Recipe of the Week:  Lily’s Creamed Garden Greens Soup

The following is an updated recipe for my Creamed Garden Greens Soup.

Note that this varies from what I had previously posted in our Editors’ Prepping Progress column. I skipped the Dandelion greens this time, and used much less nutmeg. And I did not add any water. It was a super-rich and creamy greens soup.  Everybody raved about it.

Ingredients
  • Four loose cups of mixed mild garden greens.  (From my garden, I used roughly equal parts of Lamb’s Quarters, Sorrel, and Swiss Chard leaves. Also, a smaller quantity of chopped Chives.)
  • 1 Tablespoon of butter (I use my own sheep’s milk butter)
  • Salt, to taste
  • Nutmeg, to taste
  • 4 Cups Whole milk (I use fresh sheep milk)
  • 3 Tablespoons of Flour (I use hand-ground Einkorn flour)
Directions
  1. Chop all of the greens to spoon size.
  2. In a hot frying pan, sauté the greens in one Tablespoon of butter, just until they have softened.
  3. Transfer to a cold soup pan.
  4. Add a sprinkle of salt.
  5. Add a pinch of Nutmeg
  6. Stir in 4 cups of whole milk, and apply medium heat to the pan.
  7. Stir in about three tablespoons of ground flour, to thicken the soup to a creamy consistency.
  8. Simmer the soup for just a few minutes, to maintain the vitamin content of the greens.
SERVING

Prepare this soup just before your main course dish is nearly done with cooking/baking/roasting. Serve this soup hot.  We use it as a summer side dish, alongside a main course of meat. This recipe serves three adults, but it can be doubled. – AVL

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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!

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — May 25, 2025

On May 25th, 1720, the ship “Le Grand St. Antoine” reached Marseille, France, bringing Europe’s last major plague outbreak. The Plague of Marseille killed around 100,000 people.

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May 25, 1787: The Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia with George Washington presiding. The task of the peaceful overthrow of the new American government as it had been defined by the Articles of Confederation eventually led to the United States Constitution that is so abused today.

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May 25th, 2012: A SpaceX Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft to dock at the International Space Station.

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Today’s feature article is an essay by SurvivalBlog’s founder and Senior Editor, James Wesley, Rawles (JWR).

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We are in need of entries for Round 118 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 118 ends on May 31st, 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

 

 

Avoiding Those Jurisdictional Layers

Many of my consulting calls focus on the selection of retreat property locales. I always advise my clients to look first at state, county, and local laws, before they even start to look at individual real estate listings. In this essay,  I will address the issue of jurisdictional layers, when considering retreat locales. In two previous SurvivalBlog articles, I discussed the whole concept of jurisdiction:

But in this essay, I will be going over the application of jurisdiction, and most importantly how it varies, additively, by locale.

Most people reading this already realize that buying land in a State like California or New Jersey would be a mistake. That is immediately apparent just from the standpoint of taxes and gun laws, not to mention population density. But living in any State of the Union, the prospect of coming under the control of multiple jurisdictions can be unappealing.  Often, I have clients who want to buy land or homes in what I call jurisdictionally-burdened areas. Let me elaborate on this:

The Jurisdictional layer cake

If you buy property anywhere in the United States, then you’ll effectively be under Federal Laws. (Yes, I realize that even though most Federal laws are over-applied, since from a Constitutionalist perspective, Federal jurisdiction should properly only be applied to Federal property, such as Federal buildings, forts, ports, and dockyards. But try explaining that to a Federal prosecutor. You won’t get very far…)

Granted, you could expatriate, but then you’ll end up living under a foreign government, with its own set of laws and its own variety of taxes.  All national governments seem to demand their Pound Of Flesh, one way or the other. Even just a cursory bit of research will show you that there are very few countries that have more firearms freedom than the United States. The U.S. is perhaps the world’s safest haven for gun owners. Yes, there are fewer gun laws in Yemen and Somalia, but I couldn’t be persuaded to live in either of those semi-anarchic Islamic countries, for other reasons — most notably the climate, the quality of life, street crime rates, and relative religious freedom. No, thanks!

Unfortunately, the United States is one of the minority of countries that taxes worldwide income. So, if you do decide to move abroad, you’ll find the only real escape from the fell clutches of the IRS is if you give up your American citizenship.  That is not very appealing to me. I’d always like to have the option of moving back here, on short notice.

Continue reading“Avoiding Those Jurisdictional Layers”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

 

Meme Text:

The Face That A Hogg Makes When He Is Told…

That We’ll Be Able To Make Our Own Suppressors and Suppressor Parts, And Sell Used Ones At Gun Shows, Without Any Paperwork

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, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

 

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying,

Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.” – Romans 11:1-19 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — May 24, 2025

On May 24, 1844, Samuel Morse tapped out: “What hath God wrought” in the world’s first telegraph message.

