preparedness strategies. I invite you to visit my site where I go into greater detail about the water purification bottle and many other topics including the basics of survival food.Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Alcohol Stove
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Flashlights That Do Not Need Batteries.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Organize The Stockpile
This is what I am going to be working on the rest of the week. I need to get my stockpile of food organized. I do not have a lot of room to do this in, but I have been using one corner of my bedroom and boxes. Not very good , but I have to work with what I have. I am saving some money back , taking the savings from using coupons, to order me some of these can organizers. Might take me a while to do that, but for now I am going to make a list for each box and tape it on the outside. Making sure to note the dates. Maybe that will make it easier to rotate. Each box will have a different type of food in it. One for canned, one for condiments, and so on. I will probably be working on this the rest of the week. It should be worth it though. I just wish that I had more room. LOL.
Here is a great Food Storage Inventory List that I am going to print out to put in my kitchen binder. That way I do not have to run to the boxes every time and look for something. I can just get this out and check. Also should make my grocery list making easier.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Here is a great Food Storage Inventory List that I am going to print out to put in my kitchen binder. That way I do not have to run to the boxes every time and look for something. I can just get this out and check. Also should make my grocery list making easier.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Frontier House
We just got done watching this DVD. The whole season of Frontier House. It was so good and really educational. I loved it. Really learned a lot from it. Tons of stuff that they had to go through and do to survive. This is a must see for anyone who wants to learn how to live off of the land and survive.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Saturday, January 22, 2011
I Love Oil Lamps!
I also got one of those fold up things to hang clothes on to dry. I needed another one of those. And for only $4.00 it was a steal. Those things are expensive.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Friday, January 21, 2011
One Second After ~ A Must read!
I got this book for my son for Christmas and for the past few days I have been reading it. WOW! Every single person in America should read this book. For being a fiction book , I have learned a lot. It is scaring me some what though. It is also giving me some ideas on other items that we should be stockpiling! Like antibiotics. Luckily no one in my family has any type of disease , like Diabetes. But, if one of us got hurt we need to have antibiotics here! Just in case.
This is really a great read and an educational one too. If you can buy one and share it. It is a must read for anyone who wants to keep their family safe.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
This is really a great read and an educational one too. If you can buy one and share it. It is a must read for anyone who wants to keep their family safe.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Deer = Venison
This morning I looked out my kitchen window and seen 5 deer standing in my back yard!! First thought was "oh, what a pretty scene" then my second thought was how lucky we are that we live almost out of town and have deer in our yard all of the time!! FOOD!! Sorry to say this if there are any animal lovers reading this, which by the way I am one too, but if my family is hungry , I will have to get a deer to feed them. I will not waste it or shoot for fun, but food is another thing. I hope that it never comes to that , because I never was very good at cleaning game, but if I had to for the health of my family , I would.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Provident Pantry!
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Monday, January 17, 2011
Stockpile Seasonings!
Stockpile the ones that you use the most and keep a few on hand for when you want things to be different. I also have some meat tenderizer, which can be a life saver. One thing that you can do id go through your favorite recipes and some new ones and make sure that you have stockpiled all of the stuff that goes into those recipes. We use a lot of chili powder and taco seasoning so those are ones that I have tried to stockpile a lot of.
Just make sure that you have the right seasonings on hand and you can cook anything better!!!
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Do You Have Enough Water??
If you are going to stockpile water, you need to remember ONE GALLON OF WATER A DAY PER PERSON. That adds up quick and takes up some room. Make sure that you have some way to kill the bacteria in the water. Bleach, Iodine, should do the trick. You also need a great water filtration system. There are many filters on the market that are either gravity-fed
or use a mechanical pump. They work well, especially when combined with chemical treatment.
If you are storing the water up you can bring back the "fresh water taste" to your stored drinking water, just pour the drinking water from one container to another, and back again a few times.
MORE INFO ON STOCKPILING WATER
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
MRE Polytrays!
You warm them up the same way as you can a smaller MRE - just boil some water in a big pot and put this in it for a few minutes.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Monday, January 10, 2011
Dehydrated Mushrooms Today!
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Samurai Survival Tool
. I do not have a very big yard right now , so this might work for it. Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Make Your Own Powdered Eggs!!
This is the first part of a 2 part video series on Youtube that shows how to make your own powdered eggs. Very simple to do.
*I did this today and it was so easy!! DO NOT ADD ANYTHING TO THE EGGS TO COOK THEM THOUGH, NO OIL, BUTTER, OR MARGARINE!! Just cook them on low and they will not stick. Takes a few more minutes , but it is worth it. I cooked up what eggs I had, which was only 10 of them! I put them in my dehydrator and a few hours later I had them done. I put them in my Magic Bullet until they became a fine powder! Put them in a Food Saver bag and vacuumed and sealed the bag!!
1 Large egg= 3 1/2 Tablespoons of powdered eggs
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Exactly What is Freeze Dried Food?
