Cooking with the Cobb Grill

This all started with us getting a new motor coach.   I started thinking again (which always gets me in trouble) of cooking on the road.  What kind of grill do I need.  How big of a grill do I need.  What grill will have the most options.    Etc, Etc, Etc.      I was looking at cooking when we don't have power.    Like pulling off the side of the road for the night.    Staying in a road side park.  Campground, or just pain not wanting to cook in the coach.      And most motorhomes now don't have ovens anyway.  Our new one does not.     They use convection.  Well, at this point I am not sold on convection, much less the fact that I have not used a convection that much at all.   None at all really.  

I have had the Cobb grill for several years.   I bought the Cobb Kitchen in a Box.   That got you all the accessories.  There are a few other accessories available now, but the ones in the box will take me a while to learn to use and perfect.     You can even bake bread!

All the reviews on the Cobb seem to be great.  Once you learn to use it, you are suppose to be able to cook almost anything,  and cook your complete meal on the Cobb  outdoors.  The base does not get hot so you can set it on anything.   Look up some of the pins on Pinterest and you will see them even on boats!    

A complaint  some reviewers have is  the loss of heat thru the mesh grill that seems to hurt the cooking  time and heat retention.  Also if there is a breeze or wind its hard to keep the heat "going up" into the cooking area.    So after reading blogs and Pinterest someone came up with a Cobb grill windbreak,  a CobBra, or cosy, or fabric wrap protector.  They are all sold in Australia, so I got out the ole tape measure and sewing machine an stitched one up.    Hey, not bad for a whirl wind throw together.    Will find out how well it works, hopefully, this evening.

This is the Cobb out on the patio heating up for steaks.  The wrap I made is around it, but not fastened.  I used three squares of  a fire starter.  Three was really too much, and I used about 10 or 11 small pieces of charcoal.    That put out quite a fire and took little longer for the charcoal to burn down.

Now I can tell you, before you start cooking with your Cobb, play a little and put it together using the different pieces so you will know what you are doing.   I can tell you,  I thought I had it all figured out and ready to go, but I was totally lost at putting the pieces together after the sucker got hot.   That is not the time to try to figure out what piece you need.     My DH kept asking me, whats next....... duh, I don't know.   Is that the way it fits?   Duh....... I don't know.   Which piece do you use?  Duh..........I don't know.     I think I need to play around with it a little more to see how all the pieces go together before I get a blaze so hot you could not do anything with it except cook on it as it was.     

 Right or wrong it seemed to work just fine the way I put it together this time and we cooked our steaks.  Put the steaks on the hot rack,  put the lid on and left alone for about 7 or 8 minutes.   Then turned the steaks and did the same thing again.   I really don't know how long it took, cause we were running around looking at the pool,  talking about our cattle,  getting a beer, and preparing the rest of our feast.  I had it all planned to take pictures, and time it all.  But.....nope did not work that way.

  

All I can say is , that was our first experience with the Cobb grill.   Once it was going it was very easy and the steaks were very good.  And the little sucker was HOT!  The charcoal was still going and I could have cooked several more items  if I had them thawed out.   Tomorrow,  clean it up and practice putting the pieces together for the next cook out.    Gotta figure this puppy out.

 Check out the pins on Pinterest.  There are a lot and they will help.   Have fun with your Cobb. 

Till next time........................
Happy Trails To You...............................

A KINDLE FOR YOUR OILS

This post is alittle off of the normal posts.  But this is a great and wonderful post for all and now for the use of your essential oils.      Think about it.    Not only can you use it for your survival information,   load all your essential oil information onto your kindle.  There are so many e books out there for using oils, essential oil green cleaning recipes,  using coconut oil with recipes , essential oil beauty recipes, on and on and on.    That way where ever you go you will have your essential oil information with you.  And if you are where you have some time, you have your books with you so can read and catch up on your education of oils.    I love my kindle and find new books every day.   And there are times when you can find the books for free.    Research about the kindles.   Some will hold more than others, and a couple will hold a charge for a month or so.   There are so many options, you can pick the right one for you.   

I know if you get a kindle for your oils you will love it.   Information at your finger tips at all times.

