Call me plumber

By Emily Chadwick Issue #121 • January/February, 2010 Sometimes life requires you to climb in the toilet, and elbow deep in the bowl, you discover the path to self-reliance. When I heard the flush, I knew I...

PVC pipe in the home, garden, farm, and workshop

By Charles Sanders Issue #94 • July/August, 2005 Perhaps one of the most important innovations in modern plumbing has been the development of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), and related plastic pipe. These materials...

Can your own tomato products

By James Kash Issue #148 • July/August, 2014 Tomatoes are the backbone for the homestead garden and pantry. These succulent fruits are great on quick sandwiches, mixed in a pasta salad, or (my personal favorite) sliced...

Quilts — Masterpieces of the heart and windows into women’s history

By Marlene Parkin Issue #22 • July/August, 1993 Many of the quilts of yesterday took a lifetime to make. Perhaps the mystical part of quilts—the aspect that makes them almost human—is the countless hours of work...

Pecan Crusted Trout

Recipe of the Week  Pecan Crusted Trout  Courtesy of Louis Maher  Ingredients 6 6-oz. trout fillets 2 beaten eggs 1/2 cup milk 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 1-1/2 cups finely chopped pecans 1/2...

The cholesterol in your stovepipe can be fatal

By D.B. Frandsen Issue #36 • November/December, 1995 The season is arriving. The garden is ready for its final turning, the apples are picked, and it's supposed to freeze by the end of the week. So,...

Chilies rellenos

Recipe of the Week  Chilies rellenos  Courtesy of Jackie Clay   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 8 large Big Jim, Poblano, or Relleno chilies, green and roasted 1 16-oz. can tomatoes 1 small onion,...

Build a Groundhog Snare

By Allen Easterly Issue #98 • March/April, 2006 In just a few minutes your completed snare is ready to put an end to your groundhog woes. A snare set vertically is very effective catching groundhogs with...

Fresh cucumber delight

Recipe of the Week  Fresh cucumber delight  Courtesy of Jackie Clay   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 3 qts. sliced cucumbers 1/4 oz. mustard seed 1/2 lb. non-iodized salt 1/2 oz. celery seed 9 pints water 1/2...

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...

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...

Venison — From the Field to the Fork

By Linda Gabris Issue #149 • September/October, 2014 Moose steaks marinating in my special marinade I shudder whenever I hear a fellow hunter complaining about his meat tasting gamey, high, or, worse yet, ripe (which is a...

Why I’m nice to telemarketers

By John Silveira July 22, 2000 We complain because they bug us during supper. Of course, it wouldn't make sense for them to call us at 1:00 in the afternoon because we're not usually home then....

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...

Food security 101

By Rowena Aldridge Issue #138 • November/December, 2012 These days a lot of people are concerned, and rightly so, about their family's economic stability and security. Recently I've become aware of the ways in which I,...

Build an attached solar greenhouse

By David Lee Issue #125 • September/October, 2010 We planned it to be permanent, well built, and able to withstand the extremes of temperature, humidity, and weather a greenhouse must tolerate inside and out for many...