We have a cherry tree in our yard and every year about this time, we get a nice amount of fruit, just enough to fill a few bowls for snacking and also make a wonderful dessert.  

Last year, I made cherry cobbler from the fruit picked from our tree, but this year I was in the mood for pie!  Not one large pie.  Mini pies.  Cute little individual morsels that entice you with their golden crust, and are just enough to satisfy a craving for ripe summer cherries! 

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Something happened last week that made me realize it was high time I learned to make a proper pie crust from scratch.  What happened to prompt that awareness I will share tomorrow, but the truth of the matter is, I realized how could I truly live this long in my life and not have mastered the art of making the perfect flaky pie crust from scratch?   

In years past, when I’ve made pie (like my Praline Pumpkin Pie) I cut that ‘homemade crust’ corner and either bought a premade deep dish or rolled out the frozen crust variety.  So it was time I consulted an expert to teach me how to truly make a proper pie crust from scratch. 

Of course when one wants to master the art of anything, one turns to Google for instant gratification.  Wouldn’t you know it, when I searched for ‘Perfect Pie Crust, up popped Paula’s recipe with rave reviews.

Five stars?  Click.  I’ll try that one. 

First the ingredients. 

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I know this happens to you.  You see something in a catalog or online and you think to yourself, “I bet I could make that for less money” or “I think I could pull off a similar version, but give it my own twist”.   That’s just what happened when I spied the tiered recycled wine barrel planter in the Napa Style catalog for $299.

As I mentioned yesterday, wine barrels are readily accessible where I’m from, and we can find them for as little as $20 a half barrel.  (If you’re local, make a stop at Mission ACE on Highway 12, they’ll hook you up!)

After we scored a few half barrels last week from our favorite source, the mister and I decided to build our own rustic planter, and for much less than the Napa Style version.  Like, $274 dollars less.

Napa Style barrel planter, $299.

CG barrel planter, $25.

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I’ve had wine barrels on the brain ever since we began our plan to spruce up the upper patio.  They’re easy to get here in wine country, and they make the easiest and cheapest planters.  Just about everyone I know locally has a wine barrel for a planter, and I grow tomatoes in mine every year. 

Last week, I made a quick trip to my favorite source for wine barrels.  I had a few projects in mind, one coming up later this week!  A short time ago, they were only $10 bucks, but apparently they’re in high demand abroad hence the price increase.  But still, at $20 dollars for a half barrel, that’s a good price considering the amount of hours that go into the making of one single barrel (see below), and the many uses for the staves (the strips of wood bent to form a barrel).    

Rustic and reclaimed wood is all the rage in home décor.  We’ve seen tree stumps show up as endtables and pallets reinvented in all sorts of ways in interior design over the past few years.  Wine barrels are getting their fair share of reuse too. 

When used as just the right accent in unexpected ways, wine barrels are a fantastic source of reusing real French or American oak.  I love the pairing of natural wood tones with casual furnishings, they always work well together.  I also love seeing products made from reclaimed wood placed in formal settings or in contemporary spaces ~ they have a way of keeping the space from feeling too predictable.  When juxtaposed against anything modern and glossy, reclaimed wood can take center stage.

New wine barrels have a shelf life of 3 to 6 years for aging wine, depending on which vintner you ask.  Most become planters, yet others get turned into some amazing accessories.  I was excited to see so many creative uses for a used wine barrel when I went looking around the web. 

VivaTerra sells several products made out of barrels, like this beautiful stave bread bowl ($95)

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