Kitchen Gadgets for the Prepper

      In the post"Preparing to Give Thanks", I mentioned how I give a case of coffee to the food bank each holiday.  I failed to mention that attached to each bag of coffee, is a gadget called a microwave coffee maker.  I found these also at the dollar store and have several stored for hard times when there is no electricity.  

www.alaskaherbtea.com 

    Just because you can make a single cup of coffee with them in the microwave does not mean there is a law that you Have to use the microwave.  Just boil water, place the filtering spoonful of coffee in a cup and pour hot water over it.  Let it steep, or dunk it a couple of times and swirl and it makes a cup of coffee.  The longer you leave it in the water, the stronger the coffee.  


    This gadget works in the microwave, sure, but it works at campfire side as well.  You can use it to filter coffee grounds or loose tea.  You can make herb teas and elixirs, with hot water your herbs and this filtering spoon.  The gadget is small, lightweight and good to have at home or on the go.  

     I have a gadget drawer in my kitchen.  Most people do, but mine is full of gadgets that do more than one job and work without electricity.  Some are simple in design, but all are easy to use.  Here are some others.

K-D Tools 2187 Adjustable Oil Filter Wrench - Ducati.ms - The ...

www.ducati.ms 

     A jar opener is essential in any kitchen.  My grandson calls it a lid gripper.  This one is made from a circle cut of rubberized shelf liner.  These things are often given away as promotions for businesses, but they are easily made.  

     I have seen some jar lid openers that look like oil filter remover tools that price upwards of $35.  If you can find one of those for less, get it!  you can open any jar or remove an oil filter!  

   

         There is no way to improve on the lightweight, easy carry Military can opener called the P-38 can opener.  If you have the strength to get it in there you can get the lid open, and it beats the heck out of ruining a good knife trying to get into a can.  I was raised on this lever type opener, to the right.  

     I have since graduated to the basic winding can opener for everyday use in the kitchen.  I have packed several of these combination openers with the kitchen prep things because if the winding mechanism wears out or breaks, the triangular churchkey can opener will work making connecting holes at least two thirds of the ways around.  Also, on the end is a lever to lift bottle caps, which means it is a good way to get into a paint can or a can sealed in that same way.  Stock three or more at all times.  All that bulk food in cans will need to be opened.

US $21.95
http://www.ebay.com/bhp/hand-food-processor 

     For ALL those other mixer/blender/slicer/grater/juicer things we need, you can buy graters and juicers separately but there is a single gadget that does it all, and does it all without electricity.  This one is all the things listed above and more.  I have posted two photos.  The one to the left, is better in it's layout, but is on EBAY.  

The other is available under $20, at this site. http://www.survivalsolutions.com/store/foodprepmachine.html

 

Knives for the Prepper.

en.wikipedia.org 

     The knives a prepper wants usually look like a dream list of double edged sci-fi killing blades.  Some are historic replicas with a good blade that works.  Some are just fluff and for me, not worth the weight to carry. 

    I have no problem meeting a prepper with an actual bat'leth.  If they are made for real life, use with an edge, sure, I could take that guy seriously.  I often encourage individuality.  In a post SHTF world, if you can wield the bat'leth, then cool.  If it's just a show piece, well then, it isn't a knife, it's a dust catcher for the wall and useless.   

     What I want in a knife is a blade that works.  I want a blade that keeps its edge but can be sharpened when needed.  I want a blade that can be used and used a lot without bending, breaking or otherwise giving me cause to curse.  

     I have several survival knives, also.  I keep one in the get home bag as a backup for just about everything.  It is a little bug out bag in a knife handle.  It is not the go to knife but good to have in general.  

www.gerbergear.com , r

     A good hunting knife is as good as any survival knife you can find.  There is a reason the Kbar served our Marines so long and so well.  It is the multi-purpose, multi-use survival, killing, cutting, digging, butter spreading knife.  Bear Grylls offers a nice hunting/survival knife.  The color added to it helps it from blending in with the ground if you make the mistake of dropping it, and it has the fire striker, whistle and sharpener.  

   

www.knifeforums.com

              The well prepared cook knows to have a good set of knives, for butchering, scraping, paring, filleting and chopping. Good knives are bought once in a lifetime as they are made of high quality materials, made to last that lifetime.  

     Some of the knives I have can go from kitchen to woods and back to the kitchen.  A good set of vintage blades can skin a deer, clean the hide, spread butter on bread and protect you and yours on a dark and stormy night. 

