tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38534450632768665672024-03-20T01:40:31.884-06:003 Scattered FriendsWhat do three very close friends do when they move far, far away from each other? When they're close enough in heart, they do the same silly things, and just call each other more often! And then start a blog so they can share the wacky visuals!amiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04169522450196210980noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-1941260401538294702015-05-15T14:45:00.000-06:002015-05-15T14:45:30.214-06:00Let them eat....bread!About a year ago, my step-mom gave me a bread machine she'd bought at a yard-sale for $5. <br />
<br />
I even put it IN a yard-sale this past fall with no takers.<br />
<br />
So it has sat in my mother's garage for months.<br />
<br />
But I started looking for little ways here & there to budget better, so I dragged it out & you know what? I'm not half bad at this! I wish I'd taken pictures, but for once, I wasn't a camera nut. <br />
<br />
BUT, I did learn a thing or two for bread machine beginners, things that looking back, I keep saying DUH.<br />
<br />
#1....measure EXACTLY!<br />
<br />
Yes, this is the biggest "Captain Obvious" statement ever. BUT, you have to remember, I cook. I don't bake. If I do, it's a box cake mix that I just make it LOOK awesome or I roll out sugar cookie dough & decorate! My everyday method is throw ingredients together & "poof" it's yummy food! So, follow the instructions in your machine's manual. (Though I've now got a load of <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/yocum1219/bread-baking/" target="_blank">PINS</a> with tips) <br />
<br />
#2....let the bread cool INSIDE the bucket, IN the microwave.<br />
<br />
No, seriously. It slid almost perfectly out of the bucket & it kept it nice & soft with no wrinkles or collapsing. And it sliced so pretty too!! I love my long bladed-serrated Cutco knife! <br />
<br />
#3....Vital Wheat Gluten<br />
<br />
Seriously, buy some. They sell it at Wal Mart & it's not expensive. Because most people that are using a bread machine don't have time for the hand kneading that naturally produces more gluten.<br />
<br />
#4....premix<br />
<br />
Now this tip is more for someone like me who has 5 people eating the bread so that you're constantly making bread. I mix all of my dry stuff in quart bags & label them with the amount of water, butter, & yeast to add in & which buttons to push on the machine to get it going. This is awesome because my 13 yr old can come home & start a loaf so I'm not up til all hours of the night so that I can pull my bucket out of the machine. (Even "short" cycles are almost 3 hours, so starting one after work, yeah, I'm ready to crash before it's done). <br />
<br />
Hopefully I can get some pictures next loaf!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14713752883645133999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-26189066591949448572014-11-14T08:47:00.000-07:002014-11-14T08:47:23.954-07:00Farewell my friend.....<span style="font-size: large;">This essay is
actually the work of Lori Borgman and was first published in the
Indianapolis Star on 15 March 1998. </span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend,
Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how
old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red
tape.</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing
when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't
always fair, and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound
financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting
(adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly
when well-intentioned, but overbearing, regulations were set in place.</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a
classmate, teenagers suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch and
a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his
condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing
the job they had themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to
administer paracetamol, sun lotion or plaster to a pupil, but could not inform
the parents when a pupil became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband,
churches became businesses and criminals received better treatment than their
victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a
burglar in your own home, but the burglar could sue you for assault because you
protected yourself and your own.</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realize
that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap and was
promptly awarded a huge settlement.</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife,
Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility and his son, Reason. He is survived by
three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm A
Victim. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized that he was
gone."</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14713752883645133999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-70417803880522348282014-11-07T22:49:00.001-07:002014-11-07T22:49:31.531-07:00Quick Neighbor Gifts for Christmastime for about $1.50 per neighbora blogger i follow for deals, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/raininghotcoupons?fref=nf" target="_blank">Raining Hot Coupons</a> sent out a great one today, and it let me assemble some handy neighbor gifts for the holidays, for about $1.50 each (3.04 / 4 pack tape, .70 final price by stacking coupons for the on sale gift wrap). The deal expires tomorrow (Nov 8th) so you can still snag it too- just follow the link on her <a href="http://www.raininghotcoupons.com/target-holiday-chevron-gift-wrapping-paper-0-70/" target="_blank">post</a>.<br />
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Combined with a bit of curling ribbon that i had on hand, and some cards that took all of about 10 minutes to print and cut and glue to backer cardstock cut just slightly bigger, well, that was right in my happy zone of super easy, practical, and fits with my goal of interacting with the neighbors more in positive ways :)</div>
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amiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04169522450196210980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-75099440481882377042014-08-28T19:06:00.002-06:002014-08-28T19:07:04.627-06:00Easily save the rest of the can when your recipe only uses a bit of tomato paste<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You know how every recipe ever that uses tomato paste only calls for 2 tablespoons? <i>Maybe</i> 4 if you're lucky? And those pesky cans come in the 6 ounce variety...which is 12 tablespoons, by the way. Not terribly handy. My personal favorite is the pizza sauce one that calls for 8 ounces. Grr.</div>
