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What do you eat out there?

Started by Nils Jonsson, February 05, 2021, 02:40:43 AM

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Nils Jonsson

Working in the forest is fun but you can't only work, you have to eat as well. Last winter I decided to make different kinds of sallad in the evenings that I brought to the forest the next day. It was great, a few weeks. Then I bought potato sallad at the grocery, fried some sausages to take with me. That was also great, a few weeks. My fiancĂ© provided me with her home-made potato sallad which made that concept great for another week or two. This season it has been only sandwiches and more sandwiches ... and that's not great anymore. I need inspiration. The food is important when you work hard.
So, what do you eat when you're out there with the chainsaw?

WV Sawmiller

   We make pasta salad pretty regularly and I have taken it with me on portable jobs. It works well.

  I make mine using the colored salad twirls (Macaroni), diced up onion, diced carrots, diced ham and mayo. Season with salt and black pepper.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I forgot I include diced up tomatoes.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

BradMarks

Sandwiches are the good to go food. I don't work in the woods any more and I still have a sandwich most days. Quick and easy.  Of course some days have better stuff between the bread than others. Hot meals are excellent if you have the time, but at O dark thirty, pretty early to heat up and package in the thermos, at least it was for me. 

Tacotodd

The stuff that's made in the morning at the same time that you cook something for breakfast but not the same thing that lunch. Being a Southern boy, everything is fried. Bacon sandwich's are good and very easy to keep around, and they hardly require any refrigeration. Thin sliced ham that's fried and on a sandwich is also good. Toppings and whatever you decide for it (and whatever you have that you see fit to use). Wait, I just like to EAT! I've even had people that I help that are so glad to have my help that they just paid me with lunch that they made for themselves. Does that mean that I'll "work for food"?  :D
Trying harder everyday.

Texas Ranger

Y'all are killing me! What ever happened to beanieweinies, sardines, pot meat, vienna sausage and crackers?
The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

Tacotodd

The problem with that, passĂ©  ;D   No real problem, but I always wanted something with more of a homey feel to it. Besides, I always wanted something with a little more fresh cooked for my "tender palate"   headscratch
Trying harder everyday.

Texas Ranger

never had the opportunity, or desire, to carry an ice chest in the woods all day.  So, what ever would go in the day pack.
The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

Tristen

I understand this will not work for most people, however!   At the sawmill i always have a small fire going,  the woods i am in now they have a lot of trash logs from the loggers and they are always burning logs, if i am cutting at the hedge row or the neighbors maple trees i burn the brush so always a small fire going.

Hot dog on a stick (always a stick somewhere) roasted over an open fire, with a tin can of beans is hard to beat for lunch.   
Interest; Wood mizer LT35 HD,   Husky chainsaws, Firewood, sustainable logging, lumber, Kubota compact tractors
"You are the first person to ever see the inside of that tree"

Tacotodd

I like that idea Tristen, because when you use that can, you don't even need a pan, just remember the welding gloves. I call them "camping potholders". They also work very well for precision setting of logs in a burning fire, just don't take all day, everything has its limits!
Trying harder everyday.

Magicman

It's almost always a sammich for lunch, even when I am on the road.  Hotel rooms have a frig.  Ice tea, chips of some sort and two cookies.  Gots to have them cookies.  :D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

SwampDonkey

Out on the block cutting brush, around 10 am I have peanut butter and jam and a cranola bar. At noon I have a black forest ham and cheese on home made bread and a dish of fruit or apple. Copious amounts of tap water from my water jugs, if I run out I get more from the big jug at the truck. ;D The meat I buy is "free from" a lot of stuff in cheaper processed stuff. Only preserve in it is celery extract. No nitro stuff. :)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Nils Jonsson

Many thanks for all the good and tasty suggestions. I asked the same question at another forum that I'm following and got some ideas there as well.
I think I'll start gaining weight again ...  8)

Magicman

I once worked with a guy that brought foil wrapped ham, sausage, or egg biscuits with him every day.  He put them on the top of his truck engine when he parked and always had a warm mid-morning snack.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

kantuckid

I keep dried dates, figs and apricots in a snack bag at the shop or in my pocket for a snack. In the car we range from nabs & soda up to tuna salad and pimento cheese. I also go Euro and take a chunk of cheese and some real bread such as ciabatta for lunch. 
Fresh fruit is my lunchbox standard along with baloney or braunswager sandwich. 
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

Chuck White

When I'm at the mill, I usually pack a peanutbutter samich, heavy with the peanutbutter, or a "hard fried" egg samich!

