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BHM Newsletter
July 24, 2008
INSIDE BHM
New IssueThe September/October issue is at the printer. Very good issue with the theme of preserving food. John Silveira also has an important and timely article that explores the high price of oil and what America can do to satisfy its energy needs without being at the mercy of oil-producing countries. BHM VideoAt Backwoods Home Magazine, we’ve been experimenting with video at our website, specifically on my blog. We videotaped the key moments of the final 72 hours of deadline for our September/October (No. 113) issue. Very interesting footage you may want to watch. We also have a video tour of the BHM offices on the blog. Preparedness IssueOur Issue No. 111, the Special Preparedness Issue, continues to attract a lot of interest. We printed an extra 15,000 copies of the issue, which is about six times the extra issues we normally have printed for an issue, and have now sent out more than 10,000 copies. Preparedness Pack
Preparedness has become a principle concern for many people. We’ve offered the remaining issues as part of a Preparedness Pack, combining it with our Emergency Preparedness and Survival Guide book and our EPSG CD-ROM, for $25. As a special to newsletter subscribers, we’ll take off another $5 of that price. To take advantage of this discount, click on the graphic to the right. Add the Preparedness Pack to your shopping cart. When you are ready to check out and are viewing the contents of your cart, type the code PP0807 in the box below where it says "Enter Coupon Code # here". Then click on the "Enter" button and the cart will deduct $5.00 from your order. You may order other items at the same time, but your order MUST include the Preparedness Pack for the discount to be honored. Also, this offer may not be combined with any other coupon, offer, or discount, however named and will expire August 21, 2008. SELF-RELIANCE TIPSRaising Rabbits for MeatA How-To Guide for the Small Farmer or Backyard Breeder By Tammy Smith Once the decision has been made to enter the arena of raising rabbits for meat, many questions will be posed. Before one can begin, they must be prepared to answer these questions in full in order to be succesful. Rabbits are very economical creatures to have as livestock. They require minimal care and are not labor intensive. This makes them very attractive to the small farmer as well as the backyard breeder. Before considering rabbits as a possibility, consider your environment. If you live in a southern or tropical climate with hot summer temperatures you will have to provide your rabbits with some kind of heat relief. Rabbits cannot tolerate temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit and can very easily perish On the other side of the coin, if your environment is one where the winters are below freezing, you will have to find a way to keep your rabbits somewhat warm, as well as keeping their water supply from freezing. Rabbits will tolerate cold temperatures much better then warm ones. A rabbit is happiest when the temperature is about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. You can easily regulate the rabbit's temperature if they are housed outdoors with heat lamps, extra straw and specially made heating pads. Prepare a way to block any freezing rain, ice or snow from directly hitting your rabbit's hutch. If it stays below freezing, consider moving your rabbits indoors for the coldest days. Once the climate question has been answered, you will need to decide on the type of housing you will provide your rabbits. If you are keeping them indoors, then wire cages are best. If they are going to be outdoors, wire cages are okay, but you will need to provide a wind block on three sides of the cage area, as well as a roof. You may want to consider also having a tarp or canvas that can be dropped down on the front of the cage for rainy or especially cold days. Wooden hutches are not feasible if you have more then 5 rabbits. Not only are they expensive, but they are difficult to keep clean and take up quite a bit of space. Keep the rabbitry out of direct wind, away from areas with noisy dogs and children, and in a shaded area. There are many books on how to build the perfect rabbitry as well as on how to "hide" it from your neighbors. Once your rabbitry is designed, consider an earthworm bed. Earthworm beds are easily maintained and will help offset the cost of feed, should you decide to sell them. Earthworms also keep the smell from the manure at a minimum, as well as the fly population. Should you chose to put one in, I reccomend doing so before your caging is in place, so that the worms can become accustomed to their environment. Most rabbit books cover the how to of earthworm beds quite thoroughly. Now that you've settled on where you're going to keep your rabbits, and your cages are built, it is time to buy your feeders, watering system and feed. You can purchase these items through mail order catalogs, such as Ball Inc. or at your local feedstore. Unless you're buying quite a bit, I would go with the feed stores because shipping costs can be quite expensive. You will probably want to use the j-style self feeders. If you're only starting with a few rabbits, water bottles are also okay. Watering systems are nice, but not economically feasible if you have less then 20 rabbits. Rabbit feed is straightforward. It comes in 25 pound or 50 pound bags of alfalfa based pellets. There is usually three types of feed, maintainance, show and lactating doe formulas. In the beginning, the maintenace feed is sufficient. There is no need to supplement the feed. Keep the feed in dry, air tight containers and do not feed any wet or moldy pellets. You are now prepared to get your rabbits. If you plan on selling any rabbits to labs, processors or furriers you MUST have a white coated breed. They will not buy colored rabbits. White rabbits are also easier to clean when you butcher them yourself. The most popular breed of meat rabbit is the New Zealand White. They reach their market weight at 12 weeks and are easy to raise. These rabbits are solid white with pink eyes. The next in line is the