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So here's the easy way to keep the paste on hand, pre-measured and ready to use:</div>
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<i>just freeze it</i>. But don't just chuck the can in there like Martha says, that means you will have to try and saw a frozen lump apart, or even worse, try to pry a frozen lump out of a frozen can.</div>
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Take your handy dandy tablespoon measuring spoon, and make some glops on wax paper. 2 tablespoons is one ounce of paste, so make sure you have room in your freezer to lay a decent sized sheet out for a good minute. Ok, an hour, but who's counting? I, being very organized, forgot, and did the packaging part a day later. Or two. Close enough. Once they're frozen through (or once you remember that you're doing stuff and get back to it) pry them off the wax paper (it's easy don't worry) and either pack them two by two with a foodsaver, or wrap in wax paper and put them all in a ziploc. (Wrapping is essential if you aren't vacuum sealing as they'll stick together far too easily).</div>
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Label, pop them in the freezer, and use one or more as needed. They thaw in just moments since the paste has a very low water content and they never get that hard frozen state going.</div>
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<br />amiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04169522450196210980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-74140762991454397012014-08-14T13:31:00.002-06:002014-08-28T19:14:41.537-06:00I'm getting brave...Well, either it's bravery, or insanity, I'm not sure!<br />
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I have a coupon binder. I've got my ads in full sized clear sleeves in with my coupons, so I can sort it all out. Right now, I just have a stack that needs sorted & a budget to stick to!<br />
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I'm not out of much, so do I stock up & push the budget so that later it's available when the budget is tight? Or do I only get what I need & miss out on a good deal for something I don't need NOW, but WILL need.<br />
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I'm not intending to become one of those extreme coupon ladies with stashes & stashes of stuff. Mainly because my local stores won't allow coupon stacking. I can only combine deals & sales, so it means if I miss out, I miss out. <br />
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But I do have the space to stock pile a little bit of each. Joys of a pantry & full basement! Decisions, decisions, any opinions?<br />
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since amii can't comment on our own blog....<br />
stock up only on one thing at a time, this way your budget doesn't get strained, and you can slowly work out the storage. Especially if you can use the seasonal lists of what goes down to the lowest prices of the year when such as here: <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/222928250280181193/" target="_blank">What's on sale?</a><br />
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Also, don't do what I did and lose half your TP stash when a drain decides to back up by storing it (even if it's in the wrappers, they're not fully sealed) on the floor- mine is now up by the ceiling in the laundry room.<br />
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Some things store better than others- like dry pasta and beans- and with all the concerns over BPA, storing tomato anything for a longer period is generally a bad idea, so watch out for things in commercial metal cans. You're fortunate to have someone that cans green beans handy, as that is one of the worst veggies for absorbing BPA out of the lining of metal cans.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14713752883645133999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-29221729978574255142014-07-23T22:13:00.000-06:002014-07-23T22:13:23.404-06:00How to keep baggies in your car WITHOUT them hogging all of your glovebox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />amiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04169522450196210980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-1952870404948507512014-07-09T22:38:00.000-06:002014-07-10T14:41:17.707-06:00Make a magnetic busy box!<div style="text-align: center;">
So the other day I pinned this gem: <a href="http://www.somewhatsimple.com/build-monster-free-printable/" target="_blank">Build a Monster free printable</a> and I knew right away that A: I wanted to make that, and B: I wanted it to last longer than plain paper in a zippy bag. <i>Because if I'm going to cut out eleven-billionty pieces, it had better dangnabbit* last. </i>So, laminator, you are my bestie (of the moment).</div>
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And the idea to make a busy BOX rather than a busy BAG was born. A box can hold MANY busy bags' worth of projects, and it can have a magnetic top, and the pieces can have magnets, because magnets are cool, and the Wyoming <b><i>wind of doom</i></b> won't be able to scatter those many busy bags' worth of pieces to the far corners of the Earth <i><b>in a nanosecond</b>. Little did I know that finding a simple piece of metal to go on the top of the box would be next to never-gonna-happen. </i></div>
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So, after calling a few metal shops, and realizing that just having a sheet cut to fit (seriously, it's one foot by a foot and a smidge, how bloody hard can that be??) would cost upwards of $30 to $ain't-nobody-got-money-for-that, well, $1 cookie sheet and the thought of "how hard can it be to cut down the edges of a cookie sheet?" got together. The answer to that question brings us to "yeah, you should probably just pay somebody to do that unless you're really good with cutting metal."</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this $6 box from the office supplies section is handy, not too big, not too small, the inside edge of the lid lines up real nice with the bottom of a medium cookie sheet....</td></tr>
