BHM Newsletter
Volume 9      Number 9

September 21, 2007
 

INSIDE BHM

August Newsletter

We're embarrassed to admit the August newsletter was very, very late. So late, in fact, we figured we'd just aplogize here and treat you to two newsletters this month. So...sorry about that.

If you'd rather read the August issue first, CLICK HERE to open it in a new browser window. (Don't miss the video link at the beginning of the last humor item.) Or, you can click on the "Archive" link at the top right of the page and reach it from there.

New issue

The new issue (Nov/Dec 2007, no. 108) is off to the printer with some great articles.

Jeff Yago has an excellent article on how to build a solar powered trailer for camping that can also double as an emergency power source for your home. This is a “thinking out of the box” type of article with imaginative ideas and solutions.

Massad Ayoob examines ammunition with advice on storage, potential dangers, and factors that affect price. I learned a lot from this article, especially when it comes to how to buy ammo.

Jackie Clay has a nice article on preparing a great holiday meal of turkey with all the trimmings. She uses her wood burning stove, and much of the meal comes from her garden and pantry storage. Homestead cooks need to read this one. It’s also a good look into Jackie’s life at home.

Anita Evangelista has a great preparedness article for those who live with the threat of winter storms. She provides valuable lessons gained through personal experience during a major ice storm in her area.

Claire Wolfe gives insight into country living by a former city girl in her new column, “City girl/Country life.” This is the third installment and it is turning out to be very popular.

John Silveira has a terrific article called “Talking with horses.” It is about a man who tames horses, and it gives a glimpse into the mindset and training techniques of someone who has a special gift to listen to and talk with horses. It is a must read for anyone who is interested in horses.

David Lee details how to build a barrel stove for your home.

Frank Dujanovic shows how he turned his dream of building a home in the country into reality.

Jackie Clay has several pages of readers’ questions with her answers covering everything from canning and a lovesick woodpecker to making candles and a survival pack.

The rest of the issue includes articles on composting, how to make a beautiful candle holder out of a tree limb, how to safeguard against carbon monoxide poisoning, dangerous encounters between animals and cars, a nifty article about a black bear invading a home under construction, and another on how to do effective “trigger line” fishing. There’s also Habeeb Salloum’s article on bananas, another on how to make a nifty walking stick, and John Silveira’s intriguing Last Word column about the link between America’s constitution and a particular tribe of Indians.

Did I mention there is also a great editorial on global warming. And two pages of Irreverent Jokes!

This is a very good issue!

Preorder the Thirteenth Year Anthology for $15

The Thirteenth Year Anthology is our newest big anthology going to print, and the November/December issue will have an ad for it for people who want to preorder it for $15 per copy. This newsletter mention is an early bird offer to our Newsletter subscribers so you can order the book for $15 and be among the first to receive it — if you buy it NOW!

We expect the new anthology to retail for $22.50. In fact, all the anthologies will go up to that price, reflecting our increasing printing and postage costs, so if you need any to round out your set, get them now before the price goes up.

There is currently no link to the order page from the website, so to order the new Anthology, just CLICK HERE.

We should be able to mail the new anthology to you by the beginning of December, which will be just in time to make a nice Christmas present for someone.

BHM Blogs

Don’t forget to check out our blogs. There are links to them on the home page and in the navigation menu on the left side of every page.

-- Dave

SELF-RELIANCE TIPS

Properly Store Your Fruits and Vegetables

Information courtesy of the University of Wisconsin -- Madison, Karen Delahaut, Fresh Market Vegetable Specialist

Whether harvested from your garden or purchased from the grocery or farm market, fruits and vegetables need to be stored properly for best quality. Each harvested commodity has an optimum storage temperature. Many fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, should be stored only at room temperature because refrigerator temperatures (ideally 32°F to 40°F) damage them or prevent them from developing good texture and flavor.

Harvesting leeks.