Not all naturally occurring food can stay fresh and eatable for a long period after they have been taken of the trees. Meat can also not stay fresh after the animal has been butchered. In order to prevent the food quality from too much degrading, some techniques are adapted which also includes the method of freeze drying.
A freeze drying is a method by which a food object can be dried using a freezing method and the moisture is converted into ice and the food is preserved. The freeze drying for food often uses temperatures as low as -29 Celsius. Later when heat is applied, the product turns back into the normal state but the frozen water sublimes meaning that it turns directly from ice to water vapors and it is not converted into liquid water.
This can help in keeping the food somewhat fresh and its quality is not much compromised. Freeze drying is also considered as a better option than other methods of preservation because the freeze dried food can last for longer periods and also does not add up to any extra weight over the food products because nothing new is added only the water molecules are frozen which will later sublime when the food is heated.
Not all food products may be freeze dried because some of them can be consumed at once without any need of preservation like an orange, apple etc. which can be eaten at once. But there are some food related objects which needs storage even inside homes. Such objects include products like tea, coffee etc. which needs storage over some period of time.
It is however not necessarily true that fruits and vegetables cannot be dried or should not be dried. A number of stores can be seen to sell freeze dried vegetables and sometimes fruit as well. Freeze dried peas and other vegetables can be seen for sale which can be stored for even a whole year and can be used anytime during that period.
This type of food can help in emergency and traveling conditions where there may not be any food available easily. In these cases, freeze dried food can be kept which may only need a little heat for making them or the usual preparing procedure may be needed.
But it can still be said that fresh food can have the taste and nutrition which may be unseen and unheard in present days. The future may bring something unusual about which nothing may be said now and only patience can be adapted.
Mathew Paterson or Matt is an outdoor enthusiast, who loves hunting and camping. If he's not outside he's spending he's time writing and sharing his experiences about the two subjects. He hopes to help people improve their hunting strategies, how to best enjoy the outdoors and how to better plan for an emergency crisis.
GhillieGear.com is an online store that specializes in the latest Emergency Preparedness equipment, 72 Hour Kits, First Aid Experts, Survival Food and water. To purchase surival products visit: Ghillie Gear
For more information about this article and other articles related to this topic please visit http://www.GhillieGear.com
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
A freeze drying is a method by which a food object can be dried using a freezing method and the moisture is converted into ice and the food is preserved. The freeze drying for food often uses temperatures as low as -29 Celsius. Later when heat is applied, the product turns back into the normal state but the frozen water sublimes meaning that it turns directly from ice to water vapors and it is not converted into liquid water.
This can help in keeping the food somewhat fresh and its quality is not much compromised. Freeze drying is also considered as a better option than other methods of preservation because the freeze dried food can last for longer periods and also does not add up to any extra weight over the food products because nothing new is added only the water molecules are frozen which will later sublime when the food is heated.
Not all food products may be freeze dried because some of them can be consumed at once without any need of preservation like an orange, apple etc. which can be eaten at once. But there are some food related objects which needs storage even inside homes. Such objects include products like tea, coffee etc. which needs storage over some period of time.
It is however not necessarily true that fruits and vegetables cannot be dried or should not be dried. A number of stores can be seen to sell freeze dried vegetables and sometimes fruit as well. Freeze dried peas and other vegetables can be seen for sale which can be stored for even a whole year and can be used anytime during that period.
This type of food can help in emergency and traveling conditions where there may not be any food available easily. In these cases, freeze dried food can be kept which may only need a little heat for making them or the usual preparing procedure may be needed.
But it can still be said that fresh food can have the taste and nutrition which may be unseen and unheard in present days. The future may bring something unusual about which nothing may be said now and only patience can be adapted.
Mathew Paterson or Matt is an outdoor enthusiast, who loves hunting and camping. If he's not outside he's spending he's time writing and sharing his experiences about the two subjects. He hopes to help people improve their hunting strategies, how to best enjoy the outdoors and how to better plan for an emergency crisis.
GhillieGear.com is an online store that specializes in the latest Emergency Preparedness equipment, 72 Hour Kits, First Aid Experts, Survival Food and water. To purchase surival products visit: Ghillie Gear
For more information about this article and other articles related to this topic please visit http://www.GhillieGear.com
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Friday, January 7, 2011
How to Interpret Packaging Dates on Food
Dates on food are written in many different ways and can be hard for the average consumer to make sense of. Interestingly, only a few of those dates tell you about the safety of consuming food past the stamped on date.
All processed factory-packaged foods are dated. Unfortunately, most of the time the date is in a code that is of no help to the consumer. These dates are used by the manufacturer and grocery store manager in a product recall and is required of all items packaged in the same place, on the same date.
The federal government requires product dating only on poultry, infant formula and some baby foods. Depending on your state regulations, some perishable foods have to have an "open date" that consumers can understand when choosing a product to be sure its fresh. For many other foods, dates are put on products voluntarily by manufacturers to ensure consumers get a "fresh" product.
