Let’s stop apologizing for guns
By Dave Duffy
Issue #62 • March/April, 2000
I carry a concealed Ruger P97 .45 caliber eight-shot semi-automatic handgun almost everywhere I go, and I keep a Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle with folding stock in my...
Tahini — A health food par-excellence
By Habeeb Salloum
Issue #89 • September/October, 2004
Since time immemorial tahini has been a choice food in the countries which edge the eastern Mediterranean. The product of hulled and crushed sesame seeds, this delectable, nourishing,...
How to make kombucha
By Kristina Seleshanko
Issue #172 • July/August, 2018
Kombucha is an ancient drink that’s recently enjoyed a revival because it’s a fizzy and healthy alternative to soda pop. Despite urban myths, it contains only trace amounts...
Turn the poor into capitalists
By John Silveira
Issue #137 • September/October, 2012
I'm not a fan of the welfare system and I think it's been more of a failure than a success. It may serve as a 'safety net' for...
Nut Trees on Your Homestead
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #149 • September/October, 2014
While growing up in Detroit, we had no nut trees in our yard (though we did have seedlings before I left home). That didn't stop my parents, though....
Build a ski sled
By Kai Moessle
Issue #138 • November/December, 2012
Since my property is almost half a mile away from the nearest road and I can't keep the dirt road to it plowed all winter (I don't live...
Build a holz hausen to dry firewood
By Doug Fluckiger
Issue #132 • November/December, 2011
My secret passion is tall, dark, and handsome. I may find her lying luxuriantly among a dark grove of firs. She may be standing proudly on a sunny...
Lemons: the versatile fruit
By Sharon Palmer, RD
Issue #100 • July/August, 2006
The clean, pure lemon has gotten a bad rap. It has become a metaphor for getting a dud. But the lowly lemon is probably one of the...
The joys of making soap
By Grace Brockway
Issue #84 • November/December, 2003
My initial enthusiasm for making my own soap was deflating with each book I read on the subject. They all warned of the dangers of lye, one of...
Tomato and basil sauce
Recipe of the Week
Tomato and basil sauce
Courtesy of
Richard Blunt
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
1 clove of garlic
1 small onion
4 fresh basil leaves or 2 dried leaves
4 Tbsp....
Defending your lifestyle
By Massad Ayoob
Issue #60 • November/December, 1999
I was sitting in the witness box, an expert witness for the defense, in a courtroom out west not long ago. The opposing lawyer was conducting cross examination,...
Who were the best…and worst U.S. Presidents?
By John Silveira
Issue #49 • January/February, 1998
It was one of those days I love. We were between deadlines and Dave, Bill, Mac, and I had gone fishing on the lake. Dave, of course, is...
Pistachios — Historic and healthy nuts
By Habeeb Salloum
Issue #125 • September/October, 2010
Pistachios (Pistacia vera), whose name derives from the Persian word pisteh, is believed to have originated in Iran. For thousands of years they thrived in western Asia, in...
Build a simple solar-powered outdoor light
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #92 • March/April, 2005
Figure 1. Pole-mounted street light showing a front view of the solar light
In our last issue, I discussed how to use solar energy to power a...
Plant Your Irish Potatoes This Fall or Winter
By Robert L. Williams
Issue #48 • November/December, 1997
My family has made a practice of planting Irish potatoes in the fall rather than in the early spring. We tried it both ways for many years...