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The dremel wouldn't cut it, the jig saw with a specialty metal cutting blade wouldn't cut it...</div>
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the snips actually cut the sides pretty well, but when it came to going along the bottom, well, that was rough. Then, light bulb! Bandage shears, well, they cut everything! But I cannot stress enough how razor sharp the edges are! I dropped the edge (that i removed in chunks as I went to prevent catching my poor anythings on) and it fell about <b>2 inches and bounced off my foot. </b>Did you know that the tops of feet will bleed every bit as horrifically as head wounds? Yeah, me neither. So, this is pretty much me warning you that trying to create your own sheet to go on isn't smart. Cheap? Yes. Smart? Well, you may be nominated for a Darwin Award.... moving on....</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">is that too much glue? maybe some more...</td></tr>
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Line your edges once cut (or if you're smarter than I, once bought from a metal shop) with duct tape, just in case the lil bugger manage to disassemble your completed box, because kids, yo, they take everything apart. Then glue the beejeebus out of it, mostly in a vain attempt to stop them from taking it apart. Smash onto the lid, then pile heavy books on top to sit overnight. </div>
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Taking a $4 roll of magnetic self-adhering tape, from the crafts section, snip little chunks and stick to your many, many laminated pieces. Did I mention that I had to cut these out, laminate them, and then <i>cut the little %$#%#* out again? </i>Otherwise, you'd have unsealed edges, and no one wants soggy pieces because the sippy cup got knocked over.</div>
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I worried that these might not stick well, but that one over there that I got crooked as all get out? Yeah, it stuck well enough I couldn't adjust it. I think they'll do. </div>
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But, just in case, they too are getting the heavy books overnight treatment. I'll play with this thing tomorrow and let you know how it ends up- either a complete disaster, or, much like my idea of mixing daiquiri mix and ice cream for a drunk milkshake, pure ossim. (I'm really hoping for the latter as there was entirely too much cutting out of things to give up on this one!)</div>
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Results: if you hold the lid up on end, some pieces will fall down, but setting it flat in front of the fan at full blast didn't dislodge them- which is the position it will be used in anyhow, and the effect i was going for (<i>no wind! don't take all the pieces!</i>).<br />
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amiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04169522450196210980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-80944284408921032692014-07-04T14:24:00.000-06:002014-07-04T14:24:42.749-06:00Easy-peasy bandana tableclothI made this today in under an hour- I went into it knowing we would likely make a mess out of it at the party this weekend, so I wasn't terribly concerned with making my stitches perfectly straight, or having perfectly lined up squares (note to self: if you WANT very neat lines, DO NOT WASH BANDANAS BEFORE YOU SEW THEM!!) Karen or Ruby can narrate if they feel sparky, but the jist of it is, line your squares up one by one, sew across so you have 3 strips of 3 bandanas, then join those down the long sides. Poof, magic! Bandanas run about $1 each, and you can do up any color combo you want, so think of avoiding those icky plastic disposables for holidays and birthdays!<br />
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<br />amiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04169522450196210980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-62994493334836314952014-04-23T19:14:00.000-06:002014-04-23T19:15:34.572-06:00$6 DIY pin boards on a desk<br />
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I love my rolltop desk. That being said, it had a serious flaw: ME. I tend to have lots of small projects going at once, and I make notes for later on small bits of paper, and then stick those bits EVERYWHERE. I knew that pin boards would be a good idea for me to use, but didn't want to take up any more of the limited wall space in the office room (which features Chris's Wall O'Me- his awards and diplomas and such from his military career). Also, I'm lazy, and if that pin board was across the room, I'd likely never look at it, or use it. Let's be honest, lazy wins, every. single. time. And then an idea started fermenting in the back of my brain. <i>I've got these shapely little bits just sitting here all plain and stuff...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJ45bBucRwsyuAKb-HFx7piA6k4-TWgs6CrdRXaHVfQNTYXlN02VVGbjXonkEsb7FgJHgsLISdP2MADGDCJD3NdXpkG_ukMDjoBnb-q8RjE8fGMIj64AuAcT5mIODxj6AF2Tn5eMuZ9w/s1600/blank+desk+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJ45bBucRwsyuAKb-HFx7piA6k4-TWgs6CrdRXaHVfQNTYXlN02VVGbjXonkEsb7FgJHgsLISdP2MADGDCJD3NdXpkG_ukMDjoBnb-q8RjE8fGMIj64AuAcT5mIODxj6AF2Tn5eMuZ9w/s1600/blank+desk+side.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i>and they make thin cork tiles....</i></div>
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yes. Let's hook that puppy up. A quick paper template, some slicing with a razor, double sided sticky squares (which came in the pack of 4 tiles), and suddenly, the little pile o junk building up behind my monitor and taking over my desk now has a home. I even have room to tuck the tape gun out of the way now. And then I started tackling the mess on the TOP of the rolltop desk. Organization? Yeah, I guess that's okay.</div>
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<br />amiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04169522450196210980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-80535224964190555022014-04-14T11:08:00.003-06:002014-04-14T11:09:11.597-06:00Adult Easter Egg Hunt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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That is all.amiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04169522450196210980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-82875287898042455152014-04-02T09:56:00.001-06:002014-07-04T14:25:30.137-06:00Birthday FunSo, my daughter turned 5 last weekend. And she LOVES Princess Sofia. So guess what I had to find?<br />
Yep!<br />