The information below came from:      http://modernsurvivalonline.com/kindle-for-survival-2/

Kindle for Survival

This past Christmas I received a Kindle for Christmas. For those unfamiliar – a Kindle is an electronic book reader. Basically – an entire book with all text and pictures can be stored on the Kindle and read by just clicking a button or two. The text on the screen looks just like what you would see in a book and the graphics look great. Everything is displayed in black & white – however even color pictures look fantastic.

So – you can download numerous books off of Amazon.com placing them onto the Kindle for easy access later. You can also use your computer to transfer any PDF document. What does this mean? This means that besides the thousands of books that you can purchase from Amazon – you can get tens of thousands of PDF documents off the Internet for FREE and place on the Kindle.

What kind of free PDF documents can you get for the Kindle?

• military manuals
• guides
• full books
• magazines
• reference sheets
• basically – anything in pdf format

On my Kindle I have set up a category for specific information related to survival – aptly named – Survival. As I download books from Amazon as well as transfer pdf’s from my PC – I will place them in this category. I suspect that I will have to set up more specific categories like Gardening, Tactical Info, Medical, Wilderness Survival, etc.

Here are a few pictures:

 

Above: My Kindle – showing my category Survival and some of the included material.

Above: Close up shot of screen

Below: Example pdf available for FREE for the Kindle – Ranger Handbook

Below: Screenshot from Ranger Handbook

Above: Another excellent military field manual available for FREE of the net for the Kindle

Above: Kindle in its case (sold separate). I think the case is a good idea to provide some protection.

Kindle can also be viewed sideways - great for websites

The Kindle has many adjustments – including zooming in and out to whatever you are looking at (picture/text/website).

Since getting it I have found that the Kindle is capable of much more than I had thought. First – you can access the Internet with it. Now – realize that it does not have the capability of multiple-tabs, flash, or animation/video’s. However – for reading a blog such as SurvivalBlog.com or this one- it works great. It also play music or mp3′s. This means you can download any mp3 such as podcasts and store them on theKindle for listening whenever.

Now – what are some benefits of the Kindle for survival & preparedness?

1. Unbelievable amount of material all in one place.
2. Easily access and search-able.
3. Very portable – can be thrown into a backpack or bug out kit.
4. Very long battery life – up to a month on one charge. With the proper equipment – could be easily charged with a small solar panel.
5. Relatively inexpensive  – starting at $139.
6. Can be viewed in full sunlight.

I had one reader mention that they have several of them packed with information and secured in a .50 cal ammo can. You can literally have thousands of books on just one Kindle.

The Kindle is available in different colors, sizes, and versions. For $139 I received a grey model that has wireless access. This version has Internet connection at my house. There is a 3G version for $189 that pretty much has access anywhere – which would be great for traveling.

DUST!    DUST!    DUST everywhere..................................

Homemade Wood Cleaner & Polish…

I’ve been playing around with a lot of homemade cleaning and laundry recipes over the past year – some have worked amazingly well and others haven’t been so great. Today I have a great recipe for an all-natural wood cleaner and polish that is amazing. This cleaner is the best of both worlds – it really cleans AND polishes. But even better than how well it works is the smell. The yummy smell had my kids swarming me as I made it and asking to help me dust (I’m not kidding and of course I said yes!). This is a simple recipe with three ingredients – essential oils, fractionated coconut oil (liquid form, this can also be used as a carrier for your oils), and distilled (free of impurities) water.

Essential Oil Wood Cleaner and Polish:

10 drops wild orange or citrus bliss essential oil (optional)

30 drops lemon essential oil

1/3 cup (2 2/3 ounces) coconut (fractionated) oil or grapeseed oil

1/2 cup (4 ounces) distilled water

Start by measuring your water and oil and mixing them together in the container you’ll be storing the mixture in.

Then add your essential oils.

Give it a little shake and start cleaning and polishing the wood in your home.

I use a microfiber cloth to dust & apply the polish. I just pour or spray a little bit of this cleaner on my microfiber cloth and start dusting away.  You can make your own homemade wood cleaner with pure essential oils.  It’s very cost efficient and all natural. Just one bottle of pure essential oils makes several bottles of wood cleaner.  Best of all, its non toxic

Will mix this one up today.  I have not tried wood polish with FCO.   I have always used olive oil and it has seemed to work pretty well.  My bottle is almost empty so will make the new recipe today. 

From........http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/2013/03/homemade-wood-cleaner-polish.html

With the winter season on the way everyone will need moisture for their lips.  Try this recipe, and experiment with different shades and blends.

