A Day of the Dead Altar

October 30, 2015

...ure, such thoughts have been considered morbid, even unhealthy, for a long time–but that is changing. This year I felt ambitious, so built a much bigger altar, or ofrenda, than usual. Actually, the cats made me do it. Given access to the altar, they’d eat the flowers (ending up muerto themselves as a result, no doubt) and bat the rest of the objets to the ground. For the safety of the cats and my treasures, the entire surface needed to be so tight...

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What to do with not-so-good tomatoes

Mrs. Homegrown

April 21, 2015

Food, Recipes, Tomatoes

13 Comments

...per. Put them in a low oven–around 300F- 325F. They’ll need to cook a long time, maybe two hours or so. The exact cooking time depends on the size and moisture content of the tomatoes. So this is something to do when you’ve got other things going on in the kitchen–like maybe a pot of beans simmering on the stove–so you will be around and remember to look in on them. What you are trying to do is remove some of the liquid and concentrate the flavors...

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The Wonder of Worms

Mrs. Homegrown

May 21, 2015

Back to the Garden, Gardening, Vermiculture

5 Comments

...o start your own worm bin: If you don’t have a worm bin, spring is a great time to start one! My stance is that anyone can keep a bin. If you eat, you can keep a bin. They don’t have to cost much. They fit anywhere. You could keep one in a dorm room or a studio apartment. You can keep one under the kitchen sink. Basically, if you have some place you could put a cat box, you can keep worms. That said, worm bins are considerably less stinky than cat...

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Big List of Earth-Friendly (homemade, compostable, recyclable, no-plastic) Holiday Decorations

Mrs. Homegrown

December 16, 2014

Miscellaneous

8 Comments

...can be so loud and jangly and rushed. Just stepping back and spending some time admiring the geometry of a pine cone or the cleverness of an acorn helps cleanse the mind of all that noise. Seasons come and go. Holidays come and go. Ornaments which reflect the seasons should come and go, too. The fact that they don’t last, that they have to be savored in the correct season, is what makes them special. Also, this kind of decorating also saves on sto...

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An Early Resolution

Mrs. Homegrown

December 8, 2014

Domesticus, Thoughtstylings

37 Comments

...ter, “Well, at least they’re paper.” Denial is a beautiful thing! But it’s time to face facts. They’re just as bad as the bottles. Thus the resolution: no more disposable cups personally, and I also vow to help groups/organizations I belong to wean themselves from disposables, even if that means me doing a lot of dishes in random bathroom sinks. Oh yes, I’m going to be that person. One hopeful note: in researching I discovered that use of personal...

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