Here’s a wonderful wheat recipe that can be tailored to your own taste buds. Enjoy!
Wheat Jerky
Makes two dozen strips. Recipe can be doubled.
1 c raw gluten, made from washed wheat flour.
14 oz. of liquid bouillon, using beef soup base, or ham, or chicken, or 1/2 beef and 1/2 ham, or bacon flavor 6 oz. water
1 tbsp. Maggi or Kitchen bouquet (natural coloring)
1 tbsp. liquid smoke
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
pinch of sea salt
Optionals: add 2 tbsp. honey (for a touch of sweetness)
1/4 tsp. tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper (for a dash of hotness)
Begin with the raw gluten.
Roll it out into a slab shape to a thickness of 1/8 inch.
Cut 1 inch wide x 6 inch long strips of the rolled gluten. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Drop the strips of cut gluten into the liquid, slowly stir gently and lower the heat, and simmer until most of the liquid is gone.
Drain the strips well into a strainer.
Put the strips back in the same saucepan and add 2 more Tbsp. of liquid smoke, and coat the strips well.
Place the jerky strips on a wire mesh cooling rack set onto a flat cookie sheet or, on your dehydrator mesh racks.
Dry in the oven at 300 degrees F for 25 minutes.
Strips will shrink a bit. Dehydrator setting on “meats”, and dry for 1 hour.
Test for moisture and consistency (to your liking) to adjust the requisite dehydration time.
Remove when done, cool thoroughly and store in a closed container.
How to protect, you, your family, friends and neighborhood in coming times of civil unrest… and much more, Go to www.civildefensemanual.com for contents.
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SurvivalBlog readers up in Montana will be pleased to hear that a no permit required (aka “Constitutional Carry”) concealed carry law was passed in their state senate. It is expected to be signed into law by the Montana Governor. An article based on a MSSA press release mentioned: “Concealed carry outside city limits (99.4% of Montana) has not required a permit since 1991. Open carry [outside of or] inside city limits has never required a permit in Montana.” JWR Adds: It is noteworthy that Arizona and Alaska, and Wyoming already have “Vermont style CCW” , and I expect several other states to enact similar legislation. The appeal of American Redoubt is continuing to grow!
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After a long delay, Prepared Pro finally has in captivity another small batch of Mountain House long term storage foods in #10 cans. For the first 24 hours of their club-exclusive product release that starts Monday, members will be limited to six cases each.
Intimidated and don’t know where to start with radio? This book is the perfect guide to what options you have i.e. GMRS, CB, to ham and basic communication topics.
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“Mygenericstore” is a well-established pharmacy service that deals primarily with generic medicines produced by quality-assured manufacturers from developing countries.
First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).
Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).
Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.
Round 34 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
As I sit here this evening, I am watching the aftermath of recent Missouri and Alabama tornadoes, Midwest flooding and western fires on television. In the southeast, hurricane season will be upon them and there is always the possibility of an earthquake throughout the US. The news carries stories of our county’s continuing financial decline and overwhelming debt. I watch as the value of gold, silver and other precious metals climb and the value of our dollar continues to drop.
The next segment of the news has reports of increasing gas prices, increasing taxes and increasing crime. The growing unrest in the Middle East threatens to push the cost of a gallon of gas to more than $6 not to mention destabilization of the entire region. No, we here in the US get comparatively little of our oil from the Middle East any longer, but that doesn’t stop the instability there causing our gas prices to rise here.
I live in a suburban Missouri neighborhood which has experienced very little crime over the years. If you listen to the local police scanner, crime in our area consists of the occasional DUI, Speeder or Petty Theft from an open garage of a kid’s bike. The police here will turn out if there is a report of a party or a house being toilet papered as a tenage prank.. Pretty boring from a law enforcement standpoint, but last weekend every Police Officer and Sherriff’s Deputy in the county were two streets over for a hostage situation. We recently had our first bank robbery and crime has begun to move out of the city, across the river and int to our quiet suburban neighborhood. As the economy breaks down, the crime rate goes up.
And yet, I remain hesitant to discuss preparing for TEOTWAWKI scenarios with my friends and neighbors. They like many people they would rather keep their heads in the sand and ignore reality than face something that monumental. They think that those who prepare are “a little loony”; a little over zealous. Even my own family thought that I might be a little over the top, that is until recently.