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My mother, THANK GOD, was able to sew her a dress that looked like it would survive more than 5 minutes.<br />
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The fun part, I wanted to marble the color of the batter. So I made my batter, split it into two bowls, colored, then alternated pouring them in & ran my spatula through it to make some swirls!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQooQTYGyVEg8dMUM9jkrB1s1S2zWs_ynk9QTVTHFqWYVKWt4R6tv_SORlDlVJxtuYIE8AAYD5JVi7CX-0nF36A3JZEgeWbmwAxNqzkHcG3SwQh0D1F6qAXwKu_xEdao8ocnOcaVi4ALbC/s1600/SAM_0788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQooQTYGyVEg8dMUM9jkrB1s1S2zWs_ynk9QTVTHFqWYVKWt4R6tv_SORlDlVJxtuYIE8AAYD5JVi7CX-0nF36A3JZEgeWbmwAxNqzkHcG3SwQh0D1F6qAXwKu_xEdao8ocnOcaVi4ALbC/s1600/SAM_0788.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAP-826e5vAwtchsplH3r-G7L7c841KfUcZxcG5S-JgwpJU47gtxrLn1vVqH76pfdVeVYCcq026hQ4rbo4QNmgPWqFYjjqq3OE2jq2W2Bb-YON1qyem8HxyPnrkeLl6oT5WZdrCk3TghJa/s1600/IMG_5313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAP-826e5vAwtchsplH3r-G7L7c841KfUcZxcG5S-JgwpJU47gtxrLn1vVqH76pfdVeVYCcq026hQ4rbo4QNmgPWqFYjjqq3OE2jq2W2Bb-YON1qyem8HxyPnrkeLl6oT5WZdrCk3TghJa/s1600/IMG_5313.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turned out AWESOME!!</td></tr>
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Of course, I was going with my heart cake plan again. Very simple
actually. Take a square cake, turn it at an angle, take a round cake,
cut in half, place each half on a side of square & voila...big
heart! Then I happen to have a small heart pan, so I just stacked it on
top! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTJskK3T9fOoqUtYpoiPu0iYTo4ahoorvaJJ-96OIxa58Q511UWj2TLFZgJXwoltlnUOspVWC_RoPCBZQ4o3p0iQTZepgqN9Wy6Bt6aF_cPZrMzuVeBx9UIv_Z7lzCiMnDcR0pOnyeXAc/s1600/IMG_5318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTJskK3T9fOoqUtYpoiPu0iYTo4ahoorvaJJ-96OIxa58Q511UWj2TLFZgJXwoltlnUOspVWC_RoPCBZQ4o3p0iQTZepgqN9Wy6Bt6aF_cPZrMzuVeBx9UIv_Z7lzCiMnDcR0pOnyeXAc/s1600/IMG_5318.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She LOVED her cake!!</td></tr>
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Now of course, we had to set the theme with more than cake. Thank goodness for Hobby Lobby candy molds & cookie cutters!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjWl2DVkioNYh8GRczXbPa2zSb3_jKoGmb1GuA5MiGQWuPhVpu8IJhCS3O9N1tezDs3gKXAJZNc5cx9HxQSSSHM0FMbx36H5MawqxbjXFlKw5OjtBjnF8HJws00G0U9rTdHsswWc-1TMU/s1600/IMG_5300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjWl2DVkioNYh8GRczXbPa2zSb3_jKoGmb1GuA5MiGQWuPhVpu8IJhCS3O9N1tezDs3gKXAJZNc5cx9HxQSSSHM0FMbx36H5MawqxbjXFlKw5OjtBjnF8HJws00G0U9rTdHsswWc-1TMU/s1600/IMG_5300.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Princess Pretzels</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7ALHpFcfCIiINM3Q-TReW9KzBaDvVYG1ni9RSqCJfrf_qlLKTZAHhjr9hBhJkgixhwBMxtJ6ArH1ICgV2knGnZEzRso8hcIYv9rL-0qjEPDsCDOrU4xH3SIl1MXoSGdfa67wLkmR0i2E/s1600/IMG_5271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7ALHpFcfCIiINM3Q-TReW9KzBaDvVYG1ni9RSqCJfrf_qlLKTZAHhjr9hBhJkgixhwBMxtJ6ArH1ICgV2knGnZEzRso8hcIYv9rL-0qjEPDsCDOrU4xH3SIl1MXoSGdfa67wLkmR0i2E/s1600/IMG_5271.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugar cookies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOf9zm-d0u6pDKR0_mH1CvaPADZYZh0hMfQRf2ZMExHnn0oaBg1ZC3iRhAv8-m2XAv_VhEJCAP3RFEwrgNAPeXIYg42TjCUlSN6sEo3Ex8_rd3TCOizovj1kJS2T2o9nMrwI2pKH8esL_/s1600/IMG_5275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOf9zm-d0u6pDKR0_mH1CvaPADZYZh0hMfQRf2ZMExHnn0oaBg1ZC3iRhAv8-m2XAv_VhEJCAP3RFEwrgNAPeXIYg42TjCUlSN6sEo3Ex8_rd3TCOizovj1kJS2T2o9nMrwI2pKH8esL_/s1600/IMG_5275.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With buttercream icing & sprinkles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghn9zdbQ_e594lBrAnPhNI3r4vTyRZcXDrE5oX4JP_TT-el4pIznKihTifREt7HhObOiedvCr5Pj-FxUUH53PzBm_6wL78QjMkup2wPAlPR5OZV-TQPpPk0WKsfmQ0KSugj4-T6lME-IFr/s1600/IMG_5312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghn9zdbQ_e594lBrAnPhNI3r4vTyRZcXDrE5oX4JP_TT-el4pIznKihTifREt7HhObOiedvCr5Pj-FxUUH53PzBm_6wL78QjMkup2wPAlPR5OZV-TQPpPk0WKsfmQ0KSugj4-T6lME-IFr/s1600/IMG_5312.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plain 'ol PB&J!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNkCsb9T3HbM4macBdEXAQ5z7FmwT1HUHHBRQKalMSOS4B89HhbM2Yy0TQ3FsXFzbWqwZdOdC09vYnk6CRQkyzV4Qsqgdp6i0CtyuH9p4ECnfFWLN6wxS7xD1234ZDJUa3a_0YaQ6dk6N/s1600/SAM_0793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNkCsb9T3HbM4macBdEXAQ5z7FmwT1HUHHBRQKalMSOS4B89HhbM2Yy0TQ3FsXFzbWqwZdOdC09vYnk6CRQkyzV4Qsqgdp6i0CtyuH9p4ECnfFWLN6wxS7xD1234ZDJUa3a_0YaQ6dk6N/s1600/SAM_0793.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4C9-oLbjzRjyzyMwpNDDjEikzqVGt97I8rroCD3MefaHyC8h4dYTfgxDDHqrCLDyMiWbcXWeZVSeHQmA3t9Y3npcTpUsNOVS9nYJ5RsheIXOOg3d13plUQ1mBjGxxon4L_9jKOtpPj5dq/s1600/SAM_0794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4C9-oLbjzRjyzyMwpNDDjEikzqVGt97I8rroCD3MefaHyC8h4dYTfgxDDHqrCLDyMiWbcXWeZVSeHQmA3t9Y3npcTpUsNOVS9nYJ5RsheIXOOg3d13plUQ1mBjGxxon4L_9jKOtpPj5dq/s1600/SAM_0794.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was proud of my stands...thank you dollar store candle holders & plates!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Her friends had such a good time & so did she! I think everyone came together on the theme!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56OOjjI8O7sgd9m0tOaRZiHui6QAyLLsrK4FTMlKbOFf4iZgX4-h20L_gXGbnUeN5Up8fVJVE9rexLvV8cVR5SZjNqkpVUyZtYNWZmmPD-7Dir0vl6oLIoNef6PTphyQX4ZkBkwm2uyLP/s1600/IMG_5320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56OOjjI8O7sgd9m0tOaRZiHui6QAyLLsrK4FTMlKbOFf4iZgX4-h20L_gXGbnUeN5Up8fVJVE9rexLvV8cVR5SZjNqkpVUyZtYNWZmmPD-7Dir0vl6oLIoNef6PTphyQX4ZkBkwm2uyLP/s1600/IMG_5320.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good night little princess</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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I need to work on my straight lines a bit, but I'm pleased!!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14713752883645133999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-47293200662573396672014-03-28T21:20:00.003-06:002014-03-28T21:22:34.881-06:00Smashing ChickenI had a moment of perfect clarity the other night: I'm a dork. AKA, "this is so freaking obvious, how did I not figure it out WAY before now??"<br />
<br />
