Category: Hacking This Life

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Going Through the Day On A Post With No Name

Hello! Happy Wednesday! Now, if you read the title of this post, you know you’re in my generation if America’s A Horse With No Name” ran through your head for just a little nano-second! Honestly, I couldn’t come up with a name this week and this popped into my head. I said, “Self, this is good. Do it!” and so there it is.

It’s The Little Things!

You know all those fragrance samples that come in magazines? I used to get slightly irritated when they fell out but then I found a use for them and now I snag every one I find.

In each of my clothes drawers and linen drawers I put an opened one of these samples. It is just a pleasant burst of fragrance when you open the drawer. It kind of takes you by surprise because each one is different and if you’re like me you have forgotten you put one in there.

I am for anything that puts a smile on my face or floats a happy thought around this brain of mine!

Recipe

Sooner rather than later it will be apple harvest time. We are big on local apples here in Western New York.

I have made homemade applesauce since my children were little. I have found an easy way to make it in my crock-pot and want to share it with you.

Crock-Pot Applesauce

12 of your favorite apples

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of water

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Peel and core your apples. Cut them into quarters and place into crock-pot. Put the lemon juice on the apples and toss to coat them. Then add your sugar, water and cinnamon and stir to coat all the apples.

Set your crock-pot on high and cook the mixture for 3 to 4 hours. You want the apples softened with very little mashing needed, if at all.

Eat right away or store in refrigerator in a glass container.

Notes – I added more cinnamon than was called for because I like my applesauce extra cinnamony (Is that a word? No? Well, it is now!).

Dollar Tree Value Seekers Club

You know by now that I like to save money, create things, be rewarded in some way and learn new stuff. Dollar Tree (where everything really is a dollar) has a Value Seekers Club that fills the bill for me. You just join by creating a username (your email) and a password. There is a blog with ideas on do-it-yourself things, decor, crafting, recipes, etc. You get ideas of the month (they also have previous months archived for you) and you’re the first to know about new products online and in the store. There are also member exclusives. Check it out and join by clicking on the link below.

https://valueseekersclub.dollartree.com/

Emergency Tip

A few years ago I was on a trip through the Grand Canyon and surrounding areas with a friend. I don’t know why I was getting sick but my stomach felt awful and I was rushing to the bathroom a LOT which is a pain, not to mention difficult, when you’re on a road trip!

My friend, Deana, mentioned that she always carried peppermint pills with her when she was on a trip for just this sort of thing. She did have some with her and gave them to me. I took one and she instructed me to take another the next time I went to the bathroom. I did as she said and those two pills did the trick! I felt tremendous when I woke up the next morning. I took another one just for good measure but that was all.

If you look them up online you will find that they are taken for abdominal pain and diarrhea.

In the time since then I ordered my own bottle from Amazon and keep them at my house and pack them when I travel. I love simple, little things like this that really work!

Disclaimer! You should always check with your pharmacist or your doctor to make sure that a peppermint supplement won’t be a problem with any medication you are on. This should be done with any herbal or vitamin supplement you wish to take.

Money Savers

– If you have a local vocational school, as we do in our area, check to see what services the various programs offer the public to allow the students to practice their skills. For instance, our local vocational school has a cosmetology program. Students that are at a certain skill level are allowed to do haircuts for members of the public on certain days. We also have a small animal science class at our local school and you can bring your pets in for toenail clipping and other grooming services. There is an auto body class as well and you could be lucky enough to get your car in there for body services. It never hurts to check.

-Always remember to add digital coupons to your grocery store loyalty card. They really can save you some cash! Get the app for your store on your smart phone or load coupons onto your card using your computer at home and you are ready to save!

-Become a YouTube handy person. I was having trouble getting a battery for my weed wacker to charge. I looked it up online and there was a video on YouTube that demonstrated how to fix the problem. No new battery for me!

– Hard breaking and speeding can lower your gas mileage by 30% to 40%. So be chill behind the wheel and make your gas last longer.

– I f you’re traveling by air pick your flights carefully. Experts say that the best days to fly are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. For instance, you would want to travel on a Saturday to a Wednesday to save some serious bucks!

– Are you looking for cheap entertainment? Check out where your local open mic nights are hosted and when. They are usually free and you can see some very talented people. (My son plays professionally and he started out at open mic nights and met a lot of fellow musicians there.)

Have a stupendous week! Let me hear from you if you have something you would like to share or have tried any of my tips, suggestions or recipes.

Remember to tell a friend about my blog!!!! I appreciate all 904 of you!

 

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Smack Dab in the Middle of August

Hello! I hope your Summer is going the way you want it to. Mine has been filled with a lot of visiting with friends, some travel and summer food.

Luckily I enjoy Fall a great deal so the fact that Summer is coming to a close shortly doesn’t bother me. Fall is the lovely combination of warm days and cooler nights. The season provides for some great decorating and getting re-acquainted with warm comfort foods. It really isn’t a bad deal at all!

Before I leap way ahead of myself into Fall, let’s jump right in to what I have for you this week. Remember to let me know if you try any suggestions or recipes. I would love to know. You can do this by commenting on the post or email through the link provided.

Recipes

The following recipe was one of my Grandma Shearer’s. She was born in 1898 and died in 1967. Grandma was a teacher in a one room school-house prior to marrying Grandpa. When I was little we lived in a little house beside them and I would go over to get pickles from her. She had thought her grandchildren would come for cookies but I wanted pickles! This recipe isn’t for her pickles but instead for a delicious sandwich spread.  We are entering the time of year when there are green tomatoes on our plants so this is perfect timing!

Mom’s Green Tomato Sandwich Spread

12 large green tomatoes

6 sweet green peppers

6 sweet red peppers

4 large onions

Grind all four ingredients (think of the size and consistency of ham for ham salad) and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of salt.

Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes. Drain. Then add the following ingredients.

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup flour to thicken

Boil the mixture for 15 minutes.

Finally you add the next two ingredients and combine thoroughly

1 cup mustard

2 cups salad dressing

Grandma’s directions say to can immediately. I put in jars and refrigerate.

