Allergen's in My Apple Juice?!

We usually buy our apple juice fresh from a local Orchard at the Farmer's Market, but earlier this week I ran out. So, when I came across a cold pressed 100% (1 ingredient) Apple Juice at Fresh & Easy yesterday I decided to give it a try since the Farmer's Market isn't until Sunday.

I glanced at the label to make sure there was indeed only 1 ingredient and put the juice in my  basket. It never even crossed my mind to check for an advisory label on apple juice yet, lo and behold, there it was....



...."Made in a facility that also handles Milk, Tree Nuts, Soy."  Thankfully I just happened to notice the advisory label while opening the bottle.

I really should know better by now to not assume or trust that anything is safe. Check out this box of cornstarch. I even found potatoes before with an advisory label reading, "May Contain Tree Nuts". You can never be too careful!



Our "Attempt" at Homemade Butter

After our homemade Ice Cream in a Baggie success I was feeling pretty domestic and thought I would give homemade butter a go. After all how hard could it be? I think we did this in elementary school.

Looks simple right?

I had some half & half in the fridge that needed to be used so the idea sounded genius. I filled a small mason jar about half way with the half & half, added a marble, put on the lid and shook...... and shook..... and shook some more. I passed the jar around to each of the boys and we all took turns doing laps around the kitchen shaking with anticipation which soon turned to doubt. The kids were over it, all of our arms were burning and we had no butter. I even made one last ditch effort and dumped the jar of half & half into the mixing bowl and put my mixer to work for a good 10 minutes. Still nothing.

Well come to find out, you can't make butter with half & half stupid! Heavy Cream is the magic ingredient. Duh! I did get something out this experience though..... A damn good arm work out!

Ice Cream in a Baggie - A Pinterest Summer Success!

In an attempt to keep my kids busy this summer I have become a Pinterest addict. I have found so many creative activities to keep them entertained and happy. One pin I was excited to try was this homemade ice cream in a baggie.

My kids love ice cream and Ive always wanted to make our own, but don't own an ice cream maker so this was perfect!

Here's what you need:

• 1 cup half & half
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup course salt
• 1 gallon-sized Ziploc bag
• 1 pint-sized Ziploc bag (I just used a sandwich bag since that's all I had)
• ice
• fresh fruit (optional)

Mix the half & half, sugar and vanilla together and pour into pint-sized Ziploc. Make sure the Ziploc is completely sealed.

Fill the gallon-sized Ziploc half way with ice and add salt.

Next, put the baggie with the half & half mixture inside the bag of ice and salt; seal.

Now shake like crazy for at least 5 minutes or until cream sets.

We took turns running around the backyard shaking our ice cream.

 Once the cream sets, quickly run the sealed pint-sized bag under cold water to remove the salt.

Open and enjoy quickly! Our ice cream melted pretty fast. I suppose we could have shook it a little longer, but patience were wearing thin and our hands were freezing! The ice cream was really good though. We added strawberries before digging in for a little extra fun.

  (I suggest making a baggie for each kiddo if your making it for more then one)

A Wicker Redo

My poor wicker chair has been in some serious need of a little tlc. I bought it probably 10 years ago at Ikea and it has somehow managed to find a place in our last 3 homes. However, it has been kicked outside at our current house where the weather has really taken its toll on the poor thing.
In fact, it was looking so pathetic that I almost threw it away. Then my husband, of all people, suggested a new coat of paint. Duh! Why didn't I think of that?

Two cans of yellow spray paint ( It really could have used three), a new bright red cushion I found on sale for six bucks at Target and we have a new wicker chair to atleast get us through the summer. Best of all, someone may actually sit on it now. Lord knows we can always use the additional outdoor seating.

Amazing Nut-Free Granola

I don't mean to brag or anything, but I'm going too; I make the best damn granola ever! It's true. My husband agrees it's the best granola he's ever had and to top it off, it's Nut-Free.

Now anyone with a peanut or tree nut allergy knows how difficult it is to find not only a safe granola, but a good granola. Well, look no further cause you just found it.

Amazing Nut-Free Granola

*You will need:

• 3 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut
• 3/4 cups GERBS peanut/tree nut free Raw Sunflower Seed Kernels
• 3/4 cups GERBS peanut/tree nut free Raw Pumpkin Seed Kernels
• 1 cup craisons
• 1/2 cup dried apricots; chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* If you are making nut-free, always read package ingredient list carefully and check for advisory labels.

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.