With all of the recent disasters they have had an epiphany. I have also changed how I approach the subject. Instead of talking about the proverbial “when the Schumer hit the fan” situation, I now refer to the recent Earthquake in Japan or the Tornados that hit St. Louis to provide a reason for some basic preparation that they can identify with. Rather than looking at the really big picture, I can refer to the small picture and motivate my family and friends to make some preparations if only to cover the short term. Of course I recommend those preparations be able to support them for 7 to 10 days versus the usual 3, but even this is an easier lift than it used to be.
All of us have probably experienced this same feeling of awkwardness trying to convince those we love and care for to prepare for the inevitable. But depending on how we frame our recommendations and our reasons determines if we can get their buy in. Done right, it will work. It has worked for me.
Once you get their (usually tentative) Buy-In, the next challenge is to get them to make appropriate preparations. You must help them tailor a Go Bag to not only their needs, but the most likely situations or possible disasters. Two guiding principles I try to follow are to make it familiar and make it as small as possible. For some reason, the smaller the kit, the more they will accept it.
In my situation my wife teaches at a school about 20 miles and across two major river bridges from our home. My daughter, on the other hand, goes to school at a local university and doesn’t have to cross any major bridges and is less than 10 miles away from home. So the kit I will build for my wife will be different than the one I build for my daughter.
To make my wife’s situation more challenging, she decided that after all of the minivans and Soccer-Mom cars she wanted a convertible sports car now that the kids are grown, so that is what she drives. A beautiful and dependable car, but it offers little security or ground clearance. Broken road material could bring this vehicle and her escape home to a screeching halt. Though not as small as some, but because it is a convertible it has very little trunk room. This means it has very little room for a Go Bag.
Now normally I would have a small bag in the car to get you to your bigger bag at home, but considering that if the bridges are down due to an earthquake, she may have to survive for quite a while with just this bag. Here the situation dictates a larger kit, but storage space limits it.
My only big advantage is that she usually carries a case of bottled water in her trunk. Other than that, though she likes to camp, (in a nice campground) the idea of survival is a bit beyond her. So, making the contents or her Go Bag very self explanatory and familiar will make it useable for her. Yes, it is limited and there is a bigger one at home, but you have to work within the parameters given.
With the contents of the bag, I included instructions with how to use the contents and the possible optional uses for each. Radio channels for the handheld radio in the kit and points of contact are listed. I also included short notes of encouragement. As someone who has taught wilderness survival for the past 38 years and urban survival for the past 20 years, I revert back to my training when I am faced with a situation. My wife, daughter, son and friends haven’t the training or experience that I have so they don’t have that to fall back on. Anything that I can do to lessen or relieve their anxiety and overcome their stress will greatly increase their probability of survival and success. Besides, the little notes will be appreciated by them especially if things get difficult.
By taking a different tack on the need for preparation, and then adjusting my expectations to meet my wife’s expectations, I was able to get her onboard. By making the kit contents familiar, I was able to make it user friendly. This results in making my wife more comfortable with the concept of survival in an emergency and reducing the expected anxiety.
As a side note I also include a few treats to help support morale. Things like small family pictures. For young Grandkids I include a small stuffed animal. A small, soft throw blanket can add comfort for her should she have to sleep in an unusual location, like her car. Including food that is familiar and she likes along with rationing instructions makes survival easier. A piece of candy is always a morale and energy booster. Remember, in a real emergency people will be scared and experiencing many emotions. Anything that you can do to mitigate those fears and lessen those emotions will go a long way to help them survive the situation.
As you probably know, it is not about gear, but knowledge for those who are trained. For those who are not, it is all about instructions. Helping family or friends prepare for a disaster is much harder than helping yourself. Where as you may and probably do work at learning all you can about preparedness and survival, the person you are helping usually has little or no knowledge so it will take some work to support them. It can be frustrating, but remain calm and charitable. What you do now will pay off in spades when the SHTF. Take your time; add a little knowledge here and there. When you can reference the survival use of a piece of equipment, do so. It makes the understanding of the use of the piece much easier and easier to recall when needed.
As you write instructions use simple clear instructions. Pictures go a long way to support clear understanding. Using familiar items decreases the fumble factor. If they can identify an item they are much more likely to succeed in its use; odd or unfamiliar items significantly increases anxiety. These items are always more likely to be discarded or left in the kit and not bothered with. One other tip I would make is to use the best quality items you can afford. In my personal Go Bag, I have Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) fixed blade and folding knives. Yes, there are more expensive knives out there, but for the price, these are excellent and I would trust my life to these. Buying cheap may save a few bucks, but if the item breaks or fails to function when needed what is the real cost? Besides, you want to make things as easy as possible since everything else is going wrong. Don’t do anything to add to their concerns. Should the SHTF there will be enough to worry about.
