Wine Bottles - Recycled

(1.28.12)

Glass bottles can be recycled in a lot of ways and SHOULD be recycled in some way - even if it's just going in the recycling bin.  Glass lasts a long time - it takes at least 1 million years to biodegrade.  So I decided to use a few wine bottles to replace a few uglier things in the kitchen.  Let me explain...

This is ugly.  We all have dish soap but who wants a huge bottle of dawn sitting on the counter?  It looks like a college dorm.  No, wait... it doesn't, because college kids just rinse things off with water and flick the dried food off.  Whatever it looks like, it's ugly.

This is not ugly.  The soap is still readily available but in a much more visually appealing bottle.  All I did was soak a St. Michelle's Riesling bottle in some soapy dish water for about 15 minutes.  The labels will soften and you can peel them off.  If they don't peel clean use a little alcohol or nail polish remover or adhesive remover (Goo-Gone) to get the sticky off.  Fill it up and cork it with a pour-topper.

The hardest thing is finding the toppers but you can run across them in craft stores, kitchen sections, here and there - just keep an eye out.

You can pretty much reuse your bottles for any type of liquid, I suppose.  I also did one for olive oil because I thought it looked fancier than a plastic bottle sitting on the counter.  This bottle is a Cupcake Wine bottle.

See!  The bottles aren't just fun when they're full of alcohol.  Wine - how versatile.

Happy fillin'

<3 R

Decoupaged Planner

(1.10.12)

So I hopped on the Planner-Wagon because I'm such a mess and forget everything.  I bought one and thought it was boring looking but it was only $8.  So I grabbed some old Details magazines, cut up some text and pictures, mixed up some glue and water and went to town.

I basically made my own Modge Podge (1 part glue, 1 part water).  Brushed the cover, placed the pieces, brushed over top of them and let them dry.  After that I coated the cover with 100% glue and a paint brush aaaaand here you have it.  $8 planner that's the only one like it.

You could do this to bottles, picture frames, furniture.... you could cut out specific pictures or shapes rather than covering something entirely.  It's easy, it's inexpensive, and it gives you something nobody else has.

Happy gluin'

~R

Suburban Loco Moco

(1.6.12)

When Ashley and I lived in Hawaii they had plated burger “platters” called Loco Mocos.  Traditionally it was a little bit different than what we made (we cut out the gravy and regular rice) but these are easy, versatile, HEALTHY and tasty.

Step 1:Make your rice according to the package. We used instant brown rice because if you have ever tried to use regular rice in a rice cooker you know how f@!*ing hard it is to make. I make mine with chicken stock rather than water, a couple splashes of soy sauce, and a tablespoon of butter.

Omit the butter if you want OR just use a substitute. DO NOT omit the chicken stock and soy sauce bc it makes the rice delicious.


Step 2:While your rice is simmering throw your patties on a grill pan. We used ground turkey patties but you could make your own hamburgers, use veggie/boca burgers…. ie your favorite patty. The grill marks are the best part so make sure you get 'em nice and branded.

You shouldn’t have to continually flip your patties over and over. They cook about 10 mins.

Step 3:Lube up a pan with some cooking spray/oil/butter/butter-substitute and fry your eggs. We used one egg per person but you could easily get away with using 2.

Any style egg will work but we did a simple fry, flip, pop (the yolk). I think the only thing that wouldn’t work would be scrambled.

Don’t forget to salt and pepper your eggs.

Step 4:Plate em up:

- Brown Rice

- Black Beans

- Patty

- Sliced Onion

- Egg

- Salsa

NOTE: These are the ingredients I had available. You could easily add anything you wanted… tomato, avocado, sprouts, spinach, mushrooms, etc.

Step 5:Eat and be thankful for Hawaiian traditions.

Let me know if you try it out and thank Ashley for the inspiration.

~R

Fireplace Smell-Goods

(1.3.12)

These little babies are made of all kinds of things that smell good and cozy.  There are all different versions you can find on Pinterest but this is how I decided to do mine.

Step 1:

I bought a big, 3-wick pillar candle and hammered a screwdriver right down the center to bust it apart.  Then I took out all my aggression relating to the past winners of American Idol, the Presidential Election, and the fact that Danity Kane is STILL not back together...*sigh* on the remaining chunks.  I hammered and hammered and busted them up until I had a sack FULL of candle pieces.

TIP: Double bag the candle pieces while you are busting them apart to help keep wax dust from getting onto everything.

TIP 2: Save the wicks from the pillar candle and you can use them later with left-over pieces from this project (and there will probably be a lot) to refill an old candle container you don’t want to throw away.

Step 2:

I made “snow” by shaving a different, lighter candle with a razor blade.  This part is optional… I suppose.  But when you’re crafting, go big or go homo.  Am I right, or am I right?

Step 3:

Pick a nice decorative cupcake paper.  Be smart – don’t pick the foil ones.  I’m pretty sure that would do something bad if you burned them.  I got these from a craft store.  Put the papers (2 per cup) in a cupcake pan and fill about ¾ the way with your wax pieces. 

Keep in mind they will melt and will go into the crevasses of the pine cones so don’t be shy but don’t do it crazy.  You hear me?

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: The wax will get into your cupcake pan.  I would recommend, if you think this is something you really want to do, getting yourself a cheap “craft” cupcake pan OR treat yourself to a new one for all your tasty treasures and use that old, burnt up one shoved somewhere under the stove.

Step 4:

200 degree oven, 5-10 minutes.  This depends on how big your wax chunks were.  Keep an eye on them so you don’t burn the house down.  It’s wax after all. 

Step 5:

Gather up your smell goods.  I had dried orange peels, cinnamon sticks, and fragrance oil… not to mention the pine cones were cinnamon-scented.  Pop your cone right down into the wax and let them cool about 10 mins.  You can decorate them with dried herbs, dried peels of citrus fruit, etc.  DON'T use the fragrance oil yet.  It will burn up and you'll waste it.  YOUR kitchen will smell good but don't be stingy. 

Step 6:

Once they are cooled, wiggle them out of your cupcake pan and transfer them to an aluminum-lined cookie sheet.  Sprinkle them with your wax snow and shake off any excess.

Step 7:

Put them back in the cupcake pan.  (you’re almost done… calm down).  You want to put your cones back in the oven for literally only about one minute.  This will just slightyly melt the snow into the insides of the cones.

Take them out of the oven and re-sprinkle them with snow.  Use a few drops of fragrance oil on each one (optional) to kick it up a notch.

Step 8:

Stand back and look at your little guys.  Put them together in a basket and give them to the person who has the worst smelling house.  They can use them to burn in their fireplace or just set them around for smell goods.  Personally… I think they should be put in a fire because they’re a good amount of work to just sit around and be potpourri.  I really hate potpourri.

I have no idea how they work but if you have tried them or some version of them let me know.  Still waiting to hear back from Miss Nikki as to how her’s burned.  Take care, and smell fancy.

R~<3