DIY: Glitter Water Bottle

Credit: http://www.kidsomania.com/diy-magic-bottles-of-water-and-confetti/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCaI-5WVRlY&feature=youtu.be

I had fun making this.

My motto "Use What You Have" came into play, here.

The instructions called for colorful rubber bands. I happen to have a set of NPS special rubber bands in the shape of NPS symbols.

No glitter, so I cut up some aluminum coverings from empty pill packages, instead. I challenged myself to cut these little tabs into pieces as small as I could cut them.

No food dyes, I am still working on making some natural dyes. My spinach green was too light.

Used hand bacterial gel in place of glycerin. Also, I used more than I thought the original hack suggested.

 

I dropped in a variety of beads from my jewelry craft box.

My kitchen is a strange place now, part kitchen, part chemistry lab. I worry I might use the DIY jewelry cleaner as dressing.

 

 

DIY: Plastic Cup Coasters - Use Caution

Caution: "Baking" plastic releases chemicals into the air.

I tried the plastic cup coaster hack at:

https://youtu.be/qtPeeCgayRU

2:23

I don’t consider plastic cups “waste” because I wash and reuse them but was curious about this process.

I placed wax paper on my toaster oven tray before I baked the cup.

I baked one cup at 400 degrees for 2-5 minutes. It was quick, but I kept waiting for the cup to flatten out further. I pulled it out before it began burning.

It never flatten out enough to become a coaster.

I tried it again with a lighter weight plastic cup. This time I oiled the wax paper because I wondered if the cup got stuck on the wax paper and could not flatten out.

While it flattened out better, parts of the edge were uneven. It could be used as a coaster but its imperfections made it unattractive.

 

Boy, that statement says a lot. That I would find imperfections unattractive, whew!

I know we seek symmetry in all things. But, imperfections is part of our DNA, it's what makes each of us different.

Got to learn to love the imperfections.

Oh, I won't be making any more plastic cup coasters, the kitchen smelled strongly of chemicals after only "baking" two plastic cups. I have no idea what chemicals were released into the air but I don't think they are good for your health.

 

DIY: iPhone Stand

There are dozens of iPhone stand / tripod hacks.

I chose the coffee carry-out cardboard cup method and it works pretty well.

Credit:  https://youtu.be/TTtJovKtujo

 

DIY: Bag Closure Clasp

When you shop these days, in my experience, and you find an item you like, you stock up because the item may not be restocked in the future.

I had bought a few bag closure clasps and really liked them. I do use them but they are too long for some bags and I had not seen any more bag closure clasps in the stores.

So when I saw a plastic straw bag closure clasp hack in a DIY Crafts/Hack YouTube video, I decided to give it a try.

I get a lot of ideas from "5 minute Crafts" videos, this idea may have come from one of their videos.

Basically, you slice the straw open by cutting one side.

Then, you fold the bag closed and slide the slit straw over the fold and store the package.

Because I was using a small straw, I struggled a bit sliding the straw into place.

DIY: Reuseable Coffee Filter

Well, I have found a passion, for awhile, in some wild DIY Crafts and Hacks YouTube videos and great How-to websites.

While looking over my endless to-do lists, I found a note to look for a reusable coffee filter.

While I have a French Press, they are messy and time-consuming to clean hence the search for a reusable coffee filter, so I could make a cup or two of real coffee.

I saw the note and thought, hmmm, I'll bet I could make one myself.

After a quick internet search, I found:

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Reusable-Coffee-Filter

Now, I do not recall the exact instructions. But, in my sewing crate, I found a sheet I had intended to mend. After looking at the various areas that needed mending, I decided to put the sheet to other uses.

I was in luck, the cotton sheet was a low-thread variety, so it would work for making a coffee filter.

As I followed the directions, I made a mistake. I was so proud that I used sidewalk chalk to mark the size of the funnel, I did not calculate that the filter would need to dip into the well of the funnel, so this filter would be too small.

I hemmed the diameter of the circle and realized I had a smaller funnel.

 

It fit it perfectly.

I made a cup of coffee and it worked great.

I saved the coffee grounds for plant fertilizer, washed the filter and hung it up to dry, ready for the next time.

DIY: T-Shirt Conversion - Grocery Bag

One of my favorite grocery bags was made of a stretchy cotton. So, when I saw videos about making grocery bags out of t-shirts, I jumped in.

I credit FashionbyAli's videos, again. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUEYYJcRNeI&feature=youtu.be)

 I used her ideas and ideas from other videos and made my own version. It required just a bit of hand sewing. All I did was hem the bottom of the t-shirt (inside out).

