When “good” laws are bad
By John Silveira
Issue #134 • March/April, 2012
I recently read an opinion piece on CNN's website titled, Edison would've loved the new light bulb law. It's supposed to be about the new law to force...
Fried Foods
By Richard Blunt
Issue #126 • November/December, 2010
Over the past 30 years I've devoted many hours to researching, developing, and testing recipes that provide my family and me with healthy and good tasting meals. My...
Vidalia Onion Pie
Recipe of the Week
Vidalia Onion Pie
Courtesy of
Mattie Silverman
Ingredients
3 medium Vidalia Sweet Onions
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne red...
Make a Quick and Easy Tipi
By Bob Van Putten
Issue #174 • November/December, 2018
The native peoples of North America were a very practical lot. Over the centuries they developed some very efficient tools. Yet, perhaps because of their appreciation of...
Loading the gun for a dictatorship
By John Silveira
Issue #103 • January/February, 2007
My late friend, Jim Callahan, was a self-professed "liberal." At least, when I first met him, that's what he claimed. Actually, he wasn't. But Jim wasn't a "conservative"...
Apple ham salad
Recipe of the Week
Apple ham salad
Courtesy of
Anne Westbrook Dominick
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
4 McIntosh or Liberty apples, cored and diced (not peeled)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cups...
Life-saving snowshoes
By Len McDougall
Issue #126 • November/December, 2010
If you live in or drive through places where winter generally means having snow on the ground from autumn till spring, you should have a functional pair of...
Slug Zapper
By Joel Winters
Issue #142 • July/August, 2013
I live in a small clearing in a big forest. This is on the rainy side of the mountains in the Cascade foothills. Slugs are underfoot nearly year-round...
Choose your ammo… police style
By Massad Ayoob
Issue #93 • May/June, 2005
One of our greatest modern gun experts, Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper, USMC, Ret., once made the observation that the bullet is more important than the gun. The gun,...
Mountain lions — Attacks are still rare, but just in case…
By Gene Sheley
Issue #50 • March/April, 1998
Near the top of North America's wildlife food chain is the mountain lion, a close second to bears in various forms in ferocity, strength, and killing ability. In...
Build your own log home in the woods
By Jackie Clay
(Photos by Bill Spaulding and Jackie Clay)
Issue #72 • November/December, 2001
This is the third part of a three-part series.
The first two parts appeared in issues 70 and 71.
In the last two issues...
35 country jobs — How folks make a living near my hometown
By Charles Sanders
Issue #89 • September/October, 2004
If you're relocating to the backwoods, you will very likely have to give some thought to generating some income, that is, making a living. Hopefully, the topic is...
Renovating old walls
By David Lee
Issue #106 • July/August, 2007
Some years ago my wife and I were out searching for a new building lot when we fell into The Trap. We had recently built and sold a...
Grouse Hunting — The Ultimate Joy of Autumn
By Linda Gabris
Issue #83 • September/October, 2003
Nothing instills such excitement or makes my heart flutter louder than the sudden whir of a flushed out grouse. No matter how many times I've heard it, the...
Energy class: Part 2 — Understanding your electric bill
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #112 • July/August, 2008
In Part 1 of this series of articles, I hopefully made you aware that your home's utility costs should be more of a concern than what...
Asparagus au gratin
Recipe of the Week
Asparagus au gratin
Courtesy of
Jackie Clay
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
2 lbs. tender wild asparagus spears
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1...