Mix oats, coconut, seeds, craisons, apricots, spices and flaxseed together in a large mixing bowl.

Heat butter and honey together over low heat in a small saucepan till butter is completely melted. Stir in vanilla.

Pour butter mixture over dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated.

Spread mixture evenly onto parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 1hr 15min.

Allow to cool completely. Granola will still be soft when you first remove it from the oven, but will become crisp as it cools.

Once cooled, break into desired size chunks and store in an air tight container for up to  two weeks.

Recipe adapted from 100 Days of Real Food

Summer Fun with a Treasure Hunt

Round up some pirates booty and get the kiddos outdoors for some summer fun with a sandbox treasure hunt. Argh!

My kids both went to a pirate themed birthday party recently so I happened to have a pile of gold plastic coins, or "golden blooms" as we call them, and beaded "pirates treasure" necklaces. So when my husband picked up some new bags of sand for the sandbox, we decided to do a treasure hunt.

We tossed in the golden blooms and pirate treasures as we dumped in the bags of sand. Then the kids dug away filling their buckets with the treasures they uncovered. It was a great way to keep them outside and busy, especially if your like me and forget to count your golden blooms and necklaces. Oops! Just keep digging, I'm sure there's more. ;)

In fact, my five year old had so much fun, I have had to re-bury his bucket of treasures three times now. Then I just sit back, watch, maybe enjoy a glass of Yellow Tail and enjoy the sunshine and quiet while he digs till his little hearts content. Now that's what I call success!

Trader Joe's - Another reason not to trust a label

This is so frustrating to me! I have been looking for raw pepitas that are safe for my sons tree nut allergy to use in granola with little success. It seems as if every seed is processed with peanuts and/or tree nuts, so I was really excited when I found some at Trader Joe's with no advisory label. However, just because there was no allergy warning, I was still a bit hesitant about giving them to my son. Many of you, including myself,  have experienced issues with Trader Joe's products and there poor allergy labeling. This is why I rarely shop at Trader Joe's for anything other then bread (believe it or not, they're one of the only places I can find safe 100% whole wheat bread).

Luckily, I decided to contact Trader Joe's corporate office for confirmation about the safety of their raw pepitas and sunflower seeds in regards to my sons tree nut allergy and here was their reply:

Hello Trista,

Thank you for contacting us, and we do truly appreciate your comments. In response, our Raw Pepitas are packaged/processed on equipment with tree nuts. Of course all of our suppliers do observe Good Manufacturing Practices, which would entail segregating any of these ingredients and cleaning between each production run. However, to ensure your son's complete health and safety, we would not recommend consumption of this product. However, you will be pleased to know that our Sunflower Seeds are not processed in a facility with tree nuts.

We also want to assure you that we are indeed deeply concerned with the complete health, well-being and safety of all of our customers and crewmembers alike. This is exactly why we do voluntarily disclose any of the top 8 known allergens and ingredients in our products on our labeling for our customer review where other suppliers may not. However, as sensitivities may also tend to vary greatly, consulting with your healthcare professional is also the best rule of thumb in this regard. We also invite you to review additional information regarding our Allergen Labeling Standards via our website here:
http://www.traderjoes.com/about/product-faq.asp (see Item No. 8)

We do hope this information helps, and we thank you for shopping with us at Trader Joe's.

Sincerely,

Hazel
Trader Joe's
Customer Relations
Ugh! Don't try and take credit for looking after the well-being of your customers, and especially don't praise yourself for voluntarily disclosing the top 8 allergens and ingredients on your products unless you plan on disclosing this information on all your products! Their logic unfortunately just doesn't make much sense to me. Just another reminder to never trust a label!

