A journal of modern day pioneers forging a new frontier in the city through intensive agriculture and extreme sustainability in urban homesteading.

Reviving the old-fashioned "can-do" spirit of self-reliance and resourcefulness, they have faced many challenges. With faith and determination, these once-ordinary city dwellers are boldly reclaiming their lives and land. continue

Menu Planning rss

August 5, 2010

On the food front… The figs are finally ripe so we devoured our first fig quesadilla of the season. I know, sounds odd but it’s soooo delicious!

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July 27, 2010

The summer harvest is now just started to pour in and what a blessings. We are so thankful for the bounty that the earth provides. This week we revisited and revived our 100 Foot Diet Challenge

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July 14, 2010

I’m a little late in posting LAST week’s meal wrap up. Adhering to the old cliche “better late than never,” here’s the latest goodies that we’ve been enjoying

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July 6, 2010

Tabbouleh was what’s for lunch/dinner most of the week. No “007″ complaints on that one. Absolutely love this summer salad. It’s so simple and tasty and uses a good handful of mint that’s growing like gangbusters and needs to be “controlled.”

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June 27, 2010

The wonderful food from the garden keeps coming. What a tremendous blessings it is to enjoy such bounty that are grown just feet from our table!

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June 20, 2010

Whew doggie! It’s been a busy week here at the urban homestead. Busy with bees (getting ready to harvest some honey!), battling bad bugs, moving the tender greens to cooler spot in the yard and getting things ready for a major can-a-thon.

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June 14, 2010

The garden is growing into an edible jungle! And what a feast to be had – there’s fresh veggies and fruits to be savored and soon saved. As we head into summer our meals are changing along with the season. Here’s last week eats on the urban homestead for you to savor with your eyes!

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May 17, 2010

Homegrown, homemade – meals. Weekly eats from the urban homestead.

Ok, I am going to have to do a better job of taking photos of the meals. Funny how you get out of routine for just a bit and, well, it’s a struggle to get back!

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May 4, 2010

Come and listen to my story ’bout a man named Jed a simple pioneer, who kept his family fed
And then one day he was growin’ some food
When up from the ground come a mountin’ of doo…soil, that is. Black gold. Earthy.
Well, the next thing you know, ol’ J’s a ‘farmer extraordinaire
His kinfolks said, ‘Jed, please [...]

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April 27, 2010

I admit, this is rather pathetic attempt at catching up to the last few weeks worth of eats.  In truth, it should be 4 weeks, but with outreach, Amy and other stuff I lost one week’s meal entirely!   We ate well from the garden,  but I just didn’t get a chance to write it down.  [...]

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March 29, 2010

I don’t know what it is about this year, but weeks are flying by just too darn fast.  I blink and next thing I know two weeks have past.  Geez!
Before wrapping up what we ate these last two weeks,  like to thank those you who took time to share your thoughts on the pay per [...]

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March 23, 2010

It’s been really busy here on the urban homestead.  With daylight savings and first day of spring, the flurry of activity and projects have increased a hundredfold.
Back when we were teenagers, we read Euell Gibbon’s classic Stalking the Wild Asparagus.
Since then, we’ve self-taught ourselves to identify wild edibles and their uses – both edible and medicinal.  [...]

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March 7, 2010

Well, I definitely did a better job at taking photos of the last two weeks worth of meals.  Now that I am finally caught up, I hope to go back to just ‘Weekly Meal Wrap Ups’ minus the x2!
There’s new things in season and that means new eats to enjoy – like peas, mushrooms, cabbage [...]

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March 2, 2010

Our readership is growing by the day, so a warm welcome to all you new readers.
For those of you who are internet savvy you can follow happenings on the urban homestead on FACEBOOK and TWITTER!
Weeks are going by so fast, by the time I turn around I am already behind in posting our week’s worth [...]

