Airing Our Dirty Laundry

November 5, 2006

...that when you use electricity in Los Angeles, thanks to the Department of Water and Power, you are burning coal in Utah. Now we would continue with the math, but that would involve amortizing the cost of the dryer and math is a shaky subject for us. Suffice to say, that gas is not the only cost. We think the greatest savings over time may be that air drying is simply better for our clothes. Besides, it’s another excuse to get outside and get in t...

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Prickly Pear Jelly Recipe

Mr. Homegrown

August 9, 2007

Food, Recipes

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...uit (you need not skin it) into quarters and put in a pot with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Mash with a potato masher and strain the juice and water through a colander with two layers of cheesecloth to remove the seeds and pulp. 3. We’ve found that 2 1/2 pounds of fruit will yield a little over 2 1/2 cups of juice using the method above. 4. We use a recipe from the Jamlady Cookbook, by Beverly Ellen Schoonma...

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Crapper Livin’

Mr. Homegrown

September 26, 2006

Design, Preparedness, Solar

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...ix miles off the coast of Ventura, this handsome building features a solar water heater and a 12 volt electrical system to power the lights. Built of durable materials such as cedar and recycled plastic decking, this building should see many years of service. SurviveLA advocates the virtues of living small. Why not, for example, live in the Santa Rosa Island campground bathroom? The average American house has been super-sized to a gut busting 2,40...

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Grab and Go

Mr. Homegrown

August 15, 2006

Preparedness

...rs and other items with a long shelf life. 9. Hydration We have both extra water and a ceramic water filter. 10. Emergency shelter We have a very lightweight backpacking tent. This ain’t about paranoia – while our grab and go bags contain modern tools, we appreciate the ancient, and almost lost art of travel by foot. Remember kids, back in the days before SUVs people used to walk long distances without the benefit of convenience stores and fast fo...

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Essential System #10 – Shelter

Mr. Homegrown

August 18, 2006

Preparedness

...ld be number one. It’s possible to survive for at least three days without water and there are documented cases of people surviving for forty days without food. But your ass could be either fried or frozen damn quick without shelter even in temperate Los Angeles. The handy rule to remember is three hours without shelter, three days without water, and three weeks without food. In addition to having a place in our grab and go bag the concept of shel...

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