You will see me say, I am not crafty, often, because I am not. But, I do find the creative ideas of others inspiring.

 

 

 

 

My First DIY T-Shirt Conversion - A Bubble Skirt

Ok, I had avoided the DIY YouTube videos.

 But, with a lot of time on my hands, I decided to tackle some projects I had on my To Do List #Z, the one with all the projects I never got around to.

 I have a few favorite t-shirts I had wanted to make into pillows, so since I am not crafty, I needed guidance. I did a search for t-shirt pillow on YouTube and wow! there were a lot of creative videos to choose from.

 I viewed several videos and choose a few and sorta combined the ideas to make a pillow.

 The pillow conversion was going to take some time, so I investigated some other t-shirt conversion videos to get more ideas.

Some of the other t-shirt conversions were easier. I mean so easy, you didn't even need to do any sewing. I decided to try a few.

 This video, FashionByAlly:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLigeXKH5I0&feature=youtu.be

 is amazing. I could make a skirt without any sewing, so I did.

 

 

I used a large t-shirt.

 As with all things, I forgot to take a picture of the t-shirt or any of the steps.

I did not begin to save the videos with ref notes regarding what I made using the videos. So, my next DIY YouTube projects will be more informative.

 

Quick Pickles

DIY Quick Pickles
(Thanks to: Quick Pickled Cucumbers | Easy Refrigerator Pickles Recipe)


Ingredients:

1 Cucumber
A jar with a lid
Water
Apple Vinegar
1-3 TBspns of sugar
2-3 Tspns of rock salt or salt



Process:

Wash cucumber.
Cut in half vertically in the middle.
Cut each half into length-wise strips (julienne).
Cut away the seeds.
Add cucumber strips to jar.
Add water to jar until about 1/2 half to 2/3rds full.
Add spices.
Fill with vinegar.
Affix lid.
Shake jar to mix spices and liquids.
Store in frig.

DIY Pesto

Making Pesto scares me.

Every recipe sounds so complicated and full of ingredients I don't have.

So, when I wanted to make a recipe that called for a pesto, I did a quick internet search for an easy pesto recipe and found Pesto! from RecipeTinEats.


DIY Pesto
(Adapted from: Pesto! at RecipeTinEats)


Ingredients:

2 Cups frozen spinach
2 Full TBspns of peanuts, crushed
2 Full TBspns of Parmesan cheese, grated
6 TBspns Olive oil
1/2 or less Tspn Garlic powder
2-3 TBspns Basil, dry, crushed between palms
3 Screws of Ground black pepper (Optional)
S/P to taste


Process:

Microwave spinach on high for 3 minutes.
Add Spinach to a container with a lid.
Add nuts.
Add Parmesan cheese.
Add oil, garlic powder, basil and pepper.
Stir ingredients thoroughly.
Stir ingredients furiously with a fork to make the mixture creamy. Use the fork to smash the ingredients.
Add more oil, if desired.
After use, add lid.
Store remaining mixture in frig.

Note: In many countries the government has set standards for what cheeses can be called grated Parmesan cheese (ready-to-use).

In the United States, the FDA states that grated Parmesan cheeses can contain up to 4% cellulose (an anti-caking agent).

But, in the past, there was a controversy. One or more Parmesan cheese manufacturers allegedly exceeded the 4% limit on the amount of cellulose in their products.

https://www.thedailymeal.com/news/eat/your-parmigiano-may-be-diluted-wood-shavings-study-finds/021716

Even now, if you read a label on Parmesan cheese you can not know what the amount of cellulose is in the product.

Toaster Oven: Toasted Bread Dipping Circles

I had collected several bread ends and they were stored in the freezer. Normally, I would have used the bread ends in a Bread Pudding but this time I craved a snack.

So, I cut out the middle of each bread end with a glass and made a batch of toasted bread circles. Then, I made a dipping sauce. Quite tasty. Necessity is indeed the Mother of Invention.


Toaster Oven: Toasted Bread Dipping Circles


Ingredients:

Bread ends
A round glass

Sauce:

Olive Oil
Oregano, crushed, dry
Ground black pepper, to taste (Optional)


Process:

Place bread ends on a cutting board.
Place glass in the middle of bread slice.
Push down and rotate the glass to cut a circle of bread out of the slice.

Place slices in toaster oven.
Toast until light brown and crisp.

Make sauce.

All I did was pour a bit of olive oil into a bowl and added some ground black pepper and oregano, then I stirred the mixture.

Dip the toasted bread circle into the sauce and enjoy.

