Cleaning a well

By Pat Barden Issue #105 • May/June, 2007 We have a good well with sweet water. It was already in place when we bought our property and had been in use for more than 20 years....

The chicken and the egg

By Habeeb Salloum Issue #139 • January/February, 2013 One cannot think of our culinary world without chicken or eggs. Chicken is one of the world's most consumed meats and eggs are on the tables of the...

Kick the credit card habit and learn to stash cash

By Claire Wolfe Issue #107 • September/October, 2007 My friend Jeanie, a professional woman, whips out her credit card at every spending opportunity. Wal-Mart expedition? Credit card. A week's worth of groceries? Credit card. DVD rental?...

For summertime baking needs, build yourself an outdoor horno

By Rev. J.D. Hooker Issue #57 • May/June, 1999 My family has always been big on birthdays and holidays—including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, New Years, and so on. Every holiday is a major...

Easy, no-knead bread by Melissa Souza

By Melissa Souza Issue #156 • November/December, 2015 There is nothing more delicious than homemade bread hot out of the oven. This no-knead bread costs me about a dollar per loaf to make, and it's so easy...

With commonsense planning, you can survive hard times

By Jackie Clay Issue #55 • January/February, 1999 Today, many people are afraid that hard times are about to descend upon us because of the Y2K computer date problem, also known as the Millennium Bug. Others...

Pickled chili peppers

Recipe of the Week  Pickled chili peppers  Courtesy of Richard Blunt   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients       Brine: 2 lbs. (1 gallon) fresh, ripe, chili peppers 1 gallon water 2 cups of sea or...

Armed citizens: the deterrent factor

By Massad Ayoob Website Exclusive • January/February, 2001 Does an armed citizenry deter tyranny and invasion? History and logic both answer emphatically, "Yes!" Some months ago, in an article in this publication titled The Rationale of the...

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...

Build a chicken house in a day

By Anita Evangelista Issue #136 • July/August, 2012 We built our chicken house for around $200. We could have done it for less if we were dedicated scroungers. Three of us put up the 7x18-foot structure...

Looking back on 20 years of BHM

By Dave Duffy Issue #120 • November/December, 2009 I was freezing when I slipped into my old down-filled Army sleeping bag. But I was used to the drill. I'd just lay there motionless as a mummy...

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...

Glazed spiced mocha brownies

Recipe of the Week  Glazed spiced mocha brownies  Courtesy of Richard Blunt   You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients soft shortening 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate 6-1/2 oz. unsalted butter 1/8 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. powdered, instant...

Build a ski sled

By Kai Moessle Issue #138 • November/December, 2012 Since my property is almost half a mile away from the nearest road and I can't keep the dirt road to it plowed all winter (I don't live...

Tabbouleh

Recipe of the Week  Tabbouleh  Courtesy of Jeremy Finich  This salad is considered a staple in may middle eastern homes. Eat it spooned onto your favorite crackers, spread on pita bread or as a side dish to...

Nut Trees on Your Homestead

By Jackie Clay-Atkinson Issue #149 • September/October, 2014 While growing up in Detroit, we had no nut trees in our yard (though we did have seedlings before I left home). That didn't stop my parents, though....