DIY: Essential Lip Balm

Posted on July 12, 2013 by dōTERRA

Everyone understands the frustration that comes from peeling, dry, cracked lips. Lip balm is one of the most common products we use to prevent this frustration and maintain soft and healthy lips, but did you know that many of them contain chemicals, artificial fragrances, alcohol, and salicylic acid that can actually irritate lips and cause dryness.

Say goodbye to commercial lip balms and go natural–your lips deserve it! These easy DIY lip balms are not only moisturizing, but healthy for your lips and your wallet!

Note: Did you know that one of the first signs of chapped lips is dehydration? Read and learn about why it is important to stay hydrated.

What you need:

1 ounce beeswax (around 3 tablespoons)
1 ounce coconut oil (around 2 tablespoons)
1/2 ounce shea butter (around 1 tablespoon)
1/2 ounce cocoa butter (around 1 tablespoon)
20 drops Peppermint essential oil
10 drops Lavender essential oil
Large skillet/saucepan with water
Glass jar
Scale
Lip balm containers (some different containers are here, here, or here).

Optional: To add a tint of color to your lip balm, add a pinch of colored mineral makeup.

Note: If you want a harder lip balm, add an additional 1/2 ounce of beeswax. For an even softer lip balm, add an additional 1/2 ounce of coconut oil.

Directions:

1- Line up empty containers on counter. If you are using a lip balm stick, make sure it is twisted down to the bottom of the tube.

Note: This recipe makes 3 oz. of lip balm. Make sure you have enough containers to hold all of it. This recipe will make 20 lip balm tubes, 12 small containers, or 3 large ones. You can always reduce the batch size by cutting the recipe in half.

2- Measure all butters and oils in the glass jar until you have the right amount.

3- Fill a large skillet/saucepan with 1-1.5 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the glass jar to the center of the saucepan to melt and combine ingredients.

4- Stir every few minutes until the ingredients are melted and combined. (10-15 minutes)

Tip: Use a Popsicle stick to stir for easy cleanup.

5- Once all wax is melted, remove from heat and let sit for 3 minutes. After the 3 minutes, add essential oils.

6- Pour mixture into lip balm containers. It’s okay if you spill, wax easily comes off plastic and counter-tops. Let the mixture cool and you’re done!

Note: If you would like to make tinted lip balm, save some of the mixture and move to step 7.

7- Add a pinch of colored mineral makeup until you get your desired color. Stir until combined.

Note: If the wax is too cool and begins to harden, put the glass jar back into the hot water and remelt the mixture. 

8- Pour the tinted lip balm into containers. Let cool and you’re done!

This lip balm makes a great gift and can easily be customized. Change the color or the scent by using a variety of mineral makeup and essential oils.

If you don’t have time to make your own lip balm then dōTERRA’s Natural Lip Balm with Peppermint and Wild Orange essential oil is a fabulous alternative!

dōTERRA essential oils can be purchased online, or from any of our Independent Product Consultants. 

- See more at: http://doterrablog.com/diy-essential-lip-balm#sthash.em7OMqaS.dpuf

by Jennifer
Hybrid Rasta Mama

So what’s the deal with coconut oil?

Offering a myriad of health benefits, coconut oil is affordable, readily available and completely natural. I have completely fallen in love with coconut oil and use it for EVERYTHING. Literally. I buy it in 5 gallon increments and keep it all over my house. I even have some in the car. So here is a little information to inspire you to check out this amazing oil including 80 uses for it!

General information about Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil Is:

·       Anti-inflammatory
·       Antimicrobial
·       Antifungal
·       Antiviral
·       Improves nutrient absorption

Daily Dosage:

Here is a chart outlining the recommended daily dosage of virgin coconut oil for persons over the age of 12. Coconut oil may be consumed by children under 12 but it is advisable to check with a healthcare practitioner on the proper dosage. Any good naturopath will have the information at the ready.

(Editor’s note: the amounts below are for “general” health and maintenance. Depending on why one is taking coconut oil, and what they hope to accomplish, the amount can be much greater. For example, many people seeing positive results for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s are reporting that they are consuming up to 9 tablespoons a day or more to see positive results. For those just starting, amounts much less than these below should be started until the body is used to consuming high amounts of fat. The most common side effect of taking too much coconut oil is diarrhea.)

