BHM Newsletter
Volume 10      Number 1

January 21, 2008
 

INSIDE BHM

New Issue News

We just finished our deadline for the upcoming March/April 2008 issue. The masters for the issue were FedExed to our printer in Ripon, Wisconsin and they will now begin their month-long transition from digital computer files to a new paper issue of the magazine.

My editorial in the new issue discusses the looming recession on the horizon, and today I began negotiations with our printer for a long-term price contract on the paper we use to print the magazine. I’d rather get a long-term contract that calls for me to pay a little extra for paper now, but that keeps the price constant for the next two years even if a recession pushes paper prices through the roof. I wish I could negotiate the same type of contract with the post office. Paper to print and postage to mail new issues are our two big expenses.

You might consider taking similar protective action for your small business, or even for your family’s food supply. I hope the recession won’t be too bad, but all the signs are there for it to be fairly severe. President Bush is calling for an immediate stimulus package of tax cuts to give the economy a boost, and Democrats like Pelosi and Kennedy actually agree with him. That should give you an idea of how serious they think the threat of recession is — the Democrats are in agreement with Bush on a big new tax cut. Of course, some economists think we might actually already be in a recession.

For our May/June issue, we’re lining up articles that will help readers live through an economy in recession. Meanwhile, we have many articles online in our website archives you may want to review.

Stay warm!

— Dave Duffy

We've Moved

No, not Backwoods Home Magazine. Just the newsletter. You may have noticed the web address has slightly changed, from backwoodshome.net to backwoodshome.com. That's because we've been moving features from an old, shared server, to our new (last year) dedicated server.

If you have the newsletter archive bookmarked, you'll want to change the address to http://www.backwoodshome.com/nl/archive.html.

The address of another feature has changed, too. That of our Chat Room. The new address is http://www.backwoodshome.com/chat/. No registration is needed to use it. Just log in with some friends and chat away. Don't forget to make sure both Java and Javascript are enabled in your browser. The Chat Room requires them both.

New Desktop Wallpaper

It's been seven years since we first converted some of our great cover art into desktop wallpaper for your computer, so we decided to revive the practice. Back then, five sizes fit the vast majority of monitors in use. Last month, the visitors to our website were using monitors with 251 different screen resolutions!

Fortunately, just 12 sizes accounted for over 97.5% of the monitors, so those are the sizes we will be offering.

There are eight new wallpapers as of this writing, but more will be added regularly, as I have time to make them.

To check them out, just follow the link, above, or, when you are on the website, just click on "Free Stuff" in the top section of the navigation menu on the left side of every page.

Enjoy!

— Oliver Del Signore

SELF-RELIANCE TIPS

Weatherize Your Home:
Caulk and Weather Strip

Warmed or air-conditioned air mixes with outside air through gaps in your home's thermal envelope-exterior walls, windows, doors,the roof, and floors. Such air leaks can waste large amounts of energy.  

Most experts agree that caulking and weather stripping any gaps will pay for itself within one year in energy savings. Caulking and weather stripping will also alleviate drafts and help your home feel warmer when it's cold outside. However, these two weatherization techniques can't replace the need for proper insulation throughout your home.

Accessing air quality

Because caulk and weatherstripping limit indoor‑outdoor air circulation, you should assess your indoor air quality before you apply them. Some homes contain dust, mold, carbon dioxide, and other indoor air contaminants. Sealing air leaks in these homes, without proper ventilation, can also seal in their indoor air pollutants. There­fore, any plan to tighten the thermal enve­lope of a home should be accompanied by a look at your home's ventilation needs.

Detecting air leaks

You may already know where some air leakage occurs in your home, such as an under-the-door draft that makes you want to put on socks. But you'll probably need to search to find the less obvious gaps.

• Door and window frames
• Mail chutes
• Electrical and gas service entrances  
• Cable TV and phone lines
• Outdoor water faucets
• Where dryer vents pass through walls
• Bricks, siding, stucco, and foundation
• Air conditioners
• Vents and fans.

Depressurize your home to help detect leaks.  On a cool, very windy day, turn off the furnace.  Shut all windows and doors.  Turn on all fans that blow air outside, such as bathroom fans or stove vents.  Then light an incense stick and pass it around the edges of common leak sites.  Wherever the smoke is sucked out of or blown into the room, there's a draft.  Or just turn on all your exhaust fans (don't need to turn off the furnace) and try one of these methods:

• At night, shine a flashlight over all potential gaps while a partner observes the house from outside. Large cracks will show up as rays of light. Not a good way to detect small cracks.
• Shut a door or window on a piece of paper. If you can pull it out without tearing, you're losing energy.

