Lentil Soup Recipe

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium celery stalk, small dice
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and small dice
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, small dice
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices
• 1 1/4 cups lentils (any color except red), rinsed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
• 2 ounces spinach leaves (about 1/2 a bunch)

Instructions

1. 1Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with several generous pinches of salt and pepper.
2. 2Add the broth, tomatoes with their juices, lentils, bay leaf, and thyme and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a simmer, about 15 minutes. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and continue simmering, covered, until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes more.
3. 3Taste and season with more salt or pepper as needed, then stir in the vinegar. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. If you prefer a creamier texture, purée half of the soup in a blender and add it back to the pot.

Total Time: 1 hr

Makes: 6 servings

British Doctors Now Asking Elderly If They’re Ready to Die

Ever since the Affordable Care Act was passed, Americans have been asking themselves if our healthcare will ever resemble the UK’s socialized medical system. Some have greeted it with praise, while others have been concerned that our healthcare could turn to death panels to cut costs. Now the UK’s National Health Service has given us another unfortunate condition to look forward to. They recently told all doctors to ask every patient over 75 if they would like to establish a “do not resuscitate” order for future emergencies. In some cases, the doctors are ordering their nurses to cold-call every elderly patient, and everyone with a long-term condition, to see if they have “thought about resuscitation.”

Could you imagine how awkward it would be to receive such a phone call? To be called right out of the blue and gently asked if you’re ready to die. As one health analyst put it ‘It will give some older people the impression that no-one wants to bother with them. It looks as though they’re being told: ‘You’re old, how do you want to die because you’re in the way’.

Of course, the NHS is playing innocent, and has claimed that this is all about improving the ‘end of life’ care of their patients. But I think we know better. This is about asking their most expensive patients if they could do them a favor and die already.

Delivered by The Daily Sheeple

- See more at: http://www.thedailysheeple.com/british-doctors-now-asking-elderly-if-theyre-ready-to-die_042015#sthash.k3jFfsxi.dpuf

Kasheri – a Survival/Outdoor meal, par excellance

I’m not Egyptian. I have never visited Egypt. My first exposure to this dish was
watching Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” on Travel Channel. It fascinated
me. It could not POSSIBLY be that good. It is. I researched it a bit, made it,
and it’s delicious, very easy and very cheap. Easily made from storable food, too.

Kasheri is, apparently, the #1 street-food/utility dish in much of Egypt. It is
a very tasty, protein-and-carb “gut-bomb” that keeps poor working folks full and
going all day, and has for centuries (if not millennia). The gent who was Tony’s
guide stated “I would never marry a woman who could not make good kasheri.”

It is not as quick and easy as an MRE or a blue box of mac’n’cheese, by any
means, but it is not hard, either, and tastes MUCH better.

The ingredient that takes the most work is the topping – caramelized onions.
The standard way to make these is to thinly slice onions, and cook over
medium-low heat in a little oil, stirring frequently, until they are dark brown,
nearly burned. Pre-SHTF, you can slice them up fine, toss in a crockpot with a
little oil and salt, and go to sleep. They will be yummy in the morning.
Post-SHTF/Outdoors, slice the onions, wrap in foil, oil, and bury them in your
hot campfire ash for a few hours. They’ll burn a bit, but still taste great.
(save the juice at bottom of the foil package – yumm). I even tried soaking
dehydrated minced onions in water overnight, and browning them in a cast iron pan
– not half bad. You can even forget the onion topping, but not nearly as good.

The next ‘topping’ is sauce. If you have canned tomato sauce, etc, this takes about
5 minutes. Sautee onions and garlic (or use powders), add sauce or canned tomatoes
of your choice and a big amount of ground cumin (this makes all the difference).

The base of kasheri is basically 2 parts (this can be any measure you have) white
rice, 1 part dried lentils, 1/2 part broken-up spaghetti (or other thin pasta –
ramen works).

Cook it the way you normally cook rice (I got taught by an 80-year old Chinese
woman – “put rice in pot, touch top with index fingertip, add water to first
knuckle. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer.”) It works in a rice-steamer, too.
Chicken broth works great instead of water.

