Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

Maxim LIX (59): “There are five things the soldier should never be without–his musket, his ammunition, his knapsack, his provisions (for at least four days), and his entrenching tool. The knapsack may be reduced to the smallest size possible, if it be thought proper, but the soldier should always have it with him.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

Notes for Tuesday – August 02, 2016

On August 2nd, 1776, the members of Congress affixed their signatures to an enlarged copy of the Declaration of Independence. Congress had decided to produce a handwritten copy to bear all of the delegates’ signatures. Fifty-six congressional delegates in total signed the document, including some who were not present at the vote approving the declaration. News of the Declaration of Independence arrived in London eight days later, on August 10.

Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Springfield Armory, Range Office Champion

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I love taking folks out shooting who have never shot a gun before in their lives. I especially love taking anti-gunners out shooting for the first time. I was working as the Youth Minister for the Salvation Army down in Klamath Falls, Oregon back in 1988-1989 and also ran their Youth Center. The Officer (Pastor) there was a fairly young fellow, younger than me, and just out of training school. He was totally against “assault rifles” of any kind and had never shot any type of gun in his life. I took him out to my brother-in-law’s ranch and introduced him to a Colt AR-15 rifle, and he had the time of his life. He burned up a lot of ammo. When we were done for the day, he commented, “I don’t know if there is a legitimate purpose for owning one of these guns, but it sure is fun to shoot.” That’s the end of that story. He answered his own question. You don’t have to have a legit reason to own any kind of gun. You can just own one because!

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The local Mexican restaurant in one of the small towns near us was recently purchased by a nice couple, and we frequent it often, all too often I would say. My wife, our oldest daughter, and I have become good friends with the new owners. We often take them some meals to eat. My wife makes the best Italian meatballs in the world, and I’m a good cook myself. As we got to know the new owners, the conversation turned to what we do for a living– my wife is an elementary grade teacher, my daughter is head of security at the local Walmart, and I’m a writer who is always testing firearms, knives, and camping/survival gear.

Both Jovita and Julio asked me if I would take them out and teach them to shoot. I was more than happy to comply with that request. Jovita is a tiny little gal, standing about 4’11” and weighing about a hundred pounds. Julio is about my size but weighs less than I do. We sometimes have a communication problem, since my Spanish is a bit rusty and Jovita’s English is sometimes lacking, but we managed to set a time to meet and go shooting.

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I took a number of handguns and rifles when I took this nice couple out to go shooting for the very first time. Jovita has always had a fear of guns, so we started her on a .22 pistol, and she loved it. The only other gun she was willing to try was a .22 LR rifle. Julio, on the other hand, was willing to try anything, and that brings us to the subject of this particular gun article– the Springfield Armory Range Officer Light-weight Champion 1911.

The new Range Officer from Springfield Armory sports a 4” stainless steel heavy bull barrel. The gun has a new full length recoil guide dual recoil spring setup that is in the process of being changed to something different. The slide is forged steel, parkerized, and the frame is forged aluminum, anodized black/gray. The front sight is a red fiber optic that can also be changed to a green one. Springfield provides spare fiber optic material for this. The rear sight is the popular Novak combat sight with two white dots. The gun only weighs 30 ounces, thanks to the aluminum frame. The grip panels are Cocobolo with a double diamond pattern. Two 7-rd mags come with each gun, as well as a paddle holster, double magazine pouch, cleaning brush, and instruction manual. The Range Officer also has a combat speed hammer, wide beaver tail grip safety with speed bump, and single side safety, which is on the left side of the gun. The trigger is a match light-weight model, and the magazine well is slightly beveled for a faster reload. The flat mainspring housing is checkered for a sure hold on the gun. The front strap is smooth. I added some skate board friction tape to the front strap, which is something I do on many 1911s for a more secure grip. While there was nothing wrong with the Cocobolo grips that came on the gun, I swapped them out for my “Code Zero” 1911 grips, which I designed and are sold through Mil-Tac Knives & Tools.

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I shoot a lot of +P .45 ACP through 1911s when testing them, to see how well the gun will handle them and as part of my accuracy testing. So, I routinely change to a heavier recoil spring. It wasn’t possible with the Range Office, because of the new dual-recoil spring setup. However, I’m hoping with the upcoming change that I can install a heavier recoil spring.