If you know what those dates mean, you can know whether or not you want to purchase an item and also how long you have to use it. Here are some of the common terms and what they mean:
Packed on - This means the date the food was placed in package. If you are looking at fruit, this date will not tell when the fruit was picked, only the day it was placed in the package. So, this only helpful if you know how long that food stays fresh.
Sell by - This is the last date on which a store should sell a product to you. Another term for this is "pull date." You can usually find a "sell by" date on bread and bread products, dairy products, cold cuts and fresh fruit juices. Bakery products are commonly sold a day or so after their sell by date but for a lower price. Most foods that have gone past their "sell by" dates you can still use safely.
Milk - can be used for about a week after the "sell by" date.
Raw fish, meat and poultry - If you are not going to use by the "sell by" date you can freeze it.
Fruit juices, coffee, tea, nuts, dried fruit and fresh cranberries - If you are not going to use by the "sell by" date you can freeze them. I make it a practice of keeping my coffee, tea and nuts in the freezer to ensure optimum freshness.
Best if used by (Use by) - By this date, you should use the product if you want maximum taste. You may still consume the product after this date, it just might not have as much flavor.
Expiration date (Exp) - Expiration dates usually appear on yeast and baby formula and sometimes on milk. After the expiration date, most foods should not be used. Apparently, eggs are the exception. Eggs that are federally graded must have expiration dates not later than 30 days from the time they are put in the carton. Stores can't sells the eggs after this date, but you can use the eggs safely for the next month or so assuming you refrigerate your eggs properly.
High acid canned foods (ex. tomatoes) should be used within !8 months of purchase. You risk the chance of them exploding when you open them if you keep them too long.
Low acid canned foods - Fish, meat, most vegetable and fruits will keep in the pantry for two to five years.
For more helpful information about Shelf Life Ingredients visit us at Fasthowto.com
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
All processed factory-packaged foods are dated. Unfortunately, most of the time the date is in a code that is of no help to the consumer. These dates are used by the manufacturer and grocery store manager in a product recall and is required of all items packaged in the same place, on the same date.
The federal government requires product dating only on poultry, infant formula and some baby foods. Depending on your state regulations, some perishable foods have to have an "open date" that consumers can understand when choosing a product to be sure its fresh. For many other foods, dates are put on products voluntarily by manufacturers to ensure consumers get a "fresh" product.
If you know what those dates mean, you can know whether or not you want to purchase an item and also how long you have to use it. Here are some of the common terms and what they mean:
Packed on - This means the date the food was placed in package. If you are looking at fruit, this date will not tell when the fruit was picked, only the day it was placed in the package. So, this only helpful if you know how long that food stays fresh.
Sell by - This is the last date on which a store should sell a product to you. Another term for this is "pull date." You can usually find a "sell by" date on bread and bread products, dairy products, cold cuts and fresh fruit juices. Bakery products are commonly sold a day or so after their sell by date but for a lower price. Most foods that have gone past their "sell by" dates you can still use safely.
Milk - can be used for about a week after the "sell by" date.
Raw fish, meat and poultry - If you are not going to use by the "sell by" date you can freeze it.
Fruit juices, coffee, tea, nuts, dried fruit and fresh cranberries - If you are not going to use by the "sell by" date you can freeze them. I make it a practice of keeping my coffee, tea and nuts in the freezer to ensure optimum freshness.
Best if used by (Use by) - By this date, you should use the product if you want maximum taste. You may still consume the product after this date, it just might not have as much flavor.
Expiration date (Exp) - Expiration dates usually appear on yeast and baby formula and sometimes on milk. After the expiration date, most foods should not be used. Apparently, eggs are the exception. Eggs that are federally graded must have expiration dates not later than 30 days from the time they are put in the carton. Stores can't sells the eggs after this date, but you can use the eggs safely for the next month or so assuming you refrigerate your eggs properly.
High acid canned foods (ex. tomatoes) should be used within !8 months of purchase. You risk the chance of them exploding when you open them if you keep them too long.
Low acid canned foods - Fish, meat, most vegetable and fruits will keep in the pantry for two to five years.
For more helpful information about Shelf Life Ingredients visit us at Fasthowto.com
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Loving my new food dehydrator & Food Saver!!
!! So far all that had been done in the Dehydrator has been the beef jerky that my son has been making. So I got the apples , diced them up, and treated them for a few minutes in some lemon juice. Then I remembered that I had some leftover strawberries and pineapples in the fridge and decided to do them too. I started the food dehydrator at 9:30 am and by 3:30 pm the apples were done and about 2 hours later the pineapples and strawberries were also done. Yay!! Then the fun part - I hooked up my Food Saver and got out the roll of bags that came with it. You have to make your own bags with the rolls, but with the heat seal thing on the Food Saver it was a breeze. I made 3 bags - put the stuff in them , stuck it on the machine, and sucked out all of the air. When the vacuum is done it automatically seals the bag with the heat seal. I love it. I had a little assembly line going on.
