Notes for Tuesday – September 15, 2015

Today, we present another entry for Round 60 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. 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,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have 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),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd 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.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  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 FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, 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,
  4. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 Lifestraws (a $200 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. 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,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  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).

Round 60 ends on September 30th, 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.

Sources of Vitamin C in a Post-SHTF World, by Okie Ranch Wife

Let me start by saying that I am not a medical doctor or a nutritionist. Any suggestions in this article are based upon my personal experience and should not be considered medical advice.

There will be many health concerns for people in a post-SHTF world, for people who have prepared as well as those who have not, including but not limited to the lack of life-sustaining prescription medicines, limited food, reduced caloric intake, and limited access to life-saving antibiotics. There will be a resurgence of diseases, such as cholera and TB to name just two, that were eradicated in the U.S. There will be a resurgence of deficiency diseases caused by a lack of vitamins and nutrients in the post-SHTF diet. This could be remedied by stockpiling a vast amount of multi-vitamins and supplements before the event, and hopefully people will have some in their stockpile. However, if the worst case scenario happens and happens quickly or the collapse and its after-effects last long term, the vitamins and stockpiles may run out, especially if there are multiple families at your location.

Farming, gardening, and foraging for wild plants will probably be in almost every prepper’s plan for their family’s survival. Most of the gardening zones of the United States are not conducive to growing the citrus crops that today are the most commonly recognized source of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. I live in zone 7, so I don’t have lime, lemon, or orange trees in my backyard.

A deficiency of vitamin C causes the painful disease known as scurvy. Earliest texts describe the symptoms circ 1500 BC. Aristotle described it in 450BC as a lack of energy, tooth decay, and bleeding problems. Symptoms of scurvy are rotting gums, tooth loss, painful jaws, swollen legs, general aches and pains, easy bruising, and open sores on the skin. In extreme cases, scurvy is fatal. It was not known by 19th century doctors that vitamin C is responsible for making collagen– the protein needed to maintain healthy connective tissue in the skin, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels and for the healing of wounds. Vitamin C has also been connected to eye health and mental acuity. Vitamin C has been touted as the cure for the common cold. Many studies have been conducted. Equal numbers say it does help, and equal numbers say it doesn’t help. Vitamin C does appear to help boost the immune system, and it supports adrenal function in stressful situations. For that reason alone, in my opinion, it should have a place on a prepper’s supply list.

Only about 10 mg of C is needed to avoid the disease. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women as proposed by the U.S. government committee on Dietary Allowances by the Food and Nutrition Board. Pregnant mothers should get 85 mg, while lactating mothers should consume 120 mg, since much of their vitamin goes to their breast milk. However, 250 to 500 mg or even higher doses are recommended as a more realistic and optimum dosage. The elderly, people under stress, whether emotionally or environmentally, and diabetics will require a higher daily dose. Wound healing is a major concern for diabetics. Some nutritionists have used the “bowel effect” as an indication of enough vitamin C. In other words, when you have loose bowels to the point of diarrhea, you have a little too much vitamin C because it works as a laxative. It’s my opinion that in a SHTF event, this would not be a good yardstick. You would also be losing water from your body, which is not good in that situation.

My ancestors came from Northern Eastern Europe, which is another area where citrus crops do not grow. Yes, they could trade for some, but life on a farm in that area didn’t lend itself to have enough to do much trading for exotics. They knew what they needed in their diet, and that’s what they produced from their soil to stay healthy in order to continue to work their farm and provide for their families.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and is stable in raw foods. However, cooking vitamin C-rich foods will cause it to be lost or greatly reduced. Vitamin C is also reduced when foods are picked and allowed to sit at room temperature for several hours. Fortunately C-rich foods are comprised mostly from vegetable sources. Animal protein has almost no vitamin C content. Nutritional studies have shown that vitamin C is used by the body in about two hours and is eliminated from the body within about four hours. Normal situational use of supplemental vitamin C should be taken every four hours or as a time-release tablet. For people in SHTF and getting their daily dose of C through their meals, this schedule coincides nicely with normal mealtimes.

