Sunday, April 19, 2009

Terra Cotta Wind Chimes-Tex-Mex Salad Creamy Lime Dressing!!


I love wind chimes and have them all over my yard...I am making these and thought you might also like to make a set for yourself!

TERRA COTTA WIND CHIMES

Easy To Make, Simple Wind Chimes!

These natural-looking flower pot wind chimes will add a touch of charm to any porch or breezeway. They are simple to make, and can be left out in all weathers. Best of all, they cost you nearly nothing!
Wind Chime Materials
Here's all you need:
Five clay flowerpots in varying sizes, none larger than 4 inches diameter (you may already have a few of these lying around the yard!)
Wooden beads (from the crafts store).
For a complete set of chimes, you will need five beads of 3/4 inches diameter, and ten beads of 5/8 inch diameter.
Two or three plastic salad container covers (from the salad bar).
Five one-inch plastic curtain rings (Bates makes these of Luxite, and a package of 15 sells for about $1.35.)
Two or three plastic salad container covers (from the salad bar).
Stained glass paints in varying colors (optional), also from the crafts store.
Approximately 15 yards of nylon or polypropylene garden twine.
Ready
If your pots have been around the block a few times, you might need to give them a bath.
Scrub them with hot soapy water and a stiff brush. After they have dried, check their physical condition by tapping gently with a fingernail. A clean, dry, undamaged pot will reward you with a resonant ring.
Now is a good time (while you are waiting for your pots to dry) to cut your plastic rectangles.
From the salad container covers, cut one each of these sizes:
2" x 6"
2" x 5 1-2"
2" x 5"
2" x 4 1-2"
2" x 4"
Drill a small hole in one short end of each rectangle.
Stain these, if desired, with the glass stain paint, following manufacturer's directions.
Set
For each chime, set aside:
one flower pot
one 3/4 inch wooden bead (this will serve as the clapper)
two 5/8 inch wooden beads
one curtain ring
one plastic rectangle (matched by size to the pot)
one piece of garden twine, about 3 yards long
Go - How to Assemble the Wind Chimes
If necessary, separate your piece of twine into one ply, and tie one end to the plastic curtain ring. Leave about 10 inches free to allow for later adjustment.
Working from outside to inside, feed the free end through the 'weep hole' in the bottom of the pot.
Now feed the free end through one of the 5/8 inch wooden beads. This bead will rest against the inside bottom of the pot to support the chime when it hangs. Adjust until the measurement is as you wish, and mark the string.
Positioning the 5/8 inch bead at your mark, loop the free end of the twine around the bead and insert it a second time through the same hole from the top to the bottom. ****Tighten.
Suspend the pot by the curtain ring and determine the point at which the string meets the rim of the pot. Mark the string at this point.
Slide the 3/4 inch bead up the string to the mark you have just made. This bead will serve as the clapper, and should hit at the rim of the pot.****
Now slide the second 5/8 inch bead up the string immediately beneath the 3/4 inch bead. This bead will hold the 3/4 inch bead in place on the mark.
Loop the twine up around the 5/8 inch bead and back down through it (as you did in Step 4 with the other 5/8 inch bead). Adjust the beads if necessary to ensure that the larger bead still hits the pot at the rim.

Now feed the free end of the twine through the hole you previously created in the plastic rectangle. Adjust length as desired, and tie.
Repeat the above for each of the other four pots.
You're done! From the eaves of your breezeway or porch, hang each pot upside down by the curtain ring. Now mix up a batch of lemonade, and invite the neighbors up on the porch to enjoy the gentle sound of your beautiful new flower pot wind chimes!


SHREDDED TEX-MEX SALAD WITH CREAMY LIME DRESSING

Ingredients:
Butter, for preparing 8 by 8-inch glass pan
1 (8.5-ounce) box cornbread mix (recommended: Jiffy)
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 packet sazon seasoning (Recipe Below)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup salsa
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 head romaine lettuce, cut into strips
Creamy Lime Dressing, recipe follows
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey jack cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar
Special equipment: glass trifle dish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8 by 8-inch glass pan with butter. Stir together the cornbread mix with the egg and milk. Evenly spread into prepared pan and bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cool completely. Mix together the beans with the sazon and season with salt and pepper. Toss the salsa with the tomatoes. When ready to serve, cut the cornbread into 1/2-inch croutons. Toss the lettuce with 3/4 cups of the dressing. In a clear trifle dish, layer the Tex-Mex Salad beginning with the black beans followed by the Monterey jack cheese, the tomato salsa mixture, the Cheddar, the dressed romaine and top with the cornbread croutons. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.
Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson.
CREAMY LIME DRESSING
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup sour cream
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Special equipment: blender
Blend all the ingredients except the olive oil until smooth. While machine is running, slowly drizzle in the oil until incorporated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups


Sazon (Dry Seasoning)
Ingredients
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Coriander
1 tsp Annatto
Instructions
Combine well and store for future use.
Even amounts is all that matters. If you need larger quantities double the amount listed.
Sazon (1 1/4 tsp equals one packet of Sazon)


5 comments:

Tami said...

Another yummy recipe to add to my next menu! Thanks Sue!

Have a very wonderful week!
Hugs~T

The Charm House said...

This sounds like a great salad recipe!!! But anything with cornbread in it is good!!!
LOL
Hugs,
Yvette

Cee Tindall said...

This Tex Mex salad sounds very good. I can't wait to try it out. Loved your terra cotta wind chimes.

Unknown said...

That's a cute idea! I can imagine gardeners would appreciate that especially. Have you ever seen a wind spinner? They are apparently all the rage now.

Debbie Geiger said...

Hi just found you the recipe sounds wonderful will have to try it out on the family for the 4th.