This makes a large batch and I always give some away. You could cut the recipe in half or even smaller so that you don’t have any waste.

Fruit Skewers

Recently a friend and I went to a girls’ summer party. Linda found this recipe online and we made them to take with us for the potluck.

You could use any fruits that you like and think would look pretty on a skewer. We purchased a cantaloupe, a honey-dew melon, strawberries and blueberries. The combinations are really endless depending on what fruits you like and of course the cost.

We cut the melons into bite size pieces and cored and halved the strawberries and we were ready to assemble.

The skewers we used to the small wooden ones that you can find in the grocery store or Walmart. The object was just to make the fruit look attractive when we put it on the skewer. Linda handled that job.

I melted white chocolate chips and dark chocolate chips (separately, of course).

Once the skewers were assembled and the chocolates melted we just drizzled the chocolate in a random manner on the skewers.

Our treat was well received at the party and we thought they were easy to do and the cost to make them was not bad. We bought the fruit for $7.98 total.

Charity

Has anyone ever heard of Amazon Smile? Apparently this program was developed in 2013 for charitable giving. If you go to the homepage for Smile which is smile.amazon.com  and do your Amazon shopping there .5% of your total of eligible products will be donated to the charity of your choice. If your charity is not listed on the site you can add yours. I did this as I wanted any moneys to go to Northern Chautauqua Canine Rescue. You can learn more about this at https://org.amazon.com/

Money Savers

  • Routinely call your cable company, internet provider, TV service, etc. to see what they will do to keep you loyal. I just did this and I am going to save big!
  • Celebrate your birthday with free eats. thrillist.com has a list of major food chains that offer free items on your birthday. Check them out! I usually go to Denny’s for my free grand slam for breakfast on my birthday.
  • Online banks and some traditional banks will reimburse you for fees that you incur when you use another bank’s ATM. You have to ask. They don’t volunteer the information. The worst they can do is say they don’t do that.
  • If you drive your car less than 5,000 miles a year you may be able to get a low mileage discount from your insurance company. This is another case of you have to ask about it.
  • Prolong the life of your fruits and vegetables. Wrap them in a paper towel and put them into a container or plastic bag. The towel will absorb the water that causes rot.

Kitchen Hack

Yesterday I made some egg salad and realized that maybe not everyone does what I do to chop the eggs. I learned this trick from my Mom. Simply get out your pastry cutter and chop the eggs up in a bowl. The shape of the pastry cutter works well for chopping in a bowl and it goes supper fast. You just chop until the eggs have reached uniformly the size you desire.

Re-Purpose Project

By now you must have learned that I always have a project or two (or three) going. The following project is the latest endeavor of mine. I bought a vintage French shopping cart from my friend, Geri.  I am cleaning off the relatively loose rust with wire brushes and then I am going to cover the tires and spray paint the cart. French shopping carts had wire baskets on the top shelf and on the bottom. I am going to purchase a basket or box to do my own little riff on the original. For the nice weather this will probably be on my porch or deck when finished. I haven’t decided yet if or how I could use it in the house during the Winter. More to come …………………………

      

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to tell your friends. I still want to reach my initial goal of 100 followers. It might seem an ambitious goal but I am sure I can get there.

Have a wonderful week!!

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I’m Back!

Hi everyone!

I’m responsible for the exhibit building at our local county fair and have been absent from this blog too long! However, 12 hour days for 10 days straight didn’t leave me enough time to post.

Handy Tip

I thought I would share something I learned while getting ready for the flower department in the exhibit building. We usually ask a local florist to donate flower preservative and I put it off so long that we were getting ready for entry day and I still didn’t have any. My friend, June, suggested that we could make our own.  I looked it up and sure enough you can! We had to make a large quantity but to preserve your occasional bouquet at home you could make a much smaller batch. It seemed to work quite well for us. The “recipe” is below.

Flower Preservative

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon household bleach

2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice

1 quart warm water

Stir together all ingredients until the sugar is dissolved.

Recipe

We are heading rapidly toward the harvest season in our neck of the woods. Here’s a neat little recipe that you can use with all those cucumbers, green peppers and onions.

This is something that my mother used to make. I imagine she learned it from her mother being that the term icebox is in the title and people haven’t used an icebox in many decades. My oldest daughter, Melanie, could just sit and eat these right out of the jar! I am sure that she will carry on the tradition of making them with her daughter, Sierra.

Icebox Pickles

7 cups unpeeled cucumbers sliced thin

1 cup sliced onion

1 cup sliced green bell peppers

1 Tablespoon salt

1 cup white vinegar

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon celery seed

Mix cucumbers, onions, green peppers and salt. Set aside.

Put vinegar, sugar, celery and mustard seeds in a pot and bring to a boil. Allow this mixture to cool for at least an hour.

When cooled pour the mixture over the cucumbers. Put the pickles in glass jars and place in refrigerator. They will keep for at least 2 months.

*When I am without celery seed  I use just celery salt in its place.

Money Savers

When I look at saving money I take a global approach. One little money saving tactic might not save you that much but if you take advantage of several it adds up to quite the savings over a month. If you look at what you save over a year it is truly rewarding!

-Ask your pharmacist about the retail price of your medication. It might be cheaper than the co-pay when using your prescription plan.

-If you have homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance and haven’t had a claim in 10 years some companies will give you a discount on your rate. You have to ask because they won’t volunteer the information. It doesn’t hurt to ask. The worst that could happen is that they would say they don’t do that.

-When traveling by air the security check will let you pass with an empty water bottle. Take one with you and fill it once you’re through the check point at a water fountain. It beats paying up to $5 for a bottle in a gift shop.

-Before eating out look for coupons that might be available. You can do this on Google or at restaurant.com.

-Don’t pay for Microsoft Office. You can get a free download of Apache Open Office or LibreOffice. My youngest son used the Open Office Suite all through college. It has everything you need.

-If your car is paid off cancel the collision portion of your insurance. It will save you roughly $300 a year. You are required by most states’ laws to carry liability but not collision.