I will mention firearms here as an example of adjusting your expectations. I am armed every day. I always have a small concealed carry pistol with me and I keep a larger fighting handgun in a gun vault in my truck. Because my wife teaches in a public school, she is unable to carry a firearm on campus so the compromise was a Taser. It is not the best option, but it is one of the compromises that you have to make sometimes. This is just one example of adjusting your expectations. Her Taser is backed up with a couple of cans of Pepper Spray, but that is the best we can do. In all reality, she is not really supposed to have those on school property, but it was a reasonable compromise. Sometimes compromise is good.
So the next time you want to introduce your family or friends to the ideas and concepts of emergency preparedness and urban survival, take a lesson from my experience. Carefully consider your approach. Make sure that you reference emergencies that they can identify with. Use emergencies that are likely and realistic for your location. Adjust your expectations to meet theirs. As you help them with their preparations, use supplies that are familiar and they can use (a Bic Lighter is much more familiar than a Blast Match for most people); so their chance of success with them is significantly improved. And lastly include instructions describing how, where and when to use each of the contents. A listing of local and out of area contact numbers reminds them to make the call if they can. Notes of encouragement are optional, but can’t hurt. Good Luck and God Speed.
Until recently, I had been confused on how to invest my savings, in anticipation of future currency inflation. Our family is truly blessed by the Lord and we have a small farm that is our retreat. We have also made stocking up on beans and bullets a regular and routine practice; for which I am very thankful. While these items allow me to sleep at night; especially after reading the news, any extra that we put away will likely be used for charity; and thus I do not feel that these items are an investment and in a true schumer scenario, aside from self-preservation. My guns have some value, however my definition of an investment is something that will gain value or grow wealth over time that is easily tradable. Included in my definition of an investment is something that will gain value with or without a Schumer. At this time, my guns are not something I am looking to trade in the near future unless I am desperate. Buying guns are also a large ticket item and is not something that is easily invested on a monthly or even quarterly basis. Finally, sadly enough with changing gun laws there could be a time when it is difficult to sell firearms at a profit or as an individual.
So for the last several years I was “plum lost” on investing. The stock market is at a fictitious high; like a crack addict standing up on a cliff and looking for his next hit. While I still work for the man and have one of those sucker-you-in matching 401(k) plans, it feels like I am tossing good money down the drain so this is a minimal investment. I have bought gold and silver over the years, not much mind you, not nearly what I would like or should have bought, but I have bought some and I also purchased several hundred dollars in nickels to set aside. But the trick to investing is buying low and selling high and as metals continue to hit new highs, I still occasionally buy metals but feel like I’ve missed the train. Investing is something I’ve enjoyed in the past and I’ve made a few bucks in the stock market but for anyone who understands the historical actions of the market, it is in a strange trance waiting for a break. Any dollar going into the market is a fool’s errand right now.
One of our largest investments has been education. The most important aspect of the equation is preparing my children. We have been homeschooling for several years after a short but unsatisfying stint with the public school system. The best part about homeschooling is that education becomes a way of life and you are constantly considering lessons for your children. Often, while you are trying to give them that next life lesson hoping it just might stick; you find you learn a few new tricks along the way. This weekend was one such lesson, one that I want to share with you as it changed another aspect of my preparations and became a new investment.
As I said; we homeschool so my wife is at home with our children constantly. Understandably, she needs a break every once in a while or she goes loco and so we (the children and I) planned on being out of the house on Saturday. Work has been a drag and uninspiringly I had a zoo outing planned. Fortunately it rained and our last minute decision was to instead head to an auction.
If you do not go to auctions, I would recommend everyone to take a look at AuctionZip.com. Type in your local Zip code and it will give you a monthly calendar with all the auctions in a radius from your home. As you become familiar with the auction houses in your area you will find favorites. Typically I like to check this site as well as the auction house sites to understand the type of auction (estate, farm, antique, etc.). Most auction houses list a majority of the goods and always the best items as bait. Good auction houses post pictures as well and large sales even have previews the day before. Once I decide there is something of value, I try to price the goods I want on line (Craigslist, eBay, etc.) so I know what would be a good economic deal (although on this day, since it was a last minute decision I did not have my usual homework completed). The one danger of an auction is that you can get caught up in the action–an auctioneer’s prized skill. They make their money off commissions and want the highest price possible. On the other side, you can buy coins and metal, old tools, farm animals, equipment, guns (depending upon local laws) and a whole lot more at reasonable prices.