Weight in pounds/kilograms	Number of tablespoons of coconut oil daily
175+/79+	4
150+ /68+	3 1/2
125+ / 57+	3
100+/ 45+	2 1/2
75+ / 34+	2
50+ / 23+	1 1/2
25+ / 11+	1

Type to use:

·       Expeller pressed coconut oil can be used for anything. It does not have a coconutty smell of taste.
·       Virgin coconut oil tastes coconutty and is great for cooking and baking where you want that flavor.
·       Food grade should always be used.

80 Uses for Coconut Oil

Personal Hygiene/Body

1.       Moisturizer – simply scoop some out of the jar and apply all over your body, including neck and face.
2.       Eye cream – apply under the eyes to reduce puffiness, bags, and wrinkles. Use on the lids in the evening.
3.       Preshave – coconut oil will prep skin for the pending damage caused by shaving.
4.       Aftershave – coconut oil will help heal your skin after shaving without clogging pores.
5.       Deodorant – coconut oil alone can be used as a deodorant, but even more effective in combination with cornstarch/arrowroot powder and baking soda!
6.       Hair Conditioner/Deep Treatment – use as a leave in hair conditioner by applying a teaspoon of coconut oil to your ends and then running your fingers through your hair to distribute the rest! For a deeper treatment, rub in a tablespoon of coconut oil onto your dry scalp and gently work through to the ends. Put a shower cap on to prevent transfer onto bed linens and leave on overnight.
7.       Hair Gel/Defrizzer – rub a little between your palms and either scrunch into hair (for curly hair) or finger comb in through from scalp to ends (for wavy/straight hair).
8.       Toothpaste – there are numerous recipes out there but I just mix coconut oil and baking soda and dab a little of the mix on my toothbrush.
9.       Make up remover – use a cotton swab and a dab of coconut oil and you would be amazed at how well it works!
10.   Chapstick – just rub a little into lips and it not only acts as a softening agent but it also has an SPF of about 4 so you get a little protection!
11.   Massage Oil – pretty simple; grab some and rub!
12.   Lubricant – it is an all natural, perfectly safe personal lubricant. Not compatible with latex!
13.   Sunscreen – see my post on natural sunscreen for more detailed information.
14.   Stretch Mark Cream – coconut oil is great at nourishing damaged skin. It may not be the magic stretch mark cure but it will help.
15.   Nipple Cream – works great to nourish cracked, sore, or dry nipples. Apply to a cotton ball and leave on your nipples between feedings.
16.   Diaper salve – very comforting on a rashy bum with no harsh chemicals. Also safe for cloth diapers.
17.   Cradle cap – having issues with dry skin on your baby’s scalp? Coconut oil will not only nourish your baby’s skin, it also helps eliminate cradle cap. Just rub a teaspoon onto scalp daily.
18.   Body scrub – mix coconut oil and sugar together and rub all over! Rinse off and your skin will be super soft! You can add in essential oils if you would like a specific smell.
19.   Healing – when applied on scrapes and cuts, coconut oil forms a thin, chemical layer which protects the wound from outside dust, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil speeds up the healing process of bruises by repairing damaged tissues. Plus, it smells a heck-of-a-lot better than anything from the pharmacy.
20.   Bug Bites – when applied directly to a bug bite, coconut oil can stop the itching and burning sensation as well as hasten the healing process.
21.   Skin problems – coconut oil relieves skin problems such as psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.
22.   Swimmers Ear – mix garlic oil and coconut oil and put a few drops in affected ear for about 10 minutes. Do this 2-3 times a day and it usually works within one or two days.

