Recycled wood pallet wall boards

I really like the way this would look on a feature wall.

Coffee table made out of a recycled wooden pallet

I really like this.

Pallet bench and table

Available to purchase from Etsy but I would think it would be pretty easy to build on your own like this one here.

Easy to build cabin plans

A series of small and easy to build cabin plans from Cherokee Cabin Company.

144 square feet.

144 square feet

168 square feet

288 square feet

They all harken back to a simpler time and place.

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Dill Butter Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 ears corn, silks removed, husks left on, and soaked in cold water for 20 minutes
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat grill to high. Remove corn from water and place on the grill. Close cover and grill until just cooked through, about 20 minutes. While corn is grilling, combine butter and dill in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove husk and slather with dill butter.

The deck box

 After wanting one for a couple of years for the cabin, we finally picked up a deck box today.  

After looking around at a bunch of places and finding ourselves unimpressed with what $100 will get you, we decided to get a Rubbermaid Roughneck Jumbo Storage Tote for $20.  I realized that I didn't want the kids to get into it and the racoons often wreak havoc at Arlington Beach.  The last thing I wanted to do was buy $100 wicker deck box and have something eat through it.  It's big enough to keep balls, nets, and outside stuff out of the way and organized and cheap enough that if it gets wrecked, I won't feel bad about it.   Plus, this is water proof and the fake wicker boxes are not.

Once we close the cabin up for the winter, it will come inside so as long as I can keep Oliver off it, I can't see it taking that much abuse. 

Flora Bora Forest Lodging

Stay in a yurt less then two hours away from Saskatoon at Flora Bora Forest Lodging!

With one of a kind ambiance and style, each yurt was thoughtfully designed for luxury and comfort.  The yurts sleep 4 people and are equipped with full kitchen and bathroom. Included is all your cookware, fridge, cook top, toaster, coffee maker, complimentary fair trade coffee and tea, dish soap, towels, bbq, and handcrafted soap. For your cozy enjoyment there is, bathrobes, beds topped with lush down duvets, and all linens are supplied. There are no TV’s in the yurts however there  is plenty to do here and you may find it a nice break disconnecting from your electronics.   There is a selection of board games available to rouse that competitive spirit while reconnecting with loved ones. On your deck, there’s your choice of Adirondack chairs or stringing up one of the provided hammocks and relax under a canopy of trees.

About the setting

The secluded natural setting of Flora Bora provides an escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life with its peaceful atmosphere. Flora Bora Forest Lodging provides access to some of the best lakes and other outdoor experiences that the pristine wilderness of North Central Saskatchewan has to offer.

The beautiful surroundings of Flora Bora offer hiking, canoeing and exploring just footsteps from your front door. Situated on Tuddle’s Lake it is a birdwatchers paradise and a great place for a paddle. Guests are encouraged to indulge in the edible treats cropping up in the on site organic gardens.

The deluxe yurts are situated for maximum privacy and are complete with all the comforts of home with a fully furnished kitchen, bathroom, queen size beds, and private deck.

Sounds fantastic.

Build your own cabin for about $4000

Here is how to build a 14-by-20-foot cabin featuring a sleeping loft over the porch for about $4,000.

Tenting in style

Fireside Resorts in Jackson Hole, Wyoming has taken tenting to a whole new level.

As the resort describes it

Glamping, the new term being used for upscale, or glamorous, camping is one of the fastest growing trends in the eco-luxe hospitality industry. Glamour camping offers all of the attractions of Jackson Hole camping: sleeping under the stars, sitting around a campfire, falling asleep to the sounds of nature, etc., while taking all of the hassles out of the experience (pitching a tent, lugging gear and food, sleeping on the bumping ground, collecting firewood, etc.). It then attaches the comforts of a luxury hotel room: ultra comfortable king size bed, luxury linens, concierge and cleaning services, etc. Collectively, the result is a completely extraordinary experience. Welcome to the future of Jackson Hole luxury lodging.

Refresh yourself in your Glamping Bathhouse, which hosts private, luxury washrooms – including rain showers, heated floors and indulgent organic spa products.

Relax around your outdoor fire as the day turns to night. Need anything? Out of marshmallows? Our Glamping Butlers are just a phone call away. Enjoy Jackson Hole as our professional service staff cleans your tent in preparation for your return.