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And speaking of Samuels, on May 24, 1764, Samuel Adams wrote instructions for a Boston Town Meeting opposing the Sugar Act, laying the groundwork for colonial resistance to taxation without representation.

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Today’s feature article is a guest post that is not part of our writing contest judging. We are in need of entries for Round 118 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 118 ends on May 31st, 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

 

Leftist Plantation: It’s Now “Treason” For White Farmers To Leave South Africa?, by Brandon Smith

Editor’s Introductory Note: This guest article (reposted with permission) describes some recent news that might outwardly seem tangential to the focus of SurvivalBlog. But I believe that it is indeed relevant because it highlights the importance of preparedness for international migration.

The 20th Century taught us that national politics can change rapidly, and minority groups can be marginalized, exploited, disenfranchised, persecuted, imprisoned, and systematically killed. This happened again and again in places like Armenia, Russia and Ukraine (with the rise of the Bolsheviks and Soviets from the 1920s to 1950s), Greece and Turkey in the 1920s, Nazi Germany, the partition of India and Pakistan, Tibet, Cuba, Laos, Cambodia, Kurdistan (repeatedly), Rwanda, Burma, Zimbabwe, East Timor, the Darfur region of Sudan, and South Africa. Millions of people have suffered and died, but a fairly large number fled and saved their lives. As a contingency plan, every family should be ready to “Take The Gap.” If nothing else, at least keep your passports updated. – JWR

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Some people might be wondering why a backwater nation like South Africa has become a flash point in the global debate over politics and culture. It’s really not that hard to understand once you recognize the core conflict, which is in part about racial division but also about the fundamental evils of the political left and socialism.

South Africa represents a perfect petri dish, a window into the minds of progressive authoritarians. The country is near the end point of the natural socialist evolution – From “hopeful humanist endeavor” to the communist slave plantation that all socialist adventures inevitably become.

A key pillar of leftist authoritarianism is an obsessive desire to prevent people from walking away. In other words, citizens are seen as property of the collective and property of the greater progressive experiment. When citizens try to leave, this is treated as a crime beyond reckoning.

It’s a concept I’ve been writing about for many years now. Walking away from the leftist plantation brings the entire edifice into question; it is the worst thing a citizen can do.

Afrikaners who want to immigrate to the US under the refugee program put in place by the Trump Administration are being targeted by a malicious smear campaign. Recently, the South African parliament debated what should be done about these immigrants and also debated how to protect South Africa’s image on the world stage.Continue reading“Leftist Plantation: It’s Now “Treason” For White Farmers To Leave South Africa?, by Brandon Smith”

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:

We feel like we’ve made a lot of progress in the past week. We took delivery of two “Nucs” and set up two beehives (with supers), inside our orchard fence. To get ready for that, I only had to buy one new brooder box and one galvanized hive roof. We had everything else we needed on hand, all left over from when we had kept bees several years ago. Everything that we needed was in one large stack of boxes, in our garage. This included plenty of extra supers and frames, our three bee suits, a pair of smokers, smoker pellets, and tools. Sometimes, being well-organized pays off.

Our little bull calf — just a few weeks old — unexpectedly came down with bloody scours. So we dosed him with CORID for five consecutive days.

I’ve been keeping busy with cutting and splitting firewood.  Our #2 Daughter handles most of the stacking. I’ve also been cutting, splitting, and stacking firewood for an aging neighbor.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…

Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The word of the Lord also came unto me, saying,

Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.

Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house.

Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.

Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.

In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.

And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder in their sight.

And in the morning came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,

Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?

Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them.

Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity.

And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.

My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.

And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.

But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.” – Ezekiel 12:1-16 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — May 23, 2025

On May 23rd, 1934 the outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were killed by deputized former Texas Rangers Frank Hamer (pictured above) and Maney Gault, as well as assorted local police, near Gibbsland, Louisiana. The event was dramatized in the 2019 Kevin Costner movie The Highwaymen.  JWR’s Comments:  It is good that Frank Hamer stocked up, when he did. The National Firearms Act (NFA) was signed into law by Franklin D. Roosevelt in June of 1934.  That law unconstitutionally required registration and $200 transfer taxes on sales of machineguns, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and suppressors.

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May 23 is the birthday of George Lars Kellgren (born 1943 in Borås, Sweden), the founder and chief engineer of Kel-Tec. According to LeftistAgendaPedia: He designed many firearms earlier for Husqvarna and Swedish Interdynamics AB in Sweden. He moved to the US in 1979 and his original US designs were for Intratec and Grendel brand firearms. He founded Kel-Tec in 1991.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 118 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 $2,000.
  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. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $350 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

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 TOUGHGRID.com (a $287 value).
  3. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  4. 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 gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. 3Vgear.com is providing an ultimate bug-out bag bundle that includes their 3-day Paratus Bag, a Posse EDC Sling Pack, and a Velox II Tactical Backpack. This prize package has a $289 retail value.
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  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 $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 118 ends on May 31st, 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. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic.

