Bone Broth, a.k.a. Stone Soup, by H.A.

Bone broth is slow-simmered broth, made with bones.  Vegetables and/or vegetable scraps are also sometimes used, as is a shot of vinegar to help leach the minerals from the bones.  Bone broth is healthful and frugal. Why make bone broth?  For starters, prepping can be expensive!  Being frugal makes prepping easier.  Bone broth can be “almost” free to make, from items that you don’t even realize that you have, hence the “Stone Soup” title.   Also, bone broth is chock-full of minerals and nutrients, which is always a good thing, but especially so if/when the “balloon goes up”, when staying healthy …


Letter Re: Preparedness Course Question

Mr. Rawles: If I get the downloadable “Rawles Gets You Ready Preparedness Course” can I print out a copy for my reference binder? Is that considered okay? (I have a giant binder with 4″ rings that my husband got in the Navy that we use for all our prepping references, except for recipes.) With My Regards, – Sheila C. JWR Replies: Yes, since you are legitimately downloading it, you are welcome to print out a reference copy for your own use.


News From The American Redoubt:

I heard about another Reformed church in Spokane, Washington: Reformation Community Church. The Pastor is Jeremy Lyerla. Phone: (509) 496-0920.    o o o A study shows that the American Redoubt region and much of the Great Plains region now offer the most opportunity for lower class Americans to rise into the middle class. (Thanks to Chris W. for the link.)    o o o Yes, even in Wyoming: Local Wyoming Gun Control Scheme Targets Children’s Rights. (Note that Platte County’s school superintendent is a recent transplant from Minnesota. Also note that school funding is based on days of attendance. …


Economics and Investing:

G.G. sent: Cyprus, lenders set Bank of Cyprus bail-in at 47.5 percent, sources say Over at FOREX Crunch: Is the smart money fleeing stocks? The article begins: “Institutional investors have been net sellers of stocks for the most of the past year or so.. Since late June, this trend increased, with the 4 week average flirting with sales of 1 billion dollars. On the other hand, retail investors have been net buyers since early June…” [JWR’s Comment: With the Dow Jones Average bouncing around 15,500, we are entering into what they call a “sucker’s market.” Get out of stocks, now!] …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Our friend Commander Zero sent this: First Responders Broke Into Shore Army-Navy Store in Seaside Heights During Sandy. The article begins: SEASIDE HEIGHTS – First responders in Seaside Heights were forced to break into an Army-Navy store during Superstorm Sandy. The Shore Army-Navy store, located on Hamilton Avenue, was broken into by first responders during Sandy. The first responders took an estimated $185,000 worth of goods, including clothing, sleeping bags, camping equipment and backpacks. Mayor Bill Akers says first responders had little choice when they were soaked and needed dry clothes. The tab has now been settled with store owner …



Notes from JWR:

Today is birthday of Alexis de Tocqueville, born 1805. He died 16 April 1859. — I heard that ownership of Naturally Cozy has successfully changed hands. The new owners (also a small, home-based family operation) have picked up making the products with no interruption in order processing. They will continue to sponsor our non-fiction writing contest, just like their predecessors.


Harry’s Book Review: The Wayward Journey, by Nathan Hale Jefferson

Book Title: The Wayward Journey (Volume 1) Author: Nathan Hale Jefferson Copyright Date: 2013 Publisher: Abundant Future Media ISBN: 978-0989319904 Audio, e-book or foreign translation avail? Yes–Kindle edition of The Wayward Journey Suitable for children? Teens and up. The Wayward Journey is a story in which a natural disaster is piled on top of a growing disaster of financial mismanagement. There is not much in this novel which requires significant stretching of the imagination. In this story John, Margaret and their two children are struggling to make ends meet in an America which is burdened with both high inflation and …



Pat’s Product Review: Stevens Model 350 Shotgun

There’s not a week that goes past, that I don’t hear from someone asking me “what’s the best gun for home defense…” and I can’t give a pat answer to that question. First of all, what does a person mean by “home defense?” Secondly, what are your physical abilities – or disabilities – when it comes to handling a firearm? What is your budget? What is your skill level with any firearm? And, the list goes on and on. So, as you can see, there is no single or easy answer to what is the best gun for home defense. …


Letter Re: Storing Foods to Eat for Pleasure

Dear JWR: You’ve probably heard of the “Mormon Four,” a starting place for beginning preppers wanting to attain a one-year food supply. The Mormon Four prescribes amounts of red hard winter wheat, powdered milk, sugar or honey, and salt to sustain life for one year. That’s a lot of bread making, preserving, and sprouting over and over! Yes, these foods are nutritious, have a long shelf life, and can keep you alive. However, my opinion is that the boredom factor in this diet is huge, even if you love bread. Here’s an idea: Everyone, and I mean everyone, from around …


Letter Re: Buying an AR-15 During the Gun Control Scare of 2013

Mr. Rawles, I wanted to share my experience regarding this situation. When the great scare began in December, I knew that as a prepared individual I did not need to panic buy and so I decided to perform an experiment. The goal: To acquire an AR-15 for the lowest possible cost during a time with the highest possible demand. Total cost for my AR-15: $654 (For perspective, the bulk of the component parts that I purchased was when complete rifles were easily selling for $2,000+) How I did it: When the scare began in earnest, I knew that the odds …


Letter Re: The Bug Out Boat

Dear Editor: Lean Jimmy’s bug out boat idea is good, but on most rivers of North America you’ll have “pirates” set up at strategic points along the watercourses — as in yesteryear — and have a tough time getting by them. It’ll only be a matter of time before they take control of those defined travel lanes and lighten the load of fleeing refugees. Slave trading might also come back into vogue.   How could you outfox them? Travel at night? Maybe. But if your craft was small, almost silent and light enough to carry or collapse into portable pieces, you’d obviously …


Recipe of the Week:

Notutopia’s Coffee Concentrate This recipe will make 1 Qt. of coffee concentrate that can be used to make both iced or hot coffee from one batch, and can be safely stored in the refrigerator for a whole month. Ingredients: 1 cup finely ground roasted coffee grinds, caffeinated, or de-caf 32 oz. filtered cool water Equipment: 1 32oz. mason jar with lid 1 fine mesh sieve or 2 paper filters Instructions: Finely grind 1 cup of roasted coffee beans, you can even use pre-flavored ground coffee, but it will not be quite as potent a concentrate as when using freshly ground …


Economics and Investing:

Reader “Racefan” sent a link to some tax data that is helpful in evaluating retreat locales: Property Taxes on Owner-Occupied Housing, by County, 2005 – 2009, Ranked by Property Taxes Paid. I don’t often used the words “conspiracy theory” and “delightful” in the same sentence, but take a look at Bix Weir’s latest essay: The Hidden Meanings in the New $100 Bill! Items from The Economatrix Stagflation: The Fed’s Worst Nightmare Ron Paul Talks Gold Ron Paul On Gold And Why We’ll See More Detroits What’s Up With Inflation?