I also toasted the edges of the leftover bread circles. I think I will use them to make bread crumbs.

#GERD-friendly

Ria's Chia Caviar - Updated

Ria's Chia Caviar Recipe - Updated

I enjoyed creating this recipe.

While it may not have the "bubble" bursts in your mouth like fish caviar, chia does creates a gel-like texture when soaked overnight.

Ingredients:

1 small jar with a lid

2 full TBspns Chia seeds

Water

Salmon liquid or sardine liquid drained from can of salmon or sardines
1 TBspn of Oyster Sauce

1/4 Tspn salt

Suggestion: Serve on toast with olive oil.

Process:

Add Chia seeds to jar.

Add enough water to just cover the seeds.

Add salmon or sardine liquid.
Add Oyster Sauce.

Add salt.

Close jar with lid.

Shake jar to mix ingredients.

Place in frig to cool overnight or longer.

To Serve:

Spread olive oil on toast.

Spread a thin layer of Chia Caviar on the toast.

Cut toast into quarters.

Note: for a more briny taste, add more salt.

#GERD-friendly
 

Easy Chocolate Frosting

A tin of cocoa powder has been sitting in my frig for quite awhile. In the past, I was making lots of Microwave Bowl Cakes but none recently.

So, I wondered what can I use the cocoa powder for? Originally, I thought of making a frosting for cookies and I came upon this recipe on BBCFood.com.


Easy Chocolate Frosting
(Adapted from: https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/simple_cocoa_frosting_95104)

This recipe makes a small amount of frosting.


Ingredients:

1 heaping TBspn of cocoa powder
 6 heaping TBspns of confectioners sugar
1 TBspn Olive oil
8 TBspns of heavy cream

Add ingredients to a container with a lid.
Stir and mix ingredients thoroughly until it is creamy.
Add lid.
Store in frig for future use.

I am trying to make drop biscuits or cookies and plan to ice them with this frosting.

DIY Everything Bagel Seasoning Variation

It is common for me not to have everything a recipe calls for, so, I am learning to make substitutions. In the case of this recipe, it called for poppy seeds which I did not have, so I used Chia seeds. The Chia seeds added texture but not much flavor. 

 

This recipe makes enough seasoning for four bagels. 

 

 

DIY Everything Bagel Seasoning Variation

(Adapted from: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-everything-bagel-spice-223103)

Ingredients: 

 

1 Tspn each of:

Chia Seeds

Crushed sesame seeds

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Rock salt with Macha (Macha is optional) 

 

 

Process: 

 

Put ingredients in a jar with a lid. Shake contents rigorously to mix.

 

DIY Tartar Sauce with Capers

DIY Tartar Sauce with Capers
(Adapted from: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/homemade_tartar_sauce/)


Ingredients:

3 Heaping TBspns of Mayo
2 TBspns Pickle Relish, drained
1 Tspn capers, drained
1 Tspn yellow mustard
2 Tspns onion powder
1 capful lime juice
3 dashes of hot sauce
Ground black pepper to taste


Process:

Add ingredients to a container with a lid.
Stir thoroughly until sauce is smooth.
Cover container, place in refrigerator.

While I did not care for the taste of the Tartar Sauce, straight, it tasted well with Baked Salmon Balls, (see blog for recipe).

 

Toast Topping: Sauteed Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, and Cream Cheese

Toast Topping: Sauteed Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, and Cream Cheese

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
1-2 Slices of Integral Bread
3-4 TBspns Bell pepper slices (Fresh or Frozen)
3-4 TBspns Mushroom pieces, canned, drained
1-2 TBspns Rice Vinegar
1-2 TBspns Cream cheese
Ground black pepper


Process:

Toast the bread slices and set aside.

Add a dollop of olive oil to skillet.
Add Bell pepper slices.
Season with a few grinds of ground black pepper.
Cook on low to medium heat.
Stir peppers in skillet as they cook.
Cook until soft and slightly brown.
Remove from skillet and reserve.

Add another dollop of olive oil to skillet.
Add mushrooms.
Add vinegar.
Season with a few grinds of ground black pepper.
Cook on low to medium heat.
Stir mushrooms as they cook.
Cook until softer and a bit brown.
Remove from skill and reserve.

Place toast on plate.
Spread a full TBspon of cream cheese over toast.
Top with 1-2 spoonfuls of bell peppers.
Top with 1-2 spoonfuls of mushrooms.
Season with a bit of ground pepper.

