Recipe of the Week: Fruit or Berry Cobbler Cupcakes

The following recipe for Fruit or Berry Cobbler Cupcakes is from SurvivalBlog reader Mike in Alaska.  It is his variant of a recipe that he found elsewhere.  Note: This recipe was originally developed for use with peaches or nectarines. It will also work for many types of berries.

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 c. flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 c. brown sugar
  • 1/4 c. white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 c. sour cream
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 1/4 c. ripe fruit or berries, chopped.
Directions
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 F.
  2. With a fork, whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl, and set that aside.
  3. Beat butter and the two sugars in a large bowl for 1 minute until light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until blended.
  5. Mix in the flour mixture that you set aside.
  6. Fold in the fruit.
  7. Fill cupcake liners or greased tins half full.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees F for approx. 25 minutes or until a test toothpick comes out of cupcake clean.
SERVING And STORAGE

Can be served after slight cooling. These will keep in a refrigerator for a day or two, but there are usually none left over!

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, another look at “shrinkflation”. (See the Inflation/Deflation Watch section.)

Precious Metals:

At Kitco: Key Downside Levels in Gold & Silver.

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A video link, at Gold-Eagle.com: Jim Willie Previews The Upcoming BRICS Meeting.

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Reader H.L. mentioned this, over at Zero Hedge: Poland Continues To Aggressively Buy Gold.

Economy & Finance:

Michael Burry Reveals Massive Bets Against Stock Market.

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MSN: China fuels US bond rout by slashing holdings to 14-year low as Washington-Beijing tensions drag on.

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H.L. sent this New York Post news item:  Workers making more than $100K laid off at alarming rate as number of US millionaires plummets.

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Steve Bannon’s War Room: A Rolling Credit Event and the Implosion of the Chinese Economy Drowning in a Sea of Debt — Chinese Bankruptcies And Biden’s Overspending Are Sending Global Capital Markets Into Crisis.

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Visualizing The $105 Trillion World Economy In One Chart.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — August 20, 2023

August 20, 1935 was the birthday of former Congressman Ron Paul. He retired from the House in 2013. Dr. Paul is to be commended for fighting the good fight for many years.

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August 20th, 1866 is the day that president Andrew Johnson formally declared the Civil War over.

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Today’s feature article is a review written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

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We are seeking entries for Round 108 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $840,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 108 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.

Ruger Precision Rimfire in .22 WMR, by Thomas Christianson

Last Spring, our church had a range day in conjunction with our Mission Conference. We knew our missionary speaker liked to hunt and shoot. We created an opportunity for people in our church family who also like to hunt and shoot to hang out with the missionary in an informal setting. There they could enjoy some shooting together prior to a short message from God’s word.

My friend “Welly” brought his Ruger Precision Rimfire in .22 WMR to the range day. I was really impressed by some of his shooting. It seemed like Welly just could not miss.

A few months later, Welly offered me the chance to borrow the rifle to review it. I eagerly took him up on his kind offer.

First Impressions

When I took Welly’s Ruger Precision Rimfire out of its case, the first thing that impressed me was how substantial it is. At 6.8 pounds, it is relatively heavy for a rimfire rifle. There is a lot of well-machined, nicely-fitted, solid steel in this design. The pistol grip and the adjustable comb were just about the only synthetic parts that I noticed at first glance. Fit and finish were excellent, with good materials, quality assembly, and no blemishes or tool marks.

The next major impression I had of the rifle was that it looks like a cross between an AR and a bolt action target rifle. The pistol grip, the design of the safety, the shape of the frame around the magazine, and the style of the handguard surrounding the barrel all reflect common AR design elements. The bolt action and the Quick-Fit Precision Rimfire Adjustable Stock both reflect common target rifle design elements. It looks like an AR and a target rifle got married and started a family. The Ruger Precision Rimfire is their firstborn.Continue reading“Ruger Precision Rimfire in .22 WMR, by Thomas Christianson”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

Truth Be Told, Both Of Them

Are “Rich Men North of Richmond”

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provide that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

 

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.

I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.

Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;

And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.

For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.

Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.

For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth.

And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.

I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.”  –  2 Corinthians 7 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — August 19, 2023

On August 19, 1960, American pilot Francis Gary Powers was sentenced to 10 years’ confinement by the Soviet Union for espionage following the U-2 Affair, but in 1962 he was later released in exchange for the Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.

