Category Archives: DIY

Three Tips for a Greener Wedding Breakfast

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A guest post by Kelly Peterson

If you’re planning a sustainable wedding, you may be wondering how to tackle your wedding breakfast. Although wasted food is one of the most common offenders to carbon footprints at weddings, there are plenty of ways to ensure your guests are satiated in a more eco-friendly fashion.

Here, we share three golden tips for a greener wedding breakfast.

Opt for local, seasonal produce

Whilst some wedding venues require you to use their in-house caterers, others allow you to choose your own. Having control over your catering is a valuable tool when it comes to ensuring it’s as green as possible.

Opting for local caterers who prioritise sustainability in their own businesses, and use fresh, locally sourced produce is the best way to reduce any carbon emissions from transporting food ingredients. If they can, opting for organic produce also reduces the environmental impact of your produce.

Supporting small businesses is a great option, as many are more eco-friendly than larger chain catering companies. Look for green flags such as using free range, high welfare animal products, organic fruits and vegetables, and sustainable packaging. Not only will using seasonal produce make your wedding breakfast greener, it will taste absolutely delicious as well.

Consider alternative options

There’s no rule that you have to have a three-course meal for your wedding breakfast if you don’t want to. There’s loads of creative, fun options that can not only add a unique quality to your wedding but can also help reduce the carbon footprint of your day. Food trucks, grazing tables, buffets and barbeques all help to ensure there’s as little food wastage as possible throughout your wedding breakfast.

The beauty of food trucks is that each meal is made to order, and any leftover produce is likely to be used for following events by the supplier. Adding more vegetarian or vegan options, or even having a meat-free wedding breakfast if that suits you, is another brilliant way to reduce the overall environmental impact of your feast.

Be smart with your add-ons

From your alcohol to your wedding favours, each small element of your celebration has the potential to further boost the eco-credentials of your big day. Try to use sustainable brands, offer fewer dessert options, opt for a smaller wedding cake and use eco-friendly wedding favours. Consider what your guests will actually use, rather than what’s traditional – for example, edible favours are less likely to be left behind at the end of the night.

By making multiple small changes to your offerings, you’ll find you reduce the environmental impact of your entire wedding. If you have to use your venue’s caterers, ask them questions about their food waste policy, as well as their other internal sustainability policies, to ensure their ethics align with your own.

Keep your vision in mind

Ultimately, hosting a greener wedding breakfast is all about making multiple small changes to your menu, to ensure that your sustainable values echo through each element of your meal. By keeping your eco-friendly vision in mind when booking your venue, caterers and suppliers, it’s more than achievable to enjoy your wedding breakfast at a smaller cost to the environment.

DIY project with your kids: a whimsical mailbox

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Collaborate with your youngsters to turn your run-of-the-mill mailbox into a little piece of art and make your mail carrier’s jaw drop! Just be aware that for this project it is necessary to wear a face mask – so it’s only suitable for kids old enough to do that and use a spray paint can responsibly.

Here are the supplies you’ll need:

Medium-grit sandpaper

Painters masks

Painters tape

Aluminum primer

Metal paint spray paint in the beautiful color of your choice

First of all, outfit all participants with protective masks, then start sanding off rust and old paint from your mailbox.

Next, you need to cover house numbers and the mail flag with painters tape (older kids can do that!).

Spray on aluminum primer and allow it to dry.

Then, apply the metal spray paint and let it dry completely. AND THEN the real fun begins! Have your young artists decorate your mailbox – easiest way is using stencils. Want to go one step further? Make a sculpture of your mailbox! Get inspired:

Clownfish
Piggy
Woof!

And the results? WOW!!

Dessert for Father’s Day (or any day…)

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As promised, here come more ideas for a leisurely Father’s Day meal (or Fourth of July brunch, or BBQ, or or or…) – super easy to make and great to prepare beforehand!

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No-bake personal cheesecakes

Need: muffin tin with 8oz cups – lined with plastic wrap.

Finely grind 13 Graham crackers (7oz) with 3 tbsp sugar in a food processor, mix with ½ stick of melted unsalted butter. Distribute mixture between 6 of the prepared muffin cups, press firmly into bottom and place muffin tray in freezer.

With electric mixer, beat 1 cup of heavy cream to stiff peaks, set aside. Mix 10 oz of softened cream cheese with 6 oz of crème fraiche and 2/3 cup of sifted confectioner’s sugar; carefully fold in the whipped heavy cream and distribute among the prepared muffin cups. Freeze until firm (at least 30 min).

When ready to serve, lift cheesecakes out of the muffin cups (using the plastic wrap), set on plates and top with fruit or preserves of your choosing.

The fascination of vintage scarves

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Today I would like to share with you my fascination with vintage scarves – Hermes scarves, to be precise. I know, I know – they are considered a bit conservative these days… but I love them for their beautiful motifs and colors and for the effortless elegance they lend to any outfit. Here I am wearing one of my favorites, a maritime motif in shades of white and blue, with jeans and a shirt:

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I have to admit, I have collected a few over many years, and I’d like to give you an idea why (and maybe get you enthusiastic as well!). Each of these scarves is a little piece of art, printed on silk twill in a step-wise process. The most intricate patterns ever made by Hermes show Native American scenes and contain 140 colors which are printed one after the other! Amazingly, the print lines are 100% sharp and crisp. No wonder these scarves are so expensive! I do not own any one of this collection, but I’d like to share a sample:

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It’s quite amazing, isn’t it? And from a practical standpoint – look at how these colors work with each other, allowing to wear this scarf with so many outfits – ivory, navy blue and black; natural tones, even red. So versatile! Given that the House of Hermes originated as a saddlemaker, many of their classical motifs are equestrian-themed:

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Unsure how to wear such a scarf, how to tie it, how to style it? Here are some examples – get inspired!

