Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Between Naps on the Porch: Pottery Barn Inspired Garland Tutorial-Make Your O...
Between Naps on the Porch: Pottery Barn Inspired Garland Tutorial-Make Your O...: "For Metamorphosis Monday, I shared this wonderful photo from a Pottery Barn Catalog and a little info on how I was inspired to re-create a s..."
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
EGGNOG CHERRY NUTBREAD
I made this recipe I found at Cooks.com
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 c. eggnog
1/3 c. oil
1/2 c. nuts, chopped
1/2 c. cherries, cut up
Mix dry ingredients. Add eggnog, egg and oil. Mix well. Pour into greased bread pans. (One large or two small)3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 c. eggnog
1/3 c. oil
1/2 c. nuts, chopped
1/2 c. cherries, cut up
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. Test center for doneness.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Spiced Pumpkin Fudge
Spiced Pumpkin FudgeThis recipe is delicious and perfect for fall! It's a much requested favorite at our house!
3 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
2/3 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. pumpkin
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
12 oz. butterscotch chips
7 oz. marshmallow creme
1 tsp. vanilla
Combine sugar, butter, evap. milk, pumpkin, and pie spice in saucepan. Cook over medium heat to a boil. Add thermometer. Stir until it reaches the soft ball stage (230-235 degrees). Remove from heat, add butterscotch chips and stir until melted. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla and mix will. Pour into a 9x13 buttered pan. Cool, cut and enjoy!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Pumpkin Dump Cake
1 large can pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
3 eggs, beaten
1 box yellow or white cake mix (not Jiffy size)
1 1/2 cubes melted butter
Grease bottom of 9 X 13 inch cake pan. Combine first 6 ingredients.
Pour into pan. Sprinkle cake mix over top evenly. Drizzle melted butter over all. Bake at 350F for 50 minutes. Test as for pumpkin pie for doneness.
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
3 eggs, beaten
1 box yellow or white cake mix (not Jiffy size)
1 1/2 cubes melted butter
Grease bottom of 9 X 13 inch cake pan. Combine first 6 ingredients.
Pour into pan. Sprinkle cake mix over top evenly. Drizzle melted butter over all. Bake at 350F for 50 minutes. Test as for pumpkin pie for doneness.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Pumpkin Squares
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 1 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup oil
- 1 16-oz. can pumpkin
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. clove
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. baking powder
Icing
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 stick butter softened
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups powdered confectioner's sugar
Directions:
- In a large bowl beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, clove, cinnamon and salt. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Spread batter in 9" x 13" pan (ungreased) and bake at 350°F for approximately 30 minutes. Check with a wooden toothpick to see if it is done. Cool thoroughly and ice.
- Cream together softened cream cheese and butter, then stir in vanilla. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing well until mixture is smooth.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
♥ The Clothesline ♥
The ClotheslineA clothesline was a news forecast
To neighbors passing by.
There were no secrets you could keep
When clothes were hung to dry.
It also was a friendly link
For neighbors always knew
If company had stopped by
To spend a night or two.
For then you'd see the 'fancy sheets'
And towels upon the line;
You'd see the 'company table cloths'
With intricate design.
The line announced a baby's birth
To folks who lived inside
As brand new infant clothes were hung
So carefully with pride.
The ages of the children could
So readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed
You'd know how much they'd grown.
It also told when illness struck,
As extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes and a bathrobe, too,
Haphazardly were strung.
It said 'gone on vacation now'
When lines hung limp and bare.
It told, 'we're back' when full lines sagged
With not an inch to spare.
New folks in town were scorned upon
If wash was dingy gray,
As neighbors carefully raised their brows,
And looked the other way.
But clotheslines now are of the past
For dryers make work less.
Now what goes on inside a home
Is anybody's guess.
I really miss that way of life.
It was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew each other best
By what hung on the line!
~Author Unknown
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Cream layer:
8 oz. cream cheese -- softened
8-10 oz. Cool Whip
1 cup sugar
Mix together in a stand mixer until smooth. Spread over (cooled) crust and place dish in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or until chilled.
Strawberry layer:
2 cup boiling water
2 small boxes strawberry jello
2 10 oz. boxes of frozen strawberries (thawed). (I usually used sliced strawberries that we picked in the summer and froze in syrup -- about 2 1/2 cups.)