You will not get fluffy, individual grains. Do not expect this. It’s thick and
“gloppy”. The Middle Eastern “3 finger pinch” should get you a mouthful of food.

Fill your bowl with the rice/lentil mix, cover with some of your onions
and douse with your tomato/cumin sauce to thin it out. A shot of your favorite
hot sauce makes it even better.

(It’s not at all traditional, but mixing in some sauteed Swiss Chard, beet tops
or your other favorite greens, makes it even better, IMHO. Chop ’em fine.)

It will keep your crew full, energized and happy. From personal camping experience,
when it’s cold and rainy and the road might flood, big cups of coffee and reheated
kasheri is, indeed, “The Breakfast of Champions”.

Give it a try. It will cost you about a dollar or so to give 5-6 people a real
(and fairly-healthy) taste-treat. (Note to students: That’s cheaper than ramen).

If you, or your family or crew consider yourselves “picky eaters” and don’t
have allergy-related problems with these ingredients, try it anyway. It is a
lot more gentle introduction to new flavors than stewed roadkill in a tin can
AFTER SHTF.
(*Shuddering*, recalling my ex-daughter-in-law who only ate Honey Nut Cheerios,
‘blue box’ mac’n’cheese, instant mashed potatoes and stuff from the “golden
arches place”, Coca-Cola and nothing else….)

We’re all in this together. Hang in there.

http://modernsurvivalonline.com/guest-post-kasheri-a-survivaloutdoor-meal-par-excellance/

Texas Ranger Drops Jade Helm Bombshell: “There Are Trains With Shackles On Them”

The reports about the coming Jade Helm 15 operation across the southwest continue to suggest that this is not merely a standard training exercise to prepare our military personnel for foreign engagements as has been suggested by officials.

A letter sent to Dave Hodges at The Common Sense Show by a concerned Texas Ranger indicates that the government is preparing for a scenario similar to what has been described in William Forstchen’s recent novellaDay of Wrath in which ISIS terrorists cross the southern border of the United States and simultaneously attack soft targets across the nation.

But the letter doesn’t stop there. The Ranger, who has kept his identify private for obvious reasons and makes clear that the scope of Jade Helm is so secret that the intent is not completely clear, says that the JH15 mission objectives may go much farther than just preparing for terrorists. According to the law enforcement insider there are trains moving throughout Texas and some of them have been outfitted with shackles, presumably to “transport prisoners of some sort.” The claim adds further credence to a report about Jade Helm dissident roundups and arrests and widespreadmartial law declarations following an emergency.

His letter sheds some light on the Walmart store closings, suggesting at least one may be utilized in a national security capacity as a staging point for the Department of Homeland Security, an agency that is apparently not trusted by anyone within the Texas Rangers organization, according to the source.

The full letter follows:

