Mosaic Bottle Cap Pendant

Mosaics don't have to be long, tedious projects.  You can purchase pendant bases at most craft stores, fill them with interesting objects, adhere and grout in place.  I chose to use bottle caps instead, which offer an automatic border and create an eclectic piece of wearable art.  These make great kids crafts and simple gifts.

Materials Needed:
Bottle cap or pendant base
Wire
Silicon Adhesive
Little objects (marbles, pottery shards, beads, rocks, found & recycled objects)
Grout

Instructions:
- Drill a hole into bottle cap rim.
- Insert wire through hole, twist to loop (wrap several times), and feed back through hole.  Bend and push both wire ends against inside of rim.  This serves as the pendant loop.
- Use tile glue (silicon adhesive works well) to adhere little objects into place.  Let dry.
- Mix grout and apply.

Sunflower Seed Dog Treats

Our dog Sa'be loves these treats.  Cymone finds it entertaining to feed him the dog-shaped treats.  This is a simple recipe, easy to throw together while sipping morning coffee.


Ingredients:
3 C. Flour
1/3 C Rolled oats
1/2 C Sunflower seeds, shelled & lightly toasted
1/2 C Applesauce
2 Eggs
1/4 C. Plain yogurt

Glaze:
1 Egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oatmeal and seeds.
- In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together 2 eggs and yogurt.
- Add oil, applesauce and egg/milk mixture.  Let rest for 30 minutes.
- Pour dough onto floured surface and roll out until ¼” thick. Cut with knife or cookie cutters.
- Brush with the 1 lightly beaten egg for subtle glaze.
- Bake 30 min or until golden.

Making Peppermint Lip Balm

Bees Wax

Derek makes fabulous lip balm.  This time may be his best.  He used the wax from our bees.  The result is a light, slightly sweet and very smooth lip balm.


Ingredients:
1.5 oz beeswax
2.25 oz sweet almond oil
2.25 oz cocoa butter
.25 oz lanolin
50 drops Tea Tree Oil
50 drops Peppermint Oil

Instructions:
Melt beeswax and cocoa butter in a double boiler.  Add all other ingredients and melt.  Stir thoroughly and pour into small containers.  We prefer tin containers that fit flat into our pockets, and reuse the same ones repeatedly.

Super Soft Organic Cotton Hand Warmers

These fingerless gloves (hand warmers) are super soft and cozy. They're light and breathable, yet warm and really comfortable. They are designed and knitted by me out of Tahki Yarns from Argentina and are 100% organic cotton.  Simple!

Materials Needed:
2 Skeins Tahki Yarn: Mia
4 double pointed needles, size 10
4 double pointed needles, size 9

Directions:
STEP 1
CO 21 sts evenly across 3 size 10 needles.  Join to knit in the round.  Mark beginning of round.
Row 1 (and every other odd row) - Knit
Row 2 (and every other even row) - Purl
Continue in pattern until piece measures desired wrist length, end with an even row.


STEP 2
To create thumb hole:
At this point, do not work in the round.  Work back and forth, turning work at the end of each row.
Row 1 (WS) - Purl.  Turn.
Row 2 (RS) - Purl.  Turn.
Continue in pattern until thumb hole measures 6cm, end with RS row facing.

STEP 3
Row 1 (RS) - Purl, do not turn
Row 2 - Knit
Continue in pattern until hand warmer covers just knuckles, approximately 10 rows.
BO in knit.

STEP 4
Using 3 size 9 needles, PU 12 sts around thumb hole.  Join to knit in the round.
Rows 1 & 3 - Knit
Rows 2 & 4 - Purl
BO in knit.

Weave in loose strands.  You are done with the first hand warmer!

Barbara's Roasted Coffee Beans

Aunt Barbara buys green coffee beans and roasts them at home in her kitchen.  As she does, the nutty, slightly smokey aroma permeates her home.  The freshly brewed coffee is dark, smooth and robust.  Barbara uses a Gene Cafe Roaster - I found that Sweet Maria's offers a great selection of roasters.

Barbara's raw, green coffee beans

Barbara's roasted coffee beans

Barbara's Hot Mustard

While visiting Derek's aunt Barb in El Paso, we tried her famous Barbara's Hot Mustard.  This is a recipe I'll be bringing home with me to make - I highly recommend trying it yourself!

Ingredients:
2 large cans or 4 small cans dry mustard (6-6.5 oz)
2 cups tarragon vinegar
4 eggs (or 5 egg whites)
2 cups sugar

Directions:
- Combine dry mustard with tarragon vinegar.
- Mix and let stand overnight in a double boiler.
- Add eggs and sugar, whisk.
- In a double boiler, cook until thick.  Beat continually.
- Remove from heat and cool.  Continue beating until cool.
- Store in glass jar in the refrigerator.
- Enjoy with meat, on sandwiches, or with cheese.

Albuquerque Public Art

New Mexico has a rich art culture.  As we meandered through the streets of Albuquerque, we stumbled upon murals, mosaics, sculptures, phenomenal architecture.  Inside an empty store front we watched a mosaic artist as he worked with ceramic tiles to create a large river scene mosaic, presumably to add to the city's large collection of public art.

We are headed to Santa Fe today, then down to Las Cruces.

Come take a walk with me to see some of the public art pieces we came across in Albuquerque.

Rosemary Garlic Jelly

Ingredients:
1 1/4 C dry white wine
1/4 C minced garlic
1/4 C white vinegar (white wine or rice vinegar)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp fresh, finely chopped rosemary
3 1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp butter
1 pouch CERTO Fruit Pectin

 Directions:
- Wash jars and screw bands according to basic canning instructions.
- Mix wine, garlic, vinegar, lemon and rosemary in a large pot.  Heat on medium high, add sugar.
- Add butter to reduce foaming.
- Bring mixture to boiling, and then simmer for 7 mins.
- Return mixture to a full boil.
- Remove pot from heat, add pectin.
- Return to burner immediately, bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat.
- Ladle immediately into jars, filling to within 1/8" from rims.  Wipe jars clean, cover with lids and screw bands tightly.
- Place jars in hot water canner, covering jars with 2 inches of water.  Bring to a gently boil, process for 5 mins.
- Remove jars and place upright until cool.
- Serve with soft cream and crackers or tender, lightly marinated meat.

Mosaics

I'm entering a very exciting phase - over the next several months I will be working on several public mosaics.  I did this rooster last year.  Derek and my dad installed it on our wood shed for my Christmas present.

Rock Path

Needed:
Huge rocks
Shovel
Dirt
Broom
Loads of time

Directions:
- Use shovel to chip away at incredibly rocky, hard-pan dirt.
- Search for rocks all over your property.
- Put rocks in place.
- Practically break your back.
- Cover with dirt and sweep into place between rocks to secure tightly.

Seriously though, this project took weeks of scavenging for rocks, but it's finally done, just in time for fall harvesting. The path ties well into the herb garden that we installed behind our house.

For real instructions, check out how to build a natural stone pathway.