rocking horse publishing « Robin Writes

I’ve talked before about the importance of food storage, but a little less about keeping track of what you have and what you might need, as well as rotation.

Now, you should only be stocking food you’ll actually eat, so theoretically rotation should be simple: you remove it from storage, use it, replace it.

For instance, if I’m out of butter, say, here in the house, I can run up to the freezer in the barn and grab a pound or two. If it’s not in the house, it’s in the barn freezer or storage unit; if it’s not there, I make do until our next trip to the store. Rotation, in this case, is simple.

And of course, when shelving items, put the new ones in the back and take from the front. Like your own grocery store.

I mentioned the dreaded “I’m out of ____.” Yes, it happens, even to the most prepared people. This is why I have a list.

I keep it on my computer, and once a month I print it out and check off all the items I have on hand, adjusting quantities as needed. Normally, if we pull something out, I note it right away; likewise, after a shopping trip, I use the receipt to add things we’ve purchased. By using the receipt instead of counting actual items, you’re able to shelve things right away. We usually stop at the barn first and unload whatever goes there.

Normally I’ll make the quantity adjustment as soon as I remove something, but occasionally that doesn’t work out so well. Say, if I’m in the middle of cooking and can’t leave the stove or even when my husband grabs something and doesn’t, ahem, tell me.

It’s important to keep track—what if SHTF and you suddenly can’t find batteries—or butter—because you used them and didn’t write it down? What if your propane is all used up? Or you’re out of bacon? Disaster!

So you not only need to stock supplies, but keep track of them and rotate—otherwise, you’ll be out of something important or, even worse, it’ll be moldy or stale and useless.

Take the time to make a list of all the things you might use in a week, and make sure you have at least one of each item, plus one more to store. That makes your inventory small and doable. As you get better at prepping, you can increase the amount of time and number of items needed to keep yourself in supplies for a longer period.

Thought I’d put together a few simple recipes for outdoor cooking, you know, in case you have to go off-grid or if you just decide to pack up for a weekend of camping.

I’m even going to give you two versions of each, so you can choose quick and easy or completely homemade, depending on your preference and/or limitations of space, time, and skill.

Let’s start with breakfast:

Skillet Breakfast

Bacon

O’Brien potatoes

Cheddar cheese

Eggs

Naturally, this is going to taste better if you use cast iron, but you can use any cookware, on the fire or on a propane stove.

Fry the bacon and remove from pan to drain. Dump in the bag of potatoes, add a little salt and a lot of pepper; while these cook, beat the eggs and add a little water—water will make the eggs fluffier than milk. When the potatoes are cooked and crispy, add the eggs and crumbled bacon and cook until eggs are done. Top with cheese.

Version 2: you can chop the potatoes, onions, and peppers yourself, at the campsite or before you leave home. Unless you butcher your own hogs and gather your own eggs, that’s about the limit on the homemade part!

Of course, you can serve toast or biscuits or whatever with this too, but it’s pretty filling by itself. If you’re making toast over the fire, you can of course toast it over coals on a stick, but you can also just slap a slice of bread on a cast iron griddle, flipping once.

My World Famous Chili

Chili beans, 2 cans

Salsa, half a jar or so

Tomato sauce, 1 16 oz can

Onion

Garlic, 2-3 cloves

Ground beef, 1 #

Chili powder

Cumin

Jalapenos

Black pepper

Beer, one can or bottle

Throw the chopped onion, minced garlic, ground beef, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, and minced jalapenos in a Dutch over. Cook until beef is done. Add chili beans, salsa, beer, tomato sauce, and maybe a little water. Cook for an hour.

Yes, it can be very hot—seasoning-wise. You can adjust as needed.

For the more homemade version, simply use your own canned tomato sauce and salsa, the onions, garlic, cumin, and jalapenos that you grew in the garden, and your home-grown kidney beans that have been well-soaked overnight. You might want to add more spice if you use those, as the commercial ones are pre-seasoned.

More power to you if you butcher your own beef and grind it, and if you also make your own beer, please send me the recipe and the steps needed!