How to make hot sauce

...and what type of vinegar, and whether you strain it or leave it chunky. We used fresh red peppers labeled Anaheim peppers (kind of like a red New Mexico chile), which are mild, and also some dried California peppers, which are also mild, but a little smokey. These peppers make your tongue tingle–they don’t burn. Our sauce is more like a mild salsa–enjoyable on everything, by everyone. Later this summer if I get my hands on some good hot chiles, I’...

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Failed Experiment: Bermuda Buttercup or Sour Grass (Oxalis pes-caprae) as Dye

...l recall, is just enough to “cover” the herbs. For the record, I believe I used 3 tsp of both alum and cream of tartar in the first round, for t-shirt #1, then added 3 tsp of iron for round 2. But how much water I used, I have no idea. T-shirt #2 went in and I let it stew forever. The water took on a nice green color, but the shirt couldn’t even pick up the pale tint that shirt #1 had acquired. It was like the dye had actually become weaker. I fin...

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De-Cluttering for DIYers, Homesteaders, Artists, Preppers, etc.

...which is taking up half a kitchen drawer? Or that rossette iron which you used once, five years ago? Trim your equipment to the most loved and the most used. You’ll find you can very well do without the excess stock. Should you ever regret getting rid of something you had, because suddenly you realize you could use it for a certain project, trust that you can either do without it– suck it up and work around the problem–or borrow it, or find it in...

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We Grow Houses

...ll that cheap crap from China comes in for the Wal-marts of our debased country. We noted the lack of local agriculture to Pellman and he remarked that Los Angeles County used to be the wealthiest agricultural county in the United States back in the 1950s. Now he said, “we grow houses”....

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Citified Parched Corn

...Maybe it helps spices stick? Purists insist that there should be no oil. I used no oil. The second is flavoring. Parched corn doesn’t really need flavoring–it’s good on its own. Salt, of course, only makes it better. But it can take as many types of seasoning as popcorn, from sweet to spicy to savory. You just throw spices into the pan to roast with the corn. I’ve also seen recipes where someone will roast the corn in a pan then toss it with a fla...

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