Finding a breeder to obtain your rabbits from does not have to be difficult. You can visit the message board found in most local feed stores, call your extension office or search the web. Ask the breeder if the does you are purchasing are "proven." This means that they have delivered kits before and are good mothers. You will want to purchase 4 does and no more then 2 bucks to begin your own rabbitry. They can be bred immediately (if they are at least 6 months old) and in 31 days you should have babies. In 12 weeks you can decide which does to add to your herd and which to sell or harvest. Just remember, rabbits breed like...well, rabbits! When harvesting rabbits, anything under 6 pounds is considered a fryer. Anything over that is considered a stew rabbit. Most processors will only buy fryers. For further reference, please read "Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits" by Bob Bennett. Tammy Smith is a farm girl who used to raise rabbits commercially. Now she raises them only for her own family. Tammy graciously gave us permission to reprint this article, which originally appeared elsewhere. COMMENTARYThree Things to PonderCOWS: Is it just me, or does anyone else think it's amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And they tracked her calves to their stalls, too. But they are unable to find 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each illegal a cow. THE CONSTITUTION: They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq . Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS: The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is that you cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery," and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians...It creates a hostile work environment. RECIPESHealthy French Foods -- But Of Course!The USA is not the only country celebrating its revolutionary independence in July. This is also the month when the French commemorate the storming of the Bastille, the king's hated prison, on July 14, 1789. In honor of Bastille Day, we present a selection of traditional French recipes. But this being the health-conscious 21st Century, instead of the "let them eat cake" 18th , most of our selections of these classic dishes go "lite" on the butter, heavy cream, and sugar. They're still rich and delicious, though. So Bon appetite! Fruit Salad with CheeseSalad
Dressing
One 12-ounce wheel Camembert or Brie cheese, room temperature, cut into 6 wedges Salad: Combine all the fruit in a large glass bowl. Add the lemon juice and sugar, mix together gently to coat, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Dressing: Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour over the salad and mix together gently until the salad is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for 1 more hour. To serve: Divide the salad equally among 6 salad plates. Place the fruit on one side of each plate and the Camembert on the other. Serve the salad chilled and the cheese at room temperature. Serves 6. Soupe a L'Oignon au Fromage (French Onion Soup)6 large onions, thinly sliced
Saute the onions in the butter in a large kettle over moderate heat, stirring until soft and golden brown. Sprinkle with flour and continue cooking the mixture, stirring, for 3 minutes. Slowly add broth, stirring constantly until the soup comes to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Put 2 slices of toast in each of 6 heated, empty bowls. Top each slice with 1 tablespoon of cheese and pour the soup over the toast. Top with any remaining cheese. Place bowls under broiler about 4 inches from the flame for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Serves 6. Pan BagnatA popular seafood sandwich often served on the French Riviera. 2 cloves garlic, pressed
In a small bowl, combine the garlic and olive oil. Split the baguette lengthwise and brush the cut surfaces with a thin layer of the garlic oil. In a medium bowl, mix the tuna, red onion, capers, red wine vinegar, and just enough garlic oil to make the mixture a tuna salad consistency. Line the baguette with the tomato slices and tuna salad. Traditionally, this sandwich is wrapped up and chilled before eating, but it can also be enjoyed immediately. Serves 6. Pommes Anna (Potatoes Anna) -- LiteThis recipe has far less butter than the traditional French version. It may be "merely potatoes" -- but oo la la! 1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 450°. Combine salt and pepper in a small bowl. Melt 2 1/2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat. In the pan, arrange a single layer of potato slices, slightly overlapping, in a circular pattern; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt mixture. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon melted butter on top. Repeat the layers 5 times, ending with butter. Press firmly to pack. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes or until potatoes are golden. Loosen edges of potatoes with a spatula. Place a plate upside down on top of pan; invert potatoes onto plate. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Serves 8. Chicken Stew Provencal3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Combine the 3/4 cup flour and the salt in a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken to the bag and shake to coat completely. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the chicken and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once until browned on both sides. Using tongs, transfer to paper towels to drain, then arrange in a crock pot. Set the sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the onion and the 2 tablespoons flour. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes, until some of the tomato liquid evaporates. Pour the onion mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 8 hours, until the chicken is tender. At 3 to 4 hours, the chicken will still be firm and hold its shape. At 6 to 8 hours, the meat will be falling off the bone. Divide the chicken among dinner plates and garnish with the parsley, basil, and olives. Serve immediately. Quick Coq au VinThis classic dish is usually very time-consuming to make. Here's an easy version that takes a little over an hour.
