One More Versatile Food

I recently shared a food idea with some of the folks at a "Get To Gether" of Vandwellers in the Cherokee National Forest.

One of the problems facing folk that live in vehicles is food storage and variety.
Yes, I know beans and rice are easy, light and fairly compact.... and boring.
So what can you pack that will last without refrigeration and yet be versatile enough to mix up the menu??
How about tortillas as a bread substitute?  That's right those flat round things made of either flour or corn.  The first thing that always pops into everybody's head is burritos every night, how is that not b-o-r-i-n-g???

Well here's an idea that's quick easy and quite tasty (I had testers in the forest).
                                            "Sloppy Joe Roll Ups"

Start by spreading a couple of tablespoons of the ready-to-eat Sloppy Joe sandwich maker on the tortilla.
(I think I found this in Walmart grocery section. While it is a little bit pricey, the convenience of being able to store this for several months is great!)

Next lay a couple of slices of cheese or even sprinkle Parmesan cheese if you have no fresh cheese.  Of course add any other spices or flavoring you choose, but this is simple and very tasty.

 Then roll it all up...

 And then wrap it up.  I roll mine straight with the foil and twist the ends.  I tried rolling diagonally across the foil and that just leaves a flap for the heat to escape.

It's now ready to put on the grill over a fire!  Turn it frequently and when it gets hot it's ready.
Another beautiful thing... NO DISHES TO WASH.

What else can you do with the tortillas???
How about roll up some salami, pepperoni or other "packaged" meat slices that don't require refrigeration?
OR, spread a little butter and cinnamon, roll up, wrap up, and heat up a home made breakfast.
These also make pretty tasty PBJ sandwiches!

The list is only as short as your imagination.

And, I guess if you insist on rice and beans you could really make burritos.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, if you would please comment on anything you try in a tortilla I would love to hear it.

Reuse an old candle...

Today I'm gonna show you how to get a little extra mileage out of a couple of things you may already have on hand.

 

An old Scented candle in a can that has been burnt up.

Can be used to create a larger and refillable source of light and heat.

  

Cut a scrap of corrugated cardboard a little less wide than the can 

is tall.  Then roll it up and put in like this.  It works ok

if you have to use more than one piece.

Carefully melt and pour wax from from other old candles into

this cardboard wick. 

DISCLAIMER:  If I have to explain the dangers of heating and working with hot wax/paraffin then please go get some "adult" supervision.

There you go.  The cardboard will wick up the wax and eventually the

flame will spread to the entire surface.  This creates much more heat/light than a single candle.  I'll let you use your' own imagination to find uses for this. 

I have cooked over this, used it as reading light in camp, and yes 

even as a heat source. The lid is used to snuff it out.

IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE DANGERS OF AN OPEN FLAME PLEASE READ THE DISCLAIMER ABOVE.

 

Refilling is simply drop chunks of other old candles into the burning

can, being careful not to add more than will melt without 

overflowing the can. 

Yes, the can does get hot so be careful ! ! !

While this is an easy project, it is very useful.

It meets my multi-use requirement of things to be carried and

takes very little space.  

If you consider it in your design you can even put a small

"BIC" lighter in the can. 

Please leave a comment or share so I know you stopped by.  

AS ALWAYS... "Get out, go adventure, and be safe."

Cookin' is in the bag !

I decided to share another little trick I use to save time, fuel and energy (mine) among other things.
Using a cheap, Dollar Store, car solar shade build a double thermal bag.

This is the same concept as some of the MRE meals sold with "built-in cooking bag".  But, why pay for a bag you're gonna throw away?  Why not just pay for food and keep a reusable bag handy?  Here's how I do just that...

1)  Go get a really cheap "car solar shield" from somewhere.  Mine I think came from the Dollar Tree or Dollar General,

2)  Now cut it down to the size of whatever size Zipl@k bags you will be using.  I use quart size bags and they seem to work out for a cup or two of cooked food.
Remember since this is basically a re-hydration method you'll start with more fluid than final cooked food.

3)  To make the "cooking bag" make a bag within a bag the size you need.  If you look closely I folded some of the inner bag top bag down on itself so there is no raw edge. 

 

When you make your outer bag make it extend above the top 

of the inner bag by about 6 inches.  Notice I am not measuring

or marking anything, I have to Keep It Simple for Stupid.

Leaving a long outer top allows you to make the "fold lock top".

 

Just like GL@D sandwich bags...

"Fold one flap in, the other flap over", don't you remember?