Vegetable sources of vitamin C include:

Herbs are a great source of vitamin C that you can add to any prepared dish, and they are super easy to grow even in the kitchen on a southern exposure window sill. The herbs include:

Other fruit sources of vitamin C are:

Seed and beans, except kidney, which should not be sprouted, when eaten as sprouts are also high in vitamin C; however, a better use of those would be planting for another crop.

Since vitamin C is water soluble, any excess will be eliminated daily from the body. Having even more during a stressful time, like a SHTF situation, would be good. Vitamin C is also used up very quickly when there is an infection present in the body. To keep the highest content possible of vitamin C, you should eat the vegetable raw or lightly steamed.

Now, here’s more on sauerkraut. Dr. Jonathan Lamb, professor at Vanderbilt University, recounts that CPT James Cook took 7,860 pounds of sauerkraut on his voyage to the South Seas and not one of his sailors died of scurvy while they were gone. While Cook used the fermented vegetable to keep his crew healthy during the long sea voyages, he was not the first explorer to do so. Some researchers believe that fermented foods came into Eastern Europe because of the raids of Genghis Khan. Asian peoples eat kimchi. Many service members have been introduced to this dish while serving overseas in Korea. I make a very simple version that does not have the pungent aroma found in more ethnic versions. Historical records have shown that the workers building the Great Wall of China ate fermented cabbage during the cold seasons when fruit was not available. Talk about a stressful and intense work environment, that would have been it.

Levels of vitamin C in fermented sauerkraut range from 57 to 700 mg per cup. Now, before you go running out to buy multiple flats of canned sauerkraut, remember that heat decreases the level of vitamin C in veggies. The type of sauerkraut I’m talking about here is the lacto-fermented kind that uses no heat in the process. Raw cabbage has a moderate amount of C in it, about 30 mgs, but the level spikes when lacto-fermentation is done. Red lacto-fermented cabbage has been found to have the highest C values, at around 700 mg per cup. This type of sauerkraut has the fiber and the probiotics that improve digestion and maintain bowel health and protects against many diseases of the digestive tract. Traditionally, lacto-fermented sauerkraut has been used in studies in Europe as an aid to cure stomach ulcers.

Lacto-fermentation of the cabbage is not a fast process. It occurs over days and weeks. The cabbage is sliced thin and layered with water and salt, left at room temperature with a weight to press down the cabbage and keep it under water. A breakdown of the sugars happen, and then the process of growing the probiotics occurs. It is then packaged into jars in its own brine solution, and it can then be refrigerated to preserve the vitamins and enzymes. The Lehman’s Non-electric catalog from Kirdron, Ohio has sauerkraut crocks and various books on making and storing sauerkraut. Note that it is not only cabbage that can be fermented. Other vegetables, such as red beets, turnips, red peppers, daikon radish, and carrots all have vitamin C levels raised when fermented in the traditional way.

As I stated earlier, it only takes about 10 mg to keep scurvy at bay; however, you will need considerably more in your diet to function at the optimum level needed in a SHTF scenario. Whether you get it from multi-vitamins, supplements, or in your daily food, you should have a plan for it.

References:

Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon

Staying Healthy with Nutrition, Elson M. Haus

Staying Healthy with Seasons, Elson M. Haus

Vitamin C, David Zieve

Weston Price Foundation

Letter: Vehicle Fences

1

Hi HJL,

I do a fair amount of traveling in the snowy states and have noticed a trend that I think is interesting. On both major highways and interstates I’ve seen more and more of the “crash cable” fences being erected between opposing lanes. While I’m sure the initial reason for the fences is to prevent a vehicle from slipping on ice and sliding into oncoming traffic, I can’t help but see an alternate “extra” use. The fences I’ve seen are constructed with 3 to 6 strands of 3/4 to 1 inch thick galvanized steel cable. The strands are fixed to substantial sized “H” beam posts that are cemented into the ground. These fences are 3 to 4 feet tall and go on uninterrupted for many miles. The only openings are for the occasional emergency vehicle turn around. I know of no highway vehicles that could traverse them or crash through them.

