Learn To Forage Local Edibles Nature is full of good food, free of chemicals—if you know where to look.  Learning to forage can turn a walk in the woods into a free grocery trip. Identify local edible plants, berries, nuts, and mushrooms (carefully).  Use a field guide or take a class from an expert to make sure you don't accidentally pick poisonous plants.  Never eat anything unless you’re 100% certain it’s safe. Some edible plants have poisonous lookalikes Learn what grows seasonally, in your region Foraging is a free way to supplement your food supply, especially when canned goods run low It also builds your connection with the land—an underrated survival asset Foraging Basics for Beginners Edible Weeds in Your Yard

Biscuit Twisters         Biscuit mix Milk or water Honey Follow the direction on the biscuit box using a little less liquid than called for Twist the dough around the end of of a green stick or metal skewer* Hold the skewer while rotating slowly over hot coals of fire until cooked  Dip into honey and enjoy Can also use butter and jam, or gravy Campfire S'mores Video  * If you use metal, you need to protect your hands from the hot metal

Rice Krispie Squares 4 T  Butter 4 c  Marshmallows or 10 oz 5 c  Rice Krispie cereal Melt butter in saucepan over campfire/low heat Add marshmallows and stir till melted  Cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly   Remove from heat, add Rice Krispies and stir until all are coated  Using buttered spatula, press evenly into buttered 13x9x2" pan Cool Cut into 2" squares Make it Chocolatey Add chocolate to the mix

Hobo Popcorn Recipe Heavy Duty aluminum foil Butter 4 Teaspoons of Cooking oil Salt 4 Tablespoons of un-popped Popcorn Cut the aluminum foil into four large squares. In the center of each square, place one teaspoon oil and one tablespoon popcorn Bring the four corners of foil to the center, making pouch like hobo knapsack Seal edges well With string, tie corners of each pouch to long handled barbeque tool or a green stick Place pouch directly on hot coals and shake often until corn is popped Carefully open pouch and season popcorn with melted butter and salt. Make it Into a Sweet and Savory Dessert When you open the foil, add shaved chocolate and allow it to melt onto the hot popcorn. Make it Hot Sprinkle it with cyenne pepper

Camping Seasoning Mix 1/3 c  Salt 1 T  Paprika 1 T  Garlic Powder 2 t  Onion Powder 1/2 t  Cayenne or substitute Curry 1/2 t  Pepper Mix well and store in a double zip-lock bag or a good glass, screw-top container.

  When you go on a camping trip, a backpacking journey or if you are put in circumstances that were beyond your control, that doesn't mean you have to eat beans out of the can, every night. You can easily prepare delicious, homestyle meals, even when you are not inside, sitting down at the table. Here are a few really good camping meal, for you to try.  Potato Dinner Take a raw potato. Hollow out the center of a raw potato leaving about 1/2 inch all the way around with skin attached  Fill the center with spiced hamburger with a bit of tomato sauce or use sausage pieces  Wrap tightly in foil and place on coals Serve with cheese or garlic bread and a salad or some steamed or canned veggies  Steamed Veggies  Slice thinly and make a foil pack and add a little water; seal and place on or over hot coals  Check after a 1/2 hour Potato will take about an hour. Onion Skin Hamburger  Cut a large onion in half cross-wise and remove most of the cent...

Campfire Recipes in Aluminum Foil and Over Campfire Grilled Cheese Sandwiches can be made without a pan--use a buddy burner if you have one or wrap the sandwich in foil and place just above the coals for a couple of minutes, on each side. To make it more filling, add tomatoes, onions and sliced ham, or turkey. You can add these or or any combination of your choice before cooking or after cooking. Kebobs  taste so good, they are easy to make - and you don't need a pan.  If you use wooden skewers, soak them in water to slow down the burn rate and make sure you can cook without you needing to hold them by hand, over the fire. If you use metal skewers, make sure there is a cool handle on it, you have to wear gloves.  Kebobs are made with wieners, smokies, sausage or meatballs.  Pre cook chicken, turkey, ham or any other meat cubes.  You can include a variety of veggies such as peppers, canned taters, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc.  While the kebobs are cooking...

