Building David’s Cabin, Part One
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #172 • July/August, 2018
Like most young folks today, our son David graduated high school, got a job, and went to college (accumulating student loans in the process). After that, he worked...
Build a wood-fired stock tank heater
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #138 • November/December, 2012
Keeping fresh water in front of our livestock in the winter has always been somewhat of a problem. A long time ago, when we lived on a homestead...
Pheasant and dumplings
Recipe of the Week
Pheasant and dumplings
Courtesy of
Jackie Clay
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
1 pheasant (or equivalent other bird)
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups broth from cooking
1/2 pint...
Your survival depends on water
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #167 • September/October, 2017
As you develop your preparedness plans, consider your water supply. You can go without food for weeks but when you lack water for as little as two days,...
Lazy housewife pickles
Recipe of the Week
Lazy housewife pickles
Courtesy of
Jackie Clay
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
4 qts. small cucumbers
1 cup dry mustard
1 cup sugar
1 cup salt
1 gallon vinegar
Method
Wash the cucumbers,...
Moving to the wilderness — Turning the dream to reality
By Jackie Clay
Issue #36 • November/December, 1995
The Dream An increasing number of folks are having the same dream today: get a piece of land isolated from the stress and pollution of civilization, and...
Grow Open Pollinated Seeds for Self-Reliant Gardening
By Jackie Clay
Issue #56
In the past I've grown hybrid vegetables, mostly the varieties that have been developed to produce early yields. Because of this, I was able to grow things like sweet corn in...
Harvesting the wild: Acorns
By Jackie Clay
Issue #79 • January/February, 2003
When I was just a little girl, I used to collect acorns by the boxfull as they fell in the fall. I didn't know why. They just felt...
Garden Seeds — A Great Winter Pastime
By Jackie Clay
Issue #67 • January/February, 2001
Start your garden this year while the snow is still on the ground. I start all of my own plants from seeds. One of my favorite winter pastimes...
Our journey to modern off-grid living
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #177 • July/August/September, 2019
We’ve lived off the grid for decades. Throughout the years, we’ve traveled the path from living a very rustic lifestyle with few amenities to our current off-grid homestead...
A Native American feast
By Jackie Clay
Issue #66 • November/December, 2000
When the holidays roll around, a lot of folks get bored with the "same-old meal." You know, turkey, mashed potatoesthe whole traditional meal. But some adventurous families might...
You can safely and easily can your own meat
By Jackie Clay
Issue #105 • May/June, 2007
Of all the foods I can every year, the most useful is the wide variety of meats. While we aren't huge meat eaters, these rows and rows of...
Española eggs
Recipe of the Week
Española eggs
Courtesy of
Jackie Clay
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
Shortening to fry
1 medium onion, sliced
8 Anaheim, Big Jim, or Relleno peppers, green roasted
If you want...
Emergency planning beyond the bug-out bag
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #157 • January/February, 2016
In many emergency situations, simply staying home can be your most sensible choice. After all, most of us have stocked up on a good supply of food in...
Pickled nopalitos
Recipe of the Week
Pickled nopalitos
Courtesy of
Jackie Clay
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
4 lbs. de-spined, sliced fresh nopalitos
mustard seed
dill seed (if dill flavoring is desired)
garlic cloves, halved
dry red...
Homemade pizza
Recipe of the Week
Homemade pizza
Courtesy of
Jackie Clay
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. mixed spices (oregano, basil, onion flakes)
1-1/2 cups warm water
1...