Flora Eerschay wrote:I love garlic! But I rarely eat it because my mother hates it :( so I planted it everywhere around my garden, both regular and ornamental varieties, and it looked so beautiful!
Pemmican and Norwegian expeditions
Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen, known for his expedition to the South Pole, famously relied on pemmican. The rations used by his team and sled dogs were specifically formulated for the high-energy demands of polar travel.
For humans: Amundsen's pemmican included oatmeal and peas to add more fiber and nutrients.
For sled dogs: The dogs were given a special pemmican made with fishmeal and extra fat.
Modern Norwegian rations
Instead of traditional pemmican, contemporary Norwegian military rations (known as "Arctic Field Rations") feature a wide array of freeze-dried meals and high-calorie snacks. These rations are designed for cold-weather operations and have a long shelf life. Common items include:
Freeze-dried entrees like Chicken Tikka Masala
Snacks such as dark chocolate, peanuts, and protein bars
Energy drinks and instant coffee
Homemade pemmican (Amundsen-style)
For those interested in making a version of pemmican inspired by Norwegian polar explorers, you can adapt Amundsen's approach.
Ingredients
4 cups lean meat (venison, beef, or bison), dried and ground into a powder
2 cups rendered beef or bison suet
3 cups dried fruit, ground into a powder (e.g., cranberries or blueberries)
Oatmeal and peas, dried and ground into a powder (optional, for extra fiber)
Instructions
Render the fat: Melt the suet over low heat until it turns to liquid. You can strain it to remove impurities.
Combine ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the ground meat, fruit, oatmeal, and pea powders.
Mix with fat: Pour the warm, liquid fat over the dry mixture. Stir thoroughly until everything is well combined and has a packable consistency.
Form and store: Press the mixture into a pan or mold and refrigerate until firm. Cut the pemmican into bars and wrap them individually in wax paper.
How to use pemmican
Pemmican can be eaten cold as an energy bar or rehydrated in hot water to create a nutritious, warm stew.
A. Karim Ahmed, Ph.D.
(National Council for Science and the Environment; University of Connecticut Health Center; Board Member, IREJN)
The “windshield phenomenon” it is called – not seeing the splatter of flying insects on one’s car’s windshield as warm weather returns. And it appears to be a worldwide phenomena. Scientists in several regions of the Europe and North America have noticed an alarming reduction of insect population in their midst. This has major implications for both the biotic world and human society.