After explaining the different operation procedures, different types of guns, and gun safety to Julio and Jovita, we started Julio out shooting the Range Officer. He absolutely loved the crisp single action trigger pull on my sample. It is right at 4.5 lbs, which is just about perfect for a gun meant for self defense use. No matter which guns Julio fired, he always went back to the Range Officer. Jovita stuck to the .22 LR pistol and rifle.

On another outing, Julio brought his sister along. She also owns a Mexican Restaurant and was new to shooting. She loved the Range Officer and kept going back to it again and again. The one thing that surprised me though was that she also loved a .357 Mag revolver I took out that day. Go figure?

I had the Springfield Armory Range Officer Champion for several months and have put at least a thousand rounds of various ammo through it, and it was totally broken-in. I had no feeding or functioning problems with the gun. Julio, on the other hand, refused to understand that you can’t “ride” the slide forward instead of retracting the slide and letting it go forward on its own. He’s watched too many Hollywood movies where they do this. Julio had many problems with the first round not fully chambering because he was riding the slide forward instead of releasing it. He finally understood what I was trying to tell him. After that, he had no more feeding problems.

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Many new shooters love the single-action trigger pull on a 1911, but it isn’t for everyone. It takes dedicated training to learn the operating manual of arms with a 1911. First is the short and light trigger pull, and secondly carrying a round in the chamber with the safety in the “on” position. Plus, there is the recoil factor. Many new shooters don’t like the recoil of full-power 230-gr .45 ACP loads. In more than 25 years as an NRA firearms instructor, more often than not many new shooters gravitate to a double-action only semiauto handgun, and I have no problem with that at all, so long as they train with the gun they’ve selected for carry and self defense.

Now, with the above said, it has been my experience that new shooters will usually hit the target they are aiming at with a 1911, with the short and light trigger pull, more often than with a double-action only semiauto. That says a lot about the John Moses Browning 1911, which was designed more than a hundred years ago. He was a very gifted gun designer. The 1911 is more popular today than ever before.

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I really took to the Range Officer Champion. I love that it only weighs 30 ounces unloaded, and the red fiber optic front sight is fast to pick up, even under low light conditions, and is very bright under sunny skies. The gun was easy to pack in a Blackhawk Products SERPA holster, using the belt attachment, not the paddle. I don’t like paddle holsters for some reason. I tested the gun for more than three months at this writing and have had no problems with it. Even my wife shot it and liked it.

During my testing period, I had ammo from Buffalo Bore Ammunition and Black Hills Ammunition. From Buffalo Bore, I had their 160-gr Low Recoil, Barnes TAC-XP all-copper hollow point, 185-gr FMJ FN–another low recoil load, 255-gr Hard Cast Outdoorsman load +P, 230-gr FMJ FN +P, 185-gr Barnes TAC-XP all-copper hollow point +P and their 200-gr JHP +P. From Black Hills, I had their outstanding 200-gr Match Semi Wadcutter load, 230-gr FMJ, 185-gr JHP, 230-gr JHP, 230-gr JHP +P and their 185-gr Barnes TAC-XP all-copper hollow point +P load. So, I had an outstanding assortment of ammo to run through the R.O. Champion. And, as mentioned, I had zero malfunctions of any type. The only problem was with Julio riding the slide forward, which was not the fault of the gun. It was an operator error, and he finally understood what I was trying to tell him about it.

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I “killed” a lot of rocks and pieces of wood during my function testing, as well as paper targets. Accuracy testing was done at 25yards, over the hood of my pickup, using a rolled up sleeping bag as a rest. None of the ammo tested shot groups over four inches, and many shot groups in the 3-inch area, if I was on my game. I had a couple groups below three inches; that was with the Black Hills 200-gr Match Semi Wadcutter load, which is always an accurate load for me, and the Buffalo Bore 160-gr Low Recoil Barnes TAC-XP load. Anytime you can get a combat handgun to shoot groups of four inches or less at 25 yards, that’s a keeper in my book. But when you get groups, many groups, around the 3-inch mark, that is a for sure keeper in my book.

Springfield Armory also has the Range Officer in a full-sized Government 5” Bbl model, as well as one in the Compact 4” Bbl with a shortened grip frame, and I’ve tested them all. You can’t go wrong with any of them. You can also get one in 9mm, as well as in stainless steel, and even some models have a Picatinny rail for lights or lasers. For everyday carry though, I think I’d stick with the light-weight Champion Range Officer. It has everything I need and nothing I don’t need. What’s not to like here? Full retail on my sample is $899, and you can pay more for other similar guns, but why?

