All posts by Tony Cataldo

Fruit-o-licious Iced Tea

Recipe

This is a sweet fruity tea with black tea base that is very tasty and easy to make. You can adjust the recipe to your own taste by increasing or decreasing the amount of tea or sugar.

1 gallon Filtered water
1 tsp Keemun tea (black tea)
1 tbsp Blueberry loose tea
1 tsp Wild Cherry tea
1 tsp Raspberry Splash tea
7/8 cup Sugar (more or less to taste)

Directions

  1. Pour water into a pot over a medium heat.
  2. Add the teas and sugar.
  3. Allow the tea to brew on medium-low heat for about 30-40 minutes.
  4. Turn off the burner and allow the tea to cool for several hours.
  5. Pour the tea and leaves through a very fine strainer, chill, and enjoy.

THRIVE Enhanced Soup

Food, Recipe

You can use THRIVE meats and vegetables to enhance existing soups and ramen. Place your soup in a pan and add whatever THRIVE products that you like. Heat the soup on a low heat. This allows the THRIVE to rehydrate and cook. You can use THRIVE to turn a boring soup into something tasty and more healthy.

The THRIVE enhanced ramen can work particularly well with kids. If they can make ramen then they can make healthier and more flavorful THRIVE ramen. All they need to do is heat the ramen water, after the water is hot add a variety of THRIVE ingredients, add the ramen noodles and cook as normal. The enhanced ramen will taste better and have more nutritional value.

Since THRIVE products are cleaned, cut, and ready to use all you need to do is open the can and add some product. If you want finely chopped product then place the product in your hand and crush it. Good food can be very easy to make.

Teriyaki Jerky Marinade

Food, Recipe

***** This recipe is still being tested and tweeked *****

This is a teriyaki marinade that can be used as a marinade for jerky, meat, chicken, etc. Vary this recipe to suit your taste. This recipe will make enough marinade for about 2 pounds of jerky meat. Allow the meat to marinade between one and two days depending on the thickness (marinate longer for thicker cuts).

½ cup Soy sauce
4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp Brown sugar
2 tsp Sea salt
1 tsp Peppercorns
2 tsp Garlic powder
2 tsp Onion power, or 5 tsp Thrive Chopped Onions (turn to powder)
1 tsp Paprika
1 tbsp Sesame seeds
1 tsp Aleppo chili, ground
1 tsp Parsley, dried

Directions

  1. Grind the peppercorns, Thrive Chopped Onions, sesame seeds and parsley to a fine powder.
  2. Mix all liquid and dry ingredients in a sauce pan.
  3. Heat on low for about 15 minutes and stir occasionally.
  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  5. When cool pour over meat and marinade at least 12 hours.

Mellow Yellow Bread

Food, Recipe

This is a basic white bread with a hint of banana and spices. It works well as just toast with butter or as sandwich bread.

1 Banana, preferably an over-ripe one
1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
1 tsp Salt, or 1½ tsp sea salt
1 tblsp Brown sugar
1½ tblsp Sugar
1 Egg
2¼ cups Flour
½ cup Milk
1½ tsp Yeast
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Directions

Add all ingredients in bread machine and set for Light White Bread.

Review: Smith & Wesson CS-10

Equipment, Illumination, Review

The Smith & Wesson® Delta Force CS-10 flashlight is a very small flashlight that generates 130 lumens using a single AA battery. It is billed as a tactical flash but at 4″ I consider it too small to be used as a practical, tactical flashlight. I prefer a flashlight that extends past my palm when held tightly in my hand. The CS-10 is a good choice for those who need a bright, rugged, waterproof, and very compact flashlight that uses a standard AA battery. It has high, low, and strobe modes available in both momentary and sustained ON. It also has a semi-aggressive front strike bezel. The CREE XBH LED generates a 130 lumens beam that lasts for nearly 4.25 hours.

  • Construction: Machined from aircraft grade aluminum, fairly aggressive front strike bezel (no rear strike bezel), hard anodized finished, and steel pocket double clip
  • Size: 4″ long, head 0.82″, 2.05 oz.
  • Waterproof: IPX7 (waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes)
  • Durability: Withstands 1-meter drop
  • Features: High/low/strobe modes in momentary or sustained ON
  • Light Output: (high) 130 Lumens for 4.25 hours, (low) 20 lumens for 9.5 hours
  • Beam Pattern: 41″ x 6″ at 3′ (Beam Scale)
  • Power: 1 AA battery

Recommendation

I prefer flashlights that are larger and fit across the palm of my hand. Advantages of the CS-10 include compact size, bright (130 lumens), very long runtime, and it uses a single AA battery. I would NOT use this flashlight as a tactical everyday carry (EDC) light but it would make a good utility or backup light especially if you need small size and light weight. This light has decent brightness, uses a standard battery, and has a long runtime.