(Sorry for you kiddos that grew up in the Zip-L@k generation.)

 

4)  In this case I wanted some beef flavored brown rice.  So I measured a cup of rice. (It pays to know the volume of the utensils you cook with) and put that with two bouillon cubes in the Zipl@k bag.

 

Don't forget any salt or other seasoning you add.

5)   Now add about a cup of water that just started to boil.

      Now's a good time to talk about saving fuel, just start the water 

      boiling and then pour it in the bag.  No need to boil for 5 minutes.

      Seal the bag, slide it in the thermal bag, fold lock the top

      and in about 15min you have beef flavored brown rice.

 

Since this is a re-hydration cooking method use "instant" or pre-cooked

base foods to build on.

 Here's your' time savings, no sitting and stirring.

Just put it in the bag and go take care of some other camp chore. Or NOT!

6) Last important step...

             Since there are no cooking utensils involved, please dispose of the

             Zipl@k bag correctly or pack it out.

Hope you enjoyed this little trick.  I'll try and video some eggs in the orange shell the next time I'm out just to show off that neat little bit of cooking.

AS ALWAYS...

       Get outside, go adventure, and be safe!

  

Weekend off from the "normal" blog stuff.(Parental discretion advised: Contains high levels of Testosterone)

Weekend out with some of my tribe...

This adventure started with Layla and I hiking about a mile in the dark to a hidden camp near the top of a ridge.  We were located at.... no wait it was hidden.
We got there set up camp, made some friends and eat some grub.

The next morning held lot's of promise early.  Fall out the rack we're burning daylight...

You talkin' to me ?  ?  ?

W H A T ???  It's already morning?

We need discipline in this camp, don't make me put my foot down, again.



So with everybody up and moving there were a few chores that needed to be done.

There was a chance of rain turning to snow or freezing rain or snot or some other bad weather.

Time to cut more wood and also expand our cover a little bit more.

Tater?  Tater?   Where'd he go...... Aha! Caught ya!  Quit goofin' off we're all ready to go.  Watch out for the thorn bushes!  (note: videos may not play on all mobile platforms, working on editing)

Well since there's a small break in the weather, let's go shoot something. :-)
Carl (AKA Gary) is headed down-range to set up a target, I'm showing Terry the camera and opportunity knocks.

Now that everybody is through just messing around we can get down to business.
Haggan your up, bring that shotgun over here take a shot.

Nice shot for shotgun with a slug.  Next.   Tater step up.

WOW!! Just like the Dukes of Hazard!  Don't care who ya are, that's funny.

 Alright Terry next round.

Well, that was not cool.  In his defense the second detonation was his (camera man blew it ).

Fun had to end, remember the weather?

 

But wait that was not first...
It started as rain, continued most all Saturday up into and through the night, with a little sleet and THEN turned to snow.
There are few pictures because this cameraman was hunkered down trying to stay dry and warm. I failed at staying dry therefore it got a little chilly.

Sunday morning we all started to pack and leave...

Which went like this....  Run to fire, thaw out, go take down, pack, run back to fire, repeat process.

I think I saw a tear in Drew's eye as he had to take apart his bed at the Hilton ;-)

The hike back out since all good things must come to and end.

Thanks for coming along, I'm gonna return the blog back to it's original programming.
But remember kids, do not attempt this on your own, these are trained professionals.

AS ALWAYS,  Get out, go adventure and be safe.

Another product review (no sales pitch)

I had some folks ask me about the small solar charger I used while hiking and even at the RTR in Quartzite, AZ.

So to stay true to my word here's a video I made actually while I was in Mississippi on the Natchez Trace.

I hope this answers some questions and helps with buying decision .
As I promised no sales pitch, they are available at Harbour Freight and probably other "outlet" type stores.

As always...  "Get out, be safe and go adventure"

Food is where you find it - - urban foraging

I started trying to eat oatmeal for breakfast on a regular basis.  The thing is I really like apples in my maple and brown sugar oatmeal.  Now I know you wondering what does this have to do with urban foraging. Well nothing really other than while walking Layla the other day I came upon some apples in a public park.  Thinking these the ornamental variety I started to pass over them.  But I couldn't. I had to know.  So I cut into one and it was very tasty !!
So I gathered up six of the ones that were not obviously damaged and finished walking Layla.
These six little apples provided almost a full cup of diced apples for my oatmeal. 

Yes I did throw away about 20% of the harvest.  But since these were ground harvested I didn't think that too bad a yield.  They cooked down nicely and were very flavorful in the oatmeal.

