Alright, now see what y'all done and made me do. Since I am in no position to be making a batch, I figured I may as well share in my suffering and press on with my contentions. So here's a pretty good link about Pemmican:

http://www.calverley.ca/Part01-FirstNations/01-047.html

I guess what it boils down to is, if you are in Laz-y-Boy mode, then Pemmican is not only a lot less enticing, but actually a little hazardous to your health. If you are in survival mode, then this may be the ticket. Maybe them Coast Guard survival bars got Pemmican beat, but I like the idea of being able to make survival provisions at will at home, for next to nothing in cost, and to whatever suits my taste for variety. In this day and age, where pre-packaged foods ready for the microwave are a lot more commonplace than suits my comfort level, I really like the idea of spending a little time putting together goods that I know will get the job done. Kinda makes me feel like I'm a little more prepared for what the world has to throw at me.

Of course, Pemmican ain't the only thing I produce. Biffy bars (a combination of peanut butter, dates, honey and sesame seeds) are also something that does well, though it isn't quite the juggernaut that Pemmican is. Regular ole jerky is pretty good, too, especially if I get a deer in the fall.

The point is, just spending money of survival supplies ain't the end all, be all for being equipped to survive. Taking the time to do such things as make up Pemmican or other home-made stuff stimulates the mind to consider preparation for adversity. That in itself makes Pemmican a worthwhile commodity, at least in my way of thinking.

Ben,

Could you please post the recipe for Biffy Bars? I couldn't find anything on Google, and they sound good. Are you able to make anything similar in Iraq?

Anyone else care to share their homemade survival food recipes, please? I love to cook and this would be alot of fun for me.

Thanks!

I also like Logan bread. It is dense and rich and filling, full of vegitable protien, fiber, carbs and nutty-fruity goodness. I'll post my mother's recipe when I can pick up my cookbook over the holidays.

That's the spirit! Now we are getting somewhere.

I'm not in Iraq anymore, but I am away from home, and I don't have access to all my cooking stuff, so it ain't as bad as Baghdad, more like being in limbo for now.

Here's the official "Bif Bar" recipe. This is something from my youth:

3 cups peanut butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
2 cups butter (no substitutes)
4 eggs
1 cup milk powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
6 cups white flour
6 cups oats
2 cups sunflower seeds
3 cups raisins
3 cups chocolate chips

Cream together the peanut butter, sugars, eggs and butter. Add in the milk powder, salt, soda, flour and oats and blend well. Stir in the sunflower seeds, raisins and chocolate chips. Bake in a preheated 275 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove, let cool, and slice into packable sections.

Alternately, here's my version:

3 cups peanut butter
3 cups dates or figs
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup sesame seeds

Mash the dates or figs (you can cheat with a food processor or blender, but I like squishing them between my fingers). Mix in with the other ingredients to a uniform consistency. Wrap in plastic wrap and smush into packable shapes.

I think mine are better, they're certainly easier.

Anyone know what "BIF" is an acronym of?

I have a ranger cookie recipe that uses total cereal flakes, coconut, oats and butterscotch chips that I thought was a pretty good survival food as well. I may post that again when I get home, as I don't have that recipe here with me.

Actually, none of these are very good survival food recipes. They never seem to make it past the first day or two. Maybe I need to mix in some pepper to regulate the appetite a little.

Personally I am approaching harvest time for my favourite survival food. You have to stake out a territory early from other scavengers and gathering tools consist of a large sack ( often easily procured on site) and a long stick with a hook ( good practise with your PSK gaff hook.) The peak day is on December 26. Look for square, rectangular and sometimes round subspecies with an overall glossy brown colour and various colourations of pineapple yellow, cherry red and other regional variations. Preservation is by simple freezing or submersion in alcohol, usually brandy or rum ( preferred.) Since alcohol is the purest form of vegetable matter this is easily shared with vegetarians. Vegans make take issue with the milk and egg unless procured from free range sources.

Yeah... fruitcake... stuff lasts FOREVER!!!

Thanks Chris, I needed that <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Troy

The only problem I see with that is for it to be classified as survival food, you gotta be willing to eat it. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Actually, I do like fruitcake, and I had a lion's share when I got back from Baghdad, but I also found out there can be too much of a good thing, and ended up throwing the other half away cuz I just couldn't stand to look at it no more without wretching.

I suppose as an alternative use, you could mount a teakettle handle on the top of a round loaf and use it for curling. It has about the right density (the name of the item would fit, too).

I read an article speculating that archeologists of the future will be able to use fruitcake info. When excavating a landfill, they will be able to separate the years by the layers of fruitcake.

Chris, how many fruitcakes are you hiding? No fair, man, if you hang onto them, you will break the fruitcake cycle, they are only made to be given. There was only 300 left in the wild last I knew.

Here's one recipe for Logan Bread:


INGREDIENTS:

* 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
* 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup honey
* 1/4 cup molasses
* 1 cup applesauce
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1 cup raisins
* 2/3 cup sunflower seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9 inch square baking pans.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, white flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the eggs, honey, molasses, applesauce, and vegetable oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir until well blended. Mix in the raisins and sunflower seeds. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
3. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top springs back when lightly pressed. Let the bread cool in the pans for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares or bars. Wrap pieces individually, and refrigerate or freeze.