Merci, Monsieur Dom Perignon

 I believe it was the French Monk Dom Perignon who was given credit for the invention of the champagne cork.  Some say he stole the idea from the Spanish pilgrims who came to France with leather sacks filled with Cork.  Nonetheless it was Monsieur Perignon who did in fact come to the conclusion that in order for his Champagne bottles to maintain the essence of their lovely elixir they would need to be sealed with a cork along with a wire basket to ensure a firm hold.

When I found my beautiful kitchen sink on Craigslist, the Cowboy took one look and said, "Cool! It even has the opening for the spray nozzel".  I questioned that, (why I don't know as he's almost always right about this kind of stuff), I thought from the picture that it was some sort of metal tag or label of some sort.  But he was right.  When we picked it up, there it was a nice little hole right below the faucet.  Since the faucet I picked out did not require four openings I had this hole that I just kept looking at each day and trying to be careful not to let water run down into so that it would drop under the sink and get things wet.  The Cowboy will eventually make a tiny Iron and Copper crest for me that will plug it up but until then I just kept looking at it thinking, "Where can I get a cork that size?"  Then it hit me.  A Champagne cork should do the trick!

 I actually have quite a few laying around as I do loves me champagne and I always throw the corks with their little baskets into a jar or drawer for whatever reason I don't know, but I do.  So after a little digging I found this one from Spain. (Only fitting for those purist who truly believe that the Spaniards invented the cork).  It fits like a glove!

I also like to use corks to stab the tips of my knives into so when they lay in the drawer they don't mingle with each other and get dull.  When I bought two of the little paring knives in France 2 years ago that is how the cashier at dehillerin wrapped them for the trip home and I just decided to keep them that way.  Better they not get too homesick.

I'll love my little crest that the Cowboy will eventually bestow on this sweet farm sink but until then I am quite happy with my simple cork.

What do you do with Champagne corks?