The lesson here is always be aware of your environment it may hold the things you need at that moment.  Did I already have apples?  Well yes but somehow these that were nature's gift were better.
I really want to make the point that readiness is so much a state of mind that you carry with you daily.  It's not about "gear" and "stuff", it is about knowledge and experience.  If you don't take the time learn and then go put that knowledge to the test all the gear/stuff piled around you is simply something to weigh you down.
Is getting one freebie while walking in the park a big deal, well you tell me.  How many other people tapped into that resource?  How many other people even SAW that as a resource?  Do you think I'll go back in a day or two?

I know some of you are into the whole "prepper, end of time, civil unrest, collapse of government" sort of thinking.  I think that there are so many other things that can change your lives in a moment that really do happen to everyday people.  Loss of job, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, injury, illness, are just a few calamities that every day befall people.  While it is good to build your resources in the form of emergency supplies (we've all seen milk/bread vanish at the mention of snow) let's continue to share knowledge and experiences.

I started the Facebook blog Dan Cordray Readiness Resources to share ideas about being ready in life.  But since Facebook changes they way they act, I'll be posting those ideas here along with the adventures Layla and I find.

So get out, be safe and go adventure!

Tumbling Creek Adventure

This adventure started with a storm,, or least driving through one. But, after hours of storms I found my self in a beautiful setting...

Yes, the boss was watching while I made this post.
Tumbling Creek is in the Cherokee National Forest in TN.  The campground is not that hard to find, if you've gotten good directions.  My purpose for being here was to meet some other nomads and enjoy their company.

One of them turned out to be very knowledgeable in the ways of the forest.  Rita told me being raised in Germany she  had to learn all the "womanly ways".
Now before anyone can protest about sexist remarks, those were her words.  And honestly I'm glad she learned them and is willing to pass along that knowledge.

She stopped by my camp and asked if I would like to go with her to photograph and harvest some mushrooms.  I certainly would!  I've never been one to pass up the chance to learn something new about my forest home..


Little did I realize she had found the mother-lode of mushrooms!  Like all things in the forest these were not given up easily.  She asked me to look, look at the forest and did I see anything out of place?  I thought some brightly colored debris had washed up from them creek.  Look to the left of where she is standing.

We had to duck and turn through the brush and trees and even remove their guardian from our path.
 I must say she spotted before I did...

He was a common Black Racer set to scare off any that would find the mushrooms.  I placed him out of our path so we could continue our quest.
Here is what we found...

THIS QUITE THE FIND!!!

Lobster mushrooms and lots of them.

These are not only edible they are quite delicious.

There is probably three to four pounds in this one place.


She told me that to harvest these you should trim them about and inch or so from where them stem attaches to the tree.  This leaves the mycelium intact so that the mushroom will grow out again next year.

Notice how free and clear of blemishes they are.  Rita pointed out that there were no holes in the stems indicating no bugs had been in them.  When bugs enter the fleshy part of the mushroom they often times are headed for the mycelium and the rest of where the mushroom is attached.



 She was very happy with this find.

 And I had a great time with her cooking up the 'rooms and some fish and a salad of artichokes and black olives.

Doesn't that just look good???

Sauteed in a little butter with onions.

It all met with cuzzin' Dick's approval.

Now that's how it's done in the forest.

I'll be posting some more about the Fall GTG at Tumbling Creek.
Right now the "boss" says it's time for a walk...

Get out, be safe, and go adventure.

"Free Will"

One of my "Danism's" states,  

            "Free will allows one to believe whatever they will choose in the face of reality."

   This is so often too true for many folks.  I knew someone who held onto something they believed they heard even when presented with the truth of what was actually said for many years.  Now this could have just been a case of "selective hearing" or poor "communication skills", but these misunderstood words have haunted them and impacted their life's destiny.  When a simple examination of facts along the way should have opened their mind to accept what they chose to believe as possibly only that, their free will to remain imprisoned.

   I will not claim this one since I'm not sure who actually said it first...

"You are a spirit, You have a mind, You live in a body."

   What sets us apart from all the other living things in our world is that spirit/mind relationship.  I know that some people may believe their favorite pet has a spirit.  On that, you'll have to take it up when your' spirit meets your' Creator, I simply don't know the truth in that regard.  However, what I do know is that our minds can and do influence our spirit and that is the "free will" in action.  

The late Napoleon Hill said:

“Whatever your mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve regardless of how many times you may have failed in the past.”