Long storage life also depends on careful handling. Most fruits and vegetables are easily bruised if not handled carefully. When harvesting, treat produce gently. Most produce should be washed after harvest and before storage, but there are some exceptions. Delicate berries should be rinsed in cold water just before consuming. Washing berries before storage will hasten the decay process. While potatoes store better with a fine layer of soil left on the skin, avoid leaving clumps of soil on potatoes as this will only encourage spoilage.

Several vegetables benefit from post-harvest curing. Curing heals or suberizes injures from harvesting operations. It thickens the skin, reducing moisture loss and affording better protection against insect and microbial invasion. Curing is usually accomplished at an elevated storage temperature and high humidity. An enclosed home storage area with a space heater can provide the conditions effective for curing some crops.

Root crops such as beets, carrots, rutabagas, parsnips and turnips can be left in the ground into late fall and early winter. A heavy mulch of straw will prevent the ground from freezing so the roots can be dug when needed. Many people prefer the taste of these crops after they have been frosted because their flavors become sweeter and milder. But make sure to finish harvesting these crops before the ground freezes solid, or you’ll have to wait until spring to dig them out.

Recommendations for Handling Specific Fruits and Vegetables:

Potatoes: Late crop potatoes are best for long-term storage. After harvest, cure late potatoes by holding them in moist air for 1 to 2 weeks at 60 to 75°F. Lightly cover during curing to help retain moisture. After curing, lower the storage temperature to about 40 to 45°F, ideally in a cool, dark basement or cellar. Do not wash potatoes before they are put into storage and avoid chilling below 40°F. Store potatoes in the dark to prevent greening.

Onions: Harvest onions when the tops have fallen over and begun to dry. Cure onions after harvesting by spreading them in a single layer on screens in the shade or in a wellventilated garage or shed for 1 to 2 weeks or until the tops are completely dry and shriveled. Trim tops back to 1 inch and store onions in shallow boxes, mesh bags or hang in old nylons in a cold, dry well-ventilated room.

Garlic: Harvest garlic in mid-summer when the plant still retains 5 green leaves. Cure garlic in a warm, dry place with good air circulation for 1 month before cutting the tops and roots back. Hardneck garlic will store between 3-9 months while softneck garlic will store for 6-12 months or more.

Sweet and hot peppers: Mature, green bell peppers can be kept for 2 to 3 weeks if handled properly. Firm, dark green peppers free of blemishes and injury are best for storage. Harvest before frost to avoid damage to the fruit. Hot peppers are easiest to store after they are dry. Peppers can be dried by either pulling the plants together and hanging them upside down or by picking the peppers from the plants and stringing them together.

Tomatoes: With care, mature green tomatoes will keep and ripen for about 4 to 6 weeks in the fall. Harvest tomatoes from vigorous vines, tomatoes from nearly spent vines are more subject to decay. Harvest fruit just before the first killing frost. To store, pick tomatoes and remove the stems. Reduce rot by disinfecting fruit by washing in water with 1-1/2 teaspoon bleach per gallon of water. Dry thoroughly with a soft cloth and pack fruit 1 or 2 layers deep in shallow boxes. Remove fruits as they ripen.

Pumpkins and winter squash: Harvest mature fruit with hard rinds (ones that resist fingernail pressure) just before frost. Leave the stem on when cutting from the plants to prevent decay. Cure for 10 days at 80 to 85°F. The one exception is acorn squash: store at 45°F after harvest. (Curing acorn squash will lead to stringiness.)

Apples: Late maturing apples are best suited for storage. Store in baskets or boxes lined with plastic or foil to help retain moisture. Always sort apples carefully and avoid bruising them. Store apples as close to 32°F as possible, a temperature of 30 to 32°F is ideal. Because apples give off a gas, ethylene, that will hasten the ripening of other fruit, store apples separately from other crops if possible.

