Singing In the Abbey

I had to post this because I find it so funny.  I laugh, but only because it is one of my favorite movies of all time.  There is nothing better than the Sound of Music.

Great White Shark

A Harmless Prank

Maybe I have watched too many spy movies, but for some reason I find this to be very funny.  I don't think I would really do it, but just the thought of it makes me giggle.

Jingle in Your Head

Don't you hate it when someone puts an annoying jingle in your head? 

Ha Ha Ha.

I Want to Make Everything on Pinterest

5 Steps or Less

Gardening To Do List

Ok, so if I'm being honest, I have a lot of work to do in my yard in order for it to be as dreamy as I would like.  In an ideal world, all the wonderful pins that I see on pinterest would be fast, easy, cheap, and really work.

This is Wonderful.  Not really what I am going for, because I still need to have room for my boys to throw a football, but there are pieces of this I would like to incorporate into my yard, and it's a great photo to dream on.

When spring finally arrives here in Nebraska, I am going to document all of the gardening ideas I find on Pinterest and will let you know which ones are hits and which ones are total misses.

This is what my yard looks like today.

Papillion, Nebraska, March 2014

I know that some of the gardening tips might even be a miss in Nebraska, but ultimately work for you elsewhere.  For instance, my back yard is right next to a dry wooded river bed.  It is beautiful in the summer, but it gets very overgrown and all kinds of animal life call it home.  It makes it hard to plant and grow things when every time I turn my back something is digging or eating my harvest.

An example is one that I blogged about earlier.

Adding an egg to my holes before I planted Grapevines Was a Miss
The Varmints Dug up the vines, tore them apart and ate the Egg 

The Varmints Also Ate The Banana Peel I Put in the Hole

It's Going to Be Miracle Grow For me From Now On

So in a nutshell, this is the plan....

Wish Me luck:)

Turned Myself Around

How to Clean a Pan With No Scrubbing

There is Nothing Better Than Roast, Potatoes and Carrots

I cooked a roast in the crock pot yesterday and it was wonderful.  The part I really hate though is the clean up.  Have you ever noticed that when you slow cook a roast the pan seems to end up so hard to clean?  With a pan this dirty my Monday morning workout might have to start on Sunday.  I'm guessing scrubbing it clean would not be keeping the "Law of Moses" because so much work would be required.  It's a good thing I have a wonderful trick that creates a spit spot clean pan with no scrubbing.  I learned this years ago from my Aunt Lucille and I guarantee you will still be able to both wash your pans and keep the Sabbath Day Holy.  

Just Add a Little "Dishwasher" Soap and Water
Let it sit for 1/2 hour - Wipe Clean

Any Brand Will Do
Dry or Powder - It Doesn't Matter

How To Cook A Roast

Roast Cooked in a Crockpot

1. Searing meat caramelizes the sugars and browns the proteins present in meat, resulting in more appealing color and flavor. For best results:

a.) Pull the meat from the fridge and set it out at room temperature for a short while before cooking it. This lets the meat relax, allowing the meat's natural moisture to reabsorb into the muscle, rather than staying trapped between the meat's fibers.

b.) Make sure the pan that will be used for searing is hot, hot, hot!

2. We're using a pork roast, but you can sear all types and cuts of meat. Season it with salt (and pepper, if desired). The seasoning will stick to the moist surface of the meat and as it cooks it will form a flavorful seared crust.

• If your meat has been brined or marinated, don't add extra salt.
• Use care if the marinade was sweet or sugary: the added sugars can burn quickly in the hot pan.

3. Depending on the amount of fat in the meat, you might not need to add fat to the pan.

• If you're searing a lean cut--pork tenderloin or chops, chicken, lean beef--add about two tablespoons of vegetable or peanut oil to the pan. (Olive oil and butter have too low of a smoke point.)
• Turn the heat up to high and watch for the oil to ripple. When the oil ripples, add the meat.
• Place roasts in the pan fattiest-side down; add chicken pieces skin-side down. Take care: the hot oil will sputter and spit.

4. If the pan is too cool when you add the meat, it can stick and tear when you try to turn it. Let the meat sear for a few minutes (longer for roasts, shorter for cubed meat or steaks) before flipping it over. Seared meats leave flavorful pan drippings known as fond, which can later be used to make gravy by "deglazing" the pan.

5. Once the meat starts to color, it browns quickly, so pay attention! When one side is seared, turn the meat over.

6. Round roasts tend to roll over rather than stay put. Try to lean the meat against the edge of the pan to support it while you brown each part.

