Goat milk recipes

By Jackie Clay Issue #92 • March/April, 2005 One of my greatest joys is having a bounty of fresh milk from my goats come spring. And as I had two does milking on our new homestead...

Keeping homestead animals healthy

By Jackie Clay-Atkinson Issue #169 • January/February, 2018 As a veterinary field technician for more than 20 years, I saw firsthand the frustration and heartbreak when animal owners called the veterinarian (or started treatment) too late...

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...

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...

Baked barbeque beans

Jackie Clay Ingredients 2 cups dried beans 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 lb. chopped ham or other smoked meat 1 cup barbecue sauce 1/2 tsp. salt dash black pepper 1 Tbsp. molasses 1 medium onion, chopped Method Soak beans overnight, adding a little baking soda...

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...

Preparing for winter

By Jackie Clay-Atkinson Issue #161 • September/October, 2016   In some climates, winter's no big deal — just a little rain and cooler weather. But for the rest of us, winter is something to be prepared for....

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...

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...

Canning meat plus how to use your canned meat

By Jackie Clay-Atkinson Although we have a big freezer, I can up most of our meat. We raise beef cattle, turkeys, chickens, and we hunt, so we have a lot of meat. (Besides that, I...

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...

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...

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...

Building and stocking your pantry

By Jackie Clay Issue #125 • September/October, 2010 At the turn of the 19th century, most country homes had a walk-in pantry, as well as a root cellar for keeping vegetables and fruits. This pantry contained...

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...

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...