-If you have a teen driver and they have good grades in school it is possible to get a discount on your car insurance. Ask your insurer! You could save over $200 a year.

Homemade

I made a charcuterie board for myself and one for a friend. Charcuterie is a French term meaning cooked meats or a shop that sells them.  It has come to be used as a term for more than just cooked meats when talking of a charcuterie board. As you can see from the image below, all manner of

hors d’oeuvres can be served on one.

.

You can literally put anything for your guests on a charcuterie board. You are only limited by your imagination.  I created one for my family that was both colorful and tasty. I neglected to take a picture until they had devoured 2/3 of the goodies so I had to use a royalty free stock picture. My board held black and green olives, cheese, pepperoni, crackers, pickles, veggies and dip, etc.

When I was looking into making one the recommendation was to make it the length of your table. It was suggested to be that size so that guests could reach what they wanted from any place at the table.

I made mine 4 foot long and it worked out just fine. I felt that storing a longer one would have been difficult for me. You can decide on the size that is best for you and your entertaining needs.

I purchased  a 1 inch thick and 8 inch wide board. It came in an 8 foot length. Before I left Home Depot I asked the gentleman to cut it in half for me. That made it easier to transport and I was also one step closer to making two charcuterie boards! Before I left the store I also purchased Howard food grade cutting board oil and butcher block conditioner.

I have an electric sander. I used it to make the board as soft and “smooth as a baby’s bottom”. I also rounded off the corners  with the sander. When I was happy with the feel of the board I conditioned it twice with the butcher block conditioner. In between uses of the board I am cleaning it with a clean, warm, damp cloth and using the cutting board oil to treat it. That keeps the board from drying out and cracking.

The charcuterie board has been a wonderful addition to my kitchen! I know my friend has enjoyed her’s too.

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Summer Sundays Reign Supreme

Hello there readers! I now have 62 followers and as you know, my short term goal is 100. Help me get there by encouraging one of your friends to check this blog out and if they like what they read, sign up!! I appreciate all the support!!

We have had some really hot and humid days as I referred to last week. You know the kind, where you facially sweat that it’s embarrassing. My dogs were even not appreciating the weather for a couple days there. No bueno! Or more correctly, no esta bien. (I like no bueno better even though it is not correct!) Today is much less humid and pleasant.

It has been a busy week around the homestead. Meetings, breakfasts, work, baking (Yes, I said baking in this weather and I know I have lost it.), errands. You know the drill. I want to share some of the things that I have done this week with you.

HANDY TIP

I saw on the front of one of my magazines I was reading watermelon cut into little fingers. Of course, I needed to try it and the great news is that I don’t think I will ever cut watermelon the traditional way again.

                                                                                 

First, I cut the watermelon lengthwise all the way through. Next, I cut slices off of each half about 1 and 1/2 inch thick. Out of those slices I cut finger food size sticks. Either end of each slice was all rind and I tossed those. They are easy to serve in a bowl as in the first picture and easy to pick up and eat without a lot of mess. Loved it!!!

Continuing with the summer eating theme, I have a handy way to make s’mores that I learned from a friend of mine many years ago. It is cheaper, easier and I think less messy.

What you need to make the “new wave” s’mores are chocolate covered graham cookies and marshmallows. You roast the marshmallow as you usually do. Instead of using a piece of a chocolate bar and graham crackers you use the chocolate covered grahams instead! Brilliant and just as tasty as the original!

      

RECIPE

A friend who has been my friend for 55+ years is having a birthday soon. Since she lives out of town, we celebrated yesterday when she was home for a visit. I was making the cake for her and decided to go “old school” and make an mayonnaise cake.

For anyone who hasn’t ever tasted one they are super moist and rich and have a slightly different taste than a normal chocolate cake. I think this is due to the teaspoon of cinnamon that the recipe calls for.

Immediately, when I think of mayonnaise cake, I think of peanut butter frosting. (Think Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup here!) As my brother, Doug, says, “There’s nothing wrong with chocolate and peanut butter!”

I was looking around for a recipe. I have only ever made one from scratch before and couldn’t remember the proportions. While looking I found a recipe for mayonnaise cake using a chocolate cake mix. Hey, great idea! You know I had to try it.

Mayonnaise Cake

1 chocolate cake mix

1 cup of mayonnaise (don’t use low-fat or the olive oil type)

1 cup water

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together until the cake mix is incorporated. Don’t over beat. There will be lumps. Poor batter into a sheet pan or two round layers that have been sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with parchment paper (you could use waxed paper instead if need be). Bake for 30 minutes. I checked mine early around 25 minutes and decided it was done. Each oven is different so watch yours carefully the first time you try this recipe. Place on wire rack for cooling.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 cup butter

3/4 cup peanut butter

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

3 or 4 Tablespoons of milk

Allow the butter to soften. When it is soft combine peanut butter and butter using a mixer. Slowly add the 3 cups of confectioner’s sugar to the butters. The mixture will be thick. Slowly add the milk 1 Tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency for icing the cake is achieved.

* We used to call confectioner’s sugar powdered sugar or 10X sugar. The 10X refers to the times that the sugar is processed to achieve the fine powdery consistency. The terms used for this sugar seem to be associated with the region where you live. Powdered sugar is used in the Northwest U.S. whereas in the Southern U.S. the term confectioner’s sugar is used. I’m in the Northeast U.S. and I have used all of them. I find it very interesting.

MAKING MONEY AT HOME

(I’m always looking for a way!)

I have been trying several survey sites to make a little side money. One of the ones I have been doing is Harris Poll. They are a legit company and have been around for years. You take surveys and accumulate points that you then exchange for things like Amazon gift cards. It is  a slow process with them since you only get maybe 5 or 6 surveys a month but I am fine with it. I also do other sites and have gotten my first products to test for one of them. I am placing a link to an article about such sites with the top survey sites listed. Check them out.

https://www.surveyssay.com/

WARNING!!!!