Pears: For good flavor and texture, ripen pears after harvest. Pick pears when they are fully mature, firm in texture and light green in color. Ripen pears by placing them in a room at 60 to 65°F for 1 to 3 weeks. Once pears ripe, the fruit is soft and a yellow-green color, transfer to the refrigerator and store at 29 to 32°F and 90% humidity.

Many fall-harvested crops lend themselves to long term storage. The following storage conditions are recommended for extended shelf life and maximum eating quality of fall produce:

¹From Knott's Handbook for Vegetable Growers

In addition, the following conditions are recommended for curing fall vegetables:

RECIPES

Late-Season Fruit and Veggie Treats

Roasted Squash with Potatoes and Garlic

1 unpeeled acorn squash (about 1 to 1½ lbs), washed, halved, seeded and cut into 12 equal pieces
4-5 medium (about 2 lbs) butter potatoes, unpeeled, washed and quartered,
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sprig rosemary

Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine squash, potatoes and garlic in 9 x 13-inch shallow baking pan. Drizzle with oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with rosemary sprig. Bake 45-50 minutes, turning once after vegetables are browned on one side.

Option: Squash may be peeled if desired.

Serves 8

Black and Blue Berry Smoothie

2 cups blackberries
2 cups blueberries
1 cup fat free plain yogurt
1 cup fat free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups ice

Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Fig Banana Smoothie

1 cup chopped dried figs (stems removed)
1 cup 1-inch banana slices
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
3 cups crushed ice
1 tablespoon honey
mint leaf or berry garnish

Place all ingredients except garnish in a blender (not a food processor), and blend until smooth, approximately 2-3 minutes. Strain liquid and pour into tall, chilled glasses. Add garnish.

Serves 4

Cherry Pepper Salad

1¼ cup fresh sweet cherries, pitted
1 cup each thinly sliced sweet yellow and green peppers
¼ cup thinly sliced mild chili pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon pickled ginger strips, optional
4 cups mixed greens

Toss together all ingredients except greens; refrigerate 1 hour or longer. Serve on mixed greens.

Serves 4

Spicy Apple-Filled Squash

1 acorn squash (about 1 lb)
1 golden delicious apple, peeled, cored and sliced
2 teaspoons reduced-fat margarine, melted
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
dash ground cloves

Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 1-quart baking dish. Halve squash and remove seeds; cut into quarters. Place quarters, skin side up, in dish and cover; bake 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine apple, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Turn cut sides of acorn squash up; top with apple mixture. Cover and bake 30 minutes longer or until apples are tender.

Variations:

Quick microwave version: Halve and seed squash; cut into quarters. Arrange quarters, cut side up, in microwave-safe baking dish. Microwave on high (100 percent) 6 to 7 minutes, rotating squash halfway through cooking time. Top squash with apple mixture, cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on high 4 to 5 minutes or until apples are tender.

Serves 4

Broccoli Baked Potatoes

6 medium Idaho potatoes
3 stalks broccoli
1/4 cup skim milk
1 cup shredded light cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Scrub potatoes. Make shallow slits around the middle as if you were cutting the potatoes in half lengthwise. Bake at 350°F for 30 - 60 minutes until done. Peel broccoli stems. Steam whole stalks until just tender and chop finely. Carefully slice the potatoes in half and scoop the insides into a bowl with the broccoli. Add milk, 3/4 cup cheese and pepper. Mash together until the mixture is pale green with dark green flecks. Heap into the potato jackets and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return to oven to heat through (about 15 minutes).

Serves 6

Winter Vegetable Stew

1 cup onions, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
1 sweet potato
2 carrots
1 pound banana or Hubbard squash
1 cup parsnips
2 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper
2 cups low sodium, low-fat vegetable broth
1 cup puréed tomato
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 (10 oz) package frozen peas
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 bunch cilantro sprigs, rinsed, or thinly sliced green onions

Peel onions and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Peel the sweet potato, carrots, squash, and parsnips; cut into 3/4-inch pieces. Peel and mince or press garlic. Rinse bell pepper; stem, seed, and cut into 1/2-inch strips.

