DIY Life

Thought you had to spend a pretty penny to eat healthy? Sometimes it seems that way, with organic packaged food being all the rage these days. You know you are a creative do-it-yourself-er, or you wouldn't be reading this post, so I have faith that you can eat healthy without losing your shirt.

What we all may forget is that most healthy foods aren't found in the packaged foods section of the market. Instead, WebMD suggests that there are ten healthy foods you can purchase, each for under a dollar or close to it.

Some produce makes the list, like bananas and apples, while some canned and dry foods, like beans, tomatoes, and lentils round out the list. And let's not forget the yogurt!

What does this mean to you as a healthy DIYer?

• You can save money and eat healthy foods.
• It is easy to keep your pantry stocked with healthy foods.
• Teaching your kids about healthy foods and being frugal is a snap.
• Making dinners such as Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and White Beans can be second nature.
• Compiling your own additions to the list of cheap, healthy foods is on your "to do" list. Here are some of mine: frozen organic spinach, fresh broccoli, kiwis, eggs ...
  

Fruits, leaves, and cinnamon have wonderful scents. They make your home smell sweet and comfortable. You could go with scented candles or aromatherapy oils, but I think that these things are too creative to not show off. Don't grind down your dried fruit and leaves for potpourri. Instead, put them on display with this crafty dehydrated fruit garland.

First, you'll want to choose what items to dry out. Try red and green apples, some orange slices, and cinnamon. These aromas will go well together, and the color contrast will make for an attractive garland. The full instructables post teaches us how to prepare each fruit, leaf, and spice. There are a couple of ways that you can do this, but avoid my dried apple disaster and follow the instructions carefully the first time!

There are many hot beverages that are great during cold weather in general, and the cozy, convivial Christmas-to-New-Year's-Day period in particular, but my favorite is spiced cider.

It's more warming and flavorful than hot cocoa, and not as cloying (don't get me wrong -- if you offer me cocoa, I'm not turning it down). The flavor is fresher and often more complex than that of mulled wine; it's also more family-friendly in its unfermented form. It's even a healthy drink for people who are under the weather.

You can get really fancy with the recipes, creating a concoction that's almost more of a punch than a cider and takes as much time to make as a small meal.

However, I know of two ways to make a few servings of tasty hot apple goodness in well under five minutes, with special ingredients that make it easy. You'll find more about them after the break!

Dried apples and cinnamon give that cider smell that is so closely associated with the Christmas season. I wanted to add a little spice to the house and try a new craft so I decided to make a dried apple wreath. This was not as easy as I had anticipated. The main reason being that I seriously lacked common sense when reading the directions! The first dried apple recipe that I found suggested baking them at 350 degrees for an hour. I should have been able to predict the outcome, but I didn't realize how dumb that was until my smoke alarm went off! I did eventually find some better instructions (that's what Moms are for) and was able to perfect the dried apple slices, and that's the one I'll share with you here.

How to dry apple slices

1. Core small red apples
2. Slice them 1/4 inch thick
3. Soak the slices in lemon juice
4. Pat them dry with paper towel
5. Brush the apple with cinnamon or other spice (optional)
6. Put them in the over at 150 degrees
7. Flip them every 2 hours
8. They should be ready in 6-8 hours, just keep checking on them

The galleries show how to make the dried apples. I included a couple of disaster shots so you can have a little laugh at my expense! Once you have your dried apple slices, you're ready to get creative. the second gallery shows how to make a wreath and the third, a quick and easy centerpiece. I'll tell you about both of these after the break.

First, try and share the planning (and expense) with others. If not a neighborhood association, then hopefully a few neighbors will agree to work with you on this.

Second, a fun Fall theme definitely helps put people in a party mood and also makes a party more memorable. Here are some suggestions for an Autumnal celebration: put up a welcome banner decorated with real or faux (paper) Fall leaves. Arrange pumpkins and hay bales at each end of the section of street that's been designated the party area. Balloons are always fun to have around: look for some in Fall hues, like orange and brown. Decorate the table/s with Fall-themed table runners or be creative, arranging small pumpkins, pine cones, apples or leaves amongst the plates and dishes.

Over at Halloween Tree, a site "dedicated to the fun, creative, family aspects of Hallowe'en," there's a list of Halloween program instructions from a brochure put out in the 1930s in Delaware, OH. It made its way to a Works Progress Administration program in Fresno, CA, so it must have been pretty popular around the country at the time. (Delaware, OH, is now one of the further-flung suburbs of Columbus, but it was a little more isolated 75 years ago.)

The selected parts of the brochure that have been posted include a section on superstitions and another on fortunes. The superstitions might be good inspiration for decorating your house or creating a party theme. The fortune activities would make good party games, at least for younger guests (the whimsy means they might be a hard sell for adults).

Catch some details, suggestions, and a word on bobbing for apples, all after the break!

Rubber bands have come up many times in our DIY posts. They are one of those project necessities, serving multiple functions and hosting some of the most creative hacks. I have a little baggie of elastic bands in my junk drawer. They always come in handy, but typically, for simple uses. Consider these slamming suggestions for the humble rubber band and discover some more interesting ways to draw from your rubber band collection.

While I'm a bit skeptical about the suggestion that they could be used as a toddler toilet paper lock, I do love her description of the painted eggs. I remember making these in elementary school, and we used this same technique. It worked really well and was super simple. Stretch elastics around the egg. When you dip the egg in dye, the places where the elastic covered will not get colored. Use different widths and patterns at different stages in the dye process and you'll end up with a really cool looking pattern.

Most people who aren't Jewish usually don't know what Rosh Hashanah is all about: we tend to think that Hanukkah is the big Jewish holiday, and forget about the others. But Rosh Hashanah -- New Year's Day for people, animals, and legal contracts -- is extremely important in the Jewish faith, as it begins the ten-day period before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This year, Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on September 12th.

The traditional symbols associated with Rosh Hashanah are a shofar (a ram's horn, blown to "awaken" people, both in literal and figurative senses) and apples and honey (which represent hopes for a sweet new year). Round challah bread with raisins is also popular.

The great UK blog Crafty Crafty has put together a nice post with a list of links to Rosh Hashanah-themed crafts for kids. There's a little paper shofar made out of a birthday horn, instructions showing how to make apple prints for cards, and links to several different sets of coloring pages, among other things. It's all a fun way for kids to celebrate, or maybe for kids who aren't Jewish to learn a little about the culture of some of their friends.

Shana tova!

As autumn approaches, so does decorating with fall fruit. You've seen the mini-pumpkin mantel displays, the gourd centerpieces and the wheat and foliage wreaths.

You have probably also been privy to the expensive "faux" fruit decor being sold: the glittery pears and apples in crystal bowls or stuck to wreaths, sometimes interspersed throughout topiaries.

How about combining all of these wonderful fall fruit decorating ideas with a unique twist?