The homestead cat
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
We have had at least one cat in our home ever since I was a young child. So it’s no wonder we truly value our feline friends. Not only do they provide...
A recycled dresser makes a useful bathroom vanity
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #152 • March/April, 2015
Here's the finished vanity with our unfinished dresser
that will store our extra towels and linens.
We've had our log home built for more than eight years now, but until...
Homestead burnout — What it is and how to avoid it
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #134 • March/April, 2012
We've all been there: the roof is leaking on your temporary housing while you try to build a start on your new homestead. It's rained for a week...
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,...
Old-fashioned baked beans
Recipe of the Week
Old-fashioned baked beans
Courtesy of
Jackie Clay
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
2 cups dry navy beans
1/4 cup ham or bacon
1/2 cup dehydrated chopped onions
8 Tbsp....
Tips and handy hints for 4X4 living
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Tips and handy hints
for 4X4 living
By Jackie Clay
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By Jackie Clay
Where Jackie lives, a 4x4 is essential
Issue #71 • September/October, 2001
After spending more than 35 years living in homesteads that were so out of the...
Put Your Garden to Bed for the Winter
By Jackie Clay
Issue #95 • September/October, 2005
During the crispy fall afternoons, we listen often and intently to the weather forecasts. "It's going to be clear tonight," I'd tell my late husband, Bob, and my...
Ginger beer
Recipe of the Week
Ginger beer
Courtesy of
Jackie Clay
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
4 oz. dried ginger root
1 gallon water
juice from...
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,...
Avoiding common canning mistakes
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #142 • July/August, 2013
Canning has been an important part of my life since I was a young girl helping my mother and grandmother can in our Detroit basement. I loved the...
Canning 101 — Pickles, fruits, jams, jellies, etc.
By Jackie Clay
Issue #53 • September/October, 1998
For some reason, (definitely unknown to me) canning, as a method of very long term food storage, fell into disuse. Maybe it's the hurry/rush syndrome many folks have...
How to Grow Great Carrots
By Jackie Clay-Atkinson
Issue #153 • May/June, 2015
Carrots are an old-time homesteader favorite. They can be frozen, canned, dehydrated, or simply stored in a cool location.
They are nutritious, too, being a great source of beta...
Corn and nopalito salsa
Recipe of the Week
Corn and nopalito salsa
Courtesy of
Jackie Clay
You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cooked sweet corn
1/2 cup chopped nopalitos
2 Tbsp. chopped sweet red pepper
1/4...
Propagating Plants
By Jackie Clay
Issue #128 • March/April, 2011
We all love the idea of having a big, productive garden, full of all the nutritious, tasty foods our hearts desire. But the prices in the nursery catalogs...
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...