Hello Mr. Hodges,
I have been a Texas Ranger for quite some time, and as such, I am privy to much of what is going on with regard to the Midland Walmart store closing, the presence of ISIS on Texas soil and our preparations to combat an insurgent threat.
I will not give you my rank or location because it would not be safe to do so. It is a waste of time to try and trace the IP#, etc., as I have taken steps to ensure that this note cannot be traced back to me.  I understand and  realize that you seem to have a growing issue with people who will not go on the record with their inside knowledge or first-hand observations, but you cannot understand the pressure and scrutiny that some of us are under. I am taking a big risk writing this email to you.
The main reason that I am writing to you is to encourage you to keep writing on the growing threat of infiltration in Texas and I suspect other states as well. The infiltration I am writing about is not just Special Forces that are going to conducting covert drills in our state. that is concerning and I agree with you this involves martial law.  For now I am talking about ISIS and the danger that they pose to all of us. Our intelligence indicates that they have enough manpower & firepower to subdue a small town. The Midland Walmart takeover by DHS is a national security move in which we have been told falls under the Continuity of Government provisions. The Threat Fusion Centers are providing related information on what it is we are facing but the information sharing is only in one direction and that is very concerning.
We expecting an attack on more than one Texas city or town by ISIS and/or any of their partners. I believe the information to be accurate. However, this makes the covert operations of groups like the Navy Seals and others under JH15 highly suspicious. We do not need the insertion of Special Ops into Texas towns and cities. I think that you are probably right about the intention of arresting political undesirables given what we know about JH15. I am of the opinion that whatever the mission objectives of JH15, they have nothing to do with the immediate threat. Therefore, I do not pretend to understand the full scope of JH 15 because there are unfolding operational details which are almost impossible to reconcile with what I already know to be fact based the evidence for what is going on.
Let me drop a bombshell that I have not seen you address. There are trains moving throughout Texas that have shackles inside some of the cars. I have not personally seen them, but I know personnel that have seen this. This indicates that these trains will be used to transport prisoners of some sort. I know from reading your articles that your default belief will be that these are for American political prisoners and will be transported to FEMA detention camps of some sort. We have been told by Homeland that these trains are slated for transporting captured terrorists, non-domestic. We are not sure we can trust this explanation because Homeland is keeping a lot from us and we are growing increasingly uncomfortable with their presence in Texas.
I wanted to tell also you that we believe that Pantex is a high value target for ISIS and much or our preparation is to thwart any action by terrorists against the facility.  I am wondering how in the hell you figured that out. Someone on the deep inside must be talking with you.
Keep writing Mr. Hodges, you and the underground media are making a difference. As I am sure you know, Colorado announced today that JH15 is suspended in that state. Unfortunately, we do not have that prerogative because we believe that we are under the threat of eminent attack here in Texas.
I do believe the ISIS threat is legitimate. But you are also correct to suspect the motives behind the JH15 drills. They are clouded in secrecy and we have been shut out regarding their operational intent. The people of Texas and all of the United States of America should be pushing back against JH15.
I will support the Feds in their preparation against ISIS. But the moment that this action turns against our locals is the moment I will perform my oath of office. I am not alone in this feeling. None of my brothers trust Homeland. We will have to see where this is going but I have a bad feeling.
You do your job and keep writing and I will do my job in upholding the Constitution
Thank You

The suspicions of the public are quite justified, it seems. The operational commanders for Jade Helm have compartmentalized the “exercise” to such an extent that no one, not the local and state law enforcement officers involved or the majority of military personnel, has any idea what is actually going on.

As noted in the letter, a realistic threat from our southern border certainly exists and as we’ve written previously, Border Patrol and Homeland Security have been capturing suspected terrorist operatives crossing into the United States for years. But the Texas Ranger who penned the letter says this is not necessarily the full scope of the massive Summer exercise.

And given that people within his own organization report seeing shackles in trains, is it completely out of the question to suggest that the government does, in fact, have procedures in place to detain, transport and imprison those suspected of terrorism, or those who may be suspected of being suspected?

When Gerald Celente warned of the Auschwitz Express back in a 2012 interview he wasn’t joking:

First it was the Patriot Act. Now it’s the National Defense Authorization Act. And then it was Obama’s Executive Order giving El Presidente Los Estados Unidos the supreme right to call Martial Law at a potential threat – a potential threat.
Then there’s Big Bro over there, Attorney General Eric Holder, who just passed these guidelines that could let them listen in to what we’re saying right now, listen to you on your cell phone, watch every stroke of your keyboard, and they at the White House could then determine whether or not the algorythms add up to you being a terrorist or a potential terrorist.
Big Brother never had it so good.
…all aboard the Auschwitz Express…
…That’s what’s going on here… and the people don’t see it, and they’re afraid to speak up… People don’t want to believe it.
Full Interview Via SGT Report

We will soon find out if Jade Helm is just another military exercise. Some are of the opinion that it could be used to facilitate a false flag operation that would then be used as justification to implement nationwide martial law and to activate Doomsday Executive Orders recently signed by President Obama.

