As part of our collective efforts to prepare for the z-poc ZSC command is continuing its mission to bring you a series of recipes to keep the body strong and the spirit lifted during dark times.
The last time Blue Brigade was in the frying pan to provide a recipe, they went with one of Commander Reedus’ personal favorite dishes, macaroni and cheese. This time Blue Brigade is going true ‘squirrel-slinging redneck style’ –and if anyone can come up with a nifty little tune to accompany this there could be a prize involved.
All jokes aside this is a handy, easy recipe for a hearty meal on the go that can be tailored to reflect individual tastes and the environment you’re in when the time comes to make this stew.
Ingredients:
1 squirrel, butchered, skinned and cut up
flour salt and pepper, to taste
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
7 cups water 1 teaspoon thyme
1 cup corn
3 potatoes, cubed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 medium onions, sliced
2 cups canned tomatoes with juice (or a bushel of fresh tomatoes, cut up)
Directions:
1 – Roll the squirrel pieces in flour, salt, and pepper.
2 – Brown in butter. Remove from pot.
3 – Add water to pot and bring to a boil.
4 – Add squirrel and all other ingredients (with the exception of the tomatoes) to the boiling water, cover, and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
4 – Add the tomatoes and continue to simmer another hour.
You’ve been hiking through the wooded areas of the Pacific Northwest, keeping an eye peeled for zombie activity. Things have been a bit quiet — which is good, you’re not complaining … when BAM! Out of nowhere, your sweet tooth kicks in and it’s running on overdrive. You eye your fellow travelers and wonder whether sweetbreads really are sweet. After doing a quick check to make sure you haven’t been bitten without realizing it, you notice some bushes in the distance.
Boo-yah!!! You’ve hit the jackpot. Wild blackberries for everyone. All you have to do is pick them. Then the monster idea hits… Blackberry Cobbler. A desert for kings served up camp-style for you and your fellow Zombie Survival Crew members.
Grab whatever you can find to hold the berries and dance your way to the berry patch.
Post a sentry to make sure no wandering zombies, or hungry bears try to fight you for the berries.
Do NOT walk through the patch of nettles. Or at least make sure you’re wearing boots and the thickest pair of socks you have with you.
Pick as many berries as you can carry. While some will go in the cobbler, the berries are great to eat on the go, and have plenty of antioxidants and all sorts of other good things for you.
When you get back to camp, melt a stick of butter (or margarine) over the fire.
Mix together 1 cup of self-raising flour, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 cup of milk.
Pretend it is zombie brains and beat well.
Pour the melted butter into a 2-quart-ish pan (if you didn’t melt it in the pan to begin with)
Pour the floury, sugary goodness over the butter — BUT DO NOT STIR.
Add berries (about a quart to the mixture). DO NOT STIR
Keep on the fire until the crust rises over the berries and turns golden brown.
Try not to drool while waiting.
Serve hot with a little cream, or for a real treat, a scoop of ice cream … if you can find any.
This tasty treat is a favorite of the Purple Brigade leader and has the Oracle stamp of approval. Oh, and if you have an oven available, preheat to 350F.
Logistical expert, webmistress, guru of all things technical and little flashy pointing thingies on the ZSC website, The Oracle sees all, hears all and knows all. Once an innocent writer of young adult novels, L.K. Gardner-Griffie’s role in the upcoming apocalypse is perhaps the most crucial of all. Without her wisdom, infinite knowledge and uncanny ability to translate the often-garbled incoming transmissions from other commanders, we would surely be lost in a maze of utter confusion and mayhem. While only those higher up the chain of command and several very privileged others have actually seen the Oracle with their own eyes, many of us have caught glimpses of her in various social networking locations, and some have even received the occasional top secret memo that changes the course of one’s destiny.
L.K. Gardner-Griffie is the author of the award-winning Misfit McCabe series. An avid blogger and mom to several four-leggedchildren, she hails from the West coast although she is often infected with wanderlust. In another lifetime L.K. may have found herself belting out country music tunes for a living. L.K. is a woman of many passions and talents, and when the two are put together to take a stand against abuse, bullying, censorship and other issues that affect us all in some way or another, the possibilities are endless. She speaks up, shouts out and challenges us all to think before we act, and do what’s right no matter what the circumstances.
L.K. was recently interviewed by Christine Fonesca, and previously chatted with Lorna Suzuki at All Kinds of Writing. She has also been included as one of the featured authors on Publish or Bust. Purple brigade, salute your commander, and take heed of the shining example she sets for us all.
www.griffieworld.com
If you’re just joining us for this series, please be sure to check out our previous Commander Monday reports!