In the event of a “situation”, these fences would easily serve as a convenient vehicle containment barrier. While it was merely inconvenient last year when I got corralled behind a large accident for hours and couldn’t turn around, it would be much more concerning if I was in my vehicle on the way out of town to the BOL and some alphabet agency decided to block the highway. There’s no turning around in the median and no driving cross country.

My solution was to add two types of tools to my vehicle. The first was a good quality hack saw with quality metal cutting blades; the second was a heavy cable cutter. Keep in mind that even the largest bolt cutters will usually only open to 1/2 inch wide. A hack saw (and a strong arm), or a higher-end cable cutter, will cut through over one inch of steel. These both have many uses, but cutting my way through a barrier could be very valuable. Of course it goes without saying that damaging government property is still a crime, but in the right situation it may not matter much. – T.T.

News From The American Redoubt:

CCS Investigates Muslim Refugees in Idaho – RBS

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Prayer conference in Sandpoint, Idaho – Sept 18-20 – C.B.

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Received from a SurvivalBlog Reader:

Dear Friends,

In case you don’t know it, we lost our barn and home here in Idaho to a wildfire one month ago. We moved into it in December and I was just finishing up the bath tile and had not put the metal siding on yet. We were not insured and people have been asking for a way to donate to help us rebuild. So, we set up an account at gofundme.

Fifty-seven homes were lost as well as several hundred out buildings. This disaster has really brought the community together. There is a cold front moving in and damper weather ahead, so the fires seem to be pretty much behind us. It is time to clean-up, mitigate for erosion, and start on the road to recovery and rebuilding. Our loss has been a setback, but many blessings are coming from it. We are thankful for all the prayers and support. – Blessings, Jay & Pearl Maxner

Folks: Please donate if you feel convicted to do so. If you’d rather not mention your name with your donation, then please just tag it “Another SurvivalBlog Reader.” Many Thanks, – JWR

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Feds: Sage grouse face decline if wildfires can’t be stopped

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Wyoming: Two climbers die in Wind River Range accident

Economics and Investing:

Understanding Why Budgets Fail May Help Us Succeed: 5 Big Reasons Budgets Fail – A.L.

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Could the Fed Implement a “Carry” Tax on Physical Cash? by Phoenix Capital – D.S.

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

USA Drops to 16th on ‘Economic Freedom’ List… – While it may be a stretch to say the U.K. has more economic freedom than some of these other countries, it is definitely indicative to the direction we have been heading for quite some time.

US Interest Rate Rise Could Trigger Global Debt Crisis – We are all aware of this fact, but what is always most interesting to me is the supposed warning from the BIS. Almost like they are setting up to take credit and pose as the savior.

Odds ‘n Sods:

I generally shy away from conspiracy theory videos, but I found this one fascinating, for several reasons:

9/11 Experiments: The Great Thermate Debate– JWR

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Perhaps a bit off-topic, but SurvivalBlog readers should be alerted that via the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a ban on the interstate transfer of elephant ivory–even so-called “old ivory” –will be going into effect in the States on September 29th. Buy any Ivory pieces that you want for your guns or knives, NOW! – JWR

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Video: Food riots turn deadly in Somalia – C.L.

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California’s Sierra Nevada snowpack estimated at 500-year low – G.P.

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Great, more rioters; they’ll fit right in… Baltimore Prepares To Accept More Syrian Refugees

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“It’s no accident that capitalism has brought with it progress, not merely in production but also in knowledge. Egoism and competition are, alas, stronger forces than public spirit and sense of duty.” – Albert Einstein

Notes for Monday – September 14, 2015

On this day in 1944, the U.S. 1st Marine Division lands on the island of Peleliu, one of the Palau Islands in the Pacific, as part of a larger operation to provide support for Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who was preparing to invade the Philippines. Within one week of the invasion, the Marines lost 4,000 men. By the time it was all over, that number would surpass 9,000. The Japanese lost more than 13,000 men. Flamethrowers and bombs finally subdued the island for the Americans, but it all proved pointless. MacArthur invaded the Philippines without need of Army or Marine protection from either Peleliu or Morotai.