Guest Post By Heather - Lily’s Village

I'd heard the saying "It takes a village to raise a child" more times than I can remember in my life. However, it wasn't until after my beautiful daughter, Lily, was born, that an unexpected event changed my life. It was through this event that I truly understood the meaning of the statement. I saw firsthand a living, breathing representation of my own personal "village" show up at critical point of my life.
My daughter was born on August 4, 2005 and my husband and I were thrilled of course. Unfortunately, my happiness was short lived. It was only three and a half months later when I received news that would change my life. November 21, 2005 was the day I was diagnosed with cancer. The cancer I had was malignant pleural mesothelioma, a cancer in the lining of the lung caused by asbestos (which I had unknowingly been exposed to as a child). Symptoms of mesothelioma are difficult to notice as they mimic common ailments. As I absorbed the fact that I had mesothelioma, I couldn't help but think about the little girl I just given birth to, and what this diagnosis meant for her.
If I had done nothing I was told I'd have a little more than a year left to live. Because my mesothelioma prognosis was grim, I decided to move forward with a very drastic treatment option. It was called extrapleural pneumenectomy and required the surgical removal of my left lung. The surgery kept me in the hospital for almost 3 weeks and after 2 months of recovery; I was to begin chemotherapy treatments I had to do all of this while adjusting to being a new mom who couldn't always be with her daughter. Without the help of my village, I am certain I would not have been able to make it through. 　
My daughter Lily was with my parents while I had my surgery in Boston. While my husband and I were in Boston fighting to keep me alive, we were surrounded by people in similar situations who understood what we were going through; they showed us love and support and helped us get through each day. My parents were experiencing the same thing back in South Dakota where I'd grown up.
Lily was with my parents who received a ton of help as well. There were little girls who I had baby sat for who had become mothers themselves offering to care for Lily when my parents had to work. So many of the people I'd known over the years and had gone to church with showed up and offered their support in one way or another. We were all so absolutely grateful for the outpouring of love. Because of everyone who stepped up to help in some way, Lily was able to grow and thrive while my husband I were able to focus on my health.

Heather and Family

Today, the nurses are gone and I no longer have to see my child via the grainy printed email pictures my mother would frequently me while in the hospital. Although my daughter is with me now, my parents have a unique bond with Lily because they were present for so many firsts in her life.

My entire family now has a new appreciation for life and the many blessings in it. The road has not been easy, but we have learned to embrace whatever life sends our way. Cancer, in many ways, has taught us so much about the beauty of life.

To learn more about Heather and Mesothelioma visit her blog at www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/heather

You can also follow Heather on twitter @HeatherVSJ

Sol Sunflower Beverage Review

I am so excited to share Sunrich Natural's NEW non-dairy beverage. SōL, a non-dairy, gluten free, soy free and tree nut free sunflower beverage, is a great alternative to milk. It is made from allergy-friendly sunflower seeds, an almighty super food full of antioxidants and phytochemicals that help neutralize cancer-causing free radicals and slow down signs of aging. Who knew?

Okay, so aside from the fact that SōL is loaded with Vitamin E, Phosphorus, Folic Acid, Calcium and Vitamin D, just to name a few, I'm particularly excited about the food allergy awareness the company has to offer.

“The journal Pediatrics recently confirmed what many American parents and teachers have suspected – that food allergies are increasingly prevalent among children in this country,” said Tina Nelson, vice president of Sales & Marketing, Consumer Products, SunOpta Grains & Foods Group.  “With 8% of U.S. children suffering from food allergies, and 40% of those kids having a history of severe reactions, parents and schools are looking for a greater selection of foods and beverages that are free from allergens such as tree nuts, which can trigger fatal or near fatal reactions.  SoL™ is made with wholesome sunflower kernels.  It’s a delicious, allergy-friendly beverage that everyone – not just those who can’t drink dairy, almond, or coconut milk – can enjoy.” 

They seem very dedicated in helping those with food allergies find healthy dietary alternatives.

So as far as my review goes, I gotta be honest in that I am not a big fan of soy or almond milk. I love regular full on dairy milk and fortunately we have no dairy allergies or intolerance's that prevent us from drinking milk, so I don't have much to go on comparison wise. However, my husband does try to avoid regular milk and dairy as a personal dietary preference.

The problem is that too much soy is said to elevate estrogen levels which, lets face it, kinda puts up a red flag for any man, including my husband. Other then possibly interfering with a mans ego, a rise in estrogen is a risk factor for breast cancer as well. (Yes, men can get breast cancer too, in case you where wondering.)

Another side effect of too much soy is hypothyroidism. So basically, as much as my husband would like to stay away from dairy, he is left with limited options given the risk factors of too much soy and  my son tree nut allergy obviously eliminates almond milk. This is why I was so excited to find SōL sunflower beverage. The health benefits are obvious and after a taste test it was clear, this was the way to go.

SōL is very close to almond milk as far as consistency, according to my husband (I have never had almond milk). In fact he preferred the thickness of SōL over both soy and almond milk. We tried the original, which I thought was pretty sweet, but they also make a Vanilla and an unsweetened which I think would work best for cooking.

Recipes using SōL can be found at http://www.sunrich.com/health.html. I have been using the original in smoothies and it's great. I think I'm gonna try the vanilla next. With a little added sweetness, I think it would make a great replacement to those artificial coffee creamers.