Boil the water, add jello and stir until dissolved. Add the strawberries and stir. DO NOT add cold water like the jello directions instruct. Carefully pour over the cream cheese and place in the fridge to chill. (About 3-4 hours.)
8 oz. cream cheese -- softened
8-10 oz. Cool Whip
1 cup sugar
Mix together in a stand mixer until smooth. Spread over (cooled) crust and place dish in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or until chilled.
Strawberry layer:
2 cup boiling water
2 small boxes strawberry jello
2 10 oz. boxes of frozen strawberries (thawed). (I usually used sliced strawberries that we picked in the summer and froze in syrup -- about 2 1/2 cups.)
Boil the water, add jello and stir until dissolved. Add the strawberries and stir. DO NOT add cold water like the jello directions instruct. Carefully pour over the cream cheese and place in the fridge to chill. (About 3-4 hours.)
Monday, August 23, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Audio books
I found more audio books that you may like (FREE ONES!!!) by Isabella Alden, Grace Livingston Hill's Aunt. You can find them here. I have read a couple of her books and they are very good, and a lot like Grace's. :)
I've listened to The Enchanted Barn as I fall asleep every night since I found it.Why not try a little geocaching adventure.
I've listened to The Enchanted Barn as I fall asleep every night since I found it.Why not try a little geocaching adventure.
Public Service Announcement :: Grace Livingston Hill
While sitting here this morning trying to plan out the perfect Tuesday, indoors away from the scorching heat, I thought about spending some time with my old friend Grace Livingston Hill. That's one friend that will never let you down. Am I right or am I right? So I was thinking of reading one of my old favorites start to finish and just make a day of it when....the thought hit me...I wonder if Grace has any audio books on my (FREE) audiobooks app. I looked it up on my phone and guess what! The Enchanted Barn was there!!!! (It's also free to listen to here if you don't have an iPod or iPhone.) This has been one of my favorites since Sivje told me it was her favorite a while back. Do you know what this means? Now I get to spend the day with Grace AND sew or crochet or embroider something at the same time...PERFECT! I couldn't let the day go by without sharing the link with you. Remember you can also read most of her books online. I read Aunt Crete's Emancipation Monday, I love that one too because it's short enough to read in an afternoon, but the story is so good. So do you have a favorite? Share it with us!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Little Boys - playing in the dirt won't hurt
click image to enlarge
hand, bounce on the floor, and roll off somewhere never to be found that day. The lead would mysteriously break moments after touching the paper and there would be no sharpener to be found. Even a mechanical pencil could be made to do many of the same tricks that a wooden one could do and it could disappear and lose it's lead just as easily too.
What's a mom to do when her little boys can't sit still? I say, work with the wiggle! That's right. Let them wiggle and squirm and fiddle around while you read aloud from Rifles for Watie. Let them build Lego cars and trucks or stack blocks or play Lincoln Logs while you read from Milne's Winnie the Pooh. I promise (I really do) that your little boys are paying attention. It may not look like they are listening or soaking anything up, but they are. Try this experiment and see if I'm right. When you are in the midst of reading aloud and they are quietly playing , stop reading in mid-sentence. See if they notice. (they will.) Then ask a question about the story, and I'll bet you one of your many mother's hats that they will be able to answer you. Try it and see if I'm right.
Boys, especially little boys, really must be allowed to wiggle and move and be busy with their hands while they learn. School desks are mere traps to boys and they don't allow for much freedom other than lifting the lid for a pair of scissors with which to cut the braids of the girl in front of him. One thing I have learned is that all children, especially boys, do well with short lessons when it comes to school-ish things. Did you know that the first 10 minutes of any presentation or speech is the most listened to and the most absorbed? So with a child, a 15 or 20 minute lesson in handwriting or math is plenty if you wish to capture their attention and have them truly learn. More time than that, and their eyes begin to wander out the window and to the tree fort where the pirates are just now sailing alongside the cargo ship....and you've lost them. You might as well open the door and set them free to sail.
