Homemade Cottage cheese, rhubarb pie, lemon custard pudding cake, pasties, beef stew, biscuits, butter,...

By Jackie Clay Issue #82 • July/August, 2003 We've all been there; we are striving toward a self-reliant lifestyle, growing, raising, and foraging much of our family's food. After all, we realize that not only does...

Lamb and Apricot Pilaff

Recipe of the Week  Lamb and Apricot Pilaff  Courtesy of Ivan Brown  Ingredients 1 pound lean boneless lamb, well trimmed and cut into bite sized cubes 1 cup bulgar (burghul) wheat (cracked cooked wheat) 1 cup brown rice 1/2 cup ready-to-eat dried...

Every group needs a black sheep

By John Silveira Issue #74 • March/April, 2002 I used to play a lot of poker and I learned things about people that surprised me. They were things other than the "Know when to hold 'em,...

Deconstructing a bowl of red

By Richard Blunt Issue #138 • November/December, 2012 When we eat, we incorporate all of our senses (sight, touch, hearing, taste, and smell) to help us make a general determination about the food in front of...

Pecan twerps

Recipe of the Week  Pecan twerps  Courtesy of Alice Brantley Yeager   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 1/2 lb. butter or shortening 4 heaping Tbsp. powdered sugar 2 cups flour pinch of salt 2...

Homestead security for women

By Donna Insco Issue #143 • September/October, 2013 In these tough economic times, many women are finding themselves alone for long hours on the homestead. As local jobs disappear, the major breadwinner may take a job...

Running your own business: a mother’s perspective

By Ilene Duffy Issue #62 • March/April, 2000 When my middle son, Robby, was a baby, he had two seizures. After the second one the doctor informed me that I needed to get him to the...

How to use those leftovers

By Marjorie Burris Issue #58 • July/August, 1999 Congratulations! You've worked hard and have enough food stored away to feed your family, possibly for a year or more. Now, go to your store room, pick up...

Keep those gadgets working after the power goes out

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #84 • November/December, 2004 The recent 2003 northeast electric grid failure taught the residents of many large cities what most rural residents learned years ago: Lights, air conditioners, televisions, stereos,...

Home-Grown Eggs

By Allen Easterly Issue #165 • May/June, 2017 Maybe you’ve thought about keeping a few chickens for their eggs but didn’t want to be awakened at 4:00 AM by a rooster singing “cock-a-doodle-doo.” At this time...

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,...

Our energy crisis Part 2 — Nuclear energy is sensible and safe

<!-- Our energy crisis Part 2 of 3 Nuclear energy is sensible and safe By John Silveira --> By John Silveira Issue #114 • November/December, 2008 When an atomic bomb was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, August 9, 1945, the amount of energy...

Just for Kids: Take a nite hike!

By Lucy Shober Issue #22 • July/August, 1993 Click on pictures for printable, full-sized versions to color. How many times have you lain awake in your bed on late summer nights listening to the symphony of creatures...

Annie on Everfree Farm, Part III

<!-- Annie on Everfree Farm, Part III --> By Annie Tuttle Issue #147 • May/June, 2014 Previous in Series Me with Brownie, Cupcake, Red Velvet, and Flan (mostly hidden). These were our first four goats, and are all Kiko x Boer...

BHM hosts Appleseed marksmanship event

By Massad Ayoob Issue #139 • January/February, 2013 Long a supporter of the Appleseed concept, Backwoods Home Magazine hosted one in Gold Beach, Oregon, in second quarter 2012. Naturally, a good time was had by all....

Turning a $10,000 House into a Home — Part 1: Salvaging the Wreck

By Claire Wolfe Issue #155 • September/October, 2015 December 2012. Welcome to my house as I first saw it. The door opens onto a dirt-floored room. It's not a garage, not a storeroom, not a laundry room,...