2016 | Page 31 of 37 | Tennessee Gun

8 Feb 2016

Moscow Mule Mug Review

The Moscow mule was developed as a marketing gimmick when three friends created a drink that used the products they were each creating. A copper mug held a drink containing lime, ginger beer, and vodka.

The drink was a hit, and now most people use copper mugs when drinking this summer beverage.

I, however, got this mug for its other benefits. I like how copper cups transfer heat, so I can sit around a campfire and cup my hands around a warm mug of hot chocolate and enjoy myself.

Alternatively, I can dip cool spring water and take a drink when I am out on the land clearing stumps and working on my dang-blasted backhoe…

The copper conducts the heat (or cold) directly to the lip of the glass so that you get the benefits of your drink very rapidity. I love it when I am out working in the heat. It makes me feel so much better.

I also like the hammered texture and quality construction of the mug. It is very classy looking, and is a great addition to my camp cooking set.

Two things I feel like I must share with you, watch out for brain freeze when drinking icy beverages and I did receive this item at reduced cost in exchange for an honest review on Amazon.

7 Feb 2016

Stainless Steel Chainmail Scrubber Review

Gear Review: Stainless Steel Chainmail Scrubber — Buy at Amazon

As you know I cook with cast iron quite a bit – daily actually. However, as much as I love my dutch oven and cast iron skillets, I HATE cleaning them. So when I saw a program to review a chainmail scrubber designed to clean cast iron skillets without removing the seasoning I had to apply.

Don’t think that because this is a sponsored post that I won’t give an honest review. A free $20.00 scrubber, no matter how cool, is not worth my integrity.

Luckily, this thing actually works pretty good, and I find that it actually is something I can use. Being stainless steel I can use it scrub my pans and then toss it in the dishwasher (I did have to think for a minute how to lay it in my washer so that it would bother spread out to wash and not fall into the bottom of the machine).

I don’t use the scrapers

I have not really used the scrapers, but they are a plastic that is very similar to those plastic “CIA letter openers” – AKA plastic knives. They seem sturdy, and to be honest, I probably will throw the flatter one in the glove box of my truck to use as an icescraper.

What I think is really cool, is the silicon mitt for the handles of my skillet. I can’t tell you how many times I have burned myself when the towel I was using bunched up and let me touch the hot handle. The silicon looks much nicer, is removable, but still classes up my kitchen.

I feel that this product is worth the $20.00 it retails for, and if something ever happened to the one I have now, I will either buy another or use it as an excuse to learn to make chain-mail (something I have wanted to do for a while, but always felt it to be too time consuming to be practical).

*Its January of 2018 and I am still using this almost everyday on my iron skillet, this thing rides in the dischwasher fine and still works great. So far its the most used thing I have reviewed and it is still awesome.

*Update:

It is now October of 2018 and I use this scrubber nearly every day. My wife keeps it in the dishwasher because we use it so much. It has no signs of wear, and works as great today as when we first bought it.

4 Feb 2016

How to Melt Crystallized Honey the Easy Way

Kitchen DIY: Melting Crystallized Honey — Buy at Amazon

Honey never spoils or goes bad, but it may crystallize. This is not a bad thing, as a matter of fact, some beekeepers intentionally cause their honey to crystallize and sell it as premium “creamed honey“.

If your honey solidifies into a thick mass of honey crystals it is a simple process to reverse it. Simply heat it up in a gentle manner.

In the video I show my preferred method of slowly melting crystallized honey in a crock pot.

I have done this in a double boiler on the stove, but that requires more care and attention. In this method, you can set it and forget it.

Don’t get excited about finding your stored honey converted to crystals. You should try it as a spread on your morning toast or on a peanut butter sandwich. It doesn’t change the taste, but It does give it an interesting mouth-feel.

One point of caution as you melt your crystallized honey using any method. Honey will never spoil. However, If you dilute it with water it will ferment.

If you take the single precaution of ensuring the water in the pot does not mix with the honey, melting crystallized honey is easy and makes your honey much easier to pour.

4 Feb 2016

Metal Casting: A Sand Casting Manual for the Small Foundry, Volume 2

The Sand Casting Manual, Volume 2, continues with solidification of metals and why it matters. Specifics of aluminum, copper alloys, brass and bronze are discussed along with solution heat treatment and precipitation hardening. Ductile and gray cast iron are covered.

Gating systems, filters, chills and risers are described along with the design of proper gating systems. Several “hands on” projects include pattern making, match-plates and rubber molds, casting a cylinder head and pistons all in your own back yard!

The plans for a sturdy flask latch are worth the price of the book alone. Historical topics include the details of casting the Ford Flathead V-8 and piston rings. This is a must have reference for the foundry enthusiast, auto restorer, or experienced metal caster!

I made my own foundry a few years ago, and like blacksmithing, my hope is that someday I will have a full time set up shop where I can spend whatever time I desire experimenting in and learning about metal work.

I have a little experience in sand casting, but I really wish I had more. This is a very valuable prepper skill. If you can cast metal then you can recreate society.

4 Feb 2016

Recipe: Baby Food (Peas)

As a new mom, my wife is very particular what she feeds the boy, and as a new dad, I am always wondering how to afford all the new budget items babies bring.

When practical (especially during the summers when the wife is not teaching) we find making our own baby food makes the wife happy because she controls the ingredients, and makes me happy because it is much cheaper as well as being better quality.

So as the boy grows we are introducing new foods –so the first question is when can you start feeding peas to your baby?

As always I am not a doctor, so ask the pediatrician, but we started feeding WT peas at about 6 months. – peas are sometimes sold as a “first food”, but it can cause gas in some babies, and we wanted to wait a little while as gas problems runs in the family (even if we blame the dog)…

When making your own baby food you have a couple options, and cooking up fresh peas is obviously the healthiest choice, but not the easiest. Using canned peas is much easier (and normally cheaper), but since canned peas contain a lot of salt and sugar we think it negates the very reason we are cooking our own baby food.

We compromise and use frozen peas. They are economical, available, and less processed than canned peas.

Peas are not usually sold by variety, although many varieties DO exist.

Peas are a great source of nutrition for your child because they are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals (including iron, vitamins A and C, vitamin B1, folate, and phosphorus)

To Turn Peas to Baby Food

Simply puree the cooked peas in a food processor, with a little of the cooking water or even a little homemade vegetable or chicken broth.

We like to use our OXO food mill to make baby food, and have done several videos on it, but, because the little bits of the skin tend to be hard to break down, Pea puree is somewhat difficult to get completely smooth we find the food mill does not do a good job.

The best way around the problem is to pass the puree through a very fine mesh strainer, which should filter out even the tiniest bits. Or use this tip from Andrea, one of our visitors…

I was able to get a smooth puree without straining by using a blender on the fastest setting and letting it run for two minutes or so. Add a little water so it really gets moving and the skins will puree.

Now that the boy is a little older and prefers to eat what we eat, Cooked peas can make a great finger food for older babies – a bowl of cooked peas can keep our WT busy, and the small size helps build hand eye coordination which he will need to help his daddy with “projects”. Just make sure to only use cooked peas, as uncooked peas are a choking hazard.

Yearly Archives: 2016