Lehman’s Cordless Mason Jar Vacuum Sealer, by Mike in Alaska

I recently bought a Mason Jar vacuum sealer from the Lehman’s Non-Electric store located in Kidron, Ohio. The following is my informal review.

Disclaimer: I paid full retail price for this jar sealer. Lehman’s has not paid me or otherwise compensated me, nor do I represent them. I am simply offering to readers of the blog our experience with this product.

We have bought many items from Lehman’s over the years, from cast iron products, food, candies, to Aladdin Lamps. The quality of their products is what we call “generational quality”; that is, you can pass their products down to the next generation. (Except for the candy and food items. Those don’t get by me for long.)

We have an All-American Pressure Canner we bought from Lehman’s several years ago., If you’re going to preserve liquid foods, then use that method and save the Pressure Vacuum canner in this review for prolonging the storage of dry goods and foods. We use the pressure canner for our meats, fish, vegetables, and fruit, since that method is the safest way to preserve those types of foods.

For this device, I decided to buy it because it was not very expensive, even with shipping to the interior of Alaska. The total cost was $115.97 and this included the shipping costs of $32.99 and an extra-large pack of new jar lids. It seemed like an inexpensive way to store dry items that we can buy in quantity like cereal, grains, and other stuff that we would buy but not use quickly enough that it wouldn’t go stale sitting on the shelf in the original box or whatever container that the manufacturer shipped it in.Continue reading“Lehman’s Cordless Mason Jar Vacuum Sealer, by Mike in Alaska”

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 LMBA’s delivery crunch. (See the Precious Metals section.)

Precious Metals:

The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) is running into a physical delivery crunch for gold contracts. There are now so many long contract holders demanding delivery that the delivery part of the LBMA’s traditional “next working day” contract settlement promise has been nullified. Deliveries are now being delayed by 60 to 75 days.  Their use of rehypothecated (fractionalized) contracts is running them into serious trouble. They now have an extreme physical gold shortage. Even with just a few more contract holders now demanding delivery instead of cash, they cannot keep up with the demand. When I last checked their clearing data and vault holdings, the LMBA had only about 37 million ounces of physical gold on hand, versus 378 million ounces in pending gold contracts. (“Paper gold.”) A similar situation exists for the LBMA’s silver vault holdings. If there is an international monetary crisis or if a regional war breaks out anywhere in Asia, then a huge number of contract holders will demand physical metals delivery of both gold and silver. Ipso facto, the LBMA will surely collapse. Watch this situation closely, folks. And, more importantly, do not invest in “paper” precious metals. (Such as GLD and SLV.)  And only store your physical metals at home, well-hidden! – JWR

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Will Gold Keep Rising Even as Stocks Go Up?

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Reader D.S.V. spotted this news: Costco enforces strict limit on gold bar purchases as value increases.

Economy & Finance:

From the leftist CNBC: 30-year Treasury yield jumps above 5% after Moody’s downgrades U.S. credit rating.  JWR’s Comment:  Well, well, well… Such doses of reality from the ratings firms certainly signal that the yield curve won’t be inverting again, anytime soon.

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Doug Casey on DOGE, Deficits, and the Coming Financial Earthquake.

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Tom Christianson flagged this UK Telegraph article: ‘Worse than Greece’: The debt crisis threatening to blow up the global economy.  JWR’s Comments:  In his article, states: “In a world of Donald Trump-induced volatility and uncertainty, bond market investors could quickly lose faith in any one of the debt-dependent governments of the West.”  He seems to imply that Donald Trump (and his tariffs) are somehow the cause of the debt crisis. But the crisis has been brewing for decades. The real cause is chronic and profligate government overspending.  The credit markets have become risk-averse because of doubts about creditworthiness. That is why bond yields are rising. The only genuine solution to the government debt crisis is restoring fiscal responsibility. The Federal budget must be slashed.  The little DOGE spending cuts are mostly symbolic. Because Congress stubbornly refuses to end its drunken sailor spending binge, a debt collapse is inevitable. The real question is not “if?”, but “when?”  I can see that the Powers That Be would rather have the collapse occur when Donald J. Trump is at the helm. Thus, they can prevent another Republican from getting elected, as Trump’s successor.  In effect, they are planning another post-collapse “It was Herbert Hoover’s fault” charade. DJT will just be in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

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Jim Rogers: I Sold Almost All My Stocks – “I’ve Seen This Party Before”.

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At Wolf Street: Japan’s 30-Year and 40-Year Bonds Crater, Yields Spike, Huge Mess Coming Home to Roost. Yen Carry Trade at Risk.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”