summer DIY projects

Today I started feeding my DIY composting bins.

So far I have put in shredded newspaper (soy-based ink), banana peels, garlic skins, strawberry hulls, hair from the carpet, used paper towels, leaves from under the carport, dryer lint and the hard outside of a cauliflower (all chopped up of course).

Here are a couple of pictures of the process of making DIY composting bins.

I got the buckets from the animal lab in the basement of the building I work in. The buckets were used to hold their feed. I bought a 0.99 can of black spray paint from Lowe’s and the stirring sticks are wooden paint stirring sticks from Lowe’s also (no charge). So, my DIY composting bins cost 0.99 + a little effort. Although it is late in the growing season to start composting, I thought it would be good practice for next year. It is amazing all the things that you can put into the compost!

Tonight I also made molds for feng li shu. I will make a 3rd attempt at trying to make the delish Taiwanese pineapple cakes. R and I searched the web high and low for recipes for both the shortbread outside and the filling inside. Here are a few pictures from my mold-making process (made from cardboard and aluminum foil):

ps: Don’t tell the US Post Office that I’m using their Priority Mail envelopes for anything other than shipping.

The “pretty” mold is the one I bought while I was in Taiwan this summer and what I used to help make the new DIY molds.

Another DIY project, from late last night: Dinner rolls made with coconut milk

And while not a DIY project–I enjoyed fresh cucumbers (Ai Yi Tama style) from our garden. Super fresh!