If they ask you for money to sign up run away quickly. This is illegal to do and a BIG red flag that somethings is not right. Do some research before you sign up for any site.

Have a wonderful week everyone! I hope you found something that interested you. Please leave a comment and let me know about any life hacks you have.

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Belated Happy 4th of July!

We had a really nice holiday and I hope you and yours did as well. It was the usual picnic on the deck (with wayyyyyyyyyyyy too much food), sunshine  and family. Next year I have promised myself that I will go to the parade and the fireworks. It really isn’t completely the 4th of July unless you do. This year I opted for quiet at home.

I seem to feel that my posts are always a potpourri of different things and this one is no different. During the week if I think of something I want to share I write it down in my notebook. If I try a new recipe, that goes in the notebook too. Also, if I have an interesting experience somewhere and learn how to save money or do something a little more efficiently that goes on the list. Without further ado, here is this week’s potpourri!

  This wreath was my last-minute decor for the 4th. I had the raffia and the little star at home. At a household sale a few years ago I had bought the 48 star flag, which was the design of the flag when I was born. All I needed to buy was the grapevine wreath. That I  picked up at Joann Fabrics. I saved 20% on that purchase because I signed up for their email notices. It was very cheap and I am always on the lookout for that money-saving angle!

RECIPE

This week I tried Dear Abby’s recipe for meatloaf. I read her column daily. This is an old recipe and a reader recently asked for it to be published again. I thought I would like to try it too. I have always made my meatloaf adding eggs for moisture and as another binding agent. That is the way my Mom taught me. I have never had a complaint but it’s good to try new things. The moisture in this recipe is provided by water and catsup.

-2 pounds of ground beef

-1 cup Italian bread crumbs

-1/2 cup finely chopped onion

-1/3 cup catsup

-1/3 cup water

-1 teaspoon garlic powder

-salt and pepper to taste

I combined all of the ingredients and made a loaf shape in a pan I had sprayed to PAM. I then drizzled catsup on top of the loaf. The meatloaf went into the oven at 350 degrees for an hour.

First of all, it was delicious. Three people shared dinner with me and all had good comments. No one would get into that dangerous area of whether it was better than the one I usually make. Gee, I wonder why! Let’s just say none of them lack intelligence or, for that matter, the desire to remain alive. Anyway, I did do a couple things differently than the stated recipe above. I didn’t have Italian bread crumbs so I added Italian seasoning to plain bread crumbs. I think it worked very well. I also added about 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Don’t ask me why! I just wanted to and I could, so I did!

 Almost in the oven.

 Out of the oven! You may notice this is only 1/2 a loaf. I forgot to take the picture when I took the meatloaf out of the oven so this is the half that remained after dinner. Whoops!

MONEY SAVER!!!!

You may do this already but for those that don’t I wanted to tell you about the Wal-Mart Savings Catcher. I have used it for a couple of years now and have actually earned a couple of e-gift cards. Here’s the premise. You download the app on your smart phone (from iTunes or the Google Play Store) and create an account. When you shop at Wal-Mart you scan the QR code or the SKU on the bottom of your receipt. You submit your receipt to Wal-Mart. If they find a lower price at another store in your area, they give you the resulting credit. So, for instance, if I buy a pack of Duracell batteries and they find them for sale at another store for a cheaper price they add the difference to your Savings Catcher account. You can claim your money at any time and be sent an e-gift card in your email. At the store you just present that at checkout like you would a coupon. Slick! There’s very little effort.

The only hitch I had at one point was that Wal-Mart Savings Catcher decided it didn’t like my road runner email. I called them to find out why I wasn’t getting my e-gift card and they told me they weren’t sure why but road runner addresses weren’t working and if I had another email to use that one. I have a Gmail account as well so I just used that and there was my e-gift card.

If you would like to read more about this program or sign up the link is provided below.

https://savingscatcher.walmart.com/

SUPER SAVER TIPS

I have mentioned in previous posts to sign up for loyalty programs at the businesses you frequent. There are savings!

Here are some more ideas for you to consider.

  1. If you get a $1 or more coupon for a new product but you’re not sure you will like it, wait until it is on sale. My grocery store periodically runs dollar doubler coupons in their sales flyer. I wait to use the coupon at that time when I can save $2. That way if I am disappointed I haven’t lost that much.
  2. Buy one, get one free sales are always nice. Now, if you’re a discerning shopper you realize that they increase the price of buying one of the items so that it isn’t that great of a deal for you and they still make money. However, you can play their game too. Here is my for instance. The dog food I buy was on BO/GO. It usually is $4.99 a box. They had upped the price to $5.99 but I still was going to get one free so it was an okay deal. I also had two $1 coupons off one box. So, I used both coupons because I was purchasing two units. At the $5.99 price and a total of $2 off I was getting two boxes for $3.99. That is cheaper than I could buy one for at regular price. I call that a win! Even if you have a $1 coupon of two of some item it helps you save.
  3. My grocery store runs special deals to get gas points. You buy 6 items from what they have in the group and you get 200 gas points. Sounds good. I do this only under certain conditions. I have to really use the product. I need to have a coupon. I particularly focus on the items that are buy one, get one when I have a coupon for money off of two. The danger here is that you buy things you wouldn’t ordinarily buy and then the store wins. I try never to do that.

 

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Holy Schnikees! It’s Hot

This week’s post is coming to you from Death Valley. Oh no, wait, I’m still in Western New York. The heat is scrambling my brain cells. You know if I wanted to sweat all day (I mean sweat as in when I put my glasses on they steam up) I would live in Florida or something. Actually, if I lived in Florida I would have central air like my friends, Shannon and Jeff. I’m just HOT people!

Well, enough of my self-pity. On to more cheery, cheap and cool things. I have a few for you this week that I hope will be of interest.

Before starting I want to apologize for the pictures of receipts that were in my last blog post. Once I published my post, the orientation of the images changed. In the staging area for my blog and in my final product on the admin page they are as they should be. I have emailed the host of my site to find out a fix for this and have not heard back.