So my children and I headed out for the auction, but since I am with my 9 and 6 year old, there is no urgent rush. We have a lazy breakfast at the local pancake house, hit a church rummage sale (where my daughter dickered for a princess purse but decided a Hannah Montana doll was too pricey), followed it up with a construction company moving sale (where we bought nails by the pail for pennies) and then the auction last. All of these different “stores” teach my children how to evaluate “stuff.” We bargained, dickered and bid for different things throughout the day and only our breakfast was a predetermined price as we relished our off-the-menu blueberry pancakes. It also teaches them the intrinsic value of well made goods versus just being “new.” I could also go into the whole recycling spiel, but we are all fed that diatribe on a regular basis and this audience understands it more deeply than I can write in a one line tangent.
In any case, the last place we stopped was an auction held at (but not by) the National Guard Armory a bit more than an hour drive away. After oohing and ahhing over the tanks out front, we sauntered in during the late afternoon well past the auction’s prime. Our timing was perfect. Most people had left for lunch and there were only a handful of stalwarts out who had already spent quite a bit of money that morning. Auctions are notorious at keeping a handful of good items to hold the crowds interest and this auction was no different but still the interest of the people there was obviously waning. We arrived just before they started on a large batch of coins. My son and I have been investing in metals and I had an idea of the current melt prices. His eyes lit up as we approached the table and he pulled on my sleeve to get into the bidding. Others were better educated than us and so nothing was free, but we got a few things that we knew were worth the greenbacks traded in exchange. There were a series of foreign mint sets that the serious collectors had little interest so I let my boy who is the nine year old do the bidding. I told him what I thought it was worth and if he wanted to pay a premium, he could feel free to do so. He stepped in to bid and kept his eye on the prize, not getting flustered or suckered in and bought a set of pristine Deutschmarks minted in the 1970s. Afterwards, I received more than one compliment on the great job by my boy from the various gentlemen and auctioneers participating in the day’s events. I also talked to a couple of the more knowledgeable coin guys asking why they paid more for certain articles and learned a few new tricks for my next auction. When we checked prices later, we found the same Deutschmark set on eBay sold four to five times more than what we paid. My son was delighted in his trophy.
After making sure my son was doing well, my daughter and I went and bid on some old tools (which were five feet away). The Lord works in mysterious ways as I at that time I was in the middle of reading The Homesteader’s Handbook. Written in the 1930s, he has a section on tools and how to use them. As this is a period piece, all the tools he referenced are now antiques, but it is a great list for vintage hand tools if you are worried about the lights going out. At this lovely auction, I saw for the first time, a hand drill with a chest brace; something I had never even heard of until I read this book. I had a small collection of older tools as I do like tools, but this auction had a good selection of well maintained hand tools from the late 1800s through 1950s. I have a few buggy wrenches that we inherited from my wife’s grandfather and there were plenty of good examples in the auction. My daughter and I won just about every bid (whereupon she would jump up and down excitedly until she just tuckered out and bunkered down with our winnings) on the older tools and only lost if something was lumped together with a power drill or other modern contrivance that I did not want. We made a heavy haul on these older tools as well as some interesting odds and ends like a good conditioned butter churn and a bunch of candles at well less than a nickel each. We evaluated our purchases on E-bay that night and realized that we got a better deal that we thought. If I tried to buy the same tools on eBay I would have easily paid twice or more the amount.
One item we got was an old cedar chest that was no longer useable as a cedar chest. It was still solid but it had a musty smell and was not the prettiest thing to see although at one time it must have been a beauty. Sadly, it was just not restorable as it was covered with a wicker veneer and was missing bits of the trim. We won it in a bid that included a full set of encyclopedias and a set of pipe wrenches all for the low price of $1. This is incentive to go find the auctions.
