Eco-Cheap Mom: Composter & Rain Barrel Giveaway

Eco-Cheap Mom is giving away a 52 Gallon Compost Wizard and Rain Barrel Hybrid from Hayneedle. The giveaway ends August 30th, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. EST.

This would be perfect for our new garden!

Weekend Project: Garden Bed

S: Zach and I have been thinking about putting in a vegetable garden for some time, so when we heard about an online promo for a raised-garden bed kit at a ridiculously low price, we ordered one right away. Unfortunately, the deal was too-good-to-be-true, and we received an email later that week notifying us that our order could not be fulfilled.
Undaunted, we did a little online research, and with plans in hand, headed to the home improvement store the following Saturday. As is often the case with DIY projects, we were able to accomplish something bigger and better for a lot less money.

We purchased all the supplies needed to build an 8' x 4' cedar garden bed for just $37 (We already had a few items on hand, like the wood screws and metal strap). A 4' x 4' kit, which is half the size, will set you back $38.

Supplies:
Three 2"x6"x8' cedar boards
One 2"x4"x8' cedar board
One 10 foot 1" PVC pipe
Two 10 foot 1/2" PVC pipe
Metal strapping
Wood screws

Z: As you can see, its a rectangle with legs. The construction was fairly simply. One of the 2x6x8 boards, must be cut in half to yield two 2x6x4's. The four 2x6's are then screwed together to make a rectangle. The remaining 2x4x8 is then cut into four 2 foot long sections. Each section is screwed into the corner to add stability to the corner joint and to provide a post to secure the bed into the ground.

The 1" PVC is cut into four 6" long sections and attached to the inside of the bed using the metal strap and screws. The 1/2 PVC is cut into 8ft long sections and fitted into the 1" sections to make the looped frame for netting.

 

S: The four corner posts sit about a foot down into the ground. We've got a lot of limestone in our yard, so clearing the space and digging the holes was a lot of work....and we have a bent pick axe to prove it.

Z: We added some left over gravel and sand around the edge to provide better drainage and keep the wood from rotting. It'll also protect the bed when doing the lawn as now I won't have to beat the wood up with my weedeater.

I made these decorative endcaps using my router just for fun since I had some scrap cedar laying around

S: So far we've got a row of herbs in and hope to plant some vegetables soon!

Dolly Donations

I was checking out the Dolly Donations blog yesterday and saw my doll on the homepage! There's still plenty of time left in the current drive if you're thinking about making a doll!

Homemade Jam

My friend Jenn hosted a canning party last Saturday. This was my first time to can anything, and although it's a lot of work, it's definitely worth it!

We each chose a recipe to make, then divided up the flavors. I chose Raspberry Fig Jam:

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 1.59-oz pkg Ball® Simple Creations® Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin

2 cups crushed raspberries

2 cups peeled finely chopped figs

2 Tbsp candied ginger, finely chopped

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Plastic Ball® (8 oz) Freezer Jars

 

We also made peach jam, blackberry jam, jalapeno jelly, lavender infused strawberry jam, and regular strawberry jam. (You can visit Ball's website for more recipes.)

 

The raspberry fig and lavender infused strawberry were freezer jams, and were the easiest to make. Unlike traditional canning, there's no cooking or boiling required. You simply prepare your ingredients, add a special pectin designed for freezer jams, then freeze. Freezer jams are good for up to one year in the freezer. Although simple to make, they can't be stored at room temperature, so they're not very convenient to give as gifts.

I don't think these are going to last very long...

July Book Club

It's no secret I love books, but it's probably a lesser known fact that I am actually a member of a women's book club. I joined in April and overall it's been a positive experience. It's given me the opportunity to meet new people and to read books that I otherwise would have never considered. I hosted book club at my house this past week. Here's a photo of us with July's book, The Host.

Yes, this book was written by the same author who wrote the Twilight series. And yes it's also science fiction. But unlike its teen counterpart, it was written for adults and the general consensus was that it was a good novel. Up next month: Firefly Lane. I'm already about half way through this one and am enjoying it so far.

Speaking of Twilight, what do you get when you combine Twilight and Mystery Science Theater?

Button Cookies

I hosted another women's craft day this past weekend and baked up a batch of shortbread buttons for the occasion.

Here are the ingredients roughly converted to US measures:
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon + 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 sticks unsalted butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Vanilla extract
Food coloring

I used a 2" biscuit cutter to cut out the circles and a #3 cake decorating tip for the button holes. I used a tea ball to stamp the smaller circles. You can get creative, pretty much anything round will do the trick. The dough was a bit difficult to roll out, but the cookies turned out delicious. I attribute this to the two sticks of butter holding them together.

Dolly Donations

Dolly Donations collects handmade dolls for children in need. The current doll drive is for an orphanage in Haiti. The goal is to collect 132 dolls by November 1st. There are free sewing patterns and step-by-step tutorials on the Dolly Donations blog if you'd like to participate. I'll be sending my doll off soon!