TEST KITCHEN

If you had a chance to read last week’s post you saw that I tried Cloud Eggs. They were good. I would make them again. In any case, I am kind of a “theme girl”. My friends get gifts with a theme. I create little vignettes in my home around a theme. So, I couldn’t help but try Cloud Bread this week. Cloud bread is low-fat, low-carb, grain free and gluten free. It is supposed to be very good for a paleo diet which seems to be all the rage today according to Pinterest. Here’s the recipe;

Cloud Bread

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar

2 ounces of low-fat cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 to 1/2 garlic powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Separate your eggs. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the cream of tartar. Beat on high speed until the frothy mixture forms stiff peaks like when you make a meringue.

Then place the cream cheese in a stand mixer and beat on high until it is softened. Add the eggs to the cream cheese one at a time until they are incorporated.  Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure there are no lumps and that they are fully incorporated. To this mixture add the seasonings. 

The final step is to fold the egg yolk mixture into the stiff egg whites. Do this gently so as not to deflate the meringue as little as possible.

Use a 1/3 cup measure to scoop the mixture onto the lined baking sheets.  I was able to fit 8 such measures on one sheet with 5 for the second baking pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for up to 30 minutes. The bread should be lightly brown and not jiggly in the center. Allow to cool completely and store in a paper lunch sack. There is no preservative so they should be used rather quickly.

My daughter, Sara, and I did this together. We checked the oven every 5 to 10 minutes so that we wouldn’t over cook them. We cooked them for 15 minutes. However, keep in mind that all ovens vary and you might need longer should you try the recipe.

My review of these little breads would be that they would be best for a savory sandwich. The breads are very eggy tasting and I would add perhaps some ham, bacon, lettuce, etc. and have a little sandwich. The ones we made came out about the size of the Sandwich Thins that Arnold makes.  Some people use recipes that make them more sweet than savory.

Let me know if you try them.

PRODUCT REVIEW

I wonder if any of you feel my pain. I struggle with thinning and very light eyebrows. THE STRUGGLE IS REALLY FOLKS! They weren’t always that way but they have been lately.  I have tried gels, powders and pencils. I finally decided on using an eyebrow pencil but always felt like I didn’t do it that well.

When I went to my hair stylist this last time, as she waxed my eyebrows (ok, the chin too!) we were talking about my difficulty. She told me that she had another customer who she commented on the nice shape of her eyebrows. The woman told her she used a stamp to apply a powder! Apparently, the lady’s eyebrows were really on-point.

After I got over the little tingly feeling I got thinking about being able to use a stamp I went right to amazon. com. They have everything! Anything I desire and I am never let down. I searched for eyebrow stamp and several products came up. I read reviews and decided on ordering the 3 Second Brow! With the wonders of Amazon Prime I had my kit in 2 days.

  The kit includes the powder and two types of eyebrow stamps (one more arched and defined and one softer and a little larger). Also included, is a styling wand with a brush at one end to smooth the powder out if needed and the opposite end has a different brush to comb the brows.

 This is the top of the compact with the more defined stamps on the lid.

 Of course, this is the powder inside the compact with a little mirror.

Below are one each of the two types of stamps to show you the difference.

 As you can probably see, I have been using the more defined and arched eyebrow stamp.

I am still trying to perfect my technique. There is a knack to it. Having the product only about a week I feel that I am doing pretty well with it. All in all, I am happy I bought the kit. I think when I practice some more it will be just what I need. Don’t get me wrong, I have done them and worn them out in public. I am not having that much difficulty. However, as they say, practice makes perfect.

MONEY SAVERS!!!!!

I am a techy, geeky person and I LOVE my smartphone! How did I ever live without it? I am not sure but I bet everything was in black and white before I found the colorful world of the smartphone.

Consequently, I really do feel “there is an app for that”! Currently, as you know I love to save money, I have a lot of businesses’ apps on my phone. Now, only the ones that give me special offers! Today I used my McDonald’s app. It is Free French Fry Friday and I wanted to bring fries home for my son. I clicked on the offer and the cashier scanned the QR code with her wand. Viola! Free fries! There were also offers for buy a Big Mac and get one free, buy a breakfast sandwich and get one free and several other offers. You can only use one code per transaction. You know what comes next, right? Due to there being no line and I had a couple of extra minutes, I drove through the drive-thru again and got the Big Mac offer!!! Yep you heard me! Two Big Macs and a medium fry for a grand total of $3.99! I count it as a WIN! Jake was happy with the eats too!

I have apps for Burger King, Wendy’s, Subway (my personal favorite) and a few others. You have to pick and choose but it is relatively easy to save some money and come away feeling like you just “beat The Man at his own game”! It is the modern day version of “hunting and gathering” as far as I’m concerned.

Hey, have a happy weekend and enjoy your friends and family this holiday weekend. Please leave a comment and tell your friends about this blog. My short term goal is still 100 followers and I have 61. I am not too proud to beg! Help me get there.

 

 

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Officially Summer

Yesterday was the solstice and the longest day of the year. Here in our neck of the woods it was a beautiful day! Here’s hoping we have many just like it ahead of us.

RECIPE

I tried a new recipe with my friend Linda and we shared the results with her son, Joe and his fiance, Chelsea. The recipe for Cloud Eggs is below. It was really fun to do.

Cloud Eggs

Ingredients;

*as many eggs as you need for serving

*salt

*seasonings as you desire (We used garlic powder, chopped chives, white pepper, parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning as we like things savory.)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.

Separate the eggs, being careful not to break the yolks. In a mixing bowl whip the egg whites with a dash of salt until stiff peaks form. Then fold in your desired seasonings.

As many eggs as you have, form that many “nests” on the baking sheet with a little well in the center that will hold the yolk later.

Bake the “nests” for 3 minutes and remove baking sheet from oven.

Place one egg yolk in each “nest”. We sprinkled with chives and put the pan back in the oven for 2 to 3 more minutes until the yolk was cooked as we desired.

Let me know in the comment section if you try these and what you think. We did enjoy ours!