I can really see how this summer when I garden and go to farmer's markets these two items are going to be heavily used!!! I knew when I bought these at the time of year that I did , that I would not use them a lot. My son has been using the dehydrator a lot for beef jerky , but this time of year is not really a economical time to be buying fresh fruit and veggies. I do want to try some other type of things in it when I can. Like , for example, whenever I buy canned refried beans , we never use the whole can. Well , I have seen online where you can dehydrate them and powder them up. The add water to them when you want to reconstitute them. That could really save some money in our house. Usually a quarter of a can of refried beans gets thrown away in our house.
I diced the apples up because we love oatmeal in our house. Sometimes we add apples, strawberries, and bananas to it. Makes it yummy and gives you something different than just plain old oatmeal!!
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
How Much Does it Cost to Use a Food Dehydrator?
A common misconception is that it is expensive, electricity wise, to operate a food dehydrator. This is not true, even though dehydrators use electricity to operate their heating system and fans for longer periods of time, sometimes up to twelve and eighteen hours.
Food dehydrators are used to dry various foods by eliminating the water within the food. The water content of food is very high, typically between 80% to 95% for various fruits and vegetables and 50% to 75% for different meats. In order to minimize dehydration time, best dehydration practices to follow include slicing food into 1/4 inch or less strips and evenly spreading the food throughout the unit's trays in order to maximize the amount of the food's surface that is exposed to the unit's heat and air flow.
However, even following best dehydration practices, a food drying process can take multiple hours. One temptation is to try and speed up the drying time by increasing the dehydrating temperature. This is not recommended and can result in case hardened food; that is, food that is dried and hard on the outside but moist and containing water on the inside. Case hardened food will spoil due to microbial growth.
So what do typical dehydrators cost to operate? Obviously the costs depend on the state and local area that you live in, however, within the U.S., on average, running a 750 watt unit for one hour would cost about 8 cents. Cost per state, per hour, for the same 750 watt unit varies from about 5 cents on the low end in North Dakota to almost 22 cents in Hawaii.
A typical dehydrator may run for twelve hours. As an example, assuming a dehydrator user lives in the state of California, a food dehydrator calculator can be used to estimate electricity costs required to run a 750 watt food drying appliance for, say, 12 hours straight. In this case the electricity cost would be about $1.21. In fact, most food drying units power on and off during the drying cycle so this would be a maximum electricity cost.
If the same Californian user bought about 3.7 pounds of apples at $1.29 per pound and dried those apples during that 12 hour time period, the user would have about 1 pound of dried apples and the cost of the dried apples would be $4.77. The total operating cost for one pound of homemade dried apples would thus be about $5.98. This homemade cost compares favorably to a well known national brand of dried apples that was recently selling at a major grocery store chain for $2.79 for a 5 ounce bag or a cost per pound of $8.93. Savings for homemade dried apples, made with a dehydrator, versus store bought - about $3.00.
Dehydrate your own dried fruit, dried vegetables and jerky at home using your food dehydrator. You'll continuously save money versus store bought dried fruit and jerky and obtain a return on the cost of the food drying appliance. Further, you can control the ingredients that go into your food (most store bought dried fruit and jerky contain excess sugars and salts) and make great tasting food.
Visit Food Dehydrator to learn how to dehydrate food and make beef jerky and dried fruit. Use our food dehydrator content and calculators to discover the benefits of food dehydrators and dried food.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Food dehydrators are used to dry various foods by eliminating the water within the food. The water content of food is very high, typically between 80% to 95% for various fruits and vegetables and 50% to 75% for different meats. In order to minimize dehydration time, best dehydration practices to follow include slicing food into 1/4 inch or less strips and evenly spreading the food throughout the unit's trays in order to maximize the amount of the food's surface that is exposed to the unit's heat and air flow.
However, even following best dehydration practices, a food drying process can take multiple hours. One temptation is to try and speed up the drying time by increasing the dehydrating temperature. This is not recommended and can result in case hardened food; that is, food that is dried and hard on the outside but moist and containing water on the inside. Case hardened food will spoil due to microbial growth.
So what do typical dehydrators cost to operate? Obviously the costs depend on the state and local area that you live in, however, within the U.S., on average, running a 750 watt unit for one hour would cost about 8 cents. Cost per state, per hour, for the same 750 watt unit varies from about 5 cents on the low end in North Dakota to almost 22 cents in Hawaii.
A typical dehydrator may run for twelve hours. As an example, assuming a dehydrator user lives in the state of California, a food dehydrator calculator can be used to estimate electricity costs required to run a 750 watt food drying appliance for, say, 12 hours straight. In this case the electricity cost would be about $1.21. In fact, most food drying units power on and off during the drying cycle so this would be a maximum electricity cost.
