Free article Archives - Backwoods Home Magazine

Medical kits for self-reliant families

By Jackie Clay Issue #60 • November/December, 1999 There may be a time, as close as tomorrow, when your loved ones need medication or medical treatment and there is no drug store open or doctor available....

Planning the lives of generations to come

By John Silveira March 8, 2006 I was reading the March 2006 issue of Discover Magazine and read Asteroid Watcher Worries, an interview with Clark R. Chapman, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute at...

Freedom, guns, & boycotts

By Dave Duffy Issue #71 • September/October, 2001 The other day I walked into my local Ace Hardware store and cancelled this magazine's longstanding account. "How come?" Dan, the owner asked surprised. I had shopped there ever...

Easy homemade dairy products

By Maggie Howe Photos by John Gibney Issue #137 • September/October, 2012 Queso blanco, sliced and ready for cooking I have a strong interest in cooking and in local foods and I very much enjoy making my own...

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...

Tahini — A health food par-excellence

By Habeeb Salloum Issue #89 • September/October, 2004 Since time immemorial tahini has been a choice food in the countries which edge the eastern Mediterranean. The product of hulled and crushed sesame seeds, this delectable, nourishing,...

The time for modern; the time for traditional

By Massad Ayoob Issue #137 • September/October, 2012 Traditional "old skool" guns, or the most modern and efficient ballistic hardware that money can buy? I asked that question recently on my corner of the Backwoods Home...

Answering some well asked questions about personal defense

By Massad Ayoob Issue #97 • January/February, 2006 Jeff Yago, Backwoods Home's energy writer, recently completed a couple of concealed carry handgun courses. The classes apparently left some questions hanging in the air, and Jeff passed...

Hunting to Fill the Dinner Pot

By Len McDougall Issue #110 • March/April, 2008 It was November in northern Michigan, and I was supposed to be deer hunting, but it seemed I'd brought the wrong gun today. The deer I did see...

Finding, buying, milking, and living with the family milk cow

By Jayn Steidl Thibodeau Issue #36 • November/December, 1995 Have you ever had this happen to you? You've opened the refrigerator door for a cold, refreshing glass of milk only to find an empty jug. You've...

The curse of oil

By John Silveira Issue #82 • July/August, 2003 To many, the oil beneath the sands of the Middle East is a kind of godsend for them. My take on it is that it's illusionary wealth in...

Thoughts on ammunition

By Massad Ayoob Issue #108 • November/December, 2007 Ammunition is to firearms as gasoline is to automobiles. However, with guns and ammo, the fit isn't quite so generic as just getting the right octane rating. Recent...

Build an Old-Fashioned Hotbed and Start Your Seeds in Style

By Roy Martin Issue #104 • March/April, 2007 A hotbed is a miniature greenhouse that is heated to protect new seedlings from cold. The hotbed differs from a cold frame in that it has an internal...

Leafy Green Vegetables — The Underrated Heroes of the Garden

By Jackie Clay Issue #104 • March/April, 2007 When you mention "garden," everybody immediately thinks of sweet corn, green beans, and tomatoes, with a few peppers and cucumbers thrown in. But a whole lot of folks,...

Pizza Casserole

Recipe of the Week Pizza Casserole Courtesy of Michael Pirazi Ingredients 1-1/2 pounds Italian sausage 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped green olives 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon oregano 1/4 teaspoon pepper 12 ounces thin egg noodles 2-1/2 cups (20 ounces) pizza...

Catch your own bait

By Gary Gresh Issue #91 • January/February, 2005 Expensive lures and pricey tackle shop baits can sometimes make fishing an expensive proposition, raising the cost of the intended fish fry to that of a gourmet dinner....