Today one day before the great American Holiday we stop and pause to think about what we have to be thankful for.
Two years ago I rerecorded the original portion of this show into much better audio quality, I do hope you enjoy it. If you would like to hear the first version of it as it was recorded in my car you can find the original that was published on Nov. 26, 2008 here.
The beauty of this show is I feel it is something you can share with friends and family. The real history of Thanksgiving is actually a lot more interesting and special then many of the myths.
Tune in today to hear…
Why much of what we learn about Thanksgiving is wrong or at least inaccurate
How Thanksgiving was at one time considered a “damn yankee holiday”
How Thanksgiving became a way for our nation to heal and reunite
How the date of Thanksgiving has often been moved around and why
The truth about those big buckles the pilgrims wore and all that black clothing
What feasting meant 100 years ago to our prior generation that we have forgotten
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show.
Special Notice – The Vevor 10 inch meat slicer is on a black Friday early deal today at 18% off. That will save you about 50 bucks today on this awesome item that if used correctly can pay for itself in a few months.
Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.
Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the Vevor Commercial 10 Inch Meat Slicer. This powerhouse of a slicer is the perfect addition to any homestead kitchen. Imagine the convenience of slicing through your favorite meats with the precision of a professional deli, right in your own home. The adjustable thickness control allows you to customize each slice from paper-thin to 0.6 inches thick, ensuring that your sandwiches, charcuterie boards, and meal preps are elevated to a new standard of excellence.
But it’s not just about the convenience or the professional results; it’s also about the savings. By purchasing larger, unprocessed cuts of meat and slicing them yourself, you’re cutting out the middleman and the extra costs associated with pre-sliced products. Over time, the Vevor meat slicer doesn’t just pay for itself; it turns into an investment that keeps on giving. You’ll notice the difference in your wallet as well as your palate.
Moreover, the ease of cleaning and maintenance means that you won’t be spending your valuable time trying to keep this slicer in top condition. It’s designed with simplicity in mind, featuring removable parts for a quick wash, and a built-in sharpener to keep the blade razor-sharp for smooth slicing every time.
There are two things I want to make you aware of on this subject of cleaning and maintenance. One really great one, and the other not bad, but it was unexpected and honestly, while a simple fix, it is something you should be aware of.
First, the really great one, the one that made me buy it in the first place. All slicers must be broken down and cleaned, which means removing the blade. Now think about this: you have a 10-inch round, very sharp blade that is sharp everywhere. And I mean 360 degrees all around. Well, duh, right? Right up until you need to remove it, clean it, and put it back on. Okay, where are you going to grab it? Most people suggest a cut-resistant glove set. These are okay for prep work, but when handling equipment, starting screws, they make the job harder.
Well, the Vevor has two holes with tapped threads about halfway between the center and the edge. There is also a small adjustment knob on the back; you can simply remove that knob, screw it into either hole, and you have a handle. What a great, functional, and simple idea. All of the companies making these things should totally rip off that idea. The ER docs doing stitches will endorse this idea, I am sure.
Next, the not-so-good one, and really, it is just more of an irritating fact. In the lead-up to the workshop, I had three pieces of Basturma I had made. It is a hard-cured beef made traditionally in Turkey and surrounding countries, also called Pastrama at times. Here’s a short video of how it is made. I grabbed one and tried the first use of the slicer. It bluntly sucked; the blade was dull as crap. This bugs me, QA much, Vevor?!
However, I flipped around the sharpening cover on the top, pinched the buttons, and ran it for about 30 seconds. Flipped it back around, and it turned three half eye of round hunks of Basturma into super thin, buttery deliciousness in a matter of minutes. Hence, if you order one, it MIGHT arrive dull, but you will need to learn to sharpen it anyway, and it literally takes less than a minute and no skill to do.
So even shipped with the dull blade, I am full-on endorsing this one. I looked at a few others that were in this level of performance. The least expensive was over 100 dollars more, some were 200-300 dollars more, and none had the tapped hole in the blade.
So, whether you’re a culinary enthusiast looking to add that professional touch to your dishes, or a savvy shopper keen on maximizing value and taste, the Vevor Commercial 10 inch meat slicer is your kitchen’s new best friend. Make the smart choice and invest in one today; your taste buds, and your budget, will thank you.
* Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com
See This Video for Info on the Blade Removal and the Sharpening
Remember while Rewind Shows are commercial free you can always support our show by Joining the MSB or simply by doing your Amazon.com shopping though TspAz.com
Tune in today for a special edition of The Survival Podcast with Chef Keith Snow. Keith is the creator of HarvestEating.com which focuses on eating seasonally and cooking with food you can grow in your backyard of obtain locally. He is also a daily listener to our show and shares many common ideals with the Survival Podcast audience. So I thought who better to bring on the air in preparation for Thanksgiving then Chef Keith. Whether you are going though having the “in laws” or just want to have the best Thanksgiving meal you ever cooked, today’s show is for you.
Let me tell you folks you are going to want a pen and paper for note taking on today’s episode!
Tune in today to learn…
The simple steps to perfect turkey
Gravy that doesn’t come from an envelope or a jar
Three variations on stuffing that will blow your family away
Simple cranberry sauce that doesn’t come from a can
A duck for Thanksgiving with an amazing spice blend
Using chestnuts and pecans for a great taste twist
How to properly cook stand alone drumsticks for extra dark meat
A way to make squash something special instead of sweet baby food
Mashed potatoes that won’t believe until you try them
Wine selections for Turkey Day
A desert that is so simple to make but totally amazing and unexpected
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK and you might hear yourself on the air
Every day I get an email from some company that wants something from the TSP community. They want to promote some new gadget or gizmo, on occasion it is something really new, cool and useful. More often then not though it is some repackaged crap or over priced assembly of commonly available components.
Since I have told off just about every major network executive like those making the horrible crappy “Doomsday ________” shows they contact me less frequently but it still happens. They are always looking to discuss the “end of the world” and do a good job of feigning false support of the idea.
Additionally of my 200-500 daily emails a good portion are new audience members that are in a huge state of fear. Most just found out recently that everything isn’t okay and super and that real threats exist. They are generally focused on one or two major threats and freaked out. The ones who have been listening to Alex Jones are generally the worst.
These are three very different groups of people, but they all have the same problem, they don’t really know what real survivalism is all about. Yep real survivalism, but I call it modern survivalism, today we discuss why. In short to me, modern survivalism is a lifestyle that builds redundancy first around our needs, then around our wants and lastly around luxury so that we can live a better life.
Join Us Today As We Discuss…
The bullshit statement, “I am not a prepper I am a real survivalist”
What my real goals are for my nation and the rest of the world for that matter
Why reactionary prepping is dangerous and counter productive
How to decouple from fear based action
Balancing the reality of true threats with common sense
Why I decline the vast majority of sponsors, partners, etc. who approach me
Why understanding needs is important
Food
Water
Shelter
Energy
Security
Sanitation and Health
Why living life effectively when times are good is the best form of preparedness
Insure your needs have redundancies
Build real wealth in every way you can
Bet neither on failure or success, either way you will lose
Develop skills and knowledge daily
Learn from others but don’t try to be who they are
Trust yourself more then anyone else, including me
Learn from the past, live in the now, plan for the future `
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
Join the MSB Today
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Remember in addition to discounts to over 80 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.
Okay so previously I wrote an article explaining the Amazon ReNewed program. It is basically returned items that you can get at a discount, for more here is that article.
Today though I have something new for you and JUST IN TIME for the holidays. It is called the Amazon Outlet. What is that exactly. Unlike ReNewed which is returned items and won’t come with manufacturers warranties, etc., these are all brand new unopened items.
In general they are items Amazon feels they have excessive stock of and they want to reduce inventory. So they deeply discount these items. It should be noted that sometimes a item on the outlet will be marked down but looking it up in the regular Amazon search will show that item without the discount. It is one of those things you have to know about to use effictively.
The good news is all you have to do is go to the Amazon Outlet via this Link and search for what you want to find. You won’t always find what you are looking for on sale but it is worth a moment to look and check both the ReNewed and Outlet results. I have added links to both to TspAz.com for your connivance when reading our reviews and such.
Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.
Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the Syantek Remote Control Light Switch Kit. These things are just awesome and for under 30 bucks they provide a lot of convenience. The set comes with two remotes and 5 individual switches.