Review: Leatherman Charge & Wave

Equipment, Review

I purchased my Leatherman Charge TTi almost by accident. I received a merchandise discount voucher and planned on buying a Leatherman Wave. I showed the last Wave to a customer who decided to buy it. A coworker was considering the Charge so I looked at it and it appeared to be Wave with a couple of added features. The price was higher and the Charge had a titanium body and better knife. The discount voucher expired that day and the Wave now out-of-stock so I bought the Charge TTi. I am glad that I bought the Charge TTi and it is the best multitool in my collection.

The Charge TTI features these 19 tools:

  • Needlenose and Regular Pliers
  • Wire Cutter and Hard-wire Cutter
  • Crimper
  • Wire Stripper
  • S30V Knife
  • 420HC Serrated Knife with cutting hook
  • Saw
  • Spring-action Scissors
  • Ruler: 8″ / 19cm
  • Can Opener and Bottle Opener
  • Wood/Metal File and Diamond-coated Files
  • Large and Small Bit Driver
  • Medium Screwdriver

All of the tools securely lock into place. You must manually unlock an individual tool to stow it. The Charge is lightweight, reasonably compact, and it has an extensive complement of tools. The Charge also uses interchangeable tools including bits for screwdrivers, torx, square drive, hex, etc. The bits are very flat and fit in a plastic holder that slips neatly into the sheath. You can also purchase a larger complement of bits and a bit extender. Other features of the Charge TTi include:

  • Comfortable titanium handles withstand 133% more squeezing force
  • Bronze bushings make blades smoother and faster to open
  • Locking blades with locks that are more than 50% stronger
  • Serrated blade with cutting hook
  • Multiple bit drivers and optional bit extender
  • Removable lanyard ring and pocket clip
  • Closed Length: 4″ (10 cm)
  • Weight: 8.89 oz (252g)
  • Primary Blade Length: 2.9″ (7.37 cm)

The Charge is one of the most expensive Leatherman Multitools but it is a serious tool. If you want a very complete, comprehensive, and relatively light (for its features) multitool then consider the Charge TTi. If you want a lighter, less expensive, and very capable multitool with fewer features then consider the Leatherman Rebar or Sidekick. Leatherman makes really good stuff and their quality shows in all of these tools.

If you purchase a Charge then be sure to consider the Bit Extender set. The Charge includes a number of double-sided bits but the extender kit comes with two more cards of double-sided bits. I took the bits that I am most likely to use and created my own custom bit card. With the Leatherman and those bits I have assembled and disassembled may different things. I also highly recommend the leather sheath and bit extender.

Leatherman Wave

The Leatherman Wave is very similar to the Charge. I was on the verge of purchasing a Wave but it was out-of-stock and I purchased the Charge instead. The Wave is a very fine multi-tool and you would not go amiss in purchasing the Wave. The Wave has a stainless steel body that is slightly more comfortable to grip than the Charge. It does NOT have a crimper on the needlenose pliers. It is slightly thinner than the Charge and weighs about 8.5 oz. The saw does NOT have a gut hook. The blade on the Charge is s30V steel and the steel type is not listed on the Wave (probably a slightly less hard/durable steel). Overall, either tool should serve you well and the Wave is priced lower.

Accessories

Review: Streamlight ProTac 2L

Equipment, Illumination, Review

The StreamLight ProTac 2L is a medium-sized, tactical flashlight that generates a 350 lumen beam and uses two CR123 batteries. The 2L is 4.77″ long and could easily be carried in a pocket or holster. It uses the standard Streamlight programming with High/Strobe/Low and also offers the TEN Tap programming to switch it to High only or Low/High only. This flashlight is a good choice if you want a tactical light that is easy to carry and you have larger hands (tactical lights should be longer than the width of your palm).
Features include:

  • Beam: 350 lumens at 6,300 candela with 159m beam
  • Runtime: 3.25 hours from two CR123 batteries
  • Construction: Machined from aircraft grade aluminum, mild strike bezel on head/tail, tight/smooth threads, O-ring for water sealing
  • Size/Weight: 4.77″ long, 2.8 oz w/batteries, small enough to fit in my pants pocket, large enough to extend past the palm of my hand
  • Batteries: Two CR123s
  • Waterproof: IPX7 waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes
  • Durability: Withstands 2-meter drop
  • Price: About $45
  • Features: High/strobe/low by default and Ten-Tap Programming for High only and low/high
  • Beam Pattern: 43″ x 6″ at 3′ (Beam Scale)

It is a basic, tactical flashlight that is easy to carry. It uses two CR123 batteries, has high/strobe/low modes, and the body is machined from aircraft aluminum. The 2L is nearly the perfect size for a tactical flashlight. The length allows the flashlight to extend past the palm of my hand. The flashlight diameter is small enough to easily fit in one’s pocket.