2 pounds fresh chicken pieces, skinless
Pour oil into a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until onion becomes yellow and begins to soften. Add chicken pieces and brown on both sides. Add bacon. When bacon is about 1/2 cooked, sprinkle flour and black pepper over the contents of the pan, then stir. Pour in red wine and stock. Heat until liquids just begin to boil, then turn heat to a gentle simmer and cover. Peel and cut potatoes, carrots, shallots. Add shallots to pan. Once the chicken mixture has simmered for about 1/2 hour, add carrots and potatoes. Add mushrooms 10 minutes later, whole or chopped in half. You may add more wine, stock, or water if needed. Or, if you prefer a thicker broth, remove the lid from the pan for 10 or 15 minutes. The dish is done when veggies are tender. Alsatian Meat StewThis recipe comes from the Alsace region of eastern France, where Germany has influenced cooking styles. 4 cups onion, thinly sliced
Combine onion, carrots, leek, and both meats in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Make a bouquet garni by placing thyme, parsley, cloves, bay leaves, and garlic on two layers of cheesecloth, then gathering the edges of the cloth and tying them securely. Add bouquet garni, wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to bowl. Toss well to coat. Marinate 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally. Preheat oven to 375°. Place one-third of the potatoes in a 3-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of the meat mixture, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Repeat the layers with one-third of the potatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the remaining meat mixture. Top with the remaining potatoes, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour any remaining marinade (including the bouquet garni) over meat mixture. Cover and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the bouquet garni, and discard. Serves 6. Cocquilles St-JacquesOkay, it may not technically be health food. But no collection of French recipes would be complete without this famous dish of scallops in a classically rich cream sauce. 1 3/4 cups water
Heat the water, wine, onion, bouquet garni, and lemon juice to a boil in a saucepan. Add the scallops, cover, and simmer on very low heat until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the scallops with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the mushrooms to the scallop-poaching liquid and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Strain, discarding the bouquet garni and reserving the liquid and mushrooms separately. Cut the scallops into 1/2-inch-thick slices. If too long, cut in half horizontally. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the flour, cooking until lightly golden. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the scallop liquid and mix until blended. Over very low heat, blend the flour mixture and the scallop liquid. Add the cream and simmer and stir until blended and thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the scallops and mushrooms, and stir. Fill 6 scallop shells or shallow 6-inch oven-proof bowls almost to the top with the scallop mixture. Dust the top lightly with bread crumbs and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Preheat the broiler. Broil the scallops until the mixture bubbles and the cheese melts and turns golden brown. * To make bouquet garni, wrap two sprigs of parsley, two bay leaves, and a sprig of fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves) in a double layer of cheesecloth. Tie into a neat bundle with thread or string. Délice aux Mangues et aux Bananes (Mango and Banana dessert)Light, low-cal, low-carb, low-cholesterol, low-sugar, quick, easy, summer-cool and delicious. What more could you want? 1 ripe Mango
In a bowl, stir lemon juice and 1 teaspoon sugar. Slice Mango and Banana. Put in bowl with lemon juice and delicately stir, so that fruits are evenly covered. Press raspberries through a fine-mesh strainer, using the back of a spoon to squeeze all the juice out. In a small pot, on low heat, melt apricot jelly with raspberry juice. Stir. Taste. Add extra sugar or sugar substitute if desired. Spoon fromage blanc or cottage cheese into individual bowls. Cover with fruit. Spoon raspberry sauce over all and -- voilà! * Fromage blanc means white cheese. This French staple tastes like cottage cheese but usually has a texture more like sour cream. There is a "rustic" version with a cottage-cheese texture, so if you can't find fromage blanc and you use cottage cheese instead, you'll still be very authentic. Serves 4. Poires Pochées au Chocolat Vanillé (Poached pears with hot chocolate sauce)4 pears