Pat Cascio’s Product Review – SIG Sauer P320 .45ACP

It’s hard not to like any handgun chambered in .45ACP, with a few exceptions. I cut my teeth on a 1911 .45ACP and have owned hundreds over the years. There are some I really regret selling or trading, too. While on the Illinois National Guard Rifle and Pistol Team, back in the early 1970s, I was issued a match grade M-14, as well as a match grade 1911with all the ammo I wanted. (You’d better believe I took full advantage of that, too.) I had .50 caliber ammo cans stacked high in my bedroom. However, most of the matches we competed in were only high-powered rifle matches. Very few were handgun matches. I’m the first to admit that back then I wasn’t the best pistol shot, but I still loved the grand ol’ 1911.

One thing that surprises me is that many gun companies come out with new handgun designs in 9mm and .40S&W long before they do one in .45ACP, and everyone I talk to wants a new handgun design in .45ACP. Then again, none of the gun companies consulted me. Additionally, many gun companies come out with full-sized guns when the buying public wants smaller, more concealable handguns. Once again, none of the gun companies asked for my input on this.

When the new SIG Sauer new P320 came out, the first model was a full-sized version, and it was in 9mm. I sat back and waited and waited for one to come out in .45ACP. All the printed gun magazines featured the 9mm P320 on the front cover of their publications. It helps sell guns when your new product is on the front of a magazine. Boy, does it ever sell guns! Still, I waited….

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I placed an order for the SIG P320 in .45ACP, and I wanted the “Carry” model. What I received was the full-sized gun. (Sigh!) Still, I was happy that it was in .45ACP! The SIG Sauer P320 is the company’s first try at a striker-fired handgun. SIG seems to be late to the game with a striker-fired pistol. However, they aren’t about to be outdone. A quick look at the P320 in .45ACP is in order. The gun weighs 29.4 ounces because of the polymer frame, so it is fairly light weight for a full-sized, duty handgun. The barrel is 4.7 inches long. The overall length is 8.0 inches and height is 5.5 inches. The slide is stainless steel; however it has the SIG Nitro coating on it in flat black, which is very tactical looking. My model had the contrast sights instead of night sights. Night sights can be ordered, if you want them. Two 10-rd magazines came with the gun, and they were easy to load, too. That is nice! The trigger pull is 5.5-lbs to 6.5-lbs, and it is double action only (DAO). (I’ll talk more on this in a moment.) There is also a Picatinny rail on the frame for attaching lights or lasers. I would like to see SIG offer the P320 without this option, for those of us who don’t attach things to our handguns.

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The grip frame is polymer with a great feel to it. My sample came with the medium grip frame that fit my hand perfectly. However, you can order a larger grip frame or a smaller one to fit your hand, and you do not have to go through an FFL dealer to order a new grip frame. Here’s the thing with the P320 line-up; the trigger control group is easily removed from the grip frame. Simply field-strip the gun and then push out the take-down lever. You pull the trigger control group out of the grip frame, and it is this stainless steel trigger control group that is the actual “firearm”. It has the serial number on it. So, if you want to convert your P320 to a smaller version– the Carry or Subcompact– all you have to do is order the grip frame you want directly from SIG for $40. You put the trigger control group into the new grip frame, and it is a drop-in affair with no fitting required!

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You can also order a shorter slide and barrel. Again, you can order directly from SIG without going through an FFL dealer for this. The combinations would seem to be endless. From one trigger control group you can convert your P320 to fit your needs, whether it’s a full-sized duty gun, carry gun, sub-compact, and different sized grip frames to fit your hand; it all seemed too easy to my way of thinking, but it works. I read several articles on the removal of the trigger control group, and many writers said that everything stayed together. It was not so with my sample. The first time I removed the trigger control group, a pin fell out. I figured out where it went; it is the trigger stop pin that stops over-travel of the trigger. The pin just kind of “floats” in the hole where it goes. I did some checking on the ‘net and found that many P320 owners had the same problem; the trigger stop pin fell out. That’s not good! I found a very easy solution. I installed the trigger stop pin, and then I placed an “E” clip on it; the pin no longer fell out. I don’t know how SIG missed this problem, and I understand the trigger stop pin doesn’t fall out of all the guns. It’s just some of them. Plus, the gun will function just fine without the trigger stop pin, but you will have some trigger over-travel.

