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!
Though we haven’t posted much in the way of the ongoing impact our little film has had, we are happy to report that our homemade film is still growing strong.
Our short film, Homegrown Revolution (you can buy the DVD here) will be screening at home and abroad.
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.
Growing community, check out the updated list of upcoming events and film screenings of our little, homemade film ‘Homegrown Revolution.’
Recipe will make eight 16oz bottles
INGREDIENTS:
3 ounces of fresh ginger root (You can add more if you like strong ginger taste.)
6 tablespoons of citrus juice (Lemon &/ or orange)
3/4 cup of sugar (Natural cane is best. Light brown sugar gives an extra richness to the flavor.)
4 1/2 quarts of water
Some yeast from the supermarket. Bread [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Hope everyone had a lovely holiday.
Want to thank those of you who sent warm season greetings via email – and a special thank you to the Smith family of VA who went out their way to send us a box filled with yummy homemade spice cookies, a lovely card and $20 donation. Our family was [...]
Happy Birthday!
This weekend Path to Freedom Urban Homestead celebrates 10 years online! Can you believe it, we are older than BLOGSPOT, YOUTUBE, TWITTER and FACEBOOK. What a milestone marker in our journey!
For over a decade now we’ve been sharing our triumphs, struggles and growth along with you. Over the course of the journey our project [...]
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 [...]
Well, close enough!
My sister and I are suckers for India films – yeah, I know, you learn more and more about us every time you read this blog! Don’t know if it’s the scenery, old fashion/family values or their dance/singing routines (when boy meets girl) but the movies are certainly enjoyable to watch.
Having just been [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 – [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Thanks to the folks at OC Rare Fruit Growers who invited us to one of their monthly meetings to give an hour presentation about our journey to live a more self reliant life here in the city (and we are still plugging away at it!)
Over 100 people showed up to hear Farmer D speak and [...]
Have just begun!
Yesterday we went over to a friends for an afternoon full of canning, gabbing and even a bit of swimming in their non chlorinated pool which once housed their poultry fryers but that’s another story. In between chatting and chowing down on homemade hummus and carrots from the Farmer’s Market, we gals grated [...]
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 [...]
Greece!
Talk about “mamma mia”
Our little homemade film short HOMEGROWN REVOLUTION will be shown at the 7th annual ECO FILM FESTIVAL in Rodos Greece in late June.
Farmer D said he would only go if he could drive there but of course that’s impossible – yeah, he’s got a good sense of humor! Well, he could [...]
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 [...]
Glad everyone enjoyed the Oprah piece especially since all the footage she used was from our homemade production HOMEGROWN REVOLUTION.
Hey, did any of you catch that fake rooster crowing background noise?
After three recording breaking days of heat. Not only did we top the century mark we shattered century records. In just a [...]
It’s good to be home. The garden is growing, happy animals, busy bees, seeds to plant, warm earth to dig, loads of peas to pick and more.
We’ve done the cross country trip many a times before either by car or train so we knew what to expect; however, this trip was a little different because [...]
Well, sadly, our laptop died so I am behind in bringing you all the latest happenings from the ’stead.
We did get some rain and temperatures are back to normal – cold. After the rain clouds left last night up went the row covers. Good thing because this morning there’s ice. Though the warm weather [...]
I didn’t have a chance to post what we urban homesteaders ate last week before hauled off to Nevada City.
Last week we feasted on green tomatoes and I couldn’t resist and went to the “dark side” and made some absolutely delicious apple fritters with the leftover apple pomace from the cider pressing event. By the [...]
A new year, new beginnings
It’s been a busy week for us—a mixture of work and pleasure. On Monday we took some time to enjoy some hot cocoa and homemade goodies at our neighbors’ home (thanks D & K for your hospitality!).
On New Year’s day, we helped some friends of ours move to their new home [...]
“During World War II many consumer goods were rationed for civilians in order to supply more goods for both American and Allied troops. Among the items rationed were sugar, red meat, gas, oil, coffee, and rubber. In October 1942 fuel oil was rationed. During the especially cold winter of 1942-43 this brought numerous protests from [...]
Last week we made a big pot o chili which lasted us several meals. So far Justin hasn’t dubbed it “007″ chili because it keeps “coming back.” (for those of you who aren’t familiar with Justin’s 007 soup quip you can see it here)
I know winter is hard season for most folks to eat within [...]
