Recipe of the Week:

K.A.F.’s 1890s Cordials Diana Berry’s favorite beverage from Anne of Green Gables was a Raspberry Cordial. Here is a recipe for a Raspberry Cordial taken from an Almanac of 1892. Note, Cherry or Grape cordial may be made in the same fashion. Raspberry Cordial Crush one pound of raspberries and store into them one quart of water and the juice of two oranges; add a thinly sliced lemon, cover, and let the mixture stand for two hours, then strain, and add one pint of sugar. Cool or ice before serving. Blackberry Cordial Crush ripe blackberries, and to each gallon of …


Economics and Investing:

The State Of Silver Bullion and Other Anomalous Events Pierre M. sent: Numbness gives way to anger in Cyprus over bailout. G.G. flagged this warning sign: Obama administration pushes banks to make home loans to people with weaker credit Voting With their Feet: Beretta Leaves Maryland Because Of Stricter Gun Laws Items from The Economatrix: Former US Treasury Official:  Fed Desperate To Save System The Chart That Will Crash The Market Wells Fargo Website Hit By Another Cyber Attack Weak Jobs Gain Hurt Economic Outlook


Odds ‘n Sods:

Signs of the times: As cities lay off police, frustrated neighborhoods turn to private cops. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.)    o o o And yet another! Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) member and Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin was arrested yesterday for allegedly accepting bribes from an undercover FBI agent, as part of a wide-ranging federal corruption probe that netted six New York state politicians. Meanwhile, we read, about another MAIG member: Gun-Toting Mayor Charged in Sex Intimidation Case. He has now been formally booked for a long list of charges, but they missed discharging a firearm inside …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"But imagine this church: It is huge and is still numerically growing. People like it. The music is good. Whole extended families can be found within its membership. The people are welcoming. There are many exciting programs, and people are quickly enlisted into their support. And yet, the church, in trying to look like the world in order to win the world, has done a better job than it may have intended. It does not display the distinctively holy characteristics taught in the New Testament. Imagine such an apparently vigorous church being truly spiritually sick, with no remaining immune system …


Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 46 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 …


Off Grid Cooking Solutions, Part 1, by V.W.

About three years ago, my husband and I jumped in with both feet and decided to invest in emergency preparedness and survival skills. It’s been quite a journey, and we certainly have learned a lot. My husband’s main interests are in security and heating the home, while mine have been food storage and off grid cooking. We make a good team as we rely on each other’s strengths and abilities. Although we are not yet at the level we hope to be, we are a lot further down the road than where we once were. I recently taught a small …


Letter Re: Sew You Think You’re a Prepper? Look to Your Treadle in Troubled Times

Some great points have been brought up by R.S. in a response to my original article. I appreciate the input and agree completely with the value of a true industrial machine while electricity is available. Nothing compares to a walking foot industrial for those heavy jobs that use materials such as thick leather, webbing and multiples layers of canvas. I should have mentioned that a household low-tech treadle would pale in comparison to a modern electric industrial machine. I too, appreciate their capability for sewing heavy work.  As luck would have it, I own and operate both a Consew 226R …


Economics and Investing:

Familiar imagery? If The Fed Loses Money, It Can Just Print More Tungsten Silver? Or More Salt in the Open Wound? (Thanks to Jeff L. for the link.) Kevin S. sent: Instawallet Hacked: The company is suspending its services indefinitely, and will be refunding all balances of 50 Bitcoins or less. Items from The Economatrix: The Big Banks Are Recklessly Gambling With Our Money, And It Will Cause The Global System To Collapse Jobless Claims Have Hit 4-Month High Jim Rogers:  I Suspect They’ll Take The Pension Plans Next; I For One Am Worried And Making Preparations Discouraged Job Seekers …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Kevin S. recommended this over at the JPFO site: Jim Crow Rides Again    o o o Pro-Gun Laws Gain Ground: Since Newtown Massacre, More States Ease Regulations Than Bolster Them. (Thanks to Pierre M. for the link.) And speaking of liberty and the lack thereof: “State Control”: What the UN Firearms Treaty Is All About. (Thanks to Jim W. for the latter link.)    o o o Over at Red State: The only gun infographic you’ll ever need.    o o o Worth noting: Camping Survival has dropped their price on sandbags by about 30%. As usual, SurvivalBlog readers …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, [it] cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” – …


Notes from JWR:

Do you have some favorite attributed quotes that relate to preparedness, individual liberty, or moral principles? Please e-mail them and they will likely be featured in our Quotes of the Day. (There are now nearly 2,800 quotation archived.) — Today we present another entry for Round 46 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding …


Thoughts on a Recent Disaster Drill, by Ken J.

Mr. Rawles:  I run a health care facility in a particular state.  I’d prefer not to give away all details as I do have access to certain pharmaceutical supplies in the event of certain happenings due to my position in the local community.  But I’ll be as specific as I can be in this forum in the hopes of shedding some light on a recent disaster exercise.  Local authorities from the state department of health teamed up with numerous statewide personnel from various agencies to conduct a disaster simulation recently that assumed an anthrax attack on the local populace.  It …


Letter Re: Advice on In-Home Caches

James Wesley: A thought about securely storing valuables: Have several hidden storage areas/caches with the bulk of your valuables and some smaller “bait” caches.  If ever overwhelmed by thieves or the government, give up the smaller stashes to satisfy the varmints.  In the case of registered firearms, a government grab will expect to find all the registered weapons and some associated ammo so it is imperative to acquire (legally) never registered weapons and ammo for the long term if you do not already have “free” weapons. Of course in the case of thieves, the best option is vigorous self-defense. Thanks …


Letter Re: Holey Ground–The Use of the Auger in Homestead Food Production

James: I’d like to take exception to the recent article by M.S. on using augers to make plant holes. No professional would consider using an auger for planting. Augers compact and glaze the edge of the hole as they work their way down.  While this is great for post holes, it’s a death sentence for the plant roots. A far better and faster way is to use either a small backhoe  or an articulated trencher that will cut a fan shaped hole.  The spoil from the hole is broken up and now suitable for back fill.  Post-SHTF, a good quality …


Economics and Investing:

State auditor: California’s net worth at negative $127.2 billion Mt. Gox under largest DDoS attack as bitcoin price surges A Tipping Point In The Financial System Reader Lance in Michigan wrote to chime in with this sign of the times: “Yesterday I went to our bank here to begin withdrawing excess reserves and was told to come back today. While there, a woman queued up at the teller window next to me was upset that they wanted to know what she was planning to do with the $20,000 she was withdrawing. My mere $7,500 didn’t solicit the same question. My …