In our ongoing effort to keep the masses well fed and happy during the z-pocalypse, we’re taking a page from Green Brigade Commander IronE Singleton’s book. Not literally, of course… but it’s been suggested from time to time that the Commander has more than a few skills in the kitchen. We’ve come up with a quick and easy version of a traditional recipe that any Southern grandma would be proud to share. At least we hope so.
This quickie casserole can be made with fresh or frozen ingredients, in a traditional oven or even a Dutch oven over a campfire if the situation calls for it. Using frozen meat and veggies from your pre-apocalypse stockpile yields wholesome results in almost no time at all!
1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup with herbs
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 (8-oz.) can diced water chestnuts, drained
Optional: 3/4 cup sliced almonds, salt & pepper to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°. Melt butter over medium heat, add onions and sauteé 6 to 8 minutes or until tender.
Stir all other ingredients and add onions. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish or dutch oven, add salt & pepper, sprinkle almonds on top.
Bake at 400° for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly and almonds are lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes.
Don’t like almonds? Sprinkle shredded cheese instead. Or try bread crumbs, crushed crackers or even crush pretzels or potato chips on top if it’s a little crunch you want. There’s plenty to share. Enjoy!
Blue Brigade, meet your commander Norman Reedus! This multi-talented actor, filmmaker, photographer, writer and artist has played an Irish vigilante, a sociopathic murderer, street gang leader, a conspirator, the unfortunate snack of cannibalistic humanoids on a deep-space vessel, and – of course- a beloved redneck zombie killer and survivalist.
Norman started making ripples in the film industry in 1997, appearing very briefly in the film Mimic and then taking the starring role in the coming of age tale Floating. Three years later, The Boondock Saints delivered a pair of Irish vigilante twin brothers for our consideration, and the general consensus was clear. Norman’s work as an artist, photographer and filmmaker shows yet another branch of talent for a man who has been described as one of the hardest-working actors in the business.
Norman now has three seasons under his belt as a fan favorite with AMC’s wildly successful zombie apocalypse survival drama The Walking Dead, and even after bidding a very tearful farewell to his onscreen brother, he is still working his crossbow-firing fingers to the bone. Norman is currently filming the fourth season, set to air sometime in October 2013 (We’re still waiting on an exact date, so just clear your Sunday schedule for all of October for now). Norman recently attended the premiere of Sunlight, Jr at the Tribeca Film Festival, and the much-anticipated film Hello Herman is scheduled for release next month.
Between filming, interviews, podcasts, magazine photo shoots, and the never-ending parade of convention appearances all over the world, Norman still can be counted upon to reach out to his fiercely devoted fans through social networking outlets whenever he can, even when we are sure he should be getting a little shut-eye. For his tireless and exhaustive efforts to spread the word, keep hope alive and fearlessly face the shambling hordes time and time again, the Zombie Survival Crew salutes Blue Brigade Commander Norman Reedus.
If you’re just joining us for this series, please be sure to check out our previous Commander Monday reports!
Surely cooking a tasty meal isn’t going to be high on your list of priorities during the early onset, but once you’ve made your way to (relative) safety and your stomach wants more than energy bars and water, it’s time to think about what to do next.
The most obvious first step is to consider your surroundings. Did you escape the city and make a run for the hills? Mountains? Woods? Is there an easily accessible water source? River, stream or lake? Wherever you are, as long as it’s safe to build a small fire and you’ve got the skills to manage it, you’re already one step closer to dinner. This week’s recipe is for those who had the foresight to include fishing gear and aluminum foil in their Go Bags. Even if you lost your gear during the mad dash through the shambling horde, all is not lost. A bit of creative resourcefulness can help anyone can hook a fish or two.
The biggest drawback – fish is very perishable. You can’t take it with you. Without proper refrigeration, your catch of the day will spoil very quickly. If you can, keep it alive in a bucket of water or other container until you’re ready to clean it. Fish is healthy, easy to cook and might just be the best damned thing you’ve ever eaten if you’ve been living on energy bars long enough. You can wrap your catch in leaves and steam it, roast it on a stick or, if you happened to remember to pack aluminum foil and a few choices spices, keep this traditional campfire foil cooking recipe in mind.