 This is probably the best example of using your free will to influence your life's destiny and so your happiness and fulfillment.   Now I am not advocating that everyone run out fall lockstep into what Mr. Hill presented. Simply consider that your free will is the key to control or unlock your mind for greater things. There are those that will say, "isn't that just some trick to manipulate life or just make yourself feel good"

Cheap parlor trick I would think not.  Using your mind to balance the truths that are presented in this world with what your spirit perceives actually frees your spirit to pursue your destiny without fear.

   This is not to say that you can simply "will" your way to a happy and successful life.  First, you define successful not I, then go back and read (better yet follow the link) the line again.  It speaks to expected failures!  You present yourself with the YOUR expectations and the reality of where you exist in life, then your mind can (and will) conceive a reality for your spirit to follow.  YOUR REALITY.  Some of my friends lead very complex lives full of activity and rewards.  These people enjoy the pursuit, not just the physical rewards of cars, houses and possessions.  They seem to deal with (no thrive) on the stress that comes with that lifestyle.  Others, choose to be content with a less demanding lifestyle and ties to few possessions.

Could one trade places with the other? I think NOT!  You see each have made the commitment in their minds to pursue what their spirit now believes.  That belief is the balance between the sacrifices they are making for the rewards they pursue.  Those sacrifices are different for each, just as the rewards.  The executive may not be able to conceive sleeping in the wilderness to witness nature any more than a mountain man could conceive being imprisoned in an office every day for years.

   There is an interesting point here in that as your body changes and your mind gains more knowledge your spirit matures through life's success and failure.  You may find yourself now using your free will to change the path you are on.  If so, this is what brings freedom and happiness.  OR, you may find that your path is one you choose to play it to the end bringing other fulfillment's.

Again it is that mind/spirit relationship that allows free will to even exist.  Keep examining life for the truths that are conceived by your mind and confirmed by your spirit.  This balance is what keeps your free will from choosing a path of destruction.  Remember in all things there is evidence of truth. Those that choose to examine truth and conviction are the happiest in life. 

 

   Going back to your pet... he/she may have a spirit that may travel with your spirit, but my guess is the Creator did not make that same mind/spirit relationship in other living things.  That's why we are all special and unique from the rest of creation.

Requested video

From time to time I have someone ask me to post how I do a certain thing or another.
This video is a demonstration of a homemade "woodgas" stove in use.
Now the stove was made out of a couple of coffee cans and another can (refried beans maybe).
The pot rest is made from hardware cloth left over from another project, otherwise can be purchased at any "big box" hardware store.

Having things....

"To have much in life, waste nothing."

Not your' resources,  whatever they may be large or small.

Not your' time,  there is a season for all things and you need to do all things in their season.

Not your creativity,  mind-numbing activities such as watching other peoples imagination played out on a screen doesn't challenge your' own, at least read a book for escape.

Not your faith,  I didn't say religion that's a whole different topic, believe and act even though it may appear not to be true at that moment.

Not your' energy, remember just like your time you have life energy that must periodically be renewed. If you use it in a way that does not bring reward you may exceed the level that can be regenerated.

Remember it's all those little things that add up to create the whole or the hole.
It's your choice of adding or subtracting the little things that decides hole or whole.
So be safe, get out and go explore the world you live in.

So I'm trying to decide to move the blog from my.opera.com/fireman428 to here or just leave it there.
This seems like a good blog home but, I'm going to post some videos and other things just to try it out.
So here goes.....

 

So this was a quick video from earlier this year 

while I was in Mississippi.

And when we got to Merriweather Lewis Campground
Layla and I were pretty hungry.  ;-)

So, I guess I'll try a few more posts before I make a decision.  Right now gotta get ready to go commit work, not such a happy thing

Stability or Slavery

OK, OK.  I haven't been as diligent as I thought I would be at posting here on a regular basis.  But when you can marvel at the simple things in life it's easy to get distracted and I tell you distracted I was last week.  You see I left Kentucky and went to Arizona to join a bunch of people at the RTR and was absolutely distracted that week.
The time in the desert just living simple so you could simply live was something I really needed at this point. I think there's a Dan-ism in there somewhere. It was a time that I was  surrounded by people who knew that stability sometimes is spelled the same as slavery.  I have to say it was difficult to come back to the ''slavery'' of a regular job just to be able to say that I have ''stability'', whatever that word means it our society today.
When I got back to work and begin to share the adventures and travels I could see that look in their eyes, the desire to be free.  And, yet, the fear of the lack of stability held them as slaves to their current thinking and locked them away. Well gee, I guess I've got to go to sleep and try to get enough rest to jump back on the treadmill-of-life in the morning and take care of those things that have to be taken care of before I go to work. Or, do I really?

