Month: January 2016

Letter Re: What’s for Dinner?

Hugh, RH’s question regarding whether frying will destroy the botulism toxin is an important one. Theoretically, all home-canned foods should be boiled upon opening for 10 minutes plus an additional minute for each 1,000 feet above sea level to be as safe as possible. This is from the USDA and CDC. Of course, boiling only raises the temperature to a maximum of 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Deep frying home-canned French fries at temperatures of 350-400 degrees does indeed destroy the botulism toxin completely. We usually fry our potatoes for 8-10 minutes. If you are roughing it and having to deep fry …


Economics and Investing:

Dow slides 391; oil and China drops rattle investors (Warning: Auto-starting video) o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: A Recession Worse Than 2008 is Coming – Don’t pay much attention to the video, as it is not related to article.. Retail Sales in U.S. Decrease to End Weakest Year Since 2009 Bill Gross’ Advice To Traders As Stocks Crash Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Stocks Get Crushed (Business Insider) U.S. markets will be closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Day, although we will see additional trading activity in other parts of the world which should offer some …


Odds ‘n Sods:

After 2½ years and 1,000,000 page views, Frank and Fern are bringing their blog to a close. They want more time to continue their prepping but will continue to leave the blog up and encourage folks to spend time looking through the archives. Many of SurvivalBlog’s readers enjoyed their perspectives, and we are certain to miss their input and reading about their experiences. Jim, Lily, and the whole SurvivalBlog team wish them well. We are already missing them! o o o SurvivalBlog reader JFJ sent in this link to SurvivalSherpa: How to Estimate Distance in the Woods with Right Triangles …



Notes for Friday – January 15, 2016

Ready Made Resources is now carrying Hormone-Free USDA Non-Fat Milk Powder – 240 servings in 6 pouches sealed in a bucket. Milk is essential to cooking and part of many people’s lives. Whether for baking, baby formula, cereal or just as an added source of protein, calcium and nutrients–milk is an often overlooked part of a family’s food storage. This milk has a stable shelf life of 10-15 years. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 62 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Tactical …


What’s For Dinner?- Part 6, by J.R.

Comfort Foods So what little occasional treats will make a world of difference to your spouse, your children, and you? This small investment of time, money, and space will yield tremendous dividends. Beverages Coffee- I don’t drink it and never have, but I recognize the importance many people attach to it. It’s my understanding that coffee beans store better than ground coffee and both are best preserved by vacuum sealing. Hot chocolate- the LDS Home Storage Center carries a very good hot chocolate packaged for long-term storage in mylar bags. (It has a two year shelf life.) Other beverages- Nesquik …


Letter Re: What’s for Dinner?

HJL, There are lots of great ideas and advice on this article! The comments on potatoes reminded me of some questions that have been banging around in my head for years. Why were potatoes always peeled back in the day? If it was to avoid botulism, why are they often left unpeeled these days, not only when fried, but also when baked or stewed? A Google search brought up some interesting data at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) regarding botulism and canning et cetera. I’m not an expert by any means, but it seems important to me that food …


Economics and Investing:

Maybe Valuations Do Matter – J.Q. o o o Audit the Fed Legislation Sinks: Plan Accordingly This article, sent in by C.T., should run right along side that one: Vote to Audit the Federal Reserve, guess who didn’t vote? o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: U.S. News Puerto Rico’s Slide (Bloomberg) Excerpt: “Puerto Rico has the population of Oklahoma and a gross domestic product smaller than Kansas. It also has more debt— $70 billion— than any U.S. state government except California and New York. This fact and the reasons behind it help explain why the territory has tumbled over …


Odds ‘n Sods:

The Right to Keep and Bear Blenders. The title is perhaps tongue-in-cheek, but as usual, Krayton Kerns, DVM (The Conservative Cow Doctor) has some pretty good words on the Second Amendment. o o o Have you prepped for protection from mosquitos? As diseases proliferate, mosquitoes becoming Public Enemy No. 1 o o o The dangers of “high-tech” are sometimes forgotten or overlooked when looking at modern conveniences: Software bug forced Nest thermostats offline. High-tech may be “cool”, but make sure you have a low-tech option available. o o o Reader D.S. wrote in: This European move to crack down on …



Notes for Thursday – January 14, 2016

On January 14th, 1784, the Continental Congress ratified the Second Treaty of Paris, ending the War for Independence. In the document, which was known as the Second Treaty of Paris because the Treaty of Paris was also the name of the agreement that had ended the Seven Years’ War in 1763, Britain officially agreed to recognize the independence of its 13 former colonies as the new United States of America. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 62 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A …


What’s For Dinner?- Part 5, by J.R.

Juice We store juices for drinking as well as cooking. Most juices come in plastic bottles and function as part of our water storage. Store what your family likes. We also store juices for baking and canning as well. Bottled lemon juice is called for in many recipes for jam and other home-canned products. Even if you are lucky enough to have fresh lemons, you should always use bottled lemon juice for your canning. This is because the commercially-canned product has a set level of acidity, while the acid levels of fresh lemons can vary widely, and it is critical …


Letter Re: Baltic Dry Crashes–Zero Hedge article

Gentlemen, The discussion in the Zero Hedge article Baltic Dry Crashes contains a blatant misinterpretation of the use of the AIS system. The author acknowledges that he is not a maritime expert, yet he attempts to use a maritime tracking system as evidence of his already determined conclusion. The reason the referenced map from marinetraffic.com shows no ships in the middle of the Atlantic is that there are no ports there with AIS receivers used to manage port traffic, the source of the data for this site. Using the filters for the map, you can remove ships anchored and in …


Economics and Investing:

The International War On Cash – Sent in by G.G. o o o Reader H.L. sent in this depressing link: This is how much the average American investor made last year o o o Items from Professor Preponomics: US News Oil Plunge Sparks Bankruptcy Concerns – Energy Journal (Wall Street Journal Money Beat) Excerpt: “As many as a third of American oil-and-gas producers could flirt with bankruptcy and restructuring by the middle of next year unless oil prices stage a big rebound…” Is the Auto Loan Bubble Ready to Pop? (Mises Institute) Excerpt: “While the media claims that this record …


Odds ‘n Sods:

A conversation with one of our favorite bloggers, Patrice Lewis, resulted in this link. The Coil Pump – a nearly forgotten invention that can pump water to a head of over 60 feet from a slow moving stream. It’s a very useful skill to know. o o o For anyone looking for gun parts and accessories, especially semi-autos, I highly recommend the forum set up by the Albert Brothers, Sturmgewehr.com. (Commonly called “Buddy’s Boards”–named after the main board administrator.) For the past 16 years, it was a very simplified board with some arcane posting rules, but they’ve recently implemented forum-style …