011 Cleaning, Long Crowing Roosters and Water Storage

August 6, 2014

Animals, Chickens, Domesticus, Podcasts, Preparedness

...t Therapy post on cleaning: How to Clean Your House on 20 minutes a Day for 30 Days. Erik references the importance of processing your inbox, an idea learned from a book Getting Things Done by David Allen. Long Crowing Roosters The Wikipedia article on long crowing roosters. A youtube playlist of long crowing roosters. Musical break “Banty Rooster Blues” by Charley Patton. Listener Question: Water Storage for Emergencies A correction to the podcas...

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The Arroyo Co-op in Pasadena

Mr. Homegrown

September 7, 2014

Food

5 Comments

Back in the 1970s the phone book for Los Angeles had dozens of food co-ops. Until just recently that number had dwindled to one (in Santa Monica), in a region of some 13 million people. Which is why I’m happy to help get the word out about the new Arroyo Co-op. If you’re interested in joining here’s the press release I was sent: When you shop at your local supermarket, do you feel like you really belong there? Do you wish you had an alternative –...

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Frida Paints Luther

Mr. Homegrown

September 16, 2014

Fruit Trees, Gardening, Thoughtstylings

3 Comments

...ing about people’s priorities in the 1930s. Kahlo liked to blur the boundaries between human consciousness, the vegetable and the animal. In her portrait of Burbank she touches on themes of life, death and transformation. You could write a book about what’s going on in this painting. Burbank’s work lives on inour backyards and orchards in the form of the fruit varieties he developed. I’ll view his Santa Rosa plum in our front yard differently afte...

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Hollywood always gets gardens wrong (I’m talking to you, Maze Runner)

Mrs. Homegrown

September 25, 2014

Thoughtstylings

19 Comments

...storical dramas, cannot somebody bother to glance at an art history survey book, and see what the visual of the period was, and make a faint attempt to replicate that style? Yes, only crusty old art history majors (ahem) are bothered by this, but heck, we’d tell you for free. Just give us a call. Run a couple of things past us. We don’t mind–it’s not like we’re employed or anything. The set designers do an okay job bringing in random paintings tha...

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Food Preservation Disasters

Mr. Homegrown

April 2, 2014

Food, Food Preservation, Mistakes

16 Comments

...me preservation projects. Some of the recipes I tried were from unfamiliar books and dubious websites. Some sources I’ve come to trust: The National Center for Home Food Preservation’s website. Kevin West’s book Saving the Season: A Cook’s Guide to Home Canning, Pickling, and Preserving . Between those two sources I’ve got just about all the recipes I need. One Ring to rule them all When you’re done processing jars and they’ve cooled down, remove...

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