October 3, 2017

Steamed ArtichokesI have enjoyed artichokes only a few times. Now that I know how to make them, I'll be doing it more often. I used my pressure cooker, but you can steam them 25-45 minutes, depending on the size. A pressure cooker takes 15-20 minutes, with a 10 minute natural release.

 

Crockpot Apple ButterFall is a great time to grab all those apples and turn them into delicious apple butter for the rest of the year! This slow cooker recipe will make plenty for you and for thoughtful gifts during the upcoming holidays.

 

Berry and Mango Breakfast BarsThese breakfast bars are very easy to make. They are perfect for on the go, as well as toddler/kid approved! Instead of making a full batch of a specific flavor, I used half berry jam and the other half mango to have a variety. You could also opt for fresh or frozen fruit to make your own filling, if you have the time.

 

Emergency Cookie for TwoThis is a recipe for a luscious chocolate chip cookie you can make in the microwave when you have an emergency sweet tooth. There are only a handful of ingredients; no eggs, no baking powders. Just mix, microwave, and cool. In a couple minutes, you'll be in chocolate heaven!

 

Whole Wheat Pineapple MuffinsI love making muffins and freezing them for a quick breakfast on busy work-week mornings. I will write the recipe as written. I used all whole wheat flour, substituted 1/8 cup Truvia brown sugar blend, and used butter instead of margarine.

 

Mark the Top Side of Electrical PlugsDid you know that the large slot on an electrical socket is on the left? To make it easier to plug my appliances into the sockets, I used some fingernail polish to mark the side that will be turned up when I plug them in.

 

Summer Afternoon (Paris Mt. State Park, SC)Living in the city, I was surprised to find out this was literally 5 minutes from my house. So we took advantage of the day and spent it fishing and hanging out by the lake. We didn't catch anything, but it was a beautiful day regardless.

 

Baby Bottle RobeHere is a cute way to make a bottle robe using a bib to keep baby's milk warm and chin dry. This makes cute baby shower gifts as well. :)

 

Use Towels to Keep Handbags in ShapeI bought a beautiful leather bag for $2 today. I won't need it until Fall. I used to stuff my bags with newspaper but I get my news from the internet now. I got an old towel and used that. I will store that in an old pillowcase until I need it.

 

Straining PaintI had a partially used can of paint, that I took to Lowes to be re-shaken. This caused the dried paint inside the can to be mixed back into the paint.

 

Hide House Key Outside with Pill BottleEveryone knows most people leave a key under the mat or in a plant. Instead, put your key in an empty pill bottle and glue a rock to the top of the bottle. Dig a hole big enough for the pill bottle, then slide the bottle in the hole and leave the rock sticking out. Tell everyone in the house where to find the key. Try putting it in the garden so it is easier to find.

 

Refinishing an Old Cat Tree With Sisal RopeNew cat trees can be quite expensive. We had an old one in our garage, that had been heavily used and was pretty much useless for scratching. After deciding that I didn't want to purchase a new cat tree, I settled on updating the old one with sisal rope. Our new kitty loves it and it looks new again!

 

Buying the Most Economical ApplianceDecide what features are must-haves. The dryer pictured was only $299. I gave up the bell that rang when the clothes were dry, because the cheapest model with that feature was $200 more.

 

DIY Decor Storage BoxesYou can easily reuse boxes as decor storage boxes for your shelf with an old sweater. Open the sweater and put your box into the sweater. Then wrap the arms into a knot and you have a storage box ready to use.

 

Muffin Tin As Cooling RackTurn the muffin tin upside down and it makes a good cooling rack. I do this all the time.

 

My Mom's GardenMy mom loves to garden. She takes real pride in her plants and is always taking care of them.

 

Stretching Tight BeaniesI've recently found that I can shape any beanie, even the ones that are oddly tight, like swimmers caps, by stretching them with the right objects. Take something that's a bit bigger than your head, like a melon, fit the beanie over it and let it sit there for at least 24 hours.

 

Preventing Pests Around House FoundationOn a recent visit from our pest company, they mentioned that we really need a plant free border around our house. Plants that touch the side of your house allow bugs to get past the pest spray. We removed almost all of our plants and cut away the grass, creating a 2ft wide border around the house.

 

Store Phone In SleeveAfter I hurt my leg and was somewhat restricted, I found I was missing my calls because I set my cell phone down somewhere. I ended up slipping it into my sleeve and placing a snug but not restrictive rubber band at the wrist to hold it in place. It makes it convenient to always have it around too!

 

Hide Credit Card Inside Phone CaseHide your debit or credit card in the back of your phone case. It should fit nicely in there. Sometimes when I shop, I just carry my phone instead of bringing my purse. It is much easier.

 

Stand-up Deviled EggsMaybe it was just me that wasn't aware of how to keep Deviled Eggs from falling over on the platter, but this was a great tip for me years ago. If you make deviled eggs and haven't found a great way to keep them standing upright all the time, this works perfectly.

 

Value of China from Prague?How can I find out about this particular china? I brought it in Prague in 1990-91.

 

2005 Dodge Ram Heater Switch Not Working Properly?I am able to turn on the heat, but it goes cold quickly. So I turn the dial to cold and back to heat then it warms up again briefly then goes cold again. Then later in the day I turned on the heat and it stayed on with no issues. Is it the contacts on the switch or something else?

 

Getting Rid of Tiny Black Biting Bugs?My boyfriend and I have been dealing with this very tiny black, biting bug for almost a year now. We both have been treated many times for scabies which as you can see we still have the problem. We did the scabies cream at least five different times, yet still have the lil creatures from hell.

 

Making a Frozen Pizza Crust Crispy?I was half hesitant to ask this question. I'll bet every teenager from Horneytown, NC, to Intercourse, PA, and back to Climax, NC knows a hack for my problem. And that would make me look like an old fossil, for sure.

 

Mimosa Tree Did Not Make Seed Pods?Why are there no pods on my tree this year?