General Health and Wellness

23.   Stress Relief – relieve mental fatigue by applying coconut oil to the head in a circular, massaging motion. The natural aroma of coconuts is extremely soothing thus helping to lower your stress level.
24.   Digestion – the saturated fats in coconut oil have anti-bacterial properties that help control, parasites, and fungi that cause indigestion and other digestion related problems such as irritable bowel syndrome. The fat in coconut oil also aids in the absorption of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, making you healthier all around.
25.   Fitness – coconut oil has been proven to stimulate your metabolism, improve thyroid function, and escalate energy levels, all of which help decrease your unwanted fat, while increasing muscle.
26.   Nose bleeds – coconut oil can prevent nose bleeding that is caused by sensitivity to weather such as extreme hotness and extreme coldness. This condition happens when the nasal passages become dry because of cold or dry air resulting to burns and cracks in the mucus membranes so bleeding happens. To prevent this just put coconut oil in you nostrils. Coat your finger with coconut oil and then lie down and coat your finger inside your nose. Doing this will strengthen and protect the capillaries in the nasal passages. A Vitamin C supplement will also help prevent nose bleeding.
27.   For breastfeeding moms, consuming 3 ½ tablespoons of coconut oil daily will enrich your milk supply.
28.   Helps with weight loss & controlling cravings.
29.   Helps keep blood sugar levels stable and/or helps with cravings in those with diabetes.

Health Problems (that coconut oil is known for aiding, relieving, or even curing when taken internally)

30.   Eczema – in addition to taking it internally, many have success applying it externally, some don’t
31.   Skin problems
32.   Toenail fungus
33.   Hot flashes
34.   Bleeding hemorrhoids (can also be applied externally twice a day)
35.   HIV
36.   Head lice
37.   Improvements in menstruation regarding pain/cramps and heavy blood flow
38.   Migraines (with regular use)
39.   Mononucleosis
40.   Parasites
41.   Thrush
42.   Relieve gallbladder pain
43.   Has helped some people improve symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland, results have shown subsequent thyroid blood tests becoming normal
44.   Energy boost
45.   Flaky, dry skin
46.   May relieve acid reflux and indigestion when taken with each meal
47.   Adrenal fatigue
48.   Alzheimers
49.   H. pylori
50.   Candida albicans
51.   Asthma, even in children
52.   Autism
53.   Cholesterol – improves HDL (‘good’ cholesterol) to HDL (‘bad’ cholesterol) ratio in people with high cholesterol
54.   Chronic fatigue
55.   Circulation/feeling cold all the time
56.   Stronger immune system
57.   Mental Clarity
58.   Depression
59.   Helps with inflammation in Crohns

Health Problems (that coconut oil is known for aiding, relieving, or even curing when applied topically)

60.   Athletes foot
61.   Back pain/sore muscles
62.   Canker sores
63.   Acne
64.   Cellulite
65.   Herpes (applied topically and taken internally)
66.   Genital warts (through topical application over 6 weeks, and coconut oil enemas twice a day depending on the location of the warts)
67.   Circumcision healing – although I am personally against circumcision, I have read that coconut oil is a really great healer for this.

Cooking

68.   Use 1 cup to 1 cup ratio when replacing other oils/butter in recipes with coconut oil.
69.   Replacement for butter/lard/Crisco/PAM in it’s solid form – greasing pans, pie crusts, etc.
70.   Replacement for various oils in liquid form – baking, cooking, sautéing, etc.
71.   Nutritional supplement – melt and add to smoothies.

Other Uses

72.   Insect repellent – mix coconut oil with peppermint oil extract and rub it all over exposed skin. Keeps insects off better than anything with Deet! Tons safer too.
73.   Great for dogs and cats for general wellness. Just add a teaspoon to their water bowl daily.
74.   Goo Gone – just mix equal parts coconut oil and baking soda into a paste. Apply to the “sticky” area and let it set for a minute. Then scrub off with an old toothbrush or the scrubby side of a sponge.
75.   Chewing Gum in Hair Remover – just rub some coconut oil over the stuck chewing gum, leave in for about 30 minutes, then roll the gum between your fingertip. Voila! It’s out!
76.   Polish Furniture – coconut oil with a little bit of lemon juice to polish wood furniture. However, I recommend you test it first on a very small, unobtrusive part of your furniture to make sure it works the way you’d like.
77.   Polishing Bronze – all you have to do is rub a little oil into a cotton towel and then wipe down the statue. It cleans and helps deepen the color of your bronze.
78.   Seasoning animal hide drums
79.   Seasoning cookware
80.   Moisturizing and cleaning leather products

Did I miss any? Do you use coconut oil for something not on my list? Please add it in the comments. I am always excited to find new ways to implement coconut oil!

Blessings,
Jennifer

Read the Full Article Here: http://hybridrastamama.blogspot.com/2011/06/80-uses-for-coconut-oil.html

NOTE: Jennifer has revised this article and now has a list of 333 uses for coconut oil! Read it here!