It may sound wildly conspiratorial, but it wouldn’t be the first time a government has purposefully engaged in such conduct.

 http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/texas-ranger-drops-jade-helm-bombshell-there-are-trains-with-shackles-on-them_04292015

Medications: New Evidence on Expiration Dates

Over the years, I have expressed my opinions on the bogus nature of theexpiration dates stamped on medications in pill or capsule form.  I have cited the findings of the Shelf  Life Extension Program, a program meant to investigate the possible usefulness of the millions of doses of various expired medications stockpiled by FEMA for use in peacetime disasters.

In my original article, “The Truth About Expiration Dates” 2 years ago, I indicated these findings were no longer available to the public.  Now, a breakthrough scientific article has been published in the respected journal “The Archives of Internal Medicine”.  Below is the article in its entirety, with important sections in bold type:

*******************************

October 8, 2012 — An analysis of 8 medications indicates that most of the active ingredients they contain were present in adequate amounts decades after the drugs’ expiration dates, according to results from a study published online October 8 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Lee Cantrell, PharmD, from the California Poison Control System, San Diego Division, University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy, and colleagues used liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry to measure the amounts of the active ingredients in the medications. The medicines, which had expired 28 to 40 years ago, were found in a retail pharmacy in their original, unopened packaging.

To meet US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards, an active ingredient must be present in 90% to 110% of the amount indicated on the label. Drug expiration dates are set for 12 to 60 months after production, even though many compounds can persist far longer.

In the new analysis, 12 of the 14 active ingredients persisted in concentrations that were 90% or greater of the amount indicated on the label. These 12 compounds retained their full potency for 336 months (Dr. Bones 28 years) or longer. Eight of them retained potency for at least 480 months (dr. bones: 40  years). Dr. Cantrell’s team was unable to find a standard for homatropine, 1 of the 15 ingredients.

Only aspirin and amphetamine fell below the 90% cutoff. Phenacetin was present at greater than the cutoff in Fiorinal (butalbital, aspirin, caffeine, and codeine phosphate, but was considerably less in Codempiral No. 3. The authors attribute the deficit in Codempiral to conditions that led to preferential degradation of phenacetin because of its amide group, compared with codeine, which is also in Codempiral but is more chemically stable.

Three compounds persisted in greater than 110% of the labeled contents: methaqualone (in Somnafac), meprobamate (in Bamadex), and pentobarbital (in Nebralin). These relatively high amounts may reflect degradation of other components of the compounded drug, the fact that the samples were produced before FDA-instituted quality control measures in 1963, or inconsistencies of the analytical techniques between when the drugs were compounded and now. The new findings are consistent with the efforts of the Shelf-Life Extension Program, which has extended the expiration dates on 88% of 122 drugs tested so far. Extensions range from 66 to 278 months.

“Our results support the effectiveness of broadly extending expiration dates for many drugs,” the researchers conclude. They also point out that extending shelf life can significantly lower costs to consumers.

Limitations of the analysis, the investigators write, include an inability to confirm the storage conditions of the drug samples, as well as imprecise dating of the samples. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1377417

**************************

For the preparedness community, this information is very important, as it lends credence to what I have been telling you all along:  Get your medical supplies together, and don’t throw out drugs in pill or capsule form just because they have passed their expiration dates.  We are anxiously awaiting lists of the 122 drugs that the Shelf Life Extension Program has tested, but you can expect them to be medications that will be useful in the aftermath of a catastrophe.

Dr. Bones

Are you prepared to deal with medical issues when help is NOT on the way?  “The Doom and Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook” is 440 pages of medical knowledge written in plain English; put it in your survival library!

Here’s the trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb3vdQecUPM

Cooking With Expired Food

15 Fruits And Veggies You Can Grow In Buckets

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Do you live in an apartment or a house with a small backyard? Have you always wanted a garden but don’t have enough space? There’s a solution: Bucket gardening. All you need are some 5 gallon buckets, rocks, peat moss, planting soil, and compost. That might sound like a lot, but it’s actually very simple. This article explains how to grow food in buckets.

Not only is bucket gardening a great solution for people with limited space, it has many advantages over traditional gardening. You can have a greater variety of plants, you won’t have to do any weeding, you’ll have fewer pests deal with, etc. Here’s a list of the many benefits of bucket gardening.