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Wounding Patterns

My disagreement with this report is more on the reasons behind rather than the method of the training. I believe in self care first, then buddy aid, then medics (EMTs), and then the hospitals. Prepping needs to hit all of these levels in regards to supplies and training. If the conclusion of the report is that tourniquets are not useful in an active shooter situation, then I think civilian medical training might have lost the reason the military emphasizes the tourniquet in its training.

This report states the current medical training emphasis on hemorrhage control for civilians is over-rated in the case of an active shooter scenario based on the injuries received from several documented examples. While I do agree with this report in as much as the types of wounds we are expecting for this type of scenario should be reevaluated, I disagree with the conclusion that the emphasis in training to stop blood loss from extremity wounds is over-rated. Current shooting situations, especially with active shooters, dictate certain shot pattern results. An unarmed populace (an active shooters’ preferred target) generally does not hide and or fight back very well. They are surprised to find themselves in this situation and tend to react poorly. This report does not address that most of the targets were either standing out in plain sight, stationary, or shot from close range where the shooter would be hard-pressed to miss center of mass and/or head shots.

An active shooter scenario also has a different shooting dynamic than combat. On the battlefield, you verify that it is indeed the enemy before you shoot, but once his/her location and general description is acquired, any movement in that vicinity is considered a valid target and shot. In combat, you do not always see a full profile in your sights. You may see a leg, an arm, the top of a head but not always the whole person. Clearing rooms, buildings, and streets where targets are jumping out, firing blindly, or aimed from around corners or barricades and in windows or from rooftops does not lend itself to shooting at the center mass of a human, another reason for the arm and leg wound patterns typical in combat shootings.

The actual emphasis in the military is self care. Tourniquets are taught as a form of quick and temporary self-medical care until wounds can be further evaluated under better medical treatment than what is available at the time of receiving the wound. The emphasis is self care. You can give yourself a tourniquet until the shooting stops and either continue to fight or keep your blood inside of you until someone with better knowledge, ability, and resources can help with that. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines do not place a tourniquet on everything. We know to apply pressure bandages on holes in the torso, how to check for and deal with fractures, look for exit wounds, and pack in bandages. But we also know that to apply that knowledge to yourself is hard. Do what you can for yourself.

Neither does this report address the total lack of body armor worn by civilians in active shooting scenarios, nor the tactical mindset of military training in such a scenario. Generally speaking, there are few instances where an individual, geared and prepared for combat, as they ostensibly are in a combat zone, would find themselves dealing with the situation of an active shooter scenario without access to tactics, training, and material that would mitigate the types of wounds received in a civilian active shooter scenario.

Finally we come to something the report completely fails to address: availability of medical supplies. The tourniquets mentioned in the report are not described as being purpose-made or improvised. Every military member in a combat zone has on them their own medical kit (Individual First Aid Kit or IFAK). Included are, at minimum: scissors, gauze, tape, tourniquet, pressure bandages, and painkillers. If current civil training is emphasized, the civilian care recommended in the report seems to recommend lots of trained individuals. In an active shooter scenario on the civilian populace, what kind of first aid kit do most people have, if any? Most schools have a minor medical kit and supplies dealing with band aids more than pressure bandages. What is required of a first aid kit in a movie theater or night club? How many people have a belt? It may be that people are using what they have and doing what they can.

If this report finds that civilian-based immediate care places too much emphasis on this specific treatment with substandard results, (against what standard are they substandard?), maybe civilian-based training needs to rethink why the military teaches this method of self care. – S.W.

News From The American Redoubt:

I-84 Reopens After Wildfire

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A coffee mule, literally: Café Mulé finds private land to serve coffee in Foothills – T.Z.

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Reader J.H. sent in this link, remarking that the information is great for those who are new to the American Redoubt. This doctor covers everything from Rabies, insect bites, spiders, insect stings, and a host of other treatments: Pest TV

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Cops Call Rancher for Help with a Bull and Then Murdered Him — No Charges, Paid Vacation – RBS

Economics and Investing:

Ireland jails three top bankers over 2008 banking meltdown – If only they would do that here – A.D.

