Non-Toxic Cleaning for the Home

May 20, 2019

Cleaning, Domesticus, Miscellaneous, Tidying up

...spices on the stove—or more safely, in a Crock Pot. Burn incense and dried herbs. California is home to native aromatic sages and cedars which are envied the world over. Grow your own smudge sticks! If you really want to spray something around, mix vodka with a few drops of your choice of essential oil in a glass spray bottle. Shake every time you use it. Window Cleaner Homemade glass cleaner: 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol, 1/4 cup vinegar, 1 Tablespoon...

Read…

DIY Sage Deodorant

Mrs. Homegrown

September 11, 2014

Body Care, Domesticus, How-to

14 Comments

...e using. Note: Extreme DIY folk might note that they can tincture fragrant herbs in alcohol, and then use that infused alcohol as a deodorant in the same way, skipping the expensive essential oils. This is true. The only caveat is that the herbs darken the alcohol, and I’m not entirely sure the resulting tincture wouldn’t stain clothing–or maybe even skin? Sage infusions are especially dark. I once tried a homemade sage-infused oil that was suppos...

Read…

Building a Makeshift Treadmill Desk

Mr. Homegrown

December 20, 2012

Fitness

1 Comment

...s, although I’m standing on the side rails … Say something about your blog/homestead/books . . . I’m the author of the novel Place Last Seen (Picador USA, 2000), and have been blogging at Livingsmallblog.com since 2002. I’ve written for Culinate.com, Ethicurean.com and have a cookbook review column at Bookslut.com. I’ve been published in the Best Food Writing of 2010, and am currently working on a book proposal for a nonfiction book about finding...

Read…

Cold brewed tisanes, teas and coffee: Your summertime best friends

Mrs. Homegrown

July 25, 2016

Food, Foraging, Herbs

8 Comments

...of a lemon, a melon slice that no one seems to want, that extra handful of herbs. My favorite Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles, Cacao, puts sprigs of rosemary in its table water. Other herbal experiments Experiment with other teas and herbs you have in your cupboard. For instance, I quite like cold brewed chamomile tea. Erik does not, however. Tastes do vary! Any of your favorite bagged hot teas might be good cold. It’s a good way to use them up...

Read…

Reader Feedback About Facebook

Mr. Homegrown

March 2, 2018

Thoughtstylings

8 Comments

...ilding an entirely different internet Adam says, I deleted my FB account in 2010. I use something called Hubzilla to connect to other people. It runs on my own server (it is a de-centralized thing, so it connects to other people who are running compatible software ). That gives me everything I need as far as networking with people. I use a FeedReader to keep track of my favorite blogs and news sites. Hubzilla requires some technical prowess that I...

Read…