The beauty of standards

The beauty of standards is there are so many to choose from.
                                                                                               Danism #11

I find it most interesting that when a process or way of doing something is found, we write it down as a "standard".  Now we have convinced ourselves this is the best way to get the same results every time.

Which is basically true.
   
And, most often this creating of a standard gives all those involved a "warm and fuzzy feeling" that all is well and life can return to the "norm".  But what is that "norm"?  Is it "business as usual"? What happens when a new variable comes along (translation: more poo-poo becomes fouled in the impeller)?  Do we always go back and adjust for what allowed the excrement to hit the blades? Actually many times NOT!  
You see adjusting the original standard my have some negative impact on the "warm fuzzy", in fact it may even become a "cold prickly feeling" that someone was not adequate in their job.  SO, let's create a new "standard" for when the condition is present that allowed the impeller fouling.
Now there doesn't that feel better?
We haven't accused anyone and we now feel good about keeping the impellers clean when this condition exists because we have a new "standard" for this particular condition.

This may seem cynical in the evaluation because of all the quotation marks (you English Lit. types give me a break).  My point is that over time the number of standards become difficult to manage,  not to mention remembering what to do.

The better solution may be to openly examine the original standard and create decision points that examine if the impeller fouling condition may exist.  Oh I know that appears to add complexity but it  allows a controlled flexibility that streamlines instead of bloating by adding new standards. This also clears up any confusion between the "newbies" trained to the latest standards and the "old heads" that have learned how to work under older standards.

Until next time.... "There is peace in realizing not all problems require your solution."  

 

Gettin' Started . . . The beginning of the end

"The Beginning is really just the End in the first stage...."
                                                                                         Danism #22

Since this is the first post of my new blog, it made perfect sense to use this Danism.
You see not only is this a new blog but also an experiment for me.  So to explain Danism #22  let's start here, with this blog.

When someone begins a journey these days they are often equipped with cell phone navigation, GPS mobile map apps, or at least a mobile GPS unit.  Yet, these all require one thing to do their magic properly - - - a destination.  Imagine for a moment you entered into say.. Google Maps the destination "somewhere".  It will give you a helpful list of suggestions including "somewhere in time", now that was interesting it actually suggested a destination near my location ! ! !  Who knows I may actually go check it out "someday in time".

My point is that even with the help of techno-guidance the end still has to have a start to get direction.  Funny how even with some of us old school guys that still read maps, we look for one end of the journey or the other.  THAT'S because even if I know where I want to be - - -   I have to understand the first stage of where to begin ! ! ! 

Now I know this point of philosophy sounds rather simplistic.  Please examine for a moment the truth that lies hidden here, the jewel in the stone.  How many people have you known that just can't seem to find find their place in life???  Could it be that they have not taken the time to access the skill sets they have?  Where their personal believe in the world they live in places them?  Or what represents value to them?

Without first taking an assessment of where "what I believe in" places me in life my start position is weak. Without that strong start point, the skill sets and values cannot provide the vehicle to travel to my destination.  Why ?     Because we would be travelling in a circle or at least a random path from who knows where.  Unable to measure our progress to our destination, most likely causing us to give up and settle for our current location as our destination.

Now if things in life cause you to move from the destination you have reached, then decide your new destination and start.  For some the new destination may not be clear, but that does not matter.
The fact that one knows where they started from gives them a "somewhere in time" to use as a point to measure from.  Perhaps Google Maps was not so far off base with their' suggestion.

Back to this blog, the beginning, is going to be the place where I publish a collection of "Danism's".  These "Danism's" are simple phrases that capture an idea or a situation in time.  They are usually very much my original take at that time.  Although, I have been known to say, "I once heard something about..." and that be the base for the wisdom that follows.

So here are a few that I'll post the meanings of a little later.  OH YEAH, the experiment is to see if I can actually post on a regular basis in the midst of my journey.  ;-)

" The beauty of standards is that there are so many to choose from."
"When there is conflict between the map and the terrain, go with the terrain."
 "Satisfying some management is easy, give `em what they want and plenty of it.  Next week they'll change their' mind."

Well you get the idea.  Thanks for reading and I'll post some of the explanations and wisdom learned.