Making delicious, unthinkable wines

By Lev G. Fedyniak Issue #110 • March/April, 2010 I love wines. Always have. I've drunk wine, studied wine, written about wine, and collected wine. But I got tired of hearing my back-to-nature friends chide me by...

Avoiding common canning mistakes

By Jackie Clay-Atkinson Issue #142 • July/August, 2013 Canning has been an important part of my life since I was a young girl helping my mother and grandmother can in our Detroit basement. I loved the...

Roasting coffee on a wood stove

By Lorinda McKinnon Issue #175 • January/February/March, 2019 In hard times, comforts are important for morale. Some might stash a jug of whiskey or a case of cheese puffs, but for me, comfort is a steaming...

Ashe Torsh

Recipe of the Week  Ashe Torsh  Courtesy of Callie Musa  Ingredients Meatballs: 1/2 pound ground beef 2 tablespoons grated onion 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt Soup: 8 cups water...

Raising rabbits for profit

By Carrie Peterson Issue #106 • July/August, 2007 Whether or not you are fond of rabbit stew, raising rabbits for meat can be a great experience and can even help swell your pocketbook a little. The...

The attack on Colin Powell prompts questions I’m not supposed to ask

By Dave Duffy Issue #79 • January/February, 2003 What's wrong with black Americans? Provocative question, isn't it, especially when it's being asked by a white guy like me. We white guys aren't supposed to question what blacks...

You can become a hardcore forager

By Larry Cywin Issue #47 • September/October, 1997 Most homesteaders and country dwellers forage a little. It might be hunting for morels in the spring, berries in the summer, or boletes in the fall. Some forage...

How to select the right backup generator

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #82 • July/August, 2003 Now that the threat of terrorist sabotage to our utility infrastructure has been added to our basic concerns about storm related power outages, this may be...

Food security 101: part 2 — Convenience mixes make life easier

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 you buy. This article...

Homestead security for women

By Donna Insco Issue #143 • September/October, 2013 In these tough economic times, many women are finding themselves alone for long hours on the homestead. As local jobs disappear, the major breadwinner may take a job...

Hamburger soup

Recipe of the Week  Hamburger soup  Courtesy of Darlene Campbell   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 1 lb. ground beef 4 carrots, cut in 2-inch chunks 3 potatoes, quartered 1 onion, chopped 1/2 bell pepper, sliced 1...

What if the electricity GOES OFF?

By Michael Hackleman Issue #55 • January/February, 1999 Just as everyone was getting ready to throw the party of the century and millennium—out with the old and in with the new—someone springs Y2K on us. Power...

Canned bacon — Roll your own

By Enola Gay Issue #127 • January/February, 2011 I have to admit, I am somewhat of an extreme canner. I love to can unusual things—canned foods you just don't find on everyone's shelves. My latest canning...

Five building tricks for super strong framing

By Don Fallick Issue #49 • January/February, 1998 I was standing on the edge of the roof overhang, holding two bundles of asphalt shingles, when my boss's son drove up. He looked at me, then took...

Indian Fry Bread

Recipe of the Week  Indian Fry Bread  Courtesy of Beverly Rossman  Ingredients 2 Cups all-purpose flour 1/4 Cup Instand nonfat dry milk powder 2 teaspoon Baking powder 1 teaspoon Salt 1 Tablespoon Butter or Lard 3/4 Cup Warm water...

Who were the best…and worst U.S. Presidents?

By John Silveira Issue #49 • January/February, 1998 It was one of those days I love. We were between deadlines and Dave, Bill, Mac, and I had gone fishing on the lake. Dave, of course, is...