If the same Californian user bought about 3.7 pounds of apples at $1.29 per pound and dried those apples during that 12 hour time period, the user would have about 1 pound of dried apples and the cost of the dried apples would be $4.77. The total operating cost for one pound of homemade dried apples would thus be about $5.98. This homemade cost compares favorably to a well known national brand of dried apples that was recently selling at a major grocery store chain for $2.79 for a 5 ounce bag or a cost per pound of $8.93. Savings for homemade dried apples, made with a dehydrator, versus store bought - about $3.00.
Dehydrate your own dried fruit, dried vegetables and jerky at home using your food dehydrator. You'll continuously save money versus store bought dried fruit and jerky and obtain a return on the cost of the food drying appliance. Further, you can control the ingredients that go into your food (most store bought dried fruit and jerky contain excess sugars and salts) and make great tasting food.
Visit Food Dehydrator to learn how to dehydrate food and make beef jerky and dried fruit. Use our food dehydrator content and calculators to discover the benefits of food dehydrators and dried food.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Free Kindle Books
Just want to let all of my readers know that Amazon has a huge list of FREE Kindle books. They are great ones too, for example Worldwide Effects of Nuclear War and many more. I have found some for my PC Kindle (which is also FREE) that will come in handy. Ones about gardening, canning, survival, military, and more. Check them out. They are free and useful.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Biggest Mistakes in Self Survival Emergency Preparedness
Preparing for an emergency survival can be a nerve wracking experience especially if these preparations are being made at the very last minute. Due to the unpredictable nature of life and our external surroundings, it's usually next to impossible to be able to predict such catastrophes and crises and be prepared for any self survival situation well in advance.
But with the high rate of catastrophic incidents such as the tsunami, earthquakes, volcano eruptions and even terrorist attacks have propelled the human minds to be readily prepared for any contingency in order to handle it better.
Whenever an unforeseen situation arises and you have to pack your bags and move out, the emergency can create a lot of panic and stress. As a result, one is certainly bound to miss on a lot of essential items while packing. Here are some of the biggest mistakes in self survival emergency preparedness that one can avoid by doing some fast thinking while on your toes:
· Since survival kits are of the utmost importance during any critical times. You have to be very careful about the stuff that is packed in it. You have to be choosy to ensure the kit is mobile and can accommodate all the essential items required for your survival. Try not to carry any unnecessary items that are of no use and will only add to the load.
· There can be numerous crisis situations that can push you into self survival mode. Naturally your survival kit must take these different scenarios into consideration. For example, a survival kit for an earthquake is very different for a kit for wilderness survival.
Of course, the kind of disaster or catastrophe will largely depend on your location. To make your work easier, you can ask survivalists in your area for the type of survival kits you should have ready in your home.
· Regardless on the kind of survival scenario it is, don't forget to carry a sufficient supply of water. You can easily stay without food for a day or two. But surviving without water can have fatal consequences for you and your family. So make sure that you carry enough water with you when you plan to move out of your home on a moment's notice.
· People often ignore the importance of tool kits and a handy weapon when preparing a survival kit. But you have to realize that certain tools such as scissors, knives or even a baton can be a lifesaver when you're out hunting and foraging for food. These tools can also be indispensable when your temporary shelter is located in the woodlands. You also have to remember to carry a lighter or few waterproof matches with you.
· Some spare clothes and food items are also indispensable especially if you need to move out on short notice. But don't forget to carry a portable tent with you to avoid exposing you and your family to the elements.
But your best tool is the knowledge and training you have within you. This is your best guarantee that you and your family will survive even if you run out of provisions while encamped in the woods.
Having an urban survival guide around when disaster strikes will make you and your family feel more prepared.
Visit Survival Guide for a comprehensive guide and all your survivalist needs.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
But with the high rate of catastrophic incidents such as the tsunami, earthquakes, volcano eruptions and even terrorist attacks have propelled the human minds to be readily prepared for any contingency in order to handle it better.
Whenever an unforeseen situation arises and you have to pack your bags and move out, the emergency can create a lot of panic and stress. As a result, one is certainly bound to miss on a lot of essential items while packing. Here are some of the biggest mistakes in self survival emergency preparedness that one can avoid by doing some fast thinking while on your toes:
· Since survival kits are of the utmost importance during any critical times. You have to be very careful about the stuff that is packed in it. You have to be choosy to ensure the kit is mobile and can accommodate all the essential items required for your survival. Try not to carry any unnecessary items that are of no use and will only add to the load.
· There can be numerous crisis situations that can push you into self survival mode. Naturally your survival kit must take these different scenarios into consideration. For example, a survival kit for an earthquake is very different for a kit for wilderness survival.
Of course, the kind of disaster or catastrophe will largely depend on your location. To make your work easier, you can ask survivalists in your area for the type of survival kits you should have ready in your home.