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The DAO trigger pull is probably the best on the market today. If it’s not the best, it is very close to being the best. The trigger pull is short and crisp. It’s hard to describe, but you have to experience it to appreciate it. My trigger pull came in right at 5.5 lbs. Many DAO handguns have a long and/or mushy trigger pull, and you can’t get the best accuracy out of a pistol no matter how hard you might try. SIG might be a little late coming to the DAO game, but they didn’t follow everyone else. Yes, I’m aware that SIG came out with their P250, which was a double action only handgun. However, it was hammer-fired, and the P320 is striker-fired. I’m not at all sure how the magicians at SIG managed to come up with this trigger pull on the P320, but they did. I closely examined the trigger control group outside of the gun, and it just appears very simple in the way it operates. In my experience, simple is always better. I ran the P320 side-by-side with some other handguns, in particular, a couple of 1911s, and the SIG held its own in the accuracy department, even beating one of my favorite 1911s in the accuracy department. I was more than a little impressed.

I also wanted to comment on the sights. They are large enough, with the white dots, that my aged eyes had no problems seeing the sights; that is great! SIG also provides a polymer hip holster that comes in the nice plastic carrying case the P320 comes in. One thing that really irks me is having a new gun come on the market and then not being able to find a proper fitted holster. In that case, you have to resort to using a generic ballistic nylon holster that doesn’t fit properly. Way to go, SIG!

The only operating controls on the P320 is the slide stop, trigger, and take-down lever. There are no external safeties, so you have to rely on the one between your ears. The front of the slide is tapered for easier re-holstering, too. There are grasping grooves on the front and rear of the slide on either side of it for easy chambering of rounds, too. Overall, the gun is slick. There’s nothing to catch or snag on anything.

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Seeing that the P320 was a new design, I really gave it a work out. I don’t normally compare one gun to another in my articles, as there will always be one I like better than the others; it’s just human nature. I mentioned that I shot the P320 against some of my 1911s just to see how the SIG would hold up in the accuracy department against a single-action semiauto handgun, and that’s as far as I went. I really shouldn’t have been concerned about this aspect. SIG is famous for making extremely accurate handguns and rifles.

Over the course of a couple of weeks, I gave the P320 a good work out. We’ve had several heat waves in our part of Oregon with temps rising above 100 degrees, and I don’t tolerate that kind of heat. So, I was out numerous times, early in the morning to do my shooting. In all, I fired over 600 rds through the SIG, and there was not a single malfunction of any type. From Black Hills Ammunition I had their 230-g FMJ, 185-gr Barnes all-copper hollow point TAC-XP +P , 230-gr JHP, 185-gr JHP, and their 200-gr Match Semi-Wad Cutter loads. From Buffalo Bore Ammunition I had their 185-gr FMJ FN low recoil load, 255-gr Hard Cast +P load, 230-gr FMJ FN +P, 160 and 186-gr Barnes all-copper hollow point +P loads. The P320 gobbled up everything without a hint of a malfunction. What’s not to like about this on any out-of-the-box handgun?

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For my accuracy testing, I rested the SIG on a sleeping bag over the hood of my pick-up, and the target was 25 yards down range. Not a single load exceeded three inches, so long as I did my part. I had a couple called flyers. It was my bad, not the gun’s fault. The Buffalo Bore 255-gr Hard Cast +P Outdoorsman load was pretty consist with groups hovering slightly over two inches. The overall winner though was the Black Hills 200-gr Match Semi Wad Cutter load. As long as I was on my game, I was getting groups of 1 3/4 inches. I couldn’t do it all the time, though. Again, it was my fault and not the gun or the ammo. All other loads were in the two to three inch group, and that is nothing to complain about at all. The Buffalo Bore 185-gr Barnes all-copper hollow point +P load would be a great self-defense load, as would the same load from Black Hills. For hiking in the boonies, where you might encounter dangerous game, the Buffalo Bore 255-gr Hard Cast +P Outdoorsman load is the way to go. For everyday paper punching, the Black Hills 230-gr FMJ load is a great round to use; it never has let me down. It can shoot better than I can hold the gun.