Gotta have that energy!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Ljohnsaw

Quote from: Magicman on February 08, 2021, 08:48:40 AM
I once worked with a guy that brought foil wrapped ham, sausage, or egg biscuits with him every day.  He put them on the top of his truck engine when he parked and always had a warm mid-morning snack.
At home, I'll make a big Cuban pork roast.  We like to make burritos with white rice and black beans.  Also some cheddar cheese and some mole' (sp) - olive oil, lemon, garlic and a little water.  So I make a bunch, wrap in foil and freeze.  I put one in the cooler with a gallon of water for the day.  I plop it on my truck hood in the morning to defrost.  If I'm using the generator, on that to heat up, otherwise on the old-water-heater-tank-stove to brown it up.  Some chips and some cookies after.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Tacotodd

Trying harder everyday.

bluthum

I rarely go out to work any more but when I did I liked to have food to look forward to. Pasta salad is hard to beat, it will stay with you and the variety is endless. Recipes were based on what's in the fridge or garden. Usually I'd make enough on Sunday night for 4 meals. 

A big chef salad works too, also endless possibilities with a sharp cheese and black olives. Crackers supply the carbs there. A pocket full of venison jerky will get you through the low spots with style.

Sandwiches were usually cold ground venison [olive oil] on some hardy bread.  Even these days I keep a can of pork and beans in the truck, if you're hungry it's a welcome sight even cold and will last you a while. Ditto a can of sardines and dried fruit.  Venison jerky is the all around champ for unplanned starving sessions, work or otherwise. I never leave home with out it [almost].

Being a carpenter some times you could have access to a micro wave, in winter you can live it up with home made stew or chili. As for drinks I always took well water, usually enough for the crew.

Wudman

Quote from: Texas Ranger on February 06, 2021, 09:58:31 AM
Y'all are killing me! What ever happened to beanieweinies, sardines, pot meat, vienna sausage and crackers?
I was sitting on the tailgate eating my lunch the other day when asked, "What is potted meat?"  I said, "Everything that doesn't make it into a hot dog".  I eat quite a bit of it; a can of potted meat with a pack of nabs is a Southern Virginia banquet.  I just miss the days of "Fairfax Hall" (a now defunct local Virginia brand) potted meat and vienna sausages.  They were my favorite.  WalMart's house brand is the next closest thing.
Wudman
"You may tear down statues and burn buildings but you can't kill the spirit of patriots and when they've had enough this madness will end."
Charlie Daniels
July 4, 2020 (2 days before his death)

kantuckid

I worked in a packing plant where we made hot dogs, all types of sausages and any other luncheon meats plus hams and more. I am very pleased that in spite of losing the flavors I associate with an old time hot dog, bologna and certain other luncheon meats, their are many offerings nowdays of sausages and wieners that have zero sodium nitrate and nitrite. Potted meat, vienna sausages , spam and the like are not healthy foods. Fats, salts are through the roof. My stents don't need fatty meats. I do allow myself and occasional pkg of Braunswager/bologna but not an everyday lunch item. 
When I was single I ate enough beanie weinies made from scratch to kill a horse? 
Todays grocery has lots of frozen choices not seen back then.  
 Sardines I'm not so worried about but don't eat them much in recent years. i always liked the tiny ones vs. the bigger fishies. 
We eat wild caught salmon patties whenever we have beans for a meal, plus fried taters. 
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

SwampDonkey

Miss the days we caught wild salmon in the Saint John. You can still catch wild salmon up here in New Brunswick. Some of that is private water.  We have also crown reserved where residents can fish on a lottery draw. Much of the fishing is catch and release now.

