Happy Easter

Lamb doneness chart.

Breast Cancer Awareness bags

Now available in snaps or Velcro.

Shirt

Found this tutorial. I wanted a fun shirt for the summer.

Waffle

I often find myself staring at the hotel's breakfast selection feeling the same dread as my guests. Could we be having western omelets, maple links, and seasoned potato cubes for breakfast again? Where is the variety?!  Then a thought occurred to me, if I just brought in some fresh pecans and real maple syrup, I could have a decent waffle. Did you know that Aunt Jemima syrup does not contain any maple? Its first two ingredients are high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup.

Ham and Trucker Potatoes

1 bag cube style hash browns
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
16 ounces sour cream
1 (8 oz) bag cheddar cheese

Combine all in a big bowl and spread into 9x13 pan. Wash the bowl.

1/2 stick butter
2 C. corn flakes (no need to measure)

Melt butter in microwave, in bowl, then add your corn flakes. Stir to coat. Use corn flakes to top the casserole. Bake the potatoes at 350* for about an hour.

Spring Cleaning

There I was, standing in the middle of my kitchen, when I could hear it. My mother sucking air at the mess. Over 600 miles away and I could literally HEAR IT.  I look under the sink for some Lysol, and lo! I have none.  I'm thinking "OK, OK, stay calm." and I'm trying to remember all those earth friendly cleaning solution alternatives I swore to myself I would start using. But I don't have any mixed up in a bottle just waiting for me to use them, so I started panicking and grabbing things from the cupboard.
Floor Cleaner: 1/2 bucket of  the hottest water you can get from your tap, splash of vinegar (maybe like 1/4 C, but I didn't measure it out), 1 squeeze of earth friendly dish soap (I used Dawn, original blue stuff), and it smells like vinegar so I added a few drops of tea tree oil.
WOW it worked great. Remember that spaghetti stain under the corner of the rug that just WOULD NOT come out (out, out damned spot!) *poof* GONE. The grease stain on the crown molding? GONE. The jello stain on the floor board... less visible, I think the linoleum has been permanently dyed.  But it worked really nice.  I did my floors, cupboards, and wall by the trash can.  I lined the trash can wall with contact paper to act as a splash guard. I would recommend that to everyone.  Food splash, drink splash, they wipe off so easily.  The kitchen looked so good I decided to do the bathroom too.

Salmon Burger

Chopped salmon, egg, breadcrumbs, dried tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh garlic, and black pepper. Form into burger shapes, grill, and serve over wild rice.

Happy Snack Bags

Today is the first day of spring! Happy Spring everyone.  I recently came across a tutorial on Pintrest for snack bags.  These bags are washable, reusable, and the perfect size for your lunch.

 

While measuring fabric at the store I discovered (MAAAAAATH!!) a few things. Using 1/4 yard (9") of three different coordinating cotton fabrics (45" wide -that's normal) and 1/2 yard of PUL fabric will yield six bags from this project if you cut carefully. Don't forget your 48" of Velcro.

Saddest Songs Ever Written

I recently read an article on the 25 most exquisetly sad songs ever, and totally disagreed. There are WAY worse songs than the ones they listed.  These songs are some of the saddest ever written.

He stopped loving her today - George Jones
    "He said I'll love you 'til I die. She told him you'll forget in time. As the years went slowly by  she still preyed upon his mind."  "He stopped loving her today.  They placed a wreath upon his door.  And soon they'll carry him away.  He stopped loving her today."

Space Oddity - David Bowie
    "Ground Control to Major Tom. Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong. Can you hear me, Major Tom?"  " I'm feeling very still, And I think my spaceship knows which way to go.  Tell my wife I love her very much she knows."  The man overdoses on drugs and dies.

Seven Spanish Angels - Willie Nelson
    "She reached down and picked the gun up that lay smokin' in his hand She said, “Father please forgive me I can't make it without my man” And she knew the gun was empty and she knew she couldn't win But her final prayer was answered when the rifles fired again"

Concrete Angel - Martina McBride
    "Somebody cries in the middle of the night. The neighbors hear, but they turn out the lights. A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate.  When morning comes It'll be too late."  The song is about child abuse, and it has a story about a little girl (named Angela Carter) who is abused by her mother until the abuse goes too far, and the little girl is killed. But luckily, she then "flies to a place where she's loved" -- in other words, she goes to Heaven, the place of angels.

Alyssa Lies - Jason Michael Carroll
     "Because Alyssa lies to the classroom, Alyssa lies everyday at school. Alyssa lies to the teachers, As she tries to cover every bruise."  What makes this song more tragic is that is was written in response to a real event. A girl who suffers from child abuse is beaten to death because nobody stepped in to help even though they suspected her mistreatment.


Whiskey Lullaby - Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss
    "She put him out like the burnin' end of a midnight cigarette.  She broke his heart, he spent his whole life tryin' to forget.  We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time.  But he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mind, Until the night he put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger, And finally drank away her memory."  A couple who separate and eventually drink themselves to death: The man because of the woman's infidelity and the woman because of her guilt. You tear up as the two sing "lalalala" in perfect harmony.

Send in the Clowns -Judy Collins
  "Isn't it rich? Isn't it queer? Losing my timing this late, In my career? And where are the clowns? Quick, send in the clowns. Don't bother - they're here."  This song by Stephen Sondheim from the 1973 musical A Little Night Music was never meant to be a soaring ballad; it's a song of regret. And it's a song of a lady who is too upset and too angry to speak. She is furious, but she doesn't want to make a scene in front of Fredrik because she recognizes that his obsession with his 18-year-old wife is unbreakable. So she gives up; so it's a song of regret and anger, and therefore fits in with short-breathed phrases.