I usually try to quote full retail prices on guns and knives, however, since the P320 is so new, prices are all over the place. I think you can probably find one in the $500 – $550 price range, if you shop around. Some places are charging a lot more, though, because it is a new model and samples are few and far between.

I honestly couldn’t find anything to complain about with my P320 sample, other than the trigger stop pin incident, and it was an easy fix with an “E” clip. Other than that, the P320 in .45ACP is a real winner in my humble opinion. I may, just may, get a P320 in 9mm, just because!

– Senior Product Review Editor, Pat Cascio

Recipe of the Week: Challah Braided Bread, by Mrs. Latimer

This is a wonderful and easy recipe for bread that is traditionally braided, often using three braids but sometimes as many as six braids and can even be made into round braids. (The rounds are often made for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, using dried fruit inside the bread braids to represent the sweetness of God’s gift of new beginnings. For those who are believers in the Messiah (Yeshua/Jesus), we already know the sweetness of a spiritual new beginning and look forward to the sweet day when we will be physically restored to a new beginning in the New Jerusalem where we will dwell with our Lord forever.) This is a bread that our family regularly enjoys and for which we most often “gives thanks”, with various members getting involved in the making, braiding, and toppings. It’s fun. (It also can be wrapped and stored in the freezer, but only if cooled completely, then wrapped tightly and very well in plastic wrap, and then stored inside a ziploc freezer bag in the freezer, as it can easily dry out.) Also, I separate the eggs and store the eggs whites in a ziploc bag in the freezer to accumulate until I have enough for an angel food cake. Yummy! (Guess you’ll need to wait for the cookbook for my quite unusual and survival-minded angel food cake recipe. I’m still slowly working on the cookbook, so please be patient!)

Ingredients:

  • 4 tsp dry yeast
  • 1 1/4 c warm water, divided (approximately bath temperature or 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
  • 3 generous Tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 5 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 4 1/4 – 4 1/2 c bread flour or very finely, freshly ground whole wheat flour (I usually use 3 cups powder fine whole wheat plus 1 1/4 bread flour, but it’s okay just to use bread flour)
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten, plus 1 Tbsp water
  • Kosher salt (optional)
  • Sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds (optional)

Directions:

  1. Combine the yeast, honey, and approximately 1/2 cup of the warm water in your mixer’s bowl. Allow to stand 10-15 minutes while the yeast activates and you measure and mix the other ingredients.
  2. Generously oil the interior bottom and sides of a large glass bowl with extra virgin olive oil and set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining water, oil, and 3 egg yolks; mix together with a whisk.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine 4 1/4 cups of flour(s) and salt; stir together.
  5. Before turning the mixer on (or mixing by hand), add layers of a small amount of the water/oil mixture and the a small amount of the flour mixture to the yeast water with repeated layering until all have been added to the mixer bowl. Once all of the ingredients have been added, turn the machine on low speed (or mix by hand). Dough will form a ball. Scrape down sides if necessary while ingredients are combining. If dough is well mixed but sticks to the bottom of the bowl, stop mixer, add 1/4 cup of flour, and then turn the mixer back on and let it run again for several minutes to combine well and see if this time the dough will form a ball and lift out of the bowl easily. If not, add a few more tablespoons of flour and mix thoroughly again, until the dough can be handled. It shouldn’t be very sticky at all.
  6. Place the dough in the well oiled bowl and turn the dough over so that the dough is covered in oil. Cover the bowl with a clean, dry cloth and place it in a warm (not hot; must be less than 120 degrees Fahrenheit) place to rise for about an hour, until doubled in size.
  7. Punch down the dough. The dough can be punched down and allowed to rise two or three times until you are ready to shape it.
  8. This recipe makes two very generous size loaves or four smaller loaves. A kitchen scale is handy for weighing the dough to get each loaf about the same size. (I usually make four smallish loaves, which each make about six generous servings.)
  9. Once ready to shape, preheat oven to 375 degrees and remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured kneading/work board. Cut dough into either two or four portions (whatever number of loaves you’re making). Then, cut each portion into the appropriate number of braid portions and role the braids. Braid/shape the loaves as desired.
  10. Place braided/shaped loaves on parchment lined baking sheets (or lightly greased baking sheet). Gently, use a basting/pastry brush to brush tops and sides of dough portions with the egg yolk-water wash. Sprinkle with kosher salt and/or your choice of seeds; cover the dough lightly, and let it rise again until it doubles in size (about an hour).
  11. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. (A convection oven set on 365 degrees is ideal.) Bake for 18-25 minutes, depending on the size of the loaves and your oven. It takes some practice to tell when the bread is done, but usually the top and the bottom are a light gold color.

