Trail GPS

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?KUWOM 22 November 2008 Trail GPS

Periodically I go into the bush, searching for mushrooms. There are usually trails, but often one gets carried away and wanders off and getting lost is relatively easy even in a short distance. I always carry a simple magnetic compass for back-up, but this is not adequate in short distances, so I carry a GPS with a spare set of batteries. When entering an area, I mark the beginning and using the GPS it is easy to get back with ease.

This particular GPS is small, and costs about $100.00 Cdn. Operation is dead simple after a few minutes in learning the various functions.

Real Juice

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?POCBQ 17 November 2008 Real Juice

Making juice from available produce, cranberries, pineapple, oranges, limes and muskmelon. This will be about a weeks supply for one person. The texture is decided by the amount of water added when blending. As an exercise compare this to the concoction sold in Supermarkets under the guise of being called juice. Cost about $12.00 Cdn.

Homemade Dog Food

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?KWIOI 17 November 2008 Homemade Dog Food

This is what I feed my small, 12 pound, female, four year old, Pomeranian daily. About 6 a.m. Neena is fed a small amount of cooked oats with some milk, then given a bit of brown sugar on the kitchen tile floor as a treat.

At about 7 a.m. she is taken for a walk of five km, then she is fed the remainder of her daily ration. Her toenails are in perfect condition and are never clipped due to wear in walking.

A bowl of juice, frozen liver, one sardine, one egg yolk is supplied, and she gobbles this up without looking up.

After this she is given a small piece of frozen goat stewing meat with bone outside and she gnaws on this for about 10 minutes, which keeps her teeth white and strong. She never swallows the bone.

She is never given anything commercial which is produced for dogs like "treats".

Periodically, when I eat, she is given a small bit of my food, just for a taste, and I mean small.

Neena keeps her weight of 12 pounds, and is bright, active, and obviously very healthy.

The food selected is readily available in my area, and from my knowledge, she is getting a balanced diet.

Snow

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?PTNST 17 November 2008 First snow
The first snow of the Winter season-just a light dusting. Garden is now asleep prepared for the onslaught of Winter.

Cereal from Whole Wheat Kernels.

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?BLVZI 11 November 2008 Making Cereal from Whole Wheat

Breakfast cereal made from whole wheat kernels utilizing the pressure cooker. The wheat is pressure cooked for one hour, then blended to break the soft kernels apart, and served with milk and sugar to taste. Compare this to packaged puffed wheat as to cost and nutritional benefits. This method may be utilized for any combination of grains.

Pressure Cooker

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?OWLRF 10 November 2008 Pressure Cooker

The old Presto Pressure Cooker was replaced. The new one is 8 quarts and the old one still functioning after 30 years was 5 quart. The construction is basically the same, but the new one is polished aluminum, which won't leach aluminum as much as the older type material.

A large percentage of my cooking is done with the pressure cooker. With a bit of practice cooking is quick and food retains more nutrients.

For an insert a colander is utilized with the handles knocked off. All pressure cookers should have an insert to prevent water from touching the material being cooked, and to prevent material from bubbling and clogging the pressure ports. I have several inserts, but see no reason why the fold up type would not work.
Here is what I use. http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?FMXRO
The screen type is ideal for grains, and the larger is my first effort, which is probably better for solid food and beans. It is also easier to clean.

There are several Pressure Cookers on the market, but with ridiculously complicated locking mechanisms, and peculiar ports. Caveat emptor!

Nut Cracking System

http://www.durgan.org/ShortURL/?HLZKL 6November 2008 Nut Cracking System

An efficient nut cracking system was devised for walnuts, pecans, and filberts. This simple system utilizes a sleeve to retain the shell and to prevent the hammer from following through and crushing the meat, , an insert to hold the bottom of the nut upright and slightly above the sleeve, and a heavy lock to withstand the smacking with the hammer. The parts may be purchased with a bit of effort and/or made easily by any machine shop.