PROJECT UPDATE

I am feeling a somewhat accomplished and happy with the results of my Civil War Era campaign chair. See below for the finished product. I still am not exactly sure where it will find a home in my house. Don’t worry! I will find a place! Of course, I will share that with you when I do settle on a spot.

Pay absolutely no attention to my supervisor behind the chair. Rudy always has to see what I am doing and monitors me!

My next project is to sand down and refinish a side table that my Mom could always remember having in her home as a child. Sometimes it was her bedside stand or her desk. When she got married she took it with her and it was used as a stand for my parents’ first television (a little, I mean little, black and white number). I actually have a picture of it as a tv stand! On the back of the picture, written in my Mom’s handwriting is, “Huber household, first tv”. I will share all of this with you in my next post. Looks like I will be getting a lot of use out of my DeWalt sander!

RANDOM IDEA FOR RECOMMENDATION

A little while back I started writing my “life story” on my laptop. My intention is to complete it and leave it for my children. When my Mom was ill we did as much as we could to get her life story down for my brother and I and our children. She became too ill to finish it but I wrote for her as she told me stories. I felt that I wanted to do it when I am well and relaxed. My story is actually only up to when I was 6 or 7. It is kind of weird because I will write something and then it stirs a memory and I need to go back and add that new memory in.

I think it is a nice memento to eventually leave your kids and grand-kids someday.  What do you think?

In any case, I won’t be needing to pass it on for awhile as I think I have a lot of years left in me but it is nice to remember things and wonder if when written down my family will gain some insight into the person I am and why I am who I am.

Wow! I am getting way tooooooooooooo deep and philosophical! I better move on. However, don’t forget to let me know what you think of the idea and if you have done anything similar in your families by using the comment section or emailing me with the link that is provided.

MONEY SAVING HACKS

How many of you have noticed that many receipts you get from restaurants and other businesses have  an address for a survey of your experience at that establishment and that there is some sort of reward for you if you do it?

I do these all the time. In my mind they come in two categories. The first category is some tangible reward that you receive almost immediately. The second is some sort of entry into a drawing or contest which usually is a gift card.  The ones that I tend to usually do are the first category. Yes, I’m impatient. Yes, yes, I know.

These things are really money savers for you and I will show you why. Below you will see some examples that I accumulated over the last week or so. There are many more businesses that do this. Always check out your receipt and see what is offered!

This is from Bob Evans restaurant.  When you sign up with them you get great coupons such as $5 of a bill of $25 in you inbox on a regular basis.

Tim Horton’s offers a free breakfast sandwich with the purchase of a coffee and a side for doing their feedback survey.

McDonald’s is one I almost always do. You get a free quarter pounder or sausage McGriddle for you feedback. They sometimes do a buy a breakfast McMuffin or Quarter Pounder and get one of the same free. This is nice to share with a friend!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Denny’s had a card you used when you ate there and it accumulated points which you could redeem toward your bill. The last time I did this I received a coupon for a free stack of hotcakes in my inbox.

The above examples were all from my first category of immediate gratification offers when you do a survey. The next one is the second category I mentioned.

This is for a monthly drawing for a $500 gift card from TJ Maxx. I do them but I am not as conscientious about them as I am the first category. Hey, but as they say in their ads for the New York State Lottery, you never know!

Remember that these are just the tip of the iceberg. Check out all of your receipts. I have done feedback surveys from Home Depot, Wendy’s, Burger King, Valu Home Center, Applebee’s, well, you get the idea! Be sure to let me know what you find and how you feel about taking a couple minutes to do a survey!

I will see you next week with more thoughts and ideas! Have a wonderful first week of Summer!

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It’s A New Week!

Hi there!

Hope all is well with everyone this week. I have been busy on various projects and testing some things.

If you have tried any ideas or recipes from previous blog posts, I invite you to share them with us in the comments. It would be fun to see what unique spin you put on things when you do them.

Money Saver

I’m a AAA member, as I imagine some of you are. When I received my “Member Connection” magazine for this Summer the big headline on the front was, “New Grocery Discounts for AAA Members.” Well, needless to say, we all need groceries and my Spidey Sense started to tingle as I read the headline. I read the short article on the inside and it turns out that AAA has partnered with Tops and Price Chopper supermarkets resulting in discounts on groceries. You can register at http://www.AAA.com/Grocery or you can call 1-800-836-2582. I did it on the website. It only took 5 minutes or less. You just link your shoppers loyalty card with your AAA account and then discounts are automatically applied when you purchase featured items. No need to load or print coupons. The offers will vary regularly and will be posted online at the previously mentioned website. I declare this EASY ENOUGH! 

Updates

I continue to work on my Civil War Campaign chair. This past week I stained it with Rustoleum Wood Stain in Dark Walnut. I bought a half pint and didn’t even use half of it. After making sure the wood was free of any particles left from the sanding job I did, I used a soft cloth and applied the stain. This was allowed to sit for 5 minutes and then I wiped off any excess. I am pleased with the results.

I was in Walmart and in their discount fabric bin for $4 a yard was a Waverly upholstery bolt of fabric. I bought 1/2 yard for $2 and just this morning I sewed the seat for the chair. The seat was sewn like a little sack with one side left open to turn it. I clipped the corners before turning so the fabric would lay flat at that point. Once turned, I folded in the raw edges of fabric and sewed down the fourth side. I will put that side at the back of the chair.

I am really getting excited to get the satin coat of polyurethane on and use upholstery tacks to put the seat on. Where, oh where, will I display this piece? I am scoping out spots as I write!

  The chair so far with the stain.

 This picture is just to show you the fabric I picked out.

Product Review

Recently a friend sent me a free trial of Blue Apron. Blue Apron is one of those services that sends fresh food to your home with everything you need to make three meals for which they have sent the recipes. I mean they send everything! If you need a clove of garlic for the recipe you get that too. Salt, pepper and olive oil are the only things that were not included in the food I was sent.

