A comforting hot bowl of buckwheat porridge with pear is just the thing to stave off the morning chill of Fall! Surprisingly it also makes a delicious desert any time of year.
Buckwheat Porridge with Cinnamon and Pear
6
Author Archives: Sara
Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
Sweet potato shepherd’s pie is probably my favourite make-ahead meal because there’s enough to eat some the same day and also freeze for later! It’s always a tasty treat to grab an extra one out of the freezer on those days that you just don’t feel like cooking.
Crochet Pillow Cover – Crochet for a Cure
Looking to add a touch of cozy charm to your decor? A crochet pillow cover is the perfect way to combine comfort and style! With just a few supplies and your favorite yarn, you can create a custom cover that’s as unique as your space. Whether you’re a crochet beginner or a seasoned crafter, this project is a fun and creative way to upcycle or refresh your pillows for a warm, inviting look.
A few years ago, this past month was an emotional roller coaster for us as both our moms passed away from Alzheimer’s. While my mom was in palliative care, immersing myself in learning Tunisian crochet became a way to channel my sadness into something positive. As I worked on the design for the Kayla pillow, I would sit by her side, crocheting and keeping her company—a bittersweet memory that now holds a special place in my heart.
Kayla Pillow – Crochet for a Cure
My mom taught me to crochet when I was just six years old, sparking a lifelong love for all things DIY and craft. Now, it feels like everything has come full circle. In memory of our moms, we’re donating 100% of all pattern sales to support Alzheimer’s research. With spring on the horizon, it’s a season of renewal and fresh possibilities—something the Kayla crochet pillow cover beautifully represents!
Watch this brief intro to see what our passion project is all about:
How to Make a Cement Planter – From LED Packaging!
After teaching ourselves how to make a cement planter, it was only a matter of time before we came up with another ‘bright idea’! You might say it was a lightbulb moment :).
We hate to see anything go into landfill! So a few years ago when we changed all our lightbulbs from incandescent to LED, we kept the packaging. That’s because it doesn’t get recycled in our community and I knew I’d find a creative way to use it. Continue reading
Feathering the Nest – Weekend Reading
Come take the chill off, sit down by the fire and read a few random picks from the ne(s)t of my faves this week. We’re cozying down this weekend and avoiding sub-zero temps. What about you? Are you celebrating Valentine’s Day tomorrow? Hubs and I postpone the celebration to exactly one week later because that’s the day we met – so that is our true Valentine’s Day! Continue reading
Lentil Squash Boats – with Delicata Squash
This creamy lentil curry is one of those one pot wonders! It’s great as a side dish or over rice, but recently we paired it with delicata squash and discovered that lentil squash boats are a keeper! Another go to recipe for meatless Monday!
These also make a great side dish at Thanksgiving or any holiday where you want to substitute stuffing. Since we can’t eat ‘real’ bread, this is a great alternative to stuffing and a whole lot healthier!
Mexican Style Stuffed Peppers – Pantry Peppers
Do you ever just hang out in front of an open fridge and draw a blank? Those are the days that we really don’t know what we want for dinner. Well, if you have a couple red peppers, any kind of rice, some canned beans and corn and some jared salsa, you’ve got a quick and simple dinner with this mexican style stuffed peppers. Try it for meatless Monday!
Crispiest Chicken Wings – Without Frying
Love fried chicken? Perhaps you made a new year’s resolution to cut back. Well you’ve come to the right place because these are the crispiest chicken wings ever!
This recipe lets you have all the crispy crunchy goodness without frying! Yes, you read that right – no oil, no muss, no fuss; but all the flaaaay-vour! If that weren’t enough, it’s also gluten free.
Bedside Table DIY with Houndstooth Inset
Today we’re working on a bedside table DIY by making over two retro two-tier end tables! Because these retro tables are narrow, they’re perfect when you don’t have a lot of room either side of the bed. Continue reading
Air Plant Display: Just Beat It 2020!
This last month, I’m looking forward to putting 2020 behind us. “Just beat it 2020 – and don’t let the door hit you on the way out”! So of course, the perfect tie in for our last 2020 project of the year is upcycling this vintage egg beater! As you’ll see, it makes a quick, simple and unique air plant display. Continue reading
Chocolate Bark – Mix it Up with Fixins’!
This recipe for chocolate bark comes out of necessity for wanting chocolate when there was none to be found in our house! Our version does tend to soften when handled too much. So I think the best way to eat it is to embellish a dish of ice cream with it! But keep in mind that you can eat it like chocolate – if you don’t mind licking your fingers after :).
Easy Poutine Recipe – How to Cook Mushrooms
With all the hustle and bustle of the upcoming holidays, nothing hits the spot better than an easy poutine recipe with mushroom gravy. Who really has time to cook when you’re busy crafting for Christmas? We’re huge fans of this Canadian classic! If you don’t know what poutine is, it’s a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy that originated in Quebec.
We’re not only showing you a quick and easy mushroom poutine, but the best way to cook mushrooms too! It really is the best poutine recipe when you want something quick and satisfying.
Stencil Ideas – Befores and Afters
Birdz of a Feather has upcycled some pretty interesting pieces with these unique stencil ideas. With a fresh new year, we’d like to inspire you with 10 of our favourite stencilled upcycles by showing you the befores and afters. Then we’ll throw in a few stencilling tips along the way for good measure. After all, this is a DIY blog! If you miss the link to the project, just click on any of the ‘after’ pictures for the full tutorial.
There’s a lot of projects to view in just one sitting, so bookmark this page and fly in again see them all!
Wooden Sled Decor – Let it Snow!
It didn’t take long for us to do another wooden sled decor project! I guess it’s just the spirit of the season that’s beckoning us to create merry and bright sleigh decor, like our recent Christmas sleigh decor! Continue reading
Breakfast Pizza – Made with GF Matzo!
In this recipe, I’ve combined my love of two breakfast favourites: pizza for breakfast with Matzo Brei; a classic mid-eastern breakfast dish. It’s a tradition to eat foods fried in oil during Hanukkah. I normally make this recipe with butter. However, over the holidays I add some oil in for good measure (and I find it helps to keep the butter from burning).
Matzo Brei is one of those childhood memories that I haven’t forgetten. My Great Aunt made the best version of this dish when I was a kid. She couldn’t cook for beans, but hers was by far the best I’ve ever eaten. I suspect it’s because she used a copious amount of butter! Does food conjure up childhood memories for you too?
Gnome DIY (with Light Up Hat and Glitter Snowflake)!
Give your Christmas decor a little gnome DIY magic! This fun Christmas DIY gnome tutorial will show you how to make a gnome with a hat that lights up! Continue reading
Wooden Planter Box DIY – Christmas Centrepiece
I love unexpected garage sale finds like this tea caddy! Although it’s meant to be a tea bag holder, I saw the potential to upcycle it from a tea storage box into a planter for the holiday season. It could be used as a centrepiece on a table or for decor on a coffee table or side table. Our wooden planter box DIY is going to look stunning with the addition of poinsettias, but choose any seasonal flower to use this in the Spring, Summer and Fall too!
Refinish a Coffee Table – Sewing Table Repurpose
This is the second time in a month I get to refinish a coffee table! Years ago on a trip to the States, Hubs and I picked up a cute little coffee table that was originally a vintage sewing table. We’ve done several vintage sewing machine table makeovers now and they always get me thinking creatively. Surprisingly, we’ve never come across such a short base before! Continue reading