If you decide to give it a try, the first thing you need to ask yourself what you’re going to grow. Beginners should always start with very easy plants. It will boost their confidence and give them valuable practice before they move on to more difficult plants.

Here’s a list of 15 fruits and veggies you can grow in buckets, grouped by difficulty.

Easy

Lettuce. Lettuce is a prime choice for container gardening with plenty of varieties to choose from. Lettuce works well in shallow containers, and if you want you can inter-plant it with slower growing veggies. Lettuce is great for early spring and late fall harvesting. You can plant lettuce while there is still danger of frost, and plant again in the fall after it starts getting cool. You can even bring your lettuce pots indoors to extend the growing season into early winter.

Chard. Chard is a leafy green from the same family as beets. It grows similar to lettuce, but has a slightly longer growing season. It is cold hardy, and can bolt if your summer is too hot. It is also a good double season crop for spring and fall. If you decide to grow beets, you could skip the chard since beet greens are nearly identical to chard.

Chinese Greens. Bok choi or sui choi are two fun cold weather greens, perfect for an early spring start or a late fall and winter garden. These two greens are awesome in stir fry, and are easy to grow. Once the weather warms up, these greens will bolt but the flower heads still taste good and can add a powerful spice punch to salads.

Kale. Any brassica can be grown in pots, but kale is the easiest since it doesn’t have to form anything other than nice fresh leaves. Kale can be grown throughout the year, but it tastes best after it has had a touch of frost.

All the above greens can be used for cut-and-come-again salads when they are 2 inches or so high.

Moderately Easy

Beets. Beets are similar to chard, but they need deeper soil and more watering. Beets are an awesome root vegetable for containers. Choose smaller beet varieties, or heritage varieties to have the most fun in your container garden. If you’d rather not eat beets because of their overpowering red effects, you could try yellow or albino beets.

Carrots. Easy to grow, and in a container they are very easy to space out or even transplant to make sure they grow well. Choose smaller varieties that do not grow a super long taproot and try to match the variety to the depth of container you are using. Heritage varieties are often sweeter, and smaller than standard varieties. Try Dragon for a fun purple and brilliant orange carrot.

Radishes. Quick to grow and a perfect spring crop to round out your green salads. Choose small short season radishes so that they come to maturity before the heat hits. French Breakfast and Easter Egg are two brilliant colored small radish varieties that are awesome to grow if you have kids.

Moderately Difficult

Beans. For container gardening, choose bush been varieties. They have a shorter grow time than pole beans, and are compact enough for any yard. Most bush bean plants max out size at a foot square, and produce well throughout the season. If you have a porch railing and narrow containers at its foot, you could try some pole bean varieties as well.

Peas. Another lovely spring plant, peas grow best during the cool of spring or during the cool lightly frosted days of fall. Choose edible pod varieties to get the most food from your plants. If it is too warm for peas to come to full fruition, you can try using pea plants as a green. Pea plants are awesome fresh when the plant is just two inches high, and it’s a perfect way to enjoy peas if your spring gets too warm for them to fruit.

Tomatoes. Probably the container planting go-to crop, tomatoes are ubiquitous in containers. Choose smaller plant varieties if your container garden space is limited. Cherry tomatoes are stunning producers, and the tiny tomatoes are easy to dry if the plants over-produce. Cherry tomatoes usually fruit sooner than the larger tomato varieties.

Squash. Summer squash, bush zucchini, and other small squashes can work in container gardens. Bush zucchini and summer squash require fairly deep, nutrient rich soil, but only take up about 4 square feet. Just having two zucchini plants can give you more than enough zucchini for a summer. Vining squash are not recommended for container gardens, unless you have a large patio or outdoor area for them to cover.

Cucumber. Most cucumbers are vining plants, so either choose bush varieties for your container garden or practice vertical gardening and train them up the side of the house, porch, or deck. Lemon Cucumber is an awesome little bush cucumber, and works well if you have a short season.

