How to Roast Coffee in a Whirley Pop Popcorn Maker

July 8, 2016

Food

...op popcorn poppers and just a plain skillet. Each method has pluses and minuses. I’ve tried hot air popcorn poppers and stove-top popcorn poppers (such as the Whirley-Pop pictured at the top of this post). Between the air popper and the stove-top popper, I prefer the stove-top popper because you have more control over the roast and the device itself is inexpensive and suited to this use. The air poppers, on the other hand, tend burn out quickly wh...

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Natural Cooling: The Fresh Air Bed

Mr. Homegrown

June 19, 2017

Appropriate Technology, Design, Water and Power

12 Comments

...and in many homebrew kitty window solutions. But enough about cats, what we really need is to bring back the California Fresh Air Bed Company’s clever indoor/outdoor bed. As many consider downsizing to smaller houses, space and energy saving furniture such as this make more sense than the oversized sofa sectionals that plague our modern mega-houses. Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save...

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How to Carry Heavy Objects with a Two-Person Carrying Pole

Mr. Homegrown

May 16, 2016

Appropriate Technology, Water and Power

16 Comments

...le would work much better for most other objects. The carrying pole can be used to carry people, a use for which there is a word in English: “litter.” Here’s a carrying pole being used in Guatemala to carry an injured man to the hospital: I’m hoping that the litter version of the carrying poll will become Kelly’s new way of getting around the neighborhood during the hot summer months: In all seriousness, I would like to figure out a way to get rel...

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Tomato Grafting Fail

Mr. Homegrown

September 26, 2016

Gardening, Tomatoes

7 Comments

...have purchased or made a seed starting mix rather than the potting soil I used. I ended up with weak seedlings. Secondly, I did not manage the post-graft period well. Having a greenhouse within which to create a “healing chamber” for the grafted plants would have made the process much easier. Since I have no space or desire to build a greenhouse I’m, most likely, going to give up on attempting to graft my own tomatoes. I did this project out of a...

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The Return of Knickers?

Mr. Homegrown

April 26, 2016

Thoughtstylings

13 Comments

...worn by both men and women. Before my annoying plantar fasciitis injury, I used to don knickers twice a week to go fencing. They are comfortable, allowing for easy movement, and more dignified and modest than shorts. Modern fencing knickers are white. The Victorian, black version of the fencing uniform was more stylish: A tangent here: please, dear fencing officials, do not attempt to “modernize” the uniform: Remember, the classic uniform is still...

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