William Brand

Glad to see a familiar face from the bygone days. How have you been?

Beef & Mashed Potatoes As described by Janet. I took rump roast and sirloin roast (you can use any roast) and slow cooked it with onions, lawry’s seasoned salt, pepper and beef stock on 200 degrees for 10 hours or until it is real tender depending upon your oven. Then I shredded it off the bone. You can experiment with adding any spices you want such as rosemary, thyme, parsley really anything..even red wine. When I got to forte de charte I put it in the dutch oven then poured some beef gravy in and put mash potatoes on top. That was it. The only thing I would do different is add more gravy. The dutch oven soaked up the gravy so it was a little dry.

Janet was careful to cook bacon while most of us were distracted by other things or away from camp. A prudent move when cooking bacon around armed pirates.

Hispaniola Beef 1 1/2 lbs. round steak cut in bite size pieces* 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp. garlic salt 1 Tbsp. chili powder 1 Tbsp. prepared mustard 1 chopped onion 1 beef bouillon cube, crushed or 1 tsp. beef base 1 - 16 oz. can tomatoes, chopped 1 - 16 oz. can kidney beans, drained Mix meat, salt, pepper, chili powder and mustard in pot. Cover with onions, bouillon and tomatoes. Top with beans. Cover and simmer slowly for 6-8 hours. *Hamburger was substituted for round steak when prepared at Fort de Chartres.

Jerky 3 lbs. flank steak or round steak 1/2 cup warm water 1/2 cup soy sauce garlic powder to taste 1 1/2 Tbsp. salt 1/2 cup Worcerstershire 1 tsp. coarse ground pepper Cut beef into strips about 1/4" thick. Mix the remaining ingredients and soak the beef strips for at least 2 hours. Remove and towel off, then place in the dehydrator for 8-10 hours or in the oven at 120 degrees for 8-10 hours. The jerky is done when it breaks when bent

Some very good food has been had at recent Mercury events, so this thread is provided to all the crew for the recipes we've shared. Feel free to add your favorites both past and present. Beef Burgundy 2 slices of bacon, chopped 2 lbs sirloin or round steak, cut into 1" cubes 1/4 cup flour 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt 1/4 tsp. marjoram 1/4 tsp. thyme 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 clove garlic, minced 1 beef bouillon cube, crushed or about 1 tsp. beef base 1 cup burgundy wine 2 Tbsp cornstarch (optional) Cook bacon several minutes. Remove and set aside. Coat beef flour and brown on all sides in bacon drippings. Combine steak, bacon drippings, cooked bacon, seasonings, bouillon and burgundy in pot. Cover and slowly simmer 6-8 hours. To thicken gravy dissolve cornstarch in 2 Tbsp. cold water and add to pot. Cook an additional 3 minutes or until thickened.

You are the Pan.

Aye. Keep them in the loop.

Keep the crew of the Mercury in the loop as well.

You are most welcome. It was a good trade for the efforts of all your lads who lent a hand to set up tents, cook food and help us feel welcome at an event very new to many of us. If there's interest, I can make up a nice Mercury cookbook and distribute it as a pdf.

You need to attend and bring ten of your friends, because the Highlanders kept coming back to the tug-a-war with bigger and bigger guys, so they'll be out for blood next year.

Well. It's a Friday. I'm at home. Doing nothing.

Durand watched the men of the Navarra busy themselves with what he could only assume was their version of manning the sails. It was a sloppy affair and the ship's bosun seemed more concerned with looking capable than actually being capable. To be fair, the bosun was not a poor sailor, but life aboard the merchantman had strained even the best of the men and life under their tyrannical captain was showing in the face of every weary sailor. Durand sucked a little air through his teeth when another man very nearly fell from the rigging. Durand was not a man of the sea himself, but he knew poor direction when he saw it, and while he was not actually afraid of the wide, uncertain ocean, he still maintained a healthy respect for the medium and ground his teeth a little at the thought of drowning with the Spanish. "Rhum et un pistolet..." he muttered quietly.

After seven years.

We dragged the Highlanders till their kilts were up over their heads.

Fantastic shots, Mike and Kate, and my many thanks for shooting so many with my camera.

More pictures... June 5, 2010 http://picasaweb.google.com/williamtpace/FortDeChartresJune5201002?authkey=Gv1sRgCNDboLvDq6HrIQ# June 6, 2010 http://picasaweb.google.com/williamtpace/FortDeChartresJune62010?authkey=Gv1sRgCM6w86GB57_goQE#

From Paris with Love. "I fear we have no vanilla."

Raise a loud and lively cheer for Mister Keele! Fifty years and as fine a sailor as you might hope to meet! Extra rum rations all around.

Welcome aboard. I'm from Northern Utah, so I share your longing for a coastline.

Done.

Welcome aboard.

No, but I sent the pdf to Michael's email.

François de Pas de Mazencourt is the Governor of all the Windward Isles, while de Hurault is specifically the governor of just Martinique. This is why there seems to be two governors at once. The titles are different by added definition. François de Pas de Mazencourt is a the Governor-general les Îles du Vent, which gives him jurisdiction over all of the island holdings of France in the Caribbean. Martinique's local,immediate governor is de Hurault.

The North County News paid us a visit in camp during the event and did the following write-up.