So, you know how chicken is all germy in a general sort of way, and we've all (hopefully) gotten the message about don't rinse chicken before cooking it because it splashes micro drops of that bacteria EVERYFREAKINGWHERE. Right? Right. But what about when you need to smash it so it is an even thickness? If you pay close attention, even if you've patted it dry with a paper towel, there's still droplets going everywhere when you bust out ye olde meat tenderizer, aka, Momma's big ole stress reducing hammer.<br />
<br />
Allow me to just drop this here...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2oNVFw9jAahwZ-z_jnJVTNYehtYuOdtrMa2lET93QToA4kPbZI1ifuek5t-UzHZL78FAgoCRu6XO7MFgtEG7kxuZLd05ANnY6J5SOBjjrpIreOriNnHoToOMT1zuTJ2dnh0jV8P0F-Q/s1600/DSC00362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2oNVFw9jAahwZ-z_jnJVTNYehtYuOdtrMa2lET93QToA4kPbZI1ifuek5t-UzHZL78FAgoCRu6XO7MFgtEG7kxuZLd05ANnY6J5SOBjjrpIreOriNnHoToOMT1zuTJ2dnh0jV8P0F-Q/s1600/DSC00362.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Yep. Just smash it while the bag is sealed. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Took me years to figure that one out. Durr de durr dur durrr.... </div>
amiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04169522450196210980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-82326694095813944372014-03-22T10:15:00.001-06:002014-03-22T10:15:52.748-06:00DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN GET TRIAL SIZES OF DR. BRONNER'S AT TARGET??! okay... so maybe I got a lil excited... okay... maybe a LOT. But now I can try it without worrying that I'm going to be out a bunch if it is, yet again, a case of "nobody is allergic to this", yet I'm the odd duck out.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3nYZYS_jssA/Uy227MR1ijI/AAAAAAAABWM/jblA4amKmZU/s3200/20140322_100954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3nYZYS_jssA/Uy227MR1ijI/AAAAAAAABWM/jblA4amKmZU/s3200/20140322_100954.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />amiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04169522450196210980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-47170388344509119932014-03-17T13:10:00.001-06:002014-03-17T13:11:51.062-06:00More cake!!<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Got to celebrate the 50th wedding
anniversary of two people who were parents to me when I was a rebellious
teenager & wouldn't listen to my own! Love them!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjS1tPMWdk4z5ihsl6RLwLypb9H5Min-041_D_8igVxkivVENh2nSGFEEgrG7d0xTDXfL9DZAUmD77Ha7CQ2ujPNhjRvVnSAOqbEwM1CUF4Jls3dpZ05D-nd90ZSI05Z2XaNTp6ul4eeah/s640/blogger-image-2012916492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjS1tPMWdk4z5ihsl6RLwLypb9H5Min-041_D_8igVxkivVENh2nSGFEEgrG7d0xTDXfL9DZAUmD77Ha7CQ2ujPNhjRvVnSAOqbEwM1CUF4Jls3dpZ05D-nd90ZSI05Z2XaNTp6ul4eeah/s640/blogger-image-2012916492.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, same shape as last cake, but it's still different!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Had fun with it since their
actual anniversary is St Patty's Day!! Took advantage of cookie cutters
& sprinkles to give it a fun look! <br />
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<br /></div>
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And I've discovered that spray on coloring REALLY makes life easy for decorating!! </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dCCbgUW9kU5c71iJ_vXVzRCA-Hhkrk1QMzerFmiE_g3ZHWvhJtEpLuT0jwmo8rCEfZbSmGog_xbXKkNpvX5qDEtQaA6Q8LvlNXC1xAFmIHqRj80QThCEvSwlnXnOUsPw-zGIgZIZ4pH0/s640/blogger-image-912474306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dCCbgUW9kU5c71iJ_vXVzRCA-Hhkrk1QMzerFmiE_g3ZHWvhJtEpLuT0jwmo8rCEfZbSmGog_xbXKkNpvX5qDEtQaA6Q8LvlNXC1xAFmIHqRj80QThCEvSwlnXnOUsPw-zGIgZIZ4pH0/s640/blogger-image-912474306.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So in love, after so long!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14713752883645133999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-80858901611915282002014-03-12T09:33:00.000-06:002014-07-23T22:14:26.089-06:00Cookie time!Melodie's birthday is approaching fast! And of course, she wants a Princess Sofia birthday party.<br />
<br />
So, to keep that weekend from being insane, I've gone ahead & made sugar cookies, iced them, & all frozen to keep 'em tasty for the big party!<br />
<br />
I've made sugar cookies before, but decided to hunt around Pinterest for something new.<br />
<br />
I found <a href="http://www.cleverlysimple.com/how-to-make-best-sugar-cookie-sugar-cookie-recipe/" target="_blank">THIS</a> sugar cookie recipe! YUM!! Her instructions were fairly simple & I enjoyed some of the tips she provided! The only change I made was instead of 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, I did 1 tsp vanilla & 1/2 tsp almond. Just to be different. The hubby & kids taste tested the broken ones, that's all the approval I needed! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8teUu4IS59-lX-HfKHK_Hhz85YNhtoxeMuXBhT-BuHIBVPdyTu61G5GjZmEt8-8kWTTOW8nqgwibNENcA4bWZrsvi0BXzMh_iZrbhHN1TwBFlBI6B6bEw0NtysvS3sQl3INgBCIRRF2B/s1600/IMG_5271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu8teUu4IS59-lX-HfKHK_Hhz85YNhtoxeMuXBhT-BuHIBVPdyTu61G5GjZmEt8-8kWTTOW8nqgwibNENcA4bWZrsvi0BXzMh_iZrbhHN1TwBFlBI6B6bEw0NtysvS3sQl3INgBCIRRF2B/s1600/IMG_5271.JPG" height="640" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course, they fit the theme...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Well, as pretty as they were, I wanted to do more! I have a friend at work that who always has the BEST icing on her sugar cookies! It's her mom's recipe, & I begged & pleaded...turns out it wasn't some special cookie icing, but buttercream! But wow, yummy!<br />
<br />
"Mom's" Recipe<br />
Melt 3/4 stick butter<br />
Add 1lb powdered sugar & 1 tsp vanilla<br />
Add about 4 Tbsp of milk<br />
Beat slowly & add more milk until you reach desired consistency <br />
<br />
See? It was easy! Granted, I just went with an entire stick of butter & a little extra vanilla, & alternated adding sugar & milk til it looked like enough & tasted & felt the way I wanted it to.<br />
(Yeah, I STINK at recipes...I have to change SOMEthing!!)<br />
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So, I slathered it on, added sprinkles, candy pearls, & used that spray on food coloring, then layered on a cookie sheet to freeze so they'd be stack-able. Melodie was begging for one. I appeased her with a Popsicle! Don't wanna run out on party day!<br />