My free trial consisted of the recipes and ingredients to make Thai steak and rice lettuce cups with green beans, salmon and dill burgers with potatoes, and chicken with a rhubarb honey sauce with potatoes and asparagus. They were all delicious! There is enough food for two people but I found you could really feed three. My daughter worked with me on one meal, a friend on a second meal and I made the last one alone and had a neighbor over to eat.

It was my intention to cancel after the free trial since it is $59.94 for three meals each week and I felt I could make meals more cheaply. It was an expense I didn’t need to add to my budget. (It was fun to try though!) I cancelled before noon on June 3 as I was supposed to do. It was a little bit of a process to cancel because you have to email them and then they send you a code and directions to cancel. However, it didn’t take too long.

I thought I was all set and then the next week came and on my porch was another week’s meals! I thought this was going to be tough. You know, you get something for free, it’s hard to cancel, they get some more money out of you and you’re frustrated. Happily, I can say that was not the case. I tried calling them and because it was the weekend I was instructed to leave a message or to email them. Email was the choice I made. I did this on Sunday. I heard back on Monday with an apology, a confirmation of cancellation and the promise I would see the money credited back to my checking account within five to seven days. Yippee for good customer service.

Not having to send the meals back, I went ahead and have made two of them already. The first was Persian style chicken and crispy rice and the second was steak, sautéed asparagus, radishes, and fingerlings potatoes. Both were very good.

In short, I would say that if you can afford it that it really is a nice alternative and you get to try different foods than you would normally prepare. If you go online to blueapron.com you will see the same offer available to get a free trial. If you are so inclined, go ahead and give it a whirl. I don’t think you have anything to lose.

Recommendation

Lately, I have found myself curious about the whole French press coffee thing. I had always wondered if coffee made that way was good and if it was easy. A couple of weeks ago I picked up a small, one coffee press in TJ Maxx for $5.99 and decided to satisfy my curiosity. Along with the purchase I also did some online research.

What I found out was that the coffee press was invented in 1929 by and Italian. There are versions of the same device called by different names in most European countries.

As far as actually using this is what I found out. It is best to use course ground coffee as the finer grind will seep around the screen on the plunger and you will have grounds in your coffee. First you put your coffee in. It was trial and error for me to figure out how much to use. I like my coffee strong. It took two to three times before I figured out how much I needed to produce the type of coffee I desired. Then you add your water which should be between 199-205 degrees. I heated mine in the microwave. You let the coffee steep for two to four minutes and then slowly press the plunger down. Viola! Coffee!

Presses come in many sizes from small ones for espresso all the way up to 12 cup. Travel mug versions exist too. They are quite neat.

You can make tea in a press as well using loose leaf tea. The same press should never be used for coffee and tea unless you clean it thoroughly. This is due to the oils from the coffee which can change the taste of your tea.

Speaking of the oil in coffee, the French press is said to make better tasting coffee since the paper filters in today’s coffee pots absorb a lot of the oils in coffee and that takes away from the rich, robust flavor the beverage.

 My little one cup press, Isn’t she cute?

Have a great week!! Remember to leave a comment and tell your friends about the blog. I have 58 subscribers so far and my short term goal is 100. Help me get there!

 

 

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It’s June!

It is sure starting to feel a lot like summer. The days are longer and picnics on the deck have begun.

Hope there is something of interest for each of you in this post. I have started to set up the blog post in a more organized manner. Hope it works for you.

RECIPES

Billie’s Salt

(a seasoning salt created and sold by my Mom, Billie Huber)

1/2 cup salt

1 teaspoon each, garlic salt, onion salt and oregano

1 heaping teaspoon each parsley, Accent, marjoram

This seasoning salt is good on any meat or veggie. Give it a try!

Garbage

(this recipe uses any seasonal vegetable you have around and was a concoction my Mom made and I have tweaked a little)

You simply start out sauteing diced onion and pressed garlic in a skillet with olive oil. Saute until they are soft and fragrant. Then you add in any veggie you have on hand. This could include any fresh vegetable (diced or sliced to the size you want) such as zucchini, summer squash, carrots, peas, etc. It is advisable to keep the size of all vegetables consistent for even cooking. Saute those until soft and then add tomato sauce and season to taste. It is yummo and really good for you too! I often brown some hamburg, ground turkey or ground chicken and add it to the mix as well.

This recipe is just the best to use what you have from your garden or roadside stand.

UPDATES

My container tomato plants are doing awesome! The Romaine lettuce, not so much. I read up on how to continually harvest the lettuce and did what I thought they meant but they don’t look that great right now. I did have 3 salads with my own lettuce though.

  

For truth in posting purposes I am going to also reveal the sad lettuce plants. The second one is more pathetic than the first.

  

 

PROJECTS

I am continuing to work on my Civil War Campaign chair. I have all the paint off now and found little metal pieces in the finials at the top of the chair. I had no idea there was metal there until I started sanding. The next thing I have to do is stain it. I am going to use a dark stain, which shade is yet to be determined. I will be purchasing that and material to make the seat today. By my next post you should see a lot of progress!

  

SHARING

A friend of mine, Judy, started a new garden and, with her permission, I wanted to share her idea with you. I just love it and hope you will too! It gives new meaning to the idea of a raised bed garden.

As you can see, Judy took a table, a child’s pool and soil to create a really great garden! She used satin paint in Italian Olive to coat both table and pool. Next summer I am definitely stealing this idea!!

MONEY SAVERS

One of the things I always do is to sign up with any restaurant or store. There is always some monetary benefit to you when you do.

Here are a few examples for your consideration.

– Sign up at the Bob Evans website and you often get money off coupons for meals in the restaurant and for their brand of grocery store items as well. It really makes you feel better about eating out.

– I sign up at all the grocery stores I frequent. I am signed up for Tops, Wegman’s, and  Giant Eagle. They all have apps for your smart phone that you can download from the Google Play Store or I Tunes. You can use the apps on your phone or go to the website on your computer to add digital coupons to your loyalty card and Giant Eagle also has special items each week for members of their loyalty club.

