How to Make Perfect Tea With a French Press

 

Review: KONA French Press
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I have never used a french press before, but after the Alabama Tornado a couple years ago I realized that having a non-electric coffee maker might be something preppers should have.

So when Kona contacted me and asked if I wanted to review their french press I said sure (they supplied the press, but they aren’t paying for the review).

I found the press to be very simple, and I liked how the press is made of wire screen, and is replaceable (it came with extra, but I think you could also make it).

What I did not like was the fact that the container was glass.  While this might not be an issue for normal usage, this isn’t something you would take camping.

Since I don’t drink coffee, I tried tea.  After drinking french press tea, I went and bought loose tea, because I thought it tasted much better than what comes out of my “Mr. T” tea machine.

Once again, I have received nothing except the press in return for my honest opinion, and my honest opinion is that this is pretty useful but since I don’t drink fancy coffee I am going to put this press in the closet until I need it to make tea when I don’t have electricity for my Mr. Tea machine.

Recipe: Garlic Cheddar Cat Head Biscuits

Recipe: Garlic Cheddar Cat Head Biscuits
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This recipe is a great clone of the famous garlic biscuits served at a chain seafood restaurant.

I use this a a biscuit, but I also use this as a crust on casseroles.

These cat head garlic cheddar biscuits are tasty and easy to prepare.*

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups self rising flour
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano 1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, mix together biscuit mix, cheese and garlic powder.
  • Add in cream, and stir until well mixed.
  • With a spoon or with your fingers, shape the dough into biscuit-sized clumps, and drop onto the baking sheet.
  • Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until biscuits begin to brown slightly around the edges.
  • While the biscuits bake, prepare the warm butter mixture by mixing together the melted butter, oregano and garlic salt in a small bowl. As soon as the biscuits are removed from the oven, brush the biscuits (while they are still on the baking sheet) with the mixture until they are well-coated.
  • Serve warm.

*Note:  After reediting this video and uploading it, I had a craving for these biscuits and decided to experiment with using the dough as a topping for a chicken casserole.  It was awesome….

How to Setup a Camping Tarp in the Woods

 

Easy Tarp Setup for Camping
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I needed a semi-permanent shelter out on the land as James and I went about clearing the trash from the land.  I did not want to spend any money.  Additionally, I did not want to take a lot of time messing around as time on the property is limited.  Since Tarps are cheap and plentiful we decided on a tarp setup.

All we did was string a taut center-line between two trees,.  Next, we spread the tarp over the line.  Then we created cord tie-outs from the corners out to other trees to finish the tarp setup.

I set up the tarp so that the 4 corners are pretty high when it is in use.  However, when I leave to go back to work, I can take two corners and drop them much lower so that rain does not collect.

This setup works pretty well, and we have had a couple of good thunderstorms over the past month and I am very pleased.

In conclusion, I would say a  trap and a length of rope are bush craft essentials and you can build a shelter anywhere.  A tarp setup is extremely adjustable you can adjust to almost any situation.  One tree, two trees, no trees, it can all work with a little thought and some rope.