They are pretty intuitive but here is how they work. You plug one of these into an outlet, then you plug in what ever you want to control remotely into it, you just installed it, you are done. Now if it was unit one, when you push “on” for unit one, what ever is plugged into it comes on, when you push off, it goes off.
I know some of you are thinking, oh gee another gadget so people can sit on their ass and not even walk across the room to turn on a light. Now hold on, here are a few uses that make a lot of sense.
For one we have a floor lamp that is behind the couch, to get to it you have to walk around the back and contort yourself in an odd position to get to it. It isn’t a huge deal but it is a pain in the ass and it is also the best place for the lamp. Install one of these and no more contortionist activities to turn on the lamp.
When I first found these our grandson was too short to reach the wall switch in the bathroom, so I installed a small light, popped in one of these. No more, “I’m scared to go to the bathroom alone” stuff. Ended the excuse cold and he learned to see to his own needs. He also enjoyed using a remote to turn on lights.
I shoot videos at my desk and I have some pretty heavy lights that make the room work well for that. Say I want to shoot a video on the fly, push a button they come on, then off. Not a big deal but when it comes to my work with as much as I do I try to be as efficient as possible.
A few years back I put some really nice string lights in the rafters of my main shop building. The outlets that power them are for the garage door openers. I popped in a couple of these, each switch runs two sets so I have zoned mood lighting now. Nice for TSP Workshops and movie nights out in the shop, etc. Basically any time the LED shop lights are just over kill and too bright.
How about your annual Christmas lights? For us our tree is one of those pre lit jobs. Dorothy has some weird form of OCD around lights on Christmas trees, (okay honestly she is a Christmas tree Nazi, really) that is unsettling. So I got a pre lit job to end it! After that she started building her annual “Christmas Forest” (seriously check out that link it is really cool). She has like 30 of those small tinsel trees she wire tied lights to and a bunch of other small trees. It really is beautiful but it is almost impossible to get to the wall and shut it off. Not with one of these, I just hit 2 and 3 when we go to bed and the forest is dark.
How about a shop with a light on the far end? Some of you likely have older parents with mobility problems, hey less than 30 bucks to make their life a little easier right? I put two cheap box fans in the roof of my back shop and can just turn them on for circulation in warm weather with a button push. I mean those cheap ass box fans that you can get for about 10 bucks BTW.
Okay you electric Nazis that hate phantom loss of electronics that are plugged in but not on. This can really add up, but if you put one of these in the connection and test it with a Kill a Watt, you will find they draw 1/10th of a watt in standby which is almost nothing. Over a year that would cost about 10 cents in electricity, where some devices can cost 20-30 dollars a year in “vampire draw” or even more. With that alone they can pay for themselves.
So if you have any lights or other electronic devices you would like to be able to turn on and off as easily as you do a TV, check out the Syantek Remote Control Light Switch Kit today. I do use my nifty mechanical timers a lot too but sometimes on demand is what you really want.
Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com
P.S. – If you are thinking didn’t Jack used to recommend something like this from Etek City and doesn’t Jack love Etek City? You are correct on both counts. And if Etek still made something like this I would still be recommending them. This year when Dorothy broke out the Christmas stuff we could not find her outlets (likely because some Jerk reappropriated them for other things). So I was like, I will just order more. Welp, nope! Etek stopped making them. So I read reviews, etc. and found that these by Syantek are well thought of (4.6 stars with over 700 ratings). I ordered a set and put them though their paces. They work just fine so they are my official replacement recommendation.
Today’s episode of Friday Flashbacks was originally Episode-281- An Interview With Listener Barb Harrington and was originally recorded on 9-21-09. The show notes for the original episode with all relevant resources can be found here.
Welcome to Friday Flashbacks, after 15 years and hundreds of interview shows we decided to run them as flash backs ever Friday, beginning with the oldest of them going forward.There is a tremendous library of wisdom in all the great interviews we have done over the years.So sit back and enjoy, whether this is your first or second time around with todays episode I am sure you will enjoy today’s episode and learn a lot from it.
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
Join the MSB Today
Want all the Early TSP Episodes?
Remember in addition to discounts to over 80 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.
