LIFE BY DESIGN

This step by step description should help anyone create a beautiful outdoor (or indoor) bar sink from a discarded wine or whisky barrel. This is your typical 55 gallon barrel, I bought for $30  from John at Quinta Ferreira  winery in Oliver, BC. You will need some tools, so I will list them as we go. finished sink The next time you are in wine country, and you have finally convinced the vintner to sell you a barrel, you are well on your way. Next you will need a small bar sink. This one was $45 from a new & used building supplier. New (old) wine barrel With your tape measure, centre the sink in the top of the barrel. Either end of the barrel will do, so pick the best end for the top. Orient the sink the same direction as the end slats. Trace the outline with a pencil, remove the sink and measure in 1/2″ on the ends and 3/4″ on the front and back so your cutout will be smaller that the outline of the sink. Trace the outline of the sink, and the inner ...

Okay, this has been what I have been occupying my time with the past day (Well, more like the past hour) But I made a tutorial on how to make an invisible bookshelf, without ruining a book (because I love my books dearly). So first, I suppose you need supplies. STEP 1: You need a metal wall brace (The L-shaped metal thing with three holes) Mine happened to be a 5" X 1", but I suppose bigger would be cool too, (it would be stronger that way, but you don't want it to be longer than the width of the book or else you could see where it sticks out of the wall) just make sure the screws fit and can be flush with the metal. (My screws happened to be 12 X 1-1/2, but they might be different for you.) A stud finder (There's always a joke to that) is very handy, you need to make sure you drill through solid wood or it will tear up the wall and probably fall with the weight of the books. You need a drill, and also some velcro (The kind that can peel and stick...

Candied orange peel isn’t something I normally use in my baking, but that’s mostly because until recently, I never had it on hand. I also never realized how good it can be! However, I recently was asked to try making some  Glazed Orange Scones . I put together a  “Have a Confession?”  page, where anyone can request a certain kind of recipe they’d like to see on this site, and these scones were requested, so I knew it was time to get myself some candied orange peel. Funny thing is, I never even thought of buying it, but instead jumped to find a recipe to make my own. I’m so glad I did, because these peels are amazing (and they also smell amazing while they’re cooking!) Note: Since making this Candied Orange Peel, I’ve been experimenting with candying other types of citrus peels. See  for some tips when using other types of citrus. Here are the step-by-step instructions with photos . To begin, rinse 3 navel or valencia oranges. Cut the top and...

Bacon and Escarole Spaghetti Serves 4 Hands-On Time 30 min Total Time 30 min Nutritional Information NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION Per Serving Calories 540 calories Fat 16 g Sat Fat 5 g Cholesterol 16 mg Sodium 875 mg Protein 18 g Carbohydrate 78 g Sugar 8 g Fiber 10 g Iron 5 mg Calcium 91 mg March 2014 INGREDIENTS 3/4 pound spaghetti 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves kosher salt and black pepper 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes 1 head escarole, torn grated Parmesan, for serving DIRECTIONS Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, tossing often, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the onion, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring often, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes (and their juices) an...