Make your own firestarters

By Claire Wolfe Issue #129 • May/June, 2011 I bought an old house last summer and inherited lots of the former owners' stuff — some of it good and welcome, some strictly landfill-fodder. Among other things that...

Stumbling over your own stupidity

By John Silveira Issue #64 • July/August, 2000 There are several morals to be found in this story. You can find most of them yourself. But I'm only interested in one of them. The story was...

Big boomer guns

By Massad Ayoob Issue #125 • September/October, 2010 For you long time readers, I know what you're thinkin'—"Hey, isn't this the guy who within the last two years wrote the article about moderation, where he said...

How to buy your first sheep without getting shorn

By Anita Evangelista Issue #32 • March/April, 1995 Multimillionaire J. Paul Getty was once asked the secret of becoming rich. He's reported to have said, "I buy when everyone is selling, and sell when everyone is...

A view of self-reliance from a more timid perspective — A woman’s opinion

By Claire Wolfe Issue #94 • July/August, 2005 My fellow Backwoods Home writer Jackie Clay is a domestic wonder woman who can do anything from can kumquats to butcher an elk. Not me. Unh uh. No way....

Millenium Vehicles

By Michael Hackleman Issue #57 • May/June, 1999 A major failing of transportation worldwide is that 99.9% of vehicles on farms, street, and freeways work on one energy source: liquid fuels. In any disaster—small or large,...

Lenie in the kitchen: Hamburger and potato casserole

By Ilene Duffy Issue #140 • March/April, 2013 One last outing before heading back to college is to take Damon for his first trip to the beach. L-R: Rob, Jacob, Sam Our oldest sons, Jacob and Robby, are...

The 7 core areas of preparedness

By Patrice Lewis Issue #133 • January/February, 2012   As I write this article, it's early September. And September, as you may or may not know, is National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency...

Basic chicken broth

Richard Blunt Ingredients 1 5-6 lb. stewing hen or roasting chicken 6 qts. cold water 2 medium onions, peeled and cut into quarters 1 celery rib with leaves attached 1 whole carrot 2 bay leaves 8 whole black peppercorns 3 whole cloves 1 piece...

Heart healthy recipes

By Ilene Duffy Issue #99 • May/June, 2006 I'm not a nutritionist or a medical professional, but I've gained a lot of knowledge concerning foods that are considered to be heart healthy since my husband, Dave,...

A healthy heart starts in the kitchen

By Richard Blunt <!----> Issue #100 • July/August, 2006 The Surgeon General of the United States recently referred to obesity as "the terror within." But who is the enemy? When we finally started paying attention to what...

Stuffed sweet peppers

Recipe of the Week  Stuffed sweet peppers  Courtesy of Alice Brantley Yeager   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 4 large sweet peppers 2 cups cooked rice 1 cup cooked ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 1...

Chicken Enchiladas

Recipe of the Week  Chicken Enchiladas  Courtesy of Ilene Duffy  I learned to make this recipe with my roommates and friends in college. It makes a nice dish when serving company. This takes a while to prepare, but...

Sunny Solutions for north slope applications

By Michael Hackleman Issue #61 • January/February, 2000   Solar-powered pumps have proved their worth for many installations worldwide, anywhere under the sun. However, in the northern hemisphere, a year-around spring located at the base of a...

How long should your gun’s barrel length be?

By Massad Ayoob Issue #136 • July/August, 2012 The person new to guns is like the person new to timepieces. "How many of these things are there?" "In how many configurations?" "And they've been around for...

Firearms handling refresher Part III: Rifles

By Massad Ayoob Website Exclusive • January, 2004 Our three part series on firearms handling ends with this installment. In Part I, we covered handguns and in Part II, we followed with shotguns. The rifle is a...