· Regardless on the kind of survival scenario it is, don't forget to carry a sufficient supply of water. You can easily stay without food for a day or two. But surviving without water can have fatal consequences for you and your family. So make sure that you carry enough water with you when you plan to move out of your home on a moment's notice.
· People often ignore the importance of tool kits and a handy weapon when preparing a survival kit. But you have to realize that certain tools such as scissors, knives or even a baton can be a lifesaver when you're out hunting and foraging for food. These tools can also be indispensable when your temporary shelter is located in the woodlands. You also have to remember to carry a lighter or few waterproof matches with you.
· Some spare clothes and food items are also indispensable especially if you need to move out on short notice. But don't forget to carry a portable tent with you to avoid exposing you and your family to the elements.
But your best tool is the knowledge and training you have within you. This is your best guarantee that you and your family will survive even if you run out of provisions while encamped in the woods.
Having an urban survival guide around when disaster strikes will make you and your family feel more prepared.
Visit Survival Guide for a comprehensive guide and all your survivalist needs.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Monday, January 3, 2011
Recycling Number Ten Cans
Any time you have survivalists you also have those large number 10 cans that are used to store their dehydrated foods in. It is only good sense to use what you store and store what you eat. With that thought in mind your food storage should be properly rotated. When new cans of food are introduced to your pantry the older ones should be used up first.
Eventually a survivalist will end up with an abundance of empty number 10 cans and wonder what useful purpose he could put these items to. I can ask yourself what you can do when you have those empty cans available. Each time I go to place one in a recycle bin I keep thinking that there must be some useful thing that I could be accomplishing with it. These cans are great assets for other uses than just their original purpose. This article will hopefully cover several different unique and creative ways to reuse them. Some of the more common uses that I have come up with are listed below.
If you are a pet own they make a great way to store or to scoops out the pet food. As a scoop it will work great for horse and chicken foods. As indicated the number ten cans usually work best if used as a scoop for the larger animals.
It goes without saying that the empty cans have a variety of uses involving arts and craft projects. With a bit of glue and colored paper a child can be kept busy and happy for several hours during a rainy day in the house. They also can be crafted into a great drum for a toddler's toy. You can store your child's crayons in them or even small toys. If you are into making home made candles you would find them a great help for storing melted paraffin.
Out in the garage you can clean paint brushes with them or even use the cans to transfer paint to allow several people so they can use the paint from the same paint can. They are good for storage of used motor oil when you change your cars lubricant.
Creative wives can often take an empty number ten can and make some fabulous accessories for their kitchen. They can skillfully decorate them to just about compliment any theme they might have in their kitchen. They can be spray painted with stickers attached for creating a personalized canister set. She can store cookies readily in them as well.
From a survivalist's point of view you can make yourself a tin can stove. These are useful in the event of a power failure or for storing in your bug out vehicle. They can be reused to store miscellaneous foods that are encased in Mylar pouches. They are perfect for storing small emergency bug out kits in your car. Don't forget their usefulness as targets when practicing your archery, gunnery or other marksmanship skills. If you have a boat many of the older fisherman claim the number ten cans are the best form to use when making a home made boat anchor.
You can't leave out the home office either as these cans can be very useful as a desk organizer. It can hold your extra pencils, pens, rulers or scissors with ease. These too can be lavishly decorated in any way you desire.
Most empty cans can make very effective flower pots for either indoor or outdoor planting. A little spray paint and a few decorating accessories added and you have a personalized work of art.
Your empty cans can add some interesting usefulness as caddies for the bathroom. They can hold your combs, hairbrushes and other hair accessories such as ponytail holders, hair bands or barrettes with ease - keeping them up and safely out of the way. Decorating your can is easy as explained above.
An interesting idea that is popular with youngsters is to create a time capsule using the empty cans. You can bury a new one every year or two adding such items as a local newspaper, the current postage stamp and other items that would prompt conversation in the future when opened.
If your son or daughter is in the scouts you could donate them for use as stilts or for transforming to buddy burners for upcoming camping trips.
As you can clearly see with a slight bit of imagination you can come up with a lot of different ways that you can reuse an empty number ten can. I have merely touched the surface of uses for these items. Use your imagination and some serious thought and I am certain you too can find some great uses for these empty cans.
Copyright @2010 Joseph Parish
Survival Training
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Eventually a survivalist will end up with an abundance of empty number 10 cans and wonder what useful purpose he could put these items to. I can ask yourself what you can do when you have those empty cans available. Each time I go to place one in a recycle bin I keep thinking that there must be some useful thing that I could be accomplishing with it. These cans are great assets for other uses than just their original purpose. This article will hopefully cover several different unique and creative ways to reuse them. Some of the more common uses that I have come up with are listed below.
If you are a pet own they make a great way to store or to scoops out the pet food. As a scoop it will work great for horse and chicken foods. As indicated the number ten cans usually work best if used as a scoop for the larger animals.