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NY Fed Finds 15% Of Americans Have Negative Net Worth. Excerpt: “As for the White House’s conclusion that ‘the growing stack of $1.3 trillion in student debt is helping, not hurting, the U.S. economy’… we would hate to see what Obama thinks is ‘hurting’ the US economy.” – G.G.

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Foreign Appetite For U.S. Securities Has Taken a Drubbing – G.G.

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Oil Prices Fall Below $40 As OPEC Ramps Up Output

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SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.

Odds ‘n Sods:

I just noticed that the price of the Rawles XL Voyager knife has been reduced by Cold Steel. it is now priced at $69.99 with free shipping for Amazon Prime members. The reviews that have been posted are overwhelmingly positive. Note that ALL of the profits from the sale of these knives are going to charity. Order yours before they sell out. (It is a limited edition knife.) – JWR

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Wells Fargo to Hogue Inc: We won’t do business with weapons manufacturers. – G.G.

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The trend continues: Biggest July to date for NICS background checks

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Video: How to Tune a 1911 Extractor by Wilson Combat – Sent in by P.S.

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The Coming Election Fraud – B.B.

Notes for Monday – August 01, 2016

August 1st is celebrated as Swiss Independence Day, in recognition of the signing of the Federal Charter of 1291, which united Switzerland’s first three cantons. As of 2014, Switzerland has been free and independent for 725 years. Having a well-armed populace has assured that.

August 1st is also remembered as the election day in 1946 that sparked the Battle of Athens, Tennessee, when returning World War II veterans took up arms to oust a corrupt local government that was rigging an election.

Madame President Clinton’s Coming War on the Blogosphere, and Your Countermeasures

Now that Hillary (“Hitlery”) Rodham Clinton (HRC) has received the Democratic Party nomination for president, there is a strong likelihood that she will win the election in November and then be enthroned as president in January of 2017. I predict that she will waste no time in launching an onslaught of punitive new policies via executive orders, presidential memoranda, and policy directives promulgated through her cabinet and Federal agencies to eviscerate our Constitutional rights (most notably the 1st and 2nd Amendments). A key goal this campaign will be silencing dissent in the alternative press and the American blogosphere. Given HRC’s history in government “service”, her outlook on life, her socialist agenda, and her vindictiveness, I anticipate that any or all of the following measures will be undertaken by the HRC Administration:

  • The Department of Justice (DOJ) will be used to selectively prosecute dissenters for “hate speech”. For instance, simply objecting to illegal immigration or state sponsored relocation of Muslims will be called “evidence of hate.” They will also declare blogs, news sites, and podcasts to be “public accommodations” and hence saddle them with a long list of new restrictions that would effectively muzzle them from making any comments opposed to HRC’s agenda and “protected” classes. Even the use of “trigger words” could be restricted.
  • The Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) will be used to target dissenters who make any comments about any corporations, mutual funds, or banks, for “operating as unregistered investment advisors”.
  • The Federal Election Commission (FEC) will be used to target Libertarians and other dissenters for “unlawful campaigning”.
  • The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will use their newly-assumed powers over the Internet to enforce a new radicalized version of the moribund Fairness Doctrine upon bloggers, vloggers (video bloggers), podcasters, as well as newspapermen, magazine writers, and talk radio hosts. Under this new and improved fairness policy, any media outlet that is deemed a public accommodation will be forced to free of charge provide equal space to assorted perverts, leftists, and Social Justice Warriors. Failure to do so will open up these news outlets to both criminal prosecution and costly civil lawsuits.
  • The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will be used to selectively audit tax filings, levy bank accounts, garnish wages, and refer criminal prosecution of anyone who voices dissent of HRC’s statist/collectivist agenda. Lois Lerner’s group was just the precursor!
  • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be used to target dissenters who own property with seasonal puddles that could be deemed “wetlands” or creeks that could be arbitrarily declared “navigable waters”.
  • The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency will be used to target dissenters living within 50 miles of the Mexican or Canadian borders for harassment and intimidation, searching their homes without warrants.
  • The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and associated Tribal Police will be used to target dissenters living within 100 miles of any Tribal Reservation for harassment and intimidation.
  • The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will crack down on any bloggers who make posts that might be construed as a product review or product endorsement.
  • The Transportation Security Agency (TSA) will be used to limit the travel of anyone deemed by HRC’s cronies to be an Enemy of the State (through expansion of the No Fly List, Terror Watch List, and Selectee List).
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will crack down on producers of raw milk and nutritional supplements (and also on the bloggers who promote them).
  • The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will prosecute anyone operating unlicensed drones weighing more than just a few ounces.
  • The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will use both its own agents and paid (or coerced) surrogate agent provocateurs to infiltrate militias, patriot groups, and secessionist organizations. There, they will foment schemes that can be prosecuted under loosely-worded Federal conspiracy laws. (This is precisely what was done with the Bundy Ranch and Malheur Wildlife Refuge protestors.)
  • Working in conjunction with the FCC, the U.S. Coast Guard will board any ship within Territorial Waters that they suspect of operating an unlicensed transmitter.