For a more thorough and accurate measurement of air leakage, you can hire a technician to conduct a blower door test in your home.  Blower doors are variable-speed fans with a frame and shroud that allows them to fit inside a variety of door frames.  Pressure gauges determine airflow through the fan, as well as fan-induced pressure.  The leakier a house, the more airflow required to induce a pressure difference.  When used as a diagnostic tool, a blower door can also reveal the location of many leaks.

Caulking

You can use a caulking compound to seal leaks in a variety of places throughout your home, including around windows and door frames.  In addition to plugging air leaks, caulking can also prevent water damage inside and outside of the home when applied around faucets, ceiling fixtures, water pipes, drains, bathtubs and other plumbing fixtures.

Caulk forms a flexible seal for cracks, gaps, or joints less than 1 quarter-inch wide.  Most caulking compounds come in disposable cartridges that fit in half-barrel caulking guns (if possible, purchase one with an automatic release.  Some pressurized cartridges do not require caulking guns.  When deciding how much caulking to purchase, consider that you'll probably need a half-cartridge per window or door and four cartridges for the foundation sill.

Caulking compounds can also be found in aerosol cans, squeeze tubes, and ropes for small jobs or special applications.  Water-based caulk can be cleaned with water, while solvent-based compounds require a solvent for cleanup.  Caulking compounds also vary in strength, properties, and prices.  See Table 1 on page 4 for a description and comparison of the common caulking compounds.

Application

• Although not a high-tech operation, caulking can be tricky.  Read and follow the instructions on the compound cartridge.  And save yourself some trouble by remembering a few important tips:
• Clean all areas to be caulked for good adhesion.  Remove any old caulk and paint, using a putty knife or a large screwdriver.  Make sure the area is dry so you won't seal in moisture.
• Hold the gun at a consistent angle.  Forty-five degrees is best for getting deep into the crack.  You know you've got the right angle when the caulk is immediately forced into the crack as it comes out of the tube.
• Caulk in one straight continuous stream, if possible.  Avoid stops and starts. Send caulk to the bottom of an opening to avoid bubbles. 
• Make sure the caulk sticks to both sides of a crack or seam. 
• Release the trigger before pulling the gun away to avoid applying too much caulking compound. A caulking gun with an automatic release makes this so much easier. If caulk oozes out of a crack, use a putty knife to push it back in. 
• Don't skimp. If the caulk shrinks, reapply it to form a smooth bead that will seal the crack completely.

Table 1. Common Caulking Compounds

Weather Stripping

Weatherstripping can seal leaks around movable joints, such as windows or doors. You need to choose a type of weatherstriping that will withstand the friction, weather, temperature changes, and wear and tear associated with its location. For example, when applied to a door bottom or threshold, weatherstripping could drag on carpet or erode as a result of foot traffic. Weatherstripping in a window sash must accommodate the sliding of panes up and down, sideways or out. The weatherstripping you choose should seal well when the door or window is closed while allowing it to open freely. 

Choose a product for each specific location. Felt and open-cell foams tend to be inexpensive, susceptible to weather, visible, and inefficient at blocking airflow. However, the ease of applying these materials may make them valuable in low-traffic areas. Vinyl, slightly more expensive, holds up well and resists moisture. Metals (bronze, copper, stainless steel, and aluminum) last for years and are affordable. They can also provide a nice touch to older homes where vinyl might seem out of place. You can use more than one type of weatherstripping to seal an irregularly shaped space. Take durability into account when comparing costs. Table 2 describes and compares commonly used weatherstripping. To determine how much weatherstripping you will need, add the perimeters of all windows and doors to be weather stripped. Then add 5 to 10 percent to accommodate any waste. Also take into consideration that weatherstripping comes in varying depths and widths. 

Application

Weather-stripping supplies and techniques range from simple to the technical.  Consult the instructions on the weather‑' stripping package. Here are a few basic guidelines: 

• Weatherstripping should be applied to clean, dry surfaces in temperatures above 20° F (-7° C). 
• Measure the area to be weather stripped twice before you cut anything. 
• Apply weatherstripping snugly against both surfaces. The material should compress when the window or door is shut.

Table 2. Common Weatherstripping

RECIPES

Temptations

Either you made New Years resolutions concerning food or you didn't. If you didn't, you can eat anything you want, right? If you did make food resolutions, then one of two things has happened in the last three weeks. Either you've blown off your resolutions -- in which case, once again, you can now eat anything you want. Or you've followed your resolutions scrupulously -- and are now primed and ready to face the biggest temptations.

So in any case, the following sweet, rich, creamy, saucey, high-calorie, buttery, pure-indulgence recipes are just made for you.

Seriously ... don't eat anything that's going to hurt you. But in this cold, dark time of year, we can all use a little comfort food or an extra caloric-energy boost to get us through that winter work. And all these recipes will give you that.

