Crazy Asparagus

A few days ago, I was in the pasture and stumbled upon an odd looking shape in the tall grass.  I had to get up really close before I realized what it was.    We have very old asparagus plants that grows wild here. This stem is actually just under 6 feet tall. A photographer I am not....sorry.

Here's a view of the top of the plant.

The stem is flat and about 4 inches wide.

Happy Summer.  CHEERS!

Yummy Caramel Popcorn

 YUMMY YUMMY CARAMEL POPCORN

Caramel Corn Ingredient List

2 Cups Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Corn Syrup

1 Cup Margarine

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

10 Cups Popped Popcorn 

Line a roasting pan with foil and spray generously with Pam.

Pop your corn and throw it into the roasting pan.

Add first 3 ingredients together in a large microwave proof bowl.  Cook on high for 2 minutes.  Remove from microwave and stir.  Cook again for two minutes and remove from microwave and stir.  Do this again for one minute and remove from microwave.  The sugar should be nearly all dissolved. 

This is where the wattage of your microwave will be a factor.  I only have to do this (one minute step) two more times and my syrup is bubbly hot and the sugar is totally dissolved.  If yours isn't, place back in microwave and do this step in one minute increments so as not to burn your mixture.    Next step is to add baking soda and stir frantically.  I should foam up like the picture below.

 Quickly pour the mixture evenly over popcorn and then stir up the corn to ensure even coverage.  Bake in the oven at 250 degrees for about 1 hour

 

You can stir this mixture every 15 minutes to ensure even coverage, sometimes I get sidetracked and forget this step.  After heating in the oven for the stated time, remove and let cool.   Store uneaten popcorn in an airtight container so it doesn't absorb moisture.
 Hope you enjoy.

CHEERS!

Wine Storage from a Sonotube

As  home winemakers, and lots of raspberries, wine storage becomes important.

The finished product

I first measured a wine bottle to determine the length of each tube.  I decided on 11 inches.

 Next, I cut some plywood for the inside.  Each tube would need one piece to divide the tube in half.  Then two smaller pieces to divide the tube into quarters.  This will be determined by the size of your sonotube. 

Plywood was cut to size and added to the interior.
Using a pocket screw, the boards were joined and  secured to the sonotube with screws. 

 Screw holes were filled with wood filler.

Next step was to fit them all up to see what it would look like.  I was satisfied with this shape but you of course, could stack them, anyway you want.

The tubes got two coats of red acrylic paint 

and then I went over them with a dark walnut stain to give them an old world look.  

The next step proved to be a challenge.  Putting these circles together was not easy as my drill was to big for pilot holes.  I had to figure out the location of the bolts and take it apart to drill pilot holes from the outside of each tube.  It's tedious but necessary.  I used stove bolts, washers and nuts to assemble the tubes.

It's final resting place will be in the basement, hopefully full of raspberry wine.

CHEERS!

Happy Birthday Canada

Happy Canada Day.
I am proud to call this country home!
Puppies and a great barbeque and you have a perfect day!

.

Happy Birthday Canada.

Cheers!

Making Recycle Bins From A Sonotube

I started with a16" diameter sonotube.

I needed a garbage bag to fit inside and to touch the floor without the sides of the bag falling into the tube when recycling was thrown in there.   I decided on 23".  I measured all the way around the tube and then used a ruler and joined the marks.

  A jigsaw seemed to be the best option for making the cut!

I smoothed the edges with sandpaper as the saw left them a little rough

I had to mark a straight line as a guide so the wallpaper I was using would stay straight

Applying the wallpaper was a little tricky so I added some white glue to the paper.  This seemed to do the trick.

Wallpaper complete.  Had to trim off the edges.

Some chalkboard paint,  a bit of free hand painting, and a nice little label is created.

It needed a little something more....

I painted a border around the label.
 The top and bottom edge were finished with a wrap of  black electrical tape.
These work great for storing recycles and now I don't have garbage bags falling over losing their contents!

CHEERS!

Spicing Up An Old Door

 After installing a new door with my daughter, I looked behind me and saw this....minus the black void, oops... forget the before I started picture.

To make it somewhat cohesive with the new door,  a little makeover was needed.

As you can see from the above picture, some chalkboard paint was applied,  keeping the measures in sync with the new door.

 

A piece of cork board was cut to size and covered with fabric, also keeping the measurements in line with the panels on the new door.

Using some scrap oak moulding, the chalkboard paint and cork were framed.  A bit of glue and some finishing nails and voila

 

I taped the cork and chalk boards and started the paint job.  I primed the door with a quality primer and then used a baseboard and trim paint.

After two more coats of paint, I decided to call it done.

I am pretty happy with the results.  

Cheers!