  Corrugated Cardboard Box Campfire Oven 1 Brick or flat rock 1 pk heavy duty Aluminum foil 1 Corrugated cardboard box 1 Metal pie pan, old 3 Wire coat hangers 4+ Charcoal briquets Light the charcoal in the aluminum pan Completely cover the inside and outside of the box and flaps with 3 or 4 layers of aluminum foil. Lay the aluminum foil covered box on level ground so that it opens oven-style or front door style. Straighten the coat hangers, then run them from one side of the box, to the other - about 2/3 of the way up from the bottom - to form a rack. Set the brick in bottom.    Use an oven mitt or hot pad to put the pan of hot charcoal on the brick.  Place food to be cooked into a pan and put the pan onto coat-hanger rack, and close oven door. Watch your food carefully by checking it often.   ➡️➡️  Each hot coal makes about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. How to Make An Oven Using a Pizza Box Video

Here are three tips to help you make your backpacking trip less stressful when it is time to eat. Save the powered, packaged mixes from mac and cheese, ramen noodles and salad kits and pack them in food baggies. These flavor packets can be used later to add pizzaz to different dishes.  When you buy the boxed food with the separate flavor packets, do not use the entire packet at one time. A little bit  of that seasoning goes a long way.  You can save and store some of the unopened packets and use an opened packet two or three times.   Take powdered milk in baggies. Use it in your coffee, cereal, instant potatoes and in your cooked dishes. Margarine, even though it is not good for you, will travel well. Just make sure it is tightly paced in a leak-proof container. As an alternative, you can make your own butter, on the trip.  How to Make Butter Using Powdered Milk Freeze-Dried Backpacking Meals

Basic Survival Skills Here are some very simple ideas for dehydrated and light-weight foods you can take with you on your trek. Dehydrated vegetables and full meals are available at camping stores. Try Ramen noodle soups or any of those soup in a cups, packaged in baggies, so they take up a lot less room. Dehydrated bean flakes, cooks in 10-15 minutes, and are available in many varieties can be mixed with some spice and cooked rice. Put it beans and rice in a tortilla and you will see, it is delicious and filling. Yum! Flavor them with onion powder, garlic powder and/or cumin powder. Cheese holds up very well in backpacks. When it is properly wrapped, you don't have to deal with cheese oil dripping on your other items. The fat will do you good if you are hiking for hours. If it's cold, the fat can help you stay warm.  You need a lot more calories when it's cold. Add a cheese to your soup, pasta, rice, or dehydrated veggies you're cooking. Pasta, the King of the backpack...

  Campfire Biscuits These are easy to make biscuits and they can be cooked in a Dutch oven or in aluminum foil. 2 c  Jiffy Baking mix 2/3 c  Water Directions:  Mix well and knead. If too soft, add a little more mix for a dry handling dough. Put flour on aluminum foil and pat dough to about 1/2 inch thickness.  Divide dough into biscuits.  Bake at moderate heat for 15-20 minutes, or until biscuits are done.  Remove from heat and serve hot.

Disaster Readiness When you are on your backpacking trip, one of your most important concerns should be - how to save money, whenever you can. You never know when a cash only emergency will come and stick its hand, deep into your wallet. Here are four ways you can save money on your meals. Instant mashed potatoes can be mixed with powdered milk or water only. Make up an instant gravy to go on top.  For dessert, dried fruit can be cooked in hot water and put on top of a piece of angel food cake. Add some cinnamon and Tang and you have an elegant dessert. Dry veggie burger mix will make a great meal. Most of them are mixed with water only and a lot of them are quite tasty. Bulgar and couscous cook up in only a few minutes with boiling water. Happy eating! and saving! Food Hacks Every Camper Should Know

