52 Unique Techniques for Stocking Food for Prepper
Shakshuka is an egg based ethnic meal that is cheap, easy, and uses common foods that urban or rural homesteaders can easily produce and store…
Shakshuka is a Hebrew mixture of eggs poached in a mixture of tomatoes, red bell peppers and spices. The spices used for the preparation vary from one recipe to another, but cumin, chilli powder, paprika and cayenne pepper are the ones that are most often used.Shakshuka
This recipe is also compliant to those on a Paleo diet. While I don’t follow the Paleo diet (I like grains too much) I do know that including various ethnic dishes can help add some variety to this (and other) types of diets.
I have to say this Shakshuka recipe is a great way to use extra eggs and tomatoes, I think you will enjoy this easy recipe.
Ingredients
1 tbsp. fat
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cups tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp paprika
A pinch cayenne pepper
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
5 or 6 large eggs
1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Note: It’s most desirable to make Shakshuka in an cast-iron skillet.
Preparation
Place a large skillet over a medium heat and add the cooking fat to allow it to melt and grease the surface of the pan.
Add the onions and sauté for two minutes.
ix in the garlic and continue to cook until the onions become tender and slightly golden in color.
Add the chopped bell pepper to the skillet and mix well.
Sauté for at least 5 minutes, just until the pepper is tender
Once the peppers have cooked, add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste to the skillet, followed by the chilli powder, paprika and cayenne pepper.
Taste the mixture and add any additional spices, as well as the salt and pepper to your liking.
Allow the mixture to simmer. Prevent the mixture from boiling.
Crack the eggs into the skillet on top of the tomato mixture. Make sure they are spaced evenly.
Cover the skillet and cook for anywhere between 10 to 15 minutes.
The eggs are cooked when they are white and no clear liquids will run.
“The ReadySet is a renewable energy system that charges from solar panels and can power lights, radios, cell phones, tablets, and even Wi-Fi hot spots. The ReadySet’s intelligent battery can charge up to 10 iPhones, or power an iPad for over 12 hours of continuous video-play and can recharge from the included solar panel in just a few hours. Designed originally for Africa, the ReadySet is rugged and easy to use and now available here to power a tailgate, camping trip or for use in case of an emergency. You can even go on a carbon-diet and power your electronics from renewable energy at home.”
The Fenix Solar panel is a custom-built 15W peak mono-crystalline solar panel specially designed for use with the ReadySet Power System. It can fully charge the ReadySet in just 8-10 hours of full sun. Its rugged aluminum frame and portable size make it easy to transport or simply move indoors at night for safekeeping.
Beyond solar, the ReadySet’s smart electronics and firmware allow you to charge from virtually any source such as solar panels, bicycle generators, micro-wind turbines, and more. The ReadySet’s sleek yet simple design allows you to use this energy and power all kinds of devices from its two open standard 12-volt Car Lighter Adapter ports and two 5-volt USB ports.”
Each ReadySet Solar Kit includes:
The ReadySet battery (54 WHr equals ~10 iPhone charges)
15 Watt Solar Panel with rugged aluminum frame (it’s fully weatherproof & waterproof)
23 Watt Power Adapter for grid charging
3 Watt LED Light with socket, cable and switch
USB Universal Battery Charger that allows you charge any 3.7-volt Lithium battery (for phones, cameras, etc)
Instruction Manual
On the negative side, I did have some problems with the original set. However, as a brand new company with a brand new design it is too be expected.
To readyset’s credit they did offer two solutions:
I could return the set
They would give me instructions to fix what they thought the problem was.
Once I got the problem fixed, see below, I tried it out. I think it is a very useful piece of equipment. Personally, I look at it as a hybrid of the harbor freight solar setup and my diy battery pack.
For the purpose of seeing how powerful it is, I tried to run my CPAP machine. I did this even though common sense said not to. Unfortunately, the battery just is not powerful enough to run my CPAP machine. There is no such thing as a free lunch, and the small size means limited power.
