I WANT TO MAKE THIS: January 2012

Monday, January 30, 2012

Not too long ago, I blogged about uses for empty wine bottles. I figure if you have a lot of these,

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then you'll have a lot of these.

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I thought I'd find out what there is to do with the corks that are left over. I've seen people put their corks in a glass jar, a bowl or even in a coffee table.

Snacking in the Kitchen

All of these do look attractive. I've also seen different types of containers designed specifically to hold your old wine corks.

Wine Gift Blog

There are many uses for corks besides artfully storing them. So many in fact, that I think you'll stop buying your wine in boxes or with screw tops and use only corked bottles from now on. I didn't include all the ideas I found but I believe there are plenty of ideas here to get you started.

For the Home

Champagne Cork Door Pulls

Dollar Store Crafts (with tutorial)

Wreath

Fabulous Foods (with tutorial)

Trivet

Crafty Nest (with tutorial)

Bath Mat
Crafty Nest (with tutorial)

Coaster Making Kit

Wine Enthusiast ($$$)

Cork Board

Crafts for All Seasons (with tutorial)

Frame

Scissors and Spatulas (with tutorial)

Shelves

Home Sweets Home (with tutorial)

Canapé Knives

Yarnigras (with brief tutorial)

Lamp

Zedomax

Coffee Table

Haymarket Designs

Kitchen Table

Beth Marmol, Betty Jane Ford

and Pat Leslie on Osborne Wood

Monogram Letters

Green is Universal (with tutorial)

Decorate a Candle Holder

Two Twenty One

Magnets

Zakka Life (with tutorial)

Place card Holder

Hope Studios (with tutorial)

Pens

Paper, Plate and Plane (with brief tutorial)

Recover a Basket

Chica and Jo (with tutorial)

Or have a Basket made of corks

Scrap Therapy on etsy ($$$)

Glass Charms

Style Baggage (with tutorial)

Key Chains

Simple Crafter (with tutorial)

Stamps

Martha Stewart (with brief tutorial)

Dog Leash

Olive Bites (with brief tutorial)

In the Great Outdoors

Plant Marker

My Chic Life (with tutorial)

Mulch a Pot
I would think you could also put cork
in the bottom of a planter for drainage.

Style Baggage

Or Mulch the Whole Garden

Geekware

Planter Covers

Anthropologie on Coastal Wine and Dine

Teeny Tiny Planters

Rue La La (with tutorial)

Birdhouse

Claiborne and Churchill ($$$)

For the Fashionista

Purse

Quite Mary on Etsy ($$$)

Cocktail Ring

diamblond on etsy ($$$)

Sterling Silver Necklace

Lisa Failoni on etsy ($$$)

Pendant

Connecting Pieces ($$$)

Bracelet

Wristed Memories on etsy ($$$)

Earrings

Maria & Kata Jewelry Creations on etsy ($$$)

Jewelry Display

to hold all your wine cork jewelry

Ann Ross on Crafts for All Seasons (with brief tutorial)

For the Outdoorsman

Fishing Lure

Field and Stream (with tutorial)

Fishing Bobber

Instructables (with tutorial)

There were some things that people have made from corks that were so extreme I felt they deserved their own blog entry. Check back with me because I'll be posting it in the next few days.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

A Dozen Sweet and Savory Cheese Balls

Now that the playoffs are over and the teams are set for the Super Bowl, it's time to start thinking about the menu for your Super Bowl party. One item I recommend that you put on the snack table is a cheese ball.

When I think of cheese balls, my mind drifts to the 60's and 70's. When I was growing up, my parents had friends over once a month for a "card party". I have no idea what card game they played. What I do remember is that the counter was full of food and the guests seemed to be full of liquor.

One of the staple items on the menu was a cheese ball. I don't remember it being made. Instead, I remember it being dumped from a plastic pack onto a plate and then surrounded by crackers. Port wine seemed to be the most frequently served flavor.

Sweet or savory, the following are not your mother's cheese balls. Serve on a plate or make small, individual size cheese balls. You can always go a little crazy and shape your cheese into a football.

If you see a cheese ball you'd like to try, click on the site link below and it'll take you to the recipe.

Enjoy!