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August 19th is also the birthday of Philo Taylor Farnsworth (1906-1971). Farnsworth was an American inventor who is best known for his image pickup device that formed the basis for the fully functional and complete all-electronic television system. Among his many other inventions was the Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor, a small nuclear fusion device that remains a viable source of neutrons. At his death, he held over 300 patents, mostly in radio and television.

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We are seeking entries for Round 108 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $840,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 108 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.

Lessons From A Hard Disk Crash

In place of another feature article that I had planned for today, I’m posting a recap of a recent laptop computer problem, with some lessons learned.

Macintosh PlusTo start, I should mention that I’ve been a Macintosh user for my home computers since 1986. My first Mac was a Macintosh Plus, purchased just after I got off of active duty as an Intelligence Corps officer. This was before I was ever married.  I’ve owned a whole succession of improved Macs since then.  Since the turn of the century, most of those have been alloy-case MacBook laptops. I’ve always been fairly good about keeping backups, and that has saved my bacon, on several occasions. In recent years, I’ve used the Time Machine backup utility, with 1-Terabyte large form-factor hard drives in a Sabrent quick-change  desktop hard drive docking station. With two vertical slots, this docking station vaguely resembles a bread toaster, so I naturally nicknamed it “The Toaster.”Continue reading“Lessons From A Hard Disk Crash”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

Early in the week, we had an extended family outing at the Silverwood theme park, near Athol, Idaho.  That was a lot of fun and gave us our annual “fix” of rollercoaster rides.

I made some more progress on firewood felling, hauling crosscutting, spitting, and stacking. I did so much chainsawing that I ended up with some sore fingers. So I took a pause for a few days in any additional sawing and splitting.

Now, Lily’s report…Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.

The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord.

All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.

Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.

And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.

Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.

The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee; The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.” – Isaiah 60:1-15 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — August 18, 2023

On August 18, 1896, at least according to lore, more than 200 outlaws from regional gangs gathered at Brown’s Hole (near the intersection of the borders of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah), where Butch Cassidy (aka Robert Leroy Parker, pictured) proposed to organize a Train Robbers’ Syndicate, which became familiarly known as the Wild Bunch.

August 18th is also the birthday of Meriwether Lewis, an American explorer, soldier, politician and public administrator that is best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 108 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. 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).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

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More than $840,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 108 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.

 

Basics of Wound Care – Part 2, by D.C.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

Another aspect of wounds to consider is whether or not necrotic (dead) tissue is present. Necrotic tissue is “dead” or non-viable tissue that delays the progression of healing. There are a few types you may find. Eschar is black or brown and described as hard or leathery. It firmly attaches to the wound bed and obscures the depth of the wound. Gangrene is tissue decay secondary to an interruption of blood flow to a specific area of the body. This is most seen in the distal extremities, but it can affect muscles and internal organs. Another necrotic tissue type is hyperkeratosis, more commonly known as a callus. Observed to be either white or gray, it varies in texture from firm to soggy based on the moisture level of the periwound area. If a wound is covered is obscured by a thin, stringy or mucinous, clumpy layer—this is likely slough. Slough tends to be yellow in color, moist, and loosely attached to the wound.

There is a helpful classification system used to simplify wound bed coloration. Conveniently, it is dubbed the red-yellow-black system. If the area is red/pink, protect the wound. Granulation tissue should be present, so a slightly moist environment may be most helpful. If you see yellow, slough should be removed and drainage should be absorbed. Black tissue indicates thick eschar that needs to be debrided.Continue reading“Basics of Wound Care – Part 2, by D.C.”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the slowdown in house construction. (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

At Gold-Eagle.com: Only a Retail Gold Standard Could Dethrone the Dollar.

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Is the world on the cusp of Bretton Woods 3.0, 52 years after Nixon closed the gold window?

Economy & Finance:

Linked over at the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: US Building Permits Stagnant In July As Mortgage Rates Top 7%.

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An interesting piece about private credit: Post-SVB crisis, this debt market juggernaut is poised to grow even more.

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Michael ‘The Big Short’ Burry Just Bet 90% of His Portfolio That the Stock Market Is About to Crash.

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‘China’s Blackstone’ Misses Payments, Faces Government Scrutiny.

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Saxo:  Global Market Quick Take: Asia – August 16, 2023.

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Bond traders prepare to brave ‘painful’ yield curve bets as rate hikes slow.

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World Bank: Pacific Economic Update – Recovering in the Midst of Uncertainty, August 2023.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”