DIY Granola!

I've been making my own granola (courtesy of Alton Brown's recipe--varying the ingredients a bit) for a couple years.  It is cheaper and healthier.  This recipe only costs about $3.50/lb to make.  That's about half the cost of store-bought granola!

 

first you mix together the dry ingredients (minus the salt--this is added in with the wet ingredients)

 

then you combine the oil, maple syrup and salt

 

 after combining wet and dry ingredients, spread on two baking sheets and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour and 15 min./stir every 15 minutes for even brown-ness

 

after baking, pour granola into container and add your last ingredient--the dried fruit...sometimes I use raisins, but here I'm using large plump dried sour cherries

 

 

this was my reward after baking it--YUM!!!!

 

 

PLANTING DAY!

We've had one nice sunny day in the midst of rainy weather and I get Spring Fever!  My husband and I started a blueberry patch last year and decided to also add a strawberry patch around it.  We love growing our own food whenever possible--and it'll hopefully save me a trip to the large commercial strawberry patches during canning season.

this is the little patch for the blueberries and strawberries

 

 

 

Then the "planting bug" bit me and I potted a houseplant clipping that has been rooting in water.

 

this pot has been "weathering" outdoors all fall and winter--I liked the cracked paint on it (saved me money from buying a new one!)

 

this clipping was from a friend--a great idea for getting new houseplants without spending the money--you can trade clippings with a friend!

 

 

did you know houseplants are great for our well-being??  they take all be bad stuff out of the air and put in all the good stuff!

 

 

 



 

 

DIY in the Kitchen

Saving money is something all women (and men) like to accomplish when we're trying to feed our families on a budget.  Here are two ideas that are a big money saver and delicious too!  I hope these bring you some inspiration to try some DIY ideas in the kitchen for yourself.

homemade flavored olive oil....using any flavors you like (I used garlic, peppers from the garden, and even peppers from the pizza we have ordered) and you could pour it in a decorative bottle for gift-giving...sooooo delicious!

 

 

homemade vanilla extract....using a 1/2 pint canning jar, split 3 or 4 vanilla beans and place them in the jar and cover with plain vodka, let sit for about 3 months for best flavor shaking every day for the first few weeks.  This saves ALOT of money.  

 

this jar has been sitting for about 1 1/2 months...I always leave the vanilla beans in and use again in my next batch along with the fresh vanilla beans.

 

Welcome to My DIY Home!

I've been wanting to do this blog for a while now....where I highlight all things DIY--food, home decorating, gardening, hobby farming, etc :)  Here are some of my favorite re-purposed home decorating projects.  Enjoy!

using an old shower curtain, split up the middle with ribbon ties to keep closed, hides items not frequently used on a shelf purchased from Goodwill 

 using an old TV cabinet to hang purses and scarves and to store diaries, perfume bottles and makeup brushes....also showcasing some vintage items such as vintage jewelry and vintage glamour items

 

 

 

an old window in the kitchen used to showcase old (and new) family photos of our family eating and cooking together

a Goodwill find--a tin tray painted over with magnetic and chalkboard paint--used some vintage buttons and tacked on tiny pieces of magnet to the back of each for some cute "button magnets"