Rich Shrimp Salad

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill sprigs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
1 pound peeled cooked shrimp, cut into 1/4-inch dice

In bowl of mixer, beat all ingredients except shrimp until smooth.

Stir in shrimp.

Cover and chill at least 2 hours -- or up to 2 days.

The seasonings will get more intense as the shrimp sits covered in the refrigerator. If serving the day you make it, increase the seasonings to taste.

Classic Jello Indulgence
Courtesy of Thunder

2 packages lime Jello
4 cups of water (2 boiling, 2 cold)
1 16 oz tub of cottage cheese
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup mayonnaise

Directions: Mix the Jello and water according to the directions on the box. Add the other ingredients and mix with a whisk until no large clumps remain. Pour into your favorite mold or just use a casserole dish.

Refrigerate until set and enjoy.

Cook Time: 15 minutes of preparation, approx. 4 hours to set.

Serves 8

Mexican Mole with Grilled Chicken and Cashews

Very time-consuming! Start as much as three days ahead.

2 medium dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and membranes removed
2 dried mulato or pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded, and membranes removed
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (canned), seeded
4 cups chicken or beef broth, divided
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large ripe dark-skinned plantain, peeled and thickly sliced
½ medium onion, chopped
8 oz. (3-4) ripe plum tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup dry-roasted, unsalted cashews
¼ cup whole almonds
¼ cup raisins
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon roasted peanuts
1 1-inch slice from a firm French bread or Mexican bolillo, torn into pieces
½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup dry sherry
4 oz. Mexican chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste (depending on how salty the broth is)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat an ungreased medium skillet over medium-high heat and toast all the dried chiles until they begin to change color (about 15 seconds each side). Be careful not to burn them, as that will add a bitter taste to the mole. Using tongs, transfer chiles to a large pot and add 2 cups of chicken or beef broth, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes until chiles are very soft, stirring occasionally to ensure even soaking. Strain liquid and reserve. Chop chiles.

Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the ripe plantain pieces and sauté until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to remove the excess of oil. Add the onion, garlic cloves, tomatoes and fry, stirring regularly until they are well browned, no more than 10 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a blender or food processor along with the cooked plantains, cashews, almonds, raisins, sesame seeds, peanuts, bread, drained chipotles and other chiles, cinnamon, cumin seeds, and dried oregano. Add 2 cups of the broth (you could use the reserved liquid from rehydrating the chiles) and blend until smooth. Remember to stir and scrape down the sides of mixture, adding extra broth if needed to keep everything moving and ensure a smooth mixture. Press the mixture through a sieve into a bowl.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the saucepan over high heat. When you see smoke rising from the saucepan, add the chile mixture all at once. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly for 5 minutes, then add the chocolate, dry sherry and reserved 2 cups of chicken or beef broth to the mole. Simmer over low heat, partially covering the pot, for 40 minutes, stirring regularly to integrate all the flavors. You can thin the molé with additional broth to keep it the consistency of a creamy soup. Adjust seasonings and serve warm with roasted chicken, cashews, and steamed rice.

Serves 6 to 8.

Claire's Decadent Potato Casserole

8 large potatoes (or 12 med-small ones)
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 pint sour cream
1 regular-sized can Campbells cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
Italian seasoned bread crumbs or cracker crumbs

Boil potatoes in their skins until easily pierced with a fork but not mushy (about 20 minutes); drain and set aside to cool.

When potatoes are cool, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt butter and mix it in a bowl with sour cream and chicken soup. Peel potatoes with a knife. Grate 1/2 of the potatoes into an ungreased 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish. Spread the grated potatoes evenly in the dish.

Sprinkle with 1/2 the chopped green onions. Spread with 1/2 the butter-sour cream-soup mixture.

Repeat layers of potatoes, onions, and soup mixture. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs, cracker crumbs or crumbles of your favorite cereal.

Bake 45 minutes. Let sit 5-10 minutes. Serve.

Serves 8.

Classic Buttery Béarnaise Sauce

Serve over steak, chicken breasts, or asparagus

3 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
2 tablespoons sherry wine or red wine vinegar
1 medium shallot, finely minced
3 egg yolks
4 ounces soft butter
salt and pepper to taste
dash cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried leaf tarragon
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley

In a small saucepan, combine tarragon vinegar, wine vinegar, and the minced shallot. Simmer until the vinegar has been reduced to about 1 1/2 tablespoons. Strain the vinegar mixture and return to the saucepan; set aside to cool to lukewarm.

Add the egg yolks to the strained vinegar and whisk to blend.

Place the small pan over a slightly larger pan of hot water and continue whisking.

Add the soft butter, a few tablespoons at a time, whisking until the sauce thickens and all the butter has been added. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and the cayenne. Stir in the herbs. Serve with steak or fish. If the sauce separates, stir over hot water until smooth.

