So, with five days until my daughter’s wedding I am writing a post for this blog. Why? Sanity, friends, good old fashion sanity. I have to put my mind on something other than wedding!
I have a real mixed bag of life hacks, recipes, and at least one project this time. Within the last couple of weeks a friend texted me and said she couldn’t find what to do for a cup ring on a wooden surface and she remembered seeing a trick for that. I reminded her that it was mayonnaise! She tried it and it was much better and she was going to do it again. That made me feel good! I love it when people get something out of what I put on my blog. Here’s hoping there’s something for each of you in this post!
Recipes
What follows is an easy Sunday dinner.
Cucumber Salad
1 large or two small cucumbers cut into thin slices. 1 medium onion cut into thing slices 1/2 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon of dried dill 1/2 Tablespoon of sugar 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar
Slice the veggies thin and place in a bowl. In a bowl combine all other ingredients. When combined pour them over the veggies and mix to coat. You can serve right away or cover and refrigerate.
Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
I used 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I added a bottle of my favorite BBQ sauce and turned the Slow Cooker on high. They were cooking for 3 hours and I checked to make sure that the chicken was at that magic temperature of 165 degrees and it was well done. If you use chicken with the bone in it will take longer. Incidentally, you can use any cut of the chicken you would like. I used thighs because that is what I had. How easy is that? Chicken and sauce = your dinner entree!
*I used a disposable liner for the slow cooker to save on cleaning time.
Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
I simply washed and cut up the potatoes, cooked them until tender and then drained them. The magic happens when you add butter (up to you how much), sour cream ( I used a healthy portion), salt, pepper and milk. I really love mashed potatoes when the skins are in there!
Sauteed Zucchini
I heated up some olive oil in a frying pan to which I added small chunks from a medium sized zucchini which I had left the skin on. Then I added one chopped onion, a dollop of minced garlic, salt and pepper. I sauteed the mixture until the onions were translucent and the zucchini was tender. I wanted some color in this side dish so I added some chopped roasted red peppers. Yummy goodness.
Slow Cooker Rice Pudding
Project
I collect vintage yardsticks and rulers. In addition I had a wooden serving tray that had been kicking around the house and I really hadn’t been happy with how it looked. Light-bulb moment! Let’s make a yardstick lined tray. The bonus was that I got a chance to use my new DeWalt jig saw for the first time!
First I measured the bottom of the tray. Then I selected the yardsticks I wanted to use. I cut them to exactly 11 and 5/8 inch pieces. I had also measure the height of the yard sticks and the tray and determined that I needed 7 pieces.
It was now time to paint. I want to use the tray on my table in the Fall so I chose a Waverly chalk paint in pumpkin. The tray needed 3 coats to nicely cover the light green paint that was on it.
I used tacky glue and glued down the yardstick pieces in the tray.
I allowed the glue to set and then used an acrylic poly to coat it with.
Everyday Hacks
1. I use a large water cup with a lid and hard plastic straw everyday for water and copious amounts of iced tea. The lid and cup are easily washed but I always struggle with the straw. Due to the iced tea the straw takes on a brown hue. I am a little bit of a germaphobe so I don’t like that. The bottle brush is too big. The nipple brush that you get with your bottle brush is not long enough. I have finally found the answer! Good old fashioned pipe cleaners! Dip the end of the pipe cleaner in your dish soap and insert into the straw. The up and down scrubbing motion with the pipe cleaner does the trick.
2. As careful as I try to be I always end up with tiny scratches on my glasses. This is oh so aggravating!! You can use the following trick on plastic or glass lenses. Just use some soft car wax! Gently using your finger take a dollop and using a circular motion apply the wax to the lens. Rinse of and dry your glasses with a soft cloth. You might have to do this twice. I did because I had so many scratches. It fills in some of the scratches and helps get you through!
3. We have a new baby in our family and I saw an item online that caught my eye. The Little Wanderers website will allow you a free pair of shoes for your little one with the code PENNY1 at checkout. The shoes are leather and they also have canvas sneakers. All you do is pay shipping which for me was $13.99. It varies depending on where you live. The shoes are $29.99 so you are still getting a great deal. Below is the link.
4. Another item for the wee-ones! If you sign up for Enfamil Family Beginnings you will receive free samples and coupons. The link below will take you there.
https://www.enfamil.com/offers/baby-formula-coupons-samples
5. Hate cleaning the grates on your stove top? I know I do. Maybe that is because I was doing it the way my Mom taught me with Brillo pads. There is an easier way !
Wash all burners with lukewarm water and dishwashing detergent to remove initial film. Make a thick paste cleaner of baking soda and water. Coat all burners with paste and let stand for 20 minutes. Scrub the softened food residue with a scrub brush and rinse thoroughly.
I told you there was a mixed bag!!!! Enjoy your week and make sure to let me know if you try anything that I have written. I really love feedback from all of you! I will see you after the wedding. Send positive thoughts my way for no rain and a happy bride and groom!