However, when running the things the kit is designed to run I have had great experience – it charges from wall power in about 6 hours, and about 8 in the sun (depending on location, time of year, and weather). I have been able to run both lights for over 8 hours on a single charge.
Finally, after looking at it, I think that even if I had not won it in a contest I would have bought it. I look forward to their upcoming bike powered generator.
Repair of the Ready Set Solar Battery
Buy at Amazon
I won a Ready Set solar kit at an instructables.com contest and was dying to do a review.
During the review process I noticed that the ReadySet I received did not work. Now, I was saddened by this as I have been wanting to do this review for several months.
I contacted Fenix Intl through customer service about the problem and after about an hour I received what I consider to be an appropriate reply.
Basically I got one of the kits on the first production run, and the spade connection on the battery worked itself off in transit. The company said I could either get an RMA and ship the old kit in for a replacement OR they could send me instructions for fixing the problem myself, and if I could not fix it they would get me and RMA.
I bet you have no question about which option I took….
The process was very simple, and considering that the first batch always has some problems I still think this is a pretty nice device.
Then, all I did was to flip the device upside down, take out 8 screws, flip it back over and remove the top.
Sure enough the negative battery clip was a little loose. I pushed it back on and plugged it in.
The lights came on and the device starting to charge.
In conclusion, I think this is a neat idea, and it has some potential. The company seems to be working very hard at providing a quality product, and they have some great ideas.
One thing is certain, their battery pack is light years better than mine…
After the earlier post, I figured I should show some Biblical Quotes on Preparedness.
Genesis 6:21
“And remember; take enough food for your family and for all the animals”.
God could have easily provided enough food every day for all people and animals on board, but He had Noah prepare ahead of time. God told Noah to build the Ark BEFORE the flood.
Genesis 41:1-32
“I had a dream last night,” Pharaoh told him, “and none of these men can tell me what it means. But I have heard that you can interpret dreams, and that is why I have called for you.”
Joseph told the Pharaoh to stockpile seven years of grain. God used seven years of great prosperity to bless them in the seven years of famine.
Exodus 12:35
And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed and asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold. 36 The LORD caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So, like a victorious army, they plundered the Egyptians!
God could have provided everything for them, but He instructed them to prepare certain things before leaving.
Proverbs 6:6 – 6:11
6:6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and be wise! 6:7 Even though they have no prince, governor, or ruler to make them work, 6:8 they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. 6:9 But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? I want you to learn this lesson: 6:10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest 6:11 and poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
Ants don’t take breaks, Prepping is hard, it’s not easy, and it takes resources from things that are fun. But that does not mean you should not have some self-discipline to put off instant gratification to ensure you have your needs met.
Timothy 5:8
“But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
A man that refuses to provide is not a man. If you see a danger and refuse to take the appropriate precautions, then this verse applies as well.
Proverbs 27:12
“A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”
God through Solomon only gives us two choices
Our economy, the unemployed rate is almost 10%. With Quantitative easing round two the Federal Reserve in an attempt to jump-start the economy just angered much of the world by devaluing our dollar. The National Inflation Association has stated they believe we will see hyperinflation and expects the prices of food to skyrocket.
I’m not saying that we’re in “The End Times”, but inflation or hyperinflation is a real danger. Hyperinflation is the only way I can see a day’s wages paying for a loaf of bread as mentioned in Revelation 6:6.
Hebrews 11:7
“By faith, Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet,…,prepared an ark to the saving of his house…”
Proverbs 21:20
“There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.”
Luke 6: 46
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
Genesis 41:34-36
“Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them guard it. “
Proverbs 13:16
“Every prudent man deals with knowledge: but a fool lays open his folly.”
Proverbs 13:19
“Desire realized is sweet to the soul, but it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.”
Proverbs 15:22
“Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed.”
Proverbs 16:1
“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.”
Proverb 16:9
“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but, the Lord directeth his steps.”