The other thing I've learned about boys is that they need lots and lots of time outdoors -- thinking their own thoughts, arranging their own battles with the Redcoats, hunting for skunks, hammering nails into another section of the tree fort. It all goes right along with their education. Without a hefty amount of free play time and work time, I don't think their brains function right, and they certainly have far to much energy to sit still for long if they aren't allowed to burn it off. One of my favorite energy burners that often took place when I was at my wits end was laps around the house. No matter the weather, I'd send them all out the door to take laps. I designated the number and counted the laps off as they ran past the picture window. It always seemed to fix the problem and give their brains some added energy for the task at hand. Plus it was fun! I'm no psychologist or child expert, but from my point of view, kids need wiggle room, fresh air, and time to romp every bit as much as they need pencils and books.
salad spinner....
Now it's time to make salad.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Plain Pam's Blog: Getting our country back together...
Plain Pam's Blog: Getting our country back together...: "A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl, Shelby.. She wanted to know what the United States looked like..."
Plain Pam's Blog: The Grandfather's Table...
Plain Pam's Blog: The Grandfather's Table...: "Hope you enjoy this story, certainly makes one think... The Grandfather's Table A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law..."
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Natural Hair Recipes
Natural Hair Recipes
HomeMade Egg Conditioner: two egg yolks mixed with two teaspoons of olive oil. Massage well on hair and into scalp and leave alone for a little while. Rinse the mixture off thoroughly (with cool water as not to cook the eggs). This conditioner provides strong beautiful silky hair. Works best on dry to normal hair.
Split ends can also be treated by egg yolks: mix 1 teaspoon honey with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, beat in 1 egg yolk. After being massaged in (the ends should be covered with the mixture in particular), the conditioner has to be remained on the hair. Wrap the hair with shower cap for about 30 minutes. After the treatment egg mixture has to be rinsed well.
Honey Hair Rinse: Honey adds shine to your hair. Mis 1 tsp honey into 1 quart of warm water. Add some lemon for blone or oily hair. Use after shampooing and do not rinse out.
Beer Conditioner: 1 cup warm beer (preferably mildly scented), 1 tsp jojoba oil- Follow up your regular shampoo with this natural, non-greasy conditioner. The beer adds body while jojoba oil adds shine.
Beer and Vinegar Rinse: 1 oz water, 2 tsp cider vinegar, 1 oz flat beer, 5 drops rosemary essential oil- Rub this solution through your hair after shampooing to remove build-up from hair products.
Beer Spritz: Spritz your hair with beer before drying and it acts as a wonderful setting gel. Its natural ingredients coat each strand and lend hair-nourishing benefits. In addition to B vitamins, the proteins found in malt and hops are said to repair damaged hair and boost overall body.
Lemon Hair Rinse: For Blonds or blond highlights chamomile and lemon work wonders. Juice from ½ lemon
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 chamomile tea. Rub into hair and let set while finishing shower. Rinse after 5 minutes.
Coffee Hair Rinse: To add luster to brown tones, brew 2 - 4 cups espresso or very strong coffee. Allow to cool, then
- Pour coffee over hair after you shampoo. Leave it in as you dry and style.
- Pour over your hair after you shampoo and condition. Leave it in while you finish your shower, then rinse.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread
The recipe I’ve been using is from Mother-Earth News, recipe by Roger Doiron—here’s the direct link if you want to read more about this technique and find other similar recipes, and I’ve pasted the recipe below.
No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread
1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.
1 1/2 tsp salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
- The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
- Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
- At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Happiness From Within
"Happiness will never come
to those who fail to appreciate what they already have."
A good friend of mine sent me this text message yesterday:
"I never search my happiness in others... it will make me feel alone when they are not around. I search it in myself... then I will be happy even if I am alone."
Indeed, true happiness comes from within. Easier said than done, right?
If only people would stop whining about what they do NOT have and start counting what they have...
If only people would see the goodness in every person instead of looking at his/her flaws...
If only people made good of what they have right now instead of pining for a better deal which might never come anyway...
If only...
After all, happiness is a state of mind... it's a matter of choice. But why is it easier to choose misery? Why is it an effort to break into a smile?
If you find yourself unhappy and miserable, remember this: look at the people around you and you will see that you have attracted the same negativity in your life. It's true that misery loves company.
So next time you catch yourself feeling so negative about everything, try asking yourself where your discontentment is coming from... Is it something you can't live without? Is it going to kill you? Is it even worth wasting your time on?
to those who fail to appreciate what they already have."
A good friend of mine sent me this text message yesterday:
"I never search my happiness in others... it will make me feel alone when they are not around. I search it in myself... then I will be happy even if I am alone."
Indeed, true happiness comes from within. Easier said than done, right?
