Free article Archives - Backwoods Home Magazine

Solar Power 101 — Batteries: Part 1

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #87 • May/June, 2004 This article is the first in a series of what will be a beginner's course in solar electricty. Simultaneously we have instituted a Home Energy Information...

The greatest American who was never President

By John Silveira Issue #60a • November/December, 1999 "The election's next year, right?" I asked. Dave Duffy, the publisher of Backwoods Home Magazine, was editing a rather lengthy article on water. I don't know if he didn't...

A Republic vs. A Democracy

By John Silveira Issue #90 • November/December, 2004 He was in the other office when I heard his voice. But he was getting closer and closer and then he came through the door into the editorial...

Presidents’ wives of the past Part 4 — Cunning, vindictive, and one may have...

By John Silveira Issue #35 • September/October, 1995 (This is a four-part series. Click the links to navigate to parts one, two, three, and four.) Do you think we'll ever have a woman as President?" I asked....

Build your own battery charging station

By Jeffrey Yago, P.E., CEM Issue #142 • July/August, 2013 Completed charging station after sanding and painting Let me guess the reason many of you do not use rechargeable batteries is that every time you need...

Fudge macaroon pie

Recipe of the Week Fudge macaroon pie Courtesy of Jean Winfrey You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 3 squares Bakers unsweetened chocolate 1/2 cup butter or margarine 3 eggs, slightly beaten 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup...

Pistachio-Mocha Chicken

Recipe of the Week Pistachio-Mocha Chicken Courtesy of Minnie Gottfried Ingredients 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 cup coffee liquor Sauce 3 cups chicken stock 1 Tablespoon coffee liquor 3/4 cup pistachio meats 1 chile pepper, chopped 1/2 cup chopped onion 3 Tablespoons chopped...

The house that Dorothy built

By Dorothy Ainsworth Issue #86 • March/April, 2004 This isn't the first time we've had an article by and about Dorothy Ainsworth. Throughout the text are editor's notes refering you...

Build a Heated Germination Bed

By Charles Sanders Issue #92 • March/April, 2005 Many of us who garden have learned the benefits of starting our own vegetable and flower plants. There are several benefits to having a spot to start your...

Broccoli and Ziti

Recipe of the Week Broccoli and Ziti Courtesy of Oliver Del Signore Walk into almost any restaurant that claims to serve Italian food and you will likely find on the menu broccoli coupled with some pasta, usually ziti...

Annie on Everfree Farm, Part I

By Annie Tuttle Issue #145 • January/February, 2014 So here we are. Truth be told, it was a complete accident that we found our farm. We weren't even looking for it. We...

Build your own repeating mouse trap

By Allen Easterly Issue #110 • March/April, 2008 Safety note: Because of drowning danger, 5-gallon buckets with any amount of water in them should never be placed where children under the age of 5 will be...

Creamy white bean soup with kale

Recipe of the Week Creamy white bean soup with kale Courtesy of Lisa Nourse You'll find this recipe and over 400 more in Backwoods Home Cooking.Click Here Ingredients 8 oz. Kielbasa, thinly sliced (or if you like things spicier you...

Small camp security

By Gary Lewis Issue #148 • July/August, 2014 It might be a sleeping bag in a lean-to with a small warming fire at the entrance. It could be a wall tent with five or six hunters...

Apple and berry pies

By Ilene Duffy Issue #118 • July/August, 2009 Go to your room!" bellows our friend, John Silveira. He is kidding of course. I mean, how mad can somebody really be when they're eating your homemade pie...

Broody biddies make sense on the homestead

By James Kash Issue #139 • January/February, 2013 Broodiness is an avian behavior that is frowned upon in the world of agriculture. All industrial agriculturalists cull broody birds because the behavior inhibits production. But to frugal...