Proverbs 20:18
“Prepare plans by consultation, and make war by wise guidance.”
Proverbs 21:5
“The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.”
Proverbs 22:3
“The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, but the naive go on, and are punished for it.”
Proverbs 24:3-4
“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”
Proverbs 24:27
“Prepare your work outside and make it ready for yourself in the field; afterwards, then, build your house.”
Proverbs 27:12
“A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, the naive proceed and pay the penalty.”
Proverbs 27:23
“Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds;”
Ecclesiastes 11:2
“Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.”
Matthew 25:1-13
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”
Luke 12:16-21
“And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”‘ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Luke 14:28-30
“For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? “Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish. ‘”
1 Corinthians 16:1-2
“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.”
1 Timothy 6:7
“For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.”
I do not normally advocate mixing airsoft with “real” gun gear. However, on occasion it works if you know what you want. Just understand that airsoft accessories are not built as strongly as accessories build for actual guns.
I would not use airsoft lasers or airsoft rated under barrel flashlights or optics because they cannot handle the vibration.
In this case, I was able to find some Cheap CETME/G3 Scope Mounts for $10, where actual CETME claw mounts are over $100 for the exact same design.
The claw mounts bolt to the receiver and I tightened them down just as I would the actual gun rated mounts.
They have held up to about 100 rounds of sustained fire. Not quite rapid fire, but one good shooting session.
This isn’t my main rifle, and is really just an experiment gun. If it was a gun that I foresaw using for defense of my life I would buy the higher dollar mounts. Life is not worth risking over $90.
Wither you use the $10 or the $100 mount be careful as you tighten the claw mount, people have been known to tighten it so much that they “crushed” the receiver mounting points.
Everyone involved in cheap prepping knows to store rice, beans, and wheat berries, but rice beans and bread WILL get old fast. I plan on setting down some recipes that use basic storage foods only and are still good to eat. My first recipe is Spam fried rice.
Now I know that the name alone will turn some heads and some stomachs, but I live with a very food conscious lady that has a hard time with some of my more adventurous meals. She trusts me implicitly, until I bring a spoonful of some concoction and whisper every so sweetly “do you trust me”… she puts her hand over her mouth and shakes her head. BUT, she gave me a thumbs up on this one, and I cooked it believing it would not be ate by anyone but me…
So to make this series, it has to be made up of food storage foods, be relatively easy to make in a disaster scenario, and the wife has to agree she would eat it more than once.
Spam is basically just sausage without all the good seasonings, more salt, and fat. Its processed meat left over from butchering the animal into more expensive cuts. When fried it does not taste all that bad, and when cut into small chunks and added to fried rice it tastes a lot like pork fried rice.
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
Can of Spam or other canned meat product
1 – 2 onions, if desired
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
4 cups cold cooked rice
1 – 2 tablespoons light soy sauce or oyster sauce, as desired
Preparation:
Cook 4 cups of rice
Wash and finely chop the onion.
Open and dice the processed meat
Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and peppers
Heat frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil.
Fry processed meat (at this time I also add some dehydrated vegetables but that is a personal preference)
Brown the onion. Once the onion is cooked add the rest of the oil
Add the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart. Stir in the soy sauce or oyster sauce as desired.
Break the eggs into a cup and scramble. Add salt and pepper to taste.
When the rice is heated through, add the raw scrambled egg into the pan. Mix thoroughly and cook until eggs are done.
I won this Ready Set Solar set in an 
After the earlier post, I figured I should show some Biblical Quotes on Preparedness.
I do not normally advocate mixing airsoft with “real” gun gear. However, on occasion it works if you know what you want. Just understand that airsoft accessories are not built as strongly as accessories build for actual guns.
Everyone involved in cheap prepping knows to store rice, beans, and wheat berries, but rice beans and bread WILL get old fast. I plan on setting down some recipes that use basic storage foods only and are still good to eat. My first recipe is Spam fried rice.