    I have seen dozens of pictures of good sets for sale on Ebay, and some not so great.  Do not go for the mid century  modern colorful plastic handles.  When they break, they are riveted in such a way that makes it difficult to salvage the blade, if the blade is worth salvaging.  I don't like the bone handles from that period either unless you can touch them and see their condition.  


     I believe the wood handled knives with the tang that runs the full length of the handle are the best.  This is my personal opinion.  They are reparable, they are easy care and I like the feel and balance.   There are lots of styles and kinds of knives out there. The important thing to have in any knife is quality.  Buy the best you can afford. 

Multi tiered food Carrier...or is it?

     This is a new (brand new) Multi-layered food carrier.  It is available online from several distributors.   Food carriers are a multi use item.  You can keep dry food in them, transporting foodstuffs over long distances or time and you can cook in the stainless steel containers.  

www.amazon.com 

This item is also available in brightly colored, insulated models, but that is not my personal style.  You may look up this item as 'Multi tiered lunchbox' or 'multi layered food carrier'.  It is shiny and again, new. I like the vintage models.  

I have a memory of my step dad describing his school days lunch box.  He told us: the top layer had fresh milk, the next layer down contained whatever had been left from the night before's dinner and the bottom layer had a couple of tablespoons of molasses syrup and a biscuit.  The school teacher would let the children place their lunch boxes around the heater as needed to warm the foods.  On a day without leftovers, he had two eggs in the bottom container that left near the heat, would cook by lunch time.  He tore the top off his biscuit and used it to clean out the dinner layer and then he ate the syrupy bottom biscuit as dessert. 

www.eastmanutensils.com 

I have been lucky enough to find two of these at my favorite thrift store for under $5 each.  I have a three tier and a four tier carrier.  I have used them to carry foods out to campgrounds in the past.  They lock into place beautifully and even though I have not transported watery liquids in them, I have suffered no spills.  

As a prepper and as a person that just likes to be ready to go, I like this style carrier.  It fits into the curved side of a backpack.  Right now, as they hang from the kitchen ceiling, they are packed with a layer of rice, a layer of beans and a layer of condiments like salt, pepper, and the folding utensils I can use on the go, also some tea bags and sweetener packets.  

The rice is measured for two persons who need traveling calories.  Just add water and heat over a fire made from a few sticks or a heat tab.  The beans are measured the same and if you add the water in the morning, the beans will be soaked and ready to be heated in the same time as the rice.  The top layer can be emptied at campsite and used for making coffee, tea or just boiling the water you need to drink.   

Yup, I have taken a totally average piece of restaurant or kitchen accessory and turned it into a mess kit with food, ready to heat and eat!  That is the definition of prepping and preparing for hard times of any kind.  See an item, see what it is and see what it can be.  

Food Grade Equipment

     I was sent this picture through my facebook account.  I have four grown sons and God knows I love ingenuity and adaptive creativity and things that do other things, but Lord, please deliver me from this genius!  This is NOT Food Grade /Equipment!  This is more relatable to the post I did a few days ago about making yourself sick!
    Ohhh. I am sure they washed it!  (or I couldn't sleep at night laughing!)  But, this is not the definition of food grade equipment.  

     The US Food and Drug Administration (and OSHA ,occupational safety and health administration, defers to USDA on these matters ) allows that food grade equipment is dedicated equipment.  You can use a cement mixer to blend dry ingredients in bulk as long as you ONLY use the cement mixer for that purpose.  You can use a boat oar to stir your pot if A.) the pot is big enough and B.) you ONLY use it for that purpose.  

     Now, I am not saying one of my sons was involved in the above foolery, but if one of them offers me a s'more in the next couple of years, I am going to look for the rake before biting it!  

     I have used some what you might call unconventional equipment in the making of food for kids.  I have turned cookies into lollipops but, I used new, never before used dowels and lollipop sticks to do it.  You don't just go out in the yard and cut a switch!  You don't save popsicle sticks to use in other food projects.  You can use a spent popsicle stick to label plants in the garden but not the other way 'round!  

     Food grade equipment is food safe equipment.  

How To Hide Your Guns In Plain Sight - Page 3www.northeastshooters.com

oldstersview.wordpress.com 

Enough scolding!  here are some other images I thought I would share, just for fun.

found on pinterest,,no!

Found on pinterest, not
terribly unsafe.

rvnewsnet.com

There I Fixed It Redneck Repairs Picturesfunny-pictures.feedio.net