You are considering starting a garden. Before you get started making a garden, you should gather your seeds and as you gather them, it's best to make sure each variety is dated, labeled and stored properly. To save money, get your seeds from the non-GMO, truly organic, fruit and vegetables, you purchase at the grocery store. Start gathering a variety of heirloom, non-GMO seeds so you can regrow a good food supply, year after year. Or, if you want, purchase quality seeds. The seeds you gather will reproduce true to type, unlike the adulterated seeds from cheap hybrids. Store the seeds in a cool, dry place and check germination rates  before you plant your actual garden and every year.

Wouldn't it be great to walk into your backyard, or onto your balcony and harvest part of your meal, without going to the grocery store and coming out, at least, $50 poorer.  Start a Survival Garden on Your Balcony or in Your Backyard A survival garden can be more than just a hobby, it can also be a guaranteed, inexpensive food supply.  If you want to begin growing your own food, start with high yield, easy-to-grow crops like: potatoes beans carrots  and leafy greens.  You can also grow herbs - on your window sill - for both flavor and for use as a natural remedy and as natural medicine*.  If you have the space: learn how to compost your food scraps  collect rainwater, to keep your garden watered when the weather is hot and dry.  Grow a Garden Even It You Live in An Apartment It is entirely possible to grow a small garden, even if you live in an apartment. Plants can be grown in containers and to get a larger variety, yo can use the vertical system. Do...

Dehydrating food is one of the oldest preservation methods ever used and, for centuries, it was done without a food dehydrator and this is one of the most effective ways for preppers to make sure their food is safe to eat.  When you dehydrate food, the moisture is removed, which drastically reduces the chances of spoilage, while keeping those essential nutrients intact.  What Foods Can Be Dehydrated? The best foods to dehydrate without a dehydrator include: Fruits : Apples, bananas, grapes, orange slices and mangoes are excellent choices due to their high water content and natural sugars, which help preserve flavor and nutrients Vegetables : Carrots, zucchini and bell peppers work well as they have lower acidity and can be easily dried using alternative methods. Herbs : Fresh herbs like basil and parsley can be air-dried or oven-dried effectively Lean meats : Options like chicken or turkey can be dehydrated, but it's crucial to ensure they are low in fat. Foods to avoid includ...

Where's the Food OK, you've been working hard all day, getting things done and now it is past time to eat. You have decided on a can of canned beans, salmon and some potatoes. Then your realized you will need some way to open the cans and the packages of air-tight crackers. Don't Forget the Can Opener  For most people, this is the smallest tool that usually gets left behind—and it is one of the most essential. A manual can-opener. As an added bonus, a couple of strong knives.  You have stockpiled hundreds of cans of a variety of food, but if you don’t have a way to open them, without power, they’re will just sit there mocking you.  You should keep at least two manual can openers: one in your storage area and one in your to go bag. It is possible to open cans with a knife but, it's best not to take the chance of breaking your knife, you will definitely need a knife before your situation ends. Test them regularly. Don't depend on the cheap dollar store can openers and...

Survive a Disaster When you store your food, it can become a waste of money if you allow it to be invaded by food destroyers. A mouse, ants, bugs, roaches, a little moisture, or a pantry moth can wipe out hundreds of dollars and months of food before you know it.  There is an Easy Way to Protect Your Investment Instead of just storing your goods and hoping for the best, you can make sure everything is as good as new when you get ready to cook it and eat it.   The best way to keep your goods safe from the invasive destroyers is by vacuum sealing all of your dry goods - like rice, beans, pasta, sugar, cereal, corn meal and flour. Removing all of the air means that you are also extending shelf life - by years. When you add oxygen absorbers with vacuum-sealing, that makes it even better.  Even better, store the sealed items in buckets or bins, with tight lids to guard against the other pests that like to contaminate food that is left out in the open.  Vacuum-sealed ...