On Living in Los Angeles Without a Car: A Debate

...thout a bike. It’s possible by bus, but amazingly tedious and backward and time wasting. Basically, public transportation here doesn’t support your life, it becomes your life. Example: we went to visit Erik’s mom last week for a lunch date. She lives about 15 miles away. We left our house at 10 and came back at 5. We had a good long visit with her and about four hours of transit time total. Good thing we’re self-employed. So yes, the only way to g...

Read…

Warning: This Blog is Based in a Mediterranean Climate

...Why? Because it’s really, really boring. Nothing ever happens. Most of the time it’s sunny. Around this time of year it rains occasionally. In June it’s kinda cloudy. That’s all there is to say. For those of you who live here in Southern Calfiornia I’ve found a few good sources for edible gardening information: The Digitalseed Vegetable Planting Calendar and the Digitalseed Flower Planting Calendar Books: The New Western Garden Book: The Ultimate...

Read…

Looking for the Union Label

...Label” (youngsters can watch it on youtube here). We looked for the union label and we were surprised to find it via a company called Union House which carries a functional, if unexciting line of apparel. Unless hipsters take to golf shirts in an ironic fashion judo move, these offerings will never be cool like the domestically made clothes made by the union busting folks over at American Apparel. The socks and underwear we ordered from Union Hou...

Read…

Non-Toxic Cleaning for the Home

...Bronner’s products, both the soap and Sal Suds, are very concentrated. The label famously says “Dilute! Dilute!” and they aren’t kidding. So while a bottle of Bronner’s might seem pricey, one bottle will last a long time if used properly. Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap is widely distributed, and can be found at Target and Trader Joe’s and some regular grocery stores as well as health food stores. Sal Suds is more likely to be found only at health food...

Read…

Gourmet Foraging and Advanced Acorn Processing

...is. You should be aware that acorn weevil larvae will likely emerge, from time to time, from any collection of acorns., especially the fresher ones. (Older acorns may have acorn moths in them, though. These moths move into the holes left behind by the weevils. Nature is beautiful that way.) They are harmless to you, pets, carpets and furniture. They are edible, even tasty, I hear. If they end up in your house they’ll probably dehydrating to death...

Read…