-Denny’s, Friendly’s and Ruby Tuesday also allow you to sign up at their websites and have smart phone apps. I receive emails from Friendly’s and Ruby Tuesday which contain coupons that you can print or show on your smart phone for money savings at the restaurants. Denny’s has had a card that you used each time you ate there and you accumulated points which then were redeemable for money off your meal. That card is no longer valid and they are readying another loyalty plan. Stay tuned for that one!

In general, I just check out any business I frequent and see if they have some sort of loyalty program that I can join. You should see what happens on my birthday! I have lots of little goodies that come rolling in.

LITTLE HACKS

Have you ever gotten one of those nasty white circular watermarks from the moisture of a glass on an end table or coffee table? I have many times. One cure is to take regular mayo (not the fat-free or light) and brush it on the watermark (rather thickly). Leave it there for an hour or two. Then wipe off and the mark should be gone. If it isn’t, it should be lessened and  then just repeat the procedure.

Sometimes you just eat something  you maybe shouldn’t have and you get heartburn or you’re on a medicine such as a strong antibiotic that gives you heartburn. Before you run for the Tums, just keep on hand some of these soft, puffy mints and pop one in your mouth. I have never had to use more than two and using two is rare. They come under many brands. The ones in my picture are Red Bird brand but another famous one is Bob’s.  They are inexpensive and can be found in most stores.

Please leave a comment if you have a question or suggestion. I love to read them! Also, remember to tell your friends about the blog and have  them subscribe to it. See you next week!

 

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Memorial Day, A Day to Honor

It is Memorial weekend. Picnics, parades, families, our military, cemeteries, and honoring are all a part of the package. Thanks to all of those who served or are serving and to the families that support them with their love and concern while they serve our country.

There’s an update on the plastic wrap around the banana stems from the last post. It has been over a week and they are not too ripe to eat. I would say it definitely does prolong the life of the fruit.

I have an over the door shoe organizer that I have used for years to serve a unique purpose. My house is an older home, which I love, but storage in the kitchen is limited and I have a lot of “stuff”. You can just ask my kids if you doubt me. Therefore, I had to get creative with storing and organizing techniques in the kitchen. The organizer is hung on the cellar door leading from my kitchen. This is very convenient and at a glance I can see what I need to use.

 It isn’t pretty, I realize, but it is functional and allows me to see exactly what I have.

Yesterday, I was having company for dinner and while deciding on my menu I was doing some reading online. I love baked chicken. It is quite possibly my favorite protein. The leftovers are great too because I always have them in a salad the next day. (Let’s pause a sec while I salivate!) Okay, anyway, I wanted to bake chicken breast but was wondering how to make it even more juicy and better than I usually do. I happened to stumble upon an article about brining the chicken before baking. I was intrigued. I had only heard of brining turkey. I’m always one for a new adventure. Some say not to try a new recipe when having company but that’s when I always do. Hey, I push the envelope. I live on the edge, as it were!

I put 3 chicken breast in  warm but not hot water to which I had added some salt. I let the chicken brine for 15 minutes. I could tell something had happened the moment I took the chicken out of the bowl. It even felt different. I rinsed them off and patted them dry. After that, I rubbed them with olive oil and then with my seasonings. I used Onion, Onion and Garlic, Garlic from Tastefully Simple, salt, pepper and Spanish paprika.

I also read information on the pros and cons of cooking chicken low and slow or high and fast. I decided to do the high and fast technique. I baked the chicken at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. The result was awesome!! They were fork tender and juicy! I will definitely be preparing chicken this way again.

My latest projects are two old chairs. I can never have just one project going!

The first chair is one I was given by a friend when she was clearing out a storage unit. It looked to be possibly a dressing table chair. I thought this due to the low back it has.

The chair was painted a colonial blue. Digging in my spray paint supply I found 2 nearly full cans of red paint.  First, I cleaned the chair and then set about spray painting it. I usually have a run or two in the paint but not this time!

Once the chair was painted I hunted around the house for anything patriotic that I could use for a display. There was a spot next to my front steps that needed this chair and a holiday vignette!

    I am super pleased with the result. A special thank you to Linda for the chair.

The second chair is a Civil War campaign chair that I bought from another friend, Geri, before she moved. After buying it I did some research. It was an enlisted man’s chair. The officers’ chairs were a little grander. During the Civil War many portable furniture items were manufactured such as dining tables and the folding campaign chairs. The chair is much shorter than our chairs today which makes sense since men were shorter in 1865 than they are now. You can find pictures online of the men sitting on these chairs. Don’t you just love History!!

The first thing I did was take the fabric seat off and saved it for a pattern to make a new one. I don’t think the seat was the original one. The picture below is of the chair before I started sanding. Someone had painted the chair white and then red at some later point. My intent is to sand as much with my electric sander as I can and then finish up by hand. Then I will stain and coat the chair with polyurethane. Lastly, I will make the seat and find a sweet place to display my treasure.

Have any of you ever explored ideas for work at home or work that allowed you to create your own schedule? I have! A lot! For several years I did mystery shopper work. In case you don’t know what that is here are a few examples of the tasks I performed and was paid for.

Counting patrons at a movie theater.

Buying a meal at McDonald’s.

Shopping at a Lane Bryant store.

Visiting a car dealership for an oil change.

Eating at a restaurant.

Shopping at an Aldi’s.

As an example, at McDonald’s I was asked to evaluate the service I received, how long it took to obtain my order, what the employee did or didn’t do, the taste and appearance of the food, the food packaging, the appearance of the inside and outside of the restaurant, and the condition of the restroom. Each job was like that. Specific things I was to listen for, view, assess and report back to the company. This company, Market Force, was hired by the various businesses to check on various stores. Market Force is reputable and always paid promptly. If a mystery shopper company wants money from you first to start work with them, run away!!!! They do ask for you social security number to be able to pay you but it is all legit! The whole thing is really kind of fun. I downloaded an app on my phone with a stop watch to time things that needed to be timed. Check into it, if you’re so inclined and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask me.

http://www.marketforce.com

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