7. To sear the ends of a roast, use extra care: if the meat tips over, it can splatter hot grease over the stove and the cook. Use tongs to hold it up, if necessary.

8. Even though the outside of the meat is beautifully browned, the inside may still be raw. Finish cooking your meat by roasting it in the oven, adding it to your slow cooker, or simmering it on the stove.

Save Image to Computer to Print Recipe

OCD Moment - What to Do?

Hardest OCD Moment of My Life

My sister told me the funniest OCD story.  She only likes even numbers, so when she is on the treadmill she struggles when the mile count is on an odd number and the calorie count is on an even.  She forces herself to stay on the treadmill until they both line up with even numbers.  Now that's funny.

Child Cellphone Safety

This is One Way to Get Rid of Unwanted "Friends"

Don't forget to Delete Them From the Contact List As Well

Hanger Genius-How to Keep Your Clothes from Slipping Off

Why Didn't I Think of That?
It is such a simple solution, Definitely a Pinterest "HIT"

Just add rubber bands to your hanger to keep your clothes from 

"SLIPPING" off.

Healthy Honey/Cinnamon Tea - Pinterest Hit!

So Many Health Benefits

It's Hard to Belief It's Delicious Too

On a cold winter's day, there is nothing like the taste of a delicious warm drink.  Sometimes our family is looking for an alternative to hot chocolate, and since we do not drink coffee of tea, I have searched for alternative drinks.  I like hot cider but my kids don't care for it.  I found a new solution that is not only delicious, it is made with every day ingredients and there are a number of health benefits that go along with it.

The ingredients are simple:
1 cup of hot water
2 teaspoons of honey
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Stir and enjoy.

Warm Cup of Honey, Cinnamon, and Water

Now for the health benefits.  Here is a list of symptoms that can be benefited from drinking a cup of tea every day:  arthritis, bladder infections, cholesterol, colds, heart disease, upset stomach, gas, indigestion, influenza, longevity, pimples, weight loss, skin infections, fatigue, cancer, hearing loss.  https://healthunlocked.com/healthyeating/posts/1153312/17-reasons-to-use-honey-and-cinnamon.

Honey can also be used in place of cough medicine.  According to a health study it can be an effective way to substantially reduce the effects of a cough and help you sleep at night.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/08/01/peds.2011-3075.

Do you ever have these questions?  How to get rid of a cough?  How to sleep through the night when you have a cough?  Drink a cup of this tea before bed.

So Drink UP

Save Image to Desktop to Print

Egg In the Pot - Definately a Miss

I have seen this one posted on Pinterest many times.

I have seen many gardening tips on Pinterest describing great ways to fertilize your plants.  One post said to put banana peels in the bottom of a hole before you plant something and it will fertilize for the whole season, the other one showed an egg in the hole.  I decided I would give it a try and went ahead and put and egg and a banana.  If one is good, two must be better right?  That was my thinking.  I proceeded to plant four grape vines.  The very next morning I woke up to four holes in the ground, torn up grape vines and no sign of the egg or the banana peel.  Turns out the critters could smell the loot and dug up my plants to get to it.  I don't know if it was a raccoon or what exactly it was, but  it certainly wasn't worth losing four good grape vines over.

This is most certainly a MISS in my book.

I Burned 1,200 Calories Today

I Wish I Could Sleep But...

Projects Today

I started my blog a week and a half ago and I am having so much fun.  I decided that since church is such a big part in my life I am going to add a Relief Society category today.  I am constantly making bookmarks, visiting teaching handouts, invitations, etc. so I might as well post them and make them available to other ladies.  No reason to reinvent the wheel.  Feel free to copy any of my ideas and reuse them.

Today I wanted to drop off a little treat to the ladies I visit teach and a treat for my husband and sons to give to their home teaching family.  Together we have 12 families so it can be time consuming and expensive if I don't plan ahead.

When I think of treats I love the most, it usually always starts with popcorn.  Did you know that popcorn has a 44 to one rate of popping?  It is the best food storage available in my opinion.  It has nutritional value, a very long shelf life, and is very cheap.  I buy my popcorn in 50 lb bags at Sams Club so it is always a sensible choice for starting a treat that I need to make a lot of.  We have also invested in a good popcorn popper so I can make a lot of popcorn without much time, but do not feel that you have to have a fancy popcorn popper in order to add popcorn to your daily diet.  You can make your own microwave popcorn just as easy.  I will give instructions for that in the future as well.