Serves 4 to 6.

Sherried Crab Sauce

Make ordinary fish or seafood dishes fancier with this sauce!

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 green onions, with about 2 inches green, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped parsley leaves
4 ounces lump crabmeat
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning, or to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; stir in flour, onions, and parsley. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add sherry and crabmeat; gradually add cream, stirring constantly. Stir in Cajun seasoning and tomato paste.

Simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper, if necessary. Makes about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of sherried crab cream sauce.

Hot Crab Casserole or Dip

1 pound crabmeat, well drained
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning or similar seafood seasoning
1 teaspoon capers, optional

Combine crabmeat with egg, mayonnaise, mustard, seasoning, and capers. Place in a buttered casserole, top with cracker crumbs and bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes. Top with cracker crumbs

Serves 4.

Mocha Pudding with Espresso Creme

For the Mocha Pudding:

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half and half
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
5 ounces 60% bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla paste (1 teaspoon extract can be used, but paste is preferable)

For the Espresso Crème:
1 cup chilled heavy cream
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Cocoa powder for dusting

Prepare the pudding:

Place a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the heavy cream, half and half, espresso powder and cinnamon together until small bubbles appear around the edges and espresso powder is dissolved. Remove from heat when the mixture just comes to a simmer: you should see steam rising from the surface and small bubbles forming along the edges.

Combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan; whisk until blended. Add the hot cream mixture to the sugar mixture and heat over medium-high heat, stirring, until it begins to thicken and boil. Add the chocolate, and cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts and mixture just comes to a boil.

Whisk egg yolks in a small bowl. Temper the yolks with hot mixture, then add to hot saucepan. Stir to blend, put saucepan back on the heat, and cook over low, stirring for 1-2 minutes more, until the pudding just comes to a boil and thickens.

Remove from heat and strain through a sieve into a bowl. Stir in vanilla.

Spoon pudding into 6 individual dishes or ramekins. Serve warm immediately, or chilled in refrigerator, surfaces covered with tightly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming on the top. Garnish with Espresso Crème (below).

Prepare the crème:

In a small bowl combine the sugar, vanilla and espresso powder and set aside. Beat the cream in a chilled mixing bowl until it forms soft peaks. Add the espresso mixture and continue beating until you have firm peaks. Makes about 2 cups.

Spoon Espresso Crème onto puddings. Sprinkle with a light dusting of cocoa powder if desired.

Serves 6.

HUMOR

Let Sleeping Dogs (and Cats) ..., Part II

Last month we brought you irresistable pix of pups and cats asleep in strange places and poses. This month (thanks once again to Susan in Tucson, AZ), we can't resist adding a few more -- once again interspersed with other pet-related humor.

Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer!

Yesterday I was buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my wonder dog at Wal-Mart and was in line to check out. The woman behind me asked me if I had a dog.

On impulse, I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, and that I was starting the Purina Diet again, Although I probably shouldn't, because I'd ended up in the hospital last time. But that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry and that the food is nutritionally complete so I was going to try it again.

(I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was by now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me.

I told her no -- I stepped off a curb to sniff an Irish Setter's butt and a car hit us both.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack, he was laughing so hard.

WAL-MART won't let me shop there any more.

Cat Wisdom

"Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this." - Anonymous

"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow." - Jeff Valdez

"In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats." - English proverb

"As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat." - Ellen Perry Berkeley

"Dogs believe they are human. Cats believe they are G-d."

"One cat just leads to another." - Ernest Hemingway

"Dogs come when they're called; cats take a message and get back to you later." - Mary Bly

"Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to a good many ailments, but I never heard of one who suffered from insomnia." - Joseph Wood Krutch

"I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior." - Hippolyte Taine

Dog Wisdom

"When a man's best friend is his dog, that dog has a problem." -- Edward Abbey

"The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue." --Anonymous

"Dogs need to sniff the ground; it's how they keep abreast of current events. The ground is a giant dog newspaper, containing all kinds of late-breaking dog news items, which, if they are especially urgent, are often continued in the next yard." --Dave Barry

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." -- Josh Billings

"In order to keep a true perspective of one's importance, everyone should have a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him." -- Dereke Bruce

"We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made." -- M. Facklam

"Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate." --Sigmund Freud

"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot about puppies." -- Gene Hill

"Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful." -- Ann Landers

"No animal should ever jump up on the dining room furniture unless absolutely certain that he can hold his own in the conversation." -- Fran Lebowitz

"No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does." -- Christopher Morley

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." --Will Rogers

And finally ... Don't let your cat or dog follow this example!

OTHER STUFF

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Just visit the BHM web site at www.backwoodshome.com and click on "Newsletter" in the navigation menu on the left side of any web page.

Contact Info:

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