I can see all of this coming, and I refuse to be muzzled. I aim to misbehave. If need be, I will relocate so that I can still blog freely. In anticipation of HRC’s possible upcoming coronation, here are some possible countermeasures for my fellow bloggers to seriously consider:

  1. Contract for the use of an offshore server in a country that has minimal influence from the United States government, and move your web pages there.
  2. Get set up for encrypted e-mail. (The free GPG software installed on your local PC works quite well. And for those who are less tech savvy, the paid Unseen.is service in Iceland works fine.)
  3. Post provisos on your web site that are similar to my own. (Most importantly, these provisos must declare that you do not operate a “public accommodation.”)
  4. Buy an Iridium satellite telephone and a set of Iridium international power adapters. (Unlike cell phones or other sat phones, calls made from Iridium constellation phones can be traced only to a particular oval satellite “footprint” that measures hundreds of miles across.)
  5. Buy several inexpensive prepaid “burner” cell phones. Pay greenback cash for these phones, and use an assumed name when you eventually activate them.
  6. Buy a nondescript camping trailer or RV and quietly (via face-to-face contacts only) develop a “hospitality list” of like-minded families who own parcels of land that you can bounce between, in the event that you need to take refuge.
  7. Buy a spare laptop computer (preferably one that is ultra-reliable, such as a Panasonic Toughbook), a 12 VDC car adapter, and a set of international power adapters.
  8. Buy a USB external long range Yagi wireless antenna to use with your laptops. (The standoff distance that these provide will make it harder to pinpoint your location when using a public wi-fi hotspot.)
  9. Buy a batch of at least 40 inexpensive 2 GB USB memory sticks that you can use to physically mail (or courier) digital content, to keep your locale secret.
  10. Make sure that your passport is updated.
  11. Do some research to develop a short list of countries where you would consider relocating. Ideally, a country should have respect for the freedom of speech, minimal taxation, minimal influence from the United States government, and NO rendition (extradition) treaty with the United States.
  12. Establish an offshore bank account.
  13. Beyond just offshore residency, if you can afford it, then buy a second passport. (Typically, this is done with a “Citizenship Through Investment” program.)
  14. Via encrypted e-mail, develop contacts with foreign bloggers, and get their tentative agreement to post your ghost-written articles, if circumstances change.
  15. Pray hard.

I don’t mean for the foregoing to sound alarmist. Consider me a realist. – JWR

Note: Permission is granted for re-posting of this entire article, but only if done so in full, with proper attribution to James Wesley, Rawles and SurvivalBlog, and only if the included links are preserved.)

Round 65 Non-Fiction Writing Contest Winners Announced!

First Prize goes to D.D. for “Tracking Dogs – Part 1”, “Part 2”, and “Part 3”, which was posted on June 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. He will receive the following prizes:

  1. A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value),
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul PMAG 30-rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt; (an equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions),
  6. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  7. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package (enough for two families of four) plus seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate (a $325 retail value),
  8. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  9. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating an AquaBrick water filtration kit with a retail value of $250, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize goes to S.T. for “Sew and Grow, Save and Recycle Your Way Into Preparedness – Part 1” and “Part 2”, which was posted on June 28th and 29th. She will receive the following:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A transferable certificate for a two-day Ultimate Bug Out Course from Florida Firearms Training (a $400 value),
  3. A Model 175 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $439 value),
  4. A Trekker IV™ Four-Person Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $250 value),
  5. A $200 gift certificate good towards any books published by PrepperPress.com,
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  8. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Third Prize goes to M.W. for “Pantry Building Basics for Individuals with Food Allergies or Sensitivities”, which was posted on June 11th. The author will receive the following prizes:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A $245 gift certificate from custom knife-maker Jon Kelly Designs, of Eureka, Montana,
  3. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Honorable mention prizes ($30 Amazon.com gift certificates via e-mail) have been awarded to the writers of these fine articles:

Recipe of the Week: Oven-Roasted Vegetable Medley, by L.H.

