Dollar Store to the Rescue

By Jeffrey R. Yago, P.E. Summer 2019, Self-Reliance I have talked with emergency responders who have traveled all over the country to volunteer their rescue efforts at disasters like the recent flooding in Texas. While much...

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...

Poor man’s shrimp cocktail on perch

Recipe of the Week Poor man’s shrimp cocktail on perch Courtesy of Pat Ward You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking. Click Here Ingredients 3/4 cup ketchup 1 Tbsp. horseradish 2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce 1 Tbsp. lemon juice Tabasco to...

Modify your oven to bake great bread

By Emily Buehler Issue #102 • November/December, 2006 Making bread at home is a long process—kneading the dough, waiting while it rises, shaping it into a loaf, and then waiting while it rises again. But in...

Italian Pot Roast

Recipe of the Week  Italian Pot Roast  Courtesy of Mama Jo D'Ascanio and Beverly Rossman  Ingredients 4 pounds lean chuck roast 4 garlic cloves, crushed 4 medium onions, chopped 3 Tablespoons olive oil 4 (6 oz) cans tomato paste...

Cookies in a jar

By Sharon Palmer, RD Issue #72 • November/December, 2001 Cookies in a jar are easy to make and make great gifts. Christian and Nicholas mix up a batch of cookies in a jar. A finished batch of country oatmeal cookies Gourmet country...

Crabapple jelly

Recipe of the Week  Crabapple jelly  Courtesy of Charles A. Sanders   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 3 lbs. crabapples (about 10 cups, cut up) 4 cups water 2 cups sugar 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1...

Home canning safety tips

By Liz Case Issue #66 • November/December, 2000 Like many who were born shortly after World War II, I grew up in a family with a solidly "city" lifestyle. My mother saw canning as drudgery. For...

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...

Cracklin’s — An irresistible snack that you can’t stop sneakin’

By Linda Gabris Issue #79 • January/February, 2003 When I was a girl growing up in the backwoods, one of my favorite times of the year was autumn when grandpa would butcher a pig to put...

Some unusual jellies for your sweet tooth

By Charles Sanders Issue #70 • July/August, 2001 In my mind, one of the simple pleasures in life is hot biscuits, a dab of butter, and a dollop of homemade jelly. Around here any biscuits left...

These salads are hearty dishes

By Jennifer Stein Barker Issue #43 • January/February, 1997 When most people think of a salad, they first think of lettuce or fruit, but a salad may also be made of vegetables or fruit, combined with...

Cast iron loaf pans from breakfast to dessert

By Matt and Linda Morehouse Issue #133 • January/February, 2012 Cast iron loaf pans are not just for bread. Nearly as versatile as the cast iron 10-inch (#8) covered skillet, the venerable cast iron loaf pan...

Waldorf salad

Anne Westbrook Dominick Ingredients 2 cups apples, cored and diced (not peeled) 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 Tbsp. sugar salt to taste 1 cup sliced celery 1/2 cup diced walnuts 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup mayonnaise Method In a bowl, mix the apples and the...

Mac’s lamb curry bake

Recipe of the Week  Mac's lamb curry bake  Courtesy of O.E. MacDougal   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 1 lb. lamb, cut into 3/4-inch cubes 4+ Tbsp. butter 1 large onion, chopped 2 stalks of...

Chicken with galanga in coconut milk soup

Recipe of the Week  Chicken with galanga in coconut milk soup  Courtesy of John Silveira  This excellent recipe requires a few unusual ingredients. You should be able to find them at any Asian market though, and it...