Free article Archives - Backwoods Home Magazine

Making maple syrup

By Marcella Shaffer Issue #59 • September/October, 1999 The art of making maple syrup is generally attributed to the Native Americans. Early settlers arriving in America learned the skill from them. They then went on to...

New yarn from old sweaters

By Margaret Mills Issue #132 • November/December, 2011 Years ago, when my grandmother learned that some women purchased new fabric to make quilts, she was shocked. She was an "old-school" fiber artist quilting, crocheting, and...

Terrorist attack! Was this predictable?

By John Silveira September 11, 2001 I was awakened to news about the suicide attacks by my daughter. Quite frankly, I thought it was the beginning of a bad joke she'd heard and I was expecting...

Grid-tied, Grid-connected, Off-grid. What’s the difference?

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #140 • March/April, 2013 Several weeks ago I received a call from a woman in Florida complaining that they just had a power outage lasting several days and her solar...

We built John Silveira’s chicken coop/garden

By Suzy Lowry Geno Website Exclusive • April, 2007 I have what seems like mountains of great "fertilizer" from my barn full of English Angora rabbits. But between my work as a newspaper editor and caring...

Elk Roast With Cranberries

Recipe of the Week Elk Roast With Cranberries Courtesy of Daisy Wallace Ingredients 2 - 3 pound Elk roast* 2 tablespoons Oil 2 cups raw Cranberries 1 small stalk Celery, chopped 1 teaspoon Nutmeg 1-1/2 tablespoons Maple Sugar 1/4 cup all purpose Flour 1 small Onion,...

Making apple pectin

By Kristina Seleshanko Issue #167 • September/October, 2017 One day, as I walked past an apple tree that was naturally thinning its fruit by dropping tiny, baby apples, I thought, “I wish there was something useful...

Breastfeeding — A primer

By Kathy Parkes Issue #49 • January/February, 1998 Unfortunately hospital practices that negatively affect breastfeeding are often the cultural norm. Our society pays only lip service to breastfeeding and then makes women feel guilty if their...

Old World apple chutney

Recipe of the Week Old World apple chutney Courtesy of Richard Blunt You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 40 oz. cider vinegar 1-1/2 lbs. brown sugar 1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1 Tbsp. ground ginger 2 tsp....

Trusses — Low cost marvels to roof over most large spaces

By Martin Harris Issue #23 • September/October, 1993 When you strip away all the frills, building construction is nothing more than enclosing a volume of space to create a micro-climate for human activity. You can call...

Once a day milking

By Patrice Lewis Issue #99 • May/June, 2006 It sounds bucolic, doesn't it? The simple joys of milking your own cow. Fresh milk, fresh cream, homemade cheese, butter, yogurt. What can get better than that? But when...

Vegetarian pies

Issue #87 • May/June, 2004 Delicate, flavorful, and very satisfying are the descriptions with which a number of culinary experts label the countless pies...

Beef & Wild Mushroom Lasagna

Recipe of the Week Beef & Wild Mushroom Lasagna Courtesy of Gail Strong Ingredients 1 pound lean ground beef 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound assorted wild mushrooms (such as shiitake, oyster and cremini), sliced 1/4 teaspoon salt 1...

Climate Change Theory: science or religion?

By John Silveira Issue #153 • May/June, 2015 Is climate change theory a real science or is it merely a new religion? It's a fair question to ask because although climate change enthusiasts like to refer...

Solar hot water systems

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Photos by Patrick Redgate Issue #118 • July/August, 2009 With continued shortages of wood for home heating, the Greeks built the North Hill section of Olympus in the 5th century B.C. This...

Bath herbs

By Cynthia Andal Issue #86 • March/April, 2004 The visceral pleasure to be gained from drinking wild herbal teas that you have harvested yourself pales in comparison to lying in a steaming tub, scented with rose...