Gardening in the Desert Using Only Rainwater
By Joe Mooney
Issue #147 • May/June, 2014
I've always found the use of seasonal rains by native peoples very fascinating. From the diversion of floodwaters in earthen berms to irrigation via "aquaduct," it seemed incredible...
Reload your own brass
By Dale Petry
Issue #132 • November/December, 2011
Not long ago a friend called to say he had seen an unusual rifle at the local gun shop. Shortly after that call I found myself in possession...
Water pumping windmills
By Dorothy Ainsworth
Issue #90 • November/December, 2004
Standing tall like a giant sunflower in a sea of undulating prairie grasses, or in any rural setting, a windmill is a thing of beauty. Not only are...
Solar hot water systems
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Photos by Patrick Redgate
Issue #118 • July/August, 2009
With continued shortages of wood for home heating, the Greeks built the North Hill section of Olympus in the 5th century B.C. This...
Zombie Apocalypse
By John Silveira
Issue #134 • March/April, 2012
"Can you survive a zombie apocalypse?" a familiar voice asked.
I turned in my seat to see O.E. MacDougal, Dave Duffy's poker-playing friend from Southern California, walking toward me....
Why I Hated Santa Claus
By John Silveira
December 21, 1999
Even as a little kid I didn't like Santa Claus. I liked the loot he brought; I wanted toys. With some trepidation, I even sat in his lap at the...
My garden — A springboard of food, pleasure, and history
By Habeeb Salloum
Issue #80 • March/April, 2003
"You mean that from this postage-size garden you grow enough vegetables and herbs to last you all year?" my friend asked in disbelief as he watched me plant...
From triumph to tragedy to triumph again. Dorothy Ainsworth makes her valiant comeback
By Dorothy Ainsworth
Issue #50 Mar/Apr 1998
BHM readers are familiar with Dorothy Ainsworth, the log home-building Ashland, Oregon, waitress who spent more than six years building a beautiful log home, only to have it burn...
Beef and Cabbage Soup
Recipe of the Week
Beef and Cabbage Soup
Courtesy of
Troi Young
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 stalks celery, chopped
16 ounces kidney beans, drained
1/2...
How to make money from storage building auctions
By Bill Wilson
Issue #83 • September/October, 2003
Buying and selling is a time honored way of making a living. However, like any profession, success in merchandising requires following some fundamental rules. The most basic of...
The Newtown atrocity and “gun control”
By Massad Ayoob
Issue #140 • March/April, 2013
In mid-December of 2012, a mentally disturbed twenty-year-old whose escalating aberrant behavior had gone untreated and unchecked murdered his own mother, stole her guns, and entered the Sandy...
Green tomato kosher dill pickles
Recipe of the Week
Green tomato kosher dill pickles
Courtesy of
Marjorie Burris
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
small, firm green tomatoes
celery stalks
sweet green peppers, cut into fourths
garlic...
Solar power trailer Part 2
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #109 • January/February, 2008
In Part I of this article in the November/December 2007 issue, I described the many uses for a solar power system that could be made totally...
A determined Rose Bley escaped the city
By Gene Sheley
Issue #51 • May/June, 1998
Rosie Bley's self-reliance and confidence has served her well all her life, permitting her to live in one of the most remote areas of California and to meet...
Broccoli-Turkey Casserole
Recipe of the Week
Broccoli-Turkey Casserolewith Mushroom Sauce
Courtesy of
Lisa Cardillo
Ingredients
3 cups Broccoli florets
2 cups leftover Turkey, chopped
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 medium green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Pepperjack or Jalapeno...
