Month: February 2025

Recipe of the Week: Turkey Chili with Black Beans and Vegetables

The following recipe for Turkey Chili with Black Beans and Vegetables is from SurvivalBlog reader H.N.. She says: “The exact proportions of the major ingredients are not important. Use your judgment, to suit your taste.” Ingredients Ground Turkey –  Can substitute chicken, beef or other ground meat. Bell pepper Onion Garlic Zucchini or summer squash Whole corn – fresh or frozen Canned black beans – You may substitute most other beans, except Lima Beans Canned crushed tomatoes Chicken broth – Can substitute beef broth, vegetable broth, or just water Spices: chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. …


Graphic of the Week

Today’s graphic: Mapping U.S. rivers in proportion to their flow rate. (Graphic courtesy of Reddit.) The thumbnail below is click-expandable.         — Please send your graphics or graphics links to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) Any graphics that you send must either be your own creation or uncopyrighted.



Preparedness Notes for Sunday — February 16, 2025

On February 16, 1659, the first known cheque was written, for £400. It is now on display at Westminster Abbey. — February 16,1838: The Weenen Massacre. Hundreds of Voortrekkers were killed by Zulu warriors along the Blaukraans River, Natal. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This …


Bird Flu: What I’m Doing About It, by Sara Sue

The Current Situation The White House suggested, via the Press Secretary, that over 100 million chickens have died, or been destroyed, over bird flu.  I noticed that the price of eggs has gone up exponentially, so I polled my group of friends in an online homesteading forum, asking what they are seeing.  I also asked family members who live across the country.  The highest price I heard of from a family member in California was $10 per dozen for grocery store eggs.  Locally where I live, free-range chicken eggs are about $5-to-$6 per dozen. Eggs have been a standard for …


JWR’s Memes Of The Week:

Two of the latest memes created by JWR: Meme Text: Take A Chill Pill, Pocahontas Zeroing The USAID Budget Will Not Cause a Constitutional Crisis News Links: ‘We are here to fight back’: hundreds protest suspension of US financial watchdog. Elizabeth Warren roasted over ‘temper tantrum’ on Senate floor. Sen. Warren slams Trump for ‘cutting the parts of government that help bring down costs’   Meme Text: The DOGE Witness Channeling Roy Orbison “There Goes My Budget, There Goes My Heart…” News Links: MAGA cruelly mocks DOGE committee hearing witness just because he’s blind Notes From JWR: Do you have …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, …


Preparedness Notes for Saturday — February 15, 2025

On February 15, 1867, Johann Strauss’ Blue Danube waltz premiered in Vienna. — Today’s feature article is a guest piece from our friend Brandon Smith. It is not part of the writing contest judging. — We are seeking entries for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 117 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging. …


Mass Deportations: How To Keep Illegals From Coming Back, by Brandon Smith

For months before and after Donald Trump’s election win there was an army of naysayers crawling the Internet claiming that he would “never follow through” on his promises and that deportations “were not going to happen”. Most of these people were leftists trying to sow the seeds of doubt. At least some claimed to be conservatives and were perhaps disenchanted with the inaction of Donald Trump’s first term in office. I know I was not expecting much back then. In 2017 Trump’s cabinet confirmations took a decidedly swampy turn and his administration was overrun with Neo-Cons and banking elites. I …


Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds …


The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my …


Preparedness Notes for Friday — February 14, 2025

The Battle of Cape St. Vincent was fought on February 14, 1797: The British fleet commanded by Admiral Sir John Jervis defeated the larger Spanish fleet under Admiral Don José de Córdoba y Ramos near Cape St. Vincent, Portugal. Captain Horatio Nelson distinguished himself in this naval battle. — February 14, 1803: Writing the majority opinion in the landmark Marbury V. Madison decision, Chief Justice John Marshall declared that any act of U.S. Congress that conflicts with the Constitution is null and void. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing …


Fuels for Cooking, Warmth and Comfort – Part 4, by Lodge Pole

(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.) Cooking with Wood and Propane We do not regularly use our house wood stove for cooking. We can, but since we installed the wood stove, it has not been needed. Recently, I was given an old, homemade wood stove from an old-timer’s cabin. The stove is very well made. I have it outside of the shipping container and use it to cook on. It is an extremely large stove inside and out. It stays outside and will likely never be indoors again. Whoever built it, put several feet of ¾ inch steel …



Preparedness Notes for Thursday — February 13, 2025

February 13, 1692: The Glencoe Massacre. About 38 MacDonalds were killed early in the morning by rival Campbell clan members, allegedly for not promptly pledging allegiance to the new king, William of Orange. — On February 13, 1861, the first military action to result in the award of a Medal of Honor, as Bernard J.D. Irwin volunteered to lead the rescue of 60 soldiers from Chiricahua Indians at Apache Pass, Arizona. — And on February 13, 1945, Allied planes began bombing the German city of Dresden, resulting in a devastating firestorm that destroyed the city and killed more than 22,000 …