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February 5, 2010

Here’s a two week worth rundown of meals we enjoyed here on the urban homestead

SATURDAY
Breakfast – homemade buttermilk pancakes with homepreserved strawberry sauce
Dinner – homemade flour tortillas, homemade spanish rice with organic black beans
SUNDAY

Breakfast – homemade skillet granola
Lunch – homemade vegetable soup (homegrown lima beans, broccoli, greens)
Dinner – homemade vegetable soup (homegrown lima beans, broccoli, [...]

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January 14, 2010

Whoosh. That’s the sound of time flying by!
Where does the time go? One week, turns into two and I am already behind in putting up our weekly meals. Father time is going to need to slow down a bit.
Given that we are smack dab in the middle of winter and enjoying fresh [...]

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December 31, 2009

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, [...]

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December 14, 2009

Last weeks our meals were altered a bit due to the frosty veggies and downpour (we got over 4″ of rain here at the urban homestead!!!!)  We dug into the pantry and used up some of the dried beans we had stocked up.
Despite the rain and cold we did, though, enjoy a winter treat of [...]

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December 9, 2009

I certainly didn’t do a good job taking photos from last week’s meals here on the urban homestead.  Guess I was too busy taking photos of other things!
With the garden in a semi hibernation, we are enjoying more simple “one pot” meals like soup.  And with an arsenal of trombonico squash stored in the garage [...]

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November 29, 2009

Since I am like a week behind in posting meals that we’ve enjoyed on the urban homestead, am going to combine the week before and last week’s meals.  aka “two weeks’ worth”
Enjoy!

Summer vegetable medley

SATURDAY
Breakfast – homemade pancakes
Dinner – homemade flour tortillas, homemade rice (homegrown peppers, tomatoes) with homegrown red peppers and cheese
SUNDAY

Breakfast – homemade [...]

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November 22, 2009

The cooler temps (just had our coldest temps last night – 30 degrees) shorter days have got the guys digging in fall crop and me digging through my stack of favorite recipes to deal with the (coming) onslaught of fall veggies and trickle of summer veggies that are still holding on.
Living Like Little House on [...]

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October 27, 2009

SATURDAY
OUT
SUNDAY

OUT
MONDAY
Breakfast – homemade skillet granola
Lunch – homegrown winter squash topped with homegrown pomegranates with homegrown green beans
Dinner – homegrown winter squash topped with homegrown pomegranates with homegrown salad greens topped with homegrown pomegranates
TUESDAY
Breakfast – homemade skillet granola
Lunch – homegrown vegetable soup – green beans, squash, tomatoes, greens
Dinner – homegrown vegetable soup – green beans, squash, [...]

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October 6, 2009

It’s starting to FINALLY feel like FALL! To celebrate the change in season we cut open one of of our first winter squashes (Burgess Buttercup) yum!
SATURDAY
Breakfast – homemade/homegrown pancakes topped with homegrown strawberries
Dinner – homemade flour tortillas, homemade spanish rice (homegrown onions, peppers, tomatoes) with homegrown sauteed pepper and local avocado  and onions with raw [...]

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October 1, 2009

Like I said with Amy’s injury the WMWU went on hiatus.  I did jot down what we ate the week prior to the incident and hope to have the WMWU back this week sharing with you what we ate here on the urban homestead.
So here’s a list of meals we enjoyed before we all got [...]

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September 9, 2009

The ash, smoke and heat are finally gone – for now.    What a difference a week makes!  These last few mornings and evenings have been cool – cool enough for a light sweater in fact.  So much more comfortable weather wise and not to mention one is now able to breathe better.
Lots of goings on [...]

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August 31, 2009

The summer garden is still puttering along and providing us with a bounty of good food.
SATURDAY
Breakfast – homemade/homegrown blueberry pancakes
Dinner – homemade flour tortillas, homemade spanish rice (homegrown onions, peppers, tomatoes) with homegrown sauteed pepper and local avocado  and onions (from Farmer S) with raw cheese
SUNDAY

Breakfast – homemade skillet granola
Lunch – leftovers from Saturday dinner
Dinner [...]

