FCF (Frontiersmen Camping Fellowship)

My husband and five sons are involved in a program that is similar to Boy Scouts that is called Royal Rangers. They have an extension group called FCF (Frontiersmen Camping Fellowship). If there is such a group in your area, I highly recommend it.

This coming weekend my dh and two oldest sons will be attending the first part of their orientation into this program.

http://royalrangers.ag.org/fcf/index.cfm

I am busy collecting the required items that they must bring. I thought you might be interested in a portion of the list.


New Testament
Pencil
Sharp Pocket Knife
Matches
Poncho
Can w/lid for charring cloth
Flint & Steel
Notebook
Candle
Sleeping Bag
100% cotton patches
Ground Cloth
Warm clothes including camo pants and hiking boots
Canteen
Mess kit including utensils, cup, pan, bowl.Later, if they make it through the initiation which for one thing requires no talking for 24 hours they will begin to gather "Period Correct" clothing, equipment, weapons, tools, etc... They will be learning how to make do with what a Frontiersman would have had. I am so excited that they are learning these skills and feel they will be better prepared to face whatever life throws at them.

Popping Popcorn *PoP*PoP*PoP*

Did you know that Popcorn is a Whole Grain and has lot of nutritional and healthy benefits?

I've always been a fan of Popcorn in its many varied forms. Whether it was dripping in butter at the Theater or in a box of Cracker Jacks at the ball game...formed into a PopCorn Ball at Halloween or caramelized with brown sugar... yum yum yum!I have loved it when I wasn't counting calories and I have loved it when I was. On its own, it's nothing but good... our adding toppings are sometimes tasty tantalizing culpits of extra sugar and fat and well, you know.

I can remember when microwave popcorn was all the rage!! What an amazing thing it was !! I can't imagine how many bags I must have bought and eaten since that time, countless.Now, as the mom of seven snackers, I am even more fond of this tasty, frugal, healthful food. When you consider nutrition and costs, Popcorn wins hands down over Chips and such.Finally, I decided I was going to give up the Microwavable Bags, big decision, but we were spending too much on that convenience.

So, I started buying 1 lb bags and standing at the stove, shake, shake, shake... for the shortest of times it was a novelty, my kids were amazed. Funny, but they had never seen popcorn popped the old fashion way.

Last month I put on my prepping hat and bought a 50 lb bag of popcorn at Sam's , talk about a huge savings, it was huge. And talk about a lot of popcorn, it was a lot. But, after a while, I grew weary of standing there at the stove, shake, shake, shake and if you left your post...well, we all know what burnt popcorn smells like.

So, I went on a quest! And I have found the answer to our Popcorn Dilemna. Have you heard of a whirly pop? Here's what it looks like, they sell them all over the internet and we actually found one at our local Target store.

http://www.amazon.com/Wabash-Valley-Farms-...8568&sr=8-1

Lentils

Until a few months ago I'd never even tried lentils. I noticed at the store that they were a bit cheaper than other dried beans and trying to incorporate variety into my preps I decided to give them a try. I read all about them and they are a fascinating legume, with quite a history.

They are in the Bible in Genesis, when Esau gives up his birthright for a bowl of them. They were discovered in an Egyptian Pyramid from 2400 BC, they are considered one of the TOP Ten Healthiest Foods! We did a unit study on these little gems and were amazed by what we found. They have almost as much protein as soy beans and you don't have to presoak them! They can be stored for indefinite periods of time and they are very inexpensive. This is a top ranking prep item in my opinion.

The thing that really amazed me about these Lentils is their versatility. They are considered to be bland when unseasoned...but the beauty is, you can decide what flavor they will take. They take on the flavor of what you're seasoning them with. They can be a 'barbeque bean', a 'pate', a 'curried' dish, a 'taco soup', a 'vegetable stew', on and on they go. They are like a blank canvas that is so full of nutrition and you can decide the results with your own taste bud preferences.

Not only that, but they are among the most digestible of legumes and are proven to help with insulin levels in diabetics. :) It is considered a Super Food by nutritionist and health experts.

Here are a few links where you read more about them:

http://www.foodmuseum.com/lentil.html

http://www.pea-lentil.com/kids_page.htm

http://www.lentilfest.com/


BTW - Today I tried a Lentil Loaf (meatloaf without meat), everyone, include hubby said it was good! :)

And then I did a Barley and Lentil soup with mushrooms and Cilantro... Very yummy!