Letter Re: Sourdough Bread Baking

James, 35 years ago I knew a very old Sourdough mountain man who lived very high up in the Colorado Rockies.  He once told me you could leaven bread with the yeast that grows on aspen tree bark.  Rubbing your hands on the bark of the aspen tree will remove a bunch of white powder that he claimed was very close to bread yeast.  I never heard of this before and have never tried it.  If any of your readers know about this or would be willing to try it, this would be a very good survival skill to know.  …


Recipe of the Week:

Pumpkin Soup, by Mama in Texas Pumpkin Soup Serves 6 (Adapted from a recipe in the classic “More With Less” cookbook) Melt in a large heavy kettle:                 2 T. Butter Add:                 ¼ cup chopped green pepper                 1 small onion, finely chopped Saute until veggies are soft, but not brown. Blend in:                 2 T. flour                 1 t. salt Add:                 2 cups chicken broth                 2 cups pumpkin puree (1 15-oz. can)                 2 cups milk                 1/8 t. thyme                 ¼ t. nutmeg                 1 t. chopped parsley   Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. …


Economics and Investing:

The folks at Agora Financial are currently hawking a report (that only comes “free” with a paid subscription to their newsletter) via an online slide show presentation that remarkably parallels all of the major points in my truly free 2009 article on Nickels. It is downright agonizing listening to this presentation wherein the narrator talks around the real topic (which is nickels) for nearly half an hour. By the way, the “hedge fund manager Kyle B.” that is mentioned is of course Kyle Bass, who acquired $1 million worth of nickels in 2010. I have a lot of respect for …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Here is an article that quotes your editor: Secession Theology Runs Deep in American Religious, Political History    o o o Fast and Furious fallout: Jeff Knox provides an update on the Reese family’s travail.    o o o Reader F.J. liked this Life Hacker piece: Use 2-Liter Soda Bottles Instead of Sandbags for Winter Driving. JWR Adds a Proviso: Make sure that you stow those bottles low and behind a seat. Otherwise they will become head-smashing projectiles if you ever get in a wreck.    o o o Gregory R. suggested this Weather Channel video of the post-Hurricane Sandy …



Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, 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 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any …


Preparedness for College Students, by An Oregonian

I was raised in a family with a survivalist mentality. We were the family prepared for Y2K. I learned to shoot at age six. We lived on a farm and had the knowledge and ability to grow all our own food. I was taught self-reliance and how to think as a "prepper". Basically, my parents did the best they could to impress on me that the stability and safety we experience in the United States is precious and very possibly temporary. But even with all this training, my first year living away from my family I was caught unprepared. In …


Letter Re: Sourdough Bread Baking

Dear Mr. Rawles, Another advantage of sourdough bread is that it is lower on the glycemic index than most other breads and is better for diabetics and people with blood sugar problems. As a diabetic myself, it’s about the only kind of bread I eat and would be very useful in a survival situation in which I would be forced to to regulate my sugar levels with diet. – Burke in Ormond Beach, Florida


Economics and Investing:

Reader G.B. from Texas sent: Congress looks at doing away with the $1 bill [and new coin compositions]. Meanwhile, we read about more congressional action. New coin compositions are coming soon! The window of opportunity to stock up on real nickels will soon close. If you haven’t yet stocked up, then do so NOW! Grain prices to surge in early 2013, then retreat Items from The Economatrix: Jim Willie:  Immutable Golden Laws, Central Bank Extremes, Gold Standard Recall Consumer spending In US Grows Less Than Forecast Sandy Slows Retail Spending, Factory Output, And Home Sales In Late October And Early …


Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader Bill W. pointed me to some surprising poll numbers, over at Zero Hedge: Ready For The Apocalypse? I amazed to read that 8% of respondents said that that they’ve built a fallout shelter of safe room. (Perhaps some of that was just “I have a basement, so that counts”- wishful thinking    o o o Dave Canterbury shows how to make your Wrist Rocket shoot arrows. (Thanks to Curtis R. for the link.)    o o o B.B. sent us word of some hard times down in San Berdoo: City Attorney Tells San Bernardino Residents To ‘Lock Their Doors,’ …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“We then, [as] workers together [with him], beseech [you] also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now [is] the accepted time; behold, now [is] the day of salvation.) Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all [things] approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by …


Writing Contest Prize Winners for Round 43

We’ve completed the judging for Round 43 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest! First Prize goes to D.A., DVM for: A Veterinarian’s Perspective on Prepper Medicine, which was posted on November 6, 2012. He will receive: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, 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 …


Welding, Post-TEOTWAWKI, by G.M.

I am a retired journeyman pipefitter who is a Certified Welding Inspector.  I teach at a nearby community college two days a week.   Welding encompasses such a large body of knowledge that no one person can know all there is to know and certainly cannot condense everything into a short article, but let me start with some basics. First of all, if you can’t tell the difference between steel, stainless steel, aluminum or cast iron you shouldn’t be welding.  You have to know what process to use and which filler metal to use.  Some things will hurt you or kill …


Letter Re: Not All Kerosene Lamps Are Created Equal

Mr. Rawles; As a young researcher in the field of indoor and household air pollution, I felt compelled to respond briefly to the commentary on kerosene lamps in today’s “Odds ‘n Sods”. Additionally, having met two and worked with one of the authors of this paper, I feel that I may have a perspective on the article that is unique among your readers. While it may be true that a natural disaster contributes more to atmospheric carbon levels than emissions from kerosene lamps in the United States, it may not be true when considering kerosene lamps in other countries — …


Letter Re: SurvivalBlog and Building a Preparedness Mindset

Mr. Rawles, I’ve been reading your blog for a couple of years now and I really wanted to tell you how informative and practical I found the article written by Eli in the Southwest about hiding and finding things. Sometimes living in a bigger city can feel so overwhelming, especially when all you want to do is get out! His article made me feel like there was something I could do in my house today that would improve the security of my preps. It’s not our forever home but it’s where we have to be for now and reading that …