SōL comes in shelf stable, 32oz containers and is sold at fine health food stores and natural food retailers nationwide or at Amazon.com. I found some over the weekend at our Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market. It retailers for $2.69. To learn more about SōL, visit www.sunrich.com.

Too Good to be True

Yep. Some things are just too good to be true. After A's last visit with his allergist I was absolutely sure he had outgrown his allergy to tree nuts. His skin test came up negative and all we needed to do was a simple oral challenge, that I was certain he would pass with ease, and that was it; we would finally be "normal".

Ha! That will teach me to get my hopes up! Apparently my motherly instinct was on vacation.

I am sad to say that A never even made it past his skin test. When we went in for the oral cashew challenge I was in it for the long hall; sure we would be there all day. I packed his video game, they had movies and LEGO'S ..... this was gonna be a cake walk.

Okay, so I would be lying if I said I wasn't the slightest bit nervous. Thank god! I have never had to use the epi-pen so the thought of this day possibly being that day, did send me into occasional moments of utter fear. However, my instincts (you know, the ones that forgot to tell me they would be on spring break!) wouldn't let those thoughts take over for long.

The nurse came in, scratched his arms and boom! Our visit was over as quickly as it started. The hives appeared almost immediately and my heart sunk. Seriously?! I was shocked, heartbroken, and angry all at once. It was not suppose to go like that. He was gonna start elementary school next year like all the other kids. He was gonna go to every birthday party, share snacks with his friends, go out for ice cream, and never have to say the words again, "does that have nuts in it?" Labels would be a thing of the past.

And here we are. Reality kicked me in the ass ..... Hard!

DIY Keepsake Growth Charts

I have been searching for a growth chart for my boys for some time now, but most of them are so cheesy and/or super expensive that I just haven't been able to bring myself to buy one. I wanted something that would last for several years so that I could continue to track their growth, well, as long as they would let me. I needed something very classic, not babyish.

Many of you probably remember having that one wall in your house where your parents would mark your height and either your age or the date. I still look at the wall used in my dad's house and it brings back so many memories. That's what I wanted, but unfortunately we rent so that was automatically out of the question. Then I found the coolest portable growth chart kit on WhipperBerry. It was exactly what I was looking for.

The idea is that when my kids move on, I can roll up their growth charts and put them away till they have children of their own. Then they can either use the same growth chart for their kids or just keep it as a memory. This is why I suggest making one for each child. Don't worry, it is so cheap and simple, you ll have no reason not to make one for each of your children.

I'm not gonna bother with the tutorial because Heather did such an amazing job with hers, there is really no need to try and duplicate. You can check out her DIY Baby Gift ~ Portable Growth Chart Kit here.

How to catch a Leprechaun

Aside from wearing our green this St Patrick's Day we will be attempting to catch ourselves a leprechaun. Now I'm no expert on leprechauns, but from what Ive heard, they are greedy little guys who like to play pranks. They are also nearly impossible to catch, but that wont stop my little guys from trying. They have been hard at work on their leprechaun trap all day.
If you'd like to try to catch a leprechaun tonight with your kiddos here are a few things you may want to consider when building your trap:

Leprechauns love the color green, especially green clovers which represent good luck. They are also attracted to rainbows. It is said that a pot of gold lies at the end of every rainbow and being the greedy little guys that they are, they are constantly on the look out for gold and jewels. We are filling our "pot of gold" with lucky charms to lure a little guy in, but chocolate gold coins would be really cute too.

There is a trap door in front of the "pot of gold".

As Cobblers, or shoemakers, by trade I'm thinking a few pairs of shoes might do the trick. I think we will leave our trap out next to some shoes at the front door. Just need to figure out how to keep the dog out of the lucky charms. Hmm?

My kids are loving this project! Just hope they aren't terrified to go to bed tonight with the thought of a strange little green man coming into the house while we're sleeping. Haha!

If you do decide to make a leprechaun trap with your kids, please feel free to share a picture. You can leave a link in the comments below or find me on twitter @OCFAmom. I cant wait to see what ideas you and your little ones come up with.

A King has been named.

My husband was making jambalaya for dinner last Tuesday and I decided to get into the spirit of things as well. So, on a bit of a whim I made king (cup)cakes for Fat Tuesday.

