Repurposing an old ladder into a pot rack

In case you have an old ladder laying around, Lifehacker has a great idea on what you can do with it; turn it into a pot rack.

Have an old wooden ladder that has seen better days? You can change it into a pot rack by hanging it horizontally from the ceiling and adding pot hooks (standard hardware store s-hooks work fine for this).

The site for Women's Day magazine suggests that you can use a weathered ladder for a rustic look or paint it to match your kitchen. This works best for a short ladder, or you can cut down a larger ladder to fit. You're looking for 3 or 4 rungs unless you have a large collection of pots and pans.

Make sure that you hang the ladder from the ceiling joists to ensure the weight is properly supported. Use a stud finder if necessary to find the joists.

A deck with a cabin attached

I really, really, like this.

Cheesy Spinach Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon soft reduced calorie margarine
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 2 cups fat free milk
• 1/2 pound Velveeta cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 package frozen chopped spinach, cooked, well drained
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash of pepper

Directions

1. Melt margarine in a medium sized saucepan on medium heat.  Add onions; cook and stir until tender.
2. Add remaining ingredients; cook on low heat until the Velveeta is melted and soup is heated through, stirring occasionally. 

Makes 4 servings.

Substitutions: You can use frozen chopped broccoli instead of spinach.

Source: The Soup Bible

Mini Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 Pillsbury Grands! mini frozen buttermilk biscuits
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 2 slices bacon, crisply cooked, cut into halves
• 1 slice (1 oz) Cheddar cheese, cut into quarters

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Bake biscuits as directed on bag. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
2. Beat egg and milk in small bowl with fork until well mixed. In 7 or 8-inch nonstick skillet, heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add egg mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until eggs are desired doneness and still moist.
3. Split biscuits horizontally. Layer cooked eggs, bacon and cheese on bottom halves of biscuits; top with biscuit tops.

Serves 2

Cheese Fondue Recipe

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup of apple juice
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese  
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 loaf of fresh French bread, cubed
• Assorted vegetables or cooked meat for dipping

Directions:

1. Rub inside of large saucepan with the clove of garlic.
2. Bring the apple juice to a boil over medium heat...then reduce to low heat.
3. Toss the cheeses with the cornstarch, pepper and nutmeg...stir into the juice.
4. Cook and stir constantly for 3-4 minutes...or until cheese is melted.
5. Transfer to a fondue pot to keep warm.
6. Serve with cubed bread, assorted vegetables, and cooked meat for dipping.

The Feral House by Matali Crasset

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Spicy Thai Mayonnaise Recipe

Give your mayonnaise some zip.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Thai Kitchen® Spicy Thai Chili Sauce

Directions

1. MIX mayonnaise and chili sauce in small bowl. Cover.
2. REFRIGERATE until ready to serve. Use as a spread for sandwiches.

Makes 1/4 cup.

Dreyfuss Marant Cabin

From the New York Times Magazine

There’s no address — the road has no name . . . it’s not even really a road . . . it seems like it’s in the middle of nowhere,” says the French accessories designer Jérôme Dreyfuss, explaining how to (possibly never) find the rustic country retreat he shares with his wife, the fashion designer Isabel Marant, and their 8-year-old son, Tal.

Surrounded by acacia trees on the banks of the Loing River in Fontainebleau, the tiny clapboard cottage is only 35 miles southeast of central Paris, but it feels worlds away, thanks to its untamed, verdant surroundings and lack of mod cons like electricity, heat and plumbing. (You flush the loo the old-fashioned way — with buckets of water hand-pumped from a spring.) The spartan setting suits the family just fine. “It’s surprising how little you really need,” Dreyfuss says. “The expression ‘less is more’ takes on real meaning here.”

Recycled pallet flooring

I love the fact that this cabin uses recycled wood from pallets for it’s floor.

Here are some other photos of the cabin.

This cabin in Northern Ontario has repurposed palettes as the floor, with windows and skylight recycled from an old family hunt camp and white spruce siding from a local sawmill.

Gorgeous.

The Best Hut

The Best Hut in New Zealand.  Built for less than $1500 using mostly scavenged or donated materials, the treehouse includes solar panels, rainwater collection, a gas-fired outdoor bathtub and a radio-controlled drawbridge.

Crab Quiche Bake Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups half & half cream
• 1 package (8 ounces) imitation crabmeat, chopped
• 1 large sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup soft bread crumbs
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 /2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 teaspoon salt (or a salt substitute)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients.  Transfer to a greased 13-inch by 9-in by 2-inch baking dish.
2. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the centre comes out cleaner. 
3. Let stand for 10 minutes until cutting.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Source: Taste of Home: Casseroles, Slow Cooker & Soups