Campfire Trout in Foil
Ingredients:
1 large square of aluminum foil (about 24-by-24 inches)
Salt, pepper, any favorite seasonings or wild herbs (Some plants are toxic. Don’t eat it if you don’t know what it is)
2 lemon slices (you can also use apple slices, grapes, wild blackberries or huckleberries)
Butter or a bit of cooking oil
Small trout
Directions:
Clean the fish thoroughly. Good cleaning helps prevent spoilage and the spread of any bacteria. Just chop off the head with a large, sharp knife and gut the fish. Remove the entrails and rinse it out to remove any blood, bacteria, parasites and enzymes. Don’t be squeamish. You’ve just hacked and slashed your way through a zombie hoard, haven’t you? This should be the easy part. Small trout are easy to clean. If there are larger fish available and you’re able to hook one, this part will be a little messier.
Place the aluminum foil on a flat surface and put the trout on top. Sprinkle the fish, inside and out with salt, pepper and seasonings. Put lemon slices on top and a couple pats of butter. Wrap tightly, making sure that the foil is at an even thickness all the way around. Place your foil pack directly onto the coals of a campfire. Cook about 5 to 8 minutes on one side, and then turn. The fish is done when the flesh is opaque and flakes easily.
Simple, right? What? No aluminum foil? Well, that’s all right. Season it and put it on a stick. Find a stick that’s forked and sharpen the prongs a bit with your knife. Insert the prongs of the fork on either side of the backbone. Make sure it’s sturdy or it will end up in the coals. When the fire has burned down to red coals, simply hold the stick so that the fish is about 6 inches from the coals and grill it about 5-10 minutes per side. When it’s flaky, it’s done.
As part of our collective efforts to prepare for the z-poc, ZSC command has undertaken a mission to bring you a series of recipes to keep the body strong and the spirit lifted during dark times. Now, don’t go thinking you’ll be cooking these up in the early days of the infection. You’ll be too busy slaying walkers on the move for this kind of fare. But once the initial dust settles and you’re in the fight for the long haul, you’re going to want something other than the beef jerky, energy bars and chocolate you’ve got stashed in your Go Bag.
Being on the run from the shambling horde doesn’t leave a lot of time for cooking every day, so a good way to get that protein you’ll need is to make some jerky out of whatever large game is in your area when you can’t loot any from surrounding stores any longer. Heck, you could probably even use this for javelina (native to the Southwest and quite the nasty beast in temperament).
Most people don’t realize that Arizona and the Southwest have deer and elk, along with the mountain lions and javelina, so this very basic recipe really goes a long way. I haven’t tried this using javelina, and that’s a different type of meat, but hey, it’s worth a shot. Either way, the meat from a javelina is good to eat. Have a pig roast, if anything.
We’ll just go with the deer/elk/buffalo recipe. I’m also assuming you know how to skin these animals. If you don’t, that should be on your “Top 10 Things I Need to Know for the Zombiepocalypse” list.
First, you’ll want to trim off all visible fat from the meat because it becomes rancid. Cut the flank steak lengthwise with the grain into long thin strips no more than ¼ inch thick. Rub it aggressively with salt cover for 10 to 12 hours so it’ll absorb the salt and release some of its natural juices. At this time, you can add additional spices, fruits, liquids, etc. This is why I require spices in the Yellow Brigade Go Bag (you’ll have to be logged in to view that link).
Next, you’ll need to build a scaffold to support the meat over a slow fire beneath it; the heat and the smoke completes the process in half a day, and with an occasional sunning, the meat will keep for months.
Not too hard, right? Just get yourself somewhere safe for a couple of days so you can do this and you’ll have that protein you need for a good long while, depending on the size of the animal, of course.
Happy hunting!
I’d like to thank my ex-husband, the bow hunter from Wyoming, for helping me with this.
Our mission here at the Zombie Survival Crew is straightforward and true: Keeping you safe from the shambling horde, and taking human beings off the endangered species list one zombie at a time. As you browse through our field reports, you’ll find information that is vital to the survival of the human race as a species, entertaining, educational and downright practical. Our fearless leaders are experienced in dealings with not only zombies, but also vampires, werewolves, alien insects and monsters of the regular human variety. But few in our esteemed command crew have ventured into a less-often traveled realm of the paranormal, the world of ghosts, spirits, shadows and things that go bump in the night. This week’s report focuses on one such unique individual, Special Forces Brigade member Britt Griffith.