I had originally wanted to make an actual king cake till I realized, that wasn't exactly the type of thing you just whip up at four o'clock in the evening, so I used king cake as more of an inspiration per se. Basically this meant I used a lemon flavored box mix and added a tsp of ginger since as far as I know, which isn't much, lemon and ginger are two key components of a king cake.

Though much by accident, I made my batter egg free. That's what happens when you forget to check and see that you have all your ingredients before you begin. Oops! Wouldn't be the first time, which is why I knew to substitute 1 Tbsp milled flax seed mixed with 3 Tbsp water for each egg. However, if you have egg allergies, want to make something vegan or you just screwed up and forgot to check your eggs like me, I would suggest using 1/4 cup of mashed banana or applesauce as an egg replacement instead, but surprise! I didn't have those things either, so flax seed it was.

A king cake is like Mardi Gras on your plate. Covered in gold, purple and green, presentation is key with this hideous looking thing. So for my cupcakes, I divided my batter into three bowls and mixed in food coloring so that I would have a rainbow of cake mix to work with.

I added a spoonful of yellow, green and purple to each cupcake tin.

The thing that truly sets the king cake apart from ordinary cakes, other then the fact that it looks like an Easter wreath and is stuffed with pantry randomness, is the plastic baby hidden inside. Apparently the plastic baby is suppose to represent baby Jesus, so Ive heard. Whoever finds this baby inside their piece of cake either earns the title of "King for the day" or has to make the cake next year. Something like that. I decided to go with the king for the day bit. Oh, and I also went with a plastic army man. It was the closest thing I could find to a plastic baby laying around the house.

I mixed a little confectioners sugar and water with intentions of drizzling some icing over the cupcakes, but wouldnt ya know it - I ran out of confectioners sugar. I was over it by this point. I half ass decorated a cupcake and called it good.

If your wondering who found the army man?... Well, nobody. At least nobody that night. Hey, it wasn't exactly your normal king cake, so who said the army man actually had to be found on Fat Tuesday? He eventually was found though and 'A' was pronounced "King for the.... well, rest of the Night".

(No army men where harmed in the making of these cupcakes)

Shame on Westboro and their irrational disicion to protest Powell boys' funeral

I am so disgusted and saddened by the news this morning of the Westboro Baptist Cult, I mean Church, and their ignorant disicion to protest the funeral of the two Powell brothers who where killed by their father last Sunday after he deliberately set fire to their home in Washington state (as if that's not sickening enough). The reasoning behind their mindless protest? They actually are naive enough to think that Josh Powell, the boys father, was punishment for Washington's decision to legalize gay marriage. What the, excuse me, fuck are they thinking? Better yet, why are they not thinking? That is the most absurd thing Ive ever heard, and Ive heard some pretty absurd shit. Have these sweet little boys not suffered enough? Let them rest in peace, please!

It is uneducated organizations like the Westboro so called church that give Christianity a bad name. Shame on them for using god as their platform to spread their hatred!

My husband, god bless him, was so upset by this story that he decided to call the Westboro church this morning in hopes of maybe indoctrinating someone with some actual scripture and respectable moral value, but was further aggravated when sent directly to an automated system prompting him to choose whether he was a veteran or a patriot. Upon choosing patriot, he was then directed to another automated message criticizing his patriotism because of the acceptance of gays in our country. Infuriated, he was not able to listen to the entire brainwashing message and hung up.

Westboro should not have the right to call themselves a church. A church is a place of worship; Wesrboro is a place of prejudice.

"There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you - who are you to judge your neighbor?" (James 4:12)

Chocolate Avocado Banana Pudding

I had tons avocados left over from Superbowl Sunday that needed to be used. I am not a huge avocado fan and my husband was a little burnt out on guacamole so I decided to try something new.

My Chocolate Avocado Banana Pudding. Yum!

There is a Chocolate Pudding recipe in Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious that uses avocado's. Seeing that my kids are a little on the small side, we're talking 5th percentile for weight, I thought a little avocado in their diet could do some good. However, Jessica's recipe calls for an entire cup of confectioners' sugar, which lets face it, is a lot of sugar. Kind of defeats the purpose of hiding the avocado in the pudding, so I decided to change it up a little and not only cut out the sugar, but eliminate the stove, saucepans and even add a banana.

Here is Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious Chocolate Pudding recipe:

Ingredients

1/4 cup trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread
1 cup avocado puree
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup cornstarch

In medium saucepan, melt the margarine over low heat. Stir in the avocado puree, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Cook, mashing well with a silicone spatula to smooth out any lumps of avocado, until the mixture thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Off the heat, gradually stir in the cornstarch. Serve warm.