If only people would stop whining about what they do NOT have and start counting what they have...If only people would see the goodness in every person instead of looking at his/her flaws...
If only people made good of what they have right now instead of pining for a better deal which might never come anyway...
If only...
After all, happiness is a state of mind... it's a matter of choice. But why is it easier to choose misery? Why is it an effort to break into a smile?
If you find yourself unhappy and miserable, remember this: look at the people around you and you will see that you have attracted the same negativity in your life. It's true that misery loves company.So next time you catch yourself feeling so negative about everything, try asking yourself where your discontentment is coming from... Is it something you can't live without? Is it going to kill you? Is it even worth wasting your time on?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Benihana Japanese Fried Rice
Title: Benihana Japanese Fried Rice
Yield: 1 Servings
Ingredients
4 c cooked converted or
-parboiled rice; (1 cup unco
1 c frozen peas; thawed
2 tb finely grated carrot
2 eggs; beaten
1/2 c diced onion; (1/2 small
-onion)
1 1/2 tb butter
2 tb soy sauce
1 salt
1 pepper
Instructions
1. Cook rice following instructions on package (Bring 2 cups water to a
boil, add rice and a dash of salt, reduce heat and simmer in covered
saucepan for 20 minutes). Pour rice into a large bowl to let it cool in the
refrigerator.
2. Scramble the eggs in a small pan over medium heat. Separate the
scrambled chunks of egg into small pea-size bits while cooking.
3. When rice has cooled to near room temperature, add peas, grated carrot,
scrambled egg and diced onion to the bowl. Carefully toss all of the
ingredients together.
4. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan over medium/high
heat.
5. When butter has completely melted, dump the bowl of rice and other
ingredients into the pan and add soy sauce plus a dash of salt and pepper.
Cook rice for 6-8 minutes over heat, stirring often.
Serves 4
This fried rice can be prepared ahead of time by cooking the rice, then
adding the peas, carrots and egg plus half of the soy sauce. Keep this
refrigerated until you are ready to fry it in the butter. That's when you
add the salt, pepper and remaining soy sauce.
Yield: 1 Servings
Ingredients
4 c cooked converted or
-parboiled rice; (1 cup unco
1 c frozen peas; thawed
2 tb finely grated carrot
2 eggs; beaten
1/2 c diced onion; (1/2 small
-onion)
1 1/2 tb butter
2 tb soy sauce
1 salt
1 pepper
Instructions
1. Cook rice following instructions on package (Bring 2 cups water to a
boil, add rice and a dash of salt, reduce heat and simmer in covered
saucepan for 20 minutes). Pour rice into a large bowl to let it cool in the
refrigerator.
2. Scramble the eggs in a small pan over medium heat. Separate the
scrambled chunks of egg into small pea-size bits while cooking.
3. When rice has cooled to near room temperature, add peas, grated carrot,
scrambled egg and diced onion to the bowl. Carefully toss all of the
ingredients together.
4. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan over medium/high
heat.
5. When butter has completely melted, dump the bowl of rice and other
ingredients into the pan and add soy sauce plus a dash of salt and pepper.
Cook rice for 6-8 minutes over heat, stirring often.
Serves 4
This fried rice can be prepared ahead of time by cooking the rice, then
adding the peas, carrots and egg plus half of the soy sauce. Keep this
refrigerated until you are ready to fry it in the butter. That's when you
add the salt, pepper and remaining soy sauce.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Scallops Gratineed with Wine, Garlic, and Herbs
I'm going to prepare this tonight hoping it is great with the wine. I best try it on the hubby before the next dinner party great winter night to relax with a glass of wine next to the fire.Here is the recipe great for dinner parties etc..
Coquilles St. Jacques â la Provençcale
This good recipe may be prepared in advance and gratinéed just before serving. The following proportions are sufficient for a first course. Double them for a main course. Serve a chilled rosé, or a dry white wine such as côtes de Provence.
Yield: 6 scallop shells
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup minced yellow onions
- 1 Tb butter
- 1½ Tb minced shallot or green onions
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1½ lbs washed scallops
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup sifted flour in a dish
- 2 Tb butter
- 1 Tb olive oil
- 2/3 cup dry white wine, or ½ cup dry white vermouth and 3 Tb water
- ½ bay leaf
- 1/8 tsp thyme
- ¼ cup grated Swiss cheese
- 2 Tb butter cut into 6 pieces
Directions
Cook the onions slowly in butter in a small saucepan for 5 minutes or so, until tender and translucent but not browned. Stir in the shallots or onions, and garlic, and cook slowly for 1 minute more. Set aside.