DIY Pineapple Lassi

I enjoy Indian food but because I am not a good cook, I have yet to try and make an Indian recipe. But, I did make my own version of a Lassi. I made this recipe before doing any research because it came out fine for me. But, I see I barely come close to a true Lassi recipe. Maybe next time, I will try adding more spices.


DIY Pineapple Lassi

Ingredients:

3 oz Yogurt, plain
3 oz Milk
A dollop (approximately 1 oz) or more of Pineapple juice (leftover from canned pineapples or regular juice), to suit your taste
Garnish: a dash of cinnamon powder (Optional)




Process:

Add ingredients to glass.
Stir.
Add ice, if desired.
Add garnish.


Resources:

WikiHow
https://es.wikihow.com/hacer-lassi

Wikipedia
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lassi

DIY Thousand Islands Dressing

There are a lot of recipe/cooking websites out there.

But, one website always comes to my rescue, Simply Recipes, https://www.simplyrecipes.com/

This time, when I ran out of Thousand Islands Dressing, I wondered if I could make it myself. With the help of Simply Recipes, I did.


DIY Thousand Islands Dressing
(Adapted from: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/thousand_island_dressing/)


Ingredients:

1 Cup Mayonnaise
1 TBspn onion powder
2 TBspns Ketchup
2 TBspns Pickle Relish
1 Capful of lime juice concentrate
1 Tspn Paprika
s/p to taste


Process:

Now, as I began, I realized I had a bit more than a cupful of mayonnaise left in the jar, so I just used the jar and its contents and mixed in the rest of the ingredients. Also, I did not add any ground black pepper or salt. I feel many processed foods already have salt in them.

Then, I stirred the mixture well.

It was tasty.

Thousand Islands dressing reminds me of my mom. One of her favorite meals was a Rueben Sandwich. I modified the idea of a Reuben and make a Turkey Rueben Toast Topping. I add shredded cheese on top of the toast, top it with a slice of Turkey lunch meat, then add a scoop of sauerkraut and add a spoonful of my DIY Thousand Islands dressing!!!

It's the little things that make me happy. It makes me proud, I can make Thousand Islands Dressing!!! and I can barely boil water.

Quasi-DIY Lipstick

Quasi-DIY Lipstick

Over the years, many of my various lipsticks had been used down to the nub.

So, following a Tightwad Gazette tip, I scooped out the remains of about five used tubes into a small glass jar. Then, I microwaved the contents for about 1 minute on high to melt the contents.

After the jar cooled, I used a cosmetic lip brush to spread the mixture as lipstick.

The used lipsticks were of a variety of colors and brands, from light cream to deep mauve, including lip glosses and lip balm. I was pleasantly surprised that I liked the color and texture of the mixture.

Fruit & Nut Mix Snack

I am sure everyone has a version of a nut and fruit snack mix.

One reason I like this snack is it is one way for me to eat lots of raisins and blueberries. Plus, nuts are good for you, too.

While mine varies, it usually contains:

 
Fruit & Nut Mix Snack

Ingredients:

1-2 7oz bags of various peanuts, or peanut and sunflower seed mixes
2 cups raisins
2 cups dry blueberries

Suggestions: dried cranberries, Plantain chips, popcorn, dry cereal like Chex, pretzels

Note:  On occasion, I have added popcorn but after cracking two teeth, I stopped adding popcorn.

Sample, there are many varieties of peanut snacks.

Process:

After adding the various items into a container. Close with lid and shake well.

Other sources: https://www.chex.com/

Microwave: Instant Imitation Colcannon

I don't pretend this recipe resembles the true Irish dish: Colcannon.

Below are steps to make one generous serving.

Instant Imitation Colcannon


Ingredients:

5 full tablespoons instant mashed potatoes
Hot water as needed
2 dollops of milk
1 Tspn butter
3 full TBspns sauerkraut
1Tspn Onion powder
1 Tspn Garlic powder
2 Tspns Veggie Bacon Bits
1-2 Tspns Horseradish sauce
2 Dashes Paprika
Ground black pepper
S/P to taste


Process:

Add instant potatoes to bowl.
Add a bit of hot water, stir.
Add enough hot water to make the potato flakes thicken, stir.
Add milk, stir thoroughly.
If too thick, add more milk.
If too thin, add more instant potatoes.
Stir.
Add butter. Stir.
Add sauerkraut.
Add onion and garlic powders
Add horseradish sauce.
Add bacon bits.
Add ground black pepper and paprika.
Stir to mix ingredients thoroughly.
S/P to taste.


Some Colcannon Recipe Sources:
http://www.europeancuisines.com/Three-Irish-Colcannon-Recipes
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/colcannon/

Updated: 4/21/20