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So, they're all frozen & ready for party day! Next project...getting fondant squares ready for a MineCraft cake I need the weekend after her party! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14713752883645133999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-32087073065698963172014-02-26T10:43:00.001-07:002014-02-26T10:43:58.407-07:00Let them eat cakeHad a spaghetti fundraiser at church Sunday for youth & children's ministries. Such fun with the love/Italian theme!<br />
<br />
I got to make a cake! :-) I was rushed, but apparently it was good! <br />
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Now I get to make another for a friend's 50th wedding celebration & this is the style I'm going to use for Melodie's birthday cake too! Maybe I WILL get enough practice to do this once I retire! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14713752883645133999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-44512721519503650142014-02-25T12:11:00.000-07:002014-03-28T21:24:08.869-06:00How did I never learn about powdered buttermilk before now??<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001E5E2BS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=NQMG7RTG55SY&coliid=I2JZ1CPRLBX292" target="_blank">Powdered Buttermilk for baking</a><br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VZ2E43MYL.AA500_PIbundle-3,TopRight,0,0_AA500_SH20_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VZ2E43MYL.AA500_PIbundle-3,TopRight,0,0_AA500_SH20_.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
Seriously. I love baking, but hate trying to keep buttermilk on hand, both because of the wastefulness of only using a half to one cup before it spoils, and because i never think about needing it when I go grocery shopping. And then, I find out about this wonderful stuff, just by happening to read along the random links in a recipe about easy breads. Amazon is out of the 3 pack (who really needs 3 cans anyhow?) but some quality grocery stores (<strike>NOT Wally World, at least not around here</strike>) stock it and other brands of the same regularly. I need to track some down!<br />
*** update: wally world started stocking this recently, over by the powdered milk, for about $5 a can!***<br />
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for some odd internety reason, I can't log in and comment on our own blog! but here's some alternatives I've found, and also, they make a heavy cream powder, too!<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/WillPowder-Heavy-Cream-Powder-16-Ounce/dp/B00250UD1Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393367283&sr=8-1&keywords=powdered+half+and+half" target="_blank">Powder heavy Cream Substitute</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Barry-Farm-Buttermilk-Powder-1lb/dp/B0001AVTDG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393367300&sr=8-1&keywords=powdered+buttermilk" target="_blank">1 lbs. bag of powdered buttermilk</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Sweet-Cream-Buttermilk-Powder/dp/B0013JK0O8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1393367300&sr=8-2&keywords=powdered+buttermilk" target="_blank">Bob's Red Mill brand powdered buttermilk</a><br />
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Seeing as Bob's Red Mill is in on the action, I may be able to find it at Natural Grocers locally, or there's always an excuse to run down to Ft. Collins (Which is oddly like the Yellow Springs of Ohio)<br />
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OOH! OOH! OOH! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A34S2NBKKS5E44" target="_blank">Barry Farm Foods on Amazon</a> has all these, and lots of other baking goodies (whole powdered eggs, anyone? Black Lentils? Arrowroot? Powdered egg whites? You know, ALL the stuff you can't easily find at wally world)amiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04169522450196210980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-77169216041871360042014-02-15T18:57:00.001-07:002014-03-28T21:24:25.763-06:00Use Old Socks to Keep Pants Contained for Tall BootsI don't know what it is, but I wear out the the bottoms of my socks ALL.THE.TIME. (Ok, ok, I DO know what it is- I wear socks everywhere with no shoes while I'm at home, even taking out the trash. Hush.) I normally save the tops of them for sock buns, but there are only so many you need lying about for that. And i have seen the trick of using the tops to make fitted cuffs for jackets, that's nice and all, but I don't have jackets that need that done. But I figured out another use: tame the jeans when I want to wear tall boots. I can't find mitten clips, and using normal blousing straps (military stuff that holds the legs of ABU's or ACU's neatly) means I either get a digging in spot if I got for the narrow ones, doubled up, or a huge lump that's too loose to do much good if I try the wide elastic ones. Because, ya know, they're meant for guys' legs. Soooo.... I'll just leave this right here:<br />
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<br />amiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04169522450196210980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-64224638804102553242014-02-06T10:10:00.001-07:002014-02-06T10:10:32.013-07:00For boys too!!!OK, everyone (well, everyone that thinks about it) has looked at, seen, or contemplated a princess style ring for their daughter when she turns 16 to remind her she's worth waiting for. (Yes, Hubby & I have discussed it, it's happening). <br />
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Well, my daughter is 4....but I have a boy that's 12, so he's my main concern in this department first. My first Google search for "promise ring boy" almost made me angry, as most of the results were especially feminine. Hello? I specified BOY!<br />
