Search Results for: label/book reviews/page/27/2011/04/making-it

564 results

Deadly Nightshade vs. Black Nightshade

Mr. Homegrown
Foraging
16 Comments
...na. One must be careful when using the popular names for plants! Solanum nigrum To add to the confusion, Solanum nigrum is eaten and used as animal fodder all over the world, though many sources continue to describe it as toxic. As with all members of the Solanum family there’s still a great deal of superstition when it comes to toxicity. Remember that many Europeans considered tomatoes to be poisonous well into the 18th century....

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Homemade Cat Toys

Mrs. Homegrown
Animals, Cats
53 Comments
...hing else. And I don’t mean genuine novelty–they don’t need newer and stranger toys all the time. Rather, individual toys seem to get stale for them. A fresh paper bag is thrilling, but by the end of the day it’s old news. However, if you put another paper bag down, even the exact same kind of bag, the thrills will start all over again. If you try to fulfill their whims by buying them new toys all the time, soon your pocke...

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A Primitive Bow Workshop

Mr. Homegrown
Preparedness
10 Comments
After spending an entire week staring a computer screens to update this website, it was a great relief to spend a Saturday carving primitive bows in a workshop led by local self-reliance expert Christopher Nyerges. Kelly and I have been into archery for many years, off and on,  but we’ve never tried to make our own bow. Root Simple pal John Zapf carves a bow to match that stylish hat A bow seems like a simple device until you try to make...

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Qualitites of a Good Outdoor Room

Mr. Homegrown
Design, Garden Design, Gardening
14 Comments
...7;ve been trying to figure out why I prefer sitting on the front porch to sitting in the backyard. I came to the conclusion that the front porch works better as an outdoor room than the spaces we have in the backyard. I think it’s because the porch better embodies qualities that make for a successful outdoor room. Those qualities are: A sense of enclosure or shelter A view Some shelter from the elements (in our climate that’s the sun...

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The Good Stuff at Dwell on Design

Mr. Homegrown
Thoughtstylings
1 Comment
...simply Planter which is avaliable on his website for $45. Ollas are ceramic jars buried in the ground to deliver a slow drip of water to plants. Roth’s design is elegant, simple and effective–take an olla and make it integral with a pot. Particularly on a hot day, conventional ceramic pots dry out quickly and Roth’s planter would be great on a hot balcony or porch. His teapot is also an object of great beauty. Scout Regalia...

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Barefoot Running Update

Mr. Homegrown
Fitness
13 Comments
...l the goal of 5k three times a week is reached. 4. Running barefoot gives a you a direct contact with Mother Earth (and Mother Concrete) and that’s kinda cool. Barefoot running is one of those “ah-ha” ideas. It makes you wonder what other sacred cows can be taken “barefoot.” How about that expensive college education, for instance? See our earlier post on barefoot running, “No Shoes, No problem.”...

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Eating In: The Biosphere Cookbook

Mr. Homegrown
Reviews
3 Comments
...from the backyard and make use of the bare-bones recipes in this book. And don’t worry about having to grow your own cooking oils–the Biospherians had trouble with that and have thoughtfully skipped any deep fried items. The Biosphere’s kitchen. But let’s get to those recipes! For relaxing next the the shore of the Biosphere’s simulated ocean there’s “Beach Blanket Bean Burgers,” “Bea...

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Homegrown Evolution in Chicago

Mr. Homegrown
Events
2 Comments
...rown Evolution for a fun class on how to make a sub-irrigated planter (SIP) out of two buckets. As a bonus, meet Homegrown Evolution blogger and author Erik Knutzen, who will be co-teaching the class and signing copies of his book The Urban Homestead. Bring some gloves and learn how to make and plant your own SIP. Leave with everything you need for a summer of fresh heirloom tomatoes–all you add is about 6 hours of good sun per day in your yard,...

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Our Footprint

Mr. Homegrown
Thoughtstylings
3 Comments
...ed CLUI related business trip to a remote Swedish mining town in the arctic. Arctic journeys aside, the way we won the Low Impact contest is simple. We live in a small house and don’t drive much. That’s just about it. We can’t afford solar panels, and everything else we’ve done, such as the washing machine greywater system, is DIY and un-permitted. We’re sure that many people in our 1920s era neighborhood would have...

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