Advantages

The 2L would be a good choice for an everyday carry (EDC) flashlight.

  • High beam of 350 lumens with 3.25 hour battery life
  • Low beam of 30 lumens with 35-hour battery life
  • Aluminum construction with tactical bezels on the front and back
  • Small size allows the flashlight to be easily concealed
  • Large enough to extend across the palm of my hand

Disadvantages

  • No low battery indicator: This light will work fine until the batteries get low and then it will stop working with very little warning. If you needed to light in a tactical situation and the batteries were low you may have a completely non-working light.
  • The light does not tail-stand easily. While this is a disadvantage if you want to tail-stand the light it means that the button is easier to press use to less material on the back of the light.

These are minor disadvantages and should NOT dissuade you from purchasing this light.

Recommendation

My favorite Everyday Carry (EDC) is still the ProTac 1L-1AA but the 2L is a good choice due to its size and brightness. Also consider the ProTac 2L-X flashlight. The 2L-X is a bit larger, generates a 500-lumen beam, and can use either two CR-123s or a single 18650 rechargeable battery.

Review: Smith & Wesson CS-20

Equipment, Illumination, Review

The Smith & Wesson® Delta Force CS-20 flashlight is a very small flashlight that generates 215 lumens. It is billed as a tactical flash but at 3.5″ I consider it too small to be used as a practical, tactical flashlight. I prefer a flashlight that extends past my palm when held tightly in my hand. However, the CS-20 is a good choice for those who need a bright, rugged, waterproof, and very compact flashlight. It has high, low, and strobe modes available in both momentary and sustained ON. It also has a crenulated front strike bezel. The XPG2-R4 Cree LED generates a 215 lumens beam that extends to 120 meters and lasts for nearly 2.5 hours.

  • Construction: Machined from aircraft grade aluminum, fairly aggressive front strike bezel (no rear strike bezel), hard anodized finished, and steel pocket clip
  • Size: 3.5″ (88.9 mm) long, head 0.81″ (20.6 mm), 2.54 oz. (72 g).
  • Waterproof: IPX7 (waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes)
  • Durability: Withstands 1-meter drop
  • Features: High/low/strobe modes in momentary or sustained ON
  • Light Output: (high) 215 Lumens for 2.4 hours, (low) 25 lumens for 7.25 hours
  • Beam Pattern: 42″ x 10″ at 3′ (Beam Scale)
  • Power: 1 CR-123 lithium battery

Recommendation

I prefer flashlights that are larger and fit across the palm of my hand. But if you want a very compact and bright flashlight with a reasonably long runtime then the CS-20 would be a good choice. I would NOT use this flashlight as a tactical everyday carry (EDC) light but it would make a good utility or backup light especially if you need small size and light weight.

Savory Turkey Brine

Food, Recipe

This is a basic savory vegetable brine suitable for brining turkey, chicken, or game hens.

2 gallons Filtered water
1 cup Sea or kosher salt
1/3 cup Light brown sugar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
6 cloves Garlic, chopped
4 sprigs Fresh thyme
1 sprig Fresh rosemary
1 tbsp Whole black peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp Whole allspice berries (optional)
1 Bay leaf
1 Small onion, chopped
2 Carrots, chopped
1/4 cup Parsley, chopped

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients and bring to a boil.
  2. After reaching a boil remove pot and allow to cool.
  3. Add meat so that it is completely covered by brine.
  4. Allow meat to brine for 24 to 48 hours.
  5. Remove meat, rinse, and pat dry.
  6. Rub olive oil on the meat and cook or smoke until internal temperature reaches 165°

Sa-weeeet Blueberry Tea

Food, Recipe

This is a sweet blueberry and oolong tea that is very tasty and easy to make. You can adjust the recipe to your own taste by increasing or decreasing the amount of tea or sugar.

1 gallon Filtered water
1 tbsp Blueberry loose tea (bought mine at Haggen’s
5 tea bags Chinese Oolong tea (find at any Asian market)
1 tbsp
7/8 cup Sugar (more or less to taste)

Directions

  1. Pour water into a pot over a medium heat.
  2. Add the teas and sugar.
  3. Allow the tea to brew for about 30-40 minutes.
  4. Turn off the burner and allow the tea to cool for several hours.
  5. Pour the tea and leaves through a very fine strainer, chill, and enjoy.