I still eat an occasional sardine, definitely stocked in cupboard. I forgot to mention before that I also eat a lot of nuts and dried fruit, Turkish figs and dates from the middle east. They don't add preservatives to their dried fruit, not what I'm getting anyway. You don't need that on figs and dates, they last a long time without that crap. :)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

kantuckid

I buy dates in bulk from California sellers. My uncle would bring them back from visits to his brother in S California and I've loved them ever since! Freeze em and eat later. I carry them in my pockets in zip lock bags, shop file cabinet and as an afternoon snack. There are now quite a few small Hispanic date growers in California. I got burned by one who sold me the rejects but ended up cutting them up for sprinkling on my cereal. 
I also buy bulk California apricots and dried figs-eaten the same way. Deglet Noor is my favorite date, eating a bag of Dayri's right now. Deglets are often sold out as the season ends.  My least favorite date is the popular, pricey and extremely sweet and huge Medjool date. I'll eat them, but don't buy them.
 Almonds also bought in 5# bulk, frozen and used over the year. This years came from a family farm in CA website- Sohnrey Family Foods. Cheaper and fresh! Pecans I buy in bulk from ebay-got a $100 bucks worth this winter from Dothan, AL seller that had been cracked and blown-the best way to get them as you not only don't have to crack them, but the shells have been partially blown away with the lighter debris.  Store bought dried fruits and nuts come mostly from bulk companies and often are from previous seasons, not "this season". I even got free delivery on pecans as the seller does ebay deliveries as a sideline gig and got some of the best nuts I've had. 
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

SwampDonkey

I like those pitted (removed) sugar dates (half the price of Medjool) and the Medjool dates. The Turkish figs I get are nice and soft, not like chewing on dried pig's ear like some are. ;D Can't always get the good Turkish figs, probably a seasonal thing. Pecans, I get a 2-1/2 lb bag 3 times a year for $29 a bag, these are halves. Get them at grocery store. Cheaper than Costco I find, Costo 1/2 lb smaller bag. Pecan is a pricey nut, way more expensive than walnuts.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

kantuckid

Pitted dates? I'll pass on that one. Try a named variety date with pits from this years crop, as pitted & store dates are mostly older and often steamed dates too. Deglet Noor is the most popular date overall but some growers have switched to the Medjool which I find overpoweringly sweet. In my area only Meijers has good dates on the shelf not that I buy them. They also sell good figs too. 
 Pecans, most any nuts from a grocery are also previous seasons before the current one. I don't know if they'll cross the border? but FB market place & ebay have lots of regional producers who sell them shelled and not shelled for much less and in varieties that are the best vs. whatever went in the bag. 
Take a look at Nuts.com which has premium dried fruits and nuts. My Wife gets her coffee from them too. 
All nuts & dried fruit freeze well and can be eaten as you need some bought in bulk. As a senior I can attest that they make my pooter work well too. 
I tried several hardy fig plant varieties here in KY which are supposed to produce in my zone but they die back and come on so slowly they barely stay alive, let alone make fruit. 
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

SwampDonkey

These pitted ones are not US, they are middle eastern. These are not those cooking dates you typically find in resealable bags or hard bricks. A whole different world of date. What you assume these are, well they aren't.  :) I picked up a 2 lb box of US grown Medjools today for $7 CDN.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

kantuckid

I wasn't suggesting or assuming anything except what I said not meaning the compacted, brick dates but based on my time looking at date sources, pitted dates are typically steamed dates sold by bulk packagers. the steaming changes the flavor in a way that I dislike them even when they are my favorite varieties. If they'll go through your CA customs you owe it to try a California grower and some varieties to see what's to your liking. I can PM you a link. Timing matters as they often sell out soon after the harvest. These dayri's are a really good date but Deglets & Honey dates and a few others I like best. 
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

SwampDonkey

Here's the pitted Honey dates I was talking about. I called then sugar dates.