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Thankfully, my brain kicked in & I realized I wanted specifically something in reference to True Love Waits. I LOVE the verse that goes along with the idea. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><i>1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV) <span class="text 1Tim-4-12" id="en-NIV-29760"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.</span></i></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span class="text 1Tim-4-12" id="en-NIV-29760"> </span></i><span class="text 1Tim-4-12" id="en-NIV-29760"><span style="color: black;">So, now my results were MUCH more what I was looking for to give my son(s). (Yes, Bubby will have to hit this stage before the Baby Girl too.....scary!) These are MY three favorites, but I guess we'll see which he likes at that point. Right now, he's more of a bracelet kinda guy, so maybe that should be my next search! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span class="text 1Tim-4-12" id="en-NIV-29760"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span class="text 1Tim-4-12" id="en-NIV-29760"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><span class="text 1Tim-4-12" id="en-NIV-29760"><span style="color: black;">Now, before anyone gets all bent out of shape. It's NOT just my religious beliefs that make me want to encourage my children to wait. I did not myself. I wouldn't have my oldest if I had, possibly none of them, as that is truly what "pushed" my marriage to happen. (We've beat just about every statistic out there...we're just cool). </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span class="text 1Tim-4-12" id="en-NIV-29760"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><span class="text 1Tim-4-12" id="en-NIV-29760"><span style="color: black;">But at the same time, and I'm sure I've indicated this before, I feel something is missing from my relationship due to not waiting. It won't break my marriage, not in the least. But not everyone is me & the hubby. Like I said, we're just cool! :-D But like any parent, I want more for my children than I have for myself. And I'll do all that I can to ensure that...without turning them into spoiled brats. </span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14713752883645133999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-42199908374273067472014-02-02T15:21:00.002-07:002014-07-04T14:26:21.773-06:00Amii's Copycat Great Harvest Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (with high altitude notes)<div class="WordSection1">
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<span style="color: #cc6600; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Amii's (Copycat) Great Harvest Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://s3-media3.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/hCZ2H7CwVmhtHwaHwYE2Aw/l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://s3-media3.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/hCZ2H7CwVmhtHwaHwYE2Aw/l.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 16.8pt;">I cobbled together about a dozen </span><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 22.400001525878906px;">other</span><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 16.8pt;"> recipes to find the happy medium between not so much fat and not so much salt (</span><span style="line-height: 22.400001525878906px;">seriously</span><span style="line-height: 16.8pt;">, some of them called for 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt!<span style="font-size: medium;">) and "where did the flavor go?" to arrive at this final product. Being in Wyoming (above 6500 feet, I need a bit more water (3/4 cup rather than 2/3), and a bit more flour (a good pinch of whole wheat, since that is thicker, or about a scant 1/4 cup white flour) to get the same consistency that you do on regular altitude recipes. I have listed the standard recipe, since most people don't need the high altitude adjustments, but have noted what works for me here, just in case.</span></span></span></div>
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1 cup whole wheat flour</div>
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2 1/2 cups white flour<br />
3 cups sugar<br />
2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
1 teaspoon nutmeg<br />
1 teaspoon salt</div>
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¼ teaspoon ground allspice<o:p></o:p></div>
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2 teaspoons vanilla extract</div>
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16 oz cooked or canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)<br />
1 cup oil ( or 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/2 cup oil- canola)<br />
4 eggs, beaten lightly<br />
2/3 cup water<br />
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 1/2 c semis and 1/2 c dark)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Instructions</span><br />
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Preheat oven to 350°F degrees . Grease two (9x5 inch) loaf pans or three (8x4
inch) loaf pans.<br />
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Mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large
bowl; set aside.<br />
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Mix pumpkin, oil, eggs, and 2/3 cup water together and stir into dry
ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Place batter in prepared pans. Bake for
approx.. 60 minutes, check at 45 minutes in case your oven varies.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For regular muffins, cook for about 18-25 minutes (check around 10 minutes to get an idea of where you need to be for time, high altitudes make this a difficult conversion, so I'm guessing based on most muffin recipes.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mini-loaf pans/mini loaf stoneware or large muffin: 25-35 minutes, depending upon how full you fill them, and altitudes.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Note about bread and baking temperatures: breads and breading coated foods usually cook at higher temps to get that nice crust and speed things along, but with the chocolate, that isn't always desirable. You can boost the temp by 25 degrees and just use your nose to speed up cooking time a bit, just be sure to keep an eye on it!</span></div>
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amiihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04169522450196210980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-58487611465218270702014-01-15T09:06:00.000-07:002014-01-15T09:06:31.793-07:00Gonna try this!!!<br />
OK, so one of my most favorite blogs has got me motivated!! At least in this department!! <br />
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<a href="http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2014/01/7-ways-to-detox-naturally.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+onegoodthingbyjillee%2FzBBd+%28%22One+Good+Thing%22+by+Jillee%29" target="_blank">OGT By Jillee: 7 Ways to Detox Natrually</a><br />
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I've read similar blog posts & such over the years, I even take epsom salt baths occasionally. But drinking the ACV? Hadn't tried that. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Need to find the organic instead of generic for full benefits!</td></tr>
