New Candle Lanterns from Trash

I found five old solar lanterns in a box in my mother in-laws garden shed. After a cleanup and new batteries . . we found they work but the light was really faint . . . these are some of the first solar lights on the market . . they have a soft, faint yellow light. Compared to today's solar lights they are dim and pathetic. Jim said "toss them" but since they are all metal and glass and a really cool design, I thought I would tear them apart and make candle lanterns out of them . . they turned out AWESOME! Actually, I like them better as candle lamps than solar lights!

The tops are held on with two screws and the insides were easy to pop out. The space where the solar panel was left a great hole for the candle to vent.

The candles are old baby food jars that another artisan on Etsy sent me for the cost of the postage. I have about 100 of them that I am going to make into hanging candle lights for the trees. I took them to a local candle shop and had them all poured in bright tropical colors. (I will post the hanging lights when I get to making them in a week or so . . .)

The bottom of the lanterns had a great cross piece that I hot the jar to . . they can be popped off easy to put a new candle on when needed.
They came out GREAT . . . they are way brighter than the solar lights ever were. I am thinking of putting two in the guest bathroom on a shelf . . they would great in there!

It amazing when you can something you were going to throw away and make something new and better! (makes me want to yard saling!)

Tonights dinner courtesy of Fisher Farms CSA

Friday and Saturday night dinners are my favorites! Friday is when we unpack our surprise bags of vegetables from one of our two local CSA's here.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Before the growing season begins, you pay a share to the local CSA farm, they use the money to plant their crops and during the season you receive a weekly bag of fresh from the farm vegetables. By the end of the season, the produce you receive more than pays for the share cost . . plus, you get to try all types of vegetables you may not normally buy. If there is a CSA near you, don't hesitate to join . . . you can't get produce this fresh unless you grow it yourself.

On Friday, we normally eat an all vegetarian fare . . . this Friday we had fresh sweet corn, so tender it about melts in your mouth and a tomato, onion, basil & mozzeralla salad.

We ate until we popped!

Saturday dinners are usually a combo of CSA goodies and what can be scared up from one of the local farmer's markets. (we skipped Bristow's market today and headed to Tulsa for the Cherry Street FM).

We had sweet corn again, pod peas from our own garden, a cherry street vinegarette potato salad, a huge plate of tomatos & onions with fresh basil and White balsemic vinegar and bratwest off the grill (washed down with a bottle of "V" from the local Stone Bluff Cellars . . . Mmmmm Mmmmm Mmmmmm

Can you tell summer at our house is all about the eating?

Mmmmm . . .breakfast from the Farmer's Market

Don't you love farmer's markets?

I woke up early today and gathered up a box of herbs to take the Bristow Farmer's Market. I included Flat Italian Parsley, Sage, Sweet Marjoram, two types of Basil, and Winter Savory. My car smelled like perfume all the way to town.
I came home with new red potatoes, fresh bread, lemon/poppyseed cake, green beans, blueberries from JoAnn & Willie Peeper (my neighbors just up the highway) and red cabbage (Bob Wyatt said his wife Kris calls it "fish taco cabbage" . . . which just gave me a GREAT idea for dinner!! (thanks Bob!)
When I got home, I had breakfast on the patio (Homemade blueberry jam, stillwarm, sweetened with honey on toasted home baked bread and an endless pot of coffee) . . . .
mmmmm mmmmmm mmmmmm!. . . .


I love corner fruit stands and farmer's markets and all the different goodies you find! It is a new adventure each week. I love the smells, the sounds, the mingling and visiting with townsfolk . . . it seems to bring out the best in people!