Digging a shallow well

By Jackie Clay-Atkinson Issue #165 • May/June, 2017 When we first looked at the land which is now our off-grid homestead, the realtor mumbled an apology for an old gravel pit on the property from the...

Raising your own beef for your family

By Charles Sanders Issue #57 • May/June, 1999 For most homesteaders, the raising of livestock plays a crucial role in the home based economy. The types of livestock which you choose to include on your own...

Building and Using Wattle Fences

By Kathryn Wingrove Issue #139 • January/February, 2013 Wattle fences are made by weaving material in and out of posts in the ground. They were often used on the small farms of Victorian England. In fact,...

Should both drugs and guns be legal?

By Dave Duffy Issue #59 • September/October, 1999 Answering the question of Should drugs be legal? is like answering the question of Should guns be legal? Whoever answers either question steps onto a minefield of passionate...

Blueberry Vareniki

Recipe of the Week  Blueberry Vareniki (Bluberry Filled Dumplings)  Courtesy of Madd Russian  Ingredients Dough 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 3 egg yolks 1/2 cup cold water Filling 3-1/2 cups blueberries 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon (to taste) 3/4 tablespoons all-purpose flour Also 2 egg...

Raspberry Pears with Chocolate Sauce

Recipe of the Week  Raspberry Pears with Chocolate Sauce  Courtesy of Lyle Staple  Ingredients 2 cups cranberry/raspberry juice 1/2 cup port wine (optional) 1/2 cup raspberry syrup (use 1 cup if port wine is omitted) 3 2" x 1" strips...

Yurt Magic — Building an Enchanting Instant House

By Claire Wolfe Issue #76 • July/August, 2002 I awoke last night to a circle of moonlight reflected on a wall. It was so vivid I could almost see the dark-and-light patterns of the moonface in...

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...

Blueberry Cash Crop

By Ed Mashburn Issue #130 • July/August, 2011 My almost two-year-old grandson loves blueberries. Put a bowl of those round blue jewels in front of him, and he's a happy little man. He's not alone. Many...

Lemon-Tarragon Veal

Recipe of the Week  Lemon-Tarragon Veal  Courtesy of Lynzi Porter  Ingredients 1 to 1 1/2 pounds veal scallops, pounded to flatten flour 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 tablespoons butter 2 teaspoons lemon zest 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 6...

Maple Spiced Broiled Salmon

Recipe of the Week  Maple Spiced Broiled Salmon  Courtesy of Barbara Sabek  Ingredients 4 salmon fillets (6 to 8 ounces each) 1/3 cup real maple syrup (NOT pancake syrup!) 1/2 cup water 4 teaspoons peeled, grated ginger root 2 cloves garlic minced fine 1/4...

Your honey will love your sweet buns

By Jennifer Stein Barker Issue #51 • May/June, 1998 Sweet rolls (or sweet buns, Danish pastries, sticky buns, coffee cake, etc.) are an American tradition for breakfast. Sometimes they are served with eggs and cooked meats,...

This country job really rocks

<!-- This country job really rocks By Charles Sanders --> By Charles Sanders Issue #105 • May/June, 2007 Down here in the hills and hollers of southern Indiana, there is rock a'plenty. Old farm fields still show evidence where early...

Fermented dill pickles

Recipe of the Week  Fermented dill pickles  Courtesy of Olivia Miller   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 50-60 smooth small cucumbers 1 oz. whole mixed spices dill 1 lb. pure salt 1 gallon water 1 pint cider...

Catch your own bait

By Gary Gresh Issue #91 • January/February, 2005 Expensive lures and pricey tackle shop baits can sometimes make fishing an expensive proposition, raising the cost of the intended fish fry to that of a gourmet dinner....

The chicken and the egg

By Habeeb Salloum Issue #139 • January/February, 2013 One cannot think of our culinary world without chicken or eggs. Chicken is one of the world's most consumed meats and eggs are on the tables of the...