Difficult

Lemon. Yes, lemons can be grown in containers, or indoors in climates that are too cold for out-door growing. Meyer lemons are the smallest variety, more of a bush, and grow exceptionally well in pots. You can start your own lemon tree from seed. You can also try other citrus like kumquats, or mini oranges for container or indoor growing.

Strawberries. These are an awesome container plant, particularly if you get a strawberry tower or similar contraption to help maximize space. Grow Ever-bearing for steady harvesting from July onward, or try a mixed planter of different varieties. If you get a variety that runners, you can also catch the runners in small pots and perpetuate your supply of strawberry plants. A strawberry plant usually has a productive life of three or four years.

Potatoes. These lovely root veggies need one of two things, either a deep container or a potato bag. Potato bags enable you to grow a good amount of potatoes in a very limited space, and you don’t even need seed potatoes to start your plants. If you have potatoes that have started to sprout, you can simply plant them. As soon as the potato plant starts to flower you can start sneaking potatoes.

Is radioactive food from Fukushima being sent to your grocery store?

(NaturalNews) Food produced in the radioactive exclusion zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant could already be on store shelves around the world, experts have warned.

In March 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami triggered multiple meltdowns at the Japanese plant. Explosions ejected massive quantities of radioactive material into the air, much of which settled onto the surface of the earth around the plant. There is concern that food produced in this region could have absorbed some of this radioactive material, thereby posing a risk of cancer and other health problems to people who consume it.

For this reason, many companies have imposed restrictions on foods imported from regions of Japan that were exposed to heavy radioactive fallout.

Fraud cannot be prevented

Recently, Taiwanese investigators discovered that deliberate fraud had led products produced in the Fukushima region to be falsely labeled as having been produced near Tokyo. This caused these products to be imported into Taiwan.

Taiwan has banned the importation of foods produced near Fukushima.

The Taiwanese authorities identified more than 300 products that had actually been produced in areas near Fukushima, including tea, noodles and chocolate bars. The mislabeled products were pulled from shelves and seized by the government, although some had already been sold prior to being discovered.

The problem of mislabeled regions of origin on Japanese products appears to be widespread; Taiwanese investigators found approximately 3,000 mislabeled products at the Port of Keelung alone, although only about a tenth of them came from Fukushima.

Importing countries rely on producing countries to correctly identify where their products come from, which means there is no real way to protect the food supply from such fraud, British experts said.

"There is a risk that radioactive food is getting on to the UK market," said Eoghan Daly of the Institute of Food Safety Integrity and Protection.

Under British law, food produced in the area around Fukushima must be labeled as such and must be subjected to radiation testing upon exiting Japan and entering the United Kingdom. The United States has a similar system in place, mandating the inspection of certain products including dairy, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and seafood produced in "areas of concern" around Fukushima.

"I suspect what has happened in Taiwan might well have already happened in the UK. Intermediary supply chain middlemen can buy food in bulk and package and label as they like - before shipping them to the UK," said Alastair Marke of the British food safety consultancy

"Although we have adopted one of the world's most comprehensive and stringent traceability laws, the UK has virtually no control over how foods are processed, manufactured and packaged in Japan."

"No safe level" of exposure

The radioactive element most likely to be contaminating food produced near Fukushima is cesium, which has a long half-life and can actually remain in the human body for decades. Although large amounts of radioactive iodine were also released during the meltdowns, this isotope largely dissipates within a few weeks.

"There is no safe level of radionuclide exposure, whether from food, water or other sources, period," warned Jeff Patterson, former president of Physicians for Social Responsibility, shortly after the Fukushima disaster.

"Exposure to radionuclides, such as iodine 131 and cesium 137, increases the incidence of cancer. For this reason, every effort must be taken to minimize the radionuclide content in food and water."

"Consuming food containing radionuclides is particularly dangerous," agreed physician Alan Lockwood. "If an individual ingests or inhales a radioactive particle, it continues to irradiate the body as long as it remains radioactive and stays in the body."

