Iced Coffee

Hate to dump a string of recipes out there, but it's too hot to go out and do anything outdoorsy so I'll do it anyway.  This is very simple to make, and though coffee has always wired me to the gills if I have more than a few cups, I'll take that risk with this delicious beverage.

Ingredients:

Coffee
Water

Simple, eh?

Any coffee will do, though I hear a darker, coarse ground roast makes a tastier beverage.   Of course, you can make coffee per usual and then chill it, but this receipt has a lower acidity and a different flavor than brewed coffee.  Simply take two cups of water and add 1/2 cup of ground coffee, cover and let it sit on the counter at room temperature for 12-18 hours. Strain it through a coffee filter or cheesecloth and mix it with half water or milk, or even cream if you desire a thicker, richer drink.  Pour it over crushed ice and you're done!   If you'd like a stronger drink you can freeze the coffee in an ice tray and skip adding  the ice.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Burritos

I've been making these for camping trips for years now, as they're easy enough  to make and can be kept in the freezer until you need them.  Throw 'em in the cooler before you leave, and 24 hours later they'll be thawed and can be thrown on the grill for a delicious and nutritious breakfast. (Or lunch. Or dinner. Or a snack!)

I use various ingredients depending on what I have available, but always include at least  beans, eggs, cheese, and spices.

Other possible ingredients include:

Sausage
Chorizo
Onions
Peppers
Rice
Avocado
Salsa
Sour Cream

Heck, you can add whatever you like, but it's best to keep it fairly simple.  I almost always use home cooked beans as the canned ones have no taste in my opinion. Refried beans are always an option, but whole beans are easier.   I never measure ingredients, it's best to throw everything together in amounts that look ok and they always turn out great.  You can cook everything separately and add to the tortilla, or simply cook everything in a skillet, (meat first!) and then add the eggs to bind it together.  I'd recommend adding the cheese, avocados and sour cream after the egg mixture.  Roll 'em up, throw 'em in a baggie, freeze 'em and you're good to go!

Another thing I might mention:  I've been buying tortillas for years, but recently they've become ridiculously expensive, the large ones costing around 4 dollars for 8 tortillas. Being a cheapskate, I've been making my own recently.  The flavor is vastly superior, and they're not difficult to make.  I'll add a post about it sometime, or if you can't wait, simply google homemade tortilla.

Salted Chicken Liver

Some years ago I got tired of throwing liver away.

You go fishing, take two or three tubs of liver out of the freezer, come home with 1 1/2 tubs of thawed liver, then what do you do? You can stick it back in the freezer, except refreezing it screws up the texture, and the next time you thaw it out it's runny and a hook won't stay in it.

So I would throw it away.

Then one day I had a bright idea. (one of my better ideas in some time) Why not try salting it?

So I did. And it works great.

The salt attracts fish, and after a few months in the salt the liver is tougher and stays on the hook better. You don't have to keep it frozen as it will keep for several years stored at room temperature.


Here's how you do it:


Buy chicken liver. There's a grocery a few blocks away where I get mine, usually approaching the "sell by" date, marked down to half price or less. If it already smells nasty, no worries. The salt will preserve it.

For every 3 tubs of chicken liver you'll need 1 lb of salt. (I use 3 for a dollar generic table salt from the dollar store)

Dump 3 tubs of liver into a big bowl.


































In one of the empty liver containers, add about 1/4 inch salt, then add several pieces of liver, and then add another 1/4 inch of salt. (you can get creative at this point, adding oil, garlic, vanilla, anise oil or whatever your heart desires)























Repeat until the tub is almost full, then top with salt. Make sure there's a 1/4 to 1/2 inch space at the top to prevent the lid from coming off as the liver ripens.

I use a magic marker to write the date on the lid, then store them in the corner of my garage sitting on the floor. I have 6 or 8 tubs that have been there for more than 2 years and it's still good. It has a slightly nasty smell, but not nearly so close to vomit inducing as rotten liver is.






















Two year old salted liver



You'll notice there's some small scraps of liver and blood left over in the bowl. I add this to another container, throw in some salt and add a few rocks and then freeze it. It makes an excellent "chum bomb" to throw still frozen into the water where you're fishing.

You can use this process for other baits beside liver, I've done it with shrimp, minnows, and cut bait.

Happy salting!