Dry the scallops and cut into slices ¼ inch thick. Just before cooking, sprinkle with salt and pepper, roll in flour, and shake off excess flour.
Sauté the scallops quickly in very hot butter and oil for 2 minutes to brown them lightly.
Pour the wine, or the vermouth and water, into the skillet with the scallops. Add the herbs and the cooked onion mixture. Cover the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. Then uncover, and if necessary boil down the sauce rapidly for a minute until it is lightly thickened. Correct seasoning, and discard bay leaf.
Spoon the scallops and sauce into the shells. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with butter.
Set aside or refrigerate until ready to gratine.
Just before serving, run under a moderately hot broiler for 3 to 4 minutes to heat through, and to brown the cheese lightly.
Notes
Equipment:
A 10-inch enameled skillet
6 buttered scallop shells, or porcelain or pyrex shells, of 1/3 cup capacity
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tips on Keeping Paperwork
Organizing Your Keepsake Paperwork
All of us have fun paperwork that we like to keep, but it can easily morph into piles of clutter. Here are a few suggestions for how to organize that paperwork, your time and even your money!
1) Greeting Cards Received
Greeting cards that are kept should be given a place of honor in order to make it worth your while to keep them on hand. Create a scrapbook just for cards or include cards with photos in other scrapbooks. Particularly special or beautiful cards might even be framed individually or in a shadow box with other memorabilia from the event. Cards with no significant event, but great images can be snipped into artistic shapes and used as tags for gifts.
2) Greeting Cards to Give
Keeping greeting cards on hand for upcoming or unexpected occasions is a great way to be prepared. Use an accordion file with labels for each type of card, so you can find all like-themes in the same space and choose exactly the right one for the occasion.
If you find that you have a tendency to forget to send cards on time for birthdays and other special occasions, organize your time by choosing all your cards at the beginning of the year and then clip them inside the appropriate calendar month. If a birthday falls within the first week of a month, be sure to clip the card inside the month prior so you get it in the mail on time. Organize your money by taking advantage of bulk card purchase deals during greeting card sales events. Watch for the ads and get all your cards for a fraction of the cost.
On occasion it can also be fun to keep a copy of cards or letters that you sent out. Creating a special binder for these items and choosing an annual time to read from it can help ensure the cards or letters don't just stack up in various files around the house. If you celebrate Christmas, you can put your annual Christmas newsletter into a binder year after year. Reading the newsletters before bed on Christmas Eve can be even more exciting that Clement C. Moore's `Twas the Night Before Christmas.
3) Recipes
Magazines, printouts from the holiday cookie exchange, or the odd, old index card stained with coffee or vanilla-- recipes come at us from all sides and are inevitably discovered three days after the special dinner when we thought they might come in handy. Grab a few inexpensive photo album books and make themed books of recipes you know you will use only on various occasions, i.e. Thanksgiving Sides and Dressings, or Entertaining Dips and Sauces, or even Favorite Family Dinners. Then slip in the appropriate index cards.
Organize your time by creating grocery lists for special occasions by looking through only one cookbook. By starting family favorite recipe books, you will realize how many recipes you have and love. You may even discover you don't need that $30 cookbook you've been eyeing.
If you haven't decided if you want to keep a recipe, give yourself a deadline. Try your recipes within two weeks of getting the recipe. Giving it priority will ensure you try it before it collects dust. If it doesn't make it into the dinner rotation by then, get rid of it!
4) Kids' Artwork
Just like greeting cards, children's artwork you wish to keep should be given a place of honor. And again, scrapbooking and frames are both great options. Because of the high production rate of artwork, the refrigerator is not always the best option. Set limits by purchasing three or four jawbreaker types of pants hangers and use them to hang the artwork on the wall.
New artwork can only be added to the wall by removing a previous piece. At that time make the decision if you will be framing or scrapbooking the piece. If not it can go, either in the mail to a relative, into a special storage box designated for this purpose, or in the trash if you feel it's not going to have extra special meaning to you later on.