So check back in a little bit, I will update the blog with the instructions on how to make a non-sticky caramel popcorn in 1/2 hour.

Easy Open, Ya Right...

Easy Dry Hand Remedy

How to Soften Your Hands

I have notoriously dry hands.  I have spent a lot of money over the years on fancy products to help soften my hands, but then I came up with my own combination that works better than anything I have ever used.  It is simply sugar and hand soap.

Sugar and Hand Soap

One Tablespoon of Sugar

Vigorously Wash Hands Rubbing Sugar Between Hands and Fingers

That's all it takes.  Soft hands with no greasy residue.  

Best Tip of the Day!

The Best Caramel Corn Ever!

On a Sunday afternoon, when you are hungry for a treat that is quick, easy, and yummy, this is the answer to all that ails you.  It is very sticky so we put it in a bowl and eat with a spoon, but oh, it is worth it!

Caramel Corn Made in 5 Minutes

Ingredients

2 ¼ cup brown sugar

½ cube butter

1 cup Karo syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

14 cups of popped popcorn

Directions

Melt butter in medium size sauce pan on medium heat.  Add sugar and syrup.  Bring to a boil.  Boil one minute.  Take off heat and add condensed milk.  Pour over popped popcorn.

To print Recipe Save Image Below on Your Computer, then Print.

Jewelled Cell Phone Case

Bedazzled Cell Phone Case

I found a bin at Walmart that had torn up boxes so the cases were on sale for $5.00.  They were rather odd colors, but who cares when you are adding crystal gems to them.

Cell Phone Case Bling

Case is a bendable rubber

Type in a Letter in Microsoft word, add a fun font and super-size the font, then print out.

Cut out the font and lay on top of the case
Lightly Spray Paint the Image on the case

Add Jewels to the Case Using E-6000 Glue

Ok, I promised to document Hits and Misses.  Guess what, this was a MISS.  After letting the glue completely dry, the entire thing came apart in one big glued sheet.  It turns out that the rubber would not allow anything to stick to it.  Darn:(  Well, after all that time invested I decided I wasn't going to give up to easily.  I remembered I had an old case that was broken.  I was able to apply some glue all over the case and then simply attach the jewels to it with little extra effort.  I then glued a few extra gems to the edges and saved the project.

This is the old broken case I ended up using

So the project ended up being both a hit and a miss.  The moral of the story is, if you want to add jewels to a cell phone case, make sure the case you start with is not made of rubber.

Hits and Misses from Pinterest

I am excited to report on some experiments I conducted over the weekend.  There are so many claims on Pinterest regarding amazing results using common household items.  I am going to do my best to document which ones really work and which ones are nothing more than smoke and mirrors.  The one that caught my eye this week had to do with cleaning the grates on the top of a gas stove.  There was a picture with a before and after shot of the grate.  One was very dirty and the other was shiny and clean.  The claim is if you put the grate in a bag with some Ammonia and seal it off over night, it will wipe away clean the next morning.  Now this sounded too good to be true, but since Ammonia is cheap and scrubbing the grates is time consuming and obnoxious I decided it deserved a chance.  I have three teenage boys who love to make Macaroni and Cheese and it seems to get more on the grates that in the bowl, so I definitely need an easier way to clean up the mess.

Gas Grate Before

I was glad to see that my experiment was only going to set me back $1.00 since Ammonia is very cheap.  After I put it in the bag as instructed, I started to feel real dumb.  I couldn't help but wonder if I was taking myself down a ridiculous path.  All I could think about was how awful Ammonia smells and what if the thing leaks all over the counter, then I will have an awful smelling mess to clean up and still no easy answer to my dirty grate problem.

Put all the grates in a plastic bag where you plan to leave it.
If you try to move it later you will tear the bag.
Pour in Ammonia

Seal the Bag
Let Sit Over Night

This morning I opened the bag and just about got blown over with the rank smell.  Now I knew I was on a carnival ride.  I was a little mad at myself for falling for such an easy trick.  I put the grate in the sink and sprayed it with water.  This didn't even deserve a wipe with a cloth in my opinion.  But what to my wondering eyes should appear, a miracle of all miracles!  Just like the Pinterest claim said, it came clean as a whistle.  No wiping required.

This get's 5 out of 5 stars.  It accomplishes all the of criteria for my blog.  Cheap, easy, relevant, and definitely uplifting.

Missionaries Singing in a Car

The 12 Days of Christmas - Straight No Chaser

Love this!