Are hydrogen-fueled cars pie-in-the-sky?

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #103 • January/February, 2007 Hydrogen-fueled cars is a topic of much discussion these days. People who want to see the U.S. freed from dependence on foreign oil often assume the...

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....

Gleaning — An Old Tradition Made New

By Daniel Furtney Issue #147 • May/June, 2014 Gleaning. You may remember the term from Sunday School or your Bible studies. In the book of Ruth, "gleaning" refers to poor people being allowed to follow a...

Baked Beans, Two

Recipe of the Week  Baked Beans  This week we have two variations of baked beans. They came in at roughly the same time, so we thought we'd let you enjoy both recipes. Baked Beans, One Courtesy of Doreen...

Making apple pectin

By Kristina Seleshanko Issue #167 • September/October, 2017 One day, as I walked past an apple tree that was naturally thinning its fruit by dropping tiny, baby apples, I thought, “I wish there was something useful...

Preparing for civil unrest

By Claire Wolfe Issue #118 • July/August, 2009 The most remarkable thing about civil unrest is that there hasn't been more of it. Politicians are making a hash of this country and much of the rest of...

Coconut Rice Pudding

Recipe of the Week  Coconut Rice Pudding  Courtesy of Letty Morris  Ingredients 2 cups Coconut Milk 1 cup short grain Rice 1 cup Milk 1/4 cup Sugar 4 Tbsp. Butter 1 piece rind from 1/4 Lime Method In a bowl, mix the rice with the coconut...

Ambidextrous chainsaw filing

By Thomas Brewer Issue #57 • May/June, 1999 I am not ambidextrous. My wife, Judith, uses chopsticks with either hand or even both hands at once. She is ambidextrous. I can barely write with my right...

Brew your own root beer

By Tim Murphy Issue #130 • July/August, 2011 Ah, root beer! That sweet, dark elixir of kidhood, majestically topped with a beige pillow of foam. It's the perfect companion to Bazooka bubble gum, baseball cards, wiffle...

Switch your family to goat’s milk

By Tanya Kelley Issue #128 • March/April, 2011 If you milk goats, there's no doubt you've heard it—"Eww! Goat's milk! Gross!" To be perfectly honest, goat milk does taste different than cow milk. So? Different doesn't...

1911: The classic homeland security pistol

By Massad Ayoob Issue #83 • September/October, 2003 If you've read American firearms history at all, you know the lore of the .45 automatic. How during the Philippine insurrection, the newly issued .38 revolver failed miserably...

Use the right ammunition!

By Massad Ayoob Issue #130 • July/August, 2011 The purpose of the gun is to fire ammunition. It follows that the ammunition should be the correct ammunition. This is simple. It is not hard to understand. But...

Kentucky Country Ribs

Recipe of the Week  Kentucky Country Ribs  Courtesy of Beverly Rossman  Ingredients 3 to 3 1/2 pounds pork country ribs, cut into single-rib sections 3/4 cup water 1/3 cup bourbon whisky (or apple juice) 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1/4...

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...

Hummingbird Cake

Recipe of the Week  Hummingbird Cake  Courtesy of Beverly Rossman  Ingredients Cake: 3 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup unsalted butter 3 eggs 2 cups mashed ripe banannas (3-4...

Savage Model 110 — A proven economical backwoods rifle

By Massad Ayoob Website Exclusive • July, 2008 Fifty years ago, Savage Arms introduced a new bolt-action sporting rifle. In the gun world, this was news. Savage was most famous for its sleek lever action Model...