Christmas Shoes - Newsong
    " Sir I wanna buy these shoes, For my mama please. It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size."
Not even a song about a real tragedy.  Only written to make you feel horrible at Christmas for having living family members. What kind of God gives your mother cancer ON CHRISTMAS but not enough money to buy medicine.. or shoes? Just to teach the spirit of the season to total strangers. @^#$ this song.

Angel - Sarah McLachlan  
   "Let me be empty, Oh, and weightless, And maybe I'll find some peace tonight."  Another horrible song about heroine.  Must be a bitch of a drug.

A Team - Ed Sheeran
     "White lips, pale face Breathing in snowflakes."  "And go mad for a couple grams And she don't want to go outside tonight. And in a pipe she flies to the Motherland or sells love to another man" Her life is ruined by 18 as she struggles with a drug addiction.

Tell Laura I Love Her - Ray Peterson
       "But as they pulled him from the twisted wreck, With his dying breath, they heard him say: Tell Laura I love her, tell Laura I need her, Tell Laura not to cry, My love for her will never die." A Race for $1000 so he could afford to buy his girlfriend a wedding ring.

Hurt - Johnny Cash
      "I hurt myself today, To see if I still feel.  I focus on the pain, The only thing that's real."  While not his originally, Cash managed to make this Nine Inch Nails song all the more poignant and tragic with its wonderful simplicity and honesty. What makes it so sad though is that it’s not a celebration, it’s a lament to what could have been, an ode to mistakes made in years past.

When is Easter

How to calculate when Easter is. I love math.

St. Patricks Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day. We are celebrating with corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes. didn't realize until we started eating that I forgot to get some Guinness.

Caturday

These are Lilly's favorite toy.  I bought her a new one for her birthday in February, and she lost it.  I bought her a new one this week, and she lost it.  I think they are probably hiding in the same place, but I can't find them right now.  They don't fit under the refrigerator, and I checked the couch and coffee table. I have been cleaning the house but haven't found a stash of toys anywhere than her toy box.

Shrimp and Spinach linguini

Shrimp sauteed in mushrooms, butter, garlic, pepper and Parmesan cheese, served over spinach linguini, topped with spinach and Alfredo sauce.

Heating Pad

I found a nice tutorial via Pintrest the other day.  I was inspired to make my own rice bags.  This pattern makes two bags.  You will need 1/2 yard fabric, and 4 lbs rice. I used sandalwood, vanilla, and lavender essential oils to scent mine. It cost me $5.50 to make two.

Cherry Crepes

crepes with cherry pie filling

Venus Fly Trap

I was at Lowe's this morning, and stopped by the discount flower department. (Lots of good deals, you should definitely check that out some time) I found these Venus fly traps for $2.00. Maybe they will take care of my fruit fly problem.

Pork Fried Rice

Pasta

1 box tube shape pasta
1 zuchini
1 handful diced olives
1 small can diced tomatoes
1 handful cherry tomatoes
1 tsp. garlic
parmesan cheese and black pepper

Ruby Trout

Ruby trout with roasted golden beets served on wild rice. 

DIY Baby Wipes

What other types of wipes can you make yourself? Lots. What about for children? I found baby wipes and boogie wipes

Baby Wipes
1 roll Bounty Select-A-Size paper towels
1 1/2 tablespoons baby bath
1 tablespoon baby oil
2 cups water

Start with 1 roll of Bounty. I guess they really do need to be Bounty because the off brands kind fall apart and don't clean baby bottoms nearly as well.  Use a non-serrated kitchen knife to cut the roll in half.  Use half a roll now, use the other half later.  Combine wipe ingredients in a 2.9 qt storage container. Add paper towels.  They will absorb the liquid within an hour.  Remove paper core. Use wipes from the core end first.

I thought Boogie wipes were plain tissues, but after I looked into these wipes I could see the appeal. They are saline nose wipes that ease the discomfort of kids’ sore, red, runny noses.

1 cup hot water (preferably distilled)
A pinch of sea salt
1 Tablespoon of aloe vera (gel or liquid)
The contents of 2 Vitamin E capsules
3 – 4 drops of lavender essential oil
2 teaspoons witch hazel

Combine all the above ingredients into a small container, then soak pre-folded cloth wipes in the solution. Squeeze out most of the water and place in bar soap box.

DIY Clorox Wipes

I was reading the back of my Clorox container and it read "PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENTS: HAZARDS TO HUMANS AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS" That's not something I want to clean my home with. Do you? I took the the internet for a green solution. I love grabbing a pre-moistened wipe for small jobs around the house

I found 3 wipe recipes, they seem to follow the pattern of 1C. water, 2 Tbs. soap, mold inhibiting agent.

WIPES 1	WIPES 2	WIPES 3
1 C. water	1 C. water	1 C. water
1/4 C. rubbing alcohol	2 Tbs. vinegar
2 Tbs. Dawn dish soap	2 Tbs. natural dish soap	2 Tbs. Castile soap
2 Tbs. ammonia	8-10 drops essential oil	8-10 drops tea tree oil

Mix in a glass bowl then add to your wipes.

You can cut a roll of paper towel in half and use a tupperware, or add to pre-cut rags/handi wipes and reusable container.  I like the second option best.  This way you can reuse your wipe container.
What do you do with the handi wipes after you clean with them?  Wash, but do not dry.