This isn’t so much a recipe, but a guideline – a very forgiving guideline – that basically works every time. It’s a wonderful method for cleaning out those bits and pieces in the refrigerator crisper drawer that might otherwise go to waste, and super easy to adapt to your family’s size and tastes. And did I mention that it’s a pretty healthy and delicious way to add more veggies to your family’s diet?

Ingredients:

  • 3-6 c. assorted vegetables, cut into similarly-sized pieces, about 1”x1”, or about the size of a medium broccoli or cauliflower floret (and don’t stress too much about this – it mostly all works out deliciously in the end)
  • 2-3 tbs. olive oil
  • 1-2 tbs. seasoning of choice

Directions:

  1. Place all your veggies in a large mixing bowl and pour olive oil over. Start with a smaller amount and stir all together. You are looking for all your veggies to be very slightly “damp”. If you are doing a large amount of veggies add more oil and stir till they are all lightly coated.
  2. Sprinkle seasoning over, to taste, and stir all together.
  3. Spread veggies out in a single layer (as much as you can) on a large baking sheet.
  4. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and toss with spatula. Return to oven for 10 more minutes.

And that’s it. 425 degrees, 20 minutes, tossing halfway through. It works for most all veggies, most all the time.

Some ideas for your vegetables:

Potatoes or sweet potatoes; red, green or mildly-hot peppers; yellow squash or zucchini; onions of any sort; carrots; cabbage; broccoli; Brussels sprouts; celery; corn (I urge you to add a cup or more of frozen or canned corn to ANY medley you make. Add during the 2nd 10 minutes of cooking, as it roasts super-quick. We’ve found the corn to be a superbly sweet addition to all of our medleys); okra; green beans; snow peas and sugar snap peas; cherry tomatoes; whole garlic cloves; cauliflower.

Some ideas for your seasoning:

Plain ol’ salt and pepper; seasoned salt; Mexican blend (cumin is wondermous); Italian seasoning; Ranch salad dressing powder; Greek seasoning; Cajun seasoning.

Another option for topping: a garlic-butter sauce (one of our favorites). Place 3-4 tbs. butter in an oven-safe cup, add 2 cloves minced garlic (or equivalent amount of dried, or some garlic powder if you are short on time) and place on the baking sheet at the halfway/tossing point. Then pour over for serving.

However, plain ol’ roasted okra is the bomb! Just the bit of olive oil and seasoned salt and oh my! I’ve been working too hard with all the cutting and breading and frying of the stuff all these years! – Enjoy.

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Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Robb Moffet has uploaded a new video on his blog Robs Homemade Life for Easy Crock Pot Chili made from food storage ingredients. The chili has no meat in it, but the TVP sausage bits and Soy strips make it taste like it does.

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Letter Re: Sodium Hypochlorite Liquid

Dear Hugh,

I recently came across some Sodium Hypochlorite liquid at the big orange box store. It is 10% solution for swimming pools. It is packaged in one gallon plastic containers with two bottles to the box. The regular price was eight or ten dollars but they had it on clearance for $1.83. I have seen people talk about using this stuff in powder form for purifying water and I’m wondering if the liquid will work the same or if it is too hazardous and troublesome to store and maintain. It says 13oz per 10,000 gallons of water will give you 1ppm of chlorine so for 2 gallons of this you can do about 200,000 gallons of water…adjusted as necessary. It does say that it degrades over time and with sun exposure and that the caps are ventilated. Also not to store near acid. I’m almost thinking it is too much of a pain. What are your thoughts? God bless you and your and stay safe. – Nsane Prepper

HJL Comments: I would agree with your assessment of it being a pain to store. The liquid will have a much shorter storage life than the powder form and will cause much more corrosion on any metal stored in the same room as it. These are designed to be used in the same pool season that they are purchased. For our preps, we are moving away from storing volatile forms of chlorine anyway as chlorine generators are easy to purchase or build as well as maintain and the chemicals you store (usually table salt) are far more stable with much longer shelf lives. Two recent articles on this subject are:

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