Here are the primary components (minus the FRH and beverage bag which I set aside)
The outer pack is date coded 6221 (IIRC) and the components have date codes in the 6170 - 6220 range.
Main: Chili and Macaroni
Wheat Snack Bread
Cheese Spread with Jalapenos
Chocolate Mint Cookie with Chocolate Chips
Beverage Base Raspberry SUGAR FREE (x2)
Spiced Cider
Skittles
Ground Red Pepper
Salt, Matches, Gum, TP, Moist Towlette, Spoon
After putting the Main into boiling water to heat (saving the FRH), I made up one Beverage Base Raspberry SUGAR FREE. The packet says to use 20 ozs. bottled water. I didn't have one of those, so I mixed it with just 16 oz. in a measuring cup. It took a bit of stirring to get it all dissolved...some floating white islands were particularly annoying. But it did mix in even using cold water. Even with using 16 instead of 20 oz. of water, it tasted pretty good and not too sweet or too much like "sugar free". It was nice with the Chili.
Once hot, I plated the Chili with Macaroni, the bread and the Jalaeno Cheese spread.
Even with kneading, the Cheese Spread was pretty grainy and a little brown. Not smooth. It tasted OK with some spice, but not too hot. HOWEVER, about 30 minutes later, it wasn't sitting well in my stomache. Just a bit of heartburn and "re-taste." This happened with the "Cheese Spread with Bacon" last time I had one of the 2006 meals, so I don't think I'll be eating the cheese any more. Just doesn't agree with me.
The Chili and Macaroni was nice and tasty! A little bit of spice, but not really hot. I did not feel the need to add any of the Ground Red Pepper. It tasted a lot like regular canned Chili (no beans) and regular macaroni. It didn't really seem cheesy like it does when I mixed canned chili with Kraft M&C, so I think this was NOT "Mac and Cheese" macaroni. I at it all and sopped up some of the sauce with Wheat Snack Bread.
The Snack Bread held no surprises. Dense, dry and fairly flavorless, as usual. But nothing wrong with it either.
After going back to work, I at the cookie.
The cookie was try and pretty crumbly. The photo doesn't show how dark brown it looked in person. It clearly had a chocolate-based cookie with mint flavor and then regular chocolate chips. I liked it and would certainly eat it again.
That's all I ate today. I'll likely share the Skittles with my daughter later tonight. The second Beverage Base and the Spiced Cider will be set aside for later consumption. I expect the second pack of Bev Base to be just like the first. I have had the Cider before, too, and it was OK if you are a hot cider fan (not my favorite, but I don't hate it).
The sharp-eyed viewer will see that I didn't use a US MRE spoon. I'm not sure where this spoon came from, actually. I thought it was from a previous ration, but it isn't Canadian or British, so...dunno.
Also the knife... I liked the razor-shaped blade that Nathan uses so I picked this one up at a local gun show. It is made my a local knife make and actually has more of a "Tanto" shape to it. Bronze handle scales, liner lock. It's a pretty nice knife.
Please comment if you like these quick photo/text reviews so I'll be encouraged to keep them coming. Thanks for your interest.
Rob