Today on The Survival Podcast the expert council answers your questions on the fake GOP debates, the national debt, pharmaceuticals, online business, solar for property gates, wood heat, livestock and more.
Make sure if you submit content for an expert council show you do the following….
Email it to me at jack @ thesurvivalpodcast.com
Put TSPC Expert in the subject line
Ask you question and state the expert you have the question for in one coherent sentence
Hit the return key a few times and then give all the details you think are necessary `
Following that procedure makes it about 100X more likely your question will get though screening and sent on to one of our experts. All expert council members can be found on the Meet the Expert Council Page.
Join Me Today to Discuss…
In the Ron Paul Liberty Highlights
The GOP debates are a charade – Dan McAdams & Dr. Paul
Interest on the government debt now tops 1 trillion dollars – Chris Rossini & Dr. Paul
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
Join the MSB Today
Want all the Early TSP Episodes?
Remember in addition to discounts to over 80 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.
SPECIAL NOTICE – This is renewed item is back and at 78 bucks if you don’t own a good food processor this is the one to get. These renewed items are essentially brand new items at a fraction of the cost of retail.
First, this item is part of the Amazon Renewed program and due to that it is on sale and stupid cheap at that. Normally retailing for about 140 dollars you can get one today while they last for 78 bucks. The one I own is better but not hugely so and will cost you about 160 any given day. If I was buying food processor today, I would go with the FP11-GMFR at this steep of a discount and never look back.
Second, if Cuisinart makes it then it is good stuff, period. They practically invented the food processor as we know it today. In fact many people simply refer to food processors as “a Cuisinart” even if it is made by someone else. Kind of the way every copy machine was called a Xerox back in the 80s and 90s.
Third, every prepper and homesteader kitchen should have a food processor. I will save a run down of all the stuff you can do for an upcoming episode of the podcast, but these things are work horses and time savers. This model though has an adjustable slicing blade from 1-7 millimeters and a reversible shredding blade for medium or course shredding along with the typical chopping blade. Translation it does it all.
If you don’t have a good food processor you should likely get this one today. It is one of those kitchen tools you don’t really appreciate until you own it. Also see the below video for a decent overview of this model. (not my video but it shows all the stuff it comes with and how it works).
Special Note – Please make sure you realize that this is a renewed item, I wrote all about what that means here. Also note that you can select different sizes, colors and models all on that one Amazon page and if you do you will end up with much higher pricing. The renewed seems only available in one color “Gun Metal” and one size 11 cups. `
Also this is one of those things on Amazon where like 9 different versions all have their reviews homogenized into one set of reviews. Making the reviews practically worthless because you don’t know what model people are talking about and apparently neither do they at times. `
Anyway if you click this link it will go directly to the one I am recommending – Cuisinart FP-11GMFR Food Processor
Anton van Vuuren was involved in various technology roles which brought him to the USA in 2015. After meeting his wife, at her behest, he opened a restaurant serving South African foods. Then in 2020 Covid caused mass shutdowns and Anton and his family had to diversify what the restaurant did in order to make ends meet. They expanded on many fronts but Biltong manufacturing was one of the key elements that helped them survive though 2020 as a business.
Today Anton joins me to discuss making traditional South African biltong. We also discuss how Anton used this niche product to build a thriving business. Biltong it is not just delicious it is a shelf stable source of protein and fat that belongs in any prepper pantry, if you can manage to keep it around long enough without eating it all first.
Join Me Today to Discuss…
What is biltong
Where did the original biltong come from
How is biltong made
What meats can you make biltong with
What do you use to dry biltong
How long does it take to cure biltong
What is the best way to prep biltong for eating
How do you store biltong
How did covid shutdowns impact Anton’s business
How did they come up with the idea to start making biltong at that time
What has moving into a business that you can sell online taught Anton
What are Anton’s primary marketing and advertising channels
.
Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.
Join the MSB Today
Want all the Early TSP Episodes?
Remember in addition to discounts to over 80 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.
Every day I get an email from some company that wants something from the TSP community. They want to promote some new gadget or gizmo, on occasion it is something really new, cool and useful. More often then not though it is some repackaged crap or over priced assembly of commonly available components.