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August 25, 2009

Digging for our dinners and still eatin’ good in our neighbor with fresh homegrown veggies and fruits from the garden.
We enjoyed some delectable dishes last week – fried squash blossoms and fig tacos!  No not fish tacos but FIG tacos and they are sooooo yummy.  They’ve become one of our favorite summer dishes.
SATURDAY
Breakfast – homemade/homegrown [...]

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August 20, 2009

Nothing says “summer” like fried squash blossoms!
Though it hardly feels like summer (we’ve had to bring out the sweaters and put back the blankets on the beds) the summer veggies are still prolific and this week we enjoyed a summer delicacy – stuffed, fried squash blossoms.

Picked from the garden

Stuffed with herb goat cheese

Dipped in batter

Fried

and [...]

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August 16, 2009

The meals last week were certainly very colorful and tasty.  We are still working on using up the huge bag of carrots we harvested a few weeks back so we enjoyed an easy and very delicious carrot salad with almost each one of our meals.
The tromboncino squashes are young and very tender and sweet – [...]

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August 8, 2009

The weather is still cool for this time of year.  I have to pinch myself – can’t believe it’s August!
I’ve noticed too that there’s not been many June bugs either.  Spotted only two this week, last year we had a whole army of ‘em – it was like an invasion!
Well, we are just going to [...]

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August 4, 2009

What’s with the weather?  Today and yesterday morning it feels like fall?  I know the coolness will burn off once the sun comes out but it really doesn’t feel like the August we are so used to.
Jordanne and I were commenting on the sound – it changed.  Yeah, sounds funny but it’s not.  We can [...]

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July 27, 2009

If I had but a handful of foods to eat before, well you know, one would be a sun ripen tomato.  Heirloom tomatoes especially – their flavors are so incredibly intense.    Having waited months for fresh tomato, it’s such a treat to have tomatoes back on the menu and we are loving every juicy [...]

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July 19, 2009

Really eatin’ good in the neighborhood last week from our garden’s bounty.  What a blessing to have food that’s grown right in our backyard…. or close by!
SATURDAY
Breakfast – homemade/homegrown blueberry pancakes with homegrown strawberries
Dinner – homemade flour tortillas, homemade spanish rice (homegrown onions, peppers, tomatoes) with homegrown sauteed pepper and local avocado (from Farmer S)
SUNDAY

Breakfast [...]

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July 15, 2009

Boy, it’s hot out!   Yeah, I know, what should expect now that’s it is July.
We’ve been at or hoovering around 100 degrees this whole week.  When the temperatures rise my enthusiasm for cooking wanes (except for solar cooking which keeps the kitchen cool)   Instead opt for no cook/bake foods like salads and slaw.
Using the [...]

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July 12, 2009

Last week we got a treat!
Freedom Farmer S brought over some ears of corn which we immediately enjoyed for lunch the next day.  As for me I didn’t/couldn’t wait.  Seeing there was corn in the box he brought filled with other farmgrown goodies I immediately forgot my manners and shucked one right then in there [...]

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June 22, 2009

Thanks to FreedomGardens.org we been able to barter with a local farmer in the area.  The most recent trade was for a couple pounds of cabbages for a few ollas and a couple jars of finished sauerkraut.
Have you hooked up with a FGer in your area and swapped yer crops.  If not what are you [...]

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June 19, 2009

I really enjoyed meeting you all and writing the story.  I must say your food and cooking was among the best I’ve sampled in my 7 years as a food writer.  –LY
We got this in an email (above) over the weekend and was slightly flabbergasted at the praise and though proud of the food we [...]

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June 12, 2009

You know once you get behind in something just a wee bit then the next thing you know whoosh weeks pass and it’s not just one weekly meal wrap up but three!  Jeepers.
So without further interruptions the urban homestead’s weekly meal wrap up from the last three weeks.
MAY 18
SATURDAY
OUT
SUNDAY

Breakfast – homemade skillet granola, organic yogurt [...]

