Why not risk it all!

By Dave Duffy Issue #64 • July/August, 2000 I got this letter from a reader: Please cancel my subscription. I had the opportunity to read your editorial glorifying your agenda as a "paranoid, gun-toting nut." This is...

How big a gun do you need?

By Massad Ayoob Issue #99 • May/June, 2006 We Americans like to do things in a big way. Big houses. Big cars. Big boats. And, yes, big guns. There are good arguments for all this, of course....

Mousers and cat loonies

By Dave Duffy Issue #83 • September/October, 2003 I must really be old fashioned. I live in the country and have plenty of rodents running around, just like many of you, so I need a few...

Garden Seeds — A Great Winter Pastime

By Jackie Clay Issue #67 • January/February, 2001 Start your garden this year while the snow is still on the ground. I start all of my own plants from seeds. One of my favorite winter pastimes...

That old survivalist mumbo jumbo and 10 reasons why it makes sense

By Dave Duffy Issue #91 • January/February, 2005 I've got a suggestion for a sensible New Year's resolution for self-reliant types like myself, and I've got at least 10 good reasons to keep it. The resolution...

Seventeen great tips for caring for windows, mirrors, and other household glass

By Sandy Lindsey Issue #43 • January/February, 1997 1 To make windows and mirrors sparkle, dip a clean cloth in a 50/50 mixture of borax and water or denatured alcohol and wipe down. Polish with a...

Install a mobile, solar powered toilet

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #79 • January/February, 2003 When our solar business started to really increase, I found myself spending more and more time in my truck traveling down the highway to very remote...

Cracklin’s — An irresistible snack that you can’t stop sneakin’

By Linda Gabris Issue #79 • January/February, 2003 When I was a girl growing up in the backwoods, one of my favorite times of the year was autumn when grandpa would butcher a pig to put...

Questions about global warming

By John Silveira Issue #108 • November/December, 2007 Global warming is in the news, infesting campaign rhetoric and the plot lines of many movies and TV programs. Our kids are being indoctrinated with its certainty in...

How to maintain a dirt road

By Marjorie Burris Issue #48 • November/December, 1997 It is our job to maintain two and one half miles of dirt road if we want to get into our property. We are completely surrounded by forest...

Demystifying real rye bread

By Richard Blunt Issue #141 • May/June, 2013 Rye has been a popular bread grain in many parts of Europe for hundreds of years, second only to wheat. Popular regional rye breads can be found in...

Filipino Chicken Stew

Recipe of the Week  Filipino Chicken Stew  Courtesy of Raymond Bogan  Ingredients 3 pounds chicken, cubed 5 cups water 1 tablespoon ginger 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon salt 2 large onions, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 4 medium potato,...

Caring for wounds in the field

By Bill Glade, M.D. Issue #75 • May/June, 2002 The beautiful remote Canadian lake has provided a bountiful supply of fresh fish. You are cleaning the catch when a moment's inattention allows the knife to slip...

Whole grain breads baked at home

By Richard Blunt Issue #112 • July/August, 2008 Bread baking is an ancient craft that some food historians believe reaches back over 15,000 years to the time when the last Ice Age was losing its grip...

Save Time and Energy with the Fenced Chicken Coop/Garden

By John Silveira Issue #44 • March/April, 1997 My engineer father was not fond of wasting time or energy. He was always searching for a better, more efficient way to perform chores, especially chores that reoccurred...

Pecan twerps

Recipe of the Week  Pecan twerps  Courtesy of Alice Brantley Yeager   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 1/2 lb. butter or shortening 4 heaping Tbsp. powdered sugar 2 cups flour pinch of salt 2...