Cook onions, sweet potato, carrots, squash, parsnips, garlic, and 1 cup of broth in a covered pan for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a few tablespoons of water if mixture begins sticking to pan. Add 1 more cup of broth, along with the bell pepper, tomato sauce, lime juice, and cayenne to taste.

Return to a boil, and then reduce heat. Simmer covered until vegetables are tender when pierced, about 12 to 15 minutes. If stew sticks to pan or gets thicker than desired, add more broth as needed. Add peas and stir occasionally until hot, about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls, and garnish with cilantro or sliced green onions.

Serves 6

Sweet Potato Pancakes

6 cups peeled and finely shredded sweet potatoes
1 cup finely shredded onions
1 teaspoon salt-free herb seasoning
1-2/3 cup unbleached flour
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 cups finely shredded zucchini
1/4 cup lemon juice
1-1/2 cups egg substitute
6 teaspoons canola oil, divided

In a large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes, onions, herb seasoning, flour, parsley, zucchini, lemon juice and egg substitute. In a large no-stick frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat, warm 2 tsp of the oil. Drop a large Tbsp of the batter into the pan and spread it with a spatula to form a thin pancake. Add more batter to fill the pan without crowding the pancakes. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until golden and crispy. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Repeat, adding the remaining 4 tsp oil as needed, until all the batter has been used.

Serves 8

HUMOR

An ambitious yuppie finally decided to take a vacation. He booked himself on a Caribbean cruise and proceeded to have the time of his life. .....till the boat sank.

The man found himself swept up on the shore of an island with no other people, no supplies, nothing. Only bananas and coconuts. After about four months he is lying on the beach one day, wondering if he'll ever get off the island, when the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen rows up to him.

In disbelief, he asked her: "Where did you come from? How did you get here?"

"I rowed from the other side of the island," she said, "I landed here when my cruise ship sank."

"Amazing," he said, "You were really lucky to have a rowboat wash up with you."

"Oh, this?" replied the woman "I made the rowboat out of raw material that I found on the island, the oars were whittled from gum tree branches, I wove the bottom from palm branches, and the sides and stern came from a eucalyptus tree."

"But--but, that's impossible," stuttered the man, "you had no tools or hardware, how did you manage?"

"Oh, that was no problem," replied the woman, "on the south side of the island there is a very unusual strata of alluvial rock exposed. I found that if I fired it to a certain temperature in my kiln, it melted into forgeable ductile iron. I used that for tools, and used the tools to make the hardware.

The guy was stunned. "Let's row over to my place," she said.

After a few minutes of rowing, she docked the boat at a small wharf. As the man looked onto shore he nearly fell out of the boat. Before him was a stone walk leading to an exquisite bungalow painted in blue and white. While the woman tied up the rowboat with an expertly woven hemp rope, the man could only stare ahead, dumbstruck.

As they walked into the house, she said casually "It's not much, but I call it home. Sit down please; would you like to have a drink?"

"No, no thank you" he said, still dazed, "can't take any more coconut juice."

"It's not coconut juice," the woman replied. "I have a still. How about a pina colada?"

Trying to hide his continued amazement, the man accepted, and they sat down on her couch to talk.

After they had exchanged their stories, the woman announced, "I'm going to slip into something more comfortable. Would you like to take a shower and shave, there is a razor upstairs in the cabinet in the bathroom."

No longer questioning anything, the man went into the bathroom. There in the cabinet was a razor made from a bone handle. Two shells honed to a hollow ground edge were fastened on to its end inside of a swivel mechanism. "This woman is amazing," he mused, "what next?"

When he returned, she greeted him wearing nothing but vines--strategically positioned--and smelling faintly of gardenias. She beckoned for him to sit down next to her. "Tell me," she began, suggestively, slithering closer to him, "we've been out here for a very long time. You've been lonely. There's something I'm sure you really feel like doing right now, something you've been longing for all these months? You know... "

She stared into his eyes.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing: "You mean..." he replied, "...I can check my e-mail from here?"