It goes without saying that the empty cans have a variety of uses involving arts and craft projects. With a bit of glue and colored paper a child can be kept busy and happy for several hours during a rainy day in the house. They also can be crafted into a great drum for a toddler's toy. You can store your child's crayons in them or even small toys. If you are into making home made candles you would find them a great help for storing melted paraffin.
Out in the garage you can clean paint brushes with them or even use the cans to transfer paint to allow several people so they can use the paint from the same paint can. They are good for storage of used motor oil when you change your cars lubricant.
Creative wives can often take an empty number ten can and make some fabulous accessories for their kitchen. They can skillfully decorate them to just about compliment any theme they might have in their kitchen. They can be spray painted with stickers attached for creating a personalized canister set. She can store cookies readily in them as well.
From a survivalist's point of view you can make yourself a tin can stove. These are useful in the event of a power failure or for storing in your bug out vehicle. They can be reused to store miscellaneous foods that are encased in Mylar pouches. They are perfect for storing small emergency bug out kits in your car. Don't forget their usefulness as targets when practicing your archery, gunnery or other marksmanship skills. If you have a boat many of the older fisherman claim the number ten cans are the best form to use when making a home made boat anchor.
You can't leave out the home office either as these cans can be very useful as a desk organizer. It can hold your extra pencils, pens, rulers or scissors with ease. These too can be lavishly decorated in any way you desire.
Most empty cans can make very effective flower pots for either indoor or outdoor planting. A little spray paint and a few decorating accessories added and you have a personalized work of art.
Your empty cans can add some interesting usefulness as caddies for the bathroom. They can hold your combs, hairbrushes and other hair accessories such as ponytail holders, hair bands or barrettes with ease - keeping them up and safely out of the way. Decorating your can is easy as explained above.
An interesting idea that is popular with youngsters is to create a time capsule using the empty cans. You can bury a new one every year or two adding such items as a local newspaper, the current postage stamp and other items that would prompt conversation in the future when opened.
If your son or daughter is in the scouts you could donate them for use as stilts or for transforming to buddy burners for upcoming camping trips.
As you can clearly see with a slight bit of imagination you can come up with a lot of different ways that you can reuse an empty number ten can. I have merely touched the surface of uses for these items. Use your imagination and some serious thought and I am certain you too can find some great uses for these empty cans.
Copyright @2010 Joseph Parish
Survival Training
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Creating An Emergency Preparedness Plan: Using Alpine Aire Foods for Long-Term Food Storage
Have you checked your cabinets recently? How much food is inside? Although these contents vary for everyone, only the barebones basics are typically present in this instance: a bag of rice, some flour, a tin of baking powder, a few cans of soup or vegetables, and spices. For everyday, on-the-go needs, this is normal - after all, planning too far ahead for food may make some items go bad - but have you ever considered what you would do if a disaster hit?
You're not alone or unique in this scenario, as the average household typically has less than a week's supply of food on hand. When the power goes out or a natural or personal disaster hits, the small amounts of these basic items aren't sufficient, however. Isolation by snow, a flood, a hurricane, or an earthquake may mean help might not reach you for a few days. Although a freak happening, a natural disaster has the possibility of cutting you off from others - and shutting you off from resources many simply take for granted.
Preparation beforehand is absolutely necessary - even for those who don't live in areas prone to disasters. Building up a survival food storage lets you be prepared for these instances, and should also be a lifestyle. Running out and buying a large supply of canned goods isn't sufficient enough, however stocking up on emergency survival foods over time gives you a well-rounded selection, a fuller pantry, and a clearer plan.
Initiating your plan for emergency preparedness starts with the basics: grains, beans, dehydrated milk, sugar, salt, oil, and seeds. Over time, the accumulation of these products in your pantry should result in a year's supply. But, on the other hand, you shouldn't survive alone on bread and milled grains after a disaster hits, and combining these standard items with dehydrated and freeze-dried food products results in a well-rounded diet.
Finding the right kit of emergency survival foods gets this step out of the way. Manufacturers like Alpine Aire, Provident Pantry, and Mountain House Foods put together such survival food kits, all of which contain #10 cans or pouches of freeze-dried or dehydrated foods. Foods by Alpine Aire, in particular, retain 98-percent of their original nutritional content and are packaged in cans made from heavy-gauge steel with food-grade enamel coating inside.
Preparation with foods by Alpine Aire and other manufacturers varies. In general, all products will need water. Freeze-dried foods simply need to be mixed with a small amount to rehydrate in a few minutes, while some dehydrated items should sit overnight. Additionally, emergency survival foods by Alpine Aire come as prepared meals or as individual ingredients. For the latter, rehydrated grains, proteins, and vegetables just need to be heated to form a meal. On average, following the instructions with kits by Alpine Aire and other manufacturers yields a diet of 1000 to 1800 calories per day.
