RDC
  • RDC
  • Herf-A-Holic Topic Starter
Thursday, February 10, 2005 6:57:00 AM

MRE Humor
by Frank Rodgers

I had a date the other night at my place. On the phone the day before, the girl asked me to "Cook her something she's never had before" for dinner.

After many minutes of scratching my head over what to make, I finally settled on something she has DEFINITELY never eaten.

I got out my trusty case of MRE's. Meal, Ready-to-Eat.
Field rations that when eaten in their entirety contain
3000+ calories. Here's what I made:

I took three of the Ham Slices out of their plastic packets, took out three of the Pork Chops, three packets of Chicken-a-la-King, and eight packets of dehydrated butter noodles and some dehydrated/rehydrated rice. I cooked the Ham Slices and Pork Chops in one pan, sautéed in shaved garlic and olive oil.

In another pot, I blended the Chicken a-la-king, noodles, and rice together to make a sort of mush that looked suspiciously like succotash. I added some spices, and blended everything together in a glass pan that I then cooked in the oven for about 35 minutes at 450 degrees.

When I took it out, it looked like, well, ham slices, pork chops, and a bed of yellow poop. I covered the tops of the meat in the MRE cheese (kinda like velveeta) and added some green sprinkly thingys from one of my spice cans (hey, if it's got green sprinkly thingys on it, it looks fancy right?)

For dessert, I took four MRE Pound Cakes, mashed 'em up, added five packets of cocoa powder, powdered coffee cream, and some water. I heated it up and stirred it until it looked like a sort of chunky gelatinous organism, and I sprinkled powdered sugar on top of it.
Voila--Ranger Pudding.

For alcoholic drinks, I took the rest of my bottle of Military Special Vodka (yes, they DO make a type of liquor named "Military Special"--it sells for $4.35 per fifth) and mixed in four packets of "Electrolytes - 1 each - Cherry flavored"
(I swear, the packet says that). It looked like an eerie kool-aid with sparkles in it (that was the electrolytes I guess... could've been leftover sand from Egypt).

I lit two candles, put a vase of wildflowers in the middle, and set the table with my best set of Ralph Lauren Academy-series China (that s**t is f ***ing EXPENSIVE...
my set of 8 place settings cost me over $600), and put the alcoholic drink in a crystal wine decanter.

She came over, and I had some appetizers already made, of MRE spaghetti-with-meatballs, set in small cups. She saw the dinner, saw the food, and said "This looks INCREDIBLE!!!"

We dug in, and she was loving the food. Throughout the meal, she kept asking me how long it took me to make it, and kept remarking that I obviously knew a thing or two about cooking fine meals. She kind of balked at the makeshift "wine" I had set out, but after she tried it I guess she liked it because she drank four glasses during dinner.

At the end of the main course, when I served the dessert, she squealed with delight at the "Chocolate mousse" I had made. Huh? Chocolate what? Okay... yeah... it's Chocolate Moose. Took me HOURS to make... yup.

Later on, as we were watching a movie, she excused herself to use my restroom. While she was in there, I heard her say softly to herself "uh oh" and a resounding but petite f**t punctuated her utterance of dismay.

Let the games begin.

She sprayed about half a can of air freshener (Air Freshener, 1 each, Orange scent. Yup. The Army even makes smell good) and returned to the couch, this time with an obvious pained look.

After 10 more minutes she excused herself again, and retreated to the bathroom for the second time. I could hear her say "What the hell is WRONG with me???,"
as she again send flatulent shockwaves into the porcelain bowl. This time, they sounded kinda wet, and I heard the toilet paper roll being employed, and again, LOTS more air freshener.

Back to the couch. She smiles meekly as she decides to sit on the chair instead of next to me. She sits on my chair, knees pulled up to her chest, kind of rocking back and forth slightly. Suddenly, without a word, she ROCKETED up and FLEW to the bathroom, slammed the door, and didn't come out for 30 minutes.

I turned the movie up because I didn't want her to hear me laughing so hard that tears were streaming down my cheeks.

She came out with a slightly gray pallor to her face, and said "I am SOOOOOO sorry. I have NO idea what is wrong with me. I am so embarrassed, I can't believe I keep running to your bathroom!!" I gave her an Imodium AD, and she finally settled down and relaxed.

Later on, she asked me again what I had made for dinner, because she had enjoyed it so much. I calmly took her into the kitchen and showed her all the used MRE bags and packets in the trash can.

After explaining to her that she had eaten roughly 9,000 calories of "Army food" she turned stark white, looked at me incredulously, and said "I ate 9,000 calories or dehydrated food that was made 3 years ago?" After I concurred, she grabbed her coat and keys, and took off without a word.

She called me yesterday. Seems she couldn't s**t for 3 days, and when she finally did, the smell was so bad, her roommate could smell it from down the hall. She also told me she had been working out nonstop to combat the high caloric intake, and that she never wanted me to cook dinner for her again, unless she was PERSONALLY there to inspect the food beforehand.

It was a fun date. She laughed about it eventually, and said that that was the first time she'd ever crapped in a guy's house on a date. She'd been so upset by it she was in tears in the bathroom while I had been in tears on the couch.