Born and raised in sunny Southern California, Britt was born into the world of Lights, Camera, Action. Well-acquainted with the business both behind and in front of the cameras, Britt already had all the tools he needed from a very young age. Which of course led him to stray off the path for a brief decade or so, taking a blue collar job and working hard while pursuing a lifetime hobby of paranormal investigations. In 2008 fate brought him back in front of the cameras, where he found a way to continue his most-loved hobby by joining the team on SyFy Channel’s Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International. Britt left GHI in early 2012 to pursue other interests He has appeared in several television series, including Food Network Challenge, Run This Town, Chillerama, and the films Azienda and 5 Minutes.
Britt recently appeared in the 2012 film The Black Dahlia Haunting, and is working on several other projects including one short and two full-length feature films.
When not filming, chasing ghosts or wrangling large snakes, Britt continues to travel and appear at various events, including lectures on paranormal activity and investigation. He also is a devoted supporter of the Dyslexia Foundation, and spends much of his free time tutoring and mentoring youngsters with learning disabilities.
Coming soon for Britt: keep an eye on the horizon for The Zodiac Legacy, scheduled for release in 2014!
If you’re just joining us for this series, please be sure to check out our previous Commander Monday reports!
As part of the ongoing effort to keep our loyal members well fed during the Z-Pocalypse, we’re taking a look at a very important aspect of daily nutrition – comfort food. Whether standing alone or as a side dish with your favorite post-apocalyptic meal, macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. As long as fresh milk, cheese, butter and eggs are still available, this long-time favorite of Blue Brigade Commander Norman Reedus can be easily prepared almost anywhere.
If you’re fortunate enough to have found safe haven in a place with a working kitchen, this one is a snap. But even with a simple wood stove or an outdoor campfire, this recipe can also be prepared in a deep skillet or in a Dutch oven.
Melt the butter in the bottom of the Dutch oven, then stir in the flour to make a light roux. Add the salt. Mix milk with beaten egg and blend in until thick and bubbly then add in 5 cups of cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in cooked macaroni noodles then top off with balance of cheese. Set dutch oven over campfire until heated through and slightly browned on top.
It certainly goes without saying that as daily survival gets tougher, items such as fresh milk and cheese may no longer be easily available. In preparation for this stage, you might want to stock up on dry goods. Boxed macaroni and cheese dinners can be made with powdered or evaporated canned milk. You can also use macaroni and cheese sauce mixes. If available, canned tuna or chicken and canned vegetables can be added for extra fuel and nutrition.
As part of our collective efforts to prepare for the z-poc ZSC command has undertaken a mission to bring you a series of recipes to keep the body strong and the spirit lifted during dark times. Now, don’t go thinking you’ll be cooking these up in the early days of the infection. You’ll be too busy slaying walkers on the move for this kind of fare. But once the initial dust settles and you’re in the fight for the long haul, you’re going to want something other than the beef jerky, energy bars and chocolate you’ve got stashed in your Go Bag.
Red Brigade is first out of the gate for our new Tasty Survival Skill series of recipes ZSC brigaders can use to prepare for and survive cataclysmic events up to, and including, a full blown zombie infestation.
Blackberry preserves may not seem like the most intuitive survival recipe, but when the world falls apart having something sweet on hand is never a bad plan.
Preserves can be made in advance, stored for long periods of times, and best of all, the United States is one of the largest producers of blackberries in the world. Blackberry varieties can be found in almost every State. If you don’t prepare preserves in advance of a cataclysmic events, once the dust settles, it won’t be hard to find them in farming country close to almost all of the ZSC’s designated meet up points, or anywhere you decide to hold up for the medium- or long-term.
Directions:
1. Rinse the berries in cold water and drain
2. Put berries into a stock pot and mash to extract juices.
3. Add sugar and mix. Add cinnamon and/or nutmeg, as desired.
4. Bring to a boil over a high heat, while stirring constantly.
5. Add pectin and return mixtures to a full boil for one minute.
6. Skim off all the foam.
7. Ladle or pour the preserves into sterile Mason jars. Leave at least ½ inch empty at the top. Make sure to wipe clean the rims before you cap and seal.
8. Place filled Mason jars in a stock pot with enough water to cover the jars by 1-2 inches. Cover and bring to a boil. When water is boiling, set your watch for five minutes.
9. Remove jars and place off to the side. Allow to sit for at least 12 hours, preferably 24. Check the seals and remove bands.
10. Consume at will!
As part of our collective efforts to prepare for the z-poc ZSC command is continuing its mission to bring you a series of recipes to keep the body strong and the spirit lifted during dark times.