Another factor to consider for long-term food storage is the lifespan of all items. Individual basics, such as grains and dehydrated milk, may not last as long as foods packaged in prepared kits by Alpine Aire. Freeze-dried foods in cans may last as long as 30 years, while dehydrated items five to 10 years. But other factors need to be considered, such as the quality of the food and its exposure to heat and light.
Food kept away for several years may experience some deterioration, as will items kept in containers. An airtight environment should be the home to your emergency survival foods, but this can become difficult once items are opened. Your space must be cool, dark, and dry for all items, and all unopened and opened products should be kept here.
Food in unopened cans must be consumed in a year. #10 cans contain multiple servings, and after the top is taken off, the remaining freeze-dried or dehydrated items inside are exposed to air and light. One suggestion after opening is repackaging all of the remaining food in a fully sealed container. Other options include using a commercially-available re-sealer or freezing the food.
All emergency survival foods, including your basics and long-term food storage packages, need to be kept in a dark and dry location, where the temperature is regularly between 55°F and 65°F. A basement, closet, or dry crawl space is ideal, and make sure not to stack cans too high. The area, additionally, should be free from other items; fumes from chemicals or cleaning products stored in the area, for example, could enter the containers. Enjoy storing food for your family and every day you add to your preparedness it only gets easier.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
You're not alone or unique in this scenario, as the average household typically has less than a week's supply of food on hand. When the power goes out or a natural or personal disaster hits, the small amounts of these basic items aren't sufficient, however. Isolation by snow, a flood, a hurricane, or an earthquake may mean help might not reach you for a few days. Although a freak happening, a natural disaster has the possibility of cutting you off from others - and shutting you off from resources many simply take for granted.
Preparation beforehand is absolutely necessary - even for those who don't live in areas prone to disasters. Building up a survival food storage lets you be prepared for these instances, and should also be a lifestyle. Running out and buying a large supply of canned goods isn't sufficient enough, however stocking up on emergency survival foods over time gives you a well-rounded selection, a fuller pantry, and a clearer plan.
Initiating your plan for emergency preparedness starts with the basics: grains, beans, dehydrated milk, sugar, salt, oil, and seeds. Over time, the accumulation of these products in your pantry should result in a year's supply. But, on the other hand, you shouldn't survive alone on bread and milled grains after a disaster hits, and combining these standard items with dehydrated and freeze-dried food products results in a well-rounded diet.
Finding the right kit of emergency survival foods gets this step out of the way. Manufacturers like Alpine Aire, Provident Pantry, and Mountain House Foods put together such survival food kits, all of which contain #10 cans or pouches of freeze-dried or dehydrated foods. Foods by Alpine Aire, in particular, retain 98-percent of their original nutritional content and are packaged in cans made from heavy-gauge steel with food-grade enamel coating inside.
Preparation with foods by Alpine Aire and other manufacturers varies. In general, all products will need water. Freeze-dried foods simply need to be mixed with a small amount to rehydrate in a few minutes, while some dehydrated items should sit overnight. Additionally, emergency survival foods by Alpine Aire come as prepared meals or as individual ingredients. For the latter, rehydrated grains, proteins, and vegetables just need to be heated to form a meal. On average, following the instructions with kits by Alpine Aire and other manufacturers yields a diet of 1000 to 1800 calories per day.
Another factor to consider for long-term food storage is the lifespan of all items. Individual basics, such as grains and dehydrated milk, may not last as long as foods packaged in prepared kits by Alpine Aire. Freeze-dried foods in cans may last as long as 30 years, while dehydrated items five to 10 years. But other factors need to be considered, such as the quality of the food and its exposure to heat and light.
Food kept away for several years may experience some deterioration, as will items kept in containers. An airtight environment should be the home to your emergency survival foods, but this can become difficult once items are opened. Your space must be cool, dark, and dry for all items, and all unopened and opened products should be kept here.
Food in unopened cans must be consumed in a year. #10 cans contain multiple servings, and after the top is taken off, the remaining freeze-dried or dehydrated items inside are exposed to air and light. One suggestion after opening is repackaging all of the remaining food in a fully sealed container. Other options include using a commercially-available re-sealer or freezing the food.
All emergency survival foods, including your basics and long-term food storage packages, need to be kept in a dark and dry location, where the temperature is regularly between 55°F and 65°F. A basement, closet, or dry crawl space is ideal, and make sure not to stack cans too high. The area, additionally, should be free from other items; fumes from chemicals or cleaning products stored in the area, for example, could enter the containers. Enjoy storing food for your family and every day you add to your preparedness it only gets easier.
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year!!
I have so many plans for this year. Saving money is the number one thing. I also want to go fishing more this year and hone my fishing skills. I have not been fishing in years. Fishing could become a lifesaver. There is a creek behind my house and I have seen others fishing in it. So I will give it a try.
What do you plan on doing in the upcoming year to get better prepared?????
Simple: Just Add Water - Outdoor Gourmet Meals - WiseFoodStorage.com
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