For large quantity food dehydration try this homemade gem from the past

By Rev. J.D. Hooker Issue #41 • September/October, 1996 The thing I like the most about Backwoods Home is that, unlike a lot of other magazines, the articles are written by folks who are actually doing...

Gleaning — An Old Tradition Made New

By Daniel Furtney Issue #147 • May/June, 2014 Gleaning. You may remember the term from Sunday School or your Bible studies. In the book of Ruth, "gleaning" refers to poor people being allowed to follow a...

An American dollar worth two cents

By John Silveira Issue #129 • May/June, 2011 Most Americans are unaware that today's dollar has the purchasing power that roughly four cents had back in 1913. That was the year the Federal Reserve (the Fed)...

Baked Macaroni and Cheese to Kill For

Recipe of the Week  Baked Macaroni and Cheese to Kill For  Courtesy of John Silveira  Ingredients 2 cups uncooked elbow Macaroni 3/8 cup Butter 1/2 cup Flour 1-3/4 cups Milk 1/2 cup Sour Cream 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese...

Honey Roasted Pheasant

Recipe of the Week  Honey Roasted Pheasant  Courtesy of Mike Willard  Ingredients 1 Pheasant 3/4 cup Honey 1/2 cup creamy Peanut Butter 2 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce Method Combine the honey, peanut butter, vinegar, and soy sauce...

Cheddar Breakfast Pizza

Recipe of the Week  Cheddar Breakfast Pizza  Courtesy of Martin Rimmele  Ingredients 1 package (15 ounces) refrigerated pie crust 1 cup ricotta cheese 6 slices bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled 1-1/4 cups apple pie filling...

Fixing a broken jury system

By John Silveira “I blame every juror who let him go, every juror who sat on that trial and believed this man over those little girls. I will never understand. And that is why he...

Skillet Spanish rice

Recipe of the Week  Skillet Spanish rice  Courtesy of John Silveira   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 1 lb. lean ground beef 8 oz. sweet Italian sausage 2 small red or green bell peppers,...

Want More Fruit From Less Space? Espalier Your Trees!

By Rev. J.D. Hooker Issue #79 • January/February, 2003 After originating in the semi-arid regions of the middle east, espaliering (is-'pal-yer-ing) became a commonly employed fruit tree growing method of the Greco-Roman world. Later, during the...

Can your own tomato products

By James Kash Issue #148 • July/August, 2014 Tomatoes are the backbone for the homestead garden and pantry. These succulent fruits are great on quick sandwiches, mixed in a pasta salad, or (my personal favorite) sliced...

Making and using a solar cooker

By Joe Radabaugh Issue #30 • November/December, 2004 Solar cooking is a delightful alternative to conventional cooking methods. The solar cookers available today really work and they deserve serious evaluation by a much larger audience. For...

The ‘Curious Guy’ and the ‘Offended Woman’

By Dorothy Ainsworth February, 2004 The March/April issue of BHM magazine came out with me on the cover and my house-building story inside. I was happy to have the opportunity to share my story and hopefully...

Food security 101

By Rowena Aldridge Issue #138 • November/December, 2012 These days a lot of people are concerned, and rightly so, about their family's economic stability and security. Recently I've become aware of the ways in which I,...

Build your own portable forge

By Corcceigh Green Issue #51 • May/June, 1998 Looking for a handy summer project while building skills, supplies, and knowledge to put away for a rainy future? Here's one to consider: try making your own forge....

Wash day

By Jackie Clay Issue #130 • July/August, 2011 I was in a Lowe's store yesterday and happened to walk past the appliance section, where I saw gleaming stainless steel, black, and white washing machines and clothes...

Just for Kids: Some pioneer recipes

By Lucy Shober Issue #30 • November/December, 1994 Click on pictures for printable, full-sized versions to color. When I was a little girl, I used to visit my grandfather's home town in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. He...