(Natural News Science)


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/049509_radioactive_food_fukushima_cesium.html#ixzz3YW0H0QEl

Ingenious Foods People Made During Famines

My guess is none of you experienced a long time hunger. But probably most of you are familiar with the feeling of skipping 2 or 3 meals. Not a very pleasant one. During that time did you experience fatigue or dizziness? These are the first general symptoms of malnutrition.

An average man cannot survive without food for more than 8 weeks. A famine may last for years like the Tempo Famine in Japan (4 years). Not many of us have such large stockpiles. And it’s not even enough to stockpile food in order to properly prepare since you may develop malnutrition if you lack a single vitamin in your diet.

During the Norway Famine

Bark Bread – is a bread made by adding inner bark (carries organic nutrients) to the flour as an extender to make it last longer, bake more breads and still keep them nutritious. In fact bark meal contains more zinc, magnesium and iron then is found in rye and wheat and it is full of fiber.

It was widely used during Norway famine, the Finland Famine and it was commonly eaten by our ancestors.

The bark component was usually made from trees like elm, ash, aspen, rowan, birch, pine and moss.

The inner bark is the only part of a tree trunk that is actually edible, the remaining bark and wood is made up of cellulose which no man can digest. The dried and ground inner bark was added: about 1/3rd “bark flour” to the remaining grain flour.

The bark, however, adds a rather bitter taste to the bread, and gives particularly white bread a grey-green hue. Though bark today is sometimes added to pastry as a culinary curiosity, bark bread is considered an emergency food, and as is common with such food, phased out as soon as the availability of grain improves and people forget about it.

During the Famines of Russia

Breads out of orache and bran, fried on machine oil, as found at the siege of Leningrad

During famines in Russia, nettle and orache were used to make breads or soups (But you can also make polenta, pesto and purée). Chamiso and Shadscale (two species of orache) were also commonly eaten by Native Americans. Both rich in Vitamin E (much needed in a food crisis).

Nettle has a flavor similar to spinach (prepared in exactly the same way) when cooked and is rich in vitamins A, C, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. Soaking stinging nettles in water or cooking will remove the stinging chemicals from the plant.

Some breads were made out of orache and bran at the Siege of Leningrad, using machine oil – the only oil still available. (see picture) The city authorities provided the population with foodstuffs salvaged from industry. They made hard cakes of pressed seed hulls left over from processing of oil from sunflower, cotton, hemp or linseed. These seed cakes sustained many lives in Leningrad.

In France, Germany and Belgium During the Famine of WWI and WWII

Steckrübeneintopf

Rutabagas were widely used as a food of last resort in Europe during the famine of World War I and World War II. The roots are prepared for human food in a variety of ways, and the leaves can be eaten as a leaf vegetable. Especially the French and the Germans boiled rutabaga making a stew.

During the Irish Famine

It is also called “The Potato Famine” since it was caused by a devastating potato disease (blight).

Corn meal sold for a few times more pennies a pound, so the men were unable to earn enough money to adequately feed themselves let alone their families as food prices continued to climb.

As a result, children sometimes went unfed so that parents could stay healthy enough to keep working for the desperately needed cash. Many of the workers, poorly clothed, malnourished and weakened by fever, fainted or even dropped dead on the spot.

As the Famine worsened, and looters became commonplace and the British continually sent in more troops instead of food.

The Irish in the countryside began to live off:
– Wild blackberries
– Ate Nettles
– Turnips
– Several species of edible kelp, including dulse and Irish moss
– Old cabbage leaves
– Edible seaweed
– Fungi
– Shellfish
– Roots
– Frogs
– Roadside weeds
– and even green grass

Finally, Government-sponsored soup kitchens were established throughout the countryside and began dispensing a nutritious food called Stirabout.

‘Stirabout,’ si a substantial porridge made from two-thirds Indian corn meal and one-third rice, cooked with water. By the summer, three million Irish were being kept alive on a pound of stirabout and a four-ounce slice of bread each day.

Seed potatoes, many having been eaten, had been in short supply. Planters had either been involved in the public works projects or had been too ill to dig the next year. Others were simply discouraged, knowing that whatever they grew would be seized by landowners, agents or middlemen as back payment for rent.

