Digging a shallow well
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #165 • May/June, 2017
When we first looked at the land which is now our off-grid homestead, the realtor mumbled an apology for an old gravel pit on the property from the...
Quince preserves
Recipe of the Week
Quince preserves
Courtesy of
Jackie Clay
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
3 cups sugar
2 qts. water
7 cups pared, cored, quartered quinces
Method
When preparing quinces, discard all gritty parts....
Asparagus au gratin
Recipe of the Week
Asparagus au gratin
Courtesy of
Jackie Clay
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
2 lbs. tender wild asparagus spears
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1...
Commonsense preparedness just makes sense
By Jackie Clay
Issue #48 • November/December, 1997
What if that snowstorm turned to a blizzard or an ice storm lasted for days, knocking out the power and phone lines? Would you be prepared? Or what...
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...
Honey whole wheat bread
Recipe of the Week
Honey whole wheat bread
Courtesy of
Jackie Clay
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbsp. dry yeast
1/2 tsp. honey
2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. salt
2...
Plant Once Harvest for Years
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #140 • March/April, 2013
Year after year we start seeds, till the ground, plant, weed, harvest, then tear it all out at the end of the season. It's a lot of work,...
Chilies rellenos
Recipe of the Week
Chilies rellenos
Courtesy of
Jackie Clay
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
8 large Big Jim, Poblano, or Relleno chilies, green and roasted
1 16-oz. can tomatoes
1 small onion,...
Storing dry foods
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
More and more folks are starting to buy bulk foods to ensure if stores run out of foods — as they did at the onset of this epidemic — their families will...
Build Your Own Hoop House
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #171 • May/June, 2018
I’ve had my own garden for more than half a century, and I have learned a few things after all these years. One of the most valuable things...
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...
Saving Seeds
By Jackie Clay
Issue #129 • May/June, 2011
I go through dozens of garden seed catalogs in preparation for each year's new (and better!) garden. I have a lot of "old reliable" varieties that I grow...
Jackie’s Garden Primer
By Jackie Clay
Issue #117 • May/June, 2009
The birds are singing. The sunshine makes the day feel soft and warm. The soil is mellow and damp. It makes us feel like being outdoors and doing...
Jackie’s tips for hardcore homesteading
By Jackie Clay
Issue #62
Many of us have a garden and enjoy fresh vegetables during the summer and fall. Maybe we even have a few chickens for eggs and meat. But many of us may...
Caring for your chickens in winter
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
As winter approaches, we all are thinking of ways to make our livestock and poultry as comfortable as possible when the cold weather hits. Visions of blowing and drifting snow swirl in...
