Tag: Backwoods Home Magazine

December 7, 2022 – Are Two Things Worth It?

December 7, 2022 /

It is not everyday that I actually learn something. Most of the non-fiction type entertainment ends up being a perspective rather than actually something new. I can’t say that I actually know everything, that would be ridiculous but I do get surprised when I come across something that is new.

As I continue to evaluate the Backwoods Home universe, I keep getting surprised on what I learn. Since this issue was dubbed the ‘potato issue’ I knew that it was going to be pretty spud heavy. My dad quit growing potatoes in the early 1980s as a result of blight in the soil. To be frank, potatoes were cheap and readily available.

I guess in my head, I thought that growing potatoes was really impossible as a result of my upbringing. But, from this issue I learned that there are many (possibly 1000’s) of different varieties, some much more resistant than others. Unless I move somewhere more rural, I doubt that I will dedicate space to grow potatoes, so this was interesting but didn’t really change my perspective.

The first thing that I really learned was that there are two types of potatoes waxy and starchy. I guess I always knew that there was such a thing as boiling potatoes but I had never considered that there were two distinct categories. From this I also learned that there are some in-betweens like Yukon Gold that share properties of both (must be why it is so popular).

Of course, I have cooked with both but to me a potato was a potato. It is 95% likely that we would have a Russet (or starchy) potato on hand rather than a waxy variety. Now that distinction is clearly made, it is much more likely that I will consider the variety for the recipe. It would seem like the in-between varieties would be the best to keep in the pantry.

The second article in this issue that really opened my eyes was about coffee. I have always prided myself on not being a coffee snob. I don’t like cream or sugar and am not big on ‘mixed’ drinks. The fanciest I usually go is Americano – black.

But, the truth is that I think a fresh cup of Folgers can be quite good. I have ran a pot of Folgers after a Starbucks French Roast and found it just as appealing. I am not a rube when it comes to coffee, but I would say that I am ignorant. Let us get a little technical.

Green coffee beans need to be roasted to be brewed. The amount of roasting determine the darkness of the bean and therefore the coffee. Green beans hold freshness for a long time (I would say years, but I don’t know for sure). It is oxidation that effects the flavor. Apparently, oxidation doesn’t occur until after roasting and is significantly increased after grinding because of the exponential increase of surface area.

Long story short, for the best coffee leave your beans green until ready to be used. Here is my ignorance kicking in. I thought roasting coffee was an exotic process requiring expensive equipment. It turns out that this can be done on a skillet over the stove or even in a hot air popcorn popper. This is where my revelation began.

I just did a quick check at it seems like 3 lbs of raw coffee can be purchased for $21 from Amazon. I have no idea whether this is a good price or not, but it definitely seems like a price that can justify trying it. I can’t speak to quality of outcome but generally speaking, it is a pretty inexpensive experiment.

End Your Programming Routine: It does seem like I am getting value out of these magazines. I am leaning more strongly each episode to subscribing. It is nice to be pleasantly surprised. I think what else makes a difference is that I can see myself doing these things. Don’t get me wrong I love Fine Woodworking, but most of those projects I will never attempt. It is mostly inspiration (and desire) when I read it. Hence, I stopped subscribing years ago (but I do read it at the library every time I go).

August 16, 2022 – Backwoods Home Magazine

August 16, 2022 /

Among the podcasts I listen to, Backwoods Home Magazine (BHM) is an advertiser or vice versa. I have never really paid much attention to it. In fact, two or three years ago, the publisher actually retired and the magazine ceased to exist. One of the children started a sister publication called Self-Reliance magazine with the idea that some of the more ‘controversial’ content removed. That is any content on politics and firearms.

Then, another child of the publisher re-started Backwoods Home Magazine. As I understand, the magazine went from bi-monthly to quarterly. The only reason I paid any attention to it was that the magazine was based on the southern Oregon coast. Content comes from contributors across the country, but there is definitely some local effect to the entire magazine.

I started thinking to myself that I would be interested in checking it out so I picked up a copy. Tractor Supply carries a lot of different books and magazines in these types of topics. I had never even opened up a copy before and here is what I found.

At the risk of being boring, here is an abstract of the table of contents.

  1. Realistic goals for a first-year homesteader
  2. The return of victory gardens
  3. Balancing homeshooling and homesteading
  4. A method for washing hair off-grid
  5. 10 rabbit raising mistakes and how to avoid them
  6. Bake your own dog treats
  7. Grandma’s thrifty wartime recipes
  8. Blackberry bonanza
  9. Making and using an osier willow crayfish trap
  10. Homemade insulation cutter
  11. Crust crisis? (pies)
  12. Depression era pies
  13. The good, bad and the ugly of keeping a buck (goats)
  14. Cross stitch your own Backwoods Home sampler
  15. Homeschooling and the question of socialization
  16. Build a clever under-the-bed storage drawer
  17. Homesteading and the bird flue
  18. Medical preparedness for nuclear war

What I started to realize is that this is the magazine version of AltF4.co. Sure, maybe the topic mix are not quite what I want to talk about. I actually read the articles on how to wash hair and cross-stitching with interest. I didn’t list the columns but they are along the lines of political editorials, firearms (from Massad Ayoob of all people) and Americana like poems, anecdotes, jokes and user submitted photos. Heck, maybe I should advertise or become a contributing author?

I also bought a copy of Self-Reliance magazine. That will be for another day. Like all periodicals, not everything was temporal or I see myself using the information. But, there was certainly enough variety and interest to make me want to see more. I suppose the focus on thrift, self reliance, tradition, cooking, using and preserving bounty, and variety is what appeals to me.

Before I purchased the magazines, I almost just subscribed. But then I thought maybe I only want one versus the other. How do I even know I want to when I have never even opened either? Reading the magazine, I learned that both publications moved from the coast to the town next door to the south. So, now they are less than twenty miles away.

End Your Programming Routine: In the last couple months, my wife and I have had serious conversations about moving, particularly more rurally. That is always where I wanted to be but the familial issues have been making us consider proximity to the situation as well. Our kids have three years max in the current school system so that is our stage gate from making a real move. We have a some friends that are leaving next spring for retirement and their property is in the school district. We took a detailed tour of the shop, garden and home, just saying. I am keeping a close eye on state politics. Even though I am Oregon born and bred, I don’t like the way things are going so commitment is still in doubt that I will want to stay. BHM is the type of stuff I want to be doing when the nest empties.