Now on to investing advice. Investing has traditionally been more than monetary substitutes (metal, stocks, dollars, etc.). Historically investing has been land, art work and other items of value; say antiques. Some of these items like land and art are significant investments and made sparingly during ones lifetime. Others should be made regularly. Afterwards, my children and I spent a long afternoon cleaning and oiling these old tools, wrapping them lightly in cloth and placed in the aforementioned cedar chest with a handful of desiccant. We have our modern tools to use for working around the house and I already have some of the older tools that we do use regularly. The tools we put away were rare and valuable. For me, as I explained to my children, this was a modern day treasure chest. We have these tools if we ever need to use them, but if not, they are well protected and will only become worth more as they age. It is a win-win situation. It has changed the way I view my preparations and I am looking for more of these scenarios where I believe regardless of the situation, my family and I will be better off. If the world hangs on as is against all odds, I can imagine the delighted look on my children’s or grandchildren’s face when they open this box, years from now, loaded with well preserved antique tools. If the schumer hits the fan, I can picture the same delighted look (as well as one of relief or thankfulness) as these tools will provide the ability to do work that would be difficult at best without and any duplicates will make great barter items.
One last remark on these tools, every single one of them; all at least fifty years olds and some much older are American made. Forged in Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago; these are places my children know and have visited. The last lesson my children learned is that the USA used to be the manufacturing capital of the world and the stuff that we did make was made for the ages.
While I didn’t plan this experience I was fortunate enough to a) be a prepper and realize the value of the equipment and b) be a homeschooler attentive enough to realize the value of the lesson. My best advice, whether with regard to prepping or just living life is to always be observant and grab opportunities when available. There are many great options everyday to become better prepared.
A last addendum: over the Easter Holiday I was traveling to visit my relatives and went to visit the local antique shops in their town square. The goal was to add to my tool collection, which I did and bought a few more vintage tools. However the big win was with silver coins. Silver has skyrocketed so quickly, the coins were marked at coin value versus silver and well under melt prices. Realizing this I quickly bought out the place of WWII Nickels, pre-’65 dimes, and a handful of quarters, half dollars and even a well priced Morgan [Silver Dollar]. Apparently I didn’t miss the train on silver investing after all and based on current market values I could have turned the silver over for a 20% profit. Some (not all) had a collector value as well. As indicated in my previous closing paragraph, there are great options every day for those who are observant and grab the opportunity.
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Hi Jim,
After I saw Liam Neeson with a parachute cord bracelet at the beginning of the movie The A-Team, I thought “Okay, I got to get one.” After waiting around for the vendor who makes those to show up at one of the local gun shows, I finally went on YouTube, and guess what? I learned how to make them myself. They’re not difficult to make. As a matter of fact, the company you linked-to yesterday (SportBraceletStore.com) makes a simple two-piece Cobra Weave. I crank those out like candy, using a simple jig I made using a carabiner, a C-clamp, and a plastic clothes hanger.
Knowing how to make those will not only be a good post-collapse hands-on skill for barter, but also a moneymaker in the present. They cost me next to nothing in materials or time, as I now make them right there at my gun show table, between sales. At one show, I even custom made three of them for a family, while they waited. At $12 each, they move pretty well. On the other hand, if your making watchbands, three-cord weaves, or “monkey fists,” those require some extra skill. Cheers. – Jerry E.
Our Colossal Survival Pack is now on sale for 25% off. This pack contains over 5 pounds of non-GMO, open-pollinated seeds packed for long term storage.
Congrats to Pat for writing a nice review. There are a few items I would have included that may make a difference to a shooter with this caliber, especially for new shooters:
1. when shooting in the prone, expect to leave a dust cloud marking your position. You can lay a wet burlap sack on the ground beneath the muzzle to assist in disguising your position. This is a powerful caliber, remember, there are no free lunches with anything firearms related.
2. Even if you reload, you will be paying more for this cartridge [, since the brass and primers are more expensive].
3. You won’t see this caliber on the shelf at every gun store or in many households or police departments. Supply should be a concern for this group.
4. A .308 Winchester gets the job done at or less than 600 yards if you are familiar with your firearm and the ballistic chart [for your particular load]. The .308 will even suffice out to 800 yards, for the overachievers.