Thanksgiving at friends
Gathering at the urban homestead: look at all that good food!
Lots of catching up to do!
Sing a long time!
Good food, fun, fellowship….
and music!
Ack, it’s December already! It’s December… yeah, I already said that and saying it again and again won’t change that fact that it’s December!
We have had a busy couple days just [...]
Once again not much in the way of photos showing off our meals. I’ll try to do better.
Liquid sunshine is expected this week – tonight or early tomorrow! The garden really needs a good deep watering from a natural source.
We are looking forward to going over to our friends house this Thanksgiving. Given that we [...]
whoops sorry for the blurry picture, musta been in a hurry
Summer still lingers on here at the urban homestead with peppers, beans and tomatoes still growing on.
The wondrous salad greens are back on the menu and we can’t eat enough of the delectable greens. Give me a bowl of salad and some homemade bread and [...]
Even though it feels like fall (for now) we are still enjoying fresh tomatoes and peppers from the garden. Actually, Justin commented today that we are harvesting more tomatoes than we got all summer! He’s right ya know, it’s been a terribly odd year. Summer still lingers on down on the farm.
As you can see [...]
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The salad greens are finally coming along, so we were able to enjoy some tasty salads this week. The fall batch of tomatoes are still growing – even producing red ripe tomatoes. So summer still lives on here on the urban homestead.
HG = Homegrown
SATURDAY
Breakfast – homemade pomegranate pancakes (made with HG eggs) and homegrown honey
Dinner [...]
With little or no surplus for our clients, we’ve been concentrating on just feeding ourselves and cutting back on unnecessary store bought food items.
We’ve cut out buying raw or organic milk (operation goat milk in the works, but that’s for another post) instead buying organic milk powder. We don’t use much (‘cept for baking) or [...]
Well, the summer garden’s slowing crawling to a close here on the urban homestead. Though, I am not quite looking forward to cooler weather, I am, however, ready for a change and perhaps a new chapter.
Thanks for everyone’s positive comments, they are greatly appreciated. We are blessed that you find inspiration and hope in our everyday [...]
What a welcome addition the hearty cow peas (or blackeyed peas) were to our 100 foot diet. These creamy white and black spotted beauties brought back childhood memories. Growing up on our 10 acres in Florida black eyed peas were one of the crops we grew and were readily available (and cheap) in local supermarkets.
Give me some [...]
The goats go to church! Curious dogs
And curious kids
Blessings
A longtime friend of ours who goes to Church of the Ascension in the quaint town of Sierra Madre invited us and the goats to come to her church on Sunday. Goats at church? Happens that the teenagers were raising funds for Heifer International and were going [...]
Though there wasn’t that overwhelming onslaught of summer harvest the garden is still producing just enough for our family meals to consists of primarily homegrown. The lima beans are still producing like gangbusters providing us with hearty, wholesome and filling meals. Peppers and eggplants are still growing strong, another flush of green beans are almost [...]
The Good Food Swap
The idea behind the swap, which marks the tenth birthday of Growing Communities, is simple – participants turn up with food they’ve made, grown, picked or even bought, register it and are given a number to wear. The food is put on display, like an “urban village fete”, says Rankin. And then [...]
HG = Homegrown
SATURDAY
Breakfast – homemade pancakes (made with HG eggs) and homemade, HG strawberry sauce and HG peaches
Dinner – homemade organic flour tortillas with homemade spanish rice (HG tomatoes, peppers, green onions) topped with HG tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and organic cheese
SUNDAY
Breakfast – homemade granola and HG fruit
Lunch - leftovers from Saturday
Dinner – HG roasted eggplant, [...]
It’s been an abnormally, unseasonable cool week. Feels like late October or even June. I wonder if this could be the coolest August on record? We don’t really know how the cooler weather will affect the last of the summer crops or if this just just temporary and September and October will be scorchers.
Farmer [...]
Another weekly meal wrap up of what we urban homesteaders ate last week.
With all the preservation that’s going on, meals have been simple. No matter the simpleness – this is homegrown gourmet! Nothing beats homegrown, sun ripe tomato or sweet fig sliced on top warm french bread, melted mozzarella cheese with a drizzle of olive [...]