Lake Buchanan Guest House

This guest house, situated above Lake Buchanan northwest of Austin, Texas, provides more than just extra sleeping space. The low-energy, zero-maintenance house is powered by a rooftop photovoltaic system and sources all of its water from the sky. Designed by Mell Lawrence Architects, the Mod Cott guest house is a modern residence that enjoys lovely views of the surrounding Texas landscape.

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Leather Bicycle Seat Bag

While it might not be a ton of extra space, every little bit counts when you are biking.  Crafted from hand finished vegetable tanned leather, this is another design from the team at Walnut Studio. Gaining its inspiration from classy antique steamer trunks and St. Bernard barrels, this little seat bag makes a great addition to any bicycle.

Campfire Fish Fry Recipe

Ingredients

Fish Fry

• 2 lbs fresh local fish fillets, skin off (pickerel, lake trout, perch or bass) cut into 1-inch cubes (0.9 kg)
• 1 bottle of Muskoka Pale Ale beer
• 1 egg
• 2 packages Fish Crisp Coating: 1 Cajun and 1 Regular mixed together
• 1 extra large ziplock style bag
• 1 litre canola oil
• 1 thermometer for the oil temp

Tartar Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise (250 ml)
• 1 tbsp sweet relish (15 ml)
• 1 tbsp minced onion (15 ml)
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (30 ml)

 

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Mix egg and beer together, then add fish and let sit. In ziplock bag, mix the two fish coatings together. Drain fish and add to coating bag. Shake well to coat fish pieces. Drop into 350-degree oil (use thermometer) that has been heated in a cast iron skillet and cook until the fish pieces float and have a nice golden brown colour. Take out of oil and put onto a paper towel lined plate. Season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
2. Combine all tartar sauce ingredients and let stand for an hour. Good for 3-4 days in fridge.

Tip: Always fry outside because fish has a strong smell. Also, there will be less chance of causing a fire if you use a turkey deep fryer.

Tip: Get a store butcher to fillet and skin the fish for you.

The Tiny Midwest

The story behind the Tiny Midwest can be found online here.

Steak Marinade Recipe

This is a great steak marinade that comes from Broil King.  The key is to use your Jaccard Supertendermatic 48-Blade Tenderizer first and then let it sit for two days.

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
• 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. In a heavy, resealable plastic bag combine the remaining ingredients.
2. Marinate the steaks for 1 hour at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. If refrigerating, bring steaks close to room temperature 1 hour before grilling for more even cooking.

You can check out our guide for cooking up the perfect steak here.

Sunset Acres Resort

On the weekend, Wendy, Mark, Oliver, and I drove the 2.3 kilometres from Arlington Beach to Sunset Acres Resort along Last Mountain Lake.  It's a little premature to say it's a resort as there is a road and some lots there along the beach and nothing else.  

In fact, one of the photos they use to promote Sunset Acres is actually of Arlington Beach.

With lot prices at $97,000 and going up, it's not cheap to build a cabin there but compared to other locations on less impressive lakes, there does seem to be some value (by comparison, we paid only $250 for our cabin).  On top of the $97k are costs for sewage and your share of the water treatment facility that will have to be built.  It's lake front property but it does come with a price.

While the view of the lake is nice, it's on a really unsheltered piece of land.  Any west wind is going to blowing a lot of dirt and dust on to you and without trees, a windbreak is going to be years away.  Unlike Arlington Beach which has the benefit of a ridge on the eastern side of the community, the land at Sunset Acres is flat.

Of course the positives of Sunset Acres are the proximity to Regina and also the town of Strasbourg which has a hardware store, two grocery stores, a bank and credit union and a pretty nice rural golf course if you are in the mood.  It's a nice place to spend the summer and Sunset Acres has a limited amount of lots for sale.  If you are looking to get away from it all, it's a good place to look into.

Pigs in a Blanket Recipe

Directions

1. The original “blanket” is Pillsbury refrigerated crescent-roll dough; 1 tube of dough is enough for 8 hot dogs.
2. Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C) or barbecue to high.
3. Unroll dough, separate into 8 triangles, and roll a hot dog in each piece. (The ends of the dog must hang out of the blanket.)
4. Wrap each hot dog piece in a narrow triangle, starting at the shortest side.
5. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, seam side down, and bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or on a barbecue over indirect heat for about 15–18 minutes, until golden brown.

Classic Adirondack Cabins

From Thru the Woods

A night of sleep in the wilderness, sheltered from the elements in a log lean-to, is part of an Adirondack tradition dating back to simpler times. Though they have been around for hundreds of years, they have not outlived their usefulness. If you have ever spent a day hiking over peaks in the North Country, you may know the comforting sight of a lean-to as you round the last bend at the end of a long expedition.