In a food crisis you can buy EVERYTHING with food.

During the Mormon Famine in Western United States

Sego lily bulbs were eaten by the Mormon pioneers when their food crops failed. The flower is endemic to the Western United States and it is actually the state flower of Utah. The bulbs of the flower were roasted, boiled or made into porridge. The plant was also eaten by Native Americans.

During the Dutch Famine

During the WWII the northern provinces became isolated from the liberated parts of Europe. Food stocks ran out, as did fuel stocks. Then a harsh winter began.

Due to the war situation, tulip growers have not plantedtulip bulbs that year; great amounts of tulip bulbs were stocked on farms throughout the country. During the famine authorities decided to use these stocks as food for the starving populations. The tulip bulbs were nutritious and relatively easy to cook.

Here’s an account about how they prepared the bulbs (of one of the survivors – Father Leo):

“The skin of the bulb is removed, pretty much like an onion, and so is the center, because that is poisonous. Then it is dried and baked in the oven. My mother or older sisters would grind the bulbs to a meal-like consistency. Then they would mix the meal with water and salt, shape it like a meatloaf, and bake it. I can still remember the taste of it: like wet sawdust…We still shared tulip bulbs and sugar beets with those with hand-drawn carts who continued to go from door to door. I think seeing my mother still give to the hungry at this time, even though we had very little, made me want to be a missionary.” (Source)

They also boiled and ate Sugar beets. These are high in fiber, manganese, and is a decent source of vitamin C, potassium and magnesium. The greens, though, are really the nutritional powerhouse of the plant. They are super high in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, riboflavin, calcium, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese.

During most famines

Grass pea is a particularly important crop in areas that are prone to drought and famine, and is thought of as an ‘insurance crop’ as it produces reliable yields when all other crops fail.

Well that’s something people eat when there’s nothing else to eat, because eating grass pea may cause a disease that basically paralyzes the lower limbs. The disease occurs only when the seeds are consumed as a primary protein source for a prolonged period but safe to eat for days maybe weeks.

Grasspea Soup and Bread

When a famine occurs, that’s hell of a lot of people who end up eating this grass pea. The ratio is fairly small with about 10 out of 1000 people who get the disease.

Flour was made out of grass peas (named almorta) and they mixed it with wheat flour to eliminate the toxicity.

During Holodomor (The Ukrainian Famine)

For those faint-hearted: don’t read the next paragraph. You’ll find 3 real recollections of survivors from one of the most horrific famines. I wanted to include this in the article so people would better understand why and what do we prep for. And why having a food stockpile is an insurance you’ll not end up in this situation.

Olexandra Rafalska – one of the survivors – noted:

“…I have no idea how I managed to survive and stay alive. In 1933 we tried to survive the best we could. We collected grass, goose-foot, burdocks, rotten potatoes and made pancakes, soups from putrid beans or nettles.

Collected clay from the trees and ate it, ate sparrows, pigeons, cats, dead and live dogs. When there was still cattle, it was eaten first, then – the domestic animals. Some were eating their own children, I would have never been able to eat my child. One of our neighbors came home when her husband, suffering from severe starvation ate their own baby-daughter. This woman went crazy. “ (Source)

Galina Smyrna, village Uspenka of Dniepropetrovsk region recollected:

“I remember Holodomor very well, but have no wish to recall it. There were so many people dying then. They were lying out in the streets, in the fields, floating in the flux. My uncle lived in Derevka – he died of hunger and my aunt went crazy – she ate her own child. At the time one couldn’t hear the dogs barking – they were all eaten up.” (Source)

A boy, 9 years old back then (later known as Dr M.M.):

“Mother said, ‘Save yourself, run to town.’ I turned back twice; I could not bear to leave my mother, but she begged and cried, and I finally went for good.” (Source)

Preparing for a food crisis or famine means preparing for at least one year. But famines can last up to 7 years and it can be wiser to have the means to produce your own food rather than stockpiling. One of the best ways to do that is by building a system totally independent from the environment.

And this CAN be done.