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Urban Homestead Facts
LOCATION
Pasadena, CA
(Northwest Pasadena, one mile from downtown Pasadena)
PROPERTY SIZE
1/5 acre (66' x 132' / 8,712 sq.ft.)
GARDEN SIZE
~ 1/10 acre (3,900 sq.ft. / ~ 66' x 66')
GARDEN DIVERSITY
Over 350 different vegetables, herbs, fruits, berries
FOOD PRODUCED
6,000 lbs annually
challenging for 10,000 lbs in 2008 (read more)
URBAN HOMESTEAD SUPPORTS
4 full-time adults, volunteers, and many clients
ENERGY USAGE
6.5 kwh day (and going down!)
SOLAR POWER PRODUCED
9000 kwh ( as of 10/20/08)
GALLONS OF BIODIESEL MADE (since 2003)
1,500 gallons (as of 2/12/08)
"EARTH IMPACT FOOTPRINT" 5.2 acres per person
Tally Ho 2008
PRODUCE
4,340 lbs (9/31/08)
EGGS
Chicken 921 & Duck 1028 (10/22/08)
HONEY
25 lbs (10/20/08)
Steps Taken
Everyday Steps
Growing 99 % of produce
- 6,000lbs on 1/10 acre
Food Preservation/Storage:
- canning
- drying
- freezing
In the Kitchen:
- baking/cooking from
scratch
- yogurtmaking
- breadmaking
- cheesemaking
- sprouting
- cast iron cookware
- no dishwasher or
microwave
Food Choices:
- buying in bulk
- organic
- local
- eating seasonaly
- reducing "food miles"
- fair trade
- vegetarian(over 17 years)
Raising Small Farmstock:
- chickens (eggs/manure)
- ducks (eggs/manure)
- dwarf rabbits (manure)
- dwarf/pygmy goats
(milk/manure)
Composting Methods:
- making/using EM Bokashi
- vermicomposting
- composting food, garden
and green waste
Fuel:
- homebrewing biodiesel
- running diesel car on
biodiesel(~4,000 miles a yr)
Energy Conservation:
- "powering down"
- cut daily energy use in 1/2
12 kwh to 6 kwh a day
- 12 solar panels
- "green" power
- rechargeable batteries
- line drying clothes
Energy Efficient Appliances:
- washing machine
- refridgerator
- water heater(gas)
Energy Efficient Electronics:
- computer/printer/copier
- TV(no cable)/VCR/ DVD
Energy Efficient Lighting:
- compact fluorescent bulbs
- olive oil lamps
- oil lamps filled with
biodiesel
- homemade soy & beeswax
candles
- daylighting
- solar tube
Non-electrical Appliances /
Hand-powered
- blender
- toaster
- grinder(s)
- popcorn popper
- solar oven(s)
- hand washer/wringer
- pedal powered grain mill
- straight razor
- handcranked radio
- mortar & pestle
Natural beauty/no makeup
Homemade Non-toxic
Beauty Care Products
- toothpaste
- deoderant
Biodegrable/Non-toxic
Cleaning Products:
- vinegar
- baking soda
- lemon juice
Natural Health Practices:
- homeopathy
- herbal remedies
- prevention
Water Conservation Efforts:
- low flush toilets
- toilet lid sink
- reusing laundry water
- limit toilet flushings
- limit baths/showers
- mulching
- handwatering
- clay pot irrigation
- solar outdoor shower
- front load washer
- food not lawns
Hand powered garden tools:
- push mower
- broom, rake
- trowel, shovel
- hand clippers
Self-employed
Working at home:
- honey business
- produce/flower business
- craft business
Crafts & Skills:
- winemaking
- survival skills
- edible landscaping
- sewing
- leatherwork
- fiber arts
- animal husbandry
- holistic care
- tinctures
- carpentry
- plumbing
- building
- haircutting
- bicycle repairs
- soapmaking
- candlemaking
- herbs
- urban farming
- website design
- photography
- self publishing
- video & graphics
Living Simply:
- making use or do without
- bartering
- monthly shopping trips
- reduce, reuse & recycle
- second hand clothes
- salvage/thrift store
- consume less
Passive Cooling:
- no AC
- wood floors
- blinds
- windows
- screen doors
- edible forest
- "living" screens
- solar attic fan
Heating:
- no central heat
- woodstove that uses
scrap wood
- dress in layers
Walking the old paths:
- tithing
- day of rest
- stewardship
Saving seeds
Unschooling
Beekeeping
DIY Projects:
- solar oven
- cob oven
- solar outdoor shower
- depaved driveway/patio
- installed solar panels
- roofing
- sheds, etc
- animal enclosure, etc
- this website
- urban homesteading
Using canvas bags on
shopping trips / no plastic
Transportation:
- biodiesel "veggie" vehicle
- 4 "car free" days a week
- walk
- bike
- carpool
- mass transit
- cross country train trips
- 2 airplane trips in 25 years
"Green" Home Upgrades:
- metal roof
Outreach/helping others
along the path
CURRENT TRAILS
Growing 10k on 1/10
Rainwater
Waste water recovery
Support
We Support
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January 4, 2009
Fried green tomatoes
This is the last weekly meal post for 2008. Sniff. Sorry shouldn’t be so sentimental but I just refuse to believe another year has passed so fast. Time flies when you are having fun, or, that’s what they say anyway.
Our winter meals are very simple and we try to stretch meals out with big pots of soup ala “depression era mode” (There’s an interesting article in the LA Times regarding cooking and eating what you have on hand — will post that soon) In fact I have so many post in my drafts, I could have another posting blitz.