A lean-to can be a refuge, a retreat, a shelter, a lunch spot, an inspiration point, and a home away from home. Now you can begin new traditions near a babbling brook, or perched on your mountain with a view of the landscape. In a solid handcrafted lean-to from Thru the Woods.

The Modern Pre-Fab Home

The Bunkie is like a cool, modern playhouse for grown-ups. The prefab structure is a collaborative effort between industrial design firm 608 Design and architectural design firm BLDG Workshop. 

The Floating Farmhouse

Sited at the edge of a pristine creek, with a waterfall cascading over an ancient dam of hand-laid stone, the Floating Farmhouse was a sinking ship when first discovered. After a design and rebuild process spanning four years, the 1820 manor home is now a study in contrasts: fully restored to its period grandeur while featuring purely modernist elements, including a curtain wall of skyscraper glass in the kitchen, polished concrete and steel finishes, minimalist interiors, and a cantilevered porch "floating" on the surface of the water.

Amazing.  You can find more photos here.

A Floating Retreat

How awesome is this place?  A floating Swedish retreat.

The Ehermitage by Mats Theselius

Another great design by Mats Theselius

The Eremitage (the hermitage) is Mats Theselius’ latest contribution to Arvesund. The Eremitage is originated from a discussion about a bigger nest for solitude and silence. But with its fifteen square meters it was so big that the conception of a “cabin” seemed too small for it. That’s the reason for the new name.

“In a way the Eremitage is a natural evolution of the Hermit’s Cabin. Also the Eremitage is a place to go to for both experiencing and challenging our most basic needs regarding food and warmth. One thing is important: it should be fun to come to the Eremitage” Mats emphasizes. “Everyone, who arrives at the Hermit’s Cabin with all the things he planned to do, will soon realize that it is more fun to make life in the cabin work than doing what never was done.”

Tiny Houses on Thousand Islands

Here is a collection of the tiny houses of the Thousand Islands, which is the name of an archipelago of islands that straddle the U.S.-Canada border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario.

High Life: Fire Tower Cottage in Montana

A city-dwelling family escapes their concrete confines for something wild--a fire tower in western Montana.

Perched on a mountain overlooking a tree-studded valley, the 35-foot-high, single-room tower completed last summer offers breathtaking vistas of glassy waters, twinkling lights and, of course, miles of blue sky. “Up in the tower, it’s nothing but view,” says Bick, who began dreaming of the tower and its location long before the first timber was raised.
“I visited the area in college and said, ‘If I ever live here, I want it to be on that mountain,’” Bick recalls. After moving to Montana, the couple purchased the 10 acres he’d seen (just minutes from their home) and began planning a cozy, functional space where they could take in the landscape that lured them westward.

The Marie Colvin by Four Lights Houses

A new house design by Jay Shafer (and his new company, Four Lights Houses).  It's a whopping 288 square feet.

The Cube

The main idea of this small house design is the modern cube on a hill – the curious home office of Peter Frazier, overlooking Chuckanut Bay in Bellingham, Washington. Gone are the days of the sterile cubicle where boredom brings you to tears as you count down the minutes until 5 o'clock. This unusual small house plan delivers amazing views of land and bay, with glass on three sides of this compact home and a deck that cantilevers over the slope and lush forest below. 

The Hermit's Cabin by Mats Theselius

From Arvesund

The Hermit’s Cabin is 7,5 square meters and optimal for one person. Insulated and cosy in order to be used all the year round. The cabin is delivered without furnishing. If you want it furnished there is a wood stove with water heater, besides there is a furnishing package comprising bed, chair, wardrobe and a set of shelves. There is also a textile package with curtains, lambskin and bed textiles.

I love it.

In its most exclusive design the Hermit’s Cabin is covered with old barn timber inside and outside. For the interior the old timber creates a unique character. By paneling the outside walls with new calcimined weather-boarding and the inner walls with old timber you get a contrast giving a completely other feeling. Each cabin is custom-made based on the choices of the customer and is delivered as prefabricated building blocks. This makes it possible to erect the cabin on the oddest places where you want to create your own room for solitude and silence. The cabin is of course fit for use the year-around with organic insulation in floor, walls and roof. Galvanized steel sheet for roof, window sills and gutters.