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And lastly, given that with hair salons closed, we are all having more-than-average bad hair days, it might be time to bring back this timeless style from the fifties and sixties:

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Start experimenting!!

What’s the hype about Dalgona coffee?

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And what IS it, after all? So, I did some research.

“Dalgona” is a caramel-colored crunchy sugar confection that became popular in Korea in the 1970s and 1980s as inexpensive street food – a whole generation grew up with it. Fast-forward to 2020, during the COVID-19 period: an easy-to-make creamy coffee concoction becomes all the rage – first in Korea, now worldwide – named after the beloved childhood candy for its caramel color and sweet-and-bitter taste.

I had to try it!!

For one serving, whip

2 tbsp instant coffee, 2 tbsp granulated sugar and 2 tbsp water with an electric mixer until it becomes airy, creamy and turns a light caramel color, forming stiff peaks (1 and a half minutes with an electric mixer or 400 turns with a whisk – don’t do that to yourself!).

Spoon over a half cup of chilled or hot milk, stir as desired.

It’s THAT easy!

And it’s actually really good. I have begun experimenting with the flavor – a little less sugar, or adding 1 tablespoon agave nectar for more (soft) sweetness; you can even give it a hint of spice with cinnamon or nutmeg. Koreans top it with crushed Dalgona candy for a sweet childhood memory…

ENJOY!

Summer projects to keep the kids busy and entertained

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The governmental restrictions during the current COVID-19 pandemic – necessary as they are – have made the lives of young parents especially difficult, and with the upcoming summer break it won’t be getting any easier: no sports programs, no camps, and all public swimming pools closed. What to do to keep the kids happy, busy and entertained?

I have an idea – do constructive projects with them so that they feel pride in their accomplishments, and actually learn practical skills. I received tutorials from zillow.com and would like to share a few of their ideas here.

Here’s an easy one to start with: gardening! A garden not only gives you the benefit of fresh herbs, vegetables or flowers, it’s also a natural outdoor classroom for your kids — helping them learn measurements, basic botany facts and an appreciation of nature.

Raised garden beds are easy to maintain and allow plants to thrive, and they are a great beginner project for children to help with.

To make a 4×4 raised garden bed, you will need:

  • 8 untreated 2x4s (each 4 feet long)
  • 4 untreated 12-inch 4×4 corner posts
  • 1 package of 4-inch wood screws
  • A power drill 

To construct the square box, attach two 2x4s to each corner post (stacking them vertically). Have an (older) child hold the boards securely in place as you drill. When your structure is complete, children of all ages can help to pick a sunny spot in the backyard for your raised garden bed and to pour in the soil and plant whatever you like.

Need more inspiration? Take it from community activist and self-taught gardener Ron Finley who became famous for planting community gardens in a bleak part of Los Angeles – to make his neighborhood a better place. Ron has a totally relaxed and common-sense approach to gardening, and here is a little introduction to his “Masterclass” lessons.

The new breakfast fun: pancake cereal!

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Not sure you’ve seen it yet – it’s all over the web and social media these days: pancake cereal! It’s just a new and fun breakfast item, and so easy to DIY at home.

I found this tutorial online:

Looks yummy, right? I made it for my family, and they LOVED it. Here’s the recipe I used:

And if you don’t feel like whipping up the batter from scratch – I have alternatively used Bisquick (their “enriched” pancake batter recipe on the box), and it worked just fine. Enjoy!

No Yeast? No Problem! (Try Our Soda Bread)

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Like most of us, you’ve probably always thought that bread needs some type of yeast. If you are an advanced baker, you were maybe even thinking of sourdough starters. Bread without yeast? Not really… But currently yeast is impossible to come by! During the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of commodities have simply disappeared from the market. Disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer, to start with; followed by toilet paper, kitchen paper towels – and yeast. So what to do?

I’ll tell you. Replace yeast as a leavening agent with a combination of bicarbonate of soda and acid. In plain English: baking soda and the leftover liquid from our yoghurt project! (As you can see, nothing goes to waste in my kitchen…)

Here is what you need to make one bread – 45 min from start to finish!!

Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix 500 g flour (50/50 all-purpose and whole wheat), 1 tsp of baking soda and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt with scant 2 cups of the whey from yoghurt-making (alternatively the same amount of buttermilk OR regular milk mixed with 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white wine vinegar). Stir just to bring the dough together.

It will look shaggy and be a little sticky. Turn out on a slightly floured work surface. Knead just enough to achieve a smooth consistency. Shape into a ball.

Transfer the dough ball to a nonstick cookie sheet. Cut crosswise nearly all the way through.

Bake for roughly 30 min until a golden crust has formed and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

And here is your delicious bread – ready to eat! Should you (miraculously) have any leftovers, just rewarm in a 350 degree oven for ten minutes; tastes like fresh-baked. Enjoy!