Free article Archives - Backwoods Home Magazine

Who were the best…and worst U.S. Presidents?

By John Silveira Issue #49 • January/February, 1998 It was one of those days I love. We were between deadlines and Dave, Bill, Mac, and I had gone fishing on the lake. Dave, of course, is...

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...

Modify an E-Tool to make your own Combi-Tool

By Dave Strom Issue #172 • July/August, 2018 Campers, soldiers, and off-roaders are familiar with military-issue Entrenching Tools, commonly called “E-Tools.” They are light, compact, and multipurpose. They can shovel, hoe, chop, pick, and scrape. The...

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...

Rotten Luck: The Skinny on Composting

By Patrice Lewis Issue #141 • May/June, 2013 For much of human history, people have tried to prevent things from rotting. Literally every food preservation method we've come up with in the past few thousand years...

Growing Microgreens

By Lisa Nourse Issue #176 • April/May/June, 2019 The small town where I live has two small grocery stores and getting a good variety of organic produce during the winter months is difficult. I find myself...

Jamaican Beef Patties

Recipe of the Week Jamaican Beef Patties Courtesy of Robert McCurdy Ingredients Pastry 2 cup flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup solid shortening 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine 1/3 cup cold water Meat Filling 2 tbs margarine 1 small white onion finely chopped 1/4 tsp chopped scotch bonnet...

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....

Baked Cod with Summer Squash

Recipe of the Week Baked Cod with Summer Squash Courtesy of Miriam Spencer Ingredients 1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, crumbled 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 3...

Nana V’s holiday corn bread

Recipe of the Week Nana V’s holiday corn bread Courtesy of Richard Blunt You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 8 oz. (raw weight) good quality smoked bacon 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese 2...

For Extra Production, Try Mound Gardening

By Edward Love Johnson Issue #44 • March/April, 1997 I began experimenting with mound gardening several years ago, due to limited garden space. Then as time went by, I found other reasons (or should I say...

The Informed Juror — How an informed jury helps safeguard liberty

By Gary F. Arnet, D.D.S. Issue #82 • July/August, 2003 You are hereby summoned to appear for jury trial service. Failure to respond will subject you to punishment for contempt, including a $1,000 fine, imprisonment for...

Animal rights loonies save the chickens but ruin the County Fair

By Dave Duffy Issue #84 • November/December, 2003 We had our County Fair between issues. It was a small Fair with just a few thousand in attendance, but no one in our town of 1500 would miss...

The Electoral College — How we elect the President

By John Silveira Issue #18 • November/December, 1992 I've been getting a lot of telephone calls from Oregon lately. My article is late again and Dave Duffy, the fellow who publishes this magazine, keeps...

Boiled crawfish

Recipe of the Week Boiled crawfish Courtesy of James Robertson You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 1 sack of live crawfish (35-40 lbs.) 2 26-oz. boxes of salt 5 medium onions, halved 1/2 4-oz. bottle...

Louisiana gumbo

Recipe of the Week Louisiana gumbo Courtesy of Alice Brantley Yeager You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 1 large dressed frying chicken, including giblets & neck 1-1/2 cups of flour for dredging 1/2 tsp....