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"...
Fish — This gourmet food is fun to catch, relatively easy to cook, and...
By Richard Blunt
Issue #47 • September/October, 1997
About 70% of the earth's surface is covered with salt water, and 4% of land surface (another 1% of the earth' total surface) is covered with fresh water....
Apple and berry pies
By Ilene Duffy
Issue #118 • July/August, 2009
Go to your room!" bellows our friend, John Silveira. He is kidding of course. I mean, how mad can somebody really be when they're eating your homemade pie...
Why you need to addsolar to your emergencypower backup plans
By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM
Issue #149 • September/October, 2014
Click Here to listen to an interview with Jeff about this article.
Most of the electric substations, transmission lines, and electrical switchgear for any given utility are...
Hamentaschen
Recipe of the Week
Hamentaschen
Courtesy of
Richard Blunt
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
Cookie dough:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 lb. margarine
2 Tbsp. honey
2 eggs
grated...
The Great Depression — A reminiscence
By Alice B. Yeager and James O. Yeager
Issue #115 • January/February, 2009
I was a girl of 8 when the stock market crashed in 1929. It was the Great Depression, and unless you were living...
Do we need a Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights?
By John Silveira
Issue #53 • September/October, 1998
Once again there is a storm of complaints from American citizens concerning abuses and harassment on the part of a government agency. In the past the offending agencies...
Why I’m nice to telemarketers
By John Silveira
July 22, 2000
We complain because they bug us during supper. Of course, it wouldn't make sense for them to call us at 1:00 in the afternoon because we're not usually home then....
Tools and hardware for the backwoods home
By James Ballou
Issue #74 • March/April, 2002
A certain degree of self reliance is obtainable by those who have the knowledge and skills, resourcefulness, courage, common sense, and tools to perform most of the tasks...
Beef and Cabbage Soup
Recipe of the Week
Beef and Cabbage Soup
Courtesy of
Troi Young
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 stalks celery, chopped
16 ounces kidney beans, drained
1/2...
Stewed tomatoes
Recipe of the Week
Stewed tomatoes
Courtesy of
Alice Brantley Yeager
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
1 gallon ripe tomatoes
2 cups onions, coarsely chopped
1 cup celery, coarsely chopped
1 cup sweet peppers,...
Powering medical equipment during a utility blackout
By Michael Hackleman
Issue #70 • July/August, 2001
Most people consider blackouts a nuisance. However, for some folks, a blackout can be paralyzing or even deadly, particularly if a critical piece of medical equipment lacks electricity....
Picking and preserving the wild plum
By Bill Weekes
Issue #69 • May/June, 2001
The wild plum is a fickle fruit, ripening any time between late spring and late summer. It comes in a bunch of colors, shapes, and sizes. Some are...
Centennial of the All-American .30-06
By Massad Ayoob
Issue #100 • July/August, 2006
In the long love affair between America and the rifle, there has never been an interlude quite as intensive as the epoch of the .30-06. This cartridge celebrated...
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...
Here are some simple tips on how to store apples for a long, long...
By Don Fallick
Issue #41 •September/October, 1996
Almost any kind of apple will keep for three or four months, or even longer, if stored properly. It's cheap and easy to do. All you need is newspaper,...































