An American dollar worth two cents

By John Silveira Issue #129 • May/June, 2011 Most Americans are unaware that today's dollar has the purchasing power that roughly four cents had back in 1913. That was the year the Federal Reserve (the Fed)...

In the classroom and at home, this system will help you grow self-reliant kids

By Marjorie (Sultzbaugh) Harrison Issue #42 • November/December, 1996 My husband Allan started teaching sixth grade at the Moreno Valley, California, Unified School District in September of 1959, without even slightly knowing how. Fortunately for him,...

Your kitchen pharmacy — How common culinary herbs and spices can help you feel...

By Rebekah L. Cowell Issue #122 • March/April, 2010 In a perfect world, we would get all the nutrients and medication we needed from the food we ate. However, our diets and the foods available to...

With commonsense planning, you can survive hard times

By Jackie Clay Issue #55 • January/February, 1999 Today, many people are afraid that hard times are about to descend upon us because of the Y2K computer date problem, also known as the Millennium Bug. Others...

Old-fashioned hot chocolate

Recipe of the Week  Old-fashioned hot chocolate  Courtesy of Richard Blunt   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 2 cups whole milk 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped into pieces 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar 1/8 tsp. kosher...

Food security 101: part 2

<!-- Food security 101: part 2 --> By Rowena Aldridge Issue #139 • January/February, 2013 Last issue we talked about some things you can do to stretch your food budget and make great use of every bit of food...

Firearms handling refresher Part II: Shotguns

By Massad Ayoob Website Exclusive • December, 2003 In Part I, we began a series of refreshers on safety and proper handling of firearms. This time, we'll examine what may be the most common firearm in...

Starting a Roadside Farm Stand

By John Murray <!-- --> Issue #158 • March/April, 2016 For country landowners who desire a way to supplement their income, operating a small roadside farm stand is an excellent business venture. Produce which is harvested on a...

Lamb and Apricot Pilaff

Recipe of the Week  Lamb and Apricot Pilaff  Courtesy of Ivan Brown  Ingredients 1 pound lean boneless lamb, well trimmed and cut into bite sized cubes 1 cup bulgar (burghul) wheat (cracked cooked wheat) 1 cup brown rice 1/2 cup ready-to-eat dried...

Training for the Boston Marathon

By Dave Duffy Issue #92 • March/April, 2005 Ever get a wild idea in your head that just won't go away, and you start working on it like crazy? It happens to me all the time....

Pumpkin preserves

Recipe of the Week  Pumpkin preserves  Courtesy of Jackie Clay   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 4 lbs. pumpkin 2 lemons sugar 1/2 tsp. each, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg pinch salt Method Mash the pumpkin and lemon meat in...

Clean up your act!

By Nanette Blanchard Issue #100 • July/August, 2006 I used to get a headache just inhaling the chemical fumes while walking through the cleaning product aisle of the store. I started using less toxic products from...

Survival/utility vest

By David Eddings Issue #144 • November/December, 2013 Editor's Note: Several readers have contacted us asking about the exact model number of the vest pictured in this article. We contacted the author and he replied: The vest...

Tale of a country family

By Rachel Baxter Issue #66 • November/December, 2000 Dave and Dianna Saleh (pronounced "Sally") always knew they wanted to live a rural lifestyle. They both came from big cities before they met and fell in love,...

Our ‘unenumerated’ rights

By John Silveira Issue #110 • March/April, 2008 I received this question in an e-mail from my younger brother, Mike: "Jack, the other day a friend asked me where in the Constitution does it say you...

Brining pickles by the quart or gallon

By Vicky Rose Issue #113 • September/October, 2008 The ancient art of brining pickles produces a product similar to the expensive "deli-style" pickles in the supermarket. The process is not difficult; however, older recipes call for...