Combine wine, honey, and pepper in a pot. Bring to a light boil, and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Peel pears, slice in half and remove seeds. Wipe with lemon juice, place in wine, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat. Turn the pears occasionally. When they're cooked tender, remove pears from wine and let cool. While the pears are cooling, reduce the wine mixture over heat, until it becomes a thick syrup. Cool. In another pan, bring vanilla and cream to a light boil, add chocolate, broken into small pieces, and stir over low heat until smooth. Pour chocolate cream into individual serving bowls or cups and refrigerate. To serve, place two pear halves in each bowl on top of cream and top with the wine syrup. Serves 4. HUMOR If you came upon Bill Clinton struggling in a raging river, and you had a choice between rescuing him or taking a prize-winning photograph, what shutter speed would you use? Definitions By Gender THINGY (thing-ee) n.: VULNERABLE (vul-ne-ra-bel) adj.: COMMUNICATION (ko-myoo-ni-kay-shon) n.: BUTT (but) n.: COMMITMENT (ko-mit-ment) n.: ENTERTAINMENT (en-ter-tayn-ment) n.: FLATULENCE (flach-u-lens) n.: MAKING LOVE (may-king luv) n.: REMOTE CONTROL (ri-moht kon-trohl) n.:  A farmer purchased an old, run-down, abandoned farm with plans to turn it into a thriving enterprise. The fields were grown over with weeds, the farmhouse was falling apart, and the fences were broken down. During his first day of work, the town preacher stops by to bless the man's work, saying, "May you and God work together to make this the farm of your dreams!" A few months later, the preacher stops by again to call on the farmer. Lo and behold, it's a completely different place. The farm house is completely rebuilt and in excellent condition, there is plenty of cattle and other livestock happily munching on feed in well-fenced pens, and the fields are filled with crops planted in neat rows. "Amazing!" the preacher says. "Look what God and you have accomplished together!" "Yes, reverend," says the farmer, "but remember what the farm was like when God was working it alone!" "A favorite of birds" means to avoid planting near cars, sidewalks, or clotheslines. "Grows more beautiful each year" means "Looks like roadkill for the foreseeable future." "Zone 5 with protection" is a variation on the phrase "Russian roulette." "May require support" means your daughter's engineering degree will finally pay off. "Moisture-loving" plants are ideal for landscaping all your bogs and swamps. "Carefree" refers more to the plant's attitude than to your workload. "Vigorous" is code for "has a Napoleonic compulsion to take over the world." "Grandma's Favorite" -- until she discovered free-flowering, disease-resistant hybrids. Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration.
What gets bigger the more you take away?
If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
Botanists have developed a vegetable that eliminates the need to brush your teeth.
What's green and one heck of a shooter?
I bought an ant farm. I don't know where I'm going to get a tractor that small!
I have a rock garden. Last week three of them died.
I have no plants in my house. They won't live for me. Some of them don't even wait to die, they commit suicide.
Girl Potato and Boy Potato had eyes for each other, and finally they got married and had a little sweet potato, which they called 'Yam.' Of course, they wanted the best for Yam. When it was time, they told her about the facts of life. They warned her about going out and getting half-baked, so she wouldn't get accidentally mashed, and get a bad name for herself like 'Hot Potato,' and end up with a bunch of Tater Tots Yam said not to worry, no Spud would get her into the sack and make a rotten potato out of her! But on the other hand she wouldn't stay home and become a Couch Potato either. She would get plenty of exercise so as not to be skinny like her Shoestring cousins. When she went off to Europe, Mr and Mrs. Potato told Yam to watch out for the hard-boiled guys from Ireland, and the greasy guys from France called the French Fries. Yam said she would stay on the straight and narrow and wouldn't associate with those high class Yukon Golds, or the ones from the other side of the tracks who advertise their trade on all the trucks that say, 'Frito Lay.' Mr. and Mrs. Potato sent Yam to Idaho P.U. (that's Potato University) so that when she graduated she'd really be in the Chips. Yet, in spite of all they did for her, one-day Yam came home and announced she was going to marry Tom Brokaw. Tom Brokaw! Mr. and Mrs. Potato were very upset. They told Yam she couldn't possibly marry Tom Brokaw because he's just a commentator. ... when a trip to the dump means you might get some new furniture. ... when you know what a chigger is. ... when your next-door neighbor lives a mile down the road. ... when the nearest big aquarium is stocked with bait. ... when you consider duct tape and WD-40 to be among the fundamental components holding the universe together. ... when you can hear the neighbor's truck two miles down the road. ... when you keep a grease jar on the stove. ... when today's dinner was strolling around the yard yesterday morning. ... when the biggest thing you ever won was a 50 pound sack of manure. OTHER STUFFDid a friend or relative tell you about this newsletter? The Backwoods Home Magazine newsletter is free and all you need is an email address so we can let you know when each issue is published and where it can be found. Even better, we sometimes have special offers and discounts that are available only to BHM Newsletter subscribers. Your email address will never be sold, rented, loaned, given, or otherwise provided to any third party. 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
Backwoods Home Magazine
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due to heat stroke. If this is the type of climate that you live in, reconsider raising rabbits, or consider putting them inside a building with air conditioning so that temperatures can be regulated.