Note: We're not sure if this was real or staged, but either way, we thought it pretty funny. Just in case it is real, though, we plan to test all future bagged-lettuce purchases by laying the bag on the floor to see if it hops.

Contributed by W.B.D. Jones in Canada

For those readers unfortunate to work or go to school in a PC environment, we offer

Politically Correct Ways To Say Someone Is Stupid

He's a few clowns short of a circus.

She's a few fries short of a happy meal.

The wheel's spinning, but the hamster's dead.

He's all foam, no beer.

Body by Fisher, brains by Mattel.

The butter has slipped off his pancake.

She couldn't pour water out of a shoe with instructions on the heel.

He fell out of the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down.

Her antenna doesn't pick up all the channels.

His belt doesn't go through all the loops.

The gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming.

If brains were taxed, he'd get a rebate.

Standing close to her, you can hear the ocean.

Some drink from the fountain of knowledge, but he just gargled

A brunette, a redhead & a blonde all worked in the same office with the same female boss. Every day, they noticed their boss left work early.

One day, the girls decided that when the boss left, they'd leave right behind her. After all, she never called in or came back to the office when she left early, so how was she to know? The next day, they all three left the office right after the boss left.

The brunette was thrilled to be home early. She did a little gardening and went to bed early.

The redhead was elated to be able to get in a quick workout at the health club before meeting her dinner date.

The blonde was happy, happy, happy to be home, but when she got to her bedroom she heard a muffled noise from inside. Slowly, quietly, she cracked open the door and was mortified to see her husband in bed with her boss! Ever so gently, she closed the door and crept out of her house.

The next day at coffee break, the brunette and redhead decided they were leaving early again, and asked the blonde if she was coming with them. "NO WAY!," she exclaimed, "I almost got caught yesterday".

"Squawks" are problems noted by U. S. Air Force pilots and left for maintenance crews to fix before the next flight. Here are some ACTUAL maintenance complaints logged by those Air Force pilots and the replies from the maintenance crews.

(P) = Problem
(S) = Solution

(P) Test flight OK, except auto land very rough.
(S) Auto land not installed on this aircraft.

(P) # 2 propeller seeping prop fluid.
(S) # 2 propeller seepage normal - # 1, # 3, and # 4 propellers lack normal seepage.

(P) Something loose in cockpit.
(S) Something tightened in cockpit.

(P) Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
(S) Evidence removed.

(P) DME volume unbelievably loud.
(S) Volume set to more believable level.

(P) Dead bugs on windshield.
(S) Live bugs on order.

(P) Autopilot in altitude hold mode produces a 200 fpm descent.
(S) Cannot reproduce problems on ground.

(P) IFF inoperative.
(S) IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

(P) Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
(S) That's what they're there for.

(P) Number three engine missing.
(S) Engine found on right wing after brief search.

(P) Target Radar hums.
(S) Reprogrammed Target Radar with the words

(P) Aircraft handles funny.
(S) Aircraft warned to straighten up, "fly right," and be serious.

This is not exactly humor, but we liked it and thought it a nice way to end this issue.

How long has it been since you've had ice cream?
By Lilly Walters

Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads, he said, "God is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And liberty and justice for all! Amen!"

Along with laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray! Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!"

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."

"Really?" my son asked.

"Cross my heart." Then in a theatrical whisper the gentleman added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes, and my soul is already good."

LINKS

Help When Things Go Wrong

SurvivalBlog.com: Frequent commentary and tested information on all topics related to emergency preparedness and long-term survival.

Do-It-Yourself plumbing: When something goes wrong with the pipes and you're the one who needs to do the repairs.

Expedient shelters in the woods: For when you're caught in the outdoors without a tent.
 

OTHER STUFF

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Contact Info:

Editor/Letters - Dave Duffy, editor@backwoodshome.com
Web Site - Oliver Del Signore, webmaster@backwoodshome.com