I know, I'm an a**hole, but it was still a funny night.

Homebrew
Thursday, February 10, 2005 7:07:00 AM
ROTFLMFAO,
Thanks, great story.
Dave (A.K.A. Homebrew)
bassdude
Thursday, February 10, 2005 7:14:00 AM
what Homie said.
stlbluesaddict
Thursday, February 10, 2005 7:21:00 AM
I have tears running down my eyes! That is hilarious!!
Sfraun04
Thursday, February 10, 2005 7:28:00 AM
This is great! I'm glad no one is near my office, or else I would be getting some weird looks from all the laughing I did.
bullwyf
Thursday, February 10, 2005 9:10:00 AM
Well you know you have to eat these dog gone things for awhile before your intestines can handle them. I just finished a Chicken Tet this morning. I've given them to my wife and kids before as a nolvety but never considered actually cooking them for dinner. Your very resoucefull if not brave.

I think I would have opted for the Enchalada and Burrito and tried to do mexican. You know you would have had the salsa for flavor and color and the Mexican rice as a side. You could have used the jalapeno cheese to hide the otherwise plastic appearance of the burrito. Then she would have been able to blame the Far%ing on Mexican food.

I'd also recommend using the protien shakes in a blender with ice to create a smoothie for a nice after dinner treat.

Their planning on releasing a pizza MRE sometime this year. They just released a vegitarian beef patty substitute in BBQ sauce that taste just like it sounds. A dry peice of cardboard with BBQ sauce on it.

Marine Corps Battle Edge Tip Of The Spear. . .oooh Rah!!
cexshun
Thursday, February 10, 2005 9:18:00 AM
When I was a kid, my dad used to bring these home from the Army as a treat. I loved them, and for some reason, still do. Maybe it's the novelty of it, I don't know.

Anyway, a local surplus store has them for like $1.50 each. I grabbed tons to bring to work for lunchs. Very cheap and convenient. Maybe they are old and stale? lmao

They are amazing because I just stash a couple boxes of these babies in the storage closet and never have to worry about refrigeration or forgetting my lunch because I'm in a hurry.

3 cheers for spaghetti and meatball MREs.
usahog
Thursday, February 10, 2005 11:02:00 AM
Man I am Rolling here!!!! LMAO!!!!!!!

I brought some of these home for Mrs. Hog and the youngin from my last deployment... she did try a bit of it.. the kid loved them as did my kids...

but the Chicken-a-la-King, no way thank you.. every time I got one of these I traded it... bad adventure in a Nato Tac Eval in 91.. Denmark, we were in Tab Vee's and the only way to heat your meal... logical way and fast.. was to tape it to the wall in the tab vee and when the Jet fired up and sat at Idle for awhile your MRE would swell from the heat and fall off the wall... Meals Done... We had a bad lot, spoiled Chicken-a-la-King... Yea Baby!!!! Between the nights out after each days exercise and to many Tuborg's and Carlsbergs and then that nice steamy meal in the seal... the jet finally taxied out for it's mission and it was time for lunch.. I opened my package and the smell alone took me to my knees...I lost whatever I had eating the night before and probably the entire week... I wasn't alone because when your jet taxi's you close your Tab Vee back up safe and sound and ready for the war games... theres a total of 6 people in each Tab Vee... on this day I cleaned out the entire place with one bad lot number MRE...I'll starve to death before I would touch another Chicken-a-la-King MRE... LOL

Hog
echo4alpha
Thursday, February 10, 2005 10:47:00 PM
Meal Refuse to Exit - nuff said!

myash07
Thursday, February 10, 2005 11:27:00 PM
Now That was funny.....

LMAO!
ash
CWFoster
Friday, February 11, 2005 8:26:00 AM
I read this aloud to our new FC1, and by the time I was done we were both rolling on the deck in tears!
18delta
Friday, February 11, 2005 1:18:00 PM
i've actually had people tell me that they really liked these and that they could not understand why we did not like them. i simply explained that eating them in an environment where you have plates/silverware and a microwave is one thing......eating them in a place where you have to put them in your sleeping bagh with you at night to insure you'd have something thatwed to eat in the morning is another thing altogether....

the cheese spread used to do quite a number on me.........usually meant a three day hiatus on toilet runs. that's why they only give you that small sliver of toilet tissue....thay figure that after the first one, you won't **** for a few days and you'll have alot of it saved by then........
WaldoAR15
Friday, February 11, 2005 1:29:00 PM


Funny story. Some of it sounds like BS though, like the buttered noodles. They aren't dehydrated.

I always have a few up to date cases in the basement for emergencies. *Some* of them aren't too bad. Sure wouldn't want to eat them everyday though.
usahog
Friday, February 11, 2005 2:46:00 PM
LMAO @ Deltas story also!!!

I still have a couple of these tucked away for hunting events...

the newer MRE's have the heaters in them and that is a good thing...

Hog
Cigarick
Friday, February 11, 2005 5:16:00 PM
I used to take a few along when I went backpacking. The high-priced, freeze-dried, hoity-toity junk they sold at the outdoor-stores gave me the runs, but MRE's? Good eatin'!