Here is my simplified version:

Ingredients

2 avocados
1 banana
1-2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar (optional)
3-4 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon or cayenne pepper

In blender, puree avocados and banana with agave nectar or honey till smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and cinnamon or cayenne. Pulse till creamy adding water in small amounts if necessary till desired consistency.

This was so good! Your kids will never know its made from avocado. I even froze some in Popsicle molds for the kids and it came out almost like a fudge. Very rich. If you like dark chocolate, you are sure to love this!

A very happy "A" with his pudding pop.

Distressed Red Dining Chairs

Several years ago, my now mother-in-law gave my husband this picture that we have notably dubbed Jose, for obvious reasons. We have since then, used Jose as the inspiration for out dining room. Having said that, I think Jose is well deserving of a new frame or maybe matting, but for now he's just gonna have to let my new chairs take the spot light.

Jose

Ive been on a bit of a DIY kick lately. I think it was the success of my cork ball that really got me going, but this has been my biggest, and probably most useful project. I painted and distressed a pair of dining chairs that I found on Craigslist for $20 each which may seem a bit pricey, but they were exactly what I was looking for and in pretty good shape.

One of my chairs BEFORE

First, I enlisted my husbands help for the dirty work, and sanded the chairs down. Then with a little help from Jose, I decided to paint the chairs red. I chose Rustoleum spray paint, cause its easy, in Colonial Red.

I let the chairs sit over night to dry. Then came the distressing part. I wasn't totally sure what I was doing here so I pretty much winged it and lightly sanded the edges of the chairs down. Then I went over the chairs with a Minwax Dark Walnut stain.

One of my chairs AFTER

I'm pretty happy with the way the chairs turned out, however I could have done a little more distressing. I was a little weary about sanding the chairs to much before applying the stain though. Nothing two little boys armed with matchbox cars and super hero figurines can't fix, I'm sure.

I do love the color! Wish I could say it was intentional, but the color came out almost identical to the red on my new talavera pot. Very cool!

Next, I plan on using the same color on my son's dresser. Would love any tips you have for distressing furniture with paint. Should I have used a primer? What about a protective top coat of some sort? Is there a specific size of sand paper that works best for sanding down my newly painted piece before applying the stain?

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Cork Balls: Another reason to drink more wine!

It's no secret I like my wine. The problem with that though is, or was, the enormous cork collection I have accrued over the years. So, I decided to get creative and did a little research looking for ways to use old wine corks. Most of the ideas I found where a bit cheesy. Who's really gonna wear a pair of cork earrings? (No offense to those of you who do.)

That's when I found it. The Cork Bowling Alley (cause that's not cheesy). It was like a big ray of sunshine! Someone combined to of my favorite things, wine and bowling. Yes, I love bowling. Go ahead and laugh. It gets better; I even have my own ball with my name on it. Oh yeah!

I'm not big on art, but the cork bowling ball was pretty damn cool. I did a search for cork balls and found that they've actually become quit the rage since this Anthropology window display.

How cool are these? I immediately jumped on the crafty DIY bandwagon and was on my way to my very own cork ball.

What I used:

40 wine corks; cut in half (It's not necessary to cut corks in half, but obviously requires the use of less corks).

garden sheers for cutting corks; if you decide to do so.

4" Styrofoam ball

hot glue gun with several glue sticks

moss

glass of wine (optional)

How I used it:

After cutting my corks in half with the garden sheers (you could use a sharp knife, but I found the sheers worked much faster and were a lot easier), I simply started gluing them to the foam ball. I used a dot of glue on the cut end of the cork and pressed firmly to the ball for about 10 seconds. Following no particular pattern, other then keeping the corks as close together as possible, this took about an hour and a half.

At this point, you could totally leave the ball as is. I chose to use the moss to cover the small white crevices that showed between some of the corks by placing a small dot of the glue into the gaps and pushing in small pieces of moss. Be careful though; the glue is HOT! I figured this out the hard way. I used a toothpick in a couple spots to push the moss down into the hot glue. It did get a little messy.

Instead of the moss, you may want to try painting the Styrofoam ball first, like Nicole did here: http://glamorousgranola.blogspot.com/2011/08/pinterest-challenge-cork-balls.html Great idea!

I foresee many cork balls in my future. I think they'll be cute for hanging outside this summer or if anything, serve as a good conversation piece.

*Want your own cork ball without all the work? Get them at Etsys.