5. Identify the quality, weight and price of the scope you will need to hit anything over 800 yards before purchasing.
Shooters should ask themselves if they think they’ll need to take a shot at greater than 600 yards. I have no problem with “bigger is better” or the caliber. Everything Ruger makes is high quality. Good luck and happy hunting. – Pete in Florida
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James,
Things can fall apart rather quickly. Today’s example is why you always want to carry a survival kit (BOB) in your vehicle. People are stranded all over western North Dakota on the last day of April. Who would have anticipated this? The weather service put out warnings that many ignored and those who stayed home are without power. A total of five major electrical feeds into the state are down which is unheard of. What couldn’t happen, happened. Mile after mile of power poles are sheared off and snow drifts of up to 10 feet and zero visibility is slowing any attempts to rescue stranded motorists and stopping power company personnel trying to restore power. Readers may listen to this interview with the power company manager by Jim Olson from KX news, Channel 13 out of Minot, North Dakota. Jim Olson Interview
Thanks for SurvivalBlog. – Bob (At the end of the gravel road in North Dakota)
James Wesley:
According to the folks at aaoobfoods.com they have a “recipe” to grow yeast on potato granules/flakes. They are out of Amite, Louisiana. They are great! Thank you, James Wesley. Sincerely, – Ron M.
Jim:
Yeast can be cultured at home to prolong its use indefinitely http://www.wikihow.com/Culture-Yeast
Of course that pasta he spoke of is also typically fashioned from wheat. Not that everyone can make their own homemade pasta but yes it can be done by those who really wish to. Cheers, Rich F.
Mr. Rawles,
I read the note from a reader concerning yeast not being available for making bread. I bake bread with baking powder (aluminum free), sodium bicarb, and salt. This makes a light loaf, but not quite as light as yeast bread, however, it still tastes great (judging by how fast my kids make it disappear). Regards, – Mike C.
James,
Michael wrote in asking “Why Store Wheat?” as the lack of yeast would mean only eating wheat cereal or sprouts. There are many wonderful uses of wheat! I’m sure he knows many of them and has simply overlooked them. In addition to wheat breads, that wheat can be ground into flour for biscuits, mixed with corn flour for cornbread, flour tortillas, pancakes, crackers, biscotti, focaccia, pita bread, other flatbreads, cakes, crusts, pasta, dumplings, and more. While yeast may not store forever, baking soda and cream of tartar do and together they make baking powder ( 2 parts cream of tarter to 1 part soda – 1 part corn starch can be added optionally) which can be used in many of the above.
In addition to flour, you can also make bulgar from your wheat berries. Bulgar can be used for salads, soups, used in place of rice, or to make a sort of gravy. It can be stuffed in sausages to stretch scarce meat supplies. Boil your wheat with 2:1 water to wheat for about an hour until the wheat berries have swollen. Drain and then dry/dehydrate the wheat until completely dry. Then coarsely crack the dried berries and store for future use. You can also make a gluten meat substitute from wheat. Make flour and then add just enough water to make a stiff dough. Knead for about fifteen minutes. Put your dough in a large bowl or sink and gently wash, while kneading, in a good amount of cool water. The dough will soften with the additional water. Pour off the water. Repeat washing and squeezing until the dough firms up again and the water runs clear. The stuff sloughing off into the water is bran and starch. If you save the runoff water, you can let it settle and pour off the water on top and use the rest for making crackers or other purposes. Once your gluten dough has finished washing you should cook it. Steam it for 20-30 minutes or pinch off pieces and cook in simmering broth or water for 30 minutes. After that the gluten can be sliced, cubed, chunked or ground to be used as a meat substitute in other dishes. The ground gluten can be used as filler for meatballs, hamburger patties, sausage, etc. again to extend scarce meat supplies.
Lastly, you can make malt from sprouted wheat and use it for sweetener or as a substitute for sugar or honey. So, there you go. Wheat is almost a wonder food! And that’s just off the top of head in a few minutes. Wheat has a very long storage life and actually provides quite a bit of variety if you use your imagination. I’m sure someone else will contribute many more ideas. – Matthew T.
George J. spotted this bit on Nanny Statism news: N.J. town limits chicken hookups. Here is a quote: “Hopewell Township residents can have up to a half-dozen hens on half-acre lots. Roosters would be allowed only 10 days a year for fertilization purposes.”
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The annual book “Passport to World Band Radio” is now out of print (sadly, the final edition was published in 2009) but I’ve found that The Shortwave Listener’s Guide web site seems to be kept well up-to-date. I must say that there are times when I’m in the boonies that I really miss having current references like that in hard copy!
First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).
Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).
Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.
Round 34 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.
, Gordon F. wrote to recommend the 
, I thought “Okay, I got to get one.” After waiting around for the vendor who makes those to show up at one of the local gun shows, I finally went on YouTube, and guess what? I learned how to make them myself. They’re not difficult to make. As a matter of fact, the company you linked-to yesterday (