Last week got an email from a Freedom Gardener asking what to do with green tomatoes. Our tomatoes, though ragged around the edges, are still hanging on loaded with green and semi ripe tomatoes. An easy way to ripen green tomatoes is what grandma use to do, stick a few of them in a paper bag. Or you could try a few of those green tomato recipes (there are loads online if you type in “green tomato recipes”) From fried green tomatoes, (I like to use cornmeal instead of breadcrumbs) green tomato relish or how about green tomato chocolate cake. Hmmm, wonder what that one taste like. I guess it’s just like zucchini chocolate cake - add chocolate to anything and it works I suppose.
Anyone care to share how you use up your green tomatoes?
SATURDAY
Breakfast - homemade acorn pancakes with homeraised duck eggs and homegrown honey
Dinner -homemade tortillas with homemade spanish rice (homegrown tomatoes and HG frozen peppers) topped with organic black beans and cheese
SUNDAY
Breakfast - homemade stove top granola made with homegrown honey
Lunch - leftovers from Saturday dinner
Dinner - homegrown tomato organic cheese sandwich
MONDAY
Breakfast - homemade stove top granola made with homegrown honey
Lunch - creamed homegrown greens soup
Dinner - creamed homegrown greens soup
TUESDAY
Breakfast - homemade stove top granola made with homegrown honey
Dinner - creamed homegrown greens soup
Lunch - homegrown fried green tomatoes with CA organic rice and homegrown salad
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast - homemade stove top granola made with homegrown honey
Lunch - homegrown tomato organic cheese sandwich and homegrown salad
Dinner - homemade herb pizza crust topped with homegrown tomatoes, canned homegrown peppers, green onions and homegrown salad
THURSDAY
Breakfast - out
Lunch - out
Dinner -out
FRIDAY
Breakfast - homemade stove top granola made with homegrown honey
Lunch - creamed homegrown greens soup
Dinner - HG salad greens, homemade acorn biscuits, homemade tomato sauce (HG tomatoes, peppers, green onions, herbs) with organic whole wheat pasta topped with organic Parmesan cheese
Tags:
meals,
weekly meal wrap up
Topics: 100 Foot Diet, Homegrown Diet, Posts by Anais | Tags: meals, weekly meal wrap up
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PATH TO FREEDOM
PEDDLER'S WAGON
FREEDOM GARDENS
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DERVAES GARDENS
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January 4th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Green tomatoes make a fine addition to pasta. Saute them in a bit of butter, mix them into the pasta, add a dusting of parmesan cheese.
January 4th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Anais~
WHERE IS THE UNRIPE CASSABANANA?!
Just kidding.
I was predicting this week’s menu
Homegrown cassabanana soup with acorn cornbread
Homemade sprout bread with organic cheese and homegrown cassabanana
Homemade herb pizza with homegrown tomatoes, peppers, and homegrown cassabanana
I’m guessing the goats are enjoying it.
January 4th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Love the meal postings. Everything always looks yummy!
Would it be possible at the next potluck event to have a short demonstrate showing the process to produce the acorn flour, by you or the person who produced the flour? It sounds like an interesting food, and acorns are so plentiful here in SoCal, that it would be nice to know how to use them. Are there certain varieties of oaks/acorns that can only be used, or that cannot be used? For example, I thought that some acorns’ tannins made them unsuitable for use.
Thanks for all you do.
January 4th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
We had too many green tomatoes from a freak early hard freeze to just make fried green tomatoes, s we used several pounds of our green tomatoes to make and can some green tomato chutney. This Thanksgiving we made a mock-mince pie out of two of the jars of the green tomato chutney. It was delicious!
If interested, you can see photos of the pie at http://www.flickr.com/photos/v.....071035174/
and at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/v.....070195787/
January 4th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
If you do an acorn flour demo, could you videotape and post?
What’s your favorite dressing for your salads? Our usual is meyer lemon juice and olive oil with herbs thrown in. Looking for another light dressing that won’t take away from the delicate lettuces.
Looking forward to the new year’s meals.
January 4th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Happy to say I rcvd “permission” to expand the backyard garden, effectively doubling its size. Just “discovered” your site yesterday; the pictures look SO Delicious… can’t wait ’till summer, when my plate looks like this because of my own efforts!
BEAUTIFUL site, and work… Can’t thank you enough…
Cygnus
January 4th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I finally got around to making acorn pancakes tonight (had to use the last of that milk starting to turn!) - yum! Even the 3-yr-old deemed them edible. ;P
I’d be happy to give an acorn demo if you’re interested in making that happen. Just let me know when you get around to making plans for January’s gathering.
January 5th, 2009 at 1:17 am
I’m sorry, I just can’t figure out what those things in the picture are. That’s rice and salad at the back, so are they the tortillas? I’ve only seen the commercial kind as there aren’t many Mexicans in Sydney.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:17 am
My neighbor uses green tomatoes as a direct replacement for green apples in a pie. I know, it sounds strange but it works. He brought me a slice when we had our first freeze this fall (to combat the dubious look I gave him when he told me). He insists that they have to be absolutely green for it to work.
January 5th, 2009 at 7:46 am
I’ve always wanted to make green tomato ketchup and green tomato salsa. Haven’t managed it yet tho……
January 5th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I have made the mock apple pie (green tomato pie) my husband likes it, he is allergic to apples. I like to fry green tomatoes and use like eggplant in green tomato parmesean and casseroles, I don’t tell the kids, they eat it so give the green tomatoes a try.I have not tried ketchup, but have made chutney.I have used them chopped finely as a sauce for enchilladas.I bread them, sliced, and freeze (for fried green tom), to use in casseroles,I chop finely and freeze for later use.
January 5th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Don’t know about green tomato chocolate cake, but made a green tomato cake that was reminiscent of carrot cake–except for the color, of course: http://foodperson.com/2008/10/.....-tomatoes/.