I like knives. I like tools. And for me, a knife isn't so much a "weapon" but a very useful tool. It makes sense to own an assortment of knives so that you will have the proper tool for whatever situation arises. Here are the knives I find most useful:
A pocketknife. I carry my basic pocketknife with me everywhere I go and it comes in handy about once a week for everything from opening boxes to cutting up an apple.
A folding buck knife. I carry this in the dash compartment of my vehicle. It is more substantial than a pocketknife, with a locking blade for tougher cutting jobs (or in a pinch, personal defense).
A fixed-blade knife. Excellent for hunting. Ditto for personal defense.
A heavy, very sharp, meat cleaver. Here we are moving into kitchen tools. I use this knife a lot in the kitchen, especially when chopping a slab of meat down to size.
A paring knife. Another extremely useful kitchen tool for small cutting jobs.
An all around kitchen knife. This is the third of three knives I keep in my kitchen arsenal. While the spouse seems to like a dozen or more knives for kitchen use, with the three listed above, I am all set for any kind of kitchen duty.
A machete or "bolo" knife. While I have never used this giant-sized knife for defense, plenty of people have. I use my machete for cleaning up brush outside on occasion.
A utility knife. This type of knife, which uses disposable razor blades for its cutting edge, is super useful for all shop-related cutting purposes. I keep one on my work bench, one in my tool bag, and one in the kitchen junk drawer.
A multi-tool. This item has a half dozen knife-like implements as well as a bunch of other tools attached to it. I don't carry this with me as my pocketknife works perfectly well for me but I do keep my Leatherman in by BOB.
A very long, very thin Japanese sword. I keep this, found in my travels abroad, for decoration. Obviously I could use it for defense if necessary but having exactly no skill at sword fighting, the outcome would be iffy at best. It does make a nice conversation piece, however.
And three knife rules: keep it cleaned, keep it sharpened, and you get what you pay for in most cases (so don't even think of picking up a knife at the Dollar Store!).
You can see how bad 12 year old cans of tomatoes can deteriorate.
Yesterday a friend provided me with some pictures she took in her food storage area. She has quite a bit of food stored but has not been keeping up with rotating the food. The other day she found three cases of canned tomato that had been stored since before Y2K. They had been stored behind other items and forgotten about. Even though they had been kept cool and protected from the elements, the cans had rusted through.
Most of the cans had leaked and the contents had evaporated. There was one or two that were still intact. I have one and intend to open it but will not make a taste test. Surprisingly enough the can I have is not swollen. In all the cans I have seen fail, tomatoes seems to be the most common contents. The shelve life of tomatoes should be considered shorter than most other products. Remember to rotate your foods.
FEBRUARY IS “LET THEM EAT (FOOD STORAGE) CAKE!” MONTH!
Did you know it’s my birthday this weekend? {Insert a plea for comments wishing me a very happy food storage birthday HERE} So I’ve decided to showcase a few of my favorite birthday cakes featuring food storage (minus the Food Storage Chocolate Molten cake which I already shared).
Starting with Pineapple Upside Down Cake. It really is too bad that some of the best food from the 50′s and 60′s has gone by the wayside. I’m thinking Ruebens, Lime Rickeys, and especially PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE! This cake used to be the ‘IN’ cake, sort of like how everywhere you go now there are cake pops (hmmm…cake pops food storage style….interesting…anyway….). I have always loved this cake, who wouldn’t? It has a very moist cake, yummy sticky topping, pineapple and maraschino cherries! And when you’re from the family I’m from-ANYTHING with maraschino cherries is a VERY GOOD THING! I made these tonight for a Blue and Gold Banquet I went to and decided to turn them into cupcakes. And just when I thought Pineapple Upside Down Cake couldn’t get better, the heavens open and a way appears! I loved them! I was even able to sneak in some food storage wheat and beans. I always love people’s reactions when I tell them the secret ingredient is beans. If you haven’t quite figured out how to use beans for oil and/or butter get my tips for using food storage beans in your baked goods! I adapted my recipe for the Pineapple Upside Cake recipe from the Essential Mormon Cookbook series (one of my favorite cookbooks!).
Food Storage Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
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Recipe type: Dessert
I love this recipe because it doesn’t call for a cake mix! It’s from scratch and perfect for using food storage!
Ingredients
1 C. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 C. butter, softened and divided (or 1/2 C. butter and 1 C. white bean puree)
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple rings, drained with juice reserved (if you’re doing cupcakes use crushed pineapple)
Maraschino cherries, if desired
2 C. sugar
1 T. vanilla (yes, that is TABLESPOON)
2 eggs (1/4 C. dry egg powder + 1/2 C. water)
2 1/4 C. flour (I used 1 C. whole wheat flour and 1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour)
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
Instructions
Combine brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter; spread on bottom of greased 9×13 inch pan. Place pineapple rings and cherries on top. Cream the remaining 1 cup butter (or bean puree) with sugar. Add vanilla and eggs and beat well. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Beat in 1 cup of the reserved pineapple juice. Pour batter over pineapple rings and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool slightly, serve warm. To serve, flip individual cake pieces over to show pineapple. Top with whipped cream if desired. Serves 12.
Notes
If you want to make cupcakes. SImply spread the brown sugar butter mixture on the bottom of 24 greased cupcake pans (you won’t be able to use liners for these). Divide crushed pineapple and cherries and place on top of mixture. Pour batter on top to 2/3 full. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then turn over. (I turned mine over onto a baking sheet and then served) Serves 24
I love the cupcakes because you get TWENTY FOUR servings instead of just TWELVE. Much better portion control!
Help Spread the Word!
I love it when you share my tips and recipes for food storage! Do me a quick favor (and remember it’s my birthday!), if you like what you see please share it on facebook, pinterest, or blog about it! And make sure you link either the word “food storage” or “Everyday Food Storage” back to me. Thanks-it makes all the hard work worth it!
from Stealth Survivalby noreply@blogger.com (riverwalker)
Unless you are in really good physical condition, bugging out on foot with a heavy pack may not be the best option for some people. If bad things happen and travel by motorized vehicle is not your best option, a bug out bike may be the alternative means of transportation that will get you moving fast without having to worry about buying fuel.
Cycling is a lot less physically demanding than walking and you can cover a greater distance in a shorter period of time on a bike. There are also numerous other advantages of using a bike as a bug-out alternative.
Bug Out Bike Advantages
1. Bikes are readily available in different types and styles that are ideal for all family members.
2. Bikes are reliable and most are easily repaired with a minimum of tools or effort.
3. Bikes normally require less maintenance than a motor vehicle.
4. Bikes have a large number of accessories available such as gear bags, headlights and water bottle holders.
5. Good quality bikes and gear items are available in price ranges that will fit almost any budget.
6. Bikes make traveling at night easier if you need to go in “stealth” mode.
7. Bikes aren’t affected by traffic jams and many styles can easily handle “off-road” terrain as well.
8. Bikes don’t normally require license plates, registration or insurance.
9. Bikes can be easily customized to suit your personal needs.
10. Bikes can be used in normal circumstances for recreational purposes and to increase your fitness levels.
Bikes can be a great alternative means of transportation for you and your gear in an emergency. You can even carry bikes in the back of your truck or on your vehicle with a simple bike rack. They can then be used should your vehicle become disabled. You can even attach a small trailer to your bike if you need to carry an even larger amount of gear.
Bikes can provide a simple, low cost, and effective means of transportation during a crisis.
knives serious (Photo credit: u m a m i)
