For safety’s sake, homestead fuel storage must be handled properly

By Emory Warner Issue #43 • January/February, 1997 Home storage of fuel is a necessity for homesteaders. Even if you are still on the grid, your truck, tractor, standby generator, etc. will still require fuel. I...

Brining pickles by the quart or gallon

By Vicky Rose Issue #113 • September/October, 2008 The ancient art of brining pickles produces a product similar to the expensive "deli-style" pickles in the supermarket. The process is not difficult; however, older recipes call for...

Make a quilt out of Levis

By Dorothy Ainsworth Issue #77 • September/October, 2002 Back in the 80s I worked as a waitress in a busy little café where our mandatory uniform was a pair of Levis and a T-shirt. The only...

An $89 backup generator

By Jeff Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #159 • May/June, 2016 While I strive in all of my articles to only recommend products of high quality and reliability, I realize many of us are on a fixed-income...

Elissaburgettes

Recipe of the Week  Elissaburgettes  Courtesy of Jan Cook   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 1 can buttermilk biscuits 1 lb. hamburger 1 medium onion, chopped 1/4 cup ketchup 1/8-1/4 cup mustard 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Method Grease...

13 steps to a life of freedom

By Mary Ann Wutzke Issue #76 • July/August, 2002 My husband and I have lived in the desert and mountain back country of Arizona since 1988. We own no home and just about all of our...

Battery powered weekend retreat

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #83 • September/October, 2003 Blake McKinney owned several acres of beautiful deep forest wilderness along a fast-moving year-round fishing stream that was perfect for a planned weekend retreat. Mr. McKinney,...

Toffee Bars, Maple Kisses, and Chocolate-Nut Cloud Candy

Recipe of the Week  Toffee Bars, Maple Kisses,and Chocolate-Nut Cloud Candy  Courtesy of Mariah Dannato  Toffee Bars Ingredients 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup butter 1 12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup chopped nuts Saltine Crackers Method Place one layer of crackers on greased...

Lenie in the kitchen: Lemon scones, pound cake, and pie

Lenie in the kitchen Lemon scones, pound cake, and pie By Ilene Duffy Issue #165 • May/June, 2017 How did 28 years go by so quickly? It was a beautiful fall evening in November 1989 when I took...

Duane’s shrimp dip

Recipe of the Week  Duanes shrimp dip  Courtesy of Lisa Nourse   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 block cream cheese 1 cup mayonnaise 1-1/2 cups celery, chopped fine 1...

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...

Zucchini with green chilies

Recipe of the Week  Zucchini with green chilies  Courtesy of Pat Ward   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 2 lbs. zucchini, cubed into 1/2-inch thickness 1 large onion, diced 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 6-oz....

Bury a gun and ammo for 15 years

(and be assured everything still works when you dig it up) By Charles Wood Issue #115 • January/February, 2009 Back in the early 1990s the outlook for the nation in general and gun owners in particular seemed rather...

You Can Make Your Own Fertilizers

By Christopher and Dolores Lynn Nyerges Issue #44 • March/April, 1997 For some people, home gardening is an expensive pursuit, which seems a bit backward to us. At one time, people gardened because home-grown produce was...

Just for Kids: Sun-kabobs and solar sizzle

By Lucy Shober Issue #28 • July/August, 1994 Click on pictures for printable, full-sized versions to color. Picture yourself in this dreamy scenario: It's a hot summer afternoon. The sun is beaming through the shade trees as...

Challah

Recipe of the Week  Challah  Courtesy of Richard Blunt   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 2 pkg. active dry yeast 1 cup warm water (110° to 115°) 2 Tbsp. sugar 1/3 cup light vegetable oil 2...