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May 11, 2009

Last week we enjoyed the garden’s blessings of bountiful produce along with other locally grown treats that were gotten in a swap with a local Freedom Farmer
Also there’s one day that we enjoyed breakfast for dinner.  It was one of those busy days – garden, hive and other work and one needing something filling and [...]

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May 7, 2009

With all the activity here on the urban homestead, I am finally getting around to posting what we all ate last week.
I can’t wait to share with you what we ate this week, but that’s a post for another time.  Stay tuned.
SATURDAY
out
SUNDAY

out
MONDAY
Breakfast – homemade skillet granola
Lunch – homegrown potatoes, locally bartered avocados on toast
Dinner – [...]

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April 30, 2009

Though our schedule was slightly interrupted with a slew of different community events, here’s what we enjoyed eating last week.
SATURDAY
out
SUNDAY

Breakfast – out
Dinner – homemade pizza topped with homegrown, marinated peppers, homegrown-made tomato sauce, organic cheese and homegrown salad
MONDAY
Breakfast – homemade skillet granola
Lunch – homegrown-made kimchi  (made with homegrown daikon, carrots and locally bartered cabbage) raw [...]

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April 28, 2009

The National Gardening Association estimates that a well-maintained vegetable garden yields a $500 average return per year. A study by Burpee Seeds claims that $50 spent on gardening supplies can multiply into $1,250 worth of produce annually”
Our household loves facts & figures especially when it comes to keeping track of our progress here on the [...]

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April 23, 2009

I am combining two weeks worth of meals in one entry.
Enjoy!
SATURDAY
Breakfast – homemade pancakes with homeraised eggs
Dinner -homemade flour tortillas, homemade spanish rice (homegrown green onions, preserved peppers) topped with organic cheese, black beans and cilantro
SUNDAY

Breakfast – homemade skillet granola
Dinner – leftovers from Saturday
MONDAY
Breakfast – homemade skillet granola
Lunch – homegrown snow peas, homegrown sorrel and [...]

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April 6, 2009

The Oregon Giant peas are prolific not to mention HUGE!  And we’ve been enjoying them for lunch and dinner here on the urban homestead.  Yep, meal after meal of just pasta and peas is simply divine.  Not tiring of the dish anytime soon.  I guess it’s one of those things you enjoy to the fullest [...]

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March 9, 2009

Making meals here on the urban homestead is all about using what’s growing in the garden, preserved (canned) in the pantry along with a few basic staples that we have to purchase.
Over the last decade we’ve been able to whittle down our shopping list to a handful of a few basic “necessities.”  Of course, we [...]

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The Urban Homesteaders
Jules DervaesJustin DervaesAnais DervaesJordanne Dervaes
Cast of Characters
    
   
    
    
    
 
Blogging Since 2001
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Clear your schedule, kick back, and follow the Little Homestead in the City chronicles through the years. Please read responsibly and in moderation. Remember to feed your family and or pets and water your garden...

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COMPLETE URBAN HOMESTEAD ARCHIVES:



LOCATION
Pasadena, CA
(Northwest Pasadena, one mile from downtown Pasadena 100 yards from 11 lane freeway)

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
~ 400 different vegetables, herbs, fruits, berries

FOOD PRODUCTION
~ 6,000 lbs annually / 99% of our produce $75,000 savings

URBAN HOMESTEAD SUPPORTS
4 full-time resident adults, a menagerie of animals, volunteers, and many clients

ENERGY USAGE
$12 a month / 6.0 kwh day

WATER USAGE
$600 / 175,000 gallons a year

SOLAR POWER PRODUCED
12,410 kwh as of 5/12/10

GALLONS OF BIODIESEL MADE
2,500 gallons as of 5/12/08

FACTS N FIGURES
Learn more about the Urban Homestead
Full Stats Summary