I keep one medium-sized box for this purpose. When my daughter brings home something special from school or art class, I put it in this box. At the end of the year, I weed out the box and only keep the 4 to 5 extra special projects that I feel will be representative of what she was working on in any particular year.
You can also take a photo of your child surrounded by his or her projects. Then you can save the memory, but discard all the extra paper.
All of us have fun paperwork that we like to keep, but it can easily morph into piles of clutter. Here are a few suggestions for how to organize that paperwork, your time and even your money!
1) Greeting Cards Received
Greeting cards that are kept should be given a place of honor in order to make it worth your while to keep them on hand. Create a scrapbook just for cards or include cards with photos in other scrapbooks. Particularly special or beautiful cards might even be framed individually or in a shadow box with other memorabilia from the event. Cards with no significant event, but great images can be snipped into artistic shapes and used as tags for gifts.
2) Greeting Cards to Give
Keeping greeting cards on hand for upcoming or unexpected occasions is a great way to be prepared. Use an accordion file with labels for each type of card, so you can find all like-themes in the same space and choose exactly the right one for the occasion.
If you find that you have a tendency to forget to send cards on time for birthdays and other special occasions, organize your time by choosing all your cards at the beginning of the year and then clip them inside the appropriate calendar month. If a birthday falls within the first week of a month, be sure to clip the card inside the month prior so you get it in the mail on time. Organize your money by taking advantage of bulk card purchase deals during greeting card sales events. Watch for the ads and get all your cards for a fraction of the cost.
On occasion it can also be fun to keep a copy of cards or letters that you sent out. Creating a special binder for these items and choosing an annual time to read from it can help ensure the cards or letters don't just stack up in various files around the house. If you celebrate Christmas, you can put your annual Christmas newsletter into a binder year after year. Reading the newsletters before bed on Christmas Eve can be even more exciting that Clement C. Moore's `Twas the Night Before Christmas.
3) Recipes
Magazines, printouts from the holiday cookie exchange, or the odd, old index card stained with coffee or vanilla-- recipes come at us from all sides and are inevitably discovered three days after the special dinner when we thought they might come in handy. Grab a few inexpensive photo album books and make themed books of recipes you know you will use only on various occasions, i.e. Thanksgiving Sides and Dressings, or Entertaining Dips and Sauces, or even Favorite Family Dinners. Then slip in the appropriate index cards.
Organize your time by creating grocery lists for special occasions by looking through only one cookbook. By starting family favorite recipe books, you will realize how many recipes you have and love. You may even discover you don't need that $30 cookbook you've been eyeing.
If you haven't decided if you want to keep a recipe, give yourself a deadline. Try your recipes within two weeks of getting the recipe. Giving it priority will ensure you try it before it collects dust. If it doesn't make it into the dinner rotation by then, get rid of it!
4) Kids' Artwork
Just like greeting cards, children's artwork you wish to keep should be given a place of honor. And again, scrapbooking and frames are both great options. Because of the high production rate of artwork, the refrigerator is not always the best option. Set limits by purchasing three or four jawbreaker types of pants hangers and use them to hang the artwork on the wall.
New artwork can only be added to the wall by removing a previous piece. At that time make the decision if you will be framing or scrapbooking the piece. If not it can go, either in the mail to a relative, into a special storage box designated for this purpose, or in the trash if you feel it's not going to have extra special meaning to you later on.
I keep one medium-sized box for this purpose. When my daughter brings home something special from school or art class, I put it in this box. At the end of the year, I weed out the box and only keep the 4 to 5 extra special projects that I feel will be representative of what she was working on in any particular year.
You can also take a photo of your child surrounded by his or her projects. Then you can save the memory, but discard all the extra paper.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Winter
Every morning, as the sun pokes its sleepy head above the horizon,we hope this is soon with 36 hours of snow.Clyde awakens to collects eggs laid by the hens. He goes back in the house to get ready for his job as a crew chief at Sandvik Steel. Later in the day,Robin gets ready to go off to work to take care of her cleaning business.We have two Goldens and a Toy Poodle they just loves to play in the snow.What a day we had moving the snow hubby got stuck next to the driveway.Had to pull him out with the Nissan great SUV.We had a one lane road in front of the house no where to park in order to clean up the driveway.It was pretty to look at with the snow hanging on the tree branches.Just wondering how much of a mess I'm going to wake up to with the wind whipping the snow around tonight.
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