Mead!

...’ll experiment with a few different small batches rather than taking a chance on one big batch. Here’s how we did it after first sanitizing everything with Idophor sanitizer: 1. Boil 1/5th of a gallon of water (we used bottled water since our tap water is a bit on the heavy side). 2. Add one teaspoon of Fermax (this is a yeast nutrient available at home brew shops). 3. Take the water off the heat and add 3 pounds of honey (we used ora...

Continue reading…

Organic Gardening Magazine Tests Seven Different Potato Growing Methods

Doug Hall, writing for Organic Gardening magazine, did a test of seven different potato growing methods: hilled rows, straw mulch, raised beds, grow bags, garbage bags, wood boxes and wire cylinders. His conclusion? Raised beds worked the best giving the highest yield. Some of the other methods worked well too, though I wonder about black materials, such as grow bags, in our hot climate. The last time we grew potatoes we used a stack of tires....

Continue reading…

How to make a Calendula oil infusion

...oaking. Think of it like making sun tea. You take a nice clean jar with a good lid, and fill that about half way full of dried herb, top it off with oil, and let that sit in the sun. The resulting oil is medicinal. It can be used straight on the skin, or fashioned into salves and balms. I’m particularly fond of Calendula. As a skin treatment it displays regenerative properties, making it really helpful for healing dry, scraped up, or other...

Continue reading…

A Sports Utility Bicycle

211; it took two trips to the Bicycle Kitchen, an extra length of chain, a rear derailleur cable made for tandem bikes, as well as a general tune-up for the old bike we used. If you ride on paved streets remember to use slick tires The Xtracycle has been a significant step in reducing our dependence on our crappy Nissan Sentra, and has allowed us to divest ourselves of the other crappy car we used to own. In fact, using a bike for transportation...

Continue reading…

Revolution: A New TV Series About Extreme Suburban Homesteading

of the dude with the flash drive. One groovy HOA The daughter lives in a suburban development. All the home owner’s association rules have been relaxed allowing for growing front yard corn fields, potatoes in tires, chicken coops and even keeping a couple of horses all in a suburban cul-de-sac.  In reality, HOAs would never cave in so quickly even in the face of starvation. But I digress.3 Did the screenwriters visit Fa...

Continue reading…

Salvia Means Salvation: White Sage

...times during the class, so I’m passing it on. —- * ETA: After some comments have come in, I’m thinking I should clarify something here. Salvia apiana is very powerful stuff. Many sources say it should not be used medicinally. Obviously the Chumash disagree. But you can see from the very strict guidelines around the tea recipe that Cecilia takes its strength seriously. All salvias have medicinal qualities. Plain old culinary sage...

Continue reading…

Cargo Bike Roundup

...s to ask about the trike pictured above manufactured by a British outfit called Cycles Maximus which Russell wants to use to deliver produce to a local farmer’s market. Go Russell! We had to plead ignorance never having used one of these things, but as long as you don’t have any big hills or angry motorists it should work just fine. Sadly in our corner of Los Angeles we have both big hills and angry motorists, which is why Homegrown E...

Continue reading…

California poppy tea

or are they addictive. However, they can help you relax. I’m all for using plants that grow readily in your yard or general area, rather than trying to coax more exotic species along. There are many herbs that can be used to make relaxing teas (valerian, catnip, linden, chamomile, etc.), but this one intrigues me because it’s essentially a weed where I live. If it doesn’t grow readily where you live, I’d encourage you t...

Continue reading…

Deadly Nightshade vs. Black Nightshade

...is edible. The potted plant below the sign was Solanum nigrum not Atropa belladonna. 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 t...

Continue reading…

The Whip: A Homemade Moisturizer How-To from Making It

...lotion/face cream and I figured it was about time to share it with you. It only has three ingredients. It’s safe and wholesome and very effective. Heck, you could eat it! You might find it heavier than what you’re used to, because it doesn’t contain all the chemical dryers that store-bought stuff has (see the Skin Deep database for the scoop on what’s in your favorite moisturizer). But I promise you that if you use it for...

Continue reading…