WEEKLY MEAL WRAP UP x2 | Little Homestead in the City

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

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

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« AROUND THE URBAN HOMESTEAD | Main | HOPESOLUTIONS »

December 31, 2009

By Anais | email author

On a weather note. We got some rain yesterday. Pretty much rained/drizzle/misted all day. What a blessings.

Ok now to what we urban homesteaders have been eating.

I’ve been behind it the meal wrap up so going to combine two weeks worth in one. Though our plates our not as bleak as Laura’s in the Long Winter, our ingredient selection is limited. You’ll notice from the menu that we are heavy on the rice, dried beans, winter squash and the occasional salad.

How our mouths water as we look over at the growing broccoli, onions, cabbage and kales.

As we combat the winter doldrums, dreaming of spring, enjoy this latest meal wrap up.

Oh love emails like this one - glad these post are such an inspiration (that’s what we are hear for!) to your life and tummy!

Okay, so I was so excited by what I just ate for dinner I had to tell someone and couldn’t think of anyone (my husband and four children won’t care), so I thought I’d send you folks an email. I’m surrounded by several inches of freshly fallen snow here in Utah and I just ate a homegrown acorn squash cut in half, scooped and cooked, and filled with homegrown, home-canned spaghetti sauce. It sounds weird but it was FABULOUS!!! I’m so tickled I grew it all myself. It’s all because how inspired I am reading your delightful blog! So, I thank you and my tummy thanks you.

Love, Johanne

SATURDAY

Breakfast - homemade buttermilk pancakes with homepreserved strawberry sauce
+..Dinner - homemade flour tortillas, homemade spanish rice with black beans and raw cheese

SUNDAY

Breakfast - homemade skillet granola
Lunch - leftovers from Saturday dinner
Dinner - homegrown/homemade pumpkin soup

MONDAY

Breakfast - homemade skillet granola
Lunch - leftover pumpkin soup
Dinner - homegrown salad with macaroni & cheese

TUESDAY

Breakfast - homemade skillet granola
Lunch - homemade lentil loaf topped with homemade ketchup with organic rice
Dinner -leftover lentil loaf topped with homemade ketchup, rice with mashed homegrown squash

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast - homemade skillet granola
Lunch - leftover lentil loaf topped with homemade ketchup, rice with mashed homegrown squash
Dinner - homemade flour tortillas, black beans, raw cheese, homegrown tomatoes, cilantro and homegrown/canned marinated green peppers

THURSDAY

Breakfast - homemade skillet granola
Lunch - raw grilled cheese sandwich with homegrown/made jalapeno jelly, homegrown tomatoes/homemade-grown zucchini pickles
Dinner - homemade/homegrown herb pizza crust topped with homegrown tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and mozzarella cheese

FRIDAY

Breakfast - homemade skillet granola
Lunch - raw grilled cheese sandwich with homegrown/homemade jalapeno jelly, homegrown tomatoes/homemade-grown zucchini pickles
Dinner - homemade/canned tomato sauce with pasta and parmesan cheese and homemade no knead bread

SATURDAY

Breakfast - homemade buttermilk pancakes
Dinner - homemade flour tortillas, homemade spanish rice with black beans and raw cheese

SUNDAY

Breakfast - homemade skillet granola
Lunch - leftovers from Saturday dinner
Dinner - homegrown/homemade pumpkin soup

MONDAY

Breakfast - homemade skillet granola
Lunch - leftover pumpkin soup
Dinner - homegrown salad with macaroni & cheese

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

————–2010 URBAN HOMESTEADING CALENDAR!—————–

Like what you see here, looking for something to inspire you (and others) throughout 2010?

Buy a beautiful calendar of stunning nature and simple living photos–and be encouraged to grow more of your own food! Plus you’ll be supporting an important work of educating others how to be more self-sufficient.

The calendar is a wall calendar, and each month has a different picture. Some months have a group of pictures. The pictures are of nature and simple living topics and reflect the seasons of the year to a certain extent.

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Coming Up

We are going to have a little fun here a LHITC - stay tuned for our HOPESOLUTIONS for 2010 and fun (yeah, I said that already)