Parnoosh Company Products
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

kantuckid

Yep, thats the real thing. I tend to prefer the drier dates with less intensity of sweetness than the Medjools which are heavily pushed variety in recent years. My last bag of dried Turkish figs came from www.Bulk Foods.com but the Calimymas from them were better as fresher. 
 There are growers in Calif. & AZ for them too. A road stop place that has date interest is at the AZ/CA border that is a combo gas stop and dates seller. They have many dates for sale and to taste. In the S Calif. date area there are the big places and then the small ones who now are able to sell from FB Marketplace, CL, ebay and local farmers markets. I've been buying from local growers. I've got a bunch of VG date seller websites but switching from Windows 7 to 10 means I must log inas my wife  to view my old contents and I'm too lazy to look :D while my coffee's hot :D. 
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

HemlockKing

Spam ham, potatoes gravy mixed all in one. Kraft dinner mixed with a can of tuna, cans of beans, granola bars, shelled peanuts, sometimes a protein shake, that's about it for when I'm working in the woods  :D
A1

doc henderson

I carry Vienna sausages and spam singles in my truck.  homeless guy along the road, gets spam singles, not cash.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

kantuckid

Euell Gibbons is rolling in his grave? :D Here we see professional beggars outside Walmarts and Krogers. "will work for food" people who mostly never work and are unlikely homeless either. One guy works the entrance to my orthopedic doc. 
Lexington,KY  for a year or so they stopped panhandlers but when it warmed up I saw them all doing their old street corners. Some are apparently homeless and more seem to be pro beggars. They did a van project that involved actual paid work but that seems to be dead now. There they don't get seen much except begging & druggie sleepover place in cold weather outside in the day. Homeless tent/camp areas are in wooded areas on outskirts of industrial places, not as seen in TV news.  
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

doc henderson

had a guy ask for gas money at Christmas time.  my daughter was with me, so I gave him some cash.  6 weeks later my daughter and I were at Walmart and the same guy came up and did the same spiel.  I told him I had given him money 6 weeks prior, he ran to his car and left.  he went over to Lowes across the street.  I call the manager to let him know, and he said he would take care of it.  It was a good lesson for her, and I told her to never get money out for someone like that.  my dad was a truck driver, and he taught me this.  He was former army MP, and said he was ready to shoot a guy who ran up across the truck stop parking lot at 4 in the morning and jumped up on the side step of his truck.  The guy asked him for a dollar for a cup of coffee.  coffee at the time was a dime.  
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

kantuckid

My childhood hobos down at the Topeka Rock Island RR hobo camp were in the direct path of us getting to the Kaw where we had lines set. They'd hit us up for a dime for a cup of coffee which translated to Romeo & Juilet fortified wine. Many back then many did farm work in the Silver Lake Valley area or walked all over town asking for work at doors.
We see the exact same beggars in our nearest small towns for many years. It's a career path of sorts. I've read where a couple hundred a day is typical.
College students in Morehead, KY are the most common, sure fire category of person to give them money based on my scientific studies waiting for a red light to change...
The most sophisticated beggars I've encountered were in DC. They dressed in nice crisp dress shirts and pressed khaki pants and would ask for money to redeem their towed car. I went every other year along with my wife who had meetings and happened often. 
I've seen counts of the homeless in my rural county but they are never, ever seen? Must be those persons forced by circumstances to live with relatives? 
We have a senior center where many of those who eat there are living on the same retirement checks we live on. One guy is a car collector. Go figure on that one as a tax supported operation huh?  Same people go to the ag ext office and pickup their coupons for freebies at the farmers market. First couple of weeks it's hard to buy early veggies over the senior coupon people. Handouts are ingrained into society.
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

Nils Jonsson

Back to the subject - eating. I read an article about the situation for many bars and restaurants here in Europe (Sweden in particular) and the importance in supporting them during the hard times now. Here in Sweden, bars and restaurant never had to close, as in other European countries like Germany and the UK, but the restrictions has made life hard for them as they have to have short opening hours and a limited number of guests. I go out to eat, or to get take away food, at least twice a week to support the local food businesses in my neighborhood. 
What is the situation over in North America? Are your bars & restaurants open? Have they survived? 

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