NOTE: To modify for Jewish New Year, roll dough strips out flat and lay dried applies and/or raisins and then close up the dough ropes so that the apples/raisins are inside the dough ropes that are then braided into shapes (usually into a round for Rosh Hashanah– the new year/new beginning of the cycle of life). You may also choose to add a touch of cinnamon to your dough and/or cinnamon sugar on your apple/raisin filling and then sprinkle powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or frosting on the top after it has baked, or dip pieces in honey. This is a very yummy, versatile recipe and has been time-tested again and again in our household and among many of our friends and their families.

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

Letter Re: Living in Small Town America

Hello,

Since we moved from Front Range Colorado to Western Slope Colorado in 2010, it has been a learning experience. Even though I was raised in rural New Mexico and my husband in rural New York, we had forgotten that city folk were mistrusted in rural areas.

Some of our neighbors that we share irrigation with were great. But others equally close in the neighborhood were wary and did not respond to my gifts of fresh produce. Of course, people are busy. We took care of our property. Maybe they were worried we would be noisy, collect junk, or let our dog run. We complained to the sheriff’s office about a neighbor’s dog that barked all night most nights. They denied it was their dog though we went out at night and recorded the dog. (We learned on the front range that people do not respond favorably when their door is knocked on the next day about their dog; some come to the door with a gun.) We complained to a neighbor about his kid riding his ATV up and down our fence line at bedtime, creating clouds of dust and noise. I am talking about a semi-rural area where your neighbors are 50-100 yards away. When you talk to your neighbor 50 yards away about the rooster who goes off all day, he says “This is the country.”

Then they all found out who we were. We hunted, fished, camped, gardened, and canned just like they did. They noticed my anti-Obama bumper stickers. They learned that I did veteran’s disability exams at the local VA and began to notice that they or their kids were getting fair evaluations and subsequent benefits. A neighbor came to talk to me and offered ATV and horse rides. He is a coal miner as are many neighbors. We got invited to retirement parties. Many have been laid off here with the war on coal. People started waving to us and talking to us as we walked our Golden Retriever on a leash (the consummate yuppie city dog). The rooster must have gone to the pot. I don’t know if my attending one of the many churches in our small town even mattered. When people know who you are, then they respect you and your space.

So I would say, be yourself and friendly, but don’t be a doormat or uppity, and things will come along when you move to your retreat type property. Don’t delay. – Colorado retreat

Odds ‘n Sods:

AMAZING PHOTOS- “Time Capsule” C-47 Crash – Don’t miss this one – T.P.

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David Cameron under fire over EU army stance – G.P.

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Some light reading…or not: United Nations Infantry Battalion Manual for Peacekeepers – Part 1 – T.P.

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‘Production Versus Plunder’ Part 24 – The Centuries of Reset

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Wow, I’m really caught off guard that this would happen. I’m sure Iran will only use this for creating electricity. You know the “electric” feeling you get when you realize you screwed up big time and you’re about to pay for it. Iran finds ‘unexpectedly high’ uranium reserve after Dems seal nuke deal for Obama – M.B.

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.” – Frederick Douglass

Notes for Sunday – September 13, 2015

13 September 1951 was the birthday of President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 60 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $10,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. 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,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have 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),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd 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.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  9. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  10. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  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 FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, 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,
  4. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  5. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  6. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  7. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  8. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate,
  9. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site, and
  10. Safecastle is providing a package of 10 Lifestraws (a $200 value).

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. 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,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  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).

Round 60 ends on September 30th, 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.