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Now, don't get me wrong, there are TONS of uses for ACV! But it's typically for cleaning that I've used it! Did you know if you dilute it with warm water, it'll get smashed Pop-tart out of carpet & couch cushions? Even takes most "mystery" stains out!! If it's kool-aid...I haven't figured out how to get that out yet, but it does lighten it to a harder to see pink! :-D<br />
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So, I'd not made any formal resolutions, other than get healthier. And I've decided ONE step at a time. I pinned <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/23784704256327341/" target="_blank">THIS</a> workout, then took a picture to make it the background on my phone to remind myself to DO it!! Now, to start, my goal is twice a day. I've managed it 3 days running! (And to know me is to realize the amazingness of that!!)<br />
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Once this is routine (2-4 weeks), then diet comes in. But not DIEt, just a change in eating, and newsflash to my family, but they're going along for the ride! Right now, I'm letting the stash of chips, cookies, etc fade to nothing. As we head to the store over the next few weeks, I simply won't replace the items. Then we're going to do South Beach . I did it before, years ago (and was never hungry or deprived, & found myself full of energy), and our financial status is ALL that kept me from continuing. That is no longer as much of an issue (plus I'm better at meal planning & shopping for deals!)<br />
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Now I know it seems weird, taking the kids along with me. But don't knock it til you've at least read the book. The idea of Phase 1...is to get past the cravings, a detox if you will. It's 2 weeks, then you add more foods back into the list & stick to phase 2 til you're at a healthy weight. For the rest of the family, I can go ahead to preparing foods from phase 3, as they don't have weight to lose, but it's phase 2 for me for awhile. And it's easier to fix phase 2 meals & add an item from 3 for them, than fix them a dinner I LOVE... & then have a plate of something different. Makes it a DIEt instead of healthy eating. Thus condemning me to failure....again.<br />
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So, exercise first. (While cleaning out the pantry) Then nutrition. Most folks do it the other way, but the easier thing for me is the nutrition. (Not that you can tell by looking!) Wish me luck! <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14713752883645133999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-33662468919036068422013-12-28T11:07:00.000-07:002013-12-28T11:07:02.575-07:00Out on a limb...I just saw a snippet of a book that bashes society as a whole for focusing on sexuality of women. Specifically in focusing on their levels of purity, as if their virginity makes them worthwhile or lack thereof makes them worthless. The sentiment...up to a point, I can agree with. But discouraging young women to not hold onto their virginity as something for marriage is a mistake. One that I myself made, & I hope that my own daughter never makes. Would I ever condemn her or criticize her for that? NO!! And I hope my own two BFF's slap me if I ever make her feel like less of a person for any mistake or failure she may make or go through!<br />
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But that's the personal side of it. The hardest part for me is to combat society's idea that sexy means beautiful & not sexy means unattractive. I tell my daughter every day she's pretty... because she is sweet & kind. THAT is what makes her pretty. When she's being a little stink & whining & bossing...I tell her she's not being pretty. Because that's what it is. Pretty is a verb. At least in my own house.<br />
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As for virginity. It IS special. It's something that's precious & one time. Once it's gone, it is GONE! Can you have a successful marriage without it? Yes. So far I've managed 12 years of being pretty darn happy! But I feel a level of intimacy I could have had with my husband isn't there. And it never will be. I can't bring it back & I can't recreate what could have been. Does he love me? Very much so! I have not a doubt in my mind. We can talk about anything & we rarely argue (disagree, yes, argue, no....there's a difference).<br />
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But that "thing" isn't there. And I wouldn't have it with anyone else either. Because of what it is essentially formed from. That knowledge & learning of each other that you've never had to share with anyone else. Even if you don't resent others having been there first, you still, in the back of your mind, know you weren't first. You (as a human looking for reassurance & love) will doubt & wonder "who was better?" Even if it's something you never voice or actively consider. And I PRAY that my daughter never goes through that.<br />
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So yes, I will encourage her to "hold out" for her future husband. And I will pray that, whomever he might be, that he has parents who will encourage him to do the same for her sake. And that they'll know it's something special to be treasured. A gift if you will. Not their total value, or their worth, but something special that can't be given in any other way. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14713752883645133999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-91087188258471215292013-12-27T10:44:00.001-07:002013-12-27T10:44:41.072-07:00Day After Christmas<br />
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OK, so yes, technically YESTERDAY was the day after Christmas (can you see a theme going on here?) BUT, I think this can apply for a few extra days...thus the point of the song, right? I know hearing it yesterday definitely lifted MY spirits! Hope it does the same for you!!<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xvM3Lp_BZeQ" width="459"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14713752883645133999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3853445063276866567.post-17287400377489053192013-12-26T15:06:00.002-07:002013-12-26T15:06:29.037-07:00Merry Christmas!!<div style="text-align: center;">
So yes, it was yesterday, but just wanted to put it out there! </div>
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Aren't they just cute? </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14713752883645133999noreply@blogger.com0