Gremlin’s Fireside Chat

I am not too sure what period the following covered (prob in the last 10 years) but they are the Meals-ready-to-eat (MRE or ‘Field Rations’) that are issued to troops in the field who are not near a army canteen or mobile kitchen. There are a number of “menu’s” and which one you get on any given day was pretty much a random lottery from what I remember. Most troops used to hate field rations for a number of reasons: they can’t cook, the limited menu (snacks were pretty much the same and breakfast was almost always some form of meat and beans) and most people usually don’t like something in each menu so swapping a pudding for a tin of sausage-and-beans was common. For me I did not like afters (puddings apart from chocolate ones) and I don’t drink tea so would swap those for a tin of beans and a coffee ration for example.

One thing my father taught me was you needed to “supplement” the rations anyway you can. For me I used to bring a supply of salt, pepper, dried soup, OXO cubes, tomato ketchup and mustard sachets (kind you get in cheap cafe’s) and a plentiful supply of “instant potato” to help “improve” the rations. If the truth be known I actually quite liked Army food. Anyway I digress from the list of menus.

Menu ‘A’
Breakfast: Hamburger & Beans
Snack: Oatmeal block, Fruit Biscuits, Brown Biscuits, Cheese Spread, Choc Bar (2), Boiled Sweets
Main Meal: Soup, chicken & Mushroo & Pasta, Treacle Pudding

Menu ‘B’
Breakfast: Corned Beef Hash
Snack: Oatmeal block, Fruit Biscuits, Brown Biscuits, Meat Pate, Choc Bar (2), Boiled Sweets
Main Meal: Soup, Beef Stew & Dumplings, Choc Pudding in a chocolate sauce.

Menu ‘C’
Breakfast: Chicken Sausage & Beans
Snack: Oatmeal block, Fruit Biscuits, Brown Biscuits, Cheese Spread, Choc Bar (2), Boiled Sweets
Main Meal: Soup, Lamb Stew & Potatoes, Fruit Dumplings in a Butterscotch Sauce.

Menu ‘D’
Breakfast: Corned Beef Hash
Snack: Oatmeal block, Fruit Biscuits, Brown Biscuits, Meat Pate, Choc Bar (2), Boiled Sweets
Main Meal: Soup, Pork Casserole, Treacle Pudding

Menu ‘E’
Breakfast: Bacon & Beans
Snack: Oatmeal block, Fruit Biscuits, Brown Biscuits, Cheese Spread, Choc Bar (2), Boiled Sweets
Main Meal: Soup, Lancashire Hotpot, Fruit Dumplings in a Butterscotch Sauce.

Menu ‘F’
Breakfast: Beefburger & Beans
Snack: Oatmeal block, Fruit Biscuits, Brown Biscuits, Meat Pate, Choc Bar (2), Boiled Sweets
Main Meal: Soup, Steak & Veg with potatoe, Rice Pudding.

Menu ‘G’
Breakfast: Meatballs & Pasta in tomato sauce
Snack: Oatmeal block, Fruit Biscuits, Brown Biscuits, Cheese Spread, Choc Bar (2), Boiled Sweets
Main Meal: Soup, Chicken Stew, Choc Pudding in a chocolate sauce.

Daily Drinks and Sundries
You are also issued on a daily basis a number of drinks: powdered chocolate, coffee, tea. You also get vegetable stock, powdered milk, sugar, lemon or orange powder.

Came home to the view of starling looking out at me from the sitting room window. Poor bird fell down the chimney and obviously scared flew around spreading excrement everywhere – guess what I will be doing this evening. I don’t know what they eat – looks like berries of some kind – but it certainly eats into white gloss paint and leaves a purple stain that won’t shift no matter what you do.

According to this article on the BBC 25% of all Europeans have never used a PC. Even my mother (non tech as you get) has used a PC at least once. I am gobsmacked!!!

The post holiday blues have kicked in after arriving home from a 12 excellent days with the Family in Bavaria Germany. Will post more when i have gone through 982 email messages and uploaded my holiday snaps.

After a visit to the circus I heard about the tragic and untimely death of Farrah Fawcett – a woman I had pubesent hormone induced lust rushes over as a teenager when she starred in the original “Charles Angels”. Ms Fawcett and I never met, but those “warm and fuzzy” memories have lasted the last 30 years of so. A woman I have read nothing but positive stories about, well Farrah may the Lord welcome you to paradise and forgive you your sins. God bless you.

As I was writing this article the news (truth not yet confirmed) of the Death  of Michael Jackson from a heart attack has hit the Internet – The Internet has gone nuts and I cannot access Twitter or any of the major news and “showbiz” sites. Michael was a man with massive music talent, but unfortunate “car crash” of a personality and life… more later when I can access the Internet and things calmed down.